Chapter 100

“How?”

Evelina wanted to die. Her adoptive parents, who were the reason for her life, died, and she survived. In addition, she was having a child with the man who killed her adoptive parents and deceived her.

She felt pathetic and hated herself. That’s why she wanted to let go of everything.

“The poison that Your Highness mentioned must have the name {Dawn Dew}.”

As Usher Fronen spoke dryly, Evelina nodded. That’s the name she heard. The poison called {Dawn Dew} was tasteless when drunk, and it didn’t even hurt after drinking. It was said that you would die like falling asleep

She heard it was secretly distributed in the Kingdom of Tenesi.

“That’s right.”

As she answered with empty eyes, Usher bowed her head and said.

“I’ll get it for you.”

“Really… Is it different from what I heard?”

“…Overall, yes. But… I wonder if Your Majesty really wants to die.”

Usher looked at Evelina.

Even Usher knew what had happened to her. That the Emperor told everyone to keep the affairs of the Marquis of Logias secret from Evelina. But it was also conceivable that the Minister of Military Affairs Ianathas would have told her. So it was easy to guess that she wanted to die.

On the contrary, Kaiden did not expect it. Because Ianathas was holding what was more important to Kaiden than his life.

“I…”

Usher was unfamiliar with Evelina’s empty eyes. Because she was always the one who smiled gracefully with bright eyes. She was a weak and strong person, and as a socialite, she was really flashy. It was no exaggeration to say that there was no one more beautiful and elegant than her in the royal family, or the Abelard Empire.

Even among the knights, how envious everyone was when he escorted her.

Such an Evelina was thinning like a dead flower.

Skinny cheeks, thin hands, and scars on the legs and back from not eating properly.

She was obviously a sick man.

“I want to die.”

Usher thought she didn’t mean it when she said that but actually wrapped her belly around her.

“Then what happens to the child?”

Usher remembered being kicked out of Tenesi as a child because his mother had him in her arms. Maybe that’s why the child Evelina held felt strange because it felt like him. It’s true that she was beautiful, but he couldn’t risk his life for it.

“Ugh…”

Evelina wept when the story of the child came out.

Evelina felt sorry for this child to die before he was born into the world. But can the child be happy to be born?

It was the child of the daughter of the Emperor’s enemy family. There was no way that Kaiden could love such a child. And if she were alive, the child would suffer the same.

Though she thought so, she was confused because she couldn’t know if she could decide for herself.

“I can’t live in this palace.”

Evelina said imploringly. Then Usher sighed and said,

“Then what if you leave the palace?”

For a moment, Evelina broke out of her momentary emotions and became sober.

What if she could get out of the palace? What if she could get out of here with the hands of a complete stranger, not her only remaining Ianathas?

Then she could escape this bond of revenge. Although a child will grow up to be a commoner, he or she will be happier than living in the Imperial Palace.

And her too.

She could stop attacking herself, doubting whether Kaiden’s mind was false or sincere.

When she thought so, the light returned to Evelina’s eyes. Usher sighed and said, seeing her expression.

“Give me a 50% stake in the diamond mine on Maineber Island.”

“I’ll give you everything.”

Evelina was indifferent about her stake. If only she could get out of this suffocating imperial family. Then she could have thrown everything.

“I’ll give you everything, so let me settle down outside. And never let the emperor find me.”

Usher nodded at her words.

Usher could have escaped from this Abelard Empire if he had a stake in the diamond mine on Maineber Island. It would have been enough if he returned to Tenesi and reinstated himself to his original position and was granted a title of marquis or a count.

“Then please write your will.”

At Usher’s words, Evelina stared at him.

“If you drink the Tenesi medicine, {Dawn Dew}, you die for a week. And you wake up a week later.”

“Well…”

“Your Highness will have died of a heart attack.”

Evelina was shocked by his words and looked straight at Usher.

“And when you wake up in a week, you will wake up where my mother used to live.”

His words made Evelina laugh at how funny it was to go with the original storyline.

To a pathetic point.

~~~~

‘It takes time for me to get the medicine. Until then, reassure His Majesty.’

‘Do I have to?’

‘Yes, or His Majesty will doubt it.’

Evelina clenched her fist as she recalled Usher’s words.

When she still closed her eyes, she remembered her adoptive parents who smiled kindly at her. The adoptive father who cared for her, the adoptive mother who nagged her every time but worried.

But she wasn’t supposed to cry. She shouldn’t show that she knew of their deaths. The imperial monster may confine her the moment he knew she knew it.

She smiled in the mirror as if she didn’t know everything, not remembering that Kaiden had deceived her.

However, no matter how much she laughed, her laughter didn’t seem real.

Looking in the mirror, she was so unfamiliar, and no matter how pretty she tried to smile, she only looked sad.

She sighed and turned away from the mirror.

– Click

“Lina?”

As soon as she turned around, Kaiden came in.

“Kaiden.”

This was the Emperor’s bedroom. When she came here, he came less than five minutes after the servants reported it.

“Kaiden.”

She walked up to him and hugged him weakly. Then he hugged her very tightly and buried his nose as if to smell the scent from her hair.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“No.”

“I’ve been having a lot of mood swings.”

Kaiden thought it might be because she was pregnant. She only cried in her room, and no one listened to her.

Kaiden really didn’t know. Because he believed that even if Ianathas abandoned his leash, he wouldn’t have told Evelina the truth.

“No, it’s okay. I forgot everything.”

Kaiden hugged her saying that.

Evelina was again living in the bedroom of the Emperor’s Palace.

~~~~

Just a week.

Usher returned to Evelina around the time she was rotting inside.

“Is this medicine {Dawn Dew}?”

“Yes.”

Evelina shook a small bottle that Usher handed her. The black medicine was shaking and making black bubbles, which she found strangely gross.

“When does this start to work?”

“It works three hours after you drink it’s Drowsiness suddenly pours out and soon your heart stops.”

Evelina thought that the way her heart stopped and then came back to life was like a naked mole rat. It is said that the naked mole rat died as an animal when oxygen was lost, but returned to life when oxygen returned.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Are you going to take it today?”

“Yes, and I prepared all the documents as requested. I have a borrowed-name account, so please take it there.”

“Yes.”

“And when I am completely settled in the village, I will let all the shares go over. I’ll let your stake go over 5% a month.”

Usher stared into her eyes, where brightness had returned. Then he sighed as he saw it empty again soon.

“I don’t know if this is the right choice.”

“Me too.”

Evelina continued with a bitter smile at the remark.

“Still… I can’t live like this. I’m suffocating.”

She said so without even knowing she was crying.

~~~~

Evelina was waiting for Kaiden after drinking {Dawn Dew}.

“Lina.”

He came to see her as soon as she called.

Evelina now felt as if his smiling face was engraved under her eyelids, to the point where she could not remember when he did not smile.

“Thank you for calling me. I missed Lina so much.”

“We saw each other two hours ago. We had dinner together.”

At her words, he laughed and soon came to the side of the bed where she sat. Then he said, carefully hugging her around the waist.

“I miss being with you. I want to be with you every day, every moment.”

At his words, Evelina said with a bitter smile.

She grabbed Kaiden’s moist-eyed chin with her hands. Then she stared at him.

It was a face she’d never see again. Perhaps that’s why she seemed able to be honest with him. Unlike when she was nervous even when she drank, she was able to be honest when she let go of everything.

“I’m sorry for speaking badly to Kaiden.”

“If it was in the past, I forgot. I tend to forget.”

She said with a relieved smile at his words.

“I did it because I was afraid I’d fall in love with you.”

His eyes opened wide at her words.

“It’s all right. I’m sorry, too. I was really happy when Lina got pregnant.”

Evelina took a small breath when he spoke close to her.

“It was actually the happiest thing in my life. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be happy with you. And I’m really happy if Lina gets angry at me, and I’m happy if she complains.”

“…Kaiden.”

“To me, I’m so happy that Lina is with me like this… I’m happy.”

He wanted to convey his true feelings to her, although he was concerned about keeping silent about the Marquis of Logias.

“I did something wrong. I didn’t tell Lina… There is.”

“I see.”

“Please… Would you forgive me if I were to speak?”

Evelina nodded because he was crying.

It’ll all be over soon anyway.