The one thing I could give him the most…

Ah.

I realized as I looked into his eyes filled with desire.

However, I intentionally raised the end of my words, pretending not to know.

“It seems like there’s nothing?”

“What? Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?”

“Pretending not to know, of course…”

I softly laughed and rushed towards him, embracing him tightly.

“Even if I can’t shoot arrows properly, I’m good at things like that.”

“So, what’s the answer? Tell me. The one thing you can give me.”

His cheeks moved slightly with disappointment.

“Cuteness?”

“Are you crazy? Not cuteness!”

Seeing his disappointed expression amused me, so I didn’t want to give the correct answer right away.

“Well then… humor?”

“Haha, isn’t this a laugh right now? It’s because it’s absurd. Not humor!”

He expressed his dissatisfaction by slightly bumping his forehead against mine.

“Well, then… what was it again?”

I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling of the practice field, deliberately vague at the end of my words.
“I’m going crazy.”

He grabbed my face with both hands and started complaining without a break.

“There’s not much you can do, and yet, how can you not find that one thing? How many times have those big eyes rolled right now…….?”

“Love!”

Unable to resist the sight of his discontented deep voice coming out like a stream of candy, I inevitably shouted the correct answer.

“Phew, that’s really hard to hear. Like our Empress’s archery skills.”

While hugging me, Lionel moved his body from side to side and spoke.

In that moment when he talked about my archery skills, I couldn’t hold back the laughter I had been suppressing.

Even though he didn’t know why I was laughing, he laughed along with me.

I became happy again watching his laughter…

“I love you.”

Suddenly, Lionel sobered up and whispered.

His earnest voice had already reached the marrow of my spine.
It was like the adorable gaze of a puppy lying down and looking at its owner, asking for affection.

Although he didn’t lie down on the floor like a puppy, his expression already seemed to be lying somewhere.

“Lionel…”

“The truth is, there isn’t much you can give me.”

“Yeah. It’s an unfair relationship.”

“That’s right. Trust without doubt.”

“…”

In response to the casually thrown words, his head reacted very significantly.

Well, the truth is the truth.

Just as I was about to feel sorry,

“Just give me love. It might be unfair, but it’s a great comfort.”

He added.

At first listen, it sounded like a command, but his gaze was a confession itself.

No, it was more like a plea.

I couldn’t hide my moved expression from him.

“Aren’t you losing too much in this?”

But if I were to express my gratitude here, it seemed like tears would come, so I playfully brushed it off.

“That’s true… Well, just bear with it.”

“?”
“Fine, close your eyes, and I’ll give you only one thing.”

“…You really are a saint.”

“So, do me a favor. Zelda.”

Beyond the unwavering gaze and the deep tone, emotions surged beyond control.

“Let’s go, quickly.”

“Where to?”

“To the Queen’s Palace.”

I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the entrance of the training ground.

“I want it now.”

“What?”

“That thing.”

“…What?”

“Love.”

“Here, now?”

While the guards were waiting outside, the sound of clashing swords echoed loudly.

But here, of all places?

“No, we can’t.”

I firmly stated as I surveyed the training ground.

“Yes, we can.”

“What?”

It was clear that Lionel had lost his reason.

He grabbed my hand and led me to a secluded corner of the training ground.

Because Lionel was walking so fast, I had to almost run to keep up with his steps.

“No matter how secluded, we can’t, we shouldn’t!”

I vehemently pleaded.
“Instead of the corner, is this okay?”

As we reached a corner of the training ground, he took me through a narrow passage and reached out somewhere.

I was only looking at his face when suddenly, a creaking sound of a door opening in the darkness startled me.

“Where is this?”

“The weapons storage.”

Creak, the door closed again.

The light of the crescent moon filled the storage through its window.

Thanks to that, the condition inside the storage began to become visible bit by bit.

On the floor and walls, various weapons were piled up.

“…This is a dangerous place.”

“Shall we share a dangerous love fitting for the place? How about it, romantic, isn’t it?”

“Not romantic, risky.”

“It’s romantic, why risky?”

“What if someone comes in?”

That was precisely the risk I was worried about.

“Dare they? I even told Stian not to come into the training ground; who would come in here?”

Lionel took off his uniform top and spread it out on a pile of straw.

“Now… what are you doing?”
“It’s just straw, but you could get hurt.”

“Oh.”

I surrendered just like that.

Refusing his love here seemed like something I would regret for a long time.

“Here, I probably don’t look attractive at all…”

As I mumbled,

“That’s for me to judge.”

Lionel hugged me tightly and sat me on top of his uniform spread over the straw pile.