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“No. As long as there are rules, there is nothing you can do about it. And this is your birthday party invitation list. Those marked here are those who replied that they would attend . . .”
Rieta nodded her head as she listened to the butler’s explanation.
Although he actually said it was a ‘list’, it was a modest occasion where she invited only a few close people.
Maybe that was why . . .
The blank space next to Noel’s name was particularly noticeable.
No one seemed to know whether he would come or not.
Well, she didn’t even send an invitation to Noel.
In the first place, he was a member of the house, more like the “host” of the party than anything.
So it was a little strange to say to him, ‘Come to the party at the Duchy!’
“Princess.”
Was the butler concerned that her gaze stayed on Noel’s name for so long?
The butler carefully made a new proposal.
“How about writing a letter to the young master?”
“A letter . . .?”
“Yes. The Princess cannot go to the academy in person, but her words and feelings can be conveyed through letters.”
Although there would be strict screening in the middle, in the end, it was a private letter and it would pass easily.
It was also a fact that anyone in the Empire knew that Noel of Duchy Mayer and Rieta of the Kingdom had a close relationship.
But lately, Noel seemed to be avoiding Rieta . . .
With a hasty letter, she was worried that it might worsen her relationship with him.
What should I do?
* * *
Rieta pondered, and she wrote the letter as the butler recommended.
If possible, gather all kind words, ignore the mean words.
She also wrote a clear wish, ‘I want Noel to come to my birthday party.’
Although Noel was harsh in his words and deeds, he was a very kind child at heart.
So, he probably won’t pretend he didn’t know when he gets a letter like this.
* * *
It was a complete mistake to think that. . .
The reply that arrived the very next day read:
“Busy.”
Rieta read aloud the single word in the letter.
She was there to tell Darrel.
“. . . Oh my.”
He clicked his tongue briefly and shook his head slowly.
“How can he just write it down like this?!”
Not even the name of the recipient or the signature of the sender was present.
There were only four letters in the letter that looked like it was ripped out of his notebook that said ‘Busy.’
Darrell thought about how he could defend his brother, but he couldn’t think of a way.
“It’s not enough to get out of the mansion one day, this is really bad . . . I’m sorry.”
Rieta seemed to be sorry for becoming annoyed without knowing it, so she quickly covered her mouth and bowed her head.
“It’s okay. I also think Noel was harsh this time.”
At his answer, Rieta smirked.
In an awkward way.
“I feel a little bit better now that Darrel is by my side.”
“That’s a relief.”
Just then, the butler knocked and informed them that Rieta’s music teacher had arrived.
“Music, that’s great. It will make the Princess’s heart happy.”
“I wish I could be like that.”
Rieta took a deep breath and followed the butler.
Darrel picked up Noel’s letter, which Rieta had left behind.
As he stroked the four-letter with his fingertips, he felt a pen pressure.
He must have written a lot of stuff on this page.
Was it about studying?
Or was it another letter that he could not bear to send to Rieta?
If it was Noel he knew, it was probably the latter.
Because what he was doing was so cute
He smiled a little without saying anything. A bit of bitterness was mixed in his smile.
* * *
Rieta doesn’t know how Noel ended up leaving the mansion, but Darrel knew it well enough.
. . . Perhaps, she didn’t expect that Noel would leave the mansion.
Rieta and Noel had been playing around for quite some time, joking around and wrinkling the butler’s forehead.
While maintaining a childhood friend relationship that hasn’t changed much from when they were ten years old.
The problem started in winter, when she was fourteen years old.
It happened when Elisha, who had just graduated from the military academy, started living in Sir Jenkins’ mansion.
Since Sir Jenkins had just stepped down from his current position, Noel and Darrel were preparing a small surprise party for their maternal grandfather.
Since they were trying to please Sir Jenkins, Rieta and Elisha were also involved in the plan.
They were able to become even more intimate while preparing the party needs.
It was from Rieta’s words that the problem arose.
“Hey, if I ask Sir Jenkins to dance, would he like it?”
The lightly expressed opinion was approved by everyone, and it was set as an important moment to announce the ‘start of the party’.
Rieta, excited by this, asked her etiquette teacher to teach her how to dance.
Hell arrived from this point on.
It was only then that they found out that Rieta had no talent for dancing.
The teacher even said, “You don’t have to be good at the party, think of it as a lifelong task to learn.”