Episode 55
“It wasn't as peaceful as the monastery you grew up in. Merha wanted to control me, and it was natural that this would be accompanied by violence or starvation.”
Elisha lowered her eyes. Unknowingly, her hand holding the sheet became stronger.
“You must wish for his ruin.”
“Of course.”
Lucerne said.
“Do you want to get revenge on Merha?”
“Rather than that, it's a race for survival. Although there may be members of the royal family who survive the battle for the throne. There's nothing like that in the Cartier family. Uncle Merha is someone I'll have to get rid of someday in order to live. Revenge is about added value.”
“Then, should I make the removal as painful as possible?”
“I'm not desperate enough to leave it in your hands, but that's right.”
“Please hear more. Are there any weaknesses in Merhana Marco?”
“Even at the temple, they receive their own education.”
Lucerne said calmly.
“At the time, Marco was a boy priest, but he never beat me no matter what he did. Studying, archery, and even memorizing the scriptures of the temple. Each time, Merha urged Marco, and Marco ran like crazy and quarreled with me.”
“I guess that's right.”
“Marco was a good fit for me and he grew up.”
Elisha smiled involuntarily. It was fortunate that he was not a child who would be unilaterally bullied.
'By the way, Marco's weakness is his inferiority complex. Especially if he had grown up being compared to Lucerne. Marco isn't that great. Because the second one is just timid.'
At the same time, Elisha thought. But her thoughts were hidden.
“Looks like you can handle it. Yes?”
“Generally.”
“Has there ever been a time when it wasn't?”
Lucerne shut his mouth. Elisha said as if she was begging me involuntarily.
“He said he would tell me anything.”
A few seconds later, Lucerne spoke again.
“Just once. There were moments when I was genuinely scared.”
He groped about his distant past.
“One day, probably thanks to Merha, Marco poisoned my meal.”
“That……. It's a little too much.”
“It wasn't poison to die for. It was a drug that made his body sore and made him blind for days as a side effect. At the time I……. I was very young. I thought I would take that pill and lose my eyes forever.”
“How old were you then?”
“Nine years old.”
Elisha was stunned. Really, the Cartiers weren't even people. How did nine-year-old Lucerne feel when he became blind overnight?
He would have been scared no matter how much he was.
“No matter what you did to me, I didn't care. But everyone has days when they are weak.”
Lucerne said quietly.
“So that day……. It was scary.”
“So how did you do it?”
“He ran away.”
Said Lucerne nonchalantly, buttoning up her sleeve. Elisha got her up and buttoned up the rest of her sleeve.
“And?”
“Of course I couldn't go far. I grabbed any priest walking down the street in the hallway and cried and begged them to call a doctor, saying that they were blind.”
Lucerne showed no sign of fear or shame about it.
“What did you wish for?”
“Well. I don't remember very well.”
“…….”
“I think he asked for help. I can't see my eyes……. It was.”
Elisha's hand holding Lucerne's sleeve fell under the bed.
“But no one helped. It's like paying for tuition with her tears and learning at an expensive price.”
“…….”
“In Cartier, survival is up to each person. From then on, I didn't cry or get emotional.”
Elisha caught her breath. She couldn't control her expression.
“Why?”
“No.”
Elisha shook her head.
“Then it's your turn to make Marco pay his tuition.”
“Okay. Right. So that's the operation I was talking about. Like it.”
“…….”
“As if this was simply a dispute, so that Marco and Arien would not know the value of that land. I'm just going to take what you want out of spite. Are you trying to intimidate me like that?”
Elisha secretly admired Lucerne for perfectly understanding her fragmented words she spat out frantically during her affair earlier.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“We need to increase the plate.”
“I guess we can bring in Jacob. Oh, did Carola already say she knew about this land? Then it will be easy.”
Elisha almost smiled without realizing it. When concocting her ploy, Elisha and Lucerne had the same order of wonder, and the same order of reading numbers.
This should have simply been a defeat and a provocation by the Lucerne couple.
And the Jacobs would be willing to intervene in that fight. Jacob was a coward, but he didn't want the two of them to quarrel except himself. Because self-consciousness was stronger than anyone else.
“Then let's go provocation.”
Lucerne looked down at Elisha and said.
“I must attend the party.”
“…….”
“Decorate it nicely. With a new one. Make other men envy me like I do now.”
Lucerne whispered. At times like this, he couldn't fathom his intentions like a snake. Elisha nodded her head.
“And Elisha.”
Lucerne whispered.
“I will follow your strategy. There is one condition.”
“…… What is it?”
“It's forbidden to smile at Marco.”
Elisha almost frowned. Elisha wondered if she had ever smiled at Marco.
“Why is that?”
“Well. If you promise, I'll do it to your rhythm. There must be a direction you want me to move in next time.”
Elisha was stunned. But she nodded her head, not under the condition that she wouldn't listen.
'However……. Can it be this easy?'
She was afraid that there might be other traps.
“If you don't fully trust me, why are you following me?”
Said Elisha.
“First, if your information is correct, there is no reason not to comply.”
“…….”
“Second is. Even if this is a trap, I can handle it. Even if you're a traitor, it's not just a losing trade for me, is it?”
Lucerne raised Elisha up and said.
“Then you will fall into my hands, what am I to regret? You just have to deal with it and deal with it.”
Elisha had goosebumps running down her back. Elisha, conscious of her blushing eyes, looked away from her.
Really, he was a man who couldn't tell how serious he was.
* * *
“Get more rest. I'll come see some work.”
Elisha tried to come to her senses. As Lucerne left her room, her entire body relaxed.
'Still, the situation I want……. I'm glad it went well.'
She gathered her thoughts and tried to stay calm. However, it seemed that someone had disturbed her body and mind.
'This is what normal sex is like?'
It felt like her body had become wet cotton. I felt like I was exhausted because I was not enough even after pulling all the strength of my body to the floor.
'I have to think, I have to think…….'
In the end, Elisha sat for 30 minutes and fell asleep. It was the first time she had been so defenseless, including her previous life.
'Maybe he's trying to control me, that man…….'
Even though it was a very short time, he had a dream. This time he was different from usual. Because he was conscious that it was a dream.
Maybe it's because he heard stories from Lucerne about his childhood and past. It was because Elisha had a similar experience to Lucerne.
It was about a year before Elisha died.
After Carola finds out her secret under the ground in Yuryev Forest. Jacob and Carola use that fact to start drying Marco's blood.
Carola, in particular, had a knack for bullying. She drove Arien to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
'I'm going to do all of these Carolas. Give this too okay. Get them!'
Carola smiled and took away Arien's jewelry and dress. She even coveted the items of the temple.
Even in Elisha's eyes, there was really no other devil.
'Deliver this letter to Arien!'
And Carola made sure to always forward her threatening letters to Elisha.
So, every time Arienne receives a threatening letter from her, she takes her anger out on Elisha. At that time, Elisha strongly hated Marco and Arien.
One day, as usual, when Elisha brought her a threatening letter, Arienne refused to return her Elisha and detained her. Elisha was imprisoned like that and suffered severe hardships.
'I'm hungry.'
Elisha did not eat well in her previous life. Because she lived in an uncomfortable environment and she suffered from stomach pain.
Nonetheless, starvation was truly terrifying.
'Tell me what you know! How on earth did Carola find out the secret of the forest land? Damn it Am I less than that big-breasted stupid bitch? Yes?'
Actually, Elisha didn't know much.
Rather, she was captured by Marco and Arien, and it was more of a fact that she had heard and guessed as she suffered. Elisha appealed to me to return her as she was not worthy of being her hostage. Of course, I couldn't listen.
And as expected, Jacob didn't come looking for Elisha. So……. Marco and his wife knew it well from the beginning.
Even if you touch Elisha, there will be no repercussions.
Moreover, strangely, Marco used to flirt with Elisha. There was no way that Arien didn't know that, so she had been looking at Elisha from before, and Arien was holding on tight.
'You're already an asshole, but I'm going to cut off one of your arms and send you back.'
Arien looked at Elisha and smiled grimly. Then one day, Arien suggested she play a naughty game to Elisha.
She said, 'Play tag, hold out for an hour and I'll give it back to you. If you get caught, I'll gouge out your eyes.'
Then Arien blindfolded Elisha and tied her hands, causing her to flee. She then used her knights to herd Elisha as her rabbits did.
'Hey, ugly girl! Run away!'
'The next time I get caught, I'll take off my clothes!'
Elisha frantically ran away. Her knights mocked her Elisha and chased after her. It was the first time she had ever been so frightened.
In the first place, Arien had no intention of buying Elisha and returning her intact. She had a premonition of that, too, Elisha.
Elisha, who was running away, was caught by someone. Someone grabbed Elisha, who was about to fall over, with a firm hand.
'Please let me go.'
Then she burst into tears. She didn't even notice that the surroundings of her man holding her were cold and quiet. Elisha had no idea who she was dealing with because her eyes were covered.
'Who are you? I won't forget your grace, so please let me go just once. Please pretend you didn't see me.'
Elisha opened her eyes wide. Elisha's spirit, which had endured well, collapsed once at that time. Elisha didn't know who she was dealing with and just cried and prayed.
'I can't see my eyes. Please……. Please let me run away Please pretend you didn't see me.'
'…….'
'Help me……. Please, save me just once…….'