Brigitte opened her eyes wide and retorted.
“Then shouldn’t other people be affected as well? Why is it that only Eve’s Mana Core grows?”
“I think it may be because of the influence of the Seventh Princess growing the World Tree.”
“What? Does that mean that the World Tree was imprinted on Eve? Like Homunculus?”
'The World Tree seems to be hostile towards me. It was Evienrose's fault!'
As expected, villains don't admit that they are evil.
Eve and Brigitte each said a few words after finishing their reminiscences.
“I just used some regular, real-life gardening magic.”
“It’s like they’re imprinted just because I planted it and gave it some fertilizer.”
“It’s not just that. From the perspective of the World Tree, wasn’t it a life that was given to it? It must have been extraordinary. It must have been the same for your parents.”
Then Morien opened his mouth to lighten the mood.
“One thing that's baffling to me is that the growth of the core is so explosive. And you weren't always by the side of the World Tree.”
“That’s right.”
“Did you happen to have some sort of mediator with you?”
“A medium? That’s not at all..."
Only after denying it did a thought cross Eve's mind.
'Oh, that's right! A tree branch for cuttings!'
'It seems that the cuttings resonated with Yggdrasil and promoted the growth of the core.'
If Brigitte learns of the existence of the tree branch, her eyes will roll back.
She decided to keep it a secret for now. Eve pretended not to know anything and started to manage her expression.
But when that didn't seem to work, she decided to resort to a desperate measure.
“Ah, my heart...! Ah, my head...! Ugh!”
It was a desperate performance for the exit. Thankfully, Morien responded immediately.
“Oh! It seems that the Princess’s mana core has not stabilized yet. The fever has not completely gone down either. I think you have a cold. I think it would be best to rest for a few days.”
“Your Highness, I will take you to the barracks immediately.”
Michael got up while holding Eve in his arms. Let's hurry to the quiet barracks.
He desperately wanted to go back and put her to rest.
But Brigitte didn't seem in the mood to let Michael go.
“Wherever you go, Agnito.”
Brigette was just in need of venting her anger.
There was a lot to nitpick.
“Sister.”
Of course, Eve didn't just watch.
"So?"
As always, when Michael was involved, Eve's gaze changed.
“You’ve grown so much. You can even climb up.”
“My sister raised me.”
Eve didn't forget that Brigitte was a person with unnecessarily high self-esteem.
At this point, she bowed her head to save face for her half-sister.
“Don’t worry. I will discipline him separately and strictly.”
“Huh, really.”
Brigitte turned her back with a loud noise and left first.
“Let’s go back too.”
Peony helped Eve change her wet clothes and put her to bed.
“I will stay by Her Highness’s side at night, so Young Lady, get some sleep.”
“But I have to serve the Princess..."
“Yes, Peony. Thank you for your hard work. Go ahead.”
Eve also helped send Peony away, as she had something important to discuss with Michael.
Eve and Michael were left alone in the barracks, lit by yellow lights.
The atmosphere couldn't help but be awkward. Instead of finding something to say, Michael moved as if he was looking for something to do.
He sat down on the bedside and wetted a towel.
He cleaned Eve's body. He handled it with care as if he was handling a piece of glass, in case it broke.
A lot of time passed like that. He was concentrating on nursing.
The silence was broken only when the hand showed signs of withdrawing. As always, it was Eve who spoke first.
“Are you really angry?”
When Eve saw this, she was overcome with guilt.
Michael quickly collected his emotions. A hushed voice flowed from his dry lips.
“It would be normal to feel free when the restraints are lifted, but it’s really strange. Rather than feeling free, I feel a sense of loss..."
“Michael..."
“I begged you not to do it, so harshly.”
“But that’s okay.”
“I’m glad you’re alive. For now... I’m just so grateful that you’re alive.”
“Michael..."
Michael took Eve's hands in both his hands as if wrapping them around hers.
Michael rubbed his cheek against Eve's hand as if he was clinging to the warmth.
“Thank you for coming back to me alive. So you don’t have to be sorry.”
“Isn't ... too easy to forgive?”
“Isn’t that natural, since I am your knight?”
“It somehow feels no different than when you was tied up with a seal.”
“This proves it. It’s not just the imprint that exists between you and me.”
But they still had an important task ahead of them. Eve took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
“Michael.”
“Yeah, Eve.”
“Do you remember everything...?”
“...You don’t have any way of getting around.”
Michael gave me a look of disbelief.
But despite the suddenness, his attitude was calm.
As if he had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
Michael answered, looking down.
“I don’t remember as much as you do.”
“Oh, so you do remember.”
As soon as the confirmation came, more heat gathered in Eve's face.
Meanwhile, Michael sat on the bedside, watching Eve's reaction, then quietly raised a hand.
"Oh."
Michael's hand lifted the blanket slightly. He cast a shadow over Eve's body.
He asked, leaning in closer as if to kiss me.
“What, you still hate my past life?”
“Oh, no, that’s not it.”
“I'm surprised you didn't, because I thought I was a very blasphemous and rude man, and I didn't mind if you didn't like ,e."
“Not yet.”
"Uh?"
A fatal clue was running. Eve was panicked and opened her eyes.
While she was blinking, Michael was smoothing her hair and speaking to her affectionately.
“Let’s talk about this later. More importantly, your memories are from the moment you die. I think it was cut off. Do you know why I brought you back?”
"That..."
“I see you're embarrassed, but I've given you plenty of hints, and I told you that I wasn't the first to love you..."
“Then shouldn’t other people be affected as well? Why is it that only Eve’s Mana Core grows?”
“I think it may be because of the influence of the Seventh Princess growing the World Tree.”
“What? Does that mean that the World Tree was imprinted on Eve? Like Homunculus?”
"Some natural objects are imprinted on you as soon as you open your eyes, simply because you first saw them. It's a primal connection, even if it's not conscious.”
An anecdote that might support Morien's claim popped into Eve's and Brigitte's heads at the same time. Brigitte's mind at the same time.
When Brigitte approached it to satisfy her greed, it swatted her away with its tongue but it gladly gave Eve the young leaves to brew into this tea.
Brigitte's face crumpled as she remembered.
As expected, villains don't admit that they are evil.
Eve and Brigitte each said a few words after finishing their reminiscences.
“I just used some regular, real-life gardening magic.”
“It’s like they’re imprinted just because I planted it and gave it some fertilizer.”
“It’s not just that. From the perspective of the World Tree, wasn’t it a life that was given to it? It must have been extraordinary. It must have been the same for your parents.”
At this point, Brigitte's expression was one of exasperation. She felt like Eve had eaten the world tree raw.
“One thing that's baffling to me is that the growth of the core is so explosive. And you weren't always by the side of the World Tree.”
“That’s right.”
“Did you happen to have some sort of mediator with you?”
“A medium? That’s not at all..."
Only after denying it did a thought cross Eve's mind.
'Oh, that's right! A tree branch for cuttings!'
Initially, there were two branches from the dead global number. One became the great and beautiful Yggdrasil, and the other was still in Eve's arms.
They were two halves of a single thing, so it wouldn't be wrong to call them twins. There was nothing more suitable as a medium.
If Brigitte learns of the existence of the tree branch, her eyes will roll back.
She decided to keep it a secret for now. Eve pretended not to know anything and started to manage her expression.
But when that didn't seem to work, she decided to resort to a desperate measure.
“Ah, my heart...! Ah, my head...! Ugh!”
It was a desperate performance for the exit. Thankfully, Morien responded immediately.
“Oh! It seems that the Princess’s mana core has not stabilized yet. The fever has not completely gone down either. I think you have a cold. I think it would be best to rest for a few days.”
“Your Highness, I will take you to the barracks immediately.”
Michael got up while holding Eve in his arms. Let's hurry to the quiet barracks.
He desperately wanted to go back and put her to rest.
But Brigitte didn't seem in the mood to let Michael go.
“Wherever you go, Agnito.”
Brigette was just in need of venting her anger.
There was a lot to nitpick.
“Did you think you could get away with it? Arrogant disrespect for the royal family, disrespectful language, disobedience to orders, how many sins do you think you can get away with?”
Of course, Eve didn't just watch.
“It is at this time of my weakness that I am most in need of Lord Agnito's protection.”
“If you're trying to keep Lord Agnito away from me in the name of punishment, I can't help but feel threatened by my sister. Do you really want a rift to grow between us over a misunderstanding?”
Brigitte understood immediately, her brow crinkling as she realized that if she touched Michael, it would be all-out war.
“My sister raised me.”
Eve didn't forget that Brigitte was a person with unnecessarily high self-esteem.
At this point, she bowed her head to save face for her half-sister.
“Since it is within my power, I will apologize to my sister on his behalf, and I hope you will look upon me with leniency.”
“...I'll reserve judgment. I'll be keeping an eye on you, Michaelis Agnito.”
“Huh, really.”
Brigitte turned her back with a loud noise and left first.
“Let’s go back too.”
Eve, too, was carried by Michael to the barracks.
Eve hadn't lost her fever yet. Just then, Michael walked in with a towel to dry off and a basin of water.
“But I have to serve the Princess..."
“Yes, Peony. Thank you for your hard work. Go ahead.”
Eve also helped send Peony away, as she had something important to discuss with Michael.
Eve and Michael were left alone in the barracks, lit by yellow lights.
The atmosphere couldn't help but be awkward. Instead of finding something to say, Michael moved as if he was looking for something to do.
He sat down on the bedside and wetted a towel.
He cleaned Eve's body. He handled it with care as if he was handling a piece of glass, in case it broke.
A lot of time passed like that. He was concentrating on nursing.
The silence was broken only when the hand showed signs of withdrawing. As always, it was Eve who spoke first.
“Are you really angry?”
The question was asked without context, but the meaning was clear. She was asking about the time when she had arbitrarily annulled the imprint despite Michael's desperate pleas.
Just thinking about it brought back the sensation of half his heart being ripped out of his chest. His breath caught in his throat as an uncontrollable rush of emotion overwhelmed him.
Michael quickly collected his emotions. A hushed voice flowed from his dry lips.
“It would be normal to feel free when the restraints are lifted, but it’s really strange. Rather than feeling free, I feel a sense of loss..."
“Michael..."
“Even if it was an imprint that was going to be released someday, I never thought it would be released in this way. Like this... as you first... discarded me.”
It was an understated tone of voice, but it was no less effective in stirring Eve's conscience and releasing it. Michael locked eyes with her and said, “I'm sorry."
“I’m glad you’re alive. For now... I’m just so grateful that you’re alive.”
“Michael..."
Michael took Eve's hands in both his hands as if wrapping them around hers.
Michael rubbed his cheek against Eve's hand as if he was clinging to the warmth.
“Thank you for coming back to me alive. So you don’t have to be sorry.”
“Isn't ... too easy to forgive?”
“Isn’t that natural, since I am your knight?”
“It somehow feels no different than when you was tied up with a seal.”
“This proves it. It’s not just the imprint that exists between you and me.”
The conversation seemed to restore their mood, with the same affection and playfulness as before. Neither Eve, feverish, nor Michael, red-eyed, could look at each other and smile, if only faintly.
“Michael.”
“Yeah, Eve.”
“Do you remember everything...?”
“...You don’t have any way of getting around.”
Michael gave me a look of disbelief.
But despite the suddenness, his attitude was calm.
As if he had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
Michael answered, looking down.
“I don’t remember as much as you do.”
“Oh, so you do remember.”
As soon as the confirmation came, more heat gathered in Eve's face.
This is because the past life was a bit of a dark history, not only for Michael but also for Eve. Especially the emotional ties that were tangled around them.
Whoever Michael was in his past life, he was a devious love interest who tried to ascend to the throne and take advantage of Eve in a radical way, and then regressed, dropping everything to bring her back.
Because there were corners. In particular, the emotional relationships centered around them were truly complex.Facing Michael with the memories, Eve didn't know what to say or how to look. Embarrassment washed over her, and her hands spontaneously pulled the covers up to cover her face.
"Oh."
Michael's hand lifted the blanket slightly. He cast a shadow over Eve's body.
He asked, leaning in closer as if to kiss me.
“What, you still hate my past life?”
“Oh, no, that’s not it.”
“I'm surprised you didn't, because I thought I was a very blasphemous and rude man, and I didn't mind if you didn't like ,e."
“What? No. It’s not something to be judged that harshly.”
"Yes?"
"Yes!"
“But why do I feel like you’re avoiding me now?”
“No, it’s just that, when I think of this Michael as that Michael, I feel something..."
“You seem awkward.”
“Yeah, a little..."
Michael covered Eve's neck with the blanket he had lifted.
“You don’t have to be awkward or unfamiliar with me. Life is more like information than memory.”
“Information? What does that mean?”
“I didn’t return with my memories intact like you. The way I regain my memories is through dreams and visions of things I experienced before my regression.”
“Ah, it must feel a bit different from the memories I’ve accumulated through direct experience.”
“Yes. Me in my past life and this life. You can think of life as being separate.”
You've drawn the line at being a separate person. Eve was a little relieved when she realized that there was no dangerous turn-of-the-century lover in sight. Michael had struck back.
"Yes?"
"Yes!"
Eve's harsh self-reflection is met with a stern look from Michael. A strange feeling tugged at his heart. But he didn't stop asking questions.
“No, it’s just that, when I think of this Michael as that Michael, I feel something..."
“You seem awkward.”
“Yeah, a little..."
Michael covered Eve's neck with the blanket he had lifted.
“You don’t have to be awkward or unfamiliar with me. Life is more like information than memory.”
“Information? What does that mean?”
“I didn’t return with my memories intact like you. The way I regain my memories is through dreams and visions of things I experienced before my regression.”
“Ah, it must feel a bit different from the memories I’ve accumulated through direct experience.”
“Yes. Me in my past life and this life. You can think of life as being separate.”
You've drawn the line at being a separate person. Eve was a little relieved when she realized that there was no dangerous turn-of-the-century lover in sight. Michael had struck back.
“Not yet.”
"Uh?"
A fatal clue was running. Eve was panicked and opened her eyes.
While she was blinking, Michael was smoothing her hair and speaking to her affectionately.
“Let’s talk about this later. More importantly, your memories are from the moment you die. I think it was cut off. Do you know why I brought you back?”
"That..."
“I see you're embarrassed, but I've given you plenty of hints, and I told you that I wasn't the first to love you..."
“No. I knew long before Michael let out any meaningful words.”
“You? How?”
“The teacher told me.”
“You? How?”
Michael didn't hide his surprise, since Eve was slow on the uptake in this area. In fact, she didn't figure it out on her own, she confessed cautiously.
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