Afterwards, there were all kinds of bizarre incidents happening in the game.

But in the end, the result was…

[1st place, Beatrix & Dowd Couple!]

[Mana Stone Rings created! Cherish each other forever!]

A pair of rings popped up on the game board.

The rings were only imitations, but their quality was needlessly good. It would be easy to mistake them as actual wedding rings.

After that…

Each of the rings flew to Beatrix and I from the game board.

The rings then slipped onto our fingers with a ‘Ping!’ sound.

“...”

“...”

This was just part of the game, but the sense of danger that Beatrix and I felt was at its peak.

I’m not kidding here…!

You don’t know what they’d do to us…!

Though, after seeing the rings…

Eleanor closed her eyes tightly.

As if she had seen something she couldn’t bear to see.

She took a deep breath before sweeping down her face.

“I am going to get some fresh air for a moment.”

She said, facing the table.

Her words felt like a bolt from the blue to me. All this time, it felt like I had been blowing into a fully inflated balloon.

From the nerve-wrecking atmosphere, it wouldn’t be strange if the situation blew up right there and then, but that didn’t mean anyone would be glad if it were to actually happen.

She said that she was going to get some fresh air, but it was obvious that she was going to walk out on us and went on her way.

But before I couldsay anything, Eleanor had gotten up from her seat and walked to the exit.

Her gait exuded a cold atmosphere that insinuated me to leave her alone.

As I unknowingly stopped trying to stop her, Eleanor had immediately disappeared into the exit.

Should I follow her?

But, wouldn’t it only make her angrier?

I hesitated for a moment at the thought, but…

“...!”

No.

What the hell am I doing?

The answer on this matter was crystal clear.

If she was angry because of me, then I had to apologize.

“Miss Beatrix.”

“...What?”

“Please straighten things out for me.”

My words could be interpreted in a bunch of ways, but fortunately, she was quick-witted enough to immediately understand what I was trying to say.

“Hero. May I talk with you for a moment?”

“...Pardon?”

“It's regarding the harvest festival. I believe you’re going to find what I’m trying to say interesting.”

The way she immediately tried to attract Iliya’s attention the moment I began to sprint proved it.

[What are you going to do?]

I’m going to talk to her!

And so, I ran through the corridor.

The servants all looked at me as if I was strange, but I ignored their gazes and kept on running.

Since I’ve been training my body, my physical strength has increased considerably, but Eleanor was the Vessel with the most superhuman capabilities among them all. Compared to mine, her physical capabilities were on a different level.

In that short amount of time, it seemed like she had left this vast mansion since I could see her get into a carriage bearing her family seal on it outside the terrace.

“ㅇ...”

“E…”

Before I could even call her name, the carriage left in a flash.

I looked around, barely suppressing all kinds of curses that were about to come out from my vocal cords.

It was impossible to go all the way over there to hold her.

Then what do I do to catch up?

At that moment, something caught my eye.

“...”

Uh…

That might be dangerous…

But had I ever cared about something like that?

●

A while after that. Eleanor got off the carriage and sighed as she looked up at the sky.

This place was a little hill located behind the Tristan Mansion, a secret place that she had always visited since she was a kid.

Every time something depressing or frustrating happened, she’d come here and look up at the sky for a while.

…What am I doing…?

Eleanor thought to herself as she looked up at the sky where the sun was setting.

She knew it best that she was being immature.

What happened was just a game. Beatrix and Dowd were both busy checking her mood throughout the game. She knew it more than anyone.

“...”

But…

Even though she knew…

She closed her eyes and stroked the ring on her finger.

The same ring that Dowd would be wearing on his finger.

This was the token that was only shared between both of them. The ‘link’ between the two of them. Even if another woman were to get in the way, that link wouldn’t change.

That was why, the thought of it being infringed by someone else was…

Even though it was just a game, she still couldn’t stand it.

Her heart broke. She felt like crying. It felt as if her heart sank just by imagining it.

And she ended up running because of it, because of the anger…

Because she could not stand watching it any longer.

“...”

She sighed as she facepalmed.

I think it’ll be better to sit here for a while before going back…

Without meeting anyone, especially Dowd.

She told herself that as she let out another sigh.

“Eleanor!”

That was why…

When she heard Dowd’s voice calling out to her…

Even though she felt happy and relieved inside, she still felt rather annoyed.

It’s as if deep in my heart I want him to follow me or something…

“...”

Well…

Just now, she made up her mind to not meet him because she was afraid that she’d lash out at him if she were to see his face.

But, the moment she heard his voice, her heart started to thump uncomfortably loudly.

It was even more so because, until now, there had never been a single instance where her intentions had gone against her will.

“...”

However, she managed to hold her expression from loosening up and turned around to face him.

Just for once, I need to treat him coldly.

Drive that man away, make him come to his senses by expressing my feelings properly. Just this once.

Or at least, that was what she planned to do, but…

“Dowd?! Why do you look like that?!”

As soon as she saw him, she almost screamed out.

At first glance, it seemed as if he had come from a battle.

There were dust and bluish bruises all over his body.

Blood was flowing from his torn palms. There were also drops of blood forming on the scratches on his face and whole body.

“Don’t mind it… It’s just… I couldn’t catch up with the carriage…”

He awkwardly said as he pointed behind him with his thumb.

There was a horse.

Not just a regular horse, but a warhorse.

Normally, warhorses would immediately kick anyone that wasn’t its owner if they were to approach them. From this, it was obvious that he somehow tried to tame the creature while being continuously kicked by it, all while following her all the way here.

What he did was so dangerous that a normal person would have died several times in that situation.

“I had to ride that at least to follow—”

“Are you out of your mind?!”

Eleanor cut Dowd’s words off, her voice cracked.

“We can always talk later, why are you doing such a stupid thing?! Do you not know that your body is precious?!”

“...Don’t worry, I’ve kind of learned how to ride horses before—”

“What are you even saying?!”

Her sincere outcry startled Dowd so much that he promptly shut his mouth.

There was a sternness in her eyes as she was talking.

She walked towards him with an angry strut and soon checked his wounds by turning his body around here and there.

Then, she looked over his wounds meticulously, checking if they would get worse if left unattended, wondering if they would get healed quickly. She even brought her face closely as she did, not leaving even the scratches unchecked before clicking her tongue.

“We’ll treat your wounds first. Then, we’ll talk…”

“I’m sorry.”

“...”

Eleanor slightly bit her lip before distancing herself a little from Dowd.

Slightly looking down, she said in a quiet voice.

“What for?”

“Everything that made you angry at me, Eleanor.”

Surprisingly, the first response that came to her mind was ‘Does he even know why I am angry?’

But, Eleanor was always someone who preferred a more straightforward approach..

“Another woman was creating a mess about you in front of your fiancée, yet you did nothing. I do not think it is praiseworthy.”

“Yes…”

“I am not angry at you, I’m just…”

“Yes.”

“...A little disappointed in you.”

“Yes.”

It felt like the inside of her mouth was burning dry.

She was the one who had to deal with his things, but somehow she felt like she was the one who had wronged him instead.

Like they said, in a romantic relationship, the one who fell in love first would lose, but anyone could tell that this was enough of a reason for her to get angry at him.

“...”

But, the moment she saw his face and their gazes met, she knew why she felt this way.

…Ah, I see.

She knew…

That with this man…

She was the weaker one…

From head to toe—her body, her heart, everything.

Every part of her had long since succumbed to this man.

That was why she felt anxious when she expressed her dissatisfaction like this; She was afraid that she’d hurt his feelings.

It was to the point that she couldn’t even bear to ask for anything that she should have deserved and instead, she felt that she should give this man everything that she had.

That was how deep she had fallen for him.

“I'm sorry…”

But it was only natural. For this man was someone who was willing to ruin his own body just to console a sulking woman.

It was hard not to fall for someone who was ready to bleed himself the moment he saw another person was a little upset.

“...Okay.”

Eleanor replied hesitantly before lowering her head and trying to check on his expression.

“By the way...”

“Yes?”

“...Umm…y-you said you like me, right…? H-How much…?”

“...”

Seeing how Dowd’s eyes widened the moment he heard that question, a blush appeared on Eleanor’s face.

Of course, she felt the most shy by bringing up things like this.

Yet, even so…

She figured that she should at least got something in return since he had disappointed her, so she said it as a way to tease him.

“...If you could convince me with your answer, I will forgive you.”

And as soon as he heard that,

Dowd lifted his hand and smoothed down the corners of his mouth.

It was part of his effort not to show his bright smile.

“Eleanor.”

“...What?”

Dowd smiled as he approached her.

“Say some—”

Eleanor's words were cut off.

And the reason for it was…

Because Dowd, who had walked to her, silently hugged her.

But he didn’t stop there. He brought his face closer to hers in an instant.

“...-!”

For Eleanor, it was a familiar sensation.

Since she had experienced this several times.

However, even though that was the case, this was a sensation she couldn’t get used to.

The sensation of a kiss as their tongues and salivas mixed.

A wet, hot, sticky and thick sensation.

As Eleanor’s blush reached her ears. Dowd slowly pulled his lips away from hers and said inalow voice.

“...Did that answer your question?”

“...”

Eleanor lowered her head as her whole body trembled.

“...Y-You really… Seriously—”

She clenched her fists, her tears almost burst out.

Soon after, she pounded Dowd's chest.

“Y-You’re so unfair… Every single time, you always try to get over everything like this…!”

She had enough power to crush someone to six pieces, but the force she utilized when she pounded on his chest was comparable to that of cotton swabs.

Even when she was being overwhelmed by her shyness. Even when she was upset.

She still refrained from hitting him for real, just in case that she’d end up hurting him.

So, he did it again.

He smacked his lips against hers again. Before they got entangled, Eleanor let out a little moan that sounded like ‘_hiik’—_it was the cutest thing.

“...Haa.”

After being stuck together like that for a while…

Dowd distanced his face from hers again with a sigh.

All Eleanor could do was…

Standing still with a red face, her fists still clenched up the way they were when she was about to hit Dowd's chest.

“...Will you forgive me?”

Seeing him saying such a thing while smiling bashfully…

Eleanor moved her body stiffly, as if it was an ungreased machine.

Soon after, tears slightly formed on the corners of her eyes.

She couldn’t hold it back anymore. The anger over the fact that she always lost to this man in this way overwhelmed her.

“...Dowd.”

She called out to him with a huff.

“At the Harvest Festival, you will see…”

“...”

“I will take my revenge. With all the interests.”

“...”

So…

She seemed to have forgiven him.

It was just, her words sounded a little strange to hear…