Previously
Alexis confronts Evgenia for breaking her confinement, leading to a tense argument where Evgenia criticizes his lack of brotherly concern. Her attempt to maintain a cold, villainous dignity is ruined when she suffers an embarrassing sneezing fit and flees back to the main building.
I gave my nose a thorough blow, hoping my soul wouldn’t slip right out of my body with it, and collapsed onto the bed.
‘Could it be… the thought of facing Duke Basilian that’s making me nervous?’
Yesterday, I’d been ready to confront him then and there, but now that the encounter was actually looming, I couldn’t help but tense up.
( ‘Either way, I have to see him. There are things I want to say…’ )
And things I need to confirm.
Just as I clapped both hands to my cheeks to slap myself awake, a voice cried out nearby.
Startled, I turned to see Anne rushing over to grab my hands.
Punishing myself? Bewildered, I blinked through teary eyes as Anne realized she had overreacted and drew back with a gasp. She looked as though she were bracing for a scolding.
Seeing how deeply she cared for me, despite her obvious fear, made it impossible to reprimand her.
I steered the subject naturally.
Of course, I hadn’t expected him to send for me right away, given that he had just returned and likely had mountains of work piled up…
Surprised she wasn’t being scolded, Anne’s eyes widened, and her expression brightened.
…What?
No matter how awful I felt, I couldn’t go see the Duke dressed in bedclothes.
Once I had changed into a fresh dress, Anne carefully draped a shawl over my shoulders and spoke.
According to Anne, the Duke had recognized her the moment he entered the main residence and immediately inquired after my health. That had allowed her to pass along my request to see him.
There was a subtle undertone to Anne’s words, as if she were speaking up on the Duke’s behalf.
Last time, I’d made an offhand comment placing the blame on him just to cover up a slip of the tongue, and it seemed she had taken it to heart.
For some reason, her tone rubbed me the wrong way, so I replied,
Seeing her wide-eyed stare, I tried to retract my words, but my loyal maid had already caught every single one.
Anne, who looked as though she wanted to defend the Duke further, stopped herself, sensing I didn’t care to discuss it.
After a pause, she looked at me worriedly and ventured cautiously,
In truth, I wasn’t fine at all.
Perhaps because of the cold medicine I had taken earlier, my head felt rather dazed and hazy.
I nodded, briefly squeezing my eyes shut.
Though it was unexpected that the Duke had called for me so soon, it was better to get it over with while I was still looking somewhat worn out. A sickly, pale complexion might even work in my favor.
When I opened the door, the knight who had become my reluctant accomplice flinched, looking at me with nervous apprehension.
Already uneasy around Evgenia, he now looked as if he might faint on the spot just from seeing me.
‘He probably won’t betray me… but it’s best to make sure.’
Clearly caught off guard by being addressed at all, the knight asked in bewilderment.
Feeling a little sorry for how frightened he was, I tilted my head slightly and asked in a mild voice,
Perhaps that only frightened him more.
Why did he look as if the world had just ended, simply from stating his own name?
I gave him a puzzled look, tilting my head again.
‘Grisel Fion?’ That name sounded… somewhat familiar.
The memory remained tantalizingly out of reach.
With my feverish mind barely functioning, I let it go for now.
Naturally, that would never happen.
Duke Basilian wouldn’t care about such trivial matters, nor would Evgenia ever go out of her way to praise a knight standing guard outside her door.
My words were merely meant to reaffirm our mutual understanding and cement our working relationship.
The knight, wearing a somber expression, nodded, seeming to grasp my point.
I walked past him, raising my chin high as I started down the stairs.
It was then that Anne, following behind me, asked in a hushed, tentative voice,
What? Before I could even turn around in utter bafflement at such a ridiculous question, Anne hurried on:
…Huh? Handle what, exactly?
Watching Anne whisper to herself, I blinked in total confusion.
( ‘She must have discussed this with Evgenia beforehand.’ )
Even though she knew about my memory loss, I thought it best not to keep advertising just how much I couldn’t recall.
Feigning nonchalance, I gave a vague nod for her to do as she pleased.
Meanwhile, we reached the second floor.
As expected of the wealthy Basilian family, the wide, sprawling corridor was lined with numerous rooms, but I recognized the location of the Duke’s office at once.
At the end of the hallway, standing before an exceptionally grand, ornate door, was Alexis, wearing a sullen scowl.
At the sound of Evgenia’s voice, Alexis’s already taut shoulders stiffened further.
After tossing and turning all night, he had barely managed to convince himself that yesterday’s encounter with Evgenia had been nothing more than a bad dream.
Evgenia narrowed her eyes curiously and asked,
( ‘…Something is definitely different.’ )
To others, her expression might seem as cold as ever, but Alexis caught the subtle shift.
With the sharp, piercing gaze characteristic of the direct Basilian bloodline, Evgenia looked austere rather than merely angry.
He knew that look well enough, having often been misunderstood himself due to his own fierce countenance.
And Evgenia, whose glare was even more intimidating than the rest of the family’s, always looked down on others with sheer disdain.
( ‘Even though she truly loathes our family.’ )
Yes, Evgenia despised her own kin.
So why did she seem so much less venomous yesterday and today?
It struck Alexis as so utterly bizarre that he risked scrutinizing her features directly.
( ‘Did she not sleep? Why is she so pale? And her eyes… are they bloodshot? Has she been crying all night?’ )
Only then did it fully sink in that yesterday had been neither a dream nor a delusion, and his gaze filled with confusion.
Though her words sounded curt as usual, her voice lacked its customary bite.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Alexis retorted reflexively,
Alexis sounded furious, as if he were on the verge of exploding.
To his surprise, Evgenia looked momentarily taken aback.
A week ago… That was before I took over this body.
And the real Evgenia wouldn’t have cared in the slightest whether Alexis went off to train or took time off.
Knowing that, Alexis would undoubtedly bring up what I’d said yesterday, and the mere thought of dealing with his barbed remarks already made me feel exhausted.
“…I mean, I only found out last night. About… you collapsing.”