Evellina, who had discovered Casius, looked at him with a feigned expression of confusion.

“What brings you here, Your Majesty?”

Casius silently stared at Evellina.

Evellina’s eyes softened as she watched him.

“Your Majesty?”

“I came to ask something.”

A gentle smile settled on Evellina’s lips.

“Who are you?”

In reality, Evellina did not look like Rachel at all.

No. To be precise, Casius thought it made no sense.

However, the coordinates marked on the map clearly pointed to the assistant’s office.

Naturally, only Evellina was present in this place he had aimlessly headed to.

There was no room for other interpretations.

The longing for that blue color was so desperate, and from the moment he actually saw it, there was no way not to believe it.

That blue had to be the truth.

And this woman before his eyes must also be the truth.

“When you ask so suddenly, I’m not sure how to answer… Do you not remember that I am Evellina?”

“Not Evellina, another name. I’m asking if you have any other name.”

Casius’s voice was rough and cracked, but there was a unique moisture in his demeanor.

Evellina thought even this appearance was too perfect.

Such a perfect man would now become hers.

If she just said that name.

This man would do anything for that woman.

Evellina instantly hardened her face.

The way her eyes trembled was enough to make her look shocked.

“Do you know?”

Long ago, it was said that Rachel, that woman, used such a tone.

Evellina had done countless studies on Rachel before coming to the imperial palace.

Was it described as a dignified and graceful tone?

In reality, it was just the way of speaking used in the knighthood, yet people praised it in such a manner.

Because she received the emperor’s favor, everything was highly esteemed, but in reality, she was a woman with nothing captivating about her.

Once the emperor believed she was Rachel, she could throw away this mask.

Of course, until then, she had to become Rachel herself.

Evellina placed her hand on her chest and said with a rather pitiful expression.

“That I am someone else.”

Casius looked at Evellina while holding his breath.

“You…”

As Casius approached step by step, Evellina held her breath.

The emperor’s eyes were as dry as a desert, yet somehow they seemed to be screaming.

There was no trembling felt from him, as if even his breath had stopped.

Soon, his large hand gently grasped her shoulder.

“You are Rachel.”

The veins on his large hand, which couldn’t even grip tightly, protruded.

His blue eyes were filled with a brilliant light.

Overwhelmed by this sight, Evellina couldn’t continue speaking for a moment.

But Evellina soon regained her composure.

How long had she waited for this moment?

She soon put on an overwhelmed expression and said with moist eyes.

“Yes. I am… Rachel.”

Evellina’s eyes curved sorrowfully.

Casius, standing less than a step away, collapsed right there.

His breath fell onto Evellina’s shoulder.

At the hot breath, Evellina held her breath.

‘The emperor has completely fallen for it.’

He who had everything in the world chose her.

It meant that the dream she had honed for so long was not far from being realized.

In his embrace, Evellina broke into an overwhelming smile.

For a moment, Casius’s voice wrapped around her ear.

“But why didn’t you come looking for me until now?”

His voice was low and thick. That voice had a pressed, ashen quality.

Evellina froze in place.

Still trapped in his embrace, she couldn’t see the emperor’s face, but one thing was certain.

If this whole charade were to be exposed, she would not escape death.

Rachel, this woman, was the one the emperor had been searching for so desperately.

If it were revealed that she had acted and deceived such a woman, she didn’t know what the emperor would do to her.

This was a matter of a different dimension from when her father had tampered with the Empress’s Ilachino test questions before.

The Empress he was forced to marry and Rachel whom he had searched for 7 years, the two occupied different volumes in the emperor’s heart.

That was something that could be guessed just from Casius’s gaze a moment ago.

Now was not the time to be intoxicated with the feeling of victory.

Evellina recited her prepared words without losing tension.

“I’m not sure why Your Majesty is doing this to me.”

Casius released Evellina and examined her with a shocked expression.

“What… do you mean?”

Evellina quietly looked up at Casius’s hardened face.

Even his face, immersed in deep contemplation, was perfect as if sculpted.

Although his beauty was so perfect that it was difficult to concentrate, the lies she had practiced countless times were not difficult for her.

“Seven years ago, I lost my memories.”

“…”

“I can’t remember anything except my name and vague images of Your Majesty.”

Although she had researched Rachel countless times, not being her, she couldn’t know everything about their memories and all.

If she didn’t prepare in advance, everything would be exposed someday.

And there was nothing better than this to say she didn’t know everything.

“When I opened my eyes, I had become Lord Bashuvir’s daughter. I recently regained all the memories of the body’s owner.”

Casius, who always had eyes like a cold-blooded animal, was looking at her with more focus than ever before.

Evellina continued speaking, immersed in pleasure.

“But I lost all my memories with Your Majesty and my previous magic when I entered this body.”

Rachel, that woman, was already dead anyway.

The scenario couldn’t be more perfect.

Evellina lowered her eyes and slipped her hand between Casius’s fingers.

Then, slowly stroking his palm with her fingers, she calmly continued speaking.

“I knew I was Your Majesty’s former lover, but I was too afraid to even go looking for you.”

Casius met her gaze with sunken eyes.

“I will wait. Until your memories return.”

Evellina looked up at him.

Although she wanted to kiss him right away, there was no need to rush.

This man would be hers anyway.

The empire’s most powerful man, clinging so desperately.

Even though it was directed at a false image, Evellina couldn’t hide her satisfaction.

*

Tikan was guarding his post in front of the door as usual.

Normally, he would have stood guard stoically, but today he couldn’t help but listen to the conversation inside.

Startled by the conversation flowing out from inside, Tikan almost burst through the door and rushed in.

‘Was elder sister really alive…!’

He had thought that she might be alive since they hadn’t found her body, but…

He never dreamed she would be alive so close by.

But why, of all people, did she possess Lady Evellina’s body?

‘I heard that for possession to occur, the vessel must accept the possessor…’

In life, elder sister used to shudder at the mention of Duke Bashuvir.

Tikan was bewildered by the unbelievable situation, but he quickly organized the facts.

His elder sister, whom he thought was dead, had returned.

Realizing this fact, Tikan’s heart swelled.

At that moment, Evellina came out.

“Elder sister, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”

As he directly greeted his elder sister, tears welled up in Tikan’s eyes.

Tikan quickly wiped away his tears, thinking himself foolish.

‘Showing such unsightly tears in front of elder sister whom I’m seeing after 7 years.’

Wasn’t it what elder sister hated the most?

Long ago, when he showed tears, she would ask if he could become a knight being so weak.

In a word, elder sister raised him to be strong.

Of course, she usually had a tsundere-like kindness, but that and this were separate issues.

‘I should get rid of these tears right away…’

It was then.

“Sir Tikan has nothing to be sorry for. I should be the one apologizing. For not being able to remember…”

A gentle voice brushed Tikan’s ear.

Tikan looked at her with a dazed feeling.

It was only when he saw Evellina asking “Sir Tikan?” that he finally came to his senses.

Only then did he recall Evellina saying she had lost her memories.

Tikan answered her formally.

“Don’t worry. You will regain your memories soon.”

“…”

“I will make sure of it.”

Evellina flinched at Tikan’s firm declaration.

‘It’s hard enough deceiving the emperor, now this guy too…’

Usually, siblings in noble families aren’t so affectionate.

But this cursed Rosemary family was said to have affectionate siblings.

That was something Evellina had naturally learned while researching Rachel.

Well, it was probably just for show anyway.

‘What could this guy find out? Even the emperor who had been searching for Rachel for 7 years didn’t recognize me.’

Moreover, with the perfect excuse of suffering from amnesia, there was no need to worry about being exposed.

Evellina recalled Rachel and Tikan’s appearance she had briefly seen at a banquet she attended long ago when she returned to the country.

At that time, Rachel was showing a rather soft smile towards Tikan.

Evellina recalled that image and gently curved her eyes towards Tikan.

“To think Sir Tikan was my younger brother, it’s really reassuring.”

“…”

“I’ll trust only Sir Tikan.”

Evellina finished with a graceful bow and re-entered the assistant’s office.

Tikan stared at the tightly closed door for a long time.