Karan clicked his tongue and closed the window.
“Hartvin, I told you not to leave any traces.”
The men shouting might fear retribution, but they needn’t have worried.
Firstly, what they said was true, and Karan had punished them not for insulting Treetris people, but because they didn’t listen to Elise’s command to apologize.
In this world, there was no one who could ignore Elise’s words without consequences.
If someone did, Karan would make sure they were punished as far as his power could reach.
That’s why he had even started businesses in Bedroca under a false name.
The companies he invested in, under pseudonyms, did quite well. Among them, there were companies Chase was fervently working with.
But those investment contracts would be nullified.
‘If he finds out I withdrew the investment, he’ll flip out.’
Once Karan withdrew, others would follow suit, given his reputation as an investment genius.
‘Of course. I only invested in businesses Elise was involved in.’
Karan wasn’t knowledgeable about business.
He had simply blindly invested in whatever Elise was involved in, and it had paid off massively.
Elise was an extraordinary person.
The only person who could make Karan’s heart race.
At the same time, the person who could hurt him.
‘I had no idea she would become lovers with Chase so quickly, especially at just 15 years old.’
When Karan was undergoing the warrior’s test in Treetris, Elise had officially declared her relationship with Chase.
That was when Karan’s pure love shattered. But he picked up the pieces, one by one.
He kept that love for Elise, hidden away, unable to reveal it in her presence. This love grew dark and sinister.
She didn’t know it, though.
“Why isn’t she coming?”
Karan murmured, looking out the window.
The wait felt excruciatingly long now that he thought they were connected.
“If I end up causing trouble, how will she cope?”
Suddenly, Karan’s eyes glowed ominously.
If Elise didn’t come, he might climb through the window of her room.
If he did something like that, the proper Elise would be disappointed in him.
“Can’t hide the blood of a barbarian, can I?”
He shouldn’t show his true nature in front of Elise.
Elise believed otherwise, but Treetris people were indeed barbarians.
Until a few years ago, they thought nothing of killing brothers to select a king.
“Power defined everything, and they did not hesitate to wield violence to demonstrate their strength.
To the pen-worshiping nobles of Bedroca, the Treetris people were seen as beasts.
Indeed, due to their extraordinary physical development, Treetris people had vision as clear as hawks and night vision akin to owls. Their hearing and strength were also superior to ordinary people.
While they did not eat humans, they had the power to tear a person apart.
Until the night he spent with Elise, Karan had disliked the fact that he was born with Treetris blood.
However, now that he knew Elise’s inner thoughts, he was grateful to be a Treetris.
‘She must have needed a place to escape from Chase, a place where Bedroca and its allies wouldn’t feel burdened. Treetris would have been perfect for her.’
Yet, he was puzzled by her actions.
How she managed to find him, the process of it all.
But Karan gave up trying to reason it out logically.
Even if he found something strange upon scrutiny, he had no intention of letting her go after having her in his arms.
‘If only she would come to me.’
Just then, as if on cue, the door opened.
And there she was, the Elise he had been so eagerly waiting for.
‘Have you been well, Your Highness? Were you waiting for me?’
‘Not at all. Rather, are you feeling alright? I was quite worried when you left so abruptly that day.’
Karan took Elise’s robe and hung it over a chair.
‘My body is… fine.’
Elise pressed her heated cheek with the back of her hand.
Karan pretended not to notice and offered her a seat.
As Elise sat down, Karan, who was about to sit as well, suddenly stood up as if remembering something, and brought out a teacup.
‘I have prepared some tea.’
Karan skillfully brewed the tea.
‘Did you enjoy tea in Treetris as well?’
‘No. Tea is for those who can afford leisure. As you know, Treetris is not exactly a place of leisure.’
Everyone was busy trying to make a living.
Moreover, daylight hours were short.
Especially in winter, the joke was that by the time you finished breakfast, it was already evening.
So, there was neither time nor the mental space to enjoy tea.
‘But you seem quite skilled.’
‘I had to learn.’
‘Who told you?’
Karan’s hand hesitated for a moment. The stream of water from the teapot wavered briefly.”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
