Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Translator: Eonnicorn / Editor: Scarlet

They put down the flag on Bale Castle. Rossy, while studying Eva’s face, told Eva that the Crown Prince had left. She said he left early in the morning, wearing silver armor with several knights behind him. She also added that many people watched in admiration because the knights riding on horses looked so magnificent and rare.

Eva nodded quietly without any questions. She came back down to earth after experiencing the dire ache for one night. She realized she should be satisfied because she met her long-time-ago companion and had a good time with him. Although the end was ugly, it was enough because he left with mind that she was innocent.

Now, they could go their own paths and live well. She was here in Crocs Field while he was at the Imperial Palace in Montana, the capital. That’s it, if they had to live following their respective positions.

At Edward’s request, Baronet Biti and his wife didn’t make Eva work. But that didn’t mean they treated her nicely. They just left her alone while looking at Eva with eyes filled with hatred and contempt.

It wore her out, so Eva rarely went outside and stayed in her room all day. After she visited Cecil from time to time and chatted with her, she would come back to her own room and read a book or go to sleep.

That’s how her day went by.

* * *

She was in Bale Castle. More precisely in her familiar room, on a cozy, warm bed. A cool wind blew from somewhere. When Eva half-asleep opened her eyes, she saw the sun rays penetrate her room, reaching her feet. She merely took a nap but a lot of sun rays had entered in the meantime.

Cecil, who was by her side before she went to sleep, was nowhere to be seen. She seemed to have put Eva to sleep and gone outside. It couldn’t be avoided as she must be busy welcoming guests that came to the castle.

Eva tried to get up from the blanket but she fell back down. She felt heavy because she played too much with young guests. Still, she tried once again to get up with her eyes closed. However, she heard footsteps creeping in.

‘Cecil?’

As Eva was about to rise up with her eyes open, a sheet covered her face.

“Ah! Who-”

Startled, Eva tried to scream but someone’s hand clasped and pressed her mouth against the covered sheet. She felt suffocated.

“Hmp. Hmph.” Little Eva writhed her limbs while letting out strangled groans. This was her first time to undergo a dangerous situation, and she was frightened and appalled. Because no one in the castle would do this.

“You wicked little witch. How dare you insult me?”

An angry voice reached her ears. A familiar voice sounded from a boy.

“Do you think you’re good because you’re engaged to Edward?”

Her breath got throttled like a leash, making choked noise.

“Don’t get too cocky. You can never be the Crown Princess.”

As Eva’s rebellion intensified, he sat his entire body on her.

“Because I’m going to be the Crown Prince. That’s why, I’m not going to let you and Edward get away with it.”

Strong force has weighed on her more powerfully. Aside from the pain, she felt the air was blocked and her eyes began to become fuzzy. It felt like she was going to die if she stayed like this.

Eva reached out of the sheet and squirmed her body wildly to survive. Then, her fingertips touched the assailant’s face and she scratched hard his chin. “Argh!” A shrill shriek broke out along with all kinds of curse words.

The moment when the force grew even more intense, she lost her strength and her body began to limp, another voice coming in.

“What are you doing!” Along with that voice, the person who pressed on top of her fell off of her. Eva could hear a disheveled fight outside the blanket. However, like the game was over immediately, she heard one side running away, spitting out some swears.

Eva still hadn’t come to her senses yet with her hand stretched out. Air came in again, however inside the sheet, she still prayed in tears. That the one who left was the one who harmed her and the only one in here was the one who helped her.

At that moment, the sheet was lifted and someone’s face was revealed in front of her. Eva couldn’t see his face properly because her tears blurred her eyes and her savior’s face was shaded because he was against the sunlight. Nevertheless, a sense of relief washed over her as she was still alive.

“Who…?”

* * *

Eva flung her eyes open as she muttered. She saw a familiar ceiling under the dim candlelight. Not the ceiling from her fancy room in Bale Castle, but a small, shabby room in Baronet Biti’s house.

‘So it was a dream.’

A dream that sometimes appeared when she didn’t feel good. She was always stuck in the same setting with blurry scenes played in her mind. The fear she felt was too vivid that Eva asked the people of Bale Castle if a thing like this happened when she was young. But no one knew, so she believed it was really only a nightmare. A nightmare that still haunted her.