Rieta, Elisha, and Noel spent time together until evening.
And when the sun went down and the sky turned red . . .
Elisha rose and said he had to return.
“Do you really have to go back?”
Rieta’s unknowingly spoiled words flowed out.
Like a fool.
Even knowing that it was only for one day that Elisha received the permission to go out.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
“Ugh, no. I will ask them to prepare the carriage.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Rieta thought that it would be better if the preparation of the carriage took about three hours.
However, the diligent servants of the Duchy prepared a carriage for Elisha to ride back to in an instant.
Why the hell was it so fast?
Rieta wept slightly as she followed him to the front door to see him off.
“It was a pleasure to welcome you.”
“Elisha, do you know what? You have to contact me first for the next vacation.”
Rieta grumbled slightly with a bit of resentment.
Because waiting for Elisha’s letter to arrive was very difficult.
“Yes, I will. Princess.”
Elisha was about to kneel before Rieta, as he always did.
“El, Elisha!”
However, Rieta grabbed both of his arms and made him stand limp with only his knees slightly bent.
“Yes?”
“Well, over there . . .”
Rieta got him upright.
Before long, Elisha gazed down at the Princess again.
“I have a favor.”
Elisha felt that somehow he knew what Rieta wanted.
Maybe she wanted the same thing he wanted.
“All right.”
He answered right away.
However, this time in their mother tongue.
“. . . !”
Rieta looked up at him in surprise with a face that seemed to ask, “How did you know?”.
“Yes, I’m always thinking about it.”
No matter how comfortable the Imperial language became, in the end it was just another foreign language.
“Thank you.”
Now, Rieta also replied with nostalgic words.
“Sometimes when I wanted to speak our language, I would just mutter to myself.”
“So did I.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t imagine Elisha muttering to herself. Because Elisha doesn’t say unnecessary things.”
“I think of the Princess. There is no need for it.”
“Why are you thinking of me?”
“For this language belongs to the Kingdom, and everything in the Kingdom belongs to the Princess.”
He bowed his head again.
When Rieta extended her hand, he touched his forehead to her knuckles.
“Everything that belongs to the Kingdom belongs to the Princess.”
Is it about ‘responsibility’?
Rieta recalled the duty of a princess that had been on the other side of her mind.
Refining herself and reigning as a great king.
Some royals thought it was a burdensome story, but in fact, Rieta did not dislike such an obligation.
Maybe because there was a time when she wasn’t even given a chance to polish herself.
Or maybe it was because she loved the people of Liz so much.
Anyway, Rieta liked that the weight on the back of her hand had not changed even now.
“Yes, I will remember that. Thank you for saying it.”
“Thank you.”
Elisha straightened her posture, and gave a slight glance to Noel, who was standing behind Rieta.
“I was greatly indebted to the Lord.”
“. . . ?”
Noel blinked with a face that he did not understand.
He may not even know what they are saying. Because Elisha was still speaking the Kingdom language.
“I hope the Lord does not continue to learn our language. Only then can I express my gratitude so honestly.”
“You. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m sure you’re saying something bad.”
“No way. Thanks to the heart that the Lord thinks of me, I am able to take good care of myself.”
“. . . Are you going to keep speaking in your Kingdom language?”
“The master is a really cool person. Thank you for everything.”
“Wow! I’m sure I heard it now! Elisha, you cursed me now! Rieta sometimes mumbles things like that?!”
Excited, Noel began to point his finger at him.
Rieta quickly grabbed Noel’s arm and pulled him closer. To calm him down.
“It’s not like that. Elisha said Noel was very cool. He just kept saying nice things.”
“Do you want me to believe that now?”
No matter how many times Rieta gave the correct interpretation, Noel never believed her.
“Let’s wait until next vacation! I will master the Kingdom language perfectly!”
After Elisha left.
Noel’s promise to learn the Kingdom language became another rumor in the Duke’s family and spread.
It didn’t take long for the news to reach the Duke’s ears.
So Noel really added another ‘Kingdom language class’.
It is not a class that needed to bring in a professor, but in a way he directly visits his maternal grandfather, Sir Jenkins.
His classes were friendly but strict, and there was a lot of homework.
Noel used to sweat profusely every afternoon and was tormented with homework.
Still, it was quite fun for him to spend thirty minutes a day sitting face to face with Rieta and conversing in the Kingdom language.
* * *