Chapter 8
Keep our relationship as strangers.
Episode 8
‘Erich, Elisha!’
Immediately after the incident occurred, Bernhardt, having heard the news, canceled all his schedules and returned straight to the Imperial Palace.
The sight he encountered was utterly shocking.
Escort knights and maids lay collapsed in front of Erich’s bedroom.
The walls were severely scorched on all sides, porcelain was shattered, and the remains of furniture were barely recognizable.
And yet, in the middle of it all, like the eye of a storm, sat the only thing left intact: the bed.
A young girl, who had been quietly humming a lullaby while letting Erich sleep with her lap as a pillow, turned her gaze to stare at Bernhardt.
Her presence was as peaceful as the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the window.
Bernhardt looked at his son, who was sleeping without a single scratch, and then turned his gaze to meet Elisha’s.
‘I thought I should do something if I’m going to stay here. So—.’
Soon after, the girl spoke in a voice as clear as a skylark’s.
‘I was protecting him well.’
As soon as he grasped the situation, Bernhardt tracked down the masterminds behind the incident.
It was someone who knew better than anyone that Bernhardt had left for a subjugation mission, someone who knew the interior of the palace inside and out.
It was an extreme ploy by several elder nobles to force Bernhardt’s hand, as he had refused to take a new Empress because of Erich.
Furthermore, they were a greedy lot who hoped their own daughters would become Empress to solidify their own power.
They excused themselves by saying they never truly intended to harm the Prince, only to scare him.
‘Your tongue is far too long.’
The heads of numerous nobles who participated in the incident were severed, and new faces began to fill the vacancies.
That wasn’t the only thing that changed.
From that day on, Elisha began to receive a completely different reputation within the Imperial Palace.
The genius magician who defeated assassins single-handedly—assassins that even the escort knights couldn’t stop.
The finest raw gemstone discovered by Emperor Bernhardt.
The gazes that had ignored her until now shifted into awe and curiosity.
The people who used to whisper while looking at Elisha vanished in an instant; instead, people began to line up just to have a single conversation with her.
And amidst that chaotic popularity, Elisha…
‘This is so annoying.’
…was in a very foul mood.
‘People I’m not even close with keep talking to me. It’s irritating.’
In the Imperial Library, specifically the innermost study where only the Imperial family could enter.
By the permission of Emperor Bernhardt, the only girl who wasn’t of Imperial blood allowed inside lay sprawled out on the floor, grumbling.
She held a book in her hands, which were stretched out above her head.
‘For someone who says that, you sure do enjoy the desserts those people give you.’
Erich, who was sitting awkwardly beside Elisha with his legs tucked in, snapped at her.
Elisha replied without giving him so much as a glance.
‘If I don’t eat them, they’ll all be thrown away.’
‘…….’
‘I was told I’d be punished if I left food behind.’
Since you always leave your vegetables, Prince, you’re going to be severely punished later too.
Elisha spoke in a calm voice as if she were merely stating a fact. Erich stammered for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
He shouldn’t fall for this kind of provocation every single time; he was the Prince of the Empire, after all…
‘Maybe the ministers will protest, asking how a Prince who can’t even eat carrots can become Emperor.’
‘That would never happen!’
Unable to hold back any longer, Erich yelled out. At that, Elisha closed the book she had been reading and sat up.
‘Prince.’
A short gust of wind brushed past the bridge of Erich’s nose. It was because Elisha had leaned her upper body toward him.
In that moment, Erich stopped all thought and stared blankly ahead.
Clear eyes, a shade lighter than his own, looked directly at him.
As Elisha’s hair came perilously close to touching him, the boy unknowingly swallowed hard.
His heart felt strangely ticklish, as if something was seriously wrong.
To be precise, ever since that day Elisha saved him…
‘I’m only telling you this because I’m thinking of you, Prince.’
Elisha continued, her eyes crinkling slightly.
‘If you’re a picky eater, you won’t grow tall.’
At that moment, Erich’s entire face turned bright red.
To make such a face and then say something like “you won’t grow tall if you’re a picky eater.”
‘I really hate you!’
Erich shouted, pulling a random book from the shelf to hide his face.
Elisha shrugged her shoulders and spoke calmly.
‘You don’t have to tell me that anymore. I know.’
‘…….’
‘And I told you, I don’t hate you, Prince.’
With those words, Elisha opened her closed book again and began to read composedly.
Erich watched her for a moment, then lowered his book and began to peek at her.
He wondered since when Elisha had been able to use magic.
He wondered why she had insisted on not revealing such a talent until she saved him.
He wondered why this strange girl kept insisting she didn’t hate him, even when he said he hated her.
He was just curious about everything.
‘You.’
After agonizing for a long time, Erich let one of his many questions burst out.
‘When you first met me, you said I was rude.’
‘Yeah.’
‘But you still don’t hate me?’
‘Are you admitting to yourself that you’re still rude, Prince?’
As soon as Erich’s question ended, Elisha asked back, her eyes wide.
Then, she furrowed her brow for a moment as if lost in thought.
‘I realized it after coming here.’
‘What?’
‘That you have no choice but to be that way here, Prince. This is your country, after all.’
Of course, that doesn’t mean pointing fingers at someone you’re meeting for the first time was the right thing to do.
She continued calmly.
‘To be honest, I understand why you hate me. Who would welcome having the privileges they enjoyed alone taken away?’
‘…….’
‘So, I don’t expect you to like me. That would be greedy.’
Elisha’s characteristically emotionless eyes held Erich’s gaze without wavering.
Erich stared back at her as if possessed.
It felt just like that day.
The way she looked, shining brilliantly, on the day she saved him.
‘But if I could ask for just one thing.’
‘…….’
‘Stay with me on days when there’s thunder and lightning.’
The fairy-like girl with snow-white silver hair and blue eyes spoke.
She asked him to be with her on days when it thundered and lightninged.
If he did that,
‘Then I will protect you, Prince.’
She promised to protect him.
Rumble!
The loud sound of thunder pierced Erich’s ears.
Erich squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his finger against the bridge of his nose.
In such foul weather, and on a day with the thunder and lightning he loathed so much.
He wondered what Elisha was doing.
[Whoa, damn, that startled me.]
As lightning struck behind Erich’s back, Dante flinched on the other side of the video communication stone.
‘Does he really have to do this in this kind of weather?’
It wasn’t raining where he was.
It was the moment Dante was grumbling internally while his violet eyes darted around.
“Any progress?”
In the space where lightning was striking down, Erich asked with a grim look in his eyes.
At the same time, goosebumps erupted on Dante’s forearms.
I almost bit my tongue.
[Are you going to keep talking with that Demon King-like posture…?]
“Progress.”
[I should just keep my mouth shut.]
He let out a small sigh, cleared his throat a few times, and spoke again.
[A master artifact recently appeared at an auction.]
“A master artifact.”
[As you know, there’s only one person we know who would sell something like that without a second thought.]
Elisha.
Dante Renaud’s violet eyes stared into the video communication stone. His expression was filled with tension.
He already has black hair, and his expression is so fierce that when he gets serious, it’s terrifying…
[Just in case, I purchased the artifact as soon as I confirmed it. Oh, and of course, I charged it to Your Majesty.]
Of course, just because he was scared didn’t mean he couldn’t say what needed to be said.
Dante smiled as he recalled the price he had paid to purchase the artifact.
It was well over three months’ salary, probably.
Erich, of course, asked with an entirely indifferent attitude.
“And?”
[After checking the details…]
Dante took the artifact out from his robe and continued solemnly.
[It almost perfectly matches Elisha’s mana.]
“Almost?”
[It’s not exactly the same. I’m a bit curious about that too, but for now, the Cardion Imperial seal is stamped inside the artifact. So…]
“…….”
[My opinion is that it’s definitely Elisha.]
As soon as he finished speaking, the screen of the communication stone flashed brightly. Dante flinched again and knitted his brows.
The thunder will follow soon. Maybe I should cover my ears in advance.
“The source?”
[An inn on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. But the chances are high that she’s already left…]
Before he could even finish his sentence, a heavy peal of thunder rumbled loudly.
Dante clutched his pounding heart and barely managed to finish.
[…Ah.]
How can thunder be that loud? Someone would think the house was collapsing.
[I asked the person who put it up for auction if they got anything else from the innkeeper, and they said, ‘The person who handed this over has already left.’]
“…….”
[For now, I’ve taken measures to have each auction house contact us immediately if related items appear. I’m planning to look around the neighboring countries a bit more as well.]
“…….”
[Erich, are you listening to me?]
Dante Renaud’s voice flowed through the communication stone.
Even that was nothing more than an annoying buzzing that failed to reach Erich’s ears.
Elisha is not a thoughtless person.
Even if she had to stay within the capital on the first day because she fled at dawn, she would eventually have to go outside now that she was running from him.
‘I thought I’d found a clue.’
He thought he would be able to pursue her soon.
She seemed so close, yet she vanished in an instant; even this was so much like Elisha.
Even when she seemed to be by his side, that girl was always a few steps ahead of him.
But she had never disappeared from his sight like this before.
“Haa.”
Erich let out a small sigh, then turned off the communication and stared out the window.
Just where are you?
