CH 114

Before the main course arrived, Evan took out a bottle of wine he had brought. Riett’s gaze landed on the label attached to the wine bottle.

“It’s a wine made from grapes that don’t grow in Truto. Where did you get it?”

“It was a gift.”

Evan replied curtly. Riett’s brow furrowed. The fact that it was a gift bothered her.

‘Is it weird to ask who… gave it to him?’

Evan smiled skillfully as he uncorked the bottle.

“It was given to me by His Majesty. He said it was a token of appreciation for the hard work in Parman.”

“…Who asked?”

Evan chuckled softly.

“I thought you were curious.”

Riett wanted to retort with ‘When did I ask!’ but instead, she chose to examine her expression.

‘Did my curiosity show…?’

He was so perceptive that he might have noticed her true feelings.

“Compared to what we’ve been through, this wine alone is far from enough… but if I’m drinking it with you, it won’t be bad.”

He always said things like this. Embarrassing words that he spoke without a hint of change in his facial expression.

More importantly, with Evan mentioning His Majesty, a certain person naturally came to Riett’s mind. 

The second princess, with whom Evan had a one-sided pursuit… Nevertheless, Riett was secretly curious. How did Evan reject her? Did she completely give up on him?

Riett cleared her throat lightly, preparing to speak in her usual tone. And then she casually asked, 

“Evan… What happened with the second princess?”

Evan poured the wine into the glass. The liquid, tinged with a reddish hue, quickly filled the transparent glass.

“Nothing happened. There was nothing to begin with.”

Evan’s firm answer brought a sense of peace and tranquility to Riett’s heart.

By this point, she had to admit what the old man had said.

‘I’ve been perceiving Evan as someone of the opposite sex.’

Maybe… she likes… No, it’s too hasty to come to that conclusion.

Riett made various expressions as if she were going back and forth between a cold bath and a hot bath.

“But why did you ask about that?”

At Evan’s question, Riett let out an awkward laugh.

“Haha… Well, I just heard bits and pieces about you from people around.”

That was the truth. Evan’s story could be heard everywhere they went.

“On the other hand, I thought you were curious about me and asked.”

Evan offered a light smile as he extended the wine glass.

Caught off guard, Riett momentarily forgot that she should accept the glass and stared blankly.

Should she accept it? Riett hesitated, but finally said, “Uh… Thank you,” and took the glass. That’s when their fingers brushed.

‘Ah…!’

Startled, Riett pulled her hand away as if she had touched something hot. As a result, the wine glass slipped from her hand and fell downwards.

Crash!

The wine glass shattered against the table, and the red liquid splattered in all directions. Unfortunately, the direction the liquid splattered was Evan’s shirt. His white shirt quickly became stained with red.

Riett hurriedly stood up from her seat and grabbed a nearby napkin, frantically trying to blot Evan’s shirt.

“S-Sorry! I was lost in thought for a moment.”

Riett apologized with embarrassment as she dabbed at Evan’s shirt. But suddenly, her wrist was caught.

“It’s alright.”

With a low voice, Riett slowly lifted her head to look at Evan, wondering if he was angry. Evan was looking at her, his gaze fixed, and Riett felt his eyes burning.

It was the first time she experienced such a description that would fit perfectly in a third-rate romance novel. She stared at Evan with her mouth slightly agape, but he averted his gaze before she did.

Riett noticed a blush on the back of Evan’s neck.

Phew. Evan let out a deep breath. The strange atmosphere made Riett feel stifled in her chest.

Finally, Riett was the first to speak.

“You can’t have a meal like this. Should I lend you a shirt?”

It should be fine to borrow a shirt from one of the male servants. 

‘It might not be as good in quality as Evan’s shirt, but…’

Still, it would be better than wearing a shirt stained with wine.

Evan seemed to have the same thought, as he wiped his neck and replied, 

“That would be good.”

* * *

Riett handed the borrowed shirt from a male servant to Evan.

“Change and come out.”

After pushing Evan into her room and closing the door, Riett leaned against it. When she closed her eyes, she felt her heartbeat more intensely in her ears.

‘This is strange…’

Both she and Evan were acting strange. It felt awkward, subtle, and a hot air seemed to be flowing between them.

Was Evan feeling the same way as her? Judging from the expression she saw earlier, he didn’t seem so different from her.

Riett felt the air was stifling.

Stepping away from the door, Riett walked to the hallway window and opened it. The cool night breeze brushed against her hot cheeks.

Thanks to the breeze, her slightly clouded mind became clearer, and Riett thought of Mishan.

‘I wonder if Mishan is having luck finding Avlam…’

It wouldn’t be easy.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew. Riett instinctively closed her eyes for a moment. The wind quickly subsided.

Could a storm be coming? Riett looked up at the sky.

Although the night sky was undoubtedly dark, the shimmering stars reassured her that it wasn’t a cloudy day.

‘Why such a sudden gust of wind?’

Riett thought the weather was strange and closed the window. As she turned around to look at the door, she heard a sharp, scraping sound.

Creak!

Riett froze at the sight before her. Evan was picking up the fallen dagger from the ground. He had nothing on his upper body, with a towel draped around his neck.

Riett’s gaze met Evan’s.

“…”

“…”

Evan looked at Riett as he stood up with the dagger in his hand.

“Why did you come in all of a sudden?”

“I heard a loud noise from inside.”

Riett awkwardly raised her hand to the doorknob as she replied. Evan loosely gripped the dagger he had picked up.

“Sorry, I saw the dagger I gave you and wanted to touch it, but I dropped it.”

Riett’s gaze shifted towards the dagger. 

It was originally Evan’s dagger, but he had found a similar one after the dance party ended and gave it to her as a gift. 

It had served her well for a long time. It was a well-crafted dagger, not too heavy despite its considerable length.

Evan lightly swung the dagger he held in his hand. His movements were skillful.

“It’s been a while, and it’s nice to see it again. The dagger I had broke.”

Riett’s eyes widened.

“What? How did that happen?”

“I was sparring and couldn’t win, so it broke.”

It was a pity. Evan’s dagger had broken. Despite feeling regret, Riett once again felt how extraordinary Evan’s skill with a dagger was. The dagger broke from a clash of blades.

Riett recalled Evan’s skill with a sword in the snowfield. The beautiful blue aura emitted foreboding energy.

That power was enough to shatter the protective barrier that surrounded the cave in an instant.

As Riett thought about the formidable power, she suddenly became curious.

Would the power of the spirits she possesses be enough to match Evan’s skill with a sword?

Just as Riett’s gaze sharpened, Evan approached and covered her forehead with his large palm.

Her vision was plunged into the darkness beneath his hand.

“I don’t want it today.”

Evan spoke in a much softer voice.

Riett couldn’t understand Evan’s words and wandered into the darkness as she asked, 

“Don’t want what…?”

Soon, a low sigh reached her ears.

“You still see me as a competitor.”

Evan slowly lowered his hand. Along with the view inside the room, she could see his furrowed brow.

“Riett.”

His low voice tickled her ears.

Feeling awkward, she lowered her gaze, but there was a broad chest in front of her that was openly exposed, leaving her with nowhere else to look.

“Am I still just a competitor to you?”

Evan approached closer. His well-toned abs were visible.

Riett knew that Evan trained in swordsmanship regularly, but seeing him up close was a new experience.

She couldn’t help but think that he was indeed a man.

Due to this, her heart’s overload started once again.

“Come on……”

Evan gently grabbed Riett’s chin and met her gaze. His black eyes shimmered with earnestness, and Riett couldn’t avoid answering.

“No… I don’t just see you as a competitor.”

Evan’s expression momentarily turned blank.

“Really…?”

His tone was cautious as he sought confirmation. Riett tightly closed her eyes.

“Yes…! If I only saw you as a competitor, why would my heart race like this, as if I had a heart disease!”

After confessing about the strange emotions she had experienced, Riett felt a sense of relief in her heart. Of course, she also felt embarrassed and ashamed of exposing a deep corner of her heart.

Having finished her answer, Riett waited for Evan’s reaction. However, Evan silently embraced her in an instant.

“You…!”

But the more she struggled, the tighter his arms wrapped around her.

‘Well, I don’t know.’

Riett stopped resisting and quietly nestled in Evan’s embrace. Even though she had given up, it felt quite strange to be held by Evan, who was not wearing a shirt.

Evan’s heartbeat, which seemed to be faster than her own, the heat that emanated from his skin, which felt hotter than her flushed cheeks… Even the faint, raspy sound of his breath brushing against her ear…

By the time she felt a dizzying sensation that seemed like vertigo, Evan let go and moved away.

In that moment of relief, Evan grabbed her wrist and led her toward the bed. The springs bounced softly.

Riett quickly sat up and looked at Evan. There was no leisure in his approaching expression.

“Um, Evan… This is still not…”

Evan smiled softly.

“I’ve been waiting for over 20 years, and it’s still not the time?”

Despite his smiling face, his eyes were filled with intense passion.

“Please don’t tell me to wait any longer.”