Chapter 78

‘Good. I can naturally escape this situation now.’

 

However, seeing his murderous face, I felt the need to urgently make an excuse. Evan strode forward and knocked away Bastien’s hand, which was holding mine. Did I have a sense of déjà vu that this had happened before?

 

I expected him to be angry at me for accepting the Empress’s tea party invitation without a word. I had promised to be truthful and hide nothing, but I was the one who broke his trust.

 

But no. Before I could even make an excuse, Evan swiftly hid me behind him. The person he was furious with was Bastien.

 

“Bastien, what are you doing here?”

 

“Did you come to fetch her?”

 

Evan glared silently at Bastien with blazing eyes. Bastien stood up and didn’t avoid his gaze.

 

“Didn’t I tell you to ensure that Lep doesn’t suffer any harm?”

 

Evan looked as if he was about to grab him by the collar. I hurriedly stepped between them.

 

“W-wait…! E-Evan?”

 

I stepped in front of him, sensing the imminent threat of a fistfight. Evan, whose anger had slightly subsided, spoke as if chewing on every word.

 

“I visited the manor and heard that you, Lep, went to the Imperial Palace. Specifically, that you attended Her Majesty the Empress’s tea party.”

 

“Ahahaha…”

 

I awkwardly scratched my cheek.

 

“So I rushed to the Imperial Palace myself. And I was looking for you after hearing you were with Bastien.”

 

I quickly explained the whole situation to him to try and calm his anger even a little.

 

“Actually, Her Majesty the Empress asked me for a favor, and I ended up going with His Highness. We were just talking about that.”

 

“…Her Majesty the Empress?”

 

“Evan, I apologize about that matter. I didn’t know my mother would invite the young lady. I never thought the young lady would be at a gathering where she was trying to find a Crown Princess…”

 

“Crown Princess…”

 

The atmosphere grew tenser.

 

Hey, Bastien. Why would you say that? Evan’s face didn’t just frown; it contorted.

 

I hastily pushed his back, gave a formal goodbye to Bastien, and quickly left. I steadfastly ignored the gaze I felt from behind.

 

Fortunately, Evan walked forward every time I pushed him. I subtly checked his expression.

 

“Evan… I’m really sorry. I was just going to go as a courtesy…”

 

“Do you still not trust me?”

 

Evan looked at me with a sad expression. I hurriedly shook my head. Seeing his thoroughly deflated face, a fresh wave of apology welled up in me.

 

I should have told him before going. But there’s nothing I can do now that I regret it.

 

“I’m diligently practicing and learning politics from my father. I don’t want Lep to live being swayed by others. You don’t need to apologize. Just as I couldn’t help it, it was a problem Lep couldn’t avoid, either.”

 

“No, it’s not because of you, Evan…”

 

“Yes. It is because of me.”

 

Evan’s firm declaration forced me to keep my mouth shut. He gently took my hand.

 

“The Imperial Family’s vigilance has increased precisely because I am the Duke’s son. I will do my best to ensure Lep is not in great danger, but… if you hide things like this, I worry that you might be somewhere I can’t help you when I don’t know the situation. So, next time, please tell me even the smallest detail.”

 

“I was too focused on myself this time, too…”

 

I scratched my cheek. I tried to handle it within my own capacity, but Evan was looking even further into the future. Even though the Empress changed her stance, the fact that she once sought my life hasn’t changed.

 

“I need to quickly determine the winner of this succession battle so things can become safe soon…”

 

Evan’s expression, as he muttered softly to himself like a promise, looked serious.

 

The one great concern for any noble: who will be the next Emperor?

 

“I need to get rid of the Empress quickly, but she keeps bothering Lep. Right?”

 

I was startled and covered his mouth. Then I looked around. We hadn’t even left the Imperial Palace yet.

 

“Evan…! That’s a serious matter!”

 

Evan continued calmly.

 

“I wish I hadn’t been born the Duke’s son. If we were from an ordinary family, we could have lived peacefully…”

 

‘The Duke and Duchess would be disappointed if they heard that, Evan…’

 

However, there wasn’t a single lie in his words. He truly seemed to think that way.

 

“I like you because you are the Evan you are now.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Of course! Don’t think you’re a burden. I’ve received so much help from you, Evan!”

 

At that, Evan smiled brightly. His smile shone brightly, like the sun illuminating everything. But that was only for a moment. Evan, who had been speaking affectionately, suddenly changed and made me promise him something.

 

“But absolutely never be alone with Bastien again.”

 

Perhaps because I had previously rejected him, Evan was even more reluctant to let me go. His firm fingers dug into the spaces between mine. The tightly clasped hands did not separate.

 

I didn’t mind the feeling of him whining; it felt like it had been a long time since he had done so. I stood on my tiptoes and stroked his head.

 

“Okay, I promise. Next time, really, truly, if anything happens, I will definitely tell you, Evan. And I won’t meet His Highness privately.”

 

To be honest, I feel a little uneasy about it, too.

 

Evan, who had been glaring at me with half-closed eyes, nodded contentedly, seemingly assured that I wasn’t lying. He was like a child proudly sticking out his chin, as if he had won.

 

 

***

 

 

Bastien watched the two people move further away before leaving the spot. He recalled how Lepina had flinched and pulled away, trying to create distance from him.

 

Recalling that image made his chest ache strangely. Seeing Lepina’s retreating figure, holding Evan’s hand, made him feel regretful.

 

“We haven’t even met that often…”

 

Bastien gave a self-deprecating smile. The times he had properly talked to or spent time with Lepina were few and far between. And yet, he felt an attraction? An interest? He was the one who felt the most foreign to his own actions.

 

“Are you heading back?”

 

Bastien raised his head at the familiar voice from behind. Rishana was standing there.

 

“Do not involve her any further.”

 

Rishana laughed pleasantly. Had her son ever expressed such fury before? It was a tea party he had previously refused to attend, claiming no interest, but as soon as Lepina was mentioned, he rushed over in a panic. Because of this, Rishana noticed Bastien’s feelings.

 

‘It’s a good thing I didn’t kill her.’

 

She was displeased that he contradicted her, but ambition was good. It served as the driving force to reach greater heights.

 

“What do you think of Lady Clies?”

 

Bastien’s steps, which had been about to pass Rishana, abruptly halted.

 

“…Why do you ask me that?”

 

“I still believe the Ducal family should cease to exist. They have held too much power for too long. Only one person stands at the top, Bastien.”

 

“Evan and I are…”

 

“Friends? No, he is a target of vigilance.”

 

Bastien’s lost eyes were violently shaking. Rishana placed a hand on Bastien’s shoulder and said: “You are my son, and I know your true nature well. You are greedy. You followed my wishes because you had no intention of giving up the position of Emperor, didn’t you? And now, you have one more thing you want to possess. Be honest with your heart.”

 

Rishana shrugged her shoulders. She, too, was originally someone who could never have dreamed of becoming Empress. She achieved it solely through her own power.

 

“Desire is not a bad thing. And if there is something you want, shouldn’t you obtain it by any means necessary? You simply need to fight fair and square to seize it.”

 

The sweet, melodic voice gnawed at Bastien’s reason.

 

 

***

 

 

“Was I too neglectful all this time?”

 

I thought I was well aware of the things happening around Evan. However, it seems being quick-witted is essential in the world of politics. Politics was something that changed with the shift or statement of just one person.

 

“He didn’t seem to be giving it much thought…”

 

I thought the current Duke seemed to have stepped back from the succession battle, so Evan wouldn’t be too concerned either. But that wasn’t the case. He was contemplating in his own way. Or perhaps it was because the people around him were in danger that he was even more so.

 

He might not have intended to get involved at first. However, the Empress pulled Evan into it.

 

To be precise, she tried to push Evan aside and seat someone else in the Ducal position. That way, Bastien’s position would become more secure than anyone else’s.

 

“If only the Empress hadn’t put forward a successor for the Weiss Dukedom to replace Evan…!”

 

I thought only of what was visible. After Evan suppressed Count Peralt, whom the Empress was promoting, there was a lot of talk that the Empress and the Weiss Dukedom had become enemies and that the Weiss Dukedom had turned back to the Emperor’s faction.

 

‘Though that was probably a rumor spread by the Emperor’s side…’

 

He became a pawn discarded by the Empress, and the Empress said that was absolutely not her intention.

 

“She’s a scary person, anyway. She’s incredibly dependable when she’s on your side, but she’s like a double-edged sword. In the sense that she easily targets one’s life. That’s why she extended an offer to join forces after trying to kill me. Please, let this not be a situation where the shrimp gets crushed in the whale fight…”

 

Rumors about the Delta family were quietly surfacing in the media, followed by news that Bastien would solve the issue and that I would assist him. Those who saw this subtly inserted the notion that the Imperial Family and the Weiss Dukedom had joined hands.

 

But then, one more person inserted himself into the situation: the Emperor.

 

Pretending to be a kind husband, saying that an issue in a family dear to the Empress was practically his own, he inserted Fedeshar, telling the siblings to resolve it well among themselves.

 

He seemed displeased that Bastien and I were acting together. It might be even more so because he sensed that Evan would go with me.

 

A huge wave crashed down, something I couldn’t avoid no matter how much I pondered it. I always say nothing good happens when you get tangled up with those in high places…!