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“Oh, well. Professor.”
“Why, is something wrong?”
As if the professor had just noticed Rieta, he looked at her, alternating between the envelope and Darrel in her hand.
Fortunately, he wasn’t very interested in outside affairs, so he didn’t seem to think that Rieta was a princess from another country.
However, he paid close attention to the envelope she was holding.
“Ah, yes. As expected of you. I thought you would never depart from your studies.”
“Yes. I have come back to return the paper.”
“It’s a good attitude. But can’t we just leave it to the other party for a while?”
I should have exchanged the envelope for something else.
Because she had put it in the academy library envelope, the professor quickly discovered the purpose.
“Well, that’s . . .”
Darrel sounded troubled. Of course.
Because he can’t disappear leaving Rieta alone.
“The fact that you brought her all this way, means that the employee is someone you trust. Leave the paper return to her. It’s not okay to try to do everything yourself.”
“Hmm.”
Darrel must have been thinking about how to say no without hurting the professor.
Rieta was expecting a little bit of the amazing word magic that he usually displayed.
“Ah, that’s right. Theia is my most trusted employee. She will return the paper without issue.”
. . . What?
The words that came out of Darrel’s mouth were very different from what Rieta had expected.
For some reason, he was speaking as though he was going to abandon Rieta right away.
And that made it difficult for Rieta.
“You can do it alone, Theia. Right?”
Rieta thought, ‘I can’t!’ but she couldn’t answer that.
It was absurd that an employee trusted by Lord Mayer couldn’t even return a paper alone!
Rieta had to reply, “Yes, Young Master.” with a tearful heart.
You’re not really going, are you?
“Then it’s decided.”
The professor was excited and began to pull at Darrel’s arm.
“Let’s go now.”
“Yes. But please walk under an umbrella. If someone like you catches a cold, it will be a loss to the Empire.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry. I haven’t had a cold in 50 years!”
The Professor and Darrel really left Rieta alone and started going in very different directions.
“Ah, I.”
Rieta took a hasty step and managed to open her mouth, but she could not reach them.
What to do?
Were they really going to leave her like this?
Rieta followed them back and forth for a few steps.
Of course, she had work to do, but she had to stop right away.
“Darrel.”
There was, of course, no answer to the word she muttered in a small voice.
Oh, really, what to do?!
Soon the professor and Darrel were completely out of Rieta’s sight.
Rieta gazed dazedly in the direction they had disappeared, and she sighed deeply and turned back to the library.
For now, she had a task to complete.
* * *
As soon as she folded her umbrella and entered the library, a staff member approached her.
Rieta was worried that he would say something about her wandering around without Darrel.
“Did you come to return the paper from outside?”
However, contrary to Rieta’s concerns, the staff was very friendly.
“Yes.”
Rieta answered as concisely as possible, lest her accent show.
“Do you know the way to the third floor? Do you want me to tell you where to go?”
In her heart, she wanted to accept the kindness, but she had no choice but to shake her head.
She would be in trouble if she misspoke while someone was accompanying her.
And above all else, it probably wouldn’t be necessary.
She had to consider where she would encounter Noel or Hugh McClean in a place like this.
She would have to hide quickly, according to her promise to Darrel.
“No need. But thank you.”
Rieta answered with a little nervousness. She worried that it might sound weird.
“Oh, I see.”
Fortunately, the staff member didn’t seem to think Rieta was weird.
He bowed his head slightly, then went back to work.
Phew.
Rieta tightened her grip on the paper and pressed it close to her heart.
I’m glad I didn’t get caught.
Rieta took a deep breath and looked around.
There were stairs going up and down used by the students.
She heard that the area for returning papers was on the third floor, so she went up the stairs with her head slightly bowed.
Maybe it was because the employees often came to return books?
She passed by several students, but no one looked at her strangely.
Rieta arrived on the third floor without any problems.
It’s a bit quiet.
There were students everywhere on the first and second floors, so it felt a bit cluttered.
The third floor was rarely used, and even distant noises were clearly audible.
Naturally, Rieta also relaxed a bit.