“. . . Thank you.”
He lowered his head slightly as he whispered those words.
“If, as Elisha says, my words and actions start from within me…”
“Yes.”
“What I need to be cautious about is not the blood left by my father, but my own… selfishness.”
“I think so.”
“Still… the fact that I need to be cautious doesn’t seem to change.”
Elisha apologized. He said he didn’t feel like he was being of much help.
“No, there’s no need for that.”
Rieta was surprised and quickly shook her head.
“How much Elisha has helped me…”
“No, I’m sorry if I couldn’t alleviate your worries…”
“But I ended up with a much better kind of worry.”
Could worries actually be pleasant? Elisha wondered, but he didn’t ask.
He released Rieta’s shawl that he had been holding all along.
Then he extended his arm toward her.
“It’s getting late. I’ll escort you to the tent.”
“Thank you.”
Rieta gladly took his hand.
“Oh, right.”
Suddenly, she pulled his arm. Like directing her gaze. Of course, Elisha immediately turned to look at her.
“Yes?”
“I trust you, Elisha.”
He was about to respond with a usual ‘thank you’, but this time, he decided to say something different.
“I know.”
Whether she understood his feelings or not, Rieta smiled brightly.
“So, if I ever do something wrong, feel free to scold me. Seriously.”
“Of course.”
Elisha slightly bowed his head. If she needed a strict mirror to reflect herself, he was more than ready to play that role.
He wasn’t just by Rieta’s side for her affection.
“Princess, please scold me whenever I make a mistake.”
“Yeah, I will. But probably there will be more days when I praise you. Elisha is stricter with yourself.”
Praise. Elisha thought about Rieta telling him, ‘well done.’
It somehow felt good. So good that it was enough.
Without realizing it, the two of them had arrived in front of Rieta’s tent.
The tired maid had fallen asleep, unable to wait for Rieta.
“Well then, please rest.”
Elisha bowed and greeted her.
“Yes, I’m really thankful for today.”
Rieta said that and waited for Elisha to leave.
However, he seemed to have some business left, as he just stood there in front of her.
“. . .?”
Was there something he wanted to say?
Looking at him in confusion, she saw him hesitatingly making a request.
“Princess… praise…”
But he couldn’t finish his sentence.
Rieta found the Elisha’s shyness somehow cute and couldn’t help but laugh, albeit quietly, to avoid waking the maid.
“Yes, well done.”
Then, Rieta lifted her tiptoes and gently stroked his hair.
To make it easier for Rieta, he willingly bent his knees to lower his body.
“To be honest, I want to hear praise from Elisha, too.”
“Praising the Princess is Duke Mayer’s privilege. As the legal guardian.”
“Hmm… I miss him. Duke Mayer.”
Rieta stopped stroking and murmured.
“You’ll be able to meet him. When everything returns to its proper place.”
“Proper place…”
“At that time, I’ll also go to see my Master.”
Elisha’s face revealed both longing and regret. Perhaps he was concerned about not being able to say goodbye to Sir Jenkins properly.
“I’ll take you there.”
Rieta firmly declared, clasping her hands together.
“I will definitely take Elisha to his rightful place.”
So that he can meet the person he wishes to see.
“I will follow wherever you go.”
Rieta smiled contentedly.
From now on, Elisha would be standing behind her, so there would be no chance for her to turn away. Never.
*
The next day started a bit leisurely.
Continuing their rest from yesterday, they all decided to indulge in a bit of laziness.
However, Rieta, Elisha, Knox, and representatives of the soldiers gathered early in the tent.
Someone who had gone down to the large village in the Hoover region to investigate the situation had returned.
“It seems quite ominous.”
“Ominous?”
“Yes, there are rumors that a rebellion is breaking out sporadically. The young people in the Hoover region are also shouting that they must step forward.”
There were also stories about the King hiring mercenaries to capture people.
Although there were no separate stories about what happened to those captured, Knox seemed to know the answer somehow.
“He must be determined to sell everyone as slaves.”
The King was the kind of person who would sell his own daughter for money.
“In that case, there will be quite a commotion inside Liz Castle.”
Everyone nodded at someone’s muttered words.
To control the sporadic rebellions, many mercenaries must have been deployed.
Rieta suspected that her father was facing yet another financial crisis. Within that, her two younger siblings were probably doing what they could.
“We’re not afraid.”
“Not at all.”
“We studied because we wanted to protect Sister.”
“Even if not, we wouldn’t have liked Father.”
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