Chapter 42

At dawn, he emerges, vanishing once the night descends. During the quiet hours when Elise wakes, he labors in the bedroom, shares a meal with her, and then retreats to his office until noon. But what purpose does it serve? A few days back, she gathered the courage to ask him directly, pretending to be playful.

“Have we not grown quite close?” she inquired.

“Is that so?” he replied.

“No… don’t you think we have?” she persisted.

Rezette merely offered a polite smile as he walked past her. So you won’t do it? Elise fought the urge to pout and sulk.

Lately, she wished she could freeze time. Ever since she arrived at Rotiara, suspicion lingered like a shadow.

“It’s about time for your bump to show, but I don’t see any obvious signs, maybe because you’re naturally skinny,” Lady Petisson had said, her scrutinizing gaze fixed on Elise’s abdomen, sending shivers down her spine. The mistress’s stern expression and tone hinted that she saw through all the lies.

“Still, I should call the dressmaker. It wouldn’t hurt to have the dress ready in advance,” she had added.

Nevertheless, Elise had no excuse to resist. Today was the day the dressmaker was coming. Even if she wore a shroud, her slender figure would be glaringly evident.

Last night brought forth another haunting dream. This time, it wasn’t Andrei but Lady Petisson who took the stage. As a witness in a trial, she exposed Elise’s incredible web of lies to the world, leading to Elise being dragged to the scaffold and losing her head. When she woke, the image of her severed self haunted her, with Andrei looking down at her, his form drenched in blood. It was a dreadfully unbearable dream.

Elise knew deep down that her punishment was only just, given that she had saved herself through deceit. Yet, no matter how she tried to rationalize it, a surge of injustice always overcame her whenever she faced the Grand Duke.

If only he had shown me some affectionate embrace, perhaps this anxiety wouldn’t gnaw at me so fiercely, she lamented.

Even Ivetsa attempted to console Elise, insisting that the grand duke’s carefulness was due to her physical frailty. But such reassurances fell flat.

I’m fine. Really…!

The secret, known only to her, threatened to escape her lips. If it weren’t for Argan’s secret, she would have long ago shouted it into the man’s ear.

Meanwhile, the young and charming maids were attracting more attention for some unknown reason. Elise yearned to seize one of them and boldly inquire, “Has my husband ever embraced you?”

On this particular day, Rezette, noticing Elise’s unusually pale complexion, subtly asked, “Is the meal not to your liking?”

The breakfast spread before her consisted of tender chicken leg meat in orange sauce, soft white bread, and cream stew, all prepared just the way Elise liked. However, gratitude eluded her entirely.

“Your Highness?” Rezette noticed something amiss and leaned closer to her. His touch, checking her forehead and cheeks for fever, felt different from how it was ten days ago.

Elise remained silent, and he gently took her hand. This change was something she couldn’t have imagined happening three months ago when he first held her hand. Rezette was making many adjustments for her sake, and she knew she should also adapt to his pace, but time was not a luxury she had.

There was only one thing she desired from him, but it seemed so difficult to convey. She longed for him to enter her and plant the seed of life within her. The weight of her desire bore heavily on her mind as she gazed at the man scrutinizing her with troubled eyes.

“Should I make a move?” she wondered, but it seemed the man interpreted her contemplative expression differently.

“You were restless until morning. Let’s delay breakfast for a while,” he suggested.

Rezette then helped her up from her seat. As he was about to call for a maid, he hesitated, observing her small, smooth body clinging to him. Elise had buried her face in his chest, tightly hugging his waist.

It was the first time Elise had embraced him like this. Rezette arched an eyebrow briefly, then gently placed his hand on the back of her neck, silently signaling everyone, including Alfredo and the other servants, to leave the living room.

“Elise,” he spoke softly.

She remained silent.

“Did you have another dream last night? It couldn’t have been so,” Rezette said, studying her with sharp eyes.

Elise seemed unaware, but whenever she had these dreams, a faint magical energy would emanate from her body. Initially subtle, the power grew more pronounced over time, detectable even by a gentle touch.

Only when he drew out that energy completely did Elise’s tears subside. It was evident that by doing so, he was freeing her from the grip of her brother’s dreams as well.

Elise didn’t offer any response. Rezette couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. Was that damn ‘Andrei’ plaguing her mind again? He couldn’t bear the thought of being treated as a mere replacement for her brother.

As Rezette’s hand moved from her nape down to her shoulder, he pondered where the Emperor of Argon had left his mark on his sister. Lately, whenever he saw Elise, that question lingered in his mind.

After closely examining her for over ten days, there were no noticeable marks on the surface. This meant Rezette might have to search more deeply to find any.

During their journey to Van Yela, he had caught a glimpse of her exposed upper body by the lake. Although he tried to dismiss any unnecessary thoughts, he couldn’t recall any distinct marks catching his eye. 

Perhaps it’s on her back, buttocks, or between her thighs, Rezette mused.

At that moment, he decided he would examine her body soon. Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Elise spoke with a subdued voice.

“On the first day, I mentioned that I could explore the castle alone.”

“Yes?” Rezette furrowed his brow, not immediately grasping her point.

“Or did I say I would tour Lord Ruben’s territory?”

Elise’s disappointment was evident as Rezette struggled to remember her previous words.

“Or is it because there are plenty of beauties everywhere?” she finally revealed her concern.

“I don’t know if there are plenty, but right now, there’s one in front of me,” Rezette replied nonchalantly. Elise couldn’t help but glance around, checking for others.

With everyone else sent away, the reception room was now empty, leaving only Elise and Rezette. A flush of embarrassment colored Elise’s cheeks, but it wasn’t due to some cute reason like shyness or excitement. There was a weightier issue at hand.

“Don’t keep avoiding the subject like this every time! If you keep speaking like that, I can never say anything…!” Elise expressed her frustration.

To Rezette, it might have seemed like a trivial matter, and perhaps it was. In the eyes of others, their marriage was already unconventional in many ways, so who would care about such trivialities? However, for Elise, it was a matter of life and death. She was well aware of the situation, but that didn’t mean she didn’t desire it too.

“Then you should consider adapting in advance,” Rezette suggested.

Yet, Elise’s mind was clouded with negativity, and with each passing day, she found herself assigning more meaning to his casual remarks. Realizing this, she felt a deep sense of indignation and sadness.Rezette Kyrstan was an incredibly contradictory and wicked man.

“You said you didn’t want to embrace a woman like me… You spoke those strange words back then, and now you pretend it’s not true. You torture me with false hope every time,” Elise lamented.

“I’ve never pretended it wasn’t true,” Rezette responded.

“Then why don’t you come to me at night?” Elise questioned, her emotions laid bare.

Elise’s voice took on a whining tone, and she lost her composure. The embarrassment she felt made her wish she could hide under the table, resenting the man who had pushed her to say such things.

“Do you dislike being with me?” she questioned.

Rezette eventually pulled Elise away, lowering his head to examine her closely. She glared back at him, her face flushed and her eyes teary from burying her face in his chest.

“I guess you can’t make any excuses now. This clearly violates the contract,” Elise accused.

“In what way?” Rezette responded calmly.

“You promised to cooperate… unconditionally.”

“I said ‘if the conditions are met.’ Don’t you remember?” Rezette clarified.

Elise’s lips trembled, disbelief spreading across her face as if she had just uncovered a deception.

“So, are you going to keep avoiding me and use that line as an excuse?”

“If the circumstances don’t align, then yes.”

“What are those circumstances, and what are the conditions? Simply saying we have to get closer won’t cut it anymore. If you want to convince me, you’ll need more plausible reasons…!”

Rezette looked down at her, observing her anger and frustration, and couldn’t help but smirk. She appeared like a small rabbit, her eyes wide and her face reddened, as if tears were about to flow. At that moment, as she tried to coax him into hugging her, she seemed like a cunning herbivore.

Elise, who had been intensely staring at Rezette, blinked subtly.

“Just stop pretending you don’t want it…”

No, right. She wasn’t a rabbit; she was a fox.