🌷 Chapter Six
──────────────────────────
“It’s all your fault.”
“Why me, Mother? It’s all because of you.”
Evelina stood still, a nervous expression on her face.
It seemed something important had gone terribly wrong.
Karina grumbled in discontent as she opened the dining room door.
“Then why did you bother me instead of letting me go alone?”
“Mother, Evelina is my wife. It’s only right that I accompany her.”
Evelina blinked in confusion at the sudden mention of her name.
“Tears fill my eyes whenever I imagine my little girl walking alone to the faraway dining hall.”
“That’s right. You should’ve stepped aside when I asked you to.”
“You insolent boy.”
Karina clicked her tongue in irritation, but the moment she caught sight of Evelina standing beside the table, her face lit up with a radiant smile.
“Oh, my dear~ Was it difficult to get here?”
“I’m fine. The dining room isn’t far from my quarters.”
Evelina waved her hand awkwardly.
“Evelina~♡”
Though they had only been apart for a few hours, Arsene called her name as if he hadn’t seen her in ages.
“… Hello, Your Grace.”
Evelina hesitated, then lowered her head slightly in greeting.
Arsene froze at the sudden change in how she addressed him, and his gaze studied her face closely.
She looked more withdrawn and somber than before.
Silently, Arsene sat down beside her.
“Evelina, what’s wrong?”
“Yes?”
“You seem a little down.”
“Oh… it’s nothing.”
Evelina smiled and shook her head.
As they waited for the meal, she finally spoke in a soft voice.
“I…”
“What is it, my darling?”
“Do you have something to tell us?”
Though her voice was barely audible, both Karina and Arsene heard her clearly.
Evelina flinched when she suddenly felt both their eyes fixed upon her.
Despite how overwhelming their attention was, she knew it was time to speak about the matter of titles.
“The difference between me and you—Your Grace and Her Majesty—is far too great, so I don’t think I can address you casually.”
As Evelina uttered these words, she gradually lowered her head.
“And… because you might get hurt because of me… I think it’s best that we keep our distance.”
A heavy silence fell over the dining room.
After a few seconds, Arsene’s voice broke through.
“Evelina, there’s no need to worry ahead of time about things that haven’t happened.”
“What…?”
“Nothing’s happened to us, has it, Mother?”
He gave Karina a small wink, and with a gentle smile, she added,
“That’s right, sweetheart. I held your hand, I touched your face, and I called your name—but nothing happened to me, did it? The palace didn’t collapse, and neither Arsene nor I was harmed.”
“……”
“So don’t try to push yourself away from us.”
For some reason, those words brought tears to Evelina’s eyes.
She looked at Karina quietly and bowed her head, as though struggling to hold back the sobs threatening to burst forth.
“Do you know how happy we are to have you here with us?”
“I… I’m a cursed princess… So why…?”
Unable to contain it any longer, Evelina broke into tears.
Karina spoke again, lifting the corners of her lips into a crooked smile.
“You’re just an ordinary girl. I don’t know how much people believe in prophecies, but they’re nothing more than old superstition.”
“Mother.”
Arsene called her softly.
Even though he didn’t believe in such things, speaking of them still felt like treading on sensitive ground.
Karina looked at him with a hint of displeasure, then lowered her gaze and returned her attention to Evelina.
“Besides, I’m not as weak as you think.”
“Are you sure…?”
“Of course. But if you’re still worried, let’s finish dinner, and then I’ll show you just how strong I really am.”
Just as Karina finished speaking, the doors opened and the maids entered, pushing in a cart laden with food.
They began setting the table swiftly.
There was a salad with a refreshing dressing, richly scented dishes, slices of meat with sweet sauce, and grilled fish infused with buttery aroma.
Evelina’s eyes, having never seen such a meal before, widened to their fullest.
Her small mouth parted in astonishment as she stared at the feast laid before her.
Seeing her adorable reaction, Arsene and Karina both bit back smiles—but at the same time, their desire to kill the Duke grew stronger once again.
“Try it quickly.”
“Y–Yes…”
At Arsene’s urging, Evelina swallowed her saliva and picked up the fork and knife.
No one had ever taught her table manners, but she had secretly learned them by reading books she’d found in the library.
Though she might have been clumsy from studying on her own, her manners were flawless and refined.
“Evelina, your etiquette is impeccable.”
“I studied alone, but… thank you for being kind…”
Evelina’s cheeks turned a soft pink.
Karina paused mid-slice of her meat when she heard that Evelina had learned everything by herself.
“You studied by yourself?”
“Yes. There wasn’t anywhere for me to go… So even if someone had been appointed to teach me such things, I wouldn’t have had any use for them.”
“……”
“But I was terribly bored from doing nothing all day, so I’d sneak into the library and read the books there, without Father knowing.”
Arsene listened with a serious expression, then smiled lightly and asked,
“You did? What kind of books did you read, Evelina?”
“I read everything available without choosing. There was a book on etiquette, so I started with that.”
“I see. Then… do you remember everything you read?”
“Of course. I haven’t forgotten a single thing.”
Evelina’s memory far surpassed that of the average person.
Once she saw or heard something, she never forgot it.
It was an extraordinary gift, though Evelina didn’t realize it was special.
After all, no one had ever trained her, nor had she ever shared her abilities with anyone.
She began talking about the book with a joyful expression.
Arsene and Karina listened with smiles, though they were secretly amazed by her ability to recall the contents so precisely.
“My dear, you have an incredible memory.”
“Ah… Is that so? Isn’t everyone like that…?”
Evelina’s voice suddenly grew quiet.
Karina pondered for a moment, then asked,
“Have you ever considered continuing your studies?”
“My studies…?”
“Well, someone I know is a renowned academic and a magician as well. If you’d like, I can ask him to be your tutor. Would you like to learn professionally under his guidance?”
Evelina was startled and quickly shook her head.
“P–Pardon? No… I don’t think so. I hardly know anything, so I’d just be a burden. Besides, how could someone so accomplished ever teach someone like me…?”
Karina tried several times to persuade her, but Evelina refused firmly.
“Well then, if that’s how you feel, I won’t push. But if you ever change your mind, just let me know.”
“… Alright.”
After a long meal filled with cheerful conversation, the dinner ended with sweet desserts.
“Now then, didn’t I say earlier that I’d show you how strong I am? Come with me, Arsene. You too, my darling.”
Arsene looked a bit reluctant, but when Evelina turned to him, he smiled brightly and stood up to follow her.
Karina was stunned by the sight, but she said nothing and walked away.
The place they arrived at was an underground training arena.
It was vast and impeccably clean.
On one side was a rack of weapons, and nearby, a small area resembling a changing room.
Karina looked at Arsene and said,
“Arsene, get ready.”
“… Alright.”
Evelina carefully sat on a chair by the side of the arena and waited.
Less than five minutes later, both of them emerged from the changing room.
However, they were now dressed entirely differently from before.
“Huh…?”
Evelina’s eyes widened as she slowly stood up without realizing it.
Karina approached with a smile.
“How do I look, my dear?”
“You… you look amazing, Mother.”
Evelina answered with absolute sincerity.
Karina wore a simple shirt and trousers.
Despite the lack of any luxurious ornamentation, the outfit still radiated elegance and strength.
She had tied her hair up into a neat high bun.
Arsene, too, was dressed similarly.
When he saw Karina speaking with Evelina, he quickly rushed over.
“Evelina, what about me~? How do I look?”
“You look amazing too, Arsene.”
A smile naturally bloomed on Arsene’s lips at the sound of his name replacing the formal title.
Karina gave Arsene a pitying glance, then walked toward the weapon rack.
She skimmed through the swords and chose a slim, long one.
Arsene picked a thicker blade.
“My dear, let me show you my strength.”
Smiling at Evelina, Karina stepped into the center of the sparring arena.
Arsene followed and gently warned Evelina not to come closer—it might be dangerous.
“Mother, don’t go too hard just because Evelina’s watching. Things are different now, and you’ve aged a bit, haven’t you? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Oh my, Arsene. It’s true I’ve slacked off on training lately, but don’t forget—you’ve never once beaten me, you know?”
Arsene’s face froze in response to Karina’s words that wounded his pride.
Karina smiled leisurely as she saw his cold expression—like a northern winter wind.
Evelina swallowed nervously at the growing tension.
Seeing that they were using real swords, not wooden ones, she worried they might get seriously hurt.
Karina and Arsene faced each other, swords raised.
Neither blinked.
After a tense standoff, they both moved at the exact same moment—so swiftly that Evelina couldn’t tell who had moved first.
She flinched at the sound of steel clashing.
Then her mouth dropped open.
“Wow…”
The exclamation slipped out before she could stop it.
As expected, their movements were light and sharp.
Yet neither was pushed back.
Their skills were evenly matched, and Karina looked genuinely thrilled.
This was the first time Evelina had learned that the Empress of the Empire was a master of swordsmanship.
Her swordplay was elegant, never crude.
Graceful yet sharp, never missing a single weakness.
In contrast, Arsene’s technique was heavy and bold.
Yet surprisingly fast.
While Karina’s movements were agile and precise, Arsene’s power rivaled that of a formidable attacker.
Evelina watched with bated breath.
Eventually, the clash came to a halt—their swords pointing at each other’s throats.
As the cloud of dust settled, a confident smirk lifted the corners of Karina’s mouth.
──────────────────────────
