Episode 88

He pulled out one of her tin cases from her bedside and shoved the candy into her Elisha's mouth. Elisha was accustomed to accepting it. As she ate her candy melting in her mouth, Elisha looked at Lucerne.

“This is also a secret. Elisha.”

“…….”

“My mother was a crazy woman. However, I lived in a derelict ruined house just the two of us, as if I had thought that the Cartier family would come after me. She was always smiling like an idiot and caressing me and soothing me sweetly. Sing a song too I hummed the story of my Tae-myeong and the story of when she first met her father.”

Elisha didn't know what to say. Who will believe A man who has nothing to fear in this world. That the real mother of this man that everyone fears is an idiot.

“What song did you sing?”

“A song called the Black Wall.”

Elisha recalled her memory.

Hey, hey Don't go outside the black barrier.

Outside of that world is hell.

Baby, let's live forever in her mother's arms. Baby, my dear baby

“It's an old nursery rhyme.”

“Call me.”

“…… Now?”

“Hurry. He said he wanted information.”

Lucerne placed her hand on Elisha's bottom and began stroking it gently. Elisha reluctantly sang softly.

“Ah…….”

He ran his hand through her, caressing her bottom, twisting Elisha's thin pubic hair with her fingers, teasing her. Elisha's song trembled obscenely whenever her fingers moved in and out as if to play with the mucous membranes.

“Huh……. Stop…….”

“Okay.”

Lucerne bit off Elisha's ear and fell. Elisha shut her mouth. She ran out of her energy in a short time.

“When I am having a hard time, I think of her mother…… Did you? Did she love her?”

“I don't have that kind of affection. If it's dead, it's dead, and if it's over, it's over. If you were alive, you would have enjoyed what I have now. Unfortunately, that just didn't happen.”

Why? Elisha was comforted by the fact that Lucerne was terribly realistic.

“Yeah, just……. I wondered if it was a good or bad memory for you.”

“Can it be a good memory? A woman who is nothing short of an idiot living with her child.”

Elisha could easily imagine. If you were that weak, you probably wouldn't have been able to live among people for fear that others would harm you.

“But sometimes I do think about it.”

“…….”

“I don't think I was unhappy. When I was young, I didn't have much, so I had to turn even those memories into property.”

Elisha also knew that feeling. It was the same with Elisha in her childhood. She was an orphan with nothing, and her memory of the love she had received was dim.

The memory of her being unfairly kicked out by her father hurt her mother's heart. And she never recovered. Elisha's mother was a woman who always cried. Later, even the way she cried was a fond memory.

Alicia had to learn to love herself as she grappled with the love her mother would have given her. Although she was not successful. Perhaps if she hadn't had that memory, her Elisha's heart would have been even more impoverished.

“Why are you looking like that? Could it be that even motherly love is stimulated?”

Elisha rubbed her eyes.

“No way, how strong you are. Who do I sympathize with?”

Lucerne raised the corner of her mouth. He held her naked Elisha behind her. She wrapped her tight body around her to keep her from moving and put her head on her shoulder. He just closed her eyes.

“You can't sympathize with me, Elisha. It is arrogant to sympathize.”

“…….”

“But if you're stimulated by motherly love, it's okay to be pitiful.”

Days and nights that ended with a familiar joke were no longer embarrassing. Elisha also slowly closed her eyes.

And that night Elisha had a dream of hers. Under a big tree she saw an idiot woman whose face was not shown, cradling a young lucerne.

It was a very beautiful and sad dream.

*​ *​ *​

Among the aristocrats in the capital, the Cartier family became a hot topic again.

Although Merha broke ties with the Katie family and became a member of the temple, everyone knew that he was the only son of the family head.

“Oh my gosh. That Cartier is in jail!”

“At least she's from Cartier, so she wasn't taken to the imperial prison! She should be sentenced to death Leave him alone?”

“You bastard! How dare you despise the Prophet?”

“We must bring him out and stone him to death! It should be killed very miserably.”

From the salons of nobles to the taverns of commoners, and everywhere in temples. There was no one who did not curse and curse Merha. Because Listralpo, who had saved people through prophecies before, was respected by the people of the empire.

In addition, the shrine also became a source of gossip every day.

“The temple has also lost face.”

“I'm glad though. It's a relief that that Rosaria became the great pope. No. What will be different now?”

Merha became the first Cartier to be imprisoned and charged with murder. There was so much evidence that even the head of the family couldn't act hastily.

Besides, there wasn't one tiring affair that the Cartiers were involved in. A few years ago, it came to light that Gunner, who was from a collateral family, was acquitted despite committing a major injustice.

At that time, the Heretic Questioner was the father of the grandson and daughter-in-law of the Cartier family. When the composition was this obvious, people easily grasped the connection.

One thing would have easily been blocked. However, there were three bad things related to the temple. Merha, the gunner, and rumors about the gunner's suspicions.

Thanks to that, the householder couldn't get them out easily.

*​ *​ *​

A week after the election of the great pope. Elisha was organizing her sewing kit as a pastime in her spare time. Then, with her hasty gait, someone entered.

“What is it?”

Elisha raised her head. The butler with a puzzled face stood there.

“That is……. The head of the family sent a telegram. I will be arriving through the gate this afternoon, so the lady wants me to meet you.”

Elisha's eyes widened. All in all, Lucerne was in the imperial palace today because of work. She was scheduled to come back late at night.

“Yes, I understand. I must get her ready to go out.”

Elisha struck her bell with her plain face.

“Lady. I'd rather not go. You just have to use her excuse that you are sick. I think it would be better to see the head of the family when the general comes.”

“Will that excuse work? The lord is not an idiot. He probably called because he knew that her husband was in the imperial palace today.”

“Lady…….”

“It's okay, butler. I would have to die to go there.”

Elisha hurriedly made her preparations and took her Nora to the gate.

Elisha arrived at the gate exactly at the arrival time notified in advance by the householder.

The people of the Cartier family always used the gate exclusively for the imperial family. The gate dedicated to the imperial family was different from the general gate on the other side.

Unlike the place where it was crowded with people, it was very quiet and isolated by a wall. Beyond the fence, it was like a different world.

“Duke Cartier has arrived!”

The guards guarding the gate prostrated themselves in unison. An old man strode past the checkpoint of the gate. It was a gait that was unbelievable for his age.

'Carola-kun.'

Elisha endured the fact that she almost furrowed her brow once. Carola was walking beside the family head, smiling charmingly.

'It's obvious without looking at it.'

This one turned out to be the worst. In an effort to prove her own innocence, Carola, who had been attached to the housekeeper's side, was good in her eyes. Carola, along with Arien and Elisha, attended the auction for the land of Yurif, so she was only slightly involved in this.

Elisha grasped the situation like flowing water just by watching one scene.

Elisha tried to take a step forward. But she had someone who popped out of her side faster than she did.

“Grandpa! Help me!”

Elisha was startled. Her man clinging to the householder was Marco. He had his skin bone grafted in a matter of days.

“Your father is innocent, you must save him. Isn't your father the only son of the head of the household?”

“You idiot!”

As soon as the family saw Marco, he burst into anger. The family head kicked Marco as it was. Marco collapsed to the floor.

“Do you know what your wife did? Your stupid wife's sins are as good as yours! Get off immediately.”

“Grandpa, please!”

The head of the household spoke harshly to Marco, who begged.

“Call me the lord. And don't expect anything from me From today, stop getting involved in all family affairs. And you wouldn't dare to visit Chateau de Cartier until I call. Things like Merha and you couple don't deserve anything as members of the family.”

Marco's face was as if he had been sentenced to death. Although Marco was trembling, he did not dare to cling to the family head again.

“Carola is scared.”

Even Carola, who was always smiling, her face was drawn.

“You guys, send that worthless thing back home.”

The family head said to the knights behind him. It was a reference to Marco. Marco shouted something, but soon he was dragged away by the knights with his mouth shut.

At that time, the householder found Elisha. He strode towards Elisha.

“I see the head of the household.”

Elisha bowed on her knees. Gazoo couldn't hide her burning anger and she glanced at Elisha.

“You, follow me.”

The housekeeper sighed coldly. Without having to say anything, Elisha was surrounded by the knights of the household.

Nora was nervous. 'Be still, Nora.' Elisha winked at Nora with that in mind.

'If the family head tries to drag it out anyway, there's no way to resist. What can I do?'

It was like a god who went to the people of the Cartier family. Elisha thought indifferently.