Chapter 20

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Chapter 20 – Original’s Arranged Fate (2)

There were times when she felt more longing than now, so she kept busy hiding the truth. Even after giving up on the dreams revealing the future, Evelyn tried to hide her own identity for a while. What she did around that time was to forge her medical records herself. Thanks to this, Evelyn was known to have the same properties and characteristics of blood as the Archduke. Yet, Evelyn knew better than anyone that it was a lie.

She did it by securing documents from a wizard located outside the Duchy.

“The two samples have different properties, and as a result of discriminating the detailed characteristics, they cannot be considered blood relatives.”

When she submitted an anonymous request for a blood test between the Archduke and herself, the response that came back was short and decisive. So, from then on, the result she would face in the current situation was obvious.

“Oh…?”

The physician who conducted the blood test was frozen in place. It was required to run a blood test before any transfusion. This was because it was the only way possible to avoid responsibility for side effects or risks that may occur after a transfusion was performed. It wasn’t different even in critical conditions.

‘A good example is right now, if the test had been skipped and a blood transfusion had taken place, Ethan would have died.’

His health information was provided by Orman Duchy, and his blood type and characteristics were the same as those of the Archduke. So, in principle, Ethan and Evelyn must have the same blood quality and characteristics. However, the results in front of them were different from their natural expectations, so the physicians could not help but panic.

“What are you doing? Start the blood transfusion right now-!”

Another physician tried to argue with the frozen man and also stiffened at the results. Suddenly, Evelyn, who had been watching them, pulled the corners of her mouth up and said,

“Oh? But how?”

Receiving no answer, Evelyn said what she had to say.

“Isn’t the blood right?”

They did not dare to affirm, but neither did they deny it.

“Then you should bring in servants with the same blood. What are you doing so lost there?”

The physicians came to their senses and ran out the bedroom, slamming the door open and shouting. Soon after, servants of the same blood as the direct line of the Archduke arrived at the bedroom. Evelyn watched the whole process of transfusion of their blood to Ethan. After about two hours after the horn rang the physician announced that Ethan’s wounds had been closed and the danger had passed.

Only then did Evelyn rise from her seat. Her steps felt heavy as she looked at Ethan, who was still unconscious. She blocked the warmth she had once enjoyed to her heart’s content and turned away. It wasn’t that difficult, perhaps because she had prepared herself by imagining today dozens of times, hundreds of times, maybe thousands of times. With every step she took, a reluctance gripped her, but it wasn’t enough to stop her.

There had been no news about it, but Archduke Fedora must have been attacked like Ethan. But neither Ethan nor the Archduke will die. So, there was no reason for her to remain in the Grand Castle using worries as an excuse.

Evelyn could escape the castle as it was. Like a person who never existed in the first place. Then, when the news that her blood was different reached Archduke Fedora, she wouldn’t face the expression he would make. If she had to face the cold Archduke’s gaze, telling her to leave, she wouldn’t be able to remain as calm as she was now. She definitely would be agitated.

‘Maybe I will even cling to his feet.’

‘Please don’t leave me.’ But even if she appealed, she would be abandoned. Once again, having always weighed on Evelyn and showed off its presence, the Original Story extinguished any hope. Therefore, she could not hold any confidence that the Archduke would take her in consideration of past affection.

It was inevitable, she would be abandoned.

Although she knew the future, she still didn’t want to embrace it in misery. Fortunately, her death wasn’t essential for the main plot of the original story. The setting ‘death’ wasn’t essential as long as Evelyn disappeared to create a vacant spot for the real one to return. As long as the main story is not altered, the novel is rather docile.

Being abandoned was unavoidable, but if she behaved well, she could avoid dying coldly on the street.

‘So, don’t be fooled by it, and let’s go now.’

Evelyn had arrived at her bedroom at a faster pace than usual and pulled the call rope. After a while, a maid arrived.

“Call Aubrey and clear everyone from around my bedroom. I want to be alone.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Considering that the maid’s attitude towards Evelyn was still polite, it seemed that what happened in Ethan’s bedroom had not yet spread. Probably because the physicians were wary. Up until now, the succession structure of Fedora Grand Duchy had been firm. But even that wouldn’t last long.

Evelyn looked out the window as the maid left the bedroom. Recalling Ethan’s gold eye glaring in front of her, she felt sick. Her wrists tingled as she gripped her cold hands. She kept thinking of him lying on the bed. Evelyn shook her head, trying to erase his image.

“Useless…”

Expectations… Her words, which she could not finish, faded away in the void. It would be a lie if she said that she didn’t resent Ethan. However, she had no intention of venting her anger on him, who knew nothing. She didn’t want to fall that much. She didn’t want to feel anger at the warmth he had been giving over the past month. Rather than resenting him, the sadness that she couldn’t dwell in his kindness was deeper.

‘It’s disappointing, and I still crave for it but… let’s not be greedy. Be satisfied with what you have enjoyed…’

‘I had a vain wish, but it turned out like this, what else can I do?’

As long as the Original existed, there was nothing she could do.

‘It’s a future you knew would come. So don’t feel hurt and move on.’

It was time to put everything down and leave. Although she liked to compete fiercely for the win, she was helpless in the fight against the Original, where it was already decided who would lose.

Sighing, Evelyn searched the corner of the dressing room as she waited for Aubrey. A secret space created inside her closet was revealed. Evelyn took out the item she had kept hidden there. A travel bag she had packed to take with her when she left the Grand Castle.

Suddenly, she smiled. Even though she had hopes of remaining here, she didn’t toss the bag. Even after she had high expectations and spent time in her bedroom, she had never thought that she should dispose of it. It seemed that her very deep subconscious mind knew that the future would betray her wishes.

Sighing again, she picked up the bag and a knock on the door woke her up. Aubrey had arrived. Evelyn hid the bag out of sight, and said,

“Come on in.”

Aubrey came into the bedroom and bowed with a gloomy expression on her face.

“Princess, did you call?”

Evelyn blinked while staring at Aubrey, closed her eyes, and spoke in an unusually cold tone.

“Do you remember that day three years ago?”

She opened her eyes again. Aubrey flinched and trembled, but she couldn’t deny it. On the day Aubrey was about to be sold to a back alley pimp to pay for her father’s debt, Evelyn paid off the debt and bought her merely because she needed someone to respond only to her commands.

“Then you will remember what I said that day.”

“…Just once, the Princess asked me to fulfill your orders at all costs once.”

This time, Aubrey gave the correct answer. Obviously, this was what Evelyn had said while granting a calculated favor. It was a deal established for today.

“I will give you that order now.”

“Pl-please speak.”

She still kept the favor of that day present? Aubrey waited for Evelyn’s next command with a determined expression on her face. She stared at the maid as if exhausted and continued,

“Go outside the castle and visit the guild Utah. Speak my name, say the day has come and they will understand.”

“Why at the guild so suddenly…”

Aubrey started to ask out of habit, but shut her mouth immediately. It was because Evelyn looked at her with cold, dark eyes, unlike usual.

“I saved your life that day.”

“…Yes.”

“I don’t think what I asked for in return is a very difficult request, don’t you agree?”

‘Will you pay back the money you should have paid with your body?’ When that unspoken question lingered at the end of her words, Aubrey shuddered.

“Hurry up.”

After she left, Evelyn headed to the closet next to her dressing table. She took out the paper and quill stored there and wrote a short letter. After she put it in an envelope, she put the quill down and a dark silence came upon her.

‘Is it because the surroundings are too quiet?’ Evelyn held her breath unaware and closed her eyes. She had already packed her belongings, and the words left were short. Thanks to this, her preparations for leaving were quickly completed.

‘It’s like it’s pushing me to leave…’

Inhaling, Evelyn left the letter on her desk and removed some clothes from the bag. Plain winter clothes that could be found everywhere.

She changed quickly and held a winter hood in her hands. Afterward, she stood still and waited next to the door for perhaps… five minutes?

As she grabbed the doorknob to leave the bedroom after all preparations were completed, Evelyn paused and looked back. Looking into the space where she had lived for over ten years, she felt a little ache.

Nonetheless, she finally exited the bedroom after checking the watch in her pocket. Tension grew as she walked over the corner hallways that servants didn’t use. Whenever she heard even a small sound, she stopped, startled. Each time she heard the sound of people’s voices or footsteps, her heart pounded loudly and screamed silently like a person caught doing something evil.

The fact that she was a fake was probably known. Thus, she was afraid that if she was caught, people would sneer, saying she was sneaking away like a rat who had sinned.

Evelyn didn’t want to collapse in front of those who had watched her ever since she was born. One miserable experience from her previous life was enough for her. ‘So please…’ she hoped to escape from the castle without being noticed by anyone.

‘Since I have accepted a fate I had never asked for, I’m sure you can do this much for me.’

Evelyn was so desperate that she even prayed to the Original Story that had doomed her.

However, at the bottom of such a wish, there was still a regret that had not been abandoned.

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