“To be honest, this is exactly the situation Your Highness wanted. As a person of Aodin, I’ve flipped the tribute and saved the nobles’ dignity, as well as earned some ridicule. It will probably soon reach the ears of Carien nobles. Then I’ll be riding a seesaw.”

To Shuher, her voice sounded self-mocking. As if she was laughing at herself.

‘Indeed.’

Listening to her, Shuher became more certain. Certain that he had been mistaken.

“Last time, I clearly said this. The one mistaken is me. Your Grace knew this from the beginning. That even if we joined hands, I’m not on the same side; that even if something like this happens, you won’t budge.”

Instead of agreeing, Evenel showed a faint smile. That alone was sufficient as a reply for him. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been played by her.

Such ignorance, laughing at her foolishness.

“Exactly. I’ve never had the delusion that anything would change because of this ability. I simply took your hand to survive.”

With that, she turned her body to directly face Shuher. Her white pupils sparkled under the moonlight, but her expression seemed a bit melancholic.

“Even though we are together, you could kill me right now. That’s why our promise was made only in words, not on paper, so it can be broken anytime.”

Then he understood even less. Knowing all this, why had she remained silent?

“So.”

“Why didn’t you specifically point out that part? You must be curious about why I willingly took the risk.”

Evenel was, of course, not unaware. She had also considered it.

Should she ask to be completely protected from danger for herself and Lia, and to be given power befitting her abilities?

If so, the servants, regardless of their true feelings, would act with courtesy. There would be no day like today.

However.

“There’s no meaning if I don’t overcome the situation myself.”

At her unexpected response, Shuher couldn’t take his eyes off her. There seemed to be not an ounce of falsehood in her words, no wavering whatsoever.
“Having your majesty’s help would’ve been convenient, of course. But that would only be temporary. As soon as I step away from you, I’ll still be someone whom the people of Aodin do not cease to disdain. Could I really stand before people with such a position?”

For Evenel, there were no grand reasons like getting forgiveness for the past, becoming a hero, or gaining power.

She wanted to make sure he understood that his judgments and assumptions about who she was were misconceptions.

In Shuher’s eyes, she had always been foolish. No, come to think of it, she had been that way since they first met.

Since that time when she had said she would sacrifice her life for others.

‘Foolish to the point of being pathetic.’

“You thought I was foolish to the point of being pathetic just now, didn’t you?”

Seeing his slight startle, realizing she had precisely read him, Evenel’s expression softened a bit more than before. She fully understood such a reaction.

“I can’t help appearing that way. It’s how I’ve lived up until now, and it’s how I intend to continue living.”

She had realized something from her long experience. If she did not make it truly hers through effort, it would crumble like a sandcastle.

Conversely, she knew that such effort would eventually shine.

Above all, she had no particular inclination to blame Shuher for today’s events. Strictly speaking, he hadn’t been the one to torment her.

“Actually, I’m the one who’s most angry at myself. I vowed to protect but ended up failing to do so. And I heard you took appropriate measures, your majesty. So I don’t hold any grudge against you.”

Shuher inexplicably couldn’t face her and turned his head towards the empty space. Now that all questions were resolved, he felt even more suffocated.

‘Somewhat relieved compared to earlier.’

On the other hand, Evenel felt a little relief from the suffocation she hadn’t even felt when she was shooting. Perhaps because she had laid all her pent-up words bare.

It was ironic that her counterpart happened to be Shuher.

“I can’t believe how fast time flies. We are leaving tomorrow.”

“It’s better if you’re not too excited. My warnings so far have not been empty words. You may not be able to return here.”

In a voice where seriousness and coldness coexisted, she made some sort of resolution and stood before the target once again.

The gunshot echoed, and the bullet that flew frighteningly fast pierced the center in one go.

“I haven’t been idle all this time either. I’ve prepared, trained, and I’m fully committed. I won’t die easily.”
Evenel Istella looked at Shuher with a smile full of confidence.

‘How can she smile in a situation like this?’

The word “Aodin” briefly crossed his mind, along with miserable memories from the past. She was supposed to be miserable, unhappy, and certainly not smiling. Especially not in front of him.

Whatever Evenel was thinking, whatever her intentions were, it didn’t matter from the start. He had spared her life only to manipulate and use her.

‘You must never become happy.’

Perhaps those emotions unexpectedly overflowed; a colder voice than before reached her ears.

“Isn’t that hypocrisy?”

“What?”

Approaching Evenel, Shuher snatched the gun she was holding.