33

“Elsia! Are you all right?”

The Earl quickly walked to Elsia, and she lowered her hand from her face. He frowned at the bandage around her neck.

“I heard everything on my way here. What’s the point of knights training every day if they can’t even protect Elsia?”

Earl Portman glared at the knights, who stood upright and nervously watched him.

His gaze then shifted to Adrian.

“What’s the point of giving permission if you can’t even protect my daughter! I need to reconsider things with Elsia.”

Adrian apologized, sweating nervously in front of the Earl.

To refuse Adrian because of a small wound on her neck—Elsia couldn’t stay silent.

She pointed at Mars and spoke.

“Mars is the one who did wrong—why blame others? Everyone tried their best to protect me.”

Elsia tried to squeeze out tears, hoping for sympathy from the Earl.

Though no tears flowed, Earl Portman approached and hugged Elsia.

“I was so angry I vented elsewhere for a moment. I’m sorry, Elsia. It’s all my fault for trying to marry you off to Mars.”

He patted Elsia’s shoulder and immediately ordered someone to bring Earl Welsley.

“A… what is going on…”

Earl Welsley rushed in upon hearing the news, unable to comprehend the situation before him.

He looked back and forth between Mars, kneeling and bound, and Earl Portman.

“Welcome, Earl Welsley.”

Earl Portman began tearing up a paper in front of Earl Welsley, scattering the pieces toward his head.

The papers fluttered down onto the Earl’s head and the floor.

Earl Welsley froze, unable to grasp what was happening. After a moment of silence, he spoke.

“Is… is that what I think it is…?”

“Yes. It’s our rights to the mine development. Even though Mars hit me and insulted my daughter, I gave you a one-year grace period because of our long friendship and your pride in kneeling before me.”

“Yes, you promised me. But why…”

Earl Welsley couldn’t finish his sentence and looked at Mars. Seeing him kneeling like a criminal, he seemed to understand the situation.

“There’s a limit to shamelessness. I thought you’d come to apologize, but you dared threaten my daughter! I can’t stand it anymore. Our relationship ends here—take your son and leave my house. I never want to see your face again. I don’t believe your promise to discipline him, so I’m disappointed in you.”

As Earl Portman spoke, Earl Welsley’s face flushed with anger.

“Earl Portman, for the sake of our friendship, please don’t cut ties. Please.”

Earl Welsley pleaded again, but this time Earl Portman was truly firm.

He turned his head away, refusing to meet the Earl’s gaze. Even kneeling was useless.

With nothing working, Earl Welsley strode over to Mars and grabbed him by the collar.

“What… what did you do?”

Mars avoided the Earl’s gaze and spoke in a barely audible voice.

“Why… why did you abandon me…?”

“What… what did you say?”

Earl Welsley slapped Mars hard, knocking him over so his shoulder hit the floor with a thud.

Still not satisfied, he started kicking Mars repeatedly.

“Do you realize how much damage you’ve caused our family? If you’d just stayed out of trouble, none of this would have happened! I sent you to apologize, and you threatened her?”

The more he talked to Mars, the angrier Earl Welsley became, kicking him even harder.

“All right, all right. Take your family quarrel home.”

Not wanting to keep them in his house, Earl Portman signaled for them to be sent out.

The knights dragged Mars outside, and Earl Welsley left after apologizing to Earl Portman and following his son.

“Now everything is settled.”

Earl Portman smiled in relief.

The urgent situation quickly faded, and Portman manor returned to normal.

The knights went back to the training grounds, the servants returned to their duties.

“There’s urgent business, but today I’ll postpone it to comfort you, Elsia.”

Having rushed back because of the crisis, Earl Portman decided to stay at the manor.

“I’m fine. You must be busy—please finish your work.”

But Elsia tried to send the Earl away.

She wanted to go on a date with Adrian, but felt she couldn’t with her father present.

“Are you saying you don’t need me?”

Earl Portman asked, momentarily surprised.

“Of course not. Mother’s here, Elliot’s here, Marie’s here, and Adrian’s here, so I’ll be fine. Please finish your urgent business.”

Earl Portman hesitated, looking uneasy, but finally left to finish his work after seeing Elsia’s expression.

Soon, only Elsia and Adrian were left.

“Shall we go on the date we originally planned?”

Adrian nodded at Elsia’s words.

“Since your neck is hurt, let’s go to Fortuna Square next time. How about a date in the garden instead?”

“I’d love a garden date.”

Elsia was happy to be with Adrian anywhere.

They walked out to the garden holding hands.

Elsia drank tea with Adrian at the same spot where she’d once had tea with Mars.

They slowly sipped tea, saying nothing, but Elsia enjoyed the moment.

Even without conversation, just relaxing and drinking tea with him was pleasant. Of course, Adrian’s eyes burned with passion.

“Shall we finish what we started earlier?”

Elsia responded to Adrian’s gaze.

His eyes turned mischievous, but Adrian shook his head.

“Not here at Portman.”

Though Earl Portman wasn’t visible, Adrian felt his pressure and refused.

Elsia took off her right shoe and stretched her foot toward Adrian’s leg, placing it on his thigh.

Her temptation worked, and Adrian’s blue eyes grew even darker and more intense.

They both stood up and slowly approached each other.

“You said no, but you’re an easy man, aren’t you?”

Elsia teased with a mischievous smile.

“I’m always easy for you.”

Adrian replied with a sly smile.

Their lips met gently, and their tongues intertwined.

The kiss, which felt like it would melt them, soon turned into a deep, passionate embrace.

Elsia enjoyed the warmth every time they touched and didn’t want to part. Adrian seemed to feel the same, as they explored each other’s mouths for a long while.

“Um… Lady Elsia.”

While Elsia was focused on kissing Adrian, someone called her name. She quickly broke away and turned toward the voice. Marie was watching her with a shy expression.

“What is it?”

Elsia felt embarrassed for no reason, though she hadn’t done anything wrong. Her face flushed, but she tried to speak calmly.

“Lady Richel is here.”

“Richel?”

Had the events with the Welsley family already become gossip? Elsia tilted her head and entered the manor with Adrian.

As soon as she entered the drawing room, Richel approached Elsia with worried eyes.

“Elsia, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine. No serious injuries.”

Richel inspected Elsia’s body, then noticed the bandage on her neck and cried out.

“Did that bastard Mars hurt your neck? He’s crazy! I wish I’d slapped his face when I saw him. Too bad I missed the chance.”

Richel looked as if she’d just met Mars, wearing a regretful expression.

“Mars had just left Portman, so how did you know? Has the news already spread?”

Elsia asked, and Richel smiled gently.

“I was eating dessert at a shop in Fortuna Square when I happened to see Earl Portman’s carriage pass by. It was moving so fast that I thought something must be wrong, so I hurried after it. When I arrived, he was talking to the Imperial Investigator about what to do with Mars. So I asked what had happened.”

“What did Father decide?”

Elsia asked, and Richel shook her head in disbelief.

“You’re safe, and considering his friendship with Earl Welsley, he seemed to want to settle it by banishing Mars to the outskirts. He just wanted him out of your sight.”

“Really? Honestly, I just want him gone from my sight too.”

Elsia nodded, agreeing with her father’s decision.

She didn’t care what happened to Mars, as long as he didn’t appear before her and she could forget about him.

“Is that enough? You and the Earl are too soft-hearted. What if he sneaks back in for revenge and harms you again?”

Richel looked at Elsia with disbelief.

Elsia didn’t think Mars had the courage for that. If he did, he would have hurt her first instead of threatening her with a knife.

“What would you do, then?”

Elsia asked Richel.

* * *

[A few hours before Richel visited Elsia.]

“Is banishment from the capital really enough?”

Richel was dissatisfied with Earl Portman’s decision.

She felt the punishment was too light for Mars’s crimes—as if he was being treated leniently because he was a noble.

“I’m angry too, but he’s already lost his territory and his right to inherit the Welsley family. I think that’s enough, but it seems you don’t.”

“Earl, you are too soft. That’s why Mars dared to go to Portman and threaten Elsia with a knife! Elsia almost got seriously hurt. Isn’t your attitude too lax, Earl?”

“That… that bastard. But you’re right.”

Earl Portman was briefly flustered by Richel’s harsh words, then agreed.

“Leave the rest to me. From now on, Earl, should stay out of any decisions about that boy.”

“All right.”

Earl Portman nodded, still bewildered.