“If you don’t mind, would you like to return with me?”

Rieta stared at the Duke with wide open eyes, nodding softly.

The Duke immediately bowed to the emperor.

“Then I’ll leave and go to bed now.”

“I wish you sweet dreams, Duke.”

The moment he was granted leave, the Duke whispered, “I can do it,” lifting Rieta high into the air.

In Rieta’s perspective, her body suddenly floated up, and the startled Rieta grabbed him by the neck.

“….Ah.”

“Now that you’re wearing new shoes, it’s no wonder your feet hurt. You’d better change into broken-in shoes when you get back.”

The duke gave Rieta a hug so that she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. This girl was too light. When he thought about the fact that she’s the same age as Noel, he grew angrier. Anyways, he would make sure she got better.

“Then.”

He glared sharply for a moment, pivoting towards the door, walking with long strides that seemed to say that he didn’t want to stay in this place for even a second. When he was gone for good, the emperor slightly touched his forehead and asked the old servant next to him, a man who had watched over the emperor and Duke since childhood.

“My brother is angry, isn’t he?”

The servant shook his head with a serious face.

“No. He is more than just incredibly angry.”

“Haa, how can I comfort him?”

“In fact, you’re helping him by not making moves.”

“….!”

The emperor looked back at the servant with a melancholic expression, but he had already begun to look elsewhere and complain.

********

To be honest, the shoes that the Emperor gifted Rieta were pretty, but they pinched her feet.

As soon as the Duke stepped out of the drawing room, he removed Rieta’s dirty shoes from her feet. A few crimson blood droplets seeped through Rieta’s white socks.

He frowned and threw the Emperor’s extravagant shoes back.

Of course, the servant following him caught them.

Rieta slightly wiggled her toes, which had been trapped in her shoes for so long, then turned to secretly look at the duke. He looked concentrated, as usual. He didn’t seem drowsy at all, and Rieta had never heard of him taking naps before.

‘That’s… what you said to bring me out.’

She really felt thankful. But at the same time, she was embarrassed. Now the Duke knew exactly what kind of a princess Rieta was.

“D-duke..”

Her whisper made him pause.

“….Thank you.”

The Duke’s heart strangely twinged at Rieta’s words. He thought of taking Rieta away because it was his duty as a “guardian.” Perhaps it was natural to be thanked, for he had only done his duty to her. Nevertheless, why did the young girl’s gratitude make him uncomfortable? While his mind spun, the Duke began to ask.

“Princess, for these little things…”

Couldn’t she take his kindness for granted?

But he closed his mouth and swallowed the question, rebuking himself for almost making a mistake.

“….Yes?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

Why was he so frustrated?

He couldn’t control his bizarrely unpleasant feelings.

‘Is it because King Liz is a crazier bastard than I thought?’

No, it was too much for him to say that he was crazy. By God, the last time this little kid was shipped to the Empire with only a slip of paper to her name. He couldn’t believe that bastard humiliated her by sending such a letter this time.

How could he treat her like that as a father, and a human being?

‘That son of a bitch.’

The Duke thought, but quickly apologized to all the dogs in the world. Dogs were smart and friendly, truly excellent animals.

King Liz was an insect.

He had to apologize to all the insects again. They never did anything wrong.

The Duke arrived at the carriage, unable to find a word to describe King Liz. After the servant opened the door, he sat Rieta on the soft cushions. Her legs dangled in the air, too short to touch the ground.  He sat opposite Rieta and knocked on the wall of the carriage.

Silence pervaded the smoothly running carriage.

“…..”

“….”

Rieta wished she wasn’t facing him.

She feared if the Duke asked about her father, the feelings she had shoved away to a corner would overflow, gushing out in torrents, never stopping, all the things she kept inside since she was born in this world spilling out.

She turned her head and looked out the window.