Elisia spoke to Sara with a stern face: “Sara, you are the only person I trust in the Imperial Palace.
I hope you will never hide anything from me.
Otherwise… I will feel really lonely.”
“Ma’am...”
Elisia pulled her hand away from Sara's, a disappointed expression on her face.
“If you don't want to talk, that's okay.
I won't force you.”
“No, I'll tell you.”
Sarah said with a stern face.
After a moment of hesitation, she turned and took the medicine bottle.
She handed it to Elisia and she opened her mouth to speak.
“In fact… the royal physician has been summoned.”
“What next?”
“That's it.
There's nothing else to hide.”
Elisia furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Sarah with a look of suspicion, so the latter gestured with her hands together, trying to prove her innocence.
“Really, that's all.”
“And this simple visit was worth you hiding from me?
Why?”
“His Highness the Second Prince asked me not to tell you about the doctor.
Not just today—he said not to mention it in the future either.”
Elisia narrowed her eyes and turned the medicine bottle in her hand.
The blue liquid was swaying inside the clear glass.
Sarah continued, watching her reaction nervously.
“I'm sorry.
I should have put your orders above his, but… I heard that you were very sensitive about doctors, so I didn't know what to do.”
“…Indeed I was.”
Elisia muttered bitterly.
She thought the memories of her previous life were buried.
The pain of not being able to call a doctor, the pain of Franz betraying her when he turned his back—all of these had not yet happened in this life.
But just because it didn't happen doesn't mean it didn't exist.
Elisia is not free from the pain of the past yet.
She gently placed her hand on her stomach.
Her fingers were trembling as she ran them over a place that did not yet hold life.
"Ma'am, what's wrong?
You don't look well at all.
I shouldn't have said anything...
What should I do now..."
Sarah jumped from her place in panic.
As she was about to go out to call the doctor again, Elisia quickly grabbed her arm.
“I'm fine, Sarah.”
"but-!"
“I really—”
“If she is your maid, you should trust her.
Let her call a doctor if necessary.”
Before Elisia could finish comforting Sarah, her speech was interrupted by another voice.
They turned to see a man entering through the side door.
“Franz.”
Elisia frowned as soon as she recognized him.
“Do I have to get used to this now?
I didn’t know that being a member of the royal family meant you had no privacy.”
She said between her teeth.
Part of her wanted to lock that door.
Franz was always using it to break into her room, and this made her angry.
“At least you could have knocked on the door.”
“I knocked.
Twice.”
Franz replied calmly as he approached the bed.
As his steps approached, his cool and refreshing scent reached her, like a forest of oak trees.
He surrounded her gently.
Elisia ignored the attractive perfume and said, "You are the reason I no longer trust Sara.
Why did you force her to hide the doctor's order?
You gagged one of my maids!"
Franz sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sagging slightly under his weight.
He did not answer, but turned to Sarah.
Sarah squirmed under his gaze.
When he nodded to her, she bowed and quietly left the room.
After the door was closed, a heavy silence remained between them.
“I literally didn't gag her.”
When the silence became almost stifling, Franz took a deep breath and finally spoke.
He stared at the bottle in Elisia's hands, then continued:
“I just wanted the number of people who knew what happened yesterday to remain small.”
Elysia laughed sarcastically.
“So you hid it from the person it happened to?”
“…You were the last person I wanted to know.”
Franz's face showed pain.
He gently reached out and took the bottle from her.
She watched him put it on the table and asked, “Why?”
“Why was I the last person he wanted to know?”
Although her voice was calm, there was a clear tone of rebuke underneath.
Franz slowly turned his gaze to her.
She raised her eyes and met his gaze directly.
Eyes the color of summer green collided with golden eyes that shone like the noonday sun.
“This is my body.
And I should know what’s happening to it more than anyone.”
Franz's gaze shook slightly.
When he was about to walk away, she caught him.
His body froze.
His muscles tensed, but Elysia didn't let go.
“Are you hiding something else from me?”
“And if I do?”
His voice came out hoarse, full of bitterness, as if he was blaming her.
For a moment she was unable to answer his opposite question.
'Who are you to be angry now?'
Elisia bit her lower lip and said:
“If so, please tell me.”
“Do you really care what I hide?
I didn’t think you cared about me.”
“I didn't know you wanted me to care.”
“You...”
Franz sighed at her harsh words.
He ran his hand across his face roughly, then began to speak: “No matter what I do, you will hate me.
I am the impudent man who is trying to force you to marry him.
The one who is using you to stabilize his desires.
You must find touching me repulsive.”
His words came out like a rushing torrent.
Elysia listened and thought bitterly: ‘Then he knows.’
Franz was more aware than she thought.
This surprised her—and angered her, too.
This means that he understands her pain, yet he ignores it.
'Disgusting.'
The more she got to know him, the worse her feelings for him became.
She looked at him coldly.
Franz took a deep breath and shook his head, then said in a calm, resigned tone: “I have nothing to hide.”
The coldness returned to his eyes.
He continued his words as if he had not revealed what was in his heart moments ago: “I asked Sarah not to tell you about the doctor in order to preserve your dignity.”
The gold sparkle in his eyes faded.
“The Second Prince’s fiancée fainted while choosing her wedding dress and had to call the royal doctor—if this gets out, nothing good will come of it.
I thought it would be best if you didn’t know either.”
“You're saying you did all this to protect my dignity?”
“It is not appropriate to call a doctor for someone who has not yet officially become a member of the royal family.
I thought it would increase your burden, so I tried to be careful.”
“Because my dignity is yours, you decided to act without telling me, right?”
At Elisia's cold comment, Franz's eyebrows twitched.
His eyes searched every word she said.
Before she could look away, he raised his chin arrogantly, as if to confirm her words.
“And if that is true?”
"What?"
Elisia stared at him in amazement.
She knew Franz Eustace was arrogant.
But she did not know that he raised his image to this extent.
“Why don't you give up on me then?”
The words came out of her unconsciously.
She violently removed her hand from him, and said sharply: “Forget a woman like me, who is difficult to handle.
Look for an obedient girl.
A noble lady from a distinguished family—one who befits your precious image.
There is no doubt that they are lining up to win you over.”
“…My mana stone only interacted with you.”
“Ah, soul bond.”
Elysia laughed bitterly at his low response.
That damned bond.
She was tired of hearing it.
If there had been no Mana—if there had been no Soul Bond—this tragedy would not have existed.
'But no matter how many times I die and come back, that won't change.
It's my destiny.'
Elisia smiled in spite of herself, her lips slowly curved.
“Then let me give you another option.”
She stared at Franz with eyes tearing from anger.
Her voice trembling: "Keep your bond.
And take a mistress.
An elegant and noble woman, exactly of your taste.
With this, you won't have to worry about my reputation anymore.
What do you think?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a fire flared in Franz's eyes.
He gripped her hand harshly and gritted his teeth.
His jaw was trembling.
“This will never happen.”
His sharp gaze penetrated deep inside her.
“There is no woman for me but you.
So, stop wishing for something else.”