My father ignored me. But Lyzectus became strong and loved me.
“I am sorry. Please punish me however you see fit for keeping this from you.”
“What are you saying?! There’s no punishment—don’t apologize! I’m grateful to Lyzectus, who stayed by my side and loved me all this time. If anyone should apologize, it’s me. I chained you to me. You were a brilliant novice priest, your future so full of promise. Those scars on your arms… those wounds on your back… You spent years and years honing your martial skills just to come to my side. Thank you. You saved my heart.”
Only Lyzectus gave me his sincere heart. In the cold and lonely mansion where I trembled with despair, he was the one who lifted my soul out of the darkness.
“Thank you for loving me. I am so happy to be married to you, Lyzectus.”
I didn’t want to part with Lyzectus.
I didn’t want to let him go.
With Christoph, my former fiancé, love and romance had nothing to do with it.
At first, I had hopes of mutual love. I put in the effort. But all I was given was the heavy burden of supporting Christoph on my own. To him, I was nothing more than a dull cousin from start to finish.
Lyzectus’ expression softened, melting like honey.
“Lady Elise, I love you as well. From the depths of my heart, I will love you forever.”
There was no wedding dress.
No vows at the temple.
But I had what I wanted most—his heartfelt love and words of affection, freely given.
I became Lyzectus’ wife, and he became my husband.
Like evening primrose petals unfolding, the sunset clouds slowly changed shape.
The daytime blue sky gave way to a tapestry of crimson, deep indigo, and violet, as though blooming into a floral display. Bathed in the sun’s lingering glow, the clouds glimmered softly from within.
The horse galloped as though chased by the approaching twilight, carrying Lyzectus and me.
“Traveling at night is dangerous. Let’s find an inn before it gets completely dark.”
By the time we arrived in a small town, the merchant shops had lit lanterns at their eaves.
Lyzectus pointed to a sign.
“There’s an inn. It looks respectable enough. Shall we stay here?”
I nodded, and Lyzectus led our horse to the stable beside the inn, where a young man accepted the animal for a fee.
When we opened the inn’s door, warmth and the scent of food enveloped us.
The first floor was a lively dining hall, bustling with patrons. A fireplace burned against the back wall, its flames licking at a large pot hanging above it. A woman emerged from the kitchen, smiling.
“Staying the night, are you?”
In this world, unlike my previous life, no laws required accurate guest registries. Using a false name wasn’t a crime.
Lyzectus and I stayed as husband and wife under assumed names.
“I’ll fetch some warm water for you.”
13 hours remain.
While waiting for Lyzectus, I lay down briefly on the bed. I was so exhausted. Too much had happened—it felt as though heaven and earth had flipped.
Hunger gnawed at me, but the fatigue from riding all day on horseback outweighed it.
Yet I felt relieved. The coarse blanket, far from the luxurious feathers of the mansion, comforted me. I escaped the capital. That thought alone allowed me to relax completely. My body slackened as though a string had snapped, my limbs heavy and creaking with weariness.
Reflecting on the success of today’s escape, I drifted into sleep as smoothly as walking down a staircase.
It was my wedding night, yet I fell into a deep, untroubled sleep without realizing it.
And so, I didn’t know.
I didn’t know that Lyzectus returned and carefully washed my hands and feet.
I didn’t know that he kissed my forehead tenderly, whispering goodnight.
I didn’t know that he stayed awake through the night, watching over me with gentle eyes full of happiness, ever vigilant for pursuers.
Nor did I know that, by morning, in the king’s private chamber, my father was kneeling before the king.
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