Chapter 39

***

***

Devan asked, dropping the respectful tone he had taken in front of the knights. Astrilla poured another glass of wine and pushed it gently towards Devan. Devan eventually sat down across from her as if he couldn’t help it, but he did not touch the wine.

“You don’t drink?” (Astrilla)

“I only do it when I’m having fun.” (Devan)

“Hahaha! Then you should do it more often.” (Astrilla)

Astrilla took a big sip of her wine.

“What was the reason you sent Evelyn away? If you had something you wanted to talk about in private, I’d be happy to just listen. Not in this hurried way, not until we have the formalities in place.” (Devan)

“You seem to be concerned.” (Astrilla)

“I’m just curious, that’s all. There’s no way you would do something like that for no reason at all.” (Devan)

“What do you think you know about me?” (Astrilla)

Astrilla sank deeper into the couch.

“It’s not like I don’t know.” (Devan)

“Are you going to act arrogant just because of our blood?” (Astrilla)

“Blood?”

Devan’s lips lifted.

It was funny. To talk about blood between them.

Astrilla lowered her gaze.

Then she said in an unexpectedly cautious tone.

“Your eyes…can you see?”

“Yes. It’s still faint, though.”

“Faint? Isn’t the curse lifted?”

“The curse has been lifted, but there are a few problems.”

Astrilla narrowed her eyes.

She seemed to want more details, but Devan just shrugged.

“If what you want to hear is about the curse, then you’re mistaken. I don’t have much to say. So I’ll ask again. Where did you send Evelyn?”

He seemed to get up at any moment.

Astrilla took her glass of wine and drank it.

“I don’t want to hear it, I want to do it.”

Then suddenly, she threw the glass at Devan. It grazed his ear and hit the wall, the glass shattered with an unpleasant bursting sound.

Devan asked again, without blinking an eye.

“I asked where you sent Evelyn.”

“Do you think I’ll eat her? Just listen to me first. You have nothing to lose.”

“I’m the one who decides whether it’s a loss or a gain. Not you.”

Devan turned away and took a step.

“Do you think that curse is justified?” (Astrilla)

He paused, stepping on the glass. He closed his eyes slowly and then opened them. The right eye was still dimly visible.

“It doesn’t seem like the right thing to say, since you’ve gained more legitimacy from this curse than anyone else.” (Astrilla)

“No, I’m the only one who can say it.” (Devan)

Devan turned around.

“Sit down. There is much I should have told you long ago.” (Astrilla)

****

I was immersed in warm water. My hair and body got washed. A much more glamorous dress than the one I wore at the Grand Duchy was put on.

In the process, half my spirit was missing. There were so many maids surrounding me.

One sprayed perfume, one sprayed water, one grabbed my arm, and one rubbed my body.

There was no way I could get my mind back.

“Um, what is all this?”

And no matter what questions I asked, no one would talk to me. It was as if they were under orders.

I sat in front of the makeup table, wearing a dress full of shiny golden jewels.

The dress was too flashy and didn’t look good on me.

Of course, it was better than the one Devan had bought me, but… Both were no different in that they attracted too much attention.

‘’Is this what the Crown Princess has ordered?”

I still didn’t get a reply.

As soon as I bit my lip tightly, one of the maids carefully opened my lips and applied ointment.

It was very taxing and my eyes wandered around with nowhere to go.

The two maids who had been in charge of separating the hair on the right and left finally met in the middle and swept the hair up into one.

There they were again, putting lots of shiny pins in my hair.

“Hey, isn’t this too much?”

One of the maidservants lowered her eyes.

I didn’t miss the slight movement of her lips.

After all, it didn’t just seem strange only to my eyes.

Maybe the aesthetic sense was also genetic.

“Is His Highness in that room? Does he have another schedule? Who am I going to meet?”

I was imagining the worst. I would meet the Emperor and Empress in this state.

The maids were as silent as ever.

“How much time has passed?”

“…”

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

The maid, who had been twitching at the edges of her mouth, whispered with a scowl.

“…………… two hours.”

Two hours to wash up and decorate? My mouth opened wide.

The moment when the two maids who had been stroking my hair were finished.

I jumped up from my seat.

“Young lady!”

And I left the room and started running.

I couldn’t help but think it was strange. What possible reason could Astrilla have for decorating me so carefully when she had never seen me before in her life?

She talked about the gift, but I wasn’t going to believe a word of it.

To separate me and Devan….

Two hours. Two hours was more than enough time for Astrilla to do whatever she wanted to Devan.

I had to get to Devan. I ran without a break.

It was when I went around the corridor, gasping.

With a bang, I collided with something and, unable to scream, I bounced back and fell to the floor.

I rubbed my nose and raised my head. I wondered what the hell I had hit.

“Lady!”

“…Pelos?”

I bumped into a Pelos Kiveon who was wearing a suit of armor.

“What’s with that outfit?”

He gave me a cursory glance up and down, his mouth twitching.

“Lady, you’re …… really….ummm………… fancy, aren’t you?”

“Not my taste, but the taste of a respectable Lantimos family.”

I took his outstretched hand without hesitation.

I stood up and asked nervously, still holding my nose.

“I think I’m the one who needs to ask about your outfit. What’s with the armor? How on earth did you get here?”

It hadn’t been a day since he had gotten off the carriage first, saying there was a vacancy in the Imperial Temple. Did he mean a priest in armor?

It was suspicious.

“Well, it’s easier to sneak into the Imperial Palace this way.” (Pelos)

“Sneak in?” (Evelyn)

I shook my head, not hiding my puzzled expression.

“I won’t ask why. I’m sure you can come up with fifteen reasons in no time at all.” (Evelyn)

“So, you’ve learned a bit about me in the meantime, huh?” (Pelos)

“Isn’t it a waste of your life…… Ah, you said you wanted to die. It hurts to be beheaded by the guillotine.” (Evelyn)

“It’s okay. It’ll be over in a flash. What about Devan?” (Pelos)

“I’m actually looking for him.” (Evelyn)

“You guys were separated? In the meantime?” (Pelos)

“It’s strange that the one who was in the temple is in the Imperial Palace at this time.” (Evelyn)

Pelos shrugged.

“Are you here to meet Devan? I don’t think you’ll need this cumbersome armor then. You are the second son of the Duke of Kiveon.” (Evelyn)

“What’s the point of meeting Devan?” (Pelos)

Then why on earth? I narrowed my eyes.

“So you’ve come to see me?” (Evelyn)

“What? No way.” (Pelos)

“If that’s not the case…” (Evelyn)

At that moment, Pelos suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me behind a corner.

“What is it?”

“Shhh.”

“My Lady!”

It was the voices of the maids looking for me.

I held my breath and hid behind the statue behind the corner.

The armor of Pelos and the statue combined was enough to hide me from view.

“My Lady! Where are you?”

“Who are you looking for, ladies?” (Pelos)

In the meantime, Pelos, who took off his helmet and smiled brightly, stood in front of the maids.

I mimed vomiting so as not to be heard from behind the statue.

He greeted them politely, as if he was really a knight, and the maids didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh.. did you see a Young Lady? She’s a beautiful lady in a fancy dress.”

“I did.”

“What?”

“She’s right here, isn’t she? The beautiful lady.”

Skillfully, Pelos grabbed one of the maids’ hands and kissed the back of her hand. Exclamation erupted from the maids.

Pelos deserved it because he was a handsome man.

Before I knew it, the maids had fallen head over heels for Pelos.

Where are you from, knight ? Where do you belong? Why hadn’t I seen you before? …………… The questions went on endlessly.

I was looking at his face with a ridiculous expression and discovered his hands were waving behind his back. Does that mean I should run away? His hand’s movements became even faster.

Seriously, with that personality, I was exhausted after a little while. It was only a matter of time before one of the maids felt something strange.

Keeping myself as low as I could, I quickly lifted my heels and ran down the hallway.

My destination was the parlor.

The room where they would still be conversing if I was right.

***

Devan finally lifted the wine glass in front of him.

It would be better than listening to Astrilla with his right mind.

Astrilla also poured wine into the wine glass that the butler had brought.

The two of them remained alone in the parlor, and silence fell.

Astrilla gently turned the wine glass.

“Aren’t you curious? The curse and the temple, I thought you would find the story more interesting than anything else.” (Astrilla)

“Let’s put aside the introduction. Why are you talking about the legitimacy of the curse now? Can’t you see these eyes?” (Devan)

“Yes, I can see them. The one on the right is all black, and I can see it very clearly. Is that why the curse is lifted but faint?” (Astrilla)

Devan did not answer.

“It’s not that I’m interested in the curse. I’m not even interested in you. What I am interested in is the temple and the curse itself.” (Astrilla)

“You mean that qualification test?” (Devan)

“Yes. Why is this country so driven by the temple? Have you ever asked yourself that question?” (Astrilla)

Again, Devan did not answer.

Astrilla stared at him and said.

“What if all of this is due to the qualification test?”