Episode 69

Evelyn’s body had died, and this one had also passed and then returned to life.

That’s what Rosalind told me.

She explained that after the men had taken Evelyn away, they had locked both Rosalind and my current body in the cellar. In the process, my unconscious body had been roughly handled and my head had slammed hard against the cellar floor.

Blood had flowed, and the body had stopped breathing. Rosalind thought the life of the body she had created had come to an end.

She had been trapped for some time, pondering the situation, when suddenly my soul had entered the body, causing it to gasp back to life.

That was why Rosalind had been so shocked when she first saw me.

I had returned to life in a body she thought was dead.

Since my return, I’d had severe pain in the back of my head.

There was a long gash where the skin had split open, and Rosalind said it would take some time to fully heal.

While I could cover the wound with my hair, the pain made it impossible to lie down comfortably for a while.

The incomplete separation of my soul had left me with several side effects.

First, I had lost the ability to speak.

Second, I could no longer see my fate.

Rosalind had called this a blessing, but for me, it was not. The uncertainty left me feeling deeply anxious.

Third, my injuries healed very slowly.

Even though Rosalind used magic to treat the wound on my head, it was healing at a sluggish pace. Even minor cuts took days to heal.

The cabin we now stayed in belonged to Rosalind. It was a small cottage outside the capital that she had purchased long ago, under the name Rosalind, not Green.

This area had always been sparsely populated, and during the winter, no one ever came by.

“It seems the people who kidnapped Evelyn knew about me,” Rosalind remarked one day while changing my bandages.

I frowned, unsure what she meant.

“I think I heard my real name. Not Green—Rosalind.”

I froze, holding my breath in surprise.

Turning to look at her, I waited for her to continue.

“And they knew I could use magic. That’s why they only tied up my hands.”

How could they have known?

Rosalind muttered to herself.

Thinking back, she was right.

I was lost in thought, trying to figure it out, when Rosalind, having reached a conclusion before me, asked, “Are you sure this has nothing to do with the Crown Prince or the princess?”

Her tone was laced with suspicion.

I carefully considered her question before nodding slowly.

At least, if it were the people I knew, they wouldn’t have done this.

Rosalind sighed and left me alone in the cabin, returning to the capital.

She reported the incident, settled things with the shop owner, and packed some basic belongings before hurrying back. Given the danger, she had returned that same night.

Fortunately, there hadn’t been any issues. Rosalind had been planning to leave the city anyway, so it didn’t cause any problems.

The only issue had been the amount of luggage. She had left behind many things in her rush to return.

I had worried she might be furious about it, but instead, she shrugged with a calm smile.

“Most of my assets have already been moved abroad.”

Ah.

I was once again impressed by her meticulous planning.

I spent the winter with Rosalind at the cabin, taking care of my head injury to prevent any infections.

It had been a long time since I had endured such a harsh winter, having grown accustomed to a comfortable life.

Around the time when the wound on my head was nearly healed, Rosalind told me she would be leaving.

All my efforts to stop her were in vain.

Rosalind had always been someone who, once she made up her mind, never looked back.

As I silently cried, unable to ask her why she was leaving, Rosalind spoke to me firmly.

“This is the end for us. I won’t help you anymore.”

I strained my throat, trying to make a sound, but no voice came out. The fear of facing this new life, this unfamiliar body, and being left alone overwhelmed me.

Rosalind looked at me and said, “You’re too dependent.”

Her sudden, cold evaluation left me frozen.

“Learn to live on your own. Live a life where you make the decisions.”

She patted my shoulder to ease the tension, her touch gentle but her words resolute.

As she said this, she placed some money and Kenneth’s knot into my hand.

I was moved to tears, realizing that despite her abrupt departure, she had still thought to prepare something for me in her haste.

“You’re not just a girl from the Duke’s family, are you? You’ve managed the household well, and you did a good job helping in the shop. You’ll survive no matter what you do.”

Listening to her, I understood why she had given me various tasks over time. Partly, it had been for her convenience, but some of it had been to prepare me for the future.

Realizing this, I couldn’t bring myself to hold her back.

In the early spring, Rosalind left me.

I bid her farewell, and she embraced me tightly before departing.

“Be careful.”

Careful of what?

I couldn’t ask, so instead, I tilted my head in confusion.

“You were closest to Evelyn Rodore,” she explained. “Someone will figure out who you are and come after you.”

Rosalind left with those parting words.

I was left alone, pondering my next steps.

How could I keep myself safe from the Empress’s gaze?

The first person who came to mind was Igon.

I was shocked by how much I still unconsciously relied on him.

I missed him terribly—the scent of him, the warmth of his embrace. Sometimes, the memory of it pierced through my bones.

But I couldn’t bring myself to visit the Duke’s estate in this body.

Evelyn had at least held a respectable title, but I had none now.

And more than anything, I was terrified of the consequences. If Igon didn’t believe me and abandoned me again in some cruel way, I knew I wouldn’t survive it.

There was only one alternative.

The safest place is often hidden in plain sight.

I took the knot and sought out Kenneth.

Reaching the capital, and then the palace, proved to be an arduous journey. I spent most of my money just passing through checkpoints and bribing a court guard to deliver my letter.

I had worried that the guard might pocket the money and never deliver the message, but fortunately, the letter reached its destination.

Less than a week later, Kenneth sent someone to the inn where I was staying.

We reunited in the same garden where we had last met, beneath the tree where we had spoken before.

It had been several months since I had last seen him.

I approached him with a bright face, glad to see him, but his expression was cold and drained of emotion. His eyes looked dry and hollow.

He had lost weight, and his already sharp and dangerous aura had only intensified.

As I walked toward him, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had caused him to end up like this.

Without a word, Kenneth extended his hand toward me.

I handed him the knot.

He stared down at it for a long time, his brows furrowing fiercely.

“How… how did you…?”

His voice came out like a stifled groan, full of restrained emotion.

He kept his head lowered, staring at the knot, before finally lifting his gaze and asking.

Who are you?”

I placed my hand on my throat and slowly shook my head, indicating that I couldn’t speak.

Kenneth studied me, as if searching for something within me. Then, tears began to fall from his golden eyes, glistening like sunlight as they dropped.

He quickly glanced around, as if checking to see if anyone was watching.

There was no one in sight, but the sight of the Crown Prince crying openly in broad daylight, in the palace garden, was strange and heartbreaking.

Without thinking, I almost reached out to wipe away his tears.

But I stopped myself, curling my fingers into a fist just before they could brush against his dark hair.

I had no right.

The Evelyn he loved had died at the hands of his mother. The one standing here now was not Evelyn but Lily.

The dead can neither offer forgiveness nor comfort.

So, I stood there silently, waiting for his tears to stop.

I watched his shaking shoulders and the teardrops falling like beads, and I heard his sobs.

He didn’t cry for long.

After he bowed his head and let out his grief, he wiped his eyes with one rough motion and looked up again.

His face, still wet with tears, shimmered in the sunlight.

“Follow me,” he said, his voice cold, devoid of the warmth his tears had carried moments before.

From that day on, I began working in the palace.

I became a maid in charge of the Crown Prince’s library.

* * *

Working wasn’t difficult.

The library was a quiet place, far from the palace’s bustle. Only a few people visited, and it rarely became dirty.

More importantly, it was a perfect position for someone like me, who couldn’t speak.

Two librarians had been working there for a long time, and my job was mostly to assist them and run small errands for them.

I cleaned, organized, managed the books, and helped anyone who came by looking for something specific.

Life in the palace wasn’t particularly challenging.

Rumors spread quietly that I had the Crown Prince’s backing, which shielded me from most difficulties.

Of course, there were those who resented my supposed connection to Kenneth.

Some of the other maids, knowing I couldn’t speak, would play cruel pranks on me from time to time.

But being hated no longer bothered me.

I had lived my whole life accustomed to that, so it didn’t matter.

As I grew more comfortable with my work and life, it happened during one of the usual meal times.

A girl with bright red hair approached me before I even noticed.

“Do you always eat alone?” she asked in a sharp but somehow kind voice.

It was hard to tell if she was being serious or teasing.

The friends at her side looked uncomfortable, nudging her with their elbows.

“Mind if I join you?”

Before I could refuse, she had already sat down across from me.

I stared at her blankly for a moment, then smiled softly.

Her pushy attitude reminded me of someone.

“So, are you really some kind of fallen royalty?”

She asked suddenly as we ate.

I tilted my head, confused by the question.

“Everyone’s saying it. You don’t seem like a maid doing odd jobs,” she continued.

I smiled and shook my head.

“Really? It’s just the way you carry yourself, the way you eat. We all thought you were some kind of royalty. And I heard you were recommended by His Highness the Crown Prince. How did you meet him?”

Her stream of questions seemed endless.

I rolled my eyes slightly, realizing she didn’t know I couldn’t speak.

Finally, one of her friends nudged her harder and said, “She… can’t talk, can she?”

I nodded lightly and smiled.

After a small gasp, there was a long silence.

This was the usual reaction.

People who approached me hoping to befriend me would eventually grow frustrated by the lack of conversation and drift away.

But this girl was different.

“I’m Mary,” she said, offering her hand after we finished our meal.

Startled, I shook her hand.

And just like that, we became friends.

Mary was a good person, though sometimes a bit too blunt.

Life became more stable after that.

Time passed.

Days turned into months, and months into years.

Time felt slow while I was living it, but looking back, it all rushed by faster than I expected.

The palace was always filled with the latest gossip, and it was easy to hear news about Igon.

His life differed slightly from the story I knew, but it still followed the same general path.

After I had worked in the palace for two years and two seasons, Igon deposed the Empress and brought down the Count’s family completely.

It had been nearly three years since I last saw him when we crossed paths again.

Compared to the time we had been apart, our reunion was brief.