ushernet Chapter 34
Chapter 34
But Elodie didn’t retort with, “I clearly heard you say it was yours. You even tried to absorb it. And you threatened me.”
Instead, she simply tilted her head and murmured,
“Mmm, is that so?”
“...I see.”
“We nearly misunderstood.”
“We formally apologize—if what you say is true.”
The wolf knights spoke politely, but their skeptical gazes remained.
It was clear they had their suspicions, but without solid proof, they couldn’t openly accuse him.
Even so, Cesare couldn’t punish them for their insolence.
Because the sole heir of the Ratson family was standing right there, staring up at him with those wide, innocent eyes.
This little brat is playing with me.
The fact that she was a child made things even more difficult.
Because children were unpredictable.
If he tried to insist on his innocence, she could easily counter with, “Huh? But that’s not what you said.”
And then it would be over for him.
In situations like this, the best course of action was to leave as quickly as possible.
Children tended to forget about things once they were out of sight and moved on to other distractions.
The boy forced a smile, the muscles around his eyes twitching slightly.
“I seem to have wasted too much time here. I should be going.”
“Of course. Safe travels.”
“We’ll escort you to your carriage.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m used to moving alone.”
Cesare turned his back on them without hesitation.
His gait remained unhurried—trying to appear composed until the very end.
But wasn’t this just running away in disguise?
Elodie felt a small sense of satisfaction.
The tiniest fraction of her lingering resentment toward the prince had been eased.
Good. Just as planned.
She exchanged glances with the wolf knights, led by Howlf.
Their silver eyes, shining like stars, reflected the triumphant success of their secret mission.
Operation: Get the Prince to Leave Before He Meets Sera—Complete!
‘Woohoo! We did it!’
‘Good work! You deserve a reward!’
Their eyes seemed to say as they discreetly bumped their fists together in silent celebration.
Elodie had prepped them beforehand, but she was still grateful for how well they had played their roles.
They had taken to it like fish in water.
Only after Cesare had disappeared from sight did Elodie finally speak.
“Do you guys want anything?”
“Yes! A kiss for our reward!”
“Denied. You’re asking for too much.”
“...How cruel.”
Why had their pronunciation suddenly improved?
Did she really hate the idea of kissing them that much?
The wolf knights looked utterly betrayed as they covered their lips with their hands, watching as Elodie slowly backed away.
Seeing their expressions, Elodie quickly shook her head and answered with a resolute expression.
“Ah, well, that’s...”
Eisen adjusted his monocle, glancing between the two, and asked,
“Did I just say something unnecessary?”
Grandpa!!!
It’s way too late to realize that now!
But Eisen couldn’t have known about the promise between Sera and Elodie.
Elodie was the one who had promised, softening at the sight of Sera’s face.
She was also the one who had gone ahead and broken that promise.
Who could she blame but herself?
“Wellston’s son was the prince’s attendant, wasn’t he? Did he come because of that?”
Cold sweat dripped down Elodie’s back.
“...Was it because of me?”
The look on Sera’s face—
Would she have looked like that if the world had ended?
She wasn’t just sad.
She looked completely devastated.
Elodie’s chest clenched at the sight.
She grabbed Sera’s hands tightly and spoke firmly, enunciating each word.
“Absolutely not.”
She was willing to tell her everything else—but she had no intention of mentioning anything about the prince.
No matter how upset Sera got, Elodie could never let her get involved with him.
Not meet him. Not get tangled up with him.
Had she miscalculated?
Panicking, Elodie waved her hands and started rambling,
“I didn’t get hurt at all! Look, I’m completely fine! Nothing bad happened! The prince couldn’t even touch a hair on my head—he ran away! I took care of it!”
“I... I see...”
Sera had been about to press further, but she suddenly bit her lip.
Then, as if realizing something, she looked utterly shocked.
She fell silent, lost in thought for a moment, then muttered to herself with a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Of course. It makes sense that you wouldn’t tell me.”
Huh? All of a sudden?
“I have no power, no strength. I wouldn’t be able to help you at all.”
“No, what are you talking about?!”
Elodie leapt up, flabbergasted.
“Sera, I made it this far because you were by my side!”
Why had she turned back time?
Who had given her the strength to reclaim her family and her name?
Sera had been Elodie’s sole source of warmth, her salvation in the previous life.
She had been the only one Elodie had relied on—the only one who had helped her.
And now, Sera was saying none of that mattered?
That all the kindness she had given Elodie had been meaningless?
Elodie was clutching her chest in frustration when—
Sera came to a decision.
“That’s why... I need to become stronger.”
“...Huh?”