#27. Clear Breach of Contract
“Don’t be so disheartened, Elisabeth. It happens all the time.”
Franz said it lightly, as though it were nothing.
It was meant to be comforting, but it didn’t help at all.
Bill added with his usual indifference.
“Every time His Majesty returned from a trip, he always brought back one or two women. It’s only been quieter since you arrived, Miss Elisabeth.”
All the effort I had put into trying to understand Nicolai shattered instantly.
Realizing once again that I had been played in the palm of his hand made the back of my neck ache.
Is it normal to want to punch someone when you feel humiliated?
Huh? Maybe just break one guy’s face?
“As crown prince, I need to evaluate the character of the new empress!”
Franz scurried over to the window.
I wanted to follow him, but restrained myself.
I had to keep up the dignity of a tutor, after all.
“You saw—he was riding a horse together with a woman! Why would His Majesty do that?”
Franz leaned half his body out the window and shouted.
Even Bill, who knew every detail of the harem, seemed baffled by the sight.
“That is unusual. And the woman’s appearance is quite peculiar.”
“Ahh, I’m disappointed in His Majesty’s taste.”
“Perhaps his preferences have changed?”
“He never had consistent tastes to begin with. Just look at the kind of woman he appointed as my tutor.”
Franz jutted his chin toward me.
Normally, I’d pinch his cheeks until he teared up, but I wasn’t in the mood.
I was too busy listening closely to Bill’s voice.
“She is said to be related to Empress Rose Brendan and Sir Simon Brendan.”
“She’s of the marquis’s bloodline? She doesn’t look it at all.”
“The other consorts are on edge. They fear the Brendan family might gain influence in the harem.”
“Women like that only chatter uselessly behind the scenes. What a waste of state funds on them!”
After whispering with Franz, Bill turned his head toward me.
“What do you think, Miss Elisabeth?”
“I don’t care.”
“You may cross paths with her eventually.”
“Then I suppose I’ll take a look.”
In a flash, I pressed against the window.
Nicolai was riding a jet-black stallion, not a single stray hair on its coat.
The horse gleamed from head to tail, so well-groomed that it seemed polished.
Behind him, the imperial guards followed in two neat rows.
With his cloak streaming behind him, Nicolai looked magnificent—worthy of admiration.
If only he hadn’t been sharing that horse with a strange woman, I might have been entranced too.
‘Two people on one horse? Isn’t that against traffic laws? At the very least, it’s animal abuse, isn’t it?’
Crack. I bit my thumbnail before snapping back to my senses.
What does it matter what Nicolai does?
The only one who loses by caring is me!
I sat back at my desk and flipped through the documents I’d gotten from the information guild.
“Franz. I found you an art professor. You’ll love him.”
“That woman doesn’t look like a noble lady at all. She looks like a scrawny boy, wearing shabby farmer’s trousers. And her hair—it’s not golden, it’s straw-colored.”
“Don’t judge people by appearances.”
“Are you really not interested in the new empress, Elisabeth?”
“My only interest is in His Highness, the crown prince.”
“But you and His Majesty are very, very, very close.”
Franz’s eyes gleamed meaningfully as he looked at me.
Just how much had this brat seen in the canary room?
It pricked at me, but I played dumb.
“Of course not. His Majesty and I are simply parent and tutor, nothing more.”
“You look hurt.”
“Franz, have you finished your math homework?”
“Math doesn’t matter right now! Elisabeth might be getting dumped.”
Franz said it with ridiculous seriousness.
I stretched out his cheek until he yelped.
“Ah—it hurts!”
“Go do your homework.”
“I have a bad feeling. That woman’s going to cause trouble!”
“Do you want me to make trouble for you right now?”
“Ow! I said it hurts!”
His complaints didn’t reach me.
My head was already full of the word dumped.
‘Dumped? Please. We only kissed once. Ate together twice.’
I wanted to believe it.
That he was better than the tyrant from the original story.
That no matter what others said, the man before me was real.
Sometimes I wavered, sometimes my heart skipped.
I even thought of confiding my secret.
Because I felt he would believe me.
But Nicolai was just Nicolai.
The original story was unfolding predictably.
Which meant Elisabeth’s life had less than half a year left.
—No relationships with others are permitted. To give your heart to another shall also be deemed a relationship.
It was Nicolai himself who had insisted on adding that clause to the contract.
My stomach boiled as if I had swallowed molten iron.
‘So dating is forbidden, but marriage is allowed? I even avoided bumping into Douglas! This is a blatant breach of contract. That’s why I’m furious—because of the breach!’
If it was the broken contract that angered me, then my rage was justified.
And there was no reason to suppress it.
I shot up from my seat.
Franz looked up at me, startled.
“Elisabeth, where are you going?”
“I have a formal protest to make.”
“To who?”
“Who else? The worst of villains—the man who treats promises like dog bones.”
“His Majesty is resting from his travels.”
Kares blocked my way.
Standing before the firmly shut office door, I let out a bitter laugh.
“He has a strange way of resting. I saw ministers going in and out just now.”
“Please return for today, Miss Elisabeth.”
“I know he’s inside. Open the door.”
“I cannot.”
“It will only take a moment.”
“Not even a second.”
Kares was stubborn as stone.
Thinking perhaps my charm had worn off, I threw him a wink and blew double hand-kisses.
Useless.
“His Majesty has forbidden your approach.”
“!”
“I tried persuading him many times, but he is resolute.”
“What’s the reason?”
“It’s better you don’t know.”
“…It’s because of the new empress, isn’t it?”
I tried to sound calm, but the end of my voice cracked.
Kares answered with silence.
‘So I’m not even worth meeting now? He’s withdrawing all the special treatment?’
I knew very well that I’d been granted outrageous privileges.
The emperor was the master of the empire, a sovereign above the law.
Even the great nobles considered a private audience with him the highest honor.
If anyone else behaved as I had, they’d have lost their tongue—or their head.
‘Plenty already resent me. And I’m not even a noble.’
I had only begged for my life once—when I was at his feet.
Since then, I had treated him as a man, not an emperor.
And he had treated me as a woman.
By signing that contract, we became equals in a way.
Though he could have taken me anytime, he laid aside his towering authority.
Because of that, I could mock, tease, and even tempt him freely.
But Nicolai’s fickleness was the problem.
The man I thought had a steadfast heart was inside, while I stood shut out.
And the reason was another woman.
That made it all the more humiliating.
“Fine. I won’t get in the way.”
“My apologies.”
“Kares. Could I trouble you to deliver a message?”
“Anything, Miss.”
“If one party unilaterally breaks or violates the contract, that party is deemed defeated.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Just pass that along. He’ll know what it means. If not—then too bad.”
The next day, I took a leave.
Not even Franz’s sulking could stop me from boarding the carriage.
The crown prince’s tutor enjoyed many privileges—free access to the palace and personal leave among them.
Kares’s backing helped a great deal, too.
“Please take me to the Marquess of Nettleton’s estate.”
“At once, my lady.”
The estate was completely transformed since my last visit.
Every window had been replaced with expensive glass, the gardens neatly manicured.
No cracks, no peeling paint.
Welcomed by neatly uniformed servants, I reunited with Susan.
“Elisabeth!”
Susan flung herself into my arms.
“I didn’t think you’d come so quickly. I’m so happy.”
“You said you’d show me your research results. Of course I had to rush over.”
“I just missed you so much, I made an excuse. I thought that was the only way you’d come.”
Susan stuck out her tongue playfully.
She could’ve pretended otherwise, but she was such an honest girl.
“Sorry I couldn’t write more. But I kept sending you painkillers and ointments.”
“Don’t apologize! Just being useful to you makes me happy.”
“Thank you. The prototype ointment you sent for abrasions is truly effective.”
“Really?”
“Even the palace healers were shocked. They couldn’t believe a sixteen-year-old girl created it all by herself. Only when I told them you were the Nettleton heiress did they nod in recognition.”
“That’s all thanks to my grandfather, the former imperial apothecary.”
“It’s thanks to your talent and hard work. The Nettleton family has always produced pharmacy geniuses.”
“If not for you, I would’ve quit studying. I’ll repay this debt someday—please wait for me!”
Susan clenched her fists with fiery determination.
I couldn’t help but look forward to the results this prodigy—recognized even by palace healers—would bring.
Though, in truth, Susan’s deeper wish was to marry me off to Douglas.
‘In the original, Susan takes her own life by the end of this month. Severe depression.’
Because of me, she never met Nicolai.
Her one-sided love never began, and so she avoided her worst fate.
If nothing else, I had saved Susan. That alone felt fulfilling.
At last, I felt I was honoring the name of a righteous, wrongly-killed soul.
“Thank you for being alive, Susan.”
“That sounded like a love confession! My heart’s racing.”
“I want to keep seeing you, Susan. Promise me, no matter what, you won’t give up on life.”
“?”
“Promise?”
I held out my pinky finger.
Susan looked puzzled at first, then broke into a bright smile and hooked her finger with mine.
“Of course! I’m happier now than at any birthday or festival!”
‘She really is an adorable, clever girl. The invitation must’ve been her idea too. If only her health were stronger…’
There were two reasons I came to the Nettleton estate today.
First, to see the research results Susan wanted to show me.
Second, to use the Eye of Morasinthia to check on Susan’s health.
There was a third reason too… but I couldn’t guarantee success.
“I’ll show you my lab. It’s a little messy.”
Her laboratory was packed with medicine bottles, flasks, and test tubes.
The shelves were lined with jars filled with mysterious plants and minerals.
Papers covered in complex formulas and ancient-looking tomes filled the rest.
Everything was neatly arranged, reflecting Susan’s personality.
“What’s this book about? I don’t think I could make sense of it at all.”
I toyed with the worn book casually.
I wasn’t interested in it—just waiting for my chance to use the Eye of Morasinthia.
“If you’re curious, I’ll read it aloud.”
Susan flipped open the pages for me.
Seizing the moment, I hooked the copper monocle over my right ear.
A mysterious white glow swept slowly over Susan’s slender body.
For a moment, I doubted my own eyes.
‘Wait—what on earth is that?!’
