Once, I heard a similar story from Cassius⊠how did I react then? It probably wasnât that different from how I was now.
Fear, shock and deep despair.
ââŠGabriel.â
I carefully uttered his name.
At the same time, I felt like I was about to give up on everything, so I had to keep my head straight.
âNow, youâre admitting it.â
A maniacal grin appeared on Gabrielâs face.
âYes, Eve. What do you want?â
âYou kidnapped me⊠what were you going to do?â
My voice trembled.
Even though I knew he was Gabriel, my tone of voice didnât change at all. That was natural. It was because, in the first place, he was the one who took everything from me.
âItâs so obvious, isnât it?â
Gabriel shook his head in disappointment.
âOf course, I thought Eve would know, but⊠are you sure you donât know?â
As he said that, Gabrielâs gaze was blatantly directed only to my stomach. Rather than being insidious, my whole body stiffened under that cruel gaze.
ââŠ.!â
There was only one thing I could think of what that gaze could mean.
âNo wayâŠâ
âWhat Eve thinks is right.â
Gabriel informed in a sweet voice as he went on.
âEve will be mine now. I canât let you bear another manâs child.â
ââŠYouâre insane.â
âNot at all.â
He tilted his head.
âIsnât this the right thing to do? Eve might be a little upset at first, but youâll understand soon.â
âŠCrazy.
Gabriel was truly insane.
I wanted to start crying. What the hell did I do to deserve this⊠when Iâd gotten used to Cassius, and now, I had to suffer from a maniac like Gabriel?
Meanwhile, whether he knew what I was thinking or not, he chuckled and continued.
âBesides, you wanted to get away from him. Oh, donât tell me⊠have you changed your mind now?â
ââŠ.â
âThatâs great. Things havenât changed anything between Eve and I⊠you want to escape and Iâm here to help you do it.â
ââŠIt has changed.â
Even though admitting it with my own mouth left a bitter taste, I couldnât just stay still. If he needed a cause, Iâd hold them tightly in my hands and never let them go.
âI donât want to run away now. I am satisfied with my life right now⊠having a child, too, I wanted to have one. So, donât talk about such a thing to me anymore, Gabriel Vecchio. Or is that also a fake name?â
âOh, thatâs my real name.â
He responded in an openly sarcastic voice.
âItâs a name Iâve had since I was born. Youâre the only one who knows it now, and youâre calling it often. Itâs good to hear the name flow from Eveâs voice.â
ââŠ.â
âI think Iâve told Eve everything you want to know, so⊠letâs not waste any more time, shall we?â
âIâm not going.â
I flatly refused.
Wherever Gabriel wanted to take me, it would never be a good place for me.
âYou donât want to?â
Gabrielâs brow furrowed.
âI was going to take you home.â
ââŠ.!â
Even though I was surprised at first, a plausible theory soon came to my mind.
âHe must be referring to his newly decorated house.â
As if he had read my thoughts, Gabriel added a word.
âI mean Evelynâs house. County of Garneid? If you donât want that, just tell me where you want to go and Iâll take you there.â
âYou⊠said you wouldnât let go?â
âDo you think Iâm a bastard like Cassius Brudenell? Thatâs disappointing. To think that Eve had been looking at me like that all alongâŠâ
Couldnât he remember what he had just said, that he wasnât giving up? He even said he couldnât let me have another manâs childâŠ!
Feeling like the words were going to come out of my mouth, I quietly kept my mouth shut and nodded. Nevertheless, it was a good thing that I was able to go home like this⊠except for one thing that needed to be pointed out.
ââŠWhat about the child?â
âAh.â
Gabriel exclaimed.
âIâd forgotten about it. Of course, I canât just send you back. I also have the eyes of my comrades⊠Eve is also an experienced person, so you must understand that a new body comes with new duties.â
âTell me the main point.â
âHere.â
Taking something out of his bosom, he set it down on the table. A small vial rolled over and came to a stop on the edge of the table.
âI spent a lot of effort trying to get it. Itâs a medicine that wouldnât do any harm to Eve.â
I tried my best to feign shock. While it was a very difficult performance, it seemed to be successful in its own way.
âYou donât like it?â
Gabriel bowed his head.
âWhat should I do, I donât think Eve will like it any other wayâŠâ
âWhat is it?â
âCome with me.â
Gabriel whispered.
âThen, Iâll let you have the child.â
ââŠ.â
I narrowed my eyes and stared at him as all kinds of thoughts rushed through my head.
âIf it was Lucifer Bynell, it might have been worth it to follow him. We might have been able to find a clue that could save Cassius. But, now that he is in this personâs bodyâŠâ
I purposely pressed myself closer to the chair.
âI want to know where youâre going.â
âMmm.â
Gabriel made a sound as if he was thinking for a moment.
âSince Eve is so famous, itâs impossible within the Empire⊠I have to go back to my hometown.â
âThe Kingdom of Bynell?â
When I asked furtively, he nodded his head and added.
âYes. My dear parents have laid the foundation for me to manage my wealth without difficulty even if I changed my body many times, isnât that tear-jerking?â
As I tapped the vial, the small vial made of glass shattered as soon as it fell to the floor.
ââŠIâll follow you, but thereâs one condition.â
âWhat is it?â
âMy family will be worried if I disappear like this. Iâm sure you donât want to get in trouble for looking for me, do you? So, before you go to the Kingdom of Bynell, let me see Ophelia.â
There was silence for a moment.
âI must look like an idiot in Eveâs eyes.â
ââŠI donât think itâs such an unreasonable request to let me meet my sister.â
Gabriel shook his head.
âIâm sure youâll inform your sister at all costs. And now, isnât Eveâs sister Sir Davidâs wife, who has access to the Dukeâs private troops?â
ââŠ.â
âDrink.â
Saying that, he pulled a vial from her bosom once more. It was a glass vial, no different from before.
âI knew Eve would break them, so I prepared ten.â
I stared at the vial.
On the surface, it would seem like I was refusing, but in reality, I was thinking about whether it would be beneficial for me to follow Gabriel to the Kingdom of Bynell.
âEven when he was Lucifer Bynell, his identity was Gabriel, so of course, there must be clues in his old house where he originally lived.â
The problem was, if I stayed at Gabrielâs house, my false pregnancy would be exposed in no time⊠no, I would already be caught during the trip.
Having finally come to a conclusion, I looked straight at Gabriel.
âI wonât drink it.â
Gabriel nodded.
âI thought youâd say that, Eve.â
âYouâll let me leave at least one letter, right?â
âOf course.â
At my question, he burst out laughing.
âIf Eve wasnât going to write it, I was thinking of writing it instead.â
Gabriel paused for a moment before opening his mouth again, âLetâs write something that me and Eve can agree on, what do you think?â
I nodded.
Well, what could I do? I didnât have a choice.
Ë ïœ„: * â§ * : Ë
âThis is ridiculous, sister isâŠ!â
When Ophelia heard that Evelyn Garneid had abruptly left the house, she staggered in shock.
All that was left was a letter.
It only contained an unfulfilled promise that she was thankful for the time being, and that sheâd return one day.
âAs expected, you havenât heard anything either.â
Count Garneid nodded grimly.
âI thought maybe she might have contacted you separately, but she didnâtâŠâ
âNo, I also heard about this for the first time. SisterâŠâ
âBy any chance, have you ever heard anything before? Itâs okay to talk to me about anything. I know youâve been through a lot, but if you know anything⊠please tell me.â
ââŠ.â
Ophelia swallowed dry saliva.
After her marriage, Count and Countess Garneid treated her like their own. In other words, even if she called Evelyn her older sister, she was treated with no restraint.
âSister didnât want to leave, and thereâs a reason for her not to leave.â
âWhat is that?â
Ophelia lowered her head.
ââŠShould I tell them?â
Even Evelyn herself didnât seem to be aware of it, so should she dare say it?
âSister truly loves⊠Lord Cassius with all her heart.â
Opheliaâs trembling trailed off into thin air.
âSo⊠sheâd never have left on her own accord.â