Chapter 9

“I’m teaching royal etiquette to my granddaughter-in-law.”

The Dowager Empress was surprised when Kaiden came in with a sword, but she refused to show it. Evelina was so surprised that the three books on her shoulders and head loudly fell to the floor.

Realizing that his eyes were focused on her because of the sound of the book falling, Evelina quickly lowered her head.

“The sun of the Empire…”

“I don’t need that kind of greeting, Lina.”

At Kaiden’s cold voice, Evelina wondered if this was his original voice.

“You said you wouldn’t say hello to me, grandmother.”

“It was like that at the time. But this kid rudely ignored my rejection and came in. So I just wanted to teach her some manners.”

It was a ridiculous setup, but she just bit her lips. No matter what she said, nothing would change. Rather, the situation would get worse if she said anything. This place wasn’t the Marquis of Logias who embraced her with love.

“Is it that right, Lina?”

“Yes, isn’t it, granddaughter-in-law?”

Evelina did not respond to the Queen’s remarks. Because it wasn’t true. However, she lowered her gaze with a troubled expression, and the Dowager Empress who saw it complained, saying, “Ha.”

“My grandmother is always rude.”

“How rude. It’s that kid who’s rude.”

“So did you hit the back of her hand?”

Evelina hid her hand behind her, wondering when he had seen the back of her hand before she knew it. Their eyes met at that moment, and his expression was very strange. As if he saw something he hated.

“Even a child is punished like that, Your Majesty.”

At the words of the Duchess of Pamelos, a maid close to the Dowager Empress, Kaiden said with a glance at Evelina,

“Do you think you’re in a position to talk to me first?”

“Sorry, I’m sorry…! I just…!”

Kaiden said, gripping his sword tightly.

“You lack manners. You need to be punished.”

Evelina closed her eyes in surprise as he raised the sword he was holding high. At that moment he looked at Evelina, and he frowned and did not do what he intended.

– Squeak

With the sound of something being cut off, Evelina seemed to have goosebumps all over her body.

‘H-help me!’

The screams she heard at the wedding still seemed to come alive in her ears.

“Ahhhhhah!”

However, unlike then, there was no smell of blood or the dull noise of something falling to the ground. Evelina slowly opened her eyes, clenching her fists in a cold sweat.

Okay.

“The charge of contempt of the imperial family is the death penalty. But looking at my grandmother’s face, I’ll let you go like this.” 

“So-sorry, ha…!”

“Get out. And that Pamelos family is prohibited from entering the imperial family in the future.”

As Kaiden said so and looked scornfully at the maid, who had her hair cut and messed up, his eyes met with Evelina’s.

“Kaiden! Why are you doing this! Didn’t you hear that the Empress was rude in the first place?”

“I heard. But that maid was also rude to me, so she’s only being punished by me.”

“Kaiden!”

The Dowager Empress shouted at him in a voice filled with anger. Evelina felt her heart and head pounding so hard.

“I didn’t kill her, Lina.”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t kill her.”

He said so as she watched him shrug. Then he raised his sword. At that moment, Evelina closed her eyes and turned her head in surprise, wondering if he was going to kill her because she didn’t kill the maid.

-Screech.

With a sound the sword entered the black scabbard. She clenched her arm very gently and opened her eyes to the pulling voice.

“Where are you going!”

“You didn’t come to the wedding, so there won’t be any morning greetings, grandmother.”

“Kaiden! I am your one and only family!”

“I also have a half-sister, grandmother.”

Recalling that his sister was Elsius, who was going to present her maids to her, Evelina was taken aback as he led her. 

~~~~

“Ugh…”

Evelina was walking in a daze and almost fell because Kaiden was walking so fast. Her ankle was already weak because she said hello too much yesterday.

“Don’t go to that kind of greeting from now on.”

Kaiden said, holding her waist so she wouldn’t fall. Evelina nodded her head without answering anything because his expression looked very unpleasant.

“What’s wrong with your legs?”

He flicked up her skirt and said while on his knees, while Evelina looked around in shame. She was naturally a cool person, but whenever he acted so suddenly, she panicked and didn’t know how to react.

There was nobody around. The place was sponsored by the Imperial Palace.

“Your ankle is this swollen and you didn’t even see a doctor?”

When he said so, annoyed, Evelina tucked her skirt through her legs and was trying to show him only her legs.

“It’s because I’m wearing high heels.”

“Don’t wear high heels from now on.”

He frowned and said, and Evelina answered quietly, “Yes.” Then, the wrinkles between his brows deepened and he sighed.

“It’s not an order. Just… Please be careful until your legs get better.”

“Alright, Your Majesty.”

“Kaiden.”

“Yes, Kaiden.”

It was strange that he urged her to call him by his name. Evelina was startled as he touched her leg and raised one of her feet off the ground, so she grabbed him by the shoulder.

“How the hell did you walk with these legs?”

Fine.

As she was about to say it, she swallowed her sigh.

“I didn’t notice I was injured.”

“It’s so swollen that there’s no way you wouldn’t.”

“Because I’m a little sluggish.”

“Don’t be intimidated by the pain.”

He looked up at her with a sigh of annoyance as she uttered her words. 

She said, pushing the idea away, as she felt like he was somehow reading her face.

“I’m fine… Ugh.”

Before she could say anything, he stood up and hugged her. Evelina hugged his neck without realizing that her body had gotten used to it because she had been hugged a few times.

“Your Majesty is dirty again because of me.”

“Kaiden.”

“Yes, it’s Kaiden.”

“I didn’t know you were called by my grandmother.”

His expression changed to indifference again. Evelina looked at his indifferent expression and she leaned her body back, relieved.

“Yeah, so I couldn’t help it.”

She couldn’t bear to say that she ran away from their first night, so she replied.

The first night was not a logarithm. She had to have an heir if she was an aristocratic woman, no matter who she married anyway. It was a nobleman’s duty, and it was common for one to have another lover after fulfilling that duty.

The first night was not a big deal, it was just a little scary, and seeing that body again made her want to run away, and it wouldn’t have been so scary if it wasn’t for the long shadow that appeared near the long bones.

It was just a normal day. And she’ll be thrown away once they share a bed anyway. Because she was the enemy’s daughter. She sighed as she struggled to calm herself down.

Then his steps slowed.

“Thank god.”

She sighed a little as he said so in a very low voice and closed her eyes.

~~~~

It was when Evelina was on her way to the Emperor’s Palace to have lunch with Kaiden.

“Oh, my brother.”

Elsius folded the fan as if she had been waiting and smiled at them.

“Indeed, I sent a maid to Her Majesty, too. It’s good to be together like this.”

When Evelina tried to leave, Kaiden grabbed her waist even harder and kept her from doing so. Kaiden, who was holding her in his arms, was acting like he wouldn’t let her go, so she gave up on leaving and stayed as is.

Because she still hadn’t figured out why he was doing that to her.

“Let’s go to my palace together. I invited a guest to show you something fun.”

Kaiden looked sourly at Elsius’ words and said,

“We’re busy, Elsius.”

“Oh, why are you busy, brother?”

“From now until tomorrow morning, we will spend time together. So don’t disturb me.”

Evelina spoke urgently because it sounded like she was about to have a stakeout in the Emperor’s bedroom.

“So, I’m so curious about your guest!”

When Evelina showed interest, Kaiden looked at her stiffly. When he looked at her as if asking if she was serious, she avoided looking at him and said to Elsius.

“What kind of guest is it?”

When she asked so, the Princess smiled and said,

“I brought the most famous fortune-teller in the Abelard Empire.”

Evelina remembered that this was a scene from the original. Of course, in the original, she met the fortune teller before marriage.

Evelina thought she should meet the fortune teller. Because she had to check the most important thing.

“See you tomorrow.”

At Kaiden’s cold words, Evelina looked at him imploringly and said.

“Your Majesty, can’t we do it today?”

“Kaiden.”

“Kaiden, please. Can’t we do it today?”

She asked imploringly, correcting the title as he wished. Then he turned his head and said,

“You’re doing it yourself.”

He said that and looked at Elsius.

“Let’s go, then.”

Elsius smiled brightly and took them to the Imperial Palace. Evelina was not tired because she didn’t take a single step when she moved from the Dowager Empress’ Palace to the Empress’ Palace, and from the Empress’ Palace to the Dowager Empress’ Palace. 

When she arrived at the patronage of the pavilion of the Imperial Palace, Evelina was sure.

She was the fortune teller in the original. In the original story she was a fortune teller who made accurate predictions about the lifespan of Evelina Logias in the original. Above all, she was convinced by the large black dot under the fortune teller’s nose, two warts on the bridge of her nose, and the bizarre appearance of different eyes.

“I see the sun of the Empire.”

Elsius smiled at her attitude.

“Ask me any question. I’m going to get everything right.”

Then Evelina said without missing the opportunity.

“How long do I live?”

Then the fortune teller looked straight at Evelina and said,

“My vision is…”