Chapter 142
“Is that really what matters right now?”
Luska, who had been listening with them, looked at Irene in shock.
Irene answered confidently, as if asking that question was ridiculous.
“Of course it matters! Once it’s revealed she’s royalty, doing anything to her would be a serious crime! If you were going to do it, it had to be before that! Ugh, this is so annoying!”
She crossed her arms, let out a loud hmph, and turned her head away.
“Luska, honestly… I don’t like that kid.”
“Oh. Same here.”
Luska raised his hand and nodded in agreement.
“My instincts say she’s going to be really troublesome for everyone around her.”
Normally, Arcel would have scolded them, saying they shouldn’t insult royalty.
But this time—
“…Yeah.”
He muttered something vague, whether agreement or not was unclear, and said nothing more.
Irene, who had been grumbling angrily on her own, suddenly changed her attitude and hugged Evie, who had been sitting quietly.
“More than that, it’s such a shame we couldn’t even enjoy the Seasonal Festival properly. Evie was really looking forward to it.”
Luska asked with pity,
“Evie was that excited?”
“Don’t even ask. She couldn’t sleep properly the night before. Her eyes were all swollen in the morning.”
Irene’s voice grew gloomy as she spoke.
“And the clothes she wore that day looked so good on her… If that kid hadn’t shown up, Evie and His Majesty would’ve danced first in front of everyone!”
Proper dance etiquette was taught starting in the second semester, so officially, Evie didn’t have to dance yet.
Still, back when they were staying at the Terrins family estate, Evie had carefully asked Irene if she could teach her how to dance.
Of course Irene had agreed.
They had spun around together in the large room again and again, practicing happily.
Because Irene had kicked so many boys in the South, there were hardly any boys left who could be her dance partner.
So she often danced the male role herself with other girls.
That made it easy for her to partner with Evie as well.
When Irene asked why Evie suddenly wanted to learn dancing, Evie had hesitated and said it might be useful someday.
But Irene knew the real reason.
She wants to dance with His Majesty at the Seasonal Festival.
While learning about the festival, Evie found out that during the dance time, the highest-ranking person present would dance first.
As soon as she learned that, she said she wanted to dance.
It was only natural.
Since it was a gifted academy event, many boys and girls would dance with their guardians.
And if our Evie—the youngest one there—danced with His Majesty while wearing Madame Crevel’s dress…
Just imagining it made Irene want to kick her legs and cover her mouth from how cute it would be.
So she taught Evie very seriously.
The night before the festival, Irene had even seen Evie through the slightly open door, practicing her steps again and again.
Evie learned fast. Even things Irene hadn’t taught her much, she already remembered perfectly.
Still, she must have practiced more because she wanted to dance even better.
But then that Eve brat showed up, and instead of dancing, the entire festival turned into chaos…
Although she hadn’t been officially recognized as a princess yet, the woman who had clung to the Emperor crying that day was said to be Empress Lilian’s close friend—and the princess’s nurse.
Then she’ll probably be recognized soon.
The moment Irene thought that, her chest felt tight.
She hadn’t even really talked to Eve, yet she disliked her.
People are going to gossip again.
After it was revealed that Evie’s guardian was the Emperor, some people had already started looking at her strangely.
They said she cleverly used the fact that she was the same age as the Emperor’s dead daughter to gain attention and support.
And if that kid gets recognized as a real princess…
They would swarm again, saying things like the Emperor won’t care about a child like you anymore.
I want to bury them all.
If Luska and Arcel helped, it might actually be possible.
While Irene was seriously imagining digging a pit in the academy forest, Evie stood up.
“Thank you for telling me. I think I’ll go back now.”
She had planned to meet because she was worried about His Majesty’s condition. Since it was already getting dark, it was time to return anyway.
“If we hear anything else, I’ll let you know right away. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes…”
Arcel spoke gently to comfort her, but Evie still looked downcast.
Arcel and Luska escorted the two girls back to the girls’ dormitory, then left. Evie slowly climbed the stairs toward her room.
“Evie, get some proper sleep tonight. Your eyes are really swollen. You didn’t sleep well yesterday either, did you?”
“…Do I look that strange?”
It wasn’t strange—it was sad—but Irene couldn’t bring herself to say that.
“Anyway, that kid’s issue is separate, and the Seasonal Festival is completely over now. We should study again. You haven’t finished Professor Malles’s book yet, right?”
“Oh, right.”
She had planned to finish the unread parts after returning to the academy, but everything after the festival had been too hectic.
“There’s also a lot to prepare for the second semester, so just do that a bit and then sleep. Okay?”
Irene wanted to tell her to just sleep, but if she did, Evie would probably sit there blankly staring toward the Imperial Palace.
It was better to distract her mind.
“Good night, Irene.”
“Yeah. You too. Just look at the math book a little and then sleep, okay!”
Even though it was written simply, advanced math was never easy.
And since Professor Malles told them to check proven formulas carefully, it made her head ache.
Evie might actually like it.
After telling Evie several times to make sure she slept tonight, Irene left.
Alone in her room, Evie opened Professor Malles’s book.
Usually, seeing her name written on the front made her feel good.
Today, she felt nothing.
Even after a long time, she hadn’t turned a single page.
In the end, Evie closed the book, opened her drawer, took out stationery, and began writing a letter.
[Your Majesty.]
After writing the first line, Evie stared at the paper for a long time.
Then, carefully, she added another word beside it.
[Dad.]
She froze, startled by what she had written, and hurriedly crossed it out with her pen.
Now Eve will call His Majesty that.
So she couldn’t.
She realized she would never be able to call him that, and sadness washed over her.
Just one day.
No—even one hour.
If not that, then just once…
She had practiced so many times.
But she never said it even once, and now it was a word she could never speak again.
In the end, Evie took out a new sheet of paper and wrote Your Majesty at the top again.
Her hand kept moving for a long time.
Click.
The imperial physician in charge of Clois stepped out of the Emperor’s room.
The moment he appeared, the Prime Minister, Duke Kailen, Marquis Ragselve, and other key ministers rushed toward him.
“How is His Majesty?”
The physician spoke with a dark expression.
“Until recently, he had almost fully recovered… but his current state is worse than when he was at his lowest a few months ago.”
Everyone swallowed their breath.
“He hasn’t been able to sleep at all, and according to the head attendant, he has almost completely stopped eating.”
The physician shook his head.
“I understand that the Empress’s letter brought back painful memories and shocked him deeply… but since the princess has returned, I thought he would be happy.”
“She hasn’t been officially recognized as a princess yet.”
“Even so, that’s only a matter of time, isn’t it? That nurse was someone he trusted greatly.”
“That’s true, but…”
Based on all the evidence so far, it wouldn’t be strange for Eve to be recognized as Princess Evebien immediately.
But since Clois had locked himself in his room and issued no orders, no one could act on their own.
The physician and ministers stared at the door with worried faces.
At this rate, the Emperor’s mind and body would collapse again.
They had to find some way to make him better.
Just then, the head attendant returned after going to fetch fresh tea.
“What is that?”
In his hand was an envelope.
“It’s a letter from Miss Evie Alden. May I deliver it to His Majesty?”
At the word letter, the physician clicked his tongue.
“He won’t even see the child claiming to be his real daughter. I doubt he’ll read a letter. Just leave it there and come back.”
Clois sat in the dark room like a dead man.
In front of him lay Lilian’s letter.
[I’m sorry. But Evebien will surely return to your side. Please, recognize that child.]
That was the end of the letter.
The handwriting was rough, clearly written in haste.
Still, it was unmistakably hers.
The way the last stroke of each letter curved slightly—something he had once teased her about—was still there.
Clois covered his face with both hands.
He knew he couldn’t stay like this.
He knew it in his head, but his body wouldn’t move at all.
It felt as if invisible chains had tightly bound both his mind and body.
Just then, he heard someone enter the room.
“Your Majesty.”
At the familiar voice of the head attendant, he remained silent.
Everything felt bothersome. Everything felt unbearable.
“…I’ll leave this here.”
He didn’t even care what this was.
He heard the attendant leave, but still didn’t move.
How long had he been like that?
When he finally lowered his hands—
“…!”
Focus returned to his eyes for the first time that day.
On the table lay a single letter.
And on the envelope was a drawing—some kind of animal, maybe a rabbit, a squirrel, or a bear, crying big teardrops.
The drawing was clumsy, but clearly drawn with care.
Clois looked at the name written on the envelope.
[Evie Alden]
“Ah.”
The moment he saw that name, the mind that had sunk into a deep swamp finally came back.
