The carriage running on the well-paved road made a rattling sound. The outside scenery was slightly visible through the curtains drawn on the window. Since it was her first time going out in a long time, she would have been excited to look outside normally. However, Elze did not have the leisure to leisurely look outside now.
"Ha."
Elze, who had been absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of her dress, soon let out a loud sigh. Elze was currently on her way to attend a tea party hosted by the Count de Epernon.
Of the many party invitations that flew to Targael, Rosalie strongly recommended attending the tea party at Epernon without hesitation.
"Ha."
Elze, who had been absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of her dress, soon let out a loud sigh. Elze was currently on her way to attend a tea party hosted by the Count de Epernon.
Of the many party invitations that flew to Targael, Rosalie strongly recommended attending the tea party at Epernon without hesitation.
In the social world, tea parties were a means of showing off one's status and power. Therefore, the hosts of tea parties prepared fancy tea sets and chose their guests carefully. Among such tea parties, being invited to the Epernon tea party had a truly enormous meaning.
The Epernon family lived up to the adage, “Never empty your glass of wine.” They enjoyed parties to the point of seeming extravagance, and they were very interested in and supported culture and the arts.
The parties held in Epernon's splendid mansion made of pale pink marble were the envy of the ladies and madams of society. It would not be an exaggeration to say that all the fashions of society came from Epernon.
Of course, Elze had heard of Epernon's fame. It was so famous that even people with no interest in society, like Elze, knew about it.
But Elze wasn't concerned about Epernon right now. Shan's actions last night were filling her mind.
"I was a little worried."
"I'm afraid you...will regret getting married."
His words of concern were sincere. He was not the type to say empty words in the first place. But was it really necessary to say such things in a relationship where they only took what they needed? If Shan kept saying such things, Elze would have mistaken it. And that wasn't the end of it.
The kiss that followed...
The hot gaze that wanted Elze was still vivid in her memory. He was full of sexiness as he ran towards her with shining purple eyes. Fortunately, she drew a line and pushed him away, but if she had made one mistake, she would have been captivated by him.
As Elze thought about kissing, the lovemaking she had with him naturally came to mind.
Elze shook her head sharply and stopped thinking about it. There was no end to it. First, she had to finish the tea party that was right in front of her.
Today's tea party was hosted by Cecilia Epernon, the daughter of the Countess of Epernon. She heard that around twenty people were invited, mainly young ladies who had married early or were single. Since they were all around the same age, she might make a good friend.
“We have arrived, Ma’am.”
At the coachman's voice announcing their arrival, Elze took a deep breath as if she were trying to cheer herself up. Since she didn't have a sword in her hand, she squeezed her fan tightly before getting up.
The Epernon mansion was the complete opposite of the dull gray brick Targayel mansion. Elze entered the splendid pink marble mansion and was guided by the maid to the back garden where the tea party was taking place.
The backroom was already bustling with the chatter and laughter of the ladies and madams who had arrived earlier. When Elze appeared, the eyes of the women in the backroom all gathered at once. And the moment they looked at her, Elze felt a chill down her spine. The eyes were not at all friendly.
“...”
It's a trap. Elze laughed in vain without realizing it. It was funny how she had just thought that she might make a friend.
In front of Elze, Lady Cecilia, the host of today's tea party, approached with the hem of her dress fluttering. Cecilia, wearing a light pink dress that matched the Epernon mansion perfectly, bowed slightly to Elze and greeted her.
“Nice to meet you. I am Cecilia of Epernon.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Erzenes of Targayel.”
Cecilia felt her eyes secretly looking up and down. Elze knew that she was judging her, but she pretended not to notice. Cecilia guided Elze to the table where she would sit.
“Please sit over here.”
It was the lowest of the lowest. Those who sat at the same table as Elze were the daughters of Counts or Barons, and in fact, they were not of a level that Elze could sit with. At least Elze was able to sit with the host, Cecilia.
But she wasn't angry. She was just dumbfounded. Compared to what she had experienced on the battlefield where life and death were at stake, this bullying seemed childish, even cute.
Of course, there was something a little unfair about it. No matter how much she thought about it, there was no reason for Cecilla to hate her.
Could it be that Cecilia had liked Shan in the past? Elze, who had been guessing things in her head, soon gave up on guessing.
Let's just eat something delicious and go. Elze decided to think positively. As Elze sat down at the table, Cecilia announced the start of a full-fledged tea party. Elze ignored her words and looked around the tea table.
The table, which can seat only four or five people, was filled with large and small pots, plates, and utensils. She felt like the table would collapse if she lightly tapped it. The tea set on the table, decorated with small flowers, was all made of porcelain. Cecilla said, trying not to show off too much.
“This is a tea set imported from the Kingdom of Ryeo.”
Then the women who were sitting all started to cheer.
“The Kingdom of Ryeo! Oh my God!”
No, what kind of porcelain tea set is that...? ...But contrary to Elze's expectations, they were busy showering Cecilia with praise.
“So many pieces of precious porcelain! This is truly a tea party worthy of the Epernon family. It’s a class apart.”
“Oh my, the way you fold your napkins is so unique and elegant. I want to teach it to my maids.”
Leaving their fuss behind, Elze checked the three-tiered tray in the center of the table. The tray was filled with delicious tea foods.
The first tier had small sandwiches, the second tier had bakery items like scones, madeleines, and cakes, and the third tier had various sweet desserts. The third tier especially caught Elze's eye. The chocolates, macarons, cookies, and even candied fruits all looked delicious.
Elze felt a little relieved at the sight of the satisfying tea food. While Elze was looking at the tea food, Cecilla introduced the tea that would be served at the tea party today.
“This is green tea that I had a hard time finding. I haven’t tried it yet, but I brought it out to enjoy at today’s tea party.”
“You are so considerate!”
Green tea... Elze, who wanted to drink black tea amidst the shower of compliments pouring in again, secretly sighed.
She noticed that there was no black tea. It was both interesting and fun to see them making such a fuss about green tea, which she had been drinking so tiredly in Korea.
Elze was definitely a tea person. Especially for these desserts, black tea was much more suitable. Elze thought that green tea would go well with a more clean dessert. However, there was no choice but to eat it as it was served. Elze was looking around at the tea food with a gloomy face when suddenly a commotion was heard.
“No... Why does it taste like this...”
“What does this taste like...?”
Elze looked around. All the women who had been excited about the green tea of the Kingdom of Ryeo just a moment ago had strange expressions on their faces. Elze checked the green tea in front of her and only then did she understand the situation. The green tea was brewed like black tea.
Black tea is made by steeping tea leaves in boiling water, but green tea is different. Green tea becomes bitter when steeped in boiling water, ruining its flavor.
Elze explained it to the bewildered women in a friendly manner.
“Green tea should be brewed in water that has already cooled. If brewed hot, it will taste bitter.”
But did she slip up or something? The crowd became quiet at Elze's words. As Elze was checking the mood, Lady Cecilia forced a smile on her trembling face and said,
“How... How do you drink this precious green tea... Epernon was the first to bring it into the Baluar Empire.”
As Cecilia's face turned bright red, the women sitting at the same table enthusiastically defended her.
“Don’t be upset, Cecilia. It’s just the tea leaves that are strange.”
If it weren't for Elze, the tea leaves might have turned out to be something strange. Of course, it was embarrassing that the tea party was not prepared well, but at least it was someone else's fault and not Cecilia's, so she could have saved her last bit of pride.
But soon, exclamations of admiration began to erupt from all over the place as people began to brew new teas following Elze's advice.
“Oh my! It tastes really clean and good.”
“So this is how you drink it.”
Cecilia's face became more and more distorted at their pure admiration. And Elze, who unintentionally embarrassed Cecilia, let out an awkward laugh.
She felt sorry for Cecilia. Of course, she wanted to flirt with her, but to a young lady, pride was more important than life. And Elze crushed it so blatantly. Seriously, it wasn't intentional.
The Kingdom of Ryeo was a country with a similar culture to Korea, Elze's former life. The only difference was that it was a country ruled by a Queen.
The Kingdom of Ryeo was the only place on the continent that had a female-dominated ideology. Because men were viewed as inferior to women, other empires and kingdoms often had difficulty dealing with the Kingdom of Ryeo.
However, the kingdom of Ryeo was a place that produced important spices. Also, many people admired Ryeo's exotic culture, so it was always considered an important diplomatic partner.
Ryeo's items were all expensive and treated as rare. It was a great deal to prepare a large quantity of porcelain tea sets and green tea like today. It must have been a tea party prepared at great expense.
But it turned out that Elze had messed it up terribly.
"...”
Cecilia glared at Elze without saying a word. There was no reason to avoid eye contact, so Elze faced her.
“Lady Erzenes.”
Cecilia, who had been calming down for a moment, smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.
“Thanks to you, I was able to enjoy my tea safely. Would you like to sit at the same table as me and chat a little longer?”
It was so frustrating. Why would Cecilia ask Elze to sit at the same table? It was obvious that it would be a mess if she did.
At Cecilia's table sat her most loyal followers. To sit there with them was to walk into a trap that was clearly visible to the enemy. It seemed as if she was trying to redeem herself by trampling on Elze.
But no excuse could come to mind for refusing. Elze simply moved to the seat Cecilia wanted. Elze's tea set was newly set, and Elze took her place among the women. The women sitting around the round tea table exchanged glances with each other, leaving Elze out for a moment, and then giggled softly. Cecilla made a slight gesture to attract attention.
“Now, as you all know, you are Countess Targayel.”
Then as if she had been waiting, one of the women began to speak, lengthening the tail of her words.
“Ah... If you are Count Targayel... Shan?”
After saying that, she pretended not to know what to do and apologized to Elze.
“Oh, my, I made a mistake. Out of habit, I unknowingly called him friendly. Please forgive my rudeness.”
...She was a very fresh crazy girl.
Elze's face hardened slightly. It didn't take long for Elze to understand what was going on. So, this was Shan's past. A past that was much more explicit than she had thought.
“Because Count Targayel was so popular.”
“He is famous in social circles. Many young ladies have shed tears because of him.”
“I was once with him too...”
As Elze listened quietly, it seemed endless. In the scene where Shan's past of not stopping women from coming or holding back women from leaving was revealed, Elze's insides began to boil.
The women, who had finally found Elze's stiff face, bit and tore at her as if they had found her weak point. Elze just listened quietly for a long time.
Shan's womanizing was apparently well-known in high society. The promising war hero who had led the Hundred Years' War to victory was the object of envy for women, and Shan had no way of resisting their temptations.
It was the moment when the conversation about Shan had turned to the most recent story. Elze, who had been listening until then, spoke for the first time.
“He...”
A cold voice poured out over the heated gossip. The owner of the voice was Elze. The women all looked at Elze. However, Elze was looking at only one person. It was Cecilia.
“Is he still seeing other women?”
Cecilia, who was meeting her gaze, opened her mouth blankly.
“Please tell me without a single lie...”
Elze's eyes sparkled blue.
"Please."
It was a tone that did not seem like a request at all. However, Cecilia had no spirit to criticize Elze for her rudeness. She was so overwhelmed by the murderous aura emanating from Elze that she could not speak properly.
The country Countess who had been able to look down on and sneer at her to their heart's content just a moment ago was nowhere to be found. A fear they had never felt before enveloped the women. The noisy atmosphere of the tea party had now become cold and chilling. Everyone was frozen as if they were being crushed by something.
And Cecilia, who was directly hit by all that intangible energy, was shivering all over with a pale face. Elze looked at Cecilia like that and gave her a short urging.
“Answer.”
Cecilia belatedly came to her senses at Elze's sharp words. She swallowed hard and unconsciously folded her hands together before speaking stammeringly.
“That, that’s... No... There hasn’t been anyone lately...”
But Cecilia's words were cut off before she could finish. Elze said with a wry smile.
“Thank you for being honest with me.”
Then she jumped up from her seat and looked down at them expressionlessly.
“I’m tired, so I’ll go home first.”
The remaining women stared blankly at Elze's back as she walked away. Naturally, no one even tried to catch Elze. The tea party ambitiously hosted by Cecilia, the daughter of the Countess of Epernon, ended in a mess.
Elze returned to the Targayel mansion and acted as if nothing had happened.
After changing into her dressing gown while being attended to by her maids, she read a book in her private study for a while, then heard that dinner was ready and went down to the dining room to eat. Elze, who was quietly eating the dinner, let out a sigh she had been holding back as she cut the salad into pieces with her fork.
"Ha..."
The maid who was serving the meal next to her asked cautiously.
“Madam, I will prepare another salad for you.”
“No, that’s enough. I just don’t have an appetite.”
The maid, sensing her master's discomfort, quickly stepped back. Elze looked down at the salad plate where the vegetables were completely crushed. Suddenly, she felt sick.
“...”
Should I just throw everything away and go back to being a mercenary?
Elze continued to think concretely. Elijah, when Elze returns, she will be welcomed with open arms. Astin has been raised to that extent, so if she just takes care of his tuition, he will be smart and earn his own living. If the Baluar Empire pursues him, he will go abroad...
Elze sighed again, thinking about it that way. Right now, she really wanted to do that. She kept thinking about Shan’s past that she had heard about today. What on earth did he do that made all these women talk about him?
Elze was conservative if anything. Of course, the atmosphere of the Baluar Empire itself was such that meetings between men and women were taken lightly, and men tended to brag about their experiences meeting many women. Married men also took it for granted to have mistresses.
But no matter what, that's someone else's man's story, and this was her man's problem.
Even if everyone else does it, my man won't!
This was Elze's basic idea. Even if she embraces the past with a generous heart like the sea if he is still doing it now or is thinking of doing it in the future...
It was the moment when Elze's imagination went to extremes. The maid standing in the corner of the restaurant was whispered something by another maid who had come from outside, and she quickly walked over to Elze and told her.
“Madam, the Count has returned home.”
It was a wonderfully timed return home. Elze sat quietly at the table and waited for Shan to come into the restaurant. Since the time was ambiguous, he probably hadn’t eaten dinner either. He would definitely come to the restaurant. And just as Elze had expected, she felt Shan’s presence coming. The restaurant door opened wide and she heard his voice.
“Erzenes.”
Elze didn't even get up from her seat, but just slowly turned her head to look at him.
“...”
A slight look of embarrassment crossed Shan’s face as she stared at him without even saying a word. He paused for a moment and sat down across from Elze. The servants busily set the dishes and prepared the appetizers. Only after all the food preparations were completed and the servants had stepped back did Elze open her mouth.
“Shan.”
Hks beautiful violet eyes, like violets, looked at Elze. Elze met his gaze and continued speaking.
“I went to a tea party today.”
But her expression and voice were too grim for a daily routine. While Shan was at a loss as to why Elze was acting this way, Elze smiled and continued talking.
“At a tea party hosted by the Lady of Epernon.”
“...”
Shan's face hardened. There was no more conversation after that. Only the sound of dishes clanking silently echoed through the restaurant.
The poor maids who were serving the meal were fidgeting in the cold atmosphere between the master and his wife. Of course, only Elze was cold, and Shan was watching Elze's reaction. The maid brought the main dish, and the steak plate, and put it down. Then she explained in a creepy voice.
“It’s a young veal steak...”
If it were a normal situation, it would have been followed by information about the calf's age, side dishes, and cooking methods.
But in this tense atmosphere, no one was going to mumble obliviously. The attendant quickly set up the dishes and then left.
“...”
Elze cut the steak without even looking at Shan. The knife in Elze's hand shone particularly brightly.
Shan looked at the piece of steak being cut into thin strips under Elze's hands. The cross-section of the steak, cut into perfect cubes, was smooth as if it had been cut by a machine.
Shan somehow felt like the steak slices neatly arranged in a corner of the plate were his future. He quietly called out to Elze.
"...Erzenes?”
Elze's hand, which had been poking a piece of steak with her fork, tightened as she put down the knife. The silver fork bent.
Elze, who didn't even know what she was doing, felt something strange in her hand. After finding the bent fork, Elze naturally straightened it back to its original state as if nothing had happened. Then she sighed deeply inwardly.
He could see him watching her, but she didn't want to say anything to him. If she had to ask, there was nothing between him and her. To question his past would have violated the clause in the contract that said not to interfere with personal matters. Whether he was rolling around or running around with women, it was none of Elze's business.
That's why she didn't intend to pay any attention to it from the beginning. But, she knows everything... She doesn't know why she's so angry.
“Erzenes, I have something to tell you.”
At Shan's words, Elze finally looked at him. Elze turned her head slightly to the side and said.
“Everyone, stand back.”
The maids who had been rolling their eyes at Elze's words left the dining room like the tide. Now, only Elze and Shan were left in the mansion's spacious dining room. Elze put down her fork. The sound of her fork being placed on the table rang out.
“Shan.”
The moment Elze called, Shan volunteered to go.
“I don’t know what happened... but it’s all my fault.”
Perhaps he had a rough idea of what had happened to Elze. Somehow that made him even angrier. Elze took a deep breath. Then she asked coldly.
“Is that all you have to say?”
Shan added slowly to Elze's words.
"Sorry."
The sight of Shan meekly admitting his mistake made her eyes darken. The small hope that perhaps their story was a lie was shattered. Elze muttered in despair.
"You..."
In Korea and in Baluar, Elze was too busy with her swordsmanship to have time to meet men. If Elze had more experience in love, she might have understood him.
But Elze couldn't understand, and she was the type of person who needed to be hit twice to feel better after being hit once. Elze shouted in anger.
“It would be less frustrating if I went out right now and met any guy!”
Shan's eyes narrowed at the mention of seeing another man. His eyes flashed for a moment. Shan asked in a growling voice.
"...What?"
A cold aura flowed out of Shan. But Elze was not the type to be shaken by such a life. Elze opened her eyes wide and asked with a completely bewildered expression.
“Are you mad at me right now?”
Shan, who had been angry reflexively, came to his senses at Elze's question. He hurriedly erased his murderous intent and made an excuse.
“No, I’m not angry...”
“Yes!”
Elze jerked up from her seat. The chair was pushed back so hard that it almost fell over, but she managed to get up. Elze spoke to him with her hands on the table.
“Yeah, what’s there to worry about between us? It’s a contractual relationship anyway.”
“...”
Shan couldn't say anything. He felt sick as he watched her. He wished he would give her some excuse, but his mouth was tightly shut. Elze bit her lower lip once and shouted at Shan.
“Let’s not interfere in each other’s personal lives in the future either!”
Then she strode briskly towards the door. Shan followed her, got up, and called Elze.
“Erzenes, where are you going...”
“What does it matter what other people do?”
Elze tried to run out of the restaurant after shouting like that. But she couldn’t. Before she could get far, a large hand grabbed Elze's wrist. Elze was dragged by a strong force. She felt a broad chest behind her, and thick arms hugged her stomach. A low voice was stuck in her ear.
"Don't go."
Her heart trembled for a moment. But she soon shook him off. However, Shan’s strength was strong. Even if Elze pushed with all her might, he wouldn’t budge. Elze spoke to him coldly.
“Let go.”
“...”
Shan buried his face in Elze's neck and couldn't answer. What could he say? But he couldn't let go of the arm that was holding Elze. He didn't know what he was thinking. But he knew that he had to catch her here. Elze pushed Shan away once more and then weakly lowered her hand.
"...You."
Elze opened her mouth with a trembling voice. However, even though she wanted to spit out whatever she wanted, once she opened her mouth, all the words she wanted to say were scattered. Instead of arguing with him, Elze just sighed and muttered softly.
“Tell me what you did wrong.”
Shan, who had been given the floor, spoke carefully, choosing his words.
“What should I do... I’ve never said this before...”
In fact, he had never complained to a woman before. There was no need to. But now, he was talking passionately without realizing it.
“What should I do to you...”
But Elze didn't answer Shan. What was Shan thinking as he hugged Elze and asked for forgiveness? Elze couldn't guess his thoughts.
Elze hasn't been with him for long. According to what she heard from the woman today, he's never had a relationship with a woman for more than a month. The moment they fell for Shan and became obsessed with him, Shan broke up with them as if he had been waiting for it.
A cruel man who enjoyed hurting them as if it were an act of purposeless revenge. That was Shan.
If she falls in love with him, if she falls in love with him... will Shan leave? Like he always has.
When Elze didn't respond, Shan slowly lowered his body. He grabbed Elze's shoulder and carefully turned her around. Elze looked up at Shan as they stood facing each other. And then she almost forgot about the seriousness of the situation and laughed.
What a face that guy has!
Shan was tense and had a hardened face. Even death had not made him tremble in fear. Even when he was surrounded by Heglatan and in danger of death, Shan remained calm.
That's why he was so nervous because of Elze. The feeling that had been scratching the floor just a moment ago felt a little better. Shan said seriously.
“I swear to God, since our wedding, I have never done anything to shame you.”
“Before the wedding?”
“...”
Elze had to try not to laugh as she watched the silent Shan. She still had to be a little more angry at him. Elze coughed slightly and then said.
“Yes, keep talking.”
Shan quickly continued speaking.
“I will make sure that something like this does not happen again.”
Elze was lost in thought for a moment. The short time it took for Elze to open her mouth felt like a thousand years to Shan. After waiting for a long time, Elze finally spoke.
“...Yes. Instead, let’s amend the contract terms.”
Shan became anxious at the mention of the contract. And his uneasy premonition became reality.
“We will only have sex when I want to.”
“...”
“And each room for the time being.”
In front of a flustered Shan, Elze declared firmly.
“We need to spend some time apart from each other.”
That night, Shan and Elze slept in their own guest rooms, the first time they had shared a room since their marriage.
In fact, it was more comfortable for both of them to sleep in their own space rather than sleeping together in the same bedroom. Their feelings had not yet completely resolved, and looking back, it was embarrassing to think that they had acted like lovers fighting.
It wasn't a bad idea to have some quiet time to collect one's thoughts in the chaos. However, Shan couldn't fall asleep easily.
“...”
Shan stood at the window, crossed his arms, and looked out. He looked down at the quiet Targayel mansion and frowned.
The feelings Shan felt now were truly complex and subtle. He had never acted this way in a woman's affairs.
Shan's relationships were always one-sided. They were obsessed with Shan and desperate to possess him. If they couldn't have him, they wanted others to not have him either. Shan's only job was to stand still and receive and reject those who approached him.
This was a fresh shock to Shan, as it was the first time he had ever felt worried and anxious because of someone else.
Even after analyzing the situation closely, he still couldn't figure out why he had been so obsessed with Erzenes. No matter how much he thought Erzenes might be Elze...
And the biggest problem was that even while thinking like this, Erzenes kept coming to his mind. Shan couldn't stand the frustration and swore.
"...Shit."
At that time, there was no reason. It just felt like it had to be that way. He clung to her almost like an instinct. He didn't understand the feelings of the women who clung to him, but now he felt like he understood a little bit.
Scorning his own thoughts, Shan sat down at the table instead of lying down on the bed. He didn’t feel like he could sleep at all, so he decided to do some unfinished work. Just as he was picking up his quill, there was a quiet knock on the door. And before Shan could give permission, the door opened.
“Lord Cirxus.”
Shan asked a question without even looking back at the voice he heard.
“Did you find out?”
But instead of answering Shan's question, he spouted off nonsense.
“Whew! It’s hard to sneak in.”
The man who quickly closed the door and came inside pretended to wipe away the sweat playfully. He asked, scratching his curly red and brown hair.
“When are we entering Targayel? Everyone is waiting with bated breath.”
Ignoring Shan's frown, he walked towards the table where Shan was sitting and continued to ramble on about what he wanted to say.
“Marle is sick of being the boss, he’s desperate to be my butler. He keeps pestering me, asking when I’ll be able to come in...!”
“Green tea should be brewed in water that has already cooled. If brewed hot, it will taste bitter.”
But did she slip up or something? The crowd became quiet at Elze's words. As Elze was checking the mood, Lady Cecilia forced a smile on her trembling face and said,
“How... How do you drink this precious green tea... Epernon was the first to bring it into the Baluar Empire.”
As Cecilia's face turned bright red, the women sitting at the same table enthusiastically defended her.
“Don’t be upset, Cecilia. It’s just the tea leaves that are strange.”
If it weren't for Elze, the tea leaves might have turned out to be something strange. Of course, it was embarrassing that the tea party was not prepared well, but at least it was someone else's fault and not Cecilia's, so she could have saved her last bit of pride.
But soon, exclamations of admiration began to erupt from all over the place as people began to brew new teas following Elze's advice.
“Oh my! It tastes really clean and good.”
“So this is how you drink it.”
Cecilia's face became more and more distorted at their pure admiration. And Elze, who unintentionally embarrassed Cecilia, let out an awkward laugh.
She felt sorry for Cecilia. Of course, she wanted to flirt with her, but to a young lady, pride was more important than life. And Elze crushed it so blatantly. Seriously, it wasn't intentional.
The Kingdom of Ryeo was a country with a similar culture to Korea, Elze's former life. The only difference was that it was a country ruled by a Queen.
The Kingdom of Ryeo was the only place on the continent that had a female-dominated ideology. Because men were viewed as inferior to women, other empires and kingdoms often had difficulty dealing with the Kingdom of Ryeo.
However, the kingdom of Ryeo was a place that produced important spices. Also, many people admired Ryeo's exotic culture, so it was always considered an important diplomatic partner.
Ryeo's items were all expensive and treated as rare. It was a great deal to prepare a large quantity of porcelain tea sets and green tea like today. It must have been a tea party prepared at great expense.
But it turned out that Elze had messed it up terribly.
"...”
Cecilia glared at Elze without saying a word. There was no reason to avoid eye contact, so Elze faced her.
“Lady Erzenes.”
Cecilia, who had been calming down for a moment, smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.
“Thanks to you, I was able to enjoy my tea safely. Would you like to sit at the same table as me and chat a little longer?”
It was so frustrating. Why would Cecilia ask Elze to sit at the same table? It was obvious that it would be a mess if she did.
At Cecilia's table sat her most loyal followers. To sit there with them was to walk into a trap that was clearly visible to the enemy. It seemed as if she was trying to redeem herself by trampling on Elze.
But no excuse could come to mind for refusing. Elze simply moved to the seat Cecilia wanted. Elze's tea set was newly set, and Elze took her place among the women. The women sitting around the round tea table exchanged glances with each other, leaving Elze out for a moment, and then giggled softly. Cecilla made a slight gesture to attract attention.
“Now, as you all know, you are Countess Targayel.”
Then as if she had been waiting, one of the women began to speak, lengthening the tail of her words.
“Ah... If you are Count Targayel... Shan?”
After saying that, she pretended not to know what to do and apologized to Elze.
“Oh, my, I made a mistake. Out of habit, I unknowingly called him friendly. Please forgive my rudeness.”
...She was a very fresh crazy girl.
Elze's face hardened slightly. It didn't take long for Elze to understand what was going on. So, this was Shan's past. A past that was much more explicit than she had thought.
“Because Count Targayel was so popular.”
“He is famous in social circles. Many young ladies have shed tears because of him.”
“I was once with him too...”
As Elze listened quietly, it seemed endless. In the scene where Shan's past of not stopping women from coming or holding back women from leaving was revealed, Elze's insides began to boil.
The women, who had finally found Elze's stiff face, bit and tore at her as if they had found her weak point. Elze just listened quietly for a long time.
Shan's womanizing was apparently well-known in high society. The promising war hero who had led the Hundred Years' War to victory was the object of envy for women, and Shan had no way of resisting their temptations.
It was the moment when the conversation about Shan had turned to the most recent story. Elze, who had been listening until then, spoke for the first time.
“He...”
A cold voice poured out over the heated gossip. The owner of the voice was Elze. The women all looked at Elze. However, Elze was looking at only one person. It was Cecilia.
“Is he still seeing other women?”
Cecilia, who was meeting her gaze, opened her mouth blankly.
“Please tell me without a single lie...”
Elze's eyes sparkled blue.
"Please."
It was a tone that did not seem like a request at all. However, Cecilia had no spirit to criticize Elze for her rudeness. She was so overwhelmed by the murderous aura emanating from Elze that she could not speak properly.
The country Countess who had been able to look down on and sneer at her to their heart's content just a moment ago was nowhere to be found. A fear they had never felt before enveloped the women. The noisy atmosphere of the tea party had now become cold and chilling. Everyone was frozen as if they were being crushed by something.
And Cecilia, who was directly hit by all that intangible energy, was shivering all over with a pale face. Elze looked at Cecilia like that and gave her a short urging.
“Answer.”
Cecilia belatedly came to her senses at Elze's sharp words. She swallowed hard and unconsciously folded her hands together before speaking stammeringly.
“That, that’s... No... There hasn’t been anyone lately...”
But Cecilia's words were cut off before she could finish. Elze said with a wry smile.
“Thank you for being honest with me.”
Then she jumped up from her seat and looked down at them expressionlessly.
“I’m tired, so I’ll go home first.”
The remaining women stared blankly at Elze's back as she walked away. Naturally, no one even tried to catch Elze. The tea party ambitiously hosted by Cecilia, the daughter of the Countess of Epernon, ended in a mess.
***
Elze returned to the Targayel mansion and acted as if nothing had happened.
After changing into her dressing gown while being attended to by her maids, she read a book in her private study for a while, then heard that dinner was ready and went down to the dining room to eat. Elze, who was quietly eating the dinner, let out a sigh she had been holding back as she cut the salad into pieces with her fork.
"Ha..."
The maid who was serving the meal next to her asked cautiously.
“Madam, I will prepare another salad for you.”
“No, that’s enough. I just don’t have an appetite.”
The maid, sensing her master's discomfort, quickly stepped back. Elze looked down at the salad plate where the vegetables were completely crushed. Suddenly, she felt sick.
“...”
Should I just throw everything away and go back to being a mercenary?
Elze continued to think concretely. Elijah, when Elze returns, she will be welcomed with open arms. Astin has been raised to that extent, so if she just takes care of his tuition, he will be smart and earn his own living. If the Baluar Empire pursues him, he will go abroad...
Elze sighed again, thinking about it that way. Right now, she really wanted to do that. She kept thinking about Shan’s past that she had heard about today. What on earth did he do that made all these women talk about him?
Elze was conservative if anything. Of course, the atmosphere of the Baluar Empire itself was such that meetings between men and women were taken lightly, and men tended to brag about their experiences meeting many women. Married men also took it for granted to have mistresses.
But no matter what, that's someone else's man's story, and this was her man's problem.
Even if everyone else does it, my man won't!
This was Elze's basic idea. Even if she embraces the past with a generous heart like the sea if he is still doing it now or is thinking of doing it in the future...
It was the moment when Elze's imagination went to extremes. The maid standing in the corner of the restaurant was whispered something by another maid who had come from outside, and she quickly walked over to Elze and told her.
“Madam, the Count has returned home.”
It was a wonderfully timed return home. Elze sat quietly at the table and waited for Shan to come into the restaurant. Since the time was ambiguous, he probably hadn’t eaten dinner either. He would definitely come to the restaurant. And just as Elze had expected, she felt Shan’s presence coming. The restaurant door opened wide and she heard his voice.
“Erzenes.”
Elze didn't even get up from her seat, but just slowly turned her head to look at him.
“...”
A slight look of embarrassment crossed Shan’s face as she stared at him without even saying a word. He paused for a moment and sat down across from Elze. The servants busily set the dishes and prepared the appetizers. Only after all the food preparations were completed and the servants had stepped back did Elze open her mouth.
“Shan.”
Hks beautiful violet eyes, like violets, looked at Elze. Elze met his gaze and continued speaking.
“I went to a tea party today.”
But her expression and voice were too grim for a daily routine. While Shan was at a loss as to why Elze was acting this way, Elze smiled and continued talking.
“At a tea party hosted by the Lady of Epernon.”
“...”
Shan's face hardened. There was no more conversation after that. Only the sound of dishes clanking silently echoed through the restaurant.
The poor maids who were serving the meal were fidgeting in the cold atmosphere between the master and his wife. Of course, only Elze was cold, and Shan was watching Elze's reaction. The maid brought the main dish, and the steak plate, and put it down. Then she explained in a creepy voice.
“It’s a young veal steak...”
If it were a normal situation, it would have been followed by information about the calf's age, side dishes, and cooking methods.
But in this tense atmosphere, no one was going to mumble obliviously. The attendant quickly set up the dishes and then left.
“...”
Elze cut the steak without even looking at Shan. The knife in Elze's hand shone particularly brightly.
Shan looked at the piece of steak being cut into thin strips under Elze's hands. The cross-section of the steak, cut into perfect cubes, was smooth as if it had been cut by a machine.
Shan somehow felt like the steak slices neatly arranged in a corner of the plate were his future. He quietly called out to Elze.
"...Erzenes?”
Elze's hand, which had been poking a piece of steak with her fork, tightened as she put down the knife. The silver fork bent.
Elze, who didn't even know what she was doing, felt something strange in her hand. After finding the bent fork, Elze naturally straightened it back to its original state as if nothing had happened. Then she sighed deeply inwardly.
He could see him watching her, but she didn't want to say anything to him. If she had to ask, there was nothing between him and her. To question his past would have violated the clause in the contract that said not to interfere with personal matters. Whether he was rolling around or running around with women, it was none of Elze's business.
That's why she didn't intend to pay any attention to it from the beginning. But, she knows everything... She doesn't know why she's so angry.
“Erzenes, I have something to tell you.”
At Shan's words, Elze finally looked at him. Elze turned her head slightly to the side and said.
“Everyone, stand back.”
The maids who had been rolling their eyes at Elze's words left the dining room like the tide. Now, only Elze and Shan were left in the mansion's spacious dining room. Elze put down her fork. The sound of her fork being placed on the table rang out.
“Shan.”
The moment Elze called, Shan volunteered to go.
“I don’t know what happened... but it’s all my fault.”
Perhaps he had a rough idea of what had happened to Elze. Somehow that made him even angrier. Elze took a deep breath. Then she asked coldly.
“Is that all you have to say?”
Shan added slowly to Elze's words.
"Sorry."
The sight of Shan meekly admitting his mistake made her eyes darken. The small hope that perhaps their story was a lie was shattered. Elze muttered in despair.
"You..."
In Korea and in Baluar, Elze was too busy with her swordsmanship to have time to meet men. If Elze had more experience in love, she might have understood him.
But Elze couldn't understand, and she was the type of person who needed to be hit twice to feel better after being hit once. Elze shouted in anger.
“It would be less frustrating if I went out right now and met any guy!”
Shan's eyes narrowed at the mention of seeing another man. His eyes flashed for a moment. Shan asked in a growling voice.
"...What?"
A cold aura flowed out of Shan. But Elze was not the type to be shaken by such a life. Elze opened her eyes wide and asked with a completely bewildered expression.
“Are you mad at me right now?”
Shan, who had been angry reflexively, came to his senses at Elze's question. He hurriedly erased his murderous intent and made an excuse.
“No, I’m not angry...”
“Yes!”
Elze jerked up from her seat. The chair was pushed back so hard that it almost fell over, but she managed to get up. Elze spoke to him with her hands on the table.
“Yeah, what’s there to worry about between us? It’s a contractual relationship anyway.”
“...”
Shan couldn't say anything. He felt sick as he watched her. He wished he would give her some excuse, but his mouth was tightly shut. Elze bit her lower lip once and shouted at Shan.
“Let’s not interfere in each other’s personal lives in the future either!”
Then she strode briskly towards the door. Shan followed her, got up, and called Elze.
“Erzenes, where are you going...”
“What does it matter what other people do?”
Elze tried to run out of the restaurant after shouting like that. But she couldn’t. Before she could get far, a large hand grabbed Elze's wrist. Elze was dragged by a strong force. She felt a broad chest behind her, and thick arms hugged her stomach. A low voice was stuck in her ear.
"Don't go."
Her heart trembled for a moment. But she soon shook him off. However, Shan’s strength was strong. Even if Elze pushed with all her might, he wouldn’t budge. Elze spoke to him coldly.
“Let go.”
“...”
Shan buried his face in Elze's neck and couldn't answer. What could he say? But he couldn't let go of the arm that was holding Elze. He didn't know what he was thinking. But he knew that he had to catch her here. Elze pushed Shan away once more and then weakly lowered her hand.
"...You."
Elze opened her mouth with a trembling voice. However, even though she wanted to spit out whatever she wanted, once she opened her mouth, all the words she wanted to say were scattered. Instead of arguing with him, Elze just sighed and muttered softly.
“Tell me what you did wrong.”
Shan, who had been given the floor, spoke carefully, choosing his words.
“What should I do... I’ve never said this before...”
In fact, he had never complained to a woman before. There was no need to. But now, he was talking passionately without realizing it.
“What should I do to you...”
But Elze didn't answer Shan. What was Shan thinking as he hugged Elze and asked for forgiveness? Elze couldn't guess his thoughts.
Elze hasn't been with him for long. According to what she heard from the woman today, he's never had a relationship with a woman for more than a month. The moment they fell for Shan and became obsessed with him, Shan broke up with them as if he had been waiting for it.
A cruel man who enjoyed hurting them as if it were an act of purposeless revenge. That was Shan.
If she falls in love with him, if she falls in love with him... will Shan leave? Like he always has.
When Elze didn't respond, Shan slowly lowered his body. He grabbed Elze's shoulder and carefully turned her around. Elze looked up at Shan as they stood facing each other. And then she almost forgot about the seriousness of the situation and laughed.
What a face that guy has!
Shan was tense and had a hardened face. Even death had not made him tremble in fear. Even when he was surrounded by Heglatan and in danger of death, Shan remained calm.
That's why he was so nervous because of Elze. The feeling that had been scratching the floor just a moment ago felt a little better. Shan said seriously.
“I swear to God, since our wedding, I have never done anything to shame you.”
“Before the wedding?”
“...”
Elze had to try not to laugh as she watched the silent Shan. She still had to be a little more angry at him. Elze coughed slightly and then said.
“Yes, keep talking.”
Shan quickly continued speaking.
“I will make sure that something like this does not happen again.”
Elze was lost in thought for a moment. The short time it took for Elze to open her mouth felt like a thousand years to Shan. After waiting for a long time, Elze finally spoke.
“...Yes. Instead, let’s amend the contract terms.”
Shan became anxious at the mention of the contract. And his uneasy premonition became reality.
“We will only have sex when I want to.”
“...”
“And each room for the time being.”
In front of a flustered Shan, Elze declared firmly.
“We need to spend some time apart from each other.”
***
That night, Shan and Elze slept in their own guest rooms, the first time they had shared a room since their marriage.
In fact, it was more comfortable for both of them to sleep in their own space rather than sleeping together in the same bedroom. Their feelings had not yet completely resolved, and looking back, it was embarrassing to think that they had acted like lovers fighting.
It wasn't a bad idea to have some quiet time to collect one's thoughts in the chaos. However, Shan couldn't fall asleep easily.
“...”
Shan stood at the window, crossed his arms, and looked out. He looked down at the quiet Targayel mansion and frowned.
The feelings Shan felt now were truly complex and subtle. He had never acted this way in a woman's affairs.
Shan's relationships were always one-sided. They were obsessed with Shan and desperate to possess him. If they couldn't have him, they wanted others to not have him either. Shan's only job was to stand still and receive and reject those who approached him.
This was a fresh shock to Shan, as it was the first time he had ever felt worried and anxious because of someone else.
Even after analyzing the situation closely, he still couldn't figure out why he had been so obsessed with Erzenes. No matter how much he thought Erzenes might be Elze...
And the biggest problem was that even while thinking like this, Erzenes kept coming to his mind. Shan couldn't stand the frustration and swore.
"...Shit."
At that time, there was no reason. It just felt like it had to be that way. He clung to her almost like an instinct. He didn't understand the feelings of the women who clung to him, but now he felt like he understood a little bit.
Scorning his own thoughts, Shan sat down at the table instead of lying down on the bed. He didn’t feel like he could sleep at all, so he decided to do some unfinished work. Just as he was picking up his quill, there was a quiet knock on the door. And before Shan could give permission, the door opened.
“Lord Cirxus.”
Shan asked a question without even looking back at the voice he heard.
“Did you find out?”
But instead of answering Shan's question, he spouted off nonsense.
“Whew! It’s hard to sneak in.”
The man who quickly closed the door and came inside pretended to wipe away the sweat playfully. He asked, scratching his curly red and brown hair.
“When are we entering Targayel? Everyone is waiting with bated breath.”
Ignoring Shan's frown, he walked towards the table where Shan was sitting and continued to ramble on about what he wanted to say.
“Marle is sick of being the boss, he’s desperate to be my butler. He keeps pestering me, asking when I’ll be able to come in...!”
Shan silently reached out to the side and picked up a pen knife. Then he spoke softly.
“You’re in a hurry, Liv.”
Liv quickly shut his mouth when he saw the penknife in his hand flashing. Then, he belatedly looked at Shan’s expression and reported in a dignified manner.
“I have confirmed Elijah’s location. They are near Plaza de Manuap.”
Liv continued, watching Shan sharpen the tip of his quill with a pen knife.
“There doesn’t seem to be any particular movement. It seems like most of them are staying there.”
“I see.”
“When would you like to visit?”
Shan hesitated for a moment at Liv's words. Elijah's whereabouts had to be decided quickly. After their course of action was decided, he planned to bring his private soldiers and retainers to Targayel. If they moved together, Elijah would receive less attention.
But no matter how hard they tried, the fact that Elijah had joined Targayel's private army was sure to cause great ripples within the Baluar. And the nobles would hate Targayel even more.
Among the people of the empire, Elijah was a hero who won the war, but among the nobles, they were not. Most of the nobles treated Elijah as a mere mercenary. They also thought that their activities were simply an excuse for giving money.
A notorious mercenary group that only cares about money. That was the nobles' opinion of Elijah.
The treatment of Shan was similar to Elijah's. The young nobles and those who served Shan were the only ones who despised him, calling him an ignorant and uneducated man who only knew how to wield a sword.
If Crown Prince Raymond had not chosen Shan as his partner to support him, and if he had been abandoned after the war without any recognition for his contributions... Shan might have even committed treason.
Of course, Raymond is also aware of such things, so he takes good care of Shan. Shan said, checking whether the tip of the quill pen was sharpened.
“As soon as possible.”
“Yes, I will prepare.”
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