Chapter 24

Elizabeth was frantic.

‘Shouldn’t I greet His Majesty the Emperor first? How should I address the Empress? What happened to the royal court etiquette? Why did Leon kneel down to me?’

It was scary.

She felt like all the eyes focused on her grew wildly like monsters’ eyes. It started with ten, then twenty, forty, and soon, every pattern of the wallpaper turned into fierce eyes, staring at her.

With those eyes watching, Leonhardt knelt before her and asked for her consent to live with him.

Eventually, Elizabeth sank down to her knees and burst into tears.

The unpleasant, sticky, lumpy mass within her that had not disappeared even after taking medicine was melting away in her tears gradually.

Elizabeth sobbed and emptied out all the baffled feelings, unknown emotions, the urge to vomit, and even the tingling and throbbing of her heart.

She really could not figure out what all of that was, she only felt suffocated.

Why did he want her to choose? Why was he asking her this?

‘Mother, what should I do? This has never happened. I’ve always just known what I’m told to do. Is this also in one of the classes I need to take to be an empress? How should a good lady behave in a situation like this?’

‘I don’t know, I really don’t know, Leon. Help me, won’t help me?’

“Lizzy, Elizabeth. Calm down, let’s calm down, huh? Drink a glass of water first…okay? I’m here. It’s Leon.”

“Leon, Leon…wha-what should I do?…at times like this…ugh… urk, what should I do?”

“You can do whatever you want. Lizzy…What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. I…I am…I…uhhh…”

“Calm down…Calm down…Think carefully, no, let’s breathe first! Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in… good…”

A sickening sensation emanating from the depths of her stomach struck her palate, invading her mouth in seconds. And before Elizabeth could figure out what that feeling was, she threw up in Leon’s arms.

Desperately, she grabbed Leonhardt’s hem and clung to him.

She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled and exhaled.

After that, one by one, the freaky eyes that had been glued to the wallpaper began to disappear.

Her mind went blank. Nothing came to her mind.

She, as usual, would have been terrified at the unladylike behavior she had committed, or worried that her father would raise his staff at her, but now she didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger.

‘I want to rest.’

Embracing Elizabeth, who had completely lost her strength, Leonhardt politely bowed his head toward the adults in the room.

“Father, mother, and your grace, Duke of Elysium. I apologise for being disrespectful by coming here early in the morning without even contacting you. Lizzy is more baffled at my sudden insistence than I thought. I was too reckless and stubborn.”

“No…No, Your Highness. Rather, our Isolde… .”

“Lizzy has done nothing wrong!”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I have told you, you are in the presence of His Majesty.”

“… I’m sorry, mother. But she really did nothing wrong. If you want to rebuke, rebuke me.”

“Ye- yes. Isol… Lizzy was surprised…What isn’t the butler sending Lizzy back to the room right this instant?” exclaimed the Duchess.

As the butler was about to enter the drawing room belatedly, Leonhardt swept Elizabeth up in his arms.

Of course, the next moment he had to hand over Elizabeth to an adult who was a little more capable and dependable. However, Leonhardt stood still long after the butler’s footsteps were heard all the way up the stairs.

Was a child’s body always so small and light?

The day he went to buy her a pair of shoes, the craftsman said she was of an average build. But Elizabeth, who had just been held in his arms, was too small, light, it was like she would vanish into thin air the moment he blinked.

“Leonhardt, I have something to discuss with the grown-ups for a while, so would you like to go up to the young lady?”

“…Yes, mother.”

The Empress’ voice was lower than her usual one.

Leonhardt, who knew from experience what happened when his mother opened her mouth with that tone, quietly retreated from the drawing room.

***

The stairs of the Duke’s mansion were covered with soft carpets.

But since she wore high heels, it must have been painful for her, as if she was walking on blades.

‘Lizzy.’

Her room was full of white and blue furniture and decorations.

He began to feel a little more life compared to the bleak atmosphere of a hospital room when he first saw it.

However, if it had not been for his words, the pure white room before the change would have erased Elizabeth’s existence for good.

‘Isolde’

Leonhardt took one step at a time cautiously in case she would wake up.

She used to walk behind him every moment, watching his every movement, without even making a sound. Like a shadow.

‘My Empress.’

Leonhardt knelt down on the carpet carefully so as not to wake Elizabeth, who had barely fallen asleep, and tapped the tip of her finger.

Elizabeth only flinched, but she was still exhaling even breath.

Even if she puts a dandelion puff in front of her small nose, would she be able to scatter its spores into the air with such a breath? Her breath was so soft, almost weak, that it made him worried.

Holding her hand tightly like a holy treasure, Leonhardt begged and begged.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my Empress. I was wrong. Please choose me again. Please give me one more chance, so that I don’t do the same stupid thing again, so that you can be happy. Please grant me that qualification. I will give you back the long time you lost because of me. Even if I died tomorrow because of that, as long as I have the certainty that you will be happy, I would gladly walk towards hell on my own. So Elizabeth, please give me a chance to make atonement for you, to love you.’