Duke, Is This Your First Time?

Chapter 42

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***

What unfolded before Elysia was a picturesque scenery.

Surrounded by magnificently carved cliffs, the small, magical-colored lake as if mixed with melted emerald.

Cool rocks, red and colorful flowers blooming around the lake, and a huge Lapran Tree with its branches extended through the water surface.

Even if it was where the spirit lived, it was only natural as a human being to be fascinated by the magical and beautiful lake. It was also natural for Elysia to look at the lake in awe, and came back to her senses only when Iker’s voice came into her ears.

“Do you like it?”

Perhaps because of the atmosphere around her, Elysia was flustered because his voice sounded so mellifluous. So, she replied one beat later.

“…I like it, but where is this? I don’t think this is in the Imperial Palace.”

She had never heard of a lake in the Imperial Palace. She didn’t know if it’s a pond, but more than anything else, there couldn’t be such a high cliff.

Her prediction was not wrong.

“It’s Lake Lucher, right behind the Imperial Palace. It’s connected to Parvati Palace.”

Elysia nodded at Iker’s response.

“As I thought, this is outside the Imperial Palace.”

“It’s outside the Imperial Palace, but it’s also an impossible place to access from the outside because it was blocked based on the lay of the land. Since security is guaranteed, the access of this place is prohibited for anyone except for the Third Prince, His Majesty the King and the Empress enjoy visiting this place as well.”

“Pardon? Can I come here?”

When Elysia was confused when he said the access of this place was prohibited for the public, Iker gently drew curves on his mouth to reassure her.

“I’ve already got permission for us, so you need not worry about it. More than that, His Highness wants me to show you this place.”

“Why did you show me this place…….”

“He asked me to tell you about it. If you’re going to be his shooting mentor, you can always take a walk around here at any time.”

Elysia had a dumbfounded look on her face.

What kind of nonsense is that?

“The garden is just enough for me to walk around. Besides, it’s not like me to take walks regularly.”

As if cutting radish with the knife at once, Elysia cut off the suggestion of the Third Prince in an instant.

Although it was a little disappointing as the lake was so beautiful, she wasn’t stupid enough to be swept away by the storm just to be able to go for a walk.

In response to her willingness to never accept it, Iker raised the corner of his mouth slightly as if he was certain that she would.

“His Highness must be disappointed to hear that. He seemed to have worked hard to prepare this, even going as far as to seek His Majesty’s permission.”

“If you experience even smaller discouragements, you’re going to be more successful. His Highness the Third Prince will succeed greatly.”

“I don’t think the Marquis’ refusal is a small discouragement.”

“It’s a small discouragement. It’s just a speck of discouragement.”

Elysia quickly changed her words as she nodded as if agreeing to her own remark, she thought to end this topic quickly when Iker didn’t say anything.

“Can I ask you a question? But it’s a personal one.”

“What is it?”

“So it’s about this.”

How come she couldn’t say anything when it’s finally the right time to ask?

Only after Elysia licked her lips several times that she was able to put up the question she was trying to ask.

“Have you ever met my mother in the past?”

Even after asking that, her heart was pounding, so she internally took a deep breath.

Fortunately, he was quick to answer.

“Of course. I’ve seen her in the Assembly since she took over the position. I’ve seen her at parties once in a while, and your mother was as wonderful individual as she was supposed to be.”

Elysia was surprised. She realized that her question was too general.

He was the head of the Imperial Fraction and her mother was the head of the Aristocracy Faction, so it was natural for them to meet each other at the Assembly or at various events.

So she quickly changed her question.

“No, not that kind of encounter. Have you ever met my mother in private before she got into an accident?”

Elysia’s question Iker’s expression darkened. It felt unexpected and it went well.

“What is that expression?”

While she tilted her head, she got an answer.

“We’ve met before. As you said, it wasn’t long before the accident occured.”

Confirming that what she heard from Lulien was true, Elysia felt her heart pounding again and took an internal breath.

She might be able to find out what her mother was trying to do while she was alive.

Perhaps, that’s the reason why her voice trembled slightly when she asked again.

“What did you talk about with my mother?”

“What we talked about back then…… I’m not sure.”

“Pardon?”

‘I’m not sure’? What does he mean by that? She’d like to hear about what he talked about with her mother.

Elysia was getting impatient. She wanted to grab him by the collar and urged him to quickly spit it out.

However, the content of her mind seemed to have accidentally shown on her face.

“Control your urge to grab my collar, Elly. I just can’t tell you that because the right time has yet to come.”

Elysia flinched when her mind was discovered by Iker who said with a faint smile on his face.

Feeling awkward for no reason, she asked curtly.

“What do you mean by saying it’s not the right time yet?”

“I mean it as it is. You and the Camellia March need more preparation.”

Elysia thought over Iker’s words.

She didn’t quite understand his words, but she was certain of one thing.

When Iker said so, it was useless to find out what her mother was trying to do.

Suddenly, she came up with a sharp defiance.

“But it’s related to my mother, I’m supposed to know. That way, we can prepare and do whatever she wished.”
 

Elysia replied daringly, and Iker looked at her quietly, he seemed to know about it.

“If you still want to know, you have to be the shooting mentor first. I will let you know in three months.”

Why does he suddenly come up with a condition?

It was when she pouted in disapproval, trying to come up with another argument again.

His heavy yet soft voice and intense golden eyes filled with sincerity made her quiet.

“I’m not stupid enough to just watch someone I have feelings for get hurt. So, I hope you will accept the Third Prince’s request. That way, I can reach out to you.”

***

Har, who was leaning against the tree trunk with his long leg rested on the strong branch, sensed Elysia and opened his eyes.

His gaze immediately shifted to the sun floating in the sky. From the view of the distance she walked on, it seemed more than two hours had passed since she entered the Emperor’s Palace.

‘She said one hour would be enough, but you seem to be caught up with someone else.’

Har, who looked at Elysia thinking it wasn’t unusual, realized there was something strange.

The time she took has been doubled, but the direction she was coming in was completely different from the direction she had entered.

A look of astonishment filled her eyes.

‘Why is that woman who went in to see the emperor come out from there?’

Slowly hoisting up his body, he stepped on the branch that he had just been sitting on for a while and leapt away from it himself.

Even though his height was at least three meters, his jumping movement was very fast and light. Har stood there and watched Elysia’s expression who approached him after he landed quietly on the ground.

Elysia’s expression reflected in his eyes was just that.

The kind of blank look when her money was taken away, when she came back after being swindled and robbed, or when he was hit in the nape.

‘She looked so lost.’

Har, who was frowning while wondering what happened to her, grabbed her arm when she almost walked past him without seeing him.

“Elly.”

“……Har?”

Elysia blinked her eyes as she turned her head in surprise. She came to her senses shortly after and looked around with a startled expression.

“Huh? When did I arrive here?”

“You’re doing well. You seemed so distracted, more than that, where were you? Didn’t you go to meet His Majesty?”

“That’s true, but then I went to see the Third Prince and met His Excellency the Duke…….”

“His Excellency the Duke? Are you talking about Duke Deimos?”

“Yes.”

Looking at Elysia who nodded perplexedly, Har felt a strange sense of deja vu.

‘At that time, she was so lost after talking to Duke Deimos at the pub.’

She was too lost in thought, and even though he was right in front of her, she nearly walked past the appointed place as before.

It was the same case as then, he had to speak so that she came to her senses.

‘She would be in trouble if she kept doing this.’

Judging from the series of circumstances he saw so far, even Har, who was dense to a certain extent, would know that Duke Deimos had feelings for Elly.

She thought Duke Deimos was better than an ambiguous partner.

But still, what if he sent this woman out like this every time?

Har clicked his tongue and gestured with his eyes at the carriage.

“Get in there first. I think you need to rest now.”

“Right. I think I need to rest now.”

Elysia followed his words and headed to the carriage like a cuckoo with even worse appearance than before.

He was curious about what happened, but he put her in the carriage because the priority was to get her back to her senses first.

Even after the carriage departed, Elysia stared out the window for a while and remained silent since then.

Even so, she seemed to return to her senses by the composed look on her eyes.

Har waited quietly. One of the things he has a knack for was waiting, so it wasn’t that hard.

Until only-God-knew how much time had passed, Elysia finally opened her mouth.

****

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