Chapter 26: Nostalgic Room

“Lady, let me show you to your room. How about taking some time to relax before dinner?”

Upon Lily’s suggestion, Eva realized she was still in her riding clothes.

“What about Lord Lucas?”

“I have a matter to discuss with Lord Arthur. Eva, take your time here. You must be tired from the unfamiliar journey.”

After bidding farewell to Lucas and Arthur and leaving the reception room, Eva, guided by Lily, was surprised by the room she was shown.

“Lily, this isn’t my room anymore.”

It was the room Eva had used until her uncle’s family arrived at the mansion.

“I was surprised to hear that the room you previously used, Lady, was a servant’s room. It seems no one has been using this room. Please feel free to use it as your own room. There is still time before dinner, so please relax.”

Eva looked around her room, which she entered for the first time in a long while.

The small items that had adorned the room until she was ten seemed to have all been discarded by her aunt, but the furniture remained the same. As nothing had changed in its arrangement, she felt as if she had returned to the past.

“The bath is ready for you to use.”

“Thank you. But my luggage will arrive later, so I don’t have any clothes to change into, actually.”

Eva’s belongings were loaded on the carriage. She only realized now that she had come here empty-handed.

“It’s alright. Lady Elizabeth’s dresses have also been moved here, and other dresses have been prepared for you.”

“Really? Thank you!”

When Lily opened the closet, there were indeed dresses. She saw her mother’s dresses that she had asked Annie to hide,as well as new dresses that would have been prepared for her.

“Lord Lucas prepared the dresses.”

“Eh? Lord Lucas did?”

“Yes, a messenger came to the Marquisate before the lady returned home. At that time, dresses for Lady Eva’s stay were also prepared. Lord Lucas seems to cherish you, Lady.”

For a moment, Eva’s heart raced at Lily’s words.

Certainly! Here’s an improved version incorporating your suggestion:

However, she couldn’t mistake kindness for something else, as Lucas exuded the regal grace of a prince from a prestigious nation.

This closeness that was allowed now would soon come to an end. She knew that once she went to the neighboring country, he would become someone out of reach.

“Perhaps he just thinks of me as a troublesome little sister.”

(He even invited me to accompany him to the Dacian Empire as a gardener, right?)

Lily seemed to want to say something, but Eva pretended not to notice her suggestive gaze.

“I’ll take your offer and get rid of the dust from the journey. Afterwards, may I go to the rose garden?”

“Yes, both Roger and Nick have been looking forward to your return, Lady.”

“Lily, I’d be happy if you called me Eva.”

“Then I shall call you Lady Eva. Annie has volunteered to be your maid during this stay. If you wish to use the bath, she will assist you.”

“Annie? That’s wonderful. Lily, thank you for everything.”

After a while, Annie came to the room.

“Lady Eva, allow me to assist you.”

“Annie, thank you.”

“The attire Lady Eva is wearing is quite unusual. Is it riding clothes?”

“Yes, I borrowed them from a female knight from the Dacian Empire.”

“They suit you very well.”

“I wore these and rode a horse all the way here. They’re comfortable and easy to move in.”

“My, you’ve been riding all the way from the capital? You must be exhausted. The bath is ready with warm water. Shall I assist you with bathing?”

“Thank you. But I’ll manage on my own.”

In the bathroom, there was plenty of hot water filled with rose petals. The scent of roses, perhaps from essential oils, filled the air, soothing Eva’s tired body.

She was grateful for Lily, Annie, and the servants’ thoughtfulness.

After washing away the dirt from the journey and feeling refreshed, Eva, while sipping the fruit water provided, briefly explained the situation to Annie.

Annie listened solemnly, but when she finished, she looked straight into Eva’s eyes.

“Milady, you don’t need to feel any guilt. Neither about the matter with the master nor with Klaus and the others.”

Unable to articulate it well… Eva watched Annie, who smiled through tears as she blushed, and memories flooded her mind. They held hands and cried together for a while.

While Annie helped soothe Eva’s swollen eyes, they decided which dress to wear.

“Lady Eva, how about this dress?”

“Well…”

As Annie rummaged through the closet, Eva, who didn’t have many dresses to choose from, still wasn’t accustomed to choosing dresses.

“Hey, Lady Eva, isn’t this yellow dress lovely? It looks like Lord Lucas’s shining hair color.”

The dress Annie held out was a softly bright yellow.

─Lord Lucas’s color?

Wearing Lucas’s color… The thought embarrassed Eva to her core, and she blushed crimson up to her ears as Annie grinned at her.

“Come on, Lady Eva. Let’s choose this one!”

“But… it’s embarrassing to wear something associated with Lord Lucas.”

“What are you saying? Lord Lucas prepared this dress for you because he wants you to wear it. It’s obvious. Come on, hurry!”

Watching Eva, who was hurriedly changing, Annie was overjoyed, almost jumping up and down.

“Lady Eva, it suits you perfectly after all. Your skin and hair look incredibly beautiful, shining brightly.”

“The lady who accompanied me took care of me.”

“You’re being cherished. That’s wonderful.”

“…Yes, I’m being treated very kindly.”

“You’re loved, aren’t you? Lady Eva, you love Lord Lucas too, don’t you?”

Innocently, Annie’s words caught Eva off guard.

“…I’m not loved.”

Eva weakly smiled at the frozen smile on Annie’s face.

“I think he just sees me as a troublesome little sister. And besides, he invited me to the Dacian Empire as a gardener, right? It’s not like… romantic feelings between a man and a woman, like you imagine, Annie.”

As she conveyed this to Annie, it seemed like she was trying to convince herself as well.

“Lord Lucas is the second prince of a great nation. There must be candidates for his engagement from various places. He’s someone you shouldn’t misunderstand just because he’s kind.”

With a teasing smile, Eva asked Annie, who seemed to want to say something.

“What about your love life, Annie? What happened after that?”

Annie’s face quickly turned red.

Eva bombarded Annie with questions, as if to turn the tables.

“Who’s the lucky person? I’d like to know before I go to the Dacian Empire.”

She laughed softly, trying to mask the tightening sensation in her chest as she thought about her own feelings for Lucas.

—

“Your Highness Lucas, what’s the matter?”

After seeing Lily and Eva leave the reception room, Arthur turned to face Lucas.

Leaning back casually on the sofa, legs crossed, Lucas gazed at Arthur with eyes accustomed to looking down on others.

“I want to talk as the second prince of the Dacian Empire.”

“Understood.”

Arthur replied with a tense expression.

Taking a sip of tea, Lucas continued speaking.

“In the palace, Eva was attacked by an assassin from the nomadic tribes of the Elimos Federation.”

Arthur’s instinct to stand up was halted by a glance from Lucas.

“I apologize. Please continue.”

“He instigated the former Marchioness and released her from prison to attack Eva. Even that woman couldn’t describe the culprit’s appearance or age. It seems they only communicated through voice. She said even the age was indiscernible from the voice.”

“Are you certain Eva is being targeted?”

“Yes, when Eva was attacked, the assassin’s intent was directed straight at her.”

“I see. Do you know the reason for targeting Eva?”

“That’s unclear. There are several possibilities based on the timing of the attack. It could be to prevent her from becoming the Crown Princess of the Tiflis Kingdom, related to the Marchioness, or related to the Dacian Empire.”

“When considering the Marchioness’s relations… is it related to her title?”

“That’s still unclear. It might be that they’re targeting only Eva. I want you to continue to be vigilant here. If anything happens around Lord Arthur, please let me know.”

“Understood. But how did you know it was an assassin from the nomadic tribes?”

“The handle of the knife thrown at Eva was of nomadic origin. You’re familiar with the infamous assassin, right?”

“The name… I believe it’s Arter, isn’t it?”

Named for the word “black” in the nomadic language, Arter’s age, gender, and appearance are all unknown.

“Yes, it’s said he always succeeds once he takes a job. There are unsolved assassination cases rumored to be his work in various countries.”

“Are you certain it was Arter?”

“No, we lost him without catching him. We managed to injure him with a blade he threw, but the extent of his injuries is unknown. It’s our negligence, but to escape despite being injured in that situation suggests he’s quite formidable.”

“Understood. We’ll also instruct to remain vigilant for any intruders on our territory.”

“Yes, I’m counting on you.”

Once the conversation had settled, Arthur turned to Lucas.

“By the way, Your Highness Lucas, Lady Eva will be heading to the Dacian Empire soon.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Which means…”

After hesitating with his words, Arthur bowed his head to Lucas.

“Please take care of Lady Eva. We’ll ensure she can always return here whenever she wishes.”

Yet he didn’t forget to add a few words.

Seemingly understanding, Lucas showed a confident smile.