CH 171

She didn’t realize that Elisha became even more anxious due to her appearance.

“If I had known that you would like it this much . . . umm.”

He approached Rieta and muttered a little.

“You would have come with me earlier?”

Rieta guessed at his vaguely muffled words.

But it seems she was wrong. He shook his head.

“I meant to recommend another place.”

“Uh, why?”

“You are not nervous in such a dangerous place, because I’m banned from overprotecting the Princess.”

“Elisha needs to get used to this kind of situation. You can’t be overprotective of me forever.”

Rieta laughed, leaning her body against the low railing at the end of the watchtower.

The cold winter wind messed up her beautifully combed hair, but even then she looked good.

“Princess.”

“Yes?”

Elisha glanced briefly at Rieta’s thick forehead, exposed by the wind, before he finally made eye contact with her.

“Can I overprotect the Princess forever?”

Well . . . of course not.

Rieta tried to answer that way.

But maybe it was because of the earnestness she felt in Elisha’s tone of voice.

She couldn’t say that.

Did he know what Rieta was hesitating about?

Elisha lifted his lips and forced a smile, then brushed the hair off her face.

“You are kind. Princess.”

“. . . The kind one is Elisha.”

“I’m sorry, but if I could be kind to the Princess even a little, that’s . . .”

“I know.”

Rieta turned her head to look at the expansive garden.

In fact, she was looking beyond that.

Continuing along in this direction, there it was.

Her birth kingdom.

“Elisha is kind to me, because you believe I will find my dignity.”

He didn’t deny it.

He used to hate Rieta very much.

Although it was during his childhood, it was as vivid as yesterday.

There was a time when he wished that all vulgar royalty should die.

They were only shackling his family.

“The Princess was just standing in the direction I wanted.”

Rieta said that she would respect history and become a ruler who protected the people.

She never declared it herself, but her actions have proven it.

So Rieta was the only way for him.

But there were times when he was afraid.

If Rieta wanted to change her ways, Elisha couldn’t even imagine what she would be like.

Will he be able to lean his forehead on a Rieta who didn’t think about the Kingdom of Liz?

Thinking about it that way, somehow, his loyalty seemed to be selfish to the end.

“Stop it.”

Elisha raised her head at her sudden command.

All of a sudden, Rieta was looking at him.

“. . .”

“You don’t have to worry, Elisha.”

Rieta smiled when she called out his name, ‘Elisha.’

“Because what you believe in is not going to change.”

“Princess.”

Rieta clutched the railing tightly.

“I will return to the Kingdom. I will do what I can there.”

Perhaps her voice was trembling. Rieta spoke with a lot of force.

During the time she spent in the empire, her resolve became stronger.

Liz had the potential to become a better kingdom.

If only they could remove a number of problems.

Those who took advantage of her father and his disposition.

The mess of trade and diplomacy.

People who could not live with severe taxes and died in an uprising . . .

As Rieta recalled the problems one by one, she let out a small sigh.

Anyway . . .

It wasn’t something she could solve right now.

She had to wait until the spring when she was sixteen where she gained the right to leave this land freely.

Besides, just because she left didn’t mean she could solve the above problems all at once.

More than anything else, the first thing that needs to be resolved now . . .

Was to return the favor to the Duke who took care of her within a year before leaving.

If I wait half a year now, the Princess will come to the capital with the female lead.

The princess will introduce her to everyone.

Including Noel.

That time would be very important.

First impressions were said to last a lifetime.

“Princess, you look full of worries. Are you concerned about something?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not about the Kingdom of Liz.”

Rieta put her hand to her forehead for a moment and sighed.

She only had half a year left, and she couldn’t see Noel, so it was very frustrating.

What should she do about Noel?

* * *

When Rieta returned to the Duchy, the butler approached her, saying he had something to report to her.

“Princess, permission to read the paper you mentioned last time has been given.”

“Really? Thank god. Last time, it was rejected because I was a foreigner.”

“I think it’s good that I sent the professor’s recommendation letter together. Within a month, it said that a member of the academy will bring it to the mansion. We will request it again as soon as possible.”

“I’m sorry, I’m a foreigner, so I always have to ask for this . . .”

Rieta was reluctant to bother the butler with her personal studies.