Chapter 77…………………………………..
Evelina and Karina passed the second floor and went straight up to the top, the third floor.
Strangely, the third floor was completely empty.
The steward laughed brightly and said,
“Since the Grand Duchess and the Empress are coming, we cleared out the entire third floor.”
Hearing this, Karina waved her hand dismissively.
“I’m no longer the Empress, so please don’t call me that.”
“Yes, understood.”
The steward, sensing her mood, quickly added,
“Since there’s no one else here, please feel free to talk. We’ve set up a spot for you on the terrace.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Karina’s lips.
She hated noisy places, but the steward had handled things thoughtfully.
He led them to the terrace—a spot bathed in sunlight.
The steward glanced at Karina and asked,
“How’s the seating?”
Karina didn’t answer but turned to Evelina, who was standing beside her.
“How is it?”
As Karina looked at her, the steward also turned to Evelina.
Startled that she was being asked, Evelina flinched, then quickly replied,
“I like it. The sunlight isn’t too harsh… it’s just right.”
“Good, that’s a relief.”
Karina and Evelina sat down.
The steward let out a silent sigh of relief and said,
“If you’d like to order, just ring this bell gently.”
Bowing his head, the steward quickly left.
Karina handed the menu to Evelina.
“What would you like to eat? Pick anything you want.”
Evelina scanned the menu.
There were countless types of cakes.
In the end, she couldn’t decide and handed the choice to Karina.
“Since you’ve been here before, please choose something delicious.”
“Hmm…”
Karina hesitated for a moment, then rang the bell placed beside her.
The steward immediately appeared.
“Are you ready to order?”
Closing the menu, Karina said,
“Bring one of the most popular cakes of each type… and, dear, do you like sherbet?”
“Yes? Ah, yes. I do.”
“Peach sherbet and apple sherbet, two cups of black tea, and some milk as well.”
Since Evelina’s favorite fruit was peach, the sherbet was ordered in peach flavor.
The steward smiled broadly and bowed.
“We’ll have it ready right away.”
After he left, Evelina looked worried.
“Isn’t that too much? I don’t think we can eat it all…”
“Then we can take the rest home to the mansion. Share it with Arsen.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The desserts arrived quickly.
Rows of enticing cakes were laid out.
There were cakes topped with bright red strawberries, cakes with a sweet peach fragrance, and lemon cakes that looked refreshingly tangy.
There were many other types of cakes as well.
Soon after, the sherbet and black tea arrived.
“This sherbet is delicious too. Try it.”
Carefully, Evelina scooped a small spoonful of sherbet and tasted it.
The rich, sweet taste of peach lingered in her mouth.
Seeing her expression change, Karina smiled warmly and asked,
“How is it?”
“It’s amazing! The peach flavor is so strong. Plus, there are peach bits inside, so the texture is wonderful.”
Small chunks of peach in the sherbet made it even more delicious.
The ice crystals mixed with the peach pieces, intensifying the sweetness.
“Try this cake too.”
Karina pushed the strawberry cake toward Evelina.
Evelina used a fork to cut a piece.
It was a slice layered with fresh strawberries and whipped cream between the cake layers.
The strawberries were sweet, not sour, and their juice spread throughout her mouth.
Now she understood why this place was so popular.
The black tea was ordinary, but the sherbet and cakes were extremely delicious.
“Mother, eat quickly too.”
“All right.”
Karina also took a bite of the cake.
Watching Evelina eat, Karina spoke softly,
“Don’t worry too much about the temple’s matters. With His Majesty’s support, everything will work out.”
“Oh… could you tell?”
Evelina touched her face reflexively, giving a sheepish smile.
She had tried to hide it, but apparently, Karina had noticed.
“You can be honest with us. Sharing your worries makes your heart feel lighter, you know.”
“I just felt like I was making a fuss for no reason…”
Evelina lowered her head, and Karina gently held her hand.
“A fuss? Your life changed because of that one prophecy. It’s very important. Things have gotten much better than before, but I want you to walk proudly.”
“…”
Evelina felt a lump in her throat from Karina’s kind words.
Tears almost welled up, but she held them back, thinking it would be a nuisance to cry here.
In fact, as Karina said, Evelina had become much less timid than before and no longer berated herself so much.
But she was still afraid of people’s gazes, often lowering her head and avoiding attention.
“If the temple corrects the prophecy this time, you won’t need to shrink away anymore. You don’t have to feel sorry for us.”
Evelina had always felt guilty for bringing shame to the Grand Duke’s family.
If it weren’t for her, the family would never have been treated this way.
Hesitantly, Evelina spoke,
“Still… it’s true that because of me, the prestige of the Grand Duke’s family has fallen.”
“So what? Even without prestige, the Grand Duke’s family will remain strong. Unless Arsen commits treason, it will endure forever.”
Karina mentioned treason casually, making Evelina’s eyes widen in shock, and she shrugged.
“So there’s no need to feel that way.”
“…Yes, Mother.”
Evelina nodded with a faint smile.
The anxiety that had settled in her heart felt lighter.
Since they were already out, Karina and Evelina had dinner together before returning to the mansion.
As soon as Arsen heard that Evelina had returned, he abandoned his work and rushed to her.
He had been lonely during the few hours she was gone.
Noah shook his head at Arsen’s fussiness but didn’t show it, knowing the job was important.
It was far better than having a bad relationship.
Seeing Arsen approaching, Evelina widened her eyes, then softly smiled.
He nodded slightly to Karina before passing by nonchalantly.
Karina shook her head and told Evelina she would head upstairs first, then left.
Arsen immediately stayed close to Evelina, smiling gently.
“Did you enjoy your date with Mother?”
“Yes. The cakes were so delicious. I even brought some to share with you. How about tea tomorrow?”
“I’m always happy for that. I’m glad you brought them thinking of me.”
Evelina leaned against him playfully.
“You didn’t cry from loneliness while I was gone, did you?”
“How did you know? I almost did, but luckily you arrived in time.”
Arsen’s serious tone made Evelina flustered, thinking he was being genuine.
When he smiled playfully, she realized he was joking and rolled her eyes.
“I thought you were serious!”
“Half serious.”
He kissed her cheek, chuckling.
“What did you talk about with Mother?”
“She just told me not to worry so much because things will work out. I tried not to show it, but she must have noticed.”
“I see. Then Mother must have given you a lot of good advice.”
Evelina’s eyes widened.
“How could you tell?”
“Your expression looks much lighter than before.”
“Really?”
She smiled awkwardly and unconsciously touched her cheek.
As they walked, they arrived at her room.
“Then wash up, and I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yes, Arsen. Don’t overwork yourself either.”
“I know you can’t sleep without me.”
Arsen’s words made Evelina’s face turn bright red.
It was true, so she couldn’t argue.
She glared at him once more and slipped into her room.
Arsen’s soft chuckle came through the door, and it took a while for her flushed face to return to normal.
Nox was listening to a recording orb in his room.
He had heard a voice admitting that the prophecy had been misinterpreted.
Then surely, a plan would be devised to cover it up.
The High Priest often spoke to himself, so it would be recorded in the orb.
Nox played the recording orb that a servant had brought earlier that day.
There was only static at first, and what he wanted to hear didn’t come easily.
“Another bust today…”
He wondered if he needed another approach.
Then, finally, the content he wanted came through the orb.
“Damn it, this seems like the only way.”
Nox’s eyes widened.
He instinctively brought the orb close to his ear.
He could faintly hear it, but it was clear enough.
“Because of that damn Grand Duchess… It’s fine. No one will know. Only I can enter the room with the prophecy book.”
He heard the High Priest muttering.
Nox began to deduce vigorously.
‘What is he planning? To destroy the prophecy book?’
But the prophecy book was protected by preservation magic—it couldn’t be torn or burned.
Even if the room was set on fire, the book would remain unharmed.
That left only one option.
“…Manipulate the prophecy book.”
No sooner had Nox murmured this than the orb spoke again.
“I’ll have to manipulate the prophecy book.”
A broad smile spread across Nox’s face.
