Chapter 30
Fortunately, the Queen chose not to make an issue of Elisa’s discourtesy and pretended not to notice it.
“Even after seeing the two of you sharing a room and kissing at the party, that was still his reaction.”
“It is truly a pity that there was not enough time to hold the engagement ceremony.”
“In any case, Schultz Tugrahan is someone who must eventually return.”
“Time is on our side, so—”
“There is no reason for us to deliberately prolong that time.”
“We will need another approach.”
“The two of you will have to be seen together once more.”
Adrian voiced his opinion while Elisa was still recovering from her coughing fit, but it seemed the Queen had other ideas.
On this matter, however, Elisa shared Adrian’s opinion.
“Haven’t we already been seen together enough?”
“Wasn’t it because that wasn’t enough that Schultz Tugrahan openly pursued you?”
“Pursued is a rather…”
Schultz Tugrahan’s actions had actually been quite courteous for such a word.
The Queen paid no attention to that.
“Admiral Shooter.”
“Do you not wish to do it?”
Reading the reluctance on Elisa’s face, the Queen addressed her directly.
“Is that an order?”
“If it isn’t an order, you won’t do it?”
The Queen raised an eyebrow.
Elisa lowered her eyes as gently as possible.
She did not want to appear insolent.
However, beneath Elisa’s calm tone lay an unmistakable determination not to yield.
“We have already confirmed that this method is ineffective against Schultz Tugrahan.”
“With all due respect, I believe it would be better to devise another approach.”
Elisa felt as though the Queen’s eyes saw straight through her.
The Queen’s gaze fixed upon her as though she had already realized the real reason Elisa was unwilling to spend more time with Adrian.
The Queen narrowed her eyes at Elisa before finally speaking.
“Admiral Shooter.”
“Yes.”
“I’m listening.”
“Please speak.”
“I heard that development of the Curran has been suspended.”
“It is the largest flagship in Sepia.”
“I suppose it is consuming far more of the budget than expected.”
Elisa was momentarily puzzled by Queen Anne Marie’s sudden change of subject.
But the Queen’s next words completely changed the look in her eyes.
“If you follow my orders and spend time with Lord Oberon, the Royal Family will provide every bit of the funding you’re lacking.”
“Until the Curran is completed.”
“I’ll do it.”
The moment the Queen finished speaking, Elisa answered without hesitation.
Seeing that, the Queen smiled and shook her head helplessly.
“I will carry out the mission to the best of my ability.”
Having persuaded Elisa, the Queen turned toward Adrian.
She had promised Elisa the funding needed to build an entire fleet.
Yet when she looked at Adrian, her expression suggested there was no need to even ask him.
“Naturally.”
“I shall fulfill the duty entrusted to me.”
Even so, Adrian answered obediently.
Once again, Elisa found herself wondering exactly what the Queen had offered him.
☆☆☆
As Queen Anne Marie left Elisa’s office, she spoke to her head maid, who was as indispensable to her as her own hands and feet.
“What do you think of Young Duke Oberon’s face?”
“…Pardon?”
“Why do you ask such a thing?”
“Even if you’re married and have children, a handsome man is still a handsome man, isn’t he?”
The moment the Queen appeared ready to praise a man other than her husband, the head maid immediately signaled for the Royal Guards following behind them to fall back.
“Your Majesty.”
“Please maintain your dignity…”
“Oh, stop talking about dignity.”
“Be honest for once, Eshira.”
At the familiar way she was addressed, Eshira let out a sigh.
Her superior—and the ruler of this kingdom—was utterly impossible to predict.
Young Duke Oberon’s appearance was famous.
Several years earlier, when an Imperial diplomat had visited, he had left the following remark in his records.
“The valiant heir of Oberon was fortunate to be born in this era. Had he been born a century earlier and caught the eye of Emperor Arenos, who was renowned for his love of handsome men, the Emperor would have sold the Empire itself to make him his favorite consort.”
“Hm?”
“Eshira, go on.”
Urged by the Queen, Eshira sighed before finally answering.
“Yes.”
“Being married and having children has not made my eyesight any worse.”
“No matter which lady you ask, everyone would give the same assessment of Young Duke Oberon’s appearance.”
Even so, she simply could not bring herself to deny it.
“And yet, there is one woman upon whom that face has absolutely no effect.”
“There is no such woman in this world.”
Unlike her earlier vague response, this denial came without the slightest hesitation.
The Queen burst into hearty laughter, and Eshira immediately felt a headache coming on.
“Your Majesty.”
“Please, your dignity…”
“There truly is.”
“I’ve just come from seeing her.”
“There really is a woman who is completely unaffected by Young Duke Oberon’s face.”
“And who might that remarkable young lady be?”
“Young Duke Oberon’s fiancée.”
“…Pardon?”
“A woman who can be persuaded more easily by funding for the Navy than by Young Duke Oberon’s face.”
“I honestly can’t decide whether that makes her simple or incredibly difficult.”
Faced with yet another of her mistress’s cryptic remarks, Eshira had only one thing left to say.
“You have already been away for far too long.”
“Please return now.”
“I wish I could.”
“I want to return to the palace as soon as possible and see him… and my daughter.”
More than anyone else, Queen Anne Marie wished for Schultz Tugrahan to give up on Sepia’s Admiral and return to Shulid.
☆☆☆
The place, decorated with tablecloths adorned with cascading lace ruffles, was Odyssey, the dessert café where Roserica’s young couples gathered.
Adrian and Elisa occupied the table by the open window overlooking the seaside road like the stars of the scene.
Several young ladies who had already seen Adrian at the party aboard the ship began sending flirtatious glances his way.
The Adrian who had not hesitated to feed Elisa with his own hands in front of everyone ignored those gazes completely, cutting them down as sharply as blades without even sparing them a look.
“Um…”
“We’re sorry to interrupt your pleasant time together.”
Then they tried a different approach.
“This was sent over by the table over there.”
“We hope you enjoy your time at Odyssey.”
As he spoke, the waiter placed a lemon sherbet on their table.
“Thank you.”
For some reason this time, Adrian did not ignore the lemon sherbet.
Instead, he smiled warmly and even offered his thanks.
The young lady in the dark navy-blue dress sitting at the opposite table placed a hand over her chest and bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment.
“Ah—”
“…”
“Elisa.”
“Say ah.”
In an instant, the atmosphere around them turned ice-cold.
The young lady in the navy-blue dress covered her face and ran out of Odyssey.
Her friends hurried after her, glaring fiercely—not at Adrian Oberon, but at Elisa Shooter.
Back in their academy days, Elisa had grown used to such things.
Yet it had been so long since graduation that she had almost forgotten.
As though completely oblivious to everything happening around them, Adrian looked only at Elisa.
When the lemon sherbet melted on the spoon because Elisa stubbornly kept her lips shut, Adrian quietly scooped away the melted portion, filled the spoon with fresh sherbet, and held it out to her again.
Elisa silently cursed her own rash mouth for so quickly agreeing to obey the Queen’s orders.
“Couldn’t I have somehow earned the funding for the Curran myself?”
When Elisa refused to part her lips to the very end, Adrian finally gave up trying to feed her the lemon sherbet and set the spoon down.
Looking at Elisa, who was sincerely horrified, he burst into laughter.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I’m on a wonderful date with my lovely fiancée.”
Elisa felt seasick while standing on solid land.
Her appetite vanished completely.
Seeing the look of utter disgust on her face, Adrian spoke with genuine concern.
His hand lightly rested against Elisa’s forehead.
“You don’t seem to be feeling unwell.”
“Then…”
“Don’t you like the menu?”
Was he pretending not to know?
Or did he truly not know?
Elisa gave no answer.
Instead, she silently mocked him.
‘As if the menu were the problem.’
“Didn’t you like this?”
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
