Karan’s voice was still low, but clearly different from before.
To Cowett, that tone just sounded impressive.
“Sh-Should I explain?”
“Well, who else would explain if not you?”
“Me? To you directly, brother? Me? To you, brother! I’ll do it! I’ll explain everything!”
Cowett shouted, wiping tears with the back of his hand.
Karan’s brows furrowed.
Are children always this emotionally volatile?
They were truly difficult creatures to understand.
****
“I should kill Bennet.”
After sending Cowett away and coming to the bedroom, Karan spoke in an extremely casual tone while gazing at the sunset-tinted sky.
“Your Highness, she hasn’t committed a crime worthy of death.”
“She tried to trap you, didn’t she?”
“Prince Cowett might have misheard.”
“Do you really think so?”
Under Karan’s sharp gaze, Elise shook her head.
“No. I believe Prince Cowett’s words. Bennet would certainly plan to trap me and more.”
“Then why?”
Elise approached Karan, who was leaning against the wall, and embraced his waist.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but they’re going to hold your Crown Prince investiture ceremony.”
“Ah, yes. I became the Crown Prince. It seems my brilliant strategist has been at work, and I should properly reward her. Right, Elise?”
Elise giggled. Her light laughter tickled Karan’s heart. The heavy atmosphere dissipated considerably.
However, Karan wasn’t one to easily dismiss Cowett’s warning.
“Elise, tell me. Why should I give Bennet more time?”
“We need to bring her down by His Majesty’s hand. There’s no need to dirty your hands. And please consider Prince Cowett’s position.”
“Cowett…”
“Prince Cowett adores you. He thinks you’re the most wonderful person in the world. Now imagine if that beloved brother killed his mother.”
“Is it okay if his father does it?”
“That wouldn’t be right either. The harshest punishment we can give Bennet is exile to a distant place.”
Karan disliked her conclusion.
“But we can make her life more miserable than death.”
With this addition, Karan’s tight expression softened slightly.
“I don’t understand why I should care about Cowett. I’ve never thought of that child as my brother, Elise.”
“It’s not because he’s your brother. He saved my life.”
Cowett had visited Elise today to inform her about Bennet’s scheme.
She had sent Pax to Karan, and made a separate plan for herself.
While discussing Bennet’s machinations, Pax naturally came up in conversation.
“How did you handle Sir Pax, Your Highness?”
“Ah, I didn’t mention it. I told him to lay low for a while.”
“What?”
“He secretly infiltrated my tent and confessed. Said Twain ordered him. Turns out he was Rosh’s friend.”
“Yes, that’s right. I heard about that too. When I first came here, the two of them met privately.”
“Since then, he’s been maintaining a relationship with Twain’s side, watching for any suspicious moves. We had a spy we didn’t even know about.”
“We should thank Rosh.”
“More than that, I didn’t realize Twain had extended his reach even to the palace troops.”
Karan chuckled wryly. There was no place in the palace without Bennet’s people.
It was remarkable how Elise had pushed for his Crown Prince investiture in a place full of enemies.
Was it because she remembered her past life?
But that couldn’t be everything.
Even if she remembered her past life, this life in Tetris would be her first.
So Elise’s achievements here must be the product of her efforts.
For his sake, Elise was sharpening and wielding an invisible sword.
Perhaps the battle in the palace was even more fierce and difficult than the battles in the gates.
No, it was definitely more intense.
“Your Highness? What are you thinking so deeply about?”
Elise asked, resting her chin on Karan’s chest.
“I was thinking about what kind of reward to give you.”
“I don’t need a reward. Just saying thank you is enough.”
“That’s not enough for me. Tell me, Elise. I’ll do anything.”
Elise pondered what she really wanted. No matter how much she thought about it, there was only one thing she desired.
Karan.
But she couldn’t ask for him to be given to her. So Elise changed the subject.
“You should receive something first, rather than me. A gift for conquering the gates. Or to commemorate becoming Crown Prince. Your Highness, is there anything you want?”
“You’re giving me a gift?”
“Yes. Tell me. Anything.”
“Anything?”
Elise nodded confidently. Karan’s eyes curved mischievously.
“There is something I want right now.”
“Right now? Then let’s get ready to go out after washing up, Your Highness. I wonder if any shops are open.”
“We don’t need to go to a shop.”
What kind of gift could it be?
“Look here, Elise.”
Elise focused on Karan’s lips. Karan licked his lips and then parted them slightly.
The gift he wanted was…
“You want us to bathe together, Your Highness?”
Elise was shocked. Her ears and nape instantly turned red.
“It’s embarrassing when you say it so loudly, Elise.”
“Th-That’s…”
“You promised, didn’t you? That you’d give me anything.”
“But that’s not a gift…”
“For me, there’s no better gift than that.”
Elise, at a loss, turned her gaze away. But Karan wouldn’t let Elise escape. He held her chin, making their eyes meet.
“This isn’t a joke.”
Karan’s eyes, tinted red with passion, spoke for him.
“Elise, in case you’ve forgotten, I just returned today.”
Karan gently grasped Elise’s nape and pulled her close. He lightly bit her earlobe and whispered,
“Which means I’m very tired. I want to wash up quickly and go to the most comfortable place.”
“And… where’s that?”
Even though they weren’t kissing, Elise felt breathless. She barely managed to ask.
“You.”
The short answer evoked memories that made Elise’s inner thighs tense.
****
Although Cowett had informed Elise about Bennet’s suspicious behavior, he didn’t tell her about what she was planning.
“I don’t know much beyond that. I’m really sorry.”
Karan looked at Cowett with displeasure, but Elise hugged him tightly and thanked him repeatedly.
Elise understood how much courage it took for Cowett to go against his mother’s wishes.
Cowett trembled throughout the conversation, and even in Elise’s embrace, the trembling didn’t stop.
“Since you’ve given me good information, I should give you a gift. What would you like?”
But when asked what he wanted, he spoke clearly without trembling.
“I want to have a meal with my brother. And I’d like to hear about the gates too!”
Although Karan immediately showed a reluctant expression, he couldn’t refuse Elise’s request.
So today, Elise spent her lunch time alone. Karan had gone out to keep his promise with Cowett.
Just then, a gift from Bennet arrived.
It was a bouquet of purple flowers.
Foolish Bennet.
Elise chuckled at the flowers Bennet had sent.
It was because of the type of flowers she had sent.
The attractive purple flowers had the ability to anesthetize people.
However, specific conditions were needed to see the anesthetic effect.
‘The flowers need to be burned. But how did Bennet know about these flowers?’
They were flowers that didn’t grow in Tetris. Moreover, very few people knew about the use of these flowers.
They were equally difficult to obtain in Bedrokka.
But Elise knew well. It was because Leber often used these flowers.
‘They’re spending a lot of money importing these flowers.’
When drawing the magic circle for Karan, she had burned an anesthetic incense based on these flowers, and in the future, Leber planned to use them a lot when performing surgeries.
‘If they’re not burned, they won’t have any effect. What are they trying to do?’
Elise fell into deep thought with the flowers in front of her.
‘Are they planning to start a fire? If a fire starts, the flowers will naturally burn, and if I faint, I won’t be able to escape. Is that what they’re aiming for?’
The strategy seemed plausible but was careless.
They hadn’t considered at all that Elise might throw away the flowers, and it was also uncertain whether they could start a fire through the strict security.
‘Executing such a careless plan means they’re that desperate.’
Keep making mistakes.
Elise smiled as she pushed the flowers far away.
Perhaps Bennet might collapse on her own before Elise needed to take action.
‘But it might take too long. It’s also annoying.’
Elise was just planning to slightly move up the timing.
****
“Bennet! How could you do such a thing?”
Suddenly, Tyllo’s office was filled with a roaring voice.
“Your Majesty, it’s not true. I didn’t do it.”
“Are you saying you didn’t send these flowers to Elise?”
Tyllo threw the bouquet in front of Bennet. Flower petals scattered everywhere.
“This is…”
“I found out these flowers have anesthetic properties. What was your intention in sending these flowers to Elise?”
“…!”
Bennet startled and looked at Elise. Standing one step behind Tyllo, Elise had a dejected expression.
As if she deeply regretted such an unfortunate incident.
“Your Majesty, I merely bought those flowers because they were pretty. I absolutely had no ill intentions. I didn’t even know they had anesthetic properties. Really!”
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Tyllo asked in a low voice. Bennet gulped.
“I’ll ask again. Can you take responsibility?”
Bennet nodded for now. She had to survive. No matter how much Elise knew, she just needed to get through this situation.
But Bennet’s choice was a big mistake.
“Bring her in.”
At Tyllo’s command, the door opened, and the moment Bennet saw the woman entering the audience chamber, all color drained from her face.
