Newlywed Life Begins with a Mistake - Chapter 84
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 84
“Where on earth did you go at this ungodly hour of dawn, my lady?”
Casian asked fiercely in a low voice.
It was because Evelyn appeared with a nonchalant expression, making his desperate half-conscious running seem pointless.
“I just went out to get some fresh air.”
“At this hour?”
Unable to shake off his unease, Casian gritted his teeth.
He had thought she was right before his eyes.
The moment he looked away, she had vanished as if bewitched.
Even now, Evelyn had such a precarious aura about her that he wondered if she might be an illusion.
“Yes.”
“…And where did you leave the guards who were supposed to be by your side?”
Casian swallowed his rough breathing and fixed his gaze on Evelyn to hear her answer.
“I didn’t want to worry them over nothing, so I went alone.”
At Casian’s urging, Evelyn gave a plain response.
But Casian couldn’t easily shake off his suspicion.
“Is that so? Where did you go for your walk?”
As his persistent purple eyes continued the interrogation, Evelyn tilted her head and furrowed her brow.
“Well. I couldn’t sleep, so I just walked around aimlessly. Is that such a big problem?”
Evelyn answered as if it were nothing and met Casian’s eyes.
Purple eyes full of suspicion and blue eyes hiding ulterior motives locked in midair.
During their intense stare-down, Casian was the first to speak.
“No. I went to your room and found only an empty bed sitting there, so I thought I’d tease you a bit.”
As Casian raised the corners of his mouth, Evelyn burst into laughter as if responding to him and waved her hand.
“Oh, you. I went for a walk to sort out my thoughts. Your jokes are quite menacing.”
The suffocating atmosphere temporarily reached a lull.
The employees who had been quietly watching the two rushed over in a fluster to check on Evelyn’s condition.
“Thank goodness you’re safe, my lady!”
“Huuung! My lady! We thought you’d gone missing and searched everywhere!”
“Really? I’m so sorry. I must have woken everyone up because of me.”
Evelyn patted the clinging maids and offered apologies to those around her.
“I’m sorry. I caused confusion by going out on my own.”
“It’s fine. That can happen when you can’t sleep. Let’s skip breakfast today and have lunch instead.”
Christina, who had been looking down at the two from the stairs, ended the situation and dismissed the employees.
Unable to continue his interrogation any further, Casian escorted Evelyn to her room.
“Rest well, my lady.”
“Yes. I’m suddenly feeling drowsy, so I should get some sleep.”
Evelyn added a good night and closed the door.
A moment later, with a click, the sound of the door being locked from inside could be heard.
Casian stared intently at the firmly closed door and clenched his fist tightly.
Standing there blankly, Casian quietly suppressed his surging anxiety and turned away.
“I apologize, Your Excellency. We couldn’t find any strange traces.”
The Valhalla Captain who had finished the investigation bowed his head and reported.
At this, Casian fell into deep thought.
‘Does she have an accomplice?’
If so, who could possibly be helping Evelyn?
Even trying to narrow down the candidates, there were too many suspects.
Unfortunately, due to Count Heteus’s banquet, many people were coming and going through the entrance, so everyone had to be suspected.
Unable to shake off his uneasiness, Casian finally gave an order after long deliberation.
“Assign more guards. Increase the dawn security as well.”
* * *
“So it has come to that after all.”
Arhes, who heard the news, let out a long sigh.
He had hoped Evelyn wouldn’t get caught up in the whirlwind, but the thing he had feared finally happened.
“What should we do now, Lady Cecilia?”
At Arhes’s question, Cecilia, who was sitting across from him, took a sip of tea and slowly spoke.
“I think we can only watch.”
“…You can’t intervene directly, can you?”
As Arhes muttered with a bitter expression, Cecilia lowered her head and looked down at her hands.
“Unless God grants me divine power, I suppose not.”
Once these hands had been full of divine power, but not anymore.
Cecilia gazed quietly at her now ordinary hands and muttered to herself.
‘Can’t I directly change the past?’
It was a thought she shouldn’t dare harbor, but Cecilia wanted to prevent the Empire’s destruction.
However, there was someone else meant to stop this.
That’s why Cecilia could only watch.
Hoping that she would unseal her power and find the way.
“I apologize. This old man has made a disgraceful display.”
“Not at all. Rather, I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help.”
Cecilia comforted Arhes who offered his apology, then composed her expression and rose from her seat.
“I’ll be going now. If there’s news from the Hetis Duchy, I’ll have someone else relay it to you.”
“Understood. Please take care.”
Arhes bowed respectfully and saw Cecilia off.
Just as the two were about to turn toward their respective paths.
“Cardinal! His Majesty the Emperor has sent a gift!”
A junior priest came running breathlessly to deliver the news.
At this, both Cecilia and Arhes stiffened simultaneously.
* * *
At the same time Cecilia and Arhes were having their conversation.
“The curtains hanging by the window are too thick. Please replace them with thin, soft-textured fabric, but add lace trim so they won’t look plain.”
Busy movement was detected at the Hetis Duchy.
This was because Evelyn was moving around everywhere, inspecting Palace Hall which would be used as the banquet hall.
Under the pretext of judging whether the food and interior atmosphere matched appropriately, Evelyn moved busily.
“My lady, you could rest more. Didn’t the Grand Duchess allow you to rise late?”
“But the banquet is right around the corner.”
“The chandeliers were inspected last time, so they should be fine.”
When Evelyn looked up at the ceiling, Sophia, who had been silently following behind her, added her comment.
“Good. Then we should change the candles. If we focus attention on the dance hall, I think more people will dance. Have the musicians arrived?”
“Yes. The list is here. And please lower your speech, my lady.”
Sophia showed signs of discomfort, feeling a sense of déjà vu at the unfamiliar way of speaking.
However, Evelyn smiled gently and expressed a polite refusal.
“I’ll maintain this way of speaking during the banquet.”
Having drawn the line, Evelyn moved on again.
While carefully examining each decoration as she looked around the interior, someone called out to her.
“Um, my lady. I’ve written up the list of wines that were delivered – could you please check it?”
It seemed to be a maid from the wine cellar, as her apron was stained with red marks.
Seeing the maid who held out the inventory report, Evelyn readily accepted the document.
But there was a small piece of paper tucked between the documents.
‘A note?’
A subtle crack appeared on Evelyn’s face upon discovering the folded piece of paper.
Though it was very small writing, it contained a code symbolizing the Heteus Barony.
‘Who could have come?’
After finishing her brief contemplation, Evelyn tried to maintain a calm expression.
“My lady, are you alright?”
Seeing Evelyn standing blankly, Sophia called out to her from behind with worry.
“I’m fine. I just felt a bit dizzy for a moment. When do you need an answer?”
Evelyn replied nonchalantly while hiding the note.
“It would be good if you could give it right away, but if not possible, within 3 hours would be appreciated. The merchants who brought the wine are waiting in the cellar. And since I’m just a maid, please speak down to me, my lady.”
“Fine. I’ll come to the cellar later.”
Evelyn curved her lips at the maid’s words, told Sophia to handle the remaining tasks, then left Palace Hall.
Returning to her room while avoiding people’s gazes, she took out the hidden note and quickly unfolded it.
【Main Manor Garden with the small fountain.】
It was familiar handwriting.
After burning the note, Evelyn checked the situation outside the window then went out.
As she moved briskly, Rose, who was carrying laundry, called out to Evelyn.
“Oh! My lady~ Where are you going?”
“I have business to attend to. Where’s Mary?”
Unable to treat Rose coldly as she approached warmly, Evelyn answered vaguely.
“She went to the kitchen because they’re short-handed. Hmm, maybe because there’s so much to prepare, I’m so tired, my lady! Should I just say I need to attend to my lady and get out of work?”
“If you use me as an excuse, they’ll just give you more work, so hurry along.”
“Hmph. You’re so mean, my lady!”
Evelyn pushed Rose toward the laundry room and moved nimbly while avoiding the eyes of servants and knights.
There were moments she almost got caught due to knights being stationed everywhere, but fortunately she managed to arrive safely at the meeting place thanks to suppressing her presence.
“Fortunately, I wasn’t caught.”
With tension released, Evelyn let out a sigh of relief.
As she caught her breath and waited for the other person to arrive.
“Bel!”
Pupu burst out from between the barren trees and frozen fountain, delivering shocking news.
“This is terrible! There’s been a hitch in the plan!”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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