Chapter 68

A slit dress revealing one leg, covered as if to hide it by a fully buttoned men’s wool jacket. If there were an award for the worst-dressed at this banquet, she was certain her name would be called. She wondered if she should take off the jacket right now, but decided it was best to simply behave and return home quietly.

Stifling a quiet sigh, she turned to Khalid and asked.

“But how did you recognize me?”

She found it remarkable that he had recognized her when everyone was wearing masks.

In that moment, a rare look of embarrassment flickered in the man’s clear blue eyes. Unaware of this, Evelyn blurted out the thought that had just come to her.

“Oh! My hair color does stand out, doesn’t it?”

Her deep pink hair, tinged with red, was inherited from her birth father. Since such a color was rare in the Empire, she assumed he had recognized her by her hair.

Khalid nodded obediently.

“Just as you said, my lady.”

“I knew it!”

Pleased with herself, Evelyn gave a small smile, and the eyes of the man watching her softened.

‘But shouldn’t the male lead be investigating the drug case by now?’

Something felt off. She stole a glance at Khalid. Wasn’t he also attending the ball to look into the smuggling of banned substances? In the original story, he had played a crucial role in catching the culprit.

“Aren’t you busy right now, Your Grace?”

She deliberately phrased her question to ask whether he really had time to be standing here chatting with her. At that, Khalid looked up at her, like a golden retriever whose spirits had been dampened, and asked cautiously.

“Am I making you uncomfortable by being here?”

Had she come across as uncomfortable all this time? Suddenly feeling guilty, Evelyn quickly waved her hands and protested.

“No, not at all!”

Then, after darting her eyes about, she added quietly.

“The truth is…”

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Once she explained the situation, Khalid listened gravely, nodding as he took it all in.

“So, you’re searching for Dr. Fabian.”

“Yes. I really need his help.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Pardon? What is?”

Evelyn tilted her head in confusion, but the man only replied with a gentle, enigmatic smile. Perplexed, she soon checked her pocket watch. When she realized that she couldn’t afford to linger any longer, she bowed her head politely.

“Well then, I should be going.”

She was just about to hurry off when Khalid’s firm hand barely caught the edge of her sleeve. Startled by the sudden gesture, her eyes widened as she called out to him.

“Your Grace…?”

He seemed to come to his senses and quickly released her clothing. Although it was only a brief moment, she caught a flicker of embarrassment in his blue eyes. Almost as if surprised by his own actions, he avoided her gaze, which was something quite unlike him.

‘What’s going on? Is he embarrassed?’

Just as Evelyn tilted her head in puzzlement, the man spoke again, his tone more earnest.

“Perhaps I might be of help to you, my lady.”

“What do you mean?”

As she blinked rapidly in surprise, he continued in a low voice.

“I’ve had the occasion to speak with Dr. Fabian a few times.”

“You, Your Grace? How did you…?”

What connection could the Duke of Rikeran, who ruled the North, possibly have with someone from the Magic Tower? As she absentmindedly touched her chin, still puzzling over it, Khalid, wearing a faint smile, began to explain.

“Our dogs are quite close.”

It turned out that his dog and Dr. Fabian’s dog attended the same canine kindergarten. Among the nobility, there were indeed some who doted on their pets like children, sending them off to such places.

“Oh my, I never knew you kept a dog.”

She had known that Khalid liked animals, but she hadn’t realized he actually had a dog. Then again, in the original story, he had been far too busy leading the order of holy knights on monster hunts. Even his relationship with the female lead unfolded amidst those very expeditions.

While Evelyn was briefly lost in thought, the man’s pleasant voice sounded in her ear.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever told this to, my lady.”

“….!”

The moment her eyes met his gentle blue gaze, Evelyn’s expression froze slightly. Maybe she was reading too much into things, but…

His kindness toward her seemed to carry a different meaning.