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After a short while, he pulled his body back from where he had been pressed tightly against her.
Though they were in the same seat, he left enough space between their thighs for another person to sit comfortably.
Thanks to this, as if she could finally breathe again, Evgenia slowly caught her breath and spoke to him.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Understanding? Did I say I did?”
“Uh... you didn't say it in words. But since you gave me some space...”
At Evgenia's pathetic explanation, Yulan let out a scoff.
“This is only because I didn't realize the Imperial Princess was this stupid. I have an allergy to stupid people.”
“...What?”
“Even if she said she loved a worm crawling down that road, it wouldn't be this contemptible, Princess.”
'So, what you're saying is that loving Raymond is stupider than loving a worm?'
Evgenia agreed with that a hundred, a thousand times over.
She felt a sense of wonder toward Stella, who still whispered words of love every time she faced Raymond; that said it all.
However, she couldn't simply change her tune here and say, 'Right? I agree!'
If she did, the crazy Yulan from a moment ago might resurface.
Thus, Evgenia acted with more effort than ever before.
Her expression, her tone, and even her fingertips and toes—she changed everything to look like a woman in love with Raymond.
“Are you belittling the person I love as being worse than a worm? No matter how much you are... you...”
“No matter how much I am?”
“...If you go any further, I really won't just stand by. I'll do whatever it takes...”
Honestly, she had no idea what she was supposed to "do" just because he insulted Raymond.
Should she give him a medal? Or perhaps grant him a title?
Since either option was equally nonsensical, her "sincerity" in saying she would do whatever it takes was quite profound.
Perhaps that was why she could see Yulan's expression stiffening in real-time.
Only after he became cold enough that not a single shred of emotion was visible did she finally feel like attempting a proper conversation.
“...Considering everything you've done for me until now, I'll act as if today's events never happened. I think you'd want that too, wouldn't you?”
“....”
“Ah, we've arrived. The moment we step out, everything that happened inside the carriage vanishes. Let's do that. Okay?”
“...Fine, let's.”
It took several rounds of coaxing and soothing to get an answer.
Though she felt a bit drained, it was a satisfying response, and a smile naturally formed on her lips.
The carriage stopped, and the coachman carefully opened the door.
She lightly hugged Yulan as he stepped out of the carriage as if nothing had happened.
“Thank you, 'Yuri.' Thanks to you, I've become such a happy woman. Although I won't be able to see you often because of my father... please just remember that my heart is always with you.”
After delivering the honey-dripping lines, she deliberately pressed her lips to his cheek in full view of the coachman.
Since she stood at an angle where her face wasn't clearly visible, he likely wouldn't notice that her makeup was ruined.
After pushing the silent Yulan's shoulder, she threw herself back into the carriage with a "sob sob" sound, as if she couldn't bear to watch him leave.
The bewildered coachman soon closed the carriage door, and before long, the carriage began to clatter away.
Only then did Evgenia let her whole body slump and let out a deep sigh.
“Haa... I'm gonna die, seriously. Yulan, that guy is a total lunatic...”
'Maybe all the male leads in this world are insane?'
She wondered if she was overgeneralizing, but considering there is usually only one protagonist, it seemed like a reasonable guess.
For the sake of a single true male lead, the other 'lead-tier' candidates would have to be as broken as possible.
If both candidates for the male lead were insane, it was only natural to think that way.
Feeling a throbbing headache, Evgenia frowned and pressed her temples.
She found a hidden drawer in the carriage and pulled out a damp handkerchief.
It was an item Anna packed for every outing because 'Evgenia' always returned with ruined makeup from either fighting with someone or sobbing uncontrollably.
'I told her she didn't have to do this anymore, but it's coming in handy. I should tell her to keep doing it.'
After cleaning her face and tidying up, she felt quite good.
Now that all the requests were finished and the payment had been made, she had no reason to meet Yulan.
Since the engagement with Raymond would return to a blank slate, she had no reason to meet him either.
'I might see him with Stella here and there at banquets, but I can just ignore that.'
If Raymond had any sense of shame, he wouldn't dare approach his 'former' fiancée, whose engagement was broken due to his own fault, in front of other people.
If she just moved among the crowds and left without letting him get close, she wouldn't have to exchange a single word with him.
“Good, good. Now I just need to focus on my succession lessons. Evgenia Rose Martyr, you can do this!”
She rubbed her soft cheeks and steadied her heart.
Usually, people would pinch or slap their cheeks in this situation, but she gave up on that since she wouldn't have a believable excuse for the marks left behind.
Even now, the thought of what she'd hear if she went back with a bare face made her dizzy.
“What should I say to Anna? That this is what adult romance is like? Wow, just saying it out loud gives me the chills.”
* * *
“'I'll do whatever it takes,' huh.”
“Captain, what are you thinking about so deeply?”
Yulan's cold, sunken eyes shifted toward Vic, who had approached him.
Without even nodding his head, still staring only at the glass in his hand, he asked.
“If a woman hears criticism toward the person she loves and says she won't just stand by and will do whatever it takes... just what kind of 'whatever' is she thinking of?”
Despite Yulan's abrupt question, Vic answered earnestly.
“Huh? Um, well. It would depend on the woman's personality... If she's a fierce woman, she might not hesitate to get into a physical fight? If she's a woman with power, um, perhaps a charge of insulting a noble?”
“Right, usually they'd think that far.”
Yulan downed the remaining half of his drink and set the glass down with a sharp clink.
Vic, who had been focusing all his attention on him, flinched in surprise.
However, Yulan ignored this and asked again.
“And after saying that, if she says 'because it's you,' she'll forget everything and act as if it never happened? What does that mean?”
“Uh, that's...”
Vic stole a glance at Yulan.
The sequence of explanations was far too natural; it sounded as if someone had experienced it firsthand.
The Captain drinking—which he rarely did—the 'young lady' they had all gone to meet previously, and now this unnecessarily detailed story.
This was clearly a consultation disguised as a frivolous question.
Vic tried his best not to let his excitement show at the sudden romance in the Captain's life as he answered.
“First of all, it's clear the woman has some level of affection for that person. Otherwise, there's no way she'd tell someone who insulted the person she loves that she'll forget it all!”
“As I thought?”
“Yes, yes, of course! I mean, she wasn't blackmailed or anything; how could she be so generous to someone she has no good feelings for?”
At Vic's confident words, Yulan added in a flat, toneless voice.
“She did blackmail me.”
“...Excuse me?”
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