I Became The Childhood Friend of the Obsessive Second Male Lead - Chapter 376

“Princess.”

Suddenly, at the sound of someone calling her from behind, Rieta turned around to see Elisha standing there. It seemed he had been worried and had come looking for her.

“Elisha, were you awake?”

“Of course.”

“Sorry, I kept wandering around and making you concerned.”

“Even if you didn’t wander, I would still be concerned, so there’s no need to apologize.”

Rieta chuckled at his straightforward response.

“The dresses…”

Elisha murmured softly.

“You tore them apart to share, didn’t you?”

“Yes, the winter dresses should be quite warm. Not as good as a fur, but better than nothing. Autumn nights can be cold.”

Elisha tightened the shawl he had draped a bit more securely on Rieta, making sure not even a small breeze could pass through.

“You did well.”

Rieta smiled slyly at his response, and her long hair swayed playfully.

“Yes, it’s reassuring when Elisha says that.”

“Were you anxious?”

“Well, that…”

As she spoke, Rieta tried to turn slightly, but Elisha still held onto the shawl, preventing her from doing so.

“When dealing with people from Liz, I always need to be careful.”

“The reason… may I ask?”

Rieta nodded slightly.

“If it’s not Elisha, I wouldn’t have anyone else to listen to.”

“In that case, please tell your servant.”

However, even with Elisha’s request, Rieta seemed quite hesitant to speak. Elisha, as always, waited for her with silence and an unwavering gaze.

“You see…”

Rieta brought up Elisha’s topic first.

“Elisha Maureen looks a lot like your grandfather.”

Perhaps it was because she had seen him sincerely fighting.

Rieta keenly felt that Elisha had inherited the exceptional talents perfectly.

“Yes.”

“Of course, your parents are also quite similar. Loyalty seems to be an inherent trait in the Maureen family…”

Her voice trembled slightly at the end of her sentence, especially when she mentioned ‘Maureen family’ and the inherent traits.

Elisha now understood what Rieta was wary of.

If I end up resembling my father… what should I do?

While Elisha believed that Rieta would never come to that point, he couldn’t easily provide an answer.

“The Duke said it. As your status rises, the less you can hear someone’s sincerity.”

And as a result, the chance to objectively reflect on oneself through the feelings of others disappears.

“That’s why even if you go astray, you may not know, and even if you find out, it’s hard to find the right guideposts.”

Rieta’s voice as she continued speaking was noticeably depressed.

“So, didn’t you feel relieved just now?”

Elisha asked, recalling the moment when he had praised Rieta for her actions of taking out all her clothes and sharing them.

“Yes, I was worried. I thought it might be better for them if I provided the clothes as an expense instead of tearing expensive ones…”

Elisha laughed a little in Rieta’s rather serious tone.

“Why are you laughing?”

For him to openly laugh at Rieta’s words was a rare sight.

“I’m sorry. It just seemed so bold and confident the way you tore the dresses and handed them over.”

“I can’t show my anxiety to the people who are there for me.”

Elisha nodded at her words.

“Yes. I think you did well.”

“If only I… weren’t my father’s daughter.”

“That would be difficult. I won’t be able to treat the Princess as the Princess.”

“But, like Elisha, resembling your parents and grandparents, in reality, somewhere in my heart, um… I have thoughts and feelings similar to my father’s.”

Rieta’s words trailed off.

Now, with a clear goal of pulling King Liz away from that position, she could move forward. After a successful outcome, Rieta, as a queen, would have many decisions to make. At this point, how could she guarantee that she would tread the right path?

The standards of ‘rightness’ were ambiguous from the beginning. Hence, she was anxious about the potential chaos brought about by her father’s blood within her.

“Princess.”

Elisha called her. Gripping the blanket, his hand exerted strength causing her to lean forward and he took a step closer.

“It’s mine.”

At the same time she said.

“. . . Huh?”

Rieta’s eyes widened.

“I’ve never considered my loyalty to you based on the Maureen name.”

He vividly remembered the day he had decided to do so.

“Even if I was not a Maureen, even if I were born as something nameless from another country, I would willingly give myself to you.”

“Elisha.”

“I acknowledge the body and talent inherited from my ancestors. However…”

He paused for a moment. He needed to calm his racing heart a bit.

“The devotion I offered you was entirely my own.”

“. . .”

Ah.

Rieta gazed at his eager face, and soon, a faint smile adorned her lips.

She was happy.

Very much so.

How could she not be happy after hearing such words from the person she trusted the most?

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