Time-Limited Saintess, You’ve Been Caught by the Tyrant Once Again - Chapter 70

Chapter 35.2

A week later, Arkan suddenly appeared in her room and said to Elena.

“You really don’t need anything?”

“….”

<“Are you rebelling against me? By saying you don’t like this?”

“No, there really isn’t.”

It was then that he seemed to sense the sincerity on Elena’s face. He spoke with a disappointed expression.

“Even if I were to lock you up in a dungeon, would your thoughts change?”

“I don’t know, but it probably wouldn’t be much different.”

“You’re married to me. Even though you hate it, you’re still my… wife. If you need anything, say it. No one will criticize you.”

“I don’t need anything.”

Such persistent questioning went back and forth. After a while, Arkan, tired of the conversation, spoke.

“It seems you have been brainwashed not to have desires.”

“….”

“It’s like a monster created by the temple.”

Monster.

It was terribly cruel words for a husband to say about his wife despite the fact that they were forced together.

He called the person he brought as a monster.

Ellin felt her heart sink for a moment as she heard that contemptuous title.

Material desires were scorned by the priests. However, they were also human, and to some extent, they coveted something—better clothes, luxurious and delicious food, and even personal items for conducting ceremonies.

Could they really have been ‘brainwashed’ when they knew their secret greed?

She just didn’t think she should have it. Eating delicious food made her happy, but that was all. She envied pretty clothes, though they weren’t allowed to her. Anything to adorn herself, all the comforts and luxuries that could be obtained with money… they all meant nothing to her since she was already doomed to die.

That was why she gave up so she wouldn’t have, and he called her a ‘monster.’

For the first time in her life, she was deeply hurt by someone else’s words. And now, as she was hurt once again, Ellin’s heart was beating for a different reason.

Could it be that he noticed she was the Saintess? Was he trying to find out?

She gazed at Arkan with trembling eyes. Still, wouldn’t Ellin herself know too? He would’ve immediately taken advantage of her if she was the ‘Saintess.’ He wouldn’t leave her like this.

“I’ve been brainwashed? What?”

“No, I made a mistake.”

Arkan quickly corrected himself as he looked at her expression. As her face darkened, he continued his words.

“I said it because it was strange not to want anything.”

“If it’s brainwashing… then what…”

“Why do you attach so much meaning to that word? I said this out of frustration because you’re always dissatisfied with this and that. I said it was a slip of the tongue.”

“….”

Seeing him go to such lengths to explain, it seemed like it really was a slip of the tongue. When she realized that it was a meaningless remark, she felt both relieved and bittersweet.

“So, do you think I’m a monster?”

“What? I didn’t mean it like that…”

“You said it’s strange if I don’t want something.”

He became speechless at her words.

“Did I make such a big mistake? It seems like you’re resenting me.”

“…No. That slip of the tongue was on my part.”

Ellin stepped back. The wounds she had inflicted on Arkan, which she had forgotten, seemed to ache.

‘…It seems I’ll still be seen as a monster by this person even in this life.’

Such a sad resignation came over her.

“It’s just the word monster. Don’t jump to strange conclusions.”

“….”

“I’ve never met anyone like you before, so it just annoyed me.”

“Why does it annoy you? Does it mean you’re angry? If you don’t like me, why is Your Majesty reacting like this?”

She was angry at him for casually saying things that would hurt her so easily. That was why she was able to question him like this.

Arkan didn’t seem angry by that.

“That’s…”

After some consideration, he responded.

“If I had to say, it would be more like pity.”

“…Yes?”

Did she hear that correctly?

Ellin’s eyes widened.

Did this person feel pity for someone? Really? Her mind went blank.

“Your Highness, what…”

“Do I need to explain? That’s the reason, so all that talk about brainwashing was just a slip of the tongue. Just go back.”

“….”

“Miss Ellin, would you like the knights to escort you?”

“No.”

Ellin walked through the corridor with a dazed expression as her heart began to race. Every once in a while, she thought about Arkan’s remarks. At those times, she felt a little resentment towards him, yet she also had moments where she questioned if she was the one in the wrong.

Even in her past life… was he pitying her? Were his cruel words just an expression of pity?

She looked back at the closed door of the Emperor’s office. If she had felt the same way back then, the wounds she had endured wouldn’t hurt anymore.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

Arkan rubbed his forehead. Even though he didn’t think of himself as stupid, he had made a significant slip of the tongue.

“Brainwashing…”

That was something he shouldn’t have said.

As he sighed and anxiously tapped the parchment with his pen, the red ink spread out. Finally, he stabbed the pen nib onto the letter.

…The expression of fear that her identity might be exposed and the bitterness that followed.

He became dumbfounded by the negative emotions that Ellin was unable to hide. He hadn’t intended to find out, but that was the conclusion he came to anyway.

“So… that’s how it is.”

The reason she showed no greed in any aspect was because… she had been brainwashed. And the reason was simple. It was because she wasn’t allowed to have personal property.

Ellin was a slave.

Arkan had made the biggest fallacious guess in his life.

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