The wife of the Viscount, Madame Veilni, who was standing next to him, quickly supported him.
“You’ve tarnished the family name. Immediately say it was nothing and kneel to His Highness Chase.”
Even though things had come to this point, Madame Veilni’s greed to proceed with the engagement to Chase was disgusting.
“I’ve already contacted His Highness Chase to say that the engagement will be as if it never happened. The blame is on me, so I will make sure no harm comes to him…”
Elise couldn’t finish her sentence.
With a crack, Elise’s head spun around.
She was slapped by Fraser.
Elise, with her burning cheek, glared at Fraser.
His excited ranting was not clearly audible.
‘He hit me with all his might.’
Her dull hearing gradually returned.
“…You’ve made a mockery of the Worton family. Run to His Highness immediately and kneel. He’ll make it as if it never happened.”
“How can you make something that happened as if it never happened? That’s deception against His Highness Chase. Isn’t that a bigger sin?”
Fraser was taken aback by Elise’s retort.
In just a few days, Elise had completely changed.
The child who used to bow her head at the slightest shout was now boldly retorting.
“In your eyes, I’m a joke. Let everyone see.”
Flames spurted from Fraser’s eyes.
The implication that it would be just Elise and him meant he was going to vent his anger to his heart’s content.
“Father, don’t be too harsh. She’s just immature.”
Iris interjected when she thought the time was right.
She started her good sister cosplay, pretending to worry and comfort Elise.
“I’ll discipline her properly.”
“Iris, my good daughter. A beast is not tamed by human words. A beast is taught by beating.”
“Dad, Elise is a human.”
“Oh, my pretty daughter. Your eyes are treasures, so you see it that way. You only want to see the pretty side…Anyway, go upstairs. Discipline her as you said.”
The conversation between Fraser and Iris was disgusting.
Pretending to be a good father, pretending to be a good daughter.
Veilni took Iris and went upstairs, and the servants also disappeared. Only Elise and Fraser were left in the spacious hall.
“You’ve become arrogant because things with His Highness Chase have gone well.”
Fraser took a step forward. Elise tensed her feet to avoid retreating.
‘I did nothing wrong. So there’s no need to back down.’
She didn’t want to show him a weak side.
Fraser raised his hand again.
With a smack, Elise collapsed in pain as if her skin was being torn.
“When I speak nicely, say you’ll do as I say. Tell His Highness Chase that you sent a false letter because you were scared.”
“No. I won’t do that.”
Fraser can’t kill her.
And he can’t beat her anymore. Because there’s a banquet at the palace soon.
For Elise to get along well with Chase as Fraser wants, she had to attend that banquet.
So the slap just now was the maximum punishment Fraser could give.
Elise calculated that and triggered the incident.
Elise, sitting down, glared at Fraser.
Fraser, taken aback, sat down in front of her and grabbed her hair.
Elise’s head was jerked back.
“Listen well, Elise. Without marrying His Highness Chase, you have no value. Do you think we’ll keep you in our house when your value is gone? You’ll be disgraced and driven out of the family. What will your life be like after that? Shall I recite it? How did your mother die?”
Elise bit the inside of her mouth hard. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes.
Fraser’s mood improved greatly at Elise’s tears.
That’s why you shouldn’t be so defiant. You have to be beaten a few times.
Fraser let go of Elise’s head as if pushing it. Elise staggered and fell again.
Fraser dusted off his hands and clicked his tongue.
“Stay in your room. Don’t think about wandering around for a while. Everyone got it? Watch her well!”
The sound of bustling footsteps was heard.
Elise, lying down, twitched her shoulders.
“Don’t lie here and cry, go away to your room. You’re unlucky.”
Despite Fraser’s words, Elise couldn’t get up right away. Because if she got up now, she would be caught laughing.
****
Elise had to bite her lower lip hard until she reached her room. So hard that it bled.
Only when Elise entered her room and closed the door tightly did she let go of her bitten lip.
Phew.
A fresh smile flowed from her lips.
She was simply happy that Fraser was moving as Elise had thought.
This also disrupted Iris’s plan.
‘She must have wanted to meet His Highness David at the hunting ground, but now she couldn’t.’
Even though Chase was a child out of the king’s favor, it wasn’t a good look for the public for his brother David to enjoy pleasure in a situation where he was entangled in gossip.
‘The King will crack down. I wonder how he will solve this situation.’
Elise prayed fervently for the King’s wrath.
****
“Cut out the article and scrap it.”
Haltbin, who took the Alleycat Times offered by Karan, tilted his head.
“It’s not a very good content.”
“It’s a glorious content. It confirms my relationship with Elise.”
“It’s a scandal…though.”
“What’s important about that. What’s important is that my name and Elise’s are listed together.”
Haltbin sometimes didn’t understand Karan. A rational and cool-headed person lost his composure when it came to Elise’s problem.
But since he doesn’t harm me, I just watch him.
“How about keeping it in a frame?”
There was also a feeling of egging on Karan because he was fun.
“Do that. Buy a few more copies.”
Karan said so and picked up his coat.
“Where are you going? Should I go too?”
“You stay and work. The Bedrokka business withdrawal hasn’t been finalized yet.”
Karan had whitewashed all the work he had been preparing in Bedrokka.
Because without Elise, Bedrokka meant nothing to Karan.
‘It would be a shame if there were things I put my heart into in a place I’m going to break someday.’
Karan glanced at the streets of Bedrokka outside the window and went out.
The place he headed was a small park famous for its promenade.
Karan, with an umbrella, leisurely strolled along the lakeside, and when he saw the nobles of Bedrokka, his mouth became sour.
‘Comfortable people.’
The pleasure of a Bedrokkan was a luxury not allowed to a Tetrisian.
It could be a vile jealousy and inferiority complex, but if you go back to the ancient past that put Ragnaros to sleep, Karan’s criticism was somewhat valid.
‘The Bedrokka royal family are scammers.’
Karan’s gaze became sharper.
“Your Highness? You came early.”
The moment Elise’s voice was heard, Karan’s atmosphere changed.
His eyes were still raised, but his gaze was softer.
“Elise, come…what is this?”
But the soft atmosphere didn’t last long. Karan lifted Elise’s chin. His gaze lingered on Elise’s swollen cheek for a long time.
“It’s nothing.”
Elise forcibly removed Karan’s hand.
A flame surged inside Karan. Her fair and beautiful face was swollen and bruised as if painted on a canvas, and she said it was nothing?
“Is it something you’re used to, or do you want me to ignore it? Or are you the type who enjoys pain?”
In his anger, Karan ended up mocking Elise.
“It’s to avoid getting used to it. I don’t want to bother you either. Pain…depending on the price to pay, the degree of tolerance varies. I don’t enjoy it.”
Was she trying to upset Karan? Elise answered without a single eyebrow out of place.
“Who says that? Is it because of the article?”
Karan was ashamed of himself for simply being happy to see the article.
He had failed to consider the situation Elise had to take responsibility for and endure.
Karan clenched his fist.
“Your Highness, it will heal soon. If you keep doing this, I’ll regret coming out today.”
In fact, Elise intended to refuse when Karan contacted her to meet. It wasn’t easy to sneak out.
However, she had to meet him to ensure that the scandal did not end as a scandal.
And she didn’t expect Karan to react so sensitively to her injury.
Chase often let it slide when Elise was hit by Fraser.
[Apply some medicine.]
That was all the reaction Chase showed.
At that time, she thought Chase was holding back his frustration to look good in front of Elise’s biological family, the Worton family.
‘It wasn’t that. He didn’t care about my injuries.’
Whether Elise was hurt or not.
She thought most men would be like Chase, but Karan wasn’t.
His anger was visible in Elise’s eyes. The muscles under his eyes were trembling and his jaw was tightly clenched.
“Let’s walk.”
Elise pulled Karan’s arm.
It was better to walk affectionately than to stand facing each other to fuel the rumors.
Karan, who was in pain looking at Elise’s face, couldn’t take it any longer, and turned his body.
He started walking ahead. Elise quickly followed.
“Your Highness…”
“I need some time to sort out my thoughts.”
Karan cut off Elise’s words. Yet, he slowed down his pace to make it easier for Elise to follow.
It was a day with good sunlight and wind. Therefore, there were many people on the lakeside. Some people were already boating and playing.
Some people recognized Karan and Elise and pointed fingers.
Karan quickly noticed and sharply raised his eyes.
Those who met his gaze were startled and turned their heads, but the murmuring did not subside.
“This will continue. In Bedrokka.”
Elise lightly grabbed Karan’s arm. Despite the weak force, Karan obediently stopped.
“For a while, it can’t be helped. I’m sorry, but you have to get used to it. Are you uncomfortable?”
It wasn’t the scandal that made him uncomfortable. What made him angry now was Elise’s face.
“What should I get used to? Tell me properly what I should get used to while living with you.”
Karan’s voice was unusually hard.
“Insults? Criticism? Or a wife who gets beaten?”
