Chapter 42
She had expected to meet him only after her own physical training and breakfast.
Because she hadn’t anticipated seeing Elliot from dawn, her face kept stiffening awkwardly.
“I didn’t think you’d be out training this early.”
“I used to train at dawn regularly even at the Count’s estate.”
At his comment, implying he thought she’d come out later and had simply come to his own training grounds, Evelyn scratched her cheek.
“That’s great, actually. The more time we spend together, the more the rumors that I’m in love will spread. We should train together. It’s also better if we eat breakfast and dinner together as much as possible.”
“That often? Once people find out I’m the Hero, they’ll figure out why we got married anyway.”
Evelyn asked, bewildered. Even if it was part of their plan, Elliot’s behavior felt a bit excessive.
Not even genuinely-in-love couples spent that much time together.
“Until then, I want to keep it a secret. And isn’t it natural for a couple in love to want to be together all day?”
Who told him that?
He’d definitely heard that from someone else. From what she could tell, Elliot wasn’t the warm or affectionate type.
She wasn’t well-versed in romance either, but Elliot didn’t seem any better.
Their contract marriage required them to act sweet and loving, so both were learning about romance through books and counseling.
“……”
But being together all day was a bit much.
She had intended to keep him at a distance, just in case, because of the person lurking around her dreaming of resurrecting the Evil God. Yet now, Elliot kept insisting they act like a loving couple, making it hard for her to refuse outright.
Making that kind of request with a face like that should be considered cheating.
Even the devil would step aside for that face, Evelyn thought—and unwittingly found herself nodding before stopping.
Elliot’s looks had overpowered the Evil God.
“Gasp.”
Wait… she hadn’t actually agreed yet?!
Evelyn’s eyes wavered wildly. All the time she had spent deliberating felt like a waste.
“Doesn’t it bother you at all? That the Evil God’s follower might be close by?”
She couldn’t help but confess her worries.
People still saw her as cursed. If something happened to the Archduke, she’d surely be blamed.
It would be better to warn him in advance and maintain some distance.
“The Hero chosen by the divine can no longer be cursed. And if someone is working magic, we just need to find them.”
“But there are still many in the north who don’t know I’m the Hero.”
Until she pulled the Holy Sword, no one, not even Evelyn herself, had known she was the Hero!
How could anyone have known in advance and acted on it?
“……”
Elliot fell silent, thinking about her words.
“It’s probably a coincidence. But that coincidence brought you north—so it’s fate.”
At his response, Evelyn clenched her fists. If it hadn’t been her brother, someone else close to her might have gotten hurt.
If fate had to bring her north, she wished it had chosen a different way.
“If someone hurt my brother intentionally… I won’t forgive them.”
She would make them pay dearly for the years her brother had lost.
“I’ll help you. Anyone who wants to see you in trouble would also be an obstacle to defeating the Evil God.”
Their eyes met.
“Just a guess, but… I suspect the culprit is someone close to you.”
She wanted to say that couldn’t be true, but at Elliot’s firm statement, Evelyn remained silent.
She didn’t want to believe it—but it wasn’t impossible. And there was one person who kept coming to mind.
She had no evidence or proof, but her instincts kept pointing to the same individual—and she didn’t want to believe it.
So she waited, hoping to be just a little more certain.
“If I can’t cut ties immediately… please help me.”
Elliot nodded with a quiet sigh.
“Understood.”
A short silence fell over the training grounds.
“Let’s begin training. We’ve already spent a lot of time talking.”
Not even a few minutes had passed, but he changed the subject to lighten the heavy mood.
“Let’s start with some running to warm up.”
With that, the two of them began silently running laps around the training field. Evelyn ran until sweat poured from every part of her body.
After warming up, Elliot asked:
“What do you usually do for strength training? I had some equipment brought in just in case.”
“At the Count’s estate, I couldn’t use the knights’ training grounds alone, so I mainly did bodyweight exercises.”
“That’s perfect.”
Elliot pulled away a large cloth covering one corner of the training ground, revealing state-of-the-art training equipment.
Weights, bars, and every other tool needed for training were there.
“When did you get all this?”
That morning, she had thought it was just supplies stacked up to clear the area.
Evelyn’s eyes lit up at the sight of equipment she hadn’t even seen at the Count’s estate.
The sunlight gleamed off the metal—it looked like Elliot’s golden hair.
Perfect.
From the symbols, she could tell they were all made by the Magic Tower.
She ran her hands lovingly over the etched seal of the Magic Tower on one of the weight plates and smiled.
At the Count’s, they used old equipment, and these were the items she had eyed at the supply shops but couldn’t afford.
Long live the rich. Long live the Hero.
Her trust in Elliot skyrocketed.
He hadn’t lied.
It was the ultimate show of support.
Seeing Evelyn gaze dreamily at the barbell, Elliot’s lips curved into a smile.
“I told them to bring only the best. I’m glad it suits your tastes.”
“Please call me Evelyn from now on.”
In the face of top-tier training equipment, names were meaningless. Up to now, she had just tolerated him calling her by her name at will.
But now, Evelyn willingly offered up that intimacy.
“You let me use your name too, after all.”
Shameless Evelyn Barrett!
“I’ll be joining the knights’ training soon. Are you sure it’s okay to spend so much money on this?”
Reality hit her again when she realized the cost had to be over a thousand gold. Evelyn tearfully resolved to send the equipment back.
“It’s fine. Even when you train with the knights, you’ll still need time for personal training. And who would dare make a fuss when a Sword Master is training?”
Elliot smiled and handed her a dumbbell that fit perfectly in her hand. She could even adjust the length and weight!
Her golden eyes brimmed with gratitude.
Evelyn, as if possessed, increased the dumbbell’s weight.
Amazing.
“It’s the best.”
From now on, she would obey Elliot without question. Even paperwork seemed doable now after lifting heavy dumbbells.
Her mind, swayed by the luxury equipment, ran wild.
New tools, new mindset.
Completely enchanted by the advanced features of the tools, Evelyn followed Elliot’s instructions diligently and worked her body.
*
“Still alive?”
“Maybe.”
After finishing the pre-breakfast workout, Evelyn’s whole body was trembling. Watching her stagger, Elliot laughed.
He offered an arm to support her, but Evelyn declined, saying she was too sweaty.
Elliot followed behind her as she wobbled forward.
“Uh, whoa—!”
Before breakfast, Evelyn had mentioned wanting to clean up a bit first, so the two of them headed inside—and all eyes turned toward them.
The maids were startled seeing the Archduchess barely able to walk, and quickly bowed upon seeing the Archduke trailing behind her.
In front of the stairs, Evelyn stared at the steps with a face like she was about to die.
“Phew.”
Taking a deep breath, she tried to lift her leg—but her body wouldn’t move.
She had pushed herself too hard, seduced by the Magic Tower’s training equipment.
“Evelyn?”
From behind, Elliot gave her a puzzled look, then chuckled quietly.
“Let me help you.”
“Ah!”
Her body was suddenly lifted.
Elliot’s face was so close that Evelyn reflexively shut her eyes. The sudden contact startled her.
Even if deceiving the enemy required deceiving your allies first—Elliot’s pace was hard to keep up with.
“P-put me down!”
“At your pace, even if we climbed all day, we’d never make it to your bedroom.”
Elliot, speaking in a lightly teasing voice, carried her up the stairs without wavering.
His hands, firmly supporting her back and knees, radiated warmth, making her cheeks flush.
“L-Lady Archduchess?!”
When they entered the bedroom, the waiting maids jumped up in surprise.
Tinya and Seril’s eyes sparkled with a giddy Oh my goodness!
“Are you hurt?!”
Seeing Evelyn still in Elliot’s arms, unable to come down, Tinya asked with a voice full of both concern and curiosity.
