Chapter 131 – Make a Wish
Loic was honestly having fun.
At the lakeside play area, there were all sorts of attractions and games. When Annette inserted the tickets Jerome had given her into the magic device, most of the games started working automatically without needing attendants.
“Magic Lake?”
“You have to fish up those toy fish in the water! The big ones are worth one point, and the little ones are worth five!”
“Monster Hunt? Do I hit them with this hammer?”
“Only when the monster dolls pop out of the holes! Wait—don’t hit so hard! You’ll break them!”
More than half of these games were ideas that the brilliant Grand Duchess herself had come up with.
He had thought the place, meant for kids Raphael’s age, would feel childish—but it didn’t.
Since Loic had never experienced a normal childhood, everything here fascinated him.
Besides, there was no one watching.
He didn’t need to act like a duke or maintain the dignity of a knight.
For the first time in his life, he felt free.
Annette was also having fun, tugging his sleeve and pulling him from one game to another. Her cheeks were like peaches, glowing with life, and her loose hair fluttered like a breeze.
Just looking at her made his heart tickle.
‘We should make a place like this inside the estate—a secret garden surrounded by high hedges, filled only with the games she loves.’
It would be a space just for the two of them.
‘Well… maybe I should let Raphael in too.’
Annette adored that little boy, so she’d be happier.
If he could make her smile like this every day, Loic thought he could tear down the whole duchy and rebuild it without a second thought.
As he was lost in such pleasant thoughts, Annette dragged him in front of a stand with bows and arrows aimed at a target.
“This is Raphael’s favorite game!”
She inserted a ticket and grabbed the bow eagerly.
“Want to make a bet?”
“A bet?”
“We each shoot ten arrows. Whoever wins gets one wish granted.”
Her blue eyes sparkled under the lights.
“But the Sword Master has to shoot with his left hand! To make it fair!”
‘How can someone be so adorable?’
Loic bit the inside of his cheek.
‘Does my wife think a Sword Master’s left hand is any less capable?’
Even that silly assumption was so cute it made him want to laugh.
He decided he would have to miss on purpose—he couldn’t let her down.
Besides, this was a chance to win Annette’s wish. He couldn’t possibly waste it.
“Then, Annette, you go first.”
He politely gave her the first turn to gauge her score.
Annette trembled slightly as she drew the bowstring. The arrow landed a little off-center.
“Ah! I almost hit the middle!”
She frowned, focused again, but missed the bullseye once more.
Loic asked with amusement, “What kind of wish are you trying so hard for?”
“…Hmm?”
Annette blinked, then rolled her eyes thoughtfully.
“I didn’t think about it yet. Oh! Maybe I’ll make you wear floral cravats for a week!”
“…What?”
“Or polka-dot ones? Those would actually be cute…”
Watching her seriously consider such a small wish, Loic swallowed hard.
‘Such a pure wish…’
Compared to the thoughts that had just run through his mind, hers were too innocent to even say aloud.
To hide his guilty desire, Loic gently placed his hand over Annette’s arm as she prepared her last shot.
“You don’t need to grip the bow so tightly. Keep your elbow straighter.”
He restrained the urge to kiss the soft white back of her neck as he supported her arm until she released the arrow.
Thunk!
The arrow hit the exact center.
“Did you see that? Right in the middle!” Annette cheered.
“I think I’m going to lose,” Loic said smoothly.
Annette puffed out her cheeks.
“Loic, you’re not going to go easy on me, are you?”
Only after making him promise not to hold back did she hand him the bow.
Whoosh—
Loic’s arrow struck just slightly off-center.
Encouraged, Annette asked brightly, “What wish will you make if you win?”
‘Hmm… what should I wish for?’
‘…Would I be insane if I said I wanted her never to see Lucion again?’
Loic remembered the first time he met Prince Lucion years ago.
‘A prince of Rondoris was caught in a fight at the port,’ his men had reported.
During questioning, Lucion’s identity was revealed, and the case reached Loic’s ears.
The attackers had been men who lost their lovers to Lucion’s charm, and they were the ones left battered.
At the time, Lucion wasn’t officially recognized as a prince and had no guards.
Sneaking into Blenheim secretly and causing trouble meant Loic had little reason to be lenient.
And yet, the supposedly gentle-looking Lucion had quite a temper. They had insulted each other the first time they met.
‘A bastard prince with no recognition dares curse at me, a duke of the empire.’
Count Paccio later had to step in to save Lucion.
— “Wherever he goes, he attracts unwanted attention. His beauty is a curse as much as a gift.”
That was what Paccio had said.
‘And now that same man dares hang around Annette.’
Good thing I came to pick her up myself.
When Loic had seen the way Lucion looked at Annette, he had no doubts—it was a man’s gaze.
And although he hated to admit it, the two of them standing together on the stairs had looked… well, good together.
‘He probably knows how to entertain women too. He could take her to plays and strolls by the lake… unlike a gloomy husband who rarely goes out.’
‘Not that I’d ever let anyone take her from me.’
Loic readied his next shot, eyes sharp.
He had already made up his mind.
He would have every strand of Annette’s hair, every breath, every smile—all to himself.
He would never let any man even imagine touching her.
‘No one else would ever work as hard as I do to make Annette happy.’
He’d once foolishly thought of letting her go—but now, he’d vowed to become the only man worthy of her.
He erased every unnecessary thought and focused.
Thwack—thwack—thwack!
All nine of his remaining arrows pierced the bullseye.
A perfect score.
And then… he realized something was wrong.
‘Wait!’
Loic froze.
He had meant to lose!
‘But I completely won!’
“Unfair!”
Annette pouted, clearly trying to hold back her frustration.
“Even if I told you not to go easy on me, how could a Sword Master use his full power against a regular person?”
“…I-I’m sorry,” Loic stammered, bow still in hand.
“I didn’t mean to…”
“If I’d known, I would’ve made you shoot with one finger.”
Or maybe with your eyes closed, she thought with a frown.
Loic shut his mouth, embarrassed.
Not even a minute after vowing to be a perfect husband, he’d ended up becoming the fool who used all his strength to beat his wife in a children’s game.
Annette tilted her head and asked, “So, what’s your wish that you worked so hard for?”
“That is…”
“There must be a reason you were so desperate to win.”
Loic was about to wave his hand and deny it, but then paused to think.
A wish?
If he could have one wish, it would be to stay with Annette for the rest of his life.
‘Even if not forever… at least for a few days, just the two of us.’
But since he couldn’t simply drive away every man in the duchy, maybe it would be better if they both went away instead.
Finally, an idea came to him.
“I… want to go on a trip,” he said cautiously.
“A trip?” Annette tilted her head.
“To where?”
Where? Somewhere quiet, where no one could interrupt them. A place surrounded by open fields—where her attention would be only on him.
His mind raced.
“The Fogen Mountains.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a small village, but it’s a beautiful place.”
Annette’s face lit up in recognition.
“That’s where you bought the snow wine!”
“Exactly.”
Her pale face brightened with excitement.
Update soon!~
i would have wished to cancel the 1 year contract