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Chapter 11
During the time Rai was bedridden with lovesickness, Eva of the Blanche estate was sprawled out in bed for a completely different reason.
“Ugh… I’m gonna throw up. If I drink again, I’m not Eva, I’m Shiba. Woof woof!”
The morning after returning from a masquerade party—
Eva lay sick in bed with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach from a hangover.
“My lady, how could you drink so much that you end up like this?”
At Eva’s request, Jane had prepared honey water and handed it to her.
“Next time, you must take me with you. I get so worried when you’re out alone—anything could happen to you.”
Just as worried as she sounded, Jane didn’t stop nagging.
Eva struggled to sit up in bed, hands trembling, and took the honey water to drink.
Finally, her stomach began to settle.
“If I drink again, I’ll become the servant. You be the lady, Jane.”
“I like serving you, my lady, so please don’t drink anymore.”
“That’s touching… but my stomach’s still churning.”
“Please pull yourself together and get ready. You have a guest.”
“A guest? Who?”
Could it be Rai again? Her headache throbbed harder at the thought.
“Lord Chase is here.”
Relieved it wasn’t Rai, Eva collapsed back into bed.
“Tell him to just go away.”
“My lady, polite language, please.”
“Then politely ask him to get out of the house right now.”
“That wouldn’t be proper.”
Eva burrowed deeper under the blankets to escape Jane’s scolding.
“I don’t want to see anyone today. Send him away.”
“Lord Chase insisted he must see you. He seemed quite angry that you didn’t respond to his letter.”
“The world outside this bed is too dangerous for delicate me—”
“Get up, right now.”
Jane had no intention of tolerating Eva’s laziness, yanking the blanket away in one swift motion. Left with no choice, Eva clutched her aching stomach and got up.
“What dress will you wear?”
“Just the plainest one I have.”
“Still, it’s been a while since you last saw him. Something bright would be nice.”
“It’s just Chase. Doesn’t matter.”
“You’re being too casual with an old friend, aren’t you?”
“He’s probably dressed even more casually than I am.”
Jane found that likely enough and dropped the matter.
Eva headed to the drawing room in her plainest dress, not a single jewel on her, looking comfortable.
As she’d predicted, Chase greeted her from the sofa like he owned the place, half sprawled out.
“Did you gain weight? Look at that puffy face.”
Opening with a teasing jab, he made Eva smile slyly as she shot back:
“Want me to throw you out with the sofa?”
These two childhood friends skipped any polite greetings like “How have you been?” without a second thought.
Still, in the original novel, Chase’s role was as insignificant as an ant’s droppings—no, even less, like dust in the cosmos.
He was only described as Claude’s aide. In her first life, Eva hadn’t even known he existed, and their first meeting had been awful.
Why’s he picking a fight, acting like he knows me? Never wanted to see him again.
But—
‘Your Highness! Please, reconsider! Eva Blanche is not someone who would commit treason!’
When Eva had been sentenced to execution, Chase had been the only one to plead with Claude to spare her life.
In her second life, he had even resigned from his aide position to prove her innocence.
Though his role in the novel was faint, in the lonely life of a villainess, he was a treasured friend.
“Why are you here?”
Eva flopped onto the opposite sofa.
“Did you read my letter?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why didn’t you reply?”
“Friend, that’s called a rejection. Don’t you have enough judgment to know that? How do you even manage your job?”
“No one at the palace is that rude.”
They glared at each other so intensely it could’ve burned holes through their faces. After a long, silent staring contest, Chase finally shut his eyes.
“Yes! I win.”
“Fine, you win. So now please, help me out. I’ve never asked you for something like this before.”
“Still no. Not doing it. Go home.”
At her firm refusal, Chase sat up straight.
“Hey! Just save His Highness Claude this once. You know what kind of treatment he gets at the palace.”
Eva knew his situation and his future—she had read the original novel, after all. She also knew that she would be executed under charges of poisoning Claude.
She’d hardly even interacted with him, yet she died. If she got involved with him now, it would be like diving headfirst toward the afterlife.
“The palace already has an official in charge of organizing parties.”
“This time it has to be special. His Majesty himself said he’s keeping an eye on it. It can’t be the same as always.”
“Find someone else.”
“That’s why I came to you.”
He got off the sofa entirely.
“Lady Eva, every time I’ve asked for advice on palace parties, you’ve given such fresh, original ideas.”
“There’s that flattery again.”
He lifted both arms toward the ceiling in mock oratory, making Eva turn her head away.
“And you’ve hosted other ladies’ birthday parties, giving them unforgettable memories.”
Eva covered her ears, pretending not to hear. Chase leaned closer and yelled right by her ear.
“Just think of it as saving a life and help me!”
“No.”
“Please, just once!”
“I said no!”
“Why do you hate the idea so much? You’ve done it for free for others! The palace will even pay you.”
“Because… I just don’t want to!”
Even though she wanted to do anything for the friend who had always stood by her, even to her death, she refused for one reason only: this particular party was the starting point of the original story.
It was the party attended by the delegation from Fene where the heroine, Julian Lawrence, would make her debut.
It was the first party Julian attended after becoming the Lawrence family’s adopted daughter—and the moment Rai would fall in love with her at first sight.
Eva had worked so hard to stay out of the original plot. She could not go back to square one.
“You really won’t do it?”
Chase’s voice was tinged with disappointment. For a moment, Eva almost gave in, but she clamped her mouth shut. First, she had to survive.
“I’ll do anything else. How about I host your birthday party this year instead?”
“I don’t want anything else. Consider this my birthday present—do this for me now.”
“This one’s really impossible.”
“Just think about it for three more days.”
“I’m telling you, I—”
“Only three days. Let’s think about it a little longer.”
That didn’t mean time to think—it meant time to change her mind.
“Fine. I’ll think about it and reject you properly.”
She made her refusal crystal clear.
After talking past each other, Chase got ready to leave, and Eva stood up as well.
“Leaving already?”
“I didn’t come alone. His Highness is with me. I’ll come back later.”
“What? He’s been waiting outside my mansion this whole time?”
“No way. I wouldn’t dare keep His Highness waiting. Captain Rai is sick, so he went to visit him.”
Eva blinked in surprise, then smirked.
“Lies. That man sick? He could wrestle a bear and win.”
Rai had never been sick in the original novel—she didn’t believe it for a second.
“You… know the captain? Seems like you know him pretty well.”
“Know him? Hardly. Just heard things here and there.”
She acted innocent, hiding the fact she’d run into Rai at a restaurant and a park.
“I think he’s sick because a date went badly—”
“And how would you know he went on a date?!”
“Whoa, calm down. Why are you yelling?”
Chase covered one ear, looking at her.
“Captain told His Highness, and I happened to find out too.”
“D-do you know who he went on a date with?”
“No. I don’t know that much. His Highness said he doesn’t know either.”
Please don’t tell anyone. Especially don’t let Claude know my name. If you do, I’ll make you even sicker.
Eva clenched her fists, sending a silent threat toward the absent Rai.
“Love can move even the stoniest of men, you know. Haven’t you heard anything?”
“H-heard what?”
“Among noble ladies, gossip about who’s dating whom spreads fast—oh! Right, you don’t have any friends besides me.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“I’m saying treat your one and only precious friend well. Think about my request in a positive light.”
He slipped in another appeal for his cause.
Eva gave him a sharp look and shoved him toward the door.
“Go on, get out of here.”
“You’re so cold—that’s why all your friends are outsi—”
“Do you want me to kick you, my friend?”
She grabbed at her skirt as if ready to really kick him. Chase hurried to the front door.
“I’m going, I’m going. But seriously, think about it again, okay?”
“Fine. And you—work less. Take care of yourself. You’ve lost weight.”
“How can I think about myself when I’m His Highness Claude’s aide?”
“Then help His Highness and take care of yourself at the same time.”
“Yeah, thanks. And you eat less—you’re so puffy—Agh!”
“You just had to ask for a punch, didn’t you?”
Chase laughed even as she punched his shoulder.
“Wow. With a punch that strong, you could beat the captain.”
“Out! Now!”
While Chase was pretending to nurse his not-really-hurt shoulder—
“Chase.”
A calm yet weighty voice called his name.
Eva turned toward the familiar voice at the same time as Chase.
“Your Highness!”
Your Highness?
If Chase was calling him that… could it be Claude?
The sudden appearance of the sub male lead threw Eva’s mind into chaos.
