Episode 55

I was taking my medicine and lying on my side when I heard the soft splashing of water beside me.

Without opening my eyes, I felt a wet cloth gently cleaning my arm.

The meticulous touch indicated it was Igon.

I quietly opened my eyes.

He must have known I was awake, but he showed no reaction.

He continued diligently wiping the uncomfortable spots.

While I was bedridden, Igon had become an excellent caregiver.

Far more skilled and gentle than the maid assigned to me, he took care of me with ease.

“Igon.”

I called his name as he wiped my right arm with the wet cloth.

It was my way of saying thank you.

When I called, Igon slowly raised his head and met my gaze.

Bright eyes appeared under his pale eyelashes.

“Ah.”

A sigh escaped my lips.

Though it was a face I always saw, seeing it this close felt strangely unfamiliar.

His features seemed almost inorganic, as if exuding a coldness not of a person.

His slightly grown-out bangs fell forward.

I reached up and pushed them back with my fingers, my fingertips brushing his forehead.

At the slight touch, Igon closed his eyes and smiled gently.

The hand that touched his hair was then caught by him.

Soft.

His warm, soft lips briefly pressed against the back of my hand before pulling away.

The sensation lingered like a stamp.

“Evelyn.”

His voice calling my name was innocent, free of any malice, but his eyes couldn’t hide their faint warmth.

Under the intensity of his gaze, even though I knew we were the only ones in the room, I instinctively looked around.

As I confirmed we were alone, my body tilted forward, drawn by his pull.

I fell against his shoulder, his smooth hair brushing my neck.

I laughed at the way I clung to him like a child or a puppy.

I raised my hand and stroked his hair and back.

A deep breath, almost like a sigh, flowed from him, trailing down my back.

“Evelyn.”

“Yes.”

“Evelyn.”

His voice sounded like it would lead to a reproach, but it didn’t.

He only scolded me for not abandoning the Crown Prince the first day I regained consciousness.

After that, Igon blamed himself.

He berated himself for not following me to the end, for not coming to me sooner.

Startled, I told him not to blame himself, and since then, he had taken to repeating my name like this.

Without replying, I continued to stroke his hair.

I cast my gaze over his shoulder, looking at the picture hanging above the fireplace in front of the bed.

It depicted the goddess of victory leading warriors, fitting for a hunting lodge.

Staring at the depiction of the warriors and monsters, I spoke impulsively.

“I have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

“What are you so accustomed to that you’re sick of it?”

I had been pondering the unease I felt around him lately, so it wasn’t a sudden question for me. But it seemed to surprise Igon.

He pulled away from me and gave me a puzzled look.

He tilted his head slightly, as if not understanding my question.

But I believed he did understand.

“Before I lost consciousness, you said you were accustomed to it to the point of being sick.”

He silently looked down at me, his lips remaining closed.

I realized he didn’t want to answer, but I didn’t stop questioning.

Igon had been strange that day.

Igon had behaved like someone deeply wounded and terrified while he was searching for Kenneth and me in the cave.

It was understandable that he was worried and frightened after losing me, but his murmurs, as if he had given up, were unsettling.

“What did you mean by that? Are you saying you’re accustomed to dealing with monsters, or fighting like that? Or is it something else…”

“Evelyn.”

Igon cut off my words without hesitation and stood up.

It was a clear sign that he no longer wanted to continue the conversation.

“The maid will help you with the rest. Bear with it a little longer.”

He spoke as if the conversation we had just had never even started, then he quickly left the room with large strides.

I wanted to grab him and get the answers I sought, but I didn’t know what reaction I might provoke if I pushed him further.

I just watched Igon disappear from sight.

I pulled my knees up and hugged them.

The smell of medicine wafted from the bandage wrapped around my right arm.

***

As soon as visits were allowed, the princess came to see me.

The first words she spoke after seeing me for the first time in ten days were.

“Oh my.”

She hesitated near the bed, looking at me with a very puzzled expression, as if trying to confirm it was really me.

I hadn’t seen myself during this time, but judging by the princess’s reaction, I must have looked quite a sight.

“Lady Rodore? Evelyn?”

She even asked deliberately.

Neither Igon nor the doctor had mentioned anything strange about my appearance.

Was it really that bad?

No wonder Igon hadn’t shown me a mirror.

I had heard that the swelling on my face would subside last, but I hadn’t realized it was this bad since the swelling in my legs and arms had almost completely gone down.

“I must look pretty bad.”

The princess furrowed her brows and spoke as if she could barely suppress a gasp.

I laughed awkwardly.

I didn’t have the courage to correct her by saying, ‘I’m okay now. I’ve been okay for a while.’

The princess seemed to interpret my silence differently and cautiously asked.

“Should I have come later?”

“No, no. I’m much better now.”

“It doesn’t look like it…”

She eyed me skeptically, as if trying to gauge if I was just saying that to be polite.

“Really, I’m fine. The swelling is just still on my face. Look, my hands and other parts are fine.”

“Well, yes. Your face is just swollen, making you look worse.”

I laughed at the absurdity, and only then did the princess sigh in relief.

She approached and sat on the chair next to my bed.

We exchanged simple pleasantries, and she relayed the greetings from the ladies of the social circle who were worried about me.

Imitating each of the ladies from the group, the princess recounted their messages, sometimes making it sound like lines from a play, sometimes sincere.

When she imitated Christina, I laughed out loud.

After a while of cheerful conversation, I cautiously brought up the topic.

“What happened to Marquis Listrick’s family?”

I asked about something I hadn’t inquired from others.

For some reason, I felt it would be okay to hear about Stella from the princess.

“Well… I don’t know how long they’ll last. Bankruptcy is almost certain.”

As I listened to the princess, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Stella, even though it made me feel foolish.

I guessed she might have received promises to support her family and help it thrive.

There might have been other circumstances I didn’t know about.

Regardless, it was a rotten lifeline.

She had tried to poison me and leave me to die in a pit.

I would never forget the sharp words and disdainful looks she had thrown at me.

But still, I felt sorry for her.

I remembered her trembling fingers.

I didn’t believe she acted purely out of personal animosity and jealousy.

If all the kindness she had shown me had been false, then there was no such thing as sincerity in this world.

“They say she’ll be brought before the noble court, but I don’t think she’ll reveal who was behind it.”

The princess smiled faintly, but her smile was trembling.

“It seems her backer is quite powerful.”

“I see.”

I murmured quietly.

She seemed to suspect the Empress.

I had initially suspected the Empress too, but not anymore.

At least, if it were the Empress, she wouldn’t have caused such a commotion at an imperial event.

I couldn’t be sure, but I suspected Count Durant more.

“…I will definitely find out who was behind this.”

“It will be possible.”

The princess nodded at my response, her large eyes filling with tears.

“I’m sorry.”

I shook my head.

Even if the Empress had indeed ordered Stella to kill me, it wasn’t something the princess needed to apologize for.

“I really liked you, Evelyn. Did you know that?”

How could I not? She had even allowed me to use her nickname.

“Of course, I knew.”

Hearing her speak in the past tense made me realize that our friendship might end here.

It would be difficult for me to stay close to her now.

Our relationship had become dangerous.

Smiling brightly at the princess, as if this might be our last encounter, I didn’t care about my swollen face.

“I’ll do everything I can to ensure no one harms you from my position.”

Even if she couldn’t keep that promise, it was enough for me that she said it.

I reached out and held Ulysses’ hand.

“Thank you for everything.”

Just as she had been sincere, so was I.