Episode 193
That night, Elonia gathered her friends and recounted the day’s events.
“…So that’s what happened. Do you know why Lucius reacted like that?”
Olivia and Garnethia, unable to hide their disbelief, whispered to each other.
“What are we going to do with this romantically inept child, Garnethia…?”
“Elonia…”
Even Garnethia was looking at her with pity.
Elonia, flustered, jumped up and asked,
“G-Garnethia, do you understand why Lucius reacted like that?”
“If you don’t, you’re an idiot!”
Olivia’s sharp retort made Elonia flinch.
Sadly, Elonia was an idiot when it came to romance.
Artius had also been clueless in his youth. Like father, like daughter.
Olivia, exasperated, explained Lucius’s feelings.
“He received a proposal, but you didn’t even say you liked him! Of course, he’d be hurt!”
“But what if he’s offended if I tell him I like him?!”
“Offended?! He’ll be overjoyed!”
“B-but!”
Elonia wanted to use the age difference as an excuse, but she couldn’t say that out loud, so she stammered, unable to explain herself. Garnethia, looking at her with pity, said,
“Lucius likes you a lot, Elonia… It’s obvious, even to me…”
“See? Even Garnethia knows! Why don’t you know, you idiot?!”
Elonia was mortified. Being called an idiot by her younger brother…
But she had a valid reason, a reason she couldn’t share with her friends. The age gap between her and Lucius.
If she were Lucius, she would have been offended. She had seen him as a baby. Wouldn’t liking him now be considered pedophilia?
Elonia, unable to explain herself, endured three hours of being called an idiot and a fool by Olivia and Garnethia.
She finally snapped.
“Fine, I’m an idiot! Now get out!”
“Hey! Listen to your elders!”
“Elders? You’re barely older than me!”
“We’ve lived longer than you!”
“Ugh…!”
Elonia, though she had a retort, couldn’t say it out loud and could only sputter indignantly. She endured their nagging until sunrise.
The next day, Elonia, her eyes red and puffy from lack of sleep, arrived at the palace, eliciting concerned murmurs from everyone.
“Your Highness, didn’t you sleep well?”
“Well… things happened…”
“Your skin looks dry. I know it’s fun spending time with your friends, but you still need to sleep.”
It wasn’t “fun.” It was a verbal assault.
But she couldn’t tell them that, so their worries persisted, and even her knights joined in.
“Your Highness, you look terrible today.”
“Hey, watch your language.”
…Did Ethan realize her own words were even harsher?
Elonia chuckled dryly and waved her hand dismissively.
“I’ll be fine. I have to go to the academy today.”
“Yes, you have a meeting with the department heads.”
She had discussed the commendations with Artius, and everything had been approved. She had to go to the academy to deliver the news.
‘Llewellyn was upset that I went without telling him last time.’
He had even cried, demanding that she inform him beforehand next time.
So she had arranged to meet with him today.
“What’s Alberich doing today? Is he busy?”
“He doesn’t have any official duties scheduled.”
Elonia finished getting ready and put on her jacket, then buckled her rapier and turned to Ethan.
“Ethan, you and Alberich switch today. He’ll want to see Llewellyn.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Llewellyn was still a student, or rather, a legal slave, at Gaia Academy.
The Gaia Academy students had almost had their graduation delayed by six months because of their contributions to the purification potion. They had been worried for three months.
Today, she was going to express her gratitude and apologize for the delay, as the princess.
“I’ll be going now, Sarah.”
“Have a safe trip, Your Highness.”
Elonia, at this point, was still oblivious.
Last night had been a tearful drama of sisterly love and nagging. And now, a new circus was about to begin, a circus of overprotective brothers wielding daggers of love.
“Thank you, Your Highness. We’ll make the necessary preparations.”
“Alright, then I’ll be going.”
“Yes, you have an appointment with Llewellyn. Please enjoy your time at the academy.”
Elonia, after her meeting with the Headmaster, headed towards Garden Fleur with Alberich, where she was supposed to meet Llewellyn.
“El!”
“Your Highness!”
Just as they entered Garden Fleur, Llewellyn and an unexpected guest emerged from the gazebo, their usual meeting spot during their academy days.
“Valerian? What are you doing here?”
Ignoring her question, the two large figures rushed towards her like excited puppies.
Valerian chuckled, scratching his head sheepishly.
“Llewellyn said he was meeting you, so I tagged along. Young Master Alberich, it’s been a while.”
“High Priest, it’s good to see you again.”
“Valerian, it’s been too long. I’m truly grateful for your help back then.”
“It was nothing. I was just doing what I had to.”
Valerian smiled brightly, his orange eyes shining with genuine joy. But Llewellyn’s reaction was strange.
He leaned closer to Elonia, his face inches from hers, and Elonia, taking a few steps back, asked,
“W-what?”
Llewellyn’s expression turned grim, and then he shrieked,
“Elonia, what happened to your face?! You’ve lost so much weight!”
“Can’t you see your brother is also here?”
“Llewellyn, you can tell Elonia has lost weight, but not me?”
“Who cares about you?! Elonia is practically skin and bones!”
Ignoring Alberich and Valerian’s protests, Llewellyn cupped Elonia’s face in his hands, turning it this way and that. To his eyes, she looked like she was on the verge of withering away.
“Who’s been bullying my sister? Tell your older brother!”
“Well, it’s…”
“Tell me!”
…If she told him the truth, Garnethia and Olivia would probably attack him.
‘And this is my fault for not visiting him.’
Elonia, seeing an opportunity, decided to use this to her advantage.
She had been struggling to figure out how to apologize to Lucius. Olivia and Garnethia had refused to help, telling her to figure it out herself.
‘They’re the same age as Lucius, and they’re both men, so they’ll understand how to appease him.’
Elonia, her mind made up, decided to confess, omitting the part about the age difference.
“…So that’s what happened. Lucius isn’t usually emotional, is he? Wouldn’t he prefer a logical explanation rather than an emotional apology?”
And then a miracle happened. The three men, who usually avoided showing any affection towards each other, agreed unanimously.
“He’s very emotional…”
“He’s obviously emotional, he’s an idiot.”
“He’s emotional.”
…Elonia was speechless. Lucius, emotional?
She had always thought of him as rational and logical. And other people also found him intimidating. And that was the problem.
“He only gets emotional around you, Your Highness…”
“…”
“That idiot, he doesn’t even know how lucky he is. Elonia, just forget about him. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“Llewellyn, language.”
“You don’t have to get married, Elonia. There have been emperors without spouses. If you need an heir, just adopt my brother’s child. And we can live together forever.”
What had he just said?
Even Valerian, unable to bear it any longer, gently rebuked Llewellyn.
“Llewellyn, Her Highness has lived a virtuous life…”
“What the—?!”
Alberich frowned.
“And why would she adopt my child, not yours?”
Llewellyn replied nonchalantly,
“I’m not getting married, but you are.”
“…I have no plans to get married.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re the eldest son. You have to get married.”
“Are you crazy?”
They were now exchanging insults.
It was complete chaos. Elonia, ignoring their bickering, quietly left Garden Fleur and called out to Ricardo, who was waiting by the entrance.
“…Rica, let’s go.”
“What about Captain Alberich?”
“Leave him.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Ricardo, without a word, abandoned Alberich and drove away.
Ethan, who had switched shifts with Alberich, was waiting for them at the palace gates.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
“I’m back.”
“Did something go wrong?”
Ethan asked, concerned by Elonia’s grim expression. Elonia smiled faintly and shook her head, then, looking up at the clear blue sky, thought,
‘I was an idiot for confiding in them.’
And she wondered if Duchess Asta missed her grandchildren…
Just then, she heard the sound of someone running. No one ran like that within the palace grounds, so Elonia turned her head.
And she couldn’t believe her eyes.
A fluttering cloak caught her attention. Not a priestly robe, but a clean, white cape with simple silver embroidery.
“L-Lucius?”
It was undoubtedly Lucius.
He turned a corner and disappeared. Elonia quickly chased after him, shouting,
“Lucius, wait! It’s you, isn’t it?!”
“You’re mistaken!”
“Don’t lie! I know it’s you!”
Elonia chased after him, but she couldn’t catch up, despite her superior stamina.
“Gasp… why is he running away?”
She was annoyed.
He must have had something to tell her, judging by his visit to the Imperial Princess’s Palace!
And yet, he was running away?
“What is he doing?”
And it wasn’t just once. Elonia kept running into Lucius at the palace.
And every time, she tried to stop him.
“Lucius, wait!”
“I apologize, Your Highness, but Her Majesty summoned me.”
“Lucius—”
“I apologize, Your Highness, but His Majesty summoned me.”
Even an idiot could tell he was avoiding her.
Elonia, finally realizing this after a week, exploded just before going to bed, punching her pillow repeatedly.
“Then why does he keep coming to the palace?!”
After a while,
“Elonia, are you asleep…?”
“…Your Highness?”
Sarah and Philemon, opening the door to her room, froze, seeing her. Elonia, feeling a sense of déjà vu, also froze.
Philemon and Sarah, misinterpreting her reaction, quickly said,
“Sorry, we thought you were asleep…”
“We were going to turn off the lights…”
Elonia still hadn’t broken her habit of falling asleep with the lights on.
She couldn’t scold them for entering her room without permission. Elonia, embarrassed, straightened her pillow.
“Ahaha!”
The two women, seeing her reaction, chuckled and sat down on either side of her bed, their comforting presence soothing her.
“Why is our daughter so grumpy?”
“Who made our princess angry? Tell us, Your Highness.”
“Mom, Sarah…”
Elonia, unable to resist their warmth and affection, started whining. Philemon and Sarah readily indulged her.
“Who dared to upset our daughter? Tell Mother.”
“Our princess, your face is so thin. Shall Sarah make you some pudding?”
Sarah was already a ray of sunshine, and now Philemon had joined her.
Elonia’s anger melted away under their combined warmth.
“Well, actually…”
Elonia, like a marshmallow exposed to sunlight, softened and confessed her romantic woes.
“So that’s what happened. Lucius is avoiding me because of my stupid proposal, right? I want to apologize, but I don’t know how—”
Crash.
A shattering sound, the sound of breaking porcelain, interrupted her. The three of them slowly turned towards the door. A man, his face a mask of stunned confusion, stood there, his shoes and pants soaked in tea.
“Ah, Artius.”
Philemon, covering her mouth with her hand, looked flustered.
Artius, oblivious to her reaction, his voice filled with disbelief, asked Elonia,
“…Elonia, is that true?”
A faint smile, beyond Elonia’s control, touched her lips.
‘I’m screwed.’
Of all people, Artius had to overhear.
Elonia mentally facepalmed.