‘I’m not used to the social world after all. I’m exhausted.’
One day after returning to the mansion, Lucerne vacated the estate due to his provincial manor schedule. Elisha greeted the day as usual.
‘The bait I sprinkled on Mimosa will take some time to take effect.’
The temptations that had already been cast would bear fruit after time. Mimosa was a pawn hit by a piece on her chessboard. It was the lowest-level horse. But even such an existence can be an excellent tool when used correctly.
‘And unlike chess, humans change sides.’
However, chess pieces and humans also had something in common. Sometimes you could clean it up right after use.
***
Elisha tried to be productive all afternoon. Otherwise, she would have had complicated thoughts about Lucerne the whole time.
She learned many things in her previous life. The most useful of those teachings was that unfounded hope was a delusion. Harboring those kinds of thoughts was the worst. Of course, one could resist the hope that others offered. But there would be no escape if she believed in the false hopes she had created to deceive herself.
‘For example. Hope to believe that there will be a chance for a relationship with Lucerne in this lifetime.’
She was punished and suffered so much, but she still found herself aiming for dreams beyond her reach and station. Elisha stroked her own arm. She tried to speak harshly to herself, but the tenderness he gave her sometimes confused her.
‘Maybe I took physical relationships too lightly.’
Had another man been her partner, she would have found sex disgusting. But Lucerne was the man she yearned for so much in her previous life and could never have. That’s why she had no objection to sexual intercourse from the beginning. And she thought she could just end it there and be done with it.
But when it’s late at night. When he digs in deep. And when his hot breath touches my skin, and even our hands are interlocked. Then… … .
There is a moment when you come to believe that more emotions exist.
‘—Stop!’
Elisha jumped up from her seat. Suddenly, her body temperature rose, and she felt relaxed between her legs. She shook her head to focus on the present.
‘I’d rather serve tea to the Seeds.’
Elisha set out to find the Seeds. She had to thank them for what had happened at the hunting festival. Together with Lucerne, they covered up her mistakes.
But she walked around the house and couldn’t find anyone. Elisha grabbed hold of a butler passing by and asked,
“Butler, where did Lapis and Lazuli go? What about Nora?”
“Ah… … . Those three Seeds have received a special order from Lucerne-nim to self-reflect in their rooms.”
“Self-reflect?”
At that, she wondered if he was venting his anger on them for her fake love letter.
She was worried about Nora and decided to go. Instead, she found familiar faces near the stairs.
‘Nora, Lapis, Lazuli?’
They were sneaking out through the back door, covered in black hoods disguising their faces. Elisha ran after them.
She could walk without making a sound like a cat. It was a skill she had acquired in her previous life so she could eat.
“Lapis?”
When they reached the back door, Elisha called them. Their eyes widened.
“Uh, ma—ma’am.”
Their eyes were wide like children caught making a big mistake.
“What’s going on?”
Elisha asked. Coincidentally, this group couldn’t lie.
“We’re going out without the general’s knowledge.”
In the end, Lazuli spoke honestly and was slapped on the back by Lapis. They looked over her shoulder. Fortunately, there was only Elisha.
She was allowed to go out at will only to the cafe.
“I want to go to a cafe. Could you escort me?”
***
Lapis, Lazuli, and Nora stood at the river’s edge. A river that ran through the center of the capital and slowly flowed towards the sea regardless of the racket and activity of people around it. Elisha watched their figures.
The three, including Lapis, floated white lilies on the riverside. She knew what they were doing. It was an Imperial custom that when commemorating those who had no tomb or whose corpse was not found, they sent lilies into the river.
“Who are you honoring?”
Elisha wondered. Today was May 1st, the beginning of spring. And in her past life, Carola… … . It was the day she invited Lucerne to the club and mocked him through those 14 names and Elisha.
“Chris, Elot, Pian…. Do you know anything about these names?”
Nora was startled. Lapis and Lazuli’s eyes sank gloomily.
“We know,”
Lapis said with slightly downcast eyes. But rather than extreme sadness, it was an expression of searching for memories from long ago.
“Pian-nim was our teacher, a wizard… … . He was the protector of us orphans.”
14, including Pian. Elisha had wondered who they were. It was the same question she had in her previous life. She asked cautiously,
“Can you tell me about them?”
“… … .”
“Lucerne… … I heard he hates those names a lot. I want to know why.”
The three looked at each other. Finally, Lazuli opened his mouth with a blank face.
“Those fourteen.”
“… … .”
“Were the general’s first subordinates and lifesavers.”
