/
Rieta, who managed to answer, closed her eyes tightly, feeling choked for some reason.
She never thought it would be like this.
No, she had actually been assuming the worst while learning history.
Because the Kingdom of Liz was by no means special.
But, somewhere in her mind, she thought, No matter what, that’s not going to happen. She had been comforting herself.
It was stupid.
It was obvious that this would happen.
“Then, shall we stop here today? It seems like both of you have turned white.”
“Today?”
Rieta pointed out his words.
How come it sounded like a promise for the next time.
“Lord Darrel gave me the right to go in and out of the Duchy freely. So that I can meet the Princess at any time.”
He spoke in a slightly bragging tone, but to Rieta, it didn’t seem like much to brag about.
When he met Rieta, didn’t it mean that he will eventually lose all the information that he has been holding?
“By any chance, BB.”
Rieta asked, looking at him with squinted eyes.
“Did Darrel take hold of your weakness?”
“NNNOO?!”
BB squeezed his eyes and shook his head passionately.
. . . He must have been threatened with his weakness.
“I am an honest gatherer. I don’t gather anything but information and plants!”
It looked like he had caught on to something that was professionally problematic.
“I see. Anyway, if BB could give me some information, I would be grateful.”
“It’s nothing. Instead, when you become the Queen, give me a big reward.”
“BB, didn’t you  say it was better for me to not return to the Kingdom a while ago?”
“Just because I say that doesn’t mean you won’t go back.”
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
At that moment, Rieta was able to put her mind at ease, and smiled and nodded her head.
“That’s right. I have a reason.”
Rieta had a promise.
To Elisha, of course, and also to the attendants who left the future of the country on the back of her hand when she was young.
Even if the years had passed and no one waited for her, Rieta was determined not to betray that promise.
“I will definitely go back to Liz.”
The eyes of the Princess who made that declaration did not waver at all.
* * *
When she opened the door to the lab with Noel who was in shock, Darrel was waiting in front of the door.
“Darrel!”
Rieta had a lot of things she wanted to ask him, but she couldn’t say it when he praised her, saying, “I knew you’d find it.”
“You’re so mean, I can’t complain if you say that.”
Even as she cried, Darrel just smiled beautifully.
“Darrel. Were you expecting it?”
“That the Princess is going to meet Noel?”
Rieta nodded her head, and Darrel answered, looking worriedly back and forth at Noel, who had lost his mind.
“Yes, I expected it.”
“You told me to run away if I see Noel.”
“If you act suspiciously like that, you will definitely stand out in Noel’s eyes.”
“. . .”
How mean.
So that’s what the running away was for.
“Still, I didn’t expect the Princess to come dressed like this. There are things that can go wrong like this.”
“Ah, this dress.”
For a moment, Rieta looked down at the baggy clothes she was wearing.
“Noel saved me. He said I would be able to walk around unnoticed.”
“That . . .”
It’s kind of weird. Darrel was about to answer that.
Even in maid’s clothes, it wouldn’t be a problem to look around the academy.
But she had to change clothes.
“Why are you laughing? Darrel?”
“Ugh, no. Just.”
He grinned, stroking Noel’s hair.
“I think my younger brother is doing really cute things. Then, shall we go back?”
Darrell gave an empty room to Rieta.
“Would you like to change your clothes again? I’ll wait outside the building.”
After Rieta changed quickly so that Darrel and Noel didn’t wait too long, she went back into the hallway.
Noel was waiting for her, standing there blankly.
“Thank you for lending me the clothes.”
Rieta handed Noel the neatly folded uniform, and paid close attention to his expression.
How . . . It looked like his lips were trembling. Did she see it wrong?
“Noel, are you okay?”
When asked in a low voice, he snatched the clothes from Rieta and turned his head away.
I don’t think he’s okay
He must have been very shocked because he was suddenly kissed like that.
“That . . . You see.”
Not knowing what to say to comfort him, Rieta fumbled for a while before she remembered a story.
“I read in a book that a mosquito can bite your lip.”
“What?”
Noel asked what nonsense it was and looked at Rieta with a pout.
“Besides, it gets puffy and ugly when a mosquito bite your lip.”
“. . .”
“I’m, I’m glad you didn’t get bitten by a mosquito, Noel.”
It was the best comfort that Rieta could muster, but somehow it didn’t seem to work for Noel.