Chapter 29

“Gasp.”

I woke up with a start, feeling as though I had been falling. My heart pounded, and I instinctively gasped for air.

‘Where am I? What’s going on?’

Familiar voices filled my ears, answering my unspoken question.

“Evelyn, are you awake? Can you hear me, Evelyn?”

“Daughter! Are you alright? Wake up!”

“Evelyn, can you recognize your brother?”

“Evelyn!”

I was home.

The moment I realized that, my racing heart calmed almost immediately. The tension left my eyes as I gazed around the bed at the worried faces surrounding me. With a faint voice, I muttered to myself.

“Why am I here…?”

“Why do you think? You fell from the terrace!”

“What?”

My eyes flew open wide in shock as everything from the party came flooding back.

Asil, tears welling in his eyes, anxiously bombarded me with questions.

“Do you know how worried I was!? Who pushed you? Was it Young Lady Hebe? Or that damn Crown Prince?”

Technically, no one pushed me. It was more like I drunkenly shoved Ulysses away when he tried to help me, and I ended up falling off the terrace by myself.

Before I could clear up the misunderstanding, a sharp pain shot through my head.

“Ow, ow, my head.”

I groaned, clutching my head in my hands. I fell from the second floor—of course my head wouldn’t be in great shape. But when I touched it, there was no sign of any injury.

“…I’m already healed?”

“Of course! Did you think your father would leave even a scratch on you?”

True, Dad wouldn’t let that happen. But why did my head still hurt so much?

Naturally, they would have called in the best healers, and they’re skilled magic practitioners. So why was I still feeling this splitting headache?

‘Wait, this familiar pain…’

“It’s a hangover. Healing magic doesn’t work on that.”

Right, it was a hangover.

Tara answered my unspoken question, and beside her, Douglas couldn’t help but throw in his unsolicited lecture.

“You’re barely twenty years old, and you’re already drinking like you know what good liquor is…”

“Douglas, be quiet.”

Strange. I hadn’t even drunk that much.

But the symptoms were unmistakable. As Douglas got scolded by Henry, Tara leaned in with a more pressing question.

“So, Evelyn, who pushed you?”

…I hadn’t planned on lying, but if I said Dahlia or Ulysses pushed me, Tara looked ready to start a rebellion. I mumbled awkwardly.

“No one pushed me… I just got drunk and fell on my own.”

“Tsk.”

That disapproving sound came from none other than Douglas, of course. Henry kicked him in the shin for his lack of tact, then smiled with relief.

“It’s a good thing, really. Better to trip and fall on your own than to be hurt by someone else.”

“Still, you should be careful with the drinking. It’s not good for your health.”

“We may need to reevaluate your tolerance, Evelyn.”

I spent about an hour listening to my family’s concerned nagging before the Praviche family doctor, who had been lurking in the corner, finally spoke up.

“You should let milady rest now.”

“I still have plenty to say…”

“It won’t do much good. She seems to be suffering from a severe hangover.”

Bless you, doctor. I’ll make sure to give you a bonus later.

Thanks to the doctor, I was finally freed from the endless scolding. As my family and the doctor left, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, my ears were about to fall off.”

Sure, it was my fault for drinking and getting hurt, but an hour of nagging was too much. No sooner had I collapsed into bed when I heard a soft meow from under it. Without even looking, I knew who it was—Geumhee, my cat.

The moment my family left, Geumhee darted out from under the bed and jumped onto it.

I greeted my fluffy black ball of fur with open arms.

“Aww, Geumhee, you’re here.”

Meooow. Geumhee made that strange sound again as she snuggled into me.

“Aww, were you worried about your big sister? Poor thing, come here.”

Meow.

Ah, nothing could compare to this. My heart, my peace, my light and salt in life—Geumhee.

“Sniff, ahhh. There’s nothing like the smell of cat paws. I missed this soft bundle of fur so much.”

Burying my face in Geumhee’s fluffy fur, I finally started to feel at ease. But it seemed my affectionate outburst had reached its limit—Geumhee gently pushed my face away with her paw.

Meow.

With a cat’s fluidity, she twisted and slipped out of my embrace. The theory that cats are liquid was clearly true.

Before I could grab her again, the door swung open, and Sophie entered.

“I’m glad to see you looking well, milady.”

“Sophie.”

“I’ve brought your meal.”

Despite her lady being injured, Sophie’s expression and tone remained as rigid as always. But I knew she was concerned—her choice of food said it all.

“Tomato soup.”

“Yes. It should help with your hangover.”

Ah, so my diagnosis was indeed a hangover.

‘But that’s odd… I really didn’t drink that much.’

Still, if the doctor said it was a hangover, there wasn’t much I could do. I pushed aside my craving for something spicy and sipped the tomato soup Sophie had brought me.

“By the way, Sophie, what day is it today?”

“It’s been four days since the party.”

Sophie’s hands worked diligently as she answered. Without me asking, she began updating me on the events that had transpired while I was unconscious.

“The Marquis came to visit as well. He had urgent matters to attend to, so he didn’t stay long.”

“Huh, that’s unusual. He didn’t have to come at all. Anything else?”

I asked between spoonfuls of soup, but then—

“The Emperor has requested an audience with you once you’ve recovered.”

“Pfft!”

I spat out my food in shock. Sophie calmly wiped my mouth with a napkin. As soon as it was removed, I let out a long, exasperated sigh and fired off questions like a machine gun.

“Wait, what? Why?”

“Because you were injured within the palace, milady.”

“I don’t want to go!”

“You have to.”

“I’ll use the ‘Mom’ card!”

“The Emperor insists on seeing you in person. Here, this is the letter from the palace.”

Sophie put aside the tomato soup and handed me an already-opened letter. The Imperial seal marked it clearly as coming from the Emperor.

The contents were exactly what Sophie had just said.

“……”

“What should I write in reply?”

Sophie asked calmly. I squeezed my eyes shut and answered.

“Tell him I’ll be nursing this hangover for at least three more days.”

Meanwhile, at that same moment, Dahlia was nervously biting her lip in her lab.

Evelyn’s injury from the party wasn’t really any of Dahlia’s concern. But the fact that Evelyn fell from the terrace while Dahlia and Ulysses were together—that was a problem.

Some were already whispering that Evelyn, distressed by the happy couple, had flung herself from the terrace in a fit of despair. But that was only what those who didn’t know Evelyn would say.

Anyone who had ever crossed Evelyn knew better.

‘Evelyn isn’t the type to lose her mind out of jealousy! They’ll think she did it to frame me!’

In truth, Evelyn had simply been drunk, wobbling around before falling on her own. But no one would believe that.

Not even Ulysses, who knew the truth, was willing to take any chances. He had practically locked Dahlia in her lab ever since.

‘Dahlia, Evelyn is going to the palace to meet the Emperor today. Don’t do anything rash while she’s there.’

Ulysses was still furious with Dahlia for ignoring his request and approaching Evelyn at the party, leading to the entire incident.

‘What if Evelyn tells the Emperor something that isn’t true?’

Whether or not Evelyn had fallen on purpose, it was the perfect opportunity for her to get rid of Dahlia, someone she found so irritating.

The Emperor adored Evelyn and couldn’t stand Dahlia, so Dahlia’s fate was precarious at best.

‘Cherish your good fortune while you can.’

Evelyn’s arrogant warning echoed in Dahlia’s mind. As much as she hated to admit it, it wasn’t wrong. Dahlia gnawed at her nails anxiously.

‘The Crown Prince said I could meet with Evelyn before she sees the Emperor.’

What would she say? Honestly, Dahlia knew the situation had spiraled out of control because she had approached Evelyn at the party. But Ulysses, with his temper, would surely inflame Evelyn’s anger further. Dahlia had watched it happen too many times.

Staring at her now-bloody nails, Dahlia made a decision.

‘If Ulysses provokes Evelyn any more, it’s all over for me.’

She was angry that Ulysses didn’t trust her, but the truth was, she didn’t trust him either. How could she trust a man who always put his pride first?

‘If I sneak over to the Crown Prince’s palace, I can talk to her before the Emperor hears anything.’

The distance from the Magic Tower, where Dahlia had been hiding out, to the Crown Prince’s palace was significant. She had to hurry.

Taking a deep breath, Dahlia snuck from her lab.

After weaving through the palace corridors, avoiding prying eyes, Dahlia finally arrived at the Crown Prince’s residence.

“Young Lady Hebe?”

The guards were visibly surprised to see her. Their confused expressions suggested that Ulysses had given strict orders not to let her in. Dahlia clasped her hands together and pleaded with them.

“I know what His Highness ordered. But I’m too worried to stay away. I promise I’ll be quiet and behave. Please, just let me in this once.”

“This is inappropriate, Young Lady Hebe. You must go back. His Highness will be furious.”

“Please! I’m begging you, Sir…!”

Tears welled up in her eyes, and the guards exchanged awkward glances.

Unlike Ulysses, Dahlia had always been good at managing her image. The guards, already sympathetic to the ladies of the court, found it impossible to deny the tearful, kind-hearted Dahlia’s request.

“…Just don’t let His Highness catch you.”

The guard reluctantly stepped aside, and Dahlia gave a bright, grateful smile, nodding eagerly.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Sir!”

She hurried straight to Ulysses’ receiving room. Surely, Evelyn would be there with him.

Just as she approached the door—

<i>Bang!</i>

“Raphael, you idiot!”

The door flew open, and Dahlia nearly got hit by it. Startled, she clutched her chest and sank to the ground.

When she looked up again, she saw Evelyn storming out, her head wrapped in bandages.

‘W-What just happened?’

Could it be that Ulysses had really proposed to Evelyn?

There was no time to sit and wonder. Dahlia quickly scrambled to her feet and rushed into the room, shouting at Ulysses, who stood with his back turned, hands clasped behind him.

“Your Highness!”

“…Dahlia?”

Ulysses turned with a confused expression, as if wondering why she was there. Then, realizing the situation, he frowned and approached her.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to stay put in your lab?”

“That’s not the issue right now! What did you say to milady to make her storm out like that!?”

Dahlia was nearly in tears, worried that things had already gone terribly wrong. Ulysses sighed deeply, as though tired of the whole ordeal, and threw out a sudden apology.

“I’m sorry, Dahlia.”

“W-What? What do you mean…?”

Dahlia’s beautiful face twisted in confusion. Ulysses hesitated, as if searching for the right words, but the more he delayed, the more anxious Dahlia became.

“What do you mean, what are you saying?”

“……”

“Please, just tell me, Your Highness!”

Dahlia grabbed Ulysses by the arms, clinging to him. Ulysses closed his eyes in frustration, then turned his head away from her pleading gaze. When he finally spoke, the words he uttered were nothing short of a bombshell.

“I’ve proposed to the lady of Praviche.”

“……What?”

It took Dahlia several moments to even begin processing the simple sentence. Then, after a long, stunned pause, she exploded in a furious roar that nearly shook the palace walls.

“What did you just say!?”