I Became The Childhood Friend of the Obsessive Second Male Lead

Because she knew what he was going to do.

“I will accept all of the demands mentioned the other day. With that being said, I want you to go back today.”

The Duke handed over an apology again, and then the men in the carriage looked at the Duke with their eyes wide open.

“Oh, really? Are you really accepting everything?”

“I promise.”

He answered as if he had sworn, and they looked at each other face to face.

They didn’t seem to have thought that they would convince the iron-fortress like Duke at once.

“Ah.”

However, they soon saw Rieta standing behind the Duke.

They quickly realized that something was going on between them.

“Well then, I will bring the completed contract later. With Princess Rieta’s present.”

“Yes, please.”

The carriage left, and the attendants next to them moved away.

“Sorry.”

Hearing the whisper, the Duke looked and saw Rieta bent over, not knowing what to do.

Sorry that she had affected his schedule.

“It’s okay. It’s something I’ve decided. Even if the meeting had been held as it was, the results would not have been very different.”

The Duke’s mind must have been focusing on other things.

That was . . .

A little while ago, Rieta said, “It would have been great if the Duke . . . had been my father.”

Of course, including the embarrassed look after she said that.

That was how surprised he was.

It felt like there was some other influence.

“It would be better to walk for a while.”

At the Duke’s invitation, Rieta nodded and followed him.

They walked slowly with the same stride and stopped for a while in front of the bellflowers.

The pretty purple flowers had been bullied by Noel and Rieta every year, but it has grown strong and overcame it.

It would probably continue to do so in the future.

“What happened?”

The Duke spoke quietly. His voice has deep concern.

“I know from what you said just now won’t make it happen.”

“That is.”

“If Everett Hewitt was influencing the Princess, I will officially . . .”

“No, it’s not like that! He’s a really kind person. He was kind to me too. It’s just . . .”

Rieta looked at the purple buds, then she mustered up a little courage and looked up at him.

When she was young, she often stared at the Duke like this, but before she knew it, those things gradually decreased.

Rieta naturally noticed the traces of time left on his face.

The Duke continued to look at Rieta.

That gaze was somehow familiar, and she realized that the Duke had always been watching her like this.

With a friendly gaze.

He acted slowly, without urging, just with silence.

“. . . I just . . .”

Rieta suddenly thought that she wanted to know the meaning of that gaze.

Perhaps it was the influence of what Everett had said earlier, “God sent the Duke because God couldn’t take care of the Princess himself.”

But she didn’t have the courage to ask the Duke, ‘Did you love me like a real family?’

He was a kind man and had always been kind to his children.

He wouldn’t say anything to hurt Rieta.

Even if it was far from the truth.

The answer to the question was obvious.

She won’t get any enlightenment anyway.

So Rieta decided to choose silence by biting her lip.

“Take it slow.”

It was then. The Duke opened his mouth again.

“You can take the time to speak. I have plenty of time.”

Rieta’s eyes fluttered at the kind words that he would wait forever.

It wasn’t just that the words surprised her.

At some point, he realized that he was talking in the Kingdom’s language so naturally.

Come to think of it, since they left the garden, all the words she heard were in the Kingdom’s language.

Come to think of it, whenever Rieta’s mind became complicated, he would naturally speak to her in the Kingdom’s language.

For a very long time . . .

Even after Rieta was able to speak the Imperial language fluently, he remained the same.

“So I . . . couldn’t help but notice that she loved me in a very special way.”

The words that started in her head finally landed softly in her heart.

In her finally calm mind, the various rules set by the world came to mind.

The Duke was the younger brother of the emperor.

And Rieta was a Princess from another country.

At first glance, it seems close, but in fact, they were the most distant.

For an Imperial noble to have a special relationship with a foreign royal family would mean treason.

Of course, no one would think that way about Rieta, who was kicked out of the Empire without looking good.

But the Duke was a fair person.

He thought of me as much as possible within the set rules.

Rieta was happy to feel his heart, including the fact that he respected the rules and gave Rieta affection.

“Duke.”

The expression on the girl’s face, calling him again, was completely different.

It was like someone was firmly protecting her back.