Elaine sat by the crackling fire, surrendering herself to its warmth. Beside her, Elias examined one of the roasted meats, deciding its readiness for consumption. He then nodded and handed it to her. "Although this is not the delicacy you are used to, it should be enough to sate your hunger."
"Thank you, Sir d'Amboise." Elaine accepted the food, voicing her gratitude. Despite their conflicting factions, Elias had helped her numerous times, not asking for any favor in return. At least, not yet. Even if he would author her demise one day, Elaine still trusted him more than others. It was a peculiar feeling she could not explain. Perhaps it was a remnant from her past as a reader of the book. Through its pages, Elaine experienced Elias' story—his losses, triumphs, happiness, and sorrow. Little by little, she became fond of the male protagonist as a character from her favorite story and as a person.
Elaine recalled her excitement at meeting Elias for the first time. However, reality quickly struck her like lightning when Elaine realized she was still parading inside the villainess' body. Their families' animosity meant they could never have normal interactions, not even as acquaintances. Therefore, she kept a distance, assuring herself that she would be content to observe his life's progression from afar. Elaine scoffed. Maybe she and the original Estella were not so different after all.
"Is the meat not to your liking, milady?" Elias inquired, seeing her staring absentmindedly.
"N, no. It smells wonderful." Elaine snapped from her reveries and returned his question with a smile. She brought the meat to her lips and took a bite, washing away her morose with its aroma and tenderness. She took a few more bites and noticed Elias had not touched his portion. "Are you not eating, Sir d'Amboise?"
"No need to worry about me, milady. I am not hungry yet." He unsheathed his sword and started wiping the blood off its blade.
"I see." Elaine lowered her gaze and ate the rest of her meal in silence.
Elias waited for her to finish, then gave her a water jug. "For your thirst." She again thanked him and carefully sipped it like a rare elixir, savoring its refreshing taste.
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"How did you end up here, Lady Estella?" Elias suddenly asked.
"I don't know." Elaine went pale, remembering the hundreds of eyes monster haunted her dreams and transported her to this godforsaken place. She returned the water jug and began relaying the mysterious event outside—about the monsters appearing from giant fractures in the skies and how one devoured her. However, she omitted the portion correlating the portal inhabitants to the forest, worried the information might steer the conversation to her origin.
Elaine studied Elias after completing her recount. He answered her gaze with a pensive silence, burying his expression under a collected visage. "What happened might relate to the tomb our troops discovered," he stated.
"Tomb?" Elaine cocked her head. Then a thought crossed her mind. She glanced around, noticing they were alone. "Where are the Étoile troops?"
"Most are dead. The rest got separated." His tone was solemn.
Elaine jolted with all color fading from her face. "D...dead?" Cecil, what about Cecil? "My guard," she muttered after a long moment, barely regaining her composure. "Was he among the dead?"
"I do not know," Elias admitted. "He was still inside the tomb when the incident happened."
"The incident you are referring to, what was it?" she pressed, her jaw tightening.
His gaze fixed on hers and his voice steadied. "After one of our troops discovered it, we directed a team to descend into the tomb to explore. Your guard volunteered to spearhead the task. Soon, we received a report that they had uncovered a few ancient relics from a secret chamber tucked deep within." Elias paused, allowing Elaine time to digest the information.
Nightmarish monsters. Secret tomb. Ancient relics. Why was none of this information mentioned in the original plot? Her frustration mounted. Elaine wanted to cry, shout, and thrash everything around her. But what benefits would her tantrum bring? Some unknown entity had already dragged her into this chaotic world, and the path home remained too far from reach.
"Milady, if you need to retire, we can continue this conversation another time."
The male protagonist again broke Elaine from her trance. He was still watching her, a hint of concern emitted from his tranquil eyes. "No, please continue. I am fine." She heaved a breath and lifted her head, shrouding in a facade of calmness. Yet, her trembling hands betrayed her. She balled them together, forcing the tremor to settle.
"If that is your wish," he said, continuing the story. "Before they could retrieve the relics for my examination, we heard a reverberant rumbling sound. Then, similar to your situation outside, the atmosphere distorted, and monsters I had never seen before started appearing from large crevices ripped through the air. The monsters surrounded us, and though my men and I fought our way out, only a couple of dozen soldiers and knights in training remained from a few hundred." Elias' voice stayed firm, yet Elaine caught the woe flickered and disappeared from his countenance. She could understand his sorrow. Some of the fallen men were probably his trusted subordinates and friends.
"What happened to your surviving men?" she quizzed. When Elias found her, he was by himself. Even right now, he and Elaine were sitting alone on the vast forest floor.
"They are waiting at a place close to here. We were looking for other survivors when I heard your scream, milady. So I instructed them to stand by while I searched for you." Elias finished erasing blood stains from the blade and returned the sword to his side.