After Story: Elopement (2)
The two ran.
After eating dinner in an alley, they ran into another alley, and then into another district.
The boy and girl, filled with a reckless confidence that they were pulling off the perfect escape, roamed all over Elia, bumping into plenty of faces along the way.
— Huh? What? You guys are going that way? But Albrecht is there.
Startled by Aisha’s mischievous advice, they abruptly changed direction.
— Oh dear, you little rascals. It’s great to be full of energy, but let go of each other’s hands while running.
They blushed at Rohan’s grumpy muttering.
— Lennon’s already a lost cause.
— Yeah, the future looks bright huh?
After running around for a long time and getting teased by the twins, they realized it was already late in the evening.
The two finally found an empty house in the eastern part of Elia and huddled together inside.
Their faces were bright.
Even if they were supposed to be escaping from Albrecht, they couldn’t help but feel as if they were playing hide-and-seek.
Giggling, the two began to talk.
“If we’re here, even Sir Albrecht won’t be able to find us!”
“Yeah! We’re way out of sight here, and since we’ve only been running into people down south, so Uncle’s probably convinced we’re still there!”
Erineth nodded vigorously, wearing a face full of pride.
“Uncle’s nothing special, after all! Just like Dad said, he’s a total klutz!”
The words were spoken with confidence overflowing to the very top.
At that moment, a ‘clunk’ sound came from somewhere.
The two of them jolted.
Their heads darted back and forth, searching for the source of the sound.
But seeing nothing, their faces grew more and more puzzled.
“W-what was that…?”
“Couldn’t it have just been the wind?! It is nighttime, after all!”
“Is that so? Well, if Lennon says so, then it must be true.”
It was the kind of clunk that should have made them more suspicious, but they were kids and their thoughts didn’t quite stretch that far.
On the rooftop, Albrecht let out a deep sigh of relief, but his expression turned into one of sorrow.
Brother…!
Had his brother really been speaking about him that way behind his back?
The truth he had never known until then was crushing his heart.
You’re too cruel…
He had grown up a little. But at his core, he was still Albrecht.
He was still the same utterly self-absorbed man, and because of that, he was more wounded than anyone by words that diminished him.
Now soon to be thirty, Albrecht sat alone on the rooftop while wallowing in self-pity.
“Let’s get some sleep now! We have to work hard at hiding again tomorrow!”
“Yeah!”
Albrecht’s sorrowful cries were drowned out by the excited shouts of the children.
The sunlight tickled her face.
The light squeezed through the slits of her closed eyelids, urging her to wake.
“Mmm…”
Erineth slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked with a blank expression, let out a small yawn, then suddenly screamed in shock at the sight before her.
“Hyak!”
“You’re awake.”
Hela spoke.
At that, Erineth flinched.
Her head kept darting around, scanning her surroundings even as she did that.
It wasn’t for any other reason.
She had just realized that this wasn’t the empty house where she and Lennon had hidden the night before.
This was… her lodging, the one she had been staying in since arriving in Elia.
“Would you like to have breakfast first?”
The question was repeated.
Erineth answered, her entire body tense.
“Why… why am I here?!”
She clearly remembered falling asleep last night, tightly holding Lennon’s hand.
But now, she was here alone. She had no idea how it happened.
The unease that had begun to take root inside her gave way to wild imaginations.
C-could it be…!
Could Lennon have been punished for trying to hide her?
Was that why he wasn’t here?
A sharp wave of panic welled up inside Erineth.
“Where is Lennon?!”
Her voice cut through the air, sharp and tense.
Her expression was like a cat with its fur on end, claws unsheathed.
Hela responded indifferently.
“He’s probably sleeping.”
“Huh?”
“He’s not much of an early bird. And since he had a rough day yesterday, he’s probably still asleep.”
Erineth’s expression went blank, and she tilted her head to the side.
Her reaction made it clear she couldn’t tell if Hela meant Lennon was safe or locked away somewhere.
Hela sighed as if annoyed, then added.
“He’s sleeping at home. And you, Your Highness, need to get up now.”
The two women’s eyes met.
Hela jerked her chin toward the door and added one more thing.
“The Saintess wishes to speak with you, Your Highness.”
The Saintess.
Renee, the Saintess of Elia.
The wife of the Holy Emperor and Lennon’s mother.
Erineth’s thoughts raced until the realization hit her like a brick.
Her face went pale.
Th-this is bad…!
Erineth thought to herself.
The one she should be worrying about right now wasn’t Lennon, but herself.
The reception room in the Grand Temple was silent.
The naturally still and solemn view of Elia contributed to the silence, but the awkward relationship between those sitting across from each other was the main cause.
“Princess?”
Renee called out to Erineth with a smile.
Erineth flinched and responded loudly.
“Y-Yes!”
Her voice cracked.
Erineth’s pupils quivered as if shaken by an earthquake, while Renee only smiled wider at the sight of the flustered girl.
Sigh, my son really messed up.
How did he manage to charm such a sweet girl into getting herself into this mess?
I wonder who he takes after. He has too much charm that it’s concerning.
Renee, having inwardly scolded her son in a way that was almost no different from boasting, then spoke up.
“You don’t have to be so nervous. I didn’t call you here to scold you.”
“Uh, um…”
“I heard what happened. You don’t want to leave because you want to spend more time with Lennon, right? Since you don’t know when you’ll see each other again.”
Erineth’s expression turned gloomy.
The answer was obvious, and Renee completely understood her reaction.
Why wouldn’t she?
Renee’s life might be perfect now, but there was a time when she had felt that same restless longing, a time when the future was uncertain.
Even after finally making his way to her, Vera had a habit of pushing himself too hard and doing things his own way without hesitation.
She couldn’t shake the fear that she might never see him again if she let go of him.
So, she had shown him even the most undignified, even forced sides of herself just to keep him close, just to hold onto something she thought she might lose forever.
Because Renee had lived through that same fear, she knew exactly what to say.
“The hardest part is not knowing when you’ll see him again, isn’t it?”
Erineth lifted her head, and a hint of curiosity appeared on her face.
She could sense instinctively that Renee wasn’t there to scold her.
A ‘what if’ thought surfaced in her mind.
Even though she knew better, a flicker of hope shone in Erineth’s eyes.
Wouldn’t the Saint, known for her kindness, do something to help?
Erineth clenched her fists tightly, her anticipation growing as she waited for Renee’s next words. Seeing that, Renee gave a soft, amused laugh before speaking again.
“Then, what if there was a set day for you to meet again?”
Erineth’s face lit up.
Renee got up and moved to sit beside Erineth.
Then, she tousled Erineth’s hair as she spoke.
“So? Would you be willing to go home then?”
“Yes! I want to see him again! I want to be with Lennon again!”
A girl in love was brave.
Her courage was so endearing that just seeing her brought a smile to Renee’s face.
“Hmm…”
At the same time, she let her playful side show.
As Renee put on a hesitant expression, impatience surfaced on Erineth’s face.
She gulped nervously.
Letting her wait in suspense for too long would be too cruel.
Realizing that it was time to stop playing around, Renee offered a solution.
“Lennon will be going to Tellon Academy in seven years, when he turns fourteen. I want him to meet new people and learn as much as he can.”
Thud!
Erineth jolted, and her eyes widened.
She was only seven, but she was still a princess, the firstborn of the most powerful nation on the continent.
It meant that she wasn’t so naïve that she couldn’t understand the meaning behind Renee’s words.
“That means…”
“Seven years is not a short time, but you will need time to prepare as well, won’t you, princess?”
Renee’s touch was gentle.
Her smile was beautiful, and the warmth in her voice was as tender as a mother’s.
“I’ve already spoken with His Majesty. He told me that he will send you to the academy as well if you study diligently.”
With a lighthearted tone, Renee continued, offering Erineth a piece of advice.
“Wouldn’t you like to become a wonderful young lady by then? Someone Lennon would be proud to see again?”
Erineth felt her heart swell with emotion.
Her face lit up, and her body trembled with excitement.
Emotions she couldn’t contain surged through her body and heart.
What came next was the most childlike reaction Erineth had ever shown.
“Yes!”
She burst out in excitement, showing a radiant smile.
Only then was she able to let go of all her worries and smile with ease.
A week passed.
Erineth stood at the gates of Elia, alongside her imperial attendants who had finished preparing for their departure. Her gaze stayed fixed on Lennon, a hint of reluctance lingering in her expression.
“Princess! This was so much fun! So… the next time we meet, it’ll be at the academy, right?”
A smile as bright as sunlight.
His eyes, so beautiful, looked straight into hers.
Faced with all of that, Erineth gathered her resolve and nodded.
“…Yes!”
Honestly, she didn’t want to leave.
If she let herself, she would have plopped down right there, crying and throwing a tantrum.
But there was something holding her back, words that she couldn’t forget.
— Wouldn’t you like to become a wonderful young lady by then? Someone Lennon would be proud to see again?
The words Renee had said to her a week ago were what helped Erineth stay strong.
I’m going to become a wonderful lady!
Right now, she was too young and lacked the skills. There was no way she could defeat that treacherous Pirate King.
So, she wanted to become an even greater person and return to Lennon.
She vowed to defeat the Pirate King and make Lennon hers.
Her burning resolve turned into an unyielding passion that would never fade.
“I’m definitely going to become an amazing person!”
“Your Highness will certainly achieve that!”
“I’m going to become so beautiful that Lennon will be completely shocked!”
“You’re already beautiful enough!”
“Ugh…!”
Erineth’s face turned red.
The people around them, listening to their conversation, began to smile warmly.
“Now then, Your Highness. Shall we go?”
Albrecht, who was also smiling, stepped forward and spoke.
Erineth nodded sullenly at his words, then looked at Lennon with a face full of reluctance.
If she left now, it would be seven years.
She would have to wait exactly as long as she had been alive.
For the young Erineth, that time felt unbearably long.
Her feet refused to move. She hesitated, the silence growing thicker by the second.
Tap tap!
Erineth dashed forward straight toward Lennon.
Reaching him, she hugged him tightly.
And then, the onlookers gasped sharply.
Smooch—.
It was because Erineth, her face burning red, had just kissed Lennon on the cheek.
“Oh my, oh my!”
Renee, her face flushed, smacked Vera’s shoulder repeatedly, making a scene.
Vera let out a dry chuckle and stared blankly at the two while Ellen snickered, struggling to hold back her laughter.
Seemingly not understanding what had just happened, Lennon wore a dazed expression.
Erineth squirmed in embarrassment and then whispered to Lennon.
“…You have to write letters, okay? At least once a month…!”
Before he could answer, Erineth pulled away and sprinted toward the carriage.
As she did, she clenched both fists tightly.
I absolutely will!
She was going to become a stunning lady and leave Lennon speechless!
She was going to make Lennon fall in love with her!
What she dreamed of was a dazzling future.
And to achieve it, she would endure grueling effort.
With that resolve, Erineth set off on her journey home.
Clatter clatter—.
The horses began to gallop, and the carriage clattered down the road. But the girl, overflowing with passion, had no idea what truly awaited her.
That in seven years, Lennon would have grown into a strikingly handsome young man once they reunited at the academy, and just how many female students would be vying for his attention.
From a promising young knight from Oben and the top student of the Academy’s Magic Department…
To an ambitious girl aiming to unify the continent’s underworld and a high-ranking fairy from the Great Forest who had come as a visiting professor.
…The real battle for love was only beginning.