Chapter 28
By nightfall, the excitement of the noisy festival had finally died down.
Elise stood alone on the temple balcony, absentmindedly gazing at the scenery.
Or rather, she appeared to be alone.
In reality, she wasn’t.
“How are you feeling?”
At the familiar voice from behind her, she smiled without even turning around.
“Really good.”
“You look it.”
Damian was leaning against the balcony railing, watching her.
There was a strange heat gleaming in his green eyes.
Elise casually raised her hand toward him.
The engagement ring gleamed coldly on her finger.
“Of course, not because of this.”
“I want to smash it.”
The answer came instantly.
Elise burst out laughing.
“How can you be so honest?”
“Being honest is one of my strengths.”
“Are you jealous?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Once again, there wasn’t even a moment of hesitation in his answer.
“Very.”
“……”
Elise unnecessarily bit down on her lower lip.
This man really was naturally gifted at making people flustered.
Damian approached her. Then, as naturally as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, he lifted her left hand.
He stared at the finger bearing the ring before speaking in a low voice.
“I don’t like seeing it.”
“How did you manage to hold back earlier?”
“For your sake.”
Elise lifted her eyes to look at him.
“You know this ring is bait for me, not a leash, right?”
“Of course I know.”
Damian’s fingertips slowly brushed over her finger.
“Still, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
“…I’m sorry.”
At her cautious words, his brow furrowed slightly.
“Sorry?”
“For making you see something you don’t like.”
“Hah.”
Damian gave a hollow laugh. His eyes widened.
For once, he seemed slightly flustered. His lips parted and closed uncertainly before he firmly shook his head.
“Don’t apologize. I don’t care how you take your revenge. I’ll love even the way you choose to do it.”
At those words, Elise’s heart gave a strange flutter.
It was truly strange.
Leonhardt was always talking about love, but there had always been standards and control hidden within it.
As for Ian and Esit, there was even less to say.
They probably had never loved her in the first place.
But Damian was different.
Even though he was jealous, angry, and hated seeing the ring, in the end, he respected her feelings more than his own.
He even honestly expressed those negative emotions instead of hiding them.
Elise slowly took a step toward him.
“Damian.”
“Yes?”
“Still, thanks to your help today… I felt incredibly refreshed for the first time in a long while.”
He shrugged and laughed.
“If you’re happy, that’s enough.”
“I intend to do even more from now on.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“From now on, Leonhardt will fall apart in front of me even more.”
A cold light shone in Elise’s eyes.
“Esit too. Ian too. All of them.”
“Good.”
Damian lowered his head, bringing his face closer to her forehead.
“Destroy them.”
“Damian…”
“Break everything, Elise.”
His voice was low and sweet.
“I’ll just stand beside you and applaud.”
Elise couldn’t help but draw in a small breath.
This man truly suited the name of villain far too well.
And yet his words now felt incredibly gentle to her.
She lightly rose onto her toes.
Then she gave his cheek a brief kiss.
Peck.
It was an extremely short kiss.
Yet Damian’s body stiffened ever so slightly at that moment.
Elise looked up at him with playful eyes.
“This is your reward for holding back.”
“……”
“Don’t you like it?”
Damian couldn’t say anything.
The tips of his ears had instantly turned red.
Elise laughed softly when she saw it.
“Why?”
“Elise.”
“Yes?”
“Run away now.”
Her eyes widened.
“Why?”
“Because otherwise…”
Damian let out a dry sigh.
“I don’t know what I might do.”
At those words, Elise’s cheeks grew hot.
But strangely, she wasn’t afraid.
Rather, she wanted to see that embarrassed expression on his face even more.
Thinking how ridiculous she was for having such a thought, Elise took half a step backward.
Then she playfully narrowed one eye.
“Then I’ll run away.”
“Smart girl.”
He lowered his head slightly and let out a quiet laugh.
That was when it happened.
She suddenly took a large step forward.
Then, gently taking hold of Damian’s wrist, she rose onto her toes.
Their lips briefly met before slowly parting again.
He froze completely, as though time itself had stopped.
His widened eyes slowly blinked.
“Is that enough as compensation for what happened today…?”
Elise’s cheeks were also flushed red like ripe apples.
“Ahem! And…!”
She raised the hand wearing the ring.
“This is going to be disposed of soon, so bear with it just a little longer.”
“I really like the way you put that.”
The corners of Damian’s lips rose diagonally, his ears bright red.
“This engagement won’t last long.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be the one to break it myself.”
Her violet eyes curved like crescent moons.
And as Damian watched that smile, he became certain.
The Saintess of the Arianth Empire was no longer the Saintess they had known.
She was a woman preparing the cruelest revenge behind the most beautiful face.
And he loved that fact more than anything.
Because he had discovered yet another side of her.
A sparkle that only he could see.
“That’s a very good attitude.”
Elise looked up at the sky again.
Under the moonlight of the spring night, the ring gleamed coldly.
But before long, that gleam would become a mocking reflection of someone’s downfall.
Elise slowly stroked the ring on her finger and raised the corners of her lips.
Wait for me, Leonhardt.
Elise looked at Damian and smiled brightly.
Because the real game starts now.
She smiled at him with an innocent expression, but beneath that sweet smile was nothing but poison.
