Chapter 62
Thud.
“Ah, Miss?”
I returned to the office almost as if I were fleeing. Alejandro let me go willingly.
‘I’m letting you go, Evelina.’
That whispering gaze.
The gaze that was shaken by some desire for me wouldn’t leave my mind.
Thud.
“Miss, if you keep doing that, your head will break. From what I see, the table will break first.”
Rebecca stared at the table with a sympathetic expression.
“What on earth happened…?”
Viviana trailed off as she looked at my face. Just by looking at me, she could tell something was wrong. Even I could see my lips were swollen.
Sniff, Lehan, that little fox…
How could he do this to me…?
“So something did happen.”
Viviana quickly understood and retreated as if to escape.
I ran away from Alejandro without getting any answers, but it felt like I had already heard them. Lehan and Illiana were nothing to each other.
I don’t know why that rumor spread, but they are innocent. Otherwise, why would he look at me like that?
Moreover,
‘Don’t forget, Evelina. I remember the promise we made, that if I do what you want, you’ll do whatever I want.’
Chills ran down my spine. I felt like I could guess what Lehan would demand from me just from his gaze. He didn’t even need to say it out loud.
“If I drink again, I’ll call Rebecca my sister.”
Rebecca said with a strange expression.
“Soon, I’ll have a younger sibling with no relation to me.”
“D-Don’t say it like that…!”
“Don’t shout with those lips, Miss. It might burst.”
I covered my mouth quickly. Rebecca sighed and said,
“While you were having important business with His Highness the Crown Prince…”
“Important business…”
Viviana muttered. You guys are really something!
“Anyway, while that was happening, I caught Emil as if I were catching a rat.”
Sometimes I think Emil is the most pitiful. Caught between Rebecca and Alejandro. Why hasn’t Emil submitted his resignation yet? If he just did, he could easily get away.
It’s always the capable servant in someone else’s house who is the most desirable.
“So?”
“Well. First, don’t worry about the articles. It doesn’t have anything to do with Lady Millane or His Highness Crown Prince Alejandro. They just said it was old folks being foolish… This will be settled soon.”
“I see.”
“More importantly… they say a plague is spreading, Miss.”
“What!”
I unconsciously lowered my hand. Viviana’s eyes widened. An awkward tension filled the office, which had just moments ago been filled with a playful atmosphere.
“A plague? Tell me more.”
“They say it started on the outskirts of the capital not long ago. It comes with fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, lasting about 15 days. Usually, it heals naturally, but there have already been… five casualties.”
“Gasp.”
Plague, plague. Was there a story about that? I was so flustered that I couldn’t even remember the novels.
“They say it’s called the Red Eye Plague. There’s a story about the plague demon running rampant. They say you always see the Red Eye ghost before you get sick.”
I bit my lip hard, startled, and then relaxed. I lightly covered my mouth with my hand.
“…It’s clear they’re targeting Alejandro.”
“Exactly. They say the curse of His Highness the Crown Prince is already spreading.”
Hearing that, a thought suddenly struck me. Something similar had happened to Alejandro in the novel. At that time, Alejandro’s reputation had plummeted.
In the story, Adrian and Elizabeth resolved the issue. However, Alejandro’s honor had already hit rock bottom by then.
“This won’t end here, Rebecca.”
“Pardon?”
“Has Lehan closed the slums?”
“No. They said ghosts can’t be stopped by such measures.”
“Then the enemy will try to close the slums.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened.
“And rumors will start that Lehan is trying to starve the poor to death.”
I wondered who would do such a thing.
As I reflected on the novel, I felt a chill. The Empress started it, and Adrian solved it. Is this really just a coincidence?
I don’t think so.
“The plague, we need to resolve this as quickly as possible. Today, if we can.”
“Yes, Miss!”
“Should we do some undercover work together?”
“Viviana?”
“A ghost? I’m not scared of that at all. What’s truly frightening is humans, not ghosts.”
“…Alright.”
Actually, I’m the only one here who knows the whole story, even if it’s just a rough outline. It wouldn’t be bad for me to solve this myself, especially since I’m the Crown Prince’s fiancée.
“Tell Alejandro. And Rebecca. Tonight, we’ll go undercover ourselves.”
“Me, too?”
“Of course! You wouldn’t try to back out, would you?”
“You’ll have to pay me overtime.”
“Get that from Alejandro.”
We have not just Rebecca.
[Finally, is it my turn to step in!]
There was also one reckless demon. At this rate, I should be able to catch a fake ghost easily. Lehan, I’ll show you what support looks like. Just wait.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Adrian stared at Evelina’s office.
“Are you really okay with this?”
Lady Siena, who accompanied Adrian, asked with concern. Adrian lightly nodded. Coming this far had been an impulse. He didn’t even know what to say to Evelina when he met her.
It was just, suddenly.
He thought of Evelina. For no reason at all.
Of course, Adrian had seen the articles about Illiana and Alejandro. The two seemed quite close, and it appeared that Alejandro was indeed seeing someone new, just as people had said.
Adrian curled his lips in a slight smirk.
No matter how impressive an adult is, cheating is still a bit much.
He had asked the empress, but she said she had nothing to do with the article. If that’s the case, then it’s either true or… Alejandro’s side leaked it.
Whatever it is, it was clear that Evelina must have been quite hurt. Adrian narrowed his eyes.
“There’s really no reason for His Highness to seek out that woman! What if your health deteriorates…!”
“I’m fine, really.”
Adrian brushed aside Siena and entered the building. Everything was an excuse; he was curious about Evelina, whom he could only see once a week. He wanted to know what she was doing and what she was thinking.
So he came.
“Is she there?”
It was lunchtime.
Adrian peeked inside.
“Ah!!”
The first person to notice Adrian wasn’t Evelina. It was Rebecca, who set down the sandwich she had been stuffing into her mouth and jumped to her feet.
“Ah, Miss!”
The high-pitched voice calling out was probably Evelina’s. Adrian stood leisurely. The scent of Evelina filled her office.
The smell of peaches.
It matched her bright and bubbly atmosphere perfectly.
The small office was filled with adorable trinkets and papers scattered everywhere.
Everything looked just like Evelina.
Adrian chuckled softly.
Evelina suddenly appeared.
“Ah, Prince Adrian?”
“You can just call me Adrian. It’s been a while, Evelina. How have you been?”
Adrian casually relaxed his tone of address.
“Uh…”
“They say even a brush of clothing can create a bond. I think ours is deeper than that.”
Adrian’s smile deepened.
“I came to comfort you, Evelina.”
Adrian set the newspaper down on the table. It was the very newspaper featuring a photo of Illiana and Alejandro. Adrian tapped the article with his finger.
“Your fiancée is involved in a scandal, so I thought Evelina might be upset.”
Rebecca, upon seeing the article, had a complex expression. Hadn’t they already gone through enough chaos because of this article?
“I’m fine, Your Highness. I know the article is a misunderstanding.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Still, since I’ve come all this way, we can at least have a meal together, right?”
Adrian looked at the sandwiches scattered across the table with a mix of disdain. He hid a cold smile.
“Something like that wouldn’t fill me up. You wouldn’t leave me standing like this, would you, Evelina?”
Evelina swallowed hard.
“We’ll eat nearby. I’m a bit busy.”
Adrian’s smile deepened.
