“You’re doing it right now.”
“I wasn’t being harsh, Your Highness. I was giving wise advice. You need to value your body more. Don’t try to become stronger, but cherish yourself.”
“Why?”
Karan tilted his head. Seeing his genuinely confused face, Elise felt dejected.
Isn’t taking care of oneself a basic principle taught from childhood?
“Why should I protect a body that can’t protect you? Such a body is useless.”
“It sounds like you’re living just for me, Your Highness. You shouldn’t say such things carelessly…”
“That’s right.”
“Pardon?”
Seeing her eyes widen like a rabbit’s, Karan sighed and ruffled his hair. He stepped back, leaving Elise where she was.
He had almost revealed all of his dark inner thoughts to her.
Thoughts so heavy that Elise might run away burdened, desires so dark she might be disgusted.
“Never mind. Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said either.”
“Your Highness…”
“Draw it for me, Elise.”
Karan walked past Elise and opened the bedside table she had closed. He took out a paper with a magic circle drawn on it and held it out to Elise.
“Free me, Elise.”
“Let me explain, Your Highness. This is something we shouldn’t do.”
One of Karan’s eyebrows rose. The sharp feeling from earlier had completely disappeared from Elise.
Karan, who had been upset that she was trying to push him away but didn’t want to fight with her, obediently followed Elise’s words.
He sat in the chair as she wanted and listened to her explanation.
Elise’s explanation was simple.
It’s true that she discovered a magic circle that could potentially cure Karan. However, it wasn’t a perfect magic circle, so restoration took time.
“It seems fully restored to me, Elise.”
Elise shook her head and took the paper from Karan’s hand, placing it on the table. Then she pointed to a specific part.
It was a part that was slightly different from the restoration diagram that had looked identical like identical twins.
“Since you already know, I’ll tell you everything. I believe this magic circle will release Your Highness’s sealed mana.”
“That’s great. I want to become stronger, and you want me not to be sick. The answer is clear. Let’s do it.”
“But it’s not something we can decide so easily, Your Highness. There are two options. We have to choose one.”
“As I said before, I prefer this one.”
Karan’s attitude was as light as dandelion fluff. Even though his life was at stake. Elise frowned.
“Your Highness, this isn’t a decision to make lightly. If something goes wrong…”
“What’s the worst that could happen, Elise? I’ll die?”
His voice suddenly lowered.
“Don’t say such things, even as a joke.”
Karan gave a handsome smile. Elise gulped.
“It’s not a joke, Elise. If I can’t protect you… I’d rather die.”
When fighting Iris, Karan sensed defeat. If Uls hadn’t helped, if Iris hadn’t let her guard down, he would have lost.
And Iris’s arrow would have been aimed at Elise.
Imagining that situation felt like death. He couldn’t breathe properly, like a fish out of water.
It was a situation he never wanted to experience again.
“This isn’t something to decide easily, Your Highness.”
She had heard that Tetris men have a unique sense of responsibility towards their country and family.
Karan, being the prince of Tetris, would likely have an even greater sense of responsibility than others.
But there was no need to risk his life because of responsibility.
‘Understand His Highness.’
Even so, she wouldn’t do as he wished.
“You may be able to easily discard your life, Your Highness…but I can’t.”
“Elise!”
“Please leave, Your Highness. It’s better if we stay apart tonight.”
At Elise’s dismissal, Karan’s face cracked.
Karan had to leave the room, leaving Elise behind.
****
Although she had said to spend only the night apart, Elise didn’t show her face the next day either.
Let’s wait just one more day.
He could wait because he was receiving reports on where she was and what she was doing.
But as her avoidance extended from one day to two, then to three, Karan couldn’t bear it anymore.
Finally, he climbed through Elise’s window at night. He had no choice. She kept refusing when he asked her to open the door.
Karan stood on the balcony, observing the inside of the room. He could see Elise pondering with an engraving pen in hand.
Beside her was the paper with the restored magic circle drawn on it.
What could she be trying to do?
Karan watched her silently.
The concentrated Elise took a deep breath. Her small back expanded and contracted. Then Elise picked up the engraving pen.
The sharp tip was aimed at the inside of her forearm!
****
The balcony door swung open with a bang.
Startled, Elise dropped the engraving pen. Thud, roll roll roll. The sound of the pen rolling echoed unusually loud in the now quiet room.
“What are you doing?”
The intruder boldly crossed Elise’s room and grabbed her wrist.
“Your Highness? How did you…”
Elise’s shoulders slumped as she noticed the open balcony door and fluttering curtains over Karan’s shoulder, who was panting and examining her forearm.
She had said they wouldn’t meet, but to think he would climb through the window. This was the fourth floor…
She couldn’t decide whether to scold him for being reckless or to be angry at his lack of manners.
“I asked what you were trying to do, Elise.”
His quietly muttered voice was full of anger.
“Surely you weren’t trying to do to your own body what you said was too dangerous for me?”
Surely not, surely not.
Karan desperately hoped for a negative answer. But Elise’s flinch shattered his expectations.
“Your Highness…”
Hearing her scattered voice, Karan regretted bringing her by his side for the first time.
He should have pushed her away when Elise seduced him.
He should have stood by her side only after becoming stronger.
Why didn’t he realize that his weak self could only push her into danger every time?
Karan rubbed his face with his palm and stepped back. Elise’s hand, which had been held by Karan, dropped limply.
“Don’t come, Elise.”
As Karan stepped back, Elise reached out her hand. He shook his head, but Elise firmly grasped Karan’s hand with both of hers.
Karan looked utterly exhausted. The spark in his eyes that used to shine when looking at her had disappeared, and the composure that lingered on his lips had evaporated.
She realized how cold his expression had become.
“Ugh, I thought the north wind’s cold wave was coming.”
She finally believed Regina’s past words about Karan.
He was a man capable of such cold eyes.
Realizing this, she understood how warmly Karan had been looking at her all this time.
Of all times, now.
Just when I’ve realized your love, when I have to let this feeling go.
“Your Highness, I don’t know why you’re angry, but…”
“You don’t know. You will never know, for your entire life.”
Karan interrupted Elise’s words.
“If you explain it to me.”
Elise said emphatically.
“I can understand. So please explain, Your Highness.”
Elise looked up at Karan. Karan’s lips quivered with a pained expression.
He wanted to let go of her hand and turn away. He was angry at Elise for carelessly putting her body on the experimental table and didn’t want to look at her.
But he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she looked at him pleadingly with her round eyes.
‘She’s truly a goddess.’
He was helplessly pulled along by Elise.
In the past, when Tyllo was pulled along by Bennet, Karan had laughed at him thoroughly. But now he was in the same situation.
The problem was that he didn’t dislike acting like a fool while doing so.
Damn it.
In the end, everything would probably go Elise’s way.
But he wanted to resist. Just this once, he wanted things to go his way.
“If I tell you, what will you give me in return?”
“What do you want? I’ll give you anything I can.”
Elise spoke, mixing in just a hint of her love. Using the excuse of persuading Karan to express feelings she couldn’t freely confess.
“Can I trust those words?”
“Yes, of course.”
Elise nodded emphatically. Normally, Elise would have contemplated and scrutinized what Karan might demand.
But now, she was desperate just to hold onto him as he tried to distance himself.
Emotion had consumed reason. Unfamiliar with this experience, Elise was helplessly drawn in.
Karan, as if in disbelief, hesitated to close the distance between them. This made Elise anxious.
It felt like he might suddenly leave her behind and vanish somewhere.
Even though she was holding his hand so tightly.
Finally, Elise stood close to him. She carefully moved her hand.
From his hand to his forearm, then to his shoulder, and lastly, she wrapped her arm around the back of his neck. This naturally brought their chests together.
Her heart was pounding.
‘It must be mine.’
But soon Elise had to correct her thought. There was another heart beating slightly out of sync.
Karan’s heart was beating just as fiercely as Elise’s.
‘This makes it seem like Karan loves me too.’
He must have just been surprised by Elise’s actions, but branches of misunderstanding threatened to spread wildly.
Elise firmly cut off those branches and whispered.
“Tell me, Your Highness. Why are you so angry?”
“Because you tried to harm your own body.”
“…?”
“The engraving pen. You said it was too dangerous for me, but it’s okay for you?”
Elise was at a loss for words. If it was dangerous for Karan, it would be dangerous for her too.
“I worried you, didn’t I?”
“That’s right. You did. Well, I’ve answered. Now it’s your turn to fulfill my request.”
As if his anger had subsided, Karan placed his hand on the small of Elise’s back.
Karan spoke without giving Elise time to think.
“Do to me what you were going to do to yourself.”
“Your Highness!”
Elise struggled to break free from Karan’s embrace. But Karan held her tight like a spider’s web, not letting go.
“You promised, Elise.”
You promised, Karan kept repeating those words. Until Elise said “Alright.”
