MWAMR|CHAPTER 56

Chapter 56

The devastation she left behind said it all—
Princess Camilla had been so furious that she’d wrecked her entire guest room before storming back to the capital.

Howard, the one left to deal with the aftermath, muttered complaints under his breath… but the look on his face was one of unmistakable relief, like someone who’d finally pulled out a rotten tooth.

Now that Camilla was gone, there was no longer any danger of Noah being forced to take the fever-inducing herbs.
Not that he’d touched them since the first day they’d arrived in Sailport, anyway.

Part of that was thanks to Elisa, whose deliberate provocations had kept Camilla’s attention firmly on herself.
But Howard had also done his part—needling the princess constantly, pushing her patience past the breaking point.

He’d even been the first to locate Ethan Istevan, which had sent Camilla into a rage. She’d berated her search party as incompetent and vowed that she would never forget their failure.

So Princess Camilla left.
But her remaining subordinates did not.

Because of that, Noah still couldn’t set a single foot outside his room, and Ethan continued to live wrapped in bandages.

Ethan hated being seen like this—bandaged, weak, and pitiful.
It would’ve been better if Elisa and Noah had just laughed it off.
Instead, every time they saw him, they looked like they were about to cry.
And that, somehow, made it worse.

But what irritated him even more was the sight of Elisa leaving their suite accompanied by Prince Howard or his aide.

Unlike Ethan and Noah, who were both under strict watch, Elisa could move about freely.
Still, it was dangerous. With Camilla’s followers still lurking, it was only natural that someone would insist on escorting her.

Ethan understood that.
He really did.
But knowing didn’t make it any easier to stomach.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“……Yeah. Be careful.”

He couldn’t very well tell her not to go, so his farewell came out curt and sullen.
Anyone could see the discontent written all over his face.

Elisa, who knew exactly why, just chuckled softly and brushed her fingers along his arm.

“I’m only going to pick up Noah’s medicine. Don’t look at me like that.”

The fever herbs were no longer needed, but she still had to keep up the act—pretend Noah was ill—so that he’d have a reason to stay confined to their room.

“Be good, Noah. I’ll be right back,” she said, leaning down to the boy who was playing with his toy bear.

But before she could reach the door, Ethan caught her by the wrist.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Hm? I just said goodbye, didn’t I?”

“Not properly.”

She blinked, confused—until Ethan tapped a finger against the dimple in his cheek.

Ah.

Elisa couldn’t help but laugh. She leaned down and kissed him lightly where he wanted.

“There. Happy now?”

“Not quite.”

Before she could even react, Ethan’s lips brushed against hers—quick, fleeting, but enough to make her eyes widen.

He, on the other hand, looked completely satisfied, a grin tugging at his mouth.

“You…”

Elisa narrowed her eyes, about to scold him—when a small pair of feet came pattering over.

“Hmm? What is it, Noah?”

She crouched to meet her little brother’s gaze.
And to her surprise, he reached up and planted a tiny kiss on her cheek. Then he beamed, proud as could be—just like his father.

“Oh, honestly…”

They really were father and son.
The thought made her laugh, and before she knew it, she had both of her favorite troublemakers wrapped in her arms.

***

“Sorry! I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

Elisa hurried down to the hotel lobby, still slightly breathless.

“Not at all. I just arrived myself,” replied the aide, his tone polite and even.

Relieved, she nodded. “Then let’s go.”

The aide—tall, straight-backed, every line of his coat and trousers immaculate—took the lead, and she followed a step behind.

It was then that she realized she didn’t even know his name.

“Um… if it’s not rude, may I ask your name?”

Since she’d already received so much help from him—and had a feeling she’d be seeing more of him—it only seemed polite to ask.

The man stopped, turned, and blinked.

“Did I never introduce myself?”

When Elisa shook her head, he gave a soft sigh.

“My apologies, my lady. That was quite discourteous of me.”

Then, with a dignified bow, he introduced himself.

“I am Conrad Brander, aide to Prince Howard.”

Brander.

The name struck a chord. It was a family famous for producing knights—staunchly loyal to the Queen and the First Prince.

But if that was true… why was one of them serving Howard, their political rival?

“You’re wondering why someone from House Brander is working for Prince Howard, aren’t you?”

Conrad’s words caught her off guard. Elisa gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Was it that obvious?”

“You’re very expressive, Lady Leslie,” he said with a faint smile.

In the aristocratic world, showing your emotions so openly was a dangerous weakness.

Her smile faded a little.
Was that how Derek Grenville, or the others, had guessed Noah’s true father? Because I couldn’t hide my feelings?

Seeing the shadow cross her face, Conrad quickly bowed.

“I meant no offense. If my words upset you, I sincerely apologize.”

“Oh, no—it’s not you. Really. Don’t worry about it.”

He nodded once, relieved.
“Then I’m glad.”

They exchanged faint smiles, but the silence that followed felt heavier than before.

When they arrived at the apothecary, Conrad waited patiently as Elisa purchased the herbs—not only for Noah’s “fever,” but also for Ethan’s injured leg.

“This one helps circulation… and this relieves pain,” she murmured, scribbling notes and asking questions.

Conrad watched her quietly, something curious flickering in his eyes.

On their way back, he finally spoke.

“Lady Leslie. Aren’t you curious how Baron Estevan became known as the mysterious K?”

Elisa froze mid-step.

When she looked up, Conrad had already stopped and turned to face her.

“You are curious, I see.”

“Are you… are you sure it’s all right to tell me?”

“The story of K is meant to be a secret,” he said calmly, “but what I intend to share is how I, a member of House Brander, came to serve Prince Howard. So yes—it’s fine.”

Elisa hesitated. “If it’s something I shouldn’t hear—”

“Then just say so,” he interrupted gently.

She drew a long breath… and shook her head.

“No. I want to hear it.”

She’d once asked Ethan about it, back in Kando.
He’d only smiled and refused to answer.

If it was something painful to remember, she didn’t want to press him.
But still—she’d always wanted to know.

She wanted to know everything about him, even the things he couldn’t say.
Because only then could she avoid repeating the same mistakes.

“Then I’ll warn you—it’s a long story,” Conrad said.

Elisa thought for a moment.
She’d promised Ethan she’d be back soon… and if she was late, he’d worry.

Conrad seemed to read her mind. “If it’s inconvenient now, we could talk over dinner instead.”

That sounded more manageable. After all, she was the one who fetched the meals herself—it would be easy to spare half an hour before returning.

“All right,” she said finally. “I’ll come down to the dining hall thirty minutes before dinner is served.”

And with that, the deal was made.