Chapter 34.2
The Predator’s Contract Partner
âSo⦠The bushes over there?â
Gulpâ
The ladies standing next to Arien swallowed their dried-up saliva, feeling rather parched.
âThere was no one in the backyard. We were supposed to have lunch together here, but a fire broke out before we even got to the hotel room,â
Lucerne whispered as he looked at Elisha.
âIf youâre going to stop in the middle, you should have said no from the beginning. Did you plan on playing tag?â
Once in a while, it was known that noblemen and women who were excited at a ball ate* [t1v: had sex] together outdoors when they were bored.
The difference was that these entanglements were of the illicit affair sort, whereas the high general was devouring his legal and newlywed wife in the gardenâ¦.
Itâs not a flaw, butâ¦â¦. It was a scandal that everyone would like. The imperial aristocrats were fascinated by scandals, and everyone seemed to want to believe that this was the truth.
âYour wife doesnât seem to be well. Are you okay?â
âItâs because Iâm shy.â
âYou should have said so. Didnât you say you got lost?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Arien bit her lips and asked. There was resentment in her voice.
âIâm fine.â
Elishaâs ears were red. She leaned on Lucerneâs hard chest.
âI was too embarrassed in the middleâ¦â¦. So I asked him to go to the hotel room. He said heâd reserved a room. But I was so drunk that I misunderstood the location and went down the stairs for employees.â
âThatâs what I mean. Whenever I see this woman, I can barely restrain myself. So it would be better to refrain from medicine and alcohol from now on.â
âYou made your wife take drugs?â
asked one of the noblewomen, a chubby woman.
Lucerne looked at her. Elisha thought Lucerne looked at her as if he was regarding a fool.
âI took it.â
ââ¦â¦.â
âOh, itâs a therapeutic drug. They gave it to me on the battlefield.â
It was obvious what kind of medicine the drug was. It will be an arousal agent or hallucinogen disguised as a pain reliever. At least thatâs what the noblewomen in the garden thought. Everyone shut their mouths and looked at each other.
Lucerne kissed Elishaâs temple,
âLetâs go up and continue, my little one.â
âYes. Letâs go quickly.â
Elisha barely managed to nod. Lucerne took Elisha and walked casually into one of the hotel rooms.
Elisha couldnât breathe until Lucerne put her on the bed.
âHow did you appearâ¦â¦.â
âWhatâs engraved on the back of your neck is not a decoration. My knights immediately sent a messenger to the hotel because you had disappeared,â
explained Lucerne.
Elisha recalled the strange pain, like a headache that had plagued her.
âLucerne can use the glyph to find meâ¦â¦.â
She did not know whether her head hurt or the back of his neck hurt because of the confusion the paralysis scent caused her. Now her vision was completely restored, and Elisha was aware of her situation. Only then did her tongue move properly.
âWere you around here? How did you come and find me right away?â
âThis is the hotel weâre supposed to meet.â
Elisha had run away as soon as possible and ended up where Lucerne had been waiting for her.
She was exceptionally lucky.
She didnât know what would have happened or how she would have suffered if she had stumbled to another place.
âThank you for your help,â
Elisha said softly. Lucerne looked at her, waiting for her to explain herself.
Elisha described what had happened to her.
She had been attacked by miscreants but had managed to flee right away, after inhaling a strange scentâ¦â¦.
âWhat did the scent smell like?â
âIt smelled like sour herbs. I also smelled some nutmeg and cloves.â
Elisha knew that the smell was a paralyzing essence, but she didnât say it in fear of raising suspicion. Being able to distinguish poison and incense was the knowledge of spies.
âIt was probably the scent of paralysis,â
Lucerne asserted.
Lucerne asked Elisha if she saw the description of the men who attacked her, and Elisha replied as soon as she remembered,
âI was wearing my wedding ring. The men tore my clothes off without touching anything of value. It was probably someone elseâs order. If it had been a random thief who attacked a woman, then my body would have been searched first.â
âThat makes sense.â
Then Lucerne rang the bell and roughly fixed his clothes. When the hotel bellboy came, Lucerne briefly ordered a few things. The bellboy returned, carrying something on a tray.
âDrink.â
Lucerne held out the glass to Elisha. It smelled warm.