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There was the soft sound of beautiful marbles hitting each other.
Soon Everett muttered an honest word.
“My father seems to think that relying on my heart here is pathetic, but……. I feel anxious if I don’t have this in an important place.”
Rieta hugged her knee even tighter.
After hearing his story, she thought it was a relief that she had forced herself to bring this necklace.
“Is it because there are still scars from being left behind suddenly?”
“Left behind…… suddenly?”
“Yes, actually, she left unexpectedly at an unexpected moment. I was really unprepared. Of course, I can’t prepare for that.”
For a while, the atmosphere became heavy.
Perhaps each of them was thinking of a precious person somewhere, or a separation.
“More than that.”
Everett brought up another story in a lighter voice, as if trying to change the mood.
“What happened? How is the princess here?”
“Ah, that’s.”
As Rieta tried to explain, Hugh McLean interjected slightly.
“I brought in the princess.”
“I don’t know if it’s Noel, but I didn’t expect you to have such guts.”
“It wasn’t such a big deal that it was called guts.”
“Oohh. That’s great!”
With Rieta in between, the two of them clapped their palms.
She doesn’t know what’s so fun about it.
“Anyway, all that’s left now is to get out unnoticed by Noel.”
“It’s simple.”
Everett moved his body around, feeling a little uncomfortable.
“In just a little while, the curtain rises. Noel is the main character who gets dragged onto the stage even if he doesn’t like it.”
“Ah!”
Rieta clapped her hands in joy.
At that time, she wouldn’t have to worry about running into the Duke or Darrel. They must be watching a play.
“Then, in the meantime, I can take Rieta out of the academy.”
“Rieta?”
Everett pointed out Hugh McLean’s words and actions.
Rather than blaming him for rudeness, he questioned whether it was okay to call her that.
“It can’t be helped. It’s dangerous to call her princess.”
Rieta replied as she tugged hard at the hem of her skirt that Everett had caught in while wriggling.
“Wow, that’s right!”
Everett shouted with excitement, as if he hadn’t even thought of it.
“It’s not Princess, but Rieta, Rieta!”
He seemed to enjoy calling out Rieta’s name.
Watching him giggle and call it over and over a few more times.
His curious look was somehow cute, so Rieta didn’t stop him.
“I really want to see what kind of expression Noel will make when he hears that we called the princess by her first name.”
Everett giggled in exhilaration.
“Well, Noel probably doesn’t think much.”
Then, when Rieta said so, both sides replied, “It can’t be!”
“He will be very angry.”
“Certainly, Lord Noel is sensitive to that.”
“So don’t tell Noel that we called you in a friendly way. Because it will be a bother.”
Everett even asked, “Okay, Rieta?” and the three chuckled in unison.
It was a very pleasant laugh.
At that moment, Rieta realized that she had become quite close friends with them again.
She didn’t even know that maybe it was because they did something bad together.
After all, the old saying of the kingdom is not wrong.
If you share secrets and promises, they become your friend.
But this good mood didn’t last very long.
The cause is right there.
“……”
Someone had opened the cabinet. Very widely at once.
Who is it?
Rieta looked at the other person, who was black and only saw the shadow.
But she soon had to cover her eyes with her arms from the strong light that came to her eyes.
“…… you, really.”
Before her eyes could see properly, the other person, who had opened the door, opened his mouth first.
Thanks to this, she could easily realize the true identity of the other person.
It was Noel.
To be precise, ‘angry Noel’.
“Are you crazy?!”
Rieta’s body, which had been squatting in the cabinet, was lifted by itself.
Perhaps Noel pulled it.
Her dragged body fell to his shoulder as if to be hugged.
Rieta was sorry that she was captured by Noel, but she was relieved of at least one thing.
‘You’re dressed, Noel.’
Thank God. She was a little concerned because she kept getting bothered for peeping on Noel’s bare body.
Rieta looked at Noel with eyes wide open as she was not used to the light.
He was staring into the cabinet now with a grim face.
“You see, Noel.”
Rieta thought she should make her excuses for the sake of her poor friends.
After all, they only acted for Rieta.
“You really…… !”
After checking her clothes, Noel yelled at Rieta.
“Why are you wearing that again!? Why!”
“That’s.”
“Don’t wear it! I asked you not to wear those clothes!”
“…… Because I have no choice.”
“I’m really going crazy!”
And soon, there was a knock from outside, announcing the preparations.
A sound came.
“Noel, are you with Everett? We’ll start soon! Both of you, get ready!”
First of all, Noel shouted to the outside in affirmation.