MWAMHR | CHAPTER 25

Chapter 25

Elisa felt utterly overwhelmed.

Her father had brought up the Kingdom of Tahal first, then conditionally allowed her to go—it all left her reeling.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

Count Leslie’s voice grew piercing as Elisa remained as quiet as a clam.

“Weren’t you eager to go to the Kingdom of Tahal to cure Noah’s illness?”

She had wanted to go. 

If she could just go to Tahal, she felt she could do anything. 

But when the chance came, she couldn’t find the words.

It was due to her condition that she had to marry Derek Granville. 

The moment she heard that, Ethan’s whispered question from the Estevan mansion came rushing back—the question he’d asked, whether she still liked him. 

That question clung to her throat and ears, blocking any response.

“So, you don’t mind if Noah never speaks his whole life.”

“No, no, that’s not true!”

Thankfully, she could deny that. 

Elisa shook her head fiercely and insisted it was absolutely not true.

“Then marry Derek Granville and go to the Kingdom of Tahal. I was planning to expand the business there anyway, so it’s perfect timing.”

“But I’m worried if little Noah can endure such a long journey…”

“It might be a bit roundabout, but by ship it won’t be too hard. It’s not urgent, so if Noah gets tired, he can rest.”

“We should ask Sir Granville’s doctor, too…”

“No need to worry about him. He’ll do as I say.”

So you only have to marry, and nothing else should trouble you, Count Leslie said firmly.

It was all undeniably true.

This was a golden opportunity to achieve what she had longed for so desperately.

She knew that, but she was unable to nod.

She could hear Ethan’s cursed voice in her head. 

And now she even saw his face, looking at her with those pitiful eyes, making it even harder to speak.

What should I do? What should I do…

“Elisa!”

The shout crashed down like thunder, making Elisa startle and clutch the hem of her skirt.

Her knuckles turned white from the grip.

“I’ll… think about it.”

It was the best answer Elisa could give—neither acceptance nor refusal.

The count’s face twisted into a scowl, displeased with her answer.

He glared at his daughter with fierce eyes before calling for the steward.

“Yes, my lord?”

“Until I give further orders, don’t let Elisa take a single step outside the bedroom. No meeting with anyone else either.”

***

When Ethan arrived at the mansion, he didn’t even change clothes and headed straight for the study. 

The servant who had followed to attend to him was dismissed.

Pulling back the curtains, the crimson sunset poured into the study. 

Below, the yellow rose garden spread out in a breathtaking panorama.

But Ethan couldn’t focus on any of it; his mind was too cluttered. 

He sighed deeply and washed his dry hands before pulling a cigar box from the desk drawer.

It had been a gift from Prince Howard.

Ethan didn’t usually smoke cigars. 

Not only were they expensive, but Elisa hated the strong smell.

However, smoking them was his only option if he wanted to survive the bloody, gun-filled battlefield without going insane.

Even in agonising pain from severe wounds, smoking a cigar given by a nurse briefly numbed the pain.

He had smoked throughout the war but stopped as soon as it ended.

Seeing this, Prince Howard and others often praised him for having the willpower to quit such an addictive habit.

Of course, quitting wasn’t easy.

Whenever he smelt a cigar, his hand would unconsciously reach for one.

That was why Prince Howard had stopped him before.

On days like today, when his mood was low and his head felt like it was about to burst, the same urge hit him.

Almost reflexively, he brought a cigar to his lips and was about to light it when a strong breeze blew in, carrying the rich scent of roses. 

A yellow rose petal gently landed on his shoulder.

At that moment, Elisa came to mind. 

Unable to afford real yellow roses, Ethan had once crafted a wreath himself and given it to her.

“Thank you, Ethan! I’ll cherish it forever!”

The wreath that a novice had clumsily made was undeniably awful to anyone who looked at it, yet Elisa treasured it dearly. 

It remained perched on her dressing table until a maid, mistaking it for trash, nearly threw it away. 

Thinking of Elisa’s radiant smile lifted Ethan’s spirits just a little from the depths of his gloom.

“I should’ve said no…” Ethan muttered, pulling the cigar from his lips.

He knew Count Leslie was resorting to petty tricks to buy time. 

Yet, despite that, he couldn’t refuse the proposal, especially after hearing that Elisa herself had spoken first about getting engaged to Derek Granville.

“I know everyone says noble daughters must marry the men their families choose… but I don’t believe that. No, I won’t accept that,” Elisa had once grumbled, kicking stones in the garden after a social gathering with the Countess, clearly upset by some unpleasant remarks.

“You have to marry him, and then you’ll have to sleep with him—but how can you do that if you don’t like him?”

“Oh, my lady!” Ethan had blushed deeply at her blunt words, prompting Elisa to burst into clear laughter.

“You’re shocked just by the word ‘sleep’? How innocent,” she teased.

“Please, stop it, my lady.”

“Alright, alright. If I say any more, your cheeks might burst.”

She poked his flushed face playfully, then suddenly cupped his cheek and met his gaze.

“No matter what happens, I will marry the person I love. If I have to marry someone I don’t like, I’d rather live alone forever.”

Hearing that Elisa was the one who had first proposed to that wretched man left Ethan deeply unsettled.

He never believed Elisa liked Derek Granville; there was not even a flicker of affection in her eyes when she looked at her fiancé. 

Only worry and anxiety.

By all appearances, Elisa seemed unlikely to accept Derek’s proposal, but he couldn’t be certain—after all, it was extraordinary for her to get engaged to someone she didn’t like. 

More shocking still was that she’d suggested the engagement herself.

“Haah.”

As his mood plummeted again, Ethan habitually brought a cigar to his mouth. 

But just as he was about to light it, he noticed the smouldering cigar and frowned, rubbing it out on a candleholder. 

He tossed the rest into the trash—he had kept them only because they were gifts from the prince, but he felt no attachment.

The only thing Ethan cared about was Elisa Leslie.

“Elisa, even if you marry that man, nothing will change.”

As long as your heart that loves me remains unchanged, I will never give up—no matter what.

If one day your heart does change, would I then be able to let go?

That sudden question darkened his steely eyes. 

He inhaled deeply the scent of the roses, but unlike before, it did nothing to soothe his restless spirit.

***

Whether Count Leslie’s earlier-than-expected return was because of Ethan Estevan was uncertain, but the reason he stopped by the Pride Hotel was related.

The two men who had entered the hotel separately now sat facing each other in the lounge.

Fortunately, Derek had taken a seat on the terrace and hadn’t overheard their conversation. 

But he did learn something important.

Ethan Estevan was someone the Leslie family already knew.

Their exact relationship remained unclear, but there was undeniably a connection.

Derek was curious—and frustrated—because there was no clear way to uncover what that link really was.

On Ethan’s side, no information could be uncovered—someone was tightly holding all the information, and there was nothing he could find.

The Leslie family, on the other hand, was a dangerous line not to cross recklessly; if word of any probing reached the Count’s ears, it could spell disaster.

As Derek mulled over how to proceed, a letter arrived.

“This is from Count Leslie,” his secretary said, handing him the envelope.

Derek crushed out the cigar he’d been smoking in the ashtray and examined the letter. 

The Count’s bold crest was stamped prominently in the centre of the envelope.

It was a clear reminder of the seal that would soon be his own.

He tore it open carefully.

True to the saying, like father, like daughter—the letter was brief and to the point.

It simply requested that they meet this evening at seven in the tea room in the plaza, stating there was urgent business to discuss.

Had the Count wanted to speak about engagement, business, or family affairs, he would have summoned Derek to the mansion. 

The choice of the tearoom as the meeting place suggested that the matter was unrelated to those things—and that it was something the family must not know about.

Realizing this, Derek recalled the anxious way Count Leslie had behaved in the Pride Hotel lounge as he dealt with Ethan.

“So it’s because of that guy after all…”

It meant that stepping into this meeting could finally resolve his questions.

However, it may also prove to be a pointless endeavour. 

The sly Count Leslie often refused to reveal his hand outright and insisted others listen first. 

It was not the first time Derek had been taken by surprise like this.

“I’d better refuse this,” Derek thought.

That way, a desperate Count Leslie might reveal his cards.

If that happened, Derek could seize control of the situation.

With that plan, Derek sent a letter of refusal to the Count.