Chapter 6 (Part 3)

It had been like this since then.

Since hearing that those who coveted the castle and Ellenia had arrived in the village below, Edan had occasionally started to push her. His lovemaking, which had always focused on her pl*asure, had begun to include his own desires.

Was it a kind of affection?

If so, when did it start?

Whenever she wondered about the nature of his feelings, she left scratch marks on his back, and when she feared the answer might not be what she wanted, she shook her hips forcefully to take him as deep as possible.

Ellenia gently embraced his head.

Edan, like a traveler in a desert drinking nectar, buried his face in her chest and panted. His long nose dug between her br*asts, sucking deeply, leaving marks, and licking the area where her ribs met her br*ast.

“…Haa, haa.”

The sensation was more ticklish than painful, making her expect a bigger wave of pl*asure. Ellenia unconsciously twisted her legs, feeling hot below. His hard m*mber brushed against her toes, creating a wet sensation between her legs.

Her cold toes pressed against his er*ect*on like a heating stone.

“…”

Edan slowly stopped his movements. As if coming to his senses, he took a deep breath.

“You don’t have to do this.”

Edan’s voice rumbled from Ellenia’s chest. His thick lips moved, tickling her skin.

“It’s something you don’t need to suffer.”

Once again, his strong arm tightened around her waist. His broad shoulders hunched, pressing under her chest.

“I came to help you through the rainy season.”

Ellenia, holding his head close to her chest, lowered her head. She pressed her lips deeply into his honey-colored hair.

“I came to protect you.”

Edan lifted his head from her chest. His green eyes shone intensely under his tousled hair. There was a faint moisture in them.

‘I will protect you.’

The memory that always came to her mind made Ellenia swallow his lips. Her thin legs wrapped around his waist.

***

Goose roast, beef stew, cabbage and bacon stew. Fresh potatoes, apple pie, bread with lots of b*tter, and other dishes made from this year’s harvest filled the bountiful table.

The banquet hall was set with a more luxurious meal than usual. The bishop of Nux and the Opellus family were struggling to resist the temptation in front of them until the temporary master of the castle appeared.

“Is it right to keep guests waiting like this? I swear……. This isn’t the teaching of Nux.”

“Bishop, please be patient. Isn’t it typical for an unbeliever’s family to be so self-centered?”

“I knew the granddaughter was frail when that rascal Edarson coddled her.”

Listening to the guests’ chatter, Leni barely restrained her lips from twitching. Even though the lord had passed, the rightful heir was still Madam, yet they deliberately called her the granddaughter of Nux.

The servants of Tarnu were displeased with the way the Opellus family spoke, belittling Ellenia and the late lord.

The bishop of Nux laughed heartily, seemingly satisfied. The layers of wrinkles etched on his face made him look somewhat sinister, which Leni thought suited his life perfectly.

Just as she was thinking that pouring all the water she was holding over his black wool hat wouldn’t make a difference, the butler signaled her with his eyes, and Leni had to obediently fill the glasses of the Opellus family.

Drink it and die.

Such thoughts could only be exchanged with the butler through their eyes.

“She was healthy when she was in Nux.”

“It seems inevitable in the land of infidels. I look forward to the day when God’s grace descends upon Tarnu.”

Schultz quickly winked. He had been currying favor with the bishop the whole time.

It was widely known that Ellenia was frail. Anyone could guess from the types of medicines that entered the castle.

However, they didn’t know what kind of plot these people, who constantly coveted the castle and the estate, were concocting. It seemed they had brought a meticulous script.

Hmph, our Madam has become so healthy lately. A mental condition, huh? A young man, huh?

At that moment, Ellenia entered the banquet hall, escorted by Edan.

Dressed meticulously in a velvet dress with hair ornaments to greet the guests, the Madam was as beautiful as ever… but her complexion was pale.

Leni was startled and gave a look to Greta, who had helped Madam with her hair and followed behind.

She was fine until yesterday morning.

I don’t know.

The two maids whispered as they entered the dining room.

The guests were surprised twice when they saw Edan entering with Ellenia. Once at her brazenness in bringing the rumored lover directly, and again at the lover’s excessively handsome appearance, which made him look like a noble.

Only the bishop of Nux couldn’t hide his displ*asure, his throat rumbling.

Before sitting in her seat at the head of the table, Ellenia gracefully lifted her skirt and bowed towards the bishop, who was seated a bit away.

“Grandfather. Have you been well?”

“Hosting guests… Did Nux teach you this?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Ellenia instinctively shrank her neck. The fear embedded in her was evident to everyone in the banquet hall, filling the servants with pity.

It was their first meeting in 13 years. The once imposing old man looked quite shabby with his hunched shoulders. The face that used to scold her harshly and the hand that wielded the cane were now wrinkled.

But his light gray eyes. Though cloudier than she remembered, those eyes still glared at her with anger, making Ellenia’s heart pound.

She had forgotten during the long absence, and even the cursed letters only made her heart flutter slightly, making her think she was okay.

But facing his vivid presence… Ellenia felt like the girl from ten years ago, trembling in a chest every night.

Her nape turned pale.

Edan, standing behind her, clasped his hands in pity.

“Um, it’s just that Madam has been—”

The butler, unable to bear it, tried to intervene, but Ellenia quickly raised her hand. The resolute movement caused the atmosphere in the banquet hall to momentarily freeze.

“I was so worried about showing my foolish self to Grandfather after such a long time that I couldn’t sleep at all last night. All excuses are useless, but please don’t be too angry.”

Ellenia smiled sweetly as she spoke. Her voice was as gentle as a breeze tickling the eaves, but her tone was firm. Her lips trembled slightly in that ripple.

“…A disgrace to Nux.”

The bishop spat out, his eyes bulging. The two maids carrying soup into the banquet hall at that moment narrowed their eyes. 

We all read the letter telling her to die in Tarnu if she had to.

“Is this how you greet the Madam of Tarnu?”

Seizing the opportunity, Schultz rose from his seat and extended his hand as if to shake hers. Seated closest to the head of the Opellus family, opposite the bishop, he stepped forward and approached Ellenia.

“I don’t know if you remember me. It seems like the first time since your wedding. It was a pity that your husband left without a word.”

The man who couldn’t even meet Edarson’s eyes properly during his lordship spoke like that.

Ellenia inadvertently shuddered. Her gaze touched his hand in displeasure.

“…We should have interacted sooner.”

“Nice to meet you. My husband often spoke of Opellus.”

As Schultz twisted his lips into a sneering smile, Ellenia cut him off, looking squarely at his face. Her unblinking, composed expression and unceremonious tone made Schultz’s eyebrows twitch.

“…I should resent my brother.”

Schultz awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hand. As he retracted his hand, Ellenia meticulously observed him with downcast eyes. Her blue eyes under platinum eyelashes shone deeply.

“Madam, then.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Edan quickly moved the chair at the head of the table to make room for her.

“I’ll be waiting outside.”

“Please do.”

He didn’t leave immediately, waiting for her final glance, his eyes shining faintly.

Don’t overdo it. I’m here.

Ellenia, catching his gaze sideways, smiled crookedly. A dimple formed on the side where her lip curled. It was more lively than when she faced the bishop or Schultz.

‘So that’s the bastard.’

Schultz, forgetting his manners, turned his head to scrutinize Edan’s retreating figure as he left the banquet hall. Tall but lanky, his build must be from doing rough work. A young brat sniffing out money.

Thinking as he pleased, he exchanged a glance with the bishop sitting opposite him.

“Rumor has it that you neglect your husband’s kin, forgetting God’s commandments, which has reached Nux and tarnished my reputation.”

“…”