Chapter 7
Let’s act like strangers now
Episode 7
It was a night where gloomy dark clouds looked ready to pour rain at any moment.
‘Prince, I hate thunder and lightning.’
A young girl with white hair braided on both sides spoke.
Erich watched the dainty ribbons attached to Elisha’s pajamas as he spoke slowly.
‘……What does that have to do with you suddenly barging into my bedroom?’
‘The sky is overcast.’
It’s going to rain soon.
Finishing her sentence, Elisha began to approach Erich with confident strides.
Erich immediately pulled his blanket up to his chest, his eyes widening.
‘Who said you could come here?!’
‘His Majesty.’
‘Father is out on a subjugation mission right now!’
‘I got permission before he left.’
He said there aren’t many troops left in the Imperial Palace, so it would be better for us to stay together if possible.
She replied lightly without stopping her pace. She even had a pillow she’d brought herself tucked under her arm.
Erich fell into great confusion.
I clearly don’t like her, and she clearly doesn’t like me.
‘I didn’t give permiss—’
‘I’ll eat all your carrots for you tomorrow.’
‘……Hurry up and sit down.’
On second thought, I think I like you better than carrots.
His mind working quickly, Erich moved to the edge of the bed.
As if she had expected this, Elisha naturally took her place beside the boy.
The sound of crickets from the garden filled the silent bedroom. It seemed her claim that it would rain soon was true.
‘This is the first time we’ve been together like this at night.’
It feels strange because the atmosphere is different from the daytime.
Erich rolled his eyes to look at Elisha.
Red ribbons tied to the ends of her neatly braided hair. A frilled one-piece pajama set that seemed like it shouldn’t suit Elisha, yet somehow did.
The way she sat perfectly still on the bed in quiet silence made her look like a doll…
‘Hey.’
At that moment, the boy blurted out, unable to contain himself.
‘I thought you didn’t like being with me?’
She was the child who would always scowl and ask, “Why do you keep following me?” whenever he came near.
Even just looking at that, he knew she didn’t welcome his presence.
And yet, here she was, seeking him out of her own accord.
This was a first.
‘That’s…….’
Elisha finally opened her mouth slowly. Erich swallowed hard without realizing it.
For some reason, he felt nervous.
‘I told you. I hate thunder and lightning.’
‘…….’
‘It’s the same as the Prince choosing to be with me instead of eating carrots.’
Elisha’s characteristic clear, monotone voice echoed through the bedroom.
Erich blinked blankly a few times, then let out a long sigh as if he should have known.
Of course, what was I expecting from her?
Wait, what was I expecting from her?
‘No!’
As soon as the thought hit him, Erich barked out. Elisha immediately covered her ears with her hands and frowned.
‘You were quiet for a while, so what’s wrong all of a sudden, Prince? It’s night.’
‘I, I just… you.’
‘……?’
‘I hate you…….’
Erich muttered feebly, hanging his head low.
It was a stark contrast to his shouting just a moment ago.
I didn’t mean to say that. It’s a relief the moon is hidden by clouds so nothing can be seen. Otherwise, she would have seen my face turning red…….
Wait.
Why is there no answer?
‘Elisha?’
Just as Erich sensed something was wrong and was about to lift his head.
‘Shh.’
Elisha suddenly covered Erich’s mouth with one hand and whispered.
‘Be quiet.’
“You look like you didn’t sleep at all. Was it too noisy last night?”
It was because a mercenary group or something suddenly barged in all at once.
Jonathan offered an apologetic smile to Elisha, who was standing on the stairs.
“People tend to visit from all over around this time of year. Ah, is the stew all right? I couldn’t prepare it properly because I was cleaning up all night……”
“Jonathan.”
“Oh, you know my name……”
……did you?
Jonathan’s mouth, which had been opening excitedly, clamped shut the moment he saw Elisha’s expression.
The woman who remained expressionless no matter what was said to her was now contorting her face.
And quite fiercely, at that.
“……Should I kick them all out, then?”
As Elisha trudged down the stairs, Jonathan hurriedly pulled out a chair for her and asked.
For someone who had been so unresponsive she seemed like a doll to make such a face, she must be utterly furious.
‘Even if you added up all the money the mercenary group pays, it wouldn’t equal the price of one artifact.’
Should I really just throw them out?
It was the moment Jonathan finished his mental calculations.
“No.”
Elisha, who had been silent, spoke in a low voice.
“It’s not that.”
Mercenary group or whatever, she hadn’t even known about them until he mentioned it. She didn’t have the luxury to care about such things.
“……It’s raining.”
She muttered, sitting down as if collapsing onto the table.
“The clouds are thick.”
She’d wondered why she felt out of sorts, and it turned out dark clouds had been gathering since yesterday evening.
Elisha was deeply bothered by it.
Because now, there was no one who could stay by her side.
Erich, who used to be with her.
“If you’re worried about the roof leaking, don’t be. It might not look like much, but I built this place sturdy.”
“Even if lightning strikes?”
“As long as it’s not a direct hit……?”
Jonathan replied, fiddling with his beard. Elisha stared at him for a moment, then slowly blinked her eyes.
It was a relief, at least, to have someone familiar nearby who couldn’t harm her.
Even if their acquaintance had barely lasted over a week.
“Do you hate rainy days?”
While she was staring blankly, Jonathan took a seat across from her and asked again.
Elisha slowly shook her head.
“Just rain is fine.”
As long as there’s no thunder and lightning.
Elisha muttered, burying her face in her arms. She looked almost pitiable.
Jonathan tilted his head slightly.
It had only been a week, but he’d never seen this woman act like this. Just now, too.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared of thunder and lightning.”
“…….”
“You acted like some emotionless doll, but I guess you still have a childish side, missy.”
“It’s not a childish side.”
I never had anything like that to begin with.
Elisha let out a thin breath after she finished speaking.
She had just hated it to a shuddering degree since some point in time.
There must have been a reason. But like the memories of when Bernhardt first found her, it had vanished without a trace.
Of course, even without that reason, there were more than enough reasons to hate this weather.
“Something always happens in this kind of weather.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“It’s true.”
“If something happened every time it thundered, then right now……”
Just as Jonathan was about to continue.
Suddenly, with a loud boom, an explosion echoed.
“I heard a Master Artifact was sold here! Hand over everything else you have!”
Armed men suddenly burst in and surrounded Elisha and Jonathan.
Elisha straightened her upper body from the table and let out a low sigh.
“See, I was right.”
“No, what on earth is this? Besides, that artifact you gave me was……”
“Of course it was for a Master.”
I am the Imperial Chief Archmage, after all.
She then stood in front of Jonathan and stretched lightly.
Five people were visible for now.
Aside from them, she could sense about ten others through the flow of mana, excluding herself and Jonathan.
If it were Dante Renaud, he would have shouted, ‘Let’s take them down one by one.’
“……I’m not in the mood for that today.”
A flash of light momentarily crossed Elisha’s blue eyes.
It was the gaze of a predator, fiercer than anyone else’s.
‘Shh.’
Silver hair, damp with the dark, scattered everywhere with a rustle.
Erich stared entranced at Elisha, who had covered his mouth.
Elisha’s silver hair had come undone at some point, and a dagger was plunged into the pillow that had been behind him.
And those chilling blue eyes were staring intently through the pitch-black darkness.
‘Be quiet.’
Erich knew instinctively.
That dagger in the pillow had been aimed at him.
And the people outside were all, all…….
‘Get a grip, Prince.’
In the meantime, Elisha removed her hand from Erich’s mouth and whispered softly.
Erich still couldn’t snap out of it and just blinked his eyes blankly.
Why did this suddenly happen?
Nothing like this had ever happened before.
Besides, if even the escort knights had already been taken out, then he and Elisha were…….
‘The Prince said he hated me.’
At that very moment, Elisha glanced back at Erich and smiled faintly.
Erich momentarily held his breath and gazed at her.
Blue eyes that even the darkness couldn’t hide.
And various magic circles that shone even brighter than them.
‘As I said before, I don’t hate the Prince that much.’
In the complete darkness, amidst attacks being poured out relentlessly as if she already knew exactly where the enemies were.
‘So, I hope the Prince doesn’t die.’
The expressionless girl smiled, her eyes softening.
‘This is for that.’
