CHAPTER 24
“But still…”
A small laugh escaped between Elise’s lips as she irritably mashed the cake with her fork.
“As expected, nothing has changed.”
Just as she had expected.
The moment she disappeared, the first thing they thought wasn’t ‘Why did she leave?’ but ‘How do we bind her again?’
As Elise muttered those words, Damian, sitting across from her with his chin propped on one hand, spoke.
“Were you expecting something else?”
“Of course not.”
Elise set down the crystal orb and crossed her legs.
“It’s just that everything is going exactly as I expected.”
At that, Damian’s eyes curved lazily.
As always, he was smiling in a way that seemed almost capable of mesmerizing anyone.
“So.”
“Hm?”
“What happens after you accept? That bastard’s proposal.”
His tone was playful, but his eyes were anything but.
Feeling his gaze upon her, Elise slowly stroked the bracelet around her wrist.
“I have to make him become even more obsessed with me. It would be even better if he fell completely in love with me.”
Damian’s brow twitched ever so slightly.
“For a perfect revenge.”
“…I don’t really like the sound of that.”
He muttered honestly.
Elise chuckled and leaned forward.
“Are you jealous right now?”
“Yes.”
“You’re honest.”
“Only with you.”
He replied without even blinking.
“Still, what comforts me a little is knowing very well that no matter what he offers you, your true feelings ultimately belong to me.”
“What’s with that confidence?”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
His answer was so confident that Elise was momentarily speechless before finally bursting into laughter.
“Anyway, this time, I’m going to set the whole stage myself.”
“How?”
“I’m going to make him suffer.”
A slow, venomous gleam spread through Elise’s violet eyes.
“He’s already that desperate just because I disappeared for a single day. I wonder how miserable he’ll look when I show myself again.”
“Hmm.”
Damian lazily tilted his head.
“I kind of want to see that expression too.”
“I’ll make sure you can.”
She grinned and rose from her seat.
“This time, it’s Leonhardt’s turn to kneel before me in front of everyone.”
Even though she had only seen it in a dream, the mere thought of the burning ceremony still sent a chill down the back of her neck.
So this much should be nothing.
With a relaxed smile, Elise slowly turned her gaze toward the window.
It was around sunset.
The streets of the capital, still buzzing with excitement over the spring festival, remained crowded with people.
Yet there was something strange about the atmosphere.
Despite everyone trying to keep it quiet, rumors of the Saintess’s disappearance were beginning to spread among the people.
Of course, the three fools had absolutely no idea that Damian had deliberately spread the rumor.
“Is it true that they really can’t find the Saintess?”
“Shh. Don’t say things like that so carelessly.”
“Then why are the knights from the temple…?”
It was while people were whispering among themselves that—
Ding.
The carriage door opened, and a woman slowly stepped out.
Several people in the street immediately widened their eyes.
Flowing platinum-blond hair, violet eyes, and a cool, beautiful face that no one could imitate.
“The Saintess…?”
“It’s the Saintess!”
Elise deliberately stepped down in the middle of the busiest part of the street, where she would attract everyone’s attention.
She was dressed simply, but that only made her stand out even more.
There were no precious ornaments, nor the splendid cloak she had worn every day as the Saintess.
Instead, a glass-bead bracelet glittered around her wrist.
Pretending to be startled, she looked around before slowly opening her lips.
“Oh, the festival hasn’t ended yet.”
Those few words caused an even greater stir.
And the commotion did not last long.
“Lady Elise!”
The loud sound of galloping hooves came from afar, and Leonhardt appeared, almost bursting through the crowd as he hurried toward her.
His face was far from the composed expression he usually wore.
His hair was slightly disheveled, and the usually neat expression on his face was completely gone.
Seeing him like that, Elise smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
Yes. This is exactly the face I went through all this trouble to see.
Leonhardt stopped in front of Elise.
His breathing was extremely ragged.
It was obvious how frantically he had been running around searching for her.
“Lady Elise…!”
When he reached out toward her, Elise lightly stepped backward.
That tiny movement caused Leonhardt’s hand to stop in midair.
“Lady Elise…”
His voice trailed off as though he had been struck by shock.
Seeing him like that, Elise tilted her head instead.
“Why aren’t you angry?”
“…What?”
Her voice was clear and gentle, but her eyes were not.
“I naturally thought you would get angry the moment you saw me.”
“Angry? What are you…”
“You always did.”
People’s gazes began to focus on the two of them.
“And…”
Elise continued in a perfectly clear voice, fully aware of the attention.
“You would try to lecture me.”
“……”
“Your judgment always came before my wishes, Sir Gelina.”
“……”
“Your concern for the Empire’s reputation always came before my feelings.”
Leonhardt’s lips trembled as he was unable to refute her words.
“Lady Elise, that’s a misunderstanding…”
“A misunderstanding?”
She lowered her eyes, pretending to look sorrowful.
“When I disappeared, did you finally become afraid?”
The whispers around them grew louder.
“Did the Saintess leave on her own?”
“Did she have a fight with the commander?”
“No way…”
Leonhardt was bothered by all those gazes, but Elise mattered more right now.
Rumors could be silenced once things settled down, but if he lost her, everything they had planned could end up being for nothing.
“Lady Elise, please… Don’t misunderstand my feelings.”
“Misunderstand?”
Elise let out a small scoff and looked straight at him.
“Whatever I ate, you called it vulgar. Whatever I chose, you said it was beneath my station. And whenever I met someone, you acted as though I needed your permission.”
“That was for your sake…!”
“Was it really?”
She gave another soft scoff.
Leonhardt swallowed nervously.
It was the same smile he had always seen.
So why did it feel so unfamiliar?
It was still a beautiful smile, yet the back of his neck had gone cold.
“Was it really for my sake? Or did you simply want to stand above me?”
He felt as though he had been struck directly in the stomach.
Leonhardt’s face stiffened.
Never once had he imagined that Elise would wield a blade against him in such a manner.
Elise slowly raised the bracelet on her wrist.
“Something like this, too. You probably think it’s vulgar.”
“……”
“But couldn’t it be beautiful in someone else’s eyes? Understanding that and respecting it is what…”
At those words, Leonhardt’s gaze became fixed on the bracelet.
“I think that’s what love is.”
His face immediately turned deathly pale.
The person she referred to as ‘someone else’—there was no need to ask who it was.
“No way…!”
Something was clearly going terribly wrong.
