“Episode 45”
Evan had to bite his lips tightly a couple of times to suppress the pitiful plea that seemed ready to burst out of him. It was agonizing. Whether Yuliana would forgive him for such an unbelievable plea was anyone’s guess. Evan couldn’t anticipate how she would accept the loss of memories stemming from his mistake. The fear of the unknown swelled up in his chest.
It was at that moment Yuliana, who had been silent until then, suddenly grabbed Evan’s body firmly.
“!”
In a daze, Evan half-stepped into the tub while still wearing his clothes. Yuliana gently wiped his tear-streaked face with her moistened cheeks, perplexing him.
“Don’t cry. Don’t cry. It hurts me to see you cry.”
“Yuliana…”
“Normally, I would have been very angry. Even if you were trying to save me, you can’t just touch someone without their consent, right?”
Yuliana spoke without emotion.
Watching her utter ‘right’ with her lips sealed, Evan lowered his trembling gaze. He closed his eyes obediently.
Even with his eyes closed, Yuliana’s image was vivid. Only her moist cheeks and dark red hair stood out amidst the dampness. Too much.
He apologized in a trembling voice.
“Sorry. I did something stupid. I wanted to save you.”
“So, you’d silently accept it if I told you to go to the battlefield or die? I didn’t know. I really didn’t know. I was just curious how long you would endure. It annoyed me to see a man endure when it’s clear he wants to devour me.”
Yuliana murmured without any expression. Then, she grasped the wet hem of his shirt and pulled him closer.
They were close enough for their noses to touch. Yuliana stared at her husband’s anxious face and whispered,
“I saw your memories.”
Following the flow of consciousness, Yuliana caught the memory that surfaced. The green bruise on young Evan’s arm came to mind.
How long had he been abused?
Evan expelled his memories and erased emotions. How would the memory of abuse, where only the ‘fact’ remained, linger in him?
Yuliana felt curious and compassionate. She didn’t get angry because of that.
“You’re pitiful.”
She murmured and pressed her lips against his tear-stained ones.
Evan closed his eyes like a startled boy at his first kiss and took a deep breath. A man of such size and strength being swayed by her lips felt strange to Yuliana, and she felt oddly satisfied.
As their breaths mingled, Yuliana cautiously extended her tongue and licked his lips. Accepting the deeper kiss, Evan furrowed his brow slightly.
Yuliana smiled slightly at the fear that he might refuse. Then she withdrew her lips.
Still holding onto the hem of his shirt, Yuliana whispered to her husband, who remained close enough for their noses to touch,
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What is it?”
Evan spoke with the same tone as usual, but Yuliana, who keenly noticed the dryness in his voice, handed him her wet hair.
His face, with his forehead exposed, looked more masculine. As Yuliana puckered her lips against his firm jawline, she said,
“Don’t ask or question me about what I want you to do. Just do it.”
“What is it?”
“…You know. It’s about that ‘saint’ and the events she’s orchestrating, led by Lucien Bu Ariac.”
“As expected, you know the identity of that woman…”
“Shh.”
Yuliana shook her head.
She had already made up her mind. She wouldn’t tell him about the reality of Yun. As long as Evan didn’t know that Yun existed, there wouldn’t be any actions leading him to Yun’s reality.
Even if Yun used the ‘vitality’ of her original body as collateral to create ‘inevitability,’ she couldn’t afford to involve someone who didn’t know that this world was originally an ‘story’ that someone had read.
“Life has its limits. Unless she reaches the ending she wants, she won’t pay the price of life. ”
Yuliana looked at Evan with a determined gaze.
As soon as her gaze met his, tearful drops fell on Evan’s damp cheeks like lies. When Evan was about to speak after a moment of hesitation, Yuliana spoke first.
“I know you’re puzzled by the things I did before that woman appeared. You asked me. Why did I lay out the defenses around the lake, why am I afraid of that woman…”
“…Yes.”
Evan took the matter very seriously, but Yuliana chuckled as if she had expected it. Then, satisfied with her loosened muscles in the warm water, she lay down on the bed.
Seeing Anna at a loss after delivering the news, Yuliana gently said, “Anna, it’s not your fault. It’s late, so go back to your quarters and rest.”
“Mi… My Lady. T-the one who made this mess, Iris Yngvi… What should we do?!”
“It’s okay. We’ll handle everything.”
Yuliana said firmly, as if making a promise to herself. After confirming Anna’s departure, she called her husband, who was lost in thought, to the bed from the firmly closed door.
“Come here, it’s already night. I’m tired already.”
She pouted her lips and playfully kicked her legs outside the bed halfway.
Although Evan approached his wife, he couldn’t bring himself to enter the bed and knelt beside it.
“Yuliana.”
“Evan, we have to prepare for the worst now. You can’t imagine how much Iris hates me.”
Yuliana said casually, as if she were telling an interesting rumor. Then, unable to enter the bed but kneeling beside it, Evan’s gaze shifted to his wife’s face.
His blue eyes, filled with turmoil, were incredibly pitiful. As if his gaze conveyed his suffering, Yuliana softened her heart even more.
In the end, she lowered herself to the weak knight and kissed his forehead. Then, kneeling before him, she sat on her heels on the bed.
Her gestures were like offering comfort without responsibility. But seeing Evan’s confused expression, Yuliana whispered gently.
“Anyway, we should consider that Ariana Kavanagh might do the worst. What could be the worst for the nobles?”
“Iris Kavanagh couldn’t have such power.”
“I know. She doesn’t have the power. But the Imperial Family might provide her with clues. Besides, the temple might bolster her.”
“Are they going to strip the nobles of their status? Using underhanded tactics?”
As soon as the word ‘temple’ was mentioned, Evan’s expression twisted.
Yuliana pressed her lips firmly against his, as if to soothe him. Then, with a playful smile, she said, “Sometimes, underhanded tactics are the most useful. It’s the most effective way to hit where it hurts the most, right? The empire is outwardly an absolute monarchy, and society believes in a religion that prioritizes purity. Nobles hide their scandals and live. But I was different. I held parties and played with people’s hearts. I don’t want to say I’m a bad person. I wanted to say that’s my past. Don’t be angry.”
Evan’s expression became ominous as if he would tear apart those who spoke like that right away. Yuliana, looking tenderly into his fiercely gleaming eyes, pinched her lower lip.
However, she wasn’t annoyed by her own feelings. She had to keep Evan’s guilt alive to prevent him from rushing to ‘Yun’ like a madman.
While Yuliana sighed secretly, Evan’s hand, which had been massaging her foot, paused slightly.
At the same time, he raised his head towards her. His blue eyes, filled with turmoil, were incredibly pitiful. As if his gaze conveyed his suffering, Yuliana softened her heart even more.
Unable to offer words of comfort, Yuliana bowed her head to the weak knight. Then, kneeling before him, she sat on her heels on the bed.
Her gestures were like offering comfort without responsibility. But seeing Evan’s confused expression, Yuliana whispered gently.
“Anyway, we should consider that Ariana Kavanagh might do the worst. What could be the worst for the nobles?”
“Iris Kavanagh couldn’t have such power.”
“I know. She doesn’t have the power. But the Imperial Family might provide her with clues. Besides, the temple might bolster her.”
“Are they going to strip the nobles of their status? Using underhanded tactics?”
As soon as the word ‘temple’ was mentioned, Evan’s expression twisted.
Yuliana pressed her lips firmly against his, as if to soothe him. Then, with a playful smile, she said, “Sometimes, underhanded tactics are the most useful. It’s the most effective way to hit where it hurts the most, right? The empire is outwardly an absolute monarchy, and society believes in a religion that prioritizes purity. Nobles hide their scandals and live. But I was different. I held parties and played with people’s hearts. I don’t want to say I’m a bad person. I wanted to say that’s my past. Don’t be angry.”
Evan looked at her, his expression grim as if he would tear apart those who spoke like that right away. Yuliana, looking tenderly into his fiercely gleaming eyes, pinched her lower lip.
However, she wasn’t annoyed by her own feelings. She had to keep Evan’s guilt alive to prevent him from rushing to ‘Yun’ like a madman.
“Maybe it’s for the best that you’re under my control. You’re swayed by my words, yearning for affection, and suffering just because you tried to save me without my permission…”
Yuliana spoke, partly tired of herself, while gently stroking Evan’s leg, which had been massaging her foot.
“By the way, Evan, where did you learn those things?”
“What things?”
Evan replied gruffly as he continued to massage her foot with more force.
Her small, white foot was easily held in Evan’s hand. Wriggling intentionally in his grasp, Yuliana smiled charmingly.
“No, I mean, you’re good at cutting hair, giving baths, and doing nice things for me. So, I was curious. Who are you trying to impress by being so good at this?”
“…Did you ask because you didn’t know?”
He lowered his head and caressed her foot with care. Yuliana trembled her shoulders for a moment, feeling the pleasant sensation. Then, with a slightly thin voice, she said, “No. I know. Just because it’s pretty.”
But then, she immediately threw a piece of advice.
“Still, you know I won’t forgive you, right? You know I have a strong sense of pride.”
Yuliana smiled wryly.
Although her inner thoughts were slightly different, there was nothing she could do. She had to maintain Evan’s guilt to prevent him from being swayed by ‘Yun’ and entering her reality.
While Yuliana secretly sighed, Evan’s hand, which had been massaging her foot, paused slightly.
At the same time, he raised his head towards her. His blue eyes, filled with turmoil, were incredibly pitiful. As if his gaze conveyed his suffering, Yuliana softened her heart even more.
Unable to offer words of comfort, Yuliana bowed her head to the weak knight. Then, kneeling before him, she sat on her heels on the bed.
Her gestures were like offering comfort without responsibility. But seeing Evan’s confused expression, Yuliana whispered gently.
“Anyway, we should consider that Ariana Kavanagh might do the worst. What could be the worst for the nobles?”
“Iris Kavanagh
