The Return of the Female Knight

CHAPTER 35: Sightseeing Night 2

He looked at Carlisle with a shocked expression.

"Are you sure? If you never hide your identity and you don't want to … "

"If you want me to hide my face, then I can't refuse you."

Elena wondered if Carlisle had a hidden agenda, but she felt no intention to mislead him. And contrary to what he said earlier, he also seemed to have decided to disguise himself under the cloak. And somehow …

The two were close enough that they could feel each other's breath on a slight breath. He froze in place, unable to move. After hesitating for a moment, Elena decided to do what she wanted, at least to avoid her burning gaze. With faint trembling fingers, he grabbed the veil behind Carlisle's neck and pulled it over his head, hiding his handsome face and revealing only his sharp jaw. Carlisle was now disguised as he had originally planned, but he did not realize that it would be done by his hands.

"…Is that enough?"

Carlisle's intense blue-eye concealment allowed him to release his halted breath.

"I think so, Madam."

Elena felt a red hue creeping to the tip of her ear as she called out to him in that manner.

"Please don't say that."

"I thought I'd try to pretend to be a gladiatorial slave who fell in love with the Prince's daughter."

The part of Carlisle's face that looked flat in a sneaky smile. He seems to follow Elena's example when creating an atmosphere of love at first sight on a ball. Despite his mischievous tone, his blue eyes, were faintly visible under the cloak as he looked at him, solemn and calm. There was a strange look in his gaze towards Elena.

"If that scenario were a rule, I'd win every gladiatorial contest for you."

"… I thank you for your words."

Winning a gladiator contest was no easy task, but strangely, his words did not feel like a joke to him. Elena was confused. Carlisle is an enigmatic man. Every time Elena met him, her curiosity about him seemed to grow. He still did not know why his arm had turned into a monster arm. He still has some other questions as well.

"What if we go?"

Even when cloaked, Carlisle's dark figure was impressive.

"…Yes,"

He answered tightly, then headed again to the exit of the building. Neither side spoke much, and there were not many conversations left to share. It's just a short walk the night they walk silently. Elena never had such a strange night.

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"Who is this?"

As expected, the family knights were wary of Carlisle's large, robed appearance, and Elena blocked all questions they would have.

"I know him personally. We will travel together to the front of the inn. "

Without listening to the knights' response, Elena opened the carriage door and pointed Carlisle inside. Elena's respectful attitude made the knights reconsider speaking. They could see the stranger was male, but because his face was hidden, they could not identify which family he came from. The knights could not easily protest at the risk of disrespecting someone of high rank.

After hesitating for a moment, the knights immediately moved away from the carriage without a word. They could not break Elena's orders, and the train journey was only a short distance away. It is determined that he is not a threat to Elena's safety.

Blaise's wagon is designed to keep the conversation inside, as long as the window is not opened. However, Elena could not help but lower her voice as she spoke.

"Are you comfortable wearing it?"

"…Yes."

The train somehow feels cramped with Carlisle inside. Is it because of his long legs? The wheels of the carriage started to spin and crackle as the carriage moved forward, and Elena stared straight at the other passengers. Her face was clearly hidden behind a hood, but she could feel the man's gaze being fixed on her.

"… Why are you looking at me like that?"

"How do you know I saw you?"

"If you look at me that hard, I can say it doesn't matter if you're wearing a robe."

"really?"

Carlisle's mouth curved into a mocking smile behind the hood before continuing.

"You seem to care about me a lot."

"In my own way, yes, it's true."

"…Why?"

Elena had to end her curiosity. There were more than a thing or two about Carlisle's attitude that made him feel suspicious, and he knew there was something more between them than just a simple contract marriage. He wanted to know why he was like this.

"You didn't answer me last time, but I hope you'll do it now. Have we met in the past? ”

Carlisle's jaw seemed to harden because of his advanced questioning. However, there was no other way for Elena to know if she continued to avoid the topic, and Elena became really curious as time went on. He wondered if there was indeed a connection that he could not remember …

Carlisle spoke in a quieter voice than Elena.

“I will tell you because you are very curious. You don't seem to remember it, but we've met for a long time. ”

"Well…"

Somehow he felt hesitant with his answer, but at the same time it felt like an important clue.

"When did we meet?"

"Well .. I'll tell you next time I see you."

"When that?"

He seemed to be giving an honest answer, but was suddenly evasive at the last moment. Elena's expression turned impatient while Carlisle just smiled at her.

"Until then, I hope all you'll think about is me."

"I'm sorry…?"

"I hope you'll look forward to seeing me again."

Elena tried to suppress her frustration. This guy is a player. He did not believe he would not give a proper answer after all this …

Elena was about to say something else when the train stopped. There was a knock from outside, and when he opened the window, a knight called out to him respectfully.

"We're here, madam."

"Thank you…"

Elena closed the window again and turned towards Carlisle who was sitting in front of her. He knew the trip would be short, but they only exchanged a few words and arrived at the inn before he realized it.

“It's time to split up. You should tell me next time you'll see me. ”

"…of course."

After Carlisle replied, the two got out of the carriage. All the knights' sharp eyes were on Carlisle, but he did not blink too much. Elena lowered her head to Carlisle.

"I'll leave you now. Take care."

Recalling the eyes of the people around him, he only said a short farewell to her and turned around and headed for the inn. The Blaise Knights lined up perfectly after Elena woke up. Carlisle just stood there, looked at Elena's retreating figure, then muttered to himself.

"… Don't bow my head to me."

Carlisle tried his best to respect Elena's desire not to be seen together until the ball. He never refrained from doing what he wanted, but if it was for Elena's sake, it wasn't a bad tradeoff.

Only after Elena disappeared completely from Carlisle's sight did she turn around, her footsteps resounding loudly in the deserted streets in the middle of the night. He turned into a dark alley with only the moon as a companion, when suddenly some shadows appeared on the seemingly empty path and approached the crown prince.

They were Carlisle's own bodyguards.

"The Empress notices your absence. Where are you headed now? ”

"I have to go back to the capital."

Only then did Carlisle take off the black robe he was wearing. The cloudy moonlight revealed his icy blue eyes and a profile that looked like someone with great skill had carved them out. Carlisle turned around and muttered in the direction where Elena disappeared from.

"… I've missed you."