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“Yevgenia, remember this one thing.” “Yes, yes? What is….” “In this world, there is nothing as ridiculous as the word ‘fate,’ and nothing as vain as the word ‘coincidence.’” The words sounded somewhat abrupt. However, to Yevgenia, they sounded ominous enough to send a chill down her spine. As her imagination ran wild, her pupils began to shake as if an earthquake were occurring. Her father must have noticed her reaction, yet he seemed completely indifferent. Stroking and tidying Yevgenia’s slightly disheveled hair, her father spoke in a very low voice, audible only to her. “If it were me, I would have had a cloth wrapped around the eyes and introduced them as a blind person.” “…!” The moment she heard those words, a pair of green eyes, resembling lush greenery, flashed through her mind. She had tried to hide the eyes by making the hair shaggy and keeping the head lowered, but… ‘So that’s why he drank so much. If he looked clumsy first, the chances of the other person showing a weakness would increase.’ He was her father, but he was a truly terrifying man at times like this. It wasn't for nothing that everyone trembled at the name of Duke Martir. Having wiped the smile from his face, her father spoke firmly. “The one I permitted is ‘Yuri,’ not anyone else. From this point on, I hope you draw a perfect line with that person. Since you’ve played along reasonably well, he must be satisfied.” Leaving the speechless Yevgenia behind, her father spoke kindly in a louder voice. “I’m sorry for keeping you so late. It would be best to go to bed early if you are to begin your successor lessons in earnest.” “Yes, Father.” Though she answered obediently, her mind continued to race. At first, her fingertips had gone cold with the fear of being caught, but as time passed, her thoughts shifted in a positive direction. The deed was done, it had proceeded according to plan, and now only the wrap-up remained. If her father hadn't given her advice first, she would have had to invest a great deal of time and effort to execute that wrap-up properly. ‘He probably told me right away because he thought that would be a waste. He wants me to pour all that energy into my successor lessons instead.’ Could the situation possibly be any better for her? According to the loose plan she had originally devised with Yulan, ‘Yuri’ was scheduled to leave shortly, complaining about the burden of being a commoner. Then, the second step was for him to wander from tavern to tavern, remaining the world's biggest piece of trash by bragging that he ‘thought gifting the Imperial Princess a grand event would make marriage easy, but it was too hard so he ran away.’ ‘The plan was built on the idea that after breaking up with Yuri, Father might bring in another marriage partner, saying that love must be forgotten with new love. I wanted to create an excuse in advance that I was afraid to meet new people after encountering trashy men in a row.’ She had even considered a scenario where ‘Yuri’ pivoted to being the trashiest of trash, making it not strange for him to disappear at any moment. After that, if Yulan spread a rumor through Nox’s subordinates that ‘a commoner named Yuri died after crossing the wrong noble,’ the plan would be neatly concluded. ‘Well, just because Father found out, there’s no need to scrap the whole plan. I still need a reason to show the other people.’ However, there was no longer a need to proceed with such intensity that it required draining her stamina or time. She just had to do it moderately—just enough to cover her tracks. “Alright, perfect. This is the best.” Once she woke up from a deep sleep, a new world would unfold before her. She could shake off the tedious Raymond and stop seeing that pair of cockroaches playing house. Finally, she could escape the fear of death and spend time for herself. Thanks to that, a smile did not leave her lips until she fell asleep in bed. * * * Morning. Because she woke up earlier than usual, Yevgenia’s eyes were heavy with sleep. However, there was something too important to let that stop her. “Yul, at least eat something simple before you go. You said you have to work again starting this morning.” “Zhenya… No, Imperial Princess. I cannot impose on you any further.” Their tightly clasped hands were warm. Heat rose and sweat began to build up, but she endured it as much as possible. She had to hold onto the gaze of the servants passing by even more intently. Bodies pressed together as if they had forgotten the concept of personal space. Eyes dripping with honey. And a voice that was sugary sweet, contrary to the content. “Impose? Don't be ridiculous. Providing breakfast to a guest who stayed the night at the mansion is naturally the duty of the host.” “But for a commoner like me to be called a guest is in itself….” “Ssh. I told you not to say things like that. Father gave you a guest room. Therefore, you are a guest. In fact, it’s rude to say you aren't.” Looking at the innocent face of ‘Yuri,’ who wore a doubtful expression, Yevgenia almost snorted. Barely maintaining her immersion, she leaned into Yulan’s embrace. Using the blind spot created by their bodies, she secretly traced letters on his chest. [Absolute refusal. Escort OK.] Before the final letter ‘K’ was even finished, Yulan spoke as if he had been waiting. “Still, I cannot, Imperial Princess. Even if I only show His Excellency a sincere and good side from now on, it won't be enough. It will be helpful to keep the promises made beforehand.” “Hmph… ‘Imperial Princess, Imperial Princess’ since a while ago. Even using honorifics that don't suit you. Fine, if you feel that strongly, let’s go quickly. You won't be like this once we're outside.” No one could easily interrupt a conversation dripping with such affection. Fortunately, while her mouth moved mechanically, Yevgenia, whose remaining nerves were stretched out to her surroundings, stepped in to involve a third party. “Butler, prepare the carriage. Something comfortable and not too flashy.” “Yes, My Lady. Shall I prepare a simple breakfast that can be eaten in the carriage?” “Yes, that sounds good. This person doesn't like eggs very much, so make sure there are none in it.” “Yes, I will convey that to the kitchen.” In reality, she had no idea whether Yulan liked eggs or not. It was simply a device to show how deep her relationship with this person was. This seemed to work quite well, as the expression that briefly crossed the butler's face was one of admiration, as if saying, ‘Wow, just wow….’ Shortly after, as they boarded the carriage prepared in front of the main gate, a savory scent wafted from the seat next to her. Thud— The moment the carriage door closed and they were completely isolated from the outside, Yevgenia immediately threw herself into the seat opposite Yulan. Yulan burst into laughter at the sight of her sitting far away with her legs crossed, as if she had never been linking arms with him. “Princess, your acting is no joke. If you became a stage actress, you’d be an invasive species that destroys the ecosystem.” “Stop being sarcastic. You were the one who was no joke. How can you make such an innocent face?” This was genuine admiration. Looking at Yulan’s face now, there was no one more relaxed and obnoxious than him. Even though the features were exactly the same as the innocent commoner face ‘Yuri’ had shown, he looked like a completely different person. At her praise, Yulan chuckled, rubbing his cheek that had grown stiff from working hard all day yesterday. “It’s not difficult if you have flexible facial muscles, the intuition to time things right, and a bit of talent.” “Ugh, how obnoxious.” “Thanks for the compliment, Princess.” After exchanging a few light words, a silence fell, and she momentarily fell into thought. Whether she should tell Yulan that her father had noticed or not… Avoiding looking at Yulan and keeping her gaze fixed on the window, she slowly organized the situation in her head. Clop, clop. As she entrusted her body to the carriage moving at a steady tempo, a good idea seemed to be on the tip of her tongue. Her mouth was itching and she couldn't quite organize it perfectly, so she decided to just dive in. “…I think my father likes you quite a bit.”
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