Before entering the endgame, when Baron Kito moved his queen, the atmosphere reached its peak. The odds favored Baron Kito, but Mont was skilled at inducing stalemates.

However, Baron Kito cleverly unraveled the game. After a few moves, Mont finally extended his hand to Baron Kito.

I know that meaning well.

“…!”

A new chess champion was born.

“…Baron won, right? Is that correct?”

“Yes, it was an excellent match, wasn’t it?”

Duke Penton smiled softly as he looked at me in admiration. Behind us, applause from the crowd continued.

“I knew the Baron would do it!”

The genius of the century, Baron Kito, who had been pushed to second place for nearly twenty years by Mont, had finally claimed the throne.

His efforts and success brought joy and pleasure to many people. Mont also acknowledged the victory of Baron Kito, who had always coveted his position.

‘Wow…’

Baron Kito smiled brightly as he waved to the audience before leaving the venue.

Mont, known for his almost expressionless face that seemed like armor, also smiled. There was a sense of dignity in the way he stepped back to bless the new champion. The new champion, Baron Kito, was truly radiant.

‘How splendid.’

It seemed as if the title of champion had some magic imbued in it.

“Please say a few words!”

“Baron, how do you feel!”

“What did the former champion say to you!”

As soon as the closed doors opened, reporters from various newspapers rushed to the Baron. Baron Kito calmly responded to the interviews as if he were used to it.

That night, the newspapers unanimously declared that today’s final match was a coronation welcoming a new king,

and that it was a game that produced two winners.

“Is it really alright for me to be here?”

Really?

I asked, looking around.

Four days after the final game ended, I found myself back in the capital with the Penton family. However, I didn’t expect to be sitting in a restaurant in front of the imperial palace.

This place was different from the usual restaurant atmosphere.

In the center, piano and string instrument performances were in full swing, and every time food was served, chefs came out personally to explain the ingredients, cooking methods, and how to eat.

“Of course, Lize. Don’t feel burdened.”

“Father is right! Right now, elder sister is wearing the same color dress as me, so we’ll definitely look like sisters!”

The Duke and Yune helped ease my tension. Yurik, sitting next to me, held my hand.

“No need to feel uncomfortable, Lize.”

Yurik whispered to me.

“But still.”

“It’s natural for you to be here. By the way, isn’t the atmosphere nice? Actually, the food here is quite delicious too. When we become adults, let’s come here together.”

“Wouldn’t it be expensive?”

“It’s fine. You won’t have to take out your wallet.”

Oh. That’s tempting.

Yurik tried to persuade me, saying he would treat me. At this transparent attempt, the Duchess and Duke sitting across from us covered their mouths and laughed.

I felt embarrassed, but Yurik, seemingly unfazed, went on about what kind of flavors the dishes at this restaurant had.

‘To think I’d come to a place I’ve only heard rumors about…’

Although it was my first time here, I knew what kind of place this was. The restaurant “Lagras” located in front of the imperial palace.

Run by top-tier chefs, it was known not only for its atmosphere but also for its exquisite food, frequented by wealthy nobles.

However, I came to know about this restaurant not because of its reputation, but because of its jaw-dropping prices and reservations that were as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.

“Ah, here he comes.”

Duke Penton stood up from his seat. As I turned my head, I saw Baron Kito approaching with leisurely steps. He was concealing his appearance with a hat and cape.

It was the first time meeting him since the final game ended.

The Baron had been so busy lately with backlogged interviews, after-parties, and champagne clubs with champions that he could barely sleep.

“You’ve gone to some trouble, Penton.”

“How could I not do this much when my dear friend has finally become champion? I pulled some strings to make this difficult reservation.”

Duke Penton and Baron Kito sat down, smiling. Baron Kito seemed to be visiting this place for the first time too, as he looked around in admiration.

After a brief look around, the Baron noticed me sitting next to him. As I became flustered, he patted my head.

“Have you been well, Lize?”

With those words, my heart melted. The feelings I had been suppressing soared to the sky.

“I’ve been well…! But, I have a question, may I ask?”

“Of course.”

“What have you been doing, Baron? The newspapers said you joined the Champions Club. What’s it like there?”

“Hmm… I had expectations too, but it was less than I thought. It’s mostly just champions gathering in one room to talk or play chess.”

“But they’re all champions, aren’t they? They must all be amazing people. I think every word that comes out of there must be very meaningful. After all, including you, Baron, they’re all people who started from the preliminaries and climbed to the very top. But there aren’t any women there, right? From what I know, all the champions in history have been men.”

Instead of answering, Baron Kito’s eyes widened. The same was true for Duke Penton and the Duchess who were watching this conversation.

I wondered if I had said something wrong.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you so excited, Lize.”

“Me too. Kito, before you came, Lize was feeling intimidated the whole time. She barely spoke. Even when she came to visit the mansion, all she did was read newspapers or play chess with me.”

Baron Kito and the Duke exchanged words. Heat began to rise to my face.

I felt remorseful for not being able to suppress my outpouring of emotion. As I lowered my head in embarrassment, Baron Kito looked at me.

“I’m really glad to see you like this. Anyway, I should answer your question, shouldn’t I? Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a female champion yet. But I believe a female champion will appear soon.”

“…Ah.”

“And the Champions Club isn’t as grand as you say. Most of the talk is just jokes. Moreover, there are very few people inducted into the Champions Club. Mont held the champion position for twenty years, and most of the former champions have passed away due to old age. So they were very welcoming to me as a new member. They even joked that if it weren’t for me, Mont would be the only one left in the Champions Club in the future. To this, Mont even went as far as to say, ‘I’m sorry for hogging it all.'”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I couldn’t imagine that stoic Mont making jokes.

Baron Kito seemed to have a lot to say, as he talked about what had happened over the past four days while the food was being served.

Most of it was about Mont.

Baron Kito said he was happy to be acknowledged by Mont, whom he had always respected and revered. Mont was the first to pop champagne to celebrate the Baron’s championship, gave him gifts, and even initiated conversations.

“In the past, he used to treat me like a greenhorn and ignore me. I thought the reason I became champion was because I wanted to be acknowledged by Mont.”

And he actually achieved that, which was thrilling. He took off his hat and cape to focus on the conversation.

“I’ve been through quite a lot with Mont…”

“Been through?”

“It would be endless if I started talking about it. Let me tell you about the most disappointing thing first.”

It was while I was listening intently. A gentleman approached our table. He had been glancing at Baron Kito for a while.

“Excuse me… Are you Baron Kito?”

“Ah, yes, I am.”

The gentleman smiled brightly at Baron Kito’s response.

“It’s an honor to meet you like this!”

“Do you know me?”

“Of course! I was in the audience for the final game! It was absolutely mesmerizing. I’ve always wanted to talk to you, and actually, my wife is also a fervent fan of yours. Would it be possible… to ask for your autograph?”

The lady next to the gentleman couldn’t take her eyes off Baron Kito. Baron Kito seemed used to this kind of situation and took out his fountain pen to sign the gentleman’s handkerchief.

I was purely amazed at this situation. To think I was acquainted with a celebrity…!

“Is that Baron Kito?”

“The one who became champion this time?”

“Oh, it really is! It’s Baron Kito!”

But it didn’t end there.

People who recognized Baron Kito all started holding out their handkerchiefs. Some nobles maintained their dignity and didn’t leave their seats until the end, but their gazes were fixed on Baron Kito.

Eventually, the atmosphere of the restaurant turned into Baron Kito’s stage.

“Haha. What should we do about this, Penton?”

Baron Kito asked, looking at Duke Penton.

“What else? We should escape.”

Baron Kito’s popularity exceeded imagination.

The inside of the restaurant was narrow and bright. Most of the menu items were inexpensive.

We sat at a rectangular wooden table instead of a round one, staring blankly at the food that arrived within five minutes of ordering.

“……”

“……”

It was the complete opposite atmosphere from “Lagras” where we had just been sitting.

“…The food here is quite extraordinary, Penton. I always stop by whenever I come to the capital. It’s tucked away inside so there aren’t many customers and it’s quiet, good for spending time alone. Also, there’s no need to be mindful of others. What a wonderful restaurant it is……”

Baron Kito, sensing the chilly atmosphere, immediately sighed.

“I’m sorry, Penton. And Lize. You should have seen how fiercely the chefs at “Lagras” were looking at me. Their eyes were telling me to leave the restaurant quickly.”

Baron Kito was right.

After the commotion, there was some unspoken pressure from the chefs. They didn’t say anything outright, but their eyes were pleading for Baron Kito, who had disrupted the restaurant’s atmosphere, to leave soon.

Perhaps some of the noble aristocrats who remained seated until the end had complained.

“Don’t worry about it too much. I understand too. Right, dear, children?”

“I wanted to eat ice cream at that restaurant…”

Yune expressed her disappointment. She must have really wanted to eat it, as her expression hadn’t been good since we left the restaurant.

“Yune, we can go again later, can’t we? Or how about going with your elder brother next time?”

“No. I’ll only go with Lize.”

The Duchess tried to console Yune, but Yurik immediately ruined it. I lightly pinched the back of Yurik’s hand, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m really sorry. Why don’t we taste the food first? While the menu here is simple, they put all their effort into those few dishes. You know, originally, delicious restaurants have only a few menu items, right? It’s the same here. So it will be very delicious. After we finish eating, I’ll buy you ice cream outside…”

“You want ice cream?”

The restaurant owner, who had just placed the ordered wine on the table, seemed to have overheard Baron Kito’s words and asked.

“Ah, yes.”

“We have it in our restaurant, should I bring some? Of course, we’ll charge for it.”

“What? But it’s not on the menu…”

“Just because it’s not on the menu doesn’t mean we can’t make it in our restaurant.”

“Pardon?”

“You think it’s just ice cream? Seafood dishes, stew, canapés, pies, and even gratin and galantine! If there’s anything you want, just ask!”

Baron Kito was at a loss for words.