《I’ll Quit as The Empress》 Chapter 1: Quit The Empress A Quiet night, the wind blew softly. ¡°Stop.¡± The Empress, Evelyn, looked beautiful under the dim moonlight. Her paleplexion like the white moon and her ssic features were gorgeous but somewhat sad. ¡°You can¡¯t go any further.¡± When the maid dissuaded her, Evelyn smiled faintly and kept walking on. Evelyn was only 20 years old, but she had a tired smile. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ve already decided.¡± Evelyn used to be a girl full of dreams and love. Born to be the only daughter in the kingdom of Felice, Evelyn was a princess. She was an innocent girl long before she became an empress. But now, after only three years of marriage, that¡¯s all that remained. ¡°It¡¯s forbidden to enter the emperor¡¯s Secret Garden.¡± ¡°I already know that.¡± Evelyn looked around at the maid. Her vivid blue eyes, which seemed calm, were filled with resignation. But there¡¯s also an unshakeable desire on it. Evelyn had decided to end her unhappy life today. ¡°Her Majesty, please ¡­¡± ¡°From here I¡¯ll go alone.¡± The tree trembled in the night breeze. Without permission, Evelyn braved herself to step into the Emperor¡¯s secret garden. Her escort was trying to stop her, but it was impossible to stop the Empress, who had prepared her heart for the end. Now, a few steps away, she could meet the Emperor. He was her husband, but she didn¡¯t know when thest time she met him alone. Soon after, Fabian was seen looking at the moon under a golden-wooden tree. His back didn¡¯t change a bit from the first time they met. The tall, imposing, charismatic young Emperor was still graceful. ¡°Who is it?¡± Suddenly, there was a gloomy atmosphere. A low and cold-hearted voice could be heard. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn set an example. Thinking that this might be thest time, even the small movements were hard. Fabian leisurely turned around, looking at his wife with his cold ck eye. ¡°This is my secret garden. No matter whether you are the Empress, you know you shouldn¡¯te recklessly.¡± ¡°Forgive me. Because there¡¯s no other way to to meet His Majesty.¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eyes and vivid features were heading towards Evelyn emotionlessly. Once upon a time, Fabian¡¯s beautiful and noble figure was on her mind. Maybe he loved her. Maybe. But there¡¯s only sadness and loneliness in it. It was a one-sided love. ¡°I have something to say to your majesty.¡± Fabian frowned his dignified brows at Evelyn¡¯s words. The thing he hated the most was breaking thew and something annoying. And Evelyn¡¯s presence now was both. ¡°Well, Evelyn Felice will quit the empress ¡­¡± Fabian¡¯s forehead, which had already frowned, nted even more. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve decided to end my marriage with you, Your Majesty.¡± Huh, Fabian spat out a coldughter. How did dare Evelyn to say what he didn¡¯t order to? ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a ce for such a people?¡± Fabian was dismissive of her difficult decision as mere grudges. As expected, Evelyn¡¯s guess was not wrong. It was a sad but fortunate fact. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to waste the rest of her life. ¡°This marriage will only make everyone unhappy.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were filled with regret. She recalled the extraordinary things she had just been through all this time. ¡°Keep your tongue in your mouth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± A mysterious desire that came with no warning. ¡°There is no truth that I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I have it.¡± Evelyn lived her life as the Empress. Believing that one day she would be looked at. But at the end of the day, his husband reigned only as Emperor. Meanwhile, Evelyn had his child twice, but none of them saw the light of the world. Then the Emperor did not seek Empress¡¯s condition further. No word, not a word offort. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be unhappy. No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Evelyn, who was over 30 years old, realized that she was just a guardian doll of the Empress. But, it¡¯s been toote to realize that. Evelyn couldn¡¯t be special to Fabian until the end. It was a meaningless life. The sinful woman who had cut off the royal family soon dried up her tears. Then she became sick like a flower withered and died after a long illness. And the Emperor didn¡¯te over to the Empress until the end. ¡°Now I don¡¯t want that ¡­¡± It was a vain and lonely death. But whether the remorse too deep, Evelyn opened her eyes again. She had returned to the day just before the great misfortune came. ording to the maid, Evelyn woke up after she lost consciousness because of a high fever. She didn¡¯t know if she had fantasies when she¡¯sa or really returned from the end of her life, but there was one thing for sure. ¡°I¡¯m still alive.¡± When she looked in the mirror, she still had a youthful and beautiful appearance. Twenty-year-old Evelyn, who hadn¡¯t lost her child. And it was before she withered in the imperial family. This was a chance for her to fix everything. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Empress is talking about.¡± Evelyn smiled faintly at Fabian. He would continue to be. Even until she died, he didn¡¯t know her heart. ¡°I am weak and cannot produce your heir.¡± ¡°Who decides that?¡± There was anger in Fabian¡¯s eyes, but Evelyn didn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°I cannot be a sinner to the Empire, so I have asked for the Vatican¡¯s mediation.¡± ¡°Wh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤What!!?¡± Fabian¡¯s face hardened by the word ¡®Vatican.¡¯ He hurriedly approached Evelyn. ¡°What did you do? How dare you ask the Vatican to mediate your n?¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes stared at Evelyn, coldly. He had fought an endless battle with the Vatican since his enthronement at the age of 16. It was unforgivable that Evelyn, who knew it well, had asked the Vatican for help. ¡°The Pope said this marriage could be terminated.¡± ¡°Are you out of your right mind?¡± The Pope of the Empire granted divorce with a few exceptions. Besides, the royal family of Felice was initially close to the Vatican. So, The Pope naturally sided with Evelyn. ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was clear. ¡°I feel calmer than ever.¡± For the first time, Evelyn looked up at Fabian fearlessly. ¡°I want to divorce His Majesty and return to my home country.¡± Evelyn was not from the Empire but a princess from the Kingdom of Felice. She felt bitter because she thought their political marriage might be wrong from the beginning. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Fabian asked again. ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn had no hesitation. ¡°I sincerely want a divorce from Your Majesty.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes hardened like ice. ¡°Really?¡± A cold voice shot through the Evelyn¡¯s ears. It wasn¡¯t clear which of the two words between the divorce or the Vatican made Fabian angrier. ¡°You can¡¯t hold on to me even if you want to.¡± Only But now his voice could not reach Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± Evelyn bent her knees to give an example. A graceful smile was engraved on her lips. ¡°Then, I will dly step down from the position of empress.¡± Evelyn bid farewell to her long misery. There was no feeling in Fabian¡¯s dark eyes until the end. He was just keeping an eye on her as cold as ever. Evelyn first turned her back in front of the Emperor. It was such a smooth breakup. Chapter 2: A longer youth to live on. Four dayster, as soon as the day dawned, the edict had dropped. It wasn¡¯t surprising. Fabian¡¯s order didn¡¯t dy for a day as if he had waited for this moment. He hated annoying things, and now that Evelyn was such a being. So he definitely wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. ¡°The Empress, Evelyn Felice, please listen to the edict.¡± The pce aide himself came directly to the Empress¡¯s residence and began to read the emperor¡¯s edict. ¡°On thisst day, I decide to divorce Evelyn, the royal princess of the Felice Kingdom, under the authority of the Vatican, because she has a very serious and fatal reason for no longer being able to maintain her marriage further.¡± Indeed, there was a strong sense of anger at Fabian¡¯s decree after Evelyn called for Vatican interference, which Fabian despised the most. ¡°At the same time as this decree, the Empress¡¯s status and all privileges will be taken away, and Evelyn Felice is ordered to leave the imperial family and return to her home country.¡± That was the substance of the edict. Evelyn nodded towards the aide. She had prepared everything, including Lily, a maid from her homnd, when she left. Everything she received on her behalf as an Empress was left intact. It included the gifts she got when she married Fabian. Evelyn went out to empty-handed just like she came to the imperial family for the first time. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Evelyn left her ¡°old home¡± without looking back. There was no regret in this beautiful prison. At the entrance to the imperial pce, a carriage from the Kingdom of Felice was waiting for her. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up the princess.¡± A woman with a boring voice was staring at Evelyn for a long time. Nora, her nanny, who had raised her since childhood, came here to meet her. ¡°Thank you.¡± The wind was blowing; Evelyn climbed onto the carriage of her home country where she had missed. Lily, her maid, and Nora, her nanny, were in the carriage together, creating a heavy silence. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the atmosphere? I did this because I wanted to.¡± Only Evelyn¡¯s voice was bright. ¡°Really, are you all right?¡± Nora asked anxiously, but Evelyn nodded more gantly than ever. Lily seemed relieved to see it. ¡°I didn¡¯t suit the imperial family from the start. I want to live freely now.¡± Evelyn was smiling brightly. A smile that had never seen in the imperial family. It was Evelyn¡¯s true self. ¡°If you are fine with this, Her Majesty¡­.¡± ¡°Lily, I¡¯m no longer Your Majesty.¡± There were a lot of things that need to be fixed in the future. But, Evelyn, who had returned to her original position as a princess, was ready to ept everything. ¡°Nora, my father must be very angry, right?¡± Nora sat in silence with a pained smile. ¡°But your father sent me to meet you.¡± It was obvious how upset her father was about his divorced daughter. But it was much better to listen to her father¡¯s scolding than to live and hold her breath beside the cold Fabian. Her father, The King, was always blunt. But when Evelyn asked for a divorce, he asked the Vatican without saying anything. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m used to being scolded now.¡± Everyone in the imperial family watched Evelyn and tried to crack down on her. This and that were both against thew, and it was forbidden to show emotion on the face. ¡°The imperial family was too much for me.¡± She was unable to do as she wished. One gesture, one view, and the imperial family was a beautiful cage. Fabian, who was born and raised there, might be fine. But it was too much for a woman from another country like Evelyn to adapt. ¡°I miss Queen mother¡¯s voice.¡± Only ¡°Are you serious?¡± Nora asked back unknowingly. The princess, who was innocent and bright, had suffered so much that she felt sick to say such a thing. ¡°Well, maybe not when ites to it.¡± Evelynughed more happily on purpose. Perhaps she knew her feeling. She couldn¡¯t guarantee that her future would be bright. Few would wee the princess back as a divorcee. But that¡¯s fine, though. If she¡¯s sick, she could say she¡¯s sick. And if she was sad, she could say she¡¯s sad. It was enough for her if she no longer needed to conceal her feelings. So Evelyn, aged 20, quit the Empress. She had a longer youth to live on. Chapter 3: Her Original Place Fortunately, Felice¡¯s kingdom was not far from the imperial family. Evelyn¡¯s carriage ran smoothly and finally arrived in her long-cherished homnd, full of nostalgia. However, the atmosphere of the royal family was heavy as they weed their divorced daughter. Evelyn calmly epted the not-so-wee reality. ¡°King father, Queen mother. I¡¯m back.¡± The King and his wife weed their daughter, the princess, who had abandoned the Empress¡¯s throne with sorrow and sighing. King Arthur continued to express deep sighs with a frown on his forehead, and the Queen could say nothing, holding only her daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°Forgive me.¡± Evelyn was unable to say anything else. King Arthur shook his hand because he could not see-through his daughter. ¡°You have eyes to see, so be careful for a while.¡± ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn turned around with courtesy to her parents. Miriam, the Queen¡¯s mother, had already groomed her residence for Evelyn. However, she didn¡¯t ask for a conversation first, perhaps because she thought of her daughter, who would be upset. And Evelyn wasn¡¯t ready to talk, either. ¡°Princess, I¡¯ve prepared your old rooms.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good.¡± Evelyn looked around at her ce, which never changed before she got married. She finally felt like she wasing back home. There was a lot of room to look at, and Evelyn wanted to spend quiet time with her nanny, Nora, and Lily, on their side for the time being. *** ¡°Princess, this is your favorite milk tea.¡± Evelyn nodded at Nora¡¯s consideration. The sweet and savory taste of tea was still the same in her memory. ¡°My father didn¡¯t yell at me.¡± Evelyn said, a little lonely. The only thing that changed was herself. ¡°Because he was very lonely after the princess went to the imperial family. He was very worried about you.¡± His majesty, the King, though stern, was not a bad father. Her parents were always concerned about their only daughter. Evelyn, who had been raised too naively, would not be able to cope with the imperial family¡¯s strict formalities. ¡°When I was young, I always bothered by what he said. I was supposed to listen to him more.¡± As a result, their fears hade true. The rtively-free-kingdom of Felice and the Imperial Family had apletely different culture. Evelyn had to follow various pcews since her first day of marriage, and she had not even seen her husband¡¯s face. ¡°The queen wanted to meet the princess, but she¡¯s still unable toe because of King¡¯s order to be careful.¡± Evelyn nodded at Nora¡¯s words. ¡°I know. The Queen Mother is a wise person.¡± Evelyn proceeded the divorce through Vatican mediation, and it gave herself a reason. In other words, Evelyn was now a sinner. ¡°It¡¯s better to stay quiet for the time being.¡± However, Evelyn¡¯s fault was that she made herself a defendant to the imperial family. All her rights as the Empress had disappeared, making it difficult for Felice¡¯s kingdom to raise their head to the Empire for the time being. Evelyn, who was involved in the case, naturally needed to show self-reflection by apologizing to the imperial family and the Vatican. ¡°At least I feel at ease.¡± Evelynughed round her familiar ce. When Lily saw Evelyn smiling after a long time, she decided not to talk about her choice anymore. ¡°This is what it is.¡± Evelyn came back to life when she escaped from imperial very. From the beginning, the Imperial Family had been a heavy burden on her. ¡°You don¡¯t regret a little bit?¡± asked Nora. She looked cautious as if she wanted to make sure for thest time. ¡°Nora, how do I look right now?¡± Nora had been a nanny-maid since Evelyn was born. So she couldn¡¯t fool Nora even though other people didn¡¯t know about it. ¡°You look happy ¡­¡± Nora could dare to lie. Evelyn saw Nora¡¯s helpless expression and held her hand. It was always warm. ¡°From the beginning, I wasn¡¯t fit to be an Empress. And now, I¡¯ve returned to my original ce, so that¡¯s enough.¡± Evelyn had settled down. The memory of such a lonely life would no longer be repeated. At least Evelyn went back to her own country where her family was. No husband made her suffocating by making eye contact, nor adies who had been prying at the Empress¡¯s every move. ¡°Look at this.¡± Evelyn pointed to thefortable dress she had changed as soon as she arrived at the castle. It was impossible to dream of wearing a dress like this in the Empire. There, Evelyn was the Empress, so she had to wear a heavier, more colorful clothing than anyone else. ¡°I think I can breathe now.¡± It was said to protect the dignity of the imperial family. Every day, Evelyn¡¯s waist was tightened by a thick dress, and a heavy tube pressed her head. She ¡®d rather be real on her own. They could have done better with the ster statue. Evelyn smiled bitterly, recalling the follies of the past. ¡°Well, the Imperial Family¡¯sws were really harsh.¡± ¡°Lily, you shouldn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Nora. It¡¯s only between us and that¡¯s true. The Imperial Family wants a perfect Empress.¡± Indeed, was there such a perfect person in the world? Evelyn had always pursued perfection, but she had never been acknowledged. In society, the noblewoman whispered that Evelyn, a native of another kingdom, wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the imperial formality. ¡°Huh! do they think they¡¯re perfect? Their private lives are more disgusting.¡± Evelyn nodded unknowingly at Lily¡¯s angry voice. The Empire¡¯s society was a stage of pretense and hypocrisy that concealed their ugly nature. Evelyn couldn¡¯t get used to it until the end, but it wasmon tough at each other and stab each other with a knife. ¡°Now that I don¡¯t have to see such people, that alone is satisfied me.¡± Evelyn remembered thedies¡¯ eye that zed behind their elegant hand-fan. It was a pleasure for them tough loudly and y games while mocking the opponent with their eyes. The Empress was no exception to them. They called it an aristocratic style, and Evelyn, who couldn¡¯t get along, had always been ridiculed for her origin. ¡°People who live in the imperial household are locked up in the prison they created. They ¡®re poor people who get so used to it that they think it¡¯s a whole world.¡± That was Evelyn¡¯s conclusion. If they didn¡¯t repeat the folly of gossiping each other and dividing factions, they would all have gone mad. There was no point in who thew was for and who the court was for. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Who can live perfectly in such a deste ce?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one person¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn recalled her husband, Fabian. He showed no emotion even when he was crowned at the age of 16 and defeated the nobles. He ruled over the nobles of the imperial family. In fact, Fabian¡¯s image after marriage was perfect. ¡°So he deserves a perfect mate.¡± Fabian, with his sturdy physique and handsome face, once made Evelyn¡¯s heart beat fast. His ck eyes and sharp jawline, which always kept a calm eye on the front, both trembled Evelyn¡¯s heart. When his big hand came into contact with Evelyn, the ce he touched was burned like fire. ¡°Yes ¡­ there will be a ce, somewhere. For a perfect person like him.¡± Evelyn was able to release Fabian from her mind after she woke up from her death. Vaguely predicted the future and witnessed it personally were different. Evelyn ¡®s heart had cooled like Fabian¡¯s, and she could barely breathe. Evelyn could only choose freedom over hope for her husband, who was so perfect. ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine. It¡¯s my choice. I said I¡¯d quit first.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t pursue Evelyn. That¡¯s also what she expected. Now that Vatican¡¯s interference had gotten severe, the dignity of the imperial family had fallen as the Empress requested mediation. Fabian would have taken it as a betrayal. On the contrary, it was fortunate that he didn¡¯t punish her. ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s fine now.¡± Nora stepped forward in a soft voice. Then she took out her handkerchief and wiped Evelyn¡¯s cheek. Only then did Evelyn realize that she was crying. Nora hugged Evelyn without saying anything. ¡°How difficult it had to be to decide, but it was the princess who chose this difficult path. I think that¡¯s what she had to do, right?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. I couldn¡¯t be happy as an Empress. No matter how hard I tried¡± The tears she had endured burst sadly. Apart from that, Lily came to her side without a word and kept her body temperature close to Evelyn. It was Lily who watched her days in the imperial family from her side, so she knew her sorrow very well. ¡°His Majesty sees no one. He¡¯s the perfect Emperor who shows no emotion.¡± A perfect emperor, and the worst husband. Only If only he had given her a warm constion, if he gave it to her, at least, Evelyn wanted to keep her vow to live as his wife. ¡°But he never, not once, he never looked at me.¡± Evelyn tried not to think of Fabian again after thisst cry. After all, Fabian had no ce for Evelyn. So Evelyn had to forget him, too. That was for Evelyn herself. It was herself that not given by anyone. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Our princess is still young and beautiful.¡± ¡°Yes, all you have to do is be happy.¡± Evelyn swept away the remaining drops of tears after the warm embrace of her people. There were also lingering feelings about Fabian and memories of the Empress. Chapter 4: Two Mothers Fortunately, time began to pass. The wind swept Evelyn¡¯s broken heart and drifted away. By the time, the unpleasant rtionship with the Empire had been eased. And, Evelyn¡¯s probation in the kingdom had been set free. Her bright smile could be found again. But in the future, Evelyn brought unexpected things together. *** ¡°Princess¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The season had already passed through the winter and spring. Nora came to the bed where Evelyn was lying quietly and sat down around her. ¡°It¡¯s hard to hide it now.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Evelyn nodded gently with a stiff face. She was sitting on the bed, knitting a tiny sock. It was her devotion to a new life she never dreamed about. ¡°This child must be ¡­..¡± Nora managed to broach the subject. After Evelyn returned from the imperial family for some time, it was a life that no one had noticed. Evelyn was under excessive stress in the imperial family, so her menstruation was irregr. Her body was weak, so she waste to find out. She never thought about it, so she didn¡¯t even notice it for the first few months. ¡°Nora, this is my child.¡± Evelyn, who first noticed this new life, didn¡¯t believe in reality at first. But the tears that poured down her cheeks were obviously happiness. The painful experience of giving birth to Fabian ¡®s child twice in her previous life made this ¡°new life¡± more precious. ¡°I can do whatever it takes to protect this child. Evelyn couldn¡¯t bear the pain of losing her child again. Her body, which was under the stress of the Imperial Family, might be the reason she¡¯d lost her child. Of course, she felt it was an improper body to give birth, but the child grew up in Evelyn for several months. ¡°So, this child must be mine.¡± Evelyn red. Her vivid blue eyes were not as tender as when she came back from divorce for the first time. Instead, it was a serene eye without fear. ¡°If I go back to that lonely ce, ¡­.. this child won¡¯t be able to survive. No, he couldn¡¯t survive.¡± Imperial Pce, that¡¯s where Evelyn miscarried her child twice. If they knew that the Emperor had a child, he would be taken away to the imperial family before he¡¯s even weaned. And she couldn¡¯t imagine how a small child could grow up in such a ce. Countless people would hurt the descendants of the Emperor, who had grown up without a mother. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll protect this child. This child won¡¯t be taken by anyone.¡± Evelyn quietly wrapped her belly. All she was afraid of now was losing this child. Nothing else was scary at all. Evelyn was fine as long as she could protect this child. *** It¡¯s been a moment for Evelyn to take courage. She could no longer hide her swollen belly, and she had a lot to decide before her child would finally be born into the world. At first nce, Evelyn, who had a slender body, didn¡¯t look like she was pregnant, but she couldn¡¯t disguise it when the child was born. Above all, Evelyn didn¡¯t want to hide it. ¡°King Father, Queen Mother.¡± Evelyn stood in front of her parents after a long time. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± King Arthur, her father, still had no idea what to do with his daughter, who had divorced and returned, and the Queen¡¯s eyes had pity for her daughter, who was still young. Not enough with a divorce, now her daughter had to give birth to a baby. It was very difficult to say that she was going to raise it. Nevertheless, Evelyn had already decided to protect the child. To do that, she needed help. ¡°It¡¯s a difficult request.¡± Evelyn hesitated about what to say, and she took off her thick coat. The King did not know yet, but there¡¯s a faint suspicion spread in the Queen¡¯s eyes, and soon a little amazement showed up. ¡°Evelyn, I can¡¯t believe it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Yes, mother¡­..¡± Evelyn was looking at the Queen. Queen Miriam staggered from her seat and approached her daughter. ¡°Oh my God, ¡­ Evelyn.¡± Miriam¡¯s eyes were filled with questions about Evelyn. But then, the wise-Queen soon realized what was inside her daughter¡¯s stomach. What was hidden was Evelyn¡¯s will to protect the ¡®new life¡¯ within her. Thest notice also meant that Evelyn was so desperate. ¡°Queen, what¡¯s going on all of a sudden? What did she say?¡± Only The King who didn¡¯t understand this situation. ¡°King Father, I ¡®m going to have a baby ¡­¡± Evelyn had already decided. ¡°I think this child will be born before fall.¡± The King smeared his eyes slowly. Then he opened his eyes with surprise. ¡°Evelyn, it¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn was holding Miriam¡¯s hand next to her. Just by looking into her mother¡¯s eyes had already helped her. Miriam, who had raised Evelyn as a mother, couldn¡¯t have abandoned her daughter¡¯s child. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect my child in the imperial family. I believed there was no child in my fate.¡± ¡°Yes. So I made a difficult request to the Vatican. But¡­.!¡± ¡°If I were still in the imperial family, this child wouldn¡¯t have been born. Because I¡¯ve lost my unborn child twice.¡± Although it didn¡¯t happen in her present life, the pain of miscarriage was still vivid. Miriam was holding Evelyn ¡®s hand in silence. It was heartbreaking for Miriam to think of her daughter, who lived so badly in the imperial family. The King looked at the two mothers and daughters, speechless. ¡°The imperial family is a cruel ce. It¡¯s a ce where the child can¡¯t survive.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice sounded painful. ¡°I dared to ask for a divorce because I was afraid of dying there.¡± It was Evelyn¡¯s first time to hear this. Miriam shed tears in silence. Though parents like them could not say the details of the affairs of the Imperial Family. Her father sent the letter because he knew it was a difficult ce for her daughter, but he didn¡¯t send it because he knew this was going to happen. ¡°Then if I send this child back to the imperial¡­ it¡¯s like killing the child with my own hands.¡± The King¡¯s face hardened like a stone. Evelyn was guilty of putting such a heavy burden on her parents, but her priority was to protect her child. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose my child. It¡¯s too painful and vain. I¡¯d rather die than suffer such pain.¡± Evelyn bit her lower lip. It was a great sin to hide the descendants of the Imperial Family. It could have turned into a political issue, and the responsibility belonged to the King. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Evelyn slowly bent her knee before the King. ¡°You don¡¯t have to forgive your sinful daughter. You can collect all the status, property, and privileges of a princess from me. But please don¡¯t let this child go back to that horrible ce and die there.¡± Evelyn found the first thing that was worth her life. She wasn¡¯t afraid to lose her own life. If only she could protect this child, Evelyn would have smiled. ¡°Are you suggesting that we keep and raise the child of His Majesty the Emperor? Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± The King¡¯s sigh was simr. Miriam, watching it, slowly lowered her knees by Evelyn ¡®s side. ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you, please. We have only one child. Did you forget what we swore when we raised our daughter? We decided to protect her. That¡¯s how the parents feel. If the princess¡¯s isn¡¯t good enough, I¡¯ll give you the Queen¡¯s.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem!¡± The King sighed sadly as he looked at the two mothers. Evelyn was a divorced Empress. If the descendant of the imperial family were born, it would be natural to give him back. However, The King hesitated. When his bright daughter returned to him with a slim face, the King was torn at the sight. He could not ask her anything, but he regretted sending her to the imperial family. ¡°No need. How people wouldugh at a royal family without a queen or a princess!¡± The King raised his old body from the throne. The wrinkles around his eyes were filled with regret to see his daughter¡¯s destined fate. He stood in front of two mothers and daughter in person and looked at them for a moment. ¡°Get up.¡± The King still ordered bluntly. However, he bent down his waist and raised his daughter first. ¡°Get up. The floor is cold.¡± ¡°Father, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The King, who barely raised Evelyn, nced at Miriam. Then Miriam raised herself and took Evelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°What a bunch of ugly things. Why are you hiding with a child!¡± The King kicked his tongue reluctantly. ¡°You divorced and returned to your parents What¡¯s more to be done? What did you do when you get divorced so easily? And now you call yourself a sinful daughter? You ¡®re the daughter of this parent forever.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The King snorted. ¡°Stop doing anything that¡¯s not like you. Where¡¯s the spirit you have when you got divorce? You¡¯re here to give us a free hand. You were originally a free-spirited child, so it¡¯s my fault that you were raised like that.¡± The King said only mean things, but Miriam kept smiling at her husband¡¯s eyes as he saw Evelyn¡¯s belly. Initially, the King was a poor father. Evelyn was able to decide on divorce ande back because she believed in her father. ¡°Now the princess¡¯s residence is in the north wind, so move from her ce right away. I don¡¯t mean¡­ It¡¯s better to keep my doctor a secret. When is the child born?¡± The King quickly spat out short words. The terms he spoke with a frowned face were more like grunts. ¡°Queen.¡± Suddenly, the King, who stood still, saw Miriam. ¡°If you say that ¡­..you gave birth to this child¡­¡± It was definitely a good idea. It¡¯s a brilliant way to hide the Emperor¡¯s child while maintaining the family¡¯s structure. But in reality, it was hard. Given Miriam¡¯s age, no one would believe it. ¡°I¡¯d love to, but it¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Right¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The King frowned and turned to Evelyn. ¡°Come on and put on your coat I ¡®m worried you can¡¯t take care of your own body when soon you ¡®re going to be a mother. Yeah, you¡¯ve been so naughty since you were a child. When are you growing up?¡± Her father¡¯s nagging, which she hated when she was young, sounded so sweet today. When she became a mother, Evelyn learned that his frowning face and grumbling speech was all love. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll think about this together.¡± ¡°Okay! Everytime you get into trouble, your measures have always been my responsibility. Go rest rather than do something that doesn¡¯t suit you! Queen, get this thing out of here. Just looking at her gives me a headache.¡± Only ¡°Yes, by all means.¡± ¡°Move your ce right away!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you my ce.¡± Evelyn was dragged out by Miriam, who had swallowed a small smile. The King saw it and kicked his tongue out. He was seemed troubled. He had toe up with a n to raise the child well, hiding that he was an emperor¡¯s child. It was the worries of those who became parents. *** Chapter 5: Vivid Dream Evelyn had a heavenly day for a couple of days. Since childhood, for the first time, Miriam had taken care of Evelyn herself, and since she was hungry for love, every moment of this life was precious to her. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yes. Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± Miriam looked sweetly at her daughter, but soon she ced a warm water bag in Evelyn ¡®s bed. ¡°Well the child would be surprised to hear the King¡¯s nagging. Your father is really worried, and that¡¯s his nature.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s kind.¡± Evelyn was smiling. When she was young, it was hard for her father to say hateful things every time. But after living in apletely deste ce, she knew that the temperature of the human body was warm. Evelyn was a loved one here, even though her father had a different way of expressing his love. ¡°Do you understand your parents¡¯ heart now ?¡± Miriam said deliberately, teasing Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯ll be good for now on.¡± The fine lines around Miriam¡¯s eyes were bent finely. ¡°We didn¡¯t know that you were living so miserable. If you didn¡¯te back here, I would have lost you forever. It¡¯s a sorrow that no parent wants to experience. So, I ¡®m d you¡¯vee back well.¡± Evelyn was unable to smile. ¡°His Majesty will somehow find a way. He¡¯s a man of great consideration and thorough enough to deal with it. And our family can live happily in this little kingdom. It¡¯s a gift from him and a way for this child.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mother, but I¡¯m still spoiled by my parents.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rewarding to have such a child. You¡¯ll find out someday.¡± Miriam held Evelyn ¡®s hand affectionately. ¡°We would never have sent you to the Imperial Family if we knew that you would be so unhappy.¡± ¡°I know, ¡­. You¡¯re not like that.¡± If her parents had sent Evelyn out of greed, they would not have quickly agreed to her decision to divorce ande back. In fact, Evelyn was able to divorce because King Arthur himself had negotiated directly with the Vatican. After receiving Evelyn¡¯s request, The King just grumbled without asking any further and headed straight to meet the Pope. He was such a father. ¡°His Majesty will find a way, so now, just think about having a healthy baby.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn began to doze, feeling the warmth of her loving mother. Her belly was quite big. Thewmaker who was secretly summoned said there wasn¡¯t much time left for the childbirth. She might have met her child soon, and Evelyn was thrilled by the facts alone. **** That day, Evelyn dreamed of going back to the garden. The way of finding her husband, Fabian, under the white moonlight, was so vivid, even in her dreams. From the sweet fragrance of the Golden Wood tree in the Imperial Secret Garden to the side of the picturesque Fabian shining in the moonlight. ¡®Do you think that¡¯s a ce for such a people?¡¯ Evelyn, who said she would quit the Empress, had a hard time with her only husband. And Fabian, who was a perfect man in every way, wouldn¡¯t have been able to understand Evelyn¡¯s pain. Even if he knew what was bothering Evelyn, it would just have been a pathetic grunt to him. ¡®You¡¯re my Empress.¡¯ When they first met, Fabian only said that word and said nothing for a long time. Evelyn¡¯s heart throbbed at his magnificent dark eyes, but she could not speak to him easily. Because before her husband, he was an emperor. It was the courtesy of the imperial family. ¡®I hope the Empress will fulfill her duty to honor Imperial rights¡¯ Fabian¡¯s low ¨C pitched voice sounded cold. Evelyn then vaguely felt that she couldn¡¯t get any closer to this man. Fabian always had an invisible line. At the age of 16, he ascended to the throne, which threatened anyone and possessed an invible dignity. ¡®Ha..Ha..¡¯ Even when Evelyn lost her baby for the first time, he just let it go. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ When Evelyn had shed tears, Fabian said nothing but words that would go against the royal etiquette. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. I won¡¯t burden the Empress any more.¡¯ The second time she lost her child, Fabian didn¡¯te to Evelyn¡¯s bed. There was no disappointment because there was no expectation. Nheless, the Empress, whose hope for her husband had disappeared, soon became an abandoned empress. If she failed to fulfill her duties as an empress, she would lose her rights as an imperial member. Only then did Evelyn know what ¡°marriage¡± meant and fully understood what Fabian had said. ¡®Your Majesty, it hurts so much. I can¡¯t fill the ce where I lost my child. It hurts so much that I want to die.¡¯ Evelyn begged Fabian in her nightmares every night. He was the Supreme Emperor. He said that no one on this continent was greater than him. And he reigned only as an emperor, even to his only wife. So, Evelyn hoped, her wish would be granted. What she wished for was just a little happiness as a woman. But, it was a wish that only he could give. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be sick anymore. I¡¯m so scared. I don¡¯t want to live like this.¡¯ The most frightening thing was a reality that was more horrific than a nightmare. After she had lost her child twice in vain. Evelyn, who never hated anyone, began to hate the world. Then all her lingering feelings about Fabian disappeared. It was rather easy if she could regard him as just an emperor. The couple, who had no links, cooled down quickly. ¡®Empress¡¯ Fabian always called Evelyn that way. It was a call to the *¡¯coffin¡¯ that Evelyn was wearing. Evelyn gradually forgot her name. ¡®I will quit the Empress.¡¯ Evelyn¡¯s life, which had withered shortly after the age of thirty, returned back to her twenty for some reason. The decision made by her regret was very simple. She realized that she had to quit the Empress to live as Evelyn because she saw there was no future with Fabian. ¡®If you really want it.¡¯ Fabian didn¡¯t refuse. The parting was too easy. It was stupidly simple when she recalled the pain she had been through. It was such a sad night. ¡®But, why?¡¯ But unlike in her past memory, Fabian, in her dream, asked Evelyn a question. He turned to Evelyn. His ck eyes were fixed at her. The scent of the Golden Wood tree spread sweetly whenever the wind blew. ¡®Why are you trying to leave me?¡¯ She knew that it was a dream. But Fabian¡¯s appearance was so vivid. Evelyn took a step forward. Fabian¡¯s moonlit face was as beautiful as she remembered it. ¡®Am I a man who can only give you a pain?¡¯ Fabian¡¯s low-pitched voice sounded indifferent. ¡®Is it a horrible fate to marry me?¡¯ His ck eyes were filled with grief. It was a strange figure of a man that she once loved. ¡®Evelyn.¡¯ In her dream, Fabian called her name. ¡®No, I am¡­¡­.¡¯ With difficulty, he reached out his hand. Evelyn just stared at it in silence. She couldn¡¯t articte what he had to say in her dream. She couldn¡¯t think of any kind of answer. ¡®I wanted you to ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ The wind blew hard and clouded what Fabian said. Again, the sweet scent of the golden tree had spread. Her view was gradually darkened. It was time for her to wake up from her dream. Only ¡°Ha¡­¡­..¡¤¡± Evelyn was able to lift her heavy eyelids with a cold sweat. A heavy breath wasing out of her lips. She felt a change of body she had never experienced before. Even though it was her first time, her instincts had already known this change. ¡°Mo¡­mother ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It was a night before the end of summer. ¡°I think the child is going to be born.¡± **** (T/N : *coffin in here means Evelyn feel like she¡¯s buried inside ¡°empress¡± body) Chapter 6: You’re my child That night was very long. Evelyn was confused, again and again, wandering between consciousness and unconsciousness. When all the dreams were over, the baby¡¯s cry was heard almost at the same time as dawn broke in the distance. ¡°¡­¡­a child, my child.¡± Evelyn had been crying for a long time, holding the baby that Miriam had given her. The boy who was too small seemed to break only by holding it, but his heart was clearly pounding and breathing. Evelyn¡¯s child was born alive. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to protect you.¡± This time, she¡¯d never lost this little life. Evelyn vowed not to lose her child again. She couldn¡¯t lose this child at all costs. ¡°You¡¯re my child.¡± Hot tears rolled down on Evelyn¡¯s cheeks. The child¡¯s hair was ck, resembling Fabian. Soon the child opened his eyes and looked at Evelyn. The color of his eyes was dark blue, not Evelyn¡¯s transparent blue eyes. The baby looked too much like his father, Fabian. Evelyn ¡®s heart was sore that Fabian¡¯s beautiful side faces came from his tiny nose to her mind. ¡°But you are my own child ¡­..of this kingdom.¡± Evelyn tried to erase Fabian¡¯s name. From now on, she had to live for this little life. It was thest day she was going to shed her tears. ¡°I love you.¡± Evelyn was able to forget her loss in one moment. ¡°I love you, my child.¡± Evelyn kissed the crying child¡¯s forehead. The bitter and painful wounds had already disappeared without a trace, and only love for the child had grown endlessly. Although she couldn¡¯t love Fabian so much, Evelyn felt absolute love more than that, and all her life was rewarded. ¡°Good work, Evelyn. You¡¯ve had a hard time.¡± Miriam smiled as she looked at the child at the bedside. ¡°He¡¯s a pretty child. He looks a lot like you. His eyes are sparkling like when you were born.¡± Miriam¡¯s eyes were bright as well. In her eyes, it was only important that her daughter had grown up and had a child. The child¡¯s resemnce to the Emperor was not even visible. ¡°It¡¯s a boy¡­¡± Evelyn smiled at Miriam¡¯s words. The line from the forehead to the nose looked a lot like Fabian, and it was the result that she already expected. ¡°I¡¯m afraid His Majesty will spend the night making a name for him. Well, he has too many thoughts.¡± Miriamughed and spoke with a smile, and Evelyn finally leaned back in relief. ¡°Well done. My daughter.¡± Miriam patted Evelyn on the head. Even after bing a mother, her mother¡¯s hands were still warm. ¡°Now get a good night¡¯s sleep, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn fell asleep, faintly. She closed her eyes together in her mother¡¯s arms like how the little baby did to her. Miriam looked at the beautiful sight and wiped her tears away. She was very grateful and proud of her daughter, who came back after making a difficult decision. The same was true with Miriam, who had almost lost her beloved child. ¡°Yes, good night. My pretty children, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Miriam quietly blessed and prayed for the child¡¯s future. ¡°Thank you very much foring to us.¡± Evelyn and the child fell into a soundly sweet sleep, whether or not they heard their mother¡¯s heart. ¡ï¡ï¡ï Fortunately, both the child and the mother were healthy. Even though the child was born a lot smaller than usual, he soon sucked well and was so calm that he spent most of the day sleeping. Evelyn, Miriam, and even The King, all fell in love with this young baby, and everyone would spend time with him in the cradle. ¡°Princess, I was worried that your baby was small, but thank God.¡± Nora nodded at Lily, who was looking at the scene with delight. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have dreamed of such a scene in the imperial family. I¡¯m d that you came back and gave birth here.¡± ¡°Was it that bad?¡± When Nora asked carefully, Lily¡¯s expression darkened. Lily was a maid who grew with Evelyn, who entered the imperial pce with her and always stood by her side. She was a witness who shared and watched Evelyn¡¯s solitude. ¡°You can¡¯t raise your own baby in the imperial family. You can¡¯t imagine your baby¡¯s breastfeeding.¡± As soon as the child of the imperial family was born, a pre-selected nanny would take him and raise him. Breastfeeding wasn¡¯t something a noble wife should do, sometimes they could only see their child when the nanny was ready. Even, she was against thew if she expressed her affection so intimately. When the child was old enough to walk, it wasmon to leave him to a nobleman to raise him. The reason was that, if the real parents raised the child themselves, the judgment would be blurred. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much she wants she can only meet her child at the appointed time. All the children of the imperial family are like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more scary than I¡¯ve heard.¡± Nora was Evelyn¡¯s nanny, but Miriam wanted to do most of her own care and enjoyed the growth of her pretty daughter. No matter how high the noble rank, that wasn¡¯t a ¡®w¡¯ in the kingdom. Maybe Evelyn, who grew up like that, couldn¡¯t adapt to the imperial family. ¡°Yes, in the Imperial Family, as soon as the princess was crowned as the Empress, she had already selected ady to nurse her baby in the future.¡± It was the imperial family that had to prepare to let go of a child they hadn¡¯t embraced yet. It was thew, and even Fabian, the Emperor, was born and raised like that, so he had no choice. But thanks to Evelyn¡¯s twisting fate, the baby was able to enjoy the blessings of her family and was breastfed by his mother. That was why Evelyn had no regrets, no matter how splendid and noble the empress¡¯ seat was. ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t we let the King know that the Duke of Akchire is here?¡± ¡°I told him already, but he doesn¡¯t budge. They¡¯re all fascinated by the baby.¡± The King couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the cradle,ining that it was a headache. His grandson, whom he saw in his old age, was so beautiful that he felt his grandson was cuter and more lovely than when Evelyn was born. Even though the King stayed up all night deciding the baby¡¯s name, his face became brighter and younger, as if he was rejuvenated. ¡°By the way, when will your baby be named?¡± ¡°From the look of His Majesty, I think It¡¯s still a long way.¡± Only Lily also nodded at Nora¡¯s words. The King was worried and cautious, but since he saw his grandson, who didn¡¯t get sick even when he hugged him, he would need time to make a big decision to chose a name. ¡°I wish the child will be healthy the way he is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he will.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lily just nodded, trying to swallow the fact that the baby looked so much like the Emperor she had seen from afar. She decided not to think about the fact that the baby was Fabian¡¯s son and became the heir of the royal family. Evelyn¡¯s will was strong, and this ce was full of baby lovers, so it would be fine. ¡°I want you to be happy now¡­..¡± Lily prayed sincerely. Chapter 7: The King’s Request Apart from having a lovely grandson, the King¡¯s agony was deep. ¡°Even The King of this kingdom couldn¡¯t help it.¡± At one time, he considered raising the child separately until the situation calmed down. Still, when his grandson was born, he had no heart to make such a decision. But it was too difficult to hide the child¡¯s presence from the royal family. ¡°The Duke of Akshire meets King Felice.¡± King Arthur raised his eyes and stared at the Duke, who had just ascended the throne. Duke Akshire was a meritorious retainer of the Felice Kingdom for generations. But not long ago, the Duke handed over the title to his son for reasons of old age. The new Duke was a young man with brown hair, with a bright looking face resembled his father. ¡°Get up, your father was an old friend of mine.¡± Duke Akshire¡¯s greatest mission was to maintain a close rtionship between the kingdom and the Vatican. In the Empire, the Vatican might have opposed the Emperor. However, it was not enough to ignore the power of religion, which deeply rooted in the continent. ¡°As my father¡¯s will, I will stay loyal to the kingdom.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already had your support, and your loyalty has been proved¡± The first assignment was given to Liam, the new Duke of Akshire, was the empress¡¯ divorce. He went to the Vatican as King Felice¡¯s special envoy and arranged a meeting between The Vatican and The King himself. Because the Vatican had stepped in, he wanted to avoid a conflict in the Empire, so he was supposed to let go. ¡°I did it because I wanted to.¡± Liam was smiling. He recalled the beautiful figure of the princess he had met when he apanied his father to the kingdom in his childhood. It was for the princess whom he admired while hanging out and ying together a couple of times as a child, so he didn¡¯t care about such a request. It was a rumor that the Emperor had no room for the princess, and Liam felt sorry for her. ¡°So, will you ept my request again?¡± ¡°If I can help you, ¡­¡­Yes, I¡¯m willing to.¡± The King looked carefully at the young man¡¯s green eyes and soon opened his heavy mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a shameful story, but I have a child in my old age.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Unlike the words, Arthur¡¯s expression was calm. But Liam was greatly shaken to hear it. Despite hisck of a son, King Felice was famous for his good rtionship with the Queen and his daughter. ¡°His Majesty, I don¡¯t understand.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t possible for the Queen to have a child, and it¡¯s also strange that he had a child outside in his old age. ¡°That¡¯s what happened. A few days ago, a child was born and unfortunately, his birth mother had passed away.¡± Even if it was decidedter, the truth of the matter seemed that the King¡¯s attitude was severe, and he seemed to have already decided. ¡°I am ashamed of the world, but how can I refuse to be a parent?¡± Arthur¡¯s main point came out. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the Queen for an apology. So, our royal family has decided to ept the child as mine, if only with the Vatican¡¯s permission.¡± It wasn¡¯t umon for a noble to enroll illegitimate children as children of their wives. However, the King¡¯s illegitimate child was unusual. ¡°It¡¯s a shame anyway, but if it¡¯s possible, I want to keep quiet without telling the public.¡± Arthur was willing to be a stigma for his daughter. Queen Miriam also agreed to her husband¡¯s opinion as soon as she heard it. For them, the honor was no longer important. That¡¯s because there was already something more critical that happened. ¡°If the Duke has not forgotten his bond to our royal family, I would like you to ask the Holy Father of the Vatican for a request.¡± The Kingdom of Felice had a strong rtionship with the Vatican. In addition to following the state religion, the fact that the present Holy Father came from the Felice Kingdom yed a significant role. The small kingdom had its own means of survival. The kingdom of Felice, which enjoyed a wealthy era as a trade industry, made a big donation to the Vatican. ¡°How can I help you and this royal family?¡± Duke Akshire and the Felice Kingdom had long been allies. His father urged him to continue the rtionship between the two families by handing down his title. Intuitively, Liam realized that there was something behind the King¡¯s request, but he was not willing to reveal it immediately. ¡°Of course.¡± Liam nodded reliably. ¡°Thank you. Our royal family won¡¯t forget the help of the Duke of Akshire.¡± ¡°It is a work that should be done. The Holy Father will understand your love for your son.¡± The illegitimate child deserved to be criticized unless the child had the blessing of the Vatican. The King would show the Vatican his faith in gold coins, and it wouldn¡¯t be hard for the Duke of Akshire to step forward as a mediator. ¡°Then, please leave tomorrow with my letter.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤But, is the princess doing well?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°With the help of Duke Akshire, the princess was able to return safely to the royal family. Give my thanks to your father.¡± ¡°My father just carried out his duties. If the princess is doing well, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have sent your father at all. At that moment, the Emperor asked so strongly that his judgement was blurred without realizing it.¡± Liam spared thement of the King¡¯s words. The Vatican epted the request for divorce and saw it as an opportunity to weaken the Emperor¡¯s dignity in the middle of a war with the Empire. Thanks to them, Liam was able to do his job without any trouble. ¡°It¡¯ste, but congrattions for the baby¡¯s birth.¡± Liam smiled again. ¡°It¡¯s not something to be proud of, but¡­¡± Unlike his words, a happy smile spread to the King¡¯s face. ¡°Give me your baby¡¯s name and gender, and it will be easier to receive the blessing of Holy Father.¡± ¡°Yes, this is it.¡± Arthur himself took up the pen and wrote every letter carefully on the luxurious parchment. It was the name that Evelyn chose from the names she repeated over and over. ¡°Adrian¡­.. that¡¯s a good name.¡± ¡°Really? You have eyes.¡± The King gasped and coughed. ¡°I congratte the birth of the prince.¡± ¡°What?!!¡± The only shortage of the royal family of Felice was the sessor. And in a way, Adrian¡¯s birth solved the problem. Actually, it was a little suspicious because of seeing the King¡¯s sincerity or reputation, he obviously never intended to have a son. But it seemed that the Vatican and the public would understand. ¡°As quietly as possible, please do not let wordse out.¡± As soon as the child was born, The King didn¡¯t want the news to spread because he was an illegitimate child. Liam nodded as if he understood the meaning. ¡°For that reason, I believe the Holy Father will also consider it.¡± Only ¡°Yes, I have to tell you that my faith is still strong.¡± King Arthur gently finished the conversation. ¡°I have to go now. I hope Her Majesty Queen and Princess will be healthy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them.¡± Arthur saw the sturdy figure of a young man once been called as his son-inw, and he felt a little regret. Evelyn¡¯s life might have been different without the pressure of Imperial authority to be empress at that time. If only then¡­. But Arthur was wise. Instead of regretting, he hurried to see the child who had be the loveliest thing in the royal family. Chapter 8: The child’s eyelashes The child¡¯s eyshes were beautiful as he fell asleep in his cradle. In fact, there was no ce that wasn¡¯t pretty. ¡°His mouth is like his stubborn grandfather.¡± Honey dripped from Miriam ¡®s eyes. Whether that was the mind of her parents, or because their terrible son-inw, who couldn¡¯t see them properly, didn¡¯te to mind. They just saw a ce that looked like a family of their own. ¡°It¡¯s the same as you when you were young. Hisshes are neat and his cheeks were plump.¡± Miriam was happy to see her lovely daughter and the child she gave birth to alternately. ¡°But, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± But Evelyn asked back with a worried look. It was heartbreaking to think that her parents, who never left a stain on their life, were filled with scandals that they had an illegitimate child in their old age. ¡°I¡¯ve already decided.¡± Miriam deliberately turned away from her daughter¡¯s gaze and shook the cradle. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about people¡¯s words, right, Adrian?¡± ¡°But mother, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn, who had been through it, was able to understand Miriam¡¯s pain. The failure to give birth to a son as a sessor was the greatest misfortune for the woman who had been groomed. Evelyn didn¡¯t dare to guess her mother¡¯s heart, because Miriam had raised her only daughter, Evelyn, without showing such emotion. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t have a son, and no matter what anyone said, I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Still, her parents didn¡¯t shake by that. They kept their eyes on each other and protected the royal family. But their honor was tainted. People now wouldugh at the king for being blind to their son, and mocked the queen who failed to give birth to a son. Evelyn had learned how terrifying people¡¯s malice in the imperial family. ¡°Evelyn, people¡¯s words can¡¯t hurt us.¡± Miriam¡¯s keen eyes turned to her daughter. ¡°And it¡¯s our job to keep this child bright so that we don¡¯t hear such words.¡± Evelyn clenched her hand for no reason because she was frustrated. Now that she had to protect Adrian, and she had vowed not to show her tears. ¡°No matter how many people in the world sin with words, if we are not shaken, things like this will soon be scattered without form.¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t as strong as her mother. In the imperial family, malicious words always scratched Evelyn violently. She escaped from the ce, piling up the wound, and flew here. If this was a match, Evelyn was a loser. ¡°The important thing is not to break up with a loving family. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Miriam nodded at her daughter and looked again at Adrian in the cradle. ¡°I once thought I was the unhappiest person in the world.¡± Evelyn confessedte. ¡°I was trapped in a tiny world, and I thought it was. I was a weak loser there.¡± Miriam looked at her daughter with sore eyes, but Evelyn didn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°The next time I had this happiness, but I didn¡¯t know it like a fool.¡± A meaningless life, a pain without a price. A foolish woman who was imprinted as a loser and did nothing. A weak mother who couldn¡¯t even protect her own child. The misfortune had already passed. ¡°I met and knew Adrian. The most important thing is not honor or nobility, but happiness in this moment.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t really teach you something important, but this child taught you.¡± Miriam warmly grabbed Evelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°Please teach it to this child again someday.¡± Only ¡°Yes.¡± The hope that Evelyn kept was asleep in the cradle. ¡°I¡¯m sure, I will.¡± Evelyn thanked someone for giving her life back to her. So she could run away. And it was a great pleasure and relief that she could protect this child. ¡°I have to protect this child.¡± Evelyn was no longer thinking about Fabian from Adrian. The dark hair and the dark blue eyes belonged to Adrian, not to Fabian. Evelyn loved the child as it was. It didn¡¯t matter who the father was right now. So Evelyn was forgetting her cold ex-husband. Chapter 9: Mother and Emperor The Empress¡¯s vacancy was forgotten faster than expected. But after a year, the position was not filled even when the season returned. Obviously, the nobles and aristocrat faction who were aiming for the next Empress had their eyes lit up. ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t dy any longer.¡± The pce chief carefully spoke to Fabian. ¡°I¡¯m busy with my official duties.¡± Fabian was handling a mountain of papers in the Oval Office. His daily routine had not changed much since Evelyn left. ¡°The Empress Dowager said that she couldn¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Fabian¡¯s forehead was literally crumpled. ¡°There will be a meeting of the Vatuca soon, I don¡¯t think we should dy it.¡± Again, the pce chief risked his life to speak. He was afraid that Fabian¡¯s anger would explode. Still, he couldn¡¯t be silent because the Empress Dowager was roasting him right away. ¡°Noisy.¡± Fabian exhaled coldly and turned to his paperwork again. The Empire had as much to do as its vast territory. Moreover, the territory¡¯s border had not been properly managed yet. Fabian¡¯s nerves were sharp due to frequent reports of Mana¡¯s appearance ( Demon). ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I said it was noisy.¡± Fabian had his eyes glued to the papers. ¡°Oh, my. That¡¯s too cold for your mother.¡± But the voice of the elegant woman rang, instead of the pce chief. Fabian frowned and raised his head. ¡°There was no way to stop the Empress from entering the Oval Office,¡± the Chief Pceined with his eyes to Fabian. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait, so I came here myself.¡± Fabian sighed, then signaled to the asto get out of the room. ¡°No matter how heartless you are, your mother hase a long way from the pce, but my son doesn¡¯t show me his face.¡± The Empress Dowager used to live in a southern pce. Usually, she rarely came to the Imperial Pce. Still, she was forced to walk because Fabian hadn¡¯t yet decided on the next Empress. ¡°If you¡¯re here to say something new, I have a busier job.¡± Fabian stared coolly at his mother and turned his attention back to the papers. It was clear that the Aristocrat faction, including the Empress Dowager, was all behind the scenes. ¡°My Majesty, I don¡¯t want to be a nuisance either.¡± The Empress Dowager approached the desk in his office. She didn¡¯t really care about Fabian¡¯s cold attitude. Initially, this was the rtionship between the two. ¡°So please fill in the Empress¡¯s vacancies.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since a year has passed. I¡¯m finally enjoying my rest, but the aristocrats won¡¯t let me go.¡± That was her main point. Although enjoying luxury and leisure to the fullest in the Southern Pce, she couldn¡¯t bear it because she kept talking about the Empress¡¯s vacancy. ¡°I have choose the candidate, so you just decide.¡± Fabian raised his ck eyes and stared at his mother. ¡°No, You don¡¯t have to choose. I already have a match for you. Or are you going to be stubborn again this time?¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes were filled with displeasure. ¡°The result of your stubbornness is divorce and Vatican¡¯s intervention.¡± If the opponent wasn¡¯t his mother, he would have stood and hit her right away. Fabian slowly closed his eyes and then opened them. ¡°I said I won¡¯t rush.¡± Sigh¡­, the Empress gave a short sigh. Fabian, her son, was heartless and cold, as he proved to have the imperial blood. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s going to rush you. Otherwise, I¡¯ll die at your hands before I can finish my words.¡± The Empress was also forced toe here. When the Emperor died, and her son ascended the throne, she left the pce without any regrets and enjoyed her free life. ¡°I suggest Lady Metis. Not because shemy family. In any case, if the Empress is involved or her household can mediate with the Vatican, two of your problems will be resolved at once.¡± The Empress was now pushing her niece as an Empress. Empress Dowager herself was not particrly interested, but in all aspects, she was the best choice. Beside, same-blood marriage was alsomon in this era. ¡°Who wants to mediate with the corrupt Vatican?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sounded ferocious. ¡°Oh, wasn¡¯t that why you insisted on the Empress of the Felice Kingdom where the Vatican and the Holy Father have a close rtionship? Of course, that¡¯s why the Vatican even arranged for a divorce.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth mentioning the past.¡± ¡°What I want to say is, your mother rmended Lady Metis.¡± Indirectly, his mother said that if he had listened to her from the beginning, there was no such trouble. It was really appropriate for a divorced son like him. ¡°It¡¯s a waste to confront the Vatican. Thete Emperor also hated the Vatican, but we had no choice but to maintain a rtionship with each other.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why he took you as the Empress.¡± ¡°Yes, you know that well.¡± A cold smile came and went, ¡± I have a duty anyway.¡± Being the Empress and giving birth to Fabian was her duty. ¡°If you fill the Empress¡¯s vacancy and maintain your rtionship with the Vatican, I won¡¯t be bothered by this kind of nuisance.¡± Fabian looked calmly at his mother, who never hugged him. ¡°I finished my talk with the Duke of Metis. To bring the Empress and to maintain a smooth rtionship with the Vatican, ¡­..I think this is the best we can do.¡± The Empress Dowager never considered Fabian¡¯s thoughts. But she¡¯s mistaken, Fabian now the Emperor. ¡°It¡¯s the best. I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s really the best.¡± Fabian raised himself in front of the desk. In an instant, a long shadow fell before his mother. ¡°Don¡¯t take sides with the disgusting Vatican in front of me. This is a warning.¡± Fabian¡¯s gruesome voice and living spirit were not very different, even when he against his mother. ¡°And make your attitude clear. Whether you¡¯re the Daughter of Metis, or the Empress of this Empire.¡± ¡°Is your ¡®Mother¡¯ not enough?¡± Huh, Fabian spat out ofughter. Mother, it¡¯s been a long time since he heard that word. ¡°Did I, the Emperor, have any such thing like ¡®Mother¡¯?¡± The Empress did not exactly refute it either. Fabian was proof that the Empress had fulfilled her duty. Although he was her own son, she never had more feelings than that and never had a chance to do so. Beside, Fabian became Emperor at the age of sixteen, and the opportunity for them to get closer had disappeared. ¡°I don¡¯t care who¡¯s on your side, but I hope you won¡¯t lose your legitimacy of the royal pce you live in and the monthly charges provided by the imperial family.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ we need to fill the Empress¡¯s seat anyway? Unless you¡¯re going to leave your Empress¡¯s seat empty forever, this is the best you can do anyway.¡± ¡°I do not need the Empress.¡± ¡°My Majesty, it¡¯s sophistry.¡± Fabian never blinked. ¡°Do I have to tell you how important the sessor¡¯s problem is?¡± ¡°Do you think I, the Emperor of the Empire, will die soon?¡± The Empress Dowager kept her mouth shut this time. ¡°Do I look desperate enough to kiss the dirty Holy Father¡¯s feet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean¡­.¡± Fabian raised one hand. It meant to stop talking. ¡°The Empress? All right. Bring her in.¡± It was a bitter tone. ¡°If the Empres can solve the problems of the Empire that has piled up like a pile of mountains, and can pick up the sneaky Vatican neck, bring her to me now, I¡¯ll wee her. Oh, she should be able to wipe out the demons on the edge of the territory, too.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t force yourself.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s what I have to do right now. So if there¡¯s a woman who can do that, bring her. Then I¡¯ll take her as the top priority.¡± The Empress red at Fabian, but there was no other choice. ¡°Are you really going to leave the Empress¡¯ seat empty as it is? Besides, there are reasons why we should be hostile to the Vatican?¡± ¡°Are you bored with the Southern Pce?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Pfft¡­.., Fabian, gave a ridiculousugh. ¡°Worried?¡­Who?¡± Fabian¡¯s low voice sounded clear, but the Empress did not refute it. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about the Empire please sell the Southern Pce Jewel and give it to the Army. I¡¯ll be happy to ept it.¡± The Empress Dowager frowned. The negotiations broke down. ¡°I¡¯m just pushing my back, and I don¡¯t want to interfere with My Majesty.¡± Only ¡°Then keep doing that.¡± ¡°One thing. I don¡¯t know if you leave the Empress¡¯ seat empty, but when you greet her again, please treat her with Metis¡¯s way. That will not bother me, and your Majesty will be less annoying.¡± This was the extent of the Empress Dowager¡¯s sincerity. ¡°Now go back to youpce, and feel free to think.¡± Fabian first walked towards the door of the Oval Office. ¡°Because I don¡¯t need the Empress.¡± The mother and son, who had met after a long time, said goodbye without saying hello. Chapter 9.5: Quiet Night It was a quiet night. In the secret garden, where only the emperor could enter, Fabian breathed for a moment under the tree. He was the supreme ruler of the world, but he could never be at ease anywhere. ¡°Serus.¡± Fabian spoke low. And in the shadow, a man appeared silently and bent his one knee. ¡°Yes.¡± He was none other than the Commander of the ck Hawks, a secret corps devoted to the emperor from generation to generation. They were a very highly secure unit, which reced each member every time the new emperor was crowned. ¡°I checked as you instructed Your Highness. Recently , the trend of rising Demons has been in suspicious flow. You have the power to look behind the scenes, I think you already suspect that.¡± ¡°As expected.¡± It wasmon for Demons to appear on the territory¡¯s borders, but their recent move was suspicious. But there was an interesting fact that, when those Demons appeared and made a fuss, a group of Vatican priests would appear and kill them and gain public sympathy. ¡°They¡¯re up to something cunning.¡± ¡°The Vatican has infiltrated the people and won their trust.¡± Fabian nodded. ¡°And one more thing ¡­ The Kingdom of Felice doesn¡¯t seem to be under attack.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s the main source of ie for the Vatican, so there can¡¯t be any Demons there.¡± Fabian said it in a slightly sarcastic tone. Serus nodded quietly. Even after the Empress had left, the Knights of the ck Hawk monitored the situation of the Felice Kingdom under Fabian¡¯smand. ¡°The royal family of Felice is more lively than ever before. Recently, it is said that the King finally got a son and held a big festival and gave it to the people.¡± Serus said to ease Fabian ¡®s anxiety, but one of Fabian¡¯s eyebrows wriggled. ¡°At that age?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a queen¡¯s child, but a son born outside, and it seems that he was admitted as a Queen¡¯s child with the approval of Vatican.¡± ¡°They feel at ease, huh.¡± Fabian spat out annoyingly. He was the one who asked Serus to look after them, but he was annoyed to hear that they were doing too well. ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t have to worry about the Felice Kingdom.¡± Fabian shook his hand. It meant to getaway. However, he didn¡¯t order Serus to monitor Felice¡¯s Kingdom. ¡°A festival.¡± It was a strange word for him. Fabian, who was left alone in the dark, recalled Evelyn, who asked for a divorce right here. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted.¡± It was a bitter end somewhere. ¡®I want to go back. Even if I live here, I don¡¯t live¡­ I really think I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ Fabian remembered the voice he once heard in front of Evelyn¡¯s residence. That day, Fabian couldn¡¯t get into the Empress¡¯s chamber. It was inconceivable to him that the Empress wanted to leave the imperial family. ¡®Stop, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ After that, there was another day when Fabian visited the Empress without any news, which was unusual. It was when she suffered from fever, not long before Evelyn announced her divorce. Evelyn, who was unconscious of high fever, spat out nonsense with her cracked lips. ¡®Now stop¡­ I want to be sick. Majesty, it hurts so much. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m so sick that I¡¯d rather die.¡¯ He often heard that she had med him, and the lingering silence caused her to get a high fever. But Fabian knew it. That was the truth revealed in Evelyn¡¯s nightmare. ¡°Howe¡­.¡± Fabian spoke to himself. Only He never thought of making Evelyn very happy, but he never thought it would have made her so unhappy. But Evelyn, who had a high fever and lost her mind, cried out in such a painful voice. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand you.¡± The wind blew. After Evelyn left the imperial family, several seasons changed heartlessly. ** (T/N : (It seemed, Fabian didn¡¯t know that Evelyn loved him)) Chapter 10: Lovely Adrian Evelyn left Fabian inte autumn when the Golden Moose bloomed. Adrian, who was born in thete summer of the following year, had a safe first year. His grandfather, King Arthur, told the publictely that Adrian was born in the winter. Actually, Adrian was six months old, but officially it was just a month since he was born. ¡°You¡¯re already strong. Yeah, take it!¡± ¡°Father¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±!¡± Adrian might fall while walking, but the big room was covered with a soft carpet. ¡°Come on,e on!¡± But it was King Arthur who actually fell down there. He was wielding a toy knife and heating up with Adrian. ¡°Kid, you were deceived!¡± ¡°Hmmp¡­.¡± Adrian inted his cheeks like a ball, as Arthur pretended to give him a knife. ¡°You were fooled, weren¡¯t you?¡± The King¡¯s dignity had long gone. Arthur ¡®s face was full of joy when Adrian was ying with him. ¡°Father! don¡¯t do that too much.¡± Evelyn stepped up and tried to stop him, but Arthur snorted with excitement. ¡± A man must grow up bravely.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making fun of my child right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just ying! It¡¯s an honor for him to y around with the King!¡± ¡°But you bully him?¡± Evelyn nced at Arthur, but he didn¡¯t care and stayed behind Adrian¡¯s toy horse. Honestly, the wooden horse, which eyes were decorated with diamonds, was toovish for a child to y with. ¡°Let him be, Your father really like him.¡± ¡°But, whose child is he¡­?¡± ¡°Ssst, His Majesty will go wild if he hear it.¡± Miriam admitted that her husband was on the same level as a child. Once their child Evelyn, was born, Arthur was too young and had many official duties. But he was already in old age once Adrian was born. It was a good time to give grandparents¡¯ pure and endless affection. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this ce would be so lively. Adrian is a real treasure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but isn¡¯t it too much for the child?¡± Evelyn said, looking around. Even his mother, Evelyn, said he only needed what he needed, but Arthur kept being greedy. He juggled thergest living room in the castle into Adrian¡¯s childcare room. He even broke two rooms into one. Otherwise, they couldn¡¯t afford to keep all the childcare products. ¡°Especially, I think it¡¯s a little bit too much to give jewelry as a child¡¯s toy. It¡¯s too early.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯sure.¡± Fortunately, Miriam didn¡¯t rush like Arthur and nodded to Evelyn¡¯s opinion. ¡°Perhaps I should tell them to put soft pearls in the slide that I ordered this time, because the child might get scratched on the soft side.¡± Evelyn was embarrassed and looked back at her mother, but Miriam was already striking her hand against the wall. Her way of expression was different, and Miriam was as clumsy as Arthur. ¡°My God, Adrian doesn¡¯t need pearls. He¡¯s still a baby.¡± ¡°So how about ck pearls, then? Awesome, it¡¯ll match with our Adrian¡¯s eyes. I¡¯ll ask them to get the ck pearl from the North Sea right away.¡± Evelyn closed her mouth and smiled. It was too much to stop her parents, who had already been hooked on Adrian. Even Evelyn, their own child, was jealous sometimes, so she said it all. ¡°Baba,baba,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± When she looked at Adrian ¡®s back, who walked well, Evelyn became unconsciously focused. Adrian was fearless enough to walk on his tiny feet, and Arthur¡¯s beard was the target of his mischief. ¡°Baba, baba.¡± ¡°Yes, call me father!¡± Adrian burst intoughter. Arthur handed over a toy knife as if he hadn¡¯t let it go, wiped the sweat off Adrian¡¯s forehead, and smiled proudly. ¡°Look, I y the best with him, so he¡¯s got to call me first.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re just being silly.¡± Miriam kicked her tongue at Arthur. Adrian had already been admitted as King¡¯s son. So naturally, he would call Arthur ¡°Father¡± as he grew up, but the problem was Evelyn, who could be a little sensitive. ¡°Ababa, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Yes, Father!¡± Arthur, who was tactless, encouraged him with excitement, but Adrianughed excitedly, grabbed the horse¡¯s neck, and stood up. He was walking tottered towards Evelyn. ¡°Mamama¡­Mama.¡± ¡°Yes? Adrian, are you hungry?¡± Evelyn was overwhelmed by his fat cheeks when she held a plump Adrian in her arms. The baby¡¯s smell made her smile. Adrian touched Evelyn, who rubbed his cheek. He always acted cute when he was in a good mood. ¡°Well father, I think I won again today.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤No, I just need to y more with him! he was just about to say, ¡°father,¡± to me.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Evelyn hugged Adrian on purpose as if she were teasing Arthur. ¡°Adrian, what? Ah¡­ do you want to take a nap with your mother?¡± She heard that Arthur grumbled. He was always eager, but he couldn¡¯t beat his biological mother. ¡°You hear that, Your Majesty? Now go back to your job, it¡¯s time to put the child to sleep.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°As a queen, it¡¯s my official duty to look after the royal family, so I¡¯m going to take care of the child with her.¡± Miriam smiled and went to Evelyn ¡®s side to pat Adrian ¡®s hair. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair, I want to take care of him, too.¡± ¡°You are the father of this country. You should take care of the people, too.¡± ¡°My people, they¡¯re not cute like him.¡± He must put aside his personal feelings as a fair and good king. Atst, he went to his office with the chief pce. But until the end, he kept looking at Adrian as if he didn¡¯t want to be separated. ¡°I didn¡¯t know my father had this side.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know either. I never thought he¡¯d like his grandson more than his daughter.¡± In Evelyn¡¯s arms, Adrian shook his hand excitedly, thinking that Evelyn was telling him a story. ¡°Well, he¡¯s so lovely.¡± ¡°Yes. Adrian is so cute and lovely. There¡¯s no baby in this world like him.¡± The babies were all the same. ¡°I wonder if Adrian can call you mother? You¡¯re still young and you¡¯re in the pce. When he grow up, I¡¯ll tell him myself.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to confuse him as a child.¡± Evelyn had already made up her mind. ¡°And you two are already great parents. As his ¡°Sister¡± is enough for me.¡± ¡°Still¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Then, Adrian will be my favorite little brother in the world. I can¡¯t give him up.¡± Evelyn smiled softly. Miriam finally shook off one of her worries and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t care how he calls me. The important things that we¡¯re always together.¡± ¡°My daughter has grown up now.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only looked at Adrian, when you¡¯re looking after me?¡± Evelyn had a cute grunt. She was such a sweet daughter in Miriam ¡®s eyes, no matter how old she was. ¡°Of course. My daughter is the most valuable. Adrian is second. But for cuteness, Adrian is in first ce.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just like my father!¡± Evelyn burst intoughter and froze Adrian. ¡°He stole everyone¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Maybe!¡± Adrian waved his hand vigorously. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t help it because he¡¯s so cute.¡± Evelyn kissed her lovely child¡¯s forehead. It¡¯s impressive that Adrian kept flirting with her even though she hugged and kissed him on the face. Sometimes Adrian was so adorable that Evelyn squeezed him so tight and wanted to explode. ¡°By the way, I want to bring Adrian out on the big festival soon.¡± ¡°I hope the weather is good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Adrian is so brave.¡± In a second, Adrian, who was full of stomach,id in the cradle and clenched his fists. The two- mother and daughter looked at the scene lovingly. The two were so close to Adrian that they didn¡¯t give the nanny a chance to raise him. ¡°There are a lot of festivals this year.¡± ¡°All thanks to your father.¡± To be exact, it was Arthur who felt so good because of Adrian. Recently, fireworks often embroidered the sky, and the people were enjoying the festive mood on the street. ¡°Even though, the feast is special. It is a day when the Holy Fatheres and blesses Adrian and baptizes him in front of the people.¡± It was a great honor to be baptized by the Holy Father. ¡°No one can point a finger to a child baptized by the Holy Father himself as an illegitimate child.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Considering Adrian¡¯s future, it was a necessary procedure to secure his legitimacy from now on. King Arthur even made a huge donation to invite the Holy Father. ¡°Now I¡¯ll take care of Adrian, so you should be ready. Go ahead¡± Only The kingdom of Felice did not alienate the princess as a divorcee so that Evelyn would proudly appear before the people on the Great Day. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a look at him a little longer.¡± ¡± Didn¡¯t you have tea time today?¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn looked down at Adrian with regret. Now she knew what it was like to say that I miss you, even if she watched him. ¡°Hurry¡­¡± Evelyn had no idea that Miriam now pushed her away, just like Arthur, a little while ago. Chapter 11: Women’s war When Evelyn entered the reception room, Reba stood up and gave her an elegant greeting. ¡°Thank you for your precious time.¡± Reba¡¯s green eyes shone brilliantly. ¡°Reba, stop ying.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s hard to see the princess these days.¡± Lady Akshire, Reba, quickly became Evelyn¡¯s close friend with her cool personality. ¡°That¡¯s because Adrian is so cute.¡± ¡°Whoa, I wish my younger brother was young.¡± Reba said with a sincere look. ¡°Why? isn¡¯t Duke Liam always reliable too ?¡± ¡°Ugh. Princess, there¡¯s no reliable younger brother in the world.¡± Her expression of disgust looked serious. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I hate to see him. You don¡¯t know how he told me to lead the Knight Parade on Feast Day, huh.¡± Liam was considered a popr bridegroom not only in the kingdom but also in the whole Empire, but for Reba, her sister, he was just a terrible brother. ¡°More than that, Princess, are your dress ready for the big festival?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I just wear my official dress?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Reba sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m here today because I knew you would be like this! It¡¯s almost like an important big day.¡± Reba looked at Evelyn with a stern look on her face. ¡°But it¡¯s only a Kingdom¡¯s event.¡± ¡°Princess, it¡¯s a holy asion, and also a tradition in the Felice Kingdom. But!¡± Evelyn opened her eyes wide at Reba¡¯s toughness. ¡°It¡¯s also an event that the Empire pays attention to. In other words, we need to visually show that we live better than ever and that we¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°Huh? Suddenly?¡± Reba sighed again, looking at Evelyn. ¡°The princess really doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± Frankly, Miriam arranged for the two to meet because Reba¡¯s broken side was trying to help Evelyn. Above all, the two of them have something inmon. ¡°We¡¯re a proud divorcee who abandoned her stupid ex-husband and found freedom.¡± ¡°He, if you said like that, that would be a light offense.¡±¡± ¡°Then my ex-husband will do something stupid. Anyway!¡± Evelyn was too soft. Fortunately, Reba was strong enough to face it. ¡°There are so many stupid people in the world, my ex-husband, or people who like to talk.So we have to show clearly that we are the happiest and most free so people can¡¯t even talk about us.¡± Reba ¡®s opinion was also right. The prejudice against the divorced woman was still a negative one. Only the free-spirited Felice Kingdom and the Duke of Akshire, who had proudly embraced their daughter, who had been divorced and returned. ¡°But, I don¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°No. This is for our pride.¡± Reba grabbed Evelyn ¡®s hand. Within her green eyes, there was a deep premonition. ¡°It¡¯s a woman¡¯s war to find freedom. We ¡®re supposed to prepare our weapons.¡± ¡°Reba, going to war is a bit¡­..¡± ¡°Not at all. You¡¯ll find out.¡± Reba folded her hand-fan and tapped it on her palm. In the dressing room, their massive procession began. ¡°Let¡¯s show the world. That we are the victors.¡± Evelyn nodded unconsciously. Their costume preparations were not yet finished. Perhaps today, Evelyn couldn¡¯t see the view of Adrian ¡®s dinner and had to give in to her parents. Guided by Reba ¡®s hands, Evelyn has gone through a lot of trouble from beauty massages to the dress¡¯s selection from scratch. ¡°Lady Akshire is right.¡± Even Miriam, who she believed, spoke firmly to Evelyn. ¡°There are so many people in the world who like to gossip. If you show a dignified appearance, no one will be able to talk about it. Lady Akshire is a smart person, so stay close to her and learn a little about that.¡± ¡°But this is too much. I feel like I¡¯m making my social debut again.¡± ¡°In a certain sense, it¡¯s more important than that. Besides, you know? You are young, healthy you have stunning beauty, and you are the only heir to our kingdom. There may be a royal prince who will fall in love with you and make a proposal to marry you.¡± Come to think of it, it seemed that Reba was less scary than Miriam. ¡°My mother is very picky about her divorced daughter.¡± ¡°Second, you have to look at the conditions more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think like that!¡± Miriam looked sad while looking at her, still a young and fresh daughter, but it wasn¡¯t a matter of priority right now. ¡°Then, think about it like this. What facial expressions will the nobledies who are trying to fight against you show? When they see that you are so beautiful and full of confidence.¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°But, if you still want to show a pure, simple and frugal appearance, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Miriam was wise. ¡°No.¡± Now Evelyn¡¯s eyes were as burning as Reba¡¯s. ¡°Mother, can I borrow your jewels?¡± ¡°Of course, your father already told me to take out all the jewels of the royal family.¡± It was the same for parents who wanted to show off their daughter¡¯s happiness after her divorce. ¡°I need to get a new dress.¡± ¡°Better to have at least five new outfits until thest minute.¡± ¡°No.¡± Only Evelyn briefly looked back at herself, whom she had forgotten after she had raised a child. ¡°Ten. No, I need at least twenty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good choice, my daughter.¡± Not all the noblewomen of the Empire who despised her came to the Great Festival. Nevertheless, some nobles involved in diplomatic rtions with the Felice Kingdom had been invited. And if she looked at their light-mouths, the rumors would instantly spread like wildfire. ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s a women¡¯s war.¡± Fluttering, Evelyn¡¯s fighting spirit red up. The most perfect revenge was now to show off her happiness. Then there was no need to hesitate further. Fortunately, Evelyn had a weapon called beauty. The only thing left to do was to get it polished. Chapter 12: Holy Festival Evelyn was originally an outstanding beauty. The reason she was chosen as the empress was because of her beauty, which was widely spoken outside the royal family. As a result, no one dared to stand up to her if she was determined to look pretty and wear a standout dress. ¡°That¡¯s my daughter.¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s really beautiful.¡± ¡°Yes, she looks like me.¡± ¡°Her side that resembles me is bigger.¡± Somehow, Arthur and Miriam became childish since Adrian was born. However, Evelyn¡¯s appearance now seemed to be beyond praise. After a long time, she was wearing a colorful dress, and she unleashed her bright blonde hair that sparkled like a jewel. ¡°Ammama? Boo!¡± Adrian made a strange voice when he saw Evelyn, who was dressed up differently than usual. And Miriam wrapped Adrian in white cloth and put him in the baby basket for baptism. ¡°I guess Adrian feels awkward when he saw me.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep him well, so don¡¯t worry. All you have to do now is to stand out at today¡¯s event and being the star of the banquet.¡± Evelyn¡¯s fighting spirit seemed to have been transferred to Miriam. ¡°Today¡¯s star is Adrian.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t mind. Adrian will always be the star!¡± Arthur spat out a sour sound and put his face into the baby basket. Evelyn heard Adrian¡¯sugh in the basket every time her father was busy ying with him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. A brilliant boy. You already have five teeth, you¡¯re so energetic because you resemble me.¡± Miriam and Evelyn shared an embarrassing smile as they faced each other for a moment over such a king. ¡°Today he will be baptized, and when his teeth are done, I will hold another festival.¡± Evelyn thought to herself that she should stop him. ¡°Your Majesty, let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Yes. Adrian, stay calm. The royal family must have dignity.¡± ¡°Abu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu! Finally, the day of the great festival had begun. The kingdom had gathered thr honored guests together. Adrian was wearing a white suit, and he enjoyed his noble appearance with a silver toy. The King and The Queen also showed their dignity and wealth at a nce. However, the main character of the day was definitely Evelyn. ¡°¡­¡­ She is the finest beauty of the kingdom.¡± ¡°Was the rumor that she was getting divorced because of her weakness a lie?¡± ¡°No way, she¡¯s so beautiful. It can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°The Emperor will be sorry.¡± The nobles were busy chatting with the hand-fan, forgetting to cover their faces as they watched the parade of Felice¡¯s royal family. Adrian¡¯s basket was carried by King Arthur himself because Evelyn walked confidently, focusing on herself, not on her child for today. ¡°We will hold a holy ceremony to celebrate the blessed Festival of the Felice Kingdom.¡± Liam, who took the heavy responsibility of the day, shouted out his voice. Then, the trumpet sounded, and pollen continued to scatter from the sky. ¡°May God bless the royal family of Felice, and especially the Holy Father¡¯s Spirit has made this ce brighter. May all of us pray for thanksgiving for today ¡®s blessing.¡± When the pipe organ was ying the sacred song, people closed their eyes and pretended to pray. But most of the crowd was more busy peeping Evelyn¡¯s beauty with her eyes closed. Reba smiled proudly at her job as she looked at Evelyn from the very back seat of the royal family. She wasn¡¯t drooping in her splendor and beauty, as the crowd was chatting about her. ¡°Then I would ask the Holy Father for his holy words.¡± With the help of the young priests, the Holy Father pulled up the white castle and climbed to the podium. The nobles rose in unison, but the members of the royal family sat down calmly, emphasizing the dignity of their status. Adrian¡¯s basket was on the side too. ¡°God bless the faithful who are gathering here.¡± The old priest looked around the crowd with deep eyes. ¡°It¡¯s holy that the faith still shines today on the asion of the celebration of this great nation. The Kingdom of Felice is and that has received abundant blessings from the Holy-See for their great faith from generation to generation.¡± The Vatican priest¡¯s devotion certainly shone with gold offered by the royal family. At the same time, the nobles stuck their tongues to the royal family, who even brought the Holy Father to bless his illegitimate child. And it was obvious that he was Felice¡¯s most precious child, so his origin must be valuable. ¡°It is very pleasant and grateful that God has protected the kingdom of Felice and a sessor was born.¡± Like the Holy Father¡¯s deration, It was precisely what King Arthur wanted, that Adrian was regarded as a legitimate heir of Felice Kingdom, so no one could say that Adrian was an illegitimate child. ¡°The name of the blessed sessor is Adrian Felice, whom we have seen here today baptized in the name of the Holy Father, and may there be only glory in his life.¡± Liam received the basket of Adrian from the King, and it was also the most notable role of the day. When Liam bent his knee and lifted the basket in front of the Holy Father, the father polished his prayers, sprinkling holy water on Adrian ¡®s forehead. ¡®God, please protect Adrian.¡¯ Evelyn looked at her son and prayed more earnestly than anyone else. ¡® Instead of being the most noble beings please protect him to be loved and to live a happy life. ¡® It was his mother¡¯s heart. ¡®Please give me the strength to protect Adrian.¡¯ Evelyn was praying from the bottom of her heart. It wasn¡¯t that long since Adrian was born, but, amazingly, she loved her more than the time she spent with him. ¡°I, Holy Father, bless Adrian Felice in the name of the God.¡± It was an emotional moment when Adrian was safely recognized by the world. Evelyn struggled to hold back her tears. It was tears of happiness. ¡ï¡ï¡ï The mountains had a lot of steep cliffs. The Felice Kingdom¡¯s location, surrounded by rugged mountains, was protected by a sturdy natural fortress. Among those mountains, there was a ce called the Peak of God. It was a precious ce where you could see the kingdom and the za in the open fields as you climbed to the top. On the other hand, security in the area was very tight because it was connected to the forest road. ¡°Stop!¡± In the ck Veil forest, monsters still appeared frequently from time to time. Their appearance in this ce was strange because this was the entrance to the forest guarded by fully armed royal guards. ¡°Stop, stop! If you get closer, I will respond by force.¡± When he saw the two men riding on horseback, the captain of the guards shouted loudly. Aside from the gateway to the forest, there was another reason why the ce had tight security. This ce was also the only ce where you could clearly see the kingdom from above. In particr, security had to be tightened to such a big celebration like today. ¡°Get off the horse right now and identify yourself. This is thest warning.¡± The two men on horseback were wearing ck robes, so their faces were hard to see. It seemed that the two had a conversation after they heard the guard¡¯s warning. Then, one man stood in front of the captain with a quick gesture. ¡°We are the Imperial¡¯s envoys.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t enter the ze right now, because there¡¯s a festival on it.¡± ¡°The ck Veil Forest is also under the Empire¡¯s authority.¡± ¡°It is a royal order that no one can look down from above until the festival is over.¡± That man didn¡¯t step back and took the emblem out of his hand. It was the symbol of the ck Hawk Knights, the emperor¡¯s direct group of knights, and no one on the entire continent could refuse that emblem. ¡°There are no demons here. Our Guards are strictly guarding this ce, so don¡¯t worry.¡± The captain of the guards turned back, expressing his willingness to refuse. There should be no people looking down over the cliffs on a great holiday when the Holy Father came to bless the Kingdom. Because of this, the guards had already been pulled out of the forest surrounding the kingdom and the za. ¡°That¡¯s my order!¡± the ck Hawk man was unlikely to withdraw. ¡°Also, this is like an Emperor¡¯s edict. Do you dare to disobey the Imperial order?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s not it. But today is a special day.¡± ¡°Stay back if you¡¯re not a traitor. It won¡¯t causemotion.¡± The captain of the guard took a moment to consider and then retreated back. Then the man on the horse crossed the forest with his entourage and ran towards the za. ¡°The Empire really arrogant.¡± ¡°Why did theye here all the way on a day like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡± said the captain, looking at the backs of the two men. They must havee to keep an eye on the Vatican. I ¡®m worried there will be some badments about the Imperial Family again. Now the Emperor is also in the city right next door.¡± The Vatican had openly criticized the Imperial¡¯s attitude. Even the Emperor was the most powerful man, but he was unable to control the religion. So, the Vatican¡¯s move was a threat to the empire. ¡°Serus. What strategic location is this?¡± Fabian, who was wearing a ck robe, asked lowly. While he was trying to inspect the ck Veil Forest, he listened to Serus¡¯ advice and ran down a distant road. But when he saw the symbol of Felice Kingdom, somehow, he looked desperate. ¡°This ce is called as the Peak of God.¡± ¡°They had built it well on the subject of gold worship.¡± Serus smiled and handed the telescope to Fabian on the horse. ¡°Today, Felice Kingdom is having a big festival. That¡¯s why they stopped us for sacrilegious to see down here.¡± ¡°Sacrilegious¡­ It¡¯s a fresh word.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s ¡°impolite¡± to your Majesty.¡± Only Fabian lifted the corner of his lips a little, gazing at the unfloding scene below them through the telescope. In fact, this was a strategic ce. This spot was like an observation deck to see the Felice Kingdom. ¡°The Vatican¡¯s disgusting day is still the same.¡± Fabian muttered and looked annoyed. ¡°The old man never dies, and how long he¡¯s going to live on earth¡­¡± said Fabian. Fabian was trying to mutter more. Through the telescope, he saw a familiar yet unknown woman. She was a woman he knew, but she was also a woman he didn¡¯t know. It was Evelyn, who was shining with happiness. Chapter 13: Day of Terror Fabian had stopped looking for a moment and th time seemed to have stopped too, as it was. ¡°Empress¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s golden hair reflected beautifully in the bright sunshine of the crowd. Fabian tightened the tip of the telescope towards Evelyn without realizing it. The woman, who had been his wife once was incredibly shining. And Fabian looked down at the pink smile full of her cheeks. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°I see the empress.¡± Fabian never mentioned Evelyn after the divorce. Then, Serus said, ¡°Your Majesty, have you seen it? The Knights next to the Pope.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The real reason Serus took Fabian to this location was to have him watch the Pope in person as he came to the ck Veil Forest to see the massacre of monsters. But different with Fabian, for a moment, he forgot his intention havinge to this ce. ¡°I can¡¯t find anything about that mysterious person , no matter how much I dig up the information in ck Hawk.¡± Fabian recalled a man in armour who stood beside the Pope earlier. But he could not even see his face because he was wearing a helmet. ¡°Do we have to pay attention to his ¡®dog¡¯ or something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but it¡¯s a figure that stands out after the Demon¡¯s behavior recently became suspicious.¡± Fabian nodded. It was definitely something worth noting. ¡°He¡¯s the one who happens to be next to the Demon that appears every time.¡± ¡°Yeah, and now he¡¯s a hero who leads the Vatican¡¯s Knights to defeat the monsters.¡± ¡°That would be great if the monsterse out when we¡¯re watching.¡± said Serus. ¡°You mean in that za? Where people are gathered?¡± Unexpectedly, Fabian reacted sensitively. It was different from Serus¡¯s assumption that he wouldn¡¯t mind because it wasn¡¯t the Empire¡¯s territory. ¡°But, Your Majesty. If you don¡¯t catch the monsters that attacked the scene, you can¡¯t investigate.¡± ¡°Why should it be here?¡± ¡°You ordered not to damage the Empire.¡± Serus¡¯s judgement was right. Fabian knew it too. But since earlier, he couldn¡¯t help but felt annoyed and unpleasant for some reason. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke them here.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see blood in public space. I¡¯m going back.¡± Fabian turned around without saying anything more. Serus felt embarrassed, yet he followed Fabian in silence. He thought Fabian would be pleased if he had the opportunity to speed up the investigation. But today, Serus¡¯ prediction seemed wrong. ¡°Okay, Your Majesty.¡± Perhaps, Serus erased the existence of Evelyn, the empress too quickly. But not with Fabian. After all, they were a couple who had been in a rtionship, so, naturally, Fabian was hesitant to use it for that kind of stuff. But, it wasn¡¯t precisely what Serus knew about Fabian. ¡ï¡ï¡ï Evelyn was at the peak of happiness. She was only grateful for the blessings of the lovely Adrian. Without even knowing that her ex-husband was watching her from a distance. ¡°The royal family were truly gracious. Looked at the Queen and Princess, they were so happy even though he¡¯s not their child and brother.¡± ¡°What a wise people. They have a great tolerance.¡± It didn¡¯t matter what people, who didn¡¯t know the inside details, would gossip. As Miriam said, this would be passed, and for Evelyn, it was only important that Adrian was blessed now. ¡°The reason Felice Kingdom has prosperity today is because they are faithful and devoted to God. You, too, will seed if you devote your heart to the Pope and God.¡± (T/N *Holy Father = Pope) Unlike his appearance, the old Pope continued his speech with a loud voice. Evelyn, who was sitting nearby, though it was strange as she stared at the Pope¡¯s gaze which kept turning to the sky. She felt like he was taking his time by repeating the same words. ¡®Is it just because I¡¯m bored?¡¯ Actually, Evelyn wanted to hug Adrian quickly. But now she felt bored and upset because there was no sign when the Pope would end his speech. Evelyn could read people¡¯s faces since she lived in the Imperial Family and she¡¯s been observing the Pope carefully all along. She was thinking about getting up when he was done talking, but something was a little strange. ¡®Is he waiting for something?¡¯ Only The old Pope seemed to have purposely stalled his speech and kept looking around. Often he gazed at the pdin knight standing next to her. The appearance of the knight made Evelyn feel ufortable because he armed with heavy armour and covered his face. ¡°The Vatican will always take care of people with kindness and generosity.¡± The Pope said that again. Evelyn was looking at the suspicious Pope From the beginning, his gaze on her stomach seemed strange. ¡°Look here, everybody! The Pope has received a blessing to save the people of this era.¡± Evelyn thought, what he said was baseless. Still, the Pope quickly drew people¡¯s attention, and he wasn¡¯t even looking around anymore. Then, the next moment, the sunny weather suddenly turned cloudy, and Evelyn unconsciously looked to the sky where the Pope had previously looked at. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Oh God¡­¡± Chapter 14: Dreadful Fate It wasn¡¯t the clouds that covered the sky but the huge wings of something. There was a piercing roar all over the ce before Evelyn could scream. ¡°Is that¡­ Wyvern?¡± ¡°This is Felice Kingdom, why there¡¯s a demon?!¡± ¡°Is the Wyvern so huge like this?¡± The crowd gathered in the za turned into chaos. The Wyverns broke the wind, threatened with their huge wings, and flew over the people¡¯s heads. Their voice was too terrifying to hear and seemed to tear down Evelyn¡¯s ears. ¡°Oh, God¡­!¡± The Wyverns shaded the sky and captured a man with their sharp ws in the za. That man had not been able to shout for a long time, and he immediately turned into a piece of flesh, sshing blood into the air. Right away, the square had fallen with consternation and terror. ¡°Adrian, Adrian!¡± Evelyn fled through the crowd, frozen in fear. But unfortunately, the Wyverns pped their huge wings to the podium. And in less than a second, they came right in front of her eyes. Groarrrrr!!!! The roar almost knocked her out, and their approaching ws were terrifying. Evelyn was sure their ws targeted at Adrian for no reason. It was a mother¡¯s instinct. ¡°No, save Adrian!¡± Evelyn ran out with all her might, but that dreadful Demon¡¯s w was faster. ¡°Adrian!!!!!¡± Evelyn flopped into Adrian¡¯s basket. Behind her, she felt a strong smell of death when the Wyverns screamed and ripped her ears again. Arrghhhh! ¡°Her majesty, Princess! Look out!¡± As soon as Evelyn thought it was the end of her life, Liam climbed onto the podium and wrapped her back. The King and the queen were dazed, unable to move because of Evelyn and Adrian. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,e on, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± The same was true for Evelyn, her body hardened by fear, and she couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Evil monster! Disappear in front of the light of God!¡± At that moment, the Pope suddenly appeared and raised a white Sceptre. ¡°Imand in the name of God, the Evil Birds, stop!¡± Something magical happened in the next second. The Wyverns stopped screaming at the Pope¡¯smand. Soon, the Vatican Knights, led by an armoured pdin, arrived and surrounded the Wyverns. Strange enough, the Wyverns did not move, as if they were trapped by the Pope¡¯s voice. ¡°Destroy the demons in the name of the Holy See.¡± The Wyverns were shouting as the Pdin threw a long, thick spear that could not be aimed at a human being. The Vatican Knights then ambushed the Wyverns with weapons they had never seen before. The Wyverns copsed in the front of the podium. A disgusting smell of blood swept across the za. Evelyn, King Arthur and Miriam hugged Adrian and couldn¡¯t see the scene clearly. ¡°Everyone rest assured.¡± However, the people who gathered in the square called it a miracle. ¡°The evil demons was killed by the Vatican.¡± The Wyverns had let out a breath that had almost been cut off. Their toenails were still stained in human blood, but they were no longer dangerous. In a state of confusion, the crowd in the za slowly shouted at the Pope and the Vatican¡¯s Knights. ¡°It¡¯s a God¡¯s miracle!¡± ¡°Yes, God sent the Pope to save us!¡± There was something peculiar about it. However, Evelyn could only shed tears and had no time to observe anything else because she was carrying Adrian. Luckily, Liam went forward and took all the members of the royal family to a safe ce. To her surprise, Adrian didn¡¯t cry and was safe. On the contrary, Evelyn and King Arthur felt like their life spans had shortened. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­. Adrian is safe.¡± Arthur shook his head. He looked directly at Miriam and saw Evelyn again. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­. Yes, father.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was a mess with tears. ¡°We were by Adrian¡¯s side, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ my body moved on its own without knowing it. I was so shocked¡­.. everyone felt the same way.¡± Evelyn was still taken aback. The disgusting smell of Wyvern¡¯s blood and their screams were still lingering. ¡°How did the demons appear in this kingdom?¡± The King sighed. Luckily, there was no big sacrifice, but there was a man who lost his life because of the Wyverns. ¡°If the Pope hadn¡¯t been there, we¡¯d all have died.¡± Evelyn strongly disagreed with her dad¡¯s statement. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t get rid of her difort. If she thought about that incident, there was only one person at that time who wasn¡¯t surprised. It was the Pope himself. ¡®No way, did he know everything about it from the beginning?¡¯ Evelyn threw out a false idea. Right now, it was a blessing that her family was safe. ¡°Yes. Is the royal family safe?¡± ¡°Oh, His Holiness!¡± The white robe that the Pope wore wasn¡¯t dirty at all. And without knowing it, Evelyn frowned when she smelled Wyvern¡¯s blood from his robe. ¡°We¡¯re safe with the blessing of His Holiness. It was very, very terrible.¡± ¡°This is also God¡¯s protection for the Felice Kingdom.¡± ¡°Why did the demonse all the way to the Holy Land?¡± At the King¡¯s sigh, the Pope quietly drew the cross. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Our Vatican will punish the demons¡±. Like a shot, The Pope¡¯s eyes turned to Evelyn and Adrian in her arms. ¡°It could have been a big trouble for the little prince. What a relief.¡± ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn blurted her answer and quickly walked out of the Pope¡¯s sight. There was a fishy thing about the Pope. ¡®How did he know?¡¯ It just happened in an instant. When the Wyverns were about to attack Adrian, Evelyn knew because she saw him right in front of her eyes. Only But how could the Pope know what had happened to Adrian at that moment from behind his back? ¡®Don¡¯t tell me, they know about my child¡­.¡¯ But Evelyn¡¯s terrifying spection could not continue. Because more people immediately came. ¡°Stop! it¡¯s the Imperial Army!¡± It was noisy outside. ¡°I say it again! Take your hands off the Demon. This is Imperial Army, directlymanded by the Emperor!¡± he said. Wyvern wasn¡¯t the only one that she couldn¡¯t think of. Chapter 15: First Encounter The envoy of the Empire settled the confusion. They sent the people out of the square, surrounded the Wyverns, and secured the Vatican Knights who were on the scene. Of course, the Pope¡¯s protest didn¡¯t work. ¡°Where ? Let King Felice, the owner of thisnd, judge.¡± All the Royal Family members and the head of the Vatican gathered at Felice¡¯s Pce in a hurry. Liam reassuringly escorted the royal family, and Reba was soothing the frightened Evelyn. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how the Imperial Army came here, even though the Demons appeared and saved by the Vatican.¡± ¡°The Imperial Army, it was so sudden.¡± King Arthur avoided an immediate answer. Both the Emperor and the Pope were the two-person that difficult for him to deal with. ¡°The little prince must have been very shocked, so if you allow me, I¡¯d like to send the princess and the prince first.¡± Miriam intervened gently. After hearing that it was the Imperial Army, led by the Emperor himself, Miriam noticed that Evelyn¡¯s face was stiff. ¡°Sure, you can do that.¡± The Pope spoke to Evelyn, ¡°Looked at what¡¯s going on today. Looks like God bless the little prince.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn answered with a stiff expression and held Adrian¡¯s basket. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go inside and take care of the prince.¡± The moment Evelyn bent her knees slightly to show her example, the outside suddenly became noisy. Then a familiar trumpet¡¯s sound was heard. It was the same sound that she always heard in the imperial family, which only rang when the Emperor appeared. Evelyn¡¯s body unwittingly reacted first and stopped there. ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor!¡± It¡¯s toote for her to leave. No one could leave their seats with the trumpet already ringing. Evelyn ¡®s body still remembered the Imperial¡¯s etiquette. She could hear the sound of footsteps as she bent her knees with a basket in her hand. ¡°Your Majesty permits, Everyone, all raise your heads.¡± Serus said it instead. They were all following the orders, but only Evelyn looked down and avoided his gaze. ¡°What a coincidence that your Majesty was here?¡± The Pope opened his mouth first. ¡°Yes. Coincidence is amon thing.¡± Fabian replied coldly. The moment she heard the voice, Evelyn recalled thest time she had seen him. Fabian¡¯s dry, cold voice, which had not changed a bit, still hurts. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Fabian turned his gaze to Evelyn. ¡°Your Majesty, The Emperor. Fortunately, the royal family is safe.¡± King Arthur stepped up, but Fabian ¡®s gaze stayed fixed on Evelyn. ¡°So you¡¯re not hurt.¡± The target of his question was too clear. Evelyn slowly raised her eyes to his persistent gaze. Her heart trembled until their eyes met. But when she saw those ck eyes, she was unexpectedly calm. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn simply answered him calmly. Just like before. ¡°Good thing.¡± At the moment, Evelyn looked at Fabian unconsciously. It was because she saw an illusion that there was a ray of warmth buried in his always cold voice. ¡°You cried, so I thought you were hurt.¡± For now, it seemed there were only two of them on their own, just like that night in the garden. No, Fabian never saw Evelyn like that back then, either. ¡°I was just surprised¡­.¡± ¡°Okay¡­..¡± Fabian spat a short answer and kept looking at Evelyn. Somehow, she felt his gaze was difficult and unfamiliar. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you cry.¡± Fabian added an unquestioned remark. Well, he did saw it before, but Evelyn didn¡¯t even remember that. Well, how dare she cried for the Emperor¡¯s safety? Fabian¡¯s side was such a ce. ¡°The little prince was so surprised so I was about to bring him back.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian with emotionless eyes. ¡°Then, I will¡­¡± But before Evelyn could finish speaking, Fabian walked forward and stood in front of Evelyn. The King was greatly surprised by his sudden action, but there was no reason for stopping the Emperor. ¡°Is it the prince in the basket?¡± It¡¯s not a question. Fabian reached out and removed the nket covering the basket. Evelyn¡¯s heart began to beat quickly without even realizing it. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤We-Well?¡± Fabia was making a strange sound. Evelyn quickly covered the nket back so that Fabian could not see Adrian more closely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The prince was very surprised.¡± Fabian stared at Evelyn for a moment with a curious eye. But Evelyn avoided his gaze and bent her knees unterally to show her courtesy. Then, she held a maid and disappeared with a quick walk. Fabian couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the back for a long time. It was a look that seemed to be immersed in something, but hard to read the emotions. ¡°The Emperor is merciful by all means, seeing that you¡¯re looking at a child¡¯s safety first.¡± Fabian turned around at the Pope¡¯s voice, without hiding his irritable face. ¡°Please release the Vatican¡¯s Knights. They only saved the people from the Demons.¡± ¡°I did. identally ¡­ ¡­ like recent events.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Pope looked at the young Emperor with a calm face. He was Pope even before Fabian was born. However, the Emperor, who ascended the throne at the age of 16, always got in the way of what the Vatican did in all cases. ¡°If anyone hears, I¡¯m afraid they will use Your majesty of doubting the will of God.¡± ¡°So, is that a shameful thing?¡± Fabian responded calmly. Before the nerve war between the two went to extremes, Serus came up and whispered something in Fabian¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­ ¡­yes, release the Vatican¡¯s Knights.¡± It was a dissatisfied tone. ¡°Your Majesty, the authority of the Vatican ispletely independent and no one can interfere.¡± ¡°Who said no?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid someone will misunderstand your words.¡± Pfft¡­Fabianughed. ¡°I heard you had killed Wyvers. The corpse will be taken over by the Imperial Army.¡± The Pope smiled calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just grateful to you for alleviating Vatican¡¯s work. Then, we go back first.¡± The Pope¡¯s response meant that this unpleasant encounter was enough. ¡°Then, raise the little prince well, King.¡± King Arthur nodded at the Pope¡¯s farewell and looked away. But even after the Pope left, Fabian showed no signs of movement. For Arthur, it was embarrassing. Only ¡°This case will be thoroughly investigated by the Imperial Army. and it seems that it will take some time to collect Wyvern¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Arthur was blurring his words after he heard Fabian¡¯s words. ¡°I will stay in the your pce until then.¡± Finally, Fabian came to the point. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to serve you, Your Majesty.¡± King Arthur had no choice but to say that. In a sense, Fabian is a more ufortable guest than the Wyverns. He was also an uninvited guest who had no sign of withdrawal. Chapter 16: Fabian’s Question Evelyn still felt her hands shaking. Her startled heart hardly calmed down. Nora tried to calm Evelyn by serving her tea and wiping her face with a hot wet towel. Lily had to hold Adrian in front of her because Evelyn was so nervous. ¡°How did this happen? I¡¯m d you¡¯re all right.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. Please calm down now.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t answer and bit her lower lip. It wasn¡¯t one or two things that were bothering her. ¡°That Wyverns¡­¡­they were aiming for Adrian.¡± ¡°But the demons don¡¯t have an intelligence.¡± ¡°Yes. I was surprised, they were so close.¡± A mother¡¯s eyes, seeing her child in danger, could have fallen into wrong judgment. ¡°But the prince is very brave. He didn¡¯t cry.¡± Only then did Evelyn smile a little, nodding her head. ¡°He¡¯s amazing. Even adults were shocked and screaming¡­.¡± Perhaps Adrian was so frightened that he was frozen. Yet Evelyn was so proud to see it. ¡°More than that, why did The Emperore here?¡± Lily asked the question carefully. ¡°I do not know either.¡± ¡°Actually, from what I heard from the maid earlier, the King said he was staying in the royal pce.¡± Lily¡¯s words had blurred Evelyn¡¯s expression. ¡°Give Adrian to me. I¡¯ll stay here for a moment.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll guard the door.¡± Nora took Lily and disappeared. Holding Adrian tightly in her arms, Evelyn stared at his dark hair and sparkling ck eyes. No matter what shape or color it was, he was pretty and lovely,¡­.but¡­ he also resembled him. ¡°Did he suspicious¡­?¡± There was no evidence. It was only a moment when Fabian saw Adrian. Despite her rudeness, Evelyn quickly covered the basket with a nket. But as time went by, she was concerned that her behavior might have been more suspicious. ¡°Did you see him, Adrian?¡± But the child was unable to answer. Adrian rubbed Evelyn¡¯s worried cheek with his tiny hand. With the warmth of Adrian¡¯s body and his baby¡¯s scent, Evelyn was able to calm her heart little by little. ¡°Amma, Abu!¡± ¡°If you see him, forget it. He¡¯s nobody.¡± Evelyn had taken hold of her pounding heart. She¡¯s didn¡¯t mean to let herself be nervous. Fabian was a cold-hearted man. Seeing Evelyn anxious might have made him more suspicious. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Evelyn was trying not to think about the meaning of Fabian¡¯s strange voice. ¡°You are my child.¡± Evelyn hugged Adrian tightly. There was nothing in this world to be afraid of if she had to protect this little creature. Evelyn, she could sacrifice herself even if she had to throw herself at the Wyverns. So, she didn¡¯t have to be afraid of Fabian. She was trying to think like that. ¡ï¡ï¡ï Felice¡¯s Pce was so busy. They were busy serving the emperor at their best. Thanks to them, Fabian was able to rx in his soon-to-be-prepared quarters. Of course, his head was still spinning fast. ¡°So, in the end, we didn¡¯t get any evidence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty.¡± Serus lowered his head. ¡°Once the Demons lose their breath, their body decays quickly so it¡¯s hard to figure it out.¡± ¡°I thought they were alive when the Imperial Army arrived.¡± ¡°Yes, I ordered them to stop, but the Pdin stabbed the spear. As a result, the Wyvern waspletely out of breath.¡± Fabian frowned his eyebrows. The suspicious behavior of the Vatican, which was likely to be caught, was annoying. He felt disgusted when he thought of the Pope¡¯s face, who disappeared earlier with a peculiar sarcastic smile from that ce. ¡°That cunning old man¡­.¡± Fabian murmured in an angry voice. ¡°First of all, the Imperial Army has decided to collect the corpse and send it. Something maye out when the Empire investigates it.¡± ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t rot like before.¡± The demons had decayed extremely quickly. Perhaps as Fabian predicted, they could not take an intact sample. ¡°I ¡®m sorry, but was the ident of today really intentional? The Felice family was almost injured. They were the Vatican¡¯s main source of ie, so no way ¡­¡± Fabianughed scoffingly. ¡°Can the Kingdom of Felice find evidence that I can not find?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­..¡± ¡°It is also good business for the old man to make more donations with fear as a bait.¡± Indeed. Serus nodded at his master¡¯s wiseness. ¡°To hear the detailed testimony, call the Duke of Akshire.¡± ¡°Akshire?¡± ¡°Yes. He took part in the role of protecting the royal family today, and I heard that he wrapped the princess when the Wyvern struck, so you will know the details from him.¡± Fabian¡¯s lips corner were finely moved by the word ¡°Princess.¡± It was a humble title like a bright smile or a trail of tears. Looking back, Fabian didn¡¯t remember if he saw Evelynughing or crying properly. ¡°The ¡­ the little prince.¡± Fabian had unwittingly whispered softly. ¡°He¡¯s called Prince Adrian.¡± ¡°Yes. When was the prince born?¡± Serus had a puzzled look on his face to the unexpected question. ¡°I¡¯ll see.¡± As Fabian nodded, Serus bowed and stepped back. ¡°Adrian?¡± Fabian didn¡¯t see the baby properly in the basket, but his ck hair was obvious. It was like Fabian himself, and it was a characteristic of the royal family as well. ¡°No way.¡± There was no reason to doubt. But he was distracted by something. It was Evelyn¡¯s behavior. Fabian had never seen Evelyn behave in front of him with such disrespect except for the night she requested a divorce. Above all, Evelyn¡¯s fingertips shook lightly and covered a basket in panic. Only ¡°But¡­.Howe?¡± Nobody could have known that it was such a slight provocation, but Fabian could obviously see it. It was possible for him who had always looked at Evelyn with calm eyes. ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± Fabian¡¯s question had remained. Evelyn had a tearful face and her trembling fingers floating all the way above his head. Rarely, Fabian felt dizzy. He couldn¡¯t figure out why, but something kept bothering him. He couldn¡¯t tell whether it was Evelyn¡¯s crying face or her hands trying to hide something. Or maybe it was her bright smile, that he looked up from the cliff. Chapter 17: His own decision. The Emperor¡¯s Office was urgently set up in the Felice Kingdom. Liam, Duke of Akshire, who was on the scene of the Wyvern attack, was the first person to be called. ¡°The Duke of Akshire meets Your Majesty.¡± Liam gave a polite example, but Fabian lifted him up without even looking at him with a gesture. Fabian had a report about the Wyverns incident in front of him. ¡°I heard that the Duke was close to the Wyvern at the time of the attack.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Tell me in detail what you¡¯ve seen and heard.¡± Liam recalled the vivid roar of Wyvern. It was a moment that felt like an eternity for a second. ¡°The Wyverns suddenly appeared, covered the sky, and flew low near the za, and captured a man away. He was in the air¡­.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need the part everyone knows. Tell me what only you¡¯ve seen.¡± Liam nodded in silence at Fabian¡¯s cold voice. There were many rumors that the Imperial Emperor was exceptionally heartless and he didn¡¯t mind that one of his people had been killed. ¡°I was on the tform with Prince Felice and the Pope. The Wyverns, who were making a fuss in the square changed their direction and flew to the podium.¡± ¡°Did the Wyverns seem to be aiming for something?¡± Fabian squinted his eyes. ¡°Or, anything suspicious?¡± Fabian was suspicious of the Pope. No matter what he did, Fabian suspected that he had deliberately led the demons to the ce where the people gathered and destroyed them. ¡°I couldn¡¯t afford to observe them directly.¡± Liam answered, honestly. ¡°Then, what did you do then?¡± ¡°I had to protect the royal family of Felice ording to my duty.¡± He was right, but somehow Fabian looked dissatisfied with it. ¡°When the Wyvern rushed to the podium the princess threw herself on the prince¡¯s side. I saw it and couldn¡¯t do anything but cover her back.¡± Fabian frowned his forehead. ¡°The Knight-Trained Duke like you, didn¡¯t see the enemy properly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Liam was one of the people who didn¡¯t hesitate in front of Fabian. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand still when I saw the princess throwing herself in a dangerous ce. I immediately blocked the princess¡¯s back, and I only heardter that the Pdin Knights hade out and killed the Wyvern.¡± ¡°Which means you haven¡¯t seen any clues.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Liam didn¡¯t deny Fabian¡¯s words as he grabbed the point. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it, because my duty was to protect Felice royal family.¡± Fabian found Liam¡¯s green eyes strangely annoying when Liam straightened his back and said confidently. ¡°Since when did the Duke of Akshire be the Felice Kingdom¡¯s hunting dog?¡± Fabian¡¯s words crossed the line, but Liam remained calm. ¡°First of all, our families have long been close friends. That¡¯s why I also yed an important part in the festival, and fortunately I was close enough to protect the princess.¡± Fabian had vaguely realized where his displeasure hade from. Whenever Liam said, ¡°Princess,¡± for no reason, he was annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s a long friendship between the two families who have left the rtionship between master and ve.¡± ¡°Friendship¡­¡± Fabian spoke in a cold tone. ¡°That¡¯s why you dare to help the Imperial Family¡¯s divorce?¡± It was the first time that Fabian had met Liam in person. Still, he knew that Evelyn yed a key role in filing a divorce petition with the Vatican. Naturally, there was no way that emotion might be good. ¡°I am too foolish to understand your meaning¡± Liam stepped out of the situation with a gentle smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll remember you.¡± It was a voice mixed with threats. Close to the Vatican, he was the man who involved in his divorce with Evelyn. On top of that, Liam, who proudly imed to have protected Evelyn, was very irritating. ¡°If somethinges up about the incident, I¡¯ll report it right away.¡± Liam responded flexibly. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I don¡¯t have to listen to the words of a man who can¡¯t even look at the enemy properly.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, so I apologize. If you have nothing more to say, I¡¯ll go back.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t answer and watched Liam with his cold eyes. Liam soon took an example and withdrew from Fabian¡¯s safety. Even after he left, the feeling of displeasure still didn¡¯t go away. ¡°The people who are associated with the Vatican are always disrespectful.¡± On the one hand, it¡¯s natural. While in an empire or under the control of an empire, Fabian ruled as Emperor. The Vatican was another mainstay of power. Some small but wealthy countries such as the Felice Kingdom chose to side with the Vatican. And because they were guaranteed to be wealthy, their loyalty to Fabian was naturally diminished. ¡°Well, they have to ¡®take root.¡± Fabian muttered low. ¡°Serus.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± In the shadow, Serus quietly took a step. He was always standing by Fabian like air and only appeared when his name was called. ¡°What about that cunning old man?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on his way to the Vatican, showing off his contribution to defeating the demons.¡± Fabian frowned outright. He could fully imagine without seeing it. ¡°Are there any results of the investigation?¡± ¡°The body of Wyvern had decayed so quickly that little was left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± If Fabian¡¯s suspicions were correct, there must be some evidence. However, as soon as the Wyvern stopped breathing, the monster dposed at a frightening speed and left nothing behind. Fabian, angered by the fact that he was drinking water from the Pope, left the Imperial Pce and went personally. Still, this time, he was furious that he failed again. ¡°I¡¯ve heard all the witnesses¡¯ testimony. I¡¯ll investigate further, but don¡¯t look forward to it.¡± Fabian thoughtlessly tried to nod his head and recalled the words left by an arrogant Duke a while ago. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Wait, there is still one.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done a full investigation.¡± ¡°The Duke of Akshire said, The princess first threw herself to protect the little prince and she protected it herself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serus nodded, not knowing what to say. ¡°The Duke of Akshire was trained as a knight. But it was the princess who moved first.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ That¡¯s how it works.¡± Actually, that¡¯s the weird part. In such a critical state, the Duke moved slower than the princess, and it was such a brief moment that he could only cover her back. It was strange, some parts didn¡¯t fit. Only ¡°Empre¡­., no. She is¡­¡­.¡± Fabian still couldn¡¯tpletely forget her title. He couldn¡¯t help it because each time, he always called Evelyn by Empress¡¯s name. ¡°She¡¯s an ordinary woman, but she has a better sense of reflex than a man who has been trained as a knight, or he¡¯s not as fast as he is. Well, she¡¯s never been trained, and there¡¯s no way she knows how to deal with demons.¡± Were they the demons? Fabian thought of Evelyn, who had her eyes wide open and scared by a single bug in the past. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask her directly.¡± Fabian made his own decision. Chapter 18: Without Fear The news soon reached Evelyn after passing through the king. Evelyn calmed her mind as she watched Adrian y well and stopped thinking about it. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve made excuses because he said you were really shocked. Besides, since you¡¯re a woman who doesn¡¯t know anything like a demon, so it¡¯s no use of asking such questions.¡± Arthur continued to speak as if he had made excuses for his daughter. ¡°But His Majesty was so firm that I couldn¡¯t stop him.¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t stop him.¡± Fabian¡¯s orders were absolute. Although this was the Felice Kingdom, they couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he was the Emperor. ¡°But, even so, considering that you¡¯re divorced, there is no way you can meet him casually and make a report.¡± Arthur had lost his temper because he was frustrated. Then, Adrian, crawling with a toy sword on the floor, stumbled and stood holding Arthur¡¯s leg. ¡°Adrian¡­..I¡¯m not angry with you.¡± ¡°Abubu!¡± Adrian, puffed his cheeks as if to protest against Arthur. ¡°I was talking about some stupid guy¡­ oh no no¡­Adrian, pretend you didn¡¯t hear that.¡± That stupid man was the father of his lovely grandson. Arthur stopped talking because he was feeling a littleplicated. ¡°I¡¯m fine, father¡­.¡± ¡°But Evelyn¡­.¡± ¡°He chose me not because he had specific feelings for me. He wasn¡¯t that kind of person.¡± Evelyn was sure. When she married, she never saw Fabian decide something based on emotion. Especially now that she was a stranger. ¡°He just want to investigate this Wyvern¡¯s case.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he have any consideration? ¡°Do you think¡­..?¡± Evelyn showed a bitter smile. ¡°The emperor is a seat that doesn¡¯t need to be considerate of others.¡± It was something Evelyn, the Empress, knew best. The Emperor was a supreme being, and he had no need to think or look at other people¡¯s hearts. Even to his own wife, he was such a man. ¡°He¡¯s a heartless man, so he¡¯ll hear my testimony without emotion so don¡¯t worry about me. If you stop him again, he¡¯ll get angry.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡­¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. And I¡¯m used to dealing with him like that.¡± Evelyn might have said that Fabian was just an indifferent person, but his real character was more than that. ¡°If I knew in advance that he was such a person, I would¡­¡± ¡®I would never have sent Evelyn.¡¯ Arthur¡¯s eyes were saying that. ¡°I know.¡± Evelyn quickly smiled brightly before Arthur became sadder. ¡°And stop talking about him. Adrian will listen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. He still has only five teeth. Right?¡± Arthur smiled back as he saw Adrian hanging on his leg. ¡°Abububu!¡± ¡°He¡¯s also strong.¡± Adrian, who couldn¡¯t speak well yet, was the most powerful voice among them. ¡°Amamaa! Amamaa!¡± Adrian tapped Arthur¡¯s leg with his fluffy fist as if he was punching. She had to teach him courtesy, but Evelyn was forced to look at Adrian with a lovely expression. ¡°Abubu!¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead and learn to speak. Then I¡¯ll give you another prize.¡± Recently, Adrian used to repeat the same words as if he were about to burst. Well, it¡¯s just babble, but ¡­ ¡°Abuu,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Adrian kept tapping Arthur¡¯s leg because he was frustrated. ¡°I know you¡¯re frustrated because you want to talk, but I feel frustrated when I listen to you ¡­¡± ¡°Abu! Anana!¡± Arthur snorted on purpose. That¡¯s because he figured that Adrian would learn to talk quickly only if he was frustrated. Evelyn didn¡¯t like Arthur¡¯s strict parenting style, but she couldn¡¯t intervene because they had a world of their own. ¡°Amama!¡± Adrian screamed out loudly. Again, he was swinging his fist. ¡°I can¡¯t y with you today because I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Ana! Ana! Ah, Ana!¡± Reluctantly, Evelyn approached Adrian. ¡°Adrian, you have to take a nap. Or do you want a snack?¡± Adrian turned his head with a slightly sad look and hung on Evelyn¡¯s leg this time. ¡°Ama..ma!¡± Only Adrian¡¯s ck eyes looking up at Evelyn were so lovely. Even though they were the same ck eyes, they were things that were never seen in Fabian ¡®s eyes. Evelyn felt that this little life she had given birth to was more precious. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s nice, too.¡± After meeting Fabian, nothing had changed. His dark eyes were still so deep and colder than a floor. But Adrian was different. Evelyn never intended to raise her precious child like Fabian. ¡°Come here.¡± Evelyn hugged Adrian¡¯s little body tightly. As long as there was such warmth, Evelyn was not afraid, neither of the Wyvern nor the Emperor. Chapter 19: Broken Hearts Evelyn dressed as usual and headed to the room where the Emperor¡¯s office was located. Serus, who was guarding the door, looked at Evelyn and gave a polite example. Still, her body became stiff for no reason because it was the Imperial formality she felt after a long time. ¡°The Emperor is waiting.¡± Evelyn nodded lightly. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, Fabian used to be so indifferent, and it wasn¡¯t any different now. Besides, Evelyn¡¯s situation was different now. She was no longer in need of getting Fabian ¡®s attention or seeking his affection. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn walked into the room and set a straight example. Fabian unexpectedly sat on the sofa, not at his desk, and took Evelyn. ¡°Raise your head.¡± Evelyn looked up as ordered and saw Fabian. It was a cold face. He was so calm that no one would believe that the two of them had been married in the past when people saw them. ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± But Fabian pointed to the sofa with his eyes again. Evelyn couldn¡¯t disobey his orders, so she sat down on the sofa. Only then their eye level became aligned. ¡°You must be very surprised to see the Demon up close.¡± Fabian always said simr things, and it was just that kind of rtionship. ¡°It¡¯s all right now.¡± There wasn¡¯t a lot of words between the two. It¡¯s the same right now, and Evelyn didn¡¯t feel ufortable with it. Silence had bemonce between them. Fabian ¡®s atmosphere was so dark, and his ck eyes froze everyone else. ¡°I¡¯ve written all I¡¯ve seen and learned in detail.¡± Evelyn broke the silence and took the scroll out of her arms and ced it on the table. Suddenly, Fabian stared at Evelyn with puzzled eyes, but Evelyn didn¡¯t see it. ¡°Don¡¯t do it in writing.¡± ¡°Your Majesty hates wasting time, so I thought this was more efficient than listening to my story.¡± It was the correct answer. Fabian hated wasteful things and hated wasting time listening to other people¡¯s stories. But for now, Fabian didn¡¯t like her response. ¡°It¡¯s a poor report, but I hope it can help you.¡± First, Evelyn stood up, as if she had said everything she had to say. Fabian¡¯s ck was a little depressed when he looked at such Evelyn. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to go back.¡± Evelyn bent her knees, gracefully, to show her example. Their reunion was too short for Fabian to think. Evelyn had already said good-bye when he hadn¡¯t said anything yet. It¡¯s as if they never got married. ¡°Wait.¡± Fabian said with a frowned eyebrow. ¡°Is that all¡­.?¡± This time, Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were puzzled. She couldn¡¯t figure out what Fabian was asking for. ¡°I asked if there was only one scroll to give me.¡± ¡°I wrote down everything I saw. If you want another witness, I¡¯ll look for it.¡± Again, this wasn¡¯t the answer Fabian wanted. ¡°You¡¯re hiding something from me?¡± His cold voice prated into Evelyn¡¯s ears. But fortunately, Evelyn was able to maintain a serene look as she was already prepared for this. ¡°What could I hide from you?¡± ¡°Why are you avoiding me, then?¡± Fabian knew something was going off. Evelyn, who ended up seeing him again, always avoided being in the same room with him. Since there were no such people around Fabian, Evelyn ¡®s attitude seemed strange. ¡°I¡¯ve never done that.¡± Evelyn¡¯s calm voice rang. ¡°Are you not trying to cut your time with me? You hurried away thest time you talked to me.¡± ¡°Yes, I did!¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn with a frowned eyebrow. But unexpectedly, Evelyn was staring at Fabian without making any excuses. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤why?¡± Fabian asked back, but Evelyn looked a bit confused. ¡°That¡¯s all!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Fabian frowned more deeply. She didn¡¯t know that Fabian knew it. But Evelyn had nothing to be sorry for Fabian because now their rtionship had changed. ¡°I¡¯ve never avoided you, but that¡¯s right, I¡¯ve been trying to cut the time with Your majesty. I have nothing more to say.¡± An unexpected reaction from Evelyn made Fabian speechless for a moment. ¡°Huh?¡± Vainughter leaked out. Evelyn¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t change at all, but she seemed to be apletely different person. ¡°Why? Why are you trying to cut your time with me?¡± Evelyn looked calmly at Fabian, but with mixed emotions. This man just didn¡¯t know about anything. Again, her decision was not the wrong one. ¡°Your Majesty and I have been divorced.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t throw you out.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re divorced.¡± Fabian had a puzzled look on his face. Evelyn really was trying to make the look, but she was holding it in. This insensitive, heartless man had no idea what his attitude was wrong with. But Evelyn was not obligated to teach him. As Evelyn said, they were divorced. ¡°Is there a use to reduce the time we spend together after we have divorced?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite.¡± Evelyn looked straight into Fabian¡¯s eyes with no fear. ¡°I divorced because I wanted to cut off my time with your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡± Fabian raised his voice unconsciously, but Evelyn remained calm. ¡°You heard it.¡± Fabian blinked. ¡°I¡¯ve never breathedfortably near your Majesty for a moment.¡± Evelyn tried to leave quietly, but the words that once started didn¡¯t stop. That¡¯s what she always wanted to say. Now it was herst chance to say that. ¡°The Imperial Family was no different from a prison to me.¡± Once again, Fabian blinked. ¡°I¡¯ve never treated you harshly.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Evelyn smiled faintly. It was a smile reminiscent of her lonely past. ¡°But you never gave me your heart.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Fabian¡¯s back felt strange. Maybe he didn¡¯t really know about her. ¡°Have you ever been? Have you?¡± There was silence at Evelyn¡¯s simple question. Fabian couldn¡¯t have imagined that such a moment woulde to his mind. Fabian respected Evelyn as Empress, but his heart was a different matter. ¡°That¡¯s a pointless question. I always call the Empress¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes it¡¯s a pointless question, because I¡¯m no longer the empress.¡± Evelyn cut off Fabian¡¯s words. It was the first time she did that. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to leave now. I hope you¡¯re healthy.¡± Evelyn disappeared before he understood what she was saying. Fabian looked where Evelyn had gone with a brief-expression. Even if the Wyverns had appeared right now, he didn¡¯t care.
¡°You divorced me because you didn¡¯t want to be with me?¡± Fabian ¡®s voice rang miserably, and his forehead frowned deeply. ¡°Howe¡­.?¡± Fabian had never been a bad husband. At least that¡¯s how he felt. In one marriage, he only had a rtionship with one woman, and he never gave heart to another woman. Above all, he gave the Empress countless rights and wealth. Never in history, the Empire had so much money to give to the Empress. ¡°Why did you say I made you unhappy? I never did that.¡± His chest felt tight. Fabian was a fair Emperor. Likewise, he was a decent husband. But Evelyn asked to divorce and now said that she was unhappy about her short marriage with him. ¡°Huh, how dare you¡­.¡± Fabian spat outughter. His handsome face was cloudy. ¡°Is she originally such an arbitrary woman?¡± Evelyn ¡®s smile, which he saw from the cliff over the telescope, was something Fabian had never seen before. Evelyn never smiled like that to him. Even though Fabian made her the noblest woman in the Empire, she never smiled so brightly. ¡°Without my permission¡­¡­.you¡¯re happy without my permission.¡± The current Evelyn was so different from the Empress that Fabian had remembered. ¡°How could she be so disrespectful¡­.¡± In Fabian ¡®s heart, tears and fiery emotions overflowed. Evelyn ¡®s figure, who turned away from him after saying everything she wanted to say, was still vivid in his mind. It was Evelyn, who had married Fabian once and blushed shyly. When Fabian was tired of his official duties, she smiled softly and weed Fabian with elegant gestures. She didn¡¯t say anything and didn¡¯t ask. Fabian felt at ease when he saw Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes, who always stood quietly by Fabian ¡®s side. ¡®I will quit the Empress.¡¯ It was until he heard it. Fabian was so embarrassed at that time that he couldn¡¯t even ask why. However, he couldn¡¯t even ask because of the Emperor¡¯s pride. ¡°So, why?!¡± Fabian wanted to know why Evelyn had changed all the time, but he couldn¡¯t find anything like that. Nothing changed in their marriage, but Evelyn changed and left. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Fabian repeated the same thing. Even after Evelyn asked for a divorce, he went to the Empress¡¯s pce, forgetting that he was divorced. That night was an unforgettable memory for him. The pce officials¡¯ embarrassed look and his silly face when he noticed that everything in the Empress¡¯s Pce stayed the same. There was just one other thing, Evelyn wasn¡¯t there. Evelyn had left her wedding gifts untouched. As if to say, there were no regrets. ¡°She abandoned everything and left.¡± Fabian sighed. The royal status of the Empress, including all the wedding gifts, was given by him. But Evelyn threw away everything he gave her and left Fabian behind as if she had waited for that moment. ¡®¡­You¡¯ve never gave me a heart.¡¯ Evelyn¡¯s face, who was saying that, felt low. Because Fabian¡¯s Empress never asked for anything. ¡®Have you ever been? Have you?¡¯ From the very first time, Evelyn was crowned Empress until she asked for a divorce. Every moment was impossible without Fabian¡¯s heart. So he thought Evelyn must knew without saying anything to her. ¡°She was more stupid than I thought.¡± Fabian cut off his thoughts in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s so easy to forget.¡± Still, his thoughts hadn¡¯t stopped. Fabian was reminiscent of the time when he proposed to Evelyn. There were no trivial things, but one thing was clear. ¡°We did something worthless each other.¡± There was no emotion in his voice, but the depth of those dark eyes deepened. ¡°Forget it so easily and simply throw it away.¡± Fabian looked at the ring on the ring finger of his left hand. He left the ring as it was because he never thought it should be thrown away. It¡¯s because sometimes he felt at ease having a ring on his finger. The ring was a symbol of promise and oath, and it was no different from Fabian even though he was the Emperor. ¡®Evelyn Felice.¡¯ Fabian still clearly remembered one spring day. ¡®I like you.¡¯ Fabian put his heart in his mouth for the first andst time. He already prepared a ring for Evelyn. Fabian was never shaken, despite opposition from the nobles, until he dered Evelyn as the Empress. ¡®I have decided to see only one woman in my life, so only you will remain forever as my Empress.¡¯ Only Evelyn blushed her cheeks and nodded. That¡¯s how the couple ended up together. The rtionship that deliberately cut and thrown away by Evelyn was once so sparkling. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand.¡± Fabian spat out bitter words to himself. It was a question about Evelyn, who had changed. ¡°How could you forget so easily, and throw it away so simply?¡± The vows of marriage were broken in vain. ¡°I still don¡¯t know.¡± Fabian had started to realize the fact little by little. Chapter 20: Beside Him Unlike Fabian, who was locked in the past, Evelyn had no idea. She knew how indifferent his ex-husband was in the first ce, and she had no hopes of him. ¡°You sleep well.¡± What was important to Evelyn was Adrian, who was sleeping in her arms now, and her own peaceful daily life. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt your shoulders. Let him sleep in the cradle.¡± Miriam came up and took Adrian from Evelyn¡¯s arms. Adrian was a little sleepy, but then he quickly went back to sleep, breathing quietly as hey down in the cradle. ¡°Adrian is very good, he¡¯s not crying a lot and he¡¯s sleeping like this, as soon as he¡¯s lying down.¡± ¡°It was the same when you were young, too. When you were asleep, you would forget to eat and sleep for half a day.¡± Evelynughed at her mother when Miriam said it was just a while ago. ¡°The Emperor¡­.. didn¡¯t he say anything?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve written down what I¡¯ve seen because he doesn¡¯t like to waste time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± For the King and Miriam, the situation was veryplicated as it was not pleasant to see the Emperor living in the same pce with his divorced daughter. Besides, they had to be careful about everything for fear that Adrian ¡®s identity would be exposed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. By nature the Emperor is a senseless person and he probably doesn¡¯t really care about Adrian.¡± ¡°so ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± Evelyn nodded. Miriam couldn¡¯t tell whether to rejoice or be sad about it, so she just smiled faintly. The blurred picture of Evelyn¡¯s past marriage only hurt her. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s busy, so he won¡¯t have much time to stay in the pce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I was worried because your Majesty found you¡­.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen the Wyverns up close.¡± Miriam looked closely at her daughter¡¯splexion. ¡°But when the Pope and everyone were gathered together, the Emperor only asked you how you were doing.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any point to care about that.¡± Evelyn really seemed to think that way. ¡°Actually, at that moment, when he saw Adrian¡¯s figure, I was worried about it. But seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything else today, I don¡¯t think he cares.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s not supposed to know.¡± In fact, from the start, Miriam had already noticed the wedding ring the Emperor wore on his ring finger and had a glimpse on Evelyn. However, given by Evelyn¡¯s usual behaviour, especially when she remembered her grandson Adrian¡¯s safety, perhaps Evelyn had never seen the ring before. ¡°I heard that the Emperor was very clever, so I thought ¡­.¡± If the Emperor had found that Adrian was his son, he would immediately be taken away by the Imperial Family. Miriam was shaking with unspeakable fear. However, if she showed him, Evelyn was going to be mad, her daughter would only burn inside. ¡°We¡¯ve been prepared for that.¡± Evelyn said calmly. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really nice to hear that.¡± Miriam seemed a little relieved and rxed her expression. When Evelyn talked for the first time, she felt it was too much to think over, but when she thought about it again, but when she thought about it again, Evelyn was also right. ¡°He can¡¯t doubt Adrian¡¯s birthday because it¡¯s winter.¡± ¡°Yes. Even if he suspects one thing, he will start looking from there.¡± Miriam nodded. Adrian was bornte in the summer, but Evelyn hid the fact thoroughly and took Adrian out of the pce only after the winter had passed. So, ording to the paper, Adrian was believed to be a child born after winter, and it was unlikely that he was suspected of being the Emperor¡¯s son. ¡°Rather than that, I should thank the Duke of Akshire. When all the knights froze, he used his body to protect me.¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s not easy. Lady Reba must have been very shocked.¡± ¡°If this situation settles down, I must repay the Duke of Akshire.¡± ¡°Yes, that would be great.¡± The shock of the Wyverns¡¯ attack gradually faded, and the sound of a refreshed breath of the sleeping Adrian echoed the room. The two women prayed for a peaceful daily life to return as soon as possible. ¡ï¡ï¡ï It was around the evening that Serus had finished his investigation of Adrian ¡®s birth. ¡°Your Majesty, I have figured out what you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± Fabian stared at Serus and raised his eyes. ¡°Prince Adrian just turned one year old and was baptized by the Pope at a grand festival. Perhaps the King was trying to cover up his dishonorable birth.¡± ¡°I see.¡± But there was something persistently stuck in Fabian¡¯s mind. ¡°But the child had a ck hair.¡± Although only for a moment, Fabian remembered the child he saw when Evelyn rolled the cloth in the basket. It was a short moment, and the baby didn¡¯t cry, but somehow his impression of that child was very deep. ¡°The whole Felice¡¯s family have a blond hair¡­.¡± ¡°I think the mother has ck hair because he was a child born outside the pce.¡± ¡°Is ck hairmon outside the Imperial Pce?¡± ¡°No, but that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist at all.¡± ck hair was a symbol of the Imperial Family in the Empire. It was very disturbing when Fabian saw the child¡¯s ck hair. Even in a moment when the child had made eye contact with him, he had the same ck eyes as Fabian. ¡°Even with ck hair and ck eyes?¡± Serus, who had guessed Fabian¡¯s innermost thoughts after he raised doubts again, carefully opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not too impossible. Beside, the prince was bornst winter and is only one year old now.¡± Fabian was lost in thought for a moment. It could be when Evelyn left him. If there was any possibility at least, it was expected to best summer when the child was born. ¡°I see.¡± It was a small possibility, but it didn¡¯t mean that it didn¡¯t exist. ¡°What about the child¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°I heard that she died after she had given birth. That¡¯s why the queen officially registered as his mother.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤okay.¡± Fabian felt like he¡¯d lost his mind because he¡¯d been thinking deeply about Evelyn for so long. Fabian decided to wipe the little prince out of his mind at this point. It felt strange when he made eye contact with the child, but maybe because Fabian didn¡¯t see the child close up. ¡°If you want, I¡¯m going to investigate it further.¡± ¡°No, It¡¯s done.¡± Fabian shook his hand. There was more than one tiredness in many ways. To investigate the suspicious activity of the Vatican and the demons, he left the Imperial Pce and crossed the ck Veil Forest. But aftering this far, he had lost the evidence in front of his eyes. ¡°This time, the journey was too long. The Empire is also anxiously waiting for His Majesty.¡± ¡°I would pretend to like that.¡± It was an indifferent answer. ¡°The nobles and the Imperial Family are the happiest when their ¡®luggage¡¯ is gone because their lives will be veryfortable. They¡¯re just looking for the ¡®luggage¡¯ only by mouth.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t like that¡± Serus had passively denied it. Fabian wasn¡¯t a fool either. The most enjoyable moment for servants was when their masters were away. It was the same for both the imperial family and the nobles. ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Fabian suddenly uttered a random sound. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯sfortable not to have a ¡®luggage¡¯ beside them.¡± Fabian already knew such people. One of them was Evelyn, who said that she couldn¡¯t breathefortably on his side. ¡°It means that the time with me is ufortable.¡± Come to think of it, it was kind of funny. The nobleman, the Imperial Family, and even the Empress Dowager, who gave birth to him, all felt ufortable to be with him, and Evelyn was no different. ¡°How dare they feltfortable without your Majesty. That¡¯s disloyalty.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The Emperor was a ruler, not a man to befortable with. The Emperor had to be generous but feared by everyone. Fabian had only lived as an emperor. ¡°Serus, you must be ufortable with me too.¡± ¡°I have been given a mission to serve you since I was born. I don¡¯t carry anything other than my mission.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± What he could have received as an emperor was one-sided loyalty or fear. If he hadn¡¯t received that, he wouldn¡¯t be able tost long on the throne. ¡°At least, have you got used to me?¡± It was a question that Fabian had never asked before. ¡°How dare I harbor suchcency over your Majesty.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Looking back, they all seemed to have a hard time with Fabian. Even before Fabian had sat on the throne, his mother, the Empress, had never hugged him. His father, the Emperor and his mother, the Empress didn¡¯t even look at each other. For Fabian, all rtionships with other people were like that. ¡°This is proof that Your Majesty is a great Emperor. My parents said that you have been extraordinary since you were a boy.¡± said Serus, added a word for Fabian. Fabian was raised by Serus¡¯ parents when he was young. It was because it wasmon in the Empire to entrust the noble to raise the prince. Naturally, the noble¡¯s second son would serve the prince for life. That¡¯s precisely what Serus did right now. ¡°But no one chose me¡­.¡± Fabian spat a strange word. Not everyone who raised Fabian wanted him, nor did they choose Fabian because they wanted to. And Fabian wasn¡¯t even choosing them. For the rest of his life, the only rtionship Fabian ever had was his marriage to Evelyn. ¡°Well, that¡¯s better.¡± Fabian came to a lonely conclusion. He thought it might be better not to choose anyone once he recalled the rtionship that he had chosen with his own hand broke apart. ¡°Your Majesty, our journey is getting too long, so let¡¯s go back to the Empire.¡± ¡°The knights must also be tired.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s too much.¡± But suddenly, Fabian was lost in thought for a moment. ¡°I will stay here until I recover.¡± Only ¡°You mean here? in the Felice Kingdom?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do.¡± It was, in theory. King Felice had no authority to refuse, and it was difficult to say that because of Evelyn¡¯s divorce. Besides, apart from personal rtionships, it was the Emperor¡¯s order. ¡°I will instruct King Felice to do that.¡± Fabian nodded. He felt unfamiliar fatigue. Somewhere in his heart, Fabian felt cramped and oppressed. This feeling was unfamiliar to him, and there was no clear reason for it. ¡ï¡ï¡ï Chapter 21: Emperor & The King Fabian¡¯s irrational decision quickly reached Evelyn¡¯s ears. The King and his wife were anxious, but only Evelyn was calm. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Evelyn said, holding Adrian in her arms. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s an opportunity to investigate the demons in detail. The Emperor said that he would rest in the royal pce with the guards who were tired of a long journey and proceed with the rest of the investigation. But, none of those words had anything to do with Evelyn. Fabian was not interested in personal matters anyway. ¡°I¡¯m going to visit the Duke of Akshire with Lady Reba.¡± Honestly, Miriam was upset with the Emperor in her heart. Still, she immediately agreed with Evelyn¡¯s opinion, and there was no reason for Arthur to stop it either. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but is it going to be all right?¡± ¡°Why? There¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡± Evelyn was so calm and even smiled at Adrian. ¡°No ¡­ ¡­ do you want to bring Adrian?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Evelyn looked innocent at Arthur and asked back. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine. Because I¡¯m going with Adrian.¡± Evelyn said without any trouble. ¡°No!¡± It was no use for Arthur to shoutte after finding out about the situation. ¡°Leave Adrian.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay! you go! just you!¡± Evelyn felt very strange that her son was favoured by her parents. ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Right, Adrian?¡± ¡°Abububu! Anana!¡± Arthur shook his head, vigorously, ¡°Whoever decides, I¡¯m not okay! Leave Adrian behind!¡± ¡°Father, are you worried that the Emperor will stay long and meet Adrian again?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­.¡± There was a deep shade on Arthur¡¯s face. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go, too. I¡¯ll go with you to the Duke of Akshire.¡± ¡°Abububu!¡± ¡°Yes, Adrian.¡± Evelyn looked at Adrian and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense, aren¡¯t you? It must be a joke. There¡¯s no way that the King empties the royal pce where the Emperor resides.¡± Arthur closed his mouth after hearing Evelyn¡¯s bright voice. His eyes were unhappy towards his daughter, but he couldn¡¯t refute her because she said it was all right. Then, Arthur and Miriam sent Adrian away in tears. Evelyn felt isted for a moment, but she quickly felt better about having an outing with Adrian for the first time in a while. And fortunately, as Evelyn knew Fabian was an indifferent person, so it seemed she could leave in peace. ¡°Anna, Anana!¡± Adrian kept looking to the window as if he wanted to see outside the carriage. ¡°Are we going to meet that person today?¡± ¡°Ananana!¡± Adrian, who opened his eyes round and inted his white cheeks, was adorable. Evelyn fell into his charm, kissing Adrian¡¯s cheek, hugging him, and showing him out of the window. ¡°We¡¯ll be back home soon.¡± Evelyn said sweetly. She didn¡¯t think this outing would take long when she thought of her father, who had a lost expression. ¡°So, it¡¯s been a long time since I went out like this.¡± Evelyn used to go out and travel a lot before she became the Empress. But after joining the Imperial Family, everything had changed. Evelyn only had limited ces to go even in the Imperial Pce. First of all, it was a strict ce where she was not allowed to visit her husband first. And of course, she couldn¡¯t even dream of travelling. ¡°Adrian, grow up quickly. I want to travel together with you when you grow up.¡± There was a scent of spring through the open window. There were so many small and precious things that she had forgotten after wearing the Empress¡¯s coffin. Her world would be bigger with Adrian, who grew upter. ¡ï¡ï¡ï Fabian was calm and rxed when it came to taking someone¡¯s throne. Arthur hoped the uninvited guest, who had taken his ce, would return soon to his own pce. Only then his beloved grandson woulde back. ¡°I apologize that this pce is too small and shabby for your servants.¡± Arthur¡¯s words were quite sarcastic, but it didn¡¯t seem to bother Fabian. ¡°It¡¯s narrow¡­.¡± He was a man who had married his beloved daughter. But Arthur onlu saw Fabian¡¯s face at the wedding, so he didn¡¯t have much opportunity to talk to him. It wasmon in this era, but now that Evelyn was divorced, it was super awkward to face Fabian. ¡°However this is a good base for monitoring the ck Veil Forest where the demons have recently appeared.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also close to Saint Ireta, Where the Vatican¡¯s castle is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too close or far.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to stay here.¡¯ Arthur stared at Fabian with anxiety. This ugly man had to leave quickly so he could see the cute Adrian. ¡°I suspect the Vatican on various charges.¡± It was time for Arthur to save his words. ¡°Is it a good word for the Felice Kingdom?¡± ¡°Why would you think so?¡± Fabianughed coldly, and Arthur regretted once again that he had sent his daughter to a guy like this. Even when he spoke a few words to Fabian, Arthur couldn¡¯t feel any human warmth or emotional expression at all. ¡°The King has a close rtionship with the Vatican, so he might be able to help me. I order him to show me the Pope¡¯s schedule.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t believe you don¡¯t know about their schedule.¡± Arthur nodded his head gently. He realized that Fabian wasn¡¯t an easy person. ¡°I will follow your orders to the best of my knowledge.¡± ¡°One more thing.¡± Fabian looked straight at Arthur. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of suspicious things about the Wyverns that appeared on the festival day. I¡¯d like to hear again from the princess, who is a witness. Very detailed.¡± There was something tenacious in Fabian¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the princess isn¡¯t in the royal pce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I saw her, howe?¡± ¡°She left for the Duke Akshire this morning.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows were frowning. For the first time, Arthur had felt a strong feeling popping into Fabian¡¯s face. Apparently, he was a human too. ¡°Why?¡± It was a question that he didn¡¯t need to ask. It was obvious unless he was an idiot that Evelyn left the pce because he didn¡¯t want to be in the same ce with his divorced husband. But Fabian really had a perplexed expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve had a long rtionship with the Duke of Akshire, and she was very shocked by this incident, so I sent her to calm down with the little prince.¡± Arthur said it politely. Although his opponent was the Emperor, Evelyn¡¯s father was Arthur. Above all, Fabian had no reason for interfering with Evelyn¡¯s future. ¡°If the Duke of Akshire¡­ is there a Duke named Liam?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. He¡¯s a long-time friend of the royal family.¡± Huh, Fabian let out an unpleasantugh. Not long ago, he remembered a young man with brown hair and green eyes who had kneeled in front of him. Sending Evelyn there and telling Fabian the truth was like the King¡¯s request for him to listen. ¡°Duke Liam would know better about the Wyvern incident. The princess was too scared to see it properly.¡± ¡°Empre¡­..No, the princess is a bolder person than she seems.¡± It was an unexpected word from him, Arthur looked at Fabian while holding up hisughter. ¡°Really? As her father, I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡± Only ¡°There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know. If she didn¡¯t bold, how could she ask me for a divorce?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sounded dissatisfied, and inside, Arthur felt a little bitter. ¡°The princess said she¡¯d forget the past, and I¡¯m sorry to have caused trouble for you, Your Majesty, because of theck of space.¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t say anything more and shut his mouth tight. Looking at his stubbornness, Arthur realized that Evelyn¡¯s choice was right. It was a miracle that such a lovely child like Adrian was born from such a man. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going. May you stay as much as you like in the Felice Kingdom.¡± Thest words weren¡¯t serious. Fabian frowned openly as he saw Arthur¡¯s back. ¡°They look alike¡­.¡± Chapter 22: Forgotten Freedoms. Evelyn had a delicate appearance, but she was also bolder than anyone else. She was always calm when she encountered the Empress and the noisy nobledies, but at the same time, she was a woman who was shocked by only a small bug. Fabian believed that Evelyn¡¯s proud appearance was a perfect match for the Empress. But It turned out was a wrong idea. ¡°Why does that stubborn King look weird?¡± A little while ago, Arthur¡¯s eyes, which were staring straight at him, ovepped with Evelyn¡¯s firm eyes, who was seeking a divorce. Well, that¡¯s a natural thing because it¡¯s not easy for him when his daughter asked for a divorce. ¡°Duke of Akshire.¡± The Duke stared straight at Fabian when he knelt down to show his obedience. Clearly, Fabian could sense that the Duke did not want to be ruled by the Emperor. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Fabian was rarely hostile to other people. As the Emperor, It was rare for him to hate someone because it was easier to get that person out of sight before he had an enmity. ¡°Serus, Does Akshire correctly follow thews of the Empire?¡± In truth, Fabian felt that the question was useless, and he had no intention of finding out about it. Still, from the Duke¡¯s attitude, Akshire¡¯s family was clearly not on the Empire¡¯s side. ¡°There¡¯s nothing special on the surface. Now, the Duke ¡®s father was powerful enough when he served in the Imperial Parliament. Your majesty must be remembered him.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Fabian realized then why the Duke of Akshire was so unfamiliar. It was because the Duke of Akshire, whom Fabian knew was an old man, but the Duke he had met this time was still young. ¡°Did he already inherited the title?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard so.¡± ¡°With the power of Akshire, the Duchess¡¯s family must be considerable.¡± ¡°The Duchess has already passed away.¡± What Serus was talking about was Liam¡¯s mother. ¡°There must be a new duchess now.¡± ¡°Sir Liam doesn¡¯t have a wife yet.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Why?¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes frowned. ¡°Because he¡¯s single.¡± It was a ridiculous question, but Serus answered it carefully. Even though a man was divorced from his wife, he wouldn¡¯t be happy to see that his ex-wife went to another man¡¯s house. As expected, Fabian¡¯s face became grim. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­..¡± Fabian muttered in a low voice. The displeasure gradually turned into a dark, wave-like colour, and dyed Fabian¡¯s heart. It was unusual for him to lose hisposure. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Fabian, who was speechless, sprang to his feet. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Serus was startled to catch up with Fabian ¡®s quick steps. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°As I told the King earlier, there¡¯s ack of information about the Wyverns attack.¡± said Fabian with a tant smile. ¡°I¡¯ll have to listen to the Duke of Akshire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call him right away, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go myself. We can¡¯t keep disturbing the King of another country.¡± This wasn¡¯t the usual Fabian, but Serus just guessed his master¡¯s intentions in his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare now.¡± Even though Serus answered the question like that, his face was fuzzy. It was difficult to judge that their sudden departure to the Duke of Akshire was the right thing to do or not. No, to be frank, it wasn¡¯t right. It might have created a problem, but Serus wasn¡¯t in a position to dare to say it. ¡°Just do it. I¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Serus had no choice because he had to follow all the orders made by Fabian.
Reba was happy to meet her at the Duke¡¯s door. As soon as they saw each other, they recalled the mess of the Great Festival and thanked each other for their health and safety. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Reba, Even though there was a person who died, I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Yes. And the little prince was also safe.¡± ¡°Abubbububu!¡± Adrian, who was always brave, intervened between the two to show his presence. ¡°The prince asked us to go in.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn smiled a little shyly and hugged Adrian. The Duke¡¯s residence was decorated in an antique style. It was beautifully crafted as if it showed a long family history. It was a ce where she could feel thefort and beauty of the Felice Kingdom. ¡°The princess always carries the prince around.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t you tired? It¡¯s usually carried around by a nanny.¡± Of course, there were many maids in the Felice Kingdom. But when she woke up, Evelyn always hugged Adrian first. ¡°It¡¯s because I like him.¡± Evelyn looked at Adrian with a look of beauty and said. Reba felt envious for nothing when she saw it. She thought that her younger brother was a terrible being, but seeing Adrian made her greedy. ¡°whenever I see the prince, I wish I had a younger brother.¡± ¡°You have, Sir Liam.¡± ¡°Not such a big and terrible thing, but a cute little brother like Prince Adrian.¡± Reba sighed, and Evelyn grinned at her. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no other child in the world who¡¯s as cute as Adrian!¡± That¡¯s because he inherited Arthur and Miriam¡¯s gics, and Evelyn¡¯s gene was decent as well. ¡°But Prince Adrian, I need you to give me the princess today.¡± Rebaughed with Evelyn. ¡°Well, let¡¯s in. Princess, I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe here.¡± ¡°Yes. But what?¡± ¡°While the prince is having milk and baby food and sleeping soundly, we are going to have a ss of champagne.¡± Evelyn blinked. She never knew there was such a n. ¡°Emma, take care of the prince!¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± The maid who took Adrian from Evelyn in an instant was quite adept. ¡°Oh, Reba, I don¡¯t have to drink the champagne.¡± Evelyn¡¯sst drink was before she got married. In other words, it was a long time ago. And she hadn¡¯t been drunk since she had Adrian. ¡°Princess. You know what? The Marchioness of Satine came here on the Great Festival.¡± ¡°What?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face hardened at that moment. ¡°She came with Countess Hernia.¡± ¡°What!¡± Evelyn could not forget her past grudge even though she was divorced, Only ¡°But fortunately, there was my close friend seat beside them, so I saw and heard everything.¡± said Reba, her voice sounded excited. ¡°Princess, would you like me to share this story with you?¡± No answer was needed. ¡°Reba, please give me white wine.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve prepared champagne for you.¡± It seemed that the story that Reba had prepared was exciting. Evelyn¡¯s feet moved like magic by themselves. For her, there were still a lot of forgotten freedoms. Chapter 23: Drank Women As if to exude the richness of Akshire, the champagne burst with an exquisite sound. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± As soon as Evelyn put her lips on the champagne, she spat out burning sensation. This was what freedom tastes like. ¡°Reba, this champagne is like a festival.¡± ¡°I selected it carefully while I was waiting for you.¡± Rebaughed and took a ss of champagne. It wasn¡¯t long before Evelyn¡¯s pretty cheeks soon turned red. The two women kept emptying their sses even though no one asked each other. ¡°Come on, toast to Lady Daisy!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is, but cheers!¡± For a moment, Evelyn forgot the focus of their talk and fell in love with champagne¡¯s exhrating taste. At first, there was a refreshing carbonated persimmon taste and a sweet fruity aroma. Then the bitterness vanished, making it truly delicious. Evelyn didn¡¯t understand why she forgot about this good thing. ¡°Lady Daisy is the bravedy who sat next to Lady Satine and Countess Hernia and told it all.¡± Come and think about it, they were the main point of this story. The two had been her mortal enemies ever since Evelyn had lived in the imperial family. Evelyn was single-one-sidedly humiliated by them and was unable to fight back. So their rivalry was extremely unfair. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s just the two of them?¡± ¡°It was supposed to be an ugly trio but sadly the other one was sick.¡± After hearing what Reba had said, Evelyn nearly threw up the champagne. But even though her heart was racing, she tried to look calm. ¡°So, the ugly trio of the Empire.¡± Evelyn was thrilled every time Reba spoke. It seemed that her resentment was blown away. ¡°It seemed like they were still trying to make fun of us as usual but the atmosphere that day ¡­¡­ you were the main character, yeah¡­. until the Wyvern appeared.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it clearly. Lady Daisy said their ugly faces turned ck when everyone praised your beauty, and they even said that the Emperor would be sorry. It must have been more difficult for them to speak ill-gossip!¡± ¡°Oh, my. That¡¯s a little too much.¡± Evelyn said so, but the corner of her lips went up. ¡°Their hand holding the fan, shook!¡± ¡°Oh, did they still carry the ugly blue feather hand-fan?¡± ¡°Why not? There are even rumors that the main part of the body of Marchioness Satine is that blue hand fan.¡± Pum, she sure spat out the champagne this time. Before Evelyn even felt embarrassed, Reba was overjoyed and started talking again. ¡°Lady Daisy saw that her hands were not only shaking, but her eyes were twitching. She muttered until the end, and kept saying, ¡®Isn¡¯t she divorced?¡¯¡± ¡°Ah, I should have seen it.¡± ¡°I also regret that.¡± Reba and Evelyn were one heart and one mind at this moment. ¡°So! I¡¯ve decided to hold a special ball hosted by the Duke of Akshire. Of course, we should invite that ugly trio too.¡± ¡°Would theye here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to throw a party that everyone can¡¯t help bute. Princess, don¡¯t you know me? Indeed, Reba was very convincing about things like this. Akshire was one of the most respected and influential families, and Reba was also the top social star. The divorce didn¡¯t hurt Reba at all. Instead, It gave Reba wings to fly freely. ¡°There are rumors that Lady Satine¡¯s husband has an affair with an opera singer, and Countess Hernia¡¯s son is deaf and still can¡¯t write. How nice is it to be the main character in the social circle they love?¡± ¡°Ah, I should have seen it,¡± Evelyn kept on making the same reply. The funny thing was, they felt so shabby and worthless now. Their eyes watched Evelyn¡¯s every step. As they always did at every imperial party, tea time, even while watching the orchestra, they were still looking forward to the moment Evelyn made a mistake. ¡°It¡¯s like turning a light on and trying to find a little stain on someone else¡¯s shirt, and what are they going to do?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give up my society¡¯s life, so I¡¯m going to take a special seat and watch it myself.¡± It was definitely worth holding a ball. ¡°You¡¯reing too, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Evelyn was so happy to have a friend like Reba, she didn¡¯t know how excited she was. ¡°That¡¯s what people call me, a mad-tempered pony who got divorced.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised if people say that. I told them that I had to walk on my own feet because I didn¡¯t fit into the Imperial Family.¡± The fighting spirit of the two women burned silently. ¡°I look forward to seeing how the noble wives who keep their high-profile marriage look at us.¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯ll be there, no matter what.¡± ¡°Of course. Princess, do you know that?¡± Evelyn opened her eyes wide. ¡°Everyone was busy running away during the Wyvern raid, so they had a bad experience. The blue hand-fan fell to the ground and was trampled on like a quill.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lady Satine always looked so graceful, always boasted about it, and often insulted everything that Evelyn had done. ¡°I should have seen it!¡± Evelyn shouted out happily and gulped down the champagne. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to ban the hand-fan from the ball.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Evelyn looked at Reba as a hero with her sparkling eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a woman who does what I do.¡± Reba said so arrogantly, but she was confident. ¡°I believe you, too, I have no doubt about that.¡± ¡°And I wasn¡¯t divorced, but I voluntarily requested a divorce!¡± ¡°So am I!¡± Evelyn and Reba, these two women, had a strong bond of sympathy. ¡°The damn ex-husband. Would he know if I shaved my head right away?¡± ¡°When I was an Empress, my ex-husband wouldn¡¯t know even if I had an affair with someone else.¡± Only ¡°I¡¯m really sick of it, those guys!¡± Evelyn nodded with strong approval. She didn¡¯t know why she kept everything to herself when talking about it turned out to be so refreshing. ¡°I, even the Emperor has taken over our royal pce. That¡¯s why I came all the way here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really, really, really shameless.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more ridiculous is, he called me.¡± ¡°What?¡± This time, Reba¡¯s eyes were getting bigger. Evelyn drank champagne like a sushi bar and let down her ss. Chapter 24: Damn Ex-Husband ¡°He wanted me to testify about the Wyverns raid.¡± ¡°Seriously¡­.?¡± As expected, Evelyn wasn¡¯t the only one to think like that. Her ex-husband was a man with nomon sense at all. ¡°But the funny thing is that I already knew it, so I wrote it all down on paper and gave it to him.¡± ¡°Did he try to get to you again? Oh my God. He really didn¡¯t call you because he still has feelings for you right? But if he saw your pretty face, maybe his heart would be hooked again.¡± ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t want that kind of attention.¡± Evelyn was severe when she said that. ¡°And he still seems to have no idea why I asked for a divorce.¡± When Fabian asked ¡®why¡¯, Evelyn was already speechless at the moment. ¡°And the worse thing is, he¡¯s still wearing our wedding ring on his left hand.¡± ¡°Princess, maybe that¡¯s¡­.¡± Reba carefully asked her with a different look, but Evelyn shook her head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know if he¡¯s still wearing a ring, or he forgot it was a wedding ring.¡± Otherwise, there was no reason for Fabian to wear a ring after the divorce. ¡°And when I left the Imperial Pce, I left everything, including my wedding gifts and my wedding ring.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wise¡­..¡± ¡°What¡¯s he doing then? Maybe he still doesn¡¯t know that, so he¡¯s still wearing his ring.¡± The two women sighed long. ¡°Ha, men¡­..why are they so indifferent?¡± ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know why he was married if he didn¡¯t know what to do with marriage.¡± The two women who already had drunk faced each other and nodded. ¡°I would never have been married if I had known it was something like this!¡± It was the word that Evelyn had buried in her heart all this time. ¡°So do I¡­..Why does a woman have to get married? And have to divorce annoyingly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! And I don¡¯t know why everyone thinks it¡¯s my fault. We¡¯re married, so why am I the only one who responsible for the divorce? Evelyn couldn¡¯t even say that to her parents because her parents¡¯ feelings would hurt. But when I drank alcohol and had a friend in the same situation in front of me, my words burst out. ¡°The world¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m not going to remarry.¡± ¡°So am I! I¡­¡­All I need is Adrian.¡± ¡°You said that, the King let you take care of the prince when he grows up. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, I volunteered. The divorced Princess is the right person for the job because she¡¯s free.¡± A fresh, smiling Evelyn¡¯s cheek blushed. ¡°The prince is so lovely. I¡¯m so jealous of you.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t me you.¡± Evelyn, who was already drunk, nodded. ¡°Would you like to see my Adrian walking? When I see him waddling, all of my worries would fly away.¡± ¡°Emma, ?e and bring the Prince!¡± Soon, the maid brought Adrian into the room. As Evelyn said, the way he stood up and wobbled along with something was a healing for the soul. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s so cute!¡± ¡°Right?¡± The two women had fallen in love with Adrian, with their jaws closed. ¡°Abu! Ana, Anana!¡± Adrian, who tried to walk excitedly, gritted his mouth, which had only two uppers and three lower teeth. Adrian didn¡¯t even know how cute he was. ¡°He¡¯s always talking like that these days.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll start talking in a moment, I guess.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to his first word.¡± Reba and Evelyn looked at Adrian¡¯s wobbly walk. The existence of her damn ex-husband faded away with Adrian¡¯s cute act. ¡°Bubu! Ana! Anana!¡± His meaningless sound was just cute. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Little Adrian came and clung to Evelyn¡¯s leg. When Evelyn tried to hug Adrian with a smile on her face, the maid hurried up and whispered something in Reba¡¯s ear. ¡°What? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Princess.¡± Evelyn stopped trying to hug Adrian, looking at Reba. But even before Reba talked, there was a knock on the door. Liam came in and set an example. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb your time, princess.¡± ¡°I! Hey, are you ignoring your own sister?¡± Liam, who lightly ignored Reba¡¯s protest, was surprised to see Evelyn¡¯s red cheeks. ¡°Sister, did you just give the princess a drink?¡± ¡°The princess is an adult who can enjoy drinking.¡± Ha¡­ Liam sighed. In his eyes, his obstinate older sister Reba was a dangerous person. ¡°That¡¯s enough of you. Princess, I have an urgent issue right now, so I took my excuse.¡± ¡°Liam. Your attitude is the problem. The Princess is so lovely, why are you ¡­ too big, not funny, not cute ¡­.dark ¡­¡± It seemed that Reba was very drunk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess My sister drinks too much. Emma, take care of my sister!¡± A maid called Emma rushed out to help Reba, who said no. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m¡­.I.¡± Luckily Evelyn looked calm. Liam was d that Evelyn was a quiet person, unlike her sister. ¡°Because, I have Adrian. Because Adrian is cute. It¡¯s not too big, it¡¯s fun just looking at him, and most of all, he¡¯s so cute and¡­¡­. lovely¡­..¡± ¡°Princess?¡± Evelyn smiled with slightly loosened eyes. ¡°And he¡¯s so¡­..cute again.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°And ¡­.he has¡­..five teeth.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes.¡± ¡°Two upper teeth and three lower teeth. I¡¯m proud¡­¡­ And¡­¡­and¡­¡­ cute. That¡¯s right, and it¡¯s lovely.¡± Liam was mad at Reba. This beautiful Princess seemed to have lost her mind for a moment after being manipted by her wicked sister. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t be surprised and listen. I don¡¯t know why, but the Emperor on his way to the Akshire¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Huh¡­..¡± Liam was embarrassed by her unexpected reaction. ¡°If hee, juste!¡± The image of the Princess that was vaguely in Liam¡¯s memory was no longer here. ¡°You think I¡¯ve run away¡­ It¡¯s an illusion, an illusion!¡± Only Evelyn snorted again, arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m fed up with my damn ex-husband, he¡¯s nothing to me.¡± Those were scary words for anyone to hear, And usually those words could be heard by the person concerned. ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Suddenly, Liam¡¯s spine became chilly. He was afraid to look back, but Fabian¡¯s voice rang again. ¡°I asked if you were talking about me?¡± Of all things, the person who wasn¡¯t supposed toe wasing. Chapter 25: Don’t have any feelings about me? Liam quickly came to his senses and turned around to set an example to the Emperor. It was a disaster because he was supposed to step ahead first. Although this ce was a Duke¡¯s residence, it was easy for Fabian, who was the Emperor, toe straight into the living room without the Liam¡¯s permission. ¡°Your Majesty, I apologize, but I think they¡¯re both drunk because my sister rmended her to drink alcohol.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you, Duke.¡± Liam saw Fabian¡¯s cold side face, and he felt his chest tight. ¡°I heard he said that I was a damn ex-husband.¡± said Fabian. He pushed Liam and stood in front of Evelyn. ¡°Is that me?¡± ¡°Who else? I¡¯ve only got one ex-husband.¡± If Evelyn was sane, she would have seen a great sight now,¡­.. Fabian¡¯s embarrassed face. ¡°So, am I going to be punished for treason against the Emperor? Just for what happened in the women¡¯s wine party?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason? Why am I a damn ex-husband?¡± Things were going awry. Evelyn was drunk, and Fabian was too serious. The only rational person in this room was Liam. And he came forward, trying to calm the situation down. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s a good situation to have a conversation right now. Princess, you should go to rest now.¡± But Fabian turned his head and stared at Liam and said, ¡°I¡¯m asking the princess, Duke, you¡¯re in the way, so get out of here!¡± It was a shameless statement. This ce was a Duke¡¯s residence, no matter how great the Emperor was. ¡°How can I leave the Princess alone.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a little prince too?¡± Yeah¡­..there was a brave Prince with five teeth¡­¡­¡­ Anyway, it was an absurd excuse. ¡°I¡¯ve promised to the King¡¯s Majesty that I would protect the princess.¡± ¡°The princess will be safe. Besides, this is Emperor¡¯s order. So Duke, I hope you can leave so the two of us could talk.¡± Liam was embarrassed and nced at Evelyn for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with that, Duke Akshire!¡± said Evelyn. She just made things worse at this time. ¡°What? I¡¯m here right now. What does Duke Akshire have to do with us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re bullying him!¡± Fabian¡¯s face became even grimmer at that moment. ¡°What kind of man do you think I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never really seen you as a human being. I¡¯ve never seen a human side of you.¡± Evelyn was drunk, but her words were just right. ¡°The Emperor is a seat of no-emotional-appearance.¡± ¡°I never med you, you asked me first, so I answered.¡± said Evelyn. This time, she also gave a logical answer. ¡°The more I think about it, the more confused I am. I have given you most beautiful and the great dowry Empress¡¯ seat in the history of the Empire. From the jewels to the number of servants, as Empress, you have everything that no other woman has.¡± Fabian was talkative about it. But Evelyn sat down, looking at him, and drank another ss of champagne. ¡°Huh, are you drinking while I¡¯m talking?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the other way round. Your Majesty appeared as an uninvited guest while I was drinking.¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe you were drinking until so drunk. Have you lied to me back then?¡± ¡°After divorce, the liquor tastes sweet.¡± Fabian could not hold back his frustration and took a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t Fabian¡¯s misconception when he thought Evelyn was a strange woman. She smiled brightly after she left, a smile she had never seen before, and now she was drinking in front of me and speaking without hesitation. It was unbelievable that she was Fabian¡¯s Empress. ¡°Abubu¡­boo!¡± And no matter how serious Fabian¡¯s expression was, Adrian¡¯s babbling always ruined the mood. ¡°Do you have anything else to say to this disrespectful woman?¡± Said Evelyn, with her blue eyes staring. Fabian felt emotional, something was rising in his heart, but it wasn¡¯t hate. ¡°Yes, you won¡¯t run away.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Evelyn nced at Liam, who had witnessed their conversation from the beginning. ¡°Duke Akshire, can I ask you to look after Adrian?¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes were immediately fixed on Liam, who treated him as if he were a beast. And Liam¡¯s attitude, which seemed to protect Evelyn from the beast, was even more ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going to take the little Prince.¡± Only then did Fabian notice the existence of Adrian. The sight where Evelyn handed the child over to Liam was strange and annoying in Fabian¡¯s eyes. As if the three of them were like a family, and Fabian was just a spectator. ¡°Yeah, the Duke of Akshire won¡¯t go against my order.¡± Fabian could have been braver than this until he got what he wanted. ¡°Huh¡­ It¡¯s okay. Duke, don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll see youter with Reba.¡± Liam looked at the bold princess with a very anxious face and was forced to walk out of the door while holding Adrian. Only ¡°I have no idea?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand what you meant.¡± ¡°Suddenly you asked for a divorce, and the next day you left and met again for the first time.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°So?¡± Fabian¡¯s face frowned strangely. ¡°I asked if you don¡¯t have any feelings about me?¡± Chapter 26: It was too late ¡°Yes, there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not a little bit?¡± ¡°No. When I asked your Majesty for a divorce, I had already abandoned all that feeling.¡± Fabian was dumbfounded by Evelyn, who was more radical than expected and lost his words. ¡°You said that breathing by my side was ufortable.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Now Evelyn was encouraged by alcohol. Thanks to that, she might utter a sincere word that she couldn¡¯t speak all this time. ¡°Am I the cause?¡± ¡°Your Majesty is also one of them.¡± Evelyn said calmly. ¡°But that¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯ve forgotten and I don¡¯t have any resentment or regret, so I hope Your Majesty is healthy.¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn and blinked slowly. ¡°You mean, you have no intention ofing back to me?¡± This time, It was Evelyn, who blinked her eyes. ¡°Why do I have to go back to the Imperial Family after I was divorced?¡± Fabian blinked a few more times, his face hardened like a wooden stone. There was nothing to say when she asked him like that. ¡°Of course it is.¡± But for Fabian, he never thought it would be hisst time with Evelyn. There was no particr reason or basis why he felt like that, but he just believed that Evelyn woulde back one day. ¡°I didn¡¯t whine orin to His Majesty when I was divorced.¡± That day, Fabian told Evelyn, who was seeking a divorce, that an Empress¡¯ seat wasn¡¯t a ce for such a fool. ¡°I actually asked for a divorce because I wanted to end my marriage with you, and I never regretted that decision.¡± said Evelyn, giving it back. ¡°Huh, can I have a drink, too? The champagne¡­give me a ss.¡± ¡°But I have no more conversations with you¡­.¡± Evelyn said, honestly. ¡°I have it.¡± The same thing was true of Fabian. Fabian sat on Reba¡¯s seat and drank her champagne when Evelyn didn¡¯t think about handing the ss. ¡°Why Akshire? Is there any deep rntionship between you and Duke Akshire?¡± ¡°Well¡­.Felice and Akshire have a ¡°deep¡± rtionship.¡± Evelyn answered roughly. Her words had a wide meaning depending on how Fabian interpreted it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the woman who used to be the Empress won¡¯t get remarried and gossiped about it. When Adrian grew up a little, I decided to help my father¡¯s official duties and take care of him.¡± Fabian¡¯s feelings did not go down. In his dark eyes, however, he could see Evelyn¡¯s past appearance for a moment. ¡°So in conclusion, the divorce request and everything you said earlier was all sincere, and you have no intention ofing back at all.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn¡¯s unhesitating answer was a big blow to Fabian. ¡°But¡­. you left everything behind on Empress¡¯ pce.¡± ¡°¡­.Did you know¡­?¡± ¡°Do I look like a foolish man who doesn¡¯t know that much?¡± ¡°Yes¡­..no. No!¡± Evelyn quickly took back the words she said without a filter, but she seemed to bete, looking at Fabian¡¯s face. ¡°Did that mean you still want toe back?¡± Fabian had a puzzled look on his face. He looked hopeless, too. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to see him so badly. But why did he stille to his own conclusions? ¡°No, I never thought of going back. And all the things that I left behind ¡­ I left what I received as the Empress because the edict abolished all the privileges of the Empress.¡± ¡°Just because of that¡­?¡± If she wasn¡¯t drunk, Evelyn would have noticed Fabian¡¯s voice, full of disappointment. ¡°Yeah.¡± Fabian stared relentlessly at Evelyn with his ck eyes, wondering when she would lose her fierce spirit. ¡°I had no idea if I was a damn husband.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault to talk about it outside. I won¡¯t make this a topic of conversation from now on.¡± Evelyn never corrected her words, and that made Fabian even more upset. ¡°As for the idea of divorce.¡± Fabian opened his mouth heavily, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what to say. It was the first time for him, who had been an emperor since 16, to say ¡®regret¡¯ to someone. And besides, he didn¡¯t have dating experience, so it was difficult for him to talk to a woman. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve already made up my mind and told you.¡± ¡°Can you think about it again?¡± Evelyn paused for a moment at Fabian¡¯s unbelievable question. He had lonely eyes, which she had never seen on the night of the divorce. ¡°We just had different ways to love, and I wasn¡¯t such a bad husband either.¡± But without knowing it, Fabian set fire to Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°Ha ¡­ ¡­ I tried not to say this.¡± Evelyn mumbled to herself and took a ss of champagne. Fabian was amazed when he saw Evelyn so strange. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re the worst husband. To the extent¡­.if I knew the future, I would have died and never married you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I just said a word, and you¡¯re making such a scary impression, but your cold face was the hardest thing for me. ¡°But I¡¯ve done nothing wrong with the Empress.¡± ¡°Then¡­. did you love me?¡± Fabian suddenly stopped talking to her. The word love was something he still didn¡¯t know about. Or perhaps he never knew that. ¡°I took care of you in my own way.¡± ¡°Okay. So, do you know when my birthday is?¡± ¡°Spring.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t even ask the date. But even this was already wrong. ¡°It¡¯s winter¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How about the flowers I nted in the Empress¡¯ garden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in flowers. But I gave you a garden for that.¡± ¡°No, when I was an Empress, I never had a separate garden.¡± Evelyn won every battle in this way. ¡°Your Majesty hates elixirs. That¡¯s why you often have a sh with priests. You like a golden wooden tree, but you prefer an elm tree. You prefer a solo cello to an orchestra. You like soup that contains a lot of milk. You eat raspberry jam every morning, and you love soft boiled eggs, especiallymb chops.¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn with a stiff expression. But his ck eyes were clearly shaking with surprise. Because only Evelyn, who had been watching Fabian for a long time, could tell. ¡°Shall I continue¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± Fabian shook his head. Perhaps if she kept going, Evelyn could tell all Fabian¡¯s likes and dislikes, all his interests, until the night was over. ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­.¡± Evelyn made eye contact with Fabian. ¡°Our marriage was like this¡­.¡± Fabian knew nothing about her. Nothing. ¡°That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t mean anything. I wanted to have a more meaningful life.¡± Evelyn¡¯s calm voice was heard. It was a voice that Fabian always heard before. At one time. When Evelyn was his wife. ¡°As a woman, is there a life in this world that more meaningful than being an Empress?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This time again, Evelyn didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°I have it.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were filled with sparkles that Fabian didn¡¯t know. The way she smiled had changed. It was still beautiful, but there¡¯s love added to it. Her smile was like a full cold moon, pure and bright. But, it wasn¡¯t a lonely smile. It was more like an innocent girl without a shade. ¡°So, Your Majesty, please forget about her who used to be the Empress. She wants it.¡± It was aplete rejection. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t see you again, so I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± Evelyn stood up from her seat and bent her knees to give an example. ¡°Goodbye, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Fabian remembered it. The night when the scent of a golden tree spread out into the air. Only At that moment, in an instant, the clock that had stopped began to spin again. Evelyn¡¯s feelings for Fabian moved slowly, asking for a divorce, but it managed to pierce Fabian¡¯s heart. ¡°I wish you good health and happiness.¡± Evelyn left. Fabian epted the breakup toote. For the first time, he felt that one side of his heart was throbbing and sore. It was a time when everything was toote. Chapter 27: Idle th Perhaps because of his great embarrassment, Fabian turned his back and left the room right away. His vague and idle thoughts were totally different from reality. After he heard it clearly from Evelyn, the person involved, it the fact was quite a shock, to be honest. ¡°Your Majesty, are you going back to the Empire?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a wise choice. Spring rains are frequent in this area, so we¡¯d better leave tomorrow.¡± Fabian nodded his head under low pressure. ¡°Why ¡­ was it ufortable to talk to the former empress?¡± ¡°Is divorce always that ufortable?¡± Even the most brilliant Emperor, like Fabian, was clueless about human rtions. Not only clumsy, Fabian was helpless too, and he had no concept of rtionship at all. His mother-Empress only gave birth to Fabian and made it an achievement. Then, it was the Imperial nanny who actually breastfed Fabian, and it was Serus¡¯s parents who raised him. ¡°In my brother¡¯s case, I think so.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­That was normal, then.¡± Fabian nodded. No one was particrly meaningful to him. The Empress Dowager was a woman who gave birth to him. The nobles who raised him trained Fabian strictly just to show loyalty to the Imperial Family. Fabian never felt like he needed anything else. ¡°Somehow, I felt it was harder than do official duties.¡± Serus had no idea what kind of change of heart had happened to Fabian, but he simply nodded together. In any case, Fabian had no one else to live with since he was born. ¡°Human rtions are exhausting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I should go back and focus on my official duties. Before the end of the year, I¡¯m going to show the world that disgusting Pope¡¯s true face.¡± Fabian¡¯s idea made a lot of sense. If someone felt ufortable even when they were living alone, they could at least y their part in a useful ce. As long as he was born as an emperor, that fate would have been inevitable. ¡°Oh, I have one thing to check.¡± ¡°Please give your order.¡± Unlike usual, Fabian handed a piece of paper with something written from the inside pocket of his jacket. ¡°Check it up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He had to obey the Emperor¡¯s orders, so Serus put it in without even checking the contents of the paper. ¡ï¡ï¡ï The two women who woke upte were drinking tea, which was said to be good for hangovers, with their faces down. And Liam sat between them and asionally looked at his sister with an annoying expression. ¡°Sometimes you drink too much and you can¡¯t control yourself.¡± Reba only drank tea, as if she couldn¡¯t hear it, ignoring Liam¡¯s nagging. ¡°At the moment, the Princess almost got caught by the Emperor.¡± This time Evelyn shut her mouth. She didn¡¯t know how much she drank, but her head hurts a lot when she woke up in the morning. ¡°And there¡¯s the most burdensome part.¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes stared anxiously at Evelyn. ¡°His Majesty King Felice and the Queen, almost every few hours, asked for Prince Adrian.¡± He sighed. ¡°They asked me about Prince Adrian, starting from handwritten letters, and they even sent a royal courier.¡± The king and his wife were eager to see their grandson, and Liam was much troubled by the baby. ¡°The good news is that the Emperor said he was going back to the Empire right after yesterday¡¯s talk with the Princess.¡± ¡°Wow! So that¡¯s good? Emma, ??this wine¡­¡± shouted Reba, she was delighted. ¡°Emma, no! You don¡¯t have to obey the arbitrary demands of my sister.¡± The siblings stared at each other as if they were eating each other. ¡°If the Emperor had already left I will go back to the pce, too.¡± ¡°What? you don¡¯t want to enjoy this time?¡± ¡°But if I hold Adrian too long, I don¡¯t know what my father¡¯s going to do.¡± It was right, and Liam, the biggest victim, already had a pale face. ¡°Or, would you like Reba to go to the pce with you?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea, too.¡± ¡°Sis, please take care of yourself.¡± Only Reba lightly ignored her brother¡¯s advice and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Emma to pack.¡± Evelyn nodded when she saw Reba¡¯s bright smile. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough.¡± After a while, Reba showed up with her maid. So the two women were excited again and climbed into the carriage with Adrian. Liam said good-bye to the two with a rxed smile. He hoped he could talk to Evelyn, but this time the timing was very bad. It seemed like the world around Evelyn was now getting loud, but maybe it was because of the atmosphere. Immediately, the logical Liam swept off his strange thought and simply took it as a feeling. Chapter 28: Kind of feeling The carriage arrived at the destination, and the Felice Pce was brightly lit even when it was at night. Among them, Arthur, the King of this kingdom, hurried to Adrian and took him from Evelyn¡¯s arms. ¡°Oh Adrian, you missed me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Arthur was talking to himself, who had be super sick in just one day. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I know everything.¡± Arthur rubbed his face against Adrian¡¯s chubby cheeks. Usually, a child would get annoyed or cry, but Adrian pulled Arthur¡¯s beard and made fun of him. ¡°This boy, you pull my beard, huh? Let me see your teeth first¡­aaaaa.¡± Reba was a little shocked when she looked at King¡¯s actions, but Evelyn smiled shyly and gave a look of understanding. ¡°Hung, there¡¯s only five¡­. It means you¡¯re still a child.¡± ¡°Then, do you think he¡¯s grown a lot in just one day?¡± ¡°Adrian is a special child. So I don¡¯t want to miss any of his growth. It was a powerful love. Evelyn realized early on that she couldn¡¯t beat Adrian for her parents¡¯ love. How could she possibly beat a child with five little teeth that had always been cute? Evelyn had a conscience, too. ¡°Your Majesty, Lady Akshire also came here.¡± Miriam coughed and told her husband. Only then did the King see that Reba stood beside Evelyn. Not even Arthur was interested in his own daughter, so he couldn¡¯t see Reba either. ¡°Lady Akshire, make this your home and have as much fun as you like with the princesses at Felice¡¯s Pce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very pleased.¡± Arthur¡¯s intentions were too explicit. He was nning to monopolize Adrian while Evelyn was ying with her friend. Evelyn smiled to herself, but Arthur looked so happy that she decided to pretend she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Come on, your friend¡¯s here, so you should treat her right now, Evelyn.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Right now?¡± ¡°I thought so, so I prepared tea time.¡± ¡®So give Adrian to me and go.¡¯ Arthur¡¯s eyes were saying that. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Well, this time I¡¯ll give up.¡± ¡°Why¡­? I¡¯m just trying to help you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Evelyn grumbled back to her father and kissed Adrian on the cheek. Next, she visited Reba and went to the tea room that Arthur had prepared. As soon as they arrived, they quicklyy down on a giant pillow, relieving their fatigue from drinking and taking a long trip. ¡°Your parents really love him.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s more than me.¡± ¡°Actually, I think the Queen also great¡­ her determination and her tolerance.¡± ¡°Ahhhhh.¡± Evelyn smiled a little sadly. In the people¡¯s eyes, the Queen was seen as a sage woman as she epted an illegitimate child born outside. ¡°But since they¡¯re both aged, I¡¯m divorced and I don¡¯t have anything to do, so I¡¯m going to be in charge of taking care of him in the future.¡± ¡°Yes in the future, you can live with the prince.¡± Yeah, just thinking about that makes me want to see Adrian grow up.¡± When he created Adrian¡¯s fake identity from the start, the King took this into ount. Even though they were ¡°his¡± parents, they were elderly, so their divorced daughter must take care of him. It was amon custom to leave the care of the King¡¯s son to someone else, and if his sister was divorced, she was the right person for the job. In other words, it was a tradition that allowed Evelyn to have everything she wanted. ¡°But from their perspective I may take care of Adrian forever.¡± Evelyn smiled as if she were joking, but to some extent, she thought sincerely. ¡°More than that, Princess. Did everything go well yesterday? Today, when I heard it from Liam, I was so dizzy.¡± ¡°Huh? It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°Why? Liam had a very serious face.¡± Hmm¡­, Evelyn made a strange noise and took the sweet tea. She was drowsy as the Milk Tea had warmly entered her body after a hangover. ¡°The Emperor just asked me to talk.¡± ¡°Ah, the husbands are typically like that. They do what they¡¯ve never done after they get divorced.¡± ¡°Did your ex-husband do that as well?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a moment like that. I think a man bes a fool for a while when that happens.¡± Evelyn nodded in agreement. ¡°So what did the Emperor say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really What it was ¡­¡­ well, I didn¡¯t feel any emotions from him. I don¡¯t think he really wanted me toe back to the imperial family.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Reba frowned her brows. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Evelyn answered lightly. No one knew Fabian¡¯s insides. So there was no need to try to find out. ¡°Princess, did you not go through the divorce process when you left?¡± ¡°Yes, I made it clearer than anyone else, the Pope himself who was the mediator.¡± ¡°But why did he ask you toe back to the Imperial Family? It¡¯s kind of weird.¡± It was odd as I listened to Reba¡¯s words. But when I thought of Fabian again, it¡¯s nothing strange. ¡°The Emperor has a bit of an unknown side of him.¡± ¡°His words were as if he didn¡¯t really ept the divorce in his heart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Now that I¡¯ve told you for sure, you¡¯ll know.¡± said Evelyn. Answering clearly. ¡°You know exactly now, so that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Reba was as brave as Evelyn was. Apart from simrities in status, family closeness, or thoughts of being a divorced woman, the two had a lot inmon. Evelyn was sure they would be friends whenever and wherever they met. ¡°Princess. What if, in truth¡­..what if the Emperor has regret for you?¡± Boom. Evelyn spilled the tea she was holding right away. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s such a funny question that I don¡¯t know.¡± Evelyn, who wiped her lips with a handkerchief, looked like she couldn¡¯t help butugh. She burst outughing for a long time and saw Reba lying on her back on the pillow. ¡°Reba, he doesn¡¯t have that kind of feeling for me. I wouldn¡¯t have divorced if he has.¡± ¡°Still¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°As his ex-wife, I can be sure of that. He is a man who has no interest in human beings other than himself. He never fits in for a marriage.¡± ¡°Oh, I hate that type.¡± Evelyn nodded vigorously. ¡°If the Princess has no regrets and the Emperor is a man who doesn¡¯t care about other people¡­¡­ it¡¯s impossible to reunite.¡± ¡°Of course it is. And even from me, it¡¯s terrible to just think about it.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯d rather start a war if my ex ask me to remarry.¡± Evelyn unwittingly sympathized with Reba¡¯s radical words. ¡°So, Princess when you go to the ball you need an escort to shine.¡± ¡°I have Adrian¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You should at least wait for the prince to walk on his foot.¡± ¡°Ah¡­that¡¯s right.¡± It¡¯s still a long time. ¡°What about my useless brother?¡± Only ¡°Well, you mean Sir Liam?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s not as cute or lovely as the your little brother, but his appearance is quite okay, so it¡¯s perfect for party purposes.¡± Evelyn nced finely at Reba. ¡°Rebeca, stop making fun of your brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious!!¡± ¡°Not as an errand-boy, but I hope you will consider my rmendations.¡± Evelyn, who had fought against the imperial family every day, could not understand what Reba was saying. Chapter 29: Late Greetings Evelyn stared at Reba¡¯s green eyes. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Yes, if your opponent is that ugly trio you have to stand out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Reba felt very sorry. ¡°It¡¯s true that Liamcks a lot, but he¡¯s not a bad boy.¡± ¡°I know, So I don¡¯t want that to happen.¡± Not that she meant to close herself down, but now Evelyn¡¯s heart was filled with happiness. Even if she didn¡¯t find another love, she was happy to see the growth of Adrian in the arms of her family. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be someone who tarnishes Lord Liam¡¯s reputation.¡± Liam was the eldest son of the most influential person in the empire. His charming personality was the best candidate for a future husband in the kingdom. So he¡¯s not supposed to be partnering with a divorced princess. ¡°No, Princess. It¡¯s Liam who has the honor.¡± ¡°No. Find another partner for Sir Liam.¡± ¡°Even if my brother likes the princess?¡± Evelynughed at the nonsense. ¡°Liam has a heart for the Princess. When he knew that you were going to be an empress, he cried all night and his eyes were swollen. It¡¯s the same now. I am his sister so I can tell from his face.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Why not the Princess? Think about it. When the Wyverns attacked, Liam left me and rushed to you. In that dangerous situation, he shielded your back. The first thing he wanted to protect in times of danger meant that she was the most precious person.¡± The statement could not be denied. At that moment, Adrian¡¯s safety was more important to Evelyn except for her own life. Her body moved first before she could even think. ¡°It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s a knight.¡± Evelyn tried to change the topic of the ufortable conversation. Liam had a lot more than his noble status as a duke. He was known for his gentle and affectionate attitude, so he was a man who had no chance of being a terrible husband. ¡°I have to raise Adrian. It¡¯s about protecting the future of our kingdom, and most importantly, I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°Of course, who¡¯s going to stop you¡­¡± said Reba. She was smiling brightly. ¡°It¡¯s the best luxury to be able to y with the princess in the royal pce for a long time.¡± ¡°Really? Actually, there¡¯s nothing special about the royal pce these days, because Adrian is the center of attention.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know how to y.¡± Reba¡¯s green eyes lit up. Fortunately, Evelyn was a patient friend. If it was Liam, when he saw her sister, he¡¯d want to grab his nape again. ¡°We still have a lot of freedom to enjoy.¡± ¡°Reba, you¡¯re such a good friend.¡± ¡°You too, Princess.¡± Loving tea time had finally passed. Evelynughed and chatted with Reba as if she had returned to her teenage years. They were ying together and even matching each other¡¯s dresses. It was as if Evelyn¡¯s lost youth had returned. The time when she could burst outughing and didn¡¯t care what happened in the world. *** When the Emperor, who was an uninvited guest left, the atmosphere in the Felice Kingdom became more rxed. The Princess¡¯s friends who came as a guest was very cheerful and made the pce brighter. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty the King, the Queen, the Princess and the Prince.¡± ¡°Yes, Duke Akshire, please sit down.¡± Liam naturally thought that his older sister, who was sitting next to Evelyn at the royal dinner, was vulgar. No matter how close he was to the King, Liam felt that he was the only guest, while Reba looked like a member of the royal family. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to be invited to dinner.¡± ¡°No, I had to thank you for protecting the Princess at the festival.¡± But only then did the Emperore so suddenly, so they had to postpone it. ¡°The Duke will very busy in many ways. Fortunately, the atmosphere of this royal family brightened up after Miss Reba¡¯s arrival. I feel like I have another daughter.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so happy too, your Majesty.¡± Liam felt mixed feelings when he saw his sister smiling happily. ¡°As the son of a close friend of mine seeded the title, I want to give you a gift.¡± ¡°No, how dare I¡­..¡± said Liam, giving a textbook answer. ¡°Do you want to refuse it? Unlike Miss Reba?¡± ¡°Yes I¡¯m sorry that my younger brother is like that. He¡¯s grown up, but he¡¯s like a stone so he¡¯s not funny at all.¡± Everyoneughed at Reba¡¯s joke. But of course, Reba wasn¡¯t kidding at all. For Liam, that¡¯s why his sister was such a scary creature in the world. ¡°But Miss Reba¡¯s words had some truth.¡± Miriam smiled kindly. ¡°Yes, what kind of prize would be good for you?¡± ¡°Liam is a boring child so he has no hobbies or anything he likes. Your Majesty understands that.¡± Liam decided to have a big fight with his sister when she got home. He was very angry with his sister because she had made a Duke like him look like a lousy person in public. ¡°Well, It¡¯s a matter for me to think about.¡± While Arthur nodded, Adrian struggled a little and dropped the dishes. ¡°No, Adrian.¡± Evelyn spoke sternly to Adrian, then stood up and picked up the dishes that had dropped. ¡°Did you see? You can¡¯t drop the dishes.¡± Seeing Evelyn speaking in an unusual stern way, Adrian nodded with his little wide-eyes in fear. Arthur was so sad to see him, but he couldn¡¯t help his grandson. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he drop a things. A maid can pick it up.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t grow up like that. No matter what age, he¡¯s needed to learn manners even though he¡¯s a prince.¡± After listened to Evelyn¡¯s scold, Arthur shut his mouth tight. ¡°You have to warn the wrong thing right away. Adrian will understand it.¡± Arthur snorted. He knew it, too. He understood very well, but it wasn¡¯t easy to see his cute grandson scolded like that. He did it kindly when he taught his daughter, Evelyn. ¡°But Adrian was bored because his meal time was longer than usual, so let¡¯s take a walk in the park for a while. Right Adrian?¡± asked Evelyn. ¡°Boo Booo!¡± Adrian replied with a baby smile as if he already forgot he had been scolded before. ¡°But even this is a royal pce, it¡¯s not good to see a woman go around alone with a child.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll escort her and protect them.¡± Just in time, Liam, who was ufortable with Reba and the King, stepped up. Only then did the King nod. Evelyn looked at Liam with a sorry expression, but the only thing she could do was smile. *** ¡°It¡¯s spring now, so the night air is warm.¡± As Liam said, the day was perfect. Evelyn reached arge part of the garden, confirmed that it was safe, and let go of Adrian¡¯s hand. Adrian, who enjoyed his waddling stroll, wandered around the same area, showing off his walking skills. ¡°So, the greeting iste, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn had been in trouble for a while. If she followed etiquette, she could say, ¡°You¡¯rete to greet me¡­¡± but that¡¯s too formal. But speaking in a lightnguage like she did with Reba was too informal. ¡°Please, feel free to speak. You¡¯re status maybe a Princess, but you¡¯re my sister¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ right.¡± With Liam¡¯s consideration, Evelyn was able to speak again. ¡°I heard that you threw yourself to save me and Adrian when Wyvern attacked I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°I just did my duty.¡± The wind blew away Liam¡¯s brown hair. ¡°Sir Liam is the precious Duke of Akshire. I know how great you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed when you say that to me.¡± Liam smiled while drawing a line. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Liam asked. His green eyes shone affectionately. ¡°Me? Why¡­.?¡± ¡°The Emperor was gone, so I thought you would be very upset.¡± ¡°Well I cleared my mind when I asked for a divorce, and now I don¡¯t think much of it when I see him.¡± Liam¡¯s smile deepened when Evelyn spoke frankly and said, ¡°The past is just the past, so I think it¡¯s wise to forget it at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. That¡¯s what Reba has always said.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t trust my sister too much.¡± Evelyn burst out andughed at the adorable brother and sister. It was unfortunate that she grew up as an only child, and sometimes she envied at the bickering of those two siblings. ¡°Why¡­¡­ Whatever her words are¡­.¡± ¡°No. Both of you seem to get along very well.¡± ¡°What? No. Absolutely not.¡± Liam Immediately made a grim face after he heard Evelyn¡¯s words. ¡°Why?¡± Evelyn seemed to be teasing him at this point. ¡°My sister is cunning and evil, anyway. Never! Never believe what my sister says.¡± Evelyn was stillughing. When Liam talking about Reba, he was somewhat cute because he looked like a boy rather than a Duke of Akshire. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you half.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t particrly believe anything about her.¡± ¡°Well, what about you, Sir?¡± Suddenly Liam¡¯s face blushed. To be honest, Evelyn had so much fun watching his reaction that she kept him talking. ¡°Oh, you mean ¡­¡­ who I like? Well ¡­¡­ who I have in mind.¡± Evelyn smiled strangely. ¡°That¡¯s all my sister¡¯s lies. She¡¯s trying to get me into trouble.¡± Evelyn was so sorry for Liam, but she could understand Reba¡¯s mind. How could she stop when his reaction was so funny? ¡°Then, Sir Liam doesn¡¯t have a woman in his mind yet?¡± ¡°Me? I have ¡­.no, no.¡± There was something very astonishing. Liam, whose cheeks were immediately flushed, looked cute right now. Seeing him, Evelyn burst out with augh. ¡°Princess. Did you just make fun of me?¡± Liam looked at Evelyn with a puppyish eye. Evelyn smiled awkwardly when he saw his eyes, which couldn¡¯t lie. ¡°It¡¯s not a joke, but because your sister looks so happy.¡± ¡°So you made fun of me like my sister did?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤sorry.¡± Evelyn briefly and clearly apologized. Liam was still looking at Evelyn with sad eyes, and Evelyn felt a little guilty. ¡°Are you really sorry to me?¡± ¡°Well, then¡­.¡± ¡°That you will never do this again?¡± Evelyn was a very honest person. If she¡¯d been good at lying, she¡¯d be able to handle situations like this. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t so sorry.¡± ¡°¡­because your reaction was so cute when I made fun of you¡­ Sorry.¡± Liam¡¯s face was hardened like stone. Even she was just joking this time, it made him really ashamed. The Duke was also of noble status, and Evelyn definitely crossed the line. ¡°Well, Sir Liam. That was just¡­¡± ¡°You said that I was¡­ cute¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. But, that is¡­.¡± Evelyn could hardly think of another word when she saw a beautiful young man who was considered one of the highest nobles in the kingdom. Inparison, Evelyn was smaller than him, and so far, nobody had ever dared to call him cute. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such a word since I was born.¡± Uh ¨C oh, there¡¯s something wrong with that? What was strange was that Liam was slightly blushing and very shy. ¡°Since I was young, no one said I¡¯m cute ¡­¡± Evelyn doesn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°But I¡¯m very happy for some reason to think that you¡¯re the only one who sees me so special.¡± If that embarrassing face could be moved, it would be Evelyn¡¯s face now. However, Liam was still shy, so he couldn¡¯t see Evelyn¡¯s face properly right now. Only ¡°I¡¯ve been in the Knights Temr since I was a child, and the age I took part in the battle was early. Even now, at a very young age, I became a Duke, so no one looks at me very kindly.¡± Actually, that¡¯s not what Evelyn meant. To be honest, she didn¡¯t know which word was right to call a sturdy man like Liam, so she was just thinking about calling him cute. ¡°May I look forward to your warm gaze in the future?¡± Evelyn felt like a big dog staring at her with sharp eyes. And she couldn¡¯t say ¡°no¡± to those eyes. ¡°If it¡¯s because I said that you¡¯re cute¡­well¡­.¡± Evelyn was smiling awkwardly. Then a broad smile spread over Liam¡¯s face. Chapter 30: Twin Fairy There was the fact that two people and a child didn¡¯t know about it in the garden. ¡°I like him. Miss Reba is also very smart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered, your Majesty.¡± As soon as Evelyn and Liam left their seats, the people left in the garden seemed like they were plotting for something. ¡°Liam is not really patient with the princess but he¡¯s still very warm-hearted.¡± ¡°Well, I know that because I¡¯ve seen him. His father taught him well.¡± Miriam nodded, agreeing with her husband, too. ¡°But we¡¯re not supposed to pressure them. Let their feelings grow slowly and naturally.¡± ¡°Yes. That would be great. Lady Reba is here, so it will be fine.¡± The three of them negotiated on the dining table to match them up early. For Liam, it was thanks to Reba knowing her brother¡¯s heart, but not for Evelyn. That woman still hadn¡¯t opened her heart to others and never dreamed about it. ¡°Oh, they¡¯reing back.¡± ¡°Everyone stay calm. Hmm!¡± The three pretended to eat as if nothing had happened. Evelyn, who came in, holding Adrian¡¯s hand, saw them and did not notice anything. ¡°Where¡¯s Adrian. Come to me, my child¡­.¡± said Arthur, he was spreading his arms wide. Intimate dinners were soon reced with desserts. Only the two people involved didn¡¯t know about it, but it was a very organized family atmosphere. *** Fabian¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t very good. It wasn¡¯t a disease, but he was in pain because he had a lot of work to do recently. Serus had begged to use the carriage, but Fabian denied his request because it was too slow. So he didn¡¯t have a choice and was forced to see Fabian on the horse. ¡°When Ie back, the nobles¡¯ face will suffer again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Fabian said sarcastically. ¡°So, I should go ahead and see that face.¡± He pretended to be all right, but he seemed very mindful of the fact that no one was happy with him. ¡°I am afraid, Your Majesty, that if you are in a rush, you may harm your health.¡± ¡°Am I a pathetic man who would be sick to death?¡± ¡°No¡­..¡± Behind Fabian, an elite line of soldiers wearing ck armor followed closely, making the scene look like a battlefield. A small child was shocked by sight. It was the Emperor¡¯s parade, and it wasmon for them to be in and out of any vige they went through. But, instead of seeing, the vigers chose to avoid because of fear. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, I¡¯ve been dragging you this far and I haven¡¯t got any evidence, I¡¯m so ashamed of myself.¡± Fabian wasn¡¯t in a good mood since yesterday. Besides, the original purpose of the monster investigation ended badly after they heard that the Wyverns¡¯ bodies had dposed before arriving at the empire. ¡°Oh, the notes that you gave me to investigate I haven¡¯t filled them in half yet, so once we go back to the Empire and use the informationwork, we¡¯ll be able to ¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, that. Give it to me.¡± Returned after he gave it to him? Serus hid his confusion and gave the note back. After that, Fabian casually put the note in his pocket. ¡°Why don¡¯t you be honest?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Fabian. It seemed that he was ying innocent. ¡°Your Majesty didn¡¯t want to end the marriage¡­..¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s over. I thought at first someone was holding onto it.¡± Serus decided to speak a little, saving his words. Even Fabian¡¯s mother, the Empress Dowager, tended not to say a word and mentioned this topic for a long time. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The ck parade was speeding up. And the man who hid in the grass watched the march was revealed himself a momentter in the darkness. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Pope¡¯s predictions aren¡¯t wrong.¡± Fabian had a fishy smile to the satisfaction ofpleting the mission. *** That night, the Emperor¡¯s party was in chaos with an unknown demon¡¯s appearance when they crossed the mountain. ¡°¡±Why is the Twin Fairy in this ce?¡± ording to reports, this giant butterfly-like demon could only live in high mountainous areas. They never appeared in low mountains like this, which was not their habitat, especially in the spring. ¡°Everyone protect your Majesty!¡± ¡°Prioritize the Demon¡¯s siege. Thebat ability is low, but don¡¯t let it spray the spores into the air as it spreads the poison and hurts your head.¡± Fabian epted the ¡°gift¡± from the Vatican with a fit of cold anger. ¡°Your Majesty, run with the carriage. You will be in trouble if you get poisoned!¡± ¡°If anyone heard of it, they would think it¡¯s poisonous. Twin Fairy venom is harmless and only tingles. I won¡¯t entertain the Pope by running away like a rat.¡± An ice-cold smile twisted Fabian¡¯s lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have the mercy to give an old man such a pleasure thing.¡± Fabian also drew his own sword. One, two ¡­ It didn¡¯t take long for the butterfly-like-demons, which first appeared only one or two now transformed into a group. It was obvious that the demons had been intentionally released in this ce. ¡°Soldier !! If you capture a living specimen of the demons, you will be rewarded with a great prize!¡± The soldier¡¯s morale rose when Fabian¡¯s voice roared in the sky. *** The next day, the family of Felice received a gift from the Vatican. Arthur was also confused because it wasmon for the Vatican to collect donations. Still, it was unusual to receive something in reverse. ¡°What did the Vatican send you?¡± Evelyn asked her father. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What kind of medicine is this? They said it¡¯s effective against the poison of some monsters.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s somehow unpleasant. It¡¯s like a sign that after the Wyverns, another monster will appear again.¡± Evelyn had be more honest these days, and she seemed to have returned to her girlhood. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s not a bad thing, for just in case.¡± ¡°Or maybe they just want to show their sincerity to get donations from us again.¡± ¡°Evelyn.¡± Arthur sighed at his daughter, who had be more vocal. ¡°I know, but you don¡¯t have to say this outside.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give gold to the Vatican because I feel good about doing it. But our Felice Kingdom depends on wealth of trade. To do that, we need a Vatican that spans the entire continent.¡± Arthur was not a dumb king at all. He was, on the contrary, a smart and wise ruler. He made a thorough study of what the Kingdom owned and didn¡¯t have, and made the highest profit to benefit the people. ¡°I know your point¡­.¡± asionally abroad, Arthur was often mocked as a money-mad king o a Vatican¡¯s loyal dog. Still, the prosperity of the Kingdom was more important than his reputation. Consequently, in his people¡¯s eyes, Arthur was known as the best King in Felice Kingdom¡¯s history. ¡°Maybe the demon has made me nervous, too. After being attacked once, it¡¯s not the same thing as before.¡± Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen a Wyverns that big before, so I¡¯m shocked too, but isn¡¯t it that rare?¡± Only Evelyn had the Pope¡¯s suspicious attitude in mind, but she only nodded reluctantly. It was just a glimpse, and the situation was so chaotic that she wasn¡¯t sure what she saw was real. Fortunately, her family was safe, so that¡¯s it. ¡°But the rest of the day is safe and peacef¡­¡­..¡± Before Arthur¡¯s words could be finished, the sound of a drum rang across the whole castle. ¡°Father!¡± Evelyn jumped from her seat in surprise. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± Arthur also made a serious look on his face. ¡°This is the sound of Beacon !¡± Chapter 31: Poison called loneliness ¡°What? It¡¯s either a war¡­¡­or something like that¡­¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± In fact, the kings had a different instinct. Evelyn looked anxiously at her father, but Arthur held Evelyn in his hand, and then gave his ear to the officer who ran to report. After a few nods, Arthur regained hisposure. ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s going on with this?¡± It was Miriam¡¯s turn, who was surprised to hear the sound. Arthur waved twice to calm down. Miriam and Evelyn followed his lead, then settled down and sat while waiting for Arthur to speak. ¡°The Beacon¡¯s sound has been heard 27 times.¡± The beacon, a re-tower, was designed to send messages quickly from a distance. Therefore, depending on the situation, they sent out different signals and transmitted them. ¡°What¡¯s number 27?¡± As Arthur looked at the officer, the officer picked up a thick book from somewhere, scanned for the page opened it, and ced it on Arthur¡¯sp. ¡°No. 27 ¡­ ¡­ It seems that there¡¯s something happened with his Majesty the Emperor, the greatest ruler of the continent.¡± Suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes trembled. ¡°Which means that we are nearest to the Emperor¡¯s position. Order the general and send troops to the Emperor¡¯s ce. Do whatever the Emperor¡¯s request.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Arthur ordered the chief of staff to open the book again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­.?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The beacon can only convey a simple message.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was pale. No matter how cold Fabian was, he was still her ex-husband. And though she was trying to forget the past, he wasn¡¯t someone else at all. Meanwhile, while Adrian was still alive, he remained in a rtionship with Evelyn. ¡°But I don¡¯t think the situation is so bad. If the situation was serious they wouldn¡¯t be able to send a fire signal to alert the people around them.¡± The worst thing was the Emperor¡¯s death. In that case, it was supposed to be kept secret. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the news.¡± Evelyn nodded silently. Her father was right. Kept secret¡­That was the case in all matters concerning the Emperor except for Evelyn¡¯s marriage. ¡°I¡¯ll go to see Adrian.¡± In the worst situations, people would have realized something important because Evelyn had seen it herself. *** It was raining, really hard. It was spring, but the temperature dropped a lot at night. And when it started to rain, the air would get colder until the breath¡¯s vapor came out. ¡°Bill¡­..¡± Fabian was trying to push his heavy eyelid up. It took him a long time to make a voice like that. ¡°Your Majesty, are you awake?¡± Serus hurriedly took the bucket and wet Fabian¡¯s dry lips. Fabian was trying to hold his hands to a stop, but he couldn¡¯t move his body. ¡°What is this?¡± It was also difficult to talk longer, so Serus quickly prepared the report. ¡°Completely different from what was previously known about Twin Fairy. The documents just state that the poison causes itching, but it turns out that they also have paralytic poisons.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Fabian med himself for seeing Twin Fairy as a weak demon. He forgot that it was a gift prepared by the Pope. He didn¡¯t calcte it this far. ¡°Fortunately this ce is still the territory of the Felice Kingdom. I sent the beacon so the reinforcements will arrive soon.¡± ¡°W-Wh¡­¡± Fabian resented his unresponsive lips. ¡°¡®I don¡¯t need that. Why did you ask for help in such a ce?¡± In a time like this, Fabian¡¯s pride didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Thankfully, the poison is only paralyzing, not fatal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­why.¡± ¡°The Knights first tried to capture the demons, but they were assaulted first, and then the groups of demons quickly surrounded Your Majesty. Even though I was on your side, I was safe, but please punish me.¡± Fabian closed his eyes as if Serus¡¯s words were useless. If this was the Pope¡¯s doing, he would definitely set Fabian as a target. Maybe he had predicted too that Fabian would order to capture the demons alive. In other words, it was a smart attack. ¡°If you try to move by force the poison will dig deeper into your body.¡± Only There was nothing he could do about it at all. Fabian was feeling helpless for the first time since he was crowned at the age of 16. It was a great feeling of humiliation and anger. ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Evelyn said she had no feelings. Even though the past rtionship was over. Fabian couldn¡¯tugh so hard without actually forgot everything. It was a lie if he wasn¡¯t upset. Evelyn was shining with happiness as if their marriage had no meaning. After all, Fabian was an ufortable and suffocating existence for Evelyn. As experienced by his mother and Emperor-father ¡­That was natural. Fabian swallowed a poison called loneliness that was more deadly and vicious than the poison that paralyzed his body. Chapter 32: The abyss of his dream Felice¡¯s pce became busy. The prime minister, who had no experience dealing with matters rting to war, hurried to call all parliament members and coordinate everything. The Emperor¡¯s entourage arrived by the time dawn came from afar. He arrived first in the carriage, of course, and the other knights came a littlete on foot. The most crucial issue right now, of course, was none other than the Emperor himself. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Evelyn stepped into a role that was difficult for anyone to take. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± shouted Miriam, and she grabbed Evelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°I have to go.¡± Fabian was sleeping in the most spacious room of the royal pce. This meant that someone had to watch him wake up and treat him with an antidote from the Vatican. ¡°No one here knows the Emperor better than I do.¡± The question was how to give the Emperor the Vatican medicine. Not everyone wished to be in such a poor condition. Still, if they offered the medication, the Emperor would definitely get mad and refuse it. ¡°It¡¯s better for me to go, because¡­¡­¡­ I can read his feelings, so he won¡¯t get angry.¡± It would be hard to convince Fabian because it¡¯s a sensitive matter. And it was like a disaster for those who had never experienced it. But that didn¡¯t really sway Evelyn to step in. At least she could help solve Fabian¡¯s problem and sent them all back to the Empire safely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m really fine.¡± Evelyn insisted that it was the only way to do it. So Miriam looked at her husband as if she had asked for help to prevent her, but it didn¡¯t work because Arthur already knew that Evelyn was right. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The Emperor not as scary as people think .¡± Even so, he wasn¡¯t a warm person either. Evelyn smiled a little sadly. ¡°But it would be best if I go.¡± Evelyn¡¯s determination was strong, and Arthur had to ept his daughter¡¯s decision.
Fabian had a long, deep sleep. Not only was it made paralyzed, but Twin Fairy¡¯s spores also had a sleep-inducing effect. However, for Fabian, who had lived by splitting his time, it was one of the best rests he ever had since he became Emperor. [¡®Empress¡¯] [¡®Yes.¡¯] Fabian¡¯s deep sleep made his dream, and he seemed to see someone¡¯s presence in his unconsciousness. They said the dream was a mirror of the mind. Fabian didn¡¯t know the truth of these words, but he vaguely knew that this was a dream he had wished for. [¡®Did you call me?¡¯] Evelyn¡¯s blond hair was fluttering in front of his eyes. Her face, which slowly turned back, was still lovely, and her blue eyes stared shyly at Fabian. [¡®Yes.¡¯] Fabian looked at Evelyn in his dream for a long time. Nothing was different from her. From her peaceful eyes, her calm voice, until the soft gestures of her white fingertips. But he couldn¡¯t move because he was afraid that if he reached out, his dream would disappear. [¡®I remembered it¡­..¡¯] [¡®Why did I choose you as Empress¡­ Why did I push my stubbornness so much?¡¯] It was the first stubborn attitude that Fabian showed after he became Emperor. And It was because of Evelyn. [¡®I, no, ¡­¡­ I saw you by chance after I became the Emperor.¡¯] It was a story that he had never told before. [¡®Blonde hair shining in the sun, ss eyes like jewels, and above all, a soft and wless innocent smile. It hit me at one point, and I kept looking at her all the time. The smile was so beautiful that I felt like someone else who had a body temperature for the first time.¡¯] Fabian had never seen such a smile. It was the first time he knew a person could haveughed so beautifully. To have Evelyn, he had a wedding without any thought, even though he had used all kinds of ways. Fabian put a wedding ring on her hand with a nonchnt face pretended not to care, and held the first night. [¡®But I forgot¡­.¡¯] [¡®Since I made her the noblest woman in the world, I have forgotten that there was a smile.¡¯] Fabian knew nothing but that way. And the title of Empress suddenly reced her name. [¡®I never forget your name.¡¯] [¡®But I forgot to call you by your name.¡¯] After all, that was a ridiculous excuse. It was also the mncholy word that Fabian despised the most. But he wanted to keep talking about it in the abyss of his dream. That¡¯s why the woman he loved said she felt ufortable and couldn¡¯t breathe when she was beside him. Only when Fabian was intoxicated with demon poison did he realize that the emotions he felt were pain, not annoyance or anger. [¡® I thought it was all right, though ¡­¡­ because we¡¯ve pledged our whole life in marriage, and that we can understand each other without saying ¡­ ¡®] But as it turned out, it was just Fabian¡¯s own thought. There was no doubt in Evelyn¡¯s face, which hade to him and asked for a divorce. [¡®I didn¡¯t know it was supposed to be.¡¯] Fabian¡­.., he could only tell his true feelings in a dream. [¡®I¡¯ve never received anything like that, so I didn¡¯t know.¡¯] Only That ¡®divorce¡¯ word¡­It hurt him, too. [¡®So you left me.¡¯] It was calm. As calm as it was, it hurt. It hurt when Evelyn said it so calmly. There were a lot more things he wanted to say. But at the same time, he couldn¡¯t possibly say it. Fabian was helpless in the dream created by the demon. Evelyn, who was in a dream, looked at Fabian in silence. Fabian hesitated for a moment, then lifted his hand and reached out to touch Evelyn¡¯s cheek. It was a light touch as if it could reach her. ¡°¡­¡­.lyn.¡± Chapter 33: Everything, I decide Evelyn looked down at Fabian, who had been unconscious because of the paralytic poison. Listening to his mutter, she thought that Fabian was having a nightmare. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡­¡± Serus said it was a symptom of mana poisoning. And Evelyn was asked to be by his side because he would be awake soon. ¡°Has he had nightmares?¡± Evelyn spoke to herself quietly. Fabian was always a strong man, and there was no distraction. Even though Evelyn was his closest person, she still felt far apart. But now she felt strange when she saw Fabian¡¯s pale skin, sleeping and having a nightmare. It was an expression she didn¡¯t know when she was by his side. ¡°why¡­¡­¡± Not only in real life, even in his dream Fabian kept repeated the same words again and again. He seemed still didn¡¯t understand why Evelyn said good-bye. ¡°That¡¯s probably because I had nightmares, too.¡± Evelyn¡¯s previous life was a nightmare. After losing her child twice, she became a puppet Empress wearing a crown on her head, and she spent days drying her blood before she finally died with a weak body. ¡°But you didn¡¯t even look at me¡­.¡± The Emperor didn¡¯t find out where the Empress was. And immediately said that he would no longer ce any burden on her. In the end, the Empress was only a puppet who could only sit in a ce where she could not give birth to a sessor. Although it wasn¡¯t a dream, it was the life that Evelyn had lived through before returning to the past. ¡°Bad person. Locked in a cage, not paying attention.¡± But there was no more hatred left for Evelyn. As a result, Evelyn was able to save Adrian¡¯s life. After she got a lovely gift, her past became meaningless. Therefore, it couldn¡¯t be denied that she had to keep as far distance as possible from Fabian. ¡°why¡­¡­¡± Fabian spoke out another empty word. Evelyn¡¯s feelings toward Fabian right now were a pity. It could have been some kind of sympathy. Yet, Evelyn felt something strong grasping her wrist at the next moment, and she saw Fabian¡¯s pale face. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤lyn.¡± Fabian¡¯s hands were scalding. More than any other moment that Evelyn remembered. ¡°on¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Fabian¡¯s hand held Evelyn¡¯s wrist firmly. ¡°¡­¡­ don¡¯t leave me.¡± It was a voice of loneliness. ¡°Evelyn¡­.¡± Fabian called her name. It was her name, a name that she thought he had forgotten forever. ¡°Me.¡± At his call, Evelyn was slightly holding her breath. ¡°Don¡¯t leave alone¡­¡­..¡± Fabian was sick now. But still, he was the Fabian who had ruined Evelyn¡¯s life in her past. *** He had a long dream. As Fabian barely lifted his eyelids, Evelyn¡¯s blonde immediately caught his eyes. ¡°Empress¡­.¡± A familiar title came out without Fabian knowing it. Then, Evelyn looked at him calmly. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Fabian¡¯s hand held Evelyn¡¯s wrist. It was a moment he didn¡¯t know about. Fabian hesitated. He didn¡¯t know whether to let go or hold her slender wrists. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the demons¡­..¡± Evelyn felt the distance between them was closer than ever. She could feel Fabian¡¯s pulse through his grip. Why didn¡¯t he do this in the past? It¡¯s easy enough to make her happy, though. ¡°I have an antidote, but it was sent by the Vatican yesterday.¡± said Evelyn. She was calm when told that. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll drink. And I won¡¯t ask for sin.¡± Perhaps it was because Evelyn hade herself that she got this answer. ¡°Here¡­.¡± Evelyn was used to pouring medication for him. Fabian shortly remembered his past memories with Evelyn and swallowed the humiliating antidote. ¡°Drink this¡­.¡± After that, Evelyn remained silent on Fabian¡¯s side. And after a while, the antidote was starting to work. Only then did Fabian lift himself up by his own will, and he leaned back to his bed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call Sir Serus.¡± It was a natural procedure. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You.¡± ¡°I have to go take care of Prince Adrian.¡± But there was no way to stop Fabian. ¡°Excuse me, Your Majesty.¡± said Evelyn. She looked at her still-gripping-wrist as he stared at her nkly. Only then did Fabian release Evelyn¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get going.¡± And suddenly, Fabian realized something. He, who took Evelyn¡¯s hand off this time, was the same as when he let Evelyn go that night when she asked for a divorce. ¡°No.¡± Just before Evelyn left, Fabian reached out and grabbed her wrist again. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Evelyn was the same. It was just like that night when the scent of the golden tree broke out. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to let go.¡± he said. It waste, but Fabian found his heart. ¡°At that time¡­¡­., I didn¡¯t want to let you go.¡± But, his confession now maybe was toote. ¡°So, I don¡¯t want to repeat my regrets.¡± Fabian was still a self-centered man. Evelyn¡¯s eyes shake, and even when she tried to pull out her wrists, his hot hand didn¡¯t let her go. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian called her name. ¡°I don¡¯t want to let go of this hand.¡± said Fabian sincerely. He spoke his true heart, even though it was a reallyte answer. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn said calmly. Her blue eyes were looking at Fabian. ¡°Our rtionship ended then.¡± The painful days had already been erased. Time passed, and Evelyn loved her present freedom now. ¡°No matter what¡­¡­¡­¡­. Even if you say your Majesty, there¡¯s no turning back.¡± Fabian was an Emperor but also a human being. ¡°I have already forgotten the resentment or regrets toward you.¡± Evelyn was severe when she said that. ¡°For you¡­¡­ did the marriage have nothing but only resentment and sorrow?¡± he asked. Fabian¡¯s asking voice sounded pitiful. ¡°No¡­¡­.there was other thing. Something that was sparkling and warm.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­¡± Evelyn shook her head. ¡°It was my own.¡± Now she could tell the story that she was supposed to tell at the night that the golden tree¡¯s scent blossomed sweetly. ¡°All those hearts have always been my own.¡± said Evelyn. There was no hesitation or regret in her blue eyes. ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s Empress, Evelyn Felice, died that day, under the golden wood tree.¡± Suddenly, she thought Fabian¡¯s selfish eyes were gone, but that wasn¡¯t something Evelyn could touch. Because this was the life had chosen. ¡°So please forget me for the rest of your life.¡± Fabian had a heavy silence. ¡°And just remember that our rtionship is over.¡± Evelyn was firm to the end. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back.¡± After Evelyn gracefully bent her knees. And Fabian could only look faintly at her figure who disappeared from his sight. Only A furious wind which louder than the night when Evelyn asked for a divorce, shook Fabian¡¯s chest. ¡°Forget it.¡± Fabian repeated Evelyn¡¯s words in a low voice. ¡°Evelyn¡­..you still don¡¯t know me.¡± Low, but it didn¡¯t sound angry at all¡­.. Fabian¡¯s voice was really calm. ¡°Did I look like someone who would do such a request?¡± Fabian slowly closed his eyes and then opened it again. ¡°Everything¡­¡­ is decide by me.¡± Chapter 34: A child from Evelyn Fabian had drunk the antidote, but it would take some time until he waspletely healed. Usually, those who were poisoned by Twin Fairy would suffer from a mild delirium or nightmare until they werepletely healed. ¡°But I¡¯m d everyone¡¯s getting better.¡± Miriam nodded at Evelyn¡¯s words. The Felice Kingdom didn¡¯t hesitate to take the opportunity to do what was right and help all the injured imperial knights. ¡°How about the Emperor? He doesn¡¯t call you too much anymore¡­¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± said Evelyn, and she smiled at Miriam. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that my ex-husband is careless.¡± ¡°Now, looking at you, it would be better to get along with Lady Reba.¡± Evelynughed when she listened to her mother, ¡°We¡¯re still in touch, but the funniest thing is when I¡¯m with the little guy.¡± Evelyn gave a lovely look at Adrian, who was ying with his toys. But Adrian seemed a little unhappy with his swollen white cheeks. ¡°There¡¯s a time like that. Adrian is a very gentle child You¡¯ve been like that, too.¡± ¡± By the way, until when you¡¯re going to talk about my childhood?¡± Miriam was fond of remembering the past. Even though Evelyn had grown up and had a baby, she was always a child in Miriam¡¯s eyes. ¡°A baby who sleeps a lot is an unfilial child. You really loved sleeping since you were a kid. So you should know how much pain your parents and teachers have suffered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Please stop!¡± Evelyn felt a little embarrassed. Nora, who was actually Evelyn¡¯s nanny, had a hard time waking her up every morning. ¡°I told you that Adrian seems to have a toothache.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the time.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the first time he have a teeth¡­.¡± Evelyn was delighted to see Adrian¡¯s little growth. Looked like his mr teeth would also grow soon, so it¡¯s no wonder he liked to fuss because his mouth must be in pain. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, I¡¯ll put him to sleep.¡± ¡°No, I still like to have Adrian. When he struggles, he¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bing like your father.¡± ¡°What?¡± Evelyn frowned. She thought it wasn¡¯t that much. ¡°Because your father said the same thing a while ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as severe as my father.¡± Miriam grinned happily at her daughter, who had strongly denied her. Luckily, the Emperor¡¯s presence didn¡¯t seem to have had a bad effect on Evelyn, and Miriam felt grateful for her family¡¯s safety. **** Evelyn¡¯s days had been full of life ever since Reba hade. The side effect was that she¡¯s getting tired faster than usual. Even today, her throat ached as they kept gossiping loudly about the ugly trio. ¡®Let¡¯s humiliate all of them at the ball.¡¯ Reba was burnt down to the ground. Of reality, Evelyn was in favor of that. She shuddered at the thought of what they had done to her all this time. ¡®We¡¯re too soft. What a noble face!¡¯ Evelyn had agreed, nodded so violently that her throat hurt. Evelyn was the Empress before, and Reba was the Duchess, so they couldn¡¯t get mad over trivial matters. If they did, they would automatically be mocked and insulted by the press. ¡°Adrian, it¡¯s stupid to ept the injustice.¡± Evelyn thought of herself as she looked at the sleeping Adrian. The King intended to appoint Evelyn as Adrian¡¯s rightful nanny. Evelyn had to set rules and principles to properly raise this adorable child. ¡°It is not necessarily to be noble and graceful. Your own happiness is the most important thing.¡± That was the truth that Evelyn learned from her life experience. Everyone knelt in front of her, but Evelyn was never pleased with any of that. ¡°It¡¯s all right to lose a face What others think doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± On the contrary, the Empress¡¯s throne had always been a shackle, and she could not fight back the noblewoman who ridiculed her. Evelyn couldn¡¯tin to her indifferent husband. She was exhausted every day to keep her manners that cut her life. ¡°Buuubuu..¡± Oh no, it seemed that Adrian was awoken by her self-talk. ¡°Adrian, happiness right now is a good-night sleep.¡± But Evelyn¡¯s words were toote. ¡°Abuooo..buuu!¡± Adrian started to grumble. No matter how healthy a child was, he was still a child who had only lived in the world for a year and a few months. ¡°Oh, Ana! Anana!¡± ¡°Adrian, you¡¯re going to sleep again, right?¡± ¡°Boo! Abu!¡± Adrian started to swing his cotton bat. This meant that he had no intention of going back to sleep again. ¡°Okay¡­okay!!¡± Evelyn was forced to hug Adrian. When he was younger than this, he usually would fall asleep quickly after taking a walk outside. ¡°You¡¯re only going around the garden once, okay?¡± Evelyn hugged Adrian and walked to the pce garden. The atmosphere of the spring breeze that was blowing at night was very refreshing. Adrian seemed to feel better as he smelled the sweet scent of flowers blowing under the moonlight. ¡°Boo! Buuuu!¡± Adrian was struggling a little. Evelyn¡¯s anxiety had increased after he started walking. ¡°It would hurt if you fall in the garden. So be careful?¡± ¡°Bu! Abu-bu!¡± ¡°Oh, wait a minute.¡± After Evelyn had put Adrian down to the ground, he stumbled and began to walk quite well. Maybe because he was brave, his progress was fast for a child, given he was only a year old. But the way he walked was still sloppy, and Evelyn couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw Adrian from behind. ¡°He really grows in the blink of an eye.¡± Evelyn slowly followed Adrian from behind, talking to herself. Adrian was excited to see the flowers in the garden, so he squirmed and moved forward. ¡°How can he speed up his pace with a body like that?¡± Evelyn burst intoughter. Adrian was walking very well, though a little crumbling, and he ran around the corner of the garden quickly. At that time, Evelyn was looking at the flowers for a moment. She suddenly rushed to move and looking for him after she realized that Adrian was missing. ¡°Buuu¡­buuu!¡± Fortunately, Adrian¡¯s loud voice was heard. But¡­ ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤What.¡± But the next moment, the voices that should never be heard, rang together with Adrian¡¯s voice. Evelyn rushed to the corner of the garden, with her pounding heart. ¡®Oh, my God.¡¯ Evelyn¡¯s body was hardened in amazement at the sight in front of her eyes. Clearly, it was Adrian, who clung to Fabian¡¯s leg, who was standing in the moonlight. And at first nce, Fabian¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look right. Well, Evelyn could imagine how annoying a child was to him. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Fabian was staring at Evelyn. Then, Evelyn rushed forward. She was so nervous and forgot to set an example. But somehow, she felt a little relieved because Fabian ignored Adrian, who was clinging to his legs. ¡°The little prince doesn¡¯t know courtesy yet. Please forgive him.¡± Fabian nodded a little to her exnation. Then he turned his eyes and saw a small creature on the ground and hanging on his leg. Surprisingly, instead of crying at Fabian¡¯s sight, Adrian squeezed his leg tightly and punched Fabian¡¯s leg with his little fist. ¡°Are you hitting me?¡± Fabian looked confused for a reason. For him, a child was a creature whose existence was weaker than a demon. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because the prince is young. I¡¯ll take him right away¡­.¡± But at that moment, unexpectedly, Adrian opened his mouth. ¡°Ah, Abu-bu!¡± Fabian tilted one of his eyebrows to an unknown sound. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a meaningless babble. The prince can¡¯t speak yet.¡± He wanted to get rid of this child immediately. Still, Fabian looked at that strange creature with a severe awkward attitude. Then that dark blue-eyed child looked fearlessly at Fabian, and something weird happened in his heart when he looked at the child. ¡°Ah, Ana!¡± It was a loud cry. That bable was what Adrian had often said when he called Arthur recently. Evelyn was heartbroken and moved her feet, unconsciously towards Adrian. ¡°Adrian,e on¡­..¡± ¡°Oh, Anana!¡± Evelyn felt a cold sweat running down from her neck. In fact, Evelyn never thought that Fabian would be so embarrassed that he couldn¡¯t move like this. But the most important thing right now was Adrian. ¡°Speak up.¡± In the meantime, Fabian, who spoke so seriously against the child, was more absurd. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± What did the kids know? Evelyn tried to breathe, and all of a sudden, a surprising voice was heard. ¡°Hug!¡± Evelyn hardened like ice for a moment. ¡°Ah, hug!¡± Evelyn never thought that Fabian was the first person to talk to Adrian. As if it was an order. ¡°Hug!¡± When Fabian looked down at Adrian, he could feel the child¡¯s eyes staring at him desperately with clear pronunciation. ¡°Are you bordering me now?¡± Evelyn almost seemed to lose her mind. At times like this, it was fortunate that Fabian was a nonsense person. ¡°No, never¡­. It¡¯s just a babble.¡± Evelyn replied with no time to breathe and tried to remove Adrian from Fabian¡¯s leg. But Adrian had incredible strength for a toddler at his age, and he was so stubborn only at times like this. ¡°Ah¡­¡­I, hug!¡± Evelyn thought there would be no more surprises, but Fabian raised him and hugged Adrian gently. Of course, the way he carried the child was so sloppy that he made people very nervous when he saw it. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°I will forgive you for not knowing the manners because you are still young.¡± Yeah, Evelyn thanked him for that, did he hug Adrian? And why was Fabian in the pce garden? ¡°I was taking a walk because I was frustrated.¡± Fabian said as if he had read Evelyn¡¯s mind. Sadly, Fabian was also the Emperor here, and no one could stop him from going where he wanted to go. Looking back, it¡¯s a kind of habit that Fabian would always spend time alone in his garden at night. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve entered my garden without permission before, so let¡¯s say you¡¯re paying off the debt.¡± Fabian¡¯s words didn¡¯t even reach Evelyn¡¯s ears. However, Fabian had not been too focused on paying attention to Adrian. Evelyn was quickly moved by the mother¡¯s instinct to get her child back. ¡°Give me the prince.¡± Even without Fabian¡¯s answer, Evelyn took Adrian from Fabian¡¯s hand, and the innocent Adrian just burst intoughter. ¡°Is that child so precious?¡± There was a wonder in Fabian¡¯s dark eyes. It was Evelyn¡¯s strange look, which he had never seen before when they were a couple. ¡°He¡¯s my little brother, so of course I should take care of him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your brother?¡± There was a little doubt in Fabian¡¯s voice, and Evelyn was sweating again. ¡°He¡¯s¡­.an illegitimate.¡± Fortunately, Fabian was ignorant of his surroundings. Evelyn had no idea that his aloofness would have made her felt so d now. ¡°But now that the royal family has decided to ept him, so he¡¯s my younger brother.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Fabian made a strange sound. A little while ago, Adrian¡¯s eyes, which looked straight at him, left a particrly strong impression. ¡°That kid,¡­he looks like me, isn¡¯t he?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment. ¡°No way. It¡¯s just your Majesty¡¯s illusion.¡± Even Fabian knew right away from the head of the child. A few citizens outside the Empire with ck hair and ck eyes and Serus¡¯ investigation showed that Adrian was born at the wrong time. ¡°Yeah¡­.is it.¡± Evelyn felt that Fabian¡¯s voice sounded lonely. ¡°There¡¯s something that I was hoping for so much¡­¡­ that I was mistaken.¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eyes looked at Evelyn. It was vain, cold, and lonely, even though it was the eyes that resembled Adrian. ¡°Your majesty will soon have a sessor too¡­¡± Only Evelyn answered without hesitation. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go back.¡± And Evelyn disappeared, carrying Adrian, with no time to catch her. Fabian, who left alone, stared nkly at Evelyn¡¯s disappearance under the moonlight for a moment. ¡°What I was hoping for¡­¡± His vain voice had been scattered. But Fabian was not able to finish his words. Now that wish couldn¡¯t have been fulfilled. A child from Evelyn, whom Fabian wanted so much, was only a wish that could note true. Chapter 35: Nothing but trouble After putting Adrian to bed, Evelyn tried to calm her heart. ¡®It¡¯s something that I was hoping for so much¡­¡­ that I was mistaken.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s lonely voice lingered throughout. He said hisst sentence quietly. Instead, all she did was make him stop talking. ¡°He said that he wanted it so much¡­?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t understand. It wasn¡¯t in her memory. Was Fabian ever hoping for a child? ¡°Well, the Emperor must have a sessor.¡± It was a simple conclusion. Evelyn had decided not to think more about the man of her past. ¡°More than that, Adrian, today ¡­¡­ you¡¯re really making my heart fall.¡± Adrian was still young, but he was amazing. Fabian¡¯s pressure was very hard for an adult to bear, but this child could cling to him, beat him, and even gave him an order. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been saying all along.¡± Until now, Adrian was giving orders to everyone. ¡®Me, hug!¡¯ Even though he was his own son, but it didn¡¯t make any sense at all. Typically the first things a child said weremon words, like mom or dad, but why was this child givingmand words? ¡°In a sense, you really are his son.¡± Evelyn spat out a subdued smile when she saw Adrian fell asleep peacefully, and not realized anything about the big incidents that had just happened to him. But there was also one good thing. Fabian hugged his son, and he didn¡¯t realize it. It was because Fabian was too straight. If they looked at the information about the time when Evelyn asked for a divorce, and the time when Adrian was born, which was known to the public, he would never be Fabian¡¯s child. ¡°He¡¯s always been a logical person.¡± Evelyn was very familiar with Fabian¡¯s character. That¡¯s why she purposely announced the birth date of Adrian differently. It was because she was sure that, even if Fabian had hesitated for a moment, he would have cleared his doubts as soon as the details were published. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Evelyn said calmly. *** Fabian¡¯s face was strange when he returned to his ce. His close friend, Serus, also had a weird look on his face for the first time. He had no idea if it was unpleasant, embarrassing, or lonely expression. ¡°Your Majesty, you didn¡¯t work¡­..?¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± said Fabian calmly. ¡°My arm hurts a little.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself because there are still symptoms of paralysis.¡± Serus hurried over and stretched Fabian¡¯s arm. It seemed that his left hand was still numb. ¡°It seems a little swollen I told you not to use your left arm ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Fabian cut off Serus¡¯s worries. But, there was still a doubt expression on Fabian¡¯s face who was sitting on the sofa. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, your Majesty?¡± ¡°The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it was.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Fabian blinked slowly. It made him dumbfounded, no matter how much he thought about it. ¡°I think for the first time since I ascended the throne, I obeyed someone else¡¯s orders.¡± It was a fresh and new fact. ¡°What? How dare he¡­! I¡¯m going to meet that person right now!¡± ¡°Just leave it. Your opponent is a one-year-old child.¡± Serus soon realized who the opponent was. The only one-year-old child in the pce was the little prince. ¡°Have you met Prince Adrian?¡± ¡°Not just meeting¡­..he came to me alone, clinging to me, he even hit me.¡± ¡°What? Did he hit you?¡± ¡°Hold it!¡± stopped Serus. He seemed to run out of breath several times in this short conversation. ¡°How can a year old child be so cruel¡­¡± Serus and Fabian, who had grown up in the Empire, couldn¡¯t understand it. No matter how young they were, they had naturally mastered etiquette and obedience. Kids growing up in aristocrats usually knew how to behave since they were one year old. ¡°He had some spirit and the child didn¡¯t feel scared at all when he looked into my eyes.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t have such an opponent, who was very brave and fearless, looked into the Emperor¡¯s eyes. ¡°And I forgot something because of him.¡± Fabian murmured, sadly. He had something to say when he saw Evelyn again, but that little rascal made him forget everything. ¡°If you give me an order, I¡¯ll find out.¡± ¡°No, just go back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Serus stepped back, Fabian, who was left alone, took the note out of his pocket. It was a note full of trivial questions about Evelyn. He once ordered Serus to find out about her, but it seemed that something was incorrect, so Fabian took the note back. ¡°Hmm.¡± Fabian looked at the note for a moment, then took out a pen and wrote something down. ¡°She likes drinking and she loves children.¡± His elegant handwriting added a new sentence. ¡°She tends to be extremely aggressive when she drinks alcohol.¡± The title at the top of the note was ¡®Evelyn Felice.¡¯ It was the name of a woman whom Fabian should know better than anyone else, but he didn¡¯t know. *** The Felice Pce was an environment where an unconventional culture was genuinely felt by the imperial army, including the Emperor. Even though their territory was so close, and this kingdom was still part of the Imperial Federation, there was a huge difference in the manners and the way people thought. ¡°Your Majesty the King, Sir Serus, the Emperor¡¯s aide, is asking for your presence.¡± First of all, the Emperor was mentioned insignificantly from the start. Even the King¡¯s attitude was very indifferent as he listened to it. ¡°Don¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy?¡± If this were another country after receiving such notice, usually the royal leader would immediately rush off and have a formal discussion with the the Emperor¡¯s aide. Even more so if the Emperor had stayed in his pce from the beginning. ¡°Adrian, you little brat. Say it again, Ah, I¡­ hug me!¡± But this King of Felice seemed didn¡¯t even care about things like that. ¡°Now, try it out. Hug! Please!¡± ¡°Hug!¡± ¡°Yes, I mean try to say the next word. Hug,¡­. please!¡± The King¡¯s most important issue was to hear the words, ¡®Please Hug me¡¯ from this little prince. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m the highest man in this kingdom. So your first word should be given to me.¡± But Adrian blew his cheek to show he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Boo¡­.¡± ¡°Come on, say ¡­..¡¯Please¡¯!¡± When Evelyn told him that Adrian had spoken his first words, Arthur broke down in grief. Why did he miss the first precious moment he wanted so much? So Arthur had decided. He should be the first person who deserved to get a word from Adrian. ¡°Adrian,e on, tell me.¡± ¡°Buruuuu¡­.Boo!¡± ¡°Come on. Ask me to hug you.¡± Adrian was sick of it. His eyes tired as he inted his cheeks. He looked so bored as if he had lived in the whole world. ¡°No, give me a hug!¡± Adrian was very depressed by Arthur, and it was not shocking that his perseverance and passion made him a King. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤uh!¡± Adrian shouted, and he red at Arthur. ¡°No!¡± Arthur¡¯s body stiffened at that moment. Arthur looked at Adrian, and then he looked at his servant. ¡°Have you heard it too?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± The servant replied reluctantly. Arthur stared back at Adrian with a hardened face full of surprise. ¡°Adrian, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Then he rubbed Adrian¡¯s fat cheeks with a beard. ¡°Finally, you¡¯ve opened your mouth to me!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤No!¡± Adrian felt disgusted by his beard and frowned. But the sicker he got, the more joy flowed over Arthur¡¯s face. ¡°Tell everyone! Adrian talked to me!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right! Say it again!¡± Arthur kissed Adrian with happiness and rubbed his beard again. Adrian gathered all his energy and screamed out loud with his almost-crying-face. ¡°No!¡± Adrian¡¯s second word that would remain in the history of the Felice kingdom was ¡®No.¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty, Sir Serus¡­¡± ¡°Tell him that, he can meet anyone instead of me. Now, Adrian, It¡¯s time to do it.¡± ¡°No!¡± Due to this important moment, Serus finally lost his chance to meet the King. *** ¡°Are you sure that you correctly conveyed the message that I would like to meet the King?¡± Serus asked embarrassingly, but the pce-chief nodded quietly. Serus shook his head, it was just absurd how the Felice Kingdom¡¯sw worked. ¡°Is it true that I have heard, I can¡¯t meet the king because he¡¯s ying with the prince?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Chief answered him quickly. ¡°Instead of him, can I meet someone else?¡± After thinking for a moment about the word ¡®Anyone¡¯ that the King said, the Chief took Serus, who had a confused look, to the Queen¡¯s ce. *** ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, Princess, and Lady Akshire. Sir Serus is here.¡± But the three women were absorbed in what they did without looking back. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re awesome! You already have a hundred victories!¡± There, Reba¡¯s voice was heard. The Queen, Evelyn, and Reba were spending a leisurely time with cards in their hands. ¡°So even the Marquis can¡¯t write four things on the card, can they? Geez. Mother, please participate in the ballroom to be held in Akshire and press their noses.¡± ¡°Oh, shall we?¡± The talk between the mother and the daughter heard from inside the room was very affectionate. ¡°More than that, I have an idea. Why don¡¯t you put on the Marchioness¡¯ blue fan instead of the stakes?¡± Reba was the same thing. Seeing the three of them, they looked like three mothers and daughters instead of two. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Just take it away and burn it in front of you.¡± ¡°Is there any way to be more stimting and humiliating?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯ll think more, Your Majesty.¡± Serus looked at the scene in front of his eyes with a confused look. His presence in this ce seemed just like dust. ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, Princess, and Lady Akshire. Sir Serus is here.¡± The chief repeated the same words like a machine. Just in time, their card game was over. Only then did the Queen look at Serus. ¡®What a kingdom.¡¯ said Serus in his heart. He still wondered why this kind of kingdom could have existed. ¡°What is it?¡± The Queen opened her mouth. It was an atmosphere where Serus was not fully epted by them. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver His Majesty¡¯s message.¡± The Queen shook her head. It¡¯s a nuance that¡¯s hard to say. Serus couldn¡¯t believe that the Emperor stayed in this royal pce, and yet nobody cared about it. ¡°Please give me more servants, maids, and assistant for the Imperial Army.¡± There was no answer, and Serus continued to talk, ¡°We also need additional stables and staff who will manage the precious horses of the Imperial Army.¡± Rather than seeing the woman¡¯s three eyes in front of him, Serus preferred Fabian¡¯s cold eyes. The atmosphere of the pce was physiologically ipatible with Serus. ¡°And, since His Majesty has recovered to some extent, so you must prepare a dinner.¡± ¡°Hu-uh¡± the Queen spat only two or three words. It wasn¡¯t a matter of choice. Obviously, the Emperor¡¯s order was something that had to be obeyed, but Serus did not know why such a voice came out of her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. Your Majesty has recovered, and the Imperial Army has recovered too.¡± said Evelyn, breaking the silence. ¡°Oh, then you¡¯ll return to the Empire soon, so you don¡¯t have to add any extra staff. That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Reba said a word. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to hold a dinner to send off your Majesty and the Imperial Army.¡± Miriam¡¯s word reached its peak. ¡°Wait, wait a minute.¡± Serus said quickly, but the three women have already gone to their own world. ¡°It must be a big dinner It¡¯s a good-bye dinner for Your majesty. Can I be invited?¡± ¡°Of course, Duke Akshire and Lady Reba must take part. ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ No, I guess it would be a good idea for thepetent Lady Reba to have dinner at this moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a honor, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll do my best. Oh, it would be great to rece my banquet!¡± Only ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Their gap was too far behind. Serus had to take a quick nce at Evelyn, who was once the empress. Even if they didn¡¯t, Evelyn was someone who knew the rules of the Empire. Fortunately, Evelyn noticed his nce. ¡°I¡¯ll help Lady Reba too.¡± However, Evelyn was already out of the Empire. ¡°It¡¯s a great pleasure to know that your Majesty can safely return to the Empire.¡± Fresh, Evelyn smiled at Serus. Her smile meant to stop talking and deliver the congrattory message to Fabian, his master. In other words, he was told to convey the message that they were forced to leave this ce immediately. Chapter 36: First Rejection Serus didn¡¯t dare to tell Fabian the news as it was. The zy¡¯ atmosphere of the Felice Pce,bined with theirck of respect for the presence of the Emperor, was a surprise in itself. To put it simply, the greatest monarch of the Empire was defeated by the babble of the little prince and the card games. ¡°What did the King say?¡± Fabian looked at Serus, covering the book he was reading. It was an inevitable moment. ¡°He said to hold a dinner¡¯s banquet for your Majesty.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. It¡¯s just that Serus had eliminated the purpose and reason for the dinner. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Serus felt guilty, but he was afraid that Fabian would be shocked if he told him what had happened. Honestly, he had seen the Empress on many asions while living close to the Emperor, but it was the first time he had seen her behaving like that. Evelyn¡¯s smile, as if she had be a different person, shocked Serus as well. ¡°Tell him that it is very important to take good care of the Imperial Army¡¯s horses.¡± ¡°Yes¡­..¡± Fabian didn¡¯t seem to know if those terms only caused him to be kicked out now. ¡°More than that, Your Majesty. I think you should go back to the Empire now.¡± Serus said , he tried his best to persuade Fabian. ¡°I have heard that the nobleman is in chaos and running wild.¡± It was the moment of the Emperor¡¯s return. Then the banquet that¡¯s going to be held will be a wonderful goodbye dinner. Above all, atst, Serus didn¡¯t have to suffer in this ce anymore. ¡°Well, it¡¯s their job to run wild .¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but His Majesty¡¯s absence made them even more arrogant and some even started to move closer to the Vatican.¡± Fabian frowned. Of course, his words weren¡¯t wrong. Serus was his close friend, and always by his side. Even so, several ck Hawk Knights stayed in the Empire and watched over everyone closely. ¡°They want to die, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Fabian sighed unpleasantly. ¡°What a waste to say they¡¯re noble. They¡¯re worse than a dog without an owner.¡± ¡°The Empire needs Your Majesty.¡± ¡°It seems that the best thing nobles do is bite each other.¡± The Empire was very strict. Etiquette and dignity always weighed heavily on the nobility. It was a system that made it difficult for them to carry out rebellions as they yed a role in monitoring each other. And, they couldn¡¯t think of anything else, either, because they had wasted all their energy on the meaningless ruckus. ¡°Ckck¡­.¡± Fabian kicked his tongue unpleasantly. But, only Serus could understand Fabian¡¯s mind that he wanted to stay here longer. ¡°Any other stories?¡± Fabian asked, he changed the topic right away. And this was Serus¡¯ biggest crisis. ¡°When did Evelyn say she wasing?¡± In fact, Fabian gave separate messages to the King and Princess. In Evelyn¡¯s message, he just said that he wanted toe over to her ce to see her. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Serus had tried hard. He waited patiently for the card game toe to an end and carefully conveyed his message to Evelyn when she was alone. But Evelyn¡¯s answer didn¡¯t turn out as expected. [¡®Me? Your Majesty?¡¯] It wasn¡¯t the elegant and graceful Empress that Serus knew. Evelyn, Princess of the Kingdom of Felice, was very confident and simply revealed her innermost thoughts. [¡®Why?¡¯] Evelyn had no more obedience. [¡®No.¡¯] The little prince wasn¡¯t the only one who could say that. [¡®I refuse.¡¯] And without hesitation, Evelyn turned her back. First of all, this style of behavior didn¡¯t exist in manners. No aristocrat could have shown such an attitude in the Empire. But, since this was the Felice Kingdom, Serus had no right to me her. ¡°There¡¯s something else? Why do you stop talking?¡± asked Fabian. Serus returned to reality under Fabian¡¯s pressure. There was no longer any reason for him to hide it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­..¡± Serus struggled to the end but only concluded that he could do nothing about Evelyn¡¯s straightforward answer. ¡°She refused.¡± said Serus. After so much thought, It was also his duty, so he just told the truth. ¡°Okay.¡± replied Fabian. Then, about 3 secondster, he suddenly frowned his forehead. It was the time it took Fabian to ept reality. ¡°What?¡± Serus couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°No? What? Why?¡± His absurd question continued. It was simr to what Evelyn had said. ¡°Is there a reason why she can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Err¡­.for the reason¡­.¡± ¡°Tell me straight, don¡¯t miss a word out!¡± Serus was forced to obey his orders. ¡°The princess said, ¡­¡­¡¯No, I don¡¯t want to, I refuse.¡¯¡­¡­¡± Fabian seemed to have forgotten to breathe for a second. ¡°Before that? What she said before that? Tell me again!!!¡± Fabian asked, he unwittingly grabbed Serus by the neck. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± And a sigh just came out. Refuse? It was an impossible word for the Emperor. Who dared to refuse the Emperor? This was Fabian¡¯s first rejection since he ascended the throne. ¡°She refused?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice trembling in astonishment. But Serus couldn¡¯t answer his curious questions. ¡°Me?¡± It seemed that Fabian didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s answer anyway. ¡°How dare she?¡± For the first time in his life, he had this kind of feeling since he was born. Interestingly, those emotions weren¡¯t as terrible as the one he had at night when Evelyn asked for a divorce. ¡°What the hell, what¡¯s her reason?¡± Fabian still didn¡¯t know how to ept the rejection. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­..¡± The poor Serus had only told the truth. Fabian looked confused because his ns hadpletely failed. The rejection was an unexpected situation, and he didn¡¯t imagine it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give an order, sir?¡± Fabian was the Emperor, so it was also the only thing that Serus might think of as a man of the Empire. It was the tragedy of the two men. ¡°Okay!¡± Fabian wrote a letter on the paper in front of him. ¡°Give this to her.¡± Only ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Even after Serus had gone, Fabian still couldn¡¯t find hisposure. ¡°Refuse?¡± Vainughter came out. Still, they were once married. In Fabian¡¯s memory, Evelyn wasn¡¯t such a cold woman. But, the more he kept watching her, the more she felt like a stranger. Fabian¡¯s dark eyes were filled with chaos, ¡°Really, she¡¯s a woman that I don¡¯t understand.¡± *** Chapter 37: Waiting Evelyn was really annoyed by Serus, who came to her residence all of a sudden. ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s personal letter.¡± She had no choice but to ept the paper, but she didn¡¯t kneel in front of the Emperor¡¯s edict as she used to do. Because there was no suchw in the Felice Kingdom. ¡°Why are you standing like that? Are you asking me to bend my knee?¡± Looking back, it was so funny. Evelyn felt like an idiot who had kneeled in front of an edict to ept a divorce. And it wasn¡¯t the Emperor himself who delivered it, but the chief of staff. However, as it was the Emperor¡¯s edict, she had to bend her knee. ¡°A simple examples, should do.¡± Serus looked at Evelyn¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t a formal edict, but at least it meant being polite. ¡°Just tell him I¡¯ve received it.¡± Evelyn answered with a t voice and turned around. Again, it wasn¡¯t the Empress that Serus knew. So Serus turned his feet at the entrance of her residence, almost as if he had been thrown out. ¡°What¡¯s going on at this time?¡± asked Reba curiously to Evelyn, who returned to her ce. She was holding a card that she had been obsessed with since the day. ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s letter.¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Evelyn opened his letter without hesitation, and her eyes were immediately caught by elegant and beautiful handwriting. ¡®Midnight, inst night¡¯s garden. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡¯ Indeed, It¡¯s a Fabian-like phrase. Evelyn crumpled the paper and threw it into the firece. ¡°What¡¯s the content of it? Why did you burn it right away?¡± Reba asked she could not hold back her curiosity. Then, Evelyn shrugs off her back. ¡°In the Imperial family, all private letters are burned as soon as they are read.¡± It was meant to prevent the precious handwriting from falling into others¡¯ hands and keeping it secret. Evelyn herself received Fabian¡¯s writing only twice during her marriage. ¡°Well, the Empire¡¯sws are always like that.¡± Usually, writing on the letter didn¡¯t longer than two words, but Evelyn kept it because it was Fabian¡¯s handwriting. But one day, Evelyn was forced to burn it because the maid found the letter. ¡°His Majesty¡­.maybe he regret it?¡± Reba asked, seeing the shade on Evelyn¡¯s face, who sat holding the card again. ¡°But I don¡¯t regret it.¡± said Evelyn. Her answer was clear. ¡°Yeah, people don¡¯t change easily.¡± Without saying much, Reba sympathized with Evelyn. ¡°My ex-husband was also an Imperial man.¡± ¡°Are all the Imperial man so indifferent?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Reba nodded casually. ¡°The most important thing in the Empire is the same thing, it¡¯s about dignity and discipline It might be a shame for them to express feelings of joy, sadness , loneliness,fort.¡± ¡°They¡¯re poor people.¡± Evelyn said quietly. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s normal for them. Look at Sir Serus. He didn¡¯t change his expression when he saw me in the daytime.¡± ¡°Why is Sir Serus?¡± ¡°Sir Serus¡­¡­. he¡¯s my ex-husband¡¯s younger brother.¡± Heard that even the boldest Evelyn was shocked this time ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± Even the Empress, Evelyn, had no idea because most of the Emperor¡¯s ck Hawk Knights were the second sons who didn¡¯t join the family, and their origins had been erased. ¡°There was no sign of that.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re great people, and rtionships are nothing to them.¡± Evelyn nodded softly. ¡°Yes, even more so after separation.¡± A man couldn¡¯t change easily. ¡°After the dinner, His Majesty will back to the Empire, and you will forget everything. I hope you do that.¡± Reba looked carefully at Evelyn¡¯splexion. When Evelyn noticed the gaze, she hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°He wrote in the letter that he would wait for me at midnight in the garden.¡± Reba looked a little surprised. ¡°Soon, it¡¯s midnight.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± But Evelyn didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of going out or seeing him. ¡°But it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s personal letter¡­ Would it be okay?¡± ¡°If he wanted to punish me, he would have punished me when I asked for a divorce.¡± Reba didn¡¯t ask in that sense, but Evelyn¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Your Majesty doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to wait.¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± That¡¯s what the Emperor¡¯s life was like. Everyone could wait for Fabian, but Fabian never waited for anyone. In other words, the word ¡®wait¡¯ in the letter was just an idiom. ¡°And I haven¡¯t said that I¡¯m going, so I¡¯m not really breaking my promise.¡± Evelyn¡¯s words sounded refreshing. Only then did Rebaugh as if she was relieved. ¡°Yes. After all, men always do as they please.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s like to wait for someone.¡± The two women nodded in unison. ¡°Princess, I have an idea.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean this dinner.¡± Reba was very gentle and cunning, but she had no idea how much Evelyn really understood the Emperor¡¯s behavior now. However, it was obvious that it was strange. ¡°I would invite all the nobles of the Empire as well as the nobles of the Felice Kingdom to join me in the banquets that I would have.¡± ¡°That big?¡± ¡°Yes. We should celebrate his return to the Empire.¡± Rebaughed a little nasty. ¡°Ah.¡± Evelyn understood the meaning too. The n was to force Fabian out by spreading rumors all over the neighborhood and to send out invitations, saying that it was the Emperor¡¯s farewell party. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make an invitation tomorrow and send it.¡± said Reba. We could say that her ability to act was great. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s faster to officially announce it in the Kingdom.¡± Evelynughed. In terms of behavior, she meant that she would not fall behind Reba. ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, too.¡± Only The two women looked at each other with a wicked smile. ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ even though it¡¯s spring it¡¯s unusually cold today.¡± ¡°Shall we close the window?¡± ¡°Yeah, put the curtains down, too.¡± Evelyn had no hesitation. Whether Fabian came to the garden or not, she showed a strong will that she did not want to know. The fact that Fabian actually came to the garden at midnight. That he was standing in a hopeless heart, and a terrible rain fell on his shoulders. The first wait in Fabian¡¯s life was very pathetic. Chapter 38: 8 Minutes Fabian had a strong body, so he wouldn¡¯t copse in the cold rain. But his pride was different when there was no one in the midnight garden. He didn¡¯t make a mistake about the time because his pocket watch had the most urate second-hand in the Empire. ¡°¡­¡­.I don¡¯t understand.¡± At first, he thought there was a mistake. But it was impossible for Serus, who was ordered by the Emperor, to make some error in his job. It must be Evelyn, then, who had a reason to bete. Perhaps the little prince was suddenly sick, or the clock in the royal pce was runningte. ¡°Well, I could forgive you once.¡± Fabian whispered to himself with a kind heart. Then a long time went by. The rain didn¡¯t stop, and the moon which not as strong as he was, seemed to be tired of hanging in the night sky. ¡°Is there an ident?¡± His head was full of doubt. Was the Felice Family in danger perhaps? It¡¯s not usually the case. But to say that, Felice Pce was too quiet. Suddenly, before he realized it, the rain was pouring, and Fabian stood nervously in his spot. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­.¡± The clouds above his head were gone. No matter how much he tried to endure, the expression of Fabian was full of anger. The only person who could make Fabian wait was his father, the Sun Emperor, who had died when Fabian was 16 years old. ¡°She¡¯s¡­really..¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. The sun was about to rise, and she made the Emperor wait all night. What kind of disloyalty was this? Fabian stood for a long time in one ce until his legs were numb. Cold raindrops soaked Fabian¡¯s hair, and extreme fatigue consumed his entire body. Then, he nervously took the watch out of his pocket. ¡¯12:07.¡¯ The Empire¡¯s most precise clock showed that seven minutes had passed the promised time. ¡°Something is wrong.¡± Fabian muttered with a confused face. What was the eternity of time that he had just felt? He had no doubt that the sun would rise soon. Because he had been stuck in one position for too long, his feet, trained in martial arts, became sore. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± Tik..tik¡­ The clock needle barely moved a single space. 8 minutes. No. Something was wrong. He had to see it through. ¡°Serus!¡± Fabian raised his voice. Serus arrived a littleter than usual since Fabian told him not to show up earlier. But look at how he only approached him after eight minutes, then we could tell that Serus had left Fabian for a long time. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s raining, so let¡¯s go back for today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem.¡± Fabian said, his face was cold. ¡°But, if you do this¡­..¡± Serus sighed deeply in his heart. Was the Princess really crossing the line? It didn¡¯t matter whether they divorced or not, no matter if this was the territory of the Felice Kingdom, they were all in a position to obey the imperial authority. But Evelyn refused to ept the Emperor¡¯s request, thus ignoring hismands. ¡°Felice Kingdom and Princess Evelyn, to them, I¡­.¡± Fabian squinted his eyes with a serious look. ¡°It seems that something unusual has happened.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes?¡± Serus lifted his eyes to see his master, and his unquestioned nce returned. Even his face was filled with worry. ¡°Probably, it¡¯s not normal. They¡¯re pretending to be in peace now, but there must be something wrong.¡± ¡°How could you think that way???¡± ¡°Look.¡± Fabian showed his pocket watch. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s 12:08, Your Majesty.¡± It¡¯s still 12:08 a.m. The second-hand was moving very slowly. ¡°You can¡¯t tell after seeing this.¡± Serus blinked. Now he seemed to have understood the situation. But he didn¡¯t know what to say, to make Fabian realize the so-called ¡®wait¡¯ and ¡®impatient¡¯ ?¡± ¡°Forgive me Your Majesty, but I¡¯m not sure ¡­.¡± ¡°The princess seems to be in danger I need to check this out.¡± Fabian hastened away immediately, and Serus pursued him desperately while he racked his brains. ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t go further into the women¡¯s pce.¡± ¡°We must save Evelyn!¡± Serus made a decision at this point. He didn¡¯t have a choice but, to tell the truth. ¡°Actually, she won¡¯te¡­ because it seems the princess doesn¡¯t obey your order.¡± ¡°Really? What¡¯s going on? How serious is it?¡± Serus was at a crisis. He couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut, but he couldn¡¯t tell a lie either. ¡°She had a chat with Lady Akshire ¡­ and then she went to bed early¡­¡± ¡°No,¡­are you sure?¡± ¡°I checked directly with the chief of staff. I did it three times.¡± Blinking, Fabian slowly closed his eyes and then opened them. ¡°The chief asked the maid¡¯s bedroom to go in and see her. They checked it three times. The Princess is sleeping now ¡­.¡± Fabian¡¯s face was hardened. No matter how serious the report he heard, this kind of expression rarely appeared on his face, But this time, it seemed that Fabian was speechless. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Whether or not this was a positive thing, Surprisingly, Fabian seemed to be able to feel and understand a little about the pain of human rtionships. Serus nodded in appreciation for the patience of his master. ¡°Your Majesty, let¡¯s go back to your ce.¡± ¡°No, you go back alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Y-Yes?¡± Fabian sat down again on a bench in the garden with a calm look. ¡°My thought was too short. I think she didn¡¯t want to show the people in this Kingdom that we had a secret meeting at night. So there¡¯s no chance for them to spread rumors.¡± ¡°Oh, Your Majesty¡­.¡± Serus blurred his words. He didn¡¯t know what to say when he looked at Fabian¡¯s face, full of confidence. Even though he was simply trying to deny that, it wasn¡¯t easy to ept such a rejection. But it seemed, Fabian was thinking in a totally different direction. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back now.¡± Serus sighed deeply. There was nothing he could do right now. Anyway, after tonight, Fabian would realize. The fact that he was clearly rejected, and waited without a promise was a ruthless one. Though he was an emperor, it was a feeling that he had no choice but to learn himself. **** The chat with Reba didn¡¯t stop. At one o¡¯clock in the morning, the two women finally returned to their own bedrooms. They promised that they would block Nora from entering their rooms tomorrow. Evelyn felt at ease as shey down on a fluffy bed. She liked the sound of the rain knocking on her window. ¡°Ah, It¡¯s raining¡­¡± Even before she finished speaking, Evelyn burst outughing at herself. ¡°He¡­..what a foolish idea.¡± Fabian wasn¡¯t someone who wanted to get caught in the rain in the garden. It was impossible to happen even if Evelyn was born twice again. And he waited an hour for Evelyn? It was impossible to even in a dream. ¡°But, if it were possible ¡­¡­ no, no ¡­something like that wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Evelyn was reflecting on her past. It hadn¡¯t yet happened. But it seemed like it had happened in the past to Evelyn, who had been through it all and now returned. ¡°He has made this ¡­¡± Evelyn almost raised the curtain and peeped into the garden without realizing it. But she realized it was just useless. Her marriage to Fabian had always been the same. When he lifted her heart with just a little hope, she soon had to cover herself deeply in fear. ¡°Now I don¡¯t expect anything.¡± Evelyn simply concluded and closed her eyes. She had a good night¡¯s sleep if she didn¡¯t have any worries. At the same moment, Evelyn had no idea, that Fabian had been waiting for her all night long in the garden. Fabian was very stubborn, trying to deny the facts until dawn broke on the horizon. And his lip trembled as the bright sun was shining on his face. ¡°Your Majesty, let¡¯s go, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fabian struggled to get up from the bench. Only the seat where he was seated wasn¡¯t wet. But fortunately, Serus was the only one who watched the scene all night long. ¡°Ha¡­.She dared to break my order¡­¡± Looked like what he said just now wasn¡¯t the answer for Serus. The intense feeling he felt at this time was rare and made Fabian¡¯s ck eyes froze coldly. It was the anger that came after the denial of reality. ¡°Is that the answer for me? Oh ¡­ well that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Since he noticed that the garden could clearly be seen through the window from Evelyn¡¯s residence. So, she must know that Fabian had been waiting for her because he had never broken a promise. In other words, Evelyn deceived him. ¡°Deception is uneptable.¡± In Fabian¡¯s mind, Evelyn had crossed the line. It was nice to have vited the Emperor¡¯s orders now. And Fabian couldn¡¯t forgive himself for forcing himself to wait. He opened his eyes to the emotion that had flooded in his heart. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the wrong person. I didn¡¯t expect her to be such an arrogant and unkind woman.¡± If Evelyn heard this, she would be dumbfounded. In fact, Fabian only waited seven minutes with a good heart, and the rest of the time before dawn was spent in vain while denying the truth. That¡¯s why Fabian felt so angry right now. ¡°Is this the way of Felice Kingdom? I knew it well¡­¡­¡± Fabian never had any grudge against other people. He hated the Pope, but it was his position as Emperor. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good to make me think of this.¡± Only In the first ce, before the Emperor hated someone, that ¡®object¡¯ would disappear. Because it had to be removed from the Emperor¡¯s sight first. And it was the Emperor¡¯s job to deal with all hatred and remorse and make someone take care of it. ¡°Would you like to punish someone?¡± Serus, who had been keeping his eye on him, asked carefully. ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t be fair to just punish. I¡¯ll pay back this time in the despicable way of Felice¡¯s Kingdom.¡± Fabian¡¯s strong jawline was tightened. This time, Serus also seemed like he didn¡¯t have time toment. Though he felt that something was going wrong somewhere. No one thought that it would be so difficult to return to the Imperial Pce without any problems. Chapter 39: Ominous Premonition Nothing happened for days, it seemed that a busy schedule concealed Fabian¡¯s anger. As an Emperor, he still carried out official state duties and dealt with public affairs. His daily routine continued while overhauling the military and investigating demons in his spare time. Meanwhile, Felice Kingdom was busy preparing a banquet for the Emperor. ¡°All the nobles who heard their names were invited very excited.¡± After seeing the banquet¡¯s official letter, Fabian twisted his lips. It seemed like he wanted to use himself to show Imperial power against the Kingdom of Felice widely. Still, he had no intention to do it there. ¡°Serus, spread this news to the imperial nobility too. It¡¯s going to be a grand banquet where me, the Emperor, also participate.¡± Fabian was sure that the sycophants woulde running without hesitation, no matter how far they traveled. That¡¯s precisely what Fabian was looking for. Those who were sensitive to rumors usually were good at spreading the rumors as well. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Serus answered faithfully to the orders he did not even know about. It¡¯s mostly because he¡¯s a very outspoken person. He was just grateful that Fabian didn¡¯t ask Evelyn anymore. ¡°Make sure that the military troops is maintained until the day of the banquet. Their appearance alone can show the Imperials dignity.¡± ¡°Yes, sir, I understand.¡± All those who apanied Fabian were knights of noble origin. They would shine even though they were just standing there. But issuing such an order implied that the Imperial would take the initiative first. ¡°It¡¯s the first time in my life that I¡¯ve been waiting for a banquet like this.¡± Looking at his master, who had a peculiar smile, Serus felt something strange. But there was nothing he could do about it. **** Reba¡¯s face became haggard in a few days. It was because she always participated in arranging for a banquet without resting for a moment. But happiness radiated from all over her body. No matter how tired she was, Reba, who showed her passion was really shining. ¡°You¡¯re pushing yourself too hard.¡± Evelyn was fortunate. Although they had tea time to catch her breath for a while, Reba quickly joined the maid and chose a curtain fabric to decorate the banquet¡¯s top. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Liam, who was invited to teatime, answered calmly. ¡°But¡­¡­ I feel like I¡¯m using Reba¡­¡­¡± The duchess of Akshire, the mother of two, had already passed away. Originally, Liam¡¯s wife, the new Duke, had to manage the household as a duchess, but now he was unmarried. Luckily, his sister Reba had divorced and returned, so the duchess¡¯s role was in Reba. ¡°What? Absolutely not! If it doesn¡¯t bother you, I¡¯d like to get my sister a job at the royal pce. I mean it.¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes shone desperately. And Evelyn was never bored of seeing this interaction between siblings all the time. ¡°But, with Reba¡¯s personality, I think she could take care of the Duke¡¯s house.¡± Liam¡¯s frank face clouded over everything, ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± The two people, who were awkward at first, also became quite close to each other because they had something inmon¡­ Reba. ¡°Reba is so smart.¡± said Evelyn ¡°Ha¡­¡­ you mean¡­my sister?¡± Evelyn fully realized why Reba kept teasing Liam. Of course, thest time was Evelyn¡¯s mistake too. Still, Reba teased Liam not because his reaction was funny or cute, but because she¡¯s just being pure and sincere to her brother. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by my sister. She¡¯s doing this for her own fun, because as a child she couldn¡¯t ask my parents to throw a banquet.¡± said Liam with a severe face. ¡°But now she¡¯s a good Duchess for the Duke household¡­¡± ¡°Yes? Then, we will go bankrupt. It seems there is a misunderstanding to im that my sister is taking care the Duke¡¯s house¡±. Liam was still shy in front of Evelyn, but it was different when Reba¡¯s story came out. It was a rare and explosive topic that could increase in his speech. ¡°The butler, and the maid all the servants and the people of the Duke¡¯s house are managed by me. But since my sister often hold a banquet in every three days, I¡¯ve left it to her ¡­.¡± Liam shook his head, recalling his terrible past. ¡°But it¡¯s also a talent to hold a banquet. It takes a lot of work.¡± ¡°Yes, so, if there¡¯s someone you hate, please introduce him to my sister. I guarantee bankruptcy for any family within half a year.¡± ¡°Sir Liam is more interesting than I thought. You have a good humor, maybe because you¡¯re Reba¡¯s brother.¡± Evelynughed innocently. Liam saw it and vowed to protect the innocent Princess. It was his duty to protect the beautiful and pure Princess from being tainted by his wicked sister. ¡°I¡¯d love to have Reba stay in our pce, but to do that, Lord Liam needs a wife first, right?¡± ¡°Ah,¡­.. that¡¯s.¡± Liam avoided eye contact for no reason when faced with a difficult topic. ¡°Thanks to Reba, this banquet is going to be really amazing, so maybe she will meet a soul mate.¡± Liam just smiled awkwardly at Evelyn¡¯s innocent words. Whenever she talked about marriage, she used to immediately change the direction of her conversation like that. In fact, he couldn¡¯t honestly answer that he couldn¡¯t marry another woman because he already had someone in mind. ¡°Maybe, Sir Liam is worried about something that you couldn¡¯t say?¡± Evelyn whispered as if she had read his mind. For a moment, she could see what it meant to be a heart-sinking. ¡°Well, ¡­.I, I¡­.¡± Evelyn¡¯s transparent blue eyes looked at Liam. It was the same eyes he had longed for since they first met when he was a child. ¡°I know. It¡¯s a difficult mind.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not your fault, but the situation is bad.¡± said Evelyn. ¡°Yes, right.¡± Liam had a hard time confessing his feelings. If Evelyn had already thought so, maybe there was a little hope for him, too. ¡°But I think you can ovee the situation with your true heart¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Really, do you think so?¡± ¡°Yes, with a true rtionship, you can ovee everything.¡± Liam made sincere eye contact with Evelyn. Then Evelyn smiled with a mixture of joy and relief. At the moment, Liam almost opened his mouth. ¡°Good thing. I was relieved that Sir Liam thought so¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s too obvious for me.¡± ¡°Yes. Even if there are many people around who fail with their marriage, it is not good to have prejudice. There are also a happy marriages. So please don¡¯t have too hard feelings about new rtionships in the future.¡± A new rtionship. Liam¡¯s green eyes were hardened by those words, but Evelyn didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Surely, a true rtionship will soon appear to Sir Liam.¡± A fresh, Evelyn gave a beautiful smile. Liam had no choice but to give her a bitter smile. Fortunately or not, Reba, she unexpectedly jumped in between them. ¡°Whoa, this is the final candidate.¡± Reba had five colorful fabrics in her hands. ¡°Can you vote for each one, please?¡± Liam looked at her sister¡¯s face, who didn¡¯t know the timing and pointed randomly with his finger. ¡°Well, except for this one! As expected, you have a bad taste.¡± Reba pleasantly threw the fabric. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Liam stood silently and left his seat. Reba continued to think while looking at the fabric without even paying attention to her brother. ¡°Reba. Aren¡¯t you too harsh on Sir Liam? He was embarrassed just now ¡­.¡± ¡°Princess, you¡¯ really¡­¡­ Liam is not such a child.¡± Rebaughed. In fact, Evelyn would be surprised to know that she had listened to their conversation for a while. Well, it was a white lie. ¡°And he don¡¯t know anything yet.¡± It was a strangely sincere word. Liam¡¯s heart was pure, but hecked courage. ¡°Well, this is a woman¡¯s job.¡± said Evelyn. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s an idiot who doesn¡¯t know what a woman¡¯s mind is,¡± Reba smiled, feeling sorry for her brother. The preparations for the banquet were smooth. However, it was a bit unfortunate that Liam wouldn¡¯t have a new rtionship. *** Finally, the day of the long-awaited banquet hade. The Felice Pce was crowded with guests who had arrived a few days ago. For today, Evelyn left Adrian in Miriam¡¯s arms and started to prepare for the banquet. ¡°Princess, it seems like time is going backwards since you came back to the kingdom.¡± Lily spat apliment when helping Evelyn dress up. That was something Lily usually said to her when she followed Evelyn to the Imperial Family when she became the Empress. ¡°What a bullshit.¡± Evelyn gave Lily a p on the back. And she looked around to see if anything was missing in the mirror. ¡°It¡¯s not bullshit, I¡¯m serious.¡± Lily didn¡¯t dare topare her to the Imperial family, but Evelyn¡¯s appearance alone seemed to have brightened her surroundings. Evelyn, who was wearing a shiny dress with her golden hair hanging down on the back, was much more beautiful than Evelyn, who was sitting like a doll with a shaded face wearing the Empress¡¯s crown. ¡°Surely, the people who attended today¡¯s banquet will be surprised by the beauty of the Princess.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, if I were a prince in the kingdom I¡¯d propose to you right away!¡± Evelyn pinched Lily¡¯s cheek andughed. ¡°I don¡¯t need a proposal anymore.¡± It was until Lily carefully trimmed Evelyn¡¯s hair one by one that the grooming was finished. Now, the banquet curtain that Reba had devoted to pushing the Emperor out of the Kingdom would rise. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m feeling relieved.¡± Evelyn spoke to herself and headed for the banquet hall without anyone knowing. Adrian was under Nora¡¯s care, and King Arthur, the host of the banquet, was all there. However, the guests were still chatting in the garden. This was because the trumpet had not yet sounded to announce the start of the banquet. ¡°Lady Reba really worked hard.¡± Only ¡°Yes, this is the most magnificent banquet in our royal pce.¡± Arthur and Miriam nodded with a happy smile. Moreover, Evelyn¡¯s beautiful appearance was so perfect, so today would be a happy day. However, even after a little more time, the banquet hadn¡¯t started yet. Evelyn began to worry when she looked at her mother¡¯s face. ¡°Why? The time¡­.¡± It was 40 minutes past time, but the Emperor, the banquet¡¯s main character, hadn¡¯t arrived yet. There couldn¡¯t have been a mistake because it was obviously scheduled. ¡°His Majesty iste.¡± King Arthur was also worried. And Evelyn suddenly came up with an ominous premonition. Chapter 40: Over the raised glass Evelyn was trying to keep her face as calm as possible. But in a gesture, she quickly looked for Lily and whispered something in her ear. ¡°Where¡¯s Lady Reba?¡± ¡°She¡¯s waiting to enter with the guests.¡± Lily also lowered her voice to see if she noticed something unusual. ¡°His Majesty¡­,he must have left his residence, right?¡± asked Evelyn ¡°I was worried, too, so I looked into it, but it¡¯s been a while since he left his residence.¡± Evelyn felt frustrated at once. ¡°ording to the chief, the ck Hawk Knights are ready to leave the Kingdom.¡± After that day, Evelyn wondered if he would finally let her go without paying any more attention to her. But it seemed that Fabian was taking revenge now. He seemed to be very angry. Evelyn was foolish to think that Fabian wouldn¡¯t mind it because he was usually indifferent. ¡°What should I do¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± Lily asked Evelyn again. Outside the banquet hall door, all the nobles from all over the continent were gathered, waiting for the banquet to begin. But, since the name was a banquet for the Emperor¡¯s farewell, it couldn¡¯t be started without the Emperor himself. In the worst-case scenario, it was like bringing all the guests together and showing them a disgrace. ¡°First, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s head dizzy. It wasn¡¯t a situation to be solved by asking Lily to do something because it could also backfire on herself. And suddenly, the hate Evelyn had forgotten rose from her heart. She knew that already, but he was a very heartless man. He came here all the way to tease her, even though they were divorced. And he¡¯s trying to humiliate the royal family like this. ¡°Evelyn. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Miriam asked her daughter carefully. ¡°No, His Majesty seems to be a littlete.¡± ¡°Really? Oh well¡­.¡± Miriam nodded and did not ask any further because there was already an embarrassment in Evelyn¡¯s eyes. Miriam seemed to know what¡¯s going on here. ¡°Should we go out¡­?¡± They could just give reasons to the guests. However, Evelyn could not bear to think that her royal family would be disgraced. At that time, Miriam reached out and pressed Evelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°Those who hold banquets should rx.¡± Miriam¡¯s face was gentle and looked calm. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t open the door to a banquet because of an ident, it¡¯s better than forcing a guest to stay here.¡± Evelyn was biting her lips hard. She felt as if her mother had already found out what was going on. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± said Miriam. ¡°But the nobles from all over the continent have gathered, and our royal family¡­¡± ¡°I said, it¡¯s okay.¡± said Miriam firmly. ¡°The banquet can be canceled at any time. A good excuse is enough, we can think about itter. But you can¡¯t throw away your pride anymore.¡± Her mother¡¯s voice was too stern today. After giving birth to Adrian, Evelyn felt she¡¯d barely know her mother¡¯s heart, but Evelyn was still far away. ¡°So straighten your back. Let¡¯s rx and enjoy this time.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Evelyn realized that she had lost her posture unknowingly. Currently, it wasn¡¯t just postures that were lost. Her mother was right about that. The pride that she got back would fall to the ground. She had to bow down again to pick it up again. It was what the enemy wanted the most. Even if this banquet couldn¡¯t be opened, she would never show him such a figure.
Fabian¡¯s idea hit the bullseye. It was often used by the Imperial family to wash their opponents silently. It was very shameful to beughed at by guests who you invited yourself. And it was an indescribable shame if the main character of the banquet, who they thought would note, suddenly appeared before their faces. ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor of the Empire ising!¡± One of the ck Hawk Knights blew the trumpet. It was a special instrument that could only be yed when the Emperor appeared. Then they all bowed their heads, and some people wondered if the banquet had started. ¡°I see you.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, how have you been?¡± The most powerful Marquis of Satin and hispanion, Count Hernia, came close and weed Fabian with a smile on their face. Usually, Fabian despised looking at him the most, but now he was very useful. ¡°After the wise and brilliant Emperor left the Empire, everybody longed for His Majesty day and night.¡± ¡°Yes, everyone was crying!¡± Fabian raised the corner of his lips and tried hard to repress his annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.¡± Because it was a banquet, every nobleman was apanied by his wife. The two middle-aged wives who were fully dressed nobly greeted Fabian. ¡°The banquet at the Felice Pce is too small and narrow to serve your Majesty, but your presence alone will make this ce brighter,¡± said Lady Satin. She broke the silence with her skillful tongue. It was a unique way of speaking for a socialitedy. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in this banquet.¡± Fabian said coldly, recalling Evelyn. Then, the twodies started smiling happily. ¡°Of course, how dare you serve Your Majesty in such a small kingdom?¡± ¡°My wife is right. What could such a small kingdom do? This kingdom is no different from a merchant who is blinded by gold coins earned from trading. Well, I¡¯m not saying that the kingdom of Felice is bad but it¡¯s far from the nobility of His Majesty.¡± The wives who took part in the agitation of their husbands. The habit of the imperial family came out unintentionally. They seemed so familiar with the conversation with the thorns in a smile. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Fabian thoughtlessly threw a word. ¡°Yes, I doubted my ears when I was invited, but ¡­ I felt the kindness of Your Majesty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Social circles say there¡¯s no end to your kindness and your mercy.¡± It was strange. Apparently, Fabian just came here to dere that he was going back at the banquet hall entrance. But when he heard thosedies talking, he felt unknown displeasure from the bottom of his heart. ¡°My kindness and mercy?¡± Fabian asked back briefly, without revealing his emotions as usual. It was a very convenient way of speaking. Because the nobles, who were so eager to meet the Emperor¡¯s favor just by asking again, used to talk about their ulterior motives. ¡°Why not? How merciful it is for you to stay in the someone¡¯s pce who has been dismissed forck of virtue and dignity.¡± ¡®Someone who was dismissed forck of virtue and dignity, did they mean Evelyn?¡¯ Fabian¡¯s eyebrows flinched at the moment, but the wives were unaware and absorbed in their world. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fortunate that we didn¡¯t punish her at first, but your Majesty¡¯s tolerance is truly endless.¡± ¡°Do you all think so?¡± said Fabian in a low voice. ¡°Is there anything else¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡± The Marquis and Count quickly responded to the ttery. Then there was unknown anger rose in Fabian¡¯s heart. Actually, the insult was pointed at Evelyn, but the direction was changed entirely. Evelyn was once his wife and the Empress of the Empire, no matter if they were divorced. If they had actually respected Evelyn, they wouldn¡¯t dare to say that. ¡°Really?¡± It seemed that no one noticed the anger in Fabian¡¯s voice. ¡°Actually, among the nobles, there was a saying that Your Majesty may not be willing to attend. Even, you don¡¯t have to join these banquets.¡± The Countess, who didn¡¯t notice his anger, already crossed the line. ¡°I can¡¯t believe everyone thought so.¡± said Fabian. He thought so, too, and it was irresistible that they also felt the same thing. Fabian wanted to get rid of his temper right away. Still, he seemed to agree with the opinion that he secretly ignored the Felice Kingdom. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying¡­.¡± The Countess tried to open her mouth, but her husband immediately stopped her. The count didn¡¯t know why the Emperor was angry, but he knew it wasn¡¯t a good situation for Fabian tough. ¡°Your Majesty, the Knights are ready.¡± Then all of a sudden, Serus came up and made a report. When Fabian heard it, he didn¡¯t move and only raised the corner of his lips. ¡°I was waiting.¡± ¡°Yes, then¡­¡± ¡°We can finally start the banquet.¡± ¡± W-what..?!¡± Serus tried to ask back, but then he stopped when he saw Fabian¡¯s face. ¡°Because the Felice Kingdom had prepared a very nice banquet, I was just waiting for my own Knights to join.¡± The faces of the Marquis and his wife were covered by dark shadows. Typically, it wasmon to have hatred or mock a former Empress, but this time the situation seemed different. ¡°¡­¡­..Your Majesty¡¯s eyes are ¡­.different¡­.. Still, everyone was so tired of waiting for the this banquet.¡± said Lady Satin. She changed her posture without changing her face. ¡°What? This kingdom¡¯s banquet¡­¡­.¡± Only her friend, the stupid Countess, couldn¡¯t keep up with this atmosphere. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s so elegant and sophisticated that you can¡¯t think it¡¯s a kingdom¡¯s banquet, Right? Hoho¡­.¡± said Lady Satin. She cut the Countess¡¯ word and fluttered her blue-feather fan. Fabian nced at the Marquis as if he didn¡¯t want to join the lowly conversation. Then, forgetting all his own purpose, he opened the banquet door at a faster pace than anyone else. ¡°Your Majesty is entering the banquet hall!¡± The glorious trumpet sounded. The King, Queen, and Evelyn stood up with unwavering smiles and gave the Emperor a good example. Fabian epted it politely and headed to his prepared seat. ¡°Thank you for the hospitality of the Kingdom of Felice for throwing such a wonderful banquet for me.¡± Out of his mouth flowed a speech that waspletely different from his heart. And the nobles who had noticed were busy admiring the banquet¡¯s excellence, and they praised it in unison. ¡°Everyone feels the prosperity of the Felice Kingdom and enjoy this banquet.¡± ¡° After speaking, Fabian looked at Evelyn. Evelyn nodded slightly with a faint smile. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was just a ceremonial greeting, but there was a little bit of emotion in it. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­..¡± Suddenly Serus approached him and spoke in his ear. ¡°The knights are ready to go.¡± That was also Fabian¡¯s order. At first, he was going to turn coldly in front of the banquet hall and leave immediately. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said before?¡± Fabian, as always, was tant. ¡°No, I must have made a mistake. The knights will attend the banquet with dignity.¡± Only ¡°They¡¯re supposed to.¡± Fabian raised the ss with an arrogant smile. ¡°I want to hold a toast for the Felice Kingdom who arranged the banquet.¡± Fabian also got up from his seat. At once, the banquet rose in a single stroke. Compared to any formal banquet in the imperial family, this banquet was much more dignified. ¡°For the King and the Queen and Princess Evelyn.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤For the¡­¡± They all raised their sses and followed the Emperor and Evelyn joined them without knowing what to say. At that moment, Fabian made eye contact with Evelyn over the raised ss. And he was smiling, for some reason. Chapter 41: Woman’s chatter The sses that everyone raised in unison was sparkling. After seeing Fabian¡¯s strange smile at her, Evelyn swallowed the embarrassment only in her heart. Even if she didn¡¯t know what the intention was, Fabian¡¯s ck eyes, which seemed to look at her with a cold face, made her feel awkward. ¡®What? he¡¯s¡­ so scary¡­¡¯ In fact, in his own way, Fabian tried to show his little sincerity. But Evelyn pretended not to see that smile and quickly turned her eyes. In her eyes, his facial expression seemed threatening and intimidating, unlike Fabian¡¯s true intentions. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to kill me?¡¯ If Fabian knew what she was thinking, he would have gone crazy and felt unfair, but fortunately, he enjoyed the banquet with pride. The Emperor¡¯s appearance was rare even at a banquet held in the Imperial Family, so the nobles gathered warmly and were busy stamping their faces. ¡°I¡¯ll have to say hello to the Emperor.¡± Arthur and Miriam got up from their seat to show some etiquette. But Evelyn shook her head after remembering his evil look earlier. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to say hello to all the rest of thedies.¡± Fortunately, Reba came to her side, and Evelyn quickly moistened her dry lips with wine. As it turned out, the nobledies¡¯ eyes turned towards them. They were going to gossip about two troubled widows with their colorful hair pulled up while holding their hand-fan. ¡°Princess, the hyenas are here.¡± ¡°I know. I already have a headache from the smell of perfume. Are you all right?¡± Evelyn had been curious about it from before. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. I think I gave up my sense of smell.¡± ¡°You have a simr mind with me. I thought the imperial man had a dull sense of smell.¡± It wasn¡¯t a joke. The smell hurt her head even a few steps away. But there was no mystery about the human body as they poured various perfumes into bottles and talked with their heads facing each other. ¡°They¡¯reing this way.¡± Reba whispered coolly with a beautiful smile. The nobledies were so focused on decorating themselves that they looked just like a flock of birds. Well, their intellectual level was no different. ¡°Be careful, before the banquet started, I went to His Majesty and they looked at me cynically.¡± ¡°Woah, I¡¯m trying to remember the old days.¡± Like Reba, Evelyn, with her weapon-smile, whispered in a low voice. ¡°Greetings to the Princess of Felice Kingdom and Lady Akshire.¡± Lady Satin, the group leader, gave an example with her blue-feather fan, which was simr to her outfit. The otherdies also smiled strangely and gave proper greetings. When Evelyn was Empress, they were always selfish, so now there¡¯s nothing more to look at. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you in such good health when I¡¯ve had so many concerns about you in the social world.¡± ¡°Ah ¡­ I think you¡¯re still the same.¡± ¡°You must have had a lot of trouble preparing for the banquet.¡± Between the loving words, there were so many invisible thorns. And in her experience, this wasn¡¯t apliment. ¡°It¡¯s not the Imperial family, so I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not easy to make these arrangements in a ce where there¡¯s nothing.¡± said Countess Hernia. She was doing her role well. In just two words, she pointed out that Evelyn and Reba had divorced and left the Empire.That the Felice Kingdom was a small country. They even underestimated the capability of both of them. Evelyn had the feeling as if she had returned to the imperial family for a moment. Thedies didn¡¯t change a bit, as if they had just met yesterday. ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t done anything in particr. With God¡¯s blessing, this year our Kingdom is filled with prosperity and wealth, and Akshire¡¯s glory has helped me with their extraordinary eyes.¡± But it¡¯s different from Evelyn. She changed. The nobledies remembered the former Empress, who never responded to them properly. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to be able to share friendship. Right, Lady Reba?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. I am grateful for all this wealth and prosperity.¡± The nobledies, except Lady Satin, whispered something to each other. Evelyn, who had no base of support in Imperial society, rarely bowed to her pride, choosing to stay alone. And she was leftpletely out ofdies. But she had been like a totally different person in this ce. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the generosity of His Majesty. Wasn¡¯t you really worried before the banquet started? ¡­¡­ I wonder if His Majesty actually didn¡¯t want toe because this banquet disturbed him.¡± ¡°Why did you say it out? Of course, today¡¯s banquet couldn¡¯t be finished.¡± ¡°Really, your majesty¡¯s generosity cannot be followed.¡± ¡°Yes, we were surprised, too. His Majesty is a very fair person who shows that he doesn¡¯t mind being in the same ce with the Princess.¡± Evelyn tried to hold back herughter. When she looked at them from this spot, they were afraid of the day when she was smiling. Everything clumsy and meaningless, as if watching a child lie. She felt like a stupid person as she thought about it about why she was hurt by their words before. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re still worried about us. Right, Princess?¡± Evelyn held Reba¡¯s hand tight, who was staring at the Lady Satin¡¯s blue-feather fan, like a cat looking at her prey. Otherwise, Reba might jump in and snatch her blue-fan. ¡°We¡¯re ashamed that we can¡¯t even set up a banquet curtain ¡­ Oh, I¡¯m sorry, my tongue is twisted.¡± ¡°Lady Satin, you seem to have been twisting your tongue a lot, so does it hurt? I¡¯m worried, too.¡± Evelyn wasughing, and the smile of Lady Satin then hardened a little. Evelyn lived in a limbo state, even though she was the Empress before. After divorcing and returning to the Kingdom, she was in shabby condition, but her life now was different from before. ¡°Of course, I understand thedies¡¯ concerns. The Imperial Family is very rich, but not all the nobles can do that¡­..¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. Not all nobles can enjoy natural prosperity like the Felice Kingdom. Unfortunately, you have to keep your families with limited estates which is surrounded by forest.¡± The nobledies were trying to despise Evelyn by saying that they were born noble and educated. This was because the ancestor of the Felice Kingdom had no long history and wasn¡¯t a nobleman. Thend of Felice Kingdom was small. So, many peopleughed at them, who made money from doing business. ¡°Oh, no, I didn¡¯t realize the difficulties because I lived only in the Imperial Pce and the Felice Pce. Is it okay for everyone to stay here?¡± asked Evelyn. She pretended to be worried about the hospitality of thedies. It was such a painful blow that made Lady Satin to bit her lips hard behind the fan. And also, it was a reminder of the fact that no one could follow the heel of the Felice Kingdom without wealth. ¡°I didn¡¯t think much about it. Well, I actually wanted to prepare a gift for this banquet because it was organized in a nice way, but unfortunately I have to hand over it for your stay and travel expenses.¡± Evelyn said. It was the Felice Kingdom¡¯s ¡®vulgar-gold-coins¡¯ which the nobles most spoke ill of. It was an inferiorityplex that drove them crazy. They wanted to be richer than anyone else, but they were jealous because they didn¡¯t have it. ¡°Princess, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Reba didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and stepped in. ¡°How can the nobles of the Empire receive money? It¡¯s against their pride. Look, nobledies are very pennywise! No matter how many banquets we hold, they always wear the dress they always use everyday.¡± Evelyn tried to hold back herughter. Reba seemed to be half-failed. It was worth seeing thedies in front of them having variousplexions like a vegetable shop. Evelyn had given up the idea that ¡®I didn¡¯t want to be a person who made fun of other people¡¯s weaknesses,¡¯ or ¡®I didn¡¯t want to be on the same level as the enemy.¡¯ An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That was right. ¡°Thank you Lady Reba, you saved me from making mistakes.¡± Evelyn was about to stop doing that kind of childish thing when a different figure suddenly entered Evelyn¡¯s view. It was Fabian, the Emperor, who appeared behind the despicabledies. Their distance was close, but it was ambiguous to give a separate example because Evelyn was walking around at the banquet. ¡°Yes, Princess. You should always be wary of mistakes. Especially today, because this is His Majesty¡¯s banquet. It¡¯s important to serve Him well. Of course, even in the imperial family, it was difficult, so it would be harder here.¡± Lady Satin dug up Evelyn¡¯s divorce. She might have thought it was Evelyn¡¯s fatal weakness, but Evelyn didn¡¯t give a response. Besides, those words couldn¡¯t hurt her anymore. ¡°Well, at least, you should show some effort and try it, right?¡± Instead, Evelyn felt a little sympathy for Lady Satin when she saw Fabian had shed a murderous aura behind her. ¡°What kind of effort ?¡± Thedies hardened to Fabian¡¯s low voice. Some of them seemed as if they wanted to think of it as hallucinations. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here, Your Majesty.¡± Thedies were all giving examples at once. Only then did Evelyn show him the courtesy too, but Fabian waved his hand. ¡°Continue what you said before. It¡¯s very interesting.¡± Fabian said, his cold eyes stared sharply at Lady Satin. ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep on? It¡¯s a story I¡¯ve never heard of in my life.¡± ¡°Forgive me, It was just a woman¡¯s talk.¡± The woman¡¯s chatter wasn¡¯t something the man could mingle with. But there were also certain limits. Fabian was oddly annoying from the beginning, but hearing what he said was a new sight for Evelyn. Besides, it was an insult to ridicule the Emperor about his marriage and divorce. ¡°It seemed like there¡¯s my marriage history in your conversation.¡± Thedies lowered their eyes. ¡°If you can¡¯t speak with your tongue, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to pull it out?¡± The nobledies¡¯ faces were already sunken. The atmosphere in the banquet hall turned into cold water instantly, and no one listened to music or drank alcohol. ¡°Your Majesty, I ¡­..¡± ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t want to hear any dirty excuses. Don¡¯t dare you call me with that mouth.¡± Only The Imperial marriage was a matter of concern to the whole Empire, so Fabian knew more or less what people thought. But, it appeared they knew too much. He couldn¡¯t even imagine that it would be a mockery in front of Evelyn, the person involved. ¡°And, what is the Princess doing?¡± His anger turned to a different ce. Fabian was looking at Evelyn. ¡°What the hell, I¡¯m asking you why you¡¯ve been so quiet to listen such a dirty story.¡± Even the orchestra had stopped ying music. To put it in other words, the banquet was already over. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what your Majesty is saying.¡± Among those people, Evelyn was the only one who answered calmly. Chapter 42: Last banquet Everyone was in frozen mode, looking at the Evelyn and Fabian. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as it is.¡± In Fabian¡¯s eyes, those low-gradedies were no better than worms. So, he became even madder at Evelyn. ¡°Why did you just listen to those shittydies? Don¡¯t you know that punishing and ruling is your duty, too? Or there¡¯s no such rule in the Felice Kingdom?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But there¡¯s aw in here too.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was calm, but her blue eyes were powerful. She was determined not to tolerate Fabian¡¯s anger which she felt was out of ce. Even though thosedies never knew it, why did hee and meddle in women¡¯s stories? Why was he so angry at her? ¡°But, because they are the Empire¡¯sdies, they were here as the people of the Empire, right?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice was deeply angered, but Evelyn¡¯s lips smiled faintly. It was a bitter, nostalgia smile from the past. She could never forget the moment she first went with a swollen dream to the Imperial family. It wasn¡¯t long after she had got a proposal from Fabian. But what awaited Evelyn was not Fabian but a huge amount of bridal and etiquette lessons. ¡°How could I, who have a higher status, take their faults in my mouth?¡± What Evelyn had learned at that time was of no use to her life. It was like that when she was socializing with nobledies and meeting them. Evelyn, who was young and delicate, was hurt many times by their harsh words. On an unusually tough day, when Evelyn cautiously confessed it, Fabian¡¯s response was a masterpiece. ¡°When my subordinates speak and rudeughably in front of me, it means that I don¡¯t have any dignity and that I¡¯m seen as a joke. If I-who-don¡¯t-have-a-dignity- scold them, I¡¯ll be aughing stock. If I rule myself and have dignity, the rest will follow by itself.¡± Evelyn said, repeating what Fabian had told her in the past. ¡°Huh, you sound like a wise person after seeing this?¡± said Fabian coldly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a wise person, it was a life¡¯s lesson from you.¡± Evelyn was giving back what Fabian had said. Even he didn¡¯t speak this long, but he thoughtlessly said something simr, as if it were a trivial matter, and after that, he suddenly fell asleep as if he were tired. Then she would wake up when Fabian had fallen asleep. The memory of her who woke up crying out loud for fear beside the sleeping Fabian couldn¡¯t be erased. ¡°I never taught you such a stuffy lesson.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising. For Evelyn, Fabian was a person who couldn¡¯t remember most of his actions, and he was a shameless man. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between staying still and agreeing to them?¡± ¡°Your Majesty seems to have misinterpreted the woman¡¯s way of speaking, but it¡¯s okay because it wasn¡¯t too wrong.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°It is difficult to hold a banquet in the Felice Kingdom as elegant as the imperial family. That¡¯s why I borrowed the hand of the Lady Akshire. It¡¯s important to serve Your Majesty, so I should avoid making mistakes.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± Lady Satin clearly had a different meaning. It¡¯s likely if she was criticized because she could not serve the Emperor properly as an Empress, but Lady Satin mocked Evelyn¡¯s life, asking if she could serve the Emperor properly in such a small kingdom. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. I¡¯m probably the one who¡¯s stupid.¡± Evelyn was stillughing, and it made Fabian more upset. ¡°Do youugh even in this situation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. I¡¯m used to this.¡± Evelyn was looking straight into Fabian¡¯s eyes. Her blue eyes seemed to me Fabian for everything. It wasn¡¯t that far from reality. This was just a piece of Imperial life that Evelyn had gone through. It was the daily routine and humiliation from which Fabian turned away from. ¡°It¡¯s unpleasant to blur the point.¡± Actually, Fabian came forward after thinking about Evelyn¡¯s situation, but looking at her response, it seemed that he had done something useless. No matter how ego-centred he was, Fabian could see that the person Evelyn despised was him not thosedies. ¡°If your Majesty is unpleasant, I think I was wrong. This is the Felice Kingdom, so may I correct their mistakes in my own way?¡± Now, thosedies¡¯ job was kind of good for Fabian. It was just disappointing that there was no trace of regret in Evelyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Such trivial things¡­Do as you please. ¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s too trivial to disturb your sincerity.¡± To the end, Evelyn kept dragging herself out of the past. Now, It was like bringing up the little things of the past, and she turned Fabian into a bad ex-husband. But still, those baddies had done evil acts, and he had such eyes on them. ¡°Yes.¡± Well, Evelyn never said she hated him. But she also never told him why. Then Fabian left as he pleased. ¡°I understood your meaning well.¡± Fabian turned around roughly while pulling his robe back. The already-finished banquet came to an end with the Emperor¡¯s departure. Evelyn was the only one who remained calm. For her, this storm was nothing. And it was a good thing that Fabian had understood what she meant. ¡°Princess.¡± Reba gently took Evelyn¡¯s hand, and with her body temperature, she gave encouragement andfort. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Evelyn nodded. ¡°I know.¡± In fact, what Evelyn said a while ago was something Reba¡¯s ex-husband said, not Fabian. Maybe Evelyn had a regretful heart now. ¡°The banquet we¡¯ve been preparing for a long time has been a mess.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s starting now.¡± Reba said. Her green eyes were shining. ¡°Now you have to punish them with thew of the Felice Kingdom, right?¡± Evelyn readout Reba¡¯s excited expression. Besides, Fabian left a message to do as she wanted. So, it didn¡¯t matter what the Emperor said and did, because this was the Felice Kingdom. ¡°Yes, I almost forgot the important thing.¡± Somehow Reba¡¯s face looked so bright. Arthur and Miriam dered that the banquet would be over and left the rest to Evelyn before leaving their seats. It meant that Arthur was handing over the full decision-making authority to his daughter. ¡°Wait a minute, I need to clean up first.¡± Reba smiled, and with her modest skill, she cleaned the surroundings and leaving thedies and their husbands behind. ¡°This should have been Akshire¡­¡± The dish turned so sad. The only thing that could serve in Akshire¡¯s residence now was the jade¡¯s tea. But it was quite breathtaking to see thedies who were sitting on their fidgety knelt in front of Evelyn. ¡°Princess, something was misunderstood, we never mean ¡­.¡± At the moment, Evelyn put her index finger on her lips. Then Marquis Satin stabbed his wife with his elbow and closed her mouth. ¡°I made a mistake with my mouth and tongue, and I won¡¯t make fun of you again.¡± It was also annoying to hear their excuses. In truth, Evelyn herself hated their voices. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a mistake, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± said Evelyn, ¡°But if I don¡¯t do anything, it will go against Your Majesty¡¯s will¡­ I can¡¯t help it.¡± Unlike her words, Evelyn¡¯s expression was cold, and Reba couldn¡¯t hide her smile. ¡°Thew of Felice Kingdom is very simple. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.¡± Lady Satin¡¯s hand trembled when she heard it. ¡°You¡¯ve done wrong with your tongue, so you will have to pay the price with your tongue.¡± Evelyn recalled what Fabian had said earlier, that he would pull her tongue out. And all of a sudden the blue-feathers fan dropped to the floor. ¡°The deposition will be passed on to the royal decree soon.¡± It seemed that Evelyn threatened to punish them until they were terrified. ¡°Then, Reba?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess!¡± Reba¡¯s voice was really spirited. When Evelyn reached out, Reba escorted her as if she were looking forward to it. ¡°Oh, my.¡± A sweet voice came out. Under Reba¡¯s shoes, Lady Satin¡¯s blue feather-fan was trampled like a chicken¡¯s hair. ¡°I made a mistake ¡­¡­¡± After Reba slipped away, Evelyn¡¯s shoes trampled on the fan again. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She didn¡¯t mean it, but her feet just moved on their own. How frightening was the subconscious? And, At the moment, Evelyn felt that her long-suffering was going down. ¡°There is a lot of chicken hair in my kingdom, so I willpensate with the same thing.¡± After Evelyn had spat out to thest end, she turned her body arrogantly. The feeling of winning over the lower-ss women, and the childish battle over anyone else, was surprisingly refreshing. She could feel the joy which gave no honour or nobility. ¡°Princess¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± As soon as she left the door, Reba said in a quivering voice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If I were a man, I would propose to you right away.¡± Evelynughed after listening to Reba¡¯s sincere heart. ¡°I¡¯m telling you. I¡¯mpletely in love with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t ept a proposal now.¡± ¡°Well, I agree with that.¡± The steps of the two women were lighter than feathers. The banquet was over, but she kept walking forward as if she was dancing. ¡°Are you really going to pull their tongue out?¡± ¡°Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me sick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Instead, I have an idea. How if we make them speechless for a year in public?¡± said Reba with an evil smile. Then Evelyn nodded unconsciously. Couldn¡¯t speak ill and criticize people was the hardest punishment for them. ¡°Reba, I almost fell in love with you just now.¡± The two women held their hands together. They no longer seemed to care if the banquet was ruined. Now the hearts of the two were beyond a banquet. ¡°But I¡¯m also won¡¯t ept proposal anymore.¡± Reba¡¯s refreshing words had lightened Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°Today¡¯s banquet, it was really the best.¡± The biggest harvest was that Fabian finally knew what she meant. And that¡¯s enough for Evelyn. Only ¡°Yes, I will never forget it forever. It is regrettable that I don¡¯t meet my ex-husband¡­.¡± ¡°The best ex-husband is the one you can¡¯t see.¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Contrary to her concerns, Fabian seemed to left the kingdom in disgust by Evelyn¡¯s attitude. But it was the ending that Evelyn wanted. ¡®Probably, that was thest one.¡¯ The wind was blowing softly. Evelyn sent away Fabian with all her heart left in the wind. Chapter 43: Paint the new future. Fabian rode his horse roughly. The ck mane fluttered in the strong wind. Fabian¡¯s speed was terrifying as he continued to spur even after surpassing the ck Hawk Knights. ¡®Because I¡¯m used to this.¡¯ No matter how fast he spurred the horse, he couldn¡¯t forget Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes, which were looked at him at the time. Her figure was more irritating than those whoughed with their tongue. The conversation he had overheard between noble women sounded very natural, that he could easily guess what Evelyn looked like when she was an Empress. ¡®Frustrating, stupid!¡¯ Fabian couldn¡¯t stand it at all when Evelyn said she was used to that. After he gave her everything, he was unable to understand why she acted so stupidly. Above everything, just thinking about it made his heart burn like a bottle of decay. ¡®Who said that ¡­ Who told you to stay still to their crap! Once his mind was chaotic, it was hard for Fabian to get rid of his anger. He was just upset with all that had happened. Evelyn, who didn¡¯t make a face about it, and thedies who picked up trashy words, were dared to be sarcastic about the Emperor¡¯s marriage. ¡®A stupid woman.¡¯ But the thing that hurt him the most was Evelyn of the past. Fabian was angry with her, who had endured such words so many times in a ce where she didn¡¯t appear by chance like today. The more he thought about how Evelyn put up with those words, the more frustrating he was. If only she told him once, he could have pulled out thedies¡¯ tongues. No, Fabian could do even more than that. ¡°Who ordered you to take the misfortune on your own? Why do you always do as you please?¡± Evelyn had never asked Fabian for help. She didn¡¯t say anything at all. Her excuse that she was afraid of his eyes didn¡¯t make sense, because the Empress was the only person who could be alone with the Emperor. Fabian couldn¡¯t ept that she kept silent until the end, foolishly endured alone, and told him she wanted to divorce. ¡®Only, for that reason, you¡¯re leaving.¡¯ For the first time, Fabian was angry at Evelyn. No, actually, he was mad at himself. He¡¯s angry at Evelyn because he didn¡¯t want to admit that he knew nothing. One day, when he thought he could have stopped a sudden breakup, he became so distressed, so he was deceiving his feelings in this way. ¡®If you talk so coldly, do you think anyone will regret it?¡¯ The Emperor was in a position not to have any regrets. At least while he was alive, all his words and actions were right and perfect. If something went wrong, it wasn¡¯t Fabian¡¯s fault, it¡¯s the other¡¯sck. ¡®Who¡¯s doing that? Someone has regretted it toote.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s hands were tightened with the reins. The emperor had no such feeling. He had to. So Fabian was just angry now. He was angry at the disrespectful nobles, and he was angry at the stupid princess¡¯s attitude. Fabian still didn¡¯t seem to know that such a scene was the trigger for their breakup. **** The hosts looked satisfied, even though the banquet ended badly. The King and the Queen left their tired guests and went to rest happily and Evelyn had a nice time with the Akshire¡¯s brother and sister who were still full of energy. ¡°Ha, I feel like I¡¯m finally breathing after His Majesty has left.¡± Evelyn smiled at ease and Liam couldn¡¯t figure out why she seemed more happy. Between the two, only Reba read a strange atmosphere between them. ¡°Come on, Liam. Tell me more about it.¡± asked Reba. ¡°¡­..What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why do you think that you¡¯ve been called here, with no fun and no speech?¡± Liam zed his eyes at Reba¡¯s beating. He meant, it wasn¡¯t good intentions to help his heart a little while she criticized him for everything. ¡°You saw the Emperor¡¯s party off to the border. We want to hear that vivid story!¡± For a moment, he forgot what kind of person his sister was. Liam stared at Reba with a dissatisfied eyes, but of course she couldn¡¯t get it. As soon as he sent the Emperor away, he thought it was strange that he was suddenly invited toe here. ¡°Isn¡¯t the princess curious, too?¡± ¡°Well, a little.¡± But for Evelyn, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°I-I¡¯m here to tell you the details, actually.¡± Reba smiled inside when Liam immediately changed his posture. Even though her younger brother was nauseous, she couldn¡¯t hate his innocence. ¡°His Majesty¡­.It seemed like he was very angry on his way back.¡± ¡°Hmm, can I expect more punishment for those uglydies?¡± Reba replied positively, but Evelyn shook her head, ¡°No, he¡¯s mad at me.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous. There¡¯s no reason for that!¡± Liam jumped up. Reba felt her younger brother was getting change a little by little. ¡°Those who insult the Princess are sinners, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Evelyn gave a faint smile, ¡°But His Majesty is honest about his feelings, he was angry with me when he said that he knew what I meant.¡± Fabian was human, too, so he surely had feelings. Even Evelyn, who lived as a couple, could notice his faint expression a little bit. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good for me. Now that he¡¯s mad at me, he doesn¡¯t have to put pressure on me to stay in the Felice Kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Pure Liam didn¡¯t understand all of Evelyn¡¯s words. The feelings between a man and a woman, and between a couple who had already separated, were still too difficult for him. But one thing for sure, that Evelyn¡¯s ex-husband had left in anger was the good news. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t harm the Felice Kingdom in the future.¡± Evelyn mumbled casually, but in contrary, Liam¡¯s face was filled with tension. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ No, the Akshire will always be a powerful ally of the Felice Kingdom for ever.¡± ¡®Good job, Liam.¡¯ Reba only cheered her brother in her heart. ¡°Not only the Duke, but our Akshire could be your strength.¡± ¡°Thanks for the word, and you¡¯re the Duke¡­.. you¡¯re too humble.¡± The Duke of Akshire¡¯s wealth was simr to the Felice Kingdom. They had a long story, as well as the property, and the business of estate were also behind them. In other words, it was grateful that Liam, a worthy monarch, promised a strong alliance. ¡°The Empire has never been friendly to the Duke or to any other kingdom, so you don¡¯t have to worry about Your Majesty.¡± Liam looked at Evelyn with a serious face. And that was the best courage for her. ¡°I and Akshire will be the power of the Princess and the Kingdom of Felice. So¡­ You can forget about the Empire.¡± ¡°Thank you. I feel reassured listening to Lord Liam.¡± The atmosphere was warm. Liam was already imagining the centennials of Felice Kingdom and Akshire. Like his burning heart, he wanted to paint an immortal alliance that would never be broken. ¡°Well, in my eyes, he¡¯s still not enough, he seems like it¡¯s a little Duke, right?¡± Reba stepped up on purpose and broke the the atmosphere. It was obvious what Liam was thinking. But literally a hundred years was his quick idea. Even more, he couldn¡¯t do anything about the love in front of him. ¡°And if you¡¯re a great Duke, it¡¯s time to fulfill your responsibilities. It¡¯s tactless to sit on women¡¯s tea-time, isn¡¯t it something you don¡¯t notice?¡± ¡°Sister¡­..¡± Liam bit his mr tightly and spoke low, but Reba pretended not to hear. ¡°Woman don¡¯t like a tactless man, Even though he¡¯s a Duke.¡± It was a magical word that forced Liam to leave on his own. Liam said goodbye to Evelyn and left the door under Reba¡¯s trick, even though he still wanted to be there. ¡°You¡¯re good at things like this all the time.¡± ¡°Oh, no matter how old my brother was, he¡¯s a simple human being.¡± Rebaughed in victory. ¡°But he said something useful¡­..¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡± That I don¡¯t have to worry about the Empire. I think I¡¯vee back from my divorce, and and I think too much of it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Both Evelyn and Reba weren¡¯t from the Empire, but they had married and divorced an Imperial man. And Reba¡¯s ex husband was the Duke of Perth, a long time Imperial¡¯s right-hand. ¡°My father was thinking about the distant future, so he was trying to build a rtionship with the Empire. So we can expand the geographical boundaries and territorial problems of Akshire.¡± The same was true for Kingdom of Felice. The Empire¡¯s southernnd was very prosperous but the culture, customs, and crops were quite differentpared to their Kingdom. ¡°Well, Akshire and our Kingdom are all focused on trade. Expanding the territory is an important matter.¡± ¡°It was wrong to say that marriage would solve that problem.¡± Evelyn nodded with the same heart. ¡°The predecessor of Akshire, like my father, is a wise man, unlike Liam.¡± ¡°I know that. He¡¯s my father¡¯s old friend.¡± Evelyn said. ¡°When I came back from my divorce, I still remember what my father said.¡± Honestly, Evelyn was curious about it, but she couldn¡¯t ask. When Evelyn returned, her father Arthur grumbled, but he weed her with warm arms. And Evelyn knew it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°My father was always strict, so I was prepared to be kicked out, but when he asked me casually if I really came back without a problem, I just went back to my daily life.¡± Indeed he was a great father like Arthur, without reason, there was no way they could be friends. Only ¡°But the overall situation was not good. It happened just before all agreements were signed with the Duchess of Perth to expand the tradework ¡­.¡± Reba said with a smile, but Evelyn could see how painful her heart must have been. ¡°I had no choice but to say I was sorry, but my fatherughed at me. And he told me. After being divorced, it¡¯s impossible for us to meet, so we should never again have such a stupid n to ask how to seek unity with the Empire.¡± It was a wise and bold word. It wasn¡¯t the races ornguages but the cultures that were very, very different. ¡°So I felt relieved. It¡¯s not that I couldn¡¯t adapted, but I think between us and the Imperial people we¡¯re very different from each other from the beginning¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, definitely.¡± Evelyn nodded. It wasn¡¯t simply Liam¡¯s good will or her friendship with Reba. Evelyn had lived in the present, free from the past. And the time hade to paint the new future. Chapter 44: Promise Ring Fabian and ck Hawk Knights decided to stay at the noble mansion on their way to the Empire for a day. Since he pushed his body to the limit, Fabian must have been tired, but it was amazing that he didn¡¯t show such a sign at all. ¡°Your Majesty, the horses and the knights are exhausted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re staying overnight.¡± Serus was very lucky. If it were him alone, Fabian would have stayed all night running alone. And above all else, he must obey Fabian¡¯s words. ¡°Would it be possible to rest in one day?¡± Serus asked carefully. Hearing that, Fabian kicked his tongue, ¡°Is this the level of the ck Hawk Knights, my bodyguard?¡± ¡°Your Majesty is too strong.¡± In fact, Fabian himself was stronger than the Knights in the ck Hawk, and he was excellent in martial arts as well. His natural body, and limitless mind, made him the strongest man in the continent. So the Knights couldn¡¯t surpass the fabian, no matter how skilled they were. ¡°The ck Knights are excellent. If it were another group of knights we wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still weak.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much, Your Majesty¡­¡± Fabian red at him. His eyes made Serus speechless, ¡°We will do our best to return as soon as possible to the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ No, there¡¯s a ce I need to stop by before that.¡± Serus looked up with a puzzled face at Fabian. He thought Fabian would run to the Imperial Pce to fulfill the overdue duties, but where else would he go? ¡°Where are you going¡­.?¡± ¡± Where else¡­stupid¡­¡± Fabian frowned, looking at him, and then Serus remembered what he had forgotten. ¡°Oh, are you going to visit Duke of Perth?¡± asked Serus. ¡°Yeah, ckck¡­..you¡¯re really a bad son.¡± ¡°Well,, it¡¯s a little bit¡­.. to hear that from Your Majesty.¡± But Serus, who knew his status, quickly shut his mouth. He heard the rebuke, but strangely he didn¡¯t feel bad. It was the Duchess of Perth, the person Fabian wanted to meet and spend his precious time with. She was Serus¡¯s mother, as well as Fabian¡¯s caretaker. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. My mother is the daughter of Metis, not the Empress of the Empire.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice was very bitter. ¡°Honestly, I doubt that she¡¯s really my mother who gave birth to me.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you shouldn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°I know. And there¡¯s no doubt. There¡¯s a couple of witnesses.¡± One way of maintaining high-ranking aristocratic titles in the imperial family was by producing heirs. This was a way to show legitimacy, and the rules to enforce loyalty, Fabian¡¯s birth was arranged in such a way so that he became an Empress¡¯s son. ¡°But that¡¯s all.¡± Fabian was obviously a child that was born from Empress. But he never drank her breast-milk, and most of the princes were born like that. And The Empress gave up parenting him after showing her son, that she gave birth proudly in front of the others. ¡°It was the Duchess who raised me in the first ce, not my mother.¡± A mother of two, who had been chosen carefully in advance. The one who breastfed him when he was a baby and was responsible for caring and raising him was the Duchess of Perth. He was an important child who would be the Imperial sessor. It wasmon for aristocrats not to be raised by their biological parents for reasons of love, as it would spoil them. ¡°I hope the Duchess gets better.¡± Fabian was rarely concerned with anyone, so people called him a cold-blooded perfectionist, but Serus knew he wasn¡¯t. Like most of the Imperial Man, Fabian expressed his feelings in a clumsy way. ¡°My mother would be more reluctant to make Your Majesty worried.¡± ¡°I know. She¡¯s so strict with manners.¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s very strong. Your Majesty, I, and my brother, we¡¯ve been hit so many times by her whip.¡± Recalling that moment, Fabianughed faintly and nodded. She dared to hit the crown prince because Duchess Perth really raised him with the same heart as her own child. Thanks to this, some in the Empire even said that Fabian treated Duchess Perth more like a mother than his own biological mother, the Empress Dowager. ¡°Well, do you feel a little better now?¡± Serus asked. ¡°When did I get angry?¡± Showing personal feelings It was an act that wasn¡¯t like the emperor. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s how it was after you left Felice Kingdom. Anyone else might not, but I know.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t deny it. It was difficult to hide anything from Serus. ¡°Serus, did you know that the nobledies despise the Empress?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know, because I was taught not to interfere with women¡¯s affairs.¡± Fabian also was taught like that. A woman¡¯s business is her own business. What¡¯s going on inside the pce shouldn¡¯t be allowed toe out. He must not find out, not even interfere. ¡°Isn¡¯t it something like a Marquis or a Count saying words and doing evil things to me, Emperor?¡± Anger became truth, and truth became confusion again. ¡°But my mother might know what a woman is like.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not really interested.¡± Fabian said something that wasn¡¯t in his mind. ¡°She said as if I had left her until she was treated like that. But which husband likes to see his wife being treated like that? What a stupid woman.¡± It was very awkward to see him heating up alone when Serus even didn¡¯t ask about it. ¡°If you have nothing more to say, I¡¯ll go back.¡± Serus said quietly and disappeared. ¡°Stupid¡­.¡± His rage, which had just subsided, tried to reappear. ¡°Yeah, you never needed me.¡± The same was true even now. Evelyn never once asked Fabian for help or leaned on him. ¡°I was nothing.¡± Fabian murmured sadly. Then he took the note out of his hand and threw it into the firece. The first thing he wrote about Evelyn Felice was instantly burning and turning to ashes. ¡°It¡¯s not worth thinking about.¡± He soon turned his hand to a pendant ne. The pendant, an inherited treasure of the imperial family, could keep a small portrait inside and had a hidden space to store small items. In the past, the imperial family¡¯s ancestors always put poison in it to determine their own fate when captured by the enemy. ¡°Now¡­.¡± What Fabian put there was a wedding ring. It was the same ring that Evelyn left before the Empress, without any regret. ¡°A thing like this¡­..¡± Fabian held the ring on his palm and raised his fist as if he were throwing it into the firece. It was something that Evelyn had thrown away. So what¡¯s the problem if he threw it away too? No, he should have thrown it away earlier. ¡°Fuck¡­.¡± Fabian¡¯s fist that was holding the ring drooped helplessly. The wedding ring was still on the ring finger of his left hand. Evelyn believed that he was wearing the ring without any thought or meaning, but Fabian¡¯s heart was a little different. ¡°How could you be so cold?¡± Sharing a ring was a bond for Fabian, and an oath and ceremony. That meant they were reliant on each other forever. That¡¯s why Fabian never took out the ring Evelyn wore at the wedding ceremony. Because he believed that a wedding ring should be like that. [¡®There was magic on the wedding ring. When they were pinched on each other¡¯s finger-ring¡¯, the magic would tie the two together ¡®] And it was Evelyn, who whispered it with her blushing cheeks. [¡®So, never take off this ring.¡¯] [¡®No matter how angry you are at me, or even if you hate me and don¡¯t want to see me¡­¡¯] Fabian didn¡¯t believe in superstitions. What he wanted to protect was Evelyn¡¯s request, not the magic of the ring. [¡®As long as we don¡¯t take off this ring, our rtionship won¡¯t end. Because the God of Marriage will protect us.¡¯] Fabian was sick of it and tired, but the left hand that held the ring gave him strength. ¡°That¡¯s what you said to me¡­¡­¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t throw the ring in the end. The magic that Evelyn had whispered to him stuck to him like a curse now. Took off a wedding ring meant to void the marriage contract that was made in this life. Divorce was a rare thing. And Fabian also believed that there was only one marriage in his life. ¡°Why.¡± Fabian still didn¡¯t know why. There wasn¡¯t even a small quarrel between them. But one day, she suddenly said goodbye and disappeared. He couldn¡¯t understand Evelyn, who had easily forgotten her past promise that only the person who put in the wedding ring could break it. ¡°It¡¯s so easy.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice rang bitterly. Little by little, the word divorce, which he had hardly forgotten about, began toe to light. Everything before the Empress was the same. This was because after she left, Evelyn told not to change a single thing. At the time, Fabian felt more rxed and quickly rejecting truth than epting the separation as it was. ¡°Why, it¡¯s so easy just for you?¡± But the moment he saw life on Evelyn¡¯s cheeks when he met her again, Fabian¡¯s heart was broken. His heart which he promised himself that he would never look back, and not be shaken, copsed. ¡°Why, it¡¯s not easy for me¡­?¡± Evelyn looked happy. She was living in the present without him. Fabian, who denied the breakup and was still trapped in the past, was shining shabbily. ¡°You¡¯ve already abandoned it.¡± Only Fabian knew in his head that the imperial divorce was not easy. And he knew well in his head that Evelyn, who had left him so coldly, had no intention ofing back. ¡°But¡­..I can¡¯t even throw it away.¡± Fabian failed to throw the ring and put it back into the pendant. There was no way that he could throw Evelyn¡¯s ring into the fire without removing his own ring from his finger. ¡°It¡¯s sucks¡­¡­¡± He spoke to himself in a low voice. The memory of Evelyn, leaving without telling him why, was too bitter. He was also hurt by Evelyn, who looked happier than ever. But the cruelest thing was his weak heart, which could not ept the end of it all. Chapter 45: On The White Tower The departure of the troublesome Emperor brightened up the royal pce¡¯s atmosphere, and the joy didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Again, say it again!¡± The King, who had left his throne with passionate eyes that shone and filled with excitement, had be amon view in Felice Pce. ¡°Say to me!¡± Arthur, who had forgotten his kingly status, lying down on the carpet. As if he had a flower blooming on his face, he was still struggling with the bitter unrequited love of his life. ¡°Ah! Au!¡± The cute little thief, who stole the hearts of Arthur and everyone else, struggled with his wobbly footsteps. ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not what you said earlier.¡± But the person Arthur loved so much was very arrogant. No matter how much Arthur begged, Adrian only swung the silver toy without even looking at him. It was apletely one-sided love story. ¡°Adrian!¡± ¡°Buuu! Me, buuu!¡± ¡°Say something else! Didn¡¯t you just tell me a while ago? Did you?¡± ¡°No!¡± Today Adrian fiercely rejected Arthur and headed towards Evelyn with bold steps. Arthur¡¯s eyes filled with sorrow and immediately turned into jealousy towards Evelyn. ¡°Me, hug!¡± ¡°Adrian, that vites etiquette. And stop it, Dad. He¡¯s really going to be spoiled.¡± ¡°Hung! You don¡¯t know! You don¡¯t know that my heart is broken!¡± ¡°Hug!Hug! Me, hug!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about that cold guy¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤, I¡¯m even gave you a ride on the horse! Adrian, what do you like so much about him?¡± asked Arthur bitterly. When Miriam had been away for a moment, parenting felt so difficult. Mostly, when Miriam¡¯s fierce eyes disappeared, Evelyn felt like her child would increase to two. Even Arthur got jealous of Adrian. A sigh came out, ¡°Father, what are you going to do if Adrian grows up as a child who doesn¡¯t even know manners?¡± ¡°My Adrian won¡¯t be like that.¡± said Arthur. He got up slowly and brushed his clothes from dirt and dust. It was a sign that Adrian was already in Evelyn¡¯s arms, and he was no longer needed. ¡°And obviously, a little while ago, he tried to say a new word to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural that his vocabry increases. You shouldn¡¯t react like that every time Adrian learns a new word.¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Are you teaching me now?¡± ¡°Father, why do you think Adrian could only say ¡®Hug¡¯ and ¡®No¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he only has five, or six teeth now!¡± It was not wrong. But there were a few children of the same age who could say more words. Adrian was already able to speak, so he was supposed to learn a new word. ¡°Because he could do everything, just say two words, so he doesn¡¯t feel the need to speak.¡± In fact, Adrian lived his life to the fullest with just two words. And Arthur wasn¡¯t able to hide his shocked face. ¡°And I¡¯m just wondering if you¡¯re going too far. Try for a bit to be cold-hearted man. Then Adrian will go and hug you first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­really? So it¡¯s not because I¡¯m annoying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. Put up with it for two days, just act as cold as possible.¡± ¡°Adrian really woulde first to me then?¡± It was a tempting offer to Arthur, who had been in unrequited love only recently. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± Arthur stood in his ce for a long time, as if he had made a big decision. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m also the King of this Kingdom¡­I can endure such a trial.¡± Arthur looked determined as if he were going to the battlefield. Evelyn looked calm when she heard her father¡¯s silly words. Now she was used to it until she was tired of it. ¡°Adrian.¡± Arthur stared pitifully at Adrian. ¡°Wait a minute, it¡¯s goodbye.¡± After saying that, Arthur hesitated for a while, and then stormed out of the door. Evelyn sighed and put Adrian down to sit. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off for a moment because Adrian now knew how to walk. Evelyn was tired, and even Arthur, who didn¡¯t help her, made her crazy as well. ¡°Hug!Hug!¡± Recently, Adrian got a big hand. He got bigger and heavier each day, and if they put him down like this for a moment, he quickly asked for a hug. ¡°Hug ? Isn¡¯t it more nice to sit down, huh?¡± When someone heard it, Evelyn¡¯s voice sounded like snorting. ¡°Hug me, hug me!¡± Then, Evelyn hugged Adrian, and she looked at his face. ¡°What the hell are you thinking¡­..?¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart still throbbed when she thought of Adrian, who approached Fabian and waved his fluffy fist like a cotton bat. And Adrian even went so far as he gave orders to the Emperor in clear pronunciation. It was ¡®Hug!¡¯ ¡°Abu-bu-bu, ah! ¡°Yes, of course it could be because you¡¯re a baby.¡± What Evelyn couldn¡¯t understand was Fabian¡¯s reaction. Fabian froze at the moment as if the little baby were a demon. Besides, he went so far as to hugged Adrian gently as his order. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can order the Imperial Majesty. I don¡¯t know why he listened to you¡­..¡± Evelynughed a little when she remembered Fabian¡¯s awkwardness. His figure had remained in her mind. Fabian¡¯s stiff face, who was holding Adrian as if he were holding a bomb, always appeared in her head. Although he looked very awkward, she thought that when he held Adrian, Fabian looked exactly like him. It was also the view that Evelyn wanted to see so much in the past. ¡°Buuu, buuu!¡± Adrian began to shake his hands, and her imagination stopped. It seemed that the tears were almost falling without realizing it. Adrian pped Evelyn¡¯s cheek as if he wanted to say, ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you think about him.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to be sad anymore.¡± This was maybe the best. Instead, it was something to be grateful for. Once upon a time, the scene was Evelyn¡¯s wish, and her wish now was that Adrian grew up safely here. ¡°Right, Adrian?¡± Evelyn hugged the child tightly. She could hardly lift her head because Adrian smelled so good. He said he loved her more than she did, and he was right. Evelyn wouldn¡¯t be this strong if it weren¡¯t for Adrian. ¡°I can¡¯t be your mother¡­¡­.but I will protect you.¡± It didn¡¯t matter how Adrian called her. It was alright if she couldn¡¯t say that she was his mother for the rest of her life. If he could live a happy life in that way, it¡¯s already enough for Evelyn. *** The entire white room was illuminated by the sunlight that shone through the ss of the windows. The top room of the White Tower was the highest and most noble room in the Vatican. From here, the Pope started the day by looking down at the Saint Iretta (Territory of the Vatican). ¡°It¡¯s unexpected. I thought the Emperor would return to Empire right away.¡± Listening to the Pope¡¯s words, the man in the knight armor nodded his head. Without a helmet, he was a beautiful young man with ck hair. His dark blue eyes showed a powerful aura, and his tightly closed lips were smeared with dignity. ¡°David, what¡¯s your opinion?¡± The Pope swept his white beard and asked for his opinion. ¡°At least, the rumor that the Emperor now hates the nobleman seems to be true.¡± ¡°But they can¡¯t be reced. It¡¯s going to be a real headache for him.¡± The Pope seemed quite pleased when he heard that. ¡± The Emperor also hated the nobleman and the Vatican, but he couldn¡¯t get away from them, until his death.¡± The Emperor wasn¡¯t immortal because he was just a human being. ¡°But there¡¯s something else that bothers me more than that.¡± The Pope narrowed his eyes, ¡°¡­¡­Is it about that Wyvern?¡± David nodded, ¡°When I came back to the church and asked the researchers, I couldn¡¯t find a clear answer.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t the sacrifice wrong?¡± David carefully thought about it and shook his head. ¡°It was very little but it definitely was the Emperor¡¯s blood and flesh. I found it myself.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt you.¡± The Pope stared at David. ¡°As I brought a branch from the imperial hunting ground, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s belongs to him. That¡¯s why this experiment was carried out ¡­. In the original case, the Wyverns should attack the Emperor.¡± ¡°Maybe it was because our arrogance to tame the demons entirely.¡± ¡°No, the research was sessful.¡± David still spoke with a firm face, ¡°I¡¯ll look for the cause in more detail.¡± ¡°Yes. It is a great strength to have you. It¡¯s also a blessing for Iretta.¡± The Pope nodded a couple of times. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid to make excessive sacrifices. I¡¯m d that this time the little prince wasn¡¯t hurt, because I almost did something terrible for the Felice Kingdom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small sacrifice for the God¡¯s will. Beside, The prince was safe, though.¡± ¡°It was dangerous. Originally the demons were targeting the adults rather than the children.¡± The Pope kicked his tongue. At that moment, suddenly, David¡¯s eyebrows frowned a little. ¡°Your Holiness¡­..¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°At that time, during the raid, were the Wyverns headed straight for the little prince? Because I¡¯m not sure which direction they were flying ¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It looked like that to me. It was dangerous if the Princess and Lord Liam didn¡¯t step up.¡± David continued to think about the Pope¡¯s words and connect them to the situation. His thoughts were disconnected as if he had missed something important. Initially, the Wyverns were trained to chase only flesh and blood of the Emperor. The experiment didn¡¯t fail, although there was some improvisation. However, the Wyverns couldn¡¯t find the Emperor at the scene, so they sacrificed other people. ¡°It¡¯s a pity for those who lost their lives at that time. It can¡¯t help, the demons want to kill if they lose their target.¡± It was their predator¡¯s instinct. No matter how many times they trained them, they would randomly attack another object if they couldn¡¯t find their target. Only ¡°May his soul, who was sacrificed in random attack, reach the heaven¡­¡± David¡¯s eyes as he watched the Pope gradually deepened his conviction. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was an ambush or a random assassination. The first victims died because they couldn¡¯t find the target, so if they attacked randomly, they didn¡¯t have to target a young child.¡± A wonder suddenly raised in the Pope¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I think we should look at the attack on the victim and the little prince in the square separately.¡± A hint of their suspicion rose as if new facts were about to unfold. Chapter 46: The Appointment Scheme Adrian grew up well. And fortunately, there was no news from the Empire until the end of the spring. Evelyn seemed to have erased her ex-husband and returned to her daily routine in earnest. Arthur went out with Evelyn since it was a meeting day of those who signed a trade agreement with the Felice Kingdom, ¡°I meet your Majesty King Felice and the Princess.¡± Examples were given by those who participated in the conference. The duration of the meeting was not very long. All carried books and survey data from the previous year and had a very serious discussion. ¡°It¡¯s all going well in the south, and there¡¯s nothing to worry about, but if you try to go beyond the Imperial Empire we¡¯re going to be in trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the Empire hasn¡¯t officially signed a trade agreement yet.¡± Evelyn nodded to the statement. When she was still an Empress, she had the right to sign the agreement as soon as possible, but the divorce ruined everything. ¡°Even the Empires need ourmodities because they can not be self-sufficient in luxury goods or in many high-end products.¡± ¡°If they really need our products, it¡¯s necessary to sign a trade agreement and deal fairly.¡± The merchants became distressed since the Empire took only what they needed without signing an agreement. And It was an action that only the closed-door Empire would do. ¡°Should we have to sell goods to the Empire?¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn when Evelyn opened her mouth. Evelyn felt a little burdened, but she continued to keep on talking, ¡°If they don¡¯t treat us fairly, we don¡¯t have to sell our goods to the Empire.¡± The conference room became noisy. In some instances, such acts could have been regarded as a rebellion against the Empire and the Emperor. This idea could easily havee to mind, but no one else was brave enough to say it. ¡°The princess is right, as the head of the Southern Trade Agreement, I have no intention of risking our unteral losses .¡± Arthur said he gave a boost to Evelyn¡¯s words. ¡°I believe so, too. They don¡¯t understand fair trade because they take our goods like stealing. We don¡¯t have to maintain the partnership with them,¡± said Liam. After that, voices of support then came from all over the chair in the room. Until now, they had always experienced a fear of the Emperor. But the losses they had suffered as a result of the Imperial attitude were huge. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Sir Liam, the Duke of Akshire, collect our opinions and make a petition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a glorious duty.¡± From Evelyn¡¯s words, something great was about to begin. ¡°When the preparation isplete, I will submit thisint directly to His Majesty.¡± Even though Arthur was a small King when he stood before Adrian, his spirit as a King who once governed the Southern Continent remained in his soul. Evelyn¡¯s father looked very different at a time like this. ¡°As Duke of Akshire, I am going to apany King Majesty to the Empire.¡± People were encouraged by Liam¡¯s speech. Maybe Liam was Reba¡¯s bully target, but when she saw him in public, there was no other young man like him. Evelyn now fully understood why he was one of the best grooms on the continent. ¡°Northern imperialnds are rtively unfruitful. The imperial family is said to be full of luxury but different from luxury in the south. How can we call it fair trade if we give away our valuable resources as if we were paying for it?¡± Arthur was right on that. In reality, the princess and thedies of the southernnd each married an Imperial man to solve this problem. But as everyone knew, the result of this method was two divorced women. So now they would choose the standard one. ¡°I will send a letter to the Empire today.¡± As if they all agreed, they gave their trust to the King and saw him with confidence. ¡°Princess Evelyn, that was a good idea.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t bother to call it out and apuded Evelyn, even though she felt strange to be praised by her father after her childhood. ¡°No, it was a shame that the Empire had taken the precious southern resources so easily.¡± Evelyn¡¯s idea was well received by the trade agreement officials who gathered here, as It represented their minds. Besides, their confidence was higher since Evelyn, the person who suggested the idea once lived in the Empire as an Empress. ¡°Your Majesty the King, it is a blessing to have wise princess.¡± Arthur lifted his corner lips, ¡°It¡¯s not that much, but, yeah, she¡¯s smart because she looks like me.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to wait for the Empire¡¯s answer. So the meeting will be held againter.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± From the highest-ranking nobles to the Duke of Akshire who ownednd and trade on par with the Felice Kingdom were all in the same position. They also came to understand that this problem couldn¡¯t be solved by marriage. On the contrary, it was a relief to see Evelyn stood first and sided with the Felice Kingdom. The same refers to trade agreements which had reinforced each other. And after the conference, they returned to their original positions and were busy with their respective affairs. ¡°I will escort your Majesty and Princess.¡± Liam approached and asked in a soft voice. Arthur allowed him to take the lead in leading them back to the King¡¯s room. Arthur sat on the throne, and he offered a seat to the other two. ¡°Sir Liam, what do you think of Evelyn¡¯s idea today?¡± ¡°I thought it was perfect, we should have done it faster.¡± Liam was the man who cried all night after hearing that Evelyn would be Empress. Even though he wasn¡¯t a perfect man like the Emperor, he was confident enough to make her happy. Evelyn was a brilliant woman when he saw her today. What a waste if she was only living as someone¡¯s wife. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything great.¡± ¡°Everyone thought about it, but didn¡¯t dare to say. That¡¯s what you did today.¡± The Empire was like thendlords of the entire continent. In particr, the Imperial family acted as if they were a superior race that was different from ordinary humans. So, if there were any valuables goods, they would buy them specially. And trade couldn¡¯t work out well in the Empire in that way. ¡°The Empire always wants to take priority over the others¡±. Evelyn once lived there, so she knew it very well. Then Arthur swept his beard in sympathy, ¡°If we don¡¯t protest, they¡¯re going to use our trade agreement forever. It¡¯s like an exploitation. They usuallyugh at us for doing business, but they act like a thief.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural for our Kingdom to swear allegiance to the Empire. But that doesn¡¯t mean that they can treat us casually.¡± ¡°Yes you¡¯re right. If we don¡¯t make it right, they won¡¯t even know what¡¯s wrong. Especially countries like us, that depend on the national economy for trade should draw a line.¡± Liam was captivated by the calm and bold words of Evelyn. Earlier, even the upper ranks nobles couldn¡¯t figure it out, so they only praised each other. But, the beautiful Princess in front of him expressed her mind directly, as if she weren¡¯t scared of the Emperor. That¡¯s why no other woman would be able to enter Liam¡¯s heart. No matter where he went in the world, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could find a woman as brilliant as Evelyn. ¡°Everyone has to take time and effort to organize it, but¡­ but we can make ns ahead of time. We need to get rid of the bad elements for the future of the Felice Kingdom.¡± Evelyn first came up with that idea when she saw Adrian sleeping in her arms. There was noparison between patriotism as a Princess and the desire to make the world a better ce for a child to grow up and live better. ¡°I know it takes a lot of time and a long wait to do something big. That¡¯s why we have to start now.¡± Evelyn wanted to give Adrian a better world. She hated growing up taking the Empire¡¯s privilege for granted, so she tried to teach them not to get used to being taken away. She also wanted to gather people and paint the beautiful future of this Southernnd under the Empire. ¡°What we discussed today will soon be sent by letter through my arrangement.¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s one of many problems.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Princess?¡± Arthur asked he focused on Evelyn. ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of worktely. His Majesty stayed, held banquets, and the nobles came, and I felt many things at that time.¡± Evelyn said the unpleasant thing calmly. ¡°In the Imperial family, I was taught to be silent by pretending to see but not see, hear but not hear.¡± Then Liam¡¯s eyebrows wriggled. Just imagining Evelyn¡¯s sad life made him very emotional. ¡°As a result, His Majesty used our pce like a house of a vassal. And thedies mocked me and ruined the banquet. Because I¡¯ve always endured it, I¡¯m upset to think that all I can see is that I¡¯m so weak that even Felice Kingdom is being ignored.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Evelyn.¡± Liam was deeply sympathetic to Arthur¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be weak and ridiculed again, no matter who is to me. If we have to respect the Empire, the Imperial people must respect us as well. I don¡¯t want to be insulted by the Imperial people any more.¡± Her blue eyes filled with determination. But what Evelyn said was right, ¡°I want to make an alliance with the influential people of the southernnds and to divide the entire continent through trade. I want to do anything for the peace and prosperity of the Felice Kingdom.¡± Arthur had already read Evelyn¡¯s mind. How could he not have understood his daughter¡¯s heart? It was a dream for Adrian, not for herself. While in the past, after looking at Evelyn, who was born, Arthur also vowed to make a better country. Arthur dly said, ¡°Yes. You were born into the Felice family, so of course you should think so.¡± ¡°Sir Liam, what¡¯s your opinion?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a wonderful n, so I don¡¯t have anything to say. Call me whenever you need my help, I¡¯ll learn from the princess.¡± Arthur smiled in front of him with a fairly nice picture. ¡°Your Majesty, may I venture to say what I said?¡± Liam stood up from his seat and set an example, and Arthur nodded with a friendly smile, ¡°Akshire is my long-standing close friend ¡­¡­ your advice is always wee.¡± ¡°As everyone who came to the trade agreement meeting today saw the princess is a wise woman, and she has the ability and will.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Only Evelyn, the topic of this conversation was blinking because she didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. ¡°However, I¡¯m concerned that the status of a princess may be ufortable when ites to a big job.¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Arthur pped his knee and spat out a cheerful gesture after hearing Liam¡¯s opinion. ¡°Sir Liam, I knew what you were talking about. That was just the advice I needed right now.¡± Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu ¡°I¡¯m ttered. Your Majesty.¡± Liam sat down again. Both men¡¯s eyes were looking on Evelyn. ¡°Why are you both staring at me like that? The appointment scheme, which was unknown to all parties, had begun. Chapter 47: Requiem for a Dream Liam had returned, but Evelyn and Arthur headed to Adrian¡¯s room, without telling each other in advance. She felt the room was too quiet, and she found that Adrian was still sleeping in the cradle, and Miriam was watching him. ¡°Finally, that¡¯s awesome. I¡¯ve got a story I want to share with the Queen.¡± ¡°Really? I think Adrian knew it first, because he fell asleep peacefully.¡± After a long time, Adrian had a short break, and the rest of the family could have sat down together. Until then, Evelyn had no clue what her father¡¯s intention was. ¡°I¡¯m going to give Evelyn the right position.¡± ¡°But, I¡¯m already a Princess.¡± Evelyn asked back in wonder, but Miriam nodded as if she had understood Arthur¡¯s words. Since he brought Evelyn out to attend a meeting like this in the first ce meant that she would continue to participate in public affairs in the future. ¡°The princess is just King¡¯s daughter. You need to have a position to get the job done. What would be good?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a very worrying problem.¡± Her parents fell into happy troubles. Still, only Evelyn had a nk face, ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t n to give me the throne, do you?¡± ¡°Why not? Right now, I can¡¯t give it to Adrian.¡± Well if he could, Adrian would have had so many titles that he couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°But I¡¯m a woman I¡¯m a divorcee, too.¡± Neither of those facts had hurt Evelyn. However, she was worried about what the world would think about her. ¡°Huh ¡­ I learned something strange because I was sent to the Empire for no reason.¡± ¡°I know, you must have been taught the dumb things.¡± Arthur and Miriam shouted with the same expressions. ¡°Evelyn, forget about the useless stupidity you¡¯ve learned in the Empire. You wouldn¡¯t have said such a stupid thing if you were your old self. What? What¡¯s wrong with being a woman and getting divorced!¡± The Felice Kingdom used to be criticized for its soft discipline, but Arthur thought it was better than hypocrisy. ¡°Failed is marriage, not life. But if there¡¯s anything they¡¯re talking about, it¡¯s their lives that have failed.¡± Arthur¡¯s words touched Evelyn¡¯s heart with no mistake. ¡°We don¡¯t need such a thing in our Kingdom whether it be discipline or tradition. Particrly, if you have the skill and wisdom to lead people, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°But this must be done by Adrian, the sessor.¡± Evelyn said. Arthur looked up at Evelyn. It was the same with Miriam. ¡°The reason we didn¡¯t raise you as a sessor was that one day you would get married and join the family of your husband ¡°Yes, And I ¡­ because your marriage was happy ¡­ I thought it would be a happiness for me, too. I was a stupid mother.¡± Evelyn was moved to tears as she saw the loving eyes of her parents. ¡°But now you have decided to stay in the Kingdom of Felice. There is no reason not to be a sessor.¡± ¡°What? Me, as the sessor to the Felice Kingdom?¡± Evelyn opened her mouth to words she had never imagined. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­.Adrian¡­¡± ¡°Adrian is still young. There¡¯s no reason not to be, because it¡¯s you. We¡¯re going to make you a sessor if you weren¡¯t married.¡± One of the reasons the Felice Kingdom was ignored by the Empire was that they had no strict rules. The Felice Kingdom was once ruled by a Queen. She was very tolerant of divorce, which was considered as a great embarrassment in the Empire. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a King.¡± ¡°Who told you to be a King?¡± Evelyn was dumbfounded by Arthur¡¯s words for no reason. ¡°Through your time as Empress, you¡¯ve learned and mastered a lot of things, so use the experience you acquire for the Felice Kingdom. I¡¯m going to find a suitable position for you. That¡¯s the duty of the Royal Family to the people.¡± The picture of herself she had never dreamed before had been drawn. If she could support her kingdom with her knowledge and experience ¡­ If she still had time to make her dreamse true ¡­¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ask you to leave your child, but you¡¯re still young, so it¡¯s time to go out and do whatever you can. That¡¯s enough to see this old man.¡± Evelyn figured out veryte that Arthur¡¯s yelling who had alwaysined meant that he really loved her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you feel confident? So you¡¯re going to live with me? Are you afraid to hear that you¡¯re a woman and a divorcee so you can¡¯t straighten your back?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, how could you say that to Evelyn¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, mother.¡± It¡¯s just that Arthur pushed Evelyn back in his own way. Evelyn straightened her back and saw her very grateful father. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to be thrilled with what the others say?¡± ¡°Oh, my daughter can¡¯t do that. If you have something like that, just pour me some water.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to, because it¡¯s going to ssh on my dresses, but I¡¯ll think of another way.¡± Evelyn was a powerful woman. When someone saw her, she seemed to be raising her voice and fighting with Arthur. ¡°Oh, you used to rip my clothes off as a child so get your character out and live. My heart is so stuffy every time I see you feel frustrated,¡± said Arthur. ¡°It won¡¯t happen, so take good care of Adrian¡¯s manners if you don¡¯t want Adrian to grow up like a bad-tempered child like me!¡± ¡°Huh! If that happens, it still looks like your child-like temper, not me!¡± Arthur kicked up and rose from his seat. He always wondered why their father-daughter¡¯s talk was always so militant? Miriam was smiling warmly at Adrian, who was still asleep in the middle of the war. ¡°The King¡¯s-young-enemy-nickname is pretty good. After all, the future of the Felice Kingdom is Adrian¡¯s future. I¡¯m going to make it a better kingdom!¡± ¡°Huh, just try! ¡­ Yes, you¡¯re first going to take care of the trade agreement with the Empire. And it¡¯s a good thing that the Minister of Finance just retired, so now I¡¯m going to appoint you as Minister of Finance. If you¡¯re ipetent, I won¡¯t protect you as a princess.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that!¡± Arthur stared at Evelyn and walked out of the room with a loud voice. Only then did Evelyn sit back and take a short breath. ¡°What a heck, he has the ability to make every conversationbative.¡± ¡°Mother, how can you get married to someone like that?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s right¡­ Because he never does that to me. As a husband, he¡¯s a very sweet person.¡± Evelyn felt like she was getting a glimpse of another side of her father. When Reba first returned after the divorce, she said that everyone in the Duke¡¯s house was cautious with her. And Evelyn could understand that situation. Therefore, what his father showed now was a form of love. ¡°The Minister of Finance¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Can I do this job well?¡± Unlike the way Arthur yelled at her, Miriam spoiled Evelyn a lot. ¡°The King is a verypetent person who has developed a kingdom during his reign. He¡¯s not someone who will give you an important position just because you are a Princess. If he puts you in that position, it means you have met his requirements.¡± Evelyn nodded slowly. It was both pleasant and burdensome. Yet she was a little more content than that. Evelyn was thankful for her life of walking moving and aplishing something with her own strength rather than bing the Empress, who had to live as if stuck in a beautiful garden, no matter how noble her status was. ¡°We live in the same continent, ournguage is no different, so why is the Empire and the Southernnd so different, criticizing and pushing each other?¡± ¡°Nobody knows that, except for myths and legends.¡± ¡°I know what¡¯s more important than face or hypocrisy. So this time, I¡¯ll make a clear trade agreement with the Empire and change the world so that we won¡¯t be exploited anymore.¡± Evelyn never had a dream like this before. She just knew how to spent her life with a man she loved and gave birth to children. But the Imperial family did not even allow such a dream to happen. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m the right person to do this job. I was born in the Felice Kingdom, the representative of the South, and I was once married to the Imperial family, the center of the Empire. I¡¯m the only one who has experienced those extreme two sides.¡± In other words, she could have said that she had through all the pain alone. Now that she saw Evelyn¡¯s face glow with a smile, Miriampletely forgot about her worries. ¡°When Adrian grows up, I wish it would be a better country ¡­ I really want to do anything about it.¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never dreamed about this before.¡± ¡°That thinks what makes you a mother.¡± Evelyn approached the cradle and looked at Adrian¡¯s sleeping face. It was hard not to touch his soft hands which smelled like white milk. ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to send a letter and talk to others about the issue. I need to talk to others about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, too.¡± ¡°Please take good care of Adrian tonight.¡± Miriam smiled and nodded. ¡°By any chance, is the King Majesty included in your discussions?¡± Only ¡°Of course, he¡¯s the most important person to send letters.¡± Suddenly, after hearing that, Miriam¡¯s smile brightened even more. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I monopolized Adrian.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Evelyn was so envious of Miriam when she realized that. It was such an attractive sentence to listen to Adrian without Arthur. ¡°You should go and do what¡¯s given to you, right? Adrian will be with you longer than any of us anyway.¡± Evelyn nodded slowly, leaving the door after seeing Adrian sleep. There was so much much she could do for him than to watch the sleeping side of Adrian now. Chapter 48: Duchess Perth For days, Evelyn buried herself in the library and was busy collecting information that would help her. She wondered if the summer hade without any news since the rainy season had begun. ¡°In the rainy season, the library smells more like books.¡± Evelyn learned one more thing she didn¡¯t know. In the Royal Library, which had collected valuable ancient books, the soaking antique aroma mingled with the sound of raindrops outside. What Evelyn had discovered for days was that the trade agreement signed between the Southern countries, led by the Felice Kingdom, presented in detail the extent to which the Empire had so far ignored them and taken luxuries close to exploitation. ¡°In other words, our agreement has no problem, but the Empire didn¡¯t even treat it as an agreement and used it as it pleased.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were filled with anger. She had always hated the imperial ways from the past. But now their victims were not only Evelyn but also her people. What was their speciality that they hurt the hard work of the people? ¡°You have to make a fair deal. Otherwise, it¡¯s like getting some money from a thief every year. It¡¯s so hard, and there¡¯s no guarantee that it won¡¯t get any worse.¡± Arthur formally ced Evelyn in Parliament a couple of days ago. Besides, he also gave her a position as Head of the Delegation for Trade Agreements against the Empire. ¡°It¡¯s not just once or twice, but many times ¡­¡± Evelyn, forgetting her fatigue, looked at the damage report she had received from the nobles who had joined the trade agreement. After reading a report, she was so angry that she hit the desk with her fist. ¡°I have to show them that we¡¯re not easy.¡± Evelyn took a deep breath and picked up a letter of paper. It was an official document she had never written in her life. After hesitating to write the first sentence, Evelyn wrote down all her research in elegant handwriting. Imperial ignorance of trade agreements in the south and the sale of goods for profit closed to exploitation were actions which were not permitted by imperialw or any other kingdom in the south. And worse, because it was done openly by the Empire. At first, no one knew this was going to be such a serious problem. The trade agreement began in the rich southernnds and was expected further to expand the tradework through trade with distant countries. But the Empire seemed to have be a hindrance. ¡®These people are always the problem.¡¯ Instead of signing the agreement, they faced enormous customs duties. Even the problems didn¡¯t end there. After receiving customs duties, they deliberately disrupted the movement of ports or canals and sometimes forced them to hand over luxury goods at low prices. Their reason was that they were the Empire, so they could. [ The countries and provinces in the south that signed trade agreements, led by the Felice Kingdom, had decided to stop witnessing the imperial tyranny that almost exploited trade. If the Empire had not signed a trade agreement, or if no precautions had been taken to fix it, all the members of the Southern Region¡¯s trade agreement would have cut off trade rtions with the Empire. Evelyn Felice, the finance minister of the Felice Kingdom, who headed the trade agreement. ] Evelyn signed the letter without hesitation. As Evelyn wrote the letter herself, it was much worse than nned. Perhaps Fabian was the first person in the history of the Empire to receive such a disrespectful letter from a small Kingdom. But what did it matter to him? Fabian said at the banquet that he knew what she meant. If Fabian knew her heart, he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised. ¡°I¡¯m really sick of imperialism now.¡± Evelyn still looked at the letter in anger and called the chief of staff to send it to the Empire. Then the corner of her mind seemed to cool down a bit.
Since the Emperor¡¯s return, the Imperial family had spent their blood time trying not to make a single mistake. Mostly if there were anything offensive in Emperor¡¯s eyes, who went out and returned to the pce, they would be punished a lot more. Fortunately, contrary to the concerns of the court officials, the Emperor spent his time reading the dyed reports and was stuck in his residence. ¡°Why just building a bakery have to ask for my approval now?!¡± Fabian¡¯s voice was irritated. The nobleman handed over his job to the Emperor. Most of them were incapable of doing their jobs properly and handed over to him in the name of loyalty. It was natural, then, that Fabian was exhausted because his work rhythm was very extreme. ¡°Serus, did you notify the finance minister of a reduction inpensation for the demolition of the Southern Pce?¡± in his memory, Fabian gave a clear order for this matter. But something was strange because there was no protest from his mother, the Empress Dowager. ¡°Serus!¡± Fabian called him several times. Just in time, Serus, who had been waiting for the Emperor outside, appeared cautiously. ¡°What are you doi-¡­¡­..?¡± Fabian stopped talking when he saw a white-haired Duchess standing behind Serus. Suddenly Fabian was so embarrassed for no reason, he asked Serus to pick her up, but he forgot about it, and he immediately greeted the Duchess with a big cough. ¡°The Duchess of Perth meets Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough. You must have had a hard timeing here, so please sit down.¡± Fabian first suggested the soft sofa chair. And Serus, when he saw the two of them, he felt both happy and strange. ¡°Then I¡¯ll guard the door,¡± Serus said. ¡°No, your mother is here, so about a day ¡­¡± ¡°No, I have to do my job,¡± Serus spoke stubbornly, then bowed silently and walked out the door, leaving the Duchess of Perth looking insignificant as well. ¡°I¡¯ll give Serus a vacation, so take your time slowly.¡± ¡°No, thanks. My sons are all grown up, and they¡¯re doing their job. There¡¯s nothing better than that.¡± Duchess Perth had a stern character engraved on her face. Even Fabian was somehow unable to act impudently in front of her. ¡°So, why did you kick me outst time?¡± ¡°Kicked you? This old woman doesn¡¯t have that power.¡± Fabian stopped at the Duke of Perth¡¯s residencest time before he returned to the Imperial family. But she insisted that the Emperor should first go to the Imperial Pce so that they could only meet now. ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s face looks deep ¡­.¡± Duchess Perth guessed at once that even the maid who helped Fabian wash his face every day did not notice. ¡°So, can you tell this old woman what¡¯s going on?¡± Fabian nodded slowly. The Emperor was a lonesome position so that he couldn¡¯t show his feelings, and he couldn¡¯t lean on anyone. But Duchess Perth was like a mother who had been raising him for the longest time. It was no wonder that Fabian felt much closer to Duchess Perth than to the Empress who lived in the Southern Pce. ¡°I saw something funny a few days ago. There was a banquet to celebrate my return in the Felice Kingdom¡­¡­There, the Empiredies were mocking the former Empress with nasty words.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Duchess, Perth kept her posture calm. ¡°It was not just general mockery¡­¡­; they were referring to our divorce. Even I had to ask her if something like that happened in the Imperial Pce too? But still, Princess Evelyn¡¯s status was much higher than thosedies, but they mocked her, saying that she should try hard!¡± The exnation brought back the displeasure at that time vividly. Before he knew it, Fabian had clenched his fist tightly. The Duchess observed him with a slightly curious look with her still nonchnt attitude. ¡°So?¡± Fabian could not hide his bewilderment at her gentle question. ¡°How dare they be so impudent and vulgar! I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before.¡± ¡°Hmm ¡­ I did it.¡± The Duchess replied, stirring the tea with a teaspoon. ¡°Don¡¯t you mind hearing such a story?¡± ¡°If I had to put my feelings into it, I wouldn¡¯t have lived long until this age, right?¡± Fabian looked puzzled as he listened to what the Duchess had said.¡± Is there anyone who dares to me my wife? Who¡¯s that! Right now, I¡¯ll ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤. ¡° Eventually, the Duchess could not stand up to him and burst intoughter, but Fabian didn¡¯t seem to understand what was going on. ¡°Your Majesty is still pure.¡± ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± ¡°No way. Don¡¯t be so grumpy. This old woman envies the purity of your eyes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Fabian leaned his back on the sofa. ¡°That¡¯s enough of your grumpy, so I¡¯m going to answer your questions. No way ¡­¡­ did youe to my mansion just to ask this?¡± Fabian chose to remain silent, but the Duchess wasn¡¯t a heartless person who couldn¡¯t even read the expression of a child raised by her hands. ¡°You said you had never seen or heard a scene like that before, did you?¡± ¡°Yes, those evil and mean things like that!¡± ¡°But those things have always been where you are, even before your Majesty was born.¡± ¡°What.¡± Fabian frowned his eyebrows, but Duchess Perth calmly continued her story. ¡°The men fight in council and duel, but the women fight with their honour and pride as well. Yes, in social circles like tea time and banquets.¡± ¡°Uh ¡­ what kind of fight is that? Are you still having fun with me?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a real fight. The defeated heart will be broken and disappear.¡± ¡°You mean ¡­ it¡¯s a war of words?¡± ¡°Yes, the evil and mean quarrel you¡¯ve heard. You had to be so careful at the banquet. In the gardens of my pce, where a man was unable to enter ¡­ ¡­ Many wives use their mouths and tongues like des.¡± For Fabian, it was something that he couldn¡¯t even imagine. An Empire was a country that had a ss system. Among them, the Imperial¡¯s etiquette was stricter than anywhere else. ¡°What do you want to know? Do you want to know how thedies speak? Or are you curious about what happened to the former Empress?¡± The Duchess was already looking through Fabian¡¯s heart. ¡°How could they do that to the Empress? She¡¯s my wife, and she¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s wife.¡± Instead of denying her, Fabian asked the question he¡¯d been holding all along. ¡°It turns out I¡¯ve seen simr sights a few times.¡± ¡°My wife? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that?¡± ¡°What should I say, Your Majesty?¡± Fabian¡¯s mouth could no longer speak. What would he have said if he heard the story at that time? Instead, he was lucky that she didn¡¯tin about the pce¡¯s trivial problems, whether she could solve it or not. ¡°Your Majesty is a man who has learned that you should not be involved in pce affairs and women. That¡¯s the courtesy of the Imperial family. I already taught her the royal courtesy when she was in bridal ss.¡± ¡°Uh ¡­ Even so, does it make sense to throw a divorce because she can¡¯t endure the harassment of thosedies?¡± That¡¯s something the Duchess didn¡¯t know about. There might be other reasons for that. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s not a very secretive person at all.¡± ¡°But she didn¡¯t tell me her reason.¡± The Duchess nodded slowly. ¡°But there must be a reason. There is nothing in this world that has no reason. There¡¯s must be a reason for this, but you just don¡¯t know why.¡± Only Huh, Fabian spat outughter. Maybe that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Well, then, do you mean I¡¯ll continue to suffer like this for reasons I don¡¯t know forever?¡± The Duchess hid her surprised at Fabian¡¯s heavy, falling voice. After the divorce, she didn¡¯t hear much from him, so she thought he passed it casually, as Fabian usually did. And it shocked her when she knew he was still in terrible pain like this. ¡°The only people who can tell why are two people who share wedding rings.¡± ¡®If that so, just forget it.¡¯ Fabian turned to her with a look more bitter than before, ¡°If that were so easy, I wouldn¡¯t bring it up.¡± He woke up from his seat with a lonely expression, ¡°Since it¡¯s been a long time, why don¡¯t you have dinner with Serus and go home?¡± said Fabian with ease. Then, he immediately put on his mask and disappeared from the Duchess¡¯s sight. Chapter 49: A Solitude Feeling There was one thing Fabian certainly learned during a short time. That was the fact that he knew little about Evelyn. It took a divorce and losing Evelyn¡¯s figure, and time to realize all that. ¡°Leave Serus alone. I have issued an order for him to escort the Duchess back to her own residence tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian was apanied by one of the ck Hawk Knights who had temporarily reced Serus. He was never left alone in the imperial pce. Even though he seemed alone, he was, in truth, still followed by people who were hidden in the shadows. And Fabian was used to such an environment from an early age. So sometimes, all that was taken for granted. ¡°Your Majesty, where are you going? This is a different direction from ours.¡± It was obvious that this substitute knight knew him less than Serus. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Empress Pce. Guard the door, and don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Empress Hall was a beautiful building made of white marble. The golden roof shone beautifully every time the sun rose as if blessing the Empress. And the garden was full of nice scents, and clear water gushed out nonstop of the fountain. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± The court officials who were maintaining the Empress¡¯s pce bent their knees on the floor at once when he appeared. And no one dared to resist when Fabian ordered them to get everyone out. ¡°The owner has only been staying here for two years, so this ce must be lonely.¡± Fabian¡¯s unkind words to himself rang out the Empress¡¯ hall, where no one was present. It was a new building, designed by Fabian using the finest materials after his marriage to Evelyn had been decided. But shortly after, the owner left this ce. And everything Fabian could do at that time was to keep the appearance of this pce unchanged since that day. ¡°Everything is still the same ¡­¡­, but it¡¯s like apletely different space.¡± The only thing that had changed was that one of the owners of this ce had disappeared. The rest of them remained untouched, even all the servants were the same, even though their faces were gloomy. Then, Fabian walked around the corridor and stepped into the Empress¡¯s quarters. It was his first time since the day he found the ring. ¡°Did you hate this, too?¡± There were many precious and beautiful treasures in the Empress¡¯ quarters. On the day Evelyn left, sheid the thickest carpet on the floor and put down all the gifts she had received from Fabian. Thest thing was her wedding ring. ¡°It seemed like you wanted to nullify the fact that you were married.¡± Fabian wasn¡¯t stupid. There was no way Evelyn didn¡¯t know the meaning behind her actions. ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t want to ept it.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t want to believe that the sacred oath of marriage had broken in such a vain. After epting it, he couldn¡¯t easily admit that the short marriage between the two would vanish like ashes. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± It was the only word he could spit it out when he was alone. ¡°At that time, did I have to refuse? asked why, and persuade you?¡± But he couldn¡¯t do that, because Fabian saw a strong determination in Evelyn¡¯s eyes that day as if he had seen himself. Her eyes tried to fulfill her dream without thinking about her life. So he didn¡¯t have a choice but to let her go. But then he was sure that, even if Evelyn had left, she would return to him. And maybe she would also regret her departure. ¡°All the world¡¯s words are wrong.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice was so tired. Although he neverined about his work, the fatigue he felt at this time had weakened his body more than any political or demon war. ¡°Evelyn.¡± His low voice sounded when he said that name. There was no longer a woman who looked back and answered him with a lovely face. Fabian was frustrated and injured himself, even though he knew very well. Then hey down on a long chair where Evelyn usually took a nap. There was a time when he took a deep sigh while looking at the veilsyered on top of it. ¡°Eve¡­..¡± Fabian reached out his hand into the air. All he wanted was a hand he could never lose. The smell of Evelyn¡¯s body odor and perfume, which had remained faint at first, was now unrecognizable no matter how much he focused on it. And only the gentle scented candle that Evelyn always lit had the same fragrance as before. ¡°Is it only two years?¡± The Imperial precepts were also strict even in weddings. It took more than a year for him to propose to Evelyn, hold an engagement ceremony, and get Evelyn to take the etiquette and bridal sses. And It took almost a season for the grand wedding ceremony to be held, and when they finally became a married couple, the two of them were very tired. ¡°You gave up all this in only two years and left, was I really the worst husband?¡± Not all the moments were bad, however. Fabian still remembered her blushed face the day he spent his first night with Evelyn. Her sweet voice, long blonde hair that shone and flew in the wind, and her warm body temperature touching his shoulder with her small white hands were still vividly remembered. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You¡¯re funny.¡± Fabianughed, ¡°You¡¯ve been happy since you left me, and I¡¯ve been unhappy since you left, and only me who doesn¡¯t know why.¡± Actually, he regretted it. He regretted deeply even though he knew how poisonous the feeling of regret was to the Emperor. That day, an angry Fabian epted Evelyn¡¯s divorce deration, and the next day, he immediately issued a decree for her to leave the imperial family. Just because of his pride as Emperor, instead of holding her back and asking why, he pushed her back with an edict instead. ¡°No matter how much I think and think about it, the more I think about it, the more I don¡¯t know how miserable and painful it is as if a thread is twisted inside my head.¡± A solitude feeling quickly devoured Fabian. He had just returned after he encountered Evelyn, and it was as if his entire world had changed. Once he fell in love, Fabian couldn¡¯t go back to his old life that felt nothing. And every time night fell upon the sky, countless insomnia and loneliness came to eat him. ¡®Your Majesty, I¡¯m back.¡¯ Sometimes, he used to dream like that. ¡®I will never leave your side again.¡¯ Lovely Evelyn said so, then embraced his neck. Fabian was trapped in his dreams, and he couldn¡¯t say anything, just hugging Evelyn tightly. Never again, he wouldn¡¯t let her go anywhere. ¡°If I had said that¡­..would you have forgiven me ande back?¡± Probably not. Evelyn, whom he saw in the Felice Kingdom, looked very happy. Her bright smile, which Fabian had never seen before, was so beautifully shining. ¡°What is the reason for that?¡± However, he tried, it would always flow to the same ce in the end. Fabian was still attached to the reasons that Evelyn didn¡¯t tell him. So, without being able to move forward, he could only paint traces of the past at the Empress¡¯s residence, where time had stopped. ¡°If I get to know you more, can I know why?¡± The Duchess¡¯s advice came to his mind. Not long ago, Evelyn herself made a sarcasticment that Fabian did not know anything about her. That made him really ashamed because it was true. But, after he made up his mind to find out about Evelyn, he threw the paper into the firece again in a fit of anger. ¡°Is marriage this difficult?¡± Fabian wasn¡¯t afraid of war or politics. Even people¡¯s thoughts couldn¡¯t bother him. But it was Evelyn who had messed up with Fabian now. ¡°Evelyn Felice.¡± Fabian, lying down in the ce where shey down and took a peaceful nap, looked sad. Even the sight of her, looking at her eyes here, seemed like a lie. ¡°Shining blond hair, blue eyes, small white hands,¡­¡­. a sweet voice like singing, cheeks with a pink blush like those lips.¡± He was trying to remember it one by one. ¡°The day when you cried secretly because you missed your hometown, I felt sorry for your eyes that were burning hot.¡± She didn¡¯t have to hide her tears. ¡°I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well, so I stayed by your side all night watching you¡­.. I couldn¡¯t wake up because I was sleepy, so I couldn¡¯t see you in the morning.¡± Fabian was fine even though his sleep time was interrupted for about one night. If Evelyn had told him she was scared because of a nightmare, he would have embraced her. That was the bond made by the vow of sacred marriage. Fabian knew nothing about Evelyn. But it wasn¡¯t a lie that Evelyn was definitely in his heart. ¡°Yeah, I may have known nothing about you. But at least you weren¡¯t a cold-blooded person like me. You weren¡¯t a ruthless, love-knowing, and¡­..cold enough to leave me.¡± He was deeper in sorrow, and he didn¡¯t know the reasoning for that. Evelyn¡¯s departure was a nightmare he never imagined. Even then, Fabian thought it was a dream. The nightmare was not shaken, though, and it became a reality. ¡°I know you¡¯re not such a woman.¡± Fabian suddenly recalled the same words clearly, as if something hade to his mind. ¡°My wife isn¡¯t that kind of woman.¡± Slowly but sure, Fabian turned his body. ¡°There must be some reason, though, for what made her do that.¡± He thought there was no reason. Because she said it herself, it was painful to think twice, so Fabian just stopped thinking. ¡°There was a reason.¡± Fabian jumped up from the chair. ¡°I have to find out why¡­¡± Fabian found the most important piece, even though it was toote. ¡°Why Evelyn made it so easy to leave me. Somewhere, there¡¯s definitely a reason.¡± Fabian¡¯s dark eyes were filled with strong wills again, ¡°I must know why.¡± Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu The vows of marriage were shared between the two partners. So if there was a reason why Evelyn had left him, Fabian had to know. Only with that, he could escape from this misery. Even if Evelyn didn¡¯te back, it wouldn¡¯t have been as painful as it was now if he could understand why. Fabian waspletely unaware, but now he just realized what he had to do as a husband. But he still didn¡¯t know that everything was alreadyte. Above all, Fabian still didn¡¯t know the most important thing. Fabian¡¯s loneliness after her departure was nothingpared to what had been given to Evelyn¡¯s previous life. Her past life, he didn¡¯t know about. Evelyn already had a prolonged nightmare of life with Fabian, and she managed to return to reality. That¡¯s why Fabian was still so lonely. Just as Evelyn lived before her return. Chapter 50: Evelyn’s Letter The Imperial Council was busy weing the returned Emperor. The rumors spread as if it had a foot, and thedies were cautious enough to withdraw from private gatherings. It seemed that the prowess of the Lady Satin, the main pir of the social world, had a big influence. ¡°It is not time to raise the tax rate on the boundaries of the territory.¡± ¡°Your Majesty. They are also Empire¡¯s people, and they must pay taxes.¡± ¡°If I raise the tax rate right now, will they remain as my people? At least you have to give them time to settle down.¡± Fabian gave a shot and pointed his finger at the Finance Minister. It indicated that the Minister needed to take care of the next issue. ¡°Your Majesty, regarding thepensation money in the ministry ¡­¡± Fabian¡¯s expression was not very good when the Minister mentioned that issue. The fee referred to the expenses used by the Imperial family, and the main problem was his mother. The huge amount of money was spent as the cost of maintaining the Southern¡¯s pce, the Empress¡¯s Dowager residence. The Minister had advised him a few times, but Fabian was so stubborn that there was no sign of a solution to the two problems. ¡°Solve the Southern¡¯s Pce case by yourself.¡± As if he had gotten used to it, the Minister retreated politely. Fabian despised the statement even today. Luckily or unluckily, as the Emperor, he didn¡¯t enjoy luxury, so the state treasury remained stable despite the leakage of money. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m going to talk to you about the issues that have been raised in Congress.¡± ¡°I have already confirmed it with the documents.¡± Fabian hated to waste his time. As a result, public affairs were handled concisely and quickly. It wasn¡¯t a very nice thing for the nobles because everything was done ording to Fabian¡¯s will, and he was a dogmatic person who didn¡¯t want to listen to other people¡¯s opinions. ¡°Except for the items previously approved by me, all are not allowed. Also, I won¡¯t allow them to post repeated requests.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Fabian, who ascended to the throne at the age of 16, always struggled to build up his own Imperial power. In fact, the Imperial power was powerful enough since his father¡¯s reign, but Fabian wanted more power than that. It was to shut the nobility¡¯s mouth and carry out efficient politics as it was now. ¡°I¡¯ll check the documents tomorrow,¡± Fabian said. Actually, there were still many ministers waiting for their turn to submit a report, but no one dared to protest. Recently, Fabian ended his official duties earlier than usual and disappeared somewhere. In fact, he didn¡¯t do anything else in particr. And many noble had wondered what the Emperor, who had been known to dislike wasting his time, was doing. ¡°Ah, Your Majesty, we have received an official letter from the Kingdom of Felice.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fabian, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped his feet. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to report it first.¡± The Minister of Finance bowed his head and gave him a handwritten letter with the seal of Felice Kingdom. Then, Fabian took the letter and left the room. ¡°Serus,¡± Fabian called his name low, hastening his steps. ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t follow you today,¡± Serus said in a calm, resigned manner. Well, if you give me permission, I¡¯d like to meet the spy I sent to the Vatican.¡± ¡°Is he back already?¡± asked Fabian. ¡°Yes, this morning.¡± Fabian nodded. In certain cases, the two men went on their separate ways. **** Fabian¡¯s stopover at the afternoon break was none other than the masterless-Empress-Hall. After meeting Duchess Perth, Fabian came here every single time to rx his heart when he was upset. Empress Hall was the quietest and most rxing ce in the Imperial Pce for him. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s an obvious seal.¡± The letter was sealed with the Kingdom official¡¯s stamp. Perhaps it was King Felice¡¯s apology for the unpleasant incident that happened at the banquet a while ago. Fabian leaned his back on the couch by the window, where Evelyn had once looked out at the garden and ripped off the letter. A familiar, elegant handwriting caught his eye at once. ¡°¡­¡­.E-Evelyn¡­?¡± He was happy with the writing at first, but as soon as he read line by line, Fabian¡¯s eyebrows frowned deeply. ¡°Huh?¡± Fabian doubted his eyes for a moment, but for sure, it was Evelyn¡¯s unique handwriting that drew the endlong. Besides, at the end of the letter, she confidently gave her signature. And the letter was officially concluded by writing down her role as Minister of Finance of Felice Kingdom. ¡°Why¡­..¡± No other kingdom had ever received such a shameful letter. No one dared to send threatening letters to the Imperial Emperor over the trade agreement¡¯s trivial matter. Yeah, he wouldn¡¯t have to step out if it wasn¡¯t for his ex-wife. ¡°Finance? The Princess is the Finance Minister?¡± Fabian frowned and spat a foolish self-talk. ¡°You¡¯re going to dere war on me directly? By the way, even if you¡¯re out of your mind, you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡­. Geez¡± He did not know what terms might be used to describe this letter¡¯s content, Insolent, vulgar, or just too absurd. To be sure, the current Evelyn was not the Empress he had ever known. Fabian had no idea who he was married to. How did Evelyn, who used to smile shyly, treat him coldly, and even send him such a challenge? It was an act that he couldn¡¯t think of as the same woman. [ The countries and provinces in the south that signed trade agreements, led by the Felice Kingdom, had decided to stop witnessing the imperial Tyranny that almost exploited trade. If the Empire had not signed a trade agreement, or if no precautions had been taken to fix it, all the Southern Region¡¯s trade agreement members would have cut off trade rtions with the Empire. Evelyn Felice, the finance minister of the Felice Kingdom, head of the trade agreement. ] Fabian reread the end of the letter carefully. His eyes weren¡¯t wrong. It was this letter that was wrong. ¡°Tyranny? Exploitation? Are you treating me like a thief now?¡± Huh, it was so ridiculous that he burst outughing. ¡°Stop trading? Yeah, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do.¡± Fabian shot thest line of the letter. Evelyn¡¯s face, when she wrote down her position and what she was in charge of, came to his mind. After the reunion, her cold expression that looked down upon him was clear. ¡°You¡¯re gambling on me, thinking that I still have a feeling left for you? Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± Above all, public affairs and private life had to be clear. What Fabian regretted was the loss of his Empress, not the Finance Minister of another Kingdom who sent such a threatening official letter. ¡°Chief! Call the Congress again!¡± He hated situations where he felt sorry for other people. The gentle air that enveloped Fabian a moment ago immediately turned into suffocating steam. *** Evelyn, who wasn¡¯t aware of the ¡®roar¡¯ in the Imperial Parliament, spent her day watching Adrian running around the garden. Since she took over the title of ¡°Minister of Finance,¡± it was a time for her mind and body to take a break from reviewing the documents, meeting the nobles, and receiving their testimony. ¡°This job, it¡¯s harder than I thought.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s wonderful. There¡¯s already a lot of talk about yourpetence.¡± Reba also stayed in the pce and helped Evelyn in numerous ways. With open arms, Liam epted the reason why Reba always came to the royal pce under the excuse of working. Because he was finally able to get rid of her annoying sister. ¡°If you set a precedent like this in the royal pce, you will also open up opportunities for other women.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then my responsibility is heavier.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do it well. At this rate, there may be a day when Liam will give me the keys to the Duke of Akshire¡¯s safe.¡± Rebaughed coolly. If Liam had heard it, he would have freaked out. And Evelyn didn¡¯t think such a day woulde at all, after seeing the banquet¡¯s cost, somehow, she understood Liam¡¯s feelings. ¡°There will be a response from the Empire soon. Honestly, I¡¯m scared.¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Why? It¡¯s an official document. Your majesty will take care of it publicly.¡± ¡°Yes, the official part.¡± Evelyn silently recalled her letter. She just felt it was too much after she had already sent the letter. ¡°I think I¡¯ve gone too far from the beginning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. King Majesty thought it was all right, that¡¯s why he sent it.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was slightly clouded. ¡°¡­ Wait, didn¡¯t the King¡¯s majesty see it? But you¡¯re still ¡­¡± Suddenly, there was silence between the two. ¡°How far have you written it?¡± ¡°A little bit.¡± ¡°A little bit ¡­¡± Reba wondered. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop exploitation and tyranny, we¡¯re going to stop trading ¡­¡± Evelyn said softly. Reba suddenly swallowed her dry saliva. No Kingdom had dared to say like that to Fabian. So she couldn¡¯t predict what kind of reaction woulde back. ¡°But I didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± ¡°Well, then, that¡¯s it. And I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to trade with a tyrannical Empire.¡± It was a problem that nobody had ever said, but they decided to skip that part. ¡°Yes, His Majesty is a sure person in public affairs. He won¡¯t be too emotional when he makes a judge, so he¡¯s going to make a wise decision in some way.¡± Evelyn said calmly. As long as they were married, she had never seen Fabian go overboard or get too angry. People were afraid of Fabian¡¯s harsh impression, but he was a man who wasn¡¯t easily overwhelmed by emotions. But at the same time, the nobles¡¯ thoughts who looked at Fabian in Congress werepletely different. ¡°Today there¡¯s something I need to rify.¡± A cold anger burned in the ck eyes of the young Emperor. Only ¡°Did the Empire, my Empire, evermit tyranny and exploitation?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice was so deep and calm that everyone in the meeting room stopped breathing. ¡°I will personally check and judge.¡± Fabian put Evelyn¡¯s letter down with a loud voice. The chief pce took it like a sinner and handed it to the ministers. ¡°Where.¡± Fabian exhaled a long breath.¡± Let¡¯s find out who sphemed my honor. I, on behalf of the Emperor, won¡¯t tolerate this humiliation.¡± His icy words seemed to freeze the air in the room. ¡®Will he dere a war with the former Empress?¡¯ There was a lot of spection, but no one dared to open their mouths. This Congress seemed wouldn¡¯t be over in the meantime. Chapter 51: A Strong Hope The first problems she encountered after Evelyn became Minister of the Finance were unexpected. ¡°What does that mean..¡± Another problem had arisen before the Empire¡¯s reply hade. ¡°The crops affected by endemic diseases?¡± That was the time when the world had begun the harvest season. It was only during this season that they could expect theing harvest. It was the cycle of nature. ¡°The disease is spreading in the south, and now it seems to have reached the Felice kingdom¡¯s southern farms.¡± ¡°Yeah, the epidemic is attacking wheat and barley crops, but¡­¡­ there is no record on how to deal with it.¡± Even though Evelyn¡¯s life was far from farming, she knew how important wheat and barley were. It was people¡¯s staple food. So it was a problem that was directly rted to the survival of her people. ¡°Please tell me in details about the crop¡¯s disease.¡± Arthur opened his heavy mouth. ¡°The spread of the disease is rapid, and the cause is unknown. It¡¯s a disaster recorded in ancient books, but the documents only state that after a year or two of the gue was gone, they won¡¯te back for a while¡­¡± ¡°What if we make a remedy right now?¡± asked Evelyn. ¡°It takes time, and it won¡¯tst long. Most importantly, once the stem is eaten a little by the moth, it will quickly spread to the roots and cause it to wither. We won¡¯t be able to harvest at this rate.¡± Arthur sighed. It was impossible to against the forces of nature. ¡°The same thing happened in the early days of my crowning.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that.¡± ¡°At that time, Felice Kingdom was forced to destroy 70% of their agriculture and was very financially shaken. The remaining 30% was saved thanks to a medication that came outte. Can¡¯t we make the medicine faster this time?¡± asked Arthur. ¡°I¡¯m doing my best¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put that matter first, and don¡¯t spare any effort.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The chief bowed his head and stepped back with a depressed face. Evelyn felt a rather tough situation and was lost in thought for a moment. Of all things, the situation was so bad. ¡°Father¡± ¡°First of all, we¡¯ve got to research it first. Harvest disasters happen often. It¡¯s also happened at the beginning of my reign and the reign of the previous Kings.¡± ¡°I know that because I have learned it. Every time, our Kingdom overcame it by buying food through trade in other products, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If the road is blocked ¡­ what¡¯s going to happen?¡± Evelyn asked her father, curiously. Arthur was looking at Evelyn with a confused expression. ¡°Trade routes in the Felice Kingdom have never been blocked.¡± ¡°It is said that this endemic disease has spread from the south. The Kingdoms who are close to us and have exchanges with us will have a more dangerous situation.¡± ¡°Yes, they will¡­¡­I wish we could help them.¡± Evelyn¡¯s lips burned. She might have done something exceptional. ¡°Most of the Kingdoms in the north ¡­ ¡­ obey the Empire.¡± It wasn¡¯t strange. In general, the continents were divided into northern and southern territories. The two were separated by a sea and a valley, so it wasn¡¯t easy to interact with each other. The Kingdom of Felice, however, had thend and the river between the valleys as their territory. So that the Empire and their Kingdom faced each other. So we could say that the wealth of this Kingdom came from the silk trade route connecting the south and the north. ¡°All the supplies that we send out can only reach the northernnds by going through the ports ornd routes that pass through the Empire.¡± That was why the Empire took advantage of these circumstances and was involved in tyranny and exploitation. ¡°The northernnds are barren and have no natural resources. They have no choice but to depend on supplies from the south. They won¡¯t be able to maintain the noble¡¯s dignity now.¡± All the gold mines and the activities of various craftsmen and traders were located in the south. Culture and entertainment typically started in the south and moved to the north. In the past, thend in the north was barren, so their main problem was survival. ¡°But what if they can¡¯t survive?¡± Evelyn looked at Arthur with fear of eyes. ¡°The people in the north are strong. Somehow, they have a history of living.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what if the Empire blocks the route for a while¡­¡± ¡°Evelyn,¡± Arthur said in a low voice. ¡°I think I have made a mistake.¡± ¡°No.,¡± he said. ¡°Father¡­.I¡¯m¡­.¡± Arthur shook his head, ¡°I know what you want to say. So I¡¯ll ask you as a Finance Minister. Have you done what was necessary for the good and honor of the Kingdom of Felice?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes, but at times like this.¡± ¡°The timing is irrelevant. The disaster was not caused by humans. Besides, when I appointed you Minister of Finance, I had already decided to follow all of your decisions. ¡± Arthur rose from his throne and walked towards Evelyn. ¡°I am the King. Our Kingdom and I aren¡¯t weak.¡± ¡°But, what if the endemic disease spreads and there is no food, and the Empire sees this opportunity and blocks the trade route?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Our ancestors protected this Kingdom long before the trading route was opened. Even if you did the right thing on your behalf, it doesn¡¯t matter. Are you uncertain about your choice?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Evelyn said clearly. So far, no one dared to oppose the Empire, but all the contents of Evelyn¡¯s official letter were true. ¡°You are the one who knows His Majesty. If you thought he was the person who would block the trade route with his power, you wouldn¡¯t dare to write those words. You still have your own judgment on him, don¡¯t you?¡± Evelyn still thought of Fabian. She was his wife, but she didn¡¯t know what he was like. But it was clear that he wasn¡¯t a mean person. He was a careless and heartless husband, but he was always wise when it came to public affairs and a gentleman of honor. ¡°I think my letter wasn¡¯t wrong¡­.¡± ¡°So what are you worried about? Our kingdom stocks money for a time like this. We¡¯re not an ipetent royal family to starve people a year from endemic diseases.¡± Her wavering, anxious mind sank like a lie. Evelyn had the impression that her father was a great King. Not just that, as Arthur pointed out, his option wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty.¡± For the first time, Evelyn bowed her head to Arthur as King, not father. ¡°Huh¡­ If you know, find out what you should do first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was a strong hope in Evelyn¡¯s face as she lifted her head again.
Fortunately, the Parliament of the Felice Kingdom waspetent. ording to their respective fields of expertise, they began research to avoid this condition as soon as possible. Some of them set out to ask the Vatican for help, while others went to the southernnds to make their own counter-measures. Evelyn herself was stuck in her new office for a while without taking part on either side. ¡°What should I do?¡± She never had such anxiety in her life before. When she was a princess, Evelyn dreamed of finding love and beginning a family. After she became the Empress, she had the duty of living as the Imperial family¡¯s mistress, and nobody asked Evelyn anything. ¡°I have to do what I can. What can I do to help people in this situation?¡± Evelyn bit her lips hard. Previously, she had faith in her work, but she couldn¡¯t do it as quickly as she thought when the incident broke out. If Evelyn was an Empress as she used to be or a Princess, it would have been better to give charity to the people affected by the disaster. ¡°But right now, that¡¯s not enough.¡± The specific work was always done by Fabian, the Emperor, and his father, Arthur. It was not for Evelyn to participate in Congress, to make decisions, or to issue orders. ¡°It was me who said that I hated it.¡± Evelyn took a deep breath. She had to do her part if she wanted to be recognized by the world. If she really tried to get out of her husband and father¡¯s shadow, she couldn¡¯t withdraw. ¡°Okay, think about whates first, what the most important thing you need.¡± Evelyn recalled the moment when she had taken the most important choices of her life. Evelyn, who had a sad past, changed her future by getting out of the box. Nobility, respect, honor ¡­Stuff like that didn¡¯t really matter at critical moments. ¡°We need some food. Chief, tell the Treasury officials toe in.¡± As Evelyn set her target, the rest of it became simpler. Evelyn looked at some of her servants and quickly tidy up her hair. ¡°It¡¯s best to avoid a catastrophe, but I can¡¯t guarantee it. That¡¯s why the Treasury Department should first secure food.¡± ¡°But¡­..the other provinces in the south are worse¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not in the south. Not even the north. I will send the ship to the east.¡± ¡°What? Princess, there is no wheat or barley in the east. Plus, it¡¯s too much.¡± Evelyn nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why I have to send it now. They also have crops that they use as a staple food.¡± ¡°Of course, but since ancient times, the eastern supplies have been unreasonably costly ¡­¡± ¡°Give them whatever they want. We still have a lot of gold.¡± There was no need to think about that. ¡°If things get worse and we run out of food, can you feed the people with gold? Will you feed your starving family with gold coins?¡± When a hungry person came out, then it was toote. That was Evelyn¡¯s simple conclusion. ¡°As a royal family, I know the history of the Felice Kingdom. My ancestors have always survived these disasters. But it was impossible to stop the victims froming out every time.¡± Only Even if the food had been cut off for a month, the Kingdom would have suffered a fatal sacrifice. ¡°We have to learn from our ancestors, so we shouldn¡¯t repeat those sacrifices.¡± Evelyn¡¯s bold decision was soon epted by the King, and the merchant ship sailed off eastward, filled with gold coins. It was an extraordinary effort to prevent famine from falling. Evelyn¡¯s intention was to break the unwritten rule that people always died to a certain extent when the disaster urred. ¡°The southern provinces where the endemic disease has already spread will also need our help.¡± Evelyn looked into the distance. She knew in her heart that she couldn¡¯t save anyone. ¡°I have no choice but to wait if my faith was right.¡± Chapter 52: Liam’s Green Eyes Every day, Evelyn was anxious. Finally, the day she woke up one day, the Empire replied. When Evelyn heard the news, she was still standing as if the time around her had stopped. Yet what she had just heard was still floating between her mind. ¡°¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ okay.¡± It was news that the trade route with the Empire had been blockedst night. Thump! Thump! At the moment, Evelyn¡¯s heart sank. ¡°If that¡¯s his choice, that can¡¯t be helped.¡± The timing was bad, but Evelyn¡¯s deration of war on the Empire was answered immediately. The news of nt endemic diseases had to be heard in the Empire. If Fabian had made this decision, knowing the situation would have meant that Evelyn¡¯s conviction was wrong. ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything about him,¡± she said. At least she believed Fabian wasn¡¯t a mean person. Perhaps, because of Evelyn¡¯s arrogance, he did things like this. ¡°It¡¯s all right. We¡¯re not supposed to trust the Empire anyway.¡± Evelyn thought that way, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel the pain. Although he was was a heartless husband, he was a great emperor. Evelyn was again trying to remember that from now on. ¡°I knew he was a cold-hearted man, and what did I expect?¡± He was also a cold husband to Evelyn when she was the Empress. Even when Evelyn miscarried his child twice in her previous life, he didn¡¯t shed a tear. She still remembered the sound of his footsteps leaving Evelyn, who was still crying. ¡°To be a great Emperor in the Empire¡­ it meant to be a heartless person.¡± Evelyn did not know how Fabian looked like in public affairs. She just knew that he was against the Vatican and had a strong Imperial power in Congress. And that¡¯s what made him far frompassionate, but Evelyn wanted to believe that Fabian had a big heart. ¡°Cold¡­.¡± Evelyn squeezed her arms tightly, and the cold swelled in this clear summer ¡°He¡¯s so cold¡­.¡± After giving birth to Adrian, Evelyn remembered the chilly pain she had forgotten for a while. When she suffered a ferocious cold on the day, she lost her child. The coldest thing was Fabian¡¯s expressionless face, the child¡¯s father, whom she once loved. Even though she had erased the nightmare future, Fabian was still a cold man for Evelyn. A cold tear fell down her cheeks. And though she said she didn¡¯t expect anything, Evelyn still had a broken heart, like a fool.
Evelyn wasn¡¯t frustrated for a long time. When she saw Adrian, who fell asleep in Miriam¡¯s warm embrace, was getting bigger again. She decided that she couldn¡¯t stay still. It wasn¡¯t that she had big ambitions. But she could imagine how it would feel if there weren¡¯t enough food to give to Adrian. Her people must fell the same way. After thinking like that, Evelyn felt like she had to do something about it. ¡°Princess. The Duke of Akshire is here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy now, so take him to the Oval Office right now.¡± After a while, a knock rang, and Liam entered the Oval Office. He saw Evelyn rolled up her sleeve and wrote a letter to another province with sincerity. ¡°Wee. Just skip the greeting for this situation.¡± Liam nodded. Akshire¡¯s territory was also infected by endemic crop disease. So Liam was also tired and had fatigue as he had been busy went around. But, his green eyes still shone vibrantly. ¡°Sir Liam, there¡¯s good news?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Evelyn raised her face. Liam felt that his fatigue was washed away with that alone. ¡°The corn nted in the southern farmhouse, which has already been damaged, is growing safely. It does not seem to be affected by endemic diseases.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Evelyn said, breathing a sigh of relief. She couldn¡¯t wait for the ship to be sent to the east, so she visited some locations, and her decision to grow other crops on the damaged farm was right. ¡°I should be thankful and grateful to Akshire.¡± ¡°No, because the Akshire ntations are huge and there are a lot of farms, so it¡¯s only natural for us to research different kinds of seeds, and it turned out that it was the will of God that we¡¯ve learned to be useful.¡± Liam¡¯s modesty was exaggerated. Few citizens were willing to share a lot of seeds with other kingdoms. Whereas, perhaps many in the Akshire family were against his decision. ¡°I will not forget the sacrifice of Akshire.¡± ¡°It is not a sacrifice.¡± Liam smiled warmly. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t easy to give Akshire ¡®s fortune for free.¡± ¡°So, then, are you sacrificing yourself?¡± ¡°Well, It¡¯s my royal duty.¡± ¡°The Felice Kingdom is at the northernmost point of the southern continent. It hasn¡¯t been damaged yet but as a this Kingdom¡¯s princess, why you help other kingdoms first?¡± Deep thoughts melted into Liam¡¯s clear green eye. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be sopassionate. But If the southern continent gets hurt, it¡¯s all hard.¡± Evelyn said. ¡°But, that¡¯s not enough to shake our Kingdom.¡± This time Liam didn¡¯t simply retreat. Standing right in the sunlighting through from the window, his brown hair was gently filled with light. ¡°You took the gold coins from the national treasury and sent them to the east to buy food. How can I stay still in Akshire when the Princess gave us what she had first? I also have my pride.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to starve to death. What¡¯s the point of that if there were only gold coins left after things got terrible.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes always had an honest and straight mind. She had transparent and friendly eyes that couldn¡¯t sway once she looked at him. ¡°Your kindness will save many people, Princess.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s going safely.¡± ¡°The other Kingdoms have now started to open their gold vaults. Everyone has seen and decided to follow the Felice kingdom.¡± Liam was too humble even though it was all possible because they saw the power of Akshire. But Evelyn didn¡¯t hate that. She was relieved to see that some Kings were kind and warm. ¡°I know not all the Kingdoms are going to follow me,¡± Evelyn said calmly. ¡°There are some who are still protesting the Empire¡¯s decision to block trade routes for a week.¡± All kinds of rumors became widespread because the details of the Imperial letter had not been publicly disclosed. Not long ago, there were rumors that the Emperor who had left the Felice Kingdom a while before took revenge. And there were rumors that there was a nerve war between the former Empress and the Emperor who had been divorced in the first ce. It seemed that Evelyn was involved in any rumors. ¡°It¡¯s just gossip.¡± But instead of being clumsy, Liam expressed a sincere heart to her. ¡°I believe you¡¯re not wrong, Princess.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Evelyn smiled a little sadly. ¡°But I¡¯ve already made a mistake.¡± Fabian was a fair emperor. But In the worst-case scenario, he dared to cut off their rtionship by the most heartless means. ¡°No, didn¡¯t you hear me before? I said that I didn¡¯t believe you¡¯re wrong,¡± said Liam. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Princess, I think you¡¯re right. I believe you¡¯re not wrong. I won¡¯t be wrong about you.¡± Liam was sometimes so honest that he would take away what to say from Evelyn. ¡°But I¡¯m just an ordinary human. I can¡¯t always be right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always right¡­¡­.For me, it is.¡± At the moment, Liam¡¯s green eyes and Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes met. Liam, who spoke sternly, didn¡¯t look like a boy who had been bullied a lot by Reba. Suddenly, Liam was turned into a young man who was strong and brave, who was able to tell his feelings honestly. ¡°¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ Thanks.¡± Evelyn had barely opened her mouth, and it was moreplicated because she was vaguely aware of Liam¡¯s feelings. ¡°But don¡¯t expect me too much, I¡¯m not good enough to give you all your hopes back.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes were not shaking, looking at Evelyn, speaking as calmly as possible. It was as if he had been prepared for this from the beginning. ¡°The princess is notcking, but if you really want to do that, that¡¯s all fine with me.¡± Liam smiled brightly. It was soft, but at the same time, it was full of determination. ¡°Well then, I just need to be a bigger man and fill up all your shorings. I prefer that.¡± ¡°Sir Liam. I am¡­¡± Liam was a sweet and warm man. He was bright and straight. And he was honest and sincere with his feelings. So it was more difficult to push him away. His natural warmth had the power to reassure people. It was the power that Evelyn once needed before she died. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything else, but I¡¯m more patient than anyone in waiting,¡± said Liam. He never rushed Evelyn, even though he had conveyed his overflowing emotions with his shining green eyes. Instead, he smiled bravely for fear that Evelyn, who refused, would get sick. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m big and strong, so I can¡¯t get tired easily. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t refuse after he said like that. Because he didn¡¯t ask for an answer right away, but he just said that he would wait. So What else could she say? ¡°I can¡¯t do anything for you, because it seems like I¡¯m the one who always receives everything.¡± ¡°Okay, you just have to remember that I¡¯m here.¡± Liam smiled brightly, and he didn¡¯t seem like a broken-heart man. ¡°And if I want to be a little greedy ¡­ often, really rarely, I want you to look at me cutely.¡± Listening to that, Evelyn bit her lips to hold back herughter. Without knowing what was going on, Liam quickly opened his eyes and looked at her. ¡± ¡­¡­ no, I was too shameless. Please pretend you didn¡¯t hear me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve already heard it.¡± Liam looked like a big, soft puppy. He was a pure and friendly man who was always smiling at Evelyn. He was quick to rejoice, and he was also quick to worry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sir Liam is enough¡­.¡± Evelyn looked at Liam with a smile on her face. Liam realized what it was like to have a beautiful view. At the moment¡­.. Only ¡°Princess, there¡¯s an urgent message!¡± Sadly, though, fate didn¡¯t support Liam¡¯s happiness. ¡°The Emperor ising!¡± ¡°What?¡± Immediately, kicking out her seat, Evelyn left the room and followed the Chief. Liam looked silently at the empty spot where Evelyn had left, looking sullen. The sky was so cold today. Chapter 53: I Don’t Know You Due to the Emperor¡¯s unannounced visit, the Royal Pce soon became chaotic. Of all things, Arthur, the King, was on his way to the Vatican to seek advice, so that there was no one to wee the Emperor in person. But, of course, there was no way for Fabian to consider such a situation. ¡°His Majesty?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on his way.¡± Listening to the Chief¡¯s report, Evelyn exhaled and stepped into the hall. Because the King was not present as a princess, she had the right to rece her father. Moreover, given that she was the new finance minister, the visit of the Emperor could be defined as part of their business. ¡°I¡¯ll meet him.¡± ¡°Wait, Princess¡­ I¡¯ll be with you.¡± Liam hurriedly caught up with Evelyn. Since the one who came was the Emperor himself, who blocked the trade route for a week. So it had a high possibility of getting angry. Even though he was only a Duke, the Akshire Family had a position that couldn¡¯t be ignored, and he was going to help Evelyn. ¡°No, Akshire don¡¯t have to get involved with the Empire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more painful to not be able to do anything.¡± ¡°Sir Liam, I¡¯m fine, His Majesty¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, Evelyn stopped talking. I know His Majesty very well. She almost said something like that. Actually, she just realized that she didn¡¯t know anything about him. ¡°His Majesty ising!¡± However, the trumpet sounded without further consideration. Evelyn nodded helplessly, and the Chief opened the door and greeted the Emperor. Dressed in a ck robe and simple in clothing, Fabian passed through the royal hall. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn and Liam gave a light example, and Fabian looked directly at Evelyn, and walked towards her, ignoring Liam¡¯s existence. Evelyn was afraid to look up at Fabian. It was only in the beautifully decorated pce that the Empress could see the Emperor, so that it was hardly possible to know what kind of expression he was making now. After all, Evelyn didn¡¯t know Fabian¡¯s face as an Emperor. Well, she was too arrogant even though she didn¡¯t know him as a husband. ¡°I have something to say to the Princess, so get out of here.¡± After a while, Fabian¡¯s voice was as low and cold as ever. ¡°Your Majesty, as Duke of Akshire, I would like to assist the Princess and listen to your words.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows, looking at Liam¡¯s calmly speaking face, were frowned. ¡°I said get out of here.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Your Majesty, this is not an Empire, but the Felice Kingdom.¡± Liam¡¯s bold attitude made Evelyn¡¯s heart beat unsteadily. It wasn¡¯t wrong, but Fabian would get irritated with that. ¡°So, are you, King Felice?¡± Fabian twisted in the corners of his lips. Then he sat on the throne of Jade beside Evelyn. His acts were natural because he had the highest status here. Still, Liam did not hide his challenging eyes, and it was intolerable to Fabian. ¡°I¡¯m the Duke of Akshire, a long-time friend of the Felice royal family. I have pledged to share my fate with the Felice Kingdom, so I can assist her on a critical issue.¡± ¡°¡­¡­that¡¯s what you say.¡± From the beginning, Liam was a man Fabian didn¡¯t like. He had no grudge against Akshire, but there was a sense of resentment that could be felt when he faced him. From the start, Fabian hadbelled Liam as an enemy. ¡°Yes. Then the Kingdom of Felice can make a decision.¡± ¡°The King¡¯s Majesty is not currently in the royal pce,¡± Liam said. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you. One more unquestioned answer, I¡¯ll show you how the Empire works.¡± Fabian, who was acrimonious, turned his eyes to Evelyn.¡±Princess Evelyn?¡± The decision was passed on to Evelyn, the King¡¯s substitute. She had to make a decision, but Evelyn couldn¡¯t bet on dragging Liam into a dangerous situation. ¡°Sir Liam, please go and look at the present situation.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Princess?¡± Without Evelyn knowing, there was sadness in Liam¡¯s eyes. Meanwhile, Fabian¡¯s mood had be ufortable. ¡°Please.¡± There were many meanings in that one word. It meant, Evelyn, asking him to do what she told him to do, and asking him not to be stubborn anymore. Liam looked at Evelyn¡¯s eyes and nodded, then stepped out of the door.
¡°You picked up and raised a strange person.¡± Evelyn did not respond to Fabian¡¯s obvious criticism. ¡°Even though I am an uninvited guest, can you say hello to me?¡± ¡°I gave you an example earlier.¡± Actually, Evelyn didn¡¯t mean that. She was only sad that he didn¡¯t speak to her first even though he went through a difficult path. But Evelyn¡¯s face was cold when she said that. Fabian swallowed her bitter answer and asked her to sit down because Evelyn looked even more tired than him who rode a horse to get here. ¡°How did youe here without a message?¡± Evelyn sat down and asked him to the point. Looking at his dishevelled attire, he had to be pretty busy and had a hard time. ¡°It was faster for me toe here directly than to send a message,¡± Fabian said. His impudence was no longer a new attitude ¡°Hmm, is this tyranny too?¡± Even when he said that Evelyn still looked calm. And Fabian couldn¡¯t understand her. His wife, who always had a gentle smile, suddenly dered a cold divorce, and now she looked like apletely different person. It wasn¡¯t enough to send such a bold letter, but she was also amazing in some way not to blink her eyes even in this situation. ¡°I came here because I wanted to have a conversation with you,¡± said Fabian. ¡°I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Fabian let out a strange sound. Looking closely, Evelyn¡¯s skin seemed dull. Even though he was angry when he saw her face, Fabian felt sorry for her, and he couldn¡¯t control his heart. ¡°Is it because I blocked the trade route?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, why?¡± ¡°The problem with trade should be answered by the Empire instead of Finance Minister,¡± Evelyn replied calmly. ¡°Even if I put aside public affairs, isn¡¯t it too much that you have nothing to say to me?¡± ¡°My personal rtionship with Your majesty is over. I have only received you on behalf of the King¡¯s absence.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Right.¡± Fabian even aware of her assessment of himself. A heartless, cold-blooded man who didn¡¯t even take kindly to his mother. Such assessments weremon, and some of them were true. But now that he saw it, Evelyn was tough and wasn¡¯t too easy. ¡°Then, as Finance Minister, listen to me. I am the will of the Empire and also the answer.¡± Fabian said in a calm voice, and Evelyn lifted her eyes and stared at him. ¡°The trade route is not blocked.¡± Fabian said that with an unreadable expression, ¡°Tyranny and exploitation weren¡¯t ordered by me, either.¡± Suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened a little. ¡°But it¡¯s my Empire, so it¡¯s my fault.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t believe that Fabian admitted his mistake so gently. ¡°I have received your personal letter and started the investigation. You said it was tyranny and exploitation, right? That¡¯s a very appropriate word to describe it. After all of them were true, I blocked the trade route for a while because there was no one to manage it.¡± Evelyn frowned unconsciously. She immediately imagined how many people were killed by him in this case. ¡°It¡¯s true that The Empire¡¯s people were involved in destroying my honour.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes shook. It¡¯s too much to kill everyone who had made mistakes. It was terrifying to imagine that a single letter she sent to the Empire would flood the whole harbour with blood. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make that face. Because what I did isn¡¯t murder.¡± ¡°Because everything Your Majesty does is right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian closed his eyes for a moment and then opened. ¡°As of today, the trade route will be re-opened, there will be no more tyranny and exploitation, and the trade agreement between the Empire and the Felice Kingdom will be fair as promised.¡± When Evelyn heard that, she felt strangely relieved and strange in her heart. Even though she vaguely imagined him as a fair Emperor, he was too heartless. He was once her husband, but the reason she felt so lowly about him was that the Emperor¡¯s name was the highest and most honourable in the world but also the loneliest. ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want to know what you thought when the trade route blocked,¡± Fabian asked as if he was reading Evelyn¡¯s mind. ¡°Did you think that I, who knows the disaster in the south, used this opportunity to take revenge on your personal letter?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t deny or lie in front of him. Fabian already read the answer from her cold attitude. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yeah.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Fabian said nothing for a moment. There was no anger or sadness in his dark eye, looking at Evelyn. ¡°Don¡¯t you me me?¡± ¡°Should I do that?¡± said Evelyn. The question sounded a little lonely. ¡°If anyone who stayed closer to me thinks of me as a cruel and cold-blooded Emperor, I wouldn¡¯t me you.¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t making excuses. She thought Fabian was cold-blooded. Since she thought, as the noblest person on this continent, he would not hesitate to take advantage of the difficult times. ¡°Did you feel sorry?¡± asked Evelyn. ¡°Yeah, but ¡­ I¡¯d like to apologize if you give me a chance.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes looked at Evelyn¡¯s face a little puzzled. ¡°If you give, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± A low voice sounded bitter and deep. It¡¯s always been like that when she looked back. Evelyn always took what Fabian gave calmly. No affection, no resentment, no parting. Only once, without asking why, she just received it silently. ¡°It can¡¯t be said in return, but I brought medicine to cure the disease of the crops. I already sent it to the south.¡± This time, Evelyn could not hide her surprise. ¡°It¡¯s not for you. I¡¯m like the owner of the whole continent, so it¡¯s my job to save them.¡± Although Fabian talked casually, Evelyn could have guessed his distress. It was strange to think that while Evelyn was gone, Fabian would have had a busy and exhausting day as well. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you give. I have no choice but to thank you,¡± said Evelyn. Fabian¡¯s smile was faint. After breaking up with him, Evelyn looked into his eyes slowly for the first time. She wanted to know what kind of man she was looking at right now. She wanted to remember the father of the most loving child was like. Only ¡°I still don¡¯t know you, Your Majesty.¡± It was a little sad. ¡°And I don¡¯t know you either,¡± Fabian said. But his voice was no longer cold, ¡± So, I want to know about you.¡± Before Evelyn realized it, Fabian, who got up from his seat, was in front of her eyes already. ¡°But the rtionship between Your Majesty and me¡­.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to be a couple anymore. Still, I want to know what kind of woman you are. No, I think I can only live if I know that.¡± Fabian looked down at Evelyn. Slowly, arge hand was ced in front of Evelyn¡¯s eyes. Chapter 54: Over The Flowing Water Evelyn stopped unwittingly, trying to hold Fabian¡¯s hand. Just as the past that couldn¡¯t be erased, she grabbed the hand that once lived as her husband. Although she said clearly just a moment ago that the rtionship between them was already over. ¡°Wait, is it all right to walk together for a while?¡± Fabian asked suddenly. He pulled his hands back, which hadn¡¯t had a chance to touch her yet. Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then nodded. As Fabian said, it seemed to be all right. ¡°Would you like to see the garden¡­?¡± Fabian nodded at Evelyn¡¯s words. Evelyn got up first and walked away, keeping her distance from him. Fabian¡¯s footsteps were far wider, and he easily caught up with her. As the wind blew, Evelyn felt Fabian¡¯s body scent, and she kept rushing her steps. ¡°This is a walk, so no need to rush.¡± Fabian said softly. Evelyn didn¡¯t notice that a man was looking at them, gloomily on their way to the garden. Fabian was different, but Fabian and Liam had a simr mindset, in away. The prediction Liam was going to hover around here was exactly right. ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us, but nobody is here, so slow down.¡± Fabian¡¯s lip curled gently as he said it. Evelyn didn¡¯t know if her eyes made contact with him because he was so far away, but she was fully aware of where Liam was. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yeah.¡± Evelyn then turned around the corner without seeing Liam. The garden of Felice Pce, which was full of summer greenery, weed both of them. The dense foliage was shading the promenade on which they walked created a shady atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s summer.¡± Fabian said so inly. Evelyn then slowed her pace, staring back at him. Looking at his serious face, he seemed to havee up with some topic in his mind. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s summer.¡± without knowing it, Evelyn gave a bitter smile. Fabian was a capable Emperor, but their private conversation was too serious. But it was apparent that he struggled to find a topic. And to start talks with the topic of the season was a great development for him. ¡°It¡¯s the season when the trees start to get shady. It¡¯s nice to feel the freshness,¡± When Evelyn said a word, Fabian¡¯s face lightened up a little without her knowing. ¡°Is summer your favorite season?¡± asked Fabian. ¡°No, I like all seasons.¡± ¡°All,¡­¡­. I thought you liked winter.¡± Suddenly, Evelyn got a puzzled look on her face. ¡°You were born inte winter.¡± She didn¡¯t even think that her birthday woulde out from her ex-husband¡¯s mouth. ¡°At that time¡­.. when you told me I didn¡¯t know anything about you, I found it in my own way.¡± Fabian¡¯s proud face looked strange. In some ways, it was just a trivial matter, but once he paid attention, his real personality, who was detailed and sincere, came to her mind. ¡°But your birthday it¡¯s the same week as my father¡¯s memorial service, so the Imperial family celebrates your birthday in spring.¡± Either way, how indifferent her husband was, in truth, Fabian never ignored her birthday. But because of that, he vaguely remembered Evelyn¡¯s birthday in the spring. Since he recalled, spring flowers at the banquet always bloomed to celebrate her birthday. ¡°It is not ¡­ that I was mistaken, but I had my own excuse.¡± A leaf¡¯s shadow moved over Fabian¡¯s serious face. If he weren¡¯t sorry, that would be a lie, but that was already in the past since Fabian had been responsible for this continent¡¯s stability from an early age. ¡°Even now. I like those little things.¡± ¡°So, why are you telling me this? You don¡¯t like wasting time.¡± Fabian hesitated for a moment. He wanted to convey it, but he hadn¡¯t been able to describe it in words. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste of time¡­¡­Yeah, I honestly thought it was a waste at first.¡± His dark eyes stared at Evelyn deeply, ¡°As I searched and recorded what you asked me, the little things I remember about you, I couldn¡¯t figure out what those little things meant.¡± ¡°Did you search and record it?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was stained with bewilderment. ¡°I did, but I burned it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gradually, she couldn¡¯t understand what Fabian meant. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t erased from my memory. Those little things kept getting on my mind.¡± He first asked Serus to find out about Evelyn, and then he started looking for it himself. It was only after he burned the paper that he knew what those things meant. ¡°The blue hydrangea.¡± Fabian was pointing his long fingers at the flowers in the garden. ¡°It also bloomed in the Empress ¡®s pce garden. You never nted a flower but I heard that you liked the blue hydrangea.¡± Men¡¯s minds were so mysterious that they couldn¡¯t go back once they were conscious of it. Fabian saw the flowers for the first time and realized how he thought of someone. ¡°You loved a butterfly-shaped pie. I was told you always used the tea sets brought from the Felice Kingdom when drinking tea, but I learned you¡¯ve spent all your time studying and practicing the imperial court etiquette.¡± It was a story that even Evelyn had forgotten. ¡°You looked after me when you didn¡¯t do your job as an Empress. What kind of day I had, what I liked and disliked.¡± There were days like that. Somehow he wanted to find the meaning of marriage. ¡°Now, everything is meaningless.¡± ¡°I know that much.¡± Fabian nodded, ¡°But remembering it¡­ It was not meaningless to think of you when I looked at the flowers.¡± Without knowing it, Evelyn looked into Fabian¡¯s eyes. Fabian, in front of her now, was clumsy and calmly confessing what he felt. ¡°So I understand, no matter how trivial it may be, remembering it for someone makes it special. That alone means something.¡± His low voice still sounded heavy, but his eyes were a little different. The eyes of a man, not the Emperor¡¯s eyes that Evelyn remembered, were looking for an answer. ¡°Is the answer I found ¡­ correct?¡± Fabian said hesitantly. He also bit his burning lips and looked at Evelyn as if he was wrong. ¡°What I wanted to tell you wasn¡¯t the trivial things, but the mind to remember them, I¡­.¡± ¡°Please stop it.¡± Evelyn interrupted Fabian in a soft voice. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sounded bitter as if he was discouraged. ¡°Your Majesty is always right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s as an Emperor. Now I¡¯m asking as a man who was your husband.¡± Fabian always spoke in an indifferent and stiff tone. It was his lifelong habit. And it wasn¡¯t that different now. However, Evelyn was able to feel a slight difference. How difficult it was for Fabian to say that. ¡°It¡¯s not wrong.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± Evelyn smiled faintly. Fabian¡¯s eyes, which were about to shine, stopped. ¡°It wasn¡¯t wrong, but it¡¯s toote.¡± Evelyn¡¯s smile was as beautiful as her beauty. Fabian, who was seeing it, seemed to have a heavy stonending on his chest. For the first time in his life, he felt helpless. ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t worry about me anymore.¡± Her soft and gentle voice was cruelly the same as his memories. ¡°I¡¯m trying to correct my mistake.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do that anymore.¡± Fabian was briefly silenced by Evelyn¡¯s determined smile. Evelyn stopped walking and stood in front of the fountain in the garden. Her white, slender finger held a petal of a blue hydrangea. ¡°Whatever it is, if you realize it¡¯s wrong, you can fix it.¡± said Fabian. He was Right. It could have been if it was a public service. But Instead of answering, Evelyn put the petals down on the fountain. A delicate, blue petal flowed down the stream. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The petals were floating over the clear water. ¡°Our rtionship seems to just follow the flowing water.¡± Along a stream of water across the garden, far¡­..farther away. ¡°No one can¡¯t reverse the flow, no matter how small a stream of water is.¡± Even Fabian¡¯s eyes could see the petals that had gone away. ¡°I can grab it with my hands, I can reverse the flow without turning it back.¡± Evelyn kept a faint smile at Fabian¡¯s still confident attitude. ¡°Then what happens? I can hold it in your hand wherever the water flows.¡± asked Fabian. ¡°Yes, you could¡­.¡± Surprisingly, Evelyn answered gently. But Fabian didn¡¯t feel relieved. Just like the flowing petals, Evelyn right in front of him looked faint. She was in front of his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t reach her. ¡°But you didn¡¯t.¡± Fabian¡¯s face hardened when Evelyn caught the petals before his eyes. He could, but he didn¡¯t. And it was toote when he talked about it. ¡°You didn¡¯t catch it when it was in front of your eyes, you let it float along the flowing water.¡± The regret was alsote. Evelyn said that. ¡°Don¡¯t look back and think about it. You don¡¯t have to push yourself to find an answer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to find it because I want to.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t want it.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were as clear and calm as water. ¡°Like the water flows, like the seasons go, like the wind blows¡­..¡± Only There was no shadow of regret anywhere in that beautiful trail. That drove Fabian¡¯s remaining regrets even more crazy. ¡°Evelyn, I¡­..¡± Now the ugly feelings, like regret and longing, belonged to Fabian. ¡°Please let it go like that.¡± Just then did thete regret and anguish choke Fabian¡¯s heart. The remorse had his chest tied like a chain. ¡°Like I did¡­.¡± The wind blew again. He couldn¡¯t feel any regrets from Evelyn¡¯s easy-going smile. A strong summer breeze rammed through the hole in Fabian¡¯s chest. Chapter 55: Your Strange Reason While Fabian forgot what to say, Evelyn gently bent her knees to give an example. Then, without a moment of hesitation, she turned her back in front of Fabian. Suddenly, a simr scene shed through Fabian¡¯s memory. It was a simr back when she turned around and said goodbye on the night when the smell of the golden tree spread. At the moment, unknowingly, his body was moving first. It was an instinct to embrace her soft back that he couldn¡¯t hold on that day. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Your Majesty!¡± Even if Evelyn was trying to shake it off, Fabian didn¡¯t budge, embracing her back tightly. ¡°I should have held you then¡­..¡± A deep-low voice rang in Evelyn¡¯s ear. ¡°I should have caught you on the night when you said you would leave me.¡± Fabian¡¯s arms, which embraced her, were warmer than his arms in her memories. There was a strong scent of him that she had never forgotten. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let you go no matter what.¡± The end of his low voice trembled a little. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have sent you like that.¡± Evelyn only realized that Fabian¡¯s fingertips, which held her tight, were shaking a bit. ¡°Everything¡­¡­I regretted it. Ever since that night there have been no days I did not regret.¡± There was no longer any regret, and Evelyn¡¯s heart was already cold. ¡°Your Majesty, please stop ¡­¡­please let me go.¡± ¡°No, now I don¡¯t want any more regrets. I can¡¯t do that.¡± Fabian hugged Evelyn more closely. Evelyn¡¯s warmth, which he had been looking for in the nightmare of a tiring night, was real. He came here all the way, but Evelyn told him to let go of her again. ¡°You said it waste? Just let it go like a flowing water?¡± He would have forgotten it right away if he could. He wouldn¡¯t havee to Evelyn with this foolish regret. ¡°I can¡¯t. My time stopped when you left, and it started to move when I met you again. I barely knew it now, so why should I let it go?¡± Evelyn bit hard on her lips. Fabian had an unknown reason. ¡°Your majesty ¡­¡­you and me weren¡¯t in a good rtionship, so it¡¯s over, and we¡¯re destined to go in our separate ways.¡± Evelyn stepped out of Fabian¡¯s arms. At the moment, a feeling of frustration arose in Fabian¡¯s chest. ¡°Stop! It¡¯s destiny, destiny! I don¡¯t want to hear any boring excuses.¡± Fabian reached out, grabbed her arm as she tried to run, and put it in front of him. Evelyn didn¡¯t look straight at Fabian as if she was swallowing her pain. ¡°I¡­¡­I¡¯ve already learned the regret of letting you go. I¡¯ll never repeat it again.¡± The real pain came after an easy departure. As easy as letting it go, it hurts even more. ¡°Even against flowing water, or stopping the blowing wind, I won¡¯t let it slip out of my hands in vain.¡± Fabian had made up his mind already. He said he would never repeat the stupid thing of saying goodbye because it caused regret and left a scar on his life. ¡°Your majesty, it¡¯s already ¡­¡± ¡°Already in the past? I know it well. Yes , I know it¡¯s like hell.¡± Fabian took Evelyn¡¯s hands and held them tightly. It was something he wasn¡¯t able to do that night. ¡°So, from now on, I¡¯m not just going to let anything go.¡± The Emperor¡¯s dignity or man¡¯s pride couldn¡¯tfort Fabian because regret came to his life at every moment. If he¡¯d held hands that he couldn¡¯t keep if he hadn¡¯t let things go that way. So Fabian could hold Evelyn¡¯s hand without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to hold this hand again ever since. But as an Emperor, I only realized that I couldn¡¯t change the past.¡± ¡°Why do you know so well¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different now. Then the future will be different.¡± Evelyn slowly closed her eyes and then opened them. Her heart ached. Fabian now knew nothing about her previous life. How cruel their rtionship was and how vain the end was. ¡°I was a bad husband to you. I was indifferent because I was busy with official duties, and I was heartless because I didn¡¯t know how to express my feelings.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know the day woulde when she could hear this from Fabian. She almost forgot to breathe for a moment. He was supposed to be a heartless man to the end. Only then could Evelyn¡¯s choice wouldn¡¯t be wrong. ¡°But I¡¯ve never broken my marriage vows.¡± His dark eyes looked distinctly at Evelyn. ¡°Since we shared our wedding rings, I have never broken my vows, even for a moment.¡± His sincere eyes were hurt. Only then did Evelyn know for sure why her heart was cold. The present Fabian was still Fabian until he caused great pain and hurt to Evelyn. While Evelyn was silent and obedient, he was still a man who knew nothing and left her alone to die. ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t enough, I certainly loved and cherished you at every moment of my life. Even if I was clumsy and didn¡¯t know your pain, I never pretended I didn¡¯t know it on purpose. It may sound shameful, but I¡¯ve never done something so terrible to destroy our rtionship.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes hadplicated feelings. ¡°Or ¡­ Is there a mistake I still don¡¯t know ?¡± In truth, after her return, his cold back was still the same. But nothing had happened to her that was caused by the man in front of her. Evelyn didn¡¯t lose her child, and Fabian didn¡¯t abandon Evelyn. ¡°The biggest mistake I¡¯ve ever made is to let your hand go easily.¡± As if to prove his words, Fabian held Evelyn¡¯s hand tighter. His body temperature was still hot. ¡°Now I don¡¯t want to repeat that mistake.¡± Evelyn¡¯s mind was agitated. It was Evelyn, who assured herself that she shouldn¡¯t worry about this man again. But in her imagination, Fabian wasn¡¯t like this. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you toe back right away. All I want is a chance to make up for my fault.¡± The present Fabian wasn¡¯t just a cold and heartless man. Perhaps because she didn¡¯t lose her precious child, she didn¡¯t have the same resentment she had before her return. ¡°I want to do what I regretted I couldn¡¯t do to you. At least, I want to erase the regret that that I was not able to do anything at all.¡± Fabian¡¯s throat choked up, but he couldn¡¯t bear to express himself. ¡°Then, you can decide after that. Even If you refuse me again at that time¡­¡­. it¡¯s not toote.¡± There was despair in Fabian¡¯s eyes. Why could a man have changed so much? It was better to stay up to the end as a bad person, and Evelyn despised Fabian, who again bothered her heart like this. ¡°Or¡­.You still hate me¡­¡­¡± His low and calm voice sounded strange. ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings for Your Majesty anymore.¡± Fabian had a faint smile, ¡°But there¡¯s hatred in your eyes that sees me.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s why it¡¯s fortunate.¡± The night she said goodbye, there was no emotion in Evelyn¡¯s eyes. So it was more unbelievable. ¡°Even if it¡¯s hateful, it¡¯s a relief that you have feelings for me.¡± Evelyn said. She feared seeing those hopeless eyes again. ¡°I¡¯m d it¡¯s proof that I still have something to do .¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to give him false hope. This man once put herself in pain. Whether it was intentional or not, the only one who should have protected Evelyn had abandoned the responsibility. Evelyn hated it and shook off his hand. Fabian didn¡¯t hold her any longer, but he took Evelyn¡¯s hand with a gentle look. ¡°But it won¡¯t change. Our marriage couldn¡¯t be happy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hasty conclusion, and that¡¯s extreme, too.¡± If he had seen what Evelyn had been through, Fabian wouldn¡¯t have been able to say this. People didn¡¯t change. The oath couldn¡¯tst forever, and the vows were nothing more than vain. ¡°As it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am me, so does your Majesty.¡± ¡°I like you because you¡¯re Evelyn Felice. Do you hate me because I¡¯m me?¡± Evelyn once also liked a man named Fabian. Not an Emperor, but a man with his serene, dark eyes looking calmly at her. ¡°¡­¡­Because it¡¯s Your Majesty¡­..¡± The shade was shifting. Under the oak tree, Evelyn walked and sat on a small bench. Fabian followed her in silence and sat beside her. ¡°Because I¡¯m the Emperor. Because I¡¯m the Emperor of the Empire,¡± Fabian zed low. ¡°Is that why?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabianughed in vain. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s hard to ept.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m married to the Emperor, so it¡¯s a strange reason.¡± She did. Evelyn met, loved, and married Fabian, the Emperor from the beginning. It was a selfish excuse, but Evelyn didn¡¯t know how much it meant to be at that moment. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s weird. It¡¯s a strange reason.¡± Fabian repeated Evelyn¡¯s words, ¡°But I want to know why you thought that way.¡± His deep eyes looked at Evelyn. The fact that Fabian was Emperor couldn¡¯t be changed. Even he was in the realm of necessity, and he couldn¡¯t help it. So he needed a clear answer. For Fabian, it was cruel to live without knowing why. And right now, Evelyn couldn¡¯t be that harsh on a man with desperate eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact answer. Can I just, ¡­.. talk to you a little bit?¡± At least, now, he had the right to know. The man in front of her was still Fabian before he pushed Evelyn into pain. Fabian slowly nodded. He was the busiest man on this continent, but now he patiently waited for Evelyn than anyone else. ¡°I was serious when I said that I didn¡¯t know your Majesty¡­¡± Evelyn opened her lips between the soft wind. ¡°I thought I knew your Majesty better than anyone else.¡± When Fabian didn¡¯t even remember her birthday, Evelyn pointed to Fabian¡¯s trivial habits. She felt it was proof that she had known him well. Even Evelyn boasted that Fabian didn¡¯t know her and that only she knew him. Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu ¡°What I know is your outward appearance. Things that everyone can know with a little observation.¡± It wasn¡¯t because Evelyn was special. Whoever was in the imperial court knew much about the Emperor. Protecting the Emperor¡¯s throne was one of her duties as Empress, and Evelyn was one of them. ¡°And I knew we were very different people.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows frowned a little. Chapter 56: Their Childhood It was normal for people to be different. Fabian didn¡¯t refute, however, and waited for the next words from Evelyn. Since he was sure, she wasn¡¯t simply asking for pleasantries. And Evelyn reopened her mouth, as expected. ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s childhood, how was it?¡± Fabian¡¯s face was hit by an unexpected question with a mysterious light. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard your story when you were young ¡­¡­¡± ¡°About my childhood ¡­¡­?¡± He didn¡¯t know what the question meant, but Fabian tried to answer as honestly as possible, ¡°I think it was boring ¡­¡­ I felt like I didn¡¯t have the time. I think it was stressful in several ways.¡± It was a really Fabian answer, an answer that didn¡¯t deviate from expectations. It was the childhood of a prince who grew up in a Duke¡¯s family. ¡°Before you got the Emperor¡¯s education?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t have such a thing because I was the only sessor.¡± Evelyn nodded this time. The only sessor to the Empire was entrusted to Duke¡¯s family, who had a long history. He rew up and trained in thorough etiquette, Royal studies, and martial arts, and was crowned at 16. So, the question of what kind of childhood he had was a bit strange. ¡°Your Majesty, you grew up with Sir Serus. Didn¡¯t you have fun when you two yed together?¡± Evelyn asked, ¡°¡­¡­have you ever yed?¡± She was always curious if, in his childhood, there might be at least one good memory. ¡°Maybe once¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Fabian retraced his memory, but nothing came to his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have any memories of ying around because I was busy learning.¡± The person who talked about it was calm, but Evelyn looked sad, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a sessor¡­..¡± Instead, Fabian looked up at Evelyn and said, as if he were soothing her, ¡°It wasn¡¯t that sad, the whole thing was fun, it was a little boring, but ¡­ it didn¡¯t bother me.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t know why he was making excuses, but Evelyn¡¯s face was so sad that he felt he had to say something. ¡°The Duchess who raised me is a good person. I wasn¡¯t unhappy at all. I was raised as a noble sessor.¡± ¡°Yes, Duchess Perth is a nice person. It¡¯s a relief.¡± Fabian was somewhat relieved when Evelyn opened her mouth again. Honestly, as he spoke about his childhood, he didn¡¯t know why her eyes looked sad, something he never thought before. ¡°Yes. My childhood was fine.¡± Fabian said calmly, but Evelyn felt sorry looking at him. Who would say that his childhood was fine? At least not where Evelyn was born. Even though there may be children who weren¡¯t happy, they managed to have a decent childhood. However, Fabian, who had lived as an Imperial sessor since birth, unaware of the difference. And it broke Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°Why, you suddenly ask me that?¡± Evelyn herself didn¡¯t know. Perhaps because she felt sympathy for Fabian¡¯s inevitable birth. What was certain was that she couldn¡¯t imagine if Adrian having such a childhood. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t send her lovely child to such a ce. No matter how much sympathy she felt for Fabian, there was no instinct stronger than motherhood who wanted to keep Adrian¡¯s smile. ¡°If you had a child¡­¡­That child would have grown up that way, right?¡± Fabian nodded casually. He never thought deeply about his children. It was close to the one who couldn¡¯t afford it. ¡°That alone makes me a reason. After all, I think the divorce was right.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Why? You were married me, the Emperor.¡± ¡°Yes. I know it¡¯s ridiculous grievance. I was too young at that time. I could only think of myself. I didn¡¯t look to the future.¡± It¡¯s only natural at Evelyn¡¯s age. Back then, she didn¡¯t think about a child¡¯s childhood that she hadn¡¯t yet given birth to. Especially when she had just fallen in love. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Because I wouldn¡¯t have been able to adapt myself to the Empire until the end.¡± It was a mistake to think it was a problem that would be solved over time. The problem was that Evelyn was optimistic that she could start a family with love because they had the same race and the same words. But there were such different values, unfamiliar and cold manners, and Evelyn was always an outsider. ¡°You did well,¡± Fabian said. ¡°But until when should I have done it?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t stand the attitude of the nobles who looked at her with caution¡¯s eyes. She could barely adapt to the strict Imperial etiquette. Moreover, the matter of heart, affection, and love wasn¡¯t aponent that could be sacrificed at all. ¡°If I had a child¡­..If, ording to the Empire¡¯s custom, I had to let him go to someone else¡¯s arms without being able to breastfeed him¡­ Could I have endured that sadness?¡± Before returning, Evelyn had sent her child away twice. Before they were born, she had a miscarriage. It was very painful, when a small life that she had never seen the face, that hadn¡¯t even be a child, had just vanished. Because of that, Evelyn couldn¡¯t send a child that she had given birth to and held in her arms. ¡°But it hasn¡¯t even happened yet and it¡¯s not actually sad. The child will grow up, and he will always be your child.¡± Evelyn smiled sadly at those words. It was this difference in values that couldn¡¯t be prated by any cultural wall. Fabian didn¡¯t think that his childhood was miserable, so he thought that his child could grow up like that. ¡°Yes. The Empire or Your Majesty can do that. But I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t stand it. That¡¯s what I realized.¡± She knew this only after she gave birth to Adrian and held him in her arms. Never, even her life was cut off, she couldn¡¯t lose this child. There was nothing more important in the world than that. And Evelyn¡¯s fate was determined at that moment. Her most precious being had been decided in her life. ¡°If it¡¯s your child, it¡¯s also a precious child to me. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to make the child unhappy.¡± ¡°But if he were your sessor, would you raise him like Your Majesty?¡± There was no other answer from Fabian. He didn¡¯t even know his child existed, so she couldn¡¯t expect his answer. Evelyn knew it, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel the pain of her heart. ¡°I,¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, do you see the tree?¡± Silently, Evelyn cut the silence between them. A huge, beautiful tree was seen at the tip of her finger. ¡°When I was seven years old, I climbed the tree and fell ¡­ I still have a tiny scar behind my ear.¡± Fabian¡¯s expression was perplexed. His look seemed to be wondering why she was suddenly talking about trees. ¡°When I was six years old, I drank the water with my mouth in the fountain, and my father scolded me a lot. Why did I love to y pranks so much?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°After that, I secretly drank the water again, and I¡¯ve had stomach pain, and I¡¯ve been scolded again. I thought my father wouldn¡¯t know if I was lying, but that¡¯s the child¡¯s misconception.¡± A long-cherished smile bloomed on Evelyn¡¯s mouth. Her smile was so beautiful in Fabian¡¯s eyes that she couldn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°When I was younger than that, I cried all night because I was sad because the snowman I made with my mother for the first time melted and disappeared. There was a time when I hid my busy father¡¯s shoes. I was chasing birds with a stick for a while, and I fell down and cried out sometimes.¡± There were so many memoriesing to her mind just in this small ce. Fabian stared at Evelyn¡¯s side face, immersed in memories. It was a scene he had never seen before, and he could see the warmth in Evelyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°I told him I wanted to be a hunter, but he scolded me again.¡± Fabian¡¯s mouth, which had always tightened, was softened without knowing it. ¡°I was so tired of crying, and I fell asleep. When I woke up, there was a toy bow at my bedside. My mom said it was a present from the fairy who visited my room.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤then?¡± Fabian was immediately fascinated with the story of Evelyn. A smile unknowingly spread when he imagined that Evelyn, young and small, was energetically running around the garden. Back then, she must have been a lovely girl. ¡°And then I got scolded again because I wanted to be a fairy.¡± There was lowughter. ¡°She was a weird kid, wasn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She was a funny kid, and she was really sweet and adorable,¡± Fabian said,ughing. If their marriage wasn¡¯t broken, there would have been a child like that between them. Suddenly, the corner of his heart was aching. ¡°Yeah, Iughed, I cried and I got a lot of scolding, but I was happy. It was a childhood that I could enjoy just once in my life,¡± Evelyn said, looking at Fabian. ¡°Your Majesty, can your child grow up like that?¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Do you know the heart of a child, who grew with the love of her parents?¡± ¡°Evelyn¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± That was the saddest part of it. ¡°The Empire, Your Majesty is not a bad thing. It¡¯s just so different from the ce where I grew up.¡± Evelyn was a woman who wasn¡¯t supposed to love the Emperor from the beginning. She had already seen the bright and clear sky, but I couldn¡¯t be happy in a beautiful cage. ¡°I can¡¯t be happy in the Empire¡­.But Your Majesty is the owner of the Empire, so you can¡¯t leave. I was a fool¡­¡­. I shouldn¡¯t have married Your Highness from the start ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No¡­.I don¡¯t want to hear that¡­..Whether wrong or different, I don¡¯t regret marrying you.¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn with heavy eyes. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah, even though we¡¯re divorced now, I don¡¯t regret it.¡± His ck eyes were hoping for the same response. ¡°Neither do I regret my divorce.¡± The misery was swallowed together as Fabian breathed in. ¡°And I won¡¯t regret it in the future.¡± Evelyn spoke calmly and stood up. She couldn¡¯t say that she didn¡¯t regret marrying to Fabian. ¡°I see. ¡­.Is that all you don¡¯t regret?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes.¡± Evelyn met this man, and she loved him. A miserable and vain end came, but a miracle turned back the time, and she was able to hold the child of her beloved man. Both resentment and regret were washed away at that time. ¡°I see.¡± Fabian swallowed the pain in silence. ¡°Thank you for the story.¡± He didn¡¯t know what expression to make, so Fabian raised his body too. Then he stopped trying to say something and turned his back on her first. And Evelyn saw his back only with her eyes. Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu That way, Fabian¡¯s back figurepletely disappeared from her sight. ¡°Thank you for listening to me¡­¡­¡± Evelyn was whispering to herself. The stories she could tell, and the stories she couldn¡¯t tell, had to be buried in her heart. With a piece of a secret she couldn¡¯t tell¡­¡­..that, she didn¡¯t regret marrying him. Chapter 57: Duke’s Job Evelyn rushed to Adrian¡¯s bedroom, in case her regret would grow. After giving Adrian in Evelyn¡¯s arms, Miriam had left the room without asking about her meeting with Fabian. ¡°Adrian, how are you?¡± Evelyn hugged Adrian, who was getting heavier. She breathed in the sense of relief and buried her nose in the odd scent of the child. ¡°Buuuu, Buu!¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Let me do this for a second.¡± Then, like magic, Adrian stopped struggling and became quiet. ¡°It seems like you understand everything in times like this.¡± Adrian was hugged more tightly by Evelyn. It was amazing how his heart was pounding, and his hands and feet were wobbling in this little body. She wanted to hug him deeper, and just feeling the breath made her heart warm. ¡°Adri¨¢n, my Adrian.¡± Adrian¡¯s ck hair, reminiscent of Fabian, softly tickled the tip of her nose. Evelyn loved him, who had once been her husband, but she didn¡¯t want this child to grow up to be a man like him. It wasn¡¯t because Fabian was a bad guy, but it was because his loneliness was sad. ¡°You¡¯re going to grow up here ¡­ Running, falling, scolding, crying, but still a strong child.¡± Evelyn remembered her childhood when she was stronger and more energetic than she was now. ¡°But if you say you want to be a fairy, what am I supposed to do?¡± She grew up to be an adult and became a mother, and the world was still full of difficulties. Even now, she felt so foolish to borrow Adrian¡¯s warmth because she couldn¡¯t settle her sad heart. ¡°Not a fairy, what if you say that you want to be an Emperor?¡± Adrian grew day by day. One day, as he grew up, he should have known the secret. Even if Evelyn didn¡¯t regret it, what would she have done if Adrian had hated her? What would she have to say if Adrian had med her? Who was supposed to be the Emperor, but she raised him as the prince of this little kingdom? ¡°Maybe ¡­ because I¡¯m weak, I¡¯m ruining your future.¡± The others had endured it. That¡¯s how the Empress Dowager raised Fabian. But Evelyn was the only one who couldn¡¯t do that. She was weak, and she couldn¡¯t help. No matter how hard she tried, Evelyn couldn¡¯t protect her child in the cold Imperial family. That was the limit of her. ¡°Still¡­¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Evelyn hugged Adrian, making eye contact with her precious child. His dark blue eyes were filled with images of herself. ¡°Hug!¡± shouted Adrian, his little mouth open. ¡°I¡¯m hugging you.¡± ¡°Yes, hug! me, hug!¡± he said, but his gesture was a little different from usual. Adrian shook his arms, seemed to want something more, not to grumble or y. ¡°Hug!¡± His little hand wrapped around Evelyn¡¯s head. At the moment, Evelyn understood what Adrian was trying to do. ¡°Adrian¡± ¡°Hug!¡± In an instant, Evelyn¡¯s eyes turned red. She could tell for sure because he was the child she gave birth to. This little boy tried to reach out and hugged her. ¡°Hug! Hug!¡± ¡°Are you ¡­ -hugging me?¡± ¡°Hug!¡± Evelyn¡¯s tears fell. More than that, A deeperfort and happiness spread through her heart. ¡°I said, I was a fool, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Evelyn was no stronger than this child. It was all right, though. Even if she thought she wascking, as long as she had Adrian¡¯s warmth, Evelyn wouldn¡¯t go off the road. ¡°I¡¯m with my family ¡­ I can¡¯t be unhappy. Even though I me myself, I wouldn¡¯t regret it.¡± No matter how the world changed, no matter how adult Adrian grew up, she couldn¡¯t regret her choice. It was Evelyn¡¯s destiny, the same as Adrian¡¯s existence. ¡°Adrian, I can¡¯t be a mother to you, but I¡¯m going to be a family that will be by your side until the end of this world.¡± For Evelyn, it wasn¡¯t a problem of not being able to act as a mother as long as she could see that Adrian grew up with a smile. ¡°I should be stronger like you to do that, right?¡± Evelyn wiped her tears away and smiled brightly. Like magic, the child¡¯sughter seemed to carry on to Evelyn, too. ¡°Buuu, Buuu!¡± ¡°Yes, all right.¡± Her stupid worries melted away at once and faded. Evelyn filled her eyes with her lovely child. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot.¡± Someday, Adrian would be bigger than Evelyn. It was still a long story, but she was looking forward to such a day. ¡°You were so small at first, you couldn¡¯t open your eyes, and you didn¡¯t even know your name?¡± Adrian blew his cheeks as if he had heard what Evelyn had said. It was like he knew everything now. ¡°You¡¯re my happiness.¡± Evelyn put Adrian down on his bed andid down her tired body beside him for a while. Adrian twisted his body, and he pushed his face right in front of Evelyn¡¯s nose before she knew it. ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± ¡± I will hug you againter.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Adrian opened his eyes stubbornly. It seemed like the nap was wrong. ¡°Ah ¡­ Buuuu.¡± Evelyn looked at Adrian humming something, then she rose and sat down. ¡°Eve¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? You want to say something else?¡± Evelyn gazed at Adrian with a thoughtful heart. ¡®Hug¡¯ and ¡®No,¡¯ Adrian couldn¡¯t say anything except those two words. ¡°Abu ¡­ -Lynn.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡± I¡­Like..yu¡± ¡°Aburi! Abulyn!¡± he said. Evelyn opened her eyes wide, and it seemed that time hade to an end. Adrian looked straight at Evelyn and spoke. ¡°Ah, Evelyn, like, um ¡­¡± It was the happiest confession in her life. Evelyn thought she would never forget this moment. She even believed that she was born and lived for this moment. Happiness was pervaded at this moment. ¡°I, Ev¡­Lynn, like¡­.¡± ¡°I like you.¡± This time, she was overflowing with tears of joy. The fact that tears came out when she was too happy because she gave birth to Adrian didn¡¯t know that until then. ¡°Adrian, I ¡­¡­.I love you.¡± Unable to bear it, Evelyn hugged Adrian tightly, whispering again and again. ¡°More than anything else in the world, I love you.¡± Evelyn¡¯s life was meaningful enough to have that happiness right now. The vows of marriage to Fabian, the grief of breaking her vow and turning back, and the sorrow of pushing him away, were faintly dim and gone.
The King seemed to be able to arrive by tomorrow. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to face Fabian again, and Liam just happened to take on a difficult role. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to serve you, Your Majesty.¡± Liam, who was kind enough to kneel on one knee, had no grain of sincerity. Looking at him, even in Fabian¡¯s cold eyes, the feeling of reluctance was unchanged. ¡°I don¡¯t expect it, because it¡¯s not the Duke¡¯s job in the first ce.¡± ¡°However, it is a duty given by the Princess, so I will do my best.¡± The motives of each of them were clearly revealed. The two men didn¡¯t seem intent on hiding their intentions from the beginning. ¡°The duty is only the duty, and it can¡¯t be up to you. How could a Duke in the periphery serve on the Emperor¡¯s side?¡± There was a sharp thorn in Fabian¡¯s words. It sounded like Liam had no right to serve him or stand beside him, but Liam knew that it was clearly a warning that he shouldn¡¯t approach Evelyn. ¡°There¡¯s no man in Felice Kingdom who deserves to be on Your Majesty¡¯s side. Since you are the ruler of the Empire.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes shone ferociously. ¡°I said, Your Majesty¡¯s glory is not worthy of a small kingdom like us.¡± Liam bowed his head gently, but his example was far from loyalty or obedience. ¡°Oh, so you think my glory is like Duke¡¯s bowl.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°The Emperor is a being who embraces the whole continent. My glory will shine anywhere without exception. Forever ¡­ wherever my heart stays.¡± Suddenly, Liam¡¯s green eyes stopped for a moment, and Fabian looked at him. ¡°Yes, and it doesn¡¯t change forever.¡± The warning was enough. Fabian, who thought so, looked down at Liam with an arrogant smile and walked away. Liam stood in ce for a while and stared at his back. ¡°Duke? We must go and serve Your Majesty.¡± Serus said. He walked in front of Liam, who didn¡¯t budge. ¡°It¡¯s not my job,¡± Liam said. ¡°You said it was your duty.¡± Serus looked at Liam a little sullenly. But what was ridiculous was that Liam did the same thing. ¡°More than that¡­ .. Sir Serus. Don¡¯t talk to me so casually.¡± ¡°I have to apany Your Majesty by your side.¡± Serus looked confident. ¡°And the Duke said that he would serve His Majesty.¡± At Serus¡¯s word, Liam frowned unconsciously. ¡°That¡¯s right, no way¡­Don¡¯t say that you¡¯re going to follow me too.¡± ¡°Yes? If I, His Majesty¡¯s close friend don¡¯t go, who will go?¡± Before Fabian¡¯s warning had gone, another shock had arrived. Liam, who had a in and straightforward personality, suddenly felt a rare migraine strike his brain. ¡°Sir Serus, don¡¯t you know about my sister?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that I don¡¯t know Lady Reba from Akshire.¡± ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ well, let me ask you a different question. Who¡¯s your brother?¡± ¡°The Duke of Perth.¡± Liam¡¯s patience was quite great. ¡°And?¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes red at Serus as if they were driving away. ¡°Ah.¡± Serus seemed to have noticed something now, and he knew it immediately. ¡°The divorce of the two, I see.¡± Serus nodded calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in the past.¡± Only ¡°Really?¡± Liam never had a moment when he wanted to side with her sister like now. Thought he wanted to hit Serus right now, Liam decided to give up that opportunity to Reba. ¡°Yes. Perth is basically like that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care about the past at all? That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°I think Lady Reba knows that part very well.¡± Liam had recalled her sister. When she drank, Reba would curse the Perth¡¯s men. It wasn¡¯t wrong in a way, because she knew them well. ¡°I see,¡± said Liam, believing in Reba. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my house together, then.¡± And Liam was curious. If Serus was beaten by a woman in the past, would he really not care at all. Once again, Liam sincerely cheered for her sister as he brought the Imperial man to Akshire today. It was time for Reba to have some fun. Chapter 58: Bizzare Dinner When Arthur hurried back to the Felice Kingdom, it was after two things that were hard to believe had already happened. Arthur forgot the King¡¯s face for a while. He jumped out of the carriage and ran across the pce in a nce. ¡°Father?¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were wide open, surprised by Arthur, who opened the door. ¡°Is the news true?¡± ¡°Have you heard it already?¡± ¡°I heard it! so I asked if it was true??¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. But His Majesty said that he didn¡¯t want to watch the famine on the continent. It wasn¡¯t his n to block the trade road. And he had already sent the crop remedy to the south.¡± After the Empire stopped the trade routes, Arthur had already imagined for the worst. He even had to be prepared to give up trading with the North. However, the Emperor¡¯s will was different from him, and it was shocking to know that he was also actively trying to stop the famine in the south. ¡°Sigh¡­..¡± Arthur sighed, leaning his tired body on the sofa. ¡°Your Majesty has promised that there won¡¯t be an exploitation or tyranny in trade anymore. It will be a fair deal.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t know the whole story, but it was a good news. However, Fabian¡¯s intention to deliver such news in person was suspicious. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just¡­ ¡± Evelyn blurred the end of her sentence. She thought there was no need to worry her father. ¡°Fortunately, Sir Liam offered to serve His Majesty himself, so he went to the Duke of Akshire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± It wasn¡¯t relieved to leave Fabian in the same pce as Evelyn without King Arthur. Of course, Liam would have done more than that. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good or not.¡± ¡°As long as he isn¡¯t in the Felice Pce.¡± said Arthur. ¡°Not that, but Sir Serus, His Majesty¡¯s aide, went with him to the Akshire.¡± ¡°Of course he¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s aide.¡± Arthur replied, but suddenly he opened his eyes wide as he answered in the wrong way. ¡°Sir Serus, isn¡¯t he the second son of the Duke of Perth?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s why!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that Imperial¡¯s man¡­..¡± There was Lady Reba in Akshire, who had been divorced from Serus¡¯ older brother even though Fabian knew that Evelyn didn¡¯t understand why the Emperor allowed Serus to apany him or why Serus agreed to follow him. ¡°For Lady Reba, Serus is like a pain in the ass.¡± Evelyn swallowed her worries in her heart, wondering what would happen if the two met together. She only hoped that there wouldn¡¯t be bloodshed against Serus in Akshire. ¡°It¡¯s all right. There¡¯s Sir Liam.¡± ¡°Yes, the Duke of Akshire is always reliable.¡± However, the two hadn¡¯t yet fully realized that Reba was stronger than Liam. ¡°Oh, more than that. Don¡¯t you have more important news?¡± Arthur asked, with his eyes wide open. ¡°Huh? I just told you everything, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Even though Evelyn¡¯s words were over, Arthur made a worldly face as if there was a great misfortune in the Felice Kingdom. ¡°Adrian, my dear Adrian!¡± he said. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah, that¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡°Why? When I was away from the pce, did he start talking again? Of all things! Why!¡± Seeing her mourning father, Evelyn feltplicated. Adrian¡¯s mother was her, but Arthur always med her. ¡°Please, Father, let those people report only urgent matters at the pce. ¡° Arthur sighed deeply, ¡°For me, Adrian is more urgent than anything else!¡± ¡°Okay, I get it, I get it¡­.. I didn¡¯t tell you everything. But now I¡¯m in a hurry. So listen to the rest from mother.¡± Evelyn tried to escape. But Arthur looked up Evelyn with sore eyes. ¡°Adrian called you by name, huh? Good for you, ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡¤.¡± Her father¡¯s eyes, filled with sincere jealousy, were bothersome. ¡°That¡¯s a problem, too. Adrian should learn etiquette.¡± Of course, Evelyn¡¯s heart had melted away at the time. But looking back, Adrian had a problem with his manners. She didn¡¯t want to hear that he grew up as a spoiled child because he was pampered and raised in a room. That¡¯s what the people of the Empire used to say. ¡°We still can correct hisck of respectter, but we can¡¯t let him call an adults only by name.¡± ¡°Evelyn! Adrian is only a child with ten teeth now.¡± ¡°No, ¡­ Adrian called my name like that probably because of the influence of the two of you.¡± ¡°Why are we!¡± ¡°You always call me Evelyn, so Adrian must have seen and learned that.¡± As soon as Arthur closed his mouth to her word, he immediately looked at Evelyn. ¡°Then should I call you a Princess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡­¡± ¡°Huh, time will solve it. Adrian can call me ¡®father¡¯ soon! Then the ordering will be natural. Or you want me to call you a servants!¡± ¡°Where you¡¯re going¡­? Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Arthur got up from his seat, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath. So I can hug Adrian cleanly.¡± Later, before Evelyn¡¯s sigh was over, Arthur had disappeared. She felt as if there was a storming. She understood Arthur¡¯s disappointment and half-hearted jealousy. But it was also true that Adrian was particrly sulky with Arthur when he devoted himself to it. ¡°Do you get sick of showing too much affection? Even a child can get tired of it.¡± She figured that Arthur would rub his rough beard and that Adrian would inte his cheek, nodding his head. There¡¯s something unexpectedly bothering her. Arthur said that soon Adrian would call him Father. It was already decided from the beginning, and Evelyn agreed with that. ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± In her mind, she understood it. Still, she couldn¡¯t erase the thought of sinking like a heavy stone somewhere in her heart. Of all things, the memory of meeting Adrian¡¯s real father today ovepped and scattered Evelyn¡¯s heart. If it weren¡¯t for some reason, Adrian would have been raised to know and follow Fabian as his father. ¡°No, no.¡± Evelyn shook her head. There was nothing good about drawing more thoughts. If Fabian knew in the first ce that Adrian was his son, Adrian couldn¡¯t grow up like this. Far from watching the growth process like this, and Evelyn wouldn¡¯t have been able to name him. ¡°He¡¯s still too young. I can¡¯t believe he would send such a child to another mansion¡­¡± It was too bitter about imagining it. It was a sacred duty for nobles to raise the Imperial family, so it was impossible to express affection privately or adore their cuteness. ¡°It¡¯s so sad.¡± The young Imperial family was always the subject of education and was asked to do the same thing as adults. ¡°Like him¡­..¡± Fabian¡¯s calm face came to her mind. That was the moment when he said his childhood was just fine. He didn¡¯t mind it, but Evelyn¡¯s heart ached at sight. If she could, she wanted to go back in time and hugged Fabian in his childhood. ¡°It¡¯s very hard.¡± But it wasn¡¯t Evelyn¡¯s job. Sometimes they had a very sad rtionship. When Evelyn was on Fabian¡¯s side, she couldn¡¯t read the loneliness hidden under his cold attitude. At that time for Evelyn, hugging her loneliness was already a burdensome thing, how she could see him properly. ¡°Even though I turned back once, it¡¯s still hard.¡± Evelyn had already withered once and returned in time after her death. She put down the Empress¡¯ crown, which was only painful, and everything changed. She regained her freedom, and she was able to hug Adrian. Evelyn had changed, because of that, now she could see Fabian¡¯s solitude. Being noble since he was born, he was boundless lonely, cold, and sad. He was alone all his life, so he couldn¡¯t even realize he was lonely. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve your sympathy.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t know about love. Evelyn left him sick by such a thing. Evelyn wasn¡¯t mean. There¡¯s a good reason for that, and it¡¯s a great choice. And in the end, she was right to leave him. ¡ï¡ï¡ï There was dinner at Akshire¡¯s residence to wee the Emperor, and the atmosphere was very bizarre. First of all, the former Duke of Akshire, Liam¡¯s father, didn¡¯t show his face with an excuse for old age. The main character, the Emperor, didn¡¯t want to participate in dinner without Evelyn, so he went to his room immediately. However, nobility¡¯s etiquette was a rule that had to be prepared even without the main character. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have Your Majesty at the Duke of Akshire. ¡­ ¡­although Your Majesty is not here.¡± Sitting at the end of the long table, Liam said in his capacity as the host, and those thorny words were addressed to Serus. ¡°Your Majesty will also be d to see Akshire¡¯s sincerity¡­.¡± Serus couldn¡¯t be too hostile to Liam. His loyalty to Fabian from childhood was great. So, he couldn¡¯t help but ept Liam¡¯s words about the Emperor. ¡°Then, let¡¯s say that glory and sincerity have been achieved.¡± Reba quietly opened her mouth and a cold sensation riding on Liam¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s find out what¡¯s here, shall we?¡± Reba¡¯s red lips twisted and smiled coolly, and her fingers were holding the thin wine ss so tightly. ¡°Sir Serus, I have an ufortable feeling as a host of Akshire. No matter how the Imperial man is not concerned with the past, I want to know why Sir Serus, the second son of the Duke of Perth, came to our Duke of Akshire with pride.¡± Liam did his part wonderfully after a long time. ¡°Sir Liam, I am.¡± Serus opened his mouth calmly. ¡°He has no idea. It¡¯s the basic principle of knowing feelings , emotions, and atmosphere.¡± Without waiting to hear his answer, Reba¡¯s cold voice suddenly rang, and she stared at Serus with her green eyes. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t said anything yet. Lady Reba, as you know, as I have served His Majesty as a member of the ck Knights, I have given up my position as Duke.¡± Only ¡°Oh, my Goodness. It¡¯s not just thoughts, feelings, and concepts, you also don¡¯t have a status either!¡± Liam had begun to realize that his decision was wrong. He wasn¡¯t supposed to bring Serus to his home, as expected. ¡°And still, if you show your face here, it means you don¡¯t have any pride, right? At this point, I wonder what you have. Well, there¡¯s nothing, of course.¡± ¡°I have a mission to serve His Majesty.¡± Serus said calmly, but he seemed to have fallen into her provocation. ¡°What Lady Reba has to say¡­¡± ¡°How dare a man from Perth calls my name!¡± Without a moment of hesitation, Reba stood up and poured red wine on Serus¡¯ face. Serus blinked a few times as if the time had stopped. And the same thing was true of Liam. His time seemed to have stopped. Chapter 59: Serus’ Apologize What happened now? The two men thought the same thing. It was fortunate that Liam¡¯s father and the Emperor didn¡¯t participate here. ¡°Why, you want to say that because of my bad behavior I got divorced and act like a wild horse?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I never said that.¡± Serus wiped his face with a napkin. His face was stony with embarrassment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you learn that from your brother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not close to my brother.¡± Serus said. But, his sincere answer made Reba very irritated. ¡°Hah, do you think that I¡¯m now talking about your rtionship?¡± At her question, Serus blinked his again. Because in truth, he had little contact with his older brother since he grew up as Fabian¡¯s close friend since he was a child. ¡°People in Perth say, if you drink alcohol, you will lose your memory, is it true? ¡± Reba asked with a cold voice. Serus had little interaction with his family since he joined the ck Hawk Knights, so this situation somehow was so unfair to him. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s because you don¡¯t have a girlfriend. Which damndy do you like, or do you like an opera theater singer as well?¡± Her ex-husband had been such a bad memory to Reba. He med her for her slowness, but he bravely enough not to hide his affair. She was profoundly offended by the fact that Serus, who knew everything about his affair, dared to lift his head and sit in front of her like nothing happened. ¡°It was my mistake to call your name recklessly. I apologize if you were offended.¡± Serus raised himself up, and there was no more anger in him. ¡°And I¡­ really didn¡¯t learn anything from my brother. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to learn anything from him.¡± Reba suddenly became awkward. She wished at first that she could get mad at Serus, as she did with her ex-husband. Serus¡¯s calm reaction, however, made her look like a crazy woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your divorce. I know it¡¯s my brother¡¯s fault.¡± Serus still wiped the wine¡¯s drip and quietly said it. ¡°My mother, Duchess Perth, and everyone in the world knows who¡¯s to me. If there are rumors that annoy you, it¡¯s a fool¡¯s word, so don¡¯t mind it.¡± Reba was now looking at Serus, frowning her eyebrows. ¡°At least, if my mother and I hear the false rumor, we promise to correct it.¡± Liam had already kept an eye on thete situation, seeking to find the right timing to interrupt. ¡°The bad one is my brother. I know it well.¡± Reba suddenly had lost her vocabry. ¡°I apologize once again for being irresponsible in calling your name.¡± Besides, the longer Serus spoke, the more he was able to block people¡¯s mouths. To the point that Reba felt it was her fault to be called by that name. ¡°However, since it is my task to serve His Majesty, I can¡¯t leave his side¡­ So I hope you understand.¡± Serus bowed his head to Reba. He was the Emperor¡¯s close aide, the head of ck Hawk Knights, and Perth¡¯s son. Nevertheless, he lowered his head gently to Reba without any hesitation. ¡°Then, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± What¡¯s more shocking was that instead of leaving, Serus sat back in his chair. He finished using a napkin to clean the wine and picked up the dishes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the dinner interrupt because of me. Let¡¯s keep eating.¡± Liam nearly opened half his mouth wide. He felt lost, and with a side nce, he looked at Reba. If Serus had protested something, he would have been angrier, but he couldn¡¯t say anything about him when he behaved like this. ¡°Liam, I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯m going back. As a Duke, you should entertain our guests.¡± Reba barely said that. She then turned around and disappeared. There were only two men left for this wrong dinner, and Liam deeply regretted the meeting. ¡°Sir Serus¡­¡­ what the hell are you thinking?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No, I do not understand, no matter how hard I try. Is it possible to eat now?¡± ¡°Can you not?¡± Serus wasn¡¯t sarcastic, but purely asking back. He was a strong enemy that Liam had never encountered before. ¡°She¡¯s my sister, but a while ago, she did too much. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got feelings.¡± But Serus remained calm, ¡°Oh, ¡­..It¡¯s all right, I lived as His Majesty¡¯s aide, and there were a lot of humiliating moments, and I¡¯m used to it because there are so many people who are upset about my brother already.¡± ¡°That much?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a verypetent man as a Duke, but in his private life he¡¯s a very ¡®noisy¡¯ guy.¡± It was as if he were talking about the story of someone else. ¡°The fact I was born after him can¡¯t be helped ¡­.¡± ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t born that way because you wanted to.¡± Liam silently whispered to himself, and their eyes met. ¡°I understand, there is a lot of unfairness in the case of my brother.¡± ¡°Sir Serus¡­..You¡¯re different from people¡¯s prejudice.¡± Liam turned his head. But there was no sign of Reba. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. People¡¯s prejudice against me because they see me as half-my brother and half-His Majesty.¡± That was one of Serus¡¯s sufferings. His older brother, who had already made Perth¡¯s son¡¯s image, be bad. As Fabian¡¯s close friend, he also had no choice but to give the impression that he was a cold-blooded man. ¡°That means you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ I honestly don¡¯t mean anything.¡± Unconsciously, Liam nodded his head in sympathy for his situation. ¡°I think it¡¯s best to stay in the Empire as it is. All I can do is hope that His Majesty will return quickly this time.¡± Serus confided after he heard Liam¡¯s encouraging response. ¡°In that respect, I agree, our hopes are the same.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Sir ¡­.. If I can do anything to help, please tell me.¡± ¡°Then, one thing that you can do is pay attention to¡­¡­¡­¡± So, the interests of the two men, which resembled water and oil, were bnced unexpectedly. ¡ï¡ï¡ï As Fabian had said, the trade routes with the Empire had returned to normal. There was also good news from Agriculture in the southern country that the medicines supplied by Fabian had seeded in eradicating crop diseases. While it was not a good thing, it was lucky Fabian was able to stop here. Above all, Evelyn¡¯s quick judgment was able to procure scarce food from the East, so this year would pass safely. And she also released an order, as finance minister, to exclude the affected farmer from taxes. ¡°I can feel rxed now ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to you, many people must have relieved from their worries.¡± The day after having dinner with Serus, Reba left the Duke¡¯s residence and remained at the royal pce. She was regarded as a member of the Royal Family from the very beginning, so it was normal for her to go back and forth in the pce. ¡°But Reba. Is it alright if you¡¯re not going back to the Duke¡¯s residence?¡± ¡°Are you tired of me?¡± Reba¡¯s face clouded at once. ¡®No, I like you¡­.., but I¡¯m a little worried about people whoing from the Duke of Akshire twice a day to find Reba.¡¯ And it was burdensome. But Evelyn couldn¡¯t say that to Reba. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°That¡­¡­ Sir Liam is looking for you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, you can ignore him.¡± Suddenly it urred to her that she didn¡¯t see Liam these days. Evelyn was sure that he must feel like dying every day since he needed to take care of Fabian and Serus, the two most troubling men. ¡°Do you feel ufortable with Sir Serus?¡± ¡°Why me? He¡¯s the one who should be ufortable not me.¡± ¡°Ah yes, yes, you¡¯re right ¡­.¡± Evelyn wondered, what the hell had happened that day? Because Reba stayed in her ce for two days without opening her mouth. ¡°Did Sir Serus¡­¡­have done something wrong? Oh, for him to go to the Duke of Akshire was already rude.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s rude? He doesn¡¯t have feelings , emotions, no principles, no pride!¡± Evelyn simply didn¡¯t have a good impression of Serus. He was always like Fabian¡¯s shadow. In front of Evelyn, the Empress, he never spoke or disclosed his personal thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of person Sir Serus is. How many times I will say that I have no idea whatsoever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. Oh, my God, I poured wine on his face and I hated his expression. What kind of man is he?¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes shook all of a sudden. What¡¯d happened at dinner on earth? What was Reba doing? ¡°He apologized easily. And he admitted that his brother is a bastard.¡± Reba¡¯s words were harsh, but her expression didn¡¯t seem angry. ¡°I think he¡¯s a better person than I thought.¡± Reba nced at Evelyn¡¯s cautious words and bit her lower lips. ¡°I¡¯m pissed about that.¡± It was also true that Reba¡¯s temper was terrible and that she acted rude sometimes. However, she wasn¡¯t a ¡®hard¡¯ woman nor a woman who didn¡¯t want to admit her mistake. ¡°I thought he was the same bad guy as his brother, because he¡¯s a son of Perth, but he¡¯s not!¡± ¡°Because the brothers are not all alike.¡± ¡± ¡­.And thanks to him, I think I¡¯ve be a crazy woman.¡± Reba muttered in despair. As time went by, her head cooled down, and her prejudice was cleared. She realized that she hadmitted something dishonorable. But Serus¡¯ reaction was kind, and It was proof that he was totally different from her ex-husband. ¡°I need to apologise, right?¡± ¡°Maybe Sir Serus doesn¡¯t care at all.¡± ¡°It looks like that. But I don¡¯t want to be the same person as my ex. He was a human who didn¡¯t apologize when a knife got in his neck. He didn¡¯t even think about, or admitted he was wrong. I thought all men in the Empire were like that.¡± Evelyn had often believed so. Even Reba¡¯s ex-husband didn¡¯t know his fault and didn¡¯t even want to think about it. But Fabian, whom she met not long ago, wanted to know his faults. And he tried to fix it. ¡°That¡¯s right. Sometimes we don¡¯t really know about a person.¡± Evelyn patted Reba on the shoulder. Reba nodded as if she had decided something. ¡°I have to apologize for being mad. Of course, only for the rudeness!¡± ¡°It was¡­.only wine that you poured?¡± Reba, who noticed Evelyn¡¯s worries about whether abuse might have happened, looked at her with a sweet expression. ¡°The only person I hit is Liam.¡± Only ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The hot temper Reba, she was already getting ready to go back to Duke¡¯s residence. ¡°God, I hated it because when I went to my house, I had to see that awful thing.¡± In recent days, when Evelyn talked about the Duke, Reba said she didn¡¯t want to go back because she didn¡¯t want to see something terrible. ¡°But you now know that Lord Serus is not a bad guy,¡± Evelyn said. But Reba opened her eyes wide, ¡°What? Sir Serus? I wasn¡¯t talking about him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? That creature that I hate right now¡­ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Oh, it¡¯s terrible. It¡¯s terrible anyway!¡± Evelyn obviously misunderstood the situation a little bit. Chapter 60: The Black Hawk It wasn¡¯t a demon that made Reba frowned and showing off her dislikes. And at the same time, two foreign men at the Duke of Akshire were chatting while looking at the creature. ¡°People said the were a magical spirit, but it really seems like that.¡± ¡°Yes. Their parents are very smart with great pedigree.¡± It was a shame that Reba hadn¡¯t arrived at the Duke¡¯s residence yet, but she would have seen such a scene if she had seen Liam spending time with Serus. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to see the famous Imperial hawk , and I never thought I would have an opportunity like this.¡± A creature that Reba feared were birds. She hated that animal than a Demon that regrly appeared these days. But, no matter how great and smart the hawk was. Reba was much scarier. Because of her, neither Liam nor her father dared to bring a hawk, which was usually said as ¡®nobleman¡¯s dream,¡¯ into their residence. ¡°Can you really use them for hunting?¡± ¡°Yes. These are less than a year old. From an early age, you need to train them toe back to your arms b by gradually feeding them meat. And then,ter on, they will always return to their owner¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.they¡¯re so clever. They also very good-looking.¡± The two men nodded as they looked at the three young hawks. Serus trained the hawk toe back repeatedly with a guard on his arm. The Empire¡¯s ck hawk was really majestic that the Knights using its name. In fact, the hawk had a charm that would make any man fall in love with them. ¡°The ck hawk is really brave and genuinely loyal,¡± Liam said. Serus, who was usually quiet, also became more talkative when he talked about his hawk. ¡°Yes, they are. I am most proud that they¡¯re highly intelligent and strong and always return to their master.¡± ¡°Except for demons, nothing in the sky is stronger than a ck hawk.¡± All of a sudden, Liam felt a little sad, ¡°Oh ¡­ I wish I could have one.¡± ¡°If you like, you can get a hawk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something even my father, the Duke couldn¡¯t do. My sister hates bird.¡± ¡°Oh right, the hawk is dangerous.¡± ¡°No¡­. my sister is surprisingly afraid of birds.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that all right then, because the hawk is docile?¡± Liam seemed to be used to Serus¡¯ way of speaking now, but he still couldn¡¯t keep up with his way of thinking. However, Liam sometimes envied his pure and simple thoughts. ¡°The ck hawk is safe, but the other types of hawks are a little dangerous.¡± Liam was afraid of Reba¡¯s temper, as did his father. It was for his own safety, not because of the dangerous hawk. ¡°But now that it has been brought here by His Majesty. It¡¯s all right to enjoy it for the first time in a while.¡± Liam¡¯s sparkling green eyes followed the hawk¡¯s movement with curiosity. He was addicted when he looked at them with his own eyes because he always wanted to have that smart bird. Indeed a hawk was the romance of every continental man. ¡°When will the hunt start?¡± Liam hoped anyway to enjoy the luxury time of watching the hawks hunting because he was in charge of the troubled Emperor. ¡°Are you talking about hunting?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t His Majesty bring a hawk to hunt?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes, hearing that, were dim with disappointment,¡±¡­¡­..then?¡± ¡°A hawk can fly faster over long distances, because they¡¯re smarter and stronger .¡± ¡°What about hunting, then?¡± ¡°We took them purposefully to show them the way to the Felice Kingdom.¡± Liam saw the hawk sitting on Serus¡¯ arm with his cool ws, and everything he saw looked a little sad as he really wanted to see the hawks hunting like that. That¡¯s why he only realized Serus¡¯ important words that cameter. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤But, what do you mean by the ¡®way¡¯ to the Felice kingdom?¡± ¡°It was His Majesty¡¯s order.¡± Liam¡¯s face hardened slightly. Fabian¡¯s existence alone already threatened him. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know because I didn¡¯t ask.¡± That careless answer was really a Serus¡¯s style. But Liam had a point somewhere, but he couldn¡¯t say it. It seemed that Fabian¡¯s intention was to train the hawk and used them as a tool tomunicate with Evelyn in the future. ¡°But thanks to your help, I will be able to train the hawks easily and return to the Empire faster.¡± Whatever the Emperor said, if it could fast get Fabian back to the Empire, Liam would help. But now Serus was calling for help to train his hawks, and for being too short-minded, Liam med himself. He was too fascinated by those ck hawks for a moment and overlooked the Emperor¡¯s secret motives. But who would have thought the postman who would give Fabian letters to Evelyn would be that cute animal? ¡°Sir Serus, is ¡­ ¡­ those hawks may suddenly run away.¡± ¡°What? That is not feasible for our ck hawk. They¡¯re trained together, and they¡¯re smart.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s maybe a possibility. Someone might fall for them and kidnap them.¡± Liam had enough thoughts of bing the kidnapper. Liam intended to give a little threat, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work with Serus. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t know that the Duke actually likes to joke.¡± ¡°Is that right? Haha.¡± When Reba arrived, a genuinely terrible sight was unfolding before her eyes. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡­¡± Reba screamed so loudly as if she had just lost her mind. Nothing was more disgusting than the sight of three birds spreading their wings at the Duke¡¯s residence. And Seeing Reba¡¯s reaction, Serus and Liam just smiled at each other. -------- Fabian grinned faintly when he eventually learned that the hawks had ended their training. It was good news that made his mood a little brighter after spending his daydreaming time alone in the room where the Duke¡¯s residence was arranged for him. ¡°Deliver the news about my visit to the Felice Pce. When I get the answer, I¡¯ll go there.¡± Serus looked puzzled at Fabian¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t refute it. Actually, he didn¡¯t understand why Fabian suddenly asking for permission, but Fabian must have a reason for it. ¡°Your Majesty, what if I don¡¯t get an answer?¡± Fabian frowned at Serus¡¯ honest question. ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯lle.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Besides, what happened earlier to the Duke?¡± ¡°Oh, it was Lady Akshire.¡± Fabian¡¯s face became serious. He knew really well about the bad rtionship between Perth and Akshire. However, he didn¡¯t dare to show Serus his displeasure, as he was his best friend. ¡°Anything happened? Did they treat the son of Perth unpleasantly?¡± Serus was concerned for a moment, but he concluded that it wasn¡¯t an unpleasant act that Reba did to him. Well, there was no way Serus would honestly say that Reba was so mad at him. That she spit out the harsh words, poured wine over his face, then fled the Duke¡¯s residence and returned only today. ¡°It¡¯s not that, however ¡­ after a couple of days, Lady Akshire just came back. But in the middle ¡­¡­ she passed out for a moment.¡± ¡°Really?¡± As if they already knew each other, the two men nodded casually. Well, you didn¡¯t need to disclose stuff that wasn¡¯t really important. ¡°And it turns out that Lady Akshire has a close rtionship with Princess Evelyn.¡± ¡°I believe so.¡± ¡°Then, I wish I could ask Lady Akshire to tell the Princess that I¡¯ll go.¡± Honestly, for Fabian, that was a very risky path. In the first ce, behaving based on someone¡¯s wit was difficult for him. Serus couldn¡¯t believe it either, so he just looked around. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her when Lady Akshire wakes up.¡± ¡°All right¡­.¡± No one cared about why Reba fainted. Yet it was their heartfelt wish for Reba to wake up as soon as possible. -------- When she woke up, the only thing Reba seemed to remember was the fact that the night was down. Liam, who learned the news that his sister had regained consciousness, fled instantly because he was afraid and asked Serus to take his ce to meet Reba. After seeing the frightening sight she had just seen, Reba was shivering with fear. Still, afterward, she managed to calm down. ¡°Okay, tell him that I¡¯ll meet him in the garden.¡± A momentter, when Reba arrived in the garden, Serus, who was waiting for her, gave a simple example. His attitude looked casual, as though nothing between them had happened. ¡°Sir Serus, I heard you were looking to see me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Reba paused, looking up at Serus. At first, she thought slightly that he was her ex-husband¡¯s brother, but when she looked closely, except for his amber-colored eyes, he had no resemnce to his brother. ¡°Yes¡­¡­ I thought I should see you too.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°As I can see, you¡¯re a different person from your brother.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know what it has to do with the current situation.¡± ¡°Yes , I didn¡¯t expect a lot of understanding from you anyway.¡± Reba nodded awkwardly. Serus, the second son of the Perth family. This man was good enough to be the Emperor¡¯s closest aide, but he was a man who wascking somewhere. Reba felt quite at ease with Serus after she thought so. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it isn¡¯t wrong not to know.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Serus blinked his eyes again, and Reba kindly nodded several times. ¡°First of all, let ¡®s start with why you asked me to meet. Even though I know that was requested by His Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty asked me if you can convey the schedule of his visit to the Felice Kingdom. Because¡­.¡± ¡°Because I have a close rtionship with Princess Evelyn?¡± ¡°Yes, he wants a quick answer.¡± ¡°Yes, I knew that. I can¡¯t decide the Princess¡¯ answer, but I can deliver it.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then¡­.¡± Serus gave a light example. It meant that he would withdraw because his business was over. ¡°Wait. I really need to say something.¡± Reba cleared up her mind and pulled herself together. She knew that it wasn¡¯t that Serus ignored her, but because he didn¡¯t know andcked in a sense. ¡°At that time ¡­ I did something awful to you at the dinner table ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, everything you said was right. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°But I poured a wine on your face.¡± Reba honestly said. ¡°Ah, wasn¡¯t that because I carelessly said your name with my mouth?¡± ¡®Damn, should I tell you something like this?¡¯ Reba was frustrated, but it was obviously her fault. ¡°No, I only projected my ill feelings towards my ex-husband on you, and about ¡®calling my name¡¯ was just an excuse.¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ It was an excuse. So when you said that I didn¡¯t have any emotions , feelings, ideas, or pride?¡± When she heard the same bad words she had said to him, her face was burning. Reba frowned, and with a stern look, she gazed upon Serus. ¡°I said that because I was carried away by emotion. Not because of you but because of my ex-husband.¡± ¡°So, you said it all to my brother, didn¡¯t you? I agreed with you , so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°What? No¡­ I am trying to apologize. I need an apology from you.¡± ¡°But I agree with what you said to my brother.¡± Reba felt her chest was stuffy for some reason, ¡°But I poured wine at you because of your brother!¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not okay! It¡¯s not okay at all!¡± Reba suddenly strode up to Serus. ¡°This is absolutely not a good thing. I want to apologize properly!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Sit down!¡± Reba sat first on the bench and pointed to her side with her finger. Serus felt heavy pressure, but he couldn¡¯t help it and sit next to her. Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu ¡°I¡¯ll tell you step by step from the beginning, so listen carefully. If you don¡¯t know, ask questions in the middle.¡± ¡°Ah yes¡­¡­¡± In fact, it was a situation that Serus couldn¡¯t understand the most. But he couldn¡¯t even ask that question. So that night, in the moonlight, Serus was taught why he should be angry and why Reba should apologize to him. Chapter 61: Little Prince And The Hawk Reba kept her promise to deliver the news. And Evelyn soon heard about the Emperor who wanted to meet her. Evelyn nodded without shaking her head. Looking closely, Evelyn, whom she met after a few days, was quite thin. ¡°Princess, are you all right¡­.?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­ this?¡± Evelyn ced her finger under the dark shade of her eyes. Her dark circles were obvious, and her body seemed to be dripping with exhaustion. ¡°Since two days ago, Adrian ¡­ had toothache.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was hollow due to ack of sleep. ¡°The speed of teething varies from child to child, So I thought he¡¯d be fine as the first time.¡± Evelyn sighed deeply. It was so strange to see Adrian crying out loud. Evelyn couldn¡¯t sleep because Adrian, who was usually so gentle, cried all night long. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave him to your nanny?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think of anything at that time. All I could do was held and soothed him until morning.¡± Evelyn called a doctor because she was worried about his condition. After hearing that Adrian¡¯s teeth were growing and he was suffering from the pain, she felt sorry for him. He was crying so hard that Evelyn didn¡¯t want to leave him to someone else. ¡°If like that, you will harm your health. But has he not suffered from toothache a while ago? The King Majesty looked so proud of Adrian.¡± ¡°Ah, do you mean when his upper teeth and lower teeth were 8?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Why the people in this royal pce so interested in the number of teeth of the little young prince? ¡°He didn¡¯t feel the pain that time. This is the first time he had a real toothache. Well, it¡¯s a big teeth, two mrs up and down. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤So now I have to go to stop my father.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big deal if he hold a festival because Adrian has more than 10 teeth. Reba, you know my father, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°Yes, my father is always serious with his words.¡± Miriam had left the pce to fulfill her official duties. So for a moment, Evelyn entrusted Adrian to Reba. Most of the time, babysitting would be performed by a personal maid, but Evelyn asked her to be Adrian¡¯s ymate. And when Reba was readily epted, Evelyn dashed to find King Arthur.
¡°How old do you think you are, can¡¯t you calm down a little?¡± Arthur, who was sitting alone in the living room, saw Evelyn out of breath. It was an effort to protect her father¡¯s honor in future generations, but she felt a little unfair. ¡°Did you know about Adrian¡¯s teeth?¡± ¡°Of course. I know everything about Adrian.¡± ¡°But his tooth will falls out soon.¡± Suddenly, Arthur¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did you forget? My first tooth fell out quickly and after that my real tooth came out.¡± ¡°Oh I think it was true¡± But in truth, Arthur had forgotten about it since he was already old when he raised Evelyn. ¡°If you hold a festival to celebrate Adrian¡¯s teeth that will fall, the festival¡¯s meaning may change a little.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right, it can be ominous, ¡­.Then, I¡¯ll have to postpone this festival.¡± And eventually, Evelyn managed to convince Arthur to postpone the festival festivities to the next few years. ¡°So ¡­ did youe by yourself?¡± Evelyn looked puzzled this time, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There you go. Go away.¡± The sullen Arthur shook his withering hands. As if he had no business with Evelyn, who had not brought Adrian. Evelyn, Arthur¡¯s only daughter, was dumbfounded. Still, she had no choice but to sigh as she looked at her father¡¯s childish behavior. Besides, Evelyn decided to go back because she already missed Adrian.
¡°Princess, have you meet the King Majesty already?¡± Lily asked. And Evelyn smiled at her, who was standing at the door. ¡± I wanted to see Adrian, so I ran away secretly from my father.¡± Lily smiled together at Evelyn¡¯s lively appearance and opened the yroom. ¡°Adrian? Reba?¡± As she rushed into the room, she heard Adrian¡¯s cheerfulugh. Evelyn didn¡¯t know what he was doing. Still, she was grateful to Reba for making Adrianugh happily, who always cried these days. ¡°Adrian? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Oh, Reba!¡± The view that unfolded before her eyes were the exact opposite of what she imagined. The only thing that looked happy was Adrian, and Reba climbed to the sofa and ran away from him. ¡°What, are you doing? Adrian? Did you bully Lady Reba?¡± ¡°No, Princess. First of all, ¡­¡­ Please remove that.¡± Evelyn turned her head, and she found a fairy tale book with a big ck hawk on the floor and a doll made of real bird feathers. The ck hawk, the man¡¯s dream all over the continent, stole tole the boy¡¯s heart as well. The problem was that Reba was trying to get Adrian¡¯s attention, so she told him the story of the ck hawk. Adrian, excited at the moment, then he brought his ck hawk toys. Reba ran to the sofa when he chased her with a doll made of real feathers. ¡°Adrian, let go of this.¡± ¡°Uh, noooo.¡± ¡°You have to let it go, and you have to speak politely.¡± ¡°Ebulinnn¡­noooo !¡± Adrian, he began to struggle with his body. He was very heavy now, and it was hard for Evelyn to handle him alone. Now his vocabry had expanded, so he was talking quite a lot. That¡¯s why he was able to articte exactly what he wanted in words. Actually, Evelyn didn¡¯t know which part was terrifying, but she couldn¡¯t let Reba tremble like that. ¡°Nora, Lily.¡± At Evelyn¡¯s call, two maids came in and carried Adrian out. Just then did Evelyn sigh, and she saw her best friend shivering on the sofa. A momentter, after drinking a cup of tea, Reba had a pale face, as if she was having a nightmare. Face as if she had a nightmare. ¡°You might think of me as a dumb woman because I¡¯m afraid of birds.¡± ¡°No, everyone must be scared of something. It¡¯s all right.¡± Evelyn reached out andforted Reba¡¯s trembling shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m scared of sparrows, but I love ck hawks, they¡¯re so beautiful just by looking at their feathers.¡± ¡°I told the tale of the ck hawk to get his attention, I forgot that the prince was a man of this continent, too.¡± ¡°Adrian is still young, so he won¡¯t be interested in that.¡± ¡°No. You saw it earlier. His ck hawk collection, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤, and he was happy to know that there¡¯s a ck hawks near here.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Oops. Reba tried to shut her mouth, but it was toote because Evelyn already looked at her with her blue eyes. ¡°His Majesty, he¡¯sing is to give you the ck hawk.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°His Majesty is bringing a ck hawk to the Felice Pce.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s the same thing?¡± ¡°Yes. And Prince Adrian seemed understood exactly what it meant.¡± Blinking, Evelyn slowly closed and opened her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­..¡± Adrian, who had be more stubborn and assertive, mostly if he had decided and asked for something. Reba knew about the situation, so she begged for her forgiveness first. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you can convince me of this. What did you do when Sir Liam was so obsessed with something when he was a kid?¡± ¡°Well, I usually hit him.¡± ¡°Except for hitting?¡± ¡°I kicked him.¡± ¡°Oh yes, other than using your body?¡± ¡°Ah,¡­I dropped a big pot in the kitchen over his head.¡± The two were facing each other, but their attitude to handle their younger brothers was too different. ¡°No, I need to think of more peaceful way.¡± ¡°The only thing that can stop my brother who¡¯s already starting to get naughty is violence.¡± ¡°I ¡­ ¡­ believe in Adrian¡¯s intelligence!¡± Speaking clearly, Reba sighed as she looked at Evelyn¡¯s back as she left the yroom. Younger brother and intelligence, in her experience, the two elements had never been together.
Fabian needed to thank Reba because she had done more than he expected. Adrian started to rebel and put up the first resistance in his life. His crying made Evelyn gave up and decided to ept the Emperor¡¯s visit with the hawk. ¡°Your Majesty, because of the prince¡¯s extraordinary interest in the ck hawk, the Felice Kingdom is begging you toe as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Oh really? The prince is young, but he has a good eye. A man should be chasing a ck hawk.¡± ¡°The hawks havepleted their training, so they will get along well with any master they meet.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s give him one of those.¡± ¡°Your Majesty is very generous.¡± He thought that he would never meet Evelyn again. That day, there was not a grain of regret left in her back, as if she had put down all the stories. But, Fabian didn¡¯t imagine that he woulde to the Felice Pce with a ck hawk as an excuse. This animal made things easier because they captured the little prince¡¯s heart. Although it was unpleasant that the Emperor was treated less than the little prince¡¯s stubbornness, Fabian couldn¡¯t help it. If it was for Evelyn¡¯s sake. ¡°Your Majesty, this way.¡± Serus guided him to the Felice Pce¡¯s garden. There was a cage with hawks installed in advance. Looking at it, Fabian nodded satisfactorily. Soon after, Evelyn and Adrian appeared in the garden. The meeting was made on the condition that the prince would be allowed to see the hawk. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn gave a simple example. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m shameful?¡± asked Fabian. ¡°No.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face with she raised her head up was quite gaunt but still pretty. ¡°Just¡­ I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m a little tired.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t say this for no reason; her face was so haggard. At the moment, looking at her, Fabian felt aplicated feeling of pity and guilt. ¡°Since the prince has been looking forward to it, could you show me the hawk?¡± Only ¡°¡­¡­..Okay.¡± When Fabian nodded to Serus, the curtain covering the birdcage was removed. When they saw the light, the hawks spread their huge wings all at once. And Adrian¡¯s eyes were full of admiration for those wild and brave creatures. ¡°Hawk! Hawk! Like!¡± Adrian¡¯s vocabry improved again. When Fabian looked at him, Serus himself took a hawk out of the cage and ced it on the back of his arm and made contact with Adrian¡¯s eyes. Adrian approached the hawk with curious eyes, and, fearlessly, he touched the ck hawk¡¯s beautiful figure. Evelyn looked at such Adrian from behind with a loving nce. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m losing my presence to the animals.¡± Fabian, standing from a distance and watching the scene, talked to himself so low that nobody could hear it. Chapter 62: Fabian’s Gift Serus¡¯s skill to handle the hawks was very stable and calm. ¡°They¡¯re not dangerous because they¡¯re highly trained. Princess, why don¡¯t you join us?¡± Evelyn quickly stood by Adrian¡¯s side. Even though the hawks hadn¡¯t yet be adults, they were quite big, and their ck feathers were so wide. ¡°Once the hawk remember their master, they¡¯re a loyal bird that will remember you for life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good bird.¡± ¡°Hawk! Hawk!¡± Adrian¡¯s face was packed with enthusiasm. Seeing that, Evelyn unwittingly began to covet the ck hawk. At first, she thought it was a big, creepy bird, but when she saw it again, it was cute like Adrian. ¡°What do you think. I directly trained them and their pedigree is considered to be one of the finest in the Empire,¡± Fabian said. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s great.¡±Evelyn smiled peacefully, even though Fabian¡¯s words were full of arrogance as usual. Fabian seemed to be a little ttered by her unexpected response. Still, he was able to bear it, and he looked at Evelyn right away. ¡°Why do you think I brought this hawk to the Felice Kingdom?¡± ¡°As a gift to the little prince?¡± Fabian nodded with a faint smile, ¡°This hawk now memorized the skyway from the Empire to this Kingdom. And if they remember you as their master, they will follow you everywhere.¡± ¡°You want to give this hawk to me¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the best way to send the letter faster and safer than sending it back and forth via courier.¡± Fabian struggled all day to get this trick. After all, it was possible to send letters using the ck eagle because he was the Emperor. Because a trained ck hawk was more expensive than the cost of a family¡¯s food for a year. ¡°But it¡¯s too much for me¡­¡± As usual, Evelyn¡¯s eyes were trying to say no, but Adrian already looked so happy. ¡°It¡¯s too much, but I¡¯ll dly ept it.¡± Fabian¡¯s lips lifted in satisfaction after Evelyn finally epted his gift. ¡°Adrian, His Majesty gave a hawk as a gift to the Felice Kingdom.¡± Evelyn thought it would be fine for Adrian to say hello for a while since it was unnatural for the Prince to leave without greeting the Emperor. ¡°Hawk! hawk, live here?¡± ¡°Yes Adrian, the hawk will live together with us now.¡± Adrian walked very well while holding Evelyn¡¯s hand. But somehow, Fabian felt empty whenever he saw the two of them. ¡°Abulin¡­.Hawk!¡± Adrian showed his innocent andughed with joy. At the same time, Evelyn¡¯s cheeks also blushed with happiness. Fabian, who watched the scene, approached them with jealousy for no reason. ¡°Well, little prince, this hawk was given by me.¡± ¡°Abulin, Hawk!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Me.¡± Fabian pointed his finger at himself. He wondered if he had to keep his eye level with the child, but he felt that something was wrong. But suddenly, Evelyn hugged Adrian for fear of a fuss. In the meantime, Adrian¡¯s mouth kept talking nonstop, ¡°Hawk¡­like, Abulin.¡± ¡°So what about me?¡± Fabian looked straight at Adrian, who was hugged by Evelyn and pointed to himself. He bowed down his body to match Adrian¡¯s eye level. ¡°Your Majesty, the Prince is still young¡­..¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s all you need to say, huh?¡± Evelyn was unable to refute his words. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Me¡¯.¡± Fabian continued to talk, but suddenly Adrian turned his attention to Fabian. It was only now that he realized what Fabian¡¯s hand gestures meant. ¡°Me¡­¡± Everyone in the garden, except for Adrian, opened their eyes. ¡°Me, give hawk?¡± ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. I¡¯m going to take the Prince with me.¡± ¡°Me, hug me!¡± Evelyn thought like a cold sweat was flowing down her back. At this moment, Adrian, who had never created a mess, unexpectedly made the atmosphere of the pce garden tense. ¡°The title is a mess. ¡®Me¡¯ is the word I use, and you shouldn¡¯t say it¡± Fabian was very earnest in replying to the child. ¡°Mess!¡± But it seemed that Adrian always repeated Fabian¡¯s word. Adrianughed and looked at him as if his word was funny. ¡°Me, mess!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Me is a mess !! At this point, Evelyn had no choice but to shut up Adrian¡¯s mouth.¡±Excuse me because the Prince is still young. Please forgive him generously, Your Majesty.¡± In fact, Fabian hated the noisy and rude person the most. And now Adrian was both. But there was no displeasure in his face. Instead, with a faint smile on his face, Fabian watched Adrian in Evelyn¡¯s arms as if he saw something unusual. ¡°With this hawk, you can exchange letters with me.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, our ties have already been broken , so it¡¯s meaningless even if we exchange a letters.¡± ¡°Then I will take this hawk and not forgive the prince¡¯s rudeness.¡± said Fabian calmly. ¡°I decided not to care about being shameful.¡± There was sincerity in his expression as he said that. It seemed that he was already used to Evelyn¡¯s reaction. Somehow, his attitude was very childish, and Evelyn had never seen Fabian act like this when they were living together. Although he said it casually with augh, for some reason, Evelyn didn¡¯t hate it. ¡°Thank you so much for the hawk ¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll take one. And the rest will fly in order, so you¡¯ll see itter.¡± Evelyn bent her knee to say goodbye. Fabian stayed in the garden the whole time until her back disappeared. The ck hawk, which was left alone and separated from his brothers, cried a few times in the cage because he was lonely. ¡°The more you rush, the longer it takes. The longest way round is the shortest way home. Slow and steady wins the race.¡± Fabian remembered that proverb. If the other person felt pressure in a face-to-face conversation, you could slowly resolve it with letters. It¡¯s one of the things he had learned in the Empire. And there was no objection at all from the opponent when Fabian used this method. ¡°By the way, he¡¯s a cute Prince. How old is he now?¡± asked Fabian as if he were dealing with other creatures. Initially, he hated noisy children, but for him, Adrian felt strange rather than displeasing. ¡± If he have more than ten teeth, he must be over a year old, why don¡¯t you go and ask the maid?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian buried his imagination in the depths of his heart. For a moment, he wanted to recall the scene of a person standing quietly alone as a family, because he didn¡¯t want anyone to see his weak heart.
So the Emperor fulfilled his wishes and returned to the Empire in a lonely way. The little Prince grew up day by day, and the rich atmosphere of the southern continent remained as the trade routes problem and crop disasters passed safely. ¡°Hawk! Hawk!¡± Now every morning, Evelyn woke up with the sound of Adrian calling her a hawk. By the time she got used to it, she felt Adrian¡¯s voice grew louder than usual. ¡°Hawk! Long time no see!¡± The third hawk, taken by Fabian, flew safely into the Felice Kingdom with a letter. Evelyn unwittingly stood up in her pajamas and received the letter. When the seal was ripped off, Fabian¡¯s uniquely elegant and strong handwriting filled the white paper. [The Empire is really peaceful. It¡¯s the same with me. This hawk has a noble bloodline and has been trained by the Empire, so he¡¯ll certainly find his destination well. I¡¯m working on public rtions every day after I¡¯m back.] It really was Fabian¡¯s letter. Evelyn thought it was hrious when she imagined he was struggling and spent his time writing this letter. [I wonder if the ten-toothed Prince¡¯s etiquette education is going well. Teach him that the ck hawk is a precious treasure of the Empire, so it¡¯s important to take good care of it.] She couldn¡¯t justugh at this part. Even now, Evelyn felt heavy on her shoulders when she saw Adrian so excited to see the hawk beside her. [Don¡¯t leave the pce, as the demons always appear in the surrounding area. Also, I would like to ask you not to trust the Vatican too much. While it will definitely read politically, this is the advice I offer you as a man named Fabian, not the Emperor.] Fabian seemed to have changed a little. [Evelyn, I hope you¡¯re always healthy, and don¡¯t lose your smile. With heart, From Fabian, ] Evelyn reread the letter slowly. It was amazing that his handwriting, which used to be cold in the past, now felt warm. Evelyn had a faint smile on her face while looking at his letter. ¡°Princess, what is it?¡± Lily came up and asked when she saw the letter in Evelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a hawk from the Imperial family!¡± asked Lily. ¡°Yes, Adrian was excited.¡± ¡°Then the letter is¡­ from His Majesty?¡± Evelyn nodded. Lily naturally held out her hands politely and bent her knees. Usually, it wasmon to receive the Emperor¡¯s handwriting like this and burn it immediately after seeing it. Only Evelyn knew it best, but it was when she didn¡¯t interested in it. But now, Evelyn was unwittingly hesitating to burn it. In her heart, Evelyn wanted to keep this letter. ¡°Oh, here.¡± However, Evelyn stopped thinking, handed the letter to Lily, and left the room because she didn¡¯t want to see Fabian¡¯s handwriting burnt. She got used to the tricky etiquette, and she felt dizzy every time she lifted her head. ¡°With heart, From Fabian.¡± Actually, she wanted to keep it because it was the first time Evelyn had heard a phrase like that from him. But she quietly buried her heart in that secret. Just like Fabian did where she didn¡¯t know. Chapter 63: The Cold Bloodline Evelyn hesitated for a while and then picked up the pen. She tried to write a formal reply, but her hand didn¡¯t move easily. The more Fabian showed his mind, the more she couldn¡¯t figure out what to do with him. [Thank you for your generosity.] In the end, Evelyn hid herself behind the inest sentence. [In the Felice Kingdom, no demon has appeared since the Great Festival, so you don¡¯t have to worry.] When he asked obvious things, Evelyn had nothing to write. There was also something about Adrian in Fabian¡¯s letter, but it shouldn¡¯t get his attention any further. Even she was a little happy with his interest. [I hope your Majesty is always healthy.] For a moment, the pen stopped in the air. [Regards, Evelyn Felice] However, all she had to do was to write down her name only. Evelyn didn¡¯t have the courage to write a bold phrase like Fabian since she had a child and a secret to keep. ¡°I think this is enough,¡± Evelyn spoke to herself and called the pce chief to tied the letter to the hawk¡¯s leg. Then she sighed deeply as if she had done something big. She never thought it would be so hard to write a letter. Still, she sent him a reply, so it was fortunate that she wouldn¡¯t suffer from for the time being. Evelyn thought so. However, a few dayster, another ck hawk flew back into the Kingdom. ¡°Princess, this is His Majesty¡¯s letter.¡± From then on, the hawks came to the Kingdom whenever they had time. And Evelyn finally realized why he trained three hawks. Whether Evelyn sent a reply or not, Fabian kept sending the letters until the three of them had no time to rest. Yes, and this was only the beginning¡­.. ¡ï¡ï¡ï Fabian spent more time sitting alone at his desk after his official duties. It was much easier to calmly put down the letters on the stationery than to express feelings in words. He felt that they were closer now than when Evelyn lived as the Empress. [ With heart, from Fabian.] He always closed the letters with the same phrase. Countless emotions were contained in that single word. For Fabian, it was his maximum expression. By the time Fabian folded the letter straight, he heard a familiar knock. ¡°Come in.¡± After hearing Fabian¡¯s answered in a low voice, soon Serus came into the room and gave an example. ¡°I¡¯m d youe here. This is to the Felice Kingdom.¡± Serus looked at his master with strange eyes. He wanted to say that this wasn¡¯t a letter anymore, but a diary. But he couldn¡¯t say anything after he thought about Fabian¡¯s brighter face these days. ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Is it true that the hawk is flying at its own pace?¡± ¡°I trained them myself. It¡¯s something wrong?¡± ¡°I always send the letter on time, but it seems the hawks alwayse backte.¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t the hawk¡¯s fault. Why didn¡¯t Fabian, who is praised as a wise emperor, realize such a simple fact? ¡°Ah ¡­¡­¡­ Is the wind¡¯s direction different?¡± Seeing Fabian looking for reasons from a distance, Serus couldn¡¯t tell the truth. ¡°Maybe¡­.¡± When Fabian sent three letters, he only got one reply from Evelyn. It almost seemed like he talked alone to himself because Evelyn just sent a formal response. But somehow, Fabian was satisfied enough. ¡°I¡¯m d there is no more damage caused by a demon in the Felice Kingdom.¡± Serus nodded silently at Fabian¡¯s sincere words. ¡°But not all ces are peaceful.¡± The demons were still making suspicious movements. The demon, beyond reason, couldn¡¯t easily be defeated by the Emperor. It was now taken for granted that they were repeatedly taken away by the Vatican. ¡°It is said that the Vatican has be more worshiped in the area where it was attacked by a demon,¡± Serus said. ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± There was no greater propaganda than that. As if the Vatican was waiting every time the demons attacked people. As that happened, a knight led by a Vatican Pdin would appear and killed the monster. ¡°Not long ago, Count Bert, who was rescued from a demon raid,pletely pledged his allegiance to the Vatican.¡± There was displeasure in Fabian¡¯s dark eyes. His wrong predictions wereing along. ¡°That¡¯s their way of getting public sympathy and support, especially young people. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t erase my suspicions that it was intentional. ¡° Serus nodded. ¡°But the Pope doesn¡¯t have that ability.¡± Fabian asserted himself. He had seen the Pope several times before he ascended the throne at the age of 16. The Emperor also had to keep a close eye on the Pope for a long time because he had to control the Vatican¡¯s excessive power expansion. ¡°If that old man could do that, he wouldn¡¯t have been hiding.¡± The Pope was already old. He didn¡¯t have to hide his abilities and had no reason to hide. ¡°I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s something wrong with the Vatican¡¯s Pdin.¡± Fabian neverid his hand on him. It was tough to get in-depth information about the Vatican, but one thing became clear when he put the pieces together. A suspicious movement urred in several areas with the Vatican¡¯s pdin¡¯s appearance, who was known as the Pope¡¯s closest aide. ¡°Is there still no progress in investigating him?¡± ¡°Yes, I apologize.¡± Fabian narrowed his eyes, ¡°No. That¡¯s already enough.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a people who don¡¯te out of hiding although I dig them in the back?¡± Serus frowned his eyebrows. It was a habit when he was lost in thought. ¡°I thought it was hisplete defense.¡± ¡°Is there a human who only exists alone? Even I still have an ancestor and a mother. Imperial affairs aren¡¯t easy to talk about, but once you investigate me, you will know that I was raised in the Duke of Perth.¡± He was right. Even Fabian, the noblest person in the world, still had a past and a rtionship. ¡°At first, I thought the investigation was shallow. But as time goes by, I have other convictions,¡± said Fabian. His low voice sounded clear. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense if we can¡¯t even know his name.¡± The Emperor¡¯s power and the connection were great. His current opponent was a man that Fabian had investigated with all his strength. Still, he couldn¡¯t even figure out his name. ¡°There¡¯s no record. The history of how he became a Pdin is also unknown. A man who has no background, but he can stand beside the Pope with a sword. That means he¡¯s not an ordinary person as we thought so far.¡± No one couldn¡¯t know his existence, regardless of his parents or family. But Fabian decided to ept the impossibility. ¡°Obviously, there¡¯s him behind this phenomena. A human who goes beyond ourmon sense.¡± ¡°What should I do then, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Stop the investigation. It will only be a war of attrition anyway.¡± Serus nodded his head again. ¡°The Pope has the answer, But there is no way that clever old man would tell me for free.¡± Fabian sighed, holding his breath. His official duties were also overwhelming, but the trouble that went beyondmon sense made him exhausted. ¡°All of the troops chasing the demon will also withdraw.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian, who answered low, dragged the map on the desk and put it in the middle. Every spot where the demon attacked was marked with dots. ¡°78 cases.¡± That was the number of incidents since Fabian felt suspicious and tracked them down. ¡°With no exception, it¡¯s also the number of demons that were killed by that Pdin.¡± No matter how many times Fabian sent the elite troops, he couldn¡¯t get rid of one of them.¡±Sending my troops like this is like helping the Vatican.¡± ¡°How¡­.¡± ¡°If my elite troops show an ipetent appearance and always appear one step slower than the Pdin who kills the demons, won¡¯t that only increase the Vatican¡¯s honor?¡± Fabian hit the bull¡¯s-eye. Until now, he had endured it to collect information, but now that he had reached a certain conclusion. So there was no need to send his precious troops for the Vatican. ¡°Anyway, the demons are killed by sacrificing one or two people in the ce where they appear. Like a set rule.¡± So, it meant that the number of victims wouldn¡¯t change whether the Imperial Army was there or not. ¡°I see¡­It¡¯s a burden to Your Majesty.¡± Serus managed to open his mouth. ¡°Even if the Imperial Armyes to help ¡­¡­.. Those who like to talk will say that the Empire has no defense against demons.¡± Fabian raised the corner of his lips, and a cold smile caught by. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± Fabian meant it. ¡°They will sing about the Empire¡¯s ipetence, my ipetence, and the Vatican¡¯s glory.¡± Fabian¡¯s brain shrieked when he thought about that. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to maintain our troops?¡± ¡°Do you mean to waste our troops in useless ces just to avoid criticism?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Serus apologized with a stiff face, but Fabian waved him lightly. Recently, Fabian had changed a little. Somehow, he was more little tolerant. Only ¡°The Emperor must be the only unquestionable being under this sky.¡± Suddenly, A calm voice rang clearly. ¡°He can¡¯t be judged. ¡­..As long as he exists on this continent, whether withinmon sense or outside.¡± Fabian swore at the age of sixteen, wearing a heavy Emperor¡¯s crown. And whoever ascended the throne and became Emperor was obliged to maintain his power until his death. ¡°Everyone is under my control.¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eyes turned cold. He was a born Emperor. Fate or innate, such a thing was somehow good. What was clear was that after sitting on the throne, his personal life disappeared, and he lived his life and reigned as an Emperor. ¡°I am the one who exists to reign. That¡¯s the only truth that cannot be shaken.¡± An eerie low voice rang out. His fierce instincts were captured in his dark eyes. The ruler¡¯s temperament flowing through the bloodline cooled the air. It was the power that pushed Fabian¡¯s life to solitude. Chapter 64: A Scented Candle Evelyn was troubled by the hawks that came three times a week. Fabian was a man with no sense. He was so indifferent like a dead person, but at the same time, he could be so extreme to send letters like a stalker. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s thest thing you need to do to get it right.¡± Evelyn murmured helplessly, holding the letter which she hadn¡¯t opened yet. And it seemed that Fabian didn¡¯t know it wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Yes, but it means he¡¯s so persistence.¡± Evelyn turned her head at Nora¡¯s answer. ¡°The Prince will grow up to be a wonderful man who never gives up.¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Only then did Evelyn look at Adrian who yed on the carpet. The birds seemed boring to fly three times a week, but now the whole room was like an exhibition hall for the ck hawks. Adrian was at the centre of it, he wasn¡¯t tired today, and he was making a hawk with origami. ¡°How many origami has he made?¡± ¡°I have to count it, and It¡¯s about seven baskets. You shouldn¡¯t throw away a single one.¡± ¡°What?¡±Evelyn coughed because she wanted to stop talking. Her persistent child resembled someone. But if she said it clear she would be in big trouble. When she though about it, Adrian¡¯s diligent side was familiar to her. ¡°No, no.¡± Evelyn shook her head, violently. Fabian and Adrian were different. Yes, they had to be different. ¡°Nora.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°If my father asks about the Prince today¡­.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes sparkled brightly. ¡°Say that he loves the ck hawk the most in the world.¡± ¡°What? But he still can¡¯t speak like that.¡± ¡°Just, say so. My father will take care of the rest.¡± Only then did Nora, who understood Evelyn¡¯s meaning, nodded softly. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Because Evelyn knew that Arthur wouldn¡¯t be quiet if he found out that the hawks had stolen Adrian¡¯s love. Nora and the other servants were nowpletely tired of wearing ck feathers on their heads, and mimicking hawk screams. ¡°Your Majesty the King!¡± But without having to visit, Arthur came to her room. Evelyn and Nora smiled with relief. ¡°Good thing you¡¯re here.¡± Evelyn greeted him dly, but Arthur¡¯s expression was a little stiff. Nora, who noticed it, quickly moved away, holding Adrian. ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s going on?¡± Arthur sat down first and sighed deeply. Evelyn followed him quickly and sat across from him. ¡°You probably know about the disturbance of the demons recently. We too ¡­¡­¡­ Because a big incident almost happened at thest festival.¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s over, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°No. We may be, but the same thing is still happening everywhere.¡± ¡°But, from a long time ago, the demon was inevitable.¡± ¡°This time it¡¯s a little different. It¡¯s not a demon, but a person.¡± Arthur frowned slightly. ¡°Initially, each area had a demon habitat, and usually the Imperial Army woulde out and protect the people when the demonse out.¡± ¡°Yes, because the Empire is responsible for everything on the continent.¡± ¡°Do you remember the Pope, who destroyed the demons when he was in the Great Festival?¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Evelyn recalled a scene that she didn¡¯t want to remember. ¡°We didn¡¯t know because we were out of our minds, butter we heard that it was the Knights and the Pdin under the Pope who killed the demons. And the same thing is happening all over the continent now.¡± ¡°I also remember, to some extent. They were powerful and had a different weapon to fight the demons.¡± ¡°Yes. The power of the Vatican, not the Imperial Army.¡± Hearing Arthur¡¯s words, Evelyn realized something. The Vatican was initially a group that only allowed to use their power to protect themself. Even though it was to fight demons, the force beyond the Imperial Army was excessive. ¡°The Emperor has ordered us to withdraw all troops that sent to fight demons.¡± ¡°What? You mean he won¡¯t fight the demons anymore?¡± ¡°Yes. And there was a chaos in the Empire. It seems that there was also a lot of criticism, but His Majesty had firmly silenced all such criticism. Because of this, there was a lot of talks that Your Majesty¡¯s attitude was too much ¡­¡± Evelyn shut her mouth tight. ¡°There¡¯s some country that has joined the Vatican from the start. Soon, we have to decide which side to stand on.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to obey either side.¡± ¡°Evelyn, politics is different. We must choose the side.¡± Arthur was right, and Evelyn just nodded her head, recalling her days in the Imperial family. ¡°The Felice Kingdom is closer to the Vatican than the Empire, but one day maybe our rtionship will fall apart. Not right now, though.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes carefully looked at Evelyn. He knew all about why Fabian hade to the Felice Kingdom several times or why he had left behind a ck hawk and sent several letters a week. Also, no matter how secret they might keep, the fact that Fabian was the father of their precious Adrian couldn¡¯t be changed. ¡°His Majesty, regret you¡­..¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn hurriedly stopped Arthur from speaking, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. You¡¯re the King, so just think about the Felice Kingdom.¡± Their Kingdom had already been separated from the Empire after one divorce. And Evelyn stayed in this Kingdom by her personal choice. ¡°I forgot my days as Empress. It¡¯s all over. Now I¡¯m just a Princess and the Finance Minister of this Kingdom.¡± Arthur nodded a couple of times, ¡°Yes, if you said like that, then¡­¡± ¡°Well, father¡­.¡±Evelyn hesitated and opened her mouth. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Apart from our personal life, I think I¡¯d better not trust the Vatican too much.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyebrows are slightly wrinkled at Evelyn¡¯s word. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not treating the Vatican with pure faith.¡± ¡°I know. More than that, I feel somewhat uneasy. The more I turn back, the more suspicious about the Great Festival incident. Why did the Wyvern aim Adrian and the Pdin stopped him as if he had expected, and the Pope¡­¡­¡± ¡°Evelyn!¡± Arthur cut her words immediately and made Evelyn shut her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t say such stupid things.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°I have my own thoughts.¡± Arthur knew what Evelyn meant. It was Arthur who investigated the case more quietly than anyone else after the festival. ¡°But it¡¯s not the time to move around.¡± When Evelyn saw Arthur¡¯s meaningful expression, she could feel a quiet sense of perspective in his father eyes. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about yet. Since I¡¯m apetent King.¡± Even after bing a mother of a child, her father¡¯s back was too big. ¡± I know what you mean, that¡¯s enough. I will only make a decision for our royal family and the Kingdom to be at peace.¡± Arthur rarely shared the his agony. Maybe that was simr to Fabian. Perhaps, every ruler was such a solitary being. Although she felt relieved under her father¡¯s shadow, she felt a little bit bitter. After a while, Evelyn, who was left alone, sat back down at her table and picked up her pen. Perhaps because of what Arthur told her earlier, Fabian¡¯s stiff face suddenly appeared in her mind. Fabian never talked about public affairs, but sometimes on the days of intense-nerve-war in Congress, he had a stern expression on his face until he fell asleep. At first, Evelyn was a little scared of Fabian. His stiff mouth, his finger pressing on his temples, and his sunken ck eyes looking into the air. Whenever that happened, Evelyn looked at Fabian¡¯s eyes without saying a word. ¡®Empire¡¯s parliament is like a ferocious horse, and it takes a lot of effort to make them obey me.¡¯ The words were spoken by Fabian, who was drunk one day suddenly appeared in her mind. She remembered how Fabian, who always looked down on everyone in a rxed and cold manner, also had a hard time. If she thought about it, that time, Evelyn was very young, and she didn¡¯t really understand it. Everyone had their own hard time. But Fabian was the great Emperor, so she thought that he was different. ¡®It¡¯s impossible for everyone to agree politically. So I have to force everyone to boil with more force than anyone. Only then can the Empire be at peace. ¡® Fabian¡¯s face, who was saying such a thing, looked exhausted. That day, she didn¡¯t feel afraid of looking at his cold face. Soon he fell asleep, but Fabian¡¯s hands and feet were as cold as floor marble. Evelyn spent the night in silence, holding his hand until warmth returned to him. It was a story when the two just started their married life. ¡°Are you suffering from a headache again?¡± Fabian rarely felt pain, but he often suffered from severe fatigue. Even his hands and feet usually feel cold and stiff due to migraines. All Evelyn could do was to keep him by his bedside. ¡°It¡¯s a pain nobody knows.¡± Everything that happened in the Empress or Emperor¡¯s bedroom was a secret. The same was true of Evelyn¡¯s sorrow, nobody knew about her pain. But now, Fabian, who was suffering from migraines again, would be alone. And Evelyn felt a little sorry for that. [I am d that your Majesty is doing well.] Evelyn¡¯s pen began to move slowly. [I¡¯m still not familiar with the work of the Finance Minister, so I am struggling in many ways. The Prince is still obsessed with the ck hawk. It is said that the mild flu ismon when the leaves start to fall, so I hope Your Majesty will be careful.] For a moment, the pen hesitated in the air. Only [Lately, my head has been hurting a lot while doing public affairs for the first time. But when I light a scented candle, it relieves my headaches, and it canfort me. Come to think of it, there are lots of candles left in the Empress¡¯s residence, so if someone has a cold or headache, it would be nice if you can give it to them and show your generosity.] Indeed, Fabian used to take a break at the Empress¡¯s residence to smell the subtle fragrance. He also said that the headache would be less. But maybe now he didn¡¯t remember it. [Then, once again, I wish you good health¡­¡­.regards, Evelyn Felice.] Evelyn folded the letter straight. Soon, Fabian¡¯s face who received the letter was unimaginable. But Evelyn didn¡¯t know anything. She had not known all this time, how happy Fabian was to see Evelyn¡¯s affectionate handwriting in his daily life that was tiring and full of frustration. That he always went to the Empress¡¯s residence to find scented candles by himself with a servant¡¯s help. And sat there alone for long periods, imagining the moment when Evelyn made candles for Fabian herself. She didn¡¯t know yet¡­¡­ Chapter 65: Purple Eyes The Imperial Parliament became chaotic. As predicted, Fabian started to push the nobles toe to his heels in even harsher ways. ¡°Your Majesty, if you withdraw your Imperial Army, people will take it as a sign that you have given up protecting the continent.¡± One of the noblemen came forward and dared to say, but Fabian didn¡¯t budge. ¡°It¡¯s just to stop the pursuit of demons. Empire¡¯s legitimacy doesn¡¯t change.¡± ¡°But Your Majesty¡­¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who wants to speak more, I will allow you to go directly to the periphery to chase away the demons. Chancellor, will you go first?¡± As always, the nobles remained quiet in front of their own disadvantages. ¡°Or, will the Marquis of Satin serve the Empire and sacrifice yourself?¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­¡± Fabian shuddered at their selfish attitude. He knew very well that what the nobles were worried about wasn¡¯t the citizen who had been hurt by demons. They were afraid that the Vatican would expand its influence and ce them at a disadvantage. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who wants to kiss the Pope¡¯s feet, I¡¯ll be happy to send him, so tell me anytime.¡± In the end, that was the point. After Fabian had said that, all the nobles who attended the parliament closed their eyes and avoided his eyes. He couldn¡¯t look at their pitiful face and rose from his seat, leaving the room. It was an attitude, showing that no matter what they said, he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Serus stuck close to Fabian who walked away. ¡°Why? Are you still disappointed with me?¡± Serus was sshed with an idle me, but he was calm. ¡°I won¡¯t, but I have something to tell you.¡± Fabian stopped, staring at him. ¡°The Pope has set out for the Felice Kingdom.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fabian¡¯s face frowned because it was an entirely unexpected move from the Vatican. ¡°When?¡± Fabian asked him back. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but I think he¡¯s probably arrived by now.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± an unusual, harsh word came out of Fabian¡¯s mouth, ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t understand the Pope¡¯s intent and purpose went to the Felice Kingdom. His heart was frustrated because he wasn¡¯t able to grasp the true motives of the Vatican. But on the other hand, he also felt unprepared to know. ¡°Serus, I¡­.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s toote for Your Majesty to leave now.¡± An angry expression instantly appeared on Fabian¡¯s face. But what Serus said was true. Even If he left now, the Pope would have already gone when he arrived at the Felice Kingdom. And Fabian He didn¡¯t want to show such a pathetic scene. ¡°Yeah¡­I don¡¯t do pointless things.¡± Fabian, who struggled to cool down, gazed into the air with cool eyes. ¡°But, if you think on the other way around, it means that Saint Iretta is now empty.¡± It was a meaningful remark. ¡°This is a good time to get caught off guard.¡± Serus nodded solemnly. The Pope¡¯s departure meant that he took both the Pdin and the Knights in question. In a way, it was an opportunity brought by Fabian¡¯s precise judgment which focused onmon sense without being swayed by emotion. ¡°I will follow Your Majesty¡¯s will.¡± Serus and the ck Hawk Knights would never, ever spend that opportunity in vain.
The Felice Kingdom was busy preparing to wee the Pope And Arthur¡¯s worries came faster than expected. Considering the Kingdom¡¯s location, his Kingdom couldn¡¯tpletely side with neither the Empire nor the Vatican. However, a small Kingdom had its own behaviour. First of all, they had to greet the Pope with a happy smile. ¡°Your Holiness, wee to the Kingdom.¡± The Pope nodded his head to Arthur¡¯s greeting, relieving signs of fatigue. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I visited the Kingdom on the big festival, but I¡¯ming here again since I couldn¡¯t talk properly because there was amotion. We shouldn¡¯t neglect the Felice Kingdom, which always shows their faith to us.¡± At first nce, it sounded like he was going to offer a reward for the Kingdom¡¯s donations, but it wasn¡¯t easy for Arthur to be off guard. ¡°The Pope¡¯s health and the glory of the Vatican are enough for us.¡± ¡°Surely, those are the words of the faithful King of the Felice Kingdom.¡± The Pope nodded in a satisfactory way. Until now, his nature wasn¡¯t that different from the Pope that Arthur faced long ago. The Pope was a proud man and a bit arrogant. He also always felt like a chosen one as he had a holy position. Even so, the Pope wasn¡¯t someone who had the guts to fight against the Empire. ¡°Oh, you¡¯rete.¡± The Pope pointed his eyes at the man standing behind him. A Pdin in shining armour bent his knees and gave the King an example. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the knight who defeated the Wyverns at that time. I couldn¡¯t even say thank you properly.¡± ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s his duty as a Pdin.¡± said the old Pope Evelyn, watching the conversation from the sidelines, and she sensed some inconsistency in the Pope¡¯s words. Aside from that, the Pdin was disrespectful not to take off his helmet in front of the King. More than that, he didn¡¯t open his own mouth when the Pope introduced him as a Pdin. ¡°Sir¡­Me, Sir¡­! Adrian, who was in Miriam¡¯s arms, seemed to be calm for a long time, but he broke the mood again. ¡°Please forgive the little Prince for his rudeness,¡± Miriam asked for understanding and left the hall first while holding the child. At that moment, no one knew that the helmeted Pdin turned his attention to Adrian before he returned to his position. ¡°The Prince is young, so it¡¯s all right. We¡¯ll officially introduce our Pdinter.¡± The Pope concluded the conversation as if he had read Evelyn¡¯s mind. In consideration of the Pope who hade a long way, Arthur suggested him to take a rest first. And Evelyn approached Arthur when the Pope¡¯s party waspletely out of sight, ¡°Why did hee to our Kingdom at a time like this?¡± ¡°It could be just a return for the donation.¡± But Arthur didn¡¯t look sure of his words. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. He wants us to rify our position¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡± Arthur seriously stopped Evelyn from speaking. ¡°You too, you¡¯re a finance minister now, and you have learned about public affairs. Those who represent the Kingdom must not jump to conclusions easily.¡± Unlike before, Arthur¡¯s face was stern, which meant that Evelyn was already recognized as the representative of Felice Kingdom. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t draw your own conclusions. You have to be able to observe calmly and see the problems deeper than anyone else. And to be able to do that you have to kill ¡®yourself¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Evelyn listened to Arthur with an earnest look, as she had been obliged to protect this Kingdom until Adrian grew up. ¡°You already meet them, so there is no need to participate in the dinner any more.¡± Evelyn nodded. ¡°Fortunately, the Duke of Akshire ising, there won¡¯t be a shortage of people.¡± Akshire¡¯s presence relieved her. After all, it was a family that shared the fate of the Felice Kingdom. Evelyn calmly bowed back to Arthur politely. As his father taught her before, now was the time for her to be careful.
The Pope, who had decided to stay at the Pavillion, sitting in an armchair, enjoying the tea. Not long after, the Pdin came in and took off his helmet. Whenever he saw it, the transparent purple eyes shone mysteriously on the young man¡¯s spotless face. ¡°David. Did I really need toe here?¡± It was the Pope who asked him that question unexpectedly. ¡°Yes, you should¡­¡± David answered calmly. And the Popenodded with his usual arrogant attitude, ¡°Yeah¡­.. It¡¯s your will, so I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t understand what you want to find out in this ce. The Felice Kingdom has a long rtionship with the Vatican. It means there¡¯s nothing new.¡± ¡°Are you sure there isn¡¯t?¡± David raised his purple eyes and looked quietly at the Pope. When the Pope made eye contact with him, he fixed his gaze as if he had forgotten everything. ¡°There¡¯s one¡­¡­..Someone who wasn¡¯t originally a part of the royal family.¡± Suddenly, the Pope let out a sound in a daze, ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± The Pope let out a sound in a daze. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t exist in the first ce.¡± David murmured meaningfully, but the Pope didn¡¯t understand what he said. ¡°I have to know if that being will shake the bnce.¡± The Pope just sat there nkly, and David left the door, leaving the Pope alone, whose time had stopped. There was no emotion on his straight face as if the ster statue created by the artist. ¡°Adrian¡­.¡± David said low. He was only a toddler, but his existence appeared all of a sudden. ¡°It¡¯s a life that couldn¡¯t exist in the past. So what will happen to the bnce of this world¡­¡­?¡± His purple eyes stared into the air. The doubt he felt when he saw the little Prince at the Great Festival turned into certainty after facing him again today. ¡°Why, the Emperor¡¯s child was born¡­..¡± The words he spoke to himself were like a sigh. ¡°The cursed tyrant, who will bring death to the entire continent, should have no children.¡± David spat out an unknown sound. His eyes reached a distance as if looking at another dimension. ¡°The equilibrium of this world must not be shaken.¡± That was his only wish, and also the reason why David was alive until now. His purpose of living over the years and his journey through time was to maintain the bnce of this world. David looked down at his empty hand, recalling countless pasts that had ovepped with his hands and said vainly, ¡°No more, there¡¯s no turning back.¡± He was thest sessor of the white tower, which had kept the bnce of the continent in secret since ancient times. It was very difficult for him to do this mission when he was already left alone. And He lived as a human solely as a guardian of the world¡¯s bnce. ¡°That was thest time.¡± David remembered the moment when he used his hand to create thest magic. It was thest magic given to him. Perhaps because his power wascking that time, his magic worked imperfectly. Only After that, David¡¯s remaining power was very weak, and could only be used to pretend to be a Vatican Pdin or manipte the demons. ¡°But my will and ¡®that person¡¯ still remains¡­¡± David closed his eyes. It seemed that the teaching he had inherited from his teacher was still engraved in his veins. The equilibrium of the world must not be shaken at any moment. The moment the bnce was shattered, the fate of the whole continent would fall into hell. Once again, he opened his eyes. His purple eyes had a firm will. ¡°Whatever you do.¡± The forbidden magic of time that had flipped the time back. If Adrian¡¯s presence broke the bnce, it was his responsibility to get rid of it. ¡°I have to keep the bnce of this continent.¡± David¡¯s voice, who had lived alone for a hundred years just for that reason that sounded vain and bitter. Chapter 66: The Only Wish Today, Adrian had trouble falling asleep. As Evelyn felt the autumn wind blowing from the window, she embraced Adrian and tried to calm him down. The child instinctively felt the anxiety of the person who was carrying him, as did Adrian. ¡°Will you know my heart when you grow up well someday?¡± ¡°Uh¡­..Evelyn!¡± Adrian had a clear pronunciation now. ¡°You can¡¯t call me that now.¡± Evelyn had a serious look on her face, but Adrian burst intoughter. It was odd to see him smiling so innocent with a tall, fabian-like nose and clear features. But as far as Evelyn understood, Fabian would never have been like this. Far away, outside the window, she could see a hawk figure in the sun¡¯s rays. After a while, until now, she still hadn¡¯t received a reply from Fabian. The back of the hawk, sitting in the sunshine was now quite bigpared to before. ¡°Like! Hawk¡­Hawk!¡± Adrian waved his hand and showed his interest outside the window. ¡°Are you really excited about that?¡± Whenever this happened, Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but realize that the Empire¡¯s blood was flowing to Adrian. ¡°Like, Hawk, It¡¯s wonderful! And Me is a mess!¡± ¡°Adrian, don¡¯t say that ¡­¡± Somehow, Evelyn was upset about how many times she saw him and how many times she remembered Fabian. Adrian called Fabian ¡°Me¡± the whole time after they metst time. And that man also gave him the ck hawk that was enough to capture Adrian¡¯s heart at once. Still, it much better than knowing Fabian¡¯s real title. Evelyn hoped Adrian wouldn¡¯t think about his birth in the future. ¡°Me! Me, there!¡± Adrian shook his arm, looking out of the window. When Evelyn, who was puzzled, looked out, she saw a very strange man in the garden. At first nce, that man had a sturdy build looked like Fabian in Adrian¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, Adrian.¡± Evelyn hugged the child and watched the man carefully. Strange as it was, his white armour appeared identical to the Pdin she had met earlier. He stood in the garden undressed, revealing his defenceless back. Evelyn felt odd as she looked at him. ¡°What is he doing there alone?¡± His presence didn¡¯t blend into the gardenndscape. There was a lumpy and peculiar feeling when he was standing there. His life was like something unhuman, not just in the garden, but also in the air around him. Whether Evelyn¡¯s eyes had been mistaken or it was just a coincidence, David suddenly turned around. Evelyn quickly hid behind the window as soon as she saw his violet eyes. It was her instinct. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Did he see me?¡± Was she too careful? But it was obvious that they made eye contact a while ago. Evelyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat. From the beginning, she had some resistance to that guy. ¡°Nora, take Adrian with you.¡± Evelyn hurried over Adrian. A momentter, when Evelyn calmed her heart and looked out the window again, she could still see David standing in the same spot. He fixed his eyes in one ce, facing Evelyn¡¯s window. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s looking at me.¡¯ A cool air surrounded Evelyn. She felt strange for the first time. It didn¡¯t ur to her that she should run away or avoid him. Instead, Evelyn wanted to identify him with her own eyes. Evelyn, who was fascinated with her intuition, walked quickly to the garden. It was a long timeter, but David was still there. ¡°You are the Pope¡¯s Knight, aren¡¯t you?¡± David nodded at Evelyn¡¯s bold question. His emotionless face,ing to her mind, was as straight as a ster statue. ¡°Long time no see.¡± David¡¯s words made her little puzzled. It was the first time for Evelyn to see him this close, and there was nothing, in particr, to call it a meeting. However, he wasn¡¯t wrong at all because he had stayed in one ce. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking at my bedroom window for a while, is that a mistake?¡± ¡°Mistake?¡± His purple eyes stared at Evelyn. ¡°Because I feel that way¡­.¡± But David mysteriously blurted out a grave argument, ¡°Humans can¡¯t erase their feeling, so my answer isn¡¯t important.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll change the question. Did you keep looking up at the window in my room?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn frowned a little at David¡¯s reply. ¡°This is not the Vatican, but the Felice Kingdom. Even though you¡¯re a knight, you don¡¯t have the right to go in and out of the pce garden and take a peek into my bedroom.¡± ¡°My name is David.¡± His calm attitude had gotten stronger since earlier. But that was different from being arrogant. ¡°It¡¯s something that I didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°If we answer what other people want to know first, we won¡¯t make it difficult for them to ask questions.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a chapel,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°To be exact, I looked at the little prince, not the Princess. My reason must be rted to your secret.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t reveal her emotions on her face. The only useful moments to put into practice what she learned from her Imperial life. But this time, her opponent was too strong. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve never told anybody. I don¡¯t want to disclose the secret anymore. No, I just want to say that your decision to keep it secret was really wise.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Evelyn stared at David with an unshakeable expression. Her heart had been sunk a while earlier, but if she showed her agitation here, it was like confessing her secret. Most importantly, Evelyn didn¡¯t know how he found out. ¡°That would be great.¡± David suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the hawk at a distance. ¡°The owner of that hawk must be someone I know.¡± As a Pdin, he already went over the limit. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Evelyn changed her tone coldly. Then David grinned andughed. Somehow it was a lonely smile, ¡°That¡¯s what I said to you before. You haven¡¯t changed.¡± David¡¯s violet eyes first reminded her of some emotion, but Evelyn couldn¡¯t read it. ¡°Before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an important story.¡± David shook his head, and his hair fluttered in the wind. The peculiar scent from him dishevelled Evelyn¡¯splicated mind, which seemed almost toe to mind. ¡°It¡¯s a story that you¡¯ll forget anyway.¡± One step, he came close to her. ¡°But one thing you need to remember.¡± Evelyn blinked her eyes. Somehow she couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Who was your only hope when you withered in misery and despair? And who was cold to you?¡± At that moment, Fabian¡¯s face came her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t pity him. Don¡¯t try to build a rtionship again with a woman¡¯s heart and personal feelings.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­¡± Evelyn, who barely opened her mouth, looked at David with her shaking eyes. And now she was sure that she had seen those purple eyes before. ¡°Who are you? We¡¯re not¡­¡­¡± ¡°Evelyn, a pitiful woman.¡± David¡¯s words stabbed her heart. As if he had poked up her old wounds. ¡°My power was iplete, so an existence that wasn¡¯t supposed to exist was born.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know that well. That none of your two children could have been born into this world. So didn¡¯t you despair?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a nightmare.¡± Evelyn shook her head, vigorously. Her two children who had left in vain existed only in her nightmares. In reality, Adrian looked at Evelyn with lovely eyes. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a cruel nightmare.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know since when her dream started. Maybe she was dreaming before seeing David in the garden. Or was everything just a dream since she decided to divorce? ¡°You¡¯re afraid this will also be a dream and disappear, aren¡¯t you?¡± David seemed to have read Evelyn¡¯s mind, and he retorted an unknown word. ¡°The side effects of time magic are not meant to kill the child immediately.¡± ¡°But what about your fate¡¯s enemy who wants you back? Her hatred and sorrow for Fabian had subsided over the years. His changing attitude and the sympathy she felt for him while raising Adrian also yed a big part. Maybe Fabian was just a man who hadn¡¯t learned how to love and understands that it needed sincerity in a couple¡¯s rtionship. ¡°How¡­How do you know that?¡± David looked at Evelyn with mixed feelings. She would soon forget about him anyway since he was a forgetful role for everyone. The time guardian of this world was a lonely fate that must not remain in anyone¡¯s memory. ¡°Because before, I¡¯ve heard your desperate request,¡± David answered calmly, knowing that it was useless. ¡°Then, you know when I was dead once, and I went back, and that¡¯s what you did?¡± David nodded, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a nightmare. They were real ones.¡± And that time, Evelyn didn¡¯t know. What tragedy Fabian had brought to this continent after she died. That, the real nightmare began after she died. Fabian, who had lost his feeling since the death of his beloved wife, struggling to fill his empty heart with a massacre. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be that way. My child is alive.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°Your wish now is that child.¡± David smiled a little sad. He couldn¡¯t believe how much Evelyn loved a child who didn¡¯t exist in life. ¡°Now, my power is notplete yet. So I need your strong wish.¡± In the past, Evelyn had only wished to put an end to this despair. She wished to turn her rtionship with Fabian to nothing and to erase the pain of losing everything she loved. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I have full power now, I could have really turned all your connection to nothing.¡± Only David¡¯s magic had already weakened since he first met Evelyn. That¡¯s why the oue couldn¡¯t possibly be perfect since he already used the forbidden time magic. Besides, there were no two chances. ¡°Evelyn, you didn¡¯t need to be sick like your previous life. But it¡¯s all for the bnce.¡± The reason why his unperfect magic could have power was that Evelyn¡¯s pain and despair were so deep. ¡°Maybe even now, you still love him.¡± David didn¡¯t understand human¡¯s feelings well, but like flowing water, he learned a few things in exchange for Evelyn¡¯s pain. The magic wasn¡¯t perfect either, but it happened to her maybe because Evelyn herself refused to erase Fabian from her heart. ¡°But you have to throw it away. You must lose one thing.¡± Looking into the blue eyes, Evelyn still had only one wish. Chapter 67: Binds The Madness The autumn wind grazed his cheeks, and Evelyn found herself frozen. ¡°Ah, no, for a moment, I¡­..¡± David nodded slowly in front of her eyes. ¡°You must¡¯ve been thinking of something else.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. What did we talk about?¡± ¡°About the suspicious movement of the demons and the Little Prince¡­.¡± Only then did Evelyne to her senses and go back to their original conversation. Yes, she was trying to get some advice from the Pdin about Adrian. It was a good chance to speak to him first while he was still in the garden. ¡°You said that on the great festival, the Wyverns seemed to be targeting the prince, didn¡¯t you?¡± he said. ¡°Oh, did I tell you that far? ¡­..You may be wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to the person who listened to decide whether it¡¯s wrong or not.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the moment, Evelyn blinked at an unexined feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. She felt like having a conversation like this somewhere, but she didn¡¯t remember it. ¡°I understand your worries. But that fact hasn¡¯t yet been published by the Vatican. And there is a theory that the demons are attracted to a certain bloodline.¡± ¡°Bloodlines?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a very old myth, but there¡¯s a record that says the demons were eager for the blood of the Imperial family before the tragedy happened on this continent in the past.¡± ¡°A Legend like that, almost all of them have the same story.¡± Evelyn pressed her heart in surprise at the words ¡°Imperial Family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a legend; it¡¯s a reality. There¡¯s still a remnant of the demons on this continent, but since the Empire doesn¡¯t trust the Vatican, it¡¯s just a secret.¡± She didn¡¯t want to judge, but that story was hard to believe for Evelyn. ¡°There are a lot of people who think the Vatican is suspicious.¡± What David had said wasn¡¯t wrong, because Evelyn was one of them. ¡°Everyone who heard this kind of story will respond the same way.¡± ¡°Most of the legends of the continent are based on reality. Later, the Empire banned the Vatican because we were considered to be misleading the people. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Do you know any legends about the birth of this Empire? ¡° ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it since the Empire people have a rational mind.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Unexpectedly, David retreated quickly. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about the Prince, why don¡¯t we look into it more further?¡± ¡°No ¡­ there¡¯s no need to go that far.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. The Vatican will protect the Felice Kingdom.¡± Evelyn nodded. She didn¡¯t want Adrian to be the object of attention for no reason. If she was thinking about it again, it was a little weird. Why did she suddenly talk about something like this with a mysterious guy she just met today? This kind of mistake was different from her normal self. ¡°We can assure you that no demons will attack the Felice Kingdom. ¡°Yes.¡± The Pdin in front of her appeared more genuine and good than she expected. There was no feeling of difort or distrust she had ever felt before. ¡°If you said that¡­ Sir David?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did I tell you my name?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Evelyn, who was unable to remember the real conversation they had a while ago, only shook her head. But David smiled faintly, realizing that his power was getting weaker. ¡°Whenever you have a hard time, please rely on the Vatican.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± For some reason, the answer seemed toe out on its own. ¡°Thank you,¡± Evelyn said, looking at a very friendly young man in front of her, and said. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll say goodbye now.¡± It was a short time, but as Evelyn talked to him, her concerns about the Vatican seemed to vanish. Instead, she now questioned if all the Vatican usations had been made by the Empire itself. Looking back, it was also the Vatican that gave back Evelyn¡¯s freedom. ¡°Did I have a weird thought for a while? Evelyn talked to herself, and she returned to the Pce.
Strangely enough, Evelyn couldn¡¯t sleep. On a night like this, she looked out the window to see if there was a letter from Fabian, but there was no sign of it. Even though she said that she was annoyed by Fabian¡¯s letter and that she was so much troubled by it, but deep in her heart, she was always looking forward to it, particrly today. ¡°Princess, are you not sleeping?¡± ¡°Yes¡­..I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Looking at Evelyn, Nora lit a smallmp. ¡°Can I go to the library now?¡± ¡°At this time?¡± When she tried to say something, Evelyn took themp from her hand, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll go quietly.¡± Nora nodded. She figured that Evelyn might be upset because there was no letter from the Emperor recently. Evelyn, who had no idea about Nora¡¯s mind, wore a robe to shield her from the cool night air and went quietly to the library with amp. [¡°Most of the legends of the continent are based on reality. Later, the Empire banned the Vatican because we were considered to be misleading the people. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Do you know any legends about the birth of this Empire? ¡°] On sleepless nights, David¡¯s voice kept ringing on her head. Evelyn had never heard a legend like that in the Empire because it was a ridiculous discussion topic. She would be treated like a fool if she asked a story like that. It was a legend before Evelyn was born. So she couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the demons are after the Imperial family,¡± Evelyn spoke to herself. But it was also true that those words shook her heart. At least she wanted to know about the truth of that legend. ¡°There are so many books in here¡­¡­¡± Evelyn, who hade to the library, fumbled in the dark and sighed. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have visited this ce at night. Because she didn¡¯t know where the books that she wasn¡¯t interested in were located. ¡°Legend¡­.legend¡­¡± Evelyn, holding themp, walked between through the library, and suddenly she saw a book popping out. The type of gold leaf used for themplight shone the book. Looking at the legend-words engraved on the front cover, it was the book Evelyn was looking for. It was all like a nonsense coincidence, but Evelyn didn¡¯t doubt it. She immediately took the book as if it possessed her. Nora felt relieved after she returned to her bedroom. Evelyn then opened the book while leaning on her bed. The illustration behind the cover was so dreamy as a fantasy theme. There was a drawing of the sun and the moon, a continent split into four parts in the past, and there was also arge picture of the tower in the center. ¡°Is this legend happened in the Empire? When David told her about it, Evelyn was still skeptical and thought it was a fairy tale from the Vatican. In reality, the book was written in-depth about the mythology that started with the birth of the Empire. It was a tale Fabian would hate if he knew it. Maybe even Fabian, who was an Emperor, grew up without knowing about this legend.
[A King with a sword stained with blood came to the tower, protecting the bnce of the world.]
The illustration began with two men standing in front of the tower. One was a man wearing a robe, and the other one was a man with a sad face holding a sword with blood dripping on it.
[Who was standing in front of the tower?]
[He was a poor man who was stained by blood madness while ughtering demons to protect people, and he was a King who had lost a human¡¯s heart.]
[What did you wish for?]
[Everything that had died in his hands was making him insane, and he was afraid that this massacre would not end. He was afraid that the demon spirit would chase him for life. He was afraid of himself that he could no longer live with a human heart.]
The book¡¯s style was quite different from now, as it was written in ancient times.
[He sincerely wished to the tower which kept the bnce of this world¡­ to bind the madness of his body.]
The writing in the book after the sentence was difficult to read because it was badly damaged. Evelyn then turned the pages of the book quickly, and she found that the man¡¯s crying face was covered with an iron mask and a bigger crown on top of his head.
[The tower bound his madness. It held him. From now on, the guardians of this tower would be moremitted to keeping demons away from human beings, and he had to rule over the people. A Poor King, stained with blood, made the salvation of being an Emperor.]
It was a difficult story to understand at first nce.
[But he didn¡¯t forget that the demon would thrive and curse his bloodlines forever, and the madness would never disappear no matter how many generations had passed]
Evelyn frowned her eyebrows. It was bizarre to call this tale the birth legend of the Empire.
[Remembered, one day when the power of the tower had faded, the demons would hunt his bloodlines again, and the madness of massacre would be awakened.]
Evelyn somehow felt creepy seeing the illustration, and she closed the book. ¡°This is a curse.¡± ording to this book¡¯s story, this Empire¡¯s founder was a King who went insane after numerous massacres. And the demons hunted the bloodline of the Imperial family out of grudge. Besides, the madness was passed on by blood ties¡­.even though Fabian was a cold husband. But Evelyn didn¡¯t believe that he could do such a thing. ¡°It has nothing to do with Adrian.¡± Evelyn tried to convince herself. There was no way a lovely child like Adrian was born from a blood-soaked mad line. ¡°I paid attention to the useless story.¡± She threw away that worrisome book and moistened her dry lips for a moment. ¡°But what Pdin said was probably Vatican¡¯s orders¡­..¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to believe the legend, but the Vatican¡¯s ns and Adrian¡¯s future were important. It was something that existed in reality. ¡°Looking at Sir David¡¯s position in the Vatican, there¡¯s no way he would make up a story.¡± Somehow, Evelyn had faith in what he had said. It was a sensation that even she didn¡¯t know it. For some reason, her heart felt stuffy. Evelyn got up and went to the window. She could see a ck hawk standing on the side of the trellis. It wasn¡¯t just by chance that she still saw it. Evelyn always kept the hawk there from the beginning. ¡°Maybe I have done something stupidtely.¡± Her heart weakened after seeing Fabian¡¯s changestely. Whatever it was, whether it¡¯s a dream or reality, but it seemed as though Evelyn had stepped away from the resolve that she had made for herself after she died and returned to the age of twenty. ¡°Yes, what am I worried about?¡± Her life with Fabian was unfortunate. Even after a long time, he didn¡¯t change, and Evelyn could not be happy by his side. She already knew Everything, so what did she expect and continue in a rtionship full of uncertainty like this? She felt stupid when it was a rtionship that she broke up in the first ce to protect her happiness. ¡°This isn¡¯t right for each other.¡± For a moment, she thought Fabian might have changed. She wanted to think so. Once, he was a man that Evelyn loved so much that her heart hurt because he was the father of the most precious child in the world. ¡°I¡¯ve got to let him go.¡± Only Fabian was always waiting for Evelyn because she didn¡¯t cut their rtionship clearly. She didn¡¯t escape from him and let him into her life again, like running water. Evelyn, unable to deal with his persistence, swallowed only bitterness. ¡°It¡¯s all already in the past,¡± Evelyn whispered to herself. ¡°If I don¡¯t let him go, I can¡¯t hug the happiness right now.¡± The White hands patted her chest. When she thought she would cut Fabian offpletely, the corner of her heart became cold. She really couldn¡¯t describe what she was feeling right now. It was a familiar feeling. ¡°Now, let¡¯s really let him go.¡± That¡¯s how Evelynforted herself. It would hurt because she could have lost Fabian forever. But she could still endure the pain, as long as she didn¡¯t lose Adrian. Chapter 68: Even If Only In My Dreams The Pope had returned to the Vatican¡¯s capital city, Saint Iretta. The Felice Kingdom concluded their visit as a ceremonial blessing for donations, and they backed to their daily lives. But for Fabian, who stayed in the Empire, the meaning of their visit waspletely different. Although he didn¡¯t know exactly how, his informationwork had managed to prate the Vatican¡¯s, which was difficult to ess after the Pdin¡¯s appearance. ¡°Maybe God doesn¡¯t teach the Pope how to protect his house from robbers,¡± Fabian said arrogantly. ¡°After all, if there¡¯s a god, he¡¯s on the Empire¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Well, given the timing, yes, he is.¡± Serus looked so exhausted. Fabian, who defended his throne in the Pce, didn¡¯t know how tired this operation was. Infiltrating the papal offices, erasing traces, while worrying about the Pope who didn¡¯t know when would return, wasn¡¯t an ordinary operation. ¡°I really managed to get it.¡± ¡°But is this the only information?¡± asked Fabian. ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian carefully read a copy of the documents that were stolen from the Vatican. ¡°Their corruption is too obvious.¡± The Vatican¡¯s money and some tyranny were listed, but it was not worth much to Fabian. There was no record of the Pdin knight he was most curious about. And the same was true of the demons. ¡°That old man doesn¡¯t seem to have a good record. I¡¯m disappointed.¡± Fabian read the rest of the documents, touching to his temple. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that there¡¯s so much money to give to that rotten Vatican ¡­¡­ The other kings are great too. Especially, the Kingdom of Felice.¡± He was deeply displeased that the Vatican and the Kingdom of Felice were mentioned together in the document. The same was true when he said their names together from his mouth. In Serus¡¯s eyes, Fabian, who talked to himself and was displeased to himself, was a bit strange. But Fabian¡¯s resentment towards the Vatican who intervened in his divorce was still deep. ¡°Is there anything else? Small information is fine.¡± ¡°What I didn¡¯t write in that letter is this note.¡± Serus gave another piece of paper that he had prepared in advance. Usually, such unclear information would be skipped. Still, seeing Fabian¡¯s meticulous personality, Serus knew that he would definitely ask about it. ¡°What is it?¡± It was literally a memo. Fabian stared at the paper, and there was a sentence written hastily.
[ The investigation. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤* By order of Sir David. Hurry up. The Prince¡¯s hair. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Birth mother died.]
Fabian frowned while looking at the letters that were written randomly. ¡°You stupid!. Don¡¯t you know that this single note is more valuable than a formal report?¡± Serus nodded as if he knew it. It was only him, his close friend, who knew Fabian¡¯s nature well. He paid more attention to this note from the beginning, too. ¡°I¡¯ve checked it in advance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best, though.¡± ¡°There is no Knight named David. No figure by that name has been involved with the Vatican.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Fabian curled his lips. In fact, it should be easy for them to find out who a knight named David, who was in the papal records but didn¡¯t exist externally. ¡°But finally, I got to know the Pdin¡¯s name.¡± ¡°By the way¡­¡­¡± However, there was still something on his mind. ¡°The Prince, whose birth mother died. That¡¯s obvious too.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Those who might be called Princes by now were quite old and had been called by titles or became Kings by their ownnd. So, it was just Adrian who could be called a Prince right now. ¡°Everything is so predictable. But the problem now is how tobine these obvious facts.¡± It was a mystery why the Pdin investigated the little Prince. ¡°Hair? What can you tell from that?¡± ¡°It should be a color or something.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me. Adrian has ck hair like me, so anyone with eyes will know.¡± Fabian, who shot quickly, suddenly making a strange expression. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s no need to investigate what everyone knows. What you need to dig out should be the fact that no one knows.¡± His ck eyes gazed coolly into the air, ¡°I smell something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Serus answered honestly. ¡°But I¡¯m sure the Vatican is interested in something Your Majesty doesn¡¯t know.¡± Fabian nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the most important fact.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t do what the Vatican did. Right now, I want you to investigate Everything in this memo.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Fabian unwittingly touched the secret box. So Serus immediately left his seat to fulfill his orders. Fabian was lost in thought after being left alone. He had doubts about something simr before. ¡®The prince was born in early winter.¡¯ But Fabian¡¯s hopeful doubts were shattered. The possibility of Evelyn giving birth to the child was denied. The bitterness that Fabian felt at that time was much greater than expected. Even though it was toote, it was enough to realize that he really wanted a child with Evelyn. ¡°If it happened, you wouldn¡¯t have left me.¡± Fabian was still mistaken, and it couldn¡¯t be helped. Now he hadn¡¯t pushed Evelyn to the end, and he couldn¡¯t fully understand why Evelyn had closed her mind. ¡°If it happened¡­..¡± He thought about his lingering regret. As he remembered Evelyn, carrying Adrian, who had the same ck hair as him. That was the reason why that feeling couldn¡¯t easily fall apart. ¡°If what she was holding was my child¡­ I would have had nothing more to wish for.¡± It wasn¡¯t greed to have a sessor. Fabian still remembered Evelyn¡¯s pinkish cheeks, who said she wanted to have a child-like him as soon as they got married. And he wanted to make that beautiful wishe true. He wished to make a family even though it was a warmth that he had never felt before. ¡°It¡¯s not just the past.¡± Fabian took out Evelyn¡¯s letter, which had been in his drawers for days. In the Felice Kingdom¡¯s garden, Evelyn told him to let go of all the past, but this letter felt warm. At first, Evelyn, who left without telling him her reason, made him resentful. But when he knew even a little bit of her sincere heart, the resentment melted away like snow. ¡°It relieves my headaches, and it canfort me.¡± Only words were said. There was a sad smile on Fabian¡¯s lips while touching the letter. ¡°Are you worried about me even if you¡¯re far away?¡± Fabian felt grateful for her sincere heart, and he thought his rtionship with Evelyn had not yet broken. That was why he had left the Empress seat empty until now. At first, he didn¡¯t know anything, so he thought Evelyn would definitelye back. And after that, he believed that she woulde back with confidence. ¡°Now, even if you¡¯re far away, you¡¯lle back by my side.¡± Only that unwavering faith supported Fabian¡¯s heart. ¡°So, I¡¯ll have to wait a little longer.¡± Fabian also learned to introspect himself. Once, he had thought about taking Evelyn right away. But he immediately held back and put up with what he wanted to get back, and facing each other in her own way. And finally, he could feel the old warmth from Evelyn¡¯s attitude. Every time Fabian suffered from a headache, Evelyn¡¯s sad gaze, the touch of her cold hands, and the smell of a subtle scent of candles fluttered. He thought it was a trivial moment in his daily life, but he really missed it this time. ¡°You made such things yourself for me¡­¡± The letter said that Evelin¡¯s own scented candle remained in the Empress¡¯ Pce. But Fabian didn¡¯t even know Evelyn was the one who made the candle herself since it wasn¡¯t a job for a person who had a noblest status like the Empress. Besides, she never showed it off. ¡°You fool¡­ I wish you would show it off.¡± After receiving her letter, his sickening headache didn¡¯te. He thought Evelyn¡¯s heart was still in touch with him, and it was thanks to herfort. Aside from the headache, however, Fabian suddenly missed the scent of candles¡¯ sweet scent that was always enjoyed by Evelyn. ¡°Servants.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Now tell the Empress¡¯s maid¡­..¡± Fabian was talking and suddenly stopped. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go to the Empress¡¯s Pce by myself.¡± If he was going to inhale a nostalgic scent, he thought a nostalgic ce would be good. It was the ce where Evelyn¡¯s trail still remained, where they spent the night together. A few minutester, when Fabian arrived at the Empress¡¯s Pce, the maid came out and gave the courtesy. ¡°Your Majesty, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°Are you alone managing this ce?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Not many touches were needed to take care of the Pce without the owner. ¡°Do you remember when the empress was here?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± The maid replied carefully, not knowing Fabian¡¯s intention. At that time, there were several maids in the Pce, but after Evelyn left, they were all expelled in disgrace for not properly serving the Empress. She was in charge of managing this empty Pce because she was a maid who had served Evelyn with all her heart. ¡°Has the Empress ever made a scented candle?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­. I remember that I helped her.¡± The maid, who had said the words, quickly noticed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me, Your Majesty.¡± Actually, it was a sin, letting the precious empress do such a thing with her own hands. But, as soon as he looked at the maid, Fabian was silent. ¡°The Empress made it herself?¡­¡­.by her own hands?¡± ¡°Yes. The maids came forward and said they would help, but the Empress didn¡¯t let us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really her.¡± A warm smile appeared on Fabian¡¯s lips. The maid was frozen when she saw it. ¡°Where are the scented candles?¡± ¡°On the shelf in the small room inside the bedroom¡­should, I take a look for it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Fabian stepped forward. ¡°Everyone back off.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡± The servants didn¡¯t dare to question his words. When Fabian was left alone, he slowly stepped into the Empress¡¯s bedroom. Now that he knew where the candles were, so he could do the rest alone. Evelyn said she made it by herself with her little hand, so Fabian wanted to do more. He decided to give up the idea that he should have done it earlier. ¡°It¡¯s a small room.¡± Fabian walked through the bedroom awkwardly. Evelyn was always busy moving when he came to the Empress¡¯s Pce, so he didn¡¯t know the detailed structure. Even though Evelyn wasn¡¯t here, he was hesitant to search the candles in a small room. Only ¡°The owner has gone, so I have no choice but to excuse me.¡± Fabian, who found the scented candle on the shelf, let out useless self-talk. The bedroom had an open window, so a clear autumn wind wasing in. It was a drowsy afternoon just in time. Fabian leaned on the bed where they slept together before and lit a candle at her bedside. The same scent as the memory made his body felt at ease. ¡°It¡¯s a nostalgic scent.¡± Fabian closed his eyes. And Evelyn¡¯s face was always pictured. ¡°A Scent that makes me want to see you more.¡± Sometimes the Emperor made a small wish. Even it was just a dream, it was good for a moment. So he wished for hering to him now. Chapter 69: Lonely Season As Fabian was lost in his longing dreams, Evelyn also remembered when she saw the leaves fall. Obviously, when Evelyn left his side, he was a cold, indifferent ex-husband. But now, his minor changes have made Evelyn even more upset. ¡°Why now?¡± She wished not to know how Fabian was living right now. But that was impossible from the start. He was the Emperor of the Empire, and all his every move became a hot topic and flowed all the way to Evelyn¡¯s ce. Evelyn soon realized what a great man she was married to. ¡°I was young, too.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes, which said that much more mature than her actual age. This was because she had an experience ofing back from death once. Evelyn had miscarried her beloved child twice and was nearer to the verge of despair than anyone else. After dying at the age of 30, she returned to the age of twenty. She dered her divorce to the Emperor so that her life had a very deep trajectory. ¡°It was an unavoidable choice.¡± Evelyn knew everything and would leave Fabian. Only then could she have a peaceful time with Adrian now. But she felt something strangetely. This familiar feeling was new, and Evelyn was anxious as if something was about to happen. ¡°Princess, Lady Akshire is here.¡± ¡°Tell her toe in.¡± Knowing her loneliness, Reba came to Evelyn¡¯s bedroom. Evelyn stared at Reba, staring out the window, holding her hands quietly. She was a loyal friend who hadn¡¯t existed in her previous life. ¡°What were you looking at?¡± ¡°Just the fallen leaves¡­..¡± Reba¡¯s green eyes seemed to see through Evelyn¡¯s mind. ¡°Autumn is a lovely season, but it is also a lonely season.¡± Evelyn knew what Reba meant. ¡°Do you have any worries that you have in mind?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing like that.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t lie, you barely go out these days, and you don¡¯t meet people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m busy with my finance job.¡± And Evelyn felt it was a bad excuse. ¡°This is a season that makes a lot of people dream and wonders.¡± Reba nodded to Evelyn, who confessed frankly. ¡°I do, too. I hate the scenery that reminds me of how lonely I am.¡± Reba, who was still enthusiastic, felt that way, too. And Evelyn thought that she had beenforted in an unexpected way. ¡°Would you like a cup of tea?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Soon the maid served the tea, and the two sat face to face with a table in between. There was a pile of letters on the table that hadn¡¯t been cleaned up. Evelyn removed itter, but it was after Reba saw the Emperor¡¯s seal. ¡°¡­¡­I know, it¡¯s weird, right? A letter after the divorce.¡± ¡°Honestly, your ex-husband is a strange person.¡± Evelyn smiled softly when she listened to Reba¡¯s right words. ¡°I didn¡¯t know ¡­¡­ that he has this kind of sweetness, too.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be imagined at all.¡± ¡°No, people wouldn¡¯t think he was sweet when they saw him. But I can see him working hard¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that, either.¡± Emperor Fabian, whom themon people, including Reba, knew, was a perfect man. Even though it was a small change that only Evelyn could see, still, it was far from ¡®sweet.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right¡­.because I was also surprised.¡± ¡°Is it good¡­..?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Is his change good for you, princess?¡± asked Reba. Evelyn was in awe of the unexpected question. Good, bad. She never thought about it that way, ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about that.¡± She replied calmly. Reba also drank her tea, and there was silence. ¡°But I think it would have been easier if I didn¡¯t know all this. Am I too selfish?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± It was toote for Fabian to realize his mistake and change Evelyn¡¯s mind. That¡¯s why it wouldn¡¯t be fair for Evelyn to repeat her pain again. ¡°I would have been angry if it were me. If my ex-husband suddenly appears in front of my eyes often and sends me a letter¡­¡± Reba¡¯s green eyes shone clearly. Just the thought of it made her frowned. ¡°Even if he really regret it, it doesn¡¯t mean that he can erase my unhappy marriage. It¡¯s the fault of a man who realized toote. He¡¯s so selfish, and he¡¯s already left a wound in my heart.¡± Evelyn nodded unconsciously. Reba made sure to pick up the points that had been bothering her the whole time. It was his selfish and one-sided act that Fabian became friendly and kept appearing before her eyes. Of course, Fabian didn¡¯t understand the reason for divorce, but he didn¡¯t care about Evelyn¡¯s situation. ¡°But that¡¯s fine. The most important thing is how the princess feels.¡± Words didn¡¯te up easily. Fabian¡¯s change was just amazing. And it was a bit bitter. ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad. But it wasn¡¯t good.¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I see.¡± Fabian could never be an ordinary man. He would always be an Emperor for the rest of his life. Besides, Evelyn was a princess from another country. It became a major scandal on the continent from their marriage to their divorce. And Evelyn no longer dared to face a huge scandal. ¡°Reba, the Duke of Akshire, is also part of the Imperial nobles, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What? Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation between the Empire and Congress like now? I want to know more.¡± ¡°Even if you ask me¡­.¡± Rarely, Reba answered with difficulty like this. She seemed to be in trouble. ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s no one else to ask for, only you, Reba.¡± Of course, that was secret information that only Arthur and the Foreign Minister of the Felice Kingdom knew about. But Arthur was Evelyn¡¯s father, and the Minister refused to speak because of her rtionship with the Emperor. But rather than sweet lies, Evelyn wanted to know the bitter truth. ¡°Everyone thinks of me, so they don¡¯t want to tell the truth. Reba knows the atmosphere well, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The situation was the same as Reba¡¯s when she returned from her divorce. Like a small boil that would hurt when you touched it lightly. They were all treated her very carefully. ¡°I¡¯m not as weak as everyone thinks. Do you understand that, too?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Then tell me. I believe Reba will tell me honestly.¡± It was aplicated story, but Reba nodded. Evelyn was right. No matter how deep the wound was, divorce didn¡¯t always need protection. ¡°Some time ago, the Emperor issued a decree that he would withdraw all troops rted to the pursuit of demons. You know that?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that there was a bacsh from the nobility, to what extent?¡± ¡°Liam said the atmosphere in the parliament is very bad, but the Emperor was so stubborn and said everyone must obey his words.¡± Evelyn could easily imagine that scene. Fabian knew very well how to use the Emperor¡¯s power. ¡°Actually, my father was worried about it, too. But somehow, he couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°This is also a fight between the Empire and the Vatican, after all. No one knows what His Majesty¡¯s purpose, but¡­.. sending in the Imperial Army has no ie, so it seems like he¡¯s throwing away the demons to the Vatican.¡± ¡°If you give up your duties, your power will decrease that much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re worried about that, same with the nobility. Because if His Majesty does this, Vatican¡¯s power will be too strong.¡± Evelyn nodded. But she was sure that Fabian had his own reasons. But no one understood him yet. Since it was a problem that could weaken the Emperor¡¯s position. The Emperor¡¯s position could have been narrowed. Fabian was now holding back the bacsh with force. ¡°And¡­..¡± Reba hesitated to say something, looking at Evelyn. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± When Evelyn pressed Reba with blue eyes, Reba¡¯s mouth opened with difficulty. ¡°To improve rtions between the Empire and the Vatican¡­¡­ some agenda has been proposed.¡± ¡°There was such a way? Why earlier,¡­¡­?¡± Evelyn¡¯s sentences were blurred this time. One thing, there was a method that she was familiar with. ¡°Yes. Now, the Empress¡¯s seat is empty, so it¡¯s a valid card.¡± Evelyn¡¯s calm tone seemed to tell another¡¯s story. ¡°Who¡¯s the candidate? Daughter of Marquis Satin¡¯s nephew? Reba said, ¡°She¡¯s one of the candidates, but she¡¯s out of thepetition.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Then I know who it is.¡± the teacup on her hand shook a little. ¡°Lady Metis¡­.¡± Reba nodded her head slowly. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been officially announced yet. However, most members of the nobility seem to have agreed.¡± ¡°I suppose so. Originally the nobility opposed me to be an Empress.¡± Not all groups of noble, but only a few. Most of those who refused Evelyn as an Empress was the faction of Marquis Satin and Duke Metis, including the Empress Dowager. ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of the Empress Dowager- youngest brother, who was mentioned as a candidate at that time.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still the niece of Empress Dowager.¡± Evelyn remembered the Empress, Fabian¡¯s mother, who always looked at her with unpleasant eyes. Fortunately, they rarely met in person. But there was talk behind the scenes that Evelyn had taken the Empress¡¯s position from her niece. ¡°I think it was the right thing to do from the start,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was a calm voice with no worries. ¡°The Empire has a poor rtionship with the Vatican during His Majesty¡¯s reign, but the Metis family has a strong rtionship with them and can be a strong mediator. Aside from that, their daughter must have been properly educated about imperial etiquette.¡± Evelyn swallowed the words. ¡°Besides, His Majesty can¡¯t leave the Empress¡¯s seat for too long¡­many people are watching him.¡± Two years had passed since Evelyn left. Even she didn¡¯t expect Fabian to be alone for so long like this. So, his remarriage was a natural thing. Now, that wasn¡¯t a strange idea. Besides, if he married again, perhaps her guilt for failing to fulfill Empress¡¯s duties would also disappear. ¡°Well, it has nothing to do with us now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Reba put down the teacup, ¡°Liam ising back from the Empire soon. Why don¡¯t we meet and hear the details?¡± While speaking of the new Empress, Evelyn¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t shake at all. Reba already felt that Evelyn¡¯s regrets had disappeared. It was fortunate, not for Evelyn, but for Liam. ¡°Don¡¯t you bother Sir Liam too much?¡± ¡°No way. He doesn¡¯t know how to do anything. He has much time.¡± That wasn¡¯t true. However, it could have been the case with Evelyn. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t refuse.¡± Evelyn smiled. Only ¡°More than that, princess.¡± There was a smile of remorse in Reba¡¯s heart. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you know why I¡¯mte for today¡¯s appointment?¡± Evelyn blinked at her unexpected words. She wasn¡¯t even aware that Reba waste. ¡°I came along the corridor through the garden of the inner pce, as usual, and the ck, big, ugly, terrible,¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Ah.¡± Only then did Evelyn recall the existence of a ck hawk in the royal garden. All three of them were gathered because they brought Fabian¡¯s letters in a row. But since then, she didn¡¯t respond to his letters, so the birds never had to fly again like Evelyn¡¯s heart. Chapter 70: Duke Of Me Early in the morning, Serus¡¯s expression on Fabian¡¯s bed was dim. At the beginning of the day, his duty was to watch his master being served by the Chambein and report his schedule. ¡°Water.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, a special medicinal herb, has been sent for your health from the Southern Pce.¡± ¡°No need, water.¡± As if familiar with Fabian¡¯s refusal, the Chambein put a ss of water on a silver tray. Serus noticed that Fabian didn¡¯t seem to sleep well, and he approached him. Fabian¡¯s ck eyes stared at Serus behind the bed¡¯s curtain. ¡°¡­¡­.Sorry.¡± When Serus opened his mouth first, his ck eyes filled with disappointment were still visible. Recently whenever Fabian opened his eyes in the morning or before closing his eyes at bedtime. He always asked if the ck hawk from the Felice Kingdom had brought a letter from him? ¡°Isn¡¯t it toote?¡± Fabian¡¯s low voice rang unpleasantly. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve checked, but there was nothing unusual.¡± Fabian, who despised repeating phrases, was particrly troubled by this issue, and Serus felt so tired. ¡°Is the hawk sick¡­.?,¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that all three of them will be sick. There are also no reports from the spy who went to the Kingdom of Felice for other problems.¡± Serus waspetent, but he didn¡¯t realize it. Fabian nervously walked over the curtains. For Fabian, Serus was an honest and trustworthy person. But, for the first time when he saw Serus¡¯s expression, he knew that it wasn¡¯t good news. ¡°The schedule for this morning is¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s a troublesome day.¡± Fabian immediately cut Serus¡¯ words. Today was the day of the grand congress meeting, which took ce once a year. The kings and nobles, who normally didn¡¯t take part in parliament, had all arrived yesterday and were ready to attend the conference. ¡°What¡¯s a big deal, everybody is working hard.¡± Fabian, who had been served by Chambein, spoke tantly sarcastically. The ck robe he wore added his Emperor¡¯s charisma. Then, the Empire holy sword, which was usually only carried in certain ces, hung on his waist. The elegance of the great ruler of this great Empire was radiant today. ¡°His Majesty, the Emperor, ising!¡± Fabian walked in between the sound of the trumpet and a ton ofplex protocols. Without looking at anyone, he sat on the Jade throne on the upper floor, holding his head with one hand. It was clear from his manner that he wasn¡¯t interested in today¡¯s Congress. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Those who came to Congress gave an example. Fabian raised his head and told all of them to sit down. The atmosphere in the Congress Hall was tense from the beginning. ¡°I thought you were all busy taking care of yournd, but you seem quite rxed.¡± From the first word, an unpleasant sign was shown. Satin Marquis, who had been in charge of the assembly, said, bowing his head.¡±The first thing to do is to honor the Empire¡­.¡± ¡°So, today¡¯s agenda¡­¡± Before the Marquis finished speaking, Fabian raised his hand. Then the Marquis stopped talking without doing anything. ¡°I¡¯ll leave out the details. I don¡¯t want to waste my time watching you all debate here.¡± Fabian had disapproved of this convention from the start. Maybe he didn¡¯t really want to listen to them, either. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve already nned an agenda, so we¡¯re going to proceed ¡­¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what the point of holding a useless congress today? Do you think my head is just a decoration?¡± His low voice sounded acrimonious. ¡°¡±No, Your Majesty¡¯s head is not a decoration.¡± Not responding to his words, Fabian stared coldly at them, ¡°Is there any other agenda? Apart from protests about my decision to withdraw the Imperial army and demands to fill the Empress seat. Is there anything else?¡± Because Fabian¡¯s words were right on target, Marquis Satin and other nobles could no longer speak. However, they didn¡¯t believe that the Emperor was openly rebelling against the parliament. ¡°I know everything you want to say. So, let me tell you my opinion.¡± ¡°I am very pleased to hear that, Your Majesty,¡± the Marquis unexpectedly gave a dumb response. ¡°Everyone is mistaken, and I am not going to reduce any single Imperial Army in the territory.¡± What else does that mean? A murmur was heard among the nobles. ¡°I only withdrew the Imperial Army against the demons, but I didn¡¯t say that I would withdraw them from the territory.¡± His words appeared deceptive, but in fact, they were urate. ¡°I heard that the Vatican is armed with weapons and has an army of knights to fight demons. Some groups are ready to defeat the demons, and they¡¯re ying their role well. I don¡¯t think the Empire should participate. After all, do we need topete with the little ones?¡± But everyone knows it was a lie. The Emperor, who had always shed with the Vatican over trivial matters, it was highly unlikely that he would notpete on this matter. However, Fabian, who didn¡¯t change his facial expression, continued. ¡°Since the Vatican will guard this continent against demons, my Imperial army will only focus on defending the territory. The demons will be exterminated by the Vatican, and my army will only defeat the humans who fight against the Empire.¡± That was, in truth, a rational opinion. It was a good idea since the Empire would be freed from the Vatican when fighting against these demons. After all, the Vatican was currently preventing demons¡¯ damage, so the Empire didn¡¯t have to fight it either. It was a brilliant idea to increase the power to strengthen the territory rather than fell behind in thepetition against demons. ¡°Now, is there anyone who wants to protest against the Empire again? Show up now, or shut your mouth from today, just choose one.¡± Obviously, no one dared to oppose this arrogant Emperor. After all, who would want to refuse this efficient and lethal strategy? ¡°Then, this agenda is over.¡± ¡°Thank you for Your Majesty¡¯s wisdom.¡± Marquis Satin managed to say a word. He seemed delighted to host the rare congress. Fabian looked around the other nobles. Among them, he found a familiar face. Liam, Duke of Akshire, who hade all the way here, was looking at him with his shining green eyes. Huh, Fabian was grumpy for nothing andughed. ¡°Or¡­ do you have opinions? The Duke from afar?¡± Immediately the room fell silent. ¡°Then, yes.¡± Just then did Fabian lift a corner of his mouth with satisfaction. ¡°Well, Your Majesty. The next agenda is about the Empress¡¯s seat, which has been empty for almost two years.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows frowned at Duke Akshire¡¯s words. It was an agenda that he had heard often, but it was also unpleasant to hear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re very busy, but still pay attention to my private life.¡± With that one sentence, the atmosphere of the bloody congress was even more frozen. ¡°Your Majesty, it is one of the main agendas rted to the Empire.¡± The Prime Minister pointed out the exact meaning. The emperor could never be an individual, as well as the Empress. Regardless of his personal feelings, he couldn¡¯t leave that seat empty for the sake of the Empire. ¡°You can¡¯t leave the Empress¡¯s seat empty anymore.¡± ¡°Yes. You Majesty need someone to keep yourfort up close, and furthermore, you should think about the Imperial sessor.¡± All the nobles had plenty to say on this agenda. Fabian had to watch each of them speak out with a straight face all the time. ¡°Please, wee the wise and noble Empress to the Imperial family.¡± Fabian turned his eyes to Marquis Satin¡¯s words. The Duke of Metis, who had almost lost his face since Fabian married Evelyn, stayed in his seat for a long time. He had not yet opened his mouth, but his intention was clear. ¡°The Metis family has a fine reputation as a very virtuous family.¡± ¡°Yes, they are the right choice as candidates for the new Empress.¡± This agenda was turned into a battle arena. They put down their faces as if they didn¡¯t want to repeat their previous failures, and tantly supported Lady Metis. ¡°The Duke of Metis is a noble family, that has been mentioned as a match for the national marriage.¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no better choice than them.¡± It was very annoying to hear the nobles, who had kept their mouths shut all this time, talking excitedly. ¡°The Duke of Metis took that heavy step, then? Fabian looked straight at Duke Metis. Officially, it was a military rtionship between the Emperor and the Duke. Still, in private, they were an uncle and a nephew. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t see Your Majesty because I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± Duke Metis took a step forward and smiled at him. However, FFabian twisted his lips in a lie that was so obvious. ¡°So, is the Duke¡¯s idea the same?¡± ¡°How could mycking-daughter be matched to Your Majesty ¡­¡± It was an act of modesty that any nobleman should have. However, the main point would appear after this. ¡°I see.¡± But Fabian didn¡¯t give the Duke a chance to speak further. ¡°Well, The Duke¡¯s father-inw said that his daughter iscking. so it¡¯s impossible to discuss more.¡± The nobles¡¯ shocked gazes immediately flowed from here and there towards Fabian. He ended his words and lifted himself off the throne. In anyone¡¯s eyes, the Duke¡¯s words were only the beginning, but for the Emperor, it was a cowardly trick. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t think the Duke¡¯s word is over yet.¡± ¡°Are you trying to put an unnecessary burden on the Duke Metis?¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not it, the Duke is still¡­.¡±¡­¡­.¡¯ What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ The Prime minister muttered embarrassedly. Wasn¡¯t Fabian who gave him the burden right now? ¡°It¡¯s all right. I understand. What a pity, the Duke honestly said that his daughter iscking.¡± said Fabian. The Duke of Metis was trying to maintain his smile. This was worse than an insult. ¡°Or is there any other reason why we should get married? Is she forced as well, just like me?¡± Fabian openly brought up a sensitive issue. ¡°Or, do I look old enough that I really need a sessor right now?¡± If someone wanted to prepare a young emperor¡¯s sessor quickly, his intentions could be questioned. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not true¡­..Your Majesty is in good health.¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eyes turned to the Duke. ¡°Why did only Duke Metis answer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ it¡¯s a fact.¡± Duke Metis, who struggled to swallow an insult, replied, wearing a gentle, noble mask. ¡°Everyone thinks so, so there¡¯s nothing to rush.¡± Fabian ignored the nces toward him and turned away. ¡°It was a long and tiring meeting, but if there is more to discuss, just continue and talkfortably without me.¡± Fabian, speaking one-sidedly, walked out of the parliament chamber. It was an immediate exit, so there was no time to greet everyone. Only the Chambein, who had served Fabian for a long time, yed his role calmly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Oh my gosh.¡± When Fabian¡¯s figurepletely disappeared, the nobles chattered, andints popped out one by one. ¡°Is this the Great Congress?¡± ¡°His Majesty is too much..¡± ¡°Yeah. If he was going to be like this, he shouldn¡¯t have held a grand congress at all! Why would the noble from far territory gather here for? Isn¡¯t that right, Duke Akshire?¡± Only Liam, who was pointed out, remained silent with a troubled look. ¡°Since the Imperial Army hasn¡¯t retreatedpletely, does it make sense to vacate the Empress position for so long?¡± ¡°Well, maybe the rumors that His Majesty still has feelings for the former empress is true.¡± The crowd of noble immediately got boisterous when they heard those words. But Liam just shook his head silently with an unwavering expression. ¡°Duke Metis. Do you have any ns?¡± The white-haired Duke of Metis smiled quietly. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s will is the most important thing. What do I need to do?¡± Still, the humiliation he received from the young emperor didn¡¯t go away, but he didn¡¯t seem to lose his calm. But no one believed his words. Now that Duke Metis had shown up. He would definitely try to push his daughter on the Empress¡¯s throne. Chapter 71: Unperfect Emperor The great congress soon became an area of dissatisfaction for the nobles, and the conference was quickly dissolved. Duke Metis had a grim look on his face, and he turned away from the people. ¡°Go back to the official residence.¡± Duke Metis boarded the carriage and ordered it briefly. Initially, the Metis¡¯s estate was far from the capital of the Empire. But taking into ount his reputation and honour, he returned that diplomatic estate to the Empire. The Emperor¡¯s attitude, however, had once again trampled on his pride. ¡°Huh, he¡¯s younger than my sons.¡± Duke Metis, who was left alone in the carriage, let out the frustration he had endured all along. ¡°If he¡¯d listened to me at that time, he wouldn¡¯t have suffered a failure, but he¡¯s obsessed with useless stubbornness.¡± From the beginning, the Duke Metis faction opposed a national marriage to the Felice Kingdom. Although Evelyn had a higher status than his daughter, it was difficult for a princess who had grown up freely in the kingdom to adapt to the imperial family. Above all, she had less position within the Empire that might not have been a good picture. ¡°After being so stubborn and acting like that, he somehow couldn¡¯te to his senses.¡± Duke Metis kicked his tongue. When he heard the news of the Emperor¡¯s divorce, it seemed like just yesterday that he nodded, saying ¡®I knew it¡¯. Now that Fabian had realized the truth, he would have been happier if he had taken his daughter as the Empress at that time. Yet it was unexpected that almost two years had passed. ¡°Wee, Duke.¡± The carriage arrived at his official residence, and the butler opened the door to help him. Sagan, The Duke of Metis, asked something to the butler. Then the butler spoke to the servant a few words and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to see her right now.¡± Sagan said, and he went to his private room in his residence. The soft smell of tea filled the room with warm autumn sunshine. It smelled like a thick woman¡¯s perfume, too. ¡°You¡¯re notte today,¡± Sagan said as he entered the private room. The woman who looked out at the window turned her back. It was the Empress Dowager, Monica, his sister. ¡°It sounds like I¡¯ve beente before?¡± Monica stared at her brother with a sour look on her face. It wasn¡¯t a joy because she was forced toe after staying at the separate southern pce for vacation. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already expected Congress today to end early.¡± Though their rtionship was awkward, Monica was Fabian¡¯s biological mother. So she knew her son¡¯s temper well. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you to persuade him first.¡± Sagan looked displeased. His sister, who had served as the Empress and had now be the Empress-mother, was still unreliable. ¡°You must have seen him today. Do you think he¡¯s a kid who can be persuaded?¡± she asked. ¡°But you¡¯re his mother!¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m her mother, then? I told you that he¡¯s always ignoring my words.¡± First of all, Monica didn¡¯t want to get involved in this conflict. She had a strong knowledge of Fabian¡¯s personality, and she knew his firm meaning when she visited himst time. Monica was promised her position as an Empress anyway, so she was just a woman who wanted to livefortably. ¡°What the hell ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not why our father made you an Empress,¡± said the grey-haired older brother. ¡°Yes, if there were any choices besides me, our father wouldn¡¯t have chosen me, but I was his only daughter.¡± Sagan was sighing. Seeing Monica¡¯s tantrum, he thought his sister¡¯s rebellious temperament had passed to Fabian. ¡°You¡¯ve got to think about your family!¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you be the Empress?¡± Sagan¡¯s eyes were angry, staring at Monica, who smiled calmly. At least his sister, who pretended to be obedient, had be a Mother-Empress. It was a natural order as she was the only mother of the current Emperor. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, it¡¯s also your responsibility.¡± ¡°But I did. I went to see my son before that.¡± ¡°Have you met him, so why haven¡¯t you persuaded him?¡± Monica frowned. Her frowning eyebrows were almost the same as Fabian, which meant that she was annoying and irritated. ¡°He won¡¯t listen to me anyway. His Highness has even threatened me that he¡¯s not going to give money to the Southern Pce.¡± ¡°Is money a problem now? Are you a Metis?¡± Monica closed her mouth for fear of being scolded by her older brother if she answered honestly. Looking back, the term ¡°Metis¡± was used as their family-sacred-word since she was a child and lived a very annoying life. Now her son had be an Emperor, she lived in a different pce, enjoying a free life without problems. But her son¡¯s divorce seemed to be a new problem for her. ¡°I¡¯ll take Ste to the pce. I¡¯ll tell her to show her face and turn His Majesty¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told him, But His Majesty¡­..¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t really reject Ste.¡± Monica thought about it all of a sudden. They just said she was the daughter of Metis. But they never said she was the youngest, Ste. At first, Fabian¡¯s national marriage candidate was Sagan¡¯s first daughter, Irina. So she was sure that Fabian naturally, would have thought the candidate was Irina. ¡°I also heard in today¡¯s congress that His Majesty still has feelings for the former Empress.¡± ¡°What?¡± Monica had a really embarrassing expression this time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know him well because he¡¯s my son, he¡¯s not going to do that.¡± ¡®But Fabian, whom Monica knew, did it already.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, there was no such romantic man in the Imperial family.¡± Sagan agreed, ¡°Anyway, no matter who bes the Empress, it¡¯s the same thing. I know from experience.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been such a heartless time,¡± she said. Seeing her sister saying bitter words, Sagan came up and patted her shoulder, ¡°I know you¡¯ve tried, and everyone in Metis is grateful to you.¡± Still, Monica¡¯s life ended when she became the Empress and gave birth to the Imperial sessor. What a trivial and meaningless life, as she ended up spending time in a separate pce. ¡°Only for this one will I ask you. Next time, I won¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Okay, but you have to keep your promises.¡± Sagan smiled back at his sister. Monica suddenly remembered her father, looking at her brother¡¯s face whose hair had already turned grey. It was just a cold face same like her father, saying, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what¡¯s happens to my daughter¡¯s life as long as she can be the Empress and give birth to a sessor.¡¯
Fabian was broken at heart. There were no more hawks to send because he had already sent three hawks in a row. An anxious and restless heart was a very strange thing to him. ¡°Your Majesty, it seems like there was a lot of discontent at the congress today.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m sure. Any other news? ¡°The future Empress from the Metis family has alreadye to the pce residence.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about that. Is there anything else? Serus looked in trouble. No matter how much Fabian asked him back, the answer he wanted wasn¡¯t ready. ¡°Can¡¯t you send another hawk?¡± ¡°Beside three of them, there was no hawk trained in the sky -route from Imperial Pce to the Felice Kingdom¡­..¡± ¡°You should have trained many, why did you train only three?¡± Serus could only lower his head when he heard those absurd words. Fabian himself selected the three birds and instructed him to train them. ¡°How long would it take if you ride a horse and run nonstop?¡± It was two days, and Fabian already knew the answer. ¡°If you¡¯re going to run all day and all night, it¡¯ll be possible in a day, but ¡­¡­ your Majesty.¡± ¡°Why ?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we need to get a reply first before we could send another letter?¡± Surprisingly, Serus gave a shy answer that made sense. Fabian stared at Serus as if his heart had been stabbed. ¡°The hawk is supposed toe back now, but they¡¯re not.¡± The atmosphere of the letter was good. It¡¯s been better than all the rest of the yearsbined. Evelyn was worried about his health. And the warmth was buried in her handwriting as if she was next to him. Then suddenly, she stopped, and Fabian had no choice but to feel broken and behave like a child. ¡°Your Majesty, may I speak nonsense words?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. That was a moment of silence. But Fabian opened his mouth again, ¡°¡­ let¡¯s hear it now.¡± ¡°This is the lesson I¡¯ve got from Lady Akshire.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows were frowning. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t understand it either, but I remember one thing. I was impressed when Lady Akshire said that all the men of the Empire were heartless and insensitive and that it was much easier to deal with a stone.¡± ¡°What!¡± asked Fabian absurdly again. ¡°So ¡­ maybe, that¡¯s what themon sense of the people of the south-continent is about us.¡± ¡°What¡¯smon sense?¡± ¡°The Empire¡¯s men are heartless and insensitive¡­.¡± ¡°Stop it! That¡¯s nonsense.¡± This was the first time Fabian heard such a word. Well, all this time, no one was able to say this directly to him. The same was true with Serus, but Reba bravely crossed the line. Fabian finally knew the truth, thanks to this. ¡°I¡¯m not heartless.¡± Fabian replied back for no reason, as if making excuses, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m busy. I can¡¯t help because I¡¯m an emperor!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m human. It¡¯s impossible if I have no feelings! Where in the world is such prejudice-filled bullshiting from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It was a poignant sight if Evelyn and Reba saw it. The two men, who looked at each other seriously for a moment and wondered, then sighed almost at the same time. ¡°What will happen if¡­ that bullshit is heard by Evelyn?¡± In rare cases, there was worry in Fabian¡¯s eyes. ¡°I think..¡± ¡°Not your opinion.¡± Fortunately, Fabian seemed to know that Serus had no idea. ¡°It¡¯s like dealing with a rock or a wooden block, ording to Lady Reba.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­.. then?¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡± Serus tried hard to remember his conversation with Reba, ¡°Oh, yes. Lady Reba said that breaking up with such a man is the only solution!¡± It was great when he actually remembered, but it wasn¡¯t pleasant to say it excitedly. And Serus was toote to notice Fabian¡¯s annoyance. ¡°Akshire ¡­¡­¡± Thankfully, Fabian¡¯s rage was directed at Akshire, not at Serus. ¡°Did you say that Lady Reba is the Duke¡¯s older sister?¡± ¡°Yeah, she is, she¡¯s divorced from my brother.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember that.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t like to hear that this woman was on Evelyn¡¯s side. But because Fabian had a smart idea, it wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°Yes! Earlier, Duke Akshire was at the Grand Congress.¡± Fabian vividly recalled his annoying green eyes. ¡°He¡¯s going back to Akshire anyway, but can he send her my regards?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see It¡¯s not a letter, so I think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a great idea.¡± The two men didn¡¯t know it wasn¡¯t possible. Only ¡°Call the Duke right now.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Serus answered quickly and stepped back. A moment alone, Fabian nervously tapped the table with his finger, then took the paper and started to write something. ¡°Even though it¡¯s not rted to the letter, it¡¯s still ¡­.¡± His intention was to say hello to her naturally. Yet, at the time of imagining it, Fabian didn¡¯t know it was already unnatural. ¡°Funny, which part of the Imperial man is heartless, huh?¡± Fabianughed. It¡¯s just a subjective judgment. Just a momentter, he had a quiet, happy smile. Because the fact seemed to prove that no wise emperor could be perfect in anything. Chapter 72: The Darkness Deepened Soon Liam, with a hesitant look, came in and set an example to him. And Fabian looked down at Liam from his higher seat. ¡°Duke, when are you going back?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m going back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± Fabian thought about what to say while looking at the paper he had written before, ¡°Will you stop by Kingdom Felice on your way?¡± ¡°Yes, my sister is there.¡± ¡°Do you mean Lady Reba?¡± Liam lifted his head, looking at Fabian with a suspicious eye. He didn¡¯t even want to know why the Emperor remembered his sister. It¡¯s probably hard to avoid his sister¡¯s poprity if she often stayed at Felice Pce. ¡°I heard from Serus that Lady Reba seems to have a strong prejudice towards the Empire¡¯s man.¡± ¡°Prejudice?¡± Liam asked back, pretending not to know. ¡°Yes, false rumours are circting about the heartless and insensitivity of the Imperial¡¯ men.¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t help, but this time he said it on purpose. Liam just asked back with a calm face, ¡°False rumours?¡± Putting on a poker face was an ability he had learned when he was hit by an opponent named Reba. Really, it wasn¡¯t her sister¡¯s opinion, but Reba seemed to have spoken the wrong thing. ¡°Is that true, then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Is the Imperial citizen a monster?¡± Fabian asked. But Liam shut his mouth to his difficult question. It was also the ability to avoid that he learned from Reba. ¡°So, you think like that, too?¡± Fabian was irritated, so he had no choice but to ask the question first. ¡°I never lived with an Imperial man.¡± Liam gave an ambiguous answer, either positive or negative. And Fabian felt awkward, staring at Liam¡¯s green eyes, which didn¡¯t feel hesitant about him. ¡°Well, it¡¯d be easier to tell your sister to refrain from rumours.¡± ¡°My sister doesn¡¯t listen to anyone.¡± Fabian raised one of his eyebrows, ¡°Even though the Emperor said it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell her it¡¯s Your Majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over. I don¡¯t want to take this issue any further.¡± Liam¡¯s face was still calm. But in fact, he was annoyed. He felt a moment ago that her sister was being med. Fabian, who had no one to take care of in his life, didn¡¯t know or understand Liam¡¯s line of thought. And it was a good thing for both men. ¡°I have a message for Princess Evelyn. I want you to tell her.¡± Liam blinked his eyes. ¡°That ¡­ there¡¯s no special message, only send my greetings.¡± Fabian clenched his finger, lost in his own thoughts, ¡°Are you doing well, is there a problem?¡± Honestly, he had more to say on the writing paper, but he couldn¡¯t find out which one would be best to say. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m using the scented candle she told me in the letter.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°When you say that, she¡¯ll know,¡± Fabian answered bluntly. Liam remained calm, however, and was able to control his expression. Even though he couldn¡¯t bepared to the Emperor, he was an amazing Duke. Above all, he was a proud man who respected others. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I should tell her that.¡± ¡°On your way back, you can tell her.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already given a ck hawk to the kingdom, so please ask by letter.¡± Liam¡¯s words were piercing the corner of Fabian¡¯s heart. ¡°You will go there anyway. Besides, it will take time to tie the letter on the hawk.¡± ¡°But you have three. I¡¯ve heard that the Imperial¡¯s ck hawk is faster than anything else.¡± Yeah, that was true. But, Fabian couldn¡¯t say that the hawks didn¡¯t return to him. ¡°¡­Does this mean that the Duke will disobey my orders?¡± Fabian looked at Liam with his eyes wide open. ¡°What? That was the order?¡± Liam asked back and raised his voice purposely. ¡°This is not a formal order.¡± ¡°The Imperial Order is all official, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Fabian swallowed a sigh, trying to be patient. He couldn¡¯t easily judge whether the young Duke in front of him was stupid or smart. It was a matter, of course. Until now, there was no person like Liam around him. ¡°If it isn¡¯t an order, is it a royal edict?¡± No matter how great the emperor was, it was a disgrace he issued such an edict. Fabian sighed in annoyance. ¡°No, just forget about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not used to serving Your Majesty.¡± Liam had the nerve to answer him back. If Reba saw it, she would give him a standing ovation. ¡°If you have nothing more to say, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Fabian shook his head as if he didn¡¯t want to answer. The young Duke of Akrshire seemed subtly dumbfounded by this situation. The most annoying thing was that there was nothing that could be justified. This was a lesson as well as a survival technique that Liam had learned while growing up with older sisters like Reba. ¡°I don¡¯t like him ¡­.¡± Fabian stared at Liam¡¯s back, knocking the table nervously. That night, he didn¡¯t know that the hawk, which he had been waiting for so long, would return.
On the night before the congress, Evelyn visited the gardens of the pce. She saw Fabian¡¯s ck hawk, which grew bigger every day, and kept looking up at the sky as if he wanted to fly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for you ¡­.¡± It was a hawk who had to do his job and fly across the sky. But now Evelyn felt sorry for him. Because of her, he was locked up in the cage. Perhaps Evelyn hated seeing the hawk whose freedom had been robbed of because she had thought of herself. She knew the feeling that she couldn¡¯t meet anyone, and Evelyn hated it every time she remembered it. ¡°I was trying to write the reply, but ¡­¡­¡± As Fabian¡¯s letters piled up, she thought there was something wrong with it. But while Evelyn was thinking about her answer, the time had passed. Whatever the answer, Fabian would know the rejection. Yes, he should. ¡°There was no right answer.¡± Evelyn came close to the hawk. No words or sentences could fully describe Evelyn¡¯s heart. Above all, she was worried about Fabian, who would stubbornly answer her with another question. ¡°I should have done this from the start.¡± Evelyn untied the string attached to the hawk¡¯s ankle. ¡°Fly away now.¡± The hawks, who didn¡¯t even know they had be free, were still sitting peacefully in the cage. ¡°Go away from me.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice sounded a little lonely. In the end, the answer she chose was to say nothing. Sometimes silence was an answer. It was more resolute than any other answer. So, she decided to return the hawks without writing a single letter. Fabian would face reality, whether he wanted to or not. ¡°Go away now! Fabian told her to keep the hawks because there were still lingering regrets, hopes and memories of love in his heart. It was all right if it wasn¡¯t right now, then I didn¡¯t have to make a decision, then wouldn¡¯t it be all right to have a little more conversation with Fabian? Such a weak and foolish mind continued to hold Evelyn in. ¡°Go!¡± Before her heart broke, Evelyn threatened the hawk with a pole. Only then did the hawks spread their wings and flew up, realizing that there was nothing to hold them back. ¡°Go! Go! Typically the highly-trained-hawks wouldn¡¯t just fly away, especially if they saw Evelyn¡¯s face, who was already considered as their master. However, after shouting countless times, it seemed they realized Evelyn¡¯s wish. ¡°Yes, go away!¡± The hawks were flying over until they eventually soared into the sky. ¡°Now, don¡¯te back here again.¡± Evelyn said a lonely farewell to herself. It wasn¡¯t long before the hawks disappeared from her sight forever. Evelyn¡¯s cold, unspeakable rejection of Fabian had flown, just like that. ¡°¡­¡­.Good-bye. In the end, a painful word lingered. Tonight, Evelyn had tofort herself and think that this was the right decision. And after a long night, she would go back to her daily routine. The everyday life of the most precious things. To protect it, Evelyn could be a cold-hearted person.
On the night of the congress, Serus had been away for a while to meet his returning spy. On his behalf, it was the chief officer who informed Fabian that the three hawks had arrived. Fabian rushed to the garden where the hawk was, without hiding his excitement. ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s all.¡± But his joy soon turned into doubt and denials. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything else?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Fabian took a cold breath for a moment. It felt like his heart, which was excited with anticipation, was falling all of a sudden. His head shouted that something was wrong, but his heart knew that this was a silent rejection. ¡°Get out of here, all of you. Don¡¯t let anyone in!¡± Fabian, who shouted fiercely, copsed. As an Emperor, he couldn¡¯t show this side to others. He wasn¡¯t allowed to be sad or heartbroken. ¡°Evelyn.¡± He couldn¡¯t even call the name of the person who passed by. ¡°Who¡¯s heartless and insensitive one? Who?!¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t even sigh out of his pain. ¡°Two times you stabbed a knife into my chest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been left alone again. Without knowing the reason for that ¡­ He couldn¡¯t be broken with just this, and he couldn¡¯t be weak in the face of loneliness. However, Fabian wasn¡¯t an Emperor now. He was an ordinary man who was frustrated with his own thoughts. ¡°Evelyn¡­.you abandon me.¡± Even his resentful words were filled with longing, and Fabian couldn¡¯t help it even if he despised himself. ¡°So easy¡­..¡± Fabian hated her. Once, Evelyn shared a ring and vowed to love him, but it seemed easy only to her. Even him, who ruled the Empire, had to swallow his pain secretly for a single rejection. It was very difficult for him, but it was always easy for Evelyn to end their rtionship. ¡°It¡¯s cruel. It¡¯s not easy for me to hate you like that.¡± The darkness deepened. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me to hold on to now.¡± The bitter words came out, and there was silence all along. Her unspoken rejection without a single word was too cruel. Evelyn¡¯s refusal had the power to make Fabian helpless. For the first time, he realized that Evelyn had such a cold side. ¡°Why is it difficult only for me?¡± The stupid feeling that remained in him was very painful. ¡°Cruel.¡± Under the full moon, the grieving man¡¯s shadow slowly fell down. He tried to grab what he couldn¡¯t hold, and he had no strength left to take a single step. He could only swallow the pain and bitterness in his heart. That¡¯s the only thing he could do. The Emperor¡¯s loneliness, which nobody knew, was very deep.
Serus climbed to the tower which was used as the secret base of ck Hawk Knight. Not long ago, on Fabian¡¯s instruction, a spy was sent to get information from the Vatican. And he just returned tonight. Logan was his name. He was the spy and also the most capable knight in ck Hawk. He arrived first and greeted Serus with a nce. ¡°Well done.¡± Serus reached out his hand. But Logan didn¡¯t give him any document. Instead, Serus got a cautious answer. And his face was severe. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a text message¡­..I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± The spy-knight kept his mouth shut. Serus thought for a moment, and he nodded. If Serus, who was Fabian¡¯s trustee, couldn¡¯t hear it, it must be a secret that Fabian must listen to by himself. ¡°I must inform His Majesty first.¡± Only ¡°Logan, it¡¯s alreadyte¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Logan shook his head firmly. ¡°I have to tell your Majesty as soon as possible.¡± There was a strong sense of responsibility embedded in those words. But Serus couldn¡¯t just let Logan go. ¡°ording to the chambein, His Majesty has now ordered that no one is allowed to be near him now. As a knight, don¡¯t let your life throw away.¡± Serus made a quick judgment. ¡°First of all, stay with me today.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Logan followed Serus with a heavy secret that one knight could not handle, ¡°I hope I can deliver this news quickly.¡± He couldn¡¯t dy it for a second. Since only the Emperor, as the person concerned, could hear this secret. Chapter 73: Stella Metis Fabian remained in one ce that day until the moon hadpletely disappeared. It was the first time in his life that he despised and wanted someone so much. It was also the first time he realized with his body that he missed her terribly. The sad thing was, the Emperor¡¯s grief shouldn¡¯t be shown. Unlike the young man in his prime, he couldn¡¯t drink alcohol andy in his bed the whole next day, and he even couldn¡¯t find constion since he couldn¡¯t talk to anyone about it. Only the moon stood by Fabian. The silver moonlight that was soft and also cold at the same timeforted him all night long.
At dawn, the emperor¡¯s morning-dressing started again. Fabian left his body helplessly to the Chambein. Serus said that he had important news today, but he wasn¡¯t interested in it now. ¡°Schedule?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ The Empress Dowager ising, and there will be a tea time together in the living room¡±. ¡°Let¡¯s get it done quickly¡±, Fabian said without enthusiasm. But Serus was a little nervous. Whatever the information, judging by Logan¡¯s attitude, it looked like the news he was going to deliver would erase Fabian¡¯s sluggish attitude. However, he couldn¡¯t urge the Emperor for anything, so he had to wait for the right time. Fabian stood up from the Oval Office after finishing his early breakfast and checking the documents that hade up until yesterday. Then, he followed the schedule to meet his mother. That¡¯s their rtionship. The bond between mother and son was always like that. ¡°The Empress is waiting in the parlour.¡± Fabian nodded at the servant¡¯s words. ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor!¡± After the greetings, the officers opened the door on both sides. Fabian indifferently entered the parlour. When he saw the Empress, Fabian could see ady dressed like a flower next to his mother who was wearing a brighter dress. He had the confidence of an Emperor. But Fabian wasn¡¯t stupid enough to ask who she was. ¡°Are you here?¡± Fabian coldly said to his mother. He didn¡¯t even nce at thedy next to her. ¡°I guess she¡¯s still shy and stiff when she sees Your Majesty. Ste, why don¡¯t you set an example to His Majesty?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Yes. It¡¯s an honour to meet your Majesty.¡± Ste lifted the hem of her dress slightly and bent her knees to give a perfect example. Monica smiled dly as she looked at her. However, Fabian¡¯s face was still emotionless. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re tired with the Southern Pce.¡± ¡°No, I came to meet my sweet niece because she wasing.¡± It was a funny saying when she never even said that to Fabian, the son she gave birth to. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re idle. I¡¯m envious of you.¡± ¡°I was a little busy because of Your Majesty¡±, Monica replied without hesitation. Although Fabian was an Emperor, Monica could do it because he was her son. ¡°Then, thisdy must be the daughter of Metis, rmended by the nobles at the great congress. They forced her to my face, pressuring me to ept her. Is there anything I missed?¡± Even after she heard Fabian¡¯s icy words, Monica didn¡¯t blink her eyes. However, Ste, who saw this for the first time, overwhelmed by their intense atmosphere and couldn¡¯t say a thing. She just stood still, hiding behind the Empress. ¡°But you¡¯re my mother. You didn¡¯te here to put pressure on me, did you?¡± Even so, Ste couldn¡¯t take her eyes away from Fabian. His height, sturdy body, strong jawline, and stern facial features gave him a cold impression, but his handsomeness went beyond that. Moreover, although he spoke harsh words, his voice was low and deep, reminiscent of his charm. Even though he wasn¡¯t an emperor, he was a man whom a woman would want to marry without hesitation. In other words, Fabian was much cooler than Ste¡¯s imagination. ¡°Pressure? This is just tea time. Should I ask your permission to bring my niece around with me?¡± It was a misleading excuse, but Monica sat downfortable and poured the tea. Fabian was forced to sit across from her. And Ste, who was shy, sped her white hands tightly and couldn¡¯t lift her eyes. ¡°Seeing your suspicious nature, I wanted to tell you beforehand. Your mother has absolutely no intention of siding with the Metis family.¡± ¡°And ¡­.you brought Lady Metis, who was an Empress¡¯s candidate.¡± Fabian¡¯s answer was calm but urate. Monica slowly took a deep breath as if to reflect her patience and looked at her son¡¯s face. ¡°I mean it. I don¡¯t want to get involved in either faction, either now or in the future. I don¡¯t fit into this damn Imperial life. Can I get a reward for being free now?¡± ¡°Then If Empress-mother was very unhappy, why you bring your niece? You shouldn¡¯t bring her then.¡± Monica¡¯s concern was that she treated her son as an adult because she was too awkward with him. Even if he became an Emperor, even though time had passed, and he grew up as an adult, Fabian actually was still her son. But she didn¡¯t have that feeling at all. That¡¯s why Monica could say casually in front of Fabian that her time as his mother was unhappy. ¡°Obligationes with pain. Above all ¡­¡­ thedy who¡¯s sitting here is a big fan of Your Majesty.¡± Fabian turned to Ste with a sour look. The 18-year-old girl blushed shyly as if what Monica had said were true this time. Just being an Emperor was enough to win the hearts of girls of that age, but when Ste saw his beautiful appearance close by, it seemed like a moment she fell in love. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted on a long trip, so Your Majesty, can you bring her to take a look at the pce garden?¡± Fabian looked at my mother and frowned, ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°You should show your sincerity, too. Please think about helping your mother after a long time.¡± It was a chilling sound, but Fabian didn¡¯t want to be in the same ce with his mother anymore. Besides, if he took her to walk around the garden, he could leave this ce. It was obvious which one was more efficient. ¡°Lady Ste, would you like to see the garden?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes! It¡¯s an honour.¡± Looking at Ste, who was pitifully shy in front of his eyes, caused Fabian¡¯s heart becameplicated. He remembered Evelyn, who looked like that in the past. Evelyn didn¡¯t tremble too badly, but there was a moment when she blushed with shyness and couldn¡¯t look straight at Fabian. At that time, for the first time in his life, Fabian felt that he finally understood the meaning of spring season.
¡°The Imperial Garden is so beautiful.¡± Fabian started walking along the artificial stream. His pace was so fast that it was hard for Ste to follow him. But she worked hard to keep up with his pace because she didn¡¯t want to be further away from Fabian. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Ste¡¯s cheek was reddened once more, even with his short response. ¡°But these are things that you can easily see in Metis.¡± Fabian¡¯s words had a thorn. It meant that even if she didn¡¯t be an Empress, she could enjoy many things and live a nice life. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to be unhappy like my mother.¡± Ste must have realized the meaning of his word, so she bit her lower lip tightly. Fabian nced at her and stepped forward again. He thought Ste wouldn¡¯t chase him this time, but he caught up by her also. Fabian was sorry for Ste, who tried not to show her disappointment. It wasn¡¯t a rational feeling, absolutely, no. Yes, he felt like he saw a short-legs that was recently brought to the pce. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and rest.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m fine.¡± Ste felt so breathless, but she was all right. ¡°But I want to rest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ste looked confused, didn¡¯t know where to sit, and then Fabian pointed to a seat a little far from him. When she sat down, Ste¡¯s small breath came back little by little. ¡°Do you still want to be an Empress?¡± Fabian asked the question first. Ste fluttered her finger and nodded loudly, ¡°Yes, I want to be.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no shortage for Metis¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ I mean¡­ I want a marriage partner¡­¡± Listening to her, Fabian tilted on of his eyebrow. Ste opened her eyes wide to see if she had made a slip of the tongue and looked at his expression. ¡°You really want me? Didn¡¯t you hear what my mother said a while ago? It was an unhappy marriage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what my aunt, no, the Empress said¡­ but I¡¯m a different person.¡± ¡°No. The problem is with me.¡± Fabian looked far away. ¡°You know that I¡¯ve already been married?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± ¡°The person, who was my Empress, broke the couple¡¯s ties, who swore to the god of marriage and left without any reason. Perhaps¡­¡­.. I made that.¡± Still, Fabian couldn¡¯t figure out exactly what made Evelyn did that. However, as he had been facing the moonlight all night, many memories came, blowing his mind. And he wondered, even if it was the same day, would Evelyn remember the same thing? Fabian was never sure about that. But there¡¯s only one thing to be sure that he never revealed his feelings or expressed it properly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have another miserable woman by my side.¡± Fabian wouldn¡¯t say that if Evelyn was the woman in front of him. He didn¡¯t want to part with her even though it was an unhappy marriage, as long as he could live with Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. It¡¯s not going to happen.¡± Ste said with an innocent smile. ¡°Because I am¡­.¡± She couldn¡¯t finish her shy words. Instead, Ste took a luxurious handkerchief out of her arms. ¡°I made this myself. I¡¯m not good enough, but¡­¡± Fabian looked at Ste with puzzled eyes. ¡°In truth, I thought I didn¡¯t know before I met Your Majesty. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m greedy, but I want to have a happy marriage, even if it¡¯s a political marriage.¡± Fabian also seemed lost and couldn¡¯t keep up with Ste¡¯s words. ¡°But as soon as I saw Your Majesty today, I have alreadye to like you.¡± Her white hand pulled out the handkerchief. Ste¡¯s initials were engraved on the edge. ¡°So I want to give you this.¡± Ste would give him a handkerchief if she liked her partner. But if she wasn¡¯t, she would go home and rebel against her father. It seemed that Ste wasn¡¯t an ambitious Lady that Fabian expected. Even though it was the Duke Metis¡¯s daughter, she was so different. ¡°I want you to take it¡­¡± Ste¡¯s hand was still waiting in the air. The tips of her fingers turned a little white because of the strength in her hand holding the handkerchief. Fabian didn¡¯t want to take any more time, so he grabbed hers. Then there was a big smile on her lips. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fabian shook his head at the thoughtless talk to himself. Ste was the same age as Evelyn when they first met. A little shy but bold, full of smiles, flushed cheeks, talking about small things. Only Nevertheless,¡­.. it felt so different. It was hard for Fabian to understand. ¡°I have no intention of taking an Empress right now.¡± Fabian said firmly, but Ste¡¯s eyes revealed no disappointment at all. ¡°Still¡­..¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided. So, I want you to find your happiness.¡± As if that was the greeting, Fabian got up first and walked out of the garden with a quick pace so that Ste could no longer follow him. And Ste, who was left alone, couldn¡¯t catch Fabian while crying and only could watch his back faded away. Chapter 74: He’s My Child Serus, who came to the inner pce with Logan, had heard an unusual atmosphere from the Chambein. If it were as usual, so at this time it was better to leave Fabian alone. But when he decided to withdraw, Logan was still standing with a determined face behind him. Serus was facing a dilemma. He wanted to move forward, but he was afraid of Fabian¡¯s anger. ¡°Your Majesty told me not to let anyone in.¡± ¡°But I still have to tell him.¡± ¡°Even if your Majesty is angry and takes down your head?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I already swore when I joined the ck Hawk Knights.¡± Logan was the epitome of a faithful knight. For him, there was no shortcut or trick in the world. His knight¡¯s duty was to serve his master, and that was the only purpose of his life. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Serus decided to apany this young man and help him at least a little more than to send him alone. He knew this approach was wrong, but his body couldn¡¯t betray his ck Hawkrade. ¡°Your Majesty, this is Serus. I have some urgent news¡­.. so I would like to see you.¡± Serus stepped slowly into the room and walked a few steps closer to Fabian. Luckily he could see Fabian, who had buried his head in hisp, raised his head as if he had heard Serus¡¯ voice. However, Fabian¡¯s reaction afterwards was the same as he had expected. ¡°Nobody told you toe in!¡± Serus sent a signal to Logan with his eyes, telling him to give up now. However, this difficulty couldn¡¯t dampen the spirit of the young knight. Logan strode up towards him. Like a man who no longer cared about his life, kneeling in front of Fabian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Forgive me for my rudeness. There is something I must tell Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Huh. Didn¡¯t you hear my words? Or do you want to die right now?¡± Just hearing Fabian¡¯s icy voice was already like a de. Logan, however, looked at Fabian with his back standing in a steady position. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the Felice Kingdom for spying. And ¡­ I¡¯ve found what Your Majesty must know. This secret is too heavy for me.¡± When the word ¡°Felice Kingdom¡± came out, it seemed that Fabian had decided to listen to his story for a while. ¡°There weren¡¯t many reports. But it wasn¡¯t something to leave in text. and Lord Serus doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s going on.¡± It was then that Fabian realized the importance of this matter. Returning to his usually calm face, Fabian gestured towards him and then Logan raised his body. Fabian called him one more time. And Logan carefully whispered a few words in Fabian¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­¡­This is more than that. I judged it to be a piece of reliable information.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t have a response. ¡°If Your Majesty doubts it, please send someone else. Because it¡¯s something that needs to be clear.¡± Fabian nodded heavily. Logan, who had just said the right thing, was able to step down afterpleting his task. But Serus anxiously kept watching Fabian from a few steps away. After Logan spoke, Fabian¡¯s face turned pale as if his blood had gone, and he looked like a ster figure with a hardened expression. ¡°Your Majesty ¡­¡­¡­ What kind of news is that makes you look so serious?¡± Serus approached him impatiently. But Fabian stared nkly into the air, ignoring him. ¡°It¡¯s too much¡­¡­ nonsense¡­¡­It sounds so ridiculous.¡± Fabian¡¯s low voice rang from time to time, but his eyes remained in the air. ¡°But.¡± Now Fabian wasn¡¯t afraid to trample on the possibilities that he had just discovered. ¡°¡­¡­¡­ No, I need to hear it right again. Bring Sir Logan back. Right now.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± After a while, Logan returned to the room. Fabian¡¯s face, sitting on his back, was still pale. Serus stood beside him, guarding his side. Logan looked at him with one knee bent in front of Fabian. ¡°Tell me again, the story before.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­.¡± Logan gazed toward Serus, blurring his words. ¡°Serus is like my limbs. I have nothing to hide from him.¡± Serus was deeply moved by his unbiased words which weren¡¯t so Fabian, but he struggled to maintain his expression. ¡°So slowly, try to say it properly.¡± Although Fabian said so, it seemed that he felt the most urgent. Logan bowed his head and expressed his courtesy before he managed to open his heavy mouth. ¡°The reconnaissance mission I received was about the content of the memo taken from the Vatican.¡± Fabian nodded. The note was scribbled with short sentences as Pdin asked. About the Prince¡¯s hair, and the death of his birth mother. ¡°As Your Majesty said, what the memo implied was Adrian, the little Prince of the Felice Kingdom.¡± ¡°No, not that part, but exin the conclusion in detail.¡± It was the first time that Serus saw Fabian rushing out with anxiety. Serus watched the conversation between them, swallowing surprise only in his heart. ¡°First of all, I thought the prince¡¯s birth mother¡¯s death was the easiest to find ¡­¡± ¡°No¡­Skip that part as well.¡± ¡°Yes. After that, I investigated and found that the birth mother was a dead woman, but she died in thete summer of the year when the Prince was born.¡± Nothing appeared strange at first nce. ¡°¡­¡­ did you mean it was early winter when the prince was born? ¡°Yet Fabian was able to point out the mistake with his urate memory. ¡°Yes. I dug in from there and came to the conclusion of the problem¡±, said Logan. ¡°Your Majesty¡­.¡± Serus stepped in the middle and asked for permission with a nce. Fabian nodded, and Serus also had the right to ask questions. ¡°Well, in that case, the so-called ¡®birth mother¡¯ who came from outside the pce and died after giving birth to the Prince, is not his real mother.¡± ¡°Yes, because you can¡¯t have children after you die. In case I misinterpreted something, I met the most famous midwife on the southern continent.¡± Indeed, from this point, Serus sensed something flowed out of reach, but there was no way to stop it. ¡°Fortunately, the midwife isn¡¯t far away, she livesfortably in the pavilion given by the Duke of Akshire since she¡¯s the midwife who helped the birth of the Akshire children?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with us?¡± As the most fatal question was asked, Logan kept his mouth shut for a while and then opened it again. ¡°The midwife said that she suffered from dementia because of her old age. She talked a lot about her past because she mistook me as her friend. At that time, I heard it.¡± Fabian, who already knew the backstory was still pale. ¡°The midwife boasted to me that ¡­¡­.she went to the Felice Pce to help give birth to a child. It was a hot day, but a healthy Prince was born.¡± Now it was Serus¡¯s face that hardened like marble. A cold sweat ran through his back. ¡°At the end,¡­..I investigated the royal guard at the back door of the royal pce. And they said that there was a woman who was wearing a ck robe who told them to pass her carriage on a summer night. She was a very unusual visitor, so they remembered her.¡± Logan was a capable and intelligent man. Since he had this much piece, he must have alreadypleted the puzzle in his head. That was why he couldn¡¯t write it or tell Serus because he had to tell Fabian right away. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤All right. So, what about the midwife?¡± ¡°I brought her with me just in case. She has no rtives.¡± Fabian slowly raised one hand, ¡°Good work, and I will call you again soon.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Again, Logan set and example to Fabian. The only thing left now was Serus, who was sweating, and Fabian with an empty soul. ¡°So¡­¡­¡± Fabian, who was trying to arrange his table, dropped the pen. He couldn¡¯t, by any chance, focus his mind because of the magical sweet word. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Serus immediately picked up the pen Fabian had dropped and wrote down a few things. The more neatly organized, the more sweat on his forehead. ¡°Your Majesty¡­..¡± Serus gave the paper with a trembling hand. Fabian red at the paper with a piercing look. Fabian couldn¡¯t say anything as he was so shocked that he almost forgot how to breathe. ¡°So¡­ Prince Adrian was born in Felice Pce in the summer with the help of a midwife?¡± ¡°It looks like¡­¡± There was a heavy silence. The first thing that Fabian did, who was barely sane, was to call the doctor who always examined the Empress. A momentter, the doctor came in and set an example for Fabian. As instructed, he brought the journal when he was working at the Empress¡¯s pce. Serus took it and folded the necessary date section and handed it back to Fabian. Fabian read the diary carefully, biting her lips over and over again. ¡°¡­¡­.Are all the facts?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Then this phrase, ¡®She may be nauseating, so need to be extra careful to observe her.¡¯ Is this also true?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°Howe you didn¡¯t say anything to me? There¡¯s a fit of anger rose in Fabian¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°The initial signs were inurate, and the former Empress¡¯ s period was irregr. Within the Imperial family, there¡¯s a rule which we can only notify when the signs are certain and stable.¡± Huh, Fabian sighed deeply. Serus noticed it and immediately sent out the doctor. ¡°It was strange.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sounded low. ¡°When I hugged that child¡­..Prince Adrian, I felt something strange.¡± Fabian thought that maybe it was because it was a rare experience. Still, now he realized that it was because of apletely different reason. ¡°But what I can¡¯t even understand. If he¡¯s my child, ¡­..how could she leave me?¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t understand why she decided to divorce ahead of the birth of his precious family. Or maybe ¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t his own child? But Fabian quickly erased that unclean thought. Evelyn wasn¡¯t a woman who would do something like that, and Fabian was willing to bet on that. Above all, the date or time written side by side indicates that the child¡¯s father was him. ¡°At that time¡­ did she know that she had a child on the day she left me?¡± This time, again, Serus was silent. When Fabian knew that what he had hoped for was came true, he became more confused. He wished to see the beautiful scene where Evelyn held his child, but Fabian wasn¡¯t there. ¡°I¡¯m notpletely sure yet.¡± Serus managed to speak. ¡°I will personally listen to the midwife¡¯s testimony that Logan brought in.¡± Only But Serus was half-hearted as he recalled Prince Adrian¡¯s ck hair and ck eyes. ¡°The child clearly resembled me.¡± Fabian even hugged him, so he knew better than anyone else. ¡°Adrian is my child.¡± It seemed that Fabian had alreadye to a conclusion. Inside him, who looked calm, there was a turmoil of emotions that was felt secretly only by Serus. A certain joy, a longing for the most desirable wishes, and also the peak of happiness ¡­ and Evelyn, who broke everything and left. All the emotions piled up heavy and filled his heart. Fabian remained silent until two dayster. His eyes were deep because of the countless thoughts he had to think about. Chapter 75: The Beginning Of A Nightmare A groan flowed from the sleeping Evelyn¡¯s lips. There was a cold sweat flowing out of her forehead. Her body tossed and twisted as if she wanted to wake up from the nightmare, but her eyes were hardly opened. She couldn¡¯t tell whether or not the dream that came from a shallow sleep was real. ¡°Ummm,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± In that dream, Evelyn walked around at the empty Imperial pce. She didn¡¯t know why she was there, but everything was the same as she remembered. And even the air and the blowing wind were vivid. At the end of the long corridor, she saw arge-familiar-back. ¡®Your Majesty?¡¯ That terms jumped out freely. The gentle wind somehow aroused her fear. Then, therge-back slowly turned around towards Evelyn. She was short of breath at that moment when she saw Adrian was sleeping in Fabian¡¯s arms. ¡®Adrian? Your Majesty, why is Adrian¡­¡¯ But in the nightmare, Evelyn couldn¡¯t move forward. Fabian was staring at Evelyn with his emotionless eyes. ¡®Adrian!¡¯ Evelyn screamed anxiously, but Fabian didn¡¯t turn around, holding the child in his arms. ¡®Your Majesty, please return Adrian!¡¯ Fabian¡¯s back grew farther away. ¡®Where are you taking my child¡­?¡¯ Her cry couldn¡¯t reach Fabian. So the two men were gradually gone. Evelyn felt like her feet kept sinking as if she had fallen from the high. She wanted to go right away and take Adrian, but her vision was darkened. ¡®No, Adrian!¡¯ The moment Evelyn squeezed all her strength and shouted, the nightmare was over. Unknowingly, her hands that stretched out toward the air were shaking. ¡°Hah¡­hah, hah¡­¡­.¡± Breathing hard, Evelyn finally woke up from her nightmare. Her dream was too scary and vivid to be regarded just as a dream. ¡°Why did I have this dream all of a sudden ¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart still thumped. Adrian was already a Prince of Felice Kingdom. The dream she had just a while ago must be a worry that was already over. ¡°No, it¡¯s a meaningless dream¡­¡­¡± Her anxiety was over. There were several breathtaking moments, but Fabian didn¡¯t doubt Adrian¡¯s birth. Evelyn was sure because she knew Fabian¡¯s cool-headed personality. He wasn¡¯t a man who pretended he didn¡¯t know if he had a sessor. ¡°Yes. No matter how much I cried and begged, he would have taken Adrian away if he had noticed it.¡± Fabian would have done the same thing with him. He would definitely take him into the Imperial family. So clearly, it was a proof that the secret of Adrian¡¯s birth hadn¡¯t been leaked out. Besides, Adrian was already two years old. Now it was time to rx, but Evelyn wondered why she had a new nightmare. ¡°I bring you tea. Princess¡­..?¡± Nora entered the room with a silver tray and opened her eyes as she saw Evelyn sweating cold. Evelyn, who woke up a beatte, barely seeing her. ¡°Are you okay? Your face looks so pale.¡± ¡°No¡­..¡± Slowly, her sense returned. In reality, the time had only passed in a short time. Evelyn fell asleep while reading a book, leaning on a long sofa, and in the meantime, Nora brought her tea. ¡°I guess I fell asleep without realizing it.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Look at this sweat.¡± Nora quickly came to Evelyn¡¯s side and wiped the cold sweat on her forehead with a handkerchief. Evelyn said nothing, but Nora knew that she must have had a nightmare. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t overdo it. You¡¯ve had a lot of worktely.¡± It wasn¡¯t just her title, Evelyn was really faithful to her role as a Finance Minister. She also didn¡¯t forget to fulfil her official duties as a Princess and paid close attention to Adrian¡¯s upbringing. Not long ago, after sending all the ck hawks that were gifts from the Emperor, She felt like she was trying to fill the routine on purpose. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just had some bad dreams.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Nora poured the tea into the teacup, looking relieved. When Evelyn took a sip of the tea, she felt Lily was standing by the door and nced at her. Nora approached Lily quietly. Then, she said something and quickly disappeared. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Lady Akshiree to the pce in a hurry.¡± ¡°Reba?¡± ¡°Yes. Just now, her carriage passed through the Royal Pce¡¯s main gate.¡± Evelyn looked confused. No matter how near their residence and how close they were, did she have toe in such a hurry? However, given by Reba¡¯s disposition, Evelyn thought there must be a reason. ¡°Nora, prepare a bedroom for Reba to stay. When she arrives, please guides her right away.¡± ¡°Yes, and I will boil the tea again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The conversation seemed to take a long time. Evelyn tried to shake off her previous nightmare. To avoid this from happening, so that fear didn¡¯t lead to misfortune. Nightmares just made you stay in nightmares.
How long time had passed? Soon a breathless-Reba came and bent her knees. Evelyn stood up and hit her shoulder, holding her hand tenderly and giving her some cold water. ¡°Reba, what has brought you here in such a hurry?¡± Reba gulped down a ss of water at once and took a quick breath. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I do not know.¡± Reba, who managed to open her mouth, said something unknown. Evelyn tilted one of her eyebrows, waiting for Reba¡¯s next word. ¡°I can¡¯t judge whether this is important or not. But if I say this after we rx first, I think it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°Yes, good to see you. It¡¯s better to discuss anything together.¡± Evelyn¡¯s calm response made Reba hesitated for a moment what to say first. Because she had to cross a line before she could bring up the story she wanted to tell. Reba couldn¡¯t affirm whether it was a good thing for their friendship or not. ¡°The Duke of Akshire had a midwife who helped to deliver our children from generation to generation. She¡¯s the most skilled midwife in the southern continent. ¡° Reba prepared her heart and took out the topic. Contrary to expectations, Evelyn wasn¡¯t surprised. Instead, her blue eyes peacefully looked at Reba. ¡°The midwife doesn¡¯t have a family, but she¡¯s been really sicktely because of her old age, so my father let her stay at our ce.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± After Evelyn gave birth, Queen Miriam was responsible for taking care of everything behind the scenes to avoid unnecessary worries. One of them was the midwife¡¯s whereabouts. Evelyn had absolutely no idea that she was the Duke of Akshire¡¯s midwife. ¡°You knew¡­.¡± Evelyn said calmly. Reba, of course, even Liam who never said anything, knew about her secret. Thinking about it now, it was Evelyn, who was too indifferent. Liam might be, but it didn¡¯t make sense that Reba, the same woman and close friend, didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Did Liam know that?¡± ¡°Yes, it was King Majesty¡¯s request. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The Akshire¡¯s siblings kept that secret and considered it as ¡®nothing¡¯ as the Queen had expressly ordered them to shut up. Liam reluctantly shut his mouth, thinking deeply about Evelyn, and Reba said nothing. However, they didn¡¯t want to ask any questions about that fact as it might hurt Evelyn. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry I put pressure on you,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Reba hurriedly shook her hand. ¡°Since you epted Adrian as your little brother, so we thought so too. And I think that¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Once again, the attitude of the two siblings touched Evelyn¡¯s heart deeply. There was a reason why Reba loved Adrian and supported Evelyn¡¯s overflowing love for her ¡®brother¡¯. They both respected Evelyn¡¯s decision and helped her to hide the truth. Even if it might be considered a rebellion against the Empire. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say but thank you for that.¡± Evelyn smiled faintly. Reba took Evelyn¡¯s hand instead of answering. Without a word, some sincerity was conveyed by body temperature. ¡°But what¡¯s going on with you telling the story right now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­I¡¯m not as sure as I said before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, tell me anything.¡± Reba nodded. ¡°The midwife¡¯s health has been terribletely. She was almost out of her mind, so the maid was taking care of her, but her whereabouts were unknown a few days ago.¡± Thump¡­ Evelyn¡¯s heart seemed to fall. The sense of nightmare that she had earlier climbed up slowly. ¡°The maid had a hard time because she disappeared several times before. It would be nice if she were like that again¡­ but no matter how hard we look for her, we can¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°Is her sickness so severe? I met her a few times, but she¡¯s a very wise person.¡± ¡°My father also said so. However, she seemed to have lost her mind as his condition had worsened recently. Liam is still searching for her, so maybe she will be found soon¡­.. ¡° Reba blurred the end of her words as if she were trying to dispel a terrifying thought. ¡°But there is no sign of her at the Duke¡¯s residence or in our territories.¡± Evelyn closed her eyes for a moment. She had to shake off a nightmare, and look very closely at reality. ¡°Princess.¡± At Reba¡¯s call, Evelyn opened her eyes again. There was a worry shone from her blue eyes. If it¡¯s Fabian¡¯s doing, it was easy for him to bypass the security of the Duke¡¯s residence, just as easy as abducted the midwife. However, Evelyn couldn¡¯t make any judgments now. ¡°Then, what should we do?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t jump into conclusions now.¡± Evelyn bit her lower lip hard. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think, but in the worst-case¡­..¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to lose Adrian in vain like in her dream. It was something she was determined to do long ago. ¡°There¡¯s no physical evidence.¡± ¡°But, the midwife now has a mental illness.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s an insane person.¡± Indeed, if she thought, on the contrary, it was advantageous. ¡°But it¡¯s a sad fact for me, too,¡± Evelyn said bitterly. ¡°The midwife was a wise woman. If she were sane, this wouldn¡¯t happen.¡± The old midwife was the trusted person that Miriam had found. Her mother said that the midwife spent her entire life, delivering the birth of countless children and never said a word about their births. But, it seemed that time had created another variable. ¡°No, it¡¯s already happened, so I can¡¯t help it.¡± Reba tightly held Evelyn¡¯s hand, ¡°Princess, as you say, the words from an insane old woman cannot be a proof.¡± ¡°But what about the Felice family? and our Akshire?¡± There was a strong will in her green eyes. ¡°Reba, that¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡°The Duke of Akshire is a witness to the Prince¡¯s birth.¡± Her useless stubbornness had to be stopped. Evelyn, who saw Reba was so grateful and felt sorry because she never told them the truth. ¡°Even if anyone spreads bad rumours, Akshire will testify to the truth.¡± That¡¯s what Liam had done before Reba left. It was the moment when the two siblings had one voice. It didn¡¯t matter to them what the truth was. Because Evelyn¡¯s choice was the truth. ¡°There¡¯s a saying in the Akshire family. It doesn¡¯t matter where the honoures from. It¡¯s important where the honour is to be used. It¡¯s to protect the honour of Akshire, so it¡¯s useless to avoid it.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t strong. ¡°I want to ask you a favour.¡± Only Evelyn was too afraid to be alone. The fear that swept over her was as much a precious life she needed to protect. She couldn¡¯t imagine how hopeless she would have been if Reba didn¡¯t hold her hand. ¡°Do you understand the day when I can only say thank you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Reba smiled. It was the same smile as usual. ¡°Because we¡¯re friends.¡± Evelyn leaned her head over Reba¡¯s shoulder in silence. Because she wasn¡¯t afraid. Chapter 76: Facing the Emperor Fabian, who remained silent, was counting all the cases. But all the thoughts that came and went in his head were useless. His mind was set at the moment he found a slight possibility. There was nothing that Fabian couldn¡¯t do if the dream that he wished and longed for but couldn¡¯t be achieved, now hade true. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t ruin your health.¡± Serus, who was usually quiet, said such a truth. Since knowing that possibility, Fabian was lost in thought, and his health had deteriorated a little. Fabian¡¯s health, the current Emperor, was more important than the possibility of a sessor. ¡°What¡¯s about the midwife?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still raving, I¡¯ve asked the chancellor to take care of her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Okay.¡± The most irritating thing was that the midwife, an important witness, was insane because of her old age. It was hard to get her answer because she was out of her mind even though he asked persistently. ¡°But Logan said he heard it clearly that Evelyn gave birth to a Prince.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s not a man who tells a lie,¡± Serus said. ¡°I know.¡± In fact, he didn¡¯t mind the midwife hiding the truth. But Fabian couldn¡¯t understand Evelyn¡¯s innermost thoughts. After all, she had hidden the descendants of the Imperial family, and it couldn¡¯t be justified. And, her actions alone were already treason against the Imperial family. ¡°The little prince ¡­.. how is he look like?¡± Fabian opened his heavy mouth. Serus didn¡¯t know the meaning of his question and looked at Fabian. His ck eyes were shining with a light that he had never been seen before. ¡°Is he resemble me?¡± It was a blunt voice, but interestingly enough, Fabian¡¯s cheeks turned red. Still, his gaze was pointing to a distant ce, feeling nervous and anxious. ¡°The Prince had ck hair and ck eyes like Your Majesty.¡± Serus only told the truth. Although he didn¡¯t take Fabian¡¯s surname ¡°You were the one who said ck hair and ck eyes are possible outside the Empire.¡± Fabian wasn¡¯t stupid. Of course, when he saw Adrian, he had a feeling that Adrian was his child. In the Empire, ck hair and a ck eye were regarded as the exclusive signature of the Imperial family. But in the southern continent, as Serus said, ck hair and ck eyes were amon thing. ¡°Because I never saw the Prince in detail¡­.¡± Serus avoided the difficult answer. He needed a high concentration just to escort Fabian, how could he possibly pay attention to a child? ¡°I have¡­.. I¡¯ve even hugged him¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, then. Didn¡¯t that child dare to punch your Majesty?¡± asked Serus as he remembered Fabian¡¯s embarrassing talk. It was the first time, for Fabian, that someone hit him with a fist. He recalled that Serus, who had heard the story, was surprised because it was something impossible. ¡°Now that I¡¯m thinking about it ¡­¡­ it was my mistake.¡± Fabian said with a careless face, ¡°That kid reached out to me.¡± No. Obviously, Serus heard that it was the little Prince who punched him. But now it didn¡¯t seem to be a matter for Fabian. ¡°Hug me¡­.¡± Not even that. Fabian, who had a stunned look on his face, said the little Prince dared to order him ¡®Hug!¡¯. But Serus wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue that. ¡°Ha! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Oh my God.¡± Fabian hit his knee. ¡°Why, why?¡± ¡°The prince is a young man who will be two years old soon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That was a normal thing, though. ¡°Isn¡¯t he too smart? He came to me and asked me to hug him. How could a child have such enthusiasm and intelligence?¡± Serus just blinked his eyes, because he didn¡¯t know how to react. But Fabian already seemed to have fallen into his own world. ¡°Like¡­¡­Yes, he¡¯s like me when I was a child.¡± Fabian nodded with a rugged look that would never happen again. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± There was intimidation in his dark eyes when he asked Serus. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ye-Yes, I think so.¡± Serus was forced to answer. Then a happy smile bloomed on Fabian¡¯s face, which he had never seen before. Even though Serus was an insensitive person, he was well aware that this situation was very serious. ¡°I¡¯ve already decided.¡± Fabian rose from his seat. ¡°That child is definitely my son. Me and Evelyn¡¯s son.¡± There was a typhoon raging in his eyes. ¡°But, Your Majesty. There¡¯s still no physical evidence ¡­.Besides, he¡¯s already a Prince of the Felice Kingdom.¡± Listening to Serus¡¯s realistic advice, Fabian didn¡¯t raise a single eyebrow. ¡°So?¡± The only thing that mattered to him was whether the child Evelyn had given birth to was his or not. To be precise, whether that possibility existed. Fabian was enough, even if it was just a possibility. ¡°He¡¯s still my son.¡± Fabian said so, but the real problem was veryplicated. A former Empress who divorced and returned to her homnd secretly gave birth to the Emperor¡¯s son and became a prince in another country. Nothing like this had ever happened in the Empire¡¯s history. ¡°Your Majesty, will you be able to take him out from the Felice royal family without a hitch?¡± Seeing Evelyn¡¯s cold attitude, Serus was worried about Fabian¡¯s immense enthusiasm. If she wasn¡¯t cold-hearted from the beginning, she wouldn¡¯t have given birth and raised a child secretly. But Fabian seemed to have forgotten about that fact for a moment. ¡°Serus.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Get the midwife¡¯s confession.¡± ¡°She¡¯s out of her mind right now¡­..¡± Fabian frowned at Serus. ¡°¡­¡­..Then, I¡¯ll get it.¡± When Cerus, who waste in understanding what to do, replied, Fabian nodded his head. This meant, whoever wrote the confession, the midwife would sign it, and Fabian would use it as a proof. ¡°Tomorrow, we will depart for the Felice Kingdom.¡± ¡°The Congress¡­¡± Once again, Fabian squinted his eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll postpone it. I will announce that His Majesty will suspend his official duties due to illness. ¡° It meant that there was no need to announce Fabian¡¯s outing. ¡°Put the Duke of Perth in my ce.¡± ¡°I will tell him that.¡± In private, he was Serus¡¯ older brother, but he didn¡¯t feel that way at all. ¡°If the Duke is in charge of this capital city, it¡¯s better to have two.¡± It was a remark that Fabian had realized that Duke Metis had already lived in the capital. Sagan would use the opportunity of the Emperor¡¯s absence to take advantage. Sagan was a bossy person, and Duke Perth was a proper opponent, as he was a knight-man. So, If there was a Duke Perth, both of them would waste their time, battling with each other. ¡°Dukes are useless except when they fight each other.¡± Fabian murmured irritably. ¡°Then, there¡¯s one more.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The useless Duke.¡± That phrase was addressed to Liam Akshire. Liam didn¡¯t protest openly, but he didn¡¯t really obey the Emperor. And from the first time they met, Fabian felt rejected by that little Duke. Maybe it was a man¡¯s instinct.
As Fabian had expected, Liam got in his way. What Fabian thought, Liam could also think. And of course, he had no choice but to prepare for the worse. ¡°He¡¯s moving¡± Liam spoke to himself with a stiff face after receiving the report from his spy. He might not have a force as strong as the ck Hawk Knights, but the intelligencework of the Duke of Akshire, which had a long history, could not be overlooked. ¡°Will, your Majesty, going to move alone?¡± asked Jason, Liam¡¯s aide and Akshire¡¯s vassal, carefully. ¡°Look.¡± Liam spread out the report he received on his desk. Jason picked it up, read it, and nodded. ¡°If he put Duke Perth at the pce¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. There is no reason to look for such a lowly human ¡­¡­. except for one thing. It¡¯s to hold back another force while His Majesty is absent.¡± Since he was Reba¡¯s ex-husband, he wasn¡¯t prejudiced, but Liam still kept an eye on the Duke of Perth. Liam had seen him several times. And he was an arrogant man who didn¡¯t want to look at others for more than 3 seconds. ¡°Surely, when will he move?¡± ¡°Your Majesty is moving in with the ck Hawk Knights. We have to stop them. But nobody wants to be in the same room as the Duke of Perth, so it makes sense to think that they will move immediately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­¡­ I agree with you.¡± Jason nodded. ¡°Why does the Emperor keeping to the southern continent?¡± Liam knew the reason, but it was a secret he couldn¡¯t tell even to Jason, his close aide. ¡°Whatever the reason is, we must deal with it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Fortunately, Liam was the Duke of Akshire who had the right to assert his power. So, it was natural for Liam to pay attention to the Emperor and his subordinate¡¯s move. ¡°As the Duke of Akshire, I¡¯ll request a formal visit to the Felice Kingdom.¡± For Felice¡¯s royal family, Liam was always a wee guest. But went to the kingdom formally as a Duke was different. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him.¡± Jason left the room after gave an example. Liam sighed as he had nowhere else to go. From the beginning, he had known Evelyn¡¯s secret. To him, who didn¡¯t know how to ept this sensitive secret, Reba told him to nail his ears. ¡®True friendship is to believe without asking. And supports the choice. Only then you can be called as a friend who will hold hands face this harsh world.¡¯ Indeed, Reba¡¯s sphere of friendship was very wide. Liam was a simple man with an honest heart. He was very dizzy thinking about Evelyn¡¯s secret, but he readily agreed with his sister¡¯s words of wisdom. ¡°One thing that I have to do.¡± Liam, who had never been shaken in his childhood or adolescence, cried all night after hearing the news that Evelyn had be an Empress. Even when he saw Evelyn return from the divorce, he never thought about how he would feel himself. So he was willing to cover up Evelyn¡¯s secret. ¡°It¡¯s just to keep the Princess¡¯s smile.¡± When Evelyn came back, Liam had made up his mind. Liam didn¡¯t want to be sorry anymore, and he would try with all his heart to make sure that no regrets were left. Only Although he couldn¡¯t show his feelings for Evelyn because he was born shy and had no courage. This time, he felt he had a role. ¡°Even he¡¯s an Emperor, he doesn¡¯t deserve to make the Princess more unhappy.¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes were full of determination. Facing the Emperor, either directly or indirectly, was dangerous, but Akshire wasn¡¯t Imperial territory. And where to ce Akshire¡¯s honour, only Liam, the current Duke, could decide. ¡°My honour is in protecting what is precious.¡± Liam¡¯s voice rang heavily. It was a decision that would not change. Chapter 77: A Perfect Secret Fabian decided to move quieter and carefully than ever. The Imperial Pce didn¡¯t lower the Imperial-g, which meant that the Emperor remained. And he chose to bring Serus and Logan alone without an army. Externally, it was to give the impression that Fabian was staying in the imperial pce. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Serus nodded at Fabian¡¯s words. Most people, not just the people, would have no idea of the Emperor¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°We have toe back for at least within three days.¡± But not everyone did. ¡°I know.¡± After a day or two, usually, some would notice the absence of the Emperor. Fabian was great, but he couldn¡¯t fool everyone even more if the opponent were the white-haired old man, Duke of Metis, or the cunning Pope. ¡°What about the Duke of Perth?¡± ¡°As soon as he arrived in the capital, I think he had requested a meeting with the Duke of Metis.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t betray my expectations.¡± As expected, as soon as the Duke Perth came, he started a fight with the Duke Metis. So even if he found out Fabian¡¯s absence right away, they could buy time. ¡°The question is¡­¡­.. is that the cunning old man?¡± That word is referred to the Pope. ¡°I can¡¯t predict him at all.¡± It wasn¡¯t God¡¯s blessing or foresight. But, the Vatican was the pinnacle of this continent when it came to intelligence. They had such a long history that even the Empire couldn¡¯t reveal all of their informationworks. ¡°Even if they notice, they won¡¯t dare interrupt Your Majesty,¡± Serus said firmly. Fabian nodded and grabbed the reins. He wanted to meet Evelyn as soon as possible, wanting to confirm the truth.
Reba had already told Miriam about the worrisome situation. Arthur soon epted Liam¡¯s request toe to the Felice Kingdom as the Duke of Akshire. However, their daily life didn¡¯t change much as if they already prepared this thing would happen someday. It might have been better to build a negotiation than living in anxiety for life. ¡°Hawk, hawk!¡± Adrian, who didn¡¯t know Evelyne, kept shouted, holding his ck hawk. Evelyn took the doll from Adrian for a moment, holding it in her arms and made eye contact with him. ¡°Adrian.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± ¡°You only have to answer once, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes!¡± Adrian now had learned to answer like a prince. Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes, looking at the child who still had much to learn, were tender. ¡°Who is Adrian¡¯s family?¡± ¡°Yes, father, mother, Evelyn, Reba!¡± But Evelyn shook her head severely. ¡± Reba isn¡¯t a family. And, do you remember you shouldn¡¯t call me Evelyn anymore?¡± Adrian opened his mouth, but Evelyn didn¡¯t give up. ¡°You don¡¯t know because Adrian is still a baby?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not a baby!¡± Adrian had entered the age where he could already affirm his identity. Even though he was only two years old, Adrian was very proud of himself since he was able to walk and talk. And Evelyn used Adrian¡¯s psychology in that way. ¡°Really? It¡¯s weird. If you¡¯re not a baby, you should know how to speak politely.¡± Evelyn sighed deliberately. Then Adrian¡¯s dark blue eyes aroused a strong will. ¡°I know!¡± The ulterior motive was so transparent that it would make herugh, but Evelyn endured it hard and maintained a serious look. ¡°Then, do you know what to call me? If you¡¯re a mature and wonderful prince, you¡¯d know.¡± Indeed, Adrian¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°Evelyn ¡­ ¡­ sister!¡± ¡°Not sister, but my sister.¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Only then Evelyn looked at Adrian, smiling when Adrian felt quite proud and confident. Evelyn didn¡¯t care if Adrian wasn¡¯t recognized her as his birth mother. It was only a title. The more important was the family couldugh together. ¡°Then, what if you meet someone other than our family?¡± ¡°Ummm,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Adrian was in short agony. ¡°Do you want me to teach you?¡± ¡°No! I know!¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes filled with wonder. She hadn¡¯t taught him yet, but Adrian was very smart and learned it first. ¡°I see you, father.¡± ¡°I see. Can you give it a try?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Adrian stood up from Evelyn¡¯s arms and suddenly raised his chin high. Even though he was still young, Adrian was quite arrogant. When Evelyn saw him put his hands on his waist, she felt something was wrong. After that, he let out a strange coughing sound from his small lips. ¡°You! Sit down.¡± Evelyn sighed. Indeed, Adrian imitated Arthur¡¯s frequent actions. ¡°I still have a lot to teach you,¡± Evelyn said softly, hugging Adrian, who was slightly struggling in her arms. Then, there was a knock on the door. It was Reba, who came to ask for tea together. ¡°Reba!¡± Adrian opened his arms and greeted Reba friendly before Evelyn. ¡°Prince, you speak more and more every day.¡± Evelyn smiled awkwardly, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily a good thing.¡± ¡°Liam¡¯s here. Would you like to meet him?¡± ¡°Of course, I should.¡± Reba smiled to hear that., ¡°I thought so, that¡¯s why I bring him now. Liam,e in.¡± Liam carefully opened the door and nced at Reba. He was a noble, a Duke, so he didn¡¯t understand why his older sister was so brave enough to say such rude things to him when she ordered him toe in. But now, Evelyn came first. Liam passed before Reba and set an example in front of Evelyn. ¡°I see the Princess and the Prince.¡± ¡°Thank you foring, Sir Liam.¡± Their eyes met each other warmly for a moment. ¡°You sit down.¡± Liam hardened with a surprised face, and Evelyn looked a little embarrassed when Adrian¡¯s stern voice suddenly broke the mood. ¡°Adrian, you can¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even sit down!¡± Liam managed to grasp the situation and hold back hisughter, ¡°It¡¯s all right. You¡¯re a Prince so that you can tell me that.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still teaching him, so I think he¡¯s learned something strange from my father.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly same with the way His Majesty¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the biggest problem¡­¡­ Lily, take Adrian with you for a moment.¡± Lily soon came and took Adrian out of the room. ¡°It¡¯s harder to teach him now than when he didn¡¯t know anything. I don¡¯t even know how far he understood what he said.¡± Evelyn added, as exined. Recently, Adrian imitated the people around him or quickly copied everything he had heard. So Evelyn couldn¡¯t just talk about sensitive and important issues. ¡°Oh, forgive me. I forgot to offer you a seat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Since the Prince had already suggested it.¡± Liam said yfully and sat down. But obviously, it was Adrian who rmended it first. There was a moment of silence as the two sat down. Evelyn didn¡¯t know that Liam already knew her secret. Knowing that, it was difficult for her to look at him. ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± Liam, who was reluctant at first, broke his silence. Evelyn nodded slowly. Reba already told her that Liam would be a witness for Adrian¡¯s birth. So he had the right to ask questions. About why was Evelyn secretly giving birth and raising the Emperor¡¯s child? ¡°So, I ¡­¡­.I always feel the same way when I see the Princess. No matter what happened in the past.¡± Liam was clumsy, but he was desperately conveying his sincerity, ¡°I don¡¯t know much aboutplicated and difficult things, as my sister always says. So I didn¡¯t dare to understand or think about it. It¡¯s just, to me, you¡¯re always the same.¡± Evelyn looked straight into Liam¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know I¡¯m stupid and clueless. I¡¯m not sure about anything else. So, I hope you always to treat me as the same person.¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes were genuine. And Evelyn felt sorry for a moment when she thought Liam would ask her a secret question. As Liam said, he was always the same person. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. What I told you, it¡¯s not a question¡­¡± Liam, who was looking at Evelyn¡¯s expression, looked puzzled. Evelyn unwittingly smiled at him, ¡°Thank you.¡± Now she wanted to convey the simplest words like Liam, ¡°I won¡¯t forget that you¡¯re always the same person to me.¡± Then Liam¡¯s face brightened, nodding his head repeatedly. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do that!¡± Evelyn saw Liam for a long time. She never thought he would understand. Evelyn never expected him to appear at a time like this. But Liam always exceeded her expectations. Liam said that he didn¡¯t understand. That didn¡¯t matter. So as Evelyn consoled him, she didn¡¯t have to exin anything. ¡°But Sir Liam, I have one more request.¡± ¡°Just say anything.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to help me. And I¡¯m always grateful for that. But if things get bad and you feel like it will going to harm Akshire, please back off.¡± Liam¡¯s expression hardened, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°No, you know what I mean.¡± His opponent was the Emperor. Strictly speaking, it was a matter between the Emperor and the Felice Kingdom. Liam would be in a difficult position if he intervened excessively. ¡°I know His Majesty¡¯s disposition very well. He is suspicious easily. If, in the process, he finds you a nuisance ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Liam answered without hesitation. ¡°A doubt is just doubt. I¡¯m doing the right thing because I testify of the truth to correct that false doubt.¡± Liam¡¯s clear green eyes looked straight into her eyes. It was an honest and unshakable look. For him, whatever the secret behind it, the truth seemed to have been decided. ¡°Prince Adrian¡¯s birth could be a testimony to the honour of the Duke of Akshire. So don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t need to hesitate.¡± Evelyn nodded calmly, looking at Liam¡¯s determination. Besides, it was Evelyn herself who chose this situation. For her choice, Felice¡¯s royal family and Akshire¡¯s sibling bet their honour. So Evelyn mustn¡¯t be shaken. ¡°Yes, Sir, you¡¯re right.¡± The past, the memories, even the truth, was no longer important. ¡°But, if your Majesty has unreasonable doubts, you have no choice but to give up.¡± Liam nodded with a satisfied smile at Evelyn¡¯s words. In fact, untilst night, she had a lot of thoughts of wanting to get out of this situation. There was also a temptation to escape Fabian with Adrian by making any excuses. ¡°No matter what rumours go around, Adrian is the proud Prince of Felice.¡± But no weak thoughts were needed. Evelyn wouldn¡¯t run away anymore. ¡°Yes, so there is one thing that bothers me,¡± Evelyn asked with a nce. ¡°If His Majesty really misunderstood, who, how, and what instigated the misunderstanding?¡± Only ¡°Actually, that¡¯s on my mind, too.¡± The secret was sealed perfectly. The midwife¡¯s senility might be wasn¡¯t calcted, but if it had been as nned, there was no reason for Fabian to find the midwife. ¡°If you allow it, I¡¯ll look into it.¡± ¡°Please¡­..¡± Liam nodded reliably. Before Evelyn got married, she only considered him as a close friend¡¯s younger brother, but it was a surprise that he had be such a strong young man. ¡°I hope that someday Adrian will grow up as a reliable young man like you.¡± Listening to her, Liam¡¯s green eye grew round. Like when he heard Evelyn¡¯s cuteness before, waves of intense emotion filled his pure green eyes. Chapter 78: A Cruel By the time Fabian reached the Felice Kingdom through the night, David was also looking at the same moon. As a group of cloudy clouds passed, a full moon came into sight and illuminated the night. ¡°Why those two, who aren¡¯t supposed to meet the most, keep running into each other?¡± he said to himself as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°No¡­¡­he¡¯s chasing her one-sidely. Will you repeat the tragedy?¡± David was a long-time watcher of human history. The longer he watched it, the more difficult it was for him to understand what a person¡¯s personal feelings meant. The tiny pieces in the great flow of history were just like dust to him. ¡°Normally, I don¡¯t interfere, but if I don¡¯t, I cannot avoid destruction again.¡± The tower¡¯s guardian shouldn¡¯t be involved or intervene in human life. Since signing a contract with the Empire¡¯s first Emperor, David never had any contact with humans. But when he met Evelyn, things fell apart. ¡°His madness and cruelty have already crossed human boundaries.¡± ¡®His¡¯ that he meant wasn¡¯t the current Fabian. But David saw with his own eyes how Fabian dyed this continent with blood in other future. After losing his beloved woman and his human heart, Fabian lived his life with suspicion and massacre. David couldn¡¯t know precisely when he became insane since it was so difficult for David to understand the human heart. [¡®No matter how much I swear, I only can stop, if I forget her.¡¯] David remembered Fabian¡¯s ck eyes, shining madly with blood on his face. He killed, killed, and killed the living. And then he came to the end of the world where David was. [¡®Are you¡­..who can turn everything back?¡¯] David shook his head at Fabian¡¯s cold question. There was no reason for him to use forbidden-time-magic for humans. [¡¯Can¡¯t you save one person?¡¯] At that time, Fabian had already put his sword down. [¡®The moment my wife died, I felt an unbearable emptiness in my heart. And at the end of the emptiness, I heard a voice continuously craving for blood. It ¡­¡­was controlling me. Even now, this hand is trying to kill someone.¡¯] Fabian¡¯s eyes were stained with despair as he killed countless people. [¡¯At this rate, I will kill myself for thest time if there are no more people to kill after I exterminate everyone on this continent. I ¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m thinking. Now, at this time, too.¡¯] Those were the words of a man who had been ovee by madness. [¡®Return her from the death. Before this madness rules me.¡¯] Then, David opened his eyes. It¡¯s a possibility¡ªan opportunity to protect the bnce of this crooked world. [¡®The power of the Tower isn¡¯t to satisfy human needs. Our way is different.¡¯] [¡®I ept whatever the result is. As long as she¡¯s not going to die like that. As long as her soul wouldn¡¯t grieve at the sight of my ughter¡­ yes, I want to end this wrong world.¡¯] [¡®I agree that this world is wrong. And You¡¯re a sinful man.¡¯] Once¡­. it could only be reversed once. [¡®I will turn your rtionship with her to ¡®nothing.¡¯ And you will never meet each other again.¡¯] [¡®Then¡­..she won¡¯t die unhappily? And I don¡¯t need to experience this madness? ¡®] [¡®Yes.¡¯] A limp-bloodied Fabian knelt in front of David. [¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯] David epted it as an oath and consent. Leaving Fabian, he returned to the Tower and cast the forbidden-time-magic. But the results led him to somethingpletely unexpected. It¡¯s the wrong time dimension. Where did he arrive when Evelyn was already dying. David failed to reach the time to return all of Evelyn¡¯s life ties to nothing. [¡®It¡¯s so cold. I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯] It was an iprehensible result that the despair of a beautiful woman would soon turn the continent into a pool of blood. But David decided to do what he could. [¡®It could be reversed.¡¯] But, David¡¯s power alone was iplete. [¡®Your great despair, your miserable wish, and your deep regret. Now give it all to me.¡¯] Evelyn, who hade to her death, didn¡¯t even know who she was talking to. [¡®I no longer have the power to overturn this world¡¯s time. But if it¡¯s just your life¡¯s time, I can turn it back¡¯] Thus, David added Evelyn¡¯s wish to his imperfect power to create one final turn of time. He managed to return Evelyn¡¯s life, but only ten years. However, it was enough time to change her fate. It was an unforgettable moment for David. And until now, he felt he had made the right choice. ¡°As expected, the forbidden magic is impossible; it can¡¯t be perfect.¡± Even though David couldn¡¯t turn her rtionship into ¡®nothing,¡¯ Evelyn willingly left Fabian¡¯s side. But, he didn¡¯t expect that Fabian¡¯s persistence wouldn¡¯t stop, even a life that shouldn¡¯t exist was born. Not enough of that, the current Fabian was trying to get closer to the truth. David even had a hard time controlling the demons now. So he had no choice but to wear Pdin¡¯s mask and borrow the Vatican¡¯s power. It was impossible to make those demons disappear entirely. However, at the very least, he could control the time and location they appeared. David defeated all of the demons with the power of the Vatican. In the same way, he also manipted the Wyverns to prevent Fabian from approaching, as had happened on the previous big festival day. ¡°It would be easier if you gave up then,¡± David said bitterly to himself. Yes, humans had always been things that didn¡¯t go as nned. Even more so because this was the first time, David had been involved in someone¡¯s life. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that woman, but there¡¯s only one way left.¡± David recalled Evelyn¡¯s figure with her blue eyes. She must have forgotten about him. But David still remembered how she cried out, saying that she wanted to protect her son. ¡°It is unavoidable for the bnce of this world.¡± David, the guardian, couldn¡¯t kill someone carelessly. If a guardian directly touched a human¡¯s life, the bnce would be broken. It was also the reason why the destruction of the continent couldn¡¯t be avoided by killing Fabian. Even now, David couldn¡¯t kill him as Fabian was a natural existence that had existed on this continent from the beginning. ¡°But that child¡­ is the only life that didn¡¯t exist in the original world.¡± Human life couldn¡¯t be added or diminished freely. But, Adrian¡¯s case was different. That child was destined to die in Evelyn¡¯s womb without seeing the light of the world in its original time. Evelyn had two miscarriages, and the first was Adrian. For David, there was no difference between Adrian or the second child who disappeared as Evelyn¡¯s fate changed because all of them were initially unborn lives. ¡°It¡¯s a cruel fate for her.¡± David, who mumbled for a moment, was a little surprised by what he said. It was an unfamiliar feeling for him to sympathize with a human being. ¡°What a nonsense ¡­¡­.¡± David called out something towards the darkness. The gentle wind followed the slow movements of his hands. ¡°Go.¡± At David¡¯smand, the demon that would appear somewhere on the continent now would head to Adrian. He had to break the ties between Fabian and Evelyn. ¡°Now, there should be no mistake.¡± David¡¯s violet eyes, as always, had a quiet glow.
The Felice Kingdom weed the Emperor in a rxed manner, without any reception. ¡°He wants me to wait until morning?¡± Fabian frowned and asked Serus again. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what the King said.¡± Serus had conveyed and emphasized that the Emperor¡¯s visit was very private and confidential. Then Arthur gave an unobtrusive-separate pce as his residence since he refused to ept the idea of meeting Princess Evelyn right away. ¡°I guess he knows why I came here.¡± Fabian said quietly, ¡°No way, is he trying to get the princess out from the pce ¡­..?¡± ¡°Logan is watching. But there¡¯s no sign of anyone leaving oring.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t see the Kingdom¡¯s secret passage.¡± ¡°No, but he looked into the Princess¡¯s residence. He could confirm that she¡¯s there.¡± Fabian nodded after that. If the morning came, they wouldn¡¯t be able to postpone the meeting any longer. No matter what, Fabian tried to see Evelyn¡¯s face in person and check it out. He was already convinced, but before that, he wanted to ask Evelyn why. ¡°And¡­¡­ Lady Akshire is with her.¡± Serus carefully added. ¡°It¡¯s not a new thing.¡± ¡°ording to Logan¡¯s report, Duke Akshire has officially entered the pce since yesterday.¡± Fabian frowned when he heard that name. ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee out?¡± Regarding loyalty or not to the Emperor, that was ater matter. The problem now was Liam¡¯s trick. Since he also a man, Fabian was instinctively annoyed. ¡°He was so brave to have a heart for my woman.¡± ¡°What? Who has a heart?¡± ¡°Who else! That damn Duke of Akshire.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Serus¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. He had spent a few days at the Duke¡¯s residence with Liam, but he never thought about it.¡± I had no idea.¡± ¡°Ha¡­I don¡¯t expect that kind of reconnaissance from you anyway.¡± Fabian was still better than Serus. He met Evelyn, loved her, and married her. Therefore, Fabian could tell Liam¡¯s feelings for Evelyn faster than anyone else. If he was a man, he had no choice but to do it. ¡°The Empress is beautiful.¡± At some point, Fabian called Evelyn the Empress again. ¡°So, of course, there are so many bugs around her.¡± Fabian first got to know about Evelyn was because he heard rumors that she was the most beautiful woman on the continent. And when he saw Evelyn for the first time, Fabian recognized her immediately without knowing her name. Even rumors were nothingpared to reality. ¡°It¡¯s my job to get rid of them.¡± Nobody ever seduced Evelyn. Since they didn¡¯t dare to turn the Emperor into a rival. The same was true even now. Except for one person, the Duke of Akshire, who couldn¡¯t read Fabian¡¯s signal. ¡°What do you think the most beautiful woman in the world needs?¡± Serus blinked his eyes at Fabian¡¯s unexpected question. ¡°That¡¯s the strongest man in the world.¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eyes glowed arrogantly as he said that. ¡°So, from the beginning to the end, it must be me.¡± His low voice rang clearly. There was no trace of discouragement in Fabian¡¯s voice, even though Evelyn had abandoned him for no reason. If that child, Adrian, was his child, the breakup couldn¡¯t be established. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed that I couldn¡¯t find her reason. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t end this rtionship easily.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t know Evelyn would leave him. Nor did he think that he would divorce by the Vatican¡¯s interference. ¡°But there¡¯s no problem anymore. I know why.¡± ¡°Huh, do you know¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± Serus asked back with astonishment. Then Fabian nodded proudly, ¡°I was a bad husband.¡± ¡°What? How dare she said that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I was the Empress¡¯s husband, so she¡¯s the only one who can judge me.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. Evelyn was the only woman who was Fabian¡¯s wife. ¡°Probably, for the southern continent¡¯s people, the rational thinking of the Imperial person seems to feel heartless.¡± ¡°Is that so? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Only ¡°But now I know what the problem is. So it¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°Your Majesty is right.¡± Serus was deeply impressed. Indeed, the Emperor, Fabian, was different than anything else. ¡°I will do my best¡­..¡± He was rarely touched, and also his eyes were seldom filled with tears, but this time another emotion was created in Fabian¡¯s eyes. ¡°At least I won¡¯t make the Empress sad again.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t enough, it¡¯s also sincere. Chapter 79: Absurd Suspicion Fortunately, Fabian¡¯s wait wasn¡¯t that long. The Pce Chief, sent by King Arthur, guided Fabian through a hidden passage, connecting the separate pce and the main pce. Every pce had its way to avoid other people¡¯s eyes. Fabian wasn¡¯t surprised by the secret tunnel¡¯s existence, and he followed the chief¡¯s guidance. ¡°This is the exit.¡± When the chief opened the door, a narrow corridor appeared. Soon after that, Fabian arrived at a parlor that seemed hadn¡¯t been used for a long time. It looked like this room was a separate ce used only at certain times. ¡°So, everyone¡¯s here.¡± Fabian joined the people who had gathered first in the room and then sat down on the chair arranged in such away. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Arthur, Miriam, and Evelyn had already known Fabian¡¯s intentions on his secret visit. However, there was also a useless ¡®thing¡¯ in that room. ¡°Since when did Duke of Akshire be a member of the royal family?¡± Fabian red at Liam, who remained in his seat, with an unpleasant gaze. ¡°By chance, I¡¯ve received an official invitation from the royal family, and I am honored to meet Your Majesty.¡± Fabian was irritated by Liam¡¯s green eyes, but the other problems were more important now. He turned his eyes and looked at Evelyn. As usual, her calm blue eyes made it hard for Fabian to read Evelyn¡¯s emotions or thoughts easily. ¡°Only the Royal family has the right to discuss this matter. An outsider must stay out.¡± ¡°Akshire is a long-time friend of our royal family. Seeing that Your Majesty has such an urgent need that made you came a long way to this ce, I want him to hear it too,¡± said Evelyn. ¡®What the hell are you thinking?¡® Fabian frowned, but he didn¡¯t speak anymore. It wasn¡¯t bad for Liam to face reality properly, though, because it happened anyway. ¡°Serus.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serus lowered his head, taking a document from Fabian¡¯s hand and handed it to the King. Arthur and Miriam read the document carefully and then passed it to Evelyn. ¡°That¡¯s what I came here for.¡± Fabian clearly said it, ¡°I¡¯ve already checked the truth so that I won¡¯t tolerate lies from now on.¡± Evelyn, holding the paper in her hand, raised her head, and stared at Fabian. ¡°But if the person concerned had an unavoidable reason ¡­ I could cover all the past.¡± It was unprecedented mercy that would never have happened again. And this was the best Fabian could do for Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°Are you denying it? Prince, no¡­ That Adrian is my child?¡± There was an immense power felt when that suspicious doubt came out of the Emperor¡¯s mouth. Evelyn could read a firm conviction in Fabian¡¯s eyes. It was much stronger than expected. Yet, Evelyn was determined not to lose. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s ¡­¡­ that¡¯s a ridiculous misunderstanding.¡± Evelyn had a confused expression on her face. Just as with the others. ¡°I knew you were going to do this, so I brought the document with me. Give it up. The midwife has already testified.¡± ¡°Midwife?¡± Fabianughed, seeing Evelyn asked him back. Until the end, she still pretended that she didn¡¯t know. In truth, Fabian was very upset, even though he said he would cover up all her past mistakes. ¡°She¡¯s the midwife who was with when you gave birth to the Prince. There, I brought back what the Duke of Akshire has concealed.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Liam stepped beside Evelyn, who was still asking strange questions. And it was an unpleasant sight to see for Fabian. ¡°Indeed, a midwife is living in our residence, but ¡­¡­ It¡¯s because of her close rtionship with the Akshire family. I thought she was missing because she has dementia. So I¡¯m d to know she¡¯s all right. ¡° Fabian burst outughing as he witnessed the lies of the two people in front of him. ¡°You make the situation worse by all means.¡± Fabian got up from his seat. There was a dark anger welling up in his heart. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve given you a chance to solve it smoothly.¡± After closing his eyes for a moment, Fabian¡¯s head became tangled. At first, he thought it was an impulsive mistake when Evelyn left him, knowing nothing. But he didn¡¯t think it was Evelyn¡¯s brave choice. As if Fabian¡¯s sincerity, saying that he would forgive her for everything, was meaningless. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding. The midwife is certainly a member of our estate. Unfortunately, her dementia is severe, and she is a little insane. Besides, witnessing the birth of a Prince is an honor for the Akshire family¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Fabian silenced Liam¡¯s words coldly. At this moment, everyone could feel the Emperor¡¯s pressure. ¡°Who dares to get involved in my bloodline matter?¡± Liam¡¯s expression hardened at once. He knew this was a very dangerous situation. Apart from personal affairs, it concerned the Empire¡¯s sessor. Whatever the decision, whether it¡¯s just a suspicion or a fact. This had been a crucial issue. ¡°Your Majesty, the Prince¡­¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re a King, there are no exceptions. This matter is only between me and Evelyn, the Empress.¡± As Arthur closed his mouth, it¡¯s Evelyn who stepped forward. Her blue eyes stared straight towards Fabian. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell you clearly. This is a misunderstanding. I don¡¯t want you to question the dignity of our Royal Family only because of a word that came out of a crazy midwife.¡± But Fabian¡¯s eyes were already cold, ¡°Of course, if it was a misunderstanding, I will fully apologize¡­¡­If¡­..it was a misunderstanding¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do you believe the words of a mentally insane old woman more than the words of the Royal family and the Duke?¡± ¡°Do you know me as a stupid man?¡± No. It Couldn¡¯t be. Fabian was the coldest and most rational than anyone else. Evelyn unwittingly bit her lower lip. Did she think too positively all this time? She felt pathetic when she thought her argument would work for Fabian. ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡­It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my decision.¡± Evelyn, who recently saw Fabian¡¯s weakness, underestimated her opponent. This was the real Fabian. An Emperor who ruled over everything and didn¡¯t hesitate to use his power. ¡°You¡¯re ruining the honor of our Kingdom, the Prince¡¯s future, with a clumsy misunderstanding. Just by a word from a senile-old-woman¡­..¡± ¡°Who said it was the only proof?¡± Suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s heart sank at his cold, questioning expression. ¡°Your Majesty, you questioned the royal honor just by the old woman¡¯s words. If Your Majesty, who has doubted arbitrarily decides, is that fair?¡± ¡°So, who said that I only listened to the old woman?¡± Evelyn felt her blood was running cold. If she thought about it, Fabian wouldn¡¯te here with just one old woman¡¯s testimony without any other evidence. He must be sure about something that he only had or could do. ¡°I¡¯ve only brought this testimony to raise suspicion. And regardless of her condition, I¡¯ve decided to ept the suspicion. Do you think I will allow my decision as Emperor to reveal the truth to be denied as an olddy¡¯s statement?¡± Fabian¡¯s power, who had conquered the top tier nobles at the Imperial Congress, was unstoppable. Evelyn had heard and knew it, but this was the first time seeing Fabian like this in person. ¡°Your Majesty, the Princess said that it doesn¡¯t make sense to investigate unfair suspicions.¡± ¡°Did you forget I told you to shut up? Duke, you have a terrible memory.¡± The existence in Fabian¡¯s ck eyes was real. His gaze could instinctively drop the temperature around him in a moment. ¡°I can cut off the useless ¡®thing¡¯ here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to tell you the truth.¡± Liam didn¡¯t back down, and that made Evelyn even more scared. ¡°Stop. Duke, please step back.¡± Evelyn forced Liam to back off and intervened in the argument between them. If their debate continued, Liam would have been killed before Adrian¡¯s matter had been resolved. And Evelyn couldn¡¯t see and let him die. ¡°Princess¡­..¡± Only Evelyn could hear Liam¡¯s whisper. She reached out and pushed Liam away. That was a very clear gesture. ¡°Please forgive the Duke¡¯s presumptuous attitude.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing for him?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s a guest of our Kingdom.¡± Evelyn made excuses, but Fabian¡¯s expression was still displeasing. ¡°And I also think this suspicion is so unfair.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I was once Your Majesty¡¯s Empress, but it¡¯s a past rtionship. So, how could you have such absurd suspicion about the little Prince¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°Absurd?¡­. Do you really think that way?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian firmly. ¡°I was wrong about you. I thought you¡¯re a wise woman.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t shy away from her gaze either, even though Evelyn¡¯s eyes were hostile towards him. ¡°And let me show you your absurdity, the ridiculous suspicion you said before, it¡¯s you who did it, not me.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Your Majesty is suspicious of our Royal family.¡± Fabian said confidently. Even though it wasn¡¯t the result of love and trust, the child born to the Empress, unconditionally was the Emperor¡¯s child. And, the child¡¯s fate as the Imperial family was unavoidable. ¡°In the long history, there were illegitimate children in the Imperial family¡­¡­. like this Prince.¡± Listening to Fabian, word by word slipped into Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°No way, will the Imperial family willing to acknowledge its existence just by hearing those words? You know it can¡¯t be.¡± In history, it wasn¡¯t umon for a child to be executed for iming as the Emperor¡¯s illegitimate son. And it was amon urrence among aristocrats too. But how did they prove bloodline? This information was known only by Evelyn, the Empress, and the person who gave birth to the child. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t intend to hurt the Prince. Just a drop of blood is enough.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?? Blood!?¡± ¡°Surely, I need blood to prove that he¡¯s the bloodline of the Imperial family. Oh, of course, I¡¯m going to take him along with you. Once you see it for yourself, you¡¯ll never call it an absurd suspicion again.¡± Fabian seemed to have confidence in him. ¡°Your Majesty, hold on. It¡¯s too sudden.¡± Even though the atmosphere was heating up, Arthur couldn¡¯t stay still and stepped in. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about this. Only ¡°So I had told you before, I didn¡¯t want to this either.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, this is a matter of suspicion. It can be solved through dialogue¡­.¡± ¡°The King of this Kingdom, too, is a fool.¡± Fabian spoke low. ¡°Don¡¯t you see what I want? Or do you want to fix your wrong-doing now?¡± Fabian seemed full of faith and gave Arthur a cruel option. Even there was a statement that Fabian would secretly cover up the matter if he admitted. But that wasn¡¯t a question Arthur could answer. Chapter 80: Let’s Go Back. Everyone¡¯s eyes filled with anguish and distrust turned to Fabian at once. ¡°Sacred relic? All of a sudden¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret relic of the Imperial family ever since the Empire was founded. There¡¯s a lot of stuff that you don¡¯t know.¡± The sad thing was, Evelyn couldn¡¯t refute that statement. She bit her lip in regret. If she knew it would be turned like this, she should have run away faster. ¡°Did you forget your marriage vows?¡± Evelyn had no idea what Fabian meant. Their love¡¯s promise and eternity to the God of marriage had already broken. ¡°You vowed that you would be a member of the Imperial family and follow the Silence Stone and the Dark Sword.¡± Evelyn remembered that sentence. However, she thought it was a symbolic sentence that was part of a long oath. The Dark Sword was a sword belonging to the first Emperor and passed down to Emperors from generation to generation. But she never heard about the Silent Stone. ¡°It has been known for a long time so that you can tell me here.¡± It was something Fabian didn¡¯t want to reveal. But what he couldn¡¯t help it, since it was Evelyn¡¯s own choice. ¡°The Silence Stone is a relic of the Imperial family. When blood is dropped on the stone, the blood of the Imperial family will seep into it without a trace, and if it¡¯s not, the blood will flow on the surface and fall to the floor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you telling me to believe in something I hear for the first time?¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice trembled. How and why such a thing could exist? Deep in her head, she believed that it was possible within the Imperial Family. But, Evelyn didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯ll show you. If you return to the Imperial family and summon the five elders, they will show this in front of you. And then you will realize how foolish you are to think you can hide something like this.¡± Fabian turned his attention to Arthur. ¡°This is a fact, and there is nothing the King can do. When it¡¯s proven, and I¡¯m wrong, I will return the Prince. Of course, I¡¯m going to apologize in person too. But if it¡¯s the other way round¡­¡­¡± It was like a warning to Evelyn. ¡°The Felice Royal family will be charged with treason for hiding the Imperial¡¯s sessor.¡± It was the worst sentence. Fabian then looked back at Evelyn. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m cruel. It¡¯s you who forced me to prove it.¡± Fabian already gave her a chance. It was an opportunity for Evelyn to admit the truth and exin her actions. Evelyn, however, denied the fact, saying it was a false suspicion until thest moment. Even though he was willing to cover up the past, Fabian wanted to do his utmost. ¡°There¡¯s no other way now. The Silent Stone only can be opened by five elders, and as long as they be witnesses, this fact cannot be kept secret.¡± It was the same for Fabian, the Emperor. Even he didn¡¯t expect to use this method. But the fact that there was no other way he could do it made him very frustrated. First of all, the elders would try to punish Evelyn for hiding this. The crimes of breaking the Imperial marriage vows and hiding a sessor were more severe than treason. ¡°I will leave tonight. Whether the Princess will apany the Prince or not, let yourself decide it.¡± Fabian felt a sudden surge of fatigue because he didn¡¯t want to do this. ¡°Leave the Duke. You may leave the King and the Queen, too. Don¡¯t you want to find out if what I said is true?¡± Fabian urately prated the psychology of others. As he said, without refuting, Liam immediately left his seat. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you guys still want to try other ways ¡­¡± Fabian addressed those words to Arthur and Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯m going to wait here until sunset.¡± Fabian looked into Evelyn¡¯s eyes one more time and presented the choices to her. This was the best kind of generosity he could give.
As soon as Evelyn returned to her residence, she lost her bnce and staggered. Evelyn felt stress that she would lose her mind now, but she couldn¡¯t. She tried to find another way. But there wasn¡¯t enough time, and Fabian was clever. ¡°Evelyn, both the Duke and your father, are looking for away.¡± Now, she couldn¡¯t even hear Miriam¡¯sfort at all. ¡°No ¡­¡­ I was stupid.¡± Evelyn said, shaking her voice. ¡°I forgot who he was for a moment. He¡¯s not someone you can lie to with such an excuse ¡­.¡± She thought that Fabian¡¯s weakened appearance for a while was a change. But that was a mistake. ¡°Maybe the silent stone exists. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s in the form of a stone, but His Majesty¡¯s eyes were true.¡± Evelyn thought that she was ready for everything at that moment. She said goodbye to Fabian as she realized that there was life in her stomach. And when she decided to give birth to Adrian and raise him as her brother, she was determined to risk her life. ¡°Your Majesty is right¡­¡­ I was stupid. I was terrified of losing my happiness. That¡¯s what blindfolded me. I was happy like a dream ¡­ I got drunk.¡± And now her decision led her family to treason. The Felice royal family was considered as a traitor. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Evelyn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I was the only one who knew who he was! And how cruel the Imperial family is!¡± Unbearable regret overtook her. ¡°If I wanted to protect Adrian, I had to leave. Your Majesty was interested in him because of me! Why I believe my dreams would never break?¡± Tears rolled down Evelyn¡¯s cheeks. She decided she would never regret it again, but it was hard to ept that Evelyn couldn¡¯t avoid the tragedy even after getting a second chance. ¡°Evelyn, wake up. Even though it¡¯s not better than the Empire, we are also a Royal family. Even now¡­.¡± Evelyn, who already knew what Miriam said, shook her head. It meant that they wanted her to run away with Adrian, no matter what. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Evelyn, you have to give up something now! We¡¯re fine. No matter how much treason wemit, our family won¡¯t be destroyed right away.¡± ¡°Will Your Majesty forgive me for that? No, little by little, he¡¯ll take everything away and make me die.¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine. Fabian wouldn¡¯t hesitate just like he did when Evelyn died in her previous life, with his indifferent look. ¡°But until when, how far can you run away¡­?¡± Evelyn¡¯s tears continued to flow. After returning to twenty, she was a fool who believed that she had escaped from a cruel fate when she asked for a divorce. ¡°I would be a sinner to Felice Family and His Majesty. But what about Adrian? Does that child have to live as a fugitive for life? What Evelyn wanted the most was Adrian¡¯s happiness. It was better to let him grow up in the imperial family than to let him lived in danger and fear every day without being able to do something. ¡°More than anything, many people will be sacrificed because of my selfish choices.¡± When threats came to the Royal family, it was almost sure that people who had nothing would lose their homes. The same thing would also happen to the Duke of Akshire, who had once helped the Felice Kingdom. ¡°Is it all right to pass on such a sin to a child who doesn¡¯t know anything yet?¡± Adrian was innocent. But what would Evelyn tell him when he grew up and learned that his existence in this world had caused many misfortunes? ¡°I can¡¯t stand it. Adrian shouldn¡¯t sacrifice himself.¡± Evelyn was right. ¡°Because you¡¯re his mother, you can do that. But what about me?¡± Miriam held Evelyn¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°We love Adrian, too. But before that, my child is you. I¡¯m your mother, and I can¡¯t see you be a sinner.¡± It was a heartbreaking remark. Evelyn was also a mother, so she hurt even more because she knew her mother¡¯s heart. ¡°I beg you¡­Whatever choice you make¡­¡­ you have to be the first.¡± Miriam pleaded with her, ¡°Promise me. You will put yourself first, above all else.¡± There was sadness in Evelyn¡¯s eyes, ¡°You know that I can¡¯t do that.¡± For her daughter Evelyn, Miriam had forgotten herself. It¡¯s no different from Evelyn. But Miriam knew that she couldn¡¯t stop her daughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Evelyn wiped the tears on her cheeks. ¡°I must meet His Majesty¡­.¡± ¡°Do you have any thoughts?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But we still have to meet.¡± Seeing Evelyn¡¯s determined eyes, Miriam nodded reluctantly and said nothing. The only person who could solve this problem was Evelyn, the party concerned. Even if Adrian was taken away like this, Evelyn had to bring him herself. ¡°My father, please tell him not to try anything. You should stop him.¡± Arthur was a warrior, brave enough to be called the golden lion on the battlefield when he was young. Even though he was old now, the mes in his heart had never died. In the worst-case scenario, the war would happen in this Kingdom. ¡°I don¡¯t want to erase the light of Adrian¡¯s innocent life,¡± said Evelyn. No one should die in Adrian¡¯s name. A child who didn¡¯t know anything couldn¡¯t be a sinner. ¡°The same is true with Akshire. I don¡¯t want reckless sacrifices.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me a very difficult request.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I always cause trouble.¡± Miriam wiped away Evelyn¡¯s tears, ¡°All children are like that. No matter how old you are, you¡¯re our child. So you don¡¯t have to be sorry.¡± ¡°The only thing parents can¡¯t forgive is that their children go wrong first. Anything else is fine. No matter what you do¡­ But, I can never forgive myself for that.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t answer. It seemed like her heart hurt so much if she made a promise that she couldn¡¯t keep. So, Evelyn couldn¡¯t promise anything.
Fabian greeted Evelyn calmly, as though expecting her arrival. He was looking forward to a time like this toe. ¡°Have you changed your mind?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t answer. Fabian couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty for a moment as he looked at her eyes, ¡°Ha¡­I don¡¯t want to make you sad.¡± He made an honest statement to her. ¡°What I want to do is vice versa.¡± Fabian walked slowly, standing in front of Evelyn. There was no cold and gloomy atmosphere like before. There was a sense of warmth in his dark eyes that stared at Evelyn¡¯s. ¡°Whatever excuse you make, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Fabian continued to speak at Evelyn, who kept her mouth shut. ¡°I came here with that determination from the very beginning. I won¡¯t ask you why, and how did you hide it? I won¡¯t ask anything like that until the day I die.¡± How did a husband feel when his wife left him with his child in her arms? But Fabian said that he was willing to cover everything. ¡°You just have to go back with me.¡± After that night, it was the only wish that he had all this time for Evelyn since she said goodbye. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Fabian gently took Evelyn¡¯s hand, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of anything. Now, I can take you and the child back and live the life we should have lived.¡± Evelyn looked down silently at Fabian¡¯s hand, holding her hand. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone talk nonsense about you and your child. No, if anyone mentions it, I¡¯ll stop and shut them up.¡± Fabian said with a desperate voice. ¡°So, all you have to do is go back to your ce.¡± His low voice rang out in the night. ¡°If you have any resentment that remains when you left me, let¡¯s take it with you too. And you can release that hatred by my side until you¡¯re satisfied¡­.and it¡¯s over.¡± There were a lot of things Fabian wanted to say. About how lonely he was after Evelyn disappeared, and why was the scent of the golden-wood tree so painful? Why did he hate himself? And how could he get rid of all that sadness? Only ¡°Evelyn¡­.let¡¯s go back.¡± Fabian touched Evelyn¡¯s cheek, looking deeply into her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet¡­. We still have a long time to be together.¡± There was only Evelyn¡¯s reflection in his dark eyes. Not the existence of a sessor, nor his child. But the onlypanion he loved the most in his life. ¡­¡­and still he loved until now. Chapter 81: The Last Card Fabian¡¯s feelings that poured in the darkness touched Evelyn¡¯s heart. His sincerity and his willingness to lower his self-esteem struck Evelyn¡¯s heart like an ice de. If it were an easy problem, it wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce. ¡°Evelyn¡­¡± Evelyn shook her head slowly at his low call. Then, Fabian¡¯s ck eyes were perplexed with disappointment. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Evelyn said, breathing out. Fabian took his hand off her cheek in a daze. But his ck eyes kept staring at Evelyn. Even though he said he would cover everything, Fabian felt bitter when she rejected him. ¡°There¡¯s any other reason you haven¡¯t told me? No¡­ was there a reason in the first ce?¡± Fabian said with painful voice, to console himself. ¡°I never hurt you, but what¡¯s keeping us so apart? Why do you hate me so much that you hid my child and raised him alone?¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart ached, she closed her eyes painfully and opened them. It was impossible to say that she had returned to twenty after she died at thirty. It was a hard thing to believe for everyone, including Fabian. Even if he understood, Fabian would say that he was different from his previous life because he was such a person. ¡°I asked Your Majesty to divorce because I wasn¡¯t happy.¡± Evelyn said calmly, ¡°And¡­ nothing else. I returned to my country because I couldn¡¯t be happy by your side, and Adrian is my younger brother. It has nothing to do with him.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t admit it to the end?¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes that stared at Evelyn cooled in a second. In contrast to her fragile look, Evelyn was very stubborn. Fabian knew that, but he didn¡¯t expect she would stick even in such an extreme situation. The entire Felice Royal family will be used of treason against the Empire. And Fabian, who tried his best, holding on to everything from bereaving, was mad. ¡°Am I a terrible human being to you? Now, what¡¯s the difference between living with me and dying? ¡° It waspletely different. But Evelyn wasn¡¯t able to exin it. She didn¡¯t even fully understand what happened to her. But she was greedy to convince Fabian. No, if Fabian were a man capable of that, her first marriage wouldn¡¯t have been miserable. ¡°Will you believe me if I say no? I don¡¯t care what Your Majesty says to me or how you punish me¡­.. ¡­ that¡¯s fine. If the misunderstanding is aimed at me.¡± Evelyn tried to press her chaotic emotions and spoke calmly, ¡°But not the Prince¡­..¡± Fabian¡¯s face frowned at the words. ¡°To the end, you drive me into a tyrant and make me like a fool.¡± A cold chill filled with anger rose silently. Just staring at her made Fabian felt a burning feeling. ¡°What? Are you willing to be punished for my misunderstanding? As long as it¡¯s not the Prince?¡± Ha¡­..Fabianughed, looking at Evelyn sternly. There was no sign of emotion left in his face. ¡°Your Majesty. I-I¡¯m, just¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me anymore, or attempt to hurt me.¡± Evelyn¡¯s hands were still clenched and felt tight. ¡°No matter how precious you are, there¡¯s a limit to my patience.¡± Fabian¡¯s big hand squeezed Evelyn¡¯s wrist tightly, then threw it away, leaving red marks on her skin. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­.. Are you the same woman I once married to?¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn with eyes that couldn¡¯t hide his feelings of loss, ¡°No matter how much you hate me, you won¡¯t be able to avoid this situation.¡± It was more humiliating and shameful than any rejection Fabian had ever experienced. And the one who said that was Evelyn, whom he still considered as his only lifepanion. ¡°I see¡­Thest chance I gave you was nothing but a piece of trash.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sounded cold. ¡°The departures will be at night as scheduled. Choose who will apany him.¡± At that moment, Evelyn knelt in front of Fabian, ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to listen to your mislead thoughts.¡± Despite her harsh words, Evelyn lowered her head, bending her knees. And when Fabian wanted to leave, she grabbed his shoes. ¡°Even if you bend your knees all your life, I can¡¯t ignore my child.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I want to beg,¡± said Evelyn. Fabian opened his eyes.
¡°If I remember correctly ¡­ the oaths, promises and confessions in front of the five elders who gathered in the Imperial family are above the court¡¯s judgement.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was a new question. However, Fabian soon understood what she meant and red at Evelyn, ¡°No way, don¡¯t tell me¡­.¡± Evelyn raised her head and looked up at Fabian, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t even bring it up. You¡¯ll regret it.¡± Instead of answering back, Evelyn held on to Fabian¡¯s ankle, showing her strong will. ¡°Please Your Majesty, let me ask for a duel.¡± Fabian sighed for a moment. He didn¡¯t think that there was still such a way. Well, that was a method that an ordinary woman couldn¡¯t even imagine. ¡°I am a woman, but I know that it¡¯s a duel where you have to fight and take each other¡¯s lives.¡± It wasn¡¯t wrong. It wasn¡¯tmon in history, but it was justified legally. They would debate right and wrong with each other¡¯s questions under the guidance of the five elders. And the wrong-side would lose their life. It was an honourable death after a duel and wouldn¡¯t be subject to punishment. ¡°This suspicion will be a shackle that will destroy the future of the little Prince. So, if Your Majesty dares to bring out that suspicion and prove it in front of others, I must also dare to risk my life.¡± Evelyn pulled out herst card. Her death would happen as soon as Fabian was able to prove that Adrian was his son. It was a ruthless and despicable method, but Evelyn had already put down her pride. She could do it a thousand more times as long as she could return to her everyday life by begging and boiling her knees like this. But unexpectedly, Fabian took her card, ¡°If you really want it, I can¡¯t help it.¡± He reached out and raised Evelyn by force, ¡°If you don¡¯t change your mind until the Elder gathers, you can do that.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll sorry, then.¡± Since Evelyn risked her life, she hoped that Fabian would be confused because his suspicions were wrong. In fact, Fabian¡¯s doubts were the only way for Evelyn to live. That¡¯s why she threw thest card. ¡°Since you have a high spirit for risking your life, I will give you one more suggestion,¡± Fabian said casually with an indifferent look, as usual. ¡°Your way to the Imperial Pce would be invisible, different from before. I mean, until the elderse together, you still have time to reverse your decision.¡± It wouldn¡¯t happen. Evelyn covered her mouth with determined eyes. Fabian looked at Evelyn for a moment and turned his back first, not wishing to see her frustrated face. It was better. But on the other hand, Evelyn was used to seeing Fabian turning his back first.
By the Emperor¡¯s order, the entourage was organized on a minimal scale. Fabian wanted to cover up this matter to the end if possible, and to do so; he had to avoid the crowd. Evelyn was allowed to bring one maid, Nora, and he limited the carriage escort she was riding with Adrian. Only two knights from the Felice Kingdom who would apany them. The Emperor¡¯s guard was alone so that Fabian couldn¡¯t refuse it. ¡°Thank you for staying asleep in this mess,¡± Evelyn said, smiling at Adrian, who fell asleep in Nora¡¯s arms in a shaking carriage. Perhaps he knew her mother¡¯s heart to protect him with her own body. But Adrian was an exceptionally gentle and kind child from childhood. ¡°Please close your eyes for a while too, Princess¡± Nora looked so worried, but it was impossible. The carriage shook violently as it travelled across the ck Veil forest, and there was an even greater uproar in Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°His Majesty doesn¡¯t seem to be lying. Perhaps, the Silent Stone does exist. I knew it when I saw His Majesty¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡°Then, all the truth¡­.¡± Nora stopped talking and shut her mouth quickly, ¡°Princess, what will you do?¡± Before leaving the royal pce, Arthur and Miriam gave a mandate to Nora, to put Evelyn¡¯s safety as the top priority. Nora agreed with their idea. When all the truths were revealed, Adrian could be safe because he was an Imperial family, but Evelyn would be sentenced as a traitor to the imperial family. ¡°I¡¯ll stop His Majesty from using the Silent Stone.¡± ¡°You still insist on a duel of truth that will take your life¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Evelyn said with determined eyes. ¡°Your Majesty will choose whether to kill me and take Adrian back to the Imperial Pce, or cover up all these problems.¡± It was like risking her life in a war. This was the most dangerous game to y. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Nora asked uneasily. Not long ago, Evelyn frequently exchanged letters with Fabian. There might be some emotional changes between the two. There was little faith that Fabian would save Evelyn¡¯s life even if he had to give up his sessor. ¡°No.,¡± she said. However, Nora¡¯s hopes had fallen apart. ¡°It¡¯s an easy choice for him. If he takes Adrian away, I¡¯m going to die. So it¡¯s not a waste to risk my life.¡± said Evelyn. ¡°Princess! Think of the King Majesty and the Queen.¡± Evelyn was a selfish daughter. But she couldn¡¯t help it because she was a mother too. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. I don¡¯t want to die until Adrian grows up.¡± Nora nodded, seeing Evelyn¡¯s faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ll show him how strong my determination is.¡± ¡°Will it work?¡± ¡°At least he should know what to choose.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t believe Evelyn¡¯s decision at all. He easily took her away because he thought it was just her bluff. It was natural for Fabian to think so. The mistake that Evelyn made wasn¡¯t big enough to believe that she would choose death rather than returning to the Imperial family. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far against Your Majesty¡¯s will,¡± Nora said, looking worried. Rumour had it, the Emperor, who ascended the throne at a young age, was very cold-blooded. Evelyn, who returned from her divorce, also said that he was a heartless and indifferent man. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte.¡± Only Just in time, the rocking carriage stopped. Outside the carriage, she heard a resting sound. Evelyn dressed up as if she wouldn¡¯t put off her decision. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Without a break, Evelyn stepped out of the carriage. Nora could only hug Adrian, who was asleep restlessly. Now there was no other way but to pray. May the Emperor would release this child. So that a peaceful life could continue .¡ª¡ª- It seemed, everyone¡¯s hearts were the same. Chapter 82: The Devil Ey Logan, who escorted Evelyn¡¯s carriage, bowed his head as Evelyn said that she wanted to meet the Emperor. However, Fabian already knew this would happen as soon as she requested for a duel. Logan led Evelyn into the shade of a nearby tree. A simple chair and table were ced there for the Emperor to rest. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn briefly gave an example. With a nce, Fabian offered Evelyn a seat beside him. ¡°Did you change your mind?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± ¡°Why did you find me, then?¡± The wind blew between the two who sat across from each other, shaking the leaves. Today¡¯s night sky would have been clear if it weren¡¯t for this situation. ¡°To tell you about my decision.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard it all before.¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty still doesn¡¯t know what I mean.¡± Fabian lowered his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t seem to like it when Evelyn judged him. ¡°After this conversation, I won¡¯t say anything to your Majesty.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It means that my decision is final, and all other choices are yours. I mean, I won¡¯t change my mind until the end, so Your Majesty doesn¡¯t have to give me a chance to change my mind anymore.¡± Fabian watched Evelyn coolly. He understood what she meant inside his brain. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help it because his heart had already broken. He hated Evelyn for pushing him away every time he reached out over and over again. ¡°But if Your Majesty still wants to prove that absurd suspicion, I will risk my life and ask for a duel of truth. No matter what the result. Your Majesty and I, one of us, will lose their life and honour. And that fact¡­¡­.the Elder will know.¡± Fabian had previously felt this rage. It felt simr to the time when he found that Evelyn had asked the Vatican to help her divorce. ¡°You¡¯re still a coward.¡± Always. It was a two-person problem, but Evelyn always pushed Fabian away and got others to interfere. Evelyn¡¯s badness was that she couldn¡¯t stick to something she loved, regardless of what she did. And Fabian considered her attitude, which always took advantage of the fact that he was the Emperor, was worse than anything. ¡°I have no power, unlike Your Majesty, so I can¡¯t help it.¡± Evelyn knew that, but she didn¡¯t regret it. Fabian was an Emperor, a daunting foe to face. Regardless of the means and methods, the Emperor¡¯s authority was overwhelming. ¡°So, Your Majesty has to make the final decision. By all means, you have to¡­¡± Evelyn looked straight through his eyes. But Fabian turned his gaze before her words were over. ¡°Fine.¡± It was a quick and unexpected answer. Evelyn couldn¡¯t catch what was he said with a confused look. But it seemed that Fabian had no intention of listening to her any further. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a threat or a gamble. If you want it, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Fabian said coldly, ¡°Pfft¡­no way, were you surprised to know this ¡®thing¡¯ will continue?¡± Evelyn even forgot to say something. At least, she thought that he would be worried, but it turned out that Fabian¡¯s attitude was very different from what she had expected. ¡°Don¡¯t test my love anymore.¡± It was a very unimagined word. Fabian was as calm as usual, but he couldn¡¯t hide the wounds in his ck eyes. ¡°I have a heart, too. Everyone in this world dares to hurt me, but you¡¯re different. Only you¡­¡­who shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± She loved him at one time. Although Fabian didn¡¯t know why Evelyn hated him so much now, it was real. If Adrian was the fruit of their love, then Fabian couldn¡¯t stand back. She might have asked him for forgiveness or vice versa, he might have said he would forgive everything, but it was out of the question to beg for more love. ¡°At that time. You asked the Vatican for help in divorcing me without a word. As if you already knew that I would issue an edict on the one-sided notice.¡± Fabian epted the divorce in anger. And there¡¯s no way Evelyn didn¡¯t know his personality. ¡°I won¡¯t get hit twice.¡± He would instead refuse a divorce and be disgraced by the Vatican. Sometimes, there was something more important than pride. It was none other than Evelyn in front of his eyes who taught it. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t care about my honour. If someone speaks, then I just need to p his throat. That¡¯s all. Do you think I can¡¯t kill them just because they¡¯re elders?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face hardened, and she looked pale, feeling angry at Fabian. ¡°But, you promised to return Adrian and me to the Kingdom¡­.¡± ¡°A promise? Does that have any meaning between us? You¡¯re the one who broke the most important promise first.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Evelyn rose from her seat and red at Fabian. However, the knights around her were Emperor¡¯s aide. Felice¡¯s royal knights, which were few, would be defeated quickly. Besides, she was currently in the middle of a haunted- ck Veil forest. ¡°Don¡¯t even think to run away. If you meet demons tonight, you won¡¯t be able to convince them by words.¡± Evelyn bit her lips tightly, ¡°You¡¯re a coward, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± There was no guarantee that Fabian would keep his promises. But she didn¡¯t know it was going to turn out like this. ¡°Your Majesty, I know you as a man who wouldn¡¯t use this kind of trick. That¡¯s why I followed you.¡± ¡°Then you, as I know you, weren¡¯t a person who will take my heart hostage and use a trick like this.¡± It seemed that the conversation between the two was already enough. Nothing would change when they listened to each other with hateful looks. Only the cold night breeze that drifted away. ¡°I won¡¯t go as Your Majesty¡¯s wish.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll see¡±, Fabian said and stood up. He no longer wanted to argue and hear hurtful words. But suddenly, a big wind hovered again when she tried to say something. Evelyn, who was clueless, could even sense something unpleasant and dubious. At that time, without a second thought, Fabian pulled Evelyn quickly. ¡°Your Majesty!!!!¡± ¡°Back.¡± Fabian caught hold of Evelyn¡¯s arm and leaned her next to him, looking around with cautious eyes. Without orders, the knights were already on alert and paying attention to their surroundings. Once again, there was another strong wind. Evelyn frowned at the fishy, unpleasant smell. It didn¡¯t take her long to recall the same experience in memory. ¡®This smell, at that time¡­..the scent of Wyverns blood that attacked the festival day! It was a distinctively fishy smell that wafted from the demons. And when she realized it, Evelyn¡¯s heart started beating fast. ¡°Your Majesty, this scent is like the smell of a Wyvern at that time.¡± Fabian nodded and put his index finger to his mouth, telling her not to make a sound. The cold wind that continued to blow without stopping had created a tense atmosphere in the darkness. Ever since the first wind blew, Fabian seemed to have realized the demon¡¯s presence. ¡°Go to the carriage¡±, Fabian whispered low. In the event of a battle, staying in a closed ce was rtively much safer. Evelyn nodded. And fortunately, Adrian was still inside the carriage, as it was the only safe ce right now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The demons won¡¯t attack you in this forest.¡± Fabian¡¯s outspoken voice sounded like he was trying to reassure Evelyn. ¡°My knights and I aren¡¯t weak.¡± Evelyn had beenforted by his words. For the first time, Evelyn felt grateful that Fabian and the ck Eagle Knights were so strong. ¡°Now, slow down.¡± Fabian tried to open the way for her, but a gale blew again. Evelyn suddenly stopped unconsciously, and Fabian held her arm again. Before long, a knight¡¯s scream could be heard from a distance. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s a knight¡¯s voice of the Felice Kingdom!!¡± Evelyn was frightened out of the blue and shouted out loud. ¡°They¡¯re guarding the carriage, Adrian¡¯s carriage!!!¡± Fabian held firmly to Evelyn, who was about to run, and he whistled. ¡°Looks like the knights guarding the carriage must have been attacked by a demon. But the carriage is safe¡±. Evelyn could barely breathe when Serus reported the situation. ¡°How many monsters are there?¡± asked Fabian. ¡°I can¡¯t see it¡­¡­seems to be flying.¡± Fabian swallowed up his curses. It was bad luck to meet a flying demon on the dead of night. However, there was no room to me the current situation. Fabian should be able to choose his priorities after seeing Evelyn shuddered beside him. ¡°Go to the carriage quietly and stay still with the Prince.¡± But Evelyn didn¡¯t answer. Even for trained knights, the demon was a terrifying terror. So there was no way Evelyn, who was an ordinary woman, could be calm in these circumstances. ¡°I will be standing here, so in the meantime, go to the carriage. Don¡¯t be afraid, go straight.¡± ¡°Yes¡­..?¡± Evelyn was puzzled. Did Fabian, the Emperor want to use himself as bait so she could escape? ¡°The demon only target me.¡± The unbelievable idea was right, and Fabian appeared as calm as usual. ¡°You want to protect the Prince, don¡¯t you?¡± said Fabian after he saw Evelyn¡¯s hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s what I see¡­¡± Just as Evelyn wished to protect Adrian, Fabian also wanted to protect Evelyn as well. Although she was a woman who hated him so much until a while ago, he couldn¡¯t give her to the demon. ¡°Why¡­¡­ to me.¡± Her throat was choked up. A mix of emotions filled Evelyn¡¯s heart, not knowing whether it was sadness, regret, or affectionate. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± ¡°Only when you¡¯re alive you can hate me.¡± Feeling confused, Evelyn bit her lip in a fright. The fishy scent that carried by the wind had gotten stronger than before. She couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate. Same like Fabian¡¯s heart, it was true that she wanted to protect Adrian too. ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s Devil Eye! Their flock ising!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Damn it!¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t help but swear this time after hearing Serus¡¯s cry. The Devil Eye was a troublesome demon with bat wings and eyeballs as big as a human head. Fabian thought they were extinct now, but they weren¡¯t. ¡°They have poison, so don¡¯t touch them as much as possible!¡± Fabian took off his robe and put it over Evelyn¡¯s head, ¡°Individually, they are weak demons, so if you¡¯re on the carriage, you won¡¯t get hurt.¡± Almost at the same time, a crowd of ck creatures scattered in the gust of wind. Evelyn fastened her robe and ran to the carriage. ¡®Kiik!¡±Kiik!¡±Kiik!¡¯ Her ear was pierced painfully by a barbaric sound. She was terrified. The sound of the leaves blowing in the wind felt like a demon¡¯s cry. And the bat¡¯s wings pping noise fueled the horror even more. ¡®Kiak!¡¯ In front of Evelyn¡¯s eyes, arge eyeball-shaped Devil Eye flew straight to her. They said that if people were too afraid, they couldn¡¯t even hear a single word. And now, it happened to her. ¡°Go!¡± Logan, the ck Hawk knight, struck the eyeball with his sword. Despite her confusion in the middle of chaos, Evelyn didn¡¯t forget to head for Adrian. ¡°Ah!¡± But from the opposite direction that Evelyn was heading, arger group of Devil Eye wasing. The sound of pping wings overshadowed the whole sense like a huge storm. ¡°Ca-carriage, the carriage¡­.!¡± They were still far away, but quite close. The howling horse¡¯s voice which was startled by the Devil Eye and the roaring screams of the monsters that were continuously vomiting, aroused Evelyn worried. When Evelyn¡¯s gaze managed to find the carriage, she made eye contact with the clumsy coachman who couldn¡¯t move the horse. But suddenly, when the demons rushed in, he held the whip in his hand in fear. ¡°No, wait!!!¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was hidden by the hordes of demons and couldn¡¯t be heard. The coachman lost his mind and whipped the horse in panic. And with a loud sound, the carriage started to dash as if it would break anytime soon. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go! Stop!¡± Evelyn forgot about her fear. Only She took off her cloak and shouted. But the carriage was getting farther away. ¡°Please! Don¡¯t go, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Evelyn ran in tears, chasing after the carriage before she tripped and fell. Fabian, who came runningte, approached Evelyn and raised her body. ¡°Your Majesty, the carriage,¡­.. Adrian¡­¡­¡± Evelyn, who seemed would be fainting at any moment, murmured. Strangely, the sound of pping wings also sounded away. When Fabian turned his head at Serus, he nodded his head firmly. Evelyn panicked and didn¡¯t realize it, but the flock of Devil Eyes chased after Adrian¡¯s carriage. That¡¯s why this ce was quiet now. ¡°Adrian¡­¡­¡± Chapter 83: Within The Cave The moment Fabian saw Evelyn¡¯s trembling hand, he threw away his hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m going to save him.¡± Fabian whispered to Evelyn, and he got on his horse immediately, spurring it to the direction the carriage was heading for. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Serus was one stepte. He attempted to discourage him from doing so, but he failed. So he quickly got on his horse, chasing Fabian. They were apanied by the knights who were still alive. The only one left was Logan, who was ordered to protect Evelyn. ¡°Me, too, I ¡®m going too.¡± ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s better than staying here.¡± Logan agreed. It was riskier to stay in the forest where there was nobody else besides the two of them. ¡°Hold on tight, because I will drive the horse fast.¡± He carried Evelyn on the front of his horse and ran across the forest. Logan couldn¡¯t see well in the dark, but he sensed that the sound of the demon¡¯s wings was getting closer. Evelyn struggled not to fall off the rough horse. Meanwhile, the running carriage looked like a ck cloud wrapped around by a group of Devil Eyes at a distance. Fabian gathered all his strength and followed behind it. He had to end this chase quickly since horses and humans would run out of stamina first. ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s a cave in the east!¡± Serus¡¯s voice sounded d. Devil Eye was basically a bat-like demon. A research found that their giant eyeball was colorless and had little vision, and they sensed the direction by hearing the sound waves. So, if the flock of Devil Eye was driven into a narrow cave, they would be trapped and turned into chaos, not knowing where to fly. ¡°Shoot the me arrows, steer the carriage¡¯s horses!¡± Fabian¡¯s order was delivered, and some arrows of fire shed in front of him. The carriage shook violently and then turned around. ¡°I¡¯m going in to the cave!¡± Fabian also sped up his horse. The me arrows were shot to the wheel at the back of the carriage, making it easier for him to follow the light. The fire wheel was swallowed up into the cave as a nned. Fabian and Serus then stopped in front of the cave¡¯s entrance. ¡°What about the explosives?¡± ¡°I have one. Before that, does Your Majesty has an antidote?¡± Fabian nodded. To send the Emperor into a ce like this, Serus must have a minimum of safety equipment. ¡°If I give a signal, detonate the explosives. Then burn all the demons that fall to the ground and those who revolte¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill it.¡± The knights standing behind Serus nodded together. They were just four, but they were able to defeat the demons because they had a geographical advantage over the cave¡¯s shape. ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡± Fabian stepped into the cave. As predicted, a group of Devil Eyes smashed into the cave wall and dropped to the ground. Still, as a demon, they roared fiercely and didn¡¯t give up easily. ¡°It¡¯s a terrible thing.¡± Fabian cut the Devil Eye, which flew in front of him with a sword. The smell of demon blood was really disgusting, especially when it mixed with humid air. The cave was getting narrower and more crowded with Devil Eyes. So there was only darkness in front of Fabian right now. ¡°Your Majesty, the carriage is in the north¡­ it has been overthrown!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Fabian shed the demon right in front of him again. Then he hurried to the direction of the carriage. He didn¡¯t know what was driving him this far, but Fabian felt like he had to go. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­Please do note!!!¡± The knight¡¯s voice suddenly rang out in the dark. ¡°There are so many of them!!!¡± The knight¡¯s breath was panting. Fabian finally saw a disturbing sight in front of his eyes. He sighed, then got off his horse and plunged into the fierce battlefield. It was a demon¡¯s immortality, which never died despite being cut many times. The endless sounds of monster death kept ringing in the cave and made his head hurt. Fabian didn¡¯t know how many eyeballs he had to cut just to take one step forward. ¡°Hah, hah, hah¡­..¡± Fabian¡¯s breathing was getting harder without realizing it. Extreme fatigue overwhelmed him. But he couldn¡¯t stop moving. He found the carriage¡¯s window that had fallen sideways was right in front of him. ¡°Die, you filthy things!¡± When Fabian wielded his sword, some of the Devil Eyes fell down again. Just then did he see that the window of the carriage was broken. Inside, a maid with an almost fainting face was desperately holding the crying Adrian. Yet, suddenly, the swarm of demons came rushing in endlessly. As if they had been targeting the carriage from the start. And Fabian didn¡¯t have time to get there. ¡°Why, they¡¯re running around here.¡± It was strange. A Demon initially attacked a big person. Besides, Devil Eye didn¡¯t have the intelligence to n or cooperate. They should only aim and target nearby prey. So Fabian didn¡¯t understand why they could catch up here even though there was an obstacle called a carriage. ¡°Stop! Die!¡± Another demon corpse had copsed. But still, it was like a situation where three people woulde out together after one of their friends was cut. And it seemed that this carriage was their only target. ¡°Did the Vatican send you again?¡± Fabian¡¯s chilling anger made the Devil Eyes flustered. ¡®Khikkk!¡¯ ¡®Khikk!¡± Their screams were like scratching Fabian¡¯s ears. The blood sttered everywhere, and the cry of a child trapped in the carriage made the current situation almost like hell. A Devil Eye suddenly crashed into the carriage window. At this rate, Adrian would be in danger. Fabian positioned his shield, the only armor he had, on the window and blocked the carriage with his own body. ¡°Tell the master who controls you.¡± There was a lot of life in the dark. ¡°Today¡¯s incident won¡¯t be redeemed by just his death. If he dare try to harm my thing¡­. He better beg me to kill him.¡± His low voice sounded like a curse. Spratt! The demon blood sshed into Fabian¡¯s face. He shed his sword recklessly as if he didn¡¯t care about doing the massacre. He swung his sword for someone else¡¯s sake for the first time in his life. Fabian didn¡¯t realize it, but this was the first time he had fought to protect something that he kept behind him. ¡°Serus, are the explosives ready?¡± This fight wasn¡¯t difficult because of the rage that was different from before. ¡°¡­It¡¯s almost done!¡± ¡°Blow it up as soon as you¡¯re ready! They¡¯re too many!!¡± Fabian was literally attempting to rip all those demons to death with his own hands, if possible. But if he did, Adrian would pass out from over crying. For some reason, Fabian didn¡¯t want to see that boy cry. But he hated Evelyn¡¯s crying more than that. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ll blow it up! Watch your ears!¡± But Fabian couldn¡¯t hear it because Serus¡¯ words were swallowed by the sound of the Demon Eyes pping. Krackkk!!!! A huge explosion sounded through the cave and made Fabian¡¯s ears almost deaf. Looking around, most of the Devil Eyes blew up and fell. The rest was the job of Serus and the other knights to get rid of it since there were no longer demons around the carriage. ¡°We just need to clean up what we see now.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes glistened gruesomely. As he said, after swinging his sword a few times, he could see the air instead of the damned Devil Eye. He sheathed his sword and took out the shield that protected the carriage window. But, at that moment, he heard the deafening sound of something crumbling. Gruduckkk¡­.. His hearing hadn¡¯t returned, but Fabian could immediately understand what was going on as he looked back. The big explosion that happened just now had destroyed part of the cave, too. ¡°I must say that he was a lucky kid ¡­.¡± But it wasn¡¯t t a very pleasant situation. Even though the ce where the pile of stones copsed was just a few steps ahead of the carriage. ¡°Your Majesty, are you alright?! The demons have already been cleaned up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay here. I¡¯ll take a look at the Prince, so get rid of this first.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Fabian, whomunicated with Serus through a gap in the pile of stones, opened the creaking carriage door. ¡°Oh, she passed out.¡± The old maid was bleeding on her forehead as she bumped her head when the carriage fell. Yet she deserved to be rewarded for hugging the Prince to the end. In return, Fabian personally pulled both the maid and Adrian out of the carriage. ¡°Huh¡­¡­ Ugh¡­.¡± Adrian was about to burst out the tears he had been holding back. After Nora passed out, he was so afraid of the demon¡¯s attack that he closed his eyes tightly while Fabian killed all Devil Eyes. ¡°Huaaaa Ji¡­.moo*!¡±!¡±!¡± (T/N: ? ( Jim) means ''I'' / ''Me'' used by a King/ Emperor. Fabian used to refer to himself as ? when he spoke. So Adrian called him ''??'' ( Jimoo ) I couldn''t trante it since it''s like a person name ) For Adrian right now, Fabian was like a hero in a fairy tale. He was the one who came to rescue him after ying the scary demon. Adrian¡¯s whole body was wet with sweat and tears. With his hands wide opened, he begged Fabian to hug him while shedding tears. ¡°Jimoo! T- The demon,¡­. I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m scared!¡± Fabian hugged the child who came to him in fear. There was no other way but to embrace his soft, thin body, which hadn¡¯t yet dried up. ¡°There¡¯s no demon anymore. I killed all of them, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t know the right words to soothe a child. So this was the best he could do. ¡°No demon? Jimoo, did you win?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Yes.¡± It was clear that he killed them, but Fabian chose not to correct Adrian¡¯s words. He also decided not to mind his title right now. ¡°Evelyn? Evelyn, is she hurt?¡± ¡°She¡¯s okay. The demons was defeated by me.¡± Fabian said tofort Adrian, who was shedding a bit of tear, pulled him closer, and made eye contact. Then Adrian¡¯s attention turned to his cold -ck eyes. ¡°Jimoo¡­¡­ looks so cool.¡± Adrian, speaking shyly, hugged Fabian in the neck. ¡°Hey¡­hey, stop.¡± It was too difficult for Fabian to deal with a child. Mostly if his entire body was covered with demonic blood. He held Adrian awkwardly. But, Adrian, who seemed oblivious to that, just leaned his cheek to Fabian. ¡°Jimoo, you saved me. The demon¡­wanted to kill Adrian¡­ I was so scared¡­¡± Fabian could tell from his voice that Adrian started to cry again. He felt embarrassed and patted Adrian on the back. Fabian hugged him tightly, then the child¡¯s breathing seemed a bit more steady. ¡°Keep going, keep going. Kill Adrian!¡­..the demon said that, I was afraid of them¡­¡­¡­I want to see Evelyn.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see her soon.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­.¡± Perhaps because of the fear, Adrian¡¯s body was hot. ¡°Jimoo, you¡¯re a ck hawk. You¡¯re brave¡­ You¡¯re strong.¡± Adrian had to be very shocked. There was no strength in his muttering voice. ¡°Protect Evelyn, too. Demon¡­.. it¡¯s so cold¡­¡­ Adrian hurts.¡± ¡°What?¡± at a moment¡¯s notice, Fabian examined Adrian¡¯s body, touching him in some part. He quickly picked up Adrian and looked up at his face. Unlike before, Adrian¡¯s gaze kept dropping. ¡°The monster bit me with his teeth, it hurts ¡­¡± Fabian had never heard of a Devil Eyes assaulting a human by biting with their teeth. But nothing was impossible since it was a demon, after all. Besides, it was hard to perfectly protect the child from the countless hordes of demons. ¡°Adrian, look into my eyes. Tell me, where were you bitten?¡± Hugging Fabian, Adrian¡¯s head fell even limper. On the back of his plump hands, Fabian saw vicious tooth marks and blood. ¡°Jimoo. If the demonses again¡­¡­..will you protect Adrian again?¡± Fabian¡¯s heart was beating nervously as he felt that Adrian¡¯s forehead was hot as if it were burning. ¡°Yes, I will protect you.¡± But Adrian had lost consciousness before he could hear the answer. ¡°Adrian?¡± For the first time, since he was born, this was the first time that Fabian¡¯s hand trembled with fear. But he must regain Adrian¡¯s consciousness as soon as possible. He examined the demon¡¯s bite mark, lifted him, andid Adrian down. Only ¡°Damn it.¡± Why didn¡¯t he find it earlier? As Fabian hurriedly turned Adrian¡¯s back, blood was flowing through countless bite marks. Counting the amount was pointless because the bleeding was quite severe. He could no longer smell human blood, as it was covered in the stench of demon blood. ¡°Adrian¡­..Adrian, open your eyes.¡± His heart seemed to fall into despair. The little hand that hugged him a while ago was no longer moving. ¡°Adrian!!!¡± The little boy tried hard to hold back his tears, said that he was cool, and thanked him. But Fabian just couldn¡¯t protect this one. Chapter 84: The Blood Flows In You When Evelyn arrived inside the cave, a scene of despair unfolded before her eyes. The view in the cave, where mes lit the knights in several ces was like Hell. The cave¡¯s ground was filled with the corpses of Devil Eye, and the disgusting smell of demon blood made it hard for her to breathe properly. ¡°Adrian, how about Adrian?¡± But everything became a problem when she confirmed Adrian¡¯s safety. Evelyn shook off the knight¡¯s hand, trying to stop her and ran inside. But soon, her steps stopped when she saw that a pile of stones blocked the narrow cavern passage. ¡°No way, is he over there? Adrian, is he safe?¡± ¡°Princess, please calm down. The Prince is safe. His Majesty is with him.¡± But, Serus¡¯ answer left Evelyn more confused. ¡°I used explosives to destroy the demons, but the fragile cave ground also copsed. But before that, His Majesty already went to the carriage to save the Prince and defeat all the demons. We will remove this stone rubble soon.¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes. The knights are still working on it. Over there, on the less stony side, you can hear His Majesty¡¯s voice.¡± ¡°Where?! That way?!¡± Evelyn hurriedly went to that ce without hearing his answer. She walked on a demon corpse several times, but he couldn¡¯t stop her feet because of this. ¡°Princess, I need to tell you something first.¡± Evelyn suddenly had a bad hunch as Serus grabbed her hand. She was sure that Fabian saved Adrian, but why did her heart beating so fast? ¡°I will tell you the whole situation, so please listen calmly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Go ahead and tell me!¡± ¡°His Majesty said that the Prince was wounded by a demon.¡± Evelyn¡¯s lips quivered all of a sudden, listening to him. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤W-Why is he now, no. How can he get hurt!¡± ¡°Now is not the time to worry about it.¡± Serus¡¯s words were a little harsh, but what he said was true. The number of knights currently avable wasn¡¯t many, so it would take quite a while to clear the pile of stones. Nevertheless, the reason why he was saying this was probably because she needed to make a quick decision. ¡°Then, what should I do?¡± Evelyn was struggling to hide her emotions. It seemed easy for Fabian to do it, but when she tried it, Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but feel bad. ¡°Since thest mysterious demon attack, His Majesty has always carried an antidote in his body to deal with poison. It is an emergency antidote to prevent the spread of poison and at the same time will also help to stop the bleeding ¡­..¡± Evelyn¡¯s hand flinched at the word ¡®poison¡¯. Because it wasmon knowledge that if the demon¡¯s poison injured someone, there was a risk of being addicted. Now, the poison of anxiety was spreading through her mind. ¡°Is Adrian addicted? Tell me what¡¯s wrong with him now! Didn¡¯t His Majesty give the antidote to Adrian?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility of addiction. The problem right now is that the antidote works only for His Majesty.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°What¡­..?¡± ¡°This is an antidote that can temporarily cope with an emergency situations and was made only for His Majesty. I don¡¯t know if you know of this, but it¡¯s a Imperial blood-medicine that has been extracted from His Majesty ¡®s blood.¡± Evelyn had heard of blood-based medicine before, but she didn¡¯t know what¡¯s the use of that in the current situation? ¡°I mean, that antidote can¡¯t be used on Adrian?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­..¡± Evelyn almost copsed because her legs were weak. ¡°But, there¡¯s a possibility.¡± Evelyn squinted her eyes at Serus¡¯s words. ¡°If the Prince ¡­¡­ has His Majesty¡¯s blood, that medicine will be effective to a certain extent.¡± Evelyn¡¯s head was dizzy. No way, she hoped that it wasn¡¯t Fabian¡¯s trick ¡­ He couldn¡¯t do this. At this moment, Evelyn felt like she was at a crossroads where she couldn¡¯t choose anything. ¡°Sir Serus! We¡¯ve made a gap here !!¡± Logan shouted from the corner of the pile of stones. But it was Evelyn who came up there. ¡°Everyone, give me a little distance.¡± Hearing her calm and determined voice, the knights nodded and went to break rocks on the other side. There was a hole in the lower part of the ground, covered only by a few stones where she could peek inside. Evelyn sat on the dirt floor and rested her head in the cracks of the rock. ¡°Your Majesty, are you there? Your Majesty!¡± Not long after she had repeatedly called him, Evelyn sensed Fabian¡¯s presence. The gap was so narrow that she couldn¡¯t see his face. Only her low voice could pass through the hole. ¡°Evelyn, listen carefully¡­¡­. I don¡¯t think we have time.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± She felt her heart dropped. Then, Evelyn put her ear in the crack, so she didn¡¯t miss a word. ¡°Adrian is wounded by the demon and bleeding, and it looks like he¡¯s poisoned too¡± Evelyn clenched her hand until the nails dug into her palm. ¡°This poison won¡¯t threaten his life if he¡¯s treated properly, but since he¡¯s still a child ¡­¡­ Most importantly, Serus said that he needs time to destroy this pile of stones. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Her eyes quickly turned red. But she couldn¡¯t waste time crying right now. ¡°Please tell me honestly. Is Adrian¡¯s condition¡­¡­ really bad?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± The words of apology pierced Evelyn¡¯s heart. Fabian¡¯s low voice was full of guilt. And now, she felt so stupid when she thought for a moment that it might be his trick. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that everything will be fine until I can get out of here ¡­¡­.. Have you heard about the antidote from Serus?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best I can give ¡­¡­ Adrian is bleeding a little now ¡­.¡± Adrian was a child who never cried even though he was stabbed with a thorn. Evelyn found it difficult to maintain her sanity when she heard that such a child was bitten by terrible demons and bleeding. ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t judge urately. So it¡¯s better to use my antidote on him.¡± ¡°Then whatever happens, first of all¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, I wanted to give it to him. But the side effects of blood-based medicine are severe when it¡¯s used by someone who isn¡¯t blood-rted.¡± Evelyn bit her lips tightly. ¡°So,¡­¡­ I need your confirmation.¡± Her eyes were trembling. ¡°Evelyn, I want to save this child. I really mean it.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice rang desperately through the cracks in the stone ruins. ¡°¡­ ¡­whether he¡¯s my child or not, I want to save him. But there¡¯s a limit to what I can do.¡± So, that¡¯s why Fabian said he was sorry because he couldn¡¯t forgive himself for hurting his child. ¡°As an Emperor, no, I promise as a person. After I leave this ce, I will forget the truth that is needed to save this child. I will forget it all. And I won¡¯t ask you again.¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to save Adrian. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to admit your sin or take this child away.¡± There was a word lingered in Evelyn¡¯s mouth. She thought it was a secret she would never tell even if she had to risk her life. But now Adrian¡¯s life was at stake. Now Evelyn couldn¡¯t think of anything. No calctions, no judgments, nothing. ¡°So tell me¡­¡­. only one word is enough.¡± Even in a low voice, there was faint despair. Evelyn opened her tightly closed eyes. There was hope even though she still couldn¡¯t see Adrian. ¡°Evelyn¡­¡± She promised to keep it a secret until the day she died. She thought it would be all right if she had lost her life. ¡°Can you help this child?¡± Tears rolled down Evelyn¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Your Majesty¡­..¡± Sometimes, some things couldn¡¯t be hung on the scale. ¡°Help him¡­..¡± It was ¡­¡­the life of her beloved child. ¡°Please help Adrian, Your Majesty¡­..¡± The crying that she had endured all this time finally broke out. Evelyn sobbed, clinging to the resentful pile of stones that had blocked her. ¡°Please, help him¡­..¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t stop crying after she spat it out. ¡°Your Majesty, please save the child¡­..¡± Evelyn begged him, putting everything down. Fabian beyond the wall could felt her sincere heart and despair. ¡°Fine¡­.. I will surely save this child.¡± Fabian turned his back from the pile of rocks where he could hear the crying sound of his loved one. There was something more urgent thanforting Evelyn right now. As Adrian¡¯s face, who was lying on his stomach, looked bluer than before. Without dy, Fabian took the medicine bottle from his chest. It was an item that couldn¡¯t be used until he heard Evelyn¡¯s answer. ¡°Adrian¡­you must take my antidote.¡± While holding the child, Fabian opened his lips and spilled the medicine. But Adrian coughed and spat it out. Fabian used the other way. He put the antidote into his mouth and fed it to Adrian¡¯s. Only then did the child manage to swallow the antidote. Fabian repeated the same thing several times, and the medicine in the bottle ran out quickly. This was all the treatment he could do for now. ¡°There¡¯s strong blood flowing within you too. It¡¯s the same blood with someone you said was strong¡¯.¡± Fabian said softly while carrying the child in his arms. ¡°So I¡¯m sure¡­¡­you can get through this.¡± The life in his arms seemed too fleet and small. Fabian had no memory of hugging something so fragile like this. He had never been so desperate in his life as he was now. How he felt when Evelyn left waspletely different from how he felt when he saw his breathless son. ¡°You¡¯re a brave child.¡± This child whispered thanks for being hugged by Fabian even though he just had a terrifying experience, and his whole body was covered with scars. So, he couldn¡¯t lose his life to demons in a ce like this. If that happened, Fabian probably wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself. ¡°So, Adrian¡­.. you have to help me.¡± Fabian touched his forehead while holding Adrian. The desire to cool down this hot fever was like a string of prayers.¡±You have to help me so that I can keep my promise.¡± Fortunately, only a small amount of blood flowed out of his wound. However, Fabian didn¡¯t feel relieved because Adrian had shed quite a lot of blood. The antidote was working, but his fever was still notpletely reduced. What was left now was the fight between Adrian¡¯s stamina and time to escape from this ce. ¡°Adrian.¡± Fabian never believed in God. But for this time, he wanted to pray to the absolute being. ¡°We¡¯ve just met ¡­¡± Once he heard Evelyn¡¯s answer, everything became clear. Adrian was his child with Evelyn, whom Fabian loved so much. ¡°I still have so many things I want to do for you.¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t say in a second that he knew all about fatherly love. But his instinct to protect the small warmth that was sleeping in his arms coursed his whole body. He felt helpless, just like Evelyn, who was crying now. ¡°Nothing, I haven¡¯t done anything for you.¡±It was the first time Fabian hugged him so tightly. And he didn¡¯t want to make this thest. ¡°Come on, You can do it.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes flinched. Fabian looked closely at his face, and his heart pounded at the moment. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡¤.¡± A weary voice rang through his small lips. ¡°Adrian?¡± ¡°Ughhh¡­..¡± Adrian slowly opened one of his eyes. As he tried to rub his eyes with his tiny hands, Adrian couldn¡¯t move his body as he wanted. And soon his tears came out again. ¡°Adrian, can you see me?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­.¡± Only If the antidote worked well, Adrian should have woken up by now. Because the longer he lost consciousness, the harder it was for him to recover from the poison. Fabian was forced to pinch Adrian¡¯s cheek. Then, his two small, round eyes opened wide. ¡°Jimoo¡­.¡± Fabian was so happy that he felt his throat tight. ¡°Jimoo, you pinched me¡­..¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes suddenly filled with tears. Soon, the saddest cries in the world burst out. Only then did Fabian feel relieved, freed from his fear. Luckily, Adrian¡¯s scream was loud. Even Evelyn, who was behind the pile of stones, could hear it clearly. ¡°Jimoo¡­¡­ Jimoo has bothered me!¡± As his loud cry broke out, everyone who was stricken with despair in the cave could finally let out a long sigh. Chapter 85: His Wishes Leaves fell on David¡¯s head, who was still closing his eyes quietly. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ha¡­.¡± He slowly opened his eyes. The tension that had been covering him suddenly stopped. He could feel the wind rushing back and forth. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he dead? Why is his life energy still there?¡± He had even ordered the demons to attack Adrian. Individually, Devil Eye was a weak demon, but they were hard to deal with when they struck in groups. There was never a case where a two-year-old child survived from them. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± David didn¡¯t think that Fabian and his knights would destroy the demons. However, no matter how strong they were, there was no way they could escape unscathed from the countless crowd of Devil Eye. In other words, when they attacked Adrian, the child must have suffered a minor injury. ¡°If they attacked the little prince first, and only then did he kill the demons ¡­why was the little prince still alive?¡± There was displeasure in David¡¯s voice. It was a rare change for him, who had been living without feeling for a long time. And it all began when Fabian dyed this continent with blood. ¡°What a nuisance. He must have done something again¡­¡­He¡¯s really an annoying guy.¡± He must step in because of the actions of one Emperor who created great upheaval. David, the guardian of time, was forced to interfere in time travel and human life. ¡°Even though I turned back the time, he¡¯s destined to bring misfortune upon himself.¡± David narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t like the fact that there would be a disaster on this continent because of just one person. He tried to prevent the tragedy at all costs. Still, he was agitated that the result was the same, even though he had sacrificed everything. ¡°The disaster won¡¯t happen if the beings that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world disappear, and the two humans who will cause the disaster are separated.¡± David¡¯s logic was very simple. If two people who had broken up were reunited because of that child, then that child must disappear. That child was an existence that should never exist, so even if he died, it wouldn¡¯t destroy the bnce of this world. That meant that disaster on this continent could be avoided by making a small sacrifice. ¡°Huh, the Emperor¡¯s bloodline is still foolish.¡± David muttered low and woke up. He climbed the stairs and headed to the Pope¡¯s office. The white-haired Pope, who was reading an old book in the sunlight, looked d to see David. ¡°Oh, Pdin.¡± He, too, was once an intelligent priest and a dignified pope. ¡°Your Holiness, I have something to tell you.¡± But all humans had a lifespan. It was the same for the Pope, who was the representative of God¡¯s will. David used him, and in return, he would prolong the Pope¡¯s life a bit. ¡°Sure¡­ ¡­ Whatever you say is right.¡± The Pope nodded, staring at David with his empty eyes, ¡°All¡­ ¡­ Right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re not stupid.¡± David said calmly. If Fabian didn¡¯t want to let the child go, David would have to break their rtionship by force, even though it would have caused a lot of misfortune. Therefore, it was his role as a guardian of time to keep the bnce of the continent.
For a moment, Evelyn felt as if she had seen her death. When she realized it was dark around her, Evelyn took a deep breath. She opened her eyes slowly, and she caught a strange sight. ¡°A¡­.Drian¡­¡± She appeared to lose her mind. Herst memory was she sighed with relief when she heard Adrian¡¯s cry. Evelyn closed her eyes and opened them again, but the hell-like cave was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Princess, are you awake?¡± ¡°Nora¡­ ¡­ ? Adrian, how about Adrian? The carriage. ¡­ .¡± Evelyn forced herself to woke up. Her body was really hurt, like being beaten all over, but she didn¡¯t care about the pain. ¡°Princess, he¡¯s fine. We¡¯re safe.¡± Nora wiped away her tears and said something to the maid beside her. It was not long before Evelyn saw Adrian sleeping in the maid¡¯s arms. Evelyn embraced Adrian carefully in tears so as not to wake him up, ¡°Oh, God.¡± It was only when she found Adrian breathing in her arms that her body was rxed. ¡°What the hell has happened. Like¡­ ¡­ It was like a nightmare.¡± Evelyn looked carefully at the sleeping Adrian. Her eyes became red again after seeing traces of open wounds everywhere. Fortunately, all of the injuries were treated and wrapped with clean bandages. And she felt lucky that she couldn¡¯t see the demon¡¯s teeth marks. ¡°It¡¯s all right. The Prince won¡¯t wake up anytime soon as he¡¯s asleep because of the antidote. The medic has also prescribed a medicine to restore his stamina.¡± Evelyn nodded slowly. Still, her gaze could not be taken away from Adrian. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡­.. I fainted and I couldn¡¯t do my job.¡± Nora bit her lips hard. She also had a scar on her forehead. Evelyn was toote to notice Nora¡¯s wound. Being too focused on Adrian, she didn¡¯t care about Nora or even Fabian¡¯s safety. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°All I remember is that after the Princess went to talk to His Majesty¡­¡­. I fell asleep with the Prince, and when I woke up, the carriage was running like crazy .¡± Nora shivered, recalling her horrific memories. ¡°Outside the windows,¡­.those demons¡­¡­ I hugged the Prince who was crying so hard. The carriage went to a dark ce, but at that moment, one of it wheels fell and the carriage flipped over ¡­ ¡­ Sorry, that¡¯s when I hit my head and passed out. ¡° Evelyn shook her head, ¡°No. Nora, you did your best.¡± Nora was a maid who raised Evelyn since she was young. Even though she didn¡¯t see it herself, Evelyn was sure that Nora had done her best. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t do anything. When I open my eyes¡­ ¡­ It was after His Majesty hugged the Prince. In that cave¡­ ¡­ there were a lot of dead bodies all over the ground, and it seemed like His Majesty had killed them all. His Majesty also looked very tired.¡± Evelyn also remembered that time. It was a desperate view. ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t go in because the pile of stones had copsed.¡± ¡°His Majesty came to the carriage to save the Prince himself before the cave copsed. The heaven helped us, because the stones fell right after that. If I were alone¡­..I wouldn¡¯t be able to save the Prince.¡± Nora wiped away her tears, remembering her terrific experience. ¡°Thanks to God¡¯s help, His Majesty¡¯s medicine was effective for the Prince, right? The medic said it would have been dangerous if the bleeding and poison weren¡¯t stopped quickly.¡± Evelyn blinked. Nora¡¯s words made her realized something important, ¡°Your Majesty? ¡­¡­No, where is he?¡± The ce where she was right now wasn¡¯t the Imperial pce. The view outside the window showed a mysterious forest, and it didn¡¯t seem like a ce that Evelyn knew. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Except that His Majesty has brought you here. His Majesty was with you earlier, but he disappeared somewhere. Instead, he left Sir Serus. He told me to tell him when the Princess woke up. ¡° ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn stroked Adrian¡¯s hair, who fell asleep in her arms, listening to his breath. Her heart ached when she saw the bruises on his cheeks. But when he saw his little lips muttering in his sleep, the pain melted into relief. ¡°Is Adrian still sleeping?¡± ¡°The medic said he will wake up by night.¡± ¡°So Nora, please take care of him until then.¡± Nora seemed hesitant at Evelyn¡¯s request, ¡°I¡¯m¡­.I¡¯m a sinner who has failed to fulfill my duty. When I return to the kingdom, I will plead my guilt.¡± ¡°Nora, in that situation, anyone would do that. If it were me¡­¡­ it would be the same.¡± ¡°But I should have protected the Prince on your behalf¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you should protect him now¡­..¡± Evelyn looked at Adrian, who was asleep in front of her eyes. It was a miracle that Adrian could stay alive in that terrible ce. Evelyn could only think that it was everyone¡¯s heart that protected him. Then, Evelyn handed Adrian to Nora, ¡°It¡¯s all right, so please hugged him again.¡± Nora hesitated for a while, but then she hugged the child with moist eyes. ¡°When I was young, Nora¡¯s arms were veryfortable. So you were in trouble because I begged you to give me a hug when I was four years old.¡± ¡°Princess¡­ .¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, I think I did it because I felt love. Nora¡¯s arms smelled as warm as my mother¡¯s.¡± Evelyn smiled affectionately, ¡°So, I¡¯m sure Adrian feels the same. So Nora, you must hug him from now, you understand?¡± ¡°Princess, you¡¯re too much. I¡¯m already old now¡­¡­¡± Nora opened her eyes and embraced Adrian tightly more than anything else in the world. Evelyn cleaned herself first and ordered a visible maid to call Serus. Soon after waiting, Serus came and gave an example. ¡°Sir Serus.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t right for Evelyn, a country princess, to meet someone in such a simple outfit, but looked at the situation now, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Besides, Serus was Emperor¡¯s close aide, so he could meet the Empress more openly. ¡°What order did His Majesty give to you?¡± Evelyn could see Fabian¡¯s intention to leave Serus on purpose. ¡°It¡¯s about telling the princess about the post-war situation.¡± ¡°And¡­ ¡­ ?¡± ¡°His Majesty ordered me to tell you something if you¡¯re curious about it.¡± Evelyn nodded, ¡°Then, I will listen to you first.¡± There was rare fatigue in Serus¡¯ face, and he started to speak, ¡°First of all, two full days have passed since the cave incident.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been that long?¡± ¡°Oh, that ¡­¡­ It¡¯s because the medic was worried that you might be too shocked, so he prescribed a high dose of stabilizer. I don¡¯t know if you remember, but Princess, you lost your mind in the cave and woke up briefly on the way to this ce. ¡° ¡°I¡­. Did that?¡± Her memory was hazy. Evelyn had a headache, maybe because of a big shock or medicine. No, more precisely, there was no ce that didn¡¯t hurt all over my body. ¡°Yes. You talked a few words with Your Majesty. Don¡¯t you remember that?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either¡­¡­ This is the fortress that belongs to His Majesty. This is a hidden ce closest to the scene, unknown to anyone else. So we summoned the ck Hawk Knights and traveled in secret. ¡° ¡°Which means, nobody knows about this incident?¡± ¡°Yes. Only those involved know. The site has also been cleared at Your Majesty¡¯s will.¡± Fabian seemed to kept his promise. Herst worries that lingered in the corner of her heart had disappeared now. ¡°But, His Majesty won¡¯t just leave this case.¡± ¡°You mean that it wasn¡¯t an ident, but an incident?¡± Evelyn asked sharply. ¡°Yes, His Majesty thought so.¡± said Serus, and he continued again. ¡°He went out for a while to investigate. I don¡¯t know when he will be back.¡± ¡°His Majesty? by himself?¡± ¡°Yes, since he has decided to keep it a secret.¡± Actually, there were a lot of things Evelyn wanted to ask Fabian. But she didn¡¯t even know if she would see him again. Even at this moment, he couldn¡¯t even guess what Fabian was thinking. And How far would he take Evelyn¡¯s circumstances into ount. ¡°Your Majesty, is he all right?¡± Evelyn, who had been silent for a while, opened her mouth. But Serus was confused for a moment by her unexpected question, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is he hurt?¡± Only ¡°Only slight injury. He¡¯s a bit exhausted, but he¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s hurt, too ¡­¡± Serus then realized that he had made a slip of the tongue, but it was toote. The Emperor also wouldn¡¯t have expected such a question anyway, so it wasn¡¯t Serus¡¯ fault. But after that, he once again focused on his duty, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Evelyn sighed, ¡°What the Emperor ordered you¡­¡­.is it about the antidote?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Fabian saved Adrian¡¯s life, as Evelyn wished. Then now, it was time for her to listen to Fabian¡¯s wishes. Chapter 86: Dizzying Memories Serus opened his heavy mouth. ¡°Maybe you already know about this¡­.. But, the use of blood medicine in the imperial family ¡­ ¡­ it¡¯s an ancient secret. ¡° Evelyn had learned about it once when she was the Empress. But she didn¡¯t interest in it as she only heard that it was a secret method used by the Imperial family from generation to generation. But it wasn¡¯t applicable to her since it could apply only to those who inherited Emperor¡¯s blood. ¡°Even among the ck Hawk Knights, I¡¯m the only one who knows that.¡± Blood medicine was literally a strange secret method that used the subject¡¯s blood. Evelyn thought of it as an ult, superstitious procedure, and didn¡¯t believe it would work. But now, she could ¡®t deny it, as the treatment worked for Adrian. ¡°His Majesty wants you to keep that secret.¡± The secret that had to hide wasn¡¯t just about the existence of blood medicine. But also the fact that the blood-based treatment from the Emperor¡¯s blood worked on Adrian ¡­ ¡­ It was proof of paternity without the need to use a silent stone. ¡°Is that¡­ ¡­all?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all he asked you to do.¡± Evelyn looked at Serus in the face. He was a mysterious man who couldn¡¯t be understood inside, but now he was more than that. ¡°You know what that means.¡± Serus said. ¡°Yes, it means I have to keep it secret.¡± And that¡¯s what made Evelyn even more troubled. ¡°And?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ And what?¡± Serus looked confused. This man wouldn¡¯t have noticed if Evelyn didn¡¯t dare to ask. However, some concerns must be discussed when the opportunity arose before her. If Evelyn didn¡¯t ask right now, it would probably be a burden on her mind for the rest of her life. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± Evelyn grappled with her dizzying memories, ¡°At that time, indeed His Majesty gave an exnation about the medicine made from blood.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve heard it clearly.¡± ¡°Blood medicines only can work effectively for people who are blood-rted but have a lot of side effects for other people. That¡¯s precisely what you meant, right? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Most of all, blood medicine doesn¡¯t seem to work effectively for other people other than the Imperial family.¡± ¡°So Sir Serus¡­¡­did you know if the medicine ¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn blurred the end of her sentence because it was a scary word to speak by her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Serus said calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know where His Majesty used the blood medicine.¡± He was terrible at lying, but Evelyn could tell his expression was full of sincerity. ¡°His Majesty told me the situation, but he didn¡¯t tell me the result.¡± Serus was a little far away when Evelyn asked for Fabian¡¯s help in the cracks of the stone. If so, that meant, only Fabian and Evelyn who knew that fact. If he was an ordinary person, the story would be different. Still, from his character, Serus would ept it as it was and keep it a secret. ¡°Has Your Majesty left something else?¡± asked Evelyn. ¡°Nothing special. I¡¯ll tell you the rest as I know it.¡± Evelyn felt strangely relieved but somehow sad. Fabian, as Evelyn remembered, was a man who always kept his promises. Even though at that moment, he might have spat out those words in a momentary emotion, but the result didn¡¯t change. ¡°First of all, even if it¡¯s frustrating, you should stay here for a while. It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s order.¡± ¡°I will¡­.¡± Evelyn also didn¡¯t want toin either as Fabian had decided that this was an incident, not an ident. If so, it meant that there was an enemy behind it. It¡¯s dangerous for her to escape from Fabian¡¯s protection without any assurance. ¡°As soon as we investigated the case, the only demon that appeared was Devil Eye. It¡¯s¡­ ¡­as you can see, they¡¯re haunting in groups with huge eyeballs and bat wings¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Stop, that¡¯s enough.¡± Evelyn waved her hand as it reminded her of painful memory. ¡°There was something unusual. The Devil Eyes attacked a specific target.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Devil eye has low intelligence. Typically they strike the prey they see. But in yesterday incident, they were in groups constantly chasing the prince inside the carriage. The situation at that time wasn¡¯t in battle, but they purposely targeted the little prince alone.¡± Evelyn frowned her eyebrows. It was painful to imagine that terrible demon relentlessly chased Adrian. But that intention was familiar somehow. This wasn¡¯t the first time. Evelyn had an instinct that the demons seemed to be aiming Adrian from the start. ¡°Then, when the prince is wounded ¡­ And the demons were attacking him with their teeth. This isn¡¯t their ordinary method of attack. And the fact that they also attacked the carriage ¡­. it wasn¡¯t their ordinary method of attack.¡± ¡°What do you want to say? The Devil Eyes attacked the prince on purpose? ¡°It¡¯s not my opinion but His Majesty. And ording to him there¡¯s someone behind this incident, not pure will of the demons. I agree with His Majesty¡¯s opinion because Devil Eye doesn¡¯t have that intelligence.¡± The smell of the demon¡¯s fishy blood seemed to still be felt. Evelyn recalled that the Wyverns had the same scent. It was an unforgettable memory. The Wyverns, who flew towards the tforms at the Great Festival, seemed to be aiming for Adrian. ¡°I also.. ¡­have felt something simr. When the Wyverns attacked us at the festival.¡± ¡°His Majesty was already suspicious of that incident too.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Since when?¡± ¡°He went to your Kingdom because he suspected it from the beginning.¡± Evelyn thought it was a coincidence that Fabian showed up on that day. It was also a troublesome coincidence. Looking back, however, such coincidences weren¡¯t easy to happen. If she thought about it. It wasn¡¯t a natural coincidence from the beginning. That it was the Emperor himself, who led the Knights delegation directly to observe the ce where the Great Feast had taken ce and entered the site when the demons appeared. ¡°His Majesty suspects that the Vatican has something to control the demons.¡± ¡°This kind of information ¡­. is it alright for you to tell me?¡± ¡°His Majesty has given me a permission to do so. You have to be careful in the future, so you should know about this.¡± How far did Fabian think? When Evelyn was caring for the child by herself, he was already far-sighted. ¡°There is no evidence yet, but His Majesty¡¯s insight¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s close to the truth.¡± As Evelyn silently added, Serus nodded. Evelyn didn¡¯t know what Fabian was like as a husband, but when asked what he was like as an Emperor? The answer was easy. When it came to politics, he had a sharp instinct, and he knew how to overwhelm other people. In short, the Fabian was a very different species from ordinary humans. Serus, who grew up with him since childhood, was well aware of this fact. ¡°I tried to hide the Prince from him, but His Majesty already felt it a few times¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to hide something from him.¡± Serus was right. The most terrifying thing about Fabian was the look in his eyes that seemed to be able to see all the truth. The only thing that he didn¡¯t know about was Evelyn¡¯s heart as a wife. Or, a future life that only Evelyn knew. ¡°His Majesty knows that.¡± Those were the right words to use. Fabian was able to make judgments without any process. There was no room for logic or thinking to intervene when he decided on something. On the contrary, things like that followed onlyter. But, even without urate facts, Fabian¡¯s judgment was always right. It looked like things were going ording to his decision. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of him.¡± Evelyn expressed her honest feelings. The two people facing each other right now were the only ones who were able to get close to Fabian. ¡°Actually, I am always afraid of him too.¡± Serus looked rxed when he said that. ¡°I never thought you also had that feeling.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a human, too. Of course, I am afraid to see the inexplicable power in front of me.¡± Serus couldn¡¯t describe it since it was an inexplicable force. So did Evelyn in the past. Fabian deliberately tried to erase that ambience and cut it when he came to the Empress¡¯ chamber. However, he couldn¡¯t eradicate his instinct, which had sometimes leaked out. ¡°But you stand by His Majesty¡¯s side,¡± Evelyn said. Different from Serus, Evelyn had given up. ¡°Because it¡¯s my mission.¡± It was the same with Evelyn. ¡°And His Majesty is surprisingly not hostile towards me. I¡¯m fine as long as I don¡¯t be his prey.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not a normal thing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Serus asked back, and his words flinched Evelyn¡¯s heart. She couldn¡¯t take his words for granted. Because the rtionship between subordinates and the spouse was very different. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t always easy.¡± When was it? On summer night when she fell asleep in Fabian¡¯s arms when Evelyn opened her eyes, she felt a strange ambience. She felt like she was being hugged by a beast that threatened her life. At that time, Evelyn almost screamed. More than anyone, she was terrified of being embraced by him. ¡°When I was the Empress, there was an incident in where a spy entered my pce.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡± The very next moment Evelyn came to her sense, Fabian threw a dagger, and the spy screamed in pain. Evelyn¡¯s stomach felt upside down, but Fabian calmly looked at her shocked face and said it was all right. ¡°I¡¯ve been afraid of him since then.¡± Evelyn confessed quietly. [¡®Evelyn, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ve killed my enemy. You don¡¯t have to be scared.¡¯] It was Fabian¡¯s life that Evelyn was afraid of. Which have no hesitation at all. [¡®Stop crying. I¡¯ll clean up the remaining spies right away¡¯] Fabian got up, put on his clothes and then walked out of her room. And the executionsted for three consecutive days. Evelyn could hardly get to sleep. Even people¡¯s shadows looked like passing spy. And when she identally fell asleep, Fabian¡¯s cold eyes seemed to be on her. ¡°And he didn¡¯t understand me who was weak.¡± Every time Evelyn needed Fabian¡¯s touch, he went out to do something bigger instead of being by her side. He was too strong, and Evelyn was too weak. So gradually, Evelyn stopped waiting for him. It was hard to understand each other because they were too different from the beginning. ¡°I see¡­.¡± Serus replied quietly. ¡°You must have felt his harshness.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about it that far, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s hard for His Majesty to understand someone.¡± ¡°Because His Majesty is too strong.¡± But unexpectedly, Serus asked her back ¡°¡­¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just different from what I thought, so stop.¡± ¡°Why did you think like that? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Just¡­¡­ that¡¯s what I think.¡± Serus hesitated and then opened his mouth again. ¡°I think His Majesty always carries a heavy burdens that he can¡¯t afford to look around.¡± Evelyn looked dumbfound to hear that. ¡°His Majesty came to the Duke¡¯s residence before he could even walk, and grew up as the Emperor¡¯s sessor ¡­ ¡­ He¡¯s been living like that every day since then. That¡¯s what I thought. ¡° Serus must have felt awkward to keep talking, so he remained quiet again, closing his mouth. But his words lingered in Evelyn¡¯s heart for so long that she couldn¡¯t think of anything else for a moment. ¡°The reason I told you this was because¡­¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Serus struggled to think of the aspects of human rtionships that Reba had taught him in the past. First, he had to express his feelings toward the other person in words. ¡°I want His Majesty to be at ease for a while, even for a moment.¡± Only But Serus didn¡¯t even know that right now he was voicing his feelings to the wrong person. ¡°And I hope he doesn¡¯t feel too burdened. I guess it¡¯s hard to think it¡¯s all His Majesty¡¯s fault ¡­¡± Serus blushed with shame. And after hearing his words, Evelyn didn¡¯t know what kind of expression she was supposed to have. ¡°So¡­¡± Their eyes met. It was the most awkward moment. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to leave now!¡± Serus immediately rose from his seat and fled from her. Evelyn had to think for a moment to realize what was going on. Chapter 87: I Still Love You The white crescent moon was trapped in the ck sky outside the window. Evelyn had been staring at the sky all the time since she returned to see Adrian¡¯s condition. She still couldn¡¯t ept everything that passed by like a storm and didn¡¯t seem to be over soon. ¡°Sir Serus.¡± ¡°Princess, His Majesty has returned.¡± Evelyn turned her head, moving her blue eyes, ¡°I know.¡± She thought Fabian would call her first, but the prediction was wrong. It seemed Fabian was badly injured too. ¡°First of all, it took time to get treatment by a medic.¡± ¡°Did he say anything else?¡± ¡°Oh, His Majesty sent a secret message to the Felice Kingdom to inform the news. So don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Sending word to Arthur, it was a gentle caring that wasn¡¯t like Fabian. However, he had to, because if Arthur lost contact with the two of his family who was taken away one-sidedly, he definitely wouldn¡¯t stay still. ¡°Looks like His Majesty hasn¡¯t been looking for the Princess yet. I apologize, but I have to go see His Majesty right now. If you need anything else ¡­¡­. ¡° Evelyn raised one hand and stopped him from speaking. ¡°Sir Serus. Why is the medic seeing Adrian so often?¡± There was deep anxiety buried in her calm voice. At first, Evelyn thought it was a simple examination, but it was too frequent. ¡°Why do the medic keep putting Adrian to sleep?¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t even allowed to see the treatment process. She could only see the medics back and forth carrying Adrian, who was fast asleep. When Evelyn tried to ask something, everyone immediately ran away and didn¡¯t want to answer her question. So she had no choice but to try to understand. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± Serus¡¯ expression was calm. He didn¡¯t seem to hide something. Then Evelyn decided to lure Serus and ask him because he was bad at lying, ¡°Then, does His Majesty know about this?¡± ¡°Maybe, since he¡¯s the one who called the medics.¡± ¡°All right.¡± As expected, Serus was honest. And Evelyn took a deep breath, ¡°You said you¡¯re going to meet His Majesty, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ming with you.¡± Evelyn raised herself before Serus could answer. ¡°But t-that¡¯s a little¡­you need to get some rest.¡± Serus¡¯s face was pale from fatigue and anxiety. Evelyn, who wore a simple dress while living in the fort, styled her hair to make it less embarrassing for anyone to see ¡°If Your Majesty refuses, then I¡¯ll rest.¡± Serus nodded reluctantly and stepped forward first. The whole decision was a matter for the two to settle anyway.
After opening the bandage, Fabian rxed for a while, wearing a linen shirt that was a bit loose. He had a very hard time thest few days, but the worst part was when he had a headache like now. ¡°It¡¯s easier to deal with the Demon.¡± Everything that could be solved with a sword was better. And he found it much easier to rule the country as Emperor. Problems like this could also be ended easily with Fabian¡¯s orders. Since it was also the only solution, he knew. ¡°But¡­¡± Fabian rarely hesitated. At some point, Evelyn seemed to have be the most difficult person for Fabian to deal with in the world. Fabian was confident that he could make decisions quickly. But whenever he remembered Evelyn¡¯s desperate eyes, he kept hesitating. Thinking about her who hid Adrian¡¯s existence, even though Fabian was angry like fire, but a corner of his heart was pounding. Knock, knock¡­¡­ A knocking sound at the door suddenly broke Fabian¡¯s reverie. ¡°Serus,eter.¡± Fabian answered briefly and turned his eyes out of the window. His chest was stuffy so that he couldn¡¯t shut his eyes for a bit. Knock, knock¡­¡­ But the knocking sound bothered Fabian again. ¡°Haaahh.¡± He felt like his stomach was going to burst. And when he heard Serus¡¯ knock, his fever suddenly rose. Fabian got up from his chair, rushed to the door, turned the knob, and opened it roughly. ¡± Don¡¯t you understand my words¡­..¡± Fabian immediately stopped the words he was about to spit out. In front of him right now was Evelyn, who was thin and confused. And he found Serus stood a few steps behind her. ¡°It¡¯s not Sir Serus¡¯ fault. I insisted on seeing Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn opened her mouth to give an excuse. Fabian red at his aide over Evelyn¡¯s shoulder. But somehow, it was toote. ¡°¡­ Could you spare me some time?¡± But Evelyn didn¡¯t step back and bit her lips tightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s only for a moment.¡± Eventually, Fabian sighed. Evelyn¡¯splexion was terrible. Besides, her condition was much messier than the current situation. This was the first time Fabian had seen Evelyn so weak that he could neither refuse nor push her out. Fabian took a step backward instead of answering. Then Evelyn stepped in carefully and closed the door behind her back. ¡°What should I say first?¡± The tired tone on Evelyn¡¯s voice provoked anger in Fabian¡¯s heart for no reason. If she was so cold and arrogant, she should have done well to the end. But why did she look so pitiful right now? ¡°I did it because I wanted to. There is no need for gratitude or apology.¡± Fabian said. The night breeze blowing through the window was freezing. Today, Evelyn¡¯s shoulders looked so small. Fabian frowned at such a figure and threw the nket beside him at Evelyn, ¡°Cover yourself and sit down.¡± Fabian pointed his eyes at the chair. ¡°No, how could I¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Since when have you been polite to me?¡± Hearing Fabian¡¯s harsh voice, Evelyn reluctantly sat on the chair and covered herp with a nket. What a strange view in this room, which only had one chair. The Emperor was standing, and she was sitting. ¡°It was you, Evelyn, who threw everything against me.¡± Before the deadly incident urred, Evelyn denied that Fabian was Adrian¡¯s father. She refused to admit it to the point of risking her own life. In the end, if Adrian¡¯s life weren¡¯t in danger, she would have been like that to the end. ¡°Back then, when I gave that child an antidote, I ¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to feel.¡± Fabian¡¯s low voice was filled with resentment. Evelyn quietly lowered her head in front of him. To Fabian, she was a traitor who secretly gave birth and raised his child after divorcing him for no reason. ¡°I will ept it if you admit that you¡¯re wrong.¡± But now both knew the truth. Even the fact that they had known each other. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m now talking about Adrian¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No. You have to give me an answer right now. You can¡¯t do anything until I get a clear answer.¡± Fabian came to a step closer. ¡°Because otherwise I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡± His deep-low voice rang right in front of her. Fabian¡¯s ck eyes were looking down at Evelyn. His breath and the look in his eyes seemed to scratch her. ¡°Why.¡± Fabian came up with a painful word. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± He always wanted to ask. If only he could know the reason, maybe it would be less painful. ¡°With what kind of thinking ?¡± Fabian breathed slowly, trying to control his soaring anger. For the first time, Evelyn felt Fabian¡¯s feelings red up. His emotions in the dark were as fierce and intense as a storm. Suddenly, she remembered how scary Fabian was. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Evelyn died at his hands now. ¡°Why¡­.Why!¡± In a low, terrifying voice, Fabian stretched out his hand roughly. Evelyn was ready to face the worst and close her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t stop her shaking shoulders. But, no matter how long she waited, Fabian¡¯s hand didn¡¯t touch her. When Evelyn opened her eyes, his hands wandered through the air and took Evelyn¡¯s. ¡°I¡­ ¡­ What should I feel?¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart ached at those depressing words. She always thought that Fabian didn¡¯t have this kind of feeling. But it was Evelyn¡¯s arrogance. There wouldn¡¯t be a person without feelings in this world, but she didn¡¯t know it. No, she didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so depressed like this since I was born.¡± he said. It had never felt this hard to breathe since he lived in this Empire. ¡°I am so distressed now. I¡¯m going insane right now and I think my head will explode.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes trembled when Fabian cried desperately. ¡°Even if I had a knife stuck in my chest, it wouldn¡¯t hurt this much.¡± Fabian had no strength anymore. His hand, which held Evelyn¡¯s, dropped hard. His pain spread like a poison. ¡°No. That¡¯s better ¡­.. It¡¯s fine if everyone in this world is afraid of me. I don¡¯t care if they hate me.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t want to admit it, so he denied the reality, but it was useless. ¡°But ¡­¡­ Evelyn, does it have to be you?¡± His ck eyes dug painfully into Evelyn¡¯s heart, ¡°What the hell have I done to you!¡± The overflowing feelings that Fabian had been holding back all this time finally erupted. Evelyn couldn¡¯t answer and only bit her lip. He was suffering for a mistake he hadn¡¯t made yet. Tears rolled down the cheeks of Evelyn, who was speechless. Fabian¡¯s body temperature, who held her hand, felt burning, and it made her heart hurt even more. ¡°Look at me, Evelyn.¡± Fabian begged, ¡°Why ¡­ things turned out like this?¡± There were so many lonely nights. Fabian didn¡¯tugh since Evelyn left. Such helpless years had passed. It was Fabian¡¯s lonely struggle. He was an Emperor who couldn¡¯t fall for a day, and what could help him through those days was a belief that someday, Evelyn woulde back. ¡°I was wrong.¡± It was an empty word. When he spoke those words out of his mouth, it seemed that all the strength that supported Fabian had disappeared. Without knowing it, Fabian fell and slumped in front of Evelyn. ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡­..¡± Evelyn doubted her eyes, but Fabian didn¡¯t move. He still held Evelyn¡¯s hand, even though he was kneeling in front of her. As if her hand was the only string of hope. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it any longer.¡± Fabian said as if he were doing atonement. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian buried his head in herp, ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­..¡± The tears belonged to Evelyn, but she felt it was Fabian who was crying. ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­.¡± Evelyn unwittingly reached Fabian¡¯s head and then paused for a moment. ¡°Why did you leave me, I asked myself, and I med myself ¡­¡­ that was too cruel. Every countless night, every time I was alone, every time an indelible memory appeared, it was so cruel to miss it. ¡± Fabian looked up, staring at Evelyn. His eyes were watery. There were painful, sad, and longing feelings in it. And also ¡­.. there were memories of love remained. ¡°Evelyn¡­..I loved you.¡± Another drop of her tears flowed before his confession was over. ¡°And I still love you¡­..¡± Fabian reached out and wiped Evelyn¡¯s tears away, ¡°I have no choice but to do so for the rest of my life.¡± Only Now Fabian was once again begging for her love. For the first time, heid down all his pride, clinging to Evelyn as a man. ¡°Is it still not enough?¡± Fabian asked calmly. No matter what happened today, he had to listen to Evelyn¡¯s answer. There was nothing more to hesitate or to waste. An Emperor had knelt in front of her, so what else Fabian could give? ¡°If I split my heart and take it out and put it in your hand, will you know my suffering?¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice trembled faintly. ¡°You hate me. That¡¯s why you gave me this pain, didn¡¯t you? It wasn¡¯t a rebuke. Fabian was sincere. Evelyn¡¯s neck was choked by the pain in his eyes that was so deep. And she couldn¡¯t get away from those eyes. Chapter 88: Love At One Time. Some truths couldn¡¯t be swallowed no matter how hard you tried. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± Evelyn said. Fabian¡¯s eyes shook as he stared at Evelyn¡¯s trembling lips. ¡°And Your Majesty now has done nothing wrong to me¡­¡­you never did.¡± Two years had passed since Evelyn left Fabian at the age of twenty. He was a very busy husband, and he was terrible at showing his emotions, but that¡¯s all. ¡°Then, why?¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn with sore eyes. But Evelyn couldn¡¯t tell him, because that misfortune hadn¡¯t happened in her life yet. ¡°What has made us like this? He asked with a voice filled with emptiness. ¡°Your Majesty, It¡¯s all over now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. It¡¯s a painful thing that¡¯s constantly repeated for me now.¡± ¡°Still.. ¡­you promised.¡± Evelyn tried to shake off his hand, but Fabian held her wrist tighter. ¡°Even if Your Majesty knows the reason, our future won¡¯t change.¡± Fabian ended up saying it out loud,ughing, ¡°I thought so. That¡¯s why, I said I was wrong. ¡°When he felt that Evelyn¡¯s love for him hadpletely disappeared, he witnessed the truth. ¡°The child¡¯s eyes were full of love. When you begged me to save him, you was so desperate that you felt like dying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You love him, my child.¡± he said. Evelyn¡¯s heart dropped with a thump. ¡°You used to look at me like that child.¡± She thought she would be fine now. Evelyn thought that her feelings became dull, and her love had faded. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the child we¡¯ve got because of love?¡± When she became a mother, Evelyn thought that her woman¡¯s heart would disappear. ¡°At least, he exists because you once loved me ¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t he that child?¡± Evelyn always thought Fabian was a strong man. She felt that he could forget everything because being in pain wasn¡¯t his job. Sadness was something that only Evelyn could swallow. She felt that her misfortunes and sorrows were all her own. But, Evelyn was wrong. ¡°Now I have nothing left to give up. Can¡¯t you be honest with me for a while?¡± Fabian caught Evelyn¡¯s tired look. He had been patient with it so far and had endured it well. But as soon as he saw her face turned so pale, Fabian was overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°We¡¯ve been through a lot of hardships.¡± Fabian said ¡°we.¡± ¡°Even though our reason might be different, the hearts will be the same.¡± His hands gently covered the back of Evelyn¡¯s hand. It was the same touch as when they first met, and it was as hot as being embraced in his arms. Evelyn couldn¡¯t bear it, and she kept crying. ¡°You still say¡­.. we?¡± If Fabian spoke to her so kindly like this in her previous life, Evelyn wouldn¡¯t have made this choice. No, if the one in front of her right now was Fabian of the past, then she could hate him. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s ¡®we¡¯. It¡¯s hard for each other¡­.don¡¯t you think?¡± Evelyn had aplicated mind now. She felt so confused. Which was the real Fabian? If this was his true self, why did Evelyn lose her child twice, get sick and die at 30? ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I won¡¯t change my mind. Once tied up together by a rtionship, I couldn¡¯t be with anyone else¡­¡­.What about you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you always have a hard time looking back at the past?¡± The undeniable words pierced Evelyn¡¯s heart. She couldn¡¯t disagree with him. Fabian clearly saw Evelyn¡¯s eyes trembling at that moment. ¡°Have we been honest with each other until this moment, even once, since we broke up under the golden wood tree? ¡­.. I don¡¯t remember that.¡± ¡°Divorce has no future,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m talking about now. Every moment we¡¯re living and seeing each other. It exists no matter what you say.¡± Fabian told her. It was also at this very moment. Evelyn, trapped in the past, didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the two hade this far. ¡°Now, just as our child exists. I¡¯ve changed. Just as you¡¯ve changed, Evelyn. It wasn¡¯t a short time.¡± The promise to keep a secret didn¡¯t work between the two. Fabian already knew, so Evelyn couldn¡¯t go back. And indeed everything that Evelyn remembered had changed from the previous life. ¡°Your Majesty, I can¡¯t give you anything or any answer.¡± Fabian slowly closed his eyes, ¡°But you still don¡¯t resist me. That¡¯s enough for me.¡± Evelyn avoided his gaze in embarrassment. As if he didn¡¯t care, Fabian leaned his head back on Evelyn¡¯sp like what he always did in the past, when he spent time alone at the Empress¡¯s residence. ¡°Just for a moment, let me stay like this.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice seemed so tired that she couldn¡¯t push him away. As he said, they already had a hard time. ¡°Some things don¡¯t change.¡± His voice rang softly. Only Evelyn¡¯s body scent and warmth didn¡¯t change. Just her awkward movements and her thin body that hurt his heart. ¡°I ¡­ ¡­ have I changed a lot?¡± asked Fabian. ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn answered him in silence. Fabian had changed a lot since they met again after the divorce. He did something that Evelyn couldn¡¯t have imagined before, and he no longer hid his feelings. It was all enough to say that the present Fabian was a different person. ¡°Yes¡­..¡± Fabian responded in a low voice. A gentle night wind blew, passing through his tired and scattered hair. ¡°You too¡­..¡± With his head still buried, Fabian stretched out his hand and touched Evelyn¡¯s cheek. Then, he put his hand on her head. It was the same old habit.¡± Alone¡­ ¡­you must have a hard time.¡± He was jealous of Evelyn¡¯s bright smile. Fabian hated her because she looked radiant and happy. ¡°You alone ¡­ have raised my child so well.¡± Fabian¡¯s heartfelt words made Evelyn tearful. ¡°You must be struggled a lot while did it by yourself.¡± Evelyn shook her head, ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone.¡± If she were really alone, she wouldn¡¯t have been able toe this far. Apart from Fabian¡¯s pain, the time she gave birth and raised Adrian was full of happiness. ¡°I was happy to have Adrian. I mean it.¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯ve be so thin?¡± Fabian raised his head and looked at Evelyn. For a moment, he felt a little annoyed with Adrian when he saw Evelyn was so thin. But Fabian actually knew it. That the biggest cause of Evelyn¡¯s hardship was him. ¡°Is he more precious than your life?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian smiled bitterly when she answered without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s something I envy ¡­¡­¡± It seemed that at some point, Fabian¡¯s tough side seemed to be softened. It might be the affection of the past or simr warmth, that settled in this ce. ¡°I will live for that child. I¡¯ve already decided that way.¡± Evelyn said as calmly as she could. ¡°So¡­..I can¡¯t be by your side. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Even though Fabian had heard it a thousand times, still, her rejection was so painful. There was a bitter taste in his mouth. It was a taste he had never known before. ¡°Your Majesty¡­.are you going to take the child away from me?¡± Evelyn mustered up her courage to ask. She wanted to hear Fabian¡¯s answer instead of always feeling scared and anxious. ¡°Why do you think like that?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.. It¡¯s Empire¡¯sw.¡± And because until now Fabian still hadn¡¯t let go of Evelyn. There was no better bait than a child to capture Evelyn. How could a brilliant Emperor like Fabian miss such an opportunity? ¡°Evelyn¡­¡­ you¡¯re not good at lying.¡± Fabian stared at Evelyn, then gave a long sigh, ¡°And¡­. Don¡¯t make that face.¡± His low voice resonated like a calm constion as his fierce atmosphere disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m tormenting you¡­.. If I intended to take that child as a hostage to take you back, I have done it long ago.¡± Again, the man in front of her was unfamiliar. ¡°If I wanted to take you by force, I wouldn¡¯t have been waiting for two years, with or without a child.¡± Fabianughed bitterly as she watched Evelyn blinked her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t think of that. ¡°Why. Do you still see me as a bad guy?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡­¡± Fabian took a deep breath. He had a lot of things to tell, but he couldn¡¯t say it, so he just kept sighing as he was disappointed. ¡°I¡¯ve already epted the reality that you¡¯re unhappy with me, and that you don¡¯t want to be with me.¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but that was for sure. ¡°Maybe, that¡¯s my fault.¡± Fabian¡¯s heartless words made Evelyn¡¯s heart broke. ¡°Maybe, marriage wasn¡¯t right for me from the beginning. No, it¡¯s not maybe but it¡¯s will.¡± Only now did Fabian pour out histe feelings. ¡°Looking back, my mother also used to say that she feels ufortable breathing when she¡¯s beside the Emperor. You said that Imperial men are worse than stone floors. Even then I couldn¡¯t understand what that meant.¡± The Empress Dowager always disgusted when talking about her Emperor-husband. The reluctance expression on his mother¡¯s face was so vivid that Fabian quickly realized that he wasn¡¯t the fruit of their love. ¡°Perhaps, I had a side that caught your breath too.¡± Evelyn also remembered the Empress Dowager. She was a nervous and cold woman. And she was a bad mother. Now, after she had a child, Evelyn could see it more clearly. ¡°No.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes were shaken by her unexpected answer. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± It wasn¡¯t a foolish regret. Evelyn just thought that some facts should never be blurred. ¡°I¡¯ve never minded Your Majesty. And I¡¯ve never been reluctant to do it.¡± She loved him. It was love at one time. ¡°Adrian was born on my wish.¡± Evelyn must not spoil that precious fact because such a mistake was irreversible. ¡°He was a child that was born because of love. That fact doesn¡¯t change.¡± Fabian should have known that, as he found out the child¡¯s existence. ¡°I know¡­..¡± His voice sounded relieved, ¡°That child¡­. He¡¯s happy.¡± Fabian never had such happiness. Now, he could understand Evelyn¡¯s story in the garden of the Felice Kingdom. At that time, Evelyn asked about his childhood who grew up as the Emperor¡¯s heir. And she looked at Fabian with sorrowful eyes. ¡°Evelyn¡­. Do you really think I won¡¯t be able to protect that happiness?¡± Now Fabian started to put together Evelyn¡¯s puzzle-like reasons little by little. As an Emperor, there was no such thing like ipetence. He wasn¡¯t a man who couldn¡¯t protect his own children. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s not your fault. But¡­ ¡­yes. Me and Adrian can¡¯t be happy in the Imperial family.¡± Fabian no longer answered. He only looked deeply at Evelyn and closed his eyes again, unable to hide his tiredness. ¡°But, isn¡¯t it too much to not give me a chance.¡± Evelyn lowered her head at his depressed voice. It was very unfair to Fabian right now, but both of them knew what it was like to grow up as heir to the Imperial family. Fabian never realized it was a misfortune, but it would be different for Adrian. ¡°Forgive me¡­. but the fact that you¡¯re an Emperor remains unchanged.¡± ¡°So, what you said to me in the Felice garden was sincere.¡± he said. Evelyn admitted her mistake. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be an Empress. That was her fault. Only ¡°So, that¡¯s what you meant when you asked me for a divorce and would quit the Empress.¡± Whatever it was, Fabian was frustrated that he waste to realize it. If he had known Evelyn¡¯s thoughts from the beginning, he wouldn¡¯t have let her go this far. ¡°But, Isn¡¯t it too mean to think and decide it on your own?¡± ¡°I know, but¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn felt sad. ¡°I know, but Your Majesty can¡¯t quit.¡± It was the only thing the Emperor couldn¡¯t do. It was aw that the Imperial Emperor couldn¡¯t abdicate until the end of his life. Once Fabian was crowned, he couldn¡¯t live another life other than as an Emperor. ¡°If you¡¯re so sorry, you should stay by my side.¡± Evelyn smiled bitterly when she heard Fabian¡¯s sad words. It was time to end this position. As if he had an inkling about it, Fabian rose to his feet reluctantly. And the time they could stay by each other¡¯s side was over. Chapter 89: Philip Fabian rode his horse at dawn and climbed up the hill, looking at the horizon. ¡°Your Majesty, why did you stop?¡± Logan who followed him closely, asking with a worried face. He didn¡¯t want to see the Emperor push himself too hard even though he had only suffered minor injuries. ¡°No ¡­¡­ my ears are itchy.¡± The Imperial family seemed to have been busy finding out about the Emperor¡¯s whereabouts since Fabian¡¯s return was toote. ¡°Itchy? Let¡¯s see the doctor!¡± Hearing Logan, Fabian let out a short sigh, ¡°You can¡¯t be joked around like Serus.¡± ¡°What? Serus¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Fabian looked up to the sky. Soon, the long summer would be over and autumn was about toe. However, unlike the bright sky, the reality was really frustrating. ¡°Do you want to go to the forest fortress?¡± Logan followed Fabian faithfully and asked a difficult question. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Fabian ran the horse as soon as the sun rose because his heart seemed to explode. But he couldn¡¯t leave Evelyn and back to the Imperial pce right away. ¡°The direction we¡¯re heading now is toward the fortress. I think it would be nice to go back first, clean up everything and then return to the Imperial pce.¡± Logan was the same persistent person as Serus, but in a different sense. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty doesn¡¯t need to investigate alone anymore. We¡¯ve already sent a capable knight to the ce your Majesty has directed.¡± ¡°Okay¡­.¡± Fabian waved his hand. ¡°Then, are you going back to the fortress now?¡± Logan was purely curious. But for Fabian, the situation itself was embarrassing. When he was with Serus, Fabian didn¡¯t have to exin anything as he couldmunicate with him without saying anything. ¡°The mountain path is difficult, so I¡¯ll take the lead!¡± The enthusiastic Logan seemed to have no idea what he was doing. ¡°Ah, Your Majesty, look! There¡¯s a shortcut, so we¡¯ll be able to make a quick stop at the fortress and leave for the Imperial pce!¡± Instead of being sensitive to the situation, Logan shouted excitedly, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there safely, Your Majesty!¡± Logan took the lead before Fabian could say anything. He sighed for a moment, disbelieving his eyes. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Check that out.¡± But Fabian had no other choice but to follow him. Only then he could watch Logan¡¯s action and hand him over to Seruster. ¡°Giddy up!¡± Contrary to his intentions, Logan took Fabian to Evelyn. He was a passionate knight, a young man with a warm heart, and also a young man who soon would be dusted by Serus.
Fabian was half forced to return to the fortress, but he already said he didn¡¯t want to meet anyone and locked himself in his room. Given that the fortress was small, the news of the Emperor¡¯s return must have already been heard by Evelyn. But there was no sign from the two of them showing any movement. But, it turned out that there was one guy out there, Serus. He had just finished a private meeting with the Emperor and immediately dragged Logan¡¯s neck after that. ¡°Your Majesty, your wound is still not healed.¡± The doctor said carefully while changed the bandage. Fabian took off his top and examined the wounds all over his sturdy body. ¡°It will get better soon.¡± ¡°The demon¡¯s poison is strong. Please take a rest for two days or even one day.¡± The doctor looked worried, as Fabian¡¯s life was also his life. ¡°If you don¡¯t want, please dismiss me. No, please let me go. It doesn¡¯t matter even if you¡¯re Your Majesty. Kidnapping me is a crime.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that right now.¡± Fabian frowned while picking up his clothes on the floor. Philip, the white-haired ex-Imperial medical doctor sighed again. After he retired as a medical doctor and dedicated his life to training his juniors, suddenly the Emperor kidnapped him and brought him to a ce like this. Philip wasn¡¯t afraid of Fabian at all even though he was an Emperor. Because he thought that he already old and he would die before Fabian anyway. ¡°More than that, Your Majesty. There must be a more important problem.¡± No matter how old he was, his bright eyes weren¡¯t dim. One of reason why Fabian hesitated to return to the fortress was because he didn¡¯t want to make eye contact with Philip. ¡°No.¡± Fabian turned his back on him. ¡°There is!¡± Philip caught up with Fabian quickly. ¡°No! there¡¯s none.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t deny what already exists. It won¡¯t make it disappear.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Stop it, I¡¯m no longer a child who needs your teaching.¡± Fabian frowned at his words. Philip was Fabian¡¯s doctor and one of his childhood teachers. He called him here because Philip was a trustworthy and reliable person. But, of course, Fabian had to put up with his babble. ¡°But there¡¯s one child here that I need to take care of.¡± Huh, Fabian spat out a useless sigh and purposely avoided Philip¡¯s gaze. ¡°You kidnapped a retired old man, so now you have to listen to me¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡± said Fabian. ¡°Then, since this old man is no longer a part of Imperial family, may I go to study a miracle case through blood medicine?¡± Suddenly Fabian reached out and grabbed Philip¡¯s arm tightly. If he said it any further, it seemed Fabian would break his arm. ¡°If my arm is broken, no one can cure that child.¡± Only then did Fabian loosen his grip. However, the threat emitted by his ck eyes remained the same. ¡°You have to admit it.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t heal him, either. ¡­¡­No, is he a Prince now?¡± There¡¯s no point in hiding the child¡¯s identity and lying to Philip. There was no other elder who was as smart as Philip. Plus, Adrian¡¯s appearance was exactly the same as Fabian when he was a child. When Fabian looked for Philip, he was already prepared that the secret would be exposed. But, there was no other doctor he could trust besides him. ¡°Your Majesty, if you wanted to hide it, you shouldn¡¯t have called me here. First of all ¡­ ¡­ from what you ordered me to heal Princess Evelyn, do you think you can deceive me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡± Fabian wouldn¡¯t call Philip if there were other choices. ¡°For the Prince, he¡¯ll be fine right now.¡± That was a question Fabian had wanted to ask ever since his return. But he felt a little awkward to ask Philip about that. ¡°What do you mean by right now?¡± ¡°Are you interested?¡± Fabian still hadn¡¯t really felt that Adrian was his son. Even so, he didn¡¯t consider him a stranger. Above all, every time he thought he was Evelyn¡¯s child, the time seemed to stop for a moment. ¡°I warn you, no matter what you say¡­..¡± ¡°I am not afraid of your Majesty because the day I will die is near.¡± Philip answered calmly, even though Fabian¡¯s ck eye red at him. ¡°All the books, teachings, and research you¡¯ve written all night long.¡± Philip¡¯s eyebrows were unexpectedly trembling. ¡°I¡¯ll burn it all. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s more. All your hidden journals and the records of your disciples! I will burn it and make it nothing in this world.¡± Philip¡¯s waist shook. He took his cane and headed for a chair, sitting down with a sad face. From an early age, Philip knew that Fabian had a cold-blooded temper. But without knowing it, he became too cruel now. How could he learn such terrible ways. Philip sighed as if imagining that the world wasing to an end. ¡°Please promise me¡­¡­me and my students are fine, but the record¡­..Only the record¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°You just need to cooperate with me. I don¡¯t need yourment.¡± ¡°Only the records, only the results of my research¡­just leave it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s our agreement then.¡± Fabian surely would keep his promise because he was the same with his father. Only then did Philip sigh, ¡°Well, I need to tell you his condition, after all.¡± What a liar, if Fabian didn¡¯t threaten him, he wouldn¡¯t be softened like this. Because Fabian knew very well that Philip was a stubborn old man who wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone. ¡°The prince is in a stable state right now, but not all of the demon¡¯s poison has been detoxified. ¡° Fabian raised one of his eyebrows and looked at Philip, ¡°You can decipher it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to do it here. Honestly, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to return to the Empire¡­..?¡± ¡°Why you can¡¯t? It¡¯s just a little demon poison.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s still a child.¡± Philip brought up a very obvious fact. Adrian was only two years old. ¡°I ¡­¡­ When I checked the Prince¡¯s condition, there were twenty one Devil Eye¡¯s bite marks all over his body.¡± Although Philip had seen many more terrifying sights when he still worked as Imperial doctor, this was the first time he had seen a case like this. ¡°After seeing his condition, I knew at a nce that he was bleeding badly at the scene. And Your Majesty probably gave him an emergency medicine made of blood to stop the bleeding.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking about that. Let¡¯s put it off for a moment.¡± Philip put his serious doctor¡¯s face again. He understood, even if he asked, Fabian wouldn¡¯t admit it. But Philip himself, as a doctor already knew the truth. ¡°Was my treatment that time¡­¡­wrong?¡± Fabian¡¯s dark eyes trembled. Philip shook his head, swallowing difficulties. ¡°No, I think it was the best way¡­.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem! What¡¯s wrong with that child!¡± Fabian burst into a rage. He couldn¡¯t conceal his anxiety when the Prince¡¯s condition report came out. ¡°This medicine stop the bleeding and the poison spread. But it can only work to that extent. I can¡¯t decrypt it. But if the child was bleeding a lot before you used the medicine, it means that the poison had spread throughout his body first. And child¡¯s body is much smaller than adults ¡­¡­. ¡° ¡°So? Tell me the conclusion first.¡± Fabian hastened. ¡°We have to give the blood medicine continuously. And decipher the poison little by little. Right now, that¡¯s the only way ¡­.¡± ¡°Then, just do it that way!¡± ¡°The duration of treatment in this way will take at least three years, and since this is blood medicine ¡­¡­ I dare to say, Your Majesty¡¯s blood is needed to be used as an ingredient ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fabian answered quickly but he didn¡¯t seem to know the real problem yet. Without doing so, Philip opened his mouth again. ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s blood must be used as soon as it¡¯s drawn. So addiction treatment like this has to be done side by side. ¡° Fabian squinted his eyes. ¡°In other words, the Prince must be by your side for at least three years. ¡­¡­ And now the problem is, you will tell people whose son he is?¡± Soon, Fabian¡¯s mouth was half wide open, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°There are no secrets that can be hidden in the Imperial family. Besides, now Your Majesty must return to the Imperial pce soon.¡± What Philip said was right and that made Fabian really upset. ¡°He really resembles you. Even when the Imperial gatekeeper sees him, they will immediately know he¡¯s your son.¡± Fabian¡¯s breath was disturbed, not like his usual self. He couldn¡¯t tell whether he was happy or shocked, ¡°Is he really looks like me?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t understand why you didn¡¯t know but ¡­ ¡°As a result, I think there¡¯s no serious problem.¡± ¡°Have you consulted with Sir Serus?¡± asked Philip. ¡°Yes.¡± Philip sighed. That was why he had managed to hide the child¡¯s existence so far. On the other hand, Evelyn, the Empress, was also amazing. How could he trick a child who was like his younger brother to help him to hide this crime, ¡°You can¡¯t empty the Imperial pce anymore. And it¡¯s very likely that the child will die if he¡¯s a far from Your Majesty.¡± Fabian sighed as he listened to Philip. His face looked as if he was deeply distressed, ¡°Are there any other alternatives ¡­..?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not. If so, I would have told you.¡± Philip cut off his hopes. ¡°I still don¡¯t know which medicine he should take. There is no guarantee that he will also recover immediately. The blood used in blood medicine cannot be used unless it is drawn immediately ¡­¡­ Your Majesty knows that. If the blood provider is not by the Prince¡¯s side, we don¡¯t know when and what medicine to make. ¡° ¡°So¡­ ¡­ You need to use my hand.¡± Fabian said a heavy word. Then Philip nodded. And Fabian didn¡¯t think he needed any more exnation, ¡°I need time to think.¡± ¡°You should¡­.¡± Philip nodded and left, as if telling Fabian to decide the answer himself. Fabian, who was left alone, felt very depressed. He promised to do his best for Adrian, but he didn¡¯t know this would happen. ¡°What the hell do you want me to do?¡± A sigh leaked out of his frustrated heart. Fabian had given everything he could give, but the knot kept getting twisted. Only ¡°Why¡­ ¡­we¡¯re so difficult¡­..¡± The more he was tied up with Evelyn, the more he felt like they were mixed up. His intention to remarry the woman he loved and tried not to hurt her now became a veryplicated problem. Fabian couldn¡¯t even know where it was screwed up, ¡°She won¡¯t believe me.¡± It was the biggest problem. Evelyn would use Fabian of not keeping his promise. She had risked her life, so she wouldn¡¯t give up her child easily. But he couldn¡¯t let Adrian die. Likewise, he couldn¡¯t abandon his throne. ¡°Why everything it¡¯s so hard¡­..¡± When he first saw Evelyn, Fabian wanted to keep that smile by his side. That simple thought brought him this far. He never treated her carelessly, but instead he was trapped in a mess. And that fact broke Fabian¡¯s heart. Chapter 90: Adrian’s Smile The next day, Fabian visited a room located in the eastern part of the fortress just as Adrian woke up. Evelyn appeared shocked at his arrival, but she only stepped back and didn¡¯t stop him. In any case, Fabian was Adrian¡¯s father, and he was the person who saved Adrian from that incident. ¡°What about the child?¡± he asked. ¡°There¡¯s no significant improvement, but I¡¯m d he¡¯s in a stable condition,¡± Philip answered him with a strange expression. Evelyn cried again as she saw at the demon¡¯s teeth marks all over Adrian¡¯s small body. ¡°Why is the wound still notpletely healed?¡± But, when Adrian, who had fallen asleep, suddenly turned and twitched his eyes, Evelyn quickly hid her tears. As she was determined not to show her weakness to Adrian. Adrian soon opened his eyes. When his small hands reached out to her, Evelyn hugged him with a gentle smile, ¡°Adrian, did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Eh¡­Blyn.¡± Adrian¡¯s voice, which rang when he was still sleepy, was very low. Fabian quietly watched the child in Evelyn¡¯s arms until he really woke up. Adrian immediately drove his sleepiness away, looked around actively, and found Fabian. ¡°Oh, Jimoo!¡± Adrian¡¯s little hand turned to Fabian. Nora, who was next to him, was amazed as well as Evelyn. ¡°Jimoo!¡± ¡°Adrian, you shouldn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Evelyn, Jimoo saved Adrian!¡± Evelyn¡¯s mouth suddenly became stiff at the moment. Nora, who was watching, quickly lifted Adrian and sat him down on a chair. However, there was no way to stop the child who just opened his eyes for the first time in a long time. ¡°¡­¡­Jimoo!¡± Adrian¡¯s gaze turned to Fabian. Everyone, including Evelyn, immediately looked at him too. However, the person concerned calmly approached the child without even knowing their nce. ¡°Yes, you remember me.¡± After that, Adrian seemed to be in a good mood and jumped from his chair. ¡°Adrian!¡± Fabian quickly caught his small body when Adrian lost his bnce and nearly fell forward. Evelyn¡¯s heart almost fell out but Adrian, who was hugged by Fabian in an awkward position, burst outughing. ¡°Jimoo beat wing demon well!¡± and saved Adrian.¡± The innocence of children was the most terrifying thing. Everyone, including the servants, immediately became aware of the situation. They all left the room in a rush. Only three people were left. One of them was Evelyn, who immediately apologized to Fabian. ¡°Your Majesty, forgive me, I¡¯ll teach him a proper manner when the child gets better.¡± ¡°Well¡­ ¡­he better gives me the proper title.¡± Surprisingly, Fabian didn¡¯t seem to dislike it. That child was well attached to Fabian. And Adrian seemed to have a big crush on Fabian after he saved him. ¡°Evelyn, Jimoo¡­¡­he¡¯s a ck hawk!¡± His dark blue eyes stared fixedly at Fabian, ¡°Jimoo! Adrian wants to be a ck Hawk too!¡± At the moment, Fabian felt a throbbing feeling in his chest. It felt strange, like something hot and squishy was spreading in his heart. ¡°No. A very strong ck Hawk!¡± Evelyn felt she had to stop Adrian right now and approached that child quickly. But before she was able to do that, Fabian spoke to him first. ¡°Okay.¡± For Evelyn, it was also an unexpected answer. Even though he already knew Adrian was his son, she didn¡¯t know Fabian would deal with a child who didn¡¯t even know basic manners. ¡°If you grow up healthy, you can be as strong as me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Adrian opened his eyes wide. ¡°No, I¡¯m much stronger than the ck Hawk.¡± Fabian was always serious, even when dealing with a child. ¡°Wow¡­¡­.¡± Appropriately, when Fabian nodded firmly after Adrian looked at him with admiration, the sight looked so natural. Evelyn forgot what she wanted to say and stopped to watch the scene. When Fabian carried him, it was a blood rtionship that seemed so close. So that anyone who looked at them would say that the two were very simr. Fabian was clumsy, but he dealt with the child with all his heart, and Adrian was alreadypletely in love with his father. ¡°And I¡¯m not Jimoo. You need to know the etiquette to be a strong guy,¡± said Fabian. But soon, Adrian had a confused look on his face, ¡°You¡¯re not Jimoo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Jimoo. When you call me, you should say Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn tried to hold herughter, wondering if Adrian could understand such aplicated exnation. She thought that she would never see a scene like this in her life. Adrian, hugged by Fabian, as he did from the beginning, was so natural. ¡°Uhm¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Adrian. Jimoo is¡­¡­.¡± His little pupils trembled. Adrian¡¯s little brain seemed to have reached its limit. But Fabian didn¡¯t lose hisposure and said calmly, ¡°You must call me Your Majesty, not Ji-moo.¡± ¡°Jimoo¡­ ¡­ aren¡¯t you, Jimoo?¡± ¡°Noo, Jim-oo is a word that can only be used when I call myself. You must call me Your Ma-jes-ty.¡± ¡°But Adrian¡­Adrian¡­ So, where¡¯s Jimoo?¡± Adrian gradually began to show a tearful face. ¡°He¡¯s not gone, he¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡± Just before he burst into tears, Adrian¡¯s sorrow exploded when he made eye contact with Evelyn. ¡°Ugh¡­hikkk hikk¡­Jimoo, there¡¯s no Jimoo¡­¡­.¡± Fabian was even more shocked to see Adrian crying so sadly all of a sudden. He didn¡¯t know what to do, looking back and forth at Evelyn and Adrian as if he was holding a bomb. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t bother him.¡± Fabian quickly made an excuse to Evelyn. Then she made an inevitable expression and approached the two. Adrian, whose face was filled with tears, looked so sad.¡± Please, give him to me.¡± Evelyn reached out her hands and hugged him. ¡°Adrian, you said you¡¯re not a baby anymore, are you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­Uh¡­ Jimoo¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Only a small baby who cries like this. Adrian, are you going to be a baby?¡± ¡°¡­Uh..Uh¡­no.¡± Adrian was a two years old child with strong self-esteem. What he hated the most was being treated like a baby. He bit his lips to stop his crying and started to hup. However, seeing Fabian looking at him with an unfair look, it felt like something was wrong. ¡°Adrian, not knowing manners means a baby.¡± Adrian, who was embraced by Evelyn, kept looking at Fabian sadly. In Adrian¡¯s mind, he was obviously Jimoo, but why was she denying himself and staring at him with an annoyed expression. ¡°In the future, you should never call him that way. Understand?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­Ugh¡­..¡± Of course, even though Adrian was her own son, Evelyn still had to apply discipline to him properly. Fabian, in particr, already understood etiquette at a younger age than Adrian. Fabian, who had lived in a normative environment, must have objected to this kind of behavior. ¡°Well¡­.. it¡¯s also true that Jimoo is me.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was hardened by Fabian¡¯s unexpected deration. Then she turned her head and looked back at Fabian, doubting her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to call me that until the age of three.¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Fabian deliberately avoided Evelyn¡¯s eyes. Instead, he made eye contact with Adrian, who immediately smiled broadly. ¡°Jimoo!¡± Adrian quickly opened his hand for Fabian. Without hesitation, Fabian took Adrian from Evelyn quickly. ¡°Jimoo is the best!¡± Only Evelyn stood there in a daze, unable to grasp the situation. Even Fabian¡¯s face looked so happy, ¡°Yes, you know the most important fact.¡± ¡°ck Hawk! Jimoo is the best! Adrian will be too!¡± ¡°Of course, you can.¡± Now it was Evelyn who felt a little bit betrayed by Adrian. Either way, the two men seemed already engrossed in their own world. ¡°Jimoo, I Bung Bung Bung Bung Bung!¡± ¡°Bung Bung?¡± ¡°High, high like a ck hawk! Bung Bung!¡± ¡°Ah, I see, don¡¯t worry I¡¯m strong.¡± Fabian had always been serious. So he would do his best even if the opponent was a child. Since Adrian was born, maybe this was the first time he felt thrown very high into the air and repeatedlynded in Fabian¡¯s arms. It must have been so nice that he forgot the pain,ughing out of breath. ¡°Jimoo, one more time! Higher!¡± ¡°Yes, men shouldn¡¯t be afraid of high ces.¡± ¡°Hold up! Yikes¡­ ¡­ Jimoo is the best!¡± Adrian had wholly forgotten about Evelyn and burst outughing in Fabian¡¯s embrace. Fabian insisted it was okay not to know good manners. However, the two men did their best and yed seriously ¡­¡­ And Evelyn didn¡¯t know which one who was more ridiculous.
Adrian fell asleep as if fainting after ying passionately. Even Fabian was panting a little. Evelyn still couldn¡¯t believe what she saw. And now, there was a very awkward silence in the room. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Even though Evelyn spoke first, Fabian avoided her eyes for no reason. ¡°You can¡¯t throw a child who hasn¡¯t even healed yet that high¡­¡­.¡± Uhuk¡­Fabian suddenly started coughing. ¡°And ¡­¡­ it¡¯s indeed my fault for not educating him properly, but you shouldn¡¯t spoil him either.¡± Of course, Evelyn didn¡¯t think that Fabian would allow Adrian to call him like that. Because Fabian himself wasn¡¯t the type a person who would see a child as a child. But he allowed Adrian to call him that way until he was three years old. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to nag, but it didn¡¯t make any sense at all. ¡°Your Majesty, are you listening to me?¡± ¡°¡­.Yes.¡± Fabian barely opened his mouth. He still had a neat face as if nothing had happened. And it reminded her of his shameless personality. ¡°Adrian is smart, and he¡¯ll understand soon. He was very strong and brave. Like¡­ ¡­ .¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want this conversation to flow in an awkward direction and cut him quickly. ¡°Yes, just like you.¡± There was now, but only Fabian was shameless. Evelyn gave Fabian a tacit warning not to do anything stupid and useless. ¡°That also makes sense.¡± It felt really strange when Fabian took her words seriously, ¡°I¡¯m d he¡¯s a strong child. Something¡­¡­it was nice to see himughing.¡± Fabian said it frankly. ¡°Maybe, it was a scene that I¡¯ll remember for the rest of my life.¡± The eyes of the two met at once. ¡°Thank you.¡± That one word blurred the hatred that existed between the two. There was sincerity in Fabian¡¯s ck eyes. When Evelyn looked at him closer, he had eyes that resembled Adrian. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I made a decision earlier.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No matter where this child grows up, I will surely protect him. I just suddenly thought like that.¡± Maybe it was when Fabian saw the child¡¯s happyughter. He wanted to protect Adrian, who smiled and hugged him with infinite trust and wanted to grow up to be strong like him. ¡°Even if he¡¯s not Your Majesty¡¯s sessor¡­ ¡­ Will you protect him?¡± ¡°Even I don¡¯t like it, but I will. As long as Adrian can grow up safely.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t believe what he had just said. However, it was clear that there was a deep affection on Fabian¡¯s face, carrying Adrian a while ago. It was a gentle face that she had never seen before. In the past, it was an affection feeling that was a little different from his love for Evelyn. ¡°You said you wanted to keep the child¡¯s smile. So he can¡¯t stay by my side.¡± Only ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± ¡°Surely, I¡¯ve neverughed like that.¡± A lonely, bitter smile engraved on Fabian¡¯s mouth. ¡°If Adrian is raised in an Imperial family, he wouldn¡¯t know how to smile.¡± ¡°Yes, perhaps for the rest of his life.¡± After seeing Adrian¡¯s innocent smile, even Fabian hesitated to take him to the Imperial family. Now he understood a little bit what Evelyn felt. ¡°¡­¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡± For the first time, the two thoughts seemed to look in the same direction. Somehow it was a heartbreaking and sad moment. Chapter 91: Fabian’s Promise Fabian took a moment¡¯s breath andid his gaze on Evelyn. Hisplicated mind had died like a lie. He was confident that Evelyn would listen without misinterpreting what he said. ¡°I have something to say about Adrian.¡± Evelyn was a little anxious listening to his voice. There were a lot of things Evelyn really didn¡¯t know about what was going on. She had to know, but she was scared to know at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest as I could.¡± Evelyn soon cleared up her mind and nodded, ¡°Yes, I will trust you.¡± At least it wasn¡¯t likely that the current Fabian would hurt Adrian. Fabian, mostly, was a man who refused to speak with promises. Since all the words were spoken by him, who was born as the Emperor¡¯s sessor and rose to the throne ¨C had a big influence. ¡°First of all, I guess I have to tell you how I got here.¡± Fabian quickly cleared his head, ¡°What made me doubt the birth of Adrian ¡­ it was because of an unexpected finding.¡± Evelyn frowned slightly. From the beginning, she already thought there was something strange. After seeing Adrian several times, Fabian had no doubts, but suddenly he felt suspicious and took the midwife. ¡°That part has confused my mind, too. Who told you that?¡± Fabian shook his head, ¡°No one, but¡­.¡± Besides, Evelyn¡¯s secret couldn¡¯t be leaked out so easily. But why did this happen, then? ¡°As you know, I don¡¯t have a good rtionship with the Vatican. But aside from that, I think something unknown is going on in the Vatican. ¡± Fabian¡¯s distrust of the Vatican was not based solely on his bad feelings for the Pope. It was his judgment and his wisdom as Emperor that led him to investigate them. ¡°Is it about a demon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part of it. There¡¯s no progress in the investigation, so I don¡¯t know how far their conspiracy is.¡± After Fabian ascended to the throne, he became hostile to the Vatican and suspected them. It had been quite a while since he began investigating the Vatican in secret. ¡°The investigation has restarted recently. That¡¯s why I swear in the name of the Emperor, I can confirm that they are certainly guilty.¡± However, it was the first time for Evelyn to hear such a story. Because when she was an Empress, she never been told about anything outside the Pce. ¡°I see, but now I¡¯m talking about Adrian, why is the Vatican¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to tell?¡± Evelyn stopped talking when Fabian cut her sentence before she finished it. She didn¡¯t want to lie. But her doubt was too scary to speak of. ¡°I won¡¯t hide anything from you. I think the Vatican has a secret way to control the demon. And it has something to do with the person wearing the Pdin¡¯s mask right now.¡± ¡°You mean, ¡­..Sir David?¡± ¡°Yeah. Whenever something mysterious happened, there was his shadow. But too bad, I couldn¡¯t catch his tail.¡± Fabian felt very displeased and kicked his tongue, ¡°I know how absurd my words are.¡± A man from the Vatican could control a demon. If Fabian hadn¡¯t investigated it himself, he would haveughed at the nonsense story. ¡°¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not absurd¡­..¡± ¡°You seem to know something, as expected.¡± Evelyn nodded her head carefully. ¡°At the time, when the Wyvern stormed the Grand Festival¡­ ¡­It felt kind of weird. It felt like the demon was flying straight to Adrian. Looking back, the Pope¡¯s words and actions were awkward. But because everyone said I was so shocked¡­¡­.¡± Fabian agreed. Her reaction was normal. ¡°It was only after the Pdin¡¯s arrival that the Wyverns made a strange movement.¡± ¡°Definitely ¡­ ¡­ He¡¯s a suspicious guy.¡± Evelyn recalled the purple-eyed man she had met in the garden of the Felice Kingdom. Strangely, her memories of that day were as hazy as if they were foggy. But the odd feeling she felt in him wasn¡¯t gone. ¡°Not long ago, when the Pope left for the kingdom of Felice without any announcement, I sent a delegation of knights to the Vatican. And I found a note in Saint Iretta. That¡¯s the only thing I could get.¡± Fabian spoke openly, even though it was confidential information. He seemed to keep his promise, to be honest. ¡°There were a few hastily scribbled words on the note. Maybe Someone who was instructed by the Pdin wrote it.¡± It was a small clue. ¡°The Pdin¡¯s request, the prince¡¯s hair, the death of the birth mother¡­¡­ That¡¯s what I¡¯ve inferred from the list of words on the note. ¡° As a matter of fact, Adrian was the only one in this Empire who matched the memo. However, there was still something Evelyn couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why did the Pdin want to investigate Adrian?¡± ¡°I think he tried to confirm Adrian¡¯s birth. Saint Iretta probably had a relic that could reveal bloodlines with his hair.¡± Fabian¡¯s spection was only half right. It wasn¡¯t a relic, but David¡¯s unique ability to know human life through the hair. ¡°One thing in a million, if my absurd doubts are correct, it is the Pdin who has the power to control demons ¡­¡­ It means the cave¡¯s ident was an incident.¡± Evelyn widened her eyes, ¡°So, the demons that attacked the carriage¡­¡­ The Pdin did it?¡± ¡°I think so. No, I¡¯m sure.¡± Fabian was sure because his intuition said so. Indeed, there was no proof at this time, but his instincts already believed it. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this.¡± ¡°No, please tell me everything.¡± ¡°¡­It happened when I gave Adrian the antidote. Before he lost consciousness, he knew that I had defeated the demons and saved him.¡± He couldn¡¯t forget Adrian, who was crying at that time, reached out to him with his soft and weak hand. ¡°Adrian told me over and over again and again. That the demon rushed in tenaciously and said, ¡®Kill Adrian¡¯¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face became hardened. Adrian wasn¡¯t old enough to make up those words. And she never taught him such radical words. ¡°He didn¡¯t just say it out of fear. The demon repeated the words over and over, and that child heard it clearly ¡®kill Adrian.¡¯¡± Suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s eyes turned red. She didn¡¯t want to imagine that scene. Her heart beat fast like a bolt. She still shuddered every time she looked at Adrian¡¯s wounds. Evelyn felt suffocated at the thought of what happened at that time. ¡°That¡¯s why I tried not to tell you,¡± Fabian said with a bitter feeling. He wanted to reach out and soothe Evelyn right now, but he still had a story to tell, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Adrian doesn¡¯t remember that time.¡± Evelyn quickly wiped her eyes before her tears flowed. She knew it well that now wasn¡¯t the time to cry. ¡°There¡¯s another reason. Devil Eye is a demon that has low intelligence. Instinctively, they will only attack the prey in front of them. But at that time, they tirelessly chased Adrian, who was on the carriage. Also, attacking children by biting them with their teeth¡­ It¡¯s different from the Devil Eye¡¯s behavior.¡± Fabian said calmly, but Evelyn could sense anger in his voice. Fabian clenched his fist, ¡°Someone must be ordered them. I have no choice but to think so.¡± He couldn¡¯t bear his rage every time he thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know his motives yet. I don¡¯t know exactly what he means or what his goal is.¡± There was despair in his ck eyes. ¡°However, there are certain things.¡± Evelyn soon understood his meaning. ¡°Yes.¡± Her blue eyes were gathered in the same light as Fabian. ¡°He¡¯s after Adrian.¡± Now, without hesitation, Evelyn marked him as an enemy. He was trying to hurt her son, so she didn¡¯t have to hold back. ¡°And ording to Your Majesty¡¯s guess, he¡¯s¡­ a Pdin.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were filled with anger too as she couldn¡¯t believe the man who was a ¡®stranger¡¯ could do such a terrible thing. ¡°That¡¯s what I think.¡± Fabian¡¯s intuition was always right. Evelyn should have trusted his words because she had witnessed the uracy of Fabian¡¯s guesses several times. ¡°He¡¯s a weird guy¡­..Once, I had a close conversation with him. But I don¡¯t remember it clearly. My memories are blurred. Somehow¡­ ¡­Like being possessed by something.¡± ¡°Maybe he used some spell. Is there anything you remember?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ demon¡­. Yes.¡± Evelyn looked straight at Fabian. ¡°He told me an unknown story. Initially, all the demons in this continent hunt the Imperial family. ¡­¡­ Has he targeted Adrian since then? ¡± Evelyn¡¯s tone became furious as she recalled David, who told that legendary stories with a calm face. ¡°The demons¡­. hunt the Imperial family? Fabian was confused in a somewhat different way. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a story that I¡¯ve never heard before, so I searched the ancient books after that. Whether it¡¯s a legend or just fiction ¡­ ¡­ but there¡¯s a story simr to that. But there¡¯s no warning at all.¡± Fabian frowned his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Where¡¯s the book now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the Felice Kingdom.¡± That was a matter to be investigated separatelyter. For now, Fabian was more worried about seeing Evelyn¡¯s face, which was already too pale. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± The more she tried to remember something about David, the cloudier her memory became. ¡°I can¡¯t exin it, but¡­¡­It feels so odd.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°No¡­there was something else¡­¡­But my memories are really blurred. I can¡¯t remember it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his spell. He¡¯s also a magus. He¡¯s an evil creature.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was distorted by his words, ¡°But why is he after Adrian? Fabian didn¡¯t even know why either. But it wasn¡¯t necessary anymore. ¡°That¡¯s not surprising.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian with puzzled eyes. But his ck eyes were more firm and more apparent than ever. ¡°He is an enemy. Before he¡¯s your enemy, he¡¯s already my enemy. Now I don¡¯t care who he is, whether he¡¯s a demon or not.¡± Initially, Fabian¡¯s intention was to reveal the Pdin¡¯s identity and expose the Vatican¡¯s rottenness. ¡°Now, I won¡¯t stop until I kill him. From method to justification ¡­ I won¡¯t be picky.¡± But now it was no longer a political battle. That man had crossed a line he wasn¡¯t supposed to cross. He tried to hurt two of the most important people in Fabian¡¯s life. By the time that happened, the string ofmon sense within Fabian was broken. ¡°Evelyn.¡± His voice was fearful but believable at the same time. ¡°Now that everything is blurry, there¡¯s only one thing that is clear.¡± Fabian¡¯s presence was never felt so greatly like this. ¡°I¡¯ll destroy those who are aiming for Adrian. I¡¯ll make him impossible to do that again. I will never, I¡¯ll never forgive him.¡± Evelyn wanted to engrave such a figure in her eyes. She had always thought, the moment she left the Imperial family, he was a man she couldn¡¯t depend on again. ¡°Now that I know who that child is, I love him as much as you do¡­¡­¡± Fabian didn¡¯t dare to im Evelyn¡¯s motherly-love. Sadly, he was such a foolish man who always kept his word. Since he said he would be honest, he was only telling the truth about such a trivial matter. ¡°But Evelyn, I still love you.¡± Sometimes, Evelyn¡¯s mind was pierced by his too-straightforward-honesty. ¡°So I won¡¯t make you sad. No matter what happens¡­¡­.¡± Fabian looked fondly at Evelyn. ¡°I will protect you and your child.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know what expression she should make right now. Just her blue eyes that stared at Fabian¡­¡­¡±Is that¡­¡­ Your Majesty¡¯s promise?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn knew it better than anyone that Fabian always risked his life to keep his promise. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take that promise.¡± It was Evelyn who left his side coldly and heartless. She also knew that she didn¡¯t deserve the promise that risked his life now. ¡°For Adrian¡¯s sake.¡± That was all. For the sake of her child, Evelyn could be a coward and endure her shame. Fabian looked at Evelyn and didn¡¯t say any single word. He let her go with a nce. Evelynter realized that it was more hurt to regret than to hate. Fabian took a moment¡¯s breath andid his gaze on Evelyn. Hisplicated mind had died like a lie. He was confident that Evelyn would listen without misinterpreting what he said. ¡°I have something to say about Adrian.¡± Evelyn was a little anxious listening to his voice. There were a lot of things Evelyn really didn¡¯t know about what was going on. She had to know, but she was scared to know at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest as I could.¡± Evelyn soon cleared up her mind and nodded, ¡°Yes, I will trust you.¡± At least it wasn¡¯t likely that the current Fabian would hurt Adrian. Fabian, mostly, was a man who refused to speak with promises. Since all the words were spoken by him, who was born as the Emperor¡¯s sessor and rose to the throne ¨C had a big influence. ¡°First of all, I guess I have to tell you how I got here.¡± Fabian quickly cleared his head, ¡°What made me doubt the birth of Adrian ¡­ it was because of an unexpected finding.¡± Evelyn frowned slightly. From the beginning, she already thought there was something strange. After seeing Adrian several times, Fabian had no doubts, but suddenly he felt suspicious and took the midwife. ¡°That part has confused my mind, too. Who told you that?¡± Fabian shook his head, ¡°No one, but¡­.¡± Besides, Evelyn¡¯s secret couldn¡¯t be leaked out so easily. But why did this happen, then? ¡°As you know, I don¡¯t have a good rtionship with the Vatican. But aside from that, I think something unknown is going on in the Vatican. ¡± Fabian¡¯s distrust of the Vatican was not based solely on his bad feelings for the Pope. It was his judgment and his wisdom as Emperor that led him to investigate them. ¡°Is it about a demon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part of it. There¡¯s no progress in the investigation, so I don¡¯t know how far their conspiracy is.¡± After Fabian ascended to the throne, he became hostile to the Vatican and suspected them. It had been quite a while since he began investigating the Vatican in secret. ¡°The investigation has restarted recently. That¡¯s why I swear in the name of the Emperor, I can confirm that they are certainly guilty.¡± However, it was the first time for Evelyn to hear such a story. Because when she was an Empress, she never been told about anything outside the Pce. ¡°I see, but now I¡¯m talking about Adrian, why is the Vatican¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to tell?¡± Evelyn stopped talking when Fabian cut her sentence before she finished it. She didn¡¯t want to lie. But her doubt was too scary to speak of. ¡°I won¡¯t hide anything from you. I think the Vatican has a secret way to control the demon. And it has something to do with the person wearing the Pdin¡¯s mask right now.¡± ¡°You mean, ¡­..Sir David?¡± ¡°Yeah. Whenever something mysterious happened, there was his shadow. But too bad, I couldn¡¯t catch his tail.¡± Fabian felt very displeased and kicked his tongue, ¡°I know how absurd my words are.¡± A man from the Vatican could control a demon. If Fabian hadn¡¯t investigated it himself, he would haveughed at the nonsense story. ¡°¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not absurd¡­..¡± ¡°You seem to know something, as expected.¡± Evelyn nodded her head carefully. ¡°At the time, when the Wyvern stormed the Grand Festival¡­ ¡­It felt kind of weird. It felt like the demon was flying straight to Adrian. Looking back, the Pope¡¯s words and actions were awkward. But because everyone said I was so shocked¡­¡­.¡± Fabian agreed. Her reaction was normal. ¡°It was only after the Pdin¡¯s arrival that the Wyverns made a strange movement.¡± ¡°Definitely ¡­ ¡­ He¡¯s a suspicious guy.¡± Evelyn recalled the purple-eyed man she had met in the garden of the Felice Kingdom. Strangely, her memories of that day were as hazy as if they were foggy. But the odd feeling she felt in him wasn¡¯t gone. ¡°Not long ago, when the Pope left for the kingdom of Felice without any announcement, I sent a delegation of knights to the Vatican. And I found a note in Saint Iretta. That¡¯s the only thing I could get.¡± Fabian spoke openly, even though it was confidential information. He seemed to keep his promise, to be honest. ¡°There were a few hastily scribbled words on the note. Maybe Someone who was instructed by the Pdin wrote it.¡± It was a small clue. ¡°The Pdin¡¯s request, the prince¡¯s hair, the death of the birth mother¡­¡­ That¡¯s what I¡¯ve inferred from the list of words on the note. ¡° As a matter of fact, Adrian was the only one in this Empire who matched the memo. However, there was still something Evelyn couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why did the Pdin want to investigate Adrian?¡± ¡°I think he tried to confirm Adrian¡¯s birth. Saint Iretta probably had a relic that could reveal bloodlines with his hair.¡± Fabian¡¯s spection was only half right. It wasn¡¯t a relic, but David¡¯s unique ability to know human life through the hair. ¡°One thing in a million, if my absurd doubts are correct, it is the Pdin who has the power to control demons ¡­¡­ It means the cave¡¯s ident was an incident.¡± Evelyn widened her eyes, ¡°So, the demons that attacked the carriage¡­¡­ The Pdin did it?¡± ¡°I think so. No, I¡¯m sure.¡± Fabian was sure because his intuition said so. Indeed, there was no proof at this time, but his instincts already believed it. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this.¡± ¡°No, please tell me everything.¡± ¡°¡­It happened when I gave Adrian the antidote. Before he lost consciousness, he knew that I had defeated the demons and saved him.¡± He couldn¡¯t forget Adrian, who was crying at that time, reached out to him with his soft and weak hand. ¡°Adrian told me over and over again and again. That the demon rushed in tenaciously and said, ¡®Kill Adrian¡¯¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face became hardened. Adrian wasn¡¯t old enough to make up those words. And she never taught him such radical words. ¡°He didn¡¯t just say it out of fear. The demon repeated the words over and over, and that child heard it clearly ¡®kill Adrian.¡¯¡± Suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s eyes turned red. She didn¡¯t want to imagine that scene. Her heart beat fast like a bolt. She still shuddered every time she looked at Adrian¡¯s wounds. Evelyn felt suffocated at the thought of what happened at that time. ¡°That¡¯s why I tried not to tell you,¡± Fabian said with a bitter feeling. He wanted to reach out and soothe Evelyn right now, but he still had a story to tell, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Adrian doesn¡¯t remember that time.¡± Evelyn quickly wiped her eyes before her tears flowed. She knew it well that now wasn¡¯t the time to cry. ¡°There¡¯s another reason. Devil Eye is a demon that has low intelligence. Instinctively, they will only attack the prey in front of them. But at that time, they tirelessly chased Adrian, who was on the carriage. Also, attacking children by biting them with their teeth¡­ It¡¯s different from the Devil Eye¡¯s behavior.¡± Fabian said calmly, but Evelyn could sense anger in his voice. Fabian clenched his fist, ¡°Someone must be ordered them. I have no choice but to think so.¡± He couldn¡¯t bear his rage every time he thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know his motives yet. I don¡¯t know exactly what he means or what his goal is.¡± There was despair in his ck eyes. ¡°However, there are certain things.¡± Evelyn soon understood his meaning. ¡°Yes.¡± Her blue eyes were gathered in the same light as Fabian. ¡°He¡¯s after Adrian.¡± Now, without hesitation, Evelyn marked him as an enemy. He was trying to hurt her son, so she didn¡¯t have to hold back. ¡°And ording to Your Majesty¡¯s guess, he¡¯s¡­ a Pdin.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were filled with anger too as she couldn¡¯t believe the man who was a ¡®stranger¡¯ could do such a terrible thing. ¡°That¡¯s what I think.¡± Fabian¡¯s intuition was always right. Evelyn should have trusted his words because she had witnessed the uracy of Fabian¡¯s guesses several times. ¡°He¡¯s a weird guy¡­..Once, I had a close conversation with him. But I don¡¯t remember it clearly. My memories are blurred. Somehow¡­ ¡­Like being possessed by something.¡± ¡°Maybe he used some spell. Is there anything you remember?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ demon¡­. Yes.¡± Evelyn looked straight at Fabian. ¡°He told me an unknown story. Initially, all the demons in this continent hunt the Imperial family. ¡­¡­ Has he targeted Adrian since then? ¡± Evelyn¡¯s tone became furious as she recalled David, who told that legendary stories with a calm face. ¡°The demons¡­. hunt the Imperial family? Fabian was confused in a somewhat different way. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a story that I¡¯ve never heard before, so I searched the ancient books after that. Whether it¡¯s a legend or just fiction ¡­ ¡­ but there¡¯s a story simr to that. But there¡¯s no warning at all.¡± Fabian frowned his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Where¡¯s the book now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the Felice Kingdom.¡± That was a matter to be investigated separatelyter. For now, Fabian was more worried about seeing Evelyn¡¯s face, which was already too pale. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± The more she tried to remember something about David, the cloudier her memory became. ¡°I can¡¯t exin it, but¡­¡­It feels so odd.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°No¡­there was something else¡­¡­But my memories are really blurred. I can¡¯t remember it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his spell. He¡¯s also a magus. He¡¯s an evil creature.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was distorted by his words, ¡°But why is he after Adrian? Fabian didn¡¯t even know why either. But it wasn¡¯t necessary anymore. ¡°That¡¯s not surprising.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian with puzzled eyes. But his ck eyes were more firm and more apparent than ever. ¡°He is an enemy. Before he¡¯s your enemy, he¡¯s already my enemy. Now I don¡¯t care who he is, whether he¡¯s a demon or not.¡± Initially, Fabian¡¯s intention was to reveal the Pdin¡¯s identity and expose the Vatican¡¯s rottenness. ¡°Now, I won¡¯t stop until I kill him. From method to justification ¡­ I won¡¯t be picky.¡± But now it was no longer a political battle. That man had crossed a line he wasn¡¯t supposed to cross. He tried to hurt two of the most important people in Fabian¡¯s life. By the time that happened, the string ofmon sense within Fabian was broken. ¡°Evelyn.¡± His voice was fearful but believable at the same time. ¡°Now that everything is blurry, there¡¯s only one thing that is clear.¡± Fabian¡¯s presence was never felt so greatly like this. ¡°I¡¯ll destroy those who are aiming for Adrian. I¡¯ll make him impossible to do that again. I will never, I¡¯ll never forgive him.¡± Evelyn wanted to engrave such a figure in her eyes. She had always thought, the moment she left the Imperial family, he was a man she couldn¡¯t depend on again. ¡°Now that I know who that child is, I love him as much as you do¡­¡­¡± Fabian didn¡¯t dare to im Evelyn¡¯s motherly-love. Sadly, he was such a foolish man who always kept his word. Since he said he would be honest, he was only telling the truth about such a trivial matter. ¡°But Evelyn, I still love you.¡± Sometimes, Evelyn¡¯s mind was pierced by his too-straightforward-honesty. ¡°So I won¡¯t make you sad. No matter what happens¡­¡­.¡± Fabian looked fondly at Evelyn. ¡°I will protect you and your child.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know what expression she should make right now. Just her blue eyes that stared at Fabian¡­¡­¡±Is that¡­¡­ Your Majesty¡¯s promise?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Only Evelyn knew it better than anyone that Fabian always risked his life to keep his promise. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take that promise.¡± It was Evelyn who left his side coldly and heartless. She also knew that she didn¡¯t deserve the promise that risked his life now. ¡°For Adrian¡¯s sake.¡± That was all. For the sake of her child, Evelyn could be a coward and endure her shame. Fabian looked at Evelyn and didn¡¯t say any single word. He let her go with a nce. Evelynter realized that it was more hurt to regret than to hate. Chapter 92: Take Him It was raining heavily at dawn. The gray sky seemed to paint a picture of the present situation. ¡°Your Majesty, you need to get some sleep.¡± Serus looked concerned, but Fabian didn¡¯t listen to him. There were so many things that he was worried about right now. And only himself, the Ruler of the Empire, no one else, could do that. ¡°What did Philip say?¡± Fabian kept monitoring Adrian¡¯s condition, even though he was busy to handle urgent letters. ¡°When he rechecked his condition, and his conclusion was still the same.¡± Atst, it seemed they had no other choice but to treat Adrian with blood medicine. ¡°I understand.¡± Several days had passed since Fabian forced himself to stay in this fortress. It was all for Adrian¡¯s stable treatment. But in the meantime, Philip was unable to find any other method, and time slipped imperceptibly. ¡°Your Majesty, I think you should go back to the Imperial Pce now,¡± Serus said carefully. Even though Fabian never said anything, Serus knew very well what was going on in the Pce. Starting from the greedy Imperial nobles to the chaotic conditions of the council. They all dared to do so because they knew that the Empire hadsted until now, thanks to them and their vast territories. ¡°They¡¯re so pathetic.¡± Fabianughed bitterly as he read the letter in his hand. Since his absence was longer than expected, he was forced to announce his absence as an Emperor¡¯s foreign affair. And the nobles began to elbow each other. And fight for power in the Pce as if they had been waiting for this moment. ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired because they always deviate from my expectations.¡± Serus nodded, hearing his master¡¯s loud voice. The current Imperial power structure was toome. As they adhered one-man-power system, everything in the Pce relied on the Emperor alone. It¡¯s ridiculouspared to small kingdoms that didn¡¯t really depend too much on the King. ¡°It¡¯s sad to see it. I¡¯ve only left the throne for a week, and everything bes a mess.¡± This was all the result of the actions of the First Emperor, as well as the Empire¡¯s founder. From generation to generation, the Emperor¡¯s influence was too powerful and threatening. In short, throughout history, Empire had always been ruled by Imperial lineages. But, even so, there was also a limit that Fabian could change on his own. ¡°It means that Your Majesty¡¯s ability is so great.¡± ¡°Stop! I¡¯m tired of hearingpliments from your mouth.¡± Fabian scolded Serus in difort. If he had such a great ability, like he said, he wouldn¡¯t be under their pressure like this. Fabian was annoyed. He finally found what he wanted to protect as a person, not as an Emperor, but he couldn¡¯t even spend time together by their side. ¡°Forgive me ¡­ but Your Majesty, you can no longer postpone your return.¡± Serus wasn¡¯t mistaken about that. Since they knew Fabian had emptied the Pce for an unknown reason, the nobles began to run wild. And it was rumored that the Duke Metis would soon hold a parliamentary conference. At first nce, Duke Metis seemed to have led the state affairs on behalf of the Emperor, who was away, but in practice, it was a challenge to the Emperor. ¡°You wicked old man¡­¡± Fabian had no qualms about cursing his uncle. ¡°You dare to hold a congress on my behalf?!¡± ¡°He has a good excuse. He would say it for Your Majesty¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what makes me so pissed off!¡± Even if Fabian hade back in time, Duke Metis would justugh and wouldn¡¯t stop. But he certainly hoped that the Emperor¡¯s circumstances would be more urgent and leave longer, so he would have more freedom to control the parliament. It was Duke Metis who still benefited from both situations. And Fabian couldn¡¯t see the scene. ¡°I thought Duke Perth could buy time by making a fuss with him.¡± Ideally, the nobles couldn¡¯t turn their eyes to the Emperor while they were fighting with each other. However, Duke Perth seemed too young to be a match for the Duke Metis. His biggest pitfall was to waste his time ying romance with capital¡¯sdies. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him toe all the way to the capital and y with women,¡± said Serus. He criticized his brother as if he were strangers. ¡°Duke Metis also went beyond the expectations.¡± ¡°Now, you know? All the Empire¡¯s nobles are insane! They¡¯ve always been!¡± Fabian had been aware of this for a long time. ¡°They don¡¯tpete for intellect, honor, or loyalty. They¡¯re like a bunch of dogs fighting over who¡¯s going to be the boss. Even though the owner is just gone for an hour.¡± Probably because the Empire had a long history of adopting absolute rule for a long time. Or only by chance, the Imperial nobles were all warlike and greedy for power. As Fabian said, they were no different from wild dogs. He only left for a few days, but the Imperial family had already made his mind sick. ¡°In this case, I understand why you left,¡± Fabian said low, so Serus couldn¡¯t hear his self-talk. ¡°Duke Metis may hold a congress tomorrow. I think you have to leave tonight, Your Majesty.¡± Fabian wanted to, but it wasn¡¯t an easy matter. Adrian¡¯s condition was still not stable. And Philip, his doctor, said that he couldn¡¯t be separated from Fabian. ¡°What Duke Metis is aiming for is the appointment¡¯s right as Emperor¡¯s recement.¡± ¡°I think it is.¡± ¡°His goal is too obvious. He wants to fill the council with his own people and rules the Imperial Family as he wants.¡± To be precise, it was part of his n to make his daughter an Empress. Duke Metis aggressively pushed Fabian and pressured him to meet a new Empress candidate. So, the Metis family would produce a new Emperor. Like Monica, who gave birth to Fabian. ¡°I can¡¯t stand back this time ¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Fabian breathed a long sigh, ¡°Get Evelyn. And put Philip on standby.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Serus gave an example and stepped back. Fabian closed his eyes in disarray as only a few choices were remaining. -------- Evelyn gracefully exemplifies in front of Fabian. Her elegant movements like flowing water didn¡¯t change, and for a moment, Fabian felt a lot of nostalgia. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Fabian nodded and beckoned Evelyn to sit on the sofa opposite him. Soon Evelyn came over and sat across from Fabian. Compared to the past, the rtionship between them had softened a lot. At least there was no hostility or fear. Fabian¡¯s mouth was filled with a bitter taste, wondering, after this conversation was over, could things stay like this? ¡°You look a little worried.¡± Surprisingly, Evelyn broke the silence first. ¡°Does it look like that?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty rarely has such an expression.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was as calm as ever. When she was an Empress, sometimes Fabian was silent with an expression like this on his face. He tried not to show his problems no matter what, but every night, he wouldin of a headache, and his hands became cold like ice. Evelyn felt so sorry for Fabian that she kept holding his cold hands all night long. ¡°If it¡¯s because of me, don¡¯t think about it. Your headache is going to get worse.¡± Fabian was quite stunned when Evelyn said those unexpected words. His eyes seemed to ask, how did she know that? ¡°Even if I don¡¯t want to know, but I can¡¯t.¡± Evelyn spoke again, this time, a little bit bitter, ¡°I¡¯m not a fool either. I knew from early on that Your Majesty has to go back to the Imperial Pce.¡± She was a former Empress, so Evelyn knew very well the Pce situation now. Even for a single day, it was difficult for him to empty the Pce. ¡°You¡¯re worried because you still haven¡¯t killed him since there¡¯s no information about him right now. Besides, he¡¯s not an enemy that can be killed in a short time.¡± David was the enemy that Fabian had been chasing for a long time. But, he couldn¡¯t just kill him because there was no news about him yet. Although faint, Evelyn recalled the memory of David. He wasn¡¯t an easy opponent. ¡°Other worries¡­¡­Do you know?¡± ¡°No.,¡± Evelyn answered honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what made you hesitate.¡± ¡°How did you know that I hesitated?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­my feeling.¡± Evelyn smiled faintly. They were a married couple before, so they used to know what they were thinking, even though they didn¡¯t say it. Like the fact that Evelyn knew Fabian was very hesitant right now. ¡°If I¡¯m the reason that Your Majesty is hesitating, you don¡¯t have to.¡± Evelyn had been thinking for a while. From Fabian¡¯s promise to the enemy who was aiming for Adrian, she must ept the truth. Seeing Adrian¡¯s sleeping face, Evelyn struggled to calm her heart. ¡°So what ¡­ what has made you hesitate to leave this ce?¡± Evelyn hit the bull¡¯ s-eye. Well, even if it was only at a nce, she could tell a little. Why did the Emperor who should have returned to the Pce still insist on staying here? That meant there was a reason that made him so hesitant. ¡°It¡¯s not because of you, Evelyn.¡± ¡°Then, tell me the real reason. If there¡¯s something that I need to know, please tell me.¡± Fabian sighed. After all, Evelyn must know this situation. But it was hard for Fabian to spit out those words out of his mouth. How could he tell Evelyn that he should return to the Imperial Pce with Adrian right now? ¡°Adrian¡­ Are you going to take him with you?¡± Fabian could not conceal his trembling eyes at that moment. ¡°Yes¡­you will¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were filled with sadness, but she still showed her tough attitude. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re still bad at lying.¡± There was a sad, faint smile on Evelyn¡¯s lips, and then disappeared. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Fabian gazed closely at Evelyn, ¡°You even risked your life when I tried to take Adrian.¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°But how can you speak so calmly now?¡± Fabian knew Evelyn¡¯s determination, so he didn¡¯t want to bring it up. For a moment, Evelyn bit her lower lip. In truth, she was trying her best to appear calm. Her clenched fists were hidden under the table. It was also a secret how much she cried before she made this decision. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re a person who always keeps your promises. And you said you will protect Adrian.¡± Evelyn felt her heart became heavy when she spoke word by word. ¡°I¡¯ve learned that there were times I couldn¡¯t handle it alone.¡± Without Fabian, Evelyn wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Adrian at that time. And that guilt kept running through Evelyn¡¯s mind. For Adrian, now it was more important to realize herck than to me herself. ¡°You told me that, even Adrian is not Your Majesty¡¯s heir, you will protect him. Your eyes were sincere when you said that.¡± There was sorrow in Evelyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ ¡­ you¡¯re a bad liar.¡± Fabian was a cold man, but never once did he lie to Evelyn. He was a fool who values honesty. It hurt Evelyn, the Empress, but it was different for Adrian. ¡°If such a Majesty has to take Adrian. That¡¯s¡­ ..because there¡¯s no other way.¡± It was bitter, but it was the reality. Fabian couldn¡¯t help but nod his head reluctantly. Evelyn¡¯s eyes shook at his response as if she was about to cry. And Fabian wasn¡¯t able to give her another answer. ¡°Take him away.¡± Evelyn said something more painful than dying. ¡°Evelyn¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Take him. Please take him and protect him.¡± Her tears fell down without her knowing it. ¡°If you think that¡¯s the best thing. If only that way, the child will survive. Evelyn was trying not to weep. She looked so pitiful that Fabian unknowingly reached out his hand to her. ¡°If Adrian can live.¡± When Fabian¡¯s warm hand touched her cheek, Evelyn¡¯s tears fell like beads. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears. There were many things she wanted to ask Fabian. ¡°If only that child can live.¡± She thought after she threatened him with her life, Fabian couldn¡¯t take Adrian away. Only after Adrian¡¯s life was on the verge of death, and his entire body was covered by the bites of vicious demons. Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu ¡°I¡­.¡± Evelyn¡¯s tears kept streaming down as she spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t mind what will happen to me.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice trembled, and her head dropped soon. ¡°Take him away¡­..and save him.¡± Shortly afterward, there were a lot of tears poured down with a silent sob. No matter how much Fabian wiped them off, It was tears that couldn¡¯t be erased. Chapter 93: Second Proposal Fabian was confused and didn¡¯t know what to do, staring at Evelyn, who had been crying for a long time. But it seemed,pared to before, he had changed a little. Fabian, who was worried, got up from his seat, sat down beside Evelyn. Then he rested her head on his shoulders. She didn¡¯t know, but it took a lot of courage for Fabian to do so. ¡°Evelyn.¡± He called her name softly. Surprisingly, Evelyn didn¡¯t refuse Fabian¡¯s touch. She just leaned on his shoulder and shed silent tears. ¡°How am I supposed to leave you like this?¡± She looked pitiful and sad like flower petals that were about to fall. She wanted to do something, but she couldn¡¯t, Fabian¡¯s heart ached every time he thought of her. ¡°I ¡­¡­ be helpless only in front of you¡±, said Fabian. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear in this world, but Evelyn, every time I see you crying, I ¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± It was always like that. Fabian, the Emperor, always looked shabby and frail in front of Evelyn, as if he had nothing. He wanted to give the world and everything inside it to her, but it broke his heart when she couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°But, I don¡¯t want to feel regrets anymore.¡± Fabian deeply regretted his past self doing nothing. So now he wanted to have a different future. ¡°Evelyn, please stop crying.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes looked at Fabian closely as he reached his hand and wiped her cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t make a decision alone. When you stop crying and calm down¡­¡­, let¡¯s find another way together.¡± Her eyes blinked. Evelyn had never thought that such an answer woulde from Fabian. ¡°Yes, stop crying like that.¡± Fabian¡¯s gaze felt familiar. His eyes were identical to Adrian¡¯s when he looked at her. When he saw Evelyn, Fabian¡¯s heart ached as if he saw his son, who cried sadly. Evelyn couldn¡¯t believe Fabian had such feelings, but now she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Why? Did I say something weird?¡± Fabian was conscious of her gaze and asked Evelyn carefully. ¡°Just¡­Your Majesty is strange,¡± said Evelyn frankly. It seemed that she spoke those words without knowing it. ¡°What¡¯s strange about it? I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve never soothed anyone.¡± Fabian looked embarrassed, so he tried to make some excuse. ¡°No.¡± Evelyn eventually felt that her tears had stopped. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± After pouring tears, she was attacked by drowsiness. The scent of Fabian¡¯s body was so calming and faintly felt close by. This feeling, it felt like time was turning back. But Evelyn didn¡¯t hate it. It¡¯s the strangest thing, but I couldn¡¯t say. Instead, Evelyn lifted her head, which she leaned unknowingly from Fabian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now.¡± In an awkward atmosphere, Fabian hesitated, not knowing what to do, took a cup of tea, and handed it to Evelyn. Evelyn took the cup from his hands, drank a few sips, and breathed deeply. When Fabian believed Evelyn was already calm, he gave his handkerchief to her. ¡°It¡¯s not my decision to take Adrian with me.¡± Evelyn listened to Fabian as she wiped her tear marks. ¡°The doctor who is treating Adrian now said that I should.¡± ¡°Sir Philip?¡± Fabian nodded his head slowly. Evelyn also knew that Philip was Fabian¡¯s long-time doctor. No doctor in this continent was more famous and great than him. In her heart, Evelyn felt grateful to Fabian for bringing Philip. ¡°I think it would be easier if you hear it yourself. Would you like to meet Philip?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian soon called Philip, who had been waiting for his call. In front of Evelyn, Philip exined that Adrian was currently addicted and couldn¡¯t be separated from Fabian while doing blood treatment. Evelyn didn¡¯t cry anymore even though she was very scared when she heard the word addiction. ¡°Sir Philip. Are you sure there¡¯s no other way?¡± ¡°As far as I know, yes.¡± It was thest option, and Evelyn sighed for a moment. ¡°So, is Adrian still¡­..?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s still being treated with blood medicine. Thanks to the blood treatment, his condition is currently stable. But I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen to that child if I stop this treatment. ¡° It wasn¡¯t like Evelyn doubt him. But Adrian had too many wounds on his body, and the doctor was forced to put his son to sleep using sedatives. So she should have guessed that Adrian¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°Can¡¯t we continue the treatment here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible If only one day,¡± Philip said calmly. ¡°Why only one day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ because I¡¯m doing blood treatment with His Majesty¡¯s blood. And the blood used in this treatment must be immediately drawn and used when it¡¯s still fresh ¡­¡­¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian in amazement, but he looked fine. It meant that Fabian was still giving his blood to Adrian until now, and only Evelyn didn¡¯t know about that. ¡°That¡¯s all I can tell you. Do you have any more questions?¡± Evelyn shook her head, then Philip left the room with courtesy. ¡°That was the reason,¡± Fabian said to Evelyn. ¡°It may take one to two years for the child to heal. Philip concluded, as long as I am an Emperor, the only way is to take the child with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­, I understand.¡± Evelyn nodded slowly. Now she understood why he had no other choice. Fabian couldn¡¯t step down from the throne until his death, and Adrian wasn¡¯t able to live without Fabian¡¯s blood. ¡°You may show him to other doctors in the Felice Kingdom if you want. But, I¡¯ve already treated him with blood medicine in the cave.¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s no other doctor who can beat Sir Philip ¡­ ¡­ I know that.¡± ¡°Now, the decision is yours.¡± Fabian felt he was too mean when he said that to her. With her child¡¯s life at stake, he knew that Evelyn only had one choice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this,¡± he said again. ¡°Sir Philip said he would be able to heal himpletely in about three years.¡± ¡°Yes, that long should be enough.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn looked up and red at Fabian. There were countless words filled her eyes. What she was trying to say from now on was a very selfish statement. But she couldn¡¯t shut her mouth. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the worst case, are you trying to say that you want me to allow you to ask for the second divorce in advance?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sounded so serene. In his terms, there was no emotion felt. And Evelyn just nodded her head, unable to speak. ¡°If there¡¯s a reason, I¡¯ll allow it,¡± said Fabian. Hearing that, Evelyn looked at him with questioning eyes. ¡°If you promise me that you won¡¯t force me to give you an answer now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°It means to give me a chance,¡± he said. It was unbelievable. Was Fabian this kind of man? He wanted to be given a chance by a woman who asked for another divorce? ¡°Don¡¯t you know what I mean by asking Your Majesty now?¡± ¡°I know.¡± A calm voice. A cold face. But his eyes were swollen. ¡°Still, it¡¯s fine.¡± But Fabian didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I don¡¯t want to regret it anymore.¡± A reason like that was enough for him. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian rose from his seat and stood before her. Evelyn then lifted her head and looked up at Fabian. ¡°Will you marry me again?¡± Fabian knelt on one knee before Evelyn had time to stop him. ¡°Your Majesty¡­!¡± This was the second time Fabian begged her for an answer. Back then, and even now, when he proposed to Evelyn. ¡°If there¡¯s no more reason for you to be by my side, then I¡¯ll allow you to divorce me again.¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eye looked straight at Evelyn without shaking. In front of him, there was a woman, who always refused him coldly, abandoned him, and secretly gave birth to his child. ¡°You can abandon me again.¡± Fabian took Evelyn¡¯s empty-hopeless hand. ¡°Give me one more chance¡­ ¡­ I want you to give me a chance to turn your mind back.¡± His hand stopped in the air, waiting for Evelyn. ¡°As long as you¡¯re by my side, I won¡¯t wish anything from you anymore.¡± Fabian finally figured out what he wanted to say all this time. It wasn¡¯t about finding reasons why she left him or ming her or missing her. There was only one thing he wanted to say the most. Once again¡­..Fabian wanted to ask her toe back to his side once again. ¡°Evelyn Felice.¡± Fabian chanted the sacred spell again. ¡°Please marry me.¡± It was the only spell that brought brilliant miracles to his life. Now, all that was left was Evelyn¡¯s answer. As silence broke between the two of them, Fabian¡¯s hand, frozen in the air, trembled lonely. He waited and kept waiting for a time that felt like an eternity. ¡°Your Majesty, this is foolish.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Fabian smiled faintly. Evelyn just stood there in silence, without holding or shaking his hand. She wasn¡¯t sure if she had done the right thing or if she dared to repeat the cruel things. Then at one point, there was a sparkle shone in her eyes. Evelyn saw something shiny in Fabian¡¯s hand. It was a wedding ring wrapped around his finger. It glistened faintly as if it was waiting for her. ¡°Really¡­¡­this is so stupid.¡± That wedding ring was a witness to their oath to each other. It was a spell that bound the two together forever. Without realizing it, Evelyn reached out her hand towards Fabian¡¯s ring. It was an unconscious act. But Fabian didn¡¯t miss that moment and immediately held Evelyn¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Evelyn could feel his warm body temperature. ¡°We be unhappy when we¡¯re together.¡± Evelyn had already seen the future. So, she didn¡¯t want to act rashly and make a premature decision. She didn¡¯t know how long Fabian¡¯s change wouldst. Most people didn¡¯t change, so expecting that only hurt her. ¡°Maybe.¡± Still, Fabian didn¡¯t give up. ¡°I¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s fine for me. Rather than letting you go like this, we still have time. That¡¯s enough.¡± He squeezed her hand again, not letting her go. ¡°And maybe, we can avoid the misery. I¡¯ll try to do that.¡± There was no previous-arrogant Fabian. There was no longer a cold man who rarely showed his feelings. What was in front of her now was a man who had yearned for a chance from Evelyn. ¡°We have a lovely child.¡± For this fact, even Evelyn couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡°So I¡¯ll hold you as much as I can. I believe that¡¯s happiness.¡± Evelyn still didn¡¯t answer back. But Fabian already knew that Evelyn would ept him for the child. It was all thanks to Adrian¡¯s presence that Fabian now had another chance. ¡°Now, answer me, Evelyn.¡± Fabian looked at her eyes deeply. How much time had passed? Atst, Evelyn nodded her chin a little. And, at that moment, a wide smile spread over Fabian¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­¡­, thank you,¡± Fabian muttered softly. His voice rang so dimly, seemed like it couldn¡¯t be heard, and then disappeared into the silence. After that, he put his lips on Evelyn¡¯s hand. ¡®I swear on the sacred altar.¡¯ Even if the times were irreversible, the same vows had been made in the past. ¡®From this moment on, the two will be one.¡¯ The wedding vow that they swore at each other, a wedding ring they shared with a prayer to bind them both forever, and the warmth of their hands touching each other. ¡®We will live forever as each other¡¯s.¡¯ Only Both were thinking of the same moment. ¡®The bond between the two now will never be broken, even if you two are now apart.¡¯ The promises that they had failed to keep a useless oath. ¡®When the darkness falls, we will always return to each other¡­..¡¯ But the vow was still not over. ¡®¡­.. Even if the end of the worldes. Forever.¡¯ So, the second proposal was dyed to their heart. Chapter 94: To The Palace When the n had decided, Evelyn sent a secret letter to the Felice Kingdom. In her letter, Evelyn wrote that she wanted to see her parents as soon as possible, but it wasn¡¯t the time toin. Nora was busy preparing Adrian¡¯s personal needs, while Fabian was no different. He was also busy that it was difficult for Evelyn to meet him in person. ¡°Sir Serus?¡± ¡°Princess, I¡¯m here to tell you a few things,¡± he stated. When Evelyn gave him a ce, allowing him to speak, Serus took the papers out of his hand and started to pick it carefully one by one. ¡°First of all, we put great care in the safety of the carriages you will ride on. Arge number of escort knights will be stationed to guard your carriages, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the same incident happening again.¡± Serus objected to this initially, but Evelyn agreed since she trusted Fabian, who pushed this n. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time, so His Majesty will return to the Pce first, riding his horse. ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn already predicted that. Fabian must have been preupied with handling the raging nobles during his absence. ¡°His Majesty believes that this will be a huge problem if you get caught. So we¡¯ll use a secret passage to enter the Imperial Pce. To be honest ¡­ ¡­ we have a lot of confidentiality to keep. So somehow, we have to try it. ¡° Fabian reassured, considering Evelyn, that he would keep the two of them as secret as possible. But nobody knew how long the secret wouldst. ¡°I understand. Because no secret can be kept in the Imperial family.¡± When Evelyn was the Imperial Empress, she was well aware of it. In particr, there was no way to hide a child in the Imperial Pce. Since only the Emperor¡¯s children who could live in the Imperial Pce. So if there was a child who stayed in the Pce, it¡¯s obvious that he was the current Fabian¡¯s child. Besides, Adrian resembled Fabian very much. The moment his existence was revealed, the secrets would disappear and couldn¡¯t be hidden anymore. ¡°Your Majesty is worried about themotion that will ensue after this ¡­ I think there will be a lot of disagreement between the council members.¡± ¡°There will be a bacsh.¡± Evelyn sighed. Even the Empress Dowager, Fabian¡¯s mother, was one of the closest people who bit her. But she could imagine what would happen if divorced Empress brought her child back to the Pce. Nasty rumors would spread. From the gossip about Evelyn to the suspicion of Adrian¡¯s birth ¡°His Majesty wants to be as quiet as possible. So, Princess, I hope you will act ording to your Majesty¡¯s will for a while.¡± In this regard, Evelyn also had the same wish. This secret must be kept as long as possible. ¡°Okay. Is there anything else?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one thing. His Majesty¡­¡­ he had called the Duke and Lady Akshire to the capital.¡± A familiar name came out of Serus¡¯s mouth unexpectedly. But indeed, Fabian didn¡¯t have a favorable impression of Liam. In short terms, he really hated him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, he needs a nobleman to side with the Princess when her secret is exposedter.¡± Exined Serus. ¡°I know that. I mean¡­ ¡­why is His Majesty?¡± Serus was staring at Evelyn in a daze. He expressed by his face that he also didn¡¯t even know why. Suddenly, Evelyn felt like she was the only one who became a fool in here. ¡°I mean, doesn¡¯t His Majesty hate Duke Akshire?¡± ¡°Yes, to be exact, he hated him ve-ry mu-ch.¡± Without a doubt, he was. ¡°But more than his personal matters, His Majesty put more concern to ¡®secure¡¯ the nobleman who would support the Princess.¡± Certainly, it would be the greatest strength for her if the Akshire siblings came to the capital. But it¡¯s hard to believe that Fabian thought such a thing too. ¡°Isn¡¯t His Majesty really wise?¡± Serus seemed to have the same opinion about Fabian. ¡°How did he think that way¡­¡­it¡¯s out of the ordinary.¡± That what she thought, but Evelyn decided to cut the wording. ¡°Thank you for His Majesty¡¯s consideration¡­ Oh, no.¡± Evelyn, who ustomed to giving an example, shook her hand. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. You must be busy, so you can leave now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± dly, Serus was an insensitive person. Then, Evelyn looked out the window with a raging thought. The time for her to see the vast green ins was already over. The Imperial Pce, which she was about to upy, was a deste ce with no open spaces. It would be a frustrating life, as she had to hide and go out secretly. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s not think about it now.¡± Evelyn shook her head and tied her mind. It was useless to think about whether this choice was right or not. Above all, there was no other choice since Adrian¡¯s life depended on it. Therefore, it was meaningless to think about it. ¡°It¡¯s the important thing from now on.¡± Evelyn pledged. Now that she had returned to the Imperial Pce, her enemy wasn¡¯t just David alone. Everyone except Fabian and the people on her side would turn into enemies and target Adrian. But it was something that couldn¡¯t be avoided. Because that¡¯s the fate that must be faced for the child to be alive. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡± Her blue eyes were dyed with determination. ¡°Anyone¡­ ¡­ I won¡¯t forgive them.¡± This time, Evelyn wouldn¡¯t be patient anymore. If she had enemies, she would attack them back. If she were criticized, she would punish and humiliate her opponents. Evelyn had the confidence to be a vicious person so that no one dared to looked down on her easily. Now, she had a reason to do that. ¡°I am no longer the pathetic and easy-going Empress like before.¡± She voiced. Evelyn¡¯s expression reflected in the window ss was fearless. She already experienced the consequences of patience. Her good-life ended in vain at the age of thirty. And it was a meaningless life. ¡°I have Adrian.¡± But everything had changed now. ¡°So, no one can stand in my way.¡± There was a tender strength in Evelyn¡¯s voice as she spoke. This life would be different. Everything had to be different for the sake of her lovely being.
The parliament¡¯s atmosphere was different from usual. Duke Metis, who acted as chairman of the day, rose to the podium on behalf of the Emperor who left without being sanctioned. ¡°Everybody, attention! Today¡¯s chairman, Duke Metis, wants to speak!¡± It wasn¡¯t the Pce¡¯s Chief but the Duke¡¯s aide who said that. The nobles chattered among themselves and paid attention to the Duke. ¡°His Majesty has disappeared for an urgent matter, but the congress can¡¯t just be left alone like this ¡­ I¡¯m forced to take this difficult role as the oldest among the Duke.¡± The nobles had to endureughter at the hypocrisy of Duke Metis, who imed to be ¡®forced¡¯ to take over difficult positions. Everyone here was well aware of Duke Metis¡¯ intentions. However, they didn¡¯t have the courage or authority to oppose him. Because they all had the same ulterior motive, to passws when the Emperor, who had always limited their actions, wasn¡¯t here. ¡°I¡¯m very concerned about His Majesty¡¯s absence, but there¡¯s an urgent matter, so I will try to resolve it first.¡± Duke Metis chatted well without raising a single eye. He didn¡¯t look at the other noblemen at all. He was very arrogant because he felt he had the upper hand. Although Sagan-Duke Metis couldn¡¯t sit on the throne, he currently had the authority to be on the same level as the Emperor. ¡°Those who oppose speak up now. After that, as a chairman, I can¡¯t stop this congress.¡± The parliament, which had been opened by the chairman¡¯s board, couldn¡¯t be stopped in the middle. It was Imperialw. The nobles only could be wary of him, but no one could stop Duke Metis right now. ¡°It¡¯s disappointing!¡± shouted someone from behind. Duke Metis clearly heard that voice in the silence and raged, ¡°Who dares to talk?¡± In this case, the ominous atmosphere and unpleasant premonition couldn¡¯t be wrong. ¡°I am disappointed that no one has objected.¡± From the ce where the voice was heard, the nobles retreated to either side of the room. This time, it¡¯s no exception. It was him. Fabian looked exhausted after the long walk, but his atmosphere was still powerful. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Duke Metis was startled, but he wasn¡¯t frightened. And that was the evidence of his arrogance. ¡°If no one against it, then I will.¡± ¡°Will there be any? How can I lead the congress when Your Majesty is already here?¡± Once he saw Duke Metis didn¡¯t change his facial expression, Fabian spat andughed. He felt that his life as Emperor was very hard. After Fabian ran back and forth, the first thing he saw was his uncle-hypocritical-face. Even the hardest thing was that he couldn¡¯t punish or kick him out. ¡°Yes, Duke is the most loyal to me more than anyone.¡± Fabian sneered at him. It was a mockery that contained the truth that was already known by everyone who gathered here. ¡°If you know, that¡¯s enough.¡± Duke Metis, who was retreating politely and calmly, also looked tough. On the contrary, he was currently in a more favorable position. His attitude couldn¡¯t be considered embarrassing at all. And that¡¯s the main reason Fabian hated him. ¡°Where¡­¡­.¡± Fabian satfortably on his throne as if he wanted to show off in front of the nobles. To tame the wild animals that didn¡¯t know their ce, Fabian must continuously tell them who was the strongest. ¡°Let¡¯s see the loyalty of Duke Metis and his loyal followers.¡± A rare smile lingered at Fabian¡¯s lips, where he had almost no expression on his face. That was definitely fear for the nobles. ¡°I¡¯m d. Your Majesty came back safely!¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s waiting for Your Majesty!¡± Praise for the Emperor was heard shouting to each other in the room. Fabian lifted his chin from the throne. He looked at the ridiculous view before him quietly. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to nce at Duke Metis, his uncle. ¡°You will soon find out why I was away.¡± Sagan knitted his eyebrows at that wording. He had sent spies several times to monitor the Emperor¡¯s movement, but he didn¡¯t receive any meaningful reports. Looking at the skeptical-Duke metis who didn¡¯t believe him, fabian boasted, ¡°For the sake of Empire, I did what only the Emperor could do.¡± As Fabian spoke calmly, all the nobles in the room roared for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s a pain in the neck, by the way.¡± He added. ¡°Of course, I believed there must be a reason.¡± Though, until recently, Sagan tended to me the Emperor for his irresponsible absence. But Fabian immediately settled the controversy first and made the issue non-existent. Duke Metis recalled that Fabian, who was also his nephew, was a quiet-annoying guy. ¡°But, I can¡¯t put off the congress any longer,¡± Fabian smirked. ¡°Today, I won¡¯t end this congress until all the past agendas are resolved.¡± That meant no one in this meeting room could go home tonight. No one knew whether this was his revenge for nobles, or there was another meaning. Anyway, this council wouldn¡¯t be concluded until the Emperor had announced that it was over.
When the Congress was in full swing, the carriage entered the dark tunnel at night. The underpass that was disguised as a sewer was the entrance to the borate-secret passageway. Guided by Serus, Evelyn was relieved, seeing Adrian slept soundly in Nora¡¯s arms, his maid. ¡°Come this way.¡± Serus led Evelyn and her people carefully. She had to rely on themp-light to walk from here. ¡°The doctor has Sir Philip arrived?¡± Evelyn asked as she wanted to take care of Adrian¡¯s health first. ¡°He will arrive soon. He¡¯ll officiallye to the Pce.¡± Serus put the hook into the empty wall and turned it. Then the wall opened like a door. Without realized it, Evelyn had passed through the maze andplex passages many times. ¡°Do you know the existence of a secret chamber in His Majesty¡¯s bedroom?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve heard it before.¡± She believed it was just a historical story since a long time ago. But seeing Serus¡¯s face, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t just a lie. Even for Evelyn, the Empress, Imperial Pce was full of secrets that she didn¡¯t know about. ¡°It¡¯s literally a hidden chamber downstairs that can only be essed via a secret staircase from His Majesty¡¯s bedroom. A long time ago, it was a room that was built to hide the Emperor¡¯s mistress.¡± Serus said. ¡°I can stay out of other people¡¯s eyes, then.¡± Only ¡°Yes¡­ ¡­ For a moment.¡± Somehow, there was a thorn in Serus¡¯s voice. Evelyn just nodded small as she was ready. Serus bit his lips before carefully speaking, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sir Philip will be here soon. Most importantly, all the nobles are now being held by His Majesty in Congress.¡± ¡°Untilte at night?¡± ¡°I think His Majesty intends to hold them back until the two of you rest safely.¡± That¡¯s why Fabian spurred his horse faster than usual so that he could get to the Imperial Pce sooner. He couldn¡¯t rest at all, but he still had to work in congress. And Evelyn was grateful for his consideration. ¡°Princess, this way.¡± Finally, Evelyn stepped into the Chamber of Secrets. Chapter 95: Chamber Of Secret The Congress finally ended after time showed past midnight, just before dawn. But it¡¯s just a temporary break. And considering that the meeting would continue tomorrow, the Prime Minister and Duke Metis had to stay overnight in the Imperial Pce¡¯s annex. Duke Metis¡¯ aide had already been waiting for him by the time he arrived at his residence with a displeased face. ¡°What?¡± Sagan hissed. The aide quietly approached him and whispered something. And he was lost in thought for a moment, sitting on a long sofa and bit his hookah. A thick smoke spread like his dizzy mind. ¡°The retired-Sir Phillip is here ¡­¡­.¡± The news from his aide was noteworthy. Philip was the most reliable Imperial doctor in Empire and even on the continent. In particr, he was also a mentor who had close ties with the Imperial family. So, if the doctor who had retired under the excuse of old age and raised his students returned to the Imperial pce, something very important had to happen. ¡°Does this mean that there¡¯s a problem with the Emperor¡¯s health in the middle of his absence without my knowledge?¡± Sagan squinted his eyes. It must be not an ordinary pain that he needed to call Philip. Fabian¡¯s figure, who looked very tired when he appeared at the National Congress today, appeared in his mind. Sagan had seen Fabian since he was a little boy. And he felt that Fabian¡¯s impatience today was a bit different from usual. ¡°Tell the Empress Dowager to visit the pce tomorrow. Go right now.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s already veryte¡­..¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t even know how much time we have left.¡± If the Emperor¡¯s health were in the red zone, the Imperial family would be thrown into chaos without a sessor. Judging from Fabian¡¯s temperament, even if he died immediately, he wouldn¡¯t depend on his mother, the Empress Dowager. So the only way was for Sagan to hurry up. ¡°Ste¡­.. tell the Empress to bring her niece as well¡±, Sagan said. ¡°Yes, Duke.¡± The situation was very troublesome right now, but the conclusion was simple. If Fabian¡¯s health condition got worse, the sooner Sagan had to push Metis¡¯s daughter to be an Empress and gave birth to a sessor. Only then would he be able to maintain Metis¡¯ glory in the future. ¡°One more thing, bring a man who is skilled in secret missions,¡± he added. ¡°What? But who¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Anybody!¡± screamed Sagan. No matter what, Sagan couldn¡¯t keep up with Fabian when it came to spying. He had tried several times but failed every time. But the situation would be different if the target had been known. ¡°Watch Sir Philip¡¯s every move and report it to me. Who is he trying to heal? ¡­ we need to investigate.¡± ¡°Yes, I will keep it in mind.¡± stated his aide. Sagan vented his frustration, exhaling his hookah smoke. If it was confirmed that there was a problem with Fabian¡¯s health, he had to hurry. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you that the Empress¡¯ matter must be resolved immediately.¡± It was ate regret now. But Sagan didn¡¯t know. In many ways, his ambition was already out of date.
Fabian, who had just returned to his residence, looked hesitant for a moment. He wanted to make sure with his own eyes if Evelyn and Adrian had arrived safely, but the time was alreadyte. ¡°Your Majesty, you must eat first,¡± Serus eximed in a worried voice. No matter how strong Fabian was, his schedule had been too packed in thest few days. Moreover, he had to lead another congress meeting after dawn. So Serus intended for Fabian to take a breath and get some rest. ¡°Evelyn and the child¡­..¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve already said, they¡¯re safe and well. Sir Philip visited them a little while ago.¡± ¡°A little while ago?¡± Fabian looked up, rejoicing when he heard that part. ¡°Yes. He has to check him at the fixed-time ¡­..¡± ¡°Then he should be awake by now.¡± ¡°Since he has finished his treatment ¡­¡­ he should.¡± Fabian had been hesitating since earlier because he was worried that he would wake up the two tired people, but now he didn¡¯t have to. He quickly washed his face, then wiped it dry and looked at the mirror on the wall, fixing his disheveled hair, ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked. Serus looked puzzled, asking back, ¡°Huh, what¡­? You mean this?¡± ¡°How do I look now?¡± Serus couldn¡¯t tell as he faced the most difficult question in the world, wondering what Fabian¡¯s intention was. ¡°Your Majesty is always perfect.¡± Fabian knitted his eyebrows slightly at Serus. But he decided to ept it as a positive answer and moved his steps. ¡°Where are you going, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see Evelyn and the child for a while because they¡¯re awake.¡± Serus knew very well that there was no point in stopping Fabian here. ¡°Hmm. The Chamber of Secrets¡± Fabian had learned all the secrets about the Imperial family after he ascended the throne and became the Emperor. One of them was the secret chamber, which was located under the Emperor¡¯s bedroom. But Fabian, who never had a lover to hide, soon forgot the existence of that hidden room. ¡°I never thought that room would be useful.¡± Fabian stood in front of a huge bookcase, speaking in a low voice, which sounded more like self-talk. ¡°You said there¡¯s a hidden staircase¡­¡­.¡± His shining ck eye nced ahead. ¡°How does it work?¡± ¡°Uh, the thing is¡­¡­.¡± Serus took the paper from his pocket. Then Fabian quickly snatched it. ¡°It¡¯s soplicated.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a secret ce.¡± Ignoring Serus, who tried to exin patiently, Fabian scrambled the books on the shelf in different directions. After that, Fabian pressed the ring with the Emperor¡¯s seal in the gap after a locking device appeared before his eyes. ¡®Connected¡¯ The device that detected the seal was released, and the sound of the turning-giant-cogwheel was heard. A momentter, a bookcase opened like a door, revealing a narrow, spiraling staircase downwards. It was very small and only enough for one person to go down. ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way¡­ ¡­ .¡± offered Serus. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Before Serus could answer, Fabian immediately grabbed the railing and climbed down the narrow stairs. After circling the helix twice, he finally was able to reach the Chamber of Secret. For Fabian, this was his first visit to this ce after looking at it once after he was crowned. From generation to generation, this secret room had been managed by the Emperor¡¯s royal courtier, making everything looked clean and tidy. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn¡¯s maid, Nora, came in a rush and showed some courtesy. She must have noticed the sound of the secret staircase. ¡°What about Evelyn?¡± ¡°She¡¯s taking a rest after Sir Philip¡¯s treatment a little while ago.¡± There were two ways to reach the Chamber of Secret. The first was the way Fabian used, but it could be used only by the Emperor. And the second was through a small, shabby room in the inner pce. They were both created to hide Emperor¡¯s mistress, so this room was built in such a way as to avoid other people¡¯s eyes. ¡°What did Sir Philip say.¡± ¡°There was no special opinion. Fortunately, the Prince on the journey¡­¡­.¡± Nora paused for a moment and looked at Fabian. Officially, Adrian was the Prince of the Felice kingdom. But she didn¡¯t know how to name him now because he had already been identified as Fabian¡¯s son. ¡°What about Adrian?¡± Fabian seemed to notice her concern and soon corrected his title. ¡°Yes, Adrian said he¡¯s okay because he wasn¡¯t too tired on the long journey.¡± Nora also caught Fabian¡¯s point wisely. ¡°They¡¯re both in the inner bedroom.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Nora bent her knees again at Fabian¡¯s wording. Anyway, Evelyn had to know from the sound of the stairs that Fabian wasing. So Nora didn¡¯t need to tell them anymore. Fabian walked a little faster along the red carpet on the floor. Many noble paintings were hanging on the walls. The vases were everywhere and filled with fresh flowers. At first sight, this ce reminded Fabian of the Empress¡¯ pce¡¯s quiet and elegant atmosphere. Soon, Fabian stood at the door, decorating with antique patterns on it. Something that Fabian rarely did after he became Emperor was to turn the knob and knock on the door before he opened and stepped in. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn calmly gave her example to Fabian as if she knew he wasing. ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian felt that this was a nice ce for two people to stay after getting a glimpse of their bedroom. Even Evelyn, who had changed into a clean dress, seemedfortable with the environment and looked quite pleased. ¡°¡­ Jimoo?¡± A small voice was heard from behind Evelyn. When Fabian and she looked back at the same time, Adrian, who had just woken up from his sleep, was rubbing his eyes with his tiny hands. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve barely put you to sleep. I¡¯ll call Nora.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let him be.¡± Fabian personally sat at the end of the bed with Adrian. Even though he was still sleepy and couldn¡¯t open his eyes properly, Adrian immediately moved to him. And he was so adorable, seeing his chubby butt bounced every time he walked. ¡°Jimoo¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sleepy¡­¡­.¡± Fabian smiled unconsciously when he saw Adrian, who was tired, still approaching him instead of sleeping. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to sleep now,¡± Fabian said shortly. Then came his shocking reply. ¡°Bung Bung¡­¡± Fabian turned his head towards Evelyn, ncing at her as if to ask her permission. But her blue eyes showed a definite answer, saying ¡®No¡¯. He sighed, feeling a little disappointed, ¡°I¡¯ll do thatter if you go to bed now.¡± ¡°Tomorrow¡­¡±? Adrian asked him a difficult question as there was no ying-with-a-child on the Emperor¡¯s schedule. ¡°Jimoo, tomorrow?¡± Adrian¡¯s innocent round eyes stared at him. And Fabian only could nod slowly when he saw the dark eyes that were simr to him. It was a gentle face that Fabian had never shown to anyone. Even Evelyn, who was looking from the side, was impressed. ¡°You have to sleep now. Only then can you be strong like a ck hawk.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ ¡­ .¡± Adrian closed his eyes gradually when Fabian¡¯s big hand patted his small back. Soon Adrian breathed out and went back to sleep. Fabian closed his eyes for a moment and looked at the sleeping child. He didn¡¯t know if Adrian really looked like him or not, but he thought his cute mouth and long eyshes were exactly like Evelyn. ¡°We look pretty much the same, but why I didn¡¯t notice you?¡± Fabian spoke low to himself, making Evelyn smiled a little bit bitter. ¡°The child is sleeping. Shall we move to?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s better.¡± The secret chamber had the same size and structure as the Emperor¡¯s bedroom. The two of them left the Adrian¡¯s room and moved into the living room, which was right next to it. Nora left them alone and went straight to the bedroom to look after Adrian, who was already asleep. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of the journey?¡± Fabian opened the talk first. ¡°Yes, Sir Serus has helped us a lot. Here too¡­.. It¡¯s much easier to stay here than I thought.¡± Like Evelyn said, this ce was asfortable as her Empress¡¯ residence in the past. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until a little while ago that the congress was finished.¡± Fatigue was clearly visible in Fabian¡¯s voice. ¡°As soon as dawnes, we¡¯re preparing to continue the congress again.¡± Evelyn tried to convey words offort, but in the end, she swallowed it down. Because he would be hurt by her hasty kindness. Fabian breathed, ¡°The purpose is to distract the nobles¡¯ attention, especially Duke Metis. But I don¡¯t know how long it willst. ¡° ¡°Do Your Majesty has any ns?¡± Fabian nodded at her cautious question, ¡°Stay in this state as long as possible. Without anyone knowing.¡± This was the best for everyone for now. ¡°But, this secret can¡¯t be kept forever,¡± Evelyn muttered. She wasn¡¯t wrong. There¡¯s no eternal secret in this world, especially in this ce. ¡°If that happens, then I personally will admit Adrian as Imperial¡¯s heir.¡± Evelyn bit her lips hard before speaking again, ¡°Will the noblemen stay still? I¡¯m not the Empress right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, Duke Metis will bite it. It looks like a tasty meal in his eyes.¡± There¡¯s a bitter smile in Fabian¡¯s when he voiced it. ¡°After you left, the Duke Metis steadily tried to push his daughter into the Empress¡¯ seat.¡± ¡°I know a little about that.¡± The Empress Dowager was also Metis¡¯ daughter, and even when Evelyn became Empress, Lady Metis was her strongest rival. ¡°Even with Adrian¡¯s presence and the fact that you¡¯re already back, he won¡¯t give up that easily.¡± ¡°Yes¡­he won¡¯t¡± Their divorce was arranged by the Vatican and decreed by the Emperor¡¯s edict. It was a final decision that couldn¡¯t be contested even if the two wanted to annul it. ¡°I n to summon senate elders on this matter very soon.¡± Evelyn looked puzzled. ¡°I will trample those who oppose my decision. I will ask for help from the elders to loosen imperialw and justify it.¡± More than ever, a firm determination radiated from his ck eyes. Only ¡°Then, what should I do?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to avoid reality, either. ¡°I wish you will stand tall confidently and, if possible, stay strong under any circumstances.¡± It was a sentence that had multiple meanings. ¡°Adrian is my only descendant. That child is the child you conceived when you were my Empress. And no one dispute the fact. I will make it that way.¡± Evelyn nodded. It felt hard to endure because she was sure that the nobles would nder Adrian as an illegitimate child. ¡°Yes. As Adrian¡¯s mother, I will never be shaken.¡± Now, her resentment in the past has already been blurred. They had a firm determination. To protect their child, they were the onlyrades of each other. Chapter 96: He Doesn’t Have To Love Me The congress resumed as soon as dawn broke. But some nobles weren¡¯t present. Fabian¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t at ease because Sagan, the Duke of Metis, was the leader of that flock. ¡°It¡¯s just my illusion, or are there so many vacant seats?¡± The innocent- Prime Minister quickly stepped forward, bowing his head. ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but the Duke Metis said he¡¯d bete because he wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°Huh, the Emperor is also here. If he¡¯s feeling sick, he¡¯s better to go back to his estate.¡± Fabian sighed. The nobles all shut their mouth at his wistful words. Also, the power of Duke Metis couldn¡¯t be underestimated, so they didn¡¯t dare to disagree with him. If the two of them turned into enemies, those who stood in the middle could only see the bloodshed. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s leave those who can¡¯t attend.¡± An unpleasant situation could have been turned into a beneficial one. ¡°I will convene the Imperial Senate.¡± For a moment, there was a murmur among the nobles. The Imperial Senate could only summon together when there was a major event in the Empire. And thest time they were called, it was at the time of Fabian¡¯s legalization as the Emperor. ¡°Send the edict to the family of five wise elders at once.¡± The Senate was appointed by the first Imperial Emperor. At that time, each of the five wise elders was given a role. Then their family descendants carried that tradition, taking over the task from generation to generation. The Senate-elders had great honor in the Empire. However, like the ¡®wise¡¯ word that pinned on their name. Those elders were only involved in the ¡®work of ¡®virtue.¡¯ ording to the First Emperor¡¯s decree, those elders, including his family, couldn¡¯t attend the parliament or participate in political affairs. It was to prevent the power-bias from going to one ce. ¡°Your Majesty, you must have a good reason to summon the Senate-elders.¡± The Prime Minister brought out his words cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s my orders,¡± Fabian answered coldly. ¡°But Your Majesty, first of all, we¡¯ve never called the senate-elders without a clear reason.¡± The other Minister intervened as well. Besides, it was impossible to summon the Senate elders in only a day or two. ¡°Now, is there anything clearer than my orders?¡± Fabian raised his body from the throne and red at his Minister with sharp eyes. ¡°Or should I get permission from you one by one before I give my orders?¡± ¡°How dare we ¡­¡­ but it¡¯s not the case, for politeness we¡¯d better give a clear reason before calling the Senate. ¡° ¡°You mean, in other words, I force to call them without knowing the etiquette?¡± A cold sweat spilled on the Prime Minister¡¯s back. ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡± Everyone knew that Fabian was an arrogant Emperor who liked to force his will. But he never once broke the rules or was tainted by corruption. In fact, all of his orders always had justifiable reasons, but this time the ministers didn¡¯t seem willing to back down. ¡°Convening Imperial Senate is a very serious matter. So, when they arrive, I will dere it as an edict. Well, if anyone thinks I¡¯m wrong, speak now.¡± Nobody in the room dared to open their mouths. They could die young before Fabian¡¯s eyes, and they also had to bet the fate of their family. Therefore, there was no need to oppose it even if they didn¡¯t know the reason. There was still an opportunity to raise objections after the Senate began discussing the issue in person. ¡°There¡¯s no one? Then, I will issue an edict.¡± They all agreed reluctantly¡ªthose who were quick-witted thought that the absence of Duke Metis might be rted to this. ¡°Then, move on to today¡¯s agenda.¡± The nobles¡¯ faces turned white with fatigue. After being forced to attend the meeting from yesterday until morning, they wondered if there was anything left to discuss. But Fabian didn¡¯t care and still rummaged the papers in his hand. ¡°Looking atst year¡¯s records, there¡¯s still no improvement in tax collection.¡± ¡°The problem is that we don¡¯t know the exact number of people, and we don¡¯t have a systematic method.¡± The face of the finance minister was visibly tired. There was no perfect measure of tax collection in any country or any era. He couldn¡¯t understand why the Emperor raised such a chronic topic at this point. So, the tax problem would exist forever. In other words, Fabian was trying to put a huge burden on all the nobles at congress now. ¡°Then, I want to see the nobles¡¯ ability in this congress until real reform n is made.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you¡­¡­it¡¯s not a short-term agenda. How long will this congress be¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s until youe up with a clear improvement n that I agree with.¡± Apparently, this was Fabian¡¯s revenge on them for not agreeing to his idea of summoning the senate elders earlier. But no one could refuse the Emperor¡¯s self-righteousness. ¡°Well, I hope you have a good n.¡± Fabian turned around casually. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t really care and only acted as he pleased. As soon as the Emperor disappeared, the assembly hall was filled with sighs. ¡°It¡¯s all ¡­ what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°By all means, Your Majesty¡¯s orders is nonsense.¡± Someone almost realized that. ¡°It seems that we are doomed to stay locked in this hall until His Majesty is satisfied.¡± Everyone nodded, agreeing at someone¡¯s words, and flung themselves into the chair. In particr, the senior ministers had beenining of the hardships since yesterday. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he wants to call the senate-elders, but¡­¡­ I think there will be a big surprise.¡± All nodded their heads at the Prime Minister¡¯s wording with mixed feelings.
**** ¡°What a sight.¡± Fabian sighed unpleasantly. The more he thought about it, the more displeased he became with Duke Metis¡¯ behavior. Sagan didn¡¯t see him as the Emperor at all. The view of the empty chairs in the meeting hall was on his purpose. With this, all became clear, what would happen to the Empire if that person had more power. ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to say.¡± Serus managed to open his mouth. ¡°¡­¡­I can already guess.¡± Fabian crumpled his face. Seeing Serus¡¯ expression, it seemed it wasn¡¯t good news. ¡°Is Empress-mother here?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s waiting for you in your pce.¡± Then it was. Whatever Sagan did, it was proof that he still kept his attention to Fabian. He was trying to annoy Fabian with the only weapon he had. It was Fabian¡¯s mother. ¡°And¡­¡­Lady Ste Metis ising, too.¡± Now Fabian could see their purpose clearly. The Metis family still hadn¡¯t given up the Empress position. Fabian closed his eyes for a moment when his headache struck in. Why didn¡¯t he feel it before? Looking back, it had been going on for a long time ago. Still, when Fabian tried to protect Evelyn and his child, he finally could feel the fatigue. ¡°I¡¯m really tired¡­..¡± His low self-talk rang in silence.
*** Monica, the Empress-mother, and her niece, Ste, waited for Fabian side by side in the inner pce-living room. Since Monica knew her son¡¯s nature so well, she already gave up halfway and took a bite of her long hookah. The other guest, Ste, couldn¡¯t express herself, trying to swallow her nervousness. ¡°Well¡­¡­there¡¯s no need to get nervous.¡± Monica spewed smoke before talking to her niece. ¡°Yes?¡± Ste opened her eyes wide and looked at Monica in wonder. ¡°You can¡¯t survive in the Imperial family if you stick to trivial matters. If you worry too much and are nervous, it means you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to fail.¡± These Imperial men were indeed indifferent. But in Monica¡¯s situation, nothing was different from her own family, the Metis. Monica had no sisters, and she grew up under pressure to be an Empress and gave birth to a sessor from an early age. So, only after the birth of Fabian, could she feel at ease. ¡°His Majesty is not anyone¡¯s. He can¡¯t be a woman¡¯s husband. If you expect something like that, you¡¯re just going to get hurt.¡± In a sense, Monica was a wise aunt. ¡°Being an Empress¡­ it¡¯s just a title to qualify that woman has the right to give birth to this Empire¡¯s sessor. And if you seed, you will be an Empress-mother like me and support your family. That¡¯s all.¡± That was the crucial difference between Monica and Evelyn. Unlike Monica, who already aware of this fact, Evelyn didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°The former Empress was too naive. I knew it at first sight. It was a face in love. Like a fool.¡± Ste¡¯s feelings suddenly red up. There was a blush of love that couldn¡¯t be hidden on her cheeks. And Monica just wanted to tell her the truth. ¡°I think you also won¡¯tst long anyway. The Imperial family is not a ce where you can live expecting love from the beginning. ¡­¡­do you understand what I mean?¡± Ste stayed silent and couldn¡¯t answer her aunt¡¯s question. ¡°Didn¡¯t your older sister teach you?¡± asked Monica. It was funny that the Empress¡¯s duty had been pointed out to the younger sister, and her older sister didn¡¯t teach Ste anything. Ste bit her lips hard before she went on to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡­ Originally¡­I¡¯m not a candidate at first, so¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, actually, you¡¯re still too young when you were picked as the Empress¡¯ candidate. Originally, it¡¯s your sister who should be the Empress.¡± Fabian¡¯s stubbornness, however, had fucked up the whole n. When the Felice Royal Princess was chosen as the Empress, Ste¡¯s older sister, the former Lady Metis, lost her marriage and married someone else. ¡°But I¡¯m d that you¡¯re the youngest. This must be the tough fate of the Metis family.¡± The Emperor¡¯s divorce had changed the situation again. Besides, nearly three years had passed since the Empress¡¯ seat was empty. No matter how stubborn Fabian was right now, he couldn¡¯t postpone it any longer. ¡°Listen carefully. Someone has to be the Empress anyway, and you¡¯re the only candidate who can fill the spot.¡± Monica stared at Ste¡¯s nervousness. ¡°But, if His Majesty doesn¡¯t like me¡­¡­.¡± Smiling, Monica couldn¡¯t stand it andugh. ¡°Forget something like ¡®love¡¯ now. I¡¯m saying this for you.¡± There had never been a happy or loving moment in Monica¡¯s life. The same thing happened to her son, Fabian as well. ¡°Ste, there¡¯s just one thing you can think about and hope for. It¡¯s only giving birth to an Emperor¡¯s sessor.¡± Ste nodded reluctantly. She looked sad because she couldn¡¯t expect a little affection even if she wasn¡¯t loved. ¡°Did my words sound heartless?¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± ¡°But His Majesty is more heartless than this.¡± For a moment, Ste had forgotten what to say. ¡°It¡¯s no different from me, his mother. Or you? Or the former Empress? ¡­¡­ His Majesty is the same as all the Empire¡¯s men. To them, the feeling is something trivial and not important.¡± Monica had an exhausted expression on her face. The only thing that remained for her after living so many years in the Imperial family was a disappointment. In those long, dry years, Monica lived only waiting for her son to be the Emperor. And when Fabian ascended the throne, in appreciation of her contribution, she eventually lived a free and luxurious life in the Southern Pce. It was the best life-ending for a woman who lived as an Empress. ¡°But I heard¡­ ¡­ At that time, my sister couldn¡¯t be the Empress because His Majesty was in love with the former Empress¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°You must have heard wrong,¡± Monica replied confidently. Fabian was a child who looked like her cold husband, and he even never showed any love to his own mother. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing,¡± Ste said with a calm look. This time, Monica¡¯s expression was a little puzzled. ¡°What? Because His Majesty is heartless?¡± ¡°No, at least he didn¡¯t care for his former Empress. So, he gave her permission to divorce.¡± Huh, this time, Monica spitted out an admiringugh. Seeing this, she was a daughter who resembled her older brother, Duke Metis. Indeed, Ste was a Lady of Metis. On the contrary, it was Monica who was naively worried about her. ¡°His Majesty doesn¡¯t have to love me,¡± said Ste, smiling prettily. Only ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t have a woman, he likes more than me, that¡¯s enough.¡± Ste¡¯s first love was blooming in a slightly weird direction. Monica stared at her and simply nodded. Anyway, she didn¡¯t mean to mind if her niece¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°You can give birth to His Majesty¡¯s heir. After I see you be the Empress, I can go back to the Southern Pce and live as before, and the glory of Metis will continue. You can do that.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes sparkled. Monica seemed to see herself in the past. Actually, it¡¯s also something useless. But she decided not to say such a thing. Sooner orter, Ste would realize it by herself. Chapter 97: The Only Wife I Have At longst, Monica and Ste didn¡¯t meet the Emperor. The reasons given by the Pce chief weren¡¯t clear, but they had no choice but to obey the Emperor¡¯s orders. Ste looked really disappointed, but Monica, the Empress-mother, was rtively calm as though she had expected this to happen. ¡°Just wait. Your father will make time.¡± Duke Metis was betting his political life on the Empress¡¯ seat. Monica also knew how strong her older brother¡¯s obsession was. Specifically, it meant that she had nothing to do. ¡°His Majesty won¡¯t be able to refuse persistent requests. For the time being, you can stay at the separate pce and wait for an opportunity. ¡° ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± Still, Ste had a naive side. Monica squinted her eyes at that point. But it was just around the corner. By now, Sagan, her brother, was probably trying to find out what the Emperor was hiding. Monica didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Sagan was a capable Duke. In other words, it was just a matter of time. Her job was to wait. When the whole thing was over, she would find her freedom again and went back to the Southern Pce, living a fulfilling life.
*** Instead of being bothered by meeting his mother and Ste, who had hopeless hopes, Fabian went to Evelyn¡¯s ce, which was connected by a hidden stairway from his bedroom. It wasn¡¯t nned beforehand, but by chance, it was time for lunch. Seeing Fabian who visited the chamber without notice, Nora hurriedly prepared another meal for one person. ¡°Am I disturb you?¡± Evelyn shook her head after Fabian asked her calmly. A person¡¯s mind didn¡¯t change overnight. But the mood was a bit different now. More than just his apology or promise, Evelyn wanted to pay more attention to what he did. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to have lunch together? ¡­ But, this table is too shabby for Your Majesty.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for special treats.¡± Fabian never fussed about serving. He wasn¡¯t a picky eater either. However, he had forgotten how long it had been since he shared the same table with Evelyn. Previously, when the two were married, they rarely ate alone. They were just seated side by side at long dinner tables along with other nobles ording to the Imperial rules. ¡°Adrian fell asleep after Sir Philip examined him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­, I see.¡± Soon, foods were ced on the table in turn. As always, Fabian began to eat his meal in a graceful movement. Then, there was a moment of silence between them. ¡°That¡­ ¡­ I heard it from Sir Philip.¡± Evelyn opened the conversation first. Fabian looked at her, who seemed to have trouble speaking. ¡°It¡¯s necessary for the blood treatment ¡­¡­ the ingredients, Your Majesty¡¯s blood, ¡­.he needs more ¡­..¡± ¡°Do I look so fragile?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­Not like that.¡± Fabian was the noblest person in this Empire. Throughout the Empire¡¯s history, there was never a case of an Emperor giving his blood every day, even though the recipient was his own son. ¡°The blood drawing process is just like a mosquito bite¡± Fabian¡¯s analogy was a bit weird. Still, it was his own way to reassure Evelyn. At that moment, Evelyn felt a strange feeling. It seemed that she sensed the warmth of ordinary people from Fabian for a while. It was an emotion that she had never felt in her previous life who died at thirty. ¡°Your Majesty¡­you¡¯ve changed.¡± ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know what you mean. I¡¯m still the same.¡± Evelynpared him to Fabian from her previous life. But every time she thought about it, she somehow felt lost. She just turned the time back, and she and Fabian were still the same person, not be someone else. ¡°That sounds weird, doesn¡¯t it? I just honestly told you what I was feeling.¡± In her previous life, Fabian was always busy. They never sat together closely at such a narrow table and ate like this. If Evelyn thought about it, there were many things that didn¡¯t happen before. ¡°Can I hear it more?¡± Fabian asked her, ¡°What part of me has changed?¡± But, Evelyn hesitated to answer his question. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can tell me honestly¡­.. No, I want you to do it.¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn with his ck-eyes. Evelyn took her ss and gulped the water down because her lips felt hot for no reason. ¡°Then¡­First of all, I¡¯ve never eaten this close to you.¡± That was the rule. It wasn¡¯t Fabian¡¯s fault. Evelyn understood it on her mind, but she was sad. ¡°I¡­¡­ One night, I had the most terrifying nightmare of my life.¡± Evelyn began to tell slowly. ¡°But I didn¡¯t dare to wake up Your Majesty, who was sleeping beside me, so I had to hold my breath and wait for the day toe.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows frowned at once. ¡°You silly¡­..¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s because before bing my husband, Your Majesty is the Emperor of the Empire. I ¡­ when I was engaged to you, I learned a few things before entering the Imperial family.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. It was ridiculous to wake up the Emperor-who was responsible for all public affairs only because of the Empress¡¯s nightmare. ¡°Then, it¡¯s my fault, who¡¯s-the-Emperor- again?¡± Evelyn knew it wasn¡¯t. Same like her, Fabian was a man who couldn¡¯t choose his fate. ¡°No¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that. Please forgive me.¡± Evelyn lowered her eyes, her voice rang softly. After the divorce, Evelyn felt he had changed a lot than when they first met. ¡°In my eyes, you have changed, too.¡± Fabian paused for a moment after said that. He was worried about what he should say to convey his feelings. But soon, he spoke again, ¡°After the divorce, on the day of Adrian¡¯s baptism celebration¡­ You saw me as an enemy. I could tell from my intuition.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t deny it. At that time, she was afraid of him. She hated him because she thought Fabian would take away the happiness she had barely found. ¡°But now your hostility towards me is gone. I want to know why.¡± Their meal was almost over. ¡°Would you like to talk with me for a moment?¡± Fabian stood up first and headed for the antique Parlor, and Evelyn followed him quietly.
*** In the Parlor, there were desserts and tea prepared by Nora in advance. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Even after calling Evelyn¡¯s name, Fabian didn¡¯t talk much. Just his eyes looked at her. It was a lovely figure, no different from when he first proposed to her. ¡°Your Majesty, if you say you still have no idea how I feel¡­¡­you¡¯ll be disappointed in me.¡± Fabian had never learned what affection was. For him, it¡¯s just a trajectory that engraved in human instincts. ¡°I ¡­ have once pictured the future. If Adrian remains alone as he is, he will be the Crown Prince.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were filled with sadness. ¡°ording to thew, Adrian will be raised in another noble family. He will be treated as an adult, not a child.¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t refute it. Because that was his childhood. ¡°Even if Adrian grows up andes to see me, his mother¡­Will he remember my love for him now?¡± Evelyn asked in tears. That question was sadder. ¡°Only then did I realize. It¡¯s not your Majesty¡¯s fault, and it¡¯s not Adrian¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your child. ¡­¡­He may be different from me.¡± ¡°What about Your Majesty?¡± Fabian was tight-lipped for a moment. He immediately felt sympathy when he saw Evelyn. He loved her, and he also wanted to be loved by her. It was the first time he had this kind of feeling. Even an Emperor wished to be loved by someone. ¡°¡­¡­At that time, I believed I knew everything. But now I don¡¯t know.¡± Fabian was so proud of himself once. When he made Evelyn the noblest woman on this continent. That was also his love for her. But, everyone had changed since the night when the scent of a golden wood tree spread in the darkness. What Fabian thought of as love was broken. Evelyn turned coldly away from him, saying that her marriage was unhappy. He suddenly felt desperate when he recalled that time. The happiness he believed had already shattered in a sh. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian looked back at Evelyn. There was a pathetic light within it that didn¡¯t fit Fabian¡¯s eyes. Evelyn and their child were now by Fabian¡¯s side. But there was now to keep them from going away. That was the biggest change Fabian had ever made in this Empire. ¡°I¡­.I¡¯ve learned about longing from you.¡± Evelyn looked at her husband, whom she once loved. Again, sad eyes didn¡¯t suit him. ¡°I feel grateful for Adrian¡¯s presence. I also think he¡¯s so precious, but more than that, it seems like he brings you back to me.¡± Fabian looked calm, but he said word by word awkwardly. Even Evelyn, who saw him, was nervous as well. Fabian had always been a ruler. A weak heart didn¡¯t suit him at all. ¡°Your Majesty, stop¡­¡­Please stop it.¡± Seeing him like this, how could Evelyn not care? How could she not love him? Such a man now appeared shabby in front of her. And she never thought something like this could shake her heart. ¡°You always say it¡¯s already in the past, and you have to let it go. You came back to me just to save our child¡¯s life.¡± Evelyn could hardly answer. It would be painful to see Fabian bend his pride more. It¡¯s a lie if her heart didn¡¯t hurt, pretending not to care when his helplessness was so bitter. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a long time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes?¡± ¡°To remarry you without feelings¡­ I will give up my hopes for that. I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± A cold wind was blowing in Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°But I will win your heart first.¡± This time, Evelyn didn¡¯t evene up with an answer, looking at him. Fabian got up gracefully and sat beside her. There was no time for Evelyn to avoid or stop him. The scent of his close body that she felt after a long time reminded her of her past love memory. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian called her name again. It¡¯s a name she hardly heard when she was an Empress. ¡°The ring¡­¡­¡± What he meant was the wedding ring. The ring now was stuck on Fabian¡¯s finger. When receiving his second proposal, Evelyn also received her own ring that Fabian had worn on his ne. But, it wasn¡¯t inserted into her finger. Fabian was now looking at Evelyn¡¯s empty ring-finger, ¡°Anytime, if your heart allows, then you can wear it.¡± Evelyn lowered her head. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­I see it as your answer.¡± Fabian indeed had changed. And that made Evelyn felt more pain. ¡°And this.¡± Fabian took an elegant box out of his hands. Evelyn couldn¡¯t hide her surprised expression, as if she had realized what it was, ¡°Your Majesty, that¡¯s.¡± ¡°You know this. It¡¯s a ring with the Empress¡¯s seal on it.¡± Now Evelyn wasn¡¯t the Empress. That ring was returned to the Imperial family after the divorce. ¡°This, too. You can also put it in your finger when you want it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± In a moment, Fabian grabbed Evelyn¡¯s shoulder, making eye contact with her, ¡°I will never marry again unless it¡¯s you.¡± Thump Evelyn¡¯s heart seemed to fall. ¡°I won¡¯t see my sessor from any woman other than you.¡± ording to Imperialw, everything was wrong. Yet Fabian vited all of the rules of the Imperial family. ¡°So, this is yours.¡± Fabian put the box in Evelyn¡¯s hand, holding her hand tightly. His determination was much deeper and greater than Evelyn had imagined in the first ce. ¡°¡­¡­Even though you¡¯re going to leave me again.¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart was filled with painful emotions. ¡°Why¡­¡± Why¡­. why she had to face such a lonely death in her previous life¡­¡­Why. Only ¡°Why do you go this far for me?¡± Why did hee and look at her with pitiful eyes, give up the Emperor¡¯s authority, and ignore imperialw? Though in the past, he let her die in solitude. But why did this man break Evelyn¡¯s heart again now? ¡°Because you¡¯re the only wife I have.¡± Tuk, Evelyn dropped transparent tears without even knowing. The biggest misfortune in the world for them was that they couldn¡¯t convey their feeling in their first life. Then the next unfortunate thing was that they only found about it in their present life. Chapter 98: One Wish That day, Fabian wiped Evelyn¡¯s tears silently. Then, he took out his handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over, holding her hands warm tofort her. But, he looked sad, feeling guilty that he couldn¡¯t stay with her longer because of his official duties. After Fabian left, Evelyn sat there alone for a while and didn¡¯t move. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ what¡¯s wrong with me?¡­.¡± She looked confused. ¡°Your Majesty¡­..What kind of person is he, really?¡± It was a really interesting question. Then, Evelyn felt something strange. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Just like a meteor shower, suddenly, something seemed like a ray of light passing through in Evelyn¡¯s head. She soon knew what it was. Little by little, scenes from her previous life began to appear in her mind. [¡®There¡¯s no need for the Empress to manage the Pce.¡¯] It was announced by Fabian shortly after the Empress¡¯s opening ceremony. But still, Evelyn had absolute power in her Pce. In other words, she got rights without the need to carry out obligations. Back then, she couldn¡¯t understand Fabian¡¯s reason. [¡®Do I look so old? I don¡¯t need a sessor yet, so you don¡¯t need to listen to the nobles.¡¯] Fabian was a cold man, so she thought he didn¡¯t have much desire to have children. [¡®The Empress does not need to attend g dinner in the future.¡¯] [¡®There¡¯s no need for the Empress to host the ball.¡¯] [¡®The Empress doesn¡¯t have to do anything.¡¯] After the Emperor said so, all the people stopped to expect something from Evelyn. But Fabian still visited her at night. He was such a blunt man, so Fabian never said words of love to her. Every day, he would ask if she was tired? Did she eat three meals properly? Or if there¡¯s something she didn¡¯t like? That was all. Fabian went to sleep immediately after he heard her answer. Evelyn never knew what the couple¡¯s conversation was like. [¡®Evelyn.¡¯] Fabian used to call Evelyn by her name while they were alone in the Empress¡¯ Pce. Around that time, Fabian was the only one who called Evelyn¡¯s name. But in the midst of boredom and loneliness, that fact was easily forgotten. But, Evelyn still remembered. Her name sounded so sweet and lovely when she was hugged in his arms. [¡®You don¡¯t have to do anything, Evelyn.¡¯] Since when did it start to get worse? [¡®There¡¯s no need to wee me or see me off when Ie here¡¯] [¡®But, ¡­¡­..I don¡¯t really have anything to do.] She sobbed in hushed tones one day. The disappointment gradually became loneliness, and hatred grew as helplessness piled up. At that time, in Evelyn¡¯s eyes, the whole world looked gray and cloudy. It¡¯s just a helpless life just waiting for Fabian toe. [¡®Evelyn, you just need to be there.¡¯] ¡°And I really died without doing anything. With nothing left¡­¡­alone.¡± Evelyn talked to herself in despair. She was nothing at that time. Nothing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live like that again.¡± A beautiful Empress trapped in a beautiful cage. The life of a woman who waited only for a busy emperor. ¡°Can a person really change?¡± Fabian had changed. He was a different person now. Maybe if he¡¯s now¡­¡­A cruel hope filled her heart. ¡°¡­¡­ it¡¯s a risky gamble.¡± He was still an Emperor. He had to live his life in split minutes, and he couldn¡¯t put down the crown before he died. ¡°And to the end¡­¡­ he¡¯s someone who breaks my heart.¡± In her previous life, that cold man always made her heart ached. Now, he was courting Evelyn, putting down his noble pride. Evelyn couldn¡¯t even tell which was more painful. ¡°Well, Princess?¡± Evelyn turned her head, and she saw that Nora was standing there, staring worriedly at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you didn¡¯t answer my knock.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. What about Adrian?¡± asked Evelyn. ¡°Sir Philip said there¡¯s an improvement in his condition, so now he has a goodnight sleep.¡± There¡¯s a relief smile on Evelyn¡¯s lips after she heard Nora¡¯s report. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Princess, that¡¯s in your hand¡­ ¡­ .¡± Evelyn was startled and hid the Queen¡¯s ring in her hand quickly, even though there was nothing wrong with it. It was only beyondmon sense that Evelyn, who wasn¡¯t the Empress right now, had the Empress¡¯ seal. ¡°Nora, please keep quiet about this for a while.¡± Nora nodded firmly, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re having a hard time following me these days, aren¡¯t you?¡± Evelyn tried to change the subject awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Princess. Besides, there¡¯s good news. When His Majesty called the Duke and Lady Akshire, Lily seemed to being with them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Evelyn seemed excited. While Nora was a nanny maid who raised Evelyn. Lily was the maid who followed Evelyn to the Imperial Pce when she was married. Both of them would be a great help for her. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll arrive the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn already missed her parents in the Felice Kingdom. But now wasn¡¯t the time toin about it. The presence of Akshire¡¯s siblings and Lily already warmed her heart. ¡°Nora.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess?¡± Evelyn stared into the air for a moment¡­¡­.. ¡°If I feel anxious because things seem to be going so well¡­ ¡­ Am I weird?¡± Nora, the old maid, had a deep rtionship with Evelyn. Of course, she understood Evelyn¡¯s anxiety. It¡¯s made sense since life was usually like that. ¡°It must be because you are concerned for the Prince.¡± ¡°¡­.Maybe.¡± Evelyn nodded at Nora¡¯sfort. Then, she could hear Adrian crying in the bedroom. Both of them ran into him together at once. At least, Evelyn could leave herplicated mind when she cared for her child. Now, that¡¯s enough.
*** The problems that Fabian directed to Congress hadn¡¯t been resolved until now. It seemed like it was only the Emperor¡¯s tricks to avenge the noble¡¯s shameful behavior while he was away openly, aside from one of his ways of buying time. ¡°The weather is nice.¡± Fabian was in a secret garden that only could be essed by the Emperor. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Serus answered, and Logan, who was behind him, bowed his head as if he also agreed. ¡°But autumn seems very short.¡± Fabian had never appreciated the season before. But Serus knew that Fabian always felt sad at the end of autumn. A heart-sick season, when the scent of the golden wood smelled so sweet, and also the season when Evelyn left. And it all happened in this ce. ¡°Duke Metis. Did he already move?¡± ¡°Yes. Your Majesty¡¯s prediction was right.¡± ¡°How far do you think he¡¯s found out?¡± Fabian gave him a sour look. It was unpleasant that only his bad predictions were correct. ¡°First of all, I think he¡¯s been spying on Sir Philip. I pretended I didn¡¯t know at Your Majesty¡¯smand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious what he¡¯s doing.¡± There was no way that Sagan, who was quick-witted, didn¡¯t know that Philip was in the Imperial Pce. That old Duke was a veteran-opponent, and it was impossible for Fabian to keep this secret until the end. ¡°He probably thought there¡¯s something wrong with my health.¡± Actually, at first, Fabian had intended to pretend that he was ill to avert his attention for a moment. ¡°But I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Because Your Majesty stills young and looks healthy.¡± The Emperor¡¯s stamina was far beyond ordinary humans like nobles. If there were rumors about a fatal abnormality in the young Emperor¡¯s health, the parliament would be filled with people seeking power here and there. If that happened, Fabian wouldn¡¯t be able to control it even though he still ruled the roost. ¡°And Sir Phillip has called his students as well. because he said he was understaffed in research and treatment alone ¡­ so Duke Metis must have been suspicious about the blood treatment.¡± Serus sighed. Originally, Sagan wasn¡¯t supposed to know about the existence of blood medicine. But Monica, Fabian¡¯s mother, quickly passed the secret to her family. ¡°If I dy time like this ¡­¡­ the clever Duke Metis will quickly figure out immediately what¡¯s going on.¡± Serus didn¡¯t dare to give a response. ¡°What will happen after that is clear. He will drive Evelyn into an insane woman, take her to death, and treat Adrian as an illegitimate child. Only then can he push her daughter to be an Empress.¡± Just thought about it, Fabian¡¯s dark eyes were filled with anger. ¡°I must take a leap first.¡± He said firmly. ¡°¡­¡­..No, I¡¯ll have to root out all the problems at this point.¡± Serus, who kept silent since the beginning, looked surprised but was also filled with doubts. ¡°During my reign, I don¡¯t think there will be any other chance my enemies to bite me apart from this.¡± From young aristocrats, including Duke Metis and the Vatican, who had been hostile to him since Fabian ascended the throne. And the minister who often opposed the Emperor¡¯s orders. When it came to the Imperial sessor¡¯s matter from the divorced Empress, they could all unite on this battlefield. ¡°¡­¡­ it¡¯s going to be a difficult job.¡± Serus wasn¡¯t wrong. Fabian had to deal with totally different enemy forces alone. Perhaps it would be the biggest ordeal since his crowning. ¡°But I have to face it.¡± Fabian had made up his mind. ¡°I also have a weapon.¡± His weapon was the ck Hawk Knight. In history, only Fabian, the Emperor who had such a private organization. He had created a special knight squad for himself even before he was crowned. No one could argue that he was an extraordinary Emperor. ¡°Logan.¡± When his name was called, Logan bent his knees with an honorable face, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Everyone, be it Duke Metis or the Vatican, don¡¯t let them interfere in Senate¡¯s matter.¡± It was a warning that there was a danger of attempted murder. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯ll sendpetent knights to escort the journey of Five Elders.¡± asserted Logan. Fabian then nodded as if he was satisfied with his answer. ¡°Go and carry it out at once.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Logan withdrew with courtesy. Then Fabian turned his back and looked at Serus. ¡°What about the thing that I asked you to find out.¡± There was a story that had been bothering Fabian all this time. It was the first time he heard the legend about demons who hated the Imperial family¡¯s descendants and craved for their blood. But, there was no reason for Evelyn to lie. ¡°There¡¯s a simr story, but it¡¯s too old to interpret. But, it might be possible when the Elderse.¡± ¡°But the Elders won¡¯t help. They don¡¯t obey the Imperial family.¡± ¡°Duke Akshire will soon arrive in the capital,¡± reported Serus. Fabian then asked him back with his sharp eyes as if saying, ¡®why did you mention him?¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­., he said he would bring a book that the Princess had seen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­it seems your sensitivity has improved.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, Duke Akshire, is basically a very sensitive person.¡± ¡°Serus, you¡­¡­.¡± Fabian sighed. The two of them weren¡¯t aware, but the people in this Imperial family had changed little by little. However, it wasn¡¯t because of their own will, but because they met their rival and ex-family member. ¡°The edict will be issued as soon as tomorrow arrives.¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± ¡°I will deprive the current- Empress-position.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­ ¡­ Are you serious, Your Majesty?¡± Serus¡¯s brain was unable to grasp the meaning of Fabian¡¯s words. ¡°The Pce will be preserved, and only the Empress-title will be deprived.¡± Nevertheless, Serus¡¯ face was full of questions. He still didn¡¯t know the Emperor¡¯s n. ¡°The Empress Pce is a pce where the Empress is the owner. Even so, all of the pces in this Imperial Pce belong to me and under my control.¡± With Fabian¡¯s intuition, the time for Evelyn and Adrian to stay in the Chamber of Secret would be over soon. If he postponed the edict any longer, it would be toote to prepare for this. ¡°Since the founding of the Empire, a divorced-Empress can¡¯t be the Empress again. I know about that.¡± But, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Fabian since it could be easily handled. Only ¡°But if it¡¯s for the birth-mother who gave birth to my sessor ¡­¡­ With my sincerity, she can live in a better ce.¡± ¡°I see. If it weren¡¯t for the Empress, then, there won¡¯t be a problem with Your Majesty¡¯s orders.¡± Fabian thought so, too. At first, he was hesitant to put Evelyn in a secret room and hide her from the Imperial people. Moreover, it was only a matter of time before their identities were revealed. So, it would be best to deprive the Empress¡¯s position first and give the Pce to Evelyn. ¡°Just take care of it immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Serus stepped back with an example. Fabian only nced dimly towards the garden at night. Maybe all the reasons just now weren¡¯t the main reason. Because above all, Fabian had his own reason. It was one of his wishes. One day, he wanted to see Evelyn return to the Empress¡¯s Pce, where they had slept side by side together. Chapter 99: Sound Of Tears The day after tomorrow, Fabian visited the secret chamber with a tired face. Dealing with otherplex matters without leaving the Emperor¡¯s official duties was an exhausting task. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian¡¯splexion while giving examples. They were a couple once, so she could notice Fabian¡¯s fatigue had reached its peak. ¡°I couldn¡¯te here yesterday because I had a lot of work to do.¡± Evelyn swallowed a bitter smile at his excuse. In her heart, she was used to hearing the Emperor came and went for the same reasons. Even back then, she was never involved in his matters even though she was an Empress. However, even though Evelyn was no longer an Empress, Fabian still made the same excuses. ¡°What about Adrian?¡± ¡°Nora put him to sleep. Sir Philip said Adrian couldn¡¯t help falling asleep during the treatment.¡± ¡°Yeah, the treatment process is tiring.¡± Fabian leaned his back on the long sofa. The dark circle under his eyes seemed to prove that he suffered from ack of sleep. ¡°You look a bit thin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± But, interestingly enough, it was Fabian who asked about her condition instead. ¡°It must be ufortable to be stuck in this small room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Since the Imperial family didn¡¯t know their existence yet, so, Evelyn had no trouble living in this ce. The only thing she regretted was that she couldn¡¯t see the sunshine, but that¡¯s also only recently. ¡°Your Majesty has a darkplexion,¡± Evelyn whispered. ¡°Me?¡± But Fabian asked her back as if he didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Yes. You look very tired. Didn¡¯t anyone tell you that?¡± Fabian just spat out a silentugh at her worries. Evelyn didn¡¯t know; everyone had been saying that to Fabian since she left. ¡°It¡¯s just temporary.¡± Fabian had a habit of rubbing his temple when the migraine came to bother him. Unfortunately, there was no cure for migraine headaches. ¡°You should take a little rest. Otherwise, the headache won¡¯t stop.¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn a little strangely. At moments like this, his wife seemed to have returned. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to stop my headache before.¡± It was a lonely remark, and Evelyn also thought of the same thing. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve tried another method, but it¡¯s useless.¡± When Fabian was suffering from a headache, Evelyn used to rub his cold hand and lit a candle that made him feel at ease. Then, curiously, the headache would be more relieved than taking painkillers. After a moment of silence, Evelyn opened her mouth, ¡°I learned it from my mother.¡± Then she quickly stood up and sat beside him. Fabian was startled, but he only could stare at her quietly. But something more surprising happened. Evelyn calmly took Fabian¡¯s cold hand and began to press it. ¡°If you press the pressure point on your hand like this, your headache will get better.¡± Evelyn rubbed Fabian¡¯s hand gently. His big-cold hands were covered in calluses, typical of men who wielded a sword. ¡°It¡¯s unusual that you held my hand first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a payment for Adrian¡¯s medicine.¡± Unlike her cold words, Evelyn¡¯s body temperature was warm. The shape and the touch of her small-delicate hands, pressing his were still the same as before. ¡°Your sense of touch hasn¡¯t changed.¡± He said under the breath. Evelyn didn¡¯t answer. Their current rtionship was uncertain, where she couldn¡¯t even think or speak. But, when she touched his bare skin, the walls in her heart felt like crumbled. ¡°You¡¯re the only person who gives me this intimacy feeling.¡± Fabian¡¯s feeling wasn¡¯t distorted. His heart and body remembered the woman who was in front of him right now. ¡°This was the only thing I could do¡­.. besides waiting¡­..¡± ¡°Did you?¡± Fabian narrowed his eyes at her words, recalling the past. But he wasn¡¯t the only one who was lost in memory. ¡°Did I make you wait?¡± asked Fabian in disbelief. ¡°¡­¡­Will you believe me if I say so?¡± Suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s hand stopped rubbing. But she didn¡¯t let go of his hand. ¡°At some point¡­¡­I felt that way.¡± ¡°Other than that?¡± Fabian questioned her again, earnestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes shone so brightly. ¡°When I was an Empress. I breathed quietly, waiting for Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always tried to get back to you. If it¡¯s not an unavoidable situation, I always went to the Empress¡¯ Pce every night¡­..¡± Fabian said a true story. He even gave up his short nap time to visit her. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem.¡± Evelyn¡¯s lips were engraved with sadness. ¡°For me, as an Empress¡­¡­ Your Majesty was the only one. When you weren¡¯t around, I couldn¡¯t do anything and was nothing.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I used to apany you in the past?¡± Fabian¡¯s face hardened slightly. At least, he was trying his best not to leave her alone. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to me Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn saw something she hadn¡¯t seen before. It was the anguish in Fabian¡¯s heart. ¡°No¡­¡­ I want to know your reason then.¡± When she realized what she had seen, Evelyn suddenly dared to ask the questions she always kept in her heart. ¡°In the past, why did you¡­¡­why didn¡¯t you let me do anything ?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to get Fabian¡¯s apology after she revealed the past. She just wanted to know his heart and his reason. If he had some sort of malice, there would be no pain in his eyes like this. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I forbid you to do anything. When did I do that?¡± ¡°Always! Ever since I became the Empress,¡± shouted Evelyn. Fabian tilted his eyebrow. He didn¡¯t seem to know what she meant. ¡°Your Majesty¡­.you didn¡¯t entrust me to manage my own pce. Even when the story of the Imperial¡¯s session came out, you dismissed it unterally. I¡¯ve never arranged a banquet with my own hands.¡± There had never been such an Empress in another Empire era. At first, she assumed that Fabian was considerate because she was from another Kingdom. But, as time went by, her anxiety soon turned into helplessness. ¡°I was a person who meant nothing without Your Majesty¡¯s presence. As a result, waiting for you became my only duty. But¡­ you even didn¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°What do you mean? When did I ¡­?¡± ¡°Not long after we got married, the night when Your Majesty came to the Empress¡¯ pce¡­¡­at that time, you told me not to wait for you. But I didn¡¯t listen to you for a few days, so Your Majesty ordered the maid to prevent me from meeting you.¡± Evelyn felt as if she had lost the only meaning of her existence after that. ¡°I know that not everything is so important to Your Majesty.¡± The Emperor was in a position to waste no time in mere seconds, and Evelyn was the opposite. It¡¯s natural if they couldn¡¯t understand each other. ¡°But I still¡­¡­ I wanted to do something. Anything.¡± cried, Evelyn. ¡°You manage the Empress¡¯ pce well. I¡¯ve been by your side almost every night, and I also¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was calm but felt cold. ¡°It was the maids who took care of the pce. They didn¡¯t need the Empress¡¯s honor or authority.¡± After Fabian forbid Evelyn to wait for him, the maids kept an eye on her untilte at night, so she wouldn¡¯t wait for the Emperor. Evelyn had to eat dinner, bathe, and go to bed first in pajamas at a fixed time. When she woke up from a shallow sleep, it was her routine to see Fabian sleeping beside her. ¡°Do you know what your appearance I¡¯ve seen the most?¡± she asked. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Are you talking about me being busy with my job?¡± Evelyn shook her head. As expected, Fabian didn¡¯t even know. ¡°It¡¯s Your Majesty¡¯s sleeping figure.¡± Fabian blinked with a stiff face. As if it was an answer that he had never thought of even in his dream. Then, Evelyn went on, ¡°Other than that, I couldn¡¯t see Your Majesty. I really wanted to break your orders¡­..because I couldn¡¯t see you who always went out early in the morning to back on your duty.¡± As time passed, Evelyn felt like she was getting farther away. Around that time, she was suffering from a chronic sleep disorder. Evelyn couldn¡¯t sleep well because she didn¡¯t know when Fabian wasing, and if Fabian slept next to her, she was afraid to disturb him, so she couldn¡¯t turn her body. ¡°Not everything was bad. I also understood, somehow¡­..Since¡­¡­ I was married to the Emperor.¡± That was fine, though. When the dawn came in the distance, she felt a little relieved to see Fabian¡¯s face in the dim sunshine. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help feeling sad. You often came to my pce before the sun rose. But I had to pretend to sleep because Your Majesty told me not to wait for you. ¡° Fabian¡¯s expression was indescribably confused right now, and he couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°The past was fine. But I didn¡¯t know why Your Majesty wanted to distance me from you first¡­I wanted to know why you kept me away.¡± she added. Back then, Evelyn didn¡¯t even realize what his real reason. Why he did that to her. But now, it was different. She wanted to know why her marriage, which was supposed to be happy at first, went wrong. Now was the time to know everything from Fabian. Evelyn had to know why the man who was so desperate to propose to her had started to distance her away first. And why should she waste her life as a helpless Empress? ¡°I¡­¡­¡± Fabian frowned as he tried to open his mouth, rubbing his temple. It was a severe migraine. His hand, which Evelyn was holding, fell off. Evelyn was momentarily overwhelmed with regret. She didn¡¯t want to talk more about her pain anymore. So, why did she reveal her past wounds now? ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Just¡­forget it.¡± Evelyn grabbed the hem of her dress and got up in a hurry. ¡°Wait, Evelyn.¡± Fabian quickly grabbed Evelyn¡¯s arm. Her body staggered, and she fell on hisp. Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes froze in amazement when she saw Fabian¡¯s ck eyes were right in front of her. This was the first time the two were this close since their divorce. ¡°S-Stop¡­¡± Evelyn turned her head. She wanted to avoid what would hurt her. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Fabian reached out to her, wrapping Evelyn¡¯s cheek, and made eye contact with her. ¡°That¡¯s¡­..I made it like this. I have no intention of stopping anything now.¡± Evelyn exhaled her shivering breath. But Fabian held Evelyn tightly and didn¡¯t let her go. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything now,¡± said Fabian. It was an order, but it sounded so desperate. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Fabian¡¯s arms, which embraced Evelyn, grew tighter. ¡°Only once. Just once is fine, so please listen to my story.¡± Fabian bit his sore lips. He was afraid Evelyn would shake off his arm. But fortunately, it didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Evelyn was hesitating. She lived her entire life as Fabian¡¯s wife until her death. Was there any other truth that she didn¡¯t know? Her hopes were useless and wishful thinking. She knew about it already in her head. But, his hands kept holding Evelyn, insisting her to hear his reason just this once, ¡°Just for a moment. So¡­please, I¡¯m not the Emperor, but your husband. Can¡¯t you just think of me as a man who loves you?¡± ¡°As you¡¯ve done in my life.¡± Fabian¡¯s hushed voice flew in Evelyn¡¯s ears. ¡°As it is now and in the future.¡± Evelyn gently pushed Fabian¡¯s chest. Contrary to the fear in Fabian¡¯s heart, she didn¡¯t run away but looked straight into his face. ¡°We were a couple¡­ Why did I push you away? How could I do that?¡± Only Evelyn couldn¡¯t believe the view before her eyes. There was a little tear in Fabian¡¯s dark eyes. And at that moment, a sore pain ran through her heart. ¡°All this time ¡­ have you always thought like that? I pushed you away first and kept you at a distance?¡± There was an indescribably deep wound in his eyes. Even Evelyn had never seen him like this before. ¡°You¡¯re so heartless.¡± The tip of his low voice trembled thinly. Tuk¡­ A tear fell from Fabian¡¯s eyes. Evelyn didn¡¯t even realize what she was seeing. Only the sound of her pounding heart could be heard. Chapter 100: A Heartless Person ¡°You¡¯re so heartless¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s brain suddenly stopped. She couldn¡¯t tolerate his sudden tears, nor did his words called her heartless. All this time, it was Fabian who was heartless. It should be. But he already looked exhausted. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to make you suffer.¡± Fabian spoke in hushed tones at Evelyn, who didn¡¯t budge. ¡°When I proposed to you, I knew you were hesitating. Even the Felice Kingdom¡­¡­ gave a sceptical response. So did the Empire, and so did everyone.¡± said Fabian. ¡°Your wife, the Empress, wasn¡¯t happy. My mother used to say that, too. I knew everything about it, but I still wanted to marry you, so I stopped being greedy. So I wanted to make up for my selfishness a little bit.¡± This was the first time he had spoken long-winded. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Evelyn felt confused. ¡°I hoped you didn¡¯t get tired of taking care of meaningless works in the Empress Pce. I didn¡¯t want you to waste your mind and body mingling with the hypocrite nobles. I was afraid that such extravagant work would make you tired and unhappy.¡± Evelyn blinked her eyes, ¡°Why you never said that¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°My mother always said it¡¯s all boring and horrible, and of course I knew you would think the same way¡­¡­because you didn¡¯t ask me, so, I thought I was doing the right thing.¡± She scared. Evelyn didn¡¯t want to hear it in person if Fabian regarded her as an ipetent Empress or if he didn¡¯t expect anything from her. ¡°Even so, why? Why did you only show your sleeping face? Your Majesty didn¡¯t give me anything else, so how could you know I didn¡¯t like it? I wanted to wait for you.¡± Her innermost voice that had been buried deep inside Evelyn¡¯s heart burst out. ¡°For me, who came from faraway Kingdom to the Empire to get married ¡­¡­ what else was there besides waiting for Your Majesty? That was my only joy. I wanted to wee you with a smile every time you came, and as a wife, I would like to send you off every morning with a bright appearance. All couples ¡­¡­ isn¡¯t it like that?¡± she cried. ¡°Doing things like that ¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t that what we call marriage?¡± Evelyn believed that marriage was like that. So, she was willing to take Fabian¡¯s hand. The reason she decided to leave the Felice Kingdom that she loved so much was that she wanted to spend her life with Fabian as his wife. ¡°¡­¡­..You were sick.¡± Fabian abruptly spat out a clumsy remark. ¡°When the parliament was in the midst of a row over the territorial line issue in the north.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t remember about that time exactly. Still, Fabian clearly said, ¡°I had to look at the astrological stars and go to bed and go out to see morning stars again.¡± Even so, Fabian insisted on staying in the Empress Pce. Even if his sleeping hours were reduced, he wanted to be with Evelyn, because they were a couple. ¡°Then, in less than a week, I had to hear that you copsed in the garden while I was holding the congress.¡± Only then did Evelyn recall the incident. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, so she had forgotten about it. Doctors said she had mild anemia, a congenital disease that she asionally had since she was a child. ¡°At that time, for the first time after ascending the throne, I felt helpless. Even though you weren¡¯t far away, even though I could run straight to your ce, I couldn¡¯t stop congress. Because my soldiers were risking their lives to protect the northern region. ¡° The day¡¯s events weren¡¯t recorded anywhere. Because Fabian didn¡¯t exaggerate it. Even more so, considering Evelyn was weak, Fabian tried to keep Evelyn away from Empire affairs. He didn¡¯t want to trouble and made Evelyn stressful because she was his wife. ¡°You had anemia and fatigue seven times that year.¡± Fabian kept talking. Evelyn didn¡¯t remember, because she never counted the number of times she¡¯d passed out. After all, it was just a trivial matter. ¡°When you passed out for the second time, I told you not to wait for me at night anymore. There was no other choice. Every time I heard news like that, I felt terrible ¡­¡­ and I couldn¡¯t focus on my official duties. ¡° He still recalled it, a disastrous feeling first appeared in his mind. For Fabian, who was born as a Prince and grew stronger than anyone, It was iprehensible to him. On the contrary, it was amon urrence for Evelyn, who had a weak body since childhood. The two of them were so different. ¡°One day.¡± Fabian¡¯s low voice rang out. ¡°The pce chief told me that you had a nosebleed. Those were the days when you waited for me every night. That was the time when I went to see the morning star every day.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice became emotional. ¡°I ¡­¡­ what am I supposed to do then? I really didn¡¯t know. I swear, there¡¯s never been a moment, when I thought of pushing you away.¡± Tuk¡­..Evelyn felt something was falling into her heart. It was as if a new sprout had grown, and grief slowly dropped into her heart like a flower bud. ¡°No ¡­¡­ Why should I push you away?¡± Fabian¡¯s hands that were hugging her body felt hot. ¡°But,¡­ I was forcibly taking you. Because of my greed and selfishness, I proposed to you.¡± One of the most difficult things for Fabian to understand so far was Evelyn¡¯s reason for divorce. She always called him a heartless and uncaring person. Whereas the opposite happened, he was still thinking about Evelyn. He never left her far from his heart. Fabian would have let Evelyn go if he could. ¡°I had known from the beginning. From the moment I first saw you. I thought you were too free and bright to be locked up in the Imperial Pce. But I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you. Your bright smile, your lively gestures, even your sweet voice.¡± What Fabian was concerned about when he got married, wasn¡¯t the opposition of others. He was worried about Evelyn¡¯s future, which she had to live as an Empress because of him. His conscience felt guilty. Maybe that was Fabian¡¯s first mistake in their marriage. ¡°I am the Emperor. I was born that way. It won¡¯t change until the day I die. ¡° The Emperor¡¯s life in this Empire was all the same. He, who became the Emperor, had to be strong and unshakable. He couldn¡¯t be a man, a someone, or a husband. The Emperor was only the Emperor. He couldn¡¯t be someone else. ¡°But the pain belongs to me. It¡¯s mine. Never, I can¡¯t pass it to you. I made a vow to myself before I proposed to you. I won¡¯t make you unhappy because I¡¯m the Emperor.¡± Fabian¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t wrong. But why did they be so far away? ¡°Why¡­.? If you told me that, then¡­ ¡­ we might not havee this far.¡± Evelyn said hoarsely. ¡°But if I told you, you would be sad. For me¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± ¡°I hated it. Looking back, maybe it was my childish pride.¡± he stuttered. Evelyn shook her head. It was Fabian¡¯s sincerity that made his fate harsher. A man who couldn¡¯t just hate someone. Now he looked so pathetic and broke her heart. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to burden you with the Empress¡¯ things.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t regret it. Even if he went back to the past, he didn¡¯t know any other way. It was the best thing for her. ¡°But we couldn¡¯t even be a couple.¡± Evelyn spat out a bitter word. ¡°For me, it¡¯s a couple. I¡¯ve always wanted to.¡± Fabian sighed shortly. Then he smiled a little. ¡°There¡¯s something that I should never have done¡­.¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Well, I broke my oath at the crowning ceremony.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened as Fabian wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. ¡°Evelyn, in front of you¡­¡­ sometimes I tried to forget that I¡¯m an Emperor.¡± Fabian looked very tired when he said those words. It was a strange thing. In this world, no one really worried about him even though it was evident that no one could rece his role for a week. ¡°When I saw you sleeping next to me, I could erase my fate at that moment.¡± Fabian was born as a strong man with the Emperor¡¯s fate, and a nobleman. He was utterly different from ordinary people. Even Evelyn had the same mind as others. She never thought that Fabian was in distress. He was always rxed and had the Emperor¡¯s dignity. ¡°At that time, I could only feel that I was the husband of a woman. Perhaps, if there were any happy times in my life, it would be a moment like that ¡­¡­I guess.¡± His voice sounded really serene. But it scratched Evelyn¡¯s heart violently. ¡°Don¡¯t¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn with sad eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t make such a face. I didn¡¯t mean to make you like this.¡± At one point, Evelyn¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Fabian apologized to her quickly, ¡°I was just trying to exin¡­¡­Just forget it.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t want to see Evelyn cried again. He was regretting that he had brought up some useless words. He would instead remain as an indifferent man, but his heart felt heavy because it seemed that he had hurt Evelyn in the past. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± A deep sigh soaked Fabian¡¯s lips after Evelyn started to shed a tear. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry¡­.¡± Fabian held Evelyn in one arm, and he wiped her tears with his other hand. Evelyn managed to hold back her tears which trying toe out more. ¡°Just ignore what I said. I¡¯m a heartless and bad person.¡± ¡°How can I forget what I¡¯ve already heard?¡± Evelyn sobbed and bit her lips hard. ¡°Then my heart hurts because I feel like I¡¯ve made you cry again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with me.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t hide her eyes this time, ¡°Your Majesty, you also shed tears earlier.¡± ¡°I never did that.¡± Fabian immediately denied it. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it, so I can¡¯t forget it.¡± Evelyn would never forget it. ¡°It¡¯s your illusion.¡± He coughed in a low voice. ¡°No, you did. I saw it. And I won¡¯t forget.¡± For a moment, Evelyn looked silently at Fabian¡¯s face, forgetting that she was now in his arms. Evelyn noticed he looked a bit different. His dry lips, the dark shadow under his eyes, his thin face and his eyes that had the same emotions as her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at it too much.¡± Fabian tried to turn his face away. But Evelyn patiently followed his face and stared at it again. ¡°¡­¡­You would rather be angry.¡± Fabian sighed. ¡°Is that so?¡± Evelyn¡¯s persistent nce finally fell. But, the atmosphere between them was definitely different than usual. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s better than looking at my face like that. It¡¯s the same face anyway.¡± ¡°Different.¡± Fabian was stunned. He wondered if he had heard wrong or Evelyn¡¯s voice sounded affectionate. ¡°No¡­¡­it¡¯s different¡±, whispered Evelyn again. Suddenly, their eyes met. Evelyn was seeing more in Fabian¡¯s eyes now than in other moments so far. ¡°What we didn¡¯t know about each other¡­¡­I guess it was the same.¡± Fabian asked back with his dark eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know then?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°Your Majesty now looks exhausted. Like me.¡± ¡°Yeah, I am¡±, Fabian answered in a low voice. ¡°And I think you¡¯re sad¡­¡­.like a person.¡± Fabian paused, holding his breath for a moment. Then soon, he had a faint, sad smile, ¡°Is it the same as you?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t say anything. She believed that she could throw away her love and sadness. She had a happy time even after leaving him. As he said, it was all in the past. Only ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± But Evelyn couldn¡¯t lie. Once in her death, once in her own decision, she had to lose Fabian. It wasn¡¯t an easy matter at all. Evelyn seemed to have cut off half of her heart when she had to let him go. She also realized that the feeling of emptiness and loss didn¡¯t disappear until the day she died. ¡°Even now, still? ¡­¡­Like I am?¡± The sorrow hadn¡¯t been forgotten. And Evelyn just lived with that sadness. ¡°Yes.¡± That¡¯s what the breakup was. To endure forever, to the day of death, losing someone you loved. Chapter 101: What If Fabian¡¯s frozen heart was throbbing as he learned Evelyn also felt the same sadness. Over the years, the painful chains that had bound him all this time seemed to have broken. Evelyn told him to forget the past, but neither of them did. Fabian apologized for making her sad, but on the other hand, he was also grateful for not being alone. ¡°Evelyn,¡± said Fabian. His lips quivered. ¡°I¡­ ¡­more than sadness.¡± He was choked for a moment, but he had to say this. ¡°¡­..I missed you.¡± Why was a love so frightening? Why he wasn¡¯t able to say that simple word? It¡¯s past, those days had passed ¡­ But why couldn¡¯t he forget about her? ¡°I¡¯ve really missed you.¡± They rarely spent time together. They hadn¡¯t traveled a lot together. Their togetherness wasn¡¯t enough. Was that why these feelings of regret felt deepened? ¡°And maybe¡­.you too.¡± The two remained silent and looked at each other for a long time. ¡°Do you feel the same, too?¡± He said lowly. Evelyn then bit her lips hard. All reality appeared to fade away. There was a figure of the universe within Fabian¡¯s ck eyes, a world that only had by two people. The world he loved, cherished and longed for was reflected in his eyes. And in Evelyn¡¯s eyes, Fabian found the answer. ¡°Even now, still, as I do¡­¡­do also you miss me?¡± he asked. But there¡¯s no answer. Evelyn once loved him. One time, she felt at ease because his body smelled the same as her. At one time, Evelyn wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. At one time, she believed that they belonged to each other forever. Once¡­..At one time. ¡°Evelyn.¡± But Evelyn shook her head, ¡°¡­ it¡¯s toote.¡± She had already seen the end of this rtionship. Listening to her denial, Fabian looked at Evelyn fondly, ¡°No, I¡¯ve already heard your real answer.¡± Her blue-eyes didn¡¯t know how to lie. Her eyes didn¡¯t know know how to hide her pain, longing, and love. ¡°¡­You, too, the feeling that you have in your heart is the same as mine.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were trembling at Fabian¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯ve always had that.¡± Fabian¡¯s face slowly drew closer. Evelyn stiffened her body, but intuitively she knew what was going on. As it was, Fabian kissed her gently, pressing his warm lips to hers, as if Evelyn would break. Evelin¡¯s hand flinched when Fabian firmly swept her lips. But Evelyn slowly rxed her body after he started to hug her. The touch of his lips felt familiar, that¡¯s when she remembered Fabian¡¯s sweet and gentle kiss. She¡¯s always the same, as he said. Evelyn¡¯s tears flowed, wetting Fabian¡¯s slightly rough lips. Still, Fabian didn¡¯t budge and kept sucking her lips. The world of the two people who were so distant now became one. The warmth of their love was still burning, not fading at all.
*** The two were silent for a while. Fabian¡¯s hand, which wiped Evelyn¡¯s wet cheeks, felt so warm. Without saying anything, Fabiany on Evelyn¡¯sp. Like he¡¯s always done before. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian¡¯s low voice rang. ¡°Evelyn.¡± He couldn¡¯t wait for a second and called her name once more. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I just¡­ ¡­wanted to call your name¡±, Fabian spoke in a calm tone and smiled faintly. He seemed to be apletely different person from the Emperor¡¯s figure who stood in the parliament. ¡°Evelyn,¡­. promise me one thing,¡± he whispered. ¡°Everything¡­.whatever we feel, we must tell each other. You can ask, or you can be upset. You don¡¯t have to think alone. No matter how trivial it is.¡± It was a very simple yet difficult promise. Evelyn nodded in an illusion as if she had returned to the past. It was like this. It was the same scene as when they were married for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s all right to hate me, but don¡¯t go against each other¡¯s hearts.¡± They both felt and knew how cruel it was. The more they loved each other, the more painful it would be. ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­¡­.how I feel right now.¡± Evelyn gave a confusing answer in response to his wish. Then Fabian¡¯s smile unexpectedly widened. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s better to hear you like this.¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t make a decision now. About having a rtionship with Your Majesty or¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn could no longer speak. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Fabian cut it. He wasn¡¯t stupid. At least, he didn¡¯t want to repeat the same mistake. ¡°What do you think and how do you feel? And if we can spend some time together¡­¡­ that¡¯s all I need to hear.¡± he wished. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future¡­.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t we failed to paint the future? It was the truth. Marriage wasn¡¯t the end, but the beginning and the two could not settle for the present because they were always worried about the future. When it began to twist and deviate in such a way, it would trigger an uncontroble disaster. ¡°I have a request.¡± Fabian had a lot of demand today. Such a look of him seemed like a public rtions stunt as he actually missed her so much. He wanted to feel her body temperature more after a long solitary night he spent imagining Evelyn. ¡°I want you to call my name.¡± ¡°What?¡± In a surprise, Evelyn asked. ¡°You¡¯ve always called me Your Majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re a, Your Majesty.¡± Fabian¡¯s expression was a little dissatisfied. Even though he had said this several times after getting married, Evelyn, who had been thoroughly trained in Imperial family etiquette, always refused outright. ¡°Please say it when we¡¯re alone. Is that all right?¡± Fabian kept whining. ¡°¡­¡­pardon?¡± Evelyn waspletely shocked. She never knew Fabian had such a boyish side. She never imagined she would hear this from him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be an Emperor in front of you.¡± That was Fabian¡¯s, true heart. Even though fate had made him an Emperor, he still needed a ce to breathe as a man. Evelyn often hugged him in the past, but he didn¡¯t feel like a man at all. Fabian, too, was toote to realize it. ¡°I am me ¡­¡­. I want you to see me as a man, not as an Emperor.¡± ¡°But, Your Majesty¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You know my name, don¡¯t you? Besides, no one else calls my name unless it¡¯s you.¡± Unexpectedly, a lonely word came out. Fabian, who spoke calmly, made Evelyn¡¯s heart sting even more. Even his birth mother, the Empress Dowager, called Fabian His Majesty. Likewise, the Duchess of Perth, his adoptive parents who raised him. If those two people were reluctant, so who would dare to call Fabian¡¯s name? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if there¡¯s one person in this world who can call my name¡±? Somehow, Evelyn thought of Adrian. If nobody called Adrian¡¯s name because he was forced to be Emperor, she would be heartbroken. ¡°And if there¡¯s such a person, it¡¯s only you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡­¡±. Evelyn said that. It was difficult to change his ¡®Majesty¡¯ title. But Fabian smiled dly when Evelyn didn¡¯t refuse it. ¡°What about practicing now?¡± urged Fabian. ¡°No.¡± But Evelyn turned him down firmly. ¡°More than that, Your Majesty. It¡¯s alreadyte¡­..¡± she quickly turned the topic. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get rid of ¡®your Majesty¡¯ if you could?¡± Fabian bluffed. It was a plea that he wanted to stay longer. ¡°You should get some rest. You look very tired.¡± ¡°No.¡± Fabian knitted his eyebrow abruptly, ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Evelyn looked down at Fabian in wonder. ¡°¡­¡­We promised to say everything¡±, he said. Evelyn grinned bitterly as she watched Fabian talked with great pride. It was because she felt a little stupid about herself, who always believed he was fine. ¡°And more frankly, I don¡¯t want to get up from here.¡± Fabian fixed his head position on Evelyn¡¯sp slightly. Actually, in the past, he wished to sleep on herp all the time. However, Fabian couldn¡¯t speak because the Emperor¡¯s dignity stopped him from doing so. But now, Fabian had an excuse, to be honest about Everything, so he took this opportunity and used it. ¡°Let¡¯s make apromise,¡± said Fabian, fiddling with Evelyn¡¯s white hand, ¡°Just a little¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll take a little more rest here.¡± ¡°Which part ispromised?¡± asked Evelyn. Fabian closed his eyes, avoiding to answer. Evelyn almost burst intoughter, but she managed to swallow it. She couldn¡¯t figure out why she felt Fabian really looked like Adrian in a huge body. ¡°Oh, I have something to tell you¡­¡­.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice was immersed in sleepiness as he said so. Leaning in the mostfortable ce for him, it seemed his umted exhaustion wasing at once. ¡°¡­¡­ There¡¯s¡­¡± Fabian muttered low. Evelyn shook her head, pitying Fabian, who struggled to push his sleep away. Then she lifted her hand and slightly closed Fabian¡¯s eyelids. Evelyn often did this when Adrian was struggling to sleep. Still, without her knowing, she also did the same thing to Fabian. ¡°I¡¯llpromise. So sleep¡­.a a little bit.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ ¡­a little.¡± Fabian silently closed his eyes at Evelyn¡¯s touch and call. Her soft scent and warm body temperature were rxing. After a very long time, Fabian found a ce for him to rest. Evelyn was soon lost in thought when she saw Fabian¡¯s evenly breathing. Past things suddenly popped up in her mind without a sequence. Some things were so overjoyed, some were so sad, and some things were vague. [¡®If only he were a heartless man.¡¯] But Evelyn soon erased that thought. If he were like that, the sadness within her wouldn¡¯t have disappeared. Her whole life would be pitiful if the man she loved once in her life was truly heartless to her. [¡®We have all made the same mistake.¡¯] The price they had to pay for their rtionship was too high. They were both quiet and awkward. The way of speech was also very different. At first, the differences between them were interesting. Still, as time passed, the feeling of attraction gradually turned to hate because it was difficult for them to understand each other. [¡®If¡­.¡¯] A dangerous word came up to her mind. It was an image that should never have been created. But Evelyn couldn¡¯t stop imagining things that were happening at will. If, what if¡­¡­as long as we could be together, looking at each other like this. Then we didn¡¯t have to break up again. Adrian¡¯s future wouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore. What if they lived their life as a family? To redeem each other and heal their wounds from the past? There was nothing more to hide from each other, love, and take care of each other, even though they would sometimes quarrel, just like a normal couple. [¡®Yes, maybe¡­¡­.¡¯] Her imagination had stopped for a moment. Evelyn felt her heart stiffened, but she couldn¡¯t tell what was happening. Suddenly she couldn¡¯t breathe properly. None of her fingers moved, and she felt goosebumps enveloping her with chills on her back. [¡®¡­¡­Please.¡¯] She heard a voice from a distance, and terrible darkness appeared before his eyes. [¡®Save me.¡¯] Whose voice was that? [¡®Or, please kill me¡­ ¡­. please.¡¯] [Your Majesty¡­ ¡­ it¡¯s too dark. Nothing¡­ ¡­ I can¡¯t see it.¡¯] The pain covered Evelyn¡¯s consciousness. But she couldn¡¯t even scream, trapping in an endless dark space, and she couldn¡¯t even breathe. [I¡¯m scared. Alone¡­I hate it. It¡¯s too¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid. Don¡¯t¡­..¡¯] Now, Evelyn realized whose voice it belonged to. [¡®I¡¯m cold¡­¡­ please, hold my hand¡­¡­.¡¯] She was a poor woman who was alone. [¡®No, alone¡­ ¡­ I do not like it. I¡¯m scared¡­ ¡­ .¡¯] The ending that they had already made. [¡®Your Majesty¡­ where are you¡­¡­?¡¯] Only She couldn¡¯t call his name until the end. [¡®I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­. ahh¡­no¡­.¡¯] But, the words that she couldn¡¯t remember continued in her mind. [¡®I¡­ I¡¯m still¡­¡­.¡¯] Evelyn now had found a piece that had been missing since the moment of her death. [¡®I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to¡­ ¡­but I don¡¯t¡­¡­aah.¡¯] And the darkness hit her. Chapter 102: By Your Side It was the moment when Fabian felt his heart stopped beating. Evelyn copsed over him. From her hands to her feet, her whole body was trembling with fear. ¡°Who, who¡¯s there!¡± Fabian quicklyid Evelyn down on the sofa and squeezed her trembling hand tightly. ¡°Evelyn! Evelyn, wake up!¡± The peaceful situation a while ago changed suddenly in the blink of an eye. After hearing Fabian¡¯s scream, Nora, who ran into the room, looked panicked as she saw Evelyn fainted. ¡°Princess¡­!¡± ¡°Now, go to my room by the secret staircase. Go and tell Serus to get Sir Philip right now!¡± Fabian ordered. But Nora still didn¡¯t move, and her hands were shaking, too. ¡°Hurry!¡± Nora came to her senses after Fabian shouted to her again, and she quickly rushed to run. Fabian tried to tap Evelyn on the cheek, forcing her to open her eyes, but he failed. Evelyn broke out in a cold sweat like someone who had a heavy nightmare and gritted her teeth so badly that blood flowed from her lips. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Her condition was like someone with a burning stomach. Fabian instinctively ced his finger between Evelyn¡¯s lips. The pain that pierced his finger didn¡¯t even get into his mind at this point. There was only fear that Fabian sensed when he saw Evelyn¡¯splexion getting paler. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ha.¡± Evelyn¡¯s faint voice rang between Fabian¡¯s fingers. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.ha¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Evelyn? I am here.¡± But Evelyn¡¯s consciousness had not returned. The darkness still fell upon her. Evelyn¡¯s body cramped, and she bit Fabian¡¯s hand again. ¡°I am by your side,¡± Fabian firmly grasped Evelyn¡¯s cold hand. As if to tell her that he was here. He eagerly wished Evelyn to hear this voice too. ¡°I won¡¯t leave. As it is¡­ I¡¯ll be by your side.¡± The pain Fabian felt when Evelyn bit him with her teeth was nothing. What made Fabian feel dead was precisely his failure to do something and his nervousness. ¡°Your Majesty, Sir Philip¡­¡­.¡± Luckily, Nora rushed in before it was toote. Philip arrived without being told what had happened. However, as soon as he approached Evelyn and saw her condition, he immediately began examining her. Fabian reluctantly stepped back and stood beside Evelyn. ¡°Let me see.¡± After seeing some changes, as a doctor, Philip quickly looked at Fabian and nodded. This means there was nothing to worry about and that her life wasn¡¯t in severe condition. It was only then that Fabian felt relieved, and his legs were falling. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Philip took the syrup bottle out of his bag, ¡°It¡¯s a simple stabilizer.¡± After Philip poured the syrup through her lips sometimeter, the seizures ended. Evelyn found stability as if she had just fallen asleep. Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief ¡°Something. What the hell is going on? Nothing happened. Everything was calm¡­¡­.¡± Fabian gibbered, not like his normal self. ¡°I don¡¯t know the cause, but I think it¡¯s a nerve attack,¡± said Philip, giving a frustrating diagnosis. ¡°It don¡¯t affect her health. But it might be due to the stress and fatigue that has umted too much ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you sure?!¡± shouted him. However, another diagnosis wouldn¡¯te out just because of Fabian¡¯s anger. ¡°The stabilizers have stopped the seizure, and she¡¯ll wake up soon. We can do a detailed examination then,¡± exined Philip. Fabian closed his mouth tight at the words, then nodded because there was no other alternative. ¡°Move Evelyn to the bedroom¡­¡­no wait, Nora, take Adrian to the private room and take care of him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, Your Majesty, and the Princess¡­..?¡± Fabian ignored Nora¡¯s question and hugged Evelyn, who fell asleep himself. ¡°I¡¯ll watch her.¡± He put Evelyn in his arms as carefully and gently as he could and thenid her in bed slowly. Then he sat by the bedside, grabbing Evelyn¡¯s hand. Philip said she was fine, but Fabian was afraid Evelyn would go away anytime soon if he didn¡¯t hold her tight. ¡°Evelyn, I¡¯m with you¡­¡± Fabian said the same thing over and over again. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­here.¡± It was a low, sincere voice.
The Empress, Monica¡¯s eyes widened in a circle while biting a long hookah pipe. It was unusual for her, who wasn¡¯t interested in everything in the world. ¡°¡­¡­Sir Philip?¡± she asked, doubting her ears. ¡°Yes.¡± The knight answered carefully and knelt in front of Empress Monica. He was apetent knight from Sagan, Duke of Metis, his brother. Monica used to live in the Imperial Pce when she was still the Emperor¡¯s wife. So she memorized and knew very well where and what kind of surveince to install. And it seemed it worked this time. ¡°It¡¯s not strange that Sir Philip ising. He was His Majesty¡¯s doctor, and His Majesty called him back again¡­¡­but from the reports I¡¯ve heard, it seems it¡¯s a different case this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Sir Philip came to the inner pce.¡± Monica¡¯s eyebrows slightly frowned. Right now, Inner Pce didn¡¯t have an owner. There were only guests, Empress Dowager and Ste. But they didn¡¯t call Philip, so his visit didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°As you know, in the Inner Pce, if you follow it too closely, it¡¯s easy to get caught.¡± The knight added as an excuse. The Inner Pce was originally the ce where the Emperor¡¯s family lived. It was a high-guarded ce, a difficult area for spies to move around. ¡°¡­¡­hold on.¡± Monica concentrated on her thoughts with long smoke. Suddenly, there¡¯s somethinging up in her mind. ¡°The direction¡­..?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You must know the direction that Sir Philip went.¡± ¡°Oh, he went to the south towards the ss corridor.¡± At that moment, all the puzzle pieces were put together in Monica¡¯s head. Her enthralling lips corner went up slightly. Herughter came out shortly after that. ¡°Why you¡¯reughing?¡± asked the knight, looking confused. ¡°Because it¡¯s funny.¡± However, herugh was more sounded like a teasing tone. ¡°Yes ¡­ There was something like that in this Imperial family. It¡¯s been a long time. I even forgot its existence.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Despite the knight¡¯s counter-question, in the backs of her heart, Monica was lost in her thoughts. One thing that Fabian overlooked was the fact that his mother was once an Empress. In other words, right after her marriage, Monica already realized that the secret room existed. ¡°No way, my son uses that.¡± She smiled; an unbearableugh came out once more. Even as his biological mother, she regarded Fabian as a cold person. He was the heir to this Imperial family, who seemed unlikely to bleed a drop of blood even if he was stabbed. It was surprising that even such a person had something precious that he wanted to hide secretly. ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡­where.¡± After scribbling something on the paper note on the table, Monica folded it so the contents were out of sight and handed it to the knight. ¡°Give it to my brother. You have to deliver it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± the knight gave an example, and he disappeared quietly. Monica¡¯s mouth was still smiling, ¡°I still don¡¯t know my son.¡± It was always like that, Fabian was her son that she gave birth to, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what he thought since he was young. When he first insisted on marrying the Felice Kingdom Princess, Monica still couldn¡¯t know her son¡¯s heart.
*** Evelyn¡¯s darkness transformed into a white mist. Little by little, her realistic sense seemed toe back. But her eyelids were still too heavy. Evelyn tried to move her hand, but it didn¡¯t work out as if she was locked in something hard. ¡°Evelyn.¡± She could hear his voice even if her vision were still vague. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± It was Fabian. ¡°I¡¯m by your side.¡± It was Fabian, whom Evelyn didn¡¯t know. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you¡­¡­ don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Slowly, Evelyn noticed that someone warmly wrapped her motionless hand. Fabian¡¯s hand that she always missed was holding her hand tightly. Only then did Evelyn, who came to her senses, barely lifted her heavy eyelids. ¡°Evelyn?¡± As soon as Evelyn opened her eyes, she saw Fabian¡¯s face before her. His eyes, which drew his face close to Evelyn¡¯s nose, were filled with incalcble relief and anxiety. Evelyn saw her figure transparently within his dark pupils, and it wasn¡¯t an illusion. ¡°Evelyn, are you awake? I just¡­¡­No Sir Philip.¡± Fabian said in confusion, a little digressed. Evelyn exerted her remaining strength and grabbed Fabian¡¯s hand. For now, she didn¡¯t want to let him go further away from her side. Then, Fabian returned to his seat and held back Evelyn¡¯s hand tightly, as if he had read the meaning in Evelyn¡¯s eyes. Now Evelyn could be sure of it. It was his warmth that Evelyn felt when she lost consciousness. ¡°Evelyn, I¡­ ¡­ .¡± Even before Fabian finished his words, a sense of relief raided her. Her memory was faint, but Evelyn felt something more frightening than death had swallowed her. The warmth of his hand that pulled Evelyn back to this reality was hotter than usual. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ ..ha.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been by your side all the time.¡± Fabian¡¯s heartfelt voice wrapped around Evelyn¡¯s heart, which still had traces of fear. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ ¡­Your Majesty¡­¡­ha¡­¡­.¡± At this moment, while crying, her fear and regret burst out at once. Even Evelyn herself didn¡¯t know the exact reason for her tidal wave of emotion. But it was enough to make her feel grateful that Fabian was by her side. ¡°Your Majesty¡­I was so terrified ¡­ .¡± Evelyn¡¯s face turned white, and her tears streamed through her cheeks. Fabian unwittingly hugged her as it was the only thing he could do for now. ¡°Suddenly¡­ ¡­everything¡­¡­too scary¡­ ¡­ .¡± Evelyn wrapped her arms around Fabian¡¯s neck, hugging him back. She wasn¡¯t able to speak anymore and could only cry, relying on Fabian for everything. ¡°Evelyn, if you see anything scary, it¡¯s an illusion. It¡¯s not real.¡± Evelyn shuddered. She shook her chin on his shoulder. Then Fabian raised her, sat her down on the bed, andid her in his arms. Meanwhile, Evelyn¡¯s hand firmly grasped Fabian¡¯s hem. Fabian even held her tightly on the bed, gazing at her pitiful condition. And Evelyn buried her head in his chest, inhaling the scent of his body. ¡°I¡¯m here. All the time I¡¯ve been by your side.¡± Fabian said, patting Evelyn¡¯s sobbing head silently. ¡°Sssh¡­Nothing happened. Your nightmare wasn¡¯t real. Evelyn, you¡¯re not alone.¡± ¡°Really¡­ ¡­? How long has it passed?¡± Evelyn asked in a weak voice. ¡°You just fell asleep overnight.¡± It was dawning outside. So Evelyn couldn¡¯t believe that Fabian, the Emperor, had been here from night till daybreak. ¡°Do you remember that Iy on yourp?¡± Evelyn nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t left your side for a moment since then.¡± Thump¡­..She could hear Fabian¡¯s heartbeat at the ce where Evelyn had buried her head. ¡°Why¡­..why?¡± Evelyn asked, even though she knew. However, this was a question that was meaningful only when she heard his answer. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you alone. I won¡¯t let you go anymore.¡± Here was the answer she had wished for so long. ¡°I promise¡­.¡± At that moment, the chain that had been choking Evelyn¡¯s heart was struck and fell, losing its binding strength. ¡°I¡¯ll always be next to you.¡± Fabian lifted Evelyn¡¯s head gently and wiped the tears off her cheek. When their eyes met, and Fabian whispered to her, ¡°Whateveres, whether it is a nightmare or a demon, I will protect you.¡± Evelyn realized one thing when she looked at Fabian¡¯s vivid ck eyes. ¡°So don¡¯t be afraid of anything. I will¡­ ¡­because I will be by your side.¡± Deep remorse, grievous resentment melted away magically. It was because she was unhappy that Evelyn regretted it. The reason she resented him was that she loved him. The truth was, Evelyn just wanted to be loved. Right now, by this person. ¡°Never¡­Now, never leave me alone again.¡± Evelyn cried, and they looked into each other¡¯s eyes. Only ¡°Always¡­ ¡­ Please stay by my side.¡± ¡°I will, and don¡¯t leave me either.¡± He also pleaded in hushed tones. The stiff scars and thick walls that covered each other¡¯s hearts had copsed. ¡°We¡­ ¡­ let¡¯s not break up anymore.¡± Those words contained countless solitude and regrets. Evelyn knew that feeling well. She was staring into his eyes, nodded slowly, ¡°Yes¡­..Fabian.¡± Tightly, warmer than ever, they embraced each other without saying who started it first. Their remaining love feelings had broken the chain of hatred that had shackled the two hearts. It thawed out the regrets, pain, anger, and sorrow that had gone beyond death. It was like a spell. And that magical spell was love. Chapter 103: Seal Of Memory Fabian¡¯s arms were warm. They had been hugging each other like that for a long time. Even when Sir Philip came and examined her again a momentter, Fabian still didn¡¯t let her go. Sir Philip then checked Evelyn¡¯s symptoms, and he quietly shook his head and opened his mouth, ¡°I don¡¯t know the cause, but this isn¡¯t a disease; it doesn¡¯t harm your body. In my opinion, this is just nervousness ¡­ Princess, have you been worried in many waystely?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡­yes¡±, Evelyn answered lowly. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of that. When there¡¯s a sudden change, usually, our body reacts first. First of all, I¡¯ll prescribe a tranquilizer for you to take when you sleep and a nutrient supplement to replenish your body¡¯s energy.¡± ¡°Is that enough?¡± Fabian looked at Philip and asked him in a solemn voice. When Philip was still an Imperial doctor, Fabian never wondered about his wound, so he was a little embarrassed to ask this question. ¡°First of all, follow my prescription and take medicine until it runs out. When you¡¯re tired, you should take a stabilizer and sleep more. But after that, you have topensate for it by eating a lot.¡± Evelyn stillined about her dizziness and headaches. In that case, it was better to rest than to eat as she had no appetite. ¡°All right,¡± Fabian answered him instead of Evelyn, even though the prescription was given to her. ¡°Princess, this syrup.¡± Sir Philip handed over the exact amount in a spoon, and Evelyn swallowed it with a slight frown. Philip sighed after she had finished drinking her medicine as if he was done with his job. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go. I can¡¯t go through the secret passage anymore, so I¡¯d better go out of Your Majesty¡¯s bedroom. ¡° Fabian red at Philip as he said so. ¡°¡­¡­ Of course, that passage is for Your Majesty only, but you can make an exception. Please take a look at this old man.¡± Philip tried to use his age as an excuse. The secret passage from the Inner Pce to the Chamber of Secret was very narrow. So, it was embarrassing and hard for Philip, who had fat-belly in his old age. ¡°It¡¯s up to you which way you want to go through. It doesn¡¯t matter for me,¡± said Fabian indifferently. ¡°Huh?¡± asked Philip. ¡°Your Majesty is not going?¡± ¡°No.,¡± he said. Usually, it was time for Fabian to finish his morning dress-up and start his official duties. ¡°No¡­? ¡­then¡­¡­ a council or your job?¡± ¡°The doctor seems to be free these days. Are there any developments in Adrian¡¯s treatment?¡± When Fabian attacked him with a critical question, Philip noticed it right away and decided to shut his mouth. ¡°This old man will go back now.¡± After Fabian nodded, Philip sighed and escaped from the room. However, he was a bit worried about how to slip his fat-belly between the narrow walls of the Inner Pce. ¡°You heard what Sir Philip had said, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes¡­I think it¡¯s because of my nervousness.¡± Evelyn whispered. ¡°Not that part¡­¡­he told you to sleep more.¡± Evelyn nodded, ¡°But, I want to meet Nora and see Adrian first, and after that, I¡¯ll rest.¡± she begged. ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Fabian, however, refused with a firm voice. ¡°Adrian has more than enough energy to get an Emperor worn-out. Far more tiring than doing state work.¡± Evelyn wasn¡¯t willing to refute it. In fact, The great King Arthur, Miriam, Nora, and the rest of the maids raised both hands and feet to handle Adrian¡¯s overflowing energy. ¡°And I already asked Nora to take care of him,¡± said Fabian. Evelyn was delighted to hear that it was Nora, who took care of Adrian. It wasn¡¯t a big problem then, as Sir Philip said, she only needed to sleep for half a day and get up to eat. ¡°But Your Majesty, why you¡­¡­¡± Evelyn was stunned when Fabian took off his outer jacket and hung it on a chair. And her eyes widened when he started unbuttoning the top of his white shirt. ¡°Wh-what are you doing..!¡± she snapped quickly. ¡°Hmm? You have to follow the doctor¡¯s prescription.¡± Fabian, with a nonchnt face, climbed to the bed in a in shirt. But, he didn¡¯t stop there; Evelyn bit her lip in embarrassment when Fabian suddenly hugged her waist from behind. ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­Well, I¡¯m¡­ that, you know, ¡­.I-I need to prepare ¡­er¡­¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s face turned red. It was rather fortunate that Fabian was behind her back, so he couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°Do you need to prepare for a nap, too?¡± Fabian curiously asked her. Blinking, Evelyn closed her eyes and then opened it again. It was a frequent urrence while dealing with Fabian. ¡°That¡¯s not it! Why should I sleep with Your Majesty?! ¡°Evelyn¡¯s face became redder when he grasped this situation. She¡¯d rather die if Fabian knew what she was thinking right now. ¡°Because I said I¡¯d stay with you.¡± However, Fabian didn¡¯t seem to know Evelyn¡¯s suspicious thoughts. Still, she felt very awkward sleeping with him in the same bed. ¡°I¡¯m already fine now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee you¡¯re fully healed.¡± After a moment of silence, Fabian pulled Evelyn andid her in his arms. She couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since shey on his shoulder, but her body got used to finding its ce. As she leaned her head in a slightly recessed ce under his broad shoulder, Evelyn could feel Fabian¡¯s pulse. It made her feel at ease, and she stayed in that position for a while. ¡°Your Majesty¡­..¡± Suddenly, she wanted to call him. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you more syrup if you ask me anything rted to my work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I am not a child,¡± she muttered low. The syrup was very bitter. Fabian must have noticed it immediately from Evelyn¡¯s face when she drank it. ¡°This may be my selfishness, but ¡­¡­¡± Evelyn paused and barely spoke. ¡°I wish Your Majesty wouldn¡¯t go anywhere now ¡­¡­.¡± When she said so, Evelyn¡¯s cheeks were hotter than she expected, and quickly buried her face halfway in Fabian¡¯s chest. Fabian reached out, stroking Evelyn¡¯s hair gently, and said, ¡°Your nightmare was nothing, it¡¯s just something bad.¡± He didn¡¯t mean to say anything bad, but Evelyn¡¯s body hardened. Fabian, who was hugging her, could feel it. ¡°¡­ ¡­ No. Whether it¡¯s a nightmare or reality, I¡¯ll protect you, so there¡¯s no need to be afraid. How bad was your nightmare¡­?¡± He tried to soothe her. ¡°I can¡¯t remember it well. But it¡¯s very¡­¡­I was lonely and afraid.¡± Evelyn already knew what the scene was like. It was the thirty-year-old her who was dying alone and, sadly, neglected by Fabian. In her nightmare, Evelyn wished to die in despair. There was no reason to live, and dying was salvation for her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn¡¯s lips muttered a little. Fabian, who was listening to her, looked puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What? What did I just say?¡± ¡°Surely, you said ¡®I don¡¯t want to¡¯¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ ¡­want to?¡± Evelyn, whose eyes began to close as the sedative took effect, slowly repeated Fabian¡¯s phrase. It seemed that something like this had happened before. Was it also the effect of nightmares? At that time, Evelyn was still alive and well, without losing her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡± Evelyn suddenly raised her upper body and shouted it clearly into the air. In the darkness, whether it¡¯s a nightmare, a fantasy, or a memory, Evelyn said she didn¡¯t want to die. Over and over again. ¡°Evelyn, are you all right?¡± Fabian also got up and looked at Evelyn anxiously. ¡°Just¡­ ¡­ I remember my nightmare¡­ all of a sudden.¡± Evelyn was mildly surrounded by aplicated mind. Fabian, however, couldn¡¯t dispel his fears and took her back in his arms. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible nightmare. I don¡¯t want to imagine you dying.¡± he recited low. It¡¯s peculiar to see him like this. In her previous life, Fabian would abandon her when she was dying and go back to work. ¡°Evelyn, even if this Empire is destroyed, I won¡¯t let you die lonely and in vain.¡± Her body that Fabian touched felt warm, and Evelyn¡¯s head became confused. ¡°Someday¡­ ¡­when I¡¯m as old as Sir Philip, the day before I die, that¡¯s the only day you can die.¡± It was a lovely word. But the mist in her heart didn¡¯t go away. As Evelyn stopped talking, Fabian quietly closed his eyes, leaning his head against her to see if it was a stabilizing effect. [¡®I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯] The words burned hotly like a tattoo that just carved in the flesh. It wasn¡¯t a mere nightmare when Evelyn saw it with that intense vision like a deja vu. There was nothing more incredible about Evelyn, who had died and returned to twenty again. In the past, Evelyn knew herself as a woman waiting to die miserably. All her memories were like that, and sometimes her moment of death that followed was awful. But the desperate voice that she heard today in the darkness was clearly hers. So she could be sure that it was real. She didn¡¯t want to die at all ¡­¡­yes, until thest¡­she didn¡¯t want to die. It was a moment that reminded Evelyn of herself, who had been begging until the end of her life. Then the scene of her death, which she had never doubted before, was totally reversed. The effect of the stabilizer and the confusion in her head got mixed up. When asked which one was true, it was both. Since Evelyn, herself, was the subject of her memory. The memories were very subjective and easy to distort, especially at moments of intense emotion. [¡®My other memories ¡­¡­ are they still intact? ¡®] For the first time, Evelyn had doubts about her death. She thought she remembered everything, but just missing a single word changed the meaning of her death. [¡®Something is missing, ¡­.maybe there¡¯s more?¡¯] Her doubts continued to raise questions. But again, a white mist began to reappear in Evelyn¡¯s head. It¡¯s also hard to tell when it happened. Since when did that dark and mysterious white mist start to cover her memories? Evelyn couldn¡¯t recall it at all. ¡°Hmm.¡± At that time, Fabian, who had soundly fallen asleep, turned back and naturally pulled Evelyn aside. As was his old habit, he put one leg on top of Evelyn, something that hadn¡¯t changed. When the warmth of Fabian¡¯s body touched closer, the fog in her memory seemed to fade away. ¡°Eve¡­..Lynn.¡± He was calling his name in silence. Evelyn wrapped the back of Fabian¡¯s hand with her arms. Same as Adrian¡¯s little hands, now, Fabian¡¯s hands were precious to her as well. ¡°Fabian¡­¡± Evelyn whispered small to herself, so she wouldn¡¯t wake him up. ¡°Maybe, I missed you, too.¡± Now Fabian¡¯s warmness enveloped her was indescribably calm. Everything remained where it was, and there was no change in his breath or body scent. As soon as she confessed her heart, Evelyn put herself in his arms and hugged him tightly. She finally realized how much she missed him all this time. ¡°Like this¡­ deeply.¡± Evelyn just didn¡¯t want to admit that she always missed his embrace.
*** The top floor of the ss-lined tower was filled with sunshine, which made it sting. That ce usually had thick curtains. It was a rather unique building since David and the Pope were the only people who coulde in and out. Mostly, the top floor was so narrow that even one person could barely enter. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± David was sitting alone in the middle of the small room. An unknown pattern was painted on the floor, centering around his chair. There were six thin ss bottles filled with a mysterious colored liquid scattered around it. ¡°It¡¯s getting even moreplicated now.¡± Instead of the seven pieces of ss that had already shattered, thirteen other bottles of ss stood in a circle. One of them explodedst night with a sharp tone. Only But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. David was staring at the ss bottle, which had begun to crack. Clink, clink! Sure enough, the cracked ss bottle exploded with a loud crash. One of the fragments scratched David¡¯s cheek and shed red blood. ¡°Is that woman trying to break her seal of memory?¡± David muttered with cold eyes. As always, he still couldn¡¯t understand why the poor woman named Evelyn tried to break the seal. ¡°Why do humans¡­ ¡­ want to repeat vain things?¡± His violet eyes stayed in the broken ss bottle. Now that half of the totems needed for the spell had been broken, the Evelyn¡¯s seal would soon lose its power. And David had a responsibility to stop the tyrant¡¯s awakening who would break the bnce of this continent. Chapter 104: I’m Your Father Duke of Metis, Sagan, had several days of confusion. The Emperor¡¯s movements were unusual, but the cause was unknown, causing him frustration. Crucially shaking Sagan was the demon¡¯s raid investigation that attacked the Emperor on his way home. ¡°There was someone¡­¡­.¡± Sagan knitted his eyebrows, emitting a long smoke. His spies reported that they found wagon wreckage in the cave. He clearly recalled, Fabian had said that he came back to the ce riding a horse. Moreover, the carriage itself wasn¡¯t the Imperial Family¡¯s. It was already a proof that there was an important person besides Fabian in that incident. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­..? No. I have no choice but to think so.¡± His mind immediately fixed on someone. His guess wasn¡¯t without reason. Recently, indeed, the Emperor visited the Felice Kingdom too often and stubbornly refused to remarry. That¡¯s why Sagan predicted that possibility. The most disturbing information for him now was that there were things in the carriage belonging to children. At first nce, it might belong to Prince Adrian, Princess Evelyn¡¯s little brother. But then, it raised a terrifying question. ¡°That little Prince¡­¡± Sagan nkly stared into the air. Even though Fabian still had lingering feelings for Evelyn, the former Empress, and even if they were in sync again, there was no reason for the Princess¡¯s brother, the little Prince, to get involved in the process. Except for one thing, but it¡¯s a very wild guess. ¡°What¡¯s he ying with?¡± Sagan was Fabian maternal¡¯s uncle, but he couldn¡¯t read what inside his nephew¡¯s mind. ¡°Why did he suddenly call the Senate Elders?¡± For Sagan, who had spent his entire life as an Imperial mastermind, he had never met a tougher opponent than him. Usually, Sagan would immediately interrupt the Senate¡¯s journey. However, Fabian seemed to have read Sagan¡¯s movements and sent his knights to apany the elders. ¡°Duke, it¡¯s me, Gale.¡± Gale, he was Sagan¡¯s henchman¡¯s who had been sent to the Empress Dowager. ¡°Why did youe back already?¡± Gale took a note out and handed it to Sagan. ¡°The Empress, she told me to deliver this. Then you¡¯ll know everything.¡± Sagan received the note, and he shook his hand annoyingly to repel Gale. And soon after he was left alone, he read the note in his hand. It was a short message in just a few lines, but Sagan breathed deeply as if someone had stabbed him in the back. ¡°No. It can¡¯t be¡­¡­.¡± His legs were nervously hovering over the same spot. ¡°So far, I¡¯ve been letting him and giving him a leeway! But I¡¯m not going to give up on thisst!¡± Initially, this wasn¡¯t a Metis n. However, due to Monica¡¯s reckless attitude and Fabian¡¯s strong personality, as an outsider, it was difficult for Sagan to gain an Imperial power. Still, as ast resort, Sagan thought that he had a shot when her daughter became an Empress. But, that stubborn kid, Fabian, chose Evelyn-another Kingdom¡¯s Princess andpletely turned a blind eye to the Metis family. ¡°I¡¯ve had a hard time to get them divorced.¡± Neither the imperial noble nor their wives epted the Empress from foreign countries. Not just among themselves, but they tantly ostracized and despised Evelyn. It was kind of abuse, and Metis was the mastermind and had a significant influence on Evelyn¡¯s suffering in the Imperial family. Fortunately, the Princess grew up knowing only love and innocence until she dered her divorce ording to Sagan¡¯s n. ¡°I thought the problem was solved. But again ¡­ my back was stabbed in the back¡± Sagan clenched his teeth. Fabian was younger than his sons, but he never respected him as his uncle. ¡°Gale! Are you still there?¡± Sagan shouted as he didn¡¯t have time to worry. Gale came in after he heard Sagan¡¯s cry and knelt down. ¡°Convene our whole faction.¡± ¡°You mean all of them?¡± ¡°Yes, all of them. Three dayster, as soon as the dayes, I¡¯ll go to the Imperial court and lodge a formal protest.¡± Most of the nobles in the empire were subject to the Metis family. Among them, there were several factions with the same interests, and they all had great influence. If all of their authority werebined, it could be said their dominion was equivalent to the Imperial family.
And three dayster, as soon as the morning dawned, Sagan and his faction confidently entered the Pce. Even the Pce courtiers chattered about their atmosphere, that was different from the usual. ¡°Duke.¡± He was greeted politely by the Chief of the Pce, who stood at the Congress Hall-huge door. ¡°I know there¡¯s no congress today. But tell His Majesty toe. All of us¡­ ¡­ We have something important to say.¡± Sagan pointed his eyes at his flock with arrogance. But, unexpectedly, the chief grinned at Sagan, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°How dare yo-..¡± But even before Sagan¡¯s anger rose, the huge door opened. ¡°His Majesty is already here.¡± Despite being shaken on the inside, Sagan managed to maintain a calm-arrogant attitude and proudly walked to the open door. There¡¯s no chance Fabian knew his move. In other words, Sagan¡¯s expectations were already deviating from the start. And to make matters worse, the Emperor wasn¡¯t alone in this congress hall. ¡°Finally, the Duke of Metis is here.¡± ¡°I see you, Your Majesty,¡± Sagan struggled to put on a pretentious smile at Fabian¡¯s calm voice. Although there weren¡¯t many of them, the Emperor factions, the anti-Metis nobles were also present there. Not only that, even the five Senate Elders already sat next to Fabian, showing their tremendous pressure. ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t invite you, Duke, but I¡¯m d you¡¯re here.¡± However, Fabian¡¯s tone said otherwise. When Sagan raised his eyes and stared at the emperor, a slight smile emerged around Fabian¡¯s mouth. His ck eyes were looking straight at Sagan. As if it were a Deration of war, no¡­ ¡­ It was a smile, that almost assured of victory.
*** -shback- A few days after Evelyn fainted, Fabian stayed with her in the secret chamber. It happened to be a time when there was no congress, and all his trivial jobs were postponed. And, in those days, he found a way to overtake Sagan. ¡°I hate to say this, but¡­.soon my opponent will notice it.¡± This was the first time since he had been living with Evelyn that Fabian brought up such a heavy topic of conversation. Evelyn was already well aware of the news about bringing a new Empress into the Pce. And about Duke Metis who was rushing to marry Fabian back with his daughter. Also, after the Duke decided to investigate the irregrity, he was able to immediately guess the whereabouts of the two ¡®outsider¡¯ in the Pce. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Evelyn had already shown that she was more determined than anyone else. ¡°To save my child¡­¡­ I¡¯ve decided to do anything.¡± She looked at Adrian, sleeping in her arms with loving eyes. ¡°Just for that child?¡± Fabian murmured, looking a bit sullen. Evelyn showed a warm smile as she watched Fabian muttered a little sadly. He got along and yed well with Adrian, enough to match Arthur¡¯s level. But sometimes he¡¯s got jealous like this. ¡°For us too.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice rang out clearly. Only then did Fabian smile and gently wrap Evelyn¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡­ Now I¡¯ve decided not to back off.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± The same was true with Evelyn, Fabian¡¯s determination wasn¡¯t shaken either. ¡°For us, I¡¯m not going to take a step back¡­ Yes, for you and our child and¡­¡­for me.¡± Their second reunion was also the birth of a family. It was an amazing thing yet strange that the gap between them after several years disappeared so easily, and was quickly reced by the warmth that emerged between the three. Fabian loved Adrian so much even though he never saw his birth. And the two men side by side also fell in love with Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯ve already called the Senate. It will be a boring and dirty fight.¡± Fabian sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Evelyn hade a long way to reach this happiness. She had already endured the suffering that was more unbearable than death, so she didn¡¯t want to be a coward who fled and ran away. ¡°Yes. Nothing can separate us now.¡± When Evelyn nodded, Fabiannded a light kiss on her forehead. Then, Evelyn¡¯s face flushed red and avoided his gaze in embarrassment. Somehow, she felt like a newlywed couple again. ¡°Uhmmm¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Adrian woke up in Evelyn¡¯s arms, and his cry shook the two who were blushing at each other. ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Fabian startled a little sadly. Although he was a bit wistful about the sudden interruption, he couldn¡¯t stop Adrian, who had opened his eyes. ¡°Jimoo?¡± Adrian punched him with his cotton-bat like-chubby fist. This might be the child¡¯s way of showing affection, but other people who saw it, they would think he was hitting Fabian without fail. ¡°Adrian! I told you not to do that.¡± scolded Evelyn. ¡°Uh¡­¡­Evelyn, shut up!¡± Adrian screamed back at her. As his vocabry increases, he became harder to deal with and didn¡¯t want to be obedient. ¡°I didn¡¯t scold you, but you need to know the etiquette¡­¡± ¡°Evelyn! Shut up!¡± Fabian quickly snatched Adrian, who was starting to cry out and hugged him. Adrian was struggling to get loose at first, but he got stuck in Fabian¡¯s big arms and became quiet as he was held by his father. ¡°Adrian, even if it¡¯s you, I won¡¯t forgive you if you talk-back to Evelyn.¡± ¡°Jimoo! Evelyn is Adrian¡¯s sister, she¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°She¡¯s mine, first.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t want to lose. Evelyn was almost giving up between the two men who argued each other. Adrian then pped Fabian¡¯ on the shoulder in anger, but he pouted his small lips when he couldn¡¯t give Fabian any blow. ¡°And from now on¡­¡­don¡¯t call her Evelyn.¡± ¡°Jimoo! Don¡¯t tell Adrian what to do!¡± Fabian was stunned to hear the words that came out from that 2-year-old-child mouth. Adrian had just banned the Emperor to tell him what to do. Fabian now wondered, where did his son learn to say such a word? Meanwhile, Evelyn¡¯s face reddened. ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s too bad. I was going to give you a ck hawk if you listened to me well.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes widened soon at the ¡®ck-hawk¡¯ words. His eyes shook as if there was an earthquake in his little pupil. ¡°Ji, Jimoo¡­ I¡¯ll do it.¡± Fabian tried hard to put on a solemn look while pressed down hisughter. ¡°Adrian, now Evelyn¡­¡­.¡± He nced slightly, asking Evelyn for the permission with his friendly ck eyes. Evelyn hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded. ¡°You have to call her, mother.¡± Adrian tilted his small head as if he was confused, ¡°My mother isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Evelyn is actually your mother.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes shook again. Then he looked at Evelyn for help as he didn¡¯t understand what Fabian had said. ¡°Listen, Adrian. Until now, Evelyn kept it a secret because she wanted to know if you were fit to be a ck hawk or not. Now that you¡¯re qualified, I will especially teach you.¡± ¡°Oh..oh¡­¡­ teach Adrian!¡± Evelyn looked amazed. She didn¡¯t know Fabian had a talent for dealing with children. ¡°Actually, Evelyn is your mother. She pretended to be your sister all this time just to test you.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡­what kind of mother?¡± ¡°It means she¡¯s the one who gave birth to you, and I¡¯m not Jimoo, either.¡± Adrian looked back in surprise again and turned his head down. Evelyn was worried because he was shocked by so many things during this day. Still, this time Evelyn decided to leave the child to Fabian. ¡°¡­..I¡¯m your father.¡± ¡°Not Jimoo?¡± asked Adrian, clueless. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Father is much better than Jimoo. It means that the three of us will live together forever.¡± It was still a little difficult for a child to grasp the meaning, but thest words were clearly conveyed. So, Adrian stomped excitedly,ughing like he wasn¡¯t worried anymore. ¡°Then, Adrian loves it!¡± Only then Evelyn, who had a restless heart, couldugh as she sobbed. It was a problem that she had been worried about for a long time. But it seemed to have been solved so easy because of Fabian and Adrian who are pure in heart. However, she felt a little sorry to imagine Arthur¡¯s heartbreak. It was rather fortunate that Arthur didn¡¯t see this scene. ¡°Evelyn. May I have the Senate Elders to prove the child¡¯s birth?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡­..The Silent Stone.?¡± questioned Evelyn. ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn nodded without hesitation. It was the same proposal, but the situation waspletely different from the beginning. The Senate first had to be a witness to Adrian¡¯s birth. Only ¡°Adrian. From now on, will you live together with me to learn how to be a man who fits a ck hawk?¡± ¡°I like it!¡± shouted Adrian happily. Evelyn could only smile, looking at her two precious men who looked so alike. ¡°Let¡¯s go together then!¡± The sight of her beloved man holding her precious child was more beautiful than any painting in this world. ¡°Let¡¯s go..go!¡± After turning a long way around, the three finally became one again. Chapter 105: Their Pl Fabian recalled memories of the past and looked at Sagan fiercely. For the first time, throughout his life, he intended to use his power to protect his precious things, not for his Emperor¡¯s seat. And as Evelyn said, he won¡¯t take a single step back. ¡°Apparently ¡­ Everyone has gathered except us.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t this a good thing, Duke of Metis also came here at the right time?¡± Sagan squinted his eyes, giving him a protest look, but Fabian ignored him lightly and sat down on the throne. The nobles who followed Sagan were more concerned about the presence of the Senate next to him than the Emperor itself. Anxiety and curiosity crossed over in their mind, about what kind of bomb-statement the Senate would judge. ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to put on tense expressions like that. What I will convey today is good news for this Empire. ¡° Suddenly, Sagan¡¯s face hardened by Fabian¡¯s announcement. ¡°Especially, those of you who have always been worried about my session will be pleased.¡± Sagan breathed deeply. In the end, his worst prediction seemed would be happened. ¡°The child, known as Prince Adrian of the Felice Kingdom is my son.¡± The Congress hall fell silent at once, and the nobles of Duke Metis¡¯ faction immediately turned their attention to Sagan. ¡°To be precise, my son and the only legitimate heir of this imperial family was born to Evelyn Felice, my Empress,¡± Fabian eximed confidently. The Senate Elders sitting behind him also nodded, as though they had already confirmed it. But not for Sagan, as it meant that things were going to the worst for him. He couldn¡¯t stand such a statement and quickly stepped up. ¡°Your Majesty! This is not a matter that can be settled by a hasty decision,¡± he shouted in frustration. Fabian watched Sagan coldly through his ck eyes, as he had already known this would happen, and said, ¡°He¡¯s my son, I¡¯ve epted him. Besides, the senate elders here have also confirmed it. So, is there anything else that needs to be discussed?¡± The Imperial family had a method of proofing blood ties from generation to generation. It was an open secret, but the Elders had to certify it personally using an ancient-relic, and Fabian had done both. In other words, no one could deny that Adrian was Fabian¡¯s biological child. ¡°¡­¡­Legally, yes, he is,¡± Sagan said. Fabian frowned at his remarks. It was an expected refutation, still, when that words pierced his ears, it¡¯s very unpleasant to hear. ¡°He¡¯s literally the Prince of Felice Kingdom. The illegitimate child of the current King.¡± The offensive terms grew more and more. Coupled with Duke Metis¡¯ nobles, who started to add fuel one by one. ¡°The prince is an ¡®outsider¡¯. That¡¯s definitely a problem.¡± ¡°Yes, and¡­¡­He¡¯s not the Empress¡¯s child.¡± Huh, Fabian spat out an unbearableugh, ¡°Now, have you not heard that the Elders and I have recognized Adrian as my biological son?¡± His fiery voice revealed all his hostility. But the opposition didn¡¯t want to back down easily. The nobles knew, if they obeyed Fabian¡¯s decision, their faction would lose the posts of sessor and Empress. If that happened, then it would be hard to interrupt this stubborn Emperor again. They felt that even though they were silent, they would still lose their positions, so it would be better to try something. ¡°Your Majesty. I beg your pardon ¡­. but it is true, if that child is legalized as Emperors¡¯ son and the heir of the Empire, it will vite the qualificationsw.¡± It was a fact that Fabian must have known it from the beginning. Then Sagan continued to speak in the limelight of nobles¡¯ attention, ¡°ording to thews, the heir of the Imperial family must be born here, in this Empire, and from a legitimate Empress. And only then he can be verified by the Elders.¡± ¡°So, didn¡¯t I and the Elders already verify it?¡± Fabian irritatedly pressed his intonation, but Sagan didn¡¯t go easy on him. ¡°I don¡¯t deny that. The Elders have indeed guaranteed that he is Your majesty¡¯s son. However, two conditions must be fulfilled first to be an Imperial sessor.¡± Sagan¡¯s war of words to restrain the Emperor¡¯s tail had begun. ¡°Currently Prince Adrian is the Prince of Felice Kingdom¡­¡­And in truth, he wasn¡¯t born to the ¡®Empress¡¯¡­..Since she didn¡¯t give birth in the Imperial family when she was the Empress.¡± It was an inevitable fact. At the same time, it was also a good excuse for Sagan to stick around with his opinion. ¡°Forgive me Your Majesty, but in this case ¡­¡­¡­ no child out of wedlock or illegitimate can be a sessor.¡± Fabian rose from the throne, his dark eyes were filled with icy fury as he watched how Sagan dared to cross the line and risk his political life, ¡°How dare you call my son illegitimate?!¡± He came down from the podium and stood in front of Sagan. ¡°Who do you think you are? Whatever it is, he¡¯s stronger and nobler than you, so you should keep a guard on your tongue.¡± Seeing Fabian¡¯s intimidating figure and his ferocious spirit as if he was ready to pull the sword to cut his head right away, Sagan shut his mouth for a while. ¡°Never again insult my son with such disrespectful words.¡± Afterwards, Fabian, who sighed angrily, returned to the throne and sat in a pressing-posture. On the other side, the Elders didn¡¯t say a single word. Still, their eyes and expressions indicated that they also agreed with the Emperor¡¯s opinion. Besides, they had already recognized Adrian as the Emperor¡¯s sessor and his biological son, so there was no reason to oppose it. ¡°And one more thing, I won¡¯t leave the Empress¡¯s seat empty anymore.¡± Fabian¡¯s lip twisted slightly. ¡°I¡¯m going to remarry Evelyn Felice, the Empress who gave birth to my child. So, it won¡¯t be a problem anymore, right?¡± Those words burned the hearts of many people at that moment. ¡°Your Majesty, It¡¯s impossible!¡± Sagan shouted. ¡°Why? You¡¯d better think carefully this time before you speak, Duke.¡± Fabian threatened him back. ¡°It¡¯s not my opinion, Your Majesty, but it¡¯s legally impossible.¡± Fabian stared down at Sagan with a bored face. ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s divorce was organized by the Vatican. Also, all holy marriages on this continent can only be officially recognized with the Vatican¡¯s blessing.¡± ¡°So?¡± Surprisingly, Fabian didn¡¯t feel agitated. Precisely, his calm attitude fueled Sagan¡¯s anxiety. ¡°If you want to do what you wish, first of all, Your Majesty must retrieve the marriage certificate that was destroyed by the Vatican and annul the divorce.¡± Every time Sagan said a word, Fabian red at him, who was always against his will. His reaction didn¡¯t go beyond Fabian¡¯s expectations either. ¡°Ah, unlike me, the Duke has a good rtionship with the Vatican. Then, are you trying to set up a mediation?¡± Sagan frowned his eyebrows. Could it be? ¡°Well, thank you for your advice, but you don¡¯t have to,¡± said Fabian calmly. Sagan lowered his brows. Even if Evelyn gave birth to Adrian, even though that child was Fabian¡¯s son, it couldn¡¯t be denied that he was born after they had divorced. The Vatican wouldn¡¯t recognize an illegitimate child as the heir of the Imperial family. And, such a child also couldn¡¯t be an excuse to annul their divorce. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. But fortunately, I have someone to tell you instead.¡± Fabian¡¯s words werepletely unexpected. But after the Pce chief¡¯s shouting was heard. Sagan realized that it wasn¡¯t mere nonsense. ¡°The Duke of Akshire ising!¡± Shame appeared on Sagan¡¯s face as a name he would never have thought of echoed in the congress hall. In the first ce, he was curious as to why Akshire was interfering in the current session issue of the Imperial family. But before Sagan could even organize his mind, Liam, confidently walking across the middle of the hall, his sturdy figure wearing the uniform and his waist-high sword that amazed everyone. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty¡­¡± Liam gave an emotionless example, and Fabian took his greeting with light gestures. ¡°Duke Akshire is a close ally of the Felice Kingdom who has witnessed the life of Evelyn Felice and Adrian. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes shone transparently. He just seemed like a huge, solid man, like a statue in the square. But no one in the hall noticed that his eyes were swollen. Who would have imagined that he shed tears every night, agonized all the way from his estate to the Empire? ¡°In this congress hall, it seems everyone has doubts that Adrian is my sessor. What do you think?¡± Fabian asked him. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Liam cut it off. The reply was short yet sharp. His face was hardened, as he didn¡¯t want Fabian getting close to Evelyn even if he died. But before that, Liam was a good-hearted young man. So he chose to preserve Evelyn¡¯s honour, whom he admired and cherished, rather than his personal jealousy. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Unlike the usual Liam who only said a few words, this time he stepped forward and continued to add arguments. It was a bonus to shoot the nobles, especially Sagan¡¯s faction. ¡°It¡¯s a true fact that the child currently known as Prince Adrian is Your Majesty¡¯s son.¡± Liam never dreamed that he would y this role. Even in his dream, there was no way he would help that detestable Fabian. ¡°Also, I¡¯m sorry to mention¡­¡­.¡± Fabian gave Liam permission with a generous expression ording to their y-script. ¡°It¡¯s true that I was the one who helped the divorce between them.¡± All may have overlooked the truth. Because what was famous among them was that the Empress got divorced because she was kicked out of the Pce by the Emperor, who was angry with her. But the details of the story were actually unknown to many people. Evelyn initially thought the divorce wouldn¡¯t be easy. So, from the Felice Kingdom, she was helped by Duke of Akshire, who had a close rtionship with the Vatican. ¡°I informed the Pope about it, so he processed the divorce.¡± In other words, there was no more room for the nobles to protest since Liam was also the third-party who involved in their divorce. ¡°So, I came here¡­ ¡­to testify the truth.¡± Liam still spoke silently. His heart was pounding with pain, but there was nothing he couldn¡¯t do if it was for Evelyn. It was Liam, who was always there for Evelyn from the beginning whenever she needed his support. The same thing also happened this time. Even though he had to step on his own heart, Liam came all the way to the Empire because he wanted to protect Evelyn¡¯s honour and happiness. Even for that, he couldn¡¯t hold back his tears flowing every night. ¡°Their divorce was a formal pretence. I¡¯m the witness.¡± ¡°What ¡­¡­¡­. is Duke Akshire talking nonsense now?¡± Liam wasn¡¯t shaken despite Sagan¡¯s resistance. Now wasn¡¯t the time for him to feel the pinch of others. It¡¯s his Love. He was sending his first love to another man with his own hands, so what¡¯s more to be afraid of? ¡°At that time, the Empress, who was pregnant, noticed that there were several people who were eyeing the sessor of the Imperial family. So she returned to the Felice Kingdom, deceiving the world¡¯s eyes for the sake of the Emperor¡¯ son, and raising the child safely.¡± There would never be another day in Liam¡¯s life to tell a lie greater than this. ¡°I came to help her in the process.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡± Fabian added it shamelessly without blinking a single eye. ¡°But didn¡¯t the Vatican legalize their divorce ?!¡± roared Sagan. ¡°Yeah, I was guilty of lying to the Pope for the safety of the sessor at the time,¡± Liam answered indifferently. The man who didn¡¯t care anymore about his own life was strong indeed. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t their divorce still legally established?¡± said another nobleman. ¡°Yes.¡± Sagan grinned, but Fabian¡¯s eyes looked so serene as if there was no fear inside. Only ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s possible for them to remarry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I meant. I wanted to tell you that the Pope has cancelled their divorce and returned the marriage certificate. But¡­¡­.¡± Liam raised his eyes and looked at Fabian. By a nce, he wanted to say that his role was over. Fabian nodded and stood up from the throne with a rxed smile. ¡°The marriage certificate is right here.¡± Then, he took the scroll out of his arms. It was the Emperor¡¯s marriage record that couldn¡¯t be forged. ¡°The Elders has confirmed it, and you may verify the authenticity if you want, Duke.¡± ¡°But how¡­¡± Sagan knew at a nce that the thing was real. In the first ce, there was no reason for Fabian to be disadvantaged by making a flimsy lie. ¡°How? What do you mean, isn¡¯t it just normal for me to have this?¡± Fabian looked down on Sagan as if his uncle asked something trivial. ¡°It was sent to me in the first ce, so it¡¯s not my responsibility to give it back.¡± Even before all these stories had started, Fabian¡¯s first instilled tactics eventually paid off. Chapter 106: Imperial’s Successors Fabian smiled at ease as the nobles shut their mouths in shame. ¡°Why do you think I issued the edict and approved the divorce right away?¡± Indeed, at that time, Fabian didn¡¯t know what was going to happen in the future. But it was clear that he never considered it as an evesting goodbye. To be precise, in his heart, Fabian denied Evelyn¡¯s farewell. However, as it was his own defence, he couldn¡¯t make it obvious to other people. ¡°Our marriage wasn¡¯t easy because the nobles were so opposed to it. That¡¯s why I love my wife so much. Do you believe that I released an edict overnight and kicked her out of the Pce?¡± It couldn¡¯t be denied that he was upset with Evelyn as she brought the Vatican in their breakup. But Fabian had ulterior motives when he signed the divorce-edict. Evelyn, whom he knew, wasn¡¯t a woman who would say goodbye in vain. Her mind wouldn¡¯t change easily, and momentary thoughts about separation would disappear in an instant as long as the Vatican didn¡¯t intervene. Still, Fabian couldn¡¯t admit to breaking up with Evelyn forever. ¡°Your memory doesn¡¯t seem to be intact, Duke, so I¡¯ll exin it to you personally.¡± Those painful days in Fabian¡¯s life were indelible. ¡°The Empress told me to divorce her. And I issued an edict just four dayster as soon as it dawned, depriving all the Empress¡¯ rights and retrieving everything I had given her. That¡¯s how the Empress went back to the Felice Kingdom.¡± Everyone in the room looked puzzled and seemed to wonder, ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± What¡¯s important for them was that the Emperor had divorced. They didn¡¯t care about the former Empress at all. The reason behind It was none of their business. ¡°You still don¡¯t get what I mean?¡± Fabian raised the marriage record in his hand, looking at them. ¡°Our divorce happened before the Vatican intervention.¡± The nobleplexion suddenly turned dark. Fabian believed, Evelyn woulde back to him one day. He couldn¡¯t predict the future with precision at that time, but at least he didn¡¯t give up. So, to promise a future, he had to issue an edict before it was toote. That moment was still precise in Fabian¡¯s memory because it was a moment full of hesitation for him. ¡°Well, but¡­ Duke Akshire went to the Vatican¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I said that I helped their divorce, but I never said it was the Pope who executed it,¡± Liam said bluntly because it was true. Even though the Pope intervened, Fabian had already ended their marriage rtionship with an edict first, and the divorce happened immediately without any intervention. That¡¯s why Evelyn was able to return to the Felice Kingdom before she even knew she was pregnant. It was thanks to the edict, their divorce proceedings ended peacefully and quickly without any chance for the Pope to intervene. So in short, their divorce was never legalized by the Vatican. ¡°At that time and even now, I had no intention of divorcing Evelyn Felice. . This marriage record is the evidence. From everything, I gave to the Empress¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t it the marriage certificate thates first among them?¡± When Evelyn became the Empress, the marriage record between the countries officially took effect. The moment the Vatican dered her Holy marriage, Evelyn was the first woman of the Felice Kingdom who became the Empress. ¡°It was too bad this has caused quite a stir.¡± Fabian was going to nail them. ¡°But the only thing that matters now is the good news that my Empress ising back and I have a sessor.¡± His corner lips rose softy. ¡°Of course, the loyal ones will bless me with this good news, right?¡± They were all trapped on the chessboard highly designed by Fabian. From the start, Duke Metis had no chance of winning. The victory wasn¡¯t only due to Fabian¡¯s right tactics. It was his quick decision to ept Evelyn¡¯s divorce right away and keep the marriage records in his hands. ¡°Well, yes! It is the joy of the Empire and the Imperial family!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an Imperial honour that Empress¡¯ Pce has found her master again, together with Imperial¡¯s sessor!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The praise echoed through the congress hall as if they had been waiting in waves against Duke Metis. Fabian nodded with a delighted expression. But her ck eyes continued to stare at Sagan, giving a warning that his uncle would see blood if he said more nonsense here. ¡°Is Duke Metis unwilling to bless me? I am sad¡±, asked Fabian sarcastically. ¡°Is not like that, Your Majesty, I¡¯m just worried about¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Dear Duke Metis, of course, you are worried about my remarriage.¡± Fabian gave a shot in advance. As each other¡¯s cards had already been revealed, this session battle was already meaningless. ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s a circumstance, only with the blessing of the Vatican¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I will ask them for it myself.¡± It was surprising that Fabian, who despised the Pope said such a thing. Sagan was still unaware of Fabian¡¯s sincerity. But now, Fabian was willing to kiss the Pope¡¯s feet to protect Evelyn and Adrian. ¡°Do the Elders recognize Adrian, who was born from Evelyn Felice as my legal child?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ On behalf of the Senate, yes, he is.¡± The oldest Senate got up from his seat and said calmly. ¡°Even though we¡¯re divorced on paper, we didn¡¯t intend to cut off our rtionship, so Adrian is not an out-of-marriage or illegitimate child. Can this be proved by the Duke of Akshire?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the witness.¡± Now, the conclusions Fabian wanted to get were clearly visible. From the start, Fabian didn¡¯t think he could handle the Empress and sessor issues at once. Vice versa, Sagan wanted to block both at once. So, since the beginning, the match had already been decided from there. ¡°Then, in conclusion, Adrian is my biological son and the legitimate child of my only wife. Therefore, I recognize Adrian as the official sessor to the Imperial family.¡± Fabian dered. Satisfaction appeared on his face, who finally managed to block all of Sagan¡¯s scheme at once. ¡°Also, I will let Evelyn Felice stays in the Imperial Pce in her capacity as the Crown Prince¡¯s mother until our marriage is dered again.¡± Finally, the Crown Prince¡¯s words came out of Fabian¡¯s mouth. Actually, it was natural for Emperors to have sessors. But not in Empire¡¯s history, the Emperor explicitly enthroned the Prince¡¯s position as Crown Prince at such a young age. But no one was brave enough to oppose such a trifle at a time like this. ¡°Well, I¡¯m busy now, so bye.¡± When Fabian disappeared with a leisurely grace, Liam, who didn¡¯t want to talk with the rest of the nobles, turned away. ¡°Oh, my God. A Crown Prince outside of marriage! Is this the end of the world?¡± Sagan sighed. However, no one dared to respond to his words, but some agreed. Even though Adrian was Fabian¡¯s son, ording to the Empirew, he couldn¡¯t be appointed as Crown Prince and rise to the throne. Even if Fabian was an Emperor, it was difficult for him topletely ignore the will of influential nobles. A whirlpool began to flow silently in today¡¯s unofficial congress, which wouldn¡¯t be recorded in history.
*** The reunion of Evelyn and Reba was a warm moment, full of tears andughter. As soon as the two saw each other, they hardened for a while, and soon Reba ran to Evelyn first and gave her a fierce hug. Then they looked at each other¡¯s faces silently for a long time, held each other¡¯s hands, and then smiled while facing each other for a while. ¡°Princess¡­¡± Reba was already crying from the very first word. ¡°How, how ¡­¡­ do you know how much I worried about you?¡± Reba wiped the water droplet in her eyes. Tears in her eyes were already full. ¡°Really ¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m afraid something bad happened to you and the little Prince ¡­..¡± Reba¡¯s voice trembled as if to show her hardship after Evelyn left the Kingdom. Evelyn also shed tears for nothing, so she held Reba¡¯s hand tighter. ¡°Princess you¡¯re so bad! Look at my face. I¡¯ve been worried about you. I¡­ If I can¡¯t get married again, you have to take responsibility.¡± Listening to her whimper, Evelyn was at a loss what kind of expression she should have. ¡°Because of you¡­¡­ His Majesty the King¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why is my father?¡± asked Evelyn in a hurry. ¡°Hmmm¡­ A well-built King who has a delicate physical appearance ¡­¡­ with a prosperous waist like that generous personality ¡­ that noble and rich man ¡­. .. has be slim like Liam! ¡° Reba¡¯s parable was a bit exaggerated. However, it was true that King Arthur had shrunk to his average weight due to worrying about his daughter and grandson. ¡°That ¡­¡­ his appearance will return to normal soon, so don¡¯t worry¡±, said Evelyn. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I can assure you of that.¡± Reba nodded, not at Evelyn¡¯s constion. Then she looked at Evelyn for a long time, ¡°Princess¡­.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Reba bit her lips for a moment, but soon opened them up straightforwardly and boldly, ¡°Are you happy now?¡± It was a straightforward question, same like her personality. Yet, it was also a difficult question to answer. Evelyn¡¯s choice now was a tough road to undo. And in the end, that included the life in the Pce and the Imperial family that Evelyn and Reba hated so much. ¡°I¡¯ll do it¡­¡­To be happy¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes stare straight at Reba. Inside, she could see a firm determination and clear will that couldn¡¯t be shaken. More than any answer, Reba was persuaded by her look. ¡°It¡¯s not just wishful thinking. This time I know I have to find and protect myself.¡± Evelyn had a face that Reba had never seen before. At a nce, Reba even though she looked like Fabian. With that determination, she realized that she couldn¡¯t stop her best friend any more. ¡°¡­¡­ yes, anything. I will support whatever you have chosen.¡± Reba hugged Evelyn again. She was worried about Liam¡¯s broken heart, but Reba was sure he would forget about it quickly and somehow move on. Reba¡¯s real purpose came all the way here was to affirm Evelyn¡¯s will. If the current situation wasn¡¯t at her wish, but due to Emperor¡¯s coercion or other factors, the Felice Kingdom had vowed to wage war against the Empire. Because it was difficult to believe all of the Emperor¡¯s words, so Reba volunteered to y the part. ¡°I am indebted to you, Reba and Sir Liam¡±, Evelyn added, feeling sorry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that little boy, he¡¯s a man, and we are friends. So it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Her feelings before and after were so different. Only then did Evelyn realize that she had met Reba. ¡°Now, look at my mind ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s sit down first. Nora, give me the tea. There are so many things I want to say. ¡° ¡°Me too. Even if we stay up all night, it seems not enough. How is Prince Adrian? ording to the contents of your letter¡­ The treatment¡­¡± Reba¡¯s face darkened a little. ¡°He¡¯s fine as long as he¡¯s by His Majesty¡¯s side. Even the famous Imperial doctor said that in three years, Adrian will fully recover. ¡° ¡°Oh, God, I¡¯m so d.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know how much¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, Evelyn thought about it again. ¡°I can¡¯t exin how lucky he is.¡± Adrian was attacked by ferocious demons. Their terrifying tooth marks were all over his tiny body, and the demon¡¯s poison that was constantly tormenting him still hadn¡¯t disappeared. Even so, Sir Philip¡¯s diagnosis that he could be cured and Adrian¡¯s condition improved with constant care was enough to make Evelyn relieved. ¡°Of course, he is. How worried everyone was.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they did¡­..Because My father doesn¡¯t believe in all the secret things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The atmosphere was so bad that no one could say anything. Oh, I came here thanks to our stupid Liam talking.¡± Rebaughed so brightly. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s not do this and sit down. We¡¯ll stand up like this and stay up all night.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, I¡¯m so¡­¡­.¡± At that moment, Reba tapped her knee as if something hade to her mind. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Evelyn looked curious. Only Reba smiled broadly, ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± ¡°What, take your time.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nothing else¡­¡­But I need to borrow a hawk.¡± ¡°Hawk? a bird? Why?¡± Evelyn asked again in wonder. ¡°Oh, we have to contact your father so that he can stop preparing for war.¡± Reba¡¯s smile was still fresh. Evelyn just grinned and nodded a couple of times. That¡¯s right, the impatient Arthur wouldn¡¯t have stayed still. But the scariest thing was Reba who still could smile brightly even though she had almost identally forgotten that important news. Chapter 107: Liam’s Plan In this period, there were asions when the ck hawk became a messenger of peace. After hearing the situation from Reba, Evelyn quickly wrote a letter in her own handwriting, tying it to the fastest hawk she borrowed from Fabian and sent it to the Felice Kingdom. ¡°So, I said it was ridiculous! No, is that what a thoughtful person would say? Oh, I¡¯m dumbfounded.¡± Reba was spilling out her stories that she had been stacked up so far. ¡°That¡­ ¡­ Yes. Rather, I want to say thank you to Sir Liam.¡± ¡°What? Why him?¡± ¡°no¡­ ¡­ As Duke of Akshire, it¡¯s not easy to be a witness to this sensitive matter. At that time, he also came forward to protect Adrian, but this time¡­¡­I made him lie about my divorce.¡± Evelyn felt guilty every time she thought of Liam. Her heart was heavy because Liam, the great Duke of the Kingdom, had been forced to testify lies several times for her private life. In Evelyn¡¯s memory, Liam was always a pure and reliable person¡­.No, he¡¯s like a best friend in a perfect sense. ¡°Oh, Princess, really, Don¡¯t mind it. You don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± ¡°Well, Reba, you said that because you¡¯re his sister, but¡­¡­ Sir Liam is a decent Duke.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s my younger brother,¡± Reba responded confidently, and it seemed like the right word for this moment. ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t do that to him.¡± ¡°Just leave him. Anyway, it¡¯s not a sin for Liam to lie one or two more times.¡± ¡°But sir Liam¡­¡­ he¡¯s famous for his honest heart.¡± ¡°Psstt¡­.. ¡°Reba chuckled loudly, ¡°Oh, Princess, you¡¯re so naive. ¡®Honest heart¡¯? That¡¯s a lie, too.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was stained with curiosity as Reba giggled as though she was having fun. ¡°Princess, Liam ¡­.. he¡¯s been lying to me often since he was five. Do you know how many times he lied to me, saying that he wouldn¡¯t tell my father about my wrongdoing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because of his personality that he can¡¯t lie to his father?¡± ¡°Can he do it for me too? Obviously, I told him not to tell. And Liam agreed!¡± There was no basis, but Evelyn was convinced it was just Reba¡¯s one-sided scolding. And she felt morepassionate and sorry for Liam. Just this time, Evelyn wondered how much criticism and abuse he faced during his long trip to Reba? ¡°Princess.¡± Nora came up and whispered softly to Evelyn. ¡°With His Majesty¡¯s special permission, Sir Liam will stop by.¡± ¡°Really? Let him in right now. ¡°Evelyn looked happy, but Reba sighed deeply, ¡°Huh¡­¡­that kid¡­¡­.¡± Reba wasn¡¯t doing a useless grumble. She thought that It was time for Liam to give up Evelyn. If he met her for no reason and confused his own mind, it would be more humiliating for Liam. That was the main reason why Reba didn¡¯t want Liam to meet Evelyn. ¡°Princess.¡± After a while, Nora came in first, and Liam followed behind her. As soon as he saw Evelyn, Liam opened his eyes round, staring at her as if he had lost his mind for a moment. Evelyn, who noticed that Liam¡¯s eyes were quite red, had more sympathy for him. She pitied him, imagining how much he was bullied by Reba on the way here. ¡°Sir Liam,¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, and thank you. Thank you foring all the way here, really.¡± Like most insensitive people, Evelyn was one of those who weren¡¯t aware of Liam¡¯s feelings. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know Liam¡¯s heart at all, but it was because Evelyn thought she was just his first love that would pass. Knowing everything between the two, Reba crossed her arms, observing his younger brother. From his look, it was obvious that he would drag his feet in vain again tonight. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do¡­¡­anything if I could help the Princess.¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes were rusty. Reba¡¯s eyes turned sour, and she could no longer smile at her brother. ¡°Liam¡¯s right. Akshire is a friend who shares fate with the Princess. There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t do!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true that it¡¯s hard since you¡¯re a Duke. I owe you a big debt.¡± Evelyn whispered in reply. ¡°There¡¯s no debt between friends. Right, Liam?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes. If you think that way, I¡¯ll be upset.¡± Liam tried tofort Evelyn by saying a pretty positive thing. The bitter pain of first love seemed to have made a man mature. ¡°Still, how should I repay you?¡± When Evelyn had a slight smile on her lips, Liam¡¯s stinging pain deepened, ¡°Just¡­ ¡­please remember our friendship.¡± Friendship¡­..With those words, Liam ended his heartbreaking first love. ¡°I will be happy with that alone.¡± This was also the only confession given to her. Evelyn nodded in excitement and grabbed Liam¡¯s hand, tenderly, ¡°I¡¯ll never forget. All my life, no¡­¡­ I¡¯ll remember this friendship even if I die.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ ¡­ that¡¯ll do.¡± Liam¡¯s first love had ended just like this. Sadly, it was only Akshire¡¯s brother-sister who grasped this heartbreaking moment. And Evelyn, who didn¡¯t know Liam¡¯s sincere heart, was so slow-witted, so she made Liam¡¯s feelings even more pitiful. But his sister, Reba, thought it was rather fortunate, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve met, that¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it?¡± she immediately mingled between the two. If Liam¡¯s first love couldn¡¯te true, it was wise to give up quickly. ¡°Liam, go ahead. There must be a lot you must to do.¡± ¡°Why are you kicking him out so quickly? Sir Liam has just arrived at the Empire.¡± ¡°Well, he has a lot of things to do,¡± Reba said firmly. ¡°Princess, my brother, and I are not here just to help you today.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, then soon she nodded calmly, ¡°Sorry, I had a short thought again.¡± Then, she looked at Liam again. ¡°Sir Liam, I need you to help me.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± Liam had to ept the fact that there was no hesitation in Evelyn¡¯s words now. ¡°Yes, I need an ally. Just like you guys.¡± Only then did Evelynpletely understand Fabian¡¯s purpose to bring Akshire¡¯s siblings. He wanted to give Evelyn a chance to fight as well. Not only a change, but he also gave a sword and shield to Evelyn, who was empty-handed. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to leave this ce right now.¡± First of all, Evelyn had to know how to distinguish between the urgent and the important things. ¡°Everyone, listen to me.¡± This time, Reba looked at her in silence. Liam followed his sister and also locked his eyes at Evelyn. ¡°This is an Imperial Pce. Everything is different, and everyone is different. Maybe no one¡­¡­who want me to be the Empress again and Adrian to be the Crown Prince.¡± Evelyn said precisely in the face of the harsh truth. ¡°It¡¯s not just that. I have enemies who try to attack with fierce hostility.¡± ¡°Duke Metis, right? And also Marquis Satin¡¯.¡± Reba responded correctly. ¡°My damn ex-husband mingles in their battle with his mouth shut. He said most nobles are very loyal to Duke Metis. The rest of them are still fighting for power. So the Parliament is always at war. And His Majesty must lead the Empire while the nobles fight each other like that¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a loser, but his judgment is true,¡± Liam added sarcastic terms. Still, after receiving Reba¡¯s sharp gaze, he quickly shut his mouth back. Evelyn then put a cookie snack in front of Liam because she felt sorry for him, who looked scared of Reba. Then a blissfulness spread in his green eyes. It¡¯s just one cookie, but Evelyn was thrilled that their friendship was beautiful. ¡°Duke Metis will keep trying to grab the Emperor¡¯s tail and encourage Lady Metis to sit on the Empress chair. He will never give up that opportunity.¡± Liam said. ¡°I know. Because in the past, he was the one who opposed our marriage the most. And even now, the Empress Dowager and Lady Metis are staying in my Pce.¡± Evelyn spoke calmly. Meanwhile, Liam enjoyed the cookies. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it, but¡­¡­ that¡¯s great¡±, Reba added keenly. ¡°Is she the youngest daughter of Duke Metis? Ste, that dreamy child.¡± ¡°Yes, when I got married, the Empress Candidate was her eldest sister ¡­.. All of Duke Metis¡¯ children were married, and only the youngest daughter was left. The Empress Dowager brought her to the Pce with an excuse that she¡¯s her niece.¡± ¡°But then suddenly the Princess appeared.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Like pouring oil into embers, it was the beginning of all war. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s hard for us toe forward now. Liam, can you tell me about your n?¡± Surprised when his name was called, Liam quickly returned to the face of the wise-young Grand Duke of Akshire. ¡°Even though the Duke Metis dominates, there are always noble oppositions. But unfortunately, they don¡¯t unite as one, and they always fight in small groups,¡± exined Liam. He knew this well since his father, the former Duke of Akshire, frequently visited Parliament and closely observed factional rtions. Hence, it was also taught to Liam, who was his sessor. ¡°So I want to bring these powers together. They¡¯re powerless as they¡¯re scattered right now, but when they¡¯re brought together, they¡¯re sure to be a force against the Metis.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a political thing¡­¡­ Aside from that possibility, we should consider the situation of you as Duke Akshire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve alreadye to a conclusion.¡± Liam lookedposed. As a duke, he was trained to think of all the implications and possibilities that might have taken ce. ¡°My father, a former Duke, was an influential man in Congress. However, Duke Metis had a very sharp confrontation, and Akshire decided to leave the fight for a while. Because there was no advantage to argue with them.¡± Evelyn nodded. From generation to generation, Akshire was known for its wisdom in making decisions and judging things. So that¡¯s the reason why Liam¡¯s father stopped taking steps to Congress under the pretext of being sick. He thought he had nothing to gain by beating Sagan, who was in a state of high spirits at the time. ¡°But things have changed.¡± Liam whispered calmly, ¡°It is true that we want to help Princess as a friend. But, I want you to know that we¡¯re not just going for that reason.¡± ¡°Sure¡­..I think we should do it for Akshire¡¯s sake first. If not, I¡¯ll never allow it.¡± ¡°Now I want to gather the viges on the border area to be incorporated into Akhsire¡¯s territory. But it¡¯s just reckless territorial expansion or a provocation for other aristocratic regions if there¡¯s no power on Akshire¡¯s behalf¡­.. I mean, as a Duke, I have to appear in Congress to represent Akshire. It doesn¡¯t fit my personality, but I will challenge myself if I have to do it. ¡° Honestly, for Liam, who had a quiet personality, this task might be difficult for him. ¡°The small factions scattered now are the factions led by the former Duke of Akshire.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes suddenly glistened, ¡°Then ¡­ your n to unite the opposition, it¡¯s not just a metaphor, but a real n?¡± ¡°Yes, some of them have already agreed,¡± Liam said insignificantly, but Evelyn knew this was the beginning of a big event that would face a new phase in Congress. ¡°All I can do is prevent Duke Metis, the only one who has a majority in Congress, from running rampant.¡± It was an absolutely important move to tackle Duke Metis¡¯ step, but it was something Evelyn couldn¡¯t do. And that was also an area where Fabian, who was an Emperor, couldn¡¯t get involved. ¡°It¡¯s not something the Princess needs to take care of. It¡¯s just to bnce the Parliament,¡± Liam assured her. ¡°Yes. I believe Sir Liam can bring a fair parliament again.¡± Evelyn nodded sincerely. ¡°And since I trust you, I have something to say.¡± ¡°Just tell me anything.¡± ¡°The enemy who is targeting me ¡­ ¡­ it¡¯s not just Duke Metis.¡± Reba looked at Evelyn¡¯s eyes sharply. Only ¡°I know it sounds absurd. But, I mean it.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I think¡­ ¡­the Vatican is aiming for Adrian¡­¡­No, I¡¯m sure.¡± Evelyn had a hard time telling this, especially to Akshire¡¯s siblings, who had close rtions with the Vatican for a long time. Because she was nervous, just saying that these words might break the rtionship between them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that, but there¡¯s no proof of that.¡± However, Evelyn believed in Reba and Liam, and she didn¡¯t doubt them. ¡°We don¡¯t need proof.¡± ¡°Yes. If the Princess is sure, so it must be true.¡± And that belief was the same for them as well. Chapter 108: Strong Patience Thanks to Akshire¡¯s brothers and sisters¡¯ trust, Evelyn spoke with a lighter heart about what had happened and what she had felt. She didn¡¯t forget to say that she had a strange vision and a suspicious intuition of David, the Vatican Pdin. ¡°His Majesty knows this too. And he also has the same thoughts as me. We did everything we could, including sending the ck Hawk to investigate, but ¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn blurted the end of her words. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy because the Vatican is originally a tightly secure and closed group.¡± ¡°Huh. So that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t get any conclusive evidence. However, as long as we regard them as an enemy and watch out for them, we will be fine.¡± Liam nodded. The most fearful thing was not knowing the enemy¡¯s existence. Evelyn could only find a way out by defining the enemy precisely. ¡°The council¡¯s job is important, but I¡¯ll look into it in my own way,¡± said Liam. Evelyn nodded at his trustworthy remark with a smile. Liam¡¯s eyes had a green shimmer. Reba couldn¡¯t see it anymore, so she waved her hands to break the atmosphere, ¡°Liam, you have a lot to do now, right?¡± Liam nodded unconsciously, as Reba gave a forced smile, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll leave now.¡± He said grimly, but sadly, Evelyn waved to Liam happily without knowing his broken heart. Seeing her, Liam was unable to say anything, trudged with drooping shoulders, following Nora out of the Secret Chamber. Evelyn looked at him grievously, but Reba shook her head, ¡°It is a miracle that he was allowed to enter here. This is a ce that can¡¯t be entered by any man other than His Majesty.¡± Reba thought about her little brother¡¯s feelings in her own way. She hoped that Liam would be able to quickly get rid of the remaining feelings he had for Evelyn. But on the other hand, it was hard for him not to get involved with Evelyn, who had decided her own way. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ right¡±, Evelyn agreed with Reba this time. Fabian had a great deal of thought for Akshire¡¯s siblings toe to her secret chamber. There was nothing wrong with being careful, especially in times like this. ¡°By the way, Princess, more than that. Now let¡¯s get to the point.¡± Evelyn stared at Reba nkly. After all this talk, what did she mean by ¡®get to the point?¡¯ ¡°You still have the biggest incident story!¡± Reba¡¯s eyes red excitedly. ¡°The demon assault¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°Not that.¡± Evelyn tilted her head. She wondered if there were a bigger incident than that? ¡°I was curious while running all the way here since I thought it was crazy.¡± Evelyn could see Reba¡¯s intentions soon. ¡°Please tell me in detail how, why, what circumstances and moment, or how you changed your mind to reunite with His Majesty,¡± Reba spoke like a bullet barrage until she was out of breath. But her eyes sparkled. Evelyn suddenly had a sheepish look, ¡°Uhm that¡¯s¡­ ..that somehow¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, first of all, shall we start from the time you left the Felice Kingdom with His Majesty?¡± Reba didn¡¯t seem to retreat. ¡°Oh no, let¡¯s forget that moment! Yuck, the demon is gross, and I¡¯ve heard it earlier, so let¡¯s skip that part.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ okay¡±, Evelyn began to grope her memories, ¡°You know roughly about our divorce case, and I didn¡¯t really want to reunite.¡± ¡°Then, what about now?¡± ¡°Now it is¡­ .¡± Evelyn¡¯s cheeks blushed slightly, ¡°That¡¯s my choice. Since I wanted to be here ¡­ ¡­ I thought I wanted to stay by His Majesty¡¯s side. ¡° Reba¡¯s green eyes grew round. She didn¡¯t believe that she was the same Evelyn, who had cursed her ex-husband not long ago. ¡°No, no, you can¡¯t. It¡¯s not enough if you¡¯re not tell me every single moment.¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not enough?¡± Evelyn asked back. ¡°Please tell me in detail, divided into minutes and seconds, focusing on the changes in your heart.¡± Reba was determined to take a seat. Evelyn sighed a little, but she nodded quickly. It seemed that today would be a very long night.
*** Liam¡¯s eyes turned sore right away, but he tried to endure it as a matter of pride in this situation. He couldn¡¯t cry because he still had a job meeting Fabian, his eternal enemy. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty,¡± Liam said bluntly after entering the room. His unexampled posture was a sign of discontent he felt. But Fabian calmly epted his legitimate protest, as he still had a little conscience. ¡°You yed a difficult role.¡± ¡°Yes, for the Princess,¡± Liam emphasized his answer that he didn¡¯t do it for Fabian. Fabian then twisted one corner of his lips in response to his offhanded reaction, ¡°I¡¯m willing to forgive you for lying and testifying against me in the Felice Kingdom.¡± ¡°You can punish me if you want as I did it for the Princess.¡± The nerve wars between Liam and Fabian were tense. ¡°Well, thank you for helping my Empress and my son.¡± ¡°For the Princess, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Fabian clenched his teeth and forced to smile, ¡°She¡¯s not the P-r-i-n-c-e-s-s anymore. She will be my E-m-p-r-e-s-s again, but it¡¯s amendable thought, anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about the Princess until then.¡± Liam didn¡¯t budge either. From his appearance, he was like a model student, but Liam also had a rebellious spirit inside. Of course, the two grown men knew very well that this was a very childish and too embarrassing battle of nerves for a high-status man like them. But they weren¡¯t able to stop it. ¡°What would the Empress worry about when she has me?¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you call me?¡± Liam answered him with a scoffing tone. Fabian was forced to grin again, pressing down his tantrum. He indeed needed Liam¡¯s help for now. Besides, if he were angry with someone he called for help, Evelyn¡¯s heart would be hurt. Only that thought was the reason Fabian was holding back his annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s also for Akshire¡¯s behalf.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯te here because of greed. I just came to help the P-r-i-n-c-e-s-s.¡± Fabian¡¯s smile was suddenly broken at those words. ¡°Duke.¡± His low-cold tone clearly rang. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± Liam questioned him back without feeling daunted at all. ¡°I want to hit your handsome face right now.¡± ¡°Oh, what a coincidence,¡± Liam said nothing more, but it was a very bold answer. Such a ¡®sympathetic¡¯ reply was already a great provocation to the Emperor. ¡°But what would Evelyn think if we into a rage and fight?¡± At the time, Liam was suddenly enlightened. But he was too upset to admit it. Liam couldn¡¯t believe that this enemy-like Emperor could provoke him without thinking about Evelyn. Even though he knew very well, Fabian was originally Evelyn¡¯s husband, but that was a big wound to Liam¡¯s heart. ¡°Now you understand why I was so patient to refrain from hitting your face.¡± ¡°Well, I never lose my patience anywhere.¡± Although there were no swear words and punches, the atmosphere between them was already messy. Evelyn would have had a long sigh if she had seen this. However, both men seemed to were proud of their strong patience. ¡°However, there¡¯s a limit to my patience.¡± ¡°Oh. Does that mean you can¡¯t stand it till the end for the Princess?¡± Every time a word was added, the atmosphere became more intense. Luckily, the door opened as Serus and Logan came in. With the advent of a new person, the tense situation immediately got a little loose without crossing the line. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty and the Duke of Akshire.¡± Serus and Logan set the example side by side. Logan was slightly intimidated by the chilly atmosphere, but Serus was different. He was able to remain calm because he didn¡¯t even know what was wrong. ¡°Your Majesty, let¡¯s begin the meeting you ordered.¡± Later, Fabian sighed and repressed his aggression. Liam also looked resentful, but he looked a little cold. Thanks to Serus¡¯ calm-presence, the four people sat at a long table and shared the materials they had prepared. It was an indication of Fabian¡¯s efforts that he had arranged such a meeting himself. ¡°You must already know my purpose in gathering all of you.¡± Fabian¡¯s purpose of holding this secret meeting was to ensure that Evelyn was reinstated as the Empress safely. The other was to make sure Adrian was the Crown Prince and dig and subdue the suspicious Vatican. Of the three, the most difficult task would be thest one. In a way, it might be the time to make a firm decision with the Vatican, which had been waging a nerve-war since he ascended the throne. ¡°If Duke Akshire has good abilities, he will be able to gather forces against Duke Metis as nned. Then I can annul the previous marriage record.¡± It was a provocative word for Liam, but he didn¡¯t raise a single eyebrow. His intention to show that he was a more mature man than Fabian seemed to have been conveyed. As proof, Fabian then coughed a little, ¡°I have already conveyed my will to remarry to the Vatican. Of course, the Vatican seemed to think that it¡¯s not a bad business for them.¡± Fabian wasn¡¯t a religious person, and he had no faith in God, but his gold coins were overflowing. He knew the Pope wouldn¡¯t refuse gold coins. But, the problem was that the Imperial family had a bad rtionship with the Vatican. Still, on the contrary, they had asting friendship with Duke Metis. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Duke Akshire has a close rtionship with the Vatican as good as Duke Metis.¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t Fabian¡¯s sarcastic remarks. Whatever the Vatican did, it was important that this kind of ¡®close friend¡¯ was on their side right now. ¡°Yes. I know what to do in that part. I will express my support for this remarriage and will actively persuade the Vatican. The secret letter must have arrived in the Felice Kingdom, sobining these forces together, we can equalize the power of Duke Metis.¡± ¡°Even I have doubts about his ability to go to this ce. The problem is¡­¡­¡­.¡± A shadow cast over Fabian¡¯s face. ¡°I see. When the Popees to the Imperial Pce to hold the wedding ceremony, the Pdin in question will also enter the Pce without a hitch¡±, added Serus. ¡°But we don¡¯t have a reason for stopping him. Honestly, I can¡¯t even see the enemy¡¯s intentions.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something that bothers me.¡± Fabian allowed him to speak with a nod. Liam decided to forget that Fabian was his opponent. Evelyn¡¯s safety and happiness was the important thing for him now. Even if he shed tears every night, he seemed to be able to bear it if Evelyn was happy. ¡°As you know, the Akshire and the Felice Kingdom have a long and strong rtionship with the Vatican. But the Pdin¡­¡­ Since when did he show up?¡± Fabian frowned his eyebrows. ¡°I thought about it when I heard about him from the Princess before, but I¡¯ve never heard the story of the Pdin.¡± ¡°¡­ I also couldn¡¯t find any traces of his past¡±, stated Fabian. ¡°Your Majesty may not know. But why we, who are good friends with the Vatican, don¡¯t know as well?¡± A fundamental question suddenly arose. ¡°At one point, he was standing next to the Pope in the name of a Pdin Knight.¡± It was strange. No one questioned Pdin¡¯s existence, who appeared naturally as if he had been there from the beginning. ¡°Can someone suddenly be a Pdin and just appear one day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡± But so far, no one had been curious about him. And Fabian was most interested in that part. ¡°Even in my memory, there¡¯s no Pdin named David. When the Princess put his name on her mouth, she was conscious of his name.¡± Only ¡°What do you mean? Is he the Pope¡¯s impersonation?¡± Fabian squinted his eyes, looking puzzled. ¡°I don¡¯t know myself. I¡¯m sure¡­ Nobody knows anything about him.¡± The air was getting heavier around them. ¡°Could there be someone that no one knows?¡± Fabian threw another question, but none of the three was willing to speak. But then, Serus gave a wise answer, ¡°¡±At least¡­ ¡­ There seems to be someone like that.¡± ¡°But too bad, he exists now as my enemy.¡± Fabian had made up his mind. He didn¡¯t care anymore who his opponent was. As long as she was aiming for Evelyn and Adrian, he had no intention of keeping him alive. ¡°I will destroy everyone who bes my enemy.¡± That was his most tragic conclusion. Chapter 109: Alliance When some agreement was reached on what they should do, the two ck Hawk Knights, Serus and Logan, left the room first. Fabian and Liam, who were left alone, appeared to have no more desire to fight. At least the silent cooperation between them would continue until their mutual enemy had disappeared. ¡°I brought the book.¡± Liam carefully handed over old books wrapped in paper to Fabian. ¡°Is this the ancient book that Evelyn said?¡± Fabian took it, looking at it closely. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you read it, Duke?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The conversation between them was still dry. Frankly, they weren¡¯t on good terms even though they said they would cooperate. ¡°What¡¯s your impression? Is there something strange?¡± asked Fabian. Liam bowed his head slightly and began to exin, ¡°There are passages to interpret. And I checked it beforeing here, but I have absolutely no idea of ??the book¡¯s source. It¡¯s just an ancient book. It¡¯s not even listed in the royal library the Princess had found. ¡° ¡°In many ways, it¡¯s a suspicious book.¡± ¡°I put a bookmark in the relevant part.¡± Fabian nodded, focusing on the book for a moment. However, the book¡¯s picture was so dark, and the book¡¯s look was very shabby. Without realizing it, Fabian¡¯s face turned sour. ¡°How dare¡­¡± ording to the interpretation, the story inside the book was about the insults to the imperial family¡¯s blood and the nder of the Emperor¡¯s ancestors. ¡°I understand your anger, Your Majesty. But please focus more on the other pages.¡± Liam, who had read the contents of the book beforehand, told him. ¡°The demon curses the Emperor¡¯s bloodline? Bullshit. The demon is, by nature, a natural enemy of human.¡± ¡°Well, the demons are just a low-ss race that wants easy and big prey.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sank low. During the Devil Eye attack, the demons chased Adrian in the carriage in a way he had never heard or seen before. ¡®Kill Adrian¡­.kill him!¡¯ The frightened child told him that the demons had said those words over and over again. It wasn¡¯t just a delusion that came out of fear, but because it¡¯s only that child who heard it, Fabian heeded it for a while. ¡°But there are many things that don¡¯t make any sense. If that rambling nonsense is true, my ancestor is a bloodthirsty murderer, asking for help from a creature of mysterious power. But ording to the book¡¯s content, there¡¯s no reason for the demons to hate Emperor¡¯s bloodline.¡± Until now, the Imperial family had never suffered direct harm from demons. That part was also written in the book. The Emperor¡¯s ancestors asked someone to seal his madness. And the divine-guardian who promised to stabilize the demons who resided on the continent. ¡°If there¡¯s a guardian or whatever he is as promised, why did the demons attack Adrian?¡± ¡°Why did you¡­ ¡­think so?¡± Liam fell into his own thought for a moment, listening to Fabian¡¯s analysis. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about the Devil Eye¡¯s raid? Evelyn was also suspicious of the Wyverns incident.¡± ¡°I agree, but if they threaten the Imperial family, why is Your Majesty safe?¡± Fabian blinked in response to his reply. Indeed, wasn¡¯t the Devil Eye aiming for the Emperor¡¯s blood? But they lunged at Adrian in unison instead of him, who was nearby and had a bigger figure. ¡°They¡¯ve been targeting little Adrian since the beginning. But it was hard for them to strike because of the carriage¡±, Fabian recalled that painful memory. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if Adrian was bbing out of surprise or not, but ¡­¡­ No, I thought that child actually heard it. He said that the countless swarms of demons had shouted killing words to him.¡± ¡°Huh? The demons said¡­¡­., Ah,mon sense is not important right now.¡± Liam quickly erased the nonsense. ¡°That child repeatedly told me. He was trembling with fear as the demons were screaming to kill him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Then? What if the demon doesn¡¯t actually target the Emperor¡¯s bloodline, but only Prince Adrian?¡± Liam¡¯s conclusion seemed to hit Fabian¡¯s head. And the two were silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve always suspected that the Vatican could control demon appearances.¡± Frankly, it was a top-secret, but there was no reason to hide it from Liam right now. ¡°Look.¡± Fabian handed over a small notebook. From the emergence of demons, the damage and the Vatican¡¯s appearance were clearly written on the chart inside. ¡°It¡¯s no longer a groundless suspicion. The appearance of the Pdin was always ovepped with demonic attacks. It wasn¡¯t a mere coincidence.¡± Since that mysterious Pdin appeared, the pattern of the demon¡¯s appearance had changed entirely. It was no longer dependent on the season and the cycle. And when they emerged in some locations, they were instantly killed by the Vatican, controlling the demonic ughter perfectly. ¡°I don¡¯t know the means at all. But isn¡¯t it obvious that that suspicious Vatican Pdin is a demon as well?¡± said Liam. ¡°I assume his power has a limit.¡± There were already too many questions, and Fabian chose to make a quick decision. ¡°That Pdin has an inhuman ability to control a demon?¡± ¡°Evidence showed that the number of demons that appeared in one year was always the same. Whether the Pdin showed up on the scene or not, the number didn¡¯t change.¡± Liam stared back at the notebook and realized that Fabian was right, ¡°From the number of demons that appeared ¡­¡­ So most likely, he only can create limited demons.¡± ¡°Huh, create? There can¡¯t be such nonsense ability. If he has it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to save Adrian when he sent out the Devil Eyes. ¡° ¡°Then, there¡¯s only one reasonable conclusion.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They nodded at the same time. ¡°About his ability, it¡¯s exactly unknown, but perhaps ¡­.yes, we could say ¡®controlling¡¯ as it is written in this shabby book¡± Fabian looked displeased. ¡°Then, can we consider that he can ce or move demons that already exist in different ces?¡± ¡°I have the same thoughts. That¡¯s why every year, the number of demonic manifestations is the same. And there must be another exnation why he couldn¡¯t control more demons beyond that limit.¡± ¡°Then I understand now, why did he choose to be a Pdin despite having such extraordinary abilities.¡± ¡°Yes, why doesn¡¯t he take my throne if he has the infinite ability?¡± Fabian said coolly. ¡°His ability can only change the order or ce. That¡¯s why he needed a convenient tool called the Vatican.¡± There was a moment of silence. ¡°But if the Pdin has a simr power to the guardian in the book. For what purpose does he exist for?¡± Liam opened his mouth, asking a theoretical question. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of finding out about it from now on.¡± This was the first time that Fabian and Liam had the same opinion. ¡°If he goes after Evelyn and Adrian, he will have to pay for it. Either He¡¯s a human being or a demon. To have no more worries in the future, I must erase his existence to the roots of this world.¡± ¡°I think the same way.¡± Liam said softly, and their gaze met each other in the same eye-level, ¡°Of course, for the Princess.¡± His will seemed strong to the end. ¡°I¡¯m proud to see you¡¯ve worked hard for my Empress and my son.¡± Fabian¡¯s sarcasm also remained the same. But, unlike the beginning, there was a slight change. There seemed to be a bit of solidarity growing between them. The more suspicious the enemy¡¯s identity, the more threatened by his unknown ability, the less bickering between them. Because their purpose of protecting Evelyn and Adrian was the same. And that was only the beginning of their dangerous alliance.
*** The Empress Dowager firmly asked the Emperor to see her. But still, Fabian didn¡¯t respond, ignoring his mother. Monica soon gave up and was rxed drinking tea. It was Ste, the Empress candidate, who was heartburn to see it. ¡°Stupid, why are you looking so restless?¡± Monica rebuked Ste as if she were annoyed, seeing her niece. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ ¡­if the former Empress is in this Pce with her son now¡­ I¡¯m¡­..what will happen then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s your father¡¯s business. His Majesty¡¯s decision wasn¡¯t bad, but to be precise, it¡¯s not easy to remarry the same partner.¡± ¡°But, she already has a child, and he¡¯s also His Majesty¡¯s son¡­¡­.¡± Ste bit her lips nervously. ¡°So?¡± ¡°If they get back together like this, I can¡¯t do anything.¡± Ste¡¯s anxiety was reasonable. The Metis family couldn¡¯t shine, nor could they foresee the future. Her heart, which had always dreamed of the Empress¡¯ seat, was full of determination. So, she couldn¡¯t give up now. ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡± Monica sighed and beckoned her. Ste approached and sat beside Monica with teary eyes. Then she patted her niece¡¯s shoulder,forting her, ¡°You¡¯re still young, so you don¡¯t know, but a bad situation won¡¯tst forever.¡± ¡°Even if the woman, who already has a sessor, bes the Empress again? Of all things, the child is his real son.¡± Her voice cracked into a sob. And a crooked smile engraved on Monica¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s only now,¡± said Monica. She was also a Emperor¡¯s wife who once served as an Empress and had Fabian as her sessor. Less than 20 years she spent in the Imperial family felt like an eternity, but she realized that it was just a moment. ¡°There¡¯s nothing eternal in this Imperial family.¡± All was something that she couldn¡¯t even imagine after a woman wore an Empress crown. It was the same with her husband¡¯s love, who was the previous Emperor, for her. Monica also lost the luster of power as a mother¡¯s sessor at one point. After that, she couldn¡¯t find any meaning in life. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Looking at his personality, my brother won¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°But, if His Majesty remarries like this, even my father¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ If the first and second Empress seats have been taken, then you can be the third Empress.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes bulged, listening to Monica¡¯s frustrating words. Of course, Ste didn¡¯t think that way, ¡°No, It has to be me. I¡¯ve already¡­.. made up my mind.¡± Just like the first candidate in the past, who was Ste¡¯s eldest sister. If time was dyed, the younger Lady Metis, whoever she was, would rece her. ¡°You can¡¯t make a choice as you wish. It depends on your fate.¡± Monica returned to her usual nonchnt attitude. Frankly, she couldn¡¯t understand Ste¡¯s ambition, why she was so eager to be an Empress. Empress¡¯ status was a terrifying specter. It was like a stroke at a young age that she didn¡¯t realize. Once she sat in that position and gave birth to a child, her tears had dried up. ¡°I will give you an advice, don¡¯t even think about using tricks.¡± Monica gave a hint, but at the same time, a clear warning to her niece. ¡°The former Empress now is living in a secret chamber. But after His Majesty announced it at the Congress, she will immediately take over the inner Pce. First of all, she has a solid reason for being the Crown Prince¡¯s biological mother. ¡° Just imagining that, Ste couldn¡¯t stand it. Only those who had experienced it could feel how hurt it was to see their dreams disappear like bubbles before their eyes. ¡°But we are not backing down. Since that¡¯s our family¡¯s will.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± Ste asked bluntly, and Monica¡¯s expression somehow became a little generous. ¡°If you¡¯re desperate and try to hurt her child out of despair, you will definitely be severely punished. At that time, no one could defend you even though the child is gone. Like it or not, that child is the Emperor¡¯s son, and every attempt to harm the Imperial family will cause destruction. ¡° Monica seemed to have already seen Ste¡¯s innermost thoughts. She might not know that Ste already had the intention of poisoning the little Prince by asking her father, Duke Metis. ¡°So, what can I do?¡± ¡°As usual¡­¡­Be normal.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste looked dumbfounded, but the Empress grinned a little bit bitter, ¡°The former Empress is a beautiful woman. She has a good heart. But she¡¯s weak. It means she¡¯s too naive to live in this imperial family.¡± Evelyn had no other emotions besides that. She never really hated or liked something and only had a few opportunities to face other people. However, Monica sympathized with her as she knew the pressure of sitting in the Empress¡¯s seat. ¡°Do you know the Lady Satin?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s the leader of the Imperial noble wife group and contributes a lot to the world of socialites¡±. Only ¡°How do you feel if her gang mocked you before your eyes at a social party?¡± For Ste, it was a simple question, ¡°My feeling? I don¡¯t know about that, but I think I¡¯ll p her cheek first and stuff the feather fan into her mouth.¡± Ste was indeed the daughter of Duke Metis as she answered calmly without a moment of hesitation. ¡°Right, but the former Empress couldn¡¯t cope with them.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± A hope suddenly bloomed in her clear eyes. ¡°Yes, if she could handle them, she wouldn¡¯t get divorced ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry ¡­ I acted recklessly like an idiot.¡± Ste, who was restless, quickly found her grace and smiled. She was a resourceful child who resembled her father. ¡°If you know, go and rest. You¡¯ll meet the former Empress soon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ste set a polite example and walked away. Monica looked at her figure with sullen eyes, wondering how her niece really looked like her brother a lot. Chapter 110: Welcome Back, Evelyn After revealing the truth before the Noble Congress, Fabian immediately took the next step quickly and precisely. He made such a careful strategy that Duke Metis could not fend off him for deviating from the pce rules. ¡°The Crown Prince and Princess Evelyn will stay in her previous Pce.¡± ¡°Previous¡­..You mean, Empress¡¯ Pce?¡± The Pce chief looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯ve temporarily revoked the ¡®Empress¡¯ title from this Pce.¡± Fabian seemed rxed. While several nobles disagreed, the Emperor¡¯s decision was imperialw. Thus, when he said he had revoked the Empress¡¯ title, the historical building, known as the Empress¡¯s Pce, was now just an ordinary building within the Imperial Pce. ¡°So, there¡¯s no problem if that Pce is upied by Adrian, my own son, and Evelyn Felice, his biological mother, who will be the Empress soon.¡± Fabian¡¯s order was very explicit. He didn¡¯t want to let Evelyn and his son, whose whereabouts had already known, lived in a stuffy, lightless ce. Apart from that, he also wanted to emphasize that Evelyn was the sole master of the Empress Pce. ¡°Why, do you have anything more to say?¡± Fabian asked. The Pce Chief¡¯s eyes were lit up. Technically, there was no problem with that. But¡­ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­¡± The Chief stopped himself from saying more and chose to obey the power that was before his eyes.
Fabian looked satisfied and rested his hand on his chin. The Empress¡¯ Pce was known as the noblest and most elegant ce in the Inner Pce. Besides, now, the Empress Dowager was taking Ste and used one of thergest buildings in Inner Pce. Of course, it was only when the Empress¡¯ Pce was excluded. ¡°After all, I came to a conclusion.¡± Fabian twisted the corners of his mouth andughed. ¡°There are people who know only when they see it with their own eyes.¡± Those cynical words were directed against those who could not give up their ascendancy, including his own mother. ¡°Well, everyone will realize it soon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serus nodded his head bluntly. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh Yes? It¡¯s still Your Majesty¡¯s working time to do your official duties. After that, there¡¯s a schedule to meet the Prime Minister.¡± ¡°Oh, I had changed the schedule. Isn¡¯t there something more important than that?¡± Fabian said calmly. Serus had a curious look on his face, thinking about his master, who indeed had changed. But Fabian ignored him and got up from his seat, ¡°Today is the day Evelyn returns to the Empress¡¯ Pce.¡± Fabian quickly strode towards the Inner Pce. He promised he wouldn¡¯t leave her alone anymore. He was still poor to understand people¡¯s feelings, but he was sure of what he had to keep. Since he let her go easily in the past, he wanted to meet Evelyn and apany her on her way back to her Pce. It was the day Fabian had been waiting for.
Perhaps since they stayed in the Chamber of Secret for a long time, the sunshine outside felt dazzling and brilliant. Evelyn and her entourage left the secret chamber first. They prepared to officially enter the world in the Inner Pce¡¯s living room. Soon the Pce Chief knocked. Nora opened the door and greeted him in a formal example that didn¡¯t diminish the Empire¡¯s dignity. The Chief then bowed his head, ¡°By His Majesty¡¯s orders, I will wee Prince Adrian and his mother, Princess Evelyn Felice.¡± As the living room door opened wide, the maids and servants lined up neatly in the long corridor to carry out the weing procession. Much as when she became the Empress for the first time, Evelyn was still stunned to be greeted by thisrge crowd. Apart from the Emperor, it was thergest number of attendants in the Imperial Pce. Of course, the noble wives stood at the forefront of the maids. ¡°I took the lead of the maids. Please¡­¡­ Please ept myck of service. ¡° Evelyn frowned at the familiar face before her eyes. Among the three ugly-sisters, who harassed her terribly when she was the Empress, Countess Herenia attracted Evelyn¡¯s attention. Whether it was due to embarrassment over the disgrace she had received in the Felice Kingdom or because of Evelyn¡¯s rapidly changing position, her face looked very pale. ¡°It¡­It should be a noble wife with a higher position who deserves this position more than me ¡­¡­ But Lady, I mean Marchioness Satin is absent because she still reflects on the teachings that the Princess has given her.¡± Countess Herenia trembled as if she had been stabbed by something sharp. Evelyn felt more bitterness than excited when she looked at the Countess who bent her body. Nothing changed, but Evelyn recalled the traumatic memory she felt over her previous treatment. ¡°Oh, congrattions! As His Majesty temporarily revoked the Empress¡¯ title, so the Pce is now called as the ¡°Star Pce,¡± so allow me to take you there, Princess. His Majesty¡¯s love is so overflowing ¡­ What a joy of the world!¡± Evelyn¡¯s mouth was numb, looking at the countess¡¯s forced-smile with cold eyes, ¡°And maybe someone¡¯s grief.¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, it can¡¯t be. Who dares to think like that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you asking me while you know who?¡± Seeing her hypocritical forced smile made Evelyn angrier than the cold and humiliation she had received in the past. If Countess Herenia had kept her real attitude to the end, Evelyn might have taken it lightly. ¡°Let the Pce Chief take over the guide. The Countess doesn¡¯t need to apany me.¡± ¡°Pri¡­Princess¡­¡­.¡± ording to the Imperial rule, the noble wife had to lead the maids and small affairs of the Inner Pce. It was an honor and a duty and an opportunity to prove loyalty to the Imperial family. If the Countess was kicked out of here, she would be theughingstock of the Empire. For a person who had the title of Countess, the social world¡¯s evaluation was as important as her life. ¡°The Countess Herenia I know is Marchioness Satin¡¯s follower. So how could she suddenly follow in her footsteps and be able to lead so many people?¡± said Evelyn firmly. ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding. I actually really admired the Princess very much since before. But I was forced to obey Marchioness Satin because I couldn¡¯t against her power and influence.¡± ¡°Oh, not only following her back but even obeying her¡± Only then did the Countess realized her slip of the tongue and quickly quieted her mouth. She thought that innocent-Evelyn wouldn¡¯t pick up on her words, but her prediction was wrong. Right now, the Princess in front of her wasn¡¯t the same person. Evelyn was as impressive as any other Imperial woman. She was also really different from the time when she humiliated Marchioness Satin in the Felice Kingdom before. ¡°Besides, I won¡¯t give my way to you.¡± Evelyn no longer hesitated. At first nce, Evelyn¡¯s side face expression reflected Fabian¡¯s arrogant look. ¡°More than anything, the precious Prince Adrian is also on the way with me.¡± Evelyn waved her hand lightly and sent an eye-signal to the Pce Chief. The Chief immediately understood the meaning and immediately halted the Countess. Countess Herenia gave Evelyn a look of despair. Still, Evelyn immediately turned her back. She smiled brightly as she looked at Adrian, who was holding Nora¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Countess will be able to carry out this important job because she¡¯s not feeling well.¡± Indeed, the Pce Chief, who had trained in the long Imperial life, was quick-witted. ¡°Countess, there seems to be another suitable person; I¡¯d better ask you for another job.¡± While Countess Herenia was shaking, The Pce Chief turned politely towards Reba, standing behind Evelyn. Reba, who grabbed the meaning, immediately nodded and graciously stepped forward. At first, she wanted to give the Countess an insult, but now Reba was even more excited, admiring Evelyn¡¯s doings. ¡°Princess, may I lead the way for you and the Prince?¡± Now, no one cared about Countess as Evelyn smiled broadly at Reba with trust and affection, ¡°Sure. Rather, I am grateful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me, too.¡± A bright atmosphere bloomed like flowers between the two women. The Pce Chief quickly ordered the countless servants and maids, except the Countess, to re-arrange the line-up. ¡°Adrian.¡± Called Evelyn brightly, seeing Adrian, who was taking Nora¡¯s hand. Then Adrian ran pretty fast, approaching her, and then he held her hand first. Evelyn felt proud that her awkward toddler had be quite skillful now. ¡°We¡¯re going to a new home.¡± As she whispered a little to Adrian¡¯s ear, the child¡¯s eyes grew round in joy. ¡°What about the hawk? What about Jimoo?¡± ¡°Shh¡­.¡± Evelyn slightly covered Adrian¡¯s mouth and kissed him on the forehead as he was about to babble. ¡°Well, shall we take you now?¡± Reba asked, gazing lovingly at Evelyn and Adrian. But strangely enough, the procession was very quiet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry before, but I¡¯m afraid you have to give up that role.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice suddenly rang through the long corridor. When Reba turned her back to set an example, the rest of the attendants had already bent their knees towards him. ¡°If he¡¯s Your Majesty¡­¡­ I can¡¯t help it,¡± said Reba with a faint smile. ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡± Fabian walked past Reba, expressing his heartfelt gratitude. At this moment, Reba doubted her ears whether he was the Emperor she knew, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t ask him. ¡°Ah, Jimoo!¡± Adrian greeted him more enthusiastically than anyone else. Fabian then stared at Evelyn with gentle eyes, trying to convey his feelings instead of countless words. ¡°Jimoo, we¡¯re going! To a new home, ck hawk house!¡± While everyone in the corridor was shocked, Fabian quickly hugged the child. Compared to Evelyn¡¯s arms, that hyperactive child looked small in Fabian¡¯s embrace. ¡°Still, you still have a lot to learn,¡± Fabian said, looking at Adrian with a tender smile. ¡°Adrian will go now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes bulged, soon he burst intoughter in a low, friendly voice. ¡°Do you mind if I go with you?¡± Fabian, who was carrying Adrian, nced slightly at Evelyn. He seemed so clumsy to ask her permission to do so. In truth, he wanted to know what Evelyn was thinking, as the ce they were going to now was more than just a ce for him. It was the ce where they spent their previous married life. ¡°Together¡­Can I¡­.?¡± Fabian hesitated and reached out a hand to her. No one knew, but his fingertip shook finely. With a faint smile, Evelyn nodded slowly, looking at him, ¡°Of course.¡± After that, she reached out and grabbed Fabian¡¯s trembling hand, ¡°Your Majesty shoulde to¡­.with us.¡± A smile of relief spread over Fabian¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t conceal his emotions, and he squeezed Evelyn¡¯s hand so hard that she was hurt. ¡°His Majesty, the Emperor, Princess Evelyn, and the Crown Prince areing!¡± The Pce Chief blew the trumpet in time and shouted with great spirit. Thevish procession began to move slowly. Fabian kept hugging Adrian in one arm while he held Evelyn¡¯s with his other hand, walking through the beautiful garden and down the Inner Pce¡¯s long corridor. They didn¡¯t even seem to care about other people¡¯s gazes, as Reba and Nora deliberately looked at that sight from a distance, far from that family of three. ¡°Long time no see,¡± Evelyn whispered softly to the sight of the Empress¡¯ Pce before her eyes. ¡°Yes¡­..It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Fabian replied in silence. The Empress Pce, which had lost its owner, remained lonely in the Imperial Pce. As if it were an image of herself. ¡°But you¡¯re back now, so it¡¯s all right.¡± Fabian lifted his ck eyes and looked at Evelyn fondly, ¡°It¡¯s so long¡­.this Pce had waited for a long time, but now that you¡¯re back, so everything¡¯s fine.¡± It was a long way back. It couldn¡¯t be said that they both had the same heart and mind. But all this time, they had suffered and were sick of each other. ¡°I missed this moment.¡± Evelyn was back to this ce. It was the moment Fabian had been waiting for in his solitude. ¡°I am.¡± Evelyn¡¯s transparent blue eyes looked at Fabian and the white Pce that spread over behind his shoulders. It was a ce she really hated and filled with misery. But unlike in her memories, this sight with Fabian¡¯s presence now was beautiful. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Evelyn sensed the longing bloomed in her heart. She realized some yearning could only be felt when they met each other. ¡°No, I must have missed you,¡± she said. Her words filled Fabian¡¯s eyes with sweetness. ¡°We were missing the same thing.¡± Evelyn was relieved and happy with that alone. She didn¡¯t feel the loneliness and grueling remorse alone. There seemed to be new flesh growing over her deep wound. ¡°I¡¯ll continue to do so in the future,¡± Fabian muttered low. ¡°I wish to live my whole life missing you.¡± Only ¡°Even if I alreadye back?¡± ¡°Still, I¡¯ll always miss you and never let go of you.¡± Fabian took a small step forward and gently pulling Evelyn¡¯s wrist. Then she easily crossed the borders of the Empress Pce. ¡°Wee back, Evelyn.¡± It was the words he really wanted to say. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting¡­..¡± Fabian, who barely managed to convey the words, hugged Evelyn with Adrian together. Chapter 111: Well Done, Your Majesty Nothing had changed from the Empress Pce. That¡¯s what Evelyn, the owner, realized the most. Something only possible if this ce was cared for by meticulous care and caring hands without missing a single day. And in this Pce, there was only one person who could enjoin it. ¡°Everything is still the same.¡± ¡°I thought that¡¯s a good thing¡­¡­. If youe back one day, it would be nice if this ce still has a familiar sight¡±, said Fabian, looking a bit shy. He was displeased with his gawky gesture. Even though at a time like this, it would be nice if he said something else that more heartfelt, but Fabian still had trouble dealing with his feelings. Evelyn pondered for a moment as she watched Fabian¡¯s sheepish look, wondering if he had ever been like this in the past? ¡°It seems Adrian also loves this ce.¡± Evelyn nodded slightly. In fact, as soon as Adrian arrived at the Empress¡¯s Pce, he ran around through the well-decorated garden until his face was flooded with sweat. Sadly, Adrian was still in the process of detoxifying the demon¡¯s poison, so he had to go to sleep immediately after being examined by Sir Philip. ¡°He will definitely get better. Sir Philip said he¡¯s getting better now.¡± Fabianforted her after he noticed a slight shadow on Evelyn¡¯s face. ¡°In a few days, you may find yourself sleepless while ying with your child.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Evelyn said, smiling with hope. ¡°If Sir Philip allows, I¡¯d like to give Adrian a ck hawk.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be so happy. But don¡¯t tell him in advance. If you do, there will be a scene.¡± ¡°Yes¡­..I guess.¡± Fabian agreed. Evelyn then realized that they were both standing in front of the terrace. They forgot to sit down as they sauntered the Empress¡¯ Pce, which was no different from the past. ¡°I ¡­¡± Evelyn blurted the end of her words. She shuddered a little, giving him a hint. Fabian soon grasped what she was thinking. However, he seemed to hesitate for a moment without moving his steps, contrary to Evelyn¡¯s thought. ¡°Well, you¡¯re the owner of this ce.¡± It was a new remark. ¡°So¡­can you give me a cup of tea?¡± Fabian must have hesitated to say that. Evelyn soon nodded with a light smile. The Empress¡¯ Pce was just like her memory as if she just left yesterday. That¡¯s how Fabian took care of it. So, she was d to serve him a cup of tea. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Evelyn went to the parlor, which was right next to her bedroom. The sharp-witted Nora had already boiled the water and put it there, then she disappeared. Fabian walked to his favorite spot. A beautiful, elegant sofa cushion, which could easily be seen outside the window, weed him. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± There was an embarrassment engraved on Fabian¡¯s face when Evelyn started unpacking her own tea sets; instead of sitting down, ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­. sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to have you make it yourself ¡­¡­.¡± He just asked if he could spend more time in the Pce, but he didn¡¯t mean to order Evelyn to unpack the tea sets. But with a graceful gesture, Evelyn brought tea, ¡°I know.¡± and sat down in front of Fabian. It was a good thing if she didn¡¯t have to do it herself. But sometimes, there were times when she wanted to. ¡°The tea is fragrant.¡± Fabian savored a sip of tea instead of saying thank you. Evelyn did the same and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s because someone kept the tea leaves here.¡± Abruptly, a friendly smile smeared Fabian¡¯s lips. Seeing him holding a teacup on the seat he enjoyed sitting, Evelyn suddenly felt the illusion as if she went back to the past. ¡°Your Majesty, it seems you really like sitting there,¡± asked Evelyn, breaking the silence. ¡°Do I?¡± Fabian replied casually. As he liked this spot since it was the only ce he could lean on Evelyn¡¯s shoulders or knees and attach his eyes on her after his exhausting daily life. ¡°Yeah, when I looked back, I thought you were always sitting there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Because this is the only ce where I can sit side by side with you.¡± Fabian seemed to have been quite daring in recent years. It was obvious to see him boldly spit out words that could make Evelyn blushed. ¡°And I don¡¯t really like it when I have to sit face to face with you like this.¡± His blunt words made Evelyn¡¯s tongue numb. Fabian¡¯s honesty left her speechless. However, Evelyn wasn¡¯t brave enough to sit by Fabian¡¯s side at this time. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of seating position. There were still many things that they hadn¡¯t decided yet. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ ¡­ There¡¯s something I want to ask.¡± Fabian nodded when Evelyn threw out the words that she had put in her mind. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve promised that you will protect my child and me. That¡¯s why I believe you and havee this far.¡± Evelyn came here, to the Imperial Pce, because she saw Fabian¡¯s sincerity. However, when she returned to the Empress¡¯ Pce, her mind was filled with the same worries. ¡°You said you would make me an Empress again.¡± ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t change my mind. I will proceed with it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°And Adrian¡­ bes the Crown Prince of this Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also for sure.¡± Adrian was still young. But Fabian also became a Crown Prince at the age of three. Now that Fabian had recognized Evelyn as his only wife, it was a natural procedure, as he said. Especially when Fabian had already publicly called Adrian the Crown Prince. ¡°If ¡­. if Adrian bes the Crown Prince ¡­¡­ Will he have the same growth period as Your Majesty?¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes looked straight at Fabian. Leaving Fabian¡¯s side anyway could not guarantee Adrian¡¯s life. So, she left this choice to him. As Evelyn chose her child¡¯s life above all else, so the rest was up to Fabian. ¡°ording to thew, yes. As an imperial family, I don¡¯t know any other way either.¡± Hearing that, Evelyn bit her lips without realizing it. ¡°So, I will follow your opinion.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes grew wider at that moment. ¡°I know. You don¡¯t want Adrian to grow up like me.¡± Blinking, Evelyn slowly closed her eyes then opened them again. Was it possible to do that? ¡°I will deal with the rules and the bacsh from the nobles.¡± Fabian took on a difficult burden. There would be a bacsh, as it was against the roots of Imperial tradition. ¡°That child¡­. let¡¯s raise him, in a way that you think is right.¡± ¡°Are we really allowed to do that?¡± asked Evelyn again. Fabian nodded slowly. ¡°If I ¡­ ¡­ If I say I¡¯ll raise him myself until my child grows up, is it okay?¡± ¡°If you think it¡¯s right, sure is.¡± A relief enveloped Evelyn until her body went limp. Fabian thoughtfully reached out and grabbed her arm. There were some things that didn¡¯t change over time. And one of them was a moment like this when they both looked at each other through their eyes. ¡°What I was longing for until I wanted to turn back time is the warmth of this body.¡± Fabian gently pulled Evelyn¡¯s arm and sat her beside him. ¡°So I decided not to repeat the same mistakes.¡± Fabian drew his own conclusions, yearning for and regretting the Empress¡¯s Pce without Evelyn¡¯s presence. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ ¡­ still having a hard time.¡± Fabian reached out and caressed Evelin¡¯s hair affectionately. ¡°There are so many things I don¡¯t know how to do.¡± Frankly, in Evelyn¡¯s eyes, the figure of Fabian who honestly acknowledged his ws seemed unfamiliar¡­ but warm, at the same time. ¡°In that case, I decided to ask you.¡± Fabian stroked her hair and rubbed her cheeks softly. Evelyn was still trembling when their bodies touched like the first day they met. ¡°You can teach me how to do it together.¡± His eyes gleamed eagerly, and he continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about the world or other people¡¯s views. It¡¯s my part to handle it. You only need to think about the three of us.¡± Evelyn stared at Fabian¡¯s eyes, locking her nce. If she was her old self, Evelyn wouldn¡¯t ept his offer. The Empress position was something she shouldn¡¯t have. But now Evelyn happily nodded, ¡°Sure, I will.¡± ¡°Yes, That¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°But you have to be prepared. Now ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve be a very selfish and greedy woman¡±, she whispered softly. The pain of loss had taught Evelyn something previous. Now she wouldn¡¯t live her life just to be a wise Empress. It didn¡¯t matter what her future nickname was or what people might think about her. Such things were nothing but triflespared to the warmth that was given by the person beside her. Fabian smiled gently, looking at her, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ll often get into trouble because of me, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Well, It¡¯s much better than you who always keep silent.¡± Fabian wasn¡¯t the only one who was awkward. Just as him, who reflected in Evelyn¡¯s eyes, she felt the same as well. Evelyn had never imagined before how difficult it would be to meet, marry, and live a different life with other people. ¡°For Adrian¡¯s sake, I can¡¯t keep silent.¡± Evelyn¡¯s expression remained still. Fabian nodded at her sight, holding Evelyn¡¯s hands tightly, ¡°Now, don¡¯t be afraid of anything ¡­ ¡­ even to me, even though I¡¯m an Emperor.¡± Evelyn was aware, she wouldn¡¯t be able to live freely in this Imperial family. But Fabian promised the best freedom he could give. ¡°I wasn¡¯t afraid.¡± Evelyn whispered and grinned, ¡°Since a long time ago¡­¡­ I never afraid of you.¡± Honestly, in her previous life, Evelyn was afraid of Fabian¡¯s cold expression and inhuman insight. He was like a different person than her, and Evelyn seemed unable to pursue him even though she had studied hard her whole life. Moreover, the scariest thing was, Evelyn couldn¡¯t tell what kind of world light was in his eyes. ¡°Instead, I was upset and angry with you. And there were moments when I felt sorry for Your Majesty.¡± That was the first thing Fabian had heard of since he was born. Evelyn¡¯s unexpected words surprisinglyforted him. ¡°You can do that. No, it¡¯s only you in the world who can do that.¡± Only in Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes, Fabian could live as a man, not an Emperor or a powerful King. Instead, the shining Emperor¡¯s crown would only deter him from Evelyn¡¯s embrace. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Evelyn shook a little when Fabian suddenly crawled into her arms. But he didn¡¯t stop, leaning his head on her delicate shoulder, despite the look in her eyes expressed one of surprise. Evelyn¡¯s unique body scent next to him, which was sweet and nostalgic, gave him a sense offort. ¡°Hold on¡­..¡± ¡°Let me stay like this for a moment.¡± There was a tender strength in his voice as he spoke. Fabian wrapped his arms around her slender waist so that Evelyn couldn¡¯t push him away. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been generous to the servants and maids who took care of the Empress¡¯s Pce?¡± Fabian said that all of a sudden. ¡°What does that have to do with now?¡± ¡°If you want me to tell the truth, it¡¯s me who took care of this Pce while you were gone.¡± Evelyn doubted her ears. Was the Emperor asking her to show generosity in return for taking care of her Pce? ¡°What are you saying now¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I think I deserve to get a prize,¡± Fabian said, something that really tant, then he buried his head deeply in Evelyn¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m worse than the Imperial Pce¡¯s servant¡­¡­¡± Evelyn tried hard to hold back herughter. For the first time, Fabian looked like a little boy. Somehow, she felt sorry and a little regret for always scolding Adrian for being spoiled and stubborn. Only ¡°Alright, then.¡± As was her habit, Evelyn patted Fabian¡¯s head, which was resting on her shoulder gently, without realizing it. She did the same thing when she needed to calm Adrian. But surprisingly, Fabian hugged Evelyn¡¯s waist tighter, as if he liked herpliment. ¡°Thank you for taking good care of my Pce.¡± Fabian nodded small, still leaning to Evelyn. The Imperial Emperor often received praise without asking. But looking at his innocent, happy face over something simple. Evelyn wanted topliment him one more time. ¡°Well done, Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn caressed Fabian¡¯s head softly for a while. Fabian, with his eyes closed, enjoyed the sweet afternoon moment. Chapter 112: She Has Changed Although Fabian was frustrated that he couldn¡¯t go to the Empress¡¯s Pce often because he had to do his official pile of work postponed, Evelyn checked Adrian¡¯s sleeping condition. She toured around every corner of her Pce, which she had long left behind. ¡°Nora, please call Reba,¡± Evelyn said, after confirming everything was perfect. Soon, Reba came into the living room with a happy face. She was worried about their reunion, but Reba was relieved when she watched it through her own eyes. ¡°Princess, did you call me? Oh, I was about to forget a gift.¡± ¡°Gift?¡± Evelyn asked in wonder, but Reba nodded excitedly, ¡°Nora, bring her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting.¡± Before Evelyn¡¯s still puzzled expression disappeared, she saw a little girl shylye in and giving an example. ¡°Lily!¡± ¡°Princess¡­¡­ I asked Lady Reba and came here to meet you.¡± Evelyn hugged Lily, who cried out for joy. She wanted Lily to stay in the Pce with her, but she couldn¡¯t say it because she was sorry for her. But now, when she came to her first, Evelyn was more than satisfied. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me if you¡¯ve arrived?¡± ¡°That ¡­¡­ I wanted to regain my status as a pce-maid first. I wanted to see you like this.¡± said Lily with tearful eyes. When Evelyn looked at her, she saw a blue ribbon on Lily¡¯s hair. It was an indication of the status granted to the Empress¡¯ high-ranking maids and servants. ¡°Because this Pce hasn¡¯t changed, I¡­ ¡­ should look the same.¡± Evelynughed as she looked at Lily¡¯s smile. No words were needed, as they both spent a long time together. So, four people gathered together to have a warm afternoon tea time. To celebrate a new beginning of the Empress Pce. ¡°I have a lot to say to everyone.¡± The rest nodded at Evelyn¡¯s words. Actually, they were waiting for Evelyn to bring it up. She took something out of her arms and showed it to them. It was a ring, engraved with the Empress¡¯s seal. Unlike Nora, who had already seen that ring, Reba couldn¡¯t hide her relieved smile, while Lily couldn¡¯t conceal her delighted face. ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡± Reba said something meaningful. Even if the Emperor said that he would reappoint Evelyn, an Empress again, he couldn¡¯t guarantee her future without giving her substantial power. ¡°Your Majesty said he wouldn¡¯t have to wait for remarriage to give me this seal,¡± said Evelyn, recalling her conversation with Fabian. ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea.¡± ¡°I took it because I thought it would be useful, too. I¡¯m not alone anymore. I have to protect Adrian.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Fabian now also had affirmed Evelyn¡¯s ambiguous status as the Prince¡¯s birth mother. That title gave more power that was much stronger than her previous Empress status. Now, Evelyn had a double title, as the Crown prince¡¯s birth mother and the next Empress. ¡°Tonight, when the edict is promulgated¡­ ¡­ I will be the next Empress,¡± Evelyn said calmly. ¡°And, His Majesty said that he would give me full authority over my Pce considering my status.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ I feel good about everything.¡± Reba¡¯s honest thoughts made everyoneugh. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re going to use it, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. Because His Majesty gave the authority to do so despite opposition.¡± At least, now, Evelyn wouldn¡¯t wear a vague-Empress-coffin as meaninglessly as before. ¡°Even if there¡¯s a rebound, it can be justified. The Empress Dowager has lived in the Southern Pce for a long time but has never taken care of the Inner Pce at all,¡± said Reba. Reba was right. Initially, Fabian¡¯s mother had to take care of the Inner Pce when Evelyn wasn¡¯t here. But Monica never fulfilled her duties. That¡¯s why, even if she lived in the same Pce as Evelyn now, she didn¡¯t have the right to protest. ¡°His Majesty said he would ovee any bacsh, but I also have work to do.¡± ¡°Ok. It¡¯s the women¡¯s job.¡± ¡°The second thing is if I say I can do better¡­¡­ Am I too arrogant?¡± asked Evelyn with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯ll do well,¡± Reba spoke sincerely in response. ¡°Princess, if it¡¯s the current you, you can do well enough.¡± ¡°But not alone.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes pointed at Reba. ¡°It¡¯s a selfish request, but I still need help from Reba and everyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sad if you don¡¯t need me.¡± ¡°Then, Reba. May I use my authority to appoint you as the chief maid of my Pce instead of the Countess?¡± The Pce chief maid had been owned by a noblewoman from generation to generation. Previously, Evelyn had no chance or ambition to choose it, but it was different now. ¡°I have the confidence to do better than my predecessors,¡± said Reba confidently. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not a noble wife right now. Would it be fine?¡± Reba maybe had a yful attitude, but she wanted to make sure everything was clear. Evelyn shrugged her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m not an Empress now, either.¡± She decided not to care about trivial things anymore as she didn¡¯t want to waste time by being stuck in detailed etiquette and rules. ¡°Now that I have the full authority of Inner Pce, it¡¯s my job to serve our guests.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± Now in Inner Pce, there were Empress Dowager and Ste. It was initially important to make it explicit that Ste, who had initially entered the Pce to be an Empress, had been downgraded to being a guest. ¡°If you¡¯re going to entertain a guest anyway, why don¡¯t you call the otherdies and wives?¡± Reba¡¯s green eyes shone brightly. It was clear to Evelyn that Reba was already nning to take revenge. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll repeal Lady Satin¡¯s punishment, so please tell her to participate.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I won¡¯t leave anyone out.¡± Reba gave a confident smile. Evelyn was very relieved to see that she had found the right person. Now, Evelyn was taking back her own things one by one.
*** That evening, at the same time as the Imperial Bell rang, a new edict was issued. It was only this morning that she received the news that Evelyn had returned to the Empress¡¯ Pce. Before she even epted it, Ste was being told another thing: Evelyn already had the full authority of Inner Pce. ¡°Really¡­ ¡­ Is it okay?¡± Ste stared anxiously at her aunt. Although Monica tried to calm her down, no matter how persistent her father¡¯s wishes were, this situation was totally unfavorable to her in Ste¡¯s eyes. ¡°At this rate, she¡¯ll be the Empress tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± Monica spat carelessly. ¡°What?¡± Monica nced at Ste¡¯s crumpled face, biting her long pipe. ¡°I don¡¯t know His Majesty¡¯s way of thinking. In the first ce ¡­ I didn¡¯t even know there was such a way.¡± As she knew, Fabian had never been obsessed with anything, whether items or people. He was a cold, dry man who never gave his attachment to some object. It was the same to his Emperor-father, and even his biological mother, Monica, was no exception. So she was surprised when Fabian was obviously obsessed with Evelyn. ¡°Well, what should we do?¡± asked Ste. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­The opponent will move soon anyway.¡± Suddenly, Ste¡¯s heart burned more because her aunt was so calm and rxed. ¡°Then ¡­ ¡­ Didn¡¯t you say she couldn¡¯t adjust to Imperial life? Shall we meet her now?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Monica was lost in thought for a moment, spewing smoke. It reminded her of the time when she was the owner of the Empress¡¯ Pce. ¡°Now, to move forward ¡­¡­ There is no choice but to break through head-on. Even if you were in my position, you would make the same choice. ¡± said Ste. Looking at her, Monica imagined the expression of her brother, Duke Metis, and it made herugh. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. She left because she didn¡¯t like him, so why is she nowing back and trying to be an Empress again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different from before. The same goes for me. I never ruled my Pce because I wanted to. ¡± Monica said calmly. She was originally a girl who didn¡¯t like toe forward, loved to daydream and decorate little things. However, Monica¡¯s family and her father¡¯s will was different. What she realized was that she had to use her own power to defend herself. ¡°Well, the former Empress is from a noble family. She¡¯s a Kingdom Princess, and no noble wives dare to mock her status¡­ ¡­,¡± muttered Ste in a low voice. ¡°In front of her, they won¡¯t. You, too, you also have no choice but to smile when Princess Evelyn calls you right away. Or you choose to show your modest pride and act like a dog that lost the fight?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that¡­ ¡° ¡°If you know, don¡¯t get into a fight of small things, but stay back.¡± Monica crawled out of her annoying niece. But Ste wasn¡¯t wrong as it was definitely different from their original n. But now, they couldn¡¯t predict what choice Fabian would make now. If he was the son, she had known all along. Fabian would hand over his own son, who was now his sessor to Duchess Perth, to be raised. ¡°I really don¡¯t know the men¡¯s thoughts in this Imperial family.¡±
The autumn night was quite chilly. Monica already missed her warm Southern Pce. Somehow, her purpose was a little different from his older brother, Duke Metis. No, from the start, their mindset was already very different. For Monica, who had already enjoyed everything when she was an Empress, it was the best choice right now to get out of theseplicated battles and lived peacefully in a separate Pce. ¡°Sarah.¡± At her low call, the maid appeared quietly and bowed politely. When Monica was married, Sara was an entourage maid brought from the Duke. Until now, she was also a person who shared almost her life by Monica¡¯s side. ¡°How I can get back to my warm Pce as soon as possible¡­¡­I think we should think about it.¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t use the Duke Metis¡¯ men, then.¡± Sarah, indeed, knew Monica very well. ¡°Let¡¯s find Sir Serus¡­.¡± ¡°In case that would be nice.¡± Monica smiled faintly. Sagan didn¡¯t know, but the Empress Dowager presence was a big variable. Unless if they had the same purpose, there were no rules to cooperate with her own family. ¡°Perhaps, that child has changed.¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­..His Majesty?¡± ¡°No, the former empress.¡± Sarah had a curious look on her face. She had seen Evelyn herself as well. But her impression of her was faint except that she was a beauty. There was no sense of dignity as the Imperial Empress. ¡°When you have a child, you will feel different.¡± Monica had experienced it herself. ¡°Even if you live aimlessly, you suddenly draw a future for your child to grow up.¡± It was a story from a long time ago when Fabian was born. ¡°Once you have a child, everything changes. ¡®Cause you definitely want to survive.¡± Monica squinted her eyes, remembering the past. A Feeling that Sarah, who was childless, couldn¡¯t understand. But one thing that Sarah knew, Monica never treated her son affectionately. ¡°And you want to give your child a better future. To do that, you need the power you don¡¯t wish and makepromises with the world. ¡° ¡°Well, I see¡­¡­.¡± No one else knew, but Sarah was. Monica¡¯s expression was from the side, looking at Fabian breastfeeding in his nanny¡¯s arms. Also, when she persuaded the Emperor several times, Fabian wasn¡¯t raised by the Metis family. And when she secretly left, holding Fabian to meet the Duchess Perth, and asked that woman to raise him. Sarah remembered all of them and agreed. Only ¡°But His Majesty doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± She added sadly. But Monica looked fine. There were no parents in this world who gave birth to their children, hoping to get a reward. No matter how noble their status, the feeling was the same. ¡°I¡¯m curious about how she has changed.¡± ¡°You mean the former Empress?¡± Monica nodded. ¡°What if she has changed?¡± ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll change my ¡®side¡¯ a little bit,¡± Monica gave a vague smile, putting down her long pipe. ¡°I just need to go back to the Southern Pce anyway.¡± Sarah asked nothing more. She bowed her head, following Monica¡¯s will Chapter 113: New Etiquette Teacher The Pope¡¯s expression looked strange, staring at many secret letters from various ces at once. The old pope couldn¡¯t even see the letters¡¯ details, but he already could guess what¡¯s inside from the sender. ¡°David¡­ ¡­what do you think?¡± He wanted to ask for his trusted Pdin¡¯s opinion before making his own judgment. For the Pope, David was a perfect human being, as if he was sent to the world to prove God¡¯s grace. The Pope believed his existence was proof of God¡¯s incarnation. ¡°Everyone has different wishes, but Your Holiness must certainly go to the Imperial Pce and do God¡¯s will.¡± The Pope nodded at David¡¯s steady voice as it was the same with his own thoughts. However, the Pope didn¡¯t know whether he thought of it first or David¡¯s pleasing voice. He was still a wise Pope, but at some point, his trust in his Pdin was beyond the realm of judgment. ¡°Certainly, they didn¡¯t have their marriage certificate. Since I didn¡¯t make it clear that time.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it impossible to remarry without Your Holiness¡¯ blessing?¡± ¡°No¡­ ¡­it¡¯s not¡­¡­.¡± The Pope spoke with a loud voice. ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to take sides.¡± ¡°You can postpone it.¡± Duke Metis, one of the Vatican¡¯s biggest patrons, not only opposed the Emperor¡¯s remarriage, but he also sent a petition to rify their divorce¡¯s validity. But on the other hand, he couldn¡¯t rule out Duke Akshire and the Felice Kingdom, who also sent a different petition. Above all, the Emperor¡¯s opinion, the owner of this Empire, was so clear. ¡°Let¡¯s pending the issue and see the situation yourself.¡± ¡°Actually, ¡­yes, I¡¯ll have to see it myself.¡± ¡°Which is worthy of God¡¯s will, is the Your Holiness¡¯ judgment.¡± ¡°Indeed, your words are correct, David.¡± David smiled faintly because it was his judgment, and he was always right. The Guardian couldn¡¯t be wrong. So now, he had to finish his remaining mission quickly. ¡°Now, I will prepare a procession to leave for the Empire.¡± The Pope nodded, and David busily moved his steps as he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. If he let him be, soon, that stupid Emperor would have caused world destruction. In this time, he could be more extreme than before he used time magic. ¡°Why humans always repeat their mistakes?¡± David, who was left alone, muttered low. He could no longer use time magic. In other words, he had to decide everything now, to finish the knot that was already built by him. ¡°He¡¯s a dangerous man.¡± He thought of Fabian. An ominous dark eyes, the insight, and coldness that seemed beyond human beings. As evidenced by his ancestors¡¯ blood, the whole Emperor¡¯s bloodline was all out of the frame and human¡¯s limit. David didn¡¯t want to listen to any excuses, and he couldn¡¯t ept anyone who broke the bnce of the world. That¡¯s why if possible, he avoided getting into a fight with Fabian. ¡°This should be ourst encounter.¡± David realized that he was helpless. In his long life, he never felt as ipetent as he is now. After using the magic of Forbidden Time, he had a faint result and lost most of his power. Even when he called the Wyverns to expel Fabian from approaching Evelyn and Adrian, David was already weak. So he had no choice but to save the Emperor¡¯s flesh, Adrian, and used the child¡¯s hard-earned hair to call the Devil Eyes. ¡°Now you can¡¯t even control the demon, right. Really pathetic.¡± Again, he wasughing at his ipetence. Now there was nothing David could do from far away. He could only intervene in this matter by meeting Fabian, the descendant of the sinister emperor, in person. ¡°But I must fulfill my duty.¡± David¡¯s violet eyes filled with willpower. He will defend his bnce as always. And once again, he would save this continent from the sea of ??blood.
*** On the day that the Pope left Saint Iretta, anxiety rose in the hearts of many people. No one expected that the Pope, who didn¡¯t give a clear answer, wasing directly to the Imperial Pce. Duke Metis¡¯s blood seemed to have dried up, and only Fabian remained calm in this situation. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m happy to see that old mane.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Serus asked back with a shocked face. ¡°Because anyway, my marriage is legal only after being inaugurated by that old man. So he bettere here.¡± Fabian surprisingly weed his arrival. It seemed true that he had be more tolerant of everything since Evelyn¡¯s return. ¡°What if the Pope doesn¡¯te at Your Majesty¡¯s will?¡± ¡°As long as he shows up in front of me on his own feet, he will have to follow my will.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Serus nodded at Fabian¡¯s reasonable answer. Fabian didn¡¯t respect the Pope from the beginning, and in the worst-case scenario, he was motivated to get the answers he wanted, even by killing that old man. Fabian would be in trouble if the Pope were hiding in Saint Iretta. But, as he came directly to the Imperial Pce, it was advantageous for Fabian, no matter which side he chose. ¡°More than anything else, the Pdin in question alsoes here.¡± Fabian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yes. This time we have to see the ending.¡± Serus nodded. Their opponent was iprehensible and a mysterious being. The more opponents like that, the more it would be at a disadvantage if they were dragged into the long-term battle. This would probably be theirst chance, and Fabian would try to get rid of the Pdin, no matter what. ¡°Those who dare to target my son¡¯s life have no right to live any longer.¡± In Fabian¡¯s eyes, Adrian was still too young, and he still had a long life. The way he protected his son was different from Evelyn¡¯s, but they had the same feelings. ¡°Adrian can¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± Sometimes, Fabian had the same thoughts as ordinary people. It was the parent¡¯s instinct to draw a beautiful future for their children. A future where their children couldugh and y happily. And as parents, he would get rid of anything that hindered it. ¡°So I¡¯ll see the end by killing him with this hand.¡± Still, Fabian¡¯s conclusion was a bit different from ordinary people. ¡°I think that would be best.¡± ¡°The guard ¡­ Increase the number of guards in the Inner Pce, and escte the security to the highest level.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A mighty wind blew. Seeing dark cloudsing in the distance, it seemed like it was going to rain soon.
*** The rain and wind that had pored the Imperial Pce for several days suddenly disappeared, and the sky suddenly became clear as a lie. The Empress Pce, which had always been empty, had a different look every day. It¡¯s glowing as if showing off that its owner had returned. It was the result of Evelyn¡¯s strong will and Reba¡¯s behavior. ¡°You¡¯re like the Imperial Empress now,¡± Reba said satisfactorily as she watched the Royal maids and the shimmering Empress. ¡°I¡¯m still not the Empress now.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The important thing is that everyone thinks so.¡± Evelyn nodded at her wise statement. Reba was bringing her skill in managing the Akshire mansion to Empress Pce. It was a pity that such a talented woman was trapped in Perth¡¯s family. ¡°Thanks, Reba.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning.¡± Evelyn agreed with that. It was not enough to trim the Pce in a couple of days. They only had minimal preparation. It was also a preparation time to meet their enemies and let the world knew who had the authority. ¡°Here, the invitations are ready. And this is the list.¡± Reba handed over a long list. The names of Empress Dowager and Lady Ste were at the top. Below them were the names of noble wives anddies who had an influence on Imperial society. ¡°I had discussed the seating arrangement and detailed tea sets with the maid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, then.¡± Evelyn checked her list and handed it to the maid beside her. Looks like this was the first time she had been so busy since her newlywed days. Besides, now there was another creature she needed to take care of. She walked quickly to the room where Adrian was. Sir Philip had finished Adrian¡¯s treatment just in time. The old doctor saw Evelyn and gave her an example that only he did to the Empress. ¡°Princess¡­¡­I see you.¡± ¡°Sir Philip, thank you for always working hard,¡± Evelyn replied gracefully. ¡°I want to know more about Adrian¡¯s condition.¡± She pointed at Adrian with her eyes. He was a child who acted childish in Nora¡¯s arms. ¡°His progress is good.¡± dly, Philip¡¯s face looked bright when he said so. Naturally, a joy spread in Evelyn¡¯s heart as well. ¡°The detoxification is still in progress, but if there¡¯s no big problem, he will fully recover soon.¡± ¡°What if there¡¯s a big problem?¡± ¡°It would be a problem if he is infected by another poison. Detoxification would be ten times more difficult if the amount of poison in his body increased¡­ But it won¡¯t happen as he¡¯s in the Imperial Pce. So you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± exined Philip. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Fabian deployed arge number of knights to guard the Empress¡¯ Pce. There were many things to keep an eye on, but he also sent his ck Hawk to protect them in secret. The security level was so tightly maintained that it was looked like a watertight Pce. ¡°What about other problems other than poison?¡± ¡°Another problem¡­ ¡­ .¡± Sir Philip looked puzzled. ¡°What I asked you before.¡± ¡°Oh, the Prince¡¯s development ¡­ Yes, I¡¯ve been watching him, but there¡¯s no big problem.¡± Philip was a little embarrassed by that question. Evelyn sighed briefly as if she had already expected, ¡°But he still has a small problem, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­a little.¡± With an honest heart, Sir Philip told Evelyn the truth. Adrian grew smarter and stronger than other children his age. However, at the Imperial Family¡¯s level, his etiquette knowledge was almost like a nk paper. It was too impolite to call the Emperor ¡®Jimoo¡¯, even though Fabian had allowed him to do so. ¡°Sir Philip, I¡¯m sorry to keep asking you. Because I have no one else to ask for help.¡± ¡°To me¡­ ¡­ This old man¡­ ¡­ That energetic Prince¡­ Oh no. I can¡¯t.¡± Philip shook his head quickly. His sweat poured out, just looking at Adrian. How could he teach that child an etiquette? ¡°But I can introduce you to my disciple, who has received the title as a sage,¡± added Philip. ¡°I don¡¯t like having new people around me, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a new person.¡± Philip nced his eyes at his assistant holding a bag. The assistant seemed he didn¡¯t know anything. But clearly, that¡¯s not a new face. ¡°Hans,¡± Philip called him. ¡°Yes?¡± The young man, who had vowed to study science all his life, replied naively. Philip began to serve Fabian at his age. He suddenly felt a little sorry for his assistant as Philip recalled the hardships in his youth. ¡°Introduce yourself to the Princess as the Crown Prince¡¯s etiquette teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes? Well, I¡¯m Hans Tylen, the second son of Count Tylen. I apologize for myte greeting to the Princess.¡± Unlike his sheepish face, his polite words flowed out of Hans¡¯s mouth naturally. Indeed, it was a fact that a sage wouldn¡¯t ept any disciples. In fact, Hans was Philip¡¯s chief disciple, and he was specially qualified to go to the Pce as his assistant. When Philip died, Hans would have taken over his role. So naturally, he¡¯d stand by Adrian. However, he didn¡¯t expect the time came a little early. ¡°Sir Hans.¡± Evelyn saw a young man with a mix of expectations and worries. ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in advance, by Imperial standards, Adrian is a very spoiled child. Well, you¡¯ve seen him often during the treatment, so you know him well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hans didn¡¯t deny it and his answer reassured Evelyn. Only An honest person was better than a person who used to praise anything. She knew that such people were rare in the Imperil Pce, so it would make them more precious. ¡°Not because he¡¯s my child, but Adrian also very smart. That¡¯s why he learns everything very well,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best once I start.¡± Be the best teacher for a young Prince. Evelyn¡¯s request ignited Hans¡¯s enthusiasm for more remarkable achievement. ¡°Please take good care of him.¡± The day for Adrian to graduate from ¡®Jimoo¡¯ was approaching. No one could predict how intense the teaching process would be. However, Evelyn believed in Adrian. Arthur¡¯s rough and fiery upbringing shaped his behavior like that. But he was Fabian¡¯s son, not someone else. From the fact itself, Evelyn had nothing to worry about Chapter 114: Taste Of Happiness Fabian¡¯splexion looked dark, breathing in the cold night breeze. ¡°Serus, how far does the Vatican contingent get here.¡± ¡°They have crossed Duke Perth¡¯s territory. Probably, they didn¡¯t move further from where I reported it three minutes ago.¡± Vatican¡¯s procession, by custom, they slept at night, moved during the day, and if they had nothing so urgent, they marched slowly down the passable road. And that fact bothered Fabian now. ¡°It may sound crazy, but I hope the Vatican will arrive here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, how could you¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­yeah, that¡¯s crazy. But, I mean it.¡± Fabian kicked the air with his leg for no reason. There was a scorching wind of dust, but his anxiety didn¡¯t go away. Who knew the day he waited for the Pope like this woulde in his life? This time, it was he who wanted to meet that old man. ¡°Or Serus, are you able to take Lady Akshire out for a moment ¡­¡­.¡± asked Fabian. ¡°No, it¡¯s beyond my capacity.¡± Fabian¡¯s face was distorted by Serus¡¯s rejection response. Where did it go wrong? Was it since Evelyn and Adrian moved to the Empress Pce and the first day of the three gathered together? That night, Fabian, who visited the Empress Pce with a fluttering heart, met an unexpected enemy. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s faster to change thew.¡± sighed Serus. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will.¡± Reba, who gave Fabian an example with an elegant gesture, introduced herself as the Empress¡¯ chief maid. As Evelyn¡¯s aide, she stood in her position, and Fabian couldn¡¯t forget the moment when he was stopped by her. ¡ªshback¡ª [¡®Your Majesty, it¡¯s alreadyte.¡¯] Fabian was embarrassed because he didn¡¯t think there would be someone who dared to block his way. [¡®I understand how you feel, but don¡¯t forget the etiquette. You two are now divorced.¡¯] [¡®What¡¯s the matter? We¡¯re going to get married again, anyway.¡± [¡®There are lots of people out there who turn their eyes on, to speak ill about the Princess.¡¯] Reba wasn¡¯t mistaken on that. But because she was too right, it became a problem.| [¡®It¡¯s very regrettable, but you two aren¡¯t officially married at the moment. This is a temporary pce, not the Empress¡¯s. ording to the strictws of the Imperial Family and Inner Pce, it was inappropriate for Your Majesty toe here after the sunset.¡¯] And, of course, Fabian refuted. [¡®Nothing, not even etiquette, rules over me.¡¯] [¡®That¡¯s right. Your Majesty is ruling for everything. Therefore, all decisions in this Pce are up to the Princess.¡¯] It was something he didn¡¯t think about before. No one dared to criticize him as the Emperor, and he knew Evelyn would do the same. But people in the Imperial Pce were more mean than Fabian expected. Moreover, Evelyn, who now had an ambiguous status, would be given a harsher standard. The moment he recalled the fact, Fabian had no choice but to turn back from Empress Pce bitterly. ¡ªend shback¡ª ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m worried. You seem to have lost yourposuretely.¡± ¡°Composure?¡± Fabian spat outughter. ¡°I¡¯m not God. There are so many moments when I feel like I¡¯m going crazy, so my level ofposure is still so-so now.¡± The innocent Serus nodded silently, but Fabian was still not finished and kept nagging at him. ¡°Do you know how I feel when she¡¯s in front of my eyes, and I can¡¯t reach out to her? I see a warm light a few steps ahead, but never, I can reach it.¡± On that day, when Fabian was forced to leave the Empress¡¯s Pce, he turned around and saw a bright light through the window. Evelyn and Adrian seemed to have a good time. At that time, he tried his best to resist the urge to run towards them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know etiquette is such a drag.¡± For Fabian or Serus, etiquette was a convenient tool. They didn¡¯t need to have physical contact with other people, and it was an excellent tool for bonding up the nobles. As they only moved within a predetermined framework, so they didn¡¯t have to do something wasteful. ¡°Tomorrow, the Empress¡­.No, I mean, Evelyn has a tea party and invites all the noble wives and Empress Dowager to her ¡­¡­¡± His end of the speech was fluttered in the wind. Maybe it¡¯s embarrassing to say this, but Fabian really worried about her. He didn¡¯t feel like this before, but now he was. ¡°If you worried, why didn¡¯t you stop her when you met her during the day?¡± asked Serus. ¡°I tried to stop her, but she didn¡¯t even listen to me.¡± Fabian knew very well. He couldn¡¯t interfere in women¡¯s war even he was an Emperor. Evelyn must use her own strength and strong will to regain her position. Only then Evelyn could stand entirely above them. In his mind, Fabian understood everything, but his stomach burned. ¡°What if nasty and evil thingse out of their mouths and make fun of her? ¡­¡­ No, first of all, why did the Empress and Lady Metise too? Just inviting them was already weird, and even more strange when they epted the invitation.¡± ¡°Because the Pce has its order,¡± said Serus. Evelyn also said something simr, with a faint smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going crazy without knowing that. It is easier and simpler to ughter a demon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­.. a hundred times,¡± Serus answered sincerely. ¡°But, she¡¯ll be fine, I guess.¡± It was unusual for Serus to say what he didn¡¯t ask first. But Fabian nced at him, telling him to keep speaking. ¡°The former Empress always tried to avoid conflict. Well¡­ ¡­that¡¯s also aw in her Pce. But the fact that she sent the invitation means she¡¯s not going to avoid it anymore.¡± ¡°Serus, even my dog knows that.¡± Serus¡¯s words didn¡¯t sound sweet to Fabian, who was already annoyed. He didn¡¯t want to get into trouble and quickly added his sentence, ¡°There¡¯s something that can definitely make you relieved, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Something?¡± Even if Fabian didn¡¯t like the answer, but he would hear it. ¡°Akshire¡¯s¡­¡­ Lady Reba.¡± Serus began to exin desperately when Fabian¡¯s sharp gaze fell on him. ¡°Think about it. Someone who can beat those women in society ¡­¡­ is there any other than her?¡± That was a valid question, and the answer was already evident. ¡°What Your Majesty saw is just the tip of the iceberg. I am the one who saw the real her.¡± Serus couldn¡¯t forget the shocking midnight sermon. It was harder and bitter than the teachings he had heard from anyone in his whole life. But, Serus couldn¡¯t easily forget Reba¡¯s sincere green eyes, which stared at him all the time. ¡°She¡¯s like a guard dog that never existed before the Empress returned.¡± Fabian was unconsciously nodding his head at thepelling story. Only Reba dared to stop the Emperor. With her fighting-spirit, Evelyn would be fine with Empress Dowager around. Maybe she didn¡¯t even need to bicker with Ste and the other noble wives. ¡°But Empress Dowager isn¡¯t an easy opponent, either.¡± ¡°Instead, she¡¯s not interested in fighting,¡± added Serus. Fabian asked back with puzzled eyes. Serus hesitated and whispered something in his ear. The message sent by Monica had been conveyed to Serus. After listening to all that, there was something implied in Fabian¡¯s expression. ¡°I can¡¯t fully believe her, but¡­¡­ if it¡¯s true, the story will change.¡± Monica euphemistically conveyed her unwillingness to confront Fabian. She also added that there¡¯s no reason to oppose Evelyn bing the Empress again. That she was pushed from the back by his brother, Duke Metis, to negotiate, but she had no intention to step up in the Empress¡¯ war. ¡°Her Majesty Empress Dowager has retired from all internal matters of the Imperial Family long ago. So I think that¡¯s enough for her.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking.¡± Fabian cut right off. ¡°My mother always has a rxed look on her face, but no one knows what¡¯s in inside¡­¡­ even I, her son, don¡¯t know either.¡± He was the only child who inherited the blood of his parents. However, that fact made them even more apart. The person who was supposed to be closest to him became the strangest. ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we see what happens tomorrow. Nothing big will happen. As long as she¡¯s with Lady Reba.¡± ¡°I depend on her.¡± Fabian dismissed it in a word. Many scenes came to his mind while he was thinking for a while. Was Reba the only shameless, rude woman? Actually, Reba¡¯s words and deeds resembled a person¡¯s. Evelyn. When they meet again in the Felice Kingdom. She was the woman who, drunk or sober, always pushed Fabian away and rejected him. Evelyn couldn¡¯t be weak, as she was a woman who dared to go against the Emperor. ¡°I had a foolish, though,¡± said Fabian sincerely. ¡°Evelyn is strong enough.¡± ¡°I agree, Your Majesty.¡± The two men were not worried about anything now. If the person concerned heard it, those women wouldugh at them. ¡°Better now, I focus on the rest of my works.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± What he was worried about ended with relief, but it was a bitter voice for some reason.
*** The time spent in the Empress pce passed quickly. Another day had passed when she and Reba had to take care of many things in the Pce, which its master had left for a while. ¡°I wish I could have done this before.¡± Evelyn smiled to herself while looking at the list of tasks. ¡°Why did I think I was alone then?¡± The situation now wasn¡¯t too different. But Evelyn didn¡¯t know why she died so weak back then. After her return, she was shocked at the ending of her previous life and, without thinking, immediately asked for a divorce. ¡°It must be because you were really alone,¡± Reba spoke calmly. ¡°You made me feel that way.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Evelyn in wonder. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Only the party concerned knows what happened between the spouses in question. It¡¯s just¡­ I feel like that. I was married and came to the Empire ¡­ But my ex-husband lived his daily life as usual, and it¡¯s only me who felt depressed. I felt like a fool back then.¡± Perth¡¯s Family was a miniature of the Imperial Family. It was smaller, but it wasn¡¯t that different from what happened in this Imperial Family. And Evelyn was grateful to have friends to share with. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what got into me at that time when I asked for a divorce ¡­ I don¡¯t remember.¡± Evelyn honestly said. Shocked by her miserable death, all she did was notify Fabian about the divorce and returned to her Kingdom. For Fabian, who lived in the present lifetime, it was a sudden divorce, even less than two years after their marriage. ¡°The memories of my sick days sometimes disappear. It¡¯s a blessing from God.¡± ¡°How about me in Reba¡¯s memory?¡± ¡°Well¡­ ¡­ At that time, I was also learning to be a Duchess, so I couldn¡¯te to the Imperial Pce often, but I still went a few times. Of course, I haven¡¯t seen you since I got divorced.¡± Reba was lost in her past memories. ¡°So, thest time I entered the Pce, I met you at the Empress¡¯s Pce.¡± ¡°Did you say¡­ .me?¡± Having lived one life and returned from death, Evelyn could hardly remember what happened back then. ¡°Yeah. It was about a year after you married. I was already fed up with the Empire at that time¡­ ¡­ I was worried about the Princess.¡± The divorce had never been easy, even for Reba. At that time, their married life was very problematic, so they didn¡¯t have an opportunity to know each other and share. ¡°What about the old me? was it the same?¡± ¡°No.¡± Reba gave an unexpected answer. ¡°You said you were happy. You looked like that in my eyes. That¡¯s why I was able to go back without worrying about you¡­.and it turned out bad in the end.¡± Reba smiled vaguely. ¡°Me? I thought I couldn¡¯t adapt to the Imperial Family.¡± Only ¡°Of course, you missed the Felice Kingdom, but you still said there was happiness in your marriage.¡± It was a surprising story. Evelyn thought she had never been happy in the Imperial Family for a single day. But herself in Reba¡¯s memory was different. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, I guess.¡± Reba quickly dismissed the awkward topic. Then, the two went back to the conversation about tomorrow¡¯s tea party. However, in Evelyn¡¯s mind, a question she hadn¡¯t been aware of all this time haunted her mind. She was happy until she dered her divorce after her return. Happiness ¡­¡­. She had tasted happiness before. Chapter 115: Tea Party The tea party was eventually held at the Empress¡¯s Pce. Thanks to the royal courtiers who worked tirelessly under Reba¡¯s guidance, the Pce was elegantly decorated without being toovish. It was a big party as many people attended. Fortunately, the autumn afternoon weather was nice, so they could put a tea table in the garden. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± Countess Herenia kept talking until her mouth was dry. The noble wives who had arrived an hour earlier than the schedule also praised Evelyn¡¯s noble taste and dignity. ¡°They said a ce resembled its owner¡­This Pce is so elegant and splendid. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face remained expressionless as if she couldn¡¯t hear their voice and only smiled when talking to Reba for a while. Still, it wasn¡¯t muchpared to what they had done to her before. ¡°Now we can start the tea party once Her Majesty Empress arrives.¡± ¡°Thanks to Reba, things are going smoothly,¡± replied Evelyn. Only the ce where the two women stood seemed to glow brightly. Marchioness Satin, who usually stepped forward, appeared to stand still, muted like a fool, perhaps because she was still on probation. There was no blue-ugly-feather fan she usually carried in. At most, it was only when Countess Herenia spoke that she looked up and nodded her head. ¡°Well I¡¯m also happy because I¡¯m feeling exceptionally refreshed today,¡± said Reba, ringly staring at Marchioness Satin. Now it appeared that their condition was totally reversed. Marquis Satin had cracked down on his wife after her shameful act in the Felice Kingdom, and her influence in the social world had disappeared. Even when the Emperor took Evelyn back into the Pce, the Marquis pressed his wife even more. He threatened to pull it out with his own hands if she misled her tongue again. ¡°Her Majesty Empress ising with Lady Ste, Metis family¡¯s youngest daughter.¡± When the Chief of Servant¡¯s voice rang, everyone stood up and gave an example. The Empress Dowager¡¯s bright red dress was in stark contrast to the pale blue dress that Evelyn was wearing. Ste, who followed her aunt, her dress was as gorgeous as the Empress. ¡°I see you, Her Majesty.¡± Evelyn, who had the highest status in the party, came forward as the representative and weed her. She looked up at the Empress Dowager slightly. But in a surprise, Evelyn didn¡¯t feel any hostility when their eyes met each other. Even in the past, they didn¡¯t have a close rtionship. Empress Monica had abandoned all duties as owner of the Inner Pce. Still, at the same time, she didn¡¯t make any demand on Evelyn. ¡°This is a nice tea party.¡± Empress Monica, as always, said a word with a casual face. So Evelyn was warier of her. It was the same then and now that what her inside was unpredictable. In fact, today¡¯s tea party was arranged to reveal the innermost thoughts of the Empress Dowager rather than to break the habits of noble wives. ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± Evelyn smiled neatly. Soon, the courtiers served refreshments and tea. Empress Monica seated on the top, and Evelyn was sitting beside her. Reba and Ste sat in a simr position, but the other noble wives didn¡¯t dare to protest. ¡°You had a Prince, right? Empress¡­ Oh no, you¡¯re still a Princess now.¡± It¡¯s hard to read Empress Monica¡¯s ulterior motive, who suddenly offended Evelyn¡¯s current position. ¡°I was amazed to hear that His Majesty was pleased.¡± For Evelyn, it¡¯s difficult to tell the difference. Was Monica referring to Fabian¡¯s surprising joy or the surprising fact that she gave birth to a prince after the divorce? Or, maybe both. ¡°Oh¡­ ¡­this is my youngest niece. Ste? Say hello.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Ste Metis, the youngest daughter of the Metis family.¡± The young Lady, who looked smart, opened her mouth, staring straight at Evelyn. ¡°Greetings to the Princess of Felice Kingdom.¡± At least, Ste seemed to know how to behave. However, Evelyn didn¡¯t know what Ste¡¯s goal was, so she just nced at her nonchntly. Maybe Evelyn¡¯s suddeneback had made Ste grit her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see the young Lady Metis takes care of the Empress well.¡± Evelyn then turned to Empress Monica, excluding Ste from their conversation. Ste clenched her fist under the table, but she couldn¡¯t make it obvious. As beforeing here, she remembered how her aunt told her to be confident. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful as well that Lady Akshire also helps the Princess.¡± However, the conversation kept drawing parallels line. ¡°Is the Prince¡¯s name Adrian?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t understand why they still asked as that rumours must have spread throughout the Imperial family. ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring him?¡± asked Monica. Actually, she was more interested in her grandson than in Ste¡¯s matter. But, just like Fabian, Monica was very awkward in voicing her feelings, so neither Evelyn nor everyone else who was there noticed her heart. ¡°He¡¯s still a child, so it¡¯s too early for him to join a party like this.¡± ¡°Right¡­ ¡­Is it true that His Majesty really adores the Prince?¡± asked Monica again. This was her pure curiosity. Even though she was her biological mother, Monica almost died in wonder because it¡¯s hard to imagine Fabian adoring his son. ¡°Yes, thankfully.¡± Evelyn only replied briefly, as she didn¡¯t know what the Empress was up to. Monica, who was actually still curious, was forced to nod slowly. ¡°As the Crown Prince¡¯s birth mother, I heard that His Majesty has given the Princess the authority to control the Inner Pce again?¡± Thanks to the Empress¡¯s rxed personality. Finally, the main purpose of this party was revealed. Apart from that, Evelyn also thought it would be nice if she could finish her job quickly. ¡°Yes, His Majesty has believed and entrusted me, so I will do my best, too,¡± Evelyn answered softly. ¡°My current status is as the Prince¡¯s birth mother, but His Majesty has decided to make me an Empress again. So I thought, taking the Inner Pce job is the Empress¡¯s duty to help His Majesty.¡± After hearing Evelyn spoke, Empress Monica still looked calm, but the faces of the people gathered at the ce turned pale. The Inner Pce¡¯s authority and the next Empress¡¯s matter were a sensitive matter. They were utterly surprised when Evelyn said it with great confidence from her own lips, not from Emperor¡¯s. ¡°Well, it¡¯s first and second empress?¡± Empress Monica muttered to herself. ¡°I¡¯m just will be His Majesty¡¯s wife.¡± Nice question with a good answer, and at the same time, Ste bit her lips hard. Reba didn¡¯t want to forget this scene and engraved it in her memory. The same was true of the rest of the noble wives. Could people change after divorce? Evelyn was no longer the kind and patient Empress she used to be. Today, she knew exactly where she was and used it appropriately. Looking back, it wasn¡¯t something that the noble wives might have expected. ¡°Oh, really? Actually, my niece, Ste, entered the Pce to be the next Empress¡­¡­so it¡¯s a strange thing to me.¡± Indeed, Monica was Fabian¡¯s biological mother. Looking at how she didn¡¯t hesitate to make bomb remarks without changing her expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but we couldn¡¯t even know the future,¡± said Evelyn. And Monicaughed at her answer, ¡°Right. That¡¯s right.¡± Evelyn, in her memory, was a very faint-hearted woman. She was a woman who was entirely out of ce with this Imperial family. And, as she expected, Monica soon heard their divorce¡¯s news. What¡¯s going on with Evelyn? She talked about sensitive matters leisurely and suppressed the noble wives without a word. ¡°So you don¡¯t even know the future, do you? Ste suddenly intervened in the conversation. Monica stared at her niece in displeasure, but Evelyn¡¯s gentle smile was not shaken at all. ¡°Lady¡­Did you say your name was Ste?¡± Evelyn asked back calmly even though she knew who she was. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Ste Metis.¡± Ste stared at Evelyn with very challenging eyes. In the past, it might have bothered her. But after all the trouble she went through, her annoyance looked adorable in her eyes. ¡°Just like her smart face, Her Majesty¡¯s niece also says smart things.¡± Listening to Evelyn¡¯s praise, Monica twisted the corners of her mouth. Evelyn deliberately satirized her, as if she had failed to educate her niece properly. Her words also had a different meaning, implying that Ste should give up on her dreams. ¡°It¡¯s obvious. No one knows the future.¡± ¡°Ste,¡± Monica called her name. But her gibberish mouth didn¡¯t stop. ¡°It¡¯s just the Pce¡¯s owner matter. My older sister was expected that she would be the empress at first. ¡­ but in the end, someone else, the Princess, who became the Empress. and after that, the Empress¡¯ Pce lost its owner.¡± Ste¡¯s babbling was more or less starting to cross the line. Looking at her, Monica had already given up and bit her long pipe. Ste was like her father, faithful to greed and jealousy. Whoever tried to stop her would turn into her enemy, and Evelyn was no exception. ¡°I see.¡± Evelyn grinned. Sometimes there were ways to bring down the opponent instead of just getting angry outright. ¡°If I knew the future beforehand, I would save you. So, you didn¡¯t need to enter the Imperial Pce on purpose.¡± ¡°What do you mean I entered the Pce on purpose?¡± Ste, who was still young, didn¡¯t know how to control her emotions. So she easily got angry at even the slightest remark. And it was a convenient thing for Evelyn. ¡°You spoke as if I were eyeing for something ¡­ ¡­ I followed orders from my father, Duke Metis, to apany my aunt, the Empress Dowager and entered the Pce.¡± Monica was already fed up with Ste, who looked so much like her own brother. She sighed out the smoke and seemed didn¡¯t have any intention of stopping her niece anymore. ¡°Really?¡± Evelyn answered casually, but that urged Ster¡¯s temper even more. ¡°Why do you keep pushing me in strange ways? I don¡¯t understand what the Royal Princess Felice means.¡± ¡°Oh. Did I do that?¡± Evelyn, calmly looked at the wives around her, giving them a chance to talk. ¡°No way. Every Princess¡¯ words are so gentle. Right, everyone?¡± ¡°Yes. It was as soft and warm like the autumn¡¯ sun, so I fell into it without realizing it.¡± ¡°I also loved her voice so much that I forgot what to say.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± In the end, all the noble wives gathered their mouths and to praise Evelyn, except for the clumsy-addition-Marchioness Satin. And thanks to them, Ste¡¯s face now was burning hotly. It was an uneptable humiliation for her, who was raised as the youngest daughter of Duke Metis. ¡°What do the wives know? Her Majesty Empress, please be wise.¡± The only thing Ste could do was cling to her aunt. Even though in the social world, she was only the youngest daughter of a Duke, it wasn¡¯t a big deal in the Imperial family. But her current opponent was the Crown Prince¡¯s mother, who would be the future Empress¡­ she had to think twice about it. But Ste didn¡¯t know that, and it was her problem. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re so smart, you will know someday even if Her Majesty Empress doesn¡¯t teach you.¡± Evelyn, who noticed Monica annoyance said softly. Only Then Monica sighed and nodded. To this extent, Evelyn respected the Empress Dowager dignity and meant that she would tolerate Ste¡¯s slipped tongue. ¡°If the future is something that can be seen by teaching¡­¡­¡± Evelyn looked at Ste coldly as that girl crossed the line again. ¡°As far as I know, the Vatican hasn¡¯t made a decision on whether the Princess will be crowned as the Empress again,¡± said Ste. When Evelyn smiled, Reba, who understood the meaning, made a tant mockery¡±Oh, I didn¡¯t know that you had a good knowledge of world affairs. It must be thanks to your resemnce to your father. I hope that cleverness will help you in future as well.¡± Ste was a Duke¡¯s daughter. So she thought that she¡¯s the best. But at this ce, even without a crown, Evelyn was both the Princess and the Crown Prince¡¯s mother. And even Reba herself was a Duchess, who couldn¡¯t be beaten by Ste. Chapter 116: A Match Made in Heaven The noble wives, who had paid attention to the situation from the beginning, could only shut their mouths. Marchioness Satin was the only one who realized what was going on a littlete. Perhaps, because she was punished and her husband¡¯s threats were enough to shake her badly. But luckily, Countess Hernia was there, so she was able to grab the situation a bit. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry, I seem to have broken your dream,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°How can the Princess be so merciful? Lady Metis, you too. Sometimes, the future doesn¡¯t go as you want.¡± Even though Ste despised Evelyn, Reba, who stood beside her, scratched her ego even more. ¡°Lady Akshire, why are you speaking as if you know me well?¡± ¡°Is there something I don¡¯t know?¡± Their bickering seemed to have started rolling elsewhere. ¡°Ah! You were originally married to Duke Perth, but divorced, so you¡¯re well versed in Imperial affairs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Reba gave a fierce smile. ¡°Princess, if you¡¯re worried about Lady Metis¡­How about giving her another marriage? So that she won¡¯t be disappointed anymore.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°You¡¯ll be the Empress again, and it¡¯ll be an honor to her as well.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough to give Ste a sarcastic smile, but now Evelyn joined Reba as well. If Ste was alone right now, she could pretend she didn¡¯t hear them. But she was at the upper-ss noblewoman¡¯s gathering party right now, so she needed to show her dignity as Duke¡¯s daughter. ¡°Are there any nobleman who deserve to be introduced to Lady Metis?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone I know very well,¡± said Reba. Evelyn wondered, giving her a slight nce. But Reba continued to speak, ¡°He¡¯s an attractive and wonderful man who became a Duke at a young age.¡± Evelyn frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t think Reba would sacrifice Liam in this way. ¡°Why does Lady Akshire decide on my marriage?¡± Reba chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s just an offer, but that doesn¡¯t mean I forbid the Princess to care about you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the person you mean, Duke Akshire? What kind of family talks about marriage so bluntly like this? ¡± Ste snapped back in a fit of rage. But Reba opened her eyes wide and gave her a puzzled look. ¡°Our Liam ¡­¡­? My God, such a misunderstanding is too dangerous.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± As Evelyn helped her, Reba¡¯s fighting spirits soared even more. ¡°Even if you make excuses, there¡¯s no other nobleman who fits that criteria.¡± ¡°Why not? I told you I knew about him very well.¡± Evelyn suddenly realized who the person Reba meant was. So she quickly tried to hold Reba¡¯s hand, stopping her from saying the next word. ¡°Duke Perth, whom I once divorced, fits that criteria. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± Unfortunately, Evelyn was a stepte. Ste had already blushed. Her face was about to burst from the humiliation she never had before. ¡°Both of you and the Duke are still single.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Well, not now.¡± It was Ste¡¯s total defeat. But before their fight got tapered, Evelyn managed to hold her down. Then Reba finally let her go after Ste¡¯s eyes filled with tears of anger. ¡°Well, the sun is already setting,¡± Monica asked their attention all of a sudden as she didn¡¯t want to stay any longer in this annoying ce. ¡°Time had passed when I saw the happy faces of all of you.¡± Evelyn looked around the guests¡¯ faces and said. The rest was up to them to choose. Would they be a wee guest like the Empress Dowager, or became a defeated dog like Ste and swallowed the humiliation? ¡°Next time, will you show me the Prince?¡± asked Monica. ¡°Sure, I will.¡± Ste red at Monica, who abandoned her and chatted with Evelyn. Now, she doubted which side her auntie was on. Whether she had intended to support her in the first ce or not. ¡°It¡¯s a fine day, so trivial things will pass easily.¡± Monica¡¯s words sounded genuine, but Evelyn knew precisely what she meant. Implicitly, she took her hands off Ste¡¯s mistake today. Although the Empress¡¯ position was still unclear, Monica seemed to hint that she wasn¡¯t on Ste¡¯s side. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good day.¡± Monica looked at Evelyn for a moment, then she turned around without saying anything. Ste still couldn¡¯t mask her rage, but she followed her aunt reluctantly as she couldn¡¯t stand in this ce without the Empress Dowager. ¡°Today, I want to express my gratitude to the wives who have gathered here.¡± Evelyn looked around the table and said something insincere. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a great honor to have such an invitation¡­¡­ I hope you¡¯ll invite me again next time.¡± They tried to ingratiate themselves with Evelyn with pleasantries. But for Evelyn, their fake smiles all tasted bitter. The tamer¡¯s wives, more than they used to be when she was Empress, were both foolish and insignificant. ¡°Oh, my ¡­ ¡­ I thought you were all pissed off about this party¡± Evelyn looked at those noble wives coldly. Her smile, which had always been polite, now had shown her strength and determination. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t meet someone like Marchioness Satin in the future. ¡°Looks like it was just my misunderstanding.¡± This time, the wives didn¡¯t respond. If they said ¡®yes,¡¯ it meant they were again Evelyn¡¯s authority; otherwise, if they said ¡®no,¡¯ it would also be a problem. Evelyn smiled peacefully when she saw that the wives¡¯ mouths, which were always unstoppable, were now speechless. ¡°Some stupid people interpret the kindness of others as weakness and provoke anger. I read it in a book, and it really touched me,¡± said Evelyn. No one dared to refute that sarcastic remarks. Only Reba had a satisfied expression, staring at the faces of the sinful wives. Perhaps today was the happiest day for her since she came to the Imperial Pce. ¡°I hope there aren¡¯t such fools in our Imperial family.¡± Evelyn smiled brightly when she spoke about the main topic of today¡¯s party. ¡°How can ¡­¡­ those who are under the Princess ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a fool, I hope the Princess will teach her.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to listen to them, but at least she managed to get the answers she needed. Now, she wanted to leave this boring ce immediately. ¡°No, foolish people can¡¯t be taught. But, I must punish them with the discipline and rules that apply. Because that¡¯s my job in leading my Pce.¡± Every word from Evelyn created a cold atmosphere. The wives nodded their heads with their mouths shut. By not punishing someone earlier, it was a form of generosity and something to be grateful for. But they needed to know that people¡¯s hearts could change. ¡°Then, I have to go to take care of the Prince.¡± Evelyn, who was still looking at the wives who couldn¡¯t even make eye contact, turned her back. She didn¡¯t feel much better than she expected. Always, it would be helpful in the future. ¡°I¡¯ll pray, may the Princess have a peaceful time¡­..¡± Countess Herenia managed to give a greeting, but that was after Evelyn disappeared. Reba stared at them for a while and then followed Evelyn from behind.
¡°Do you know what the Countess said a little while ago? Oh, my God. She prayed for a peaceful time for you!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Is a nervous breakdown popr these days? Marchioness Satin¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good either.¡± ¡°Marquis Satin said that he would pluck out his wife¡¯s tongue if she made a mistake once again.¡± Reba snorted. ¡°But Princess, you¡¯re still too patient. You didn¡¯t see Lady Metis talked you back? You also have to stick out your tongue. The same goes for the other wives. What¡¯s the point if you bow now? Have you forgotten the words you said before? ¡° Reba wasn¡¯t wrong, but she wasn¡¯t entirely right either. ¡°Reba, do you remember what I said at those wives?¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t miss a word.¡± ¡°Foolish people can¡¯t be taught. If it¡¯s me, I won¡¯t do something like that if I had the brain and wisdom to learn.¡± ¡°But bringing up the past and punishing people is a waste of time and energy. The important thing is, now and the future.¡± Reba sighed. Unfortunately, most people in this world were like that. ¡°I know, but it¡¯s unfair¡­ ..¡± ¡°I know. They¡¯re cunning and mean.¡± Evelyn paused for a moment and looked back at Reba. ¡°But Lady Metis, she seems different.¡± Yes, Evelyn agreed with that. ¡°But because you mentioned Duke Perth, your ex-husband, I didn¡¯t have a chance to punish her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry for my sudden interrupt,¡± said Reba. ¡°No, I felt good about that. The Empress Dowager also was there, so it¡¯splicated in many ways.¡± ¡°What do you think about living in the Imperial family in a situation where all decisions have been made?¡± Reba poured out herints. In the meantime, Evelyn felt great when Reba attacked Ste with her ex-husband. ¡°Sooner orter, that problem will be solved, and time will solve it.¡± ¡°The Holy Pope ising. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what they want,¡­.. because it¡¯s up to His Majesty.¡± Evelyn nodded. Indeed, Reba was smart. She could see a big picture, different from Ste¡¯s shallow cleverness. ¡°I will imitate you and pray to throw away these hate feelings.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Really?¡± Reba nodded quickly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll pray, may the poor Lady Ste marry Duke Perth¡­¡­.¡± Phew, Evelyn finally burst intoughter. It seemed Reba¡¯s temper wasn¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°Don¡¯tugh, I mean it. They¡¯re a match made in heaven.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± Evelyn spoke lightly and stepped into the Empress Pce. Her skin, which had been slightly heated by the autumn sun, cooled down as she entered the marble building. ¡°Today, His Majesty won¡¯te, so I will check on Adrian and rest early.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re exhausted. You¡¯ve been watching those things since morning. I have a headache, too.¡± Honestly, the thing that hurt more than her head was her throbbing face because sheughed too much. Of course, it was a sincere smile, so today, Reba was so happy. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up the rest. Take a good rest.¡± ¡°Thank you always, Reba.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m really happy today¡­¡­ ¡± A smile like a flower bloomed on Reba¡¯s face. Looking at her, Evelyn smiled vaguely and walked in. ¡°Happy¡­¡± It felt like she was hearing that word for the first time in a while. When was thest time she could easily say that? Suddenly, a conversation with Reba came to her mind. It¡¯s a story that had been bothering her all along. ¡®You said you were happy.¡¯ Her newlywed life with Fabian was happy. Reba knew that. Even Fabian, her husband, had no idea of divorce, so maybe it was true. ¡°Are all my memories correct ¡­?¡± It was expected if she had such a question. After she died in 30, she woke up as a 20-years-old Evelyn, when she was still a newlywed. Evelyn wanted to escape from her lonely death as soon as possible, so she asked for a divorce without thought twice and returned to the Felice Kingdom. Thanks to this, Evelyn had no regrets because she was able to save Adrian, but her condition at the time was grim. ¡°Whenever I try to remember those days, it feels so stuffy as if there¡¯s a fog on my head,¡± Evelyn whispered sadly. Only Reba said the memories of her painful days often disappear. Still, was there any reason to forget her happy newlywed¡¯s memories? ¡°Perhaps, His Majesty¡¯s memory also different from mine¡­¡­.¡± A Memory was subjective. Everything could be different depending on the recorded facts of each person. After all, both Evelyn and Fabian only remembered those memories from their own point of view. ¡°I want to know¡­..¡± Evelyn murmured. It was their past, and it was an important memory for the days ahead. At least, she wanted to make sure that Adrian was a child born of love. ¡°Yes, next time, definitely¡­.I¡¯ll ask His Majesty,¡± Evelyn promised to herself. She was still afraid to look back on the past, but there was no cold feeling like before. As long as Fabian held her hand with his warmth, Evelyn felt she would have the courage to face the past. Chapter 116.1: A Match Made in Heaven The noble wives, who had paid attention to the situation from the beginning, could only shut their mouths. Marchioness Satin was the only one who realized what was going on a littlete. Perhaps, because she was punished and her husband¡¯s threats were enough to shake her badly. But luckily, Countess Hernia was there, so she was able to grab the situation a bit. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry, I seem to have broken your dream,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°How can the Princess be so merciful? Lady Metis, you too. Sometimes, the future doesn¡¯t go as you want.¡± Even though Ste despised Evelyn, Reba, who stood beside her, scratched her ego even more. ¡°Lady Akshire, why are you speaking as if you know me well?¡± ¡°Is there something I don¡¯t know?¡± Their bickering seemed to have started rolling elsewhere. ¡°Ah! You were originally married to Duke Perth, but divorced, so you¡¯re well versed in Imperial affairs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Reba gave a fierce smile. ¡°Princess, if you¡¯re worried about Lady Metis¡­How about giving her another marriage? So that she won¡¯t be disappointed anymore.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°You¡¯ll be the Empress again, and it¡¯ll be an honor to her as well.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough to give Ste a sarcastic smile, but now Evelyn joined Reba as well. If Ste was alone right now, she could pretend she didn¡¯t hear them. But she was at the upper-ss noblewoman¡¯s gathering party right now, so she needed to show her dignity as Duke¡¯s daughter. ¡°Are there any nobleman who deserve to be introduced to Lady Metis?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone I know very well,¡± said Reba. Evelyn wondered, giving her a slight nce. But Reba continued to speak, ¡°He¡¯s an attractive and wonderful man who became a Duke at a young age.¡± Evelyn frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t think Reba would sacrifice Liam in this way. ¡°Why does Lady Akshire decide on my marriage?¡± Reba chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s just an offer, but that doesn¡¯t mean I forbid the Princess to care about you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the person you mean, Duke Akshire? What kind of family talks about marriage so bluntly like this? ¡± Ste snapped back in a fit of rage. But Reba opened her eyes wide and gave her a puzzled look. ¡°Our Liam ¡­¡­? My God, such a misunderstanding is too dangerous.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± As Evelyn helped her, Reba¡¯s fighting spirits soared even more. ¡°Even if you make excuses, there¡¯s no other nobleman who fits that criteria.¡± ¡°Why not? I told you I knew about him very well.¡± Evelyn suddenly realized who the person Reba meant was. So she quickly tried to hold Reba¡¯s hand, stopping her from saying the next word. ¡°Duke Perth, whom I once divorced, fits that criteria. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± Unfortunately, Evelyn was a stepte. Ste had already blushed. Her face was about to burst from the humiliation she never had before. ¡°Both of you and the Duke are still single.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Well, not now.¡± It was Ste¡¯s total defeat. But before their fight got tapered, Evelyn managed to hold her down. Then Reba finally let her go after Ste¡¯s eyes filled with tears of anger. ¡°Well, the sun is already setting,¡± Monica asked their attention all of a sudden as she didn¡¯t want to stay any longer in this annoying ce. ¡°Time had passed when I saw the happy faces of all of you.¡± Evelyn looked around the guests¡¯ faces and said. The rest was up to them to choose. Would they be a wee guest like the Empress Dowager, or became a defeated dog like Ste and swallowed the humiliation? ¡°Next time, will you show me the Prince?¡± asked Monica. ¡°Sure, I will.¡± Ste red at Monica, who abandoned her and chatted with Evelyn. Now, she doubted which side her auntie was on. Whether she had intended to support her in the first ce or not. ¡°It¡¯s a fine day, so trivial things will pass easily.¡± Monica¡¯s words sounded genuine, but Evelyn knew precisely what she meant. Implicitly, she took her hands off Ste¡¯s mistake today. Although the Empress¡¯ position was still unclear, Monica seemed to hint that she wasn¡¯t on Ste¡¯s side. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good day.¡± Monica looked at Evelyn for a moment, then she turned around without saying anything. Ste still couldn¡¯t mask her rage, but she followed her aunt reluctantly as she couldn¡¯t stand in this ce without the Empress Dowager. ¡°Today, I want to express my gratitude to the wives who have gathered here.¡± Evelyn looked around the table and said something insincere. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a great honor to have such an invitation¡­¡­ I hope you¡¯ll invite me again next time.¡± They tried to ingratiate themselves with Evelyn with pleasantries. But for Evelyn, their fake smiles all tasted bitter. The tamer¡¯s wives, more than they used to be when she was Empress, were both foolish and insignificant. ¡°Oh, my ¡­ ¡­ I thought you were all pissed off about this party¡± Evelyn looked at those noble wives coldly. Her smile, which had always been polite, now had shown her strength and determination. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t meet someone like Marchioness Satin in the future. ¡°Looks like it was just my misunderstanding.¡± This time, the wives didn¡¯t respond. If they said ¡®yes,¡¯ it meant they were again Evelyn¡¯s authority; otherwise, if they said ¡®no,¡¯ it would also be a problem. Evelyn smiled peacefully when she saw that the wives¡¯ mouths, which were always unstoppable, were now speechless. ¡°Some stupid people interpret the kindness of others as weakness and provoke anger. I read it in a book, and it really touched me,¡± said Evelyn. No one dared to refute that sarcastic remarks. Only Reba had a satisfied expression, staring at the faces of the sinful wives. Perhaps today was the happiest day for her since she came to the Imperial Pce. ¡°I hope there aren¡¯t such fools in our Imperial family.¡± Evelyn smiled brightly when she spoke about the main topic of today¡¯s party. ¡°How can ¡­¡­ those who are under the Princess ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a fool, I hope the Princess will teach her.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to listen to them, but at least she managed to get the answers she needed. Now, she wanted to leave this boring ce immediately. ¡°No, foolish people can¡¯t be taught. But, I must punish them with the discipline and rules that apply. Because that¡¯s my job in leading my Pce.¡± Every word from Evelyn created a cold atmosphere. The wives nodded their heads with their mouths shut. By not punishing someone earlier, it was a form of generosity and something to be grateful for. But they needed to know that people¡¯s hearts could change. ¡°Then, I have to go to take care of the Prince.¡± Evelyn, who was still looking at the wives who couldn¡¯t even make eye contact, turned her back. She didn¡¯t feel much better than she expected. Always, it would be helpful in the future. ¡°I¡¯ll pray, may the Princess have a peaceful time¡­..¡± Countess Herenia managed to give a greeting, but that was after Evelyn disappeared. Reba stared at them for a while and then followed Evelyn from behind.
¡°Do you know what the Countess said a little while ago? Oh, my God. She prayed for a peaceful time for you!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Is a nervous breakdown popr these days? Marchioness Satin¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good either.¡± ¡°Marquis Satin said that he would pluck out his wife¡¯s tongue if she made a mistake once again.¡± Reba snorted. ¡°But Princess, you¡¯re still too patient. You didn¡¯t see Lady Metis talked you back? You also have to stick out your tongue. The same goes for the other wives. What¡¯s the point if you bow now? Have you forgotten the words you said before? ¡° Reba wasn¡¯t wrong, but she wasn¡¯t entirely right either. ¡°Reba, do you remember what I said at those wives?¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t miss a word.¡± ¡°Foolish people can¡¯t be taught. If it¡¯s me, I won¡¯t do something like that if I had the brain and wisdom to learn.¡± ¡°But bringing up the past and punishing people is a waste of time and energy. The important thing is, now and the future.¡± Reba sighed. Unfortunately, most people in this world were like that. ¡°I know, but it¡¯s unfair¡­ ..¡± ¡°I know. They¡¯re cunning and mean.¡± Evelyn paused for a moment and looked back at Reba. ¡°But Lady Metis, she seems different.¡± Yes, Evelyn agreed with that. ¡°But because you mentioned Duke Perth, your ex-husband, I didn¡¯t have a chance to punish her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry for my sudden interrupt,¡± said Reba. ¡°No, I felt good about that. The Empress Dowager also was there, so it¡¯splicated in many ways.¡± ¡°What do you think about living in the Imperial family in a situation where all decisions have been made?¡± Reba poured out herints. In the meantime, Evelyn felt great when Reba attacked Ste with her ex-husband. ¡°Sooner orter, that problem will be solved, and time will solve it.¡± ¡°The Holy Pope ising. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what they want,¡­.. because it¡¯s up to His Majesty.¡± Evelyn nodded. Indeed, Reba was smart. She could see a big picture, different from Ste¡¯s shallow cleverness. ¡°I will imitate you and pray to throw away these hate feelings.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Really?¡± Reba nodded quickly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll pray, may the poor Lady Ste marry Duke Perth¡­¡­.¡± Phew, Evelyn finally burst intoughter. It seemed Reba¡¯s temper wasn¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°Don¡¯tugh, I mean it. They¡¯re a match made in heaven.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± Evelyn spoke lightly and stepped into the Empress Pce. Her skin, which had been slightly heated by the autumn sun, cooled down as she entered the marble building. ¡°Today, His Majesty won¡¯te, so I will check on Adrian and rest early.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re exhausted. You¡¯ve been watching those things since morning. I have a headache, too.¡± Honestly, the thing that hurt more than her head was her throbbing face because sheughed too much. Of course, it was a sincere smile, so today, Reba was so happy. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up the rest. Take a good rest.¡± ¡°Thank you always, Reba.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m really happy today¡­¡­ ¡± A smile like a flower bloomed on Reba¡¯s face. Looking at her, Evelyn smiled vaguely and walked in. ¡°Happy¡­¡± It felt like she was hearing that word for the first time in a while. When was thest time she could easily say that? Suddenly, a conversation with Reba came to her mind. It¡¯s a story that had been bothering her all along. ¡®You said you were happy.¡¯ Her newlywed life with Fabian was happy. Reba knew that. Even Fabian, her husband, had no idea of divorce, so maybe it was true. ¡°Are all my memories correct ¡­?¡± It was expected if she had such a question. After she died in 30, she woke up as a 20-years-old Evelyn, when she was still a newlywed. Evelyn wanted to escape from her lonely death as soon as possible, so she asked for a divorce without thought twice and returned to the Felice Kingdom. Thanks to this, Evelyn had no regrets because she was able to save Adrian, but her condition at the time was grim. ¡°Whenever I try to remember those days, it feels so stuffy as if there¡¯s a fog on my head,¡± Evelyn whispered sadly. Only Reba said the memories of her painful days often disappear. Still, was there any reason to forget her happy newlywed¡¯s memories? ¡°Perhaps, His Majesty¡¯s memory also different from mine¡­¡­.¡± A Memory was subjective. Everything could be different depending on the recorded facts of each person. After all, both Evelyn and Fabian only remembered those memories from their own point of view. ¡°I want to know¡­..¡± Evelyn murmured. It was their past, and it was an important memory for the days ahead. At least, she wanted to make sure that Adrian was a child born of love. ¡°Yes, next time, definitely¡­.I¡¯ll ask His Majesty,¡± Evelyn promised to herself. She was still afraid to look back on the past, but there was no cold feeling like before. As long as Fabian held her hand with his warmth, Evelyn felt she would have the courage to face the past. Chapter 117: As A Mother Fabian at once received both good news and bad news. ¡°She asked her to marry the Duke Perth? It¡¯s beyondmon sense¡­..¡± Even Fabian was profoundly impressed with what Reba said. ¡°She¡¯s not wrong. Because my brother is currently single.¡± Serus said calmly as if Duke Perth wasn¡¯t his brother. ¡°But it¡¯s surprising. I didn¡¯t know the Princess would give such a threatening warning to the noble wives.¡± There was a satisfied smile engraved on Fabian¡¯s lips. Evelyn wasn¡¯t a weak woman. But the burden as the Empress and the obligation to the unfamiliar Imperial family were so heavy, so she was very cautious in everything. The Imperial nobility¡¯s wives were known for their babbling, and Fabian¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t wrong; Evelyn could make those women bowed their heads without saying a word. ¡°If they vite etiquette, the Pce¡¯s owner must punish them. Only now were those words spoken. Evelyn was too generous.¡± But actually, Fabian¡¯s heart was very nervous. As an Emperor, he couldn¡¯t get involved in the Inner Pce and women¡¯s affairs. Still, he was afraid that Evelyn would again be harassed by those noblewomen. Luckily he checked it himself, and his calction was wrong. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Again?¡± Serus slipped away from his gaze. But Fabian could guess it already without having to listen to him. ¡°Her Majesty the Empress ¡­.. she requested to meet.¡± ¡°Reject, as usual,¡± he said. ¡°Now¡­¡­ she¡¯s outside the door.¡± Huh, Fabian spat outughter. Her mother seemed severe this time. Well, she had been patient for a long time as she couldn¡¯t see Fabian¡¯s face so far. And Fabian also needed to meet his mother once. To make sure whether she was an enemy or not. ¡°Earlier, it was said that Lady Metis ran away in tears and met Duke Metis after the tea party,ining that she got insulting remarks.¡± ¡°She¡¯s too young. Young and foolish.¡± Fabian gave a cold exmation and then folded his hands. ¡°Bring the Empress in. After that, you go and deliver my message to Duke Akshire.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Soon, the Vatican party would arrive at the Imperial Pce. Fabian would do everything he could, even if he had to join hands with Liam. ¡°It will be a tough meeting¡­ ¡± Fabian, who was left alone, spoke to himself quietly. Soon after the Chambein made an announcement, arge door of the Emperor¡¯s office opened, and the Empress Dowager walked in alone. Fabian stood up reluctantly after seeing his mother walked upright without the maid, who usually was by her side. ¡°Forcing to wait in front of Emperor¡¯s office is not a visit but a raid.¡± Fabian opened his mouth first and spoke to his mother with an icy voice. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. If I wait for you to visit me, I¡¯ll grow old and die first.¡± Monica retorted her son¡¯s nonchnt words without a blink of an eye. ¡°I know why you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her red lips twisted slightly. Fabian was a perfect Emperor in every way. Still, he wasn¡¯t a man who knew how to examine the details of other people¡¯s feelings. He resembled histe-father a lot. That¡¯s why Monica couldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°You can say it yourself if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± said Fabian, trying to avoid an argument with his mother. ¡°Well, Duke Metis won¡¯t stand still.¡± ¡°Did youe all the way here to tell me that obvious fact?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you have grossly underestimated Duke Metis¡¯ ambition.¡± ¡°He is a person who wants Metis¡¯s blood to be thicker than Royal¡¯s blood in this Imperial family. Is there any other ambition beyond that? ¡± Fabianughed coldly. Monica didn¡¯t answer him back since she also agreed to that statement. She was Metis¡¯ daughter, and Fabian was the Emperor with Metis¡¯ blood. If Ste ascended to the Empress¡¯ threr, the Imperial family¡¯s blood would be blurred. ¡°Her Majesty Empress, do you still not know?¡± Fabian slowly sauntered away from his mother¡¯s sight, ¡°What kind of person I am.¡± He sat on the throne with his noblest gesture. A gesture that was full of symbolism. ¡°I wonder if you don¡¯t even know me. I never feel that Metis¡¯ blood running inside me. It¡¯s the same as your blood. Even if my future Empress is Metis¡¯s daughter, don¡¯t even think she can change anything.¡± Monica looked up at her son, who was sitting on the throne with serene eyes. It felt like the years had passed like flowing water. It seemed only yesterday that Fabian was in the nanny¡¯s arms and was breastfed. But since then, the distance between mother and child had never narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m nobody¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty is just the Emperor.¡± After being crowned in the Empire, the Emperor was reborn as a different human from others until his death. He was the ruler of the world, and he was no longer someone¡¯s son. ¡°I don¡¯t care how big the Duke¡¯s ambition is. If he crosses the line and leads to rebellion, he will be obliterated by the Emperor¡¯s power.¡± Monica nodded quietly. As the Empress, she understood the risk well, but her brother, Duke Metis, seemed to have no idea. Sagan seemed vaguely confident that Fabian wouldn¡¯t impose harsh sanctions because Metis¡¯s blood flowed within him. Even though such a thing didn¡¯t exist in the Imperial family. ¡°I don¡¯t expect much from Your Majesty,¡± said Monica. Fabian held his chin in one hand and looked straight at his mother, ¡°Then why did youe here?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m in a difficult situation because my family is involved like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you who brought your niece, Lady Metis, to the Pce, and you want me to believe that?¡± Sadly, Fabian didn¡¯t know much about Monica¡¯s life in the Metis family as they didn¡¯t have time to talk heart to heart. ¡°Didn¡¯t that Lady Metis enter the Pce to take the Empress seat?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡± Monica quickly drew a line. ¡°It wasn¡¯t what I wanted. Do you know what I did for the Metis family?¡± Fabian pauses for a moment. Looking back, yes, his mother didn¡¯t do anything for the Metis family. She was very quiet in the Imperial family, as was her attitude towards her son. She wasn¡¯t interested in politics as well as in society. During her stay in the Imperial Pce, she only gave birth to sessors and did nothing. ¡°I only did my duty by giving birth to Your Majesty. And now what I want is a peaceful daily life,¡± said Monica with firm determination. ¡°So ¡­¡­ you¡¯re now telling me that you¡¯re not the mastermind after you brought her to the Pce yourself?¡± ¡°Yes, but it just because I couldn¡¯t ignore the family¡¯s coercion.¡± ¡°What a usible excuse.¡± Fabian hissed. The gap between them couldn¡¯t be easily filled had created a moment of silence. ¡°In the first ce, Ste¡­ ¡­ Even though she¡¯s my niece, I know she doesn¡¯t have the Empress¡¯ fate.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows wriggled a little at those remarks. Somehow, he didn¡¯t think his mother¡¯s words were a lie. ¡°More than anything, I know for sure that you want Princess Evelyn.¡± Monica looked closely at Fabian¡¯s ck eyes. ¡°You never wanted anything first since you were little¡­..¡± Monica never gave anything to her son. Fabian was breastfed by a nanny and raised by the Duchess Perth until he received the Emperor¡¯s crown. Back then, she didn¡¯t know that she would regret it someday. ¡°As a child, I had everything, so there was nothing I wanted.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­..¡± Monica blurred the end of her speech. ¡°No, I¡¯m d to hear that. But I think you have something you want now.¡± Fabian seemed didn¡¯t understand what his mother said. But those words led to Evelyn and his child, so he nodded at once without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m delighted to see Your Majesty fighting for something that you so desire¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Monica gave a nd, silent smile. Now it seemed that Fabian no longer needed a mother. Yet, she didn¡¯t have a sad heart because her son found the family he deserved. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything for Your Majesty. That¡¯s what I know best.¡± Fabian always thought that his mother was a selfish person. So his face frowned slightly when she said something unexpected. He would understand better if his mother talked about the Metis family. But right now, he had no clue what his mother was thinking about. ¡°Why, suddenly¡­..¡± ¡°Would you give me a chance to help you at least once?¡± asked Monica. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Monica had no choice because Fabian was her son. ¡°Please give me the Elder¡¯s position in Inner Pce just once.¡± Fabian narrowed his eyes, wondering, did his mothere here to make such a request? ¡°No matter what happens, there can¡¯t be two ¡®Empress¡¯ in the Pce, even if it¡¯s her mother-inw.¡± ¡°I already know that. But, even if I be an Elder in Inner Pce, I have no power.¡± In fact, Inner Pce¡¯s authority was in Evelyn¡¯s hand. Besides, if his mother became an Elder, she would have be a stranger to the Imperial family. ¡°When the Vaticanes, I will ask them to crown the Princess as an Empress.¡± Fabian knitted his eyebrows, ¡°Empress-mother, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°At least once, I want to do something as a mother.¡± ¡°Is there any more sincere exnation other than such a ridiculous reason?¡± ¡°To be honest, I want to end all these arguments by marrying Ste off to another noble family when she grows up. But the thing is, Duke Metis won¡¯t give up because he doesn¡¯t have any more daughters. So, let me go around ande out on Your Majesty¡¯s orders. ¡° His mother¡¯s idea was brilliant. Because it didn¡¯t make sense for Fabian to arrange or force marriages between noble families. But it was possible if there was someone who could represent him to do so. When the Vatican troupe arrived, it seemed better for his mother to wee them than to ask Evelyn, the party involved in the matter. ¡°What do you get by doing that?¡± questioned Fabian curiously. Monica smiled bitterly in response to her son¡¯s unfriendly reaction, ¡°It¡¯s simple. I will break free as the backbone of my family and return to a peaceful life in a separate Pce. You will keep me safe for the rest of my life in exchange for my cooperation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all¡­¡­? Do you want to cut ties with the Metis family?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you know nothing.¡± Monicaughed. Fabian never knew about her mother¡¯s life. The fact that she hated Metis more than anyone else, how disgusted she was when facing his ambitious brother, and how happy she was when Fabian was born. ¡°The Metis has used me to gain enough power. My days are already over, so I have no desire to serve them anymore.¡± After all, Ste was an unsuitable figure to be an Empress. Monica didn¡¯t wish any strife in the Inner Pce and opposition control over parliament. Duke Metis and Monica¡¯s thoughts werepletely different in this matter. Sagan looked for ways to protect his family¡¯s glory. But for Monica, her son¡¯s safety and peace were above all else. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll wait for Your Majesty¡¯s decision,¡± said Monica. ¡°What do you want to say¡­ Is that all?¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± At the moment, there was tenderness in Monica¡¯s eyes, looking at Fabian warmly, ¡°Congrattions for having the Prince, and please take care of your health.¡± Only Fabian was still confused, but he nodded unwittingly, ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡± Briefly, Monica opened her eyes wide in one of surprise, then smiled. But that moment wasn¡¯t long. She turned around like she did when she first entered the room and disappeared from Fabian¡¯s sight. Still, the meeting between that mother and son felt cold and stiff. However, something was different today. ¡°Really¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± Fabian, who was sitting on the throne, muttered alone. The Empress Dowager, whom he met a while ago, wasn¡¯t the mother he was familiar with. However, her bold proposal made him took the assumption that his mother was sincere. ¡°It¡¯s a problem to think about.¡± It was only a matter of time before the Vatican party arrived. Fabian quietly cleared up his mind, looking at the finish line that was already in front of his eyes. Chapter 118: The Distance Between Us Fabian went to the Empress¡¯ Pce that night. Same as before, Reba was standing in his way, stopping him. But she couldn¡¯t kick him out since she had something important to do. Evelyn, who got fatigued after the tea party, was still awake. As if there was telepathy through the mind that they had a desire to see each other. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± Fabian quickly stopped Evelyn when she was about to give an example and sat right beside her. Actually, Reba only banned him from seeing herte at night, and Fabian saw Evelyn¡¯s face almost every day. Yet oddly, he felt content every time he looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s a shame Lady Akshire is a woman.¡± ¡°What? Reba?¡± ¡°Yes. If she were a man, I would have hired her as a general and used her well.¡± Evelyn burst out into peals ofughter, looking at Fabian, who talked with a serious face, ¡°Thanks to her, she always helps me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ¡­ I heard what happened today.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t look surprised. The Emperor¡¯s Pce Chief was there, so it was evident that he would report everything to him without missing a word. ¡°So did youe here to scold me?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°No way.¡± Fabian grinned. ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡¯s a punishment if you give me a prize.¡± With only that word, Evelyn could guess what¡¯s inside Fabian¡¯s mind, ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± she said unknowingly. ¡°I used to find it¡¯s hard to understand Your Majesty¡¯s feelings even with words, but now I think I know¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And so do I.¡± Fabian instinctively reached out and took Evelyn¡¯s hand, ¡°I like that very much.¡± Evelyn could feel Fabian¡¯s warm temperatures patted her back-hand. In the past, she didn¡¯t realize that any little moment like this would feel so precious. ¡°If l had known you wereing, I would have put Adrian to bedte.¡± ¡°No ¡­.. you¡¯d better keep him healthy.¡± Fabian suddenly remembered his mother¡¯s words. ¡°A little while ago, Empress-mother came to me and said so.¡± ¡°The Empress?¡± Evelyn was stunned. Even her face was perplexed. ¡°Yeah, she poured out words that I couldn¡¯t understand and left on her own. It¡¯s so her.¡± Fabian said calmly. However, Evelyn thought there might be a reason why the Empress Dowager acted like that. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Hmmm. The proposal she offered was interesting, but I don¡¯t know what her motive is. ¡° Monica sat back at the tea party instead of helping Ste as expected, and she left early to lighten Evelyn¡¯s burden. Although they didn¡¯t really interact much, Evelyn felt goodwill from her actions at that time. ¡°Your Majesty, not every word, is supposed to have meaning. Moreover, she¡¯s your mother.¡± ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s worse than other mothers.¡± Evelyn had no choice but to nod her head in silence at the remarks. ¡°The Empress¡¯s offer¡­¡­ it¡¯s strange. She asked me to give her an ¡°elder¡± position in the Inner Pce for a short time. But she doesn¡¯t want power.¡± Fabian told her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means either.¡± ¡°Ha, as you may know¡­¡­ Duke Metis is an ambitious person.¡± ¡°Yes, I think so, too.¡± Evelyn felt something strange when she recalled Ste¡¯s face, which was shaking after she had fought with Reba. ¡°I won¡¯t ept another Empress other than you.¡± Fabian looked into Evelyn¡¯s eyes and said firmly, in case she¡¯d forget. ¡°I know.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t doubt him, and it wasn¡¯t a vague belief but a certainty. ¡°The Empress said she would arrange for Lady Metis¡¯ marriage in her capacity as an Elder in Inner Pce. But of course, that person isn¡¯t me.¡± Suddenly, Evelyn blinked her eyes. She wondered if Reba¡¯s ominous words would be a reality? ¡°And when the Vatican arrived, as the Pce-elder, she said she would ask them, to bless you as the Empress.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t that a very good offer? Actually, I¡¯m a little embarrassed to ask them myself.¡± Whispered Evelyn. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you do it. I thought it would be best to ask Duchess Perth instead.¡± ¡°But there won¡¯t be anything better than the Empress herself whoes forward.¡± Fabian nodded his head a little, but for a moment, his face looked dark. ¡°Can you believe her?¡± To Evelyn, Fabian, who took his mother for granted, seemed a little sad. But she could fully understand his feelings. The rtionship between the Empress Dowager and Fabian was distant, dry, and cold. Whatever the cause was, whether the Empress wanted it or not, that was the reality. ¡°The Empress said she didn¡¯t care about the prosperity of the Metis family. Her purpose is to clear up thisplicated problem and return to the Southern Pce¡¯s peaceful daily life. Still¡­. it doesn¡¯t change the fact she¡¯s Metis¡¯ daughter.¡± Evelyn was lost in thought. Considering Metis¡¯ ambition, it was something she couldn¡¯t do. However, there was a sense of disparity with the Empress¡¯ figure in Evelyn¡¯s mind. When Evelyn was the Empress, Fabian¡¯s mother tended to remain indifferent in everything. That¡¯s why it¡¯s unlikely for her to cheat on her son for the Metis family¡¯s sake and created a storm. ¡°Well, may I give you my opinion?¡± Fabian sighed, ¡°I came here to hear that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡­ the Empress-mother is moving for Metis¡¯ sake.¡± No matter how strong Metis¡¯s influence was. When Evelyn joined the Imperial family, she could vaguely notice, nothing could overshadow the Emperor¡¯s power in this Empire. And the Empress must be well aware of it and also felt the same thing as her. ¡°Then, for what?¡± ¡°Did she say anything else?¡± ¡°She said some strange things. Well¡­¡­ She¡¯s happy that I have something I want, or to raise my child in good health.¡± Fabian muttered insignificantly, but Evelyn was surprised and widened her eyes. She was amazed that the Empress whom she knew could say such a thing. ¡°She wants to help me once because she never did anything to me.¡± ¡°Is she¡­ serious?¡± Evelyn asked cautiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Fabian cut it short. ¡°I think the Empress is sincere.¡± ¡°Why?¡± It¡¯s hard to exin. First of all, Fabian wouldn¡¯t understand because it¡¯s Evelyn¡¯s heart that felt that way. So she slowly arranged the strands of words in her mind, trying to make an answer as natural as possible. ¡°Maybe, if it were me¡­¡­ I also want to help Adrian.¡± Fabian nted his eyebrows as if he heard a weird answer. ¡°You care and love Adrian like your own life because you raise him by your side.¡± But it¡¯s a different case for him. Fabian could hardly remember his mother¡¯s face as a child because they rarely met. ¡°Yes. But even if I can¡¯t hold him and have to raise him with someone else¡¯s hand, I will still love him.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian with eyes full of confidence, ¡°Because I¡¯m a mother too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­The rtionship between Empress-mother and me is different.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same. Both of you are mother and son.¡± If she hadn¡¯t given birth to Adrian, Evelyn might have doubted the Empress Dowager¡¯s intentions. But as she looked back, she could understand his mother¡¯s feelings felt a little bit. If Evelyn became an Empress and gave birth to Adrian, she would have to follow the same path as her, even if she loved him. ¡°No mother wants to throw away her own child. Me too¡­ I know how she feels.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Empress-mother had no choice. Like I did.¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t argue with Evelyn¡¯s words. Because it was Imperial¡¯s tradition that had passed down from ancient times and had never been questioned. If it weren¡¯t for Adrian, he probably wouldn¡¯t have realized how cold and cruel things were. ¡°I know you can¡¯t get close to her all of a sudden. It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault.¡± Evelyn spoke in a tender voice. ¡°But still, a child is probably the most special person in one¡¯s life. Even if I left Adrian and didn¡¯t raise him, I would definitely want to help him at least once if he has a family, even though we¡¯re never close.¡± Evelyn never thought about this in the past. She always thought the Empress Dowager was a cold person, just like Fabian. She didn¡¯t feel suspicious why they were distant, and she didn¡¯t want to find out more about their rtionship. ¡°I don¡¯t think Empress-mother will deceive you for the sake of Duke Metis ¡­..¡± ¡°That family cannot be trusted.¡± spat Fabian. His words also made sense. He knew exactly what kind of human his uncle was. He is a greedy person and couldn¡¯t control his endless ambitions. ¡°At the tea party today¡­¡­ The Empress did nothing.¡± ¡°Huh, she¡¯s that kind of person.¡± ¡°No, something more than that¡­ Even though Lady Metis was humiliated, she didn¡¯t defend her at all, and she didn¡¯t seem happy with her niece¡¯s behavior. For me¡­ I felt like she¡¯s on my side.¡± But, whatever she said, Fabian still had mixed feelings about his mother. ¡°If that time your mother was on Metis¡¯ side, she couldn¡¯t possibly let that happen since it would be a social disgrace. ¡° Sometimes, the socialite women¡¯s eyes and mouths were more brutal than the nobles arguing at the congress. After today¡¯s tea party, the Imperial socialite circle must have known that there was no chance of Lady Metis bing an Empress. Evelyn, who had the full authority of the Inner Pce and the Empress Dowager, who had the reputation of being the Emperor¡¯s mother, only watched when her niece was degraded. ¡°Do you really think so? Empress-mother has no other intentions?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure of that,¡± assured Evelyn. Her blue eyes contained a mix of emotions. Seeing her warm heart and unwavering conviction, Fabian stopped thinking intricately, ¡°If you believe, I¡¯ll believe.¡± ¡°Still¡­ ¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°I believe in your contention.¡± Fabian convinced, in this matter, Evelyn¡¯s judgment seemed more urate than his. ¡°And I thought while listening to your story¡­.. About Adrian.¡± Initially, Fabian never had any particr thoughts about his children except as a sessor. He grew up under disparate circumstances, so Fabian never imagined to have a harmonious family. ¡°Strange, even though I only met him for a short time ¡­..I wanted to save Adrian no matter what, at the time of the demon¡¯s raid. Even if I had to exchange it for my life.¡± Fabian¡¯s soft-low whisper made Evelyn¡¯s eyes grow bigger. It¡¯s normal to be attached to his child, but he was an Emperor. A superior being to all humans in this world, and couldn¡¯t be reced by anyone. ¡°I know¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe it either.¡± For Fabian, who was born as an heir to the imperial family and ascended the throne at sixteen. That kind of thought was unfamiliar. So for him, it was something startling. Fabian felt like he could do anything for that child. ¡°Ifter you raise Adrian like me ¡­¡­ even if we can¡¯t be as close as you said, maybe I¡¯ll still love him.¡± At that moment, a serene smile bloomed on Evelyn¡¯s lips. ¡°Honestly, I still don¡¯t know my mother¡¯s heart.¡± Evelyn nodded at his words. Time gaps that were too long couldn¡¯t be closed at once. ¡°I want to believe, Empress-mother loves you with the same heart like me.¡± Only ¡°That¡¯s a very strange word.¡± Fabian shed lowughter of unknown meaning. ¡°But I don¡¯t hate it¡­.¡± He was still awkward, but he began to express his feelings as it was. ¡°Do you know what?¡± Evelyn unwittingly reached out and wrapped his cheek. Her sudden action made Fabian startled, but quickly he smiled. ¡°I more like the current Your Majesty.¡± Her beautiful blue eyes were overflowing with love. The short moment felt as long as eternity. Fabian took Evelyn¡¯s hand around his cheek and slowly came closer towards her. Then Evelyn closed her eyes unknowingly. Soon, they were wrapped in a lovely moment when Fabian¡¯s lips touched Evelyn¡¯s deeply. Chapter 119: Adrian’s Nightmare The atmosphere in the official residence, where Duke Metis lived, seemed a little different than usual. Sagan couldn¡¯t hold his frustration and hit the table with his fist. Ste¡¯s eyes were swollen and teary because she was tired of crying. ¡°Father¡­ ¡­ there¡¯s really not a single lie¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m telling you everything.¡± Born as the Duke¡¯s precious youngest daughter, Ste felt that her pride had been trampled underfoot for the first time. When she stepped into the Pce with her aunt, she thought she was going to be an Empress right away. But Evelyn, whom she met, was far from the weak Empress in her imagination. ¡°Nobody stood up for me even after they heard Lady Akshire¡¯s mockery! Even the Empress Dowager!¡± cried Ste. That was the most shocking part for Ste, who had believed in Empress Dowager¡¯s power. Same thing with Sagan. He exhaled a resentful breath and frowned as sharply as he could. ¡°Oh my God, they told you to marry a widower? How insolent ¡­.¡± Ste¡¯s tears kept dripping, there was no sign of stopping. Seeing her daughter, Sagan shook his hand irritably. ¡°Stop it! What gets better with crying?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ste tried to swallow his tears after hearing his father¡¯s loud rebuke. But her grim expression in her face didn¡¯t go away. ¡°Princess Evelyn or Lady Akshire maybe can do that.¡± Evelyn was a woman who once became an Empress. He didn¡¯t know what kind of trick she used, but Evelyn could steal Emperor¡¯s heart which liked a wooden stone and returned to the Imperial Pce with his son. Although the former Empress looked frail, Sagan had to admit that she was now a strong opponent. ¡°Did your aunt really just sit there?¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­she seems to be taking sides with Princess Evelyn¡­¡± Ste, who hade to the Pce and only trusted the Empress Dowager, suddenly felt both panicked and humiliated. Evelyn, whom she underestimated at first, turned out that she had a tough heart, not showing her weak side at all. And all the noble wives could only sit on the chairs and bow their heads, making Ste looked even more pathetic. ¡°Then, when I asked the Empress why, she just said it¡¯s annoying! She didn¡¯t even stop me from leaving the Pce! ¡° Sagan frowned when Ste started to sob again. He admitted it, sometimes, his daughter was annoying at times like this. But the Empress¡¯s coldness couldn¡¯t make her feel any better. But in this incident, the problem was the Empress¡¯s attitude. Ste was having a hard time because the Empress didn¡¯t y her part well from the start. ¡°Did she say anything else?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ nothing¡­¡­.¡± Ste, who was depressed, shook her head. ¡°Huh, oh my¡­.¡± Sagan spat out a sigh. Something he was worried about was going on. The Empress and Fabian didn¡¯t get along well, and that definitely includes his rtionship with the Metis family. Maybe, it was a mistake to entrust this job to his sister, who despised the troubled job and was cold-hearted. ¡°How could the Empress be so ignorant of me? Does she¡­..hate me?¡± muttered Ste. Sagan kicked his tongue and saw his daughter¡¯s messy face. It would be better if her daughter were hated because she was too attractive. Ste was her daughter, but in his eyes, she wasn¡¯t pretty enough. ¡°Tomorrow I will go to the Pce and see the Empress.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean your actions were right.¡± Sagan cut her hard. ¡°You can only cry and run from trouble ¡­.Have I ever taught you that?¡± Ste bit her lips and lowered her head. Initially, Sagan assumed that his firstborn, Irina, would be the Empress. So he was more focused on educating his eldest daughter. But time had passed since the Emperor chose Evelyn, and only Ste, the youngest who hadn¡¯t married. Ste was also a daughter who was raised without any special expectation that she would contribute to the family or in a situation like that. ¡°In the first ce, it¡¯s something only thedies in the Pce should know. And such insinuation usually disappears over time. But now everyone on the street knows that you ran home crying. Was that something you were so proud of?¡± Ste couldn¡¯t say anything at her father¡¯s harsh scolding. She thought that his father, who used to be kind to her, had be a different person now. ¡°I taught you wrong. How could you be so pompous and arrogant? ¡° ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡°When Princess Evelyn showed up with his sessor, we were already at a disadvantage. And look! What have you done? Don¡¯t let your guard down until you get a clear victory, was my teaching that hard to do?¡± Ste¡¯s real pride was high in the sky. Then, she felt more the upper hand after entering the Pce. In her heart, she already considered herself as an Empress. What¡¯s more, Evelyn, who left the Imperial family through a divorce, was a very sad disgrace. That¡¯s why Ste believed that she was different from her. ¡°Uh¡­ ..father, I¡¯m¡­¡­ What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t be the second Empress, then be the third Empress¡­¡­is that what she said?¡± The Empress Dowager said it as a metaphor. But those words really surprised Ste, and she immediately told her father. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve definitely heard it. But I ¡­ ¡­ I can¡¯t wait without doing anything. If she¡¯s going to be Empress for life, when¡¯s my turn?¡± Ste said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer. If her son grows up and takes the throne, then it¡¯s toote!¡± Sagan sighed. Thement of his youngest daughter was irrelevant to him. However, the Empire¡¯s sessor must be from the Metis family. Truth be told, he always wondered why Ste was the only daughter he had now. ¡°Ste.¡± ¡°Yes, Father¡±, she answered. ¡°I have no intention of giving up. How about you.¡± ¡°Me too¡­ ¡­I really want to be an Empress!¡± Ste¡¯s enthusiasm could fill the gaps in her weaknesses. Sagan nodded, patting his daughter on the shoulder. ¡°Then stop crying and make yourself the next Empress. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± It was only then that Ste nodded her head. ¡°Tomorrow, go to the Pce with me and revisit Empress Dowager. Until then, sleep, heal your swollen eyes.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± After Ste stood back, Sagan sighed, ¡°Why are things so twisted?¡± Everything would go smoothly if Irina, his first daughter, became the Empress from the beginning. But at a crucial moment, Fabian attacked the Metis family from behind and weed Princess Evelyn as his wife. ¡°Then and now, she¡¯s the same opponent..¡­ This is a hard job.¡± Tuk ¡­ tuk ¡­ Sagan¡¯s finger tapped the mahogany table. As someone began to twist, it looked like a tangled string was loosening out of control. Starting from Princess Evelyn¡¯s appearance, the Empress¡¯s ambiguous attitude, and Ste¡¯s carelessness. All of them gave Sagan a headache. ¡°I can find another substitute for that matter. But his sessors¡­.¡± Sagan looked up into the air, he lost in thought for a moment. Empress could be reced. But the sessor was different. Sagan¡¯s real goal wasn¡¯t to make his daughter an Empress but to keep the Metis¡¯ blood flowing in Imperial¡¯s sessor. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see that.¡± His voice sounded poisonous in the darkness.
*** The next day, the usual peaceful night at the Empress¡¯s Pce turned upside down. This was because of Adrian, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly struggled and started crying. Nora and Lily tried to calm him down, thinking that Adrian was just sleepy. But, after the child didn¡¯t stop crying, they quickly ran to find Evelyn and Reba. ¡°Princess, he doesn¡¯t stop crying ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Give him to me, I¡¯ll hold him. Nora, please warm up the milk, and Reba waits with Lily. If Adrian is sick all night, we have to take turns looking after him, so you have to rest now.¡± Evelyn sat on the sofa carrying Adrian. He was a healthy child, but sometimes, like any other child, he got sick due to flu or toothache. Even so, whenever her child was sick, Evelyn always took care of Adrian herself and never left him to someone else. ¡°Adrian, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± When Evelyn asked him gently, Adrian burst into her arms and shed tears. ¡°Aaaa aaaa¡­ ¡­ .¡± Adrian kept sobbing sadly and continued to look for her with his small clenched fists. Evelyn felt sorry as she saw him. ¡°Good boy. Adrian¡¯s not a coward. Can you tell me where it hurts?¡± She looked at him in the eyes. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Evelyn was pleased, Adrian began to know how to call her with the correct title. This was the result of his etiquette education. ¡°Yes. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Adrian shook his head with a little whimper. ¡°Then ¡­did you have a scary dream?¡± Adrian pouted his lips and shook his head again. ¡°Mother ¡­¡­ Adrian, will die?¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened at those random words since it wasn¡¯t something that coulde out of the child¡¯s mouth. ¡°No way. Who said that to you? Adrian won¡¯t die. His Majesty and I will protect you.¡± ¡°No? Adrian, ¡­¡­ won¡¯t?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart seemed to drop. Adrian wasn¡¯t a child who could tell a fictional story yet. Now, he managed to settle down by clinging to Evelyn¡¯s arms. But still, it wasn¡¯t normal when he cried hard a while ago. ¡°Adrian doesn¡¯t exist at first. Then¡­..die?¡± ¡°Who said that? Adrian is here. No one can hurt you. ¡° ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­the demon at the time! Like that demon.¡± Evelyn calmly drew her breath, ¡°The demon that bit Adrian?¡± ¡°Heung¡­¡­¡± At that time, Fabian said that Adrian looked strange. The demons constantly cried out to kill Adrian. But, there were no demons in this world which could speak humannguage. And Adrian was too young to understand what death was. ¡°There¡¯s a demon in your dream?¡± Adrian shuddered. His cheeks, moist with tears, looked pitiful. ¡°The same person¡­.. told me.¡± ¡°Did the same person say that when Adrian was attacked by a demon?¡± Evelyn asked again. ¡°Heung¡­Adrian doesn¡¯t exist. Kill Adrian.¡± It seemed something was going wrong. Evelyn hugged Adrian tightly to get rid of his fears. Maybe because he heard Evelyn¡¯s heartbeat, Adrian gradually stopped weeping. ¡°Adrian, it¡¯s all just a dream. It¡¯s called a nightmare.¡± ¡°Dream?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all lies. You know what lies are, don¡¯t you? ¡°Huuh¡­is lie bad ?¡± Adrian couldn¡¯t see it, but there was a dark shade covering Evelyn¡¯s face. The lies that a child could tell was limited. In other words, they couldn¡¯t lie about something they didn¡¯t know yet. ¡°Adrian is right here. In my arms. right?¡± ¡°Heung¡­Yes¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, now you¡¯ve learned to speak with the manner and have be smarter and more courageous.¡± Adrian, who snuggled in her arms, nodded. ¡°There, demons can¡¯te here. Because His Majesty and I will protect you.¡± Evelyn kept her voice as calm as possible to relieve the Adrian¡¯s anxiety. ¡°Jimoo¡­¡­¡± ¡°Right? No matter how strong the demon is, we will protect you.¡± ¡°Jimoo is like a ck hawk¡­ He¡¯s strong. . . ..¡± ¡°Soon, Adrian will be like him too.¡± Evelyn patted Adrian¡¯s head. It was certainly strange, but she shouldn¡¯t make it obvious to the child. ¡°But¡­ ¡­I want to sleep with my mother.¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± Evelyn struggled to smile. Then Adrian nodded again with his tearful face. She thought Adrian had grown up quite a bit after graduating from the cradle. But a baby was still a baby. Only ¡°Adrian, this is a secret, but¡­¡­in fact, I¡¯m as strong as His Majesty.¡± ¡°Really¡­.?¡± ¡°Sure. Maybe stronger than the ck Hawk. So, even if the demon tormenting Adrianes, we will definitely defeat them.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes grew round. It was the moment when he felt that his parents¡¯ arms were the safest ce in the world. ¡°Are you still scared?¡± Adrian paused, shaking his head. Then a beautiful smile bloomed around Evelyn¡¯s mouth. For this child, Evelyn had the confidence to be stronger than anyone else in the world. Chapter 120: The Red Star The next day, Sagan changed his mind. Ste, who didn¡¯t know her father¡¯s reason, rode the carriage on her own and left for the Pce to meet Empress Dowager. Apparently, with his close aide, Gale, Sagan left his official residence. After almost half a day of walking, he eventually saw thevish procession of the Vatican approaching the imperial borders. ¡°There are so many of them ¡­¡­.¡± Like Gale¡¯s murmur, it was almost like an Emperor¡¯s journey. ¡°They will arrivete since they bring all the entourage. This is an opportunity for us.¡± Sagan took a short deep breath and headed to the tent where the Pope was resting. ¡°I see you, Your Holiness¡± Throwing away his dignity as a Duke, Sagan knelt right in front of the Pope and kissed his ring. Sagan¡¯s respectful attitude made the Pope, who sat on the chair, smile with satisfaction. ¡°Well ¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe you came to meet this old man.¡± ¡°If you say like that, I am sorry.¡± When the pope gave the nod, all his attendants left the tent except for David, who was still standing behind him. Sagan stared at David with a suspicious look, but the Pope grinned as if telling him no needed to worry. ¡°There¡¯s no one in the world who is more trustworthy than David.¡± After hearing the Pope¡¯s assertion, there was a relief on Sagan¡¯s face. After all, It was hard to expect action from the aging Pope. If something had happened, then it was predictable that suspicious Pdin would take over the job. ¡°I¡¯m sure the wise Pope knows the current situation in the Imperial Pce.¡± The Pope nodded his head, touching his white beard, ¡°Woman¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Not only that. His Majesty said that he didn¡¯t need the Vatican to invalidate the divorce, saying he had signed the divorce paper before Your Holiness¡¯ intervention.¡± In truth, the Emperor¡¯s marriage or divorce had no effect on the Vatican. But it was a shame for the Pope, and Sagan scratched that part on purpose. ¡°But, I heard they¡¯re the Prince¡¯s parents. I¡¯ve seen that child for a moment during the Wyverns attack ¡­ But I didn¡¯t expect their rtionship to be like that. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s ¡­he¡¯s still illegitimate. The Senate had testified, but I doubt that fact.¡± The Pope shook his head firmly. He was also a person who knew the existence of silent stones. Even in a world full of counterfeit items, that relic was real. ¡°Those old senates are as stubborn as I am. If something was done by the Imperial family, they would¡¯ve confirmed it by the relic first.¡± Sagan couldn¡¯t hide his distorted face when his faint hope was dashed. ¡°Your Holiness¡­..The Metis has always served the Vatican with faith and devotion.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to pay for your toil. God will bless you.¡± said the old Pope. But what Sagan wanted wasn¡¯t a God¡¯s blessing, but the Empress¡¯ throne. But of course, the Pope didn¡¯t know about it. ¡°To be honest¡­¡­Your Majesty¡¯s statement wasn¡¯tpletely wrong.¡± Adrian was Fabian¡¯s biological son. The problem would be resolved when the birth mother, Evelyn, was crowned as the Empress again. ¡°But Your Holiness¡­¡­.¡± The Pope was a smart and crafty old man. He indeed received Metis¡¯ devotion. But the annual donations he collected from the Felice Kingdom were huge as well. So, if he had to get involved in this matter, the answer was to choose the one with the most significant profits. ¡°Nothing has been decided yet.¡± The Pope had already drawn a line, and Sagan couldn¡¯t say more and closed his mouth tight. ¡°I go directly to the Imperial Pce because of this matter ¡­.. I¡¯ll meet everyone and hear their stories first before I decide it by God¡¯s will.¡± In other words, the Pope would have preferred to stand on the most profitable side. His merchant-like thought was wildly contradicted with his solemn expression. ¡°Duke Metis, you should believe in my wisdom and God¡¯s blessings.¡± The Pope made a pathetic gesture and gave Sagan a chance to set an example again. Sagan then knelt before the Pope once again and kissed his ring before he left. Of course, he didn¡¯t look fine as he couldn¡¯t get anything, only pledged his loyalty. ¡°Duke, how could you already¡­¡± Gale approached him, noticing his unusual look. But he didn¡¯t dare to ask what¡¯s going on inside the tent.
Gale rented a small cabin on the hill for the Duke to rest since they had traveled a long way. But, as soon as Duke Metis entered the house, there was a loud sound of kicking a chair. ¡°You cunning old man! After everything you¡¯ve received, how could he talk to me like that?!¡± It was rare for Sagan to be so angry, so Gale quickly shut the cabin¡¯s door, afraid if someone outside could hear it. ¡°He¡¯s always making a fuss with the Emperor, but now he chooses the side who will donate more money and can save his face! Even he¡¯sing to the Imperial family directly! ¡° The Metis family had provided generous amounts of offerings and services to the Vatican. However, the Pope¡¯s calctions seemed a little different from Sagan¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ve been skipping something important for a long time¡­..¡± The Pope felt he had no debt after made Monica an Empress and gave birth to a sessor. Besides, if the Felice Kingdom and the Akshire family were in one stronghold, then letting go of the Metis¡¯ hands wouldn¡¯t be something to be regretted about. ¡°Then¡­ What are you going to do?¡± asked Gale carefully. His troop could only move if Sagan had given the order. So, the most important thing right now was to make the right decisions on time. ¡°When I blinked, I could see them gang up on me and drown me in the water.¡± Sagan already knew the Pope¡¯s character from the beginning. But he didn¡¯t expect that his nephew, Fabian, would act at will and push him to the brink of crisis at once. What¡¯s more, everything was done before Sagan realized it. It was an insult that would never happen twice in his political life. ¡°I have to go back to the Imperial Pce right now.¡± ¡°But Duke ¡­. the horses are already tired¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to be worrying about that. It¡¯s better to avoid other people¡¯s eyes, so we will leave at night. Now let¡¯s take a rest for a while.¡±
Sagan forced his eyes to close, but there¡¯s no way he could fall asleep when the fire broke out inside his body. Often his mindes up with an idea, but it¡¯s always hard to get out of Fabian¡¯s web-like trick. ¡°What should I do¡­ ¡­,¡± Sagan whispered to himself. As he was pondering, suddenly he heard a knock on the door, and Gale walked in. ¡°What?¡± Sagan, who was anxious about nothing, looked at Gale and asked. ¡°Sir David, His Holiness¡¯ Pdin, would like to meet you.¡± Sagan squinted his eyes at that unexpected request. It was no different from the pope asking for direct dialogue. ¡°Let him in, and keep a close watch on his surroundings.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shortly after Gale left, the cabin¡¯s door opened, and David entered the room. It was strange. Even though the sky outside was starting to get dark, but Sagan saw bright light surrounding him when David appeared as if he had seen an illusion. He was a young man who was worthy of getting the Pope¡¯s trust. Sagan was also lulled by his figure at this point, ¡°I¡¯m David, the Pdin of His Holiness.¡± David introduced himself with a gesture as natural and graceful as flowing water. ¡°I know. Let¡¯s sit down first.¡± David, who sat across from Sagan, was a young man with mysterious purple eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think you came here to say goodbye to me or¡­.¡± David nodded with a faint smile when Sagan talked straight to the point. ¡°His Holiness and the Duke have the same purpose.¡± The words David had just spoken were like a ray of light. Sagan seemed stunned without even knowing it. ¡°Earlier, the Pope was just careful that someone would have a wrong idea. Instead, he sent me here.¡± ¡°All¡­.right¡­¡± The Vatican¡¯s procession was vast and crowded. It was difficult to conclude that there were no spies among them. ¡°By all means, His Holiness is wise.¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Sagan breathed a sigh of relief. If the Vatican had offered their hands, it would have helped him fought for the Empress¡¯s throne. ¡°The biggest stumbling block right now is Adrian, the Imperial sessor,¡± said Sagan. ¡°His Holiness is well aware of that. Actually¡­¡± Suddenly, Sagan¡¯s mouth felt burning when David faded the end of his words. ¡°A few days ago, His Holiness heard God¡¯s voice.¡± He continued. ¡°Such a thing¡­¡­ What did God say?¡± asked Sagan curiously. ¡°Prince Adrian is a Red Star. His existence will destroy the Empire in the future¡­ ¡­ .¡± Sagan suddenly sprang to his feet, ¡°Really, really did the God say that!¡± His heart was overflowing with joy as if he had found the answer at the end of abyrinth. Sagan had no faith or believed in religion. But he had a history of predicting major disasters by hearing God¡¯s prophecies in the Vatican. So the testimony of David waspelling enough. Above all, wasn¡¯t that the same as his own goal? ¡± It¡¯s a cruel fate for a young Prince, but humans can¡¯t avoid God¡¯s will.¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­¡­ Poor thing, but it can¡¯t be helped for the greater good.¡± Sagan tried to keep the expression on his face, but it was difficult to hide his true intentions in front of the serene purple eyes. ¡°I wonder if His Majesty will ept this oracle? He never listens to anyone and also not close to His Holiness.¡± sighed Sagan. ¡°His Holiness also deeply regrets that. After all, it was the omen of his own son¡¯s death¡­.wouldn¡¯t it be cruel to let His Majesty remarry?¡± Sagan¡¯s head nodded. The Pdin¡¯s voice stole the listener¡¯s heart and instilled faith in him, just like a spell. ¡°Losing a child in an unforeseen ident, isn¡¯t that much better?¡± ¡°Yes, because idents can¡¯t be prevented ¡­¡­ but, how? We need to approach him,¡± asked Sagan. ¡°When the Vatican enters the Imperial Pce, there will be opportunities. At that time, you can move.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not hard.¡± David nodded slowly. ¡°This is all for the sake of saving this world from destruction.¡± ¡°Yes, this is for justice. It¡¯s God¡¯s will.¡± Sagan said. His eyes were filled with conviction. ¡°Duke, there are many eyes and ears around His Holiness. So you mustn¡¯t tell anyone about this except for me.¡± ¡°Oh, I know the importance of this job.¡± ¡°Also, after an unforeseen ident ¡­¡­ We need a new Empress to make His Majesty forget all the facts. Princess Evelyn is just a Princess from another country without her son, so it would be best to return her to her Kingdom.¡± Sagan quickly grabbed David¡¯s hand without his knowledge, ¡°Of course, of course! my purpose is the same as His Holiness!¡± Sagan¡¯s face, tantly brightened, was stained with ambition. David nced at him and slowly pulled out his hand. He still wasn¡¯t used to making physical contact with humans. ¡°And there¡¯s one more thing you should do.¡± ¡°What is it? Tell me anything.¡± Sagan was willing to sell his soul at this moment. ¡°ording to His Holiness prophecy, the signs of destruction will begin from the Empress¡¯s Pce. But, the structure of the Inner Pce is hidden, and I don¡¯t have the map¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the map right away. I¡¯ll get it to you, so don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°The other structures are not important. But please tell me where the secret attic is. His Holiness will cleanse it.¡± His gentle voice took away Sagan¡¯smon sense. ¡°For the next Empress¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s necessary.¡± Sagan nodded. It was a face reminiscent of the Pope, who was hypnotized as he listened to David¡¯s words. After reciting prayers of thanksgiving repeatedly, Sagan led his weary body and rode his horse towards the Imperial Pce. Only David stayed quiet with an expressionless face as he saw Sagan¡¯s hasty departure. ¡°Killing isn¡¯t justice.¡± A man who wanted to kill a child for his ambition wasn¡¯t justified. It was an ugly human side that went against David¡¯s will. But now¡­¡­David helped him to do so. ¡°But I am a justice that guards the bnce.¡± He quietly closed his eyes. He had to get rid of the life that didn¡¯t exist in this world quickly and put everything back in ce. To do so, first, he had to find the debris that remained in the ce where he had cast the time magic. Chapter 121: Fabian’s Defeat Luckily, Adrian¡¯s condition recovered and returned to his liveliness. He ran around the Inner Pce gardens, and the maid was quite overwhelmed. But Fabian and Evelyn couldn¡¯tugh at the sight. ¡°Adrian has never learned such a words. He¡¯s a child who still doesn¡¯t know what death is.¡± ¡°But even so he also said that to me clearly.¡± Fabian said with a shady face. Then Evelyn bit her lips in a whisper. ¡°That man named David¡­Do you think he cursed Adrian? Can he do that?¡± ¡°Evelyn, I can¡¯t jump to conclusions yet. It¡¯s true that he used mysterious powers, but my conclusion was that he¡¯s not almighty.¡± After analyzing several incidents, David had limited power. Otherwise, there were too many unexined situations. ¡°And if he¡¯s going to do something, it will only happen when he enters this Pce. Do you think I can¡¯t protect my son in my own Imperial Pce?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s not like that. But I was really worried when Adrian said that.¡± ¡°He probably had a nightmare since the demon attack back then.¡± Evelyn was soforted by his words. But somehow, Fabian¡¯s heart still felt heavy, believing it was a strange omen. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian reached out and pulled Evelyn gently to his side. It was close enough for them to hear each other¡¯s breathing rhythm. ¡°I only say this to you, so listen carefully.¡± His voice sounded as low as a whisper. ¡°The Imperial royal family is special.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ I know.¡± said Evelyn softly. ck hair and ck eyes, something rare in this world, looked elegant with a tall appearance. Not only that. Even though it was odd, there was only one heir born to the Imperial family. The child wouldn¡¯t die until he rose safely to the throne. That¡¯s why this Empire was believed to be blessed by God. Fabian looked at her with dim eyes, ¡°No, there are still many things you don¡¯t know.¡± Until now, the Empire had never been involved in any orthodox controversy over a sessor¡¯s legitimacy. Even if the child born was a girl, there wouldn¡¯t be a dispute. Because as the only sessor, she deserved to sit on the Emperor¡¯s throne. ¡°Whoever seeds the Imperial family¡¯s blood ¡­¡­ never dies before he sits on the throne.¡± ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± Evelyn startled. ¡°Never, not once since its long history.¡± Evelyn blinked her eyes at that unbelievable story. Even though she knew there were many secrets in the Imperial family, it was definitely shocking that there was a fundamental part of her husband¡¯s family that she didn¡¯t know. ¡°That¡­..What does that mean?¡± asked Evelyn. It was a secret that Fabian told in a low whispering voice that sounded more like muttering to himself while seeing a little Adrian ran and yed with his maid in the distance. ¡°The Imperial family is different from ordinary people. I¡¯m not talking about nobility or status. We¡¯re just literally something else.¡± Evelyn tilted her eyebrows. ¡°I can only guess that David is a simr case.¡± As Fabian turned aside and looked around, Evelyn still had a shocked face. So he held Evelyn¡¯s hand to calm her down. ¡°Hey no¡­.. I¡¯m not such an evil man like him. I can¡¯t y with demon or do anything that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Only then did Evelyn exhale the breath she had been holding on for a while. ¡°You scared me ¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact origin either. Maybe the old book you saw then is somewhat true.¡± The King, who was insane about massacres, searched for the guardian and begged him to seal his madness. From then on, the guardian made him an Emperor to lead and protect the people from the demons. ¡°This Empire has a long history so there¡¯s no record of our first ancestors.¡± ¡°Then, that story¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Maybe, that¡¯s not far from the truth. Even I, his descendant, don¡¯t know about it.¡± Evelyn gasped, feeling suffocated for a moment. Those words overturned the people¡¯smon sense in the world. ¡°I heard that, the Empire has a genealogy from its ancestors and has been passed down like any other dynasty¡­ ¡­ .¡± Evelyn abruptly stopped talking. She was also a daughter of the royal family. Therefore, she had to learn about the dynasty¡¯s history from an early age until she could memorize it even with her eyes closed. Neither the Felice Kingdom nor the other kingdoms were always peaceful. Sometimes the royal throne relocated to another territory, and direct descendants of the royal family would usually regain their rights. And there would be chaos in history. ¡°Yes. This Empire has never been shaken by power struggles.¡± It was a fundamental difference in where they lived. From birth, Evelyn had a vague knowledge that the Empire was the center and the sovereign of this world. Everyone believed so. That¡¯s why no one had ever thought of it or asked why. Even the official representatives called parliamentary ministers, couldn¡¯t beat the young Fabian, and could only bark at him. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing in this world that I couldn¡¯t reasonably understand.¡± he said. Why was the Royal Family reigning? Why did they have an extraordinary insight, physical superiority, and solid blood ties as if beyond the boundaries of human beings? Something that couldn¡¯t be exined by human¡¯s logic had been passed down in the blood of this Imperial family. ¡°But looking at myself and my father ¡­¡­ I came to the same conclusion that¡­ It must have been the same with our previous ancestors. We¡¯re only born to rule this Empire.¡± Evelyn shook her head as she recalled the whereabouts of David, but she still had her doubts. Could there really be such a thing? Now it appeared that Evelyn couldn¡¯t see the whole world again using her logic. ¡°So don¡¯t worry. Adrian is my son and he won¡¯t die until he takes the throne.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°So far no one has died as a child. Besides, no Emperor has been killed before. All of my ancestors died like feel asleep at the end of their lives.¡± Fabian¡¯s calm and firm dark eyes made Evelyn feel relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to protect you and Adrian. And, it¡¯s also my job to get rid of the perpetrator.¡± Before she knew it, Fabian fondly embraced Evelyn¡¯s shoulder from behind. Her cheeks were blushing sheepishly even though she didn¡¯t look at his face. ¡°Well, maybe you don¡¯t like it, but there¡¯s no stronger escort in this world besides me right now since Duke Akshire whom you trust is busy moving with my ck hawk knights.¡± Over and over again, Fabian¡¯s reassuring voice sounded sweet in her ears. Evelyn suddenly turned her head, and her eyes stared at Fabian deeply. The distance between them was really close that the sound of his breath was heard so clearly. ¡°Evelyn¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I ¡­.¡± Their lips whispered close together as if to touch. There seemed to be love in the air that enveloped them. ¡°Mom*!¡± And¡­. the intimate atmosphere was shattered in a second by Adrian¡¯s bright-loud voice. ¡°What are you doing with Jimoo?¡± Evelyn was startled and quickly sprang to her feet. Fabian also turned his head to the side, looking a little embarrassed. They didn¡¯t do anything bad, but when seeing their innocent child, somehow, both Evelyn and Fabian felt ashamed for no reason. ¡°Huh? Nothing! We didn¡¯t do anything! Rather than that, you should call me ¡®mother¡¯. You¡¯ve learned it from Sir Hans, haven¡¯t you?¡± Evelyn sighed. Adrian, covered in dirt all over his clothes, smiling brightly when he heard Evelyn¡¯s nagging. ¡°-Mom- it¡¯s much shorter!¡± ¡°But you still have to call me mother¡­¡± ¡°Mo-ther, mo-ther, mo-ther,¡­¡­.No! It¡¯s creepy!¡± Adrian blew his cheeks. Then Fabian hugged him. The dust and garden soil also stained Fabian¡¯s clothes, but he didn¡¯t care a bit. Instead, he smiled happily seeing Adrian rubbed his dirt-covered chubby-cheeks. ¡°Adrian, anyone who can¡¯t say the title properly can¡¯t receive a ck hawk.¡± Fabian told him softly. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡­. the hawk, it¡¯s mine¡­ It¡¯s Adrian¡¯s¡­..¡± He rounded his big-ck eyes, nced back and forth, gazing around. When Evelyn also made a severe look, Adrian immediately became teary-eyed. Looking at her son, she was about to burst intoughter. Still, Evelyn tried to put up with it for Adrian¡¯s etiquette lesson. ¡°Jimoo, you will give it today?¡± ¡°If you call us with the right title.¡± Then Adrian¡¯s expression became very severe. It was like he faced the most difficult challenges in his short life. In fact, Adrian knew the title, but he was stubborn enough and didn¡¯t want to call Evelyn properly. But now he¡¯s worried. ¡°Come on, Adrian. Say it.¡± Evelyn looked into Adrian¡¯s eyes and smiled. ¡°Ugh..hmm¡­.¡± But, Adrian was still struggling between his young-pride and bewilderment. ¡°Oh well, you can¡¯t get a hawk today.¡± ¡°No!¡­.Mo-mother¡­¡­! Mother!¡± Finally, for the first time, Adrian shouted out the correct title. Evelyn unwittingly felt something warm rising from her heart. Initially, Evelyn had imagined that she would live as Adrian¡¯s sister for the rest of her life. She didn¡¯t even dare to say that she was his mother. But at this moment, Evelyn got all the happiness she had given up. The sight of the man she loved looking at her affectionately while carrying their child was so beautiful in her eyes. ¡°Yes, good job. In the future, you must call her like that.¡± Fabian, who could read Evelyn¡¯s mind, quietly grabbed her hand and coaxed Adrian. ¡°And I¡¯m not Jimoo¡­¡­¡± Adrian thought deeply. He was pleased whenever he called Fabian Jimoo. But the people around him kept saying no, and it made him feel intimidated. ¡°You¡¯re not Jimoo¡­¡­.¡± Adrian whimpered sadly. ¡°Nothing has changed. Whatever you call me, I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± It was only then that a smile bloomed on Adrian¡¯s face when his worries were over. ¡°Well, I know! Jimoo¡­..Your¡­Mas-ty!¡± Evelyn and Fabian¡¯s eager face turned to perplexed. ¡°Adrian, not that¡­¡­Shall we try again?¡± ¡°Jimoo is Your Mas-ty!¡± At this moment, Fabian¡¯s look grew a little sulky. At least Adrian called Evelyn¡¯ mom¡¯, and it¡¯s still simr and rted. But he seemed displeased because Adrian still called him Jimoo and couldn¡¯t say the word ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ correctly. Fabian sighed, ¡°Can you say another name?¡± ¡°Oh, Adrian is smart! I know everything!¡± ¡°Really? Try calling me with different title, then.¡± Fabian bent his eyebrows, looking at Adrian with faint hope. Evelyn, who saw them, could only chuckle while listening to the conversation between the two guys. ¡°Your Mas-ty. Sire!¡± Shouted Adrian confidently. Evelyn burst intoughter in a second. Fabian took a deep breath and looked at Evelyn and Adrian in turn, feeling a little unfair. ¡°Just now ¡­.. What did he say?¡± asked Fabian. ¡°The first he said Your Mas-ty, and the second, he said Sire.¡± Fabian remembered something. If he thought about it, he¡¯d always called his father by those two things. First of all, his family¡¯s atmosphere made it impossible for him to use the soft title like ¡®father¡¯. And since he was a child, Fabian couldn¡¯t even use the term ¡®mother¡¯ because the people around him always used adult-words. ¡°Perhaps, Sir Hans educated Adrian ording to Imperial etiquette.¡±ughed Evelyn. Well, it wasn¡¯t Hans¡¯ fault. He had been working his hardest to teach the naughty prince day by day until his bones were cut every day. But it couldn¡¯t be helped that Fabian was upset. ¡°Evelyn.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just my sudden thought¡­. Anyway, if you are going to raise Adrian yourself, could you teach him some other examples ¡­. maybe we can simplified a little bit¡­¡± Evelyn quickly grasped what Fabian was trying to say. ¡°Sure, next time I¡¯ll tell Sir Hans to teach him the word ¡®father¡¯.¡± Fabian coughed a little, ¡°No, well ¡­ It doesn¡¯t have to be exactly like that ¡­¡± ¡°Cough!¡± Adrian then copied Fabian¡¯s coughing. Evelyn stared at them. She couldn¡¯t believe such a warm sight brought her blissful happiness. She used to think it would just be a dream forever. But now, she wanted to pray to God that she was grateful to be alive. ¡°Mom-mo-ther! Now give me the hawk!¡± Adrian stuttered a little. His tongue seemed still too short to pronounce it perfectly. ¡°¡­.Haa..ckck.¡± Fabian swallowed a sigh alone with a cheeky grin. But Adrian noticed it at a nce and raised his round-ck eyes straight at him. Only ¡°Did you lie to me?¡± ¡°Huh, ¡­.I never lie.¡± ¡°Then what about the hawk? Where¡¯s my hawk?¡± Fabian¡¯s face rarely flushed because of embarrassment. He winked at Evelyn, asking her for help with a desperate look. Still, Evelyn deliberately pretended not to know what was going on. It seemed that this quarrel would end soon with Fabian¡¯s defeat. *(T/N: There¡¯s a mistake. So Adrian called Evelyn with ¡®mom¡¯. (informal) in the previous chapter. ) Chapter 122: The Night Before The Storm David hurriedly blocked the door with his hand when someone knocked on his carriage. ¡°Wait. I¡¯m still praying, so don¡¯t disturb me.¡± David didn¡¯t just hold the carriage door. His other hand held a white handkerchief that was soaked with a nosebleed. dly, the servant outside didn¡¯t dare to go against his words. ¡°Sir, now we¡¯ve entered the Empire territory. We will arrive at the Imperial Pce in three days.¡± After hearing the servant¡¯s report, David leaned back on his chair, waiting for his nosebleeds to stop. His skin, which was already transparent and dazzling, now was as pale as a colourless ster figure. He recalled the past that he didn¡¯t know when. Thest moment of his teacher, who left him after giving him the title of guardian, was the same as him now, pale and cold. ¡°How much time is left ¡­¡­.¡± David muttered in a low voice. After barely stopping his nosebleed, he saw that his handkerchief was stained with blood and he hid it like it¡¯s nothing. His body had deteriorated rapidly since he used the time magic. All the magic effects returned to his body after he had spent so many hours using his power to turn back the time. ¡°One more time.¡± It¡¯s the word that kept him alive until today. David couldn¡¯t forsake his mission as a guardian who had to protect the bnce of this world. His time magic was half-failed, but there was still a chance to fix the result, and he believed it was God¡¯s will. ¡°Even if it¡¯s thest¡­¡­.¡± The world had changed. As proof, David didn¡¯t get a disciple. That¡¯s exactly what his teacher, the previous Guardian, said. The fact that there¡¯s no more disciple appeared meant that David was thest person who had to put an end to this karma. But, his body didn¡¯t follow his mind, and he only had a little power left. ¡°I have to find the fragments. And the time-gap¡­¡± David moved his dying body with great effort. The reason why he had to go to the Imperial Pce because it was the ce where he cast time magic. Evelyn, the party concerned, hadn¡¯t remembered it yet. Still, David¡¯s magic at that time was weak, and he was unable to close the time-gap in the Empress¡¯ Pce. After that, David¡¯s power disappeared gradually, couldn¡¯t return as before, and the time-gap that he left, was still remained in that ce. ¡°Whiches first ¡­¡­ to which direction does it flow?¡± David didn¡¯t know himself. A guardian only mediated the bnce, so he couldn¡¯t predict the future or n for it. It was just his actions were the will of this world. The fragments and time-gap were the two most important things for David right now. It was easy for him to find thetter because it¡¯s existed in the same ce. But the fragments were different. ¡°Do I still have any power left to collect the fragments?¡± His voice sounded helpless. Unlike his sacredly beautiful appearance, David¡¯s palms were full of wrinkles like an old man. The fragments were part of the pure Ether Crystal that belonged to the first guardian. The first guardian used that Crystal ball to seal the King¡¯s madness and to rule the demons. Inevitably, Crystal¡¯s power had to be divided, and half of Crystal¡¯s fragments had been granted to the Imperial family. ¡®Kid, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡¯ His teacher¡¯s voice suddenly emerged. ¡®You just have to keep going.¡¯ A voice that was always gentle. ¡®And the ce we¡¯re going to is the center of the bnce.¡¯ During the reign of the Emperor-three generations ago, the guardian¡¯s face, who had died after exhausting his remaining power, was solid white like a stone statue. David witnessed the moment of his death without missing a single thing, watching every part of it. His teacher¡¯s face wasn¡¯t old, as he was now. ¡°Teacher¡­I¡¯ll keep going without stopping.¡± He whispered softly¡­ As if he was praying¡­
*** The Pce¡¯s atmosphere became noisy in many ways when the news of the Vatican entourage arrival spread widely and reached Imperial pce. Fabian had alerted the Elders about David¡¯s presence and the serious situation. Whereas Liam and the other ck Hawk Knights were assigned to carry out a thorough investigation both politically or under the shadow. ¡°Your Majesty, everything all set. Even if there¡¯s another demons besides him, we¡¯ll be able to ovee it.¡± ¡°Well¡­.you should.¡± Fabian said with an exhausted face. ¡°If I had known that remarriage was so difficult like this, I wouldn¡¯t have let her go then.¡± Though he said that, looking back, it was true that the long journey back home was more precious. At least, they could see and get to know each other better. It wouldn¡¯t be possible if they weren¡¯t separated. ¡°What about the hawk?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ is not yet time to be separated from its mother.¡± Fabian sighed deeply. His promise to give Adrian a ck hawk wasn¡¯t a lie, and actually Fabian had prepared it too. But the baby bird¡¯s growth was slower than expected. Even the hawk breeder at the Imperial Pce had to endure Adrian¡¯s trustless eyes every day because the babies weren¡¯t all big yet. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at itter when I have time.¡± Fabian felt hopeless. Even if he saw it by himself, it didn¡¯t mean that the hawk would grow big in a sh. Serus swallowed hard, ¡°It looks like the night before the storm.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Serus nodded in silence. The atmosphere in the Imperial Pce was tense. Not only Fabian¡¯s aides, but the same was true with the guards and all the Empire¡¯s army. Depending on how things worked out, there might be a situation beyond the war. Historically, of course, the Emperor had never been defeated in such a situation. So the moral of the Emperor¡¯s army was full of confidence and enthusiasm. ¡°But, Your Majesty¡¯s opponent isn¡¯t the Vatican.¡± said Serus. Fabian¡¯s expression was already stiff as he heard his true words. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve a feeling .¡± Serus¡¯ face looked perplexed. ¡°I¡¯ve a strong feeling that it won¡¯t pass by a simple storm.¡± Fabian¡¯s intuition was usually close to the future¡¯s prediction. His instincts could read the air in other dimensions that couldn¡¯t be predicted by normal humans. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t a piece of good news right now. ¡°It will change.¡± ¡°Pardon¡­. what do you mean, Your Majesty?¡± Fabian¡¯s dark, clear eyes gazed out into the air. ¡°Nothing, or everything¡­¡­¡± Once again, Serus swallowed a dry gulp. It was still unclear, but it¡¯s well conveyed that Fabian instinctively took this situation seriously. Since he had served Fabian, there had never been anything like this before. Yet, Serus wasn¡¯t afraid, because there was a strong belief in him, which was the instinct of the people who had served the Emperor. ¡°Everything will be fine as long as there¡¯s Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± Fabian was the person most suited to be the ruler more than anyone else. Whether his opponent was human or not, he had no intention of losing from the beginning. If that person were aiming for something precious that Fabian never had before, even if the opponent was a demon, he would bring him to his knees. ¡°But, when Evelyn struggles with her worries¡­ ¡­ .¡± Serus was startled when Fabian abruptly said that. ¡°Why? did I say something I shouldn¡¯t say?¡± ¡°No, but Your Majesty is not like your usual-self.¡± For Serus, it was a manly answer he had to say before he died. Fabian also knew it well, so he let it passed. ¡°Your Majesty. Should I bring my mother as you ordered before?¡± he asked. ¡°Ah¡­..I was supposed to call Duchess Perth.¡± Before his meeting with the Empress Dowager, Fabian had chosen Duchess Perth as his trustee to assist and arrange the Imperial marriage. She was Serus¡¯s birth mother and the one who raised Fabian, whom he also considered as his real mother. In a sense, Duchess Perth presented herself as a trusted surrogate-mother. Perhaps, more than the Empress Dowager. Duchess Perth was a principle person. She was well versed in etiquette and qualified to organize major ceremonies. If Fabian selected her, there wouldn¡¯t have been any special requests, and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything. That was until Empress Dowager, the one who never cared about him, unexpectedly volunteered. ¡°It¡¯s confusing¡­..¡± Fabian rarely felt worried. If he were his old self, he would mindlessly choose Duchess Perth right away. But Evelyn¡¯s warm love was like a drop of paint that spread in clear water and stained his colourless heart. With just one drop, Fabian¡¯s world was painted in brilliant colours. ¡°Evelyn believed the Empress¡¯ words.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Serus didn¡¯t give an opinion on this matter. Fabian used to be like that, but now was the time for him to change. ¡°But Duke Metis won¡¯t stay still. If it turned out that he and the Empress Dowager were a team, this troublesome situation would be even moreplicated.¡± That¡¯s what made Fabian hesitate. Since he believed that his mother had no reason not to deceive him. ¡°But I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Is there anything Your Majesty doesn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yes. Looking at Adrian, I can¡¯t tell.¡± Initially, Fabian never considered his son more than a sessor. Maybe because he never had a child before. But now he understood the feeling of being a parent. Even when he didn¡¯t know that Adrian was his son, Fabian remembered that he was naturally attracted to him. Now, just seeing that child breathed with his tiny nose and smiled brightly at him, had made everything in this world new and wonderful. ¡°¡­¡­I will invite Duchess Perth.¡± Fabian spat out his decision. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But, as a guest. I¡¯ll leave the matter to the Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Despite the unexpected order, Serus bowed his head faithfully. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever made a choice close to gambling like this since I was born.¡± Fabian sighed. ¡°Your Majesty has been doing a lot of new thingstely.¡± Serus¡¯ words suddenly swept Fabian¡¯s heart. Indeed, Serus was afraid of his change, who didn¡¯t care about himself, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. Now, Fabian sometimes daydreamed, looking up into the air with a warm smile on his face. Serus, who grew up with Fabian in the Perth family, was aware of that, but this was the first time he saw Fabian¡¯s face as a happy man. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­¡± Serus stopped thinking for a moment. There¡¯s a word he didn¡¯t want to bring out, but he couldn¡¯t help as it¡¯s his mission. ¡°The King Felice and his wife have already crossed the Empire¡¯s border at full speed.¡± ¡°Oh¡­..I almost forgot.¡± Fabian could tell Arthur¡¯s passionate nature. The arrival of his annoying father-inw wasn¡¯t good news for him. But it wasn¡¯t too bad when he thought about Evelyn¡¯s happy face. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± ¡°Another thing?¡± Fabian asked with a confused look. ¡°King Felice and his wife¡­¡­ theye by warship through the sea separate from thend route.¡± said Serus. ¡°Are they going to prepare a wedding celebration too?¡± Looking at Fabian¡¯s innocent face, Serus tried to maintain his calm expression. ¡°That¡­they will.¡± Seeing King Felice and the Queen, it seemed that their use of warships wasn¡¯t for artillery. If they were against their remarriage, King Felice would have shot a cannon to take his daughter back. However, it was too hasty to say. Of course, except Fabian, everyone, and even Evelyn knew exactly what King Felice and the Queen were doing. ¡°Then Your Majesty, they would like to ask your permission to open the port. Port 4, no ¡­. It must open to Port 6. ¡° ¡°What, so many?¡± Fabian looked shocked. The Empire had thergest port in the world. It was eleven port in total, but it was ridiculous to open six of them. Fabian immediately dismissed the request, ¡°There must be a mistake, they¡¯re not going to war, are they? what kind of ship do they get on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve checked it three times just in case it¡¯s a mistake ¡­. And now I think ¡­. we should open up to port seven.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows wriggled at the remark. He didn¡¯t know King Felice and his wife¡¯s true purpose yet. However, Serus was able to ept their request easily because he had once dealt with Evelyn¡¯s parents in such a short time. Serus then began to exin one by one, ¡°First of all, three ports for the Prince¡¯s gift who will soon celebrate his birthday.¡± Fabian nodded, he understood for this one. ¡°Two ports for Jewelries and dresses for Princess Evelyn.¡± Fabian was also fine with that. ¡°The royal chef, gardener, tailors who will make dresses for the Princess who will miss her homnd, jewelry cleaners, bath supplies made of Kingdom specialties, hats and shoes from eastern countries, 70 boxes each¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Fabian began to get scared of Evelyn¡¯s parents. If he read the list until it¡¯s finished, it seemed he need a whole day until tomorrow. Only ¡°I grant him permission.¡± ¡°And the rest will followter ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I allow it! Permission granted!¡± shouted Fabian. Fabian then recalled something. He did hear that King Felice loved Adrian like his own son. Then, suddenly, a wave of anxiety arose inside him. ¡°I allow him to bring anything. But he can¡¯t take anyone from my Empire.¡± Fabian made an urgent deration towards an opponent who was more fearful than any other enemy. Chapter 123: Adrian’s Tears The Royal Felice family¡¯s warship voyage was continuing at a normal pace. Meanwhile, without knowing the current situation, the Vatican entourage also headed towards their destination, the Imperial Pce. Both of them went to the same ce for a different purpose, it was a sign that the storm was still serene. ¡°All right. That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Fabian, who was talking to Liam, nodded. Actually, suppose it wasn¡¯t because of a woman. Both of them might get along well because they had a lot ofpatibilities. But surely, Fabian would kill Liam if he had that kind of feeling. ¡°The Elders helped me a lot. The interpretation of ancient books is the result of their hard work.¡± Whether or not he knew what was written on it, Liam loosely ced a bunch of papers on the table. ¡°The Senate Elderse from the founding family of this Imperial dynasty. They¡¯re the descendants of five sage who came to this ce with their families. That¡¯s why I wish that the Senates, who are called Imperial intelligence, will do a good job in this matter.¡± ¡°How about Your Majesty?¡± Liam always asked what he wanted to know. If the legends written in the ancient books proved true, then Fabian was a descendant of the blood-madness King who carried out the massacre. ¡°All I care about is my Empire, my omnipotence and power, and my family.¡± Liam unwittingly stared him in the face, in response to his unexpected answer. ¡°Why, are you amazed?¡± ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s more than that.¡± Liam¡¯s green eyes were filled with relief as well as the scars of his first love that were still left. Sometimes, Liam still couldn¡¯t believe it. Fabian was a cold guy when he had a private meeting with him in the past, but now he seemed a little different. Perhaps, Evelyn came back to his side because she saw the change in him. ¡°But¡­ ¡­I believe your judgment is right¡±, said Liam. ¡°Good for you.¡± After the dry conversation, they went back to their respective jobs. Especially Liam, who looked quite busy, as he knew there would be a hubbub at the port if King Felice and his wife came on a warship in this current situation. ¡°What about Evelyn?¡± ¡°She¡¯s having a tea time with Lady Reba.¡± Fabian¡¯s expression was puzzled when he heard that. Now, he was wondering, if divorce, divorce annulment, and remarriage were men¡¯s business? ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 3:00 p.m.¡± ¡°Tell her that one more guest ising to her-tea-party.¡± The Chambein looked perplexed, but his job was to obey the Emperor¡¯s orders. So he set an example and dashed to the Empress Pce.
The biggest and most luxurious living room at the Empress Pce was totally different from Fabian¡¯s expectations. There were no suspicious crowds, no flower decorations, no orchestras, and anything else that always followed Reba. Furthermore, the Pce¡¯s atmosphere was as quiet as the parliament, when Fabian scolded the nobles. ¡°Your Majesty¡­? There¡¯s no tea party today.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian with widened eyes when he unexpectedly came to her Pce. ¡°You two just sit there, no need to give an example.¡± Evelyn and Reba, who was about to get up, seated back again. Fabian was served a cup of tea prepared by Lily and sat on the best sofa in the room. ¡°What¡¯s that colourful papers piled up on the table?¡± ¡°Those letters were sent by noblewomen from all over the country. Because the Princess will be the Empress again.¡± ¡°You can burn it in the firece if you don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because some are useful.¡± Evelyn smiled and sorted the letters into several categories. Reba was also helping her. ¡°After I¡¯m finished sorting this out, I¡¯ll send out wedding invitations. It¡¯s mostly Reba¡¯s job.¡± ¡°Princess, it¡¯s not a job for me, it¡¯s an honour.¡± For some reason, Fabian felt a little unsure when he saw the two women taking care of wedding preparations. Their current marriage situation wasn¡¯t normal, so it wasn¡¯t an easy job to do. But, as if she had read Fabian¡¯s expression, Evelyn smiled faintly. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll be the Empress again ¡­ It¡¯s a big deal requiring an agreement between the Vatican and the Imperial Congress.¡± Their marriage this time was sure to be twice as difficult and was more opposed than their first marriage. ¡°You and Sir Liam are dealing with the Vatican, so I volunteered to deal with the nobility because I wanted to.¡± ¡°¡­you right.¡± Fabian could read Evelyn¡¯s mind only from their short conversation. It seemed like a fun-job for women at first nce, but Evelyn and Reba had to figure out who was on their side and who was on the Metis¡¯ side. Instead of driving the enemy away, Evelyn wanted to twine them together and turn the tide, leading the flow. ¡°My father and mother areing soon, right.¡± When Evelyn asked him with pinkish cheeks, Fabian almost dropped the teacup without realizing it. ¡°That¡­..yes. With a vast fleet.¡± ¡°They insisted on having a celebratory party ¡­.. on behalf of my parents, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Honestly, he was still confused, if the fleets they brought just to fire a salute? Even though he knew that Arthur was a childish man, but Fabian was worried about losing Evelyn and Adrian because of him. ¡°Oh, Your Majesty, I have a request¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Tell me, anything¡±, said Fabian. His response seemed to have changed the situation between the questioner and the listener. ¡°Adrian was actually born in August, but then ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t want to let you know, so I announced he was born in winter.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°So, can we celebrate the Empress¡¯ coronation and Adrian¡¯s first birthday together?¡± Her sweet-warm voice softened Fabian¡¯s eyes, ¡°Evelyn.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t think about it before.¡± Reba tried to cover her ears, but she couldn¡¯t hinder her hearing because none of the men¡¯s words in this world attracted her besides the Emperor¡¯s. Fortunately, Evelyn changed the topic quickly as if she already knew Reba¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Oh Your Majesty, Adrian is with Nora now, so go and find him.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s it.¡± Suddenly, there¡¯s a shadow cast over Fabian¡¯s face. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a little problem.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t understand why Fabian spoke like he was making an excuse. ¡°The ck hawk that I¡¯m supposed to give Adrian¡­¡­ died.¡± Fabian spoke sorrowfully. It¡¯s unfortunate, Evelyn and Reba were sad to hear that too, and they prayed that the poor hawk would rest in peace. ¡°That¡­ ¡­how to exin it to Adrian¡­ so I mean¡­¡­I don¡¯t have a hawk to give to Adrian right now.¡± He murmured, babbling a little. Reba was also shocked seeing another side of the Emperor, but she pretended not to know. ¡°Just tell him honestly¡±, said Evelyn. ¡°How? There¡¯s no ck hawk? Your hawk is dead?¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t have it forever.¡± When he thought of Adrian¡¯s wishful eyes, Fabian could hardly keep his mouth opened. ¡°Princess, I¡¯ve finished sorting out the invitations. My friend Lady Daisy is helping me somewhere else, so my work will be finished sooner!¡± Fabian nced with gratitude to Reba, who quickly pushed Evelyn away. Reba, who saw it was mesmerized for a moment and quickly turned her head, looking peeved. dly, Fabian and Evelyn overlooked that and walked to Adrian¡¯s ce. Reba was again busy with her work and grumbled to herself. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to Princess Evelyn¡­¡­ Is that a threat? Huh, he thought I would be afraid of such a threat!¡± Fabian and Reba, when those two self-centred people met, the results were already known. Now was the most typical example.
*** ¡°Fa-ther!¡± As soon as Fabian entered the room, Adrianughed happily and weed him with his small opened arms. Seeing that cute-lovely figure, how could he not hold him? Fabian then hugged Adrian gently and embraced him in his arms. ¡°You¡¯ve learned that word now.¡± ¡°Yes, Adrian can say it too! Fa¡­fa-ther.¡± Fabian and Evelyn looked at each other and smiled faintly. It was a gaze that only parents could understand, saying that Adrian still had more to learn. ¡°¡±Come on! Fa-ther! to give me the ck hawk? Did youe?¡± There¡¯s something that still needed to be corrected. But it concerned the honour of Sir Hans, who was Adrian¡¯s tutor. He was initially the Imperial¡¯s physician and the chief student of Sir Philip, the mostpetent ex-doctor and researcher in the Empire. Considering how many disciples followed Sir Philip, Hans was one of the most talented among his disciples who could be called as his sessor. ¡°Adrian, said¡­ ¡­ Wrong¡­ ¡­ ?¡± The child looked at Fabian and Evelyn in turn. ¡°Do you think so, Adrian?¡± Adrian fell into deep thought when Evelyn asked him. ¡°I¡¯ve learned¡­! Adrian has learned five¡­six books¡­¡­.¡± Obviously, Adrian looked even more upset because he had studied hard. At this point, perhaps the problem was his teacher. But if they looked closely, there were other reasons, and it was unfair to me Sir Hans for that. Since he grew up so freely in the Felice Kingdom, Adrian was more hyperactive than the noble children in general. Although his way of speaking was already polite, thenguage used in the Empire and Kingdom was somewhat different. And, as could be seen, Adriancked the will to learn more ¡®formal¡¯ words than those he had mastered. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you¡¯ve improved a lot. Indeed, you¡¯re my son.¡± Fabian patted the sad-depressed Adrian and raised him high. Seeing Adrian burst intoughter, Evelyn was still amazed to see Fabian was able to handle his son so well. ¡°You can learn to speak slowly even if it¡¯s a littlete¡±, Fabian said softly. If he was the ¡®old¡¯ Fabian, he couldn¡¯t possibly do something like that. ¡°Adrian, you¡¯re so brave and strong, so you¡¯ll be able to do better when you grow up.¡± ¡°Like fa-ther?¡± Adrian¡¯s words were still stuttered. But always, his parents thought he was adorable. ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t demand Adrian to be able to speak perfectly ording to etiquette like other noble children. On the other hand, in Fabian¡¯s eyes, the first impression he saw from Adrian was that the child was free-spirited. Adrian had broken that stereotype, so Fabian didn¡¯t want to raise his son like him. ¡°Then, can Adrian get the hawk?¡± At that moment, Fabian gulped down his dry saliva. Even when he was on the battlefield, he had never felt this kind of fear. But, the ck hawk he wanted to give Adrian was dead, and it was such a rare bird that he couldn¡¯t find the substitute. ¡°Adrian, that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± Seeing Fabian¡¯s face stiffened, Evelyn quickly approached him and said something to him. Listening to her advice, Fabian felt hesitated for a while. But his heart became calm when he smelled Adrian¡¯s baby scent who hugged him tightly.
*** ¡°I see you, Your Majesty!¡± The ce they visited now was the Pce¡¯s breeding aviary where ck hawks were professionally bred. The ck hawk was Fabian¡¯s favourite animal. So the birds were handled very well by the Imperial family. ¡°Adrian, you should walk by yourself now?¡± When Evelyn encouraged him toe down with a smile, Adrian showed his childish nature by hugging Fabian¡¯s neck tighter as if he still wanted to be pampered. ¡°Leave him be, he¡¯s light as a feather.¡± Fabian grinned. In his whole life, no one ever hugged his neck. If so, he would definitely remember it. ¡°Your Majesty, you must teach him to be self-reliant.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do so from tomorrow.¡± Evelyn stopped grumbling after looking at Fabian¡¯s wry smile smeared with bitterness. ¡°Here¡¯s the breeding ground that prepares the hawk for you,¡± said Fabian Seeing the owner was an Emperor, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the aviary was more spacious and cleaner than a human residence. ¡°The ck hawk! Where¡¯s my hawk?¡± As the child started jumping with joy, Fabian gently put him down to the ground. However, even though Adrian had already searched around, there were no hawks he could find, except the strands of ck feathers that scattered everywhere. No matter how brave and strong he was, Adrian quickly burst into tears when he found out that the thing that he longed for all this time was gone. At that time, Fabian immediately knelt on the ground and looked deeply at Adrian in the eyes. The servants, cage keepers, including Evelyn, were astounded when they saw the Emperor knelt in the breeding aviary. ¡°Adrian, your hawk was here.¡± Only ¡°No, it¡¯s not here!¡± cried Adrian, his face moist with tears. ¡°Yes, it used to be, but it¡¯s gone now. Do you know why?¡± Adrian shook his head, wiping his teary eyes with his hand. ¡°The mother hawkid five eggs, but the baby only hatched two and the condition too weak¡­¡± Fabian blurred thest words of his sentence. He had said the word ¡°death¡± several times and had the child recalled his trauma. Then, Evelyn calmly approached him and bent her body. ¡°Adrian, your hawk went to heaven with his brothers. They will y with youter. But Adrian must grow up bravely first.¡± Soon, Adrian¡¯s tearful eyes looked very confused. Chapter 124: Just Pure Love As Adrian cried out about the death of his baby hawk, faintly, the sound of birds chirping was heard somewhere in the distance. The sound didn¡¯t seem to be heard by the adults¡¯ ears, but Adrian¡¯s small body ran at full speed and followed that sound. ¡°Oh! Prince, we¡¯re still cleaning ¡­¡­.¡± The bird-keeper ran and pursued Adrian. But they fell far behind because they underestimated a child¡¯s speed. Fabian and Evelyn also went after the guard to find their son. Evelyn sighed with relief when she found a small back that full of dirt on his clothing. But somewhere, her nose began to smell something stink. ¡°Forgive me, Your Majesty ¡­ This is the breeding aviary where disabled and abandoned hawks are raised.¡± Fabian seemed to understand, then shook his head and looked at Evelyn. ¡°Not all ck hawks are born strong and perfect. Therefore, we train and give them missions ording to their respective abilities.¡± Only then did Evelyn take a nod. Looking at the difference in the aviary area. It was evident that Fabian would give the top-notch ck hawk to Adrian, even without being asked. ¡°Adrian, you can¡¯t run like that!¡± Evelyn quickly grabbed Adrian¡¯s little shoulder and held him back. Adrian still tried to run and struggled with his body, but he couldn¡¯t beat Evelyn¡¯s strength. But, all of a sudden, Evelyn also found an object that caught Adrian¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡± Adrian¡¯s tiny finger pointed to the object. Fabian, who was curious, also took a peek behind Adrian¡¯s back. Watching them, the bird-keepers just stood still as they didn¡¯t know what to do. Fabian then called one of them toe closer. At the ce where Adrian pointed out, there was a baby hawk that had just started walking. However, from the shape of its feathers and small ws, it seemed like the hawk wasn¡¯t the finest birth. ¡°Mo-ther, that¡¯s also a ck hawk¡­right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ck eyas*. Born from an egg, and after passing through childhood safely, it will be the mighty ck hawk we know.¡± exined the bird-keeper. (T/N: Eyas: Baby/young Hawk ) The eyas was really unattractive. The color of its feather was dull, and the unperfect shape made the eyas look ugly. Nevertheless, its mother had a strong instinct; she stared at Adrian from inside the cage while holding her baby. ¡°When it gets bigger, will it be a brave hawk?¡± asked Adrian. ¡°Of course. If you wait patiently, when the mother hawk hatches a healthy baby, I will give it to you as a gift. I promise.¡± Fabian said in a gentle voice, lovingly coaxing him. But, Adrian¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the cage, where the mother hawk hatched her poor baby. ¡°That too ¡­..Will it be a strong hawk when it grows up?¡± ¡°Right. But it won¡¯t be as big or strong as you¡¯ve seen before,¡± said Fabian. ¡°Why?¡± Adrian looked at Fabian with shimmering pupils. Seeing his innocent gaze, Fabian, who always talked back to the congress¡¯s nobles, was now speechless. Luckily, Evelyn helped him to talk to the child on his behalf. ¡°Adrian, everyone looks different, right? Your father and mother, Nora, and also Lily, who take care of you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°They all have their own talent. Nora is good at cooking, and Lily is good at ying hide and seek with Adrian, right?¡± Adrian nodded excitedly when the names of the friendly people he knew were mentioned. ¡°So, although it¡¯s not the strongest hawk, maybe, it will be a kind and smart hawk. Do you understand?¡± Fabian, who saw Evelyn, was amazed at her way of teaching. There were no parents who taught their children like that anywhere, either in the Imperial family or in the noble family. In Empire¡¯s education system, parents generally didn¡¯t answer when their children asked an obscure question. Their children were brought up, expecting that they wouldn¡¯t have any useless questions in the future. ¡°All right then, Adrian ¡­.¡± Evelyn gently pulled his hand, but Adrian¡¯s eyes were still nailed into the cage. ¡°Do you want that bird?¡± Evelyn asked. Even though that ck eyas was a little different, Evelyn had already read Adrian¡¯s inner thoughts. And that child wasn¡¯t able to nod his head because he was ashamed. Adrian was a child who waszy to wait. The hawk that was supposed to be given to him was dead, so he wanted to have whatever he saw. But, Evelyn didn¡¯t want Adrian to grow up as a person who treated animals like objects. ¡°Adrian, that little hawk won¡¯t grow up as big as His Majesty¡¯s hawk that you¡¯ve seen before and will lose the fight. ¡­ But, if you wait patiently, His Majesty will give you a strong and brave hawk, so why don¡¯t you wait a little longer?¡± Evelyn tried to persuade him. This was the first time Evelyn had yed a role as Adrian¡¯s mother. At times like this, she missed her mother, Queen Miriam, very much. Evelyn now knew how difficult it was to teach a child and make him understood. ¡°If you really want it, I can give you that bird.¡± Fabian suddenly intervened a little. ¡°Adrian, I¡¯ll give you that little bird. After that, when a stronger hawk is born, I¡¯ll also give it to you. That¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it? Fabian came up with a great solution, but Adrian was still brooding with puffed cheeks. ¡°The ugly hawk¡­is it still a baby?¡± Both Fabian and Evelyn were surprised by their son¡¯s unexpected question. ¡°Is the baby with its mom?¡± Adrian asked, looking at the hawks in the cage. The Pce bird aviary was operated by a professional aviculturist*. They put the mother bird and her baby together because the baby still needed the mother¡¯s care. (T/N: Aviculturist > A person who keeps and rears (breeds) birds) ¡°If you ask the bird-keeper, you can take it right now,¡± Fabian said with a sighed voice. ¡°No!¡± shouted Adrian. Fabian tried to hide his embarrassment when Adrian looked up at him with a deep frown. He was a bit shocked, to be honest. How many times the moment-when he was yelled at by a child- happened in his life? ¡°Adrian, you can¡¯t shout like that! Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re no longer a baby?¡± ¡°Nooo¡­ Adrian is not a baby¡­..The ugly bird is a baby¡­.. A Baby needs a mom.¡± Fabian and Evelyn closed their mouths for a moment after hearing his innocent words. Whereas usually, a child in his age would insist on getting everything he wanted right away. Still, Adrian¡¯s thinking seemed to be entirely different. ¡°So, what do you want to do, Adrian?¡± Evelyn bent down, making eye contact with him. ¡°Adrian, like the ugly¡­¡­ the baby saw Adrian¡¯s eyes earlier¡­.. So, my friend.¡± Even though a bird couldn¡¯tugh or talk like a human, it was a good thing that Adrian could learn the meaning of friendship. ¡°But, that bird can¡¯t fight strongly ¡­ is that all right?¡± ¡°A friend makes Adrian brave!¡± Well, Fabian watched the sight with a severe face. That child was really his son. Adrian¡¯s overflowing spirit resembled him a lot. Even just looking at him made Fabian felt so proud. ¡°Then, what will you do with the strong hawk that you will getter? If you wait, you¡¯ll get that too.¡± Adrian shook his head quickly. ¡°Adrian, my friend!¡± he pointed his tiny-chubby finger at the little bird in the cage. ¡°Ugly! is Adrian¡¯s friend!¡± In his heart, Fabian was satisfied. To see that his son had realized the meaning of loyalty from an early age. The news about the brilliant and genius Crown Prince, who had never existed before in the Empire, seemed would be spread across the continent soon. ¡°Oh well then, bird-keeper,e here.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The aviculturist bowed with a nervous face. ¡°Let the mother hawk rest first, And I will take the eyas because the Prince wants it. Can I take it now?¡± ¡°The eyas still has to be cuddled by its mother, but I think it¡¯s fine as long as you take good care of it.¡± Fabian nodded with pleasure. But as if she knew by instinct, when the bird-keeper tried to open the cage, the mother hawk stepped back and hid her baby. ¡°No!¡± Adrian yelled his best words once again. ¡°They¡¯re going together!¡± Adrian apparently wanted to bring the mother and her baby altogether. It was an unexpected request, given that the ¡®mother¡¯ hawk was a required tool¡¯ forying eggs and raising offspring in the Imperial breeding grounds. ¡°Adrian is not a baby. Baby ugly needs its mom. Ugly¡¯s mom will be sad!¡± It then did Evelyn realize that Adrian¡¯s new friend¡¯s name was ¡®Ugly.¡¯ ¡°Adrian¡­¡± Fabian murmured softly, and he put his hand on Adrian¡¯s head. Even though he didn¡¯t say a single word, Fabian¡¯s heart was filled with an unfamiliar warmth. A gentle smile then appeared on his lips, ¡°It¡¯s a great and wonderful thing to take care of the mother and the baby together.¡± A lovely smile bloomed on Adrian¡¯s face. Adrian, who received the long-awaited praise, rubbed his hair like a baby in Fabian¡¯s hand above his head. At that moment, the surprised look of Fabian seemed to be something that Evelyn would never forget.
*** Fabian put the cage in front of the Empress¡¯s Pce and employed the best aviculturists to take care of it. Adrian was thrilled with the gift. He was so excited until he exhausted and fell asleep in Nora¡¯s arms before sunset. As for Reba, she was busy selecting the royals¡¯ names to invite in one of the rooms that had been turned into a private office. So, she briefly forgot about her other duties. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Finally, after so long, they had a sweet time to spend alone together. Fabian didn¡¯t want to waste this rare opportunity and sat beside Evelyn while enjoying tea time. ¡°Your Majesty, when the Emperor and Empress drink tea together, they usually have to sit across each other or diagonally,¡± Evelyn said cautiously. Evelyn was well aware of that. Even Fabian had given her Adrian¡¯s custody, he couldn¡¯t get rid of all of the etiquette that had passed down throughout the Imperial family. So Evelyn didn¡¯t want to be more greedy because she already received what she wanted. ¡°Recently, I realized that etiquette is useless.¡± But, instead of moving away, Fabian narrowed his distance from Evelyn. The gap between them now was so close that he could even feel her trembling breath. ¡°So, I decided topromise,¡± Fabian whispered fondly in her ears. In the past, his low voice sounded a bit scary and heartless. But one day, oddly enough, his voice felt so warm and sweet. ¡°When we¡¯re alone, I don¡¯t want to be an Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Evelyn was terrified, as the Emperor like him shouldn¡¯t say such a joke. ¡°I don¡¯t mean I¡¯ll neglect my duty since it¡¯s already an obligation to my fate.¡± Fabian¡¯s smile looked a little bitter. ¡°But when I¡¯m alone with you ¡­ How about we be an ordinary couple?¡± Fabian was deeply troubled before saying this. As he might be rejected or reprimanded. Above all, Fabian had never made such a wish before. So he was so sheepish and nervous that his heart was shaking. ¡°I ¡­¡­ have no choice but to be the Emperor for everyone in this world.¡± The bigger the continent he ruled, the stronger he was and the heavier the burden he bore. Evelyn was the first person who could feel and understand Fabian¡¯s pain. And perhaps, she wasn¡¯t the only one who was unhappy in the past. ¡°I just want to be a man and a husband in front of you in this world. Even if I don¡¯t have eyes to look at you, just sit close to me andugh at what I¡¯m doing¡­..Is too luxury for me to expect such a life?¡± Ironically, the Emperor of this world turned out to be the one who craved the most ordinary thing in the world. ¡°Sometimes, maybe you¡¯ll get angry at me for being indifferent to you, and you may also scold Adrian and me because I spoiled him too much.¡± Fabian was so happy to picture it. It brought a longing and mournful smile to his lips for the first time. ¡°If we disagree, we quarrel, and someone will apologize first. And even if we get mad at each other, we still sleep in the same bed ¡­ Only you, who can do something that makes me feel want to die.¡± Evelyn felt sad as she listened to his confession. It wasn¡¯t a kind of sympathy because she had that kind of mind on him before. Yet, it was a very different emotion than just feeling sorry. Then, Evelyn took courage and held Fabian¡¯s hand first. Only ¡°All right, Fabian.¡± A loving pink smile spread on her lips. ¡°But don¡¯t regret itter.¡± Fabianughed faintly at Evelyn¡¯s words. After that, he gently pulled her shoulder, locking Evelyn in his arms, and he kissed her on the lips. There was no need for a sacred marriage letter, nor the vow on their wedding ring. Just pure love. It was enough for them to overflow their feelings to each other. Chapter 125: David’s Arrival David¡¯s decision has always been intuitive. He wasn¡¯t caught up in personal emotions, and he knew that everything in the world would be faded away with time. And that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯s doing right now. ¡®Kid¡­. I have something I want to teach you, but my time is up.¡¯ He recalled what his teacher had said when he was dying. ¡®The universe is essentially a warped picture. It was¡­.a thing.¡¯ After his teacher¡¯s sudden death before he could finish his sentences, David momentarily lost his intuitive judgment and used the magic of time. And half of his failures propelled David to this stage. ¡°No, teacher. I still have time¡­¡­.¡± Fortunately, David had more time than his teacher. If Adrian was removed from this world, Evelyn would surely return to her Kingdom. And Fabian¡¯s massacre because of Evelyn wouldn¡¯t have happened in the future. ¡°I have toplete this mission. So ¡­ ¡­ give me strength.¡± His mission was to make this continent flow as before. David closed his eyes for a moment with his hands sped as the intersection of fate was getting closer. ¡°Sir David! We¡¯re going to cross the Imperial checkpoint now.¡± A loud noise came from outside the carriage. It took longer than he expected to make the trip from Saint Iretta. The Emperor weed the Pope¡¯s entourage in person because he realized that he really needed the guests he invited this time. But what was surprising was that the Emperor confronted David directly. By procedure, David was the Pope¡¯s representative, but Fabian¡¯s ck eyes focused sharply on him. ¡°From Saint Iretta to here¡­..it¡¯s a difficult journey.¡± Fabian said. ¡°It¡¯s Your Majesty¡¯s request, so how could I note with pleasure?¡± said the Pope, rubbing his white beard. That old man didn¡¯t seem much different from Fabian¡¯s memory. But he was very unfamiliar and suspicious of David¡¯s appearance. A fair face under the sun and exotic purple eyes. It was so strange to see him alive and breathing. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared one of the best pavilion in the Imperial Pce, it would be nice if the Pope¡¯s entourage could take a rest there.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.¡± The Pope repeatedly smiled with delight at Fabian¡¯s wee. Now it was the time to consider Duke Metis and Princess Evelyn¡¯s devotion, including the Emperor. There could be no better business for the Vatican than this. ¡°The Vatican Pdin ¡­¡­ Is your name David?¡± asked Fabian curiously, and David replied back in a quiet, clear voice. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°When I saw you, I remembered that you were the one who defeated the Wyverns at the Great Festival. At that time, I couldn¡¯t thank you because I didn¡¯t know the details of the story, but thank you, because of you, the Prince wasn¡¯t hurt, so I will give you a gift. ¡° ¡°I don¡¯t need a gift.¡± David gracefully lowered his head halfway. ¡°But the Emperor¡¯s kindness shouldn¡¯t be refused,¡± Fabian said those gruesome words without losing his rxed smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be preparing a present that suits you best, so look forward to it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such an honor for me then.¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eyes as he watched David, who only answered briefly, felt like knives. David, who had lived for many years, this time felt tremendous pressure from an ordinary human. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ As Your Majesty said, my old body is a little tired after traveling so far.¡± The Pope looked confused and interrupted their conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the pavilion that has provided by His Majesty.¡± When David chose the right time to leave, Fabian nodded and stared at them, pretending to be generous. ¡°He looks like a moving statue, not human. I¡¯ve never seen someone could erase the existence aura like that.¡± Serus, who typically spoke less, opened his mouth first. He had excellent at swords and martial arts and was a man of strong will. However, when he saw a person who gave him a different sense of level, Serus also startled from the depths of his heart. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Is he a human being?¡± Fabian uttered cynically. He wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Whatever his opponent¡¯s identity, he was determined to cut him with his own sword and take his life. ¡°Duke Akshire is waiting in the living room next door.¡± said Serus. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± When they entered the room, not only Liam but Logan, who was in charge of the ck Hawk Knight, was with him as well. Initially, Serus was the leader, but now he had a more important job to protect the Emperor¡¯s family. ¡°First of all, Lady Metis re-entered the Pce. She¡¯s now with Empress Dowager, and nothing has changed since then. ¡± Serus briefly exined to Liam, since he was an outsider. ¡°And Empress Dowager stated that she didn¡¯t wish to be involved in this grueling fight.¡± Liam nodded. For him, it was good news that the enemy was decreasing. But it was in stark contrast to Fabian, who suspected his own mother. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve given the Pope¡¯s entourage a nice ce, haven¡¯t you?¡± asked Liam. Fabian scorned, twisting his mouth, andughed. ¡°Ha, of course, It¡¯s a beautiful building that is always used when envoys from other countries arrive.¡± The pavilion that he gave the Pope was one of the most beautiful buildings in the Imperial family. But, the interior was built with a special design that allowed it to be spied on. Fabian had already ced elite knights hiding between the walls and ceiling before the Pope¡¯s arrival. ¡°How about the Duke Metis?¡± Fabian asked without much expectation since Liam didn¡¯t look very bright either. ¡°His move was same as you expected.¡± Fabian spat augh. Duke Metis intended to lead his own faction and used them as a weapon in parliament, but his arrogance exceeded his ability. ¡°No wonder, the Metis family is blood-rted to the Imperial family and is the strongest family in history since the founding of the Empire.¡± That¡¯s Sagan¡¯s ace card. However, Fabian was his nephew, so Sagan was sure that Fabian wouldn¡¯t destroy Metis since he was still their family line. Besides, theirst fortress, the Empress Dowager, was still alive. Sagan had the upper hand as everything was possible. ¡°It¡¯s too bad. If he¡¯d spent more time with me, his nephew, he would have known that it¡¯s useless to fight against the Imperial family.¡± ¡°In history, a revolt has never been sessful ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking.¡± Serus suddenly added a phrase. ¡°He thinks he¡¯s special. That¡¯s what humans are.¡± ¡°But the Duke Metis has already lost his rational judgment.¡± said Liam. ¡°Huh¡­ is he trying to recruit soldiers?¡± Liam nodded in response to Fabian¡¯s question. What he did was already a sign of rebellion. ¡°And how about you?¡± asked Fabian and stared at Liam coolly. ¡°I¡¯m only here to help the Princess, so I don¡¯t bring any personal soldiers. But, if something happens, shouldn¡¯t the gifts from King and Queen Felice be helpful? ¡­ I hope.¡± Fabian burst out with a chuckle. It was a King¡¯s wise decision to bring troops under the guise of gifts and used them as a force in an emergency situation. ¡°Does that include your soldiers?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Instead, my soldiers are camping on the territorial borders. By any chance ¡­.¡± ¡°I see.¡± What a pity, Fabian thought. If it weren¡¯t for Evelyn¡¯s feelings, Liam actually would be apetent and trustworthy person for him. ¡°Tomorrow, the Pope will make a choice that is more favorable to him. However, it is questionable whether that greedy old man can refuse either of them down properly. What about the Congress?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve benefited from Metis¡¯ rebellion ns. I will never be outnumbered and lose in timing.¡± But actually, they were evenly matched in terms of power, and it was Fabian¡¯s job to make sure they didn¡¯t lose. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Fabian then allowed Liam to continue speaking with his gaze. ¡°Duke Metis is a cunning man, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to fight with knight troops.¡± Fabian grasped what Liam meant. Sagan would kill Adrian as soon as he had the chance. Because what he wanted was power, not honor. ¡°Now, the protection at the Empress Pce are stricter than my Pce.¡± said Fabian, and Liam seemed d to hear that. ¡°Duke Akshire, if Duke Metis crosses the line¡­¡­ whether he wants to wage war or not. He still has to take responsibility and suffer the consequences.¡± There had never been a war in the Empire¡¯s history, and the Empire would never be defeated. However, if things got worse, Fabian was ready to destroy his mother¡¯s own family. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t figure that out, but it was a good thing as long as Fabian could ensure Evelyn¡¯s safety. Soon, after Liam left the room, Fabian sighed. This was the most exhausting period of his reign. ¡°Another useless thing¡­ ¡­ .¡± He muttered alone. Fabian didn¡¯t like starting wars because of personal ambition. Because the results would always be the same, and many people would die. ¡°There may be another way.¡± Serus carefully said. ¡°No, there isn¡¯t, unless the Duke Metis gives up his ambition.¡± ¡°Then, how about you ¡®give¡¯ him another ambition? A stupid dog will lose its purpose if it sees the meat in front of it. ¡° ¡°Serus.¡± Fabian looked closely at him. Fabian, who knew Serus¡¯s character very well, was very surprised by what he said just now. ¡°There¡¯s a person who is by Your Majesty¡¯ side who can pleased Duke Metis with small achievement.¡± Fabian frowned his eyebrows, ¡°Who? Empress Dowager?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you. That idea couldn¡¯t havee from you¡­¡­.¡± Fabian squinted his eyes, ¡°Duke Perth¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serus answered softly, pulling out the sealed letter from his pocket and handed it to Fabian. Once the thread was tangled, it began to twist uncontrobly.
*** The atmosphere in the Empress Pce was also tense. Evelyn couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous when she found out that David was already in the Imperial Pce. She deliberately clung to Adrian¡¯s side. Fortunately, Adrian enjoyed it a lot and didn¡¯t seem ufortable at all. ¡°Oh mother! When Ugly can fly?¡± Adrian was fascinated by the birdcage Fabian gave him. He also wanted to learn etiquette lessons, which he hated so much because of Ugly. This was due to Sir Hans¡¯s new teaching method. He told Adrian that he had to be good at speaking in polite, formalnguage and used honorifics if he wanted to talk to the hawk. ¡°Well, I know everything! Adrian, it¡¯s not a baby!¡± ¡°Yes, and now you need to know how to write.¡± said Sir Hans. ¡°Heeee¡­¡± A few steps away, Evelyn and Reba, smiled brightly when they saw Sir Hans teaching Adrian in the Empress¡¯s library. ¡°How can he be so ¡­ brilliant?¡± Evelyn was also a mother who had difficulty educating their children, so she couldn¡¯t help admiring Sir Hans¡¯s cleverness. ¡°That¡¯s right ¡­.. he teaches a child in a clever way, he¡¯s definitely a very patient and has a great character.¡± said Reba. But it seemed, the thing they admired about Sir Hans was different. Evelyn thought Hans was a decent guy, and he was a good candidate for the future Sage, so he was the ideal match for Reba. Then, she looked at Reba for a moment. Still, Evelyn decided not to continue because the person she was talking to didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Wait! Time to feed Ugly!¡± Adrian shouted in high spirits and got down from a chair that was higher than his height. His back and little butt peeking out in front of the cage looked plump and cute. Looking at the clock, it seemed that Adrian¡¯s snack time to have passed a bit. ¡°Oh, what about Nora and Lily?¡± Evelyn asked. Before Reba could answer, Nora and Lily were seen rushing down the Empress¡¯s aisle, and they immediately came to Evelyn. ¡°Where have you been? It¡¯s Adrian¡¯s snack time, but I didn¡¯t see you two.¡± ¡°Forgive us. His Holiness came and ordered me to bring holy water to all parts of the Imperial Pce.¡± said Nora, with a basin full of water in her arms. ¡°I heard itte and went to help Nora, but I was one stepte¡­¡­.¡± Lily nced at Nora. Maybe because she was still young for a Pce maid, Lily was sometimes a little clumsy like this. Only But Evelyn didn¡¯t want to me her today because she looked cute and had already admitted her mistake. ¡°Well Lily, will you prepare a snack for Adrian?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lily answered quickly and disappeared again with staggering steps. ¡°Nora, you¡¯ve worked hard, so take some rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the job of a courtdy. Lily is still young, but don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll be a decent courtdy in a few years.¡± Evelyn nodded, smiling. Even though Nora was upset, but she protected Lily warmly. The peace that had begun to emerge in the Empress Pce gently embraced everyone. Chapter 126: At The Corridor Seeing that the Pope and David were already in the Imperial Pce. Evelyn was both anxious and wary. Fabian strengthened the guard in the Empress¡¯ Pce, and he reduced the number of residents as much as possible. He wanted to make sure the Pce was secure by having only trustworthy people in it. ¡°Is this the holy water you said before?¡± Evelyn looked down at the liquid in the basin and asked her. Unless she was a fool, she couldn¡¯t have trusted and used what was given by the Vatican. ¡°Yes, they sent it to the entire Imperial Pce to share God¡¯s blessings.¡± Nora said carefully. ¡°It¡¯s not a blessing, it¡¯s a curse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Princess.¡± Nora was a prudent person. She smiled gently as Evelyn asked her thoughts with her eyes. ¡°Water¡­¡­there¡¯s a simple way to deal with it.¡± Soon, the same smile appeared on Evelyn¡¯s lips. The water in the basin would be just in water in the Empress¡¯ Pce. ¡°Where¡¯s the real holy water?¡± Evelyn asked curiously. ¡°As soon as Lily brought it, I took it and threw it into the sewer.¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Evelyn praised Nora greatly. Nora was the epitome of a noblewoman who had a bold impression behind her calmness. Even though it was just in water that had no effect, she didn¡¯t want to see whatever the Vatican had given her. ¡°Later, everything that will given by the Vatican, please handle it the same way.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Nora nodded solemnly. She became stronger whenever she remembered Adrian, who was attacked by a demon. She was also the person Evelyn needed right now. ¡°What about Lily? You¡¯ve to tell her to do it too.¡± ¡°I will, since she¡¯s also serve the Princess, she has the same hearts. Rather, the problem is¡­..she¡¯s too motivated¡­¡± Nora smiled vaguely. When Lily returned to be the Empress¡¯s maid, she was very excited and full of motivation. It would be nice if her passion could help Evelyn. ¡°Lily is a smart and stubborn kid.¡± ¡°Yes, I know her well.¡± Evelyn felt at ease when she saw Nora. It was a big difference from the past that now she had someone to trust. ¡°And we¡¯ll be more confident with the presence of the King and Queen of the Felice Kingdom who will arrive soon.¡± Nora said warm words as if she had read Evelyn¡¯s mind. When Evelyn recalled her parents¡¯ rising spirits, her worries seemed to disappear. If Arthur¡¯s powerful love was here, even the demon king wasn¡¯t able to hurt Adrian. ¡°Oh Nora, how about Reba?¡± ¡°She went to see Duke Akshire. Sheined, but she left anyway because maybe Duke Akshire has some important information. ¡° ¡°Yes, otherwise, they won¡¯t look for each other.¡± Evelyn agreed immediately. A brother seemed to be someone you didn¡¯t want to meet unless it was necessary. ¡°The Prince is sleeping after Sir Philip¡¯s examination.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d he¡¯s not having trouble sleepingtely. But just in case, Nora, please stay by his side.¡± ¡°What about you, Princess?¡± asked Nora. After a brief thought, Evelyn smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to see His Majesty.¡± Nora was a little surprised at that, but she nodded quickly. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± Evelyn was still a little uncertain. But Nora gently moved her shoulders, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy.¡± ¡°No, I just¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to ask him about what¡¯s going on. His Majesty is a busy person, so I feel bad that I just keep waiting for him and he¡¯s the one who alwayses here all the time¡­¡­¡± Evelyn looked embarrassed; her words went on for no reason. But Nora decided to close her eyes, pretending not to see the lovely intention clearly showing on her face. Even now, Evelyn¡¯s cheeks were still blushing. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea in many ways.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face reddened, ¡°That¡­is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, take Lily with you. I will be with the Prince.¡± When Nora did push her back, Evelynplied. After that, Lily led her way, disying a high-ss Empress maid¡¯s striking and elegant posture. Now, everywhere Evelyn went, Lily showed more gracious courtesy and manners than when she was an Empress in the past.
*** ¡°¡­¡­is this my first time?¡± ¡°Princess, what did you say?¡± Lily looked back when Evelyn muttered alone in the empty corridor. ¡°Just ¡­¡­ Lily, back then, when I was still the Empress, have I ever met His Majesty first like this?¡± Lily tilted her head as she had no recollection of it, ¡°I¡¯ve never been here.¡± ¡°Then, it must be the first time.¡± Evelyn said calmly as she watched the sunshine pouring down the corridor. The Inner Pce had a building structure that was interconnected from one ce to another. From the Empress¡¯s Pce, If they walked down this long corridor made of marble, they would be able to arrive at the Emperor¡¯s residence. It wasn¡¯t surprising because the Inner Pce was the residence of Imperial¡¯s couple to stay. So, when the Emperor came to the Empress pce, he had to go through this corridor. ¡°This is my first time walking down this corridor.¡± There¡¯s a new feeling, like a bird; one step felt like a miracle. The sunlit marble corridor twinkled as if weed Evelyn¡¯s steps. In the past, she thought it was a cold and scary path. But when she looked back, it was a stupid thought. ¡°This corridor¡­ It¡¯s longer than I thought.¡± she said. Evelyn, in the past, never attempted to meet Fabian first. ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Lily. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a very long way.¡± Evelyn looked at the end of the corridor. It was like her rtionship with Fabian back then, so long and far away. ¡°But now¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lily nced at Evelyn with a strange grin. As Evelyn turned back slowly, Fabian was seen leaning on the other side of the corridor. ¡°Lily, you¡­ You and Nora¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Pardon? I don¡¯t know, Princess. Just a coincidence, His Majesty is here.¡± Lily, who had a sheepish smile, quickly bowed and left Evelyn, who was embarrassed. Evelyn couldn¡¯t move back or move forward as Fabian approached her. As fast as possible, Fabian walked over without hesitation, and soon he came before Evelyn. ¡°It¡¯s our first time meeting here.¡± It¡¯s a trivial greeting, but Fabian¡¯s voice sounded very pleased. ¡°I know¡­.¡± Evelyn was ashamed to see Fabian without reason. Her face felt hot as she imagined Nora and Lily nning all this and called Fabian. ¡°That ¡­¡­ don¡¯t me your maids, it¡¯s not their fault.¡± Fabian grabbed Evelyn by the wrist. At that moment, Evelyn forgot what she was going to say. ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked them to bring you here.¡± He said. ¡°What?¡± Evelyn looked astonished. ¡°Your maids did it at my request.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes grew round. It felt odd and extraordinary to know that Fabian really cared about little things like this. ¡°Yesterday, I felt it on my way to your Pce¡­¡± Fabian walked slowly, holding her hand. Evelyn also walked slowly along with him. ¡°I felt very happy walking through this corridor.¡± The blinding sun was shining everywhere; their feet touched. ¡°But it¡¯s regrettable, you don¡¯t walk in this corridor like I did¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t know it¡¯s such a beautiful path.¡± said Evelyn softly. ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t paid much attention to it all this time, I was always in a hurry and didn¡¯t have time to look around this corridor.¡± Fabian always passed through this corridor every time he went to her Pce. He was an Emperor who lived by dividing his time into minutes and seconds. So Fabian kept thinking Evelyn had waited for him, so he always walked in a rush. ¡°I just went on like a fool without seeing the season or scenery.¡± said Fabian, looking back to the past. Back then and even now, his feelings for Evelyn were still the same. And he always wanted to do his best for her. Yet, Fabian¡¯s own feelings couldn¡¯t be passed on to her. Both of them didn¡¯t know a simple fact that the couple had to face each other. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me, I was foolish, too.¡± murmured Evelyn. They just needed to walk in this corridor and visit each other, but why couldn¡¯t they do that once but stayed away instead? ¡°Maybe the two of us are a little alike.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Fabian¡¯s low voice sounded so sweet. ¡°Maybe before, we hesitated for useless things and chose to stay away from each other.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± He cut it firmly. ¡°No.¡± Argued Evelyn as she kept walking. Fabian couldn¡¯t let go of her hand this time and stepped behind her. ¡°It was our fault.¡± Evelyn¡¯s smile looked relieved. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of two people. It was a problem between your Majesty and me.¡± Suddenly Evelyn saw Fabian¡¯s figure clearly visible as if the fog had disappeared. Fabian furrowed his brows slightly, either because he felt Evelyn¡¯s gaze or because the sun was too bright. It was his cold and stiff face, which Evelyn used to fear. But it was just for a moment because Fabian¡¯s eyes were looking back at Evelyn again with affection. ¡°Your Majesty didn¡¯t understand me and I misunderstood you.¡± Poor reminiscences still lingered in her mind. The despair and regret Evelyn felt in her previous life were still frozen in a tiny corner of her memory. Fabian¡¯s eyes and his voice that was always cold still remained in Evelyn¡¯s remembrance. ¡°Why did I me and resent you so much? When I didn¡¯t have to.¡± Evelyn regretted. ¡°It was my fault. Everything happened because I was unskillful expressing my feelings and too indifferent.¡± Fabian¡¯s face was slightly shaded after he said so. And Evelyn didn¡¯t want to see him that way. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Now I know it¡¯s a part of Your Majesty.¡± Not all; it was only a part of him. Evelyn was no longer dreaming of the perfect husband. Since there¡¯s no such thing in this world. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think that you know everything or think that you don¡¯t know everything about me anymore.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡­I really don¡¯t know about you.¡± sighed Fabian. Evelyn, who saw his nervous expression, smiled unknowingly. When Fabian saw her gentle smile, a sense of relief was set in his ck eyes. ¡°It¡¯s easy. Hmm¡­ we just need to know what we don¡¯t know about each other. Don¡¯t judge by yourself, but let¡¯s think about it together.¡± Perhaps, the meaning of marriage was simple from the beginning. But they made itplicated themselves. ¡°Right.¡± Fabian held Evelyn¡¯s hand more tightly in case this precious moment would fly away. It was just sad and heartbreaking to think about the long way they had to go through for came back to each other. ¡°But, don¡¯t regret it.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice rang boldly. Then a faint smile appeared on Fabian¡¯s lips, ¡°¡­..I understand what you mean.¡± He said it in a rxed way. Then, while holding Evelyn¡¯s hand, Fabian suddenly tilted her upper body slightly. ¡°¡­Your Majesty?¡± Fabian¡¯s warm breath grazed her cheeks and made them glowed in red blush. ¡°There was something I didn¡¯t know before.¡± The gap between them was really close now. ¡°More than when we first met¡­¡­why do I want to kiss you more now?¡± At the moment, Evelyn seemed to forget how to breathe properly. ¡°Is it just me?¡± His hot breath grazed Evelyn¡¯s face. Right now, Fabian looked like a different person. ¡°Or, is it the same for you?¡± He almost touched her lips every time he said a word. ¡°I want to find out from now on.¡± Only Evelyn trembled softly as their lips nearly ovepped with each other. ¡°Can I do that?¡± As Fabian whispered fondly, his friendly question tickled Evelyn¡¯s cheeks. When Evelyn barely opened her lips to answer his question, Fabian¡¯s lips immediately sealed her mouth. Their lips were tangled with gentleness. Soft, carefully spread their warmth and sweet sensation. It was a passionate kiss with the feeling of love. Perhaps, Evelyn¡¯s answer was also the same with him Chapter 127: The Pledge Gentle wind and warm sunshine blew and illuminated the entire Imperial Pce. Autumn on this continent was known as the season of prosperity. Still, the festive season¡¯s mood was difficult to feel in the Imperial family all this time. But this year was different, the Pce was full of excitement. From the story of the Empress¡¯s return, the Emperor who always spent a long time in her Pce, and the adorable young Prince, delighted many people. The atmosphere of the celebration was so apparent with the arrival of the Vatican delegation. Those who didn¡¯t know the real story might have believed that the Pope hade to bless the Emperor¡¯s family. ¡°David, how long do you want me to wait?¡± The Pope asked while looking out the window. David turned his head and stared at him. Since their arrival at the Imperial Pce, the Vatican¡¯s entourage had remained silent and didn¡¯t make a move. They even postponed their meeting with the Emperor. And it¡¯s all David¡¯s decision. ¡°We have to make decisions carefully on this matter. Because this problem is associated with Empire¡¯s sessor who is directly rted to the future of this continent.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why we havee here, which to deliver the word of God.¡± The pope said with pleasure, rubbing his white beard. After a long fight with the Imperial family, the Vatican eventually established its authority, which was very satisfying. ¡°Ah but, the little Prince has been appointed as his sessor. In imperial history, whoever his real mother is, as long as he¡¯s recognized by his father, he could be the sessor. Looking at the Emperor¡¯s arrogant attitude, it could be ascertained that the little Prince had been dered as the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Your Holiness, will you bless the new Crown Prince?¡± ¡°Blessings ¡­¡­ Well if they show enough devotion to restore Saint Iretta¡¯s drought and barrennd, then I will.¡± The Pope was aware of his position. He was the head priest and had a city-state. Therefore he must have thoughts like a monarch who must consider everything. ¡°Given the Emperor¡¯s disposition, he must have run out of patience. But if he lowers his head first and shows his sincerity to me, then I will grant his wish.¡± ¡°Then, what about the Duke Metis?¡± ¡°No matter how strong he is, he can¡¯t bepared to the Emperor.¡± The Popeughed loudly as if it were a matter, of course. If the Metis family, who had served the Vatican for decades, had heard those words just now, they would feel betrayed. ¡°They will surely protest strongly. However, after losing the battle of sessor, the Duke is just an ordinary noble. If he wants to regain power, then he must be even more loyal to the Vatican. That¡¯s the principle.¡± The Vatican had always survived this way. This was because someone must be defeated in the power struggle, and those who had lost power would need the Vatican¡¯s support again. ¡°Your Holiness is really wise.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know all this?¡± The pope, who still had clear eyes, looked at David. No matter how old he was, he couldpete with the emperor as head of the Vatican. ¡°No¡­ I know everything.¡± David didn¡¯t avoid the Pope¡¯s gaze, ¡°Whether I know it or not¡­¡­at one point you only made the conclusion, not the decision.¡± David sometimes eroded the Pope¡¯s consciousness. The Pope always believed it was his decision, but it was just his illusion. Though, there was no hostility in the Pope¡¯s eyes now. ¡°David, who are you? Sorry I can¡¯t remember the day I met you.¡± The Pope asked him. They had been together for a long time, but when the Pope tried to remember about David in detail, only the memories of that part seemed foggy. ¡°I¡¯m nobody.¡± ¡°Really? I see¡­¡­.¡± The Pope didn¡¯t ask further, because, from the beginning, David didn¡¯t have evil energy. A human being had a habit of understanding strange things and unknown by somehow fitting it into their own way of thought. ¡°You¡¯re the chosen Pope. That¡¯s why God sent me to you to prove your glory.¡± said David. The Pope also had the same understanding. When it came to God¡¯s prophecy, there¡¯s nothing to worry about David¡¯s identity. Because he believed that, David, whom he secretly considered him as his own child, wouldn¡¯t hurt or betray him. Still, The Pope was also an ordinary human who had a weak heart. ¡°Right? Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Pope felt at ease as David smiled faintly. David recalled that his life was short. So, this conversation would soon be erased from the Pope¡¯s memory. ¡°Your Holiness, just take a rest here. I will proceed ording to God¡¯s will.¡± The Pope nodded and began to doze off. David walked out of the empty hallway and came to a halt for a moment. Over the wall and ceiling, he could feel someone¡¯s presence holding his breath. If David were an ordinary human being, he wouldn¡¯t notice it. However, it made no difference even if they passed on the conversation between him and the Pope to the Emperor. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s useless.¡± David was heading out on his way. Even if the Emperor knew it, fate couldn¡¯t be stopped. The same was true of David. -------- *** Many of Fabian¡¯s elite knights spied and watched over the Pope¡¯s residence in the Inner Pce. While he didn¡¯t think David would ever know his scouting, Fabian could not ept the contents of their conversation that had been revealed to him. ¡°Even though he¡¯s a God¡¯s messenger, how dare he against the Emperor!¡± His voice rang coldly. ¡°Do you want to kill him now?¡± Serus made a careful statement. ¡°I wish I could¡­.But some demons, when we kill them, they will spray poison which makes their opponents die too.¡± Fabian was angry, but he didn¡¯t lose his temper as he didn¡¯t know what would have happened if he killed David recklessly. ¡°He must be killed. But I have to do it myself.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that too dangerous?¡± asked Serus. ¡°If I can¡¯t do it, no one in the world can.¡± Fabian had nned everything well because no one was able to defeat the Emperor on this continent. It felt like he had the protection of the continent, as well as God¡¯s will. So it was Fabian who had to face David in person. ¡°He¡¯s not a God¡¯s messenger. Is there a messenger of God who tries to kill a child? As long as he¡¯s not God, then I can kill him.¡± Fabian said in a stern voice as if he already had made all the decisions. ¡°Duke Metis¡­¡­will Your Majesty destroy him?¡± Serus looked at him in silence. ¡°Has he dismiss his army?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve warned him a few times, but he still keeping his army on the excuses. But even if he attacks with his current army, Duke Akshire¡¯s military will be able to stop them.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyebrows frowned. It was better than throwing the Empire into chaos with treason or war. But still, it was a terrible situation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Your Majesty, Duke Metis has eyes and ears, so he won¡¯t move his army carelessly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more fierce. He showed his arrogant attitude, as if he were protesting against me.¡± Even though Sagan was an overly ambitious person, he wasn¡¯t someone who dared to ignite a rebellion. But Fabian¡¯s rage was obviously boiling when he found out that his uncle was openly gathering soldiers so that Fabian had to use Liam¡¯s army to watch over them. ¡°If he¡¯s determined to carry out a coup d¡¯etat, I will destroy him with my own hands.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t mess with his words even though Metis was the family of his own mother. His stance reflected the Imperial principle that the Emperor was the Empire¡¯ son and not the son of anyone. ¡°The King and Queen Felice will be here in a few days. After that, their warship will arrive¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, no matter if it¡¯s Evelyn¡¯s homnd, we can¡¯t allow foreign powers to interfere.¡± The Empire had a vast region and a massive poption. It was a miracle that they were all able to follow and be governed by a single Emperor. ¡°If I can¡¯t even protect my family, King Felice won¡¯t be willing to give his daughter to me.¡± ¡°If Your Majesty can¡¯t protect them, it¡¯s not strange thatter they will insist on bringing their daughter and grandson to leave this ce immediately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Fabian gathered his nuanced thoughts together with a sigh. If he had to give up something in this conflict, it¡¯s probably his pride as an Emperor. ¡°Soon, I ¡®ll have an emergency congress meeting.¡± Fabian was a little burdened because King Felice was Evelyn¡¯s father rather than his status as the King of another country. Arthur would definitely be overjoyed if he found out that the Emperor of this continent was reluctant at him. Fabian had no choice but to give an order, ¡°I¡¯ll summon all the nobles, including Duke Metis, Akshire, and the Elders.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Also¡­.¡± Fabian crumpled his face as if he were really hesitant to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Pope as well to be present to give their wisdom ¡­..¡± At the same time, he said this, his pride was slightly crushed. However, sometimes he had to step back to gain something. ¡°Duke Metis will definitely try to get the Pope on his side. I can assume that the they¡¯re already on the same side. Whatever the Pope¡¯s will ¡­.. that arrogant fellow will surely overestimate his power. ¡° ¡°What if he does?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trap¡­.Nothing will change even if Duke Metis makes a fuss in Congress.¡± Fabian spat out a cold response as he expected the scenario that would happen. ¡°The game will begin after congress is over.¡± After everyone gathered, someone had to announce the start of the game, and Fabian was willing to take the lead first. ¡°And within 15 days, all the problems will be settled.¡± ¡°Maybe ¡­ yes, I hope.¡± But, Fabian¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t that great. It wasn¡¯t like him who had always been confident because he had never been defeated. ¡°Your Majesty will win anyway.¡± Serus said so, but there was something he had not yet known. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought I¡¯d lose.¡± Fabian hesitated and dyed the war because he had a fear that he had never felt before. ¡°But, I don¡¯t want to win this time.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Fabian got up from his chair at the same time with Serus¡¯s surprised voice. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether I win or lose, because this battle is to protect the people who are precious to me.¡± Now Fabian had found a meaning in his life that couldn¡¯t bepared to the Emperor¡¯s duties. His life, which had been in ck and white, was now painted in brilliant colours. Now, he had cherished his heart more than his life, so he didn¡¯t want to lose his conscience. ¡°Remember that¡­As long as you keep that in mind, winning or losing doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± said Fabian. His words sounded as if he were telling himself. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been in a fight like this. I¡¯m not sure if I can help.¡± Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu Fabianughed briefly, listening to Serus¡¯ honest words. ¡°The same goes for me.¡± Fabian always wielded his power to dominate and make others obey him. But what he had to do now was the opposite. Perhaps this was the most difficult form of war for him. ¡°So never, I won¡¯t back down.¡± It was his pledge, as a man, not as an Emperor. Chapter 128: The Plan The situation began to change quickly as if the stopped clockwise were spinning at once. Although the number of people gathered for the congress meeting this time was much less than the usual number of people, those who attended were nobles who had important government positions. Fabian sat on the throne with a stiff face, staring at all of them in distorted guise. ¡°Just skip the greetings.¡± Nobody in the room refuted his behest. ¡°I appreciate the Pope foring all the way here.¡± The Pope grinned sarcastically, as if Fabian, who was much younger than him, had just said something ridiculous. ¡°Even though this is an emergency congress meeting, the agenda is very simple,¡± Fabian said. The controversial agenda that would be debated at this meeting was already known to all the nobles in the room. ¡°I want to legally remarry the former Empress, Evelyn Felice, and crown the current Prince, Adrian, as the Crown Prince.¡± Sagan opened his mouth, trying to say something, but Fabian raised his hand first to restrain him. ¡°This isn¡¯t a decision made to get your consent.¡± The Pope¡¯s twisted his lips at his statement as he felt cheated. Since he was invited here to be asked for his wisdom in the first ce. ¡°But thanks to my aide, people who are difficult to assemble can finally get together. Too bad if we waste this opportunity?¡± Slowly, the main agenda wasing out. ¡°I¡¯ve always prayed for the development of Saint Iretta, but regrettably, the city was hit by a long drought recently. Since the Pope is here, I want to prove my devotion.¡± All except Fabian had to stand down this time. ¡°Therefore, I will hand over the Judah city on the southern in of Saint Iretta to the Vatican.¡± ¡°Your Majesty?!¡± Sagan immediately stormed out of his seat. ¡°Was there a mistake? The southern in of Saint Iretta is Duke Milleta¡¯snd.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. It¡¯snd given to them by the Imperial ancestors. It¡¯s never said that it belongs to a certain noble family forever. The Empire has the right to take it back and give it to someone else.¡± Sagan couldn¡¯t hold his breath and heaved a short sigh. Fabian seemed fair, but in reality, it was aimed at showing the domination of Imperial power. The problem was that Fabian¡¯s decision wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. After marrying the Empress, thete Emperor gave Duke Milleta permission to use the fertilend in southern Saint Iretta. Still, the Empire never gave up thend¡¯s ownership. ¡°Your Majesty, do you know why thete Emperor gave thend to Duke Milleta? It¡¯s not right to retake it.¡± ¡°Because he married the Empress? Or because I was born as his sessor?¡± said Fabian, who didn¡¯t mind bringing up a sensitive topic. ¡°Do you want topare me to a piece ofnd? Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡± His icy voice sliced through Sagan¡¯s sense of hearing. He realized that Fabian was provoking him to fight back, so for now, he attempted to be patient in retaining his current advantageous position. ¡°Incidentally, there¡¯s a sagacious person here. Besides, he¡¯s also party involved in this matter.¡± Fabian turned his head, looking at the Pope. ¡°Your Holiness, do you think I¡¯m unfair for taking back thend from Duke Milleta? If you say so, I will withdraw my decision. Or is it that the Duke can¡¯t even give that smallnd for the Vatican?¡± Sagan¡¯s face was filled with shame. The situation would be worst if he let go of the Vatican at this point. He resented Fabian for having carefully designed this plot to trap him in abyrinth. No matter which choice he chose, Sagan was already in a losing position. The Pope spoke quietly and looked into Sagan¡¯s eyes, ¡°Everything is God¡¯s will¡­¡­I have nothing to say.¡± Sagan swallowed his anger and clenched his fist as now he had to put up with it, ¡°Even though thend is Duke Milleta¡¯s right, he can make concessions if it can help the Vatican.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled, then. But I¡¯m worried if someone misunderstands that I¡¯ve done tyranny to Metis.¡± Fabian satirized him, but there¡¯s a freshen tone at his voice as ifughing at Sagan¡¯s resentment. ¡°Duke, wouldn¡¯t the Empire be in trouble if rumors spread that we¡¯re at odds?¡± ¡°How dare I am disloyal to Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Of course, I believe in you, Duke. But your followers are stupid people, so I¡¯m just worried about it.¡± Fabian¡¯s offensive didn¡¯t stop even though he had given up. Sagan sent a strong protest with his eyes, but Fabian didn¡¯t even look at him. ¡°Your army volunteered to eradicate the demons in the eastern forest, right? I¡¯m very proud of you, but ¡­¡­ Serus?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, several nobles have appealed, saying that they¡¯re afraid that many people will misunderstand the existence of Duke Metis¡¯ army.¡± Serus gave the answer to the board. ¡°That¡¯s right. I just don¡¯t want the Duke¡¯s loyalty to the Empire to be misunderstood.¡± ¡°I have no other intention even though I have a private army. Even Duke Akshire¡¯s army is camping nearby, so how could you do this only to Metis? ¡° ¡°Oh really? Is Duke Akshire¡¯s army also camping there?¡± Liam nodded as Fabian deftly spoke, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I was asked by King Felice. We have a special unit formed to protect them from the demons who attacked the prince before.¡± ¡°Oh, you have a clear reason. I also remember I had given you the permission.¡± Sagan was on the verge of grasping the scruff of his neck because his blood pressure had risen. The excuse to protect the King from the demon¡¯s attack was understandable. But the existence of Akshire¡¯s private army, which Fabian tolerated, was like an insult that openly spat his face in public. ¡°Your Majesty, aren¡¯t you being too biased?¡± Sagan spat out a low voice. ¡°This can never be a good way to lead the Empire.¡± He red at Fabian, who he thought was still green. But Fabian¡¯s eyes remained unshakable. ¡°I will be grateful for your wisdom, Duke.¡± Instead, he sounded cold. ¡°Well, Duke Metis, yourplexion doesn¡¯t look good.¡± Sagan found himself now being attacked from many directions. The pope whom Sagan trusted only smiled lightly with a rxed expression as if he was a good old man who would soon rule over fertilend. Not enough, now Duke Akshire was openly gathering power again in parliament to face him. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good for an old man like you to overdo it. Since it¡¯s an emergency board meeting, so I¡¯ll finish it quickly. Senate?¡± One of the Senate Elders, who had no presence like a shadow, suddenly stood up from his seat. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s wedding and Crown Prince coronation ceremony will be held together, and we agreed to choose thest week of next month after receiving the stars¡¯ blessing.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Before anyone could say anything, Fabian rose from the throne. ¡°Then the emergency congress ends with this.¡± Fabian¡¯s deration of war had explicitly been proimed.
*** Dinner had just ended when an unexpected guest came to the Empress¡¯s Pce. ¡°¡­Princess, what shall we do?¡± Even Nora, who had an experienced, couldn¡¯t conceal her distressed expression in this situation. There was no one else to consult because Reba was out to see Liam. ¡°We better to make reasons that make sense,¡± said Lily, trying to help. ¡°¡­No.¡± But Evelyn gave an unexpected answer after she thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll offer her a cup of tea.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± Nora pinched Lily, who tried to talk again, as it was Evelyn¡¯s decision anyway. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll greet her.¡± After a while, the two women sat face to face in the beautiful lounge. Thebination of the Empress Dowager and Evelyn appeared quite odd and awkward. Even Monica, who was the first to arrive, seemed unable to stand the peculiar ambiance. ¡°¡­¡­ To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect you would wee me like this.¡± Monica was silent, barely speaking. She didn¡¯t think about the topic of conversation for today because she thought Evelyn would refuse her for various reasons. She was just trying to make some kind of gesture, but Monica didn¡¯t expect Evelyn would allow her to visit her Pce. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to refuse,¡± Evelyn replied calmly. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a little.¡± In a gentle gesture, Evelyn nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t need long words between us since we¡¯re not in a friendly rtionship.¡± Monica hated pretense, and Evelyn liked that attitude. ¡°What¡¯s going on in the congress¡­¡­you¡¯ll be able to guess.¡± Evelyn understood that their interests were somewhat different. Because once she ascended the throne to be an Empress again, Metis, who was also Fabian¡¯s mother¡¯s family, would be banished. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about His Majesty. I gave birth to him, but I never know what he¡¯s thinking.¡± Some surprising words came from Monica¡¯s elegant red lips. ¡°But my brother, Duke Metis, I know him very well.¡± Evelyn gulped, looking at Monica with nervous eyes. ¡°He thinks of it as an ambition, but in reality, it¡¯s just his obsession. It¡¯s meaningless greed to mix Metis¡¯ blood in the Imperial family, the noblest bloodline in the world.¡± Monica wasn¡¯t supposed to say that as she came to the Imperial Pce and gave birth to Fabian also for that purpose. But there was no reason to deceive Evelyn right now since Monica could not hide her tiredness when talking about his brother. ¡°What do you want to say to me?¡± Evelyn asked her back. ¡°If I let him manifest his obsession, my family will be destroyed. His Majesty has limits on tolerating the Duke¡¯s arrogance because of me.¡± Monica was wiser than Sagan. The future of the Metis family would actually be brighter if she were the head of the family. ¡°Someone has to intervene ¡­.. People who have no interests like you and me, who don¡¯t have useless ambitions like men.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­ are you all right?¡± ¡°I just want to go back to the Southern Pce right away, closing my eyes and ears, but I don¡¯t want my family to be destroyed. So I¡¯m just trying to y my part for thest time, and I want you to help me.¡± Monica¡¯s proposal was slightly different from her goodwill. But she wasn¡¯t hostile toward Evelyn. On the contrary, she was the one who disyed the most realistic attitude in this Imperial family. ¡°Even though I¡¯m willing to be an Empress, but I can¡¯t give up anything. Can I still help you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The two women¡¯s stories unfold more easily than expected because nothing was hidden from each other, and they didn¡¯t try to hoodwink each other. ¡°I have a n,¡± Monica said. Evelyn widened her eyes, staring at her. ¡°Honestly, I got the idea bydy Akshire¡¯s clever words.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Evelyn was stunned; it didn¡¯t seem the usual way to hear Monica mention Reba all of a sudden. ¡°Duke Metis wishes his daughter to be an Empress. And the only daughter left is the arrogant Ste you¡¯ve seen before. ¡­¡­ you know, but a child-like her won¡¯t be able to live long after entering the Imperial Pce. Hence, I want you to be Empress as soon as possible.¡± Evelyn nodded a couple of times. Ste might be smart, but given her frivolous personality and arrogant behavior, she couldn¡¯t get along well in the royal court. ¡°I secretly want to put that child in marriage. If things go well, it will happen soon, and my brother will have to give up his obsession.¡± ¡°What do you mean a marriage¡­ who¡­.?¡± Evelyn looked perplexed. Only ¡°Who? off course Ste. My brother wouldn¡¯t have been so obsessed without that child in the first ce.¡± Evelyn began to get the hang of it at this point, ¡°No way ¡­.don¡¯t tell me her marriage partner is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Duke Perth is the most viable choice.¡± Evelyn blinked her eyes, looking dumbfounded. However, Monica¡¯s expression was still serene. Reba rmending her ex-husband as Ste¡¯s future husband was just a mockery. But Monica¡¯s notion of making reality went beyond themon sense of Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more confused and don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­..¡± It was the first time for Evelyn confessed her feelings in front of the Empress Dowager. Chapter 129: Obsession Resembling Ambition Late in the night, Fabian was greeted with an amazing story when he came to the Empress¡¯s pce. It was odd until her mother came here to meet Evelyn and talked about a shocking topic that he never thought about before. ¡°¡­¡­ So Empress Dowager is sure that Duke Metis will give up if she marries Ste into another family. Despite many other young women, what Duke Metis wants is for his own daughter bes the Empress.¡± Evelyn slowly exined, looking at Fabian¡¯s hardened face. ¡°So far, you understand, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Right now, the only marriage partner that fits Lady Metis¡¯ status is Duke Perth. After all, the Duke is single now. ¡° ¡°Single? Right¡­¡­for now¡­.¡± Fabian nodded even there was a part he still didn¡¯t understand. Monica wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t know Fabian. Vice versa, Fabian also couldn¡¯t really figure out what his mother was thinking about. ¡°¡­¡­ no, that doesn¡¯t make sense. Duke Perth won¡¯t agree. If it can be solved that way, Empress Dowager wouldn¡¯t have toe here.¡± Fabian¡¯s got the point. However, Evelyn had to finish conveying his mother¡¯s words. ¡°They¡¯re a match made in heaven¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°The Empress knows their characters well, and it looks like they¡¯re soul mates to each other.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Fabian spilled his tea,ughing. Hearing what kind of match-making his mother was doing right now, he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Really, I don¡¯t understand¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. But, all we have to do now is cooperate with her. And the Empress also wants to save the Metis family.¡± ¡°So if her family doesn¡¯t bother me anymore, she wants me not to let go of her family?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t know whether it was a deal or a negotiation. But for the time being, his mother¡¯s ns were out of the ordinary. He then heaved a low sigh. ¡°What the hell is wrong with her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she has bad intentions.¡± As Evelyn had said the same thing as before. Fabian looked at her blue eyes full of kindness, ¡°Not everyone in the world is as innocent as you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that naive either.¡± Evelyn recalled the Empress¡¯s eyes. She wanted to give credence to that feeling. It was only a brief moment, but they felt the same way about their son¡¯s future. ¡°If there¡¯s no need for bloodshed ¡­.. If there¡¯s another way, wouldn¡¯t the Metis Family and Imperial Family rtions be more peaceful?¡± Evelyn whispered. ¡°Wow, you have a deep thought. I can¡¯t believe, right now, you even thought of a Duke, who is encouraging his daughter to be an Empress candidate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m more concerned with Your Majesty than the Duke.¡± Fabian looked a little astonished at her, and Evelyn also seemed surprised at what she just said. That was quite a bold remarks that she wouldn¡¯t dare to say in ordinary times. It¡¯s like saying that Fabian was wrong to kill her mother¡¯s family. ¡°¡­¡­.Fine.¡± Fabian, who had been thinking for a while, unexpectedly epted it without a hitch. ¡°If possible, I also don¡¯t want to see a bloodbath.¡± A faint smile emerged on Evelyn¡¯s lips. She was scared at first when Empress Dowager asked her to help forward her request to Fabian. But now Evelyn was relieved that Fabian was epting Evelyn¡¯s words as they were. ¡°The Empress said I¡¯ve changed a little,¡± Evelyn recalled her memory. ¡°And I think your mother has changed a little, too.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with her.¡± ¡°Your Majesty has changed too, haven¡¯t we all changed little by little?¡± The line connecting the dots between people could change at any time. Evelyn hoped that one more warm line of ties to Fabian would increase. ¡°Next time, if I have a chance, I want to show Adrian to her.¡± Fabian flinched his eyebrows but said no rejection. ¡°She will be happy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy because Adrian resembles Your Majesty in childhood.¡± The little figure of Fabian that Evelyn didn¡¯t know. However, it would be an unforgettable memory for Monica. Even though they both deny each other, a mother must have memories of her child. ¡°The Empress doesn¡¯t know about my childhood¡­¡­¡± Fabian rested his head on Evelyn¡¯sp as if he didn¡¯t like hearing stories about his mother. Then he slowly closed his eyes, pretending to be fine. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡­maybe not right now, but if you have a chance¡­¡­Your Majesty, please show Adrian to the Empress.¡± Evelyn whispered, but Fabian only held Evelyn¡¯s hand tightly and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Your Majesty, sooner orter, you cannot avoid this.¡± Evelyn could only grin wryly as Fabian pretended to turn his head without a word and twisted back again. He reluctantly opened his mouth, even after Evelyn smiled warmly at him. ¡°Fine, if I have a chance.¡± Only then did Evelyn chuckle as everything was changing in a good direction little by little. It was a nice day that couldn¡¯tst forever. -------- *** Sagan eventually ordered the disbandment of his army. Rage and resentment, he didn¡¯t know which one he felt was greater at the moment. What was certain, everything was going wrong right now. ¡°That greedy sly fox ¡­¡­ he betrayed Metis only for his territory?¡± The feelings of betrayal erupted as he recalled the Pope, who nodded calmly at the congress. It wasn¡¯t a matter of a single piece ofnd. But Sagan had already lost the battle when the Pope had taken all factors into ount and decided to support the Emperor. ¡°And now, the Vatican Pdin is here to see me.¡± Without understanding why Sagan was informed that David hade to his residence by himselfte at night. ¡°Did hee to deceive me?¡± ¡°Duke, calm down. You still have a secret agreement with the Vatican.¡± Gale said cautiously, but Sagan¡¯s serene temper didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Secrets remain secret. If he breaks a promise that no one knows, who can me him?¡± Since Sagan had a great political instinct, trust ormitment wasn¡¯t in his political dictionary. ¡°From the beginning, that old man didn¡¯t care who became the Imperial¡¯ sessor. What he prioritized was Saint Iretta¡¯s behalf!¡± Bang¡­His fist hit the table roughly. ¡°Then, shall I send him back?¡± Sagan tried to find a reason for Gale¡¯s question. Actually, he still had room for negotiation. ¡°Wait¡­ let¡¯s hear what he wants.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring him.¡± After Gale had said so, soon, David appeared in his living room. Sagan stared at him without a word, remembering the Pope¡¯s actions in congress today were tantamount to a betrayal of Metis. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to be an outlet for your anger.¡± David opened his mouth, looking as calm as usual in front of the angry Sagan. ¡°Do you want me to trust the Vatican after what happened at the congress today?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe us.¡± As David¡¯s tranquil voice rang low, Sagan shouldn¡¯t act carelessly. What would Metis rely on if he shook off the Vatican¡¯s hand now? Meanwhile, it¡¯s beyond his prediction that Duke Akshire would appear and set up a new faction in congress against him. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? Was the Pope¡¯s betrayal today a misunderstanding?¡± David stared at Sagan with his purple eyes, ¡°Did you forget what I told you earlier?¡± If he thought about it, David never lied to him. The only thing he promised was the death of the Emperor¡¯s heir, Adrian. After that, he would send Evelyn back to her homnd and choose a new Empress as he wished. ¡°I want to confirm your promise again. As you can see, the Vatican entourage has entered the pce. But do you have ess to that little Prince?¡± asked Sagan. Breaking through Fabian¡¯s surveince wasn¡¯t effortless. Sagan had already mobilized all the spies he had cultivated in the Imperial family over the years. Still, they couldn¡¯t even figure out what the little Prince¡¯s snack was. ¡°When did I ever say I would meet the Prince in person?¡± Sagan emphasized his words¡¯ meaning; first, his long experience of living in a political frenzy made him always be careful. ¡°I can¡¯t get close to the Prince, anyway. His Majesty is a cautious person, even he also suspects me, the Vatican Pdin.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± asked Sagan, who couldn¡¯t contain his frustration and had yet to find a definite answer why David wanted to kill Adrian so badly. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the means. What I need now is your help, Duke.¡± ¡°So what can I do? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to do something?¡± There¡¯s no other way, anyway. As long as Adrian was still alive, Metis¡¯s blood couldn¡¯t coagte in the Imperial family, considering that they always only had one heir. ¡°One¡­There¡¯s one person who has ess to the Prince, and he¡¯s very close to you, Duke,¡± said David. Sagan frowned at his mysterious remark. But soon, he dawned, as one person came to his mind. ¡°¡­No way.¡± Sagan¡¯s voice trembled slightly when David took a small ceramic bottle out of his cloak and put it down on the table, ¡°It¡¯s an ordinary perfume. It will suit a noblewoman.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to fool me.¡± Sagan red at David when he learned what the Pdin was up to. ¡°It¡¯s not a poison. The only thing special is that it¡¯s made with the Vatican¡¯s holy water.¡± David told him seriously, but still, Sagan seemed not to believe at all. ¡°No matter what the reason is, you can¡¯t poison the Prince with the Empress¡¯ hand!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to use this perfume. I¡¯ve brought a lot of holy water. Didn¡¯t you already receive it, Duke? Is there poison on it? You can try it if you¡¯re curious.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°That little Prince is currently addicted to Devil Eye¡¯s poison.¡± Havinge this far, Sagan wasn¡¯t that foolish enough to ask how David knew about that. ¡°The amount of poison in his small body is too much, so he needs several years to detoxify it.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to ¡®kill¡¯ him with holy water?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± David nodded with pleasure. ¡°Holy water is very effective in neutralizing demonic poison. It¡¯s almost the only helpful treatment¡­¡­ it should be if you¡¯re a healthy adult ¡­¡­ ¡° Sagan was voiceless, asking back with his gaze. ¡°The principle of treatment is simple. The holy water will destroy the demon poison left in the blood¡­..as soon as it¡¯s absorbed, immediately.¡± David couldn¡¯t kill Adrian, even though he had already sent Devil Eyes. However, their poison was still eating away at Adrian¡¯s small body from within. ¡°I don¡¯t know, is it because of such extreme emotional outbursts? But those who are addicted to the poison¡­ most of them die because they cannot stand the healing process. It was a tragedy that happened several times at Saint Iretta. Perhaps, if the proportion of poison in the body exceeds a certain amount ¡­.. that patient¡¯s body will self-destruct.¡± Sagan looked at David with bulging eyes, unable to respond to this great story, ¡°So, the reason you came to the Imperial Pce ¡­¡­ was because of that?¡± ¡°But, Princess Evelyn suspects the Vatican. She didn¡¯t use the holy water we gave her.¡± ¡°Then, she¡¯s a stumbling block that I have to deal with ¡­..¡±Sagan blurted out hisst sentence. ¡°Why? Are you afraid to taint your sister¡¯s hand with blood?¡± Sagan now felt that his life was at stake. The holy water that was said to be a blessing was the same as poison. Helping David, who intended to kill Adrian through the Empress, was tantamount to suicide. All these crimes must be carried by Sagan alone because if this murder urred, the Empress would have yed a part in murdering her grandson without knowing anything about it. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to choose. You can use anything. The medium doesn¡¯t matter; the most important thing is that it can touch the Prince¡¯s skin.¡± But it seemed, David didn¡¯t give him time to think. ¡°I¡¯ve told you how. Now, what exactly do you want ¡­¡­ please choose.¡± Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu As Sagan remained silent, David gave a brief example and disappeared from his sight. ¡°What I really want¡­¡­.¡± Sagan¡¯s raucous voice rang in the darkness. His gloomy eyes were packed with an obsession resembling ambition. Chapter 130: One Family Perhaps, thanks to Adrian¡¯s care and sincerity, the ck hawk grew bigger day by day. If recalling how weak and ugly the hawk was when he was born, it was quite impressive to see him growing up as healthy and strong as he was now. ¡°Ugly, fly!¡± The little hawk, whose wing feathers had begun to grow quite a bit, started to p at Adrian¡¯s voice. Reba had run away already. On the other hand, Fabian and Evelyn watched Adrian¡¯s every training session with their cheerful faces. ¡°High, high!¡± ¡°Prince, he can¡¯t fly that high yet.¡± The bird trainer next to Adrian looked confused. Because the eagle was too young to be trained seriously. To be honest, the trainer still doubted he could train the hawk. He couldn¡¯t expect much because Adrian brought the bird, which usually had been culled. ¡°¡­¡­Okay, let¡¯s get bigger Ugly! Eat this!¡± Adrian shouted with curiosity and stuck out his snack. Then the bird trainer quickly took the cookie and gave it inside the cage to Ugly. The young hawk pped in a short distance, looking for his food, andnded next to Adrian, eating his feed. It was a rare thing. Initially, that bird had a fierce and ferocious nature. ¡°Good boy, my Ugly.¡± Adrian¡¯s little hand patted the bird¡¯s back, which pecked his food. As he watched them, Fabian briefly asked Evelyn the identity of the little hawk. ¡°Ugly?¡± Evelyn nodded as Fabian spat out a word while looking at the hawk. ¡°It¡¯s a unique name, isn¡¯t it? But it¡¯s Adrian¡¯s own way of showing his affection. I think he named it that way because he liked it so much.¡± ¡°¡­Name?¡± ¡°Yes, Ugly is the bird¡¯s name. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± It was really confusing in many ways to use ¡°Ugly¡± as a name. ¡°Yeah, that bird so ugly¡­It doesn¡¯t look like a ck hawk.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything. Adrian likes it.¡± Evelyn said, and Fabian took a sip of tea as he thought the same thing. Duke Metis had dismissed his army. His mother decided to marry Ste with Duke Perth, and the Vatican alsopromised with him. Fabian was morepassionate than usual after he had good news in several respects. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine as long as it can make Adrianughs.¡± Fabian didn¡¯t expect that the day he said something like this woulde. Supposedly, the imperial family¡¯s heirs had no time to y except learning etiquette, royal studies, and tested to measure their progress. So, they didn¡¯t even dare to be naughty andugh like Adrian. ¡°When I looked at Adrian these days, I thought, Imperial principles aren¡¯tpletely correct.¡± Adrian¡¯s bright smile was made possible because of Evelyn¡¯s love and care. Well, although Adrian had a littleck of etiquette, he had significantly improved since being mentored by a teacher. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, he¡¯s also my child.¡± Fabian, who gave a calm response, didn¡¯t have such a childhood. So Evelyn could only guess the trouble he had while gave toleration to Adrian. ¡°I just want him to grow up like this.¡± A slight fear floated in Fabian¡¯s eyes. Sir Philip took care of him entirely, but Adrian wasn¡¯t in perfect health yet. Even if it could definitely be cured, as a father, his heart was hurt whenever he thought of the terrible poison that exists in his small body. ¡°He¡¯s a brave child, more than anyone else,¡± Evelyn said in a gentle voice as if she knew what Fabian was thinking. ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s because he looks like Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s because he looks like you.¡± They both said the same thing in unison, with the eyes gazing with great love on each other. ¡°As a child ¡­ I was more gentle than Adrian¡±, denied Evelyn at once. ¡°That¡¯s the same with me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Just ask Serus. I was a calm kid.¡± Fabian said leisurely. ¡°I¡¯ll also ask King and Queen Felice when theye here.¡± ¡°What? No!¡± ¡°Why? Are you not confident?¡± asked Fabian, teasing her with eyes full of mischief. Evelyn was both irritated and fascinated as she watched him, ¡°¡­¡­Well, anyway, I was quieter than Adrian.¡± she repeated the same thing. ¡°Yeah, I could get in big trouble if you weren¡¯t quiet.¡± Evelyn squinted her eyes as he made fun of her again. Fabian, seemingly aware of it, tried to distract Evelyn¡¯s mind by reached out, grabbing her arm. But still, Evelyn deliberately pushed away his hand with a peevish look. Both of them were still throwing a joke with affection until the very next moment before the problem arose. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± By mistake, Fabian¡¯s sleeve, which Evelyn jokingly pushed away, was unexpectedly ripped after getting stuck in the corner of the table. Evelyn¡¯s face suddenly darkened. However, Fabian looked indifferent as if it was no big deal, ¡°Don¡¯t put on a face like that, it¡¯s just clothes. Besides, I actually don¡¯t like a quiet child.¡± Even after Fabian spoke kindly, Evelyn¡¯s expression still didn¡¯t change. Only then did he follow her gaze. ¡°Oh, this¡­..¡± Between the ripped sleeves, there was a cotton pad seen on the inside of Fabian¡¯s elbows. The cotton was still drenched in red blood flowing out and was unsightly. Fabian quickly straightened his sleeves and hid his arms from her sight. But Evelyn¡¯s face was already filled with sadness. ¡°Evelyn, this is nothing.¡± Fabian took Evelyn by the hand. ¡°Look, aren¡¯t I really strong and healthy? It¡¯s just like a flea bite. ¡° Evelyn tried to calm her tears. She was even more, sadder to hear the desperatefort from Fabian, the person who suffered for them. ¡°Still¡­ Isn¡¯t it very serious?¡± Evelyn barely spoke. Adrian¡¯s small body was in the process of detoxifying the demon¡¯s poison and could be healed only by treatment of his blood. Although it was his own will, it was a fact that it caused Fabian, the Emperor, to lose a lot of blood. However, Sir Philip and Fabian didn¡¯t show much, so Evelyn forgot that they took his blood for medicinal use. ¡°Your Majesty, are you not pushing yourself too hard? Shouldn¡¯t you have told me too?¡± ¡°Evelyn, I¡¯m totally fine. Do you think that only a few drops of blood will hurt my strong body? You¡¯re going to hurt my pride if you worry about these things.¡± Fabianforted Evelyn in a sincere voice. ¡°And there¡¯s nothing better than being able to do something for my child.¡± When he thought of Adrian, who was dying at that time, Fabian was grateful his son could run around andugh like this. Maybe without Evelyn and Adrian, Fabian wouldn¡¯t have understood these emotions for the rest of his life. ¡°It¡¯s the best thing I¡¯ve felt since I married you,¡± he said. Evelyn tried to erase the shade on her face as she heard Fabian¡¯s warm voice. ¡°And soon, I¡¯ll marry you again, so there¡¯ll be more good things would happen to me.¡± In truth, the Emperor who remarried his ex-wife wasn¡¯t something that was honored. It would certainly be a historical scribble that would be discussed in future generations¡¯ history, even they had ignored public opinion. Fabian didn¡¯t care what people said. But undeniably, his remarriage to his former wife was something that had attracted more attention than his achievements as the Emperor. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m somewhat embarrassed to think, in several ways, about getting married again.¡± Evelyn said in a sheepish voice. Looking at it now, the wedding preparations, led by Reba, were already underway. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± His calm-low voice rang. ¡°At the time of our first marriage, I was very nervous, but I know now what I didn¡¯t know then.¡± ¡°You mean.¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± Evelyn remembered the day when she married Fabian. She was so nervous and trembling that she couldn¡¯t recall things. She couldn¡¯t focus on Fabian because she was trying not to make mistakes in front of countless eyes. ¡°The second time, I think I can do better.¡± ¡°This is not my first time either, just like Your Majesty, so I am confident.¡± Evelyn deliberately chimed in with a brighter smile. She chose to ignore the people¡¯s opinions anyway and wanted to enjoy what she had and focus on each other. Now, Evelyn knew it was the right thing to do. ¡°Ugly, ugly,e here!¡± Adrian¡¯s lively voice interrupted while they looked at each other lovingly. ¡°Your Mas-ty! Ugly, say hello to him!¡± Fabian held back hisughter at his still-clunky-pronunciation. Now Adrian had steadily mastered etiquette, so he needed the cooperation of the people around him. Evelyn also seemed to be trying hard not to smile, but she looked at Adrian in a rather dignified way. ¡°Prince Adrian, what¡¯s the matter?¡± When Evelyn asked Adrian, his clear eyes twinkled, ¡°This¡­ Your Mas-ty, Ugly! Nice to meet you!¡± Fabian clenched his jaw and hardened his face, and so did Evelyn. Perhaps, this was the suffering of parents when they had to refrain fromughing at Adrian¡¯s adorable and awkward behavior. ¡°I see. So, his name is Ugly? Fine, I will remember it well.¡± ¡°Your Mas-ty! No¡­¡­..Your Mas-ty¡­!¡± ¡°Pfft¡­.¡± As Adrian had reached his limit, Fabian grinned then soonughed out loud. He couldn¡¯t help it. Though Evelyn had given him a signal to stay quiet. Adrian tried to move his short tongue with a powerful cry since he couldn¡¯t pronounce ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ correctly. It was a habit that Adrian often did after he realized the words sounded identical. ¡°Fa-father, why are youughing? Because Adrian is weird?¡± Fabian immediately hugged him and set him on hisp when he saw Adrian looking at him with his wide navy eyes. As always, Adrian giggled to show that he enjoyed it. ¡°No, you did well,¡± said Fabian, stroking Adrian¡¯s head. Even though Evelyn felt that he still had a long way to learn etiquette, she didn¡¯t want to disturb the lovely scene between father and son. ¡°Yes, and Adrian has raised Ugly.¡± Who raised who? But for now, Fabian nodded, ¡°Adrian, you too, you must grow up strong and bravely.¡± ¡°Yes, like Ugly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good. You have to grow up like me.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes glistened like tears. Feeling happy, his chubby hips were bouncing in Fabian¡¯s knee. ¡°Can Adrian grow as big as Your Mas-ty? ¡° ¡°Of course. Because you¡¯re my son. And soon, you¡¯ll be the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Oh¡­!¡± Seeing his innocent expression, Evelyn was convinced that Adrian had no idea what the Crown Prince meant. ¡°Are you happy to be a Crown prince?¡± asked Fabian. This question was actually callous and challenging to answer. Fabian only knew about it himself as he grew up. ¡°Hm¡­ not really!¡± But Adrian didn¡¯t have to. They both smiled softly as they watched Adrian answered coolly about his Crown Prince¡¯s title. ¡°Be a Crown Prince is a good thing.¡± ¡°No! Adrian wants to be like Your Mas-ty¡±. If other people said that, he would be considered treason, but the person who told Fabian right now was just a sweet child in his arms. ¡°That¡¯s what will happen after you be the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­okay, I get it.¡± Adrian gently nodded. ¡°Butter¡­¡­Now, Adrian is busy because I have to raise Ugly.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry. You have a long way to go. I¡¯m still busy raising you too.¡± While he had no understanding of what Fabian meant, Adrian still nodded his head. He buried his small head in his arms as if he were trying to feel his father¡¯s affection and love. ¡°Okay¡­.¡± Adrian whispered. Adrian¡¯s nap time had passed. He slowly began to close his eyes and leaned on his chest, grabbing the hem of his clothes with a snoring sound. After Fabian patted his back head several times, Adrian fell asleep. His little figure who breathed out so soundly while sleeping was so lovely. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Evelyn, who had only watched them, btedly uttered embarrassing words. ¡°I forgot to tell you, but Adrian never changes positions once he takes a nap.¡± Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu Fabian was startled and looked at the child in his arms in amazement. Evelyn was right; Adrian still firmly grasped his hem. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re holding me like this. You¡¯ll be a great guy.¡± Fabian chuckled. He sat more rxed so that the child didn¡¯t wake up. Finally, after a long time, the three of them could spend time together as one family. Chapter 131: Colder Than Ice Ste kept gazing enthusiastically in the mirror and fixed her beauty. Monica just waited quietly for her, biting her long pipe, while chatting with her maid. No one expected that the Emperor would take his time to visit the Empress Dowager. After hearing the news, Ste was so excited and fussed about her dress all day long. ¡°The youngdy is looking very excited.¡± Sarah, the Empress¡¯s maid, read Monica¡¯s distress and said. ¡°It¡¯s better than crying and shouting.¡± Monica, who puffed out smoke, looked so tired, ¡°I guess, it will be noisy tonight.¡± Fabian¡¯s intention to meet her was obvious. He was determined to ept her offer and totally cut off Ste¡¯s hopes. ¡°But it would be better if this matter sorts out quickly.¡± Monica nodded when Sarah said. Ste herself was the only one who had not yet realized, that maybe everyone would wake up tonight because of her crying. ¡°Your Majesty ising!¡± As the sound of royal pce protocol rang outside the door, Ste¡¯s heart was thumping fast as if it were about to explode and quickly stood beside her aunt. Monica also stood up, gracefully with Sarah¡¯s help. Soon, Fabian stepped in and greeted the Empress with a gesture of his head. ¡°Wee.¡± Fabian nodded only to his mother and sat down first, ignoring Ste beside her, as if she didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Ste Metis is seeing Your Majesty.¡± Ste bent her body, giving an example with her flushed cheeks. Her fingertips, which lifted the hem of the dress slightly trembled. But nobody looked at her or answered her greeting. ¡°I have thought about what you said¡±, said Fabian in a cold voice. ¡°Really?¡± Ste, who had beenpletely alienated since the beginning of the conversation only could bite her lips and sat down, waiting for the right moment. Yet Fabian¡¯s cold face stared only at the Empress without even looking at her. ¡°Your n isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Monica¡¯s red lips smiled faintly. At least it meant that Fabian believed in her as his mother. This new fact was very awkward, but amazingly, she felt a little happy as well. ¡°We will hold the wedding ceremony and Crown Prince coronation together. You can go back to the Southern Pce after seeing it, so you don¡¯t have to spend the cold winter in this Pce.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like winter¡±, Monica said. Ste¡¯s eyes were shaken at the unknown content of the conversation. Even her aunt gave the Emperor¡¯s wedding ns a good opinion now. ¡°I¡¯m busy, so I have to go now.¡± Fabian immediately got up from his seat. He was busy because Adrian had stolen his afternoon time. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Monica didn¡¯t get up, she only watched Fabian go out of the room. Only Ste rolled her eyes back and forth in that absurd situation when Fabian turned his back coldly. ¡°Your Majesty, wait a minute¡­.!¡± Ste suddenly ran after him. ¡°I¡­¡­Please look at me, Ste Metis.¡± Ste¡¯s stubbornness was like a mountain that needed to be conquered. And Monica could only sigh at the painful sight. She was sad and frustrated, seeing her foolish niece. How could she stop Fabian just to say those pitiful words? ¡°What did you just say to the Empress? That, I mean¡­.¡± Ste stuttered at her vocabry stumbling. At the moment, Monica turned away her face, couldn¡¯t bear to see her niece. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m also a candidate for the Empress¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ste desperately spanned her hand to Fabian, who didn¡¯t look back. But Fabian unfeelingly pushed her hand. Ste faltered, falling to the floor, but no one was helping her to get up. ¡°Your Majesty¡­..the Empress¡­I mean, my father¡­¡­.¡± Fabian finally turned to her. His icy eyes stared at Ste, who had fallen to the floor in disgust. ¡°Ste Metis. I¡¯ll tell you just once, so if you want to spare your life, listen to me.¡± Ste¡¯s hand shook after hearing a voice that was colder than a block of ice. Fabian was really meant it. Ste, who grew up as the Duke¡¯s daughter, felt an instinctive threat for the first time in her life. ¡°Never say the word ¡®Empress¡¯ with your mouth again. Be it yours or your father, I won¡¯t forgive it.¡± Ste¡¯s lips quivered. She couldn¡¯t even dare to look up at Fabian. The Empress Dowager who didn¡¯t help her was also cold-hearted. That terrifying moment felt like a long eternity. Ste had never experienced such humiliation like this in her life. ¡°I only have one Empress, Evelyn.¡± Fabian kept spitting out his cruel words. This was the first time Ste was so jealous of someone that it felt like she wanted to kill her. ¡°That¡¯s my will as an Emperor. But if you still don¡¯t want to give up, I will take your life on the charge of treason.¡± Ste could no longer feel her tears dropping. She caught a glimpse of the hem of the Empress Dowager¡¯s dress, but it was clear her aunt wasn¡¯t by her side. ¡°Do you still want to be an Empress?¡± Fabian¡¯s icy voice pierced Ste¡¯s ears. ¡°Decide now. If bing Empress is your purpose in life, I will kill you here right now.¡± Fabian¡¯s cruelty was an intolerable shock. As he stared at her, his disgust and mean eyes made Ste so sad that she wanted to go insane. But more than that, she instinctively still wanted to live. ¡°Ah¡­ ¡­ No¡­ ¡­Your Majesty.¡± ¡°So, do you mean that you no longer want the Empress¡¯ seat? I¡¯ll spare your life, then.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± Fabian was already thinking about pulling the sword from his waist and shing her head without hesitation if Ste still persisted. ¡°Empress, have you heard it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll consider this matter is over.¡± No one looked back at Ste, who had copsed on the floor. ¡°See you again next time.¡± Fabian walked out with a nonchnt face as if nothing had happened. ¡°Take care, Your Majesty.¡± Ste lifted her wobbly head and looked around after Fabian¡¯s figure vanished behind the door. Even the maids didn¡¯t dare to approach Ste because they now had a feeling of superiority. As the fear passed, she was overwhelmed with shame and sorrow. ¡°How¡­.¡± Ste¡¯s voice trembled. Her gaze turned to Monica, who satfortably on the long sofa. Ste was very disappointed. Fabian could have been rude. But the Empress should have sided with her. ¡°Your Majesty, Empress¡­¡­ are you throwing me away like this?¡± Ste rose and stood in front of her when Monica didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You¡¯re my aunt! What about my father? Why did you bring me here in the first ce?¡± Ste¡¯s mouth that had been frozen when she faced Fabian was finally able to move again. ¡°You can¡¯t humiliate me like this, I¡¯m Metis¡­¡­!¡± SLAP! Monica pped her cheek with an expressionless face before she could finish speaking. Ste turned her head, realizingte what was going on. ¡°W-what¡­.¡± SLAP! Another p flew in as soon as Ste opened her mouth. Soon, her cheeks turned red, and the tingling pain awakened the reality. ¡°Raise your head and look at me.¡± She felt a different kind of fear from Fabian. ¡°If you haven¡¯te to your senses yet, do you want me to p you again?¡± Ste quickly shook her head. Monica¡¯s fiery gaze now looked like the Emperor. ¡°I have a lot to teach you, but I don¡¯t think you can understand just by speaking.¡± She wanted to awaken the naive Ste, who still didn¡¯t know how terrifying the Imperial family was. ¡°You¡¯re not destined to be an Empress. You can¡¯t, not because of Princess Evelyn, but for the safety of you and your family.¡± Monica, who once became an Empress, saw it clearly. And it frustrated her that Ste didn¡¯t notice it. If a woman with a temperament like Ste entered the Imperial pce, she would definitely incite the Emperor¡¯s wrath. But sadly, Duke Metis was already blinded by his ambition. ¡°If I were an impatient and immature person like you, I would definitely have died more than ten times after bing the Empress!¡± Fabian¡¯s father, the former Emperor, was also a cold-hearted person. It was no different from Fabian¡¯s treatment to Ste now. ¡°Ste, you don¡¯t know because you¡¯re still young. Being an Empress isn¡¯t the only happiness in this world. Rather, living in the Imperial family itself could be a misfortune for a child like you. Don¡¯t be swayed by your father¡¯s ambition, you have to live your own life.¡± Monica only thought about the safety of her little niece. Because both of them were fellow women, and she had a better perspective than her biological parents, who showed no good intentions. ¡°Ste.¡± Monica, who was looking at Ste¡¯s swollen face, said in a voice offort. ¡°I know you will resent His Majesty and me. No matter what I say, you won¡¯t understand.¡± It was true, even now, Ste was shedding bitter tears. ¡°Butter, if you look back..¡­ you¡¯ll certainly be grateful for my decision now.¡± Still, Ste shut her mouth and said no word at all. ¡°Neither your father nor you know that this is the best way ¡­ But you will find out sooner orter. So listen to me now, even if you feel like you are being mistreated and don¡¯t understand. Only then can you live a happy life.¡± Monica heaved a deep sigh. Duke Metis should have been satisfied after she became Empress, but his brother was too greedy. Everything had ended here. As Fabian refrained from punishing Ste just to save the Empress Dowager¡¯s face. While Monica despised her a bit, Stemitted no crime at all. Her unpleasant conduct was her dad¡¯s fault. ¡°Your marriage partner has been decided.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Tomorrow I will meet your dad in person and tell him about it. So, until then, you just have to remain calm and take a bridal lesson.¡± ¡°But, I don¡¯t know who I¡¯m getting married to¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a matter for adults to take care of it. Just don¡¯t forget what happened today and never talk about the Emperor¡¯s family again. And as time goes by, you will realize everything and will be grateful.¡± Monica said calmly and called the maid with a gesture, ¡°Take and calm her down. And get ready to go out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes¡±, Sarah answered faithfully. ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡­.¡± Ste still mumbled in confusion, but Monica left without looking back. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lady.¡± ¡°Hey! Let me go!¡± Ste¡¯s face immediately burned from the anger that was overflowing like a storm, and she sprang into a rage when Sarah violently took her hand. ¡°My father¡­Does my father know this?¡± Her useless rage sshed on Sarah. ¡°You¡¯re originally the maid of the Duke Metis! Does my father know about this too?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can tell you¡±, Sarah said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, tomorrow Her Majesty will meet your father in person. And then the Lady can ask whatever you want to know.¡± ¡°Ha, are you giving me advice? Are you making fun of me being treated this way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡­.¡± Ste kicked Sarah in the leg when she couldn¡¯t hold back her anger anymore. Sarah endured the pain silently, remaining calm in the manner of the Empress¡¯s maid. ¡°Lady, you have to control your emotions now. This is the Imperial Pce, and the Empress is the honourable woman of the Empire recognized by His Majesty.¡± Sarah¡¯s words were difficult to understand, sounding like advice and threat. What was irritating was that Ste could not refute those words. Only a little while ago, the Empress easily pped her. A smooth cheek that her father never even pped. Only ¡°If only my father were here¡­¡­.¡± Ste clenched her teeth. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go to my father tomorrow.¡± As Ste turned around, Sarah looked at the immaturedy¡¯s back with her cold eyes. ¡°My father will tell me which one is right. I will tell him everything that happened today. You¡¯ve seen it, so if you need to testify, you must be honest!¡± ¡°I will.¡± As Sarah responded in a calm voice, Ste left the room with a thudding, loud step. Sarah then quietly prepared a headache medicine for the Empress Dowager as crying sounds began toe out from Ste¡¯s locked room. Chapter 132: Sinner’s Daughter Duke Metis¡¯ residence in the Empire wasn¡¯t far away. As he saw Monica, who took his daughter from the morning, Sagan couldn¡¯t conceal his suspicious face. Ste¡¯s appearance looked horrible. The nail marks on her face, her chapped lips, and how many times she cried until her throat was hoarse and her eyes were swollen so that she couldn¡¯t open them. ¡°Ah¡­¡­Father!¡± Ste cried so hard, clinging on to her father as soon as she saw Sagan and the Empress who had an indifferent expression. Sagan was able to guess what was going on loosely and swallowed his sigh, ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll talk to the Empress, so you go and get some rest.¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve listened to you enough, so go ahead and ask your mother to take care of you.¡± Only then did Ste nodded her head with a face full of tears. The spoiled attitude of his youngest daughter didn¡¯t disappear even with age. Monica, who saw her, just kicked her tongue. After the maid could somehow persuade Ste to leave, Sagan bit his lip. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Is there anything you want to say to your brother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened. That¡¯s all.¡± Monica replied in leisurely voice. There was a mixture of disappointment and anger in Sagan¡¯s eyes. Although Fabian¡¯s cold attitude and rejection were unavoidable, it felt like a betrayal to him if his sister, the Empress Dowager, pretended not to care as well. ¡°Do you think I sent my Ste into the Pce to see this? I even begged you, sister! ¡° ¡°What can I do? Your sister is an Empress.¡± Monica didn¡¯t even lift an eye at Sagan¡¯s cry, and just sat down with a long pipe in her mouth. It was time for Sagan to ept it, that his sister was a woman who lived as an Empress and stayed at the Southern Pce. Monica was no longer his younger sister. She was just an Empress who gave birth to the Emperor of this Empire. ¡°Are you saying that I was foolish?¡± Sagan immediately uttered bitter respect. ¡°You must havepletely forgotten that you¡¯re a Metis woman.¡± ¡°I want to forget, but I can¡¯t. When will I have the opportunity to forget it?¡± But Monica replied sharply. It was herint to Sagan, who dragged her out of her peaceful life. From the beginning, Monica had never agreed with the Duke Metis since she thought that, she had already fulfilled her duty for the family. ¡°But how can you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Listen, brother.¡± Monica stopped his speech. ¡°I know you¡¯re ming me now. Both Ste and you must hate me and think I¡¯m cold-hearted.¡± Sagan didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°The Metis family doesn¡¯t forget the grudge. We all know that debts must be paid off.¡± Monica recalled her father, who looked like Sagan. Even before she wasing of age, her father told that she must be an Empress to protect Metis. Still echoed in her mind the words of her mother, she would rather die if she couldn¡¯t be an Empress and gave birth to Imperial sessor. But, Monica couldn¡¯t break her blood ties, even though she wanted. ¡°And I¡¯m Metis-woman and your sister. This ¡­¡­ This is the only way to save our family, you, and Ste. Even if you hate me now, someday, you¡¯ll be grateful.¡± ¡°Is it you who decide it yourself? Or is it His Majesty¡¯s will?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who. Know that, this is the best for Metis and Ste.¡± There was no longer a younger sister¡¯s impression of her. When he saw Monica¡¯s cold gaze, Sagan remembered Fabian¡¯s hateful face. ¡°Don¡¯t let Stee to the Pce anymore. Give up the Empress¡¯s throne and the sessor as well.¡± Sagan just stared at her in silence. ¡°Metis blood already flows through His Majesty¡¯s body. Your ce and your glory are good enough. Our family does notck at all.¡± But when would human end his greed? The Empress felt bitter, looking at the ambition that still remained in Sagan¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault. If Ste is bing Empress, with or without Princess Evelyn, she can¡¯t live the way she wants. She will be mad at her family. I know better than anyone because I was an Empress before. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Irina, but Ste ¡­¡­ no, she can¡¯t. So give up.¡± Monica shook her head. No matter how hard Sagan tried, he couldn¡¯t change Ste into a new person overnight. ¡°You¡¯re giving an ultimatum, not a persuasion.¡± Sagan summarized the situation in a single phrase. ¡°Yes.¡± Monica didn¡¯t avoid and answered head-on. It was his first rebellion against her family. Still, it¡¯splicated to think that what she did was for the sake of her family. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re a smart person, so I¡¯m sure you will understand my heart as soon as the situation clears up.¡± ¡°Have you be an Imperial woman without my knowledge?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been an Imperial woman ever since I entered the Pce. Isn¡¯t that what Metis was hoping for?¡± Sagan¡¯s lips twisted as Monica had drawn a clear line. She never wanted to be an Empress. Yet fate finally determined her life. All because of her father¡¯s hand, who had the same desire as Sagan now. ¡°I was lucky. It¡¯s just that¡­ ¡­ .¡± Monica needed a long time to look back. His husband, thete Emperor, had an oppressive atmosphere, that made people suffocate just by being in one ce with him. There was no conversation or exchanged mind, and it was a stroke of luck to have Fabian. ¡°Marry Ste to Duke Perth.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sagan¡¯s face was crumpled. ¡°Give my daughter to such an unprincipled person?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no man better than him. And I know from what I¡¯ve seen, they won¡¯t be a bad match.¡± ¡°Why him? I rather send her to the monastery!¡± ¡°Then she can¡¯t get married. Are you fine with that? His Majesty had agreed. If you do that, he won¡¯t make things difficult for Metis anymore.¡± Huh, Sagan spat outughter, ¡°You mean I have to obey him?¡± ¡°Right now¡­yes, there¡¯s no other way.¡± Sagan shut his mouth. He knew that Monica was a wise person. However, reason and emotion were two different things. His sister¡¯s rebellion made him even more upset since he couldn¡¯t do it right away. ¡°Sincerely, it was a decision I made for Metis.¡± The eyes of the brother and sister met. It had been a long time since they looked directly at each other like this. ¡°I know your pride is very trampled now. But I¡¯m also a Metis. Can¡¯t you believe this is the best I can do for my family?¡± Monica reached out her hand first because she didn¡¯t want her family to have perished. ¡°Is this sincere from the bottom of your heart ¡­..?¡± ¡°Yes, as the Empress and as the Metis¡¯s daughter.¡± Sagan briefly watched her, then soon he nodded his head hard, ¡°Well, I have no choice but to follow you, then.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sagan nodded again, looking at the half-doubted Empress. He moved his steps, stood before her and hugged Monica¡¯s shoulder warmly, like in her childhood memories. ¡°Brother¡­ ¡­ ?¡± Monica became awkward when she sensed her family¡¯s warmth, which she felt after a long time. But Sagan held her tightly as if he was trying to erase her awkwardness. ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± A faint smile appeared on Monica¡¯s lips, ¡°Don¡¯t keep it in your heart.¡± Monica thought to herself that she was happy that she could protect her family in this way. Later, Sagan and Ste would understand and ept her decision as time went on, and things became clear. ¡°No, thank you. I appreciate it.¡± Sagan put Monica in his arms and said, making eye contact. ¡°And¡­ I¡¯m so sorry for you.¡± Monica felt soothed. She heaved a short breath then put on a gentle face after seeing Sagan put down his ambition and took her hand, ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± At least one hurdle had passed. Ste¡¯s cry wouldn¡¯t stop for a while, but she would be at peace for the rest of her life as a Duchess. Metis was still Fabian¡¯s mother¡¯s family, so there was plenty of ways to maintain power. If he couldpromise this much, Sagan had just had to make another deal with Fabian.
Monica spent some time at the Duke¡¯s residence and returned to the Pce after sheforted Ste. Still, Ste¡¯s eyes which already reddened didn¡¯t stop crying. After Sagan sent Monica away, he sat down next to her still-crying-daughter. ¡°Father¡­ ¡­you¡¯re not going to send me to Lady Akshire¡¯s ex-husband, are you?¡± Duke Perth wasn¡¯t only a widower, but his status as Lady Reba¡¯s ex-husband irritated her and insanely scratched Ste¡¯s pride. ¡°Father, I¡¯d rather go to a monastery than¡­ ¡± Ste clung to her dad, desperately. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Sagan swept Ste¡¯s cheek and said firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t send you to the Duke Perth or the monastery.¡± ¡°But the Empress¡­¡­.¡± Sagan stared at Ste, with his eyes filled with various thoughts, begging his daughter not to speak more. Ste was silent after looking at her father and closed her mouth. ¡°The Empress will do her duty for our Metis, as she always does.¡± Whether or not Monica wanted to, she had to do it. ¡°I¡¯m always sorry and grateful to her.¡± Sagan had made up his mind. ¡°Ste, you mustn¡¯t forget to thank your aunt.¡± Ste only nodded her head at her father¡¯s words, which she still didn¡¯t understand yet. Sagan patted his daughter on the back and recalled his sister¡¯s face who had just left. The human heart turned out to be very vicious. He was hesitant when he was asked to use his sister. But it felt so sweet to use her when his sister betrayed him. ¡°Daughter born in Metis has to live for Metis until she dies.¡± That¡¯s how Sagan¡¯s father taught Monica. However, Monica forgot his teachings, and she crossed the line that shouldn¡¯t be crossed with her Empress¡¯ status. Sagan wasn¡¯t cruel. It was Monica who first abandoned Metis and sided with that resentful Imperial family. ¡°Metis blood flows in our veins for life. Even if she¡¯s an Empress, it will never erase the fact that she¡¯s Metis¡¯s daughter. ¡° Sagan didn¡¯t know to whom was he speaking to? To his sister, who had already be the Empress or his daughter, who he pushed to be the Empress? ¡°No matter what happens, we must not betray our family. We must live for Metis to the end.¡± The bad person was Monica, who abandoned her duty. So Sagan decided to believe that. ¡°The Empress Dowager and the next Empress must be from Metis.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, Father¡­¡­don¡¯t send me to Duke Perth¡­¡­.¡± said Ste, who knew nothing, in tears. But Sagan didn¡¯t hear her. Monica¡¯s image which turned his back from him began to blur. Perhaps, he¡¯d never see her again. ¡°Yes.¡± Even if their father were alive, Sagan was sure that his father would make the same choice. There was nopassion for the child who betrayed the family. Only ¡°If you live for Metis, you must die for Metis, that¡¯s it.¡± Sagan put an end to her sister¡¯s fate in his heart. When he made a justification for his family¡¯s sake, his guilt disappeared. This wasn¡¯t for him. Not for his daughter, but only for Metis¡¯ glory. ¡°That¡¯s fate.¡± So nobody was a sinner. Even the Empress Dowager, who would kill her grandson without knowing it, wouldn¡¯t be a sinner. Chapter 133: Innocent Child The rain that marked autumn had ended began to fall. The Pope refused to go out because of his chronic illness. But David was different; he showed no signs of nervousness when the Emperor called him into a secret room. Fabian was sitting on the throne in a locked secret room, waiting for him, with his sword around his waist. ¡°I see you, Your Majesty.¡± David gave an example with an elegant gesture. He looked so fine even though Fabian was ready to kill him right away. ¡°You¡¯ve found me¡­.ter than I expected ¡­..¡± His tranquil purple eyes stared at Fabian. Fabian still had doubts about David. So, for now, he couldn¡¯t act rashly. Fabian wouldn¡¯t hesitate if it were him before. But now, he had many things to consider. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to read my mind!¡± There were so many hidden meanings behind Fabian¡¯s resolute words. ¡°No matter how cunning and wicked you are, I know that you can¡¯t use your power now.¡± David recalled the figure of Emperors in the past from Fabian¡¯s appearance as he guessed urately. ¡°Your Majesty, the Emperor, is always right. Always¡­.. during this long history.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking as if you¡¯ve witnessed it.¡± ¡°Time is rtive.¡± David showed a faint smile. Fabian also wouldn¡¯t be surprised if David had lived an eternal life. In a sense, he was someone who could control demons. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to deceive me. Even if you¡¯re a God, I can tear you apart and kill you without hesitation.¡± David felt the sincerity in Fabian¡¯s ck eyes and low voice. His ancestors¡¯ thirst for ughter and violence still lingered in his blood. If David was an ordinary human being, he might have copsed right now. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to deceive you. I mean it. And I never intended to harm this Empire.¡± David¡¯s casual remarks made Fabian¡¯s lips twisted. It was a sneer at his unbelievable words. But David continued to spoke as if he had expected such a cold response. ¡°I¡¯m not Your Majesty¡¯s enemy. As proof, I will tell you about who I am, who you¡¯ve often vaguely guessed.¡± David knew already that Fabian must have been somewhat close to the truth about him. Fabian also had assumed David would make such a guess. However, Fabian was hard to believe when he revealed his true identity so easily. ¡°You must have investigated many things, including my whereabouts as the guardian of the tower.¡± Fabian shut his mouth. ¡°The history of this Empire today begins from a tower. The guardian of the tower exists to bnce the human world after a man came to the tower to seal his bloodlust madness.¡± ¡°I told you not to deceive me.¡± ¡± That man is the ancestor of the imperial family who¡¯s also Your Majesty¡¯s ancestor. And I¡¯m the descendant of the man who guarded the tower at that time. This is not a legend nor a lie. It¡¯s the history and the fate of this continent. That¡¯s why now I¡¯m standing in front of you.¡± David spoke in a hushed voice, but Fabian¡¯s eye didn¡¯t shake. ¡°A guardian¡­If you¡¯re such a great person, you must know what I want to do.¡± ¡°No matter what the truth is, you will still try to kill me. I already felt it from outside the door,¡± David said. He seemed indifferent to talk about his life. ¡°Are you confident you won¡¯t die in my hands?¡± ¡°When I die, the guardian of this world¡¯s bnce will also disappear. This world doesn¡¯t want that, so maybe ¡­¡­ I won¡¯t die in your hands.¡± Fabian spat out a lowugh, ¡°You seem to be under delusion and mistaken for something. I didn¡¯t approach you. I called you in. And I don¡¯t want to stain this ce with blood.¡± ¡°If my death is predestined, I am ready to ept it at any time.¡± David was insensitive to human emotions. So he didn¡¯t feel the slightest fear of the human Emperor before his eyes. Over the years, he had only one thing he was afraid of the imbnce of the world. ¡°Really?¡± Fabian lifted his body from the throne, and his sword touched David¡¯s neck at an invisible speed. Before he felt pain, a drop of blood had formed on his sharp de. ¡°Seeing you¡¯re red blood, it looks like you are also a human being.¡± ¡°The guardians are basically human. However, we live an eternal life until our mission is fulfilled.¡± David¡¯s voice didn¡¯t waver a bit even though the knife sliced open his neck. Although Fabian himself wasn¡¯t an ordinary person, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down as his opponent this time was also not an ordinary human. ¡°I¡¯ll say you¡¯re great that you¡¯re not afraid of me¡­¡­But you tried to kill my child.¡± Fabian was barely able to resist the urge to slit his throat, but David just stared at him with his purple eyes without denying it, ¡°¡­Yes. I did.¡± Fabian nodded with his perfectly convinced eyes, ¡°So, is there any more reason why I shouldn¡¯t kill you?¡± David was called toe into this room, and meeting Fabian alone was already a sign. He purposely chose a day when Evelyn was busy and met David privately. If all his suspicions were correct, he was determined to confront the Vatican by taking David¡¯s life first. ¡°Aside from the tower¡¯s guardian, is there another reason?¡± David¡¯s eyes caught a glimpse at him. Fabian¡¯s cold eyes shook with hankering now. Was it also because a life that wasn¡¯t meant to exist was already born? ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you the opposite. If your child¡¯s existence is the cause of the entire continent¡¯s destruction ¡­. is there a reason for that child to live?¡± ¡°How dare you¡­¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯s a life that shouldn¡¯t exist. Should your child still be alive?¡± Fabian shed his sword deeper into David¡¯s neck, and fresh blood flowed again through the de. ¡°What did he do?¡± Fabian asked David, who was looking at him with calm eyes. But David was sure he had something else in mind. That¡¯s why Fabian couldn¡¯t behead his head right away. ¡°I asked you what he did.¡± But, Fabian¡¯s patience had its limits. ¡°Are you worried about the fate of this continent? If anything happens to my son, I will destroy this continent with my own hands, and I¡¯ll find that damn tower and sink it into the ground covered in blood. Of course, I¡¯ll let you live until then so you can see. Because I¡¯m very generous.¡± The sharp voice of threats deafened David¡¯s ears. Fabian had calcted, if he were a tower¡¯s guardian, David wouldn¡¯t do something reckless since he was afraid to break the bnce. ¡°Do you know, the Imperial Emperor is never wrong? Whether it¡¯s ruling this continent peacefully or making this continent a battlefield to vent my anger, everything will be justified. In the first ce, if I kill half of the humans outside the Empire¡­..Wouldn¡¯t the bnce that you so exalted be broken?¡± David¡¯s eyes trembled slightly for the first time. Being a guardian was a fate he couldn¡¯t escape. Apart from that, there were other reasons. David was a person who also returned to the past after witnessing Fabian¡¯s massacre after Evelyn¡¯s death. In other words, he had already seen the hell-scene that Fabian was talking about. ¡°The Emperor never changes.¡± There¡¯s a bitterness in David¡¯s voice. He recalled Fabian¡¯s ck eyes, which were stained with blood. Even David had done everything he could to stop that frightening sight. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe what I said?¡± ¡°No, I believe. Rather¡­ I already know. The countdown to the destruction of the Continent starts when you begin the massacre. Once you¡¯re overwhelmed by madness, the blood of your ancestors will awaken, and you cannot stop.¡± Fabian frowned at his words. ¡°I can¡¯t kill a human as well as the ability to stop you.¡± ¡°My child. You tried to kill my child.¡± After a long sigh, David shook his head as Fabian¡¯s sword was still threatening his neck, ¡°Right now, this world is on the wrong trajectory by mistake. So ¡­¡­ There¡¯s a life that shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Sadly, Fabian seemed to know who David was referring to. ¡°Yes, your child is a child who shouldn¡¯t exist in the original world. He¡¯s a life that was born into this world and died without even seeing the sunshine.¡± ¡°The original world¡­¡­don¡¯t blur my argument with that nonsense.¡± ¡°In the end, everything will go ording to fate. Even if I die here, in your hands, I can¡¯t stop fate.¡± ¡°There is no such thing as a fate for a child to die.¡± Fabian red at him. But David didn¡¯t avoid his eyes. ¡°I think there¡¯s. If you¡¯re a helpless murderer¡­¡­ Your Majesty, your intuition must have exceeded human beings, so why are you pretending not to know.¡± As he said, Fabian had the same intuition as a sixth sense passed down from generation to generation of Emperors. And right now, he was trying to ignore what his instincts shouted. David¡¯s words were like scattered pieces, so he would get some terrifying results if he set them in order. But Fabian didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°My child is innocent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That child didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­..It¡¯s Your Majesty; It¡¯s because of you that your child must die.¡± From David¡¯s mouth came a calm and bizarre reply. Remarks that he didn¡¯t want to believe stuck in Fabian¡¯s ear. His hand holding the sword shuddered hard at one point, but Fabian managed to ovee his confusion and threw the sword away. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you here easily. I won¡¯t be fooled by you either.¡± Fabian roared low. ¡°Who¡¯s out there!¡± As he shouted out loud, Serus and the ck Hawk Knights who had been waiting came into the room. ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The Vatican Pdin tried to assassinate me.¡± As Fabian calmly made his prearranged statement. David didn¡¯t resist at all when Serus approached him, making him knelt on the floor and tied him up. ¡°This will be a big problem,¡± said Serus. Fabian nodded, ¡°Tell the Pope about this. This incident must be handled ording to imperialw.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I¡¯ll also ask the Elders for help. We have to interrogate and find out what his intentions are before he¡¯s executed.¡± This was part of Fabian¡¯s n. Coincidentally, the Senate elders were at the Imperial Pce because of Adrian¡¯s matters. Fabian tried to uncover the truth by using the wisdom and power of their sacred relics that had been passed down from generation to generation. Then he decided to cut David¡¯s neck as soon as it was cleared up. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see who you are and the truth of all your words.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice towards David sounded cold. ¡°Your sin for daring to hurt my child, you will never see the sunshine again with sanity.¡± After he had seeded in suppressing the Pope¡¯s power and discarded Duke Metis, now, David was also already in his hands without a hitch. ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon in this pce. I¡¯ve never even gotten to the bottom of it. ¡° It was a terrible ce. That bunker was so bad that it hadn¡¯t been recorded in history. The Emperors used it as a torture chamber for their political enemies. They made them confessed and told their secrets by tormenting their mental health. ¡°I¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense anymore.¡± David looked at Fabian in silence. He could only remember what he saw within the eyes of the person before him¡ªthe ck eyes full of madness. And endless screams of life and despair inside it. ¡°I¡¯m not on anyone¡¯s side.¡± Buuk! At the end of his speech, David passed out after Fabian couldn¡¯t stand it and kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Your Majesty¡­You said we shouldn¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t killed him yet.¡± Serus secretly quivered at Fabian¡¯s reply and immediately ordered the Knights to take David away as he was afraid that if left like this, Fabian would identally kill him. Only ¡°But once he confesses all of his guts, I¡¯m going to tear him to death with this hand.¡± ¡°Yes, I believe you will.¡± Serum could see, Fabian must have killed David dozens of times in his mind. So he felt that his decision to take David out was the right thing to do. The rest of the role would now be assisted by the Elders. The Duel of the Truth* was about to begin. Nobody could lie in the battle, and nobody couldst with a sane mind. ( *Chapter 81 ) Chapter 134: Uninvited Guests David¡¯s consciousness dimmed slowly. The darkness that enveloped his soul felt more peaceful than any warmth. ¡®Sir, what is fate?¡¯ Little David¡¯s voice rang in the distance. Hisst memory was steadily replicated in David¡¯s subconscious mind. s, he couldn¡¯t see the teacher he missed. Perhaps, because his teacher¡¯s face had been erased from his mind. Fate was something that existed in this world. It was the only thing that didn¡¯t change and stayed at the same ce. ¡®It¡¯s the same for us, right?¡¯ ¡®No, we just die slower than ordinary human, and we¡¯re not that different from them.¡¯ David couldn¡¯t understand. He only knew that his teacher was a stout young man and had been with him since he learned to speak. David never saw anyone else in the wilderness tower until he grew up to be an adult. ¡°If the fate calls you, you will go out of this tower and see the human being. There are so many humans out there. There are countless lives to be reckoned with. Mortal life disappears so easily ¡­¡­so we have to be more bnced on our own life, for the sake of those faint light of soul.¡± ¡®Sir, what do you mean?¡­ I don¡¯t understand. So what¡¯s fate?¡¯ His teacher smiled at that time. A face that didn¡¯t appear in his mind but was now so visible. ¡®It¡¯s everywhere, from the beginning to the end of life. From hope and despair. I can¡¯t teach you that. However, as long as you¡¯re alive, you will realize it someday. That¡¯s fate.¡¯ ¡®Is human death also fate?¡¯ ¡®Yes, birth and death are all fate.¡¯ ¡®Am I going to die, too?¡¯ ¡®One day.¡¯ David slowly began to open his eyes. One day, when David inherited his teacher¡¯s purple eyes, he learned that he would die instantly like a dry nt. But the reality was quite dreadful. The end of David¡¯s life seemed to be far from a peaceful death. ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± David realized that he was tied to the wall. But it wasn¡¯t a wall, but a stone that had powerful and evil energy. The stone must have been part of something huge and terrible. ¡°Is this also my fate?¡± Only darkness appeared before his eyes, whose hands and feet were tightly bound to the stone. ¡°Or was I wrong when I tried to defy fate ¡­? Only empty words rang out in him. David couldn¡¯t hear his teacher¡¯s answer. Because he already used taboo time magic. ¡°Sir ¡­¡­ What¡¯s right? I don¡¯t know.¡± David¡¯s purple eyes filled with darkness. It was impossible to know what situation he would be in soon. But, what bothered him more than that was something that would be happening in a different ce. ¡°I can do anything to protect the fate¡­¡­.¡± David tried hard to believe that what he was doing was the right thing. He wasn¡¯t killing the child; he was just trying to fix the fate of this world. *** In another ce, Fabian, whotely had spent a lot of his time in the Empress Pce, suddenly announced that he couldn¡¯t stop by today because of the backlog of official duties. Evelyn felt embarrassed when she realized she was waiting for Fabian. The Emperor had to take care of the Empire, so why did she think about spending time together? ¡°Oh, mother! Mother!¡± But soon, Adrian¡¯s gant cry made Evelynugh. ¡°Adrian learned again today!¡± Hans, Philip¡¯s disciple and Adrian¡¯s etiquette teacher, quietly gave his example from behind. As Adrian¡¯s vocabry began to increase, his polite behavior also improved from day today. ¡°Eeh¡­Like this.¡± Adrian clumsily bent his short knee and unfolded his one arm. But his posture wasn¡¯t correct, and he looked like he might fall down any minute. ¡°Mother! I see you!¡± It seemed Adrian had learned how to give a proper example today. ¡°Yes, Adrian. You look so amazing today.¡± Evelyn gave a nice answer, as she was aware of Hans¡¯s gaze. Then Adrian sighed and stood up awkwardly. It seemed that his short arms and legs made it difficult for him to fully stand up. ¡°Next time.. with Ugly¡­Mother, Adrian will bring Ugly.¡± Before Evelyn could answer, Adrian was already running out the door. Hans, who saw him, could only smile awkwardly and hurriedly bent his body, giving an example again in front of Evelyn. ¡°Sorry. Not yet ¡­¡­ he hasn¡¯t learned the whole etiquette yet.¡± Hans med himself for Adrian¡¯sck of etiquette, but Evelyn looked happy. ¡°It¡¯s a good progress. That child is learning everything very quickly, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s actually very fast learner and smart.¡± ¡°Adrian is very perceptive.¡± Evelyn was like a typical mother, so it was natural for her to feel that her child was very special. ¡°Yes¡­..He has a bright future. So, uh¡­¡­.¡± Hans looked hesitant. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ve told you to say anything about his studies without exception.¡± ¡°Ugly¡­.¡± The hawk¡¯s name had unexpectedly be a proper noun and had meaning for everyone. ¡°If the Prince wants to make Ugly as his ¡®subject¡¯, isn¡¯t this an opportunity to introduce him to the aristocratic system and the concept ofrades.¡± Evelyn looked at Hans with a perplexed face. Apart from being Sir Philip¡¯s best disciple. Hans was also the best genius in the Academy. However, he was too focused on theory, principles, and textbooks, so hecked a sense of reality. In other words, ording to him, for the sake of Adrian¡¯s education, he wanted to give the hawk a title like a noble. ¡°Well¡­¡­ I think I¡¯ll have to think about that a little bit.¡± ¡°I think it would be fine to give Ugly a title.¡± ¡°No, not that part. But it¡¯s too much to call Adrian¡¯s first and closerade as Lord Ugly. ¡° The problem wasn¡¯t only the bird¡¯s name and the fact that it was a bird, not a human. Hans tilted his head in confusion, but he respected Evelyn¡¯s opinion and excused himself.
¡°Adrian should be meeting more people.¡± When Evelyn left the living room and muttered, Reba, who unable to enter the room because of the Ugly, quickly came over and helped. ¡°I think so, too. That¡¯s how he¡¯s gonna¡­¡­no, he should be away from that bird.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Seeing Adrian¡¯s extraordinary love for Ugly, it was impossible for them to be separated. ¡°But meeting people is also important. For example, since Adrian has seen His Majesty more often, his attitude has be much more polite now.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what anyone has to do¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Adrian is a quick learner. It¡¯s not because he¡¯s my son, but because his ability to absorb lessons is extraordinary.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Reba nodded in silence as she saw Evelyn¡¯s eyes twinkling. The fact that Adrian¡¯s manner improved after meeting the Emperor could be interpreted differently. Because anyone who met Fabian would show a courteous attitude. Including the Akshire family. But Reba couldn¡¯t say that to Evelyn, who was proud of her son. ¡°Well¡­ ¡­I¡¯ll have to talk to His Majesty about Ugly¡¯s matter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that bird? Do you want to raise it elsewhere? ¡° ¡°That¡¯s your wish, Reba. Actually, Adrian wants to give Ugly a title and make his as hisrade. Sir Hans sees it as a part of his education.¡± Reba was dumbfounded, and she didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. ¡°If you want to do something to that bird, you¡¯ll have to change the name first. I want it to get out of the Pce altogether.¡± ¡°The ck hawk is clever and has the habit of visiting its own house.¡± ¡°Huh..I hate that creature.¡± Reba murmured so quietly that Evelyn couldn¡¯t hear it. Still, today was a leisurely day because Fabian didn¡¯te. This was a good thing for Reba, who was busy with Evelyn¡¯s wedding preparationstely. ¡°Rather than that, Princess, the day of choosing the wedding-dress that you postponed before ising.¡± ¡°¡­ wasn¡¯t Reba supposed to take care of that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve selected it twice, but you still has to choose, it¡¯s your wedding.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face suddenly darkened. As soon as the wedding date came up, Reba got so busy that she seemed to have been at the crossroads of choices a hundred times. On top of that, all of the dress samples were so beautiful, so she worried about making a choice. ¡°I¡¯ll see it tomorrow¡ªI promise.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ it was raining today too, so the boutique employees couldn¡¯te either.¡± ¡°Yes, it suddenly rained. Has it stopped now? ¡° ¡°Yes, a little while ago.¡± Evelyn approached the window. The sky was bright, as if the sudden rain that had fallen just a moment ago wasn¡¯t real. The corridor leading from the window to the entrance of the Empress¡¯ hall was clearer than usual. ¡°Reba, there is a saying that if you look at the long corridor, there will be guestsing ¡° ¡°Yes¡­.did you do that?¡± Evelyn, who spoke of an unexpected idiom, only smiled faintly. Fabian was no longer a guest, and he wouldn¡¯te today. Still, she kept looking out the window, like a fool. ¡°Nothing. Am I too mellow because of the rain today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure? But, if His Majesty isn¡¯ting¡­ ¡­ It means that Sir Serus isn¡¯ting too, right?¡± Reba sighed, feeling a little regretful. She actually also waited and wanted to meet Serus. It seemed, because Evelyn and Fabian¡¯s rtionship was getting closer, maybe Reba and Serus also were seeing each other often. ¡°Sir Serus¡­¡­do you want him toe?¡± Evelyn asked carefully. ¡°To be honest¡­ Yes, I am. I know I can¡¯t do this, but¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to lie to you, Princess.¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart was also thumping for no reason when Reba said, with her head lowered slightly. ¡°Reba. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with it. Really. Rather, isn¡¯t it natural feeling?¡± Evelyn said in a calm and tender voice. After a moment of hesitation, Reba nodded her head, slowly smiling at her words. ¡°I thought, you would understand me, Princess.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? I really ¡­ I don¡¯t even know about this¡­.¡± ¡°Hey. It just happened yesterday. How can I tell you beforehand?¡± Oh. Evelyn blinked her eyes, looking at Reba¡¯s innocent face. ¡°Ha ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t believe Lady Metis is going to marry Duke Perth! Even if he doesn¡¯t get along with his brother, Sir Serus must know it because it¡¯s his family affair, right? I hope he could tell me the stories in detail.¡± Reba¡¯s purpose in wanting to meet Serus wasn¡¯t like Evelyn had imagined. Well, it couldn¡¯t be. Evelyn med her own stupidity. She seemed to have lost her mind because of the sudden rain. Reba seemed to be in a simr situation; she just wanted to enjoy and gossip about the news of her ex-husband¡¯s wedding with Serus. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a good thing?¡± ¡°Sure. They¡¯d be a perfect match.¡± ¡°¡­ In terms of?¡± Evelyn asked what she had been worrying about all this time. ¡°Hmm.¡± Reba crossed her arms and slowly sank into her deep thought. A mischievous smile that appeared went well with her pretty lips. ¡°They talk without using their brains. Their way of thinking is the same, like angry little kids if the world doesn¡¯t go their way. And their stubbornness, who doesn¡¯t want to know what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong also simr¡­¡± Nothing more could be said. In a way, indeed. As Reba said, they were a match made in heaven. ¡°I think I know¡­..¡± ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t even started yet. Those two¡­ .¡± But Reba didn¡¯t continue her words because Nora hurried came into the room, and whispered something in Evelyn¡¯s ear politely. Evelyn made a strange expression as she heard it. Only ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about work.¡± Evelyn spoke vaguely and stared out the window. The corridor appeared to be longer today. ¡°I think we have a guest.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager is here. But, I don¡¯t know her purpose this time.¡± Reba also nodded at Evelyn¡¯s blunt words. One of her regrets was that she couldn¡¯t see her own eyes when Ste was kicked out of the Pce. Chapter 135: Her Gran Evelyn epted the Empress Dowager in moderation, not too much. Monica instantly sauntered into the chair provided for her with a slight smile. She didn¡¯t appear ufortable, since she was once the owner of the Empress Pce before Evelyn. ¡°I came without telling you first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± After Monica heard Evelyn¡¯s reply, she nodded and took a sip of tea, ¡°I had talked with the Duke Metis.¡± Monica opened the dialogue with sensitive words first. ¡°Ste will marry Duke Perth, and that¡¯s the end of this conflict.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Evelyn hesitated for a moment, so she only said the mostmon response appeared on her mind. Then Monica immediately shook her hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡­ that¡¯s what I wanted.¡± ¡± Hmm¡­.¡± Monica spewed a strange voice as she didn¡¯t know Evelyn was such a straightforward person. ¡°No one can stop His Majesty stubbornness. Besides, you¡¯ve already brought his sessor. So, the result wouldn¡¯t have changed anyway.¡± ¡°But thanks to you, no one was hurt.¡± Monica slightly frowned on one of her eyebrows at Evelyn¡¯s thoughtful words, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You and the Prince will never get hurt.¡± ¡°Yes, I guess so. But still, I don¡¯t want anything unfortunate to happen because of the Prince.¡± That was Evelyn¡¯s pure conscience as a mother since the reason for the controversy over the Empress¡¯s throne was because she hid Adrian¡¯s presence. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want any blood to be spilt because of her young child. ¡°To be sure, you¡¯ve changed a lot,¡± Monica muttered to herself, looking at Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, too, Your Highness.¡± Looking to the past, there shouldn¡¯t have been any contact between Monica and Evelyn. They were meant to live as strangers without impacting each other¡¯s lives, as in their previous life. But the prediction was wrong, and Monica ended up helping Evelyn. ¡°¡­.. Since I¡¯m an elder in this Imperial Pce, so I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± It felt a little weird seeing the Empress Dowager, who used to say so nonchntly, now looked a little ashamed. In hindsight, the way she avoided Evelyn¡¯s gaze slightly simr to Fabian. ¡°I came here without a notice because I have a favour to ask you.¡± But Monica quickly turned the topic. ¡°Tell me,¡± Evelyn replied calmly. ¡°Duke Metis is my brother. So I know his personality. Right now, I somehow could persuade him, but he must have been dissatisfied and Ste¡¯szy attitude won¡¯t improve overnight.¡± Monica sighed and continued, ¡°But as time goes by, he will realize that this is the best way for the good of everyone.¡± Evelyn seemed to know what Monica wanted to say. ¡°Sudden things take enough time.¡± A soft smile blossomed around Evelyn¡¯s mouth. Monica starred at Evelyn eagerly as she couldn¡¯t read her daughter-inw¡¯s mind. ¡°As empress, I will bless Lady Metis¡¯ marriage. Even though she may still have many shorings due to her young age, but because she¡¯s a smartdy, she can certainly live well as Duchess of Perth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that both my brother and his daughter are too arrogant with the Imperial family. I can¡¯t help but admit it.¡± Monica acknowledged it with an honest. ¡°But when this is over, I will go back to the Southern Pce and I don¡¯t want to get involved in the Imperial affairs or society.¡± At this point, what Monica wanted was very clear. So Evelyn nodded slightly and epted her request. ¡°The greatest virtue of the Empress ispassion. I couldn¡¯t, but I think you can.¡± Although Monica, the Empress Dowager, already asked Duke Metis and Ste for their understanding. But they still seemed to have a hard time epting it. But Evelyn understood that people couldn¡¯t change overnight. ¡°I¡¯ll try. Most importantly, as Your Highness said, things will get better with time.¡± If Duke Metis and Ste gave up on the Empress throne and were satisfied with their current positions, they wouldn¡¯t need to sh with Evelyn. So Monica asked Evelyn to be generous with them until then. ¡°You¡¯re good at words. Unlike my son, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do that.¡± Evelyn chuckled at Monica remarks unknowingly. But then, as their eyes met, she looked a bit awkward. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯tugh at the thought¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, as his mother, I know His Majesty is like a wooden stone.¡± Monica openly criticized this continent¡¯s Emperor. There was no mistaking it, she was indeed Fabian¡¯s mother. ¡°He¡¯s been like that since he started learning to walk. Well, you must know it very well because now you¡¯re raising the Prince. ¡° ¡°I¡¯m surprised but¡­ ¡­ The Prince is a hyperactive child, and the maids and servants are having a hard time to take care of him.¡± Evelyn said with her gentle smile. Monica¡¯s face had an unbelievable expression, but her curiosity seemed to make a move. ¡°You said, you¡¯d show me the Prince next time, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Monica just said pleasantries. Because she thought, she only allowed seeing her grandson at official events, when he was apanied by Fabian. Meanwhile, her rtionship with Fabian wasn¡¯t close, so he couldn¡¯t ask to meet or ask about her grandson. ¡°I¡¯m a little embarrassed because he¡¯s still clumsy and not good at everything. Buttely, the Prince is learning to give an example. ¡° ¡°I see¡­¡± Monica generally appeared calm and unconcerned, but now she had a little trouble keeping up with their conversation. ¡°If Your Highness is willing to be generous and excuse that child¡¯s shorings and inadequacies ¡­May the Princee and greet you?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Surprisingly, Monica responded happily and bit her long pipe as usual. Evelyn smiled at her, then she rang the silver bell on the table to call Nora, ¡°Nora, please bring Adrian. He should say hello to Empress Mother ¡­..and please tell Sir Hans as well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Monica had a subtle smile on her face after Nora had politely stepped back. ¡°Soon, the Prince wille here. He had been practising about give an example before.¡± ¡°¡­Now?¡± Monica already knew that the Prince would have to show an example in publicter. However, Monica startled because Evelyn was much bolder than she thought, by sending her son to give an example directly in front of her. ¡°So, the Prince¡­ He¡¯sing here now? He wants to greet me?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s not good enough, but he¡¯s been studying welltely.¡± Evelyn replied calmly. Instead, it was Monica who felt a little embarrassed, whereas Evelyn had no malice. Monica couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had seen a creature called a child up close. In the first ce, she didn¡¯t intend to see her grandson today, and Monica didn¡¯t think she had anything to do with him. Only at this moment, her long pipe in her hand didn¡¯t move for a while. ¡°He wille here soon.¡± Sometimes a pure kindness was a terrifying thing. ¡± Right now¡­I can see him¡­..¡± ¡°As the Prince learns to give examples these days, he is very excited and happy because he feels a sense of aplishment.¡± Monica said nothing more and turned off the cigarette me in a panic. She also gave an eye signal to the woman next to her to open the windows for air cirction. She recalled a long time ago when Fabian, who was only about five or six years old, coughed as he inhaled her cigarette smoke. ¡°Oh wait, when I think about it, I don¡¯t think he needs to meet me right now. The next time His Majesty is here¡­¡­.¡± But even before Monica finished her sentence, the knock rang from outside, and the door opened. A small child was looking at them, yonder with his eyes gleamed brightly. Monica forgot what to say for a moment because the ck-haired child looked like Fabian in his childhood. ¡°Adrian, this is Her Highness, the Empress-mother, your grandmother. Do you understand what I mean?¡± Adrian looked so nervous, so Evelyn spoke to him in a gentle voice. After that, Adrian lifted his bright eyes and looked at Monica with his curious look. He must be timid seeing his chubby hands wriggled a bit. ¡°Um¡­ Her High-ness! Em-press Mo-ther! ¡­and Adrian¡¯s grandmother¡­Is it ¡­?¡± Monica was unknowingly surprised when Adrian greeted her with a loud voice. He didn¡¯t look like an Imperial child at all. She was a little amazed because she saw such a child in this pce for the first time. ¡°Please forgive him. As I said, he¡¯s still clumsy andcking.¡± Evelyn calmly asked for her understanding. Then Adrian approached them a few steps and looked at his grandmother with reluctance. ¡°Adrian¡­¡­is wrong ?¡± Adrian rolled his round eyes. Monica¡¯s heart was pounding as she looked at her grandson before her eyes. She felt something odd, and she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Oh¡­¡­ I was wrong. Uhm!¡± Adrian quickly wrapped his mouth with his hand as if he were ming himself. Then, he tilted his eyebrows and turned his attention to Monica. ¡°You can do it slowly again.¡± Monica unknowingly talked to him. The words came out freely from her mouth out of control, making her felt very weird. But she didn¡¯t hate the smile that bloomed on the child¡¯s face. And Adrian soon gained his confidence, as he knew that his grandmother favoured him. ¡°Adrian¡¯s Grand Mo-ther! Her High-ness! Em-press Mo-ther!¡­..! How are you! Good to see you!¡± Evelyn sighed inside, seeing Adrian weed her with more enthusiastic greeting than usual. At the same time, Monica struggled to swallow up herughter that was about to burst. But Adrian didn¡¯t notice it, and he opened his mouth with more courage. It was considered as a great opportunity to show off his new greetings taught by Sir Hans. ¡°I¡¯m good!¡± Barely did Monica hold back her secondugh. At the same time, Evelyn felt a little bit bitter. As well as Sir Hans, who listened secretly outside the door, also was frustrated. But Adrian, the main character in that ce, looked very confident and proud to tell that he was good. ¡°Hmm¡­okay.¡± Adrian¡¯s cheeks flushed red when Monica answered his greeting. He looked delighted because Adrian felt that he was doing well with what he had learned. ¡°I¡¯m good! And I did well!¡± For a moment, a look of confusion came to cross Monica¡¯s mind. It was a rare sight for her. As an Empress, she witnessed this for the first time in her life. Moreover, he never raised her own child, Fabian, like this. Again, Evelyn asked for Monica¡¯s understanding with her nce. But Adrian still looked at his grandmother with his anticipated eyes. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Monica still looked puzzled, didn¡¯t know how to give a proper response at him. ¡°Hem! Don¡¯t mention it!*.¡± (T/N > Adrian can¡¯t say ¡®Your Wee¡¯ ) Oh gosh, Evelyn¡¯s face turned hazy this time. All his etiquette werepletely different from what Sir Hans had taught him. Now she began to wonder where Adrian learned such words from. Was it too early to show Adrian to the Empress? Evelyn saw the stern look on Monica¡¯s face, and she red at Nora who stood behind her to take Adrian out of the room. ¡°Well, Adrian, now let¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Parenting, however, was also a tough thing. ¡°Yes, Now! Adrian will introduce Ugly! Oh, grandmother wait a second! Only Evelyn was keenly aware that Adrian was simply had an unpredictable and uncontroble behaviour. ¡°Don¡¯t go. Stay here. I¡¯ll bring Ugly! Okay!?¡± Evelyn immediately got up from her seat and tried to ask Monica to be patient at her son¡¯s attitude. However, Monica answered faster than her. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± The way he spoke was as graceful and calm as ever. Adrian took Nora¡¯s hand and immediately left the room merrily. Evelyn¡¯s cold sweat was already flowing profusely when she saw the look on the Empress Dowager face. Her calm-expressionless face as if nothing had happened, resembled Fabian a lot. Chapter 136: The Last Hug While Evelyn was still enduring the utmost embarrassment, Adrian fled back to the room at lightning speed. He carried something in his hand, a golden cage that Fabian gave him a while ago. Ugly, who Adrian showed, immediately spread his wings in the cage. ¡°I¡¯ll take him out.¡± Evelyn tried toe forward, but unexpectedly, Monica waved her hand first. She was curious about Adrian¡¯s sudden actions. ¡°I told him that I would wait, so I have to keep my promise.¡± Monica spoke as usual in an icy voice, and afterwards turned to Adrian, ¡°Where, let me see.¡± Evelyn was anxious, but no excuse, she could find to stop them. So, she just prayed that Adrian wouldn¡¯t make another mistake. As for Adrian, that child was totally unaware of Evelyn¡¯s anxiety. He was very captivated by the Empress¡¯ dignified appearance that he kept looking at Monica with a beaming face. ¡°This is ugly! Ugly¡­good to see you, Empress-Mother!¡± It was only then that Monica knew that the name of the bird was Ugly. ¡°Ugly is Adrian¡¯s friend! Brave and big! But you have to give him. Because he¡¯s Adrian¡¯srade.¡± Evelyn could see that Monica sighed a little, and just stared with an expressionless face towards Adrian. A child could instinctively feel the feelings of the person treating him, and Adrian seemed to sense that Monica greatly favoured him. So, instead of being afraid, Adrian was even bolder. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. Say it slowly.¡± Monica also didn¡¯t know how to deal with children, so she responded with the same calmness as she did with adults. However, Adrian was very pleased with his grandmother¡¯s attitude, who didn¡¯t treat him as a child. ¡°This is Ugly.¡± ¡°I know that. It¡¯s the Imperial¡¯s ck hawk.¡± ¡°He¡¯s Adrian¡¯s friend! He will be bigger, be braver!¡± ¡°That¡¯s also¡­¡­ I get it.¡± Monica nodded. Then Adrian looked more proud as if he earned more confidence. ¡°Uhm¡­I want you to give him, he¡¯s myrade. Because Adrian is a Prince, so you have to give him.¡± This part of his speech was the most difficult to understand. However, Monica, who had a smart brain and good sense, seemed to grasp the context of Adrian¡¯s words. ¡°Does he mean, he want to make that bird as the Prince¡¯srade¡­..?¡± Monica asked Evelyn in a whisper as she wasn¡¯t sure about it. And Evelyn quietly nodded her head. ¡°What do you want me to do? I give him¡­?¡± ¡°Ti-tle! That¡¯s how he can be a noble.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ You want me to give him a title.¡± Evelyn took a deep breath as the mystery finally solved. ¡°Yes! Ugly, Adrian¡¯srade!¡± ¡°But the Imperial family never gave a title to a bird.¡± Monica dropped the grenade just as Evelyn began to calm down. She saw Adrian¡¯s stunned, frozen face as she looked up. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. A title can only be given to a person. It¡¯s the Imperial¡¯sw.¡± ¡°Title¡­cannot? ¡°I can¡¯t give it to your Ugly bird.¡± ¡°Uh¡­Title.. Ugly because a bird? Comrade¡­¡­cannot?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a bird.¡± The Empress Dowager spoke firmly in a rxed manner. She didn¡¯t have a bad thought, but the only problem was that Adrian was a child. ¡°Uh¡­Uh¡­Then¡­ ¡­ Ugly¡­¡­can¡¯t give¡­.¡± ¡°A bird is a bird.¡± In Monica¡¯s words, nothing was wrong. But, surely, Adrian¡¯s face immediately filled with tears because of sadness. ¡°Ugly ¡­ is a bird, but¡­¡­.¡± Adrian began to weep. Evelyn actually had tried to teach him the about ¡®title¡¯ slowly, but who would expect that the Empress Dowager would tell him so bluntly. Adrian saw the bird and Monica with his trembling eyes alternately, and soon he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and burst into tears. ¡°No! Ugly¡­¡­ Adrian¡­¡­Huuuu,rade¡­.. give it to him¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn was actually ashamed, but it seemed like Monica¡¯s condition was much tougher. She unknowingly half rose from her chair with a hardened face. Evelyn was surprised to see her, but she couldn¡¯t move quickly. ¡°Uh..uh¡­¡­..Ugly¡­¡­ title? Uh..uh¡­¡­.¡± Monica was having one of the most humiliating moments in her life now; she saw a child weeping before her for the first time. And the reason was because of her. ¡°Title¡­.Ugly¡­.hu¡­uh..¡± Monica had to straighten her back and stand in front of Adrian, as he still seemed unable to understand what she said. ¡°Oh, I mean, that¡¯s thew in the Imperial Pce where you live. But not in the separate Pce where I live. ¡° Now Evelyn couldn¡¯t figure out how this situation was going. ¡°Uhm¡­.Really¡­¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Empress-Mother. I don¡¯t lie to people.¡± ¡°Lie¡­..is bad¡­¡­ Adrian also doesn¡¯t lie, I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good trait.¡± Monica spoke softly, but Adrian¡¯s eyes were still tearful, looking at her. ¡°Because I don¡¯t lie, I¡¯ll give a special title to your bird.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Really? Are you sure?¡± Monica was in agony for a while, but she couldn¡¯t take back the words she already said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then the title for Ugly ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°In the Southern Pce¡­¡­the title for a bird¡­.¡± Monica thought hard, finding the right title-rank for that bird. ¡°The¡­ The messenger! He will be a messenger bird.¡± ¡°Oooooh¡­.¡± Adrian honestly didn¡¯t know what the messenger bird was. But he thought the title was very cool and looked at Monica with a bright face. ¡°Oh¡­¡­cool¡­¡­is it a good title?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a very glorious title in my Pce.¡± Well, if the title¡¯s owner was human, that would be an awesome job. That¡¯s why we could say Ugly was very lucky to get a title-rank like that. ¡°Oh¡­ then Adrian like it too! I like¡­¡­I like it!¡± Adrian was so happy that he almost dropped his cage while trying to p his hands. ¡°Ugly! Now you¡¯re a messenger bird!¡± He saw the bird and stamped his little feet. ¡°Mersetser! ( messenger ) Let¡¯s get stronger now, together with me!¡± Adrian¡¯s face was filled with expressions which adults couldn¡¯t make even if they exchanged it for any treasure in the world. His little hands that swayed excitedly, her round shining eyes, and above all, and his exuberantughter overflowed. Then immediately, his eyes switched again to Monica. Adrian put the cage on the floor carefully and approached her to say something. ¡°Grandmother, thank you! Ugly told me with his eyes that he was thankful for his title!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, never mind.¡± But Adrian still fiddled with Monica¡¯s hand as if he still had something to say. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­.Thank you¡­¡­.¡± Monica was a little shocking when Adrian moved towards her shyly for a couple of steps. But she just watched him and let him do whatever he wanted. Adrian then stood right in front of her and naturally opened his arms wide. ¡°Adrian will give you a hug.¡± Monica froze. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you hug each other if you like them?¡± It was normal for a child-like Adrian to hug someone when he was happy. However, it wasn¡¯t same with Monica who was living as an Empress. Even though the child opened his arms wide, she still didn¡¯t get up from her seat, until Evelyn got up and walked over to her. ¡°Your Highness, if you don¡¯t mind¡­ let him hug you.¡± Monica hesitated for a moment. But Adrian kept waiting with his opened arms. Looking closely, Adrian really looked like little Fabian with a ck coloured hair and chestnut-like hair cut. Monica carefully reached out her hand and hugged his body that was smaller and smoother than she imagined. ¡°No, hug me tighter!¡± Adrian unexpectedly plunged his body into Monica¡¯s embrace, who looked surprised until her eyes bulged. But soon, she slowly wrapped his small body tighter. Instinctively, Monica removed her long nail trimmings so that Adrian didn¡¯t get hurt. ¡°Grandmother¡­ thank you for giving Ugly a title!¡± Adrian body¡¯s temperature that wriggled in her arms was warmer than she thought. ¡°Adrian won¡¯t forget you. I won¡¯t! Never!¡± That was the longest expression of gratitude that Adrian had ever said. Monica unwittingly patted Adrian¡¯s back head several times. Then she squatted for a while, holding him, and didn¡¯t move. Adrian was really in a good mood and stayed still in Monica¡¯s arms, ¡°Grandmother, I like you. I¡¯ll give you a hug.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± It was a silent question that longed for years. Yet, she knew, that Adrian wouldn¡¯t see the remorse within her heart. ¡°Really, I really like you. Ugly like you, too.¡± Adrian¡¯s pure and innocent answer touched Monica¡¯s heart. There was a faint smile on her expressionless face as she patted his little back. ¡°Thank you.¡± It was a string of words that she had never heard from Fabian, her own son. Monica never wanted it as well. She thought she was until this moment. ¡°I also won¡¯t forget you.¡± It was a mystery that they who were always at the crossroads in past lives now felt the same way because of a child. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her second words were directed at Evelyn. Evelyn also replied with a smile. Now that she knew that Monica had the same feeling as her, she could no longer think of her as a stranger. ¡°He¡¯s a clumsy child, and I¡¯m¡­ grateful.¡± Monica looked up, and soon she released Adrian. But he clung to her, and still hovered around her feet. ¡°Next time again¡­ May Ie to see him again?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Evelyn smiled warmly. ¡°¡­.. if you don¡¯t see him often from now, he¡¯ll whimper.¡± As Evelyn said, Adrian was already expressing his affection for Monica with his whole body. ¡°After this troublesome thing is over¡­¡­..you cane to my Southern Pce as well.¡± Monica conveyed her wish with a cold face. But Evelyn thought, she was simr to Fabian when he tried to express his feelings. ¡°Your Highness, you should often visits the Imperial Pce, too. Because children grow up very quickly.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­you right.¡± Fabian, the child she gave birth to, grew up at an early age. It was an unavoidable thing since all the Imperial children were like that. ¡°I will raise him by myself. Even though I¡¯m stillcking in teaching him like now.¡± There¡¯s a feeling of wonder appeared in Monica¡¯s face. ¡°His Majesty has also given permission.¡± ¡°Well if he said so, who could melt his stubbornness?¡± As a former Empress, Monica still found it hard to understand. But if her grandson grew up like this, it seemed she had a reason to visit the Imperial Pce again. Monica wanted to know what kind of smile Adrian would show when he grew up and could speak properly. And she thought that maybe she could catch a glimpse of Fabian¡¯s childhood that she had never seen, whenever she saw Adrian. ¡°Does Adrian resemble His Majesty when he was a child?¡± Evelyn asked kindly as if she had read Monica¡¯s mind. Monica then took a moment to catch Adrian¡¯s figure; then she slowly nodded her head. ¡°They look alike.¡± Only In Monica¡¯s memory, little Fabian was a child who followed all the rules that were difficult even for adults with his stiff face. But his dark hair and shining eyes were very simr to Adrian. ¡°I¡¯m d for that somehow.¡± It had been a while since Monica hadn¡¯t spoken to someone sincerely like this. ¡°As for me, I¡¯m d you see it that way.¡± Evelyn also replied to her, sincerely. They stared at each other for a moment. Perhaps their rtionship wouldn¡¯t get any closer than this. But it was enough. They were looking in the same direction, as they loved the same man and the same child. Chapter 137: Shadow Over The Palace The night at the Imperial Pce dissolved in peace. Everyone thought so. Around midnight, however, something had happened and cast a shadow over the entire Pce. The tragic episode started at the Pce of the Empress. In the bedroom where Adrian was asleep. ¡°Sir Philip! Suddenly, why suddenly¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s panicked voice sounded like a throbbing cry. It seemed like a minor problem at first, but by the time Sir Philip arrived, things had gone so bad that the child had almost suffocated. Sir Philip started treatment immediately, but he felt a fiery high fever as soon as he touched the child¡¯s body. ¡°Princess, calm down. Please tell me in detail what happened today, while Sir Philip will examine him.¡± Although Hans, Philip¡¯s assistant, tried to appease her, Evelyn could hardly calm her mind. Which parent¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t broken when they saw their child lying sick. Evelyn couldn¡¯t get at ease when her son, who was so lively and yed with his grandmother this morning, unexpectedly caught a high fever. ¡°Princess, you must regain yourposure at times like this.¡± Luckily, there was Reba beside her. Evelyn tried to swallow the pain in her throat. It was hard to breathe. The air that pierced her nose was stung like a sword. Still, she had to keep her mind sane for Adrian¡¯s sake. ¡°Nora, please tell Hans about everything Adrian did today.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°Lily, go see His Majesty now and let him know about this.¡± ¡°Yes Yes! I will go now.¡± Everyone hastened to carry out Evelyn¡¯s orders. Reba monitored Sir Philip¡¯s medication, and Evelyn pressed her chest once more to ease her fears. Fortunately or sadly, Adrian stopped crying. But Evelyn didn¡¯t look happy at all. ¡°Princess, Sir Hans now is looking for the cause.¡± Evelyn bit her lip nervously, and her eyes turned back to Adrian. The child fell asleep quietly, just as he had tired himself from ying. But it was just what looked like. ¡°I have no choice but to use sedatives. If the condition gets even worse it¡¯s very dangerous¡­ so there¡¯s no other way.¡± Sir Phillip said honestly as if he was apologizing for having to give him the drug. Within her mind, Evelyn understood what Sir Philip meant, but her heart was still very sore when she had to watch her son, who was put to sleep with sedatives. ¡°I will prescribe a fever reliever medicine. His fever has toe down first. That¡¯s the most urgent priority.¡± As a doctor, Philip¡¯s made the right decision, as high fever was a dangerous illness that could endanger a child¡¯s life. ¡°30 minutes ¡­ No, if the fever doesn¡¯t go down in 10 minutes ¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn went utterly insane when Sir Philip obscured his words. Reba took Evelyn¡¯s hand quickly and squeezed it. She was trying to calm her down, saying that at this moment she shouldn¡¯t lose control. Evelyn then rushed over to Adrian¡¯s bedside and touched his neck. It felt boiling like it was burning with fire. ¡°Excuse me.¡± As Evelyn was forced to step back, Philip and Hans took off Adrian¡¯s clothes and put a cold, wet towel on his whole body. But this kind of treatment wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°We have to help cool down the fever a little until the medicine works!¡± Everyone in the Empress Pce was busy bringing cold water and wetting the towels. Evelyn¡¯s heart was as burn as Adrian¡¯s fever because she could do nothing but watch. In the meantime, Reba suddenly left the room. Everyone didn¡¯t even notice she was gone even when she returned because they were focused on treating Adrian. ¡°Everyone get out of my way!¡± Reba shouted without hesitation, as she pushed her way between Sir Philip and Hans, holding something in her arms. ¡°Reba?¡± ¡°This is a block ice from underground wine cer.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t even know that something like that existed in her Pce. But she wasn¡¯t surprised since Reba knew exactly every liquor in this Pce and where it was stored. The wine cer was specially made as an ice storage in every season except in summer. It was minimal in quantity and treated as a raremodity, but now it was a matter of urgency. ¡°Bring more handkerchiefs! Everyone, wrap the ice and ce them on the Prince¡¯s body. Hurry up!¡± Reba demonstrated how topress Adrian¡¯s skin with a handkerchief wrapped in ice. The maids afterwards also followed Reba¡¯s actions in perfect order. ¡°Fever ¡­¡­ The fever has reduced a little!¡± Whether it was because the ice pack or the medicine had worked, Evelyn patted her chest, and Reba breathed a sigh of relief. But Philip¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very bright. When the ice touched Adrian¡¯s skin, the skin turned red, and the demon¡¯s bite marks began to appear one by one on his body. Evelyn trembled at the sight of the terrible scar that she never wanted to see again. ¡°I¡¯m sure ¡­¡­ The bite wound ¡­¡­ should have gotten better ¡­.¡± The bite marks of the Devil Eye that covered Adrian¡¯s small body had gradually disappeared over time. The only thing left to do was to detoxify the poison. So Adrian¡¯s sudden fever and bite marks appeared, taking Sir Philip by surprise. ¡°Sir Philip, shouldn¡¯t the bite wounds already healed!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± Philip stared Adrian¡¯s body once again, but it wasn¡¯t a hallucination, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. This is not a wound¡­I don¡¯t know, but It looks like a bruise that remains under the skin¡­I apologize¡­¡± There was no sign of any cuts on Adrian¡¯s skin, but the scars were too noticeable, and it was much more disturbing than before. ¡°Probably, the poison that was left in the Prince¡¯s body has started to recur again.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t he been detoxified with blood treatment?¡± ¡°It was a detoxification treatment, but¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never done this before, so I can¡¯t tell you anything¡­ .¡± Philip was also confused. He had never handled a child with a condition like Adrian, so he couldn¡¯t provide an exnation. Evelyn stood still with clenched lips that trembled every minute and second. Fortunately, after 5 minutes of beingpressed, the fever decreased significantly enough to remove the ice packs on his body. ¡°First of all, we do emergency treatment.¡± Hans carefully poured a blood medicine pill through Adrian¡¯s lips under Philip¡¯s guidance. ¡°But I don¡¯t know the cause. I don¡¯t know why those terrible bite-marks reappeared¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn abruptly stopped talking. ¡°No, I think I know who it is¡­..¡± There was anger in her blue eyes. She thought that once Fabian caught David, it would all be over. But she didn¡¯t think that he could do something like this without touching him. And Evelyn was mad at herself, too. ¡°What did he do? Reba! Search all the items in the Empress Pce. It might be a poison. Especially those rted to the Vatican ¡­. No, you have to search them all.¡± Evelyn sped Reba¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Princess, trust me. I¡¯ll never miss it.¡± Evelyn nodded in trust. Reba quickly led severaldies-in-waiting out of the room. The rest stayed behind to watch Adrian¡¯s condition and wait for Fabian.
Not long after expected, Fabian arrived in the Empress Pce in quick steps. ¡°I¡¯ve heard what happened.¡± Fabian waved to everyone who gave an example and walked towards Adrian. His ck eyes soon hardened as cold as ice. The relief he felt when he heard Adrian¡¯s breath, changed in a second after he saw the bite marks on his son¡¯s body. ¡°¡­who¡­dare¡­.¡± The two words contained immeasurable rage. ¡°Philip, tell me his condition right now.¡± Fabian¡¯s gaze was void. The kneeling Philip then looked at the Emperor in front of him. ¡°I used sedactives and antibiotics to control the Prince¡¯s high fever. Fortunately, the fever had subsided a little, but ¡­ the bite marks aren¡¯t wounds, but unknown marks. Maybe ¡­ the remains of the poison in the Prince¡¯s body are spreading again.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already detoxify the poison?¡± ¡°I did, but¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but the symptoms are the same as when he was first bit by the demons.¡± ¡°What about blood medicine?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already given him that medicine, but only as a slight cure¡­¡­all I can tell you is that this is a symptom of addiction.¡± The words that Evelyn had been afraid of all this time finally slipped out of Sir Philip¡¯s mouth. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Your Majesty, I¡¯ve never fed Adrian anything strange. Even now, Reba is looking for suspicious items in this Pce, but¡­¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything.¡± Fabian exhaled a deep, calm breath. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to say a word while dealing with the storm-like emotions inside him. ¡°Philip, say it right. Are you sure it¡¯s a symptom of poison addiction? Tell the truth, with your neck at stake.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. This is a symptom of addiction caused by Demon¡¯s poison, and it¡¯s more dangerous than the first time he was bitten.¡± ¡°But hasn¡¯t the poison been detoxified? The proof, the child was getting healthier!¡± ¡°Probably due to an external factor ¡­ which caused the poison in his body to reactivate. Looking at the blood medicine that doesn¡¯t work anymore, that is most likely what happened.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Philip sighed, ¡°Your Majesty, do you remember when I first saw his symptoms and warned you.¡± Fabian frowned. He was also sensitive to a poison addiction, as he also grew up as an Imperial sessor and became an Emperor. If he was poisoned by someone, he could survive as long as he avoided fatal injuries. But even with blood medicine, it would be impossible to treat if there were more than one type of poison in his body. ¡°In the Book of Medicine, this is called as the root of poison.¡± One poison could be traced and neutralized, but the poison that had entered wouldbine with the blood and spread through the body like a root of evil. If there were more than two poisons, they would mix, and the toxins would continually bind to one another and mutated throughout the body. ¡°Howe? ¡­.What have you all done?!¡± Fabian asked everyone in the room in a cold voice, including to Evelyn. ¡°He¡¯s past the critical moment now.¡± Philip said calmly. ¡°This is the hard-to-handle symptom of the poison¡¯s roots. However, if we can find the cause and identity of the new poison¡­¡­he can be cured.¡± Fabian¡¯s jaw got tight. His gnashed mrs showed precisely how he felt right now, ¡°I¡¯ll looking for it. I¡¯m going to find the culprit, tear them apart, and make them beg to be killed.¡± That voice awakened the blood of madness flowing in him. Even Evelyn felt Fabian was like another person she didn¡¯t know. But she had no time to pay more attention to him because it was for Adrian. ¡°What¡¯s the best that can be done for now?¡± ¡°For now ¡­¡­ Antibiotics and ¡­¡­ I will use blood medicine. We should at least prevent his condition from getting worse.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Fabian gave out a low curse and clenched his fist. ¡°I will do everything I can to treat him. But before he gets worse ¡­.. I need to know the cause of his addiction now to do basic treatment.¡± ¡°Time¡­. How much time do we have?¡± Everyone focused on Philip, so he had trouble opening his mouth. ¡°To the limit of the Prince¡¯s physical strength ¡­¡­ So, I can¡¯t measure the timing precisely.¡± No one could be sure how longer Adrian¡¯s small body could survive. His body had been exposed to the Demon¡¯s poison before. But now the poison had taken root and had begun to bind his entire body. Evelyn forgot how to breathe at that moment. That horror was never swallowed and couldn¡¯t be spat out again. ¡°Evelyn!¡± Fabian¡¯s strong arms caught Evelyn¡¯s body beside him, which was about to fall from losing her bnce. Her face was as pale as a nk sheet of paper, and her breath was chocking because she couldn¡¯t breathe properly. ¡°Calm down. Breathe!¡± Fabian patted Evelyn on the back. Only then did Evelyn breathe out, vomiting her cough. She was hyperventting as she was under tremendous mental pressure at once. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian gripped Evelyn¡¯s trembling shoulder firmly and matched their eyes. Only ¡°Evelyn, look at me.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes eventually returned to focus. ¡°I¡¯ve promised to protect you and our child.¡± Evelyn nodded her head in tears. ¡°I will keep my promise.¡± Fabian repeated his words, swearing to himself to fill that promise. Evelyn used to protect herself and their child alone, but now she had him beside her. Now, he was determined to do everything in his power, to redeem for his failure to protect them from the beginning. Chapter 138: The Cold Back At the same time, Sagan paced nervously around his office. Listening to Gale¡¯s report, all his ns went smoothly when the Empress Dowager visited Evelyn¡¯s Pce. If his ns were a sess, he would soon hear the news. Gale finally came as Sagan struggled with his nervousness. ¡°How¡­¡­how did it go?¡± asked Sagan in haste. ¡°Sir Philip was summoned to the Empress¡¯s Pce.¡± As Sagan predicted, Adrian¡¯s health deteriorated after midnight. ¡°And His Majesty immediately rushed out of his office without being able to hide his anxiety.¡± ¡°Are you sure¡­did he do that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At that moment, Sagan heaved a sigh of relief. He had been worried about the failure of his scheme, but it seemed that God was on his side. ¡°Now then, the Vatican is in my hands.¡± Sagan roared withughter by himself. He held the Pdin¡¯s hand and practiced what was called justice. Obviously, God would be with him. People like Sagan used to wash their evil deeds with such arrogance. ¡°But this almost got me a heart attack.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Duke.¡± Sagan snorted, ¡°It¡¯s not my n that made me nervous.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°As the Pdin Knight said, the Empress Dowager was the mediator. It¡¯s hard to imagine that the Empress would make contact with that child.¡± Sagan knew his younger sister very well as a person with a cold personality. She was a woman who had never shown an attachment to her own son, let alone her grandchild. At first, Sagan doubted the ns he hadpiled. But in the end, his sister managed to make contact with Adrian. ¡°I don¡¯t know what drama had happened, but this is also God¡¯s will.¡± ¡°What are you going to do after this¡­¡± Gale asked the question carefully. ¡°What do you mean after this?¡± ¡°Yes? To Sarah, the Empress Dowager¡¯s maid¡­.¡± Before Gale spoke any further, Sagan gestured to shut up. When Monica came to persuade him, the other maid, who was ordered by Sagan, firmly followed his orders. It wasn¡¯t that hard. Monica, who temporarily moved from the Southern Pce, relocated most of her belongings to the Sagan residence rather than keeping them in the Imperial Pce. He didn¡¯t have special tricks. Sagan just blended the holy water into Monica¡¯s perfume and all the cosmetics used by her. He just told Sarah, the maid, to use them well. ¡°Did she do something?¡± ¡°No, nothing different than usual.¡± ¡°Fine¡­But I won¡¯t forget that Sarah yed an important role in this crime.¡± Sagan grinned as he had performed hisst weapon. He requested a maid close to Sara to add the poisonous powder to Sarah¡¯s puff. The dose of poison was tiny, so it wasn¡¯t life-threatening. But he prepared this ¡°weapon¡± for Fabian as a gift. ¡°The Emperor will surely suspect his son was poisoned, and he will be bent on finding the cause. And his suspicions will lead to everyone, even his own mother.¡± If it was Fabian who Sagan knew, he would undoubtedly make the Empress Dowager a suspect and investigated her involvement thoroughly. If the Southern Pce¡¯s maid brought the poison, Monica would have to take responsibility because she was the Pce¡¯s owner and their master. Sagan would lose his younger sister. That¡¯s why he initially hesitated to use Monica to harm Adrian. ¡°But the Empress is His Majesty¡¯s mother¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No. There is no exception. That¡¯s why I hesitated. But she¡¯s foolish¡­.¡± In the end, Monica¡¯s cold rejection changed his mind. Monica made a choice she shouldn¡¯t have made and left her family first. Thus Sagan had no remorse whatsoever about his decision. ¡°The Pdin Knight has disappeared.¡± ¡°It must be the Emperor¡¯s doing. But it doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t know if the Pdin knight is a smart person or not, but his tricks were banal.¡± Sagan¡¯s eyes nced into the air. David only said that the holy water would unravel the demon¡¯s poison in the child¡¯s body. Yet Sagan was thinking more than that. Even if David told the Emperor the truth, he could still buy time. The poison in Sarah¡¯s puff actually had nothing to do with Adrian. It was just abyrinth designed by Sagan to trick Fabian. It was a tactic because he knew his nephew¡¯s suspicious nature very well. ¡°The Emperor will follow the trail of poison that doesn¡¯t exist in his son¡¯s body, through the Pdin¡¯s holy water.¡± ¡°The Pdin knight will pay for this crime.¡± Gale spoke as though he had read Sagan¡¯s mind. ¡°This has nothing to do with the Metis family. Even if his beloved child was killed, the cause wasn¡¯t just one ¡­ wasn¡¯t the misfortune that happened to his child due to ovepping coincidences?*.¡± Sagan was still a human being. People saw him as a worldly and arrogant man, but personally, he was an arrogant man who cared for his children and loved them. That¡¯s why he actually didn¡¯t have the heart to hurt Adrian. Furthermore, that child was still his blood rtive, who had Metis blood, which Sagan greatly exalted. ¡°Duke is right. It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Sagan wanted to justify his actions through Gale¡¯s mouth. His work was done now, and that little Prince wouldn¡¯t be able to survive during the process of poison investigation, and everything was coincidence and fate. Sagan also acknowledged that Monica, his sister, would also be under suspicion, and her life was at risk. But ording to Metis¡¯ teachings, this was a punishment for a person who had abandoned her family. ¡°The Emperor has been suspecting too many people.¡± Just like his predecessors, all the Emperors from the previous generation. All the Imperial Council members were doubted and suspected by Fabian, who continually trampled upon the nobles,pelled them to obey him, and treated them like barking dogs. ¡°He ought not to have done that. At least ¡­¡­ he shouldn¡¯t do that to the Metis family who gave birth to him.¡± Sagan wanted to give him a lesson. Until he realized that the only ones left were the Metis family. Even if he lost his sister-Empress, Sagan would soon get the next Empress and the Imperial¡¯s sessor. ¡°His suspicion that has always strangled us would kill his own child now.¡± Having once crossed the forbidden line, human beings will be turned into frightening figures, which Sagan experienced now. Since its descent, throughout the history of the Empire, the Metis family had been a monster destined to confront the Emperor.
*** Several hours after midnight, the residence of the Empress Dowager was hit by a racket. The ck Hawk Knights, led by Serus, began to rummage and hold all the residents in custody without exception. ¡°What are you doing? This is where the Empress stays!¡± Sarah, the maid of honor, came forward and firmly prevented the rummage, but nobody listened to her. ¡°I can¡¯t let you pass! This is Her Highness¡¯s residence, how dare you !¡± While the maids and servants were being dragged out helplessly, Serus caught up with the rest of the knights and showed up. Sarah recognized his face, and she knew that something was wrong, but she couldn¡¯t stay still. ¡°Sir Serus, this is the residence of Her Highness Empress Dowager.¡± But Serus pushed Sarah unexpectedly, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°This is my Pce.¡± Monica, who was annoyed, red at the knights who searched her bedroom. Monica had an authority equal to Fabian, but the ck Hawk Knights, including Serus, couldn¡¯t postpone their work for even a moment. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Monica surprisingly asked in a calm and dignified voice ¡°Her Highness Empress, you muste with us right now.¡± ¡°I asked what was going on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what His Majesty will ask you.¡± Monica¡¯s brows furrowed at the intimidation terms she didn¡¯t like. But she wasn¡¯t a foolish woman. She was the former-Empress. If the Emperor¡¯s knights ransacked his own mother¡¯s residence, it would have meant that a horrible circumstance had arisen. This invasion could not have happened without a strong excuse. ¡°Fine.¡± Monica answered briefly. She could see behind Serus the messy Southern¡¯s hall and her servants being dragged out. Most of them were courtiers who worked in her Pce, and the rest who weren¡¯t her people. ¡°I did nothing.¡± Monica said clearly, knowing she was used of something. ¡°This is not a problem that I can judge. I¡¯m only following His Majesty¡¯s orders. Please forgive my rudeness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a knight so I won¡¯t run away. But I can¡¯t just throw my dignity away.¡± ¡°His orders are to take you no matter what.¡± ¡°Choose, if I will be guided directly by you, or if I will cut my throat here.¡± Serus looked puzzled and had difficulty answering. Monica was, however, serious when she said that because her voice had no shred of doubt. ¡°We don¡¯t have time. I¡¯ll give you five minutes to prepare.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Enough. Sarah,e here and help me to dress up.¡± Monica wasn¡¯t at all shaken by her sudden situation. Five minutester, she strolled out gracefully, perfectly dressed. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Her voice was really serene as if nothing happened. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll guide you, Your Highness.¡± Serus also paid tribute to the dignity. Aside from her status, her pride as an Empress deserved respect from a knight like him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to bring the maids and servants, they aren¡¯t my people. In exchange, I¡¯m taking Sarah with me. She¡¯s my person, so you¡¯ll have to investigate her whatever the charges are.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too, His Majesty is the one who will judge it.¡± Serus gave a fixed answer, and Sarah stood upright next to Monica, proving her loyalty. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we really don¡¯t have time to dy anymore.¡± Monica nodded her head and took a step. She encountered something like this for the first time since entering the Imperial Pce. A situation that had never appeared in history and which she had never studied how to deal with it before. But she realized anyone who took a step like this had never returned. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Knowing that, still, her steps didn¡¯t falter a bit.
*** Even Evelyn couldn¡¯t calm Fabian¡¯s anger. Reba couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious in the Empress¡¯ pce. While Nora and Hans summarized what happened today as well as Adrian¡¯s routely and reported it to Fabian. Once his mother¡¯s name was listed, Evelyn clearly saw how Fabian¡¯s face froze like ice, and the fear of bad omen swept over her. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­ for Empress-mother, she was in my sight. Nothing¡­ nothing suspicious¡­..¡± ¡°So, is there anything else? Hans, you confess!¡± ¡°The only thing that was different from usual was the Empress¡¯s visit.¡± Hans was a guileless schr, so he only told the statistical facts. ¡°Then, how!?¡± Fabian could no longer control his emotions. He kicked his chair and stood up. Fabian struggled to gulp down his breath and held back his uncontroble rage. He would have drawn the sword in his waist if Evelyn hadn¡¯t been there. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Evelyn followed Fabian¡¯s back, but Fabian raised a hand to stop her before she could catch him. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer.¡± His icy-hoarse voice and his grim back seemed like someone Evelyn didn¡¯t know. ¡°Your Majesty, please listen to me. I¡¯m¡­.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice froze the air. It was only then that Evelyn knew who the man was in front of her. Only ¡°Neither judgment nor decision.¡± It was a sight of a person who Evelyn knew well. ¡°Everything¡­I decide.¡± The cold back she had always seen throughout her previous life was now in front of her. Evelyn¡¯s hand stopped in the air. She couldn¡¯t get to him anymore as she already knew who he was. The name of the man was Fabian. The sole Emperor of this Empire. And a cold husband, who never looked back at Evelyn. Chapter 139: Flesh And Blood With her straight back, a look of confidence and grace, Monica arrived at Evelyn¡¯s Residence at the appointed time with Sarah. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Monica looked straight at her son, Fabian. Evelyn, who stood behind him, couldn¡¯t find a single fear in her eyes. ¡°Looking at your face, I think my guess was right.¡± ¡°Are you admitting your guilty?¡± Fabian¡¯s voice echoed cold. ¡°Even if you¡¯re my mother, you can¡¯t retract your words before the Emperor.¡± Monica blinked her eyes, and she stared at Fabian. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you myself. Did you hurt the Prince?¡± Monica shook her eyes. Evelyn didn¡¯t lose sight of the moment¡¯s glimpse. Surely it was a hurt look. Not because Fabian had crushed her pride. ¡°I don¡¯t care how. Now, bring me the poison you used and the antidote to save the Prince¡¯s life. ¡± Fabian¡¯s voice rang low and threatening, like a roaring beast. ¡°Is that a valid usation or just your baseless suspicion against me?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s safety was a great importance. If the evidence was sufficient, it could be a basis for prosecuting someone, even if the defendant was an Empress Dowager. Fabian sighed and swore to himself, ¡°Is it time to argue about something like that?¡± He stood with eyes full of mistrust and hostility before his mother. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Now, this is the limit of my patience.¡± He gasped a deep breath, ¡°Is it quicker to torture your maid to find out what poison you used on my son? So that I could save my effort.¡± There was a faint pain in her eyes that looked calm. ¡°Seriously¡­Your Majesty, do you really suspect me of hurting your child? ¡° ¡°Why not? If it were For the sake of the Metis family.¡± ¡°Your child is also my flesh and blood.¡± Then, an eerie mockery came out of Fabian¡¯s mouth, realizing that he was the Metis flesh. So that reason wasn¡¯t helpful in the current situation. ¡°Just before Adrian¡¯s poisoning, the only thing that was different from usual was that you came, but you said you were innocent?¡± ¡°I did nothing.¡± At the end of her words, Monica¡¯s voice trembled slightly. She wasn¡¯t afraid or anxious about being arrested. Just her heart was scratching when her own son, not anyone else, distrusted her. Evelyn spontaneously strode between them without knowing it. ¡°Everyone, please listen to me.¡± Her instincts as a mother believed that Monica wouldn¡¯t have hurt Adrian. ¡°Evelyn now is not the time. We need to get a confession and find out where the poison came from. ¡° ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s no evidence yet that the Empress is the culprit.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s her flesh and blood? You don¡¯t know. Thatmon sense doesn¡¯t work in the Imperial family.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Prince¡¯s mother. I¡¯m also a member of the Imperial family.¡± Evelyn said, looking with her blue-firm eyes at Fabian. ¡°And no one wants to lose Adrian more than me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, even if you try to understand, you can¡¯t possibly have the same feelings as me ¡­ I am ¡­ the only mother of that child.¡± Evelyn wondered why she felt upset. It could be true for all reasons. She couldn¡¯t deny that even though it was a moment, she was doubtful of the Empress too. ¡°Your Majesty, forget your feelings of resentment and the past now! The only thing to do now is to find out the truth!¡± Evelyn struggled to conquer her feelings on this matter. She should think with a cool head to get out of thisbyrinth and save Adrian as soon as possible. It was meaningless to find the culprit if she lost Adrian. ¡°Who, why, and in how Adrian was poisoned, you¡¯re free to investigate all things after saving our child. Now which one is more important? Isn¡¯t that Adrian¡¯s recovery? The most important thing is to find out what poisoned Adrian.¡± ¡°Evelyn, I.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you suspect the Empress? Then, do it.¡± Evelyn could be stronger than anyone else to protect her child. She was in a state of desperation right now that she didn¡¯t even know what she was talking about. ¡°Your highness, you also imed innocence, right? If so, please work to cooperate in searching for the poison to save my child ¡­ ¡­ Please help me. ¡± Evelyn looked at Monica and said. She then nodded her head without hesitation. ¡°Reba and Sir Serus, please search every corner for anything strange.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please imprison the Pope. And I have to meet a man named David.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes shone with certainty. In this tough situation, she felt like a high tide hade. ¡°Your Highness, I can¡¯t leave a single doubt about this matter. So, can I call Duke Metis?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯tmit anything, so it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Monica affirmed. At least, as far as she knew, she and the Metis family were innocent. ¡°Since the Empress, the Pce elder has already spoken thus, so Your Majesty, please call all of Metis¡¯ people.¡± Evelyn gave orders to Fabian with a stern face at her will. What she had in mind was Adrian¡¯s recovery. She no longer cared, even though she had dared to surpass the Emperor¡¯s authority. ¡°I¡¯m Adrian¡¯s mother. So for him, I can do anything.¡± Her blue eyes kept straight at him. Fabian had ignored her words a while earlier and turned back on her coldly. But Evelyn decided not to give up. Even if he didn¡¯t want to change his decision, she would. ¡°Your Majesty, no matter what you say, you can¡¯t stop me. It¡¯s the same with the Empress.¡± Be it status or rtionship, all wasn¡¯t important. In the end, Fabian nodded, sighing short. He still seemed unable to eradicate his suspicions about his mother. But he relented and kept his mouth shut, letting Evelyn do her way. Fabian returned to his sense after hearing Evelyn¡¯s words that Adrian¡¯s life was more important than the reason behind the incident. ¡°You are right. I lost my mind for a while.¡± He said quietly. It was strange to saw him admitted his wrongdoing in front of others. But Evelyn decided to put her mind away. She had to ept all of him. Fabian, who had ignored her thoughts a while ago, and Fabian who acknowledged his fault, as she understood that a person couldn¡¯tpletely change at once. ¡°For Adrian.¡± Evelyn said, ¡°Please act for Adrian ¡­ everyone, please.¡± ¡°As the Empress, I¡¯ll bet my dignity and make a promise to you.¡± Evelyn nodded her head to the Empress in gratitude. It would not have been easy for her to cooperate in a situation where she was in suspicion. ¡°Your Majesty, please find the cause of the poison rather than the culprit immediately.¡± ¡°¡­..Fine.¡± Everything looked different from before. Perhaps because she was a mother. Evelyn, who had always been quiet and gentle, easily subdued the Empire¡¯s two strongest figures and cleared the situation.
*** Everyone in the Imperial Pce worked fast. Nevertheless, they stillcked help, especially a trustworthy person to assist her took care of Adrian. On the other side, they also had to quickly identify the poison in his body, so neither Fabian nor Evelyn could look after each other. Reba had helped already, but she was still short of strength. ¡± I should discuss this situation with the Elders.¡± Fabian looked for reason and said calmly. ¡°Maybe they know something or how to find out?¡± He watched into the air with such a dark gaze that his ck eyes glowed terrifying. ¡°With Empress¡¯permission, I¡¯ll check the inner Pce, the outsiders, and Duke Metis.¡± ¡°Then I will stand by Princess Evelyn to protect her.¡± The three people immediately carried out the action. Yet, Fabian still looked at his mother with frigid eyes. He didn¡¯t know what he would have done to his mother If Evelyn weren¡¯t here. ¡°Serus, if there¡¯s anything suspicious, arrest Duke Metis and all of his family.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Strengthen the guards of the Empress Pce, especially Adrian¡¯s escort.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing our best right now.¡± More escorts were guarding Adrian than Fabian, the Emperor. Needless to say, because the hearts of parents would always think differently. ¡°Your Highness, if you permit, I would like to entrust Lady Reba to lead the search. Since she is a chief maid of honor of my Pce, it¡¯s absolutely not against the rules,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°Then, I will stay with Adrian.¡± Fabian nodded. Evelyn was his mother. She should stay with her child. While Reba was her trusted friend, she also had a high position, so it was appropriate to ask her to do the job. ¡°Do it, I¡¯ll leave the rest to your decision.¡± They didn¡¯t have much time. ¡°Your Majesty, if the Elders find something ¡­¡­ No, whether they find it or not, David, please let me meet him.¡± ¡°¡­..Alright.¡± Fabian reassured Evelyn with her eyes before he left. Evelyn looked at Monica, bowing her head slightly. She wanted to express her gratitude because she was willing to help her. ¡°Let me be clear, I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Monica said with a sincere voice. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you.¡± ¡°I know, I can see it in your eyes ¡­¡­.you¡¯re eyes are different from His Majesty.¡± Unlike Fabian, her own son, who med her. Evelyn stared at her straight. ¡°Maybe because Your Highness and I are mothers. Your Majesty will know it soon.¡± Monica made no expression when she heard Evelyn¡¯s warm words. She doubted herself if she could call herself a mother like Evelyn. When Monica hugged Adrian, she looked really awkward. But Evelyn saw clearly how Monica saw her child with sweet-loving eyes. Maybe Monica herself didn¡¯t know if she had such a look at that time. ¡°Your gaze at that time was simr to my mother.¡± Neither did Evelyn¡¯s gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I hope this case will be resolved soon. The most important thing now is to save the Prince.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡±There is nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll give Lady Akshire full authority,¡± said Monica. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Monica shook her head serenely, ¡°I¡¯m the one who should say that.¡± When she hugged Adrian, Monica didn¡¯t have any bad intentions at all. Evelyn was the only one who believed in her right away. ¡°Thank you.¡± The Empress turned her back after thanking her. That was the best remark she could say. Evelyn looked at the Empress¡¯ back bitterly and soon returned to reality. ¡°Reba.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. I will take Nora. And I have sent an urgent message to Liam, so he will be there soon. He can¡¯t juste to this Pce, but ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Your Majesty leaves all decisions to me. I need help right now.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll look for Liam just in case.¡± Evelyn agreed, and suddenly, she felt grateful that Akshire siblings were here together. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Reba tried tofort Evelyn, ¡°There¡¯s good news, though.¡± Yet, Evelyn¡¯s face was still overclouded. ¡°His Majesty King Felice and the Queen will arrive soon.¡± Only ¡°Really? Really?¡± Evelyn was thrilled to hear about her forgotten parents. ¡°Yes, he said they arrived in the capital this morning, so maybe at thetest in this evening¡­¡± As soon as Evelyn heard that, she was so relieved she almost passed out. ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± She couldn¡¯t give up hope yet when There was a lot of warmth supporting her. Above all, whatever happened, Evelyn would protect Adrian at all cost. Chapter 140: Trapped In The Darkness After Liam arrived at the Pce, Reba and Nora began to search from the ce where Empress dowager was staying. Sarah, one of the Empress¡¯ closest maids, also underwent a rigorous investigation. Monica just sat silent and watched the scene. She didn¡¯t look nervous at all as surely she was innocent. ¡°There¡¯s nothing suspicious.¡± Nora and severaldies in waiting had been looking for several times, but nothing had been found. Reba was a little relieved that they hadn¡¯t found poison in the Empress¡¯s Pce. However, she couldn¡¯t stop her rummage, as Monica, the Empress, had lowered her pride by giving her permission to search, so Reba had to prove her innocence. ¡°It¡¯s better to call Sir Philip and Sir Hans and to check all the rest of the stuff.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Monica bit her long cigarette and exhaled the smoke. Once this tedious search was over, her charges would be dropped, and only the bitterness of his son¡¯s suspicions would still remain. Still, all of this thanks to Evelyn¡¯s trust, which made her feel strange. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°They just need to check the details, and it will be over soon.¡± Sarah replied politely. Philip and Hans came and started researching every item not long after. They carefully examined all the tableware, spices, and perfume used by the Empress Dowager. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± Monica, who was already tired, asked them. She then approached and searched for her own belonging. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t because I never intended to hurt the Prince.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Philip dimmed his voice and seemed a little embarrassed. ¡°Sir Philip!¡± But at that time, Hans quickly sauntered to him with a pale face. Philip instinctively realized that something was amiss. Monica also felt the same way when Hans came towards Philip and tried to whisper something. ¡°Tell me so I can hear it too.¡± As Monica said, Hans bit his lips tightly with a distress and pallorplexion, slowly lifting his heavy mouth. ¡°The poison has been found ¡­¡­. among the belongings of Miss Sarah, the Empress¡¯ maid.¡± Right then, time seemed to have stopped. Monica froze. She didn¡¯t realize what was happening at the moment. ¡°This is it.¡± Hans gave out Sarah¡¯s puff. When Philip thrust a silver needle into the puff, a dark blue light spread out before his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ ¡­star flower¡¯s poison¡­Isn¡¯t it ¡­?¡± The beautiful white star flowers could be a deadly poison if they bloomed through a certain process. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary poison because it was tough to find. In other words, it was a kind of unregted poison. It was the most suitable poison to bring into the Imperial family. The calm Sarah now trembled with fear to face the allegations of treason. ¡°The Empress knows I¡¯m innocent! I swear to God, I swear on my life ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know about that poison!¡± Monica¡¯s body was shaking as well. Sarah immediately knelt on the floor, but the evidence was indisputable. She wasn¡¯t foolish, so Monica already knew what wasing, and it was impossible to defend herself before the Emperor. ¡°Liam, get her.¡± Reba calmly ordered her brother. ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything! I¡­ ¡­ It can¡¯t be! Your Highness¡­ No, I really¡­ ¡­ .¡± Sarah grabbed Monica¡¯s hem and begged. But even Monica was an Empress Dowager, she couldn¡¯t save her. ¡°Sarah, stay calm. If you deny the usation, then I¡¯m the one who will be the used.¡± Reba didn¡¯t deny that. ¡°But I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to believe it, but I can¡¯t help it.¡± Monica nodded at Reba¡¯s words, ¡°You do your job. I¡¯ll prove my innocence.¡± It was also the only way for her to survive at this time. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Liam.¡± Liam quietly shook his head and nced at the knights standing behind him to arrest her. Sarah looked desperate as she was dragged by them. Yet, within her eyes, she believed in Monica until the end. ¡°Your Highness, from now on, you will be detained in this Pce,¡± said Reba in a loud voice. ¡°I hope you understand until His Majesty gives me next orders.¡± Monica didn¡¯t argue, as that was all she could do right now. ¡°I hope ¡­¡­ this is just a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯m innocent.¡± ¡°Get rid of all sharp objects in this Pce.¡± Monica instructed the officers to take all the knives. In some cases in the Imperial family, some people oftenmitted suicide for fear of being punished. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. The Prince is also my blood. I have no intention to die until I prove my innocence.¡± Monica¡¯s straight words were sincere. However, the officers still followed the procedure and collected all the tableware, including the mirror. ¡°Then, please wait until His Majesty¡¯s orders are given.¡± ¡°Sure, as long as he wants.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s words rang distinctly. Tuck ¡­ In a couple of minutes, All the windows were locked and the door shut. The Pce¡¯s entrance was guarded by close surveince, and Monica was left alone in a dark room where a ray of light had disappeared. ¡°How¡­.¡± Her vain voice echoed in the dark. The figure of a strong woman that she had been showing all this time finally copsed, and her body wasnguishing. ¡°Howe?¡± Little by little, Monica closed her eyes with a deep sigh. And if she opened her eyes, darkness was the only thing left. She hated this darkness as well as the loneliness that existed in this Imperial Pce. The pce, which was always cold and deste, was melting in this darkness. ¡°I¡¯m back¡­¡­¡± The loneliness she felt was so cold. Monica couldn¡¯t stand the cold istion she felt, so she decided to go to the southern pce as if she fled away after the death of her husband. But she didn¡¯t expect to be trapped again in this darkness.
*** Evelyn¡¯s expression looked nervous when she measured Adrian¡¯s body temperature, who was barely asleep with a tranquilizer. Everyone focused on Adrian¡¯s condition without saying a word. Still, there was nothing they could do because they were afraid of each other. ¡°Princess, His Majesty The King and The Queen will arrive soon,¡± said Lily as if she had read Evelyn¡¯s worries. Evelyn nodded and looked at Adrian¡¯s tired face. Even though she had tried hard, when she thought about what sins his son hadmitted to making him suffer like this, she couldn¡¯t keep her tears back. ¡°His Majesty¡­ No news yet?¡± ¡°Yes, except he went to the dungeon with the Elders.¡± ¡°Right¡­.¡± When Evelyn was still an Empress, she discovered that there are so many hidden rooms in Imperial ce. There were parts of the Pce that were unknown to her and known only by the Emperor. Maybe that¡¯s where Fabian locked David up now. Considering the features of the Imperial Family, it was obvious how terrible the ce was, but Evelyn had no sympathy for him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Adrian fights the poison with such a small body that, and I can only wait,¡± Evelyn muttered sadly to herself. ¡°This child¡­ ..didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­.¡± Evelyn vaguely began to recall the moment when she returned to the past. In her past life, Adrian was an unborn child, and Evelyn would die lonely at thirty. However, she returned to the age of twenty, left the Imperial family, and gave birth to Adrian. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t worry. His Majesty the Emperor will surely protect the Prince.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Fabian was different now, he had changed, and he would do anything for Evelyn and Adrian. ¡°But Adrian is in pain ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t bear to see it.¡± Evelyn wouldn¡¯t hesitate to rece him if she could. What was even more frustrating now was that she was only able to stand beside her sick child. ¡°Princess, please sit down for a while. If you continue like this, you will also get sick. ¡° Evelyn shook her head, though Lily had been telling her, her face was pale as if she had almost lost her mind. ¡°I want to be with Adrian. I¡¯m his only mother. If I don¡¯t protect him ¡­ Who will ¡­.¡± Lily couldn¡¯t question her anymore when she heard Evelyn¡¯s pathic words. While Evelyn was struggling to endure her dizziness, Lily¡¯s eyes grew round. The knights guarding the entrance were giving an example to someone in unison. She could tell who it was right away. ¡°What the hell has happened in here?¡± When Evelyn turned towards the screams, Arthur and Miriam were already standing there. Arthur went to Evelyn with his as usual stern-stubborn expression. ¡°Father¡­..Adrian¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything. So what you¡¯ve done!?¡± Her dad always scolded her and stared at Evelyn with angry eyes, even in this situation. ¡°Why has your face be so thin, and why is your voice so weak? My precious Adrian won¡¯t lose to this kind of thing. But what are you doing beside him?¡± Arthur¡¯s scolding was harsh, but he didn¡¯t say anything wrong. ¡°Have I ever taught you to behave like this? Did I raise you to be a miserable mother who is dying and can onlyment beside a sick child?¡± Arthur squeezed Evelyn¡¯s shoulder, without no one stopping him. ¡°Get a hold of yourself. You are my daughter, you¡¯re Emperor¡¯s wife, and the only mother of this precious child.¡± Evelyn slowly blinked her eyes. She thought that she had lost her mind until earlier, but a familiar shout restored her sense. ¡°Are you still going to look so pathetic and make people around you worry?!¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes gazed at her, and his benevolence was mirrored in it. ¡°¡­¡­No, no¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn shook her head, swallowing her tears. A feeling of relief spread through Evelyn¡¯s heart when Miriam approached her and quickly grabbed her hand. Noone was stronger than her parents in a situation like this. ¡°Now, you go!¡± Arthur spoke as if he gave amand. ¡°He¡¯s my precious Adrian! I have the right to protect him too!¡± Evelyn looked a bit hesitated and asked her mother with her eyes. Still, Miriam just smiled softly at her daughter, ¡°Leave Adrian to us. You have something else to do.¡± Arthur also wanted to say that, but his tough personality made it difficult for him to express his affection. Fortunately, his wife and daughter were already well aware of his nature. ¡°If it¡¯s you two¡­¡­ I can entrust Adrian to you.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s ridiculous. He¡¯s originally my Adrian.¡± Arthur turned and looked at Adrian. It¡¯s amazing to see Arthur¡¯s brusque way of speaking was so different from his gentle eyes. ¡°If Adrian finds out that Ie here, he will be happy when he wakes up. So you who can¡¯t do anything here, just go! and don¡¯t take my spot.¡± Arthur yelled at her without even looking back. Evelyn was pleased with his roar. Miriam then squeezed her hand close, attempting tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried about Adrian. We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± Miriam had heard the situation, and she realized Evelyn had a lot to do. Moreover, staying nervously with Adrian at times like this wasn¡¯t a good thing. ¡°Don¡¯t skip meals, take a rest. If you fall down, Adrian will be crying when he wakes up?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn nodded her head again and again. After giving birth to a child, she felt that her mother¡¯s arms felt wider and warmer. ¡°Leave him to us. Go and do what you and His Majesty have to do.¡± Miriam smiled warmly at her daughter. Evelyn sighed, but her blue eyes were shining. She lifted her head and looked at Miriam¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll leave it here to you. I¡¯ll find out who tried to hurt Adrian, and I¡¯ll make sure¡­¡­ I won¡¯t let this happen again.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± Evelyn nodded once again. After staring at Adrian for a moment, she rushed out of the room to do what she had to do. Chapter 141: The Repeated Despair Shortly after Evelyn left, she heard some shocking news. ¡°No way¡­Are you sure?¡± Nodding her head, Reba¡¯s face looked dreary. The attempt to poison the Crown Prince was an assassination crime. But, because the perpetrator was the Empress Dowager, she had no other choice but to carefully investigate it. ¡°Howe¡­why¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The Empress insisted that she was innocent to the end. Now, we are investigating her close maid, Mrs. Sarah, but she¡¯s also the same. She said she knew nothing of the starflower poison in the puff.¡± Evelyn soothed her breathing. Just in time, Sir Philip arrived and gave them an example. ¡°Sir Philip, have you checked the poison? Are you sure it¡¯s a poison of the starflower? ¡° ¡°I¡¯ve checked once again. And it is definitely the star-flower poison in the powder¡¯s form¡­.. It¡¯s a deadly poison even when consumed in small amounts. ¡° ¡°How to neutralize it.¡± ¡°Right now, the Devil Eye poison still remains in the Prince¡¯s body, so if a new poison is mixed up¡­ It¡¯s hard to detox it quickly.¡± Philip had already told her when Adrian was injured by Devil Eye poison. He could detoxify the poison slowly with blood medicine. Still, it would be dangerous if a new poison entered his body. Evelyn¡¯s heart grieved because, at that time, she had guaranteed that something like this would never happen again. ¡°Even with blood medicine ¡­..Is it not enough?¡± ¡°Right now¡­¡­ I can¡¯t say for sure¡±, said Philip. Saying the truth was better. Evelyn could only shake her head with a miserable heart, but she couldn¡¯t copse for now. ¡°I have to meet the Empress.¡± ¡°She is imprisoned under Your Majesty¡¯s order,¡± Reba replied as she had no other choice. Even though she knew Evelyn couldn¡¯t be stopped by the Emperor¡¯s orders. ¡°Mrs. Sarah imed she was innocent.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s evidence.¡± ¡°The Empress has no reason to hurt Adrian. Reba, you saw her attitude too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think, but¡­¡­.¡± They realized that there was no point in arguing at this moment since Fabian would judge what was going on through the facts. However, all the evidence on disy was too obvious and made Evelyn really overwrought. Monica wasn¡¯t a foolish woman. If She really tried to hurt Adrian, she wouldn¡¯t do it sloppily. ¡°Sir Philip, is it true that the new poison that entered Adrian¡¯s body that day was starflower poison?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t check it out.¡± Philip opened his eyes wide upon hearing that. Usually, if someone was suspected of poisoning, he would investigate the poison, not the person who was poisoned. In Adrian¡¯s case, he had contaminated with demonic poison, making it difficult to detect other poisons in his body separately. ¡°How do we find out? If there is a one percent chance ¡­¡­ Adrian is not poisoned by the star-flower, but we do a detox on his body. What will happen?¡± Philip¡¯s expression became severe, ¡°I usually don¡¯t want to make assumptions ¡­¡­. But if it goes with what you said, something bad will happen to his body.¡± ¡°Actually, I suspect Duke Metis. I investigated Mrs. Sarah, and it seemed she lived in Duke Metis¡¯s residence for quite a while. The Duke had many opportunities to put the poison in her puff.¡± said Reba. ¡°Duke Metis?¡± Rage emanated from Evelyn¡¯s eyes. Sagan could have hurt Adrian if all this was for the Empress¡¯s throne. ¡°I already know his ambition. But now, I have no circumstantial evidence and valid doubts. Maybe the Empress was also used by the Duke.¡± ¡°But the Empress¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The Empress is the Duke¡¯s sister. However, she was already pressuring the Duke to marry Ste off to Duke Perth. She forced him to give up the throne of the Empress and the Imperial heir¡¯s position. How could Duke Metis just take it?¡± Reba¡¯s countenance hardened. ¡°It¡¯s a strong motive ¡­ I didn¡¯t think of it.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s betrayal.¡± Evelyn and Reba realized how cruel the life of the nobles in the Empire was. ¡°It might happen. When I was in the Perth family, I saw a man who was dumped because he didn¡¯t want to follow his family¡¯s wishes. The orders of the head of the family are absolute, and a sessor must exist for the sake of the family ¡­ They think that disgusting thought are a normal thing.¡± Reba looked disillusioned as she chose to divorce because she hated such a cruel environment. ¡°Duke Metis is a person like that.¡± ¡°Yes, we could say, he¡¯s more than that.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes filled with worry, ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡­I have a lot of questions. Because it¡¯s bizarre that this case can be solved so easily. If the Empress really tried to hurt Adrian, there were many other ways.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t even have to be used as a criminal. If she did it, she would have destroyed the physical evidence. ¡° ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the part that bothers me the most.¡± The Empress Dowager was a woman who spent several years living in this imperial family. How could she poison the Prince with a reckless method? This was what always made Evelyn¡¯s mind unsettled. ¡°She had plenty of time to destroy the evidence. So why would she let her close maid kept it? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find out all the enemy¡¯s intentions ¡­¡­ including the Empress¡¯s intentions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to simply believe the Empress¡¯s innocence. But we need to be careful.¡± ¡°After listening to the Princess, I think we need a different hypothesis.¡± Philip suddenly intervened in the conversation between them. ¡°Different hypothesis?¡± ¡°The antidote for the star-flower poison is very strong and will definitely have a huge impact on his body. Considering that the Prince is still very young, plus he is already infected with the demonic poison, the detoxification process will be hazardous.¡± Philip spoke carefully, so Evelyn could grasp the meaning from his words. ¡°Could it be a trap for us to neutralize the poison on purpose?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Then that might also be the reason why physical evidence is left so easily. But¡­¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t be sure of anything. The thought of Adrian¡¯s body being eaten up by poison every minute exploded her heart with frustration. ¡°Sir Philip, how do we know what kind of poison is in Adrian¡¯s body?¡± ¡°It will take some time, but I can analyze the blood because the antibodies will respond to the substances that enter his blood¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Do it now.¡± Evelyn cut off before Philip was able toplete his sentence. ¡°Yes.¡± After Philip stepped back quickly, Evelyn looked lost in her thought for a moment, and Reba waited for her without saying a word. ¡°The Empress said that she wanted this situation to be resolved quickly, so she offered to help me. She really did what she had to do. And the poison found from her maid ¡­ It was too simple and easy. Are the Imperial nobles so reckless like this?¡± ¡°No, at least in the art of trickery.¡± ¡°Yes, we need to doubt everything.¡± Evelyn wanted to believe the Empress, but the truth was more important to her. She didn¡¯t want the situation of Adrian to get worse because they were caught in an evil trap designed by someone. ¡°I have to meet His Majesty.¡± Right now, that was the best step she could take.
*** There was a chill in the corridor leading to the Emperor¡¯s hall. All the Pce partition seemed to be frozen as Fabian¡¯s wrath was buried in the air. Only Evelyn dared to levitate her head and enter the room. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Fabian, who sat on the throne supporting his chin, raised his cold ck eyes at Evelyn¡¯s call. There was a faint scent of dread and eeriness wafted from him. Perhaps, he went to the underground prison already. ¡°He¡­¡­ David hasn¡¯t opened his mouth yet.¡± His lurid low voice nked. ¡°Duke Metis has been locked up, but he doesn¡¯t know anything. To be precise, there is no evidence.¡± Despite the fact that Fabian was a powerful Emperor, he couldn¡¯t punish anyone, even a Duke, without substantiation. ¡°The motive is clear, but the only sinner right now is the Empress.¡± When Evelyn saw the hollow gaze in his eyes, she was confused too. Wondering if Fabian, whose heart was frozen with anger, wanted to listen to her? Evelyn didn¡¯t have much confidence as she had failed in her previous life. ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°The conclusion has already been decided.¡± In the past, Evelyn always stopped and turned around at this point. She was always afraid to take a step closer and terrified if he would shake off her hand. ¡°No,¡± Evelyn said calmly, taking one difficult step towards Fabian. ¡°¡­ I haven¡¯t even started saying anything yet.¡± But Fabian didn¡¯t seem to be hearing her voice right now. Evelyn then took another step closer to him and took his cold, corpse-like hand. Only then did Fabian shifted his gaze and notice Evelyn¡¯s presence. ¡°Neither conclusion nor decision ¡­ let¡¯s do it together. Your Majesty cannot do it alone.¡± But, Fabian¡¯s eyes were still frozen and out of focus. ¡°Have you forgotten why we separated before? Why ¡­..should we stay away and break up even though we have feelings for each other.¡± ¡°That problem is different from this one,¡± Fabian said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s not different.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t back down either, as she hated repeating regrets. ¡°Your Majesty, look at me.¡± Evelyn did the most courageous act she did in her life. She let go of Fabian¡¯s hand and stretched her hand to his face. ¡°I will¡­ I want to protect my wife, and I want to protect my child the most.¡± ¡°Please, look at me.¡± Trembling, Evelyn¡¯s hand wrapped around Fabian¡¯s cheek and caught his eye. Her hands were still warm, and she wanted that warmth to reach him. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re a couple.¡± Her blue eyes looked straight to Fabian. ¡°And we¡¯ve wasted too much time because we forgot about it. Now¡­¡­ there¡¯s something heavier on the line.¡± This time it would be impossible to correct with just regret if they made a second mistake. ¡°I will protect you and our child.¡± ¡°Not in this way.¡± ¡°I will execute the punishment first¡­¡­ I¡¯ll listen to your storyter.¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t back down. It wasn¡¯t a matter of the Empress Dowager punishment. In the end, their problems would repeat themselves. If she retreated from here, it was no different from leaving him. ¡°I won¡¯t step back anymore.¡± Evelyn dropped her hand and knelt right in front of Fabian. ¡°Your Majesty, please listen to me¡­..If you¡¯re my husband.¡± The determination in Evelyn¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t shake. ¡°But if you consider me to be in your way, you can punish me ¡­.. as an Emperor.¡± These were words that put her life at risk. Fabian stared at her absurdly, but Evelyn¡¯s face didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Evelyn, I don¡¯t have time to argue with you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Your Majesty¡¯s subject.¡± she looked straight at Fabian. ¡°Now my child is dying of poison.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t imagine how hard she had to dig her heart to say such a miserable remark so calmly? ¡°We¡¯re his parents, and we¡¯re husband and wife.¡± Evelyn struggled to articte it. ¡°What I need most in my family is ¡­¡­ not the Emperor, but a husband and a father of my child¡­¡­.The people in the world who want to protect that child the most ¡­ are the two of us ¡­¡± Tears welled up in Evelyn¡¯s eyes, and she cried desperately, ¡°You can hate and punishter. After our child wakes up safely, isn¡¯t that right?¡± But Fabian was still looking down at her with an expressionless face. Was the despair repeating again? Still, Evelyn couldn¡¯t figure out another way. ¡°Fabian.¡± Evelyn called his name. ¡°I ¡­.. I really need you right now.¡± Always. All Evelyn wanted was a man, a husband, not a cold-blooded Emperor. Chapter 142: I Believe You Evelyn could only watch when Fabian slowly got up from his seat. There was nothing more she could say or beg him for as she had blown her heart out in front of him. It was now up to Fabian to determine if he should get rid of her and leave. Like what happened in the past, Evelyn couldn¡¯t stop what he chose. ¡°¡­¡­.I.¡± His voice that was filled with confusion rang faintly in her ears. ¡°Get up.¡± Evelyn hesitated for a moment, but before she knew it, Fabian¡¯s sturdy arm had lifted her body. ¡°Never kneel before me again and don¡¯t even say terrible things to hurt me.¡± His gleaming ck eyes stared at her were still burning with rage. Fabian¡¯s voice sounded a little sore, and Evelyn dropped her tears that had gathered in her eyes since a while ago. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m still a tactless husband.¡± Fabian¡¯s hand gently wiped away her tears. It was only then that Evelyn felt the hands of her fate clock began to move. The needle that had been stopped for years seemed to move again. The solid wall that had ceased their time for so long finally copsed. ¡°When the hatred inside me begins to run wild, somehow, I can¡¯t see anything. That¡¯s a true nature of the Emperor who rules this Empire.¡± So were the previous Emperors. It wasn¡¯t Fabian¡¯s fault, but Evelyn saw an apology in his eyes. ¡°But when you called my name¡­.at that moment, I realized what I was doing.¡± It was something Evelyn couldn¡¯t do in her previous life. But Fabian saw her as she took a step and called his name. ¡°Thank you for considering someone like me as your husband, and also for calling me the father of that child.¡± Evelyn choked, and she shook her head. ¡°And I won¡¯t disappoint you again.¡± Fabian embraced Evelyn, who could barely swallow her cry. It was the first change he had ever experienced as the chill that pierced his skin and ate his life gradually faded and then disappeared like a lie. ¡°I will listen to your story. Not as an Emperor, but as your husband.¡± Evelyn nodded. Only in front of her Fabian could throw his Emperor status. It was hard to imagine how difficult it was to do and what kind of patience he needed to suppress the anger and madness buried in his bloodline. ¡°Thank you, Fabian.¡± Evelyn decided to believe in his true feelings as it was Fabian¡¯s genuine heart, which was just like herself. ¡°Now Sir Philip is investigating precisely the poison in Adrian¡¯s body. I don¡¯t think the Empress is the culprit.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t use such reckless methods, and I definitely wouldn¡¯t leave behind any evidence. The Empress Dowager was once the Emperor¡¯s wife. Could she survive all this time in this Pce if she were careless like that?¡± For a moment, Fabian frowned. He didn¡¯t want to defend his mother, but Evelyn said something that made sense. If his mother were a reckless woman, she would have died before she became an Empress. ¡°No one in the Empire would act foolishly after plotting a crime like this. She had enough time to get rid of the evidence, but why would she put the poison in the ce where it was easy to find?¡± The more Evelyn thought about it, the more she felt lost in thebyrinth. But then, there was spection that suddenly crossed Evelyn¡¯s mind. ¡°The real culprit¡­..wants to confuse us.¡± If the intention was to trap them in thebyrinth from the beginning, then things closely followed the n of the actual killer. ¡°If she was going to use poison, why would she not use a stronger poison to kill the Prince? Why did she keep the poison as evidence for us to detox it? Even though she had plenty of time to get rid of it.¡± Fabian¡¯s face became severe as it wasn¡¯t a negligible story. ¡°Sir Philip said that if we did a hasty detox, Adrian could be in danger. If ¡­ What if the culprit had deliberately left evidence for it? The killer ¡­ wanted the child ¡­..die ¡­ with our hands ¡­. ¡° Evelyn bit her lip as she couldn¡¯t continue her horrible-sounding words. Fabian then approached her and wrapped her shoulders. He also didn¡¯t even want to imagine such an ending. ¡°Evelyn. You must think with a cool head. The only thing that was different from Adrian¡¯s daily life was his interaction with my mother. And that¡¯s an irreversible fact. ¡° ¡°I know, but maybe the Empress is the carrier of the poison. But, I doubt if it is the Empress¡¯s n ¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying my mother was used by a real culprit without her knowledge? ¡°I think so. The Empress stayed for a while at Duke Metis¡¯ residence¡­ If that person were Duke Metis, he could have used her even though they are blood siblings.¡± Fabian nodded his head. He couldn¡¯t help but agree about Sagan¡¯s personality, ¡°He¡¯s a person who can kill someone to get something.¡± ¡°He had no other way to approach Adrian. The only way was through the Empress Dowager. At least, Duke Metis had a strong motive to do so.¡± There was not much to tell about it. But there was one more person who had the same motive. ¡°David, maybe he¡¯s also been in contact with Duke Metis,¡± said Evelyn. ¡°That¡¯s right. But¡­¡­.¡± It was difficult for Fabian to be sure. Since all of this was just a presumption, and if it turned out that Adrian was really poisoned by the star-flower poison, then he must be treated immediately. Fabian was also reluctant about it. ¡°We are thoroughly investigating where the Duke of Metis is staying. Soon, the results wille out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough. Sir Philip will run out of time.¡± Fabian could read her mind when Evelyn gave him a definite look, and he frowned on her idea without realizing it. ¡°No¡­No, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I want to do everything I can. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to regret it.¡± Fabian shuddered when he recalled a dark-horrid space he couldn¡¯t bear. ¡°It¡¯s not a ce for women to go.¡± The dungeon was a bloody ce where many corpses were lying around. It was the ce where David was imprisoned. The darkest part of the Imperial Pce, where no rays of light could enter and where the sacred relic was kept. The big ck stone on the dungeon was called a sacred relic. It was a curse-like object that could absorb human life. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there. Not now. He won¡¯tst long and will confess soon. Human or non-human, no one can stand it.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t Your Majesty already go there?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m¡­.¡± ¡°For Adrian¡¯s sake, why can¡¯t I be stronger than you?¡± ¡°Evelyn.¡± Fabian sighed, but he knew it wasn¡¯t enough to persuade her. ¡°Is it difficult for you to believe because I could interrogate him directly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­..But I think there¡¯s something between him and me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fabian flinched his eyes at her unexpected words. ¡°I always find it strange. But every time I met him, my mind always went nk¡­¡­ I felt that somewhere in my memory had faded. ¡° ¡°He¡¯s a weird person. He must have used something like magic.¡± ¡°Maybe, but then¡­ I talked to him in Felice¡¯s royal garden. Back then, I thought it was just a trivial story, but as time passes by, I feel like I¡¯ve forgotten something every time I think of him.¡± ¡°Evelyn, you are caught up in his trick. You have been misled by him as if he¡¯s God, and he always talks about himself as a guardian¡±. ¡°But, what if that¡¯s true?¡± Evelyn also knew the story from the ancient book. She didn¡¯t think all the contents of the book were real. At least, if David had a simr power¡­¡­ it must have something to do with the miracle that happened to her. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn also probably wouldn¡¯t have believed it if she hadn¡¯t witnessed it personally. But the fact was that she had died lonely at the age of thirty, and it wasn¡¯t a dream. Everything was real that she returned to her twenty. ¡°Really¡­¡­ If there¡¯s a miracle beyond humanmon sense, and if there is someone that has something to do with it, can you say that he has nothing to do with it?¡± ¡°Evelyn, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about right now. It¡¯s better to calm down a little¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Fabian, do you believe me?¡± ¡°Off course, I just told you to calm down because you look very confused now.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m very conscious now. And I know it¡¯s hard to believe.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Fabian narrowed his eyes and looked at Evelyn. ¡°I believe you.¡± ¡°So do I. But I know it¡¯s not easy for you to ept things beyond yourmon sense.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t dare to tell Fabian that she had died once, returned to the past, and gave birth to Adrian. She couldn¡¯t even tell her parents. Even Evelyn had a hard time believing it. ¡°Fabian, believing is not for something you know. Even if you don¡¯t know, even if you don¡¯t see it, even if you can confirm it in the future ¡­ you have to ept everything. Like closing your eyes on a dark cliff and leave your hand to me.¡± Even once in their entire lives, people found it impossible to do it. But just once, she had to make him believe in her. ¡°Fabian.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t exin it in words because it was something that didn¡¯t even make sense in this world, and the person in front of her was the Emperor who ruled by reason. Still, she couldn¡¯t give up, and she reached out her hand first. Her fingertips trembled, knowing how stupid and ridiculous it was. ¡°Only once¡­ ¡­ Can¡¯t you close your eyes and hold my hand?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re saying this right now, Evelyn.¡± ¡°Yes, I know¡­.. I know it¡¯s hard for you.¡± Evelyn wanted to share her memories, but it was not easy. That¡¯s why their rtionship always had a hard time connecting. The closer they got, the harder it was for them to fill the tiny gap. ¡°Fabian, there¡¯s a story I can¡¯t tell you in words. I don¡¯t have time for that right now. But I¡­¡­ I¡¯m more desperate and serious than ever.¡± Evelyn eagerly hoped that the sound of her heart would reach him. ¡°I can¡¯t exin it, but I know this is the way to save Adrian. Instinctively¡­..That¡¯s how I felt.¡± That was a more usible word to tell than saying she had returned to the past after experiencing death. ¡°Please.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice faltered. ¡°Just once¡­¡­ close your eyes and hold my hand. Just once. Only this time. And whatever happens to me after that, I¡¯m fine.¡± If she took the wrong path, then it wasn¡¯t just Evelyn herself who would fall into the abyss. ¡°No, I hate this.¡± Fabian looked straight at Evelyn, ¡°I¡¯ll never let you go over the cliff.¡± His eyes filled with her shadow. ¡°But if it¡¯s your hand, I can hold it for the rest of my life.¡± Fabian grabbed Evelyn¡¯s hand. Before she knew it, her body temperature was back to normal. ¡°I believe¡­.¡± There was no hesitation in his voice. ¡°I will believe it, whether I open my eyes, close my eyes, know it, and don¡¯t know it.¡± Fabian still couldn¡¯t understand what she meant. But Evelyn said to believe in her. So there was no other way. ¡°So¡­do you¡­?¡± Fabian nodded to Evelyn¡¯s trembling voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Fabian, but will you follow my will?¡­.. Even if it¡¯s dangerous?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know what would happen when she met David. It was like taking Fabian down into an endless, unknown path. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Fabian effortlessly put an end to Evelyn¡¯s worries. ¡°My life has been yours forever.¡± As usual, his calm and nonchnt words touched Evelyn¡¯s heart warmly. Chapter 143: Donovan Cornelius David felt his body getting paralyzed. He had lived in this world for a long time but never before had he felt this way. It seemed he was too arrogant, thinking he was beyond human beings. For a moment, he forgot that he also could die and lose his life. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡­ wrong.¡± David still believed he was right, even though from his voice, he knew that he might die at any moment. The senate elders who visited the dungeon to interrogate him looked indifferent with his face full of wrinkles. His eyes stared calmly at David as if he looked at a picture or a book. ¡°It¡¯s no use to resist.¡± The elder who rarely spoke opened his mouth. He was a descendant of the founding family and was one of the prominent figures in the Empire. He lived in seclusion ording to tradition and only appeared when the Emperor called him. ¡°The sacred stone that¡¯s binding you is called the Stone of Truth. ¡° The older man¡¯s grey eyes stared at David, hanging with his body tied to a huge stone. ¡°The sacred word attached to the name of this terrible thing is too saintly and unsuitable. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re feeling it yourself right now.¡± He kept a little distance from the stone where David was tied. Because once he narrowed the distance further, he could feel a poisonous air emanating from it ¡°Whether you are human or not. The stone sucks up the life energy and emotions. It has been almost 50 years since I saw this thing in person¡­..¡± When the Imperial family wanted to know the truth of something, they would use this cursed stone. The method was simple. Didn¡¯t have to dirty hands by torturing them, they just needed to bind the prisoners to the stone. The power of the stone would rip their stubbornness. ¡°I¡¯m the guardian of this world. I won¡¯t be defeated as easily as you think.¡± David still had the energy to speak like that, but it looked like he had reached his limit. The elder looked anxious because somehow, he must dig out the whole secret before his condition got weaker. ¡°The results are fixed. From the moment you were tied to the stone, your confessions were confirmed.¡± David, who had been closing his eyes, slowly began to lift his eyelids when he heard the old man speak in a cold voice. The elder¡¯s figure was faintly creeping up in front of him. ¡°That voice¡­.. Cornell¡­.Lius.¡± David¡¯s words greatly shook the elder¡¯s eyes all of a sudden. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± He unwittingly took a step towards David to confirm the unbelievable words that he had heard just now. David looked down and took a careful look at the elder¡¯s appearance. ¡°Is Russell dead?¡± The elder tried not to disy his shocked expression, but he could not conceal his astonishment in his heart. Russell Cornelius was his grandfather. People also saw him as one of the greatest wise men of this Empire, but this was a long time ago story. ¡°Russell has scars around his eyes, and his face ¡­¡­ Looks like yours. Are you his son? ¡° ¡°Russell Cornelius is my grandfather.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.. many years seem to have passed.¡± David said in a hushed voice. The elder recounted the story about a mysterious figure written in his family¡¯s memorandum that was passed down from generation to generation. Russell, his grandfather, to whom David referred, was obsessed with studying a figure iming to be the ¡°guardian¡± before him now. ¡°He jumped into the fire of hell to find out the truth. It was a testament of human greed and ambition. Like thirst in your eyes right now.¡± The elder couldn¡¯t deny it. As a sage, it was their life to know the truth and the wisdom for centuries. ¡°Have you ever met my grandfather?¡± ¡°Yes, I have¡­..It was a long time ago.¡± David recollected his memory. ¡°Oh, yes¡­Russell said his grandson was born. Now I remember your name.¡± The elder then red at David questioningly. ¡°Donovan. That¡¯s your name.¡± The elder¡¯s name was Donovan Cornelius. His body was shivering now with curiosity that was stronger than his fear. ¡°During his lifetime, my grandfather devoted himself to studying the existence of a mysterious figure until before he died. And that being is now in front of me. I, perhaps, will witness a new truth in this world.¡± David chuckled at his nearly extinct breath. Wondering, why were humans so greedy? In their eyes, people like David were only used as an object of research to satisfy their desires. ¡°I have also been involved in my grandfather¡¯s research ¡­ Yes, I believe you are the ¡°guardian¡± that¡¯s the conclusion I can draw.¡± David¡¯s violet eyes gazed at Donovan intensely. ¡°Then what am I going to do¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure you know.¡± Donovan¡¯s eyes flickered. Initially, his purpose was to dig up information about the incident from David by the Emperor¡¯s order and save the Prince, but now, his intention was blurred in the face of truth. ¡°Your grandfather fully understood my purpose. The fall of the Leicester Republic ¡­.. Did you know that it was your grandfather¡¯s doing after he predisposed and manipted the Emperor?¡± The conquest of the Leicester republic was more like a brutal massacre that tarnished the continent¡¯s history. ¡°It was also for the bnce.¡± Over the years, David had made countless efforts to bnce this continent. When he couldn¡¯t carry out his ns, he would look for mediators who had the power to be the centre of the world. Just like what he had done now to the Pope. ¡°Descendant of the Great Sage Cornelius . Are you an Emperor¡¯s servant or a seeker of truth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not on anyone¡¯s side.¡± This question unexpectedly tore Donovan¡¯s identity. But he couldn¡¯t turn the truth around, either. ¡°Your grandfather also said that.¡± ¡°Even my grandfather, the Great Sage, never found the truth.¡± Donovan knew very well; he couldn¡¯t get beyond human limitations no matter how great the Sage was. ¡°There¡¯s truth that I must reveal now. We senates have been granted the right to look into all the wisdom and knowledge of the world. In return for our pledge of allegiance to the Imperial Family.¡± Donovan at the end made a wise decision as a Great Sage ¡°What have you done to the Prince?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate humans. With your Majesty¡¯s intuition, we will soon be able to reveal the truth.¡± The Imperial Emperor couldn¡¯t be killed, and he had an intuition and insight beyond ordinary humans. It was the truth that it also seemed a little irrational. ¡°Then, I will change the question.¡± Donovan said. David was now dragging the time until the little Prince couldn¡¯t endure the poison that was creeping through his body and died. ¡°Why should the Prince die?¡± ¡°The reasons is the same as why the Leicester Republic must be destroyed. For the sake of continental bnce ¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°What has the little prince done to this continent?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t the tree branches sway if they¡¯re blown by the wind?¡± David gave a silly reply. Although Donovan vaguely grasped the meaning that everything in this world had influenced one another ¡°Listen, Cornelius.¡± David mustered his remaining strength and spoke aloud. He had a hard time holding his consciousness since the stone that bound him continued to suck his life energy. ¡°A Prince is a life that shouldn¡¯t be born in this world. So his existence has been against the fate.¡± Donovan cautiously blinked. ¡± I didn¡¯t try to kill the Prince. I tried to revert everything to the original ce¡­¡­because of the Prince, Princess Evelyn returned to the Emperor¡¯s side. I was trying to stop the catastrophe.¡± David managed to keep talking as he recalled the tragedy. ¡°This world is a world where I¡¯ve turned back the time.¡± Donovan¡¯s eyes were stained with surprise. ¡°Time, time magic¡­¡­ Does something like that really exist?¡± David didn¡¯t answer as he didn¡¯t care about Donovan¡¯s desire for knowledge. ¡°The reason I did forbidden magic was because the continent was covered in blood in its original world. There was no other way. Once the Emperor¡¯s madness awakened, nothing could stop him.¡± Donovan¡¯s hands trembled. The Cornelius family did have a story about the Emperor¡¯s ancestors. So far, he regarded it as a mere tale because it hadn¡¯t proven yet. But he never thought that David¡¯s mouth itself would expose the truth. ¡°ughter, despair, destruction, hatred, vain¡­¡± All of them were the sights David had seen, and Fabian did everything with his own hands. ¡°To prevent the destruction of this continent ¡­¡­ the only way to stop the Emperor from going insane is to cut his ties with Princess Evelyn.¡± ¡°So what does that have to do with¡­¡­.¡± Donovan suddenly stopped talking. He was a wise man, so he realized what David meant. ¡°Yes.¡± David responded. ¡°After the Emperor lost the coldness on his blood. After he opened his heart and had feelings for others ¡­¡­ If he lose the most precious thing.¡± All the tragedy began with Evelyn¡¯s death. This continent became hell only with the death of one person. ¡°I failed. Princess Evelyn should have returned before she met the Emperor¡­.and the result she came back after she was pregnant with the Prince. The Prince should have died in her womb without having had time to see the light of the world.¡± ¡°So, were you¡¯re trying to get rid of the Prince to cut their ties so Princess Evelyn could leave?¡± It sounded not like a question. Donovan now understood everything David wished for. Losing her beloved child would plunge Evelyn into depression, and sometimes, there was something that couldn¡¯t be ovee by the couple¡¯s bond. ¡°But you failed again this time. Your Majesty will soon find out your purpose.¡± David chuckled helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± because he expected it as well. His n wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡°Especially, the meeting with Princess Evelyn.¡± Even he was trapped here, David could foresee the situation, and it was something that Donovan was afraid of.
*** Donovan had no time to think long because suddenly the Emperor called him. He then told Fabian all the details of his conversation with David. Unlike Sagan, he wasn¡¯t as foolish. Fabian knew that he only needed to wait if he wanted to find answers. A rushed intervention could ruin everything. ¡°He¡¯s a very strange person. I can¡¯t believe everything he said.¡± Fabian spoke firmly, but there was also anxiousness in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. But I don¡¯t think everything he said was a lie.¡± ¡°Evelyn said she wanted to meet him in person, and I allowed her.¡± Donovan¡¯s expression darkened in a sh, as he felt that it wasn¡¯t a good idea. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s part of his n too.¡± Fabian shook his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to let it go as his n.¡± He recalled Evelyn¡¯s deep eyes staring directly at him. Evelyn should be as strong as him at least to defend Adrian. ¡°I believe in Evelyn.¡± Donovan looked at Fabian with his eyes full of a surprise than when he heard the existence of time magic. He never imagined he would listen to that words came out from the Emperor while he was living. ¡°She won¡¯t get caught up in that lunatic¡¯s n. Absolutely not¡± Donovan¡¯s anxiety intensified. David¡¯s words seemed to be right, as he witnesses it firsthand how the Emperor, before him believed in someone. ¡°There is no time.¡± The poison in Adrian¡¯s body couldn¡¯t be deciphered so he could not give the antidote to him. Fortunately, King and Queen Felice helped him look after Adrian, but the child¡¯s condition was deteriorating little by little. ¡°First of all, save the Prince.¡± Fabian sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest after that.¡± For Fabian, David was nothing more than a madman, but he was eventually forced to go to save Adrian. Not because Adrian was his recement but because he was Adrian¡¯s father. ¡°I can do anything to save him.¡± said Fabian in a solemn voice. ¡°Even if he isn¡¯t an ordinary human, he won¡¯t be able tost long on the Stone of Truth.¡± Donovan agreed quietly because David was bing more haggard now. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Fabian rose from his seat ¡°When he still can talk, Evelyn and I will face him.¡± Donovan bowed down and went after him. The time was running out. Soon, they would see what the truth was and what was the end. Chapter 144: What You Wished For Evelyn chewed her lips in nerves when she heard Adrian¡¯s fever was rising again. She wanted to go to his ce at once, but several times she restrained her desire. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s the story I heard from the Elder.¡± After listening to Fabian¡¯s words, Evelyn returned to her sense. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t trust all of those stories. Time magic, it¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Fabian¡¯s reaction was typical. Evelyn couldn¡¯t tell Fabian about her regression, either. Instead, his decision would be dubious if he believed such a thing. ¡°But it¡¯s clear that he has some power, and he¡¯s trying to hurt our child with his lunatic belief.¡± His eyes froze in cold anger. ¡°Duke Metis hasn¡¯t confessed anything yet?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no evidence, so he will shut his mouth to the end. But it is true that the Dukemunicated with David.¡± Evelyn was furious that she couldn¡¯t punish Duke Metis without any evidence. Still, there was nothing she could do because he was the owner of a long-standing Duchy. ¡°Evelyn, do you remember what I said?¡± Fabian repeatedly warned Evelyn of the dangers of the dungeon and the Stones of truth. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t forget what I said. It¡¯s not a noble object like a holy relic. It¡¯s the most cursed thing on this continent. If you approach the stone, your life and mind energy will be absorbed by it. ¡° ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember it.¡± Fabian was distraught that Evelyn would lose her mind when she approached the stone of truth and spoke with David. Fabian¡¯s lungs felt stuffy just by inhaling the air in the dungeon. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want to take Evelyn there. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve already made up my mind.¡± Evelyn had already decided, for the sake of her child, who was currently battling a fever. ¡°Fine.¡± Fabian took her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you.¡± With that one word, Evelyn hardened her heart even more. It was too early for her to fall into despair since everything was different from her previous unhappy life. At least, the warmth that held her hand right now wasn¡¯t a dream. Grabbing Fabian¡¯s hand, Evelyn stepped her feet in a bleak ce she had never been before. The stairs went down endlessly. She walked for a long time, following Serus, who led her steps with thentern in front of her. ¡°Serus, stay here.¡± Fabian told Serus to stay after he reached the floor where David was prisoned. Serus nodded and followed his orders. Fabian walked again down the dark corridor, holding Evelyn¡¯s hand and thentern in the other. The farther they went inside, every step she took, Evelyn felt the chill entered her lungs. Like inhaling heavy smoke, it was difficult for her to breathe, and her heart became tight. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Evelyn nodded her head when Fabian asked her. It was nothingpared to Adrian, who was fighting the poison with his small body. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Evelyn urged him. Soon after, a vast hall -that was hard to believe it was an underground- appeared before her eyes. On the other side of the hall, a wall was made of pitch-ck stone, and Evelyn realized it was the stone of truth. David was hung with his body tied to the stone. Evelyn had just been terrified to see him because it was such a frightful sight. ¡°Evelyn, don¡¯t go any further from here.¡± Fabian pointed to a pattern carved on the floor. Evelyn obeyed him. Even if Fabian didn¡¯t stop her, Evelyn was unwilling toe a little closer because she felt the stone¡¯s awful energy. As if he had been swallowed by the toxin, David appeared to have fainted with his head falling down. ¡°Are you still awake?¡± As Fabian spat out in a low voice, David slowly opened his eyes and raised his head halfway. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting¡­¡­¡± Fabian grasped Evelyn¡¯s hand tighter. It was proof of his anger and patience to suppress his overflowing desire to tear him to death. ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything from Cornelius. But you won¡¯t be able to deceive me.¡± David had a faint smile around his lips. Since he had no intention of deceiving someone from the beginning. ¡°You will never believe me, Emperor. As always, just like your predecessors.¡± Fabian closed and opened his eyes in rage. Wrath soared in his heart, wondering how long he had to see David making fun of him with his tongue. ¡°Get rid of the nonsense. There¡¯s only one thing I want to ask you.¡± ¡°About¡­¡­The Prince¡­..?¡± David¡¯s voice was definitely weak. If he were an ordinary person, he would have lost his mind, died after suffering from madness, and hung on the stone of truth for the rest of his life. ¡°You don¡¯t want to listen to your crazy beliefs.¡± Fabian looked straight ahead. ¡°Even though you¡¯re a cursed guardian, you will only die miserably on the stone of truth.¡± ¡°Yes, I will¡­I guess ¡­ maybe my soul it¡¯s already been half eaten.¡± Evelyn carefully observed him. From earlier on, she felt David¡¯s calm attitude was a bit strange, somehow. ¡°Confess.¡± Fabian said threateningly. ¡°What poison did you give to my son, and how to cure him.?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Fabian red at David with eyes that deeper than the abyss. His re looked more lethal than a poison released by the stone of truth. ¡°One more time I will ask you. Tell me now. How to save my child.¡± As Fabian¡¯s eerie low voice rang, David lifted his head. He looked at him, ¡°If you¡¯re the Imperial Emperor ¡­¡­ surely your insight is above ordinary humans ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You tricked Duke Metis and used the Empress to carry poison. You also set a filthy, cruel trap so that we couldn¡¯t recognize the poison immediately.¡± ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know thetter.¡± It was Duke Metis¡¯ n to deliberately infuse the starflower poison. It was a psychological trap only a person who dept at deception like him could do. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! Tell me how to save my child right now. ¡­or¡­. Did you forget what I said? ¡° David¡¯s violet eyes stopped for a moment as he also had something he was afraid of. ¡°If anything happens to my son, I¡¯ll drag you around and search the whole world to find that damn tower.¡± Evelyn began to feel the chills. Fabian, who saw her that let go of his hand, then put his arm around Evelyn¡¯s waist to hold her back and looked at David again. ¡°Days to years, I will wet the tower with blood before your eyes.¡± David¡¯s eyes were slightly twitching. It was momentary, but Fabian¡¯s fierce eyes didn¡¯t miss it. Indeed, what he feared was the existence of his sacred tower being tarnished. ¡°But, Emperor¡­¡­even if I tell you how, will you believe me?¡± Fabian gnashed his teeth at his question. David was well aware that he didn¡¯t have another choice as his child¡¯s life was at stake. ¡°A guardian isn¡¯t someone who would take a human¡¯s life¡­ Especially if he¡¯s a child.¡± ¡°But why are you so persistent to kill Adrian?¡± Evelyn, who could no longer bear it, shouted at David. Her resentment was as deep as Fabian¡¯s anger. ¡°He¡¯s innocent child, but why¡­¡­ why he has to suffer from poison. Do you want to kill him just to maintain the bnce? ¡° ¡°Yes, your son is innocent. But he has a rtion with you, and one day, he will make the Emperor next to you a sinner. He willmit a grave sin that no one can stop. ¡° ¡°What a crap!¡± But David kept talking, even after Fabian¡¯s yell, ¡°Princess Evelyn.¡± His purple eyes turned to her. ¡°You don¡¯t really remember me yet. Because I made you that way.¡± Evelyn shuddered. It was only her memory of David that was distorted. Her subconscious mind said there was something between them. But she couldn¡¯t remember anything regardless of how hard she tried. ¡°This¡­ ¡­ This is what you wished for.¡± ¡°Me? I wanted Adrian to get hurt?¡± David shook his head slowly. Taking a deep breath. He had to struggle to exert a little of his strength after the stone had absorbed all of his life energy. However, David didn¡¯t give up, and he calmly kept his eyes on Evelyn. ¡°Remember¡­.The memories engraved in your soul.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were pinned on his picturesque purple eyes. The evesting fog surrounding her memories started to disappear slowly. ¡°¡­¡­Poor woman.¡± As those words fell, the chains that sealed Evelyn¡¯s memory broke. She staggered. Fabian managed to hold Evelyn¡¯s body before she fainted and immediately checked her condition. ¡°Evelyn!¡± Evelyn breathed, but her blue eyes were out of focus. ¡°What else have you done to her!?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll remember¡­¡± David¡¯s energy was also running out, and he dropped his head at the end of the sentence. ¡°Evelyn, Look at me, Evelyn!¡± Fabian didn¡¯t look at David and quickly hugged Evelyn. ¡°Serus!¡± Serus fled right away. Roughly, he figured out the situation and took charge of David. Fabian immediately picked Evelyn up and brought her out of the dungeon in a hurry. He wanted to free Evelyn from the toxic air as soon as possible. ¡°Evelyn, I¡¯m here.¡± Fabian tried to keep Evelyn stay consciousness. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but it was clear that her condition right now wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m by your side.¡± The chains that bind her memories slowly began to tear apart and vanish. Then fragments of those memories started to appear to the surface. Evelyn could see Fabian with her eyes, and she also could hear his voice, but she felt very far away from him. Her senses were faint as if her whole body were floating in the air. ¡°Evelyn, look at me.¡± Fabian jarred Evelyn¡¯s shoulder, but her blue eyes were still unfocused like ss beads. ¡°Evelyn.¡± He muttered with a sigh. ¡°Your husband is here¡­¡± Evelyn felt a strong force dragging her consciousness on the surface at that moment. Down below, deeper than any other sea¡­.her mind was dragged into it. At the same time, she drooped in Fabian¡¯s arms. Yet, Evelyn couldn¡¯t tell the difference between reality and her ckout. ¡®Poor woman.¡¯ It was David¡¯s voice. ¡®Your wish and my purpose are same.¡¯ Evelyn understood what he meant for some reason. ¡®Give me your despair, I¡¯ll turn the time and make everything right.¡¯ There was a mysterious man who appeared when Evelyn was dying in her 30s. It¡¯s such a clear memory, but why did she forget about that? ¡®Here¡­ ¡­ We have to open the gap of time, I¡¯ll borrow your despair and turn back the time to where we want it to be.¡¯ We? What did Evelyn want then? What that poor woman wished? What did a withered Empress who was dying in loneliness at that time hope for? ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have met the Emperor in the first ce.¡¯ Vaguely, that woman¡¯s voice sounded so bitter. ¡®But I have no choice but to meet him¡­¡­.¡¯ Evelyn couldn¡¯t hear that voice well in the middle. ¡®You¡¯re a poor woman. After time turns back, don¡¯t repeat your painful rtionship.¡¯ Evelyn wondered, why did David call her a poor woman? ¡®Once again ¡­¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have a painful rtionship.¡¯ When Evelyn recalled thest part of her memories, countless fragments poured into her head, and she couldn¡¯t breathe properly. She vomited a violent breath and opened her eyes, awakening from Fabian¡¯s arms. Then Evelyn realized everything was real. Chapter 145: The Image Of Him Even Fabian couldn¡¯t say something for a moment and stared at her. ¡°Your Majesty, ¡­¡­ I remember¡­¡­.¡± ¡± said Evelyn with her voice ripped apart. ¡°Then¡­¡­Then¡­¡­ From the beginning¡­¡­ I knew him¡­¡­¡± She was still looked absentminded, but her memories were still there and stored in her head. ¡°Evelyn, you need to calm down and take a rest first.¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn pushed Fabian¡¯s arms. It was difficult to stand up straight, but she couldn¡¯t copse right now. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice sounded grave, and Fabian knew he couldn¡¯t hinder her. ¡°He¡¯s right¡­Adrian¡­¡­he¡¯s a life that shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°What nonsense¡­¡­ Evelyn, Adrian is our child.¡± ¡°Now. But that time, he wasn¡¯t¡­.¡± Now, Fabian¡¯s eyes had be more and more puzzled. ¡°Then, who is he?¡± ¡°Not now, but in the past. When everything was going wrong¡­¡­.¡± Evelyn put her memory fragments together and spat out word by word. ¡°I understand what David said. I get it now.¡± Evelyn was staggering and rose her body. ¡°Adrian, what about Adrian?¡± David was a real guardian of the tower. He could get rid of a child who wasn¡¯t supposed to be born in this world. Those eerie thoughts froze Evelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°Adrian might really disappear.¡± Evelyn said it with a serious voice and a severe face. Fabian couldn¡¯t figure out the situation he was facing at this moment. So he walked to Adrian¡¯s bed as fast as he could, then he hugged Evelyn in his arms. Miriam looked at her with a terrible expression and Arthur, too, couldn¡¯t sit for a while after he heard it. Same with Philip, he almost dropped his hand. ¡°Adrian?¡± Evelyn, who had already felt despair, stumbled and walked to the ce where Adrian was lying. Fabian nced at Philip, but that doctor just lowered his head. The child¡¯s body was limply bound to the bed, but there was no sign of life. His tiny body was turning blue, and he gradually lost his body¡¯s temperature after the fever had vanished. ¡°Adrian¡­.¡± That quiet voice of a mother contained countless despair as if she would lose her child forever. ¡°He said that he was trying to fix the world¡­ ¡­ So my child¡­ ¡­ .¡± Evelyn¡¯s face looked distorted. She was feeling like a dumb person. When she gave birth to Adrian, she shouldn¡¯t have expected anything else, but instead, she went back to Fabian foolishly. She didn¡¯t regret loving Fabian, but if Adrian had to die from her selfish decision, she had no reason to live any longer. ¡°¡­¡­ Knights. In any case, force Duke Metis to confess. If he still doesn¡¯t want to talk, just wait. It¡¯s up to you what method you use. Find the evidence!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The ck Hawk Knights quickly disappeared after they weremanded by Fabian. He knew that his actions might have provoked a war between factions. Still, now only Evelyn and Adrian were visible to his eyes. ¡°Evelyn, now tell me? Fixing the world. What does that have to do with Adrian?¡± ¡°Time Magic ¡­¡­ It really happened. And before that, magic ¡­¡­ Adrian ¡­¡­ Adrian was never born ¡­¡­.¡± The rest of the people in the room couldn¡¯t understand it, but Fabian looked severe. ¡°Just for that reason?¡± Evelyn shook her head with a wretched face. ¡°Just to prevent me from bing the tyrant Emperor?¡± Fabian was speaking about something he never wanted to reveal. Even though it was only a possibility, it wasn¡¯t the current Fabian; however, he could not deny that he had the emperor lineage carrying out the massacre. ¡°Fabian, I¡¯ve died.¡± Her death was the trigger behind the destruction of the continent. At that time, Fabian became insane after he had lost his lifepanion. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Yes¡­it was in the past. But now¡­Your Majesty, if you have to choose between Adrian and me, please save Adrian. Please, I beg you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give up both of you. So please, don¡¯t say such a thing.¡± How exactly should it be? Evelyn had her child who died after experiencing one death. She was so overwhelmed with happiness that she didn¡¯t know where to go. She even forgot what for she was turning back the time. ¡°Your Majesty, release David. Please bring him here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°It has to be him. Only he can turn all back!¡± All David wanted was to stop Fabian¡¯s madness, and the trigger was her life. So Evelyn thought that everything would go back to where it was if she gave up her life. Even though Evelyn lost everything, it was the only way to save Adrian. Fabian sighed, ¡°Serus¡­.do what Evelyn said.¡± He gave an order as if he had sumbed. ¡°You can also cut off Duke Metis¡¯ fingers one by one.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Arthur and Miriam took a deep breath, watching the sleeping Adrian. Fabian turned to Philip, then. ¡°How much time do we have left?¡± Philip made a guilty face, ¡°I can¡¯t tell, but when the next seizurees¡­¡­.¡± Miriam stepped forward, ¡°Your Majesty, when we looked after him, the seizures happened every hour. ¡± she said. ¡°And excuse me for a moment.¡± Evelyn¡¯s back watching Adrian die looked frail. Miriam grabbed her shoulder, then raised her hand and pped Evelyn¡¯s face without hesitation. Even Fabian was startled by Miriam¡¯s sudden action. ¡°Get a hold of yourself. You¡¯re a mother. It¡¯s not a time for a weak gibberish!¡± Evelyn felt a pain in her cheek. The pain eased her mind slightly, and she saw her mother standing firmly in front of her. ¡°The only one who can save Adrian is his mother. So don¡¯t be weak and stand upright.¡± Evelyn quickly corrected her distracted posture, feeling that she could walk adequately after hearing her mother¡¯s scolding. ¡°Go!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what you are thinking, but we know that no one in the world loves Adrian more than you. So, straighten your back, be strong, and save him.¡± ¡°I will! I will save him.¡± Although Evelyn didn¡¯t have the chance to thank her mother, all her feelings seemed to have reached her. After that, everyone began to move in a hurry. Serus dragged the fainted David. He poured cold water on him and beat him to wake him up. Liam, who was in charge of interrogating Duke Metis, nearly cut off one of the Duke¡¯s fingers before he eventually got his testimony. ¡°Duke Metis said, the Pdin asked for a map of the Empress Pce. It looks like the map indicates the position of the attic room, which is right above this pce.¡± Hearing Liam¡¯s words, Evelyn felt that she could recall her memories in more detail, ¡°Yes¡­.that ce¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And regarding the star-flower poison, the Empress seems to know nothing.¡± Philip swept down his chest. Luckily he hadn¡¯t done the detoxification process yet. Otherwise, Adrian¡¯s small body couldn¡¯tst right now. ¡°The only thing left is him.¡± Serus hauled David like a rag and put him in front of Fabian and Evelyn. Evelyn strode up to him before Fabian could stop her and p him hard on the cheek. Much harder than her mother¡¯s. Her body couldn¡¯t even walk properly, so It¡¯s puzzling to think where her strength came from. ¡°Look at me, if you want to bnce this damn world.¡± David¡¯s gaze turned to Evelyn as he realized the seal of her memory seemed to have broken. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take my child. Never.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± David¡¯s answer was also calm as if he had expected it. ¡°I still have the power to cast thest magic. The power that wasn¡¯t stolen by that stone. The power that¡¯s exchanged for the life of the guardian.¡± Only once, the guardian could use hisst magic in exchange for his immortal life. ¡°Your child, who shouldn¡¯t exist, will return to nothing. I won¡¯t make a mistake this time.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you do that?¡± ¡°Actually, haven¡¯t you been living your life forgetting everything?¡± At that moment, Evelyn lost for words. ¡°I¡¯ll turn back the time once again, this time, your child will lose his life during the Devil Eye¡¯s attack. All you need to do is hate each other without remembering anything¡­¡­. It¡¯s very twisted, butter, you will get the answer.¡± David said without any emotion in his purple eyes. There were only conviction and unknown quaint. If what he said was true, surely everything would go his way. If Adrian died because of Fabian who insisted on taking him away¡­¡­. They would never see each other again and med each other for the rest of their lives. ¡°I already knew it would turn out like that.¡± In no time, Evelyn suddenly pulled out a sword from Fabian¡¯s waist and ce it on her neck. ¡°But your power is not enough. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve failed so many times.¡± All that had happened was beyond David¡¯s n until finally, everything got tangled. ¡°If I kill myself here, will you be able to turn back time and erase my present memory?¡± David¡¯s face hardened at Evelyn¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡± Evelyn could see that. David was able to gain the power to cast the final magic by risking his own life. However, the Stone of Truth had already sucked a lot of his life energy, so it was hard to tell how much power he had left. ¡°Your power is too weak, let alone in your condition like this ¡­¡­ Are you sure you can turn everything back?¡± Evelyn¡¯s determination now was beyond Fabian¡¯s control. At least, at this point, she was stronger than him. ¡°What happens if you fail again?¡± Evelyn said, threatening David. ¡°Fabian, if I die here, don¡¯t forget your grudge.¡± Fabian bit his lip hard. He wanted to stop Evelyn right away, but he already promised her, and they had a mutual agreement about David. ¡°My grudge will paint that damn tower with blood.¡± Fabian twisted his lips coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the madness that flows through my veins.¡± The darkness within him was enough to kill half the humans of this continent. Fabian¡¯s escape from his torment ruined the entire continent. ¡°Back then, you told me our purpose was the same,¡± Evelyn remembered what David told her in the past. ¡°You said that you turned back time with my despair. Now¡­ is our purpose different?¡± David¡¯s purple eyes subsided calmly as Evelyn began the conversation that only the two of them understood. It was something that Fabian next to her couldn¡¯t grasp the meaning, even though he tried hard to listen to them. ¡°What you wish is the bnce of this world, so I¡¯ll ¡®take¡¯ my child¡¯s life.¡± Something was missing from Evelyn¡¯s words, but no one noticed because there were only two people who knew Evelyn¡¯s despair when she was dying. ¡°Are you really sure of that¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes, if it can save my child.¡± Evelyn was earnest. Her blue eyes told that she was willing even if she had to lose her life. ¡°If our purpose is the same, you can change the way. As I said¡­¡­ I just hope you won¡¯t fail because you¡¯re weak.¡± Evelyn heaved a deep breath, wetting her lips. First of all, she and David had agreed to do this. ¡°Adrian can¡¯tst long. Now ¡­¡­ we have to think of a way.¡± Finally, David nodded his head. Then immediately, Fabian sheathed his sword, imagining something terrible almost happened, and he whispered to Evelyn¡¯s ear. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see me crazy, you have toe back after saving our child.¡± Evelyn smiled. She looked at Fabian sadly with her bluish eyes. It was heartbreaking to think that she might never see him again if she could save their child. So, deeply in her eyes, Evelyn engraved the image of her one and only husband, whom she loved so much. Chapter 146: A Late Regret Fabian scowled at David, who was drinking water with the maid¡¯s help, with a restful face. No matter the oue, he made it clear that he had no intention of forgiving David. ¡°Did you get a map of the Empress¡¯s pce?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t be patient and pressed him. ¡°And we both know the reason.¡± There was a gap in time that he had set up, so David shook his head as if to admit it. ¡°Your Majesty, we must go to the attic¡­From here¡­¡­ Just the two of us¡±. ¡°If you think so¡­¡­, I understand.¡± Fabian red at David as he stood up. David endured his dizziness and followed Evelyn to the ce in question. It was a narrow ce just above the Empress¡¯s bedroom. Initially, David¡¯s time magic was cast in the bedroom. Still, the axis of time was shaken, and the location had changed slightly. ¡°Is it still there?¡± Evelyn asked him, and David looked around with his frail body. He then pushed a small piece of furniture. There¡¯s a dim light collected when viewed in great detail in the space where the furniture was moved. ¡°It¡¯s narrower than I expected.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still possible, right?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡­ I¡¯ll try my best¡±, said David. Fabian found it difficult to keep up with their weird talk. But Adrian didn¡¯t have much time, so he couldn¡¯t question one by one. ¡°Is the ce the same as it was then?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Evelyn recalled asking for a divorce on the night of her 20s when the golden wood tree spread its strong scent. ¡°I ask you once more, can you not repeat your mistake?¡± David¡¯s purple eyes pierced Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°You¡¯ve already¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Evelyn eventually returned to the Pce. He finally came back with Adrian to Fabian¡¯s side. Because it was the happiness, Evelyn wished so badly. After forgetting and forgiving everything, she thought she had found her true happiness. ¡°Don¡¯t erase my memory this time,¡± begged Evelyn; her calm voice rang for some reason. ¡°It¡¯s tough for humans.¡± Evelyn realized she loved Fabian. Even though it was only for a short time, she could feel the warm happiness of bing a family with him. Evelyn wanted to remember all of that when now she had to go back to the past alone. She wanted to bring her love for Fabian, whom she could never see again. ¡°But for my child¡­¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do.¡± In return, Adrian would be able to live. As the royal Prince of Felice Kingdom, loved by Arthur and Miriam. Evelyn would go to a quiet ce, away from Fabian¡¯s sight, to avoid the same fate. She knew that as long as she was around, Fabian would always be watching her, and she couldn¡¯t escape Fabian¡¯s attention¡­.. She knew it very well now. ¡°No. That¡¯s my role.¡± It¡¯s all right, even though Adrian didn¡¯t know who his real parents were all his life. Even if she couldn¡¯t touch her son¡¯s fair skin and couldn¡¯t breastfeed him. Even though she could no longer carry or hug him and couldn¡¯t see him growing up. Evelyn would be fine. It was much better than seeing Adrian dying of poison. ¡°One thing, I have something to make sure.¡± David stood back for a moment while Fabian spoke carefully. ¡°To be honest, I still can¡¯t believe him. All I believe is you, Evelyn.¡± It was Evelyn¡¯s decision for Adrian¡¯s sake, so Fabian couldn¡¯t help but believe her. ¡°Evelyn¡­¡± For a moment, Fabian thought Evelyn beside him was felt so distant. ¡°You won¡¯t get hurt, will you?¡± Fabian¡¯s ck eyes stared at Evelyn with despair as the blue eyes of the woman he loved kept haunting his mind. He didn¡¯t know why the look in her eyes looked sorrowful though she was soon able to save Adrian. ¡°I¡¯m still¡­ not good at reading your minds. So I don¡¯t know what your eyes are saying right now.¡± But Fabian knew for sure that he didn¡¯t want to regret it. ¡°I¡¯ve promised you, If I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll ask. So now I¡¯ll ask. Are you all right?¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian deeply. Her transparent blue eyes were full of affection. It was a gaze of love that would soon be longing. ¡°You said you¡¯d teach me¡­¡± Fabian unknowingly held her hand. Evelyn grinned faintly at him, swallowing her pain. She stared at Fabian and nodded, hiding her true feelings as she would never forget this painful lie. ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn struggled to keep smiling. She eventually got his faith, but her heart was sore because she had to answer him with lies. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Fabian pulled Evelyn into his arms and buried his lips on her forehead. However, Evelyn only could engulf her tears desperately underneath. She couldn¡¯t show tears yet. It wasn¡¯t just tears that she swallowed. But the truth, the promise, and the honesty must also be deeply buried. ¡°Yes.¡± [I¡¯m sorry¡­.] ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± [I won¡¯t forget you¡­] ¡°So don¡¯t worry¡­..Fabian.¡± [Goodbye¡­..The person I love, and I will treasure forever¡­..] ¡°I can do anything as long as you and our child are safe.¡± Evelyn¡¯s brief farewell ended with Fabian¡¯s kind words. As always, parting didn¡¯t give them enough time. ¡°Fabian, I know you hate David. But this ritual requires concentration, so please leave us alone until it¡¯s over.¡± Evelyn hoped that her lies would not be caught too soon. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go through the time-crack he had left. And return to the past before Adrian was poisoned.¡± ¡°How long will it take you toe back?¡± [Forever ¡­¡­or never.] ¡°Is everything can be done in a moment?¡± Fabian was hoping like that. Time was going to turn back, and Evelyn would leave Fabian. But this time, the two would never see each other again. Fabian wouldn¡¯t remember anything, so he wouldn¡¯t feel the pain of losing her when Evelyn was gone for good. ¡°Yes.¡± Still, Fabian had ominous feelings since earlier. But he couldn¡¯t shake his promise to Evelyn to give her full trust, ¡°Then¡­I believe in you.¡± He repeated the same thing. Those words grievously pinched Evelyn¡¯s heart, engraving an eternally indelible mark.
*** David soon finished a series of preparations. A pattern was drawn on the floor, and David cut his wrist with a silver dagger. His blood was dripping down and drenched the pattern. Quickly, the floor began to shine. Now, it was a scene that was no longer shocking. ¡°I, what should I do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when, so stand in the middle of this pattern.¡± Evelyn nodded as David kept reciting something with his eyes closed and focused his mind. In that appearance, even Fabian, who resented him, felt a mystical aura that exudes a sense of presence beyond human beings. ¡°You only have one chance¡­¡­This is ¡­.. thest time¡­¡± David reiterated Evelyn¡¯s will. Because even if she returned to the past, the tragedy could be repeated. David had no power left to make everything right if Evelyn softened her heart again. ¡°I know.¡± Evelyn cleared her mind and stared straight ahead, still holding Fabian¡¯s warm hand. After this time ritual was over, Evelyn couldn¡¯t even gauge her own feelings. How she would have longed for the warmth in her hands all her life. ¡°I will surely save Adrian.¡± Right now, Evelyn had to make up her mind. Otherwise, she didn¡¯t dare to let go of his hand. Fabian was the first to express his regret, but looking back, she was also the same. It was only then that Evelyn felt remorse for the years gone by.¡± ¡°Evelyn, promise me¡­..you won¡¯t overdo it.¡± And Fabian kept breaking her heart. ¡°Adrian is precious to me¡­.. but you are more precious than that. I can¡¯t lose you again.¡± Evelyn could only smile, remembering that Fabian would soon forget about her. Even if it was an unfortunate choice for either of them, the fact that Fabian wouldn¡¯t remember her came as a constion. Evelyn, who wanted to save her child, would rather suffer the pain alone than saw both of them shared the same wound. ¡°Yes¡­I promise.¡± This scene would fade away from his memory as time passed by, but it would be Evelyn¡¯s precious memory. ¡°It¡¯s time. Soon, the gap will open.¡± David abruptly cut off the gaze of the two loving people. ¡°If there¡¯s a moment, even if it just one, where you have the slightest hesitation, you¡¯re likely to fail.¡± His violet eyes turned towards Evelyn with a warning. ¡°No. There¡¯s no hesitation in saving my child.¡± David read the resolve in Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes, shaking his head. Leaving Fabian was a painful choice, but she couldn¡¯t let her child die as a mother. These were all emotions that David couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°If the light crosses the pattern line, you have to go to the middle. This is all I can say, and the rest depends on yourself.¡± ¡°I understand¡­.¡± Evelyn looked at Fabian. For thest time, she wanted to keep his image in her eyes. ¡°Evelyn, you muste back safely.¡± At the moment she showed a faint smile, a small sphere of light crossed the pattern¡¯s line. ¡°Now!¡± Evelyn boldly stepped her feet into the middle of the pattern. She must no longer hesitate. If she didn¡¯t leave him, she couldn¡¯t save Adrian. At the time, her whole body was wrapped in the light, circling the pattern. Then, her vision flowed slowly as if time and space had stopped. ¡°Fabian!¡± Evelyn cried. As she saw Fabian¡¯s figure gradually fading beyond the light, her heart pounded. But for some reason, her body couldn¡¯t budge at all. It seemed to be how the magic worked and forbid her from reaching him out. ¡°Fa¡­¡­bian.¡± Her time was up. ¡°Fabian, I love you.¡± Evelyn confessed her true feelings. If she had known this one word would be so warm, if she had known Fabian¡¯s love from the beginning, Evelyn would have said it tens of thousands of times to him. Yet regret was alwaysingte¡­.. ¡°What?!¡± Fabian had a hunch if there was something wrong. ¡°Evelyn¡­¡­why did you say that?¡± His insight has already figured out the answer. ¡°With such sad eyes, why¡­¡­.¡± But he didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°Why¡­¡­ you said that like someone who will nevere back¡­..¡± Bruk¡­ Fabian copsed in a second. This was the first time he had experienced this in his life. ¡°¡­ ¡­ tell me the truth.¡± His voice sounded like it was about to dim. ¡°Is ¡­ Evelyn can¡¯te back ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Yes, she knew that,¡± David replied calmly. The despair crushed Fabian¡¯s heart with the weight of reality, realizing that Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes were sure to say goodbye just before she vanished. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­but Your Majesty, your pain won¡¯tst long.¡± There¡¯s a quiet tone in David¡¯s voice. ¡°The moment she turns everything back, everything will go back to its ce.¡± In ce, it was a time when Fabian and Evelyn separated forever, ¡­.. and never met again. Chapter 147: At The Crossroads of Time Fabian¡¯s eyes followed the footsteps of Evelyn¡¯s disappearance. Faint dots of light remained on the floor, feeling like the only proof that she had ever been here. At that second, Fabian saw the pattern on the floor still shone dimly. Not letting uncertainty crept into him, he instinctively followed those paths and threw himself into the circle of pattern. ¡°Wait, no!¡± Unfortunately, Fabian¡¯s body was already eaten by light, blurring, just as David gasped in surprise. ¡°Please stop now!¡± However, there was no willingness from Fabian¡¯s gaze,who stared at him from within the pattern, toply with the shout, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for transferring two people! If you get lost in time-space¡­¡­.¡± Unlike Evelyn, the way Fabian¡¯s body went missing was disordered. The process was much faster, and some of his blurred body parts seemed odd. The reckless act of him that even David couldn¡¯t have imagined. Not long after that, Fabian¡¯s body gradually became clear again before he eventually copsed on the spot. ¡°Your Majesty, your soul¡­¡­¡± David shook Fabian¡¯s body, but he could already sense that the soul of the Emperor had left his physique. It was the so-called imperfect time of transition. Something that David always feared had actually happened. ¡°How could an Emperor like you did something reckless?!¡± Even though David¡¯s voice pricked his ears, still, Fabian¡¯s body didn¡¯t move an inch like a ster statue. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe, as a guardian, I¡¯m so powerless like this.¡± David faced down at his hand, unable to do anything about it. His blood was still dripping from the wounds he used to cast the time-spell. ¡°Teacher¡­¡­¡± David¡¯s hands were shaking as the bleeding weakened his body. His head began to feel light-headed, and his vision started to get hazy, so he seemed to lose his consciousness any time soon. He risked it all to keep the bnce. But the more he tried harder, the more the situation went to unexpected ces. But, on the other hand, If this continent lost its emperor, there would be more chaos that had never existed toe. The current situation in which the emperor had lost consciousness was even worse. ¡°Your Majesty, I have urgent news!¡± Shortly afterwards, Serus, unaware of the situation, unexpectedly opened the attic¡¯s door and rushed in. ¡°His Majesty¡­¡­where is he?¡± Serus felt uneasy when he witnessed an unusual sight. Starting with the drawing of magic patterns and blood strewn across the floor. David¡¯s frightened face, Evelyn, who wasn¡¯t there, and above all that¡­ Fabian¡¯s body lying on the floor was like a corpse. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What have you done to His Majesty?¡± Serus quickly rushed to the spot where Fabian was, hugging his body. Yet his body¡¯s temperature was cold. ¡°I asked you what you¡¯ve done to him! Where¡¯s the Princess? Where did she go?¡± Fortunately, Fabian¡¯s heart was still beating slowly. ¡°Knights, all of youe in and catch this guy right now¡­.¡± Even Serus, who was always level-headed andposed, couldn¡¯t correctly judge what was going on. He saw Fabian in such a helpless state for the first time. Only thinking about it was driving him nuts. The emperor, and the only master he served in his life, was now lying dead. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it¡±, David muttered, still looking nkly at the air. ¡°Princess Evelyn has agreed with me to make everything right. We¡¯re trying to turn back the time and correct the mistakes¡­..¡± ¡°I asked what happened with His Majesty!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Evelyn was an important person, but Fabian¡¯s safety came first for Serus. He wanted to get his sword out right away, but he couldn¡¯t move when David¡¯s distorted purple eyes gave him shivers. ¡°Sir Serus, what¡¯s going on? No, His Majesty¡­¡­.¡± Logan, who came btedly, red at David as if he were going to kill him. But Serus immediately lifted one of his hand to hold him down, ¡°I can handle him. Please¡­ give us time to talk.¡± ¡°¡­¡­His Majesty, is he alright?¡± Serus couldn¡¯t answer Logan¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure it out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I trust you then. I¡¯ll be at the door, so please call me right away if something happens.¡± Logan spoke obediently; then, he left the room. Serus turned his attention to David. He had a hunch that he needed to find out what was going on here. ¡°Now tell me.¡± David¡¯s purple eyes showed no signs of resistance. Serus then realized that it was indeed an unwanted circumstance for him. ¡°The original n was to send Princess Evelyn to return to the past.¡± ¡°Return¡­¡­Sent her? Didn¡¯t you say you would turn back everything with time magic? ¡° ¡°Do you think you can turn back the time that has passed for free? You and the Emperor ¡­¡­ you two are more foolish than that poor woman.¡± Evelyn at least knew exactly what the price she had to pay. ¡°Princess Evelyn¡¯s time-leaps was sessful. But soon after, the Emperor realized that she couldn¡¯t return¡­¡­ he jumped into the time portal that wasn¡¯t closed yet.¡± ¡°What¡­? ¡°I don¡¯t understand him. I shouted at him to stop, but your Emperor didn¡¯t hesitate at all.¡± ¡°His Majesty wouldn¡¯t do such a hasty act¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard my warning. Human¡¯s soul can be destroyed by imperfect and forced magic ¡­¡­¡± Serus slowly blinked his eyes as he couldn¡¯t believe Fabian, who he was holding right now, conducted such a thoughtless act. David looked into his fearful eyes, ¡°You can guess what happened, right?¡± he said. ¡°Your guess is correct; your Emperor¡¯s soul has left his body.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Can hee back?¡± Serus¡¯ voice shuddered slightly, imagining the future of the empire and the upheaval that would have urred on the continent if the news hade out that Fabian had died unexpectedly. His life as emperor wasn¡¯t his own. The Emperor¡¯s long lineage was so exceptional that nobody could rece him. ¡°I don¡¯t want the Emperor to vanish, either, and cause problems. On the contrary, I¡­ ¡­ I want to stabilize this continent. I tried to stop your Emperor from disappearing.¡± ¡°Can I trust you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to argue with you and exin the truth.¡± I don¡¯t have the strength anymore; maybe my life will soon be over.¡± David¡¯s countenance was pale. Serus bit hard on his lips for a moment, then yanked out his handkerchief and threw it at David. ¡°Stop your bleeding first.¡± He had no choice but to believe what David said as he was the caster of this magic and the only one who knew its spell. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about dying before His Majestye back.¡± David¡¯s lips were etched with a subtle smile line as he was busy wrapping his wrist with a handkerchief. ¡°At this moment, you and I are on the same boat, I guess.¡± with his purple eyes shone firmly, he said. ¡°After all, this continent needs an Emperor.¡± As the legend had a story, the fate of this continent was determined when the first Emperor and guardian of the tower entered into an agreement. Since then, nobody could kill the Emperor¡¯s bloodline. Instead, he was entrusted with guarding and ruling humanity on this continent, likewise the guardian who sealed those evil demons. ¡°You have a point; now tell me how to do it.¡± Serus rationality worked. ¡°Time magic is a forbidden spell. To be frank, I don¡¯t know where the Emperor¡¯s spirit is right now. The only hope is the fact that his body hasn¡¯t stopped breathing. If his soul were crushed in the time-space, his body would have died, so I guess he went to the same ce as Princess Evelyn.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­In this ce. Right here, but at a different time.¡± David chuckled as though there was nothing out of the ordinary, even though it was ludicrous when someone else heard it. It¡¯s just that, and it may be true, looking at the messy situation. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Enough of your pleasantries. Just tell me how to get His Majesty back.¡± Suddenly, her purple eyes were filled with apprehension. Of course, since magic was forbidden, David never researched it in depth. He had never heard of anything like this before. How could he possibly know the answer when all was beyond his control? ¡°I¡¯ll risk my life to find him, so please cooperate with me.¡± Serus understood the meaning of his words. ¡°The body is a vessel for the soul. At least for the Emperor ¡­¡­ there¡¯s got to be a way to force his soul back. It¡¯s fate.¡± Time and magic were all beneath fate. David focused on Fabian¡¯s body, which was still breathing. At all costs, he must return the Emperor¡¯s soul. *** When Evelyn opened her eyes, she found herself in a white ce. Her mind felt hollow for a while, and it was hard to sense her presence. The pure white world that surrounded her was peaceful and calm. It felt like she had been staying here for a very long time. ¡°I¡­?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t remember her name. She only wanted to sleep in peace because she felt sleepy and enveloped by sweet scent. At the same time, however, she could hear the voice crying violently inside her head. She knew there was something, something she should never forget. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.¡± In the time gap, the person who forgot his name would be gone. But the side effect of imperfect magic left her unable to recall her name. And Evelyn didn¡¯t know anything about that. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She decided to avoid worrying about it, to make her better. However, Evelyn couldn¡¯t ignore the rumbling voice in her head. She focused on a cry of despair that seemed to have been heard from a great distance. ¡®¡­ ¡­ I have to!¡¯ That sound. It was her voice. ¡®I must save him.¡¯ Obviously, she had something more precious than her life. ¡®I have to save ¡­ ¡­ I have to save my child.¡¯ At that moment, the world surrounding her, which was coloured in pure white, started to crack like an eggshell. Then the sound of cracking shattered the stillness. Evelyn promptly remembered who she was, and then she appeared in the empty room. The trembling hand in front of her eyes was now, seemingly, her own. ¡°Adrian.¡± Not even the leaps of time could eradicate Evelyn¡¯s wish. ¡°I need to save Adrian.¡± As Evelyn remembered herself and her purpose, her pure white world shattered. Then the mist gradually dissolved, and a familiar sight came into view. It was the bedroom of the Empress. And¡­¡­it was a scene that Evelyn already recognized. ¡°Adrian.¡± There was nothing to be afraid of, just pronouncing that name. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die.¡± Evelyn¡¯s hair was gradually bing translucent. After a while, she started to notice the odd circumstance that she was in. Evelyn was invisible to others. Much like a ghost. ¡°At all costs.¡± Evelyn understood what was going on. It was her. Evelyn saw herself dying in front of her eyes as if she was refining her memories again. An unhappy 30-year-old Evelyn. The poor woman, who would soon die in loneliness. But, there was someone who appeared just before her. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­. This is that day¡±. She didn¡¯t think about it in her mind, but her intuition sensed it and moved her own body. She didn¡¯t know if this was the fate that David was talking about. But it all seemed simple and clear. Perhaps because Evelyn now remained as a spirit. ¡°Before I took myst breath, he turned back the time¡­¡­¡± So Evelyn returned to her twenty, and she gave birth to Adrian thanks to that. ¡°Did David evere to this ce?¡± The trajectory of time was twisted. David had already exhausted his magic to send Evelyn back in time. However, his time magic was still there. Evelyn might go back to her twenty once more if she followed the flow of time. And she had already decided what she would do after that. ¡°From the very beginning¡­¡­, this is what fate is.¡± ¡°Now, I know.¡± A mystical fate and her own life that she could hardly understand with a reason. ¡°I died for Adrian, and I¡¯ve to go back. To meet you, my son¡­.. I¡¯ll go back.¡± She had to go back through time once more. This time, to save her child. Chapter 148: A Final Breakup The sight from the past when shey on the brink of death no longer felt bizarre as Evelyn opted to ept her fate. The vain and lonely death. Evelyn approached her bed to see her such self. The courtiers who couldn¡¯t see her spirit, circling around her with their dreary face, as if they had foreseen her death. [¡®Sir Philip, how¡­¡­.¡¯] She found Lily was already weeping hard. Philip, who looked older than she remembered, shook his head with a somber. Evelyn passed them and saw herself lying on the bed. A pastyplexion, bony-face, and doll-like body with eyes closed like a ster figure. ¡°I was like this?¡± Evelyn frowned at the haggard and lonely woman¡¯s face, and she didn¡¯t believe that woman was her. ¡°¡­ I was alone¡­.I don¡¯t want to remember this.¡± She called Fabian desperately just before she encountered the death. But her heartless husband didn¡¯t answer her until she died. Still, it was fate that she couldn¡¯t choose. The moment of her passing, witnessed by everyone. The painful moment to her afterlife would have passed quickly. [¡®Evelyn!¡¯] A voice that had never been heard in the past rang through the air. Evelyn¡¯s spirit body hardened for a moment when she saw someone rushing in desperate steps into her bed. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­¡± That person was Fabian, who was over 30. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t remember this.¡± Because in her memory, Fabian never came until she breathed herst. ¡°The past¡­ can¡¯t change.¡± Fabian came to bed and held her death-hand before Evelyn could grasp what was going on. She couldn¡¯t believe the sight in front of her, but his ck eyes were moist with a droplet of tears. Desperateness frowned upon his touch as he swept Evelyn¡¯snguid cheek. ¡­¡­Fabian couldn¡¯t have done that¡­. [¡®Evelyn¡­please don¡¯t leave me.¡¯] Evelyn suddenly was confused and had a breaking headache. [¡®How do I live long years without you?¡¯] She couldn¡¯t believe her 30 over-unfamiliar-husband, whom she saw right now¡ªthe first time she¡¯d seen how pathetic Fabian was, who begged her so sadly. Was this also a side effect of magic? No, she thought it wasn¡¯t. [¡®You promised me¡­for the rest of your life you will live as my wife. That lifetime can¡¯t be this short.¡¯] At that moment, Evelyn¡¯s chest-who was lying on her bed, shook once. [¡®Evelyn!¡¯] Her breathing was billowing, heralded the beginning of her death. Fabian¡¯s hand, grabbing her, trembled as if it had convulsed several times. [¡®What are you guys doing! Save the Empress, save Evelyn!¡¯] But no one could answer his ferocious cry. [¡®If she can¡¯t be saved, all of you will die as well.¡¯] His eerie ck eyes were mercilessly shined. [¡®But if your lives aren¡¯t enough, everyone in this pce, all of them ¡­¡¯] His frustration had been thrown into the wrong ce. Evelyn¡¯s heart was stirred again for a moment when Fabian looked only at her. ¡°These memories ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t remember it.¡± Evelyn¡¯s soul tapped Fabian¡¯s hapless cheek. It was a sad touch that he couldn¡¯t feel. ¡°No, you didn¡¯te to me¡­.¡± The past resentment came to her memory. ¡°Until I died alone¡­¡­you left me behind.¡± Repentance scratched her chest once more. ¡°I called you till I died.¡± However, deep within her heart, Evelyn had a premonition. Evelyn¡¯s soul began to cloud, and she stared at her dying body. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Her subconscious refused to recall her death. ¡°Why did I forget?¡± Evelyn was so afraid that she had twisted her memory. ¡°I, already¡­ ¡­ I couldn¡¯t say anything.¡± In her memory, Evelyn cried out Fabian¡¯s name to the end. But he sent Evelyn dying alone without giving her a single answer. And that pain was unbearable. [¡®There¡¯s no one who can live in a world without you, Evelyn.¡¯] It was really torturous. [¡®Evelyn!¡¯] His sooty eyes were eagerly ncing at Evelyn. The sound of her breathing, which faded with time, seemed to gnaw at Fabian¡¯s chest. [¡®Your Majesty¡­ forgive me¡­¡­the Empress has already¡­¡­ I can¡¯t hear anything.¡¯] Philip, whose hair was white, opened his mouth because he could not see Fabian¡¯s miserable figure. [¡®For three days, the Empress¡¯s consciousness hasn¡¯t returned. Because she was forced to use strong medicine in aa state¡­.. she¡¯s already¡­¡¯] ¡°I¡¯m¡­. already¡­?¡± Evelyn¡¯s dormant memories came rushing back at that precise moment. There was such a vast and cold darkness. She had already lost consciousness once it unfolded. ¡°This dark ce ¡­.did it emerge from the depths of my mind?¡± Evelyn was staring at herself. Her other self screamed with pain and pleaded, trapping in her own body. Even though she cried alone, all she received was futility because no one could hear her. ¡°What happened? I¡¯m so scared to be alone ¡­.. Am I still trapped there?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand her babbling, but the other Evelyn¡¯s hands were twitching. Evelyn¡¯s soul had the chance to see it, and she unknowingly took the hand of that pitiful woman. She found that both her mind and her vision had drifted far away as if they¡¯d been sucked in. When Evelyn first became conscious of her surroundings, she had been enveloped in darkness. [¡®Your Majesty¡­ it hurts so much¡­¡­.¡¯] She was able to picture herself crouching in the dark. [¡®I¡¯m so scared¡­¡­. No¡­.I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡¯] Her heart was beating fast, writhing in soreness. [¡®Why¡­¡­ did you leave me alone?¡­. Fa¡­ bian¡­¡­.¡¯] When she witnessed how miserable she was, it was difficult for Evelyn to look at herself. [¡®I¡¯m lonely, I¡¯m afraid ¡­¡­. It¡¯s too dark in here¡­¡­. Why aren¡¯t you by my side¡­ ¡­ .¡¯] Vaguely, she could hear Fabian¡¯s voiceing from afar. Evelyn, who was lost in the darkness, tried to say something, but it felt like her voice couldn¡¯t be heard by him. ¡°No.¡± Evelyn approached herself, who was crouching on the ground and weeping in the silence. She wanted to console herself; That¡¯s when she realized it was time to let go of her twisted memory and the pain she had been scared of. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Evelyn whispered to herself. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡­ not alone.¡± Although there was nothing she could change about her death in the past yet, she was still able to remedy something. ¡°Stop crying, and listen to his voice.¡± Perhaps, Evelyn returned to save herself from the pain of her tragic past. ¡°And open your eyes¡­¡­ He¡¯s looking for you.¡± If she could change thest moment of her life, she would, for both of them. Even if it was meaningless, she definitely wanted to. ¡°Fabian, he¡¯s there.¡± Slowly, the woman who was soaked in tears lifted her head. Little by little, transparently, the outside world began to show itself to her. Evelyn saw the very same thing as if she opened her own eyes. She saw Fabian¡¯s dark eyes, which were overflowing with heartbreaking grief. [¡®Evelyn, I¡¯m here. Here¡­¡­ I¡¯m here, please don¡¯t leave me.¡¯] Fabian cried as he clenched her dying hand. Evelyn¡¯s soul, which was previously divided into two, had fused into a single being in his sight. ¡°Fa¡­¡­bian.¡± The time magic that sent her back in time worked perfectly as she had hoped. When Evelyn¡¯s soul opened her eyes, she was already in the body of her previous life. ¡°Evelyn, are you awake? Are you able to see me? I¡¯m right here¡­.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes hurt as she peered at the face of her husband, someone she had once despised. She wanted to tell him a lot of things that she couldn¡¯t talk about. Even though she was in extreme pain and was unable to bear it. Just as her time was up, Evelyn had one final breath to utter one word. [¡®There are so many things I want to say¡­¡­.¡¯] They had plenty of time to spend together until they were 30. But they wasted a lot of precious time without ever conveying any meaningful words to each other. It was not someone¡¯s fault. It should not be used as an excuse to justify awkwardness and difficulty being honest. It¡¯s just, all this time, they failed to fully appreciate the value of their time together. ¡°Evelyn, I can¡¯t live without you.¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but true sadness. There seemed to be the same regrets in his heart as those of her. Regrets that led him into the darkness, where his rationality was swallowed in the depths of the abyss. It was an awfully momentary sacrifice before his blood-soaked insanity spread across the continent. ¡°Fa¡­bian.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening¡­.¡± Evelyn had no idea what to say if she could pick one word to tell. And though she knew that the past would not change, she could not keep herself from desiring what she genuinely wished. ¡°Evelyn?¡± [¡®Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry for misunderstanding and always hated you one-sidedly. Actually, I love you too.¡¯] [Really, I didn¡¯t want to break up. Maybe I¡¯ll miss you forever.] ¡°Please¡­ Forget me¡­.¡± Evelyn had already left her heart to Fabian in another world. So she gave herst breath to another ¡®him,¡¯ who would be all alone. Only then did her regretden chains that had been binding her heart wholly loosened up and disappeared without a trace. Yet, in her heart, there was something that felt very empty and sad. Then, Evelyn¡¯s breathing came to a full halt. And now, once again, they had separated for the umpteenth time. *** There¡¯s no darkness after her death, but instead, Evelyn saw an outpouring of light. And her fear of pain and death was starting to fade. ¡°Poor woman.¡± Evelyn was aware of the owner of the voice. ¡°You¡¯re here, David¡­..¡± The man with purple-iris eyes didn¡¯t conceal his shocked expression. ¡°No way ¡­ I¡¯ve already used the time magic ¡­¡­ how could this be? Who are you?¡± After a moment of speechlessness, David regained hisposure and was able to speak again. ¡°I¡¯m another Evelyn who existed in a world that was twisted by the time. I made some deal with you back then and came back.¡± ¡°Time magic cannot be used repeatedly, even if it is used, the perfection will¡­.wait, no¡­..¡± In David¡¯s eyes, there was a sense of confidence. Perhaps, something was disced and couldn¡¯t return to its original ce. Meaning that a particr circumstance urred where everything appeared to be falling apart. ¡°Do you mean, the end of what I am trying to do is not right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. But your magic didn¡¯t really seed. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± David didn¡¯t know that much about the human mind. Evelyn was still so resentful of him because he ended her rtionship, so she didn¡¯t want to see him again. Hecked the mental ability to grasp what it felt like to be in love. ¡°I never thought my presupposition woulde true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you who sent me back but you¡¯re not sure yourself ¡­.¡± ¡°So what should I do for you then? Are our ¡®purposes¡¯ still the same?¡± David had a quick understanding of the situation. He had it easy, just like a piece of cake for him. The way he thought and how he dealt were all just the same as he did in the past. It was the reason behind him using time magic. ¡°Yes. To avert the extinction of the continent, which is Fabian¡¯s only escape because of my death.¡± ¡°Then what you want me to do, or what I¡¯m supposed to do¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°Same.¡± Evelyn said as her wish was still the same, even though she had lived at different times now. ¡°But,¡­. don¡¯t erase my memories, because there¡¯s something I shouldn¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Back then, did I fail¡­¡­because I erased your memory?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡®And because, I don¡¯t want to erase it either.¡¯ Now it was David, however, who was confused by Evelyn¡¯s request, starting to wonder what had gotten into her. ¡°Listen. You can¡¯t turn back the time before Fabian and I met.¡± ¡°I expect there would be some error, but¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°Send me to a time when I was 20, a few years after I married him.¡± ¡°Can you erase your rtionship with him?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to erase it.¡± Even though it tormented her, Evelyn wanted to keep her rtionship with Fabian, however painful it might have been, for the rest of her life. ¡°Just send me back.¡± ¡°What will happen then?¡± ¡°I¡­ I will ask His Majesty for a divorce, and he will ept it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Evelyn nodded. At the time, they were both in their young. Their thought about marriage was too simplistic, so they were likely to end the rtionship with no trouble. ¡°After that ¡­¡­ I will hide my presence. Then, His Majesty will soon forget about me and live a different life. He¡¯s a cold man who can barely open his heart ¡­He will stay as steady as a rock even if he loses something precious.¡± Even so, whenever she thought of the life he would spend all alone, Evelyn felt pain in her heart. ¡°You said it was a deal. What deal did you make with me in another world?¡± ¡°Something more precious than my life.¡± David¡¯s eyes began to shake, but he quickly held his ground. It wasn¡¯t just a coincidence that they both had their own purposes. The magic of time. He already did it once. Another him had cast the magic spell at different times. ¡°If this is also fate¡­ I have no choice but to follow.¡± David followed the tide of flow, as Evelyn had expected, and he granted her wish. The only way to move forward was to return to the beginning. Chapter 149: The Beads Of Prophecy David¡¯s appearance remained the same, although everyone else around her seemed to be aging. ¡°You¡¯re real.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. To be honest, time magic is far too risky.¡± Even Evelyn, who knew nothing about magic, could understand because it didn¡¯t turn out the way David had wanted. ¡°There¡¯s only one chance¡­¡­.¡± David serenaded a low spell while holding a small bead of light in his arms. Evelyn swapped quiet nces with him. It wasn¡¯t astounding to her anymore. Because thendscape and people around her had alle to a halt like a painting after she died. ¡°It¡¯s magic created from the tower.¡± David paused for a moment, staring at the light beads, ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to use this spell.¡± Over time, both the tower and its guardians gradually lost their power. The evidence was in the fact that David had no sessor. ?That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t have much choice but to use this forbidden magic. ¡°Wait, could you give me some time?¡± Evelyn abruptly said something that grabbed David¡¯s attention. ¡°Your time has stopped here. Don¡¯t you see that?¡± Fabian¡¯s despairing face, the sobbing maids¡¯ expressions all ground to a standstill. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to take a moment to calm my heart.¡± ¡°Weird person¡­ I¡¯ve never understood the way you think.¡± Evelyn had been impatient ever since Adrian was poisoned, so she always struggled to breathe at all times. It¡¯s silly, but her impatience faded as time had stopped due to her death. After all, this was solely her choice. ¡°If you send me back by time magic, I can¡¯te back again, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°First of all¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to look at something more closely.¡± Before she even heard David¡¯s response, Evelyn approached Fabian, who was kneeling next to her frozen body. Likewise, the 30-year-old Fabian didn¡¯t look like he was eaten by the passage of time. On the other hand, his body appeared to be much more sturdy, and his facial features seemed to be manlier. ¡°I wish I could spend more time with him. Noble status, pride¡­ It¡¯s all for naught. Why am I so scared, like a fool?¡± Regret seemed to be a never-ending cycle. Though the two of them had many chances to talk with one another. Evelyn couldn¡¯t reach out to him first because she was afraid of hurting herself. It was toote for her to realize how trivial it was in a marriage and in a couple rtionship. ¡°Does that matter? Anyway, that man will forget everything. If you disappear from the axis of time, everything will never happen¡­¡­ So why do you still have regrets?¡± ¡°Because I will always remember him.¡± Evelyn replied while reaching out her hand to Fabian. His sad look, which seemed to be on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment, didn¡¯t suit him. Evelyn wanted to wrap her arms around him andfort him once more. She tried to calm him by sweeping her hand over his cheek. But her touch only could brush Fabian unterally at this frozen moment. ¡°All that happened in this time dimension will be forgotten. And all of the memories would be the same as delusion.¡± ¡°But I will always remember.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t live without memories of Fabian and Adrian, no matter how painful it was. It was enough for her to live her life as long as those memories remained in her heart, even if only she could remember them. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever be able to let go of your feelings for him.¡± David¡¯s words were too convincing for Evelyn to refute as he said logical things in his argument. ¡°Time magic is life threatening. If you have some doubt in your heart, even if it is just for a moment, you could get lost forever in the axis of time. I don¡¯t want that to happen; After all, it was never my intention to send you there.¡± ¡°But no matter which time axis I return to. I¡¯ll do the same.¡± ¡°Evelyn, a poor woman and the wife of the Emperor. ¡­ Do you have ¡®something precious¡¯ there?¡± David couldn¡¯t have sent the weak-hearted Evelyn back to the past without any preparation, and now he could pretty much find out why. ¡°You had sent me before¡­¡­ But, because your magic isn¡¯t perfect, I went back to when I was 20 years old.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said that.¡± ¡°After that, I asked His Majesty to divorce and leave ¡­¡­ at that time I was pregnant.¡± David raised his eyebrows, his freezing purple eyes trembling, ¡°The child shouldn¡¯t exist in the first ce.¡± Evelyn gave him a resentful look. ¡°That¡¯s why you used him as a pawn and tried to kill him with demon¡¯s poison,¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s more precious than your life?¡± ¡°My child¡¯s life. My child there is dying of poison. I promised to return to the past with all of my memories to save him and then disappear. Because you said there was no problem as long as the Emperor and I didn¡¯t meet again.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ ¡­ I guess.¡± David silently nodded. ¡°Even so, you still have lingering feelings. What guarantee do you have that you won¡¯t do anything if you go back to the past without erasing your memories?¡± Evelyn swiveled around to look at David when she realized she hadn¡¯t given it much thought. Returning to the past with all of her memories caused David a great deal of trepidation. So he thought it was hazardous as Evelyn already knew everything that would happen in the future. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll leave your memories intact ¡­ without any guarantees.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Evelyn nodded helplessly. Her fear, which had been lurking in the depths of her heart for a long time, vaguely started to arise. ¡°We¡¯re happy. ¡­¡­But, I can assure you that the thing you¡¯re afraid of will not happen. Because it only happens when he¡¯s depressed and feeling hopeless.¡± David wasn¡¯t a nice guy. He could be considered an enemy as well. He was a man who never judged a situation based on his personal feelings. His way of thinking was logical, and his sole goal was to prevent the Emperor¡¯s madness, which he believed would ur. And Evelyn began having an uneasy and peculiar feeling after that. ¡°But you used every trick to seperate me from His Majesty. Then you chose my son as a target¡­ you used the demons to kill him so that we could break up as enemies.¡± Since they didn¡¯t know each other¡¯s true feelings, that heartbreaking incident took ce. If Adrian had died because of the demon assault at that time after Fabian had forced him to do parental identification, Evelyn surely wouldn¡¯t have forgiven Fabian. ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to go back in time¡­ with memories and convince me¡­ to create a new future where the child is alive?¡± ¡°As long as Your Majesty does not love me, then, your goal will be achieved. And maybe you don¡¯t even want to kill that innocent child again if there¡¯s another way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have such a feeling.¡± David cut her words coldly. ¡°Another you¡­¡­ He told me to look at the truth.¡± That raspy voice, whispering in Evelyn¡¯s ear, kept ringing and couldn¡¯t be erased from her head. ¡®Go, see and hear the truth.¡¯ ¡®And ept your fate.¡¯ She was more or less aware of the terrifying fact that her return to the present through time magic had already altered several things and that everything about herself would be changed. ¡°Truth..huh? That¡¯s the truth.¡± David fixed his eyes on Fabian, who stayed stagnant in ce. ¡°When you see the truth, all of your remaining feelings will disappear.¡± The present David hadn¡¯t lost his abilities, so he explicitly showed Evelyn what another David in another timeline couldn¡¯t. And no one could remain silent when they saw that glimpse of the scene. ¡°That man, The man you looked at with such wistfulness, the Emperor ¡­ ¡­ is someone who doesn¡¯t deserve your sadness.¡± With beads of light floating in the air, David walked up to Evelyn, who refused to leave Fabian¡¯s side. ¡°What I do is always right, and I never make a mistake. So¡­¡­ all I have to do now is show you the truth. And you will be able to understand anything.¡± David flicked his fingertips through the air, and a tiny bead of light appeared in front of him. The light bead was very small and not as big as the first one, but it gave off a mystical atmosphere. ¡°If you want, I¡¯ll show you then¡­..The ugly truth.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was suddenly soaked with hesitancy. But she feltpelled to find out why she had to ept this fate. Why she had to abandon the two men she loved and why she had to go through the pain. ¡°¡­¡­Show me. I¡¯ll see the truth, no matter how ugly it is.¡± In response to what she said, David raised his finger, and three tiny beads of light floated between Evelyn and Fabian. ¡°As you wish.¡± One bead exploded along with his answer, dyeing the view in white light, and then disappeared. Evelyn saw Fabian moving again after the bright white realm surrounding them was gradually wiped away. ¡®¡­¡­No.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s figure and voice looked like a clipped recording from somewhere she couldn¡¯t reach. That might exin why that low voice didn¡¯t sound like him. ¡®No ¡­¡­ this is not real.¡¯ The death of Evelyn was too hard for him to bear. ¡®Your Majesty, I apologize¡­ ¡­ The Empress¡­ she¡¯s already passed¡­.I..¡± ¡®Brugh¡­!¡¯ Philip¡¯s neck fell to the floor and rolled around at an unfathomable pace before he could finish his sentence. The maids then let out a terrified cry. But the screams andmotion didn¡¯tst long because Fabian ughtered everyone in the room with his sword in a matter of seconds. ¡®Evelyn, tell me.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s face was sttered with blood, and his eyes were empty as he frowned at Evelyn¡¯s dead body. ¡®Is the world a better ce without you?¡¯ Evelyn shook her head without realizing it. ¡°Fabian¡­ no..¡­ please, don¡¯t do that.¡± She had felt terrible fear up to this moment, but this wasn¡¯t at all what she had imagined. She had known for a long time that Fabian had a dark side of him. Yet, at this phase, he didn¡¯t seem to be human. His deep ck eye glistened heartlessly like obsidian, and in the midst of it, an ember of madness could be seen, which emitted an ominous light. ¡®Yes, what¡¯s wrong is this world.¡¯ Evelyn couldn¡¯t face it any longer. ¡®Evelyn, don¡¯t worry¡­.. I¡­¡­I can do it. I¡¯ll fix this wrong thing.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s lips screwed dreadfully. ¡°No. Fabian, no¡­¡­.¡± Despite her hoarse wails, Fabian couldn¡¯t hear Evelyn, who was on a different time axis. Evelyn was only able to see him and hear his voice. But she was unable to intervene but sigh deeply because she couldn¡¯t stop him. ¡®So wait for me¡­.¡± Ctaar¡­. A bolt of lightning struck the dry ground. The reflection of Fabian¡¯s side face, which illuminated coldly within the thunderp, became a forerunner of the continent¡¯s impending copse. ¡®I¡¯m going to fix everything right ande to get you.¡¯ Fabian swept Evelyn¡¯s face with his bleeding hands. When her fair skin became dirty, stained with traces of blood, he lifted the tail of his mouth and smiled in an unusual way. The figure of Evelyn, who had already died, ¡­.. wasn¡¯t reflected in his eyes. ¡®Yes, until the end of this world¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ For him, the world seemed to be dead and had lost its lightness. ¡®It won¡¯t take long¡­.. you only need to sleep for a while, Evelyn,¡¯ ¡®What is the world like in Fabian¡¯s eyes now?¡¯ Evelyn shuddered at the thought of imagining something. Fabian stormed out of the room, dragging his sword like a man possessed by a demon. The voice of people screamed in terror could be heard along the corridor where he was walking. ¡°Fabian don¡¯t..!¡± Evelyn shrieked, the room suddenly went pitch ck, and no more cries could be heard. When she looked up, she saw David staring at her with the two remaining beads of light. ¡°This is the truth. When I don¡¯t interfere that¡¯s what the man you love will do. Is that vile person still deserving of your sympathy?¡± ¡°But, he looked very sad¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care about other people¡¯s lives? What a selfish woman.¡± Evelyn¡¯s feeling was ripped apart by what David had said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, you¡¯re willing to do anything for your child, but you treat other people¡¯s lives so differently.¡± Evelyn had no choice but to admit it that humankind was a frail being. A cowardly and faint-hearted being who always wished to be there for their loved ones until the very end, she was no exception. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll show you the uglier truth.¡± After he finished speaking, the second bead began to light up. Chapter 150: At The End Of The World There was a howling gust of wind, and Evelyn had fallen into the ground unconsciously. The view of her eyes became tainted with red blood when Fabian¡¯s army advanced ahead without reluctance. Regardless of whether they were parents or children, the civilians who ran to cross the frontier were confronted with swords and spears from the military forces. ¡®Don¡¯t stop!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t even close to bing a war. It was a savagely one-sided massacre. ¡®I will kill those of you who stop.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s hands were soaking damp with blood. Nobody knew how long he had been ughtering his people, but his face was devoid of life. Just his eyes shone brightly on a face that brushed by a suffocating breeze that smelled of blood. ¡®Kill them! All, kill all of them!¡¯ The fiery embers in his dark eyes grew more vivid every time he saw blood. The brutality and madness that unfolded in front of her eyes were well beyond Evelyn¡¯s imagination, who had never experienced war. The carnage she saw now was nothing like the battlefield story she had always heard. The body of a young boy was mercilessly stabbed by thence of Fabian¡¯s soldier. And hundreds of spear throws swooped down like rain over the open field. ¡®This isn¡¯t a war! This isn¡¯t the way the world should be. It¡¯s me, the Emperor, who would put an end to it all!¡¯ ¡°Stop! Stop it!¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t stand looking at it any longer, but her voice was unable to reach him. Fabian mounted his majestic steed and galloped off. The bodies of those who had been killed piled up along the way he had passed, forming a mountain. A few stray res of fire that lit up the battlefield also scattered everywhere. ¡°Stop!!!¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to see it anymore!¡± Through the pleas, the horrifying scenario persisted. Fabian scorched everything in front of him into ashes in mes. Evelyn gobbled up and lost her mind as if a dagger had stabbed her chest when Fabian sliced the throat of a mother escaping with her toddler, who was the same age as Adrian. ¡°Will you still have sympathy for him¡­..after the death of people like this?¡± David looked at Evelyn once again. ¡°He¡¯s an insane emperor; he has never changed since the beginning, and he has tried for several years to curb his murderous hunger.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes were drawn to thest memory bead that floated in front of her. ¡°Are you keen to continue watching? This is the end of his despair.¡± Without the chance to shake her head, Evelyn was swept further into anotherndscape. She closed her eyes, hoping she didn¡¯t see another terrifying scene. But unlike the previous two, now she sensed nothing, only a silence, with no sound. ¡°¡­.. It¡¯s over ¡­?¡± Evelyn flinched and opened her eyes in fear. In front of her eyes, she saw an endlessndmass of the forest. The massacre seemed to have ended. Because there was not a single Fabian army in that ce as far as the eye could see. Only one ramshackle tower surrounded by trees and riddled in roots could be found in the middle of it. ¡°This is the end?¡± Only then she realized the Emperor¡¯s gruesome ughter had been all she could think of during this time. Even so, she never thought about what might happen after that. Evelyn¡¯s heart began to pound at an unpleasantly quick rhythm. As in the distance, she saw a man with an exhausted and messy look dragging his heavy body forcibly closer to the tower in the wilderness. ¡°That¡¯s¡­..¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and she broke down crying at once. The dying person returning from the underworld seemed to be in a far better condition than he was. As she saw him, her tears were falling apart, pouring the seams of indescribable emotions. It was Fabian. That noble and beautiful man now had the look of a demon. He shrouded with blood and dust all over his body, from head to toes. ¡°Fabian¡­why did you have to go this far¡­?¡± Evelyn continued to speak to him in a voice that he couldn¡¯t hear. Fabian barely stood up when he reached the front of the tower after dragging his exhausted body too far. He staggered down and knelt on the ground. Evelyn just realized after that, what she saw the whole time was the scene from someone else¡¯s perspective. David¡­. ¡®This world ¡­.will end in this ce.¡¯ Fabian said in a poignant voice. ¡®Are you the guardian of the tower?¡¯ After the countless killings he did, nothing had left in him¡ªonly a realm of darkness and unending torment that devoured his soul. ¡®I¡¯m an Emperor who rules the people. But¡­.. I¡¯m really tired right now¡­..My ancestors supposedly did the same thing. It wasn¡¯t a rumor; it was a proven fact. I think I know now¡­ Though my body is already drained, the rage and madness inside me kept welling up because I could no longer kill people. I can¡¯t resist murdering people, but I can¡¯t put an end to my own life either. I can¡¯t stand this pain anymore.¡¯ As the scene shown by the second light bead, Fabian couldn¡¯t count how many times he replicated his genocide until his appearance was no longer looked like a human being. He then ced his gaze on his empty hand. Even if he were reborn, the bloodstains on his palm would linger forever. ¡®Guardian of the Tower, just like you promised to my ancestors¡­¡­.Please save me now. Please put an end to this raging madness and the curse that¡¯s coursing through my veins.¡¯ Fabian dipped down to his knees and begged for help. The man who had once been above all else had now easily relinquished his dignity. ¡®No matter how many people I kill ¡­ this hole in my heart can never be sealed and tightly closed.¡¯ It was the death of his wife. A chain in a motion of many deaths and terrifying screams, everything began with Evelyn¡¯s death. ¡®I can¡¯t stand the thought of her passing away. I can¡¯t ept her death for the rest of my life¡­..So please help me¡­..If the tower¡¯s magic really exists, please save this world from an insane Emperor like me. ¡­¡­.Please erase my horrific existence off the face of this world¡­.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s wish for the end of the world wasn¡¯t as one would expect. Evelyn shut her eyes tight, so she couldn¡¯t look any further. Fortunately, thest bead onlysted a short time. So when she reopened her eyes, Evelyn was transported back to the time when things stopped after she passed away on her bed. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ this will happen to the other time axis too?¡± ¡°No, the three visions you¡¯ve just witnessed are the beads of prophecy. It hasn¡¯t happened yet, but if you leave it like this, it¡¯ll be a scene of what the future will bring.¡± Evelyn¡¯s tears flowed again as she turned her gaze to Fabian¡¯s face, which had been frozen by the side of her dead body. She still couldn¡¯t believe that such a gentle and kind man would be so devastated. ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t understand you. Do you still feel sad for him?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t me him¡­.. It¡¯s not his fault that he has cursed-blood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But still¡­..It doesn¡¯t change the fact ¡­.¡± David imed tly. ¡°Originally, the Emperor¡¯s ancestors were a little different from ordinary humans. The insanity of the Emperor¡¯s descendants had been sessfully sealed. It¡¯s just that when the man named Fabian rose to power, the seal in his blood began to loose gradually as the tower¡¯s magic started to weaken.¡± ¡°Then you just have to lend your power just like the tower did to his ancestors.¡± ¡°The cursed seal of the Emperor¡¯s blood wouldn¡¯t be broken if I have the power to do so¡­ Even if I use all of my power, I¡¯m still unable to stop it. Furthermore, it seems that this world no longer needs a guardian.¡± ¡°So you want a massacre to ur? Isn¡¯t it something that can be avoided?¡± With a shake of his head, David expressed his irritation, as it¡¯s difficult for humans like Evelyn to understand the current situation in the first ce. ¡°I did forbidden things and used time sorcery because of that prophecy. Now, if you unleash this stopped time, everything you saw will be a reality.¡± Evelyn frowned. For a long time, she seemed to have been mistaken. She was too conceited to believe she could alter the oue. This wasn¡¯t a catastrophe that could have been avoided with human intervention, and she made a decision without realizing it. ¡°So, you were after my child¡¯s life¡­¡­because you saw that.¡± His violet eyes were filled with unfamiliar emotions as he stared at Evelyn. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­¡­ don¡¯t you already know?¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes glowed with sadness for a brief moment. ¡°Your soul ¡­. you¡¯ve felt it. From the very beginning ¡­¡­ since the time in this ce has ground to a stop.¡± ¡°¡­.. I¡¯m dead¡­.¡± David was deafeningly silent before he opened his mouth. ¡°No matter how many times you turn back the time and repeat it¡­..You will die¡­.¡± Sometimes, Evelyn was afraid of her own feelings. Why did David have to be so persistent? Why was he so adamant about keeping her away from Fabian? Even if the time were flipped back and all was different, her fear of dying at thirty would remain in Evelyn¡¯s mind. ¡°Do you mean that¡­ my lifespan doesn¡¯t change no matter how many times I turn back the time?¡± ¡°It will remain the same,¡± David answered without hesitation. ¡°Is that the fate you¡¯ve been talking about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But the lifespan of a woman named Evelyn won¡¯t change. The allotted time to live your life is only 30 years.¡± That¡¯s when a puzzle piece Evelyn never wanted to insert finally appeared connected one piece to the other. She had to leave Fabian. No, to be more precise, it was Fabian who had to erase his love for her before she left him forever. ¡°Even if I borrow the power of the tower ¡­¡­ I still can¡¯t change it. I¡¯m sorry that your life is so short.¡± Evelyn nodded her head slowly. ¡°I ¡­ won¡¯t regret it.¡± Even though the truth was heart was now packed with a slew of regrets. She came here for Adrian, but she also couldn¡¯t leave Fabian like that. Even more so if she looked at the countless innocent lives that would die in his hands. ¡°Are you sure you would do well if you go back in time?¡± ¡± That heinous disaster must never be allowed to happen.¡± ¡°We think the same.¡± He said, with violet-colored pupils overflowing with rare emotion. ¡°Promise me¡­.. that you will let my child live.¡± ¡°¡­.Hah¡­.I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing this now¡­I will.¡± David no longer resembled the bad guy, an image that had once been associated with him. So Evelyn wanted to uphold her promise as well since David had vowed to save Adrian¡¯s life. ¡°Would you like to go now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± David swung his arm as if he were dispelling the view. The Empress¡¯s room disappeared, and thendscape surrounding them changed into a small attic. ¡°I¡¯d love to be here¡­¡­ I think I know why I came back through this attic.¡± It was the attic above the Empress¡¯s bedroom, where Evelyn had been for the first time a while ago. ¡°Did youe through this ce? Then, I have to open the time-gap here.¡± Evelyn just nodded slightly, even though she didn¡¯t know how the time axis ovepped with one another. ¡°There¡¯s definitely a small gap over there too. It looks like it¡¯s still connected.¡± David muttered, but Evelyn couldn¡¯t hear his self-talk very well. Because the terrifying scene she had seen before still loomed over her mind. ¡± David, since I will go back with my memories, I¡¯ll probably see you there.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ I guess so. I¡¯m still a guardian. Another me will always help you for the same purpose.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have feelings?¡± ¡°The guardian only has one purpose in his life.¡± ¡°To follow fate and keep the bnce?¡± David had a strange expression on his face, but it appeared to be more of a faint smile. ¡°You must have heard it from another me¡­.Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you human too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little different. Just like the Emperor¡¯s bloodline.¡± ¡°I envy you for being able to live your life with just one purpose in mind. Always¡­ your purpose and beliefs are never shaken.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes loaded with grief again when she remembered Fabian. She knew the massacre wasn¡¯t right, and she also knew that each of the countless lost lives was just as precious as Adrian¡¯s. There was no room for Fabian to be forgiven. If God existed, heaven wouldn¡¯t open its door for his soul forever. ¡°You can always think rationally, and I envy that.¡± Evelyn¡¯s heart had been shattered, and transparent tears kept flowing down her cheeks. At the end of the world, even though he had be an unforgivable sinner, she desperately wished to hug Fabian-who was kneeling in the wilderness before everything began to crumble into pieces. ¡°You¡¯re still crying for that person, even after seeing him turn into a demon?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± David was confronted with a pair of blue eyes that were fixed on him. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s bloodline is the sin itself.¡± ¡°No matter how great his sin ¡­ ¡­ no matter how grave his crime ¡­ ¡­ he¡¯s the only husband I have who has made the marriage vows to me.¡± David¡¯s brows were furrowed, and he had a weird expression on his face. ¡°But the Emperor is a very sinful person.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t answer, and David took her silence as an answer and stepped closer to her with arge bead of light that glistened so brightly. He ced the bead between them, and it grew bigger along with the sound of his low murmurs of spells. The portal-door to the dimension of time for Evelyn to return to the past would open soon, and she couldn¡¯te back again forever. Chapter 151: Strongest Fate. Fabian felt that his life was on the verge of dying and would drop dead at any time soon. He didn¡¯t know how long time had passed since he had leaped into the magic circle pattern to pursue Evelyn. Fortunately, his exceptional physical strength that ran through his blood, as well as his strong mentality, held him awake and allowed him to sense the existence of his spirit. ¡°I ¡­¡­ Yes, I¡¯m looking for Evelyn.¡± As his body began to shudder violently, his memories that had once been shattered had now been reassembled. Fabian could see bright lights glistening in the distance, but he couldn¡¯t get near enough to reach it. But somehow, he had nostalgic feelings that were tinged with a deep sense of longing, and he believed Evelyn was there. ¡°Evelyn¡­.¡± There was a strong desire driving him to go there when he recalled Evelyn¡¯s sad eyes saying goodbye. Never, for thest time, he couldn¡¯t let Evelyn cry alone in an unfamiliar ce. ¡°No matter what, I can¡¯t sacrifice you.¡± The Emperor¡¯s title was meaningless for him, as he was a husband and a father first. So if someone had to make a sacrifice, it was him, not Evelyn or Adrian. ¡°Evelyn¡­..¡± Fabian couldn¡¯t see or listen to her voice. Still, he could sense her presence. But at the same time, the interfering sound, on the other side, constantly fazed his ears. (¡®Your Majesty¡­ pleasee back!¡¯) (¡®Emperor, at this rate you will wander forever in eternal time!¡¯) Serus and David¡¯s voices could be heard from a long way far, but Fabian ignored them and continued on his way to the light. The closest he was to the light, the signs of Evelyn¡¯s presence grew more pronounced. Fabian overheard two voices having conversations, although he couldn¡¯t grasp their stories. Nevertheless, he knew that Evelyn¡¯s voice was filled with deep grief. ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡­like a demon¡­¡­that man¡­¡­.Emperor¡­¡­ bloodline, sin¡­¡­in itself.¡± Although Fabian could only hear David¡¯s intermittent voice, he was aware that those words were aimed at him. He hadn¡¯t said anything wrong, but Fabian struggled to hold back Evelyn¡¯s sadness that seeped into his heart. ¡®Even if he¡¯s a sinner¡­¡­.¡¯ When he could hear Evelyn¡¯s voice, Fabian got even more concentrated on listening carefully to what they were saying. ¡®¡­¡­¡­because he¡¯s my only husband.¡¯ At that very moment, suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s figure emerged in front of his eyes. But when Fabian attempted to reach her out, someone¡¯s voice from somewhere distracted his hearing. (¡®¡­¡­Your Majesty! ) Again, Serus¡¯ obnoxious voice yelled something at him. (¡®Emperor ¡­¡­ your hands ¡­¡­.¡¯) That moment, Fabian¡¯s body was unexpectedly struck by something solid when he tried to dismiss David¡¯s voice, which he no longer wanted to hear. His left arm, which he had been unable to sense since he became a spirit, was abruptly consumed by extreme heat, feeling as if it were burning. They did something to his body in the real world, and Fabian began to experience pain. Vaguely, a faint limp hand appeared in his sight. It was his hand that was soaked with blood. ¡°No, I can¡¯t go back alone.¡± Fabian made a wager with himself and rubbed his bloodied left hand on his chest. And his body part was seen after he smeared it with his blood. It was just; he felt a terrible headache as Evelyn¡¯s figure before his eyes became more vivid. But¡­.. he didn¡¯t want to stop there. ¡°Evelyn!¡± His cries, which reverberated across the silent ce, could not reach the barrier that separated them. Instead, he saw Evelyn¡¯s face messing with tears even more, along with David¡¯s staring coldly at her. ¡®The Emperor is a sinner¡­.¡¯ That hoarse made Fabian grit his teeth. ¡°Serus!! If you can hear me, stab me harder!!!¡± Did Serus hear my voice? When Fabian endured extreme dizziness to the extent that he nearly fainted, he was sure that it was his blood that jolted him awake. So, there was only one chance. He only had one chance to take Evelyn as David, at the exact moment, hadmenced a lowly chanting of his spell. It dawned on Fabian that this was hisst chance. ¡°Now!! I need more blood !!!!¡± His left arm was stabbed once again by a sharp pain. Hot blood gushed out of his body, drenching him entirely. And, at longst, Fabian¡¯s spirit, which had seemed blurry at first, appeared visible now. ¡°¡­¡­ You ¡­¡­ how could you ¡­¡­.¡± David¡¯s voice quivered when he saw Fabian unexpectedly arise in front of him. ¡°Yes, the Emperor is a sinner by nature, just as you said.¡± Fabian squeezed his lips tight and fixed his eyes on him. ¡°I¡¯ll ept that.¡± He reached out his bloodied hands and pulled Evelyn into his embrace. ¡°But I won¡¯t be a sinful man.¡± ¡°Fa¡­bian? Is that you? ¡± Evelyn said something startling in a shaky voice, while David was also lost for words in a situation he hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°I¡¯ming to get you.¡± Fabian¡¯s blood kept dripping from his left hand and flowed down Evelyn¡¯s shoulder. The Imperial family¡¯s blood, which was shed by Fabian himself in the real world, was the only blood in this world that had the immense power to break beyond time boundaries. ¡°Evelyn, let¡¯s go back. I¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want tomit a sin for leaving my wife first.¡± His condition couldn¡¯tst for too long since his original body was losing a lot of blood. But Fabian was hell-bent on getting Evelyn back home at all costs, even though it meant sacrificing his own life. ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me a sinner.¡± His deep voice rang desperately in Evelyn¡¯s ear. ¡°Fabian, this is an unavoidable choice. You¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Even if I have to give up my life, I won¡¯t leave you to walk alone on the lonely road.¡± Fabian cradled her back in his arms even stronger, and Evelyn cautiously grasped his left hand with a pale face after she realized the identity of the liquid that damped her. ¡°Fabian¡­¡­ what did you do¡­?¡± ¡°I can do anything for you.¡± The air surrounding them was slowly rolling. The two were hugging each other tightly, engulfed by the vtile wind currents. ¡°No ¨C there¡¯s no way something like this could have happened!¡± David shouted out of breath, but he could no longer see the gap separating them. ¡°Stop you two! Your soul can perish! If you stop now ¡­ ¡­!¡± After ensuring that he would never be able to touch them, with his usual haughty stern gaze, Fabian looked at David. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare order me¡±? Evelyn couldn¡¯t believe it when his low voice touched her back. She witnessed a little while before how Fabian was stained in blood like a dead person, and now, she could feel the warmth of her beloved husband. ¡°Let¡¯s go back together, Evelyn.¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the tears or the blood that ran down through her dress. But she was gratified to know that Fabian was still alive as a human being. ¡°I made a promise to you. I won¡¯t let you go again.¡± The man who embraced her now wasn¡¯t the bloodthirsty demon she had seen from the prophetic beads. Evelyn slowly drew her eyes closed. The two were sucked into the time-vortex by the swirling air. Her consciousness faded gradually¡­ and then vanished in the cascade of time. ¡°¡­¡­I won¡¯t let you go no matter what.¡± Fabian¡¯s whispering vow was everything she could hear and remember. It was a promise. And the desire of a man born with the world¡¯s strongest fate. *** The sight that unfolded in that cramped attic was quite terrifying. ¡°Oh, seriously, your Emperor is such aloose-cannon¡­¡­¡± David was speechless. ¡°What the hell is he thinking¡­¡­!¡± His critical gaze turned to Serus, who remained lifeless as a statue, gazing nkly at the sword stuck in Fabian¡¯s body. He didn¡¯t hesitate to stab his de squarely onto his master¡¯s body after he abruptly heard the Emperor¡¯s scream from afar. ¡°If your Emperor dies, everything is done. This continent is over ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°His Majesty won¡¯t die.¡± Fabian¡¯s body, which had been stabbed by the sword, began to twitch into convulsions due to the heavy bleeding gushing out of his wound. ¡°Why ¡­¡­¡­ Princess Evelyn¡¯s sacrifice was ultimately in vain. Why are humans so stupid?¡± David took a seat, muttering something cryptic. Fabian Blood, which had flooded the whole floor surface, tasted like poison to him and painfully drained his life. ¡°Why¡­you asked¡­?¡± Someone¡¯s unexpected voice suddenly resounded. The next moment, after David lifted his head in bewilderment, Fabian¡¯s fist flew in andnded hard on his face. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡­ stay away from me¡±. Fabian seemed to be holding something in his arms. That blood-stained translucent thing resembled a woman in appearance. And after a brief moment of confusion, they realized it was Evelyn. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re bleeding too much.¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡­ just a little more¡­.¡± Fabian groaned in pain as he continued to thrust the sword deeper into his wound. Evelyn¡¯s silhouette, drenched in red blood that flooded like a pool, became even more visible, and she urred in his arms. ¡°Nonsense.¡± David was starting to have doubts about his eyesight. Evelyn, who had been jumped and lost through the pir of time, was now lying in Fabian¡¯s embrace, as he witnessed. Furthermore, her soul and body inexplicably returned to their original states as perfectly as before in a matter of seconds. ¡°What have you done? How could humans interfere the ti- ¡­¡­.¡± However, David¡¯s words were cut off as soon as Evelyn breathed out violently. ¡°Evelyn¡­? Evelyn!¡± Fabian looked at Evelyn, whoid in his arms. ¡°Fabian¡­.¡± Miraculously, Evelyn opened her eyes in Fabian¡¯s arms. At the moment their eyes met each other, Fabian realized that his reckless gambling had seeded. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± As a sigh of relief flowed, and his whole body was relieved. ¡°Thank God.¡± Fabian¡¯s voice sounded weak and powerless. Serus soon approached him and tried to stop his bleeding in a hurry. But Evelyn had not yet figured out what was going on around her. ¡°Fa¡­¡­Bian?¡± Tuk..tuk¡­. Something damp and sticky was wetting Evelyn¡¯s body all over. That red thing kept dripping down without stopping¡­¡­hot¡­¡­ Fabian¡¯s vision began to blur, and his consciousness began to shatter rapidly. ¡°Fabian!¡± ¡°Fine¡­.. I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± Fabianforted Evelyn despite his bloodied appearance. ¡°Just¡­.. I¡¯m tired¡­ ¡­ I want to sleep a little¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°No, Fabian! Open your eyes! Please wake up!¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes began to close despite Evelyn¡¯s pleading ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep a little¡­¡­you won¡¯t leave in the meantime, won¡¯t you?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t even look straight at her husband¡¯s face because he kept on crying. ¡°Leaving you? ¡­¡­ where will I go¡­.?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know what she was saying? Even though she was determined to save Adrian, she would be a heartless person if she left Fabian now. ¡°I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll stay here.¡± When he heard Evelyn¡¯s answer, a peaceful smile adorned the edge of Fabian¡¯s lips. ¡°Never¡­. I¡¯ll never leave you again.¡± With tears in her eyes, Evelyn couldn¡¯t imagine how she could live her life after burying the memories of her husband? It is impossible. If Fabian didn¡¯t chase after her and bring her back, Evelyn would have gone crazy. ¡°So, just for a moment ¡­¡­ Promise me; you will only sleep a little and wake up soon.¡± Evelyn hugged Fabian, who had already closed her eyes, said mournfully. ¡°I¡¯ll be here¡­¡­.¡± Tuk¡­tuk¡­ Evelyn¡¯s tears fell on Fabian¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t sleep too long¡­¡­ you have to save our child, and you said you wouldn¡¯t leave me alone¡­..¡± Evelyn said with her voice hovering in the air hollowly. **** ¡°Princess, excuse me.¡± Serus pulled Fabian from Evelyn¡¯s embrace, and before long, several people walked in and immediately gave first aid. David was again arrested and dragged outside. The fainted Fabian wasid in Evelyn¡¯s bedroom and immediately was treated by Sir Philip. Evelyn, who was sitting and daydreaming for a moment, suddenly pped herself on the cheek. -It¡¯s not the time to mourn- ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°Serus, tell me about His Majesty¡¯s condition!¡± Even though Evelyn was a mess of blood and tears, her dignity was still shone. ¡°We can minimize the stab wounds on his hands, but he has already lost a lot of blood. But I believe in his body¡¯s resilience because His Majesty is the strongest person on this continent.¡± Serus spoke silently. Evelyn wanted to believe it, too, for now. ¡°David, you¡¯re wrong.¡± Evelyn¡¯s blue eyes turned coldly towards David. Chapter 152: Blood Covenant David stared nkly at Evelyn with his purplish-stony eyes. ¡°Everything I do is the truth ¡­. you¡¯re the one who knows nothing.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to make herself look cowardly anymore and stood right in front of David. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know anything about destiny, and I don¡¯t want to know. All I know is that I want to live and die as a human, protect myself and my family.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t want to die in loneliness as a ¡°future person¡±. She couldn¡¯t imagine how she would spend her life if she were really alone. ¡°And how weird. If you wanted to separate us because of fate ¡­ Why would you let us meet in the first ce? Didn¡¯t you say that everything you did was always correct? Doesn¡¯t that mean that our marriage was also fate?¡± This time, it¡¯s David¡¯s turn to get his mouth closed as he didn¡¯t know what to say in reaction to Evelyn¡¯s question. ¡°Save my child.¡± David started to blink his pupils. ¡°You still have power left, don¡¯t you? Save my child. Right here, right now.¡± ¡°From your words, it seems that you want to say that I have no other choice.¡± ¡°Yes, you do look at humans with only one eye. You have no idea how strong human¡¯s love and bonding can be.¡± David could only nod weakly. To this stage, he had noprehension of why Fabian had acted in such a careless way. Evelyn was the same, even though she was the child¡¯s mother; why was this woman so keen to get rid of him only for the sake of a child? ¡°Even so, saving your child is not the best option. And although your child survives and goes on to be the next Emperor, you still¡­..¡± He didn¡¯t want to carry out any further words. ¡°My lifespan is just 30 years?¡± ¡°You do know that. The triggers for the bloody tragedy won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care; save my child first. I want His Majesty to be able to hug his healthy son when he wakes up.¡± Evelyn spoke without even hesitating. Then Liam arrived a few minutester and gave her a weing smile. She was happy to see his face but tried to conceal her excitement so that her face wouldn¡¯t reveal her true feelings. ¡°Liam, take this person to Adrian¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess¡­¡­But, Princess¡­¡­ Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine; His Majesty is the only one who has been hurt. I couldn¡¯t leave His Majesty¡¯s side, so I want Sir Liam and Reba to step in for me¡­ please help me keep an eye on him while he¡¯s treating Adrian.¡± ¡°Please leave it to me.¡± Evelyn felt relieved that she had a friend whom she could depend on and trust. ¡°David, if you need something during a treatment, just tell them to bring it to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Can we put our trust in that person?¡± ¡°¡­.. I don¡¯t believe him either. But for the time being, we only need to keep an eye on him.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s your decision, there¡¯s no need to question it.¡± Liam gave her a gentle smile, trying to soothe her feelings. ¡°I will ensure the recovery of Prince Adrian.¡± Evelyn felt better to see Liam¡¯s kind and caring gaze. At this moment, she could only depend on him. Since her father, King Felice, and her mother had too much on their te to care for Adrian. ¡°Thank you so much; I entrust everything to you.¡± Evelyn turned around and saw the tied-up David. ¡°I know what the world will look like in the future. No¡­ I¡¯ve seen it. If your only goal up to this point is to prevent the tragedy, then you and I share the same purpose. First and foremost, save my son. And don¡¯t ever think about doing it your way. This is my problem. So¡­¡­ I¡¯ll find the way out with my own both hands.¡± The violet color in David¡¯s eyes glittered with something other than light. ¡°Liam, take him.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± After David was taken away, Evelyn took off her obstinacy mask andy down next to Fabian¡¯s side on the bed. Fabian¡¯splexion was noticeably pale. But fortunately, all of the bleedings had stopped, and his life was spared. ¡°Pleasee back¡­.Fabian¡­¡± Evelyn said in a lulling voice, and stroked Fabian¡¯s face, who was still soundly asleep. ¡°You said you were only going to sleep for a while ¡­Wake up quickly¡­.and save our child.¡± Vaguely, she could feel a faint tinge of warmth from Fabian¡¯s body. Evelyn put her ear over his broad chest to hear his heartbeat. As she leaned, listening to Fabian¡¯s heart, Evelyn could tell that it was still pounding. It seemed that the myth people believed about the Emperor would live on until he abdicated, wasn¡¯t a figment. ¡°I thought¡­..about leaving you and Adrian.¡± Evelyn thought that because she was stuck and couldn¡¯t see another way out. But, looking back, she was starting to realize that it might be part of David¡¯s scheme. Now she had returned to his side, and Evelyn was grateful that she could still hug Fabian the way she did now. She couldn¡¯t picture leading a lonely life when her two loved ones were not by her side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I hurt you until you¡¯re bleeding like this. I ¡­¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Evelyn kept whispering in tears of regret as she buried her head deeply in Fabian¡¯s wide chest. He was the one who saved her, pulling her into his arms without hesitation until she eventually returned to reality. ¡°I guess¡­ I still don¡¯t know anything about you,¡± She murmured hoarsely. ¡°When youe back ¡­¡­ tell me all your stories, Fabian¡­..¡± Evelyn closed her eyes. She engaged her prayers full of hope with Fabian, dreaming of a beautiful future together with him. *** The color of Adrian¡¯s pale face had already begun to change into a sheet of blue. Arthur didn¡¯t say anything, even though the sight of his beloved grandson made his stomach heartburn. Miriam, who was seated next to him, silently wiping the sweat from Adrian¡¯s forehead. ¡°Your Majesty the King and Queen¡­¡­ I have some news for you.¡± In a troubled tone, Reba delivered an urgent message after hearing the news directly from Nora. ¡°Seriously! So¡­. there¡¯s no other way?¡± Reba nodded in return for a response to Arthur¡¯s perplexing question. She repeated just what she had heard from Nora without a phrase lost. Arthur closed his eyes and epted that nothing could be said. ¡°Liam will bring him here now.¡± ¡°What if he hurts Adrian?¡± ¡°Even so, this is the Princess¡¯ order.¡± Arthur, who was initially reluctant, eventually shook his head as a gesture of approval. There was no reason for someone else to inquire if Evelyn, the child¡¯s mother, had decided it. Immediately, Liam brought David to the room. He was about to set an example but Arthur quickly interrupted him. ¡°This is not the time.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Liam grabbed hold of David, dragging him to Adrian¡¯s bed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if he does anything strange, I¡¯ll stop him right away.¡± Arthur gave a slight nod as his gaze fixed on Liam¡¯s sincere green eyes. Then he started to walk towards David, someone he saw as an enemy, trying to stifle his boiling fury that had risen in his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re a guardian?¡± Arthur¡¯s voice was pressing. ¡°No, whatever your identity ¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t care.¡± He said with exuberant dignity, just as the King of a nation. ¡°Look at that child. That poor child is suffering because of your evil deed.¡± Arthur kept on saying while gritting his teeth. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between torturing an innocent child painfully and killing him outright?¡± David¡¯s eyes were weakly shaken. ¡°Is the bnce of the world you¡¯re worried about created by sacrificing the life of an innocent child?¡± Arthur peeled away the fact that David always avoided. ¡°The death of this child is not my purpose.¡± ¡°Then, it will be an even more sinless sacrifice.¡± Adrian¡¯s condition looked painfully terrible. That child struggled to expel his wheezing little breath in front of David¡¯s eyes. ¡°What will you do if anything can be fixed without sacrificing this child?¡± For a brief second, David closed his eyes to digest Arthur¡¯s words. What bothered him was that there were two elements in Adrian¡¯s body that were closely tied together. The antidote to the demon¡¯s poison, as well as holy water. Adrian would be able to recover if he could tamper and remove one of the two substances. ¡°I don¡¯t have any spells that can cure the toxin. It¡¯s just¡­ I can move it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it! Just save him right now!¡± Finally, Arthur, who suppressed his rage, exploded and violently shouted that Miriam must hold her husband so he wouldn¡¯t lose his control. David focused his eyes on Adrian, whoid dying in his bed and started moving the demonic poison energies that had invaded Adrian¡¯s body . As a guardian, David couldn¡¯t eliminate the poison from the child¡¯s body; however, he could change the movement from what was still there. ¡°I have to slit this child¡¯s palm to see his blood.¡± ¡°Do you want to carry out your secret ns?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t stay quiet and ran straight to him. ¡°Don¡¯t be frightened; this child¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt him either.¡± David said unequivocally since Evelyn had confided Adrian to him. ¡°I¡¯m going to do the same thing for my palms. I¡¯ll do a brief ritual by connecting our hands. If this works, the demonic poison wille out of his body.¡± ¡°If it works ¡­¡­ and if you fail?¡± David didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Just give me a hand so I can stay focused. Since I¡¯ve lost much of my power, all I can do is my best.¡± In his present state, even David could not thoroughly decipher the demon¡¯s poison, and the fact that the medium was a child made it moreplicated. Therefore, the only way was to connect himself with Adrian. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, I¡¯ll get started right now.¡± David took a silver knife from his belt and stretched out his hand first. He then raised Adrian¡¯s small palm and slit it. Miriam couldn¡¯t look, turning her head when the red blood started dripping down from his palms. ¡°Whatever happens ¡­ you must not touch this child until our hands are released.¡± David let out a stern whistling of his breath, alerting everybody in the room. ( ¡°The blood of the Emperor, Adrian. Remember the covenant of the tower.¡± ) He chanted the incantation and ced their palms against one another. ( ¡°I, the protectress of the tower, once again, will do the bncing.¡± ) Nothing had happened for now, though. Adrian¡¯s breathing was still erratic. Everyone started to panic and continued to sigh deeply as though their breath would halt at any moment. ( ¡°¡­¡­ so that I can put everything in its right ce.¡± ) David closed his eyes as the sound of Adrian¡¯s breathing grew fainter. ( ¡°Remember the sacred covenant engraved in your blood, and ept my presence as a part of you.¡± ) Their palms, which were bound together, slowly became as hot as zing coal. Soon, a brilliant light-colored luminescence flickered brightly into existence, appearing between their palms. ( ¡°To keep the blood covenant made in ancient times ¡­¡± ) A blinding white light epassed the entire space at that moment, shining the whole room brightly lit. David¡¯s body hardened like a broken mannequin-like ster figure, and Adrian stopped breathing since then. ¡°Koaaaakkkkkkk ¡­!¡± Adrian¡¯s best friend, a ck hawk, wretched out miserable cries from inside its golden cage. As if it were weeping for his friend, who was lying rigid and silent, like a dead person. ¡°Adrian ¡­¡­ Adrian¡­ !!!¡± ¡°No, their ritual is not over yet.¡± Miriam gripped Arthur¡¯s arm tightly as he began to wobble and tottered towards his grandson. Their palms were still attached and continued to emit light. Adrian and David both looked like ice statues. Frozen. As if the time in their world hade to a halt. But those lights kept moving with ever-changing wavelengths, like a sign of hope before dying out. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!