Cerden glanced at the drooping head that had suddenly fallen.
“Ugh.”
He stifled a laugh. Was it an act, or was she really asleep? Evelyn was dozing off, her head bobbing. All the gazes from the people sitting in the back row were directed at her.
Cerden lightly tapped Evelyn on the head. At that, she, who had been swaying like a bird, leaned against Cerden's shoulder.
It was a small and light head.
Cerden narrowed his eyes.
No matter how he thought about it, she didn’t seem like an ordinary fool. Watching her like this only confused him more.
It was also suspicious how she had suddenly disappeared earlier and then reappeared.
‘Did she meet someone?’
Moreover, Duke Spelman had shown up late as well. Both the young lord and the duke had arrived late. Had the three of them secretly held a meeting?
He had formally protested the young lord's rudeness to Duke Spelman, who had even apologized officially. That show was all for the sake of seeing Evelyn's reaction, yet she had shown no response at all.
‘Tsk.’
Cerden exchanged smiles with Duke Spelman when their eyes met, then turned his head away. As Cerden shifted his body, Evelyn found a more comfortable position.
He crossed his arms, listening to her soft breathing.
One thing was certain: she was really asleep now.
What an interesting woman.
No, this is crazy.
When did she lean against me and fall asleep? Has Evelyn lost her mind?
I stared at Cerden with wide eyes, unable to find words. Had my mouth been hanging open? Cerden tapped my chin to close it.
Cerden smiled softly and whispered.
“Did you have a good dream, Evelyn?”
“Uh-huh. I didn’t dream!”
Cerden's hand reached toward me. I stiffened with an inexplicable tension. If I acted strangely here, he would suspect me.
Cerden moved closer to me.
W-what is he trying to do? I stared at Cerden with wide eyes. It felt like an eternity in that brief moment.
Cerden's thumb brushed against my lips. My breath caught in my throat.
I knew he wouldn’t do anything, yet I found myself imagining strange things. The hidden fingertips trembled slightly.
Crazy! Should I run away? As I pondered, Cerden rubbed his thumb against my mouth. The moment his cold hand touched my warm lips, heat surged through me.
“Our Evelyn is a drooler.”
Huh, drool?
It was a moment that made me feel ridiculous after being tense just moments ago. You drool even while sleeping here! Ah, Evelyn!
“No, it’s not my drool!”
Damn it. He never lets his guard down for a second. My face was turning red, so I quickly shook my head.
Really, my shame. My dignity.
Cerden tapped my head.
“You said you were hungry. Let’s hurry up. There should be something delicious.”
I nodded vigorously. If I could just escape this situation, I would even dance a little.
I followed Cerden, taking deep breaths discreetly.
Cerden was truly insane.
Did he not realize how handsome he was? Or was he testing me to see if I would fall for him? Would I be charmed or not?
Sometimes, it really felt like I could cry.
As we moved to the banquet hall, I spotted a face I hadn’t seen before. At that moment, my nerves stood on end. It felt like all my thoughts had vanished.
A girl my age, dressed in a glamorous gown.
The girl, with her hair styled and adorned, looked youthful but bore a striking resemblance to Cerden.
It was Lady Veronica.
The lady that Evelyn had killed in the original story.
I swallowed hard. I felt a surge of tension seeing Lady Veronica for the first time.
Now there were two people Augustine could refer to as ‘that person.’
Cerden and Veronica.
Damn it, which one is it?
Lady Veronica had also been suffering from the threat of poisoning. Spelman wanted to eliminate all the royals and secure the throne with his own blood.
Since Spelman was the closest to the imperial family after the royals. His first ancestor was the brother of the first Emperor.
Veronica was in danger too.
As I was feeling tense, Lady Veronica approached us.
Lady Veronica greeted us.
“It’s been a while, brother. And Evelyn. It’s our first meeting, right? Nice to meet you.”
Her smile was strikingly similar to Cerden’s. The difference was that while Cerden’s smile concealed a sinister intent, Veronica’s was pure.
You should learn a thing or two, kid.
I was frozen, staring only at Veronica when Cerden tapped my shoulder.
“What’s wrong, Evelyn?”
Ah, that was such an awkward reaction. What’s an appropriate response in a situation like this?
“Wow…”
I started with an exclamation. Then I blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Y-you’re a princess! Husband! You’re prettier than my doll!”
Right. No one would dislike being called pretty. Lady Veronica smiled brightly at me.
Fortunately, it seemed my first impression wasn’t bad. That’s good enough, phew.
The dinner began.
Eavesdropping on the conversation, it seemed today was the founding ceremony of the Merchant Union. The Merchant Union, a time when the bourgeoisie began to formally enter society, and if I remembered correctly, the Rochester guild was the largest.
And they seemed to have some power too.
So, was that talkative man the head of the Rochester guild?
Hmm, if I recalled correctly, the head of the Rochester guild later provided information to the female protagonist and acted as an ally.
If I had been possessed normally, I might have used him too.
Right now, I had no choice but to be self-sufficient and survive on my own.
Pretending to observe the people, I watched the passing maids.
Ah, there she is. I spotted a maid serving with an indifferent expression.
I rummaged through the food as discreetly as possible. Originally, Evelyn was supposed to like sweets but not particularly enjoy food.
“You need to eat a variety, Evelyn.”
“...Do you care about that too, brother?”
“Evelyn is at an age where she needs to grow.”
Veronica looked at Cerden as if he were insane.
Yeah, that’s right! It’s refreshing to know I’m not the only one who thinks he’s weird!
“My mother has been wanting to see Evelyn. So I attended this event in her place today.”
“Evelyn is still too young for that.”
Veronica once again looked at Cerden as if he were crazy.
That’s right! Exactly!
Even I could see he was crazy. I felt like I might actually start to like Veronica. You two are the perfect real-life siblings.
Veronica sighed and continued softly.
“Of course, I’ve heard the stories. But my mother knows and has accepted it. She’ll be fine. She’s just curious about Evelyn, so I think it would be good for you to meet once.”
“Think about it. Let’s stop eating now. People are watching, Veronica.”
Veronica seemed about to say something but shook her head and resumed eating.
As I silently cheered for Veronica, the maid approached us.
Oh. My heart started pounding.
The maid slowly approached and placed a glass next to Veronica.
It was Veronica.
The maid slowly retreated.
I don’t drink because I’m not feeling well. And Cerden’s glass was filled with wine.
It seemed like this gathering was prepared with a precise understanding of each person’s preferences and conditions. Since I didn’t bring cookies, they used this method.
Unless it was a warning.
A warning that said, ‘You don’t qualify as royalty to be targeted for terror in a place like this.’
Glancing at Spelman, he wasn’t even looking our way.
I saw Augustine looking back at the maid.
Right, it’s poisoned. Damn it.
It was so cleverly done that only I, who knew the whole situation, could see it. My hands were sweating.
Every movement of Veronica seemed to be in slow motion. I felt like my heart would stop from the sound. I couldn’t think of anything.
Was there a scene like this in the novel?
Had Veronica ever been sick?
I didn’t think I had seen any details like that. What kind of poison was in that?
There was no more time to hesitate.
Seeing Veronica reach for the champagne glass, I quickly snatched it away. I took the glass in my hand and smiled brightly.
“Why don’t you give me some? I want some too! I want to drink!”
I tightened my grip on the glass. This was clearly the best I could do right now. Acting like a child was the only way to prevent Veronica from being poisoned.
“It’s mine!”
“Ugh.”
He stifled a laugh. Was it an act, or was she really asleep? Evelyn was dozing off, her head bobbing. All the gazes from the people sitting in the back row were directed at her.
Cerden lightly tapped Evelyn on the head. At that, she, who had been swaying like a bird, leaned against Cerden's shoulder.
It was a small and light head.
Cerden narrowed his eyes.
No matter how he thought about it, she didn’t seem like an ordinary fool. Watching her like this only confused him more.
It was also suspicious how she had suddenly disappeared earlier and then reappeared.
‘Did she meet someone?’
Moreover, Duke Spelman had shown up late as well. Both the young lord and the duke had arrived late. Had the three of them secretly held a meeting?
He had formally protested the young lord's rudeness to Duke Spelman, who had even apologized officially. That show was all for the sake of seeing Evelyn's reaction, yet she had shown no response at all.
‘Tsk.’
Cerden exchanged smiles with Duke Spelman when their eyes met, then turned his head away. As Cerden shifted his body, Evelyn found a more comfortable position.
He crossed his arms, listening to her soft breathing.
One thing was certain: she was really asleep now.
What an interesting woman.
No, this is crazy.
When did she lean against me and fall asleep? Has Evelyn lost her mind?
I stared at Cerden with wide eyes, unable to find words. Had my mouth been hanging open? Cerden tapped my chin to close it.
Cerden smiled softly and whispered.
“Did you have a good dream, Evelyn?”
“Uh-huh. I didn’t dream!”
Cerden's hand reached toward me. I stiffened with an inexplicable tension. If I acted strangely here, he would suspect me.
Cerden moved closer to me.
W-what is he trying to do? I stared at Cerden with wide eyes. It felt like an eternity in that brief moment.
Cerden's thumb brushed against my lips. My breath caught in my throat.
I knew he wouldn’t do anything, yet I found myself imagining strange things. The hidden fingertips trembled slightly.
Crazy! Should I run away? As I pondered, Cerden rubbed his thumb against my mouth. The moment his cold hand touched my warm lips, heat surged through me.
“Our Evelyn is a drooler.”
Huh, drool?
It was a moment that made me feel ridiculous after being tense just moments ago. You drool even while sleeping here! Ah, Evelyn!
“No, it’s not my drool!”
Damn it. He never lets his guard down for a second. My face was turning red, so I quickly shook my head.
Really, my shame. My dignity.
Cerden tapped my head.
“You said you were hungry. Let’s hurry up. There should be something delicious.”
I nodded vigorously. If I could just escape this situation, I would even dance a little.
I followed Cerden, taking deep breaths discreetly.
Cerden was truly insane.
Did he not realize how handsome he was? Or was he testing me to see if I would fall for him? Would I be charmed or not?
Sometimes, it really felt like I could cry.
As we moved to the banquet hall, I spotted a face I hadn’t seen before. At that moment, my nerves stood on end. It felt like all my thoughts had vanished.
A girl my age, dressed in a glamorous gown.
The girl, with her hair styled and adorned, looked youthful but bore a striking resemblance to Cerden.
It was Lady Veronica.
The lady that Evelyn had killed in the original story.
I swallowed hard. I felt a surge of tension seeing Lady Veronica for the first time.
Now there were two people Augustine could refer to as ‘that person.’
Cerden and Veronica.
Damn it, which one is it?
Lady Veronica had also been suffering from the threat of poisoning. Spelman wanted to eliminate all the royals and secure the throne with his own blood.
Since Spelman was the closest to the imperial family after the royals. His first ancestor was the brother of the first Emperor.
Veronica was in danger too.
As I was feeling tense, Lady Veronica approached us.
Lady Veronica greeted us.
“It’s been a while, brother. And Evelyn. It’s our first meeting, right? Nice to meet you.”
Her smile was strikingly similar to Cerden’s. The difference was that while Cerden’s smile concealed a sinister intent, Veronica’s was pure.
You should learn a thing or two, kid.
I was frozen, staring only at Veronica when Cerden tapped my shoulder.
“What’s wrong, Evelyn?”
Ah, that was such an awkward reaction. What’s an appropriate response in a situation like this?
“Wow…”
I started with an exclamation. Then I blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Y-you’re a princess! Husband! You’re prettier than my doll!”
Right. No one would dislike being called pretty. Lady Veronica smiled brightly at me.
Fortunately, it seemed my first impression wasn’t bad. That’s good enough, phew.
The dinner began.
Eavesdropping on the conversation, it seemed today was the founding ceremony of the Merchant Union. The Merchant Union, a time when the bourgeoisie began to formally enter society, and if I remembered correctly, the Rochester guild was the largest.
And they seemed to have some power too.
So, was that talkative man the head of the Rochester guild?
Hmm, if I recalled correctly, the head of the Rochester guild later provided information to the female protagonist and acted as an ally.
If I had been possessed normally, I might have used him too.
Right now, I had no choice but to be self-sufficient and survive on my own.
Pretending to observe the people, I watched the passing maids.
Ah, there she is. I spotted a maid serving with an indifferent expression.
I rummaged through the food as discreetly as possible. Originally, Evelyn was supposed to like sweets but not particularly enjoy food.
“You need to eat a variety, Evelyn.”
“...Do you care about that too, brother?”
“Evelyn is at an age where she needs to grow.”
Veronica looked at Cerden as if he were insane.
Yeah, that’s right! It’s refreshing to know I’m not the only one who thinks he’s weird!
“My mother has been wanting to see Evelyn. So I attended this event in her place today.”
“Evelyn is still too young for that.”
Veronica once again looked at Cerden as if he were crazy.
That’s right! Exactly!
Even I could see he was crazy. I felt like I might actually start to like Veronica. You two are the perfect real-life siblings.
Veronica sighed and continued softly.
“Of course, I’ve heard the stories. But my mother knows and has accepted it. She’ll be fine. She’s just curious about Evelyn, so I think it would be good for you to meet once.”
“Think about it. Let’s stop eating now. People are watching, Veronica.”
Veronica seemed about to say something but shook her head and resumed eating.
As I silently cheered for Veronica, the maid approached us.
Oh. My heart started pounding.
The maid slowly approached and placed a glass next to Veronica.
It was Veronica.
The maid slowly retreated.
I don’t drink because I’m not feeling well. And Cerden’s glass was filled with wine.
It seemed like this gathering was prepared with a precise understanding of each person’s preferences and conditions. Since I didn’t bring cookies, they used this method.
Unless it was a warning.
A warning that said, ‘You don’t qualify as royalty to be targeted for terror in a place like this.’
Glancing at Spelman, he wasn’t even looking our way.
I saw Augustine looking back at the maid.
Right, it’s poisoned. Damn it.
It was so cleverly done that only I, who knew the whole situation, could see it. My hands were sweating.
Every movement of Veronica seemed to be in slow motion. I felt like my heart would stop from the sound. I couldn’t think of anything.
Was there a scene like this in the novel?
Had Veronica ever been sick?
I didn’t think I had seen any details like that. What kind of poison was in that?
There was no more time to hesitate.
Seeing Veronica reach for the champagne glass, I quickly snatched it away. I took the glass in my hand and smiled brightly.
“Why don’t you give me some? I want some too! I want to drink!”
I tightened my grip on the glass. This was clearly the best I could do right now. Acting like a child was the only way to prevent Veronica from being poisoned.
“It’s mine!”
.jpeg)