5.1 – Temptation (2)

“Sister, are you okay? Are you tired?”  

Anna tilted her head in curiosity at Ellen’s unusual behavior. Only then did Ellen realize she had been staring blankly at the sky, ignoring the horse standing right in front of her.  

“I’m fine.”  

Despite her words, Ellen couldn’t focus on the matter at hand. Leon kept invading her thoughts.  

Today was such a waste of time.  

Grumbling to herself, she returned to the mansion, where a letter from Donna was waiting for her.  

The timing was uncanny—the letter arrived on the same day she encountered Leon. Without even reading its contents, Ellen was sure Donna was the one who had given Leon the address of the Novary household.  

Let’s see what she wrote.  

“Ah! This is insane!”  

As Ellen read the letter, she couldn’t help but scream aloud. The contents were utterly outrageous.  

Good heavens! Donna admitted I had known about the bet in advance and even claimed I had dated Leon briefly just to enjoy before marriage?  

[I was being a little spiteful. I’m sorry. If Guilford visits you, I think it might be worth listening to his sincerity at least once. Saying this feels like the best way I can apologize to you.]  

The last part of the letter was particularly infuriating. It was shocking enough that Donna had portrayed her as a frivolous woman, but now she was suggesting Ellen should hear Leon out if he showed up?  

Ellen couldn’t understand why Donna, who had always disliked Leon, suddenly seemed to have changed her mind.  

“Did she want me to treat Sir Guilford harshly?”  

Ellen had already received an apology from him, but she hadn’t listened to his sincerity. This made it difficult to grasp Donna’s intentions.  

Was his apology his true sincerity? What exactly was he thinking when he sought me out?  

Could it be that he was angry because I had toyed with him, or was he genuinely trying to apologize?  

Ellen briefly regretted cutting Leon off and wondered if she should have listened to him a bit more. But she quickly shook her head.  

Their relationship was already over. He was someone she would rarely encounter in the future. Besides, she was in the process of sorting out her feelings.  

So it didn’t matter anymore how she appeared to him.  

He’s a member of the Imperial Knight Order, probably here on a brief vacation. He won’t stay long. He’ll likely leave by tomorrow, right?  

Since Leon was someone who would leave soon anyway, Ellen tried her best not to let him bother her. She repeatedly told herself that meeting him again wouldn’t affect her anymore.

The next day, Ellen headed to the dairy ranch. This time, instead of planning a business venture, she had promised to help the friendly Rhoda couple.

“Hey? Sister, that knight is here again.”

As they approached the ranch, Anna pointed her hand at a spot, and Ellen looked to see Leon conversing with the Rhoda couple.

“…”

She had thought she wouldn’t meet him today, but here he was again. Having run into him twice in such a short period made it seem as though he was deliberately appearing before her, as if trying to make things difficult for her.

“The knight said he’d help with work. That’ll make things easier.”

Lady Rhoda approached Ellen with a bright smile.

“Don’t you think that man is suspicious?”

“You seem to know him, Miss Ellen. Was he suspicious? He’s helping with work, so I think it’s rather good.”

Ellen whispered secretly to Lady Rhoda so Leon wouldn’t hear, but Rhoda didn’t seem to share her concerns. On the contrary, she appeared pleased about the situation. Seeing her reaction, Ellen couldn’t bring herself to tell him to leave.

“…”

Failing to change Lady Rhoda’s mind, Ellen had no choice but to work alongside Leon.

She helped Rhoda milk the cows with Anna, while Leon carried heavy loads, chopped logs to reinforce fences, and assisted with tasks that women couldn’t handle. His strength was as impressive as his sturdy physique, allowing him to lift weights several times heavier than anyone else with ease.

“As expected, Sir Knight, you are exceptionally strong.”

The voices of the villagers praising him echoed around. Ellen tried her best to ignore everything related to him, pretending not to hear or see him.

“Could you help again tomorrow? Miss Ellen will assist too, but if you help, Sir Knight, it would be wonderful.”

“Of course.”

But when the conversation reached her ears, she couldn’t ignore it.

Help again tomorrow? 

Ellen’s eyes widened upon hearing those words.

Does this mean he won’t return to Melchia tomorrow either?

It was strange for someone from the Imperial Knights to stay in Alber Village without working. It didn’t seem like he was on a long-term vacation either.

So he doesn’t intend to end things with just an apology. He must have another purpose.

Could it be that he’s deliberately trying to trouble me? Did he feel humiliated after discovering I had tricked him? Is that why he’s lingering around me?

The thought of having to see Leon’s face for a while made Ellen feel suffocated. She had returned to Alber Village to breathe and live freely, yet Leon seemed intent on disrupting her ability to breathe properly.

“May I have a word with you?”

“Certainly.”

She had tried to ignore his presence, but if she continued to do so, she didn’t know how long he’d stay here. Ellen decided she had to personally drive him out of the village.

Taking Leon to a place where no one could overhear them, she spoke.

“Shouldn’t you return to Melchia soon? A knight of the Imperial Order shouldn’t be spending so much time here helping with work. It feels like a waste of manpower. Someone with your skills shouldn’t be idly wasting time here.”

Ellen tried to persuade him gently, fearing that he might do something reckless out of spite if he had discovered her deceitful actions during their wager.

She knew how busy Imperial Knights were. Even during their dating days, they couldn’t spend much time together, and Leon’s free time was so unpredictable that she had to adjust her schedule to match his.

“I was dismissed for being unable to wield my sword.”

But Leon’s response was utterly shocking.

“What?”

That couldn’t be true. 

Ellen stared at Leon with slightly widened eyes.

She had heard that he was an outstanding knight—an ace among the Imperial Knights. She had even heard that he was the most likely candidate for the next commander of the order.

“Don’t say ridiculous things. I heard that you are almost guaranteed to become the next commander, Sir Guilford.”

“I was dismissed because I lost to a rookie knight. To be precise, it’s closer to being put on probation. So until I’m taken back, I have a lot of free time.”

“…”

Probation? 

Suddenly being put on probation was hard to believe. It would have been more believable if he had said he was resting due to an injury. Still, Ellen couldn’t discount the possibility that there were circumstances within the knights’ order that she wasn’t privy to.

Though she had intended to persuade him kindly, she realized she would have to find another excuse to drive him out.

“Why are you here, then? Melchia is far away, and this countryside must be inconvenient for you to live in.”

“I came to take a break. I brought a servant and am staying at a nearby villa, so I’m living comfortably without any issues.”

A villa? 

In Alber Village, there was only one place that could be considered a villa. She had heard that a noble from the capital purchased it recently

… Could it be?

“I happened to find a nice villa, so I bought it.”

Seeing Ellen’s surprised expression, Leon smiled slyly as if he could read her thoughts.

“…”

Goodness. 

Ellen rubbed her forehead with her hand. She had heard that the Guilford family was wealthy, but she hadn’t expected him to buy a villa casually, as if it were nothing, just to stay for a short while. And it was located close enough to be visible from the Novary household.

“Why are you here, in front of me? I received your apology yesterday, so isn’t our matter fully resolved?”

Although she tried to maintain a calm demeanor, she couldn’t hold back anymore. Unable to suppress her rising frustration, Ellen yelled at Leon.

They hadn’t dated out of love, but Leon was still her ex-boyfriend—a man who had deeply hurt her. Running into him wasn’t a pleasant experience.

Please, let me sort out my feelings in peace….

Ellen couldn’t understand Leon’s behavior. He had been cold and distant before, yet now he was trailing her all the way to Alber Village. She couldn’t fathom why he was lingering around her.

Did he find out about how I know of the bet and come here out of anger? Or does he truly have lingering feelings for me?

“Even if my relationship with you is over, Miss Novary, is there any reason I can’t stay here? You make it seem that this place is quite unwelcoming to outsiders.”

Leon tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders with a brazen expression.

“…”

Who is this shameless man standing before her? He seemed like a stranger to Ellen. The restrained and noble man she once knew was gone.

Was he always like this?

Perhaps it was natural for Ellen to not have known. She had never had such long conversations with him before.

The strange thing was that Ellen didn’t dislike this unfamiliar side of him. She wanted to dislike him, but she couldn’t. So before any deeper feelings could arise, she had to push him away.

“Yes, we are quite unwelcoming to outsiders. The villagers would feel uncomfortable too, so it would be better if you left soon.”

She deliberately replied coldly. But Leon didn’t seem bothered. Instead, his response was shameless.

“That’s strange. Everyone here has been kind to me. Let’s make a deal. There’s a lady I want to start over with. If she agrees to meet me, I’ll leave.”

“…”

Ellen’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

When she had wanted him to understand her feelings, he had ignored her. Now, why was he suddenly saying he wanted to start over? When she had approached him, he had rejected her. After sleeping together, he apologized. He hadn’t even sent her a kind letter. So why now?