CHAPTER 09

Eve tilted her head and looked back and forth at what Arianne and Estella were holding.

“Hmmm.”

“This cup is prettier!”

“No, Mom. This one is prettier, right? Right?”

They had been arguing over cups for hours now.

Estella puffed out her cheeks, and she and Arianne glared at each other.

“Hmph!”

“What? You tiny thing! I can say ‘hmph’ too!”

Eve let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

Then she smiled slightly.

To Eve, both cups looked pretty—Arianne’s cup with a pink border, and Estella’s cup with little stars.

They were buying cups for the shop anyway, not just one or two.

Eve peeked out and spoke to the shop owner, who had been watching the scene with interest.

“We’ll take ten of this cup and ten of that one. Please pack them both.”

The shopkeeper smiled brightly at Eve’s wise decision.

“Of course, miss. I’ll get them ready.”

Arianne and Estella, who had lost the battle, quietly looked at each other’s cups.

“W-Well, that one’s pretty too, I guess!”

Estella was the first to offer peace.

“Hmph. Yours isn’t that bad either, little one.”

So basically, they both liked each other’s cups.

Eve chuckled to herself and made a suggestion.

“Shall we go eat lunch now? I think I’m hungry.”

“Yes! Mom, let’s eat something yummy!”

“Let’s go. Eve, what do you want to eat?”

When they got along like this, they were a perfect team.

Their voices overlapped, and Eve laughed out loud.

Ah, they’re just too cute—both of them.

“Please come again, all three of you!” the shop owner called out as they left.

They chose seafood olive pasta for lunch—Eve’s favorite.

Estella clung to Eve’s arm, chatting excitedly, while Arianne teased her like usual.

Their joyful group didn’t match the noisy market around them, so many people turned to look.

And among those eyes, a man hiding in the shadows quickly slipped into an alley.

He sat down, panting.

“Vivian… my lady?”

Even in the dark, the royal symbol embroidered on his cloak shone brightly.

Meanwhile…

Arianne, Eve, and Estella arrived at a restaurant with private rooms.

As Eve peeked at the menu, she muttered with a worried face,

“Private rooms cost double the price?”

Now she understood why people say the capital city is full of sneaky surprises.

Seeing the expensive menu, Eve hesitated.

“We’re already here. And like I said, I have enough money.”

“But still…”

Eve looked unsure.

Arianne understood why. Eve was worried about what would happen to her and Estella after she was gone.

Ever since she got the news that she was terminally ill, Eve often thought about the future.

Arianne pretended not to notice the worry on Eve’s face.

“You need to eat well. That’s how you get better. Let’s eat quickly and take your medicine. The doctor said it’s important to take it on time.”

“…What kind of logic is that?”

Eve finally smiled a little.

“Eat well and eat a lot”—wasn’t that basically the same thing?

Sometimes Arianne said such silly things.

Estella suddenly joined the conversation.

She was holding her small treasure-like purse tightly in both hands.

“Mom, you have to eat two bowls!”

“Eat them!”

“Mom, eat two bowls, please!”

Arianne corrected Estella’s grammar with a smile.

Estella looked between the two, her expression a little sad—but she seemed to feel better now.

“You need to eat a lot and grow big and strong. Then you’ll be healthy again!”

“Huh?”

“You always said that to me when I was sick, Mom! That eating well makes you grow and stay healthy. Right, Arianne?”

“You’re quite clever for a little one.”

Arianne smiled as she flipped through the menu.

Eve, who had been watching Estella quietly, started laughing too.

Proudly, Estella offered her small purse to Eve.

“Estella will buy your lunch today, Mom! I have lots of money!”

Estella opened her purse wide, her nose up in the air.

Inside were shiny coins she had saved from running errands.

“What about me, little one?”

“Arianne can buy her own! I’m only buying for Mom!”

Estella looked at Arianne with a serious face, clearly still sulking from earlier.

She turned her head away with a pout.

Arianne looked like she wanted to lightly smack her, but Eve was deeply touched and covered her mouth with both hands.

How did she grow up so fast?

It felt like just yesterday Estella was born, and now she was trying to buy lunch for her mom.

Estella grew so fast that if you looked away for a moment, she was suddenly more grown up.

“You really want to buy lunch for Mom?”

“Yes! Uncle Hans at Vibraze said Mom needs to eat lots and lots to get better!”

Hans was the doctor in Vibraze who gave Eve her medicine.

He was also the one who first told her she didn’t have much time left.

Estella counted something on her fingers, then smiled brightly.

“I saved for twenty-five nights! Now I’m rich!”

Arianne smirked from behind her menu.

She wanted to tease Estella, but when she saw Eve’s face, she held back.

Really? That emotional over this?

After raising her for seven years, it made sense she’d do this kind of thing.

Arianne looked at Eve’s pink eyes, the same as Estella’s. They sparkled with emotion.

‘Good thing she doesn’t look like him.’

Arianne puffed her cheeks.

If Estella had looked more like the Emperor, she might not have been able to love her this much.

She might have even hated her.

But whenever she saw Eve and Estella laughing, those bitter thoughts melted away.

Eve swallowed hard.

Estella was watching her with sparkling eyes.

She didn’t really understand money, but she saved all her coins just to buy her mom a good meal.

‘Estella really is an angel!’

Eve hid her trembling hands under the table.

“Ahem. Okay then, I’ll eat a lot today since Estella is buying. And I’ll take my medicine too. That way, Mom will get better fast, right?”

Estella nodded proudly.

No wonder she didn’t let anyone touch her bag lately—she was hiding a surprise.

How did I give birth to such a sweet daughter?

Did she take after her dad?

Sometimes when she saw something new in Estella, Eve got curious.

What kind of person was her father?

Surely not a bad man—Eve had decided to have the baby, after all.

A gambler? A fighter? A thief?

Why wouldn’t Arianne tell her anything about him?

After coming to the capital, her curiosity grew.

Arianne had agreed to come to the capital—but refused to let Estella meet her father.

I hope it’s not too late… I don’t have much time left.

‘How can I convince Arianne?’

Arianne noticed Eve staring and looked down at the menu.

Her eyelashes trembled as she bit her lip.

“Did you pick something? Should we order?”

“Uh, just a second!”

Eve was startled and quickly grabbed the menu.

She leaned close to Estella and whispered,

“Is it really okay if I order two?”

“You can order three if you want!”

Arianne patted Estella’s head.

Even if it was just lunch, it was sweet how Estella tried to make Eve smile.

“Hmph! But I’m still not buying for Arianne!”

Arianne clicked her tongue, annoyed.

She thought Estella looked exactly like Samuel when she was being sassy.

Meanwhile…

The man who had been following Eve, Arianne, and Estella stopped outside the restaurant and wandered nearby.

‘I’m sure that was Lady Vivian…’

Whether it was her or not, he felt confused.

‘And who is that child?’

His heart thumped with fear.

The child’s soft blue hair poked at his chest like tiny needles.

‘Why… why did she have to be seen by me, of all people?’

He scratched his head and stared at the restaurant, troubled.

His name was Daniel, a knight who used to guard Lady Vivian.

He had protected her ever since she was the daughter of the Duke of Endless.

So of course he would recognize her.

He had followed the three just to confirm if the woman under the bonnet really had white hair.

But now, he wasn’t sure if he should report it to the palace.

Vivian had never smiled in the palace, but now… now she looked truly happy.

His heart changed a dozen times.

Why couldn’t someone else have seen her instead? She knew how soft-hearted he was.

Daniel sighed and scratched his head.

He was too lost in thought to notice someone inside the restaurant had seen him wandering suspiciously…

…and had just reported him to the city guards.

“Excuse me, sir…”