Chapter 67.1: Tpcp 67.1
The Predator’s Contract Partner
âWhy are you accompanying me? It would have been enough to send a maid.â
âIf I take my eyes off of you, Iâm afraid what you will be up to again.â
âYou seem to think I am some kind of mischief-maker.â
âYou look like an angel but when you walk around by yourself I find you coming back to me bleeding. How can I let my guard down? Itâs full of thrills and amusementâour marriage.â
As she peered at Lucerne, she almost tripped on the threshold. He clutched Elishaâs arm and pulled her gently. Her cheeks turned red as her body leaned on Lucerneâs.
â⦠⦠.â
Againâshe was having strange symptoms like before. She wanted to avoid eye contact and, at the same time, wanted to keep looking at him. They had already done everything there was to do, yet she shivered as if her tongue had been deeply mixing with his with this light contact.
[L] âI guess youâve never prayed in your life.â
[E] âI did it when I was very young. When I was in the temple. It was so boring that I had nothing to do but pray.â
[L] âWhat did you pray for?â
[E] âDonât let my mother who raised me be born again and suffer in pain.â
[L] ââ¦â¦.â
[E] âIf she were to be reincarnated, let her be free from the burdens of our family.â
Elisha nodded. One day, after countless hours, if Lucerne and her divorcedâ¦. while she would be enjoying life, maybe she would suddenly remember him. She would like to say such a prayer for him too.
[E] âItâs a good prayer. I often said it for my mother. Next time⦠⦠. I will also pray for you and my mother.â
âDo what you please.â
This time, Lucerne turned his gaze away. When Elisha tried to return home, he dissuaded her.
âLetâs take a rest first and then go.â
âIâm alright.â
âYou havenât fully recovered yet, so itâs not good to get on the carriage right away. Letâs go drink something.â
Elisha felt that she was spending too much of his time. Lucerne took her to the terraced café attached to the temple.
âWait, this feels slightly odd.â
Elisha paused. She remembered the day when Lucerne suddenly took her to the hotel restaurant. That day, she had watched Carolaâs father, the Marquis of Fullmoon, running around half-naked in disgrace. It felt a little unnatural, just like that day.
âWhy are you suddenly taking me to this cafe?â
There were no customers in the cafe. Led by Lucerne, she sat on an enclosed terrace. It was winter, so the windows were closed, but the front yard of the main temple was clearly visible.
A clerk with a bored face approached and politely took her order. Upon closer inspection, the clerk was a boy priest.
âIâll have the rose tea.â
Elisha ordered a cup of tea. She looked out and found it quiet and peaceful.
âI must have developed a disorder of suspicion from living with this person.â
As she sipped her tea, she internally scoffed at herself when she realized she was being overly sensitive. At that momentân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAhhhhhhh!
From a distance came an exclamation. It sounded like a shout of excitement, so Elisha figured some people were playing sports. It sounded similar to the cries of an audience.
Her head tilted. She got up and opened the window on the terrace. At first, what she thought was a yard was a gymnasium similar to the one in Lucerneâs house.
Several bleeding men were running there. Elisha was startled.
âWas there a battle?â
âSomething similar,â
Lucerne replied calmly.
Soon two people ran out of the building and knelt to them.
âIan, Nora?â
Elishaâs eyes grew wide.
âHelp me!â
âIsnât that person Ian?â
Of course, that gorgeous blonde was Ian. He sat on top of a man and had a dagger in his shoulder. Just the sight made Elisha feel a tingling sensation in her shoulder, and without realizing it, she wrapped her hand around her wound.
As Nora kneeled, she skillfully grabbed the two fleeing men and kicked them in the belly.
âHow dare you touch someone elseâs hostess. You should have been prepared to pay it back with blood,â
she said icily. Elisha was startled.
âNora, who is usually so gentle⦠⦠.â
It was so unexpected that she had goosebumps all over her body for a moment. It wasnât that she was scared; she was precisely positively startled.
At that moment, their eyes met. Nora flinched, and then she ran back into the building without saying goodbye.
Now she realized a suppressed scream came from inside the building attached to the sparring hall.
âOh, come on! I told you not to let anyone escape! Take care of it inside! Itâll get too noisy.â
Someone inside the building yelled angrily.
âThatâs Lapisâs voice.â
Elisha could clearly imagine the scene without seeing it. Instead, the memory of seeing them in Marcoâs mansion in her previous life came to mind. One second it was a duel between knights and the next moment it had become hell in an instant.
âLike back then⦠⦠. Did the people of the Black Lion Knights overrun the Temple Knights?â
Then Elisha bumped into someone while backing up. It was Lucerne. Startled, she looked around. The inside of the cafe was as quiet as a dead mouse, utterly empty except for the two of them. The clerk seemed to have run away.
âWhatâs going on?â
âItâs a prelude. The most precious lioness of their pride had been wounded. If they stood still, they would not be a Black Lion,â
explained Lucerne. Elisha rested her back on his arm. She couldnât comprehend what was happening.
âWhy are you doing this?â
âItâs obvious.â
Lucerne wrapped his hands familiarly around her waist. And he whispered:
âI donât think youâre quick to understand when it comes to certain things.â
â⦠⦠.â
âSo now I have decided to teach you physically.â
âWhat⦠⦠. do you mean?â