Chapter 28

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Even after the intimacy was over, Evely’s gaze stayed on Alec. Or more accurately, his scars.

“Why?”

He asked in a strange tone when he felt Evely’s gaze staring at his scars. It seemed oddly cynical.

Evely didn’t say anything, just stared at Alec, who stood by the window, and slowly moved closer to him. Then she gave him a look that told him to sit on the bed.

Evely brushed her fingers down the scar on Alec’s shoulder. His expression was indifferent because the scar wasn’t hurt, but when Evely lowered her lips over it, his eyes got a little bigger.

“My mother always kissed me where I felt sick or hurt.”

Alec laughed, as if Evely was cute, or maybe just silly.

“It’s nothing at all.”

“Master is a strong man. A lot.”

Even though Alec was sitting and Evely was standing, the difference in eye level wasn’t much. It was because Evely was so much smaller and Alec was so much bigger. Soon she stared into his eyes and opened her mouth.

“That doesn’t mean it won’t hurt.”

Alec stared at Evely.

The atmosphere flowed in silence, and he suddenly pulled her arm and kissed her.

Instantly, Evely’s eyes widened, but she immediately accepted his kiss. It was a gentle kiss, their lips lightly interlocking with each other.

Why? At that moment, she felt like she was getting heat in her ears.

Her lips, her wrists, her whole body became hotter as if she was in the summer heat.

Strangely enough, ever since Alec put his hand on her forehead, the fever had not stopped. Her body healed nicely, but the fever still remained, and when he touched her, the fever would rise again. Then at some point the fever stayed with her.

Like the marks he carved deep every night…….

* * * *

It had been raining for the past few days and the weather suddenly turned sunny.

Opening the window, Evely leaned her body outward. A gentle breeze blew across her face as she took a deep breath of the fresh air. It wasn’t yet afternoon, so the sun wasn’t shining strong, but the warmth was nicely felt.

It was a beautiful day.

On sunny days Alec would go for walks. Evely loved those moments. The sunshine and  the walks in the garden, even if she was just following him. Everything looked clearer when he was under the brilliant sunshine.

Alec Bernhardt.

Evely stood in front of the mirror in her room and whispered her master’s name. Her hair was neatly raised and fixed, her servant’s dress of a dull color. Evely, who was staring at her face in the mirror, used her fingers and pulled down the corners of her mouth.

“You’re not looking so good today, are you?”

Oddly, she didn’t look good in any way. Her clothes and her face were all blurry as on a rainy afternoon. While rubbing her lips and cheeks with her fingers, Evely opened a drawer when something came to mind.

There was some cosmetics that she and Briana previously received as a bonus. It was a red pigment to color the lips, but she forgot all about it.

She was going to throw it away.

Evely, who was rummaging inside the drawer, found a round container and quickly opened the lid. Then she used her finger and gently dabbed it and began to apply it to her lips. Her lips immediately turned red.

Somehow she looked a little brighter than usual.

And as soon as she walked out of her room, Evely hoped Alec would notice something different about her today.

‘…… What am I thinking?’

Evely thought and smiled broadly. No, it was outrageous that she wanted her blunt Master to notice her. But how could he possibly pay any attention to what a servant put on her face?

Still…

She still wanted him to show that kind of interest in her.

And she hoped she looked good enough. Well, even if it wasn’t possible, she could at least expect it. And it’s not a bad thing to have expectations.

With this in mind, Evely opened the door and heard Sophia’s voice.

“Evely, what are you doing?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Why…!”

Sofia replied, and immediately took off. Immediately, Evely followed Sofia as she ran.

When they reached the garden, the servants and maids were lined up in a row, bowing their heads. Evely squirmed her way in between them and took a peek.

The servants standing in a row, bowing their heads, looked so much alike that it was hard to tell who was who.

Then Sofia pushed Evely’s head down.

“Hurry up and lower your head! Today is the day the Princess comes back.”

…… Is it already?

How long had she been waiting?

When the sound of the horses’ hoofs from the distance grew closer and stopped, a maid stepped forward and greeted her politely. Then Alec, who walked past Evely to the front of the carriage, opened the door and extended his hand to Rose to make it easier for her to dismount.

“How are you feeling?”

The princess grasped Alec’s large firm hand without hesitation. Her small, thinly gloved hand rested on top of his, and Rose finally stepped on the ground. Under the hems of her dress, Evely caught a glimpse of the front of her gorgeous shoes.

“I feel much better now. This is all thanks to the Count’s care.”

A fresh breeze blew in from somewhere and shook her fancy dress. Rose in her red dress smiled brightly at Alec like a spring flower. There was a softness and ease to her laugh as she laughed out loud.

But the maids were doing their job in a steady manner, not having such ease. They diligently carried the luggage in unnoticed dark clothes. Rose’s fancy dress contrasted with the dreary look of the maids.

No, there was no contrast. They just worked in silence, like an invisible background. To Evely’s eyes, they looked just like shadows.

A shadow.

When someone looks at her, she’s just a shadow.

No matter how red she painted her lips and how neat she fixed her hair, she would only look like a shadow in front of the Princess’s flamboyantly colored dress.

“Thank you so much.”

At the voice, Alec bent down and lightly kissed the back of her hand.

It was a gentle kiss.

Instantly, Evely felt as if something very big had fallen. She felt nauseous. She felt as if her swollen heart was prying her mouth open and coming out.

Eventually, the princess made a small laughing sound. For some reason, she looked so plodding. It was raw and clear that her Master was gentle and the princess always smiled brightly at him. It wasn’t the first time she had seen the two of them together, so why on earth?

Evely clenched the hem of her skirt tightly, and she involuntarily raised her head. She stared at the princess and then at Alec, forgetting that she had to lower her head. Sophia continued to poke Evely’s side, but to Evely’s ears it was just a vague figure passing by like the sound of the wind.

The princess looked around as if she were inspecting the castle for the first time in a long time. “Not much has changed,” she even joked to him. Then her eyes suddenly met Evely’s. Then, Rose trudged towards her.

“…….”

Evely, who belatedly realized that the princess was coming for her, hurriedly bowed her head.

“Evely, how are you?”

Rose’s voice seemed much brighter, perhaps because Evely hadn’t heard it in a long time. When raised her head, she could feel the Princess’s gaze on her. She could also feel her master’s gaze on the Princess in the distance.

“I missed you.”

It was the voice of her master, the most compassionate man who could remember even a humble maid.

At Alec’s words, the Princess let out a small laugh. She was a graceful and lovely woman. But Evely couldn’t laugh along.

Evely’s eyes followed her master as he gazed at the princess. She squeezed the hem of her skirt again.

She wished the princess had stayed a little longer.

No, she wished the Princess would come back much later.

Maybe even not coming……

Evely didn’t know why. She hated the Princess’s gracefulness, her beautiful smile, her kindness, and her loveliness.

“You missed me too, didn’t you?”

“…… Yes, of course, Princess.”

Evely forced the edge of her lips up. But her gaze remained fixed on her master.

It was strange.

You start to hate someone little by little, and then you realize that you love them.