Episode 18
Tirzen and Kais, having left the two women in the room, stepped into the drawing room and shared a light drink to ease their tense minds.
“Seems like Roena has taken quite a liking to Lady Mares.”
“…”
“You’re not jealous because someone’s taken your sister away from you, are you?”
Kais asked teasingly as he looked at Tirzen’s serious expression.
Tirzen’s mother had passed away giving birth to Roena, and his father had wandered the battlefields until he died a heroic death when Tirzen was eighteen.
That made Roena Tirzen’s only family—his precious treasure.
“Cut the nonsense.”
“If it’s not jealousy, then what’s with that face?”
Tirzen didn’t answer. But the emotion he was feeling wasn’t jealousy.
He had done everything he could to give his sister the best of everything, but there were still things he couldn’t provide.
Roena was at the age where she was growing out of girlhood and becoming a lady. There would be worries she wouldn’t be able to share with her brother.
“Anyway, is this incident just going to end like this? It’s frustrating to know who the culprit is but not be able to punish them due to a lack of evidence.”
Kais downed the drink in his hand.
Having only suspicions and no proof meant they couldn’t even raise the issue, which was aggravating.
“If someone committed a crime, they should be punished.”
“And how are we going to do that without evidence?”
“If someone tries to damage what’s precious to another, we should make them realize they won’t be able to protect what’s theirs either.”
Tirzen gazed out the window.
The wind rustled through the branches, shaking the leaves. Golden hair fluttering in the breeze vividly came to mind.
‘If you’re considering a royal marriage, what about me?’
The woman who had said that hadn’t shown a hint of greed on her face.
Elicia held Roena in her arms, lying beside her on the bed until the girl’s breathing deepened and became regular.
She wondered if this was what it might feel like to have a little sister.
When she stepped out of the room, a maid was waiting outside.
“The master said to bring you to him when you wake.”
Though the maid didn’t specify who she meant, it was easy enough to guess.
Elicia had already planned to at least offer a proper goodbye, so she followed the maid.
The place she was led to was Tirzen’s study. Unlike Duke Mares, her adoptive father, he seemed to use the same space for both study and office.
“I’ve brought Lady Mares.”
The maid knocked and relayed the message, and a voice from inside responded, allowing her to enter.
“Go ahead.”
The maid opened the door and left without accompanying her in.
Tirzen, who had been reviewing a pile of documents on his desk, stood up and moved to the sofa when Elicia entered.
“Come sit here.”
“Yes.”
Feeling small under his cold gaze, Elicia quietly sat across from him.
“Tell me what you want. I’ll give you a proper reward.”
His words instantly caught her attention.
She considered jokingly asking him to pretend to be her fiancé for a while.
But the thought of getting struck by lightning before she even finished the sentence made her clamp her mouth shut.
“I only helped because I had the chance. I don’t need a reward.”
“Are you bargaining? Trying to get more out of this?”
Elicia almost jumped to her feet in anger but barely held herself back.
She reminded herself not to judge Tirzen Verato by the same standards as everyone else.
Rumor had it his veins weren’t filled with blood, but with cold ice.
He divided everything in the world into black and white, devoid of emotion—but could he be blamed for that?
Even as he asked if she was trying to get more out of him, his tone wasn’t accusatory.
It was more like he was telling her not to dance around but to say exactly what she wanted, and he’d give it.
“I didn’t say it to sound noble. I’m not so poor that I have to cling to material rewards.”
“So you want something other than material wealth?”
Once again, Elicia was struck by how handsome he was—even the mocking smile on his lips seemed capable of enchanting anyone.
Looking at his face made her fear she’d say exactly what he wanted to hear without thinking.
She shook her head slightly to snap herself out of it.
Given the position he held, she knew few—if any—people showed him kindness without ulterior motives.
She didn’t like how he seemed to weigh others’ intentions like goods on a scale, but since she didn’t expect to cross paths with him again, she didn’t want to argue.
“Whether it’s money or anything else, I’m not interested. If you feel uncomfortable, just consider it repayment for when you helped me. I’ll be going now.”
Rising from her seat, Elicia gave a slight curtsy.
Tirzen didn’t fully believe her when she said she didn’t want a reward.
Even if Duke and Duchess Mares treated their daughter like she was worthless, they weren’t so dull as to ignore the eyes of society.
He figured they’d give her enough material support to avoid public disgrace. So her claim to not need wealth was plausible.
But people always desired something more once one need was fulfilled.
Everyone around Tirzen hoped to benefit, even just a little, from his power.
He thought Elicia was no different.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be Crown Princess?”
As she was about to leave, Elicia paused, her eyes widening slightly.
“If you want it, I could give you that position.”
A flicker of emotion passed through her emerald green eyes.
She’d seemed free of greed—but maybe she was like all the others.
But then she responded with something unexpected.
“I don’t want to be Crown Princess. Could you be my public lover for a few months instead?”
“Ha! You’re asking me to be your temporary lover?”
“I don’t mean real romance. Just pretend.”
It was a bold proposal. And also suspicious in intent.
“What about your fiancé?”
“I’m asking this because I want to break off the engagement.”
“You want to call off your marriage to Gustav?”
“I wouldn’t ask this of you if I thought it would harm your reputation.”
Tirzen let out a cunning smile.
He could already picture Gustav throwing a fit over losing something he thought he had.
He had been wondering how to get back at Gustav anyway—and now the perfect solution had fallen into his lap.
Even though she said she wanted to use him, the girl didn’t even seem to realize she was offering herself up as the tool.
“If you do as I say, I’ll help you.”
“Yes, I will.”
Elicia’s eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly.
She didn’t even ask what he intended to make her do. Watching her make such a dangerous decision so readily, Tirzen smirked coldly.
By the time she returned home, the sun had already dipped far behind the western hills.
As she rode into the front yard, Ada was already waiting.
Even before Elicia had dismounted, Ada approached.
“You left early this morning, and now you’re just getting back? Where have you been wandering?”
“I felt cooped up, so I went for a walk.”
“Stop making trouble and stay home like a proper bride until the wedding.”
“What kind of trouble do you think I’ve caused?”
By ‘trouble,’ Ada meant Elicia going out on her own. Ada was extremely uneasy about her doing that.
“You don’t even answer properly anymore!”
Dismounting, Elicia handed the reins to a servant and walked past Ada, saying,
“You’re speaking nonsense—how can I just say ‘yes’ to that?”
“Starting tomorrow, don’t step a foot out of this house!”
Ada yelled behind her.
When Elicia was younger, Ada had locked her in the attic more than once.
She hadn’t done that since Elicia became an adult—but who could say it wouldn’t happen again? Ada ran this house, and no one could stop her if she tried anything.
Elicia needed to give her a firm warning.
“Didn’t I receive an invitation to Grand Duke Tirzen’s birthday banquet? I should ask Her Majesty the Empress about it. She did say she would send me one.”
Ada’s face turned pale.
There had been no such conversation with the Empress. Elicia had made it up, but it hit the mark.
“You need to realize I’m old enough to think and speak for myself. You can’t expect me to just say what you tell me to anymore.”
Judging by Ada’s expression, the message had been received loud and clear: Elicia would not hesitate to involve the Empress if things went too far.
The Empress wouldn’t meddle in someone else’s family affairs—but the warning was enough.
Feeling satisfied at landing a blow, Elicia smiled sweetly and went inside.
Roena woke up after a deep nap, feeling refreshed.
A pillow, instead of Elicia, was in her arms.
Though she’d been through a nightmarish experience, she felt oddly okay.
“Hehe, she even sang for me.”
Roena giggled as she hugged the pillow tightly.
Raised in comfort and doted on by her nanny, Roena had never lacked anything.
But she’d never felt the same warmth and fullness she’d experienced in Elicia’s embrace.
Tirzen walked into the room as Roena lay on the bed, hugging her pillow and squirming playfully.
“Did you sleep well?”
Roena looked up at her brother and smiled brightly.
“No bad dreams?”
“Nope. I slept really well.”
She sat up, still hugging the pillow. It somehow still carried Elicia’s scent.
“Why are you hugging that pillow?”
“Hehe, I think it smells like Elicia.”
Burying her face into the pillow, Roena took a deep breath. Her scent lingered there.
“Do you like Lady Mares?”
“Yeah. She smells like Mom.”
“What smell?”
Tirzen wondered if he’d heard her right.
Roena had never once expressed longing for their mother before.
To associate a woman she’d only met twice with their mother was hard to understand.
“Elicia had a nice smell. I just thought… maybe Mom smelled like that too.”
Tirzen didn’t necessarily relate, but it seemed easier to bring up the conversation now.
Sitting on the bed, he cautiously began to speak while watching Roena’s expression.
As he talked, a look of anxiety slowly spread across Roena’s face.
“That… might be dangerous.”
