Kabir, accompanied by knights, was walking towards us. He seemed to have hurried here after hearing the news.

“Your skills are exceptional, but you’re not yet ready to face such threats alone. That was reckless.”

“…I apologize, Your Grace.”

“We’ll address this matter later. First, get some medical attention.”

“Yes, understood…”

Eric, supported by a maid, left the area. His limping figure was a pitiful sight.

After Eric left, Kabir, as  if he hadn’t been stern just moments ago, smiled wryly at me.

“You do have a serious side to you.”

It seemed he was referring to how I reprimanded Eric.

Does he think I always live thoughtlessly?

“Is that surprising?”

“Very.”

I glared quietly at Kabir. He chuckled softly in response.

“Bates, I would like to speak with you separately later.”

“Understood.”

Calling Bates aside must be to praise him.  If it weren’t for Bates, things could have gone terribly wrong.

Is it really okay for someone so capable to be my escort? Shouldn’t he be guarding Kabir or his fiancée Selena? I couldn’t understand why such a talented person was assigned to me.

“I was wrong, it seems. Perhaps it would be better  if Sir Bates guarded Lady Selena.”

And just like that, Kabir resolved my confusion.

‘This is bad.’

Normally, I would have let it go, but not now. I have a mission to get closer to those twelve hundred thousand points.

I blurted out desperately.

“I don’t want that.”

“…?”

Kabir looked puzzled by my firm refusal.

“Why not?”

“…”

I had no answer to his question.

After a moment of hesitation, I managed to say something.

“I like him.”

“…”

“…”

Silence fell. Everyone’s gaze turned to me.

“Well,  if that’s the case… can’t help it…”

“Oh my…”

Kabir and Selena murmured one after another.

Bates, having received an unexpected confession, just looked at me in disbelief.

[Poppopo has donated 1,000 points!]

– This is so fun

Somehow, things were moving along.

* * *

After the broadcast ended, it was time for a break.

As usual, my manager was still on the connect list. It was time for post-broadcast chit-chat.

While I rolled around on the bed, a message from my manager popped up.

[Manager: What were you thinking with that public confession?]

He was asking about what happened earlier. The chat was full of cheers, but it seems the manager wasn’t too pleased.

“It seemed more straightforward to approach openly since I had to woo him anyway.”

It was a spur-of-the-moment outburst due to desperation, but in hindsight, it might have been for the best. Being open about my interest could at least spark some curiosity.

[Manager: What about the aftermath?]

“It’ll work out somehow.”

[Manager: That’s become your catchphrase, hasn’t it?]

“I find this mindset makes life easier. You should try it.”

[Manager: What are you on about?]

As usual, the manager responded in kind.

[Manager: You don’t actually have feelings for him, do you?]

“Of course not. He’s totally not my type.”

Perhaps Eric would be a different story. A boring person with no fun to tease is not my cup of tea.

[Manager: Well, that’s a relief.]

“Why is it a relief to you?”

[Manager: If you really fell for him, it would interfere with the broadcast.]

“Do you think I would do that?”

[Manager: Apparently not.]

[Manager: I worried for nothing.]

“Good to see some self-awareness. Impressive.”

[Manager: The last thing I want is your praise.]

Initially, these post-broadcast chats were meant for exchanging information, but they increasingly became about trivial matters.

With only this one opportunity a day to talk with my collaborator, I wanted to have a more substantial conversation, so I brought up a topic related to the broadcast.

“Why did you put in twenty thousand points?”

It was about the hottest topic in my recent broadcasts, the twelve hundred thousand point mission.

The manager had contributed the most points. Pretending to be uninterested and then putting in twenty thousand points was surprising, to say the least.

[Manager: Just because.]

“You just casually spend twenty thousand points for no reason?”

[Manager: I had spare points, so I just threw them inㅡㅡ]

“Lies.”

[Manager: Then what do you think it was for?]

“You were secretly enjoying this situation, weren’t you?”

[Manager: What are you talking about?]

“Can’t be honest, I see.”

[Manager: Don’t make strange assumptions.]

[Manager: If you’re only going to talk nonsense, I’m leaving.]

“Ah, why?”

I didn’t want to let the manager go so soon as I enjoyed our chats.

Though he always said he was leaving, he never did until I told him to go. He was as fun to tease as Eric.

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

[Manager: What else? Working.]

“Other than work?”

[Manager: There’s nothing but work.]

Are angels really just work machines? The points were essentially performance-based, and the reason I started broadcasting was to improve work efficiency. Work seemed to be of utmost importance to angels.

“Stay strong.”

[Manager: You too.]

We always supported each other like this.

Although it was a simple and mundane exchange, it surprisingly gave a lot of strength.

That’s why I cherished these moments.

* * *

Kabir didn’t actually change the escort knight. Thanks to that, I could run into Bates first thing in the morning.

“Good morning, Sir Bates.”

“…….”

Bates looked at me with a hint of discomfort.

I smiled broadly and initiated a conversation.

“How are you feeling today? Haven’t had breakfast yet? How about we go eat together?”

“…There’s no need for you to concern yourself so much.”

Bates seemed burdened by my friendliness.

“Why are you acting like this?”

Finally, Bates asked.

I cheekily replied,

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday? I like you.”

“How can you say such a thing when we’ve barely met?”

“I fell for you at first sight.”

I was adept at spinning lies.

Hearing my words, Bates let out a deep sigh.

“I know it’s all a lie, Lady.”

I flinched at his words.

I rolled my eyes and feigned an innocent look.

“A lie, you say?”

“There’s no need to overdo it.”

“I’m not overdoing anything.”

“Even your current demeanor seems quite forced.”

Bates continued calmly, maintaining eye contact.

“I don’t know why you’re fabricating such lies, but you don’t need to do it with me, even if you do with others.”

“…….”

Unfortunately, I had to make it obvious to Bates. I had a lot of points riding on him.

“It’s neither overdoing nor a lie. My feelings for you are genuine.”

I lied without batting an eye.

Usually, when someone confesses face-to-face, the other person shows embarrassment or shyness. But Bates remained utterly indifferent.

Unable to elicit any response from him, I finally lost my patience and grimaced.

“A pretty person likes you, and you feel nothing?”

“You’re quite bold.”

“It’s the truth.”

Anais’s face was indeed very beautiful. It was easy to assert this since it wasn’t my face.

How could I possibly open the heart of such a stoic person? I sneakily glanced at the chat for help.

[OnlyFinley: Try acting cute]

[FlowerFlute: Wow! That would be so cuteㅎㅎ]

[Gold2: As if she would]

[asdf: Let’s suggest something realistic]

Acting cute elicited that kind of reaction? I wondered what they really thought of me.

Defiantly, I grabbed the hem of Bates’s clothes.

Then I slightly tilted my head and put on an expression like a kitten.

“I’m serious… Can’t you believe me?”

“Your tricks won’t work.”

“Tch.”

It was a classic shield-and-sword battle. I clicked my tongue and let go of the hem I was holding.

“Let’s have breakfast and go for a walk.”

“It’s going to rain today.”

“You said you liked rainy days. Perfect, then.”

As I started to walk, something suddenly came to mind, and I stopped.

“Is Selena still asleep?”

Selena usually woke up earlier than me. Since Bates had been stationed in front of my room, he might have seen her leaving.

“She went to visit Sir Eric,” he informed.

Visiting early in the morning, that’s diligent.

Concerned about Eric, I thought it might be a good idea to visit him as well.

“Let’s visit Eric instead of going for a walk. I was curious if he’s okay.”

“What about breakfast?”

“We can eat there.”

“In front of a patient?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No…….”

Bates looked resigned. I wonder why everyone around me wears such expressions.

* * *

I learned that Eric was admitted to the medical center within the Duke’s residence.

Bates and I headed there.

After getting permission from the attending physician, we went to Eric’s room. He was alone in the room.

Eric looked considerably better than yesterday.

“Ah, Lady Anais, Sir Bates.”

Eric greeted us with a pleased expression.

Bates asked,

“How are you feeling?”

“His Grace called a cleric for me. Thanks to that, I recovered quickly.”

Eric smiled awkwardly.

“I’m embarrassed to have troubled both of you.”

“Just be more careful in the future.”

I chided him. Eric just laughed in response.

“But where’s Selena? I heard she was here.”

“Oh, she stepped out for a bit.”

“To eat breakfast?”

“Yes, that, and…”

Eric trailed off.

When I stared at him, he scratched his head and said,

“Actually, my sister came yesterday. So she went to the dining hall with her.”

“Your sister?”

“The Duke said we had to inform family since I was seriously injured. My only family is my sister…”

The rest was obvious. Kabir, unexpectedly showing human warmth, must have provided a scroll or carriage to bring Eric’s sister. Despite seeming cold-hearted, he had moments of humanity that made him hard to dislike.

[PleaseShakeACarrot: Wow, so we get to see Eric’s sister??]