Shylo, who had been looking at us with narrowed eyes, stepped forward.

“I’ll get the doll for you.”

But I don’t even like dolls in the first place.

However, Shylo had already taken the dart pins before I could say anything.

The result was obvious.

Shylo subtly manipulated the wind to make all his throws hit the apples.

“Cheating.”

Mereum, who noticed this, frowned and said a word.

But Shylo triumphantly hugged the large teddy bear.

I was worried he might come straight here with it, but fortunately, Shylo acted sensibly.

“Would it be alright if I leave this here while the game continues?”

“Yes, of course. Now, let’s move on to the next competition! Next is… the feat of strength contest!”

If Faibel prepared it, the strength contest probably won’t be easy either.

Just as I thought that, Faibel pointed at Mereum.

“Come, come. Captain of the Astaroth Knights. Please step forward.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. In this contest, victory goes to anyone who can make the captain move even a single step!”

Mereum retorted in disbelief, as if this clearly hadn’t been discussed beforehand.

But I poked him in the side to make him go to the center.

It seemed like it would be more fun that way.

“Aren’t you going to participate?”

Mereum, who had no choice but to go to the center, turned to look at Shylo and asked quietly. Shylo raised both hands and shrugged.

“Physical exertion isn’t my style. I’ll forfeit.”

“Tsk.”

Mereum clicked his tongue loudly and left my side. He looked very reluctant.

‘I wondered what exactly the strength contest would be.’

It was simply a tug of war. Grabbing a rope as thick as an arm and pulling from both sides.

Of course, the weaker side wouldn’t be able to hold on.

While Mereum was grasping the rope with one hand, Shylo took a step closer to my side.

“Lady Arti. Would it be alright if I come by in the evening to give you the teddy bear? If it’s not too presumptuous, I’d like to have dinner together as well.”

“Not today. I’ve already promised to give time to Mereum.”

“Oh my, then might you have time for me tomorrow?”

“Well… I can promise you the last day.”

“That’s great.”

Shylo, who finally secured a promise, smiled broadly. Then he gently twirled his curly silver hair.

“I’m relieved. I’m glad there’s even one day you’re giving me. I was nervous because there were too many concubine candidates.”

Shylo let out an exaggerated sigh. I replied gently, without taking my eyes off Mereum.

“Once you’re on this ship, even the Grand Duke becomes my concubine candidate. You boarded without permission, so you’ll have to accept at least that much, right?”

“Of course. I’m rather honored.”

Mereum was really pulling without any mercy.

Already five participants had been eliminated, and the sixth was struggling to challenge him.

Even though I wasn’t looking at him, Shylo kept staring only at me, seemingly pleased about something.

“Actually, I thought I would grow old and die alone without meeting anyone.”

“Oh my.”

“But Lady Arti is my perfect ideal type. Even though we haven’t known each other long, I like everything you show. Really.”

I think I’ve heard that while beauty and delicateness are the standards of beauty in the capital, strength is considered the best in the North.

I was watching Mereum lay down the tenth person when I finally glanced towards Shylo.

“I was sincere when I said I wanted to get to know you. If you choose me when you return, I’ll gladly enter the Empress’s palace.”

“What about your Northern territory?”

“I have many capable subordinates. Besides, I can teleport back and forth when you’re not looking for me.”

Talking about teleportation like it’s just stepping out to the yard.

Well, with that amount of magical power, I wonder what he couldn’t do.

His magical power had a very refreshing scent.

The smell of foam crashing against black rocks and winter winds toying with ships. The scent of cleanly piled snow and the sweet fragrance of magnolia flowers were mixed together.

Overall, it was a white, pale… scent of nothingness.

If my third elder sister saw him, she would really like him.

“I will be of great help.”

Shylo didn’t miss the opportunity and subtly promoted himself.

Of course, I had long been thinking about the benefits he could bring me.

‘The prestige that comes with the name of Northern Grand Duke. And the unknown power he possesses. The material and human resources of the North.’

It’s impossible not to be tempted by all of that.

If Shylo stands by my side, the noble faction would have to transform their name to the Empress faction.

We might be able to establish the strongest imperial power in the history of the Nix Empire.

In my reign, none other than mine.

‘Extremely alluring conditions.’

I didn’t think Shylo had said such things innocently without knowing this.

“I had no interest in what was happening in the capital, but I was still receiving reports. And… I noticed something peculiar.”

“I’m curious what you noticed.”

“The Empress’s movements were extraordinary. If you look at the pieces of what the Empress possesses separately, it might seem possible, but when you put it all together, it looks different.”

“There have hardly been any empresses with military power.”

“Yes. Especially someone with that scale of military power. Moreover, not knights bought with money, but receiving loyalty.”

Shylo raised the corners of his mouth and smiled softly. I too had a similar expression facing him.

Now, the benefits of having Shylo by my side had increased by one more.

He was a politician to the bone.

Seeing that he read my thoughts of wanting to become emperor, if the three of us, including Faibel, put our heads together, it seems like better strategies would come out.

‘There are parts that connect without long explanations because our thoughts are similar. The conversation is enjoyable too.’

Outwardly circuitous romantic conversations are nice, but this is more to my taste.

I replied without hiding my interest.

“There are those who feel uneasy even by the emperor’s side. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a prime example.”

“If you intend to carry out your desired course of action, it would be best to eliminate the perceptive ones early. It’s only because you’ve proceeded slowly so far that few have noticed. When put together, someone else will realize it’s suspicious.”

“Still, there’s no justification yet.”

Our conversation was unlikely to leak somewhere, buried under the cheers. We were also talking without using subjects.

Shylo reached out to me slightly, as if asking for permission. When I nodded, he carefully grasped my arm and wrote letters on the exposed skin.

One character at a time. Meticulously.

‘The emperor is watching.’

I, who had been flinching every time my arm was tickled, held my breath at those words.

‘Where? Enrique is here?’

Mereum had just taken down the last participant. I clapped like everyone else while trying to figure out where Shylo was pointing.

‘Behind us. Up above?’

He’s looking down at us!

If there was any consolation, it was that he was behind us, so he couldn’t read our lip movements.

“Lady Arti. I have a dream.”

Mereum, who had thrown down the rope, turned sharply towards me.

But I couldn’t spare a glance for Mereum.

Shylo had said something too important to just let pass.

“A dream of raising more magicians like myself. Not tricksters, but… real magicians.”

“……!”

“I want to bring real magic back to the world. Because being alone is too lonely.”

For the first time, something that could be called hope or desire flickered in those blue eyes.

‘He needs a sense of belonging. He must have been terribly lonely.’

That’s why he opened his heart as soon as I recognized his magic.

For Shylo, that was meaningful enough to stake his life on.

I felt like I had finally gotten a bit closer to understanding Shylo as a person.

“But the current emperor, who comes from a background of holy knights, wouldn’t listen. And if I tried to find magicians only in the North, their numbers would be too few.”

“That’s right.”

What to do. No matter how much I searched, there wouldn’t be anyone in the world with real magic other than Silverose.

Of course, I had no obligation to tell him that.

‘Still, just as the number of people with holy power has increased, there might be quite a few humans with magical power, so maybe a new form of magical structure could be created through training.’

Isn’t that possibility the very reason humans are marvelous?

“What were you talking about, Leo?”

At that moment, Mereum, who was emitting heat from his whole body, naturally embraced me from behind.

Absorbing the intense yang energy that had become even stronger due to intense exercise, I let out a quiet sigh.

“Nothing much.”

“Even that makes me jealous.”

Mereum had never directly said he was jealous like this before.

It seems Shylo’s appearance has instilled a sense of crisis in him.

“As you can see, let’s have the rest of our conversation on the last day.”

“…I wish I had met Lady Arti first.”

Shylo, who had been staring intently at Mereum and me, muttered sulkily.