Chapter 7

The person who had been causing Elise headaches over the past few days was none other than Chase.

She had expected him to agree immediately when she spoke of parting, but contrary to her expectations, Chase clung pathetically.

After returning to the palace, he continually sent gifts and letters.

At first, the gifts came once a day, but on the second day, they arrived twice, morning and afternoon. By the third day, they started coming continuously.

'Is he trying to win me over with quantity?'

Elise didn't even bother to look at them, but she could guess their contents.

'He must really miss me.'

A significant portion of what Chase had was thanks to Elise.

'Even if he doesn't love me, he must see me as a subject too valuable to lose. But I didn't expect him to cling this much.'

Despite Elise ignoring his letters and returning his gifts, Chase's courtship continued.

Therefore, Elise pondered how to break up with Chase while reading the gossip magazines.

'A trivial reason won't make him let go.'

Elise knew Chase's stubbornness well. He rarely changed his mind once he had made it up.

'He has nothing of his own, and yet, how much I suffered because of his stubbornness.'

Elise sighed, recalling the past.

To overturn the situation, she had to disappoint Chase enough to let her go completely, so he couldn't hold on to her out of pride.

'Doing so will make it difficult for me to stay in this country.'

Chase would threaten her. And what about Baron Warton?

Even trying to please the royal family would be insufficient; they might even try to kill her for being a nuisance.

She might be confined before she could even start her revenge.

But there was a way to survive.

Nullify the engagement with Chase and find a way to protect herself. And also, to repay a favor.

Elise's eyes burned with determination.

"Miss, congratulations. You're now 20 years old."

"Ah…"

In the midst of her preoccupations, the New Year had arrived.

"What's so special about the first day of the year?"

"Still, it's important. This year is special, miss. You've become an adult."

While close-knit families might celebrate the first day of the New Year or a child becoming an adult, the Warton family was not one of those.

'No, it's just that I'm excluded from that close-knit family.'

Elise would have felt slighted in the past, but now she wasn't bothered at all. She smiled faintly and said,

"Regina, I'm going to bed early tonight."

Regina, who was tidying up Elise's room, turned to her.

"Are you sleepy already? You napped until late in the afternoon."

"Yes, I feel strangely tired."

"Are you unwell? Should I call a doctor?"

"No, Regina."

It was just an excuse, and it was too late for her regular physician to visit upon her request.

In the Warton household, Regina was the only one who listened to her and followed her instructions.

"If I still feel tired tomorrow morning, I'll see a doctor then. And let me sleep in tomorrow. Don't wake me up until I call for you."

Elise gently reassured the worried Regina.

"Promise me."

After making a promise, Regina carefully prepared Elise's bed.

She lit incense to improve sleep quality and warmed the bed with hot stones.

Her preparations were incredibly thoughtful.

Regina put extra effort into preparing the bed, worried about the recent changes in Elise.

Elise had always been bright, energetic, and positive, but lately, she seemed shrouded in a faint mist.

And now, she wanted to break up with Chase, whom she once adored, and kept to herself more.

Hiding her worry, Regina left the room.

A few hours later, as the moon rose, Elise's room door quietly opened.

Elise, determined to free herself from Chase, secretly left the baron's mansion to meet someone who could help her.

Inside the noisy pub, a man turned his head and fiddled with his drink.

His large build and slightly sunburnt skin made him stand out from the people of Bedroca.

Difference often becomes a target for aggression.

"What's this savage doing here, crawling into our place? Get lost, brat!"

"Don't you know the taste of alcohol? Shouldn't you be drinking monster blood instead?"

The mockery escalated as the man didn't react to the provocation.

The man lifted his head. The chill in his deep eyes made the provocateurs flinch.

"What, you raising your eyes at us? Filthy thing!"

Fear is supposed to protect one's body, but the instigator ignored his instincts and raised his hand.

Alcohol does breed false courage.

The corners of the man's mouth twisted in an easy smile, aggravating the provocateurs further.

"Watch it, brat!"

The drunk man swung his hand.

One should take a hit sometimes.

The man, called a savage, thought so. But he missed the chance to be hit.

Thunk.

Someone intervened, grabbing the drunk man's wrist.

"What are you doing? Discrimination against people from Titris is prohibited by continental law."

The dignified voice that followed was clear and authoritative.

"Where did this meddling woman come from?"

The drunk man, incredulous at being restrained by a mere woman, grew angry.

Despite the harsh insult, the woman remained composed.

"I am…"

She removed her hood, letting her golden hair cascade down, revealing her pale face belatedly.

A few people flinched at seeing her face. The so-called savage man, Karan, did the same.

She slowly looked around, as if to show her face, and then introduced herself.

"I am Elise Warton."

Elise released the man's wrist and looked down at the man who had been ignored until now.

'Just as I thought, you're here, Karan.'

The savage man, Karan, looked at her quizzically.

Karan Lisandro of Titris.

The prince of Titris who came to find the dying Elise.

He was the one who could save her from her current situation.

She deduced his presence here by recalling past memories.

Elise's 20th year, Bedroca hosts a spring celebration party, inviting the Titris royal family.

Titris sent Prince Karan to attend.

It was unusual for Bedroca to invite Titris and for Titris to accept the invitation.

And a month before the party, Karan, who had arrived, famously beat up several Bedrocans in a pub.

It was a violent incident by a foreign prince, causing a stir in the capital at the time.

Elise remembered it clearly because Chase, who was in charge of Karan's protocol during his stay, was greatly troubled.

Elise looked disdainfully at the drunkards.

'You should be thankful to me.'

Blocking Karan's way, Elise's eyebrows rose, and his gaze fixed on her.

"Warton? The Warton baronetcy?"

The drunks belatedly grasped the situation and panicked.

Even a lowly laborer frequenting such a shabby pub knew of the Warton household.

The head of the Warton family, Baron Warton, was notorious for his foul temper.

Baron Warton, who ran several small businesses, often interacted with commoners and laborers.

He treated them like pebbles on the road – rolling them around and discarding them when broken.

Moreover, he was infamous for his mercilessness when 'the lower ones' made mistakes.

People avoided him – not out of fear, but because they found him repulsive.

"Yes. Baron Warton. That's my father's title."

"Wa, wa, Warton baronetcy!"

The faces around her turned pale.

"Oh dear, we apologize. But what brings you here…?"

Their attitude changed completely from when they were provoking earlier. Now, they were as meek as flies, nervously rubbing their hands, which Elise observed indifferently.

Her nonchalance intimidated the men.

"Sorry, miss."

"Apologies should be directed at him, not me."

Elise slightly turned her head to point at Karan.

He observed the situation without any apparent discomfort, not stepping forward or back.

"What? Apologize to him, to that guy?"

Elise nodded once.

The men's faces twisted. Even those living day-to-day had their pride.

Bowing to a savage who was rumored to eat people out of hunger was unthinkable.

"Aren't you going to do it?"

Elise asked. The men just glanced around nervously.

With a light chuckle, Elise suddenly laughed.

"I thought so. Then I must apologize."

Elise turned around.

She bowed her head very politely towards the seated man, Karan.

Ripples of surprise spread across Karan's eyes.

"Please forgive the rudeness committed by a Bedrocan."

The bustling pub fell silent as if doused with cold water.

It was shocking enough that a woman from the Warton family appeared, but for her to bow to a savage man was unprecedented, enough to turn the social circles and the council upside down.

Several people rubbed their eyes, wondering if they had seen correctly.

Karan, seemingly disbelieving the situation, furrowed his brow and after pondering, spoke.

"It's not your fault, miss. But I cannot let your gracious apology be in vain, so I will accept it."

His look towards the street toughs was different, more gentle, as he respectfully bowed his head.

'Does he recognize me?'

Elise hesitated, his tone was too familiar, almost nostalgic, as if meeting an old friend.

'Impossible. I first met Karan at the upcoming party. Maybe he heard about the Warton family.'

That seemed unlikely too. Why would Karan know about the Warton family?

His polite behavior was uncharacteristic of a person from Titris.

The longstanding animosity between them had created an unspoken rule: Titris nobles do not bow to Bedrocans.

"Is this seat taken? May I sit?"

Those hovering around quickly moved away. As the surroundings quieted, Elise rested her hand on the back of an empty chair.

"This isn't a place suitable for you to stay, miss. If you've lost your way, I can escort you to your destination."

"No, I meant to come here."

Elise gently covered Karan's hand as he was about to take off his coat.

Karan pulled his hand away in surprise, and his reaction startled Elise.

'Doesn't he like touching me? Well, he never did like me in the past.'

Did she make a bad first impression? Her confidence plummeted.

'I can't back down now. Even if he doesn't like me, we can still make a deal.'

Karan watched Elise with an awkward posture as she gathered her thoughts.

He didn't resemble the savage of Titris, the Wolf of Titris, as he was known.

Rather, he looked like a bashful, big puppy.

As Elise recalled her plan, she suddenly felt like a bad person, luring an innocent man down a wrong path.

"How about a drink together?"

Elise mustered her courage. Karan's long, slit eyes narrowed.

His gaze wasn't exactly friendly. Elise tensed up.

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This novel has been translated up to chapter 30.

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