"It's not perfect."

Ian said while wiping his sword without a break.

"After the training, I want to relax my muscles, but I don't do that."

"Why not?"

"...Annabelle."

He sighed in response to my innocent question and said pathetically.

Then he added softly.

"You might be okay, but I'm not."

"Well, anyway... Then why are you being so serious about it being perfect?"

"Well."

Ian asked slowly.

"What would you say if I offered to do your duel for you, and if I killed him for going after your neck?"

I answered immediately without hesitation.

"I would ask if you were crazy."

I spoke in a determined voice.

"Even though I have lived mediocrely, I am proud of myself as a sword-bearer. I don't know if they'll challenge me to a duel, but at least I won't leave it to anyone else."

Actually I knew.

Duels could easily be passed on to others.

So, it might be the easiest way to pass it on to Ian and watch it from behind.

If I had to use something other than a sword, I would have skipped it.

But if it was a sword, it was a different story.

"It is true that I did my best in the swordsmanship competition because of the title. But if that were the case, I wouldn't have been able to get here in the first place."

My words kept getting longer because I was afraid that Ian would really do the duel instead.

"It's true that I'm less than you, so I might use some cowardice, but I'll never hide behind you."

Ian looked at me intently.

Then he answered slowly.

"This is all I can do because I know you'll do that."

At Ian's words, I questioned like a fool.

"What?"

"But I'm anxious to let go of it, so I want to help you somehow."

I ended up at a loss for words.

Every time he said something like this, something came to mind.

"Even though I fell for you at first sight."

I didn't want my heartbeat to rise, so I quickly avoided his gaze.

And again, I was embarrassed.

"I... Well, it's a bit of a bummer to say this, but I'm not good enough for your help. Think back to the past."

"No one knows that better than me."

That was it.

I wanted to do something, but honestly, there was very little I could do for him who was born with everything.

"Hey, I'll try for real world peace."

And I added, holding on to the unfamiliarity.

"...It's what you want, so I'll also do my best."

After I finished my words, Ian, who had been quiet for a while, abruptly got up.

Then he sighed and looked down at me.

"I told you not to say that."

"Why?"

I replied bluntly.

"It is rare to find an overly common sense model student like you. I might want to listen to someone like that, don't you think?"

And Ian answered my 'why' question with great sincerity.

"I think the more you do, the more terrifying this banquet will be."

"Huh? Why?"

"I was taught, but dancing with other people is annoying."

I quietly rolled my eyes.

Still, I was suspicious that Ian might like me. I was nervous as if I was going to stop breathing for a moment.

"Huh... Well... Isn't that the main thing?"

And somehow embarrassed, I quickly changed the topic.

"The duel! Duel is the main thing."

Thinking about it, it seemed like a really important story, so I opened my eyes and continued.

"I've never been particularly conscious of anyone but you, but I'm secretly nervous at the thought of really winning."

Ian's expression did not go away even in my words.

So I added to relieve his mood without knowing why I did it.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a face that I have to grind my teeth into..."

So the intention of what I meant was that I didn't grind my teeth for Ian anymore.

It emphasized that even if we fought together, we were doing it with a very good feeling.

But even before I finished talking, Ian suddenly spoke.

"It's annoying."

"...Huh?"

"I don't want you to stare at anyone other than me as if to kill them."

I stared blankly at Ian's red eyes.

"The curses and grinding teeth with a poisonous expression are only for me..."

Ian, who had been speaking as if possessed, stopped as it was.

Then he spoke gibberish as if he had come to his senses late.

"No, I think that... Because it's so cool that you're holding your sword and staring at it like you're about to kill... No, so that's..." (tl/n: Ian it's too late... You can't take that back XD)

I answered with a bewildered face.

"... That's why I'm only going to curse at you, stare at you, and hit you?"

"No, it sounds like I'm a bit of a strange person when you say that."

Ian added, shaking his head as if embarrassed.

"I'm a common sense person. It's well socialized."

"There was no one with common sense who explained like that."

Just a few minutes ago, I said Ian was an 'excessively common sense model student' and I felt strangely regretful.

"Ian."

I asked after swallowing a little dry saliva.

"No way... Is it a hobby to be beaten or cursed? I don't think it was like that before..."

Could it be that he had a strange taste because he couldn't connect with the female lead?

"Hey, what are you talking about?!"

Ian squealed, rarely losing his composure, and added sternly.

"I am really fine and normal..."

"..."

"With a very common and ordinary taste..."

"..."

In the end, the more he spoke, the more he knew he was hurting himself, so he sighed and exhaled.

"...Let's do some training."

"Okay..."

"Don't say anything vaguely for nothing."

"..."

"I am a normal person, a normal person."

I picked up my sword and nodded as if in disappointment.

For the first time in my life, I was worried about Ian.

~*~

Of course, Ian was also worried about himself.

Because the emotions he had once awakened were snowballing out of control.

When Annabelle in Caronda said he was the lover she had promised her marriage to, he was thrilled with the moment.

He hated how her and Robert are connected through a communication ring.

He wanted to drag her into his own realm when she asked for his help because he wanted it all at this time.

He admitted to himself that he was too easy for Annabelle.

Even though he thought it was absurd, he was suddenly swept away in a frenzy.

"I'll only fight with you."

There was a time when Annabelle said so.

At that time, the words 'Let's do other things only with me' almost came out impulsively.

Although it was no different from the ghastly protagonist in the opera , his heart was already...

'But what a complicated situation...'

Ian sighed awkwardly.

Annabelle once said that his common-sense attitude that she hated, was her ideal.

The moment he said he liked her even if she cursed and beat him, she had a serious dilemma of him deviating from her ideal.

"You're fine. If I don't trust you, who can I trust?"

Fortunately, Annabelle seemed to be looking at Ian in a good way.

In the meantime, he seemed to be like something that others evaluated as 'unfun'.

But if he wanted to continue the uninteresting and common sense attitude, he shouldn't like her, and he had to smooth this out...

"The curses and grinding teeth with a poisonous expression are only for me..."

Wasn't that just like a madman who liked to be cursed?

He had said something similar in the past.

"You can curse. Instead, do it only for me in the future."

But it was also true, so he couldn't help it.

At the age of 14, he couldn't forget Annabelle's cool eyes when he first met her in the final of the swordsmanship competition.

A clear determination as if it would swallow a person, a gesture rushing with energy, and burning eyes...

It was certainly an embarrassing enemy, but it left a strong impression.

Of course, the interest quickly disappeared due to the terrible harassment and vulgar swear words that have been poured out since.

He hated her showingthe wonderful appearance that seemed to be only for others.

'I must be really crazy too.'

He hated people who flirted with her, and he hated people who did something that could be criticized by her.

'Why am I so sincere when it comes to jealousy?'

So, ordinary people only get jealous of good relationships, but he gets jealous of bad relationships.

He could see himself having a hard time at this banquet.

~*~

It was two days before Robert's birthday banquet.

Crown Prince Carlon returned from the Duchy of Edison to the imperial palace.

He casted a bunch of acceleration magic and arrived much sooner than expected.

As soon as Carlon entered the palace, he called in Richard first.

Since Annabelle was his next target, he decided to devise a strategy with Richard, who was even a little closer to Annabelle.

In fact, they were entangled in black magic and were quite close to each other.

"Lanella and Rayburn, who ran a trafficking group in Caronda, are now in custody."

Richard reported the most urgent.

"It is said that the Imperial Palace Knights escorted them directly across the continent."

"Robert is being like a rat again."

Carlon muttered, grinding his teeth.

"He wanted to advertise his name and his achievements throughout the empire for a very long time."

"Perhaps so."

Richard eagerly agreed with his hopes that he would become Carlon's closest confidant.

Carlon said, shaking his head.

"But at the same time, it means we have some time, so we can think about it slowly..."

Carlon's gaze at Richard shone sharply.

"I heard that his partner at his birthday banquet this time is Annabelle Rainfield. That is the most important thing for us right now."