༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (60) ༻
Elsie’s words left Cien with no suitable response.
So, after avoiding eye contact and chewing on her lips, she could only hesitantly stare at Elsie again.
Up until that moment, Elsie had only glared at Cien in silence.
Even without her uttering a single word, Cien understood. A hundred words couldn’t convey the emotions in that cold gaze.
Cien’s breath once again stifled. A hurried intake of breath escaped from her throat.
Fierce enmity spread through the faint, wet fog.
The provocative nuance made Cien want to immediately step back.
However, the world wouldn’t change regardless of how much she ran away.
Wherever she went in the academy, there were only people who hated her.
Not only Elsie but everyone in the academy felt the same. So, thinking she might as well apologize, Cien lowered her head with much difficulty.
“Lady Rinella… N-no, I mean, Senior Elsie.”
Referring to someone by their surname was a noble etiquette.
In order to avoid appearing threatening with her status as an Imperial Princess, Cien quickly corrected her address to ‘senior’ since it wasn’t strange for a junior to apologize to a senior.
“I’m sorry. I should have offered my apologies first… I have committed so many wrongs against Senior Ian all this time…”
“…Huh, so you knew that.”
Elsie scoffed and abruptly turned her head.
Her attitude showed that she didn’t want to talk anymore. Because of that, Cien had to stand there awkwardly for a while.
She wanted to apologize and seek forgiveness.
However, the likelihood of receiving a positive response was low.
The particular sadness at that moment made Cien glance furtively at Elsie with a defeated look.
Regardless of her reaction, Elsie’s expression was unpleasant. It was a clear sign that she explicitly rejected the idea of seeing Cien in front of her.
Even so, as Cien stood there for too long, Elsie, unable to tolerate her presence any longer, spoke out impatiently.
“What are you doing? Why don’t you scram right away… do you have no self-consciousness?”
It was a plain insult.
Cien shrank further. Being naturally fearful, she couldn’t help but feel scared and bewildered in this unfamiliar situation.
How could a senior with such a lovely appearance use such harsh words?
Her thumping heart seemed to be urging her to immediately. run away. However, Cien swallowed her dry saliva, gathering her courage.
If she were to run away now, it would only lead to lasting hatred.
She didn’t want that.
Even in that short time, Cien’s spirit had long been worn out over and over again. Just the thought of having to face such fierce enmity every time she approached Ian in the future was already terrifying.
Cien tried so hard to calm down her trembling tone. It was for the sake of showing a bright expression.
It was as if she brought good news— hoping that this news would somehow ease Elsie’s anger, Cien spoke.
“So, I would like to apologize… and fortunately! The Imperial Family has decided to support Ian with a holy relic. There’s also news that it won’t take long for Sir Ian to recover…”
However, that vain hope was soon shattered into pieces.
“…For real, this damn bitch.”
Following the crackling sound, a deep blue spark burst into the air.
Taken aback by Elsie’s unfamiliar reaction, Cien took a few steps back. It was the first time in her life that she faced such a direct threat from an Imperial noble.
Without warning, the mana around them somehow began to align.
If Elsie wished, the falling raindrops could have carried the sparks in all directions. It took only a few seconds to go from chanting to mustering mana.
Even among the academy’s top students, Elsie’s skill as a battle mage was exceptional.
Cien might have been superior in terms of the amount of mana and talent, and if Cien and Elsie were to confront each other now, the outcome would be clear without even witnessing it.
Cold sweat dripped down Cien’s spine as she felt cornered.
It was frightening and miserable.
The Imperial Princess was a member of the Imperial Family who inherited the noble blood of the dragon. Of course, she was never the target of such treatment before.
Under normal circumstances, Elsie wouldn’t even dare to threaten Cien.
But now, Elsie’s reasoning had been long lost. Since Ian’s collapse, Elsie had been experiencing severe mental fatigue.
However, just before it overflowed, Cien threw a rock into the blast furnace.
Elsie couldn’t endure it any longer. With a fierce expression, she growled like a wild beast.
“Hey, do you think I’m such a pushover?”
“Uh, well… No, I… I mean…”
Cien hesitated and could only blur the end of her words.
Do you think I’m such a pushover?
Up to now, Cien had always been in a position to utter such remarks, but never to hear them. So, she didn’t know how to respond when faced with similar comments.
Glancing at Elsie’s expression, there was an undeniable fear in Cien’s eyes.
If things continued this way, Cien would surely burst into tears.
That sight further provoked Elsie’s outrage.
It was the moment when the suppressed inner violence, which had been held back due to Ian until now, resurfaced.
“But what are you boasting about? You just fucking cleaned up the mess you created, didn’t you? Of course, that’s something you should… no?”
In response to the words spoken through gritted teeth, Cien hastily lowered her head. Her hands, neatly gathered in a polite manner, trembled slightly.
Elsie’s voice gradually rose, peaked, and burst into an angry tone.
“But you! Of all people, you’re causing so much trouble for Master, tearing apart every relationship he has! Do you even know how difficult it was for me back then?! And I heard you’ve even touched his family.”
At the angry shout filled with rage, Cien flinched, trembling and lowering her gaze. In those gray eyes, there was now a faint moisture.
Fortunately, Elsie didn’t pay much attention to that aspect.
After all, rain was pouring.
There wasn’t a noticeable tear in her eyes. But Elsie, already drenched in rain, might have shed a few tears without anyone noticing.
Meanwhile, Cien somehow managed to hold back her tears, not wanting to show any weakness.
She was so absorbed that the way Elsie addressed Ian as ‘master’ didn’t seem strange. Considering the context, Cien quickly thought it might be an expression referring to Ian.
Elsie’s verbal abuse continued.
“You really are shameless… and so very scary. How could you even think of messing with someone’s family? Huh? Even I, who is famous for being short-tempered and living a shitty life… never touched someone’s family.”
“N-no matter how, I’ll try to…”
Unable to endure Elsie’s anger any longer, Cien desperately interrupted.
Elsie’s mouth momentarily shut. However, those burning blue eyes remained, indicating her readiness to tear into any vulnerability.
Cien’s light gray eyes took in those waves of emotions. Like a shipwreck on the emotion called anger, she hurriedly picked up excuses.
“I’ll try to… solve it somehow… Senior Ian’s family issues…”
“Bullshit.”
Then, a swift charge of sparks exploded right next to Cien.
With a roaring sound, the sparks scattered in all directions, and Cien screamed. However, contrary to expectations, Cien wasn’t electrocuted.
It was thanks to Elsie’s remaining trace of reason.
The edge of Cien’s clothes got slightly wet in her hasty retreat. Trembling, she looked at Elsie with fearful eyes.
“You! Do you think it is all over if you stab someone with a knife and put ointment on it? What about the pain and suffering he went through during that time? And the scars? Do you know how hard it was for me because of you? Just because he feared you’ll cause me trouble, Master…”
Yelling in anger, Elsie suddenly wiped her eyes as if her emotions overwhelmed her, even though it was already hard to distinguish tears from raindrops.
The sound of rain pounded deeply between Cien and Elsie.
Elsie gave a desolate look and turned away again, this time towards the direction of the temple where Ian was.
Then, she uttered a weak warning.
“…Scram, and don’t show up in front of me again. Next time, I won’t even care that you’re an Imperial Princess.”
That statement was comparable to an insult to the Imperial Family, but Cien, in bewilderment, couldn’t even grasp its meaning.
She silently kept Elsie’s sharp words in her mind.
‘Now I see… Once you have stabbed someone with a knife, there’s no way to reverse it.’
‘It’s irreversible. I can’t fix it, and all I can do is beg for forgiveness.’
‘But if he even finds kneeling and begging for forgiveness despicable, then what should I do?’
‘Can I never be forgiven?’
The word ‘shameless’ pierced through Cien’s heart like an awl. If she had pondered a bit more, Cien might have realized.
In fact, considering various circumstances, Cien’s misunderstanding was justified. Ian even intentionally led an aspect to foster such misunderstandings.
However, in the situation where her mind was pushed to the limit, and criticism kept pouring in one after another, Cien could no longer maintain her reasoning.
Mitram mocked her, and even members of the academy, who were once on her side, turned her into a scapegoat. Even the Saintess and Elsie, who had intimate relations with Ian, blamed her.
Everything felt like her own sin.
Weren’t all the people around her saying that?
She was the worst villain who misunderstood Ian’s noble intentions and even dared to touch his family.
Yet, unable to let go of her obsession with Ian, Cien became increasingly restless.
He was the ‘only real one’ she had searched for all her life. She finally found him and, without Ian, she would regress to a lonely and painful past.
She hated that.
However, she had committed too many sins to shamelessly stick by Ian’s side.
In a nervous state, Cien’s thumb naturally moved to her mouth. However, at that moment, a bolt of lightning struck, and Cien regained her senses in a flash.
The flash blinded her vision, and soon, thunder echoed. It was only then that the Imperial Princess could compare her appearance with Elsie’s.
With her luxurious umbrella and the edge of her cape soaked, Cien wore a tearful expression.
Meanwhile, Elsie was already soaked, and water droplets were falling off her.
Cien wasn’t at fault, but for some reason, feeling guilty, she hesitantly approached Elsie with the umbrella in hand.
She wanted to offer her her umbrella.
Of course, Elsie had no intention of accepting such kindness.
“…I don’t need it.”
Upon hearing the same cold tone as before, Cien hesitated again.
Elsie’s blue eyes, filled with animosity, were glaring at Cien. She then turned her body once again, staggering as she approached Cien.
“What I need is…”
‘Only one thing. That is, you…’
Amidst the murmur, Cien was unable to push away Elsie’s hand.
With a firm grip, Elsie’s hand seized Cien’s collar. Despite the height difference, Elsie was a skilled mage.
While not quite on par with a swordsman, her physical abilities still were unmatched by ordinary people.
Cien coughed and gasped as her breath was gradually stifled, and Elsie brought her hand to Cien’s throat. She then slowly lifted Cien.
Elsie lifted her head again, which had been lowered for a while.
Her eyes were damp, making it unclear whether it was rain or tears.
With a tearful expression, Cien couldn’t say a word until the chilly voice pierced Cien’s ears.
“You… took away…!”
“Enough.”
Someone unexpectedly stepped in to stop Elsie.
A woman with bright golden hair approached confidently with a dignified stride.
Her crimson eyes looked languid as if soaked in blood. With white skin and a refined jawline, she fulfilled the conditions of a northern beauty. She stood at some distance.
“Stop it, Rinella… Have you gone crazy?”
It was none other than Delphine Yurdina.
