Elysia waited for Lady Aiden, contemplating if she was a transmigator.
“Greetings, Duchess.”
“I don’t know your name.”
That meant that her greeting was too short.
It was usually polite to reveal their family in the first greeting. However, Lady Aiden never said a proper greeting to her. Because of that, she did not invite her to sit down but waited for Lady Aiden to greet her again.
On one side, the servants and Ryan, who were waiting for that, glanced at Lady Aiden.
“Greetings, Duchess. I am Rania of Marquisate Aiden.”
“Please, sit down. You said you want to apologize to me?”
Elysia didn’t even give her the tea away and got to the point.
“Ah… yes!”
Lady Aiden, who answered with a blank look, surprised by her cold voice, frowned and unfurled her brows belatedly.
“What do you want to apologize for?”
“…I wanted to apologize for what happened at the banquet.”
It was not the face that wanted to apologize at all.
“For what exactly?”
Since she had uttered an apology before she could even sit long in the chair, Lady Aiden had to stand up straight and bow her head while saying that.
“About my reckless disclosure of the Duchess’ scandal.”
Elysia’s eyebrows twitched.
“Scandal… I want to know what the scandal was that I know nothing about. What is it?”
She then shook her hand as she felt the word scandal made Ryan and the other employees’ momentum become unsightly.
Nodding his head, Ryan let the servants go.
When she asked what the scandal was, Lady Aiden had a slightly bewildered look as if she wasn’t expecting it. Still, Elysia tilted her head and blinked.
“That the Crown Prince was clinging to me?”
At that, Lady Aiden was seen clenching her teeth.
“Or, was it that Duke Esteban fell in love with me at first sight? Other than that, there are no scandals about them, just rumors. You probably don’t know the meaning of the word.”
After confirming that all of the employees had backed off, Elysia continued her words.
“If you want to apologize, you have to be straightforward so that I can listen to the next story.”
Although she didn’t know what that was, Lady Aiden had decided to come all the way here because she was trying to figure something out from her anyway, so she couldn’t resist a little provocation and teasing.
But, this was more boring than she thought…?
Lady Aiden lowered her head slightly and opened her mouth.
“I apologize. I put an uncertain rumor in my mouth.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Keep your head down even more.”
As her lips trembled for a moment at her words, Elysia still clasped her chin and stared at her dissatisfied.
“More respectfully.”
Lady Aiden got her body up and asked with a face as if she was kidding now. Even though she knew it was a formal apology, it must be annoying for Elysia to act like this.
“Do it again. If you’re not going to do it right, you can go.”
She had never treated a person who had come to apologize in the first place like this. However, she knew something about the rules of the social world that she should already be forgiven to a large extent even by stating that she would apologize.
Elysia turned her body to face Lady Aiden as if to ask her to do it again.
“Take the pressure off your chin. Put your hands together.”
If there was any information Lady Aiden really wanted, such as knowing the color of Der’s eyes, or something she didn’t think of — anything that she needed to find out even if she bowed her head again, Lady Aiden would do it again.
If she wasn’t that desperate, there was no reason to show the color of Der’s eyes.
If Lady Aiden couldn’t figure it out, there was no helping it.
“I apologize.”
She did not raise her head as if waiting for an answer from Elysia’s mouth. It was their second meeting at most. However, it didn’t seem like her normal personality though whatever happened, it seemed urgent.
“All right. Sit down.”
It was indeed comfortable to be in a situation like this. Leaning loosely in her chair, Elysia was expecting the words to come out of Lady Aiden’s mouth. Of course, she had no intention of giving her tea now.
Meanwhile, Lady Aiden rummaged through her arms and took out a small box before putting it on the table.
“It is a small gift, but it is an apology.”
She wondered if she should not accept a present and then paused. Elysia only glanced at the box, but she didn’t even call the employee to pick it up or take it.
“Thank you.”
Instead, she just gave a simple greeting.
Lady Aiden smiled softly, hiding her agitation.
“I heard that you have a cat so that’s why I prepared it. How about trying it out?”
At that gentle voice, it seemed that she would have just affirmed if she had not known what Lady Aiden had done. Instead of answering, Elysia hugged Der, who was lying on her lap. Lady Aiden wouldn’t even know Der existed since it was hidden by the sleeves of her dress.
Der cried out in dissatisfaction with the interruption of its nap.
Elysia showed an apology, and she gently stroked Der’s favorite spot. The amber eyes flew past her face, fixed on Der and she didn’t know if they would fall off. At the same time, Der groaned in her hand and closed its eyes.
Lady Aiden’s eyes were directed towards Der’s face. As if to wake it up soon, she pushed the box that had been on the table closer to Elysia.
“It’s so cute. What I prepared is a necklace, and I want to see if it goes well with it.”
“I’ll unpack it later and let you know. It’s asleep, and I don’t want to wake it up.”
“…May I hold it?”
Though she refused to wear the necklace because Der was asleep, Lady Aiden said something nonsense. Elysia smiled, wiggling the corners of her lips loosely.
It seemed certain that Lady Aiden wasn’t just curious.
It felt a little desperate.
While Elysia was about to wake up Der and showed her the color of Der’s eyes, Der opened its eyes before that. She could see the red eyes of the same color as hers. After all, she couldn’t get Lady Aiden to see the original color right away.
Should she look at her reaction seeing it was red…?
Probably, from Lady Aiden’s position, it would not be visible that Der was wearing a magic stone necklace.
“The eyes…”
“It’s the same color as mine. Isn’t it pretty?”
Of course, that meant that Der was pretty. Seeing Ryan nodded his head gently, Elysia smiled a little.
“Yes, it’s so pretty.”
It was a dry answer with no sincerity.
Elysia reached out her hand and opened the box that Aiden had brought. In the stillness, only the sound of a ribbon string being untied was heard. Then, the sound of Lady Aiden swallowing saliva followed.
There was a necklace studded with rubies inside it as if it had been fitted.
In addition, there was a very subtle aura of black magic that was felt in the necklace. It was so refined that Elysia might not have noticed if she hadn’t mastered black magic. She had to say that it was not that sophisticated but well-hidden.
“It seems to have woken up, so I’ll have to try it on.”
Without seeing Lady Aiden’s reaction, Elysia put Der down on the table. As she untied Der’s necklace, which it was originally worn, the purple blended over the red eyes and found its original color. She could see Lady Aiden taking a deep breath.
Seeing the purple eyes, Lady Aiden opened her lips in bewilderment with an unknown expression, and she continued with what seemed to be muttering to herself.
“Ah… I finally found it.”
…What did she mean by ‘found it’?
Elysia put the necklace Lady Aiden had brought and put the necklace that Der was originally wearing back on.
Der’s eyes become the same color as hers.
When Lady Aiden’s gaze persistently followed Der, Elysia quickly grabbed it as she saw Der stretching its front paws to the necklace.
“Ryan.”
At her signal, Ryan hugged Der, who hesitated for a moment and then left the parlor. The next moment, she slowly raised her body and walked towards Lady Aiden.
“Lady.”
“Duchess…?”
Elysia lowered her head slowly and brought herself to Lady Aiden’s eye level, and felt her breath. Moving as close as she could, the slightest bit of doubt in her mind had vanished. The idea that Lady Aiden might have something to do with Peloit.
Peloit knew that Der was the tomb’s guardian, so of course, he knew the color of Der’s eyes.
If so, it meant that Lady Aiden was trying to harm her regardless of him. It was difficult to see that Cassian wasn’t even the target, and she did it to her because of Revos.
For what?
Nevertheless, as she saw traces of black magic again, Elysia wondered if Lady Aiden really had anything to do with Peloit.
The more she found out about her, the more the doubts grew.
“Why are you looking for the tomb guardian?”
Elysia reached out and picked up the gift, the necklace, which had been laid down on the table. Her thumb slowly ran down the red jewel as she pressed it down.
As the black magic broke, the ruby cracked.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“How…”
Then, she quickly waved her hand. She used the bondage magic Peloit had used on her to bind Lady Aiden’s limbs.
“I don’t know when black magic became so common.”
Elysia got up and sat across the table, crossing her legs.
In the first place, Elysia actually had no intention of doing this. She was going to let her go once she confirmed that Lady Aiden just wanted Der, but now, she was tired of being slapped in the back of her head.
“Rania Aiden.”
She clenched her lips and was trying to figure out what was going on. Elysia met her gaze and used delusion magic. The amber eyes seemed to be out of focus, but she shut her eyes tightly the next moment,
“You’re quick-witted.”
Lady Aiden noticed that she was enchanted and closed her eyes.
Elysia murmured that there was something to commend her for sure. Since he could erase the memories of today if she used her powers anyway, she just had to loosen Lady Aiden’s vigilance for a moment.
“The position of the Empress and the Crown Princess must all belong to Lumiere.”
There was a sound of sharp grinding teeth grinding at those words.
“You know everything…!”
Elysia furrowed her brow.
What did she know?
Even Lumiere yelled at her for pretending not to know when she knew everything. Whether she was a transmigrator or a returner, Lady Aiden knew the contents of the original story.
“Revos? Cassian?”
Or, simply because she needed Der? What was she trying to approach…?
It was at that moment.
Rania, who was bound by the bondage spell but was not wearing a restraint, unleashed her spell and took a small dagger from her arms before rushing towards her. Elysia laid on her table and held the dagger in her hand that was thrusted to the nape of her neck.
Black magic was also engraved on the sword.
It seemed that she came very determined.
Elysia put a barrier on to keep anyone from entering the parlor. Rania clenched her teeth and shouted.
“Just give me that cat.”
“No. There is still work to be settled between you and me.”
The hand holding the dagger trembled, and she could feel Rania giving it strength so much that her knuckles turned white. Elysia’s palm was cut, and blood dripped down her face.
She clicked her tongue.
It hurt. She should just push her right away. Besides, it was obvious what Cassian would say if he knew about it.
Soon after, she exchanged positions with Rina with only a light push. Elysia then took the dagger from Rania’s hand and threw it into her corner. Even though she immediately cast a spell, Elysia blocked it easily.
“Nonsense.”
She looked incredulous.
Elysia pondered for a moment, then cast mental-based black magic. It seemed that delusion was not enough for her.
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