Time-Limited Saintess, You’ve Been Caught by the Tyrant Once Again - Chapter 105

Chapter 53.1

Arkan let out a heavy sigh.

Saying it was about a friend… her lies were so poorly told that it was almost laughable.

Ellin, who had been crying for a long time, left with her head hanging low.

As he sat on the edge of the desk, he rubbed his face with his hands. He shouldn’t have said anything. He had never believed the story about the friend, but when he told her the truth, she was visibly devastated.

‘Love.’

What a truly damnable emotion.

‘This is what love is? It’s a damnable feeling.’

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, he found himself blaming himself, and seeing her cry was unbearable.

What frustrated him even more was that he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

He was the one who had never even been loved properly, let alone been in a relationship.

That was why, the moment Arkan realized he was in love last year, the first thing he did was ignore the feeling and distance himself from Ellin.

He was incredibly busy, so there had been no real need to keep his distance. But once he recognized his feelings, he also realized that he was gradually getting closer to her. In the end, he didn’t refuse her reports, watched her while she took walks in the garden, and found himself growing curious about who she loved.

All the effort he had put in over the past year had been pointless.

He let out another sigh.

‘Anyway…’

Arkan thought it was necessary to properly investigate Ellin. He only knew that she had worked at some city inn, but he didn’t know where she was born or what kind of life she had lived. What she had just said, however, was an important clue.

‘That bastard lord had killed her parents and exploited the land.’

Naturally, the ones who killed her parents must have been the lord’s servants and the local villagers. In a land with only around two hundred people, there was no way they wouldn’t have known. It seemed that was how Ellin had ended up as a slave.

Whether the lord had sold her off or not, he wasn’t sure.

“…Bronn.”

At his call, Bronn opened the door and stepped inside, bowing as he entered.

“A small fief with around two hundred people is typically a barony or a viscounty. How many of those are there?”

“Well… there are probably several hundred we don’t know about. For now, the titles of those lords are barons and viscounts, but even among those with just a single title, there are far too many in Nicaea.”

“….”

“First off, it’s highly likely that Ellin is from there. Look into it whenever you get the chance.”

“Understood.”

Bronn didn’t ask any questions. He had already noticed to some extent.

If this really was about Ellin, then…

“We’ll have to wipe them all out.”

He muttered, his voice laced with murderous intent.

The love he harbored was filled with destructive power.

At that moment, Bronn spoke up.

“Your Majesty.”

“What?”

“I’ll follow your orders, Your Majesty, but do you really plan to leave Miss Ellin like this?”

“…What?”

Bronn seemed embarrassed.

He had been watching Ellin from a distance under Arkan’s orders, so he understood why his master was keeping his distance. He, too, was afraid.

“Her status may not be enough to stand by Your Majesty’s side, but her character is noble.”

Arkan furrowed his brows.

“It’s time to make a decision. Both your time, Your Majesty, and Miss Ellin’s time are passing by.”

“What are you saying? I have no intention of forcing anyone into my life, especially not as a mistress.”

“…So, if it’s not forced, are you considering bringing her in?”

He remained silent.

“Some of the palace knights admire Miss Ellin. If you’re not interested, they might…”

Arkan drew his sword.

“Who dares?”

“….”

Arkan gritted his teeth and spoke menacingly. Bronn, though clearly uneasy, responded without hesitation.

“Why don’t you try getting closer to her now?”

“….”

“It’s not difficult to win people’s hearts.”

“At this point, I…”

“But you can’t just leave her trapped here to wither away, can you?”

“You’re overstepping.”

“Your Majesty is right.”

“….”

“Isn’t Miss Ellin the one who knows that best?”

Arkan couldn’t find a response to Bronn’s words.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

Ellin’s thoughts swirled.

‘…No way. It can’t be, right?’

She hugged her knees, thinking of her hometown. She desperately hoped it wasn’t true. However, Arkan’s casual words seemed to suggest otherwise.

She had never given much thought to her parents’ deaths.

Even though they claimed it was a robbery, it was a poor territory ruled by Viscount Timothy. Besides, even though her parents were relatively well-off farmers, they weren’t wealthy enough to stand out. Their appearance was no different from that of other peasants.

But a robbery…

In addition, the bandits were never caught, and only the bodies had been returned. That was strange.

What troubled her most was that Viscount Timothy hadn’t acted ‘alone.’ Most of the farmers in the territory were tenant farmers. Had her parents been murdered to seize more fertile land?

Her hands trembled.

Was that why Arkan had destroyed the village in her past life? To avenge Elena’s parents? Could that truly have been the reason?

But back then, she and Arkan had never even spoken.

The moment he became emperor, he earned the title ‘Black Emperor’ through a bloody purge, and she had been nothing more than the saintess. The village’s annihilation was likely just another part of the purge.

Ellin, lost in sorrow, struggled to control her emotions.

It was the past. Just something from a previous life that hadn’t happened yet. If she handled things well, that event would never happen again.

But slowly, resentment began to grow.

The people who had killed her parents were still living their lives as if nothing had happened.

“Ellin! What are you doing?”

Melissa had just returned after finishing her work.

Ellin was startled by the emotions stirring inside her. How could she feel anger when she was supposed to pity them? Before Melissa could sense anything, she quickly wiped away her expression and turned to face her friend. At her request, Melissa had become her roommate.

Ellin shook her head without saying a word.

Melissa let out a sigh. It seemed someone from the imperial family had troubled her again.

Was it like mixing oil and water? Or a swan among ducks?

A whole year had passed, yet Ellin still couldn’t fit in at the imperial palace. It was no wonder. After all, the emperor had once ordered the slaughter of the maids associated with her.

But that had been entirely their fault. How could they simply destroy a letter meant for the emperor like that…

Even knowing this, the palace staff still kept an inexplicable distance from Ellin.

It was clear from her appearance alone. Ellin was undeniably beautiful. Though her brown hair suited her well, it was her pale skin and elegant neckline that gave off an air of nobility. On top of that, her mannerisms were different. She always carried herself like a noble.