Chapter 36: Chapter 36

But I’ve completely lost my appetite.

Karpel is going to die.

It felt like a prophecy when I heard it from Shabelle, the female protagonist.

No matter what I do, I will never be able to change the future.

“Shabelle.”

“Yeah?”

Shabelle looked at me after putting meat in her mouth.

“I’m going to die if I keep doing this, right?”

Shabelle then instantly froze.

Her face became very pale, as if she could see into my future.

Ugh- she took the steak she was eating and spit it out into a napkin.

The inside of the steak was barely cooked, so you could still taste the meat’s flavor despite how flagrantly it was grilled and slathered with sweet sauce.

With a pallid face, Shabelle drank water.

I whispered to myself as if I were conversing with myself.

“Will I be able to continue to live if I break up with His Majesty Karpel?”

“Sister…”

Shabelle paused for a moment, speechless. Her attitude felt weird at the time.

She always informed me that I shouldn’t be with Karpel.

She stated that Karpel has no future, so if I remain with him, I will have no future.

When I inquired if I’d be able to live if I broke up with Karpel, she remained silent and merely stared at me with a stern gaze.

As other times she says, I would be completely safe without Karpel.

“Did you finish your meal?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“All right, then, let’s go back.”

Shabelle was deafeningly quiet the entire time we were on our way back. She acted as if she was genuinely feeling guilty for me.

Shabelle was dropped off to the Float’s mansion. Baron Float stepped forward to welcome her.

“Thank you for bringing Shabelle home with you. Lady Krenberia.”

“I simply did what needed to be done. Baron Float. I wanted to entertain you, Shabelle, but it was ruined. Take a good rest because it must have been hard.”

“No…”

Baron Float sharply called Shabelle while she was hesitating, and she then greeted me with courtesy.

“Thank you for your time today. Princess.”

“Then I’m leaving.”

Shabelle clutched my skirt as I climbed back into the carriage.

“Shabelle?”

“I’m sorry, sister, I’m sorry.”

“What have you got to be sorry for, just go in and rest.”

I went into the carriage when I noticed Shabelle putting my clothing away.

When I arrived at the mansion and tried to get off the carriage, Karpel was reaching out. I got off while holding that hand.

It seems like he had been waiting and running outside with a long jacket when he heard the carriage coming.

His expression was also ferocious.

I didn’t hear the bell ring at 8 o’clock, so I’m guessing I’m still on time.

“Am I late?”

I lifted my eyes to him and asked.

Karpel shook his head.

Deng Deng- And the time was announced by the ringing of the bell.

It was 8 o’clock.

Karpel led me to my room’s front door.

I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for him to accompany me because his room is directly next to mine, but I’m accustomed Karpel escorting me in this manner.

“Good night, Karpel.”

Karpel looked at me and furrowed his brows as I welcomed him. He then returned to his room.

Why didn’t he accept my greetings?

I went into my room as well. The maids helped me wash up by removing my dress.

What Shabelle said stuck in my mind after all the maids had gone out and I was alone after getting ready to sleep.

“His Majesty Karpel is going to die.”

I understand.

I remembered the scene where Radiov killed Karpel as I closed my eyes.

I was taken aback and opened my eyes wide.

I became restless.

I was worried that no matter what I tried, nothing would work out.

Like my complicated thoughts, I tossed and turned, holding and letting go of the blanket. Then I gave a shake of my head.

I’m not going to die straight soon, but I’m going to die. I didn’t even know there was a chance for me to live.

I’m starting to feel like a trampled worm. So I’m going to wiggle as much as possible.

(T/N: from idiom 지렁이도 밟으면 꿈틀한다 – even worms are wriggling when they stepped on means We should not look down on others, no matter how useless they are.)

If I struggled to live and it didn’t work, I wanted to protect at least one thing.

“Karpel, I’ll protect you.”

I said that and stared blankly at the darkness.

When I recall my previous life, I learned about me, my family’s, and my father’s demise.

But even before then, I had a feeling Karpel’s safety was in jeopardy.

So, in order to protect him, I attempted to keep him and make him mine in some way.

I reasoned that hiding him in Krenberia’s shadow would be safe.

Since I was a child, the most important thing for me has been that.

To protect Karpel.

I was perplexed by what I heard from Shabelle the day before, so I went for a lengthier morning stroll than usual.

Walking, on the other hand, made it easy for me to become lost in thinking.

I wanted an exercise to help me focus more.

I was roaming around the flower garden aimlessly because I couldn’t conduct strength training in a dress, but when I turned around for the third time, a person who hadn’t been there before stood tall among the flower trees.

He was a very tall person.

Like willow leaves, his long green hair that reached the ground was silky and gorgeous.

It was a color that didn’t appear like a human, but it blended in perfectly with the flowering tree.

He was dressed simply in a white suit with a birch-colored robe slung across his arm.

‘Who is he?’

When I came to a halt, the man who had been staring at the flower turned around.

His green hair swayed in the breeze.

His eyes were the same shade of green as his hair.

Because I couldn’t see his pupils, his eyes resembled a cherry.

His complexion was white and his lips were pallid. He had the appearance of a spirit rather than a human.

His form was thin, and I had no idea what gender he was, but he looked stunning regardless of gender.

The other person smiled warmly at me, forgetting that I was being nasty, while I stared at him feverishly.

And he approached me to greet me.

“Hello, Krenberia’s little angel.”

“……”

I was waiting for the greeting to conclude until I heard the last word, and it gave me goosebumps.

‘Angel? Who is the angel?’

The person in front of me tilted his head slightly because I didn’t respond.

“Angel?”

“Inaila is my name. I’m not an angel!”

The person in front of me gave me a friendly grin and said.

“My name is Salik, and I’m from Elysium.”

“Elysium?”

Two years later, a forest elf country invades Krenberian territory.

Despite the fact that the invasion occurred two years later, the empire must have harbored a great deal of resentment.

Salik’s expression, on the other hand, was devoid of hatred.

‘What is the purpose of the forest elf’s visit? Is there any elf left in the empire? Did he come here specifically to speak with Father about something?’

I couldn’t take my eyes away from the sight of 3D images that seemed to emerge out of nowhere.

I moved my gaze to Salik’s ear.

On the top of his long-eared ears, which seemed to be about a span, there were fluffy hairs the same color as his hair.

That’s why I didn’t notice it at first. Because it resembled rabbit ears, the pointed line was adorable.

I thought it would be soft if I touched it.

His ears moved as I glanced at it.

“Is it amazing?”

I nodded my head.

Salik knelt and came out to eye level with me.

“Do you want to touch it?”

Ears?

I want to touch it, but the person who comes across me is so beautiful that I feel like touching it would be a crime.

Simply by focusing my sight on him, it appeared that the identical symbol would be attached.

But, since he allowed it, I reasoned that it would be acceptable at least once.

Because his ears kept pricking up and he seemed apprehensive, I raised my hand and asked.

“Does it count as a greeting if I touch an elf’s ears?”

“No. It entails requesting a marriage proposal.”

“……What?”

“We only frighten our skin when we’re with our companions. To ask for touch is to ask to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“But why do you want me to touch it…?”

“I’m just asking if you want to touch it. I didn’t tell you to touch it.”

“Ah, that’s right. You’re right.”

However, it seemed weird to think attentively.

He asked me, a 13-year-old girl, if I would do something that was only done between a couple.

Even among people, not just elfs, touching ears had a serious connotation.

Karpel will hack off my fingers if I touch his ear.

I wasn’t feeling good because I had been sarcastically teased during our first meeting.

When I looked across to Salik, he appeared to be quite serious.

“You have the ability to touch it if it is you. Inaila.”

Is that something you can say to a little child?

I checked to see if I had understood correctly.

“Are you implying that we’re getting married?”

“That’s exactly what it implies.”

What’s the matter with him? Is he for real?