“You’re crying, Elsie.”
He was still a tall and handsome man. Else looked at the tall man alone in the dark night. He was a beauty that knew no restraint. She trembled and swallowed dry saliva. As she was struggling to swallow her labored breath, long fingers grabbed her shoulder. As Else twitched convulsively, his eyes distorted strangely. Else repeatedly trembled with surprise and joy, and then touched the cheek that she had groped and kissed countless times over the years.
“Ian...”
It was a sharp outline. Without a single bluntness. Without a single faded edge... It was a neat facial feature. The shadows that had dried up on the outline of those facial features were distinct. The once profound blue-gray eyes scanned every corner of the messy Else. It felt like her clothes had been stripped off one by one and she was naked. The bridge of her nose turned red with embarrassment as if m she was showing off naked.
“Hey, Ian...”
She moved his lips like a stutterer. The man in the black cloak had no boundaries with the night. She grabbed the hand that was groping her cheek. The face, without a single distortion, felt crude. She felt the warmth of a living person on her groping fingertips. It shouldn't be here, it shouldn't be here... So she shouldn't be happy about it.
Else, who had been absentmindedly groping him, impulsively pushed the man's chest. Instead of the man who was as unmoving as a stone, she collapsed and breathed heavily.
“You, you, why are you here?”
Else, who was holding onto her round belly, shivered. A sharp and dreary gaze swept over Else. She bit her lips and looked up at him. The cloak without night or borders was obviously made of expensive fabric. It was a fabric that was hard to find in Lugdun, and it was definitely a material that even Else, a noble, could not easily access.
Where on earth has he been and what has he been doing... Else thought he could farm. Since he said he was going back to his hometown, she thought he would settle down and live somewhere. Since Ian was smart, she thought he could run a company, and since he was physically fit, he could become a knight. But Else didn’t know he would show up in such a dazzling way.
There was a time when she thought that she wished she could meet him again even just once while she was alive. But at this moment when she was so miserable and in pain...
“Why, why...”
Did Millium ever invite this man? Her head was dizzy. As Else felt confused by the ripples that came up one after another, her stomach started to hurt a little. She bit her lip and opened her eyes before groaning. She felt interest in his expressionless face. It was always like that. Ian often had no expression, and Else could read emotions in that expressionless expression.
“Ugh...”
Her lips twisted at the sensation of her stomach being stabbed. The arm holding her round, swollen belly trembled slightly. Else sweated and fluttered her eyelashes. She had a hard time keeping her balance as she tried to get up and leave the balcony before she let out a wet sob.
When she was about to twist her heavy body and touch the floor, a long hand approached her. Else stared at him with wet eyebrows. The way he held out his arm for her to lean on was familiar and affectionate. When Else turned her head and refused, his hand grabbed Else’s arm and gently lifted her up. The gaze he was looking down on was cold, but the force he was applying was affectionate. Her heart pounded and beat.
Else couldn't think of anything else to say. She was curious about how he got here, whether Millium had invited him, and where and what he had been doing to be able to wear such nice clothes. It couldn't have been lent to him by someone. The feather in his hat was a black peacock feather, rare and expensive even on the entire continent.
The solid gold brooch that decorated the cravat was also made entirely of solid gold and sapphires. Else looked at him with wavering eyes and roughly shook his arm. Ian's eyes slightly furrowed.
“Hey, go over there...”
Else, whose face was red as if she was panicking, took a deep breath and took one step at a time. Ian didn’t call her or stop her. She felt sad for no reason and her eyes became even redder.
"Ah!"
When she opened the balcony door, her stomach hurt like a stab. Else sank to the spot and gasped heavily. It felt like her stomach was being split. The feeling of it being torn in two suddenly went down to her lower body. As Else staggered and sank to the ground, Ian also bent his knees and met her gaze.
“Hey, let go of this...”
It was the eyes of the man she had wanted to see so much and had longed for for so long, but every joint he gazed upon was painful and tingly. Else grabbed the hand holding her shoulder and pushed it away, groaning.
“Are you trying to pretend to be faithful to your husband now?”
"What..."
“And now you're pregnant with another man’s child.”
A low laugh was heard. Elsa, her cheeks flushed, bit her lips.
“Wh, what are you talking about? This is Millium’s child! This child is Millium’s child!”
Else shouted, leaving behind the sensation of being warm and fuzzy. Under the pale moonlight, the sharp eyes were clear. Ian grabbed Else, who was trying to step back in fear, and glared at her.
“Is it really the offspring of that traitor?”
The ground beneath her feet collapsed at the words that were so crunchy that she couldn’t understand what she was hearing. The cold sweat on her forehead dripped down her eyebrows. Ian’s hand, which had been wandering around her eyes, pressed down on her pale upper lip.
“From now on, you have to speak properly. If the child in this stomach is not mine, you will be killed.”
The tears that had been gathered at the tip of her chin fell. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, and screams began to be heard here and there. Else turned around, holding her stomach with one arm. A red light began to burn through the dark night. Else looked at the burning fire in surprise. It was like a dream, not real life. She fainted and fell over at the distant and eerie sight.
Her vision began to blur and distort. It was a familiar feeling. She didn’t know she would feel that feeling today in front of this man. Why did they meet like this? Else didn’t know she would see him again like this. She was embarrassed by the humiliation she felt in front of Millium earlier. She was always embarrassed by everything in front of him, but there was no shame as terrible as showing him her swollen belly and being insulted.
“Let go, let go...”
She had to go to the place where the fire broke out. She had to find out what was going on and evacuate the people. It was the only castle. She didn't have enough money to repair the castle, so she had to do her best to put out the fire even now. It was the time when Else tried to push him away while holding onto her clouded mind.
“Ian.”
“No. It’s not Ian.”
He forcefully suppressed the hand that was pushing him and whispered softly into her ear.
“Sibyl.”
The man's wet voice pierced her mind sharply. At that moment, the fragments of him that she had cherished shattered and fell. Else repeatedly twisted and bit her lips and shook her head. The scream that had been confusing her pulse suddenly stopped. Else trembled and grabbed her throbbing lower abdomen.
“It’s Sibyl.”
"Ha..."
“Your man. Your lover’s name is...”
Hot breath settled over her pale lips. Else closed her eyes, unable to control her mind any longer.
'Else.'
Sometimes Ian called Else by her name. Else liked being called 'Else' rather than 'Miss'. Not only did it sound better, but Ian was a man who was awkward with respecting and honoring others, so his face felt awkward when he called her 'Miss'. She didn't know how he felt, but at least that's how others saw him. So... Wouldn't he reign and stand above others someday? But how noble would a slave's birth be?
He was still a tall and handsome man. Else looked at the tall man alone in the dark night. He was a beauty that knew no restraint. She trembled and swallowed dry saliva. As she was struggling to swallow her labored breath, long fingers grabbed her shoulder. As Else twitched convulsively, his eyes distorted strangely. Else repeatedly trembled with surprise and joy, and then touched the cheek that she had groped and kissed countless times over the years.
“Ian...”
It was a sharp outline. Without a single bluntness. Without a single faded edge... It was a neat facial feature. The shadows that had dried up on the outline of those facial features were distinct. The once profound blue-gray eyes scanned every corner of the messy Else. It felt like her clothes had been stripped off one by one and she was naked. The bridge of her nose turned red with embarrassment as if m she was showing off naked.
“Hey, Ian...”
She moved his lips like a stutterer. The man in the black cloak had no boundaries with the night. She grabbed the hand that was groping her cheek. The face, without a single distortion, felt crude. She felt the warmth of a living person on her groping fingertips. It shouldn't be here, it shouldn't be here... So she shouldn't be happy about it.
Else, who had been absentmindedly groping him, impulsively pushed the man's chest. Instead of the man who was as unmoving as a stone, she collapsed and breathed heavily.
“You, you, why are you here?”
Else, who was holding onto her round belly, shivered. A sharp and dreary gaze swept over Else. She bit her lips and looked up at him. The cloak without night or borders was obviously made of expensive fabric. It was a fabric that was hard to find in Lugdun, and it was definitely a material that even Else, a noble, could not easily access.
Where on earth has he been and what has he been doing... Else thought he could farm. Since he said he was going back to his hometown, she thought he would settle down and live somewhere. Since Ian was smart, she thought he could run a company, and since he was physically fit, he could become a knight. But Else didn’t know he would show up in such a dazzling way.
There was a time when she thought that she wished she could meet him again even just once while she was alive. But at this moment when she was so miserable and in pain...
“Why, why...”
Did Millium ever invite this man? Her head was dizzy. As Else felt confused by the ripples that came up one after another, her stomach started to hurt a little. She bit her lip and opened her eyes before groaning. She felt interest in his expressionless face. It was always like that. Ian often had no expression, and Else could read emotions in that expressionless expression.
“Ugh...”
Her lips twisted at the sensation of her stomach being stabbed. The arm holding her round, swollen belly trembled slightly. Else sweated and fluttered her eyelashes. She had a hard time keeping her balance as she tried to get up and leave the balcony before she let out a wet sob.
When she was about to twist her heavy body and touch the floor, a long hand approached her. Else stared at him with wet eyebrows. The way he held out his arm for her to lean on was familiar and affectionate. When Else turned her head and refused, his hand grabbed Else’s arm and gently lifted her up. The gaze he was looking down on was cold, but the force he was applying was affectionate. Her heart pounded and beat.
Else couldn't think of anything else to say. She was curious about how he got here, whether Millium had invited him, and where and what he had been doing to be able to wear such nice clothes. It couldn't have been lent to him by someone. The feather in his hat was a black peacock feather, rare and expensive even on the entire continent.
The solid gold brooch that decorated the cravat was also made entirely of solid gold and sapphires. Else looked at him with wavering eyes and roughly shook his arm. Ian's eyes slightly furrowed.
“Hey, go over there...”
Else, whose face was red as if she was panicking, took a deep breath and took one step at a time. Ian didn’t call her or stop her. She felt sad for no reason and her eyes became even redder.
"Ah!"
When she opened the balcony door, her stomach hurt like a stab. Else sank to the spot and gasped heavily. It felt like her stomach was being split. The feeling of it being torn in two suddenly went down to her lower body. As Else staggered and sank to the ground, Ian also bent his knees and met her gaze.
“Hey, let go of this...”
It was the eyes of the man she had wanted to see so much and had longed for for so long, but every joint he gazed upon was painful and tingly. Else grabbed the hand holding her shoulder and pushed it away, groaning.
“Are you trying to pretend to be faithful to your husband now?”
"What..."
“And now you're pregnant with another man’s child.”
A low laugh was heard. Elsa, her cheeks flushed, bit her lips.
“Wh, what are you talking about? This is Millium’s child! This child is Millium’s child!”
Else shouted, leaving behind the sensation of being warm and fuzzy. Under the pale moonlight, the sharp eyes were clear. Ian grabbed Else, who was trying to step back in fear, and glared at her.
“Is it really the offspring of that traitor?”
The ground beneath her feet collapsed at the words that were so crunchy that she couldn’t understand what she was hearing. The cold sweat on her forehead dripped down her eyebrows. Ian’s hand, which had been wandering around her eyes, pressed down on her pale upper lip.
“From now on, you have to speak properly. If the child in this stomach is not mine, you will be killed.”
The tears that had been gathered at the tip of her chin fell. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, and screams began to be heard here and there. Else turned around, holding her stomach with one arm. A red light began to burn through the dark night. Else looked at the burning fire in surprise. It was like a dream, not real life. She fainted and fell over at the distant and eerie sight.
Her vision began to blur and distort. It was a familiar feeling. She didn’t know she would feel that feeling today in front of this man. Why did they meet like this? Else didn’t know she would see him again like this. She was embarrassed by the humiliation she felt in front of Millium earlier. She was always embarrassed by everything in front of him, but there was no shame as terrible as showing him her swollen belly and being insulted.
“Let go, let go...”
She had to go to the place where the fire broke out. She had to find out what was going on and evacuate the people. It was the only castle. She didn't have enough money to repair the castle, so she had to do her best to put out the fire even now. It was the time when Else tried to push him away while holding onto her clouded mind.
“Ian.”
“No. It’s not Ian.”
He forcefully suppressed the hand that was pushing him and whispered softly into her ear.
“Sibyl.”
The man's wet voice pierced her mind sharply. At that moment, the fragments of him that she had cherished shattered and fell. Else repeatedly twisted and bit her lips and shook her head. The scream that had been confusing her pulse suddenly stopped. Else trembled and grabbed her throbbing lower abdomen.
“It’s Sibyl.”
"Ha..."
“Your man. Your lover’s name is...”
Hot breath settled over her pale lips. Else closed her eyes, unable to control her mind any longer.
***
'Else.'
Sometimes Ian called Else by her name. Else liked being called 'Else' rather than 'Miss'. Not only did it sound better, but Ian was a man who was awkward with respecting and honoring others, so his face felt awkward when he called her 'Miss'. She didn't know how he felt, but at least that's how others saw him. So... Wouldn't he reign and stand above others someday? But how noble would a slave's birth be?
Else had never thought about his birth, which he had never spoken about. She had never thought of him as a boy King who had been usurped from the throne.
When Else opened her eyes, she was in a dark prison cell with no light. When she half-opened her eyes and came to, she was definitely in a carriage... In that vague memory, Ian was also sitting across from her...
Else licked her dry lips and looked at the ray of light that came in faintly. Even though it was a pitch-black prison, the place where she lay down was covered with soft fur and a fluffy blanket. Else was breathing hard and got up because of her cracked throat.
Someone in front of the prison approached and looked at Else, perhaps noticing her staggering movements. Else looked at her blankly and then moved her lips, saying, “Water….”
When Else opened her eyes, she was in a dark prison cell with no light. When she half-opened her eyes and came to, she was definitely in a carriage... In that vague memory, Ian was also sitting across from her...
Else licked her dry lips and looked at the ray of light that came in faintly. Even though it was a pitch-black prison, the place where she lay down was covered with soft fur and a fluffy blanket. Else was breathing hard and got up because of her cracked throat.
Someone in front of the prison approached and looked at Else, perhaps noticing her staggering movements. Else looked at her blankly and then moved her lips, saying, “Water….”
As if noticing the movement of her lips, she came into the prison and poured water on her lips. Else drank the water with trembling hands and then looked at her.
“Jules?”
“Jules?”
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