The Kind Older Sister Is No More Chapter 31: Call Me Noel

Y-yes? Irene stuttered, surprised at the sudden question. I thought we had agreed to remove the title last ti, Noel said. He frowned slightly disapprovingly. No matter the person, whenever he heard his title, it left a foreign aftertaste. He much preferred the familiarity of his own na. Especially if it ca from his to be Ah, um Irene fumbled; her face troubled. Noel looked at her curiously. It appeared that he was quick-witted but insensitive in this regard. How could I imdiately call you by your na? Within the upper echelons of nobility, calling a person by their first na was an act of reserved intimacy. It was an endearnt privy to be used only by family, friends, and lovers. As such, how could Irene, who barely knew Noel, possibly call out to him with that level of non-existent closeness? There was no way Irene could imdiately begin addressing Noel by his na after eting him only a few tis. For the Irene, who had grown up secluded and was vehently socially awkward with her interactions with her own servants, let alone other people outside her imdiate social circle, this was even more so the case. You also call Miss. Irene fumbled to deflect him. She found it too difficult at this point in ti and needed to find an excuse to escape from the situation. Unfortunately, that was the only excuse she could think of.Unexpectedly, Noel appeared to contemplate her weak retort quite seriously. Then, he nodded in resigned agreent. Ahh, I see. It was surely my fault. He sighed. No. Thats not what I. Irene began, suddenly feeling auspiciously guilty. She did not want him to misunderstand. It was not Noels fault it was her incapacity to interact with people at a normal function. Irene. ... ant. When he said her na without notice, Irene was surprised and looked blankly at Noel. She didnt expect him to call her na suddenly. She had only wanted to make an excuse to hide her timid self. From now on, Ill call you Irene and not Miss. So please also call Noel comfortably. Ah, but It will be easier to convince others about our relationship. Irene blinked. She had only called his na once, so she was embarrassed to suddenly begin referring to him so intimately on a regular basis. Irene took a deep breath. For their relationship. For her future. It was the first step. Just a na, how hard could it be? Suddenly her previous doubts cleared, and Irene nodded her head. Noel. Thats nice to hear. Noel smiled broadly when Irene managed to call his na. Then, Irene glanced at Noels face. Like a man who had achieved his purpose, Noel looked satisfied. However, Irene could hardly take her eyes off him. Noel. All Irene had done was call his na, but she imdiately felt closer to him; it felt like he was on her side. When Noel felt Irenes gaze on him, he tried to look at her, but Irene quickly diverted her gaze, pretending to look out the window. However, that was useless because Noels figure was reflected in the colourless translucent window. Irene tried to remove Noel from her sight, but she couldnt avoid his figure no matter where she turned. Noel had already turned his gaze from Irene, but Irene could still see Noels reflection in the window, and a smile ca to her lips. Noel. His na felt like a magic spell. To the nervous and jittery Irene, it was a surprising yet pleasant comfort.