Chapter 09
Days passed.
No news came from the Ludwigh mansion, and Eve, no longer willing to wait, gathered her things and came downstairs.
“I think I’m going to leave now.”
“Eve, this is so sudden? What are we supposed to do?”
“Isn’t Noah here?”
Eve pointed to Noah, who was standing beside her with a disinterested expression. The backer’s wife let out a distressed gasp and shook her head.
“Having a son and having a daughter are different!”
“What’s so different about it? It’s just a matter of whether they were born with something dangling or not.”
At Eve’s blunt remark, Noah flushed with anger.
“Seriously, you—!”
“So don’t treat me differently. Noah is family too.”
The backer couple had always treated Eve as if she were their fragile, injured little child.
That had always made Eve uncomfortable, but if this was the reason, she wanted nothing to do with it.
“If I just keep quiet and hide myself, everything will be over. I don’t want to make things bigger than they already are.”
Eve’s firm tone left them speechless. An awkward silence fell, and Eve sighed as she lifted her bag.
“I’ll help you.”
For once, Noah tried to take her luggage, but Eve shook her head and refused.
“No thanks. I’m stronger than you.”
Noah stared at her, dumbfounded. He couldn’t argue—she wasn’t wrong. Eve sighed at the ridiculous situation.
‘When I was younger, I used to like being strong.’
It was even because she had so much magical power that it translated into physical strength.
Eve felt a little hollow realizing that there had been more clues about her origin than she had expected.
Her body was surprisingly sturdy. It didn’t match the idea that she was supposedly acting like someone with a terminal illness.
Even after not eating for days, she felt perfectly fine.
‘That must mean I really am the final boss.’
The original novel’s hidden antagonists were the anti-royalist faction and the secret organization that had allied with demons to kill the saint.
That secret faction was highly likely connected to her family—meaning Eve herself might have been behind it all.
But the protagonists of the novel were Valerian and Yuri.
That meant Eve had no chance of defeating them.
‘I’m not the protagonist!’
Villains and hidden antagonists in stories were nothing more than tools to strengthen the bond between the protagonists.
The idea of dying was already unfair, but being reduced to a mere cupid for someone else’s romance made her even angrier.
Just then, the butler Harold approached.
“Excuse me, a messenger has arrived from the Ludwigh family.”
“A messenger?”
Eve and the backer couple’s expressions stiffened.
Messengers between noble houses were sent only for confidential matters.
Which meant it was usually about something serious.
“Please bring them in.”
At the backer’s words, Harold nodded and brought in the Ludwigh family messenger.
The messenger entered, and the backer spoke.
“What is it?”
“The young lord of Ludwigh has disappeared.”
“What did you say?”
Eve’s eyes widened at the messenger’s words.
She was stunned. A messenger had suddenly arrived with news of Valerian’s disappearance.
“Could he be at the temple?”
Even as she spoke, she knew the question was misguided.
It was impossible for the Ludwigh family not to know about Valerian’s visits to the temple.
And finding a single person from a ducal house was as easy as drinking water.
“Have you perhaps heard anything, Lady Estella?”
“Where exactly did he disappear from?”
“His last known location was the imperial palace. Have you seen him since then?”
“The last time I saw him was at our house…”
She realized something was going terribly wrong.
Later
“This is becoming quite complicated.”
Prince Zavier narrowed his well-formed brow. Eve silently sipped her tea, agreeing with him.
“We can’t delay any longer. I plan to leave this afternoon.”
While she had waited, rumors of Eve Estella’s supposed terminal illness had spread widely.
For days, with no trace of him, Eve had been pacing anxiously.
But now she knew it was the right time to leave.
‘He’s the protagonist, so he should be fine.’
Valerian was a skilled knight who had once beheaded the general of the demon army. Even if he disappeared for a few days, nothing serious would happen.
‘The duke probably knows that too, which is why they aren’t searching frantically.’
The duke likely had an idea where Valerian might be.
‘And it’s no longer my problem.’
It wasn’t that she completely stopped caring about Valerian. That was why she had stayed in the capital this long.
But she couldn’t delay any further.
Seeing her resolve to cut ties, Zavier looked at her curiously.
“Aren’t you worried about a man you were once engaged to?”
She shook her head.
“Even if I worry, it won’t change anything. That’s why I’d like to ask you something before I leave.”
Zavier gestured for her to continue.
“Could you send the imperial physician to me for a few months? Preferably one whose diagnosis can be officially notarized?”
“That isn’t a difficult request, but I’d like to know why.”
“I need an official death certificate.”
Zavier, holding his teacup, set it down with a sharp sound. He looked at her in shock.
“Do you truly intend to live as a dead person?”
He couldn’t help but ask. Such an extreme measure was difficult to understand.
“Why go so far? There are many ways to end an engagement with Valerian without resorting to this…”
Eve had expected this question from the prince. She thought quickly.
It would be better to win him over now.
“I want to become someone who doesn’t exist here, Your Highness.”
“…I don’t quite understand.”
“I’m tired. Tired of living as Valerian’s fiancée.”
Eve blinked slowly, pretending to be exhausted.
“You would agree that Valerian is one of the most desirable bachelors in society.”
While the prince himself was also handsome and capable in both politics and martial matters, becoming the crown princess was a position fraught with political tension.
And the prince was the sole heir. Competing for that seat was like throwing oneself into a fire.
But the Ludwigh family was different.
They enjoyed close ties with the imperial family, yet held absolute power that allowed them to step away from central politics at any time without shame.
Zavier nodded, waiting for her to continue.
“But being at his side… is harder than it looks. You become the target of other young ladies’ jealousy and face external pressures.”
She glanced at the prince—he understood the unspoken meaning behind “external pressures” and looked away, unable to respond.
“I’m sorry, Lady.”
“I don’t say this to seek an apology. I only wanted to answer your question. I hope that suffices.”
“…It does.”
In truth, it didn’t fully suffice. The idea of wanting to disappear simply because life beside a popular man was tiring was beyond Zavier’s understanding.
“Perhaps Your Highness might not understand. You have lived your life in constant attention and grown accustomed to it.”
Eve, sensing his hesitation, carefully continued. The prince frowned, trying to understand.
“That may be true.”
“Yes. I just want to live freely on my own.”
Until the saint Yuri arrived, she needed to secure her independence.
The moment he nodded, someone knocked.
“Your Highness, a visitor has arrived.”
“Who would dare come without notice…”
Zavier’s eyes sharpened as he addressed the attendant. The servant looked troubled.
Something felt wrong.
Zavier asked quietly,
“Who is it?”
“It is….”
The servant glanced behind him. Eve, who had been drinking tea calmly, followed his gaze—and nearly spat out her tea.
‘Valerian!’
Why was he here? He had been missing for over a week!
‘At least he doesn’t look injured.’
He seemed fine. A little dark under the eyes from lack of sleep, but otherwise unharmed.
For someone supposedly missing, he looked far too composed.
That only made it more unsettling.
“Valerian, where on earth did you come from?”
Zavier voiced the question she herself wanted to ask. He looked just as shocked.
“I stopped by the backer’s house, and they told me you were here.”
Valerian didn’t answer further. He walked toward Eve and then pulled something from his coat.
