Chapter 2. Because We Want Different Things

Elia regained consciousness due to calm, murmuring conversation.

“Don’t wake her on purpose. She must be very tired.”

“I shall do so, Your Majesty. Should I prepare medicine separately?”

Elia opened her eyes that wouldn’t open at the quiet voice, then immediately had to grit her teeth at the pain crossing her entire body.

Her whole body screamed in pain to the extent that even the thin sheet covering her n*ked body felt burdensome.

“Don’t do that since she’d probably be embarrassed if you suddenly offered medicine. But it would be good to have it ready to bring immediately if she requests it.”

It was Casiel’s voice.

“I shall obey your command.”

The following voice with a sense of mature experience belonged to the chief chamberlain.

“Then Your Majesty, is there nothing you wish to convey separately to Finance Minister Zeke about Administrator Weiss? He’s been waiting since earlier saying he has something to tell you about morning assembly preparations.”

Elia widened her eyes while clutching the sheet inside the bed draped with thick curtains.

Morning assembly preparations? Then was it morning now?

“I’ll speak to him directly.”

“Will you do so?”

Soon the sound of Casiel leaving the room, the sound of the chief chamberlain following him, and even the sound of the door closing could be heard.

The room became quiet.

Elia bolted upright from her spot.

Then she made a gasping sound and collapsed back onto the bed.

Due to tremendous muscle pain, it was difficult to even support and stand with her own body.

“Mmph……”

The moment she raised her body, an indescribable emotion surged at the feeling of sticky liquid flowing down between her legs.

Good heavens. All of this is his……

Memories of being shaken senseless under Casiel all night, memories of screaming until her voice was hoarse, memories of Casiel ej*culating inside her belly several times, memories of him biting and sucking her entire body until she was covered in bruises—all flashed by like a revolving lantern.

Each memory that surfaced was shocking, but now was not the time to be immersed in shock.

Contraceptive medicine! She had to take contraceptive medicine first.

Elia hurriedly pulled back the thick velvet curtains draped over the bed.

⁕⁕⁕

Elia, who had taken an official imperial palace carriage to Rubet Street, jumped out of the carriage and immediately ran straight into the back alley.

When she told the coachman to return to the imperial palace first since she would find her own way back, he looked puzzled but obediently followed her words.

Only after entering the alley and confirming that the carriage had completely left the street did Elia fumble through her memory of the back alley’s geography.

Her exceptional memory easily recalled the location of the illegal medicine dealer.

Elia, who ran straight to her destination, firmly grasped the hood pulled over her head and held out money with trembling hands.

“Contraceptive medicine. The strongest kind.”

Even at the young woman’s suspicious request, the old man missing a front tooth held out two pouches without asking any particular questions.

“If you’re taking it beforehand, this one. If it’s after the deed, the right one.”

When Elia snatched the right pouch, the old man gave a short laugh and waved his hand telling her to go well.

Elia frantically exited the back alley and headed toward the city center.

Thinking she needed to buy something appropriate to drink since she couldn’t just swallow the large pill dry, Elia soon spotted a street vendor near the plaza fountain.

When she asked for just any juice, the good-natured vendor handed her orange-colored orange juice.

Holding the juice in one hand while hurriedly trying to open the pouch she had bought from the medicine dealer, a plain young man’s voice pierced Elia’s ears.

“If what you’re about to take is the medicine I’m thinking of, you’d better not take that medicine.”

When she whipped her head around at the familiar voice, there stood the emperor’s aide, Count Kent, with a troubled expression.

“Ah…… Count……”

“What in the world is this sudden…… Let’s go back for now.”

“I don’t……”

Wait.

Elia, who was about to express her refusal with trembling lips, suddenly closed her mouth.

Was there even time to argue? Contraceptive medicine was more effective when taken quickly.

Elia quickly put the juice in her mouth and hurriedly pulled out the medicine from the pouch.

But unfortunately, the blue pill didn’t make it into Elia’s mouth.

Count Kent, an experienced knight, swiftly snatched the pill away.

“Pfft!”

At the unexpected attack, Elia ended up spitting out the juice she had been holding in her mouth.

The orange liquid that spurted out colorfully stained Count Kent’s clothes.

“I’m, I’m sorry…… No wait, give it back!”

But Count Kent only frowned.

“Seeing your intense reaction, it seems to be the medicine I was thinking of. Are things like this still circulating in the market? It looks like we need to take action once. But how did Financial Administrator Elia Weiss know where such medicines are sold?”

That was because she had heard it through gossip from imperial palace maids she had occasionally socialized with when getting her uniform fitted.

Since it was obvious that speaking it aloud would cause trouble for them too, Elia kept silent about that.

“That’s not something Count needs to know, so give it to me quickly!”

“I cannot.”

“Count!”

Elia flew into a rage.

“Elia!”

And Count Kent also shouted back no less loudly. Loud enough to make Elia flinch.

“I understand your feelings, but this still isn’t right! Do you know what kind of side effects these medicines can have before carelessly taking them! Are you such a child that you don’t even know that? Besides, you’re now……!”

Count Kent, who had been scolding and shouting, stopped speaking.

Because chicken-dropping-like tears suddenly fell from Elia’s widened eyes in surprise.

“What…… what do you know.”

“Ah……”

“What does Brother Rowell know! You’ve just been ignoring people like looking at cows and chickens every day! What does Brother know about how I’m feeling right now!”

The midday fountain plaza was a place where quite many people came and went.

It was no wonder that the attention of surrounding people focused when a conspicuous tall handsome man was having an argument with a small pretty woman.

“What? Are they fighting?”

“The man ignored the woman, they say.”

“What’s with the medicine? Is she sick somewhere?”

“Isn’t the man abandoning the woman because she got sick?”

The murmuring sounds quickly completed one worldly story.

Feeling a headache coming on, Count Kent sighed and extended his hand.

“Let’s move locations first.”

Elia didn’t readily take the extended hand. Instead, she glared at Count Kent with eyes full of hostility and mouthed silently.

‘His Majesty the Emperor’s lapdog.’

……like that.

Count Kent, wanting to retort that someone who had harbored unrequited love for that emperor for five years had no business saying that to him, suppressed it with adult restraint.

⁕⁕⁕

To Countess Lilias Kent, Elia Weiss was a very precious person.

It was none other than Elia’s parents, Baron and Baroness Weiss, who had cared for Lilias since childhood, back when she was poor and unfortunate despite her noble title.

Elia, who had followed behind calling “Sister, Sister” since childhood, was the first being to teach Lilias what affection was in this world.

So her heart felt like it was tearing when she saw Elia burst into tears the moment she saw her.

The sight of her cherished younger sister from her hometown, harboring unrequited love for the emperor, was cute and lovely.

She had thought that since unrequited love that couldn’t be fulfilled was something everyone experienced, it would pass, but Elia’s heart was quite pure and devoted.

With such single-minded devotion, she wondered if Elia could even meet another man and get married.

It was three years ago that she noticed Casiel’s gaze toward Elia was unusual.

While treating Elia with a strictly business-like attitude, he simultaneously showed hostility toward men who approached her. It was during the Foundation Festival three years ago that she thought, “That’s right.”

‘Who could have imagined that foolishness would go on for years and then explode in this way.’

Lilias sighed while looking down at Elia, who had fallen asleep exhausted from crying.

Her neck and wrists visible through her collar were mottled with bruises terrible to look at.

The white skin densely marked with blood congestion and teeth marks naturally evoked pity.

Lilias ground her teeth at the emperor’s behavior.

Casiel was someone who had lived as a usurper, roaming battlefields since childhood.

He was a man who had no connection from the start with things like ticklish push-and-pull romance.

“As you said, His Majesty the Emperor is quite rational indeed, Rowell.”

When she carefully closed the door of the room where Elia was sleeping and came out, Count Kent was waiting outside that door with an anxious face. Lilias openly sneered at her husband’s face.

Count Kent coughed awkwardly and averted his gaze.

As always, Count Kent was nothing but the weaker party in front of his beloved wife.

Lilias crossed her arms in front of her troubled husband and asked a question.

“I roughly understand how things are going, but could you give me a detailed explanation?”

“It’s just as you saw. His Majesty the Emperor…… ahem. Did that.”

It was an explanation that was utterly unhelpful. Lilias’s face naturally contorted.

“Oh, and he told me to find out who the man Elia was going to marry is first—do you happen to know?”

“There’s no way such a bastard exists.”

Her habit of talking roughy from her childhood still emerged when emotions ran high.

Instead of pointing out the crude word Lilias used, Count Kent sent a questioning look asking what she meant.

“I can understand how things got twisted. Nine times out of ten, it was probably just something Elia made up, but His Majesty the Emperor’s eyes turned at that.”

“Lily. You should be more careful with your words……”

He cautiously began at her unrestrained words toward the emperor, but Lilias snorted.

“Are you so afraid of His Majesty the Emperor who isn’t even present here?”

“Lily.”

“Well, you were so afraid that you completely ignored my earnest request to take good care of the child and pretended not to see Elia at the imperial palace.”

Count Kent had something to say about that too.

It wasn’t that Count Kent didn’t care about Elia, whom he had known since childhood.

But the emperor, and the emperor’s gaze, made him hesitant.