I sighed and said.
"…You're a saintess."
That evening, we had to discuss it again.
Cessianne, who had been working hard to discuss and devise a plan with me, suddenly tilted her head with an open mouth.
"Oh, by the way, Annabelle."
"What?"
"Can you really protect me this much? For some reason, I'm so thankful…"
Well, according to the plan we made together, it was like I was protecting her.
This was because it was natural for a talented swordsman to protect the targeted saint.
Just as Ian of the original work did to Cessianne.
"I want to do it of course!"
I smiled slightly and wedged the original, which had already been completely destroyed.
'She's nice and perfect… Please be my family!'
Cessianne's cheeks turned red at my words.
"Oh, if it's all like this… But Annabelle, I'm from the slums and have no background. I was even pointed out as someone to lose my power, and I wondered if I would fit in with Rainfield…"
"What are you talking about?"
I held her hand tightly and said.
"I'll protect you, so only be happy with Aaron. Got it?"
Cessianne nodded passionately as if she was touched.
~*~
It was the day of the banquet.
I didn't know how long I'd been waiting for this day.
I smiled satisfactorily as I looked at myself in front of the mirror.
"Hmm, Annabelle. It's really, really pretty…"
My mother muttered looking at me as if she was unsure.
"… Do you have to do this?"
"Yes, mother. I have to do it exactly like this."
I answered happily, lifting the hem of the dress.
"Thank you again. This tricky outfit is perfect."
First of all, on the surface, there was nothing special except that my outfit was too pretty.
The rich blue dress with beads and colorful hair decorations that go well with it were flawless as the prince's partner.
"Mom… I think it's prettier than the opera dress. Didn't you say you did your best back then?"
"Hmm."
My mother muttered, looking elsewhere.
"Don't forget that businessmen always provide lip service to customers."
"Now I'm not a customer, but a daughter, so I guess you really did your best… Anyway, you're so pretty, mother."
"But… Aren't you uncomfortable?"
"Not at all."
I explained to my mother to make a special dress.
Under my rich skirt, pants made of comfortable training clothes and even a sword were hidden.
When I first proposed this design, my mother freaked out.
"Why the hell would you do that to a dress?"
I talked about my identity as a swordsman and insisted until the end and eventually won.
"Then I'll be back."
Before my mother nagged me anymore, I quickly stepped out of the annex.
"Well…"
And I had to groan a little while looking at the carriage in front of the annex.
The very dating carriage I rode on my way to the Imperial Palace under Ian's escort was waiting.
Ian stood in front of the carriage and sighed lightly.
"Strangely, this is the only wagon that can be mobilized at the Duke's."
"Is that possible? It's not like there are only one or two wagons in the Duke of Wade's."
"My father suddenly ordered the maintenance of the carriage yesterday, so every carriage except for this one went into repair." (pr/n: I swear this was his excuse last time lmao)
"Oh…"
Before blaming the timing, I was so embarrassed.
Because that carriage was too narrow.
I had no choice but to get on the carriage, and only then did I see Ian's outfit.
"That's amazing."
I was quite determined and decorated, but Ian must have also been very carefully decorated.
I could see a straight forehead through his naturally slicked hair.
He had such a good body and wore a neat uniform.
However, his expression when looking at me was very displeased.
After the carriage departed, I asked first.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What kind of eyes are they?"
"The eyes that used to look at me in the past, that made me feel very bad. It's a triangle shape."
I said with my fingers raised, and he rattled his lips and replied sulkily.
"…You didn't have to dress up this much."
"My mother has been making other people's dresses all her life and made her daughter's banquet dress for the first time. Don't ignore blood ties and craftsmanship."
I crossed my arms and said firmly.
Caitlyn argued in the past that swordsmanship and beauty can never go together.
If you paid attention to decorating, you couldn't be an excellent examiner.
It was just an excuse not to buy clothes or accessories for me.
I grumbled habitually.
"Can't you just say I look pretty at times like this? Even out of courtesy."
"It's not polite to compliment someone else's partner first…"
"Of course, I don't often say that you're cool either, but I do now."
Ian's expression became very strange at what I said.
Then he muttered, avoiding my eyes.
"…You're pretty…to the point of annoyance."
For some reason, his expression seemed to have eased in an instant at the word "cool."
I said, smirking for nothing.
"Don't be preoccupied with my external beauty, and do your part properly."
"What?"
"Your student will dance in an important place. Give me some advice. Like how to watch out for the steps or how I should care about my posture."
Ian's forehead was once again wrinkled.
And blunt words followed
"Look at the other person as if you're going to kill him and never laugh."
"…What?"
"If you step on the other person's foot, give it another boost."
"…"
Listening to his advice, which was becoming more and more spectacular, I thought I was in trouble.
Ian seemed to be jealous between Robert and I now.
'Oh no…'
I thought inside, clinging to my tongue.
'I guess Ian Wade is out of his mind to the point where he likes me…'
There was an Imperial Palace in the distance.
It wasn't time for me to think about such a ticklish thing.
'But the thoughts don't stop just because you're determined to stop thinking.'
I glanced at Ian, fiddling with the sword I felt under my skirt for no reason.
The time in the carriage flew by just looking at the perfect appearance.
'What should I do with him?'
When our eyes met in a narrow carriage, I felt him tense up once again.
'I guess you really do like me…'
It had been true that the two of us had become strange around each other while training.
There was an atmosphere that only the parties involved could know, even if all other people did not have any doubts.
The problem was that I didn't hate it very much.
Honestly, it was difficult to think of Ian's shortcomings except that it was not fun.
I changed the subject.
"Ahem… By the way, who's your partner?"
In fact, I'd been wondering for a few days. Who Ian's partner would be.
I didn't know anyone in a noble family anyway…
"I don't have one."
"You don't have one?"
He nodded bluntly. Ian didn't have a partner, which was really unexpected. And I liked that fact.
'Wait. Why am I so happy right now?'
Ian immediately changed the subject again as if his partner was not an important topic.
"…Be careful, really."
As if his only concern was my safety.
"Don't even let a strand of your hair get hurt."
His expression was more nervous than mine.
It was a feeling that people would think he was going on a life-threatening duel instead of me.
"Don't worry. You trained me hard. What's wrong with you?"
I tapped him on the shoulder and smiled.
"You were always the main character whenever the story of swordsmanship came out. I'll look like a cool main character today, so I hope you enjoy watching."
"…Ha."
Ian stared at me and smiled in vain.
"I'm really worried about that too. How many people will you attract?"
~*~
(3rd person pov)
The empress was at the banquet early with a confident face.
She was even excited to have a good view today.
Of course, Robert, who had always been annoying like a thorn in her eyes, also looked good.
As the main character of the banquet, he was welcoming the guests with a perfect smile as always.
'I guess his partner is coming separately, right? It's funny to invite a commoner girl, but it's not fair to escort her.'
According to Carlon, her son and the crown prince, Annabelle was scheduled to be killed today in a duel with a foreign swordsman.
Then that shiny Robert's face would also collapse.
"The death of a woman he invited as a partner… What an appropriate birthday present."
Carlon giggled and laughed, so the empress was also excited and expecting it.
She heard that Ian and Annabelle interfered with Carlon's work in every case.
Ian Wade was difficult to touch, but their judgment was that Annabelle could be easily gotten rid of.
The empress also helped Carlon with a little bit of back moves.
The aristocratic children, who received her secret order, had already arrived a little early and were creating a restless atmosphere.
"I heard Prince Robert's partner is a commoner."
"The commoner's council shut up because of her. Whew, everyone is so ugly."
"It's very fun. Isn't she the woman who used to run wild to become a noble?"
"It seems like yesterday that she wanted to be a noble more than anyone else, how shameless."
Seeing Robert here, it was obvious that Annabelle would probably enter alone.
Perhaps as soon as Annabelle enters, she could feel the cold frozen look of contempt.
It was the empress's idea that if she pressed Annabelle's spirits like that, she would jump and engage in a duel even if she was bothered a little.