Chapter 77

“Oh, anyway, don’t rush yourself anyway. You can’t say hello to the Princess today. Understand?”

“Okay, so what about this gift?”

He was a little troubled when he pulled out the package he had in his arms.

Noel was about to say, “Take that and use it!” when he changed his mind.

Hugh McLean was still his good friend, and he should at least show his loyalty.

There’s no way Rieta would like such a small gift.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll pass it on.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Because the Princess and I are very close.”

Noel, with a smirk on his face, took the gift and shoved it into his pocket.

“As expected, the Lord is amazing . . . Thank you.”

Hugh replied with a very grateful expression, and Noel sighed in relief.

Hugh and Rieta will not meet today.

* * *

Rieta was right next to the Duke.

She was a little scared because it was a place with a lot of strangers.

Of course, he took good care of Rieta.

Was it because of that?

As time passed, she relaxed little by little.

Until she was curious about his surroundings.

Soon, Rieta grabbed the Duke’s hem and asked.

“May I go to the courtyard connected to the banquet hall?”

“Will you be okay by yourself? I’ll go with you.”

The Duke said so, but Rieta shook her head

She whispered in the Kingdom language so that no one could understand their conversation.

“Because of me, the Duke hardly had any conversation with other people.”

“I am not a fan of conversation.”

Of course, his answer also returned in a proficient Kingdom language.

“Nevertheless, don’t worry. I am trying to be a little brave.”

Rieta took her hand off his arm.

“You have to be careful.”

She nodded her head.

“I’ll be careful.”

Rieta moved away from the Duke with a lively step.

Before she went out into the hallway leading to the courtyard, she looked back and soon found a large crowd of people surrounding the Duke.

He was very popular.

* * *

The courtyard was a little cold.

Even though the mansion surrounded it, it was still outside.

Rieta hurried up a bit and slipped into the greenhouse.

A damp warmth touched the nape of her neck, and she immediately felt better.

“Wow.”

Rieta looked slowly inside the greenhouse, and she remembered the large flower she had once received from the Duke.

It was a flower he had brought from the Imperial greenhouse, he said.

Was it from here?

Or was it another greenhouse?

Her curiosity aroused, Rieta slowly circled the inside, looking for the same flower as that day.

Of course, she was also delighted to see the new flowers, so Rieta’s stopped several times.

Of course, Rieta was not the only one who came to the greenhouse with curiosity.

Sometimes over high vines, she could hear the voices of people shouting.

“Beautiful.”

“Whoa!”

“Did you say that the Princess liked this greenhouse the most, so she prepared a banquet hall here?”

“It’s nice to open your favorite greenhouse, that’s great.”

The voices of those who were not yet adults could not at all be heard.

Rieta was a little troubled, as she, unintentionally, seemed to be eavesdropping on the conversation of another.

“Is it still a compliment to the Princess . . .”

Even if they later found Rieta around the corner, she wouldn’t be too embarrassed.

“She can even say thank you for a shabby gift.”

“Ah, that?”

The two giggled for a moment and laughed out loud.

“That was too much.”

“I heard she was poor, but wouldn’t it be better not to come to give such a gift?”

“It seems that she wanted a gift from the Princess. In the Kingdom of Liz, there aren’t any salaries for the servants, so the servants take off the decorations from the castle on their own?”

“So they’re not servants but thieves.”

“Then the King of Liz is the King of Thieves.” More laughter.

As they drew near, Rieta quickly hid her body behind the vine ornaments.

In fact, Rieta had no particular reason to run away.

It wasn’t even her fault.

But she is from a foreign country, and Rieta should avoid making ‘enemies’ if possible.

She wanted to refrain from becoming awkward with someone.

So she decided not to point out their rudeness, nor to stare at who they were.

Besides, she was prepared that the gift would provoke a reaction like this.

She chose it with only the Princess in mind.

It was a little bit out of her expectations, though.

“She couldn’t have done anything as the Princess. The King would have ordered it.”

“I feel sorry.”

“So, the Princess didn’t take care of the present herself?”

“That would seem so. She is living in the Duke’s house now.”

“Lord Darrel said that he cared for her like a sister.”

“If I were the Princess, wouldn’t I be grateful to the King of Liz for giving me away to the Empire?”