"I think… I've lost."
Noel's body froze. He didn't think that Anna would do something of this level. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but his grandfather reminded him that it was better to follow his instinct.
If Noel followed his logic, he would think that if he agreed to this, it would mean that the territory would be barraged by attacks from their enemies. It would cause a lot of problems for the territory.
Even the royal family might change their approach when they realize that Anna and Noel had joined hands this whole time.
That was why Noel actually closed his eyes for a moment as though wondering whether he should follow his brain or his heart.
Anna had always been beside him the whole time. There was a time she was helpful, playful or even hateful. Yet, all of them were good memories.
There was one reminder from his grandfather that rang in his mind this whole time.
"Instead of using your brain to consider whether that decision is good or bad, why don't you make the decision first and use that brain to turn that decision into a good one."
In other words, whether it was a good or bad decision, it didn't really matter because he could come up with a plan to turn the situation around.
With that thought in mind, Noel had decided to trust his feelings. He gently circled his arms on Anna's back while saying, "No. You haven't lost… Let's just call it a draw."
Anna trembled in shock. "Do I really deserve this…"
"You don't become a good person. However, when people recognize you as a good person that you know that you've done something good. And that's why I can tell you this… don't think too low of yourself."
Noel's tone was serene, giving peace to her heart.
Anna made a wry smile. "I'm sorry for doing things this way. If only I could be more honest and more straightforward instead of doing this in a roundabout way…"
"It's my fault too. But don't you think this is just like us? If we're that straightforward, we would have killed each other in the past." Noel chuckled.
"That might be true…"
Anna and Noel closed their eyes, just enjoying the feeling of each other's embrace. This was probably the first time they confronted their feelings.
"I have never felt something like this before…" Anna muttered.
"Me too. Though, I have to warn you that I'm a selfish person… but I can guarantee that I will do my best to do anything for you."
"I already know what kind of person you are. And you also know me…"
"Indeed." Noel smiled. It was a bit awkward because they had never experienced something like this. Even their parents didn't teach them much in this area. However, that awkwardness showed them that they had a lot of things to improve. This was just the first step.
"I think I should get going… If I stay too long, the people will get suspicious. You don't have to announce anything… Just let them realize it later and get shocked. This should be enough to buy us some time, right?" Anna gently released herself from Noel.
"No." Noel shook his head. "If we want to do it, then we will announce it right away."
"But…" Anna couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows. She didn't want to be the cause of Noel's problems.
"As I said earlier, we'll leave the past behind. It's time to create a new future." Noel's face turned solemn. "That's why I'm going to announce it right away. They can be shocked or whatever they want, and I will think of another plan to handle all our future problems."
Anna was amused. She never thought that Noel would actually scrap the plan he had worked hard for to show his determination.
"What do you want me to do?" Anna asked. Since Noel was prepared to go that far for her, she also didn't hesitate to do something even if it was controversial.
"I think we should take a seat first." Noel pointed at the table not far from them. Anna suggested sitting earlier, but they completely forgot about it because of the matter.
Anna awkwardly nodded while Noel contemplated their current situation.
"If you're going to announce our relationship, there is a chance that they will strip me of my status."
"No. They won't do that. They'll probably send your teacher to go against us instead. After all, the Ardagan Family has four Grandmasters with you here."
"Dimitri, Howard, and us?"
"Yeah." Noel nodded.
"In that case, we should bolster our men even further. If you're going to announce it, Khalid would definitely side with us. We should call him here as soon as possible."
"That's a good idea. For now, the territory is still in its early stages. So, building the territory takes priority. You should know where the resources in this territory are hidden, right?"
"Leave it to me. Should I set off to clean up those lands?"
"Yeah. But I don't want you to do it alone. Howard will be with you."
Anna thought for a moment. At first, it looked like Noel was trying to protect her. But Noel should have confidence in her strength and believed that she was stronger than Howard. In that case, Noel's aim must be something else, she thought.
"To train those knights?" Anna asked.
"Yeah. I'll give you the details after meeting with all the pillars tomorrow. Since everyone will know that we're not enemies, I can't predict how they are going to react. That's why I will need a lot of people to fill this land."
"With a lot of people, you can assign them to a lot of things."
"Indeed. I think I have to apologize because I can't do anything for you right now."
"No need. I can understand the situation, and it's partially because of me."
Noel paused as he had a lot of things to consider.
Anna looked around, wondering if this place had a map of the region or not. But considering this was just a normal house, there was nothing they could use to consider their plan.
However, there was one thing that caught her attention. "That's right. Noel, how far should we spread the information?"
"How far?" Noel didn't understand her way of thinking at first, but he soon realized that this precious information could actually be used in another way. "But are you sure you want to do this?"
"Since we've decided to do this, we should go all the way." Anna agreed without hesitation.
"In that case, let's shake the entire kingdom… no, the entire world." Noel pointed at Anna and himself in succession while saying, "You have got a wild idea, while I will create a concrete plan. Don't you agree?"
"My wild idea is unpredictable since it's just my instinct telling me right."
"Yeah. And I'll consolidate that idea to a concrete plan, which will throw off everyone."
Anna agreed with this arrangement. She couldn't compete with him in terms of planning, but she could complement him.
She said, "That's right. However, I'm going to warn you first. Even if we're together, I'm still not planning to lose to you."
"I know. You are that kind of person. And we'll see whether you can keep up with my plan." Noel smirked.
"Hahaha. This is truly our style." Anna raised one finger. "In that case, I think I should tell you my goal. I want to become the strongest woman in the world, surpassing even your ancestors. I will become the first woman to become the legendary Spirit King. I'm not planning to stop, so you don't need to hesitate to ask for my protection."
"Protect me? Who?" Noel shook his head helplessly. "I can protect myself."
"Really? Should we test it?"
"Fine by me." Noel chuckled.
"By the way, what is your goal, Noel?"
"My goal?" Noel thought for a moment. "I'm afraid I can't tell you. It's not because I don't want to tell you, but if I tell you, it will mean that the goal can't be achieved anymore."
"Is that so?" Anna looked a bit sad, but it was understandable. She had just to trust Noel, even if Noel's goal was actually to kill her.
Since the atmosphere became awkward again, Anna tried to change the topic. "That's right. We've gone too far from the topic. Let's return to the first discussion, shall we?"
"No. While we're at it, I think I'll do one more thing." Noel raised a finger as if asking her for a minute. He then placed his hands on his chest, waist, or even his back like he was searching for something.
After a while, he began reaching for something in the pocket near his abdomen. It was a small pouch that looked a bit worn out. But it was worn out because it was important enough for Noel to keep it by his side all the time.
He opened the pouch and turned it upside down, trying to get the items inside of it to fall down.
And Anna couldn't help but widen her eyes when a pair of golden rings dropped to his palm. The rings didn't have any jewelry or anything. Instead, it had a complicated pattern that of a rune.
"These two rings are symbolized as the token of love by the Ancestor of the Ardagan Family to propose to his most important person.
"With my ancestor as the witness, I, Noel Ardagan, solemnly swear that I will accompany Anna Stargaze for the rest of my life."
Noel raised one of the rings to Anna.
Anna's face reddened from the shock and excitement, her hands were shaking as she wanted to touch the ring but was overwhelmed by her feelings.
They had truly gone too far from the topic, but Anna truly didn't expect Noel to end their randomness with a proposal. They felt like kids who didn't know anything about love and relationships. But this awkwardness actually showed their sincere feelings.
"I…" Anna had a hard time calming her heart down. "I, too, will accompany Noel Ardagan for the rest of my life. I wish that the ancestor blesses our relationship."
