The Return of the Female Knight

CHAPTER 106

Zenard reported the details of the party to Carlisle. Carlisle, sitting quietly in his study while listening, gave a regretful smile.

"I thought the plan would work given how carefully planned it was, but the Empress managed to escape again."

"When I heard the news that Asabe's servant was executed, I thought it was really the Queen's job."

"That's how he likes to operate."

Despite the caution taken in Elena's plans, Carlisle was not surprised by the results. If Ophelia was an easy opponent, she would have already defeated him.

"Have you found any evidence that the Empress ordered the collapse of the Flower Bridge?"

"We're working hard with Casey's family building the bridge, and we may have news in the near future."

Carlisle was still not satisfied.

"What are the components of the drug found at Redfield's party?"

“I'll find out exactly and keep you here. We know it's a cure, but it's hard to know the weird powder components. "

“They came out of the battlefield, yet they acted as if they were out of the war? Tell them to move quickly, before I send them back to the limit. ”

Although Carlisle didn't mean it, Zenard knew it wasn't entirely a lie either.

"After we find everything, the Empress won't be able to escape so easily anymore."

Carlisle did not take that as a word of consolation and laughed bitterly.

"I must become emperor quickly."

"The rush makes nothing, Your Majesty."

A familiar saying applies to Carlisle's situation.

"Think of yourself in my position."

"Is something wrong?"

Carlisle did not answer. Zenard thought he was paying attention to Elena and Carlisle's relationship, but that didn't happen at all. Carlisle never revealed to anyone that he was in a contract marriage with Elena, and with his wife close every night, no one knew how much temptation Carlisle had to endure.

"good. It's not something I can explain in words. And…"

Carlisle remembered Sullivan's increasingly frail face. He wouldn't necessarily call her a good parent, but he couldn't ignore Sullivan's health either.

When Carlisle spoke, his tone of voice was weak.

“... I must be the one to take over the throne before he dies. “

As Sullivan's health deteriorates by the day, Carlisle knows he's not long with his father. Before that, he wanted to grant Sullivan's wish. Carlisle had always wanted to prove that he could become emperor even with his cursed blood.

Zenard scanned the prince's face, and as he spoke it more carefully than before.

"… I'll give you an update as soon as possible."

Carlisle got up from his chair with a light nod in his head. It was quite late, and he had to return to the room where Elena was waiting.

As Carlisle was about to leave his study, a thought came to his mind, and he returned to Zenard.

"Oh, I've been contacted by Kuhn, and he said he should leave Blaise's house."

"Oh yeah."

An expression of displeasure flashed across Zenard's face as he mentioned Kuhn's name. Only Carlisle knew of their uneasy relationship with each other.

"We're gonna find a rat who infiltrated Blaise's own house, so tell Kuhn he can take more time there. Since she promised to keep my sister-in-law safe, she had to stay there until she at least went south. ”

"Yes, I'll tell him."

Although those two subordinates were mortal enemies, they were not the type to let their personal feelings interfere with work. When Carlisle finished talking, he turned around and left.

Kkiiieu—

Carlisle looked perplexed as an aromatic fragrance drifted as soon as he opened the room door. No one other than Elena could enter this room at night today, so she did not understand why this smell was here.

Carlisle saw Elena sitting on the outside porch, carefully nursing a drink. Next to him were empty bottles.

"I think he hates alcohol."

He refused alcohol on their first night together, and he had also never seen him drink much. Carlisle approached the table in curiosity, and Elena turned her head when she heard his approaching footsteps. He had drunk quite a lot, and his face turned red.

"What are you doing alone?"

"I drank — hik — drink alone."

His harsh words revealed that he was even more drunk than he thought.

"You should have called me if you needed someone to drink."

“Now it is not too late. Come here with me … "

Elena continued, waving the glass in her hand.

"Do you want a drink?"

Carlisle, who was stunned by the offer, approached Elena and sat down in front of her. He glanced at the empty bottle before speaking.

"When did you start drinking?"

"I'll only drink when you come, but you don't show up, so I end up drinking a little."

Elena handed Carlisle a glass of wine. Carlisle accepted it without a word and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Don't you think it's more than a little ??"

He would not call that number a little. Elena looked at the offending bottles on the table.

“I just ... I feel a bit upset today. Did you hear what happened at the party? "

"Just about."

"You've warned me many times to look after him, but I'm overconfident."

“I'm watching Asabe's waitress. It's ridiculous that Vanera's plant came from her room. I don't know if he really has it. ”

"…"

“On the order of the Queen, the Vanera plant was discovered by a guard. Now that Asabe is executed, we can no longer reveal anything about the incident. ”

Carlisle silently listened to Elena as she more freely expressed her thoughts.

"I probably played in the hands of the Empress at first. I only reveal myself to the enemy. ”

Elena sighed. He looked at Carlisle, and he noticed that his eyes were glazed over.

"I look like a fool, don't I?"

The last time he asked Carlisle to trust him, and now he's upset that he didn't live up to his expectations. He should have been more careful …

Carlisle, who had been sitting still so far, finally replied in a soft voice.

"I don't know if this is comforting, but what you went through today, I've experienced many times because of the Empress."

Elena's eyes widened at Carlisle's unexpected confession.

“If you're stupid, then I'm even more stupid. You don't have to blame yourself. Your plan sounds good to my ears, and the only incorrect calculation is not realizing why the Empress sent the twin plants. "

"Therefore, Asabe was executed today."

"He was a spy whom the Empress planted. We still have to get rid of it, but in this way there is no blood on our hands. "

Carlisle's words calmed Elena's mind. She has been greatly burdened by the knowledge that her family will die if she fails in her mission, but when she suffers a defeat by the Empress, her fears become shattered. What if he couldn't change the future no matter how hard he tried? How much more cunning would Paveluc win against the Queen?

Elena's mind was like a whirlwind. The mistake he made to himself was so severe that he even drank alcohol, which he rarely touched. However, in the end, it was not the drink that extinguished his anxiety, but Carlisle. His words seemed to say to her, "It's okay."

Elena gave an unfocused smile to Carlisle.

"You're so sweet .. that I don't like it."

For the first time, she assumes that she will be jealous if Carlisle's affection turns to another woman. To him, he only comforted Elena as a partner who walked the same path, but to him, he was worried that his personal feelings were growing.

'I thought I could stop my heart, but ….'

Elena smiled disappointingly as she looked at Carlisle's handsome face, which looked more blurry than usual.

'…. I'm not gonna let this guy stop me.'

These new temptations can make him forget his duty. But he has to admit it. He loved this moment with Carlisle.

"Sweet enough to dislike .. words so contradictory that I don't know if it's good or not."

Hearing her words, Elena raised the glass filled with wine without replying. He couldn't answer her, because he couldn't really know what her feelings were either. She hated the way she looked at him with kindness, but she also liked that he treated her warmly.

Suddenly

NAH!

Carlisle wiped the glass from Elena's hand, then tilted the entire contents to her mouth. Elena's jaw gaped.

"What are you doing?"

"You've been too much. From now on I will drink my share. "

"I'm still fine …"

"That's the word of a drunken man."

Elena bit her lip. The noble lady Elena from the last life did not enjoy alcohol, but when she lived as a female knight, she drowned herself in liquor after liquor. There were many nights she spent drunk because of the guilt she felt about being the sole survivor of her family.

"I said we should drink together, not see you drinking alone."

"That's what I mean."

"That's also — too unilaterally."

"It's too dangerous if you drink more here."

"What?"

Elena looked at him in astonishment, and when Carlisle smiled, there was a mysterious heat lurking behind him.

"You and I are the only ones in this room together. What do you think the danger is? ”

Elena pondered her words. No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one answer. In this closed environment, there is only one thing that is a risk factor.

Carlisle.

"Hm. What you want to say is ... Caril is dangerous? “

"true."

After her quick reply, Carlisle refilled his drink and swallowed it. Elena propped her chin in her hand as she watched her slender figure move.

"I don't know if you're dangerous. You said you were going to follow the contract. And I know you're a man who keeps his word. ”

Carlisle laughed cynically at everything he had to go through. He looked at Elena's sparkling eyes, and as he spoke his voice was deeper than ever.

“My wife doesn't know anything. Even though you mentioned the contract, it's not just about sharing a bed. ”

Elena looked at Carlisle doubtfully. It was safe, and there was no need for the two of them to make physical contact before he became emperor. However, Carlisle continued to speak as if he was laughing at Elena's idea.

“There are many things you can do even if we don't do them all. So, if you get too drunk and lose your inhibitions, my self-control may be compromised. I warned you before. ”

He could not understand what kind of skin he was talking about. What does it mean to kiss? However, the nuances he spoke of seemed even more lewd than that.

"What do you mean?"

Elena's pure curiosity instantly brought a dangerous smile to Carlisle's lips.

"If you're curious, do you want me to teach you?"