"Prince!"

We were the only ones sitting by the crumbling wall. As soon as the sound was heard, the knights flocked in surprise.

"I am okay."

Of course, Robert was fine. It was because Ian grabbed him and jumped and landed straight to a safe place.

In fact, it was the terror that Robert and Ian had also expected. Even before they asked if we should have dinner together in front of others, I hinted.

"I think there will be an attack on me tonight. If you believe in Ian, could you be a bait with me? You just have to put up with the fear for a little while..."

Of course, Robert readily agreed.

"I can do anything Miss Annabelle asks for."

However, he couldn't hide the fact that he glanced at Ian with a slightly anxious look.

"By the way, Ian, not Miss Annabelle, is going to save me? Hmm... Can I trust Ian, whom I've been friends with?"

To that, Ian answered bluntly.

"Even if it was a defeated match, I wouldn't be able to get Annabelle to save me. But other than that, believe in my humanity."

"I will also take note of the personality that you point out as a losing mate."

Anyway, contrary to what Robert had suspected for a moment, Ian rescued him from the collapsing wall without a single wound.

Those were reflexes that can instantly avoid any kind of attack, not to mention what just happened.

And it was the same with me. I sighed and thought, rolling swiftly among the fragments of the collapsing wall.

'People really think the same. Whether it's Reid or Richard.'

An attack that wants to target people who were always seated in the same place seemed to be the same.

Surrounded by knights, Robert said anxiously as he saw me lying still rolled up.

"But I think Annabelle was a little hurt."

"Yes... My ankles feel a bit weird. I might need to see a doctor belonging to the Knights later."

I stood up stumbling across my ankles.

"Still, we have to move in moderation. Don't adjust your movement speed just because of me. As long as I don't overdo it for a few days, I'll be fine."

Of course it was a lie. I wasn't hurt at all either.

However, I was pretending to be injured in order to match Richard's rhythm.

'Yeah, I'll just do whatever you want. And...'

I thought to myself with a smile.

'Now, even an attempted murder of a Imperial Family member is confirmed.'

So, in the original story, my prison ending fell on Richard as it was.

But even knowing that, it didn't feel right.

Because they were fatal traps for a swordsman who could feel the ill will towards people vividly.

'Am I trying to do the reverse massage like this...?'

When I thought that it was all I was going to do to Ian, it was a secretly causal retaliation ending.

"Annabelle, are you really okay?"

After that incident, I continued to pretend to be limping, and Ian was restless and could not leave my side again.

"I'm really okay. If you're that worried, why don't you check it out tonight when the two of us are together."

Ian's ears turned red, and I shook my head inwardly.

I was just telling him to check my ankles when there are no eyes to see, but he seemed to be stuck on 'at night with just us two'.

That night, I asked Ian again, who had found my room.

"Ian, there you are."

"Yes?"

"Are you really okay? Those were the things I was going to do to you."

Ian answered my serious question without hesitation.

"Anyone can make mistakes. I think it's more cool to have the courage to tell the truth about your mistakes. In fact, I fell in love with you once more."

Ian continued to sweep my uninjured ankle. Then he said with a smirk.

"You know. I have no talent for lying."

"That's right."

"I don't really want to."

"Mhm."

"Everything I say is true. In that sense..."

He smiled broadly and rolled his eyes.

"I love you, Annabelle."

It was words I heard many times, but it felt good every time I heard it.

In the end, I decided not to ask any more disturbing questions in the future.

I smiled quietly, and he slowly raised his hand from my ankle to caress my cheek.

"If I hadn't met you, the emotions I knew would have stayed within a very narrow range."

His red eyes were filled with me.

"Because of you, I learned everything from extreme irritation to joy. I always didn't know what to do whenever emotions that I had never known for the rest of my life without you came out."

There wasn't much rhetoric and it wasn't very sweet, but I could feel his sincerity, so I kissed him lightly first.

Of course, the light kiss continued, as always, until I was exhausted.

Neither of us was sure about the win or loss of the upcoming friendly match, but one thing was certain.

It didn't seem like I'd ever beat his strength in bed. (pr/n: hello????) (tl/n: now now before ygs go crazy, he didn't fill her donut hole since this novel is more minor-friendly.)

~*~

It was about the time Robert's party was about to arrive in the capital, when strange rumors began to spread in the capital.

"Did you hear that rumor? The fact that Annabelle Rainfield doesn't want to have a friendly match."

"Oh, I heard something similar. Was it that she also went to Smaho forest to avoid the swordsmanship contest on purpose?"

"She must have hated losing all three times. So, there are rumors that she seduced Ian."

The rumor was, in fact, more fervent in aristocratic families known for their discrimmination.

"I knew it. Ian Wade fell for that trick, huh?"

"I think it is hereditary that all Wade men are attracted to commoners. Hey, isn't the Duchess of Wade also a commoner?"

"So that's it, huh? No matter how great she was, she wouldn't have grown up without receiving proper advice."

"So really... Because the blood of commoners cannot be helped. The dukedom also received the blood of commoners."

All the discriminatory nobles were depressed because of the Empress's detention and the Prince's arrest.

In the meantime, there was no better prey for a gathering than this, given the bad rumors about Annabelle.

"Oh, I heard the news."

"What?"

"Actually, Annabelle Rainfield was planning to run away before the friendly match."

"No...really? Why?"

"That's like commoners, huh? I feel like they can't take responsibility for what they say, so they just run away."

They were words that someone secretly said, but it spread quickly because it was about Annabelle, who had not had a good reputation for 8 years.

No matter how much she fought against black magic, even if she was given a drink from the Emperor, it didn't impact.

It was a perfect location for the words of discrimmination like, "when can the commoners change?"

"Can you take responsibility for that?"

There were those who stood up to the rumors. It was Cessianne.

"Can you take responsibility for saying that Annabelle is running away? If you curse others, you'd better look after yourself."

When a group of aristocrats who had come to the temple to donate to the temple were talking about similar stories, she approached without hesitation and spoke up.

"The teachings of God are not far away. It consists in trusting the goodwill of your opponent and using your heart to be kind."

However, no matter how much Cessianne tried to oppose public opinion by stating the teachings of God, there was a limit.

It was because it was human nature to want to hear the bad things and not want to hear the true things about others.

Of course, there were those who didn't care what the rumors were.

"It's okay to circulate any rumors, so I hope they come back safely. I don't think I'll be able to relax until I see their faces."

Even though Oscar heard that Annabelle was safe, he was worried every day and praying east, west, north and south.

He was also in his kitchen for a long time, saying that he would offer hearty food.

"So what if she runs away because she doesn't want to have a friendly match? All she has to do is come back alive."

There were other people besides Oscar who held the sword and waited for Annabelle to return safely. It was Marilyn.

"My daughter, just come back. So I can change your clothes every three hours." (pr/n: crying annabelle is so loved)

She locked herself in her room and muttered, trimming all her clothes herself.

"I haven't been able to make my daughter's clothes for 22 years, and I've been making her clothes for only a year, but now that the dressing room is closed, I have to make a lot of Annabelle clothes. No matter what rumors circulate, no matter what anyone swears at, as long as you come back safely..."

In any case, rumors of Annabelle were growing in the midst of it, and it was Richard living in the Marquis of Abedes who did everything he could to shape public opinion.

After Elburn was taken into custody, Richard was still at work, pretending to be unconscious.

'Now, if we succeed in kidnapping Annabelle Rainfield...'

Richard stayed at the Marquis of Abedes and grinned as he listened to the reports.

'The discriminatory aristocrats will be able to control public opinion again.'

Everything was going well. The bookmark given to Annabelle exploded, and that she was fed with drugs that would disturb her swordsmanship.

In the meantime, the report that had just arrived made his heart happy.

It was after the attack that knocked down the walls of the inn that Annabelle was clearly limping on her feet.