I could understand his stoic expression, as his face itself had a stoic look. However, I could not agree with anything else he said. The Evan Anasha described seemed like a completely different person from the Evan I saw.
Anasha laughed, saying that seeing Evan like that was a rare sight that could only be seen in front of me. Moreover, she said that his greatest concern was my safety.
The fact that Evan grabbed my arm when I approached to look closely at Lai's eyes was also an unconscious action of his, as he was worried that I might be scared by looking into Lai's eyes.
Evan was not wrong in his judgment that I would be scared by the sight of the child's eyes. Ordinary people were terrified the moment they saw Inayari's changed eyes. Those who, like me, witnessed the moment of change right before their eyes even panicked.
It is only natural. No one could remain unseized with fear as something that looked like a human eye instantly transformed into something unknown. I, too, was so terrified when I first saw Inayari's eyes that I couldn't even scream.
The reason I was not consumed by fear while looking into Lai's eyes and immediately thought of Inayari was because I had already seen eyes similar to that.
Pupils contracting vertically in an instant, red eyes, and...
“Young lady!”
I clutched my throbbing head. The moment I recalled the look in Inayari's eyes I had seen back then, a pain like dozens of needles being driven into my head surged through me.
Back then, I went only back and forth between the Elliot House and the Imperial Palace. I was so infatuated with the Crown Prince that I didn't even glance anywhere else. I didn't even attend the tea parties that an ordinary noblewoman would attend to socialize.
I did not attend, and if the Crown Prince was not present, I did not even go to parties held inside the palace.
There was almost no chance that I would see Inayari anywhere other than Elliot or the Imperial Palace.
As far as I can remember, the Inayari were never officially inside the Imperial Palace. They rarely ventured beyond their main stronghold, the western desert. At best, they would invade a few western regions bordering the desert for plunder. Even then, it was only for a brief moment. They never stayed in other areas.
The people of the Empire, especially the nobles, did not treat Inayari as a human being like themselves. They treated Inayari as a monster and shunned them. If Inayari had been in the Imperial Palace, there was no way rumors would not have spread.
The same goes for Elliot. If Inayari had been in the mansion, there was no way I wouldn't have known until now. At that time, I had my wedding on the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, left the Elliot family, and went to the Imperial Palace. My coming-of-age ceremony had already passed. This meant that I had not seen Inayari at the Elliot family's house.
Then where on earth did I see Inayari's eyes back then?
I tried to recall the memory, but nothing came to mind. A chilling shiver ran up my spine. A part of my memory was missing. It wasn't something I had naturally forgotten over time. It was clean, as if someone had artificially cut out only that part of the memory.
I had memories not only of Bjornne from that time, but also of Lee Ji-ah. It was the lives of two people. I did not remember every detail of their daily lives.
Just as ordinary people recall their childhood selves through a few memories, I remember the lives of two people. I only remember events that marked turning points in their lives, or times when emotions reacted intensely, such as joy, sadness, or distress.
Inayari's eyes are by no means something to be easily forgotten. Even if I had forgotten, I should have remembered the moment I saw Lai's eyes. But I... recalling the Inayari eyes I saw back then.
Until then, I hadn't noticed any sense of unease about the absence of memory.
There was something wrong with my memory.
"Young Lady, are you alright? I guess calling a doctor would be a good idea..."
Evan firmly supported my swaying body. I grabbed his arm and rested my head on his chest. The more I thought about it, the less I remembered; instead, my head just ached even more.
"This won't do. I will apologize for this rudeness later."
No sooner had Evan finished speaking than my body was lifted into the air. I felt his strong arms against my back and thighs. He moved while holding me. No, he tried to move.
"What on earth are you doing?"
A cold voice echoed in my ears. Evan stopped moving. My face was turned toward Evan's chest. I couldn't even turn my head because he was holding me tightly in his arms. But I knew instantly, without even looking, who the owner of the voice was.
"Why is my fiancée in a stranger's arms?"
Unlike his lighthearted tone, the Crown Prince's voice was as cold as frost. I fidgeted to signal that I wanted to be let down, but far from letting me down, Evan tightened his grip on the arm supporting me.
“Please make way.”
"Ha!"
Along with the Crown Prince's single cry, the sound of a blade emerging from its scabbard was heard. That sound was not just one or two. I could feel Evan's body stiffen up as we touched.
“Evan!”
A silver sword approached Evan's nape. Red blood seeped out like a thread through the gleaming blue blade.
I urgently called his name, but he didn't move an inch.
"I wish you would give my fiancée back."
The Crown Prince's voice became much colder than before. I called Evan again.
"Evan, please let me down."
"You must go to the doctor first."
The wound on Evan's neck, where the blade had touched, grew larger, and more blood flowed down. It was because he had moved his neck to speak.
"It's fine. Please let me off."
Evan looked down at me. His bluish-gray eyes held unwavering determination. It was a resolve not to let me down until I reached the doctor. In the end, I resorted to my last resort.
"It is an order, Evan."
Evan hesitated for a moment, but it was only for a split second. He released the grip on my body and carefully lowered me to the floor. As Evan moved to lower me, the swords around his neck recoiled. However, only a slight gap opened, and the blades were still pointed at Evan.
"How should I understand this situation, Bee?"
The Crown Prince's voice calling me was gentle. However, his eyes, glaring at me, gleamed fiercely as if they had swallowed fire. The Crown Prince slowly approached me. Evan blocked his path. The moment Evan stepped in front of me, three blades struck his nape. Blood flowed from his neck, staining his shirt red as it dripped onto the floor.
"Please put the sword away, Your Highness."
"Why should I do that?"
The Crown Prince smiled. It was a radiant smile that was completely out of place in this situation. I walked past Evan and approached the Crown Prince. There was only about a step left between us. I looked up at the Crown Prince and opened my mouth.
“Because I wish.”
"Oh my, Bee, you really do exchange."
The Crown Prince's smile deepened. However, his eyes were still burning. He raised his hand and cupped my cheek.
"At least make an excuse, Bee."
"Why should I make excuses?"
His thumb slowly traced my lips. The movement of his finger evoked a peculiar sensation. The corners of his mouth, which had been curving upward, gently lowered.
"Are you saying you have no excuse, even though you were in a stranger's arms right in front of your fiancé's eyes?"
"I don't feel the need to explain... Ugh!"
In an instant, my vision was flipped upside down. I was slung over his shoulder like a sack. I struggled desperately.
"Stay still. If you want to be a spectacle, I won't stop you."
I stopped moving and exerted my physical strength. I don't know why only things like this have been happening lately. I only hoped to reach his destination as soon as possible.
After walking only a short distance, the Crown Prince boarded the carriage, still carrying me on his shoulder. It was not a splendid palace carriage, but an ordinary one that looked like it belonged to a commoner. He set me down as if tossing me down. The hard carriage seat struck my buttocks. I winced at the dull pain.
The Crown Prince sat opposite me. As soon as he took his seat, the carriage began to move as if it had been waiting. Unlike its shabby exterior, the carriage was almost completely still, like one ridden by the nobility.
"Do you have any brains at all?"
The Crown Prince shouted as if finally bursting with pent-up anger. He threw off the coat he was wearing, as if he had a fever; it was an ordinary brown coat commonly worn by soldiers.
I scanned him once again. These were not the clothes the Crown Prince usually wore. The ordinary gray shirt and black boots looked old and even shabby.
"Are you listening to me right now?"
"I don't understand why you are getting angry."
"Ha!"
He wore a look of disbelief.
"Your Highness is not the type to be particularly concerned about your fiancée's reputation, is he?"
If he had been someone who cared about his fiancée's reputation, I would never have been able to marry him back then. At that time, I acted recklessly without caring about my reputation. Getting the attention of others on the main street was nothing to me.
At that time, the only person who mattered to me was the Crown Prince. The gaze of others held no value to me. Therefore, there was no reason for me to care about the rumors spewed by such insignificant people.
Because I was like that, my reputation hit rock bottom day by day. Not only were the things that happened to me exaggerated in a negative way, but even things I never did spread as if they were facts. The rumor that I had been in the arms of a stranger was nothing compared to that.
The Crown Prince at the time showed no reaction, even though he was aware of my reputation. He must have clearly heard the rumors concerning me, yet his attitude toward me remained unchanged. He did not get angry at me, nor did he utter a single word of rebuke.
At that time, I thought that his attitude was because he trusted me. I even felt a sense of happiness at the fact that he believed in my love and was not swayed by rumors.
But now I know. He wasn't interested in Bjornne as a person. No matter what my conduct was like or what rumors I was involved in, as long as there were no issues with my background, it didn't matter to him at all.
I don't understand why he is suddenly caring about my reputation, considering how he used to be. However, I couldn't think of any other reason for him being angry.
"Why is your reputation being brought up here?"
"Aren't you doing this because you are concerned about your fiancée's reputation?"
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