Chapter 87

When she suddenly opened her eyes, Elina realized she had dozed off. In her arms was Alvis's head. It seemed she had fallen asleep while holding him.

Looking at Alvis's face, he appeared to be asleep. Although he had regained the ability to get up, his injuries had not fully healed. He was still forbidden from overexerting himself. Even though they had only talked, the content of their conversation was heavy. For Alvis, it was a past he couldn't forget even if he wanted to. It must have been a mental burden for him.

"Lord Alvis..."

Elina hugged his head again. The story Alvis had told her went beyond her imagination. It was hard to believe that the current Belphias Duke's family, which seemed to be a very close-knit family, had such a history. Duke Rakwell, as well as his older brother Magrill, cared deeply for Alvis. He was blessed by his parents and siblings, and it seemed like a very warm place. Of course, that wasn't a lie. However, the Belphias family had gone through many things to build the relationship they have now.

The woman Alvis and Shuri called. From the content of the story, only their meeting and parting were clear. There must have been many more events. But he didn't tell her about them, probably because he couldn't remember them himself. The last image of her was so strongly imprinted that he might have erased everything else.

In that sense, Shuri was special to Alvis. Elina believed that it was probably the same for Shuri. What Elina told Alvis was not a lie. Shuri had loved Alvis. That's why she left such a final message before she died. She might have wanted him to think she was a terrible woman. She might have wanted him to forget that she was a cruel woman. But contrary to her intentions, her words had led him into a different kind of captivity.

'The people around me were just using me.'

Alvis had said this with a slight hint of sadness. Even those he thought weren't like that had been using him. That's why Alvis had given up on everything. Since then, he had always acted as the second son of the Duke's family, always supporting his brother from a step back. Everything was to maintain that position.

"It was I who broke that..."

Elina's presence had brought Alvis back to the public stage, even though he might have been prepared to spend his life as a knight. The incident was handled by the royal family, and to protect Elina's honor, Alvis was returned to his position as a royal. It was all because of Elina. If he hadn't become the Crown Prince, Alvis might never have met Tog again. But at the same time, it meant that Alvis would be trapped in his past for the rest of his life.

He might have chosen to live alone, keeping everything inside and distancing himself from everyone, including Edward and the Belphias family. Despite cherishing his family, he might have chosen not to be part of it. Such a life would be too sad.

Elina shook her head. That must not happen. But what could she do? What could she do as Alvis's wife, not as the Crown Princess?

As she was thinking, there was a gentle knock on the door. Elina quietly got up, careful not to wake Alvis, and walked to the door.

"What is it?"

"Your Highness, is now a good time?"

It was Rex's voice. Alvis's trusted friend. Elina opened the door as quietly as possible.

"Um, Alvis... I mean, the Crown Prince?"

"He's resting right now. Is there something for Lord Alvis?"

"Yes, in that case, I'll go back for now."

"Did someone come to see him?"

If he was leaving, it meant someone had come to see Alvis. Given Rex's knowledge of Alvis's condition, he wouldn't let just anyone through in an emergency. This must be someone important.

When Elina asked, Rex scratched his head.

"Well, someone related to the recent incident, from the orphanage, has come."

"You mean the guardian of that child?"

"Yes, that's right."

The child who had called for Elina. She knew the child was from an orphanage. The child who had been involved in the incident by luring a royal. Alvis had said he didn't want to punish the child but couldn't protect them. He wanted to discuss how to handle the situation.

What would Alvis do? He couldn't let the child go unpunished, but he couldn't impose a heavy sentence on a child. The orphanage also had responsibility. Where could they find a compromise? After some thought, Elina spoke to Rex with a serious expression.

"Sir Seiling?"

"Yes?"

"Can I meet with that person?"

"Are you saying you'll take his place?"

"Yes."

Ideally, Alvis should handle it. But he shouldn't be overexerted, and most importantly, Elina didn't want to wake him. If she could reduce his burden, she wanted to help. Besides, Elina was one of the parties involved. The child had targeted her.

"As one of the parties involved and as the Crown Princess, I want to handle this."

"Understood."

The only one who could stop Elina here was Alvis. If she said she would handle it as the Crown Princess, Rex couldn't refuse. She knew it was a bit sneaky, but she also wanted to talk to the person. Not just as the Crown Princess, but as someone from the Forboard family.