I Became The Childhood Friend of the Obsessive Second Male Lead - Chapter 372

“I don’t want to overdo it now.”

Rieta said with a worried look.

After they had calmed down their excitement, they nodded in agreement.

“Well… If that’s what the Princess wishes…”

“Set up all the tents you brought, and each of you, take some time to recover. If anyone needs medical attention, don’t hide it, tell me honestly. Each and every one of you is precious right now.”

It was something she said to remind them of the small number of people present. However, perhaps due to King Liz’s rough treatment of the soldiers all this time, even such a simple statement strangely moved them.

“It’s not something with deep meaning or anything.”

Embarrassed, Rieta clarified, but the soldiers regretfully responded.

“. . . It would have been nice if it were just a misunderstanding.”

“We felt good about becoming someone the Princess thinks is needed.”

“Um… It’s not a misunderstanding, but you’re really people I need, right?”

As Rieta quickly corrected their misunderstanding, a brief silence fell over the surroundings.

“She’s so good at picking people up and letting them down.”

Someone whispered softly, and everyone nodded in agreement. What kind of atmosphere is this?

Rieta raised her tiptoes and whispered to Elisha, who was nearby.

“. . . Hey, Elisha. Did I make some mistake?”

After a moment of silence, he looked at Rieta intently and replied.

“I’m used to it, so it’s fine.”

What on earth did he mean by ‘it’s fine’?

No one explained the reason.

* * *

The decision to take a short break before continuing was the right one. As the heightened tension softened, laughter began to resonate among the people.

Even the mercenaries naturally joined in, and among the soldiers who didn’t speak the same language, they spent a pleasant time together.

When the moon was rising and everyone was full and patted their bellies. Someone among the mercenaries, skilled in singing, began a gentle song that suited the moonlit night.

He said a bard from some country taught him this song instead of charging a fee.

“It looked like they didn’t try to catch him and instead paid with a song. That mercenary.”

Noel murmured, sitting down next to Rieta.

“Noel.”

He was brushing his thoroughly wet hair with a dry cloth.

“You took a bath?”

“Yes, but the smell of blood doesn’t come off easily.”

Noel briefly buried his face near his arms and wrinkled his nose.

“Is that so?”

Rieta, who had no particular thoughts, also leaned her head toward his shoulder.

“I can’t really tell.”

And when she raised her head, their eyes met from an uncomfortably close distance.

“. . . Ah.”

Rieta felt like she made an embarrassing mistake and quickly turned her head.

“So… sorry.”

She felt like she became an unscrupulous person.

“Anyway, it’s good that you took a bath. I haven’t properly washed myself…”

At that moment, Rieta couldn’t continue her words, hurriedly distancing herself from Noel.

Come to think of it, it might be Rieta who smelled, not Noel.

“Why are you like that?”

Noel suspiciously looked at her and closed the gap again.

“No, it’s just that we are too close… I think.”

Rieta tried to sit with some distance again, and Noel quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.

For a moment, Rieta’s expression became very awkward, as if she felt uncomfortable sitting so close.

. . . Why?

Noel was puzzled about why Rieta was reacting like that.

But he soon could easily guess the answer.

It must be because of what he said, something that she still seemed concerned about.

I am an insidious bastard, who has nothing but dark intentions towards the Princess!

Noel wanted to give his past self a good beating. Because of that one phrase, it seemed Rieta wasn’t letting her guard down when alone with him.

“. . . Are you worrying too much about that?”

He mumbled with frustration, and Rieta quickly shook her head.

“I, I don’t like it. Obviously.”

Of course, Rieta was going to say, she doesn’t like her body odor.

“You… don’t like it? You don’t?”

Not knowing that fact, Noel widened his eyes and just stared at her.

“Well… Doesn’t everyone dislike that?”

He disappointedly lowered his head.

“. . . Is that so?”

“Noel probably doesn’t like it either.”

“Well, I don’t know.”

Noel thought for a moment and answered in a small voice.

“I guess if it were you, I wouldn’t hate it that much. Saying this might make you freak out… Ugh, really freak out.”

He couldn’t grab Rieta’s arm that quickly moved away.

“I didn’t expect you’d be bothered by what I said back then for so long… This is driving me crazy.”

He quietly muttered, and Rieta turned to him, saying, “Huh?”

Only now did she realize that the two of them were talking about completely different things.

“. . .”

“. . . Anyway, even if you weren’t a sick person, I don’t have weird thoughts toward you.”

Ah, that’s what he was talking about.

He had said that he only had dark intentions toward Rieta.

In fact, Rieta had completely forgotten, but it seemed that Noel was still concerned about it.

“No, that’s not it…”

Trying to correct his misunderstanding, Rieta realized something strange.

“I guess if it were you, I wouldn’t hate it that much.”

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