Chapter 103: – The Lord Is With Us (24)

༺ The Lord Is With Us (24) ༻

Elsie was in a good mood ever since she left Ian’s hospital room.

It was the first time in her life that she genuinely held affection for someone other than her younger brother as well as the first time that her worth was proven by someone willingly sacrificing themselves to save her.

If enmity and resentment were flames that gnawed away at oneself, affection was akin to the spring sun that energized everything under its shine. It made the world more vibrant.

It broke down the walls around her heart.

It loosened her stiff expression and it even made her blurt out stupid sounds like ‘Heh…’ without even realizing what she was doing. She even merrily started humming songs, something she never did before.

Elsie found Ian to be extremely reliable as he was both physically and mentally stronger than her. Then, at some point, whenever she stood in front of him, she turned into her younger, weaker self – the ugly side of her that she constantly tried to deny and keep under wraps.

However, he even embraced that side of her. He affirmed and protected her.

The joy of being accepted and validated became engraved in her heart.

Everyone desired to be recognized by their superiors. Her parents had withheld their love just because she was small, but similar cases were commonplace within high nobility. Children were regarded as mere tools for the family’s continued prosperity. They were there to continue the lineage or even used as political chess pieces. And if they were considered useless, they were simply disregarded like She had been in the past.

Elsie didn’t hold much affection for her parents who condoned her siblings’ actions as they bullied her. Now, she simply maintained a love-and-hate relationship with her parents as she showed only the basic filial piety as their kid.

Rather, Ian’s approval of her had become more important to her. She wasn’t exactly sure when it began, but she found herself wanting to stay by his side since the day of the Hunting Festival.

Then, she was struck with those words while her feelings were in such a state.

‘Just because.’

That was his response when she had asked him why he had saved her. It reflected his desire to save her without any calculating intentions. He didn’t consider how he could benefit or suffer from saving her. That made him seem more reliable in her eyes.