Someday, Elga would have to make a choice between family and country.
It was a natural course of things.
At some point, I would reveal my true identity, and I would witness Elga's shocked expression.
By then, Elga would have walked down an irreversible path, getting to the point of no return.
Of course, by that time, she might already have a couple of children, and due to her strong sense of responsibility as a Lioness, she wouldn't be able to abandon her offspring. In the end, she would compromise and come to terms with her situation.
Just thinking about it made me feel good.
To give birth to as much as you killed.
That was the revenge of a gentleman!
However, Elga seemed to have misunderstood my words a bit.
"To prove my loyalty, are you suggesting that I take down my father!?"
Did she interpret my words as choosing between Reinhardt and her devotion to the kingdom? It might have sounded like that.
Suddenly, this situation seemed to be rather similar to the answer I desired.
For Elga, Reinhardt was her father and a potential traitor.
And I was her (forbidden) husband, a seed of rebellion.
Observing Elga's attitude towards Reinhardt might offer some insight into how she would eventually treat me. With that in mind, I drove my point home like a wedge.
"Elga-nim, Lord Reinhardt tried to make the man named Isaiah king."
"What do you think of this? Family and country. Affection and noble pride. If you had to choose between the two, which one would you pick?"
"Right now, it sounds like you're telling me to abandon my father!"
"I can see how you might interpret it that way."
Elga clenched her fist. Looking at her trembling hand, I had a rough sense of what her response might be.
"… How could I abandon my father?"
Elga's answer carried an air of resignation. She even appeared composed as a result.
"I am a knight and a soldier, but before that, I am a Lioness. How could I abandon my family?"
"Even if you end up at odds with the Tarantera Family or others?"
I really liked Elga's answer. Prioritizing family meant that the likelihood of her choosing me in the future was higher.
I said calmly, wiping a satisfied smile from my lips.
"Then, for now, I will keep this matter a secret. I won't reveal the letter from Lord Reinhardt nor its contents."
This could serve as a restraint against Elga's recent tendency to act reckless.
Considering this, Reinhardt's letter still ended up being quite helpful.
It was just a pity that Elga tore it apart.
Elga said after some hesitation.
"What if your family were cursed by people, blamed, and as a result, faced execution or the anger of the masses? Or even turned against the country?"
"What would you do? Could you abandon your family?"
Elga might not know, but I was an orphan. Quite frankly, I was the one abandoned. For me, abandoning family was out of the question.
I vividly remembered my childhood, when I would gaze out the window every day, waiting for a mother who never returned.
"I, too, couldn't abandon my family. If Elga-nim became my family, I would stand by you even if the whole world reviled you."
"What, what are you saying!?"
Elga seemed to feel embarrassed by my words, as she shuffled her slipper-clad feet on the ground.
Then she suddenly extended her hand towards me. I glanced at her palm, wondering if she was offering a gift, but there was nothing there.
"… Let's hold hands. We should go for a walk."
"What if others see us?"
"Who cares? I've already told Aira. There's only Mirna who'll make a fuss."
So with a somewhat anxious feeling, I held Elga's hand.
We began walking through the nighttime streets that were transitioning from a late Sunday to early Monday. My heart pounded like I was doing something wrong, and my face was burning. Ɽ𝐀₦ỌᛒÊ𝒮
Who would've thought that holding hands could make you feel !
Unlike the times when I had embraced Elga in passion, this was a different sensation. A fluttering and tingling feeling in my chest.
Did Elga feel the same way?
I stole a glance at Elga's expression.
Under the streetlamp's glow, her face was flushed. She was also biting her lips, as if wanting to say something.
This felt like the elementary school punishment game that made the boy and girl hold hands like a couple.
"Theo, since you said you wouldn't abandon me, I'll tell you a secret."
Why a secret all of a sudden?
I couldn't help but wonder what the secret was that she hadn't told me until now. Had she forgotten to wear underwear or something!? No, I had already seen her wear them earlier…
As I thought of that, Elga said mischievously.
"Hm, nevermind, I won't tell you after all~."