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Is the highlight of the banquet on the last day? (8) – unedited
“Nobody’s here.”
“Then who is that person?”
In a remote place where even the moonlight did not reach, a private soldier was standing with his back turned and his head bowed. This masked man has good eyes.
“He would be so sleepy that he can’t even tell if it’s a dream or reality, so don’t worry.”
“You’re careless.”
“Why did such a careful person come all the way here alone?”
I didn’t mean to be sarcastic, but the words came out crookedly.
“I think it would be better to go without anyone knowing.”
“If that’s the case, don’t come at all.”
He’s an annoying person, really.
“I was going to do that. But he asked me to come, so I couldn’t refuse.”
Although I was trying to see someone with a wide open mind, my body reacted before my head and I spun around halfway in an instant.
The man was startled by my sudden action and exclaimed, “Ack, what?!” but I had nothing to answer him, so I tried to delete it from my brain. Still I’m more curious than that.
“Are you and Count Abitz like that?”
“What?”
“I respect preferences. But Count Abitz is a married man, so it might take a while. So that’s why you had a secret meeting

.”
“Not. It’s not.”
The masked man pushed my head back with his fingers.
“Aaahhh, it’s not an affair

.”
“It’s not!”
“Hey!!”
Surprised, I covered his mouth. I looked around eagerly, worried that people might flock here after hearing a loud voice. Fortunately, there was no sign of that. No, by the way, why did I make more fuss?
The man grabbed my wrist and pulled it out of his mouth. He wasn’t rough, he didn’t twist my wrists hard, in fact he was very polite and gentle, like holding a lady’s hand.
“It’s absolutely not like that, so don’t think about it strangely.”
“Should I say I’m relieved or should I say I’m not? If it’s not an affair, it could be an assassination.”
The man let out a small laugh at the same time as he sighed.
“Think as you like.”
“You told me not to think about it strangely, but you also told me to think as I like. If you were my boss, I would have been swearing at you quite a bit behind the scenes. Your ears will itch all night and you will toss and turn.”
“Then it’s fortunate. I am not your boss.”
As we exchanged trivial stories, I could see the front door.
“No matter how well you came and went until now, you wouldn’t be able to pass without the gatekeepers knowing?”
“From here on, my friend decided to help.”
“Oh, I see. Alright then.”
My work ends here
 I thought it was, but what is with this arm that is blocking in front of me?
“Let’s chat until our friends come.”
“
 I’m not a free person.”
“Unfortunately, I’m free right now.”
I pushed the man’s arm, but he didn’t budge. Rather, he slowly walked to the side and blocked the path in front of me with his whole body.
I looked up at the man without hiding my absurd face. But for a while, I ended up slumping down on my buttocks on the well-trimmed lawn.
“This time, you listen quietly.”
“In this situation where I can’t even run away, and was held until your friend arrives, it’s better than wrestling with a sore mouth.”
“I’m not that harsh .”
The man takes a seat next to me. He was a nobleman, so I thought he would stand still thinking about his dignity, but it was a bit surprising.
“Even though the difference in status is like the difference between heaven and earth, isn’t it too harsh to say that for the first meeting?”
It was a bold statement for recognizing that the difference in our status was like the difference between heaven and earth. We’ve only been together for a little while, but it seems that my mind has been relaxed for a while.
As expected, the man didn’t mind at all and opened his mouth. Of course he pointed out what I was saying, but that wasn’t the part I was talking about.
“Isn’t it our second meeting.”
Huh? I was very surprised because it was something I didn’t expect at all.
“Where have you seen me?”
After the man nodded his head, he raised his right hand. Then he suddenly thought of something, shook his shoulder and started to laugh.
“Puuhhpp. Kuhhpp. Hhppp!”
He catches his breath and seems to calm down, but then bursts into laughter again. I frowned and watched the man like that. What’s wrong with him?
“Puuhh! Ah, hahaha..”
He patted his cheeks and brushed off his hair. What was so funny?
The man who barely stopped laughing looked at me. Then he raises his hand again and shakes it to me.
“Hi?” (this is a bit tricky in ENG, since in KR, both 안녕 (annyeong) can mean hello and goodbye, so despite him saying hello, Erina took it as goodbye)
“Yes, bye.”
“
 Is it too late to say hello now? It’s too early to say goodbye to me. Because we still have work.”
The man continued to greet me without stopping waving his hand. I couldn’t understand the meaning, but something I didn’t want to think about was creeping up. And the man put an end to it.
“The Day of the Emperor’s March.”
“

.”
I can feel my expression cooling down. Conversely, the man’s lips began to curve again. Oh My God.
“Did, did you see me?”
“I couldn’t have not seen you.”
“There were so many people
 I thought no one would see
 
 .”
“You were very close.”
It reminds me of my future. The last moment of my short and thin life that will disappear like a dew.
I grabbed the man’s hand and lifted it up.
“Will, will you keep it a secret?”
“It was rude not to be surprised that you’re not burned at the stake right away.”
“Burned
 at the stake?”
“Your limbs tore something like that.”
Merson’s childlike face came to mind. It broke my heart for him to be left alone in this scary world without me and endlessly looking for me.