Ch#122
"Confirm? Confirm what? How?"
Ruska couldn't hide his excitement upon realizing Arsel had harbored the same suspicions, raising his voice.
"Shh. Lower your voice."
Arsel glared at the excited Ruska.
"Before that, don't forget—it's far more likely we're wrong. All we have is circumstantial evidence. Nothing proven."
"But Evi has so many similarities to Lilian. Animals following her especially well, never getting lost in the forest. All just like Lilian. The wolves too."
"Wolves?"
"Yeah. She said wolves in the forest didn't eat her..."
Arsel frowned at Ruska's response.
"But Lilian struggled with wolves too. She said to avoid them as much as possible, that even she was in danger as a child."
"True, but... it didn't seem like Evi was lying."
He knew. Evi wasn't the type to boast about such things.
"Anyway, calm down. Remember what Lilian said before? When asked why she navigated forests so well and found things easily, she said there are people like her. Evi could be one's daughter."
"Still... she resembles her."
"I know. But that could be because we're always thinking of Lilian."
Arsel continued with an even more serious face.
"Once you decide something's true, you ignore other evidence. Your thinking gets trapped fitting everything to a preconceived answer."
"...Ah, here come the hard words."
Arsel let out a short sigh at Ruska's honest remark.
"Anyway, it's good our thoughts align."
"Our thoughts?"
"My father suspects too."
"What? If the duke suspects, isn't this basically confirmed?"
If Marquis Ragselb had protected Clois with overwhelming force, Duke Kailun had supported him with his sharp insight.
His achievements included rooting out all past spies and traitors.
"Father hasn't found solid proof yet. He's investigating now. Me too."
"What have you done?"
"Well..."
Arsel ran a hand over his face in annoyance.
"I'll tell you later with permission."
"Hey, between us."
"That's why I'm worried. Ruska."
"Why! Afraid I'll blab to others?"
"Yes."
"...So firm."
"Precisely, I can hide it, but you'll unconsciously spill."
Ruska couldn't retort to Arsel's cold voice. It had happened before.
"And if Evi really is Lilian and His Majesty's daughter... the mark would have appeared."
"Ah, that."
Ruska nodded as if remembering.
Having seen Clois often since childhood, they knew the basics of the Imperial Mark.
Nearly gone in recent imperial bloodlines, it had strongly manifested in Clois.
In fact, it contributed to the succession war.
Had it appeared on the first prince, no matter his inadequacies, the late emperor would have yielded the throne.
Thus, Clois disliked showing the mark that sparked all troubles, always wearing gloves.
"I heard His Majesty's power is very strong. So if a child was born, the mark would surely manifest."
"But Evi doesn't have it."
Ruska's shoulders slumped at Arsel's words.
Silence fell between them briefly.
"Anyway, we must be careful. This could be treason if mishandled, you know?"
Nod. Nod.
Ruska nodded gravely.
Princess Evebien was officially declared dead.
Claiming otherwise and presenting Evi could be seen as fabricating a false imperial.
"And above all, Evi would be in the most danger."
They had issues, but innocent Evi getting entangled.
Whether right or wrong, her life would be upended either way.
"So absolutely no reckless actions until everything's certain."
"Got it."
Realizing Evi would be most endangered, Ruska's face grew more serious than ever.
Then knock knock! A knock sounded.
"Arsel! Ruska! Want to help pick apples in the orchard?"
Arsel answered first.
"Got it! Be right there!"
He unbuttoned his collar and rolled up his sleeves.
"Alright, first things first."
Ruska asked curiously at Arsel's determined look.
"What's that?"
"Play. Ah, you cook. I want fish, so make that."
With that, Arsel opened the door, took Evi's hand waiting outside, and headed out.
Left alone, Ruska stared blankly before chasing them.
"Hey! Arsel, you! Think this is a restaurant!"
Even grumbling, Ruska grabbed a nearby fishing rod and followed.
* * *
True to his word, Arsel played nonstop with Evi since arriving at the marquis territory.
Ruska, initially thinking him mad, got excited too with a same-age peer matching his endless energy.
"Let's see, today's tasks..."
The four, tanned darker over days, checked Vanessa's list at the entrance.
"Need eggs, milk, butter."
"Afternoon, dig summer potatoes. Great harvest this year. Vanessa tried one yesterday—super nutty and delicious."
"Potato dinner then?"
"Ruska! Potato soup!"
Ruska snapped at Irene raising her hand.
"Seriously, you trust me that much?"
Yet everyone knew.
He'd grumble but make what others wanted.
Even boasting, "I'll make you unable to live without me!" while cooking eagerly.
They decided dinner wishes and headed to the ranch first.
"While here, say hi to Elishia. She'll sulk if we leave without."
Ruska eyed Arsel—a signal for their prior plan.
"Hi, Elishia!"
Elishia was strolling her paddock outside.
"Elishia, you're so cool today! Prettiest horse in the world!"
Elishia approached Evi's greeting, nuzzling her hand with a contented whinny.
"Only Evi gets this sans apples."
Irene grumbled watching.
"Elishia, rabbits, chickens—all follow her. Animals know cute, huh?"
"... "
"... "
Arsel and Ruska exchanged glances at Irene's mutter.
Ruska took an apple from a barrel and called Evi.
"Evi, one's sick—want to give it?"
"Yes!"
Evi took it and entered the stables, heading straight to the ill horse as if obvious.
Arsel asked Ruska watching.
"That one?"
"Yes."
Impossible to tell visually.
Nearly recovered, not severely ill.
Yet Evi unerringly found it sans hints.
"Same as before."
"Yeah."
Once Lilian gave her last apple to a duke's horse, saying,
"This one will worsen soon. Needs special care."
Knight denied it—they knew their horses best.
But that night, it fevered miserably.
Asked how she knew, Lilian just said, "Just."
Ruska asked returning Evi.
"Evi, how'd you know it was sick?"
Evi smiled replying,
"Just."
* * *
Evening, all gathered naturally under the forest tent.
Now their dinner spot.
Irene, hugging Evi while watching Ruska prep potatoes amusedly, muttered,
"Last day at marquis territory tomorrow."
"Yeees..."
Perhaps from fun times, Evi's reply brimmed with regret.
Ruska, finishing potatoes, asked,
"Then you head home tomorrow, Irene?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah..."
Irene nodded hastily.
Emperor's letter: pick up Evi last week.
No when/where.
'His Majesty coming at dawn like Arsel/Ruska? No, proxy likely.'
Emperor couldn't move freely.
Palace tense lately, per rumors.
'Might cancel?'
Thus, emperor urged silence till contact.
'So I'm quiet too.'
Speaking first, then no-show, would sadden Evi.
Then.
"Huh?"
Evi, watching Ruska melt butter and fry potatoes, suddenly turned to forest saying,
"Didn't hear something?"
