In the Garden 🌿
Noel happily sat on the grass, hugging the Asmodius Sword as if it were her most precious treasure. 😁
Noel: "Finally... my training is over!"
"I'M FREE!" 🎉
Just then—
Adam: "Hii." 😉
Noel looked up.
Noel: "OH MY GOD, ADAM!" 😁
She quickly sat up properly.
Noel: "How are you, man?"
Adam: "Good!" 😎
He sat beside her.
Adam: "You know what?"
"I read all the BL novels in the library!"
"They're so exciting!" 😍
Noel's eyes sparkled.
Noel: "RIGHT?!"
"I KNEW IT!" 😎
The two nodded seriously, as if they had just discovered one of the kingdom's greatest secrets.
Apparently, BL novels were more important than royal politics. 😂
Just then, Elda entered the garden and stopped when she saw them sitting on the grass.
Elda: "What are you two doing on the ground?" 😑
Noel: "Relaxing!" 😁
"Come sit with us, sis!"
Elda sighed.
She already knew arguing with Noel was pointless.
Elda: "Fine..." 😑
She sat beside them.
Noel: "So, what happened, sis?" 😁
Elda crossed her arms, wearing a confident smile.
Elda: "I finally found the person behind Ashley's spy incident." 😏
Adam immediately became interested.
Adam: "Oh? Who is it, sis?" 😁
Although Adam and Elda were the same age, he called her sis because she was the Queen and his brother's wife.
Elda: "She's a Beta from the Hamburg Kingdom. Her name is Charmy."
"However, she currently lives near the border of the Rhinovia Kingdom." 😑
Noel's eyes widened.
Noel: "WOW!"
"Such detailed information!"
"You're the best, sis!" 😁
Elda smiled slightly.
Then, as if remembering something, she turned towards Noel.
Elda: "Anyway, Noel..." 😑
Noel: "Yeah?" 😁
Elda: "You said you didn't study much, right?"
Noel: "Yeah!" 😁
Elda: "Then how much did you study?" 😑
Adam tilted his head thoughtfully.
Adam: "Actually, you seem pretty intelligent to me." 😎
Noel laughed.
Noel: "Don't flatter me, man!" 😁
She playfully hit his arm.
Adam: "AHHH!" 🤕
Noel froze.
Noel: "OH MY GOD! I'M SORRY!" 😱
Adam rubbed his arm.
Adam: "It's okay..." 😅
(WHAT THE HELL?! She's stronger than before!) 😱
Elda stared at them.
Elda: "Can we return to the actual question?" 😑
Noel: "Oh, right!"
She scratched her cheek.
Noel: "I studied until high school, sis." 😁
Elda: "And after that?" 😑
Noel's smile gradually faded.
Noel: "Oh..."
"I stopped studying."
"When my parents died..."
She lowered her eyes towards the grass.
"They didn't have much money either."
"Actually, I was already planning to stop studying before that..."
"But after they died, it became the reason I completely stopped." 😤
The cheerful atmosphere disappeared.
Elda and Adam fell silent.
Neither of them had expected such a simple question to reveal something so painful.
Noel continued hugging the sword, trying to maintain her usual smile.
Noel: "Anyway, it's fine now. I'm doing okay!" 😁
But somehow, her smile didn't look quite the same.
Elda glanced at Adam.
Adam glanced at Elda.
Neither knew what to say.
For once, even Adam couldn't find a joke.
💔 Sometimes, the people who laugh the loudest are the ones who have learned to live with the deepest pain.
And Noel?
She simply smiled, as though losing her parents and giving up her education were just ordinary parts of life.
To be continued...