Episode 116
“What is this?”
“I am ordering you to open it right away.”
Elisha looked around. Unfortunately, Lucerne was not present. She swallowed her low sigh and opened her envelope.
It contained the right to a flour refinery in the middle of the capital, as well as land and building documents.
“Wow, what a gift this is. Awesome, Elisha!”
Ilione shouted. An exclamation of surprise erupted among the noble ladies who glanced at the contents of the gift. Any lady would be delighted to receive such a gift from a cigar.
Money was raised by selling gold and silver treasures, but the right to a flour refinery brought an annual income sufficient to support a small family.
'So Carola rolled up her tail and ran away. Just one glance is astonishing.'
Carola knew that Elisha would receive this surprise today. She ran away because she did not want to be embarrassed in front of people.
If she had Carola at this moment, people would say, 'But what about the duke's first grandson daughter-in-law? The enemy is there. Why am I not getting anything?'
'But what the hell is the head of the family planning?'
The people of the ducal family never spent money carelessly. I don't know if it's Lucerne. She gave Elisha a precious gift.
At that moment, Elisha realized that Gail was examining her own expression closely.
“What shall I tell the Duke?”
Gail said softly. He meant to say thank you to the duke. Elisha looked at Gail and said calmly.
“Please tell me thank you so much.”
“…….”
“But I can't accept this gift right now.”
Ilione looked at Elisha with frightened eyes. The same was true of the noble ladies standing around.
“Come on, Lady Elisha. Think again. This is the duke's sincerity.”
Gail said cautiously. Elisha shook her head.
“The winner of today's hunting festival is Princess Ilione. I didn't do anything to get an award, so there's no reason to get one. Moreover, it would be disrespectful to accept such a raucous gift at an imperial family event without His Majesty's permission. However, I will deeply engrave the gift given to me by thinking of the relationship between the general and the duke's family. So please take the present with you.”
A smile slowly formed on Gail's lips. In fact, before sending Gale away, the Duke had given Elisha a gift and told her to see how she reacted. However, Elisha's ability to grasp the situation was more than he expected.
First of all, there was a risk of hurting the pride of Princess Ilione, who was the main character of the day, by making such a big topic at the imperial family event.
Although the Cartier family wielded unbridled power, there was nothing good about provoking the imperial family. Even if provoked, it will give a worse impression if the wife of the illegitimate child is at the center of it.
Elisha was not blinded by self-interest. She calmly grasped the context and declined the gift.
“In fact, His Majesty the Emperor has already received permission from the Duke via letter to deliver a present to Lady Elisha today.”
“Then…….”
“I want you to receive a present. Elisha. It looks like you're finally taking care of the wedding present that I didn't get for you. I have no reason to be upset!”
Ilione was no fool either. She took the context and nodded her head. Only then did Elisha bend her knee and take her bow and accept the gift.
Gail was satisfied with Elisha. He intended to report that today, when the family head asked about Elisha's attitude, he thought of the position of the imperial family, was conscious of people's stares, and lastly, humbled and politely accepted, all of his attitudes were flawless and flawless.
* * *
“Congratulations.”
“The Duke seems to be taking good care of his new bride.”
Noble ladies were sensitive to the smell of power. Even noble ladies who hadn't been around Elisha until recently came and flattered her.
“Elisha?”
At that time, Lucerne came back from tidying up in the woods. He had a puzzled look at the lively atmosphere with precious alcohol and food.
“Why are you so late?”
Elisha asked the noble ladies for their understanding and hurriedly approached Lucerne.
“Your Majesty.”
As usual, Elisha easily guessed her circumstances from those short words. The emperor summoned Lucerne to find out why the family head sent the gift.
“From the look on your face, you seem to know what's going on. Shall I give it to you?”
Elisha showed her paperwork for the flour refinery.
“No. It was given to you You may take it.”
Lucerne said calmly.
“Why do you want to receive it?”
“The family head will try to be the head of the family shamelessly from now on, but can't you make him tremble in his bare mouth?”
This time, Elisha nodded her head in agreement.
“If you accept the campaign tax, I'll give you some pocket money.”
Elisha said carelessly. The family head did not feel sad about giving money to his subordinates. Although it was a problem trying to exercise control after that.
“Why is the family head giving you your allowance? I have to give Make me feel good, then ignore it if you don't want to do it.”
Elisha was more afraid that this was not a bluff. Jacob would never say such a thing. However, the family head's interest definitely led to gains. Elisha thought Lucerne wouldn't deny that either.
“Now go back to your room. There is no banquet today.”
Elisha said she would be obedient. Then Ilione approached.
“General, I want to invite Elisha tonight. Is that okay?”
“…… You mean my wife?”
Lucerne's eyebrows twitched slightly. It was a look of displeasure.
“I have a meeting with the wives of military officials who attended the hunting festival. Wouldn't it be nice if Elisha also attended?”
Ilione noticed that Lucerne's energy was unusual. But she pretended not to know anything and said it clearly. Ilione was very fond of Elisha and she wanted to take this opportunity to open her heart and share her story.
“May I go, Lucerne?”
Elisha asked. She wanted to breathe a little, away from Lucerne's surveillance for the first time in a while. He didn't hate the daily life in the mansion, but Ilione was a person who had nothing bad to get along with.
“…… Is this an event for women only?”
“Sure. From now on, I'm still a princess. Do you think men can even come near my room?”
Ilione shrugged. Lucerne winked at Ilione and summoned her separately. And she gave her words like whispering a few words and reluctantly gave permission.
“Can I really go?”
Lucerne seemed unwilling, so Elisha naturally noticed.
“Okay.”
“…….”
“I'll pick you up, so don't wait past midnight.”
“I know.”
Elisha nodded her head.
“Don't crash. If you take your eyes off of it, you'll make a big deal out of it.”
“…… Not quite like that.”
Elisha blushed. He often treated her as a child to her ridiculous extent.
* * *
“Meet Lady Elisha.”
When Elisha and Ilione entered the salon, the noble ladies all stood up and greeted the princess and Elisha.
“The flour refinery you received as a gift today is really amazing.”
“The General seems to be a good consort. I envy you!”
There were many bad rumors about Elisha. After she seduced a man and had an affair with her, she married him. She has a status deal with her illegitimate son, and she is a contract wife. It was mostly like that.
However, Elisha's opaque identity was bound to be covered up in the presence of her husband, who was in power. Lucerne proudly sacrificed her prey yesterday to help set Elisha's face.
In addition, she added the eccentricity of the family head today, and she even had authority over Elisha. The noble ladies who attended her gatherings treated Elisha with great care.
“Elisha, there is still time until midnight. Would you like to have a drink with me today?”
After the brief meeting ended, Ilione grabbed Elisha. She had no reason to say no to Elisha.
“Yes, I like it. Princess.”
Ilione's maids brought wine, sweet desserts, and freshly baked meat pies.
As her drinking deepened, Elisha confided to Ilione that she had seen Juel and Yepnen during the day.
'There are certain kinds of things that should be kept secret.'
She told me to keep it a secret that her child was being bullied. She said no adults would really shut up. In addition, the intensity of Jewel's bullying was unusual. Illione probably knows it to some extent. Elisha expected that, and she was right.
“Damn it, Jewel. The child again?”
Ilione burst into anger.
“That stupid bastard, he will kill you someday.”
Ilione emptied the wine at once. She had the attitude of a brave soldier rather than a country's princess.
“Thank you so much for telling me, Elisha. That guy is crazy I heard that the emperor was a really nice person, but how did such rubbish come out?”
“Isn't Prince Jewel the well-to-do of His Majesty the previous emperor?”
“Right.”
Ilione said with a tired face. Elisha was able to hear the detailed circumstances of the imperial family. The Sun Emperor died young, and he handed the throne to his dearest younger brother. That younger brother is the current emperor and Ilione's father. It was Murtra.
“It is said that the former emperor always looked after our father and took better care of him than his real parents. The friendship between the two of you was very good. The former emperor was a very sick person who couldn't live long by nature…….”
There was a big age difference between Murtura and the former emperor. Also, at the time, the former emperor had an empress with a much older age gap. And Jewel was the bereaved son of the former emperor. It is said that when the sun emperor died, he left only one word for the emperor.
'Please take good care of my only child, Jewel.'
Unfortunately, the young Empress Sun also died while giving birth to Jewel. Jewel, two years younger than Ilione, was naturally adopted as the current emperor's adopted son.
“That madman thinks that if Yepnen hadn't been born, I'd have been appointed crown prince right away! That's why I harass Yepnen at every turn.”
Her imperial couple raised her Jewel as if it were her own son, but unfortunately her Jewel's nature was spoiled. Besides, in the future he will become more violent and cruel.
'Because the Jacob and his wife have been attached to Jewel.'