/
It seemed that luck had not deserted me. About ten minutes after entering the maze, I was able to get out of what seemed like a deep underground space completely.
‘It’s outside!’
The bright sun shone overhead. While I’ve never been a fan of the sun, I was very happy for this very moment.
“….?”
Before I even had time to look around, someone pressed my body with a strong force. Even though I struggled and protested greatly with all my power, I was helpless against the man’s forcefulness.
“Evelyn.”
And even that rebellion was halted by a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time.
“…Forgive me for being late.”
I barely made it out of his arms.
Couldn’t believe the situation, I glanced up at him and reached out my hands at the same time. I wondered if it was just a figment created by my crazy brain. Still, the hair, flesh and lips that touched my hand belonged to a very real person.
I could barely open my mouth to form a single word.
“…How did you get out?”
“Rather, don’t you want to know why I’m here?”
I had no choice but to admit it…
I missed that strange voice mixed with a laugh so much.
“…I missed you.”
I spoke out in a trembling voice.
“I’ve missed you, Cassius…”
“Evelyn.”
Cassius gently lifted my hand before kissing the back of it and gazed at me intently. The look in his eyes took my breath away. He was no longer a prisoner rotting away in a dungeon, but he had regained his regal charm.
“It seems like you’re telling me my reasons instead. I did, too… I miss Evelyn so much. When Miss Ophelia informed me that you were missing, I immediately ran out of there immediately.”
“….”
It felt like something hot was spreading in my chest, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut tightly.
“There was a letter.”
“Oh, you mean that?”
Cassius scoffed.
“No one who knew you would’ve believed it, not even the Princess.”
I tried to laugh
Gabriel made one mistake. Unlike him, there were people around me who had become familiar with me, and none of them believed the letter I was forced to write.
“Thank you.”
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“What do you mean? In the end, you escaped on your own.”
Cassius added bitterly.
“I was only lucky enough to arrive after you escaped on your own.”
“I had someone who helped me…”
I clenched my lips.
“Right now, he’s stalling time downstairs… I need to help him.”
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
At my words, Cassius nodded, but I grabbed him by the hem of his shirt first. I had to make sure this was clear before going down.
“Do you know the identity of the person who kidnapped me?”
“Is it Cesare?”
“…No.”
I shook my head.
“It’s Gabriel.”
“Evelyn?”
“Gabriel, no, Lucifer is dead.”
Saying that, I blinked my eyes. I thought he would know the story to some extent since he had been chasing this place until here, but it seemed that Cassius hadn’t caught on.
“It’s a long story, but… his soul has changed.”
“What are you talking about?”
It was only then did I realize that I was persuaded by Gabriel’s words purely because I was like him.
That meant…
…To convince Cassus, I had to tell him who I was… that I wasn’t Evelyn Garneid and had only been unfortunate enough to be switched bodies with her.
…Would he still continue to love me as he did before, even if I told him the story?
“…Let’s talk later, but right now, we have to go down first.”
When I took a step forward into the maze, Cassius stood in my way.
“I know the way down. You just need to stay here.”
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“…Do you really know?”
“Yes.”
“Even though it’s a maze?”
“This is a space that has existed for a long time, Evelyn. I found the structure in the old maps.”
“….”
I nodded.
Yes, if I followed along, it would be more of a hindrance than anything.
Thinking that, I squeezed his hand before he stepped into the dimly lit passageway.
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry.”
Cassius smiled.
“I’ll never let you down again.”
As soon as he disappeared, I crouched down as soon as he was out of sight. It wasn’t until I saw him again that I realized how much I had missed him.
‘….’
I closed my eyes.
The feelings I’d been denying for a while were creeping up on me, and I couldn’t deny them anymore.
˚ ･: * ✧ * :･ ˚
A few hours passed, and the sun floating above my head was about to move to the west.
I jumped up from my seat.
‘…Smoke?’
Smoke was billowing upward through the passage.
‘Did you start a fire? Cassius?’
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Still, at least he needed to get out before the smoke?
I swallowed dry saliva.
‘No way, Gabriel was trying to burn Cassius…’
There was no more time to wait, and I ran into the dimly lit, smoke-filled passageway with my head bowed the next moment.
“Cough!”
Coughs came out on their own.
‘Hold it in. I’ve got to hang in there…’
This much could be endured. I ran down through the smoke as fast as I could through the route I remembered.
‘…It’s here.’
And, the moment I entered the underground space that was Gabriel’s hideout… what I saw reflected in my eyes were three men and huge flames reaching the ceiling.
“Stop right now. I said to stop it!”
With Gabriel, who tried to put out the fire while screaming.
“….”
Nevertheless, Cassius didn’t say a word but continued to light the fire.
“….”
Likewise, Lucifer Bynell, who was silently helping him, caught my eye.
“Cassius!”
I ran towards him.
“Hey, what…”
“Welcome, Eve. Stop that lunatic! If we don’t extinguish this fire here, this whole mountain is going to turn into an active volcano.”
“Really?”
Cassius replied nonchalantly, pulling an oil bottle from his pocket and breaking it on the floor.
“That’s great. I hate this space terribly anyway.”
“Cassius…”
I turned to him and shouted.
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“Are you planning on burning to death here?”
“Could it be?”
He laughed at my question.
“There’s not just one entrance to this place.”
My hands trembled of their own accord.
“That’s true, but it takes a long time…”
“It won’t take long.”
Cassius uttered firmly as he finished his words, “So please go back. I have to take care of this man.”
“Cassius!”
I called out to him.
“We need to capture him alive.”
“He has no reason to be alive.”
“I know.”
I sighed in frustration.
‘…Yes, it was time to say it.’
“This person is…”
At that moment, Lucifer Bynell lunged at Gabriel.
Gabriel, who was just near the flames, naturally fell backward, causing Lucifer to fall into the flames as well.
A terrifying scream rang out as Gabriel struggled and tried to get out of the flames, but Lucifer held onto him tightly and wouldn’t let him go. Even though he should have been easily shaken because of his emaciated body, like he was going to collapse, he was firmly holding Gabriel down with all his might.
“Let’s go.”
Cassius replied tersely.
I nodded, closing my stiffened eyes.
…Lucifer chose death.
And the only person who didn’t know what that meant was Cassius. Leaving behind Lucifer and Gabriel, who were tangled and burning together, I ran down the dimly lit hallway with him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
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An explosion sounded from behind.
“…What is that?”
“We have to go quickly.”
Even though Cassius urged me even more without answering, I also knew that it was too much to answer right now, so I focused on running away first.
“Hurry and get on.”
True to his word, there were two ponies waiting at the shaft. As we rode out of the shaft on horseback, the explosions continued. I didn’t hear the reason until we were completely out of the shaft and into the mountains.
[ T/N: Yes.. ponies… not horses… ]
“That’s where the original coal mine was.”
Cassius laughed coldly.
“Now, it’s going to be a sea of fire down there forever.”
I gazed up blankly at him. It wasn’t because his words gave me goosebumps. Rather, it was because I couldn’t understand why my heart was beating so fast, even after hearing such chilling words.
“…Cassius.”
I called him quiet.
“Yes.”
I cautiously brought my lips to his mouth.
It was the first kiss of mine, Evelyn Garneid.