Chapter 24
“That’s not what ‘kissing’ means!”
“What do you mean by that?”
Even at Evelyn’s question, Theo simply smiled without saying a word.
She should have realized it at that moment. No—she should have realized it when he had gifted her a hundred handkerchiefs.
His thoughts always exceeded expectations.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then.”
As they reached the main gate of the Imperial Palace, Evelyn greeted him.
It was time for each of them to return to their own positions.
Perhaps it was the sunlight, but Theo’s face looked unusually bright.
“Pack your things lightly. Whatever you need will be prepared at the Ashford Manor.”
There wasn’t much to pack anyway. She already had her researcher uniform, so there was no need for a dress.
The Duke continued.
“I should probably mention some precautions in advance.”
“Precautions? Are there things I need to be careful about at the manor?”
Evelyn asked, trying to pay close attention.
“What do you mean? There’s nothing for you to worry about. You can go wherever you want, touch whatever you want.”
“Then the precautions are…?”
“It’s about you. Like what kind of furniture you like, or what food you prefer.”
Why is he being so considerate? Evelyn squinted her eyes in suspicion.
“The Ashfords have always done their best to entertain guests,” Theo neatly cut through her doubts.
Evelyn’s face reddened in embarrassment.
“There’s really no need for that. I’ll be leaving soon, anyway.”
“Sure, we’ll ask slowly then.”
He cast her a violet gaze.
“Because there’s plenty of time.”
It was as if he was denying her statement that she would leave soon.
After saying he would see her tomorrow, Evelyn politely bowed and turned away.
He had to suppress the sense of longing that welled up inside.
He didn’t dare offer to escort her. He was afraid she would drift even further away.
So he simply watched Evelyn’s retreating figure for a long time.
Back in the laboratory, Evelyn walked to her seat, exhausted.
Starting tomorrow morning, she would officially begin working at the Ashford Manor.
The thought of packing her things after work already made her tired.
Yulia’s relic had many unusual aspects. If she had to list two major ones—
“Why does it possess both vitality and magical power? And how can a relic be found in the monster forest?”
Wasn’t it contradictory?
She simply couldn’t understand it, and Evelyn’s lack of interest in doctrine didn’t help either.
Sitting in her chair, Evelyn habitually pulled out some ancient language materials.
As a new researcher, she was only given light tasks.
Mostly, she just had to double-check the translations of ancient texts done by her seniors.
‘I won’t be able to do even this for a while.’
It wasn’t that she minded—these weren’t critical tasks.
What made her sad was the vast amount of material in the lab.
Being a part of the Imperial Research Institute, most of the Empire’s ancient records were kept here.
Whenever she had free time, she would browse bookshelves and read language texts to gradually build her knowledge…
The more she loved ancient languages, the deeper her disappointment grew.
At that moment, a soft voice came from the side.
“Evelyn, then, who was sending all those gifts?”
“Are you really curious about that now?”
Even though she had met the Emperor and the Duke because of the relic, Paul seemed more interested in her love life.
Evelyn shrugged it off.
“I… ended things with him. You understand, right?”
It wasn’t a lie. She just omitted who it was.
Paul looked at her pityingly.
“Ah… hang in there, Evelyn.”
Why does he think I was dumped?
She felt a surge of irritation but didn’t ask, knowing that he would have asked, “So you dumped him? What happened?”
While comforting her, Paul slyly pulled something from the drawer.
Evelyn frowned when she saw the paper in his hands.
“Why not just confess verbally?”
“He likes letters. He writes every day.”
“And how do you know that?”
“From another secretary. I treated them to an expensive lunch!”
“Wouldn’t it be more efficient to approach the person you like with that effort?”
Paul’s expression turned gloomy at her words.
Regardless, Evelyn was firm.
“My mind is already so tangled right now. I don’t have time to look at your letter.”
“I’m not asking you to do it right now—just when you have time…!”
Paul’s desperate plea was cut short by Catherine.
“Evelyn, can you come here for a moment?”
Evelyn immediately stood and left Paul behind.
Paul glanced at her bag hanging beside her desk.
“She’ll look at it after work, I guess.”
He hastily stuffed his love letter into a small slip tucked inside Evelyn’s notebook. At first glance, it looked no different from the countless notes already inside.
Evelyn, unaware, approached Catherine.
The head researcher’s desk was separated from the others.
It was a spacious area she could use alone.
Evelyn walked across the center to reach Catherine’s desk.
“I’ve been informed of the situation. You’ll be working at the Ashford Manor starting tomorrow.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Don’t worry about the other researchers—I’ll explain to them myself. Go there with peace of mind. Be careful…”
“….”
“I mean it in a simple way! Take care of yourself, stay healthy!”
She seemed to mean a lot more than that…
Evelyn returned to her seat with a polite social smile.
Meanwhile, at Ashford Manor, the sharp sound of clashing swords echoed.
In the rear garden’s training ground, sword practice was in full swing.
Among them, Vanessa’s skills were unmatched.
Her precise, swift movements and ability to control magic freely were top-tier.
That was why she served as the vice-captain of the Ashford Knights.
“Hahaha! Foolish ones! Idiots!”
Even today, Vanessa did not hesitate to belittle the knights who lost to her.
It was the reason she was not the captain, despite her overwhelming talent.
“Instead of knitting, why don’t you train more?”
“Knitting is a form of mental discipline!”
She provoked her sparring partner, Victor.
Simple-minded Victor easily fell into her trap and got agitated.
While he wildly swung his sword, Vanessa attacked his leg.
Thud!
His large frame lost balance and fell.
At the moment her opponent collapsed, Vanessa laughed loudly.
It was always a thrilling moment to witness.
“Lady Vanessa.”
At that moment, a harsh voice called her.
“Oh? Why would Secretary Julian seek me out?”
She approached him with a playful look.
He tried to forget what he had just seen.
A sword should be sacred to a knight—not something to swing carelessly.
But to Vanessa, all training seemed like a game.
She defeated her opponent and laughed triumphantly.
He had always been displeased with her.
Frowning, he continued.
“The Duke requests your presence.”
Was this a personal summons?
It was surely related to Evelyn.
It seemed that something had progressed, even though things had been quiet so far.
“Should I go to the office?”
Vanessa handed her sword to the nearby knight.
Then she hummed a tune and entered the manor.
What could the Duke want with her?
Observing him carefully, she realized one thing for certain:
Despite her cute and gentle appearance, Evelyn did not yield easily.
Moreover, it was the first time the Duke had directly expressed his feelings toward someone.
Their relationship was truly…
“Too amusing!”
Finally reaching the office, Vanessa composed her expression.
Today, she looked forward to what advice she might seek from her.
Theo, as usual, gave Vanessa a blank, indifferent look as she approached his desk.
But what came out of his mouth defied expectations.
“Pack your things in the quarters. You will move into the manor starting tomorrow.”
“…You mean live here?”
Vanessa could hardly believe her ears.
