“The wound is not serious. Fortunately, she didn’t get stabbed in a vital point. Her muscles are just torn… … . It will take some time to heal, but as long as we are careful, there will be no problems.”

Elisha felt an unfamiliar voice tickle her ears.

‘Is it the doctor?’

Her shoulder throbbed.

“Get up slowly and take your medicine.”

Someone forcibly spilled medicine into her stiff mouth; she slowly swallowed it, unable to open her eyes.

‘I need to wake up… … . I can’t get up… … .’

Elisha felt a large hand caressing her forehead. A familiar touch. It smelled like sandalwood.

‘Yes, I am safe now.’

She was relieved; she was terrified of being kidnapped by an enemy again for a moment. Now she could put that fear to rest.

“Elisha, if your goal is to drive me crazy, you are succeeding.”

It was a desperate whisper. And Elisha fell asleep again.

When she opened her eyes, she found Lucerne at her side. He was sitting on the bed, looking down at her. Elisha licked her dry lips. He didn’t say anything and allowed her to drink her fill first.

“The situation … … . Did it work out?”

Elisha whispered. Her voice was terribly cracked.

“Yes,”

Lucerne said bluntly. Elisha became a little suspicious; he didn’t seem to be in a good mood. She hadn’t expected him to congratulate her with a fuss, but he seemed terribly curt. No, on the contrary, he seemed to have harbored a chill and anger she had never seen before.

“Then… … . What’s wrong?”

“I really want to ask— Why?”

“What do you mean ‘Why’?”

“Why didn’t you stop the auction in the middle?”

“…If we stopped the auction, somehow Carola and Arien would have made it so that they would bid amongst themselves and continue without me.”

After her explanation, she seemed at a loss for words and didn’t understand a thing. She was perfectly successful. Why on earth was he mad?

“Aren’t you curious about how much I spent to get the property?”

“Is that what you should be saying right now?”

Lucerne even seemed to be getting more and more irate.

Elisha tried to get her body up. He grabbed her and held her torso so she wouldn’t fall. She depended on his hand, barely managing to lean on her back against the bed. The pain from her injury was much less, perhaps thanks to painkillers.

“Why are you angry, Lucerne?”

Elisha asked with a whisper. The steady expression on her face returned as usual. She had prided herself on excellently completing her task.

“If a knight below you did a good job, would you treat them like this?”

Elisha saw a look in Lucerne’s eyes only then. Indeed… … . It was strange. It looked distorted. She thought he was annoyed. And he looked like he couldn’t understand his feelings.

Elisha was startled.

“So ‘you’re pretty and kind.’ Do you want me to encourage you to do this again by even giving you compliments?”

Her heartbreak came flooding in like a dam had broken in her chest at his words. Elisha bit her lip. Even after seeing that, Lucerne’s expression did not change. He looked down at her silently, and she turned her eyes away.

“I didn’t expect that much. I’m not a child.”

Elisha wanted to take this opportunity to show that she could accomplish as much as one of his vassals.

“I don’t know what to do with you.”

“… … .”

Lucerne’s expression changed slightly. This time, it contained a little bit of sad regret and bitter anxiety.

“Never again—”

“… … .”

“—You are not allowed to be reckless with your body. It’s an order.”

Only after hearing those words did Elisha realize—Surprisingly, he now… … . It seemed he was angry with her because he was worried about her. And he himself was bewildered and embarrassed by his own feelings.

Elisha’s heart quivered and started pounding strangely. It was as if someone had thrown a stone in the calm lake of her heart.

Lucerne ruffled his hair. She bit her lips hard. However, she wanted to be recognized. She was sure she would be recognized. That’s what should have happened.

Lucerne bowed his body and stooped in front of Elisha. His red eyes met her eyes. She didn’t know why, maybe it was because she was upset, but suddenly, Elisha’s eyes turned red. Lucerne stroked her cheek.

“Answer me.”

“… … .”

“Hurry.”

Lucerne’s face grew closer. He was now close enough to touch her lips. Elisha closed her eyes.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Lucerne gently caressed Elisha’s neck. He gently withdrew.

“If you had died today, I wouldn’t have kept anyone alive, including those bitches.”

Elisha couldn’t even fathom something so incomprehensible. If that happened, Lucerne would never be the Head. No, he would have been executed by the Duke. He would never forgive murdering amongst family members.

“Therefore,”

Lucerne whispered.

“Do you remember anything about the person who hurt you?”