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“Princess.”
The Duke held out a hand to her and called out to her.
“Yes, yes?!”
Rieta was startled and raised her head.
It was very rare for the Duke to cut her off halfway through.
“It’s true that we’re busy, but we have time until the wizards are ready. You do not have to rush to speak.”
He held out his hand again.
It was a dark hallway, so he seemed to be trying to hold her up so she wouldn’t fall.
“. . . Thank you.
As she whispered and grabbed the large hand, the urgency of the moment before was surprisingly calmed down.
The Duke took his steps first, and Rieta relied on him to go along.
Soon all of her rapid breathing, which had been tormenting her heart, was gone.
She passed a little further down the hallway and soon saw a simple parlor.
It seemed to have been prepared so they could wait while the wizards were preparing.
“It’s not a good place. They don’t even have the manpower to serve a cup of tea.”
The Duke didn’t particularly care about that, so it didn’t seem to matter.
Of course, Rieta had no intentions of leisurely drinking tea.
“It’s okay. Even if I don’t drink.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
The Duke led Rieta to an old chair.
At least it was the best chair in the room.
But Rieta didn’t take a seat, she just stood in front of him.
“Well.”
And she barely opened her mouth. The corners of her lips were a bit heavy.
If she knew it would be like this, she would have thought a little about what would be good for it in the carriage, rather than just being anxious in her heart.
“You know . . ..”
Rieta held her hands.
It would be nice if she could devote enough time to it, but she just couldn’t.
After the magic was completed, the Duke had to quickly leave.
Then, the next opportunity might be weeks away.
“I came because I have something to tell you.”
Rieta, who had solidified her resolve, finally looked up at him.
The kind eyes were looking at Rieta today as well.
“Please speak.”
“Actually, there was something I decided to do when I came to the Empire.”
Rieta’s story began a little too long ago.
“Going to the Empire is scary, but I would do anything for the Kingdom.”
The Duke recalled her childhood.
She was a very small, skinny girl who looked like she was about to crumble.
Although she, of course, had a surprisingly hard heart inside.
“You did as you said. Princess.”
“If I became that way, it would probably be because I met the Duke.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You were like that even before I met you.”
“The Duke is too generous with me.”
Rieta laughed awkwardly at his praise.
“You know, I.”
Rieta clasped her hands together.
Her fingertips were wet. She probably looks nervous.
“It was so nice that the Duke took care of me. No, it’s very nice.”
Naturally, the actions he showed flashed through Rieta’s mind.
Holding her hand.
Stroking her hair.
Or even holding a dictionary of the Kingdom language and scolding her with trepidation.
All the time he spent with Rieta was just lovely.
“So, I want the Duke . . . I couldn’t help but like you a little more special than other people.”
“That’s.”
The Duke suddenly interrupted her.
He just had something he wanted to ask.
“Are these feelings connected to what you said last time, ‘It would have been nice if you were my father’?”
“Oh that . . . that’s.”
At his point, Rieta quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Her cheek felt hot when he touched something shameful.
“That, a bit.”
Rieta mumbled, then decided to answer honestly without hesitation.
“That is the feeling that follows. I’m sorry to the Duke.”
“Why are you apologizing to me?”
“Because.”
Rieta bowed her head in shame.
Of course, the Duke loved Rieta especially.
But even so, it was difficult to misunderstand.
He was the father of Darrel and Noel, and the husband of Victoria Mayer.
There could be no place for Rieta in the portrait of the perfect mutually loving family.
“Because I am not . . . the Duke’s daughter.”
She was saying the obvious, but why did her heart hurt?
For some reason, Rieta felt that tears would come out, so she closed her eyes.
“. . .”
The Duke stared blankly at the child who bowed her head in front of him.
He couldn’t help but think when the Emperor brought out Rieta’s matter.
His brother had been asking boring questions for years already.
“Has the Princess ever felt like a daughter to you?”
Didn’t she look so lovable that she couldn’t even compare to his two sons?
“If it’s about the Princess, I have nothing more to answer. We are satisfied with the relationship between guardian and ward.”
Did he really mean it at that time?
Was he actually trying to run away from the truth by relying on the power of words?
If so, what did he have to run away from?
He looked back.
Not that he actually did, but that he gathered his emotions and forced himself to look back where he had left them.
The simple answer stood there.
It was so loud and clear that it can’t be mistaken for anything else.
The Duke now realized that he could not run away from it.
“Princess.”