Chapter 131: Tell Me Your Wish
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: Tell Me Your Wish
To be honest, Loik was having a wonderful time.
The play area by the lakeside was filled with various rides and game stalls. Whenever Annette inserted the vouchers she had received from Jerome into the magic tools, they could use most of the facilities even without an attendant present.
"Magic Lake?"
"You have to catch the model fish inside. The big fish are worth one point, and those tiny ones over there are five!"
"Monster Catching? Do I just hit them with this hammer?"
"Only when the monster dolls pop out of the holes. Wait! If you hit them that hard, you’ll smash the dolls to pieces!"
More than half of these attractions were based on ideas from the brilliant Grand Duchess herself. Loik had assumed the area would be childish, since it was designed for children Raphael’s age. However, for someone like Loik, who had never experienced a normal childhood, it was all incredibly fascinating.
Besides, there were no prying eyes here. He didn't need to set an example as a Grand Duke, nor did he have any reason to maintain his dignity as a knight. It was a sense of freedom he was experiencing for the first time in his life.
Annette seemed equally excited, constantly tugging at his sleeve. Her cheeks, flush like ripe peaches, were so vibrant they looked as if they might overflow with sweet juice at a single bite. Her stray hairs fluttered in the breeze like silk. Just watching her made his heart feel light and ticklish.
I should build a space like this in the castle. I’ll put up a fence so no one can see inside, plant thick garden trees, and fill it with all the games Annette likes.
He would create a private sanctuary where no one but the two of them could enter.
Actually, maybe I should let Raphael in too.
Annette adored that little prickly chestnut, so she would be even happier. If he could make her smile like that every day, he wouldn't regret tearing down the entire Grand Duke’s Castle and rebuilding it from scratch.
While he was lost in these pleasant daydreams, Annette led him to a target range where bows and arrows were laid out.
"This is Raphael’s favorite!"
After inserting a voucher, Annette snatched up a bow.
"Want to make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"We each fire ten arrows. The winner gets a wish granted."
Her blue eyes sparkled under the lights.
"But since you're a Sword Master, you have to shoot with your left hand! That’s only fair."
How could a person be this lovely?
I wonder what my wife thinks a Sword Master actually is.
The fact that she thought shooting with his left hand was a handicap was so adorable he could hardly stand it. At this rate, he would have to miss on purpose just to avoid disappointing her. Besides, this was a chance to have "Annette grant a wish." He couldn't let that slip away.
"Then you go first, Annette."
To lose convincingly, he needed to gauge her score first. Loik stepped back with mock gallantry, yielding the first turn. Annette’s arrow, released from a trembling bowstring, landed slightly off-center.
"Ah! I almost had the middle!"
Annette frowned, focusing hard. Though the target was designed for children, the bullseye was still quite small. When she failed to hit the center again, she let out a frustrated groan.
"What kind of wish are you planning to make that you're working so hard?"
"Hmm... I wonder?"
Annette, deep in concentration, rolled her eyes thoughtfully.
"I haven't actually thought that far ahead. Oh! How about making you wear a floral cravat for a week?"
"Or maybe a polka-dot cravat? I think that would be unexpectedly cute..."
Watching Annette agonize over her choice, Loik’s Adam’s apple bobbed slowly. Such an innocent wish. He decided right then that the thoughts floating through his own head should never be uttered aloud.
Instead, to satisfy his own dark desires for closeness, Loik gently wrapped his arms around Annette’s as she notched her final arrow.
"There's no need to grip the bow so tightly. Instead, keep your elbow a bit straighter."
Suppressing the urge to kiss the soft, fair nape of her neck, Loik held her arms steady until she released the string.
Thwack!
"Eek!"
Seeing the arrow pierce the dead center, Annette cheered.
"Did you see that? Right in the middle!"
"It looks like I might lose," Loik replied casually.
Annette puffed out her cheeks at his relaxed tone.
"Loik, you better not be going easy on me on purpose, okay?"
Only after he promised to do his best did she hand him the bow.
Whiz—!
Just as he intended, the arrow landed slightly outside the center. Seeing that she had a chance, Annette asked with expectant eyes, "What wish will you make if you win, Loik?"
Well. What should he wish for?
...If I told her never to meet Lucion again, she’d think I’m a madman, wouldn't she?
Loik recalled his first meeting with Lucion several years ago.
“I’ve received word that a Prince of Rondoris has been involved in a violent incident near the port.”
During the interrogation, Lucion’s identity had been unexpectedly revealed, and a report had been sent to Loik. The ones who had started the brawl were men whose lovers had been stolen by Lucion, but they were the ones whose faces had been mercilessly pummeled.
Back then, Lucion wasn't properly recognized as a prince and had no guards following him. Since he had crossed into Blenheim secretly without declaring his identity and then caused trouble, Loik naturally had nothing good to say to him.
However, despite his pretty appearance, Lucion had quite a temper. In the end, the two of them had spent their first meeting growling and trading insults. For a bastard prince who wasn't even respected in his own country to dare curse at a Grand Duke of the Empire... Count Pacio eventually had to step in to bail him out.
— "He suffers from unwanted attention wherever he goes... I suppose having such extraordinary looks is a curse for him."
That was what Pacio had said.
Of all people, why did a guy like that have to cling to Annette?
He was glad he had come out to meet her. The look in Lucion’s eyes as he watched Annette was unmistakably that of a man. And though he hated to admit it, the sight of the two of them together from the bottom of the stairs... they looked quite good together.
He seems to know women well, so he probably knows many ways to make Annette happy.
They could go on dates to the theater or walk along the lakeshore together. A gloomy husband like himself, who couldn't even go out in public easily, didn't really suit Annette.
Not that I have any intention of letting anyone take her.
Loik aimed his next arrow with swift precision. He had already made up his mind. He would monopolize every single strand of Annette’s hair. He should be the only one in the world to know the ecstatic sensation that sent shivers through his body every time they kissed.
He wouldn't give other men even the slightest excuse to imagine it. Those wolves would lose their minds and pounce if they got even a tiny taste of Annette’s smile.
I can't leave any room for any man to catch her interest.
No matter what man in the world was compared to him, no one would work harder for Annette’s happiness than Loik. Instead of wasting time on the stupid resolution to let her go, he had vowed to become the only man worthy of her.
He simply had to erase any distracting thoughts that didn't help his goal.
He looked at the target. All nine arrows had pierced the very center. The result of clearing his mind was satisfactory. But strangely, something felt missing...!
Oh, wait!
Loik turned to Annette, overcome with sudden embarrassment. He had fully intended to let her win...
But I won completely!
"That’s cheating!"
Annette was struggling to suppress a pout.
"Even if I told you not to go easy on me, how can a Sword Master go all out against a civilian like that?"
"I... I'm sorry."
Loik stammered, holding the bow awkwardly.
"I did it without thinking..."
"If I knew this would happen, I would have told you to shoot with one finger."
Or should she have told him to shoot with his eyes closed? Annette knit her brows. Loik was speechless, his mouth clamped shut like a clam. Less than a minute after resolving to be a man worthy of her, he had become a petty man who used his Sword Master's focus just to beat his wife at a game.
Grumbling, Annette tilted her head toward him.
"So, what is this wish you worked so hard for?"
"There must be a reason you tried so desperately."
Loik wanted to wave his hands and say he hadn't been trying that desperately, but he slowly asked himself: A wish?
If Loik were granted just one wish, he would ask to be with Annette for the rest of his life without hesitation.
Even if it’s not forever right now, I’d at least like us to be alone together for a few days.
But since it was impossible to clear out all the pests in the castle clinging to Annette, it would be better if the two of them just left...!
Having thought of a suitable wish, Loik spoke while gauging Annette’s reaction.
"I want to go... on a trip."
"A trip?"
Annette tilted her head. "Where to?"
Where? It had to be somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed. A quiet place where the surroundings were so empty that Annette’s attention would have no choice but to stay on him. In that moment, Loik’s mind raced faster than it ever had before.
"The Pogen Mountains."
"It’s a small village, but it was quite beautiful."
Annette’s expression suggested she had heard the name somewhere before.
"It’s where I bought the Snow Wine."
A look of delight dawned on her fair face.