CH 164

One step at a time, as they passed through the darkness, they came out into the dimly lit hallway.

Noel looked at Rieta’s hand that was still holding him.

He felt kind of proud.

To the point that he would like to have this feeling a little bit more.

“Do you want me to take you to your room?”

He had been showing off a little bit of a gentleman’s temperament after a long time.

Because the night was dark, and Rieta was afraid.

“No, I’m fine now that I can see. I’ll go to my bedroom alone.”

“. . .”

Apparently, Noel was the only one who enjoyed their time holding hands and escaping the darkness.

Noel felt like he had been deceived by Rieta.

She said she would make Noel happy, but she only used him as a tool to get out of the darkness!

“Naughty girl.”

He shook Rieta’s hand roughly.

“Hmph! I’m not going to listen to any of your advice.”

“Noel?”

Rieta looked at him in surprise. Why was he suddenly so grumpy? Noel pouted his lips and turned around and began to leave first.

“. . . Anyway, thank you, good night. Noel.”

However, he had no choice but to pause at the friendly goodbye he heard from behind.

He turned around to see Rieta smiling and waving her hand.

“What.”

He got embarrassed, looked down and barely answered Rieta’s goodbye.

“Princess, you too.”

After that, he ran down the hallway and quickly returned to his room.

As he lay down on the bed, he felt his heart beating so fast that it hurted.

Did he run too fast in the hallway?

It was probably because of that.

Noel went to sleep, suppressing all the thoughts and emotions that came to his mind.

He would probably be able to spend tomorrow with Rieta normally.

As always.

* * *

Of course, Noel’s wish came true.

The two spent their usual time full of learning and playing as usual.

They looked at each other and laughed, and the whole mansion was arguing wonderfully.

A day, a week, and a month passed like that.

Of course, it was natural that inertia clung to peaceful times, and at some point in time, looking back, years had passed.

To the extent that the two of them were a little past their childhood days.

A very long time had passed.

* * *

“Princess Rieta?”

Rieta was startled by Darrel’s voice and turned around.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s a little awkward.”

Rieta was fiddling with the hem of her loosely draped dress.

“It looks good on you. Come here for a moment.”

When she grabbed Darrel’s politely extended hand, she naturally came out to the middle of the parlor.

“Um, is there anything uncomfortable? If so, tell me. I’ll have it fixed by next week.”

“I think it’s okay . . .”

Rieta looked down at the rustling hem, swaying back and forth.

“Good. Then the dress for the Princess’s fifteenth birthday will look like this. Do you like it?”

“I like it. I’m a little worried that it’s too conspicuous.”

“I don’t think we need to worry too much about that.”

Darrel looked down at the girl who had grown up to his chest and smiled.

Rieta stood out no matter what she wore anyway.

Due to a special status that was different from other nobles, and even if she said she wasn’t . . .

“The Princess is very cute.”

He used to refer to Rieta as ‘cute’, but perhaps only a few people in high society continued to describe her that way.

“The Princess of Liz is beautiful.”

Those who have seen Rieta at least once in person would say so.

Where Rieta couldn’t hear, of course.

It was because Rieta’s beauty was sometimes considered something to mock by the capital nobles.

[It is a wonderful result of King Liz’ greed.]

Words like that.

“But, Darrel, I’m turning fifteen, and I think it’s kind of weird to hear that I’m cute.”

“It’s okay. It’s my and Noel’s duty to call the Princess cute.”

Darrell nodded slightly to the jeweler Marion, who was standing in the distance.

The savvy merchant quickly approached and handed him the tiara.

It was meticulously crafted.

“No way, is it mine?”

“Yes, it is the Princess’s privilege to be able to wear a tiara.”

“There are too many privileges in this mansion.”

“Well, it’s the Duchy, right?”

Darrel let out a low laugh and fixed the tiara over Rieta’s head.

“I wondered what it would be like not to raise her hair. It’s okay. right?”

He asked the jeweler who was with him for consent, and, of course, the merchant nodded willingly.

“That is my present, Princess. Happy fifteenth birthday in advance.”

He bowed politely.

Rieta expressed gratitude worthy of the Princess of a country.

“Thank you, Darrel.”

After saying that, she looked again at the large mirror that was set in the distance.

Rieta Liz, who was about to turn fifteen, stood there.

It feels like it’s only been a while since I came to the Duchy.

It was hard to believe that it had already been five years.