The Boundaries of Possession - Chapter 20

Rage spread like wildfire inside Elysia. She lifted her head high, meeting his gaze head-on, her fury burning bright. If she had any power of her own, she wouldn’t have chosen a life dependent on someone else’s abilities.

“What would you do if Eperthier had to rely on another family? Whether for financial issues or anything beyond your control?”

“I don’t trust people. There’s nothing I need to rely on them for.”

“You would’ve had to, even if you didn’t trust them! For the sake of your family, you would’ve had no choice!”

When Elysia raised her voice, Andreas blinked languidly, as if he found her reaction amusing. Fear had long been consumed by her anger. Her sharp, wall-like blue eyes were locked on him.

“If you don’t, you’ll be labeled incompetent. No one will trust you, and no one will seek you out.”

Her emotions surged uncontrollably, and for the first time, she felt a twinge of guilt for the outburst.

“To those who do nothing, opportunities are nothing more than fleeting moments. I was just someone who seized them. Because I’m an omega!”

“How arrogant.”

His brows furrowed in displeasure. Elysia glared at him and pointed her finger toward Sei.

“Did they choose to become servants?”

Her finger shifted toward Andreas. A crooked smirk appeared on his lips, as if he found her statement laughable.

“Did Your Grace choose to become the duke?”

Mentioning the former duke had been a mistake. Elysia realized it too late and quickly turned her head away. The servants standing by the door exchanged startled glances before hurriedly closing it.

Andreas took another step toward Elysia. Sensing his approach, she raised her guard, but his voice remained calm.

“You seem to have a lot of grievances. If you’re upset about the injustices you’ve faced, you should’ve taken them up with His Majesty instead.”

Memories of her childhood drifted like a nomadic boat at sea, uncertain of where it would end up. But she was determined not to let her life be adrift anymore.

“Do not insult me again, Your Grace.”

Her blue eyes glimmered with a cold light, enough to send a chill down his spine.

“You’ll regret it if you do.”

Despite being much smaller than him, Elysia’s defiant gaze made Andreas smirk crookedly. She had no intention of showing weakness.

“Why do you call me ‘you’ now when you used my name so casually at the ball in front of everyone?”

“Are you upset?”

“Do you want me to be?”

Her sharp retorts made Andreas click his tongue in frustration. Elysia knew that at least for now, she held the upper hand. The exact number of troops to be stationed along the trade route hadn’t been decided, and aside from Andreas’s public declarations, there was no official paperwork or approval in place yet.

“Do you enjoy flaunting me to others? An omega, of all things?”

Her sarcastic remark earned a surprisingly unexpected response from Andreas.

“Because I want you.”

Elysia flinched, as if she’d been cut by a sudden blade. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Even Sei, who had been eavesdropping from afar, fidgeted nervously. Surely, he didn’t mean it in that way.

“In that case, why don’t you call me by my name, Andreas? Say it. ‘Elysia’.”

His expression contorted slightly, but she smiled sweetly at his reaction.

“…Elysia.”

The way he said her name, with that low, firm voice, was unexpectedly pleasant to her ears.

“Good, Andreas.”

Finally, she felt like she had regained something.

This is how we’ll address each other from now on.

She added, sealing the moment between them.

***

It was a rare, refreshing morning. As soon as the sun rose, Elysia stretched and got out of bed. The lingering weight on her chest had lifted, and even her stiff shoulders felt looser. She relished the satisfaction of having left Andreas speechless.

“What will you do today, being so busy again?”

The only one concerned about her was Sei. As she received freshly brewed darjeeling and warm madeleines from the servant at the door, Sei couldn’t help but express her worries.

“It’s fine. It’s not like being busy is anything new for me.”

Elysia quickly skimmed through the letters before her. Ever since she passed the typical age of marriage and proposed to Andreas, the number of letters had significantly decreased. Most of them were from guilds or sponsors.

As she read a thank-you letter from a sponsor, she took a bite of a madeleine, her small mouth gently chewing the soft pastry. Sei, watching her lady’s jaw move ever so slightly, glanced at the letters.

“Oh? Another letter from Apelari today?”