Chapter 3

“I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

Evelina, startled by Kaiden’s apology, stared at him. He was still as bright as a polished ruby, but she was afraid of his bright red eyes that looked right through her. That’s why she had to lower her gaze and say.

“I am so sorry, Your Majesty. It’s a happy day…”

She was bewildered that Kaiden seemed more angry than she thought. Still, when their eyes met, she could not keep looking at him because she felt that the situation she had manufactured would be revealed.

“No. How could this be the Empress’ fault?”

Although the ceremony hadn’t finished yet, Evelina laughed involuntarily when he called her Empress.

“Everyone, don’t move.”

At the Emperor’s words, the guests had to stand as they were, stiffened all at once.

“Search for all the servants who came in and out of the waiting room of the Empress.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The knight with brown hair who looked like the captain of the guards politely gestured. Then the knights moved busily to search the bodies of the servants around Evelina.

Mary, who had her head held stiffly around Elsius, stood near Evelina, overtaking the men being searched. Whether it was true that Elsius had said that she would be her lady-in-waiting, the knights were embarrassed by her stiff attitude and gave way.

Elsius was smiling, covering her mouth with her fan, and she seemed to gossip about the situation with the ladies beside her. She couldn’t hear it too loudly, but she could hear the voices of the ladies around Elsius, at least a little.

“Oh my God, she lost her wedding ring.”

“That’s sad.”

“It’s upsetting that my brother seems to be very disappointed.”

Hearing her whispering voice like that, Evelina seemed to burst into laughter.

“Those who have been searched, please step aside.”

The captain of the guards was speaking curtly and filtering out the servants. As such, most of the servants quickly completed the body search and stepped back.

“Captain, I don’t think it’s with the servants.”

The man said with a pale face to who appeared to be the captain of the guards. At that moment, the captain of the guards tilted his head as he looked at the maid who was not being searched.

The maid who stood behind Evelina without standing in line at the start of the search.

Because she was the maid of Princess Elsius, she must have been a lady-in-waiting, who was like a meritorious retainer. The captain of the guards was wondering if he could search her.

Evelina looked at the captain of the guards without realizing it, and turned slightly to look at Mary. It was Kaiden who followed her gaze.

“Has the ring not been found yet?”

As Evelina spoke impatiently, Kaiden took her hand and made her look. She quickly lowered her gaze when her eyes met his for a moment.

“Wait a minute, Empress. We’ll find it soon.”

His voice was so sweet that Evelina raised her head again for a moment. Kaiden was smiling with a very gentle face. His red eyes twinkled like garnets.

The intensity of those eyes was so intense that every time she closed her eyes and opened them, an afterimage was left behind, and she felt fear for an instant. It felt like the afterimage of him was questioning her.

She subconsciously checked where her father was. The Marquis of Logias in her eyes was still weeping. Her adoptive mother, who was next to the Marquis, was also crying. The two hugged each other and cried and patted each other.

In a family where their daughter was getting married, the parents often cried, so it didn’t seem like a big deal. But Evelina thought that they were crying not because she was getting married, but because they’re sorry.

“What if we can’t find the ring?”

Looking directly into Kaiden’s eyes, she asked, and he said with a smile.

“I don’t know. What would happen, Cardinal?”

When Kaiden asked the Cardinal, the Cardinal looked perplexed and bowed his head.

“Then we have to postpone the ceremony until we get the rings back together.”

At the Cardinal’s words, Kaiden’s expression turned fierce.

Because of that expression, Evelina noticed. Perhaps the reason why Kaiden treated her so well is because of her external image.

“I-I found it!”

“This is a set up!”

The shouts of the captain of the guards and Mary’s shout came out at the same time.

Evelina took advantage of this time to let go of Kaiden’s hand and headed there. Then Kaiden looked blankly at the hand she had let go, frowned at her and followed where Evelina was headed. He strode to where she had walked and stood next to her.

“Here you are, Your Majesty.”

“Let go! This is a set up!”

What Mary was desperately holding was the pocket attached to her belt used to put needles and other trifles in it.

The captain of the guards took the back pocket from her hand and showed it to Kaiden. Mary tried to stop the guard’s hand, but it was in vain.

Kaiden looked at Mary with a chilled expression and said.

“Why is Elsius’ ring here?”

“Ah, this is…”

At that, Elsius was startled and ran to them.

Evelina knew there wouldn’t be too much punishment for Mary anyway. She was the lady-in-waiting of Elsius, and Elsius was a Princess who helped Kaiden become Emperor.

Mary, who was the maid of Elsius, would return to being Elsius’ maid after being scolded moderately. And that was the usual punishment. Even if she stole the royal family’s goods, if she had Elsius’ protection, she could be beaten up only a few times.

She looked at Mary, pale with that in mind.

“Cover the Empress’ eyes.”

“Yes.”

Evelina was surprised by the cape of the knight, which suddenly hung over her by the voice of Kaiden, and her body stiffened. Her vision was covered with cloth so that nothing could be seen, so she could only hear the sound.

“Oh, I feel wronged, Your Majesty! Please believe me! I’m the maid of Princess Elsius!”

Even before Mary finished speaking, the sound of something being cut off made Evelina tremble with instinctive fear.

“Ah! My arm!”

“It’s noisy.”

“Oh, my!”

Evelina couldn’t tell what she was hearing because of the covered cloth. But the screams of the guests and the smell of blood could not be hidden.

“Clean it up.”

There was a plop, a dull noise, and the sound of the knights’ footsteps. Kaiden’s cold voice gave her arm goosebumps.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Evelina couldn’t move as if she was caught on the floor. She fainted as my legs relaxed.

“Empress!”

Lastly, she heard a voice approaching her urgently.

~~~~

Evelina felt very uncomfortable when she woke up again. She couldn’t see well, but it seemed like a black cloth was covering her head.

“Ah…”

When she came to her senses and tried to move herself, the cloth that had been covered over her head disappeared. Perhaps because the veil remained, the view was still blurred.

“Are you awake, Evelina?”

“Uh… I…”

Kaiden’s sudden voice almost caused a fright. She was inside a building that looked like a wedding hall. However, it seemed to be a different room than the previous ceremony. However, the stained glass on the ceiling revealed it to be still the wedding hall, seeing the same color.

“I was worried.”

He gently removed her veil and tried to check her face.

Evelina trembled with fear because of the sound and circumstances she heard before she fainted. Because of Kaiden looking at her, she could see more clearly what her own condition was. He was sitting on the sofa. She was held by him like a child.

Evelina struggled to escape, but when he stared at her, she realized that the eyes were a warning, and soon gave up resisting and leaned in calmly again. Her behavior made a smile appear on Kaiden’s lips.

“I didn’t expect you to faint. I even covered your eyes.”

“… I’m sorry.”

Only then did Evelina try to hide her nervousness, realizing that the person she was going to marry was the psychopath crazy male lead of the original.

Her heart sank even more when she saw Kaiden laughing as if he was enjoying the sound of her heart. The beating heart was beating mercilessly as if it had become a cornered herbivore.

“I am very sorry. I should have cut her neck right away so that she wouldn’t make any unnecessary noise….”

“Ah…”

He looked at Evelina with a genuinely sorry expression. She had a hard time making eye contact with him, so she rested her head on his chest. Then he patted her on the back and let out a windy laugh.

“Do you understand my heart, Evelina?”

“Yes.”

Realizing that she couldn’t hide her fears from him, she decided to be obedient. Then, as if satisfied with her attitude, he gently patted her on the back.

If it goes like this, Evelina thought that she might die tomorrow, no, today, let alone a month from the original. Perhaps that’s why, in her terrified heart, she buried her face in his chest completely, and he stopped her hand from stroking her back and embraced her.

She had been in his arms for a while, so Evelina was able to get out of his arms when she calmed down a little.

“Let’s go back now.”

“Uh, where?”

“You were at the wedding, weren’t you, Lina?”

Suddenly Evelina was surprised when he called her by her nickname, but realized that she was not in a position to vomit, and she struggled to laugh.

Kaiden, who made eye contact with her, smiled softly, hugged her and headed for the ceremony.

So, their wedding went back to when it stopped, and Evelina was able to come down from Kaiden’s arms.

“Now you can put the ring on.”

Evelina safely put her ring on her Kaiden, and this time it was Kaiden’s turn to put it on her.

That was the moment.

“I object to this marriage!”

A loud voice came from the entrance to the wedding hall. All eyes turned to the entrance. Evelina turned around in surprise, and Ianathas Peran was standing there.

Evelina’s childhood friend and her original lover.

At the sound of a ‘squeeze’, Evelina realized that the ring Kaiden was holding had completely bent.