So the morning of July 6th came. July 7th was the day Evelina died in the original novel.
âYou skipped your meal too much, Lina.â
âItâs because Iâm with Kaiden. Iâd rather do something else than eat.â
At her words, he smiled at her innocent face and hugged Evelina tightly.
âMy parents are leaving today, right?â
âYes.â
âI want to see them off.â
âAll right. Theyâre scheduled to leave at 12 oâclock today.â
Kaiden prepared meticulously and told Evelina, who thought he was listening to her because he was drunk on victory. Perhaps thatâs why all this fast-paced work was fortunate.
She was gonna die tonight. So it was fortunate that she could die after seeing her adoptive parents leave.
No matter how drunk he was on the victory, she couldnât help but feel that he was that much reluctant to leave her adoptive parents in the Abelard Empire.
So she smiled bitterly and hugged Kaiden.
âMealâ¦â
âStay with me a little longer. Yes?â
Evelina smiled at Kaiden. When she thought it was all over soon, she didnât even have to fake a smile anymore. There was a real laugh. For someone who would die soon, everything felt beautiful.
âLina.â
âYes.â
âPlease smile a little more like that. Itâs so⦠beautiful.â
Kaiden looked at her, captivated. He liked the way Evelina woke up after falling asleep, disturbed by him. Her hair was strangely tousled, and there were marks from his clutching and releasing her.
It wasnât just the hair. The lip marks on her neck, and the petal marks on her collarbone and chest.
He was mesmerizingly watching her like that. Then, when he made eye contact with her, his heart skipped a beat. It was as if a heavy weight had been attached to his heart, and with every beat it seemed to be driven down to the ground and then found its way again.
He unconsciously touched Evelinaâs pink lips. He coveted her lips so tenaciously that they were very swollen. When he realized that he was completely to blame for her condition, he blushed.
When he saw Evelina looking at him, he heard her heart beating like his.
Kaiden thought she felt the same way he did. Even though she didnât remember when she first met him.
Even if she didnât have memories of her 14 year old self with his 10-year-old self, in the poorhouse.
She loved him.
The fact made him crazy happy. It seemed as if it was fate for them to fall in love under any circumstances.
âI love you.â
Kaiden looked at her, and Evelina laughed and said.
âWeâre really going to have ten children.â
At that moment, very briefly, if she lived without dying, and if she hadnât met him as the enemyâs family.
Then it wouldnât hurt to live like that with him. She thought for a moment.
Then she thought she was lucky to die before she fell completely in love with this psychopath. She really didnât want to expect anything from him after she shared her body.
âCome here.â
âIâ¦â
Kaiden took her hand as she pulled him closer.
âI love you more, Lina. A lot.â
âAhâ¦â
âI will continue to do so.â
Evelina kissed him first because his words made her heart ache.
So they shared their bodies until daylight.
Evelina and Kaiden were able to finish their preparations and leave around the right time to see off the Marquis of Logias before they left.
~~~~
âWe see the sun and moon of the Empire.â
Evelina was able to come out to her adoptive parentsâ mansion. With Kaiden.
She saw Ianathas standing near her adoptive parents and looked at him for a moment. Then Kaiden, conscious of her eyes, opened his mouth.
âThe Marquis of Logias and the Marquis of Peran have decided to move together.â
âOh⦠really?â
âYes, but the Marquis of Peran will return after seeing him off.â
Evelina was relieved by the words. If Ianathas went with him, he would be able to arrive safely in the Kingdom of Tenesi.
âThank you for your consideration, Kaiden.â
âNo problem*.â
*TN: Direct translation was no which is how Koreans answer to âthank youâs
Marquis Logias stared blankly at Evelina and bowed his head. Evelina tried to speak her harsh words when she realized that it was her last day. After she died, she wanted Kaiden to forgive the Marquis of Logias and forget them completely.
But when she saw her fatherâs face, she couldnât.
âItâs Lina.â
When Marquis Logias called Evelina, she shook her fist and said,
âHave a good life, father.â
ââ¦Okay.â
âYou must.â
âYesâ¦â
Evelina had tears in her eyes, but she smiled. Marquis Logias was looking at his toes as if avoiding her gaze.
âIâll be going now. Thank you, Your Majesty.â
Kaiden looked coldly at the Marquis of Logias, and Evelina looked at Kaidenâs expression again.
So she was more relieved. She felt like she confirmed that the strange feelings she felt for him were actually her own misunderstanding.
âLetâs go back, Kaiden.â
Evelina turned coldly around and folded her arms with Kaidenâs. As she acted like that, Kaiden smiled contently and took her in the carriage.
~~~~
It was in the carriage going back to the Imperial Palace.
When Evelina suddenly thought that today was the last day, she felt somewhat sorry.
âKaiden.â
âIâm listening.â
Evelina felt like he was going to do her a favor, so she made eye contact with him sitting opposite her, and soon went to the other seat and sat down. Embracing his arms and touching his chest, Evelina said with a smile.
âBecause we came out of the Imperial Palace like thisâ¦â
She folded her eyes as if to ask and said with a smile.
âWhy donât we take a look outside?â
He opened his eyes wide for a moment at her words and asked.
âDid you remember anything?â
âWhat? Oh, yes.â
Evelina couldnât figure out what he was saying, but she flinched and said so.
âThen⦠How about going to that place?â
âThat place?â
She seemed disappointed at the drooping corners of his eyes.
âI like it. Seriously.â
She didnât know where he was talking about, but she said so. She had one day left anyway. That too was now nine hours away.
Even though she had been married to him for a month, it was like a real war, but in retrospect, it wasnât all that bad.
When it was time to say goodbye, everything seemed good. She tried to stay sane, trying to wrap up all the worst of the month.
In fact, when she realized that her adoptive parents had left and that she had less than nine hours left to live, she was terrified.
Even her childhood friend and reliable Ianathas. Because he wouldnât be around when she died.
She tried to think only of the good side to forget her fears like that. She couldnât possibly live with bad thoughts.
âCan I get some alcohol on the way?â
âPuhâ¦â
Her words made him laugh.
âDo you want to get drunk again like you did back then?â
âYes, I want to drink a lot. Kaiden also drinks a lot. What?â
When Evelina said that, his eyes widened and he smiled. She stared at his innocent smile involuntarily. Then, when she realized that even those eyes were acting, a part of her heart felt oddly lonely.
âDo you remember the color of rum you said you wanted to drink at the Secreto pier?â
Evelina thought of something for a moment.
âIt was green, wasnât it?â
âYes, thatâs right.â
She answered so without realizing it, and he smiled happier than anyone else and hugged Evelina. He stayed there for such a long time, as if he was glad that she was snuggled in his arms, in a gentle embrace.
~~~~
It was the time they arrived at Secreto Square. It was a small area on the outskirts of the capital. Closer to a port city.
âIâm getting off here. Guard, but stay out of sight. Iâll take care of it if it bothers me.â
âYes, Your Majesty.â
After saying that, Kaiden hugged Evelina and got off. Then he made her stand on her floor and wrapped her black robe around her.
âI think itâs a little late to change.â
Evelina wondered if time had passed like this before she knew it. At 12 oâclock she was going to send off the Marquis of Logias, but after she prepared this and that and spoke, it was 3 oâclock. The Marquis of Logias was also late for departure.
It was about half past five now. The year was not too long because it was still early summer. Maybe thatâs why the sun was going to set in about an hour.
âI feel like Iâve come too far.â
âItâs because you donât come out of the palace often.â
Evelina suddenly felt familiar with the scenery of Secreto. This was also the place where she was in the poorhouse.
Because it was a port city right next to the capital.
âWhere do you buy alcohol?â
âThe store is still there, Lina. Give me your hand.â
Before she knew it, Evelina saw Kaiden wearing a long black robe and a hood like her. His red eyes seemed to be more visible when he wore a hood.
âLina.â
As she gazed in rapture, he kissed the back of Evelinaâs hand with the same blissful smile she had seen earlier, and said.
âLina canât hide her beauty no matter what she covers.â
âThank you.â
âIâm nervous because of you. Itâs not just me that looks beautiful.â
She didnât want to hear what he had to say, so she put her arms around him.
âLetâs go. I canât wait to drink.â
Somehow, as she came here and walked, the strange things she saw in her dreams, and the strange memories she often felt, began to come to mind like reality.
The moments she and Kaiden spent together as children.