CH 216

“If we have a chance later, we should talk quietly. Today, that’s all.”

“You mean.”

Elisha gave a little strength to his hand that was connected to Rieta.

“Does that mean you’re done following Noel?”

“Yes.”

Rieta turned her body away slightly as he led her, then smiled.

“Because it seems like I understand the situation somehow. It’s something that can’t be avoided forever anyway, in a place like this.”

In a little while, the people of the Imperial family would come, and the knight appointment ceremony would begin.

People would offer Rieta, a foreign Princess, a good seat, which was usually by Duke Mayer.

“That’s a good thing.”

When Elisha said that, Rieta slightly tilted her head.

“What?”

“I was thinking.”

“What?”

“Actually, we were in danger of being discovered a while ago, but I was relieved that we did not have to avoid it anymore.”

“Discovered . . . Noel?!”

Elisha nodded as she asked, startled, and Rieta immediately turned her head.

Then she saw Noel looking over here from the crowd.

Half-embracing the woman from before.

Rieta pondered for a moment, but then she smiled mischievously as a greeting and then she turned her head towards Elisha again.

But somehow, the back of her head continued to sting.

Rieta glanced at where Noel was standing as she turned around.

Just as expected. He was still staring at Rieta.

With a face that looked quite stiff.

She doesn’t know why the person who came here on a date looked towards her so strangely.

However, Noel’s glare did not last long. It was also because of the woman stepping on his foot.

Noel could not even show that he was in pain. Only his face turned blue. It looked quite pitiful, but Rieta did not show any sympathy.

It’s only natural when he’s paying attention to something other than dancing with his partner.

She shook her head and returned to the other side of the banquet hall with Elisha.

“You didn’t even care about me after watching everything?”

Noel approached Rieta at some point.

“Why me?”

For a moment, Rieta was startled, but as she turned around, she asked back sternly.

Then Noel became angry and shouted.

“Would you say those words when you saw my feet cut in half? Yet you . . .”

But soon after seeing the gazes flying around him, he coughed a little, then quickly changed his tone of voice politely.

“Are you still my friend?”

“What is with that way of talking?”

Rieta was terrified at that horrifying remark.

“Besides, where did you leave the woman who came with you?”

“She left me alone, she went dancing with Hugh McLean excitedly.”

“Is McLean here too?”

“Huh.”

Noel peered through the crowd, then found Hugh McLean and pointed it with the tip of his chin.

“Can you see over there?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

The woman who had been Noel’s partner until before was dancing with Hugh McLean.

Happily too.

How come I have a bad feeling . . .

Rieta was worried about Noel.

Of course, it wasn’t his pitiful feet that she was concerned about.

It was Hugh McLean.

In the original story, he had been Noel’s rival.

This time Noel had come to like someone else, so she thought he might never compete with Hugh.

As she watched him become close with Noel’s partner, unavoidable anxiety grew.

“What are you so restless about? Are you hungry?”

“This is not the time to be so carefree, Noel.”

Noel, who saw nothing of Rieta’s vigilance, was frustrated.

In the original story, he showed a lukewarm attitude toward Hugh McLean, but eventually he lost his love.

“Look Carefully. I mean, keep your eyes wide open and look over there.”

“Oh, yes. Hugh McLean is working very hard. He’s trying.”

Rieta glanced at Noel with her mouth slightly open.

Desperately wanting to say ‘how could you say such a thing?!’.

“How the hell do you want me to react?”

“That’s, of course—”

She’s about to say she wanted him to be jealous, but the music stopped before she knew it.

The noisy interior immediately began to be organized. Even though no one is giving orders.

When this atmosphere began to prevail, even a young child could foresee what was to come.

The people of the Imperial family were to arrive.

People each went looking for a place that suited their status.

In particular, those who will take the oath as new knights today are starting to line up in the center of the hall.

The elites from the Imperial Knights helped make the final preparations by checking their clothes.

In the meantime, a knight stopped at the frontmost empty seat.

It looked like someone hasn’t arrived yet.

He checked the list and shouted loudly to the people.

“Sir Everett Hewitt!”

Rieta was startled and looked around quickly.

She thought to check Hewitt’s face.

That was Rieta’s goal today. Additionally, it was necessary for Elisha to complete Sir Jenkins’ errand.