Are you hiding something from me?
Elysia showed her emotions in front of him. Maybe it’s because she thinks he can’t see.
She has no reason to pretend to be in front of him since Eleon acts like a blind man.
He observes every natural movement and every daily gesture of the woman he longed for so much.
He was supremely satisfied as his eyes followed her little habits.
What expression are you making now? What color is your face?
His memory of asking himself to see the face of the woman he loves and waiting for it tiringly faded away.
He couldn’t be more than happy to see her without having to wonder. To the point of forgetting for a moment that he foolishly deceived Elysia in order to have her by his side like this.
Has this happened before?
But Elysia’s words were very different from her actions.
The emotion she conveys through her voice is different from the expression on her face.
She walked around him while doing something else.
And without any mental preparation, his heart pounded at the sight of her.
He always wanted to see Elysia with his own eyes, but the woman he met made him question it.
His footsteps slowed down. Looking back at him, she asked Elysia.
“Sir Eleon. Are you okay?”
“……I’m okay.”
His belated reply made Elysia look at him.
It seemed absurd to him that the moment he saw her eyes latch onto him like that, he felt as if something in his heart was disappearing.
He casually turned his body in the direction he had been walking in, showing concern.
“The thing you dropped. It bothers me.”
“What?”
“It’s a lucky coin. Do you just drop it in the overgrown garden and walk away? There must be a reason why you cherish it.”
Elysia looked perplexed at Eleon’s words.
“No. I will look for it by myself tomorrow when it’s light.”
“If you tell me the size or shape, I tell the butler to find it.”
If it was a meaningful and valuable item, it should have been. But, listening to Eleon, Elysia looked bewildered.
“The butler is busy.”
“I’ll have the servants do it.”
“I can search for it. That’s why I was hired.”
“You have to be by my side, Rona.”
Eleon deliberately said her name ‘Rona‘ with more strength.
It was she who asked for him to call her Rona and not Elysia.
Now she had the duty to play her role as a maid and obey Eleon, and not as the daughter of the Duke of Yuter, whom he was courting.
Elysia’s eyes widened at his euphemism. She bowed before disappearing like the moon hidden behind clouds.
“…..Yes. I get it. Sir Eleon.”
Eleon clenched his fist.
He didn’t want this. He had no intention of making Elysia sad.
However, the premonition guaranteed by Oder’s blood aroused an uneasy feeling in his heart.
This means that he should not ignore Elysia’s absurd words and actions.
Winning the heart of a human being begins with the little things. Just as his affection was manifested by the kind little things Elysia did for him.
On the other hand, he wondered if that’s the case when people become more distant and uncomfortable.
It was the first time Eleon had fallen in love with a woman, and he knew nothing about human relationships.
Rather, he belonged to the axis that had experienced all kinds of human arrogance, a position where he led the soldiers as the knight commander.
It was also his job to deploy soldiers to defend the Empire.
But Elysia was unlike any of his other relationships.
Even those who were in a relationship hurt each other, the relationship can go wrong.
Even after they liked each other and got married, they each get a lover and have fun. It was common to even go through a messy and expensive divorce.
However, Eleon has feelings for Elysia that are beyond all such worldly definitions.
It was something even he couldn’t understand.
He wondered if it was possible for a person she didn’t even know existed to occupy his heart like that.
If he let that person go, his world would end and he would crumble, so he didn’t hesitate to do mischievous or cowardly things.
Eleon had high self-esteem. Not that he acted aware of his own superiority.
However, now everything was different. He was no longer the wild beast that ruled the battlefields, and she is no longer the small animal that fed him.
The evidence of being a descendant of God, and many of the promises made by Oder’s blood naturally place Eleon at the top of this world.
“Sir Eleon. The night wind is cold. Let’s go in.”
She was wearing a thin blouse that she wore in her old maid days. She took off her shawl and wrapped it around him.
I think you need it more than me.
He couldn’t say it since he pretended to be blind.
“I will do as you say. I’ll ask the butler. Come on, let’s go, all right?”
Elysia seemed to have a complex and sad expression.
He wondered what made her feel this way.
Come to think of it, I didn’t hear why you refused to marry me.
It wasn’t a sudden proposal.
Eleon was faithfully conveying his intentions to the Duke of Yuter without failing in etiquette.
It was absurd for Elysia to act as a matchmaker between him and Karina.
In the end, with Mrs. Oze’s tacit consent, Elysia didn’t push or reject Eleon when he lightly kissed her on the lips.
Her lips closed shyly.
Her rosy cheeks.
Her purple eyes didn’t hide her emotions when she was surprised or excited.
He thought he had conveyed his sincerity to her with certainty.
「“I think it’s too early to get married.”」
「“Just because you received a marriage proposal letter doesn’t mean we have to get married right away. I’m fine with the engagement…….”」
「“No, we……. I don’t think I can.”」
He didn’t know it would be so painful to see Elysia ignoring him.
「“Don’t come looking for me anymore. I can’t get married.”」
「“Elysia.”」
「“We are not meant to be. You and I…… It would have been better not to have met.”」
A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.
It wasn’t just about revenge.
Without any explanation, it’s not like she didn’t have feelings for him.
For a woman who simply acted like she was going to push him away and cut him off, a vile lie worked better than sweet honesty. And as expected, Elysia was now standing in front of him.
It worked out as he had hoped, but something went wrong.
Eleon, who looked at Elysia’s face, finally realized. Elysia still hasn’t smiled brightly at him.
The day she introduced Karina to him, he couldn’t take his eyes off her possessed. She smiled as if everything was going well.
But her face did not look happy.
I want to know what you think of me.
He thought it was good that Elysia came to him, but it was his trickery that quickened her steps.
Eleon knew well what wall he had to overcome to find out the truth. If he wants her to be honest, he knows he must first apologize to Elysia and be honest.
She stayed by his side trying to sympathize with him because he was blind.
Elysia Yuter and Eleon Clevent were in a relationship where nothing could be promised.
As long as she stays with him as ‘Rona’.
I can’t do anything with Rona.
Rona was just a fantasy where Elysia, who had lost her memory, stayed for a while.
She is a non-existent person to whom he could not show his love to the fullest or even advance his relationship with her.
“Rona.”
“Yes?”
Elysia, who was holding his arm and walking towards the mansion, looked up at him.
“I have a place to go with you tomorrow.”
“Where?”
“You will know when we get there.”
She tilted her head.
“Is it all right if you go out?”
“Yes.”
If the day after tomorrow she is still sad, he had the intention of patting her head and comforting her saying that everything is fine.
No matter what sadness lurks in your heart, I will take away all the shadows and tears.
Eleon promised himself.
* * * * *
Elysia returned to her room on the third floor and locked the door.
“Phew.”
Already alone, she let out a long sigh.
The familiarity of the place that she considered her space for more than half a year relaxed her.
Elysia quickly took off her clothes and put on her pajamas.
The Grand Duke sprinkled rose perfume on her washed clothes.
The scent was more to Duchess Mariel’s liking. It’s not strong, but a subtle scent wafted every time she took out a new change of clothes.
She liked the unscented soap on her stiff pajamas better.
She felt uncomfortable in Yuter Dukedom.
Her small, low-ceilinged room feels cozy like home.
Elysia turned off the lights and quickly lay down on the bed.
She felt tired after a long time since she took care of Eleon again.
After lying down, she couldn’t fall asleep easily due to various thoughts.
“What should I do with Eleon?”
She was able to check where the grass had grown thanks to Eleon wanting to go for a walk.
As expected, no new grass sprouted just because he was blind again.
“Mariela said that there is a force in this world that makes the original story go where it should go.”
If Eleon was in such a state again, there was no way the original story would continue.
“Come to think of it, hasn’t the story already deviated?”
Mariela also seemed to be a possessor, and it felt suspicious, so Elysia didn’t tell her everything.
She didn’t tell her that she was the one who healed Eleon’s eyes and not Karina, the female lead.
“I wondered if I could turn to ashes like the chocolates from before.”
She came to a conclusion.
“Mariela didn’t tell me everything either.”
Mariela believed her to be her daughter Elysia until she revealed that she was a possessor.
She must have thought she had just lost her memory in an accident.
“Does that mean she hid something without saying anything?”
For what reason? I realized more than anyone that Elysia’s life was not easy.
Before the novel began, before the force of her death grew stronger, Mariela’s goal was to save Elysia from the original story.
“Why did she have to do that?”
Neither Mariela’s actions nor Eleon’s situation, who had gone blind again, were utterly incomprehensible.
“Does Mariela know the original story?”
She didn’t know much about it after reading only the first part of the novel.
Then, could Mariela have a clue on how to solve Eleon’s situation?
“Sigh. I don’t think she would help me with that.”
Elysia was lost in her thoughts and couldn’t sleep well all night. It was only after dawn that she finally closed her heavy eyelids.
“Rona.”
“Yes.”
“Rona. How many times do I have to wake you up?”
Ugh, don’t bother me. I want to sleep a little more.
Elysia was about to fall asleep when a warm hand gently caressed her cheek.
“I didn’t get the reward yesterday. Can I have it now? Elysia.”
