Episode 57

“Are you not picking out the necklace?”

“That's all right.”

Elisha unconsciously touched the nape of her neck. Lucerne's gaze landed there.

'He has a tracking tattoo anyway.'

It was a very small tattoo that required a close look, but Elisha hated it. So she usually let her hair down and covered the nape of her neck. When she attended a party or banquet and had to wear her hair up, she wore a homemade choker to hide her tattoo.

Lucerne stroked her tattoo, and she bought the most expensive diamond and ruby ​​necklaces.

Elisha was too lazy to argue, so she let it go. It was a contract that, if they divorced anyway, all the things she had acquired during the marriage would be hers.

'Yes, there's nothing wrong with being my property.'

“Thank you. You are very generous! How things……. I must be packing.”

“My men will be waiting outside the door. I will write you a check.”

The merchant became a flower and said, “Thank you for your longing.”

“And leave everything behind. If it's a gift, she's a woman who's wary. If you take it and wrap it in wrapping paper, you'll pass out.”

“…… General.”

When Elisha swallowed her sigh and called his name, Lucerne playfully caressed Elisha's waist and thighs. The merchant, unable to meet his eyes, tidied up his jewelry box and went outside.

Only then did Elisha get down from Lucerne's lap. Lucerne was looking into Elisha's eyes. Suddenly, Elisha averted her eyes as her cheeks flushed.

'Anyway, it's arbitrary.'

And yet, he was so charming that he couldn't be hated. He resented it sometimes. Maybe it's because he's Elisha's only way to survive.

“It's not a prize, it's a gift.”

“…….”

“It's true that Lapis is a girl, but she's a boy. I can wear the thing the other man gave me on my wrist.”

“What does that matter?”

“Why don't you care? How sad her husband must be.”

“…….”

Elisha shut her mouth.

'Should I even say thank you for buying it?'

But this wasn't the gift she wanted. Furthermore. She was day and night, and she hated the feeling of being strangely entangled in him. If she can't stay aloof, the only thing she loses and bleeds out is her relationship.

Really, he was a very strange man.

“Show me the nape of your neck.”

Elisha obediently held out her white neck. The shadow of Lucerne appeared in the air.

“It stings when you move. Stay still.”

Lucerne said quietly. Elisha's shoulders stiffened.

“What…….”

Then, in an instant, her shadow brushed the nape of Elisha's neck.

“Now people won't be able to see the pattern. It's not gone, it's just hidden. You can think of it like blindfolding.”

It had been a stigma on Elisha's body since she was 14 years old. It was unthinkable that that disgusting thing would disappear.

I didn't even think about it, but it makes me happy. This was a gift.

Elisha suddenly felt better. She really hated this tattoo.

“Why are you suddenly doing this?”

“I would have done it sooner if you had wanted to.”

Lucerne, on the contrary, said that it was absurd.

“You seem to like this better than jewelry. I understand.”

It was only at that moment that Elisha realized that Lucerne might have been really good at buying her jewels.

Elisha shut her mouth. She knew very well that she was an unlovable woman. She pursed her lips for a while before she spoke softly.

“Thanks. It is a surprise gift.”

Elisha grabbed Lucerne by the collar as he tried to stand up. And she added little.

“And……. Jewels too.”

Lucerne was silent.

“Okay.”

Lucerne said quietly. Suddenly, our eyes met in midair. Elisha felt her body react strangely. For no reason, her chest feels cold and the nape of her neck heats up. My heart was beating strangely.

The unexpected made Elisha nervous. Elisha let go of her collar. Lucerne looked at her Elisha with her strange eyes, then she turned away. Elisha stroked her chest.

Jewels glistened on the table. They were beautiful, luxurious things she had never dreamed of in her previous life. Elisha touched them one by one. But she put it down quickly.

Elisha was a woman who had been struggling with the meaning of even one ancient gold coin for both of her lives. These jewels were too heavy for her, she didn't know what look to wear.

Lucerne was right. Too sweet, it hurt. She was used to pain, but not the other way around. I mean, if he tries to fool her with her sweetness. Then. I probably would never get up again.

Because I've already had a similar experience once.

*​ *​ *​

Lucerne's sudden gift did not end there. The party they were attending today was an evening banquet.

Yurif was warmer than other places. However, now it is also quite cold here, and at such times noble ladies often wore expensive silk shawls or furs.

Lucerne sent someone in the morning to buy the best thing to put on your shoulder from Yurif. What arrived was a beautiful fur shawl made of silver-grey fox fur.

'I must have spent a lot of money, this person. It doesn't matter because I'm rich.'

Elisha hid those thoughts and entered the party hall holding Lucerne's hand.

Elisha was resplendent in her dazzling blonde hair, silver-gray fur, a sapphire necklace with a diamond bracelet and platinum chain, and a new dress tailored in the capital.

Numerous people paid attention to Lucerne and Elisha.

“Your clothes are very beautiful.”

The silver fox cloak hung for a long time in the show window of the most luxurious dressing room in Yurif.

It was a fairly expensive item, so it was a product that took quite a while without anyone ordering it. Since Elisha was wearing it, people recognized Elisha's expensive clothes and praised her.

In addition, the yellow diamond bracelet that glittered on Elisha's wrist was also the flagship item of Yurif's most expensive jewelry shop, which was sold at an exorbitant price. It was only natural that the eyes of the noble ladies who saw it lit up.

She said, “Your wife hurriedly airlifted valuables in case she caught a cold. If I am loved like this, I will have nothing to envy.”

There was also a noblewoman who spoke such flattering words. Envy dripped from the eyes of the noble ladies, and they did not even try to hide it.

'I never thought I'd get this kind of stare in my life.'

Elisha from her previous life was more accustomed to her coldness and contempt. Elisha thought she was in a very strange mood. She responded to the ladies with a polite, light smile.

Elisha touched the bracelet on her wrist once. Before Lucerne came here today, she herself tightened the screws on her bracelet.

She said, 'Keep on doing it until I release it.'

As he said that, he buried her lips in the back of Elisha's hand. The red eyes that I met at that time had something like a strangely lustrous light in them……. Thinking of her eyes, Elisha almost let out a sigh inside her.

*​ *​ *​

Before Elisha wandered around her party, she asked Lucerne.

“Are you good at making someone angry?”

“If Jacob or Marco is your opponent.”

Elisha was immediately convinced. She remembered that in her previous life, the day Jacob talked to Lucerne, she would have a seizure as if a vase had arrived.

“Then, you can use that ability on Arien today.”

Elisha knew that Arien hated her the most. She was from a good family and was very proud.

“From what I hear, Arienne has a very high ego in her generation. She can't stand being compared……. I want you to do this.”

Elisha whispered. Lucerne had a puzzled expression.

“Do I have to go that far?”

“Because I personally hate Arien.”

Elisha recalled her past life. She had suffered severely because of her Arien.

“Why?”

“She hates the Cartiers, but needs a reason? Do you choose who to hate and who to like among the enemy soldiers who will stab you on the battlefield?”

Lucerne nodded her head kindly.

“That's a good point. Great. If my wife wants it, she should be willing to let it be low.”

Elisha and Lucerne attended a party, said goodbye to a few important people, and parted ways.

Elisha was slowly drinking champagne by herself when someone approached her.

“Who is this? Huh? These days, the great general got a woman, and wind has blown in his lungs, and his precious body is wandering all over the place. The world is so good, illegitimate children are invited everywhere.”

It was Marco. Elisha wanted to ridicule.

“Are you okay?”

“What?”

“You looked pretty sick last time. The other day, when we last met.”

At Elisha's calm words, Marco's face went white and then turned red.

“Ha, cheeky bitch.”

“I'm glad to see you're in good health.”

Marco gritted his teeth. Elisha took another step and spoke softly.

“I have to thank you, Marco.”

“What?”

“My husband was very jealous when he heard Marco-sama's 'proposition' to me at the last party. Thanks to that, the couple Keum-seul got better. I'm really happy that you bought me such a new gift.”

Elisha spoke worldly on purpose to provoke Marco. Contempt crept across Marco's face. Actually, Elisha had a calm expression as usual.

“But can you not worry?”

“What?”

“My husband is a man of manners. He always gives back the same for anything. So, this time he said he would make the same 'offer' to Arien.”

The offer that Marco made to Elisha was an adulterous offer, to become his mistress.

“…….”

“Ah, it looks like Lucerne and Arien are together over there. What are they talking about?”

Marco's face went white. Elisha felt a bit resentful of Lucerne. Because it was quite difficult not to smile at Marco's face.

Elisha turned her head. Arien was laughing while talking to Lucerne.