Evelina was surprised by his blunt point, but soon looked at him with a look on her face. Then Kaiden told her first.
âItâs not pulsory. Please.â
She couldnât figure out what to say, so she just moved her feet hard. Then again this time, he opened his mouth first.
âIf Lina canât do that, Iâll respect her. But I think thatâs the job for Lina.â
âKaiden.â
âForgive me, Lina.â
Evelina looked at the faint marks of her lips on his cheek and then at his red lips.
âYour Majesty.â
When Evelina called him seriously, he looked at her with a little nervous look.
âI want to stop dancing and drink.â
âOf course.â
So she was able to move with him to the center of the banquet hall even before the music was over. The crowd, who watched her and Kaiden move hand in hand, wandered around as if they wanted to talk to them at any moment, like a bunch of clouds.
âWhat do you want to drink?â
âIâll drink the same thing as Kaiden.â
Evelina was well aware that she was not good at drinking anyway. So she was going to drink something moderately weak. In fact, because of heart disease, she stopped drinking for a long time.
She was very fond of alcohol. Itâs just that she couldnât drink often because she was weak.
âIâm thinking of drinking whiskey.â
âOh, I like whiskey, too.â
Itâs good, but she didnât mean to drink much. Unlike before, when there was only champagne, she could now pletely choose what she wanted.
Three weeks later, death wasnât something she could have stopped.
Rather, it was fortunate that she could not spend three weeks helplessly. If thereâs anything she wanted, she hoped that she could be born as the daughter of the Marquis of Logias in her next life. She was trying to smile thinking so.
âBalain.â
âYes, Your Majesty.â
Baron Balain, who was following nearby, looked at Kaiden and said while looking at the glass he was handed by the servant.
âItâs okay, Your Majesty.â
âHow many drinks?â
âDrinking in general is fine.â
âI see.â
Evelina recalled that the Viscount was one of the doctors who often treated her. It was obvious that there was something in the medicine she was taking. That was their conversation. He brought two glasses. He seemed to be asking if they could have a drink.
Her death will be in around a month. Since the original said she died of a heart attack, Kaidenâs conspiracy to have her take suspicious drugs would be right.
She was trying to think positively. She wouldnât be happy even if she lived for a long time anyway.
The Emperorâs biological mother died at the hands of her father. In the original, he loved his mother even though she didnât love him. Because he believed his mother would love him someday. On top of that, Marquis Logias, a close confidant of Prince Ashes who repeatedly rushed to kill him, and the head of the aristocracy.
She couldnât believe him, even if the two had a relationship that couldnât be achieved. Because the whole situation supported the notion that he couldnât love her.
âIâd like to drink a little.â
âDidnât the doctor just say it was okay?â
âYes, but still.â
Evelina looked at me with a pure expression and admired once again that he was really great.
âYour Majesty! Your Majesty! Letâs say hello! Iâm Count Veria!â
âIf you are Veria, you are the one who won the joust a while ago.â
Evelina asked him curiously. Then Veria said with a smile on her face.
âThank you for remembering my humble background.â
âIâm better at jousting, Lina. Next timeâ¦â
âI hope Kaiden gives me flowers next time.â
âYes, I will.â
The Emperorâs expression was not good, so Evelina quickly added. Then his expression softened again. Evelina smiled when she was handed the cup he was holding.
Then, a group of them who were gathered nearby approached one by one and spoke to each other.
âYour Majesty, Your Majesty. Greetings.â
âGreetings, my lord!â
âThis is my wife.â
âThis is my first son.â
âThis is my daughter.â
Perhaps because they learned how Evelina was doing with Kaiden, everyone came near them to express their curiosity and interest and greeted the people around them.
Evelina had to greet everyone with a smile. Because she didnât know who will be her fatherâs lifeline in the future.
âYour majesty, how have you been?â
âOh, Viscountess Selvia.â
The Viscountess named Selvia was a woman who ran a garden. She knew Evelina well because she was a florist who helped me grow her garden when she was a marquis. She did most of the design herself and had a mon gardener do the work.
It was thanks to Selvia that the house of the Marquis of Logias had a wonderful garden.
âHow are you doing these days?â
âIâm doing well. I came because I missed you so much.â
âOh, my God.â
Evelina laughed because she was so glad to see her, who often talked about flowers.
âYour Majesty, this is the daughter of Viscount Selvia. She is a genius florist.â
âI see.â
Evelina smiled reflexively when her eyes met Kaiden. Then he looked at her and said,
âI want to be with you now, Lina.â
âWhat? Oh, yes. All right. See you next time. Lady Selvia.â
âYes, Your Majesty.â
Evelina shook the empty glass before she knew it. Then the servant quickly filled up the cup of hers and Kaidenâs and disappeared.
âShall we go to the terrace, Your Majesty?â
âKaiden.â
âKaiden, letâs go to the terrace.â
She was a little tipsy and led him. She laughed as he was dragged more easily than expected, even though his arms were showing their muscles over his clothes in a ferocious manner.
She was rather sober when she was drunk. She felt better and better. She felt funny about what he was going to do. It would be a good thing if they just did what they wanted and achieved each otherâs goals.
Evelina smiled like that and went out to the terrace with him.
âLetâs call it a day.â
âI donât think itâll be enough.â
When she said so, Kaiden beckoned the servant before closing the terrace door. Then, the servant was lowering his head and bringing a bottle of alcohol as if he understood him.
âI want to get drunk with Kaiden.â
âThe air outside is still cold. Letâs rest a little and then go inside and drink.â
It was early summer weather, but it was quite chilly at night. The glass he was holding was placed on the railing of the terrace behind Evelina. Then he took off his cape and put it on Evelinaâs shoulder. The cape hanging from his clothes was so long that it tickled her ankle.
The wind blew from somewhere and cooled her heart. Evelina said as she saw him patting her clothes and grabbing the glass he had put on the railing again.
âKaidenâs eyes are really like jewels.â
She examined his expression by saying so. She couldnât tell what kind of expression it was because he had his back to the light. But his expression was stiff.
Evelina, who thought it was only the two of them that her true feelings would e out, smiled and stroked his cheek. It was funny because she felt as if she was interested in him, and he was trying to avoid her.
She did this under the influence of alcohol, but his heart seemed to have felt the rigid act. He was in a tough situation right now. If not, he wouldnât look like that.
âKaiden drinks better than I do, right?â
âYes.â
âThen, why donât you empty all the bottles you bring?â
âIf you want it, I will.â
As he looked back, the waiting employee came and handed him a bottle of alcohol. He seemed to have brought something that looked twice as strong as what he was drinking earlier.
The glass in Evelinaâs hand was poured with brown whisky. However, what the attendant handed over was amber. It was famous for strong liquor that Evelina knew. When she looked at it, he gestured to the attendant. The attendant closed the door as he left, and soon he drew the curtains outside and disappeared.
Evelina suddenly looked at the terrace next to her. However, the terraces on both sides were all empty, perhaps because they knew that the Emperor and the Queen had e out. This was the first floor. Evelina seemed to be able to run away if she ran over the railing. But she wonât be able to run away from Kaiden with heels.
Suddenly, she felt like a fool herself trying to run away in a situation where she could not anyway, so she looked at him soothingly.
Before she knew it, he was opening the cap of the whisky bottle and drinking it.
Evelina was watching his throat drink the whisky. The sight of his thick and strong neck reminded her of his body. Sturdy chest, abs, and even busty arms.
Had she not been drunk, she thought, she might have really wanted to run away. She was drunk and she had to lose her fear because it was easy to act with the man in front of her eyes.
She watched the whiskey trickle down his chin and she swiped it with her hand. Then she tasted it like kissing him. Then he stopped what he was drinking and he looked at Evelina.
âThis is really bitter.â
âDonât you want to know what it tastes like?â
âIâm curious.â
Evelina said so and took his bottle. Then she tried to drink the same as he did.
âOh, my!â
âLina.â
âHey, why is this soâ¦!â
Evelina has never had such a strong drink. As soon as she drank it, she felt like she had a fire in her throat.
âAre you okay?â
As Evelina tried to nod, he checked her with relief. Evelina asked to calm down and change the awkward atmosphere.
âWhat did you say while dancing earlier?â
She said, remembering his words that he would make her empress.
âWhat do you mean?â
âI told you to abandon your family.â
Then Kaiden said, wiping the whiskey running down his chin.
âI had no intention of letting Lina stay as Queen.â