Obey Me Now

‘Is it finally starting?’

Beyond the bowed heads of the tiers, Amelia could see Mesarina. Amelia intentionally stared at her, raising her voice.

“I will gladly accept your pledge as the new head of Fioré.”

With every word Amelia spoke, Mesarina’s expression changed. Eventually, unable to bear it, Mesarina left the arena. Amelia followed her and watched as Mesarina, her eyes filled with tears, bit her trembling lips. The sight of the tears in Mesarina’s eyes made Amelia smile involuntarily.

“Now I’m finally seeing you cry for real. It’s far more pitiful than I imagined.”

The tears that had always been shed in front of her were all lies. But the tears she saw now were genuine, mixed with hatred and jealousy.

“Amelia…”

Mesarina barely whispered the name.

“What kind of trick did you pull? This can’t be happening. It can’t. Others may not know, but I do. You should be dead. You must be dead!”

“Oh! That’s right, I forgot. I’m sorry. I must have made you look like a liar in front of the ladies. If you want, I’ll explain it.”

“What?”

“My heart has healed. So, I’m not dying.”

At Amelia’s words, Mesarina swallowed a hollow breath.

“T-That’s impossible…”

“So, I’ll take that wind as well.”

Amelia firmly grabbed Mesarina’s shoulder, just like last time, and patted it.

“Everything that was meant to be mine, I’ll take it all. What you tried to steal, now it’s your turn to lose it all. No, it was never yours to begin with. Everything will return to its rightful place.”

“You!”

Mesarina tried to pull Amelia’s hand off, but Amelia gripped her even tighter.

“Right now, I’m still Amelia Chezet, but soon, I’ll be Amelia Fioré.”

“…”

“So, I won’t tolerate your gaze or words anymore. Show me respect, or it won’t be allowed. Touch me, or even try to remove my hand, and you’ll need my permission.”

In front of the trembling Mesarina, Amelia lightly lifted the corners of her mouth.

“Oh, there’s one thing I’ll give you. Duke Bastien. He’s yours now.”

Amelia coldly pushed Mesarina’s hand away and took a step back. The tears that had gathered in Mesarina’s eyes finally began to fall. The first tears Amelia had seen in front of her. In the end, they were nothing but anger, resentment, and the beginning of another revenge.

‘Healed, you say? That heart disease? Ridiculous. Magic doesn’t just appear overnight. There’s definitely something more to it.’

“Yes, it should return to its rightful place. The place that will end with your death. It must return to its rightful place.”

Leaving Mesarina behind, Amelia hesitated for a moment. She couldn’t go to the audience stands just yet. If she went now, things would probably turn chaotic.

‘Where could he be? Is he in the Hones Palace? I should start by finding Mother…’

Just as Amelia was about to turn around and run, she abruptly stopped. At the edge of her vision stood Iclite, dressed in a robe. Strangely, he was keeping his distance from her. But Amelia, unaware of the oddity, smiled brightly. Her heart was light with excitement. She had finished the test, and for the first time, she wanted to show her honest feeling of victory.

“Duke! I won!”

Amelia rushed toward Iclite, shouting.

“Did you see it? What do you think? Surprised? I really did it just like you taught me! If it weren’t for you, it would’ve been so hard. Of course, I’m still not in perfect condition yet, but… can you keep helping me from now on? I’ll truly serve you as my teacher!”

Amelia, speaking as if bragging, noticed that Iclite remained silent, keeping his mouth firmly shut.

“I won. I’m the head of the family now. The tiers said it too. This is just the beginning. I’ll make sure to shine your name completely from now on…”

Now, for the first time, Amelia realized something was off with him.

“Duke? What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

Her voice shook with anxiety, and only then did Iclite open his mouth.

“I saw it clearly, and I was very surprised.”

She flinched. Was he upset with her? He had said he trusted her, but she hadn’t even used a gun until the day before the test. He must have been worried and anxious. Maybe she should have told him everything about her abilities before then.

‘Please don’t tell me he thinks I didn’t trust him…’

“Duke, did I upset you by not explaining things properly…?”

“No. It’s just… I still can’t quite believe it.”

“Ah! Is it because I became the head of the family? Honestly, I’m still kind of stunned by it, too…”

Iclite, who had kept his distance before, closed the gap in an instant and cupped one of Amelia’s cheeks. At his touch, Amelia stopped herself from looking at his face.

“Does it no longer… hurt?”

The unexpected words caused Amelia’s gaze to tremble.

“…What?”

“Does your heart not hurt? You’re not dying, are you? Is that right?”

“…It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m not dying, not anymore.”

His fingertips, touching Amelia, trembled faintly. As she felt the tremor, Amelia lifted her head and looked directly at him, only to be struck silent. His eyes were wet, shaking as they followed his trembling fingertips. He looked so sad, yet also happy. He seemed overwhelmed and affectionate, unsure of what to do with his emotions. Even Amelia, watching him, was moved by that feeling, her heart racing uncontrollably. An emotion, impossible to comprehend, surged toward her.

‘Why…?’

“Just once, let me hold you.”

Before she could say anything, Iclite pulled Amelia into a tight embrace. Their chests pressed together, and the sound of their heartbeats filled the air. Amelia was so startled that she couldn’t push him away. His desperate, almost confirming gesture felt like he was trying to assure himself of something. Soon, his voice, thick with emotion, whispered in her ear.

“I’m so relieved. Really. That it doesn’t hurt anymore… that you’re really okay now. I was so shocked. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it…”

He wasn’t surprised by the power she had achieved. He wasn’t shocked that she had become the head of the family. He was relieved that her heart had healed. That she no longer hurt. That she wasn’t going to die. He was finding peace in the very fact that she was alive. Amelia was overwhelmed with confusion. She had never truly talked to him about her heart. About how much it hurt. About how she wouldn’t live long.

‘Why? What are you to me? Why are you relieved? Why are you happy for me? Even my family abandoned me. They wanted me to die. No one, no one cared… so why do you…?’

Finally, Iclite, raising his head, smiled warmly at Amelia, looking at her with so much affection.

‘Why are you so happy that I’m alive…?’

The strangely familiar warmth, the feeling that didn’t seem new. Especially, the scent of violets. Amelia, struggling to steady her breath, whispered through the rush of emotion.

“Who are you?”

“…”

“Have you known me from before?”