Carlisle naturally assumed that Elena was resting in the bedroom or already asleep . It was the right thing to do, as her arrow wound hadn’t completely healed yet . Contrary to Carlisle’s expectations, however, Elena was nowhere to be seen, despite the late hour .
Carlisle frantically searched the bedroom before summoning a maid to ask about Elena’s whereabouts .
Ttubeog ttubeog—
Carlisle’s swift footsteps echoed in the large palace halls . He didn’t like the place where she was now .
Sswiiig!
There was a sharp sound of wind as Elena’s arrow hit the bullseye . There were already a dozen other arrows embedded in the target, and her sword was out as if she had been practicing with it .
Carlisle’s eyes flashed in disapproval .
“What are you doing here, my wife?”
“Ah, Caril . Are you here to find me? It must be late already . ”
Elena set down her bow and tried to look contrite . Carlisle walked behind her to inspect her back, worried that the wound might have been aggravated and started bleeding into her bandages .
Elena spoke with a reassuring voice .
“You don’t have to worry . I’m fine . ”
Fortunately her bandages were clean, but Carlisle’s brow crinkled in dismay .
“It’s not fine . What the hell are you doing here practicing with your injured body?”
“I…I thought when I had the free time, I should improve my skills . ”
“You can stop . Do you know how much worry you’ll cause me?”
Carlisle lifted Elena without further comment . She looked surprised, but did not push him away . She had already been in Carlisle’s arms several times, and had subconsciously adapted to it . A broad smile spread across her face .
“Are you going to carry me to bed?”
“I’ll tie you to it as well . ”
“Well, I’m not so easily captured . ”
Carlisle chuckled at Elena’s playful words, but then his expression turned solemn .
“…Don’t make me worry . You can’t stress your body until your wound is healed . ”
Elena fully understood Carlisle’s feelings, but she was too restless to simply lie still .
“I’m sorry to have troubled you, but the tournament will be soon . That’s when the Imperial Family would gather, and I’m uneasy about it . ”
The tournament was the one Derek had long been training for . It would have been held much earlier, but it was delayed due to Carlisle’s and Elena’s sudden marriage .
The tournament was periodically held in the capital, and it would bring together all members of the Imperial Family—Emperor Sullivan, Empress Ophelia, Second Prince Redfield, and Grand Duke Paveluc . But could the event proceed without any incident? What’s more, Carlisle wasn’t saying anything, but she had seen some suspicious movement from him . It was like the calm before the storm .
Carlisle glanced down at Elena in his arms .
“I suppose I still don’t have much faith in you . Just listen to me and rest until the wound is healed . ”
“Then let me know what you’re up to . ”
“…When you are healed . ”
“If you don’t tell me anything by then, I might die in curiosity . ”
At Elena’s words, Carlisle’s eyes darkened momentarily .
“Don’t joke about that . I still have nightmares about you being struck by an arrow and falling in front of me . ”
“Ah…”
Elena was speechless . The reason she was so aggressive in her training was to make Carlisle emperor . She also had her duty to protect her family, but she also had a strong desire to do it for Carlisle . However, she hadn’t fully understood what was going on in his mind .
Elena lifted her hand to stroke Carlisle’s cheek, and he tilted his head towards her touch . She spoke in an apologetic tone .
“I see . I’ll try not to worry you as much as possible . ”
“I’m glad . ”
Carlisle stared down at her with a soft gaze .
“Never forget, you are the only person in the world who can hurt me . ”
Carlisle had never paid attention to what other people thought about him or said behind his back . However, he could not easily pass by even the smallest thing about Elena . To him, Elena’s injuries hurt more than they did, and he gave weight to her words more than anything else .
“I’m a fool when it comes to my wife . You’re the only one who can ruin me . ”
There was nothing about Elena that was insignificant to Carlisle . Her small joys were his bursting happiness, and her wounds were intolerably painful . All the more so not only because she was the only love he had, but because they had exchanged their hearts . It made everything both sweeter and more heart-wrenching . Because of a single woman named Elena, Carlisle seemed to soar into the sky several times a day and then plummet to the ground .
Elena grinned and pinched Carlisle’s cheek .
“I know . Only I do that . ”
As the pair carried on in conversation, they finally arrived in the bedroom . Even though there was a fair amount of distance from the training room to their bedroom, Carlisle showed no signs of tiredness . Elena glanced towards the bathroom .
“You can set me down . ”
“To bathe?”
“Yes . I’ve been sweating, so I’ll have a wash . ”
“You’re injured, so call the maids for assistance . ”
“It’s alright . I don’t want to wake up the maids if they’re already asleep . ”
Since she had been a knight for decades in her last life, it was easier to do it herself than to borrow someone else’s hand . Such experiences had eroded some of her aristocratic thinking .
Carlisle carefully lowered Elena to the floor . He stared at the bathroom door for a moment, and then spoke .
“…Can I help you?”
Elena didn’t process the meaning at first, but soon enough her face turned bright red . She patted Carlisle’s shoulder and hurriedly spoke .
“It’s alright . I can do it myself . ”
Carlisle watched Elena hurriedly disappear into the bathroom, and he looked back at their exchange . He made the offer because he thought she would have difficulty washing alone, but Elena’s shyness drove him even crazier . They agreed not to sleep together until Carlisle became emperor, but as the days passed, his self-control seemed to wear down even more .
Carlisle looked down at his hands . The feeling of her weight in his arms remained .
“…At this rate, I might not do it even if she allowed it . ”
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