unedited

Rieta let out a small sigh of relief, clinging halfway to his arm.

However, Noel’s expression when he raised her head to face her was not very good.

It was far from angry or agitated.

On the contrary, it seemed that he had suffered a deep wound somewhere.

“…..”

But there is no reason for Noel to be hurt.

It doesn’t matter who Rieta goes to the banquet with.

Noel, who had been looking at her for a while, managed to speak.

“….why?”

Why? She doesn’t know why Noel would ask such a thing.

Noel isn’t going to go with her anyway. So it doesn’t matter

Rieta took a few steps away from him in a sneaking way.

“Well.”

She couldn’t bring herself to put into words the thoughts that popped into her head. But she was very concerned that Noel was hurt somewhere.

So, Rieta put down numerous excuses and answered quietly.

“….I’m sorry.”

She didn’t know what she was apologizing for, even as she said that.

“….”

Noel didn’t say anything in particular. Instead, he held out his arm again towards Rieta.

It was clear that he meant to take her to her room.

Rieta had no intention of creating another conflict with him, so she placed her hand on his familiar arm.

Even in this situation, she feels comfortable, probably because she has been leaning on each other for a long time.

As they passed the stairs and went to Rieta’s room, the two did not speak at all.

And when they got to the front of her room.

Noel opened the door for Rieta.

“Well Noel.”

Rieta gathered her last courage and called out to him.

But she didn’t know what else to say, so she asked something she wasn’t curious about at all.

“Today…fun? You meet Princess Gabriella and Miss Bennet.”

Maybe it was to induce his nagging that was why she purposefully spoke with broken grammar.

“Ung, well.”

After a moment of hesitation, Noel added, ‘It was fun.’, evading his words.

“…… ”

“…… “

There was an unfamiliar silence between the two, probably because they had nothing left to say to each other.

Not long after, the two of them, who had been staring at each other’s shoulders without making eye contact, went into their respective rooms.

***

“Did you fight with Noel?”

It was late in the evening when Darrell visited Rieta.

He held a nice chocolate cookie to disarm her mind.

He must have read the awkward air between Noel and Rieta during dinner.

If she could, she tried not to show off.

“It wasn’t really a fight.”

Rieta bit into the large cookie he handed her.

With sweets entering her stuffy head, she seemed to be able to bear it a little.

“There was just a little misunderstanding.”

Even thought she doesn’t know if she can call it a misunderstanding.

“…probably Noel doesn’t like me being around Hugh Mclean.”

Of course, she didn’t really want to be close to him as he said.

“I’ve heard stories. Young Mclean behaved like the male lead of a classic novel.”

Darrell chuckled.

He came to ask her guardian for permission to be her partner. It was a rare sight recently.

“He is someone anyone can fall for. If I were a girl, I would definitely fall for him.”

“I don’t fall for him.”

Darrell’s words sounded like he was searching in Rieta, so Rieta shouted in protest.

Did she speak too loudly? But it was true.

“Yes, of course Hugh Mclean is handsome, and he’s kind. But that doesn’t necessarily make me fall for him!”

“Calm down.”

Darrell calmly replied, handing Rieta a warm milk.

“…..”

Rieta fidgeted with the warm glass, then she slowly tilted her glass to drink the milk.

The cookie melted sweetly in her mouth. Her somewhat agitated feelings faded along with it.

As her calm mind returned, Rieta bowed her head and apologized to Darrell.

“…I’m sorry for taking out my anger. Darrell.”

“That means that I have become the Princess’ comfortable partner.”

“What? I feel comfortable with Darrell.”

“Isn’t it nice? I want to be a comfortable person for the princess.”

“…..!”

Rieta opened her mouth wide, as if she was trying to protest something, but in the end she didn’t say anything.

She looked into the warm glass that warmed her hands for a long time, then in a small voice, she gave an apology again.

“….I’m sorry.”

“Because it’s okay.”

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled kindly.

“If you’re really sorry, tell me what happened.”

With that gentle persuasion, Rieta was able to calmly open her mouth.

“……Actually.”

So Rieta spoke frankly about what had happened with Hugh.

It’s embarrassing that he seems to have a little special feelings for Rieta.

She told him everything, including the facts.

Sometime, he nods at Rieta’s story, or responded with ‘I see.’/

“So, this. It’s just the result of me pinching his arm.”

“Did Noel misunderstand that in some other way?”

“That’s right. Of course, it’s my bad for not saying it properly, but in the first place, Noel also…”

Rieta complained a little when she remembered Noel’s recklessly agitated look.