Chapter 22
“Eva, you did a great job today.”
Just before exiting the party hall as the event concluded, Claude approached Eva and greeted her briefly.
“You did too, Your Highness.”
“I still have scheduled meetings with the envoys, so I’m leaving the wrap-up to you.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Really, thank you for everything today.”
After expressing his gratitude once more, Claude exited the party hall with Chase and the envoys.
Now that the important guests had left, the nobles who had only shown up to be seen began to trickle out as well. The remaining guests quickly dispersed, realizing there was no point in lingering.
Once even those people had gone, only Eva and the organizing team were left behind.
“We still have time until tomorrow, so let’s leave the cleanup until then.”
Knowing full well her team had worked hardest today, Eva urged them to leave and rest.
“Captain, aren’t you heading back to the estate?”
“I’ll just make sure there’s no one left behind.”
“Then I’ll stay with you.”
“No need, Pell. I’ll be fine on my own.”
After sending even Pell off, Eva inspected the garden alone.
During large parties like this, it wasn’t uncommon to find nobles sneaking into the bushes, getting a little too handsy or even kissing.
Just in case, she made her footsteps louder as she walked around.
“Just need to check inside the hall and then I’ll head back.”
She opened the western hall doors and stepped inside.
“C-Captain!”
One of the female team members, who had been assigned to this hall, was standing by the balcony with a troubled expression.
“Huh? Why haven’t you left yet?”
“W-Well…”
Noticing her tearful face, Eva sensed something was wrong and quickly approached. The girl’s hand was being tightly held by someone.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
As she feared—it was Count Butterly, refusing to let go of the team member’s hand.
“What do you mean, ‘what I’m doing’?! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
The way he shouted revealed just how drunk he was.
Realizing reasoning would be pointless, Eva slapped the back of his hand. It wasn’t to hurt him but enough to startle him. Shocked, he finally released the girl.
“Ack! Did you just hit me?! You bitch, how dare you hit me?!”
Ignoring his outburst, Eva gently pushed the girl away.
“Go outside and call a knight.”
“M-Me? Can’t you come with me?”
“Someone has to stay and keep him from escalating. Hurry.”
“Got it. I’ll come back as fast as I can!”
“Where do you think you’re going?! I’m not done talking!”
As the girl bolted out of the hall, Count Butterly’s unfocused eyes settled on Eva. She stared back with unhidden disgust.
His jacket was gone, and he was down to just his blouse, which was on the verge of bursting. His white shirt was stained with wine and food, and his eyes were glazed as he stumbled in place.
“The party’s over. Go home, Count.”
“Let me see… you’re the one, aren’t you?”
His pointing finger wavered without direction.
“Hah, it’s you, isn’t it? The one in the black cat mask who humiliated me!”
Oh, so he remembered. And so what?
Eva feigned ignorance with impressive calm.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’ve clearly had too much to drink, so please just—”
“It IS you!”
He shouted loudly, making her flinch.
“You’re here to mock me again, aren’t you?! Why is everyone so desperate to disrespect me?!”
Gee, I wonder. Maybe because you’re the biggest piece of trash around. She desperately wanted to beat some sense into him, but he was clearly too drunk to register anything.
Avoiding him was the best option for now.
She glanced toward the door, praying the knight would arrive soon.
Count Butterly, convinced Eva was about to insult him too, flared with rage and lunged forward.
“You’re ignoring me again?!”
“Kyaa!”
He meant to grab her shoulder, but his drunken aim was off and he ended up yanking her long hair instead.
His grip was shockingly strong, pulling her head back painfully.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Let go!”
“Ha! That voice—you ARE the black cat from that night!”
“I said LET GO!”
“Do you know how much I’ve suffered since then? I couldn’t go to a single party, terrified that His Highness Claude might punish me!”
His grip tightened, and pain flared in her scalp as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Why is that my fault?! You’re the one who made a scene and hit someone!”
“So you admit it! You LIAR!”
“Kyaa!”
“And today, you embarrassed me in front of the envoy leader! If my life is ruined, how will YOU make up for it?!”
You did all of this to yourself—why blame me?!
Eva kicked him as hard as she could in the shin with her pointed heel.
“Urgh!”
He finally let go, collapsing as he clutched his leg.
The kick was so forceful that Eva dropped to the floor the moment his hand released her.
“You little—still looking down on me?! I hate women like you the most. That look in your eyes—”
Eva’s bright green eyes glared at him with scorn as if he were worse than a bug. Furious, he raised his hand.
If he hit her with that hand from this angle, she might really pass out.
It was too late to run. She raised her arms to shield her face—
SMACK!
The impact was thunderous, not just a slap but a blow that could burst open a skull.
…But why didn’t it hurt?
She felt no pain, not even in the arm she used to block.
Did I pass out and lose all sensation?
“Urgh!”
Still curled up and shaking, she heard a groan.
Wait—Butterly’s groan?
With her arms still raised, Eva peeked through one eye.
“How dare you raise your hand to her.”
A man was standing protectively in front of her. Broad shoulders, a tall figure, and a clenched fist still radiating force.
Had the knight arrived?
But something about the posture and voice felt familiar.
“Ugh… dammit, just a knight?!”
Even while lying on the floor, Butterly spewed more insults.
The man stomped his foot next to his face.
The force was so strong it made even Eva jolt.
“Gah!”
With a final gurgle, Butterly fainted on the spot.
“Are you hurt?”
Just moments ago, he was brimming with fury—but now, he turned to her gently, like handling fragile glass.
“…Duke?”
It was none other than Rai.
His usually tidy hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had rushed over in a hurry.
He knelt down to Eva’s level and scanned her urgently for injuries.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve come sooner.”
Up close, her red hair—now a mess thanks to Butterly—was more clearly visible.
He wanted to tidy it for her, but worried it might feel intrusive, so his hand hovered awkwardly. Rai’s brows furrowed in frustration, as if he were the one who’d been attacked.
“W-Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be guarding Her Highness Julian?”
She couldn’t understand why he had come to save her—he had just carried Julian away earlier.
Shouldn’t he be at her side?
“Her Highness is with a physician now. There’s nothing I can do there, so I returned to the party. It seemed over, and I was about to leave when a female team member said you were in danger and asked for help.”
“No, I mean—why did you come back to the party hall at all?”
He didn’t even like crowds. And Julian wasn’t here either. Why had he come?
“To see you.”
“…What?”
“This was the only place I could see you, even from afar. So I came back.”
His calm tone made his sincerity more striking. Eva blinked, bewildered.
He left Julian’s side… just to see me?
“Let’s move somewhere else. You’re shaking pretty badly.”
“Me? Oh, you mean him?”
Eva gestured at the unconscious Butterly.
“No. I mean you.”
“Me?”
What are you talking about? You think I’d be scared of that loser?
But her pointing finger was trembling visibly.
She tried to steady it with her other hand—only for both hands to start shaking.
“Why are my hands shaking like this…?”
“It’s not just your hands.”
“Then what?”
“Your whole body is trembling.”
Only then did she realize—her heart was pounding. She really had been scared. Terrified that she might get seriously hurt.
“Are you alright?”
Rai’s gentle, worried voice was all it took for a tear to slip from Eva’s eye.
“Huh? W-Why am I crying? I didn’t want to cry.”
“It’s your body’s response to fear. Sometimes, it reacts before your mind catches up.”
He reassured her that it was perfectly natural.
And maybe because she felt safe now… more tears began to well up.
“H-Hic. I don’t want to cry because of him… he’s not even worth the tears.”
“You’re right. But letting it out will help you calm down.”
“I really don’t want to cry—waaah.”
Once the tears started, they poured out all at once.
Yeah… she’d acted tough in front of the others, but she was afraid.
What if the knight hadn’t come? What if it hadn’t ended with just one hit?
The fear of facing such a large, aggressive man alone had rattled her deeply.
“I should’ve come sooner. I’m sorry, Eva.”
“Huuuh… Waaah!”
Rai kept apologizing even though he had saved her. But her body kept trembling, shoulders, voice, and fingers all shuddering.
She looked so small and fragile, trembling like that, it broke his heart.
“It’s okay now. Everything’s alright.”
Rai, who hadn’t even dared touch her messy hair earlier, finally reached out—very gently pulling her into an embrace. He stroked her head and back with large, steady hands, whispering over and over that she was safe.
In the end, it wasn’t words that comforted the heart—it was touch.
His arms around her and the soothing motion helped drain the fear from her.
“Waaahhh…”
Though he knew this was a serious moment, Rai couldn’t stop his lips from curving up just a little.
Because Eva didn’t push him away.
Because just for this moment—he got to hold her completely.
And until she calmed down, he didn’t stop rubbing her back.
