“Evelia!”

Felix urgently called Evelia’s name as if he had been waiting for this moment. Evelia frowned at how resounding and ear-piercing his voice was. Nevertheless, Felix, without a care, gazed at Evelia earnestly.

“Are you okay? Is your mind coming back a bit?”

In response to the continuous questions, Evelia barely nodded her head. However, her furrowed forehead remained unchanged.

No matter how long she had been asleep, every small movement caused pain throughout her body. Moreover, she had no strength even to twitch a finger.

That wasn’t all. The unpleasant feeling, as if her throat were being squeezed, was so intense that her head throbbed with every breath.

Nothing was okay. However, amidst all that, she meticulously examined the bedroom.

With Felix by her side, she naturally thought that Khalif would be in the bedroom. It was a bit disappointing that he hadn’t rushed to her after she woke up, but she believed he must be inside. Evelia had no doubt.

However, no matter how much she looked around, he wasn’t visible. The mild anxiety that had started gradually intensified in an instant.

Evelia looked at Felix with eyes soaked in anxiety.

“Felix… What about Khalif?”

It hurt as if her dry throat would tear apart with every word, but she asked without knowing. Her heart beat irregularly with anxiety. Where could he possibly be?

The atmosphere was strange. Apart from Felix’s reaction, the air filling the bedroom was too heavy. So, she instinctively looked. Hopefully, he hadn’t jumped into a dangerous situation.

But her earnest wish dried up in an instant. It was because of Felix’s expression that froze at the mention of Khalif’s name.

“…Felix.”

Seeing him struggling to answer, Evelia scolded him in an uncharacteristic way. Then, a heavy breath was released in an instant. Not only that, but his expression began to crumble in a split second.

Her heart pounded fiercely. Evelia exerted all her strength to lift her unresponsive body. She clenched her teeth to raise her body.

Surprised, Felix supported her. Evelia, sitting up, scanned the bedroom once again. She thoroughly examined every nook and cranny, thinking there might be something she missed.

Yet, Khalif was nowhere to be seen. Restlessly darting eyes started to moisten.

Despair-filled Felix’s voice echoed in Evelia’s ears.

“…While you were asleep, the feared event has been happening all along.”

Evelia, who had tightly closed eyes, opened them in an instant and looked at Felix.

“The feared event…?”

“An evil aura has revealed itself.”
Without delay, Evelia’s forehead crumpled in agony at Felix’s continued words. She had prepared so hard, but why did she collapse of all times…

“It seemed to have originated from Yustia’s heart.”

“Huh, Her Majesty the Empress’s heart?”

“Your collapse might have been the turning point. Khalif, who saw you fall due to poison, probably couldn’t maintain the pretense of being a Rurilian and started to run wild, realizing that someone else might be behind it.”

“What do you mean I collapsed due to poison? That I collapsed because of poison?”

Evelia’s head felt like it was going to explode from the confusing story. The last thing she remembered was going to the Empress’s palace at the Empress’s call and even drinking tea together.

After that, she couldn’t remember anything, as if it had been cut out with scissors. But to lose consciousness due to poison…

An involuntary heavy sigh escaped. Had she hated herself to that extent, to the point of trying to kill herself with poison?

Unorganized thoughts flooded in like a torrent, but it wasn’t the time to be locked into such notions.

Evelia regained her composure and looked at Felix again. Then she asked urgently.

“So, what about Khalif? Where is Khalif?”

Felix’s complexion darkened even more. Just facing that made Evelia unbearably distressed. It was a moment when her determination to scold him once again was about to continue. Felix spoke with a voice that seemed to sink.

“While you were asleep, not knowing if you, who were asleep, might get hurt, he entrusted you to me and went alone to face Yustia.”

The words she had hoped weren’t true dug into Evelia’s ears.

“Dare to lay a hand on my son, you lowly thing.”

Yustia roared with a voice full of anger. With each word that came out of her mouth, her pupils turned a vivid red to the point of sending shivers.

The purple energy that had previously outlined the silhouette seemed ready to explode, dangerously fluctuating.

Khalif swallowed dry saliva and tightly grasped the hilt of the sword. Without taking his eyes off Yustia, he carefully, very slowly, drew the sword from its sheath.

Finally, the moment the sword revealed itself completely, Khalif faced Yustia with a more determined expression than ever. Then, with a smirk, he whispered.

“The person who thoughtlessly discarded my life so easily, now feeling so heartbroken at the death of the real crown prince. It seems you won’t even give me the chance to have any guilt about it until the end.”

“…”