Episode 115

“Yes. How did you know I was the prince?”

Yepnen was still young and his tongue was short. Moreover, it was all the more so because he was still sobbing. Elisha took her handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to her.

“Just by looking at it, he has the dignity of a member of the royal family, so he is a precious person. The second person in the same age is the only one in the imperial family, Prince Yepnen.”

Up close, Yepnen is quite similar to Ilione. However, compared to Ilione, her drooping eyes were mild among her peers.

“Do not cry. Prince.”

“Yes. It's okay. The prince does not cry.”

Elisha felt her heart thump. She wanted to hug the child tightly.

And, surprised by his own heart, he became even more expressionless. Elisha's face would grow colder when she encountered strangers and her own feelings.

But even when she saw Elisha's expression, Yepnen was not frightened. She just swallowed her tears.

“My name is the general's wife, Elisha de Lorre.”

“I know……. I saw you from afar yesterday. Although she went in first because she was not feeling well. I am Yepnen, Im.”

Yepnen held onto his handkerchief. Elisha took her handkerchief back and wiped the boy's flushed, puffy cheeks.

“This is my request.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

“Please keep what happened today a secret from everyone.”

“Wouldn't it be better to know that Your Majesty is being bullied? It doesn't seem like it was once or twice.”

Said Elisha. Yepnen shook his head.

“Imperial children are not bullied. It's because I'm flawed. Sniff When you grow up, everything will be fine.”

Elisha was at a loss for words. Children of the imperial family have their own iron rules for survival. He couldn't tell, crying like the girls at a girl's house because someone was bullying him. Even a six-year-old kid knew that.

'Should I say that I quickly learned the logic of the world?'

Elisha's eyebrows twitched.

“Prince.”

Elisha said, guiding him affectionately.

“The prince is an excellent person. Look, the prince saved me earlier. If Carola, who hates me, and Prince Jewel, who is afraid of me, had found me, I would have been in a lot of trouble.”

“…….”

“Judging by how she protects her lady, the prince has the qualities of a knight. Just like my husband.”

To children of that age, strong men like Lucerne are idolized. Jewel opened her eyes.

“You mean like the general who catches beasts with his bare hands?”

“…… I don't know if you catch it with your bare hands, but yes. Right.”

Elisha nodded her head. Yepnen snorted and stopped her crying.

“By the way, where were you going? The prince can't go around alone.”

“That is……. To meet my sister……. In the meantime, I met Jewel Hwang.”

Elisha got the whole context of her situation with just one word from her child. She seems to have been mistakenly caught by Jewel while out on a tour of an unauthorized hunting ground. Sister would refer to Ilione in a friendly way, and Jewel, who had a relatively bad relationship with her, would call her hwanghyeong.

“But the lady is not alone either! Bad. There are a lot of dangerous people here too…….”

“Then let's go hunting together. I would feel at ease if the brave Prince Yepnen escorted me. If we go together, no one will say anything.”

Yepnen nodded his head happily at those words. But when Yepnen started walking, Elisha felt her heart ache a little.

Yepnen walked with a limp. I don't know if it's an accident or congenital, but everyone in the Empire knew that Yepnen was lame.

Therefore, this young thing must be using the word itself as a defect. Elisha held Yepnen's hand and headed to the place where her people gathered.

*​ *​ *​

“Elisha.”

Lucerne is approaching with stride. Standing in front of people, he looked exceptionally dazzling today.

“Are you awake now?”

“Lucerne. Don't talk like that.”

Fortunately, the emperor and empress were nowhere to be seen. It would have been a great disrespect if Elisha, who slept late, didn't come out while they were there. Lucerne saw her Elisha, and also saw her and Yepnen, who held her hand.

“The prince is also here.”

“Yes. See you, General.”

Yepnen put one of his hands on his chest and greeted him dignifiedly.

The courtiers approached. Elisha handed over Yepnen to the courtiers.

“See you again. Lady.”

Yepnen said confidently. Elisha smiled and nodded her head.

“Why did you come out?”

“Why? Have to see me Hey, I overslept today…….”

“Don't mind. Anyway, when Ilione's victory was confirmed, the emperor and empress also praised it and left.”

Lucerne added bluntly.

“By the way, why are you hanging out with a man outside? What about the courtiers?”

“To take a walk……. And he's an outsider.”

“Even a child is a man. Jealous of husband He said it was forbidden to wander alone.”

Lucerne was really wild.

Then a strange knight approached. What did he say to Lucerne? Score, Illione, monsters. Judging from what he was saying, it was something related to hunting.

“By any chance, Lucerne, are you the judge of the hunting festival today?”

“Yeah, I went into the woods for a while to get the score. I'll be right back.”

“I know.”

Elisha meekly nodded her head. Elisha went to the spot Lucerne indicated and waited for him with a cup of her tea.

There was an eerie look at Elisha.

“Yepnen came with that woman. Damn. Yepnen, did that little boy use her hair?”

It was Jewel. Jewel whispered to Carola in the gap where people's eyes weren't gathering.

“Iknow, right……. What if you saw us and misunderstood?”

“It was just a conversation, but who would say anything? Anyway, Yepnen should have shut that young bastard's mouth. But what is that woman doing with that bastard in Lucerne?”

“A whore.”

Carola gritted her teeth.

“What?”

“It's a whore, bitch.”

“…… Really? Does Lucerne also bring prostitutes to the imperial palace?”

Jewel's expression became subtle.

“Someday I will be a whore. Not now…….”

“What?”

“Ah. It's nothing. Jacob will be here soon. I can't pretend to know you in front of people, but I'll see you later. Carola always thinks of Jewel as the closest person in her family.”

Carola knew that Jacob was not even close to Chananter today because of his poor arrow skills. So when there was a spot like this, she always lied to Carola. He said that Jacob would come soon.

“Great. Carola. See you later.”

Jewell nodded her head, oblivious to Carola's lies.

*​ *​ *​

Elisha glanced at Carola.

'You brazenly hold on well without Jacob. It seems that the knights of the ducal family did not participate in the hunt.'

Before she knew it, she was surrounded by many men and laughing.

People took turns squinting at Carola and Elisha with curious glances. When the daughters-in-law of the Cartier family were together, people always looked at them like that.

'Does he want to have a fight at least?'

Elisha noticed the people's faces and laughed. People's eyes were especially dark because of Arien's mysterious death recently.

At that time, a calm cheer spread among the people. In front of the soldiers pulling a cart full of game, Ilione was walking proudly in hunting clothes.

The prey piled up in the cart had been received yesterday as well, but to Elisha, it just looked like it was disgusting. But Illione's spirited appearance was quite nice to see.

“Today's winner is Princess Ilione!”

As the man who appeared to be the chamberlain shouted, the cheers grew. Ilione found Elisha among the people and approached with a broad smile.

“Congratulations on winning, Princess.”

“Elisha. You should have seen my performance! No, Yepnen? When did you leave the room?”

“Sister!”

Yepnen came. When Ilione opened his arms, he was held tightly in Ilione's arms.

“You really Why are you running around again, huh? What would you do if you were walking around the hunting ground and got hit by an arrow that flew by the wrong way? Damn I know you're here now. If I had known right away, I wouldn't have been able to focus on hunting because of your worries!”

Elisha sensed her deep protective instincts and camaraderie in those words.

“How the hell did you get here?”

“With Lady Elisha…….”

Yepnen said with a hehe laugh.

“I wanted to see my sister win.”

“Really…….”

Ilione, who picked up Yepnen and patted her, looked at Elisha.

“Elisha, isn't this child a nuisance?”

“The prince escorted me very dignifiedly.”

Elisha said quietly. Only then did Ilione loosen her expression.

“Elisha, if there is something you like among the prey, choose it. What can I give you?”

“I got enough yesterday. I'm OK.”

Yepnen also shook his head, saying that he was afraid of the prey. Ilione put on a depressed expression. She first comforted Yepnen and sent him back to her attendants. It was because the bloody hunting grounds were not suitable for children.

“Princess, I congratulate you.”

“I knew you would win. The princess's bow skills are second only to that of the general.”

Noble ladies gathered around Ilione and Elisha. It was an excuse to say congratulations.

In the end, the center of today's hunting festival also became Elisha. This is because Ilione, the winner, wished to keep Elisha by her side. The noble ladies praised Illione and added a word to her Elisha one by one.

'Carola is strange. There's no way I could be this calm.'

When Elisha was in the spotlight, she couldn't stand it. She was Carol who would do something about it.

But she, Carol, said hello to people she knew, and then disappeared with the ladies with whom she was at least familiar. Perhaps it was to have a private tea party.

'Has something been planned?'

At that time, a stranger came in at the beginning of the hunting ground. The silk vest he was wearing was familiar to Elisha. Looking closely, it was a familiar face.

'Aren't you the butler of Duke Cartier?'

Elisha remembered that his name was Gail. He was always a decent person, and the quick-witted duke's hand and foot.

Gail cleared his throat and he cried out loud.

“Duke Cartier sent alcohol and food as gifts for today's hunting festival.”

Soon, a lot of food and precious alcohol were brought to the hunting grounds. Among them were very rare and expensive wines, so people applauded the Duke for his grandiosity.

Gail approached Elisha.

“Lady Elisha.”

Elisha wondered why Gail was here. But once she was polite, she was greeted by Gail.

Gail beckoned, and one of his attendants brought something up on a silken platter.

“The Duke has sent you a present. It means to congratulate Lady Elisha for participating in her first imperial palace event.”

Elisha said she sent a box of gold coins like before. However, this gift was not heavy. It was a silk envelope large enough to contain documents.