The Pendant II [NOEL]

Noel woke up.

Back in Leon’s home.

“Welcome, back. Noel”

Noel is happy to see Leon again, “Yes, I’m back”

Leon, “We are returning tomorrow so what shall we do today?”

Noel hesitated. There was something more urgent than sightseeing, something that had occupied her mind entirely. Her fingers tightened around the bedsheets as she gathered her thoughts.

“Rather than that Leon... Natsume Maruyama”

Leon in confusion, “Huh? Natsume Maruyama out of sudden? What about him? Did you miss the VR game?”

Noel shook her head in disagreement, “Wrong, His information. Do you know anything about him? Does the net have anything about him?”

Leon gave her a puzzled look, “Huh? It’s just basic stuff. He is just a novelist and a game developer.”

Noel leaned in with a firmer voice, “Leon. Is it possible to meet him?”

Leon, “Huh? What are you saying out of a sudden?”

Noel thinks that this is not the time to be thinking about useless things like being selfish or all, this is the time to find the truth, “I-I want to meet him personally. I want to see him in real life.”

Leon lets out a sigh, “I don’t know if it’s quite possible”

Noel, “Please, Leon…”

Leon doesn’t understand the situation but there was a certain plea than just mere curiosity in Noel’s eyes. So, he gives up. “I don’t know if it will work but I will try”

Noel, “Thank you, Leon. Let’s not go anywhere today, you have shown me many things yesterday so let’s just stay here.”

Leon agrees. Noel spends the day playing with Liz and helping with small chores.

Leon searched every possible way to meet Natsume Maruyama, tickets to live events, screening, and interviews. But it was difficult.

Noel had her mind elsewhere all day, she just wanted to find out about the truth.

Mother also queries about her concerns but Noel says it's nothing.

After a long mundane day, Finally, Leon finally manages something. “Noel, Bingo. I managed something”

Noel is happy about it, “Really? So, now can we finally meet Natsume Maruyama”

Leon, “Yes, after searching for them all day at last I finally grabbed two tickets to his events tomorrow in a nearby town. I traded something of my own to a friend and finally got it”

Noel was happy. Finally, she could confirm the truth.

The night went as usual. They had dinner and as usual red eyed shadow appeared and killed Noel.

Noel woke up in her own world. Today was the day, Noel had to return to her estate. Uncle, Noel and the Redlaw knights greeted farewell to the royals and moved on.

Uncle, “I hope you found out something about what you wanted”

Noel with a smile, “Yes, I did” Their journey continued for three days until they reached Redlaw estate.

The night fell and Noel fell asleep. Noel woke up at Leon’s home.

Leon welcomes her.

After having breakfast, Leon and Noel bid farewell to Mother and Liz.

They walked for several minutes, rode a taxi then reached the train station. They were having a natural conversation outside but Noel's mind was filled with meeting Natsume Maruyama.

As they boarded the train, Leon turned to her with a small smile. "Noel."

"Hmm?"

He pulled something from his pocket. A small yet elegant pendant.

Noel's eyes widened in surprise.

For a moment, she just stared at it, her mind blank. Then, warmth crept up her cheeks. The pendant was beautiful, but more than that, it was the act itself.

"This…" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Couldn’t you have waited for a better place?"

Leon chuckled. "Actually, I had forgotten about it, you know. So, as soon as I remembered, I wanted to give it to you."

Noel felt her heart tighten. The weight of the moment settled over her, something delicate and unspoken lingering between them.

She reached for the pendant with slightly trembling fingers. "Then… put it on me."

Leon hesitated for just a moment before stepping closer. His fingers brushed against the back of her neck as he clasped the pendant around her.

A sharp breath escaped her.

It wasn’t just the gift. It was the proximity, the warmth of his touch, the way the moment stretched between them.

For a fleeting second, the world around them seemed to fade.

Leon’s hands lingered slightly before pulling away. "It suits you," he said, his voice quieter than usual.

Noel swallowed. She could feel the rapid beating of her heart, but she forced herself to speak naturally. "Thank you… I’ll treasure it."

Silence fell between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was something else, something warm, something neither of them could quite name.

After a while, the tension eased. Noel leaned her head against Leon’s shoulder, and in response, Leon gently rested his head against hers.

The train continued its steady rhythm, carrying them forward.

For now, that was enough.

After several hours, they reach the town of their destination.

The event was happening in the late afternoon so they easily managed to attend it.

After a short taxi ride, both of them reached the venue. They enter after verifying the tickets.

The live meet of Natsume Maruyama, a renowned game developer and a novelist. There is a crowd of fans waiting to meet him.

After a long queue Leon & Noel, finally see Natsume Maruyama.

He is an ordinary-looking guy. He has shoulder-length hair turning grey, and clean shaved. He is wearing glasses. He is wearing a simple shirt and pants. He looks in his mid or late sixties. As he signs the autographs to his fans, he has a gentle smile on his face.

Due to the crowd, people cannot stay close to him even for a minute. He just signs and they go off appreciating and all. So, you may wonder what was the hassle about the tickets all for.

The ticket itself was for the party the venue organized, so people could enjoy it. Natsume Maruyama was one of the attractions of the party to attract the people to come to the venue. Clever move by organizers.

After a long wait, Both of them finally meet Natsume Maruyama. Leon handed a note for his autograph but Noel had something else in her mind. But time was short and the attendant standing aside started to move them away.

As they were being moved away. Noel says facing Natsume Maruyama, “Lizbeth XX XXXXXXX”

Leon is in confusion what Noel is saying out of nowhere.

Natsume Maruyama’s hand froze mid-signature. His eyes, warm and tired just moments ago, widened in pure, unfiltered shock. He slowly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Noel. The noise of the crowd, the chatter of fans, all of it seemed to dissolve into a dull hum.

As Leon and Noel are being escorted away, Natsume interrupts the attendant. “Please escort them properly. They are my special guests.”

The attendant nods in agreement and guides Leon and Noel. Then, they enjoy the party at the venue for a while. They eat and drink, but Noel and Natsume Maruyama have a lot on their mind.

Both of them had questions. After a while, an attendant escorts Leon and Noel to a private room where Natsume Maruyama is present.

Now there were only two attendants, Natsume Maruyama, Noel, and Leon in the room.

Natsume Maruyama with a confused look on his face, faces towards Noel, “Young lady, what did you say before?”

Then, with careful precision, she placed a hand over her chest and bowed slightly. A sign of respect.

“Great Hero Natsume Maruyama, Noel Von Redlaw from the Redlaw Family of the xxxxx Kingdom greets you”

Everyone is shocked because of such sudden actions and words by Noel.