"So, Your Majesty..."

Robert said, barely resisting the urge to touch his forehead.

"You mean you made such a bet with the Duke of Wade?"

The Emperor, who had previously confided to Robert a bet with the Duke of Wade, frowned and nodded his head.

"...Well, who knew Ian could be so crazy but be quiet about it? Shouldn't you know since you were always close?"

At the Emperor's words, Robert could not blame anything.

Robert had already admitted to himself that he had been defeated by Ian.

Ian gave up the victory in the last swordsmanship competition, and slaughtered even those enormous monsters, and the sincerity that ran to Annabelle was literally great.

If you think about how much sacrifice he could make for Annabelle... Robert wasn't confident.

So he was bitter, but he decided to appease his disappointment by becoming a good emperor and leading the prosperity of the empire.

However, he began to sincerely worry about the Imperial finances.

"Aren't you lucky? Because Maiena said she wouldn't withdraw her promised funding."

The condition for Maiena to lend her money was the marriage of Annabelle and Robert.

But after knowing that Annabelle's heart was not with Robert, she didn't say much.

After all, it was because the first compromise was started over the issue of suffrage, and the marriage issue was mentioned unilaterally because of the ambivalence Maiena had for Annabelle.

"But the Treasury has some money to fill..."

Robert, who finished the calculation quickly, said anxiously.

"You can fill that up by confiscating the property of the Marquis of Abedes. How will the numbers match once they are all disposed of?"

"Still, it will be tight."

"The cost of maintaining the dignity of the Empress and the Crown Prince remains... I have also ordered you to dispose of all the treasures of the post-deceased people."

Robert felt a heavy burden of responsibility on his shoulders.

Even if the position of the crown prince that was so desired was scheduled, the accident that the previous Emperor had struck was too great.

To be able to rot his head in financial trouble like this...

Still, it was when he was thinking about how he could use the money of the commoners' assembly...

"Anyway, tomorrow is the friendly match."

"...Yes."

"On that day, the crown prince appointment ceremony will be taken lightly. Are you fine?"

"Yes, of course."

Robert noticed the Emperor's will and nodded his head.

It was a situation in which the crown prince was changed due to an unfortunate incident.

Although it was not Robert's fault, it was also an incident where the authority of the Imperial Family was reduced.

Therefore, it was good in the long run to move on smoothly without attracting as much attention as possible.

The friendly match between Annabelle and Ian was a good opportunity for that.

"I think it would be appropriate to briefly mention after giving a tribute to the eradication of black magic. In terms of taking care of the main characters, the plan will be pretty good."

"Okay. How much interest will everyone have in the friendly match?"

As the Emperor's eyes twinkled, Robert realized that the 'everyone' included the Emperor as well.

"So, by the way, if you dispose of the Empress's private assets, you'll get a lot of cash in secret."

The Emperor said with a sigh.

"...You know well because you go undercover a lot. Didn't everyone bet on a friendly match...? You said you were going to make a bet..."

"Your Majesty."

After grasping the Emperor's intentions, Robert swallowed his breath and said:

"You just told me the outcome of a failed bet. Now you want to make another bet?"

"Hmm."

The Emperor rolled his eyes for a moment, then said, fiddling with the handkerchief that had been tied to Annabelle last time.

"Then let's change the word. Not a bet... A little sign of trust in Annabelle Rainfield, who fought for my honor?"

"...You will bet with?"

"So, how much is Annabelle Rainfield's dividend?"

Robert finally sighed.

In fact, Annabelle's dividend was rather high, but there were still more people who were convinced of Ian's victory.

After showing herself handling all the assassins from the Abedes, though, it was a lot higher than the payouts over the past eight years.

Robert, who informed the Emperor of the gambling house's dividend, added cautiously.

"If you'd rather...you'd better go with Ian Wade. He was a monster that dealt with the monsters of the Smaho forest alone."

"It doesn't matter if he wins anyway. If you want to earn big, take a leap of faith..."

"...Didn't you say it was a sign of trust?"

But the Emperor seemed determined not to listen to Robert any longer.

"Anyway, I can't go by myself, so you bet yourself well. It's tomorrow, so hurry up and go tonight."

The Emperor said firmly, handing over cash, which was probably once the Empress's private property. (pr/n: dude so chill when his wife is a humongous criminal afhasdklhf)

"From what I've been working hard all night analyzing the capital's kidnapping attempt, it's quite probable. I think the Duchess of Wade taught her a lot better than I thought."

The Emperor even wielded a model sword in imitation of the kidnapping attempt.

"At that time, whoah, with a successful technique, whoosh, I heard that there is such a thing..."

"..."

Robert, seeing the Emperor's pitiful appearance, had no choice but to go out into the streets with the Emperor's cash on hand and put on his robe again.

~*~

"It's training..."

Ian turned around and grabbed me and hugged me.

"What are you asking me now? I didn't even know you were coming."

"It's because I've been hiding my presence on purpose."

"But you didn't hide it on purpose in the past and surprised me from behind?"

Originally, no matter how much I hid my presence and approached him, Ian noticed it like a ghost and avoided me at once.

After receiving the blessing of the bamboo forest where the barber even shouted a secret while reassured that no one was there, I was able to hide my presence from Ian.

"That..."

I couldn't answer any more, as my body twisted from his hot breath on my earlobe and neck.

"I missed you, Annabelle."

With my legs suspended in the air and nowhere to run, I couldn't get away from his lips.

Of course, it wasn't really that I couldn't run away.

"Hasn't it been 24 hours since we haven't seen each other?"

When I asked the question with a grin, Ian answered seriously.

"I've been wanting to see you since the moment you got into the carriage."

Since Ian wasn't exaggerating at all, the words must have been sincere.

"Did you sleep well with a blanket on, did you have a good breakfast this morning, didn't you get pushed by Aaron in an argument? I was only worried about you all day."

After kissing me hard, Ian let me go.

I replied with a smile as if not to worry.

"We have a friendly match tomorrow, so you're going to mess with my condition? Don't worry about my well-being until another day, so until then..."

"I'm saying this because you don't know..."

Ian said with a smile.

"I will do my best. I won't see you as my lover. And I know you'd want that too."

"Well I have something to say too."

I answered while showing my sword in front of him.

"Don't ignore my eight years of thoughts of defeating you."

To see us face each other with a smile like this made me realize once again that I didn't know anything about other people.

"I wish you could be as obsessed with me as you were back then and come to visit me whenever you could."

"I'm sorry, but there is no need to point out my dark history."

"I'm serious. Now, if you suddenly surprise me from behind, I will have no choice but to get hit. Please refer to the future schedule. You are always welcome."

"You don't have to show that you've become weird."

I said firmly.

"Can't we just live with good memories? For example here... We were pretty good."

In this garden, before the Imperial banquet, before the duel with Lagian, Ian took care of me... No, it was training.

Alone, for a few days.

Then, as I remembered that I had been fighting all day, I cheerfully suggested it.

"Would you like to have a light battle here one last time? Of course, it's the day before the match, but let's both take care of each other and warm up a bit."

"If it's light."

Ian nodded his head warmly, then jumped, broke two branches, and gave one of them to me.

Since tomorrow is the match, he seemed to have decided that it would be better not to use a true sword.

"Well then..."

As usual, I jumped in first and aimed at Ian's side, and Ian gently avoided me and hugged me tightly.

"Hey, it's a light fight."

As I grunted, Ian sighed and pressed his lips to my cheek once.

"...Sorry. Once I feel you in my arms, I go out of my mind..."

"Now calm down and do well. No, you attack first."

After falling apart again, we exchanged glances, and this time, Ian ran from behind.

I turned around and avoided Ian, immediately shook Ian's balance and knocked him over on the lawn, then fell on his body.

"Annabelle."

Ian smiled as if it was ridiculous under me.

"It's called a light fight."

"Uh...sorry."

Our overlapping bodies were already mixing enough heat with each other.

I put my hands on his shoulder and smiled.

"Well, me too... Once you're within a range I can hold, my reason goes out..."

"I didn't even suggest training or sparring because I thought it would be like this in the first place."

Ian hugged my waist as it was and pressed me to him, whispering.

"Because I almost thought of what the two of us would be doing in a place where no one else was around."

Although there were no particularly controversial words, it sounded quite obscene.

Without the friendly match, we would not have been able to have a serious match for the rest of our lives.

"Well..."

The branch he was holding in his hand fell to the floor helplessly.

The sound of deep breathing dispersed between the fresh scent of grass and the gentle breeze.