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As a result, the capital was also adjacent to the sea. The capital was about an hour away from the harbor where we docked.
Many people had come out to greet Cerden and me.
"Oh, Cerden!"
An elderly woman waved at us. I seemed to know without asking.
A benevolent smile lingered on her charismatic face. Her eyes were full of warmth as she looked at Cerden.
"I never imagined he would grow up to be such a handsome young man!"
"You should have."
Cerden burst into laughter.
"Because I have never not been handsome."
Princess Elizabeth laughed back. And her gaze turned to me, who was standing next to him.
"It's nice to meet you like this. You're Evelyn, right?"
"Yes! It's nice to meet you!"
I grabbed Princess Elizabeth's hand and shook it vigorously.
"You're much more beautiful than I thought."
She suddenly pulled me into an embrace. She stroked my back and let out a long sigh.
I don't know why.
Princess Elizabeth was relieved. Before I could even wonder, she let go of me. And she naturally introduced the Crown Prince and his wife to us.
They greeted us with kind eyes.
Yures was a much more generous place than Lakecia. Enough to embrace my existence.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince must be tired from coming such a long way. Please rest today and I will invite you to a welcome banquet tomorrow."
"Let's meet tomorrow."
"Your Highness, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes!"
I smiled brightly and nodded. Perhaps thanks to the time spent on the ship for the past few days, my heart had softened.
The sea and Cerden brought me peace. The distance between Cerden and me had also become a little closer.
This means that the acting I'm doing now has become a little more bearable.
When I waved, the Crown Princess waved back.
We moved our steps amidst the welcome of the citizens.
And we were supposed to arrive at Princess Elizabeth's mansion and enjoy a rest, definitely.
Including me.
But what awaited me was not rest.
"I've been waiting, Evelyn Lakecia. I have something to tell you."
A cold gaze looking at me. A sunken expression. She was completely different from the person who greeted me earlier.
Princess Elizabeth and I were left alone. I could hear Cerden calling me from beyond the locked door.
I could also hear Princess Elizabeth's people dissuading and persuading Cerden.
"Surely Lady would not harm Your Highness! She is just an old woman. She just has something important to say!"
Princess Elizabeth was acting as if she had been waiting for this moment.
"...S, scary... My, husband..."
"No need to act, Evelyn. I know more than you think. That you are sane too."
Those heavy words struck me. I stared at her with dilated pupils.
Lies don't work.
The moment I saw Elizabeth, I realized one thing. Cerden resembled Princess Elizabeth more than anyone else.
Eyes that see through the truth.
The dignity of a ruler was intact. I didn't want to act stupid in front of someone who knew my identity.
"...Lady."
"Call me grandmother comfortably. I called you because I have something to tell you."
I suppressed my nervousness and spoke slowly.
"Do you have something to say to me? Cerden is..."
"Because he shouldn't hear it. But I don't think he'll be patient for long. Take a seat. I just need to confirm a few things."
Princess Elizabeth offered me a seat. I hesitated and sat down. I felt like my throat was tightening with nervousness, but she already knew my identity.
I had to figure out what her intentions were.
"...There could have been a more gentle way, Grandmother. I think Cerden was very surprised."
"That was also a confirmation. I needed to know what you meant to Cerden. He'll be fine. My people are good at talking."
As Cerden said, Princess Elizabeth was a person who did not move without intention.
I clenched the hem of my skirt tightly.
How on earth does she know that I'm sane? The only people in this world who know that fact are Cerden and Julia.
But how, why.
"Do you know why I was favored by the late Lakecia Emperor in the past?"
"...I don't know."
"It was a matter treated as top secret. I often see the future."
I never imagined I would hear such a story. I stared at Elizabeth with a surprised expression.
"The reason I ran away from Lakecia in the first place was also my will. I saw my brother ruining the empire. The world was burning. The citizens of Lakecia were crying out. I was a helpless human who couldn't do anything, so I left. I hurried under the pretext of being pregnant."
"...Fortunately, the late Emperor let you go willingly."
To let a Lady with precognitive abilities out.
"It was when my father's death was approaching."
Princess Elizabeth's voice was calm. Her eyes looking at me seemed to be surrounded by a mysterious blue band.
"Perhaps, you went to find Cerden on the battlefield..."
"That was a coincidence. I saw the future after meeting him. He was on the verge of death."
Princess Elizabeth drank her tea. Tea for us was already prepared in the room.
Princess Elizabeth had been planning to set up this meeting from the beginning. I stared at the teacup.
"But after meeting him, I stopped seeing the future where Lakecia was burning. I had enough reason to save Cerden."
I understood what she meant.
I thought I was the only one God had arranged for Cerden. But maybe that wasn't the case.
Even when I wasn't there, Cerden had God's grace. That was the only way to explain the situation.
I think I know why she called me.
"...So you saw something about me too."
"I saw it."
Lady sighed. Her eyes blurred as if wandering somewhere far away.
"You appeared in my dream and begged me to save Cerden. And you begged me to save you. I went through a near-death experience after having that dream."
Has she already passed it? Princess Elizabeth was supposed to die around this time. If so, I could say it was fortunate.
"When was that?"
I had a hunch about something.
"About three months ago."
As expected.
The point when I possessed the body. The point when I started to intervene in Cerden's life as Evelyn.
The point when fate changed due to my possession.
Everything was connected like a spider web.
"The reason I called you to Yures was because I had a dream that Cerden was dying."
Thud!
It was a shock that struck my soul. Cerden... is dying? Why?
"How... how does Cerden die?"
I asked to compare it with the future I knew.
"The dream isn't that detailed. I just saw him lying there bleeding. It was in the Emperor's garden. Golden Arrows were in full bloom."
Golden Arrow flowers only bloom in early summer. It was the 'Emperor's Flower' that could only be seen in the Rosie Lakecia Imperial Palace.
"Did you call us to Yures to avoid that future?"
Princess Elizabeth nodded as if my guess was correct.
"I also wanted to experiment. Maybe I can dream of a changed future while I'm here."
"It's been about two weeks since Cerden left the Empire. Have you had any new dreams in the meantime?"
"No."
Damn it. What the hell is he dying from?
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