Lapis was annoyed by everything. It is also upsetting to be separated from his other half, Lazri [his twin], and being with these ignorant things brought him to the table.
He only ate silently at the table prepared for the knights.
“I don’t care whether she’s the hostess or not. I can’t stand the fact that they didn’t take me to the battlefield.….”
Lapis also had a lot of complaints about the High General’s new wife. She must have made a fuss and was so dissatisfied that she didn’t invite him to the wedding. Corinne was certain adolescence had turned him into a tired man.
“It looks like this war will last longer than we initially thought.”
Corinne also looked like she ate something bitter. Corinne was fond of nobility. She went to prison in the first place because her noble master had framed her.
That’s why even though she didn’t know Elisha she agreed with Lapis’ unfavorable assessment of Elisha and hated her for no reason.
“Is it because of the war? The rice which is usually tasteless is somehow worse today.”
Lapis’ petition to rehaul the menu had recently been rejected for the 24th time.
“Cori. Don’t complain about your meal. You’re not a kid.”
Nora quietly pointed out.
“No, I’d rather go out to the battlefield than eat something like this. Why hasn’t he summoned us?”
Corinne grumbled.
“Even if it was just a telegraph wire, I would immediately come to the frontline….it’s a little disappointing.”
Nora rarely expressed her feelings.
It was really strange. Usually, everyone would be called on and have fun slaughtering enemies on the battlefield.
“Is there anything to protect in this mansion?”
“…….”
“…….”
Everyone was quiet. The only recent change in this mansion was the general’s new wife.
Then Lapis’ eyes grew wide.
“Is that person here—alone?”
Simultaneously their eyes turn towards the head of the table. The soldiers eating greedily stopped in mid-bite.
Despite their stares, Elisha sat in the prepared seat alone.
No one talked to her. She ate a minimal amount of food quietly. An ordinary noblewoman would have cried—terrified when asked to eat alone among soldiers. But she didn’t look uncomfortable.
“Her courage is considerable,”
Corinne said as if she was exasperated.
Then, Elisha got up and unhurriedly approached them.
‘Right now… She’s walking this way, right?’
Everyone exchanged befuddled glances at each other, perplexed. They were troubled. First of all, they were not fond of Elisha due to various factors.
Moreover, they didn’t know how to treat her. Their master never properly introduced Elisha.
“Hello.”
Elisha approached them and greeted them formally. Then she stared at Lapis with her blank doll-like face and spoke,
“Why is Lapis here?”
“What does that mean?”
Lapis looked up in annoyance. Elisha spoke calmly and softly,
“According to Lapis’ employment contract paragraph No. 73, he has the right not to be summoned anywhere on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Today is the fourth Tuesday. So Lapis is not obligated to come out here. Go into the room and eat comfortably. I ordered a servant to have your meal delivered. A wizard needs time alone because magic is a creative endeavor like art.”
They were certain it was the first time they had heard so many words come out of Elisha’s mouth.
Lapis doubted his ears. At the same time, he got up from his seat.
“Are you serious? Will you tell the general later?”
“It is in your employment contract. Is there a reason why it should not be kept?”
The corners of Lapis’ mouth began to twitch.
‘You’re pretty thoughtful, aren’t you?’
Lapis turned and skipped to his room, excitedly and mockingly singing ‘la la la.’ Corinne pouted.
‘What is up with this woman? Are you trying to suck up to us?’
It seemed that she was trying to please the Black Lion Seed Order. Elisha’s gaze went to Corinne this time.
“You said you were Corinne.”
“Hmm, what? That’s right.”
“Take the food from my table and eat it. It’s too much for me to eat alone. I’ll tell them to fix the menu.”
The food in front of Corinne was black bread, macaroni, and grilled pork legs.
“The combination of food is terrible. I’ll talk to the chef about the menu selection. We should improve our meals, so please let me know your suggestions. The meal today does a disservice to our knights.”
Elisha spoke in a reposed, quiet tone, but her pronunciation was clear.
‘Do you know what this meal means?’
Corinne thought, amazed. When she heard Elisha’s words, she doubted her ears.
Roasted pork, grain porridge soaked in water on barley black bread, and macaroni. It was the food diet that came out 7 out of 10 times while she was in prison. Even so, it was common to have only bread and water.
It was a pure coincidence that the chef chose these foods.…. It was natural that ordinary people did not know the hidden meaning of this menu.
Corinne stared at Elisha. She asked in a more polite tone.
“Have you been there?”
“What do you mean?”
“That bread place……. Well, um, you know.”
When she heard her question Elisha smiled as if she saw through Corinne’s question. It was a very faint smile, so others didn’t even notice it.
“I just overheard it by chance. You suffered in prison unfairly, so we should be considerate of small things like this.”
Corinne enlisted as a prisoner. Some prisoners were offered to serve their sentences in the military. Later, after meeting Lucerne, she appealed her charge with his help, and it was revealed through the trial that she had been condemned of a crime unfairly.
“Fortunately, there were many foods prepared for me. I’ll order a servant and move them to this table.”
Corinne’s simple mouth opened in surprise.
***
“Aren’t you afraid of me, lady?”
Even if Corinne was innocent, high-status ladies would be terrified of anyone who had been to prison. Elisha looked like she heard a strange question.
“Should I be afraid of my husband’s knights?”
“It’s not like that…….”
“Eat comfortably. Nora. If you need anything, come and see me anytime. You’ve always been kind to me, but I never said thank you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Elisha affectionately added a few more words to Nora. Nora rarely talked, so the conversation ended quickly. However, it was apparent that Nora liked Elisha.
Elisha gently turned her back.
***
‘Have you been to bread?’
Elisha had no choice but to laugh at the question.
It was the last of her memories of her previous life.
It was when she was detained and threatened with being hanged if she had been found guilty for Jacob’s crime of trafficking drugs at a store under Elisha’s name.
At that time, she had been detained in prison for a few days under the pretense of an investigation.
‘That macaroni and black bread.’
The food they had served had been the same day and night to the point Elisha couldn’t stomach it. Even before that she had been hardly able to eat due to her pre-existing stomach ailment.
Elisha managed to run away just before the trial but was captured and murdered by Jacob.
That was the last memory of her previous life, so she knew the regular prison menu that Corinne knew.
1STKISSNOVEL. DO NOT STEAL MY TRANSLATION!\nThat evening, Elisha encountered Lapis while walking down the hallway. Lapis greeted her with his eyes. Lapis was heading somewhere with a book full of arms.
‘Even if he’s fourteen, he’s not an adult.’
Nevertheless, he and others his age were in warfare.
There didn’t seem to be any parent figure—or even a nanny who looked after him. At that moment, Elisha felt a rush of sympathy.
“Do you want me to send someone to help you, Lapis?”
“Section 12.”
“Magician’s data cannot be touched carelessly by others. Exceptions shall be made in the case of obtaining prior permission from the principal or proxy permission from the brother Lazri. Alright.”
“…….”
Lapis dropped the books from his hands. Bam, the books fell on the floor.
“What about Article 33 of the employment contract? Do you know that too?”
“You shall be notified two days before the Employer’s celebrations. Oh, right. I’m sorry. I couldn’t notify you of the wedding. As you can see, we got married in a hurry.”
“S…… Sorry. Are you apologizing to me for that?”
“Rather than an apology, I’m asking for your understanding. I wasn’t in a position to invite anyone to the wedding, and I didn’t know you, Lapis, at the time.”
Lapis’ hand trembled at the words that fell from Elisha’s mouth.
“Sensible, rational, civilized.”
Her’s was the sweetest manner Lapis received after he came to this house. Elysia didn’t know why Lapis was so thrilled. She tilted her head.
“Did you read my entire employment contract?”
“No.”
Lapis frowned. That’s right. You can’t have read it all…….
“I memorized it all. I’m good at memorizing what I read.”
“…….”
“It was generally reasonable. There is equity among the Knights, so I will protect what I can, if not everything. Then— Lapis?”
Elisha thought Lapis’ complexion looked poor.
“Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”
Elisha said automatically, without thinking. As the wife of the High General, it was her role to take care of his soldiers.
Lapis replied gently,
“Not now.”
“Then tell me whenever you need help.”
“Like an older sister?”
“Older sister….. yo?” [t1v: she belatedly adds the ‘yo’ which is a polite form of talking in Korean, if you are close to someone and like an older sister to them, you don’t use the ‘yo’ at the tail of your sentences.]
Elisha’s expression became odd. Was there a difference between just offering help and offering help as an older sister?
“If you want, do that.”
Lapis recalled his previous resolution. The decision to boycott Lucerne’s marriage who had ignored the Knights of the Black Lion Order.
Lapis forgot about the past and answered brightly.
“Yes, sister!”
That was the moment when Elisha made Lapis, the most difficult member of the Black Lion Knights, on her side.