I'm surprised given how you've worded it out, it seems the childhood arc would be quite long (and if they're already adults at this point, judging from the synopsis, ML should've already confessed at this point)
The childhood arc is really long- partially the reason I stopped reading it(I should finish it since theres more chapters now). From what I've read so far they are still children, and he still hasn't confessed
Just started to read again- and ended up rereading part of the novel. It's not much but I'll try to read more Spoiler: Hue(Aaron) the Original ML+first meeting with Lyetta I called him Aaron before but his real name is Hue(ML of the original novel) Hue is best friends with our ML(Noel), but because he keeps asking about and wanting to meet our MC Noel started reducing his playdates with him. On one playdate Hue shows Noel a giant snowman he made and says he would like to invite Lyetta to see it. The king had visited to see the giant snowman, which made Noel think Lyetta would want to see it too. Upon returning home Noel tries to build a bigger snowman with Lyetta-- (I think this is where Lyetta got her cold, but she ends up getting a mini snowman on her window sill when she is sick) (Ch36-38) Hue finally succeeds in meeting Lyetta at the princess'(not Lyetta) birthday party, but it wasn't intentional. Hue brought a gift for Lyetta, knowing her birthday coincides with this country's princess'. However before he can give it to her Noel stops him and says,'you have to present the other person's favorite flower when greeting them for the first time- it's Lyetta's countries tradition/manner'. Discouraged he gives the gift to Noel and asks what Lyetta's favorite flower is. (I forget what the flower was but Noel said it was some type of wildflower or weed-- either way he made it up). Hue says he will prepare it for next time, but bumps into Lyetta. Hue asks her to wait X seconds for him and runs off, returning right on time with some flowers(they aren't the one Noel said). He then introduces himself, apologizes for having the wrong flowers, and welcomes her to their country. Lyetta hands him a flower when Noel finds them. He says their father is looking for them and rushes away with Lyetta. Lyetta wishes she could have more time with the novel's ML, and thinks his nice but has a strange manner of speaking. She looks back to see Hue holding the flower she gave him and gives him one last smile. Yo I think the original ML is becoming our Second ML
Doing a quick catch up on Elisha Spoiler: Elisha(Johna) Lyetta's Knight to be Firstly Johna, the replacement name, is Elisha. Son of Lyetta's maid, he came to for Lynette and to become a knight. Unfortunately because he is from a foreign country he wouldn’t be able to receive Knight training, so he aims to work in the academy to learn from watching the knights training. Lyetta didn’t know about this and encourages his efforts to enter the academy. Noel finds out when he takes Elisha on a tour of the city- It’s a cute scene where Noel tries to show that he is Lyetta’s best friend. He also finds out that Elisha is nearly fluent in their country’s language, and thinks he’s sly for letting Lyetta translate for him. Noel tells his father of the situation and after seeing Elisha’s potential with the sword, he helps him apply as a knight in training. Elisha gets accepted as a student and Noel is happy to see him off lol Elisha knows that Lyetta is the only viable candidate for the crown and wishes to assist her ascension. When he proposes to leave after his knighthood Lyetta ends up delaying it a few more years. Personal note: From his behavior he seems like a loyal knight/brother than a love interest. He’s formal, professes his loyalty to Lyetta, and always thinks of her needs before him own. As of latest he has sent a quality-made, birthday card with a handmade bookmark. Noel remarks, “I/we(no definite pronoun) sent him to become an knight and he’s being a sculptor” Spoiler: 38- They return home, Lyetta has a small birthday celebration, reads Elisha’s card and receives the bookmark, organizes the gifts she's received, Noel enters her room. Lyetta shows him the gifts she received, this includes the flowers she got from Hue placed in a vase on her desk. Noel notices Hue’s handkerchief next to the vase. He asks why she borrowed Hue’s and whether she lost hers(the one with his family crest). She says Hue had wrapped his handkerchief around the bouquet so she had to accept it. She then asks why he came to her room and catches a glimpse of a ribbon from what he's hiding behind his back. So she urges him to hand her his gift and snatches it from his hands. She opens it to find a ribbon broach, puts it on, and talks about how much she likes it. She is also shocked to see Noel chose such a nice gift when he had a terrible taste in the novel. Noel is uneasy and tries to say that the gift isn't from him but is unable to because she likes it so much... They go to the city the next day to buy thank you cards and to find the name of the flower she likes(the ones she received from Noel when she was ill). Noel tells himself he will tell her the truth then. They stop by a cafe to eat some cake(Lyetta has the broach on). This is the scene from the synopsis with the cake. After eating they visit the flower shop and find the flower they wanted when they spot Hue. Noel panics, grabs her hand, and runs away from the store. Once they are far away he feels bad because she is out of breath and red from running against the winter breeze. Noel finally confesses that the broach isn't from him and Lyetta forgives him saying she his gift must have been plans for them to play together(which is correct). The two return home and Noel thinks about apologizing for the puzzles he had ruined.
The Original FL hasn't showed up yet, and while there aren't any promises of us seeing her in the story she'll probably show up. After all our FL is trying her best to groom the ML for his meeting with the ogFL.
While I understand MC giving Noel a decent chance with his future love as thanks to how the Duke and the household has treated her, her backup plan should also be to make sure Noel's rep as a bachelor skyrockets like what she did Pharyll. Although I also have to assume she's not seeing him as a man currently as an option or that being raised together makes them more as siblings currently is probably what's preventing her from seeing him as the opposite sex. Still, clumsy possessive Noel is adorbs. Its really nice that this series we get to see kids acting AS kids their age DESPITE their already high enough status. Props to the author
I do not know why I like to read spoilers here. But they gave me the feeling of moving into a new world. Interesting funny novel..
When will they grow up~* But they are cute so Spoiler: 50-53 In summary Noel decides to act like a gentleman because Lyetta likes it, and plans on clearing up the puzzle misunderstanding when she is happy. Noel performs a number of sweet and considerate acts but Lyetta finds it unsettling and strange. She is happy that he is becoming a better man for the FL, but the change is too drastic and sudden for her to accept as genuine. She continuously tries to find out what's causing him to act this way. In addition there was a skirmish amongst some soldiers in the other country, and Elisha hasn't visited Lyetta despite it being a break in the academy. Spoiler: Long Version Ever since the hunting competition the princess and Lyetta have been exchanging letters at the princess’ request. Lyetta uses this opportunity to tell her stories of how mature and gentlemanly Noel’s been. During a play date, Hue tells Noel that the princess talked about Lyetta’s boasting how great of a gentleman Noel’s become over a game of chess. Noel is surprised and overjoyed that he heads home right away. Calling himself a gentleman who isn’t petty over games he says Hues won the round of chess since he must leave, and promises to invite Hue to his house. Hue is moved that Noel’s called him his friend and invited him home lol. On the ride home Noel plans to act as the perfect gentleman to make Lyetta even more happy in order to tell her the truth about the puzzle. He also tells himself that it’s only natural for her to acknowledge his kindness because he’s worked hard to make her feel at home in his family(before acknowledging that many of his attempts didn’t work out-). Then follows a humorous exchange between Noel who is being a textbook-perfect gentleman and Lyetta who is trying to understand why he is acting that way. She can’t grasp a clue as to why he is acting that way(going from a new method of bugging her to Hue having fed him something strange). He escorts her to her room, walks elegantly, pulls out the chair for her at dinner- etc. The next day she wakes up to find a big bundle of flowers in her room. She thinks it’s from the Duke and tells her maid she’ll head out to thank him, thinking ‘if only Noel was half as good as the Duke, he would be great with the FL’. The maid says it’s not the Duke, Lyetta says then it must be Deryl, the maid reply’s Noel brought them saying he hopes she’ll be happy when she wakes up. She adds that Noel picked each of the flowers. She understands the flowers to be his signal that his prank is over since he gave her flowers when confessing that the present wasn’t from him. She takes the flowers and runs to find Noel. She asks if he can tell her why he’s acting strange, and Noel reply’s it is she who is acting strange while not making eye contact because she’s in her pajamas. When he offers to carry the flowers to her room she avoids him and he asks if she isn’t happy. Lyetta remembers telling him to be a gentleman who knows to give flowers and says she’s happy as positive reinforcement. He breaks character asking ‘really?!’ before returning to his gentleman acts. She’s happy he’s becoming a man fit for the FL but finds his sudden change unsettling. The princess meets with Lyetta and a few other ladies. Lyetta wishes Noel would be more understanding of dessert since the FL has a sweet tooth. They ask if Lyetta brought her closest knight to which she replies he’s my closest friend before switching to ‘my person’ after remembering Elisha’s request. They ask if she’s met him since the academy is on break, she is shocked because she hadn’t seen him. They quickly move onto another subject of a recent fight when a servant announces that Noel’s come to escort Lyetta. Lyetta tries to rush out when the princess asks to invite him in since he’s made a trip to come here. Lyetta worries he’ll be rude to them as he had previously been with her. However he maintains his manners and even says the desserts was delicious. Upon leaving the tea party Noel asks what's wrong and Lyetta says she won't tell him because she's in a bad mood. Noel is gravely shocked and sad, surprising Lyetta who says she isn't really angry but sad because it seems like he is hiding something. Thinking Lyetta's caught on to the puzzles he shouts, 'I didn't lie, I swear!' But before either of them can elaborate the carriage stops and he falls over, breaking his formal appearance. When they arrive home Lyetta decides to do her best to uncover the reasoning behind his gentleman act.