“Elise eloped with her guard?!”
The king’s voice cracked, laced with irritation and anger.
“Why was this reported only now when she fled yesterday evening?!”
“My deepest apologies. I was incapacitated by the sleeping beads… Even after waking, the lingering effects made it impossible to move.”
Sleeping beads, though powerful, often left temporary aftereffects. Elise’s father, one of the rare exceptions unaffected, feigned illness to delay reporting the incident until morning.
“I sent a messenger immediately upon waking, but it seems the news didn’t reach you until dawn, Your Majesty.”
Elise's father reported the events of the previous day in exhaustive detail to the king.
The suspicious king, who employed spies even within the most powerful noble families—his own kin included—would later cross-check every minute detail. Any inconsistencies would lead to accusations, harsh interrogation, and severe punishment. Lying was not an option.
“So, she knew the truth about her mother’s death,” the king spat bitterly. “She secured a new identity and eloped with the strongest of guards. And to think I believed she was a meek and quiet girl—she was simply hiding her claws.”
The king’s lip curled with disdain.
“The night has passed, so Elise is unlikely to remain pure. A marriage alliance with the neighboring kingdom is now impossible, but there are still other ways she can be useful… Someone summon the Captain of the Royal Guards. Search for Elise. She must be found.”
At the same time.
I woke with a start and almost screamed.
“Good morning, Lady Elise.”
Lyzectus smiled at me, his eyes softened with warmth. His silver hair, which he usually tied up, cascaded freely, shimmering like the pale light of the moon. He was casually dressed, his shirt loosely draped over his upper body, leaving his toned, battle-hardened muscles right there.
Faced with this lethal level of handsomeness, I clapped my hands over my face. (I peeked a little between my fingers though—it’s my right as his wife!).
4 hours remain.
The search party deployed to find Elise combed through the capital.
It was inconceivable that Elise, a delicate lady raised within noble confines, would leave the city at dusk and venture into the gathering darkness. At the noble-exclusive gates, where names were meticulously recorded, there was no trace of Elise Leoris.
At last, soldiers discovered the name Elise Leoris—in an empty inn room Elise had deliberately left as a decoy. It was precisely 11:00 a.m. when they broke in.
“11 o’clock…!”
Riding on horseback down a country road, I glared at the magical clock in my hands.
“Is something the matter?” Lyzectus asked.
“No, it’s nothing. I just thought it might be lunchtime soon. I’m hungry.”
“Then let’s stop for an early lunch. There’s a river nearby, and I have some bread I bought from a food stall.”
There were no signs of pursuers.
Lyzectus was alive. So was I.
I was truly free from “Blue Rose Garden.”
Resting my head against Lyzectus’ chest, I listened to the sound of his heartbeat. Thump, thump. His pulse echoed steadily. Focusing intently, I realized my own heartbeat matched his rhythm, as though they beat as one.
“There’s a large city up ahead,” Lyzectus said, his voice calm yet resolute. “It has a dragon station. We’ll complete our departure procedures there and fly over the border. I have my savings and the money from selling my parents’ shop, so paying for an expensive dragon won’t be an issue.”
“What? But I have money too. And what about the horse?”
“I’ll cover the cost. As for the horse, I have a friend in that city—a horse fanatic. He’s always admired my horse, and I know he’ll care for it well.”
The river came into view.
Its gentle surface reflected the sunlight in dazzling shards, sparkling like scattered glass.
The calls of water birds echoed, mingling with the soft murmur of the flowing current. Flowers bloomed along the banks, their fragrance carried on the wind. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
In the distance, the city appeared, its silhouette rising against the horizon.
Suddenly, the air trembled with the deep, resonant roar of a dragon.
“Lyzectus, look! A dragon! A dragon!”
I exclaimed excitedly, unable to contain my joy.
Lyzectus turned to me, his smile tender, his eyes crinkling with affection.
It was only ten days later that Elise’s search party finally discovered Elise Leoris’ exit record.
[The End]
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