When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 48

What is this tickling sensation I’ve been feeling?

Ever since leaving Caber’s room, Lailly felt her heart flutter. Could it be because of what he said to her?

‘I didn’t know Father was going that far.’

To think he was gathering nobles to plot her removal from the Imperial Family.

“Is this why they say desperation is frightening?”

“Lailly.”

Ren crossed his arms and blocked Lailly’s path. Lost in thought, she hadn’t even realized she had passed her room and kept walking.

“Oh, Ren. Why are you here?”

“You’re the one spacing out. What are you doing?”

At Ren’s words, Lailly snapped out of it and looked around.

“I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

“Did something happen?”

Something….

Lailly unconsciously fidgeted with her hands. She felt a strange sensation, as if Caber’s warmth still lingered.

“Nothing happened.”

“Then why does your face look like that?”

Ren reached out and touched Lailly’s cheek. She didn’t seem to have a fever, but her cheeks were flushed, which made him feel uneasy.

‘What is it? Why do I feel like this….’

Just as she was endlessly delving into the unknown emotion, Lailly pushed Ren’s hand away and smiled awkwardly.

“I’m not sick, so go back inside.”

“Something’s weird.”

Ren couldn’t shake off the strange feeling easily. He always enjoyed seeing Lailly smile, but today, he didn’t feel good about it.

His gaze soon turned to Lailly’s hands. Her restless hands still bothered him.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

He impulsively grabbed Lailly’s hand.

“I feel uneasy for some reason.”

“…Are you saying you feel bad holding my hand?”

Lailly squinted at him with a bewildered expression. He seemed to bring his face closer, staring intently into Lailly’s eyes.

“You know you’re really strange today, right?”

“That’s what I should be saying.”

Thump.

Ren lightly bumped his forehead against Lailly’s and stepped back. It didn’t hurt, but Lailly tilted her head, rubbing her forehead at Ren’s sudden action.

* * *

Caber paced around his office, flustered. His ears were red, and his excited expression made him look like Caber from his childhood.

Haban rushed to Caber, who was slumped over after Lailly left.

Fearing something had happened, he hurriedly called out to him, and Caber covered his face, muttering.

“Lailly….”

“Yes, what about her?”

“She….”

“I’m saying, what about Lady Lailly Sharltea!”

Haban felt frustrated, seeing Caber unable to finish his sentence, and thumped his chest. What could have happened to make him like this?

The only thing he could tell was that he seemed very happy.

“She, she held my hand.”

“…….”

“She held my hand first, you know?”

Caber grabbed Haban’s shoulders and shook him, shouting.

“Surely, that’s not all that happened?”

“Aren’t you surprised? How can you be so indifferent after hearing this?”

Haban stared at Caber with a nonchalant expression. He casually grabbed Caber’s hand and shook it.

“Everyone holds hands, even kids.”

“…Are you holding my hand now?”

The moment Caber saw Haban holding the hand Lailly had held, his eyes widened, and he lunged at him.

“Why are you acting like this? You’re not a child!”

“It’s because you didn’t see it. Lailly….”

Her face was definitely flushed. No one would know how significant that small change was to Caber.

He had been looking at her for over a decade.

Haban shook his head, watching Caber make such a fuss over a single touch.

‘If their lips ever touch, he’ll probably faint.’

Of course, he knew how deep Caber’s affections had been, so he understood his current state to some extent.

“Still, it’s a relief. It seems she’s opened her heart a little.”

“Yeah. That’s enough.”

He felt his drained energy returning. He had to prepare diligently for the meeting in two days to avoid being defeated.

* * *

“So, you’ve made up your mind?”

The Emperor said to Lailly, who was sitting in front of him. The tips of her silver hair were tinged with blue.

He faintly recalled the sword contractor who used to protect him.

‘The lives of sword contractors were never long.’

After making the contract, they had to endure and use the mana that suppressed their bodies for the rest of their lives. As a result, their bodies eventually couldn’t withstand it and broke down.

Surprisingly, the moment the Emperor’s stability and an heir were secured, they seemed to have fulfilled their duty and breathed their last.

“First, I want to clarify. Is it the termination of the contract with the Imperial Family, or can the contract with the sword itself be terminated?”

Her green eyes, seemingly imbued with nature, met the Emperor’s. Still unwavering and upright, her gaze and attitude made the Emperor stroke his chin.

“The contract with the sword cannot be terminated. Even if it existed, nothing remains now. However, the method to terminate the contract with the Imperial Family still remains.”

What Lailly disliked was being bound to the Imperial Family. It was her fate to live as a sword, not as herself.

If Caber hadn’t tried, it wouldn’t have been possible, but his son had broken the predetermined fate as if to show off.

‘There’s a little less reason to protect the Imperial Family now.’

So, even if Lailly contracted with the sword, she wouldn’t have to use mana excessively, so in conclusion, she was also further away from death.

“I will help until His Highness Caber safely inherits the throne.”

“What do you want?”

The Emperor met Lailly’s gaze, looking straight into her eyes, and asked. Terminating the contract was just a proposal to keep her by his side.

“I….”

Lailly paused, considering the Emperor’s words. What did she want?

“Please grant me the strength to become a legitimate head of the family later on.”

“Is that all you want?”

The Emperor raised his eyebrows at the unexpectedly simple request. Anyone with the qualifications could obtain the position of head of the family.

Lailly saying this to him was probably about the Imperial Family’s unchanging treatment of the Tralala family after terminating the contract with the Imperial Family.

“Even though I am a sword contractor, if I do not assist His Highness the Crown Prince, there will be those who express dissatisfaction.”

Because they had been building up their family with the power of the Imperial Family.

Taking advantage of this, those who had always disliked the Tralala family might rise up.

The Emperor seemed to have anticipated Lailly’s concerns, wearing a relaxed expression.

“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s just breaking the contract with the Tralala family, which is like a shackle, but the friendly relationship remains the same. I will show this to everyone. However, like other nobles, your family must also fulfill its obligations if the country needs it.”

The Emperor drew a line. She didn’t have to sacrifice her life for Caber for the rest of her life, but she shouldn’t forget her duty as a citizen.

This meant that troops could be drafted in the event of war or when necessary.

“I am also aware of that.”

She simply wanted to be able to live the life she wanted. A future created by herself, not a future determined by others.

“Caber must have known this, but he didn’t come to me right away. Did you tell him?”

The Emperor felt puzzled at Caber’s actions that night. If it was about Lailly, he would have rushed over with fire in his eyes, even if it was his father.

He was about to complain just for watching without intervening, but he was quiet, so he couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

‘I thought he had matured, but he only loses his reason when it comes to Lailly, so it’s not good for a father to speak ill of his son to others.’

Lailly carefully chose her words.

“I just said that I made the choice. It wasn’t a bad proposal either.”

“I have one thing I want to ask you separately.”

She nodded lightly. The atmosphere was different from before, and she was a little nervous, wondering if it was serious.

“This is a personal question, not as an Emperor, but as a father, so you don’t have to answer.”

Lailly’s eyes widened at the Emperor’s words.

‘Father….’

It was a word she had never thought of fondly, but strangely, she felt warmth now.

What could he want to ask her? No matter how much she thought about it, there was nothing else.

Could it be that he wants to ask about Duke Beritter? But, asking as a father….

‘It must be about His Highness Caber.’

Lailly quietly waited for the Emperor to open his mouth. He hesitated slightly, then began to tap the chair anxiously with his fingers.

“Besides being a sword, what do you think about being in the Imperial Family?”

“…I don’t know what you mean.”

The Emperor couldn’t ask directly and asked indirectly. Because of that, Lailly didn’t understand the meaning of the Emperor’s question and tilted her head.

“I’m asking what you think of my son.”

“……Yes?”

“No, never mind. I said something foolish. Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that.”

The Emperor hurriedly retracted his words. He couldn’t bear to see his son’s pure heart any longer and tried to gauge Lailly’s feelings, but it seemed he had asked the wrong question.

Judging from her reaction, it seems his son’s feelings are still one-sided.