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nIf she showed it to Noel, he’d be very happy, right?

nIt would make anyone feel better when they saw the gift they used.

nRieta came out in front of the flower shop and waited for Noel.

n“Noel.”

nNot long after, Noel also left the flower shop.

nAs if something made him flopping around.

n‘Is there a problem?’

nShe was worried and looked at him carefully, but again, he was hiding something behind his back.

nOf course, hiding it was of no avail.

nOn the other side, Rieta’s favorite bunch of flowers was sticking their head out.

n“Did you buy it as a souvenir?”

nWhen Rietta asked, Noel walked up to her with thumping steps and held out a flower.

nIn a really insincere way.

nCan’t you at least look at my face and give it to me?

nHow are you going to give flowers to the female lead later . . . !

nHugh McLean, who didn’t mind saying flowery and embarrassing words, would kneel down to offer flowers.

nStill, you can’t ask for too much at once.

nEven today, Noel made great progress.

nDidn’t she see the cuteness of him handing out strawberries and secretly buying flowers for her?

nRieta decided to give Noel a bunch of ‘carrots’.*

n“Did you buy it for me?”

n“Hhh.”

n“Thank you.”

nRieta accepted the flower with both of her hands.

nShe had already smelled a lot of scent, but she liked it nonetheless, and she buried her nose between the petals for a moment.

n“I am really happy. Can you give it to me again next time?”

n“You want more?!”

n“Because of Noel, everyone will only send me food. Flowers should be given by Noel.”

nNoel was about to tell her, ‘Don’t be funny!’, but then stopped.

nNow is the time to tell Rieta her truth and make her apologize.

n” . . . Okay. I will give you flowers.”

nAfter answering with a face that seemed to swallow humiliation, he looked into Rieta’s eyes.

nFortunately, she looked pretty good.

nShe kept smiling as she touched the flowers and smelled it.

n“Hey, well. I have something to apologize for.”

n“What do you want to apologize for? What is it?”

nRieta raised her head.

nAs she put the flowers in her arms, the brooch on the scarf came into Noel’s line of sight.

nHe flinched and shivered.

n“Ah, this.”

nHad she noticed his gaze? Rieta laughed.

n“How? Doesn’t it suit you really well?”

nThat . . . It was a good fit.

nIn particular, Rieta’s blue eyes and the color of the jewels on the brooch were strangely similar, making it look like something made just for her.

n“Oh, yes. That’s what I want to say. That brooch.”

n“Yeah, why this brooch?”

n“Actually I.”

nNoel’s story stops halfway through, as if something surprised him.

nAny problem?

nRieta rolled her eyes and turned her head to where he was looking.

nHugh McLean?

nThere was Hugh McLean approaching this way with a wide smile.

n“Don’t, don’t look!”

n“Huh?”

n“Don’t look, you stupid Princess!”

n“At Hugh McLean?”

nNoel looked at Rieta and Hugh alternately with a very anxious face.

nIn particular, whenever Rieta’s brooch caught his eye, his anxiety grew.

nIf she came closer to Hugh and said hello, he would surely inform her about the truth of that brooch.

nThen Rieta will know whose gift the brooch was.

nIn the worst way.

nWhat should I do?

nIf that happened, Noel would be so embarrassed that he would never lift his head again.

nNoel decided to make a choice that was far from polite.

nRunning away.

nHe grabbed Rieta’s hand.

nAnd he suddenly started running without any notice.

n“Noel?!”

nRieta stumbled for a moment, but she immediately ran behind with him.

n“Why all of a sudden?!”

nShe constantly asked him why.

n“Noel! What . . .”

nAfter a few minutes of running, Noel stopped.

nFortunately, Hugh McLean hadn’t seemed to follow them.

nHe couldn’t hear that stupid voice anymore.

nInstead, a painfully heavy breathing sound came from right behind him.

nNoel was startled and looked back quickly.

nRieta’s condition was miserable.

nHer bangs were overturned as she ran through the cold wind, and her cheeks and forehead were all red.

n“Huuu . . .”

nIt was difficult for her to breathe, so she squatted on the floor and exhaled quickly.

n“. . .”

nNoel wanted to say that he was sorry, but he couldn’t.

nHe was much more apologetic than he ever had been.

n“. . . Noel.”

nRieta, whose breathing soon calmed down, raised her head and called out his name.

nThere were still the long stretches of the hand between the two of them.

n“Why did you run away?”

nIn response to the sharp question, Noel tried to let go of Rieta’s hand.

n“Don’t let go, answer me.”

nRieta squeezed his hand tighter.

n“That is . . .”

nHe hesitated to answer.

nBut it was difficult for things to get much worse.

nHe should just speak the truth.

n“Perhaps.”

n*From the stick and carrot idiom; stick means punishment, carrot means reward.

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