Chapter 87

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 87

Chapter Title: Ludwig's Resentment

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Evangeline shook her head vigorously.

"No, that can't be. If I'm not fated to become the heroine, then why was I even brought into this body?"

She tried her best to calm herself down.

But the man beside her offered no such comfort.

"What the hell happened, Eva? Your reputation's in the gutter now!"

The one spouting these unwelcome words was a man who was practically already ruined.

"You bragged about helping me at the banquet, so I waited in the Empress's palace, but you ditched me first and fled to the Ruth Marquis's estate. Do you have any idea how awkward that left me?"

Naturally, the one standing next to Evangeline right now was Ludwig.

He had arrived at the Ruth Marquis's estate not long ago in a state near collapse, but now he looked somewhat presentable.

It was thanks to Evangeline sweet-talking him with promises that, even if he couldn't reclaim the throne, she would help him regain the Delphin Ducal House.

She had expected him to regain some confidence and energy.

But as soon as his strength returned, his bad habits reared their ugly heads without fail.

'That habit of blaming others and trying to crush them whenever things go south hasn't changed. He was always harsher on the weak, eager to trample them the moment they showed vulnerability.'

She hadn't expected him to turn that attitude on her.

Ludwig had always reserved it for Hilia alone, up until now.

And that meant only one thing.

'He thinks I've fallen that far.'

A searing humiliation chilled the blood in her veins.

While Evangeline grappled with this harsh reality and sank into despair,

Ludwig interpreted her silence differently.

He took it as her shrinking away, having no excuse because it was all true.

Emboldened, Ludwig pressed on even more aggressively.

"You boasted so boldly to me, remember? That Hilia was nothing special. That you could come to me instead, right? So what happened, Eva?"

"……."

"And besides... I saw her too, from afar. Hilia on that day."

Evangeline lifted her eyes to look up at Ludwig.

Ludwig, lost in recollection and gazing toward the imperial palace, failed to sense the murderous intent in her stare.

"She was truly beautiful."

The Dragon's Eclipse had been visible to nearly everyone around the imperial capital.

Ludwig, of course, had rushed out in astonishment and caught sight of Hilia.

For the moment, he forgot his own dire circumstances and the secret purpose that had kept him hidden in the Empress's palace.

He was simply entranced by the overwhelming beauty of Hilia right before his eyes.

The Milky Way stitching the night sky sparkled with her at its center.

Amid Hilia's pink tresses, the tiara of moon and stars gleamed brilliantly.

It wasn't just the tiara's beauty that suited her so perfectly.

Its value and significance matched her flawlessly as well.

'Yes. No woman seemed more fitting for Crown Princess than Hilia.'

Ludwig stared at her in a daze, unconsciously reaching out a hand.

At that moment, he ground his teeth upon seeing Arpad sweep her into his arms.

'Stolen again!'

He had never truly loved her, yet Ludwig found it unbearably regrettable and painful to have lost Hilia.

Especially now that he realized the immense value of a jewel he had once held and let slip away.

Now, he began comparing the two women in reverse.

'Looking back, I can't understand why I was ever blinded by Evangeline. Hilia is even prettier.'

He chalked it up to some spell or bewitchment.

The value of the Ruth Marquis's house couldn't even compare to the Delphin Ducal House.

Evangeline's only edge over Hilia was having the Empress as her backer.

'And that Empress is now stripped of her authority and under house arrest.'

For failing in her attempt to slander Hilia.

Fresh rage surged in Ludwig's chest.

He glared at Evangeline and thought,

'If not for this woman, Hilia would be my wife right now. Then I would be the one with the woman blessed by the dragon, not Arpad.'

The Crown Prince position would naturally have fallen to him as well.

Ludwig fixed Evangeline with a look of contempt and spoke.

This time, he held nothing back.

"You're no longer the flower of high society—you're a laughingstock. Everyone's mocking you. If you hadn't seduced me in the first place...!"

Evangeline shot back without holding back.

"What? You think Hilia would be in your arms right now if that were the case?"

"Of course! She was my fiancée! My woman!"

"Even so, she would've been stolen by the Crown Prince on your wedding day anyway."

"…!"

Ludwig's face twisted.

Evangeline didn't feel any particular satisfaction or joy from landing that blow.

Because her own words had struck her just as hard.

'Right. No matter what Ludwig or I did, we couldn't have stopped Arpad from abducting Hilia in a bride theft.'

No amount of scheming could have prevented those two from ending up together.

Ludwig paused for a moment before bellowing at the top of his lungs.

"It's all that knight's fault!!"

"Knight?"

"Yeah! That arrogant knight from the Delphin house, Bel-something!"

"…Sir Beltein?"

"That's the one!"

Listening to Ludwig, Evangeline recalled the memory.

She could manipulate most of the retainers and servants at the Delphin estate.

But there was one who never bent to her, and Sir Beltein was the prime example.

'Right, I remember now. And come to think of it... that man was guarding Artanus Hall.'

Evangeline asked, puzzled,

"Come to think of it, wasn't that knight inside the palace?"

"Yeah! Hilia came rushing over and dragged him away."

A glint sparked in Evangeline's eyes.

"She came herself to fetch him?"

As she mulled it over, Ludwig's venting showed no signs of stopping.

"That bastard! Even his eyes were rotten! He was always staring at Hilia in that creepy way!"

An idea struck Evangeline like lightning.

'That's it!'

At the banquet in Artanus Hall, Hilia and Arpad had appeared as a loving, affectionate couple.

It had scorched Evangeline's heart pitch black.

'...But the future is something no one can know for sure.'

To her original plan of using only Ludwig, Evangeline added one more tool.

My orders were carried out immediately.

Anticipating resistance from the Empress's palace side, I sent Isepin and Annie along with the other maids, adding one extra command.

"Don't head straight to the Empress's palace. Go to the main palace first and seek help from the chief steward."

If they brought the chief steward himself or another of the Emperor's close aides, the dynamic would shift entirely.

It wouldn't just be a clash between me and the Empress—it would involve the Emperor himself.

The Empress had already been pushed back once by the Emperor.

She couldn't afford to push her luck again.

And my prediction proved spot on.

The maid of honor from the Empress's palace, Countess Epial, was dragged before me.

Of course, she wasn't literally bound and hauled in; she walked in obediently.

But her feelings—and those of the Empress who had handed her over—were probably much the same.

I crossed my legs casually and regarded the stiff-faced Countess Epial with icy demeanor.

The moment the maid of honor entered the drawing room, I was freshly reminded of how much my position had changed.

Without a word from me or the palace staff, she voluntarily showed me respect.

She knelt deeply and bowed her head.

"…!"

This was no ordinary person—it was the Empress's own maid of honor.

Had I not bested the Empress at the banquet, she never would have bowed first.

Hiding a faint flicker of emotion, I opened the conversation calmly.

"Do you know why I summoned you?"

"…I do not."

Her curt tone was predictably rigid, as if declaring she wouldn't yield to me easily.

I smiled softly and asked,

"First of all, I summoned you out of concern for Her Majesty the Empress's well-being."

"…!"

"Since His Majesty the Emperor's orders prevent me from visiting in person."

After the humiliation at the banquet and losing control of the inner palace, the Empress's mood couldn't possibly be good.

In this situation, my inquiring after her well-being could only be interpreted one way.

'Your mistress is in a bad way, isn't she? I know all about it.'