Chapter 96 - I Promise (2) (1/2)
The girl continued.
” My name is Elena Blaise. What’s your name?”
“…Nothing.”
“You don’t have name?”
When Carlisle closed his mouth again, Elena thought she must have made a mistake.
“…I’m sorry.”
Carlisle didn’t turn down her pity. Despite his position as crown prince, he deserved some sympathy. No one else felt sorry for him because he was the prince and had the Orb, but he was only a thirteen-year-old boy.
“Don’t worry. If I tell my mother about you, she’ll take you in. Why don’t you work at our mansion if life in the palace is hard?”
“…I can?”
He desperately wanted to leave behind everything that was holding him down and live his life as he pleased. His mother told him to gaze high as a bird, but he just wanted to be free as one.
“Of course. So are you coming to my home? I’ll watch the opera with you, and we can go to the bakery…I’ll show you a lot of other fun stuff. Promise!”
Carlisle looked down at Elena’s outstretched pinky finger, then linked it with his own. He almost burst into tears at that moment. He really wanted to live that life with her.
“You should call me Lady from now on. I don’t know about the Imperial Palace, but that’s how the servants call me at home, or they’ll get in trouble. But I’ll let you to call me by my name when we’re alone.”
“…I’ll worry about that later.”
“Tch, the strictness is different from what you’re used to.”
And so Elena and Carlisle spent all day exploring Freesia Palace. When she saw Carlisle’s small cuts, she tore the hem of her dress and bound them. He took her to a place only he knew and showed her the statue of the dragon, then they went to the man-made lake to splash their feet in the water.
Elena didn’t know it, but Carlisle was deliberately guiding her to the deserted areas. He wanted this joy to last forever. But contrary to Carlisle’s desperate wish, the time came when she had to go.
“Len! Where are you?”
A voice came calling for Elena. Soon there were also other voices calling out, “Young lady!” and Elena suddenly realized where she was.
“Oh! Mother! I think I’d better go. I’ll talk to my mother right away to come and get you.”
Elena stood up and made to return to her mother, but Carlisle already knew. This was the end.
“Elena!”
“Hm?”
At Carlisle’s urgent call she turned back. He handed her the Orb ring without any hesitation.
“Please take this.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a ring.”
“Ring? My mother said I shouldn’t accept things…”
Carlisle tried to explain, but the voices of those looking for Elena were getting closer. He didn’t have much time to tell her the little details.
“This is…this is my memory of my mother. I can’t keep it, and I want you to take care of it for a while. I want to you make me a promise.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Keep it. I’ll come back for it for sure.”
“Alright.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, I promise!”
Elena beamed, and a bittersweet feeling welled up in Carlisle’s chest. It was impossible to know if he would die when he left for the battlefield, and since he couldn’t use the wish on himself or his family, he wanted to use it now.
‘My wish is…’