Chapter 58: A Line Not to Be Crossed

 Elina looked at Odin while drinking tea.

 But Odin didn’t look at Elina.

 Normally, he would have spoken first, but he kept his gaze on the documents.

 This was because the work had been transferred to him due to Edmund’s absence.

 But the reason he wasn’t speaking to Elina now was different.

 As Odin remained silent, it was Elina who finally spoke first.

 “Don’t we need to get involved in the children’s affairs?”

 At Elina’s question, Odin put down the document he was reading.

 “Should adults interfere in children’s affairs?”

 “But you helped when Duke Odoi came to the imperial palace.”

“That’s because I helped when adults were trying to interfere in children’s affairs.”

 After putting down the documents, Odin finally met Elina’s gaze.

 She was biting her nails with an anxious expression.

 Seeing her habit after a long time, Odin smiled bitterly.

 “Don’t worry too much.”

 “Odin.”

 “Those children have grown up now.”

 Odin held Elina’s hand tightly.

 As he expected, her hand was very cold.

 Elina’s mood, which had momentarily sunk, improved a little from the warmth she received from Odin.

 But that didn’t mean her anxiety had completely disappeared.

 “Isn’t the father-in-law being too insensitive when he cares so much for the new child?”

 “If there really comes a time when we need to help, we can help then. It won’t be too late.”

 “That seems too complacent.”

 “Is that so?”

 The reason for Elina’s anxiety was Clea.

 She saw her former self in Clea’s situation.

 Though it happened a very long time ago, it still occasionally resurfaced as a nightmare.

 When the previous empress and all the nobles stood against her marriage to Odin.

 ‘Back then, they also claimed there were more suitable candidates and insisted everyone should marry according to their status.’

 The situation was so similar to back then.

 At that time, Elina came from a family that could hardly form connections even with a marquis’s family, let alone the imperial family.

 Born to such a family, she continued her relationship with Odin through a chance meeting in the garden.

 Until then, people didn’t strongly oppose it.

 They thought it was just Odin’s amusement and that the relationship would eventually end.

 Elina also thought her relationship with Odin would eventually come to an end.

 But defying everyone’s expectations, Odin proposed to Elina.

 From that moment, the pressure directed at Elina began.

 There was almost no pressure on Odin.

 As the future emperor with a guaranteed future, people didn’t want to get on his bad side. So they chose the easier target, Elina.

 “Elina, Edmund is my son.”

 “……Are you saying he might cause an uproar like you did back then?”

 “If so, we’ll see an entertaining sight after a long time.”

 “The nobles will never welcome it. I still can’t forget what you said that day.”

 After receiving his proposal, each day was like walking on thorns for her.

 From not receiving dress code guidance for balls to the threats that flew toward her family.

 Threats were made not only to her acquaintances but also to her family members.

 It started with bribes, then ostracism telling her to act according to her status, and finally threats to her life.

 Crumbling under this pressure, Elina found each day so difficult that she wanted to end her relationship with Odin.

 Odin, who tried to protect Elina by his side, took drastic measures when he saw her breaking down.

 “You said you would give up the throne if they didn’t approve of your marriage to me.”

 At Elina’s words, Odin laughed.

 She couldn’t forget how many people were thrown into confusion when Odin uttered those words.

 At that time, Odin was the only heir to the throne.

 His declaration was like announcing the end of the imperial family.

 The former empress, for the sake of her own power, refused to acknowledge Odin and Elina’s relationship until the end.

 But the nobles who were shocked by Odin’s declaration were different.

 With no one else to succeed the throne except Odin, the empire would end the moment he refused succession.

 It was so shocking that even nobles who disliked Odin at the time directly stepped forward, insisting that the wedding with Elina should be held as soon as possible.

 For nobles who valued profit above all else, the end of the empire didn’t seem particularly beneficial to them.

 There was a high possibility that neighboring countries, which had been gradually building up their power, would seize the opportunity to wage war, and no new figure to serve as a central figure was in sight.

 It was solely Odin.

 “I’m curious about something.”

 “Ask me anything.”

 With Odin’s permission, Elina looked at him smiling and asked calmly.

 “If the empress had refused to acknowledge us until the end, what would you have done?”

 For them, it was already an event from decades ago.

 Now that time had passed, they could talk about it lightly, but there was no lightness in the expressions of the two people present.

 Odin thought about what he would have done if his birth mother had refused to acknowledge them until the end.

 After a short while, the answer came.

 “Exactly what I said.”

 Odin still didn’t let go of her hand.

 Instead, he moved closer to her face.

 “I wouldn’t have let go of this hand and would have run away with you anywhere.”

 “Even if you couldn’t ascend to the throne as emperor?”

 “Even now, you come before the position I’ve been destined for since birth.”

 “How can I believe those words?”

 Imagining they would have run away somewhere and spent happy times together, Elina also smiled.

 Her smile no longer showed any signs of anxiety.

 Elina provoked Odin playfully.

 In response, Odin closed the distance between them.

 With the already close distance becoming even closer, Odin explored her lips.

 After quite a long kiss, Odin pulled away first.

 Pulling away, he looked into Elina’s eyes and asked.

 “Do you believe me now?”

 This time, Elina grabbed Odin’s clothes and pulled him toward her.

 Odin allowed himself to be led by Elina without resistance.

 Elina kissed Odin.

 “Not yet.”

 After the kiss, Elina licked her lips and said.

 “What if that’s not enough?”

 Hearing those words, Odin swallowed and thought.

 ‘Will the family tree get tangled?’

 * * *

 “Why are you only telling me this now!”

 Aria, who had gone directly to Lloyd at the grand ducal residence, couldn’t believe what he was saying.

 She hadn’t known that Clea coughed up blood every time she met him.

 Was that why Edmund had reacted that way to her?

 With an expression of disbelief, Aria questioned Lloyd accusingly.

 Lloyd looked at Aria with a troubled expression.

 “I couldn’t bear to tell you because I knew your tender heart would be horrified by the news.”

 “What? Is that all you have to say!”

 Lloyd had spoken sincerely, but Aria thought it was just an excuse.

 Thinking about what Edmund had said to her because of this, she could barely contain her boiling anger.

 Looking at Lloyd with an incredulous gaze, Aria clenched her fist and stood up.

 Seeing her rise, Lloyd also stood up.

 “Aria!”

 As Aria stood up to leave, Lloyd rushed to grab her hand.

 Aria shook off Lloyd’s hand.

 “Never.”

 Lloyd, whose hand had been shaken off, looked at her with a bewildered gaze.

 His gaze soon turned cold at her following words.

 “Let’s never meet again.”

 “Aria! Why are you doing this!”

 Having heard Aria say they should never meet again, Lloyd asked desperately.

 From asking why she would say such a thing to following her unceasing steps.

 Though he continued to speak to her, she didn’t even think of looking back and steadfastly moved forward.

 In the end, Lloyd forcefully grabbed Aria and pushed her against the wall, just like that day.

 “Why are you doing this again?”

 Lloyd couldn’t understand her sudden change in behavior when he thought they had just reconciled.

 But right now, Aria was more important than understanding.

 Thinking he couldn’t let her leave like this, he pushed her against the wall and looked at her.

 “I don’t have anything to say to the young grand duke.”

 “Aria Hersher!”

 Lloyd called her name loudly.

 However, Aria turned her head and tried not to meet his gaze.

 Her eyes were still fixed on the door right in front of her.

 She seemed determined to open the door, leave, and never return to this place.

 Feeling urgent at the sight, Lloyd finally acted on impulse.

 “Lloyd! Let go of me!”

 “Haa.”

 He was about to tear Aria’s clothes.

 Even Aria wasn’t foolish enough not to know what Lloyd was trying to do.

 She called out Lloyd’s name and struggled to break free from him.

 Confident in his strength, he didn’t let go as Aria wished.

 “What on earth are you doing?”

 However, there was one thing Lloyd had overlooked.

The point was that this place wasn’t deserted like before.

 Someone had reported that the young grand duke’s room was noisy, and the Grand Duke hurried over, hoping it wasn’t true.

 He couldn’t believe that his son, despite being a scoundrel, would do something to a lady who was his close friend.

 He hoped the person reporting had misunderstood, but the Grand Duke sighed at the scene before his eyes.

 “My lady, I’ll apologize on his behalf. I’m truly sorry.”

 Despite hearing the Grand Duke’s apology, Lloyd still refused to let go of her hand.

 The Grand Duke approached directly and forcefully pulled Lloyd away from Aria.

 “No. Grand Duke, you have nothing to apologize to me for.”

 Finally free, Aria quickly accepted his apology and then fled the mansion like she was escaping.

 As she left, Lloyd tried to chase after her but was stopped by the Grand Duke beside him.

 “We still have things to discuss.”