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Well, articles about the Duchy always attracted attention, so there’s no way she wouldn’t read them.
“Thank you for your concern. Actually, I should have hidden my feelings a little more about this . . .”
“Indeed. It can be dangerous if your feelings are exposed. There are plenty of people in the world who want to take advantage of other’s weaknesses.”
In response to this reply, Rieta gently nodded her head.
“Anyway, that’s my thoughts as the Princess’s substitute guardian.”
“Do you personally think differently, Darrel?”
“Very different.”
He straightened his posture slightly and sat down. In a little more comfortable way.
“Because the Princess’s situation is special.”
After Rieta was practically expelled from her home country, she hadn’t heard any real news.
“Anyone would be dizzy if they read an article like this in such a situation. Maybe me too.”
“. . . Thank you. You took my situation well.”
“You’re welcome. So let’s try to solve the problems one by one, shall we?”
“Oh, right.”
Rieta now remembered that she had another business for Darrel.
“I want to return the paper I borrowed last time.”
“Of course, I’ll help.”
“If you ask the person in charge to send someone to collect it, you can hand it over from the mansion.”
“Well, but that’s not the answer to the Princess’s question.”
“My . . . question?”
He looked around for no reason . . . even though it was clear that there was no one else around them.
“You just asked me about the gatherers, right?”
“Yes. But you said it was a secret.”
“There were gatherers who recently visited the Kingdom.”
“The Kingdom of Liz? For what?”
“Gatherers are experts who secretly bring in plants and animals from other countries at the behest of Imperial researchers. There must have been something to collect this time as well.”
“Secretly? If it is purely for research purposes, they can make a formal request.”
“It takes time. On the other hand, it can be solved without cumbersome procedures if they use a gatherer.”
“Ah.”
Rieta realized one thing.
“So they don’t have to share their research with Liz.”
“Yes. It’s not good for the Princess.”
Because of that, it deserved to be called a ‘secret’.
Especially for Rieta, who was foreign royalty.
But why tell her such a story in such detail?
Perhaps . . .
Could this be some kind of test for Rieta?
As she was worried, she couldn’t say anything to him.
Perhaps Darrel noticed the tension on her face. He spoke again.
“Do you think you want to meet that person?”
“Yes, I do. I want to hear about Liz that they saw with their own eyes, even little things are fine.”
“Aha, so you mean to intimidate me?”
“. . . What?!”
“If I don’t let you meet them, you are going to tell the Imperial Princess that I’ve been giving away my country’s secrets.”
“No way!”
Rieta’s eyes widened in surprise. She never had the thought.
“But you told me a little while ago. When you speak to the Imperial Princess, you say things you  didn’t even think of.”
“Well, that wasn’t a threat. It was just the truth.”
“The Princess is good at intimidation. ‘It was just the truth.’”
“You know I don’t mean that.”
“The day the Imperial Princess finds out, I will be kicked out of my successor position. I will live a life of solitude in the depths of the mountains, with the Mayer’s name taken away.”
“Darrel!”
Rieta raised her voice a little, and the smile that remained on his face disappeared.
Rieta had always thought that Darrel looked like the Duchess, but if she was looking at him like this, she realized that wasn’t necessarily the case.
Darrel also resembled the Duke.
Especially when trying to teach Rieta something strictly like this.
“Princess.”
“. . .”
Rieta had now calmed down and considered all the interests.
She wanted the story of the Kingdom, and she could only meet those who held it through Darrel.
It also stood outside the bounds of the law.
And Rieta knew Darrel’s heart.
He loves the Duchy so much that he would do anything to keep himself from being kicked out of this position.
So Rieta had obtained all the conditions that could threaten him.
She lifted her head again and faced Darrel.
He was waiting.
For Rieta to break down the walls of rules that were finely built around her heart and to use him as she pleased.
So she would learn that there was such a way.
Rieta didn’t like it that way. Who would?
But this was necessary . . . As a Princess, this was something she must do.
“. . . I . . .”
She slowly parted her lips.
There was hesitation, but she tried to hide.
“Let me meet them. Darrel Mayer.”
“There’s no helping it, then.”