Chapter 145

As he carefully stepped onto the window sill, a hot wind suddenly blew in.

It was a little scary, but Noel bit his lip and got over it.

Let’s go!

With that thought in mind, he stretched out his legs and stood up.

Now I won’t look back!

But the moment he decided to do so . . .

There was a rustling sound behind his back.

His body trembled at the familiar sound.

“. . .”

Naturally, Noel forgot his promise not to look back and turned his head toward the door.

The door was still firmly shut.

But he saw a sheet of white paper shoved through the small gap between the floor and the door.

That . . .

One day, when Rieta got sick, they couldn’t meet.

It was the method Noel used to communicate with her.

Noel looked between the window and the piece of paper alternately.

What to do?

He should leave now right then and there.

But on the other hand, he wondered what Rieta had written down.

Should I check the contents a little?

Yes. I’ll do that.

Noel came down from the window sill and crept towards the door.

On the note she had written and sent by Rieta, she had written ‘Are you sleeping?’ in poor handwriting.

Noel had to desperately try to keep his mouth shut in order not to laugh.

He knew Rieta’s lack of creativity, but he didn’t expect it to be this bad.

Wasn’t this the exact same as the first sentence he had written to Rieta last time?

I feel sorry for you too.

How difficult it must have been to learn the Imperial language with her hard head.

He forgot his decision to only check the contents, took out a pen and an inkwell, and laid down on the floor.

Because he was a little sorry for making poor Rieta worry about him.

Bye. I’m leaving.

He scribbled in very nice handwriting and hurriedly pushed it through the crack in the door.

He had conveyed his goodbyes to Rieta, so there were no regrets left.

He stood up, thinking of going back to the window sill.

However, as soon as the paper was once again slid into his room, he couldn’t do it.

He stood there blankly, staring intently at the paper Rieta had sent back.

On it was written, ‘Are you in a lot of pain?’

“. . . What a fool.”

Noel mumbled that without knowing it.

It was probably a small sound, so it would not have been heard outside the door.

The reason he called Rieta a fool was simple.

The phrase ‘Are you in a lot of pain?’ was the second phrase Noel had written to Rieta last time.

He didn’t know why she kept parroting Noel’s words.

If she heard that Noel is leaving, then of course it was normal to say ‘don’t go’. or ‘Where are you going? It’s dangerous to go out.’

Noel pursed his lips and picked up the pen again.

He was just about to go, but he couldn’t because of Rieta.

‘Is the Princess a fool? Don’t you have anything to say to me? Why do you only copy what I say?’

He shoved the long, rough scribbles into the crack in the door.

He tapped the floor with one foot, waiting for Rieta’s reply.

But unlike a while ago, this time the answer was delayed.

What, why is it taking so long?

What kind of great answer was she writing down?

. . . Did you go back to your room?

Was she hurt by Noel’s use of the word ‘fool’’?

Uh . . . But that was just because Rieta imitated Noel so much, he didn’t actually mean it.

He put his ear to the door and stood still with an uneasy mind.

Are you there, Princess? Or not?

While repeating the question inside his head.

But beyond the hallway, it was only abominably quiet.

Noel couldn’t stand it anymore.

He pushed the door wide open.

* * *

He could see no one in the hallway with the dim light.

But Noel was not disappointed.

When he pushed the door open, there came an “Ouch!” from outside the door.

He heard Rieta’s cry.

Noel quickly closed the door halfway and let out only his head.

Rieta was holding her head with both hands and frowned slightly.

She was still here

“. . . What a relief.”

Noel said that without realizing it, and sighed in relief.

“. . .  Are you relieved that I got hit on the head with the door?”

However, he quickly waved his hands at Rieta’s dissatisfied voice.

“No! That’s not what I meant!”

Noel quickly came out of the hallway and circled around Rieta.

He looked around to see if there were any injuries.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

“I mean, it was very painful. Maybe my head will bleed.”

Her head was bleeding! That was too scary for him.

“Come here!”

Noel quickly grabbed Rieta’s wrist and dragged her into his room.

After putting Rieta on the moonlit sofa, he looked carefully between her hair.

Fortunately, she seemed to be fine. He can’t be sure though.