Raphne hummed a tune as she walked down the hallway.

On the same day that Ken proposed the duel, she immediately stormed into the Academy's faculty office, explained the situation, and requested the presence of the 2nd-year professor.

“Huh? M-Miss Martinez, a wager for a due?”

At the Academy, a contract involving the use of magic can only be drafted after receiving a professor's consent.

Initially, Patriel, the 2nd-year professor, refused Raphne's request because of how improper it seemed.

“Professor, do you want to keep working at the Academy only until the end of this year?”

“...Eeek!”

Faced with his student's bright yet threatening demand, Patriel had no choice but to agree to oversee the contract and the duel.

Thus, the arrangement for the duel with Ken progressed smoothly under Raphne's lead.

“Hmph~ Hm hm~.”

Raphne was in a good mood.

For the past few days, her head had been a mess, and she felt a constant tightness in her chest, driving her into irritation.

But suddenly, her mind felt clear.

“Ken will always... hehe, will always be by my side... uhihi.”

She couldn't stop smiling, so she ducked her head and covered her mouth, chuckling to herself in secret.

In just one more day, his ownership would belong to her.

Raphne didn't entertain the slightest thought that she could lose.

After all, she was the strongest in the Academy.

While others might call her the 2nd-year number one, she believed there was no one in the entire Academy who could defeat her in combat.

Hence, with the bet in place, Ken was as good as hers already.

They were just waiting a bit because the contract hadn't been drafted yet.

Sitting at the desk in her dormitory room, Raphne pondered what she would do once Ken was hers.

“Hmm… First, we'll need a house. The dormitories are separated for boys and girls, after all...”

The Raphne who claimed not to care about seeing Ken or dismissed him as insignificant was gone.

Her mind was now filled with thoughts of him, driven by a rising desire.

With a heart full of anticipation, Raphne spent the night at the dormitory.

And the next day.

Rising earlier than usual, Raphne began her morning with a pounding heart, hastily getting ready.

Even though getting to the Academy early wouldn't start the duel any sooner,

Raphne, eager to begin the duel, left the dormitory earlier than her usual time.

As a result, the area in front of the Girls' Dormitory was quiet and empty.

Except for one person.

Someone was standing at the quiet Main Gate of the dormitory, leaning against it with their arms crossed.

“Oh, you're out early. Good morning, Raphne.”

It was Ken Feinstein.

As if he had been waiting for her, he greeted her naturally.

"...Ke, Ken.”

Just a moment ago, Raphne had been smiling brightly, thinking about owning him.

But now, unexpectedly facing him, she was flustered.

'Was he waiting for me?'

A joyful feeling welled up from deep inside her.

The thought that the person she wanted to see had come to find her made her feel like she might burst with emotion.

But Raphne controlled herself.

Rather than calming down, she forcibly suppressed it.

After all, it was right before the duel.

Even though her instincts made her want to wag her tail vigorously, her rational mind instructed her to treat him coldly.

“Hmph, what's the matter so early in the morning? Don't tell me you’re here to back out of the duel?”

She crossed her arms and glanced at him scornfully, out of habit.

“As if, that wager is important to me too.”

However, as he smiled and approached her, the cold expression on her face melted away.

“Th-Then what's the reason?”

“I have something I want to give you.”

Ken rummaged through his pocket and took out something.

“A... spear?”

What he held in his hand was a golden shining spear.

But it was so short that it was hard to even call it a spear.

Still, Raphne could tell it was a spear.

Somehow, it felt extremely familiar.

As Raphne stared blankly at the spear, Ken held it out to her.

“Here, this is for you.”

In a daze, she accepted the spear he handed over.

“Why... are you giving this to me?”

The golden shining spear in her hand.

A magic stone embedded under the spear's blade. For some reason, she felt like if she channeled her magic into it, she could change the shape of the spear however she wanted.

Raphne was puzzled.

“You want me to use this in the duel?”

“You can if you want to. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to.”

“Then why are you giving it to me?”

Whether she used it or not didn’t matter, but she was curious why he would give such a gift.

Ken stared at Raphne intently for a moment without answering.

And then he smiled and replied.

“Because I like you, Raphne.”

“…What?”

‘Because I like you, Raphne.’

She definitely heard what he said.

But the moment she heard it, Raphne couldn’t believe what she had heard and just stared at him blankly.

And the moment she fully understood what he had said.

“L-Like, you like me?!”

She stuttered unknowingly and her face turned red.

Raphne felt dizzy and malfunctioned at his sudden confession.

“Well, I’ll be going now. See you later.”

Ken waved his hand and left as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Raphne stood in front of the dormitory holding the spear, still in a daze from the unexpected error.

Because I like you, Raphne.

Even after arriving at the academy, his words kept echoing in Raphne’s mind.

‘…Did he say he likes me? Me?’

Blushing and laying her head on her desk, Raphne recalled his words and fell into confusion.

‘But why so suddenly…’

What strange timing.

Yesterday he had been so provocative and even challenged her to a duel with a bet.

Yet this morning, he smiled warmly and confessed to her.

And then overlapping memories.

It was not long ago that Raphne had gone to the boys’ dormitory with Ken.

‘I like someone.’

Even then, he had suddenly said such a thing.

And right in front of her.

‘So the person he talked about liking back then...’

As soon as she realized that, her face turned red again, almost exploding with heat.

Until this morning, her mind had been filled with thoughts about Ken's supposed ownership.

But now, she couldn’t calm down because of his confusing statement.

‘Wait, then when he suggested the bet…’

The idea that Ken, who said he liked her, put his ownership on the line in a duel started surfacing.

So he wouldn't mind if Raphne owned him.

Could it be that he provoked her and suggested the duel precisely because he likes her?

If Ken loses, Raphne would gain ownership over him.

If Ken wins….

“He’ll ask me for one wish…”

She recalled the condition of the bet.

She started to feel like some puzzle pieces were finally coming together.

Until now, she had pushed aside everything because of the issue of Ken’s ownership.

Ken's confession made everything seem to fall into place.

‘Then, that wish…’

No matter how she thought about it, she could only come up with one thing.

‘Go out with me, Raphne.’

Raphne let out a silent scream, kicking both feet in the air.

Although she felt like shouting out loud, she buried her face in her desk, trying to calm her pounding heart.

Raphne made up her mind.

Ken's challenge from yesterday was a prelude to a proposal.

And as time passed, the classes ended.

The time for the promised duel had arrived.

The location was the training gym.

Three people were gathered there.

The second-year professor, Patriel, Raphne, and Ken.

“Th-then, are you two sure about the terms I just explained?”

“Yes.”

“…Yes.”

Ken answered confidently while Raphne blushed and hesitated to speak.

She couldn’t take her eyes off Ken's face, which somehow seemed pleased.

The terms of the bet as explained by Patriel:

If Ken loses, he will hand over his ownership to Raphne.

If Raphne loses, she must grant Ken one wish.

Confirming their mutual agreement, Patriel conjured a parchment in the air.

Infused with magic, the parchment soon opened by itself and split into two, each page floating towards Ken and Raphne.

Both of them reached out to touch the parchment.

As their magic flowed out and was absorbed into the parchment, it merged back into one.

“Now that the preparations are complete, please take your positions.”

Following Patriel’s instructions, Raphne and Ken stood facing each other at a suitable distance.

Next to Patriel stood two magic dolls, each associated with Ken and Raphne.

These were the same dolls used in the swordsmanship tournament that Siegfried had participated in.

Once confirming that both were ready, Patriel extended her hand.

“Begin!”

At her signal, the duel between the two began.

‘Martinez is bound to win anyway.’

Patriel, watching the two with a slightly uneasy look, thought to herself.

As a professor in charge of the second years, she was well aware of Raphne’s strength.

And Raphne’s innate skill, Innate Speed.

This skill gave her an overwhelmingly advantageous position in physical combat.

And Raphne was just as aware of this as well.

‘...What is he planning?’

Raphne watched Ken intently.

In her hand was the spear Ken had given her in the morning.

As she had intended, the golden spear extended to her desired length.

Ken, standing before her, held a sword made of bone.

‘Challenging me to a duel must mean he’s confident…’

Raphne, not behaving like her usual self, was cautious.

Normally, she would have already rushed in and taken down her opponent by this time.

But Raphne did not attack him recklessly.

However, Ken remained motionless for some reason.

'Fine, if he won't move!'

Raphne was confident no matter what he did.

So, she decided to make the first move.

She wanted to defeat Ken quickly and claim his ownership.

━Taaah!

With a light yet firm step, Raphne swiftly lunged towards Ken.

“Haap━!”

The sharply thrusting spear aimed for Ken's vital point.

If she hit his vital point in one strike, the magic doll would burst, and the duel would be over.

She activated her 'Innate Speed' to ensure that Ken wasn't up to something, watching his movements closely in her slowed perception.

And then she saw Ken's smile.

He was smiling at Raphne with a familiar, kind smile.

‘Because I like you, Raphne.’

Suddenly, Ken's confession from the morning resurfaced in her mind.

Momentarily flustered by the memory, Raphne's face reddened, and she hesitated with her spear.

‘Ah... I missed!’

Ken easily dodged Raphne's spear by just moving his head.

Bang!

The next series of events happened in the blink of an eye.

Ken, taking advantage of Raphne's confused and botched attack, threw down his sword and restrained her with both hands.

One hand gripped Raphne's arm, and the other wrapped around her neck.

He gently laid her on the ground, taking care not to hurt her, only restricting her movements.

"Well, how about it? Do you surrender?"

Ken whispered into her ear.

“Do you think you can capture me with just this?!”

Raphne thought she could easily break free from this hold.

After all, with the strength she knew Ken had, he shouldn't be able to restrain her.

“What, what's going on?”

Squeeze.

But no matter how much strength she put in, she couldn't break free from Ken's grip.

It wasn't painful, but she couldn’t shake off Ken, who was pressing her down with his full weight.

‘Why?!’

Ken was never this strong before.

“You can't move, can you?”

“Urgh…”

Raphne struggled, her face turning red.

She had no intention of admitting defeat and losing ownership to Ken.

But she couldn't move.

Moreover...

‘...Ah, Ken's scent.’

Wrapped tightly from behind with his arm around her neck, she could feel his warmth and smell his scent vividly.

Perhaps because of this, her face started to heat up, and her heart pounded wildly.

Just as she began to think she wouldn't mind staying like this a bit longer,

‘Because I like you, Raphne.’

Ken's words from that morning flashed through her mind again.

‘Urgh!!’

Her movements, which had been wild with confusion, gradually stilled.

Then Ken whispered into her ear.

“Raphne…”

“Urgh! What, what’s this!"

Then, his gentle voice sweetly requested.

"Please surrender."

In a voice that sounded as if he desperately wanted it.

Ken's voice conveyed that he truly hoped to win.

Raphne closed her mouth for a moment.

‘Come to think of it, the reason for the duel...’

The judgment Raphne reached after thinking about his confession all day.

Ken's reason for challenging her to a duel.

It was undoubtedly to propose to her.

Confessing his feelings in advance and then winning the duel to ask her to be his lover.

When she recalled this, she suddenly thought, ‘It wouldn't be so bad to lose.’

But still, giving up ownership was difficult, so Raphne took Ken on wholeheartedly.

However, now she was caught and couldn't move.

Even when trying to break free with force, she couldn't due to Ken's newfound strength.

‘...If it's Ken...’

If he truly wanted to propose to her.

If that was the case, wouldn't it be okay to lose?

"Please…. Surrender, Raphne."

She could feel Ken's gentleness, though he held her tightly without causing pain.

Blushing, Raphne lowered her head and nodded.

"...I surrender."

Her voice was small.

But in the empty gymnasium with only three people, her voice was clearly heard.

“Th-then, with Raphne's surrender, the duel concludes.”

Patriel announced the end of the duel with surprise at the unexpected outcome.

At that moment, the contract floating in the air began to glow golden.

"Winner, Ken Feinstein!"

The duel with stakes ended in Ken's victory.

As the outcome of the duel was decided, Ken carefully released Raphne, who awkwardly stood up.

Raphne stood up and tidied her hair and clothes.

Then, she turned to face Ken.

For some reason, feeling embarrassed, she blushed and couldn't meet his eyes, as she asked him:

"So? What is the wish Ken wants from me?"

Even though she already knew what he would ask for, she pretended not to.

In her heart, her chest pounded in anticipation of his upcoming proposal.

She glanced at Ken's face.

He was looking at her with a serious expression.

Startled by his dignified look, Raphne quickly averted her eyes.

“Raphne.”

Ken called her name as he began to speak.

In the tense atmosphere, Raphne gripped her arm tightly with one hand.

Her heart felt like it was going to burst.

Her rising body temperature made her face feel hot.

If she agreed to his proposal now, their relationship would officially begin.

After a brief pause, Ken finally spoke his wish.

“As a consequence for troubling me, Raphne, you will be imprisoned in the Tower.”

Raphne stared at him blankly, completely taken aback by his unexpected answer.

"…Huh?"

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