/
“Damn, you call that a question? Of course, Princess Rieta is prettier!”
Hearing him shout, Rieta almost exclaimed in surprise.
Fortunately, Elisha quickly covered Rieta’s mouth, so such an accident did not happen.
“. . . Uh.”
Why the hell was her name popping up here?
Most of all, she couldn’t understand why Noel would respond like that in front of the woman he had his first kiss with.
Wasn’t it obvious that the woman would only be hurt like this?
“Ah, really?”
. . . No, she didn’t get hurt at all.
The woman just scratched her head and nodded her head.
“Yes. So please stop doing this.”
“Well, maybe it’s because your eyes are blinded by love. Others may think I’m prettier.”
Surprisingly, an answer to that statement came from a quiet figure behind Rieta.
“Never. Ever.”
With Elisha’s assertion, Rieta tapped his body with her elbow.
He immediately apologized, expressing that he didn’t mean to judge the Princess.
Anyway, through the curtain, the conversation between Noel and the woman carried on.
“Well, it’s okay. I never thought I would be able to achieve my purpose in one shot.”
Noel patted his arm and sighed deeply.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of the number of times, but . . .”
“If I keep working hard, I might even become as cute as Princess Rieta.”
“Do you really want to be loved by doing that?”
“Of course. So, Noel!”
She grabbed Noel’s arm with both hands and led him.
“Let’s go out and dance! I’m sure I can do it better this time!”
“Ugh, come on.”
Noel was annoyed to death, but in the end he followed her lead.
“You’re so annoying.”
“Yes, but Noel can never go against my words, can’t you?”
Noel gave no response.
The two of them went out of the terrace again, and mingled with the crowd.
Meanwhile, Rieta slipped out through the curtains and stood with her back on the other side of the hall.
The number of attendees was much larger than before, and Noel was hardly visible now.
Occasionally his expression caught her eye, and although he frowned a little, he seemed somehow happy.
. . . Perhaps . . .
Rieta recalled the resolutions she had made when she first came to the Duchy.
She had promised to make Noel happy.
She wanted the love he desired to come true.
Rieta thought that there would only be the female lead when it came to his love . . .
Can he fall in love with someone else?
It was difficult to accept as she had read the original story, but seeing Noel happily spending time with other women right in front of her . . . Well, perhaps it was possible.
Then . . . Did my purpose come true?
In vain?
No. It wasn’t vain.
Looking back on the hardships that Rieta had suffered during that time, this was nothing more than a sweet fruit at the end of the typhoon.
“Princess.”
Just in time, Elisha brought her cold drink and offered it.
“Thank you.”
She smiled and took the glass. She realized that Elisha was paying close attention to Rieta’s face.
He also seemed to be trying to figure out the truth from the look on her face.
“Don’t look at me too much, Elisha.”
“Sorry.”
With Rieta’s request, he immediately turned his gaze away.
Immediately, a strange silence passed between the two of them.
. . . Was I too harsh?
Rieta, in pity, handed the remaining glass to the attendant, and reached out her hand to Elisha.
Even if she didn’t say a thing, Elisha seemed to have noticed that she was asking him to dance.
He generously listened to Rieta’s request.
She wasn’t aware, but Elisha really liked to dance with Rieta.
He could hold Rieta’s entire gaze. Even so, he didn’t think he could have all of her thoughts.
Of course, he never wanted anything like that.
“You see . . .”
Rieta closed the gap with Elisha and whispered.
She spoke in the Kingdom language, so no one would understand, but she was careful anyway.
“Noel, he’s really weird, right?”
“I don’t know.”
He bowed his head slightly and replied quietly as well.
The distance was exceptionally close. If someone saw them, they would have mistaken it for a kiss on the forehead.
Of course, the two of them didn’t even notice that. The conversation continued in their ambiguous positions.
“But that . . . It’s kind of weird to say that.”
“To say that the Princess is pretty?”
“Yes. If it were me, I wouldn’t like it if the man I’m with said that.”
“Yes, no one would.”
“Right? Wasn’t Noel weird?”
“Yes. But it is also an objective fact.”
Rieta shook her head.
As far as she knew, Noel didn’t seem to have said that objectively.
Because he’s a tsundere! He must have thrown out words of praise for Rieta out of shame.
He didn’t actually think she was prettier.