USML 41

Chapter 41

“You said you weren’t curious?”
“Didn’t you say they were dead anyway?”
“Uh…? They’re not dead.”

Evan unfolded his hands behind his back and turned fully toward me, wearing a face that said he had never heard of this before.

“Alive?”

Ah… I must have lied and said Sherry was dead. What should I do? Scratching my head, I tried to think of something to say to recover.

“So, um—”
“Not dead?”

The cool, winter-like voice left me speechless. Evan muttered it to himself, raising his eyebrows like little mountains.

“Who is it?”

No matter how I looked, it seemed like if he knew, he might just kill them.

His eyes swirled with jealousy and anger, stained with a savage energy. I deliberately avoided his intimidating gaze and tried to find something else to draw his attention.

Even if I understood Evan’s feelings, I couldn’t just blurt out, “I was only putting on a show to keep you connected all this time, and you’re my first love.” Especially since spreading rumors about Sherry could be dangerous.

“Moon, it’s the moon!”

At that moment, the excited voices of the children cut through the bustling noise. I exaggeratedly reacted and pointed toward the direction of the sound.

“Do you… want to go see the moon?”

Anyone could tell it was an obvious attempt to avoid the situation. Evan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“You—”
“Let’s go, okay?”

I interrupted him and tugged on his sleeve. Evan hesitated as he looked at my hand, then gradually softened his intimidating aura.

“Let’s go!”

As I tugged lightly at his sleeve, Evan followed without a word. Making sure our hands didn’t separate, his arm stayed close to mine.

Glancing back, he was watching the hand holding his sleeve as he was pulled along. He had been angry just moments ago, yet now he followed meekly like a little puppy. If he had a tail, it would probably wag gently.

If I could read his emotions this easily, why had I assumed his feelings were purely revenge?

“Maybe it’s just jealousy.”
“What?”
“Nothing, really!”

Lost in thought, I walked until we reached a low, oval-shaped wooden platform where people had gathered.

People were craning their necks to look at the platform. Children sat on their parents’ shoulders, and couples lifted each other up to get a better view.

“There are so many people. I wonder what the moon means.”

I stood on tiptoe to peek at the platform, but all I got was the back of the person in front of me.

“Ouch.”

It hurt so much I almost teared up, clutching my nose. Suddenly, a firm hand slid under my waist and thighs.

“Ah!”

Evan scooped me up, and my view instantly rose. Flailing in the air, I grabbed his shoulder. The platform and the spectators’ heads below were now clearly visible.

I lowered my gaze to look at his handsome face lit by the lantern. In the red-tinged glow, my cheeks were flushed. Embarrassed, I avoided his gaze.

“I-I’m fine… put me down.”
“You wanted to see it.”
“Still… you were holding a child earlier, so it must be tiring…”

Once I was actually held, I didn’t dislike it, and my voice grew timid. Evan’s serene eyelashes blinked calmly, and I felt his grip slightly loosen.

“Alright, then I’ll put you down—”
“Oh, the view is amazing!”

I held tightly to his shoulder as he tried to put me down, focusing on the platform. He chuckled lightly, tickling my neck.

Man, I’m just pretending to refuse, for courtesy’s sake!

“Look, the moon is rising!”

I focused on the platform. Someone on the platform placed a round object taller than their height at the center and lit it, casting a bright light like a full moon in the dark sky.

“So that’s why it’s called the moon.”

It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Sliding my gaze, I saw Evan was watching the lantern too.

Just a short while ago, we had been hiding our feelings and growling at each other, yet now it felt strange to think he would want to kill me.

I looked at the moon absentmindedly and finally spoke.

“How did Your Excellency get involved in this matter, even though you’re so busy?”

“….”

Hearing nothing, I slid my gaze to Evan. He frowned at the lantern, as if recalling something.

“You’re trying to tease me, aren’t you?”
“Tease? Who could ever tease you—”

A certain person flashed through my mind, and I closed my mouth. Only one fit: the Emperor.

Evan had refused the Knight Commander position, and now he was struggling over a flirtatious woman—perhaps the Emperor sent him here to make him experience a bit of hardship.

I forced a smile and fixed my gaze on the platform.

“The moon, indeed.”
“It is the moon.”

We stared at the lantern for a while. I realized that the original story had gone off-track. I had tried my best to correct it, but it didn’t return to its path.

Yet his heart still belonged to me. If that was the case…

“Ero, I…”

I instinctively gripped his shoulder. I caught his glance briefly but kept staring at the lantern. I didn’t have the courage to ask him if I could let myself desire him.

I always wanted the same thing. Setting aside guilt toward Sherry, responsibility for the story’s disruption, and the sin of taking what belonged to others, what I truly wanted was simple:

To no longer push away those who loved me.

Yet I feared that wanting what I wasn’t entitled to would bring disaster. Would I lose it all trying to hold onto something I couldn’t keep?

What if they realized I wasn’t Vanessa?

Even imagining it filled me with fear, making me suppress the primal desire to love and be loved.

“Wait, I’ll come for you soon.”

I had been abandoned by even my parents. I had waited and waited, only to be left behind. “Me,” not Vanessa, was insignificant.

Frozen in fear, I stayed silent.

“Vanessa.”
“It’s nothing.”

I bowed my head, shaking it slightly. I forced a stiff smile, suppressing the sticky desire rising from my core, as I had for the past ten years.

Evan’s arm around me tensed, and his solid muscles shifted beneath my grip.

The sky was bright and clear, the warm summer wind brushing against my skin. The sun blazed down, truly a summer midday.

I stood tensely, unaware of the heat, waiting for the arrival of the Salis Ambassador, who had just left the Imperial Palace and was arriving at Centro. Kaiyan, Robert, and Perry flanked the woods as we awaited the carriage.

Soon, the sound of hooves approached, and a white horse with flowing mane led the carriage. Imperial knights surrounded it, the red banners of the palace flying.

Evan, at the front of the formation, glanced down and met my eyes. After seeing him yesterday, seeing him again felt familiar. His eyes shone like the clear sky above.

Evan wore a sword at his waist and a uniform with crossed sword insignia on the epaulettes. It was the first time I had seen him in uniform, yet nothing seemed to clash with his face.

I shook off trivial thoughts and looked back at Kaiyan.

“Kaiyan, please translate well.”
“Understood.”

For some reason, Kaiyan nodded obediently, hands behind his back. He even seemed to smile slightly.

Soon, the sound of hooves died down, and the carriage wheels stopped.

The coachman opened the door, and an elderly man stepped out, leaning on a young cleric.

“So this is him.”

I exhaled sharply, tension filling my chest. The cleric handed him a staff, which the ambassador accepted with ease. As he stepped forward, two clerics flanked him.

Salis Ambassador was an old man with silvery hair reaching his waist. Though he appeared old, his experienced black eyes retained the vigor of youth.

I quickly placed my hands at my sides and lowered my gaze. I could hear the ambassador’s footsteps softly echoing.

I carefully spoke the Salis language I had learned from Kaiyan.
[It is an honor to meet the Ambassador of the Salis Kingdom of the Desert.]

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

Imperial language? I quickly looked up to see who had spoken. The ambassador smiled, forming wave-like wrinkles at the corners of his mouth.

Seeing my surprised face, he let out a hearty laugh.

“The gods have not left me idle.”
“That’s why you speak the Imperial language fluently.”
“Yes, I was always commanded to do something, so I even studied foreign languages. A strict one, indeed.”
“You are truly remarkable.”

I shook my head in admiration and bowed again.

“Welcome to Centro, heart of the Empire. May this place remain in your memory.”
“Thank you, Lady Vanessa.”

I slowly raised my head and smiled at the ambassador.

Clack—

At that moment, Evan dismounted, closing the distance. His presence drew attention, but he focused straight ahead. His sunlit face seemed to shine like forged steel.

“….”

Finally in front of me, he stared at me intensely with blue-flame-like eyes. I awkwardly tried to smile and avoid his gaze—was he planning to burn me alive?

The ambassador and clerics seemed to sense the tension, glancing between us. The ambassador, noticing something, adjusted his expression with practiced ease.

“Just as I expected.”

Expected? Following his gaze, it clearly fell on my shoulder.

I slowly parted my lips in surprise. Because on my shoulder…

“Okay, when can I come out? Huh? When do I go out, human?”
“….”
“Wow, that guy—what’s with him? He looks human enough to forgive me?”

Perry was chattering at the crowd nearby.