“Your Highness, The Grand Duke Clevent.”
“What happened to him?”
“He’s blind again.”
At Laurie’s words, Elysia jumped up from her seat.
“What do you mean? He’s blind again?”
“Remember the last time I said that the Grand Duchy was hiring people, right? My friend worked at the residence of the Grand Duke.”
“So?”
For the past few days, Elysia seemed unmotivated, so Laurie’s eyes widened in surprise at Elysia’s violent reaction.
“My friend worked there for some time. She said that there was a lot of work to do, but she suddenly quit. When I asked her why she resigned, she said that His Highness could not see again. I guess that’s why they sent the servants back like it used to be.”
“He can’t see? Why? What’s the reason?”
“I…I don’t know about that either.”
Elysia pressed her causing Laurie to get flustered.
“……There’s no way.”
Elysia got tired of that.
He was fine a few days ago.
Why did this happen all of a sudden?
She thought that the only reason he didn’t come was because she turned down the marriage proposal.
I can’t believe Eleon is blind again. It was impossible.
After regaining his sight, as the male lead, he should have walked down a path of flowers.
Elysia looked out the window.
Guards were seen coming and going.
After a black flame broke out in Elysia’s room, Mariela became extremely anxious and increased security.
I have to go.
But she couldn’t find a way out. A way to escape from the Duke’s mansion…..
“Ah!”
Laurie frowned as she stirred the dye and it splattered onto her apron.
“Ah. It splashed me. My lady, can I go change my clothes? I want to soak it in detergent.”
“Laurie.”
“Yes?”
Elysia looked at Laurie anxiously with a sad smile on her face.
“Do me a favor.”
After a while, Elysia changed into the maid clothes Laurie lent her and walked out of the mansion with her hair tucked in a bonnet.
It was late at night, and the gate where the servants entered and exited was not very guarded, so she hid behind a tree and avoided them a few times before she was able to get out.
It was late at night, so Elysia ran down a road without a carriage.
The development of the story has changed.
Eleon went blind again.
Such content was nowhere in the original story.
It must be my fault.
As she ran, she was out of breath, so she stopped.
All this happened because I gave him the medicine.
Because I waited anxiously for Karina to appear.
And the moments that bothered me.
When I saw the petals of the herb fall because of the rain.
When I messed up Eleon’s medicine and couldn’t do anything about it.
When I thought I couldn’t give Eleon the medicine.
Because, no matter how I looked at it, I didn’t like the medicine that would make him get better.
「“It’s fine. I said I’d try to drink whatever you brought.”」
Tears welled up when I thought of Eleon.
No, that’s not it. It was really weird.
I should have stopped him from drinking it. The color and smell were weird, so I think I should have thrown it away.
I hesitated because his body temperature was warm, holding the cup and wrapping my helpless hand.
「“It’s the thought that counts.”」
She cried again.
Eleon drank the medicine because she had prepared it for him. Even though he knew it would be so painful and difficult.
She did something she couldn’t take responsibility for.
She offered to stay by his side, but left, leaving Eleon in pain.
He barely recovered but lost his sight again.
“It’s my fault.”
If the female lead had healed him, this wouldn’t have happened.
She should have brought Karina to him.
Elysia blamed herself and ran towards the Grand Duke’s manor.
Tears streamed nonstop down her cheeks as she ran without even blinking.
Following her tracks, small drops of water remained on the stone floor instead of footprints.
* * * * *
At midnight, the Sun Palace was surrounded by silence.
The Emperor was on his knees.
His shadow was reflected in the dancing candlelight as if extinguished by the night wind.
“Five Gods and Oder.”
The Emperor was praying.
“Lead us to the glory of Oder, who ascended the throne.”
In the Empire of Constance, they served the founding myth.
Like the Oder, who ascended as a God after his death, the ultimate pursuit of faith was to be reborn as a divine being at the end of his life.
“Take away all troubles and misdeeds.”
The Emperor’s expression seemed daunting.
“On the day of my death, arrange so that my soul may rest by the side where the Oder sits.”
By the time the Emperor’s prayer was finished, without a trace, someone had entered the Sun Palace.
Another shadow was added to the shadow of the Emperor, flickering in the candlelight.
“It’s really touching”
The Emperor bowed at the voice of a man in a black cloak.
It was an unwritten rule that those who came to preach the word of God should not see his face.
It was a surprisingly young voice that made even the emperor bow his head.
The man who covered his entire face with a white mask was arrogant even in front of the most dignified in the Empire.
“Do you have anything to ask? God’s representative.”
“I came today because of the prophecy.”
“Tell me anything.”
“Announce Elysia Yuter as a candidate for Crown Princess.”
“Yes? Are you referring to the daughter of the Duke of Yuter?”
“Yes.”
The Emperor thought for a moment.
He was well aware that Empress Seraphina wanted Elysia as Sabiel’s mate.
But it bothered him that Elysia was excommunicated as a priestess.
“If Lady Elysia’s memories come back, won’t there be a problem with Hadunsha?”
“Elysia will not return to Hadunsha as a priestess.”
God’s will was unknown.
Emperor Markis could not understand why.
“It is enough for her to be a candidate and not the Crown Princess?”
“If you do that, things will go smoothly.”
“I see. I understand.”
As he obeyed, the representative of God disappeared without a trace as well.
The emperor, who raised his head, looked lifeless as if he had aged during that short time.
“Grunt.”
There was a sound of pain as he got up from the stone floor where he knelt and prayed.
Oder’s power.
The blood of Oder, which is passed down only to one person per generation, was proof that they descended from the First Emperor.
Many things were promised in the blood itself.
They age slower than others, have long lifespans, sharp judgment, clear minds, superior strength, and are all swordmasters.
Many people said that the first thing to manifest Oder’s blood would be to be a swordmaster.
Rather, it would be even stranger if he couldn’t become a swordmaster even with superior physical condition and strength.
An Oder could do anything.
The Emperor walked slowly to his bedroom.
He seemed lonely.
Passing through the space and touching the device pulled on a wall, the hidden door opened and part of the wall moved.
The Emperor entered.
Inside there was some simple furniture.
There were a few books piled on the bed, the desk, and the bookshelf.
The Emperor took off his clothes and sighed.
He was acting like an Oder.
No matter how much he pretended, he couldn’t reproduce the same dignified appearance of his father.
Even the Emperor’s robe, which was decorated with layers of leather and fur, was so heavy and burdensome.
The Emperor looked at himself in the mirror and removed the lenses from his eyes.
Click
The emperor’s eyes reflected in the mirror were not red but light blue.
“Sigh.”
The Emperor let out a long sigh and lay down on the hard bed.
Inside the splendid Imperial Palace, the only resting place allowed for the human Markis was a small room hidden behind a luxurious bedroom.
* * * * *
When Elysia arrived at the Grand Duchy, it was almost dawn.
“Ugh… Ugh.”
Leaning against the iron gate, Elysia caught her breath.
She ran so hard that she looked terrible.
She wiped away the sweat with her sleeve.
As Laurie had said, he sent the servants back. She felt that the Grand Duchy was a familiar atmosphere.
Before she left, it was the same.
There was very little light.
A quiet mansion with few permanent employees.
And the main gate of the Grand Duke’s residence was not locked nor protected.
Elysia quietly opened the iron door.
CLANK
The gate slammed shut with a loud noise.
Ba-thump ba-thump
Elysia, nervous, headed to the mansion.
“Eleon. I have to see Eleon.”
It seemed to be the only thought left in her mind.
I need to check his safety. I also need to know what’s going on.
「“Do not apologize. Don’t apologize like that and don’t act like you’ll never see me again.”」
I hurt him.
「 “Please, don’t do this to me…”」
There was a lot of sadness in his bright red eyes.
Throb
Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
The moment she first came to the Grand Duchy and saw Eleon, he was a crumpled mess in a dark room, Elysia felt that he and she were allies.
She’s frustrated with herself, possessing someone’s body without any memory, and he’s frustrated with a body he cannot move as he pleases.
It was difficult for both of them to live their lives the way they wanted.
Eleon needed hands and feet, and Elysia needed a place to exist.
They leaned against each other like light and shadow, like sun and moon, like day and night.
Bernard was surprised that Eleon had changed since Rona’s arrival.
However, Elysia thought that the reason Eleon changed after her appearance was that the two of them complement each other.
So, the two gave each other something and received something.
And she wished him to be happy.
He meets Karina, gets his sight back, and lives a beautiful life.
But when Karina didn’t show up, everything went wrong from then on.
She didn’t hate it when Eleon came to visit her every day at the Duke’s residence.
When she saw him at her house, saying that he was looking for someone, she wondered if he knew she was Rona.
Just because she lives in the Duke’s residence, she wasn’t the real Elysia.
After all, she had no place to stay in this world.
Eleon is happy, and I couldn’t be happier either.
Elysia was tormented the whole time, thinking that it would be difficult to find the correct answer.
As she entered the quiet mansion, she made eye contact with Bernard, who was going up to the second floor.
“Miss Rona!”
When the butler saw her, he ran downstairs in surprise.
“I can’t believe you’re here at this hour. Where have you been?
“Where is Eleon?”
“He is in the bedroom. What happened? Do you know how surprised I was that you suddenly disappeared, leaving all your money behind?”
“Well, there was a situation. What happened to Eleon? His eyes….. How could he not see again?”
Bernard’s face darkened.
“That…. I don’t know why.”
Suddenly, a twinkle flashed in his eyes.
“That’s right. Miss Rona. What kind of medicine did you give His Highness before? We need it again.”
“Yes?”
“That is the only medicine that healed His Highness’ eyes.”
“Ah……”
She felt like something invisible was choking her.
“I’ll see him first. Is he still awake?”
“Yes, he is.”
Elysia headed to Eleon’s bedroom.
KNOCK KNOCK
There was no answer.
Elysia quietly opened the door.
A candle was lit up next to the bed.
“Sir..sir Eleon.”
As she approached slowly, she saw Eleon sitting on the bed.
He kept his eyes open, but his eyes had lost their jewel-like red glow.
As soon as she saw it, Elysia was heartbroken and tears fell down her cheeks.
“How come……”
She couldn’t even finish speaking.
“Did you come?”
She nodded and walked towards Eleon.
Tears streamed down her face because she was sad that he couldn’t see her nod.
“Why are you here?”
Eleon muttered helplessly.
“You’re going to abandon me again.”
