I Will Become the Queen of the Enemy Country

Elise wanted to pretend she didn’t see Chase, but it was difficult.

He was already a flamboyant person, and today he was even more elaborately dressed, so he stood out.

His clothes were so shiny that her gaze naturally turned to him.

The crowd’s gaze followed Chase.

The protagonists of the rumor gathered in one place.

Elise, Karan, Chase.

People blatantly peeked. Even the musicians had to stop playing for a moment to hear the administrator’s rebuke.

Elise stepped aside for others.

As if they were together, Chase’s steps also followed her direction.

She hoped he was looking for someone other than herself, but it was a vain hope.

“Elise.”

At Chase’s affectionate call, the hairs on Elise’s arm stood up.

“I greet His Highness Chase.”

Elise put her hand modestly on her chest and bent her knee.

On the other hand, Karan, who was of the same rank, stood even more upright.

As soon as she straightened up, Karan took Elise’s hand and placed it on his arm.

Chase’s gaze lingered on that arm for a moment and then fell.

Only Elise saw the end of Karan’s left lip slightly rise and fall.

“Nice to meet you, Your Highness. Finally, we meet. I am Karan Lisandro Tetris.”

Karan greeted him politely.

Chase kept his gaze fixed on Elise and closed his mouth. His eyes were quite deep and cloudy.

People who felt strange exchanged glances.

“Is there any regret left?”

“He doesn’t want to mingle with a barbarian.”

Chase was the one being rude, but Karan was the one getting scolded.

Elise, who was bothered because it was Karan, looked at him.

His expressionless face made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

‘Didn’t he hear?’

It would be a relief if he didn’t.

Elise didn’t know that Karan’s hearing was better than others.

“Do you have something to say, Elise?”

Feeling her gaze, Karan looked at her and smiled.

It was a very small change, but when his handsome face softened, the surroundings stirred.

The sound of the ladies fluttering their fans continued.

“Oh my, look at that. I can see why Lady Elise fell for him. He is handsome.”

“The rumor that he has many women must not be for nothing. The rumor is that he has spent the night with over a hundred women in Tetris…”

The level of backbiting gradually increased. She had expected some backbiting, but this was too much.

‘They’re too interested in us.’

It seemed better to disperse the concentrated attention.

It was urgent to get away from the flamboyant Chase for that.

“Your Highness, if you have nothing else to say, I will excuse myself.”

As Elise tried to avoid the situation, Chase took a step forward.

Then Karan stood in front of Elise as if to block Chase.

A strange standoff occurred between the two men with Elise in the middle.

“What are you doing?”

Chase raised his eyebrows sharply.

“It seems like you didn’t hear the greeting, so I’ll do it again. Hello, Your Highness Chase. I am Karan Lisandro Tetris.”

Karan leaned his head towards Chase. From Chase’s nose to his ear, Karan whispered as he turned his head.

“Ignoring for the second time is difficult. I received your gift very well. Shouldn’t you accept the greeting first so I can express my gratitude?”

Chase’s cheek twitched.

Karan, who met Chase’s eyes, raised both eyebrows and bit his lip.

Sparks flew in Chase’s eyes and tension filled his jaw.

“…Nice to meet you.”

Chase seemed to hesitate, but finally greeted him.

Karan nodded his head in response and then spoke to Elise.

“Elise, don’t you dance at a Bedrokka banquet?”

Elise answered briskly.

“Why would I? Will you dance with me, Your Highness?”

There was another stir. It was because Elise, like a typical man asking a woman to dance, asked Karan to dance.

It showed how much Elise respected and cherished Karan.

“I’m not good enough, but I’ll do my best.”

Karan took the hand Elise offered.

“Elise, I have something to say…”

Chase, who was trying to hold her back, couldn’t finish his sentence.

Because Elise had already moved far away.

One of Chase’s feet that had moved forward returned to its place.

He had already been ignored by Elise three times in the banquet hall alone.

His pride wouldn’t allow him to hold onto her any longer.

Chase, left alone, glared at Karan and Elise taking their place on the floor.

‘A gift well received? Impudent brat.’

What Chase sent to Karan was not a gift, but criminals who would do any dirty work.

Chase didn’t want to see Karan with Elise.

So he sent experts to prevent Karan from attending the banquet.

Experts who kill people.

He had told them to tie him up properly, but the stupid ones lost Karan.

‘He ran away like a rat.’

Chase turned his body without even imagining that Karan would have beaten them up neatly.

Anyway, he had a partner. He couldn’t leave her alone any longer.

Iris turned to look at Chase approaching her and showed a bright smile.

With her rosy dress and fair skin, she exuded a different charm from Elise.

‘It might have been a good thing for me.’

It was because Elise had caused an accident. Thanks to that, wasn’t he able to sit next to the woman called the rose of the continent?

‘Without a single thorn.’

Moreover, she was a magician who might join the ranks of the sages.

It was an overly good condition compared to Elise.

Still, Chase didn’t want to let go of Elise.

‘She was mine, from the beginning. I can’t let her be taken away by others. It’s not like I threw her away.’

He had two hands. So there was no reason to let go of either Elise or Iris.

****

Karan, who had asked for guidance, skillfully led Elise.

As Karan flowed like water into the next move, Elise squinted her eyes.

“You must have learned the Bedrokka dance, Your Highness?”

As he pulled and pushed his body, Karan answered.

“As I mentioned in passing last time, I lived in Bedrokka for a while when I was young.”

“You lived in Bedrokka?”

Elise wanted to know more, but Karan just smiled.

Elise guessed Karan’s feelings.

‘There must be no good memories in Bedrokka.’

Even though he was an adult with a threatening aura and a large body that could cause trouble if carelessly provoked, he was finger-pointed. How must his childhood have been?

Elise imagined a young Karan being persecuted and discriminated against by the people of Bedrokka.

It was hard to imagine a small and cute figure because he was such a big person, but it was not hard to imagine the daggers that the people of Bedrokka would have spat out.

Elise’s eyebrows pointed downwards.

“You must have had a hard time. It must have been hard, living in Bedrokka.”

“I can’t say it was comfortable. I didn’t come as a prince. But it was fun. I had a good friend.”

What was the reason for hiding his status and coming to Bedrokka?

Elise rummaged through her past to see if there was anything she remembered, but nothing came to mind.

In the first place, there wasn’t much information about Karan.

Even that was only related to the punishment of sins.

‘I should have been more interested.’

She regretted the past time belatedly, but she couldn’t turn it back. She didn’t want to go back either.

So Elise changed the subject.

“I’m glad it was fun. And I want to say thank you to that good friend.”

“You? Why?”

Karan twirled Elise around.

Unable to overcome the speed, she staggered and Karan firmly held her waist. His hand was hot.

“Because if you only had bad memories of Bedrokka, you wouldn’t have held my hand.”

Karan, who seemed to accept it, stepped back as far as his arm’s length and then came closer.

“Then you can be grateful enough. As much as you want.”

“Who is that person?”

Elise asked reflexively.

Karan pulled her close. Their chests touched. Elise put her hand on his chest.

She could feel the throbbing of his heart beating through several layers of cloth. Karan pulled her closer and lowered his lips to her ear.

Hot breath scattered at her ear. Elise’s gaze landed on Karan’s neck.

In an instant, all her senses were directed towards Karan.

Elise felt as if she was trapped in a room called Karan.

All she could see was Karan, all she could hear was Karan’s breathing, and all she could feel was his heartbeat.

At the end of Karan’s scattered breath, he answered.

“Elise.”

Elise lifted her pupils upwards.

It was a response to his call, but he just smiled with a mysterious smile.

“I should greet His Majesty. Will you come with me?”

“But the dance is still…”

It was against etiquette to leave the floor before the song ended.

Elise hastily grabbed him. But soon the strength in Elise’s hand holding his clothes loosened.

Before she knew it, the music had ended.

Elise couldn’t tell if her heart was beating because she was dancing or because of Karan.

****

Elise refused Karan’s suggestion to go and greet King Lange of Bedrokka.

Lange wouldn’t want to greet Elise.

His anger would have been somewhat diluted by Iris and Chase’s engagement, but he wouldn’t have forgiven the disgraceful act Elise committed.

‘Karan might not like it, but to subjugate Ragnaros, we need to maintain a friendly relationship, so he won’t openly dislike it.’

And Chase was a prince who had avoided Lange’s gaze.

So he would give in for the sake of national interest.

‘Should I do something too.’

Elise picked up two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray.

Elise squeezed into the gap between the women who were gathered in threes and fives, sharing stories.

“Interesting story, shall we share together?”