Episode 49

“You have to open your mouth. Yes?”

“Ugh!”

Lucerne stepped on Marco's foot. Marco screamed. The shadow disappeared as if it had penetrated Marco's mouth.

“Take it slow.”

Lucerne said while rolling the traces of shadow left on her hand.

“…….”

“Even if you were dead and woke up, it would hurt if you were scolded for your abilities that you couldn't use. Take this opportunity to reflect and do some memory training.”

“Ooh, ooh!”

Elisha didn't even want to imagine what was going on inside Marco's body. Lucerne held out her arm towards Elisha.

Elisha left her terrace with her Lucerne's arms crossed. Elisha's back was covered with sweat.

“Can I do this?”

Elisha felt both exhilarated and anxious at the same time. She knew that the head of the family always fought dirty behind her back in everything she did.

However, the one thing the family head would never tolerate was killing each other among her family members. Especially after the loss of Jacob and Lucerne's father.

The family's rules were stricter than the imperial family's laws. If you didn't follow that single rule, the family head pulled out a knife, and even included the death penalty as a punishment.

“I won't do it too badly. Even the head of household doesn't say anything about exchanging a fist or two.”

“That's not the level of one or two fists.”

Lucerne looked at Elisha and clicked her tongue.

“They have been subjected to a shadow demon that can never be manipulated. So I can't tell the family head.”

Elisha understood her meaning. The Shadow Demon Beast was a kind of guardian deity of dukes. That ability was only manifested in Lucerne.

So it was Jacob and Marco's reverse. It was because even crying and complaining to the householder was like admitting that I was incompetent.

“If you wash the inside of your body with magic once, your head will be clear, you won't die.”

Elisha thought he was a really great person. But Lucerne, who punishes Cartier's guys, has always been quite attractive. Elisha unconsciously tightened her hand on his arm.

“Why, kiss me?”

“The joke is…….”

“Does this sound like a joke?”

People were paying attention to Lucerne and Elisha. Lucerne whispered in Elisha's ear, pretending to gently comb through Elisha's hair.

“Everyone talks about you.”

Elisha's shoulders stiffened.

“They said you and I got married because we're sex-crazed perverts. They say we eat together outdoors, in the stable, and even in the corridors of the duke's castle.”

“…….”

“I can't say anything because there is a basis.”

Elisha's cheeks slightly heated up. Elisha realized why men were staring at her today.

“That……. Rumors like that spread.”

It was clear that Arien, Marco's wife, was talking about her.

She once had Elisha wandering around in her underwear when she was attacked by a gangster on the street. She then met Arien in the hotel garden. Arienne believes she ate Elisha and Lucerne stuck outdoors.

“It would be interesting to know how many people I've been proposing to have affairs with in the short time I've been away from you.”

Elisha understood that Marco was flirting with me because of that. They thought it would be easy for them to fall because they were a sex-crazed perverted couple.

“You have a guy like that too. Of course, with the dirtiest flying flies.”

Elisha and Lucerne's faces got closer and closer.

“Then we have to meet expectations again.”

People's eyes flashed. Lucerne swallowed Elisha's lips.

“Eup, yes…….”

A deep kiss followed. Elisha squeezed her eyes shut, not pushing away her frenzied tongue. She grabbed his collar unconsciously. Lucerne's eyes were fierce as she fell slowly.

“I can't cling to you anymore. Right?”

Lucerne smiled and wiped Elisha's mouth with her thumb. The wives let out a sigh of pity and envy, and the men gave excited eyes.

Elisha leaned her face against Lucerne's arms.

Perhaps, in this life, even after divorcing Lucerne, it would be difficult for her to remarry with an imperial nobleman. I had no intention of doing it.

*​ *​ *​

Lucerne was able to tolerate the noble ladies who gave him strange eyes. However, the way the men looked at Elisha was strangely offended. I wanted to hit each one directly on the cheek.

'You look pretty today.'

As Lucerne climbed the stairs, she saw Elisha. A bright green silk dress that showed off her immaculate arms and breasts suited her well.

Suddenly, he remembered a nobleman who had been bothering him by grabbing his arm earlier.

'I heard that you show off your golden hair in the capital city with your wife? I hope you enjoy your newlyweds to the fullest. After that……. There are many more things to enjoy. That's what aristocratic marriages are like. My heart is always open.'

Lucerne tried to ignore her here without replying to her. But she added softly.

'By the way, she has a very pretty wife. I guess she didn't wear a new dress. The skirt of that dress. If you look at the bottom, you can see the finish that was popular a few years ago. One of the sharp-eyed wives must have noticed already. Fixing an old dress requires a bit more thoroughness. She is a very pretty wife She shouldn't be wearing such flawed clothes. Jealous chis are swearing behind her back.'

Only then could Lucerne slowly look at Elisha's outfit. He opened the door and asked Elisha.

“Is that a new suit?”

“No, I fixed something in the mansion.”

“No wonder.”

Lucerne said nonchalantly.

“Among your expenses, the cost of clothing is strangely low. I was expecting it knowing how little it would be like walking around naked.”

Elisha did a great job managing her mansion. But her expenses for her were strangely small. It was almost non-existent.

“…….”

Elisha frowned.

“What are you going to do if you go around naked?”

“You have to be punished. It has to be done in front of me.”

He said it casually, and Elisha glanced at him slightly.

“Don't ever do that again.”

Elisha went into her room and she released her hand from Lucerne's arm. Unknowingly, his hand twitched once.

“What are you talking about?”

“This work.”

What Lucerne was talking about, of course, was Elisha's dress. Elisha remembered today how some noble ladies were admiring and praising her dress.

“I did it because I had the skills and the time.”

“Okay, then who knows.”

“…….”

“I'm not proud or proud of you for being frugal. Spending my money well saves face.”

Elisha was speechless.

“You're good at anything, so I'll understand. You have to spend my money well and make me happy.”

He said bored. Elisha looked at him.

“I know. Then I'll go shopping right away. Can I do it tomorrow?”

This time, even she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows once. Elisha barely nodded her head calmly.

She was strangely upset and her heart pricked.

*​ *​ *​

That day was a day in Elisha's previous life. It was the day before Elisha was forced to sit at her family's banquet and Lucerne stabbed Jacob between his fingers with a fork.

At the time, Elisha had a habit of walking hiding in the shade of trees. It wasn't until the burn marks on her face that she hated public appearances.

As Elisha walked her path, she saw Lucerne and her family lord walking alongside, and she hastily hid herself behind a small tree. She was a tree tall enough to cover Elisha's body.

'Why are the two of them having a friendly conversation?'

Elisha thought.

“Really, what a waste of a woman. If only she was a little prettier, she would have lived comfortably. If she's that clever of a woman……. It was coveted. However, I think I will be too weak and I will not be able to keep him by my side for long, so I am going to send him back to Jacob. I didn't want to grow well.”

Elisha was taken aback. The family head was talking about Elisha. Elisha was the only Jacob's greeting by the family head.

“Grandpa.”

Lucerne said.

“It is impossible to live comfortably as long as you are connected to this family. Including me. That's kind of funny.”

“Apart from talking, did you even feel sorry for that ugly child?”

“I don't sympathize with anyone.”

“If it's not pity? Did you even have it in your heart? This is the first time you've reacted to a woman's story.”

Judging by the tone of the family head, Elisha realized that he was joking with Lucerne, which was rare.

If Elisha had become a normal-looking woman, the head of household would never have joked like this. Even Elisha and Lucerne had never met before.

“I have no one on my mind.”

“If you love someone, I will find you and kill you horribly. Lucerne. It's over when someone like you likes someone. Aren't you the one who survived by not being afraid of anything?”

A smile grew thicker at the voice of the housekeeper. The head of the household would sometimes treat his grandchildren like this without fault. But he soon returned to his cool self. He was a whim for no reason to him.

“Nudity doesn't suit you.”

“I know. I will cut it with my own hands, that kind of thing.”

Lucerne glanced at Elisha. Contrary to Elisha's thoughts, the tree with its profuse leaves did not cover her entire body. Part of Elisha's body was reflected behind the low branches.

“Isn't it polite to the life I've lived?”

“What?”

Gaju said something, but he stopped.

“Lucerne. No matter how hard you try, you can't become a householder. That's dope Don't fuss any more.”

Jacob, the head of the household, constantly compared Lucerne. Marco pretended to be a favourite, keeping him out of his most important work. And……. Although she favored Lucerne, she openly stated that she never intended to make her head of the household.

'Why doesn't everyone know?'

Due to a deep-rooted inferiority complex, the other candidates for the head of state were afraid that if it was Lucerne, she would have seizures.

However, in Elisha's eyes, the head of household was not the kind of person who would favor an illegitimate child. She valued obeying herself more than anything else, but Lucerne became a monster too big for her patriarch to control.

So, the family head constantly compared and undermined the three and used them. In particular, he used Lucerne as a driving force to stimulate candidates for the deficit.

“I don't even dream of being the head of household.”

“Ha, you arrogant child.”

The housekeeper laughed.

“By the way. The woman.”

“Are you talking about Elisha?”

“Seeing that your grandfather even memorized his name, he seems to be doing a really good job.”

“…….”

Taking advantage of the moment when the head of the household was speechless, Lucerne spoke.

“That woman named Elisha. She looks pretty when she wears green.”

They disappeared

After coming out of the shadows, Elisha's face was pale. Soon, the tips of her ears slowly began to turn red.

Not because she was ashamed, but because she was ashamed.

'She's like a human who makes fun of any woman…….'

Elisha didn't have any green clothes.

So she looked back at Elisha herself.

The hem of Elisha's skirt was sticking out between her branches. Shabby off-white clothes. A cheap dress made of cheesecloth. A summer tree hangs over that dress…….

It was all green.

Very clear. Green silky green.