Chapter 203

Chapter 203

School reinstatement was not authorized, but they could not stop the management of the orphanage. Therefore, Elizaveta reluctantly had to approve Ivan’s outing.

“Don’t you think this is unreasonable?”

“Your Majesty, the interior minister’s approval documents have been submitted.”

“Stop, stop bringing them! Enough!!”

The main reason was the tasks that had been postponed for a long time. Essentially, Elizaveta was not idle. An authoritarian power meant monopolistic authority over state affairs, which made her absence lead to paralysis in national administration.

Thus, during the three weeks she devoted to Ivan’s care, all work in the Prichenkaya central administration had effectively come to a halt. Now she was paying the price for it.

“Ugh... Vanka... I miss you...”

“It has not even been an hour since Sir Yeremov went on his outing, Your Majesty.”

“Weren’t you married? Why can’t you understand my feelings?”

“Since the two legs were cut off, I’m eating at home now. Honestly, working is easier for me.”

Elizaveta ignored Dmitri’s words and sighed again.

Has it only been an hour? He said he would return by night, so does that mean she has to spend at least ten or more hours like this?

If she keeps him by her side, it becomes even more of a problem because she cannot concentrate on her work. She was someone with exceptional self-control, but even a dam can break.

That remarkable self-control, which she had maintained for over a decade, had left no trace in just a few days.

When Ivan was out of her sight, she worried about what he was doing, where he was eating, whether he would return half-dead.

When Ivan was in view, at that moment, she wanted to do “even more enjoyable” things, rendering her work unmanageable. Honestly, could this not be a more significant matter than running the country?

“How much time has passed?”

“Three minutes have passed, Your Majesty. Honestly, this is quite serious.”

“Do you think so too?”

Elizaveta gloomily pushed the report aside.

And the moment she absorbed the text, the Iron-Fisted Monarch began to overlook the state affairs again. She closed her mouth and started to turn the pages, resuming her work.

EP 33. Inter-war Period.

“Ha, right, that’s how it is!!”

Isabel bit her teeth and, now familiar with the routine, walked briskly down the hall.

The voices of her peers greeting her from everywhere did not reach her ears. The Isabel who always cheerfully greeted everyone was no longer there. That person died a fortnight ago.

Now she had been reborn as Dark Isabel. Just like Anakin Skywalker and Skullgreymon demonstrate, dark evolution guarantees unconditional performance enhancement.

“Did you go first with this? Ha!!”

Even in the classroom.

“If you come out like this, I’m done for too!!”

Even while having lunch.

“Honestly, what am I lacking? Tough, pretty, talented, fun. There’s nothing I’m lacking!”

On her way home, her anger gradually intensified. She couldn’t even grasp how the day had passed. She just woke up and got angry, and before she knew it, it was evening.

Isabelle prepared dinner alone once again. As she set the table with the now tiresomely repetitive specialty dish from the magical beast’s territory, she slashed the cutting board with her chef’s knife.

“Honestly? Aren’t you a bit lacking in principle? Lacking in integrity? Huh? Don’t you think so?”

“I... um, yeah. I agree.”

“Then what should we do!”

“Calm Isabelle down?”

“No! You’re not from Tylesse, are you?!”

Oscar, who was dragged into the dinner, could only nod quietly in front of Isabelle’s anger.

“Right?”

“What are Tylesse people best known for?”

“Justice?”

“...?”

What kind of place did Oscar think Tylesse was?

Isabelle quickly dismissed her moment of reflection. A Jedi falling into the dark side and a Space Marine losing themselves in their imaterium never truly reflect.

“Adultery!”

“...?”

What kind of place did Isabelle think Tylesse was?

The answer is ‘normal Tylesse.’ Strictly speaking, ‘adultery’ is nearly an archaic term in Tylesse. Romantic behavior with spouses of the opposite (or same) sex is generally referred to as ‘forbidden love.’

Oscar stared blankly at Isabelle, who was dismantling kimchi with madness. The bright red seasoning stained her apron, making it seem as if she was dismantling a magical beast along with her expression.

“Do you or I even know how much it costs to eat at the Tylesse court?”

“I... I’ve never been to the salon...”

Both outsiders of Tylesse—Oscar (the son of the Patriotic Duke, who was never invited to the salon) and Isabelle (the daughter of the hero, who couldn’t be invited due to her commoner status)—looked a bit glum.

“Do you remember when we were 12 years old? The royal tournament.”

“I remember.”

“Do you remember all the participants swearing to their ladies and receiving handkerchiefs?”

“Is that so?”

In the traditional tournament culture of Tylesse, it was a commonplace event. It was quite common for knights to speak the names and honors of the ladies they served, and for the ladies to present flowers and handkerchiefs to those knights to wish them luck.

“Eugene!! Are you crazy?!”

“...Should I send the duel invitation to the palace?”

“Hey, that’s not it. Do you think that if you defeat His Majesty, all of a sudden, my brother who has shown no interest so far would suddenly hit the FA market? Think carefully. There’s a better way than that.”

Although there were some words that were difficult to understand, Ecdysis began to get drawn into his words.

According to ancient texts from Earth, priests who have lost their divine power can transition to dark priests. At this point, since all priests have lost their divine power, it’s as if every priest in this world has the opportunity for transcendental evolution into dark priests.

Originally, as a clergyman becomes more corrupt, their eloquence becomes more cunning. In that sense, Eugene began to whisper into Ecdysis’s ear with a devilish tongue.

“We must seize it.”

“...!!”

“By any means necessary, do your best. To prove it with all your might... isn’t that real love?”

“That makes sense...!”

The old law of Drovian strictly prohibits infidelity by a spouse. This means that once you become a spouse, infidelity can be prevented.

No matter the process, as long as you can get married, it means possession can be secured. Here, the will of the possession target is not very important.

Ecdysis lowered her head. Her soft hair fell, draping over her face like a curtain. From beneath it, a chilling voice echoed.

“The outcome will justify the means...”

It is not contradictory to decide on a plunder marriage while ignoring social norms and international laws, yet to follow Drovian laws after marriage. This is because Drovian law falls under the realm of morality, not humanity. For the same reason that morality is not legislated, the eldest daughter of the moral state Drovian raised her hammer.

*

At that moment, Elpheira, tears brimming in her eyes, shook her luxurious blonde hair and stammered.

“It—it’s too big to fit...!”

“It can be done.”

“I—I don’t want to...”

“It’s something your father asked for.”

“Lies!! My father wouldn’t do that— ugh...!!”

“Brace yourself.”

Elpheira sniffled and struggled to move her chin. A terrible taste spread in her mouth like sand among the thick, rough texture.

Chewing on a nutrition bar, Elpheira glanced up at Ivan with a face that looked like she would throw up.

“I expected it, but how many days have you gone without food?”

“Ugh... ugh... ugh.... ten days...”

“You’ve only supplemented calories with magic, Elpheira. A human body cannot maintain performance solely with calories. If essential nutrients are lacking, all kinds of deficiency symptoms will follow.”

Symptoms such as scurvy and night blindness could occur due to a lack of vitamins. A lack of sodium and iron could lead to anemia and dizziness.

Fortunately, elves are close to tree kin, so their caloric expenditure during non-combat times is not very high, but maintaining physical performance at all times is a crucial matter.

Elpheira, after struggling to pass the nutrition bar, shouted at Ivan.

“Y-You can’t expect me to eat this for the rest of my life!”

“The duration of the curse won’t be that long. Not for a lifetime.”

“Do you think I would eat this if you weren’t around, Ivan?”

“You have to eat it. To survive.”

“W-What if you made it for me each time then?”

At Elpheira’s words, Ivan let out a sigh. Considering Veolgrin’s request, refusing wasn’t an option.

As he observed her expression, Elpheira soon smiled slyly but immediately turned back to a sulky expression when their eyes met.

She quickly took a sip of water to rinse her mouth and opened her lips.

“F-Feed me again.”

“You eat it.”

“I’m going to throw it away. It seems like cheap dog chew, not worthy for our Lord Montblanc.... Come on, hurry up. Ah—.”

“Veolgrin raised his daughter too spoiled.”

“Well, what can you do about it? Why don’t you go complain to my dad?”

Elves are a long-lived race, and they generally have a faint sorrow regarding the death and departure of loved ones. However, considering that, isn’t this reaction too unnatural?

It had only been a month since Veolgrin’s death.

Yet Ivan sighed as he looked into Elpheira’s eyes.

“Alright.”

The face, dry from not eating anything but water for over ten days due to the curse of the god of gluttony, reflected a mix of anxiety, sorrow, and impatience.

Although she was pretending to be strong, how could he not know? Those eyes were the same expressions he had seen many times at the orphanage.

It was the expression of children without a place to lean on. A mask of cheerfulness covering the remnants of unnoticed suffering.

She wasn’t just a displaced person who had lost her parents; she lost her support base and her nation as well. Considering the situation in Kalion, she was no different from a noble of a fallen kingdom, now reliant on a foreign land without any backing.

“Hehe.”

Elpheira took another bite of Ivan’s nutrition bar and grinned.

An orphan doesn’t refuse anything. Especially a war orphan. Ivan was preparing a room in the orphanage for Elpheira.

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