/
After that, it was a series of slightly funny things.
Rieta barely managed to get out of the water, soaking wet.
McLean and Everett held her tight on either side to keep her from falling again, and Rieta, supported by them, flopped casually in a sunny spot.
Her whole body was heavy from the water the dress and jacket had swallowed.
When she turned around, the maid who came with her was running this way carrying white cloth.
With a very surprised expression.
Come to think of it, I don’t even have clothes to change into.
Just as Rieta thought that, Everett fell flat in front of her.
“. . . ?”
Looking at him puzzled, he then raised his head slightly with a tear-stained face.
“I, I have committed a mortal sin.”
“. . .What?”
“It’s all my fault that the Princess fell into the water! Please forgive me!”
The way he cried was a bit funny, so Rieta laughed a little.
“Haha, wake up. You don’t have to beg so much.”
“But—”
“It was me who lost my focus in the first place. I can’t blame anyone else.”
“Princess . . .”
Everett was moved.
And soon the maid arrived and carefully wiped her face with a dry towel.
Rieta glanced up at the sky.
It was fortunate that the sun was still shining.
She might be able to dry her body off to some extent.
Suddenly, Hugh McLean came up to her and held out his hand.
“. . .?”
Rieta couldn’t even call him by his name, and she only gave him an awkward look.
Although she, of course, immediately regretted it.
What was I supposed to do if I’m this awkward!
Despite Rieta’s reaction, he responded with an unwavering kindness.
“There is a sunny bench over there. You can’t sit still uncomfortably. Is it hard to move because your clothes are heavy, right?”
“That’s true, but I . . .”
The maid could help. Just as Rieta was about to reply.
The maid, who was helping her, said she would get another towel and left.
Everett, saying he would help bring them, left as well.
In front of Rieta’s troubled eyes, he held out his hand again.
As she hesitantly grabbed hold of him, he lifted Rieta up.
“. . . Thank you.”
As she walked alongside him, Rieta silently thanked him.
“No, I pushed the Princess too hard.”
“That, that’s not true.”
As for the cause, Rieta was at fault because she had treated him as a ‘character’ without looking at him properly until now.
By the way, how on earth did he notice that?
Does he usually contemplate other people’s behavior that much?
Rieta glanced at the man standing next to her for a moment.
She made eye contact with him even though it was almost a passing glance.
It seemed that he was looking toward Rieta all this time.
Embarrassed, Rieta quickly turned her gaze to the front.
“Princess.”
However, she had no choice but to look at him again at the calm call.
“Ye, yes?”
“Can we talk again?”
Does that mean that he wants to continue the story that was cut off in the water a moment ago?
Or was it just a casual conversation among friends?
Rieta tried to sift through his behavior, as Hugh McLean had done.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.
So Rieta just nodded her head with a bewildered expression.
Despite her ambiguous response, he replied with a nice smile, “I’m glad.”
As she sat down on the bench, Everett returned with the maid who had gone to get the towel.
After that, it was time to dry her clothes and hair again.
However, no matter how hard the maid tried, she couldn’t dry the soaked clothes.
“It would be better to go back to the mansion right away. Princess. It’s a big deal if you catch a cold.”
At the maid’s urging, Rieta nodded her head and asked for understanding from Everett and Hugh McLean.
The two didn’t stop her.
Rather, they even kindly took her to the carriage, as she repeated her apology several more times.
After she returned to the mansion in a carriage.
Rieta immediately washed her body with warm water and changed into dry clothes.
As she stretched out on the soft sofa, the maid brought her hot fruit tea.
“You have to drink it while it’s hot. That way you can prevent a cold.”
“Thank you. Everyone was busy because of me, right?”
“Well . . .”
The maid couldn’t bear denying it, and Rieta was about to say sorry again.
But the maid spoke a little faster.
“Still, for some reason, the Princess’ appearance was the same as when Young Master Noel was there, so it was fun.”
“Me?”
“After the Princess and the Young Master have an exciting time in the garden, their clothes and shoes always get messed up like this.”