While Spinel was always doing as she pleased, even Ilion seemed to agree with her words, saying nothing.

Just moments ago, they were fighting as if they would devour each other.

“What’s this? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of losing?”

“Ravenne, do you think I’d lose to the likes of you? I just don’t want to be on the same team as this idiot.”

“…Who’s the idiot here.”

Ilion chimed in.

“Um, the knights are watching, please don’t fight…”

As punishment for inviting Spinel home, I had no choice but to act as a mediator.

“Then I’ll switch teams with the Duke.”

“No.”

Ilion flatly refused.

“…Then should I switch with Spinel?”

“Why would you be on the same team as that guy?”

What am I supposed to do? No matter how I looked at it, it seemed impossible to divide the teams in a way that would satisfy both of them.

“Then let’s do this. If you two win as a team, I’ll grant each of you one wish.”

“……”

“……”

After pondering for a while, the two nodded, apparently thinking the proposal wasn’t bad.

“Fine. If I win, make me a cake.”

Spinel grinned, stating her wish as if she had already won the game. Ilion also no longer seemed displeased with my suggestion.

With the two finally calmed down, we started the game.

I didn’t particularly care about winning or losing, so it didn’t matter either way.

A cake was no big deal… And as for any wish Ilion might have for me… Maybe he’d just ask me to behave.

“Alright then. Let’s start the game.”

***

An hour after the game started.

Lucas looked at me worriedly and asked,

“At this rate, we’re going to lose, aren’t we?”

“……”

Ilion and Spinel were flying around as if this wasn’t their first time playing baseball.

It was understandable for Ilion with his superhuman physical abilities, but why Spinel too?

Her jumping power, stamina, and reflexes were on par with Ilion’s… She displayed such outstanding physical abilities that Lucas even expressed interest in recruiting her for the knight order.

I desperately called for a time-out, but the score was hopeless. It was bad enough that the game could end at any moment.

But this is when an experienced player’s strategy shines!

I looked at Lucas seriously and said,

“…In this situation, we have no choice.”

“No choice but what?”

“Let’s bribe the umpire.”

“……”

Lucas looked at my face as if he wanted to ask if that was really a strategy.

“You just said the game should be fair…”

“Sir Lucas, this is war. Is there fair play in war? And look at those two. Their abilities aren’t fair to begin with!”

The me from an hour ago who didn’t care about winning or losing was nowhere to be found.

Even if we lose, we should at least avoid the dishonor of losing by mercy rule! My pride won’t allow it!

Thanks to Spinel, who kept committing fouls claiming the rules were difficult, the game went back and forth.

Fortunately, in the latter half, thanks to Lucas and the knights’ enthusiasm, we caught up a lot, but sadly, the final result was still a loss.

“I can’t believe it. To lose like this…”

“Here, have some water.”

“Thanks, Lily.”

I gulped down the water and thanked her. My hand holding the cup was shaking slightly from all the running around.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

Sebastian approached from the side, smiling.

“Sebastian, that’s too much. Would it have hurt to take our side a little?”

“But Miss, you asked me to be as fair as possible as the umpire.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Really, why are there only such diligent people in this house?

“Did you enjoy the game?”

I smiled, shaking off the regret of defeat.

“Yes. It was fun.”

It had been so long since I’d had this much fun.

Hitting the ball with all my might, running around sweating, being on edge with every point… it had all been such a long time.

It was enough to make me forget the worries that had been keeping me up at night.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Did you suggest this on purpose because of me?”

“You seemed to be in a bad mood lately, so I thought it might be good to help you change your mood.”

Sebastian’s answer hit me like a bolt of lightning. I thought I was used to hiding my expressions, but it seems I couldn’t hide everything.

So that’s why he prepared this. To cheer me up… His thoughtfulness suddenly made me feel emotional.

“Thank you, Sebastian. I really enjoyed it thanks to you.”

“If you enjoyed it, that’s enough. By the way, all afternoon classes have been canceled, so go in and rest well.”

“Did the Duke allow it?”

“The master suggested it himself.”

Ilion did?

I looked at Ilion wiping his sweat in the distance.

He was still bickering with Spinel.

“You should know we won thanks to me!”

“…We barely won because of you.”

I couldn’t tell if they were getting along or not.

He must be incredibly busy with work after that day…

Could it be that Ilion, like Sebastian, deliberately played along thinking of my mood?

…No way. I shook my head.

We’re talking about Ilion, after all.

***

With her outgoing personality, Spinel quickly became friends with the knights.

Then, finding baseball fun, she ran off to the training ground saying she wanted to play one more time.

On the other hand, I, with no energy left to run, and Ilion, with work piled up, entered the mansion together.

Lily had gone ahead to draw a bath, so only Ilion and I were in the corridor.

“You look tired. Are you alright?”

Ilion asked as I followed silently behind him, too exhausted to speak.

After running around like that, it would be strange not to be tired. I wasn’t particularly fit to begin with.

“I guess it’s because I haven’t run in a while. I’m fine.”

However, despite my words, Ilion’s brow remained furrowed.

“You seem to have trouble sleeping lately…”

Did Lily tell him? Even Lily shouldn’t know about that.

“Oh my, as I’ve told you before, I’m always lying awake at night, filled with thoughts of you, Duke.”

“Then, instead of just thinking, come see me.”

It was my usual flirtatious remark towards Ilion, but his response was different from usual.

“…Pardon?”

“That will be my wish.”

“What do you mean by wish?”

I pretended not to know and asked.

“Didn’t you say you’d grant a wish if we won the game?”

“…Haha. That’s right. You have a good memory.”

Of course, it was a pointless act.

***

“What? The Duke asked you to come to his room?”

“…What could it mean.”

After dinner, I returned to my room and sat on the bed, deep in thought.

‘I’ll specially show you my handsome face.’ Is that what he meant?

Or perhaps, ‘You’ve been slacking off lately, haven’t you? Come and do some work!’

Considering Ilion’s personality, the latter seems more likely…

“What do you mean! Don’t worry. I prepared for this in advance!”

Saying that, Lily started rummaging through the wardrobe.

“Prepared? What?”

“Ta-da!”

I froze when I saw the flimsy garment in her hands.

“…What is that.”

“What do you mean? It’s a nightgown.”

“…Why is it so short and sheer?”

“Why do you think?”

“When did you even buy something like that?”

As I frowned and asked, Lily smiled brightly.

“I anticipated a day like this would come.”

Oh, Lily, what am I going to do with you.

“…I’m not wearing that.”

“What? Why not?”

“Think about it. It’s the Duke, right? Not just anyone?”

Right. Not just anyone, but Ilion. The same Ilion who couldn’t even kiss the Saintess once until his last breath when the rebellion failed!

“Isn’t it worse if it’s someone else?”

Lily asked, narrowing her eyes as if I was talking nonsense.

“…No, that’s not what I mean.”

“Are you still not confident? Is it because of that destined person you mentioned before?”

Why does she remember only those things so well?

“It’s not exactly that… You know too, the Duke doesn’t really like me.”

Lily approached me sitting on the bed, knelt down, and took my hands.

“Miss, why are you saying such things? Do you know how worried the Duke was when you disappeared last time? Today too. You know how busy the Duke is. Yet he still played along because it was a game you liked.”

“……”

“So, Miss…”

Lily pressed the nightgown firmly into my hands.

“Have confidence.”

Then she clenched her fist and showed a fighting pose.

“……”

No, I’m telling you, that’s not going to happen!

That night, after rejecting Lily’s attempts to dress me in the flimsy nightgown, I headed towards Ilion’s room.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Ilion had ulterior motives towards me. Even so, would he really call me to his bedroom!

It was more reasonable to think that he wanted to give me some menial task.

So there’s nothing to be afraid of!

Hiding my nervousness, I knocked on Ilion’s door. There was no answer, so as I was about to knock again, the door opened from the inside.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

“I didn’t expect you to come this early.”

“…You told me to come, didn’t you?”

If you ask like that, it sounds like I came early because I was expecting something.

To hide my embarrassment, I deliberately answered with a slight grumble.

“Actually, I thought you’d pretend to forget and let a day pass.”

“Oh my, is that so? Then should I pretend I don’t know and go back?”

As I said that and grabbed the doorknob to leave, Ilion placed his hand over mine, stopping me.

“You came to grant my wish, didn’t you?”

“…Wasn’t your wish to see my face at night?”

He said it was a ‘wish’ and told me to come see him. Now that we’ve seen each other’s faces, isn’t this over?

“Is that how you interpret a man asking a woman to come see him at night? Those novels you read at every opportunity were a waste.”

“……”

What are you doing? Huh? There must be a reason for this behavior?

While I was flustered by the answer that would never come from his mouth, Ilion gently pulled my hand. Before I knew it, we had arrived in front of the bed.

“Lie down.”

“…What?”