《I Am Trying To Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Have A Child》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    A few days ago, 20-year-old Seo Yu-na who died in an unexpected accident finally opened her eyes in the body of 12-year-old Elisha.


    ¡°Lady Elisha, the Duke is looking for you.¡±


    Ha, who had been called by the Duke of Rubelin, did not let Elisha into the Duke¡¯s office. Elisha followed her and looked at the strange reflection on the window.


    A cute twelve-year-old girl with brilliant blond hair and fresh eyes.


    I was no longer 20 year old Seo Yu-na with black hair and black eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Elisha and this is Rubelin¡­¡±


    It was before my daughter-in-law that I possessed this body.


    At the time, Elisha said she was dying in a carriage accident. It was the Duke of Rubeline who saved her. But her mother died on the spot, and her father, Loengrin, died three years ago, so Elisha became an orphan.


    Sadly, there were no relatives to take in Elisha.


    Because Loengrin wasted his fortune by buying fish, there was nothing left for Elisha.


    So for her relatives, Elisha is a family member with no gain.


    The Duke of Rubelin brought Elisha to the Duke¡¯s Castle.


    He promised Elisha¡¯s grandfather that he would marry their grandson and granddaughter.


    But Elisha, who heard the name of her husband, said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was Richard Rubelin!¡±


    In other words, Elisha was meant to be Ha-ne¡¯s mother.


    The novel, with an unusual title, was one of the novels Elisha enjoyed in her previous life. But life is a comedy from afar and a tragedy up close.


    ¡°It¡¯ll not be as good since I am possessed!¡±


    And by the time the original story begins, it¡¯s a dead extra!


    In the original story, Elisha grows up with her parents into a tight-knit dutchess. In the process, she showed an abnormal obsession with her husband Richard due to the lack of affection and ended up miserable to the very end.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die like that¡¯


    Elisha grabbed the hem of her skirt.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to end my second life so vainly.¡¯


    Fortunately, Elisha still has 10 years left to die. 10 years was the time to change her fate.


    Elisha and the maid had already arrived at the Duchess¡¯s house, the shaman.


    Entering the Oval Office, she saw a man with a fierce impression sitting at his desk.


    Albert Rubelin.


    The most powerful man in the empire in name and in fact the housekeeper of the Duke of Rubelin, called the ¡®Rubelin Storm¡¯.


    But a year ago, he was an unhappy man who lost his only child, his son and wife.


    The Duke of Rubelin, who looked at Elisha with indifferent eyes, took out the bond first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re so insignificant in this house¡±


    Elisha questioned his words at once.


    As he said, Elisha¡¯s family was insignificant compared to the Duke of Rubelin, the only Duke of the Empire.


    ¡®I know. Why would the only Duke in the country want to use a Korean-American writer on the outskirts, a girl who lost her parents? The aristocrats who want to be sons-in-law of the Duke would be full.¡¯


    I don¡¯t know why he chose himself for his granddaughter, but one thing was clear.


    ¡®It¡¯s not very small in words. Even so, you need me as your priority among so many noblemen.¡¯


    Elisha, who quickly grasped her position, faced the old man smoking his cigarette without wavering.


    Albert continued his speech, glancing straight at me, with no sign of intimidation.


    ¡°Women¡¯s lives are so comfortable. If you have a baby in an easy house, you can enjoy everything your husband has built up.¡±


    He seemed to want to cut Elisha¡¯s worth somehow and make his own boat rock.


    ¡°Giving birth to a child is only just the beginning.¡±


    A girl who grew up in a world dominated by patriarchal values might have agreed with him, but not Elisha, who had memories of her past life.


    Elisha crept into Albert¡¯s mind as she listened roughly to his subsequent drip.


    ¡®Men¡¯s lives are so comfortable. Wandering about outside in vain for a job. When they get home, they can live in a harmonious family that their wives have made.¡¯


    ¡°Your Excellency.¡±


    Then someone knocked and came in, it was Albert¡¯s aide. Behind him came a man in a priestly suit. It was priest Mo, who had been called a witness to her marriage vows.


    The aide approached Albert and told him the news.


    ¡°The Duke met a band of Bandits on his way, and he¡¯s late.¡±


    Albert puts down the cigarette that he had in his mouth.


    ¡°A band of bandits? Didn¡¯t you say he arrived nearby last night?¡±


    ¡°Yes I did but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­There weren¡¯t any bandits on the main road, they don¡¯t want to die¡±


    ¡°That, I think, is coming from the path you took?¡±


    ¡°Do you have to take the big road and the mountain road?¡±


    ¡°You work hard on the security of the land¡­¡±


    Albert¡¯s forehead was scrunched.


    Richard seemed to be quite unhappy with the marriage. Seeing how he¡¯s dragging his feet doing things he¡¯s not normally doing.


    ¡°A useless piece of work¡±


    Albert clicked his tongue with an expression of disapproval.


    Elisha, who has been told to move aside, hoped that the person in question would be delayed by a few hours, or even a day, so that she can think about it a little more.


    But the patience of the man that would be her assistant wasn¡¯t so good.


    ¡°At least he¡¯ll arrive in the evening¡±


    Albert signed the marriage vows in front of him and then pushed the papers to Elisha.


    ¡°Come, sign here.¡±


    The aide next to him stood by the Duke and handed it over to Elisha.


    Richard¡¯s part had already been filled by Albert¡¯s signature. When Elisha signs, the two become married.


    Elisha weighed the poor life outside and the easy life in the castle of the Duke.


    ¡®There¡¯s still more than a decade left from the original Elisha¡¯s death. Wouldn¡¯t it be okay if I don¡¯t give birth to a child in that room and don¡¯t stick with Richard?¡¯


    If I keep to that, I¡¯ll be able to spend a lot of time writing, and then get a piece of alimony when we get divorced.


    The worries were short-lived. Elisha wrote down her still awkward name on the paper.


    The priest, who had been called to witness the marriage, opened his mouth after watching


    ¡°This makes Richard Rubelin and Elisha Loengrin married with the goddess Arenne watching. May the grace of the goddess be with you in the future.¡±


    Elisha took a deep breath listening to the priest¡¯s testimony.


    ¡®This house, it¡¯s only gonna last for 8 years and it¡¯s gonna take a big chunk¡¯


    That¡¯s how the wedding vows without a groom ended.


    ***


    That night, the maid serving Elisha¡¯s bath took her to her room and disappeared.


    The room she was guided to was luxurious beyond comparison with the guest room she had been staying in for ten days.


    The room that she stayed on for ten days was luxurious enough to match the reputation of the Duke, but compared to the Gentiles, it was small and lascivious.


    ¡®Is the hostess¡¯s room all ready?¡¯


    Elisha looked all around the bedroom.


    The walls of the reception room, which was connected to the bedroom, were decorated with swords that seemed expensive at first glance. Although the items were rather foreign to market in the lady¡¯s room, Elisha went here to sleep.


    The bed was as wide and large as her previous life¡¯s room.


    Elisha laid in bed. The expensive silk was soft and cozy, and she was sleepy. Maybe because of the change in her sleeping habits, soon she woke up wide awake.


    ¡®It¡¯s quiet out there, so you haven¡¯t arrived at the castle yet?¡¯


    Elisha recalled her husband, who never came at this time.


    ¡®I hope you don¡¯t come today¡¯


    I was curious about the boy who would be my husband, but I was more afraid than that.


    In the original book, Richard was the head of the hostile family who was at odds with the male lead. He was already dead long before the original work began, so I couldn¡¯t tell exactly what his personality was like, but he was not a very good man in Ha-ne¡¯s recollection.


    Now that I¡¯ve married him, I can¡¯t help but want to marry him as late as I can.


    ¡®¡­I can¡¯t sleep¡¯


    While Elisha was tossing and turning, thinking about this and that, it was midnight. But her husband still hadn¡¯t come.


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t he come today?¡¯


    I felt a little relieved when I thought so.


    Elisha soon relaxed and fell asleep.


    How long has it been?


    Elisha awoke suddenly when a door opened roughly.


    On a dark night when the moon is covered by clouds, only three or four lights are opened in the dimly settled room. The sound of the wind shaking the window further shook Elisha¡¯s anxious mind.


    ¡®Who is it¡­.¡¯


    Then the shadow, turning against the dim light, strode towards Elisha.


    A slightly disheveled, pitch-black hair, a faintly white skin, and a blood-red undereye.


    ¡®Eeeeek! Oh, the devil?¡¯


    In Elisha¡¯s eyes, who had just fallen asleep, saw that.


    At the moment of eye contact with the gruesome eyes looking down at her, Elisha felt a frightful fear and shortness of breath at the same time.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Richard, who was also on the bed, stopped in surprise when he saw a set of light eyes, which were barely visible above the blanket.


    There¡¯s someone in my room. I was confident that there wouldn¡¯t be anyone else here.


    With frightened eyes as if it¡¯s about to get dark.


    At that moment, Richard¡¯s forehead became crumpled as he looked at the unwelcomed being.


    He muttered in a voice of irritation.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t even see you.¡±


    He approached the door again and turned the doorknob.


    But the door was locked. The cold expression on Richard¡¯s face became even stiffer.


    It was the same even after a few more turns.


    ¡°Those crazy people.¡±


    He used abusive language and punched the door.


    Bang!


    Elisha was startled. Only then did she know that it was not an ordinary man, but the devil who would be her husband.


    And the fact that this is not her room, but his.


    It was then.


    ¡®Wind¡­..?¡¯


    A strong wind began to gather around the bed.


    Elisha looked around the room, wondering if the windows were open. But they were firmly closed, albeit shaken by the wind.


    ¡®This is the power of Rubelin.¡¯


    The wind that gathered around Richard is like the power that Ha-nes used in the novel.


    From time to time, children with the power of the Ken family were born to be descendants of Rubelin who could use wind magic freely.


    The title ¡®Rubelin of the Storm¡¯ was to work its strength.


    Richard and Ha-nes, his sons, were among the descendants of his power.


    ¡®Are you going to break the door?¡¯


    Elisha watched him in fear as she realized that Richard can use his strength to do anything.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    Unlike the words of Richard, which he muttered in a harsh voice, the wind was scattered back.


    Elisha was surprised to see Richard walking back, so she covered her face again with only her two eyes wide open exposed.


    Fortunately, however, Richard went to the sofa to lie down, not the bed.


    From her position, only his legs that were sticking out were visible. It seemed that he had no intention of sleeping on the bed.


    ¡®But he¡¯s my husband, so I¡¯d have to greet him, right?¡¯


    Elisha, who had been observing Richard¡¯s movements for a while, went out of the bed and sat down beside him. She then greeted him carefully.


    ¡°Ah, how are you feeling, Duke?¡±


    There was no answer. However, Elisha remained firm.


    ¡°I¡¯m Elisha Loengrin, and today, I became Elisha Rubelin. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    Calling myself ¡®Rubelin¡¯ meant ¡®I¡¯m your wife¡¯ in a polite way.


    But Richard was unresponsive. He didn¡¯t even look at her once even though he was still awake.


    Elisha¡¯s eyes fluttered as she looked at Richard¡¯s leg sticking out of the sofa.


    Is he good or is he bad? She doesn¡¯t know. But one thing was for sure.


    ¡®There aren¡¯t a lot of scumbags.¡¯


    Well, any 15-year-old would have a black dragon in his heart.


    Elisha lied back on the bed, snorting at Richard¡¯s leg.


    And so, the first night passed.


    ***


    The next day, Richard came to the Duke¡¯s office.


    Albert, who was about to light up his cigarette, greeted Richard with a look of indifference without any surprise.


    ¡°I was going to call you, but you came right on time.¡±


    ¡°Cancel it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He pretended not to know the words that Richard said, even though he knew exactly what they meant.


    Richard then answered back.


    ¡°Cancel this marriage.¡±


    ¡°A vow made before the goddess cannot be easily taken back.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t proceed with a vow.¡±


    ¡°So you want to run away?¡±


    To this question, Richard replied in silence.


    Albert inhaled the smoke of the cigarette with an expression of indifference and exhaled after some time, only to speak slowly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you like the child¡¯s face? I thought she was pretty beautiful even though she¡¯s still young. She doesn¡¯t look like it in your eyes, does she?¡±


    Richard¡¯s expression became visibly distorted upon hearing his words.


    Albert, however, went on about his day regardless.


    ¡°Or can you not marry someone you don¡¯t love like your father? If so, who will be the owner of Rubelin in the future?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Well, I understand. Once you leave that blonde girl, she¡¯ll be as good as a tooth.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°So just stay with her until you become an adult. Until you get a successor. Then you can have any woman you desire as your hostess-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the plan!¡±


    Richard¡¯s voice rose and strong winds gathered around the office.


    The wind sent the papers on the table to fly aimlessly.


    Albert¡¯s aide, who was next to him, hurriedly tried to catch the documents, but there were too many of them.


    Despite the situation, Albert faced Richard without batting an eye.


    He looked so cold that it was hard to think that the blood-stained eyes of Richard are the eyes of his grandson.


    ¡°You are the only descendant of our family who is eligible to be the successor. You¡¯re obligated to mate with your wife and succeed this family.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Four seats. Those lumps you¡¯re enjoying now, it¡¯s all given to you so you can be the successor. You don¡¯t deserve to be there if you give up on your duty as somebody¡¯s heir.¡±


    Richard¡¯s lips twisted at Albert¡¯s words, which seemed identical to threats.


    His grandfather saw him not as a grandson, but as a stallion to inherit the family line.


    Richard asked his grandfather with livid eyes.


    ¡°When did I ever want this seat?¡±


    His voice was filled with deep rage and disgust towards his grandfather.


    Not once did he wish to become the successor of Rubelin but rather hoped to get rid of the power he inherited if he could.


    ¡°I have no intention of doing anything with that mutt, so please don¡¯t let her come into my room again.¡±


    Richard turned away and roughly opened the office door. But his foot stopped as he was on his way out.


    There stood Elisha, whom he did not know how long she had been there for.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    Richard looked at Elisha, who stood in front of him.


    I don¡¯t know if she heard it, but the conversation Albert and I had was not very pleasant to hear.


    Richard frowned as he looked at Elisha¡¯s expression. It wasn¡¯t his business anyway.


    Elisha looked at Richard with a surprised look on her face, turned silently, and passed by him, entering the office.


    ¡°You called for me?¡±


    ¡°Richard, listen as well.¡±


    Albert stopped Richard, who was about to leave.


    Richard took a sigh and finally stood beside Elisha.


    Albert opened his mouth, looking at Elisha with an indifferent stare.


    ¡°I heard you didn¡¯t attend your first meal on the first day of your honeymoon.¡±


    Instead of looking at him, Elisha avoided his gaze.


    Before, the maid informed the two, Richard and his wife, the newlyweds, to greet the elders of the family and have breakfast together.


    But when Elisha woke up to have breakfast, Richard had already disappeared, and Albert wasn¡¯t present either. Due to that, she thought Albert didn¡¯t know, but it seemed as though he was the one who instructed the maid to inform them.


    Elisha swallowed a sigh as she thought that a sound of sleepiness would pour out instead.


    But Albert understood Elisha and Richard, contrary to her expectations.


    ¡°Well, yes. You would¡¯ve been awkward with each other this morning as you¡¯ve barely seen each other¡¯s faces.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°If you live in the same room for a while, you¡¯ll get used to each other. That¡¯s how you¡¯ll get close.¡±


    He said to Richard with a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we don¡¯t have to use the same room.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s natural for couples to use one bed, so what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Neither Albert nor Richard seemed to be willing to accept each other¡¯s opinions.


    Richard glared at Albert and turned away without a word. The door behind Elisha¡¯s back closed with a violent thud.


    Albert looked casually at the closed door and turned to Elisha.


    ¡°At last, I have something for you. Aaron, bring it in.¡±


    When he called the aide next to him, he handed Elisha the book he prepared.


    Elisha was so surprised as she didn¡¯t know what book it was.


    ¡°From tomorrow, a teacher will come to teach you about the book. It will help if you know the content in advance, so be sure to serve the household with sincerity.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Elisha left the office upon receiving Albert¡¯s order to do so and looked at the book she had received right after.


    [A Wife¡¯s Virtues]


    It was a title that seemed to contain a lot of old-fashioned content from patriarchal values.


    Elisha sighed heavily and headed towards her room.


    ***


    That night, Elisha was forcibly sent and pushed by the maids to Richard¡¯s room. She looked around with nervousness, but Richard wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he¡­?¡±


    Then, something made its way into Elisha¡¯s view.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    There was a familiar leg protruding out of the sofa where Richard was lying yesterday.


    Albert and Richard spoke this afternoon, which Elisha accidentally overheard.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only heir of our family. You have a duty to welcome your companion and succeed this family.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Your home, and all the things you¡¯ve enjoyed, they were all given to you as my successor. You don¡¯t deserve to be there if you lose your power as the heir.¡±


    It was not an ordinary conversation between a grandfather and grandson. In Elisha¡¯s view, Albert only saw Richard as a stallion to succeed his family, and Richard was resisting his will. That meant he was thinking the same thing as Elisha.


    There¡¯s a saying, ¡°The enemy is an ally.¡±


    Elisha took courage once more.


    If things go well, she might get a strong ally from a Duke with no one on her side.


    Of course, he¡¯s a temporary ally before the divorce.


    ¡°Hello, Duke.¡±


    Elisha slowly approached the sofa, where Richard was lying, with the idea of greeting him one more time. When she opened her eyes in the morning, he had already left the room. And during the day, she couldn¡¯t see him. The same happened at dinner time.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t busy last night, were you? I¡¯ll introduce myself again. I am¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Whoa¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s noisy.¡±


    The voice from over the sofa seemed irritated.


    ¡®Our Black Dragon seems to be in a very bad mood.¡¯


    Elisha squinted at the sofa, her lips furrowed. It was impossible to have a conversation with him today.


    ¡°Well then¡­ good night.¡±


    Elisha went to bed and lied down. Richard seemed to be thinking of sleeping on the couch today as well.


    Elisha, who was thinking about this and that, was looking at the sofa where Richard rested and fell asleep.


    ***


    A few days passed just like that.


    As Albert said, Elisha began taking bridal lessons the next day.


    She was bored with the lecture, but she liked the fact that she had free time all for the rest of the day after class.


    Elisha, who took a class in the morning, had lunch and went to the castle library as usual.


    The library of the Rubelin Castle was huge in size and was owned by the first family in the empire. It also has a vast number of books.


    It was a place that would give great help to Elisha, who was still unfamiliar with the world she was in.


    ¡°Hmm, I think I¡¯ll read the history books today.¡±


    The history book was on the top case of the bookshelf, it was as high as her hand could reach.


    Elisha struggled, but soon gave up and looked around for a ladder.


    If Elisha runs into the librarian, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to get the book out, but he hasn¡¯t been in since she came in, as he had a long lunch.


    However, it was more difficult to go out and bring in the maids and servants outside the library.


    ¡°Found it!¡±


    Elisha found the ladder and dragged it out from the bookshelf right behind her. She then climbed it and pulled out the book she wanted.


    It was then.


    In the distance, the library door opened with a sound.


    ¡®Who is it?¡¯


    There were only two libraries in the castle of Rubelin.


    There was an open library for everyone in the castle, and the other library was only for the Lord and his family.


    The place where Elisha is now was the library only for those with Rubelin¡¯s name.


    Therefore, the librarian in charge of the library, Albert, Richard, and Elisha were the only ones with access to it.


    Elisha quietly came down from the ladder because she didn¡¯t want to run into Albert or Richard.


    Then, she crept towards the door with the book in her chest. Anyone who had something to do in the library would soon have gone to look at the bookshelves, so she could leave the library.


    But as she was heading for the entrance, she stopped when she found someone lying face-down on a desk near the entrance.


    ¡®Richard?¡¯


    Richard was lying on his stomach at his desk. Looking at his closed eyes, she felt as if he was sleeping.


    ¡®Did you not sleep well because you were uncomfortable?¡¯


    Come to think of it, no matter how soft the sofa is, it couldn¡¯t have been comfortable to sleep at.


    Thinking of it, she felt sorry for sleeping proudly on the bed.


    ¡®I think it¡¯s going to be cold, so at least I could cover him with a blanket.¡¯


    Elisha, who pondered for a moment, approached Richard with a blanket from nearby.


    I¡¯m afraid to wake Richard up, so I held my guard


    As I approached, I could see Richard¡¯s face, who was defenselessly asleep.


    He had beautiful eyelashes, a straight nose, and red lips for a guy.


    His face, still young and energetic, looked perfectly harmless.


    The face of the devil that I saw on the first night feels like a completely different person.


    ¡°Pretty.¡±


    As I admired his face, which I said to be pretty rather than handsome, his closed eyelids opened, showing his blood-colored eyes.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    When Elisha met the cold-blooded eyes, she froze with the blanket unfolded.


    At that moment, Richard¡¯s hand snatched Elisha¡¯s arm roughly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to cover you with a b-blanket¡­ I was afraid you would catch a cold.¡±


    Embarrassed, Elisha stuttered one beat late and answered.


    After staring at Elisha with cold eyes, Richard let her arm go with a flutter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get colds like that. Only weak people like you get sick.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    Richard beckoned her to go before he lied down on the desk again, turning his head in the opposite direction to Elisha.


    ¡®Oh, this Black Dragon. Even though I¡¯m trying to get along with him, he¡¯s not even trying to cooperate.¡¯


    Elisha mimicked what Richard said with her mouth, pretending to squeeze Richard.


    Then, in good timing, Richard tossed and turned.


    Elisha was startled and lowered her hand. Fortunately, Richard didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡®Well¡­ he¡¯s still a kid.¡¯


    That¡¯s the age where you¡¯re in the middle of a storm.


    Elisha gently covered Richard¡¯s shoulder with the blanket she was holding. There was no indication of whether Richard had fallen asleep or he had just given up.


    She picked up the book she pulled out and left the library quietly.


    As the closing door in the silent library made a sound, Richard¡¯s eyes fluttered open and then closed again.


    ***


    That night, Richard, who came to the bedroom, headed for the sofa.


    Now, he¡¯s used to the position as if it were his own bed. It¡¯s still uncomfortable, though.


    As I laid on the sofa, I heard a rustle from the side of the bed. A small chuck came to my side.


    The library was trying to hide its spirit as much as possible, but I could feel it, this time there¡¯s no sign of hiding.


    In that move, Richard intuitively noticed that Elisha had something to say to him.


    With closed eyes, Richard said to her, who was approaching him.


    ¡°¡­Just go to sleep already.¡±


    But Elisha came right in front of him, seemingly unwilling to hear it.


    Richard opened his mouth with his closed eyes wide open.


    ¡°I told you just go to slee-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna eat you, so let¡¯s sleep in the bed.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Elisha said, reaching out to Richard as if she¡¯s not frightened.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to sleep while holding hands.¡±


    Richard, looking at her hand which was smaller than his, burst into laughter.


    ¡°Who¡¯s eating who?¡±


    Elisha was nervous about Richard¡¯s laugh. It wasn¡¯t a laugh from pleasure, it was a laugh that seemed trivial.


    Richard asked coldly with a stiff look on his face.


    ¡°Did the Duke make you do it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tempt me this way?¡±


    Elisha was embarrassed.


    I thought the reason why Richard was hard on me was because he was the Black Dragon, but I didn¡¯t think it was because of that thought.


    ¡®By the way, he¡¯s referring to his grandfather as the Duke. Do they not get along very well?¡¯


    In any case, misunderstandings were not good to accumulate.


    Elisha made a hasty explanation.


    ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding this, but it has nothing to do with the Duke.¡±


    ¡°How can I believe that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you already know, but I just lost my parents. So when I had nowhere to go, the Duke brought me here.¡±


    But even with Elisha¡¯s explanation, Richard¡¯s expression was sour.


    ¡°Family history is the dustiest story for those who are caught wrong.¡±


    ¡®¡­There¡¯s a lot of mistrust in the world.¡¯


    Elisha explained her situation in more detail.


    ¡°The reason I agreed to this marriage was because I thought it would be better for a 12-year-old child who was all alone and had no reason to live.¡±


    ¡°What if the Duke ordered you to say that to seduce me?¡±


    ¡°Is there any difference even if your guess is true?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t force you. So even if I tempted you, isn¡¯t it possible for you to fall for me?¡±


    Elisha¡¯s words were kind of provocative.


    ¡°You just have to hold out well. Are you not confident in your own feelings?¡±


    This time, Richard didn¡¯t refute. She wasn¡¯t wrong. With Richard¡¯s power, Elisha would¡¯ve been defeated.


    Elisha took the opportunity to bring up the story she had read in the original.


    ¡°I heard that the imperial family is aiming for the power of Rubelin and is trying to bring you and Princess Seonha on-line. That is mainly the reason why the Duke brought me here.¡±


    There are four families in the Arencia Empire that have contributed to its founding.


    Together, the four families who founded the empire to subdue tyranny and make a better country, discussed who would become Emperor.


    Among them was the Cairo and the Rubelin family who offered to become Emperors.


    They, who were close friends, took an eternal oath after the Cairo family agreed to take the throne.


    The house of Cairo is holding a sacred place where it never forgets its people, and the Duke of Rubelin is always on the other hand of the Emperor¡¯s side to keep him from tyranny.


    The two friends who shared their lives became enemies of each other for a great cause.


    Their friendship and loyalty were admired in the history books, but now, after a long time, only checks against each other remained.


    The royal family coveted the power of Rubelin to be stronger, and Rubelin cultivated such power to avoid getting eaten by the royal family.


    As the relationship continued in the original, Elisha was well aware of the relationship between the two families.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t intend to marry the Royal Highness, someone should be sitting next to you.¡±


    When Elisha brought up a rather sharp story, a bit of redness rose from Richard¡¯s eyes, who looked at her with indifference.


    ¡®I thought you were stupid, but you were pretty good.¡¯


    When Elisha noticed that Richard¡¯s eyes had changed, she came to the point.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hope to have a child with you nor be the Dutchess seated with the Young Duke.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Please keep the marriage until I become an adult. When I become an adult, I will leave the Duke on my own.¡±


    By then, the Princess would have found her mate.


    Richard stood up and looked at Elisha¡¯s soft eyes, who calmly made a proposal while speaking in a determined tone.


    ¡°I accept the offer¡­¡±


    ¡°Only if this promise of you leaving will be fulfilled.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    The next morning, Richard suddenly felt a sense of crisis and opened his eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sleeping on the big bed, while barely hanging from the edge. Furthermore, the blanket that draped over his body was cold.


    ¡®Have you been struggling too much?¡¯


    I used to spin in my sleep when I was six or seven years old. But now, I¡¯ve been sleeping late.


    Richard, wondering about his sleeping habits, stretched his hand with the blanket hugging his back.


    The bed sheets were soft on his fingertips.


    ¡®The blanket is¡­ soft?¡¯


    Something was strange.


    He opened his eyes with astonishment at what he saw.


    It was a person¡¯s arm.


    I looked back in a hurry, and I saw Elisha sleeping on my back.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Now that I¡¯m awake, the blanket¡¯s on the floor.


    Richard took Elisha¡¯s arm off, as if stunned.


    Last night, Elisha and Richard slept on the large bed. Of course, with a reasonable price.


    But when Richard woke up, Elisha was getting close to him and was trying to push him out of the bed.


    ¡®¡­How many times did you roll over in the bed?¡¯


    I¡¯d be sick if I rolled around this much.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d only sleep with our hands being held.¡±


    Richard sighed and got out of bed.


    When his warmth disappeared, Elisha, who was in a chill, murmured.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Even so, her small body became smaller.


    Richard looked down at Elisha, then casually paced around and left the room.


    But the door reopened as soon as it was closed.


    With an expression of annoyance, Richard walked to the bedside and stood beside Elisha.


    Elisha was still huddled up in the cold.


    ¡°¡­What a nuisance.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know I was struggling so hard for a few days of not sleeping in a bed. It would have been nice if I pretended not to realize it today.


    When Richard said so, he took a blanket and covered Elisha with it.


    He didn¡¯t spread the blanket around her as he thought simply covering her with the blanket should be a great honor.


    Only then did Richard turn around, shaking his hands.


    ***


    After taking the class in the morning, Elisha had nothing to do. She spent the rest of her time reading books in the library.


    Elisha, who was bored as always, came to get various books and read her in the room. But there was something in her eyes that was irritating.


    Elisha took a glance at the busy maid over the bookcase.


    ¡®Her name¡­ it was Ann, right?¡¯


    Ann was extraordinarily younger than the other maids. The butler said that she was the child that Albert had in mind, along with Elisha.


    But there is one strange thing.


    Usually, maids are dedicated to one thing that they are good at. It¡¯s much more efficient.


    But today, Ann did all the work by herself. From bed arrangement to laundry, meals, dusting, mopping, everything.


    ¡®Why is this kid doing all of this alone?¡¯


    As far as Elisha knows, Ann was in charge of beddings until a few days ago. Something was strange.


    Elisha looked at Ann, pretending to read a book.


    I thought you were good at everything, but you weren¡¯t.


    She was struck by the water from the mop and was embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t notice Elisha, and she almost fell out of her chair as she tried to reach the area that her arms couldn¡¯t reach.


    Elisha guessed one possibility.


    ¡®You¡¯re being bullied because you¡¯re a kid!¡¯


    Confidently, Elisha closed the book and approached Ann.


    ¡°Ann, why are you mopping?¡±


    ¡°P-Pardon?¡±


    Ann, who was mopping, looked up at Elisha as if she were a sinner.


    ¡°I asked why you were mopping. You¡¯re in charge of the beddings, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Oh, I said I¡¯d do the mopping today.¡±


    ¡°What about carrying the laundry and dusting?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    ¡°Why did you say that you¡¯d do all the work? The laundry is Luna¡¯s job. You¡¯re in charge of the dusting, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    Ann writhed but couldn¡¯t speak.


    Elisha urged the answer by staring at Ann.


    Ann, who hesitated for a moment, began to speak with a shrill voice.


    ¡°The other day, they asked me to do all the work for a day, but they scolded me for not doing it well. So, I apologized, and I decided to take care of them again today. But¡­.¡±


    Ann stopped talking and her tears began to drop.


    ¡°What if they get scolded tomorrow because of me?¡±


    Elisha was dumbfounded.


    ¡®You¡¯re making her do extra work, yet you¡¯re scolding her for the work you¡¯re supposed to do because you got in trouble? No, it can¡¯t be true that the maids got scolded. Rather, isn¡¯t that just a blatant lie?¡¯


    Apparently, Ann was also in trouble the day after that and was ready to take responsibility.


    Elisha took the mop from Ann¡¯s hand, brought her to the table, and gave Ann half of the sandwich she was eating.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough work. Eat this.¡±


    Elisha left the room and headed for Albert¡¯s office, bewildered, leaving Ann staring at her from behind. There was a certain weight on Elisha¡¯s steps.


    Elisha took a breath and knocked at the door of the office.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    I was immediately granted permission.


    Elisha opened the door and entered the office.


    Albert raised an eyebrow at the unexpected arrival of Elisha.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡±


    Elisha demanded politely, but with determined eyes.


    ¡°Please replace my dedicated maid.¡±


    Albert¡¯s eyes blurred at that remark.


    ¡°Replace your dedicated maid¡­ Why?¡±


    ¡°Can you replace her with a maid who is good at arranging the beddings, serving meals, cleaning, and laundry? The maid in charge is only good at the first one.¡±


    ¡°There should be a maid in charge that can do every chore.¡±


    ¡°One person was doing it all by herself today, it was so slow, and it wasn¡¯t organized properly.¡±


    Albert called Elisha, who spoke so clearly of her demands, to Aaron, an aide who was next to him.


    ¡°Aaron, go find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Aaron went straight out of the office. Albert¡¯s fixated gaze on the office door returned to Elisha.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any inconvenience in the life of the Young Duke¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this. Go back now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡±


    Elisha smiled and left the office.


    The Duke needs me. I can throw it away at any time but it¡¯s too close to a delusion without my responsibility.


    So, I am going to use my position as much as possible.


    Elisha hid in the hallway near the office and waited for Aaron to return.


    After a while, Aaron returned and reported the situation to Albert.


    ¡°Your Excellency, the maids are currently shopping in the plaza.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for work, but they are shopping in the plaza?¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Call the butler.¡±


    A smile crept on Elisha¡¯s face when she heard the conversation.


    Since they went out without finishing their work during their assigned working hours per day, the Duke will certainly not let this go.


    Thereafter, Elisha walked towards the room silently.


    ***


    The Duke of Rubelin was rich.


    Albert didn¡¯t care whether Elisha took the money to buy something or how much she spent.


    Thanks to this, Elisha was able to study the laws of the world at ease and her plan after divorce.


    In particular, I was able to try all the business ideas that came to my mind when I was in the position of a Duchess.


    Elisha, who studies by herself, said she wants to take a finance class instead of a bridal class. Albert was not pleased, but he was very easy to persuade.


    ¡°I want to take this opportunity to get close to Richard by taking a finance class with him.¡±


    Albert immediately gave her his permission. Richard just recently started his financial career, so it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a hindrance for them to take the class together.


    ¡®Learning this will help me get alimony and do business later.¡¯


    Elisha arrived in the room with her new notes and abacus.


    Richard, who arrived in the room, entered with a commanding presence and looked at Elisha with a suspicious look.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°The Duke¡¯s reputation is on the line, shouldn¡¯t I learn finance, too?¡±


    Elisha pulled an extra chair from the side of the room and sat next to Richard.


    I¡¯ve been speaking quietly for a few days, but Richard doesn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°And if I know finance, you¡¯ll be able to save yourself a little bit of work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Then someone knocked at the door.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Soon, the finance teacher came in. He was an old man with a hollow top and glasses high enough to make his eyes look small.


    ¡®¡­For some reason, I have a lot of group assignments, and I look like I¡¯ll only give grades of C.¡¯


    Elisha didn¡¯t want to judge the man by what he looked like, but when she saw him, she had a real hunch.


    Anyway, it was the first time meeting the teacher, so I had to prepare for it.


    Elisha got up from her seat and gave him a nod.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m learning financial affairs from you from today. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I have heard about your little bridal training from Sir Albert. It is an honor to teach such an enthusiastic student. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    After the brief meeting, the teacher started the class right away.


    He gave Elisha a question after a brief introduction on how to handle the abacus.


    ¡°Then, Miss Elisha. Would you like to mark 326, 15, and 739?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±


    Elisha¡¯s fingers, which had been rolling the abacus on their own, stopped. Then, she took a peek at Richard.


    She seemed to confirm her answer by looking at his reaction.


    But when Richard reacted indifferently, she checked the abacus again.


    Richard, who was looking at the figure, sighed and grabbed Elisha¡¯s hand. A hard hand covered Elisha¡¯s small, thin one.


    Richard grabbed Elisha¡¯s finger and moved the abacus.


    ¡°You did 15 right. 326 is like this, and 739 is like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct, Young Duke, you¡¯ve done it properly.¡±


    The finance teacher, who was watching the scene, praised Richard. Elisha also smiled, saying


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Richard, who stared at a smiling Elisha, realized that he¡¯s still holding her hand and finally took it off.


    ¡°¡­Listen to the class properly.¡±


    Richard¡¯s ears, while turning his head, tainted red.


    ¡®It¡¯s not about helping, it¡¯s about reviewing.¡¯


    That¡¯s what Richard thought.


    Elisha was not a fast learner, but she thought that she¡¯d use it once she mastered the abacus.


    Richard actually appreciated her ability, but he didn¡¯t tell her.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s class.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡±


    ¡°I had students like you two yesterday. I hope you will learn from each other as rivals and colleagues.¡±


    The finance teacher organized the room and left. Now, only Elisha and Richard were left in the room.


    Richard tried to leave the room, leaving his abacus and his notes on his desk.


    Then Elisha called Richard.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to see the town with Ann after class, do you want to come with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Richard didn¡¯t even pretend to be worried about it and answered in a snap.


    ¡°See you then, Young Duke.¡±


    Ann, who came to Elisha, nodded her head when she saw Richard.


    Ann was dressed in an out-of-town suit, carrying an outdoor robe believed to belong to Elisha. Elisha asked Richard, taking the robe that Ann handed her.


    ¡°Do you want me to buy you cookies?¡±


    ¡°Only kids like those.¡±


    It was meant to be a sarcastic remark about Elisha, who loves cookies, as a child.


    ¡°You¡¯re a kid too!¡±


    Now that we¡¯re on the same boat, I hoped that we could get along well, but it seemed that Richard didn¡¯t intend to.


    Elisha looked back at Richard with a glaring look.


    ¡°Oh, really? Then I should buy some and eat it in front of your eyes. I won¡¯t give you any.¡±


    ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    Richard left the room with a rude reply.


    Elisha looked at his back nastily and turned around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ann.¡±


    ***


    A few hours into town, the wind blew fiercely. It was unusual for the clear day to become cloudy all of a sudden, it seems like it¡¯ll rain.


    Looking out the window, Richard turned to the book that he was reading again.


    Fluttering.


    Richard, who was turning the pages tastelessly, furrowed his forehead gradually.


    In fact, Richard had encountered more monsters that were becoming active in the spring than the bandits that he encountered when he came to the kingdom through the mountain path.


    ¡®But the monsters rarely came down to the private house.¡¯


    But it bothered me. A lot.


    It has been a long time since I¡¯ve been forgetful and distracted while reading. My mind was thinking too much.


    Eventually, Richard closed his book and stood up.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s really bothering me.¡±


    If monsters attack her, and if she gets hurt in the house, Albert might kick her out, saying ¡®How can you give birth to a child with that body?¡¯


    Elisha, who is currently away, is better than the other women Albert had in mind. That¡¯s the only reason I am concerned about her safety.


    Richard wore an out-of-town robe and came out of the balcony, and focused his mind.


    The wind gathered around Richard and slowly floated him towards the sky.


    Gradually getting further away from the ground, the cold air penetrated into his lungs and filled his body. It felt good because he felt like he was one with the wind.


    His altitude rose to half the height of the castle.


    Richard, who was about to step straight toward the mall, looked around the castle hastily.


    ¡®No one¡¯s there.¡¯


    Fortunately, no one was looking at him.


    Albert disliked Richard¡¯s use of flying magic.


    Flight magic is magic that requires high concentration, and if you let your guard down, you could fall and die.


    But over the past year, after coming to the Duke¡¯s residence, Richard had secretly practiced flying magic, avoiding Albert¡¯s watchful eyes, which allowed him to use it more skillfully now.


    Richard, who reaffirmed that no one was looking at him, headed toward the shopping district of Young-Ji.


    ***


    ¡°Give me this, too.¡±


    Elisha, who stopped by a grocery store in the town square, was buying various ingredients to make cookies and snacks.


    Because one of the things that Elisha envisioned after the divorce was a snack shop.


    But Albert and Richard, the owners of Rubelin, never ate any snacks.


    So there was no such thing as cookies or snacks in the Rubelin Castle. So she bought a lot of them.


    Elisha finished her purchase and left the store with a satisfied expression.


    I just bought the ingredients, but I felt reassured as if I had already reached the first stage of my business.


    Then Ann and the servant with the goods followed behind Elisha.


    But unlike a little while ago, the sky was so dark. Which is a sign of rain.


    The servants who waited in front of the carriage said with anxious expressions.


    ¡°Young Madam, with this unusual weather, it¡¯ll likely rain soon. Why don¡¯t you go home today?¡±


    ¡°The spring rain in the north is very cold unlike the spring rain of the south where my mother lived.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then we¡¯d better go back home soon. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After purchasing all the items anyway, Elisha got into the carriage with Ann.


    The carriage carrying Elisha and her company went out on the west side of the village.


    Originally, Rubelin Castle was located north of the village, so it was faster through the north gate.


    But it had been in repair for some time so they had to go back through the west gate.


    As the carriage went through the west gate and continued on for a while, the gravel began to tread off the well-polished road. The impact rattled the carriage.


    The moment she thought the rattle might have grown bigger, an urgent voice came to Elisha¡¯s ear from the outside.


    ¡°Mo-monster! A monster has appeared!¡±


    At the same time, the carriage came to a sudden halt.


    The reaction nearly caused Elisha to roll out of her seat. The situation was a bigger problem than that.


    ¡®A monster?¡¯


    As Elisha was too surprised to look out the window, the servant opened a small window leading to the horseman¡¯s seat in the carriage and shouted.


    ¡°Madam! Crawl on the floor!¡±


    Elisha and Ann were puzzled, but as the instructions of the servant, they huddled on the floor.


    Outside, there was the sound of men¡¯s cheers and the chunky sound of the blade hitting something. Soon, the sound became louder, as if someone was joining.


    It seemed that the knights and a passer-by of Rubelin were joining forces to fight the monster.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay, everything¡¯s gonna be fine.¡±


    Elisha hugged Ann, who was surprised. It was also a soothing remark.


    The two children quickly waited for the situation to pass.


    But the moment they finally calmed themselves down.


    Bam!


    An unidentified powerful force swept the carriage.


    ¡°Aaah!¡±


    Elisha and Ann fell back together along with the tilting carriage.


    The shock made me feel pain as I bumped into the wall of the carriage. My mind went into a daze.


    Elisha managed to gain consciousness and examined the surrounding situation.


    The carriage fell sideways, and Elisha and Ann were glued to the window on the left side of the carriage.


    But I couldn¡¯t get out because it was blocked by the ground.


    Elisha raised her gaze to the opposite window.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    There, a giant centipede-like monster was drooling while staring at Elisha and Ann.


    At the moment of eye contact with it, Elisha felt a terrible fear she had never felt before. She got goosebumps all over and began to tremble.


    ¡°Ma-madam¡­..¡±


    Frightened, Ann cried and hugged Elisha.


    ¡®What happened to Rubelin¡¯s knights? The servants?¡¯


    Elisha also hugged Ann and she looked at the centipede. She did not avoid the monster¡¯s eyes even though she trembled in fear.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die like this¡­!¡¯


    The centipede, looking at Elisha and Ann through a small window, broke the window and raised the main lamp.


    Elisha crouched and closed her eyes in anticipation of the imminent shock.


    But then.


    A strong wind pushed the centipede and provoked it.


    Soon after, I heard a very familiar voice.


    ¡°Your opponent is me.¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    ¡°Uggh!¡±


    The centipede¡¯s gaze turned to the direction of the voice.


    ¡®Should I get out now or keep hiding?¡¯


    Elisha, who hesitated for a moment, stepped on the cushion to look at the situation outside through the carriage window.


    ¡®Richard¡­!¡¯


    There, as expected, Richard is confronting the giant centipede.


    The centipede attacked Richard with one of its many feet.


    However, Richard avoided it, this time Richard attacked it with a shot that poisoned its mouth. The mouth of the centipede is stuck frozen on the ground.


    Lightly dodging the attack, Richard stepped on the back of the centipede and flew up and landed gently behind the centipede.


    Then the centipede, who had pulled its mouth out of the ground, looked around, unable to find Richard.


    ¡°This way.¡±


    Meanwhile, Richard gathered the damp wind to form a thunderstorm the same size as the centipede.


    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaakkk!¡±


    In the swirling thunderstorm, the centipede was struck by lightning.


    When the thunderstorm finally disappeared, only the burnt body of the centipede was left.


    Richard turned around right after confirming that the centipede is no longer moving.


    The servants, who accompanied Elisha, were taken out of the carriage and fainted, and the knights were confronting the small monsters that appeared with the giant centipede.


    When Richard¡¯s eyes met Elisha, who was barely looking out the window of the carriage, he ran to her right away.


    Then he flew to the window of the carriage and reached out to Elisha, rescuing her.


    But Elisha put Ann, who was crying in fear, ahead first.


    ¡°Get this kid out, first.¡±


    After pulling Ann out, Richard hugged and looked at Elisha, who was holding his neck.


    The small body he was hugging was still quivering.


    In the midst of fear and confusion, I also made a concession to save a child smaller than me.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know whether to say something nice or something stupid¡­..¡¯


    Richard put Elisha on the ground and examined her condition.


    ¡°Where are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    At that time, three men came up to Richard.


    ¡°Are you the Young Duke of Rubelin?¡±


    Just a while ago, the passersby were fighting the monsters.


    Only those who received the power of Rubelin could freely deal with wind and lightning, and Richard was the only heir of Rubelin who could use that power.


    So it was natural to see Richard¡¯s power and recognize him.


    Richard replied with suspicious eyes that the man¡¯s uniform had the shape of an empire engraved on it.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s right! I was on my way to the Rubelin Castle, but this coincidence¡­¡­ Thank you for saving my life.¡±


    ¡°You look like an imperial knight. What¡¯s the matter here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡±


    The man takes something out of his inner pocket and hands it to Richard.


    ¡°This is an invitation from the Emperor to the Young Duke.¡±


    It was an invitation stamped with the royal seal.


    ***


    ¡°I want to see someone who will be the future hostess of the Duke. La¡­.¡±


    Albert, who received the emperor¡¯s invitation at dinner, quickly looked it up and handed it to the butler next to him.


    Elisha carefully looked at the splendid letter in the hands of the butler.


    The purpose of the emperor¡¯s invitation was obvious.


    ¡®I¡¯m trying to make sure that the Duke made up a lie just to avoid the marriage of Richard and the empress.¡¯


    ¡®And we¡¯re trying to figure out if it¡¯s easy to remove.¡¯


    Of course, Albert would not let Elisha be removed by the emperor¡¯s hands. Not because Elisha is precious, but because of his Rubelin pride.


    ¡®And in the original, Elisha survives safely and gives birth to Hannes.¡¯


    Elisha waited silently for Albert¡¯s decision.


    Albert opened his mouth for a spoonful of soup.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad to go a few days early, since the aristocratic meeting in the final system is around that time.¡±


    The emperor won¡¯t retaliate if he doesn¡¯t accept the invitation, but avoiding the invitation was something that Rubelin¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t be wasted on.


    ¡°The puddles must have dried up in three days.¡±


    Albert, who listened to the rain outside the window while eating soup, ordered Richard and Elisha.


    ¡°We will leave for the system in four days, so be prepared.¡±


    It was a long distance from the northern province of Rubelin to the island, which took 15 days to travel by carriage.


    All the employees who were leaving with me were distressed with long journeys, but there was one who was particularly more distressed than me.


    ¡°Uggh.¡±


    For example, someone who has motion sickness.


    As soon as the carriage stopped, Ann shot down from the carriage and into the grass and vomited.


    When a young maid stopped the party on both sides of the road, everyone¡¯s eyes gunned to Ann.


    Albert also seemed unhappy with the delay.


    ¡°What a useless girl! That one thing won¡¯t tie us to the street. Stop the carriage one more time and I¡¯ll throw you away.¡±


    I had some medicine for motion sickness that I took before we left, but I had just taken it all, so I was out of them.


    The medicine for motion sickness was quite expensive, so it was not easy to get to a small village that we passed by while traveling.


    It took us half a day to get to a big village where I could get some medicine for motion sickness.


    I rode a horse and came back quickly. The sun had set and the carriage would have to stop.


    Then we would have to be forced to camp on the road, and I was reluctant to go.


    Albert was not generous enough to tolerate a single maid.


    ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t want to get motion sickness!¡±


    Elisha was dissatisfied with Albert¡¯s treatment.


    Ann was especially more sick than most adults because she was only ten years old.


    ¡°Ann, are you okay?¡±


    Elisha looked at Ann¡¯s face as she climbed onto the carriage with tears in her eyes.


    Ann crouched down in the carriage bardock, crying.


    Originally, the maids could ride in the carriage with their masters, but they couldn¡¯t sit in the same seat. The hard carriage floor was their seat.


    ¡®That would make me feel more motion sickness¡­.¡¯


    Elisha, who looked anxiously at Ann, grabbed her arm.


    ¡°Ann, sit here.¡±


    The place Elisha pointed to was the seat next to hers. Ann shook her head in amazement.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    ¡°Come on up.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Ann hesitated. If anyone sees this, they¡¯ll get in big trouble.


    But Elisha covered the windows on both sides of the carriage with curtains and urged Ann.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    Ann quietly sat in the chair, looking at Richard who was sitting across from Elisha.


    Richard, who had been awake a while ago, was closing his eyes to fall asleep.


    Ann then sat next to Elisha, while pretending she couldn¡¯t win.


    Elisha looked at Richard for a moment and moved to the seat next to him. Then passed a cushion to Ann.


    ¡°Lie down and get some sleep. You¡¯ll feel better when you fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t¨C¡±


    Elisha put her index finger on her lips before she could say anything more, pointing to Richard by her eyes.


    Ann looked at Elisha with a tearful look, and when she saw the finger on Elisha¡¯s mouth, she laid reluctantly on the chair.


    Only then did Elisha smile contentedly at Ann.


    ¡®Young Madam is such an angel.¡¯


    Ann could be sure that Elisha is the prettiest person she¡¯s ever met.


    Maybe for the rest of her life.


    Ann fell asleep looking at Elisha. There was a regular breathing sound in the tranquil carriage.


    Elisha, who was gazing at Ann, said in a low voice.


    ¡°Thank you for closing your eyes.¡±


    Richard, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes to the voice.


    ¡°¡­It will be wider than the Enril Sea.¡±


    The ¡°Enril Sea¡± was a huge sea between the West and the East.


    Elisha, now accustomed to Richard¡¯s way of speaking, grinned and retorted.


    ¡°The same is for you who closed your eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you my accomplice?¡±


    Instead of replying to Elisha, Richard started reading the book next to him.


    How long has it been?


    Richard was about to open the next page when a light weight crushed on his shoulders. It was Elisha¡¯s head, who had fallen asleep.


    The soft blonde hair tickled the neck of Richard.


    I didn¡¯t hate the feeling.


    Richard, who had been stiff for a while, closed his eyes again.


    ***


    The carriage of the Duke of Rubelin arrived in the islands shortly after 15 days.


    There were many mansions in the system where nobles came up from the nature of each territory and stayed, among which the Duke of Rubelin in Seodo was the largest and most splendid of them.


    But Elisha, exhausted by a long journey of 15 days, fell asleep as soon as they arrived.


    The next day, she brought a bunch of things that the designer had completed by making the dress according to Elisha¡¯s body size, which he had already measured and sent.


    That¡¯s why Elisha spent a day doing a fashion show without any time to relieve her fatigue.


    And finally, the day to go to the Imperial Palace was bright.


    The designers and maids, who were in the mansion in advance, began grooming Elisha as soon as she finished her breakfast.


    ¡°How can you be so fine!¡±


    After hours of grooming, the designer seemed to be very pleased with the results he worked on.


    ¡°You look like a princess doll.¡±


    ¡°Once Richard sees you he¡¯ll fall in love.¡±


    The other maids, who were usually silent, also helped out one by one.


    ¡®Waahhh¡­¡¯


    Usually, she would¡¯ve let it go, but today, Elisha couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the mirror.


    The girl in the mirror was wearing a light pink dress like a petal.


    Her fine blonde hair was plastered to one side, and a feather hat was used on top of it to create a spring picnic feel.


    Her small, white, big soft eyes, and lips remained the same, but she looked different.


    By the time she had finished changing, the door opened and someone walked in.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    ¡°Is the grooming still proceeding?¡±


    ¡°It just ended, Sir.¡±


    Albert skimmed through Elisha¡¯s attire.


    The designer waited for Albert¡¯s response nervously.


    Albert, who looked at Elisha for a moment, commented in a dry voice.


    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s a skill worthy of the title Best Designer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much. Isn¡¯t it only possible when the model is good?¡±


    The designer sneaked up on Elisha by praising her.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Elisha followed Albert out of the room, being seen off by designers and maids.


    ¡°Now that you have this position, you must act wisely so that no disgrace falls on our family.¡±


    Albert did not look back at Elisha, but it was clear who the voice was directed at.


    ¡°There are plenty of women who can replace you.¡±


    Elisha breathed heavily and answered in her mind.


    ¡®Since I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here to stay.¡¯


    When Albert and Elisha arrived at the lobby on the first floor, a huge crowd was felt upstairs.


    Looking towards the crowd, Richard was coming down.


    Richard was wearing a hat embroidered with gold thread, and a half-exposed blue coat.


    The blue coat had a Rubelin-shaped badge made of gold, which was the same as the one on Elisha¡¯s chest.


    We¡¯re the Rubelin.


    It was a sign that was seen at a glance.


    ¡®He¡¯s always had a good face, but today it¡¯s even better.¡¯


    To the point where the person next to him is intimidated.


    Elisha looked at Richard as if she was possessed.


    Richard, who was walking down the stairs with his usual cool eyes, stopped when he found Elisha under the stairway. At the same time, his eyes seemed to be subtly shaken.


    Richard turned his gaze away from Elisha. Standing next to her, he never looked at Elisha.


    ¡®Is there something wrong with me?¡¯


    Elisha wondered why Richard changed his attitude. He would normally stare at her with an unkind look.


    The carriage arrived.


    ¡°Well then, after you.¡±


    The butler and Richard¡¯s servants saw off all three of them.


    First, the carriage carrying Albert departed, followed by the carriage carrying Elisha and Richard.


    Elisha only stared out the window at the scenery passing by.


    I felt uncomfortable because I felt that Richard, who had been avoiding my eyes, started staring at me again.


    ¡®Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look pretty?¡¯


    When I thought so, the corners of my mouth crept up. I wanted to pick up a little bit of Richard, who always says mean things to me.


    Elisha turned to Richard with a bleak look after a big, empty cough.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Do you have something to say to me?¡±


    Elisha expected a shy response from Richard.


    But, as if waiting, Richard reached out and removed the seams from Elisha¡¯s side. It¡¯s out¡­


    ¡®It was really buried!¡¯


    Embarrassed, Elisha felt like hiding in a rat hole.


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡±


    Elisha, who wanted to quickly forget her mistake, rolled her head for a moment, and recalled what Albert had said a while ago, and turned the subject to the other side.


    ¡°Richard. What kind of people are the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess?¡±


    When Elisha asked, Richard frowned and answered in a cold voice.


    ¡°Garbage.¡±


    It was a simple and clear answer.


    After a while, the carriage arrived in front of the Imperial hunting ground.


    ***


    When Elisha got off the carriage, the nobles who had already arrived looked at her in unison.


    Elisha just responded silently to them.


    Although she was young, she was definitely the next hostess of the Duke, so she had to be modest but not humble.


    ¡®This is too much¡­¡¯


    Elisha thought of Albert and pretended to be okay, but she felt uncomfortable with the many eyes that poured on her.


    ¡°Long time no see, Duke.¡±


    The nobles bowed silently to Elisha and gathered around Albert.


    Even if Elisha was to be the hostess of the Duke, she was still young, so there was no need to stand up and look down.


    Then came two other carriages. It was a carriage with the imperial emblem on it.


    The front carriage had the Emperor and the Crown Prince; the back carriage, which was lowered, had the Empress and the Crown Princess.


    The Emperor, Prince, and Empress¡¯ heads were like the color of a flame, as the title of ¡®The Red Flame¡¯s Cairot.¡¯


    ¡°See the burning flames of Arencia.¡±


    The nobles all prepared courtesy to the Emperor and his family.


    Elisha also bowed to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see your faces on this warm spring day after a harsh winter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s heartwarming to see you both at peace.¡±


    When the Emperor first went to meet them, the nobles greeted him one by one.


    Likewise, the Empress, who was greeting the ladies, suddenly found Elisha and said.


    ¡°Is that child the Rubelin¡¯s next hostess?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Answered Albert.


    The Empress¡¯ eyes narrowed as she looked at Elisha.


    Elisha came forward as if she had waited and bowed her head.


    ¡°Elisha of Rubelin meets Arencia¡¯s Empress.¡±


    ¡°I thought the child of Loengrin would look like a Southern Hillbilly, but now that I see it, you look like a fair young lady. ¡°


    ¡°You look pretty good.¡±


    At the words of the Empress, Prince Christian, who was listening next to her, nodded and helped.


    To refer to Elisha as a ¡®Hillbilly¡¯, who was born and raised on Loengrin was a definite language that looked down on Elisha.


    However, there was no great impression on Elisha as she did not have any memories or attachments to the place.


    Of course, apart from that fact, I felt bad.


    ¡°Micaela, you will teach this child a lot of institutional life.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    ¡°How can my daughter be so kind-hearted!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s only natural as a princess.¡±


    Elisha clicked her tongue, seeing the Empress and the Princess flirting with each other.


    By the time the nobles had finished greeting the Emperor and the Empress, a table was set up nearby.


    The table was divided into adult and children¡¯s seats.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Christian took the aristocratic children into the children¡¯s seats.


    There, under the white awning, were tables lined with delicious foods.


    Elisha, who was about to sit down, looked back in wonder when she saw the other children not sitting.


    ¡°Ansel, long time no see? Why are you here so late? I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±


    Christian, with an exaggerated sad look, put his arm around Ansel, Count of Arden.


    Ansel was groaning with his gaze on the ground as if he was afraid of Christian.


    It was never seen by anyone as a contact between close friends.


    Elisha recalled what Richard said in the carriage.


    ¡®Richard. What kind of people are the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess?¡¯


    ¡®Garbage.¡¯


    The other children looked as if they had been scolded.


    Although Richard was watching him with a cold look, he did not stop him.


    ¡°Now, this is your seat.¡±


    Christian seated Ansel at the edge of the table, and he went to the top seat opposite him and sat down.


    ¡°This is my seat. Can you see it well if you do this?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Next to it sits Count Mullet, opposite¡­¡±


    Christian was giving the children their own seats.


    The children he likes are close to him, while the children he doesn¡¯t like are far away.


    Christian¡¯s fingers, as he swept through the children, stopped at Elisha.


    ¡°I would like to have Mrs. Rubelin to sit there as I still don¡¯t know you.¡±


    It meant that he would have to have to change my seat because I saw what he was doing to Ansel.


    ¡®The father of the future heir is trash.¡¯


    Elisha sat down, with Christian on the inside.


    Christian, who is the father of the future heir and absolute imperial, has not inherited the power of Cairot.


    As a result, he later became a pathetic loser who felt inferior to his son, who inherited the power of the family.


    ¡®Male lead¡¯s dad is not often a proper rascal. Most people die early, or even if they¡¯re alive, they¡¯re rubbish.¡¯


    Elisha had a burning desire to hit Christian right away, but endured it because it would not be a ¡®wise behavior of a Rubelin.¡¯


    It was then.


    That Richard, who was standing next to Elisha, sat next to her.


    One eyebrow of Christian raised when he saw it.


    ¡°Richard, is your seat there?¡±


    Christian pointed to a seat right next to him.


    But Richard responded with a dry voice.


    ¡°My wife is here, so this is my seat.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the other kids who were surprised. Elisha also looked at Richard with surprised eyes.


    ¡®Why are you suddenly on my side¡­¡¯


    He even used the unfamiliar word ¡®wife¡¯ that he had never mentioned before.


    Christian, who paused at Richard¡¯s answer, laughed at him.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re already out of your league? Just like the rest of you.¡±


    When Christian laughed, the children laughed after Christian. It was a grotesque sight.


    Elisha was worried that Christian might bother Richard because he was against his will, but Christian unexpectedly respected his choice.


    ¡°Well, if you say so, you should sit there. To the rest of you, sit in the order that was given.¡±


    When everyone was seated, the meal began.


    Christian personally poured the grape juice brought by the servant into the glasses then gave it back to the servant.


    ¡°The first glass, of course, should be given first to friends who have come a long way.¡±


    The servant approached Ansel with a glass full of grape juice.


    Then, he hesitated for a moment, closed his eyes tightly, and poured the wine-juice on Ansel¡¯s head.


    It was obviously intentional.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    ¡°What is this¡­!¡± Elisha, who sat right next to Ansel, was startled and looked around. But she was the only one that was surprised.


    The servant, who poured the juice, apologized as he bowed his head to Ansel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Watching the situation, Christian stood up and slapped the servant¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you to bring it carefully. You are such a careless bastard.¡±


    Christian pushed the servant away and bent over to Ansel to check his condition. At first glance, he seemed like a person who was genuinely worried. ¡°Sorry, sorry. He¡¯s a little bit shaky. Oh, I¡¯m sorry, what should I do?¡±


    But immediately after that, the sound of a crazed laugh escaped from Christian¡¯s mouth, who seemed to be worried about Ansel just now. ¡°Pffft. But you look better with purple hair. How about washing your hair with grape juice in the future?¡±


    ¡°Ahahahaha!¡±


    At Christian¡¯s words, Princess Michaela burst into laughter. Then the other children began to laugh awkwardly. There were many children who forced their laugh and reluctantly smiled even though it was not funny. The only ones who didn¡¯t laugh were Elisha, Richard, and Ansel.


    ¡®You¡¯re not crazy, are you?¡¯ Elisha, who was watching the situation as if she was dumbfounded, pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Ansel. ¡°Here, wipe it with this.¡±


    Ansel looked at Elisha with surprise. He was not the only one who was surprised by Elisha¡¯s kindness. Christian, too, was staring at Elisha with a stunned look. Elisha wiped Ansel¡¯s face since he didn¡¯t receive her handkerchief.


    Then Christian¡¯s face became subtly distorted. But soon he burst into laughter. ¡°The Duchess has a kind heart.¡± Christian instructed the servant to bring the grape juice bottle and an empty glass.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pour a drink for the Duchess.¡± At that moment, Christian moved stealthily and tried to pour the grape juice over Elisha¡¯s head.


    ¡°Kyaa.¡±


    Suddenly, a strong wind blew and protected Elisha. The wind was strong enough to even make a person stumble. Christian, reeled by the wind, spilled the grape juice on his own clothes. He tried to shake it off, but his clothes had turned purple.


    ¡°You crazy!¡± Christian picked up a glass of grape juice and threw it at Richard.


    And Richard avoided it and he caught Elisha¡¯s feather hat to prevent it from flying away.


    ¡°You did it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Richard looked at Christian indifferently, and he didn¡¯t reply.


    At this rate, Christian would likely hit Richard. Christian, who was hot-tempered, used to beat his servants and maids even if he was just a little irritated by them. The servant who knew Christian¡¯s personality grabbed him quickly to stop him.


    ¡°Yo-your Highness, you need to change your clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Not letting go?¡± Christian, who couldn¡¯t beat Richard, slapped the innocent servant¡¯s cheek. But the servant didn¡¯t give in and stopped him desperately. No matter how much power Christian has as the Crown Prince, no good would come about from touching Richard, the successor of Rubelin.


    In the end, Christian was taken away by his servant. While Princess Michaela, who was standing at a distance, followed him a beat late. ¡°Bro-brother!¡±


    The mealtime became peaceful when the cause of the disturbance disappeared. The bewildered children¡¯s eyes were directed at Ansel, Elisha, and Richard, who were involved in the incident. Richard didn¡¯t care about the gazes and just walked away. Ansel¡¯s voice stopped Elisha as she tried to follow after him.


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not something to thank for.¡± Elisha received the gratitude with an awkward face and resumed following Richard immediately after picking up two delicious sandwiches on the table.


    ¡°Richard.¡± Elisha called for Richard, but he didn¡¯t stop walking. Fortunately, she was able to catch up quickly. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Rubelin. That¡¯s why I helped.¡±


    ¡°I know. You helped me anyway.¡± Elisha grinned and handed one of the sandwiches to Richard. ¡°Thank you, husband.¡±


    Richard, who was walking indifferently, stopped. Elisha looked up curiously as Richard turned his gaze toward her. Richard, who became stiff for a while, grabbed the sandwich handed by Elisha and turned around to resume walking.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ Elisha tilted her head bewilderedly, not noticing that Richard¡¯s ears had turned red.


    *****


    After the meal, the Emperor, Crown Prince and Nobles entered the forest to begin hunting. There were quite a few older boys in the group, including Richard and Christian. In the meantime, Elisha was supposed to enjoy the teatime with the noblewomen and other young ladies, but she excused herself to clean the stain caused by grape juice on her dress.


    When Elisha and Ann entered the forest, one of the knights that guarded the entrance of the forest accompanied them. After some time, the knight who was following Elisha and Ann stopped walking.


    The knight decided not to accompany them further because she might need to take off her dress. Though Elisha was still young, it was impolite to see a lady wearing only a petticoat.


    ¡°After turning left, you¡¯ll find a valley if you just walk a little further. There are yellow ribbons tied to the trees along the way, so it¡¯ll be easy for you to find it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re guarding this royal hunting ground, so it¡¯s safe, but if anything comes up, please call me. I¡¯ll be nearby.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Elisha and Ann left the knight and went a little further into the forest. As the knight said, there was a valley not far away. Elisha took off her dress. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to take it off because it was a dress for children.


    ¡°Ummm, it can¡¯t be washed off completely.¡± Ann carefully rubbed the hem of the dress in the water, but some stains on the dress remained.


    Elisha tried to do it herself but the result was the same. ¡°It was pretty, but there¡¯s nothing to be done.¡± Elisha felt sorry as she wore the slightly stained dress again.


    At that time, they heard a voice not far away.


    ¡°¡­ Be alert.¡±


    ¡®Where did the voice come from?¡¯


    Elisha and Ann made eye contact and approached the source of the voice. The sound of the horse was also heard from the side of a small cliff, which was about twice the height of an adult, below the valley.


    They saw three men in black. Those men had no royal or noble family crest on their attires.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? How can they be in the royal hunting ground?¡¯ I felt a sense of foreboding. Elisha laid flat on the ground.


    Ann, who was next to her, also did the same.


    Fortunately, those men did not seem to sense the presence of the girls. It seemed that the sound from a small waterfall near the cliff clouded their presence. One of the men with a knife scar on one of his eyebrows took the lead and said, ¡°Remember, the target is the successor of Rubelin.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Elisha and Ann blocked the gasping sound from escaping their mouths with their hands.


    The men quickly went into the forest and disappeared.


    Elisha, who was holding her breath, rose to her feet. ¡®Richard¡¯s in danger!¡¯ I don¡¯t know the details, but something dangerous might happen to Richard. She couldn¡¯t prevent it on her own, so she needed to ask for someone¡¯s help quickly. Elisha and Ann rushed out of the forest entrance to where the knight was waiting.


    ¡°Sir! Now on the hunting ground¡­¡­¡­!¡± Out of breath, Elisha paused as she tried to tell the knight about those suspicious men. ¡®What if¡­ what if those suspicious men were sent by the Emperor?¡¯


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Then, she shouldn¡¯t tell the royal knight about it. ¡°Oh, nothing. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Elisha shook her head and laughed as if nothing happened. They hurried out of the forest with the knight.


    ¡®I need to find the Duke.¡¯


    Even if the Duke doesn¡¯t really care about Richard, he was the only one here who would consider Richard¡¯s safety as the top priority. But when they left the forest, the nobles who went hunting did not return yet. Both Albert and Richard were nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Milady, what do we do now?¡± asked Ann as she stamped her feet.


    Elisha, who had been thinking for a while, headed toward the Rubelin carriage. There were Rubelin knights that accompanied Albert near it. She recognized some of the knights that she was familiar with and the rest were new faces that she saw for the first time today.


    The knights, who were chilling around and playing jokes with each other, asked Elisha as she approached them with a grim look.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Milady?¡±


    ¡°Richard is in danger. We need your help.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Please find Richard in the forest quickly and protect him.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s words made the knights bewildered for a moment. Then they burst into laughter.


    ¡°In the royal hunting ground that is guarded by the best knights of the Empire? Did Milady just have a dream?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dream. I saw it too.¡±


    As the knights giggled and laughed at Elisha, Ann, who was next to her, supported her claim with a small voice. But the knights seemed reluctant to follow Elisha¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, just go back and enjoy your teatime¡­¡±


    Elisha ignored the knights that were trying to send her away and stepped forward with a determined look. ¡°Of course, as you said, my claim can be just a dream. I¡¯ll be glad if that¡¯s the case, but what if my claim is true? What if something happened to the Duke¡¯s successor? Do you think the Duke won¡¯t hold you responsible for that?¡±


    Elisha¡¯s voice sounded chilly as she uttered those words. Her expression was also cold. The knights flinched at her words.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t swear allegiance to me, so there¡¯s no reason to follow my orders. And¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°You swore the oath of blood to protect Rubelin with your lives. Keep that oath.¡±


    [t/n: Hello, I¡¯m Anna. I took over the translation for this novel after the previous translator decided to drop it because I like this novel, and I am curious to see how it goes. My translation style is a bit different, so I hope you guys will be okay with it.]

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    After Elisha finished talking, she mounted the horse next to her. The only time she rode a horse was when she took a basic horse-riding lesson during a school trip, but it was too slow to find Richard on foot now. Fortunately, Elisha¡¯s body remembered how to ride a horse, so she skillfully took the reins.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Elisha said as she kicked the horse in the ribs.


    The horse ran straight ahead upon Elisha¡¯s command.


    ¡°Milady!¡± The knights were surprised by her sudden action.


    Elisha heard them calling her, but she didn¡¯t look back. ¡®They¡¯ll surely follow me to protect me.¡¯ After all, she was a precious pawn to Albert. She believed that the knights would never let her get hurt. As Elisha galloped into the forest, the knights followed her as expected.


    ¡®In the original story, Richard would live well until he became a father to Hades¡­¡¯


    However, there were many variables that could change the original story. The fact that she possessed Elisha¡¯s body might be one of the variables that could make the future deviate from the original story. No one knew where and to what extent the original story would change.


    It was when Elisha and the knights were wandering in the forest for a long time looking for Richard¡­


    ¡®Wind?¡¯


    A strong wind from the inner part of the forest disheveled Elisha¡¯s hair.


    ¡®This¡­ is Richard¡¯s wind!¡¯ Elisha kicked the horse¡¯s side one more time and turned the reins toward the left.


    ¡°This way!¡±


    Elisha and the knights followed the direction of the wind into the forest. The wind grew stronger as they went in. Eventually, even Elisha, who was riding a horse, was shaken.


    ¡®Something must¡¯ve happened to Richard.¡¯ Elisha¡¯s mind grew anxious. She rode the horse faster. Being closer to the center of the wind, the strong wind caused Elisha¡¯s hair to become messy and blocked her view.


    When she managed to clear her view, she finally could see the wind clearly. She was stunned. There was a huge whirlwind at the center of the forest. The flying men in the vortex wore the same clothes as the suspicious men that Elisha saw before. Some of the surrounding grass and trees were also swept away by the whirlwind. And at the center of the whirlwind, there was¡­


    ¡®Richard¡­¡¯


    His red eyes looked fierce as if they were full of blood. Elisha had never seen him like this before.


    There were a few gunmen nearby who were not caught by the wind used their crossbows to shoot Richard but their attacks were deflected by his violent wind. When all of their attacks failed, the bewildered gunmen retreated.


    Then, Richard opened his mouth. The wind was so strong that Elisha couldn¡¯t hear his voice, but she could understand what he said as she observed his mouth.


    ¡®Die.¡¯


    At that moment, Richard¡¯s wind stopped instantly. Then flying men in the vortex fell on the ground at once. Not long after, terrible screams broke out everywhere.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Some lucky gunmen only broke their arms and legs while the unlucky ones broke their necks. It was a terrible ending. Seeing the miserable end of their colleagues, the surviving gunmen ran away in horror.


    The bewildered Rubelin knights quickly went after the gunmen. ¡°Stop there!¡±


    The gunmen disappeared, and Richard¡¯s wind stopped completely. At that moment, Elisha¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the wounds on Richard¡¯s shoulder and torso. ¡®The wounds¡­¡¯


    The wounds were quite deep, and there was quite a lot of blood where Richard stood. However, his expression was calm. It seems like he didn¡¯t feel any pain inflicted by the wounds on his shoulders and torso.


    ¡°You monster¡­¡± Christian, who was watching the scene nearby, murmured and backed away with frightened eyes.


    Behind Christian were the other royals and nobles who joined the hunt. Among them were the Emperor and Albert.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°How did the assassins manage to enter the Imperial Hunting Ground?¡±


    Like Christian, the nobles stared at Richard in astonishment and awe. The Emperor also looked at Richard with a surprised look on his face.


    Richard, who stood alone among the fallen gunmen and looked at the nobles and the Emperor, eventually collapsed as he was unable to endure the wounds anymore.


    ¡°Richard!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Richard!¡±


    Along with Rubelin¡¯s knights, Elisha ran and hugged the collapsed Richard. She quickly checked Richard¡¯s condition.


    ¡®It¡¯s worse than I thought.¡¯ Elisha¡¯s eyes quivered as she looked at Richard¡¯s wounds. It was the first time to see someone close to her bled so much in front of her eyes. The fear that someone who had been talking to her a while ago might die was much greater than she imagined.


    ¡°Hurry up, we need to treat him immediately¡­¡± Elisha looked at Albert pleadingly, who came closer before she realized it.


    However, he only looked at Richard emotionlessly, not responding to Elisha¡¯s plea. Instead, the Rubelin¡¯s knights were the ones who rushed to stop Richard¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Highness! Are you alright?¡±


    At that time, the Knight Commander of royal knights, who came to the scene belatedly, checked the Emperor¡¯s and Christian¡¯s safety immediately.


    The Emperor asked with a grimace. ¡°Some outsiders had broken into the Royal Hunting Ground. What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, my apologies. The royal knights were certainly guarding the royal hunting ground¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°I asked how they managed to break into here.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get to the bottom of the situation as soon as possible.¡± The Knight Commander, who had been making excuses, hurriedly bowed his head when he realized the meaning behind the Emperor¡¯s question.


    In the meantime, the royal knights tried to control the situation by preventing the curious noble sons who were snooping around to take a closer look at the incident scene.


    Albert, who had been silent, stepped forward to the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, I would like to ask a favor.¡±


    The Emperor looked at Albert inquiringly.


    ¡°Please allow me to investigate the truth behind this incident.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. This incident happened in the Royal Hunting Ground. I¡¯m going to find out for myself what kind of insane man dared to do.¡±


    ¡°He is the only child with my blood. My child almost died here. I truly hope that Your Majesty would allow this desperate grandfather to find the truth behind this incident that almost killed my only grandson.¡±


    The Emperor raised one of his eyebrows. The hidden meaning of Albert¡¯s words were indicating that he could not entrust the investigation completely to the Emperor. It also meant that he suspected that the Emperor could also be the one behind this incident.


    ¡°Please allow me to get to the bottom of this incident and make them pay for their action.¡±


    The Emperor looked at Albert, who was lowering his head, with cold eyes. There were too many eyes around. If he stubbornly declined the Duke¡¯s plea, the Royal Family would be suspected of being the one who ordered the assassination. Eventually, the Emperor opened his mouth reluctantly. ¡°Alright, you have my permission to do so.¡±


    *****


    In the end, the hunt fell through. The envoy of the Duke of Rubelin returned to the Dukedom with Richard.


    ¡°I¡¯ve stopped the bleeding, and luckily the wounds weren¡¯t too deep, so don¡¯t worry too much. But don¡¯t let him overdo it for a while.¡± The doctor who treated Richard left the room after saying so.


    ¡°Then, please call me if you need anything, Milady.¡±


    The servants also went out. Only Richard and Elisha were left in the room. Elisha sat by the bedside and watched Richard quietly.


    ¡®Was it really done by the Royal Family?¡¯


    But it happened in the Imperial Hunting Ground. It would be too obvious if they kill Richard there. Anyone who knew the bad relationship between the Royal Family and Rubelin dukedom would naturally suspect the Imperial Family first.


    ¡°The Duke also looked suspicious.¡±


    Albert only briefly took a glance at Richard¡¯s condition at the hunting ground, but when he arrived at the Dukedom, he immediately ordered Rubelin¡¯s knights to investigate the truth behind the incident.


    He didn¡¯t even come when the doctor treated Richard. Is he really Richard¡¯s biological grandfather? When she saw him use his power to investigate the incident, he looked like a real grandfather but¡­ how can he be so indifferent toward Richard?¡¯


    When Elisha pouted her mouth as she thought about Albert¡¯s attitude, she heard a knock. Elisha opened the door in wonder. ¡°Ann?¡±


    Ann was standing at the door. It seemed like she ran on her way here, and somehow, her face looked terrified.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°M-mi-milady, I have something to tell you.¡± Ann looked tacitly into the room.


    Elisha became confused, but she decided to let Ann in for now. Ann locked her door as soon as she entered the room. There was something unusual about the atmosphere.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°M-Milady. I¡­ I just heard that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°About the one who made the Young Master become like that.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s eyes, who was staring at Ann, widened.


    Anne took a deep breath and went on again. ¡°The one who attacked the Young Master¡­¡±

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    After hearing Ann¡¯s story, Elisha sent the maid away and sat down again by the bedside. Elisha looked at Richard with anxious eyes.


    (t/n: [¡­] means the dialogue happened in the past)


    [The one who hurt the Young Master is the Duke.]


    [¡­What?]


    [I was leaving the kitchen just, and I saw that there was a guest who came to see the Duke.]


    [At this late hour?]


    [The guest was¡­that man. The man with a scar on his eyebrow that we saw on the hunting ground today.]


    [¡­¡­!]


    [So, I followed him secretly and eavesdropped their conversation in the Duke¡¯s office]


    Upon hearing Ann¡¯s story, Elisha finally figured out the most doubtful parts of today¡¯s incident. The reason why the incident happened at the royal hunting ground, why can¡¯t anyone guess who was behind this, why did Albert ask the Emperor to investigate the case, and why did he order the attack. And lastly, why didn¡¯t Albert check Richard¡¯s condition properly.


    ¡®He did this to show off Rubelin¡¯s power.¡¯ Using Richard, he wanted to show that Rubelin was still powerful.


    ¡®Crazy. How could he do that to his own grandson¡­¡¯ Elisha bit her lower lip. She shuddered at the thought that Albert knew Richard was going to get hurt but not to the point causing his grandson¡¯s death. It was clearly an abuse.


    ¡®Should I tell Richard about this?¡¯ Elisha hesitated. ¡®If Richard finds out, he might leave the Duke. If that happens, I¡¯ll¡­¡¯ If Richard abandoned the Dukedom, Albert would no longer have a reason to keep her here. If she was kicked out of the Dukedom, she would be sent to the orphanage. Otherwise, she would wander around the streets. Her cozy life would end.


    ¡®Still¡­ I have to let him know.¡¯ Even if her cozy life would end like this. Even if Richard¡¯s heart would be hurt when he knew about this. She couldn¡¯t let Richard live with his only family without knowing what kind of danger he was in. Such a life would be too harsh for him.


    Then, Richard¡¯s fingertips flinched and he opened his eyes. Even in the dim light, his red eyes could be seen clearly. Richard, who was staring at Elisha, looked around and turned his gaze toward her again as if he understood the situation.


    Elisha asked, ¡°How are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    Elisha, who was about to say, ¡°I heard something so shocking that I can¡¯t even fall asleep,¡± quickly changed her words and replied, ¡°Because I am busy nursing my injured husband. You¡¯re thankful, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I should earn brownie points at times like this. Elisha decided to take credit for her efforts in taking care of Richard all day. In fact, all she did was only sit beside him.


    ¡®Well, this is the only room that I could stay in¡­ I don¡¯t want to think about that.¡¯ At Elisha¡¯s words, Richard quickly avoided making eye contact. His ears turned red, but Elisha couldn¡¯t see them because of the dim light. Avoiding Elisha¡¯s gaze, he laid down, turning his back toward Elisha, and said curtly, ¡°¡­No need to do that, just go to sleep.¡± ¡®No matter how much you care about me.¡¯


    Elisha clicked her tongue inwardly at Richard¡¯s brusqueness. Then suddenly, she remembered that she had something to tell Richard. ¡°Richard, you know. There¡¯s something you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡± Without looking back, Richard answered half-heartedly.


    Elisha hesitated for a moment and opened her mouth. ¡°The person who hurt you¡­ is your grandfather.¡±


    Richard didn¡¯t show any reaction. As he was turning his back toward Elisha, she couldn¡¯t guess how he felt or see what expression he made.


    Elisha, who was waiting for Richard¡¯s reaction, continued after a while. ¡°I went to the valley and saw some suspicious men. It turned out that they were the ones who attacked you. Ann told me that she saw one of them just came to the mansion and met with the Duke.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ I thought you should know.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I know. I know how he thinks and what kind of person he is.¡± Richard¡¯s voice was as calm as if he was talking about others.


    Elisha¡¯s eyes shook at Richard¡¯s firm words. She thought Richard would be shocked when he heard about this. On the contrary, Elisha was the one who felt shocked at his calm reply. Staring blankly at Richard, Elisha asked carefully. ¡°You live in this house knowing that?¡±


    ¡°I came to this house knowing that.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Richard, who had been answering Elisha¡¯s questions a moment ago, stopped talking. Elisha silently waited for Richard¡¯s answer.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m an illegitimate child.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Half of my blood is commoner¡¯s.¡±


    Richard was an illegitimate child born between the Duke¡¯s son and a commoner woman. After his birth, Richard was raised by his maternal uncle outside the Dukedom. His uncle took him in to extort money from his father, but Albert ignored him, saying that Richard was not his own flesh and blood.


    ¡°When my father was alive, the Duke couldn¡¯t kill me.¡±


    And on the day his uncle went to meet his father, an unidentified man broke into the house. The motive was clear. Albert intended to eliminate the disgrace of his son from the world.


    Richard was dramatically saved, but his uncle, who realized Albert¡¯s intention, abandoned his nephew in fear and fled. Richard, who was left alone, infiltrated several guilds to survive by avoiding the Rubelin¡¯s eyes. One day when he was 14, his grandfather, who wanted to kill him so much, came.


    ¡°However, after my father died, he came to see me. He wanted me to be his successor.¡±


    Albert needed a grandson to continue his family¡¯s legacy instead of his dead son. Although Richard¡¯s blood was half commoner, he was eligible enough to become the successor of the Dukedom since half of his blood was inherited from Albert.


    Albert didn¡¯t want to leave the legacy of Rubelin Dukedom, which he devoted his whole life to, without a successor. Furthermore, in the future, the blood of Richard¡¯s son and the power of his family would become extremely strong, enough to threaten the Royal Family.


    Richard laughed when he realized Albert¡¯s intention. The man, who tried to kill him so much, was now scared of losing his life. Isn¡¯t it funny? He wondered what would happen if he killed himself before Albert¡¯s eyes, but he changed his mind.


    ¡°I come here to ruin this family with my own hands.¡±


    Elisha stared blankly at Richard, who said such words casually. ¡®I thought it was just one of the difficult times.¡¯ I felt sorry for misunderstanding him without knowing anything.


    At the same time, I was grateful to Richard for telling me about this though it was difficult for him. If he told me this, it meant that he trusted me. ¡®I can¡¯t believe they forced a kid like this to have a child¡­¡¯ That¡¯s why he hated Elisha and Hess so much in the original story. Elisha pulled Richard¡¯s arm toward her.


    Surprised, Richard turned to her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Elisha held Richard¡¯s hand like a handshake. ¡°I¡¯ll be on your side.¡± Elisha smiled and shook her hand. She wanted to help her young husband, who was holding out for revenge in this Duke¡¯s mansion where no one was on his side. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±


    Richard looked at Elisha and his hand held by her with a puzzled look. He couldn¡¯t bear to push away her firm little hand and her face smiling brightly at him.


    *****


    ¡°I come upon your call, Your Majesty.¡±


    Early in the morning, Marquis Felice, the Emperor¡¯s prospective in-law, entered the Emperor¡¯s bedroom.


    Emperor Roam had not dressed properly yet. He was still wearing a comfortable gown while talking casually to the chess as he waited. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    The Marquis sat across from the Emperor with courtesy. A few chess pieces were already rolling on the floor. Among them, the pawn stood out right in front of the nearest compartment of the enemy camp. Roam stared at the pawn and remembered what Christian had said to him last night.


    ¡®You have to kill that monstrous bastard in advance, Father! If we keep him alive, he¡¯ll become a threat to us.¡¯


    Roam recalled the image of Richard he had seen on the hunting ground a few days ago. Using the violent whirlwind, Richard easily dealt with several assassins. It was certainly an overwhelming strength.


    ¡®Storm of Rubelin. That title fits the monster perfectly.¡¯


    Roam felt a sense of crisis in his power. And the sense of crisis grew since he heard that the number of aristocrats who visited the Duke of Rubelin had increased since the incident.


    ¡®Those foxlike bastards.¡¯


    The aristocrats were like cunning foxes, so when they saw someone with more power, they would stick themselves to that person to get more benefits. The fact that they flocked to the Duke of Rubelin meant that he was stronger than the Imperial Family.


    Roam¡¯s fingers tapped the pawn. The eyes of Marquis Felice naturally turned toward it.


    ¡°Laymore, what will you do with a pawn that might become a queen in the future?¡±


    The eyes of the Marquis, who realized whom Roam means by ¡®pawn¡¯, shone in a flash. He replied with a smile as if he had been waiting, waited, ¡°Of course, Your Majesty should get rid of it. If Your Majesty leaves him alone, he¡¯ll definitely get in Your Majesty¡¯s way.¡±


    ¡°But what if there¡¯s no justification, and I can¡¯t forcibly get rid of it?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty could just make one.¡±


    ¡°Make it?¡±


    ¡°Using the Brothers¡¯ Pledge, Your Majesty.¡±


    The Brothers¡¯ Pledge was a pledge between four great families who contributed to the founding of the Arencia Empire. The contents of the pledge were as follows.


    Cairot, Rubelin, Serriott, and Esther shared brotherhood. If the three families rebelled for justified reasons, the Royal Family could not execute them, and if the Royal Family asked for help, the three families had to defend the Royal Family no matter what.


    According to the pledge, they can¡¯t kill the Duke directly, but they can kill the Duke¡¯s successor. Marquis Felice smirked like a sly snake. ¡°That¡¯s a good way to use the pledge.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    A few days later, around lunchtime.


    Elisha was reviewing the abacus with Richard as he was lying on the bed. Richard was not a friendly teacher, but he was pretty good at teaching. ¡°What about 569-192?¡±


    Elisha diligently calculated the problem given by Richard¡¯s by using the abacus. ¡°367, right?¡±


    Then Richard silently moved one of the abacus beads.


    Only then did Elisha realize that she was wrong and corrected herself. ¡°377!¡±


    At that time, they heard a knock.


    When Elisha gave permission, the maid came in right away and said, ¡°Count Arden and his son are here.¡±


    Richard¡¯s face hardened when heard that name, his eyes became strangely vigilant. ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°The Count said he was greatly indebted to Milady, and he wanted to formally thank her. So, the Count arranged a luncheon for Young Master and Milady.¡±


    ¡°Arden?¡± Elisha tilted her head, wondering who they were. She felt that she heard it somewhere, but it was an unfamiliar name.


    Richard noticed her confusion, he said, ¡°Ansel Arden.¡±


    It was only then that Elisha remembered whose name it was. It was the name of the boy who was bullied by Christian on the hunting ground a few days ago.


    ¡°Would you like to have your hair done, Milady?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Elisha stood up, leaving the abacus.


    At that time, Richard grabbed Elisha¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Richard¡¯s face was somehow displeased as he said that.


    Elisha looked at Richard with bewildered eyes. ¡°Where are you going when you¡¯re still sick? Just rest here. I¡¯ll greet them on your behalf.¡± Elisha walked into the dressing room with the maids, leaving Richard behind.


    Richard looked at her back with a sulky look. Soon after, a rustling sound was heard in the dressing room. The sound of the maids talking, the rustling cloth, and so on. Richard¡¯s eyes were looking at the book, but he couldn¡¯t read anything.


    After a long time, the rustling sound faded, and Elisha came out of the dressing room along with the maids. Sensing their presence, Richard¡¯s gaze moved from the book to them. Elisha was wearing a sky-blue dress. Her brilliant blonde hair and the sky-blue dress went well together.


    ¡°Milady, please sit here.¡± The maids led Elisha to sit in front of the dressing table. Then, they started picking the suitable accessories from the jewelry box.


    Richard glanced over the bookshelf.


    The maids who noticed his gaze asked Richard. ¡°Young Master Richard, Milady looks pretty, right?¡±


    Richard answered the question with a deep frown. ¡°I¡¯m so distracted that I can¡¯t concentrate on the book. You said they were waiting outside. It¡¯s not polite to keep the guests waiting, why don¡¯t you just dress simply and go?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not polite to greet the guests in pajama either.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s words, Richard shut his mouth. Then, he closed the book, lied on the bed, and covered himself with a blanket. It seemed like he was going to sleep.


    Elisha¡¯s hair was decorated with a hairband, a corsage, and a tied ribbon. As the finishing touch, half of her hair was tied up by using a blue ribbon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Richard.¡± Before Elisha left the room, she greeted Richard, but Richard did not answer. Did he already fall asleep?¡¯ Elisha shrugged her shoulders in wonder and left the room. The maids followed her in unison. After Richard heard the door close, he lifted the blanket.


    Soon a servant came into the room with Richard¡¯s lunch. He entered the room without much thought, and when he saw Richard¡¯s expression, he was startled. Richard¡¯s expression was cold like usual, but he looked more displeased today.


    ¡°¡­Then, please enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything, Young Master.¡± The servant hurried away after carefully setting the meal on the bed table.


    Richard ate by using his right arm only because his left shoulder was injured. But eating using one hand was harder than he thought. This is because the bowl moved frequently as its bottom was slippery.


    During breakfast, he ate with Elisha. She held the bowl so he was able to eat without much effort, but now it was uncomfortable. Richard emptied the bowl of soup with great difficulty. It took more time than usual since he could only use his right hand.


    After the meal, Richard called the servant who was waiting in front of the door. ¡°Brian.¡±


    The servant came in right away and cleared the dishes.


    Richard, who was watching the servant with a sulky look, asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Elisha coming? Wasn¡¯t she just eating?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± The servant looked at Richard with bewildered eyes and answered carefully. ¡°It¡¯s been less than 30 minutes since Milady left¡­¡­¡±


    A luncheon with guests would normally take an hour and a half. Only then, Richard, who checked the watch, shut his mouth again.


    *****


    ¡°Elisha, show Young Master Arden the greenhouse.¡± Albert, who had finished his meal, said as he put down his empty glass of wine. It meant to take Ansel away because he had something to talk about with the Count.


    Count Arden agreed with his suggestion. ¡°That would be great, Ansel. I heard that the Duke¡¯s greenhouse is so beautiful. There are many rare exotic plants.¡±


    ¡°If Lady Rubelin doesn¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s okay.¡± Elisha responded readily to the hesitant Ansel.


    Ansel followed Elisha in a gentle manner. A huge greenhouse was built on one side of the backyard. As they entered, they were welcomed by the chattering sound of strikingly colorful small birds and mysteriously beautiful flowers.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ansel looked around as he followed Elisha.


    As they went in a little further, they saw a tea table located in the center of the greenhouse. On top of it, there were juices and desserts prepared by the servants in advance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down.¡± Elisha sat on the chair first.


    Ansel was startled by Elisha¡¯s sudden remark, but quietly pulled out the chair and sat down in a careful manner.


    ¡°Here.¡± Elisha put a glass of juice in front of Ansel and began to sip her own juice.


    Without drinking the juice, Ansel hesitantly took something out of his pocket. There were two finely folded handkerchiefs. One of them was the handkerchief that Elisha previously gave to him to clean the grape juice, and the other was a new handkerchief that looked quite expensive.


    ¡°I washed your handkerchief many times, but the stain from the grape juice can¡¯t be washed off completely. So, I prepared another handkerchief. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have plenty of them.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ Thank you so much for helping me back then.¡± Ansel rose from his seat and bowed politely to Elisha. His brown hair shook gently.


    Embarrassed by his polite gratitude, Elisha gulped down the juice and said humbly. ¡°Well, I just did what was supposed to be done¡­ it¡¯s inappropriate to just sit there and watch. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Ansel stared blankly at Elisha as she said so. She was the first person to take his side, not the Crown Prince. ¡®So cool¡­¡¯ In Ansel¡¯s eyes, Elisha, who could speak so confidently, looked stronger and cooler than anyone else.


    Elisha, who was chewing on the cookies, looked at Ansel who was staring at her with twinkling grayish blue eyes.


    ¡°But why are you using the honorifics? Just talk casually.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! Oh, no. Yeah.¡± Ansel, who nodded vigorously, suddenly remembered something and pulled out another thing from his pocket.


    He put down a pressed flower bookmark on the tea table. It was made by attaching dried flowers to a thin wooden board. ¡°This was prepared out of gratitude¡­ I think buying something expensive will be meaningless to Lady Rubelin¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s pretty! Did you make it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Elisha admired Ansel¡¯s dexterity and common sense. If it were an expensive gift, she would feel burdensome to receive it. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll use it well. But you know, I like expensive and shiny things, too.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, next time, you don¡¯t have to worry, you can prepare as much as you want.¡± The more money I could save before the divorce, the better. Hoho. Elisha grinned with insidious thoughts. At that time, she heard a familiar voice nearby.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Elisha looked up reflexively toward the source of the voice. Richard, who looked very displeased for some reason, stood there and looked at Elisha.


    With her eyes wide opened, Elisha asked in surprise. ¡°Richard? I told you to rest. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not polite to just lie down when you have a guest.¡± Richard sat on a chair between Elisha and Ansel.


    The sudden appearance of an uninvited person caused a brief silence between them. Ansel, who was wary of the cold looking Richard, broke the silence with a small voice, ¡°Well, then¡­ thank you for your help too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are thanking me for helping my wife.¡±


    Elisha screamed inwardly at Richard¡¯s reply, Elisha dropped his flag. The way he spoke would naturally make his opponent speechless.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. But thanks to you, I was saved.¡± Ansel, who was embarrassed, answered as he dropped his gaze.


    ¡®Do you really have to speak that way¡­.!¡¯ Elisha, who was watching them, glanced at Richard and tried to poke his side, but he caught her hand before she could do it. Elisha pulled her hand and glanced at Richard.


    Suddenly, Richard slumped on the table and murmured. ¡°I¡­ feel dizzy.¡±


    When she saw Richard¡¯s slightly frowning face, Elisha¡¯s eyes softened. She became worried and forgot her anger toward him when she heard that he was sick. ¡°Take a rest in your room. Go up and rest now.¡±


    ¡°Take me there.¡± Richard¡¯s red eyes were looking pleadingly at Elisha as he said so.


    Elisha could not turn away from his eyes, which seemed to be crying for help. ¡°Oh, okay, I¡¯ll take you.¡± She eventually rose from her seat to help Richard. ¡°Ansel, we¡¯ll go up first. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m leaving first. You can look around more if you want. The servant will be here soon to guide you.¡±


    Richard flashed a smile as he relied on Elisha, but no one noticed it.


    ¡°Oh, wait.¡± Ansel pulled something out of his pocket again. ¡°A banquet will be held at our mansion in a few days, and I¡¯d be happy if you could come.¡±


    It was an invitation to a banquet with Count Arden¡¯s seal. Richard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at it.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    ¡°Richard, take your medicine.¡± Before going to bed, Elisha, who had finished taking a bath, handed a cup of medicine to Richard. Coincidently, Ann was bringing the medicine as Elisha finished her bath.


    Richard looked disapprovingly at the bluish liquid. ¡°I¡¯ll get better soon even if I don¡¯t drink this.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to drink it, do you?¡± Elisha took a fruit-flavored candy out of a glass bottle in a drawer and handed it over to him. ¡°Here. Drink the medicine and then eat this. I am specifically saving it, but I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    She looked as if she was persuading a child who didn¡¯t want to take medicine. Richard muttered his refutation and drank the medicine in resignation. And he returned the candy to Elisha as if to refute that he was not a child.


    Elisha smiled contentedly at Richard. ¡°You are so nice and listen to me well, husband.¡±


    Richard¡¯s sullen look eased a bit at the word ¡°husband¡±. Then, he hardened his face again as if he had thought of something. ¡°Are you going to the banquet?¡±


    Elisha was puzzled as she didn¡¯t know what Richard was talking about. Ah, she remembered as she saw Ansel¡¯s invitation on the bedside table. ¡°I have to go. The Duke seemed to look forward to it.¡±


    After Count Arden and Ansel returned, Albert called Elisha to join him for dinner. Richard couldn¡¯t join along because he couldn¡¯t use his left arm. Albert praised Elisha for the first time.


    (t/n: [¡­] means the dialogue happened in the past)


    [You did well in helping Young Master Arden. Count Arden¡¯s land is located along the eastern sea, so he has been actively engaged in trade with the eastern continent, and consequently, he can easily get the supplies that are difficult to obtain. So, it is beneficial to build a friendship with Count Arden.]


    [I see.]


    [In life, there will be inevitable moments when you need to choose which one of the opposing sides will be your enemy. At that time, it¡¯s better to judge which side will benefit you more to be your ally and turn the other one to become your enemy. Like this time.]


    Even meeting people and building relationships were thoroughly planned based on the benefits and loss. It was the most prominent idea in Arencia. Elisha didn¡¯t want to agree with his way of thinking, considering what he had done to Richard, but this time, she decided to follow his will.


    [It will be good to get along with Ansel, so use this opportunity.]


    It was inappropriate to judge a person¡¯s value like Albert, but Elisha was quite tempted by what Ansel could offer if they became friends.


    [You can buy and distribute the supplies that are hard to obtain at a lower price, and you may even get land to build a small villa near the beach.]


    Of course, she planned to get a divorce and live independently in eight years. But, it would be better to prepare for it in advance, so Elisha decided to accept the invitation of Count Arden.


    However, Richard frowned in disapproval at her decision. ¡°Don¡¯t get along with him.¡±


    At his words, Elisha looked at Richard. ¡°Richard, you shouldn¡¯t hate a friend for no reason.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Did Ansel do anything wrong to you? Or do you think it¡¯s his fault that he was bullied by the Crown Prince?¡±


    Richard was dumbfounded and became speechless. Elisha seemed to misunderstand that he held the same opinion as Christian.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of that, you said you were on my side¡­!¡± Richard, who tried to refute, saw Elisha¡¯s eyes staring at him and closed his mouth again. It hurt his pride to childishly argue about taking sides in front of his clueless wife.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ Just go to sleep.¡± Richard swallowed the rest of his words with a sigh and lied down on the bed first as he turned his back on Elisha.


    ¡®My side?¡¯ Elisha was puzzled as she looked at Richard¡¯s back.


    *****


    The day of Count Arden¡¯s banquet has come, both Albert and Richard attended the banquet alongside Elisha.


    ¡®I thought you weren¡¯t coming.¡¯ In the carriage, Elisha glanced at Richard, who was sitting next to her. She was surprised that he came along although he didn¡¯t like Ansel. Of course, his expression was indifferent as usual.


    Soon, two carriages of those three people stopped in front of Count Arden¡¯s mansion. The Arden¡¯s knights skillfully opened the carriage door. Richard got off first. As Elisha was about to follow him, he reached out his hand. When Elisha looked at him confusedly, Richard held out his hand closer to her. ¡°Escort.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Only then Elisha realized the meaning behind his action and put her hand on Richard¡¯s hand. The warmth around her hand was unfamiliar yet quite reassuring. She felt a little relieved as she felt nervous attending the banquet for the first time.


    Along with Richard, Elisha followed Albert into the mansion. The hall was already full of guests. ¡®There are a lot of people.¡¯ Not just the guests. It was full of delicious food and glittering chandelier lights.


    As they were entering the hall, Count Arden, who saw them, hurried over instead of welcoming the other guests. Ansel and Countess Arden also rushed over.


    ¡°Welcome, Duke of Rubelin. I feel honored by Your Grace¡¯s attendance.¡±


    ¡°Happy birthday, Count.¡±


    Behind Count Arden, who was greeting Albert, the other nobles also slowly gathered. All their attention was directed towards Albert.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see Your Grace more often these days. We are having a banquet at our mansion next month, so would you come and grace us with your presence?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, is this Your Grace¡¯s granddaughter? She is wonderful. She is certainly a perfect match for Your Grace¡¯s successor.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. With such a wonderful granddaughter, Your Grace must have felt reassured.¡±


    The interest of those who wanted to impress Albert was naturally directed toward Richard and Elisha too. It was a very different reaction from the formal greetings at the royal hunting ground.


    Elisha noticed why their reaction had changed, they were wary of Richard¡¯s power. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Albert¡¯s intention worked perfectly.


    ¡°Hello, Countess.¡± Elisha greeted Countess Arden with a smile and responded politely to the surrounding nobles.


    After a while, as the banquet hall was filled with guests, Count Arden walked toward the center of the banquet hall. ¡°Thank you for attending today. Let¡¯s start the banquet now. We¡¯ve prepared this banquet earnestly for our precious guests, so please enjoy it to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    The banquet began with the thanks of Count Arden. After the Count¡¯s greeting ended, a maid who was waiting nearby approached Elisha and Richard. ¡°I¡¯ll take both of you two to the annex.¡±


    Elisha and Richard headed into the annex of the Count¡¯s mansion. Usually, tea parties for children were held at a different place from adult banquets. The nobles thought it was a degrading act for children to run around in the banquet hall.


    Thanks to the separation of places, adults were able to communicate freely among themselves, and children were able to play freely, so this practice benefited both generations.


    ¡°It¡¯s the smell of cookies!¡±


    Arriving in front of the annex with the maid, Elisha¡¯s eyes twinkled at the smell of freshly baked cookies. The knights guarding the annex opened the door for them. There were a lot of delicious refreshments and several noble children who arrived before them.


    The chattering children saw Elisha and Richard entering the annex and became quiet. It was Ansel, the organizer of the tea party, who broke the silence. ¡°Welcome, Elisha. And¡­Lord Richard.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for inviting us, Ansel.¡±


    Ansel couldn¡¯t talk more to them since the other noble children also arrived at the annex. As Ansel went to greet the guests, Elisha and Richard were left at one side of the annex.


    The other children were gathered in twos and threes, none of them came near Elisha and Richard. Sometimes, they were just glancing at Richard and Elisha. Elisha could easily guess why. ¡®It¡¯s because of the incident at the royal hunting ground.¡¯


    Most of them were the children who obeyed Christian¡¯s orders and forced themselves to laugh, even though what Christian did wasn¡¯t funny. Although he wasn¡¯t present today, his influence still affected those children.


    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¯ Elisha shrugged her shoulders as if she didn¡¯t care. If it was a friendship driven by power, it would incline toward the one with more power.


    ¡®Ahhh, I¡¯m bored¡­¡¯ Elisha, who had been standing still for a long time, found cookies at a nearby table and brought them over. She put one in her mouth and the other one in Richard¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Sweet things don¡¯t taste good¡­¡±


    Before Richard could finish his words, Elisha put cookies in Richard¡¯s mouth. ¡°But it¡¯s still delicious because I give it to you, right?¡±


    As Elisha grinned and asked, Richard frowned and ate the cookies quietly. After that, Richard just accepted the cookies she handed over readily. Elisha, who was busily eating cookies beside Richard, suddenly felt pain in her feet and stopped eating.


    ¡®My heels hurt because of these new shoes.¡¯ The new shoes were a bit tight so it hurt Elisha¡¯s feet. Elisha looked around and decided to leave for a while.


    When Richard noticed her leaving, he looked at Elisha in wonder. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Shhh. It¡¯s rude to ask something like that to a lady.¡± Elisha came out into the hallway, leaving Richard, who was looking at her as if he heard something ridiculous.


    Unlike the banquet, which was full of music and chattering sounds, the hallway was quiet. As soon as Elisha stepped out of the nearby balcony, she took off her shoes. Sure enough, her heels had peeled off and turned red.


    Just in time, the Count¡¯s maid asked when she saw it. ¡°Would you like to wear slippers for a while?¡±


    ¡°Yes, will you get them for me?¡±


    The maid said she would be back soon and left the balcony.


    Being left alone, Elisha gazed at the Count¡¯s garden from the balcony. ¡®Pretty.¡¯ The Duke¡¯s garden was beautiful, but the Count¡¯s garden was lively and pretty. In particular, the lighting from the lamps accentuated its charm. At that time, only the sound of the wind could be heard as she enjoyed the calm scenery.


    ¡°Rose, why didn¡¯t the Crown Prince come today?¡±


    ¡°My father said that he¡¯s been very ill for a few days.¡±


    From the balcony, she heard the children¡¯s voices. The hallway was quiet, so their voices were clearly heard. Elisha, who unintentionally overheard the children¡¯s conversation, tilted her head. ¡®Christian has been ill? He was fine during the hunt at the hunting ground though?¡¯


    He was not someone who would die easily. In the original story, Christian was alive until the male lead, Leon, turned ten. So, there was no way he would die soon. While she was thinking about Christian, a familiar name came out of the children¡¯s mouths, so Elisha listened intently.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because His Highness was shocked by ¡®him¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Richard. Didn¡¯t you remember what he did at the hunting ground last time? He is just a half-blood yet he dares to challenge the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°Hall-blood?¡±


    ¡°His mom was a prostitute. She sold her body. He was a guy who wandered around the streets until he entered the Rubelin Dukedom. He doesn¡¯t even know the proper etiquette.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he was a mercenary of a guild before. My mom said that it¡¯s a place where people, who only have good strength while being stupid and ignorant gather.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s expression gradually hardened as she listened to their conversation. ¡®These kids! How dare they talk like that about someone else¡¯s husband¡­!¡¯


    I¡¯ll protect my husband! Elisha went out into the hallway impulsively and glared toward the children. The children¡¯s voices ceased as they looked at Elisha with perplexed eyes. Elisha stared at the children coldly and turned around.


    It was then.


    ¡°Hey, how do you feel about living with your monster husband?¡±


    When one of them asked, the other bewildered children began to giggle. Elisha, who had stopped her steps for a while, turned around and strode toward the children. They were startled by her reaction. Elisha¡¯s gaze was sharp as she faced them, causing them to feel chills.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Elisha took a step ahead, looked up at the child who was taller than her, and said, ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°You asked me how I felt about living with Richard, so I said it¡¯s good.¡±


    Embarrassed by Elisha¡¯s unexpected reaction, the child faltered and took a step back.


    Then Elisha took a step further and asked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you a question. Do you guys enjoy this lousy conversation? How dare you badmouth someone who¡¯s not here while laughing?¡±


    ¡°What? Lousy? Do we talk about something nonsense? It¡¯s all true. He¡¯s the son of a prostitute, and he used to be a mercenary!¡±


    ¡°Really? If you¡¯re so proud of your conversation, why don¡¯t you try talking like that in front of adults?¡±


    Some of the Nobles on the Emperor¡¯s side were inclined toward Rubelin after witnessing Richard¡¯s ability at the royal hunting ground. Some of the children¡¯s parents already switched to Albert¡¯s side. And even if they stayed on the Emperor¡¯s side, none of them could fully antagonize Rubelin.


    ¡°You¡¯ve become so arrogant since the incident at the royal hunting ground.¡± said a silver-haired girl, who was looking at Elisha quietly.


    She was the one whom Elisha heard talking at the balcony a while ago. Rose. Elisha recognized her name. ¡®Christian wife and the stepmother of the male lead.¡¯ Now, she was still Christian¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and perhaps she was the leader of that group of children.


    As Elisha expected, another child came forward as if to defend Rose. ¡°Oh dear, I guess you don¡¯t know because you¡¯ve only been in the Lohengrin estate until recently, but Rose is the esteemed daughter of the Marquis of Felice. She¡¯s the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince, who will rule this empire in the future. Mind your manners!¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Did you just say ¡®so¡¯?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still Rose Felice anyway. I¡¯m Elisha Rubelin.¡± Elisha deliberately emphasized the words ¡®Felice¡¯ and ¡®Rubelin¡¯. Then she looked straight into Rose¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Do you still not know who actually needs to mind her manners, Lady Rose Felice?¡±


    Surprised at Elisha¡¯s confidence, Rose and the other children couldn¡¯t find a word to refute Elisha and became speechless. Elisha, who was staring at those children, slowly turned around. She noticed that her hands were slightly shaking, so she clenched her hand tightly. At that time, she heard the children¡¯s voices behind her back.


    ¡°How dare you brag about having a half-blood as your husband!¡±


    The children, who were about to add more, were surprised to see the person in front of Elisha and stopped talking.


    Elisha, who was about to walk away from those children, also stopped and took a step back. ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    Richard was standing in front of her with cold eyes. ¡°I was wondering why you weren¡¯t coming. It seems like you got caught by the bugs.¡± Richard looked at the children with contempt and grabbed Elisha¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The children, who previously laughed at Elisha, could not dare to laugh at Richard. They couldn¡¯t even refute him calling them ¡®bugs.¡¯ They just stared at him with frightened eyes while biting their lips.


    Richard took Elisha and left the scene. Elisha¡¯s hand in his clasp was slightly shaking. He became irritated when he realized it.


    ¡®You have a small liver.¡¯ (t/n: A Korean expression means you¡¯re timid or cowardly) Richard said as he held Elisha¡¯s hand firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t step forward and just ignore it. It¡¯s just bullshit anyway.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Elisha stopped walking instantly.


    Richard stopped too and looked at her in wonder.


    Elisha continued. ¡°It¡¯s like the dripping water on a solid rock. At first, we thought it was futile. But eventually one day, it will hollow out the stone because a steady drip of water wears a hole in a rock.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I won¡¯t stay still.¡± Elisha¡¯s voice and eyes were full of determination as she said so. ¡°I told you before. I¡¯ll be on your side.¡± So, don¡¯t pretend to be okay.


    Richard stared blankly at Elisha. A small girl, who couldn¡¯t fight and was scared to the point of shaking, fought desperately. For him, not anyone else.


    ¡°I mean, when I have no one on my side, you should stand up for me. If you come across someone badmouthing me, just blow them up with your wind, okay?¡± Elisha said as she grabbed Richard¡¯s arm.


    Richard looked at Elisha, who spoke with a firm look as if she hadn¡¯t been shaking before, and unconsciously burst out laughing. Then, as they were about to resume walking, he frowned as he noticed that Elisha was limping. He immediately kneeled with his back facing Elisha.


    Elisha looked at his back confusedly.


    ¡°Get on my back.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your feet, aren¡¯t they hurt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay though¡­¡±


    However, despite her rejection, Richard remained in that position. Elisha, who hesitated for a moment, got on Richard¡¯s back. She was worried that Richard might not be able to lift her because she was heavy, but he got up easily without much difficulty.


    ¡®Well, he is still older than me. It is reassuring to have him at times like this.¡¯ Richard, whom she had always considered her adolescent younger brother, looked a little mature today. At the same time, she felt unfamiliar with the warmth of his wide back.


    ¡°Arms.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Wrap your arms around my neck, I won¡¯t know if you fall.¡±


    Elisha hastily wrapped her arms around Richard¡¯s neck. Which brought forth more warmth between them as she came a little closer. The corners of Richard¡¯s mouth rose, but Elisha did not see it. In the moonlight, the gentle breeze of spring night tickled the hearts of these two.


    *****


    After the banquet, quite some time had passed.


    ¡°Spring has really come.¡± On the way to the library, Elisha muttered when she saw the scenery full of greenery from the window. The wind coming through the window was warm and gentle.


    Then, she heard men¡¯s buzzing sound from underneath the window. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Elisha¡¯s eyes naturally turned toward the direction of the sound. Some of Rubelin¡¯s knights were gathering there.


    It seemed that, after a long time, they decided to train outside since the weather got warmer. The knights only wore thin sweatshirts. Some of them even took off their tops. Elisha, who was watching their muscular bodies, looked away with a cough, ¡°Ahem¡­¡±


    However, as if she were attracted by the smell of delicious meat, her gaze went back to them instinctively. ¡®Hmmm. As the lady of the house, isn¡¯t it my responsibility to oversee the knights¡¯ training and check whether they¡¯re lacking or not?¡¯


    Elisha decided to postpone her plan to go to the library and watch the knights training instead. Not long after, two knights began to spar. This time, both of them took off their tops. Every time their swords clash, their muscles move visibly. Their masculine bodies were really well-developed.


    As Elisha watched the scene with glistening eyes, a familiar voice was heard from behind.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Ack!¡± Elisha was frightened like a child who got caught red-handed when Richard suddenly appeared.


    Richard was also surprised by Elisha¡¯s unexpected response.


    Elisha, who was embarrassed, answered Richard hastily to avoid him from noticing her thoughts, ¡°Y-you know, sword training looks cool so I was watching it. It¡¯s so cool. I want to learn it too.¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to learn it?¡±


    At Richard¡¯s question, who seemed clueless, Elisha had a guilty conscience. She was conscience-stricken, but she still couldn¡¯t tell the truth to her innocent 15-year-old husband. ¡°N-no. I was just saying it.¡±


    ¡°I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°Are you good at swordsmanship?¡±


    Richard frowned at Elisha¡¯s question. His pride was hurt by the fact that Elisha underestimated his level of swordsmanship. ¡°¡­Do you think I¡¯m bad at it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a wizard, so I thought you can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°I use magic because it¡¯s much more efficient, not because I have bad swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Elisha responded half-heartedly. She was relieved that she hadn¡¯t been caught peeking at the knights. She wasn¡¯t really interested in swordsmanship in the first place, and it wasn¡¯t surprising that Richard, who had infiltrated many guilds during his childhood, was good at handling swords. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way. See you later.¡± Elisha turned around and disappeared.


    Looking at her back, Richard, who was smiling, soon sighed. It wasn¡¯t the response he expected. Richard looked down at the knights whom Elisha had been staring at with glistening eyes a moment ago. His red eyes sank in deep thoughts.


    *****


    That evening, one of the Rubelin knights, Thompson, was returning to his room after a meal. He was stunned to see the Duke¡¯s successor standing in front of his room. ¡°¡­Young Master Richard?¡±


    Richard was waiting for him with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. Thompson was nervous to see Richard approaching him. ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯


    It had been around a year since Richard entered the Dukedom. At that time, Richard was not very interested in the family affairs, so he did not interfere much with the knights¡¯ affair. Naturally, there was no need for him to speak directly to the knights, especially Thompson, who was just an insignificant knight.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Richard came all the way to the dorm. If Richard wanted to assign a specific task to him, he could¡¯ve sent a servant to come to his room or given the instructions to the commander instead. It was really weird to see him come directly with such a cold face.


    ¡®D-did I offend him in any way?¡¯ All he did today was train and spar with his colleagues in the backyard after lunch. Thompson recalled his routine today and wondered if he had done anything that would get on Richard¡¯s nerves.


    But the words that came out of Richard¡¯s mouth were totally unexpected. ¡°You¡¯ll spar with me tomorrow. Around two o¡¯clock after lunch, in the backyard.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Surprised by Richard¡¯s sudden command, Thompson looked at him with puzzled eyes, but he had already gone far away.


    (t/n: Oh dear, after Ansel, he¡¯s the 2nd victim of Richard¡¯s jealousy.)

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    The next day.


    ¡°Well, Young Master Richard, when will we start sparring?¡± After having his lunch, Thompson was waiting in the backyard as ordered by Richard.


    But, even though it was almost two and a half o¡¯clock, Richard just stood still. From time to time, he would look up at the second floor of the mansion.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s cold reply, Thompson waited in silence again. After about ten minutes, Elisha appeared by the second-floor window. Only then, Richard turned to Thompson and grabbed the sword. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Thompson stood face to face with Richard. Suddenly, he remembered what his colleagues said.


    [Don¡¯t try to use your real skill when you spar with the Young Master. Everyone says that they want a fair game, but losing makes them upset. The higher their status, the more likely they will react like that.]


    [If they demand a fair game, it means that you should lose after doing it moderately so that you won¡¯t hurt their pride.]


    [Yeah, just do it moderately. Let¡¯s stay here together for a long time because no family in the Empire can offer this much money.]


    Thompson had the best skills of his peers. His fellow knights shook their heads, lamenting why Richard chose Thompson as his opponent among the knights. It would be quite difficult for Thompson to pretend to do his best against the opponent with clumsy swordsmanship.


    ¡®Moderately. Let¡¯s do it moderately. My opponent is like my younger brother.¡¯ Thompson watched Richard across him while thinking of his younger brothers running toward him.


    At that time, Richard launched a preemptive strike. Thompson nimbly dodged the attack. And this time, he attacked Richard. But as soon as he tried to suppress Richard, Richard dodged him easily and his sword moved swiftly toward Thompson¡¯s neck.


    ¡®He¡¯s fast¡­!¡¯ Thompson backed away in a hurry and narrowly avoided the attack. His throat nearly being cut off at that moment.


    Richard warned Thompson, who was looking at him in astonishment, in a cold voice, ¡°If this isn¡¯t a spar, you could¡¯ve lost your neck just now.¡±


    Not only Thompson, but his fellow knights were also surprised by Richard¡¯s skill. ¡®How can a 15-year-old boy have that level of skill¡­?¡¯


    Although Richard was physically smaller than Thompson, who was an adult, he knew how to use the difference in physique to his advantage. Richard didn¡¯t take Thompson¡¯s attack head on.


    If he competed solely by using his strength, he would be overpowered by their physical difference. Instead, when the opponent attacked, he dodged nimbly and quickly launched his attack before the shock was delivered. His movement was swift and flexible. He was as good as a well-trained professional assassin.


    ¡®I heard that he infiltrated various guilds until he joined the Dukedom. Don¡¯t tell me¡­it wasn¡¯t just a rumor?¡¯ Thompson, who had been struggling to keep up with Richard¡¯s speed, finally missed the sword.


    ¡°Kukk!¡± Eventually, a sharp sword was pointed at Thompson¡¯s neck, and the spar ended with Richard¡¯s victory. Thompson raised his hands up in surrender.


    Richard, who stared at Thompson, quickly withdrew his sword. ¡°If you haven¡¯t shown your real skill, you can ask for a rematch.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s my real skill.¡± Thompson clearly admitted his defeat. Then he asked the question that had been on his mind. ¡°But why did Young Master suddenly ask for a spar? By any chance, did I get on Young Master¡¯s nerves in any way¡­?¡±


    ¡°No. I was just curious about the knights¡¯ level of skill.¡± Richard answered evasively and looked up at the second floor of the mansion. But, Elisha was not there.


    *****


    Elisha, who was watching the spar between Richard and Thompson, returned to her room with Ann, who had just come back from an errand. Ann put down a rolled paper in front of Elisha. ¡°This is what Milady asked for.¡±


    Elisha unfolded the paper she received from Ann and laughed in satisfaction. The paper was a map of the entire western continent. ¡°Thank you. You did well. Sit here and eat this.¡± And she pushed the cookies that she had set aside for Ann.


    Ann smiled shyly and started eating the cookies on the table. Elisha spread a huge map, which was about her size, on the bed. Then, she put down a small object at each corner to secure it. At that time, Ann suddenly said as if she had thought of something. ¡°Oh, by the way, Milady, I heard at the square today that the Crown Prince is very ill.¡±


    ¡°Oh, about that? I already heard it a fortnight ago. His Highness still hasn¡¯t recovered?¡±


    ¡°Yes, His Highness seems to be in much worse condition than we thought. Everyone was talking about it at the square.¡±


    Elisha was briefly interested in the Crown Prince¡¯s recent developments, but she didn¡¯t think much about it.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not going to die yet. He has a long life.¡±


    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Elisha murmured unknowingly to Ann, who was too surprised to ask again.


    After finishing the cookies, Ann left the room with an empty tray. Being left alone, Elisha lay down on her bed while looking through a huge map. Her eyes were drawn toward Rubelin, a huge land north of Arencia. ¡°This is Rubelin¡­¡±


    Rubelin dukedom was wider than any other land, but it was less utilized due to low temperatures and high mountains. Furthermore, it was a dangerous area where monsters frequently appeared as it was bordered by land contaminated with mana northwest of Rubelin. Next, Elisha¡¯s attention was directed toward Akaroa, the state where she was currently staying.


    Then, the door opened and Richard came in. It seemed like he came right after a bath since his hair was slightly wet.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    Richard came up to the bed where Elisha was lying down and sat beside her. Then he asked furtively. ¡°What did you do today?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well¡­I just read a book in the library.¡±


    ¡°¡­and?¡±


    Elisha cast a suspicious glance at Richard, who asked her about her daily routine. ¡®Why is he suddenly interested in my daily routine?¡¯ She was puzzled by his sudden interest but she answered obediently.


    ¡°And I was looking at the map¡­¡­oh, right.¡± Suddenly, she remembered the spar between Richard and Thompson that she had just seen. ¡°I saw you sparring earlier.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s answer, Richard¡¯s eyes twinkled with expectations. That was the answer he was waiting for. Richard expected Elisha¡¯s admiration to follow.


    However, rather than expressing praise or admiration, Elisha¡¯s eyes were full of worries. ¡°How about your injury last time? Is it better now? Is it okay to move like that?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get hurt, did you? Let me see.¡± Elisha grabbed Richard¡¯s arm. She was about to check for any wound.


    Richard, who was bewildered by the unexpected response, grumbled as he pulled his hand out of Elisha¡¯s grasp. ¡°I already got better.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t overdo it for a while.¡±


    Despite Richard¡¯s blunt reply, Elisha nagged about her worries. Instead of answering, Richard sighed with his face buried in his hands.


    Unaware of his frustration, Elisha focused again on the map. ¡°Richard, how¡¯s life in Akaroa? Things like climate and social culture?¡±


    Richard sighed at Elisha¡¯s question and reluctantly answered while looking at the map. ¡°¡­This state was chosen as the best place to live since it has high job opportunities due to its administration system. Akaroa isn¡¯t chosen for nothing. It has a large river flowing through a large plain, abundance of fertile land, and the sea route.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the local food is important. Is there a lot of delicious food there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Food is just food.¡± After skimming through the map, Richard lay in bed and closed his eyes. Then, he suddenly asked in wonder. ¡°But what are you gonna do with this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just surveying a place to live later.¡±


    ¡°Later?¡±


    ¡°When I became an adult. Didn¡¯t I promise that I will leave the Dukedom?¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes wide opened at Elisha¡¯s words. His heart sank when he recalled their promise for the future. He was too hasty.


    He didn¡¯t even hear Elisha say ¡°And it would be better if I know more about the other states for trade exchanges with the Dukedom.¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to live later?¡± Richard asked Elisha nervously as his eyes scanned the map persistently.


    Unaware of his gaze, Elisha looked through the map and pointed to a place near the eastern port. It was an area close to Count Arden¡¯s land, where Elisha¡¯s maternal grandparent¡¯s villa was located. Richard heard that Viscount Lohengrin had sold the villa to pay off his debt when he was alive.


    He wanted to go there one day. If he went there, he would be able to know in detail about the traumatic past of Elisha Lohengrin, who is now his wife.


    ¡°My first choice is probably here. What do you think of it? I think it¡¯s going to be too hot in the south and too cold in the north.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sornetti.¡± Richard engraved the name and location of the area pointed by Elisha¡¯s finger in his memory. As if to make sure that he would never forget about it. A few minutes passed just like that.


    Suddenly, Elisha¡¯s head suddenly fell over while looking at the map.


    When Richard¡¯s eyes turned to Elisha in surprise, he heard her regular breathing sound. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Richard stared at Elisha, who was asleep, and laid her down properly. Then he removed the spread map.


    In the meantime, Elisha was sleeping like a log. She didn¡¯t even realize that some of her hair stuck on her lips.


    ¡®¡­You should sleep a lot to grow faster.¡¯ In Richard¡¯s eyes, Elisha needed to grow a bit more. Back then, during Count Arden¡¯s banquet, Elisha, who stood alone in front of a child taller than her, looked so small and precarious enough to make him feel anxious. ¡®She never lost though.¡¯ Rather than absurd, he thought that she was amazing.


    Richard extended his hand to remove the hair on Elisha¡¯s lips. At that moment, her small lips flinched. Richard¡¯s fingertips stopped at once. After being stunned for a while, Richard gathered a small wind around his fingertips and used it to remove Elisha¡¯s hair. Then her face, which had been hidden by her hair, was clearly revealed. Richard then lay down at his original position and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Eung¡­.¡± Elisha¡¯s mumbling, as well as her presence, felt closer. The girl, who had been rolling toward him, narrowed the distance in an instant and wrapped her hands around Richard¡¯s waist.


    Richard was dumbfounded as he looked at Elisha. Then, he sighed and closed his eyes. The warmth from his left side felt familiar now. He found peace in the warmth although he thought it was a strange feeling.


    But the peace didn¡¯t last long.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    A few days later.


    Elisha, who was dozing off while reading a book she had brought from the library as usual, woke up due to the sudden series of shouts.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Elisha looked out the window in a hurry.


    A man in the royal knight¡¯s uniform was seen rushing into the mansion. His unusual expression somehow gave her an ominous premonition. Elisha left the room and went down the stairs. As Elisha saw the man was entering Albert¡¯s office, she secretly followed him.


    The man was in a great hurry and didn¡¯t close the office door completely. His voice could be heard through the gap.


    ¡°Your Grace, a war broke out with the Fyran Kingdom at the western border last night.¡±


    ¡°¡­War?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So, His Majesty has issued a royal decree.¡±


    ¡®A war? All of a sudden?¡¯ Elisha blinked as her eyes lost focus.


    In the office, the solemn voice of the royal knight reading the royal decree was heard. ¡°I, Roam Cairot, order Rubelin to fulfill the Brother¡¯s Pledge by sending the Duke of Rubelin¡¯s successor, Richard Rubelin, to accept the oath and defend the Arencia Empire.¡±


    Elisha hadn¡¯t realized it until she heard the royal decree. The reason why Christian, who had been fine all along, suddenly bedridden. No, he just pretended to be sick. The incident at the royal hunting ground incident, the nobles who joined the Duke of Rubelin¡¯s side, Christian who suddenly began to fall ill, and the sudden war. All the clues clicked together.


    The Emperor wasn¡¯t in favor of the power of the Duke of Rubelin, and its source was Richard¡¯s ability, which was shown during the incident at the royal hunting ground. The Emperor had already planned to start the war when he spread the news that Christian was sick.


    When war broke out, the Crown Prince and the other Princes must go to war to boost the morale of the soldiers, but they couldn¡¯t send a bedridden person to the battlefield.


    ¡®The Emperor intends to kill Richard using the war as an excuse.¡¯ Because if Richard was kept alive, he would threaten the royal family in the future.


    Albert also recognized the Emperor¡¯s intention and shouted in an angry voice. ¡°Ha! You¡¯re trying to dry up Rubelin¡¯s blood!¡±


    The Fyran Kingdom was a country bordering the western side of Arencia and was originally formed by the nomadic bandits. Perhaps they could not abandon their way of living, Fyran bandits frequently plundered the citizens of Arencia Empire. Because of this, the relationship between Fyran and Arencia was very bad. The Emperor intended to clean up two troubles simultaneously this way.


    ¡®¡­It¡¯s alright because Richard won¡¯t die in this war.¡¯ According to the original story, he would come back alive and become the father of Hades. So, there was no need to worry.


    ¡®But why do I feel so anxious¡­¡¯ Elisha turned around before the royal knight came out of the office and trudged helplessly toward the mansion lobby. When she arrived there, she bumped into Richard, who went out to suppress the monsters early this morning, as he was coming in.


    Richard¡¯s eyes were indifferent as usual and his rob was stained with blood, apparently belonging to the monsters. But Elisha looked extremely worn out. She looked at him and saw the light in his dry eyes. As soon as she met his eyes, Elisha realized.


    ¡®Just because he won¡¯t die doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t feel pain. It¡¯s not alright¡­.¡¯ Whether it was an enemy or an ally, it was never easy to take someone¡¯s life and see the countless dead bodies. She didn¡¯t want to send him there¡­


    Tears welled up as soon as she realized it. Among those who thought of him as just one of the chess pieces, she was saddened by the fact that she was the only one who could grieve over his tough fate.


    ¡°¡­Elisha?¡±


    In front of Richard, who looked embarrassed by her sudden tears, Elisha cried.


    *****


    No matter how powerful Rubelin was, they couldn¡¯t disobey the royal decree. Unless they decided to start a rebellion right away. The current Rubelin was not a family that could be looked down upon, but he didn¡¯t have enough power to rebel because the future succession was unstable. So, Albert turned the arrow to the other direction. ¡°Starting tonight, both of you should work hard to produce your successor.¡±


    Richard¡¯s expression hardened at his words. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the most important duty of a successor. Since you took the position, whether you like it or not, you should do your duty.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want from this position, I¡¯ll step down as successor.¡± Richard held Elisha¡¯s hand and turned around as if he had nothing more to hear.


    It was then.


    ¡°If you die!¡±


    It was the first time Elisha heard Albert¡¯s exasperating voice. Richard¡¯s and Elisha¡¯s footsteps stopped. Elisha looked back at Albert, but Richard just stood still without turning his back.


    Albert, who took a breath for a moment, continued in a more pent-up voice. ¡°If you die, what about Rubelin? The royal family will take over Rubelin under the pretext of no eligible Rubelin blood to succeed it, and its name too. As long as I¡¯m alive, I can¡¯t ever bear seeing them taking over it.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°This is the family that I protected by spilling so much blood with my hands. Things should never turn out like that. No, such a future should be avoided at all cost.¡±


    Richard¡¯s grandfather was not worried about his grandson¡¯s death, but of the downfall of his family, which he had built and protected with all his life. Richard had already known what kind of person his grandfather was, but hearing the words directly made him feel even more miserable.


    Richard allowed himself a wry smile. Richard took a deep breath and turned to Albert. Albert¡¯s look became cold. Richard spat out his words. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to die.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°No matter how many times I will be on verge of death, I¡¯m going to get over it somehow¡­ I¡¯ll survive.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never let Rubelin fall like that.¡± ¡®Because I¡¯m going to ruin it with my own hands.¡¯ ¡°So, you should never-¡±


    Before Richard could finish his words, Elisha, who was next to him, barged in, ¡°We shall obey your order.¡±


    Albert¡¯s expression, which had been stunned by her unexpectedly meek answer, was further softened. Richard looked at Elisha in astonishment. However, Elisha asked with a calm face. ¡°Then, could we go out now?¡±


    That¡¯s how the conversation ended. After leaving Albert¡¯s office, Elisha immediately disappeared without giving Richard a chance to ask anything. Night came as he spent the rest of the day without seeing Elisha.


    After taking a bath, Richard stood in front of the door anxiously. ¡®Elisha, I thought you had a way¡­¡¯ After a moment of hesitation, Richard entered the room. Elisha, who washed up first, was lying on the bed in the room.


    When Elisha saw Richard coming into the room, she lifted her head, patted the empty space beside her, and called him. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted today, so let¡¯s go to bed quickly.¡± There was no hint of tension on her face.


    Richard just stood at the door, unable to come closer. Elisha jumped off the bed and looked at him. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t eat you. Come here.¡±


    Richard was stunned, but he followed Elisha to bed nevertheless. As he sat beside her, she showed him something. ¡°Ta-da! Guess what this is?¡±


    It was a small, black medicine bottle. Richard looked at it suspiciously. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the chicken blood. When you spray it, it looks like human blood.¡±


    ¡°Chicken blood?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep first and wake up early tomorrow morning and spray this on the bedsheet. This will make the Duke shut his mouth until you leave.¡± (t/n: well, it¡¯s just a myth that a woman bleeds during her first time making love with a man.)


    Only then, Richard realized where Elisha had gone during the day. Elisha cleared her throat as if she had something to say, and spoke with a rather serious look on her face. ¡°For the first time, you shouldn¡¯t be swayed by anyone¡¯s will and do it with the person whom you truly love.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Because¡­ you should share every precious moment with someone you love?¡±


    Richard stared at Elisha as she said so.


    Elisha, who saw his persistent gaze, felt awkward and avoided his gaze a bit late. His eyes, which had been indifferent to everything, were suddenly filled with inexplicable emotions somehow.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to bed now!¡± Elisha flung herself on the bed.


    Following Elisha, Richard also lay on the bed. Soon after, the sound of Elisha¡¯s even breathing could be heard in the quiet room. Elisha rolled over and naturally clung to Richard¡¯s arm. Richard turned around and looked at Elisha, who was asleep.


    He recalled what Elisha said a while ago. ¡®Love¡­¡¯ That word was unknown to Richard. He never received it from anyone. Naturally, he never gave it to anyone either.


    His mother died when he was a child and he couldn¡¯t remember her well. His maternal uncle raised him and fed him to make sure he wouldn¡¯t die, so he could extort money from the Duke. He never met his father and his grandfather tried to kill him as soon as he knew Richard¡¯s existence. He got used to living his life that way without much thought.


    One day, this girl appeared in front of him. She was the only person who cared about him, stayed by his side, fought for him, and cried over him. He still didn¡¯t understand what love was. But he was sure about one thing¡­he didn¡¯t want to lose his only person.


    Richard, who stared at the sleeping Elisha, carefully embraced her warmth. The warmth of someone he held in his arms for the first time in his life was pleasant and cozy. Richard¡¯s eyes, which were blinking slowly, soon closed.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Richard¡¯s departing date was set a month after the royal decree. It was shorter than the normal allocated time for the preparation for the departure, but the Emperor hurriedly set the date earlier, under the excuse that it was an urgent situation.


    Richard went into rigorous training to prepare for his departure. His ability was too destructive to be used in the training ground inside the Duke¡¯s residence. Therefore, the forest on the outskirts of the island, which was full of monsters, was used as his training ground instead to ensure public safety.


    After Richard opened his eyes in the morning, he went to the forest as soon as he finished his meal. He only returned to the Duke¡¯s residence when it¡¯s practically time to sleep.


    Thus, Elisha only saw Richard before going to bed or in the morning. Though, most of the time, she couldn¡¯t even see him because she often fell asleep before his return.


    Today was no different than usual.


    Grayson, the butler, greeted Richard, who returned to Duke¡¯s residence at 10 p.m. ¡°Welcome back, Young Master Richard.¡±


    The blood of the monsters on his outing robes and his tired look proved how hard Richard had been training. Richard handed the dirty robe to the butler and headed straight to the bathroom. The bathwater in the bathroom was already preheated upon his return. Since Richard hated being served during his bath, the servants were already out before he entered.


    As he took off his clothes, all the small and large bruises and scratches on his body were revealed. Though the bathwater caused him to feel the pain when it came in contact with his injuries, he just went to the room with an indifferent look after taking his bath.


    Elisha, who was leaning against the headboard while reading a book, pretended to be indifferent when she saw Richard. ¡°Have you been well, Richard?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to sleep right now, right? Turn off the lights if you¡¯re going to sleep.¡± Elisha closed the book she was reading right away.


    Richard approached the luminous stone on the bedside table. And when he was about to put out the light by covering it up¡­


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Richard looked at Elisha inquiringly.


    Elisha, who approached Richard in a jiffy, grabbed his arms and rolled up his sleeves. The scratches and bruises, which were half-covered, were clearly revealed. Surprised, Richard tried to pull out his arm out of her grasp, but Elisha didn¡¯t let him go.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not a big deal?! There are so many wounds. Don¡¯t you feel hurt?¡± Elisha dragged Richard by his arm toward the dressing table. Being dragged, Richard reluctantly followed her.


    Elisha, who rummaged through the drawer of the dressing table, found a case containing ointment without much difficulty. She spread the ointment evenly on the wound while groaning. ¡°How can you be so silly¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Richard felt ticklish as her thin little fingers passed over his arm, but he held back because he didn¡¯t hate her touch.


    Elisha, who finished applying the ointment on his arms, didn¡¯t close the case immediately. Instead, she tried to pull up his shirt and take a look at his back.


    Surprised by the sudden revelation of his back, Richard backed away from Elisha. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°There must be some wounds on your back too. Let¡¯s apply the ointment.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s good enough. It¡¯s just-¡±


    ¡°No, stay still.¡±


    Embarrassed, Richard tried to avoid Elisha¡¯s touch and stammered unexpectedly, but this time, Elisha did not back down. In the end, Richard had no choice but to turn his back toward Elisha. Elisha rolled up his shirt without noticing the red tip of Richard¡¯s ears.


    Then all his big and small bruises on his back were clearly visible. Elisha grimaced as she saw them. Elisha found another ointment for bruises from the drawer of the dressing table and began applying it on Richard¡¯s back. ¡°Richard, can you come back a little early tomorrow? Before dinner?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Elisha paused before answering Richard¡¯s question. ¡°Well¡­ I haven¡¯t finished looking around the mansion yet. I want to go to the northern annex, but I heard servants and maids aren¡¯t allowed to go there. But I¡¯m a little scared to go alone¡­.¡±


    The Rubelin residence had three annexes around the garden in the backyard. The east annex was where the servants and maids live and the west annex was where the knights live. And finally, the northern annex was a place where only Rubelin family members could enter.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Elisha, who had finished applying the ointment, put down Richard¡¯s clothes again and said, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    She understood the fear ahead of the war, but she was worried that overly intense training would have an adverse effect because Richard could possibly become overworked before he even went to the war.


    Richard looked at Elisha¡¯s worried eyes and said while turning his eyes away. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    *****


    With the night sky as the backdrop, two swords clashed with a sharp sound. Richard clenched his teeth to overcome the knight commander¡¯s attack, but was helpless against the ensuing attack.


    Richard¡¯s breath, who was barely holding out, became shorter and heavier. His arm holding the sword was showing signs of losing strength, but Richard still persevered.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today. If we continue training with the Young Master, the Young Master will definitely get hurt.¡± The knight commander said as he saw Richard¡¯s grip on the sword getting weaker.


    ¡°¡­Not yet.¡± Using the gap, Richard attacked the knight commander.


    The knight commander dodged the attack and pointed his sword at Richard¡¯s neck as soon as he found a gap. It was a counterattack that took place in a blink of an eye. ¡°If I was in Young Master¡¯s place, I would¡¯ve easily avoided it.¡±


    Richard, who was staring at the sword pointed at his neck, pushed the knight commander¡¯s sword away with his hand lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s do it one more time.¡±


    ¡°This is already the tenth time.¡± The knight commander grabbed the sword again and stepped on the opponent while preparing to attack.


    ¡°¡­.¡± Richard collapsed helplessly as he stabbed the ground with his sword. And he watched the drops of sweat on his forehead fall and wet the ground. He wanted to argue that he could do more, but he couldn¡¯t even get up on his legs. He could only rely on the sword with the remaining strength of his arm strength.


    ¡°Continuous training is good, but it¡¯s not good to use up too much energy before we leave. We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going to happen on the way, so we have to prepare in advance.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Before we depart, it¡¯s best to do nothing and rest well.¡±


    Richard then dropped the sword and sank to his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    Rubelin¡¯s knights, who barely stopped training and expected Richard to urge them to continue anyway, were stunned by his words.


    Having trained himself using his storm ability against the nearby monsters, Richard even polished his swordsmanship skill in preparation for the inevitable melee. He has an outstanding swordsmanship skill, and the knights already noticed it since they saw his spar with Thompson.


    But now, they realized that his mental perseverance was more amazing. ¡®Is he even a human mentally?¡¯ His physical strength had long been exhausted from the harsh training that lasted from morning to late night, and yet he¡¯s still holding on in high motivation.


    Thompson, who broke through in the midst of tongue-tied knights, approached Richard, who was breathing heavily. ¡°Please wet your whistle.¡±


    Richard drank the water from a leather bottle handed by Thompson.


    Thompson asked while sitting next to Richard. ¡°Why is Young Master training so hard?¡±


    After drinking the water he took a short breath, and then Richard answered a beat later. ¡°¡­because I want to live.¡±


    Richard, who grew up close to death¡¯s door from an early age, was afraid of death. So, he never thought that he wanted to survive because he wanted to live. He just tried his best to survive because he was afraid of death.


    However, for the first time in his life, he wanted to live. He wanted to come back alive and meet someone. He had a person that he wanted to live with and protect. ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, everyone does.¡± Thompson agreed to Richard¡¯s question and added. ¡°But most of the knights who will join the war would prefer spending time with someone precious rather than training.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Because even if we don¡¯t die, we can¡¯t predict how long we¡¯ll be away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°So, please don¡¯t be too hung up on the training and have a meal with His Grace¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Elisha¡¯s voice overlapped Thompson¡¯s voice.


    [Richard, can you come back a little early tomorrow? Before dinner?]


    Listening to Thompson¡¯s words in silence, Richard suddenly jumped up from his seat. He was so absorbed in training that he forgot what Elisha said.


    Thompson paused in surprise and looked at Richard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Thompson, who was anxious Richard would scold him for indirectly saying ¡°I want to train moderately and play,¡± was wide-eyed at the unexpected words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the Duke¡¯s residence first.¡± Richard mounted his horse, which he had tied nearby, while Thompson was looking at it with a puzzled expression. Time had already passed ten o¡¯clock at night. It was time for Elisha to sleep. Richard hurried to the mansion.


    *****


    Arriving at the mansion, Richard headed straight to the bedroom instead of the bathroom.


    ¡°Eli-¡±


    As he entered the bedroom, Richard, who was about to call Elisha, closed his mouth. As expected, Elisha was already asleep. But she fell asleep while leaning on the sofa, not on the bed. She seemed to have fallen asleep while waiting for him. Richard approached Elisha, holding his rapid breath from running up the stairs.


    ¡®¡­A cake?¡¯


    There was a small cake on the table in front of Elisha. There was also a small card placed next to it. Richard looked alternately between the card and Elisha, who was asleep. Then, he opened the card.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    When he opened the card, he saw a familiar handwriting.


    [Happy birthday. Richard.]


    Only then, Richard remembered his forgotten birthday. A week ago, when the butler asked him about the preparation for his birthday party, he just dismissed it because he didn¡¯t want to have a party ahead of the war and told the butler to not prepare anything.


    But Elisha remembered his forgotten birthday and waited for him.


    [But most knights who will join the war would prefer spending time with someone precious rather than training.]


    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯


    [Because even if we don¡¯t die, we can¡¯t predict how long we¡¯ll be away.]


    Next to the cake, there was a tiny music box that was smaller than his palm. Richard stared at it blankly for a while then held it dearly. He was too focused on making efforts to survive the war and unknowingly neglected the time left to be with Elisha. Maybe this would be the last time he could spend with her.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Richard put the musical box aside and hugged Elisha, who was asleep.


    Elisha opened her eyes when she felt his presence. ¡°¡­Richard?¡± Elisha, who was mumbling while rubbing her sleepy eyes, opened her eyes wide as she remembered something. ¡°Oh, right, your birthday~! It¡¯s not past midnight yet, is it?¡±


    Richard answered while tucking Elisha, who was struggling to stay awake, in bed. ¡°Today is not my birthday.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Grayson said that your birthday is today¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when my real birthday is, so I just chose a random date.¡±


    His maternal uncle didn¡¯t celebrate his birthday. Thus, naturally, Richard grew up without knowing his actual birthday. He didn¡¯t even try to find it out since he thought that it was meaningless to know anyway. But now, it became an important day for him.


    ¡°Go to bed now and choose the date for my birthday tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You want me to choose it? Can I really do that?¡±


    ¡°If it bothers you, just choose another date tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Your birthday only comes once per year, so let¡¯s choose a good day!¡± Elisha said as she shook her head as if she would be in big trouble if she chose the date for his birthday carelessly.


    Richard left Elisha, who was murmuring, ¡°I need to look for a good date,¡± behind, and looked back as if he had thought of something. ¡°I¡¯ll show you around the annex tomorrow.¡±


    At his words, Elisha turned her gaze toward Richard, who was looking for a book on a bookcase at one side of the bedroom.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to train tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to take a rest.¡±


    As he said that, his countenance softened. A gentle smile appeared on his handsome face, though it couldn¡¯t be seen by Elisha who only saw his broad back.


    *****


    Time flew by, and before Elisha realized it, Richard¡¯s departure date would come tomorrow. That night, when Richard entered the bedroom, Elisha ran toward him as if she had been waiting for him. ¡°Richard!¡±


    Richard froze at the sight of her running toward him. Elisha, who came close, wrapped her hands around his neck. In an instant, Richard¡¯s ears turned red.


    As soon as the stunned Richard raised his arms and tried to hug her back, she backed away. Elisha, who didn¡¯t realize that she had set Richard¡¯s heart on fire, asked him with an innocent face. ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­How is what?¡±


    ¡°The pendant.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Only then, Richard realized that Elisha had put a pendant around his neck. The pendant had a small red gemstone at its center. Surprised, his hanging hands fell down awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°An amulet. This gemstone absorbs all the bad luck and prevents the owner from unfortunate things. So, never take it off.¡±


    In the original story, he came back safely from the war. So, Elisha knew that he would definitely survive and came back alive later. Nevertheless, she still felt anxious if she sent him without praying for his victory.


    ¡®Because you need to come back alive to prevent me from being kicked out of the mansion until I become an adult!¡¯ Looking at the pendant around Richard¡¯s neck made her feel reassured. The red gemstone matched the color of his eyes perfectly.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to bed now. I have to wake up early tomorrow morning.¡± Elisha said as she lay down on the bed. ¡°I want to see you off tomorrow, so please wake me up early, okay?¡± Even if it wouldn¡¯t be too long, she probably couldn¡¯t see him for about a year or two. So, she really wanted to see him off properly.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As soon as Elisha heard Richard¡¯s answer, she fell asleep.


    *****


    Quite some time had passed. Elisha, who was wandering in her dreams, heard a faint voice.


    ¡°¡­Goodbye, Elisha.¡±


    It was a familiar voice, but somehow, she felt that she really missed it. She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids were too heavy. Eventually, after a long dream, Elisha managed to open her eyes.


    The dawn light had filled the room. Elisha, who blinked absentmindedly, felt that something was amiss and looked around. She held the pillow that Richard had been using in her arms. But the owner of the pillow was nowhere to be seen in the room. Elisha sat bolt upright and anxiously looked around. ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    However, there was no answer. Instead, the blanket that had been covering her shoulders slid down. Elisha stared blankly at the empty room. She hugged the pillow next to her and buried her head in it. There was a familiar scent that she would look for every night.


    *****


    More than a month has passed since Richard left. The early summer heat could be felt in the wind that seeped through the window. After having her breakfast, Elisha was informed that Albert was looking for her.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ann tilted her head as she looked for the hair accessories in the dresser for Elisha.


    Looking at her, Elisha asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ann?¡±


    ¡°The hairband with pink flowers has disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Really? Maybe you misplaced it somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have put it somewhere else¡­ Nevermind, I¡¯ll look for it again later.¡±


    With a ribbon tied on her hair, Elisha left the room. A sigh leaked from her mouth as she walked toward Albert¡¯s office. It was never a good thing when Albert called her directly. And today, it seemed like that as well. When Elisha arrived at the door and knocked, the answer came as if he had been waiting.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Before opening the door, Elisha took a deep breath. As soon as she entered, the strong smell of a cigarette attacked her nose. It was a smell that described Albert¡¯s mood perfectly, as he was looking at her with cold eyes.


    Albert¡¯s aide, Aaron, who was in his office, excused himself out when he saw Elisha. Meanwhile, Albert, as always, went straight to the point. ¡°I heard that you didn¡¯t attend the tea party organized by the Young Miss of Marquis Felice a few days ago.¡±


    Elisha realized the reason why Albert called her with just one sentence.


    A few days before the Emperor¡¯s birthday, the belongings of the fallen warriors returned after some time had passed since they departed. They were the belongings of the fallen royal army who went with Richard but died before arriving on the battlefield.


    Even before the full-fledged war began, the nobles saw the returned belongings and realized that the royal army was on the losing side. Therefore, the nobles, who inclined toward Rubelin¡¯s side after the incident at the royal hunting ground, flocked toward the Emperor¡¯s side again.


    It was a war in which the well-trained knights and soldiers died easily. Although Richard inherited the exceptional ability of the Rubelins, he was just a 15-years-old boy. They probably thought that it would be difficult for him to survive the war and come back alive.


    Thus, Albert was always in a bad mood lately. Consequently, Elisha¡¯s absence from the tea party would irritate him more since he valued the family¡¯s prestige highly.


    Elisha explained herself calmly. ¡°I had a financial class. I already postponed it once before, so it¡¯ll be inappropriate to put it off again.¡±


    ¡°You missed the tea party just because of that stupid class?¡±


    ¡°It was a prior engagement, and I thought it¡¯s a high virtue to keep my word.¡±


    Albert clicked his tongue at Elisha¡¯s answer. ¡°Foolish. If two events overlap, you should choose according to their significance. Is learning more important to you than the prestige of your family? To you, who¡¯s just a lady of this family?¡±


    He meant that it was pointless for a girl to study. As Albert made a biased remark about the gender difference, Elisha unknowingly bit her lips.


    ¡°Or did you purposely avoid it even though you knew the significance of the tea party? Because you were afraid that they¡¯ll make fun of you?¡±


    Elisha, who was touched at her sore spot, felt sick inside. Actually, it was true that she didn¡¯t want to attend the tea party. Rose Felice, who invited her to the tea party, was the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince Christian and the one who expressed hostility openly toward her at Count Arden¡¯s banquet.


    Rose, who never invited her to a tea party when Richard was present, suddenly did that as if she had been waiting for Richard¡¯s departure. Her hidden intention was too obvious.


    ¡®I guess she wants to ridicule me, who is in a precarious position after Richard left.¡¯ Fortunately, she happened to have a class on that day and decided to use it as an excuse for not attending. But it wasn¡¯t the real reason to skip the tea party.


    ¡°Yes, that was why I didn¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve gone and shown them that Rubelin is still thriving! How can you let those scoundrels label us as cowards?!¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be more practical to show it by studying rather than attending the tea party.¡± Elisha answered while looking Albert in the eye despite his disapproving look.


    Although his red eyes began to fill with anger, she added without hesitation, ¡°Because the prestige established based on words won¡¯t last long.¡±


    It was also a remark directed toward Albert, who was obsessed with the false prestige.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Albert looked at Elisha, who was fearlessly hitting his sore spot, with an expression of disapproval and said,


    ¡°You¡¯re really something.¡±


    However, contrary to his words, his anger subsided a lot.


    He was offended but he acknowledged inwardly that Elisha had a point. Nevertheless, his threatening voice was as cold as ever.


    ¡°This will be the last time I overlook your insolence.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you will do with the classes, just don¡¯t let it happen ever again.¡±


    It meant that if this happened one more time, she would not be allowed to take the classes anymore. Elisha lowered her eyes and answered with a calm voice.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Elisha turned around and left the office. As soon as she closed the door, she sighed.


    ¡®As expected, it¡¯s really hard to live in someone else¡¯s house.¡¯


    After Richard¡¯s departure, other than Ann, the attitude of Albert and everyone else toward Elisha had become cold.


    In the first place, she entered the duke¡¯s mansion as Richard¡¯s wife. Without him, she was just a stranger.


    ¡®To strengthen my position, I need to be someone with more worth, not only as Richard¡¯s wife.¡¯


    That was the reason why Elisha attended the financial classes diligently, studied hard, and often went in and out of the library to read books.


    Today as well, Elisha headed to the library like usual. She could read books in her bedroom, but she would feel slothful whenever she saw her bed, so she preferred reading in the library.


    However, she encountered a problem today.


    ¡®I think I should read this book along with the other book I left in my room.¡¯


    Elisha returned to her room with a book to read and opened the door. Since the door was not closed tightly, it didn¡¯t make any sound. At that time, the voices of the maids were heard through the slight ajar.


    ¡°Hurry up, put this in your pocket.¡±


    ¡°Oh, can we really do this?¡±


    ¡°Young master Richard is only fifteen years old. How can a 15-year-old boy survive the war?¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty must¡¯ve intended it to happen in the first place when His Majesty sent him to the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Brace yourself. If that happens, Rubelin will be handed over to someone else and we¡¯ll be replaced. Before that happens, we need to find another way to make a living.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, hurry up.¡±


    Near the dressing table, Elisha saw her specially crafted golden brooch in the maid¡¯s hand. As soon as she saw it, she could naturally guess where the hairband Ann was looking for last time would be.


    Elisha opened the door and strode into the room.


    ¡°It was you guys who took it, right?¡±


    ¡°Mi-milady?¡±


    The maid, who was hesitant to steal the brooch, looked at Elisha in fright.


    Elisha strode toward them and snatched the brooch from the maid¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I left it there all the time, and I was wondering where it went since it doesn¡¯t have feet for it to be able to move by itself.¡±


    Trembling, the maid turned pale as she hastily knelt and bowed her head.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I have sinned worthy of death!¡±


    Then, the other maid, who had been encouraging her friend to steal, also knelt.


    ¡°We are sorry, milady.¡±


    Then she continued with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°But these accessories are just insignificant things that milady can lose without any worries. However, for us, they are worth a few years of food.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Please have mercy upon us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°If this family falls, maids like us will have nowhere to go.¡±


    The maid, however, had the audacity to ask Elisha to be gracious toward them, rather than sincerely begging for her forgiveness.


    Elisha looked down at the maid who was looking at her with earnest eyes. She opened her mouth.


    ¡°Do you think this family is going to fall?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°The Rubelin?¡±


    Rubelin meant nothing to Elisha, but the maid¡¯s statement about the Rubelin¡¯s fall meant that she expected Richard¡¯s death. Her words sounded as if she wished for Richard¡¯s death.


    When the maid noticed that Elisha¡¯s expression darkened, she groveled.


    ¡°We-well, that was just an assumption.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. I can¡¯t help it if you guys unfortunately think like that. I can¡¯t influence how you think.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s gentle words made the maid expect her to show mercy.


    ¡®Because she¡¯s only a 12-years-old girl.¡¯


    If she appealed for Elisha¡¯s sympathy, she would get over this quietly.


    Furthermore, Elisha might even offer the brooches to them out of pity because she was always taking care of that stupid and poor Ann as if she was her own younger sister.


    However, Elisha¡¯s words that followed were completely different from what she expected.


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have tried to justify your sins and trampled on other people¡¯s hopes.¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­!¡±


    ¡°Since you think so, it won¡¯t matter whether you leave now or later. This family is going to fall anyway.¡±


    ¡°Mi-milady?¡±


    Only then did the maid realize that Elisha would not show any mercy.


    At that moment, the golden brooch that she tried to steal a while ago fell onto her skirt. It was thrown by Elisha.


    After taking a glance at the golden brooch, the maid looked up and saw Elisha looking at her with indifferent eyes.


    Elisha spoke in a calm, yet determined voice.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    The maid¡¯s eyes shook tremendously at Elisha¡¯s sudden notice of dismissal.


    ¡°Mi-milady! I made a mistake. Please forgive me just this once!¡±


    The maid hurriedly bowed her head and begged, but Elisha ignored her and pulled the bell pull to call the other maids.


    She spoke to the maids who were bewildered by the scene they arrived to upon entering the room.


    ¡°This child touched my jewelry and talked presumptuously about the death of the duke¡¯s heir and the fall of this family. These acts are unbecoming for a maid of this mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°These crimes deserve severe punishment, so kick her out of the duke¡¯s mansion right now.¡±


    ¡°Milady!¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady.¡±


    The other maids looked alternately at Elisha and their crying colleague then raised her. Even though Elisha was young, she was still their mistress unless Richard divorced her.


    They took the thieving maid out according to Elisha¡¯s order. The other maid, who was urged to steal, was forgiven by Elisha and returned to her work.


    ¡®Now that the maids have seen the incident today, they won¡¯t dare to think of doing such an impudent act again.¡¯


    She had to make them know what kind of person the next duchess would be. Elisha sighed tiredly as she looked at the quiet room.


    ¡®It¡¯s a relief.¡¯


    They should¡¯ve learned a lesson from today¡¯s incident.


    However, she still felt uneasy.


    ¡®The duke is like that too. Everyone says that Richard is going to lose the war, so I cannot help but feel anxious as well¡­¡­.¡¯


    She knew that Richard wouldn¡¯t die. However, she didn¡¯t know whether Richard would lose or win the war.


    In any case, she needed to stay as a part of Rubelin until she became an adult, so she couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to this family¡¯s status.


    ¡®No, let¡¯s not think about bad things.¡¯


    Elisha shook off the uneasy thoughts she had for a moment. Instead, she decided to think about how she could strengthen Rubelin¡¯s status while Richard is away.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t a very nice place to live for me, but for Richard, this is his home.¡¯


    If she managed Rubelin well until he returned, it would become her honorary contribution as the mistress, so she would have the right to ask for big alimony for the divorce.


    As Elisha was about to open a book and study about land management, Ann barged in unannounced.


    ¡°Milady, milady!¡±


    It was rude for a maid to burst open the door without knocking, but Elisha readily overlooked the rudeness the moment she heard Ann¡¯s next words.


    ¡°The young master won the first battle!¡±


    A bright smile spread over Elisha¡¯s face after a long time. It was the news that everyone in Rubelin, including Elisha, had been waiting for so long.


    *****


    A few days later, the emperor¡¯s birthday arrived. Elisha was groomed to attend the banquet that will be held in the evening.


    ¡°Milady, how about this dress?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll wear this one.¡±


    The maids were quite excited to see Elisha dressing up.


    Thanks to Richard¡¯s victory, not only the maids, but the Duke of Rubelin¡¯s expression was also strangely brighter than ever.


    As such, the victory news, which came before the emperor¡¯s birthday banquet, brought happiness not only to Rubelin¡¯s people but to all the citizens of the empire.


    Except for the emperor and his aides.


    ¡®The emperor would have wanted Richard to lose the battle. By the time the tide is completely down, he¡¯ll send more reinforcements to lead us to victory.¡¯


    There was no better way to bring down Rubelin¡¯s reputation than that.


    The emperor had been delaying from sending his troops because they were unprepared to go to war. If he really wanted to end the war as soon as possible, he would¡¯ve sent the reinforcements earlier.


    ¡®If it¡¯s delayed any longer¡­¡­ then he really wants Richard to die.¡¯


    Elisha¡¯s expression hardened when she figured out the emperor¡¯s intention.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter whether someone else¡¯s son dies or not, only my son is precious.¡¯


    About a week after Richard¡¯s departure, Christian, who had been sick, recovered at a rapid pace, as if he had been waiting. And he is supposed to attend the banquet today.


    The thought of seeing his obnoxious face made her insides twist.


    ¡®My kid¡¯s probably rolling around in that tough place while Christian must be rolling around in bed eating cookies.¡¯


    Elisha, who was grinding her teeth while thinking about the emperor and Christian, suddenly thought of a trick. An excellent trick to make that father and son duo pay for their actions with high cost.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    A satisfied smile hung around Elisha¡¯s mouth when she left the maids who were attending to her in the room.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    The main topic of conversation among those who attended the banquet was war and Richard who led the first battle to victory.


    ¡°Even though he inherited the powerful ability of his family, I was worried whether a 15-year-old boy could win or not. Nevertheless, although he is still young, I guess a Rubelin is always a Rubelin.¡±


    ¡°When I saw him on the hunting grounds, I always thought that his powerful ability would surely bring victory to the empire.¡±


    ¡°Maybe His Majesty already recognized his immense potential and put the right person ahead.¡±


    ¡°Even though he is still young, he is really brave and confident with his powerful ability.¡±


    Each of the nobles praised Richard and his bravery which didn¡¯t seem to match his young age. Christian, who made an official appearance after a long time, did not become the hot topic.


    Hearing Richard¡¯s name everywhere, Christian had a look of disapproval on his face. Every time he heard that name, he felt angry.


    ¡®I would have been the one who went there if it weren¡¯t for my father.¡¯


    The emperor, Roam, ordered Christian to lie in bed and pretend to be sick.


    [An emperor is not the one who steps out first, but the one who commands. Going to war and fighting are the responsibilities of the ones below you. That is why you don¡¯t have to go to that dangerous place yourself.]


    The emperor even deliberately provided Richard with only a small part of his troops.


    He anticipated that the little kid who didn¡¯t know anything would lose the war. If luck was on his side, Richard would die.


    However, the results were far from what he had expected. Richard won the battle and gained more fame than Christian, who remained on his sickbed.


    ¡®That unlucky son of bitch¡­¡­¡¯


    Christian gritted his teeth as he recalled Richard¡¯s handsome face.


    A year ago, Richard, who suddenly appeared as Rubelin¡¯s successor, stole the spotlight from Christian.


    He lost both ladies¡¯ attention and political influence as the next emperor.


    On the surface, Christian kept Richard by his side while saying,


    ¡°As the next emperor with discerning eyes, I need to keep the talented people close.¡±


    But his insides were twisting as he said that.


    ¡®Looking at him winning the war easily, it seems that the war is not that big of a deal. If I was the one who went there instead, I would have won a long time ago.¡¯


    At first, he did what his father said because he was afraid of war, but when he saw Richard¡¯s victory, he felt confident that he could do it better.


    At that time, he saw Elisha standing alone absentmindedly at the center of the banquet hall. At that sight, Richard¡¯s face came to his mind and the corners of his mouth went up crookedly.


    Instead of Richard, who wasn¡¯t around, Elisha seemed to be a suitable target to vent his anger.


    Christian dragged Rose and other children toward Elisha.


    ¡°Oh, look who is here. Aren¡¯t you the wife of Duke of Rubelin¡¯s successor?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Elisha greeted Christian politely by lifting the hem of her dress slightly as she saw him approaching.


    ¡°I heard that Your Highness was very ill. Does Your Highness feel better now?¡±


    Listening to Elisha¡¯s friendly way of talking, Christian cleared his throat.


    As soon as he saw that Elisha, who dressed up beautifully, expressed her concern towards him, his desire to bully her disappeared.


    ¡°Well, almost?¡±


    ¡°Then it wouldn¡¯t be good for your health if you overdo it after such a long time.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s birthday. As his son, I can¡¯t just stay in bed.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is a very filial son. His Majesty must have felt like he received a great gift just by seeing Your Highness waking up from your sickbed.¡±


    Elisha smiled as she complimented Christian.


    Feeling flattered, Christian¡¯s mouth was about to flash an arrogant smile. At that moment, Elisha¡¯s bright smile was suddenly replaced with a frown full of concern.


    ¡°But why is there such a rumor going around when Your Highness is just fulfilling your duty as a filial son?¡±


    ¡°Rumor?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Your Highness pretended to be sick because Your Highness was afraid of the war.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    Christian¡¯s smiling expression turned into an embarrassed one in an instant.


    Elisha said with a more distressed look on her face.


    ¡°How could there be such a rumor? It is such an impudent act to spread such rumor while attending the banquet to celebrate His Majesty¡¯s birthday.¡±


    Christian, who was hit at his sore spot, felt even more resentful.


    ¡°Wh-what kind of crazy bastard said such nonsense? Unless he wants to dig his own grave.¡±


    ¡°I must have misheard it.¡±


    ¡°Just tell those who dare to spread such rumors¡­¡±


    Christian hesitated for a moment, but soon made up his mind and added.


    ¡°That the crown prince will join the next batch of reinforcement troops.¡±


    There was nothing he couldn¡¯t do when even someone like Richard could bring victory.


    ¡°Your Highness is so courageous!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that the next troops will be more victorious.¡±


    As the noble daughters of Christian¡¯s supporters cheered, the noble sons also expressed their admiration toward him as they got caught up with the atmosphere.


    ¡°You guys are just stating the obvious.¡±


    Christian shrugged, getting so absorbed in boasting about his bravery.


    Elisha furtively raised the corners of her lips as she saw Christian¡¯s bravado.


    Soon enough, it was time for the nobles to present their gifts before the emperor. Elisha stepped forward with Albert.


    Then, the Rubelin¡¯s servants brought a box and politely handed it to the royal attendant. The royal attendant took the box, went up the steps, and opened the box.


    The eyes of the nobles widened when they saw the content of the box.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡±


    A huge luminescent stone, as big as a human head, came out of the box.


    The light-emitting stone was a stone that absorbs sunlight during the day, and when darkness fell, it emits light.


    It was such a rare stone that could only be found in Rubelin duchy.


    The luminescent stone¡¯s size was usually smaller than a baby¡¯s fist. With that size, it was sold at a high price that the commoners could never afford even if they used all of the money they¡¯ve earned during their lifetime. Therefore, it was hard to estimate the value of the luminescent stone that was presented to the emperor.


    ¡°We prepared it with earnest hopes that Your Majesty¡¯s grace, which is as brilliant as this luminescent stone, would come upon us in Arencia.¡±


    Both Elisha and the emperor knew that Albert¡¯s words were insincere. Nevertheless, the emperor pretended to be satisfied and smiled.


    ¡°I feel sorry to receive such a gift in this current situation. The duke¡¯s successor has already won a big victory on the battlefield, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty has shown greater grace than that, so even this much isn¡¯t comparable.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s sudden reply, Albert and the emperor looked at her in wonder. Elisha looked up at Christian, who was standing next to the emperor, and opened her mouth.


    ¡°His Highness announced that he would join the reinforcement troops this time to boost the morale of the knights. Would there be any greater grace than this?¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s innocent words, the faces of both the emperor and empress were flushed with embarrassment.


    Only then did the emperor notice that something was wrong and looked at Christian.


    However, the nobles, who did not know the details of the story, decided that it was time for them to revere Christian and the emperor after hearing Elisha¡¯s words.


    ¡°As expected of Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the bravery of the next emperor!¡±


    ¡°Long live the crown prince!¡±


    ¡°Long live the emperor!¡±


    The emperor¡¯s expression was rapidly distorted by the nobles¡¯ reverence.


    Now that it had been declared in front of everyone, it would be strange to announce that Christian would not join the war.


    Elisha looked at him and smiled innocently as if she knew nothing.


    ¡°Since His Highness will join the war himself, we will certainly attain victory.¡±


    ***


    Christian¡¯s departure date with the reinforcement troops was just 15 days away. Since he vowed to join the war in front of all the nobles, he could no longer avoid it.


    Elisha was very pleased with the desired result.


    ¡®He¡¯ll come back soon with all kinds of excuses. However, when he returns shortly after joining the war, the public opinion will turn against him.¡¯


    Whatever reason he uses to come back, Christian would not be able to avoid the disgrace of being a loser and a coward.


    The more dishonor he gets, the more heroic Richard, who remained on the battlefield, would appear.


    Elisha wasn¡¯t the only one who was pleased with the situation. Perhaps because Elisha gave the emperor and Christian such a big blow, Albert¡¯s attitude towards her changed a little after that day.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, milady. I am Argyll Richester, who will serve as your aide from now on.¡±


    Albert attached an aide to Elisha. The 17-year-old boy named Argyll was a talented student who acquired vast knowledge of the world from the Tower of Truth at such a young age.


    The fact that Albert gave Elisha an aide to help her with her duties meant that he acknowledged her status as Rubelin¡¯s mistress.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure he just regards me as another useful chess piece.¡¯


    He was a villain who undermined his values and inflicted mental abuse on her and Richard. However, he was a person who quickly admitted his mistakes and had keen insights to see the new possibilities in any situation.


    Observing Albert¡¯s way of thinking, Elisha couldn¡¯t help but admit that he had the perfect qualities to become the most powerful man in Arencia.


    A month had passed since the banquet, and Christian¡¯s departure was just a few days away.


    ¡°Milady, do you have anything to send to Young Master Richard?¡±


    Butler Grayson asked as he brought the warm milk to Elisha, who studied until late at night.


    ¡°The royal knights informed us that they¡¯re going to deliver the supplies to our knights on the battlefield when they reach there.¡±


    ¡°No-Ah!¡±


    ¡°If milady wishes to send something to Young Master Richard, please prepare it by this week. I will deliver it to the royal knights and inform them about it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grayson.¡±


    Grayson left the room after reminding her to not overwork herself until too late at night.


    Elisha closed the book she was reading and took a paper out of the drawer. In her previous life, she remembered her cousins who joined the military service said that they couldn¡¯t be happier when she sent them letters.


    ¡®Will Richard like it too?¡¯


    She wanted to give some encouragement to Richard, who fought along with the adult knights even though he was physically smaller than them.


    ¡®Should I talk about my life in the mansion?¡¯


    After pondering about what to write in the letter for a while, Elisha decided to talk about the story behind the duke¡¯s change of attitude.


    She started telling him about her newly appointed aide, Argyll, first.


    ¡°I¡¯m done!¡±


    Elisha, who filled the paper with her stories, put it in the envelope and laid down on the bed with a proud heart.


    That night, she felt Richard¡¯s absence after a long time since his departure.


    *****


    People said the war between Arencia and Fyran would end in five years with Fyran Kingdom¡¯s surrendering. However, Fyran Kingdom was more persistent than expected and did not back down until the end.


    As the war got longer, the people predicted that it would end only after 10 years as the destruction of the Fyran Kingdom would happen by then, but their prediction was off the mark this time too.


    After seven years, the Arencia-Fyran war ended in the early winter, before Elisha¡¯s coming of age. The Fyran Kingdom fell faster than expected.


    By the hands of Richard Rubelin, who is also known as ¡®Rubelin¡¯s storm¡¯.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    ¡®I¡¯m late!¡¯ Argyll, the Rubelin¡¯s secretary, quickened his steps toward the conference room. It was because he was late for an important meeting, one attended by Rubelin¡¯s madam and all of the vassals.


    Argyll rushed into the meeting hall breathlessly. Most of the attendees were already gathered in the conference room. And in the center, Elisha, who was now the respectable madam of Rubelin, sat in a dignified manner.


    With her dazzling blonde hair that flows down to her waist, clear green eyes, and small red lips that resembled a flower blossoming on her face, she resembled a warm spring appearing in the midst of the cold and snowy north.


    Elisha made eye contact with Argyll, who was quietly entering the conference room. Instead of greeting him, she just smiled.


    ¡®Milady is generous today too.¡¯ Argyll smiled awkwardly at Elisha and hurriedly sat at his seat.


    Elisha had a knack for making the people around her feeling comfortable. Ironically, she also possessed enough dignity and grandeur that could overwhelm other people despite her small and cute figure. Everyone in Rubelin knew that she didn¡¯t gain that authority for nothing.


    After Richard¡¯s departure, Elisha studied and tried hard to prove her usefulness to Albert. When Elisha demonstrated her excellent ability and exceptional intelligence in managing territorial affairs, the duke¡¯s vassals, who originally ignored her despite her status as a lady of the house, began to recognize her as their madam.


    Surprisingly, the Rubelin¡¯s knights also acknowledged her as their mistress and swore their loyalty to her. As time passed, Elisha became more skilled in managing the territorial affairs and took over the responsibilities of Albert, who was now bedridden.


    ¡°Since everyone is here now, we shall start the meeting.¡± Albert¡¯s aide, Aaron, announced the beginning of the meeting.


    Elisha opened a document containing the details about the agenda for the meeting that had been organized in advance. The first item on the agenda was presented by Antonio, who is in charge of the food supplies.


    ¡°Compared to the amount of the food supplies we have preordered and imported, the demand is in all likelihood higher so we predict that a lot of people will probably starve until the next coming spring.¡±


    The northern land was barren, but not to the extent of causing this severe food shortage. However, in the most recent summer, there was a severe drought, the kind that happens only once in every few decades, which led to the food shortage.


    ¡°Hmm, as expected, it turned out like this.¡±


    Elisha nodded with a calm expression, as if she had expected it. Then she suggested an alternative solution that she had in mind.


    ¡°I heard recently that the southern land was attacked by a group of pirates seeking food, and the damage was severe. Contact the southern lords and inform them that we¡¯re willing to sell some farming tools and weapons to them. The payment should be in the form of food supplies instead of gold.¡±


    The iron ore from Rubelin was desired by everyone due to its excellent strength. Moreover, the weapons and iron tools made by Rubelin were manufactured using the advanced methods. Therefore, many people preferred the weapons and agricultural machinery produced by the Rubelins.


    Knowing that, Elisha instructed the young residents who lost their source of income due to the drought to help with jobs related to the manufacturing of those tools instead of growing crops to pay their annual taxes.


    The experienced blacksmiths were instructed to train their new apprentices in earnest. All the simple chores were done by the apprentices. Meanwhile, the complicated tasks, such as shaping the iron using the hot forge, were done by the experienced blacksmiths since they were dangerous. It was customary for the apprentices to do the simple chores for years while learning the complicated tasks from the experts before they could take over.


    At first, the blacksmiths reacted negatively toward Elisha¡¯s order. Nonetheless, they were soon convinced by Elisha¡¯s words and followed her order eagerly. In the beginning, the work pace slowed dramatically since the expert blacksmiths needed to teach the apprentices while working.


    However, after some time, the working speed increased significantly after the apprentices mastered the skills necessary. As a result, the Rubelin Duchy¡¯s warehouses were full of agricultural machinery and weapons at the moment.


    ¡°The south lords will likely accept this offer since it¡¯s better to trade the extra food supplies for weapons that can be used to protect their territory rather than letting a bunch of vicious pirates snatch the food freely.¡±


    The vassals nodded in admiration at Elisha¡¯s suggestion. In fact, since Rubelin¡¯s northern territory and the southern territory were far from each other, there wasn¡¯t a lot of formal trade happening between the two lands. So, the idea of trading food supplies for weapons and farming tools was really incredible.


    The vassals felt satisfied since the issue was solved efficiently, but Elisha still felt troubled. ¡®We managed to solve the problem this way for this year. But what if it happens again later? It¡¯s fortunate that the harvest is currently abundant in the south so we can overcome the problem by mutual trading. However, it is possible for the south to experience a terrible drought like us and be unable to trade later in the future.¡¯


    ¡®In the future, if the southern land also suffers from the drought, the south lords will naturally prioritize their territory first when it comes to food supplies.¡¯ Thus, a fundamental solution for this problem is needed. Growing the crops in greenhouses might be a good idea. However, the greenhouses are too costly for ordinary residents to build and maintain them¡­


    ¡®Maybe we should develop a plastic greenhouse or something like that.¡¯


    As Elisha was about to clear her thoughts and move on to the next agenda item, someone suddenly knocked on the door of the conference room.


    ¡°I beg your pardon for interrupting the meeting, but I have some urgent news.¡±


    All eyes were on the servant due to his words. In fact, it was forbidden for any outsiders to interrupt the important meeting. This meant that the news was so urgent that the servant couldn¡¯t wait until the meeting was over.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    With Elisha¡¯s permission, the servant entered the room. He delivered the news with an expression full of joy. ¡°The Arencia army has won the war and the war has ended completely.¡±


    *****


    A month after the news of victory was announced. Near the hideout of the remaining army of the Fyran Kingdom.


    Richard¡¯s men were wandering in the woods while looking for their master, who disappeared in a flash. After wandering for a long time, Thompson was trying to catch his breath against the nearby tree trunk. ¡°Huff, huff¡­. Where the hell did he go?¡±


    Richard often moved on his own. He always disappeared without telling them where he would go. Thompson, who was worried constantly about Richard invading the enemy¡¯s lair alone and getting hurt, started nagging him again. ¡°You should at least tell us where you¡¯re going!¡±


    After hearing Thompson nagging dozens of times, Richard reluctantly left a note before he disappeared this time. After Richard disappeared like that, his men always immediately followed in pursuit. However, by the time they reached the destination, the situation was already over and they just needed to clean up after him.


    ¡°Sir Thompson! There is a storm there!¡± One of Thompson¡¯s subordinates shouted as he found something after looking around.


    When Thompson looked at the direction his subordinate pointed, he could see that the leaves in the forest were flying toward one place. He immediately rushed there with all the rest of Richard¡¯s men.


    Not long after that, they reached a place that seemed like it could be the hideout of the remaining members of the army of the Fyran Kingdom. No, it was actually their hideout.


    A huge storm in the center of the hideout was engulfing everything. Whether it was people or things. It was always an overwhelming and breathtaking sight. No matter how many times they saw it.


    However, they couldn¡¯t see Richard in there. Thompson raised his right arm to prevent his colleagues from advancing. ¡°Stop! It¡¯s dangerous to get any closer!¡±


    They immediately took a few steps back.


    At that moment, the huge storm stopped in an instant, causing flying people and things in the air to fall mercilessly towards the ground. In the midst of the loud screams and breaking sounds, a familiar young man stood calmly in the center.


    He was a tall man with black hair and a pair of red eyes, resembling the color of the blood scattered in the wreckage. Unscathed, he walked out of that chaos. Despite the havoc he caused, he remained calm wearing an indifferent expression.


    Thompson and his colleagues approached him.


    ¡°Young Master Richard!¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave on your own Young Master, without waiting for us? We should have raided them together!¡±


    When Thompson started nagging him again, Richard replied while lifting one of his eyebrows and wincing, as if his ears were stinging. ¡°You guys are too slow.¡±


    ¡°No, Young Master is the one who is too fast. Isn¡¯t it too much to expect a walking commoner to match the speed of a flying prince?¡±


    One of the subordinates, who was quietly watching the quarrel between Richard and Thompson, suddenly stepped in and delivered the news before Thompson¡¯s nagging got any longer. ¡°Young Master, some messengers from the capital have arrived a short while ago. They said that they brought a personal letter from His Imperial Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go right away.¡± Richard flew to the camp as soon as his subordinate finished talking.


    Thompson heaved a sigh of frustration as he saw Richard¡¯s back disappearing quickly.


    *****


    ¡°Young Master, the messengers of His Majesty are waiting for you.¡±


    When Richard reached at the camp, one of his men welcomed him, as if they had been waiting, and led him to a specific tent.


    There were a few knights from the royal palace and Rubelin¡¯s knights waiting for him in the tent. He then looked at the three unfamiliar people, who seemed to be the messengers of the emperor. ¡°You must have had a hard time coming all the way here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not comparable to the hardships that Milord had gone through.¡± They bowed their heads in front of Richard respectfully. Then one of them handed the Emperor¡¯s personal letter to Richard and said, ¡°His Majesty wants to hold a grand celebration for Rubelin¡¯s knights and the royal army, who fought for Arencia. His Majesty also wishes to award Milord personally during the ball, so His Majesty would like to know if there is something Milord wishes for¡­¡±


    ¡°Something that I wish for¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Milord can tell us anything.¡±


    Richard laughed bitterly. It was ridiculous that the emperor, who was eager to kill him, was now trying to award him for his contributions. Out of habit, he touched the ruby pendant hung around his neck. He never took off the pendant for seven years. While his fingertips fiddled with the ruby pendant, he answered, ¡°Go home.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I want to go home.¡±


    ¡°B-but His Majesty has prepared a grand celebration for Milord!¡±


    ¡°The celebration was also prepared for the royal army so it won¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t attend.¡±


    At the same moment, the Rubelin¡¯s knights who had finished cleaning up after Richard arrived at the tent. They were stunned to hear Richard¡¯s words before they could even catch their breath.


    ¡°The Rubelin troops will return to the territory immediately.¡±


    Richard¡¯s words caused them to freeze in silence.


    ¡°To return as soon as possible, we¡¯ll have to hurry up and clean up the remnants.¡± Richard muttered casually and left the tent, showing no intention of taking back his words.


    (t/n: ugh, I was hoping for a lovely reunion in this chapter T_T)


    (e/n: I thought they were hinting at it too when the servant rushed into the meeting¡­)

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    At the same time, the royal soldiers present in the tent began to grumble. Their unwelcome gazes were directed toward the Rubelin¡¯s knights. Even after a long time working towards the same goal, they didn¡¯t get along with the Rubelin¡¯s knights.


    The commander of the royal army often came up with poor strategies in every battle. Furthermore, he was too prideful to follow the different strategies and ideas suggested by Richard, who was a lot younger than him.


    And mimicking the attitude of their superior, the royal army also disobeyed Richard¡¯s commands due to their inferiority complex. They also hated the fact that the Rubelin¡¯s knights were always one step ahead when dealing with the enemy.


    Thompson and the other Rubelin knights glared at them and left the tent. Richard had already left to clean up the remnants of the enemy army.


    One of the subordinates asked Thompson, who was sighing. ¡°Sir Thompson, why is the Young Master in such a hurry? The emperor offered to award him personally, so wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we could stop by the capital for a while?¡±


    Thompson replied with a shrug. ¡°Who knows? Maybe he has a hidden honey jar in the territory.¡±


    [e/n: he¡¯s talking about a girl Richard wants to get back to but he¡¯s not necessarily referencing Elisha, probs thinks Richard has a mistress lol]


    *****


    Elisha stared at the document in front of her.


    [Certificate of Divorce]


    In Arencia, marriage was a pledge made under the protection of Arend, the goddess of love. Therefore, when a couple decided to get a divorce, they needed to ask for the goddess¡¯s permission as well as blessings for both of them to find their respective true lovers and happiness in the future.


    ¡®After this winter, I¡¯ll become an adult.¡¯ Elisha almost reached the promised age that they agreed on to get a divorce. In fact, even after she became an adult, she was willing to manage the territory affairs as Rubelin¡¯s madam until Richard¡¯s return. However, there was no need for further delay since Richard, the rightful owner, would return soon.


    ¡®It seems that it¡¯s all set. I¡¯ve prepared the business funds, retirement funds¡­And since I did work hard and gave him enough affection, I¡¯ll probably get a reasonable amount of alimony as well. Lastly, I already bought the villa in Sornetti¡­¡¯


    Earlier this year, through her friend, Ansel, Elisha bought the previous Lohengrin¡¯s villa. It was possible because the Arden family expanded their territory to Sornetti a few years ago.


    However, the villa had been vacant for a long time and was not well-managed. Therefore, Elisha asked Ansel, who stayed near Sornetti, to repair the villa. However, due to the damages caused by a typhoon this last summer, the repairing process was expected to complete in the next summer. Thus, the timing for completion was a bit off since Elisha would probably divorce Richard and leave the Rubelin¡¯s mansion this spring.


    ¡®Since I have saved enough money, I can just find a temporary place to stay.¡¯ Elisha didn¡¯t worry too much about it. She was preoccupied with something else. ¡®I need to allocate some budget for the banquet to celebrate Richard¡¯s return.¡¯


    Not long ago, the food shortage crisis was solved thanks to the mutual trade with the southern lords. In addition, the royal palace was also preparing a grand celebration for the war heroes, so Rubelin¡¯s knights would definitely stop by the capital for a while before returning to the territory. Thus, there was no need to hurry.


    ¡®Let¡¯s call it a day and get some rest.¡¯ Elisha got up from her seat and stretched her body. She left the office and started to make her way to her bedroom.


    However, in the hallway, Ann suddenly rushed toward her. ¡°Mi-milady!¡±


    Elisha looked at Ann curiously. ¡°Ann, what¡¯s going on? Why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°W-we are running out of time!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Richard¡­¡­he¡¯ll reach here soon!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We need to prepare the banquet right away¡­¡­¡±


    Before Ann could finish talking, someone else also rushed toward Elisha. It was Aaron, Albert¡¯s aide.


    ¡°Milady, the Master is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Ann, I¡¯ll listen to you later.¡± Elisha sent Ann back and headed to Albert¡¯s bedroom with Aaron.


    ¡°Master, Milady is here.¡± Aaron waited outside while Elisha entered Albert¡¯s bedroom alone.


    As she entered the room, she could smell the strong scent of acrid herbs. It was the same scent she endured every morning when she came to give her formal greeting to the duke. Elisha took a deep breath and approached the bed.


    There was a sick old man lying on the bed with a pale face. She could see the age spots on his face and hear his wheezing sound when she went closer. Nonetheless, his eyes were still ferocious, just like how she saw them for the first time.


    ¡°I came upon your call, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°That fellow¡­¡­ I heard that he¡¯s returning to this mansion right away.¡± Albert, who was trying to talk more, stopped for a moment due to his sudden cough. ¡°When Richard comes back, you need to coax him into having a child. By any means.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you over and over again that¡¯s the main purpose of feeding and raising you until now. If you can¡¯t have a child, there¡¯s no reason to keep you in this family. Take good care of your body while waiting for his return so you are in good condition to get pregnant right away.¡±


    As he said that, Albert¡¯s eyes burned with the last flame of his life. He was determined to achieve the last goal for this family before closing his eyes. To see the successor who would inherit this family was his life¡¯s final mission. He looked as if every breath he took was full of determination to fulfill his last wish.


    ¡®I wish I could fulfill the last wish of a dying old man, regardless whatever it is, but¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s justifiable to trample on someone else¡¯s happiness to fulfill that wish.¡¯ Elisha didn¡¯t feel any regret over not fulfilling his last wish. Nonetheless, she answered him obediently, ¡°I shall do that.¡±


    *****


    A few days later, a messenger raven from the Rubelin¡¯s knights arrived. It just delivered a short note saying that they would probably arrive at the mansion around noon tomorrow.


    The Rubelin¡¯s employees were busy all day, preparing to welcome the returning heroes as grandly as possible. It was a hectic day for Elisha too. As the day passed and the darkness fell, the night became calm and quiet, as if the busy atmosphere during the day was just an illusion.


    That night, while everyone in the mansion was already asleep, expecting a happy mood tomorrow, Elisha was the only one who was still awake. ¡®I can¡¯t sleep¡­¡­¡¯


    After tossing and turning in bed for some time, Elisha finally gave up on sleeping and went out to the balcony.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold.¡± She wrapped herself with a blanket to protect herself from the cold winds of early winter. However, the ruthless cold of Rubelin¡¯s northern land still penetrated the blanket.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m used to it now. Like how I¡¯m used to the view in front me.¡¯ From the balcony, she could see the panoramic view of the Rubelin estate. At night, the white snow covering the land reflected the moonlight, presenting a visibly calm scene. It looked so peaceful.


    ¡®You¡¯ve worked hard for the past seven years, Elisha.¡¯ The memories of her constant endeavor to be recognized after Richard¡¯s departure came to her mind. Those times were full of hardships, yet they were also fun and rewarding.


    Elisha, who lived in the Rubelin¡¯s territory for a long time, felt like it was her own hometown. ¡®My Rubelin.¡¯ It was the Rubelin that she had been taking care of for seven years. ¡®It has only been seven years but I already feel this way. Somehow, I can understand a little why Albert is so obsessed and has spent his whole life protecting this land.¡¯


    ¡®Now that I¡¯m leaving¡­¡­ Somehow, I feel a little nostalgic.¡¯ The sooner Richard¡¯s return, the closer the day of her leaving. Thinking about it made her feel bitter.


    ¡®By the way, Richard must¡¯ve become an adult now.¡¯ The last time she saw him was 7 years ago. Back then, he was already quite a bit taller than her, and now, he must¡¯ve become even taller.


    ¡®His personality is¡­¡­still blunt like before, based on what I read from the letters.¡¯ Even though she didn¡¯t meet him during the last seven years, they exchanged letters every season. They simply asked about each other¡¯s condition and shared short stories of their everyday life events.


    ¡®His face¡­¡­I wonder what he looks like now¡­¡¯ She still remembered that he looked quite handsome when he was still young. However, her memory was a bit blurry so she couldn¡¯t imagine his grown-up face.


    As Elisha was engrossed in tracing back her memories with a frown on her face, a wind with a familiar scent blew gently. At the same time, the moonlight was subtly obscured by a shadow.


    ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ Elisha looked up reflexively.


    There was an unfamiliar man standing on the balustrade of the balcony. The man was tall, he had a slim yet muscular physique and a charming face that made it so she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him.


    He stared at her with his eyes, which were as red as blood. His smooth black hair fluttered gently as the breeze blew. Standing in the moonlight, he looked like an angel who descended to the earth at night. Except that he didn¡¯t have a pair of wings.


    ¡®That face¡­¡­¡¯ Elisha, who was staring blankly at that man as if she was bewitched, finally remembered that familiar face. At that moment, her heart began to pound hard.


    In the meantime, the man got off the balustrade. He stared Elisha in the eye and opened his mouth, ¡°Hi, Elisha.¡±


    His attractive low-pitched voice was carried on the wind. The ruby pendant around his neck sparkled in the moonlight.


    (t/n: well, this is just a trivial thing. Do you remember that when Richard left, he said ¡°Goodbye, Elisha¡±? And when he met her again, he said ¡°Hi, Elisha.¡± It¡¯s not obvious in english, but in korean, he said the exact same sentence which is ¡°Annyeong Elisha.¡± Annyeong means both hi and goodbye, so it works in both ways. I just find it interesting that he said the same sentence during their parting and reunion.)

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Elisha, who was staring blankly at the man in front of her, unconsciously said the name that had become somewhat unfamiliar after seven years. ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    However, as soon as Elisha realized that she uttered his name like a question, she bit her lips. ¡®What a stupid question. Of course, it¡¯s him. He¡¯s the only one who has the ability to fly anywhere in this continent.¡¯


    Instead of answering, Richard just gazed at Elisha. He was always taller than her in the past. But now, their height difference was even more obvious.


    Elisha avoided his gaze because his mysteriously glistening red eyes somehow exuded a dangerous aura. Even when she did that, she still could feel that his deep gaze was still fixed on her face.


    ¡°¡­Seems like you arrived sooner than expected.¡±


    ¡°Because I missed you.¡±


    Elisha was embarrassed by his abrupt reply. ¡®You mean that you missed the duchy, right? There¡¯s no way that you miss me.¡¯ She just interpreted his words in that way and led him into their room. ¡°You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you? Let¡¯s go into the room.¡±


    Richard obediently followed Elisha to the room. The room changed a lot after seven years. Nevertheless, it seemed unchanged in Richard¡¯s eyes. Seven years ago and now, she was still there. His only person.


    ¡®Awkward! It¡¯s suffocatingly awkward!¡¯ Elisha felt so awkward in Richard¡¯s presence that she hesitated to turn her body toward him. ¡®Seven years ago, Richard was someone who didn¡¯t talk much, and he is still the same now, but why does it feel so different?¡¯


    Richard took off his jacket. When he took off two layers of the outer clothing, his upper body was revealed.


    Even when he was wearing outerwear, she could see the outline of his fine muscles at first glance. Now that he took off his outerwear, the outline could be seen even clearer since it was only covered by a thin layer of innerwear.


    Wide chest and shoulders, slim waist, and muscles that show off their presence even if he just slightly folded his arms. It was such a masculine body.


    Elisha, who was looking at his body in awe, made eye contact with Richard and became stunned. She was conscience-stricken since she was caught red-handed while admiring his attractive muscular body. ¡°Sh-should I ask the servants to prepare the bath?¡±


    ¡°I already washed up.¡± Richard¡¯s voice interrupted Elisha, who tried to call the servants in a hurry.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to touch it yourself?¡± Richard strode up while unbuttoning his shirt.


    Elisha, who had her eyes all over Richard¡¯s body, jumped in surprise when the distance between them suddenly shortened. ¡°N-no! W-why would I touch it myself?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Richard only lowered his head toward Elisha. ¡°My hair hasn¡¯t dried yet.¡±


    ¡®Ah¡­¡­you mean that I should touch your hair.¡¯ Elisha felt like putting her nose in the dishwater. (t/n: it¡¯s a proverb that simply means that she was embarrassed to death)


    ¡®Please¡­please don¡¯t let him notice my hidden desire¡­¡¯ Elisha decided to change the subject. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to bed. You must be very tired from the long journey.¡±


    After making a sad expression for a while, Richard immediately laid down on the bed as Elisha had suggested. However, Elisha did not lie on the bed and just took a blanket and a pillow instead.


    Richard looked inquiringly at her, ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You might feel uncomfortable sleeping together with me so¡­I¡¯ll just sleep on the sofa.¡±


    Richard frowned at Elisha¡¯s reply and said as if It wasn¡¯t a big deal, ¡°Why? We slept together before though.¡±


    His question left Elisha speechless. ¡®It¡¯s kind of weird for an adult man and woman to sleep together in the same bed. Well, it won¡¯t be weird since we¡¯re married, but¡­¡­¡¯


    When she saw Richard, who was lying on the bed with two of the upper buttons of his shirt unfastened, saying those words without any hint of hidden intention, Elisha felt like she was the only one who thought too much about it. ¡®It¡¯s possible for him to cross the line though¡­¡¯


    At that moment, Richard suddenly reminded her about her previous words when she asked Richard to sleep with her in the past, ¡°You said you won¡¯t eat me.¡±


    Elisha, who hesitated for a while, eventually laid on the bed while keeping a safe distance like before. Feeling awkward, she stared at the ceiling for a while and then directed her gaze toward Richard. Richard already closed his eyes. It seemed he fell asleep quickly out of exhaustion.


    ¡®You¡¯re still the same as when you were a kid.¡¯ As Elisha began to reminisce about her memories with Richard, she gradually got used to his adult appearance, and her unfamiliar and awkward feelings dissipated little by little.


    Only then, did Elisha realize her feelings of happiness that he was finally back. She belatedly gave him the greeting that she had always saved in her mind for his return. ¡°Welcome back, Richard. You did well.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡± Elisha¡¯s eyes slowly closed while looking at Richard.


    Soon after, when Richard heard the sound of her even breathing, he opened his eyes. Then he turned to his side and looked at her sleeping face with his hand under his chin.


    For the past seven years, he had been missing her. As he grew up, he forgot most of his childhood memories, except the memories they shared together. She was still the same as he remembered. Watching her sleeping face, he thought that it was a good thing he came back alive for the first time.


    ¡°¡­¡­Seems like you sleep quietly now.¡± Richard, who was watching his wife sleeping, mumbled regretfully.


    *****


    The next morning, Elisha was surprised when she looked at the other side of the bed as soon as she woke up. ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    Richard, who slept beside her last night, was nowhere to be found. She continued to wonder about his whereabouts even when she went to wash up. ¡®¡­The clothes he left on the sofa last night are also missing.¡¯


    Elisha pulled the rope and called Ann. ¡°Ann, what about Richard?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Richard is already on his way to this mansion now. It is better for Milady to hurry up and prepare soon.¡±


    Elisha was dazed by Ann¡¯s answer. ¡®Then what about the Richard that I met last night?¡¯ It was too vivid to be a dream. With the unanswered questions in her mind, Elisha got ready to go greet Richard and the Rubelin knights.


    ¡°Milady, Young Master Richard and the Rubelin knights have returned.¡±


    Just in time, Richard and the knights of the Dukedom arrived at the mansion. Elisha went straight down to the lobby to greet them along with the duke¡¯s vassals and employees.


    At that moment, the gate of the mansion opened and Rubelin¡¯s troops entered with Richard leading them at the center.


    He was the same Richard she saw last night. He was definitely the same person as yesterday but looking at him during the day, she felt a bit different. With the sunlight shining upon him, he gave off a different feeling than last night. His handsome face, which seemed a little scary in the dark, now looked stunning in the light.


    ¡°Congratulations on your safe return, Young Master Richard.¡±


    The duke¡¯s vassals and employees courteously bowed their heads to Richard in unison.


    Richard walked past them and strode toward Elisha.


    Elisha looked up at him without saying anything. ¡®If it was a dream last night, I should say ¡®Welcome back¡¯, but if it wasn¡¯t a dream¡­what should I say?¡¯


    As Elisha was lost in her confusion, Richard hugged her softly. His big, sturdy body enveloped her. Her heart pounded in surprise at his abrupt action. At that time, her body froze awkwardly. Although they were a married couple, it had been a long time since they met, so she couldn¡¯t shake off the awkward feeling easily.


    Richard¡¯s voice rang in Elisha¡¯s stiff ears. ¡°Good morning, Elisha.¡± It was a quiet voice that was barely audible to others.


    Only then, Elisha realized that what happened last night wasn¡¯t a dream. Before Elisha could react, Richard pulled away from the hug.


    Then Aaron approached him. ¡°Please go inside, Young Master Richard. His Grace is waiting.¡±


    ¡°¡­okay.¡± Richard left the welcoming vassals and employees and went to Albert¡¯s bedroom.


    Albert¡¯s bedroom was filled with the strong smell of medicinal herbs, but Richard, who had experienced the worst smells on the battlefield which was full of death, entered with a rather indifferent look.


    Albert was lying on the bed with a pale face.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    He turned his head slightly toward Richard to look at his grandson, as if even turning his head completely was too much for him. Everything about him had changed, but his eyes were still burning with determination.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep with those girls?¡± They¡¯re all yours.¡± It was the first sentence he said after much difficulty. His voice, which was barely audible, faded further as he coughed dryly.


    Richard was aware that the ¡®girls¡¯ his grandfather referred to were the women that were sent to him when he was on the battlefield.


    Albert started sending those women as his illness got worse. It seemed that the succession matter was urgent enough that Albert, who usually hated the thought of dirty commoner¡¯s blood, was the one who sent those random girls to Richard.


    That was the reason why Richard, who chose to sleep with Elisha last night, returned to the Rubelin¡¯s troop¡¯s camp early in the morning, before making his official return with the knights. If Albert found out that he slept in Elisha¡¯s room last night, it was most likely that Albert would pressure Elisha with false expectations.


    ¡°Or else¡­do you have a girl in mind?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You have not changed at all.¡± ¡®To an awful extent.¡¯ It was a conversation topic that hadn¡¯t changed a bit even after seven years. Richard was no longer as angry or rebellious as before. He just looked at his lifelong enemy dying with indifferent eyes.


    His grandfather would die soon anyway. Now the vassals would prioritize his orders, who returned as a war hero, instead the ones issued by his dying grandfather. So, no matter how hard his grandfather tried to control the situation, it wouldn¡¯t succeed as long as Richard didn¡¯t listen.


    But Albert continued to talk like a man who could only think about succession. ¡°But now that you are back, you must make Elisha bear the successor for this family. After that, you can do as you please¡­¡­¡±


    It was madness disguised as ambition. Richard, who was staring at his grandfather with cold eyes, turned around as if it wasn¡¯t a conversation worth listening to anymore.


    At that time, Albert¡¯s voice was heard saying something more behind his back. ¡°If she manages to bear your child¡­I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll inherit an even more exceptional ability.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Ignoring his grandfather¡¯s words, Richard just left the room. The words of his grandfather, who was on the verge of death, were not very sensible.


    As soon as he left the room, he encountered Thompson and an unfamiliar man, who seemed to be about his age.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Young Master.¡±


    When Richard arrived today, he easily remembered the face of the man standing next to Elisha.


    ¡°I am Milady¡¯s aide, Argyll Richester.¡± Argyll bowed his head courteously.


    Nevertheless, Richard¡¯s cold expression became even colder. ¡®Elisha always mentioned this bastard¡¯s name in her letters.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from my wife.¡± The word ¡°wife¡± was strangely emphasized.


    ¡°Then I look forward to your utmost assistance.¡± Richard just walked away before Argyll could say anything else.


    Puzzled, Argyll just looked blankly at Richard¡¯s receding back. ¡®Somehow, I feel like he was a bit hostile towards me¡­¡­ Is it just my imagination?¡¯


    However, he had just met Richard for the first time today. That was his first greeting toward his future master. Thus, there would be no reason for Richard to feel hostile towards him. He tilted his head in confusion, then turned around to continue with his work.


    (t/n: No Argyll, it¡¯s not just a feeling. Richard is being jelly so you¡¯re officially his third victim :P)


    (e/n: It¡¯s so unfortunate that Argyll¡¯s gonna ¡°accidentally¡± get sucked up into a freaky indoor tornado ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥ )


    *****


    Instead of Albert, who was bedridden, it was Elisha who organized a grand banquet to show her appreciation for the efforts of the Rubelin knights. As the night deepened, the excitable atmosphere of the banquet heightened, and the sounds of the celebratory music continued.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t hesitate! If you¡¯re not drinking until you¡¯re drunk on a day like this, what do we call it?¡±


    ¡°A crime!¡±


    The knight commander, who had been guarding the Rubelin duchy for the past seven years, smiled cheerfully like a proud father and filled the empty cups of the knights who returned from the battlefield.


    The knights creatively unraveled their war stories for their colleagues whom they hadn¡¯t met for a long time and boasted about their performance on the battlefield.


    However, despite the cheerful atmosphere of the banquet, Elisha¡¯s face was full of worries. She glanced sideways at Richard, who was sitting next to her.


    Richard was currently drinking with Thompson and some of the other knights who had gone with him to the battlefield. Elisha sighed inwardly, recalling what Albert had said just before the banquet began.


    [It¡¯s tonight. Tonight, make sure that you succeed in bearing his child. If you seduce him when he¡¯s excited and drunk, he¡¯ll fall for you easily since it had been a long time since he slept with a woman. He won¡¯t be able to refuse you¡­]


    According to the maid, Albert even prepared an outfit of sexy negligee for her to wear tonight. He must have been very determined to make it happen.


    ¡®Considering the age difference between the Hanes and Richard in the original story¡­¡­ I think I would probably conceive Hanes around this time.¡¯


    (t/n: Since I read that some readers were confused about Hanes, I¡¯ll just explain it. Hanes is the son of Richard and Elisha in the original story. Previously, I accidentally used Hades instead of Hanes, so please forgive me TT)


    Of course, Elisha didn¡¯t have the slightest intention to allow that to happen. However, the problem was how to avoid the current situation. How could she stand the embarrassment of wearing such a sexy set of negligee in front of him?


    She was sure that no matter what she wore, Richard wouldn¡¯t be shaken. He already said determinedly that he would ruin this family with his own hands. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t want a successor.


    ¡®But still¡­ it¡¯s embarrassing!¡¯ She still felt a little awkward and unfamiliar with Richard who just returned and now, she was about to face such an embarrassing situation. ¡®I can¡¯t let it happen. I need to avoid it somehow.¡¯


    At that time, the knight commander approached Elisha with an oak barrel of beer. ¡°Well, would you like a drink too, Milady?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this glass is too small. Since Milady is the mistress of Rubelin, doesn¡¯t Milady deserve this much?¡± He brought a very big glass used by the knights and put it in front of Elisha. It was bigger than her face.


    He grinned and poured the beer into Elisha¡¯s glass. ¡°Milady went through a lot to protect the Rubelin duchy. This glass of beer represents my loyalty to you, Milady.¡±


    Richard, who was watching from the side, showed a look of disapproval. However, the drunk knights were too excited to notice his displeasure.


    ¡°Milady, please say something before you drink.¡± The knight commander offered a chance for Elisha to make a toast.


    Elisha, who hesitated for a while, slowly got up from her seat. The noisy crowd became silent as they turned their gazes toward her.


    With all eyes on her, Elisha cleared her throat for a moment and opened her mouth. ¡°Everyone¡­¡­ You went through a lot and you all did well. I am truly glad that our knights managed to return here safely. You are heroes who have made the Rubelin name famous across the continent, regardless of your positions or ranks. Blessings be unto the heroes of Rubelin.¡±


    ¡°Infinite glory to Rubelin!¡± The knights shouted and gulped down the alcohol in their large glasses in unison as if they had planned it beforehand.


    Elisha, who was watching the scene happily, looked at the glass in front of her and took a deep breath.


    Richard, who saw it and tried to stop Elisha, said. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to drink.¡±


    However it was too late, Elisha grabbed the cup bigger than her face with both her hands and gulped it down.


    Richard and Thompson, who were watching her from the side, were very surprised.


    ¡°Oh Milady, you drink much better than I thought.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing. I can handle this much. It¡¯s just like drinking plain water.¡± Elisha gave a pretentious and overconfident smile to the astonished Thompson.


    Richard looked at Elisha in admiration while Thompson and the knights laughed at the funny situation happening between the two.


    ¡°Milady has made the duchy so prosperous while we were away. Milady is so amazing!¡±


    ¡°I did go through a lot. And of course, the others did as well.¡± Elisha started talking to the knights as they filled their glasses with alcohol.


    Richard tried to stop her, but she was rather obstinate. The knights were already drunk and they didn¡¯t bother to read Richard¡¯s countenance.


    ¡°Does Milady know that¡­¡­ Young Master always flew everywhere and expected us to keep up with his speed¡­Doesn¡¯t Milady think that he was being too hard on us?¡±


    ¡°Really? He was really hard on you guys¡­¡­¡­. I guess he just went around alone because he didn¡¯t want you guys to get hurt. He tends to take care of others while pretending to be indifferent. You guys must have had a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Taking care of us? Isn¡¯t that statement only applicable to you, Milady? I don¡¯t think he did it because he cared about us¡­¡­¡± Thompson, who got more drunk, sneakily badmouthed Richard.


    Likewise, Elisha, who had become immersed in drinking, smiled and raised her glass.


    And when both of them were about to drink again, Richard, who had been watching them, took away Elisha¡¯s glass. ¡°Elisha, stop drinking and let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    ¡°I want to drink more¡­¡­.¡± Elisha pouted as she complained, but it didn¡¯t work on Richard.


    Richard held the staggering Elisha in his arms.


    Looking at the couple, Thompson and the other knights smiled in delight and mischief.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s understandable. If you had been apart from each other for seven years, separated so shortly after getting married, you¡¯re still counted as newlyweds. Right, Young Master Richard?¡±


    Instead of answering, Richard just shot them a frosty glare. He turned around and left the banquet hall with Elisha in his arms.


    Elisha sighed and chattered. ¡°It was so fun talking with themm¡­I wanna drink moreee¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sin if I don¡¯t drink as much as I want on a day like thiisss¡­¡± Elisha, who was whining, suddenly crouched down where she was in the hallway. Then she looked up at Richard while pouting her lips. ¡°I wanna play moree¡­ eung?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Richarrddd¡­¡±


    Richard looked at Elisha with bewildered eyes for a moment and then burst into laughter. It was a bit awkward to see her acting like this for the first time but he couldn¡¯t help it since she was so cute. He wanted to watch more of Elisha¡¯s whining, but he didn¡¯t want anyone else to see it. He hugged her, who was still crouching stubbornly.


    ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t think you can lift meee¡­ I¡¯m so heavy!¡± Elisha shouted loudly and resisted by flailing her legs.


    Nevertheless, Richard lifted her small body easily. ¡°Oh you¡¯re right, you¡¯re so heavy.¡± He held the struggling Elisha in his arms and effortlessly carried her to the bedroom.


    At first, she resisted with all her might, but soon she became quiet because she was worn out.


    ¡°I wanna play moreee¡­¡­.¡± Elisha kept whining along the way because she thought that it was a pity to leave the hall when she was having so much fun.


    However, when she arrived at the room, she immediately laid comfortably on the bed, as if she hadn¡¯t whined about it at all just now.


    ¡°Oh, I feel dizzy¡­¡­¡­.¡± Even though she was staying still on the bed, she still felt dizzy as if her head was spinning. Her eyelids also became so heavy that it was hard for her to keep her eyes open.


    Richard sat next to Elisha and looked at her anxiously. ¡°Why are you drinking so much when you are a light drinker?¡±


    ¡°Because if I got drunk¡­¡­I won¡¯t have to wear that kind of clothing¡­¡±


    ¡°That kind of clothing?¡±


    ¡°¡­I told you that I won¡¯t eat you.¡± She mumbled.


    Richard couldn¡¯t understand Elisha¡¯s drunken gibberish and was observing her. Then Elisha, who was slowly blinking, grabbed Richard¡¯s hand resting in front of her on the bed. Richard was surprised by her sudden touch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just hold your hand as I go to sleep¡­¡± Elisha¡¯s eyes, which were barely open at the end of her words, slowly closed.


    Soon after, the sound of her even breathing was heard as her small lips opened slightly. She was still holding his big hand tightly.


    While looking at Elisha, who had fallen asleep in such a defenseless state without releasing her grip, Richard played her messy hair with his other hand. ¡°What should I do¡­¡±


    Then he mumbled in a low voice as he kissed Elisha¡¯s soft hair. ¡°Now I can¡¯t peacefully sleep and settle with just holding your hand¡­¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty¡­¡± The next morning, Elisha opened her eyes feeling extreme thirst. She also felt dizzy and had an immense bout of heartburn.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with my body?¡¯ Elisha, who had wondered about the cause of her physical condition, suddenly recalled the memories of last night¡¯s events. Drinking with the knights until becoming drunk, whining like a child, and being carried all the way to the room in Richard¡¯s arms¡­


    Feeling an extreme sense of shame, Elisha immediately looked around the room nervously. Fortunately, it seemed like Richard wasn¡¯t in the room.


    ¡®Seriously, what have I done¡­¡¯ Elisha slapped her cheek and buried her face in her pillow. ¡®We haven¡¯t seen each other for such a long time. I can¡¯t believe I acted like that as soon as we met again! What would Richard think of me when he saw me acting indecently like that?!¡¯


    ¡®He might think that I changed after he left and had been drinking everyday while he was away¡­But, this is really unfair¡­I had been occupied with the workload that comes with managing the territory¡¯s affairs¡­And yesterday was the first time I decided to drink along with other people¡­¡¯


    ¡®Well¡­let¡¯s just quickly get up and pretend that nothing happened last night.¡¯ Elisha sat up quickly with determination at that thought. She still felt a bit dizzy and thirsty, but it was bearable.


    At that moment, the door suddenly opened. Elisha was so surprised that she quickly laid down on the bed again. ¡®I don¡¯t know why I did this though¡­¡¯


    Elisha, who was pretending to be asleep, opened her eyes slightly to take a peek at the person who came into the room. As she expected, that person was Richard. ¡®It seems like he just finished taking a bath¡­¡¯


    Richard was wearing a bathrobe with a towel draped on his wet hair. Whenever he wiped his hair with the towel, she could see his chest muscles flexing easily through the loosely tied robe. The remaining water droplets flowed down between his elegantly shaped muscles. That sight was very alluring. On top of that, though the colors of his pale face and red lips are in strong contrast with each other, they were strangely blending into a harmonious image.


    Richard, who finished drying his hair, went to the dressing room and came out again, wearing only clothing on his bottom half. Looking at his bare upper body, Elisha, who forgot that she was pretending to be asleep, opened her eyes widely in admiration and almost made a sound. ¡®Huk! Why are you taking off your clothes in my room?!¡¯


    ¡®Ah, I forgot¡­This is also your room¡­But¡­¡¯ Elisha was embarrassed but still couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him. She had already seen his muscles when he had worn thin pajamas before, but looking at them directly made her feel different. His muscles looked bigger and firmer than she thought.


    But there was something on his body that caught her attention even more. The small and big scars all over his body.


    ¡®Fool¡­¡­you must¡¯ve got hurt a lot and didn¡¯t treat the wounds properly. Why did you leave the wounds untreated until they became scars? You had always been like this¡­Treating your precious body too indifferently¡­¡¯ When Elisha thought about the endless fights Richard went through and the countless wounds he received during the war, her heart ached.


    Richard shook his head and put on the shirt he just brought out with him. Then he buttoned it up and approached the bed.


    Startled, Elisha turned around and pretended to be asleep again. ¡°Um¡­.¡± She couldn¡¯t see Richard coming closer because she was lying down with her back facing him.


    However, she could feel his presence and smell his unique body scent, so she knew that he was getting closer. At that moment, her heart started to race.


    ¡®Did he notice¡­?¡¯ She could feel his gentle gaze fixed on her. Nonetheless, she decided to stay still, trying to appear like she was still sleeping.


    Knock, knock.


    As if to help her, someone knocked on the door. Soon after, Richard¡¯s presence faded away. It seemed like he stood in the doorway for a while. Then he closed the door without any conversation with the visitor and approached Elisha again. As Elisha waited nervously, she heard his voice behind her back.


    ¡°How long are you going to pretend to be asleep?¡±


    A three-second silence fell between them.


    Elisha, who had been frozen for a while, soon resigned and slowly lifted herself up. ¡°I- I didn¡¯t pretend to be asleep. I was just lying down because I wasn¡¯t fully awake.¡±


    As if it didn¡¯t matter to him, Richard handed Elisha the glass he was holding.


    Elisha looked at the liquid in the glass with curious eyes. It was a clear red liquid. In it, there was something that looked like dried petals floating. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°A good hangover cure.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­Thank you.¡± Elisha received the glass in bewilderment. It seemed like it was delivered by the servant just now.


    As Elisha was about to drink it, Richard gently held her hand. Surprised by his sudden touch, Elisha¡¯s eyes widened as she reflexively looked up at him. Richard quickly put something in her hand. ¡°Drink it and get some more sleep.¡± Then, he just turned around and left the room.


    Elisha stared blankly at the closing door and looked down at the palm of her hand that Richard held moments before. There were two fruit flavored candies in paper wrappers in her hand.


    ¡®Why did he give these to me?¡¯ Elisha wondered where Richard got the candies and why he gave them to her. Nevertheless, she decided to just accept them for now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got heartburn again¡­¡± Elisha drank the cure Richard gave her. However, her peaceful face became gradually distorted. With a distressed look, she quickly gulped it down and put the glass on the bedside table.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s too bitter!¡± Elisha immediately knew why Richard had given her the candies.


    *****


    After lunch, Elisha borrowed a book from the library and returned to the room as usual. Just as she was about to put the book on the table, she heard the sound of a horse neighing outside the window.


    ¡®Richard?¡¯ Elisha casually looked out the window and searched around for him. From far away, it was easy to spot him even though he was in the crowd. It seemed like he gathered the knights in front of the mansion.


    ¡®I guess he¡¯s going to start rounds in the territory¡­¡¯ Elisha stopped walking and watched Richard talking to the knights.


    ¡®Oh ho¡­ whose husband can be this handsome? He really grew up well. But¡­¡­¡¯ Somehow, she still felt unfamiliar with him. A face with chiseled features. A tall muscular body of a grown-up man. An attractive deep voice. And¡­¡­.


    ¡®I feel like his personality also changed. Well, it¡¯s even stranger to remain unchanged after seven years.¡¯ It has been four days since they started sharing the room. They even ate their meals together. Nonetheless, she still felt awkward and couldn¡¯t get used to his presence.


    ¡®Now, I can¡¯t play tricks on him anymore. I can¡¯t even treat him casually like before¡­¡­¡¯ At first, she felt very happy when she saw Richard again after a long time because she felt like her old childhood friend had returned. Ironically, she also felt sad because the lovely adolescent boy in her memory had long disappeared. Due to her inexplicable feelings, she kept treating him awkwardly because she didn¡¯t know what to do with the current situation.


    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since we¡¯re going to be strangers later anyway.¡¯ They might stay as friends even after the divorce. So, it would be okay for them to be slightly awkward with each other.


    However, even if she decided to accept the possibility that their situation could end up that way, she still felt sad. Her heart also became more restless.


    As Elisha was lost in her thoughts, Richard suddenly looked up and directed his gaze toward her. Elisha was startled and quickly crouched under the window. ¡®D-did he see me?¡¯


    At that moment, Elisha heard a familiar voice from behind.


    ¡°Milady, is there something wrong?¡±


    It was Ann. Ann tilted her head when she saw Elisha crouching on the floor.


    Elisha replied in embarrassment. ¡°I- I thought something slipped out the book and fell on the floor, so I was looking for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, the dust will get on Milady¡¯s dress. I will look for it instead, so please stand up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ann.¡±


    Ann crouched and began to search the floor. Meanwhile, Elisha lifted herself up and looked out the window again. Richard was already leaving the castle on horseback with the knights.


    Looking at Richard¡¯s back, Elisha suddenly questioned her actions. ¡®Why did I hide¡­¡­?¡¯ Even though they were awkward with each other, she didn¡¯t know why she hid as if she had committed some kind of crime.


    ¡°Ann, that¡¯s enough. I guess I saw it wrong.¡± Elisha asked Ann to stop searching.


    Then, someone knocked on the door. Ann immediately walked to the door and opened it.


    Aaron was standing in front of the door. ¡°His Grace is looking for Milady.¡±


    Elisha swallowed a sigh. She already expected that Albert would call her soon. She could even guess what he was going to say.


    *****


    The moon was bright that night. Elisha was standing in front of the bedroom, wearing a set of thin negligee that barely covered the curves of her body. Holding the doorknob, her face was full of worries. It was because of Albert¡¯s order for her to wear such a thin negligee.


    [If you disobey my order, I¡¯ll break all of their limbs¡­]


    He threatened Elisha by using Ann and other maids. Having no choice, she couldn¡¯t defy his order.


    ¡®Richard won¡¯t do anything if I don¡¯t consent to it.¡¯ She decided to trust Richard and came to the bedroom, but she felt uneasy when she stood in front of the door.


    ¡®By chance, what if Richard changes his mind¡­¡¯ Whether intentionally or impulsively, if Richard decided to do it, she couldn¡¯t win against him. Nonetheless, she couldn¡¯t run away from this situation.


    Elisha slowly opened the door and entered the bedroom, hoping that Richard was already asleep. At that moment, she made eye contact with Richard, who was standing in front of the balcony. His glistening eyes instantly widened.


    Elisha immediately covered herself with her arms and turned around. She looked for something to cover her body with, but found nothing. At that moment, she could feel that someone was approaching her from behind.


    Surprised, Elisha turned around and saw Richard, who stood just a step away. His expression was noticeably distorted.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    ¡°Ri-richard, w-well, this¡­.¡± Elisha stepped back nervously. Like a frightened prey in front of a predator.


    Richard, who saw Elisha looking at him with fearful eyes, wrapped his arms around her back. ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to catch a cold.¡±


    Something warm covered Elisha¡¯s shoulders as she shrank in surprise. It was a blanket made of white fur.


    ¡°Go to bed first. Never mind what the duke said.¡± Richard, who covered Elisha with a blanket, turned around and headed to the balcony.


    As the distance between them increased, Elisha managed to calm herself down and suddenly felt embarrassed. ¡®Richard didn¡¯t seem to think much about it. I guess I was the only one who was making a fuss.¡¯ She belatedly raised her head to thank him but he was nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Richard?¡± Elisha stared blankly at the balcony for a while then headed to the dressing room. She felt like her whole body had become frozen because she had worn a thin negligee in such cold weather.


    Elisha changed into proper pajamas and laid down on the bed. As she wrapped herself in a warm blanket, she felt herself relax. Her eyelids started to become heavy and she felt like she could fall asleep right away. At that time, she glanced at the balcony, recalling Richard¡¯s receding back. ¡®It must be cold¡­¡¯


    Eventually, Elisha fell asleep while waiting for Richard, who wasn¡¯t coming back.


    *****


    Some time had passed after Elisha fell asleep. Richard returned and quietly approached the bed. He carefully sat on the bed and watched Elisha¡¯s sleeping figure. Elisha was asleep with her body facing toward the balcony.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Richard lifted Elisha¡¯s blanket and stared at her tiny hand. After hesitating for a while, he carefully entangled his hand with hers. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, he recalled her fearful expression when she entered the room. ¡®You seemed to be awkward and afraid of me. I knew you¡¯re even reluctant to hold my hand.¡¯


    ¡®What kind of nonsense did that old man say to you¡­¡­¡¯ Richard gritted his teeth as he recalled the attitude of Albert, who has constantly urged Elisha to bear his child.


    In fact, the moment he saw Elisha entering the bedroom wearing such clothes, he was overwhelmed by the unbearable desire. He wanted to lock her in his arms right away and lay claim to all of her. He wanted to devour her from head to toe. Her tears, her moans. Everything.


    However, when he saw Elisha looking at him with fearful eyes, the last strand of his reason managed to suppress his desire. That was the moment he had been longing for a long time. However, he didn¡¯t want to force her. It shouldn¡¯t be done that way. He was afraid that he would hurt her if he lost control of himself. So he decided to leave.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll be waiting, Elisha.¡± ¡®Until you are willing to accept me by your side. Until you get used to my warmth.¡¯ Richard kissed Elisha¡¯s hand and laid down next to her. Soon, the night came to him as well.


    *****


    A week had passed like that. After taking a bath, Elisha entered the bedroom. As expected, Richard was nowhere in sight. ¡®You left tonight as well.¡¯


    After the incident a week ago, Richard left the bedroom every night. He didn¡¯t return when she was awake, but waited until she fell asleep. He would return quietly and leave the room before Elisha woke up.


    At first, Elisha was grateful for his consideration toward her, but after a week, she began to worry about him. ¡®Did he even sleep well? It¡¯s so cold outside. Is it okay for him to stay out in such cold weather for a long time¡­?¡¯ Elisha could hardly fall asleep. She tossed and turned for a long time because she was worried about him.


    After some time had passed, Elisha caught a sight of a big silhouette at the balcony. She immediately lifted herself up. ¡°Richard¡­¡±


    Richard, who just entered the room, looked at Elisha with a slightly surprised look. He didn¡¯t expect her to be awake.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going out every night because of me, please don¡¯t do that.¡± Elisha looked at him anxiously and continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t we use separate rooms instead?¡±


    Albert burst with anger when he knew that nothing happened between Elisha and Richard that night. But he failed to harm the maids like he had threatened previously because most of the Rubelin¡¯s employees have started obeying Richard¡¯s orders instead of his.


    Thus, if Richard wanted to use a separate room, he could easily do it. However, he didn¡¯t feel pleased at the thought of using a different room from Elisha. It was truly his will to share the room with her. He wanted to watch her sleeping and sleep beside her.


    Richard, who was embarrassed for a moment, quickly came up with a plausible excuse. ¡°But I think we should sleep in the same room for a while to shut the duke¡¯s mouth.¡±


    ¡°But then you¡¯ll be uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with it.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you go out every night?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I like taking a walk.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s eyes twinkled at the excuses he gave. ¡°Does it feel different when you fly?¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna try?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    As Richard nodded, Elisha approached him without any hesitation. Richard laughed inwardly as he saw her approaching him so excitedly. It seemed that she had forgotten her wariness toward him while talking about things that piqued her interest.


    ¡°First, you need to dress warmly.¡±


    Elisha went to the dressing room as Richard suggested and came out in a thick furry robe. He put another layer of thick blankets around her shoulders since the winter wind over the clouds in the sky would be much colder.


    After getting ready, they came out onto the balcony. As their bedroom was on the upper floor of the mansion, Elisha, who was excited due to her curiosity, started to feel scared. ¡°I won¡¯t fall, right?¡±


    Richard, who was looking at Elisha lovingly, opened his mouth, ¡°It won¡¯t happen if you hold onto me tightly.¡±


    ¡®That means I need to hold his arms to fly safely¡­¡¯ After a moment of hesitation, Elisha approached him and held his arms tightly.


    Barely swallowing his laughter, Richard assured her, ¡°We¡¯ll fly in no time.¡± Then he hugged Elisha.


    Elisha, who had been frozen for a while, realized how high they were standing from the ground. She wrapped her hands around his neck. ¡°Pl-please don¡¯t let me fall.¡±


    As Elisha approached him without hesitation, Richard raised the corners of his lips. If it was a situation that could possibly put her in danger, he wouldn¡¯t have offered to fly together in the first place. ¡®It¡¯s worth telling a small lie.¡¯ Hugging her tightly, Richard replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After getting ready, Richard created a wind around him. It wasn¡¯t long before their feet began to float. Feeling that, Elisha closed her eyes tightly while burying her face against Richard¡¯s neck. She couldn¡¯t see anything, but the fierce wind blowing against her cheek reminded her that they were riding the wind.


    After some time passed, the wind blowing against her cheek became less fierce. Richard¡¯s voice echoed in her ear. ¡°Elisha, open your eyes.¡±


    Elisha gradually opened her eyes. Her hands were still wrapped tightly around Richard¡¯s neck. She gathered her courage and turned her head slowly. At that moment, a picturesque scenery unfolded before her eyes. ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    In the distance, she could see a big mountain. On top of it, the ice caps looked like they were shining due to the reflected moonlight. Underneath the mountain, there was a wide range of snowfields and coniferous forests. Next to it was a rare sight of small villages and frozen lakes.


    She could also see the panoramic view of the Rubelin¡¯s mansion with the bright lights in the midst of the peaceful darkness. The view was breathtakingly beautiful. Her heart pounded at the beauty. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was flying over this gorgeous landscape.


    ¡°¡­I felt like I¡¯m dreaming.¡± It was a pity that she couldn¡¯t find the right words to express her admiration.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever forget this scenery.¡± ¡®Even after I leave Rubelin.¡¯ Elisha gazed at the magnificent scenery for a long time, trying to engrave it in her memories and remember it forever.


    Richard also watched the wonderful scenery of Rubelin¡¯s land while embracing the precious warmth in his arms to the fullest. It was an unforgettable memory for him too.


    *****


    Albert was in a great haste. Until now, he had endured with the thought that he would eventually reach his final goal. However, he instinctively felt that his time was running out. Nonetheless, there were no words from Elisha regarding his final wish.


    Albert painfully struggled between his pent-up frustration and his shortening life span. He couldn¡¯t lie still and wait any longer. He had to do whatever he could. Overwhelmed with helplessness and frustration, he called for his aide, Aaron.


    ¡°Prepare it.¡± Although he might never see the child being born, he felt like he could peacefully close his eyes after hearing the Rubelin¡¯s successor had been conceived.


    *****


    The next evening.


    Returning to his room after taking a bath, Richard looked at the empty dressing table and recalled what happened today. This afternoon, when he briefly returned to their bedroom, he ran into maids who were busily gathering and moving Elisha¡¯s dresses.


    [Where are you taking them?]


    [His Grace has assigned a new room for Milady.]


    Richard frowned. It meant that he and Elisha were going to use separate rooms.


    ¡®What¡¯s the old man up to all of a sudden?¡¯ Albert was the one who wanted him and Elisha to spend more time together by any means. Richard couldn¡¯t believe that his grandfather suddenly ordered them to use separate rooms. ¡®That¡¯s suspicious. Something must be going on.¡¯


    As Richard was engrossed in questioning Albert¡¯s change in attitude, someone knocked on the door.


    ¡®At this hour? Who?¡¯ Richard opened the door curiously. His gaze at the late night visitor was subtly shaken.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    That dreary night was full of darkness. The maids, who gathered in the bathroom, were diligently grooming a voluptuous woman. They washed her fair body in lavender-scented water and applied the perfume extracted from petals on her.


    Finally, a bathrobe made of thin cloth was worn to reveal the curves of the woman¡¯s body. The maids took her to the front of Richard¡¯s room and disappeared.


    The woman, who hesitated for a while in front of the door, quietly entered the room. Without a single candle lit, it was quite dark. Feeling the presence of someone, the woman approached the bed.


    ¡°¡­..!¡±


    However, Richard, whom she thought had fallen asleep in the dark room, was sitting up on the bed.


    ¡®it¡¯s supposed to be a man¡­right?¡¯ She looked at the silhouette again. It wasn¡¯t the silhouette of a man. It was the silhouette of a woman, who was as delicate as her.


    At that moment, the clouds that were covering the moon shifted away. The moonlight shone into the room. Only then, she could see the woman¡¯s eyes which were watching her intently.


    It was Elisha that sat on the bed under the moonlight. Upon making eye contact with Elisha, the woman froze on the spot.


    Elisha, who was quietly watching the woman, opened her mouth. ¡°You must¡¯ve been surprised to see me.¡±


    ¡°T-the Young Master¡­¡±


    ¡°He went out for a walk. I told him to.¡± Elisha already predicted what Albert would do. That old man, who always urged her to bear Richard¡¯s child, suddenly ordered them to use separate rooms. His order was absolutely suspicious.


    Of course, Albert already expected that Elisha would know his plan too. Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t think that Elisha would actually interfere. But there was one thing he overlooked. Elisha would never let him harm Richard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just cut the chase.¡± Elisha put down a heavy bag, full of gold coins, in front of the woman. ¡°Leave. With this money, you¡¯ll be able to live leisurely for the next 10 years.¡±


    However, the woman didn¡¯t even glance at the bag of gold coins. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be swayed by that much money? It¡¯s the seat of the next duchess. If I give birth to his child, the position will be mine.¡±


    ¡°The child. Richard doesn¡¯t want to have it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just your jealousy as his wife?¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re quite arrogant. You dare to say such things in front of the wife of a man that you¡¯re about to seduce.¡¯


    However, Elisha¡¯s voice was calm. There was no sign of anger or ridicule.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m here for you, not for myself. I know the duke very well. He loves and cares about the Rubelin name more than anyone else. Would such a person accept a commoner as his granddaughter-in-law?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just treating you as a mere child-bearing tool.¡±


    The woman bit her lower lip and glared at Elisha. She couldn¡¯t refute Elisha¡¯s pointed comment at all. In fact, she knew that everything Elisha said was true.


    But Elisha¡¯s words didn¡¯t end there. ¡°But I don¡¯t think your worth is just that, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°With this money, you can do whatever you want. You can buy pretty clothes and eat delicious food. You can even go wherever you want.¡± Elisha approached the woman and looked into her eyes. She casually handed a gown to that woman. ¡°If you don¡¯t know your value yet, eat what you want, buy what you wish for, and think about your value carefully.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Not the value set by others who don¡¯t know you, but the value that you set on your own.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s words left the woman in a daze, as if she had been hit on the head by something hard.


    Elisha got up after placing the bag of gold coins in that woman¡¯s hand.


    *****


    The next morning, Elisha woke up in her newly assigned room. It was the first morning she had spent in a different room, without Richard around.


    She organized her thoughts over a simple breakfast that Ann brought to her room. ¡®First of all, I need to go to Richard.¡¯


    Richard still didn¡¯t know what happened last night. She still didn¡¯t tell him the real reason why she sent him out for a walk. It was simply because she didn¡¯t want to make a fuss late at night.


    ¡®But I don¡¯t think I can bribe every woman the Duke sends. I¡¯m sure that there¡¯ll be a woman who won¡¯t accept my method of dissuasion. Albert will use any means until he achieves what he wants. Richard has to know Albert¡¯s plan so he can win against him.¡¯


    After finishing the meal, Elisha headed straight to Richard¡¯s room. ¡°Richard.¡±


    After hearing her knocks, Richard opened the door. ¡°Elisha?¡±


    ¡°Can I come in for a second?¡± Elisha strode into his room before Richard gave his permission.


    Richard closed the door. He was wearing only a bathrobe since he had just finished taking his bath.


    Elisha didn¡¯t notice that at first because she was engrossed in her thoughts. Her gaze was instinctively drawn toward his muscular chest.


    ¡®Ahem, ahem¡­¡¯ She quickly diverted her eyes to Richard¡¯s face as she started talking, ¡°Richard, actually last night, when I asked you to go for a walk all of sudden-¡±


    Before Elisha could finish her words, they heard the loud footsteps of someone running in the hallway and they were soon followed by urgent knocks.


    ¡°Yo-young Master Richard, are you inside?¡±


    It was the voice of a servant. His voice sounded unusually urgent. Elisha had an ominous feeling. She wasn¡¯t the only one who sensed the foreboding atmosphere.


    Richard¡¯s expression was also subtly hardened. He immediately walked to the door and opened it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Yo-young Master needs to go and see His Grace now¡­¡± The servant took a short breath for a moment and continued, ¡°His Grace is¡­in critical condition¡­¡±


    As soon as Elisha and Richard heard the servant¡¯s words, they headed straight to Albert¡¯s room. Albert was accompanied by his doctor, butler Grayson, and aide Aaron.


    ¡°Young Master, Milady.¡± The three bowed respectfully to Richard and Elisha and stood back.


    In the meantime, Elisha and Richard approached Albert. He was breathing heavily, as if he were about to be out of breath. His eyes used to appear fierce even when he was bedridden. But now, those eyes looked lifeless and out of focus. Like a dying flame that would go out at any moment.


    The doctor, who was watching Albert¡¯s worsening condition, said with a miserable look. ¡°It seems like¡­¡­it¡¯s better to prepare for the worst.¡±


    Since the doctor could do nothing more to help Albert, Richard just sent him back. Soon after, the vassals who heard the news arrived one by one. They greeted Albert for the last time and went back.


    Now, only Elisha, Richard, Aaron and Grayson were left in the room. Only Albert¡¯s breath, which seemed to be fading away, could be heard in the quiet room.


    Elisha looked at Richard¡¯s expression. He just stared at Albert with emotionless eyes, like he always did. Then, he opened his mouth, ¡°¡­I want to be alone with my grandfather until his last moment.¡±


    Knowing that Richard was signaling them to leave, Aaron and Grayson stood in front of Albert to bid their last farewell.


    ¡°It has been a lifelong honor for me to serve Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°May everlasting glory be with Your Grace.¡±


    Next was Elisha¡¯s turn. She couldn¡¯t utter any word easily as she watched Albert¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t feel sad at all. She just thought that he was a pitiful person. After spending his whole life protecting the Rubelin house, he was left with nothing. In the end, he was just a human that would turn into ashes and disappear after his death.


    ¡°Rest in peace.¡± She gave her last greeting with compassion toward Albert, who lived his whole life determinedly. And as Richard wished, she left the room with Aaron and Grayson.


    Click. When Richard heard the door closing, he turned his head to Albert. A man, who once tried to kill him and would constantly treat him like a breeding stallion instead of as a grandson, was dying in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Actually, I wish you could live a bit longer.¡±


    Albert¡¯s eyes seemed to regain focus at Richard¡¯s words. They were like a fire, which was about to flicker out.


    Richard looked into Albert¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°So you can suffer more from frustration and disappointment. Since I¡¯ll never allow you to reach your goal.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re leaving so soon¡­¡±


    It was creepier since Richard said those cruel words in a calm voice.


    Albert¡¯s eyes shook in distress while listening to it. His weak breathing also became a little rougher.


    At that moment, Richard revealed his true feelings. Deep hatred and disgust. His voice was full of emotions. ¡°Now, Rubelin is mine.¡±


    Looking at Richard, Albert¡¯s eyes shook violently. ¡°Th-this¡­brat¡­¡± He tried to finished his words with his fading voice, but he suddenly gasped and could no longer speak. His eyes had become bloodshot and his dry lips stopped moving. At the same time, his hand dropped helplessly onto the bed.


    Richard closed Albert¡¯s eyes, murmuring, ¡°Please watch us from hell¡­¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    In the north, the weather was quite harsh during winter. Usually, the deceased would be buried in the ground immediately when the funeral was held.


    The Rubelin lands were frozen solid in wintertime so the citizens would usually dig some graves in the village cemeteries in advance. When someone died, they would just bury the deceased in the pre-prepared grave.


    However, since the cemetery plot for Albert was not prepared in advance, Albert¡¯s body was to be placed in the underground catacomb cemetery of Rubelin Castle until the ground melted when spring came. The funeral was attended by Richard, Elisha, and all of the Rubelin vassals.


    ¡°Lastly, let¡¯s pray for the deceased¡¯s soul.¡± The priest, who came to lead the interment, recited the last prayer.


    Elisha held her hands together and closed her eyes until the prayer was over. When she opened her eyes again, she felt strange looking at the coffin in front of her. The man who constantly questioned her values and abused her mentally had finally died.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t sad at all. However, she didn¡¯t feel relieved either. ¡®I feel like this even when I¡¯m not biologically related to Albert. I can¡¯t imagine how Richard feels.¡¯


    Richard was the only Rubelin descendant left in this world. Now, like what he had been wishing for, he could seek revenge as much as he wanted.


    ¡®But, will he feel relieved and satisfied with that?¡¯ Elisha glanced up at Richard. Like always, no emotions could be seen on his indifferent face. He showed neither joy nor sorrow at his grandfather¡¯s death.


    ¡®When he was young, he would act crankily and subtly express his feelings in front of me. But now, he didn¡¯t express any feelings at all. Like a person who never felt anything in the first place. The war was so terrible. It can change one¡¯s personality completely.¡¯


    Nonetheless, Elisha understood the young Richard well. She had spent her childhood with him. Perhaps, that was the reason why she felt so awkward upon seeing the grown-up Richard returning to this mansion.


    ¡®But I won¡¯t feel like that anymore. Even after he grew taller and his personality changed, Richard is always Richard. My closest family member and my precious childhood friend. The one who cares about me while pretending to be indifferent.¡¯


    To Elisha, Richard was like that. So, she felt sorry for him. ¡®We¡¯d better put off the divorce issue for a while.¡¯ When Richard returned and she became an adult, she was going to ask for a divorce right away, but she changed her mind.


    Due to Albert¡¯s death, the internal affairs of Rubelin were a bit chaotic. Looking at the current situation, Elisha thought that she should stay longer and wait until things have stabilized.


    ¡®I can¡¯t stay in my villa due to the repairing process anyway. So, it¡¯s good that I have a place to stay until this summer.¡¯


    During the funeral, Elisha sorted out the nagging thoughts in her mind and organized her future plan.


    The funeral ended in a solemn atmosphere. Elisha and Richard sent the vassals off and went up to their rooms. Richard¡¯s bedroom was on the right side of the stairs while Elisha¡¯s newly assigned bedroom was on the left.


    In front of her room, Elisha thought for a while and headed to Richard¡¯s room instead. She knocked on his door and called for him. ¡°Richard?¡±


    Richard opened the door for her. There was still no emotion reflected in his eyes. Elisha made eye contact with him for a moment. Then she slowly approached him and hugged him. She could feel that Richard became stiff at her touch. Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t push her away.


    ¡°I- I just feel like giving you a hug.¡±


    Due to their physical difference, it seemed like Elisha was one who was in his arms instead. Nevertheless, Elisha tried to give him a big hug, as much as she could. ¡°You did well.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s small hand patted his wide back gently. As if she knew his real feelings. Richard¡¯s eyes were shaken by the small, warm being that offered him comfort.


    After being stunned for a while, he slowly raised his arms to return the hug. But at that moment, Elisha released herself from the hug. Richard¡¯s hands stopped in midair awkwardly.


    Not noticing his hanging hands, Elisha smiled and said, ¡°Have a good rest.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes were on Elisha¡¯s receding back until she entered her room completely. Only then, did he remember that Elisha didn¡¯t share the room with him anymore. He grew accustomed to sleeping with her and forgot about it.


    Richard fiddled with his hand, longing to hold Elisha. Just now, he regretted missing the chance to enjoy his wife¡¯s warmth. He wanted to be with her. However, he couldn¡¯t come up with a plausible excuse anymore since Albert, the one who had been forcing them to sleep together, was no longer around.


    Although they were a married couple, Richard could only watch his wife entering a separate bedroom. After staring at her room for a while, he entered his bedroom in resignation.


    *****


    After a long time, the emperor invited Marquis Felice to a luncheon. While cutting the red juicy steak, he brought up the recent news about Rubelin. ¡°You must¡¯ve heard it already, marquis. The news of Albert Rubelin passing away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he died just in time, as if he had been waiting for his grandson to come back first.¡±


    ¡°In the end, Rubelin fell into Richard¡¯s hands.¡±


    Marquis Felice¡¯s hands, which were cutting the steak, paused at the emperor¡¯s words. The emperor had wanted to kill Richard before he became an adult, so Marquis Felice tricked him into joining the war.


    However, Richard didn¡¯t die from the war. He became more widely known as a war hero instead. And now, he even took over the Rubelin Dukedom. The emperor blamed Marquis Felice for his unsuccessful plan.


    ¡°Recently, there are many people who choose to settle down there because they enforce accommodating policies for the outsiders that move there. It seems that they are building up their influence little by little.¡±


    The emperor was very displeased with Richard, who went straight back to Rubelin, ignoring his sincerity to bestow upon him the award for excellent accomplishment in the war. It indirectly implied that Richard might rebel against him one day.


    Thus, he had been paying attention to the latest news regarding the northern land more frequently. He heard that the northern lords, who used to reject the outsiders, came up with new policies recently.


    The new policies were quite accommodating toward the outsiders. The changes were led by Elisha, who managed the land on behalf of previously bedridden Albert.


    ¡®I thought she was just an insignificant little girl. She is more useful and wiser than expected.¡¯


    Increasing the population of the territory. It was the surest way to develop the military strength, capital power, influence, and everything else that would solidify power.


    Nevertheless, other lords did not use that method because it was difficult to control the risky variables that arose from accepting outsiders. Nevertheless, Elisha was able to control those variables excellently.


    Marquis Felice personally despised Elisha because he thought that Elisha arrogantly stole the limelight from his daughter. He also hated the fact that the Rubelin¡¯s power and influence were growing smoothly and quickly.


    ¡°Yes, I already heard about it. The duchess is pretty good at managing the land resources.¡± Recognizing the emperor¡¯s concerns, he slyly raised one corner of his lips and said, ¡°However, Your Majesty does not have to worry much about it. I already prepared something in advance.¡±


    *****


    Ann walked across the hallway with a tray of snacks. The sunlight from the window was warm. Winter had already passed, and spring was coming slowly to Rubelin.


    Arriving in front of the office, Ann knocked on the door. Soon after, Elisha¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Ann entered the office with the snacks. In the office, Richard, Elisha, and Argyll, who became Richard¡¯s aide recently, were discussing the territory affairs. Ann put the snacks she brought in front of Elisha and Richard.


    Elisha smiled and thanked Ann for her hard work. ¡°Thank you, Ann.¡± Then, she continued her discussion with Richard again.


    ¡°Since last year, the Hagen lords have been reducing tariffs in return for providing technology to study the resources of Mount Esmeralda in the north.¡±


    The ground melted as spring was approaching. Thus, the exchanges between inside and outside the territories had increased, and as the year began, there was a lot of work to be done.


    Leaving the territory for seven years, Richard was out of touch with the current issues of land management. Thus, he had been learning about all the aspects from Elisha, one by one.


    ¡®You two really look good together.¡¯ Ann smiled pleasantly as she watched Richard and Elisha.


    In her entire life, Ann had never met a woman who was as smart and beautiful as Elisha. And Richard was the strongest and most handsome man she had ever seen.


    Watching the couple sitting side by side and working together, she was convinced that they were a match made in heaven.


    Ann wasn¡¯t the only one who thought this way. Argyll, who was handing over documents to Richard, was also smiling just like Ann, looking at the couple.


    ¡®But¡­¡­Milady¡­¡­¡¯ Knowing Elisha¡¯s intention to divorce Richard, Ann¡¯s expression darkened again. She remembered her promise to follow Elisha till the end.


    She doesn¡¯t regret it, because she believes that Elisha will do well in whatever she does and wherever she goes.


    Still, it was a pity for Elisha to leave the safety of the Rubelin mansion and Richard.


    Suddenly, Ann recalled a letter in her pocket. She forgot to hand it to Elisha a while ago. ¡°Oh, Milady, this letter was delivered a while ago.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Elisha looked noticeably happy when she saw the crest on the letter seal. It was the crest of the Count of Arden.


    Richard frowned upon recognizing the crest. ¡°The Count of Arden?¡±


    ¡°Remember when we were in the capital and went to the banquet held by them? I befriend their son.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­why did he send you a letter?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I asked him for a favor.¡± Elisha opened the letter with an excited look.


    {To my dear old friend, Elisha.


    Elisha, by the time this letter arrives, it has already become spring in the north, right? The weather here got warmer earlier than expected, so I ordered the workers to hasten the repairing process. The repairs will probably be completed by next month so you can start preparing to move in soon. May this good news reach you with a warm spring breeze.


    Your best friend, Ansel.}


    To aki: will {¡­} cause a problem when uploaded to the website too? If it is, please change it to [¡­] instead.


    A smile bloomed on Elisha¡¯s face as she read the letter. Richard¡¯s expression became subtly stiffer when he saw it. He tried to sneak a peek at the letter¡¯s contents. But, it was hard to do so from his seat.


    ¡°This is the last document for today.¡± Argyll said as he received the document signed by Richard.


    ¡®It¡¯s time to talk about the divorce.¡¯ Elisha thought as she put the letter back into the envelope. She was determined to discuss it seriously with Richard.


    ¡®If I tell him earlier, it¡¯ll be easier since we have more time to prepare and organize things accordingly.¡¯ ¡°Richard, do you have a minute? I have something to tell you.¡±


    Argyll and Ann immediately went their separate ways. Only Elisha and Richard were left in the office.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not urgent, but I think we should talk about it in advance.¡± Elisha, who was trying to bring up the topic of divorce, was suddenly at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t find the right words due to her mixed emotions.


    It wasn¡¯t simply a divorce between a man and a woman. It also meant a farewell to her precious childhood friend, who had been with her for eight years.


    Her heart was overwhelmed with loneliness and emptiness as she was about to speak about the divorce.


    But, regardless of her feelings, it was something that she should talk about anyway. Looking at Richard, who was still waiting for her words, she cleared her throat and opened her mouth.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    ¡°Now we-¡± When Elisha was about to speak, someone suddenly came in without knocking.


    Richard¡¯s cold eyes and Elisha¡¯s astonished eyes immediately turned toward that intruder. It was Thompson.


    He gasped for breath and delivered an urgent piece of news, ¡°Master, Madam, pardon me for the interruption, but a large number of monsters have appeared in the western forest.¡±


    ¡°Monsters?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a lot of people have been injured since they attacked the villagers¡¯ houses.¡±


    Richard and Elisha¡¯s expressions hardened at the same time. Spring was the time when many creatures woke up. Monsters often caused some damage due to their unusually high activity in early spring.


    However, the last monster attack only happened eight years ago, when Elisha was attacked at the west gate. Since then, there had been no major damage that occurred.


    But the fact that the village was attacked meant that the number of monsters that had come were more than the Rubelin¡¯s knights could handle.


    Richard concluded the conversation while wearing the cloak he had hung on a nearby chair. ¡°Elisha, let¡¯s talk again after I get back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be careful.¡±


    Richard, clad in protective outerwear, approached the window and instructed Thompson. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead first, and you lead the knights.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Richard went straight over the open window and disappeared. Thompson then left the office. Elisha looked anxiously at Richard, who had flown far away already, and fell into deep thought. ¡®Monsters have appeared a lot these days. It¡¯s probably because the spring season has come, but¡­¡­¡¯


    Not long ago, there were reports about a large number of monsters appearing in the southeast and northwest forests. Fortunately, the forests were sparsely populated, and the attacks were discovered early, so it was possible to deal with them before they attacked the villages.


    ¡®What if¡­there¡¯s something that is provoking the monsters to attack?¡¯ Elisha got up from her seat to go to the library. She wanted to look for more information about monsters.


    But this time, Argyll also came in without knocking. His expression was quite anxious too. ¡°Madam! An avalanche broke out on Mount Luke!¡±


    Elisha¡¯s expression hardened. Rubelin land had a lot of mountainous areas, and it snowed a lot. In spring, the temperature rose and avalanches were bound to occur. Since Elisha came to Rubelin, this was the second avalanche that destroyed a nearby village. ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡±


    ¡°I do not know the exact situation, but I believe that there are probably no casualties since the villagers were evacuated in advance.¡±


    ¡°How about the damage?¡±


    ¡°About 20 villagers¡¯ houses were buried due to the snowstorm.¡±


    Elisha sighed in relief when she heard that there were no casualties. But it was too early for her to feel reassured. Since the houses were buried under the snow, the villagers had lost their place to stay. Their properties were also damaged.


    ¡°Prepare enough food and necessities for the victims.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will go with the knights immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Elisha said as she followed Argyll rushing out of the room.


    *****


    Along with Argyll and knights, Elisha arrived at the village with food and supplies. Due to the snowstorm, the whole village had disappeared, as if it had never existed in the first place.


    Only the presence of the villagers in front of her indicated the existence of the village. They were still in shock looking at their village that had disappeared in a blink of an eye. Upon seeing Elisha¡¯s arrival with the knights, a sense of relief reflected on their faces. ¡°Your Grace!¡±


    Elisha got off the horse and approached them. ¡°Is anybody hurt? Did someone get buried under the snow?¡±


    ¡°No one is hurt, but¡­¡­.¡± The village head looked at a small girl beside him while blurring his words. The girl was about six or seven years old.


    ¡°O-oppa¡­ H-he went to the forest¡­b-but he has not returned yet¡­¡±


    (t/n: oppa = older brother, I just used oppa instead of older brother since it sounds cuter.)


    Looking at the little girl barely able to speak due to her tears, the village head decided to explain the situation in her stead.


    ¡°She lives alone with her older brother. This morning, her older brother went to gather firewood and has not returned yet. Fortunately, it seems that he went to the western forest¡­¡±


    The western forest was far from where the avalanche occurred. The little girl¡¯s older brother was less likely to have been swept away by an avalanche, but it was natural to be worried because he had not returned home yet.


    Elisha sat at eye level with the girl and held the girl¡¯s hand. The little girl¡¯s hands were cold, perhaps because she waited in the cold weather for a long time.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­L-liana.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your oppa¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Jonathan.¡±


    After hearing the name, Elisha looked at the knights next to her and nodded. It was a sign for them to start searching for the little girl¡¯s older brother. At Elisha¡¯s command, the Rubelin knights dispersed.


    Elisha looked at the child again. ¡°Liana is a very brave girl. Even when your oppa isn¡¯t around, you take care of your house well.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Those strong knights will find your oppa soon, so let¡¯s wait together while eating this, okay?¡±


    The little girl nodded, accepting the beef jerky from Elisha. Elisha stroked the child¡¯s head gently, then she turned around and asked the villagers. ¡°Does everyone have a place to stay?¡±


    ¡°We have a brother living in the nearby village, so we can go there.¡±


    After hearing their stories one by one, Elisha told the knight next to her. ¡°Sir Lawrence, take the wagons from the castle and send them to their destinations.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. Thank you so much, Your Grace. Your Grace even came all the way here to help us. Your Grace is so kind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility as the duchess to take care of my people.¡± Elisha smiled and looked at the other villagers around her. ¡°If there anyone else wants to go to the nearby villages, come this way.¡±


    The villagers moved according to Elisha¡¯s instructions. Elisha also ordered them to share the food and supplies. After excluding those who will move to other villages, there were only four families left.


    Elisha offered without hesitation. ¡°You guys should stay at Rubelin mansion until the new settlement is established.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes?¡± The villagers as well as the knights and Argyll were surprised at Elisha¡¯s suggestion.


    Flustered, Argyll said, ¡°Madam, it can not be done. If Madam allows outsiders to stay in the mansion, the security will be compromised¡­¡±


    ¡°If one of them is a spy, he would¡¯ve infiltrated the mansion without waiting for an avalanche to occur.¡±


    Argyll was lost for words. He couldn¡¯t refute Elisha¡¯s words since he knew that Elisha was right.


    Elisha added with a grin when she saw Argyll and the knights¡¯ reactions, ¡°And I believe that Rubelin¡¯s knights will certainly be able to guarantee our safety.¡±


    It was an unexpected compliment. The knights couldn¡¯t refute Elisha¡¯s words and only cleared their throats in embarrassment. It seemed that they were in a good mood since Elisha recognized their hard work. Argyll sighed in worry, but he couldn¡¯t stop Elisha anymore.


    Elisha, who sorted the situation, decided to tour the village buried in the avalanche with her knights. ¡®The location of the village and the slope of the mountain are quite close so it¡¯s not strange for it to be affected by the avalanche.¡¯


    The avalanches rarely occurred on mountains with both steep and gentle slopes. However, Mount Luke, which was located behind the village, was a bit particular. It was full of canyon terrains.


    The distinct topographical features of the slopes and canyons on that mountain increased the possibility for avalanches to happen.


    ¡®We can¡¯t change the topographical features of the mountain. So, any village built here will be at high risk of being buried due to the avalanches. Persuading the villagers to relocate the village was the surest way to prevent the future damage.¡¯


    When Elisha was lost in thought, a knight rushed up. ¡°Madam, could you take a look at these for a moment?¡±


    Elisha followed the knight to the directed location. There were four creatures resembling a bunch of white furs there. Elisha could tell at a glance what they were. ¡°These are¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are Yetis¡¯ carcasses. The villagers say that before the avalanche occurred, they suddenly appeared, disturbed the village, and attacked the people.¡±


    Yeti was a monster who lived in snowy mountains. It usually lived in hiding because it was scared of humans.


    ¡°Maybe they came down to the village after sensing that an avalanche was about to happen.¡± The knight came up with his own reasoning.


    But Elisha shook her head. ¡°No, they fear humans, so if they came down with a premonition of an avalanche, they would have searched for safe places to hide quietly instead. Like in the forests and nearby caves.¡±


    It was strange that the monsters, who had the habit of avoiding humans, suddenly attacked the village.


    ¡°There must be another reason.¡± Elisha recalled that before the avalanche occurred, Richard went out to subjugate some monsters. ¡®Is it related to the frequent appearance of monsters these days?¡¯


    At that time, she saw some Rubelin knights had just arrived with a few wagons. Elisha decided to sort out the current situation first. ¡°Alright, everybody can get on the wagons.¡±


    The villagers leaving for other nearby villages were the first ones to get on the wagons and sent to their destinations. After that, the few remaining villagers that would stay temporarily in Rubelin mansion got on the last wagon. But until then, Jonathan did not show up.


    Elisha also got on the wagon and looked anxiously at Liana. Tired after waiting for her older brother and crying, the little girl was asleep.


    Argyll, who also saw her sleeping, said, ¡°Madam, please go back to the mansion with this little girl first. I will join the knights to look for her older brother.¡±


    ¡°No, I need to check on something here too.¡± Elisha sent the sleeping little girl to the mansion first and headed for the western forest with Argyll.


    Argyll frowned as he looked up at the sky. It was a bit too cloudy and the wind was also unusually strong. ¡°It looks like it is going to snow soon. We need to hasten the search.¡±


    The knights began to search in the opposite direction from the previous one. However, it began to snow shortly after the search began.


    Elisha frowned as she looked at the falling snow. ¡®Due to the climate of the North, once it starts snowing, it will last for a least half a day.¡¯


    It would be difficult to continue the search if the snowfall gets stronger. Rather, it could put the search members in danger.


    ¡°Madam, since it is still snowing and it is almost sunset, it will be difficult to continue the search. We already built the temporary barracks here, so we will be on the lookout and check frequently to see if the girl¡¯s older brother returns. Madam, please go back to the mansion first.¡±


    ¡°Sir Lawrence is right. If he doesn¡¯t come back before the snow stops, we¡¯ll resume the search. It is dangerous for Madam to stay here in this weather.¡±


    Listening to Argyll¡¯s words, Elisha bit her lips. The image of the little girl waiting for her only family member kept playing in her mind. She hesitated at the thought of going back without the girl¡¯s older brother. At that moment¡­


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    A scream was heard not far away. It was the voice of a boy.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    ¡°This way!¡± The knights ran straight in the direction of the scream before Elisha could give her command.


    She also followed them. A cliff appeared as they walked toward the source of the scream.


    A boy, who was trembling as he looked around, became relieved as he saw Elisha and knights were coming. ¡°Y-your Grace¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now, Jonathan. Let¡¯s go back together. Your younger sister is waiting for you.¡±


    The boy, who seemed relieved for a while, was in contemplation again before Elisha¡¯s words were over. His frightened eyes kept glancing at a tree behind Elisha.


    When Elisha looked back out of curiosity, her eyes met with the eyes of a giant wolf who was lying in ambush, aiming for the right time to attack. She felt goosebumps all over her body.


    ¡°Krrrrrrrrrrr!¡± At the same time, the wolf jumped and overtook Elisha. It happened in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°Madam!¡± The knights who noticed the situation a step late approached immediately, but it was too late to prevent the wolf¡¯s attack on Elisha.


    The giant wolf leaned over and opened his mouth wide, as if he were going to swallow Elisha. She struggled desperately, trying to push the wolf away. But she couldn¡¯t overcome the weight and strength of the wolf, which was bigger than an adult man. She closed her eyes in fear of death. ¡®No¡­!¡¯


    When the wolf¡¯s sharp teeth were about to sink into Elisha¡¯s neck, her hand, which had been flailing around, touched the wolf¡¯s heart. A faint energy was emitted from her hand, permeating its heart. At the same time, the wolf stopped moving instantly.


    Not noticing the emitted energy from Elisha¡¯s hand, the knights and Argyll were surprised to see the sudden change in the wolf¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr¡­!¡± The wolf fell away from Elisha, as if it was burnt in a fire. Then it stumbled and started making weird sounds. ¡°Krrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±


    ¡°Now! Everyone, attack!¡± The knights took the opportunity to stab the wolf with swords.


    Soon, the wolf began to struggle in pain.


    Argyll quickly checked Elisha¡¯s condition, ¡°Madam, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but that wolf¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dire wolf. I do not think their habitat is here though.¡±


    A dire wolf is a monster that has a similar appearance to an ordinary wolf. Although it is a completely different species from wolves, its habits are similar to those of a wolf. And one of its major habits is¡­hunting in groups.


    Elisha raised her head when she recalled what she had read in a book. She had an ominous premonition. And it was right. Not long after that, she could see a dozen dire wolves start gathering around them. On the thick snow, the wolves slowly approached them.


    ¡°Madam, please stay back.¡± The knights protected Elisha by shielding her behind their backs.


    In front of her were a pack of dire wolves while behind her was a cliff. She was pushed to the edge of the cliff as they were surrounded.


    ¡°Krrrrrrrrrrrrr¡­¡± The dire wolves circled around the knights for a while, observing their movements, and soon attacked.


    ¡°Protect Madam and the boy!¡± The Rubelin knights, who were already prepared for the attack, also charged toward the wolves. They wielded their swords toward the wolves, which were physically bigger than them.


    However, no matter how hard the knights fought, it was difficult for them to overcome the difference in strength and physique. To make matters worse, the snowfall had picked up in intensity and had turned into a snowstorm.


    ¡°Kkuk¡­¡± With their vision becoming blurry, the knights were gradually pushed back by the wolves. Thus, Elisha was also pushed closer toward the edge of the cliff.


    At that moment, the movement of the stormy wind suddenly changed. Elisha, who previously closed her eyes due to strong wind, opened her eyes as she detected the change and saw a familiar man flying toward them. ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    Richard stepped forward and ordered the knights. ¡°Everyone, back off.¡±


    The knights stepped back at his command. Richard stood in front of them and the knights formed a second line of defense to protect Elisha and the boy from the wolves.


    The dire wolves, who had been wary of Richard for a while, soon howled and rushed over. In an instant, strong winds surrounded Richard, who wasn¡¯t even fazed at the wolves¡¯ attacks, as if to protect him.


    As the winds grew bigger, the surrounding objects began to sway. The frozen cliff and ground slowly began to crack due to the impact. Nonetheless, no one noticed the cracks forming below due to the urgent situation in front of them.


    The violent wind became a storm and swallowed the surrounding dire wolves. After a brief pause at the sight, the dire wolves in the rear rushed to the knights behind Richard. At that moment, lightning from the storm created by Richard hit the attacking dire wolves.


    ¡°Krrrrrr!¡± The dire wolves were burned terribly by the lightning. Some of the other remaining wolves also died due to the thunderstorm. The remaining dire wolves, which had been holding out for a while, also collapsed. The ground vibrated with a thud due to the shock.


    The knights approached Richard with a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness. It¡¯s really fortunate that Master came just in time-¡±


    Crack. A cracking sound was heard while everyone expressed their relief. At the same time, the ground under the cracked cliff collapsed.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Elisha, who was standing on it, fell along with the collapsing edge.


    As soon as Richard heard the cracking sound, he immediately looked toward Elisha and saw her falling with the cliff. His indifferent eyes, which had always been calm, shook violently as he saw the scene. ¡°Elisha!¡±


    Without much thought, Richard jumped off the cliff. Fortunately, he was able to catch Elisha¡¯s body quickly. But there was another problem.


    ¡®Damn it, I can¡¯t use the wind here¡­!¡¯ Due to the rapid change of altitude, Richard couldn¡¯t use his ability to manipulate the wind that required a high concentration and stable wind movement. Even a blizzard could affect his ability since his sight would be blocked.


    Richard tried his best to manipulate the wind. Unfortunately, he knew that it wasn¡¯t possible anymore since the river wasn¡¯t far from them. He hugged Elisha tightly and closed his eyes.


    Splash! Soon, the icy river swallowed the couple.


    *****


    In the northern land, the river¡¯s currents would increase at the beginning of the spring because the accumulated snow had now melted and flowed to the river.


    Holding Elisha tightly in his arms, Richard swam against the strong river current. However, swimming with one hand in a river with a high current was harder than fighting alone against dozens of people in a war.


    ¡®If we don¡¯t get out of here quickly¡­¡­.¡¯ Richard managed to manipulate the wind right before they fell. Thus, some of the shock from the fall was reduced. Nonetheless, Elisha still lost her consciousness due to the shock.


    As Elisha wasn¡¯t awake, she unintentionally swallowed some of the water and put herself in danger. Richard took a breath and kissed Elisha. He continuously blew in some air into Elisha¡¯s mouth. In the meantime, he also swam with one of his hands.


    Gradually, he ran out of oxygen and felt dizzy. Nonetheless, he couldn¡¯t give up on the warmth in his arms because he was willing to die for her. He used all his might to escape the river with Elisha.


    At that moment, the river current suddenly changed its course and pushed both Richard and Elisha toward the riverbank.


    ¡®Why did the current suddenly change¡­?¡¯ Richard wondered, but he did not miss the opportunity and escaped the river with Elisha in his arms. He immediately checked Elisha¡¯s condition. However, Elisha¡¯s breathing had stopped. Richard¡¯s heart sank. ¡°¡­Elisha.¡± His eyes shook aimlessly. ¡°Damn it! No! Elisha! No way!¡±


    Richard attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in a hurry. He repeatedly exhaled some air into her mouth several times.


    ¡°Breathe, please¡­¡­.¡± Richard kept trying until he lost the track of time. Perhaps due to his desperation, Elisha¡¯s chest started moving up and down. She turned her head to the side and coughed out some water. ¡°Cough-cough.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± After confirming that Eisha was really breathing, he hugged Elisha in relief. He immediately checked her condition. Due to the wet clothes and cold wind, her body temperature had dropped rapidly and her face became extremely pale, like a dead person. ¡®It¡¯ll be dangerous for us to stay like this.¡¯


    But the snowstorm was getting stronger and snow was piling up on the ground. Richard¡¯s line of sight was unclear due to the snowstorm, so he couldn¡¯t use his ability to fly away. Even if managed to use it, they probably would end up wandering in the snow because he couldn¡¯t see clearly.


    Meanwhile, Elisha¡¯s body would be even more exposed to the cold wind and low temperatures in the air, causing her body temperature to drop faster. In addition, in such a strong blizzard, the knights would not be able to search for them. Thus, they wouldn¡¯t be found anytime soon.


    First of all, Richard decided to find a place to avoid the blizzard. ¡®Since it¡¯s near the river, there might be a house nearby.¡¯ After wrapping his robe around Elisha, he stood up with Elisha in his arms. Wrapping her in a wet robe wouldn¡¯t warm her up, but at least, it could protect her from the cold wind.


    He walked along the river for a while and saw a shabby cottage between the large rocks. He couldn¡¯t see any light or smoke from the house. Although there was no sign of a human living in that cottage, he decided to just knock on the door.


    Silence. As expected, Richard didn¡¯t hear any voice and didn¡¯t get any response. He pushed the door open slowly. The door was opened easily, though its movement wasn¡¯t smooth.


    The cabin was relatively clean as if it had been inhabited until recently, but there were no utensils or other tools. Fortunately, there were some old and broken pieces of furniture that could be used to light up a fire.


    ¡®The snowstorm is still ongoing outside, but this cottage isn¡¯t affected much since the large rocks are blocking the strong winds. This place is good enough to avoid the blizzard.¡¯


    Richard laid Elisha down at the center of the cottage and covered her with blankets. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to warm up her freezing body. The cause of her body temperature drop had to be eliminated. Richard sighed as he saw the wet dress covering Elisha¡¯s body.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Crackle, crackle¡­


    Elisha opened her eyes when she heard the sounds from the fireplace. ¡®Where¡­is this?¡¯ Through the darkness of the surroundings, the light from the fireplace shone on the ceiling. Elisha was startled to see the ceiling. It was not the antique ceiling of the Rubelin mansion, but an old wooden ceiling full of spider webs.


    Elisha, who looked away in surprise, was even more surprised to see what was in front of her. ¡®W-what? What¡¯s this?¡¯


    A firm body of a man was embracing her. Naked at that. Surprised, Elisha struggled to get out of the man¡¯s arms, and a low voice came from above her head. ¡°You must¡¯ve come to your senses now.¡±


    When she looked up with astonished eyes, she saw Richard¡¯s handsome face. His eyes were full of worries. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Elisha, who blinked blankly, recalled the situation before she lost consciousness. ¡®I remember falling off the cliff and someone suddenly hugged me¡­I can¡¯t remember what happened after that¡­¡¯


    Realizing that she had lost consciousness due to the shock, she was convinced that it was Richard who caught and hugged her when she fell. Only then did she realize the reason why she and Richard were naked.


    ¡®We must¡¯ve fallen into the river under the cliff.¡¯ Elisha answered with her eyes fixated on Richard¡¯s face, trying not to look at his chest. ¡°I- I¡¯m okay.¡±


    But, even without looking at his chest, she could still feel it. She could feel the warmth of his breath and his warm body temperature because they were sticking together so closely. She could even detect his slightest movement. On top of that, she felt even more strange as she looked into his eyes, which flickered under the light.


    Elisha lowered her gaze and decided to fix her eyes on his neck instead. However, his thick and smooth neckline, his masculine Adam¡¯s apple, and his attractive collarbone, which stretched straight above his chest, were even more explicit in showing off his sexiness.


    Every time his warm breath hit her forehead, all the cells in her body became tense. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ Elisha, who felt embarrassed and didn¡¯t know where to look, tried to creep away from Richard and widen their distance.


    Noticing Elisha¡¯s struggle, Richard tightened his embrace and said, ¡°Even if you hate it, we need to sleep like this tonight. Your body¡­is still cold.¡±


    When Elisha heard his words, she realized that he had done a lot for her. The struggle he went through to save her¡­The only person who stayed with her and shared his warmth when she lost her consciousness¡­ ¡°¡­I don¡¯t hate it. I like it.¡±


    There was a rare look of embarrassment on Richard¡¯s face when she said that. Wondering about his unusual reaction, Elisha finally realized how strange her words sounded. ¡®W-why did I say it like that? It was really weird! It sounded like I told him that I like hugging him naked! I- I just want to appreciate his kindness and express my gratitude!¡¯


    However, it would be awkward to suddenly explain that she didn¡¯t mean it that way. Embarrassed, Elisha¡¯s gaze wandered around the cottage because she didn¡¯t know where else to look anymore.


    In the end, she just closed her eyes. However, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The image of Richard¡¯s firm and wide chest kept playing in her mind. Whenever she felt the warmth of his chest, her heart pounded wildly. They were so close that she could hear his heartbeat vividly.


    ¡®L-let¡¯s think about good things. Only good things.¡¯ She tried to calm herself down, but she couldn¡¯t. Beyond the shared warmth, she gradually felt hot inside. Perhaps because of that, she became thirsty. Eventually, Elisha pulled out of Richard¡¯s embrace with a blanket wrapped around her body.


    Richard looked at Elisha with curious eyes. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯m thirsty. I¡¯m going to look for something to drink.¡±


    ¡°I looked around earlier, but there was nothing to drink.¡±


    Elisha realized how foolish she was. In such an abandoned cottage, it was impossible to find something to drink. Even if there was something, she didn¡¯t think it was safe to drink it.


    At that time, Richard remembered something and pulled out a leather water bottle from their pile of clothes. ¡°There¡¯s only alcohol though.¡±


    The northern men always carried around strong alcohol with them. It is a must-have survival item to maintain their body temperature in cold weather, especially in the dead of winter.


    ¡°Do you wanna drink it?¡±


    Elisha received the alcohol from Richard and gulped it down. As soon as the alcohol flowed through her throat, she felt a burning sensation in her throat and stomach. She only drank a few sips to moisten her throat and handed it back to Richard. Then, she sat down while folding her legs together and rested her head on her knees.


    Hiccup, hiccup¡­ Elisha started hiccupping as she stared blankly at the light of the fireplace. Her face was already flushed due to the strong alcohol. Even her eyes, which were always full of life, were half-open. Only after a few sips of the alcohol, she became drunk.


    Looking at Elisha, Richard burst out laughing. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you can drink alcohol like plain water?¡±


    ¡°Weelll¡­I was referring to the beeerrr¡­This is something elsee¡­¡­¡± Elisha pouted her lips, complaining about Richard¡¯s words with a tongue-tied voice.


    Worrying that Elisha would feel cold again, Richard sat next to her. Then, he put another layer of blankets on her body.


    Then Elisha¡¯s half-open eyes turned to Richard. ¡°Thanks, Richard.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°For saving me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°For growing up so well. And¡­.¡± Elisha, who made eye contact with Richard, smiled with her eyes arching in happiness becoming half-moon shaped. ¡°Thank you for coming back safely.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes looking at Elisha became agitated. Elisha took another sip of the alcohol, not knowing she had thrown a stone into the still lake. Then her hiccups stopped completely.


    Richard, who was silent for a while, said to Elisha, ¡°Sleep more. We still have a long way to go in the morning, so we need to recover our stamina¡­.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, you won¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything? When you hug me naked, I can¡¯t fall asleep¡­¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s frank remarks, Richard heaved a deep sighed. It was the same for him. He also couldn¡¯t sleep. However, it was due to different feelings than hers. Elisha was just expressing her discomfort with the current situation without any hidden desire, but he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because you don¡¯t know¡­What kind of torture I went through when I struggled to suppress my desires as we were sharing our body temperature¡­and about how close I was to submit to my desires¡­Even at this moment.¡¯ Richard stared at her innocent face and her lips that complained defenselessly.


    ¡°¡­¡­do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Me¡­do you think that I don¡¯t feel anything?¡± Elisha, who was looking at Richard without any sense of crisis, paused.


    Richard¡¯s eyes, which had been soft a while ago, were burning with desire. The moment she saw those eyes, she instinctively felt threatened even though she was drunk. She knew that if she didn¡¯t avoid those eyes, she¡¯d be swallowed by them.


    Elisha dodged Richard¡¯s intense gaze as if she were running away. ¡°I- I¡¯m going to bed now.¡± She used all her might to get on her feet.


    At that moment, Elisha¡¯s body, which was out of balance due to the alcohol, stumbled sideways. ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Richard quickly hugged Elisha and shielded Elisha¡¯s head with his hand before it fell hard on the floor. That made him look at her from above. Attempting to massage her dizzy head, Elisha looked up at Richard. His intense gaze looked different than usual. Like a predator staring at its prey.


    Looking into his eyes, Elisha felt as if her breathing had stopped. Those eyes, it seemed like he was about to rush in and bite her neck. Richard, who seemed like a familiar friend a while ago, had quickly become a complete stranger.


    Her heart thumped. She had a hunch that if she didn¡¯t avoid his gaze right away, she would be in an irreversible dangerous situation.


    Strangely, however, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his beautiful yet dangerous ruby-like eyes. The longer she looked at those eyes, the hotter her body felt. Looking at him as if she was possessed, she slowly opened her lips, ¡°Richa-¡±


    As Elisha was about to call his name, her lips were covered by his lips. Two soft and moist lips overlapped gently. A hot breath came out through the gap. The breath was sweet. However, the overlapped lips unexpectedly separated quickly.


    But soon they faced each other again. This time, he went deeper than just touching her lips. Elisha flinched, but she did not push him away. No, she didn¡¯t want to do that.


    Elisha willingly accepted his passionate kiss, allowing herself to be trapped in his arms. Sharing breath with a man for the first time in her life made her realize that someone¡¯s lips could feel so soft and sweet.


    And he was a bit mean. He persistently took all her breath away, as if he was swallowing something that he could never have enough of.


    ¡°U-uh¡­¡­¡± As Elisha became out of breath, Richard paused and immediately pulled his lips away from hers. His blood-like eyes looked bewildered, and soon they were filled with guilt.


    But Elisha, who was still drunk, didn¡¯t notice it. She only could see his moist red lips. Her eyes only focused on his soft and sweet lips.


    Richard opened his mouth with a sigh, avoiding Elisha¡¯s blank stare. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m¡­.¡±


    As he laid Elisha down and tried to wrap her with another layer of blanket, she suddenly wrapped his cheeks with her hands and pulled him toward her. Feeling that the previous kiss wasn¡¯t enough, she kissed him again.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Richard became momentarily stiff due to her sudden kiss. But soon, he greedily sucked at her defenseless lips. This time, his kiss wasn¡¯t as careful as before. He kissed her persistently as his breath became rougher. He planted kisses all over her face and sought out her lips again.


    Nevertheless, both of them enjoy each other¡¯s lips, as if they were the sweetest thing in this world. They felt that the momentary pauses in the midst of their long kisses, to catch their breath, were a waste. The moment their eyes meet, Richard sighed in desperation.


    In the meantime, Elisha¡¯s thirst became deeper as her breaths got shorter. She wasn¡¯t sure what she wanted at that moment, but she instinctively knew that only Richard could quench her thirst. So, she clung onto him desperately.


    Realizing that they had the same desire, Richard overlapped his sweet lips with hers again, melting her cold body. In his life, he had destroyed a lot of things mercilessly to survive. But he had always been extra cautious when it came to her. He was afraid that her soft body would be hurt by his rough touch. But this time, he didn¡¯t hesitate anymore.


    ¡°Richard¡­.¡± Elisha called him while looking at him with misty eyes.


    It was the first time he saw Elisha with such a messy look. The moment he saw her eyes gazing at him imploringly, Richard¡¯s last bit of reason, which he had barely been able to hold onto, disappeared.


    Overwhelmed by his desire to monopolize her small body and her nice scent, Richard¡¯s body moved before he could even think. He passionately embraced her. Soon after, the hot heat mixed with a painfully sweet sensation melted her frozen body completely.


    ¡°Elisha¡­¡± Calling her name lovingly, Richard gently kissed Elisha¡¯s eyes and lips. Elisha was breathing hard with her eyes closed. Looking at her, a sense of guilt belatedly came upon him. He was sorry for forcing her to accept him with such a small and tender body. He was sorry that they had spent their first night at such a shabby place, without any preparation. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Then, as if to answer him, Elisha kissed him on the lips. Surprised by the unexpected kiss, Richard looked at Elisha. Her green eyes were looking at him in contentment. The moment he looked into her eyes, he remembered what she had said once before.


    [For your first time, you shouldn¡¯t be swayed by anyone¡¯s will and do it with the person whom you truly love.]


    ¡®Do you know that, since the day I heard those words, there wasn¡¯t any moment in my life that I didn¡¯t desire you? That¡¯s why I¡¯m so overwhelmed and happy at this moment. Because this is what I had been longing for, for years.¡¯


    ¡°Eli¡­.¡± Richard opened his mouth to confess his feelings that he had been hiding for years. However, Elisha¡¯s eyelids were already tightly closed. Looking at her falling asleep with a puzzled expression, he burst into laughter. Then he gently pressed his lips on Elisha¡¯s forehead and whispered softly. ¡°¡­Sleep well, my love.¡±

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    ¡­¡­Wife!


    Your Excellency!


    ¡°Mmmmm¡­¡­¡±


    Elisha, who had been caught up deep within her dreams, woke up at a faint sound.


    The first thing that she saw when she opened her eyes was sunlight shining through the cracks of the door and an unfamiliar ceiling.


    She blinked slowly and was trying to recall the situation before she fell asleep when she suddenly froze.


    ¡®Ugh, my memories¡­¡­¡¯


    She remembered everything clearly from before she started to drink.


    She still remembered that she had fallen off a cliff as she was trying to avoid a monster, that Richard had saved her, and that they had come here to escape a snowstorm.


    And her memories which had been fragmented by alcohol also contained some memories with a lot of skin.


    ¡®It- It was just a dream, right?¡¯


    Elisha tried to shake off the memories that she didn¡¯t want to believe, but the memories wouldn¡¯t go away.


    It would be better if she just didn¡¯t remember anything. The sneaky remaining pieces of her memories from last night only stressed her out.


    She had stolen a kiss from him, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, she had clung desperately onto him when he tried to be considerate and leave.


    ¡®This can¡¯t be! I must have gone crazy! How could I do that¡­¡­!¡¯


    She wanted to deny the truth, but she could no longer deny it when she found evidence of the past night.


    Richard was sleeping with her in his arms.


    He was also naked, which confirmed that everything had been real and not a dream.


    And to top it all off¡­¡­ .


    ¡®My whole body hurts¡­¡­ .¡¯


    Even when she moved slightly, she felt extreme pain. Particularly, in her back.


    Not only that, but she had caught a cold, perhaps because she had been drenched in cold water yesterday.


    Even so, she couldn¡¯t just lie still and get caught like this. Elisha decided to go and wear some clothes, so she tried to climb out of Richard¡¯s embrace. But as if his firm arms didn¡¯t want to let her go, she was only pulled in closer to him.


    They were already very close to each other, but now the distance had gotten even shorter and their bodies touched. At that, Elisha¡¯s face turned bright red.


    ¡®Why is a sleeping person so strong? Is he really sleeping?¡¯


    Elisha grabbed one of Richard¡¯s arms and was trying her very best to move it when Richard woke up.


    They made eye contact with each other and Elisha froze.


    ¡°How is your bod-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Richard!¡±


    Richard, who had been worried about Elisha¡¯s body as soon as he had woken up, stopped.


    Taking this opportunity, Elisha quickly climbed out of his arms and chewed nervously on her lips.


    ¡°I was drunk yesterday, so I must not have been in my right mind¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°Although this isn¡¯t something that I can just apologize for¡­ I¡¯m still really sorry. This won¡¯t ever happen again.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s words, Richard¡¯s face visibly hardened.


    Elisha thought that the reason for this was because of what had happened today. Because he definitely would not have liked what had happened then.


    ¡°Elisha.¡±


    Richard swallowed a sigh and started to speak.


    ¡°Madam! Your Excellency! Are you anywhere nearby?¡±


    From not very far away, they could hear Thompson and the knights calling for them.


    Elisha got up in a sudden panic. She had to fix this problem before they found her and Richard.


    But at that moment, her feverish head swirled around with dizziness and she lost the strength in her body.


    ¡°¡­¡­Elisha?¡±


    Elisha lost her consciousness as she felt the warmth of the man who was hugging her.


    ***


    Elisha, who by now had returned to the castle, was sick in bed.


    The doctors had said that it was merely just a cold and overexertion, but Richard couldn¡¯t stay still.


    He looked at Elisha who was suffering from a high fever and blamed himself.


    ¡®It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    She had already not been in the best condition, but because he couldn¡¯t win over his desires, he had made her condition worse.


    And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he hadn¡¯t been gentle on her first night, but rather pushy.


    It was the consequence of forcing his feelings down within him for 8 years. Because he had let everything loose, he couldn¡¯t stop after one time.


    Suddenly, he remembered something that Elisha had said.


    ¡®Don¡¯t be swayed by another person¡¯s will, but have your first night with someone who you truly love.¡¯


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    ¡®Huh? That¡¯s because¡­¡­ you want to share those precious moments with someone you truly love?¡¯


    Even if she had clung to him, he should have pushed her away. He should have patiently waited to earn her heart and then bring her into his embrace. He definitely made up his mind to do that, and he should have done just that¡­¡­ .


    ¡®But how can you push this face away.¡¯


    The way her hands had desperately hugged him, the heat of her body from under his embrace, a voice that called his name as if she was pleading with him, and two eyes that were moist with tears. These were all things that he couldn¡¯t simply push away.


    Whatever the case, even though the order was wrong since they had shared their first nights with each other, he had really thought that they had mutual feelings for each other.


    ¡°Although this isn¡¯t something that I can just apologize for¡­ I¡¯m still really sorry. This won¡¯t ever happen again.¡±


    At least, before she said something like that.


    Richard had wanted to talk more about that matter with her, but she had already fainted from her fever.


    His feelings for Elisha, who acted as if the night had meant nothing even after such a passionate event, changed from bitterness to guilt and shame.


    At the same time, that sense of shame kept bringing back memories of the previous night and the way he couldn¡¯t control his own desires, and he grew increasingly frustrated at himself.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Crazy bastard.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s sudden instance of abusive language, Anne, who had been nursing Elisha and being mindful of Richard, was surprised.


    He had been looking at the sick Elisha with a cold air radiating off of him, and now he was cursing too.


    ¡®S- Scary¡­¡­¡¯


    Of course, Richard could only be a scary master to Anne, but she had never thought that he was scary when she was with Elisha.


    Because when he was next to Elisha, he was strangely very gentle.


    Anne wished that Richard would leave the room quickly. Just then, as if somebody heard Anne¡¯s wishes, a knock was heard from the door.


    ¡°Your Excellency, I have something to discuss with you in private.¡±


    At the person¡¯s words, Richard got up from his seat. And after he had looked at the fever-ridden Elisha one last time with worried eyes, he turned around and exited the room.


    Outside, Thompson was waiting for him.


    ¡°Is the Madam feeling better?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Her fever is decreasing bit by bit, so she will be fine. What did you want to talk to me about?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing other than some information about the monsters that appeared yesterday.¡±


    Thompson presented Richard with a leather bag.


    ¡°It was already very suspicious that so many monsters were going crazy in groups, but then we found this in the monsters¡¯ bodies.¡±


    Richard opened the leather bag that Thomson gave him.


    Inside, there was a black stone that was emitting a red light.


    ¡°This is a demon¡¯s soul stone. Where did you find this?¡±


    ¡°It came out of the mouth of the Dire Wolf that we encountered yesterday, but it was also found in the other monsters¡¯ bodies as well. At the time, it probably wasn¡¯t as obvious because it was before the soul was totally broken.¡±


    A demon¡¯s soul stone is a stone that can be found in the land in the northwest canyon of the Rubelin Estate.


    Those who absorbed this type of stone would slowly have their soul broken down and lose their lives. Then all that would be left is a shell of a body that would become a monster that attacks other forms of life.


    Perhaps the monsters that lived in the canyon instinctively knew, but they did not go near it either.


    That meant that somebody had taken a soul stone from an infected piece of land and had given it to the monsters surrounding the Rubelin Estate.


    ¡®But there should be a barrier surrounding that place.¡¯


    Because the land inside the canyon was infected, only a few forms of life and monsters were living there.


    For the sake of peace in the Rubelin Estate and even the whole continent, the ancestors had created a barrier around the canyon. So that a normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to go into the canyon.


    But, someone had bypassed that barrier and had brought a demon¡¯s soul stone out.


    ¡®Just who could have done this¡­¡­ ¡®


    Richard stared at the soul stone with cold eyes and said something as he returned the stone back to Thompson.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go investigate the canyon. Start the preparations.¡±


    ***


    Richard and the knights traveled for two days without any rest and made it to the canyon. The path that led to the infected piece of land was in a place that was deep in the canyon.


    That place, except for a few forms of life that had strong survival skills, was a desolate land where nothing grew.


    There was only a huge canyon the size of a citadel and fog that filled the canyon all year round.


    ¡°There are the other soldiers over there.¡±


    Just in time, he spotted soldiers that were waiting around. These were the people who had been guarding the canyon.


    Thompson, who was about to go up to them without any second thoughts, suddenly halted and hardened his face.


    There was a black aura pouring out in overflowing amounts from the idle soldiers¡¯ bodies, and the purification swords that they were supposed to have with them were either broken or gone.


    A ¡®purification sword¡¯ is a sword that contains the power of purification, and while it is able to destroy a creature with the demon¡¯s soul stone, it is not very different from an average sword.


    This was something that one of the ancestors of Seriotte made for Rubelin, who was supposed to protect the canyon.


    ¡°¡­¡­Everyone here had their souls broken down by the demon¡¯s soul stone.¡±


    It seemed that the soldiers had all died and then had annihilated each other and the nearby monsters as well.


    Richard, who had been watching the undead soldiers wandering around, gave a command.


    ¡°¡­¡­Give those soldiers peace.¡±


    As Richard said this, the soulless soldiers started to come their way.


    The Rubelin Knights confronted them with their purification swords in hand.


    When they pierced the soulless soldiers with the purification swords, the demon¡¯s soul stone that they had absorbed broke.


    At the same time, the undead soldiers turned back into normal corpses.


    After cleaning up the soldiers¡¯ bodies, Richard started moving towards the canyon.


    The inside of the canyon looked as if it was blocked, but it was merely just a barrier that was meant to stop normal people from getting into the canyon.


    When Richard created a mighty wind and dispelled the fog in the area, the mana that was maintaining the barrier weakened, and the path into the canyon soon became visible.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Richard and the knights went into the canyon.


    After they had gone a considerable distance into the canyon while getting rid of the foggy mist, they found a desolate plain.


    On one side of the plain, there was a large lake.


    The lake, which was in a place where both the land and the air were murky, was very clear and clean, and it felt strange that such a lake would be in this kind of place.


    As soon as they saw the lake, they knew what it was.


    ¡°That place is the Lake of Purification.¡±


    Arien, the founder of Seriotte, which had been one of the four families that had founded Arensia, spent all her strength on making this lake.


    She did this so that her strength would be able to stop any evil spirits from escaping the canyon and going into the empire.


    Monsters who had lost their sight because their strength had been locked away, occasionally came into the canyon and ended up trapped inside, so the monsters in the canyon were unable to escape into the empire.


    Just as Arien had hoped, this lake had been protecting the door to the canyon for over a thousand years.


    But somebody had crossed the barrier and came into the canyon again. On top of that, they had stolen the demon¡¯s soul stone and had abused its power.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to pop out at us. Everyone be on guard.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Richard and the knights went deeper into the infected land.


    It was Richard¡¯s, as well as the knight¡¯s first time coming into the infected part of the canyon, so everyone was extremely alert.


    But as if they had been alert for nothing, there was no monster in sight, even as they went deeper and deeper.


    However, just when the knights had loosened up a bit.


    ¡°Your Excellency.¡±


    Thompson, who had spotted something, called out to Richard in a hurry.


    Before he could even say something, Richard was already looking in that direction.


    Just a short distance away, a black doll was standing emptily.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    At first, it seemed like it was a person with a broken soul. But unlike the soldiers with the black aura who still had a relatively human appearance, this monster only had a human shape; otherwise, it was totally black.


    Richard, who felt uneasy about this monster, stopped the knights who were about to approach it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over there and check it out, so you guys just stand by here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll check it first. It¡¯ll be dangerous if you carelessly go over there.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m quicker than all of you.¡±


    The knights were rather nervous about Richard¡¯s plan, but they couldn¡¯t refute his words. Because just as Richard had said, Richard, who had his family¡¯s power, was exceedingly quicker than all of them in attacking and defending.


    Richard started walking away from his knights who were looking at him with worried eyes and slowly made his way to the monster in human form.


    The monster seemed to have heard him walking towards it and turned around as well.


    When they made eye contact with each other, Richard stopped walking.


    The monster didn¡¯t have any eyes, but Richard felt as if it was staring into his eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Are you human?¡±


    The monster didn¡¯t answer. Instead, it slowly made its way over to Richard.


    As it approached him, Richard suddenly became cautious and started to speak to it.


    ¡°If you have a consciousness and your own will, stop right there.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll decide that you¡¯re an unconscious being with no will, and I¡¯ll let you rest in peace.¡±


    But as if the monster was ignoring Richard¡¯s words, the monster kept walking over to him.


    Richard created a wind storm and lifted the monster into mid-air and slammed it onto the ground without mercy.


    The monster, who had just endured a strong attack on its body, squirmed on the ground. But it did not even make a sound.


    Richard thought that it was a monster who couldn¡¯t talk and pierced its body with his sword.


    But just then, the monster started to speak with a piercing voice.


    ¡°I¡­¡­ waited¡­¡­ a long time¡­¡­ for my¡­¡­ desire¡­¡­ .¡±


    The moment Richard started to have questions about the monster¡¯s words, its body faded out and disappeared as if it had never been there.


    Thompson and the knights, who had been watching the situation from a distance, ran over to Richard in a rush.


    ¡°Your Excellency, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think it was anything special, so let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Richard and his knights started to walk back together. But on Richard¡¯s mind, the last words of the monster that had been here just a few moments ago kept replaying in his head.


    ¡®my¡­¡­ desire¡­¡­ .¡¯


    Strangely, he felt as if the monster¡¯s words were aimed at him.


    ***


    Elisha, who had been bedridden due to overexertion and a cold, was only able to get up after a whole day in bed.


    As soon as she regained her senses, she ate her breakfast and asked a question to Anne.


    ¡°Anne, did something happen while I was out? Something is off about the atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°It was revealed that the monsters that appeared recently were because of the demon¡¯s soul stone. So his excellency himself went to the infected land to investigate.¡±


    ¡°The demon¡¯s soul stone?¡±


    Elisha¡¯s face was etched with shock.


    If a demon¡¯s soul stone was found in a monster¡¯s body, it meant that somebody had brought it out and given it to the monsters with malicious intent.


    ¡®Just who could have done something like this¡­¡­¡¯


    If the monsters in Rubelin became ferocious, the people of Rubelin will panic because of fear.


    Then there will be rumors that Rubelin is a dangerous land, and then people who hear those rumors will leave the territory.


    ¡®If Rubelin¡¯s territory population decreases, then the Rubelin house¡¯s influence will also decrease.¡¯


    Of course, there were probably a lot of people who wished for this to happen, but the person who probably wanted this to happen the most was¡­¡­ .


    ¡®Is it the Emperor?¡¯


    Elisha bit her lips.


    Richard, who the Emperor had hoped would die in war, came back as a war hero, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, Richard had become the head of Rubelin, so the Emperor was probably extremely anxious.


    Elisha was angered by the fact that the Emperor wanted to destroy Richard and Rubelin just because of his inferiority complex, but at the same time, she was rather flattered.


    Among the countless number of nobles, the only person who was keeping Arensia¡¯s emperor in check was Richard.


    In other words, it has just become proof of how strong Rubelin is.


    ¡®Anyway, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t see Richard.¡¯


    Even as she had been suffering from fever, there were times where she briefly regained consciousness. And every time, she hoped that she would see Richard.


    She wanted to make sure that nothing changed in the relationship between her and Richard because of what happened in the cabin, that his attitude towards her would still be the same.


    But everytime she opened her eyes, Richard was not by her side. This made Elisha nervous.


    However, as it turns out, he had gone away because of work, so that settled her nerves.


    ¡°Please eat this too.¡±


    In front of Elisha, who had just finished her meal, there was a teacup with a red flower floating on top and a dish that was speckled with something that looked like a sunflower seed.


    Elisha looked at the items before her with a puzzled look.


    ¡°What are all of these?¡±


    ¡°This is a tea that is supposed to warm your body. The duke said that your illness would have seeped into your bones and caused you to feel cold, so he told us to give this tea to my lady.¡±


    ¡°Then what are these black things?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re supposed to help to recover health. Oh, and they say that these are seeds from an extremely rare flower. Anyway, you have to eat all of this!¡±


    It looked like Anne was going to make sure Elisha finished the tea and the seeds.


    After warily looking at the tea and seeds that Richard had left for her, Elisha finally raised the teacup.


    ¡®He worried for me¡­¡­¡±


    Even when they were young, he had taken care of her while pretending not to care. His attitude may have been cold, but she wholeheartedly knew that he really worried and cared about her.


    Elisha drank her tea and nonchalantly asked Anne about Richard¡¯s atmosphere before he left.


    ¡°Anne, how did His Excellency look before he left?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡­ he looked like he was mad about something.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Mad?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He left the room after saying ¡°crazy bastard¡± to himself.¡±


    Anne, who didn¡¯t know what had happened between the two of them, just told Elisha what she had heard outright.


    At Anne¡¯s words, Elisha¡¯s face froze.


    ¡®As expected, what happened was on his mind.¡¯


    A gloomy Elisha suddenly felt that everything was very unfair.


    ¡®No, but! He liked it too, and he was¡­¡­ he was really active too!¡¯


    Of course, her memory was spotty due to the alcohol, but she remembered that it was Richard who had skillfully convinced her to continue their activity when she was a bit teary from pain.


    Elisha was blushing as she pouted, when a servant knocked on her door and came into her room with a message.


    ¡°Madam, His Excellency has returned.¡±


    At her words, Elisha got up in a flash and went straight to Richard¡¯s bedroom.


    She had just reached the stairs when she saw him going into his room.


    ¡°Richard!¡±


    Elisha, who finally met Richard, stopped in her tracks.


    After what had happened in the cabin, this was the first time that she had seen him in the right state of mind.


    As she looked at his face, she could only remember his disheveled appearance from that night, and she felt heat rush into her face. She couldn¡¯t even greet him like she usually did when he came back because she was so embarrassed.


    ¡°Did it go wel-¡±


    Elisha finally got her greeting out and stepped towards Richard. Richard, who had been gazing at Elisha, seemed to realize something a beat late and stopped walking.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Next time.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk next time.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­ Alright.¡±


    Elisha stopped walking towards him.


    Richard stared at Elisha for a few more seconds and then turned around and went into his room.


    Elisha awkwardly looked at the closed door and turned around to go back.


    ***


    Richard went straight to the bathroom.


    There was a black, ominous looking, liquid that stained his outer clothes.


    It had splattered on him while he was taking care of the possessed soldiers and monsters.


    Agail looked at Richard¡¯s stained body and at the dead bodies and had advised him of something.


    ¡®For now, it would be best if you distance yourself from others. If we look at the past records, there are cases where unhealthy and weak people were infected by the black liquid, although healthy people are relatively safe.¡¯


    To be honest, Richard had wanted to meet Elisha as soon as he came back to the castle.


    First, he wanted to check her body¡¯s condition, and then he wanted to finish talking to her about that night.


    But because of Agail¡¯s advice, he had no choice but to distance himself from Elisha.


    He was worried that he would accidentally infect Elisha, who had finally just gotten up after a few days after having been sick from a cold.


    Until she completely recovered and until he got rid of all the black liquid and aura from his body,


    he had no choice but to distance himself from her.


    When he stripped off his inner shirt, a curved, muscular body was revealed.


    It seemed that the monsters¡¯ blood had seeped into his inner shirt as well since there was blood on his skin.


    When he saw the blood, he was suddenly reminded of what had happened in the canyon.


    ¡®I¡­¡­ waited¡­¡­ a long time¡­¡­ for my¡­¡­ desire¡­¡­ .¡¯


    He wondered what that monster possibly could have been.


    When he thought about all the monsters he had encountered there, he suddenly felt quite uncomfortable.


    Richard poured water on himself and washed off the black liquid.


    But when he wasn¡¯t looking, the black aura of the liquid had seeped into a part of his back.


    He finished his bath and returned back to his bedroom.


    ¡°Your Excellency. We examined the broken badge that was found near the canyon. After we wiped all the blood off, we found the name ¡®Rohas¡± on the backside.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Rohas, isn¡¯t it the Rohas Viscounty?¡±


    The Rohas Viscounty was famous for being nobles in the Emperor¡¯s faction.


    More accurately, they were famous for doing dirty work for the Emperor¡¯s in-law, Marquess Felice.


    The connection was just too strange.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to infiltrate the viscounty so that we can spy on Viscount Rohas.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to do that. Because I¡¯m going to go there myself.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll start preparing for your trip. When should we finish the preparations by?¡±


    ¡°Within three days.¡±


    ¡°I will do as you wish.¡±


    Agail bowed to Richard and started to make his way out the bedroom door.


    Richard, who was watching Agail walk out, added something to his orders in a hurry.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take Elisha to the Viscounty too, so tell her to get ready.¡±


    If the emperor was aiming to destroy not only him but all of Rubelin, he didn¡¯t want to leave Elisha in a place where he wasn¡¯t there.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    It was dinner time.


    Elisha was going downstairs to the dining room with a very serious look on her face.


    ¡®Richard, it seemed like you were trying to ignore me earlier.¡±


    She understood how he felt.


    It was embarrassing to spend the night with someone whom you thought of as a friend and family for 8 years, so he was probably ashamed at how impulsive they had both been.


    Furthermore, he was someone who went as far as rejecting all the women Albert sent because he didn¡¯t want a child.


    ¡®He probably wants to pretend that nothing happened.¡¯


    Elisha, too, wanted to pretend that nothing happened. She only thought of it as a passionate one-night fling.


    But even so, they had known each other for 8 years- of course, they lived apart and only communicated through letters for a good portion of that time- and when she saw how hard he was trying to avoid her, she made up her mind.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just say that it was an accident. It¡¯s something that can happen between a married couple anyway.¡¯


    Even if they were a soon-to-be-divorced couple.


    Elisha was desperate to get rid of this awkwardness between her and Richard.


    They didn¡¯t have a lot of time left together, so if they were to end their relationship like this, she felt that it wouldn¡¯t feel good for either of the parties.


    However, by the time she had actually reached the dining room, her heart was beating rapidly.


    It was because whenever she thought of facing him, she kept remembering what happened on that night. She needed time to settle her heart.


    Elisha called Grayson, who was about to open the door to the dining room, in a hurry.


    ¡°G- Grayson, wait.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    However, by that time, it was already too late and the doors to the dining room had already opened.


    But as if her nervousness had been all for nothing, Richard was not in the dining room.


    ¡®Is he not here yet?¡¯


    Elisha sat at the table first and waited for Richard.


    A moment later, the servants gave her her food and tableware and went away. At his spot, there was no tableware.


    ¡°Grayson, is His Excellency not coming to eat?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it seems that I forgot to tell you.¡±


    Grayson put on an apologetic face and continued with his explanation.


    ¡°In the infected land, there are many creatures that have an evil aura. It¡¯s said that occasionally, a weak person can get infected with this evil aura. So for the time being, he said that it would be best if he dined separately from you.¡±


    Elisha didn¡¯t doubt Grayson¡¯s words. But for some reason, the timing seemed off, and her suspicions towards Richard did not go away.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    It was only then that Elisha started to eat.


    In his office, Richard had already finished his meal and was working on some of his territorial duties before he officially left for the day.


    At that moment, a knock resounded at the door.


    ¡°Richard. Are you here?¡±


    It was Elisha¡¯s voice.


    At first, his heart started to beat instinctively when he heard her clear voice, but when he remembered that he was unable to go to her, his heart sank down again.


    Richard put down the document that he had been reviewing and answered her.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to talk to you about something. Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can speak.¡±


    If he had his way, he would be talking to her face to face, but when he thought about the possibility of her getting infected with the black aura, he immediately backed down.


    Instead, he stood close to the door. Even if it only made a minimal difference, he wanted to get closer to her voice.


    Elisha glanced at the door that didn¡¯t open, and after a small pause, she started to speak.


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s about what happened on that night¡­¡­ .¡±


    Richard, who had been walking towards the door, suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    This was the topic that he had so desperately wanted to talk to her about before he had to go to the infected land, but he didn¡¯t expect Elisha to bring up the topic first.


    At the topic of ¡®that night,¡¯ the tip of Richard¡¯s ears bloomed a brilliant red.


    But at Elisha¡¯s next words, his heart crashed to the ground.


    ¡°It seemed like you were rather bothered by that incident.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡±


    ¡°What happened on that night¡­¡­ just think of it as an accident. We¡¯re a married couple anyway, so it¡¯s not like it¡¯ll pose a problem or anything¡­¡­ .¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s words, Richard¡¯s eyes became icy.


    Accident? Married couple?


    Was she really saying that what happened that night was only an accident that could happen because they were a married couple?


    Was that night something that she could blow off so easily? Elisha.


    ¡°So just pretend that it never happened and don¡¯t take it to heart-¡±


    Before Elisha could finish speaking, Richard threw open the office door.


    Elisha, who had been talking from outside the door, stared up at him in shock.


    When she looked into Richard¡¯s eyes, they were colder than anything she had seen before.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any plans to do that.¡±


    It was only then that Richard realized that he had firmly cut off Elisha¡¯s sentence and stopped talking.


    Then, he started to close the door and spoke.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Just go back, Elisha. It¡¯s dangerous for me to go near you, so don¡¯t come here for now.¡±


    From beyond the door, Elisha stood speechless. Because she didn¡¯t answer, he didn¡¯t know whether she understood his words.


    She replied to his words a beat late.


    ¡°Then¡­¡­ Sleep well, Richard.¡±


    Her footsteps grew fainter until he wasn¡¯t able to hear them anymore.


    It was only then that Richard let out a breath that he had been holding in, and he swept his hair up in frustration.


    The moment he had met those surprised, bright eyes, the cold feelings he had previously harbored towards the indifferent Elisha vanished in a blink of an eye. As if it had never been there to begin with.


    In front of her, he was like snow that was left out in the sun, and he found this laughable.


    ¡°You pathetic man¡­¡­¡±


    Even now, all he could think about was Elisha, who he just met after a few days.


    She was so cruel to him.


    3 days later, the members of the Rubelin Dukedom set off, as ordered by Richard.


    Richard got onto a different carriage from Elisha.


    When Elisha saw what Richard was doing, she suddenly remembered what he had told her a few days earlier.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have any plans to do that.¡¯


    As soon as she had heard those words, she had thought, ¡®Maybe¡­¡­?¡¯, but that thought was only there for a moment.


    When she saw Richard¡¯s cold face and felt cold gusts of air radiating off of him, it seemed like he felt pity for himself rather than what she had thought.


    ¡®Anyway, even though he¡¯s the head of the villain¡¯s family, he¡¯s a strangely moral person.¡¯


    She did like that part of him, but she felt sorry that he had to spend so much time and energy over nothing.


    ¡®Because¡­¡­ we¡¯re going to divorce soon anyway.¡¯


    The reason why Elisha was going on this trip was because of Richard¡¯s orders, but it was more importantly because of the divorce preparations.


    Elisha planned to bring up the divorce when they arrived, and she set off while thinking that she would get a cottage with Ansel.


    She was feeling a little sad about the divorce, so she was glad that she would be able to leave Rubelin for the warmer south.


    But as time passed, the journey became more and more painful.


    ¡®I¡¯m so nauseous¡­¡­¡¯


    At first, she spent the time reading a book or playing cards with Anne.


    But after 15 days had passed and it was around the time for Acaroa, she began to become more nauseous and fatigued.


    On top of that, she caught a cold, so even when she was covered with a fur blanket, she shook with cold.


    Anne looked worriedly at the sick Elisha.


    ¡°My lady, should I tell them to go on after resting for a bit?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that. It¡¯ll be fine if I sleep.¡±


    Elisha stopped Anne who was about to tell Richard. She didn¡¯t want to delay the journey just because of her.


    But disregarding Elisha¡¯s words, as soon as she fell asleep, Anne went to tell Richard.


    As soon as he heard Anne¡¯s words, Richard stopped the carriage and rushed over to Elisha¡¯s carriage.


    ¡®It¡¯s been almost a month, so the black aura should have dissipated by now.¡¯


    Richard checked Elisha¡¯s condition with worried eyes.


    Perhaps it was because she was nauseous from motion sickness, but her complexion was quite pale. When he touched her forehead, she also had a faint fever.


    He wanted a doctor to check over Elisha at that very moment, but the closest village was 4 hours away. It would be more strenuous for the sick Elisha to go back.


    Richard wrinkled his forehead and called for Agail.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be staying here today, so start the preparations.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡±


    The people from the Rubelin Dukedom set up a tent on the road and prepared a campsite.


    Richard held the sleeping Elisha in his arms and laid her down in a bed inside the tent.


    Awakened by the sounds, Elisha weakly opened her eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Richard?¡±


    ¡°You should have told me. That you wanted to rest a bit before we continue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m constantly nauseous, so I can¡¯t just keep saying that I want to rest. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Elisha insisted that she was fine, but Richard didn¡¯t look very happy.


    Richard was about to say something when they heard Anne¡¯s voice from outside the tent.


    ¡°My lady, I brought you your meal.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Anne approached Elisha with a tray with a piece of bread and potage.


    Elisha tried to get up to eat, but as soon as she got up, her face grew pale.


    This was a potage that she enjoyed just prior to setting off for this journey. But for the past few days, she found that she had no appetite, and today the food seemed repulsive.


    Richard, who saw the pale Elisha, looked at her with questioning eyes.


    ¡°Elisha?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fin¡­¡­ Blergh!¡±


    She had tried her best to laugh it off, but in the end, she was unable to fight off the nausea, and she bolted out of the tent.

 Chapter 34 - #5. Pregnancy

    Chapter 34


    #5. Pregnancy


    In a nearby patch of grass, Elisha emptied her stomach. Because of the suffering she was going through, she even had a few tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Elisha, are you okay?¡±


    Richard, who had followed her, patted Elisha¡¯s back.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡­ .¡±


    Elisha, who had just emptied out the contents of her stomach, lost all her strength and weakly sat down. She couldn¡¯t properly keep her balance.


    When Richard saw what state she was in, he quickly hugged her and made her lean on him.


    The big hand that was stroking Elisha¡¯s back was warm, and the man who was embracing her made her feel full on the inside.


    It was only in Richard¡¯s embrace that she was finally able to calm down.


    Richard watched the sick Elisha with a hardened face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go into the village tomorrow to bring a doctor.¡±


    ¡°No don¡¯t¡­¡­ It¡¯s just that my motion sickness was especially bad today. There¡¯s no need to do that.¡±


    ¡°According to Anne, not only did you have motion sickness, but you¡¯ve lost your appetite too. You also have a slight fever that isn¡¯t going away.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get a checkup once we reach Acaroa. I would like to reach the mansion as soon as possible.¡±


    Richard still seemed nervous and glanced at her with disapproving eyes, but he didn¡¯t continue the argument.


    It was because, as Elisha said, it might be better to just quickly finish the journey.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. You should go and eat now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s words, Elisha looked as if she was taken aback.


    ¡°N- No. I¡¯d rather eat with Anne. I just want to eat something light and then go to sleep. Don¡¯t mind me and go eat.¡±


    Elisha tried to put Richard¡¯s mind at ease and pushed him away.


    In the end, Richard was only able to drop her off at her tent and reluctantly leave.


    At the same time that Richard left, Anne approached Elisha with worried eyes.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Anne, I¡¯m really sorry but will you move this potage outside?¡±


    Elisha was feeling nauseous from the smell of the potage and asked Anne to clear it away.


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±


    Anne hurriedly took the potage outside.


    Elisha, who was left alone inside the tent, blankly stared at the interior of the tent and then put a hand on her stomach.


    When she looked down at the hand on her stomach, it was slightly trembling.


    ¡®No, I can¡¯t be¡­¡­ .¡¯


    Although she had told Richard that it was only motion sickness, Elisha knew her own symptoms.


    She was yet to have her monthly period.


    ¡°Bring the family doctor.¡±


    Richard ordered the doctor to be brought over as soon as the duchy was reached.


    At his words, Elisha¡¯s heart sank to the ground.


    ¡®If I¡¯m actually pregnant¡­¡­ will Richard like this child?¡¯


    Richard had been chastised by Albert for half his life because he always worked too hard.


    ¡®I came here to cut off this family life by my own hands.¡¯


    For someone like him, a ¡®child¡¯ would forever ruin his lifelong dream of revenge.


    In addition, in the novel, when he discovered that he was going to have an unwanted child, he was disgusted and sought to kill the unborn child.


    ¡®That can¡¯t happen.¡¯


    Although the child didn¡¯t exist yet, she instinctively wanted to protect her child.


    So Elisha tried to dissuade Richard from bringing a doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty tired today, so can¡¯t I get an examination tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll only be for a short while. Get an examination before you sleep.¡±


    Normally, Richard would go along with whatever Elisha said, but today, he had firmly denied her.


    Inwardly, Elisha was thankful that Richard was worried for her, but she was also extremely frustrated.


    ¡°Did you call, Your Excellency?¡±


    Eventually, the family doctor, Morris, came to examine Elisha.


    As if he had waited for a long time, Richard gave his orders to Morris.


    ¡°It seems that my wife¡¯s health has not been the best recently. After you check her condition, give her the treatment needed.¡±


    ¡°Then, Madam, may I have your hand please?¡±


    Elisha sank into contemplation.


    If things kept going like this, then Richard would find out before she could even do anything.


    ¡®W-what should I do¡­¡­?¡¯


    When Elisha hesitated and did not give her hand to the doctor, Richard glanced at her with questioning eyes.


    ¡°Elisha?¡±


    Just then. Perhaps the gods had helped her, but a knocking sound resounded at the door.


    ¡°Your Excellency, I have an urgent report to give to you.¡±


    It was Thomson¡¯s voice.


    Richard wrinkled his forehead in frustration and spoke to Morris as he reluctantly got up from his seat.


    ¡°After you examine her, report back to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡±


    Richard left the room and Morris returned back to examining Elisha.


    ¡°Can you tell me the symptoms that are ailing you?¡±


    ¡®If Sir Morris was to find out about my condition, he would definitely report it to Richard.¡¯


    Elisha finished her quick analysis of the situation and tried to dissuade Morris from conducting the examination.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to proceed with the examination, Sir Morris.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It was just that I had severe motion sickness, so I think His Excellency is just unnecessarily really worried. If I rest for a few days, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ .¡±


    It seemed like Morris was hesitant because of Richard¡¯s order, so Elisha coaxed him with a smile.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t get better in a few days, then I¡¯ll get an examination, so for now, please tell His Excellency that there¡¯s nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Understood. But please, if there is something even slightly wrong, you have to tell me.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Then please rest well, Madam.¡±


    Thankfully, Morris went away without a fuss.


    Elisha let out a breath of relief as she saw Morris leave the room. But it was still too early to rest.


    First, she had to find out if she really was pregnant, and if she was, she had to take protective measures for the sake of her and her baby.


    ¡°But for now, let¡¯s rest and think about this tomorrow.¡±


    Elisha was unable to think anymore as she laid her body down heavily and fell asleep right away.


    The next day, Elisha and Anne went down to the suburbs to find a doctor. It took a lot of effort to get there because they wanted to go without being noticed by the people in the territory, but whatever the case, they eventually got there safely.


    The doctor held Elisha¡¯s arm to feel her vein for a little bit and then gave his diagnosis.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    When she heard his diagnosis, Elisha¡¯s eyes shook.


    She was already expecting it before she visited the doctor, but when she heard that she was pregnant in real life, she was greatly shocked.


    Anne, who didn¡¯t know what had happened between Richard and Elisha, was also very shocked and stared at her with an open mouth.


    Elisha forced her thumping heart to calm down and reconfirmed her diagnosis with a shaky voice.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s still faint, but there is definitely a heartbeat.¡±


    To drive the final nail into the coffin, the doctor started to explain what to be careful of in the early stages of pregnancy.


    ¡®But it was only one time!¡¯


    And even in that one time, Richard had used contraception¡­¡­


    She was upset, but this was something that she couldn¡¯t blame anyone else for.


    Elisha recollected her emotions and raised from her seat.


    ¡°Anne.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes! Here.¡±


    Anne, who had been frozen in place from the unprecedented news of Elisha¡¯s pregnancy, responded a beat late to Elisha¡¯s order and gave the doctor a golden pouch.


    ¡°Then, goodbye and please take care of yourself.¡±


    Anne and Elisha left the doctor¡¯s house and got onto the carriage that had been waiting for them.


    Not long after, the carriage started moving.


    It was only then that Elisha took off her robe¡¯s hood. She had put it on to conceal her identity from the doctor.


    Anne, who still had a dazed expression on her face, took off her hood as well and asked Elisha a question.


    ¡°Ma- Madam. Just when did you share a room togeth-¡±


    Anne, who was stuttering, was about to ask her a question when she suddenly seemed to realize something and let out a short shriek of surprise.


    ¡°No way, was it perhaps the day you fell off the cliff¡­¡­?¡±


    At Anne¡¯s words, Elisha was once again reminded of ¡®that night,¡¯ and her face flushed red.


    Elisha slowly avoided Anne¡¯s excited eyes and answered her in a small voice.


    ¡°Y-yeah, it just happened somehow¡­¡­¡±


    Elisha expected Anne to mention that hot night.


    Initially, Elisha thought that she would soon divorce. She even made plans to live with Anne after the divorce. However, it was all ruined in an instant.


    But Anne was far from being disappointed like Elisha; in fact, she had tears in her eyes as she grabbed Elisha¡¯s hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I thought that the reason why you didn¡¯t have your monthly period was that the journey had been too rough on your body. I didn¡¯t even know that there had been a child growing inside of Madam¡­¡­¡±


    Tears started to freely drip from Anne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I should have taken better care of you¡­¡­ I apologize, Madam. I was too ignorant.¡±


    Elisha was dumbfounded and held onto Anne¡¯s hands.


    ¡°N-no. What could you have done better in that situation? You did more than enough for me, Anne.¡±


    Elisha stroked Anne¡¯s hands to console her, and as if it had never happened, Anne stopped crying and asked Elisha a question.


    ¡°Then what about the divorce?¡±


    Anticipation twinkled in Anne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®Madam told me that she was going to divorce and that she wanted to live by the sea¡­¡­ but it would still be nice if the couple lived together. Maybe the child inside of Madam¡¯s stomach will help change her mind.¡¯


    Elisha had told Anne that the reason why she wanted to divorce Richard was for Richard¡¯s sake, but she hadn¡¯t told Anne the specifics.


    She couldn¡¯t just tell Anne that this whole world was inside a book and that she would die a miserable death obsessing over Richard as an extra.


    So Anne, who didn¡¯t know the real reason as to why Elisha wanted to divorce Richard, hoped that Elisha would choose to stay in the dukedom.


    But Elisha answered her with a bitter expression.


    ¡°Richard doesn¡¯t want this child. He¡­¡­ hates this child with every inch of his body.¡±


    Anne¡¯s face grew serious when she heard Elisha¡¯s words.


    ¡®If he hates the idea of a child, why would he even spend a night with Madam? To think that he did all that and is now making her worry about this matter all by herself¡­¡­¡¯


    For the first time, Anne disliked Richard.


    To Anne, who had lost her family at a young age, Elisha was her benefactor, a friend, and someone who was like a precious older sister. And to think that he was making Elisha worry like this!


    But Anne had no power to scold Richard. Of course, she wasn¡¯t brave enough either.


    Anne put on a gloomy expression.


    ¡°T-then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to divorce him, as planned. Before he finds out.¡±


    When Anne saw that Elisha had already firmly made up her mind, she grasped Elisha¡¯s hands firmly in hers and spoke to Elisha with eyes filled with determination.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect Madam. The baby, too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Anne.¡±


    ¡°And congratulations on becoming a mother, Madam.¡±


    After that, Anne whispered to the baby inside Elisha¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s so nice that I get to meet you like this, little baby. Please grow big and strong so that I can see you in ten months.¡±


    In the Arensia Empire, it was a custom for family, close relatives, or the closest of friends to give their blessings to a child inside the mother¡¯s stomach.


    The people believed that the blessing would protect the baby and the mother for the duration of the pregnancy.


    Elisha blankly stared at Anne in surprise.


    This was a child that even Elisha was more worried than happy about.


    When she realized that there was someone to give such a blessing to her child, Elisha was moved.


    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that I have someone like you next to me.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s sincere words, Anne smiled sheepishly.


    When she saw Anne¡¯s reaction, Elisha couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly. But when she looked back outside the window, Elisha¡¯s heart was in turmoil once again.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    By the time the two had come back home, it was already dinnertime.


    In order to hide her morning sickness, Elisha decided to have her dinner inside her bedroom.


    ¡°Then I will bring you your meal, madam.¡±


    After Anne had helped Elisha change her clothes, she left the room with steady, measured steps.


    It was only after she was left alone in her room that Elisha put her hand on her still flat stomach with an uneasy face.


    She had really tried to avoid her fate, but in the end, everything was still following the course of the original story.


    ¡®Will this child be Hannes?¡¯


    In the original story, Hannes was a child who was unable to receive love from anyone.


    His mother, the original Elisha, had only sought after her husband¡¯s love and had neglected him while his father, Richard, had hated him even when he was still inside Elisha¡¯s womb.


    To top it all off, Richard had even tried to abort the unborn Hannes.


    Because of his affectionless childhood, Hannes had become the sub-male lead who loved the female lead in a twisted way. He kidnapped the female lead, imprisoned her, and craved for her love.


    ¡®¡­¡­I¡¯m not going to raise him like that.¡¯


    But Richard didn¡¯t want a child.


    No, he didn¡¯t just not want a child, he was probably going to avoid the child with all his might.


    Because the child was someone that would ruin his ¡°ultimate goal.¡±


    So far, Elisha had helped Richard at his side, but that had been for her own safety, not because she wanted in on his plan for revenge.


    Elisha hoped that someday, Richard would find someone, not by Albert¡¯s will but his own will, and live a happy life with his family. And not throw himself into his revenge.


    But the day after Albert¡¯s funeral, Elisha had accidentally overheard a conversation between Richard and Aaron.


    ¡®Although I only served Sir Albert, I always hope, with a small part of my heart, that the young master will be able to marry and find a family of his own. Not because it was Sir Albert¡¯s will, but according to your own will.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯


    ¡®Or, is there a different woman that you hold in your heart? If it¡¯s for that reason, I think it¡¯ll be fine to break the engagement¡­¡­¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­His Excellency had a very faithful servant. I say this because you still have your henchman that wishes to follow your will, even after your death.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m never going to live according to your wishes. In my life, there will be no child.¡¯


    Elisha recollected her hateful feelings and recalled the words that Richard had spat out, word for word.


    ¡®Richard will never give up on his revenge.¡¯


    The happiness that one should have with one¡¯s child was something that only Elisha wanted.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to convince Richard to give up on his revenge.


    ¡®For the sake of Richard and for this child, it would be better if neither of them knew of each other¡¯s existence.¡¯


    In her past life, Elisha had grown up in a very troubled family.


    Her father would beat her mother day in and day out, and her mother would constantly tell her that ¡®she was enduring all this for her¡¯ and would blame her miserable life on Elisha.


    Elisha, who had seen those kinds of parents growing up, decided on one thing. That if it was going to be a troublesome life, it wasn¡¯t necessary to live as a family of three.


    ¡°My child, I¡¯m still a clumsy mother, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure you have a happy life.¡±


    Elisha whispered as she caressed her still-flat stomach. Then she took out a piece of paper and a quill.


    [Dear Ansel,]


    This was the first step to her divorce.


    In his dreams, Richard was walking through a field completely covered in white snow.


    In that snowy field, there was nothing except for his footprints that were being imprinted into the snow.


    Richard didn¡¯t know where he was or why he was there, but he kept moving forward. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt that he had to keep going.


    And he kept walking aimlessly.


    ¡®¡­¡­Is that a wolf?¡¯


    After he had walked for an indefinite amount of time, he came across a wolf pup huddled under a boulder.


    In this vast, lifeless, wilderness, he couldn¡¯t find the wolf¡¯s parents.


    He felt pity for the white ball of fluff that was left alone.


    ¡®I wonder if Elisha would like it if I brought it to her.¡¯


    Richard planned to bring the wolf to Elisha and he carefully reached out his hand.


    But the baby wolf only stared up at him with cautious eyes and didn¡¯t come toward him like before.


    The two were still staring at each other when the wolf suddenly got up and came towards Richard.


    Richard reached out his hand to pick the wolf up. But at that moment, the baby wolf suddenly bit Richard.


    Surprised, Richard suddenly awoke from his dream.


    ¡°¡­¡­What a strange dream.¡±


    His bedroom was already filling up with the first lights of dawn.


    Richard got up from his bed and got ready to leave and start his day. And before he left, he stopped by Elisha¡¯s room.


    Because it was still before the sun rose, Elisha was in deep sleep.


    Richard held his breath and quietly sat down next to her.


    ¡®Because of the prolonged journey, her body was just weakened, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡¯


    The family doctor had said that there was nothing wrong with Elisha after the examination.


    But he couldn¡¯t stop worrying. Recently, Richard noticed that Elisha had gotten a lot thinner. Her condition was so bad that if someone touched her the wrong way, he felt like she would break, and if the wind blew, he felt like she would be blown away.


    In the days after they had arrived, Richard hadn¡¯t been able to see Elisha¡¯s face properly.


    Every morning, he had left early to scout out the person who had caused the demon stone incident, and by the time he returned home in the evenings, Elisha had already laid down to sleep.


    ¡®When this is all over, I¡¯m going to take care of her myself.¡¯


    He was going to feed her good things for her body and go take a walk together in the suburbs to get some fresh air.


    ¡®In order to do all that, I have to finish this all up quickly.¡¯


    Richard looked at the sleeping Elisha¡¯s face with affectionate eyes and kissed her forehead softly. Then he got up and put on his leather gloves.


    Whether it was for monsters or for people, he wore his leather gloves when he was going to take care of something.


    As Richard left the room, his eyes looked very different from when he looked at Elisha and one could see the coldness that was settling down in them.


    Elisha, who had grown increasingly tired, woke up from her nap and went to the duke¡¯s library.


    She wanted to find out more information on pregnancy and childbirth.


    The duke¡¯s library wasn¡¯t as big as the castle¡¯s library, but there were still a lot of diverse books in there.


    ¡°I found it.¡±


    She had been scouring over her book list, and when she went deeper into the library, she finally found what she had been looking for. But the book was quite some distance above her head.


    Elisha stood on her tippy-toes and stretched out her hands towards the book.


    But a surprised Anne grabbed her suddenly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it out for you!¡±


    However, Anne was a pretty similar height to Elisha, and she also struggled to reach the book on her tippy-toes. Eventually, she gave up and got a ladder to take out the book.


    When Elisha saw Anne reluctantly give in and bring a ladder, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a small laugh.


    After she had found out that Elisha was pregnant, Anne hadn¡¯t left Elisha¡¯s side and pretty much did everything for Elisha.


    Even a personal knight wouldn¡¯t be as reliable as Anne.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Do you have another book that you need, Madam?¡±


    Elisha thought about it for a second and then decided to head a bit deeper into the library. This time, she was going to look for the bookshelf with the books about the family¡¯s power.


    ¡®Like Richard, Hannes inherited the family¡¯s power.¡¯


    But Hannes, who had lost his parents early on in his life, didn¡¯t have anyone to teach him how to use his ability, and had to learn how to use it by himself. In the process, he also got hurt quite a few times as well.


    ¡®Richard must have been like that as well.¡¯


    Richard, who grew up alone, must have also taught himself how to use his ability through many trials and errors.


    When Elisha thought about how lonely Richard must have been in his childhood, it only fueled her wish to teach and stay by her child¡¯s side, who would have a similar situation to him in the future.


    ¡®If I want to teach my child, then I have to study first.¡¯


    This divorce was a choice that would ensure the happiness of both Richard and Hannes.


    Although she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to replace the father¡¯s role entirely, she wanted to ensure that her child wouldn¡¯t be able to notice that empty spot in the family.


    Elisha picked a book called [About the family¡¯s power] from the shelf.


    For some reason, Anne thought that Elisha was overexerting herself and hurried over to take the book from Elisha.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡±


    Elisha returned back to her room and opened the book about the family¡¯s power first.


    As she opened the book, a thin layer of pale dust flew into her face.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­ .¡±


    Elisha waved her hand in the air to chase away the dust, and when it was finally gone, she started to actually read the book.


    [There were four families that contributed to the founding of the Arensia Empire.


    There were the fiery Cairots, who controlled fire, the stormy Rubelins who controlled the atmosphere and the wind, the green Asters who controlled the Earth, and the life-sustaining Serriots who controlled the oceans.]


    Elisha tilted her in puzzlement after she read the first paragraph of the introduction of the book.


    ¡®Where were the Aster and Serriot families located again¡­¡­?¡¯


    The Cairots were the imperial family and the Rubelins were the family that she was in right now, so she couldn¡¯t not know where these families were located.


    However, although she heard of the Asters and the Serriots, she couldn¡¯t really remember anything about them.


    After thinking about it for a bit, Elisha turned the page to find out the answer.


    [The green Asters.


    They have all the memories of the land and have the ability to predict the future.


    However, as time went on, their powers grew fainter and fainter, and they eventually faded away from existence.


    It is said that the first head of the truth-seeking Asters, Lalidin Aster, went into the center of the continent and became the world tree.]


    When she read the explanation, she suddenly recalled the things that she learned about this world when she was younger.


    ¡®He made a strong impression in people¡¯s memories for a long time because people were amazed that a person could turn into the world tree.¡¯


    Elisha turned the page.


    [The life-sustaining Serriots.


    They had received holy power from the gods and were able to control water, and they had the power of purification.


    The first head of the Serriots, Arien Serriot, was said to also have healing powers, although all of her descendants only had purification powers.


    Arien Serriot sealed the infected land and poured all of her holy power into making the purification lake before she disappeared.]


    It was only then that she also remembered about the Serriots.


    The Serriots had received their holy power from the gods and had raised popes, who acted as a messenger for the gods, for many generations.


    ¡®But the Serriots faded away from existence about twenty years ago.¡¯


    She heard that after the current pope, their subordinate would receive the position as pope.


    ¡®Well, the Asters and the Serriots are both irrelevant to me, so let¡¯s pass over them.¡¯


    Elisha flipped through the pages to find the chapter talking about the Rubelin¡¯s ability.


    She was still focused on finding that chapter when a knock resounded at her door.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    ¡°Madam, a letter came from Count Arden.¡±


    It was the butler, Grayson.


    At his words, Elisha¡¯s face shone with happiness.


    Anne went over to get the letter in Elisha¡¯s place and brought the letter over to Elisha.


    After she ripped over the envelope, a postcard with a scenery of the seaside and a summerhouse, along with a letter tumbled out.


    [To my dear friend, Elisha.


    Everything that you requested is ready. The repairs to the summer house finished last week as well.


    The postcard is a drawing of the summer house that I requested a painter to paint.


    If you see it in real life, it¡¯s even more beautiful, so you¡¯ll like it a lot.


    If you set a date, I¡¯ll send a person over there to get you. Let¡¯s see each other at Sornetti soon.


    I hope everything is going well for you.


    From Sornetti, Ansel.]


    Ansel, who had been quiet and cold as a child, was now a skilled businesswoman, and on top of that, she had even inherited the county in the east, which she was now living in.


    It was thanks to her that the Roengrin¡¯s villa was able to be repurchased, which had previously fallen into another person¡¯s hands.


    Elisha looked closely at the enclosed postcard.


    In the postcard, there was a small summer house with the sea in the background. The light blue sea blended with the white summer house, and it was pretty even when she looked at the scene through a painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty¡­¡­ .¡±


    Elisha placed her hand on her stomach and started to think.


    ¡®I should start to prepare.¡¯


    It had to be done before her stomach started to show.


    Just then, there was another knock at the door.


    ¡°Elisha.¡±


    It was Richard. At his unexpected appearance, Elisha cocked her head. On a normal day, he shouldn¡¯t have come home yet.


    ¡°You can come in.¡±


    Elisha put down Ansel¡¯s letter and postcard.


    When he came in, Richard was still wearing his suit as if he had just returned from work.


    ¡°You came pretty early today?¡±


    ¡°I finished my work early today, so I wanted to know if you wanted to eat dinner together.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°I heard that you always eat in your room lately. Are you eating properly?¡±


    Elisha felt her conscience prickle.


    She was scared that her pregnancy might be discovered, so she had only been eating in her room.


    And since Richard left for work pretty early in the morning, she had thought that he wouldn¡¯t notice, but it looked like the butler or some other servants had told him about what she was doing.


    Elisha started to stutter.


    ¡°I- I was just too lazy to go all the way to the dining room. I¡¯d be eating alone anyway.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s eat together today.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s words, Elisha¡¯s face darkened.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t like his suggestion, but right now, she was unable to eat anything.


    If she showed any signs of her pregnancy, he would start to suspect something. She had to avoid eating with him in whatever way possible.


    Elisha contemplated the matter for a few seconds and then thought of a brilliant idea.


    ¡°Sh- Should we? Then go wash up. Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    After she sent him off, Elisha was going to lie down in bed and just fall asleep. He wouldn¡¯t wake a sleeping person up just because he wanted to eat together.


    Richard, who couldn¡¯t possibly know of Elisha¡¯s plan, turned around to leave the room right away.


    But, just then, a letter and a postcard caught his eye.


    He laid his eyes on the postcard, with a drawing of a summerhouse by the seaside on it, for a moment and then left the room.


    A few days later, Richard, who had investigated the Rohas Viscounty, found the owner of the badge.


    The owner of the badge was the illegitimate second son of Viscount Rohas, Phillip Rohas.


    ¡®Oh, but my father! My father said that if I can pull this off, he¡¯d accept me into the Rohas family! I- I don¡¯t even know what happened in that place. I was really only following my father¡¯s instructions!¡¯


    After he had gotten Phillip¡¯s confession, Richard took the demon¡¯s soulstone and made his way to see the Emperor.


    It was the first time seeing the Emperor in exactly 8 years.


    The last time he had seen the Emperor was 8 years earlier, when he had left to go fight in the war.


    In these past 8 years, Richard had grown from a 15-year-old boy to a 23-year-old mature adult, and the Emperor had become a middle-aged man with whitening hair.


    The Emperor felt a sense of danger as Richard lumbered over to him.


    Richard¡¯s presence felt as threatening as the increasingly influential Rubelin family.


    The Emperor pushed down his upset feelings and looked up to face Richard.


    ¡°Well, long time no see, Little Duke. No, no. I should call you Duke now.¡±


    ¡°I greet Arensia¡¯s blazing flame.¡±


    Richard bowed his head politely.


    The Emperor stared down at the polite Richard and asked him a question.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even come when I held a banquet in your honor, so for what reason did you come now?¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s words weren¡¯t just merely talking about the banquet, but were full of scorn for Richard, who had declined to attend the banquet celebrating his achievements and went immediately back to the Rubelin Estate after the war instead.


    But Richard responded in an indifferent manner.


    ¡°I found something that would put Arensia into danger, so I came to give you a report on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Danger? What danger?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the infected land that our ancestors sealed up in the northwest?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. Did something happen there?¡±


    ¡°Recently, the monsters near the estate had gotten increasingly violent, and through my investigation, it was found that somebody had injected the demon¡¯s soulstone into the monsters. And the knights that had been guarding the canyon were also attacked as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, what a bad guy. Do you know who did it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re close to finding the culprit.¡±


    Richard stared intently at the ¡®hidden culprit¡¯ sitting right in front of him.


    But the Emperor acted as if he didn¡¯t know anything and asked him the questions quite naturally, and it was disgusting to see how calm the Emperor was.


    The Emperor probably already knew that Richard knew about the truth.


    No, the Emperor was probably not even trying to hide his involvement in the first place. Because even if Richard knew, the Emperor was aware that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it.


    ¡°Although I fully understand where you¡¯re coming from, I don¡¯t think we should make a big deal out of this. It¡¯s just going to make the people of Rubelin anxious.¡±


    ¡°Or they can do exactly the opposite of what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Richard spoke while looking at the Emperor with chilly eyes.


    ¡°Rubelin is so dangerous and powerful that someone felt the need to do something as vulgar as this.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°So be fearful and envious of Rubelin.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s words, the Emperor¡¯s face hardened in an instant.


    It was because the emperor knew that the ¡®someone who felt the need to do something as vulgar as this¡¯ was him.


    Richard stared at the Emperor¡¯s hardened face without a sign of agitation.


    ¡°So once we find the culprit, I will punish them in Rubelin¡¯s name.¡±


    Although Richard couldn¡¯t punish the Emperor directly, he could cut off the Emperor¡¯s limbs.


    The Emperor only silently looked down at Richard.


    Richard stared back at the Emperor with indifferent eyes and left the room after paying his respects to the Emperor.


    At that moment, he felt a pain in his back that felt like something was shredding into his skin.


    ¡®¡­¡­ What is this?¡¯


    But as he was wondering about what the pain was, the pain suddenly vanished.


    Richard stopped for a second, but didn¡¯t think much of it and went along his way.


    Richard, who had left in the early hours of the morning, only returned back to the dukedom late at night after meeting with the Emperor.


    The Rubelin dukedom¡¯s butler and the servants greeted their master politely.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Excellency.¡±


    Richard nodded towards them and proceeded to his bedroom.


    Only one servant followed him to take off and receive his jacket and leather gloves.


    Richard, who had been striding towards his room with his long legs, suddenly stopped in front of his room.


    The servant who had been following Richard almost crashed into his back.


    Puzzled, the servant looked towards the scene that Richard was looking at and saw that he was looking at Elisha.


    ¡°You¡¯re still awake.¡±


    ¡°I have something to say.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    At Richard¡¯s question, Elisha didn¡¯t answer but just stared at the servant standing behind Richard.


    The servant, who already understood what her gaze meant, bowed and excused himself.


    ¡°Please have a good night.¡±


    Both people went into Richard¡¯s room.


    Now that he was in a brightly lit room rather than the dimly lit hallway, Richard was clearly able to see Elisha, who was wearing a thin nightgown.


    Richard furrowed his brows and turned away from Elisha.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty late. Let¡¯s just sleep for now and talk tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not here in the mornings. And when you come home, it¡¯s late at night just like today.¡±


    Richard couldn¡¯t say anything to refute Elisha¡¯s words. Because what she said wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Elisha¡¯s voice didn¡¯t waver but it was confident as she spoke to him. Because Richard being busy wasn¡¯t her fault.


    And him being busy wasn¡¯t the thing that she wanted to talk to him about.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about this quickly. You should prepare for this too.¡±


    Elisha stared up at Richard with a confident face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s divorce, Richard.¡±


    After 8 years of marriage, she was finally able to follow through with the plan that she had been formulating for the last 8 years.


    And she asked Richard for it with a child in her stomach.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    ¡°¡­¡­ Divorce?¡±


    Richard repeated the word back to Elisha, and his eyes that had been friendly just a moment earlier had become cold.


    Elisha slightly faltered when she saw his chilly gaze but quickly regained her composure and continued speaking.


    ¡°We were going to divorce after 8 years of marriage anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°Back then, I promised to leave the dukedom after 8 years.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Is it that bastard?¡±


    Richard spat out words that she had not expected.


    Elisha didn¡¯t know who ¡®that bastard¡¯ was, so she tilted her head to look up at him with bewildered eyes.


    ¡°Ansel Arden. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to remarry with that bastard.¡±


    In Richard¡¯s eyes, there seemed to be malice and murder frozen in their depths.


    At the unexpected mention of Ansel¡¯s name, Elisha was puzzled.


    ¡®Why is he bringing up Ansel¡¯s name here?¡¯


    There was no doubt that he was severely misunderstanding something.


    Before this situation got any worse, Elisha quickly tried to fix the misunderstandings.


    ¡°Ansel is just a friend to me. The reason I¡¯m asking for a divorce is because of the promise from 8 years earlie-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that promise.¡±


    Richard cut off Elisha¡¯s sentence.


    To be honest, he remembered the promise from 8 years earlier very clearly.


    There was no way that he couldn¡¯t remember.


    It was precisely because he remembered that promise, he had won the war quickly and returned back to the dukedom while ignoring the Emperor¡¯s wishes.


    It was because he was worried that when Elisha became an adult, she would just divorce and leave him.


    Thankfully, Elisha had stayed beside him without a complaint, and Richard was relieved by this.


    He thought that she had forgotten about the promise and that she had a change of heart about staying in Rubelin.


    That was until Elisha brought up divorce just a little while earlier.


    ¡®¡­¡­ I was too complacent.¡¯


    He already suspected that she didn¡¯t have any feelings for him when she called what happened ¡®that night¡¯ an accident.


    But suspecting it and actually hearing those words were extremely different.


    The moment the word ¡®divorce¡¯ had left her mouth, his heart had stopped.


    Because it meant that Elisha didn¡¯t want to stay by his side anymore. Because it meant that she didn¡¯t have anything close to romantic feelings for him.


    He was turned away before he was even able to confess his feelings. He had no intention of letting her go yet.


    Richard spoke to her in a low voice that sounded like he was growling at her.


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t want the divorce.¡±


    ¡°Richar-¡±


    ¡°No, I really can¡¯t.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s unexpected reaction, Elisha stared up at him with surprised eyes.


    Richard cupped Elisha¡¯s cheeks in his hands and tilted her head to match her eyes with his.


    ¡°You are my wife and the mistress of Rubelin. And it will continue to be this way.¡±


    The hands that were holding Elisha¡¯s cheeks were warm and soft, but he seemed to exude a certain coldness that she had never felt before. He was so calmly persistent with his words at that moment, that it was almost scary.


    As if he was trying to tie her down with his eyes.


    Elisha found that she was unable to say anything to Richard. She was only able to gape at him.


    Richard saw the fear in Elisha¡¯s eyes and swept away the hair from his forehead with a sigh. He hadn¡¯t meant to scare her.


    His fierce eyes softened a bit.


    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s pretty late. Go and sleep for today.¡±


    Richard walked Elisha to her room to drop her off.


    Elisha was dazed as she was pulled along by Richard to her room, but before he could close her door and walk away, Elisha called out to him.


    ¡°Richard.¡±


    ¡°Sleep well.¡±


    But he closed the door before Elisha could say anything more. It almost felt like he was trying to trap her inside her room.


    As if he was scared that she was going to run away.


    It was like he was running away because he was scared that she might run away.


    ¡°¡­¡­ .¡±


    Elisha blankly stared at the closed door.


    ¡®Why is he so mad?¡¯


    She didn¡¯t expect him to divorce her cheerfully, but she didn¡¯t think that he would refuse the idea of divorce so much.


    ¡®I just picked an option that would make everyone happy¡­¡­ .¡¯


    Elisha looked at the closed door and then looked down at her stomach a few times and then placed her hand over her stomach as if she was caressing it.


    It would be too troublesome if she said anything more for today.


    The next day, it was close to lunchtime when Elisha finally woke up.


    ¡°Madam, are you feeling better today?¡±


    Anne, who had been waiting for Elisha to wake up, came over to Elisha and asked about her health.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Actually, she had a splitting headache, but she lied that she was okay.


    It wasn¡¯t like the headache would disappear if she said the truth, and she would only worry Anne by telling her.


    ¡°Should I bring you your meal?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    Elisha lied down again and waited for Anne to bring her meal. Because she hadn¡¯t eaten anything, she was more nauseous than usual.


    Before long, Anne returned with Elisha¡¯s food.


    A biscuit that had been baked with only a light sprinkle of salt and without any additional scents or seasonings, a ginger tea that was good for relieving morning sickness, soft bread, and fresh salad was placed on her bed table.


    ¡°And I brought this just in case you are able to eat this.¡±


    Anne went over to a nearby table and brought over a bowl of cream of mushroom soup.


    ¡°Urk¡­ ¡­ .¡±


    But contrary to Anne¡¯s hopes, Elisha started to feel extremely nauseous as soon as she smelled the soup. Even though the soup had been one of her favorites in the past.


    When she saw Elisha¡¯s reaction, Anne quickly cleared away the soup.


    When she finally calmed down, Elisha took a sip of her ginger tea and picked up her bread.


    But as soon as she picked up the bread, the overwhelming scent of butter started to overstimulate her sense of smell.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°M- Madam!¡±


    Anne got up in a hurry and quickly brought over a nearby bucket. She had prepared it just in case Elisha¡¯s morning sickness got particularly bad.


    Elisha emptied out her stomach¡¯s contents after only a few bites of food. Her insides felt bitter and irritated because of everything that was coming up, and the process of vomiting was so painful that she couldn¡¯t help but shed a few tears.


    She had tried to eat some food for nutrition, but she really couldn¡¯t eat anymore.


    In the end, she was only able to eat a few bites of the biscuit. Because she hadn¡¯t eaten anything else, her body shook from a lack of strength.


    Elisha laid down in bed with a splitting headache and a weak body.


    ¡®But I have something to do today¡­¡­¡¯


    She had wanted to read more books about the family¡¯s power and go on a long walk in the garden, but because she had no strength in her body, she couldn¡¯t do anything.


    She was in pain because of her headache and she felt nauseous even when she was just lying down.


    Anne was unable to stay calm as she saw how sick Elisha was.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re going to be the death of me¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s fine. After all, nobody has ever died from morning sickness.¡±


    ¡°Should I go to that doctor from before and get some medicine for morning sickness?¡±


    Elisha didn¡¯t even have the strength to say anything, so she just nodded her head.


    She didn¡¯t expect that the medicine would actually help her morning sickness, but at this point, she was willing to try almost anything.


    Anne got up from her seat to go get the medicine for Elisha.


    At that moment, somebody knocked on the door.


    ¡°Elisha.¡±


    It was Richard¡¯s voice.


    Elisha heard his voice and was surprised.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t he have work today?¡¯


    After she had come to the dukedom, she found that normally at this point in time, Richard would have already left for work. But today, for some reason, he had come to find her.


    A puzzled Elisha lifted her strengthless body.


    She couldn¡¯t show him how sick she actually was. Anne quickly went over to Elisha and walked her over to the front of the door.


    Elisha quickly fixed her wrinkled clothes and messy hair and tried to look the most natural as she possibly could before she opened the door.


    The unmistakably handsome man waited for her in front of the door.


    ¡°Is anything the matter?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to ask if you wanted to eat lunch with me if you haven¡¯t already.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­ . I¡¯m sorry. I woke up pretty late today, so I just finished breakfast.¡±


    Richard looked at Elisha with worried eyes.


    Elisha realized that Richard was checking over her condition with his eyes.


    Recently, she had been pretty sick when he was around, and he had always been worried for her.


    Elisha forced a wary smile to her face and hid the pain from him. Richard looked at Elisha for a moment and then made another proposal.


    ¡°Then how about we go visit the suburbs together after lunch. It¡¯s probably uncomfortable to stay inside for so long.¡±


    Richard had firmly made up his mind to spend time with her on a date today. To make up for what had happened last night.


    But Anne, who had been listening to the conversation, only narrowed her eyes.


    ¡®Madam is suffering and can¡¯t even eat because of a certain somebody¡­¡­!¡¯


    Anne couldn¡¯t believe that he wanted to go out with someone who didn¡¯t even have the strength to walk.


    Of course, Anne knew that Richard hadn¡¯t made that proposal knowing Elisha¡¯s condition.


    But she didn¡¯t like how Richard didn¡¯t even know that Elisha was pregnant, along with a medley of other things.


    However, as if Elisha was having a hard time declining Richard two times, Elisha accepted the second proposal.


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come to get you after lunch.¡±


    ¡°Yep. Have a good lunch.¡±


    Richard turned around to make his way back.


    At that moment, he looked back, past Elisha¡¯s shoulders, and glanced inside her room.


    On the table, there was a steaming bowl of soup, as if it hadn¡¯t been eaten.


    When he saw the bowl of uneaten soup, Richard narrowed his eyes.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    After he finished his lunch, Richard came to get Elisha as he had said he would.


    ¡°Elisha.¡±


    Upon hearing the knock at her door, Elisha finished dressing and opened the door for Richard.


    For a brief second, Richard could only stare at Elisha with a dumbfounded look.


    Elisha was wearing a light colored and flowy dress and a sun hat. In a windy and cold place like Rubelin, it was an outfit that she could only wear very rarely.


    In addition to that, when he saw her white, milky skin, slightly blushed lips and cheeks, blindingly bright golden hair, and vibrant green eyes, it was like seeing spring itself.


    ¡°Richard?¡±


    Elisha looked at a dumbfounded Richard with puzzled eyes.


    It was only then that Richard came back to his senses and stretched out his hand toward Elisha.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Elisha hesitated for a moment and then placed her hand on top of his big hand.


    For some reason, even though this was the same hand that she had been holding without any further thought from when she was little, today, the hand seemed a bit foreign to her.


    When she felt the warmth of the hand that firmly wrapped around hers, she felt something tickle inside her chest.


    ¡®I guess I¡¯m just really excited because this is the first time that I¡¯m going on an outing in a while.¡¯


    Elisha suppressed her feelings while she was following Richard out of the room when Anne, who had been watching the couple from afar, quickly came forward and threw a shawl around Elisha¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Please come back safely, Madam. And don¡¯t overexert yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come back soon.¡±


    Elisha bade Anne goodbye and left the room.


    Richard, who was leaving the room with Elisha, felt someone staring at him from inside the room, and peered inside.


    For some reason, Anne was staring at Richard with eyes full of resentment.


    Richard was puzzled as to why Anne was looking at him with such strong resentment, but by the time he started to question it, the door was already closed.


    When they made it to the front door, there was already a carriage with the Rubelin crest waiting for them.


    The couple got onto the carriage side by side. Grayson and servants came outside and saw the couple off.


    ¡°Please have a good time, Duke and Duchess.¡±


    Not long after, the carriage set off. Inside the carriage, there were only sounds of the carriage wheels turning outside.


    Elisha slightly glanced at Richard.


    Although he was looking out the window, his eyes seemed to be locked in deep thought.


    ¡®It¡¯s probably because of what happened last night, right¡­¡­?¡¯


    Last night, Elisha laid in bed and thought about why Richard hadn¡¯t wanted to divorce her.


    After a long night of pondering over the matter, the conclusion that she had come to was that he thought of her as family and as a friend. That was why he didn¡¯t want to see her go.


    ¡®That¡¯s why he was worried about me when I was sick, even though he was avoiding me at the time.¡¯


    If it wasn¡¯t because of that reason, none of his actions made sense.


    Elisha, who had decided upon that conclusion, was upset.


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t that happy when I asked for a divorce either.¡¯


    Rubelin was the place that she had come to as soon as she had come into this story, so the dukedom was like a hometown to her.


    Elisha loved the cold, but warm-hearted, Rubelin dukedom with all her heart. In Rubelin, everything that she came to love was there.


    People that she liked, precious memories, and everything that she had built up in Rubelin.


    And of course, there was him.


    For both people, Richard and Elisha were family and precious friends.


    ¡°But if we want to avoid the upcoming troublesome future, this is the point where we have to break up¡­¡­.¡¯


    If things kept going like this, there was a chance that things would become like the original story.


    That was something that she had wanted to avoid since the beginning.


    But since he didn¡¯t know the things that she knew, it seemed that Richard didn¡¯t have any intention to divorce Elisha.


    ¡®What do I do now? Do I have to run away to someplace far away?¡¯


    Elisha held back a sigh and sank into her seat cushion.


    Perhaps it was because of lack of food from her morning sickness, but she felt extremely fatigued after just a few steps outside.


    She didn¡¯t even have the strength to continue thinking and soon fell asleep.


    While she was sleeping, Elisha¡¯s head rattled from side to side without mercy.


    Then, suddenly, her head crashed onto the wall of the carriage. At the sound, Richard turned to look at Elisha.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­ .¡±


    Elisha slightly wrinkled her forehead in pain for a while and then soon fell back asleep. But her head was still dangerously bouncing off of the carriage wall.


    When Richard saw what was happening, he gently lifted her head and put it onto his shoulder.


    In her sleep, Elisha rubbed her face against his shoulder to find a comfortable position to sleep in.


    ¡°¡­¡­ .¡±


    Richard looked at the sleeping Elisha for a moment.


    The light weight on his shoulders, the small amount of heat from her body, and her shallow breaths all gave him a sense of relief.


    But at the same time, it brought unease. It was because of the thing that she had brought up so suddenly last night.


    ¡®Let¡¯s divorce now, Richard.¡¯


    He had just made it back to her after 7 years, but she had brought up a promise they had made from 8 years earlier and wanted to leave him.


    She wouldn¡¯t know how he had survived the battlefield where he was being targeted by friend and foe.


    ¡®Well, we haven¡¯t even spent 1 year together.¡¯


    Before he went away, the time had been too short for him to show his feelings for her.


    So, if they spent more time together, wouldn¡¯t she naturally open up her heart towards him as well?


    ¡®¡­¡­ I definitely have to make that happen.¡¯


    He was going to make sure that the only person that her heart fully opened up to was him.


    Richard softly placed his lips on her forehead.


    The red eyes glowed vividly with obsession.


    The carriage rattled as it rolled over some gravel.


    When she felt the rattling, Elisha woke up from her nap.


    But something was strange.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    She had been wondering why the carriage wall was so soft, but she realized that the place where she was leaning against was not the carriage wall, but Richard¡¯s shoulder.


    In other words, she had been sleeping in a rather troublesome position.


    Elisha was surprised and her heart was beating wildly in her chest. But she didn¡¯t want to get up.


    His shoulder was warm and his body was comforting. She could also smell his body¡¯s scent.


    ¡®Maybe I should just sleep a little more like this.¡¯


    When her body became weaker, it seemed like she wanted to lean on someone safe like him.


    Her eyes had just fluttered shut again when the carriage came to a stop. From the front of the carriage, she heard the driver¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Your Excellency. Madam. We have arrived.¡±


    Elisha gave up on falling back asleep and lifted her heavy body.


    Richard got off the carriage first and extended a hand toward Elisha.


    Elisha took his hand and got off the carriage. She looked around the scene and let out an exclamation of joy.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty¡­¡­ .¡±


    Under the clear, blue sky, there were cherry blossom trees in full bloom that were surrounding a lake.


    The cherry blossoms that scattered every time the wind blew looked like snow as it fell.


    The cherry blossoms in the air gently blew into the lake, which looked similar to the sky.


    Elisha drank in the scenery and waved at Richard.


    It was nice to look at her as she smiled brightly from between the falling cherry blossoms.


    After he had returned from the war, it was the first time that he had seen her smiling so brightly.


    Richard forgot the things that he was going to say and went over to her.


    At that moment, the wind that had been blowing the flowers around suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He saw a brief look of disappointment come upon Elisha¡¯s face.


    Richard, who had noticed that brief expression, slightly raised one of his eyebrows.


    But soon, the wind started to blow the cherry blossoms around again. This time, the wind was more gentle, so the flowers were able to float in the air without stopping.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Richard, who had come over to Elisha, held her hand.


    Elisha was surprised at the sudden skinship and almost tried to shake him off, but she couldn¡¯t, so she decided to just follow him.


    Most importantly, she didn¡¯t dislike holding his hand.


    The couple walked along the lakefront while getting showered with flower petals. Perhaps this was a place that wasn¡¯t very well known to people, but there weren¡¯t any people at the lake.


    ¡®Maybe I should try talking.¡¯


    Elisha glanced over at Richard to look for the right time to start talking.


    At that moment, Elisha noticed a flower petal that was stuck on his forehead.


    Elisha stretched out her hand toward his head.


    ¡°Richard, wait.¡±


    Richard halted for a second and then lowered his head towards Elisha when he realized what she wanted to do.


    When he did so, his face came very close to Elisha¡¯s.


    Elisha was unable to do anything but stare at his face with a dumbfounded expression.


    Even with dazzling things like the blue sky and the light pink cherry blossoms in the background, his face was definitely outstanding.


    ¡®Your husband¡¯s face is like a natural treasure.¡¯


    She heard that when people go to war, they return with faces hardened by war.


    Although his hands were a little rough, Richard had returned with a soft face that was so white, that it looked like it hadn¡¯t even seen the sun before.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    When Elisha heard Richard¡¯s voice, she quickly came back to her senses and stopped looking at him.


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    At that moment, sounds of children¡¯s laughter came from the lakefront.


    When she heard the laughter, Elisha¡¯s head turned toward the children. Because Richard was only looking at Elisha, his head also turned towards the children when Elisha looked away.


    There were two children that looked to be four or five years old that were skipping stones on the lake.


    When Elisha saw that scene, a question that she had forgotten to ask suddenly resurfaced.


    She glanced over at Richard, who was also looking at the two children playing, and looked away as she threw him a question.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they so cute?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    As she had predicted, his response was indifferent to the children. But because of his response, now she felt more impatient than ever.


    Elisha decided to ask him a more specific question.


    ¡°Then did you ever consider having your own child one day?¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    At Elisha¡¯s sudden question, Richard looked at her with surprised eyes.


    ¡®Does she want a child?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t want a child. He still had a deep aversion towards Albert¡¯s lifelong desire.


    But putting aside Albert¡¯s wishes, he didn¡¯t really have any other reason to not have a child.


    Actually, the truth was that he had never thought about having a child before. The future that he had dreamt of had only ever included Elisha.


    That was because he was happy with only her.


    Plus, he had heard that pregnancy and delivery were hard on the body for women. He didn¡¯t want to burden the already small and frail Elisha.


    ¡°I never really wanted a child. But¡­¡­ .¡±


    If she wanted a baby, and if her child was someone that looked like her, then Richard thought that it would be pretty nice to have a child.


    Only, he didn¡¯t want a child now.


    For now, he wanted to be the only one who would have her attention.


    He was about to say this when they both heard Thomson, who had been escorting them, saying something to someone from behind them.


    ¡°Oh, you rascal.¡±


    When he turned around to see what was going on, he saw a child who looked like it had just started walking in Thomson¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Coo! Ooo!¡±


    The baby stretched out its tiny hands towards Elisha. It looked like the baby had wanted to go to Elisha but was stopped by Thomson. When Elisha looked at the child, a smile spread on her lips.


    ¡°It looks like this little rascal wanted to say hello to Madam. I will come back after I drop this child off to its parents.¡±


    ¡°Then I should say hello as well. Please let the baby go.¡±


    Thomson seemed a bit surprised at Elisha¡¯s words, but when he recalled that Elisha had often gotten along well with the children in the Rubelin territory, he conceded and let the child go.


    As the child started walking over to Elisha after it had been freed from Thomson¡¯s grasp, its legs gave out from underneath it, and it fell flat onto the ground.


    Elisha was surprised and hugged the baby after she picked it up.


    ¡°Are you okay, little baby?¡±


    Thankfully, the baby didn¡¯t seem to be hurt anywhere.


    The baby, who didn¡¯t know why it had fallen in the first place, stared at Elisha for a seconds before it started laughing and squealing while playfully grabbing onto Elisha¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Aw, you didn¡¯t even cry after you fell! You¡¯re a big kid now!¡±


    Elisha grinned and dusted off the dirt that was stuck on the child¡¯s pants. Her mood had gotten better as she listened to the child¡¯s laughter.


    At that moment, a breathless young man with a pale face came running after the child.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m so sorry. My lady. Did my child cause any trouble?¡±


    ¡°No, none at all.¡±


    The man who claimed to be the child¡¯s father worried that he had inconvenienced Elisha and bowed multiple times before he took the child and went away.


    Until the distance was too great, the child stared at Elisha as it was carried away in its father¡¯s arms.


    Elisha laughed at the child and waved goodbye. Suddenly, she remembered Richard was next to her and looked back at him.


    As she expected, he was looking at the child and the child¡¯s father going away with indifferent eyes.


    When she saw Richard¡¯s reaction, Elisha felt increasingly uneasy.


    The couple returned to the territory before the sun set.


    Richard had gone off for something urgent at work, so after she finished taking her bath, Elisha sat alone on the swing in the garden.


    She sat on the swing while holding her fist-sized bump on her stomach.


    It felt nice to smell the scent from the flowers in the garden, but even the flowers couldn¡¯t put Elisha¡¯s uneasy heart to rest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really wanted a child.¡±


    Elisha sighed as she remembered what Richard had told her back at the lake.


    When she thought about his situation, it was totally understandable for him to answer like that.


    After all, he had been constantly nagged by Albert to have a child to carry on his name.


    ¡®I really shouldn¡¯t tell Richard about this.¡±


    She had already expected his response, but she felt nothing but pity and bitterness for the sake of the child in her stomach.


    Suddenly she remembered that she had read somewhere that the mother¡¯s negative emotions and thoughts will have an effect on the child, so she quickly changed her thoughts.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, my baby. Mom will love you in place of your dad.¡¯


    She was still thinking this when Anne, who had been outside, returned.


    ¡°Madam, I got the medicine.¡±


    Anne was worried about Elisha¡¯s increasingly severe morning sickness, so she went to find the doctor to get medicine for morning sickness.


    Anne placed the medicine down before Elisha. Green pills filled up a transparent bottle.


    ¡°These pills are made with herbs that will relieve your morning sickness. You just have to take a serving of medicine before each meal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Anne.¡±


    Elisha thanked Anne as she took the bottle from Anne.


    Anne only looked at Elisha with worried eyes.


    ¡°To be honest, I heard that even though people may take the same medicine, it might not work for some people, so it might not be a big help. If that¡¯s the case with Madam, then the only solution will be to wait it out¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I can¡¯t do anything about it if the medicine doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°I think it will be good for you to go on walks more frequently. You even reject His Excellency¡¯s offers to go on walks. I¡¯m worried that Madam will suddenly faint one day.¡±


    Anne stroked Elisha¡¯s slender hands with tears of worry glistening in her eyes.


    At that moment, Elisha heard a very faint voice from outside the arch¡¯s door.


    ¡°Elisha.¡±


    At the voice that came seemingly out of nowhere, Elisha was surprised and whipped around to look at the door.


    Richard was standing right in front of the door.


    ¡°R- Richard?¡±


    His shaking eyes said it all. He had heard the conversation between Anne and Elisha from just a little while earlier.


    As soon as she realized this fact, Elisha¡¯s mind went blank.


    ¡®What should I do¡­¡­?¡¯


    As Elisha sat there frozen, Richard walked up to her and pulled her into his embrace. He looked at Anne with calm eyes and talked to her in a cold voice.


    ¡°Tell me what disease Elisha has, Anne.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡­ Disease?¡¯


    Elisha was confused, but she came back to her senses at Richard¡¯s words.


    He hadn¡¯t realized that she was pregnant but had thought that Elisha was sick instead.


    ¡®Ph¡­¡­ew?¡¯


    Elisha was a bit relieved at first, but when she saw Richard¡¯s face, she quickly changed her mind.


    The way that Richard was looking at Anne was similar to how a person would look at their enemy.


    His glare was so cold, that if someone who didn¡¯t know the situation saw this, they would think that Anne was the one who had caused Elisha to get sick.


    ¡°I- It¡¯s¡­¡­ .¡±


    Anne¡¯s face looked embarrassed as her sentence trailed off. She looked at Elisha to know what she should say.


    Elisha quickly grabbed Richard¡¯s arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking, Richard.¡±


    ¡°Then what are these pills for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should talk about this here, so let¡¯s go talk about this in my room. I¡¯ll explain everything there. Please?¡±


    Richard was still deeply suspicious about the whole situation, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to turn down Elisha¡¯s request.


    Instead, he picked Elisha up in his arms and started to carry her. Shocked, Elisha reflexively threw her arms around Richard¡¯s neck.


    ¡°R- Richard?¡±


    Richard left Anne, who was frozen in place, inside the garden and made it outside the arch¡¯s door.


    After she made sure that there was nobody else around them, Elisha squirmed around a bit to let Richard know that she wanted to be let go.


    ¡°Let me go. I can walk on my ow-¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ you.¡±


    Elisha stopped talking when she heard Richard¡¯s flat voice.


    Richard was looking down at her with bloodshot eyes.


    Her heart sank when she saw tears glistening in his eyes.


    ¡°Are you thinking about dying by yourself in a lonely place when I¡¯m not there?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Huh?¡±


    Elisha was flustered.


    It seemed that he still believed that she had caught some sort of terminal illness.


    ¡°Wait, Richard? I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something here-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to send you off, so if you¡¯re going to die, then die in front of my eyes, Elisha.¡±


    As he was whispering these words, a single tear dropped from his eyes.


    But much differently from his face, his voice was almost oppressively accusing, like holding her in place like a sticky swamp.


    ¡®I made him cry!¡¯


    Elisha was going crazy.


    ¡®But how can someone look so pretty when they¡¯re crying¡­¡­ .¡¯


    The eyes that had been previously dry of any emotion were now glistening with tears, and his now wet eyelashes were trembling pitifully.


    Although he looked very pretty crying, her heart hurt that he was crying because of her.


    First, she had to wipe the tears away from his eyes.


    Elisha felt her heart grow heavy with guilt as she wiped the tears away from Richard¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get any kind of terminal illness. I just¡­¡­ have an infection in my digestive tract, and if I¡¯m careful with what I¡¯m eating, I¡¯ll get better soon. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Since she couldn¡¯t exactly tell him that it was because of morning sickness, she decided to cover it with a condition that would have similar symptoms.


    When she said this, his red eyes stared down at her. It looked like those eyes were trying to decide whether she was telling the truth or a lie.


    Elisha forced a smile to tell him that she was really okay and that he should believe her.


    Richard continued to gaze down at Elisha.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll nurse you from now on. At my side.¡±


    For some reason the way that Richard said ¡®my side¡¯ made her slightly nervous.


    After she ate her dinner, Elisha, who was lying in bed, was soaked in a cold sweat.


    It was because of the thick blanket that Richard had placed on top of her, but the main reason was that¡­¡­


    Elisha stopped staring at the canopy on the ceiling and glanced over to her side.


    Richard¡¯s red eyes were still staring intensely at her.


    ¡°Are you uncomfortable anywhere?¡±


    ¡°N- No. Don¡¯t worry about me and go to sleep.¡±


    Elisha quickly looked away and held back a sigh.


    ¡®Of course I¡¯m uncomfortable. Ugh, as if that would matter now!¡¯


    After he had brought Elisha back from the garden, he did not leave Elisha¡¯s side for a moment.


    He even ate dinner with her in her bedroom and watched her eat her dinner.


    Thankfully, the medicine Anne had brought for her had worked and she was able to eat at least a little bit. She was extremely glad that it had worked.


    She had been able to tolerate his constant, watchful eye.


    That was until he had told her that he was going to nurse her throughout the night as well.


    ¡®Is this what he meant by nursing me?¡¯


    Richard had said that he was going to sleep in Elisha¡¯s bed.


    ¡®My wife is sick, so of course it makes sense that her husband would nurse her throughout the night.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t like she was actually sick, and even if she was actually sick, it wasn¡¯t like he was a doctor, so he couldn¡¯t do anything to help her. Even so, he insisted on sleeping next to her.


    She had tried her best to dissuade him from taking care of her, but he had just climbed into her bed and laid down next to her.


    Although she felt a bit uncomfortable, she also understood why he was making such a fuss, so she didn¡¯t have the heart to push him away anymore.


    ¡®If he continues to stay here, getting caught is only a matter of time.¡¯


    Her morning sickness would probably get better with time, but by then, her stomach would probably be more visible, and it would be increasingly hard to hide her pregnancy.


    If he never knew, then everything would be much easier, but once he found out, there was no going back.


    She didn¡¯t want that kind of situation to ever come.


    ¡®It¡¯s really heartbreaking to see that you live with the painful feeling of hatred ingrained into your heart, but I really do want you to be happy¡­¡­ .¡¯


    She also wished that the baby in her stomach would also be happy and grow well without getting any hate from his father.


    ¡®In that case, there¡¯s only one solution.¡¯


    Elisha made up her mind, and after peering over at the now-sleeping Richard¡¯s face for a few seconds, she settled down and slowly closed her own eyes to sleep.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    #6. Caught


    A few days later, Richard had to leave the mansion for a bit.


    He had been trying to catch Viscount Richard, but it seemed that the Viscount had heard what had happened to his son, Phillip, and had run away.


    Thankfully, Richard found where the Viscount was, but there was a problem.


    Viscount Rohas was hiding in one of the territories of the top Alitas.


    If the Rubelin knights were to just barge in, the outcome wouldn¡¯t be very good. So Richard was going to go there himself to take care of the Viscount.


    By the time Elisha woke up, Richard was already finished with his preparations to go out and was putting on his jacket.


    In the darkness of dawn, Elisha peered over at Richard.


    Richard still didn¡¯t know that Elisha had woken up and he started to put on his leather gloves.


    Perhaps it was because the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet, but Richard seemed a lot chillier than usual. No, his face almost looked scary as she looked at him.


    At that moment, Richard, who had casually looked over at Elisha, made eye contact with her. As soon as he met her eyes, the chilliness in his eyes disappeared.


    He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°I brought a doctor that will be staying here at the dukedom, and he will be taking turns taking care of you with Sir Morris. If you ever feel sick, don¡¯t hesitate to call for help. And even if you have no appetite make sure to not skip your meals.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s worried nagging, Elisha started to laugh lightly with a sleepy face. When he saw Elisha laughing, he only looked at her with puzzled eyes.


    ¡°Even my parents didn¡¯t nag me like this, and here you are.¡±


    The parents that Elisha was referring to were not Viscount and Viscountess Roengreen, but her parents from her previous life.


    The parents from that life were busy fighting each other, so they had no time to give attention to their daughter. To them, she was just something that shackled them into their horrifying nightmare of a marriage.


    So because she grew up under such parents, it was quite new to her to hear such nagging words.


    At Elisha¡¯s laughter, Richard¡¯s expression softened. It even seemed that there was a soft smile growing on his lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s still rather early, so go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fully awake now. Since I¡¯m awake, I¡¯m going to go see my husband off.¡±


    Elisha finally got out of bed to see Richard go.


    Outside the mansion, Richard¡¯s knights and horse were waiting for him.


    Before he got on his horse, Richard turned around to talk to Elisha.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Instead of saying anything back, Elisha only stared at Richard.


    When Richard looked at Elisha with puzzled eyes, she walked over to him and pulled him into her embrace. Then she started to lightly pat his back.


    At the unexpected embrace, Richard, as well as the surrounding knights, were all surprised.


    ¡°You must not want to leave the Madam, Your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a little.¡±


    Thomson, who was next to Richard, teased him in a small voice, and Agail bumped Richard with his elbow with knowing eyes.


    The other knights seemed very awkward and looked away while coughing.


    ¡°Come back safely, Richard. Don¡¯t overexert yourself, and don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Even though Elisha¡¯s behavior was different than usual, Richard felt happy.


    No, he actually felt rather sad.


    The way she was hugging him made him feel like she was telling him to not go, and he really wanted to stay here with her.


    He really didn¡¯t want to leave her behind, but there was nothing he could do. He had to finish his job quickly to come back to her and stay by her side.


    Richard turned around and got onto his horse. And then he peered down and looked at Elisha for a brief second.


    Elisha looked back at him and started to wave goodbye at him first.


    It was only then that Richard turned back and left. The knights soon followed him. The clopping of the horses¡¯ hooves soon grew softer and softer.


    As Elisha looked at them leaving, she murmured something in a small voice.


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s good that I got to say a real goodbye.¡±


    It was only when Richard totally disappeared from her line of sight that she turned around to return back to her room.


    And then she spoke to Anne who had followed her back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to leave.¡±


    Anne hesitated for a moment as if she didn¡¯t really want to, and then went into the dressing room to start packing.


    To be honest, there wasn¡¯t much to pack. The money that they were going to use for settling down was with Ansel.


    Since her clothes weren¡¯t bought with her money in the first place, she was planning to leave them all here, except for a few changes of clothes for the next few days.


    While Anne was packing, Elisha sat down at the table to write Richard a letter for when he returned.


    However, she found herself unable to think of what to write now that she sat down to write.


    ¡®If I leave so suddenly without any reason, Richard will probably be taken aback.¡¯


    If she didn¡¯t write any reason, he might look for her to find out the reason why she left.


    Furthermore, with his power, it would only be a matter of time before he would find her, so she had to make up a legitimate excuse as to why she left.


    ¡®Should I just lie and say that I found someone that I love?¡¯


    When she had asked Richard for a divorce, that was the first thing he had asked her in response to her proposal.


    ¡®That excuse is the most fool-proof one. If I say that I have someone else that I love, what can he do?¡¯


    Elisha decided to write a letter using this reason. However¡­¡­ .


    ¡®Why don¡¯t I want to write that excuse in particular?¡¯


    She found that her hand wouldn¡¯t move to write the letter. While her hand was frozen in place, the ink had dropped onto the paper and spread.


    It was only after she had ruined several pieces of letter paper in this way that she was able to squeeze out a short letter.


    [Dear Richard,


    Wherever you are, whatever you do, I always hope that you will be happy.


    Sincerely,


    Elisha.]


    The moment she had finished writing the letter and folded it, tears formed in her eyes and flowed freely down her cheeks.


    ¡®Why are tears suddenly coming out of my eyes¡­¡­?¡¯


    Elisha quickly wiped away the tears from her eyes and face.


    She reasoned with herself that she was sad that she had to leave the place that she loved, and that sadness was only amplified because of the mood swings that came along with pregnancy.


    Elisha had just finished wiping away her tears when Anne, who had finished packing, came towards Elisha.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve finished packing.¡±


    ¡°Then please wait for one moment. I¡¯m just going to leave this letter in Richard¡¯s room.¡±


    Elisha took the letter and arrived at Richard¡¯s bedroom. The bedroom was noticeably empty.


    She stuck the envelope in between the books on his desk so that he would be able to see the envelope sticking out. Then she briefly looked around his room.


    ¡®It¡¯s the same as when he was young.¡¯


    Richard¡¯s room, which Elisha and Richard had shared when they were young, was the same as his room now. The room that was filled with Richard¡¯s scent was also the same.


    ¡®Once I leave this mansion, I think I¡¯ll think about this room the most.¡¯


    After she looked around his room, she went into Richard¡¯s dressing room.


    When Richard had left for the war, this was the room she always used when she came to this place, so she was pretty familiar with it.


    The dressing room was no longer filled with her clothes, but with Richard¡¯s clothes.


    ¡®I should have seen him wearing the clothes in here at least once. That¡¯s a pity.¡¯


    Elisha roamed around the dressing room while regretting not being able to keep more memories of Richard¡¯s handsome face and body wearing these clothes.


    While looking around, she found a brooch in a jewelry box she had found in the room.


    It was sculpted out of white gold and made to look like the symbol of the Rubelin Dukedom. Richard had worn this when he went to the imperial hunting grounds when they were young.


    She still clearly remembered how handsome he looked as he came down the stairs with this brooch on.


    ¡®It should be okay to take just this one brooch, right?¡¯


    Elisha fiddled with the brooch a bit longer and quietly exited the dressing room with the brooch.


    He had a lot of brooches, anyway, so it wasn¡¯t like it would matter to take this one.


    Elisha looked around Richard¡¯s room one last time and made her way back to her room. Then she called for Grayson.


    ¡°I have some things that I have to think about, so I¡¯m going to be staying at the northern annex. I¡¯ll be bringing Anne with me, so there¡¯s no need to send any other servants there.¡±


    Until now, Elisha had never used the annex.


    Because of this, Grayson worried that it might be something serious and decided to not inquire any further.


    It was the virtue of a person of lower status to not want to inquire about something one¡¯s master didn¡¯t say and to not make any presumptuous assumptions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it ready in a moment.¡±


    One hour later, the northern annex was ready for Elisha to stay in.


    Elisha moved into the annex with Anne.


    Although it hadn¡¯t been used very often, it had been very well-maintained.


    ¡°This way, Anne.¡±


    Elisha walked through the annex while remembering all the pleasant memories she had with Richard in the annex, and she walked up the stairs to the second floor.


    On the second floor, there was a room that only the Rubelin family used.


    The room was decorated luxuriously for the Rubelin family. The room was decorated as well as the rooms in the main building.


    Elisha walked towards a wardrobe that was on one side of the room.


    Behind this wardrobe, there was a secret tunnel that would lead to an area near a small forest that was far away from the duchy.


    This was the reason why Elisha had wanted to come to this annex.


    Elisha searched through her memories and remembered that the key to the secret tunnel was the picture frame that hung next to the wardrobe.


    In her memories, she remembered what Richard had told her when they were younger.


    ¡°Open the tunnel while turning the frame counterclockwise.¡±


    When Anne saw Elisha trying to turn the frame, she quickly went over to Elisha and blocked her from doing it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Madam!¡±


    Anne seemed to struggle with turning the frame for a bit but soon successfully turned the picture frame.


    As if by magic, the wardrobe moved sideways and revealed the secret passageway. The passageway opened up to reveal a stairway that went downwards.


    Richard had taught Elisha about this passageway before he had left for the war.


    If she ever found herself in danger, she was to escape using this passageway.


    ¡®Wherever you are hiding, just stay alive. I¡¯ll always find you.¡¯


    Elisha stared at the stairs absentmindedly.


    ¡®I¡¯m using the passageway that you told me about to escape from you.¡¯


    Elisha was still lost in thought when Anne called out to her.


    ¡°Madam?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Anne was cautious of dangers that might appear along the way, so she walked ahead of Elisha.


    Elisha turned her head towards the direction of the main building one last time.


    ¡®Goodbye, Richard.¡¯


    Then she turned around and went down the stairs.


    When the two people made their way down the stairs, the picture frame returned back to its original place, and the door to the secret tunnel closed.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    It was only after Elisha and Anne walked for over an hour in that dark and narrow tunnel that they neared the end of their long walk.


    ¡°Madam, the exit is over here.¡±


    Anne, who had been leading the way, called out to Elisha.


    Elisha turned and shone the light-emitting stone towards the direction Anne was pointing to.


    As Anne had said, Elisha saw the end of the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, there was a staircase leading upwards, and next to the staircase, there was a picture frame that depicted a white wolf, Rubelin¡¯s symbol.


    As she had done when they came into the tunnel, Anne turned the picture frame in a counter-clockwise motion.


    The picture frame stiffly turned, and the door at the top of the staircase slowly opened with a loud groan.


    Elisha and Anne were momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight that shone into the tunnel, but they quickly got used to it and started to climb the staircase.


    The place where the tunnel led was a small forest near the outskirts of the territory.


    Outside the tunnel, spring filled the air, and the area was filled with trees filled with light green leaves.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    Anne, who had gone outside first, made sure the area was safe before she waved to Elisha to come up.


    Elisha climbed the stairs while covering her eyes from the bright sunlight.


    Because there were no other humans in this forest, they could only hear the wind blowing through the leaves, and it was very peaceful.


    When Anne saw that Elisha had made her way up, she rushed over to Elisha to check her condition.


    ¡°Are you tired? Or do you feel any strain or discomfort in your stomach¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. In fact, I¡¯m having fun because it feels like we¡¯re leaving to go on a trip.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡­ Still, do you want to rest a bit before we continue?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to ride a carriage anyway. We can rest then. So let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    To be honest, Elisha hadn¡¯t been feeling too well since the morning.


    But since this was normal for her ever since she became pregnant, she had embarked on this journey with Anne without a second thought.


    ¡®Tomorrow morning, the dukedom will know that the two of us are gone.¡¯


    So they had to escape from this place as quickly as possible.


    Elisha and Anne made it out of the forest and found a carriage to ride.


    ¡°Please take us to the Arden Temple.¡±


    The Arden Temple was the name of the temple that Ansel was leading.


    Although the main Arden Temple was in the Arden territory by the seashore and the one they were headed to right now was only a branch, it had become quite big and there was nobody that didn¡¯t know about the temple.


    The carriage quickly arrived and stopped in front of the branch of the Arden Temple.


    The temple was in a place that was a bit away from the center of the territory.


    Elisha put on her robe¡¯s hood and got off of the carriage. She did this just in case there was someone that might recognize her face.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Anne, who had gotten off after Elisha, looked around the area in awe.


    At the temple, there were many men and women with light copper skin from the south and the east, and there were many exotic objects from the north.


    The temple¡¯s errand boy, who had seen Elisha get off of the carriage, came over to her.


    ¡°Greetings, Madam. For what reason did you come to the temple?¡±


    ¡°I have some belongings that I have come to recollect from the temple.¡±


    Elisha gave him Ansel¡¯s letter.


    When the errand boy saw the symbol of the fish on the letter, he immediately became obedient towards Elisha.


    It was because the fish was the symbol of the Arden County.


    ¡°P- Please wait one moment. I will bring the branch manager here.¡±


    The errand boy went inside the building for a moment and then came out with a middle-aged lady that seemed to be the branch manager.


    She suggested that Elisha go inside the temple.


    ¡°I will bring you the things that you are looking for. Would you like to come inside and drink some tea while you wait?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    Elisha, who had felt her body get more and more tired, gladly followed the woman into the audience chamber.


    A servant quietly came in to give her a light-pink, aromatic tea and then left soon afterward.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait long before the manager came back with her pouch of gold coins.


    ¡°Here are the traveling expenses that you requested. The clothing and the things that you need for the trip will be placed on the carriage. A mercenary soldier will also escort you along the way.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The place that Elisha and Anne were headed was Sornetti, the place with Viscount Roengreen¡¯s summer house.


    Anne took the heavy pouch in place of Elisha and put it into her pocket.


    ¡°It will take a bit more time to finish loading all of your belongings on the carriage, so would you like to eat dinner before you go?¡±


    The manager asked Elisha if she wanted to eat dinner. It seemed that the manager wanted to treat Elisha extra well because Elisha was the temple owner¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Yes, that sounds good.¡±


    Although she herself did not feel that hungry, she decided to concede for the sake of the child in her stomach and Anne.


    The manager smiled and got up from her seat.


    ¡°Then please follow me.¡±


    Elisha followed the woman and got up from her seat.


    At that moment, Elisha felt a slight pang of discomfort in her lower stomach.


    Her body immediately cringed in response, but thankfully, the pain disappeared in an instant.


    Elisha was nervous that something else might happen, but she forced her worries down and followed the manager with Anne.


    At the restaurant, there were luxurious plates of food waiting for Anne and Elisha.


    ¡°We will always have more food, so please eat to prepare for your journey.¡±


    After saying this, the manager went away so that the two people could eat their meal in peace.


    Anne was able to eat her dinner to her fill, but Elisha was unable to eat much because of a lack of appetite. She was like this even after she had eaten her morning sickness medicine.


    ¡®Maybe I¡¯m sick from overexerting my body¡­¡­?¡¯


    Her body, which was already weak from pregnancy, felt even more heavy and weak now that she had overexerted her body.


    And to make matters worse, she started to feel pain in her stomach again.


    Anne quickly noticed Elisha suffering and asked about Elisha¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Madam? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­ I guess the medicine didn¡¯t really work. I have no appetite. You should at least eat to your fill, so don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Elisha forced a smile and told Anne that everything was okay.


    Anne was worried about Elisha, but because of Elisha¡¯s words, she made sure to eat as much as she could. If she wanted to protect the weak Elisha, she had to make sure that at least she was strong and healthy.


    After they had finished their meal and dessert, the manager came back to them.


    ¡°I hope that the meal was to your liking.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We had a delicious meal thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°The carriage is now ready as well. Will you leave right away?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will.¡±


    Elisha knew that her body was not okay, but she still decided to keep going. She had to get away as quickly as she could to finally be able to rest.


    However, as soon as she got up, her vision turned white and the strength in her legs gave away.


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    Anne grabbed Elisha as she fainted and held Elisha in her arms. Anne¡¯s face was pale as she checked over Elisha.


    ¡°My goodness, Madam! You have a fever!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­. .¡±


    ¡°N- No. If we keep going like this, something terrible might happen. Until you get better, I think it will be better for us to stay here.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯ll know we left by tomorrow morning¡­¡­¡±


    The manager, who had been watching the situation with worried eyes, opened her mouth to speak.


    ¡°I have a good idea.¡±


    At the Tearill County located in the west of Akaroa, it was still dawn, a time when there were still wisps of darkness left in the sky.


    A shadow of a figure blended into the shadows of the forest which rarely had human visitors.


    It was Viscount Rohas.


    ¡°Ugh, gasp¡­¡­¡±


    He was running with a fear-stricken face and he continuously looked back as he ran.


    It was because he had heard that Richard had come as far as the Alita Temple, the place where he had been hiding.


    He had made a decision before Richard found him.


    Whether he was going to keep hiding at the Alita Temple or if he was going to get a head start in running away.


    If Richard was unable to find him at the temple, that would be a relief, but in the case that Richard did find him, he would be trapped without any chance to escape.


    So the Viscount chose to run away instead of hiding.


    Before he left, the Alita Temple manager had told him how to escape.


    ¡®When it becomes morning, Duke Rubelin will reach this place. Before that happens, please escape using this tunnel. After you escape through the tunnel, you¡¯ll find a forest, and after you exit the forest, you¡¯ll find a carriage waiting for you.¡¯


    Viscount Rohas followed the temple manager¡¯s instructions and escaped using the secret tunnel inside the temple. He made it out into the empty forest.


    And as the manager had instructed, the Viscount was now making his way across the forest to exit it.


    He ran until he was out of breath, and after a while, he saw what looked like the end of the forest.


    ¡®Just a little bit more¡­¡­ .¡¯


    Just then, as the Viscount breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down, something happened.


    It had been a calm, windless night, but a torrent of wind suddenly started to blow.


    ¡®If it¡¯s wind, then this is¡­¡­ .¡¯


    Feeling a chilling premonition, Viscount Rohas turned around and froze when he saw the man that he feared the most right behind him.


    Richard landed lightly in front of the Viscount.


    ¡°Where are you going so early in the morning, Viscount Rohas?¡±


    Richard¡¯s gaze, as he looked at the Viscount, seemed like he wanted to freeze the Viscount to death with his chilly gaze.


    The Viscount took a deep breath, and after thinking about what to do for a moment, he decided to talk his way out of the situation.


    ¡°W- What is His Excellency the Duke doing in a dreary place like this? And at such an early time at that.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you know the answer to that question better than me?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m not sure. I really don¡¯t know how I met you here.¡±


    Viscount Rohas forced a laugh and put his hands into his robe.


    He grabbed the dagger laced with poison that the temple manager had given him before he had escaped.


    He wasn¡¯t sure where all of the other knights were, but right now, only Richard was in front of him.


    ¡°Do you really not know?¡±


    ¡°How would I know the answer to such a deep question?¡±


    The Viscount took out the dagger in a flash and rushed towards Richard.


    But Richard didn¡¯t do so much as to flinch and avoided the dagger as he grabbed the Viscount¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I wonder if you still won¡¯t know even when I break your arm.¡±


    As soon as Richard said this, he easily twisted the Viscount¡¯s arm.


    With a chilling crunch, the Viscount¡¯s arm twisted in the opposite direction. Because of the impact, the Viscount dropped his dagger.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    It was only after the Viscount had experienced that horrendous pain that he realized the nickname of the man in front of him.


    Rubelin of the Storm.


    He was the genius who had single-handedly gone into the kingdom and ended the war.


    ¡°Or¡­¡­ .¡±


    Rubelin dropped the Viscount, who was still writhing in pain, carelessly onto the ground and opened his mouth to speak as he stared at the Viscount with chilling eyes.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll figure it out if your body is cooked by lightning.¡±


    As Richard said this, black clouds started to gather over the Viscount.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    ¡°Y- Your Excellency, the Duke. Please allow me to live!¡±


    Viscount Rohas was dripping sweat from the extreme pain from his twisted arm, and he groveled for his life on the ground.


    Richard stared down at the Viscount and got rid of the clouds.


    ¡°I see that you want to talk now.¡±


    ¡°I- I¡®ll tell you everything that I know.¡±


    ¡°Are you the one who went into the infected land?¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s true that I was there, I was not the one who went into it!¡±


    ¡°Then who was it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ .¡±


    At that moment, two unidentified men appeared from behind Richard. They rushed towards Richard with raised swords.


    But Richard was much faster than them.


    After he created a significant distance between them, he struck them with lightning.


    The unidentified men just barely avoided getting struck by the lightning. And then they started to run away and retreat.


    Richard was about to chase after them but stopped his sword. There was no way his opponents would have thought that they would be able to overpower him with just two people.


    But this had been such a vain attempt to fight him if the opponent was really trying to gauge Richard¡¯s power.


    Suddenly, Richard realized what the opponent¡¯s aim had been.


    ¡®Their aim wasn¡¯t me.¡¯


    The opponent¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to overpower Richard but to kill and shut the mouth of the weak Viscount. That would have been a more effective method for them.


    Richard quickly turned his head towards the Viscount.


    Just as he had thought, other unidentified men were rushing towards the Viscount.


    Richard used his powers to blow the men away with wind, but he was distracted by the sudden pain he felt in his back.


    It was a pain that had gotten more and more severe ever since he left the Dukedom two days ago.


    ¡®Why would the pain get so severe right now, of all times¡­¡­!¡¯


    The unidentified men reached the Viscount and raised their swords.


    Richard ground his teeth as he looked at them. At that moment, a black aura rose from his body.


    The black aura seeped under the men¡¯s feet and swallowed them.


    ¡°W- What is this¡­¡­ Ack!¡±


    ¡°Augh¡­¡­¡±


    The men, who had been swallowed up by the aura, frantically writhed in pain while letting out agonized yells and then suddenly went limp.


    Richard strode past the fear-stricken Viscount and went to check on the unidentified men.


    Although there was no sign of injury on the men, they were not breathing.


    ¡®Did I kill them?¡¯


    Richard looked down at his hands as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. The black aura that had surrounded them just a little while earlier had suddenly disappeared.


    ¡®What was that just now?¡¯


    Richard was still wondering about the nature of the black aura when desperate calls came from behind him.


    ¡°Your Excellency!¡±


    Thomson, who had come a beat late, stumbled over to Richard.


    ¡°T- There¡¯s a big problem.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Thomson caught his breath.


    Richard had thought that Thomson would complain to Richard about leaving him behind as usual.


    But the words that came out of Thomson¡¯s mouth were completely unexpected.


    ¡°They said¡­ the Madam disappeared.¡±


    In the slums in the outskirts of Akroa, Arensia¡¯s capital city, there was a great temple.


    Because of the saying ¡®god will always reside in the lowliest of places,¡¯ every temple built in Arensia was built in the slums where the poor and the sick lived.


    This was done so that those who needed god the most would always be able to reach god. So the temples were always open for those in need.


    But just because they were open to everyone didn¡¯t mean that everything was allowed inside the temple. Even the Emperor himself was not allowed to do things that would go against god in the temple.


    The person who was in charge of running such a place was the Pope.


    ¡°Your Holiness. It is time for the morning prayers to begin.¡±


    At the sound of the priest¡¯s voice, a man with dazzling golden hair got up from his seat in the prayer room.


    Some new recruits of the temple came in and put the pope¡¯s robe on the man.


    He was tall and had broad shoulders, so when he put on his robe, the man looked like an angel who had been sent down to the ground by god.


    He was Pope Aiden Serriott.


    He was the Serriot family¡¯s last surviving member, so he was the current temple¡¯s leader.


    People who had never seen him before were always shocked.


    Many people imagined that the Pope was some kind of old man with whitish hair, but Aiden was a handsome man who was in his late 30s at most.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Aiden left his personal prayer room with the priests surrounding him.


    The Serriotts were called the ¡®Serriotts of life,¡¯ and they were a family with a very deep history.


    The popes had always come from the Serriott family.


    If there were many children born to the family, the child with the strongest holy power became the next pope in the next generation and another child would become the head of the family.


    In some cases, if there was only one child in the family, the child would become the pope and run the family.


    The Serriotts believed that giving their holy power to their descendants and making them serve god was doing god¡¯s work, so they were able to become pope and run a family.


    However, nobody needed holy power in times of peace. Now, the pope was only there for formalities.


    In addition to that, the current emperor was always wary of the Serriotts and did not want them to become powerful.


    Before the current emperor came to power, another problem had arisen in the canyon.


    Since Aiden was the patriarch of the Serriott family and the Pope, he went to the canyon to protect the empire¡¯s citizens.


    However, while he was there, he had suffered from an unidentified attack and fell into a coma.


    While he was unconscious, the previous emperor was assassinated.


    The current emperor, Roam, killed his half-brother, who was suspected to be the perpetrator, and rose to the throne. In the process, Aiden¡¯s wife, Yulia, was accused of treason.


    While the Serriot family was not totally wiped out by the Emperor, it was destroyed.


    By the time Aiden miraculously woke up, Yulia had already gone missing after attempting to run away from the punishment for the crime she had been accused of.


    Aiden searched for her like a mad man, but when he finally found her, it was when she had returned to his arms as a cold corpse.


    Aiden, who had lost his wife in a blink of an eye, thought that he had no reason to live anymore.


    To continue the family, Aiden could have married another woman and have children, but he did not.


    The only thing he wished for was revenge, but the priests and the empire¡¯s citizens did not want him to die yet.


    ¡®We still need a pope, Your Holiness.¡¯


    ¡®Your Holiness, please don¡¯t throw us away.¡¯


    In the end, Aiden found that he could not leave them.


    It was because Yulia, his beloved wife who had been an orphan when she was younger, had always loved and cherished them.


    Aiden decided to live the remainder of his life for these people, just as his loving wife Yulia had.


    And 20 years had passed since he had made that decision.


    He lived his days peacefully.


    That is, before he felt an aura that was dangerous enough to put this peace in danger.


    Aiden, who had been in morning prayer with the other priests, opened his eyes in a flash when he detected ominous energy.


    ¡®What was that just now¡­¡­?¡¯


    Putting Akroa at the center, he detected some strong power that strengthened and then waned in power from the west of Akroa.


    Although it had only been there for an instant, Aiden knew that he had definitely felt it.


    He had felt this aura before in the canyon 20 years before.


    When the priests saw Aiden¡¯s shock, they came over to him.


    ¡°Your Holiness? What seems to be the matter?¡±


    Aiden answered while leaving the temple with a hardened expression.


    ¡°Priest Silica, will you call the Chief Paladin?¡±


    The sounds of the birds¡¯ chirps pierced her ears.


    Elisha felt much better and light on her feet, which was different from what she felt normally.


    When Anne saw that Elisha was awake, she immediately came over.


    ¡°Madam, how are you feeling today?¡±


    ¡°Hm, I feel a lot better today.¡±


    Anne felt Elisha¡¯s forehead with a heart half-filled with joy and half-filled with doubt.


    As Elisha had said, the fever that had been plaguing Elisha for the past few days was finally gone.


    Anne was finally relieved and looked at Elisha with tears of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m so thankful. Your fever was soaring for these past few days and I was so scared something might actually happen to you, Madam¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered a lot for me, Anne. I¡¯m so sorry for making you worry.¡±


    Elisha felt bad for making Anne worry so much and pulled the crying Anne into her embrace.


    Anne quickly stopped crying and asked Elisha a question.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Should I bring you your meal?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Can you also call for Lady Settil?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±


    Anne soon left the room.


    Settil was the doctor the temple manager had assigned to Elisha.


    When the manager saw how sick Elisha was 3 days earlier, she had guided Elisha to a small summer house in a nearby summer village.


    ¡®No matter how much of a hurry you are in, it¡¯s not good to go on a trip while your body is in this kind of state. Even a small cold can become serious if it isn¡¯t treated at the right time.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s true¡­¡­ .¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s a summer house that I personally own. You can hide there for a few days. The house is in such a small town in the mountains, that people don¡¯t really visit it very often.¡¯


    Elisha was in a hurry to get away, so she decided to follow the advice of the manager. She knew that she couldn¡¯t put any more stress on her body if she didn¡¯t want to harm the baby inside of her.


    As the manager had predicted, that night, Elisha suffered greatly from her fever.


    Although Anne was greatly concerned, Elisha was deeply relieved that she didn¡¯t faint on the streets even while she was suffering.


    ¡®Now that my body is a lot better, we should probably leave.¡¯


    Since they had already wasted so much time, they had to hurry.


    Thankfully, she didn¡¯t feel any more pain in her stomach, and the doctor¡¯s report was also good.


    ¡°It seems that the baby is also okay, so you should be able to leave soon.¡±


    ¡°Then I think I should leave today.¡±


    ¡°Still, what do you think about resting for just one more day, just to be safe? If you suddenly stress your body, it may not be very good. The puddles outside haven¡¯t even dried yet.¡±


    The ground outside was damp from the spring rains that had fallen in the two days Elisha lay sick in bed. It wasn¡¯t very good weather for carriages.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Elisha paused for a moment and then made a proposal.


    It was that Anne would prepare to leave now so that they could leave quickly as soon as Elisha was rested.


    So Elisha ate her meal and snack and even slept as the doctor had suggested. And soon, the bright morning awaited her.


    ¡°It¡¯s good weather today.¡±


    It was a cloudless day filled with warm rays of sunshine and a gentle spring breeze. In short, it was a perfect day to leave.


    Elisha and Anne finished their final preparations to leave and went to the front door.


    Settil and 2 mercenary soldiers that the manager had given Elisha were waiting for them.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave.¡±


    Elisha started to get on her carriage. All of a sudden, the sound of horses filled the air.


    Elisha turned her head towards the sound with puzzled eyes.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    In that place, there was a pale-faced lady with fancily decorated red hair. The escort knights who had followed her were there as well.


    ¡°Hello, Madam. May I see you for just a second?¡±


    Elisha glanced over at the symbol sewn onto the uniforms of the lady¡¯s knights.


    There were many noble families in the empire, but because Elisha had to memorize them as her territorial duty, she was able to recognize the symbol with no problem.


    Marquis Beltain.


    The Beltain family was where the current emperor¡¯s half-sister, the princess, had married into.


    As far as Elisha knew, the heir of the Beltain family was still underage, so he was still single.


    That meant¡­¡­


    ¡®This person is Princess Olivia.¡¯


    She was also Marchioness Beltain.


    Princess Olivia did not have a very good relationship with her older half-brother, the current emperor. It was because he had deposed her older full-blooded brother, the previous emperor, after saying that he was a tyrant.


    Even so, Elisha still wasn¡¯t sure if Princess Olivia would be friendly with a person from the Rubelin Dukedom.


    ¡®No, more importantly¡­¡­ I¡¯m in the middle of running away right now, so it can¡¯t be good that I was found here.¡¯


    But thankfully, as if she didn¡¯t know who Elisha was, Princess Olivia had called Elisha ¡®madam¡¯ instead of her name.


    On top of that, Elisha, who had pretty much spent her whole life in the Rublein territory, had only seen Olivia a couple of times when she was young and had never seen the princess as an adult.


    Putting all of that aside, Elisha knew that she couldn¡¯t just ignore such a desperate person.


    ¡°Hello, Madam. What seems to be the problem?¡±


    Olivia looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.


    ¡°Did you perhaps bring a doctor here?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    ¡°My daughter is very sick. She¡¯s always been healthy, but a fever started within her last night¡­¡­ If it¡¯s okay with you, can you please lend me some of your time?¡±


    ¡°They said the closest village was here, but when we got here, the village doctor had gone to a nearby village because of many sick people in that village. So we beg you, as troublesome as this is, to please help us.¡±


    A nearby knight added on to what Olivia had said.


    It was only after she heard their explanations that Elisha realized why the princess and her knights came to this quiet place.


    ¡®They could have gone to the nearby village to see the doctor, but it probably would have been very dangerous to take their already seriously child to a village with many sick people.¡¯


    They probably heard that a noble was staying here and came here, desperate for help.


    Whenever a noble came to a small town such as this, it often meant that they were coming for vacation or to recuperate and rest for a sickness.


    ¡®However, it¡¯s not summertime when people normally go on vacation, so they probably thought that I came here to rest because of a sickness.¡¯


    If Elisha had come here to recuperate, then the chance that she had brought a personal doctor would have been high, so it seemed that the Princess came in hopes of a doctor.


    Elisha couldn¡¯t bring herself to turn Olivia down.


    ¡°Of course, Madam. Where is your child.¡±


    When Elisha answered her without a second of hesitation, Olivia¡¯s complexion came back.


    Tears started to form in her eyes.


    During that time, the knight had brought the child from the carriage.


    In the knight¡¯s arms was a fever-ridden child who was clearly having trouble breathing.


    ¡°Please come inside.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Madam. Thank you so much¡­¡­¡±


    Olivia grabbed Elisha¡¯s hands while spilling tears of relief.


    Elisha held Olivia¡¯s trembling hand and gave an instruction to Settil.


    ¡°Doctor Settil, please check over the child¡¯s condition.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Elisha went into the summer house with Olivia.


    Settil started the treatment as soon as the child was laid down. Anne brought a wet towel in accordance with Settil¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°The child¡¯s fever is too high. I believe that we have to lower the fever first and watch the child¡¯s condition¡­¡­ .¡±


    Settil looked at Elisha and her diagnosis trailed off towards the end.


    She looked at Elisha with a look that asked if it was okay to delay the trip and stay in the summer house a bit longer.


    Elisha was in a hurry, but the life of a child was more important.


    Elisha answered her without any hesitation.


    ¡°That would be good.¡±


    Delaying the trip by one more day wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    After all, the only people that knew that she was in this summer house were the temple manager and the people who worked in the summer house.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Madam. You probably had another urgent matter to attend to¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s really fine. I wanted to rest a bit more anyway.¡±


    Elisha reassured the apologetic Olivia with a smile.


    Anne looked at Elisha with a nervous look, but because she was so busy talking to Olivia, Elisha did not notice this.


    Settil had some fever medicine left over from the treatment she had given Elisha. She fed the child some of the medicine and wiped the child¡¯s body.


    It soon became night, and the child¡¯s condition improved quite a bit.


    It was only when she saw her child resting with a peaceful expression that Olivia finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Anne brought Olivia a simple meal consisting of a sandwich and juice and placed it in front of her.


    Elisha bade Olivia to eat.


    ¡°Please eat something. You haven¡¯t even eaten dinner. A person taking care of another sick person needs to eat especially well.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Olivia finally felt her hunger and took the sandwich.


    Elisha sat beside her while sipping some warm milk.


    Olivia had finished her sandwich and juice when her eyes lit up suddenly as if she suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, it seems that I didn¡¯t even hear your name.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Elisha hesitated for a moment and found that she couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡®If I tell her my name, then she¡¯ll know who I am.¡¯


    Elisha had even gone as far as instructing Anne to call her ¡®Miss¡¯ to protect her identity.


    In the end, Elisha decided to lie, since she wasn¡¯t ever going to see Olivia in the future anyway.


    ¡°Elisha Tehart.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see, you were a lady from the Tehart Viscounty.¡±


    Just as Elisha had suspected, the princess knew the family name immediately.


    As fitting for a member of the royal family, Olivia knew all the noble families, even if she may not know their faces.


    The Tehart Viscounty was on the western outskirts, and they had no real presence in society.


    For that reason, Olivia did not question the fact that she didn¡¯t know Elisha.


    ¡°My name is Olivia Beltain.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought I saw that insignia a few times before, but it turns out that you were the Princess. I¡¯m not here very often, so I didn¡¯t recognize you right away.¡±


    Elisha already knew of Olivia¡¯s identity, but she pretended she only realized now. That way, Olivia would feel better.


    Olivia¡¯s face grew brighter as Elisha had predicted, and she expressed her thanks to Elisha.


    ¡°Once again, thank you so much, Lady Elisha. I will make sure to repay you for this one day.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing. I¡¯m sure that anyone who saw a sick child would have done the same.¡±


    Olivia asked Elisha a question with a beaming smile.


    ¡°May I ask you for your age?¡±


    ¡°I became an adult this year.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re similar in age to my son.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I heard many things about your son. He¡¯s the most eligible bachelor. I also heard about how you raised him so well as the heir.¡±


    Elisha complimented Olivia and her son in order to raise Olivia¡¯s spirits.


    Olivia¡¯s son, Cedric, really was the most eligible bachelor that every noble family wanted, so Elisha wasn¡¯t saying completely empty words.


    ¡°Really? Then do you perhaps want to meet this most eligible bachelor?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    But somehow, the conversation flowed to a totally unexpected territory, and Elisha blinked her eyes in confusion.


    ¡°My son is a year younger than you, but he has a very mature appearance, so it shouldn¡¯t matter too much. He becomes an adult next year, so how about meeting him once?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit awkward saying this about my own son, but because he grew up under my instruction, he has good manners and should be able to take good care of both external and internal affairs.¡±


    It seemed that Olivia had really taken a liking to Elisha.


    Elisha probably had something urgent to do of her own but she had still stayed here, and she hadn¡¯t shown a hint of displeasure of what was happening and had taken care of both Olivia and her child with great care.


    To top it all off, Elisha was very beautiful, so Olivia liked her all the more.


    ¡°And it¡¯s good for the man to be a year younger. It¡¯s something I realized throughout my life.¡±


    Elisha was taken aback by Olivia¡¯s forwardness and laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored that you think of me so highly, but I already have a child.¡±


    ¡°A child?¡±


    Olivia looked at Elisha with puzzled eyes when she belatedly realized that Elisha¡¯s hand was on her stomach.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes grew wide as the realization set in a beat late.


    ¡°Oh my, I apologize. I thought that you would definitely be single because you¡¯re so young. It was senseless of me to say that but it was because I like Lady Elisha so much.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m very thankful that you would try to set me up with your precious son.¡±


    ¡°Hm, but where did the father go during this important time?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡­ . I asked for a divorce.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s answer, Olivia was thoroughly shocked. Then, she quickly fixed her shocked expression and asked Elisha a question carefully.


    ¡°Is it fine if I curse at your husband right now?¡±


    Olivia had asked for permission to swear at Richard, but she didn¡¯t even give Elisha a second to answer before she started her cursing session.


    ¡°If that was my son, then I would have beaten him until he¡¯s hanging on to the last thread of his life and then chased him out of the house. Seriously, how could he even think about divorcing his wife who is pregnant with his own child?¡±


    ¡°I was the one who asked him for a divorce first¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°Then the husband was even worse than I thought! How bad could he have been if you even had to ask him for a divorce?¡±


    When Elisha saw Olivia raging as if she was hearing something about her own daughter, Elisha couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    It was the first time that she was able to laugh brightly since she left the dukedom.


    It was only when she heard Elisha laughing that Olivia¡¯s rage finally settled down.


    ¡°Then is the father currently on his way here?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I bet he doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m here.¡±


    Elisha smiled brightly as she belatedly added on to what she said.


    ¡°And it should stay that way.¡±


    [e/n: Olivia is so cute! Her trying to matchmake Elisha with her son and getting mad at Richard was adorable~]

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Richard reached the Arden Temple just as the morning sun started to rise.


    Thomson, who was riding just behind him, had evident fatigue written on his face.


    After they had learned of the fact that Elisha had disappeared, they had ridden for two days and nights without stopping to rest until they reached the Dukedom.


    On top of that, Thomson had had no time to even catch a breath because they had searched for Elisha the whole day.


    Agail, who had also accompanied Richard, was also exhausted, but he still looked slightly better than Thomson.


    It was because he had hope that they might be able to find Elisha in this place.


    ¡®T- That person has gone to the Arden Temple.¡¯


    That dawn, they were able to track down the coachman of the carriage that had dropped Elisha off at the Arden Temple.


    Now, they had finally reached the Arden Temple.


    ¡°Your Excellency, please wait one moment.¡±


    Thomson called Richard, who was ready to kill many people at the temple, to stop for a moment.


    ¡°Once you meet the Madam, make sure to say that you were wrong. You have to say that no matter what.¡±


    At Thomson¡¯s words, Richard turned his chilly gaze onto him. The red eyes that were looking at Thomson were asking him what he was saying.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t know what the issue is entirely, just apologize to her. Even if you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, just say that you were wrong.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ .¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because our Madam is always right. Right, Agail?¡±


    ¡°You said something right for the first time in a while, Sir Thomson.¡±


    Richard pursed his lips and turned away from the two people nagging from behind him. He went into the temple.


    ¡°Welco-¡±


    The temple¡¯s errand boy who had been in the middle of doing errands thought that a visitor had come and had gone out to meet them, but when he saw Richard, he immediately froze.


    Looking at Richard¡¯s chilly stare and the two knights behind him, the errand boy instinctively knew that these were no ordinary guests.


    In addition¡­¡­ .


    ¡®The Rublein Dukedom¡­¡­!¡¯


    The symbol on the knights¡¯ uniforms was the symbol of the famous Rubelin Dukedom.


    That meant that the handsome man with the cold eyes in front of him was Duke Rubelin.


    Arensia¡¯s hero.


    The vicious slaughterer of his enemies.


    That meant that if one was to become the Duke¡¯s enemy, they would suffer the same fate as the fallen Pyran Kingdom.


    The people working in the temple felt this bloodlust and stopped working to look at Richard.


    The errand boy, unable to meet Richard¡¯s eyes, asked him a question while trembling.


    ¡°For what reason did you come here¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°I would like to speak with the temple manager for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I- I will bring the manager quickly.¡±


    However, the errand boy did not have to walk far to get the manager.


    The temple manager was already walking this way.


    The manager bowed and greeted Richard.


    ¡°It is a pleasure meeting you for the first time, Your Excellency. May I ask what brings you all the way to the temple?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a person I¡¯m urgently looking for. Did a woman with blonde hair and green eyes perhaps come this way?¡±


    The manager¡¯s eyes shook for a moment when she heard Elisha¡¯s physical description, but quickly regained her composure.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, hundreds of people visit the temple per day, so I am unable to remember each individual person.¡±


    The manager answered Richard but was unable to escape Richard¡¯s agitation as he demanded something else.


    ¡°I want to investigate the temple quickly. Will you allow me to do this?¡±


    Although he was asking for permission to inspect the temple, the manager knew that if she didn¡¯t allow him to look around the temple, he would completely turn it upside down.


    The temple manager chased away the agitation she felt and conceded.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    As soon as the manager gave them permission, the knights started to investigate the temple.


    Richard also helped by looking through the rooms where the merchants dwelled.


    But Elisha was nowhere to be found.


    ¡®Elisha¡­¡­ .¡¯


    Richard suddenly recalled the letter Elisha had left him before she had disappeared.


    [Richard.


    Wherever you are, whatever you do, I hope that you will always be happy.


    With all my heart,


    Elisha.]


    How could you tell me to be happy when you¡¯re not there.


    Richard wondered how much more she was planning to make him suffer.


    ¡°Your Excellency.¡±


    Thomson, who had just finished his investigation, came towards Richard.


    ¡°We searched the restaurant and the warehouse, but the Madam was not there.¡±


    Richard grinded his teeth in frustration.


    Ever since he found out that it had already been 4 days since Elisha had been dropped off at the temple by the coachman, Richard had abandoned any hope of finding her, but now that he was faced with reality, he really didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡®¡­¡­ Should I threaten the temple manager to get information out of her?¡¯


    Just as Richard seriously considered going to the extremes to get information, a knight came towards him.


    He was a knight who had just come from the dukedom.


    ¡°Your Excellency. This letter arrived two days ago, but we discovered it today, so I brought it here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll read it after I return to the dukedom.¡±


    Richard was about to pass by the knight when he saw the name of the sender of the letter.


    [Elisha.]


    However, the handwriting was not Elisha¡¯s handwriting.


    Richard suddenly felt a sense of foreboding and opened the letter. His face slowly distorted as he read the contents of the letter.


    ¡°Since my daughter¡¯s condition has greatly improved, I¡¯m thinking of going back today.¡±


    Olivia told Elisha of her intentions as they finished breakfast.


    At her words, Elisha felt relieved and began to pack her belongings. Since she had packed her things a long time ago, there wasn¡¯t really much to pack.


    Just as Elisha put on her outer robe, Olivia, who had also finished packing her belongings, came to find her.


    ¡°Lady Elisha, can I talk to you for a moment?¡±


    Elisha sent Anne outside for a moment and made a space to talk to Olivia.


    Olivia walked up to Elisha and draped a necklace around her neck. It was the ruby necklace Olivia had always worn.


    Elisha looked at Olivia with dazed eyes.


    ¡°Madam, what is this¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a symbol of my gratitude towards you. If we were in the territory, I would have bought you some baby supplies or necessities for mothers, but as of now, I have nothing to give except for this. Whether you sell it for money or you keep it as a keepsake, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need this. Your gratitude is enough for me.¡±


    ¡°That necklace really doesn¡¯t mean anything to me. I just really want to do something as a sign of thanks.¡±


    Olivia gently grabbed Elisha¡¯s hand to stop her from taking off the necklace.


    ¡°Just as I thought, because you¡¯re pretty, the necklace suits you well.¡±


    Olivia, who had been admiring Elisha with her chocolate-colored eyes, suddenly looked distant as she recalled a faded memory.


    ¡°A long time ago, I had a very good friend. She was beautiful, witty, and a very lovable friend.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡±


    ¡°That friend of mine came to me when she became pregnant, but because I was so busy, I was unable to do anything for her.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡±


    ¡°If I had known that that would be the last time I would ever see my friend, I wouldn¡¯t have sent her away like that¡­¡­ I always keep that in my heart, even after all this time.¡±


    Olivia held Elisha¡¯s hand and reminisced about her friend, who, back then, had been close in age with Elisha. She kept talking as she did this.


    ¡°When I look at Lady Elisha, I remember that friend. Because you¡¯re beautiful, witty, and lovable.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡±


    ¡°Can you think of this necklace as a gift from a friend and accept it for me?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes were sincere as she asked Elisha this question. Elisha couldn¡¯t bring herself to reject such a sincere request.


    She hesitated for a moment, but soon smiled brightly and held Olivia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll accept your heartfelt sentiments and cherish this necklace.¡±


    It was only then that Olivia looked satisfied and smiled back at Elisha.


    The two people went downstairs to the 1st floor together.


    Both the carriages from the Beltain Territory and the Arden Temple were waiting for Olivia and Elisha.


    Before she got onto her carriage, Olivia spoke to Elisha for the final time.


    ¡°If you ever need my help, please don¡¯t hesitate to come find me in Beltain. I will always remember your name.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam. I¡¯ve really made a good friend.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s reply, Olivia gave Elisha a light farewell kiss.


    ¡°May the goddess¡¯s protection always be with you.¡±


    Olivia got onto her carriage and shut the door.


    ¡°Goodbye, pretty lady.¡±


    Lise, Olivia¡¯s daughter, waved farewell with her small hand through the carriage window while in her mother¡¯s embrace.


    Elisha laughed and waved back at the child.


    Soon after, the Beltain carriage set off first.


    ¡°Then should we leave too, Anne?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    After watching Lady Beltain¡¯s carriage grow smaller, Elisha got onto her own carriage.


    It was time to really leave.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    The caretaker of the summer house found something from the table in the room Elisha stayed in while cleaning up the rooms.


    There were two small pouches and a small slip of paper.


    [Thanks to you, we were able to rest completely before we go. Thank you for taking care of us in so many ways.]


    In the pouches, there were cookies and gold coins.


    The caretaker had only been working because of the salary that they had earned from the temple manager, but seeing the slip of paper thanking them for their work and the gifts made their heart feel full.


    The caretaker was still enjoying the warm feeling of thanks when something happened.


    There were rough knocks coming from the front door on the 1st floor.


    The caretaker hurried to go downstairs.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m looking for someone.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was chilly enough to actually feel cold.


    The caretaker hesitated for a moment before opening the door.


    There was a man with an equally chilly stare standing in front of the door.


    Richard abruptly pushed past the caretaker and forced his way into the summer house.


    ¡°Where is Elisha?¡±


    ¡°Eli¡­sha¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me. I came here knowing that she¡¯s here. Where is Elisha?¡±


    It was only then that the caretaker realized who the person Richard was looking for was.


    ¡°T- That person just left a little while ago.¡±


    At the caretaker¡¯s words, Richard¡¯s face distorted.


    The caretaker was terrified that the agitated Richard was going to destroy some of the things in the summer house, but Richard didn¡¯t do anything else other than letting out a swear word.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Do you know where she went?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but I don¡¯t know where she went either¡­¡­ .¡±


    The caretaker¡¯s eyes were not the eyes of someone lying.


    Richard went outside of the summer house. Then, he flew up and flew towards the southwestern direction.


    Thankfully, he had already anticipated that Elisha would have left already, and he had sent Thomson and Agail to go ahead of him in the southwestern direction. So they would be able to catch up to Elisha in no time.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t, Richard had a guess about where Elisha was headed, so he didn¡¯t need to really worry.


    However, since she wasn¡¯t in his arms at the moment, he felt restless and nervous. He felt that he would only be able to relax if he was able to see her safe and sound.


    Richard, who had reached the Southwestern Gate, found many carriages waiting in front of the gate.


    From those carriages, there was one carriage that caught Richard¡¯s attention.


    ¡®The symbol of the Arden Temple?¡¯


    The symbol of the Arden Temple was drawn on that specific carriage.


    Richard hurriedly landed in front of it.


    The coachman of the carriage was shocked to see Richard landing from midair and immediately realized his identity.


    ¡°Y- Your Excellency, Duke Rubelin?¡±


    Before the coachman could stop him, Richard grabbed ahold of the carriage¡¯s door handle and dragged the door open.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    ¡°Wh¡ª What¡¯s this all of the sudden¡­!?¡±


    The person inside the wagon was not Elisha, but a middle-aged, half-bald man.


    His eyes were relaxed as if he was dozing off, and there was a thin mark of saliva on his lips.


    Richard was startled for a moment but soon after hardened his expression and asked for an explanation.


    ¡°Wh¡ª who are y¡­ hip!¡±


    The man, who had been abruptly awoken, started shouting, but he quickly froze when he met Richard¡¯s fierce red eyes.


    Overwhelmed by the cold atmosphere, he started to hiccup.


    Richard looked at him with a stiff expression, bit his lips, and closed the door.


    ¡°¡­I made a mistake.¡±


    Thompson and Agail approached Richard.


    ¡°Your Excellency, the Madam¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t meet her.¡±


    Unlike Thompson, Agail understood the situation at one glance.


    Richard also understood the sudden situation.


    That Elisha didn¡¯t come through this gate.


    Thompson pondered for a moment.


    ¡°To get from to Sorneti, you must go through this road, where did she go? Did she change her destination in the middle?¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s hurry and send knights to the other side¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    Listening to their words, a completely different possibility flashed in Richard¡¯s mind.


    Thompson and Agail¡¯s puzzled eyes turned to Richard.


    ¡°There¡¯s another way to get to Sorneti.¡±


    ¡°Another way? Then you¡¯ll need to go through the mountains.¡±


    Richard kept talking as he walked away from the two.


    ¡°There is a faster way to get there, by water, not by land. ¡±


    Then he flew straight up towards the north docks.


    A black aura was creeping up from him.


    At that time, Elisha¡¯s wagon was heading north from the villa to the docks.


    She fiddled with the boarding pass in her hand.


    Last evening, the branch manager, who came to the villa after hearing that Elisha had yet to leave, gave it to her.


    ¡°If you go to the dock on the Tobe River, there is a ship run by our guild.¡±


    ¡°A ship?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The schedule was delayed, and I think it would be better than traveling with that weak of a body.¡±


    There was a large river called the Tobe River flowing through the islands, which flowed into the eastern sea.


    It was a long distance, almost a fortnight by carriage to Sorneti, but it was faster to get there by boat through the Tove River.


    ¡°The boss and some distinguished guests often board the ship, so we have luxurious rooms. Even if you get seasick, you¡¯ll be much more comfortable than going by carriage.¡±


    Elisha quickly returned the boarding pass she was given to its hiding place in her luggage.


    It was good to be comfortable and travel fast, but it was also her first time riding a boat in this world, so she was curious.


    The road to the dock wasn¡¯t too far.


    There was a huge ship there. It was a ship built to a huge scale so it could carry trade goods and people all at once.


    Elisha swirled around out of curiosity for a short moment.


    ¡®I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡¯


    Contrary to her desire to see more, her body was asking for rest, completely exhausted as she always felt since she got pregnant.


    There was still about an hour left for the boat to depart, but Elisha wanted to go inside and lie down.


    Anne caught on to Elisha¡¯s inner thoughts.


    ¡°Ma¡ª Madam, I¡¯d like to buy some snacks, could you please wait a minute?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    She walked quickly to a nearby stand.


    The stands were selling fruits from other regions and some snacks that sailors could easily eat.


    Elisha sat in a chair and watched Anne.


    She was looking around. Then, she talked to the stand owner, and he started making some pancakes. She kept looking around while waiting.


    The expression on her face seemed somehow nervous. Rather than looking around with interest, she seemed to be looking for something.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯


    Elisha doubted Anne¡¯s behavior for a moment but forgot it when she saw her return with pancakes in hand.


    ¡°Are we¡­ going to ride the ship now, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I feel a little tired. I want to rest in the room.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I apologize. I made you wait for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Elisha took the lead with the boarding pass in her hands.


    However, Anne didn¡¯t follow her immediately. Rather, she walked slowly, looking back.


    ¡°Anne?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elisha shook her head.


    ¡®Are you sad that you have to go to a place that¡¯s far away? She¡¯s a child who believed in me and decided to follow me to a strange land, I should be nicer to her.


    Elisha thought so while boarding the boat.


    And an hour after the two got on the boat, it finally departed.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Elisha, who had fallen asleep before the ship even departed, woke up at night.


    She didn¡¯t know exactly what time it was, but looking at the bright moonlight through the window, it seemed like it was late at night.


    Elisha rubbed her eyes and looked around.


    The room she was in was a luxurious room for special guests. The bed was large, there was a chessboard on a table, and a small bookshelf with books about many different regions.


    There was even a window from where you could see the ocean and a private bathroom.


    Anne was asleep, curled up in the bed next to her.


    ¡®You must have been tired.¡¯


    After covering Anne with a blanket, Elisha put on her shawl and went out of the room.


    The mercenary who was sitting next to the door, guarding the room recognized her and got up.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just gonna get some fresh air. I won¡¯t go far, so just stay here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a quiet river, so the water is still calm. But, just in case, don¡¯t go near the railing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡±


    Elisha smiled back at the man who was worried about her and turned around.


    She went out through the dark hallway and onto the deck. A strong wind blew over Elisha.


    Sweeping her fluttering hair to one side, she looked around.


    It was quite a different view from the last scene she saw when she left the island in the afternoon.


    Between the high and low mountains on both sides, a wide river stretched out endlessly.


    Only this huge ship carrying Elisha floated on the serene river. The bright moonlight was shining on the ship.


    ¡®Even if I was tired, I should have watched the scenery at least a bit.¡¯


    She felt sorry for having fallen asleep and not having seen the island for the last time, but it was too late to regret it.


    ¡®Now, when will I be able to come back?¡¯


    Memories flashed through her mind.


    Strangely, the one that stood out the most was Richard. Even though they had only been together for less than a year.


    Elisha pulled out a brooch from her pocket. Before she left, she had taken it from Richard¡¯s bedroom.


    The brooch, in the moonlight, shone brightly and highlighted its presence.


    Elisha fiddled with the brooch, recalling her memories.


    At that time, a slightly different kind of wind blew.


    ¡®Wind¡­?¡¯


    The moment she felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, the moonlight shining on the brooch darkened.


    Puzzled, she looked up and froze at the same time.


    ¡°¡­ Richard?¡±


    Richard, with the moonlight at his back, was looking down at her.


    He stood still, with colder eyes than ever.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely find you.¡±


    At this moment, why did those words come to mind?


    Elisha just stared blankly at Richard, without saying anything. She couldn¡¯t even move.


    No, what was the point of trying to escape?


    Everywhere she went, that man came with the wind.


    Tak¡ª


    Richard lightly stepped on the railing and descended onto the deck.


    Elisha felt her heart sink.


    ¡°¡­Did you think I wouldn¡¯t find you if you ran away like this?¡±


    As he said that, the pair of red eyes approaching her were terrifying.


    Elisha unconsciously stepped back.


    Of course, it was a pointless move. As soon as she took a step back, the man who had narrowed the distance hurriedly pulled on Elisha¡¯s waist.


    It happened so fast that Elisha had no time to resist.


    Her slender waist was dragged helplessly and held in a firm embrace.


    His strong arms wrapped around her waist as if restraining her from running away.


    Then, with one hand, he touched Elisa¡¯s cheek and raised her face to make eye contact. The large hand that covered her cheek was warm, but the eyes that met her were cold.


    Richard looked down at Elisa, who was trapped in his arms, unable to move, and asked.


    ¡°Where are you going with my child?¡±


    His voice sounded like the growl of a beast.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    ¡®Richard¡­ knows?¡¯


    Her eyes shook aimlessly at Richard¡¯s words.


    Elisha didn¡¯t expect him to come after the ship. Besides, she didn¡¯t expect him to know that she was pregnant.


    Her mind went blank at the unexpected situation and she couldn¡¯t think of what to say.


    Richard threatened her with a cold voice.


    ¡°As long as you have my child, you can¡¯t go anywhere, Elisha.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want to run away again, run away. I¡¯ll follow you to the end of the world.¡±


    A cold river wind blew with his eerie voice. She reflexively closed her eyes as her body trembled.


    Richard¡¯s expression as he looked at Elisha was slightly distorted for an instant, and then he took off the robe he was wearing and wrapped it around her shoulders.


    ¡°¡­just go in and talk with me.¡±


    Elisha looked up at him with puzzled eyes.


    His long robe, which had his body heat left in it, felt as if it were tying her up.


    Like his eyes that couldn¡¯t be taken away from hers.


    ¡°Mmmhh.¡±


    After a deep sleep, Anne suddenly woke up. It was still dark at night.


    Anne, who was about to go back to sleep, opened her eyes wide when she saw the empty bed next to her.


    ¡°Madam?¡±


    Anne got up from bed and looked around the room. Obviously, she couldn¡¯t be inside the bathroom with the lights off.


    ¡®Where did she go at this late hour?¡¯


    There¡¯s nowhere else to go on the ship.


    Worried about Elisa¡¯s sudden disappearance late at night, Anne put on a robe to go out looking for her.


    Suddenly, the door opened and Elisha entered.


    ¡°Madam, Where have you been at this¡­¡±


    Anne, who was approaching Elisha, stopped in surprise when she saw Richard following her from behind.


    ¡°Lo, Lord?¡±


    ¡°I just took a walk.¡±


    Elisha answered Anne briefly.


    Richard hugged Elisa and took her to the bed and sat her down. He touched her forehead. Fortunately, there was no fever.


    At that moment, Richard sighed in relief and got up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Leaving the room, Richard headed for the captain¡¯s office.


    The captain¡¯s office was located at the top of the ship¡¯s deck, where the river and sea were best viewed.


    After Richard knocked and waited for a while, a young man who appeared to be an apprentice captain came out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to the Captain for a moment.¡±


    Looking at Richard¡¯s cold eyes, he felt like his throat would be torn out if he said no.


    The apprentice hurriedly woke the captain up.


    ¡°Ca¡ª Captain.¡±


    ¡°What time is it now, shouldn¡¯t you have sent Tyler back so we can switch.¡±


    The captain, who was forced to get up from the bed while he had been having a good night¡¯s sleep, hit the apprentice and approached the door, after seeing Richard his eyes widened.


    Seeing his cold eyes and clothes that looked expensive at first glance, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t refuse, no matter what time it was.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sir? Is there anything uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like the ship anchored at a nearby dock.¡±


    He could have crossed the river by flying with Elisha, but beyond the river was a barren field and mountains.


    He didn¡¯t even know where the nearest village was and the wind was too strong. The wind would not be good for Elisha, who already had a weak complexion.


    If it was a dock, there would be a place to rent a wagon or stay until the Rubellin¡¯s wagon came.


    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±


    At Richard¡¯s absurd request, the captain asked with a puzzled expression.


    The ship was not just carrying passengers, but also carried goods from the guild.


    Some of those items had to arrive in a hurry, so the ship would go straight to the Arden territory without stopping.


    But he wanted to anchor the ship.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry, but our ship has some items that need to be delivered urgently, so we won¡¯t stop in the middle.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re late, we could suffer a lot of damage¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think anchoring will be possible.¡±


    Richard, who had been quietly listening to the story, opened his mouth and talked in a rather soft voice.


    ¡°That damage, I¡¯ll pay you twice as much in the name of Rubellin.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s words, the captain¡¯s mouth as well as the apprentice¡¯s mouth behind him opened wide.


    The idea of paying twice as much was surprising, but what was more surprising was the name ¡°Rubellin¡± that flowed out of his mouth.


    The Rubellin family was the household with the largest number of mines on the continent, so it wasn¡¯t a lie if he said he would pay twice the amount.


    His will was as absolute as an imperial order.


    ¡°So anchor the ship.¡±


    The captain and the apprentice couldn¡¯t say anything to Richard¡¯s back as he turned around and slowly walked away.


    After Richard left the room, Elisha sat dazed in thought.


    Anne, who was looking at Elisha, quietly knelt in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, madam. I¡­ sent a letter to His Excellency.¡±


    When Elisha lay ill with a high fever, Anne was afraid that something might go wrong with Elisha.


    At that moment, while she was rolling her feet without being able to do anything, Elisha, who was ill in public, struggled to open her parched lips.


    ¡°Richard¡­¡±


    A name that flowed out like a moan, like salvation.


    The moment she heard the name, Anne sent him a letter without hesitation. If he came, she thought this whole situation would be solved.


    Anyway, the only family Elisha had now was Richard.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I broke my promise with you¡­¡±


    Anne burst into tears and pleaded to Elisha for forgiveness.


    Elisha stared at Anne quietly.


    Eventually, the whole plan fell through. She was trying to get away from him, and she was trying to hide the existence of the child.


    But why?


    Rather than being angry, she felt relieved. It was strange.


    ¡°That must have been the best choice for you at the time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s only this one time. Next time, please discuss it with me first.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    As Anne was shedding tears, Richard returned to the room.


    Anne noticed the atmosphere between the two and quietly walked away.


    Richard approached and sat in front of Elisha with his knees on the floor and looked up at her.


    When he found out that she had run away from him with his child, he was outraged.


    ¡®Do you want to divorce me enough to run away with my child?¡¯


    ¡®Do you hate me that much?¡¯


    However, when he saw Elisha looking at him with fearful eyes, the anger that seemed to be unbearable was suppressed.


    Instead, an emotion greater than anger welled up.


    A sense of relief that he got her back, and a terrible feeling towards her.


    A tragic love that has no choice but to turn to her even though she has run away from him.


    After staring at Elisha quietly for a moment, Richard grabbed her hand and asked in a soft voice.


    ¡°Why did you run away?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°With my child, too.¡±


    Elisha tried to find the right words.


    She couldn¡¯t tell him that this was a world inside a novel, and she was trying to avoid death.


    Elisha covered her belly with her other hand, which was not caught by him. As if to protect the child from danger.


    At Elisa¡¯s actions, Richard¡¯s eyes shook.


    ¡°I know you hate kids.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to a place no one knows about and I¡¯ll raise this child well. So¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t hate it.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s reaction different from the previous one, Elisha looked at him startled.


    His eyes showed a strange mixture of relief and regret at the same time.


    It was the relief that she didn¡¯t run away because she hated him, and the guilt he felt for giving her reasons to run away.


    Richard, who had let out a painful sigh as he lowered his gaze, opened his mouth again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong, Elisha.¡±


    Richard looked at Elisha who was looking down at him with bewildered eyes, then got up and held her in his arms.


    His eyes, as he held her in his arms, were tinged with obsession.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t run away again.¡±


    It was a desperate voice, as if he was begging.


    Elisha blinked blankly in his arms.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you hate children?¡¯


    Contrary to the previous answer, he didn¡¯t seem to avoid children. In the original novel, Richard hated the existence of children.


    ¡®Is it different from the original?¡¯


    So, even if we¡¯re together, we don¡¯t have to face such an unfortunate ending?


    ¡®Can I look forward to that possibility?¡¯


    ¡®Because we still have a few years before we die¡­¡¯


    If I don¡¯t love Richard, I won¡¯t get obsessed with him and he won¡¯t hate me.


    ¡®If I see any signs of him turning similar to the original at any time, it won¡¯t be too late to run away.¡¯


    When she thought of that, she burst into tears as her heart that had been burdened by all those worries was released.


    The truth was, even if she promised herself that she would be able to raise the child by herself, at the same time, she was terrified.


    Relief came to her at the thought of not having to deal with that fear alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Richard quietly soothed Elisha, who burst into tears.


    While holding her in his arms, the black energy that had been creeping up from his body had faded away.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Early in the morning, Aiden was watering the flower beds around the temple.


    As he moved his hand, the clear water that had pooled in his palm suddenly spurted out and soaked the ground.


    The water-soaked buds glistened in the sunlight. A faint smile spread across Aiden¡¯s lips as he looked at it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see your flowers in the summer.¡±


    Every morning, managing the flower beds was one of his tasks.


    At that time, heavy footsteps began to ring in the temple, where only peaceful birds chirped moments ago.


    When Aiden turned around, he saw Rupel, the commander of the Holy Knights, approaching his way.


    At the same time, the smile disappeared from Aiden¡¯s lips. He had an idea of what news he had brought.


    ¡°Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I looked in the vicinity of the territory of Tearyl in the west and the docks in the north of the islands, but I didn¡¯t find anything strange or suspicious.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Aiden started watering the flower bed again with a calm expression.


    Even before the return of the Holy Knight Commander, he was expecting that he would not be able to bring the news he was hoping for.


    Long before they were expected to arrive at the dock, the evil energy felt near that place disappeared.


    ¡°Let¡¯s expand our search.¡±


    The commander of the Holy Knights said without a single ounce of hesitation in his bloodshot eyes as he hadn¡¯t slept for several nights.


    The Holy Knights he led consisted only of those who belonged to the temple, not the Empire.


    On the surface, this was a gathering place only for faithful people who turned to God, but in reality, it was a gathering place for those who did not receive any titles from the family but wanted to protect their honor.


    Some nobles ridiculed them as ¡®the chaff knights¡¯, but Aiden regarded them as his own people without discrimination and cherished them.


    Because of that, the loyalty of the Holy Knights towards Aiden was great.


    Seeing Rupel¡¯s tired look, Aiden dissuaded the will of the Holy Knights Commander.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s enough. Thank you for your efforts. You must be tired, so take a good rest today, and be vigilant from tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I accept your divine will.¡±


    The commander of the Holy Knights bowed to Aiden and withdrew.


    Then he saw another person behind him.


    Aiden¡¯s face lit up when he saw that face.


    Olivia, who had already approached Aiden, bowed slightly, her face shone brightly.


    ¡°Long time no see, Holy Father.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, madam.¡±


    Likewise, bowing slightly to her, Aiden smiled when she found Lizzie hiding behind her dress.


    She was the one who kept his old friend Olivia away from him for the last few years.


    Aiden sat at eye level with the child.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lizzie.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡±


    Lizzie bowed to Aiden in a crawling voice and hid behind Olivia again.


    However, her gaze filled with curiosity and fear was fixed on Aiden.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not stay here, let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    Aiden asked a nearby messenger boy to prepare some tea and then led Olivia and Lizzie into the temple.


    Olivia, who followed Aiden while examining around, frowned upon finding traces of time in every corner of the temple.


    ¡°I asked you to use the last donation only for the temple, but did you give it to people again?¡±


    ¡°I gave it to those who needed it more urgently. Helping them is for the temple.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s for them, make something like a god¡¯s book and sell it to the nobles. With that money, you can help them and renovate the temple, right? That¡¯s what other kingdoms do.¡±


    The ¡®God¡¯s book¡¯ was a certificate indicating that the bearer had accumulated many virtues during his lifetime and was qualified to go to the side of God.


    People believed that if they were buried together with it in a coffin, they could die and go to the side of the gods.


    In the temples of the surrounding kingdoms, they used to accumulate wealth by selling it for money, but the royal family did not suffer from the soaring price.


    Aiden smirked at Olivia¡¯s comment.


    ¡°The princess still talks about ways to disrupt the system.¡±


    Julia¡¯s necklace was still hanging around Aiden¡¯s neck as he said that.


    Olivia stared at the old friend¡¯s memento, then replied.


    ¡°¡­and you have not changed at all.¡±


    The two finally arrived at the drawing-room inside the temple and had tea.


    In the meantime, Lizzie, who had been shy with Aiden, soon became accustomed due to the dried fruit given by Aiden at the end of their tea time.


    Aiden, who had finished his tea, put the cup down. It was time to go pray.


    ¡°Who have you come to pray for today?¡±


    At Aiden¡¯s question, Olivia naturally tried to mention her family, but remembered the other person and answered with a smile.


    ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to pray for a new friend.¡±


    The ship of Arden¡¯s guild anchored at a nearby dock early in the morning.


    Elisha, Richard, and Anne rode a wagon all day and arrived at the Duke¡¯s mansion late at night.


    As soon as they entered the mansion, all the workers and knights, including the butler Grayson, greeted Elisha with tears in their eyes.


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    Of course, Thompson was the loudest among them.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you can live without Rubellin, but we can¡¯t live without you, madam. Please don¡¯t abandon us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your Excellency is still not good at territorial work.¡±


    ¡°Without you, he¡¯ll probably be clumsy all his life.¡±


    Agail agreed with Thompson¡¯s words.


    Richard looked at the cheeky subordinates who were scolding him right in his face, but he didn¡¯t say anything perhaps because they were in front of Elisha.


    Elisha was embarrassed that she had run away without saying a word to them, but she was also grateful for those who welcomed her nonetheless.


    And she, too, was glad to see them again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I made everyone worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe, madam.¡±


    Grayson greeted Elisha with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s still windy in the evening. Please don¡¯t stay here and go in. We have prepared a simple meal for you.¡±


    Elisha headed to the dining room with Richard. There were several dishes on the table.


    Salad with ricotta cheese and tomatoes, sweet and sour green grapes, apple juice, and bread baked without butter were prepared for Elisha, who suffers from morning sickness.


    Although Elisa felt uncomfortable, she started eating out of consideration of the sincerity of those who prepared it. Fortunately, the salad and fruit were her taste and easily entered her mouth.


    The problem was the bread.


    From the onset of morning sickness, she couldn¡¯t even smell the bread. And again today, the child in her womb refused the bread.


    ¡°Uugg¡­¡±


    Elisha ran out of the dining room because she couldn¡¯t stand the nausea.


    ¡°Elisha!¡±


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    Richard, who was watching Elisa with worried eyes, and Anne, who was next to her, followed Elisha.


    As soon as Anne held out the bucket, Elisha threw up.


    Richard hugged Elisha, who collapsed as if exhausted.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Elisha.¡±


    Elisha was exhausted for a moment and then struggled to get up.


    ¡°Finish your meal, Richard. I¡¯ll go upstairs first.¡±


    Elisha went up to the room with Anne¡¯s help.


    Richard looked at Elisa¡¯s back worriedly and bit his lip.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe you tried to handle this alone.¡¯


    He felt relieved that he didn¡¯t miss her anymore, but on the contrary, now he felt guilty that he couldn¡¯t do anything for her even though he was right next to her.


    Thompson and Agail, who were watching Richard, approached him.


    ¡°When did you secretly create an heir?¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes blazed at Thompson¡¯s tactless prank.


    Agail elbowed Thompson at the hint.


    Thompson realized it wasn¡¯t the right time to play around and coughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Well. Anyway, that¡¯s not the point of what I¡¯m saying, you should give her your devil strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency can¡¯t be in pain for her, so we should please her with a party, a gift, or something like that.¡±


    Richard paid attention to Thompson¡¯s gibberish for the first time in a while.


    ¡°Did you say congratulations, I¡¯m happy, or something like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­It escaped my mind.¡±


    ¡°Oho, that¡¯s not right. If you don¡¯t do it when she¡¯s pregnant, it¡¯ll haunt you for the rest of your life.¡±


    Richard, who had been silently listening to Thompson¡¯s enthusiastic speech, asked.


    ¡°How do you know, when you¡¯re not even married?¡±


    Thompson was startled by Richard¡¯s sudden attack and then responded softly with a hurt expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m a prepared man.¡±


    Agail next to him burst into laughter.


    Thompson glared at Agail.


    ¡°Who are you laughing at? You¡¯re the same.¡±


    The smile disappeared from Agail¡¯s face at Thompson¡¯s counterattack.


    Thompson Leit, twenty-eight, and Agail Richester, twenty-five. The two were old bachelors who had never been in a relationship before.


    Agail, who glared at Thompson for a moment, returned to the topic.


    ¡°But, Madam is not yet stable, so I think it would be a little burdensome to hold a party that is too big.¡±


    ¡°Also, she barely eats.¡±


    Grayson, who was nearby, also joined the conversation trying to help.


    But Thompson waved his index finger as if their concerns were insignificant.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We don¡¯t need food or stuff for this party.¡±


    Richard, Agail, and Grayson looked at Thompson with curious eyes.


    Thompson¡¯s sly eyes were directed at Richard.


    Elisha came out after taking a simple bath.


    Anne put some fragrance on Elisha¡¯s body and dressed her in a light-blue nightgown.


    But today something felt different.


    Nightgown that seems more elegant than usual, and hair that is finely curled on one side.


    ¡®I think something is going on¡­¡¯


    Elisha entered the bedroom with a dubious expression.


    At that moment, she could immediately see why Anne was more concerned about her sleeping clothes than usual.


    Glittering light-emitting stones were placed throughout the darkened bedroom, and petals were scattered around it.


    ¡°Beautiful¡­¡±


    As Elisha stopped at the entrance to the bedroom and looked around, the door opened from behind her.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    When she looked back reflexively, Richard was standing there. Holding a bouquet of roses in full bloom in his arms.


    Richard, who was approaching Elisha, held out the bouquet of flowers to her.


    ¡°Congratulations on becoming a mom, Elisha.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still clumsy, but I¡¯ll try my best to be a good dad.¡±


    Elisha blinked blankly as she looked at Richard who spoke awkwardly with an awkward expression.


    She didn¡¯t expect him to organize such an event.


    ¡®Still, he must feel responsible for his own child.¡¯


    Anyway, she was relieved to think that the child would not be hated by his father. At the same time, there was hope.


    The hope that even if we do not love each other as a man and woman, we will be able to live like any other ordinary family like close friends and family.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Elisha smiled and took the bouquet from Richard.


    Fortunately, the scent of flowers didn¡¯t feel disgusting. Rather, it had a relaxing effect.


    Richard, who was examining Elisha¡¯s expression, brought up a topic.


    ¡°And a dad and mom said that sleeping together is good for the baby, so starting today, we¡¯re going to sleep together.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ ye, yeah. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    She had never heard of it, but it was a pretty plausible story.


    Elisha reluctantly accepted his offer.


    ¡°You must be tired, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    Richard led Elisha to bed.


    Elisha gulped at the awkwardness.


    ¡°Awkward¡­¡±


    Sleeping with him as an adult is hard to get used to no matter how many nights she experiences.


    But even if it was awkward, she couldn¡¯t stop him from saying that he was going to act like a dad.


    Elisha was concerned about lying on the bed first.


    But Richard didn¡¯t lie down and stayed there. He fixed his gaze on her belly.


    Noticing the meaning of that gaze, Elisha asked.


    ¡°Do you want to touch it?¡±


    Richard hesitated for a moment before carefully placing his hand on Elisha¡¯s stomach. But it wasn¡¯t where the baby was.


    ¡°The baby is here.¡±


    Elisha took his hand and lowered it a little. His big, warm hand covered her belly.


    The hand was trembling without being able to touch it properly. His brow was also slightly frowned as if he was focused.


    As if afraid of adding too much strength in his hand. As if he was trying to feel the presence of a still insignificant child.


    Elisha suppressed her laughter when she saw him like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s still very small, so you won¡¯t feel much.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s words, Richard immediately raised his hand. He was afraid that the baby might go wrong because he couldn¡¯t control his energy properly.


    Instead, he greeted the child in the womb.


    ¡°Welcome to the world, baby. See you soon in good health.¡±


    Then he kissed Elisha¡¯s belly lightly.


    Elisha was startled by his sudden touch. It was because of the sudden memory of the night that she became pregnant.


    The moment her eyes met with Richard¡¯s red eyes looking up at her, her heart sank.


    In the darkened room, his handsome face illuminated with the soft light of the glow-stone was breathtakingly beautiful.


    If she kept looking at that face, she felt like she was going to be possessed. Just like that night.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to bed now.¡±


    Elisha hurriedly avoided his gaze and lay down on the bed.


    Soon after, Richard lay down next to her. And he gently hugged Elisha, who was lying with her back on him.


    Elisha was startled by that.


    ¡°Ri, Richard?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous if you fall out of bed like before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping peacefully now¡­?¡±


    Elisha objected, but Richard didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡®Did he fall asleep?¡¯


    But she couldn¡¯t look back. If he was awake, she wasn¡¯t confident enough to meet those breath-taking eyes from before at this distance.


    Elisha gave up getting out of his arms and closed her eyes.


    But when one sense was shut off, the other senses came alive and everything felt so good.


    The body temperature that touched her body, the hot breath that touched her nape.


    It was as if the cells all over her body were paying attention to him.


    Every time his breath tickled the nape of her neck, her heart fluttered uncontrollably. To the extent that she was afraid that he would hear the sound.


    ¡®I won¡¯t be able to sleep like this!¡¯


    However, contrary to her thoughts, the body that had been tormented by the journey quickly fell into darkness.


    Elisha, who was tossing and turning in her sleep, instinctively searched for warmth and dug into Richard¡¯s arms.


    Richard looked at Elisha and hugged her.


    Strangely, he was nervous to hold her in his arms.


    ¡®¡­If your belly is full, you won¡¯t be able to run anymore.¡¯


    He succumbed to his thoughts without realizing it.


    It was a trashy idea. But he still wanted to have her by his side.


    Richard carefully placed his hand on Elisha¡¯s belly again.


    It was the precious child who would make her stay by his side for a little longer.


    ¡®I don¡¯t¡­ hate it as I thought.¡¯


    It was an unexpected child, but it wasn¡¯t as repulsive as he had vaguely thought.


    Rather, it was surprising and curious that a life resembling both of them was growing in her small and delicate body.


    ¡®Because it¡¯s Elisha¡¯s child.¡¯


    As he was thinking about the child, he suddenly felt a stinging pain in his back.


    It was a very slight pain compared to what he had felt before, but he was concerned because it had been repeated several times.


    Richard rose quietly and approached the mirror.


    He pulled down his loose pajamas and looked at his left side, where he felt the pain, but nothing stood out.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask Agail.¡¯


    Since it wasn¡¯t a visible wound externally, he thought that it would be different from a normal wound.


    He heard that Agail had acquired a lot of knowledge from the Tower of Truth, so maybe he would know.


    ¡®Besides, is it just me, or the pain is getting worse every time Elisha is not around?¡¯


    Then, he heard Elisha tossing and turning.


    ¡°Nnng¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the sound, Richard went straight back to Elisha. And he fell asleep with her in his arms.


    Morning sunlight was streaming through the window.


    Elisha, who had been wandering around in her dream, tightly embraced the pillow placed nearby. The pillow was big and hard, so it was difficult to hold it, but it was cozy and had a nice scent.


    ¡®By the way¡­ which pillow is bigger than me? Besides, is it¡­ breathing?¡¯


    Elisha, who was asleep, suddenly remembered something and opened her eyes.


    ¡®Hyuk.¡¯


    She barely swallowed the scream that was about to come out.


    Not surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t a pillow she was hugging, it was Richard.


    He was sleeping soundly, hugging Elisha. He was having a bad dream, with his handsome brow frowned slightly.


    ¡®Your sleeping face is so handsome.¡¯


    Even if he was lying on his side, his face was slanted, and instead of making him look ugly, his slightly disheveled black hair added to the languid atmosphere making it feel like a masterpiece.


    ¡®If you see this face every morning, you can¡¯t do it without prenatal education.¡¯


    [e/n: I¡¯m not sure what she means by prenatal education, probs has something to do with him being so hot it¡¯s making her stressed or something lol]


    However, objectively, the face is not suitable for prenatal education.


    Because he was closer to a devilish figure who would take even your soul from you if you looked at him, instead of a handsome angelic man who gave peace to your heart.


    ¡®Well, Hanes would look like his father in the first place, so he doesn¡¯t need prenatal care.¡¯


    As Elisha looked at his features as if appreciating a statue, his tightly closed eyelids opened, revealing his red eyes.


    Elisha, who made eye contact with him, stopped breathing unknowingly as if she had been caught doing something wrong.


    There was a moment of silence between the two.


    Elisha struggled to calm her startled heart and opened her mouth one beat later.


    ¡°Did¡­ did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Richard looked at Elisha¡¯s forehead as he greeted her in the morning, then unfurrowed his brow and got up. He hurriedly pulled on a robe.


    Even before Elisha could ask what was wrong, the door opened and Anne came in.


    ¡°Did you call for me?¡±


    ¡°Call the doctor right away. Elisha seems to have a fever.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s words, Anne¡¯s expression became serious. It was because she had a memory of suffering more than anyone else due to Elisha¡¯s high fever.


    But Elisha, the one involved, dissuaded Anne.


    ¡°No, Anne! It¡¯s just the usual fever.¡±


    Anne finally understood Elisha¡¯s words and sighed with relief.


    But Richard¡¯s expression grew stiffer.


    ¡°The usual slight fever?¡±


    ¡°In the early days of pregnancy, everyone has it.¡±


    Richard realized only after hearing Elisha¡¯s words.


    As the heir of the family, he had learned how to make a child, but he had never learned how the body of a pregnant woman changes.


    That¡¯s why he felt sorry for Elisha.


    ¡®I¡¯m gonna go to the library right now and look for a pregnancy book.¡¯


    Anne, who had been listening to their conversation, asked.


    ¡°Would you like me to bring your meal to your room?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    ¡°Along with mine.¡±


    Anne bowed briefly and left the room.


    Richard, who was staring at Elisha¡¯s belly, seemed to remember something and knelt down next to the bed, kissed her belly, and whispered.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    It was a morning greeting for the baby.


    Elisha looked at Richard blankly.


    ¡®It feels¡­ weird.¡¯


    Every time he kissed her belly, she realized that he was the father of the child and that they had become a real ¡®family¡¯.


    At the same time, her heart felt warm.


    She knew he¡¯s just fulfilling his responsibilities to the child, still, the fact that the family was fully established gave her great stability.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m coming in.¡±


    After a while, Anne brought breakfast.


    Elisha¡¯s diet was complete without bread, and although sandwiches were added to Richard¡¯s diet, there were basically no strong-smelling foods.


    ¡°Thank you, Anne.¡±


    Elisha stabbed the salad with a fork and put it in her mouth. The cool and fresh salad was well received amidst the roaring of her stomach.


    But then, Richard, who was about to eat a sandwich, wrinkled his forehead and covered his mouth.


    Elisha looked at Richard with puzzled eyes.


    ¡°Richard?¡±


    ¡°Uugg¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t eat the sandwich and ran out of the bedroom.


    Elisha and Anne were just gazing in bewilderment at the door he left through in a rush.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Around lunchtime, Agail was in Richard¡¯s office listening to him talk about his recurring pain.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ve been having back pain since you came to the capital?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s see where you feel the pain.¡±


    As Agail said, Richard took off his shirt and showed him his back.


    Agail was amazed by Richard¡¯s back muscles that were exposed in front of him.


    Just by the outline of the shirt, he guessed that it was a well-trained body, but when he actually saw it, he was astonished.


    It wasn¡¯t an overly muscular body, but basically, it looked daunting and hard because it was solid muscles built on top of a skeleton larger than others.


    His back muscles, which rippled whenever he moved slightly, were enough to even overwhelm a man like Agail.


    Agail, who was startled for a moment, soon regained his composure and examined Richard¡¯s back.


    As Richard said, nothing stood out from the outside.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that stands out. When does the pain get worse? When you do certain things you get a lot of pain¡­ something like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just me, but it¡¯s getting worse without Elisha.¡±


    Agail, who had expected muscle pain, widened his eyes at Richard¡¯s answer.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that just because you feel separation anxiety from madam¡­?¡¯


    Like, lovesickness.


    Thompson would have said what he thought, but Agail talked in a roundabout way.


    ¡°If we¡¯re speaking practically, Madam is not going to relieve the pain. If she doesn¡¯t have the power to purify or heal, it¡¯s just something psychological.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it in case there¡¯s another reason.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Elisha.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Then, a knock was heard and Grayson entered.


    ¡°Your Excellency, we¡¯ve prepared lunch with food that¡¯s easy to eat.¡±


    It seemed hard to believe that Richard, who is indifferent to everyone and cold to everything, had morning sickness.


    Thompson, on the other hand, burst into laughter as soon as he heard the story.


    ¡°It¡¯s cute to think that a boy like him grew up to be a father.¡±


    But Agail couldn¡¯t agree with him.


    ¡®How can you think of a big adult man like him as cute?¡¯


    To Thompson, he may be like a younger brother, but to Agail, Richard was still a stranger, and he was only a scary boss, who sometimes had a cold expression on his face.


    On the other hand, the person Agail regarded as a younger sibling was Elisha, whom he had been looking after for the past 8 years, rather than Richard, whom he had just met.


    So, on one hand, he was afraid of Richard, and on the other, he was displeased with him.


    Whatever happened between them, he let Elisha run away anyway.


    No matter how well things worked out, Agail was determined to keep an eye on Richard¡¯s kindness to Elisha.


    ¡°Then enjoy your meal.¡±


    Richard went to the dining room after receiving greetings from Agail.


    Elisha, who came down first, was waiting for him.


    ¡°You should have eaten first.¡±


    ¡°No. I just came too.¡±


    Richard sat at the table.


    There were salads and sweet and sour fruits.


    It was a dish he didn¡¯t like very much, but he felt fortunate to be able to have a meal with Elisha nonetheless.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±


    Elisa muttered to herself and raised her fork. Salad and fruit went well, as always.


    Then, suddenly, she remembered that Richard had morning sickness and looked at him.


    At that moment, her eyes met with Richard, who was also looking at her.


    ¡®Ah.¡¯


    An awkward atmosphere passed between the two of them when their eyes met. No, to be honest, only Elisha felt that way.


    Richard looked at her with calm eyes.


    As if it were natural.


    Elisha, who blinked absentmindedly as if caught in his gaze, belatedly avoided the strong eye contact and turned away.


    ¡°Um, how did the work with Viscount Roxas go?¡±


    ¡°I captured him alive, but I didn¡¯t get any income. I¡¯m going to interrogate him until today, and if there¡¯s no other information, I¡¯m thinking of releasing him tomorrow. Then, Marquis Felice will k¡­¡±


    Kill him, Richard, who was about to say that, stopped talking when he saw Elisha looking at him with her eyes wide open.


    There was a child in her womb. Cruel words would not be good for prenatal education.


    [e/n: I guess they mean that the child will understand what is happening outside, so they don¡¯t want to talk about or do things inappropriate for children lol]


    Richard refined his words as much as possible.


    ¡°¡­Marquis Felice will take care of it.¡±


    The reason he said ¡®I will execute him in the name of Rubellin¡¯ in front of the Emperor was to provoke him, but he had no intention of actually killing him.


    Of course, if he did, he would be able to show off Rubellin¡¯s influence to other nobles as he had told the Emperor.


    But, as the Emperor said, it would instill insecurities in the young nobles.


    Elisha, who was still listening to his story, opened her mouth.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let him live instead?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, Viscount Roxas has been working under Marquis Felice for quite some time. But he doesn¡¯t have close contact with him. He¡¯s just running errands for profit.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s ¡®close contact¡¯ meant a relationship established by marriage or a relationship of close cooperation.


    However, Marquis Felice and Viscount Roxas had a light relationship with a thorough hierarchical relationship.


    ¡°That also means that if you just remove that light contact, the relationship will break easily.¡±


    ¡°Remove the contact¡­¡±


    ¡°If you let him go and let him live frightened about his potential death, he will realize that the Marquis has completely abandoned him. That¡¯s the right time to conciliate.¡±


    ¡°But, is Viscount Roxas worth it enough?¡±


    ¡°As he has worked for Marquis Felice for a long time, he must know quite a bit of vital information without even realizing it. Wouldn¡¯t it be helpful if he turned to us?¡±


    After quietly listening to Elisa¡¯s story, Richard realized it again.


    Elisha knew how to solve most problems peacefully.


    Moreover, she knew not only how to keep the peace, but also how to use situations more effectively.


    He felt it while watching her handling the manor¡¯s business, but she has become a wonderful hostess, unbeknownst to her.


    Richard slowly raised the corners of his mouth and nodded.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Elisha. I¡¯ll try that.¡±


    Elisha was proud to have helped him and started eating again.


    But she barely had an appetite.


    It was her favorite salad, but she had been eating salad ever since she started having morning sickness, so she got tired.


    However, it was the only thing she could eat, so she was just eating it reluctantly.


    Richard, who was looking at Elisha frowning, asked.


    ¡°Is there anything you want to eat?¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if she could only manage to eat a little of what they provided, but he was worried that Elisa, who was already weak, couldn¡¯t eat properly.


    According to the book, mothers usually have one or two foods they want to eat strongly.


    Elisha was going to get whatever it was if she wanted it.


    However, Elisha, who seemed to be pondering for a while, soon shook her head weakly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel well yet, so I can¡¯t think of anything. I¡¯ll tell you when I think of it.¡±


    Elisha said with a smile as if not to make him worry, but Richard¡¯s expression on his face hardened with concern.


    Seeing his expression like that, Elisha reassured him, thinking that he was worried about the child.


    ¡°A bad bout of morning sickness means that the baby is growing healthy. Even if I can¡¯t eat, I don¡¯t have to worry too much because the nutrients are going well for my baby.¡±


    However, contrary to Elisha¡¯s intention to reassure him, Richard¡¯s expression was rather stiff.


    Then, Grayson came in after knocking.


    ¡°Sir, Madam. The Imperial Palace has sent a letter to you.¡±


    Grayson handed Richard a letter with the imperial seal.


    He knew the contents of the letter without having to open it. At this time, there was only one letter that could come from the palace.


    Richard opened the stationery and took out the letter. As expected, it was an invitation to a hunting festival held in the Imperial Palace.


    Having quickly confirmed the clich¨¦d invitation, Richard told Grayson.


    ¡°I will attend, and the Duchess is ill with a cold, so I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to attend, send the reply.¡±


    It would be best for Elisha, who was early in her pregnancy, to stay and rest.


    But contrary to his idea, Elisha called Grayson again.


    ¡°Grayson, say I¡¯ll assist, too.¡±


    ¡°Elisha?¡±


    Richard called Elisha with a voice full of concern, but she didn¡¯t change her decision.


    Since it was decided that the child in her womb would inherit the Rubellin¡¯s name, she had no intention of letting the Emperor keep him in check.


    ¡®This power struggle is the reason I¡¯ve been taking care of Rubellin for the past eight years.¡¯


    It was time to show them Rubellin¡¯s influence.


    In spring, Sornetti was full of flowers in full bloom.


    Occasionally, the sea breeze blew and the petals fluttered, creating a spectacular view of the blue sea, greenery, and five-colored petals.


    A handsome brunette stood in the middle of the magnificent view.


    It was Ansel who had grown up and led the guild of Arden, and the Arden¡¯s County.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for Elisha to come¡­¡±


    Ansel tapped absently on the pocket watch as the porters put new furniture into the cottage.


    At that time, he felt a presence nearby.


    ¡°Finally, someone is coming to this mansion.¡±


    When he turned around towards the voice, an old gray-haired gentleman stopped walking and stood looking at the mansion.


    Although he was wearing an old suit, he still exuded a certain dignity.


    Ansel, who was staring at him, replied with a smile.


    ¡°Since teacher knows that this mansion has been empty for a long time, you must have lived here for a long time.¡± [e/n: not really his teacher, Ansel is just being respectful since the man is older]


    Although he knew that there was no nobleman of a higher rank than the count himself in this small town, Ansel nevertheless talked to the unknown old man formally.


    The young boy, who had been stuttering back in the day, became a businessman who knew how to carry out business skillfully no matter who he met.


    The old gentleman replied with a smile as if he was in a better mood due to the title ¡®teacher¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived in this village all my life, taking care of the sick.¡±


    That meant that the old gentleman was the village¡¯s doctor in his old days.


    Ansel narrowed his eyes.


    There was nothing wrong with building a relationship with those with professional skills.


    In addition, people who have lived in this village for a long time will have a wide network of people, and it will be helpful in many ways.


    Ansel praised the old gentleman as a way to open up a network for Elisha.


    ¡°I thought your face was full of virtue, so you were a doctor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to hear that. This isn¡¯t my hometown, but it¡¯s like my hometown.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Maybe you know my friend who¡¯s going to live in this mansion soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the one that lived in this town before?¡±


    As Ansel expected, the old gentleman showed interest in Elisha.


    Ansel brought up Elisha¡¯s story as if he had been waiting.


    ¡°She¡¯s the only daughter of Viscount Loengrin, who owned this mansion about ten years ago, did you know them?¡±


    However, contrary to Ansel¡¯s expectation, the eyes of the old gentleman, who heard the name Loengrin, shook violently.


    ¡®Is it possible that he is an enemy of Elisha¡¯s parents¡­? I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up.¡¯


    Ansel began to think about how to deal with the situation.


    The old gentleman who was looking at Ansel with trembling eyes asked.


    ¡°¡­Did you just say that she¡¯s the only daughter of Viscount Loengrin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, is there a problem¡­?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ that can¡¯t be right¡­¡±


    The old gentleman¡¯s expression was not that of dealing with an enemy, but of seeing a ghost.


    ¡°Miss Elisha must have died of lung disease eight years ago¡­¡±


    Ansel¡¯s eyes began to shake at his words.


    He, who looked at him in disbelief, shook his head as if it was an absurdity.


    ¡°Dying? Elisha is now the mistress of the Duke of Rubellin, and she¡¯s doing fine. I guess teacher got it wrong.¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡±


    The old man denied Ansel¡¯s words once more. There was certainty in the light in his eyes as he looked at Ansel.


    ¡°Because I am the doctor who confirmed the death of Miss Elisha.¡±


    Ansel¡¯s eyes widened at his words.


    Elisha could not have died then. Because the Elisha he knows is still alive.


    ¡®Then the Elisha I know, isn¡¯t it Elisha Loengrin?¡¯


    So who was his friend, Elisha?


    Ansel headed straight to the corridor on the second floor of the villa to check the truth.


    The portrait in the corridor must have painted the figure of ¡®Elisha Loengrin¡¯ who lived in this mansion.


    When he opened the door of the corridor and went inside, he saw the wall of the ruined corridor. The frames that were being repaired were still placed aside in the hall.


    Ansel approached a pile of frames covered with a velvet cloth.


    After hesitating for a moment in front of the truth, he removed the velvet cloth as if he had made up his mind.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    #7. Elisha Loengrin


    The hunting festival was just a few days away.


    Noblewomen worked hard to adorn themselves whenever there was an imperial event, such as a hunting festival or a founding festival.


    How expensive their clothes were and how precious jewels they wore were symbols of their wealth.


    Not only that, but it also meant how much a wife was loved by her husband.


    For this reason, costume designers and jewelry craftsmen were busy ahead of the Imperial event.


    In order to preempt the famous designers and craftsmen they liked, the nobles often signed contracts for several years.


    Elisha had not booked designers and craftsmen because she had been planning to divorce for the first time in years.


    Fortunately, however, there were designers and craftsmen that Richard had paid a large sum of money to early on.


    ¡®I¡¯ll pay as much as you want, so make as many different things as possible.¡¯


    Richard said he would buy all the products made by designers and craftsmen.


    The designers and craftsmen had to put all their energy into creating a variety of dresses and jewelry.


    Among those, there must be at least one thing that the Duke and wife would like, that¡¯s what they thought.


    And today was the day to present them.


    Among the five or six dresses the designers and assistants made, a light blue dress and a light pink dress were selected as the dresses for Elisha to wear on the day of the hunting festival.


    ¡°Humm.¡±


    Elisha, who was contemplating what to wear between the two dresses of different colors and different designs, held them up in front of her and showed them to Richard.


    ¡°Richard, which one suits me better?¡±


    Richard, who stared at the scene, slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Both are pretty.¡±


    That was his honest opinion. She will look pretty in his eyes no matter what she wears.


    But Elisha shook her head as if displeased with the answer.


    ¡°Yeah, both dresses are pretty. I mean, which of the two do you think suits me better.¡±


    The designer, who was observing Elisha, who was hardly able to choose, carefully suggested.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t decide, why don¡¯t you try both on? Just looking at it and wearing it are different feelings.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like that.¡±


    Elisha agreed with the designer and decided to try on each dress.


    She entered the dressing room with her assistants, and Richard, who was left in the bedroom, looked at the catalog in front.


    ¡®Your belly will be showing soon.¡¯


    By then it will be too late to order. But there were no maternity dresses in the catalog he was looking at.


    When Richard was about to ask the designer next to him, the door to the dressing room opened and Elisha came out in the light blue dress.


    The light blue dress combined with Elisa¡¯s dazzling blonde hair and shiny green eyes creates a cool and refreshing atmosphere. It was the perfect outfit for a spring picnic.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°Pretty.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s answer, Elisha went back into the dressing room with a satisfied face.


    In the meantime, Richard asked the designer.


    ¡°Do you have any maternity dresses?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re looking for a maternity dress. Can you wait a minute? It must be in the catalog¡­¡±


    The designer had his assistant bring all the catalogs he had prepared.


    The Duke of Rubellin was wealthy enough to be the wealthiest nobleman throughout the Empire.


    In other words, it was an opportunity to increase their sales.


    But no matter how much he searched, he couldn¡¯t find a catalog of maternity dresses.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord. I think I left the catalog at the shop. I¡¯m going to send someone to get it right now.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    When the designer was berating themself inside their mind, Richard continued.


    ¡°Send all the maternity dresses in the shop to the Ducal household. Focus only on light and comfortable clothes.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy everything.¡±


    The designer, who looked at Richard bewildered, understood his words belatedly and replied brightly.


    ¡°Ah, yes! We will send it right away! thank you.¡±


    Just after talking to the designer, Elisha came out of the dressing room wearing the light pink dress.


    Richard¡¯s gaze, who had unintentionally turned to her, stood still.


    Her slender shoulders were exposed in the pale pink dress with an off-the-shoulder design.


    The dainty arms and fair skin reflected through the see-through sleeves created a neat and delicate image.


    Elisha asked, twirling slightly in front of him.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    To Elisha, the pale pink dress seemed to suit her better.


    And she thought he would also choose the pale pink dress.


    But Richard gave a different answer than expected.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the dress from earlier.¡±


    ¡°Uh? I think this one is prettier¡­¡±


    ¡°Only if you wear it at home.¡±


    As if he would not listen to any objection, his voice was very firm as he said that.


    ¡®Is it that bad?¡¯


    Elisha shook her head, puzzled by his reaction, but decided to listen to his opinion when she saw Richard¡¯s seemingly relaxed and sure appearance.


    The last element was the accessories that were made in advance.


    They finished the outfit with a necklace and earrings made of high-purity diamonds from the mines of Rubellin.


    Anne and the maids, seeing the necklace and earrings filled with dozens of diamonds, said that they liked them the most.


    But in Richard¡¯s eyes, it was Elisha who looked brighter than the jewels.


    Richard, who was looking at Elisha, asked.


    ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    After all, it is likely that Crown Princess Rose would be the center of attention at the hunting festival.


    Elisha thought about other ways to attract people¡¯s attention other than dresses and accessories.


    Then she saw Anne and her maids standing nearby. A good idea came to her mind.


    ¡°Anne, can you come over here for a second?¡±


    The night before the hunting festival, Elisha took Richard to his bedroom.


    Usually, Richard slept with Elisha, so his bedroom was only used as a dressing room.


    The reason Elisha brought him to his bedroom was to decide his outfit with him.


    ¡®This hunting festival is the first official event that Richard has attended since returning from the war.¡¯


    All nobles will be interested in him. Either in a good or a bad sense.


    ¡®So, you should live up to their expectations.¡¯


    Elisha brought out some clothes from Richard¡¯s dressing room. These were the clothes she had looked at when she came to his room for a while before she ran away.


    ¡°Richard, try this on first.¡±


    Richard accepted the turquoise jacket from Elisa and he was about to take off his pajama tunic.


    Elisha was startled by this and pulled his tunic back down.


    ¡°What, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I have to take it off to wear it.¡±


    ¡°I meant you should go to the dressing room and get changed! How can you take it off like that anywhere?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not anywhere.¡±


    Richard shook his head as if feeling wronged, took off his tunic, and added.


    ¡°This is my room, and you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    Suddenly, her heart pounded at the word ¡®wife¡¯, which she had taken for granted.


    The red eyes that faced her and the word ¡®wife¡¯ that he growled out in a low voice seemed to tie her up.


    ¡°Uh, uhm¡­ yeah¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±


    There¡¯s nothing wrong with taking off your clothes in front of your wife. While I¡¯ve already seen it all. That¡¯s right, though¡­


    ¡®Still, I don¡¯t know why my face is so hot.¡¯


    Elisha, who was staring blankly at Richard, blinked and lowered her eyes.


    At that time, she saw a scar from an obvious stab wound left on his side, which was made up of strong muscles.


    It was a pretty deep scar, something she hadn¡¯t seen before.


    Without realizing it, Elisha reached out her hand to the scar.


    Surprised by the touch, Richard was startled, but he did not avoid it.


    ¡°¡­Did it hurt?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    In fact, there were times when I was seriously injured and in danger, but the only thing he could remember clearly was the thought that he would surely come back to Elisha alive.


    Having safely returned to her side as he had thought, the scar was now an irrelevant memory for him.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem to be for Elisha.


    Elisha¡¯s hand, which had been caressing his scar with her slender fingers, suddenly pinched his side.


    Then, when the muscled flanks couldn¡¯t be pinched well, she slapped them with her palm.


    ¡°Take care of yourself from now on.¡±


    She was upset.


    Every time she saw the traces of war left all over his body, every time she saw him being indifferent to those scars.


    It was heartbreaking to see him covered in wounds.


    If all these big and small wounds are already forgotten, she couldn¡¯t even imagine what he had been through.


    ¡°You¡¯re a father now. You have a wife and a child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time, don¡¯t carry it alone, and if it hurts, don¡¯t put up with it, tell me, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    Richard liked Elisha¡¯s concern, but he felt sorry that he had no choice but to lie at the same time as he answered.


    Elisha would be worried if she knew about the pain in his back, so he couldn¡¯t talk about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    Richard stood in front of her wearing the clothes Elisha had chosen.


    Elisha looked over his entire body with satisfaction.


    ¡®As expected, the face completes fashion.¡¯


    He had a handsome face, nothing new, but something was missing.


    Elisha, staring intently at his face, sat Richard on the bed and began to touch his head.


    ¡®Soft¡­¡¯


    The feeling of fine black hair tickling between the fingers and the unique scent of soap that fluttered every time she ruffled his hair, felt good.


    Elisha fiddled with his hair, brushing up the bangs that lightly covered his eyebrows.


    The dark eyebrows and straight forehead that had been hidden were revealed.


    The straight bridge of the nose that stretched below highlighted his masculinity.


    While she was busy admiring the unrealistically handsome face, Richard raised his gaze and looked up at Elisha.


    Elisha¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she met his red eyes.


    ¡°Elisha, it seems it¡¯s pretty late¡­¡±


    Richard, who didn¡¯t know what was going on in her mind, was worried that Elisha would be tired tomorrow, but his voice could not be heard in her ears.


    Elisha stared absentmindedly at his face.


    Her heart was pounding at the sight of him calmly entrusting his face to her; a face that looked as if there would be no blood or tears.


    ¡®He¡¯s cute and handsome¡­ He¡¯s handsome but cute¡­¡¯


    After Elisha remained silent for a while, Richard asked curiously.


    ¡°My hair, are you going to have it pushed back like this tomorrow?¡±


    Elisha, who was suddenly awakened by Richard¡¯s voice, was unconsciously captured by his face again.


    Then she finally came to her senses and pulled his bangs back down.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    He was very, very bad for her heart¡­


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 51

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 51


    The day of the hunting festival came.


    Mikaela arrived at the hunting grounds with her husband, Marquis Dion.


    The carriage with the pattern of Dion¡¯s marquisate stopped among the nobles.


    The carriage door opened, and a tall, skinny man got out first. It was Marquis Dion, Mikaela¡¯s husband.


    Escorting her, Mikaela got off.


    She was dressed head-to-toe in a dress and accessories that match with the latest trends.


    The noblewomen and the young ladies gathered around her as soon as they saw her.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, Your Grace, Marquis Dion, and Madam.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t this necklace a popular necklace these days?¡±


    ¡°Her dress is so beautiful. As expected, she is the trend leader, then and now.¡±


    Mikaela, who lived as an Imperial Princess for more than 20 years, took their attention and veneration for granted.


    Though, their interest didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Duke Rubellin¡¯s carriage?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. The Duke is also coming today, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t come to the banquet to celebrate the return of the knights, so this is his first time attending an official event.¡±


    ¡°The Duchess lived confined in the Duchy, I guess she must be feeling confident since her husband returned.¡±


    Mikaela was a bit apprehensive that Elisha and Richard were taking away the attention that had been focused on her, but she agreed, knowing that the interest was not in the right direction.


    And in all honesty, she was a little curious about Richard.


    It was for a brief period when she was young, but he was a man that the Imperial Family had intended to make her companion.


    It was also because Mikaela was once one of the many girls who were obsessed with Richard¡¯s handsome looks.


    While everyone was looking at Duke Rubellin¡¯s carriage, the wagon finally stopped at the entrance to the hunting ground.


    The door opened and Richard got off first.


    Tall stature, wide shoulders; arm muscles that can be seen at first glance whenever he was moving, and clear features under slightly disorganized hair were enough to catch the attention of many women.


    Richard held out his hand to Elisha, ignoring the gazes that gathered on him.


    Wearing a light blue dress and a lace hat, Elisha created a refreshing atmosphere suitable for a spring picnic.


    Richard embraced Elisha as if protecting her.


    Of course, Mikaela and all the other noble ladies gathered around glanced at Elisha sideways.


    It was displeasing that the lowly daughter of a mere Viscount, took the underserved position as the wife of the most handsome and young bachelor, the Duke, known for his high status, wealth, and power throughout the Empire.


    Mikaela stood in front of Elisha as their representative.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Your Grace, Duke. You as well Duchess, it¡¯s been so long that I almost forgot your face.¡±


    ¡°I completely forgot the emblem of the Duke of Rubellin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if you have committed any crime, so please show us your face more often. You two.¡±


    Elisha accepted the jealous gazes and words directed at her with a grin.


    Until someone appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Miss Elisha?¡±


    ¡°M-marchioness Beltin?¡±


    Elisha looked at Olivia, who was puzzled, with a startled look.


    ¡®Right. This person came to the Capital!¡¯


    She was unaware that Elisha was the Duchess of Rubellin.


    If she opens her mouth, it will be revealed that she was trying to run away from the Duke, and if that happens, it will rise up as a hot topic in the gossip circles of the nobles.


    As Elisha was about to urgently speak to Olivia, the sound of horses and a carriage was heard in the distance.


    It was a wagon escorted by the Imperial Knights and with the insignia of the Imperial Family engraved on it.


    Elisha whispered to Olivia while everyone was distracted by the royal procession.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll explain everything to you later.¡±


    Olivia looked at Elisha startled for a moment and nodded in understanding.


    Meanwhile, a carriage with members of the imperial family arrived.


    ¡°I see the light of the holy Arencia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that everyone was able to make it here during this busy time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see the face of an old friend I haven¡¯t seen in a while.¡±


    Christian¡¯s gaze and the Emperor¡¯s words were directed to Elisha and Richard.


    Richard just stared at Christian with an indifferent look and didn¡¯t say anything back.


    Instead, he wrapped his arms around Elisha more tightly.


    After a brief greeting with each other, the nobles returned to their respective wagons to prepare for hunting.


    Elisha suddenly glanced at the nobles. But the one she was looking for was nowhere to be found.


    ¡®I think Ansel didn¡¯t arrive from the island yet.¡¯


    Before leaving the ship at the guild of Arden, she left a letter for Ansel with the mercenaries.


    However, a slight apology was not enough to make up for the hard work of a friend who was in her favor and waited for her.


    ¡®You must have waited for me in Sorneti. I have to formally apologize when you come back¡­¡¯


    Elisha thought so and turned to help Richard prepare for the hunt.


    However, unlike the other nobles who checked their bows and hunting rods, Richard was doing nothing.


    Elisha looked up at him with puzzled eyes, and a big hand followed with worried eyes, touched Elisha¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°How¡¯s your body?¡±


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°No upset stomach, dizziness, or anything like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Elisha nodded her head saying she was fine, but he was still uneasy.


    ¡°If you¡¯re uncomfortable or having a hard time, don¡¯t force yourself and just rest in the carriage.¡±


    ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry about me and come back safely. Don¡¯t forget what I said yesterday.¡±


    She was more worried about Richard than herself.


    When she was young, she still vividly remembers how Richard was attacked and seriously injured at the royal hunting grounds.


    She was still worried despite knowing that he had the power to easily subdue a few men of any size now.


    Just when the two were worrying about each other, a voice came from behind.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Duke who almost lost his seat as Elisha¡¯s husband to our son?¡±


    The person approaching was none other than Olivia.


    Unlike Elisha, who showed a glad look, Richard hardened his expression.


    ¡°Losing my seat as a husband, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Richard, that¡­¡±


    Just when Elisha was about to explain what happened, Olivia spoke first.


    ¡°Ah. Please don¡¯t take it the wrong way. It¡¯s not something that my son did, it was me who wanted to bring in your wife as my daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Not long ago, I was favored by the Duchess¡¯ kindness. I was grateful and thought she was single so I wanted to introduce her to my son. That¡¯s all.¡±


    At that moment, Richard¡¯s hardened expression softened a little, although for others, as always, he had a cool expression.


    Olivia smiled at Richard.


    It was because of her age that she was able to deal with Richard, who everyone feared, with an expression that looked like she was talking to her close nephew.


    ¡°It seems that the hunt is about to begin.¡±


    As soon as Olivia finished speaking, a knight of the Imperial Knights blew his whistle.


    It was a sign that the hunt was about to begin.


    ¡°Have a safe trip, Richard.¡±


    Elisha urged Richard with a farewell, but Richard hesitated and reluctantly turned around without willingness.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Elisha, who was looking at Richard¡¯s back as he was moving away, started speaking first.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sorry that I lied about my identity. At that time¡­ I lied because I thought it would be bad if I ran into someone. After all, I secretly left the manor.¡±


    ¡°Well, it could be. Miss Elisha¡­ no, Duchess, it¡¯s nothing for the Duchess to apologize for. It¡¯s the husband¡¯s fault for making the wife want to escape their home, isn¡¯t that right.¡±


    Elisha laughed at Olivia¡¯s playful remark but corrected it immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. Just, I think there was a misunderstanding.¡±


    Then, Olivia¡¯s eyes looking at Elisha became soft. It was as if she was looking at a lovely niece.


    ¡°Oh my, are you still siding with him because he¡¯s your husband? How did you run away while loving him so much? If you ran away from your beloved husband, then the Duke must have done a lot wrong.¡±


    Hearing that, Elisha¡¯s eyes began to waver.


    ¡®Love¡­ Me? To Richard? I did like him a lot. As an old friend and family. That¡¯s all.¡¯


    Elisha thought it was only natural to side with the one she considered her family and precious friend.


    Having reached such a conclusion, Elisha answered after being momentarily confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. There was a real misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m glad it worked out. It¡¯s very hard to be pregnant. Of course, I¡¯m going to act like a doormat when we¡¯re next to your husband.¡±


    Elisha burst into laughter at the word ¡®doormat¡¯.


    Olivia, who was looking at Elisha, saw the maids of the Imperial Palace preparing for a tea party from afar and held out her hand to Elisha.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve cleared up our misunderstanding, shall we move on?¡±

 Chapter 52

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 52


    Knights of the Imperial Palace on horseback drove a doe.


    (e/n: they¡¯re basically forcing it in a specific direction by surrounding and scaring it)


    The doe was confused by the sound of horses¡¯ hooves and flying arrows from all directions, and fled without even consciously understanding the situation. It didn¡¯t even know that the escape route was a path prepared by the hunters


    Christian, who was waiting at the end of the escape route, heard the rustling and quickly pulled the bowstring.


    Soon after, a frightened doe ran through the grass.


    At that moment, the arrow that cut through the wind pierced the doe¡¯s neck.


    It stumbled and fell to the ground.


    The nobles who watched the scene applauded and praised Christian.


    ¡°As expected, he is the greatest archer!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I wonder how bravely he navigated through the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°That arrow has killed countless enemy soldiers. Haha!¡±


    Richard was the only one who knew what Christian looked like on the battlefield, but the nobles chatted as if they had seen him.


    In fact, Christian couldn¡¯t shoot a single arrow properly on the battlefield.


    Instead of killing the enemy, he struggled constantly and was saved by Richard several times.


    Other than that, he was only doing nonsense, such as making an unreasonable strategy and being pushed to a disadvantage, or driving a wedge between the Imperial army and the Rubellin knights.


    The nobles also know that Christian returned from the battlefield after less than a month, but the truth didn¡¯t matter to them.


    The only important thing was pleasing the Crown Prince. This hunting festival was planned purely for that purpose.


    The doe was an animal prepared and released by the Imperial Family. Stags were excluded because their antlers were dangerous.


    The bows of the nobles were also just decorations. All of them were just like maids to honor and praise the hunting skills of the Emperor and Crown Prince.


    The hunting festival was a game that was calculated and created to please the Emperor and the Crown Prince without any errors, from beginning to end.


    Richard, who had no intention of participating in such a game, stood in the back row far away and was only worried about Elisha.


    ¡®Before, the expressions of the Crown Prince and Princess Mikaela were unusual.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Christian, who was intoxicated with the sense of achievement from hunting, kept his head up.


    Then, he found Richard, who was lost in thought, not paying any attention to him and raised one corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Does our great war hero have no intention of dealing with some stupid animals?¡±


    The nobles kept their mouths shut at Christian¡¯s clearly sarcastic intentions.


    Christian¡¯s cold gaze was directed at Richard, the war hero.


    Despite Christian¡¯s obviously sarcastic remarks, Richard responded with a polite, indifferent voice.


    ¡°Maybe because I¡¯ve been wallowing on the battlefield for a long time, I¡¯m not interested in killing weak animals. Doesn¡¯t Your Highness feel the same?¡±


    It was a sarcastic remark for Christian, who had returned to his own country as if he had participated in the war, but in reality, he had escaped after less than a month with an injury as an excuse.


    Christian grinned while baring his teeth as Richard looked at him with indifferent eyes.


    ¡®That cheeky bastard¡­¡¯


    Even though the Crown Prince himself showed a sign of displeasure at his attitude, rather than bending down, Richard showed no change of gesture without even raising an eyebrow.


    The jovial atmosphere subsided as if everyone had been doused with cold water due to the tension between the two.


    One side was the Crown Prince who would succeed to the Imperial Throne in the future, and the other side was the Duke of Rubellin, who was feared even by the Imperial Family and had the power to keep them in check.


    The nobles froze, not knowing how to settle the altercation between the two. It was Richard who finally broke the cold silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Richard greeted, turned around, and left the hunting ground. The moment Christian was about to say something to Richard, the nobles intervened and hurriedly settled the mood.


    ¡°Y-your Highness. There is another doe over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it looks a lot bigger than the one you just caught. Why don¡¯t you catch it and surprise His Majesty with both?¡±


    Christian stared at Richard and reluctantly walked away to pursue the doe with the nobles.


    Another sound of horse hoofs followed behind Richard as he moved away from them.


    Richard felt a presence but ignored it. Then, the owner of that presence appeared from the side.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up since the last time I saw you.¡±


    Marquis Raymore Felice.


    He was most likely the one who ordered the leak of the devil¡¯s soul stone from the canyon on Rubellin.


    Richard ignored him and moved ahead, didn¡¯t even glance at him. He simply treated the Marquis as blank space.


    But Raymore continued talking as if he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Oh, it looks like your aversion stuck tight.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But I hope you don¡¯t think too much of it. Everything I do is for you.¡±


    Richard, who ignored his words all along, stopped. Then, a cold gaze fell on Raymore.


    ¡°You put my people I¡¯m danger. Saying it was all for me¡­¡±


    ¡°It may be hard to believe now but¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you talk like that one more time, I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart.¡±


    At the same time as Richard¡¯s words, black energy leaked from his back.


    Raymore stopped talking after that obvious threat to his life.


    However, Richard¡¯s expression looking at him was as indifferent as usual. As if the words he just said were insignificant to him as saying ¡®I¡¯m going to kill a bug.¡¯


    So it was even more terrifying.


    Then Richard added in an indifferent voice.


    ¡°Of course, it may be hard to believe, but I¡¯m saying this for you.¡±


    As if ridiculing Raymore¡¯s words, Richard, who said what he wanted, slowly turned and walked away.


    The noblemen following the Emperor and the Crown Prince split into two groups and entered the hunting grounds.


    Meanwhile, the Empress and Crown Princess Rose, who were left behind, laid out a tea party under the shade of a tree.


    Around the two, noblewomen and the young ladies sat around.


    Elisha sat at a reasonable distance from the Empress and Rose, and Olivia sat next to her.


    The court ladies of the Imperial Palace filled everyone¡¯s cups with floral-scented tea.


    Elisha was nervous as she looked at the teacup in front of me.


    ¡®Can I drink this tea¡­?¡¯


    Before coming to the hunting festival, her doctor told her about tea that pregnant women should not drink.


    Fortunately, the tea served was drinkable, but the question was whether or not her stomach would accept it.


    Although she had taken morning sickness medicine in advance, there were many cases where the medicine had no effect.


    There was no need to hide the fact that she was pregnant, but it was too early to talk about it publicly because she was not yet in a stable period.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that everyone took time out of their busy schedules to attend. This is a tea specially prepared for you, so please drink it comfortably.¡±


    When the Empress gracefully lifted the teacup and spoke, the ladies followed and lifted the cup. Elisha also carefully lifted her cup and smelled it first.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the scent of flowers, but fortunately, it doesn¡¯t feel disgusting.¡¯


    Elisha was relieved and drank tea little by little.


    After a while, the ladies who quenched their throats praised the tea prepared by the Empress.


    ¡°Oh, it smells so good. What is this tea, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I know, right. The floating petals are so pretty.¡±


    ¡°I feel at peace after drinking it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tea made by drying Tetra flowers that grow only on the eastern coastal cliffs.¡±


    The ladies rambled, saying they should get this tea and drink it at home as well. Then the Empress said with an exaggerated look of regret.


    ¡°Well, unfortunately, it¡¯s a tea made of very precious flowers, so it¡¯s going to be hard to get.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    The ladies looked disappointed, and Elisha snorted inwardly.


    ¡®I can drink something you can¡¯t dare to dream of¡­ Do you want to show off with something like that?¡¯


    The Empress, who was drinking tea with a satisfied expression after the ladies¡¯ reaction, stopped as she glanced at Olivia.


    ¡°Anyhow, it¡¯s been a long time, Marchioness Beltin. It¡¯s really unfortunate that you rarely come to these events.¡±


    The Empress¡¯s expression while saying that, was closer to an expression that said she only spoke to her for the sake of appearances rather than an expression that said she was happy to see her sister-in-law whom she had met after a long time.


    ¡°I was so busy raising my daughter that I couldn¡¯t even come to gatherings. I¡¯m glad that Your Majesty¡¯s complexion has improved.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not strangers. Why didn¡¯t you stop by the Imperial Palace as soon as you came up? It¡¯s a little disappointing to find out you went to the temple instead.¡±


    Since ancient times, the Imperial Family and the temple have maintained a strained relationship.


    Since then, fifty years ago, when the Marquis of Marriott was discovered conspiring treason, the relationship became openly hostile.


    The Empress¡¯s words meant to point out Olivia¡¯s behavior, which stated that she was closer to the temple than to the Imperial Family.


    ¡°I just met someone who needed my help first, so don¡¯t be too upset.¡±


    Olivia replied with a smile as if she had not noticed the fangs hidden in the Empress¡¯s words.


    Although even the experienced Princess, who had been active in society for a long time, may not have noticed the hidden meaning.


    At Olivia¡¯s pure answer as if she knew nothing, the empress only frowned as if she had lost her determination, and couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    Elisha realized something new in their conversation.


    ¡®Yes, there was a temple.¡¯


    The reason Elisha participated in the hunting festival was to show that Rubellin was healthy and powerful in society and to gather more allies.


    Even if the Imperial Family secretly wanted to get rid of the temple, the influence of the temple could not be completely ignored because the temple had such a huge influence among the people of the Empire.


    In addition, there were quite a few nobles who believed in God, praying while avoiding the eyes of the Imperial Family. No matter how strong the Emperor was, God in heaven could not be prevented.


    In that sense, if the influence of the temple and the Empire¡¯s hero, Rubellin, were combined, it was enough to threaten the Imperial Family.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to find a temple soon.¡¯


    Elisha thought and put down the teacup.


    At that time, the wind shook the teacup and water ran down Elisha¡¯s dress.


    Anne saw it and came to her.


    ¡°Madam, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°The tea is cold. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Anne started wiping Elisha¡¯s dress drenched in the tea with her handkerchief.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Anne. To be precise, towards the dress Anne was wearing.


    The dress Anne was wearing was a one-piece with a neat design that was recently popular in society, and it seemed to be quite expensive for a maid¡¯s dress. It stood out clearly from the maids of other families who wore maid¡¯s uniforms.


    In addition, on the left of the dress¡¯s bodice, there was a silver brooch decorated with the Rubellin emblem. The same was for the other maid waiting behind Elisha.


    At that, Rose, who was watching Elisha with distaste filled eyes, opened her mouth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you bought such clothes just for a maid¡­ As expected, the Duke seems to be as wealthy as I heard.¡±


    At Rose¡¯s sarcastic remark, Elisha blinked for a moment and smiled softly.


    It was a long-awaited reaction.


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 Chapter 53

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 53


    ¡°Go out together and buy the clothes you want to wear.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Then, that means¡­¡±


    ¡°You have to buy something worthy of Rubellin¡¯s name, got it?¡±


    When Richard asked if she needed anything else, Elisha decided to buy new clothes for the maids and knights instead of buying more dresses or accessories for herself.


    In addition, a batch of silver brooches engraved with the Rubellin symbol was also made to order.


    ¡®After all, the main characters of the hunting festival are the Emperor and Empress, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.¡¯


    No matter how expensive the dresses and accessories were, the spotlight will go only to them.


    So Elisha decided to make the maids and knights of Rubellin stand out instead of herself.


    Thanks to that, the maids and knights were in their best mood for the past few days.


    ¡°I work in a place that treats me like this!¡±


    Not only did they feel the joy of buying new clothes, but they also felt a strong sense of belonging to the Rubellin Duchy who treated them kindly.


    The glances of the nobles looking at Elisha and Rubelin¡¯s maids were displeased, but the expressions of the maids standing behind them were different.


    The maids of the other nobles looked at Anne and the other maids escarting Elisha with envy.


    ¡®If the rumors that the Duke of Rubellin treats his servants well, talented people will flock to him.¡¯


    Then the knights and maids of Rubellin will work harder so as not to lose their current position. Elisha looked at them and smiled satisfied.


    ¡®This is how you brag about money.¡¯


    That was her intention.


    Elisha answered with a natural-looking expression as if it was a given.


    ¡°It is summer soon, and I bought this to repay those who have worked for the family for a long time. Appropriate rewards boost motivation.¡±


    And now, it was time to sneak out the real purpose of this ¡®money brag¡¯.


    ¡°Besides, I recently discovered another mine in the southwestern part of the territory with glowstone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I heard it a while ago. I heard that the mine is quite large.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any plans to expand any other businesses with the proceeds from the glowstone?¡±


    Some ladies were fascinated and listened to the story of the glowstone mine.


    On the other hand, some ladies thought Elisha was just bragging about money and still showed displeasure.


    Elisha looked at their expressions and filtered out those who would benefit her and those who would not.


    ¡®The ones who are not interested in this story are just mistresses. People without real economic power.¡¯


    From a realistic point of view, friendship with them was not helpful.


    It may be helpful to be able to hear about the gossip going around from them, but it will be a relationship with no practical benefits.


    ¡®On the contrary, those who show interest are the wives of families with substantial economic power and those who have some power in their households.¡¯


    Friendship with them would be helpful, both in business and politics. Elisha, who filtered out the beneficial persons in her head, threw the next set of bait.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still thinking about finding a family to cooperate with and expanding my business in various directions. They say that interiors using glowstone are also coming out, and some craftsmen say they can make ornaments with tiny glowstone grains.¡±


    ¡°Handwork? If it¡¯s craftsmanship, then our family¡­¡±


    Glowstone was a precious gem that can only be found in Rubellin, and it was a business item that everyone coveted.


    A noble lady, who hurriedly brought up her family because it would be a wasted opportunity if someone else took up a collaboration position with Rubellin, shut up when she saw the expressions on the faces of the Empress and Princess Rose, showing displeasure.


    The same for the other ladies who read the strange atmosphere.


    Eventually, all talk about the glowstone business stopped.


    However, Elisha was not disappointed. All of them were expected reactions.


    ¡°It will be difficult to openly bring up collaboration here, so I¡¯ll give them a personal call soon.¡¯


    In any case, it was worthwhile to participate in the hunting festival, since she had roughly filtered out those who could be useful.


    It was Rose who broke the awkward atmosphere.


    ¡°Oh, right. I have prepared something for you.¡±


    ¡°What did you prepare?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small thing, but I hope you like it.¡±


    The maids who received Rose¡¯s instructions brought out baskets. Inside the baskets were brownies and cookies.


    ¡°The new head chef is very good at making brownies. I wanted to share it with all of you, so I asked for a special request. It would be nice to have it with tea.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, how kind.¡±


    Brownies and cookies cut beautifully in triangles were nicely placed on a plate and placed in front of everyone.


    The ladies gladly received the sweet treat, but Elisha was concerned.


    ¡®The smell of butter¡­¡±


    The child in the womb recognized the smell of butter like a bloodhound and rejected it. Even taking the medicine didn¡¯t work.


    It was the same today.


    Elisha covered her nose and mouth with her hands to contain her nausea.


    What would happen if she vomited in front of the snacks prepared by the Crown Princess herself?


    However, the feeling of nausea, once raised, did not subside.


    ¡®Should I just reveal that I¡¯m pregnant at this point?¡¯


    Eventually, Elisha, who couldn¡¯t stand the feeling, stood up to leave. The sudden movement made her feel dizzy and her body staggered.


    Just before she collapsed, a broad, solid body appeared from behind and embraced her back and shoulders.


    As she looked up in amazement, she saw a familiar face.


    ¡®Richard¡­?¡¯


    His handsome face was slightly distorted out of concern.


    ¡°I am grateful for the heartfelt feelings of the Crown Princess, but I think it will be hard for Elisha to eat something because she is not feeling well these days.¡±


    Richard hugged Elisha, who staggered helplessly.


    Normally, she would have escaped from his arms conscious of people¡¯s gaze, but Elisha now had no such option, considering her condition.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Richard left the place, leaving behind the ladies who stared at him with a puzzled expression, embracing Elisha tightly.


    Elisha suddenly seemed to recall the fifteen-year-old boy who saved her from Christian by pouring juice on him.


    Elisha, who moved around the hunting ground and found a place where there were few people, threw up to relieve her upset stomach and sat down afterwards as if exhausted.


    Richard hugged Elisha and pulled out a handkerchief.


    As he tried to wipe the corners of her mouth, Elisha forcefully pushed his hand away.


    ¡°It¡¯s dirty. Stop it.¡±


    Whether it was the constant morning sickness and the effects of hormones, an irritated tone came out.


    Elisha looked into Richard¡¯s eyes in surprise after she spoke. But he didn¡¯t show any sign of discomfort and put the handkerchief close again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dirty.¡±


    The words seemed sincere, and the tone was soft but firm.


    Elisha looked blankly at him, while he finished wiping her lips.


    She felt weird when he was being sweet. It felt good but she didn¡¯t like it. It was strange.


    After wiping Elisha¡¯s lips, Richard took a fruit-flavored candy from his pocket. He took off the wrapping paper and put it in Elisha¡¯s mouth.


    When she ate the candy that had a fresh taste, her morning sickness got better.


    ¡®You also have morning sickness, so that¡¯s why you have it.¡¯


    Elisha thought that was the reason he had the candy although he hated sweets.


    Richard asked while hugging her, wondering if Elisha would feel dizzy and faint again.


    ¡°Shall we go home?¡±


    Elisha shook her head.


    ¡°It will end soon.¡±


    Elisha, who had been chewing on candy for a while, asked Richard as if she had suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°By the way, what about hunting? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°No one is interested in my hunting skills anyway.¡±


    After all, they wouldn¡¯t even doubt the hunting skills of those who defeated thousands or tens of thousands on the battlefield.


    Elisha looked at Richard, who had escaped without being faithful to his duties but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡®It would be right to say thank you in this situation.¡¯


    As she was about to express her gratitude to him, she heard an unwelcome voice from behind.


    ¡°I wondered where you were going without hunting, but you were covered in your wife¡¯s skirt like some idiotic bastard.¡±


    After Richard left the hunt, Christian, who had cooled down, had just returned from hunting.


    He approached condescendingly. There were also two young nobles of similar ages who always stuck together with him.


    Richard¡¯s gaze at them changed dramatically from when he looked at Elisha.


    He hugged her tightly as if protecting Elisha and looked at Christian with murderous eyes.


    When he faced Christian alone, Richard¡¯s face always remained aloof, but now he, who had been ignoring the Crown Prince as if looking at a chicken, lost his composure and his fierce vigilance was revealed.


    All because of the small woman in his arms.


    Christian, who saw it, was satisfied and raised one corner of his mouth. When he saw Richard¡¯s reaction, he wanted to push even more.


    Christian mocked Richard with a sarcastic tone.


    ¡°I remember our Duke was a henpecked husband when he was young, and I guess it¡¯s still the case now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, rumors say that you didn¡¯t even spend the first night together.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Even so, you have to act like a man. Wouldn¡¯t that make your wife happy?¡±


    ¡°If the first night has not yet been spent yet, can¡¯t the marriage be annulled at any time?¡±


    At Christian¡¯s mocking, the noble lords responded with vulgar laughter and remarks.


    The air around Richard quickly started to drop in temperature as he glared at them.


    Elisha spoke first with an exaggerated voice.


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re saying things that our baby would be sad to hear.¡±


    ¡°¡­Baby?¡±


    When Christian asked the question as if he did not understand, Elisha took Richard¡¯s hand and wrapped it around her stomach, speaking shyly.


    ¡°I am ashamed to tell you this, but a blessing came to me on the first passionate night we spent together. Would you like to congratulate us?¡±


    Among Elisha¡¯s words, there was a strange emphasis on the words ¡®the first night.¡¯


    ¡®You rolled around with several women back in the day to give birth to the male lead, but my husband is the king of energy who did it all and scored in the first round, you bastard!¡¯


    Elisha raised her chin with a proud expression and looked at Christian.


    Only then did Christian and the noblemen, who understood Elisha¡¯s meaning, open their mouths and stared alternately at Richard and Elisha¡¯s belly.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones surprised by Elisha¡¯s unconventional words.


    Richard¡¯s eyes, looking at the proud Elisha, also widened in surprise.


    ¡°Haaa¡­¡±


    Richard buried his face in his hands and sighed.


    This time, the embarrassed one was him.


    ¡ª


    (e/n: Lmao Elisha is such a mood, it¡¯s so cute how she defaulted to immediately bragging about Richard. Just admit you love him already¡­smh)


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 Chapter 54

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 54


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go first.¡±


    Without knowing what she had done wrong, Elisha followed Richard, who turned around while holding her.


    Christian stared blankly at Richard and Elisha who were moving away, and belatedly his confident facade crumbled away.


    Elisha looked back at Christian, and she snorted with satisfaction.


    ¡°Hmph, I hope he runs out of energy for being a show-off.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things so casually¡­!¡±


    At the end of Elisha¡¯s words, Richard, whose ears turned red, shouted.


    Elisha refuted it, pouting.


    ¡°That bastard ignored my husband in front of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And what¡­ I¡¯m not lying¡­¡±


    Elisha, who suddenly recalled Richard¡¯s appearance that night, belatedly blushed and blurred the end of her speech.


    Richard stared blankly at Elisha like that. At that moment, her childhood appearance overlapped with her current one.


    With this small body, she stood up for him in front of others and fought against them when she was young.


    That¡¯s right, he fell in love with her like that.


    One of the many appearances of her that he fell in love with.


    A precious memory that shined among the faded ones.


    ¡®You¡¯re still strong, you¡¯re still so lovely.¡¯


    So much that his heart throbbed.


    Richard chuckled at Elisha¡¯s unchangingly beautiful appearance and gently stroked her head.


    ¡°Yes, you did well.¡±


    What?


    At the sudden change of Richard¡¯s attitude, Elisha tilted her head, but then laughed along with him. In any case, it felt good to hear him praise her.


    Two friendly shadows stretched long under their feet.


    Perhaps because the hunting festival schedule was hard, Elisha fell asleep as soon as she got on the carriage when they were returning to the Duke¡¯s residence.


    Richard placed her head on his shoulder so that she could sleep comfortably.


    Then he gently wrapped his arms around her back. He took off his robe and put it on Elisha.


    Thanks to his hard arms between the wall of the carriage and Elisha¡¯s back acting as a cushion, Elisha did not wake up even when the carriage passed over the gravel.


    Only the sound of Elisha¡¯s even breathing, who was sleeping in the quiet carriage, resounded.


    Richard looked quietly at Elisha, who was sleeping peacefully in his arms.


    When he saw her sleeping peacefully in his arms, he felt a strange emotion welling up.


    Sleeping comfortably in his arms meant that she trusted and relied on him that much.


    The face that was asleep defenselessly, the sounds of light breathing, even the breath that tickled the nape of his neck was lovely.


    Richard caressed her slender fingers as she slept, and kissed her forehead lightly.


    Even then, he was careful that the delicate Elisha might break or wake up.


    The time when Elisha was asleep was a precious time like a gift to him.


    But that sweet gift-like time was quickly over.


    ¡°My Lord, we have arrived.¡±


    Richard stopped daydreaming while the servant almost woke her up, leaving his regret behind.


    But Elisha was still asleep as if she hadn¡¯t heard the driver¡¯s voice.


    Richard suddenly thought of a way to extend the ¡®gift-like time¡¯, and then gently lifted Elisha.


    As he got off the wagon with Elisha in his arms, the servants all at once tried to bow their heads and greet them but Richard spoke as low as possible, covering their voices.


    ¡°Quiet.¡±


    When the servants saw Elisha sleeping in Richard¡¯s arms, they quietly shut their mouths.


    Richard went up to the bedroom holding Elisha.


    He laid her down on the bed carefully so as not to wake her up, and as he got up and unwrapped the cravat, he saw a letter on the table. The maid, who was about to retreat, noticed Richard¡¯s gaze and said in a low voice.


    ¡°This is a letter from Count Arden that came a while ago.¡±


    Richard frowned at the name ¡®Count Arden.¡¯


    The plan to change into comfortable clothes and lay next to Elisha and watch her asleep was a forgotten desire after hearing that name.


    When the maid had finished speaking, she bowed at Richard and left the bedroom.


    He approached the table and picked up the letter.


    Unsurprisingly, the recipient of the letter was Elisha.


    Richard¡¯s gaze at the sender¡¯s name became fierce.


    [Ansel Arden.]


    The man who arranged a place for Elisha to live after she divorced him and even prepared a place for her to leave.


    In Richard¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t be seen as friendly.


    ¡°Ansel is just a friend.¡±


    Elisha said that Ansel was just a friend, but that was only Elisha¡¯s thoughts.


    It was unknown whether Ansel also saw Elisha as a friend, or whether Elisha would end up having a crush on him after the divorce.


    Now, there was a strong connection between Elisha and himself called ¡®a child¡¯, but Richard was still uneasy.


    What if Ansel loved Elisha, even though she had another man¡¯s child?


    Just thinking about it made his blood go cold. His heart was twisted.


    He wanted to be the only man she could fully trust and depend on.


    Richard barely put up with the fact that his hands were so tight that he almost crumpled the letter.


    Elisha will be very disappointed with him if she finds out that he had touched the letter that had come for her.


    But the curiosity was unbearable.


    ¡®What is it about?¡¯


    Richard glared at the letter as if it were Ansel, eager to burn it with the light of his eyes. His hand unraveling the cravat was rough.


    ¡®Should I just read it and burn it?¡¯


    And while he was having a serious conflict between curiosity and retaining Elisha¡¯s trust.


    ¡°Ummm, Richard¡­?¡±


    Elisha woke up and found Richard.


    Richard found a way to legally solve his curiosity. He went to Elisha with the letter he was holding.


    ¡°Elisha, a letter came.¡±


    Elisha received the letter, rubbing her still sleepy eyes.


    Her eyes widened when she saw the sender¡¯s name.


    ¡°Ansel? Looks like you arrived at the island today.¡±


    ¡°Let me open the letter for you.¡±


    As if he had been waiting, Richard brought a knife over and cut off the corner of the envelope.


    Elisha took out the letter and unfolded it. Richard got up from the bed pretending not to be interested, but his eyes were on the stationery that Elisha was holding. The stationery had a short text written in neat handwriting.


    [Elisha. I have a long story to tell you. Will you have time tomorrow afternoon?]


    Elisha tilted her head as if puzzled.


    It was, of course, regrettable that she returned to the island without a proper explanation to him, who was waiting in Sorneti.


    However, it was strange to describe it as a ¡®long story.¡¯


    Rather than demanding an apology from her, he literally had a story to tell.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Anyway, there was no reason to refuse to meet him, since she already had the intention of meeting him and apologizing in person.


    Elisha got up from bed intending to reply to Ansel.


    Behind Elisha¡¯s back, who was writing a reply, Richard¡¯s expression as he looked at the letter was stiff.


    The next afternoon, Agail, as usual, was assisting him in Richard¡¯s office.


    ¡°It has to do with the glowstone mine that was discovered recently. Count Hallos has offered to work with us in order to incorporate the craftsmanship business.¡±


    However, Richard didn¡¯t respond.


    He was just tapping on the desk with his index finger, with a face that was uncomfortable to be the witness of.


    Just by looking at it, it was obvious that he was thinking about something else.


    Agail coughed a bit and called for Richard.


    ¡°Sir, did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°¡­the Count Hallos wants to incorporate glowstone into his craftsmanship.¡±


    Even though he didn¡¯t seem to hear it, he did. Agail sighed and shut his mouth. However, looking at Richard¡¯s expression aside from work, he must have been thinking differently.


    ¡°What should I say to Count Hallos?¡±


    Richard did not answer Agail¡¯s question this time. He continued to tap the desk with his index finger.


    Agail, who had been waiting for a while, urged Richard.


    ¡°My Lord.¡±


    At that moment, Richard¡¯s finger stopped tapping the desk. He immediately got up from his chair.


    Agail, startled by Richard¡¯s sudden movement, took a step back, but Richard passed by him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s think about it more.¡±


    He left those words behind. Richard went out of his office and strode to Elisha¡¯s room. Elisha and Ansel¡¯s meeting was getting closer.


    ¡°Elisha.¡±


    After knocking and waiting for a while, the door opened.


    In the room, Elisha, who had almost finished her makeover, was sitting in front of the dressing table. As Richard approached, the busy maids naturally backed away.


    Elisha was wearing the pale pink dress she had bought before the hunting festival. Seeing her like that, Richard¡¯s expression hardened.


    Elisha, who did not notice Richard¡¯s expression, looked at him with puzzled eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Richard?¡±


    Richard suddenly said, forgetting the proper excuse he had in mind while coming to Elisha¡¯s room.


    ¡°Elisha. Why don¡¯t you wear something other than that dress?¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    Elisha blinked with a puzzled expression.


    ¡®Why did you leave your work suddenly and come here to tell me not to wear this dress?¡¯


    Elisha did not understand his intentions.


    ¡°Why? It doesn¡¯t suit me?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good. Rather than that one¡­¡±


    Richard tried to make Elisha¡¯s heart give up on the pale pink dress.


    However, Elisha¡¯s reaction was completely different from what he expected.


    Elisha¡¯s soft eyes shook, and tears began to rise in her big eyes.


    She was already sad because she couldn¡¯t eat properly because of morning sickness, but when he told her not to wear the dress she wanted, her sadness exploded.


    Elisha burst into tears and glared at Richard.


    ¡°Elisha¡­?¡±


    Richard, bewildered by Elisha¡¯s sudden tears, called her, but the water had already been spilled.


    ¡°Why are you talking like that? Can¡¯t you just say that it looks good and I look pretty?¡±


    ¡°Elisha, wait a min¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something I won¡¯t be able to wear once my belly starts to grow! I want to wear it now!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, in fact¡­¡±


    ¡®You look so pretty in that dress that I don¡¯t want to show it to him.¡¯


    That was the reason.


    Richard tried to be honest with his feelings belatedly, but Elisha, who was already crying, couldn¡¯t hear the words.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s done. I don¡¯t want to hear it. Get out.¡±


    Eventually, Richard was kicked out of Elisha¡¯s bedroom.


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 Chapter 55

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 55


    Richard, who was kicked out of the room, stood in front of the door and apologized, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Still, when Elisha did not open the door, Richard left a farewell message and disappeared.


    Only then did Elisha, who regained control over her emotions, sit in front of the dressing table again.


    When she saw that the makeup had been wiped away by the tears, she was saddened again. Seeing that tears started to flow even though it wasn¡¯t something to cry about, it seemed to be the effect of pregnancy hormones.


    Anne and other maids, who had been stepping back from the Duke¡¯s conversation for a while, approached Elisha after reading the atmosphere.


    Anne, who was combing Elisha¡¯s hair and examining Elisha¡¯s complexion through the mirror, blabbed to relieve her mood.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand His Grace. You¡¯re so beautiful, so why would he say it doesn¡¯t suit you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! No, and even if it doesn¡¯t suit you, he just has to say that it suits you.¡±


    ¡°His Excellency must be ignorant of the latest fashion trends. So, don¡¯t take his words too seriously, Madam.¡±


    When Anne started, the other maid next to her also responded and badmouthed Richard.


    Elisha felt better about the maids trying to relieve her feelings.


    But at the same time, she was embarrassed about crying and getting angry at Richard over a trivial matter.


    ¡®He gave me his honest opinion but I was acting like a child¡­¡¯


    She felt a little sorry for making the maids curse at Richard for just this reason.


    ¡®But I can¡¯t control my emotions, what should I do?¡¯


    Elisha rationalized her actions, avoiding the regret stabbing her in her chest.


    ¡®Yeah, it was Richard who made the child in my belly, right?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t his intention, but anyway, now that he¡¯s a father, it¡¯s something he should bear.


    It would have been better if he didn¡¯t make his pregnant wife sad in the first place.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, madam.¡±


    Anne and the maids finished the make-up and helped Elisha up.


    Elisha left the room with the maids. As expected, Richard was not in front of the door.


    As she was about to go down the stairs, Elisha glanced around in the direction of Richard¡¯s office.


    However, she quickly turned her gaze away and went down the stairs.


    A carriage with Count Arden¡¯s symbol on it passed through the iron gate of Duke Rubellin¡¯s estate and went inside.


    Eventually, the carriage that arrived in front of the Duke¡¯s mansion stopped, and Ansel got off.


    Grayson, the butler, who was waiting, bowed his head and greeted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, my Lord. You¡¯ve grown up to a new height I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    After Richard went to war, Ansel had visited several times during Elisha¡¯s stay at the Duke¡¯s residence, so he was acquainted with Grayson.


    Ansel replied to his greeting with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Grayson. It¡¯s been quite a long time, and yet you¡¯re still the same as before as if you haven¡¯t aged a day.¡±


    ¡°As soon as you became a businessman, you started saying things you don¡¯t mean.¡±


    Grayson answered, but there was a smile on his lips as if he was pleased with Ansel¡¯s words.


    ¡°Madam is waiting for you. Please come this way.¡±


    Grayson led Ansel across the mansion to the back door. There was a garden where he would meet Elisha.


    Ansel and his aide followed Grayson out to the backyard.


    The backyard of the Duke¡¯s mansion, as always, was full of well-maintained, multicolored flowers.


    The scent of flowers carried in the spring breeze made Ansel¡¯s mood more relaxed.


    As he was heading to the greenhouse, drunk with the beautiful scenery and the scent of flowers, he suddenly felt a cool gaze from behind. Ansel was puzzled and looked up to the side where the gaze was felt.


    ¡®Duke of Rubellin.¡¯


    Richard was there.


    Richard was standing on the central balcony of the mansion, looking down at Ansel with cool eyes.


    The blood-red eyes under the jet-black hair were creepy even in broad daylight.


    There was also a chill atmosphere surrounding him, so that momentum increased.


    The last time Ansel saw Richard was at a banquet held at the Count of Arden¡¯s mansion eight years ago.


    So it was the first time he met Richard since he became an adult.


    Ansel bowed slightly to Richard.


    But Richard didn¡¯t seem to want to receive his greeting, and he just stared at him.


    ¡®Even when he was young, he wasn¡¯t a friendly person, but after returning from the battlefield, he became colder.¡¯


    Surprised, Ansel quietly followed Grayson.


    ¡®How is Elisha living with a man like that? Surely, she didn¡¯t come back to the duke reluctantly after getting caught trying to get a divorce, right?¡¯


    As he was busy being worried about Elisha¡¯s marriage, he arrived in front of the greenhouse. Grayson opened the door and stepped back.


    Ansel entered the greenhouse with his assistant.


    As they went inside through the lush flower trees, they saw a tea table in the center. A familiar face was sitting in front of it.


    Elisha used to see his face every time he came down to the islands.


    However, they have not met since three years ago when Albert was sick and Elisha began to act as a full-fledged lord.


    Meanwhile, Elisha lost her youthful appearance and had matured.


    Now, the title of ¡®Madam¡¯ was more appropriate than ¡®Young mistress.¡¯


    A smile spread across Ansel¡¯s face as he faced Elisha. It was the same with Elisha who saw him.


    ¡°Hi, Ansel.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Elisha.¡±


    The two sat facing each other with a table between them.


    Anne, who brought the tea, put it down on the table and stepped back. Elisha skillfully brewed her tea and placed it in front of Ansel.


    ¡°Did you arrive in the islands yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Uhu. I left immediately after receiving your letter.¡±


    He was merely stating the truth, but Elisha, the party who had blown up his favor, felt uncomfortable.


    ¡°You took care of so much for me, but I¡¯m so sorry that I barely sent you a letter and disappeared, Ansel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the reward for your kindness, so it¡¯s up to you to accept it or not. I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t keep it in your heart.¡±


    Elisha has often done Ansel a favor, even after saving him from Christian eight years ago.


    Occasionally, when I met him at the islands, she would help and advise Ansel as he was studying business management.


    Ansel relieved Elisha¡¯s regret, saying it was in return. At those words, Elisha¡¯s expression became more comfortable.


    Ansel added, holding the teacup while it was cooling down.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll keep the villa in order, so if you change your mind, talk to me anytime.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s reassuring to have a place to go.¡±


    Elisha smiled and tilted her teacup.


    Similarly, Ansel, who was quenching his thirst, recalled the appearance of Richard he had seen in the backyard a while ago and asked Elisha.


    ¡°Then are you happy, right? In this marriage.¡±


    Somehow, Ansel¡¯s voice asking that felt heavier than before.


    When asked out of the blue, Elisha thought for a moment and opened her mouth with a faint smile.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know what happiness is. But one thing is certain.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel unhappy about my life at the Duchy.¡±


    If only the fate of the original could be avoided, just like Richard, who feared the existence of Harnes in the original, was now faithful to his father¡¯s duty.


    ¡°And with Richard¡­ Although not a fiery lover, I think we can live well like old friends. I have been thinking like that so far.¡±


    A faint smile spread across Ansel¡¯s lips as he quietly listened to Elisha¡¯s story.


    ¡°¡­He seems like a good person.¡±


    ¡°Huh. It¡¯s because of his expressionless face, you know, he¡¯s actually very gentle.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s words, Ansel doubted his ears.


    ¡°Gen¡­ what? Where the hell are you looking?¡±


    Where was the gentleness of that man who exuded a dangerous aura as if he would crush people with his eyes?


    Ansel couldn¡¯t understand it, but it was the man¡¯s wife who said so, so he accepted it.


    Above all, the real purpose of Ansel¡¯s visit was not to talk about Richard but to tell a story about ¡®Elissa¡¯.


    Before bringing up the story, Ansel looked for refreshments to neutralize the bitter taste of the tea. But there were no refreshments on the table.


    ¡®There is no way that Elisha could have forgotten the cookies.¡¯


    Ansel was puzzled but he suddenly remembered that he had not yet given the gift he had prepared for Elisha.


    He motioned for his aide, who was waiting at a distance, to come closer.


    The aid put the small box he had been carrying since he got off the carriage in front of Elisha.


    Elisha looked at the box with puzzled eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A gift. I remember you used to like chocolate cookies.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Contrary to Ansel¡¯s expectation that she would immediately eat them, Elisha looked somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll just take your heart¡¯s intention this time.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Um, I was going to talk about it after I was in a more stable period.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Elisha said.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going to have a baby.¡±


    Ansel¡¯s eyes shook violently at the news of Elisha¡¯s pregnancy. It was entirely unexpected news.


    But at the same time, it was also understandable that Elisha suddenly changed her mind about the divorce.


    Ansel, who quickly settled his confused mind, congratulated her with a labored smile.


    ¡°Congratulations, Elisha.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. By the way, what¡¯s the story you wanted to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡±


    Ansel, who was blurring the end of his speech, shook his head as if it were nothing.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m just here to see your face.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t talk to Elisha, who was already at a time when she should relax, about what he saw in the villa of Sorneti.


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 Chapter 56

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 56


    The greenhouse was covered with various flower trees, so the inside was not visible from the outside.


    ¡®If I had known this would happen, I would have plucked up all the trees¡­¡¯


    Richard couldn¡¯t even go to the greenhouse directly, so he just stared at it.


    After about two hours, the door to the greenhouse finally opened and Ansel and Elisha came out. She saw him off in front of Count Arden¡¯s carriage waiting at the entrance of the Duke¡¯s residence. Ansel lightly kissed Elisha on the back of her hand as a sign of her farewell.


    Richard¡¯s eyebrows scrunched as he watched him.


    Then Ansel got into the wagon.


    Elisha watched Count Arden¡¯s wagon leaving the duke¡¯s house and turned around. Then she looked up, perhaps because she suddenly felt a gaze.


    Richard, who suddenly met Elisa and her eyes, was startled. At that time, when he was hesitating not knowing how to react, Elisha first turned her gaze away. After that, he went inside the mansion.


    At Elisha¡¯s appearance, Richard¡¯s heart plummeted to the floor.


    ¡®Are you still angry¡­? How should I make it up¡­?¡¯


    At that thought, his mind went blank.


    That night, returning to the bedroom after washing up, Elisha looked around her empty room and tilted her head.


    ¡°Richard?¡±


    Usually, while she washed up he always returned to the bedroom first. But she couldn¡¯t see him today.


    ¡®Where did you go?¡¯


    Puzzled, she recalled how she got mad at him early in the morning. At the time, she hated him because of the intense emotions due to her hormones, but now that she thinks about it, she felt a little sorry that she cried and got angry with him for nothing. However, she was embarrassed enough to pretend that nothing happened.


    So, when she saw Ansel off and turned around, when their eyes met, even at dinner, she treated him cold-heartedly.


    Still, when she came back after washing, she wanted to reconcile properly.


    ¡®Is he still in the office?¡¯


    She was thinking whether she should go to find him and first reach out to reconciliation, but suddenly, the door opened.


    ¡°Richard?¡±


    When Elisha heard the sound and turned around, she looked puzzled at him when she saw what was in his hands. ¡°The Tale of the Little Witch of the Black Forest.¡± What he had in his hands was a fairy tale book.


    ¡°I want to read it to my baby.¡±


    Elisha, who was staring at Richard hesitatingly, only noticed his intention after he spoke. He brought her a children¡¯s book as an excuse to reconcile with her. Elisha replied while holding back her laughter, pretending she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Really? Then read it.¡±


    The two sat on the bed. Richard opened the book, holding Elisha in his right arm. Then he carefully covered Elisha¡¯s belly with his right hand.


    Elisha whispered, placing her hand on her now rather convex belly.


    ¡°Baby, daddy will read you a children¡¯s book today. The title is ¡°The Tale of the Little Witch of the Black Forest. Sounds fun, right?¡±


    When Elisha finished speaking, Richard cleared his throat and started reading the fairy tale book.


    ¡°¡­On the north part of Popori Forest, there is a Black Forest that no one goes to.¡±


    Elisha vowed not to laugh at him, but she faced difficulties from the first sentence. Popori. ¡®Isn¡¯t the forest name too cute?¡¯


    ¡°There was a little witch, Lulu, living in that forest. But all of the forest animals in Popori were afraid of Lulu. Lulu¡¯s hair was so long that it covered her face.¡±


    His low-pitched voice reading the book was sweet, but his tone was awkward and hard.


    ¡®Even if I read a history book, I¡¯ll read it more fun than that!¡¯ Elisha, who had a playful sense of humor, silently scolded Richard.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you reading it too hard? It¡¯s said that it is good to talk to a baby in a way that conveys emotions well¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Read the lines while changing your voice.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Richard, unable to comply with Elisha¡¯s request, unleashed a clumsy storytelling.


    ¡°¡­One day, animal friends decided to play hide-and-seek. Baby rabbit Toto went into the black forest to hide in a place where no one could find him. ¡®If I hide here, no one will be able to find me, right?¡¯¡±


    Elisha watched Richard mimic the cute bunny voice as he worked hard in his own way, and she bit her lip so as not to laugh. Although it was still awkward, it was cute to see him read with a serious expression and a slight frown to his handsome brow.


    But Toto, who was going deeper away from his friends, tripped over the roots of the tree. ¡®Aahk!¡¯ Toto¡¯s knee was bleeding. Toto was scared and hurt¡­ so he cried. Waaaaah.¡±


    Elisha noticed that Richard hesitated for a moment before saying ¡®Wuaaaah,¡¯ and eventually, she burst into laughter. Richard paused for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°But then, Lulu appeared. Toto thought she was a ghost and screamed. ¡®Waaah! it¡¯s a ghost!¡¯ But isn¡¯t Lulu putting herbs on Toto¡¯s injured knee? Toto then¡­¡±


    Red eyes shining with the subtle light of glowstone, long eyelashes hanging over them, a sharp nose that stands out when viewed from the side, and below¡­


    Lips drawing cool lines. She vividly remembered the soft and gentle touch of those lips.


    Elisha reached out her hand to his lips as if possessed by something.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Richard, who was eagerly reading the children¡¯s book, was surprised by her sudden action and turned to look at her.


    She realized what she had done only when she met his eyes. Her heart plummeted.


    ¡®I must be crazy!¡¯


    At that time, she blinked, not knowing how to deal with this situation, and suddenly she thought of a trick to rectify the situation.


    ¡°Because the hair is attached¡­¡±


    Elisha pretended to be pulling a non-existent hair, and she touched his lips. It was a brief moment, but she could feel the soft, tender skin with her fingertips. That feeling was terrifying. So much that her heart was pounding.


    At the same time, she began to be very conscious about his strong arms that hugged her back, his stout body she was leaning on, and the warmth that touched her.


    Thump, Thump,


    In the stillness of silence, only the sound of her heart seemed to be pounding loudly. Elisha stared blankly into his eyes. Somehow, his eyes seemed to have darkened strangely.


    At the moment when the arm holding Elisha pressed her a bit, she hurriedly turned away from his gaze.


    ¡°It, it would be better to read the children¡¯s book tomorrow.¡±


    Elisha covered the storybook that Richard was holding and set it aside. Then she lay down on the bed without saying anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the temple tomorrow, so I¡¯ll go to bed early.¡±


    She could feel his gaze on her, but Elisha did not look back.


    Thump, Thump. She was afraid he would hear her beating heart. On top of Elisha, who was trying to close her eyes, could feel Richard¡¯s hand gently moving the blanket.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Eventually, along with his soft voice, his warmth that is now familiar embraced Elisha.


    ¡®It¡¯s uncomfortable.¡¯


    But, oddly enough, she didn¡¯t like the discomfort. Rather, she was relieved. Elisha eventually fell asleep without knowing the meaning of the gap in between.


    The next day, Elisha visited the temple.


    ¡®This is a temple.¡¯


    The temple was the most prominent building on the outskirts of the archipelago. This was because it was the only one in the slums, where the houses built in soil color, were built with pure white marble, and its scale was so large that it was comparable to a Count castle.


    Elisha had lived in Rubellin all the time, and even though she occasionally came down to the archipelago, she went back to Rubellin immediately after her business was finished, so this was the first time she had visited this temple.


    As she looked around the temple, she went inside and found the fountain in front of her.


    ¡®Is this the fountain of purification?¡¯


    High priest Aiden, after returning from the canyon more than twenty years ago, poured out his divine power to create this spring. There were a total of four more springs in the outer area outside the temple. It was created so that the weak and the poor could be protected from the invasion of monsters.


    ¡®The Holy Father is a great man. At that time, even though it was a difficult time after losing his family, he thought of the weak first.¡¯


    While Elisha was walking around the Fountain of Purification, a priest passing by her came to her.


    ¡°Welcome. Madam, why did you come to the temple?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for an appointment. Could you please tell me the way to the west chapel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not far from here. Follow me.¡±


    The priest readily began to guide the way. Elisa followed after him.


    It was Olivia who Elisha promised to meet here today. A few days ago, Elisha, who heard that Olivia was close to the temple during the hunting festival, had promised to visit the temple with Olivia.


    The purpose of Elisha¡¯s visit to the temple was clear. To build a reputation by donating money to the temple in the name of Rubellin. Furthermore, relying on the reputation of the temple to increase Rubellin¡¯s influence within the capital.


    ¡°You can go this way.¡±


    The priest, who arrived in front of the western chapel before she knew it, pointed to the chapel entrance. Elisha nodded to thank him and headed towards the chapel. At that moment, two loud voices were heard from the hallway outside the chapel. Elisha unintentionally looked around and stopped walking.


    There, a handsome blond man who looked about the same age as Olivia was talking.


    ¡®That person¡­¡¯ Elisha knew instantly who he was.


    High priest Aiden Serriott. He was the purpose of Elisha¡¯s visit to the temple today. At the moment when Elisha was about to call Olivia, Aiden looked back at her, perhaps feeling his popularity.


    Suddenly, Elisha met Aiden¡¯s blue eyes.


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 Chapter 57

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 57


    ¡®The High priest¡­¡¯


    Elisha stared blankly at the man in front of her.


    From what she heard from Olivia and other people around, she knew that Aiden was younger than expected, but seeing him, in reality, made it even more disbelievable that he was the high priest. Nevertheless, as soon as she saw him, she had no choice but to intuitively recognize who he was.


    Dazzling blonde hair, blue eyes that look like they contain the vast blue sky, all combined with a beautiful appearance. The gentle aura that overwhelms his surroundings seemed like the embodiment of an angel.


    ¡°Ah, here you are. Duchess.¡±


    Olivia came over to Elisha¡¯s side with a smile while she introduced Elisha to Aiden.


    ¡°Duchess, this is the high priest.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, high priest. My name is Elisha Rubellin.¡±


    Elisha bowed out of courtesy. Then, Olivia introduced her to Aiden.


    ¡°Your holiness, this is the Duchess of Rubellin.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering who was the marquis¡¯ wife¡¯s new friend, who rarely stops by, and wanted to meet you. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, madam.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you.¡±


    Elisha smiled brightly at Aiden¡¯s welcoming response.


    ¡®Marchioness Beltane said the Holy Father was a difficult person.¡¯


    Olivia said so, but seeing Aiden who was kind to her gave her a good feeling that things were going more smoothly than she expected.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do this here, we should finish inside. Shouldn¡¯t we treat the people who came for the first time in a long time to have a cup of tea?¡±


    Aiden led Elisha and Olivia to the parlor inside the temple. After she sat down for a while and waited, a child, about ten years old, came out.


    The child set their teacups down in front of each of them and walked away. Aiden smiled and complimented the child¡¯s hard work.


    ¡°Thank you, Noah.¡±


    The child, who was happy with Aiden¡¯s praise, left the room with a bashful smile.


    ¡°Is that child from the temple?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is a messenger of God.¡±


    ¡°God¡¯s messenger?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call the children that God has given to us. In fact, they are extraordinary children who are steadily doing their part in the temple.¡±


    ¡°What do the children do here?¡±


    ¡°At the age of five, they start with letter errands, and when they are a little older, they go to the mountains to find firewood. Of course, that is only for adventure-loving children.¡±


    ¡°Aaah¡­¡±


    Elisha was deeply impressed with Aiden¡¯s management of the temple. No matter how young the children were, they weren¡¯t allowed to play. It wasn¡¯t loving at all.


    The temple relieves labor by giving each task to the children, and the children take pride in their existence by doing their respective tasks. Children who have done their jobs diligently grow up to be independent and have the ability to survive on their own and become good members of society. Not only feeding the baby birds in their mouths but letting them learn how to find food and live on their own. That was the ¡®love¡¯ practiced in the temple.


    ¡°You are doing a great job. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re just one or two children yet, you care a lot about them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration. It¡¯s a bit small compared to the madam¡¯s job of taking care of the vast duchy.¡±


    ¡°In my eyes, you two are great people, so there is no reason to be humble about each other,¡± said Olivia, who was listening to their conversation. Aiden responded with a smile. He didn¡¯t like Elisha and Olivia¡¯s compliments.


    ¡®Anyone who cares too much about the temple and children will of course accept my offer.¡¯


    Elisha was satisfied with his reaction and grabbed a moderately cooled teacup. The smell was not overpowering, and the taste was good. As she was about to put down the teacup and bring up the subject, Aiden was the first to speak up.


    ¡°The Duchess wanted to see me. For what reason did you seek me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much but I want to make regular donations to the temple.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, but that donation cannot be accepted.¡±


    Aiden refused Elisha¡¯s offer without hesitation. As if he knew that she would make such an offer. Olivia tilted her teacup, swallowing her sigh as if she had expected such a reaction.


    Elisha, who thought he would accept her offer without a doubt, looked at him with bewildered eyes and asked cautiously.


    ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give what Madam wants.¡±


    What Elisha wants. He already knew the purpose of Elisha¡¯s donation. Aiden was answering with the same soft eyes and warm voice as before, but there was a mild will in those eyes and voice. Elisha was speechless at that determination.


    She realized at the same time. Why did Albert, who values ??power, not donate to the temple?


    ¡®It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t donate, it¡¯s that he couldn¡¯t.¡¯


    ¡°The power I have is not something I dare to give because it is not mine in the first place. Those who believe and depend on me and the Goddess have it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t try to use them.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s voice as he spoke was polite and gentle, but there was a sense of intimidation that she dared not refute. He defended his people in a completely neutral way. Recognizing his thoughts, Elisha changed her strategy.


    ¡°Your Holiness is right. I can¡¯t say that the only reason I wanted to donate was a pure heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t mean to donate just for that reason. It just overlapped my sincerity to help and the benefits I would get from that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, I¡¯ve heard that there are a lot of orphans entering the temple because of this war. Don¡¯t these kids need more support?¡±


    At those words, Aiden¡¯s brow twitched slightly. As Elisha said, the finances of the temple were not so good. The Imperial Family cut off donations due to an incident about 20 years ago, and other nobles also refrained from donating while being wary of the Imperial Family.


    For that reason, the present temple was operated only by donations received from time to time from Olivia, who had a personal acquaintance with some faithful nobles. However, it was difficult to cope with the rapidly increasing number of children by that alone. Knowing that fact, Elisha continued


    ¡°If you receive Rubellin¡¯s donation, the Imperial Family will also donate consciously of the eyes around them. Then the donations of the nobles will be a little freer than now.¡±


    Twenty years ago, there were rumors that Aiden¡¯s wife, Julia, had plotted treason out of nowhere, but in the end, the case ended up being an arbitrary rebellion. At the time, Aiden, who had gone to the canyon to protect the people of the Empire, was not involved in treason.


    And for his merits and the virtues he accumulated over the years, he was still admired by the people. For that reason, although the Imperial Family secretly neglected the temple, they could not openly ignore it.


    So, if Rubellin donated to the temple, the Imperial Family would not be able to ignore the situation of the temple anymore. Most of all, the Imperial Family wouldn¡¯t sit still seeing how Rubellin was smoothly receiving the support of their people.


    Elisha, aware of such interests, said with determined eyes.


    ¡°Use me, Rubellin¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡®This time, I am sure that Aiden will accept this offer.¡¯


    But Aiden looked at her with indifferent eyes. He just stared at Elisha and didn¡¯t give any answers. At that moment, the priest¡¯s voice was heard along with a knock.


    ¡°Sir, it is time for prayer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go first.¡±


    Aiden stood up from his seat as if waiting.


    ¡°Then, the two of you, have a comfortable chat.¡±


    He finally left the room without answering Elisha¡¯s offer. Olivia, who was watching Elisha, touched her shoulder as if to comfort her with an odd expression on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s his original personality. Hard and stubborn, and it¡¯s been like that since he was dating my friend. He¡¯s quite annoying.¡±


    Elisha burst into laughter at Olivia¡¯s words, who intentionally insulted Aiden to cheer her up.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. My intentions were indeed disrespectful as the Holy Father said.¡±


    ¡°How many people donate with a genuine heart? And the Duchess has some truth. I will talk to him again.¡±


    ¡°No, you have already done enough for me. From here on, I will take care of it.¡±


    ¡®And I have a plan.¡¯


    Elisha stopped Olivia with a smirk without showing any signs of feeling intimidated.


    After that, the two went out to the entrance of the temple together, sharing small stories. But at the entrance to the temple, a familiar face appeared.


    A handsome face that stands out even among many people, a man who is more than half a head taller than many men. It was Richard coming down from the carriage.


    ¡®Why are you here at this hour?¡¯ As Elisha tilted her head at his unexpected appearance, Olivia gently grabbed her arm.


    ¡°My carriage¡¯s over there, so I¡¯ll go. Be careful on your way home.¡±


    Olivia winked with a playful smile. Not knowing the meaning of that wink, Elisha¡¯s eyes were full of bewilderment, turning around at the sudden familiar voice coming from behind.


    ¡°Elisha.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the nobles meeting today?¡±


    ¡°It ended early.¡±


    ¡°Aha. What did you talk about at the meeting today? Is there anything important?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think there was anything.¡±


    In fact, even though Richard had Thompson and Rubellin¡¯s elite knights as escorts for Elisha, he was so anxious and could hardly concentrate on the meeting. Because of that, he didn¡¯t have any memorable story to tell her.


    But he couldn¡¯t tell her that so he just blurred his words. Richard put Elisha in the wagon first, and as he was about to get on the carriage, he felt a gaze from a distance. His body paused, and at the same time, his eyes went cold.


    Elisha, who noticed it, looked at him with puzzled eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Richard quickly controlled his expression and got into the carriage. Soon the wagon departed.


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 Chapter 58

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 58


    The next day, Elisha came to the temple alone without Olivia. Some knights accompanied her, but no one carrying a weapon could enter the temple, so they had to wait in front of the temple. Only Anne entered the temple with her.


    Elisha didn¡¯t wander around the temple and headed straight for her destination without looking around.


    The road from the west chapel to the central chapel. This was the road that Aiden took while going to do the prayers at the central chapel.


    ¡®I looked into all the schedules to make it look like an accident.¡¯


    Aiden still doubted her sincerity in wanting to help. Elisha was going to try until her heart seemed sincere to him. When she was thinking about how to make it look natural to be there, she saw a flowerpot placed nearby.


    The flowerpot was drooping and withered, perhaps because it had not been watered on time.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­¡±


    Elisha rolled up her dress and squatted in front of the flowerpot. She felt pity for the unknown little flower that bloomed and withered alone.


    ¡®If I give it water right now, won¡¯t it come back to life?¡¯


    Elisha raised the withered flower with her hands and called Anne, who was beside her.


    ¡°Anne, could you get me some water from the spring near the entrance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    Anne immediately disappeared. Elisha, who was watching her, turned her gaze back to the flowerpot, but something strange happened.


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    The soil in the pot, which had dried up a while ago, was wet as if it had just absorbed water.


    ¡®It was moist soil from the beginning, did I see it wrong?¡¯


    At the time when Elisha was puzzled, she felt a presence nearby. As she turned her head, she saw Aiden approaching her way. Elisha jumped up and smiled at Aiden.


    ¡°Hello, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, madam. What did you come here for today?¡±


    Thinking about what happened yesterday, he might not be happy to see her, but Aiden smiled as sweetly as when they first met. Elisha also responded with a smile.


    ¡°I have come to pray today.¡±


    ¡°Aha, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Elisa expected Aiden to ask questions like ¡°What prayer did you come to pray for?¡± However, as he did yesterday, he failed Elisha¡¯s expectations today as well.


    ¡°I pray that God will hear madam¡¯s prayer.¡±


    ¡®Then, I¡¯ll go perform my service. Bye.¡¯ Aiden cut the conversation with a gentle but firm smile, as usual, and passed next to Elisha.


    She couldn¡¯t catch him and looked at him with a blank expression.


    ¡®¡­With that kind face, he can be quite savage.¡¯


    Elisha pouted her lips as she looked away from his back, but she was not discouraged.


    ¡®But, Holy Father, I am a person who doesn¡¯t know about giving up.¡¯


    If it doesn¡¯t work even after taking 10 shots, it¡¯s okay to shoot eleven times, huh?


    Elisha raised her chin and snorted as she looked towards the central chapel where Aiden entered. Then she headed towards the spring where Anne went.


    The flower soaked in water from the flowerpot fluttered in the spring breeze as if greeting Elisha.


    A few days later, two wagons with the insignia of the Duke of Rubellin stopped in front of the temple. The carriage door opened and Elisha, Anne, and three more maidens of the Duke¡¯s mansion got out.


    The maids, including Anne, each carried a paper bag in their arms and followed Elisha into the entrance to the temple. Elisha headed to the east chapel today.


    The eastern chapel was where children living in the temple prayed during the day and priests prayed at night. When Elisha arrived at the eastern chapel, the children had finished praying and were leaving the chapel. Elisha approached and stood in front of them.


    The children¡¯s eyes, puzzled by the sudden appearance of an outsider, turned to Elisha.


    ¡°Guys, would you like to come here and get one of these?¡±


    Elisha pulled out a small envelope from the paper bags the maids were holding. Then she took chocolate out of it and showed it to the children.


    Originally, it was forbidden for outsiders to give gifts to children, but permission was obtained in advance from the priest in charge of the children¡¯s education. The children, who were looking at Elisha with wary eyes, widened their eyes at the appearance of chocolate.


    Seeing these children, Elisha smiled and handed the chocolates to them.


    ¡°I brought it because I wanted to share it with you guys.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving it to us?


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­ Originally, I really liked chocolate, but now my belly hates it, so I can¡¯t eat it. So I think it would be nice if you could eat it instead.¡±


    Elisha said, putting her hand on her stomach, which was still not very visible. Fortunately, the presence of a baby in the womb and sweet treats broke the guard of the children.


    However, the older children hardly lifted their guard around Elisha. Rather, they stopped the younger children from approaching her.


    ¡®These children are well educated. They won¡¯t be recklessly scammed or deceived.¡¯


    At that time, when Elisha was relieved by the children¡¯s alertness but was still in a difficult situation, she felt someone approaching from the side.


    ¡°Duchess of Rubellin?¡±


    Looking back, there was a high-ranking priest who was always by Aiden¡¯s side with Aiden, too not far behind. The priest walked over to Elisha.


    ¡°Oh, it must be difficult but you always take precious steps. Besides, you are doing a great favor to the children today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that great.¡±


    ¡°The intention from the heart is a great thing. Thank you, madam.¡±


    The priest expressed his gratitude to Elisha and called the children together. Rubellin¡¯s maids, in turn, handed out envelopes of snacks to the children in line. The children who received the snack smiled as if loving it.


    Elisha, who was looking at the faces of the children, suddenly realized Aiden¡¯s existence and approached him. Before Aiden could even say hello to her, she asked him abruptly.


    ¡°Do you not like snacks such as chocolate or sweets?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy eating, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to eat it?¡±


    Without a moment for Aiden to reply, she held out the snack bag.


    ¡°Would you like some chocolate?¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s question that was paired with a smile, Aiden could not say no and unexpectedly took the envelope. After giving him a snack, Elisha went back to the children. He glanced at the snack that she had given him. He suddenly remembered what Olivia had said a few days ago while visiting the temple.


    ¡°No one can defend this temple on their own.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you really want to help the temple, I think you need to make some decisions.¡±


    And Elisha¡¯s words.


    ¡°Use me, Rubellin¡¯s name.¡±


    Elisha, handing out snack bags to the children, looked genuinely happy. The children gathered around her were also smiling. Aiden stared at her quietly while touching Julia¡¯s necklace around his neck.


    The news of her pregnancy, which Elisha revealed at the hunting festival, spread throughout the city in a matter of days.


    Christian tried to shut the mouths of the nobles who were present but to no avail. The word leaked no matter how hard he tried, and eventually, everyone in the capital got to know the news.


    Of course, that included the Imperial Family.


    Even more, the Imperial Family was concerned about the absence of an heir between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, who had been married for four years. The Emperor was displeased with the news of Elisha¡¯s pregnancy.


    Of course, Christian was still young, but since the Duke of Rubellin, who was of a similar age, had first seen a successor, word would come out around the nobles.


    Upon hearing the news of Elisha, the Emperor and Empress summoned the Crown Prince and his wife.


    ¡°Did you call me, Your Majesty?¡±


    Christian and Rose stood in front of them, observing the eyes of their imperial father and mother, and feeling more uncomfortable than usual.


    The Emperor, with a stiff expression on his face, never looked at his son or daughter-in-law. Instead, he just tapped on the armrest of his chair.


    Tap, Tap, Tap¡­


    The sound only stimulated Christian and Rose¡¯s anxiety.


    The emperor, who had been silent for a long time with only a grim expression on his face, finally stopped his finger.


    ¡°The two of you, are you sharing a room?¡±


    ¡°Once a month¡­ at least, we do¡­¡±


    ¡°Only once?¡±


    In response to Rose¡¯s reply, the Emperor hardened his expression and looked at the Empress next to him. All affairs within the Imperial Family were the responsibility of the Empress.


    He silently scolded her for letting things go up to that point.


    The Empress, feeling troubled, raised her voice even more and rebuked her son and his wife.


    ¡°So, when will we see the heir? You¡¯ve been married for over 4 years already! Someone made a child as soon as they came back from the war.¡±


    At the Empress¡¯s rebuke, Rose bit her lips and lowered her head.


    Although the Emperor and the Empress were blaming both Christian and her on the surface, she knew that they were only blaming her inwardly.


    It was embarrassing. It was Christian, not her, who refused to join her at night and went outside.


    However, Rose couldn¡¯t point the arrow of resentment towards the Empress or Christian, so that arrow naturally flew in another direction.


    ¡®Elisha, if it wasn¡¯t for that girl.¡¯


    Even when she was young, Elisha bothered her, and even when she grew up, she became more annoying. Like a thorn in her side that kept stabbing in deeper.


    Then the Emperor opened his mouth as if recalling something.


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 Chapter 59

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 59


    ¡°Christian, wasn¡¯t there a girl who had four children?¡±


    Christian replied with a puzzled look to the sudden and unexpected question.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡±


    The Empress and Rose¡¯s expressions hardened as they quickly understood the intentions of the Emperor¡¯s question. He was trying to find Christian¡¯s illegitimate child, who may exist somewhere, and bring him to the Imperial Palace.


    The Emperor gave an order to the Grand Chamberlain who was nearby.


    ¡°Grand Chamberlain, send out some men and find the child of the Imperial bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    At his command, the Empress hastily dissuaded him.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty! How can you bring a child of low blood, who has no origin, into the Imperial Palace?¡±


    ¡°Just because I take him to the Imperial Palace doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll make him a successor.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°It could be used as a temporary substitute. And if he¡¯s in the Imperial Palace, it¡¯ll be easier to deal with it when an heir is born.¡±


    The Empress, who listened to the Emperor, nodded as if she wouldn¡¯t go against his will.


    ¡°Your words are wise. As expected, Your Majesty has the foresight to look a few steps ahead.¡±


    ¡°If you know, you should act accordingly, and from today onwards, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess will put more effort into the production of an heir.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Rose, who came out of the reception room with Christian after greeting the Emperor and the Empress for dinner, chewed her lips.


    The Empress seemed to like the policy the Emperor had put forward, but Rose didn¡¯t like it. Even if it is a temporary measure, a child whose roots are unknown will take the place of the successor until her child is born.


    And in the meantime, she would be despised as the Crown Princess, who had not yet given birth to an heir. It was already said among the nobles that a concubine should be introduced secretly.


    ¡®Elisha, wherever they talk about that girl, they will ignore me more in contrast.¡¯


    Rose bit her lips hard. When she thought that she would be compared to Elisa, her mind twisted.


    Not only the succession issue but also during the hunting season, she brought out her business and showed off Rubellin¡¯s influence, didn¡¯t she?


    ¡®I am the Crown Princess. I must be the most honorable and most influential woman in this Empire after Her Majesty!¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t stay still like this. Rose recalled the Emperor¡¯s words a while ago and brought up the story to Christian.


    ¡°My Lord, if you are not busy tonight¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m a little tired today.¡±


    Christian turned around before Rose could finish speaking. She looked at his back with blank eyes, then turned and headed into the bedroom. Her steps were heavy.


    ¡®If he really has an illegitimate child¡­¡¯


    Ros¨¦, who was biting her nails nervously, came up with one way out of her situation and stopped walking. Then her steps accelerated.


    Arriving in the room in a hurry, she called her closest aide and gave an order.


    ¡°Tell the guild. Search the red light district to find the children of the Imperial Family, we have to find them before the emperor.¡±


    ¡°What if I find one?¡±


    ¡°Take care of it. Without anyone knowing.¡±


    As if it didn¡¯t exist in the first place. Rose¡¯s eyes that said so shone confidently.


    It had been a week since Elisha went handing out her snacks to the children. Meanwhile, she visited the temple once more and delivered summer clothes to the children.


    She seemed excited when Aiden didn¡¯t stop her from handing out snacks. This time the children were also happy to see Elisha visiting.


    She provided not only the donation, but she made eye contact and listened to their stories, so the children fell for her kindness. Even Aiden couldn¡¯t stop the children¡¯s hearts from turning to Elisha.


    ¡®Is this the day the Duchess is coming?¡¯


    A few days ago, he remembered hearing Elisha talking to the children. Aiden thought back on the memory and looked at the date.


    At that moment, a priest¡¯s voice was heard along with a knock.


    ¡°Sir, it is time for prayer.¡±


    Aiden woke up from his thoughts only after hearing that voice, startled.


    ¡®¡­Useless thoughts.¡¯


    He quickly collected his mind, got up, and headed for the chapel.


    He had just arrived at the east side of the chapel and saw children huddled together in front of the chapel. Aiden asked the children with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting for the pretty older sister to come today!¡±


    When Aiden heard the words ¡®pretty older sister,¡¯ he pondered for a moment who that person was, and only a beat later realized that the ¡®pretty older sister¡¯ was Elisha.


    He initially tried to correct them, that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to call her ¡®pretty older sister¡¯ and they should say ¡®Duchess¡¯ instead, but eventually he left it at that. It meant that Elisha was closer to the children, and the fact that Elisha didn¡¯t correct them meant that she was comfortable with that title too.


    At that moment, a child who was looking at Aiden suddenly asked.


    ¡°Did the Holy Father also come to wait for sister?¡±


    Aiden flinched, he couldn¡¯t refute that question quick enough. The priest who was next to him answered with a smile as if it wasn¡¯t possible.


    ¡°The Holy Father was on his way to service.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    ¡°When you see the Duchess, be sure to say thank you to her.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Aiden left the children behind and headed to the chapel. At that time, a priest came to all the children and told them the news.


    ¡°Children, today the Duchess is ill and cannot come.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Really?¡±


    ¡°Is she very sick?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s not feeling well.¡±


    Aiden, who was heading to the chapel, heard the priest¡¯s words and stopped walking. She might be absent due to business, but she may have decided to say it was because of an illness because it was easier to explain to children.


    Yet, the first moment he heard the news about Elisha, his heart sank. At the same time, he remembered what a priest had said to Elisha a week ago.


    ¡°Oh, it must be difficult for you but always take precious steps.¡±


    Elisha came to the temple every few days to convince him. To win his favor and achieve the desired purpose.


    Even though he knew it, he ignored it. Perhaps she might have been putting too much pressure on her body because she often went out at a time when she had to be careful.


    ¡°Your Holiness? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The priest, who was looking at Aiden who had stopped with a stiff expression, called out to him.


    Aiden, who had always maintained a soft expression for anything, had a hard expression on his face, as if anxious. Seeing the priest¡¯s concerned expression, he quickly changed his expression and moved forward.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ahead of important national events such as the Emperor¡¯s birthday and the founding day, nobles will gather in the meeting room of the Imperial Palace to have a meeting every day.


    At the center of the meeting was Richard, the head of the Empire¡¯s only Duchy and the head of the noble council.


    ¡°Today¡¯s meeting will end here.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s declaration, the Imperial nobles seemed to have more to say, but they were overwhelmed by the momentum and left the meeting room without saying anything.


    Richard also got up and left the meeting. Ansel, who was watching him, got up and followed him.


    Richard was already at the end of the hallway, striding away with his long legs. Ansel followed him at a brisk pace.


    After leaving the Imperial Palace, Richard got into the waiting Duke of Rubellin¡¯s carriage.


    Ansel left the building at a certain distance from him and got into the Count of Arden¡¯s wagon. He instructed the coachman.


    ¡°Chase the wagon of Duke Rubellin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The coachman followed Duke Rubellin¡¯s wagon as Ansel had instructed.


    ¡®Are you going to the temple today?¡¯


    Just as Ansel was thinking so, the coachman suddenly turned the chariot in the opposite direction of the temple.


    As if startled, the carriage suddenly stopped. Soon after, the driver¡¯s bewildered voice was heard from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Sir, His Grace the Duke has disembarked from the carriage.¡±


    Ansel got up, leaning against the carriage, and looked out the window. As the coachman said, Duke Rubellin¡¯s wagon stopped in front of the alleyway, and Richard was just getting off the carriage.


    Richard glanced around him and headed into the alleyway.


    ¡®Where are you going?¡¯


    Ansel watched the scene and immediately got off. He entered the alleyway that was connected in a straight line with the alley where Richard had entered. When he turned to the alley where Richard was, he could see the hem of Richard¡¯s robe moving farther away.


    Ansel quickly followed him and headed into the alleyway. But when he turned the corner, he couldn¡¯t see Richard¡¯s figure anymore


    ¡®Did I miss him?¡¯


    Ansel frowned and looked around.


    Suddenly, a cold voice reached his ears.


    ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    Above his head.


    Ansel felt a chill in his spine, slowly raising his head towards the direction the voice came from.


    There, Richard was floating in the air and looking down at him with chilly eyes.


    ¡°Count Arden.¡±


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 Chapter 60

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 60


    ¡°So, is this the extent of the ¡®story you want to tell me¡¯?¡±


    Richard, who came to the County of Arden with Ansel, asked as soon as the butler who brought the tea left.


    His attitude suggested that he did not want to have any meaningless conversation with Ansel.


    Had it not been for Ansel, who said ¡®I have something to say about Elisha¡¯ in the first place, he wouldn¡¯t have even set foot in the County. Ansel opened his mouth regardless of his attitude.


    ¡°You may think this is a very offensive and rude question, but I would like to ask you nonetheless.¡±


    Richard picked up a moderately cooled teacup, brought it to his lips, and looked at Ansel.


    ¡°How much do you love Elisha?¡±


    At the unexpected question that came out of Ansel¡¯s mouth, Richard¡¯s hand, which was bringing the teacup up to his lips, stopped midway. At the same time, his eyebrows twitched.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you dare to ask such a question, knowing that it is offensive and rude.¡±


    Instead of answering Richard¡¯s words, Ansel explained the reasons for his actions.


    ¡°I followed you, to see if you were worthy of knowing this truth.¡±


    ¡°¡­Truth?¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency must know about the villa of the former Viscount Loengrin in Sorneti.¡±


    Richard knew, of course, because Sorneti was the most likely place for Elisha to settle down after divorcing him, so he had researched it beforehand.


    ¡°Elisha asked me to buy the villa and repair it for her so that she could live there after she divorced Your Excellency.¡±


    At the word ¡®divorce¡¯, Richard¡¯s face became chilly. The word alone reminded him of the feelings he had at the time when he was frantic to find Elisha, making him uncomfortable.


    But Ansel continued to speak as if that was not the point.


    ¡°I bought the villa at Elisha¡¯s request and repaired it. I was waiting there for Elisha.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But I met an old man in front of the villa. He said he lived his whole life as a doctor in Sorneti.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The old man said he was Elisha¡¯s doctor. And¡­¡±


    Ansel paused his speech for a moment and then spoke up.


    ¡°He said Elisha died of lung disease. Eight years ago.¡±


    Richard, who had been quietly listening to Ansel¡¯s story with a cool expression, asked without blinking an eye.


    ¡°Did you just call me to tell the story of a senile old man?¡±


    ¡°I thought so too. Until I saw the portrait on the villa¡¯s hallway.¡±


    Ansel recalled the portrait of her he had seen in Sorneti¡¯s villa.


    ¡°However, the girl in the portrait wasn¡¯t the 12-year-old Elisha I knew.¡±


    When I removed the velvet cloth covering the frame, I saw a girl with blonde hair and green eyes in the faded painting. It was said that her face changed little by little as she grew up, but the girl in the portrait was a completely different person, with only the same hair and eye color.


    The real ¡®Elisha Loengrin¡¯ was the girl in the portrait.


    ¡®Then who is the Elisha I know¡­?¡¯


    Ansel looked at the strange girl in the picture for a long time with a confused look on his face.


    And now, Richard was also looking at Ansel with the same expression.


    ¡°¡­Then, did you find out more about Elisha¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t dig further. I thought I had no right to do that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°As soon as I got back to the archipelago, I tried to talk to Elisha, but I couldn¡¯t. That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°You are wise.¡±


    Richard calmly put down the teacup and tried to manage his confused mind. Ansel looked at Richard in surprise and said.


    ¡°You are not as swayed by the truth as I expected.¡±


    ¡°Why should I be?¡±


    To Ansel¡¯s words, Richard answered in a thin voice.


    ¡°No matter what name Elisha has, the fact that she is my precious family doesn¡¯t change.¡±


    As if the truth had no effect on the relationship between Elisha and him. After the conversation, Richard got up from his seat. And as he was about to pass Ansel, he looked back to him as if he had something to say.


    ¡°But if it was for Elisha, shouldn¡¯t you have been more careful with this story? You don¡¯t seem to trust me at all.¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to see you shaken.¡±


    Ansel took a sip of his tea and put down the teacup, adding.


    ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t for Elisha, but for me.¡±


    It was then that Richard realized why Ansel had brought this up to him. He wanted for him to know Elisha¡¯s unknown identity and divorce her.


    That way he would be able to take her.


    Even though he knew that his child was growing in her belly. The moment he found out that Ansel, who was vaguely wary of him, was sincere to Elisha, Richard¡¯s eyes darkened.


    Richard looked down at Ansel with murderous eyes and gave a growling warning.


    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t reveal that greed in front of Elisha.¡±


    Ansel was momentarily startled by Richard¡¯s bloody gaze, but then looked at him with a calm expression.


    Richard immediately left the drawing-room with Ansel still sitting behind him.


    Alone, Ansel glanced absentmindedly at the shut door. For the past few days, and even when they were young, he knew that he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would easily abandon Elisha.


    However, seeing Richard, who was indifferent to everything, reacting like that to Elisha¡¯s story, was both a relief and bittersweet for Ansel.


    ¡®In the end, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get a chance.¡¯


    ¡°¡­Still isn¡¯t it a relief?¡±


    Ansel smiled bitterly and emptied the rest of his tea.


    * * * *


    ¡°Are you back, my Lord?¡±


    When Richard arrived at the Duke¡¯s residence, it was early evening, when twilight began to set. Richard was greeted by Grayson and entered the mansion.


    Just then, Thompson, who was nearby, approached.


    ¡°You came a little late today.¡±


    ¡°I had an errand to run on the way back. Did anything go wrong in the temple?¡±


    ¡°Ah, we didn¡¯t go to the temple today because madam was not feeling well.¡±


    Richard, who had lightly asked about her usual routine, stopped walking. His haggard expression quickly hardened.


    ¡°Not feeling well? Where?¡±


    ¡°She said it¡¯s only a light headache.¡±


    Grayson answered Richard¡¯s question instead.


    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±


    ¡°There are quite a few people who usually feel headaches during pregnancy, so he said she would get better after a good night¡¯s sleep. Madam is sleeping now.¡±


    Richard went straight to Elisha¡¯s room. As Grayson said, Elisha was asleep.


    Richard carefully sat down on the bedside next to the sleeping Elisa. He wondered if she felt his presence when he saw her open her eyes.


    ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I woke you up.¡±


    ¡°What happened? You have an upset expression¡­¡±


    Elisha, who was still rubbing her heavy eyes while looking at Richard, asked.


    Richard was startled by the question. After he came out of Count Arden¡¯s mansion, many thoughts ran through his head. But, while no one else realized how he was feeling, Elisha immediately noticed and asked, even if she was half asleep.


    Richard quickly managed to control his expression and replied.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    It was something Elisha will find out someday, but he didn¡¯t want to shock her by telling her about a problem he wasn¡¯t sure about the details of yet.


    Before telling her, he had to be sure about the situation. Richard changed the subject


    ¡°They told me you didn¡¯t go to the temple today because of a headache.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Elisha replied, blocking a yawn from leaking out. Richard, who was looking at her, gently covered Elisha¡¯s eyes with his hand.


    ¡°Sleep some more. I¡¯ll wake you up when dinner is ready.¡±


    ¡°Nng¡­¡±


    Elisha answered as if mumbling in her sleep and quickly fell asleep again. Richard glanced at her, who was asleep as if she didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    As he listened to her peaceful and regular breathing sounds, his complicated head calmed down a bit.


    ¡®You¡¯re not Elisha Loengrin.¡¯


    She said she doesn¡¯t remember anything from before the wagon accident.


    The doctor who examined her said it was probably short-term memory loss due to the shock of the accident, but Elisha¡¯s memory has not returned eight years later. Richard didn¡¯t think Elisha¡¯s statement that she had lost her memory was a lie.


    It was almost impossible for her to deceive him about her identity and marry him. In the first place, she would not have been able to fool Albert.


    ¡®If so, the person who may know Elisha¡¯s real identity is¡­¡¯


    The one who brought her to the Duke¡¯s residence.


    ¡®Albert Rubellin.¡¯


    His grandfather. Richard hardened his expression as he recalled the name he still didn¡¯t like.


    However, he died, and he couldn¡¯t ask for the truth from a corpse. After pondering for a moment, Richard thought of the only other person who most likely knew the truth.


    Richard got up from the bed and left the room and went up to Thompson.


    ¡°There is someone you need to find.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Aaron Chlor.¡±


    Thompson¡¯s eyes widened as if puzzled by the familiar name that popped up out of nowhere. Aaron Chlor was the man who had been Albert¡¯s aide. He left Rubellin to return to his hometown after Albert¡¯s funeral.


    But he suddenly wanted to find him? Richard ordered Thompson.


    ¡°Find him and bring him to me.¡±


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 Chapter 61

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 61


    #8. Being a Married Couple


    Richard went to the Imperial Palace. Elisha saw the delicious food set before her eyes.


    Freshly baked bread, deliciously cooked meat, fish with cream sauce, etc. Elisa had been unable to eat because of morning sickness lately. After a few days, the morning sickness symptoms had improved a lot and she was finally able to eat, so Richard instructed the chef to prepare a lot the food Elisha liked.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But Elisha just stared blankly at the food and did not want to start eating. It was because of the thoughts that filled her head recently.


    ¡®Lips¡­¡¯


    Not long ago, from the day that Richard read a children¡¯s book to her, she started to be conscious about his lips.


    A soft and supple feeling. Their hot breath that was dizzyingly entangled¡­


    In addition to that, even his handsome face added synergy to stimulate Elisa¡¯s heart.


    More than that, she started to pay attention to his body as well. A wide back, a firm chest with strong abs below it, arm muscles that clearly reveal their presence with every movement, and strong thighs. Every time she looked at his body gleaming through his shirt, her face flushed with memories of the night she spent with him.


    At the same time, her heart was pounding wildly.


    ¡®Because I¡¯m like this, I¡¯m sure Richard¡­¡¯


    Elisha thought involuntarily and shook her head, startled by her thoughts.


    ¡®No, no. That can¡¯t be.¡¯


    Elisha picked up the fork. Then she began to eat as if she was pressing down her thoughts with food.


    ¡°Eat a lot, madam.¡±


    Anne, unable to understand Elisha¡¯s inner feelings, was delighted to see Elisha eating well and brought other foods closer to her.


    ¡°I guess your taste buds changed after you got pregnant. You¡¯re also eating foods you have never eaten before.¡±


    At Anne¡¯s happy words, Elisha stopped.


    ¡®Have your tastes changed because you¡¯re pregnant? Come to think of it, a lot has changed with pregnancy.¡¯


    She usually cried even though it wasn¡¯t something to cry about, and even though she didn¡¯t take a lot of naps before, she was taking a nap like a daily routine these days.


    Elisha found a clue in Anne¡¯s words as to why her heart was pounding when she recently looked at Richard.


    ¡®Is this also the effect of pregnancy hormones?¡¯


    Elisha pondered throughout her meal, and after she finished it, she went straight back to her bedroom and headed to the desk.


    There, a lot of books about pregnancy and childbirth, which she was reading in her spare time these days, were scattered around.


    As she flipped through them, she finally found her answer.


    [Most women have decreased libido after pregnancy, but sometimes the libido that did not exist soars. This can make a person with strong sexual desire become a person without sexual desire due to the influence of hormones, or vice versa.]


    ¡®Then what I feel for Richard is sexual desire!¡¯


    Elisha nodded her head as if she understood and read the explanation attached below.


    [When mom and dad are happy, it has a positive effect on the child in the family. Having a pleasant married life without overdoing it is also a good way to spend a difficult pregnancy.]


    After reading that, Elisha took a deep breath.


    ¡®I want to do that too¡­?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t just that her heart was pounding, she wanted to steal his lips and touch him.


    At times, she dreamed of kissing him and sharing their body temperature with each other.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to wear out my baby like this. If I¡¯m stressed, it¡¯s not good for the baby either.¡¯


    As long as they were married, having children, or spending the night together, there was nothing wrong with that. But unfortunately, it seemed that Richard had no intention of doing so, and he was even still cautious about just putting his hand on Elisha¡¯s belly.


    ¡®How do you grill that kind of fool?¡¯


    (e/n: she means that the difficulty is set too high as she can¡¯t even manage to have a small amount of physical contact with him, much less anything sexual/romantic)


    Just as Elisha was rolling her head with a serious expression on her face, a knock was heard.


    ¡°Madam, I have a letter.¡±


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Anne entered the room, walked over to the table where Elisha was sitting, and put some letters down. Elisha replied with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ll bring you a cup of tea that you can enjoy while reading a book.¡±


    Anne quietly left the bedroom again. After she read a book for a while longer, Elisha closed the book and turned her attention to the letters in front of her.


    Of the three letters, two were tea party invitations, and the other was a catalog.


    As if symbolizing summer, the catalog, decorated in a refreshing light blue color, caught Elisha¡¯s attention. She picked it up. It was a catalog sent from the boutique where Elisha recently customized some dresses.


    [Anes boutique summer new release for the first time!]


    As she browsed through the catalog without a second thought, Elisa stopped her hand from flipping the pages.


    ¡®Is this¡­¡¯


    A smirk was drawn on Elisha¡¯s lips while looking at the catalog.


    ¡°Then, visit again, madam.¡±


    ¡°Have a safe trip!¡±


    That afternoon, Elisha left the store with a very satisfied look, after being assisted politely by Anes Boutique¡¯s owner and all of the employees.


    Anne, who followed Elisha, was holding a velvet box with the items she wanted.


    The knights of Rubellin, who were waiting in front of the shop, opened the carriage¡¯s door for her.


    The coachman asked Elisha who got in her carriage.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go back to the Duke¡¯s mansion right away?¡±


    Elisha, who had been habitually answering yes, thought for a moment before opening her mouth.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stop by the bookstore for a while.¡±


    There were all sorts of books in the library of the Duke of Rubellin, but most of them were new books purchased from there.


    Books containing information on some topics, which were no longer published or distributed on a small scale, were sold only to bookstores.


    Second-hand books were also sold at the bookstore in the square, and it was also interesting to find notes left by the person who read the book before her. Elisha went to the bookstore to browse through books in her spare time.


    According to her will, the carriage headed towards the shopping street in the square. Elisha looked at the familiar scenery outside the window.


    The people of the lively shopping street, the busily passing by, and the children playing brightly in the scenery.


    At that time, something unfamiliar stood out in the familiar landscape.


    ¡®¡­The knights of the Imperial Palace?¡¯


    Knights in uniforms with Imperial designs were roaming the square. Elisha noticed that there was something unusual about their appearance.


    In general, it was the soldiers¡¯ job to patrol the public square. The knights rarely paid attention to the security of the square. They definitely don¡¯t usually run around like that either.


    ¡®Why are they in the square?¡¯


    While Elisha was wondering about it, the driver¡¯s voice was heard from the driving seat.


    ¡°We have arrived, madam.¡±


    Elisha and Anne got out of the carriage, while leaving behind her doubts. The bookstore located on the corner of the shopping street in the square was small and compact.


    As she entered the store, the small bell hanging on the door rang with a clear sound.


    But there was no one at the store counter.


    Instead, a voice presumed to be the owner was heard from inside.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a little busy right now, so take a look for a moment!¡±


    It was followed by quiet noises, including the rattling of ladders and the sound of dust rising and coughing. While Elisha waited for the owner, she decided to scan through the bookshelves. At that moment, she felt something moving at her feet.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    When Elisha looked down, startled, she saw a red-haired boy who had been there since before.


    The child, who appeared to be at most four or five years old, was wearing ragged clothes with holes in them, as if he couldn¡¯t eat properly, revealing his skinny body.


    Nevertheless, the red hair and gold eyes were shining like a blazing flame. The boy stared at Elisha, took any book out of the bookshelf, put it in his clothes, and went out of between the bookshelves.


    Elisha, who had only blinked in embarrassment at the blatant robbery, came one step late and blocked the child in front.


    ¡°Will you give me that?¡±


    However, as if the child had no intention of doing so, he hugged the stolen book and glared at Elisha with displeased eyes. Then, he tried to pass by Elisha, but it was a futile attempt.


    Elisha sat at his eye level and gently grabbed the child¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Baby, stealing is bad. If you don¡¯t pay and try to take other people¡¯s things, the scary uncles will come to catch you.¡±


    Just then, she heard the owner¡¯s footsteps returning from behind her. Upon hearing the sound, Elisha hurriedly reached out to the child.


    ¡°Hurry.¡±


    If the owner finds out about the kid¡¯s theft, things will get bigger. Unfortunately, the child had no intention of handing over the book.


    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m busy, but guests keep coming¡­¡±


    The owner of the bookstore approached the cashier counter with a troubled expression on his face, muttering. Then, seeing Elisha¡¯s expensive clothes and accessories, he hastily changed his attitude.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so grateful for it. Welcome, madam. What book did you come to buy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a book I¡¯m looking for. I just want to look around.¡±


    ¡°Aha, then I¡¯ll recommend something. Let¡¯s see, I have a collection of lyrical poems that beautiful wives enjoy¡­¡±


    The owner, who was approaching the bookshelf to find a book of poetry, found the child at his feet.


    He grasped the situation when he saw the child hiding a book he stuffed under his clothes, and then his expression became terribly contorted.


    ¡°Hey, you thief bastard!¡±


    The moment the owner was about to slap the child on the cheek, Elisha hurriedly took the child into her arms. Rather than a calculated action, it was an instinctive move to protect the small child.


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 Chapter 62

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 62


    The bookstore owner¡¯s hand could not stop and he was about to slap Elisha, a Rubellin knight, who was waiting in front of the door, quickly approached and grabbed his wrist. In a low voice, he threatened the man.


    ¡°What kind of act are you committing now? Don¡¯t be rash.¡±


    It was then that the owner saw the emblem engraved on the knight¡¯s uniform. He was astonished, wasn¡¯t that the coat of arms of Duke Rubellin?


    Seeing that, the hot-tempered abruptness of the owner suddenly subsided. He shuddered and lowered his hand.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, there are so many thieves like this, so I acted without thinking, I will stop¡­ I ended up showing the Madam an ugly sight. I apologize.¡±


    The owner rubbed his hands together as if he hadn¡¯t acted impulsively at all, and bowed down to Elisha. Nevertheless, the eyes looking at the child in Elisha¡¯s arms were still cold.


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t cover him up. If you do them this favor, it will happen again next time. You have to scold them and kick them out.¡±


    The child crouched down and trembled, perhaps feeling the bookstore owner¡¯s gaze even after being hidden in Elisha¡¯s arms.


    Recognizing it, Elisha hugged the child tightly as if protecting the child from him.


    ¡°This book, I will pay for it. How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, what I mean is¡­ If this guy does this again after this incident, it will cause damage to me, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The owner frowned and had a troubled expression. As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with greed. Nobles did not hesitate to spend large sums of money, rather, they used to show off their wealth by spending more than necessary.


    The owner was thinking of taking advantage of this opportunity to take a large sum of money.


    ¡®Since you¡¯re such a rich family, you¡¯ll give me more money and clean it up rather than arguing about annoying things.¡¯


    How much would a rich family like hers give him? While he was salivating at the thought of money, words completely different from what he expected came out of Elisha¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Damage¡­ Isn¡¯t it rather beneficial?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°The owner was doing other things in the back there. If I didn¡¯t catch this kid, wouldn¡¯t he have just fled with the book?¡±


    ¡°Th- that¡¯s right, however¡­¡±


    ¡°If this child had succeeded in stealing today, he might have succeeded in stealing again and stolen several books next time.¡±


    She discreetly pointed out the owner¡¯s behavior, and that she knew he wanted to scam her for something that had not been her fault, by directing the conversation toward his own failure to take care of his store.


    The owner, who had thought that Elisha would gladly pay a little more and finish it, was bewildered by the sharp point. Then, as if he had ever said anything out of line, he slowly lowered his head.


    ¡°Th- that¡¯s true. Ma¡¯am helped me!¡±


    ¡°I will discipline this child, so ring up the book.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am is as kind as her beautiful appearance.¡±


    Elisha ignored the shallow flattering and looked at Anne. She approached the counter with a pocket of gold coins. The owner, disappointed, received exactly the price of the book.


    ¡°Then take a look and come back again, madam.¡±


    Elisha left the bookstore with the child without even looking at the crooked owner.


    As soon as the child left the bookstore, he grabbed the book and tried to run away. But the knight quickly caught him.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    Elisha sat down and made eye contact with the child.


    ¡°Who told you to bring the book?¡±


    The child tried to flee with the book in the absence of the owner¡¯s store. A child as young as four or five years old at most would not have thought of stealing on his own. Surely someone must have ordered the child.


    Books were not expensive items for nobles, but for the poor commoners, they were expensive goods that they could only buy with their total salary of an entire month. With all of their other expenses they need to pay for, most commoners aren¡¯t willing to spend their money on books.


    Yet, the child kept his mouth shut.


    Growl~ The child¡¯s stomach roared in response.


    Elisha, staring at the child¡¯s face, who was gazing at her without knowing what to do, spoke to Anne.


    ¡°Anne, can you go to the nearby bakery and buy me some bread?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The bakery wasn¡¯t too far away. She came back with soft, yummy bread and milk.


    ¡°Come on, eat.¡±


    Elisha handed a loaf of bread to the boy. Perhaps the child was too hungry, he hastily grabbed the bread and began to eat it, forgetting the wariness he had kept until just before.


    ¡®You must have starved even though you¡¯re so young¡­¡¯


    His skinny body and pitiful appearance made Elisha¡¯s heart sink.


    She waved the bread still in the envelope in front of the child and tried to talk.


    ¡°Kid, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    The child, who was chewing bread, saw the remaining bread in Elisha¡¯s hand and replied in a small voice.


    ¡°¡­Leon.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s eyes trembled when she heard the name.


    Leon Kairot.


    It was the name of Harness¡¯ rival, and it was the name of the male lead in the novel ¡ºBird Cage¡»


    At the same time, on the way to the bookstore, I remembered the knights of the Imperial Family I had seen in the plaza.


    ¡®Come to think of it, the original story said that Leon was chased by mercenaries sent by Rose when he was young.¡¯


    The male protagonist¡¯s ill-fated past is an essential setting in almost all romance novels. Leon¡¯s tragic past was described in more detail than usual, especially since it left him with horrific trauma.


    ¡®Leon, who was being chased by mercenaries who were trying to kill him, reached a dead end, and his ability was manifested, but he could not control it and burned a nearby village.¡¯


    Thanks to that, the Imperial Family discovered that Leon had inherited the family¡¯s ability and took him in, and Rose, who tried to kill Leon, failed in the process.


    However, Leon, who was isolated inside an unfamiliar place like the Imperial Palace, suffers from the guilt of killing many people and the threat of murder coming from all directions. Eventually, he grew up as a Crown Prince who lacked humanity.


    When I recalled that lonely childhood, a person came to mind.


    ¡®Richard was the same, too¡­¡±


    Richard was also threatened by Albert¡¯s schemes from an early age, and he entered the guild to survive and grew up doing rough things. His childhood seemed to overlap with the child in front of her. So Elisha was even more heartbroken.


    ¡°You answered well, so I¡¯ll give you this as well.¡±


    Elisha handed the bag of bread she was holding to Leon. It was the price of an answer. As soon as the child was handed the bread, he began to eat in a rush.


    Elisha was lost in thought, waiting for the child to finish eating the bread so that he would not have an upset stomach.


    ¡®I can¡¯t leave Leon like this.¡¯


    At this time, Leon¡¯s biological mother had already died, and Leon was living alone on the streets. If she leaves him alone, he would be chased by mercenaries sent by Rose and would burn a whole village just like in the original.


    For the sake of Leon and the innocent villagers, she couldn¡¯t leave him like that.


    ¡®But, can I really take him back to the Duchy with me¡­¡¯


    There was no justification to take him and convince Richard why they should raise the child, and above all, if the Imperial Family found out, things would get complicated.


    ¡®But I can¡¯t send Leon to another region.¡¯


    The place where the original story begins was Akaroa archipelago. But if the male lead, Leon, escaped Akaroa now, she did not know what unexpected changes to the story it would make.


    ¡®Um¡­ what should I¡­ ah!¡¯


    In Elisha¡¯s head, as she was contemplating how to change the future, a suitable place came to mind. A place where he could avoid the mercenaries without leaving Akaroa.


    A sanctuary acknowledged by Imperial law so that no Emperor could invade it. And the only person with the ability to control Leon¡¯s power is also there.


    Elisha reached out to the child.


    ¡°Leon, would you like to come with me?¡±


    Then Leon looked wary again and muttered as he slowly backed away.


    ¡°My mom said I shouldn¡¯t follow someone I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    At an age where he should still look at the world with pure eyes, the look of a child being wary at every move made Elisha¡¯s heart feel saddened and proud at the same time.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe such a cute child came from Christian¡¯s¡­ well, it¡¯s such a miracle.¡¯


    Elisha looked into the bright eyes of the child with her own soft eyes and came up with a way to win the child¡¯s trust.


    ¡°You¡¯re smart, Leon. You look a lot like your mother.¡±


    ¡°You know my mom?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I was friends with your mom. Her name is Seira, right?¡±


    Of course, Elisha had never met Seira, but she remembered the male lead¡¯s mother¡¯s name. It was something she knew from reading the original novel.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s friend..¡±


    As expected, Leon visibly loosened his guard after hearing his mother¡¯s name. Elisha did not miss the opportunity and reached out to the child once more.


    ¡°Ngh! So I¡¯m going to take Leon to a good place. If you go there, you won¡¯t have to do bad things. I¡¯ll give you clean clothes, and a delicious meal.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to come with me?¡±


    Leon stared intently at Elisha¡¯s face, who had a soft smile and her outstretched hand. Although she did not resemble his mother, her face reminded him of his longing for his mother.


    Leon gently placed his hand on Elisha¡¯s hand. Seeing that, Elisha smiled broadly and hugged Leon lightly.


    ¡°Good choice, Leon.¡±


    Leon, held by Elisha, blinked in confusion. It was the first time he had been hugged by someone since his mother died. All the other adults he had met had only cursed at him or threatened to hit him.


    The warmth he felt after a long time was cozy. To the point where he couldn¡¯t help but smile widely. Leon carefully hugged Elisha¡¯s neck. She had a nice scent he had never smelled before.


    ¡°Sir Sert put this child in the wagon.¡±


    Elisha ordered the knight next to her. Then she told the driver and the knights of Rubellin who were waiting for her,


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop by the temple.¡±


    (e/n: (¨i_¨i) I really want her to take him home with her)


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 Chapter 63

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 63


    After arriving at the temple, Elisha made Anne and the knights wait in front of the temple, and then entered with only Leon.


    ¡°I would like to see the Holy Father.¡±


    The priest recognized Elisha and led her to the drawing-room inside the temple.


    ¡°Please wait here.¡±


    After waiting there for a while, Aiden entered the drawing-room with a knock. He greeted Elisha with a gentle expression as always.


    ¡°You seem to be feeling better. The children were very worried after hearing the news last time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯m sorry that I made the children worry for nothing.¡±


    Aiden, who was about to ask why she had come to find him, saw Leon hiding behind Elisha¡¯s skirt.


    ¡°Is this kid the reason you wanted to see me today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want the Holy Father to take this child.¡±


    ¡°God will be pleased. I will help this child¡¯s registration.¡±


    ¡°No. This child must be picked up by the Holy Father himself.¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s words, Aiden looked at her and the child as if he had no idea what that meant.


    Elisha grabbed the child that was clinging to her back and brought him forward.


    ¡°Leon. Can you show me what you did in the carriage earlier?¡±


    ¡°My mom told me not to show it to anyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you must never show it to anyone. But this is the man who will help you, so you can show it to him.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    However, despite Elisha¡¯s persuasion, Leon only looked at Aiden while wiggling his body, not listening to Elisha¡¯s words.


    ¡®Humm¡­ it seems that the mother gave her child a solid education. So that her child would not be in danger even after she leaves¡­¡¯


    Elisha finally pulled out the trump card.


    ¡°Show me and I¡¯ll buy you a lot of bread.¡±


    At those words, Leon held out his small hand like a fern in front of him as if he had never hesitated.


    The moment Aiden¡¯s puzzled eyes looked at the child¡¯s hand, a small flame rose from the child¡¯s palm.


    As soon as he saw it, Aiden¡¯s pupils began to shake violently.


    ¡®That power¡­?¡¯


    Although still weak, that power was definitely the power passed down in the Kairos family, the Imperial Family.


    ¡°You can stop showing it to him, Leon.¡±


    Leon heard Elisha¡¯s words and immediately withdrew his hand. Then he looked up at Elisha.


    ¡°When will you buy me bread?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it later. Would you like to take outside for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to talk about a secret?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Yes.¡±


    ¡°But why don¡¯t you want to tell me?¡±


    Leon pouted his small lips and made a sullen expression. It seemed that he was rather saddened that she was sharing secrets with another person without him.


    Elisha was perplexed by the unexpected situation, but then gently comforted the child.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Leon a very important secret later. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Ngh!! Okay~¡±


    ¡°Good boy, Leon.¡± Then play outside for a little bit.¡±


    The child, persuaded by Elisha, quietly went out of the drawing-room. As the child left and the door closed, Aiden opened his mouth with a firm expression.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take that child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Madam is thinking, but that child has the blood of the imperial family. If I hid him carelessly, it could endanger Madam¡¯s and my life, too.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I brought him to the temple.¡±


    Many people had their eyes on Aiden.


    Elisha had been aware of Aiden¡¯s situation in the past, and the reason why he has been sticking to a defensive stance all this time.


    Even though she knew it would not be easy to convince him, she brought him anyway because this was the only way to protect Leon.


    Elisha continued speaking as if she was expecting his reaction.


    ¡°The temple is where all the children who have lost their parents are gathered. There is nothing wrong with having a child who does not know their parents staying here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If discovered, the Holy Father can say that you have just been taking care of a child I had entrusted you with, and that you didn¡¯t know who this child was.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s too reckless.¡±


    Aiden rejected Elisha¡¯s words with a stern look.


    He didn¡¯t want to use that excuse and push the blame onto Elisha and the Rubellin household when the emperor was already looking for an excuse to shake their positions.


    However, Elisha did not immediately refute his words, she just lifted the teacup and quenched her throat before asking.


    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t be able to cover all of those sins?¡±


    There was even a relaxed smile on her lips as she asked that question.


    ¡°Those who want to kill the bloodline of the Royal family that the Imperial family is looking for themselves, and those who want to hide them to protect them. Which of the two is more guilty?¡±


    The latter was Elisha herself, which meant there was someone else after the child. Aiden looked at Elisha with questionable eyes.


    ¡°The Imperial Family is looking for their blood to make him the successor. But there¡¯s one person who doesn¡¯t want this child to appear.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you mean the Crown Princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Crown Princess sent a man to find and kill this child before the emperor can find him. If an illegitimate child appears and takes the position of a successor, her position will be very jeopardized.¡±


    Elisha, who knew Leon¡¯s childhood story from the original, was already aware of Rose¡¯s actions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll release the knights and get the evidence within a few days.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Aiden knew that Elisha did not just recklessly bring the child to the temple.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t have to worry after I get the evidence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want to be involved in Imperial affairs.¡±


    However, despite Elisha¡¯s persuasion, Aiden flatly rejected her offer. She blinked in surprise at the cold attitude she had seen for the first time. It was a frighteningly cold voice.


    At Elisa¡¯s startled look, Aiden wrinkled his forehead slightly and added in a more relaxed voice.


    ¡°¡­it¡¯s a very personal reason.¡±


    Only then did Elisha know why Aiden refused her request. Twenty years ago, he lost his wife at the Emperor¡¯s hand, and the Imperial family became his enemy.


    But she couldn¡¯t back down like this. Aiden was the only one who could prevent the unfortunate disaster that Leon would cause.


    Elisha hastily appealed to him.


    ¡°The child¡¯s abilities are dangerous. If you send him to the Imperial Palace like this, the Imperial Palace may become a sea of ??fire.¡±


    Aiden twisted his lips at Elisha¡¯s words. That was the desire he had hoped for all his life. It was an act of revenge he didn¡¯t dare to do because of Julia, who desperately wanted to protect Aiden.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s God¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Even if he turns the village next to the temple into a sea of fire, will you accept it as God¡¯s will?¡±


    Aiden¡¯s eyes, which had been cold until now, began to tremble at those words. Elisha didn¡¯t miss the gap and opened her mouth again.


    ¡°I do not know how sad and lonely it must be for the Holy Father to lose a loved one. I lost my parents when I was young, but I don¡¯t have memories of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So I know it¡¯s presumptuous, but I just want to say one thing.¡±


    Elisha asked, looking at Aiden, who had a hard expression on his face, with eyes that did not waver.


    ¡°Is that child irrelevant because of your Holiness¡¯ sorrow?¡±


    The child only inherited the blood of the Imperial family but didn¡¯t commit any crimes. Wasn¡¯t he left on the street without even knowing who his father was?


    Aiden was agitated for a moment because he was caught off guard, but quickly regained his composure. Elisha continued to speak in a calm voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a small flame. In the future, it could be a flame that burns life, or it could be a flame that gives warmth to people.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The Holy Father can change the flame in any direction.¡±


    Aiden just stared at her, without saying anything. Thus, Elisha took it in a negative sense and stood up, bowing as to offer an apology.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I suddenly came and asked you an unreasonable request. I also said something presumptuous.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Leon with m¨C¡±


    ¡°¡­Leave him here.¡±


    At that moment, Elisha doubted her ears. The person who coldly refused her request moments ago suddenly changed his attitude. Was it real? Did she hear wrong?


    Aiden looked at Elisa, who looked at him with a puzzled expression, and added as if giving a definite answer.


    ¡°However, within this week, you will have to find clues about the Crown Princess¡¯ schemes.¡±


    Only then did a smile spread around Elisha¡¯s mouth, who understood what he meant.


    Still smiling, she nodded.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    (e/n: Basically if Elisha can prove that the crown princess is trying to kill Leon the imperial family can¡¯t punish them for hiding him in case he is discovered. The evidence is basically a backup plan if they get caught so that they can shift the blame away.)


    After Elisha had told Leon the secret story she had promised, she ordered the knights to buy various types of bread and she returned to the Duke¡¯s mansion.


    Aiden decided to let Leon sleep in his room for a while, instead of with all the other children, so he could see how much Leon could control his abilities.


    ¡°Leon?¡±


    However, when he entered the room after bathing, the child was nowhere to be seen. Only the glass of warm milk mixed with honey that the apprentice priest had given him was left empty.


    Aiden looked around and found the small child crouching in front of the extinguished fireplace.


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯


    The child was wiggling his hands, unable to hear Aiden approach, perhaps because he was focusing hard.


    Aiden, who was looking at the child with puzzled eyes, saw a flame popping out from the child¡¯s hand.


    The child was playing with fire. Aiden¡¯s expression hardened when he saw it.


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 Chapter 64

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 64


    ¡®As expected, I shouldn¡¯t have taken in this child.¡¯


    Aiden hurriedly approached and put out the fire in the fireplace. At that moment, the child who recognized Aiden¡¯s appearance looked back at him with round eyes. Aiden took the child¡¯s hand and turned it around, thinking to reprimand the child.


    ¡°Leon, don¡¯t play with fire. I told you that, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Leon was bewildered at Aiden¡¯s rebuke, but he quickly grasped the situation seeing his hardened expression and shrugged. Then he murmured in a small voice.


    ¡°Leon wasn¡¯t playing with fire¡­¡±


    ¡°What were you doing if not that?¡±


    ¡°If you sleep in the cold, you get sick. That¡¯s why my mom was like that. So Leon was trying to make it warm¡­¡±


    Aiden stared blankly at the child speaking like that. The child did not intend to play with fire, but to warm him up.


    At that moment, what Elisha had said came to mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a small flame. It can be a flame that burns life in the future or a flame that shares warmth with people.¡±


    At the same time, he remembered a face he will miss all his life. The figure of the woman he would love for the rest of his life, who always worked hard for those who were weaker than her.


    Maybe even Julia would have said so. This child is not guilty of anything. So, I beg you to take this child.


    ¡®Raising you to be different from your grandfather seems to be my last duty.¡¯


    Aiden, who was staring blankly at Leon, gently held the small hand of the child who was watching him intensely. There was bark on the child¡¯s small hand, that was holding firewood.


    Aiden apologized, washing the child¡¯s hands with his water ability.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leon. I got angry at you because I didn¡¯t know better. Thank you for setting the fire for me.¡±


    At his apology, Leon giggled as if embarrassed. Aiden looked at such a child and smiled. Then he asked, adding new firewood.


    ¡°Then, shall we start a fire again?¡±


    ¡°Nngh!¡±


    The child soon lit the fireplace. Aiden watched the small spark that jumped out of the child¡¯s hand stick to the firewood and burn slowly.


    It was small, but the most lovely flame in the world.


    * * *


    Returning to the Duke¡¯s residence, Elisha felt troubled.


    ¡®How can I find evidence that Rose sent someone to kill Leon?¡¯


    Since she couldn¡¯t kill each child suspected of having inherited Royal blood by herself, she must have entrusted this task to someone.


    However, if she moved her close net of connection, it would be too suspicious and attract the attention of the imperial family. The other nobles couldn¡¯t do it either. No matter how much the nobles follow Rose, they would be reluctant to direct their intel and help kill the Imperial grandson.


    If it was discovered by mistake, she would become a traitor who tried to kill an Imperial descendant.


    ¡®And in the first place, they¡¯re not really Rose¡¯s people, they¡¯re Raymore¡¯s people.¡¯


    There¡¯s no way she would have moved Raymore¡¯s Intel group though. In the original story, it was said that for some reason, Raymore was indifferent to their young Lady and Crown Princess, Rose. Even though it was clear that if she gives birth to an Imperial grandson, it would further solidify their power and position.


    For this reason, Rose didn¡¯t think it through and tried to kill Leon, but her plan failed, she ended up helping to reveal that he was the Imperial grandson instead.


    In the end, Rose was deposed from her position as the Crown Prince because of that, and the Raymore household turned their back on her.


    ¡®Then all Rose can move is mercenaries.¡¯


    The guild of mercenaries don¡¯t move out of loyalty but move at the sight of money.


    ¡®If it is for money, it¡¯s easy to get people to move in the opposite direction. You can convince them to go against their original deal with more money.¡¯


    Elisha smiled relaxedly. Things were going easier than expected.


    However, there was one problem.


    ¡®It¡¯s too dangerous for me to go by myself.¡¯


    Among the numerous guilds, the fastest and most reliable way to find out which guild is colluding with Rose was to catch the mercenaries redhanded.


    However, even if she sent Rubellin¡¯s knights, the mercenaries would not fear them very much.


    It had to be someone with more power and status.


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    At that time, she thought of only one person suitable for this job. A person who was trustworthy enough to entrust this task, and who has the strength and power.


    Elisha grinned.


    The mercenary guild was in a back alley on the outskirts of the island. At first glance, it was a building that looked like a bar or inn, but all the guests who came and went were guild mercenaries. The inside of the inn was filled with the loud laughter of drunken mercenaries.


    Then suddenly,


    Bang!


    With an abrupt crashing sound, the inn¡¯s door shattered and the gatekeeper rolled over on the floor. The noisy inn suddenly became quiet.


    ¡°Wh- what¨C¡±


    The mercenaries looked at the broken door with bewildered eyes. There, one of their colleagues, who had been ordered to kill all the children suspected of having Imperial blood, stood trembling with a frightened face.


    And behind him, a tall man in a black robe entered with leisurely steps. The large hand of the man in black leather gloves slid over the hood of the robe revealing his face.


    A handsome man with jet-black hair and blood-red eyes resembled a devil. Richard looked around the inn with his cool eyes and opened his moist lips.


    ¡°I want to meet the person in charge of this place.¡±


    Although he was alone with no backup, even the mercenaries, who were known for being wild and fierce, were not willing to approach him.


    Mercenaries, who have been doing all kinds of rough things all their lives, noticed with their animal instincts that the man in front of them was someone they should not approach carelessly.


    They felt intimidated as if they were in front of a wild beast.


    The mercenaries, who were suppressed by that momentum, remained silent without saying anything.


    However, a rookie who had just entered the guild came at him without noticing anything.


    ¡°Who the hell is this cheeky bastard who dares to come in making a fuss and demanding to meet the master?¡±


    Holding his sword, Richard glanced indifferently at the rookie approaching him. His eyes were the same as if watching a bug crawling towards him.


    ¡°You assy bastard!¡±


    The rookie, offended by those eyes, swung his sword and rushed towards Richard.


    However, Richard lightly avoided the attack by turning his body slightly and kicking the rookie in his abdomen, making him lose balance and stagger.


    ¡°Kuhyk!¡±


    The rookie slumped backward at the shock.


    ¡°Th- this crazy¨C!¡±


    He tried to pick up the sword he had dropped, but Richard was faster. As he approached, he struck the mercenary¡¯s sword with his foot and pressed it at the back of his hand.


    ¡°Aaaahhk!¡±


    A scream erupted from the rookie¡¯s mouth due to the pain from his crushed bones. Richard, who was looking down at the rookie struggling in pain, raised his eyes and looked at the mercenaries, and opened his mouth again.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say it three times. Bring the person in charge, now.¡±


    One of the mercenaries hurriedly turned around and entered the inside of the inn. Only then did Richard take his foot off of the rookie¡¯s hand.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t want to get involved in this in the first place.


    ¡®What does Christian¡¯s son have to do with me anyway?¡¯


    To put it bluntly, the death of Christian¡¯s son, who possessed the power of the imperial family, was beneficial to Rubellin.


    However, he could not defy Elisha¡¯s earnest plea.


    ¡°When I saw him, he reminded me of you, so I couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to him.¡±


    He didn¡¯t like that she cared for someone other than him, but he didn¡¯t hate that she thought of him.


    It meant that he was in her mind enough for her to think of him in any trivial situation of her daily life.


    That was why he decided to do this arduous task so late at night.


    At that time, a mercenary who had entered the inn returned.


    ¡°The master says to go inside¡­ please.¡±


    The mercenary, who started speaking informally, felt pressure from Richard¡¯s gaze and ended up muttering his words at the end, spoke the last word politely. Richard went inside the inn under his guidance.


    After walking for a while, there was a staircase leading to the second floor. He climbed the stairs and turned left to reveal a long hallway with a room at the end of it. It was an ordinary inn room.


    There, a thin, sharp-looking man was sitting with a cigarette in his mouth. Four mercenaries who seemed to be his minions surrounded him.


    Richard looked at the cigarette and frowned slightly, but as if he did not care about its presence, he sat down on the chair in front of him and looked at the man. The man asked, looking at Richard, who didn¡¯t seem to mind the current situation, which would be considered dangerous to most people.


    ¡°I heard you wanted to meet me?¡±


    ¡°Are you the guild master?¡±


    The guild master inhaled a puff of smoke from the cigarette, exhaled it, and responded a beat later.


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s your purpose for coming here?¡±


    ¡°Refuse the offer of the Crown Princess and spread the news around all your guild members across the entire Empire.¡±


    ¡°What the hell¨C¡±


    ¡°If any of those children die, you all die.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s words, the guild master dropped the cigarette he was biting.


    In general, guilds communicate with passwords and codes and never mention the client¡¯s name or identity.


    But to think that an intruder that came out of nowhere knew that the Crown Princess herself had commissioned the guild for a task. Besides, he knew exactly what the order was.


    However, the guild master quickly captured his agitated expression. Then he handed a cigarette to his subordinate who was next to him and said,


    ¡°And order from the Crown Princess? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, one of his left subordinates pulled out a dagger and threw it at Richard. But even when he saw the dagger flying towards his heart, Richard didn¡¯t move.


    At that time, as the guild master was puzzled by his attitude,


    Crash!


    A strong wind blew into the room when the window broke.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    The wind was strong enough to push the guild master and his men into a corner. When they finally opened their eyes after the wind had stopped, all the furniture in the room was scattered about. The table that had been placed between them had fallen over, and the dagger thrown by his subordinate was struck on the table.


    Among them, only Richard was seated in the same position as before, with his long legs crossed.


    Only then did the guild master and his men realize who Richard was.


    ¡°Du- Duke of Rubellin¡­?¡±


    Richard, who was looking at the guild master and his men with indifferent eyes, opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I think you¡¯re mistaken about something.¡±


    A weak wind was still surrounding the guild master and his men. As if warning that he could overpower them at any time.


    The guild master and his men shrunk back and swallowed their saliva with nervous faces.


    Richard added, the wind swirling around him.


    ¡°This is not a proposal, but an order.¡±


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 Chapter 65

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 65


    A few days later, a letter came to Elisha. It was a letter from Crown Princess Rose.


    The letter was an invitation addressed to Elisha specifically. It was asking for her to come to the Imperial Palace because she wanted to meet with Elisha, and, as if she had been waiting, Elisha headed to the Imperial Palace.


    Upon arriving at the Crown Princess¡¯ Palace, the maids led Elisha to the drawing-room. The room was lavishly decorated, with the colors of white and gold as the main motif, and delicate gold pieces of artwork and statues were placed everywhere.


    Ordinary nobles would have widened their eyes in surprise to see such luxurious decorations; but Elisha, who lived in the Rubellin mansion where the drawing-room was decorated with glow stones, which were the most expensive jewels on the continent, made the Princess¡¯ room appear dull in comparison.


    In the center of the room sat Rose, dressed in a very colorful dress and decorated with an assortment of extremely valuable and splendid jewels.


    Elisha approached her, smiled, and politely greeted her.


    ¡°I greet Her Highness the Crown Princess.¡±


    ¡°Welcome, Duchess.¡±


    Rose, who was welcoming Elisha, flinched when she saw Elisha sitting carefully with her hands wrapped around her stomach. However, soon after, with a smile on her face, she commented for the sake of formality.


    ¡°You must be feeling tired, but thank you for coming here.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s the first time Your Highness has called for me.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Duchess the next most important woman in Arencia after the ladies of the Imperial Family? In times like these, when the Empire is in turmoil due to long wars, I thought that we should put our heads together rather than point blades at each other.¡±


    It was funny that Rose, who had been openly showing hostility to Elisha, said something like that. She accepted Rose¡¯s words with an innocent smile.


    ¡°Oh my. I should have approached Her Highness first, but I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re welcoming me so warmly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­ It¡¯s okay as long as the misunderstanding has been resolved.¡±


    Rose pretended to be a generous Crown Princess and leisurely held a teacup in front of her. Elisha too held up her teacup but twisted her lips as soon as she lowered her eyes to the liquid waiting in it.


    In the first place, she didn¡¯t want to drink the tea that Rose prepared because she couldn¡¯t trust her based on their interactions before this meeting but seeing her clearly malicious intentions once more, Elisha felt it was ridiculous.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I still have morning sickness, so I can¡¯t drink tea or eat cookies.¡±


    In fact, the symptoms of morning sickness have been relieved a lot recently, but Elisha said it anyway to resolve her dilema. Rose made an exaggeratedly apologetic expression.


    ¡°Oh my! I¡¯m terribly sorry. I wasn¡¯t considerate enough of your situation.¡±


    ¡°No need to worry, I¡¯ll just accept your thoughts.¡±


    Elisha replied with a smile. Rose called a maid to clean away the tea and cookies. After the maid finished up and left, she brought up another topic.


    ¡°Oh, right. I heard that the Duchess helps a lot of poor children. As the Crown Princess, I want to express my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even started in earnest yet, so I¡¯m embarrassed to know how Her Highness found out. I¡¯ll try my best so the story doesn¡¯t turn out to be just a rumor.¡±


    ¡°Recently, you have also helped children who have lost their parents, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Children who still need to be looked after are taken to a nearby orphanage.¡±


    ¡°May I ask where the orphanage is? The Duchess has done a good deed, so as a person who will become the mother of the Empire in the future, I want to contribute to that meaningful work.¡±


    Hearing Rose¡¯s words, Elisha noticed that it was finally the time for the main topic to come up.


    ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    Elisha paused for a moment pretending to recall the name, then asked a sharp question with an innocent expression.


    From Elisha¡¯s exaggerated innocent look, Rose realized that she was hiding the child on purpose.


    On the day Elisha met Leon, the mercenaries sent by Rose were already circling around him, looking for a time to quietly deal with the child. However, Elisha took Leon inside her carriage, thwarting their efforts. Still, the mercenaries did not give up and followed her.


    However, perhaps noticing it in the middle, the Duchess¡¯ carriage stopped here and there, disturbing their pursuit. As a result, their effort to track the child was ultimately unsuccessful.


    ¡®What a sly snake-like girl. It seems that you noticed.¡¯


    Rose discreetly glanced at her, hoping that it might be a coincidence that the mercenaries had lost Elisha, but she found out who was behind the lost trail of the child through Elisha¡¯s words.


    Since there was no need to hide her feelings anymore, Rose hissed out a threat with a ferocious expression as if she never had been smiling.


    ¡°Stop pretending and speak. Where did you hide that child?¡±


    Finding out the situation, Rose had abandoned all formality and spoke aggressively. However, even in front of such behavior, Elisha blinked with a relaxed expression as if she still knew nothing, while smiling softly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who ¡®that child¡¯ Your Highness is talking about is. Is there a kid you¡¯re looking for in particular?¡±


    ¡°You cocky brat! How dare you act so arrogantly? If I go to His Majesty and tell him what you did¨C!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to tell to His Majesty? Why would His Majesty be angry that I took a child who had lost his parents and delivered him to a safe place?¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s question, Rose was speechless. She had assumed that Elisha was unaware of Leon¡¯s identity, even though she knew that the person who had sent the mercenaries was her.


    However, it was only Rose¡¯s misunderstanding. As a reminder of that fact, Elisha continued in a casual tone.


    ¡°Or¡­ are you implying the Duchess of Rubellin would dare to hide the Imperial grandchild?¡±


    Elisha smiled and asked. She already knew everything.


    Even if she hadn¡¯t known about the original work, it was a fact she would have been able to infer with a little bit of information. It would be easy to figure out if you were to consider the relationship between the Imperial Family and Rubellin, the news of her pregnancy, the Imperial knights wandering around the square, and Rose¡¯s sudden behavior of showing interest in an orphanage where some poor children are staying.


    The fact that such an inference would be possible was mind boggling to the princess, so Rose was unable to understand how Elisha could know.


    ¡°You, you know everything¨C!¡±


    ¡°Then you should go to His Majesty right now and falsely accuse the Rubellin Duchy of trying to kill the Imperial grandchild.¡±


    ¡°You think I won¡¯t do it?¡±


    ¡°But what would you say to His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the lack of evidence, wouldn¡¯t His Majesty ask how you know that the Rubellin Duchy is trying to kill the Imperial grandchildren?¡±


    It would be strange that Rose, who was usually inside her Palace, would notice something that not even the Imperial knights hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Unless you know every move of each child.


    If she framed Elisha in front of the Emperor, it would be like revealing what she had been doing so far.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a country bumpkin. Do you think you have become a true noblewoman just because you¡¯re being supported by your husband? How dare you make fun of me?¡±


    Rose¡¯s body trembled in anger. She clenched her fist and shot Elisha a murderous look.


    Elisha, who had barely listened to her last words with an indifferent face, stood up as if it was not worth hearing anymore. Then, she waved the contract she brought to Rose, who was glaring at her with poisonous eyes.


    Rose¡¯s eyes widened when she saw it.


    ¡°Th- that- how did you¨C¡±


    It was a contract signed by Rose¡¯s closest aide, her maid. As Elisha had found out, the maid had recently left the Palace on the pretext of going back to her hometown.


    In the contract, it was written that Rose would give a down payment to the mercenaries who succeeded in their mission.


    Since it was her maid, the guild trusted her word, knowing she was from a fairly wealthy and famous noble family. The contract was originally in the hands of the mercenaries¡¯ Guild Master, but Richard gave him double the promised pay in exchange for the document.


    If she showed it to the Emperor, it would be undeniable evidence.


    Elisha leaned closer to Rose, who was frozen in surprise and threatened her in a low tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch innocent children.¡±


    ¡®If you touch any of those children, I can report this to the Emperor any time.¡¯ That was the meaning behind her words.


    ¡°If the children are safe, this contract will never fall into the hands of the Emperor for the rest of your life.¡±


    Elisha looked at Rose, who was trembling in rage, and bowed her head politely.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back, Your Highness. If you want to talk with me at any time, please call for me.¡±


    She smiled as warmly as she did when she entered the drawing-room. Elisa leisurely left, leaving Rose behind.


    Looking at her back, Rose threw a cushion as soon as the door closed.


    ¡°Aaaghkk!!¡±


    Rose¡¯s voice, full of rage, rumbled in the room.


    * * *


    It was the day she promised to go to see Leon at the temple. So Elisha had been very busy since morning.


    She was about to get into the carriage with the bread and cookies she had promised to give to Leon, but Richard caught up with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you, Elisha.¡±


    ¡°To the temple?¡±


    ¡°That kiddo. I want to take a look at him.¡±


    Elisha knew ¡®that kiddo¡¯ was Leon.


    ¡®Richard had a similar childhood as Leon, so maybe he can help him.¡¯


    Elisha, who thought so, readily nodded. Richard carefully picked up Elisha as if she was about to fall, and climbed into the wagon. Then, he put a bunch of cushions behind Elisha¡¯s back and waist.


    Thanks to this, Elisha was able to sit in a comfortable position where she barely felt the vibrations of the carriage.


    ¡®My husband is becoming more and more like a father.¡¯


    Elisha smiled softly as she watched him take care of her and the child in her womb.


    Richard, who sat next to Elisha comfortably, asked.


    ¡°What are you going to do about him?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now because he¡¯s still young and doesn¡¯t know anything, but when he grows up a little more, he¡¯ll know. That he has a different power than others.¡±


    Only then did Elisha realize the meaning of his question. She also wondered about how to raise Leon in the future.


    But there was no right answer for the child¡¯s future. She couldn¡¯t figure out the answer herself.


    ¡°When Leon finds out about the truth himself, I¡¯ll try to ask him again; how he wants to live.¡±


    If he wants to become an Emperor and lead this Empire in a better direction, she will help him do that, and if he wants to live a happy life with his power hidden, she will also help you do so.


    It would be unfortunate for him to live an unhappy life just because he¡¯s bound by his family¡¯s bloodline.


    Elisha added, looking at Richard, who had to live an unwanted life because of his power.


    ¡°Until that day comes, I just want to help him grow up healthy and happy.¡±


    She wanted to show that child as many paths as possible.


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 Chapter 66

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 66


    Soon after, the wagon arrived in front of the temple. Elisha entered the temple with Richard. At the same time, a passing priest recognized Elisha and approached her with a warm smile.


    ¡°Glad to see you again, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Priest Silica.¡±


    ¡°But the person next to you is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah. Duke, please say hi.¡±


    At those words, the priest recognized Richard and greeted him with a tense expression that was different from when he was dealing with Elisha.


    ¡°Welcome, Duke.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    The two greeted each other lightly. When the two had finished greeting each other, Elisha asked.


    ¡°Do you happen to know where Leon is?¡±


    ¡°That child is probably in the east chapel.¡±


    ¡°What about His Holiness?¡±


    ¡°The Holy Father is guiding a service in the western chapel.¡±


    At that moment, as soon as the priest had finished speaking, a small shadow ran towards Elisha. Richard reflexively grabbed the small figure.


    It was a young boy with chubby cheeks, blonde hair, and red eyes that sparkled like the blazing sun. Elisha smiled brightly when she found the child.


    ¡°Leon?¡±


    ¡°Noona!¡±


    Richard looked at the child with puzzled eyes. Elisha clearly said that the child was similar in appearance to Christian. But the child in front of him was blonde.


    Richard asked Elisha.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they were the same?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ this is a wig. He has to wear it to avoid suspicion, the Holy Father said that he was a distant relative of his.¡±


    Elisha whispered to Richard and grabbed Leon¡¯s little hand.


    ¡°Leon, how have you been? You didn¡¯t make any trouble, did you?


    ¡°Nngh!¡±


    Elisha held out the package that Richard had been holding, to Leon, who nodded vigorously. It was the bread and cookies she had packed for him.


    Seeing this, Leon smiled with a bright face as if he had everything in the world. Elisha, who was looking at Leon with a smile, told the priest.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the west chapel, priest.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to guide you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve memorized the geography of the temple by now. I know that you are busy, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Priest Silica said goodbye to the two and disappeared. Elisha, who was going to the west chapel, looked back at Richard who was following her.


    ¡°Richard, you should go to the lounge with Leon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I not going with you?¡±


    ¡°You came because you wanted to meet Leon, right? I have something to talk about with the Holy Father.¡±


    Originally, he followed Elisha with that excuse. In the end, Richard had no choice but to watch Elisha from afar as she headed towards the western chapel. At that moment, he felt something pulling the hem of his pants.


    It was Leon.


    ¡°Leon will take you to the room.¡±


    Richard stared at the child in front of him in surprise. Usually, four or five-year-old children would instinctively fear and avoid Richard when they saw him. So it was strange that this brat in front of him talked without fear.


    He thought that it would be quicker to ask other people for directions, but Richard followed Leon obediently. However, it was quite frustrating to match the stride of a child walking with such short legs.


    Richard eventually lifted up the child. The child, on the other hand, who was preoccupied with finding the way, finally asked Richard.


    ¡°Mister is Noona¡¯s friend?¡±


    At those words, Richard frowned.


    ¡®You call Elisha Noona.¡¯


    However, he, who was about the same age as Christian, the child¡¯s father, had the title of ¡®mister.¡¯ But the part that bothered him the most was that he was referred to as Elisha¡¯s ¡®friend.¡¯


    Richard corrected his relationship with Elisha.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re a couple.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a couple?¡±


    ¡°It means two people who are married.¡±


    ¡°So, Noona married mister?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Elisha married me.¡±


    ¡°Leon will also marry Noona.¡±


    Oh my, the little thing has good eyes too¡­


    [tl-n: meaning he also knows Elisha¡¯s gorgeous.]


    Richard paused, astonished.


    ¡°Elisha married me, so she can¡¯t marry you. Marriage is only for two people.¡±


    Leon¡¯s eyelids fluttered at his words in confusion. Then, tears welled up in his big eyes.


    ¡°No! She can do it with Leon too! Mister is a meanie!!¡±


    Eventually, Leon burst into tears. Richard frowned again at the sound of the kid crying loudly in his ears.


    ¡®After all, kids are noisy.¡¯


    As the child started crying, he wondered what to do. Richard, who was looking at the crying child, suddenly remembered the fruit-flavored candy in his inner pocket, so he took it out, and gave it to the child.


    It was a habit he gained since Elisha started having morning sickness.


    ¡°Stop crying and eat this. Do you like candy, kid?¡±


    ¡°Candy¡­?¡±


    As expected, Leon showed interest in candy. But he couldn¡¯t peel the wrapper off. Seeing that, Richard easily peeled the candy with his free hand.


    Leon took the candy from Richard and put it in my mouth. The sweet grape flavor spread across his tongue.


    ¡°Yummy!¡±


    The child smiled with his eyes still wet from his crying.


    ¡®Pretty simple.¡¯


    Richard stared at Leon and muttered.


    ¡°When you grow up, another good person will appear.¡±


    Of course, she won¡¯t be as good as Elisha. After arriving at the lounge under Leon¡¯s guidance, Richard put the child back down.


    Leon then scrambled towards the fireplace. Richard, who initially looked at the child¡¯s actions with indifferent eyes, was startled. A flame was popping up from the child¡¯s hand.


    Surprised by this, Richard hurried over and held the child once more.


    ¡°If you play with fire, you will be scolded by the Holy Father.¡±


    ¡°No! Leon wants to make Noona warm! Holy Father compliments Leon for being good~¡±


    It was only then that Richard realized that Leon was trying to light a fire in the fireplace. The power of a family was innate, but those who didn¡¯t know the limitations of their own power well enough often couldn¡¯t control it.


    When the first manifestation of the power happened, it was usually the adults in the family who knew how to handle it, and the child would grow up learning how to be able to control their own strength from others who had gained experience.


    However, there were some other rare cases. It would be a situation where the child¡¯s power would surface after they experienced a life-threatening situation or something similar to that and they would learn about their power on their own.


    Richard discovered his powers while being pursued by the assassins Albert had sent to kill him.


    Leon was also born as an illegitimate child and grew up unaware of his own strengths, so his power must have been manifested in a desperate moment.


    As he thought that far, Elisha¡¯s voice suddenly came to mind.


    ¡°When I saw him, I thought of you, so I couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to him.¡±


    It was early summer, so the fireplace wasn¡¯t needed, but he didn¡¯t want to put out the small flame. A gentle wind gathered around Leon¡¯s hands, who was eager to rekindle the fire. The wind helped the small sparks to stick well to the firewood.


    Soon after, the firewood ignited. The child who saw it clapped and laughed.


    ¡°Mister look! Leon made fire!¡±


    A faint smile passed over Richard¡¯s face as he looked at the child.


    When Elisha entered the west chapel, only Aiden remained, as if the service had just finished. He was standing alone in the center of the chapel, looking at the statue of the goddess.


    Elisha quietly approached him.


    As if noticing her presence, Aiden spoke.


    ¡°I want to take this opportunity to confess something to the Duchess.¡±


    Elisha looked at him with a puzzled face. Aiden continued with a calm voice, as always.


    ¡°I worship God, but I don¡¯t believe in God.¡±


    Elisha was surprised. It was a natural sentence for an atheist, but it was not something that would usually come out of the mouth of the Holy Father, who worshiped God on behalf of all the peoples of the Empire.


    ¡°I¡¯m just using God¡¯s authority to protect only those I want to protect. I do realize that it is blasphemous.¡±


    Since the day Julia died, he had abandoned god. His god was not the statue of a goddess in front of him, but his beloved wife. His definition was the words she left behind during her lifetime.


    ¡°How can I say that my selfishness is better than the Duchess¡¯ favor?¡±


    Aiden lowered his gaze at the statue and looked back at Elisha.


    ¡°I guess I wanted to find the innocence I had lost in Madam.¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect this innocence from anyone else. He had always immediately rejected any sincere favor and did not look back. But why did he expect such innocence from this woman?


    The reason was unknown, but one thing was certain.


    She had a power he didn¡¯t have.


    The power to protect people with a pure heart without losing her own light. That power moved his heart.


    ¡°Can you help me? with the temple.¡±


    Elisha blinked in surprise at Aiden¡¯s words. Then she smiled broadly and nodded.


    ¡°If the Holy Father wishes for it, I¡¯m willing.¡±


    Elisha¡¯s bright smile finally brought a genuine smile to Aiden¡¯s lips.


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 Chapter 67

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 67


    After solving the temple affairs and returning to the Duke¡¯s residence, Elisha took a bath and began some preparations.


    After sending out all the maids, Elisha put on the clothes she had prepared that were waiting for her on one side of the bathroom.


    ¡®Sigh¡­ finally wearing this¡­¡¯


    The clothes that Elisha put on was a slip with thin straps on the shoulders. Unlike the large and comfortable pajamas she usually wore, the slip was designed to stick to the body and reveal its curves. In addition, the fabric was thin, so even the silhouette and skin color under the cloth could be seen at first glance.


    ¡®Anes Boutique¡¯s greatest work for this summer! The pajamas that will give you a hot summer night!¡¯


    To buy this for today, she went to the boutique a few days ago herself. She could have called them to the mansion and made the purchase, but Elisha was too embarrassed to buy such an outfit in front of the maids.


    But when she wore it, she had a problem.


    ¡®Um, I think the belly is too big¡­¡¯


    Using her normal dresses, her baby bump was not visible yet. But now while she was wearing thin clothes, the belly was too prominent.


    It didn¡¯t have the sexy vibe she had in mind.


    ¡®I heard that husbands lose interest in their wives when their belly is too big¡­ Will Richard be the same?¡¯


    Elisha recalled a story she had once heard. But either way, there was no turning back now.


    Elisha walked into the bedroom wearing a silk robe over the slip. However, she hesitated before opening the door. Thinking about standing in front of him dressed like that made her more nervous than the first time.


    Elisha held her wild pounding heart while she repeated some words in her mind and tried to convince herself.


    ¡®Richard is my husband and this is natural between couples.¡¯


    After taking a few deep breaths, she opened the door and entered the room. The soft light of the glowstone placed on the table was illuminating it. Richard, as usual, was sitting on the sofa, reviewing some documents while waiting for Elisha.


    A clear shadow was cast on the slender pectoral muscles that could be seen through his robe. Elisha swallowed her saliva without realizing it.


    Richard, unable to understand Elisha¡¯s inner feelings, got up from his seat and approached her.


    ¡°Shall we go to bed now?¡±


    ¡°Wa- wait a moment. Take this off¡­¡±


    Elisha slipped out of his arms, who was trying to hold her, and took off her bedgown. The thin slip on the inside was revealed. Richard¡¯s eyes, who had been unintentionally looking at Elisha, twitched. However, he quickly captured his expression and frowned.


    ¡°¡­is it a new outfit?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. You don¡¯t like it¡­?¡±


    Richard was stunned by Elisha¡¯s appearance, she was clearly hesitating in anticipation of his reaction. At that moment he recalled the time when he lied about her clothes and made her cry. (e/n: This was a while back but he said a dress didn¡¯t suit her and made her cry because he thought it looked too pretty on her and some other men would approach her)


    His heart sank as he remembered Elisha crying sadly that day. He felt so guilty as if he had become the worst man in the world. He didn¡¯t want to see tears in her eyes ever again.


    And above everything else, Elisha was truly beautiful in a dress that revealed all her body¡¯s curves.


    Beautiful enough that he responded without realizing it.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s pretty. It looks good on you.¡±


    She heard what she wanted, but Elisha¡¯s expression was cold.


    ¡®I asked for it and now I¡¯m getting stabbed on the side.¡¯


    [tl/n: it means she was trying to react to him and didn¡¯t go as expected]


    Richard, unaware of Elisha¡¯s heart, spoke out cautiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty. The clothes are a little¡­ a bit thin¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s summer now, so I bought it because it was hot.¡±


    Elisha came up with a plausible excuse while hiding the real purpose of buying such a slip. She could never be honest with her husband.


    Believing it straight away, Richard put Elisha¡¯s robe back on her shoulder.


    ¡°Either way, it¡¯s still cold at night.¡±


    Frustrated, Elisha felt as if she was going crazy.


    ¡®How can you believe an excuse like that?! You fool!!¡¯


    Was he pretending not to know, or did he really not know? At this point, having a baby with their relationship like this could be considered a miracle. (e/n: basically she can¡¯t get him to flirt at all so them having a baby must be a miracle because it wouldn¡¯t happen if they tried to flirt like normal lol)


    Elisa bit her lip with a prickly expression, but it was too soon to give up. The operation couldn¡¯t end like this.


    Elisha sat down, leaning against the head of the bed. Every night before going to bed, Richard would massage her tummy with cream and talk to the baby.


    Elisha looked at Richard carefully as he spread the cream on her stomach. As soon as they made eye contact, she planned on seducing him, even if it was clumsy.


    ¡®Look at me. Look at me!¡¯


    As if hearing her heart, Richard lifted his eyes towards Elisha. Two pairs of eyes met.


    Red eyes gleaming with the light of a soft glowstone glistened very seductively.


    ¡°Richa¨C¡±


    But the moment Elisha was about to call out to him, Richard immediately looked down again and focused on her belly.


    ¡°I think your belly grew a lot in a few days.¡±


    He caressed her stomach and started talking to the baby. He asked if he ate a lot of delicious food today, or if he had a good time with his mommy.


    Elisha swallowed a sigh while watching him.


    ¡®You damn fool!¡¯


    Usually, she would have liked to see him rubbing her stomach with his large hands, but today Elisha felt uncomfortable.


    ¡®Should I be a bit more obvious?¡¯


    Elisha brought a book about pregnancy that she had read in the afternoon. He didn¡¯t think it was strange because he learned more about children while listening to the prenatal fairy tales she read every night or when they would read books about pregnancy together.


    Elisha flipped the book open to the part she had read today and placed it in his hand.


    [Most women lose their libido after pregnancy, but sometimes their libido rises. This is due to the influence of hormones, making a person with sexual desire a person without sexual desire, and vice versa.]


    ¡°Many men also lose interest when their wives gain some belly. That¡¯s why they say it¡¯s hard if a couple doesn¡¯t fit this part¡­¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s what I heard, how do you feel about it?¡¯


    Elisha whispered and looked at him. However, Richard¡¯s reaction was¡­


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡­That was all.


    At Richard¡¯s nonchalant attitude, like he was listening to other people¡¯s stories, Elisha closed the book without hiding her disappointment.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to sleep now. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Then lay down on the bed. After a moment, she heard a hateful voice calmly say.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    She thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep because of her injured heart, but she slept well, perhaps because she was tired.


    Soon after, Elisha¡¯s even breathing was heard. As if uncomfortable lying on her back, she turned onto her side, towards Richard.


    A painful sigh that revealed that this situation was like torture came out of Richard¡¯s mouth as he looked at Elisa who had fallen asleep soundly.


    ¡°¡­How can you trust me when you look so pretty?¡±


    In fact, from the moment he saw her in the slip, he was seized with an unbearable desire. An impulsive feeling he had always felt but tried to ignore as much as possible.


    A dangerous desire to chew on her defenseless, reddish lips and leave marks on her pure white skin all night long urged him.


    But at the same time, he felt guilty. His desire to embrace her, who was having a hard time with his child, made him feel as if he was no better than a beast.


    So he did his best to suppress his desires and hid them every night.


    Richard carefully caressed Elisha¡¯s soft right cheek.


    ¡®How can I cool down after seeing you like this?¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t understand the stories about men who lost interest after seeing their pregnant wives. Of course, he was worried about her, too, but apart from that, he was distressed because every time he saw her his strong desires filled his mind.


    On the contrary, when he saw her bearing his child, he felt a strange sense of exaltation that she really had become his wife, and his desire grew even greater.


    He wanted to make a mess out of her. He wanted to embrace her until she cried out of excitement. He wanted to leave traces on her everywhere.


    Every time such a dangerous desire shook him, Richard recalled, resting his hand on Elisha¡¯s belly. His and her child was growing in her womb, and that he had to protect him.


    ¡°Mmmh¡­¡±


    Elisha, not knowing his heart, dug into his warm arms and rubbed her face on his soft skin.


    Richard¡¯s body hardened.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Letting out a painful sigh, Richard couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and stood up.


    Once again, he went inside the bathroom that night.


    At dawn, when there was still dusk, Elisha suddenly woke up. After blinking a few times her blurry vision, she saw Richard still asleep.


    Except for his slightly disheveled hair, he had a perfect figure and looked handsome. She couldn¡¯t get used to such a sight.


    ¡®As expected, a good face for prenatal care in the morning is the best¡­¡¯


    Looking at his face, the resentment that filled her heart the night before melted in an instant. While observing his face, Elisha slowly reached out and caressed his cheek. As she touched that unrealistic face directly, it felt a little more real.


    Then, as she caressed his cheek, Elisha¡¯s hand touched his lips. The soft lips twitched.


    ¡®Hiik!¡¯


    Just as Elisha was about to hurriedly pull back her hand, a large hand grabbed it.


    At the same time, Richard¡¯s closed eyes opened, revealing his bright red irises.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 68

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 68


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    His intensely quivering eyes, as if containing heat, were staring at her quietly.


    Elisha had seen those eyes before.


    On the night they made the child in her womb, she had seen those same eyes.


    As the memory of that night and the present overlapped, her heart began to pound wildly. The hand holding her was warm too, so she started to feel hot.


    Elisha tried to twist her hand and pull it out.


    ¡°Rich¨C¡±


    At that moment, his hand released hers and he grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her closer.


    In the blink of an eye, his lips covered hers. Widening her eyes in surprise, Elisha eventually accepted him and closed her eyes. However¡­


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Their lips were definitely touching, but she didn¡¯t feel the characteristic harsh touch. Elisha was puzzled and opened her eyes. Then she saw Richard, who was still asleep.


    It was a dream.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    In Elisha¡¯s eyes, sighing in despair, was her husband sleeping in an uncluttered state, just like in the dream.


    ¡®Why does he look so hateful all of the sudden?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s useless to have a husband! Oh, is the baby the only important thing? I think your wife is going to die of heat stroke!¡¯


    The appearance of him sleeping without knowing anything made her emotional. Filling her eyes with tears and sorrow.


    Richard, unaware of Elisha¡¯s inner feelings, was holding Elisha in his arms while still asleep. Elisha threw Richard¡¯s arm off of her as hard as she could; then she punched him hard in his chest.


    Though, her fist hurt more. That made her even sadder.


    Feeling the impact, Richard opened his eyes.


    ¡°¡­Elisha?¡±


    ¡°I really hate you.¡±


    Elisha glared at him while he stared back at her with puzzled eyes. Then she laid back down with her back towards him.


    ¡®You were sleeping well so why-¡®


    Richard, who was punched out of nowhere while sleeping, looked at Elisha without understanding what happened. But there was no answer from Elisha, who was lying down in silence.


    ¡®Why the hell¡­?¡¯


    It was a question that remained in Richard¡¯s mind from early morning until lunchtime passed. Richard sat quietly next to Elisha, who was eating some cake, and looked into her eyes.


    ¡°I really hate you.¡±


    Richard, who was suddenly hated by Elisha for an unknown reason, felt frustrated to death.


    At first, he tried to figure it out by himself. What on earth did he do to wrong her? What could have offended her? But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure anything out.


    Eventually, he asked her what he had done wrong. Elisha said it was nothing, but the expression on her face was strangely cold.


    She didn¡¯t smile at him like usual, and it felt like she was avoiding his gaze.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know. What is it?


    As he was contemplating the situation, the last piece of cake for Elisha that she was eating disappeared into her mouth. The piece of cake that was included for Richard was still there.


    Richard pushed his share of the cake in front of her as if it had been hers in the first place. Only then did Elisha look at him and start eating the piece of cake.


    Richard, who was watching her, carefully spoke.


    ¡°Elisha. Can you tell me what I did wrong?¡±


    He didn¡¯t mind being ignored until she felt better. But he thought that if he just left the situation then that resentment would remain in her heart. He didn¡¯t want to leave it like that.


    However, Elisha didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of talking yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Why do you keep making me feel weird?¡±


    Elisha¡¯s lips protruded in a pout. Her voice also became hoarse. Recognizing it, Richard closed his mouth without inquiring any further. He wouldn¡¯t pressure her against her will.


    ¡®Fool.¡¯


    Feeling apologetic after being cranky, Elisha cut a piece of the cake slice and offered it to him. Her feelings were hidden in the cake.


    Richard looked at her with confusion in his eyes. Elisha spoke with a slightly soft voice.


    ¡°If I eat alone, it won¡¯t taste as good. Eat with me.¡±


    Richard ate the cake she handed him without hesitation. In the process, a small crumb of cake was left on the corner of his lips. Seeing this, Elisha inadvertently reached her finger towards the corner of his mouth, touching his tongue, which was about to lick his lips.


    Startled by the soft and hot feeling, she pulled her hand back. She met Richard¡¯s eyes. There was a flash of heat in those eyes for a moment.


    As soon as she met those eyes, Elisha¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯


    ¡°Madam, Doctor Setil has arrived.¡±


    Suddenly, the maid¡¯s voice was heard outside the door. Today was the day of her regular checkup that was scheduled to happen once a week. The subtle atmosphere around them disappeared at the news of the physician¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Elisha sat comfortably on the bed for the examination. Richard was next to her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve quite a belly in just a week.¡±


    The physician smiled happily at Elisha¡¯s belly and touched her wrist.


    Elisha was nervous. Even though she hadn¡¯t felt any unusual symptoms in the past, she was worried that maybe something was wrong with the baby. As if to soothe Elisa¡¯s anxious heart, Richard gently wrapped his hand around her.


    After a while, the physician who finished the examination opened her mouth with a smile.


    ¡°The baby¡¯s heart is beating very hard. He¡¯s growing up healthy so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°Have you felt the baby move?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet.¡±


    ¡°At this time, very sensitive people can slightly feel the fetal movement. It¡¯s still too early to feel it for most people, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    Elisha blinked at the word ¡®fetal movement.¡¯


    [tl/n: fetal movement or ¡®quickening¡¯ is exactly what you readers think: the first ¡®kicks¡¯ of a baby. Commonly, mothers don¡¯t feel the baby in the early stages of the pregnancy, especially if it¡¯s the first pregnancy.]


    It felt strange to think that the presence of a child, who was slowly growing, would be felt firsthand. It was as if she was starting to realize there was a baby inside her.


    ¡°You will probably start to feel the fetal movement within a month. It¡¯s a very subtle movement at first, so it may take a little longer for Your Grace to feel it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, please talk to him a lot. If you feel the baby move, please respond positively.¡±


    Elisha nodded as she listened to the physician¡¯s words. Then, the physician added a description of the second trimester.


    ¡°This is the most stable period of a pregnancy, so you can do a lot more activities more safely. You can eat whatever you want and go on a picnic on the outskirts without much worry.¡±


    ¡°Aha, yes.¡±


    ¡°And you can do it as long as it doesn¡¯t put too much pressure on madam¡¯s body. If the mother is happy, it will have a good influence on the baby as well.¡± (e/n: the doc is talking about how they can participate in bedroom activities)


    Elisha was fascinated by the physician¡¯s words, but when she saw Richard next to her, she quickly became irritated.


    ¡®No use saying that, doc. He¡¯s a stone.¡¯


    Still, she didn¡¯t let go of his hand.


    That night, Elisha entered the bedroom in her usual pajamas. There was no need to wear more clothes that didn¡¯t work anyway and only made her feel embarrassed.


    As always, Richard laid her on the bed to apply massage cream to her tummy.


    He started to spread the cream.


    A large hand gently caressed her stomach. It was as if it was touching the most precious thing in the world.


    ¡®It tickles.¡¯


    She felt a little ticklish, but it was fine. The warmth transmitted through his skin, his gentle gaze on her stomach, and his concentration so that he did his task carefully.


    Watching him made Elisha¡¯s heart feel warm.


    Shortly after Richard returned from the war, she saw him indifferent to everything and always hoped he would be happy like ordinary people. Even until the moment when she ran away with his child.


    ¡®But in the end, it was me who brought him that ¡®ordinary happiness¡¯.¡¯


    Every time she saw him engrossed in the baby, she was really happy with that fact and even felt proud.


    ¡°Good night, baby.¡±


    After finishing the father-baby moment, Richard gently kissed Elisha¡¯s belly. She flinched feeling his touch.


    The feeling of moist, hot lips touching her bare skin made the inside of her stomach somehow hot. At the same time, his hand, gently caressing her stomach, felt warm. She couldn¡¯t help but feel hot. Her heart started to beat hard in her chest.


    Richard, who had said goodbye to the baby in the womb, raised his head. Elisha¡¯s gaze was directed at his reddish lips.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to s¨C¡±


    Even before his words were over, Elisha wrapped her hands around his cheeks and pulled him. She kissed his defenseless lips.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Feeling the unexpected kiss, Richard¡¯s eyes shook violently. Elisha clasped their lips together clumsily, then slowly pulled them apart and looked at him.


    ¡°Richard¡­¡±


    The moment their eyes met while she called out his name like a sigh, a heat flashed in his frozen red eyes.


    His eyes were like those of a beast who could swallow her at any moment. Elisha¡¯s heart was beating so loud she could feel the echo in her ears.


    Startled, Elisha tried to look away, but a large hand lifted her chin, blocking her escape. Caught in Richard¡¯s warm hands, she looked up at him helplessly.


    The red eyes that caught the gleaming light for the glowstone were as hot as the hands holding her cheeks. Elisha felt like her whole face was being heated by a fire.


    Richard growled in a very low tone, approaching her slowly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You were the one who started it.¡±


    As soon as those words escaped, his ravenous lips covered hers.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 69

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 69


    Elisha, who blinked in surprise, closed her eyes and accepted him.


    Hot and moist lips gently but persistently intertwined their breath. His breath was so sweet, it made her mind dizzy. All of her senses made her feel like she was melting.


    Richard held Elisha and laid her on the bed with their lips still pressed against each other. And then he buried his lips in the nape of her neck.


    At the dizzying sensation of his touch, Elisha shivered and held her breath. His desire made him move until her belly touched Richard.


    At that moment, something he had forgotten came to mind. A precious child growing inside her stomach.


    Recalling the contents of the book that some people were extremely reluctant to even have light contact with their husbands during pregnancy, Richard parted his lips from her.


    ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    Elisha took a deep breath and looked up at him with a puzzled look. Seeing the moistened eyes and her disheveled self immediately made him want to make a mess out of her. However, he couldn¡¯t hold her just because he was drawn by desire. One time was enough.


    Richard managed to suppress his desire and said,


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want it¡­ I¡¯ll stop.¡±


    Elisha just blinked, not knowing what he meant. He said so, but his fingers caressing her were really seductive. It was a contradiction.


    He was the only one who could soothe the heat that was building up in her body. Her heart felt rushed. Elisha desperately clung to him, not sure what he was talking about.


    ¡°I want to do it.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes shook at Elisha¡¯s desperate voice. Only when she saw his reaction did she realize what she had just said and blushed, but she couldn¡¯t go back on her words.


    Anyway, the shame was short-lived. Thinking that she had already said it, she came up with words that she had not been able to say the day before.


    ¡°These days¡­ Just like the contents of the book you read yesterday, I keep having strange dreams and it hurts.¡±


    Elisha, embarrassed by her honest words, added the most persuasive reason.


    ¡°And it is said to be good for the baby so¡­¡±


    At her words, Richard¡¯s brow twitched. However, Elisha, avoiding his gaze out of shame, did not notice the subtle change.


    ¡°Ah, is that so? Then one day won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    As he roughly unbuttoned his shirt, his eyes were filled with heat, but his voice was strangely cool as he mumbled, but just before Elisha could ask about it, Richard¡¯s lips swallowed her words and encompassed her mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t before long that her top fell off the bed and an unbearable heat and pleasure engulfed Elisha¡¯s body.


    As if he was a beast swallowing its prey whole, Richard didn¡¯t give her a moment of rest.


    Richard woke up after feeling Elisha tossing and turning around. The morning sun was already shining into the room, but Elisha seemed to be still in a deep sleep.


    Richard looked at Elisa, who was sleeping peacefully, with a grim expression.


    ¡°These days¡­ Just like the contents of the book you read yesterday, I keep having strange dreams and it hurts.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And it is said to be good for the baby so¡­¡±


    It was always the same. Baby, baby. The reason she tried to run away from him was because of the baby, and even when she was suffering from morning sickness, she laughed saying that it was okay because the baby was healthy. Sometimes, even when the headache was severe, she only suffered quietly, saying that taking the medicine would be bad for the baby.


    And yesterday, too. It was because of her hormones that she wanted him.


    His body, holding her, was faithful to his most inner instincts, but his heart was rather empty. Because he knew she wanted his body and not himself.


    ¡®When will you see me as a man you love, and not as the baby¡¯s father?¡¯


    He suddenly felt jealous of the child that appeared in their lives. Then he felt like a fool for being jealous of a baby who was barely present in their lives.


    ¡®If I should blame someone¡­ it¡¯s my fault¡­¡¯


    Then, Elisha tossed and turned and dug into his arms. As her soft warmth touched him, his instincts trembled. Richard swallowed a painful sigh.


    In the meantime, he had been suppressing his desires because he couldn¡¯t force them on Elisha, but above all, it was for her and the baby in her belly.


    Because he knew. Once he started, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control his bursting desire. He was afraid of hurting her and the baby because of his greed.


    Yesterday, he couldn¡¯t overcome the temptation, but he had managed to stop himself at one time. Far from feeling satisfied, he felt distressed because he couldn¡¯t fill even half of his greed.


    Whenever he touched her, whenever she brushed his skin with the tiniest touch, he had to summon a monstrous amount of patience.


    He huffed at the relaxed face that slept soundly without knowing of his pain.


    Suddenly,


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Elisha¡¯s eyes trembled slightly, her long eyelashes quivered like small butterflies, and she slowly opened her eyes.


    His image was reflected in the bright eyes which gleamed in the morning sun.


    Elisha looked at him, blinking her eyes as if to relieve the sleepiness she had not yet left her, and hid under the blanket, blushing in embarrassment. Still, she peeked out of the blanket and looked at him.


    When Richard looked at Elisa acting like that, he consciously pulled down the corners of his lips that were slowly rising.


    ¡®You, who eagerly stole my lips first last night, are you feeling shy right now?¡¯


    But the funniest thing about her was¡­


    ¡°Did you sleep well, Richard?¡±


    With her eyes folded in a half-moon shape and a bright smile in her mouth, it was as if she felt as refreshed as ever.


    His heart frozen from turmoil melted like snow in front of the sun. Once again, his feelings for her arose in full force.


    ¡®How can I beat you?¡¯


    ¡®No matter how many times you hurt me, I would have no choice but to love you again.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, how about you?¡±


    Richard asked, arranging Elisha¡¯s messy hair.


    ¡°I slept well, too.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your body? Does your stomach feel uncomfortable?¡±


    Elisha, who had been admiring his handsome face as always, finally looked at her body. Her whole body ached from muscle pain, but she didn¡¯t feel any discomfort in her stomach.


    ¡°Mh. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    At the same time as she replied, her stomach rumbled clearly.


    After a brief embarrassing silence, Elisha added shyly.


    ¡°¡­Except that I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    At that, Richard burst into laughter. Then, he pulled the rope twice. It meant for the servants to bring them a meal.


    Embarrassed by his laughter, Elisa pouted her lips with a sullen expression.


    ¡°Our baby is hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not you, but this guy who is hungry.¡±


    Richard replied in a playful voice and laid a hand on her stomach. Elisha, who had been fiddling with his large hand on her stomach, looked back at him as if she had suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Richard. How about giving our baby a pregnancy name?¡±


    ¡°Pregnancy name?¡±


    ¡°I mean the nickname one gives to the fetus while it is still in the womb, with the hope that it will grow up healthy.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to call it?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Elisha frowned with a serious look plastered on her face, as if she was quite troubled. Then glanced at Richard and his hand on her belly. His large hand covering her stomach as if protecting it felt warm and reliable. It was rough, but it was a strong hand that would protect the child and herself no matter what. Whenever he held her in his arms, she felt as if she was in the safest place in the world.


    However, Richard from the original novel hated the child in her stomach and hoped that the child would die. He even tried to kill the child with that same hand.


    Even knowing that the current Richard was different from the original, the thought alone made her heart sink.


    Elisha held his hand tightly and said,


    ¡°I¡¯d like to call it Love.¡±


    ¡®Unlike the original, I want you to receive a lot of love from mom and dad and grow up healthy and happy.¡¯


    ¡°Love?¡±


    ¡°It means it will be loved as much as the name and to be born healthy. How about it?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s good. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Richard happily replied. Just in time, they heard a knock.


    ¡°My Lord, Madam, I brought your meal.¡±


    Anne and the maids entered the room, they quickly set the food they had brought on the table, and left. The table was full of various foods. He usually had a light breakfast, but right after Elisha¡¯s morning sickness symptoms were relieved, Richard instructed everyone to prepare a generous breakfast every morning.


    ¡°It looks delicious¡­¡±


    Richard chuckled as he saw Elisha¡¯s eyes sparkling as she looked at the food.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    He put some food on a plate and placed it in front of Elisha.


    Perhaps she was very hungry, and as soon as he put down the plate, Elisha grabbed a fork and began to eat eagerly.


    Richard looked at her, and he was only placing food in front of his wife.


    ¡®So cute.¡¯


    It was lovely to see her diligently chewing with her small mouth and eating food.


    Cough!!


    Hearing a cough that came out of her mouth, Richard¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°Elisha, are you alright?¡±


    He hurriedly patted her back and gave her some juice. Even after the juice, Elisha kept coughing for a while.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Eat slowly or you¡¯ll get indigestion.¡±


    Richard, who was patting and rubbing Elisha¡¯s back, was relieved only after seeing her start eating again. At that moment, Elisha¡¯s eyes saw Richard¡¯s plate. The fork was still in place and the food had not been touched.


    ¡°Richard, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, so I¡¯m going to eat later. Don¡¯t worry about it and eat a lot.¡±


    ¡°You can eat now and then eat later again. You need to eat a lot to increase your stamina.¡±


    ¡°Stamina?¡±


    Richard tilted his head. Whenever they ate together, Richard couldn¡¯t eat because he was focused on watching her eat, but it wasn¡¯t to the point it would worry her. Also, according to the words of the Rubellin Knights including Thompson, his physical strength is like a monster¡¯s.


    ¡®So why is she worried about my stamina?¡¯


    ¡°So last night¡­ hmp!¡±


    Elisha, who was talking with a serious face until just now, covered her mouth with both hands as if she had realized something.


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t mean anything bad. I¡¯m just worried because it looks like you¡¯re not eating properly¡­¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Elisha, who spoke vaguely as if embarrassed. He immediately understood what she meant by the last words she omitted.


    It seemed that Elisha was thinking that he lacked stamina and that was the reason why he put her to sleep after one round. Richard¡¯s face, who had misunderstood her meaning, distorted.


    ¡®You have no idea how hard I had to endure it¡­¡¯


    Even at this moment.


    Richard looked at Elisha as she ate and as soon as she put her fork down, he lifted her up. Her eyes widened, and she looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Richard¡­?¡±


    ¡°I have to clear up my wife¡¯s misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of unfair leaving it as it is,¡± Richard added, and headed straight to the bed.


    (e/n: In the last part, she thought he might be hungry after their escapades the night before but he thinks she meant that he¡¯s a one round and done kind of guy because he has bad stamina so now he¡¯s going to prove her wrong lol)


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    9 ¡ª Founding Festival


    A few days later, late in the morning.


    Elisha woke up feeling that the space next to her was empty. As soon as she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Richard putting on some cufflinks with the sunlight rising in the background. Seeing the cool expression on his face with indifferent eyes, the opposite image of him from last night overlapped in Elisha¡¯s mind. A solid body wet with sweat, hot moist lips, a low, drowsy voice ringing in her ears, and¡­ longing red eyes that looked only at her.


    As she recalled that memory, her heart started beating rapidly.


    ¡®As expected, that face is the best for prenatal care.¡¯


    Elisha indulged herself in that pleasant face, enjoying the excited pounding in her chest. At that moment, her eyes met with Richard¡¯s, who had felt her gaze and turned around. Surprised by the sudden turn, she looked at him, blinked, and sneakily avoided his eyes. The next morning after spending the night together, she always felt somewhat embarrassed and couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes.


    Richard, unable to understand Elisha¡¯s heart, hurriedly approached her and sat next to her.


    ¡°Good morning, Elisha.¡±


    A pleasant low-pitched voice rang softly in her ears. Elisha slowly lifted her eyes and looked at him as she answered in a low voice.


    ¡°Umm, good morning.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your body?¡±


    Dazed, she looked at him while he asked. After spending the night together, he always checked her physical condition. To the point, it was hard to believe that the person who gave her a hard time at night was the same as the one caring for her so diligently. To be honest, even though she hated him for harassing her that much, she didn¡¯t really hate him at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Elisha answered as she got up from bed. Then Richard helped her up. She glanced at him, who was wearing outing clothes. He seemed to be going out.


    ¡°Are you going to a meeting?¡±


    ¡°We have to prepare for the foundation festival soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the foundation¡­¡±


    Come to think of it, there was a founding festival in early July. Along with the New Year¡¯s Festival and the Harvest Festival, the founding festival was one of the great events of the Empire. In particular, the foundation festival was a more reverent and meaningful event as it was a day to commemorate the founding of the Empire. As the festival was less than a half-moon away, Richard, as the head of the noble council, must have been busier than ever.


    [tl/n: Half-moon is half a month in the lunar calendar. A month in the lunar calendar is about 29,5 days roughly]


    Richard whispered as he kissed Elisha¡¯s belly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, love.¡±


    Then, he placed his hand on top of the belly and waited quietly. But, as always, there was no response. It was the same even when he gently stroked Elisha¡¯s stomach. Richard, who had been waiting for a while, raised his body with a disappointing look.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    His hand brushed Elisha¡¯s messy hair and tucked it behind her ear. A cautious hand touched Elisha¡¯s cheek. She looked up at him silently. Since he started massaging her belly every night, the amount of skinship increased little by little, and after spending the night together, the physical contact became more natural.


    ¡®But I don¡¯t dislike this contact.¡¯ No, it was rather good. His gentle eyes looking at her and his soft touch were nice.


    ¡®A person¡¯s body temperature is so warm.¡¯ While touching him, she realized how warm another person¡¯s temperature could be.


    ¡®Since my parents in my previous life never touched me or hugged me so tenderly, I didn¡¯t know.¡¯


    For the first time, Elisha realized how much that warmth calmed her heart. She nodded, smiling bashfully at his touch.


    ¡°Mng, Have a safe trip.¡±


    After seeing Richard off at the bedroom door, she approached the window. After waiting for a while, she saw him coming out of the mansion and getting on the carriage. Elisha stroked her belly as she looked at the wagon leaving the giant iron gate of the duke¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°I think daddy wants to talk to you soon, baby.¡±


    But, as before, there was no response. ¡®Well, a response will come when the time is right. The physician predicted that within a month or two we would be able to feel the baby¡¯s movement, and it has not been a month yet, so there is no need to rush¡­¡¯ As she thought that a knock was heard.


    ¡°Madam, I brought you a meal.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The maids entered the room and started preparing food on the table. Meanwhile, Anne approached Elisha and handed her a letter.


    ¡°It¡¯s an invitation from the Imperial Palace that came a while ago, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Elisha took the letter from Anne and unfolded it. The invitation consisted of a brief greeting, the information that a tea party had been scheduled ahead of the founding festival, and the party¡¯s dress code. Elisha looked at the invitation with skeptical eyes, but there was nothing particularly special about it.


    ¡®Rose and the Empress couldn¡¯t have invited me so gently.¡¯


    Aside from the Empress, Rose had a confrontation with her not so long ago. Of course, it was a private matter, so she couldn¡¯t openly avoid sending invitations, but Elisha expected for her to show at least some malice, such as sending ominous tarot cards with some dreadful meaning in between or something like that. It was rather unexpected.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Elisha¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at the invitation.


    ¡°It is an honor to be invited by both of you, Your Majesty and Her Highness the Crown Princess.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for coming here, Countess Heden.¡±


    Rose greeted the guests with a soft smile. Still, her gaze was focused on the clock on the table. Ten minutes before the tea party begins at two o¡¯clock. Even though most of the invited noblewomen and young ladies had arrived, Elisha had not yet arrived at the Imperial Palace.


    ¡®That¡¯s a given. Since I told you that the tea party time is three o¡¯clock.¡¯ Rose smiled contentedly as she watched the small arrow of the clock moving fast. She also added in the letter that the dress code was yellow instead of pink. Likewise, she informed Olivia of the dress code in blue and the time on time. Although she was born in the royal family and now was the Marchioness, it was the Empress¡¯ scheme to keep her under her control.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure it will be worth seeing Elisha¡¯s embarrassed expression.¡¯


    It was Rose¡¯s ruse to inform Olivia of the right time and Elisha an hour later. If two people appear wearing dresses of different codes at the same time, attention would be divided.


    ¡®And the main character must appear alone at the end.¡¯ Rose smiled while imagining the face of Elisha, embarrassed without knowing what to do.


    Five minutes left until the tea party starts. Except for one noble young lady who had been away for a while, only Olivia and Elisha¡¯s seats were empty. Rose lowered her eyes slightly as she looked at Viscountess Merrill, who was close to her. It was a signal. The noblewoman, who understood the signal, opened her mouth.


    ¡°By the way, Duchess Rubellin won¡¯t be able to attend?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Come to think of it, I can¡¯t see Marchioness Beltane either.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re expressing their animosity towards Her Majesty and Her Highness¡­ Mmh.¡±


    The noblewomen and young ladies who had been talking about Elisha and Olivia hastily shut their mouths. The Imperial Family, the Duke of Rubellin, and the Marquis of Beltane had an openly difficult relationship, so they were keeping an eye on the Empress and Rose. However, Rose, whose purpose was to make the story of Elisha¡¯s absence come out of their own mouths, smiled and replied as waiting.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be. Duchess Rubellin replied that she would definitely attend. I believe in the duchess.¡±


    At Rose¡¯s words, the ladies around put on a sad expression on their faces.


    ¡°Oh my, how? How can Her Highness be so soft-hearted?¡±


    ¡°I understand Your Highness, but don¡¯t trust the Duchess too much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s Rubellin after all.¡±


    The Empress, who had been quietly listening to them, also intervened as if the situation was pleasant.


    ¡°The Imperial Crown Princess is very soft-hearted, I like that about her although I¡¯m worried sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for causing concern in many ways, Your Majesty. I will act properly so as not to worry you.¡±


    In response to Rose¡¯s words, the ladies around praised her once again and sneakily spoke ill of Elisha. The crown princess raised the corner of her mouth as she heard the young ladies and noblewomen gossiping about Duchess Rubellin.


    ¡®Everything is going as I planned.¡¯ It was a very satisfying tea party. Elisha will come late and become a wicked girl who openly disregards the crown princess¡¯ goodwill. Then Rose will be the poor crown princess who had been hurt by her.


    Smiling satisfactorily, Rose looked at the clock. One minute until two o¡¯clock. As planned, the tea party was about to start.


    ¡°Then now¡­¡±


    As Rose was about to triumphantly announce the beginning of the party, all the ladies who were slandering Elisha shut their mouths. Following their gazes, she opened her eyes wide.


    ¡®No, how come¡­¡¯


    At the end of her startled gaze, Elisha was leisurely approaching. Duchess Rubellin smiled softly as the Crown Princess blinked in surprise.


    Tik¨C the clock on the table marked two o¡¯clock sharp.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Approaching the table, Elisha was wearing a pink dress that matched the dress code. The combination of milky skin, pink dress, bright green eyes like greenery in midsummer, and dazzling blonde hair glistening in the sunlight created a refreshing atmosphere. Whoever looked at her, would instinctively know she was the main character of this tea party.


    ¡°I came on time, right?¡±


    Next to Elisha, who smiled and greeted, was also Olivia. Wearing a pink shawl that matched the original dress code and a navy blue dress, the dress code given by the Empress.


    ¡®How- how the hell did this happen?!¡¯


    The Empress and Rose looked at the two women in front of them with slightly bewildered eyes. Elisha looked at them with a wide smile and recalled the memories of a few days ago.


    A few days ago, after receiving an invitation from Rose, Elisha went to Count Hallos. Hallos County is one of the families showing an active interest in the glowstone business and had previously proposed a collaboration through Richard. Moreover, Countess Hallos was interested in the business of the family and was also involved in the actual management. She could not hide her joy at Elisha¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Welcome, Duchess! Oh my, your body isn¡¯t just yours anymore and you came all the way here. If you had notified me, I would have visited you at the Duke¡¯s residence.¡±


    After giving her a positive answer to the long-awaited glowstone business proposal she was looking forward to, Elisha asked subtly.


    ¡°By the way, did Countess Hallos also receive an invitation to the tea party from the Imperial Palace?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. I got it yesterday afternoon.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell us the details of the invitation? There¡¯s a cat in the garden that I feed, and it took the invitation and¡­¡±


    ¡°Aah, I see. Could you please wait a minute?¡±


    Countess Hallos gladly brought the invitation and showed it to her. For her, it would be beneficial to build a good relationship by helping Elisha, who has just become a business partner, rather than ignoring her being in a difficult situation.


    Thanks to this, Elisha was able to check the invitation Countess Hallos had received.


    ¡®The dress code is pink, the tea party starts at two o¡¯clock¡­¡¯ In the invitation that Elisha received, the tea party time was three o¡¯clock, and the dress code was yellow. Elisha sneered. It was as she had expected.


    ¡®Should I say it¡¯s timid rather than clever revenge?¡¯


    Thus, Elisha confirmed the correct dress code and time for the tea party and attended accordingly. As she arrived at the Imperial Palace on time, she saw a person in front of her, probably, she had just arrived as well.


    ¡°Marchioness Beltane?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Duchess Rubellin.¡±


    It was Olivia. As soon as Elisa saw her, she knew why the Marchioness was hesitating to go to the tea party. She was wearing a navy blue dress. Another noble young Lady, who was stomping her feet at Olivia¡¯s situation, said:


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll hurry home and get a dress that you can wear¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t let the young lady do such a hard task.¡±


    Elisha took off her shawl and draped it over Olivia without a hint of hesitation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough?¡±


    Elisha¡¯s shawl, coincidentally, was pale light pink, so when Olivia wore it, it looked like she was matching the dress code and her own navy blue dress. The Marchioness looked at Elisha¡¯s wit in surprise then smiled brightly.


    ¡°Thank you, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡±


    Elisha replied sincerely. Of course, half of the reason why she helped Olivia was to not let her be humiliated, but it was also to ruin the scheme of the Empress and give Rose a strong blow. In the end, Elisha and Olivia were able to attend the tea party safely.


    Elisha, sitting with a casual expression on her face, did not miss the opportunity and spoke.


    ¡°I think some of Her Highness¡¯ maids are trying to drive a wedge between Your Highness and me. They wrote down the tea party time and dress code incorrectly.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°You are the one who cares about me enough to call me to the Imperial Palace just a while ago, but I think everyone would misunderstand.¡±


    Invitations were usually written by the maids. However, even if the maid is favored by the Crown Princess, no maid would dare to do such a thing in the name of the Crown Princess. Therefore, Elisha¡¯s words were nothing more than an excuse to expose Rose¡¯s scheme.


    ¡®That damn girl!¡¯


    Rose, who did not expect that Elisha would reveal it in front of everyone, was flustered and quickly looked around. The noblewomen and young ladies were looking at Rose startled. Even the Empress, who worked together with her, also had a surprised expression as if she knew nothing. In an instant, from the soft-hearted Crown Princess to the foolish Crown Princess who made up a shabby scheme, Rose squeezed the hem of her dress tightly and called her maid in a rather nervous voice.


    ¡°Amelie. Were you the one who wrote the invitation to the Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? That¡¯s right¨C¡±


    Even before the maid named Amelie could properly answer her, slap! Amelie¡¯s face turned away with a sharp sound.


    Rose looked at Amelie with cold eyes and said.


    ¡°How dare you do this with my name. I am so ashamed.¡±


    At the sudden commotion, both the noblewoman and young ladies looked at the scene in amazement. Rose turned to Elisha and apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t take care of my subordinates. I¡¯m sorry, Duchess.¡±


    Then she ordered Amelie.


    ¡°Amelie, go ahead and apologize to the Duchess for your ignorance.¡±


    Elisha understood Rose¡¯s intentions and smiled. It seemed that Rose was trying to control the situation by going hard on Amelie, and at the same time accusing her of all her own sins and withdrawing herself from the matter.


    ¡®Yeah, I thought you wouldn¡¯t just admit that you were doing it.¡¯


    Elisha didn¡¯t like the idea of letting her slide on the matter, but she decided to step back at this point. Although Rose put all the blame on Amelie, the ladies present would have already figured out that this was Rose¡¯s doing. In addition, she unknowingly caused animosity among the servants by blaming her aides for this. That alone was enough to consider this a victory against Rose.


    Elisha stopped Amelie from kneeling in front of her. Then smiled and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I have already forgiven this accident. The young ladies seem to have misunderstood my relationship with Her Highness, so, in the future, shouldn¡¯t we just show them that you and I get along well so this doesn¡¯t happen again?¡±


    Amelie, who was about to kneel, stopped and looked at Rose¡¯s expression. She was biting her lips with a twisted expression on her face. As if she knew nothing, Elisha, who was just pretending to be a sweet and friendly duchess, was rather creepy.


    ¡°The Duchess is very generous.¡±


    Rose said something that at first glance sounded thankful, but her eyes were not smiling at all as she said that. One of the ladies, who was paying attention to the strange atmosphere between the two, quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°A-anyway, was Countess Asna unable to attend?¡±


    Rose, who quickly grasped her intentions, answered.


    ¡°Countess Asna replied saying that she needs to take care of herself since the birth of her baby is just around the corner¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why Count Millite¡¯s godmother came to the Imperial capital.¡±


    Count Millite¡¯s godmother was Countess Asna¡¯s mother. In general, mothers who were about to give birth used to rely more mentally on their mothers than anyone else. It was because they were the closest family members who have experienced childbirth, and it was only before the moment of becoming a ¡®mom¡¯ that a woman could understand the heart of a ¡®mom.¡¯


    But Elisha could not comprehend those feelings.


    ¡®Mom¡­?¡¯


    To Elisa, a ¡®mother¡¯ was more like a stranger than a family member. Her mother in her previous life hurt her more than loved her, and the mother of this life did not even remain in her memories.


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. You can be a good mother even if you don¡¯t know what a mother¡¯s heart is. This child will not be raised as a lonely child who doesn¡¯t know maternal love. Never.¡¯


    Elisha¡¯s hand, who vowed so, touched her stomach tenderly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just another event, it¡¯s the foundation festival. In a way, it¡¯s the most historic, and commemorative event in the Empire. In such an event, we must thank His Majesty, who is the foundation of the empire, for his past grace and for giving gifts¡­¡±


    However, the center of this meeting was Richard, the head of the only Dukedom of the Empire and the head of the noble council.


    ¡°As the Marquis said, the foundation festival is a meaningful day for all citizens of this Empire. Therefore, the remaining budget will be used to prepare food for the festival so that everyone can enjoy it.¡±


    As if he didn¡¯t need to listen to Marquis Dion further, Richard cut off his words and said his opinion. Then, Marquis Dion snapped.


    ¡°No, what¡¯s that decision? What kind of one-sided meeting¨C?¡±


    Richard looked at him indifferently and replied.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the chairman¡¯s duty to clear up the agenda that is not worth discussing and focus on the main subject?¡±


    ¡°Wha, what?¡±


    Richard¡¯s words were tantamount to saying that Marquis Dion¡¯s opinion was not worth discussing. His face, whose opinion was ignored, turned red. His lips twitched as if he wanted to say more but was rendered speechless. Richard cleared the meeting without waiting for his rebuttal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end today¡¯s meeting with this.¡±


    The imperial nobles seemed to have something more to say, but, under the pressure of Richard¡¯s momentum, they left the conference hall without saying anything else. Even the Marquis of Dion grinded his teeth but eventually left without refuting a word. Through that break, Richard also left the conference hall, followed by his aide, Agail. His expression hardened as he headed towards the carriage and suddenly looked out the window.


    ¡®I¡¯m late.¡¯


    Worried about Elisha, who was attending a tea party at the Imperial Palace, he wanted to pick her up from the party, but he couldn¡¯t because the meeting ended too late.


    He wanted to hurry and confirm that nothing had happened between her and the Empress and the Crown Princess, he wanted to check whether her wellbeing was unharmed or not.


    At that moment, as he was hastening his steps towards the wagon, he heard the gossips of nobles walking in front of him.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    ¡°Count Asna, if it¡¯s okay with you, would you like to stop by my house for a while?¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you told me not to come around again?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, a very precious wine came in. Aren¡¯t we friends with each other? I thought I¡¯d show you some rare alcohol.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your feelings, but I can¡¯t this time. The birth date is coming soon, so my mother-in-law is here. If I go in smelling like alcohol, I¡¯ll be hated to death.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my.¡±


    The two noble shared daily life stories and laughed while walking away. Richard thought about what he had heard.


    ¡®Mother-in-law.¡¯


    Richard had no mother-in-law. Because Viscountess Lohengrin passed away early on. However, the woman he thought was his mother-in-law was actually not his mother-in-law. The identity of his ¡®real mother-in-law¡¯ was unknown. Recalling that fact, he felt mixed emotions. Meanwhile, Richard arrived at the entrance to the Main Palace and was about to get on the carriage straight away. At that moment, a knight who was waiting for Richard approached and delivered the news.


    ¡°Your Grace, Sir Aaron was found.¡±


    At the news, Richard¡¯s footsteps stopped. It was the news he had been waiting for.


    The cemetery, rich in greenery in midsummer, created a sentimental atmosphere rather than a gloomy one thanks to the colorful bouquets left by the mourners. Aaron laid down a bouquet in front of the grave and looked down. At that time, with a faint wind, a presence approached him. When he raised his head and looked in its direction, he saw Richard approaching.


    ¡°Is it family?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re close friends like family. Twenty years ago, when there was a problem with the northern canyon, he died there. I stop by every time I come to the Imperial capital.¡±


    Those who went to the North Canyon Incident 20 years ago had a high probability of being a member of the Holy Knights.


    ¡°You have a proud friend.¡±


    Richard murmured and paid a brief silent tribute. It was a courtesy for a dead hero. Aaron, who had been watching Richard, spoke first when his silence ended.


    ¡°I have heard the news about madam. The news that Rubellin had a successor was heard even in that small village.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Congratulations. I¡¯m sure your ancestors would be pleased in heaven.¡±


    At Aaron¡¯s words, Richard frowned. Last winter, after Albert¡¯s funeral, he recalled the words he had told him about how he would never have an heir. Yet, Aaron¡¯s words were not mocking him, and he didn¡¯t want to pour cold water in the matter either. If he reacted negatively to his congratulations it would be like denying the child¡¯s existence. Instead, he immediately brought up the subject.


    ¡°Let me ask you straightforwardly.¡±


    ¡°Please ask.¡±


    ¡°How much do you know about the Viscounty of Lohengrin?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the madam¡¯s family from before marriage.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll ask again.¡±


    Richard corrected his question.


    ¡°Where did the elders bring Elisha in from?¡±


    Aaron stared at Richard at that question. It seemed that he had already noticed that Elisha wasn¡¯t part of the Lohengrin family and was asking about the matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know the details either.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather¡¯s closest aide doesn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°The late Lord suddenly went somewhere and came back with the madam, unconscious. I just created an appropriate identity as a disguise for her as commanded.¡±


    ¡°There must have been a knight with him.¡±


    ¡°Some knights and I followed him to the Divine Tree Forest, but His Excellency went alone for the most part.¡±


    One of Richard¡¯s eyebrows went up. The Divine Tree Forest is a forest that is said to have a ¡®Divine Tree,¡¯ a mythical tree that has existed since the birth of this world. Located at the southernmost tip of the Arencia Empire, in the very center of the continent.


    ¡°Why would he go there?¡±


    ¡°At that time, Your Excellency was looking for a sage living in the Divine Tree Forest.¡±


    ¡°Sage?¡±


    ¡°You must have heard the story of one of the ancestors of the Esther family who realized the principles of the world and became one with the divine tree. In books, he¡¯s called a sage.¡±


    ¡°But I know that neither the Divine Tree nor the Sage exists, it¡¯s all just a myth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I know.¡±


    Richard swallowed a laugh. When Elisha came to Rubellin it must have been two years after he entered the family. ¡®In a situation where your son died and an unknown grandchild who rolled in from nowhere will inherit the title, were you following a false myth?¡¯ However, Richard understood, the man he knew wouldn¡¯t blindly follow such an absurd story.


    ¡°¡­Why was he looking for him?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me the reason. I worked for His Excellency for a long time, yet he rarely trusted anyone.¡±


    ¡°So? Did he meet the sage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either. However, he mentioned something the day he brought the unconscious madam.¡± Aaron, who seemed to be groping for memories of the past, added in a soft voice. ¡°I got the answer, he said.¡±


    In other words, it meant that Elisha was the ¡®answer¡¯ that Albert was looking for. He always treated Elisha as if she was a pawn that could be discarded at any moment as if she wasn¡¯t an unfortunate piece to lose, but in fact, Elisha was an ¡®important piece¡¯ to him.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know why Elisha was an important piece¡­¡¯


    Richard had found Aaron as planned but he couldn¡¯t figure out which family Elisha was from. Anyway, he, who had finished his business, made a suggestion to Aaron.


    ¡°If you plan to stay in for a while, I¡¯ll prepare a room in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your feelings, but it¡¯s okay. I happened to stop by the Imperial Capital because I had something to do.¡±


    Aaron politely bowed his head slightly.


    ¡°If you need my help, please call me anytime.¡±


    Richard turned around leaving Aaron behind and headed for the carriage. He didn¡¯t get the information he was looking for, but he did get one thing for sure. The person who manipulated Elisha¡¯s identity was Albert, and he knew the truth. The problem was that he, the only one who knew the truth, had already died.


    Suddenly, he remembered the conversations he had heard from the nobles at the Imperial Palace a while ago.


    ¡°I appreciate your heart, but I can¡¯t this time. The birth date is coming soon, so my mother-in-law is here.¡±


    If Elisha¡¯s family was still alive, he wanted to find them.


    ¡®Where should I start?¡¯


    Richard got into the carriage and, while rubbing his temples as if frustrated, he recalled Aaron¡¯s words. ¡®Divine Tree Forest. Albert brought Elisha from there. There must have been a clue in that area.¡¯


    When he arrived at the Duchy, Richard called some trustworthy subordinates and gave them an order.


    ¡°Eight years ago, there was a girl with blonde hair and green eyes who lived in a village near the Divine Tree Forest, and find out if anyone knows of such a girl.¡±


    ¡°Love, Dad says he¡¯s a little late because he has some documents he needs to see urgently.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What book are you going to ask Dad to read today? What about ¡°A Triangle In The Circle Town¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ if not¡­ what about ¡®The Adventures of the Three Brothers of the Sea Kingdom¡¯?¡±


    On the side table next to the bed, there were several fairy tales that Richard and Elisha had chosen to read to their child. Talking to a baby without knowing if they were listening properly felt as if she was talking to herself, so Elisha was a bit embarrassed. Then, suddenly, she remembered what she had read in a book.


    ¡®It said that if you lay down after eating sweets you would be able to feel the fetal movement better. And if the mom is thin it would feel even more.¡¯


    Elisha took candy from the side table drawer. She had put it in there when she had morning sickness. She ate the candy and lay in bed with her hands on her belly.


    ¡°Love, if you hear my mom¡¯s voice, move.¡±


    However, even after waiting for a long time, there was no response. Elisha felt disappointed for a moment but then felt sorry, thinking she was rushing her child just because.


    ¡°No¡­ you can move whenever you want. Mom is just wondering if you¡¯re growing healthy.¡±


    Once again, no answer came back. Elisha slowly sucked on the candy, leaving her regret behind.


    ¡®I¡¯m sleepy¡­ When is Richard coming?¡¯


    She was tired from the tea party and was slowly feeling sleepy. As she slowly blinked her heavy eyelids and yawned, she felt something move in her stomach.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Feeling an unfamiliar sensation for the first time in her life, Elisha suddenly woke up.


    ¡®No way, that just now¡­¡¯ Elisha blinked in surprise and touched her belly. And again, as if convincing her of her thoughts, she felt another movement in her stomach.


    Pop~ it felt as if tiny droplets were popping inside her stomach.


    ¡°Love¡­?¡±


    Elisha called the child with a trembling voice, but no response came. Yet, she was sure that what she had felt just now was the baby¡¯s greeting.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    ¡®Really¡­ a baby is growing in my stomach¡­¡¯


    Until now, Elisha couldn¡¯t grasp the idea of a baby growing in her stomach. She vaguely understood that a baby was growing inside since she had symptoms of pregnancy and her belly was forming little by little. While talking to the baby she felt like she was talking to herself. Even referring to herself as a ¡®mother¡¯ felt strange. However, when she felt the child moving as if telling her that he was growing up well, tears welled up with emotions that couldn¡¯t be described in words.


    ¡®My baby.¡¯


    Only then did Elisha realize she had become a mother. ¡®You will have a family connected by blood.¡¯ Even a small movement of the baby seemed to melt away the troubles of the past. There was a lot of discomfort and pain that she had to go through while having a child, but she was able to accept the discomfort and pain with ease. Elisha wrapped her arms around her stomach, which had become still again, and whispered in a tearing voice.


    ¡°Thank you for saying hello to mom, love.¡±


    The child did not respond, but she was no longer impatient. If she waited a little longer, the child¡¯s kicks would be visible to the naked eye. She was willing to wait for that moment.


    ¡®It would be nice to be with Richard.¡¯ The moment she thought so, the door opened.


    ¡°Elisha¡­?¡±


    As Richard entered the room, he paused when he saw Elisha¡¯s eyes wet with tears. He was already troubled by Elisha¡¯s difficult pregnancy situation, so seeing her like that, his heart sank. He strode up to the bed where she was sitting.


    ¡°What happened, Elisha? Why¡­¡±


    He hurriedly hugged her and wiped away the tears first, but for some reason, unlike her teary face, Elisha¡¯s face showed a happy expression.


    ¡°Richard, I just felt the baby move.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Elisha smiled, pulled down his hand, and placed it on her stomach.


    ¡°Love, please say hi to dad too. Daddy has waited a long time for you to respond, mh?¡±


    Richard put his hand on Elisha¡¯s belly with a puzzled look. But despite her whispers, there was no response. Elisha frowned, focused on the movement inside her, but there seemed to be no answer.


    ¡°Mmh¡­ I guess he¡¯s still too shy to say hi to dad.¡±


    Elisha gave a look of regret and touched Richard¡¯s hand, which was placed on her belly.


    ¡°At first, it felt like a tiny little fish creeping through my stomach. So I was like ¡®Oh?¡¯ But then it was like drops of water popping in my stomach, like pop pop! Like that.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It was so amazing and I felt proud that he¡¯s growing so well¡­ and so lovely.¡±


    Richard glanced at Elisha who was chatting nonstop filled with joy after the first baby¡¯s kick. It was lovely to see her smiling brightly and talking with her eyes still wet. Seeing her talking in an excited voice brought a smile to his face.


    ¡°Me too, I¡¯m curious.¡±


    ¡°In a little while, you will be able to feel it too. It¡¯s still a small baby, so it¡¯s hard to feel it.¡±


    Elisha yawned and continued. Richard, noticing her sleepiness, took out the massage cream from the side table drawer. He was going to give her a massage before going to bed. He began to carefully apply the cream to her round belly. As she lay comfortably feeling the familiar touch, opened her mouth suddenly as if she had remembered something.


    ¡°You know, Richard.¡±


    ¡°Mh¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I be a good mother even if I don¡¯t know what a mother is?¡±


    This was the thought that came to her after hearing the story of the lady who was spending time with her mother before giving birth. At that, Richard¡¯s hand stopped for a moment, but then he answered, gently stroking Elisha¡¯s stomach again.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a good mother, Elisha.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I feel like I¡¯m being praised out of obligation.¡±


    Elisha said so, but she smiled as if happy at his praise. Then, she lowered her heavy eyelids. Soon after, her even breathing was heard. After she fell asleep, Richard covered Elisha¡¯s stomach and lay down next to her. She had fallen asleep with a faint smile on her face.


    Richard looked at Elisha¡¯s sleeping face in his arms. It didn¡¯t matter which family she was from. The only thing that mattered was that she was carrying his child and she was his beloved wife whom he loved more than his own life. Just¡­


    ¡°Can I be a good mother even if I don¡¯t know what a mother is?¡±


    Unlike other people who became a ¡®mom¡¯ by learning and relying on their mothers, Elisha had to experience and accept this strange change alone and become a mother by herself. Even though she must be afraid and terrified of the changes she was going through for the first time in her life, it broke his heart to see her smiling and asking without any sign of such feelings. Even if would do anything for Elisha, he couldn¡¯t take the role of her mother. Richard looked fondly at her, who was asleep and whispered softly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do better, Elisha.¡±


    He gently kissed her forehead.


    ¡°Sleep well.¡±


    ¡°Move the goods and things according to the orders of the priests, and send the rest of the wagon back to the mansion. Only the escorts should be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Yep. I¡¯ll follow madam¡¯s command.¡±


    ¡°Or you can pray in the temple, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds good, too. Thank you for taking care of me, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Thompson smiled happily and led Elisha into the temple first, then turned around and delivered the orders to the knights. She left them behind and entered the temple. The temple was busy welcoming the foundation day. Not surprisingly, the founding festival was the only event held at the temple among the three major national events of Arencia, including the New Year¡¯s Festival and the Harvest Festival.


    Elisha tried to find Leon first.


    ¡®Leon is probably¡­¡¯


    At this time, the children¡¯s service was over and it was time for each of them to do their respective future work apprenticeships. Leon was still four years old and could not work, so he must have been playing alone in the annex inside the temple where Aiden lived. Elisha headed to the inner annex along the path she was now accustomed to. Upon arriving there, as expected, she saw a small, familiar figure crouching in front of the flowerbed.


    ¡®Cute.¡¯


    It felt even cuter and lovable as the small child was crouching.


    ¡®What are you doing over there?¡¯


    Elisha tried to hide and sneaked up to Leon to observe his actions. The child was crouching on the flowerbed, digging hard with his bare hands.


    ¡°Leon?¡±


    At Elisha¡¯s voice, Leon, who was busy digging in the soil, looked up at her with surprised eyes. Those big eyes quickly shone in delight.


    ¡°Noona!¡±


    The child¡¯s forehead and cheeks were dirty with soil. Seeing Leon¡¯s face like that, Elisha burst into laughter. Then, she took out a handkerchief and wiped out the child¡¯s scruffy face.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ you got dirt all over your face. What were you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Puck weebs!¡±


    Proudly, Leon lifted up the weeds he had plucked so far. Seeing the ¡®weeds¡¯ in the child¡¯s hand, Elisha smiled with a puzzled face.


    ¡°Even to me, who doesn¡¯t know much, those weeds look like flowers¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. As long as you are having fun.¡±


    The important thing was the heart trying to help His Holiness. Elisha wiped Leon¡¯s face as she prayed that the ¡®weeds¡¯ that Leon had pulled out weren¡¯t Aiden¡¯s favorite flowers.


    ¡°Leon, shall we stop pulling weeds and wash our hands? What is this on your face? You¡¯re not a crow.¡±


    ¡°Cwow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re so dirty that a crow will mistake you for his friends. Let¡¯s wash up before that.¡±


    Elisha tried to take Leon to a nearby well. However, the child avoided her hand with a smile, perhaps due to a sudden bout of playfulness.


    ¡°No~ not gonna wash. I¡¯ll be cwow¡¯s friend!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Kaaaak! Kaaa- aaak!¡±


    Leon ran away excited, pretending to be a crow, and shouted as if summoning the birds. Elisha burst out laughing out of absurdity and followed the small child running and flapping his arms.


    ¡°Leon, come here!¡±


    Leon laughed and ran to the outside of the annex to avoid Elisha. Just as he turned around the corner, ¡°ouch!¡± Leon, who was running frantically looking back at Elisha following him, bumped into someone who appeared from around the corner and fell backward.


    ¡°Leon are you alr¨C¡±


    Elisha, who was about to approach Leon in a hurry, stopped walking in surprise when she saw the face of the person he collided with.


    ¡°Eishh, what¡¯s with this rat-sized thing?¡±


    In front of Leon, Christian stood with a frown on his face.


    (e/n: Idk Christian, why don¡¯t you tell us since you contributed to his genetics. Luckily, baby Leon seems to take after his Mom.)


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    The moment she saw his face, Elisha¡¯s heart plummeted.


    ¡®Christian, why is he here¡­?¡¯


    Elisha¡¯s bewildered eyes went from Christian to Leon, who was sitting in front of him. He was looking down at the child in front of him coldly, wiping off the soil that Leon had left on him after their collision. But luckily, he didn¡¯t seem to recognize the child.


    ¡®No, that¡¯s a relief.¡¯


    How dull of a man you must be to not recognize your own son even when he is right in front of you? However, Christian, ??who didn¡¯t know the truth, looked at Elisha and Leon alternately and raised his lips slightly. Then, he contorted his face into a smirk and poured abusive language on Leon.


    ¡°Hey, kid, if you bumped into someone, you should apologize. Doesn¡¯t the temple teach you things like that?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sowwy¡­¡±


    ¡°What with the white clothes anyway? Do you know how expensive these clothes are? A garment worth hundreds of times the price of your life.¡±


    Scared by Christian¡¯s fierce momentum, Leon just trembled and couldn¡¯t answer anything. Christian, as if annoyed by such a scared appearance, kicked Leon¡¯s small foot. It wasn¡¯t a strong blow, but it was enough to frighten the child. Leon trembled and pulled away his feet.


    ¡°This is why things like this shouldn¡¯t go around without parents. They don¡¯t have home education. Home education.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°How can they make such a donation to raise these stupid things and use them to do any actual work¡­? tch.¡±


    Christian¡¯s gaze was fixed on Elisha, who was approaching him. Those words were not actually for Leon, but to her, an orphan. Furthermore, it was slander directed at Richard, an illegitimate child. Elisha blocked the distance between Leon and Christian and stood facing him. Looking at him with cold eyes and a smile in her mouth, she said,


    ¡°It is still too much to say to a child, Your Highness.¡±


    At Elisa¡¯s appearance, Christian snorted.


    ¡°Well, look who it is? Aren¡¯t you the Duchess Rubellin, who has a lot of compassion for these beggars and makes donations?¡±


    At his words, Elisha understood why he was there. When Rubellin publicly started donating to the temple a while ago, the Imperial Family, who paid attention to their outside appearance, decided to donate to celebrate the founding of the Empire. Christian probably went to the temple to promote his external image. Of course, this annoying schedule went against Christian¡¯s will.


    He looked down at Elisha¡¯s stomach and groaned as if he suddenly remembered it.


    ¡°Ah, right. Those kinds of harsh words are bad for pregnancy. I forgot, I¡¯m sorry, Duchess.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look sorry at all.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you move away, Duchess? I must scold this child who dared to dirty the crown prince¡¯s clothes with soil and damaged my image.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to apologize for this.¡±


    Elisha, who was thinking of a way to solve this situation, bowed her head. It wasn¡¯t something to bow for, but it was Leon¡¯s fault anyway, and above all, she knew that the more Christian talked, there would be more hurtful words that would be poured out on Leon. It was a solution that she came up with considering the situation. She wanted this conversation to end with Leon not being too hurt as the top priority.


    ¡°Please forgive this child with a generous heart, and leave the child¡¯s discipline to me. I will take responsibility and Your Highness¡¯ clothes will be compensated for by house Rubellin.¡±


    Even though Christian treats men very harshly, whenever a woman bends over first in apology, he would be surprisingly satisfied with it and tend to back away. He seemed to be immersed in his own delusional image of a ¡®gentleman¡¯. As Elisha bowed first, Christian¡¯s momentum eased as she expected. He said with a cough.


    ¡°Ehem, these lowly things are a problem anyway. Since a foolish father and an idiotic mother met, such lowly-minded children are constantly being born and cluttering up the Empire. Tsk.¡±


    He would have never even dreamed that the ¡®foolish father¡¯ he spoke of was himself. At Christian¡¯s words, Elisha laughed. At that moment, Leon suddenly came to mind.


    ¡®But it must be sad for Leon, who has memories with his mother.¡¯


    Elisha looked at the complexion of Leon who was hiding behind her. Contrary to her expectation that he might cry, Leon seemed fine. However, now he was staring at Christian. Both of his eyes gleamed too vividly. At the same time, a spark ignited from the little hand of the child. Elisha¡¯s eyes, looking at the flame, widened out of fear. Even if Christian didn¡¯t recognize his son, he would definitely know what the flame meant.


    ¡°No, Leon!¡±


    Elisha hurriedly grabbed Leon¡¯s hand. Even before calculating that she would get hurt by the fire, her body moved instinctively. Without even having any time to check her hand, she looked back at Christian. Fortunately, he was looking at them with dull and bored eyes, as if he had not noticed anything. She felt relieved only after seeing that. At that moment, Leon¡¯s crying voice came out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sowwy, Noona¡­ because of Leon¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hur¨C¡±


    Elisha, who inadvertently said so, felt something strange. She should have felt something since she put her hand on the magical fire, but surprisingly, she didn¡¯t feel any pain at all.


    ¡®Oh?¡¯


    There were no traces of burn on her hand contrary to what she had expected. There was just a little bit of water left. Elisha tilted her head.


    ¡®What is this¡­?¡¯


    The moment she wondered about it, she heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°You were here, Your Highness the Crown Prince.¡±


    As she raised her head, she saw Aiden approaching this way. Aiden, who came close, quickly grasped the situation by reading the atmosphere between Elisa, Leon, and Christian. He spoke in a calm voice as always.


    ¡°I heard that you were looking for me. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t meet you earlier. If you had notified me in advance, I would have waited for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks to you, I was able to see what the temple is like. However, the children in the temple must be disciplined more strictly.¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    Aiden naturally glossed over Christian¡¯s words that were pointing out Leon¡¯s behavior and took him away. Elisha looked at Christian¡¯s figure that was moving away for a while and turned to Leon. Only then did the child burst into tears. Although his first reaction at Christian¡¯s words that were cursing at his mother was anger, it was obvious that he was still hurt. Elisha gently embraced Leon.


    ¡°Leon, forget everything that person said earlier. He¡¯s such an idiot for saying that.¡±


    ¡°Uuuhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°But still, you can¡¯t use fire on other people. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Sowwy¡­ Leon made a mistake¡­¡±


    Leon meekly admitted his mistake. Then he embraced Elisha and she gently stroked his head.


    ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have to do that next time.¡±


    Leon nodded quietly while still hugging her. Soon after, pointing with his small fern-like hand behind Elisha he shouted.


    ¡°Oh, mistoh!¡±


    [tl/n: Leon doesn¡¯t pronounce correctly the word ¡®mister¡¯ since he¡¯s a four-year-old child]


    Looking back, she saw a familiar figure approaching. A tall man with an appearance that shone brilliantly under the sunlight. It was Richard. A smile spread across Elisha¡¯s face when she saw him.


    ¡°Did the meeting end early today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now the preparations are almost done.¡±


    Richard looked at Leon, who was looking up at him with pleased eyes and stroked his tiny head.


    ¡°When I came in, I saw that Christian was here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. We just ran into him. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±


    ¡°Mistoh!¡±


    Leon circled around as if he wanted to cling to Richard¡¯s leg, but he could not readily cling to him. It was because of the mud on his hands.


    Noticing that Leon was hesitating because of the memory of dirtying Christian¡¯s clothes a while ago, Elisha took Leon to the well.


    ¡°Wash your hands, Leon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Richard approached and took the bucket from Elisha, who was about to scoop water from the well. Then he scooped water and started washing Leon¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Wash up thoroughly, kid.¡±


    ¡°Nngh! Like this?¡±


    Elisha stared blankly at Richard washing Leon¡¯s hands and face.


    ¡®You look like a dad doing that.¡¯


    Although the way he touched the child was clumsy yet cautious, he had his own way of showing his affection. Her heart was pounding at his kindness. At that moment, Richard, who had pulled up more fresh water, approached Elisha and took her hand. She, who had been staring blankly at him while lost in her thoughts, looked back at him, startled by the sudden contact.


    ¡°You have dirt on your hands, too. I¡¯ll wash yours.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ thanks.¡±


    Richard held the bucket with one hand so that Elisha, who was pregnant, did not have to bend over uncomfortably, and he washed Elisha¡¯s hands with the other. The warmth of a large hand stroking hers in the cold water was somewhat embarrassing. With her head slightly bowed, Elisha glanced up at Richard, who was busy washing her hands. At that moment, their eyes met.


    ¡®Ah.¡¯


    Red eyes gleamed brightly in the sunlight. His gaze made her heart pound wildly again.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    ¡°Noona belly is big.¡±


    (e/n: Leon is 4yrs old so his way of talking is going to have some grammatical mistakes. These are going to be left in his dialogue on purpose in case that wasn¡¯t clear in past chs.)


    AD


    Then, after washing his hands first, Leon, who was waiting for them, gently poked at Elisha¡¯s belly with his small finger.


    ¡°Is it big poop?¡±


    At Leon¡¯s absurd question, Elisha burst out laughing. Then she pinched Leon¡¯s cheek slightly.


    ¡°When my baby hears you, he will be upset and cry.¡±


    ¡°Baby?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a baby. There¡¯s a baby in Noona¡¯s belly.¡±


    Recalling a newborn baby who came to the temple to be baptized a few days ago, Leon shook his head.


    ¡°Is not baby. Baby looks like Leon!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, a baby looks like Leon. This baby is still growing in Noona¡¯s belly. After a hundred nights of sleep, he¡¯ll pop out like Leon.¡±


    To be precise, we had to wait more than a hundred days, but Elisha gave Leon a rough explanation so that it was easy for him to understand.


    ¡°Uhmm. I too want baby.¡±


    ¡°What would you do when you have a baby?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll play all day!¡±


    It was a childish idea. Elisha giggled at the cute thought but stopped laughing at Leon¡¯s next words.


    ¡°How can Leon have a baby?¡±


    At the child¡¯s innocent question, Elisha¡¯s face heated up. At the same time, the tips of Richard¡¯s ears also turned red. As the two of them were embarrassed and at a loss of what to say, Leon looked at them with strange eyes.


    ¡°Noona?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t ignore those innocent eyes.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ so, the way to have a baby is¡­ you¡¯ll have it when you kiss someone you love.¡±


    ¡°What you means love?¡±


    ¡°If Leon finds someone he likes more than bread, that¡¯s love.¡±


    Leon looked at Elisa and Richard in turn, pondering, and then asked again.


    ¡°Then~ you love Mistoh?¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    Elisha blinked at an unexpected question. Richard, who had been looking away with his ears red, looked back at her upon hearing Leon¡¯s question. Elisha, who was embarrassed by the child¡¯s question, smiled awkwardly and answered.


    ¡°If, if you kiss even without love, you¡¯ll have a baby too.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°So you can¡¯t kiss just anyone. Okay?¡±


    She tried to give cautious words thinking about sex ed. Now, the existence of a baby was precious and happy, but at first, the unexpected existence of the baby was scary and frightening. Richard had felt the same. Elisha didn¡¯t want Leon, and the one he loved, to go through something like that.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ okay~¡±


    Even though Leon did not understand the detailed reason, he nodded as if he understood the meaning of ¡®you shouldn¡¯t kiss just anyone.¡¯


    Richard¡¯s expression darkened as he listened to their conversation, but Elisha did not notice and she stroked Leon¡¯s head because he was being cute. Then she took the child¡¯s hand and led him over to the flowerbed.


    ¡°Come here, Leon. I¡¯ll tell you what a weed is.¡±


    ¡°Ngh!¡±


    Elisha and Leon squatted down by the flower bed. Then she suddenly remembered Richard was still waiting nearby and looked back at him.


    ¡°Richard, will you also come and pick weeds?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Elisha tilted her head with a puzzled expression in response to the chilly answer. Normally, he would have sat next to her without saying a word, but today something was strange.


    ¡°Is this a weeb?¡±


    At Leon¡¯s voice, Elisha turned her gaze back to him.


    ¡°This is a flower. Look, the buds look like this? It is a flower, so you cannot pull it out.¡±


    Richard squatted in front of the flowerbed and looked at Elisha who was talking to Leon. Elisha¡¯s posture while trying to support her body in such a low position by lowering her knees and raising her heels in order to not press on her stomach seemed quite uncomfortable. After watching this, Richard eventually sighed and sat close next to her. Then, he supported Elisha¡¯s waist and hugged her.


    ¡°You will fall.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ thank you, Richard.¡±


    Elisha smiled brightly as she looked back. Richard¡¯s expression instinctively relaxed at that smile, but he quickly turned away from her gaze. Still, he did not release the arm that was holding her.


    She continued to tell Leon the difference between weeds and flowers again. When Leon barely began to distinguish the weeds, they felt a presence from behind them.


    ¡°What are you doing in front of the flowerbed?¡±


    It was Aiden¡¯s voice. Elisha looked up at him in surprise.


    ¡°Ah, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Poping weebs! I puck a lot.¡±


    Leon proudly lifted all the ¡®weeds¡¯ he had plucked out. However, Aiden¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw the messy flower bed with all the flowers pulled out behind Leon¡¯s back. Elisha noticed his gaze and was nervous that Leon might be scolded. But Aiden, as always, smiled calmly instead.


    ¡°Yeah, trial and error are necessary for everything.¡±


    ¡°Trail and error?¡± Leon tilted his head trying to understand Aiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°You did well, Leon, thanks to you, the remaining flowers will grow strong.¡±


    Leon, who was in a good mood at Aiden¡¯s praise, smiled wildly. Elisha, who was next to him, also smiled at the compliment.


    ¡°Did the Crown Prince leave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am just on the way back after seeing him off.¡±


    Elisha got up from her position, supported by Richard. Her legs were numb because she had been crouching for quite some time.


    ¡°We should go back soon.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you can stay a little longer. Leon seems to want that too.¡±


    ¡°No. The temple is busy preparing for the foundation festival, we can¡¯t stay more, Your Holiness. Today, I only came to donate in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Your grace will be given to those who need it most first.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please do so.¡±


    Elisha bowed to Aiden and waved to Leon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Leon.¡±


    Richard slightly bowed at Aiden.


    ¡°Noona bye~ Mistoh bye~¡±


    Leon waved his tiny fern-like hand at the two of them moving away. As he waved it, the dirt on his hand splattered in all directions. Aiden, who saw it, half sighed and half laughed, and held Leon¡¯s small hand.


    ¡°You should wash your hands first.¡±


    Aiden wrapped his hands around Leon¡¯s hands. Then water came up from his palms and washed Leon¡¯s hands. The child, who had been staring blankly at the scene, opened his mouth as if he had suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Water came out of Noona¡¯s hand too.¡±


    ¡°Water?¡±


    Aiden looked at Leon with puzzled eyes, recalling that the grass by the well was wet, he understood Leon¡¯s words. It seemed that Elisha and Leon were washing their hands and playing with the water.


    ¡°It must have been interesting. Next time, ask Noona to tell you how to do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Leon nodded and shook off his clean hands. Aiden took Leon and headed into the annex.


    * * *


    That night, Elisha, who returned to the bedroom after a long day¡¯s work, was hugging Richard as usual and listening to the fairy tale book he read. The soft mid-low tone voice was as sweet as always, but Elisha¡¯s nerves stood on edge. Richard was strangely odd. She looked at him with stern eyes.


    ¡®I think you¡¯re upset.¡¯ It seemed as if he was less talkative -although he replied without any hint of displeasure when she talked first- but he had been avoiding her gaze since earlier. In addition, he was reading with a rather soulless tone, when he used to narrate the tale while reading he was more enthusiastic lately. And, the most crucial point, she was blatantly looking at him yet he didn¡¯t look her way even once. Elisha wasn¡¯t sure while eating, but she was definitely sure now. He was sulking. So much that he didn¡¯t even want to look at her.


    ¡®But why the hell?¡¯


    He seemed to have been in that state since they went to the temple, but she didn¡¯t know exactly what offended him. Elisha, who was staring at Richard, who noticed her gaze but didn¡¯t look back, finally called out to him.


    ¡°Richard, are you upset because of something?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, his gaze looked at her. Then he replied a beat late.


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    He said no, but his eyes looked somewhat hurt. As he tried to look back at the book, Elisha grabbed him by his cheeks and made him look at her.


    ¡°What do you mean no? It¡¯s all written on your face. ¡®I¡¯m upset¡¯ it¡¯s on your forehead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I do something to upset you?¡±


    At that question, Richard looked straight at Elisha. She tilted her head with a puzzled expression and quietly waited for his answer. At that moment, Richard¡¯s hand grabbed her hand that was holding his cheek and entwined it. His lips eagerly approached and engulfed hers. Surprised by the sudden kiss, Elisha instinctively pulled herself back, and Richard¡¯s lips fell away from hers. While still close enough to feel her breath, he whispered in a low voice,


    ¡°I don¡¯t do this with just anyone.¡±


    He looked at her with his eyes swirling with heat as if he would swallow her again at any moment.


    (e/n: Author-nim plz don¡¯t be faking us out¡­ I really hope they understand their feelings for each other soon!)


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 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Elisha stared blankly at Richard. Startled, her heart started pounding loudly. Only the sound of her heart rang in her ears. They had had deeper kisses than this when having sex. But, why? Why was Elisha¡¯s heart pounding so hard just because of a light kiss?


    AD


    Without understanding what happened, Elisha grabbed at her clothing covering her chest tightly with her free hand. She was scared that his eyes, which stared at her dangerously as if he would devour her at any moment, would see through to her heart, which was beating like crazy. She didn¡¯t want him to know.


    ¡®I feel strange.¡¯ Elisha¡¯s lips twitched and slightly opened at the tenacious gaze that never fell from her.


    ¡°So suddenly, what does this mea¨C¡± Just as she was about to ask the meaning of his words, she felt a movement in her belly. When Elisha suddenly stopped what she was going to say, Richard, who felt like something was strange, called out to her.


    ¡°¡­ Elisha?¡±


    ¡°Love moved.¡±


    Elisha quickly took Richard¡¯s hand and put it on her stomach. At first, it felt weak like a water droplet bursting, but it was getting stronger day by day. Thanks to this, Elisha was immersed in the fun of talking with her unborn child these days. However, Richard, who had been busy preparing for the foundation festival, had not yet felt the fetal movement. This was because the child, as if teasing Richard, didn¡¯t move at morning or night when he was present. Elisha, who knew he was waiting to feel the fetal movement, wanted to let him feel this wonderful feeling as soon as possible. But right when Richard put his hand on her belly, the child became quiet as if he had made a vow.


    Unlike Richard, who was startled by the sudden change of topic, Elisha, who was getting a bit impatient, lay down on the bed. She could feel the fetal movement a little better if she was laying straight on the bed.


    ¡°Love~ call him like this.¡±


    Hurriedly. Elisha placed Richard¡¯s hand on her stomach in a new spot and pressured him into calling out to the baby. After hesitating for a moment, he cleared his throat and called out the child¡¯s name.


    ¡°Love.¡±


    However, even after waiting for a while, the child did not respond.


    ¡°Hmm, do you want to play hide-and-seek with Daddy?¡±


    Rather than Richard, who had no high expectations for a response, Elisha showed a very disappointed look. Richard tried to pull away his hand, trying to hide his moderate disappointment. When suddenly,


    Glup~ Like a water balloon, a small movement was felt. At the same time, Richard, who was about to take back his hand, stopped moving. Then, this time, Elisha¡¯s belly moved like a wave. Richard¡¯s eyes trembled at the movement. Noticing his reaction, Elisha smiled and spoke to the child.


    ¡°Love, Daddy waited so long for you to say hi.¡±


    As if in response to Elisha¡¯s words, the child kicked her stomach once more. Exactly where Richard¡¯s palm was resting. He stared blankly at Elisha¡¯s stomach.


    ¡®Baby¡­¡¯ It was only then that he realized it. Inside Elisha¡¯s belly, her and his child was growing. He suddenly realized that he was going to be the father of that small child for the rest of his life. Until now, he hadn¡¯t really thought hard about the existence of the child. Originally it was just a link between Elisha and him. But that child, who had been developing while he wasn¡¯t paying attention, was showing off his presence. With hands and feet smaller than the knuckle of his fingers, he was letting them know that he was growing well. The moment he felt the child¡¯s presence, his heart felt stuffy. As much as he felt the weight of the life he created, and the responsibility, he also felt an indescribable, emotional feeling weighing down on his heart.


    ¡°What are you doing? Daddy should say hi too.¡± Elisha whispered while watching Richard¡¯s reaction, who was frozen without saying anything. As she said this, he bowed close to her belly and said,


    ¡°Hi, Love.¡±


    The pregnancy name, which he had always called out casually and habitually, suddenly felt awkward in his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s dad.¡± He called himself ¡®Dad.¡¯ The child answered his call with a kick a beat later. He moved around for a while and then became quiet.


    Richard looked at Elisha¡¯s belly blankly for a while even after the child¡¯s movements had stopped. Elisha was relieved by his reaction and smiled. Contrary to the original story, she had the feeling that he didn¡¯t hate children, but she was concerned about what would happen if his mind had changed after he realized the existence of his own child. However, after seeing his reaction just now, it seemed that such worries could be put aside.


    ¡°How does it feel to say hello to the baby for the first time?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Richard?¡±


    Just as she was puzzled by his unanswered reaction, Richard hugged Elisha.


    ¡°Thank you, Elisha.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to explain this feeling that he had felt for the first time ever just moments ago, but he thought he should say thank you to Elisha. It was an emotion he wouldn¡¯t have experienced in his entire life if it wasn¡¯t for her.


    She blinked her eyes with a bewildered expression at his sudden embrace, then smiled and held him in her arms.


    It was the first night the two realized the meaning of ¡®family.¡¯


    [tl/n: I feel so single right now :¡¯) ]


    * * *


    Late at night when even the servants were asleep, Marquis Dion returned home.


    Mikaela, who was just about to fall asleep, heard the sound of the carriage and went down to the lobby on the first floor. Marquis Dion, who saw her, muttered a greeting.


    ¡°Your Highness the Princess. Are you still awake?¡±


    Mikaela furrowed her brows involuntarily at the smell of alcohol. Seeing his reddened face and staggering gait, he looked like he had been drinking somewhere.


    ¡°Why did you drink until you got to this point? It¡¯s not good for your body either.¡±


    ¡°I was upset, so I drank.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°That little immature bastard, huh? You become so arrogant after being praised once and now you go around ignoring people.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about that jerk, Duke Rubellin. How he ignores me in meetings!¡±


    Marquis Dion gritted his teeth and recalled a memory from several days ago.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the chairman¡¯s duty to remove anything from the agenda that is not worth discussing and get everyone to focus on the main subject?¡±


    ¡°Wha, what?¡±


    The eyes that looked at him as if he was pathetic, dismissing his opinion about preparing a gift for the Emperor, and clearly saying it was ¡®not worth discussing¡¯ were still vivid in his mind and his teeth clenched. Marquis Dion raised his voice and cursed at Richard.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m saying that for my own good, but since there¡¯s a small budget left over, I thought about doing something for His Majesty the Emperor, the light of this Empire, but he ignored me to only take care of some beggars.¡±


    Mikaela frowned at Marquis Dion¡¯s rambling. She had been fond of Richard since the time he made his appearance as the Young Duke.


    [tl/n: Young Duke or Small Duke is the title for the Duke¡¯s heir]


    How excited she was inside when it was announced that her Royal Father would marry her to him. However, Albert, who saw through the Emperor¡¯s scheme, took a girl from a lowly viscount family without a name and married her to Richard. Because of that, Mikaela felt as if she had been rejected by Richard. It was even more heartbreaking to see how Richard, who seemed unlikely to give himself to anyone, was getting along well with Elisha.


    She hated not only Elisha for marrying Richard, but also him, who lived well without her. Moreover, it was frustrating to hear that he had ignored her husband¡¯s suggestions about a present for her Royal Father.


    Mikaela replied sternly in response to Marquis Dion¡¯s words.


    ¡°He has been that way since long ago. He can¡¯t help but be arrogant about his own strength. The same goes for that woman, the Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Is that girl the same too?¡±


    ¡°Those two are very similar. Whether it was at the hunting festival or at the tea party not long ago, anyone would have thought that woman was the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, Tsk. It seems as if that girl doesn¡¯t know her place. As the old saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. It seems just right.¡±


    ¡°You must be very offended, honey. I¡¯m sure you must have felt very upset after having to cope with that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to say to you.¡±


    The two responded to each other and comforted themselves. At that moment, the butler who was by his side approached.


    ¡°Your Grace, Viscount Magenta has visited this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡±


    At the name of Viscount Magenta, Marquis Dion wrinkled his brows. Viscount Magenta was his uncle. He inherited a portion of the inheritance from Marquis Dion¡¯s late grandfather and started a business, but failed one after another and suffered several losses. Despite a series of deficits, he was unable to give up on his business and was begging to borrow the foundation of the business by moving around several relatives¡¯ houses. He had visited Marquis Dion about three months ago but seemed to have come back again.


    ¡°Yes. His lordship asked me to let him know when Your Grace would return and said that he would like to meet you.¡±


    It was obvious what they would talk about. He would say he had an amazing business idea, and he would ask him to invest because it will surely work out this time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, just ignore him. Do I look like a charity?¡±


    Marquis Dion, who was about to go straight up to his bedroom with Mikaela after replying bitterly, suddenly remembered the story of Viscount Magenta, whom he had met three months ago.


    ¡°The produced items are very good quality, but perhaps because security has improved these days, it hasn¡¯t sold well.¡±


    Viscount Magenta showed an expression of disappointment and introduced the business items he had made. A flashing thought struck Marquis Dion who remembered that ¡®item.¡¯


    ¡®Then, I can give that cheeky bastard a big blow.¡¯


    Marquis Dion raised one corner of his mouth and looked back at the butler, and ordered him.


    ¡°Send a letter to my uncle right now. Tell him that I¡¯d like to see him tomorrow.¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    The night before the foundation day, Elisha went to bed a little earlier than usual to prepare for the upcoming intense schedule. As usual, Richard watched the sleeping Elisha and blew a gentle breeze into their room to dispel the heat of the summer night. Then, a knock sounded at their door. Richard, startled, checked his wife¡¯s condition. Fortunately, Elisha seemed to be in such a deep sleep that she didn¡¯t hear the sound. Before the knock rang again, Richard got up from the bed, put on his robe, and headed to the door.


    ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s ¡®that thing¡¯?¡¯ Although the room¡¯s lights were usually left on, few servants rarely visited late at night. Thus, it meant it was an urgent matter.


    He could think of one ¡®thing¡¯ that could be this urgent. Richard hurried to the door and opened it. In front of him, stood the butler, Grayson.


    ¡°Were you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°No. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I have a letter from Sir Colt.¡±


    Colt was one of the subordinates that Richard had sent to the Divine Tree Forest a week ago. If there was news from them, he had told the servants to bring it whenever the lights in their bedroom were lit.


    ¡°Then have a good night, Your Grace.¡± Grayson, who delivered the letter, quietly went away.


    After closing the door, Richard, who walked over to the table, hurriedly opened the letter.


    [As you ordered, I searched the villages around the forest.


    Any girls with blonde hair and green eyes who lived in the village at that time are either still living in the village or have married into a nearby village.


    There are quite a few girls who died at a young age, but none of them are missing. We¡¯ll take a look around one last time before we go back.]


    The content of the letter meant that no trace of Elisha had been found anywhere.


    ¡®But Aaron said that Albert Rubellin had definitely brought Elisha from the Divine Tree Forest area.¡¯


    If not from a nearby town, where the hell did he get Elisha from? Richard sighed and put the letter down.


    In the end, he was back at the starting line once again.


    * * *


    The day of the foundation festival was bright. Elisha and Richard decided to bring only four knights, including Thompson, as escorts to take them to the temple.


    It was because knights usually do not enter the temple. After all, they cannot carry weapons around the temple, and everyone gathers inside the temple, thus if you go accompanied by several knights in front of the temple it can become complicated to check each person for weapons. For that reason, most nobles participating in the foundation ceremony would bring as few escort knights as possible.


    ¡°Then go ahead safely, you two.¡±


    Grayson, who had come to see the two off, closed the carriage door. Soon the wagon departed. As always, Richard hugged Elisha¡¯s back and waist to minimize the vibrations of the carriage. While being held in his arms, she had been looking out the window while enjoying the wind coming in through the gap, and eventually Elisha peeked at him. He was going through papers that had to be reviewed urgently.


    The expression on his face as he read the documents was so indifferent that it felt cold. It was completely different from the way he looked at her. Overlapping his present image, the image of him kissing and whispering to her a few days ago appeared in her mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do this with anyone else.¡±


    What the hell did that mean? At that time, Richard was immersed in the joy of feeling the child¡¯s kicking for the first time and forgot about it, but she remembered his words, which she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask for their true meaning since that day.


    ¡®Of course! Of course you shouldn¡¯t do that with anyone! You have a wife!¡¯


    But he didn¡¯t seem to be upset simply because she doubted his fidelity. At that moment, a possibility flashed through her mind.


    ¡®Maybe Richard to me¡­¡¯


    Even that small possibility made her heart go thump- thump- and run wild. It was a thought I had never thought about before. But now it was too late to ask again, and above all¡­


    ¡®I¡¯m afraid to ask.¡¯ That possibility might only be a delusion.


    Just as she wanted his body at one point, as if it was just an instinctive desire, she was afraid that was all that he felt. If that was the case, how would she feel?


    ¡®No, why are you afraid of the answer?¡¯


    As she was questioning her feelings, Richard, who was reviewing the documents, turned to Elisha.


    ¡°Elisha?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­?¡±


    Suddenly meeting his eyes, Elisha¡¯s heart fluttered. Her heart pounded as if wondering if he could hear her thoughts.


    ¡°Is there anything you want to say? You¡¯ve been looking at me for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡­¡±


    After hesitating for a while, Elisha came up with an appropriate story.


    ¡°Co- come to think of it, this is my first time attending the founding festival. Have you ever attended the founding festival?¡±


    ¡°I attended for the first and last time the day I inherited the Duchy.¡±


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Boring.¡±


    Elisha burst into laughter at his direct review. Without leaving space for any further thought, it was an answer that immediately made her understand what the founding festival was like.


    Richard frowned slightly, then put his hand on Elisha¡¯s belly with a worried expression on his face. Since the first time he felt the baby¡¯s kicking, whenever he was with Elisha, he would put his hand on her belly out of habit.


    ¡°If you feel a stomach ache or are tired, don¡¯t hold back and tell me right away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My baby is very strong because he looks just like his dad.¡±


    As if agreeing with Elisha¡¯s words, the child in her belly kicked. The two parents, who felt it, burst into laughter at the same time.


    Soon after, the carriage arrived in front of the temple.


    ¡°Your Grace, Madam, we have arrived.¡±


    Elisha was escorted by Richard and got off the carriage. Many carriages of other noble families had already arrived in front of the temple. There was one family in particular that stood out among the wagons with different family patterns.


    ¡®Marquis Dion?¡¯


    Marquis Dion and Mikaela appeared with many knights, unlike the other nobles who had at most four escorts. Appearing with that many knights in front of the already crowded temple was a nuisance. When Richard saw Marquis Dion¡¯s cheeky face, his forehead scrunched. At that moment, a familiar voice was heard from the side.


    ¡°Duchess and Duke.¡±


    It was Olivia.


    Like Elisha and Richard, she was also wearing white robes suitable for the foundation festival. Next to her, there was a man, who looked like an idol-like pretty boy, wearing the same white robe. The man bowed his head slightly to Elisha and Richard to greet them politely.


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Duchess, Duke. My name is Cedric Beltane.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Young Marquis. As I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯re quite handsome.¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s embarrassing to hear that from the wife who has the most handsome man in the empire as her husband¡­¡±


    When Elisha smiled and greeted him, Cedric, who was looking at her blankly, blushed and smiled shyly. Seeing that, Richard¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°I heard a lot about you, Madam, from my mother. My mother and younger sibling are indebted to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t say that, anyone would have done the same as what I did.¡±


    ¡°I will treat you to a meal in the near future. I¡¯ll invite you to my residence on a nice day.¡±


    Richard changed the subject before Elisha replied that she would be glad to accept.


    ¡°Is the Young Marquis deciding on his marriage partner? I¡¯m sure there must be quite a few people talking by now.¡±


    His words meant that he needs to find his partner without looking at someone else¡¯s woman. Richard gave strength to the arm wrapped around Elisha and hugged her a little more tightly, as a warning against Cedric. Like an animal protecting its young. Only Elisha, who couldn¡¯t see Richard¡¯s expression because she was looking at Olivia and Cedric, didn¡¯t notice his chilly expression. On the other hand, Olivia saw it and burst out laughing as if it was funny.


    ¡°Madam is so popular that His Grace must be very upset.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Just a joke. It¡¯s almost time, shall we go in?¡±


    The people turned and entered the temple one by one. The central chapel was grand as it was in the center of the temple. The stained glass that adorned each window, and the light that penetrated through them, added to the magnificence. In the center of the huge chapel where the light gathers, there was a pulpit, and the goddess statue was located in the middle.


    The front was already filled with nobles and priests who had arrived earlier. Elisha and Richard went to their seats and waited for the foundation ceremony to begin. Before long, Aiden, who appeared from the side door of the pulpit, climbed up to it. Soon after, the doors of the temple that had been closed were opened, and with light beaming through the doorway, the emperor entered wearing a robe


    ¡°His Majesty the Emperor is entering!¡±


    The nobles lined up on both sides of the walkway bowed their heads toward the Emperor. Richard and Elisha also bowed lightly. The Emperor strode forward and stood up behind the pulpit.


    ¡°We are gathered here today to give infinite glory to our ancestors who made us who we are today and to pray for our country¡¯s future prosperity. I hope you all will do it with reverence.¡±


    That marked the beginning of the foundation festival.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    In a somewhat tense atmosphere, Aiden made a tribute to the goddess and then the emperor made a tribute to the founders and the first emperor, God¡¯s son, who returned to his side.


    Next, came the hymn of the temple children. Children in pure white robes began to sing in line. Elisha, who was looking at the children with a solemn expression, suddenly realized.


    ¡®As expected, Leon isn¡¯t up there.¡¯


    No one would be able to recognize him if he used a wig, but Aiden seemed to have arranged for Leon to stay in the annex just in case. The children of the choir sang a total of three hymns and then left through the side door.


    Next up was a play. After organizing the stage for a while, an actor from a professional theater company came out to greet his audience politely and start the play. The play was about the heroic stories of the four lords who contributed to the founding of the country, it was a play befitting the founding festival.


    ¡°In the distant past, the time when this land was ruled by the Demon King. During the reign of the devil, demons ruthlessly ruled over humans. The goddess, who felt sorry for them, gave her power to the three children and commanded.¡±


    When the word ¡®three children¡¯ rang, three children appeared one after another and stood in front of the statue of the goddess.


    For easy identification of each one, the child symbolizing Rubellin wore a black wig, the child symbolizing Serriot wore a blonde wig, and the child symbolizing Aster wore a silver wig.


    ¡°You must drive out the Demon King, find peace and save the poor people of this land.¡±


    The children grew up and began to fight against the tyranny of the Demon King. However, the Demon King hardly showed any openings, and the three heroes began to grow tired. Just then, a man appeared from one side of the stage and reached out to the three. The man symbolized Kairot.


    ¡°In the end, Kairot, who inherited the power of the red flame, appeared and decided to help them.¡±


    The three lords took Kairot¡¯s hand. They teamed up to defeat the Demon King and imprisoned all the demons in the soiled land.


    Elisha looked at the scene with skeptical eyes.


    ¡®Is this all true?¡¯ History is, after all, written by the victors. The current Emperor of the Empire was a descendant of Kairot, so there was a high probability that this play was adapted to also represent Kairot as a hero.


    ¡°Peace came to this land for the first time. Humans rejoiced and worshiped the four heroes. They decided to build a new country for everyone.¡±


    Among the four Lords, Lord Kairot was crowned. But at the same time, demons and beasts trapped in the soiled land escaped and started killing humans.


    ¡°But the peace did not last long. The demons trapped regained their strength, and the barrier of the soiled land began to weaken.¡±


    Arien, the head of the Serriot family, who watched the scene sadly, stepped forward.


    ¡°Serriot¡¯s Lord, Arien, who loved the first king, Roxion Kairot, sacrificed herself for this country and created a lake of purification in the soiled land, and the demons and demon beasts calmed down.¡±


    Arien collapsed on the spot and died.


    Elisha, who was watching the scene, blinked blankly and looked at the dying Arien. For some reason, it felt like her heart was being squeezed.


    ¡®Zenne- id¡­¡±


    Elisha was surprised by the names that came to her mind inadvertently.


    ¡®Zenneid? Whose name is it?¡¯


    As she was puzzled by the unfamiliar name that suddenly popped up in her mind, something ran down her cheeks.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    It was then that Elisha realized she was crying. It seemed that her empathy had deepened due to her pregnancy. Richard, who was watching the play, was surprised as he looked back at her, perhaps sensing something was going on with her.


    ¡°Elisha?¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry. I guess I immersed myself in the play too much.¡±


    Elisha hurriedly tried to wipe away her tears but Richard¡¯s hands were faster.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a play. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    After wiping away Elisha¡¯s tears, Richard held her in his arms and comforted her. As soon as she felt his warmth, the tingling sadness that remained in her heart quickly dissipated. She wiped away her tears and concentrated on the play again.


    ¡°The three Lords mourned Arien¡¯s sacrifice¨C¡±


    As the narrator continued speaking, the temple door suddenly swung open. People¡¯s eyes instinctively gathered there. The Holy Knights, including the commander of the Holy Knights, were hurriedly entering the temple.


    ¡°Everyone evacuate! Monsters are coming towards the temple!¡±


    People were puzzled by the sudden news that struck them like lightning. Monsters could only be seen by going into the forest, which was forbidden. Occasionally, when passing through the forest road on the outskirts of Akaroa, one would appear and attack, but they had never stormed into the village. But now monsters were invading the temple. It was an unbelievable story.


    When everyone, including the emperor, was looking at the Holy Knight Commander in disbelief, the Imperial Knights Commander rushed to his side.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I will take you to the Imperial Palace!¡±


    It was then that people began to rush out of the temple in confusion.


    ¡°Elisha, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Richard pulled her into a tight hug to protect her from those who were busy pushing one another out of the way. His solid body became a shield that perfectly protected Elisha. Thus, they both made it out of the temple. The two hardened their expressions when they saw the scene in front of them. Monsters had already occupied the area surrounding the temple.


    ¡°Kyaaaak!¡±


    ¡°Save me!¡±


    The screams of people from the slums near the temple, which were already attacked by monsters, echoed everywhere, but the knights of each household were busy leaving with their masters.


    The Emperor, Christian, the Empress, and Rose were heading to their carriage, escorted by the knights under Marquis Dion. At that time, a person from the slums caught up to the knight who was paving the way for Christian and asked for help.


    ¡°Hel- help me! My child is still inside the house¨C!¡±


    ¡°Insane! I have to live for this country to live, don¡¯t I? You save your cub yourself!¡±


    Christian pushed the woman holding onto the knight and quickly got into the carriage. The carriage departed immediately as soon as it picked up the imperial family. The knights of Marquis Dion followed, covering them from behind.


    The woman, who was left behind, stomped her feet while looking at the house, and tried to enter the house the monsters were destroying. At that moment, the Holy Knights stopped her and entered the house instead. After seeing that, Elisha patted her chest in relief.


    Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard.


    ¡°Sir! Madam!¡±


    Thompson and the other Rubellin¡¯s knights approached, holding swords stained with the nearby monsters¡¯ blood. It showed they were fighting against the monsters.


    ¡°You must hurry up and leave. There aren¡¯t that many troops here, so they¡¯ll break through soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­I get it.¡±


    Richard hurriedly tried to take Elisha to the carriage. At that moment, she grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Richard. Save those people.¡±


    It was a desperate voice.


    ¡°You can do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The Holy Knights are not enough. If we go like this, those people¡­¡±


    Elisha, who couldn¡¯t finish her speech, had her eyes become blurry with tears. At that plea, Richard hesitated for a moment, but then answered with a firm voice.


    ¡°¡­Your safety comes first to me.¡±


    ¡°I have Sir Thompson. I¡¯ll go to the village first. If you block them here, the monsters won¡¯t come into the village.¡±


    ¡°Madam, I will risk my life to protect you.¡±


    Thompson agreed with Elisha. Richard, who looked alternately between them, sighed. Then he gently stroked Elisha¡¯s cheek and answered.


    ¡°As the Madam commands.¡±


    Elisha smiled at the answer she had been waiting for and wrapped her hands around him.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Richard left Elisha in Thompson¡¯s care and turned around, heading to the place where the monsters were clustered. However, even before he could take a few steps, he heard the screams of people nearby. At the same time, he felt a huge shadow above his head. Richard looked up at the sky reflexively. Giant bird-shaped monsters were attacking people.


    ¡®Onyx? Those guys don¡¯t usually come out of the woods¡­¡¯


    At that time, Thompson¡¯s urgent voice came from behind.


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    An Onyx was charging with sharp claws towards Elisha. The moment the claws were about to attack her, Thompson quickly wrapped her with his body and fell to the side.


    Other knights protected Elisha by raising their swords to the sky in preparation for the second attack.


    ¡°¡­Elisha.¡±


    Light disappeared from Richard¡¯s eyes, who had witnessed the scene. Looking up, five or six Onyxes looked like they were ready to attack.


    Those things would hardly survive the murderous light that flashed from Richard¡¯s eyes. At the same time, black energy slowly rose from his body and engulfed him. The black energy that spread out from him at a frightening speed engulfed the group of onyx in an instant.


    ¡°Madam, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Sir Thompson.¡±


    Thompson examined Elisha¡¯s condition as she nodded to him as if she was okay. Thanks to his protection, it didn¡¯t seem like it was a big problem for the baby either. As she got up with Thompson¡¯s support, Richard¡¯s face came into sight.


    ¡°¡­Richard?¡±


    His figure was engulfed by dark energy. The black energy emanating from him dropped the Onixes to the ground. Seeing him like that for the first time, she had an ominous feeling for some reason. Elisha instinctively approached him, not knowing the reason for her anxiousness.


    ¡°Richard, no!¡±


    Upon hearing Elisha¡¯s voice, Richard halted. His strength also faltered for a moment. She hurriedly approached him and hugged him.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    As her warmth touched him, the black energy emanating from him disappeared. Instead, he felt a great pain in his back.


    ¡°Kugh¡­¡±


    Richard groaned and staggered.


    Just in time, Aiden, who came out of the temple late due to being pushed back by the people rushing out, felt ominous energy from a very close place and turned around. What his eyes witnessed was the figure of Richard using black energy.


    As well as the figure of Elisha calming down that same dark energy.


    The moment Elisha hugged Richard, a faint light leaked out of her seeped into her husband, and disappeared. At the same time, the black energy faded as well.


    Aiden¡¯s eyes fluttered at such a scene.


    ¡®Just now, that¡­¡¯


    The light that came out of Elisha was definitely divine power.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    The members of the imperial family who attended the foundation ceremony were escorted by Marquis Dion and arrived safely at the imperial palace. It was only then that the Emperor felt truly relieved and praised Dion¡¯s work.


    ¡°Thanks to you, we have returned safely. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Your Majesty is the father of the Crown Princess, aren¡¯t you like my father? I just did my duty as a filial son.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to the imperial family to have accepted the marquis as a member of the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too much praise, Your Majesty.¡±


    At the empress¡¯s praise, Marquis Dion smiled shyly and spoke with a worried expression.


    ¡°However, this is a big deal. The atmosphere in the capital will be in turmoil for a while. The Imperial Palace is where the best knights of the empire gather so it¡¯ll be safe, but what about the other nobles and the common people¡­¡±


    He blurted out the end of his words, and when he glanced at Mikaela, she started talking as if she was waiting for it.


    ¡°Honey, didn¡¯t you say that your uncle made something new this time? It emits a smell that monsters avoid, preventing them from approaching¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean blocking the approach of monsters?¡± Christian was immediately interested in Mikaela¡¯s story. Marquis Dion explained as if he had just remembered something he had forgotten.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. There was something like that. My uncle, Viscount Magenta, said he made a perfume that repels monsters. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to lessen people¡¯s anxiety by distributing those items?¡±


    ¡°That would be great. Tell Viscount Magenta to start selling it quickly.¡±


    ¡°I will heed your Imperial command.¡±


    As soon as the Emperor¡¯s command was issued, Marquis Dion nodded to his assistant. It meant to convey his orders to Viscount Magenta. The aide, who understood his order, bowed his head to the emperor and other members of the royal family and hurriedly left the room. When the door was closed, Marquis Dion returned to the main subject.


    ¡°How on earth did this happen? Monsters rarely raid far from their habitat.¡±


    ¡°It has been a while, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Unless the monsters thought of committing group suicide¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Isn¡¯t Duke Rubellin in charge of clearing out the monsters around the island?¡±


    The emperor did not deploy knights and soldiers outside the capital to save money on the national budget. Because of that, monsters occasionally appeared on the outskirts, but the nobles did not suffer any damages because they lived inside the capital. It was always the helpless people living in the outskirts that suffered. Richard was in charge of voluntarily cleaning up the monsters around the outskirts since his days as the young heir to the Duke¡¯s house. He does it for three reasons: to protect the people, to raise the reputation of Rubellin, and to train the knights. When Richard stepped forward, the emperor, as if waiting for such an opportunity, entrusted him with the security of the outskirts of the island. It was as if he had ordered Richard to do it thinking about his people.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have definitely given that order to the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Not being able to do it even after being given an imperial command. How has he been working all this¡­¡±


    Marquis Dion was indignant as if he could not stand the injustice.


    ¡°You must hold the Duke accountable, Your Majesty. His Majesty was in danger because of him, and his people were not harmed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s really like that, it¡¯s all because of him, right?¡± Christian responded to Marquis Dion¡¯s words. This was the perfect opportunity to tarnish the image of Rubellin, who was like a thorn in his side, so he couldn¡¯t miss it. The emperor, who was quietly listening to the story, nodded as if he agreed with Marquis Dion.


    ¡°The Marquis is right. I¡¯m going to call Duke Rubellin over tomorrow and hold him accountable for this.¡±


    ¡°It is a wise decision.¡± After hearing the answer he had been hoping for coming from the Emperor¡¯s mouth, Marquis Dion smiled cunningly.


    Things were going as planned.


    * * *


    The monster attack was subdued to some extent as Aiden and several knights of noble families joined forces. Aiden brought all the wounded into the temple and formed a barrier around them using the purification spring. The Holy Knights stood guard in front of it.


    Aiden went to the annex with Elisha and Richard. It was to check Richard¡¯s condition. Before entering the annex, Richard had spoken to Elisha, who seemed extremely nervous.


    ¡°Elisha, go and give Thompson the order. First, go back to the Duke¡¯s residence, lead the rest of the knights here and go clean up the remaining monsters.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to save people.¡±


    Elisha did not respond to his words and just bit her lip. He was right, but she was reluctant to leave him alone for even a moment.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Eventually, Elisha headed to Thompson, who was waiting in the central chapel of the temple. Aiden looked at Richard, who was watching Elisha moving away. He was the one who was really sick, but his eyes showed he was more worried about Elisha. Perhaps that was why he sent her to Thompson.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    Richard, who came into the annex with Aiden, took off his jacket to show Aiden the pain he felt on his back. However, except for the wounds from the battlefield, there were no abnormalities visible on the surface.


    ¡°From the outside, there is no problem. Since when did the abnormal symptoms appear?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have had a pain in my back since I arrived at the island around the end of March. I thought it was a muscle problem because it was just a brief pain from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Did nothing else happen before that?¡±


    After hearing Aiden¡¯s question, Richard searched back in his memory for a moment and answered as if he had remembered something.


    ¡°In early spring, I went over the canyon to investigate the polluted land, but there may have been some bad energy there.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s a story with some potential.¡±


    Aiden placed a hand on Richard¡¯s back on the left side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try purification first. If you¡¯re correct about it being connected to the energy from the polluted land, it may be a little painful.¡±


    After finishing the explanation, Aiden concentrated his energy of purification in his hand and injected it into Richard¡¯s back. As expected, he felt a tearing pain. Richard bit down hard on his molars to hold back his moans. As the power of purification permeated, the black energy subsided to some extent but did not completely disappear. After a while, Aiden put down his hand.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t completely purify it with my own strength right now.¡±


    Currently, he was struggling to maintain the shield on the outside of the temple, so he could not concentrate his full energy on the purification.


    ¡°Once things stabilize, I¡¯d like to try one more time. If that doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll have to find another way.¡±


    Having said that, Aiden thought of Elisha who could barely leave Richard¡¯s side with worried eyes, and added,


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big problem since we¡¯ve cleaned up to a certain extent, but just in case, for the time being, keep your distance from the Duchess.¡±


    ¡°¡­That sounds terrific.¡± Richard put his clothes on and got up.


    Aiden went out of the annex with him to see off Richard. At the same time, he saw Elisha approaching this way.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye on it. If you have any problems, please come to me anytime.¡±


    Richard bowed silently to Aiden and walked away. Elisha, who was approaching Richard, heard him and kept her distance, not approaching any further. Aiden looked at her as she was moving away and suddenly remembered what Leon had said a few days ago.


    ¡°Water came out of noona¡¯s hand earlier.¡±


    At the same time, he remembered what he had seen in front of the temple a while ago.


    ¡®That power was obviously divine power.¡¯ The faint light emanating from Elisha suppressed Richard¡¯s dark power. However, holy power was a power that can only be used by children who have inherited the blood of the Serriot family, and the Viscount Lohengrin had nothing to do with the Serriott household.


    ¡®Is she a child adopted from a branch family?¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be said that there was no possibility. While it was not common, it was more likely that was the reason rather than any other conclusion he could come up with.


    Much more likely than the possibility of that child being his and Julia¡¯s child. But how come? The smiling face of Elisha and the figure of Julia in his now blurred memory kept overlapping.


    ¡®Julia¡­¡¯


    When Aiden found Julia¡¯s body, he found traces of childbirth. He only learned from Olivia that Julia had been pregnant. However, when Julia¡¯s body was discovered, she was less than seven months pregnant. Considering the time when the child was born, the child was born less than six months old.


    ¡°Even though seventh-month born children are very rare, a child born in the sixth month has no hope of living according to our current medical findings.¡± The doctor asserted that the child must have been born dead. Even after hearing the story, Aiden traced Julia¡¯s path, holding onto a very slim possibility that the child could be alive. However, he could not find anyone who had helped Julia to give birth, and everyone who had seen her just before her death said that she was not carrying a baby with her. After years of searching, he finally accepted the fact that the child was stillborn. He didn¡¯t meet new people, and of course, he didn¡¯t even think about starting a family and passing on his name to a new generation. Even though he knew that somehow succeeding his family was the best way to get revenge on the emperor, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    ¡®How can I meet other people? Leaving you behind.¡¯


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Aiden, recalling his memories of Julia, swallowed.


    ¡®Whoever she is. If that child inherited the power of our family, we should find out.¡¯


    Perhaps it was that he hoped for some discovery that could give him the revenge that he had not yet achieved. Besides, if it was true that she had inherited Serriot¡¯s power, there was a high probability that Richard¡¯s dark energy could also be purified.


    Aiden decided to let go of any expectations about Elisha¡¯s identity and focus on the latter fact.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Richard put Elisha in the wagon first, then flew back to the Duke¡¯s mansion. For the time being, he decided to stay in the northern annex to keep a distance from Elisha.


    Returning to the room, she looked worriedly toward the annex where he was. His empty seat already showed its absence.


    ¡®Richard¡­¡¯


    At that moment, the child in her belly moved. The movement seemed to comfort her. Dad is over there, but I¡¯m with mom, so don¡¯t be lonely. A warm smile bloomed on Elisha¡¯s face as she caressed her stomach.


    ¡°Ngh. Mom will save dad.¡±


    In order to bring him out of the annex, she had to first know what the ominous power he was using was. But before that, there was something else to be done. Elisha recalled the story Richard had told her before going to the annex.


    ¡°Onyx are monsters that live deep in the forest. It has a timid personality, so it doesn¡¯t come out of it unless it¡¯s time to move to the southern end of the continent in the late fall.¡±


    ¡°Then why did monsters with such habits come to the village?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps something happened that forced them to come out of the forest.¡±


    Timid monsters who suddenly came into the village where people live, and showing such strong aggressive tendencies different from their usual behavior. After combining the two pieces of information, Elisha came to a single conclusion.


    ¡®Someone deliberately dragged the onyx monsters into the temple.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know who did it or with what intentions, but one thing was certain. Currently, it was Richard who was in charge of cleaning up and preventing the invasion of monsters on the outskirts of the island. If something went wrong, there was a high probability that blame would fall on Richard.


    ¡®If something happened to the forest, there is a high probability that there is evidence of it still there.¡¯ After thinking about it, Elisha pulled the rope of the servant bell so she could give an order to dispatch someone to investigate the forest. After waiting for a while, Anne came in with a knock. On the day of the foundation ceremony, Elisha had given the maids, including Anne, some free time and pocket money to enjoy the festival. As soon as Anne got home, she ran to find Elisha right away, she was still in her outing clothes.


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    Anne came over with a worried expression on her face and looked at Elisha¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Are- are you okay? I heard that monsters attacked the temple.¡±


    ¡°Mh, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°What a relief! I was so worried thinking that¨C¡±


    Elisha smiled because of Anne¡¯s pure heart, who was worried about her. Then, she found something in Anne¡¯s hand. At first glance, it was something that looked like perfume.


    ¡°What is that? Did you go shopping?¡±


    ¡°Ah, this. It¡¯s a monster repellent, they were selling it all over the square on my way home.¡±


    ¡°Monster repellent?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s made with incense that monsters avoid. I only bought a few, just in case, but I was wondering if it would be good to buy them in bulk if the effect is good. It was very difficult to buy because there weren¡¯t a lot of them.¡±


    Elisha looked at the monster repellent with doubtful eyes. It was natural to sell umbrellas when it rained and parasols on sunny days, but monster repellents were not something normally commercially available. There was a high probability that they were simply using people¡¯s fears to sell fake products that have not yet been proven effective.


    ¡°Anne, your heart is wonderful, but this must be something fake that doesn¡¯t really work. It¡¯s just a trick of a scammer trying to get a share at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Bu- but at the guild, they showed His Majesty¡¯s certificate for the product.¡±


    ¡°You said it had the Emperor¡¯s certificate?¡±


    Elisha was surprised by Anne¡¯s words. Anyone who pretends to impersonate the emperor¡¯s name will be punished with death. For that reason, no one, no matter how brave the scammer, would dare to impersonate His Majesty the Emperor. In other words, it meant that the emperor¡¯s certificate that Anne saw where she bought the monster repellent was genuine.


    ¡®Suspicious.¡¯ Monster repellent is not a commonly commercialized product. But, as if they knew the situation would be like this, a monster repellent that received the emperor¡¯s certificate appeared out of the blue. It was quite dubious.


    After thinking for a moment, Elisha spoke to Anne.


    ¡°Anne, can you call Sir Thompson for me?¡±


    * * *


    The next day, the emperor summoned all the nobles to a meeting. It was to discuss the monsters attacking the temple the day before. Richard tried to avoid contact with others as much as possible, but he responded to the call as if he didn¡¯t have an unstable shoulder or pain. However, the moment he arrived at the audience, he realized that the ¡®real purpose¡¯ for which the emperor had summoned the nobles was different.


    ¡°Lord Rubellin, I* had entrusted you with the security of the outskirts of the capitol. I did it because I trusted you, Rubellin.¡±


    All the nobles¡¯ eyes were focused on Richard.


    ¡°However, this unfortunate tragedy happened because the Lord betrayed my faith and neglected to maintain public order.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I will hold Duke Rubellin responsible for this.¡±


    Marquis Dion raised the corner of his mouth when he saw the emperor pushing Richard away. In front of this many nobles, publicly holding him accountable for his wrongdoings would seriously damage Rubellin¡¯s reputation. Nevertheless, Richard looked at the emperor with indifferent eyes and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Before you hold me responsible, there is something Your Majesty should take a look at.¡±


    The Emperor looked at Richard with puzzled eyes.


    ¡°Thompson.¡±


    Instead of answering, Richard gently called Thompson, who was waiting nearby. Then, Thompson took a box of something and set it down in front of the Emperor. Then he opened the box and took something out. It was an egg about the size of an adult woman¡¯s fist.


    ¡°It¡¯s an egg of a bird-type monster called Onyx that lives deep in the eastern forest. In early winter, it flies south to spend the winter, but it usually doesn¡¯t leave the forest.¡±


    ¡°I understand the habits of that monster. Why did you bring this egg? Does it have anything to do with this situation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, because this egg was found in the grass near the temple. The onyx came into a village, where they would not usually go, just to find their eggs.¡±


    That meant that someone deliberately hid the monster¡¯s eggs near the temple. At Richard¡¯s words, the nobles¡¯ whispering became louder. As if confirming their doubts, Richard added a conclusion.


    ¡°Someone deliberately planned this.¡±


    At Richard¡¯s words, the emperor frowned.


    ¡®I thought this was just a coincidence.¡¯ Still, he thought it would be a great opportunity to knock Richard down a peg, but he couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment when his expectations were shattered. The emperor asked in a slightly annoyed voice.


    ¡°What kind of crazy bastard would come up with such a thing?¡±


    ¡°There is currently only one person who would benefit from doing something like that.¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°Viscount Magenta, who is making the biggest profit from this monster¡¯s appearance.¡±


    When the name ¡®Magenta¡¯ came out of Richard¡¯s mouth, Marquis Dion¡¯s expression hardened visibly.


    ¡°He drew monsters into the temple and created a sense of fear. Just to sell the monster repellent he invented.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be much more profitable to target the wealthy nobles rather than the poor commoners living on the outskirts, so the foundation festival, where the nobles came to the temple on the outskirts of the capital, must have been a golden opportunity.¡±


    It was close to impossible for monsters to attack the residences of the nobles living inside the capital.


    ¡°On the eve of the foundation ceremony, there is testimony that Viscount Magenta borrowed a large number of wagons. It had rained quite a bit the day before, so if you examine the composition of the mud on the wheels of the wagon, you will find out that the origin of the mud was the eastern forest.¡±


    The nobles who heard the story expressed their anger towards Viscount Magenta, who was not present.


    ¡°Magenta Viscount? Who the hell is he?¡±


    ¡°He dares to put His Majesty and us in danger to satisfy his own interests!¡±


    Viscount Magenta was not able to attend meetings of the nobility due to his low status, and he did not have much influence among the aristocrats due to his business being shut down, so many people did not know him.


    Then suddenly, someone spoke up.


    ¡°Oh, perhaps¡­ Isn¡¯t he Marquis Dion¡¯s uncle?¡±


    When the nobles heard that he was Marquis Dion¡¯s uncle, they looked at the Emperor and suddenly shut their mouths as if holding back their resentment. Because Marquis Dion was the Emperor¡¯s son-in-law. Amid the silence, the numb Marquis Dion rushed in front of the emperor.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Duke is making a great leap! It¡¯s just a coincidence of circumstances. How dare you do this to slander my uncle, who has gone out of his way to reassure people from the fear of monsters?¡±


    ¡°Slander you say.¡± Richard, who was quietly listening to the words of the Marquis, spat out as if provokingly. ¡°From here on, let me take a ¡®real leap.¡¯¡±


    Richard looked back at Marquis Dion and continued.


    ¡°Where did Viscount Magenta, who ruined his businesses one after another, get the money to do something like this?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Where did he get that kind of money right after he met with Marquis Dion?¡±


    Realizing that Richard was suspicious of him, Marquis Dion jumped.


    ¡°Are- are you doubting me now?!¡±


    ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t have lent it to him without knowing where the money would be used.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know! He just needed money to spend on his business¨C!¡±


    Before Marquis Dion finished speaking, Richard pulled something out of his inner pocket. Seeing this, Marquis Dion¡¯s face turned white.


    ¡°This is a ledger with details of where and how much Viscount Magenta used that money. Marquis Dion must have a ledger with the same contents.¡±


    ¡°You- Your Majesty! That ledger is false. It was fabricated to frame me!¡±


    The usually collected Marquis Dion fell down on his knees in front of the emperor. At that moment, the door to the audience room opened and two knights of Rubellin entered. They brought someone with a bag over his face and knelt him in front of Richard. The Emperor¡¯s eyes as well as other nobles were focused on the unidentified man. Marquis Dion stared at him blankly.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­?¡¯


    When Richard nodded slightly, Thompson removed the sack from the man¡¯s head.


    The face that was covered by the bag was none other than Viscount Magenta¡¯s.


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