Strictly speaking, it was the commoner people who had nothing to do with the Emperor that went in front of Nick and chased after him to see Lanella.
Therefore, in principle, no one could stop Marilyn unless it was an event that controlled the entire crowd.
There was no law prohibiting fighting among commoners in the crowd at the awards ceremony of the swordsmanship competition.
"Marilyn."
Nick sighed and said.
"I'm surrounded by some knights now. Come and see me later."
"…She's no better than the dog that swapped my daughter, shamelessly returned to the capital, and worked as my assistant to fit dresses. Do you think I'll wait to see her later?"
"Of course I knew you would react like that. However…"
Nick handed Marilyn a note.
"Read this and decide."
Marilyn opened the note and turned her back quietly, sighing deeply.
Everyone who was looking at them were holding their breath, thinking that something big was about to happen, and then relaxed a little.
Marilyn returned to her seat, trembling, and opened the note once more.
「Let's all see Lanella Ocide together.」
It was Annabelle's handwriting.
「Mother, father, and me, let's meet again and show them how happy we are and punish them thoroughly.」
It wasn't exactly that she decided to listen to her daughter that Marilyn stepped back.
It was from the idea that Annabelle had something to say to Lanella along with her biological parents, and she seemed to have put up with it.
"Annabelle, my sweetheart."
Marilyn murmured, fiddling with the note.
"Come back now, come on. Please let me know as soon as possible, even if it's just to say you're okay."
~*~
(Annabelle's pov)
In the Smaho forest, there was only silence until I cut down all the bamboo.
There was no interference from Lagian, so I quickly used my sword to cut down the rest of the bamboo in an instant.
It was only after I cut down the last single bamboo I could see the mess.
Robert and Carlon were tossed and flipped on the stomach, fighting like the local gangsters, then after completely subduing Carlon, Robert grabbed him by the neck, and threw him into a tree.
Of course, they both exchanged a few fists and had all kinds of bruises on their faces beforehand.
"…First."
Robert spoke calmly without even wiping the blood from his lips.
"Let's get out of this forest… Brother, I will arrest you as a current criminal. Because you admitted all the charges with your own mouth."
He said, looking at Ian, who was still standing on Lagian's back.
"… I wish Ian would escort you to the forest entrance. He's probably the most important person in this case. And let Annabelle take care of Lagian."
Robert pulled out the handcuffs and rope he had brought from his arms.
The reason why he came with so many knights was because he had planned to escort the two to the capital in a noisy manner from the beginning.
"I have a lot to say, but…"
Robert looked at us and sighed.
"First of all, I don't want to do it here. Even if everything is over."
I also had a lot to say, but I didn't want to say it here either.
It was as if everyone in the capital had heard what Ian had confessed to me.
"Just one question, Ian."
Robert threw handcuffs and ropes down the cliff, and I lightly handcuffed Lagian's wrists by Ian's feet and spoke quietly.
"Everyone in the capital will think you're crazy…"
"Well… Still, it's better than you and her having an affair. Wouldn't it be better to go crazy only in front of her than to go crazy in front of everyone?"
Pls read only at pm tl.
"It doesn't matter. Rather, I wish for that."
"When it happens, you will change your mind again. You've never been on the brink."
But it looked like it was going to get even bigger than that.
Because it was like he was admitting he was crazy with his own mouth.
I glanced at him and asked.
"Like you said then, does it really not matter?"
Ian answered my question calmly.
"It doesn't matter."
"I knew it, you hypocrite."
I immediately mumbled bluntly.
"You have to experience something to understand. Everyone will be talking behind the scenes, but how can a human like you who has been a model student your whole life stand it?"
"It doesn't matter what they think."
He smiled as he looked at me.
"Annabelle Rainfield wouldn't like a man who cares about this kind of gossip."
For a moment, my heart started tickling and I didn't know what to say.
So, was it the same as confirming that we both liked each other now?
Obviously, I thought my previous mistakes were unforgivable, but Ian nevertheless ran here and shouted that he loved me anyway.
Of course, too many people knew that.
He came here because he thought he would go crazy if he didn't tell me right away…
Ian raised Lagian, whom I roughly handcuffed, and tied him more carefully with ropes.
I was somehow embarrassed, so I looked in my pocket and pulled out an emergency ointment.
"Your cheeks look rough because of how much the wind blew against them. Fix it up a little."
"I have no hands now."
He said with a wink at his hands that was tying Lagian with the rope.
"If it bothers you, you should apply it."
"Ahhhhhhh!"
And there were those who couldn't stand this tickling atmosphere.
"No, Ian! Think again!"
It was the screaming Lagian with his arms tied.
"Uh, how could you be with this woman… This woman has no shame and no chivalry! There is nothing she can do to help Ian!"
Ian sighed and hit him one more time, trying to keep his mouth shut, but I stopped him.
"No, Ian. Don't hit him."
"But I cannot forgive him…"
"I can't forgive him myself, but I think there must be a more effective way to bully him."
I looked at Ian and said calmly.
"Proclaim your love for me. In front of this man."
Ian slightly blushed his cheeks and muttered shyly.
"I love that you say that, Annabelle. I was so frustrated that I couldn't express everything because I was afraid it would be too burdensome for you."
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
At Ian's words, Lagian screamed as if in pain.
I added with satisfaction.
"It would be better if you could tell me your feelings in detail."
Of course, Ian listened to me very well.
"Whether you stab me, poison me, or use illegal magic items, I will be by your side. Instead, keep your eyes only on me. I thought I was going to die from not seeing you on the coast of Banafarim."
"Ahhhhhhhh! No! Don't say that! Absolutely not! This woman is an unscrupulous person who has been tormenting Ian for 8 years! She will somehow hit you in the back of the head again!"
Lagian almost cried. Ian continued to speak calmly, apparently as if he had understood all my intentions.
"When I was fourteen years old… I fell in love with you who held a sword, who looked at me like you were about to kill me, and I fell in love with you again eight years later as you cursed at me."
"Aaaaah! No! My idol! My ideal! My fantasy!"
As the illusion shattered in real time, Lagian's eyes began to get more and more confused.
It seemed that the psychological damage was much greater than the number of beatings he had with my sword.
"Hey."
I looked at Lagian and raised his chin and said.
"Now that he's my man, don't keep talking about fantasies." (pr/n: ohohoh my man)
At those words, Ian and Lagian were both stunned and frozen.
Even after I spit out the terrible words 'my man', I was a bit awkward, so I coughed a few times and suddenly offered the ointment.
"Apply the ointment yourself."
Ian had now completely bound Lagian and his hands were free, because it was too embarrassing to even apply ointment here.
"I'm so nervous I can't touch it. Then, if it gets into your eyes, I won't be able to answer your last request to look only at you."
"Ahhh! Do not do that! Don't let the two go together! No! What touch?! What are you touching?!"
While Lagian was screaming, Ian grinned and accepted the ointment.
"You're already trembling? We're going to touch more places in the future."
There was nothing to be embarrassed about. Lagian finally burst into tears and began to beg.
"No, Ian! Think again! You can't!"
Robert had completely subdued Carlon and searched his body while dragging the raging Lagian around the cliff as we climbed it.
"Oh, Brother."
Robert pulled a flashing object from Carlon's arms and sighed.
"If you find the 'origin of black magic' by transforming this item, you must have bound that 'power' and used it. I didn't even think…"
When I snooped around, Ian whispered that it was a magical item used by the Imperial Family.
"This is also against the contract with the magic tower."
Robert continued to say something I couldn't understand.
Perhaps the 'origin of black magic' was essentially information about the process by which the emanating powers were recognized and controlled, making them usable for crime.
Such things were not well known to the general public, so it was outside the range we could guess.
Well, I listened with one ear and it flowed out the other because it was a field that didn't matter if I knew it.
After looking at Carlon with a look of disgust, Robert sent a dove to the capital.
The dove, with a brief summary of what had happened so far, and the contents of escorting criminals, set off vigorously.