Chapter 15 – So You Couldn’t Run Away

Evelyn let out an inward sigh as she felt the stares of the nobles all around her. How could she possibly refuse when Axion publicly asked her for the first dance?

“Even if you regret this later, don’t blame me.”

Instead of answering, he simply gave her that annoyingly charming smile. Soon, as a variation began to play on the dance floor, the two of them stepped into the dance together. Evelyn found herself repeatedly impressed by his skillful lead that covered up her own lack of dancing ability.

“Wow, you’ve really gotten better at this.”

Even if she didn’t like Axion, when it came to dancing, she had to give him credit. There was no denying that his dancing was undeniably outstanding.

At her rare compliment, Axion just shrugged playfully.

“Well, I have no choice if I don’t want to get stepped on by you.”

Just as she was beginning to feel like her fiancé seemed slightly different today, that thought vanished completely. While she was eyeing him, this time not with any real annoyance, she noticed Axion’s gaze shift suddenly to somewhere else. His expression hardened just a bit, and suddenly, he pulled her closer by the waist.

‘Was this move always part of the dance?’

Evelyn tilted her head in confusion as he suddenly closed the distance between them, then glanced in the direction her fiancé was looking.

‘….!’

That was when she finally noticed the Emperor, not too far away, was watching them.

Although the situation felt uncomfortable, maybe because she was under the Valentino family’s protection, she felt a bit more at ease.

‘I didn’t expect Axion to actually be concerned about me.’

With a slightly surprised look, she asked him in a low voice.

“You didn’t ask me to dance just to help me out, did you?”

Her bold question made him let out a soft chuckle before he leaned in and murmured.

“Who knows? Maybe I just did it so you couldn’t run away.”

‘He really is something.’

She couldn’t help but smile helplessly, thinking that he was just like the fiancé she knew. But as usual, bickering with him seemed to ease some of the tension she had been holding all along.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

It was late at night by the time Evelyn finally returned to the marquis’s mansion. After a bath, she leaned against the window, letting the cool night breeze in. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders as the cool breeze drifted in through the open window.

‘I really thought I’d be fine…’

After such a long day, she needed a little time to sort through her restless thoughts.

She closed her eyes softly, recalling the original story where the emperor took the lives of countless people from the Inevasel territory. While the marquis’s household was thrown into chaos by that tragedy, the imperial family seized the opportunity to frame them for treason. They even went so far as to accuse a member of the marquis’s family of spreading poison throughout the territory, casting them as the true culprits.

The future where every single member of House Inevasel was sentenced to beheading was utterly devastating.

“I won’t just stand by and watch.”

Now that she’d come of age, Evelyn could finally free herself from the restrictions surrounding her. Not only was she secretly continuing her research on an antidote, but she also intended to get involved in family affairs and slowly tighten the noose around the emperor’s neck.

As she thought about the things she had been preparing for so carefully all this time, a faint smile touched her lips. Her gaze soon drifted to her vanity, where a ruby bracelet she hadn’t put away yet caught the light, sparkling vividly.

‘To think the day would come when I’d need Axion’s help…’

Recalling what had happened at the banquet with her fiancé, Evelyn scratched her cheek awkwardly. He was still the only one who knew her weaknesses, back then and even now.

A vague smile lingered on her lips as she reminisced about her childhood.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Ten-year-old Evelyn was a rather self-centered child. Maybe it was because the Marquis and Marchioness of Inevasel had doted on her so completely, but her pride was sky-high. She truly believed she was the best among all the other children her age, and that everything she said was right.

Worried about his daughter, the Marquis of Inevasel kept reminding her over and over.

“You understand, right, Evelyn? When the Young Lord Valentino visits today, I want you to get along with him, alright?”

Despite his worried plea, Evelyn made a face of clear dissatisfaction and tilted her head haughtily.

“Father, I don’t want to get along with him.”