Previously
Crown Prince Kayden Eleos makes an unannounced visit to the Basilian estate, specifically requesting to see Evgenia rather than Melissa. Evgenia confronts him in the lounge, feeling a surge of the original body's resentment and hatred toward him.
‘Wait, isn’t this royal brat supposed to be the youngest sword master?’
Then how could he fail to notice a fly buzzing right around him? Was he merely distracted, or… had the imperial family deceived the entire Empire? I eyed the Crown Prince; the suspicion seemed entirely reasonable.
Noticing my gaze, Kayden let out a quiet chuckle.
“…”
Well, Euclid did!
My thoughts flew straight to my favorite, but my instincts warned me that bringing up Euclid right now was a terrible idea.
I had always possessed a knack for sensing things. Even before coming to this world, whenever my gut told me to invest, I did so against everyone's advice. And every time I followed that instinct, I struck gold.
Annoyed as I was, I figured it was best to ignore the Crown Prince’s ramblings and fix my attention on something else entirely.
‘At least it isn't a bee… Probably just a fly?’ Did flies even exist in this world?
I stared in a daze at the insect circling the Crown Prince, but Kayden sneered, evidently mistaking my silence for having nothing left to say.
A lunatic? Really?
That is definitely a fly.
Even such a filthy creature could recognize kindred filth.
‘This won’t do.’ I have to squash that fly.
Insulting my favorite? Unforgivable. I needed something to vent my anger on.
If I swatted the fly out of nowhere, the clueless Crown Prince would surely be startled in the most ridiculous way.
The mere thought of it amused me, so I hardly listened to what he said, focusing intently instead on the fly's movements.
Smack!
A sharp sound cracked through the parlor.
I felt a thrill of triumph at squashing it in a single swing, but the smile froze on my face halfway through.
“…?”
Wait, why was my hand hovering right beside the Crown Prince’s cheek?
I only swung because it finally landed somewhere, but…
His head turned completely to the side, the Crown Prince slowly processed what happened and asked in a chilling voice,
Oh, no. The reality of the situation finally hit me.
As luck would have it, the fly had landed straight on the Crown Prince’s face.
And upon closer inspection, the squashed remains of the dead insect were still stuck to his cheek!
Good heavens. What have I just done?
Kayden found himself utterly at a loss as he looked at Evgenia, who appeared just as stunned as he was after slapping him.
This was the woman who brazenly pulled off the most outrageous stunts, looking straight into someone's eyes without blinking once.
Even when she demanded the place by his side, professing her love.
Even when she threw fits, screamed, and made a scene after enduring his insults and mockery.
Through it all, she had calculated every move, never letting her emotions spill over or stepping out of line.
Yet today, she wore an annoyed, indifferent expression, just as she had when they first met as children.
And startling as that was, to watch her lose her temper and actually strike him?
What was more, she now looked visibly flustered, seeming at a total loss for what to do with herself.
Could Alexis have been right about her acting strange?
His muttered disbelief made Evgenia’s shoulders flinch and tremble.
At this point, he had to admit it: his proposal had truly shaken her.
Every time he returned from the battlefield, he had deliberately ignored her, dancing with other noble ladies or sending gifts to court different partners.
Naturally, those encounters were mere one-time affairs.
He had no intention of pursuing any of them further, and Evgenia understood that well enough to dispose of the matters on her own.
This time, however, he had not merely asked for a dance.
Pressured by the Emperor to finally seal the union with the Ducal House of Basilian, Kayden had resorted to drastic measures.
He proposed to the newly adopted Melissa, knowing full well that Evgenia would never stand for it.
He expected her to protest fiercely, but he had never anticipated such an emotional outburst.
Evgenia’s voice was barely a whisper, her lips pressed together so tightly they nearly bled.
For a second, it almost looked as if she were stifling laughter, but that was impossible.
Seeing her so uncharacteristically subdued stirred mixed feelings within him.
( ‘Yes, if only you had acted like this sooner.’ )
Then he would never have felt the need to publicly humiliate her.
And yet…
‘It doesn't matter.’ It wasn’t too late.
Relief, far greater than his outrage, washed over him, coaxing an unconscious smile to his lips.
Still, he quickly regained his composure.
This was not enough. There was still a long way to go.
What he truly wanted from Evgenia… remained far out of reach.
Hardening his resolve, Kayden stared intently at the hand she had slapped him with.
Seeing her lose her temper was surprising enough, but what intrigued him more was that Evgenia, who despised physical contact, had initiated a touch.
Usually, he was the one grabbing her shoulders or arms, trying to draw out a genuine reaction from her.
Although he felt a twinge of disappointment that she had only done it to slap him, he couldn’t help but find it oddly gratifying.
Outside the room, his adjutant’s anxious voice sounded.
In truth, he had more than a few matters to wrap up before leaving. But having cast the bait, he needed to see whether the fish had properly bitten.
He had carved out a spare moment for a hurried visit to the ducal estate without expecting much. Yet with today’s unexpected harvest, he felt satisfied enough to depart.
“…”
Unlike the indifferent look she used to put on, Evgenia seemed unusually flustered today. Her lips parted as if she had something to say, sparking a fleeting desire in him to linger and enjoy her reaction. But there was no more time to spare.
Even so, he was pleased with the thought that his goal was not far off.
Just as Kayden suppressed his feelings and turned around without hesitation, Evgenia unexpectedly called out to him.
Surprised, he turned back, only to find a handkerchief suddenly thrust in front of him.
he asked in disbelief. Evgenia shyly avoided his gaze, muttering something under her breath, though Kayden was too taken aback to catch it.
Despite his many departures in the past, Evgenia had never once offered him a handkerchief.
Her first handkerchief…
( ‘This is… unexpected.’ )
A soft pink trimmed with delicate lace—it was completely different from anything he might have imagined, yet he liked it.
When Kayden took the handkerchief, almost snatching it up, and tucked it into his coat, Evgenia let out a small gasp of surprise and stared at him.
She seemed to find it strange that he hadn’t mocked her and tossed it aside as usual, but instead accepted it without a fight.
Catching her bewildered look, Kayden gave an inward scoff at himself.
Would she ever realize that her deep, cold purple eyes always reminded him of strong liquor?
Or that the only thing sustaining him through those long campaigns had been that very intoxicating drink?
Yet now…
( ‘It seems I have something else this time.’ )
The sensation of the delicate handkerchief folded away brought Kayden a sudden rush of reassurance. Turning to leave for good this time, he brushed a hand over his cheek, which felt oddly warm despite being unharmed.