Ch. 52 The Sharpest Sword (2)
It was at that moment a furious, frightening expression flashed across Carlisle’s face. In an instant, the atmosphere darkened and even Elena could not help but recoil. If this was what she felt at a distance, the man reporting directly to Carlisle must be experiencing the full force of his aura. She felt a cold sweat threatening to drip off her tense face.
Carlisle seemed to realize Elena sitting in front of him and quickly erased the bloodthirsty atmosphere.
“…Who did you miss?”
“We caught a rat sent by the Marquis, but the one we lost is still unclear.”
“Any casualties?”
“He seems to have considerable skill. I lost all the men who pursued him.”
Carlisle’s temple visibly tensed. A short silence followed, then he responded calmly.
“I see.”
“I’ll take my leave.”
He bowed deeply to Carlisle and left the restaurant again.
In her previous life Elena would have taken the role of guarding the area, but now the positions had changed. She turned to Carlisle with a concerned expression on her face.
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m…I’m only a little uneasy.”
“…Why?”
“I’m afraid someone will touch you. If you get hurt and I can’t get to you, I’ll go crazy.”
Despite his calm voice, there was an unexpected graveness to his words. Elena froze in embarrassment for a moment, but then quickly smiled at his ridiculous worrying.
“What do you think of me?”
“…?”
“You must have forgotten how we met.”
She picked up her dessert fork. She turned it in the air a few times, then suddenly flung it to her right.
Shhhhg–
It flew through the air.
Tung!
The fork’s tines struck dead center of a dart board. She didn’t even take the time to properly aim or throw. Carlisle’s blue eyes widened at the sudden display of skill.
“You shouldn’t mistake our position.”
Elena pointed her finger at herself.
“I’m the one who protects you.”
Elena’s hand then politely spread out to Carlisle.
“You are the one who’s being protected.”
Elena continued, staring straight at Carlisle’s stunned expression.
“Who do you think is sitting in front of you, Caril?”
He shouldn’t be mistaken. The reason why Elena sat here voluntarily in a beautiful dress was to be closer to Carlisle than anyone else. The ultimate goal of their marriage was to protect the Blaise family, and to do so, she would protect Carlisle from getting hurt or killed. He should’ve been dead, but she saved his life.
“Do not forget. The sharpest sword you can wield is me.”
*
*
*
“Haaa, damn it…”
A man with a mask on his face sank to the ground, spouting a low stream of curses. Blood was trickling from a wound on his side, but he had paid back his attackers and slaughtered them all. He threw off the heavy mask on his face when he saw that there was no one nearby.
It was Batori. He had been watching Elena since their encounter at the jewelry store in the south. Her ring was similar to the one he needed to find.
“If the crown prince had died then, then there would be no need for this mission…”
Batori hissed and covered his injured side with one hand. He needed treatment as he had already lost a considerable amount of blood.
“…But no matter how much I think about it, it smells suspicious.”
He had hunted down dozens of similar blue beads so far. Some were earrings, some were necklaces, and some were even toy beads that young children played with. He tracked all of them down, but in the end, they were not what he was looking for. He wasn’t even sure if it was real.
And this time…
Suddenly several men had appeared and tried to kill him. This was the first time he encountered such an enemy.
“Elena Blaise.”
Batori recalled Elena’s pretty, doll-like face. He had a strange feeling that if he tried to get closer, she would catch wind of him. He didn’t think it possible for the young woman to notice him, but he trusted his instincts to keep his distance. It had saved his life many times so far.
Presently Batori was carrying out a mission given by Paveluc, who controlled the Duchy of Lunen. His order was simple.
“Find the dragon’s magic orb that appears a common bead.”
Batori was dumbfounded he was when he was tasked the mission. The dragon’s orb was a mythical object that could only have come from the legend of the founder of the empire, who was said to have the blood of a dragon. What’s more, the orb was small, smaller than a fingernail. It was very different from what he imagined.
Strangely enough, the search for the woman was when Carlisle was alive. Batori did not know the reason for his mission, but he had no reason to refuse considering the generous compensation he would receive.
And now he had his first real clue to his mission, which so far had been as fruitless as wandering through empty mists. The ring the young woman was wearing…that was the prize.
“…I need to speak to him again.”
He had to report what happened here. Batori tore his coat and wound it around his side, then stood up and walked the streets again. This was no time to idle away. Those who pursued the scent of his blood were very persistent.
TN: The Yeouijiu/Dragon’s Orb is a jewel/orb in eastern culture that is said to bring omnipotence and power and grant one’s wishes. Quite often you will see eastern dragons depicted carrying such an orb.