‘Are you hiding something from me?’

Elicia openly expressed her emotions in front of him. Perhaps because she believed he was blind.

Usually, people wear a mask to some degree in front of others. To maintain a proper human relationship, isn’t it essential to observe courtesy and decorum?

Since Illeone acted like the blind man he used to be, Elicia had no reason to pretend in front of him.

The woman’s natural movements he had so desired, every ordinary gesture, each trivial habit he had longed to see, following them with his eyes was utterly satisfying.

What expression are you making now? What is your complexion like?

The memory of tedious waiting to know the mere complexion of the woman he cared for, asking her and not having to ask her was a joy beyond words.

Even the fact that he had deceitfully deceived her to bring Elicia so close to him was momentarily forgotten.

‘Has this ever happened before?’

Now Elicia’s words and actions were discordant. What she conveyed with her voice and the emotions revealed through her expressions were different. Playing tricks on him, and watching her candidly without preparation made his heart flutter.

Though he had always desperately wished to see Elicia with his eyes, the woman he actually encountered gave him doubts.

The synchronized walking pace slowed down. Elicia turned to him and asked.

“Sir Illeone, are you alright?”

“……Yes.”

A beat late, Elicia examined him in response. What was truly astonishing was the moment he saw her eyes fixed solely on him; something that had been bothering him seemed to vanish.

He turned in the direction he had walked, feigning concern.

“Something I dropped. It’s bothering me.”

“What?”

“A lucky coin. You just dropped it in a garden overrun with weeds and left? You must have cherished it for some reason.”

At Illeone’s words, Elicia’s face showed confusion.

“No, that’s not it. When the day is bright, I’ll look for it myself tomorrow.”

“Tell me the size or shape, and I’ll have the steward look for it.”

That would be proper if it were an item of significance. However, Elicia looked puzzled at Illeone’s words.

“The steward is so busy.”

“I’ll have the servants do it.”

“I can look for it myself. I’m a hired person, after all.”

“You should be by my side. Lona.”

Illeone emphasized the name ‘Lona’ intentionally.

Only momentarily, she had asked to be treated like Lona instead of Elicia. Like Lona, dutifully, not as the Elicia cherished by the Duke of Uter, but acting like a maid without proof of identity who must follow Illeone’s commands.

At his refined words, Elicia’s eyes widened, then, like the moon hidden behind clouds, they disappeared behind the curtain of her falling hair.

“……Yes. I understand, Sir Illeone.”

Illeone clenched his fist.

This was not what he wanted. He had no intention of upsetting Elicia. However, the intuition guaranteed by the superior blood of Oder told him something uncomfortable was nagging at his mind.

He could not just overlook Elicia’s ambiguous words and actions.

Human emotions begin with the trivial. Like his affection manifested in the small kindness that Elicia showed beyond the paid compensation, being warmer than a person merely contracted to work.

Conversely, isn’t it the same when people grow distant and uncomfortable with each other?

Illeone was not unfamiliar with human relationships, though this was his first time feeling love towards a woman. As a knight commander, he had experienced all types of human characters. It was also his job to place the united soldiers, bound by the intention of defending the empire, in their proper positions.

Elicia’s relationship was different from anyone else’s.
Even those in love would find their relationships twisted when their hearts were wounded. They might enjoy themselves with lovers and mistresses after marriage, and even endure complicated and greatly damaging divorces, as those were common.

However, Elleon felt a subtle emotion for Elishia that transcended all worldly definitions. It was something he himself could not understand.

Could someone, whom he hadn’t even known existed until now, so fully occupy his heart?

If he let that person go, it would feel like the end of the world, and as if he himself would collapse, so much so that he would not hesitate to do shameful or cowardly things.

Elleon was proud of himself. He didn’t act with the consciousness that he was superior, but the world as seen by a wild beast roaring across the plains and the small animal that is merely its meal is governed by different laws. The evidence of being a descendent of the gods, and the many things promised by Oder’s blood, naturally placed Elleon at the pinnacle of this world.

“Lord Elleon. The night wind is chilly. Let’s go in.”

In her thin blouse, reminiscent of her maid days, Elishia undid the shawl around her shoulders and wrapped it around him.

‘It seems like you need it more than me.’

He couldn’t say those words, being unable to see.

“I’ll follow your advice. I’ll ask the butler. Let’s hurry, shall we?”