Chapter 373

…That…

Did that mean Rieta could have dark intentions about Noel?

“. . .”

She shook her head to shake off her unnecessary thoughts.

“I, I’ll go wash up too.”

She suddenly stood up.

It seemed that staying with Noel like this might lead to really strange remarks.

“I’ll go with you then.”

However, Noel also replied leisurely and stood up together. Rieta quickly raised her head.

“I, I can wash up alone.”

“. . . Why are you saying something obvious?”

He tapped Rieta’s forehead with his fingers.

“It means I’ll watch over you. Sinister bastards from the Empire have come, you know.”

“What about Noel?”

“I’ve seen all there is to see anyway. I’m not going to care.”

“Don’t say such absurd things!”

Perhaps because Rieta continued to look uneasy, Noel backed off.

“Alright, I get it. Should I bring a maid?”

When Noel pointed in a certain direction, the maid was among the mercenaries, enjoying herself listening to the song.

Rieta felt somehow sorry for disturbing her rest.

Moreover, upon reflection, despite Noel’s mischievousness, he never did anything that Rieta really disliked.

“We, well, Noel.”

When Noel turned toward the maid, Rieta quickly grabbed his arm.

“What?”

He asked as he turned around, and Rieta felt somewhat embarrassed.

“Will you… really watch properly?”

“What, how much do you believe in me?”

“Of course, I believe in Noel. He’s a gentleman resembling Duke Mayer.”

“Kiss-up.”

Rieta headed towards the river, with Noel following a half step behind her.

Fortunately, there was a large rock where they could hide their bodies reasonably well. Rieta had heard stories that several people had bathed here this evening as well.

Noel climbed up the rock, sat down with his back to the river. Rieta, holding her clothes, warned him as she faced the rock.

“Noel, if you turn around, I’ll never speak to you again in my life.”

“You said a little while ago that I resembled my father though?!”

Noel shouted with his chin propped up.

What does she see people as?

No matter how much he claimed to have dark intentions, he wasn’t corrupt enough to want to spy on Rieta while she was bathing. Besides, wouldn’t that be a crime in itself?

“In the Empire, doing such a thing is punishable by death. Immediate execution, capital punishment.”

Alone on the rock with no one around, Noel muttered to himself. Soon, the sound of clothes brushing against bare skin was heard from below.

. . . She’s undressing.

Strange thoughts stopped his thinking process.

. . . Am I insane?

Perplexed, Noel brought both hands to his ears. He tightened his grip, determined to hear nothing, to avoid being led to his death sentence.

After a while, Rieta, who had finished bathing, put on her clothes and climbed up the rock to join him.

“It’s over now, I’ve put on all my clothes. It was tough watching, huh?”

When Noel turned around, Rieta, with her wet hair dripping water, was smiling cheekily.

“Are you an idiot?”

She’s going to catch a cold.

He took the cloth from Rieta and gently dried her long hair.

“It feels good. Really…”

“Once it’s dry, we can go back. If you don’t warm up quickly after bathing in this weather, you might freeze to death.”

He draped the thick blanket he had brought over Rieta’s shoulders. He had brought it just in case the water was cold.

“The blanket is very warm.”

“That’s because, Princess, while you were bathing, I, your humble servant, warmed it up with my entire body.”

“Thank you.”

“Troublesome girl.”

He placed the cloth he used to dry her hair on Rieta’s head and descended below the rock.

“Hold it.”

He offered his hand as he turned around, and Rieta, wearing a white cloth, was smiling.

For some reason, at that moment, he felt an illusion.

As if…

“Now that I think about it, when I wear a cloth like this on my head, I look just like a bride getting married, don’t you think?”

She startled Noel with a comment that seemed to read his thoughts. Then, with an annoyed tone, he said, “Where in the world would you find a bride wearing a damp washcloth as a veil?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Noel extended his hand.

“Enough of that, come here.”

He held Rieta’s waist with both hands and safely guided her down below the rock.

“. . . Thank you.”

As Noel looked at Rieta that was blushing brightly, his lips brushing against her forehead as if giving her a kiss.

“Right.”

Surprised, Rieta placed both hands on her forehead. With an unaffected face, Noel reached out again.

“If you don’t want to catch a cold, hurry up a bit, our damp bride.”

“Noel, you’re a bit mischievous.”

“You already knew I was mischievous, right?”

That was right.

Above all, Rieta seemed to like that aspect of Noel.

“. . .”

She didn’t know how to express these complicated feelings, so she ended up looking quite distressed.

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