“Oh, no! I just wanted to get out of the room…! That’s the only time I pretended to help!”
Princess Elsius sat right on the floor and grabbed Kaiden’s leg. He looked down at her, his back against the back of the chair, looking at his pathetic half-sister.
“Your situation is none of my business. You know I’ve already let it slide a few times.”
“Older brother! What would a sister say if you threw me away like this?”
His expression was released the moment she brought up Evelina.
“My sister also introduced me to her childhood friend…! Even if I’m not the Dowager Empress, I can be her family!”
“How can I trust you?”
“Trust me…! I truly want my sister to give birth to my brother’s baby… I can help until she becomes empress!”
She was so afraid of Kaiden. Even after twisting her neck like this, her brother wasn’t a person to be disappointed.
With a trembling hand, she took off her mother’s real relic ring and handed it to him.
“I swear. If you betray me again, kill me!”
“…”
“I have Mervenia’s elixir. With that, my sister will be completely healed! So give me a chance! You know how loyal I am! I just confused my owner for a moment…!”
Princess Elsius, who had her head stuck to the floor, said to Kaiden as if pleading.
“Now I’ll have my sister as my owner!”
Kaiden didn’t want to give her any more chances, but it seemed like Evelina genuinely wanted to have a family. He sighed and had to give her a chance.
“If you betray me again this time, I will not let you go as the Queen of Mervenia.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll hang your neck on at the Princess’ Palace.”
At Kaiden’s words, the princess fell to the floor and trembled. Because she knew he wasn’t joking.
~~~~
Evelina was sitting in front of a newly built dressing table in the emperor’s bedroom to go to the banquet hall.
“His Majesty said he would go to the banquet hall right away.”
Baroness Elias was a person of Princess Elsius. That’s why the information didn’t come out even when the Dowager Empress went to the basement, so she survived.
“From now on, I will post reports that go directly to Your Majesty.”
Now, Armen Lubbs was a powerful figure in the Imperial Palace because Evelina summoned Armen Lubbs, who served as her eyes in the Dowager Empress.
Anyone with a discerning eye knew that she served as her eyes and ears at the Dowager Empress’ Palace. Most of all, except for Armen Lubbs’ friends, who worked with the Dowager Empress, they were all going to be sent to Lesis Island the moment the envoys left.
Lesis Island was a harsh winter island.
Unless everyone was a fool, they couldn’t know whose people they were by looking at the maids that Queen Evelina pointed out after the fall of the Dowager Empress.
It was believed that the Dowager Empress fell sooner earlier because of the maid next to her. Even though it was Kaiden’s ruse.
“…Yes.”
Baroness Elias was nervous that she might have been caught as a person of Princess Elsius. That’s why she put up with Armen Lubbs, who was lower in rank than me, treating her that way.
“Armen.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Please make my lip color darker. That way, I think it will go well with the dress that Kaiden sent me.”
“What about this color?”
Armen said, pointing to the very deep red on the palette. Then Evelina nodded. She looked back at the bright red dress that Kaiden gave her to wear to the banquet today. It was almost dark red, so I didn’t think it would be bad.
“His Majesty also sent a necklace of rubies and diamonds.”
“Oh, I’m glad.”
Evelina thought he seemed to prefer a strangely red dress.
‘I like red. It looks good on me.’
“What do you like about red? It just stands out. You look better in purple.’
‘Are there any colors that don’t suit me?’
‘…No.’
For a moment, an unknown voice passed through her head.
“Did you hear anything just now?”
“What? What sound?”
Evelina was also convinced that this hallucination was only heard by her. There was a problem with the medicine she took. It was just that Hans didn’t notice.
Maybe it was driving her crazy. But if it was going slowly crazy like this, it was no use. She’d be dead in nine days.
“No, I asked because I was so excited. I was wondering if you could hear my heart.”
“Your Majesty is so fresh. After serving Her Majesty the DowagerEmpress all day, you don’t know what an honor it is to serve such a refreshing person.”
At Armen’s words, Evelina looked at her. Evelina peeked out at her because she seemed to be speaking her heart.
“Thank you for coming to my palace as I asked. I’m so glad I have you.”
“I’m flattered, Your Majesty.”
Evelina was going to take care of Princess Elsius before I died anyway. If so, the maids in the palace will be assigned to other places, but they will not be punished.
As the time of death approached, she felt as if everything was someone else’s business and not hers.
“Can you close your eyes for a moment? If I want to change the color of your lips, I think I need to make the color of your eyes a little lighter.”
“Yes.”
Evelina closed her eyes like that.
Soon afterward, a woman that was familiar yet unfamiliar and gave her a strange feeling was seen in the mirror.
Evelina felt so unfamiliar with herself. At the same time, she accepted that it was her.
The platinum blonde, which was neatly braided to one side, was splendid. On top of it, pearl jewelry was woven like a net and placed on top of her head. And the long diamond hairpin on the head behind the ear added glamour.
She was there, feeling her large ruby earrings dangling with every breath she took, and feeling the coolness of a more ornate necklace that soon filled her neck.
She felt like her purple eyes were completely eaten by the red.
Soon, she changed into her dress and looked in the mirror. She felt strange because her whole body had turned red.
Red eyes, are a symbol of the Abelard royal family. It was as if the intensity of Kaiden’s eyes had covered her body.
“Your Majesty, would you please sit down again for a moment?”
“Why?”
“I thought it was only in the front, but you also have a big mark on your back.”
“What kind of marks?”
“…it’s a tooth mark, my lord.”
“Oh, yes.”
Evelina dropped her head because she couldn’t tell when he had bitten her on the back. Her cheeks were burning, but she couldn’t say anything. Since the dress was, of course, revealing the entire back, she had to spend a lot of time applying makeup to her back.
~~~~
“Oh, come. Sister.”
When Evelina arrived, Elsius was sitting next to Kaiden. The seat was originally the seat of the empress, but now that the empress was vacant, it was right for the queen to sit down.
“That’s okay.”
The banquet hall had been looking at Evelina from the moment she came. She was used to this gaze when she entered society, so it wasn’t so awkward for people to see her.
She walked gracefully and went straight to Kaiden.
Princess Elsius tried to get up from her seat because she was afraid of Kaiden. She had been sitting there intending to show her brother for a moment that she was talking intimately with the Prince of Tenesi who was sitting near her.
“I want to sit here with you.”
Evelina jokingly said to Kaiden. Then Kaiden said with a smile.
“Okay, but my thighs are hard, so I’ll have them bring a cushion.”
“I don’t like cushions. My skirt is already big enough.”
When Evelina tried to sit down with Kaiden, Princess Elsius recognized that it was a warning and hurriedly got up from her seat and went to the side.
“I think my sister looks better in this position here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I wanted to sit down with Kaiden.”
Kaiden laughed again as she saw Evelina sitting next to her, in the empress’ seat.
“The position suits Lina much better.”
“Thank you.”
“Next year, I hope you sit as the empress, not queen.”
Evelina, who thought Kaiden was saying this on purpose in a public place, smiled admiringly and held his hand tightly.
“Let’s talk about it when we have a child.”
“Yes.”
When he smiled with a gentle expression that was incomparable to the smile he had been making so far, Princess Elsius was surprised and accidentally knocked over the glass next to her.
“I envy you. I want to have a good marriage like you two.”
“It’s also ideal to have a lover be an old friend.”
That’s what Kaiden said. He spoke as if he wanted to get rid of Princess Elsius, and Princess Elsius also came to her senses and laughed bitterly at the words.
“That’s good, too. I’m going to be nice to whoever will be my wife.”
Renold Tenesi understood Kaiden’s words and said so. From the perspective of Prince Tenesi, there was nothing to lose if the princess of the Abelard Empire came as his wife. If the power of her brother, the Abelard Empire, supported him becoming king.
It was clear that he would be a stronger supporter than anyone else.
But it was difficult for Evelina. My adoptive parents had to go to the Kingdom of Tenesi, and it was difficult for Princess Elsius to use her power there.
“Oh, I see. So is our Ian. Right, Ian?”
“Oh? Oh, yes.”
Evelina said so when she looked at Ianathas standing near me.
“I’ve been married and I feel this way, but I’m much happier in my own country than in a foreign country.”
Kaiden softened his expression at her words.
“Don’t you think so, Princess Elsius?”
Princess Elsius’ eyes widened at Evelina’s words, which she threw as if she wanted to get caught in her snare.
