Ch.113Smoothly (3)

“How long are you planning to stay like this?”

Irene, who was examining documents at her desk, moved her lips.

Despite flinching at the breath on her nape, her reddened cheeks suggested she didn’t entirely dislike this behavior.

Wondering what would happen if others saw them like this, Irene, sitting on Evan’s lap, stomped her feet. Evan chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Please continue what you were doing. Don’t mind me.”

“…How could I not mind? Really, you’re not a child anymore.”

Irene sighed deeply at Evan’s playful behavior, so different from before.

She had been concerned that her stomach felt a bit heavier lately, wondering if she’d gained weight.

Worried about Evan noticing, she removed his hands from her waist, but shuddered at the hot breath on her neck.

As she covered her mouth to prevent a moan from escaping, Evan chuckled behind her.

“Evan, I’ll get angry if you keep doing that.”

“Alright. Should I get off?”

“…No. Stay like this. Who knows what you’ll do if you leave.”

Despite officially dating, she couldn’t completely relax after witnessing how some maids behaved.

Even Lize, whom she had trusted, eventually developed feelings for Evan.

Although Lize had recently quit and left, Irene couldn’t help but view the maids with some anxiety.

The only one she fully trusted was Rofena. The others she could trust professionally, but not regarding their feelings toward Evan.

Now that even Rofena was on vacation with Chris enjoying the seasonal festival, Irene wanted to keep Evan close.

Thinking of Chris, Irene glanced at the documents on her desk before turning to Evan.

“It’s already been a week since Lord Chris retired. I thought he’d stay longer… Don’t you feel sad?”

At the mention of a week, Evan briefly gazed out the window before slowly shaking his head. Had it really been a week already?

Though initially surprised by the retirement announcement, now he simply wished for Lord Chris’s happiness.

Besides, despite “retiring,” Chris still visited daily. Rumor had it the Duke might give Chris an honorary position, so perhaps they’d continue seeing him regularly.

“I said everything I wanted to when he announced his retirement. Now Lord Chris can live doing what he wants.”

“He’s always cared for Rofena. Anyone would mistake her for his hidden granddaughter. He visits her every day… I wonder how he managed to hide such affection before.”

Evan quietly agreed. Perhaps they had married and had a granddaughter without anyone knowing.

Though he’d known Chris for quite some time, his attachment to Rofena was difficult to understand.

If he showed such affection to all children, one might think he simply liked children. But he was uniquely kind to Rofena.

While he did feel somewhat disappointed, he was willing to overlook it since it was Lord Chris.

Besides, that wasn’t the most important matter now.

Evan narrowed his eyes, recalling the letter he’d received from the Crown Prince days ago.

[He doesn’t know the dragon language at all. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding. To interpret the dragon language, wouldn’t one need dragon blood? I’ve never heard of anyone besides Fried having dragon blood, so that thought might just be unfounded.]

The letter stating Scarlet didn’t know the dragon language—sent by the Crown Prince who had grown close to Scarlet at the request of Evan and the Emperor—left Evan’s mind in confusion.

Why couldn’t Scarlet use the dragon language when she had used it perfectly in the original story?

With barely a three-month difference from the original timeline, Scarlet’s drastically different behavior felt awkward in many ways.

‘I need to figure out what the red moon means…’

How could anyone who wasn’t an Extinction know its meaning?

Even Biltain never fully explained what the red moon was.

All he could guess was that the ancient dragon Mavet would resurrect at that time.

Evan decided it might be better to completely discard the original story’s content, which had been his reference point until now.

Too many things had changed. This wasn’t even the same timeline as the original story.

For whatever reason, the present and the original story could be considered entirely different worlds.

The Crown Prince meeting Scarlet without developing any feelings—that alone indicated things had gone awry.

Tap. As Evan’s hand, lost in thought, fell on the table, Irene gently stroked it while looking at him.

With his other hand supporting his chin, staring into space, deep in thought.

Any woman would find such a man attractive, and he was her lover.

The scene felt somewhat surreal. As Irene savored the moment, her hand traced Evan’s neckline.

Swish—Evan, startled from his thoughts, turned his head at her touch.

Irene chuckled and rested her head against Evan’s chest, closing her eyes.

With less than three months until the lunar eclipse, how much longer could they enjoy such moments?

Yet even while enjoying this respite, both Evan and she had much to do,

so these brief moments of rest were all they could afford.

Her fingers spread wide, the ring on her fourth finger sparkled in the sunlight.

If everything related to the Extinction ended safely… what would happen next?

Having rarely thought about the future before, Irene found it strange to be contemplating it now.

Living day by day, finding each day boring, desperately waiting for death—it seemed like just yesterday.

Now she was finding some enjoyment in this life.

As her outstretched hand overlapped with Evan’s, their rings clinked together, creating a clear sound.

She had worn this ring for months now, to the point where it was difficult to remove.

While she didn’t wish for the day to come when she would remove this ring,

perhaps someday the ring’s shape would change.

Lately, she’d been thinking about marriage, and wondered if Evan thought the same.

She couldn’t imagine Evan not by her side,

and couldn’t bear the thought of it, which perhaps explained her impatience.

Maybe she wanted to properly conclude things after resolving the major events ahead.

Like the ending of a fairy tale—Irene quietly smiled, recalling the conclusion of a story she hadn’t read much of.

How amusing it had been when she heard that a fairy tale about her and Evan might be published.

Though somewhat embarrassing and awkward, a part of her wished for an ending like that fairy tale.

“And they lived… happily ever after.”

Startled by her own words, Irene looked up.

Worried Evan might have heard and questioned her,

she found him breathing softly, asleep. She smiled and stroked his hair.

She wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep, but to do so while keeping her seated on his lap was a bit vexing.

Nevertheless, Irene forgave him and quietly rested her head again.

More fallen leaves than days before covered the ground.

The tree branches, having shed their colorful attire, swayed in the wind,

while above this desolate scene stretched a contrasting bright blue sky.

Whoosh—

The cold breeze tickled her cheeks. Irene rubbed her slightly reddened face and closed her eyes.

To enjoy this moment of leisure, and to savor this time with Evan a little longer.

As the sound of steady breathing filled the room, the window, rattling in the wind, closed with a thud.

The partially drawn curtains coincidentally blocked the sunlight streaming over their eyes,

leaving only the perfectly synchronized sound of shallow breathing in the darkened room.

#

Hatan. And Terazein and Fried.

These three families were the only ones clearly suspected of being related to the Extinction.

The rest had either been completely eliminated or their intentions remained unclear,

so the Emperor specified Hatan as the first family to target during his private meeting with Evan.

Hatan, commonly known as the Empire’s shadow, was generally thought to excel at information gathering.

But Evan knew well that they were more than just skilled at collecting information.

‘One of the men involved with the female protagonist was the heir of Hatan.’

However, the suppression of Hatan wouldn’t happen immediately. The most urgent matters were reorganizing the Imperial Knights

and stabilizing public sentiment in the imperial capital Evangelium, so October, heralding early winter, would likely pass without major incidents.

The Extinction also showed no signs of movement.

In the current situation, all they could do was observe and prepare.

Irene, examining the imperial decree from the Emperor, frowned while sipping her Darjeeling tea.

October was leisurely. But Evan’s birthday was in early November…

If she wanted to give him a gift, she should do so before then, but what gift should she choose?

Rofena, watching Irene intently, chewed on a chocolate.

By now, she could tell what Irene was worrying about just from her expression.

Despite her serious look, Rofena quickly realized Irene was thinking about Evan.

Well… she was obviously worrying about a birthday gift.

Rofena herself had been pondering the same thing,

so it was only natural for the knight’s lover to have such concerns.

“Are you worried about a gift?”

After swallowing her chocolate, Rofena asked, and Irene naturally nodded.

Then, startled, she narrowed her eyes and looked at Rofena.

Her wavering eyes clearly asked “how did you know,”

to which Rofena simply shrugged, popping another chocolate into her mouth.

“Is it that obvious…”

“Probably only I would notice. I can tell because it’s me, but others wouldn’t notice.”

“That’s a relief.”

As Irene’s gaze turned to Rofena, she finished her chocolate and spoke.

“I haven’t decided what gift to give him either. And I’ve only ever given him food anyway.”

“…It’s a dilemma. What to give. I’ve given gifts as his master before, but this is the first time as his lover.”

“How about flowers?”

Flowers. Irene nodded, thinking that wouldn’t be bad.

For example, black roses symbolize “you are mine forever,”

which would make a rather nice gift for Evan in many ways.

But giving flowers in person might seem undignified.

As the head of the Yuris family, giving merely a flower to her lover might invite ridicule.

Yet expensive accessories wouldn’t interest Evan,

and she had already gifted him swords and protective gear before, so nothing suitable came to mind.

Irene pressed her throbbing temples and sighed, collapsing onto the table.

Rofena, looking at her pitifully, spoke up.

“The knight would be fine even if you didn’t give him any gift. Don’t worry too much.”

“But if Evan is secretly disappointed, I…”

Rofena frowned at Irene’s behavior.

Even as lovers, showing such weakness toward the knight seemed inappropriate.

Didn’t she once say she wanted to take control and sway him?

Seeing her mistress unchanged even after dating, Rofena firmly crossed her arms.

“My lady, there’s still plenty of time. It wouldn’t hurt to think about it more slowly. And what did the knight give you for your birthday? You should match his gift. No matter how much he’s a knight—”

At the mention of a birthday gift, Irene carefully pulled out a necklace,

and Rofena, realizing its value, pressed her lips together.

A high-priced necklace that even most nobles couldn’t easily afford.

Moreover, it was a one-of-a-kind necklace made by Irene’s favorite designer,

something only Evan could have procured.

“Umm… oh.”

With such a gift, it wasn’t strange for her mistress to worry.

Unable to find a suitable response, Rofena shook her head vigorously, trying to change the subject.

Saying that gift considerations could wait,

and that Evan wouldn’t want her to feel burdened, Irene nodded slightly.

Rofena sighed in relief and slumped onto the sofa.

Looking at Irene’s now more relaxed expression, she quietly spoke as something occurred to her.

“Ah, my lady. Have you been feeling unwell lately?”

“Of course not. If I were sick, Evan would have noticed first.”

“Hmm. Strange. The maid in charge of laundry asked me to inquire about your health. That, um…”

After pondering for a moment, Rofena approached Irene and whispered in her ear.

“She said it seems you haven’t had your period.”

“…Ah.”

At Rofena’s words, Irene nodded slightly.

Indeed, her monthly cycle had been irregular recently.

But didn’t they say menstrual cycles could change occasionally?

Dismissing it as mere coincidence, Irene spoke.

“It’s only been a week, surely nothing’s wrong. Don’t worry too much.”

“Hmm, right?”

A strange word briefly crossed her mind,

but trusting her mistress and the knight, Rofena nodded, deliberately erasing that thought.

Surely not… they hadn’t been dating that long. They were knowledgeable people who wouldn’t overlook such things.

As silence briefly enveloped the atmosphere, Irene carefully reached for her teacup.

Having recently switched from lemon tea back to Darjeeling,

she tilted her head at the still somewhat unpleasant aroma. Could one’s taste change so suddenly?

The moment she brought the Darjeeling to her lips,

Irene involuntarily threw her head back at the sensation rising from her throat.

“Ugh-.”

Roughly dropping the teacup, she retched at something rising from within.

Her stomach was empty, but her throat, which the Darjeeling had passed through, still felt stuffy.

After taking deep breaths to calm her stomach, Irene picked up the dropped teacup and looked at Rofena.

“…Eh.”

With trembling hands, Rofena dropped the chocolate she was holding and stared blankly at Irene.

Her recent preference for sour foods like lemon tea,

her changing taste, and even the absence of her period.

The word she had deliberately erased from her mind crept back, ringing an alarm bell in Rofena’s head.

Morning sickness.

It didn’t take long to realize what this meant,

and Rofena, briefly chewing her lips, avoided Irene’s gaze and squeezed her eyes shut.