Episode 44. Even beasts don’t bite the back of the neck without permission.
When Adele entered the dining room to have breakfast, Christine was there first and waiting. He was wearing his Royal Guard uniform because he was going to go to work after dinner.
“Good morning, Chris.”
Adele approached him and gently kissed his cheek.
“Good morning, Adele.”
Christine responded by kissing her cheek. Henry looked at the two of them happily and instructed the servants to bring breakfast.
The morning at Marvel Palace was peaceful as always, and although it was midwinter, it was a sunny place, so the warmth of the fireplace alone made it warm.
However, Adele felt that Christine’s expression was different than usual.
“You seem to have something to say, Chris.”
“I think you have more to say than I?”
He stared at Adele with eyes that seemed to pierce through people’s hearts.
Adele felt a sting. Did he notice that she went out last night?
But she wanted to hide it until he asked. No, she had to hide it.
“Well, what should I say? That you came into my dream last night and tried to do something really sinister?”
“Oh, it was your dream, so you wanted it to be. Sinister, Miss Adele.”
“Oh, who is it that thinks sinister thoughts every time you see me? Your strong will made me have those dreams.”
“Damn Ugly Captain!”
When he suddenly got angry, Adele laughed. Then she stopped laughing and said quickly,
“I’m really happy, Chris.”
“What?”
“If you didn’t hear, that’s fine. Let’s eat quickly. I’m hungry.”
Adele ate cheerfully, moving her fork and knife busily.
Christine stared at Adele. She kept looking happy, but her appearance was strangely pitiful. As if she were trying her best to be happy.
That woman... She was too calm to be raped, and her complexion was too pale to be having an affair.
Adele seemed like a different person in places he didn’t know. And there were still many things she kept from him.
I don’t know you more and more, you.
“Adele....”
Adele raised her head at the soft voice.
“Yes?”
‘I’m thinking of staying at the guard quarters for the time being.’
Christine had actually been about to say that. But as he watched Adele smiling while waiting for him to speak, his mouth just wouldn’t open.
“I’m really happy, Chris.”
He didn’t know what her real face was or what she was hiding, but she seemed sincere when she said that.
Yes, that was enough.
“Adele, you know that? No matter who you are, you are the most precious to me.”
“...!”
Adele’s eyes wavered slightly. As if she had realized the significance of Christine’s words.
“Let’s eat quickly. It’s going to get cold.”
He picked up his fork and knife, avoiding Adele’s anxious gaze.
***
As Christine finished eating and was leaving the Marvel Palace, Zimmer approached her and whispered.
“News on Stone Oswald.”
Christine’s eyes turned sharp at the mention of Stone’s name.
He had ordered him to empty every last bit of information about him, even the dust in his pockets. If he had done something terrible to Adele, Christine planned to make him disappear from this world without a trace.
But if not...
‘That can’t be true.’
He said, shaking off the rising suspicion.
“Tell me.”
“I just got a reply from the Kingdom of Orbis. Stone left the kingdom a month ago.”
Christine’s steps stopped.
The Kingdom of Orbis was the country where Stone had worked as a diplomat.
“I thought his term ended this month?”
“It seems Stone caused some unpleasant trouble. They quietly covered it up on the condition of exile so that it wouldn’t become a diplomatic issue between the two countries.”
“So does that mean Stone is already in Kalime?”
“There was a report that he was seen at the border a month ago.”
Christine’s brow furrowed.
He crossed the border a month ago and still hasn't returned to Oswald's. So, where is he now? Did the Emperor already know?
In the meantime, Adele and Stone met...
Damn it!
Christine ground his teeth softly.
He promised to trust Adele, but now he's constantly doubting her relationship with Stone.
***
"Adele, you know that? No matter who you are, you're the most precious thing to me."
Adele couldn't get Christine's words out of her head.
His gaze, which was staring blankly, was too deep. As if he knew something she was trying to hide. Could it be that he had noticed that she had secretly visited Hell Valley last night?
After all, he was the most powerful person in Kalime, someone that even the Emperor could not do anything about. He might have more power and organization than she thought.
If he suspected her of that...
Knock.
At that moment, Tanya came in with a knock.
“Miss, Sir Marvin has arrived.”
When she heard that name, Adele’s memory of last night came back vividly.
It was him, the doctor she had finally decided to visit.
But maybe it was for the best.
“How are you feeling, Miss Adele?”
In the meantime, Marvin came into the reception room with his medical bag slung over his arm. He was dressed neatly as if nothing had happened and smiled kindly. To anyone who saw him, he looked like a kind imperial doctor.
Adele winked at Henry, who had come in with Marvin.
“I have something to talk about alone.”
“Understood, Miss Adele.”
Henry led Tanya and the maids who were pouring tea from the reception room out.
“Please take a seat.”
Calm down, Adele. Calm down.
Adele calmly offered him a chair, reciting the spell in her mind. Then she quietly drank the tea. Like an elegant lady.
Calm down, Adele. She waited for him to speak first.
Fortunately, Marvin spoke first.
“Please forget about yesterday. I was only taking care of the patients for a short time because a friend suddenly left the clinic and asked me to do so. If you can forget it completely, I will...”
“You will forget about meeting me there?”
“Of course.”
“My visit there was not illegal, nor was it something to be punished for.”
“Yes?”
Adele put down her teacup and made a cold expression.
“But what if it were known that the palace doctor was performing illegal surgery at a bar in Hell Valley? And especially if His Majesty found out...”
Marvin shouted with a pale face.
“Miss Adele, that is!”
In negotiations, the one who gets excited or impatient loses. This was something Adele had realized while always losing negotiations with Christine.
“So don’t forget. You have a weakness for me.”
Marvin stared at Adele and nodded as if he had given up.
“Haa, so what do you want from me?”
Adele hesitated for a moment and finally opened her mouth.
“Can I erase the tattoo?”
Marvin doubted his ears at the unexpected words.
The reason why noblewomen visited the clinic in Hell Valley was usually obvious. So he thought Adele had the same reason. But...
“Tattoo...?”
“Yes. Can I erase it cleanly without a trace?”
“That’s impossible. What if I peel off the skin?”
“Skin?”
“If the area is large, I might have to graft other skin tissue. And there will be a scar. Tattoos can’t be completely erased.”
“Burning it with fire.”
He doubted his ears.
“You’re burning your flesh to get rid of a tattoo?”
Adele got up from her seat and began to unbutton the dress that was up to her neck.
“Miss Adele, what the heck!”
Marvin, startled, glanced at the door.
She was the fiancée of Count Weiss. If someone had suddenly entered and misunderstood, he would have died.
In the meantime, Adele turned around and pulled down the top of her dress, pulling down her chemise from her shoulders.
Soon, her back was completely exposed in front of Marvin.
Her skin was unusually elastic and smooth, even to the naked eye. Her snow-white skin was dazzling in the light streaming in from the window.
Because of that, the two letters engraved on her beautiful skin stood out strangely like a brand.
“Who would do this...!”
Marvin frowned involuntarily.
It felt like seeing a flaw in a perfect work of art.
But on the other hand, he understood. Sometimes, when you see something so perfect, you feel like you want to find a flaw.
“As a doctor, tell me your opinion. Should I peel off the skin or burn it?”
Adele’s voice was dry even though she had revealed her own shame. However, she had actually been chewing the inside of her lips, which were burning dry.
Marvin, who soon came to his senses, carefully examined the tattoo on her back and gave his opinion as a doctor.
“Let’s try peeling off as much skin as possible. But it will take a long time to heal.”
“It’s okay. Thanks to that, we have more than ten days.”
“It won’t be completely healed in ten days.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
Adele said quietly after neatly adjusting her clothes again.
“I’m telling you this out of concern, but only the two of us know about this tattoo. If what we just talked about gets out, I won’t be able to keep your secret.”
Marvin quickly lowered his head at her threat.
“Don’t worry! My mouth is very heavy.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“Then, when would be a good time for the surgery...?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Yes. I’ll bring the necessary tools tomorrow.”
And Marvin finished his brief examination and left.
Bang!
Only after the door closed did Adele finally feel like she could breathe properly.
Yes, everything will be okay. It has to be.
***
Jan was touring the riding grounds with several nobles.
The workers were busy with the final inspections before the riding competition that would be held in a few days.
“I plan to hold all the competitions this year with great grandeur. Now that the war is over, shouldn’t everyone have fun?”
“Of course! It will be an opportunity to show the outside world that Kalime is alive and well.”
“Of course. Did the Kalime Empire suffer even the slightest damage from that war?”
Christine snorted as he watched the nobles around Jan flattering him.
If the war had lasted another year, Kalime would have gone bankrupt. Did everyone really not know that? Or were they pretending not to?
“Are you going to participate in this horseback riding competition, Count Weiss?”
Christine answered Jan’s question out of the blue with restraint.
“I must escort Your Majesty. I am content to just watch the competition.”
“That’s too bad. If you participate, you have already won.”
Christine agreed with that part. So he didn’t have to be humble.
“So you should give in to others.”
Everyone laughed heartily at his confident answer. They were jealous inside, but it wasn’t wrong.
“But you must participate in the fall hunting competition, Count.”
Jan’s voice could be heard among the laughter of the people. When Christine looked at him coldly, the Emperor smiled meaningfully.
“The Count is better at hunting than horseback riding.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“What can’t the Count do?”
The nobles, who knew nothing, chimed in to match the Emperor and Christine’s moods.
Then Jan muttered in a languid voice.
“When you look at him, he looks like an animal. It looks like he’ll rush in and bite the nape of his neck.”
Christine also pursed her lips.
“Even animals don’t bite the nape of a neck recklessly. That may be the case when their survival is threatened.”
The nobles were a little taken aback by the strange atmosphere between the two. It was clear that they were talking about something meaningful that only they could understand.
“Father!”
At that moment, April approached the Emperor and his party from afar.
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