The connection of souls lasted a long time.
Even after the long night had passed and the sun was shining into the room, Franz did not stop.
No matter how much Elysia he consumed, it seemed as if his thirst could not be quenched.
“Stop...please, stop...”
In the end, Elisia had to beg.
Franz did not stop until the wood in the stove - which had been lit to warm the room all night - had turned to white ash.
He finally stopped only when she pushed him, exhausted, away from her.
While she was panting, trying to regain her breath, countless soft kisses fell on her face.
"… Thanks."
Elysia thought, distracted, coldly:
'Of course, he is grateful.'
It's normal.
Now, the spirit link is complete.
Elisia became the one who could erase Franz's pain caused by mana.
Until Nerys appears a year later, she will be the only one who can do this.
“Leave me alone.
I want to rest.”
Elysia pushed him by the shoulder with a weary sound.
But her hand did not have the strength to move his sweat-soaked shoulder.
Franz got up at her signal and smiled.
“I'll just watch.”
Her tired green eyes turned to him.
She was greeted with a smile that made her heart tremble.
Elysia frowned.
Does this man really have such sweet expressions?
Since the wedding, she has begun to discover new faces of Franz that she did not know.
Throughout the night, he showed her tenderness and affection as a lover—words and actions she had never imagined.
However, despite facing this side of him, she did not feel any beating in her heart.
Rather, just a feeling of bitterness.
“I want to be alone.”
Elisia muttered weakly.
At her refusal, Franz got up.
He gently covered her with the sheet, then put on his robe.
She closed her eyes, hearing his footsteps moving away.
'So he's leaving.'
His actions were different from her previous life, but the general pattern had not changed.
In her previous life, Franz left her once the soul bond was completed.
Then, she sat crying alone in an empty room, shaking.
She didn't know whether it was from the cold or from a bad omen.
“…Heck.”
But this Elysia knew the reason for her tears.
Helplessness and despair of a terrifying and inevitable future.
“Haha…”
And overwhelming remorse, and bitter sadness for the past.
Elisia swallowed her hot tears.
It burned her throat like fire.
Finally, the souls' bond with Franz was complete.
All that remains now is revenge.
If she could be hard on him and make him suffer, it would all be over.
The wedding was only a necessary procedure to obtain this right.
She thought she would feel relieved after it was complete.
She did not expect this complicated remorse.
It was painful to encounter Franz's rare tenderness.
The image of the night he spent with Nerys floated to the surface, and it hurt her heart.
Whenever she saw his compassionate side, it seemed to her as if a knife was slicing through her entire body.
Elysia closed her eyes with a contorted expression.
'Could I... be jealous?'
She bit her lip hard.
no.
Not possible.
Are you shaken one night by the sweetness of Franz? absurdity.
The only emotion she is allowed to have is hatred.
This is how it should be.
Jealousy — a feeling that can only arise from love — is unacceptable.
Even Elisia in her previous life was not allowed to feel that feeling.
Emotions were a luxury unworthy of a tool that existed to offset Franz's mana.
“Haha...”
Elisia placed her hand on her chest, trying to hold back the flood of her emotions.
Calm down.
Just calm down.
I shared a bed with Franz again—that's all.
The storm will pass.
It has no deeper meaning.
She doesn't love him.
So, you can't be jealous.
What confused her now was her annoyance at him ignoring her all that time.
Knowing now that he could have been compassionate, but he chose to hurt her instead.
And that this tenderness would one day turn into cruelty, made matters worse.
Because she knows that Franz will coldly abandon her one day for Nerys.
So…
“Why are you crying?”
Elisia shuddered and opened her eyes.
Franz, who she thought had left the room, was looking at her.
In his hand is a warm, damp towel.
He sat on the bed and gently massaged her hair.
With his delicate fingers, he ran his hand through her hair, wet with sweat and tears, and spoke:
“You said you wanted to be alone.
Was that to cry alone?”
“I...”
Elysia blinked in surprise.
With every blink, drops of tears fell on her eyelashes.
“Why… did you come back?”
“I didn't even leave.”
Franz wiped away her tears with the back of his hand as he answered.
“You didn't seem to have the energy to go to the bathroom, so I brought a towel.”
I noticed the towel in his hands.
He spread it on his lap, then folded it in half.
“I did not expect to find you crying in such a short time.”
“Have you always been like this?”
Instead of answering, Elisia bit her lip.
Her white teeth pressed hard against her red lips.
Franz's fingers came closer to her mouth.
He gently inserted his finger between her lips and continued:
“Have you been bearing and crying alone all this time?”
His voice broke softly as he spoke.
Elisia's trembling gaze was lost without direction.
He pulled his finger from her mouth and looked into her eyes.
Her trembling gaze met his.
It seemed as if he had revealed a deep wound.
It was as if he read all her thoughts towards him.
“N-no...”
Elisia was confused and cleared her throat.
But her voice came out hoarse and choked with emotion.
As she rubbed her throat, Franz gently wiped away her tears.
He continued to wipe her tear-stained cheeks, then heaved a heavy sigh.
“It's a good thing we didn't invite Baron Ambrose and the widow to the wedding.”
Franz breathed deeply as he passed the towel over her face.
Slowly, he scanned her slender neck and shoulders and continued:
“From now on, don't cry alone.”
Elisia said nothing as he gently rubbed her body.
She just stared at him in stunned silence.
'Does he think I cried because of Patricia and Caleb?'
For a moment, I felt at ease.
Of course, if the bride cries on her wedding night, the reason is clear.
He must have thought she missed her family.
‘It’s a good thing we didn’t invite them’?
What does that mean?'
Shadows covered Elisia's face.
Normally, one would think she was nostalgic.
'Why does he seem to know how they were treating me at Ambrose?
'Did he investigate me?'
Elisia gave Franz a wary look.
But her doubts were dispelled with his next words.
“The Baroness made several petitions to be invited.
When I refused, she demanded a larger dowry.”
At his explanation, Elisia blushed.
She did not expect Patricia to stoop this low after not receiving a response to her letters.
“If you don't want them here, I'll make sure no Ambrose steps foot on Calebs' land.”
Franz spoke sharply, frowning.
He reached behind her back and gently helped her sit in his arms.
Elysia sat up, stunned, and leaned on him.
Franz hugged her tightly to his chest and whispered in her ear:
"Don't worry.
Don't be afraid, Liz.
You're my wife now.
You're under my protection."
Hearing those reassuring words, Elisia's face gradually began to freeze.
She pushed his chest forcefully into her hands.
“Who protects whom?”
Her beautiful lips berries.
Elisia looked at him with teary eyes and said, “Don’t be delusional.”
Her trembling hand gripped the lid.
Then she turned away from him and said coldly: “Just because we formed a soul bond does not mean that I belong to you.
The only thing we exchanged was mana.
Don’t show me cheap kindness.”
“I don't pity you.
I just… I saw you looking like you were in pain—”
"If you don't want to see me hurt, don't look at me.
You've been doing so good all this time!"
“What do you mean by that?”
At her tearful outburst, Franz's facial expression changed.
When she saw his astonished features, Elisia quickly closed her mouth.
"nothing."
"What does 'nothing' mean?
That I was ignoring you?
And that you were crying behind my back?"
There was a sudden chill in the room.
A cold energy began to spread around Franz.
“So, your crying earlier was because of me.
I must have misunderstood.”
With his strange voice, Manah's coldness intensified.
Elysia blinked as she felt it engulf her.
'Oh, no...'
Elisia quickly covered her mouth.
It was dangerous.
The bond of spirits affects not only Franz — but Elisia as well.
The bound people are affected by each other's feelings through mana.
And if Franz got angry and released mana charged with anger—like now—that anger would erupt inside Elysia as well.
'I should have restrained myf.'
Elysia shuddered slightly.
Her insides were churning.
Franz's frozen mana extended inside her body from within—