Ian quietly called my name once more.

"Annabelle."

His deep gaze was distant. It felt like the world had stopped.

The beach in the early morning when no one was there, behind a large rock that no one could see.

Over our heads, water droplets, the wreckage of waves, scattered like clear stars.

Ian looked at me and said.

"I don't know whether you're tempting me or being straightforward anymore."

It was a slow but clear voice, and I could feel the will to no longer compromise. And at that decisiveness, my heart raced until it hurt.

His body temperature felt hot beneath me.

"I can't take it any longer."

His whispers intermingled with the sound of the waves.

"You..."

"Ian."

I lifted my finger and placed it between our lips.

I said quietly, interrupting him.

"I have something to say...I want to tell you."

I grabbed his hand, which was on the ground.

I slowly grabbed his hand and clasped it. His warmth slowly creeped through his fingers and made it hard to breathe.

Shall we just hide and kiss each other like this?

The short-sighted Annabelle Nadit would have done so.

But since I was Annabelle Rainfield, I overcame the urge.

Like my parents who made difficult decisions before making a living, I had to admit my past mistakes to move forward.

"Ian, I have something to confess to you."

Before Ian could say anything, I spoke out consciously of the warp ring that was on my hand.

"Actually... Like Reid in the past, I really tried to hurt you."

"...What..."

"It was really serious. Using all kinds of illegal drugs."

These were words that I had been preparing for a long time, so they continued without hesitation.

"The poison dart in the High Priest's procession, the bookmark explosion, were all prepared by us to harm you."

"...Huh?"

"But I knew that it wasn't going to work anyway, so I made a fuss at that time to stop it."

"..."

"If you had a crush on me at that time, you were wrong from the beginning. I was trying to commit a really serious crime against you. I wasn't trying to protect you, there were just stupid things that I was trying to cover up."

"Annabelle."

"I hid it from such actions and even asked you for various things. I thought that you wouldn't even notice since Reid was dead, so I shamelessly stood by your side because it seemed like everything had been covered up. I'm sorry."

"Why are you talking about things that I wouldn't even notice and that have all been covered up?"

A lot of emotions were contained in his low voice.

I couldn't even look into his eyes and answered.

"...That's...because I really like you."

I really wanted to say these words in a cool way, but my voice was small and trembling as if I was about to cry.

So I confessed, trembling in a pitiful tone, not being cool at all.

"I like you so much... It's because I don't want to keep secrets or lies from you."

Ian's body stiffened at my confession.

I spoke quickly.

"Of course, since you've come to know this fact, unless you're crazy, there is no need to answer."

And I sadly added.

"My heart doesn't deserve to be rewarded."

Before Ian could say anything, I pressed my other hand against the jewel of the ring, thinking of the swordsmanship arena.

Warp was attempted. In the first place, I was holding his hand to warp us.

And the moment I closed my eyes and opened them, we were just lying in the hallway of the stadium where there was no one around.

"You, this... Where is this..."

Ian seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment as he was stunned by this situation.

He would never have thought that a normal person would warp suddenly.

"It's a bit early, but congratulations on winning the swordsmanship contest. You didn't sacrifice anything."

I quickly removed my hand from him.

"I will make world peace happen. For you."

And without hearing another word, I pressed the jewel of the warp ring again.

When the sea breeze hit me again, I was alone. (tl/n: LMAO WTF IS THIS) (pr/n: lmao Ian is gonna be pissed)

So, after taking Ian to the arena, I was the only one who came back to Banafarim Coast.

I got up and started walking slowly.

'Good job, Annabelle. Well done.'

Even if it went well with Ian, I didn't want to live with anxiety for the rest of my life. I didn't want to keep secrets.

It was very refreshing from what I had been thinking about for a few days.

However, I was not prepared to be insulted by Ian, so I ran away without hearing him say anything.

I went back to Robert and the knights, who were waiting in the distance all alone.

Robert stared at me and sent one of the knights to run an errand.

It was to tell Orians that Ian had left.

I quietly got on my horse.

"Annabelle."

Robert spoke to me cautiously.

"As planned... Did Ian go to the capital?"

"Yes. I dropped him on the pitch and came back quickly."

I smiled bravely and said.

"Perhaps Aaron will lose to Ian again this time. Just like eight years ago. He'll lose in the final instead, so it'll be okay, right?"

"It will. Annabelle, are you really okay?"

"Shouldn't you ask 'did you get dumped?' instead?"

To my dissatisfied question, Robert answered humbly.

"Well... It's because it doesn't look like the confession was accepted."

I took hold of the reins and said cheerfully.

"Okay then, let's go to the Smaho forest. Prince Carlon must be following along, right?"

It was refreshing to leave the Banafarim coast behind me.

Perhaps Ian would have no choice but to participate in the swordsmanship competition.

Although the Smaho forest was close to the capital, it was a distance that could not be reached until the next day.

Besides, Ian didn't even know that the origin of black magic was in the forest. It was not like he knew where we were going.

He couldn't come after me even if he wanted to.

Also, no matter if he knew we were in the Smaho forest, there was no way he could enter.

This was because the condition of companionship with the imperial family must be satisfied.

'And as long as Ian isn't crazy... Why would he follow me?'

Perhaps he was busy denying all the emotions he had ever felt.

No matter how the good feelings he had accumulated over the years, he would be confused when he found out about the crime that had been hidden from the beginning.

While planning all kinds of heinous crimes, I kept my mouth shut and we just stayed on the same side for a long time.

'But I didn't mean to do that in the first place...'

I was originally trying not to get entangled, but somehow I ended up like this.

I had no intention of saying anything, but I liked him so much I couldn't help it.

'Maybe my family is moving out of the Wade mansion right now. Before that, I have to get rid of Carlon first.'

I gripped the reins with all my might, trying to suppress my troubled heart.

~*~

Ian stood alone for a moment in the hallway.

He didn't know Annabelle would go away after talking so much.

A warp ring, it was too irresistible.

There was no way he could catch her, no matter how strong his swordsmanship was.

"Hah..."

Ian's heart was pounding. Annabelle's body temperature still seemed to touch him.

"If you choose only words that upset my reason and run away like this..."

Saying that she really liked him.

He didn't need to know, but she revealed her shame because she wanted to be proud of that relationship.

She confessed that she would protect world peace for him.

"Still, it is important to understand your weaknesses. It can turn your eyes around in unexpected moments."

"There are people who dare to honestly confess their mistakes that no one knows about if they keep their mouths shut. I guess I just instinctively like them."

He thought that his heart had already fallen for Annabelle.

He didn't even think he could fall for her any more, but that thought too was arrogant.

"I don't think it's the first time you have shown your possessiveness so openly. When a woman like that appears, even Ian Wade will turn his head around."

He had obeyed everything Annabelle said so far.

He really didn't want to leave, but he left her alone in the capital, where she was rumored to have an affair with another man.

Because she was his will.

He followed her advice blindly enough to wait patiently on the coast of Banafarim until the day of the swordsmanship contest.

But not now.

He wanted to see her right now.

Especially in the last situation, which could be dangerous.

"Regardless of the 'case', you said, 'I have already been turned over'. When you run and hang on to that person without looking back and forth, or the madness of losing your reason and not even caring for others. In that sense, you're not there yet right now."

(tl/n: The italics are flashbacks to the conversation between Ian and Orians, the former high priest.)

It was the first time he knew that his mind could be turned over like this.

He didn't care about the swordsmanship competition or anything. He ran to the place where there were people.

As soon as he appeared, a crowd surrounded him.

"Ian! You are here!"

"Oh, have you been to the stadium beforehand? Everyone was worried because you didn't come back to the mansion."

"Are you sure Annabelle won't come? She said that she was fighting black magic and went with Prince Robert."

Ian grabbed one of them and asked.

"Where did Annabelle and Prince Robert go?"

"What? They didn't reveal their destination."

The aspiring knight who was pointed out by Ian sighed in excitement.

"Mister Ian is talking to me... It is an honor."

"Why didn't they reveal their destination? Didn't they even talk about it roughly?"

"Obviously, no one dug any further because we thought it was a matter of security."

The aspiring knight answered faithfully and trembled.

"To share more than two words with the most perfect man in the Empire, Ian Wade... Oh my gosh."

Ian just walked through the crowd and looked around.

"Ian!"

The next person to run to him was none other than Braden.

"When did you come? You are here now. Neither you nor Annabelle came to our residence, and now everyone is confused. But why do you smell like the sea?"

Braden looked at his outfit and asked questions.

"Annabelle says she wants to know Aaron's ranking and she says she won't come for absurd reasons, is that true? Then why are you here?"

Ian did not respond to Braden's words.

He just asked with flames in his eyes.

The name of a person who might know Annabelle's destination...

"Where is Aaron Rainfield now?"