Hellbents
Chapter 99: Frost

"Do you really need to be like that?" While waiting for their order, Ava opened the conversation first after a long silence.

"You mean?" The sturdy and stout figure of Ellijah stands in stark contrast to the floral-patterned tablecloth that separates them.

"Display your high status."

The man did not accept, he immediately said, "That staff started, I didn't mean to make a fuss."

"But you're angry, Elli. And also your cold face doesn't help calm her down the situation."

It took a few seconds for Ellijah to chimed in, her new nickname sounding unfamiliar as well as giving her some vigor, the corner of her lips raised, "Because she greeted me with respect, but not to you."

"Because our purpose is disguised."

"But at that point our identities were exposed."

"Just you, my disguise hasn't." Well, no wonder. Although Ellijah obeyed Ava's instructions to wear a simple casual dress, the man's noble aura still radiated strongly. Not only one or two pairs of eyes were glancing at them during the festival. Or is it because of Ellijah's handsome face? Whatever it is, Duke Frost's facial features are indeed unique and beautiful.

Hm, maybe for their second date Ava should look for incognito artifacts or fake hair.

Wait a minute ....

Why is Ava thinking about a second date? The girl immediately shook her head.

But still, Ava has to be serious about their date today in order to distribute Ellijah, in order to smooth out her third objective.

"By the way, why don't you order a sweet?"

One waiter put down Ava's coffee and juice order, the others still followed. There was a foreign lightning in the man's blue eyes. "You know .. I don't like dessert."

Ava was fixated, maybe the relationship between Eve and Ellijah is not as bad as she imagined? So he wily reasoned, "But at least you should order one cake at this store, just think of it as proper manners after the commotion."

"Since when do you care about manners to commoners? Usually you trample on their self-esteem mercilessly."

Ava had guessed, but Eve was really trash.

There was no reply for quite some time, so Ava looked up. Ellijah looked at him sharply. "Even though the royal family says you're on vacation, I know you're on the run."

"If I run away I won't go back to the palace."

"Isn't that why I had to take you home by myself?"

"You kidnapped me!"

Agh, this topic again. He wants to calmly enjoy sweet foods, his diet in the palace is closely guarded so that Ava feels less intake, but Ellijah is very talented to make it go up, black, he began to regret his decision to take this man away. Even so, Ava must not face a Duke impulsively, so she drew a long breath before continuing, "If you don't interrupt my journey, two or three months I will definitely return alone." Of course what Ava said was a lie, she alone did not know the whereabouts of her dopplegangger.

"What do you bother to explore the world alone without a guard?! Your life could be threatened!"

Ava knew, she had already experienced it firsthand when her head was rewarded with 15000 coins. "That means you haven't trusted my abilities," to add to the dramatic effect, Ava paused a bit, "And here I thought we were getting close."

Well, the girl intended to put all responsibility on Ellijah, at least to make the man feel guilty.

"I-I understand that you're very good at creating sophisticated tools," the notoriously cold Duke Frost had trouble getting his words out, "However the guard still has to be kept."

Ellijah was worried about Eve.

But his good intentions even had a bad effect on Ava.

He almost reaches his destination before Ellijah takes him to the palace, Crimsonwood, where the secret lab described in Eve's journal, place one of the items he needs to return to the original dimension. Although Ellijah's reckless actions based solely on emotion indirectly lead Ava to be close to the other artifacts she is after, there are still months of contract time that she must fulfill because of it.

Ah, Ava's getting to feel like a sulking little kid.

Speaking of Ellijah's obsession with Eve, Ava has done some research.

Marvin, the first witness, stated that the connection between his brother and Duke Frost occurred naturally given the position of those who were both children of high status figures. Ellijah's father who also served as the leader of the northern defense forces often took his son to the palace when reporting to King Dion, who then Ellijah also had the opportunity to make friends with the princess. “The brother who from his small hobby of reading books or fiddling with goods, actually does not care about the presence of the little Duke, at least Duke Frost only entered the list of people who are considered not disturbing, he said,” explanation Marvin seems to grunt when saying that part. But in the minds of two grown men who only contain politics and profit, the insignificant closeness of both can still be exploited. That's why, when Eve and Ellijah were young and did not understand very well the consequences of the relationship they would establish, the engagement was held.

From there rumors about Ellijah's desperate attempt to open her fiance's heart began. The second witness, Rose, Lily, and Daisy, fill Ava's head with the news of the bird. Starting from the little Duke who continues to accompany Eve every time the little girl makes something, it continues to happen until now. The pile of gifts that the princess constantly receives every month. Unconditional assistance provided by Ellijah to support Eve's research in creating an innovation, which was reciprocated by the princess by supplying free heating artifacts for residents of the Frost area which is almost always covered with snow. “One step closer to romance!” all three cheered. He said that was the general reaction that occurred when people heard Eve's actions, thinking that finally the teenage Duke's feelings were finally avenged.

But after receiving a long elaboration of the sources he collected, Ava still did not find a reason why the Duke was obsessed with Eve. Was it just because of the artificial relationship their parents determined when they were little? Or is there another reason? In addition, as far as they explain, Ellijah and Eve are more like business partners, masters and slaves instead of romantic partners.