Lars embraced Elysia, who seemed quite startled, into his arms.

Though not quite like Claes, when his solid body wrapped around her, relief surged through Chohee. She had already been anxious because her phone alarm to wake her from the dream hadn’t gone off, and being forcibly driven from Claes’s bedroom doubled her sense of sorrow.

“Are you alright, Elysia?”

Looking at Lars who gazed at her with gentle eyes, Chohee nodded. Then Lars left a kiss on Chohee’s left cheek with his soft lips.

Then he stroked her other cheek with his fingers and gave her a kind smile.

“Stay here for the time being. Though a strange oracle came down, that oracle must be false. An oracle that overturns a previous oracle isn’t legitimate.”

Chohee closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his palm. Lars also had calluses on his hands from sword training, but now that firm texture comforted her.

“Did you eat breakfast?”

“…”

Chohee shook her head. Then Lars chuckled and ordered a maid.

“Bring food for Elysia to eat. You can get it from the Crown Prince’s Palace chef.”

“Yes, sir.”

When the maids withdrew, Lars gently stroked Chohee’s hair. Chohee, who thought of Claes from his caressing touch, softly opened her eyes.

However, what she saw before her eyes wasn’t Claes but Lars. Well, Lars also gently soothed her heart. Chohee smiled brightly and pressed her lips to his wrist.

“Elysia…”

He felt excitement from her soft lips. Food would arrive soon, but he realized uncontrollable emotions were spreading from his heart throughout his entire body. Lars reached out and wrapped Chohee’s delicate shoulders with his arms.

“…”

Watching him hold her and feel her warm body temperature, Chohee wanted to tell him something. But if she was going to speak, she wanted to tell him like a gift when Claes returned. That Claes was truly the person she had been hoping for.

‘But what if Claes isn’t happy?’

However, seemingly showing such worries were groundless, Lars whispered in a low, sweet voice.

“If Brother Claes had been at the palace, this wouldn’t have happened. Though I’m overseeing the Imperial Palace, since Brother Karad has united with Duke Serow, Brother Claes’s political enemy, I’m showing many shortcomings in dealing with the two of them.”

Chohee shook her head. Lars had done his best. He had also stopped those hopeless young ladies and lords from banding together like conspirators with Duke Serow and Karad’s side to drive her out.

‘Though a strange oracle came down and people will move to reduce this Elysia to just a breeding vessel… As long as Lars protects me, those people won’t be able to touch me carelessly.’

And Lars would punish all those young ladies and lords, so for the time being, only Karad would be left to bother her.

However, did Karad come up with the idea to fabricate that false oracle first? He was someone blinded by inferiority complex who couldn’t see an inch ahead, so only Duke Serow, Claes’s political enemy, could have come up with such an idea.

Since Lars also knew this, he slowly continued speaking.

“But what on earth is Brother Karad thinking… I can only think he can’t see the future. Allying with Duke Serow means opposing Brother Claes, so when Brother Claes returns, he’ll severely question Brother Karad.”

Chohee nodded in agreement.

At that gesture, Lars seemed to gain more strength and carefully chose his words.

“But it will take time for Brother Claes to return after finishing the subjugation. So my job will be to protect you, Elysia, and prevent the people in the state council meetings from falling to Duke Serow who has allied with Brother Karad. Of course, during that time I’ll also need to interrogate High Priest Altair who fabricated the fake oracle.”

Lars held both of Chohee’s cheeks and softly kissed her lips. When Chohee smiled brightly, that sight was so lovely that Lars smiled warmly and pressed his lips to her forehead as well. At that long-pressed sensation, Chohee also felt excited and wrapped her arms around Lars’s waist.

“You, Elysia, don’t need to worry about anything. I will protect you.”

“…”

Chohee gently touched Lars’s back like she was agreeing. At that tender touch, Lars felt thrilled excitement, but food would arrive soon.

“I’ll bring in the meal, Your Highness.”

“Go ahead.”

Splendid banquets were laid out before her eyes. Chohee was delighted by the variety and quality that was no different from when she had been in Crown Prince Claes’s bedroom. 

This dream penetrated her favorite tastes and always consisted only of things she enjoyed eating.

Of course, even though she enjoyed eating them, she could never taste them in reality.

When Chohee squirmed in his arms, Lars chuckled and let her go. When Chohee picked up a knife and fork to cut her steak, Lars watched that sight quietly with a pleased smile on his lips.

‘She’s truly lovely.’

Lars still couldn’t forget when he first saw her. The sight of her staggering down n*ked from atop the corpses sacrificed to dark magic, kneeling and collapsing, was still vividly etched in his retinas.

‘And she said “Ah” like this place was bewildering.’

Watching Chohee delicately bring food to her mouth, Lars grinned. His bright golden hair gleamed clearly in the light shining from above. His blue eyes were also clearly reflecting Chohee like deep-colored sapphires.

“Elysia. Is it delicious?”

Chohee agreed.

“Ah…”

“Hehe, seeing you eat so deliciously is really nice to watch. Well, Brother Claes also always ordered the chef to prepare meals only with things you like, Elysia.”

When Chohee picked up spicy pickles and munched on them, Lars brought a napkin and wiped the corners of her mouth. Since her dining etiquette wasn’t perfect yet, Chohee often got food slightly on the corners of her mouth.

But to Lars, even such aspects of Chohee felt unique. Chohee was different from the nobles of this world. He truly realized she was someone with a different world’s culture when he saw Chohee writing letters while sitting in Claes’s office.

‘I was really surprised then. Moreover, previous Elysias couldn’t express their intentions by writing letters or anything. But this Elysia was different.’

Even though those letters were completely unrecognizable characters from another world, Claes and Lars had been amazed that she could express her intentions in writing.

Therefore, Claes had accepted her from then on not simply as a breeding vessel but as a future empress who would be with him. That’s why Claes became even kinder to Chohee. 

When he was with her, he didn’t hesitate to reveal words that showed his inner heart. It was completely different from the social world’s evaluation that his exterior and interior were different.

‘Brother Claes needs to return quickly.’

How angry would he be when he returned and learned of this messy situation?

He would deal a fatal blow to the nobles who still perceived Elysia as just a breeding vessel.

And he would find evidence that the oracle was fabricated before then.

Lars clenched his fist while watching Chohee eat.

He absolutely would not stand by and watch this situation.

He was making that resolution.