Elisha said, her cheeks flushing peach-colored.
“I didn’t buy it. It was a gift. Pretty, right?”
“It is. Who gave it to you? A man?”
Elisha waved her hands in denial.
“No, my father bought it for me.”
“Baron Lindel bought it for you? It looks quite expensive.”
“It’s not that expensive. It’s something my father can easily afford.”
Liliana laughed inwardly. In the past, she had been deceived by expressions like that, but not anymore.
“As it happens, I also have a bracelet with the same design.”
At those words, Elisha’s eyes widened.
“The gemstone is different, but the design is exactly the same as yours.”
“R-Really? Could I take a look?”
“Of course.”
Liliana asked Anna to bring the bracelet.
A moment later, Anna brought it. Liliana showed the bracelet to Elisha.
When Elisha saw it, her blue eyes trembled.
“Moonstone…”
Moonstone was a mineral called the stone of the moon, a beautiful gem that emitted a soft glow like moonlight.
It was also extremely rare and traded at a high price.
“The design is exactly the same as yours, right?”
“I-It is. Did you buy it?”
“No, Prince Mikael gave it to me as a gift.”
The corners of Elisha’s lips trembled.
“I-I see.”
Liliana said casually, as if being generous.
“You can have it.”
“Huh?”
“I’m going to become engaged to Prince Estevan. I can’t keep a gift from Prince Mikael.”
Reluctantly, Elisha accepted the moonstone bracelet.
“Th-Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Liliana drank her tea with a relaxed expression as she observed Elisha’s face.
It looked like she was barely holding back her anger. Her flushed face and trembling lips proved it.
Liliana smiled faintly and added one more remark.
“Elisha, come to think of it, that brooch you showed me last time.”
“Huh?”
“The rose-shaped brooch.”
“Ah, that…”
“I noticed I have one with the exact same design.”
Elisha looked at her with a stiff expression as she told Anna to bring the brooch.
“Look, the design really is the same, right?”
Elisha froze slightly when she saw the brooch.
“Yours was a diamond, but mine is a ruby.”
It really was.
The design was the same, but Elisha’s was diamond, while Liliana’s brooch was made of a precious ruby brought from the Eastern Kingdom.
“I will give you that one too.”
“What? Then this was also given by Prince Mikael?”
“Yes.”
Elisha’s expression visibly stiffened.
“Sorry, Lily. I just remembered I have something urgent to do.”
“Is that so?”
“I think I should go now. I will treasure the jewelry.”
“Alright.”
Liliana placed the two pieces of jewelry in a box and handed it to Elisha.
“Go quickly, it seems like it’s really urgent.”
“Okay.”
Elisha hurriedly left the Ducal estate.
Her departing figure looked like a fox hiding its anger.
***
After returning to the Baron’s mansion, Elisha threw the box containing the jewelry Liliana gave her onto the table.
“The designs are really identical. How can this be?!”
Elisha removed the bracelet she was wearing on her wrist and threw it.
‘How annoying.’
The bracelet had been a gift from Prince Mikael.
When she received it, she had been truly happy. It felt as though his heart completely belonged to her.
And it wasn’t just the bracelet.
She had also received gifts such as brooches, necklaces, bracelets, and dresses.
‘Did he give Liliana the exact same designs as the gifts he gave me?’
The bracelet and the brooch had exactly the same design. The others were suspicious too.
And besides…
“So the ones he gave Liliana are better than the ones he gave me.”
The jewelry Mikael gave Liliana used rare gemstones, while the ones he gave her were gemstones that could be found easily in the marketplace.
“So Liliana comes before me, is that it?”
Mikael wanted to become engaged to Liliana. Not only an engagement, he was even considering marriage.
That was how special Liliana’s background was.
House Dayan was favored by the Emperor and possessed enormous wealth.
If such a family became Mikael’s, it would be like gaining wings.
Of course, he was already close to the Imperial throne, but if he secured House Dayan as well, his position would naturally become even more solid.
That was why Mikael had been courting Liliana.
Even knowing that, Elisha endured it. Because far in the future, when Mikael became Emperor, the seat beside him would belong to her.
Mikael had promised.
After becoming Emperor using House Dayan, he would discard them without hesitation.
“But even so, this is too much.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand Mikael’s feelings, but she didn’t like being treated differently from Liliana in this way.
Still, some things had to be confronted.
Elisha took out the communication orb Mikael had given her from the desk drawer.
The communication orb was connected with a code that only Mikael and she could use.
When she activated it, Mikael’s sweet voice was heard.
— Hello, my love.
“I am not feeling well.”
— Did something happen?
Mikael’s voice was full of concern.
“Let us meet today. I think we need to talk in person.”
— Hmm, I have a busy schedule today, so I think I will only be finished late at night.”
“I will wait at 25 J District.”
— You must really miss me.
Elisha didn’t answer.
— Alright. I will try to get there as quickly as possible. See you there.
“I will be waiting.”
— Yes, see you tonight, my love.
After ending the communication, Elisha let out a deep sigh.
Approaching the vanity, she put on the jewelry Liliana had given her.
“It suits me better.”
The moonstone bracelet and the ruby brooch shone brightly.
A crow sitting by the window quietly watched the scene.
Beyond the crow’s red eyes was Liliana.
Liliana was observing Elisha using a crow created with dark magic.
“So they are meeting tonight…”
It seemed she would get to watch an interesting scene.
***
25 J District was the place where Mikael and Elisha enjoyed their secret meetings.
Mikael had secretly purchased the empty building and turned it into a space for just the two of them. A place where they could share their love alone.
He had even hired a mage to engrave a teleportation magic circle so they could come and go easily.
All so they could meet without anyone knowing.
Publicly, Mikael was courting Liliana, so any other scandal would be dangerous.
Until he secured Liliana, everything had to remain completely secret.
If it became known that he, who was courting Liliana, was having an improper relationship with her friend, he would face serious trouble.
Mikael and Elisha sat side by side on a comfortable sofa, looking at each other.
“Elisha, did you miss me that much?”
With a sulky face, Elisha pushed away Mikael’s hand as he touched her cheek.
“I am disappointed, Your Highness. I did not expect you to treat me like this.”
Mikael asked with a gentle expression.
“I always think I do my best. What could possibly disappoint you so much?”
Elisha raised her wrist and showed him the bracelet.
“Do you see this bracelet?”
“That’s…”
“You gave Liliana a bracelet with the same design as the one you gave me. And unlike the sapphire you gave me, you even obtained a moonstone.”
Mikael grabbed Elisha’s wrist.
“Where did you get this?”
“Is that really what matters right now?”
“Tell me.”
The wrist he gripped hurt.
“Liliana gave it to me. She said she is going to become engaged to Prince Estevan, so she does not need the things Your Highness gave her.”
Mikael’s expression hardened.
His gaze moved to the brooch on Elisha’s chest.
The gift he had given being handed to someone else made him feel as if his feelings had been deceived, and it irritated him.
“Your Highness?”
When Mikael suddenly looked frightening, Elisha’s shoulders flinched.
“Ah, sorry. I felt a bit betrayed.”
Elisha nodded as if she understood. It had been a gift he had carefully prepared, so it was natural that Mikael would feel hurt after it was thrown away and given to someone else.
She embraced him.
“Your Highness, please calm down. I am here by your side.”
Mikael held Elisha and stroked her shoulder.
With a slightly flushed face, Elisha said,
“Your Highness, could you give me a ring as a gift?”
“What?”
“You no longer need to put effort into courting Liliana. She is going to become engaged to Prince Estevan.”
“They are going to get engaged. It hasn’t happened yet.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know what method my brother used, but I haven’t given up yet.”
“Your Highness…”
“It means House Dayan is extremely necessary for me. I will stop this engagement.”
“But it is an engagement that even His Majesty the Emperor approved.”
“That’s exactly why it must be stopped.”
Elisha’s eyes widened.
“Don’t you understand? His Majesty intends to make my brother and me compete.”
“Compete?”
“Yes, that’s the intention behind this engagement.”
Mikael took both of Elisha’s hands.
“So this engagement must be stopped no matter what. Help me.”
“Me?”
“Seduce my brother. I will arrange the situation.”
