The Reward for Saving The World is a Husband - Chapter 38
Despite his efforts over the past few days, Elias’s thoughts kept drifting back to Elesha.
‘I hope she’s been getting her treatment properly. She must have felt terribly confined, not being able to leave the bedroom for days…’
As the count’s estate came into view beyond the gate to Rachdel, Elias’s thoughts began to spiral.
‘What if she ran away while I was gone? Or maybe, after I promised to return soon but left her alone for several days, she’s started to resent me…’
A wave of anxiety surged through him.
‘No, if there’s been no word from her, she didn’t run away. But still, shouldn’t I have brought her a gift, seeing as she’s my mistress now? What if she’s been waiting, expecting something?’
He grew increasingly restless.
‘No, wait. Rather than picking something random, it’d be better to take her out myself, let her look around, and give her whatever she wants…’
His heart pounded erratically, a mix of excitement and nerves he hadn’t even felt during his adolescent years.
When the carriage passed through the castle gates and stopped in front of the main building, Elias jumped out, as quick as an arrow loosed from a bow.
Without sparing a moment to greet the servants, he rushed up the central staircase. It was then that he overheard a woman’s voice filled with scorn and mockery.
‘Luna…?’
Luna was the daughter of Helen, Elias’s trusted physician.
He remembered her as a shy young woman with a good reputation among the staff for her diligence. Hearing her like this surprised him—she sounded like a completely different person.
Luna was speaking to Callen, his lieutenant.
‘Who are they talking about?’
Elias waved off the confused servants and ascended the stairs slowly, his ears open to their conversation.
“For four days, I’ve served her the same meals every time, plain potage, which only commoners like, and she’s eaten it all without a single complaint. What noble would tolerate that?.”
As the conversation continued, Elias felt his chest tighten. He finally understood exactly what they were discussing.
‘They did this to Elesha while I was away…’
He had chosen to bring the wounded Elesha back himself rather than relying on the saintess’s healing power, thinking he could take better care of her.
He had been uneasy about leaving her alone, but he had trusted Callen to understand the significance of leaving her in his bedroom.
But what was this? Instead of taking good care of her, they had treated her as though they were doing her a favor by giving her watery gruel.
The thought of how Elesha must have endured, under constant surveillance and mistreatment, made it hard for Elias to breathe.
“Callen, do you have anything to say about what I’ve just heard?”
Callen, who had always been loyal and had followed his orders diligently, had disregarded his command to take care of Elesha and left her unattended.
Suppressing his urge to rush straight to Elesha and check on her, Elias questioned Callen first, out of the trust they had built over the years.
“My Lord, I misjudged the situation…”
“This is not Callen’s fault! I asked him to do it!”
Luna suddenly jumped in, shouting between them.
“I did it all for your sake, My Lord. While you were away, that woman was tarnishing your honor with her lies…”
Despite her pleading eyes and pitiful expression, Elias didn’t want to understand her. The more she spoke, the more he felt a deep-seated disdain simmering beneath his anger.
“Elesha has never spoken a lie.”
What had Elesha done wrong to deserve such malice?
“…What?”
“She is indeed my mistress. We’re getting married soon. So, you would do well to refrain from making any more disrespectful remarks or actions.”
“W-What…?”
“My Lord, are you serious? Are you really going to marry her?”
Callen asked, his face filled with shock.
Without hesitation, Elias answered.
“Yes.”
