“Today, let’s go out a bit later.”

Carlos always went out at the exact same time, as if measured with a ruler.

If Abel grumbled about being bothered, Carlos would grab him by the collar and forcibly drag him along.

“What?”

However, when Carlos said such things, Abel asked, puzzled, “Go out later? Why all of a sudden? Is something going on?”

Carlos debated whether to tell the truth or not, then opened his lips.

“I have plans.”

“What plans? And with whom?”

It would have been better to let it go, but Abel persistently pried.

Maybe it would have been better not to say anything. No, since they were of the same gender living in the same castle, hiding it would be pointless.

“Perhaps you have plans with that woman?”

Moreover, he could figure it out without being told.

“Yeah. We decided to have dinner together.”

“Hmm? Why suddenly dinner?”

“It’s not sudden. Before you came, we always had dinner together.”

“Oh.”

As Abel’s eyes sparkled with interest, Carlos added.

“To make a flower bloom, you have to get close to that woman. Having dinner together is just that. Don’t misunderstand.”

Abel laughed with a mischievous look.

“I didn’t say anything, so why are you making excuses?”

“……. ”

Carlos, at a loss for words, closed his mouth.

Abel, losing the game, leaned toward Carlos, tilting his upper body.

“Usually, in these cases, there’s something that pricks, they say… Could it be the same for you?”

Frowning, Carlos pushed Abel’s unfortunate face away with his palm.

“Enough with the nonsense. Meet me at the castle gate in two hours. Don’t be late.”

As Carlos was heading to the restaurant with Irene, Abel followed along hesitantly.

Initially, he thought they were going in the same direction, but Abel followed them all the way to the entrance of the restaurant.

Carlos, raising an eyebrow and turning to look at Abel, asked, “How far do you plan to follow?”

Abel shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m not following you; I’m going to the restaurant too.”

“Why the restaurant?”

“Why? To have dinner, of course.”

Carlos asked, “Since when have you been having dinner?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Abel responded in a nonchalant tone.

“Starting today. To get close to that woman, I have to do it. Just having dinner together.”

Carlos smirked at Abel’s shameless and ridiculous answer.

Although they had known each other for over a century, it was still difficult to guess what Abel was thinking.

“Why do you want to get close to that woman so much?”

“Well, well. To think you still don’t know me.”

With a pitiful expression, Abel stuck out his tongue and raised both hands, one on his chest and the other into the air.

“Take this opportunity to get to know me better. My goal is to become friends with every woman in the world.”

“……. ”

It seemed like an elaborate statement, but it was just pointless nonsense that Carlos didn’t need to hear.
It seemed like an elaborate statement, but it was just pointless nonsense that didn’t need to be heard.

Trying to ignore it, Abel grabbed his shoulder.

“And since I won the bet, you shouldn’t stop me, right?”

A bet?

“We had a bet on whether that woman wanted to be friends with me or not.”

Come to think of it, they did have such a bet.

Realizing this fact belatedly, Carlos frowned.

Abel, placing his hand on his hip, smiled triumphantly.

“In that bet, if I won, I decided you wouldn’t interfere anymore. Carlos.”

“Come on in.”

Why is that guy here?

Irene, who had dressed up nicely and descended to the restaurant, discovered Abel sitting next to Carlos and blinked her eyes in surprise, then rolled her eyes and looked at Carlos.

“……. ”

Carlos also seemed displeased with the situation, judging by his expression.

But he couldn’t just kick Abel out; that would be impossible.

“……. ”

Irene sighed deeply inwardly.

Thinking they would be having dinner alone, Irene felt a sense of disappointment ballooning up like a balloon that had been inflated with a gust of wind when she saw Abel happily joining them.

…Wait a minute. Why am I disappointed?

Irene’s initial expectation of having dinner with Carlos was strange in the first place.

It used to be a situation she desperately wanted to avoid, but why now?

She seemed to know the reason but couldn’t pinpoint it.

“But why today? Why are you so beautiful today?”

Muttering in confusion, Irene looked at Abel when he whistled.

Abel, smiling brightly, said, “I thought a doll had walked in for a moment. I knew you were beautiful from the first time I saw you, but now that you’re dressed up, you look even prettier.”

Abel turned to Carlos.

“Do you think so too, Carlos?”

What would he say in response?

Irene, holding her excited heart, awaited Carlos’s answer.

Carlos scanned Irene and then picked up a wine glass.

“You look beautiful.”

The answer was so dry that it made Irene’s excitement deflate.

Dinner ended without any unexpected incidents, unlike the teatime.

Still, it was uncomfortable to keep having dinner with Abel.

Could it be that Abel would join them for dinner every time?