Chapter 26
“It’s because she’s been trapped so close that we couldn’t find her.”
“We’ll have to take Lady Laurencia to the Poloid Empire.”
“But there’s one problem.”
“What problem is that?”
“Lady Laurencia is wary of people… in other words, all of us. If we try to take her by force, she might quietly disappear. We must not attempt to force her.”
Teyshar recalled Laurencia’s smile. Her smile looked bright to anyone who saw it, but from her violet eyes, all that could be read was “caution” or “alertness.” No other emotion showed. The only time she let down her guard was when eating potato soup, showing a vulnerable, honest side and even shedding tears. Seeing that, Teyshar felt a pain in his chest so intense it nearly made him cry. If Susanna hadn’t been there, he might have followed suit in tears.
He remembered what Susanna had angrily said:
“I just realized that a human body can be maintained with only bones and skin. When I asked Miss Laurencia what she eats in a day, she said just one bowl of fish porridge or oatmeal, and on special days, maybe potato soup.”
Though the bruises on her body had been healed with scrolls containing healing spells, the emotional wounds were festering and beyond treatment. Those festering wounds made it impossible for her to trust people.
“If Lady Laurencia learns my true intentions, she might open her heart. Until then, I’ll stay by her side.”
It was natural for Laurencia to push people away and distrust them. Teyshar had to quietly wait by her side until she let her guard down and approached him.
“I plan to serve her diligently.”
Teyshar hadn’t made a detailed plan on how to treat Laurencia well. But he wanted to make her feel joy, experience varied emotions, and genuinely smile.
“It’s fortunate that we were able to find the child of the Goddess Ella, even if it’s late. Honestly, I thought you treated her well because you fell in love at first sight.”
“Princess, do you really think I fell for Lady Laurencia at first sight?”
“Of course. Anyone could see it; you acted like a man who had fallen in love at first sight.”
“Did it seem that way?”
Charlotte nodded with a smile. Teyshar cleared his throat briefly, his ears tinged red.
“I don’t understand. I heard from Her Majesty the Queen that the child of Goddess Ella is a beautiful and powerful being. It would be impossible to kidnap Musilla. How did you manage to bring her here and confine her? Could it be that Lady Laurencia’s father is Count Paul Heredian? I have so many questions.”
“No matter how beautiful or strong, the child of Goddess Ella has a fatal weakness.”
Teyshar. Many desire the child of Goddess Ella, so we snakes must protect her carefully.
“And what is that?”
A malicious bug learns the only weakness of the child of Goddess Ella, secretly climbs the tree, slowly gnaws through the bark, rotting the tree until it dies.
“Love,” Teyshar whispered, recalling his father’s words.
His father, Magus, had said that Musilla was the last remaining child of Goddess Ella. Her red hair and navy-blue eyes hid immense power.
“Love? Did I hear correctly? Love is a fatal weakness for the child of Goddess Ella?”
The thought of the Paul Heredian family abusing her, and if Prince Luans took care of Laurencia so well that she fell in love with him, was horrifying.
Teyshar clenched his fists. His father had been right. The malicious bug had gnawed at the young tree, rotting it. Therefore, the young tree must be treated properly and transplanted to fertile soil before the bug corrupts it.
“What is the power of the child of Goddess Ella?”
“I don’t know the details.”
Teyshar decided he would never reveal Laurencia’s power to anyone. According to Magus, the child of Goddess Ella has different abilities depending on eye color. The one with violet eyes possesses wisdom and foresight. Laurencia herself probably doesn’t yet understand her power, but the Paul Heredian family and Luans certainly know her potential and would use force to take her.
If her foresight ability were discovered, staying in the Ishter Empire would be extremely dangerous. If she awakens her power and uses it correctly, it’s fine; if not, according to the snake’s duty, she might have to be removed. That must never happen. No matter what, the young tree must grow properly.
“You must protect her carefully, Marquis Teyshar.”
“Of course, Princess Charlotte. Not only will I protect Lady Laurencia, but I will care for her with all my strength. I will show her that this world has beautiful places and good people, even if she was abused.”
Feeling parched, Teyshar drank the cold tea on the table in one gulp.
“I can’t wait any longer. I must go fetch Lady Laurencia.”
As he left the reception room, his heart pounded with an unsettling anxiety, like something was about to happen to the young tree.
As Teyshar’s long legs quickly carried him down the corridor, a face he did not want to see appeared in the distance.
“Marquis Spencer.”
“Prince Luans.”
“I heard that the Paul Heredian family took Roa… Lady Laurencia to the royal palace.”
The saying that good things are always followed by bad things came to mind. It was accurate. For example, the current situation was exactly that.
Teyshar thought, If this were a battlefield, I could eliminate Luans right in front of me… But unfortunately, this was not a battlefield—it was the corridor of the Ishter Empire’s royal palace.
“Marquis Spencer, where is Roa?”
He couldn’t leave Luans, who gently called Laurencia’s nickname with a concerned expression, in front of him. He had to endure it. No, he chose to endure it.
“Where did you take Roa? Do not take her from me.”
Teyshar’s red eyes widened, then he smiled as if a flower had bloomed.
“What is your relationship with her?”
“I don’t know why you care, but I asked where Roa is, Marquis Spencer.”
Teyshar ran his hand through his hair and walked toward Luans, close enough to see their eyes reflect each other.
“Why are you looking for her? Do not look for her, Prince Luans.”
“Marquis Spencer…”
“What I’m saying is not a joke. I don’t want you to look for her.”
Luans smirked, raising one corner of his lips.
“The best time to answer is while I’m smiling like this. Marquis Spencer, I’ll ask again: Where is Roa?”
“Let me make one thing clear: I will never send her to the count’s residence, Prince Luans.”
At Teyshar’s cold refusal, Luans finally showed discomfort.
“Now I understand. Our Roa wants to return to the count’s residence, and you’re stopping her. I wonder why you prevent her from returning home.”
Luans twisted his lips and spoke in a low voice to Teyshar, but Teyshar remained unmoved by the provocation.
“Why did you forcibly take and confine Roa, Marquis Spencer?”
“Prince Luans…”
Teyshar leaned slightly toward Luans. He had thought Laurencia’s distrust of people stemmed solely from abuse, but in the brief conversation with Luans, he realized abuse was not the whole reason.
Luans’ way of speaking confused the topic, shifted blame, and diminished one’s self-esteem. It made the listener doubt themselves and question right and wrong.
It was horrific. The Paul Heredian family physically abused Laurencia, while Luans attacked her mentally, instilling guilt for crimes she didn’t commit, eroding her self-worth.
Through the conversation, Teyshar understood why Adrian distrusted his half-brother Luans: he had a natural talent for creating deeply misleading situations.
“May I issue a warning to Prince Luans?”
“Are you saying you want to warn the second prince of the Ishter Empire?”
Luans’ gaze met Teyshar’s sharp red eyes, feeling as if a huge snake was constricting around him.
“What warning do you want to give, Marquis Spencer?”
“Do not anger the snake.”
Teyshar was furious. Extremely so.
“Never call Lady Laurencia by her nickname affectionately in front of me again.”
After saying this, Teyshar took a deep breath and straightened himself.
“Lady Laurencia will never return to the count’s residence.”
“How dare you…”
“If you had been close enough to call her by a nickname, you must have known she was continuously abused and yet did nothing. Why did you leave her be?”
“So I made her a countess.”
“The abuse continued at the count’s residence. I don’t wish to hear the word ‘dare’ from Prince Luans, who failed to stop that abuse. If you have any conscience, I hope you do not look for her. Though this may sound like a warning, it is the greatest courtesy I can give to Prince Luans.”
Laurencia did not move until Irina twisted the reception room door handle. She just cried. Laurencia was disappointed to see her falter so easily, even before things had truly begun.
Irina kept repeating that it was impossible, that it made no sense. A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
