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Noel shook off the adults who were surprised to see him and ran to his room.

After closing the door with a thud, he collapsed onto the floor.

He didn’t know why, but he kept crying.

He wept again because the hot, salty tears came into contact with his wound from where he had fallen over. It caused him great pain.

He was annoyed, embarrassed, and he hated it all.

He picked up the wooden puzzle piece that was doing nothing but sitting around, untouched.

It was one of Rieta’s belongings from the kingdom.

“. . .”

He strode toward the window.

And threw the puzzle piece out of the open window with all his might.

The small piece fell somewhere in the garden.

Now we’ll never see each other again. That’s good.

He looked out at the dark and quiet garden. Covering most of his face with a dirt-stained sleeve, he looked out of the corners of his eyes.

The wind grazed his tears, causing his face to become cold.

“. . . !”

Only then did he regain a sense of reality.

He hurriedly wiped the tears from his eyes.

That’s something Rieta lent me.

It felt like his heart was sinking.

What should he do? His father had told him to cherish the things he borrowed from others.

If he was caught willfully throwing Rieta’s things around, he was sure to be in a lot of trouble.

Besides, Rieta regarded her things from the kingdom as her treasures.

She may come to hate Noel.

However . . .

Suddenly, Noel made a strange assumption.

It was the kind of assumption that the devil whispered into his ear and engrained into his young mind.

***

Say . . .

What would happen if Noel were to hide all of Rieta’s treasured possessions in the mansion?

Would that drive Rieta to leave the mansion? Or not?

Pondering that particular question all the while, Noel gathered the puzzle pieces left in his room and returned to the window.

He grabbed the biggest piece and raised his arm, preparing to fling it away.

The Duchy’s garden was large enough that no one would find anything abandoned in such a manner.

She would never find it. And when that happened . . .

“. . .”

Knock, knock.

At that moment, knocking was heard.

Noel turned his head back toward the door, lowering his raised arm and letting go of the puzzle piece.

“Noel.”

The voice belonged to Darrell.

Noel may hate everyone else at the moment, but never Darrell.

Because his gentle older brother had always been by Noel’s side.

“I’m coming in, alright?”

In response to the amiable question, Noel silently nodded his head. He gave no audible answer.

Even so, his beloved brother had received the soundless message. That was the level of understanding between the two of them. The door opened immediately.

“ . . . Brotherrrrrrrr.”

Tears once again streamed down Noel’s cheeks. He took a wobbling step toward the doorway.

Darrel immediately swept his younger brother into his embrace.

Without saying anything else, he patted the small back.

Was he worried that the two brothers were left alone in the dark room?

Fortunately, the moonlight shone vividly that night.

* * *

After Noel had somewhat calmed down, Darrell thoroughly cleaned Noel’s face with warm water.

His small, dirt covered face was quickly wiped clean by his elder brother’s gentle ministrations.

With that, the lacerations on his chin and his cheeks become visible with clarity.

It must have been quite painful to acquire such deep wounds.

Darrell gently cleansed his brother’s wounds with a cotton swab dipped in disinfectant.

It stung, smarting and burning, causing Noel’s red-rimmed eyes to twitch.

“It seems like years have passed since mother had boasted that you were all grown up.”

“. . .”

“I’m kidding. Are you angry?”

Noel shook his head.

He had no reason to be angry with his brother.

“I will only apply medicine for now, so ask the adults to properly treat these injuries tomorrow. Understand?”

“. . .Yes.”

“Right, good. I think you need to change your clothes now.”

Noel gazed down at his clothes.

Apart from the dirt, there were even tears in the cloth.

His clothing had probably become like this when he fell.

“I’ll change . . .”

“Want me to help you?”

Noel frowned and shook his head.

Because I’m no longer a child.