"Annabelle."

Ian ruffled his golden hair and said lowly.

"Let's go back. You're drunk. Every time you blink, you forget."

"What are you saying? I am very fine."

I couldn't help but laugh at Ian's words of treating me like a drunken person.

"The wine was given to you by His Majesty himself, so it must have been quite strong. You are drunk."

Those words made me angry. Now, who was judging who was weak and not weak?

"Hey, you're the one who is weak."

I did not want to lose, so I continued.

"You don't know, but in Caronda, you were drunk, and your mind traveled in time, right?"

"In Caronda, there's a lot of drinking..."

"That's an excuse. Even during the opera, after drinking, you asked me to beat you up and curse you."

"..."

Ian was speechless right away, and I laughed as I was happy with his expression.

Come to think of it, it was the first time I met Ian at the banquet since he escorted me in the beginning.

He had his jacket off, unlike in the carriage.

And on the inner vest were two small decorative decorations.

They were decorations I had never seen before.

In an instant, I felt strange.

"This..."

As if possessed, I raised my hand and tapped the medal above his vest with my finger.

The medal was given to the winner of the swordsmanship contest.

I had never seen Ian wear this medal in person.

It was once the medal I really wanted to have.

Perhaps Ian would even win the third medal in the upcoming swordsmanship contest.

'In the original story, it was presented to Cessianne right after the swordsmanship contest.'

After the swordsmanship contest was over, the winner gave the medal to their partner in front of everyone.

Of course, Ian, who was extremely cautious in dating, did not ask for a proper date until after giving the medal.

Leslie also had been awarded a medal by Brayden, the winner of the last swordsmanship contest that she could not participate in due to an injury.

Of course, Ian didn't have a person to give it to, so he still had both.

'Cessanne could not enjoy that great glory. It's not an easy experience...'

I thought, biting my tongue.

Anyway, I had no intention of attaching Cessianne to Ian now.

I lightly touched the medal on Ian's chest, then slowly released it.

"Were you supposed to do all these good things for the banquet?"

"No."

Ian answered slowly.

"I don't do childish things to show my victories in any place other than a banquet."

"Well, I would wear it on my forehead if I ever got a medal of victory. My hobby is childish."

At my words, Ian gave a slightly bewildered expression on his face.

I asked, biting my tongue.

"But why did you do that childish thing today?"

"Well."

In the distance, the sound of music and people talking could be heard.

After a moment's silence, he added.

"I didn't have a dance partner, nor a dueling partner, but I wanted to get attention somehow..."

"Ah."

The word dance suddenly reminded me of something, so I opened my eyes wide.

"I see."

I frowned and asked.

"Am I not very good at dancing?"

"...You danced well."

"After I danced for the first time, I was very proud as your disciple, so I looked for you, but you were nowhere to be seen. Where have you been?"

"Behind you."

"I looked back."

"Then behind your eyes looking back."

Ian answered slowly but quite faithfully.

I continued to speak like a whimper.

"What is this... If you are a teacher, you should be able to praise your students."

"Well. I didn't really want to praise you."

"Your strict standards are at the level of microbes in clean water. I guess that's about as good as it gets..."

As I grumbled, Ian looked at me and said.

"I didn't teach you with all my heart and soul that night for you to dance so nicely with another man."

"...Huh?"

I stared at him.

With a bit of a sane mind left, I sensed that this atmosphere was very strange.

"Ian."

Of course, I would be lying if I said I didn't know at all.

In fact, I was pretending to be a little ignorant.

That night in Caronda, I kept getting suspicious from the moment I heard that it was love at first sight.

Maybe Ian's mind was a bit strange that he liked me.

If so, I had to get him to come to his senses anyway.

"Hey."

I hesitated a little, then poked his medal again with my finger.

"Do you remember what we were like for eight years?"

"At least back then, you were obsessed with me. It wasn't very healthy."

"Yeah, we were really unhealthy. The problem was entirely with me."

My heart was pounding and my vision blurred, but I was very sane.

So I spoke very logically.

"But one day I decided to quit being your rival. And I decided to start a brand new life. This was before the paternity test."

"...New life? What?"

"Just being satisfied with myself, looking for fun things like everyone else, having a relationship with men I've never been able to do, and then getting married and living a very normal life."

Apparently, Ian had given similar advice before.

When I was around sixteen or so, after I was overpowered in an instant, who rushed in from behind, he spoke with a very calm face.

"Annabelle Nadit, I'll give you a piece of advice. Don't get caught up in trying to overcome me like this, and live your life. Winning a swordsmanship competition is not the only thing that can be worthwhile."

"Once we destroy the origins of the one remaining black magic, and make myself and my family safe from the Crown Prince, that is how I wanted to live."

Ian had a face that put up with many words.

"Whether it's Prince Robert or you, it meant that I didn't want to get along with a man with a lot of flair in the first place, and I just wanted to live a good life with an ordinary, uncharacteristic man."

I continued to speak timidly.

"I hate complicated things and thinking too much. It's my aptitude to try to solve things quickly with my body."

The man standing neatly in front of me was probably the man I had met with the most since I was 14.

At one time, we hated each other like crazy and had swords against each other, but before I knew it, I turned his back on that and became friends who trusted each other enough to make plans together.

Someone who had been with me longer than any other person, whether voluntarily or otherwise, and knew my life much better than my family.

"Ian."

I didn't know if I was drunk or not, but anyway, sincere words that I couldn't say to anyone because I was embarrassed came out one after another.

"Honestly, I'm chasing the shadows of the enemy, flashing from east to west, and stepping on them one by one as planned, but I hate all of this."

Ian looked at me quietly and listened to me.

I continued my words dreamily that scratched the bottom of my heart.

"I don't mind having a little fun with life. I don't have to be defeated any more, I don't have to worry about the safety of my family, I hope that there are no variables in the future. I hope that today will be like yesterday without any plans, and tomorrow like today will come."

So, I was talking to Ian right now.

If you ever liked me, I was telling you not to confess it and sort it out.

"It's a bit difficult to deal with the Crown Prince, so my brain cells are overworked, and I don't even want to date a man like that."

"...Why are you telling me?"

"Are you asking because you don't know?"

I questioned as if it were absurd.

"Let's not say decisive words to each other. Living in the same house and getting awkward is difficult for both of us. Let's not cross the line."

"Well, Annabelle."

Ian said, twisting his head slightly.

"Do you really think I can't remember the night I got drunk in Caronda?"

My heart, which had been beating so loudly, sank.

"Even when I said I fell for you at first sight."

So Ian knew I heard it.

Suddenly my head was dizzy.

"What do you think is the reason for showing my will to you, who is desperately pretending to be ignorant?"

"That, that... But between us..."

"If you think our relationship is strange, we can start over. I'm approaching you slowly, so why are you pushing me out already?"

It was an unexpected situation.

I thought Ian would get the hang of it so I could break his heart like I did with Robert if I spoke properly.

In the end, I bluntly shot it.

"To be honest, I really... I don't know what I was going to do to you in the past... Recalling what my uncle said, you're confused because I was too serious and then I became normal for a while."

No matter how drunk I was, Ian's cold face looked good to my eyes.

At that time, my shameless heart was hurt absurdly.

"For 8 years, we hated each other and fought like crazy, can you still kiss me in the end?"

Ian looked at me quietly and said slowly.

"Shall we change the question a little?"

"What?"

"Then can you kiss me?" (pr/n: Ohhhhhhh myyyyyy goddddddd) (We're finally getting a kiss?🎉)