Chapter 31
“I’m here for tea.”
Eleon seemed very happy.
Elysia could feel it even if it didn’t seem to be noticeable.
When Eleon felt good, he used to raise the corner of his mouth, but the right side was slightly higher than the left.
After working for him for half a year, she could tell his mood and discomfort. It seemed like something good was going on.
“This is not a tea shop.”
Her mood was the opposite of his, since the night before she couldn’t sleep well because she was crying all night.
Elysia did not want to see Eleon, so she spoke bluntly.
“I know. I can see too.”
But when he was about to ask the reason why he had come, suddenly some maids put a tea set on the table.
Then Eleon pulled something out.
“Here.”
“What is this?”
It was a brown paper bag with a small Cafe Cardinal logo on it.
Elysia was familiar with the packaging.
Because the last day she left the Grand Duchy, she bought chocolate for Eleon.
「“I want chocolate. The one sold at Cafe Cardinal.”」
She was going to give the chocolate to Eleon. But she was taken to Hadunsha, and she held the envelope with her hands all day long, until it became soggy.
She still bought it for him. But since she couldn’t throw it away because of her feelings, she kept it in the corner of the drawer in her bedroom.
Elysia, who was suddenly given a bag of chocolate, didn’t know what to do. She doesn’t even know what kind of expression to make.
Can’t I pretend I don’t know about this?
Elysia was a priestess who had lived in Hadunsha for a long time. Thanks to this, she could pretend not to know about the desserts of this famous cafe.
Eleon spoke when she showed a naturally bewildered expression.
“It’s a chocolate that is sold at Cafe Cardinal.”
“Why are you giving me this?”
“I thought you would like it.”
Elysia stared blankly at the chocolate.
“A woman said before that she liked it.”
“Then give it to her.”
Eleon seemed a little embarrassed when Elysia got upset.
Suddenly, she sits up straight and looks him in the face.
“I’ll prepare you a cup of tea. What would you like?
She wanted to send Eleon back, who sat down saying that he had come to drink tea.
Eleon rubbed his chin.
“Aren’t you going to explain it to me?”
“Choose for yourself. All this tea is valuable, so anything tastes good.”
She thought that she could not repeat the same mistakes.
Elysia was conscious of her actions and decided to think before she spoke.
“I’ll drink whatever you choose.”
Elysia carefully looked at the teas.
The deep-roasted black tea, which Eleon didn’t seem to like, caught her attention.
Elysia poured a scoop of it into the teapot.
When the tea was poured into the teacups, the tea, which looked red and black, came out thick.
“Please enjoy.”
“This?”
“It’s black tea. It’s very popular. It’s good for your health. I also drink it every day.”
“Hmm.”
It was unexpected that Eleon extended his hand.
His broad shoulders and long arms were able to grab Elysia’s chin without getting up.
Elysia was taken aback by the sudden contact.
“What are you doing?”
“Your Highness.”
Mrs. Oze, who had been sitting with them, was startled and jumped up.
The only person who didn’t care was Eleon.
He asked politely.
“Are you angry?”
“What do you mean by angry? Me? Why should I be angry?
“You’re angry.”
“I’m not.”
Elysia was speechless.
“Didn’t you say that you didn’t hate dancing with me three times yesterday?”
“Yes, I did.”
However, that was not the problem.
You, Eleon, deceiver. If you wanted to drink tea, you should have gone to Karina’s house. Do you mean you should drink what I used to make for you when I was your maid?
Elysia struggled to calm down.
“I don’t feel well, so please excuse me. Goodbye.”
Then, she got up from her seat and left the living room.
She had nothing more to say.
“I really don’t want to see you.”
It was then that she entered her room muttering.
“Elysia.”
“Mother, what brings you here at this hour?”
Mariela never came to her bedroom without sending a maid.
“Has the Grand Duke Clevent gone?”
“Yes. He left a moment ago.”
She seemed to have something to say.
“What did the Grand Duke tell you?”
“It was nothing. We talked about tea and Cafe Cardinal.”
The meeting time was short, so nothing special happened.
“Really?”
Seeing Mariela pondering over such a trivial matter, Elysia became suspicious.
Why is she asking this?
In Elysia’s eyes, Mariella was one of those who cared.
“I never broke any rules of etiquette or made a mistake.”
“I wasn’t worried about that.”
Mariela smiled.
However, she looked worried.
* * * * *
Back in the Grand Duchy, Eleon was deep in doubt.
“She definitely said she liked it.”
When he was blind, he used to remember more details.
He had to redeem himself with other senses since he couldn’t see.
「“What would you like to order? Sir Eleon.”」
「“What can I order?”」
「“There’s coffee, tea, juice. Cookies, cakes, and chocolate are also available.”」
「“What would you like to eat?”」
When they went to Cafe Cardinal together, he asked her.
「“Coffee and chocolate.”」
「“I’ll have the same thing.”」
He was sure she didn’t pick what she liked with her mouth alone.
He was very attentive to her but nothing interested her.
“So what does she like?”
She didn’t seem to like it very much when he bought her clothes.
「“I know the secret of this room. It seems like you will buy everything you try on here.”」
「“What are you worried about? The Grand Duke has already bought more than twenty sets.”」
「”Yes? I beg your pardon? Excuse me, My Lord. I don’t need so many clothes”」
If she had liked it, likely, she would not have refused it.
Eleon thought for a long time.
“….Is it money?”
Come to think of it, Rona gets happy every time he raises her salary or when the butler would give her more gold coins.
“I think the duke has more money…”
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no answer.
Besides, the more he thought about it, the more certain it became. He knew very little about Elysia.
While he was lost in thought, the butler entered his office.
After seeing Eleon in his office for the first time in several years, the butler gets emotional every time he walks into his office.
“What’s going on?”
“This is a list of taxes and specialties collected from the estate. Up until now, I’ve only been organizing things, but I think your Majesty should take a look.”
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem. I just did what I had to do. But do you have any concerns?”
“I went to the Duke of Yuter today.”
“Ah, that’s right you went out. But why did you go to that house?”
The Yuters were not particularly acquainted with Grand Duke Clevent.
“I went to see a lady.”
“What? No, then when you suddenly said you wanted to get married…”
Eleon nodded slightly.
“If you had told me earlier, I would have prepared a nice present.”
“There was something that the Lady said she liked, but it seems she didn’t like it.”
Unlike Eleon, who spoke seriously, the butler answered indifferently.
“That’s how the human heart is. Trends change very quickly.”
“Is that so?”
Eleon sighed.
“Then what do I have to do to win her affection?”
“Your Highness! Win her affection! What are you saying…..”
Seeing that Bernard was surprised, the corners of his mouth raised.
“Why? Is it strange that I say it?”
“Anyone would fall in love with Your Highness even if you standstill. That’s nonsense.”
Our Grand Duke is the best. The most wonderful Grand Duke in the world
.The butler was suddenly furious with the lady who rejected the Grand Duke.
“Who is that Lady? What kind of person is she that made your Highness think that way?”
A sincere smile appeared on Eleon’s lips, thinking of Elysia.
“She is so lovely.”
When Bernard looked at him, he opened his mouth as if his jaw was about to fall out.
“I thought that appearance was not important. I was curious though. But seeing with my own eyes and feeling how beautiful she is, is another matter.”
“How beautiful is she that made Your Highness say that?”
“I asked her for a cup of tea today and she served me black tea.”
“What? It’s not the kind of tea you enjoy.”
The butler turned around as he said so.
Eleon hated the bitter taste of black tea.
“But I just laughed when she served me the tea.”
“What?”
“She was so cute.”
“I can’t imagine her. She probably would have a very beautiful smile.”
Eleon shook his head as he looked at the butler, who replied to his love counseling with a slightly relieved face.
“No, she looked angry.”
“…. Then why did you say she was cute?”
“Just because.”
“Oh, yes. Then I will leave.”
The butler gave up the conversation and left.
I can’t believe there’s a woman who treats our Grand Duke so recklessly.
It was unforgivable.
Bernard said that he would see the lady someday.
He thought if she sets foot in the Grand Duke’s residence as a guest, he would serve her a tea that is ten times bitterer than the black tea she had served to the Grand Duke.
While the butler was debating what he was going to do or not do outside the office, Eleon murmured.
“I want to see you again.”
* * * * *
The next day, Eleon visited the Duke’s residence again.
“Can you show me the Yuter’s paradise?”
Elysia was thinking when Eleon spoke.
I guess I can’t serve him black tea again, can I?
She thought he was making an excuse to see the garden so she wouldn’t give him black tea again.
Elysia asked Mrs. Oze, who was standing far back.
“Ma’am. I’m curious about something, can I decline a visit when a guest comes?”
“Yes? Oh, My Lady.”
“I was wondering if it was necessary to go out and greet him.”
Seeing Elysia breaking etiquette rules in front of the Grand Duke, Mrs. Oze seemed to want to grab her by the neck.
“Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“I heard it, but if you want to do it, you can.”
Elysia and Eleon began to look around the garden, slowly.
“Aren’t you going to explain the garden to me? You have a beautiful voice.”
“I don’t know this place either.”
It’s because she possessed this body, but it fits perfectly with the concept of amnesia.
“Can’t you remember anything?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not being able to remember is not necessarily a bad thing.”
It came out of Elysia’s mouth.
“Thanks to you, I can start all over again. Because I can’t remember.”
“Maybe you forgot something you regretted?”
“I’m not sure. If there was something I regretted, I would not have forgotten it.”
It felt strange.
Does Elysia have such thoughts?
It wasn’t Won Yoon-Ji’s thoughts, but as Elysia thought, the words came out naturally.
Were you called the next high priest because you had an extraordinary appearance, or because of your wealthy and loving parents?
Elysia had everything.
She thought that the real Elysia would never think this way.
Still, the words that came out of nowhere subtly touched Elysia’s nerves.
I guess it’s because I put too much effort into becoming Elysia.
She even thought about running away for a long time.
Suddenly, Eleon was moving his mouth and that caught her attention.
“What are you eating?”
“It’s a little candy.”
“You don’t like sweets…. You like sweets”
Eleon hated sweets.
He smiled as he looked at Elysia, who was taken aback.
“If I didn’t suck on the candy, I wouldn’t know either.”
His gaze fell on Elysia’s lips.