Chapter 68: Chapter 67

“She did.”

Hans replied, thinking that he wanted to ask him about his close relationship with Evelina since she was a child.

“What did you talk about?”

“Her Majesty was not feeling well even when she was young. She was often confined to her room. At that time, we talked about when I stopped by with Ian ah- Marquis Ianathas Peran.”

He replied, correcting himself when he almost called Ianathas by his nickname. And that was true. She was acting as if she’d never seen them before after she was seriously ill as a child and lost all her memories.

The reality was that the real Evelina disappeared at that time and the current Evelina took over.

Hans thought Evelina was seriously ill then and forgot about him and Ianathas.

“Other than that, was there anything else?”

“There was. She was close to animals from a young age. We talked about it.”

Kaiden frowned at him.

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“Any other stories?”

“There wasn’t.”

Hans sweated a lot over details on Evelina, which he knew, to pick only things that would not cause him any harm.

“Useless. Get out.”

“…Yes.”

Hans went out as if he were being chased from the throne room, and when he went out, Kaiden washed his face dry with a complex expression.

“She doesn’t remember, but she wants to have my child.”

At the same time, the hand covering the face was shaking when I thought it could be. His ears, which his hands could not cover, were burning red.

~~~~

It was the next day.

“Sister-in-law?”

Evelina first stepped into the palace of Princess Elsius. Evelina smiled brightly and walked casually to the outdoor pavilion where Princess Elsius was. Originally, Princess Elsius was supposed to come to the Imperial Palace in the evening, but she couldn’t wait.

“I heard that the princess drinks tea from 1 to 2 o’clock.”

“Oh, that’s right. Would you like some tea with me?”

“All right.”

Evelina smiled and sat down on the white chair in the palace of Princess Elsius. Then she smiled and looked at Ianathas, the escort knight next to her.

“Ian, sit here, too.”

“I’m working right now.”

“You’re not going to sit down?”

When Evelina stared at him, Ianathas tried to hide his sullenness and laughed.

“No, it can’t be. I’d appreciate it if you let me sit down. I didn’t want to stand.”

“Can he do that, princess?”

“Yes, of course.”

Princess Elsius said, unable to hide her brightness. Evelina often laughed when she saw her true feelings revealed, although she quickly concealed her expression. Her love seemed important, as she repeatedly put Kaiden in danger of dying.

With that disgust, Evelina felt as if her light lunch would come up, but she held it in.

“Give Ian milk tea. I’ll have black tea.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Evelina was not the owner of the palace, but she deliberately treated the maid of Princess Elsius like so and said such. In the palace, the owner of each palace was the most feared person.

But Evelina did it on purpose because she knew that there was nothing Elsius would do in the palace as long as the emperor helped Evelina.

Even more so to see that Princess Elsius realized it but pretended not to know.

“You drink milk tea, too. You haven’t been feeling well lately.”

“I want to drink black tea now. I’m a little bit sick of milk tea.”

Evelina said so and smiled at Ianathas. Ianathas was smiling happily as if he had forgotten the disappointment he had just felt.

“How did you two get close?”

Princess Elsius asked without even realizing it. Usually, she would have waited until the conversation between the two ended and he was interested in her. But she wasn’t so relaxed in her thinking as to do so.

It’s been a one-sided love that she had been hiding for years. It was Ianathas who purposely kept away from her for fear of being seen. But being able to talk in front of her like this.

The usual Princess Elsius would not have acted like a moth. But now she was out of her mind.

Even in the eyes of Evelina.

That was the hope that she might be able to marry someone she had only had a crush on all her life. Even if she thought other people’s love was insignificant, and even others’ lives are like flies’ lives. There’s nothing more important than her love for him.

“I brought you this.”

“Thank you.”

Evelina smiled at Princess Elsius. Then she poured half of the small milk cup next to Ianathas into his teacup.

“You’re not putting all of it?”

“Yes.”

“I want to drink milk tea. May I put this in mine?”

“Yes.”

Evelina put half of the milk in her tea. Then Ianathas stirred her teacup with the teaspoon he was using to stir his teacup.

“Would you mind stepping aside? It’s uncomfortable to touch.”

“The chair is narrow. Then I’m off.”

Originally, it was a long chair for three women to sit on, but when Ianathas sat down, it was narrow. Evelina drew her arm back as he stirred her cup. Then, knowing her tone, he smiled and soon stirred her teacup.

“Oh, we… How long have we known each other?”

Evelina tried to tell Elsius, but she couldn’t remember well, so she asked him. Then he also seemed to be agonizing over it and opened his mouth.

“I think must have been five years old. You flipped my birthday cake over her head.”

“It’s a misunderstanding, right?”

“How can you mistake that?”

Evelina knew that if it was the original Evelina or the real Evelina, the memories would remain. But now, even the atrocities of that time have become my own.

“At that time, my eyes, nose, and ears all had whipped cream all over me.”

“I don’t remember.”

“The perpetrator is usually forgetful. I will remember you as the victim for the rest of my life.”

Evelina grinned as he said playfully. She smiled at Ianathas again after checking the expression of Princess Elsius, who seemed to find the relationship between her and Ianathas annoying.

“Did you forget that you lit my dress on fire on my 10th birthday?”

“I don’t remember well when I was 10.”

On her first birthday, when she was adopted completely by the Marquis of Logias and began living as Evelina, it occurred to her that he lit her clothes. It wasn’t his intention, but it happened because he took out the candles on the cake and gave them to her.

“What’s interesting is… That was a lot.”

“That’s right. I’ve known you since I was young, so that happened a lot. Was it when I was 12? I rode a tree with Ian but Ian went down first and left me behind, right?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“It was because I was also out of my mind at that time. I’m sorry.”

When Ianathas smiled and said, Evelina, laughed the same way.

“Don’t you remember throwing the apple you picked at me?”

“Oh, that’s right. I was hit by the apple you threw at me and my eyes went blank.”

Princess Elsius, who was listening to the memories of the two, though that Evelina was stronger than she thought. She just thought she was lucky enough to lean on the emperor’s power, but coming to her now was a warning.

Even though she hid it that much. How the hell?

Did she know that she had feelings for Ianathas Peran? She never told anyone, and he had been so far away from her to not show. By what means…

Princess Elsius smiled at Evelina, but Evelina knew well that her smile was broken.

“Princess. The tea is going to get cold.”

“Oh, yes.”

At Evelina’s words, Princess Elsius tried to drink cold tea. At the same time, she was checking that Ianathas Peran was looking at Evelina.

She had a long crush on Ianathas, so she knew well who he had in mind.

Even if she couldn’t have Ianathas Peran’s heart, she could marry him. Because the woman he loves is now a queen.

Even though Princess Elsius felt that her brother was a crazy person. If it were the emperor, he’d kill Evelina if she left him.

Whatever their relationship, Evelina would never be able to abandon the emperor. So Evelina and Ianathas will never last.

Ianathas, the leader of the military and guard who served the emperor closely, could not have known it. Rather, he was the one who knew the emperor better than her.

“Our Ian likes canola flowers, Princess.”

“Yes. Oh, yes. I see. I have a lot of canola flowers in my garden, too.”

“Yes. So I said. Aren’t the two of you a good match? The flowers you both like are the same.”

Evelina also knew from the original work that Princess Elsius decorated the garden with his favorite flowers.

“Lina, you like canola flowers, too.”

“No, I like peonies. It’s also light pink.”

“My brother gives it to you every time, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Kaiden seems to know everything without saying anything. I think this is fate.”

Evelina spoke as if showing off the emperor behind her and Ianathas who followed her well next to her.

Evelina’s becoming a social celebrity wasn’t wasted. She was someone who could get to where she wanted at any time. That’s why she didn’t have any regrets in that position.

No one could ignore her, even if she didn’t know much about the man because she wasn’t married. On the contrary, Princess Elsius was not good at socializing.

“As I said last time, I hope the two find each other’s fate, just like the fate I met.”

Evelina went straight back to business. Then Princess Elsius looked at her as if her eyes were wide open.

“I’m really happy to have a family with someone I love. It’s because I dream of a future with him.”

“I see. I envy you.”

Princess Elsius was slowly pretending to be sympathetic. At the same time, she looked at Ianathas’ expression. He looked miserable, but soon he was smiling, hiding it.

“Ian, can you marry the person I choose for you?”

As she informed Ianathas in advance, she asked. Saying something that Princess Elsius would never refuse.