“No, Noel?”

In the meantime, the dawn light came over the pitch-black shadows outside the open door and illuminated his face.

“…!”

It was really Noel.

Noel Mayer with a hardened face.

He stared blankly at Rieta without saying anything, then grabbed the letter from her hand and began to read it.

“Oh, that’s…”

Meanwhile, Rieta awkwardly swept her arm.

“I was sleeping…”

“I didn’t wait very long.”

“Ung…?”

As Rieta looked puzzled hearing his words, he pointed to a phrase in the letter she had written a moment ago.

Asking if he had been waiting a long time, that seems to be the answer to it.

“Oh, how long have you been here?”

“I just got here.”

“Lies.”

Rieta said that and glanced at the clothes he was wearing. It was the same with the clothes he wore at the banquet.

“Hmm.”

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled shyly.

“I got caught.”

“How dull did you think I was?

“About as dull as you actually are.”

Noel stroked Rieta’s messy hair a little.

“You’re very dull, Princess.”

Rieta’s face stiffened slightly.

She wondered how many times she had heard that she’s dull.

Of course, even if Rieta heard that she was dull, she couldn’t really protest.

Because she didn’t even realize when her heart became like this.

My heart.

Was it because she was thinking of that? The fact that Noel and her were facing each other at the boundary between the room and the hallway made her heart flutter.

This had happened several times so far, why?

“What.”

At that time, Noel squeezed Rieta’s chin as if he realized something.

Her body was pulled toward him, and their faces drew closer as his eyes narrowed.

Rieta, startled, quickly turned her head away. Her face was hot because of his sudden gaze.

The fact that his hand touched her face… she was kind of embarrassed.

“Princess.”

“Huh…what?”

Without being able to properly say why.

Normally, she would have scolded him, saying, “Why are you punching someone’s face!”

“What’s wrong, did you cry? What’s wrong with your eyes?”

As he asked calmly, Rieta recalled the condition of her face.

It would have been swollen and unsightly.

Oh no. As soon as she realized she liked him, she made this face.

“I’m, I’m not crying.”

Rieta managed to answer, half-covering her face with the palm of her hand.

“Sometimes, when I wake up, my eyes are swollen…”

“Is it because you’re tired? Would you like some ice?”

“It’s okay.”

Rieta couldn’t get out of the embarrassment, so she looked down.

“What’s okay, let me see your face properly.”

“Why, why?”

As she stammered, he replied in a teasing tone.

“Is the Princess only going to show the top of her head to the person who waited in the hallway all night?”

Of course, the top of the Princess’s head is also incredibly cute. Noel struggled to swallow the words that he almost added without realizing it.

“… I’m embarrassed.”

“What’s so embarrassing? I wouldn’t be surprised at the fact that the Princess is ugly.”

With the teasing words, Rieta glanced at him and raised her head.

With a slightly reddened face.

“… Do you have a fever?”

Noel, who noticed this, muttered and pressed both palms over Rieta’s eyes.

… It’s cold.

Noel’s hands were cold enough to say they were almost frozen.

Rieta realized that Noel had been standing in front of the door for a really long time.

The chill of the autumn night was all in his hands.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

His insignificant reply made her feel somewhat dejected.

“Just, just… everything.”

Rieta apologized to him, including the fact that she had grown to like him.

“What are you sorry about, Princess? I did it because I wanted to.”

Was it because he was gently covering her eyes?

The kindness contained in the words she heard beyond the pitch black vision was especially clear.

Sensitive emotions exploded again, and were soon soaked in tears.

Since Noel’s hand was right there, she strained her eyes at the thought that she had to endure it, but to no avail.

For a moment, his hand dropped, and she saw a blur in her eyes.

Noel wiped at her eyes.

But in the end, the pouring tears flowed nonstop down her cheeks and lips.

“… Somehow, it looks like you were crying.”

With a troubled face, he wiped Rieta’s face here and there.

Why did he look even more upset?

I’m sorry. Rieta apologized with a slight whimper.

As she was trying to hold back the tears, she gave strength to her eyes.

“Because it’s okay.”

Saying that, he brought all of Rieta to him.

So that she could lean on him perfectly.

Rieta bit her lip lightly as he held her.

Noel must be an idiot.

Because he didn’t seem to have the slightest idea that his kindness was a reason for her tears.

Still, Rieta rubbed her face a little more, digging into the arms that touched her cheeks.

She wanted to completely monopolize this tenderness.

More, more.

As she was shaking from her sniffles, his hand came up on top of her, and he gave her a tight hug.