It was then.
“Lucerne!”
Lucerne was drawing near from the other side. Elisha ran to him, almost jumping into his arms.
“Why is he wandering around the garden?”
He looked at Zain and glanced at Elisha at his side. Her lips were dry, and cold sweat dripped from her back and forehead.
“Right.”
Lucerne embraced Elisha’s waist with his firm arms.
“What happened?”
Lucerne whispered affectionately. Her lips couldn’t move.
“He just suddenly came up to me and started talking to me.”
When she opened her mouth again, Elisha’s tone was as dry as usual.
“You shouldn’t do that,”
Lucerne said lazily. He gestured to Ian, who was following him.
Ian approached Zain.
“Oh, no. I just want to apologize, ma’am! Lady!”
He wrapped his arms around Elisha and led her into her house. She held onto Lucerne’s collar tightly and wouldn’t let go.
“Are you okay?”
Elisha went into the room.
“You weren’t this surprised last time.”
“No… … . You were there back then. Because— Nora was there too.”
He looked at her and stroked the back of her head.
“Do you want to rest alone?”
Elisha shook her head. Lucerne sat her down on a settee. She wondered why he was so sweet today. Normally, that kindness would have been like poison. Strangely, his tenderness had permeated.
Sometimes, there were moments when people had no choice but to willingly swallow something, even when they knew that the results would be destructive. That’s what Elisha was like now.
She met Lucerne’s eyes.
‘My relationship with this person these days. Is it better than before?’
She recalled him being extremely cooperative with her recently. Lines were drawn, and colors were added to the picture Elisha had drawn smoothly. The final brushstroke of the painting will be Lucerne’s clear path to becoming the head of the family.
Why was he so cooperative? The road was smooth and comfortable for the first time in a long while.
She felt a little comfortable with Lucerne.
“Thank you for your help,”
Elisha spoke frankly.
“Are you scared of Zain?”
Elisha paused. But what difference would it make if she hid it now? She honestly nodded.
“Yes. He killed my biological father. Although I have no affection for my biological father it is hard to forget the horror at that time.”
Elisha was afraid of showing her weakness to Lucerne. Weak things cannot be used preciously.
Lucerne replied after a few seconds.
“But you ran into my arms on your own. It’s nice.”
“… … It’s in our contract to protect me from guys like that.”
“That’s a good interpretation. Yeah. That’s right.”
He nodded.
“Do you want me to comfort you?”
he whispered.
“How?”
“Well. Should we go on the bed?”
“… … That’s something good for you.”
Lucerne stared at Elisha.
“You like it too.”
“… …Sometimes.”
He laughed. Elisha swallowed her low sigh.
“Shall we?”
“… …No. Just come to bed. Lie down for a bit.”
“… … .”
“I’ll be next to you.”
Lucerne picked her up and went to the bedroom. In his wide embrace, Elisha temporarily found stability. Lucerne, who lay beside her on the bed, held and comforted her for a long time.
“Stop shaking. I’ll hug you.”
Elisha felt an odd sense of stability fill her body. She felt laid to rest by his tenderness and kindness. The sensation was getting stronger.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let that guy approach you again,”
Lucerne said while caressing her hair. That afternoon, Elisha closed her eyes in his arms.
And she took a short nap. It was truly the first time she felt that sense of stability in decades. Elisha couldn’t help but feel her heart start to melt. And until the next day, her heart continued to pound strangely.
It was then.
“Lucerne!”
Lucerne was drawing near from the other side. Elisha ran to him, almost jumping into his arms.
“Why is he wandering around the garden?”
He looked at Zain and glanced at Elisha at his side. Her lips were dry, and cold sweat dripped from her back and forehead.
“Right.”
Lucerne embraced Elisha’s waist with his firm arms.
“What happened?”
Lucerne whispered affectionately. Her lips couldn’t move.
“He just suddenly came up to me and started talking to me.”
When she opened her mouth again, Elisha’s tone was as dry as usual.
“You shouldn’t do that,”
Lucerne said lazily. He gestured to Ian, who was following him.
Ian approached Zain.
“Oh, no. I just want to apologize, ma’am! Lady!”
He wrapped his arms around Elisha and led her into her house. She held onto Lucerne’s collar tightly and wouldn’t let go.
“Are you okay?”
Elisha went into the room.
“You weren’t this surprised last time.”
“No… … . You were there back then. Because— Nora was there too.”
He looked at her and stroked the back of her head.
“Do you want to rest alone?”
Elisha shook her head. Lucerne sat her down on a settee. She wondered why he was so sweet today. Normally, that kindness would have been like poison. Strangely, his tenderness had permeated.
Sometimes, there were moments when people had no choice but to willingly swallow something, even when they knew that the results would be destructive. That’s what Elisha was like now.
She met Lucerne’s eyes.
‘My relationship with this person these days. Is it better than before?’
She recalled him being extremely cooperative with her recently. Lines were drawn, and colors were added to the picture Elisha had drawn smoothly. The final brushstroke of the painting will be Lucerne’s clear path to becoming the head of the family.
Why was he so cooperative? The road was smooth and comfortable for the first time in a long while.
She felt a little comfortable with Lucerne.
“Thank you for your help,”
Elisha spoke frankly.
“Are you scared of Zain?”
Elisha paused. But what difference would it make if she hid it now? She honestly nodded.
“Yes. He killed my biological father. Although I have no affection for my biological father it is hard to forget the horror at that time.”
Elisha was afraid of showing her weakness to Lucerne. Weak things cannot be used preciously.
Lucerne replied after a few seconds.
“But you ran into my arms on your own. It’s nice.”
“… … It’s in our contract to protect me from guys like that.”
“That’s a good interpretation. Yeah. That’s right.”
He nodded.
“Do you want me to comfort you?”
he whispered.
“How?”
“Well. Should we go on the bed?”
“… … That’s something good for you.”
Lucerne stared at Elisha.
“You like it too.”
“… …Sometimes.”
He laughed. Elisha swallowed her low sigh.
“Shall we?”
“… …No. Just come to bed. Lie down for a bit.”
“… … .”
“I’ll be next to you.”
Lucerne picked her up and went to the bedroom. In his wide embrace, Elisha temporarily found stability. Lucerne, who lay beside her on the bed, held and comforted her for a long time.
“Stop shaking. I’ll hug you.”
Elisha felt an odd sense of stability fill her body. She felt laid to rest by his tenderness and kindness. The sensation was getting stronger.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let that guy approach you again,”
Lucerne said while caressing her hair. That afternoon, Elisha closed her eyes in his arms.
And she took a short nap. It was truly the first time she felt that sense of stability in decades. Elisha couldn’t help but feel her heart start to melt. And until the next day, her heart continued to pound strangely.
