***
The Crown Princess, Astrilla, hurried over and grabbed Devan’s shoulders with both hands.
She had such a good appearance that she could not lose even to her brother.
Devan sighed lowly and covered his face with one hand. For the first time, he looked troubled. Of course, I was troubled, too.
I found myself in the same position I had come down from the carriage, mouth agape and stiff, and quickly bowed my head when I realized how rude I had been.
“Your….Highness, the Crown Princess.”
I couldn’t help it as my voice trembled.
“hahaha!”
Astrilla laughed happily, and patted me on the shoulder.
The force was strong enough that my body wobbled.
Devan clicked his tongue and held out his hand to me. He grabbed my trembling hand and finally I managed to get off the carriage.
“Why is Your Highness here?”
Devan put his hand to his forehead and asked.
“I came because I heard that you were coming! We can talk comfortably, can’t we?”
Then there were so many eyes looking at us.
I couldn’t see them when I was in the carriage, but there were dozens of knights standing behind the Princess.
“Now, so what is your name?”
Her gaze turned to me.
I shuddered at the sight of her sparkling golden eyes.
Because someone else came to my mind.
Speaking of which, could it be?
“I’m Evelyn.”
I answered shortly and looked around.
Killian was Astrilla’s immediate captain of the Kingsguard.
It wasn’t strange if he was among these knights.
Of course, a captain of the Kingsguard would have taken the lead, and he would have stood out pretty well just by his appearance and demeanor.
“Evelyn, what?”
“What?”
Astrilla grabbed my chin and looked at me.
“Evelyn, what?”
I purposely avoided her. She tilted her head.
“Why don’t you answer?”
“I don’t have a last name……”
I wasn’t faking it.
I didn’t even know if my parents were alive or dead, and I never considered Count Diego to be my parent. And now our relationship was cut off…
If I had a last name, the correct one now would be Lantimos……..
Because my marriage to Devan had not been officially declared, I could not carelessly answer in front of the Crown Princess, who was a member of the “real” Lantimos family.
“No, no.”
Astrilla shook her head, her red hair fluttered like a flag.
She laughed, a strange expression on her face.
She looked a little like Devan in that way.
“Diego. Isn’t it Evelyn Diego?”
“Your Highness.”
Devan stood quickly in front of me.
“I had quite a hard journey. Please allow me to rest.”
Astrilla’s gaze scanned my entire body.
It was fortunate that I had at least washed in the cold water at the separate temple.
My clothes were still the peacock-like dress that Devan had bought me, which made no sense. I hid behind him, especially since her gaze seemed to linger on the dress.
“Haha! It looks like I’m trying to eat you. It’s just that I came to meet you after hearing that my family is coming after a long time. To be precise, it’s my family, who will soon become your family.”
She looked at me and laughed.
So she already knew that we had made the marriage vows.
I stared at Devan, wondering if he had told her, but he looked more dumbfounded than I did.
“So, when is the wedding?”
“How did you know that?”
“You don’t know? There’s nothing in this empire that doesn’t go through me.”
Devan shook his head.
“There’s still time before the wedding. We also have to coordinate our time with the Temple.”
“Right.”
She sounded as if she already knew the answer when she asked.
“Why did you come to the capital already when there is still time before the wedding?”
Astrilla narrowed her eyes.
It was then that I realized that she was the Crown Princess.
I wasn’t sure what her personal feelings were, but she would have to be suspicious and wary of Devan. He was the only heir to the throne aside from herself, and up until a year ago, there had been bad rumors throughout the empire that Devan was after the throne.
“I…..”
I opened my mouth abruptly and their gazes focused on me.
My eyes opened wide as I tried to come up with a plausible excuse.
“I told him that I wanted to see the capital. I’ve never been here before.”
Astrilla looked down at me with a strange look in her eyes, then quickly nodded as if convinced.
“Count Diego cared for you so much. That seems to be true, doesn’t it?”
I clenched my fists tightly.
My eyebrows drooped pitifully.
She was one year younger than me, and she was looking at me as if I were a child.
“What a pity. I wish we could have all met together. Your brother is not in the capital right now.”
“…Not in the capital?”
I was certain that Killian had left the Grand Duchy. Naturally, I thought he would come back to the capital, but he did not?
Naturally, I didn’t want to see Killian, it was more like an existence I wanted to avoid.
However, the more he was such a presence, the more comfortable it would have been to know of his progress.
“So where is he then?”
“Well, I don’t have the hobby to check every single place where my second-in-command is taking a vacation, you know.”
He took a leave of absence?
I wrinkled my brow.
“I think he went to buy some nice gifts to celebrate his sister’s wedding.”
I thought long and hard about the attitude Killian had shown me when I and Devan had taken the wedding vows.
Celebrate my wedding? It didn’t make sense.
“It can’t be.”
Astrilla’s eyes widened at the cold tone that had come out of my mouth unknowingly.
She then laughed aloud with a haha.
“You’re so sure. Yeah, he said you two have a good relationship. A little bit…too much.”
She narrowed her eyes, and I gently averted her gaze, again to the point of not being polite, and stood behind Devan.
“Come on, follow me.”
Astrilla clapped her hands hard.
The knights scattered to either side to make way for us.
I grabbed Devan’s arm in a panic.
He stepped forward and said to the Crown Princess, who had already stepped into the Imperial Palace.
“There is no need for you to guide us. Still, it’s my home as well.”
“I had never said I’d guide you.”
She walked into the Imperial Palace without even looking back, leaving only those words behind.
I blinked vaguely when the carriage, the knights, and the two of us were left alone.
“…… what are we going to do?”
“There is no justification or power to refuse, so we have no choice but to follow.”
“I’m sure you said we were going to stay at a remote palace away from the imperial palace.”
“Yes. That hasn’t changed.”
Astrilla seemed to be suspicious of Devan, who came up to the system without a plan. If she wanted to, she could have locked us both up in the Imperial Palace.
She had a justification that we did not have.
People who had more had more to lose, and such people would do anything to protect what was theirs.
It wasn’t that I wanted to completely distance myself from the Imperial Palace, but that didn’t mean I was going to get deeply involved.
I looked down at the ground in frustration as I followed Devan into the Imperial Palace.
***
I looked around constantly, as if I had come to see something.
The Imperial Palace was the Imperial Palace. The glittering walls were all made of pure gold.
With the guide of a servant, we went to the reception room where Astrilla was waiting for us.
I whispered quietly as I snuggled up behind Devan, who was in the lead.
“What is she going to say? Does she want us to stay in the Imperial Palace?”
“I don’t think that’s what she wants to say anyway, so don’t worry about it.”
Is it a family issue?
If so, he would have to prove that his coming to the capital was not for the purpose of fighting for the throne.
“What is your reason for being so vigilant?”
Instead of answering, Devan touched his eyes.
It was because the curse had been lifted.
“I hope the temple doesn’t curse you again.”
“In all of history, no such thing has ever happened.”
As he said this, Devan didn’t look too good.
I whispered in a hushed voice.
“It seems the Crown Princess is greedy for the throne.”
“Greedy….”
Unexpectedly, he smiled softly.
“Or rather, she likes certain things.”
“Really?”
“We’ve arrived.”
The aide bowed his head.
The heavy door, which reached to the ceiling and was many times my height, opened quietly and without a sound.
I gulped down my saliva and straightened up. However, I was still wearing the weird dress.
Devan took the lead, and I followed, keeping my eyes on his back. And when I lifted my head, I could see over his shoulder a spectacular amount of clothing.
“Dresses…………?”
I mumbled, forgetting that it wasn’t polite to do so.
“What the hell is this?” (Devan)
It seemed that Devan was curious as well.
Astrilla was the only one sitting on the couch in the middle of the room, smiling leisurely.
In one hand she held a bottle of wine.
“This is a special present I prepared for you.” (Astrilla)
“A present?” (Devan)
“It’s for the new family’s member.” (Astrilla)
“We haven’t even had a formal ceremony yet.” (Devan)
“Then shall we say that it’s the payment for lifting my brother’s curse? No, I guess you could say it’s a gift for my brother’s woman.” (Astrilla)
Devan walked over with a broad stride, took the wine glass from her and placed it on the table with a loud sound.
Astrilla’s eyebrows twitched.
“What are you doing?” (Astrilla)
“That’s what I want to ask. What are you doing?” (Devan)
“Is it because of your inferiority complex that you can’t accept it as a gift?” (Astrilla)
“…you.” (Devan)
“Hey.” (Astrilla)
Astrilla clapped her hands, and the maids who had been ready on either side of her came out one by one and bowed their heads.
“Let’s get ready.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Their eyes lit up combatively.
Staring at me.
***
Devan Lantimos originally had no ill feelings for his younger sister.
No, to be precise, he may have had some when he was young, but it had been a long time since he had brushed off those feelings.
He assumed she was the same, so her behavior was questionable.
Evelyn was taken somewhere by an army of nearly ten maids.
“Don’t just stand there, sit down for a minute.” (Astrilla)
“What are you trying to do?” (Devan)