CICN 122

Chapter 122

“What do you mean by ‘confirmation’? What? How?”

Rhuska couldn’t hide her excitement, raising her voice at the fact that Arsel had been having the same doubts she had.

“Shh. Lower your voice a bit.”

Arsel gave Rhuska, who was buzzing with energy, a sharp look.

“Before anything, don’t forget—it’s more likely that it’s not true. All we have is a hunch. There’s nothing we can prove.”

“But Evie has so many similarities with Lilian. Animals seem unusually attached to her, she never gets lost in the forest… It’s exactly like Lilian. Even the wolves.”

“Wolves?”

“Yes. In the forest, the wolves didn’t attack her…”

Arsel frowned at Rhuska’s answer.

“But Lilian also had trouble with wolves. She said to avoid them as much as possible, that even she was in danger when she was young.”

“That’s true, but… I don’t think Evie was lying.”

She knew it. Evie wasn’t the type to brag about things like that.

“Anyway, calm down. Remember what Lilian said before? About some people being naturally good at moving around the forest and knowing where things are? Evie could be the daughter of someone like that.”

“Still… she looks like her.”

“I know. But that could just be because we keep thinking about Lilian.”

Arsel’s expression grew more serious as she continued.

“When someone convinces themselves something is true, they can’t see or hear any other evidence. Their mind gets buried in trying to fit everything into the answer they’ve already decided on.”

“…Ah, that’s getting complicated.”

Rhuska’s honest words made Arsel sigh briefly.

“Anyway, it’s a relief that we’re on the same page.”

“We?”

“My father suspected it too.”

“What? If the Duke suspected as well, doesn’t that make it almost confirmed?”

If the Marquis of Ragselv protected Cloise with overwhelming force, Duke Kailen supported him with his trademark sharpness.

Wasn’t it Duke Kailen who caught all the spies and traitors in the past?

“My father hasn’t found any concrete evidence yet. He’s still investigating, and so am I.”

“What did you do?”

“Well…”

Arsel ran her hand over her face, looking annoyed.

“I’ll tell you later, once I get permission.”

“Hey, between us.”

“I’m worried because it’s you, Rhuska.”

“Why?! Are you worried I might tell someone else?”

“Yes.”

“…Direct, aren’t you?”

“Precisely. I try to hide it, but unconsciously I might say something.”

Rhuska couldn’t argue with Arsel’s cold tone—there had been times like that before.

“And if Evie really is the daughter of Lilian and His Majesty… the mark would have appeared.”

“Oh, that.”

Rhuska nodded, as if remembering.

Having often seen Cloise since childhood, the two of them had basic knowledge about the royal family’s emblem.

It had mostly disappeared among recent royals but appeared strongly in Cloise.

In fact, the succession war had been largely because of that mark.

If the emblem had appeared on the first prince, even if he were lacking, the late emperor would have passed the throne to him.

Perhaps that’s why Cloise disliked showing the emblem that caused so much trouble and always wore gloves.

“I’ve heard His Majesty’s power is extremely strong. So if the child was born, the mark would surely have manifested.”

“But Evie doesn’t have that.”

Rhuska slumped her shoulders at Arsel’s words.

A brief silence passed between them.

“Anyway, we have to be careful. You know this could be considered treason, right?”

Rhuska nodded seriously.

Princess Evbien was officially declared dead.

But if someone claimed she was alive and presented Evie, it could become a crime of fabricating a fake royal.

“And more importantly, Evie would be the one in the greatest danger.”

Even if they themselves were cautious, Evie would get caught up in it without knowing anything.

Whether the assumption is correct or not, her life could be drastically affected.

“So absolutely, we mustn’t act recklessly until everything is certain.”

“Got it.”

Rhuska’s expression became more serious than ever as she confirmed that Evie was the one most at risk.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door: knock knock!

“Arsel! Rhuska! We’re going to pick apples in the orchard. Are you coming?”

Arsel answered first to that voice.

“Got it! We’ll be there soon!”

Then she unbuttoned the collar and rolled up her sleeves.

“Alright, let’s take care of what needs to be done first.”

Rhuska, puzzled by Arsel’s energetic expression, asked,

“What is that?”

“Playing. Oh, you cook. I want to eat fish, so make something with that.”

With that, Arsel opened the door, grabbed Evie’s hand who was waiting outside, and went out.

Rhuska, left alone in the room for a moment, then quickly followed them.

“Hey! Arsel, you! Do you know what kind of restaurant this is?!”

Even as she said that, Rhuska hastily grabbed the fishing rod by the entrance and followed them.

It seemed Arsel’s words about playing were no lie—since arriving at the Marquis’s estate, she had been playing continuously with Evie.

At first, Rhuska thought she was crazy, but seeing a peer who could play endlessly without tiring, just like her, made her even more excited.

“Let’s see, today’s tasks…”

The four of them, their faces tanned over the past few days, checked the day’s chores listed by Vanessa at the entrance.

“We need to get eggs, milk, and butter.”

“In the afternoon, we need to dig up summer potatoes too. This year’s potato harvest turned out really well. Vanessa dug one yesterday and tried cooking it—it was really flavorful and delicious.”

“Then we’ll cook the potatoes for dinner?”

“Rhuska! I want potato soup!”

When Irene raised her hand, Rhuska scowled.

“No, seriously, did you leave it to me?!”

Even as she protested, everyone knew the truth: Rhuska would grumble, but she’d make whatever everyone wanted to eat.

She herself often said, “I’ll make sure you can’t live without me!” while diligently preparing food.

After deciding what they wanted for dinner, they headed to the ranch.

“Since we’re here, let’s greet Elisha too. If we just leave, she’ll get sulky.”

Rhuska gestured to Arsel, signaling that they should do the task she had mentioned in advance.

“Hello, Elisha!”

At that moment, Elisha was walking inside the fenced area.

“Elisha, you look amazing today too! You’re the prettiest horse in the world!”

As Evie greeted her and approached, Elisha immediately came closer, pressing her head against Evie’s hand with a soft nicker.

“Even without apples, Evie’s the only one Elisha welcomes like this.”

Watching this, Irene muttered,

“Whether it’s Elisha, the rabbits, or the chickens, animals really seem to like her. Do animals know cuteness too?”

“……”

“……”

Hearing Irene’s murmur, Arsel and Rhuska exchanged a glance again.

Rhuska took an apple from the barrel and called Evie.

“Evie, there’s a sick horse. Can you give it this?”

“Yes!”

Evie took the apple and entered the stable.

Then, as if it were obvious, she approached the exact horse that was sick and offered the apple.

Watching this, Arsel asked Rhuska,

“Is that the horse?”

“Yes.”

On the surface, you could never tell which horse was sick.

It wasn’t seriously ill; it was almost fully recovering.

But Evie approached the correct horse without being told and offered the apple.

“It’s the same as before.”

“Exactly.”

In the past, Lilian had given a remaining apple to the horse ridden by Duke Kailen’s party and said,

“This one will soon get worse. You should take special care of it.”

The knights said it couldn’t be. The owners knew their horses best.

But from that night, the horse groaned, its temperature rose, and it didn’t know what to do.

When asked how she knew it would get sick, Lilian just said, “I just knew.”

Rhuska asked Evie as she returned from giving the apple,

“Evie, how did you know that horse was sick?”

Evie smiled and replied,

“I just knew.”

By evening, everyone naturally gathered under the tent near the forest.

It had become the usual dinner spot.

Irene, watching Rhuska diligently peeling potatoes in a corner, hugged Evie and murmured,

“This is the last day at the Marquis’s estate for me.”

“Yes…”

Perhaps because she had had so much fun with everyone, Evie’s reply was filled with regret.

At that moment, after finishing the potatoes, Rhuska asked,

“So, are you going back to Irene Nero tomorrow?”

“Huh? Oh, yes…”

Upon hearing Rhuska, Irene nodded quickly.

The Emperor had sent a letter saying he would come to fetch Evie during the last week.

The problem was that there was no mention of when or where.

‘Will His Majesty come at dawn like Arsel or Rhuska? No, probably a representative will come.’

The Emperor couldn’t easily move himself.

Moreover, the palace atmosphere was reportedly very tense lately.

‘Maybe he’ll even cancel the schedule?’

That’s why the Emperor insisted Evie not be told yet.

‘So I’ll keep quiet until I get the notice.’

If someone mentioned it first and His Majesty couldn’t come, Evie would be greatly disappointed.

Then…

“Huh?”

Evie, watching Rhuska melt butter and fry potatoes on the pan, suddenly turned her head toward the forest.

“Didn’t you hear something?”