think a title for As she opened the door, Charles stood outside waiting for her. 

"Lola must have misplaced her key again," Rose acknowledged with a smile. Charles shook his head and mumbled, "I knew it." 

He walked over to carry her luggage and instructed Rose to grab her backpack and follow him swiftly. 

Once they reached the elevator, Charles inquired, "Have you checked all the documents and packed everything you need?" Rose nodded. Charles examined her bulky suitcase and questioned, "For a few days, why are you carrying so much weight?" 

As Rose, not wearing any makeup, changed her attire, she inquired, "Is it necessary for Louis?" 

After receiving a positive nod from Rose, Charles smiled and asked, "Do you miss your brother?" 

Rose became slightly bashful. Charles was unable to verbalize his thoughts. He felt that Rose was more than just a sister to Louis, but Louis treated her as a sister. Should Charles make her aware of it? 

Upon exiting the elevator, they congregated at the pick-up location, where everybody placed their luggage and waited near the car. Along with the nine chess players, the chess institute staff also accompanied them, amounting to over a dozen people. After spotting Charles accompanied by Rose, they all had a mutual smile on their faces. 

Charles acted oblivious, and Rose was unaware as well. 

As Rose detested crowded areas, she made her way into the vehicle first. Justin signaled Charles to come over and asked, "Where were you? Picking up Rose?" 

"Lola is unreliable. The dean asked me to check on her," Charles explained. 

Justin hit him with his arm. "Don't bother explaining. When the dean doesn't confess, you're surprisingly attentive to her." 

The colleagues nearby also teased him. Charles however, didn't mind and jokingly said, "Yes, I just like her. What can I say?" 

With Rose seated near the window, gazing blankly at the sky while smiling, it was evident she was ecstatic about this trip.


The contest was taking place in Tokyo, while her brother was located in Nara. I heard that she requested permission from the dean to attend. If she won, she could travel to Nara on her own. However, the dean only granted her request if she emerged victorious.

The little wolf dog had always aspired to win. Yet, he felt more determined than ever before to claim success. Unfortunately, he had been unable to defeat her for the past three months, and this left him feeling dejected.

"Apologies for my tardiness."

Lola's wheezing voice interrupted his thoughts, as she was the last to arrive.

Whilst en-route to the airport, the dean informed her that she was to care for Rose, who looked guilty with her head dropped on Emilia's shoulder. The dean found it difficult to remain angry with her.

After passing through security, Rose had more than thirty minutes to spare before the flight boarded, so she visited the restroom. There, she overheard her female colleagues gossiping.

"You said that the little wolf dog doesn't really like Rose, right? That's really a pity."

"What's the use? Rose's chess skills are equal to his."

"What's the point of being a skilled chess player when getting married? It's better to marry someone normal. Even if Rose is autistic like a fool, she's still dumb. It's a disability. Who would want to marry a disabled person?"

Although she had come to terms with her speech difficulties, the word "disabled" still stung her heart. She knew they weren't entirely wrong as she was below par. Thinking of Louis made her feel unworthy of him.

The man sighed. "They say that fools have unique qualities, and Rose is one of them. Thus, she can play chess without any knowledge."

Another person chimed in. "The little wolf dog is quite astute, so how could he not notice her? I heard that the dean requested him to look after her from time to time during the club meetings."

The voices of the chatty colleagues faded away, and Rose stared at her reflection in the mirror while trying to reassure herself. What they had said wasn't entirely accurate; it didn't matter if Charles didn't like her. As long as she played chess well, her brother would like her, and he had mentioned that he preferred people who played chess well.

After returning to her colleagues, they continued to lavish praise upon her, but she couldn't understand. Why should they care if none of them liked her?

When she arrived in Japan during the afternoon, she immediately messaged Louis. "I'm participating in the tournament in Tokyo. Can you attend?"

"Unfortunately, I am busy, and I can't leave. Concentrate on playing well and don't let anything distract you."

Rose felt a sense of disappointment, but she reoriented herself and focused on her game. Her objective was clear: win the tournament and give the trophy to Louis as a gift with her own hands to make him glad.

Rose felt a bit disoriented, but she focused on the game instead. She was determined to win and present the trophy to Louis herself. It would make him happy.

After four days of gaming, they arrived at the hotel where the dean summoned everyone for a meeting. The top 16 results were revealed: Rose would face a novice from the Korean Chess Institute, while Charles didn't participate against Brian. However, his opponent from the Korean Chess Institute was also a famous player, making Rose's match relatively easy.

"Don't feel pressured, Charles. You're in much better condition than he is," said the dean to Charles.

Rose looked at Charles and saw him holding his arms in disapproval. "Other than Brian, everyone else from Korea is vulnerable," she said.

The dean was worried Charles would get nervous. He glared at him and said, "He's ranked higher than you in the world. Why underestimate your enemy?"

Currently ranked eighth in the world, Charles caught Rose's gaze and winked at her. "I'm not Rose. Why be nervous? You should give her psychological counseling."

The other chess players turned to look at Rose, who lowered her head uncomfortably. Christopher then tapped Charles on the forehead and said, "Mind your own business!"

Rose glanced at the duel list and saw Matthew Shinan, an elder brother she knew. She studied with him in the teacher's dojo when she was young. She left the academy when she became an adult. Although she was in the dojo, she mostly appeared as Louis' sister. Their relationship was not close. All Rose knew was that he played chess well, but he was arrogant. He often challenged his brother, believing that he was better. He caused trouble with his brother when he left.

In the first match, Rose won easily. Upon leaving the match, she saw Shinan.

He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass window with his hands behind his back. When Rose came over, he turned back as if he was waiting for her.

Rose nodded and greeted him. He squinted at her for a while. "Long time no see."

She took out her phone and wrote, "Are you doing well?" He was startled and laughed. "You've changed a lot."

Rose touched her face and he shrugged. "You're braver than before. In the past, you would only hide behind Louis and couldn't even speak a complete sentence."

Shinan's words didn't sound too friendly. He didn't like his brother, and so he didn't like her much either.

"You're representing China, right? I heard that you played well, but your brother isn't as good as before," he said.

This made Rose a bit angry. She typed on her phone, "No, my brother is very good."
Upon hearing this, Rose grew angry and quickly typed a retort on her phone: "No, my brother is skilled." It seemed like he already knew that Rose was an avid fan of Louis, so he didn't challenge her statement. "I have to go now," he said casually, turning and slipping his hands into his pockets. "We'll likely see each other at the competition. Don't forget to cheer for your team."

That evening, the dean shared good news- all seven Chess Institute players had advanced to the top 16 in round one. Charles won by a hair, and the dean was impressed, praising him for having potential.

The next day, Rose and Charles made it to the top eight, while the rest of the players were eliminated. With only two players left, the pressure on the dean to win was mounting. Rose easily won two games and felt confident she would win the championship.

Soon, in the next day's game, Charles faced off against Matthew Shinobu in the semi-finals and lost.

Rose advanced to the finals, where she would play against Matthew Shinan. During a meeting with their coach, Christopher was remorseful, admitting that they had underestimated Matthew. "We thought he was a newcomer, but he's actually a hidden master," he said. 

"He studied under Kimura-sensei," Rose commented.

Christopher nodded, acknowledging why he was good.

The following morning, Rose arrived early for the final and saw Matthew already seated. As they nodded at each other, he suddenly spoke up. "I never understood why the Kimura family trained you and sent you back to China. They essentially trained their competition for their own country. Now, I get it."

Rose was always a loyal supporter of her family, so Matthew's words infuriated her. "You cannot speak about them that way!" she snapped back, though she knew she had left her phone behind and no one else could hear what she said. They only saw her blushing with anger.

Matthew seemed to read her mind and spoke calmly, "Listen, don't get upset. It's not too late. Your brother and teacher aren't fools. They trained you because your family paid them a significant sum of money. However, they didn't put in much effort into supporting you. Once you turned 18, they sent you back to China with little concern, leaving you feeling abandoned and alone. They find your constant pestering annoying. They even have a hard time finding a girlfriend. You know, as soon as you left, Louis found a girlfriend." 

Rose was grinding her teeth and shaking her head in disbelief. "No, you're lying. My brother isn't like that." 

The competition officials reminded them it was time to begin, and Matthew chuckled. "If that's what you want to believe, then think of it that way. But it doesn't matter. What's important is the match itself." 

He made a gesture to begin, saying, "Let's get started. Please show me your skills."