'Is that thing smiling right now? Brightly?'
Elise tried to hide her bewilderment and went up to him and hugged him.
“Brother...! I’m so relieved. I was worried you might have left.”
“How could that be? You must have had a hard time handling such a big issue...?”
“No. It happens to everyone.”
Elise looked up at him and smiled. But despite her expression, her thoughts were becoming increasingly complex. Her lines were slightly stammered, and her tone was completely emotionless. This was the second hurdle, following Blake's overly affectionate tone.
‘Why is this happening, really...?’
The corners of Lucas's mouth were now twitching. Elise couldn't tear her eyes away from Lucas's awkward face until Blake approached and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
This dinner scene, which appears at the beginning of <Fallen Lovers>, is centered around jealousy and restraint.
The Grand Duchess, in fact, already knew her stepbrother, Lucas Clanton's, feelings at this point. She was a clever woman who knew his feelings for her but feigned ignorance, deftly exploiting them.
It's like treating the male protagonist like a fish in a fishing pond.
“Brother, will you come see me again?”
In that respect, Elise's performance was perfect. She was simply faking the tender affection between siblings. She feigned childishness, feigned innocence, and gazed pitifully at Lucas across the table.
A purple vein stood out on the back of Blake's hand as he held the knife. Elise could easily sense his discomfort through his tightly clenched lips.
'This is a really funny scene, you know.'
It would have been the icing on the cake if Lucas had fanned Blake's jealousy even more, as in the original. With a blushing face and a moved expression...
“Are you serious?”
- If you said so.
But if Lucas were to say those lines with a blank expression and sharp eyes like he does now, it would only seem to mean something like, "How absurd. How dare you tell me to come and go?"
Blake looked at Elise with pity in his eyes. Perhaps he was thinking, "That's how she's been treated by her family." Normally, he should have frowned and glared at Lucas.
'Whew... that smoke machine.'
In this situation, Elise, who had to say the next line, had to carefully control her facial expressions.
“I guess that’s a bit much to ask...?”
As expected, Elise's eyes were moist.
"I'll try to hold on. Don't worry about me. Of course, it'll be very lonely, but..."
Instead of coquetry, she feigned pity. Blake and Lucas' gazes simultaneously followed her as she bit her lip and lowered her head to keep from crying.
Lucas jumped up from his seat with a stern face.
“Are you crying now?”
'I'm going to hit you hard.'
Elise clicked her tongue. Lucas, who should have jumped up and rushed to her in panic, stood frozen, seemingly unable to remember what to say next.
"Madam, I'm here. I won't make you feel lonely."
Although he had to say something to show off while keeping Lucas in check, Blake was at a loss as he watched Elise sadly.
'No... This isn't it...'
Lucas, who had approached her belatedly and hesitantly, awkwardly patted her shoulder.
“I’ll come whenever you want, so don’t cry.”
'Bite me hard and don't talk!'
Elise had no choice but to lower her head further to suppress her growing annoyance.
If she had to sum up Lucas's performance during the meal in one word, it was truly terrible.
While the lines weren't off, he didn't match the male protagonist's personality as described in the character introduction at all. Far from smiling brightly, he was consistently expressionless, and lines that should have been affectionate sounded sarcastic.
If they were acting as real-life siblings who are practically enemies, it would have been a perfect conversation and atmosphere.
So when Elise returned to her bedroom after lunch, she wasn't too surprised to see Lucas already hiding inside.
“Something is wrong.”
The speech became shorter, as if to indicate that the character was different from the person.
“...That’s right. I think so.”
Elise clicked her tongue. With a face that looked like it would scatter flower petals if she smiled, how could she speak so bluntly?
“Are you, by any chance, the agent from the upper world who was originally supposed to enter my husband’s body?”
"Yes. You must be an investigator at the Mid-Zone Fantasy Control Tower."
“That’s right. It’s ‘temporary,’ though.”
"Temporary?"
"Yes. I was sent here almost immediately after I died. To rescue the investigators trapped in this world."
He looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“...What was your occupation before you died?”
“I was an actor. I was pretty successful.”
“Indeed. So there was no sense of discomfort at all.”
Lucas nodded.
“The acting skills of the previous mid-level investigators were really poor.”
“I think it’s the same for you, too.”
“I admit it.”
Far from being offended, he said it as if it were natural.
"I practiced for months to play the role of Blake Frozen. I was confident I wouldn't be suspected. But now it's all for naught."
Elise sighed.
"What the hell happened? Why did you enter his body instead of my husband's?"
"I don't know. An error occurred the moment I attempted to enter Blake Frozen's body. The strong impact on my spirit body caused me to lose consciousness for a moment, and when I woke up, I was inside this body."
“...Is that okay? Lucas is the male protagonist in the scenario.”
Lucas just shook his head without answering.
'Oh, this is a big problem.'
The character's personality isn't the only issue. He has to deliver an overwhelming amount of dialogue, and his screen time is significantly reduced, significantly limiting his freedom. Whatever his purpose, it was impossible to fully accomplish it.
“Can’t we move now?”
“If it were possible, I would have done it a long time ago.”
“…Stop pulling my hair. You're just using it like it's yours.”
Elise tried to hide her bewilderment and went up to him and hugged him.
“Brother...! I’m so relieved. I was worried you might have left.”
“How could that be? You must have had a hard time handling such a big issue...?”
“No. It happens to everyone.”
Elise looked up at him and smiled. But despite her expression, her thoughts were becoming increasingly complex. Her lines were slightly stammered, and her tone was completely emotionless. This was the second hurdle, following Blake's overly affectionate tone.
‘Why is this happening, really...?’
The corners of Lucas's mouth were now twitching. Elise couldn't tear her eyes away from Lucas's awkward face until Blake approached and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
This dinner scene, which appears at the beginning of <Fallen Lovers>, is centered around jealousy and restraint.
The Grand Duchess, in fact, already knew her stepbrother, Lucas Clanton's, feelings at this point. She was a clever woman who knew his feelings for her but feigned ignorance, deftly exploiting them.
It's like treating the male protagonist like a fish in a fishing pond.
“Brother, will you come see me again?”
In that respect, Elise's performance was perfect. She was simply faking the tender affection between siblings. She feigned childishness, feigned innocence, and gazed pitifully at Lucas across the table.
A purple vein stood out on the back of Blake's hand as he held the knife. Elise could easily sense his discomfort through his tightly clenched lips.
'This is a really funny scene, you know.'
It would have been the icing on the cake if Lucas had fanned Blake's jealousy even more, as in the original. With a blushing face and a moved expression...
“Are you serious?”
- If you said so.
But if Lucas were to say those lines with a blank expression and sharp eyes like he does now, it would only seem to mean something like, "How absurd. How dare you tell me to come and go?"
Blake looked at Elise with pity in his eyes. Perhaps he was thinking, "That's how she's been treated by her family." Normally, he should have frowned and glared at Lucas.
'Whew... that smoke machine.'
In this situation, Elise, who had to say the next line, had to carefully control her facial expressions.
“I guess that’s a bit much to ask...?”
As expected, Elise's eyes were moist.
"I'll try to hold on. Don't worry about me. Of course, it'll be very lonely, but..."
Instead of coquetry, she feigned pity. Blake and Lucas' gazes simultaneously followed her as she bit her lip and lowered her head to keep from crying.
Lucas jumped up from his seat with a stern face.
“Are you crying now?”
'I'm going to hit you hard.'
Elise clicked her tongue. Lucas, who should have jumped up and rushed to her in panic, stood frozen, seemingly unable to remember what to say next.
"Madam, I'm here. I won't make you feel lonely."
Although he had to say something to show off while keeping Lucas in check, Blake was at a loss as he watched Elise sadly.
'No... This isn't it...'
Lucas, who had approached her belatedly and hesitantly, awkwardly patted her shoulder.
“I’ll come whenever you want, so don’t cry.”
'Bite me hard and don't talk!'
Elise had no choice but to lower her head further to suppress her growing annoyance.
***
If she had to sum up Lucas's performance during the meal in one word, it was truly terrible.
While the lines weren't off, he didn't match the male protagonist's personality as described in the character introduction at all. Far from smiling brightly, he was consistently expressionless, and lines that should have been affectionate sounded sarcastic.
If they were acting as real-life siblings who are practically enemies, it would have been a perfect conversation and atmosphere.
So when Elise returned to her bedroom after lunch, she wasn't too surprised to see Lucas already hiding inside.
“Something is wrong.”
The speech became shorter, as if to indicate that the character was different from the person.
“...That’s right. I think so.”
Elise clicked her tongue. With a face that looked like it would scatter flower petals if she smiled, how could she speak so bluntly?
“Are you, by any chance, the agent from the upper world who was originally supposed to enter my husband’s body?”
"Yes. You must be an investigator at the Mid-Zone Fantasy Control Tower."
“That’s right. It’s ‘temporary,’ though.”
"Temporary?"
"Yes. I was sent here almost immediately after I died. To rescue the investigators trapped in this world."
He looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“...What was your occupation before you died?”
“I was an actor. I was pretty successful.”
“Indeed. So there was no sense of discomfort at all.”
Lucas nodded.
“The acting skills of the previous mid-level investigators were really poor.”
“I think it’s the same for you, too.”
“I admit it.”
Far from being offended, he said it as if it were natural.
"I practiced for months to play the role of Blake Frozen. I was confident I wouldn't be suspected. But now it's all for naught."
Elise sighed.
"What the hell happened? Why did you enter his body instead of my husband's?"
"I don't know. An error occurred the moment I attempted to enter Blake Frozen's body. The strong impact on my spirit body caused me to lose consciousness for a moment, and when I woke up, I was inside this body."
“...Is that okay? Lucas is the male protagonist in the scenario.”
Lucas just shook his head without answering.
'Oh, this is a big problem.'
The character's personality isn't the only issue. He has to deliver an overwhelming amount of dialogue, and his screen time is significantly reduced, significantly limiting his freedom. Whatever his purpose, it was impossible to fully accomplish it.
“Can’t we move now?”
“If it were possible, I would have done it a long time ago.”
“…Stop pulling my hair. You're just using it like it's yours.”
Elise slapped his hand away and straightened her tangled hair. He glared into the air, as if he were about to kill someone.
“My five hundred years of experience have been marred.”
“Yes. Well, I guess so.”
Five hundred years? That's an unrealistic timeframe. She doesn't care what blemishes this might have on his career, but if things continue this way, it's going to be difficult.
'If this guy messes up his mission, it'll definitely be a problem for me too.'
Elise chewed her lower lip.
"I desperately need your help. That's why I've come to you, even at the risk of my life."
"Of course I'd like to. But how can I help you? Is there even a way to get back...?"
At that moment, Lucas put his index finger in front of his lips and looked over her shoulder.
"Shhh."
His green eyes shone sharply. Before Elise could even react, he moved nimbly and crawled under the bed.
“...?”
As she was about to look under the bed in bewilderment, she suddenly heard a knock behind her.
"...Huh?"
Elise straightened her bent back and turned around.
“Madam, may I come in?”
It was Blake. "Gasp," Elise quickly covered her mouth before a sound could be heard.
'What should I do? If I get caught, I'll be in big trouble.'
“Madam? Are you not inside?”
Elise, who had lost the opportunity to answer in her haste, had no choice but to go to the door herself and turn the handle.
Unlike the room, bathed in afternoon sunlight, the castle's hallways were pitch-black. Standing tall before the door, Blake seemed lost in the darkness of the hallway.
Her heart pounded for no reason. A cold sweat ran down her spine, like a child caught doing something bad.
But she wasn't the one to show it.
“Come in.”
Elise smiled and took a step aside.
As he entered the room, he placed his hand on her waist and kissed her cheek. It seemed like he would always kiss her instead of greeting her.
“Were you resting?”
“Yes. I’m a little tired. What’s the matter with Your Highness...?”
“It’s not like I have time to come see you because I have work to do.”
"Ah..."
Elise's heart sank as he pressed his body against hers.
'No way...'
“But I stopped by now because I have some business to attend to.”
Blake smiled softly, looking down at her, who seemed a little nervous.
“I broke your bed last night.”
He let go of Elise and strode briskly toward the bed. Fearing he might peek under the bed, Elise quickly followed him.
Blake stopped in front of the bedside and tapped the cracked wooden board, examining it closely.
"I think we need to replace the bed. For something more sturdy and comfortable."
If it weren't for this situation, Elise would have burst into laughter. A groom who ruins the bed while spending his first night together? Isn't that a pretty appealing premise?
But now, Elise was very nervous because Lucas was lying just a few feet from Blake's feet. So she just nodded with a faint smile.
“Yes, please do.”
“Is there a material or design you want?”
Elise sat on the edge of the bed, pretending to be troubled as naturally as possible. At least this way, he wouldn't have to bend down to look under the bed. Unless he wanted to peek under her skirt.
"Well."
She heard that "Fallen Lovers" was set in a setting similar to medieval Europe. However, with the inclusion of fantasy elements like magic, it wouldn't be entirely the same. She had no way of knowing what materials were popular for making furniture.
"I'll leave the bed to Your Highness. It needs to be as sturdy as possible."
Elise gently tapped the back of his hand that was holding the headboard.
“I guess it’s because you have so much energy.”
At that moment, she felt strength surge into her hands.
'Ah... this.'
It was just a playful remark and action. There was absolutely no intention of provoking him.
Elise, feeling a stinging sensation, slowly withdrew her hand. But as soon as Elise's hand left his, Blake grabbed her urgently.
"Ma'am."
Elise's pupils shook slightly at the strong force that grabbed her wrist.
She slowly raised her gaze.
His bright blue eyes, past his broad, firm chest and prominent neck, filled Elise's field of vision. A deep passion, somehow settled there, simmered within him.
He had been looking at her with longing eyes several times today, and it seemed like he had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
“I’m going to change the bed anyway, so it doesn’t matter if it gets a little more damaged.”
'Oh my god.'
It was already too late. Elise could tell just by the heat and the sound of his breathing that she could feel from him.
'What should I do?'
She had no idea how to push him away as he strode towards her. Elise hesitated, but no matter how hard she tried, she was still sitting on the bed.
Elise cried out urgently as she watched him raise one knee onto the bed.
“Your Highness, it is not yet dark...!”
“What does that have to do with a couple making love?”
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