Chapter 68 …
“Ah… I want to die…”
“My lady, please. You shouldn’t say things like that, even as a joke.”
It was still the crack of dawn, before the sun had even shown itself.
The night sky was pitch-black, yet she was already awake at this hour.
And all because she was going on a spontaneous trip!
There was spontaneous, and then there was this.
A sudden trip with no information, to a place without even the internet.
“What on earth is going on…?”
“I’ve already packed everything, so all you need to do is go, my lady. It’ll take about five hours by carriage to reach the southern villa.”
“Five hours?”
Five whole hours?
And it’s not like there were motion-sickness patches here.
No medicine at all—so the only way to fight nausea was to stare out the window.
She was doomed.
“Yes, it’s not that far. Oh, but still, I’m so jealous. You’re going to Lamer—”
Jane clasped her hands together and gazed into the air, as if reminiscing.
After drifting into a brief daydream, Jane suddenly grabbed her hand, eyes lighting up.
“When you get there, you have to try sushi. It’s a dish that came from a place called Dohwa, and it’s absolutely delicious.”
“Sushi? They sell that here too?”
“Oh my, so you already know?”
Sushi was one of her favorite foods in her past life.
She’d once eaten nothing but salmon sushi for an entire week.
And now she could taste that sacred food here, too?
Ah… happiness really wasn’t that far away after all.
“I think I’m suddenly starting to look forward to this trip, Jane.”
“Then have lots of fun, my lady. We’ll protect the Grand Duke’s residence while you’re away!”
“But what if I miss you, Jane?”
Elena looked at her with a gloomy expression.
Jane smiled fondly and patted her head.
“We’ll play as much as we want when you come back.”
“Okay.”
Her lips curved into a small, adorable smile.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Jane opened the door while carrying the heavy luggage.
It seemed being the head maid required quite a bit of strength.
Elena offered to help, feeling bad, but Jane stubbornly refused.
Everyone really did seem as stubborn as Decarus.
When they stepped outside, two large carriages could be seen in the distance.
A light fog made them hard to see, but they were so big they stood out immediately.
“But why are there two carriages?”
“One is for luggage. The Grand Duke ordered it—there are lots of food supplies inside.”
“Food supplies?”
There were only three of them going. Why bring so much?
They could just eat out.
Were they planning a cooking party or something?
Lost in absurd thoughts, Elena stopped in front of the carriage.
Creak—
“What the…?”
The door opened on its own, like an automatic door.
She wondered if it was haunted, but inside sat Decarus.
“What, you were already on board?”
“Yes. I thought you’d turned into a snail—you were taking so long.”
“What?”
Annoyed by his teasing, Elena narrowed her eyes at him.
Decarus chuckled softly and held out his hand.
“Come here.”
The moment she grabbed his hand, she was yanked inside the carriage as if pulled into a black hole.
She nearly fell, but he caught her securely.
“You said it’d take five hours?”
“Yeah. It’ll be a long ride. So get some sleep.”
Decarus patted the seat beside him and stared at her expectantly.
She ignored him and sat across from him instead.
“Come here, Elena.”
“No. I like sitting here.”
He tilted his head and raised one eyebrow.
Under his intense gaze, Elena grew flustered and started stammering.
“Wh-what. Why. What is it.”
“I won’t say it twice.”
“Ugh…”
In the end, she was the one who gave in.
Sighing heavily, Elena sat beside him.
He smiled in satisfaction.
“Why are you smiling? Stop it. It’s annoying.”
“I’m happy.”
Saying something so embarrassing this early in the morning without batting an eye—
He must have nerves of steel.
“Where’s His Highness the Prince? Isn’t he coming with us?”
She’d been looking forward to seeing Aiden, which had given her some energy that morning.
But there wasn’t even a strand of his hair in sight.
“Is he going separately?”
“He is. He probably already left by now.”
Decarus let out a deep sigh, clearly annoyed that Aiden’s name had come up again.
“Now sleep. And don’t complain about not sleeping again.”
He lifted his hand and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
His embrace was firm yet soft—better than she’d expected.
When she closed her eyes, his warm hand covered them.
“Why do you always cover my eyes like this?”
“My mother used to do this for me.”
“Oh… no wonder it works so well.”
She’d meant to grumble, but hearing it reminded him of his mother made her feel bad.
She’d lied without even realizing it.
“Was your mother a good person?”
“…Yes.”
He paused before answering.
His voice had grown lower—maybe he missed her a lot.
She felt a little guilty for bringing it up.
Still, she envied him just a bit—being able to miss a mother she’d never had the chance to meet in her own life.
“I’m sleepy… I’ll sleep.”
“Okay. Sleep well.”
Golden sand that sparkled like it had been woven with gold thread.
A cool sea capped with white foam.
Warm sunlight, and weather that was neither too humid nor too dry.
But… why was she here?
Had she already gotten off the carriage?
Then why was she alone by the sea?
Where was Decarus?
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
“Go! Hurry! This is no place for you!”
“Your Majesty!”
Who were they? Why were they treating a child so roughly?
She had to stop them—
Huh?
Was this a dream? Why didn’t it feel like she was running?
“Your Majesty! Please spare me! Your Majesty!”
“Leave at once! Don’t come any closer… any closer…”
A small girl with pink hair, and a young woman who seemed to be her mother.
Judging by their clothes and speech, they looked like royalty.
Then why was she treating her child like that?
She couldn’t stop it.
“Please… just tell me why…. Your Majesty, Mother… please….”
“Why? Why?! WHY?!”
Slap—
“Your Majesty… why…?”
“They said you… that you’d devour me, Elena. Useless thing… disappear from my sight at once. Please!!! Die!!!”
“Ha…! Hah—!”
Elena jolted awake, gasping like someone on the verge of death.
Her head trembled as if she were in shock.
“Elena. Why are you drenched in cold sweat…?”
The sound of carriage wheels and hooves echoed.
And Decarus’s startled voice.
Right—it was a dream.
So why did it feel so real?
So chilling, like she’d lived it herself.
And Elena…?
What was that supposed to mean?
“I—I had a strange dream. By the sea, there was this woman trying to kill her own daughter…!”
“……”
“And it was weird. They both had pink hair and blue eyes… just like me. And the name too…”
“Elena.”
In an instant, he wrapped his long arms around her.
Held in his wide chest, Elena clutched her head and trembled violently.
“What’s wrong with me…? Why does my heart feel like it’s tearing apart?”
“Elena, it’s okay. Calm down.”
“My chest hurts so much I feel like I’m going crazy. It’s like someone cut me open with a knife. Carus…”
She wasn’t even sad—she was scared—but tears kept falling.
She didn’t know where this fear came from.
It just felt like someone had brutally shredded her heart.
“That child was so pitiful. She was abandoned… just like me….”
“Elena, stop. Don’t dwell on it.”
“She told her to die. To disappear, Carus… how could she? How could a mother do that to her daughter?”
It wasn’t something she’d experienced herself—so why did it hurt this much?
Was it just pity?
No.
It felt too vivid.
Too real.
“Elena, look at me.”
“I’m scared… She wasn’t me, but she felt like me. What’s wrong with me?”
“No. Absolutely not. It’s okay, Elena.”
His warm hand threaded through her hair.
The storm raging in her heart seemed to calm under his touch.
But the tears wouldn’t stop.
They soaked into his shirt.
“Your Grace, we’ve arrived!”
The coachman’s loud voice rang out.
The horses neighed loudly in surprise.
“Let’s go inside first. You need to calm down.”
“Y-yeah…”
Decarus placed a wide-brimmed hat with a white ribbon over her head.
After stepping down first, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
“Carus, put me down…!”
“Later.”
He didn’t budge.
Struggling was useless—she ended up clinging to him as he carried her into the villa.
Her view was blocked by the brim; she couldn’t even properly smell the sea.
Inside the spacious room stood a large white bed for two.
Despite its age, there was no musty smell—clearly well maintained.
Decarus carefully set her down on the bed.
“Come here, Elena.”
Sitting beside her, he opened his arms.
After hesitating, she slowly leaned into him.
“Carus…”
At his gentle patting, the tears she’d been holding back burst out again.
Her sobs echoed beyond the room.
Thinking of the dream made her sad—but his warmth made her cry even more.
She felt truly comforted.
“It’s okay.”
He kissed her forehead, soothing her further.
Her trembling body didn’t calm easily.
“Was I abandoned like that too?”
She asked in a muffled voice.
“No. You weren’t.”
His confident reply made her smile faintly.
Pulling back, she looked at him.
“How do you know? You can’t be sure.”
He stared at her silently for a long moment.
Then he pressed kisses onto her tear-streaked cheeks.
She sniffled, watching him quietly.
“What—want more?”
Unable to resist those red lips, she nodded unconsciously.
Decarus curved one corner of his mouth and slowly kissed her.
His lips were sweeter than ever.
It felt like eating rich chocolate—addictive.
His white teeth gently bit her lower lip.
“Hah…”
The large hand gripping her nape pressed her closer.
The rougher his kiss became, the redder her cheeks grew.
Heat flowed between their tightly pressed bodies.
Knock, knock—
The heavy atmosphere shattered with the sound.
“Who is it.”
Decarus’s voice was sharp with irritation.
His gaze never left her.
“Brother?”
Creak—
The door opened, revealing a familiar silhouette.
Platinum-blond hair gleaming in the sunlight, golden eyes like jewels.
It was Aiden.
“Noah…?”
“I heard someone crying, so I came. But… what are you two doing?”
