ITDHC 13

Chapter 13

Elissa stepped right up to the children and looked up at the ones who were taller than her.

“I like it.”

“…What?”

“You asked me what it’s like living with Richard. I said I like it.”

The children were caught off guard by her unexpected answer. They hesitated and took half a step back.

Elissa took half a step forward and asked,

“Then let me ask you something, too. Do you really enjoy conversations like this? Talking behind someone’s back, mocking them and gossiping about them when they aren’t even here?”

“What, low-class? Did we make any of that up? It’s all true! That he’s the son of a courtesan, that he used to be a mercenary!”

“Really? If you’re so proud of what you’re saying, why don’t you say it in front of the adults over there?”

Some of the nobles attending the banquet had originally supported the Emperor’s faction but were beginning to lean toward House Rubellin after what happened at the hunting grounds. A few of these children’s parents had already begun siding with Albert as well.

And even if they supported the Emperor, there was not a single noble in the Empire who could openly oppose House Rubellin.

“You were already like this when I saw you at the hunting grounds, but you’re really arrogant.”

The silver-haired girl who had been silently watching Elissa spoke.

It was the girl who had been called Rose a little while ago.

Elissa knew the name Rose.

‘Christian’s wife and the male lead’s stepmother.’

Rose was probably Christian’s fiancée at this point, which meant she was likely the leader of this group.

Just as Elissa expected, another child stepped forward protectively in front of Rose.

“Hey, you must not know because you were living in the countryside of Loengrin until recently, but Rose is the young lady of House Felice. She’s the fiancée of His Highness the Crown Prince, who will one day rule this Empire. Show some respect!”

“So?”

“What do you mean, ‘so’?”

“Either way, you’re still Rose Felice. And I’m Elissa Rubellin.”

Elissa deliberately emphasized the names Felice and Rubellin.

Then she looked straight into Rose’s eyes.

“Do you still not know which one of us is supposed to show respect, Lady Rose Felice?”

Overwhelmed by Elissa’s presence, Rose and the other children could not find a response.

Their lips trembled slightly.

Elissa stared at them for a moment before slowly turning around.

Her hand was trembling faintly.

Only after turning away did Elissa notice it herself.

She clenched her hand tightly.

Then the children’s voices came from behind her.

“You’re so proud just because you have a half-blood noble with lowly blood for a husband!”

The children were about to say more, but suddenly they looked ahead of Elissa and fell silent in surprise.

Elissa, who had been about to walk away without looking back, also stopped before she could take another step.

“…Richard?”

Standing directly in front of her was Richard, his familiar cold eyes fixed on them.

“No wonder I wondered why you were taking so long. You were caught up with bugs.”

Richard glared at the children with contempt as he approached and took Elissa’s hand.

“Let’s go.”

Unlike when they had mocked Elissa to her face, the children could not bring themselves to laugh at Richard.

They could not even protest when he called them bugs.

All they could do was stare at him fearfully, biting their lips.

Richard led Elissa away from the children.

Her hand trembled slightly in his grasp.

The moment he noticed, irritation welled up inside him.

‘She’s so timid, yet…’

Richard gently but firmly tightened his hold on Elissa’s hand.

“From now on, don’t get involved. Just ignore them. It’s all nonsense anyway.”

“I don’t want to.”

Elissa stopped walking as she said it.

Richard stopped with her.

When he turned around in confusion, Elissa continued.

“Water dripping onto a rock doesn’t seem like anything at first, right? But eventually, even a hard rock gets worn away. It keeps wearing down, little by little, until it finally breaks.”

“…”

“That’s why I don’t want to.”

There was determination in Elissa’s voice and eyes.

“I told you before. I said I’d be on your side.”

So don’t just cover everything up and pretend it doesn’t bother you.

Richard stared blankly at Elissa.

A girl who could not fight.

No, a girl who had been so afraid that her body was trembling had still fought back with everything she had.

For him.

For no one but him.

“So when no one else is on my side, you have to be on mine, too. If someone says something bad about me, you have to blow it all away with that wind of yours. Okay?”

Elissa grabbed Richard’s arm as she spoke.

Richard looked at Elissa, who was speaking so firmly that it was hard to believe she had been trembling just moments ago.

Before he knew it, a small laugh escaped him.

Then he noticed that Elissa was limping slightly and frowned.

Without saying anything, Richard turned his back toward her.

Elissa stared at his back in confusion.

“Get on.”

“Huh?”

“Your foot hurts.”

“It’s okay…”

Despite her refusal, Richard remained there with his back toward her.

After hesitating for a moment, Elissa climbed onto his back.

She worried that Richard might not be able to stand because she was too heavy, but he rose smoothly without showing much difficulty.

‘Still, he is my older brother… He really is reliable at times like this.’

Richard, whom she usually thought of as being like a younger brother going through puberty, seemed a little more grown-up today.

At the same time, the warmth of his body against her and the broadness of his back felt strangely unfamiliar.

“Your arms.”

“Huh?”

“Put your arms around my neck. If you fall, I’m not responsible.”

Elissa quickly wrapped her arms around Richard’s neck.

The warmth between them became even closer.

The corners of Richard’s lips curled upward.

Elissa did not see it.

Under the moonlight, the gentle spring breeze brushed past the two of them.

The banquet ended, and time passed.

“It really is spring now.”

On her way to the library, Elissa looked at the windows filled with fresh green leaves and murmured.

The breeze coming through the windows was warm and gentle as well.

Just then, the murmuring voices of men came from somewhere below outside.

‘What is that?’

Elissa naturally turned her gaze toward the sound.

A group of Rubellin knights had gathered outside.

Now that the weather had warmed up, it seemed they had come out to the yard for some long-awaited outdoor sparring.

The knights were wearing thin shirts soaked with sweat.

Some of them had even taken their shirts off completely.

Seeing their muscular bodies on full display, Elissa cleared her throat and quickly looked away.

“Ahem…”

But like someone instinctively drawn to the smell of meat, her gaze soon drifted back.

‘Ahem. Isn’t it also the lady of the house’s duty to check how the knights train and make sure they aren’t lacking anything?’

Elissa decided to postpone her trip to the library for a while and watch the knights train.

Before long, the knights began sparring.

This time, both of the knights had taken their shirts off.

Every time their swords clashed, the movement of their muscles was clearly visible.

They had the fully developed bodies of grown men.

Elissa was watching the scene with sparkling eyes when a familiar voice came from behind her.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah!”

Elissa jumped at Richard’s sudden appearance, startled like a child who had been caught doing something wrong.

Richard was just as surprised by her unexpected reaction.

Embarrassed, Elissa hurriedly answered, worried that Richard might figure out what she had really been thinking.

“I-I was just watching because their training looked so cool. It’s really impressive. I wanted to learn, too.”

“You want to learn?”

Richard’s innocent-sounding question made Elissa flinch.

Her conscience pricked at her, but she could not exactly tell her fifteen-year-old husband, who still knew nothing, the truth.

“Ah, no. I was just saying.”

“I could teach you.”

“You’re good at swordsmanship, too?”

At Elissa’s question, Richard narrowed his eyes.

For some reason, his pride was hurt by the fact that Elissa was underestimating his swordsmanship.

“…Why do you think I can’t use a sword?”

“Well, you’re a mage, so I thought you couldn’t use a sword.”

“I use magic not because I can’t use a sword, but because magic is much more efficient.”

“Oh.”

Relieved that Richard had not caught her staring at the knights, Elissa responded half-heartedly.

She had never actually been interested in swordsmanship in the first place, and considering that Richard had spent his childhood moving between various guilds, it was hardly surprising that he knew how to use a sword.

“Then I’ll be going. See you later.”

Elissa turned around and walked away.

Richard watched her retreating figure, his lips moving as though he wanted to say something.

Then he let out a sigh.

That was not the reaction he had expected.

Richard looked down at the knights Elissa had been watching with such sparkling eyes only moments before.

His red eyes grew cold.

That evening, after finishing dinner and returning to his quarters, Thompson, one of the Rubellin knights, was startled when he saw a figure standing in front of his room.

“…Lord Richard?”

Richard was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, waiting for him.

Thompson grew tense as Richard approached.

‘Why would he come all the way here?’

Richard had entered the ducal household about a year ago.

At the time, Richard had shown little interest in the family, so he had not involved himself much with the knights either.

Naturally, he had rarely spoken to them.

Especially not to a mere knight like Thompson.

Yet Richard had come all the way to the knights’ quarters himself.

If he had business with Thompson, he could have simply sent a servant to summon him to his room or given the order through the commander of the knights.

But seeing Richard standing there with such a cold expression, Thompson sensed that something was wrong.

‘D-Did I do something to upset him?’

The only thing Thompson had done today was spend the afternoon sparring hard with his fellow knights in the backyard.

Thompson went over the day’s events in his head, trying to figure out whether he had done anything that might have displeased Richard.

But what came out of Richard’s mouth was the last thing he expected.

“Fight me tomorrow.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Around two in the afternoon, after lunch. In the backyard.”

Thompson stared at Richard in bewilderment after suddenly being challenged to a duel.

But Richard had already walked away.