Chapter 198 - There’s No Need To Be Bitter (1) (1/2)

Ch. 198 There’s No Need To Be Bitter (1)

Carlisle rarely stayed separated from Elena since her injury. Because she had long been confined to her bed, today he carried her to a private garden to get some fresh air.

“Ca-Caril, set me down. Someone might see.”

Her cheeks were hot as she kept glancing around, but Carlisle ignored her protests.

“So what if they see?”

“I’m not a child, and it’s embarrassing if you carry me around like this.”

“My wife is too shy. No one will blame a husband and wife going out together.”

The servants wouldn’t say anything to them, but Elena was sure they would gossip behind their back. Those who served in the Imperial Palace were human after all, and wouldn’t be able to resist a bit of chit chat about their masters’ private lives.

“Still…”

Carlisle replied to Elena’s continued doubt.

“Don’t worry. If anyone says something offensive to you, I’ll punish them severely.”

He didn’t sound like his was joking, and she gave a disapproving frown.

“You can’t gain your subordinates’ loyalty if you punish them too harshly.”

“People’s hearts are evil, and we don’t know if they are truly loyal. Obedience comes before loyalty.”

Carlisle was not wrong; objectively speaking, it was a standard belief for a reason. As Crown Prince, he did not have the luxury to easily place his trust in people.

However…Elena was worried about his occasional violent nature. She wanted to show him that the bloody conquest of emperors past was not the only path for him, and politics could be beneficial to his people. That was Elena’s small wish.

“You are right, but always remember to be kind. That way, more people will be there to support you if you get into trouble later on.”

Carlisle grinned at her words.

“Are you worried about me?”

“Of course. You occupy most of my worries.”

“Whatever they are, I like that you worry about me.”

At the same time, he stopped at a table in the middle of the garden. He sat down on a chair, and with great strength adjusted Elena so that she was sitting on his lap.

“Oh!”

Elena gave an exclamation of surprise, and he looked at her, savoring her figure.

“In fact…I once thought that if I was not going to be loved by you, then I would rather be hated.”

“Really?”

“I wanted your mind to be full of me, no matter what emotions you felt.”

Carlisle’s feelings were different from those of ordinary people. Elena couldn’t define it in a word, but he certainly did not express his affection the way others did. She even discovered something new about it.

‘When Caril doesn’t act cute at all, I think he’s even more cute.’

In other words, probably only Elena saw him that way. From an objective standpoint, Carlisle’s actions were not particularly attractive, but she did not mind his greed. She was happy that those intense blue eyes were directed only towards her.

‘Maybe I’m strange too…’

Elena smiled happily as she immersed herself in thoughts of Carlisle.

Feeling somewhat exhausted after being outdoors for some time now, she leaned against his broad shoulder and spoke in a lazy voice.

“It worked. Now I spend most of the day thinking about you.”

Carlisle stared at Elena’s golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. Despite her sickly pallor, her eyes were bright, and he stroked Elena’s hair with a careful hand.

“And I’m madly in love with you. Stay by my side for a long time.”

Elena sensed a faint note of desperation in Carlisle’s words. He seemed sick with worry ever since she had been hit by the arrow. She knew that if she had been in his position, she also would have been just as frightened if Carlisle were about to die.

“I will. I’ll be here for a long time.”

Despite the confidence in Elena’s answer, Carlisle only gave a rueful smile. There was no guarantee that Elena would never get hurt, not when the road ahead of them was so dangerous.

“Unless I die, I will likely become emperor. But it’s up to you to decide what kind of emperor I will be.”

“…?”

“You know more than anyone how selfish and aggressive I am. I am hardly a saint. So I need you by my side…”

Elena raised her head again to look at Carlisle’s face. No one had ever told her that they needed her like this before. When she thought about it now, that was the way it had always been with him.

A feeling swelled in her chest. She was so happy.

“It’s sweet.”

Elena smiled and cupped Carlisle’s face with her slender hands.

“A man who cannot be without me…”

While Elena didn’t realize this about herself, her beauty could captivate any man in the world. Carlisle momentarily gripped her hand as if he couldn’t hold himself back, but soon his hold loosened. His brow furrowed as he looked at her.

“You need to gain some weight. I feel like I’ll break you if I hold you too tightly.”