RGBR 06

Chapter 6

Once Elenor confirmed who the other person was, she immediately looked away. The hand clutching her dress began to tremble.

I can’t believe I ran into him like this…….

Just like Elenor, Joshua wasn’t someone who enjoyed attending social gatherings.

He was extremely sensitive to people whispering about him.

Elenor couldn’t believe she had encountered Joshua here.

She had vowed that if she ever met him again, she would take revenge.

She had even sworn that she would kill him with her own hands.

But seeing that face again so suddenly made her hands tremble with rage.

Looking at that innocent face that knew nothing, she felt like rushing over and punching him right then and there.

But if she caused a scene here, she would be the only one who looked insane.

After taking a deep breath, Elenor somehow managed to suppress her anger.

Before she knew it, the trembling in her hands had stopped as well.

Joshua was still looking in her direction.

She was sitting in a secluded corner, and from the brightly lit area, it should have been difficult to see this darker part of the hall.

Yet Elenor instinctively knew that Joshua was looking at her.

Unable to endure it any longer, Elenor stood up.

Then she slowly walked away from the hall.

She could feel the laughter of the people around her fading behind her.

She could also feel the gazes of the people around her, staring at her as though she were strange.

Her mind kept telling her that she shouldn’t run away.

But she couldn’t stop walking.

She felt that clawing that innocent-looking face and throwing stones at him would only barely relieve her anger.

Since she couldn’t do that right now, she had no choice but to leave.

Elenor ran without looking back.

Just seeing Joshua Herace’s face made her insides twist so badly that she felt like she was going to vomit.

“What? Do you know that young lady?”

Someone lightly tapped Joshua on the shoulder.

The woman had hurriedly grabbed her dress and rushed outside so quickly that her waist-length blonde hair had been flying behind her.

Joshua had been staring at her retreating figure with an expressionless face.

He turned around and casually brushed the hand off his shoulder.

Joshua answered indifferently.

“Yeah.”

“You know her? Who is she?”

Joshua coldly pushed away Lucan’s face, which had come close to him out of curiosity, and gave him a look that seemed to ask if he really didn’t know.

Lucan blinked.

Then he rolled his eyes as he thought.

“Is she a lady I know? Who is she?”

“My fiancée.”

“Oh. Your fiancée? She’s your…… What?”

Lucan’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

“Your fiancée? That young lady?”

“Yeah.”

“T-The Grand Duchess of Frihosen’s…… daughter?”

“Yeah.”

“What?! I didn’t even get a proper look at her! I need to take another good look!”

Lucan hurriedly tried to follow Elenor’s retreating figure, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Lucan stamped his feet in disappointment, while Joshua looked at him as though he were pathetic.

Turning his gaze away from Lucan, Joshua fell into thought.

There had been something strange about Elenor when she looked at him earlier.

And that wasn’t all.

Why would a woman who hardly ever even leaves her estate suddenly decide to attend this banquet?

But there was no reason for him to know something like that.

While he was lost in thought over his slight curiosity, Lucan let out a deep sigh of disappointment beside him.

“Doesn’t the Grand Duchess of Frihosen’s daughter hardly ever go out?”

“She doesn’t.”

“Then why did she come to a social gathering today? Could it be…… because of you? Did she know you were attending?”

Even as he listened to Lucan’s excited voice, Joshua’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.

“How would she have known I was coming? It must be a coincidence.”

“Hmmm. Is that so? Well, I suppose. She doesn’t even have any friends, so how would she have heard about it?”

Joshua stopped thinking about Elenor and turned his gaze back toward the hall.

People had formed groups with those they were comfortable with, chatting and laughing together.

With cold eyes, he looked toward the group centered around the Grand Duke of Raiwens.

Joshua stared intently at Helena, who was smiling brightly alongside Sebastian at the center of the group.

Then he turned around and walked away.

[I’m truly sorry, Elenor. I want to place the woman I love on the throne of Empress.]

When Elenor heard those words, she could only nod after seeing the sincerity on Joshua’s face.

Before they were husband and wife, the two of them had been excellent partners.

Elenor didn’t think she would lose anything by granting him one more wish.

Besides, Joshua, who had only just become Emperor, was keeping a close eye on Elenor’s father, the Grand Duke of Frihosen.

During the previous Emperor’s reign, the maternal relatives of the former Empress had wielded enormous influence.

For that reason, Elenor willingly agreed to Helena of House Demera, another family that had contributed to Joshua’s rise to the throne, becoming Empress.

It seemed like proof that the Grand Ducal House of Frihosen had no desire to grasp power.

Moreover, the maternal grandmother of the Duke of Demera had been a former Imperial Princess, so there was no need to worry about the Empress’s maternal relatives.

From Joshua’s perspective, he believed that if there was at least someone with Imperial blood, they would be more inclined to consider the interests of the Imperial Family.

And so, Elenor became the Imperial Consort.

[You really are a horrible woman.]

[……]

[I clearly told you not to go to Helena, so why do you keep going to her?]

[I only went to speak with Helena.]

Joshua’s attitude toward her had changed in an instant.

Even so, Elenor calmly met his piercing gaze and answered quietly.

She had literally only visited Helena because she wanted to speak with her.

In this suffocating palace, Helena was the only person who would actually talk to Elenor and understand her.

Elenor had never once hated Helena for taking her place.

Her marriage to Joshua had merely been arranged at her father’s request, through an agreement between their families.

The feelings Elenor had for him were closer to friendship than love.

Besides, Elenor had known Joshua since childhood and had even wanted to support the person he loved.

But whenever Elenor went to see Helena, Joshua always reacted sharply.

As though Elenor had committed some terrible crime.

As though she might hurt Helena.

More than once, Elenor had been left speechless by his accusations that everything was her fault.

[Not Helena. The Empress. The Empress of the Lesgerham Empire. Do you dare call her by her name? You and she are of completely different social status.]

[Do you still not understand what I’m saying? Haa…… This must be why people say one’s birth matters.]

[This is your final warning. Even if Helena calls for you, make an excuse and don’t go. I’m telling you to stay quietly shut up in your palace. Do you understand?]

Remembering Joshua’s younger-looking face from that time, Elenor hurried forward without thinking.

She covered her mouth with one hand, unable to shake the nausea.

Back then, foolish me thought there must have been some reason behind your words, so I faithfully did as you told me.

I stopped being close to Helena because of you!

She ran straight ahead without even noticing that one of her shoes had come off.

She must have stepped on something sharp with her bare foot because pain shot through her, but she couldn’t stop.

And what did I get in return?

If she faced him again in this state, she felt as though she might punch that smug face of his.

And even that might not be enough to calm her down.

She might actually kill him.

How could she possibly return to the past only to end up in prison for murder?

“Haah…… haah…….”

Only when her breath had reached her throat and she could no longer run did Elenor finally stop.

She bent over and panted heavily.

Only then did she regain enough awareness to look around.

The first thing that struck her was the fragrant scent in the air.

Rows of flowers of every kind swayed gently in the breeze, creating a beautiful sight.

This seemed to be the garden of the Grand Duke of Raiwens’s estate.

The flower-filled garden gave her the illusion that she had somehow wandered into paradise.

When did I come all the way here?

“Ah…….”

Elenor stood there blankly staring at the flowers before suddenly letting out a groan.

She looked down at her foot at the sharp sting of pain.

Her bare foot, no longer wearing a shoe, had been wounded and was bleeding.

Elenor looked back toward the path she had just run along.

How did I manage to run without even realizing I’d lost my shoe? Honestly……

With no other choice, she limped over to a nearby bench and sat down.

She lowered her head to examine the wound more closely.

A small piece of a broken bottle was lodged between her big toe and second toe.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to have gone very deep.

She didn’t think she needed tweezers, so she gently pulled it out with her fingers.

But the wound was larger than she’d expected, and quite a lot of blood began to flow.

Elenor frowned and muttered,

“I’m bleeding.”

“You certainly are. I can see the blood myself.”

“……!”

She had been blowing gently on the wound to lessen the stinging pain when the voice came from behind her.

Startled, her body tilted sideways.

She barely managed to steady herself before falling from the bench, then immediately covered her injured foot with the hem of her dress.

Because she had finally realized who the voice belonged to.

Her expression quickly became cold.

Joshua Herace.

Elenor composed herself.

Then she turned her head with an expressionless face.

Joshua was standing not far from her.

Their gazes collided in midair.

Yet neither of them looked away first.

Joshua glanced briefly at the tips of Elenor’s feet before calmly speaking.

“You suddenly ran out, so I was worried and came to check on you. Are you all right? No……”

Joshua hesitated.

Then, remembering the hidden injury on Elenor’s foot, he continued.

“I shouldn’t have said that. You’re bleeding like this. Shouldn’t you show the wound to a physician?”

Elenor’s expression turned icy.

How dare you speak to me?

But she didn’t allow her true feelings to show.

“I simply felt suffocated staying inside the hall, so I came out. So don’t worry about me and go back inside. And this little injury is nothing, so please don’t concern yourself with it, Young Master.”

“……”

At her firm tone, which drew a clear line between them, Joshua flinched as he had been about to kneel down and examine her injury.

It was true that they had been engaged since the age of ten.

But neither of them had ever seen the other as a member of the opposite sex.

They both knew that.

Joshua had thought that if Elenor didn’t expect the kind of feelings he could not give her, then marrying her wouldn’t be particularly bad.

That was why he had even allowed Elenor to call him by his nickname when the two of them were alone.

But this level of coldness……?