Chapter 88

Gazing at Jane sitting in front of her, Elysia tried her best to control her expression.

Jane was wearing a dress as she said today was her day off, so she didn’t go to work for the Knights.

Elysia struggled to grab the corners of her pouty lips. It was because the yellow dress had too many frills and was making her face even duller. For whatever reason, even though she didn’t care about what other people wear, it was a dress that was too tacky to look at.

It was brief, but as she spoke with her, Jane was the typical knight. She also seemed to have a personality that adheres to principles to the extent that she had no flexibility whatsoever.

It was unbelievable that she spent the night with Revos.

“Actually… I was thinking about whether I should see you first.”

Elysia tilted her head at the unexpected words.

“Me…?”

“Yes. There’s something I want to ask you.”

A look of tension appeared on Jane’s face. Thinking it was cute, a smile leaked out as she replied, “Please, feel free to ask.”

“Have you been to District Four recently?”

…How did she find out?

Elysia thought for a moment without answering right away. She thought it would be better to listen a little more than to say no and end the conversation here.

“If so?”

“Do you know the maid named Laura?”

Her smile faded, and she opened her mouth with a gentle voice. She had a habit of smiling in a slightly unpleasant mood.

“Dame, I don’t think I should be questioned now. The way you’re asking questions is wrong.”

At her words, Jane answered, visibly embarrassed as she bowed her head down.

“…Oh, I apologize. It became a habit, and I didn’t even know it.”

Elysia let out a small sigh.

“What do you want to ask?”

“There’s one case I am investigating. An important witness in that case was killed not long ago.”

“So?”

“I happened to see the Duchess getting into the carriage nearby.”

She seemed to have seen Elysia get on the carriage to return to the mansion.

“Are you sure you’re doubting me?”

Ryan said that he had witnessed Jane kill the assassin himself. Then, what did the question mean? Didn’t it seem as if she was suspicious of Elysia just because she saw her in the vicinity…?

“No. Someone else killed her maid.”

“I see.”

Jane paused for a moment before she spoke in a cautious voice, “I want to know what kind of relationship you have with Lady Aiden.”

“Nothing.”

“…Yes?”

Jane could be seen bewildered at the answer that came out without any thought.

“Whatever it is, if you ask me like that, who would say it outright?”

“That…”

As if she had not thought about it, she was somewhat worried as she blurted out the end of her words. Elysia obviously didn’t know how Jane had risen to the rank of deputy commander with her skills.

“I want to ask. Why are you investigating the maid?”

“It came to pass after I was doing research on Lady Aide.”

She was expecting an answer to some extent, though what was this?

Elysia grew increasingly suspicious of whether what she knew about Jane was correct. She couldn’t get her personality right at all.

“Why Lady Aiden?”

“That is…”

She saw Jane’s face turn red in an instant. Seeing that, Elysia thought that if she poked her a little more, Jane would explode soon.

‘Oh, my gosh… There are other cute people like Ryan.’

It was only natural that Cassian’s words about spending the night with Revos flashed across with the blushing face.

“Dame?”

“I got a feeling that she was a bit suspicious…”

She decided to just openly ask.

“Why? Approaching the Crown Prince?”

“…Yes?”

Jane’s skin was now all died red. She hurriedly opened her mouth, “Yes. Don’t get me wrong, as a servant…”

Elysia didn’t misunderstand, she just nodded her head.

Where else did this harmless figure come from? It seemed that Jane and Lady Aiden were fighting over Revos. Of course, looking into the maid, it also didn’t seem like a simple fight.

After a while, she answered with a bit of embarrassment.

“Then, do you have any more questions?”

Had they been dating for one night, Revos would not have visited the Knights’ building in person to find Jane.

Revos and Jane, seeing each other’s faces blushing, it was clear that the feelings were mutual. Even though she was still not sure if Jane was an ally or an enemy, Elysia knew from the report that she had no contact with Lady Aiden.

“Yes. It’s rude to ask why you’re investigating.”

It was a blatant question, wondering why she was doing the investigation. Still, she just smiled broadly. Elysia poked her upper body a little and brought it closer to Jane.

“By the way, Dame. Are you going to wear a dress to the banquet?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

…A dress, not a uniform.

Somehow, she felt uneasy.

“If that… Excuse me, who chose the dress you’re wearing now?”

“I chose it.”

“…What kind of dress are you going to wear to the banquet?”

Jane responded meekly to her question as if she had no idea why. Was it fortunate, or should she be worried that Jane didn’t feel offended…?

“I plan to attend wearing what I have in the mansion.”

“May I ask what it is?”

Giving a brief description of the dress she was going to wear to the banquet, the more she continued, the more Elysia sighed at the thought that she did not know what to say. She had never heard of Jane’s family having bad finances.

Although since she was a knight, she might not be interested in dressing up.

“Do you have any other plans for today?”

“There’s none.”

Still, if she was hoping for progress in her relationship with Revos, shouldn’t she at least be average? Even if she almost went ahead of herself, she had the intention of giving this kind of favor.

“The designer will come in a little while, so we’ll start with new dresses.”

The designer looked puzzled at the sudden additional order, though she glanced at Jane’s dress and nodded her head with a grim look.

She also seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation.

After measuring her in a combative manner, she put the fabrics she brought to Jane by each type. As soon as she completed the dress, she replied that she would find Marquisate Silva, and left the mansion.

* * *

By the time Jane left, it was already evening. Cassian, who was waiting for her in the bedroom, had a very dissatisfied face.

“Cassian.”

“You’re late.”

“Why is this late?”

He immediately grabbed her and locked her firmly in his arms.

Elysia could feel his face buried in the nape of her neck and breathing deeply. She then pushed his chest away and widened the distance.

“I went to the dressing room. Can you look without trying the clothes on?”

According to the dressing room madam, Cassian just told her to take care of it and didn’t even try it on.

“Yes. It just needs to be the right size.”

Elysia unbuttoned his shirt and fumbled her hand.

“Umm… Let’s see if the dimensions haven’t changed.”

Elysia thought he would react immediately to the provocation, though Cassian grabbed her shoulders and said in a serious voice. She could feel the strength in his body in the subtle gestures.

“On that day, don’t get away from my side.”

“Yes…?”

She didn’t understand what he meant.

“If the Second Prince is to appear again, it will either be a banquet or a coronation ceremony.”

Of course, it could still be in between as well.

“You said it wouldn’t be a banquet? There are so many delegations here now.”

The fact that there were so many delegations meant that there were also many escorts. Banquet days could be quite cumbersome, and there would be many possibilities to think it was not going to be a banquet.

“Because it’s not impossible.”

It wasn’t wrong.

Elysia slowly felt that this situation was frustrating. Perhaps, Cassian, too.

They were looking for where he was hiding, throughout the Empire, although they couldn’t find his nose. Because of that, they kept an eye on the Empress, thinking he would make contact with her, but to no avail.

He was reportedly also secretly unraveling the paladins in the temple, yet they could not find him. There was no more information about where he was hiding in the original story, so she had no choice but to wait.

Taking off his shirt, she uttered.

“I wish he would show up sooner.”

If he showed up quickly, she wanted to go on a leisurely trip with Cassian. If Revos ascended to the throne and the Peloit case would clear up, wouldn’t it be a really peaceful life after resolving Lady Aiden, who gave her a feeling of uneasiness?

Biting his lip, Cassian ruffled his hair.

“It will be fine. Now, I won’t lose you so vainly.”

He referred to the moment when she was kidnapped by Peloit. Hearing that, Elysia’s brow furrowed at the voice full of guilt.

“Did you still think about it in your heart?”

“I desperately felt helpless.”

She shook her head and reached her hand to his pants.

“Is there anyone who is not helpless against black magic?”

So, she kissed the nape of his neck, telling him not to blame himself and to focus on the present moment.

“Now, you are. However, please refrain from using black magic as much as possible.”

It was.

Conceivably, the black magic she used was stronger than Peloit’s black magic. Basically, there was a big difference in the amount of magic she had compared to Peloit.

“I won’t get caught.”

Elysia sucked at the nape of his neck and carved a red mark. Actually, she had no intention of leaving it on his neck because of the banquet. Nevertheless, he kept worrying about it, so she did it without realizing it.

Cassian clasped her chin with his hand and said firmly.

“I’m not worried about that.”

“I know, I’ll be fine. So…”

Raising the corners of her lips crookedly, she saw Cassian holding her hand for a long time today. Though when she gently lowered her hand, she could feel he was already ready.

“I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.”

Who would not be fine would be Peloit.

Elysia cleared her breath as she recalled the scene where she had been helpless in his attack. She could see a small scar on Cassian’s broad shoulder. The wound he suffered from Peloit was a penetrating wound, leaving scars even though it healed immediately.

Every time she saw it, she got upset.

Elysia looked over his body carefully. She then grabbed what she could grab hold of in her hand.

“Are you going to keep up like this, huh?”

As she swept up her fingers as if to tickle, the corners of his eyes reddened in an instant.

“You look the best right now.”

As soon as he had finished speaking, Cassian reached out and wrapped his hand around her waist. Elysia moved his hand regularly, preventing him from touching her.

“If you’re being like this, it would only be trouble for you.”

“Why?”

She tilted her head. Wouldn’t it be less difficult once she did this?

Of course, by his standards, she didn’t know.

“I would have said it, though it’s only provoking me more.”

“Isn’t it just that day?”

“No way.”

“…At this point, I really think you’re a vampire.”

It was hard to see his stamina as a human stamina. Elysia said it every time, and she felt the same every time. She even wondered if it was theoretically possible.

At that, Cassian smiled mischievously and hugged her softly.

“Your stamina is weak.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes. How do vampires increase their stamina? Is it like a human…?”

“I don’t know because I’ve never seen a vampire trying like that.”

…What kind of vampires in the world thought they needed to increase their stamina?