“Ugh!”
Only then did Eve's eyes, which had been half-open, come into focus.
Eve looked back, her shoulders shaking. Michael was standing there, his face soaked in autumn air.
He had just returned from a two-day trip outside the palace to assist in the investigation of Alben under her orders.
“No, I was surprised.”
“I was surprised too. You screamed instead of moaned.”
“Michael.”
“Sorry. But what were you thinking that you didn’t even notice someone coming in? I knocked and said I was coming in.”
“Just, a little.”
Eve avoided eye contact and muttered. Her expression was quite gloomy.
The state of the lovers that he saw only after one day was very suspicious. A light of exploration naturally appeared in Michael's eyes.
Then Eve hid the documents as if she was guarding her gaze. It was quite clever and natural.
There was movement, but it wasn't enough to fool Michael's eyes.
“Hmm..."
Even though Michael is quick-witted, he has loved her twice in his life.
There was no way he could not understand his opponent's condition. His purple eyes sank.
'It wasn't the time to be arguing about Lord Redmon and his subordinates' ranks outside.'
Somehow, when he was rushing to the office, he saw the employees' faces looking gloomy.
“If you have a lot of work to do, you have to work.”
“Michael?”
“My Eve, do whatever you want.”
Eve was puzzled and even bewildered by the completely different reaction from the people before her.
“But you’re putting off the most important things and doing peripheral things first.”
"What?"
It's true that Eve deliberately tried to do everything, but that doesn't mean she ignored the priorities and importance of the work.
Just when Eve was about to object to the harsh evaluation that she couldn't understand, a soft, soothing voice made a suggestion.
“If it’s okay with you, would you like to go to District 13 together now?”
Eve's shoulders trembled.
As if it were a lie, the rebellion disappeared. In fact, she should have gone a long time ago.
It was because it was right to postpone it due to fear of a great fire. Michael was looking right through her.
Eve took a deep breath and exhaled as if preparing herself mentally.
Soon she extended her trembling hand to Michael.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
She thought things would be okay with him.
Intact bodies were rare, especially in the basement, which was more like a crematorium, and often had to be swept for bone meal.
Only then did Eve's eyes, which had been half-open, come into focus.
Eve looked back, her shoulders shaking. Michael was standing there, his face soaked in autumn air.
He had just returned from a two-day trip outside the palace to assist in the investigation of Alben under her orders.
“No, I was surprised.”
“I was surprised too. You screamed instead of moaned.”
“Michael.”
“Sorry. But what were you thinking that you didn’t even notice someone coming in? I knocked and said I was coming in.”
“Just, a little.”
Eve avoided eye contact and muttered. Her expression was quite gloomy.
The state of the lovers that he saw only after one day was very suspicious. A light of exploration naturally appeared in Michael's eyes.
He took one look at Eve's bulging eyes and reddened white of her face, and leaned back against his desk, pretending to look at the stack of papers.
At that moment, he noticed the victimization tally report, which was dripping with ink.
There was movement, but it wasn't enough to fool Michael's eyes.
“Hmm..."
Even though Michael is quick-witted, he has loved her twice in his life.
There was no way he could not understand his opponent's condition. His purple eyes sank.
'It wasn't the time to be arguing about Lord Redmon and his subordinates' ranks outside.'
Somehow, when he was rushing to the office, he saw the employees' faces looking gloomy.
It was good to know, at least now. Michael opened his mouth, his method different from Cedella's and Sylvestian's.
“Michael?”
“My Eve, do whatever you want.”
Eve was puzzled and even bewildered by the completely different reaction from the people before her.
“But you’re putting off the most important things and doing peripheral things first.”
"What?"
It's true that Eve deliberately tried to do everything, but that doesn't mean she ignored the priorities and importance of the work.
Just when Eve was about to object to the harsh evaluation that she couldn't understand, a soft, soothing voice made a suggestion.
“If it’s okay with you, would you like to go to District 13 together now?”
Eve's shoulders trembled.
As if it were a lie, the rebellion disappeared. In fact, she should have gone a long time ago.
It was because it was right to postpone it due to fear of a great fire. Michael was looking right through her.
Eve took a deep breath and exhaled as if preparing herself mentally.
Soon she extended her trembling hand to Michael.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
She thought things would be okay with him.
Explosions and firestorms left the scene of a major fire in ruins. Like a giant funeral, the streets were lined with flowers of remembrance, and the sound of people's cries could be heard in the background.
In the heavy air, only the ash dust of the ruins drifted dizzily. It was like the ghosts of victims wandering the world.
Chansley's public bathhouse had been half-collapsed by the blast. A search for bodies was underway in the ruins.
In the square that could be seen in the distance, tents were lined up along with a relief center.
It was temporary in the sense that it could last for weeks or even months until the damage was repaired, and in such a situation, the increasingly cold season was only hastening. The shadows were deep on the faces of the people as they were rationed winter clothing and dinner.
Sadness, despair, and pain were omnipresent, and yet the fall sky in the afternoon was high and blue. It was almost too blue for tragedy.
“Eve, are you okay?”
"..."
“Eve.”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
Eve barely managed to breathe, swallowing air through her mouth. Her chest rose and fell unsteadily.
It took a lot of courage to face this scene because it felt like it was confirming the crime she had committed.
“Michael.”
“Yeah, Eve.”
“This is not the first time I’ve seen this sight.”
At those words, Michael searched through his memories of his past life. He was in a training center. It was an incident that he only vaguely remembered because it happened before he left.
Are you sad about the fate that you couldn't avoid and ended up repeating? But that's not the case.
The despair that had fallen on Eve was so great that it seemed as if it was destroying her.
When Michael was holding back his words because he couldn't gauge her feelings, Eve opened her mouth.
“But there were a lot more people killed and injured than in my last life.”
“I knew this would happen, but I couldn’t stop it, and even worse... I, I didn’t return for this..."
Her voice was full of self-loathing and self-reproach. Her breathing became rapid.
Eve couldn't stand it anymore and covered her disfigured face with both hands.
I never returned to see this scene, to face this situation.
If you rationalize it as a sacrifice for the greater good, then how are you any different from Brigitte?
Unhealthy thoughts were running through her head.
It was slowly eating away at her. The despair that she had to bear entirely was her own.
The guilt was so overwhelming that she felt like she would suffocate and suffocate.
Fortunately, Michael was by Eve's side at the moment.
“Eve, if you want to blame me, blame me. I’m the one who brought you back.”
“...Why Michael? Michael gave me a chance.”
Eve raised her head as if in protest. Michael said, tightly closing the front of Eve’s robe to prevent the cold wind from blowing in.
“Then you shouldn’t be harsh on yourself for trying to make the most of the opportunity.”
“The return was merely my wish for you to live again, not to clear you of any cause or mission. Keep it simple.”
“Eve.”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
Her face was white despite her best efforts, but she didn't look away from the sight of District 13. It was all hell, after all, and there was nowhere else to look.
It took a lot of courage to face this scene because it felt like it was confirming the crime she had committed.
“Michael.”
“Yeah, Eve.”
“This is not the first time I’ve seen this sight.”
At those words, Michael searched through his memories of his past life. He was in a training center. It was an incident that he only vaguely remembered because it happened before he left.
Are you sad about the fate that you couldn't avoid and ended up repeating? But that's not the case.
The despair that had fallen on Eve was so great that it seemed as if it was destroying her.
When Michael was holding back his words because he couldn't gauge her feelings, Eve opened her mouth.
“But there were a lot more people killed and injured than in my last life.”
“I knew this would happen, but I couldn’t stop it, and even worse... I, I didn’t return for this..."
Her voice was full of self-loathing and self-reproach. Her breathing became rapid.
Eve couldn't stand it anymore and covered her disfigured face with both hands.
I never returned to see this scene, to face this situation.
Is this the result of your choices in this life, and if so, is this your cause?
Unhealthy thoughts were running through her head.
It was slowly eating away at her. The despair that she had to bear entirely was her own.
The guilt was so overwhelming that she felt like she would suffocate and suffocate.
Fortunately, Michael was by Eve's side at the moment.
“Eve, if you want to blame me, blame me. I’m the one who brought you back.”
“...Why Michael? Michael gave me a chance.”
Eve raised her head as if in protest. Michael said, tightly closing the front of Eve’s robe to prevent the cold wind from blowing in.
“Then you shouldn’t be harsh on yourself for trying to make the most of the opportunity.”
“The return was merely my wish for you to live again, not to clear you of any cause or mission. Keep it simple.”
“Simply?”
Michael winked at the bleak and painful landscape that spread out all around him.
“None of this is your fault, but the sins of the Third Princess, who have grown worse to deal with you. So don't focus the blame on yourself, but rather direct your anger at the Third Princess.”
Anger becomes the power to fight. The moment she realized this, a strange light appeared in Eve's eyes.
“...I see. It would be much more productive to use these feelings to push Brigette away.”
“Yes. You have to fight with that mindset to survive until the end on the battlefield. The palace is your battlefield.”
Michael taught Eve how to blame others, and Eve learned it faithfully. It was quite useful advice for her.
Eve said to herself as if repeating to herself.
“Yes, I guess I got sentimental for nothing. I don't get to control everything in the world just because I've regressed, and I can't take what I've briefly become as the axis of time and pretend that I'm the center of the universe. I was arrogant.”
“Hmmm, I have to disagree with you on that one, you're the center of the world to me.”
The sweet words and gentle smile made the severe anguish of a few moments ago melt away. Eve blushed deeply. The man who had been crowned King was becoming more and more toxic to her heart by the day.
As expected, whether it was seduction or comfort, Michael's actions were effective on Eve.
Although the immediate gloominess did not completely disappear, Eve was able to relieve much of the guilt that weighed on her.
But coincidentally, the surrounding circumstances were not good.
“It’s almost the winter rainy season. How can we live in a tent like this? Is this all the imperial relief supplies? Is this all they have left after giving everything to Chansley?"
Eve turned her head at the loud noise.
Not far away, a group of subjects were being shouted down by the guards. The voices of protest rose.
“If only the imperial family had released the magic stone from the beginning, such a disastrous fire would not have occurred!”
“On that topic, these days, the palace holds banquets every day and people eat and drink?! Kyaaaak!”
Some were pushing guards and spitting profanities. Feelings of anger and resentment were as contagious as the plague. In no time at all, the crowd of protesters grew in size.
“Behead the Marquis Chansley with an axe! Kill him! Kill him!”
“Save my father and grandfather! Save them!”
“All my life savings were lost! Who’s going to compensate me! Huh?!”
“I don’t care about the house or the money! Give me back my wife and my child!”
Again, Eve's breath was a chokehold. It wasn't just the wailing of the crowds.
'This is a dangerous situation. If the higher-ups order the security forces to suppress the situation with force, there will be casualties!'
In addition to trying to beat the guards, some people were seen carrying poker sticks or wooden sticks. The group violence gave the guards a justification to respond with force.
The situation needed to calm down before it got more heated. However, in the current situation, it didn't seem like it would be effective to step forward and say something.
Perhaps, the situation could have gotten worse, not to mention receiving all the blame for being a member of the royal family.
“Eve.”
As expected, Michael seemed to have made the same decision. He pulled the hood of his robe down low so that Eve's hair would not be revealed.
“Your safety is our top priority. I think it would be best to move first.”
Eve bit her lip and nodded. She hurried to meet with the captain of the guard and find a way to calm the situation.
'Uh?'
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