Does this little child Elisabeth, who stands before him now, know that she’s looking up at him with a puzzled look?
Do you have any idea how dangerous he was?
And how much I worried about you…
‘If this happens again, I might not be able to protect you.’
The thought made my heart burst.
“I’m sorry I almost got caught by Tyce Orell today.”
It wasn’t long before the little girl said cautiously.
There was a little bit of sadness in her tiny voice, which made Dylan snap again.
“What are you sorry for?”
So Dylan unknowingly raised his voice.
“Tyce Orell, that impudent bastard came into your room as he pleased.”
“….”
“If he’d touched you, I wouldn’t have let him go!”
Elisabeth’s eyes shook.
‘Why are you so….’
You’re getting angry. You’re not annoyed, but really angry.
‘No way, for me…?’
Something hot spread through Elisabeth’s heart as she looked at the distorted face of Dylan.
“But I’m still sorry.”
“I told you, don’t say you’re sorry.”
“I won’t leave you if you say that, I’m sorry.”
Dylan’s face, distorted by Elisabeth’s blunt words, was blank.
‘Sorry, Dylan.’
Dylan’s face soon hardened cold. However, his feelings were not as intense as before. It was like ‘I knew it.’
“I hate it. That you’re my sister.”
Then he vented out, grumpily.
“Why?”
“You keep bothering and bothering me.”
“…..”
I had nothing to say.
She said she would try, but her existence itself bothered him.
“Those bastards, they don’t pay attention. But I thought I was going crazy because it kept bothering me today. I’m afraid they’ll come near you, I’m afraid they’ll do something.”
“…..”
“If I were you, I would have said I’d leave first, even if I were scared. But you’re also you.”
It was so true that Elisabeth had nothing more to say. Still, when she refused to say she would leave stubbornly, Dylan frowned his forehead as he was frustrated.
“You think I’m going to keep protecting you just because you do, because you’re still here? Do you think I’ll help you when you’re in danger? Are you always looking at me and expecting me to magically show up when you need me?”
Dylan spewed out his words like a shotgun.
There was a lot of inconsistency in the words of the person who magically appeared and rescued her when she was in danger.
“I, I don’t expect that.”
Elisabeth panicked and stuttered in her speech.
“I won’t expect that, so please don’t hate me.”
Elisabeth sincerely added the words. I should be more careful from now on. So I shouldn’t bother Dylan.
At that moment, Dylan turned pale.
“You, I don’t hate you!”
Then he shouted. He rushed to Elisabeth and grabbed her by the shoulder.
‘What’s wrong with you?’
Dylan sighed as he agonized over what to do.
“I don’t hate you. Understand?”
He looked seriously troubled. He seemed to have misunderstood that Elisabeth was deeply hurt by his hatred. When she saw that, it made Elisabeth playful.
“I don’t know.”
Dylan was restless when Elisabeth bowed as she pretended to be hurt.
“Ah really, what’s wrong with you. What am I supposed to do?”
Dylan turned back, looked back, came here and there, and did not know what to do.
‘You’re embarrassed for someone who told me to get out easily like eating?’
Elisabeth swallowed the laughter that was about to come out.
Then Dylan, who came back and forth and came to Elisabeth’s face again, holding her in his arms as if he had made up his mind.
‘Oh…?’
Elisabeth looked up in surprise.
He is very careful and hugs his little sister, who is heartbroken. Dylan’s hand patted Elisabeth’s shoulder gently.
It was strange.
‘It’s as comfortable as Victoire’s. Is it because they have the same blood?’
At that moment Dylan bowed his head. Elisabeth quickly rubbed her face on Dylan’s chest. It was so that we didn’t make eye contact, but Dylan smelled good.
“I don’t hate you. It’s just that I didn’t want us to meet like this.”
Dylan said. It was quite a grown-up remark, so my heart was moved.
‘Sixteen is old enough to say this.’
Twelve-year-old Elisabeth looked up again at sixteen-year-old Dylan.
‘I don’t hate you either.’
Elisabeth whispered in her heart.
Dylan, I think he’s a better boy than I thought.
***
Until late at night, Elisabeth could not sleep.
In Dylan’s arms, she behaved like a baby.
He would have hugged her to soothe her, but she pretended to be heartbroken, and tears really came out.
‘Dylan’s clothes were wet with my tears.’
I didn’t know why I cried.
‘But I felt like I could cry a little bit.’
She learned that tears should be endured. That’s because her father always said she was a princess. So when Emilie fell down and cried, her father kept her in a room as punishment instead of soothing her. I remember crouching in the dark room and hearing the laughter of my father and Polia coming from outside.
‘I was so forced to be a princess that I didn’t seem like a child.’
Perhaps Elisabeth was being rewarded for it now.
“Elisabeth.”
I could hear the door open in the dark and I could hear the voice of Victoire. Elisabeth, who was sitting on the bed, was startled. Victoire lit a candle that had been extinguished and walked to Elisabeth.
“Your Grace.”
“You’re doing well in a dark room alone.”
“I’m not afraid of darkness.”
Elisabeth said with a grin.
“It’s not like a child.”
Victoire seemed rather worried.
‘Oh, you’re not happy.’
That was unexpected. I thought everyone liked a mature child.
Daughtry seemed to prefer the immature young child. They were strange people.
“What brings you here, Your Grace?”
Elisabeth changed the subject.
“Today, I heard from Dylan.”
‘Which one are you talking about?’
Tyce’s doing?
Or the one with me being a baby in Dylan’s arms?
‘I don’t like the second one. It’s embarrassing.’
Victoire stroked the head of the nervous Elisabeth.
“You’re very surprised by Sir Tyce, aren’t you?”
It’s the first one. That’s a relief.
“Dylan saved me.”
Elisabeth said with a big smile.
“But why are your eyes swollen?”
Asked Victoire. Elisabeth gave a moment of ‘huk’. It was only a peek, but I thought it was so obvious.
“Elisabeth.”
“Yes.”
“You won’t be in danger again.”
Victoire’s voice was serious. Somehow it seemed bitter.
‘You brought me here to put me in danger.’
In Elisabeth’s head there was a string of murmur of words that could not be said.
I don’t know why you want to keep my own blood and say things like that as if you’re being sincere.
‘If my soul hadn’t been eighteen, I would have been deceived.’
Elisabeth in her previous life was a young girl thirsty for affection.
She pretended to be tired because she didn’t want to feel any more strange feelings in her chest.
“Oh, I interrupted your sleep.”
Victoire said, embarrassed. Elisabeth did not say no, but mimicked the tired look.
“I’ll leave you alone. Sweet dreams.”
“Yes. Your Grace too.”
Victoire didn’t get up right away and hesitated. When Elisabeth looked at him with question marks in her eyes, he left the room quietly.
***
Carefully closing Elisabeth’s door, Victoire said to Marian:
“When Elisabeth tosses and turns in her sleep, light up the incense I gave her. It’s a scent that makes you sleep well.”
“Yes.”
“If she has a nightmare, wake her up right away and comfort her.”
“I understand.”
“Give her warm milk when you put her to sleep again. It’ll warm her stomach and make her feel drowsy.”
“Master.”
Marian softly called Victoire. The stiff face of Victoire was loosened up by the voice.
“I’ll keep those in mind. Have a good night’s rest.”
Marian smiled at such a master. As if not to worry.
“Then I’ll believe Mrs. Marian.”
Victoire patted Marian on the shoulder with relief and went back.
Marian stared at the tightly closed door of Elisabeth, looking at the back of the changed Victoire.
The master seemed to be gradually becoming a father.
***
“What? Dylan will teach me?”
The next day, Elisabeth heard the shocking news. Damon laughed, as if he knew I would be surprised.
“I’ve decided to pretend. There’s nothing Dylan can do to bother you.”
Then he admonished her affectionately, and suddenly Elisabeth thought that if she smiled with that face, there would be no woman or man who wouldn’t come over.
“Pretending to be?”
But for now, Elisabeth did not fall for it. Because the contents of what Damon said was absurd.
‘Dylan’s young, and it’s weird to teach me, and it’s weird to say it’s teaching, but it’s not really true.’
Of course, Sir Dylan, the one who Polia fell in love with in her previous life, was a well-versed young man in swordsmanship as well as learning. The young ladies followed the young man and wanted to be taught.
‘Sir Dylan, who’s the most arrogant, beat them all.’
Among those who wanted to be taught by Dylan in their previous lives was Polia. Of course she was rejected.
<How dare you refuse a princess’ request when you’re a subject of an upstart Count? I won’t let it go!>
The Duke of Cabezo threatened like this, but nothing happened because of Polia, who was afraid of being hated by Dylan.
Anyway, that’s what happened in my previous life.
“If he decides to teach, he really has to teach me. This is foul play.”
Elisabeth said, giving her eyes strength. Damon tilted his head in surprise.
“Don’t you get tired when you’re with a bad-tempered kid like Dylan?”
“Ah, that’s…!”
Damon’s relentless criticism left Elisabeth speechless.
“But I’m not tired though.”
“You admit his personality is bad.”
Damon smiled as if he had met a comrade.
“Elisabeth, you already excel without learning. Maybe you should teach Dylan.”
Damon’s words included the premise that Elisabeth, a ‘Cabezo Princess,’ had already been taught enough as a princess.
However, Elisabeth did not like the remark, which touched the dead girl, Emilie.