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There are some things in the world that you never get used to, no matter how many times they happen.
As I shook my hand, which was tied to the bed, it made a squeaking sound.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit much to tie me up like this?”
“If we don’t do this, Eve’s going to run away.”
Gabriel replied in a voice so soft that it gave goosebumps.
“….”
I turned my head, feeling pathetic about my current situation.
‘I thought this would never happen again…’
Gabriel lifted me out of bed.
“Eve, don’t you feel stuffy? Let’s go for a walk together.”
“…I might run away.”
“No way.”
Saying that, he shook his head and went on.
“Why would you try to run away when you know you’ll be caught away? I don’t think Eve would be that stupid.”
I pursed my lips.
To my indignation, Gabriel knew me all too well.
“Okay, let’s go for a walk.”
In any case, knowing what was around here would increase my chances of escaping.
Why haven’t I given up yet? Just because the chances of escaping his grasp seemed slim, I couldn’t give up.
‘And, if I’m not mistaken…’
Ophelia must have realized that there was something odd about my letter. No, she probably noticed right away that the fact that I ran away was strange since I was certain she was fully aware how hard I worked to save Cassius, and she would ask Sir David for help.
‘They will definitely come for me, so I have to get away before we cross over into the Kingdom of Bynell.’
I couldn’t help but laugh because the situation seemed to be reversed from before.
“You must be feeling good to come outside.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“You’re increasing my chances of getting away from you, so it’s nice to have a little hope.”
That’s very much like Eve.”
Gabriel laughed.
“It makes me feel good to see you have energy. It’s a long way to my hometown, so it’d be a very difficult trip with a broken-hearted companion.”
“Isn’t it just the Kingdom of Bynell?”
“Well, it’s in there, but…”
He paused for a moment.
“I’m sorry, Eve. I can’t really explain it in words. Just go and you’ll find out.”
I frowned.
What kind of nonsense was he talking about?
˚ ･: * ✧ * :･ ˚
In conclusion, it wasn’t nonsense.
‘…Oh, my God.’
I swallowed dry saliva.
‘This is everything… that Gabriel’s parents left for him?’
A chill ran down my spine. It wasn’t because the weather had been cold lately. This place had nothing to do with the weather…
…Because it was underground.
“Do you like it?”
Out of the blue, Gabriel parted his lips and asked.
“I hope you like it, Eve, because it’s where you’ll live for the rest of your life.”
“In a place like this, for the rest of my life?”
My voice quivered by itself.
…An underworld created by digging and blasting stones. Even though it was a luxurious space, the only living beings in sight were Gabriel and I.
“Of course.”
Nodding his head, he continued.
“This is where we’re going to spend the rest of our lives. So, what do you think? Do you like our new honeymoon home?”
My body shuddered on its own.
…A honeymoon house?
Even though I didn’t want to take this madman’s words seriously, Gabriel’s words sounded more sincere than ever.
“I’m not listening.”
“That’s too bad, but it doesn’t matter. You can bring whatever you want here. If there’s something Eve wants, just tell me and I’ll bring it to you right away.”
“Why, in a place like this… are you trying to spend the rest of your life? You have a lot of money, so you can live anywhere you want!”
Gabriel tilted his head.
“This is where I want to be. I’m sure Eve will like it too, you just didn’t realize how good this place is yet.”
“….”
I clamped my mouth shut.
While being dragged this far, I’ve tried countless times to escape though everything went in vain, and I ended up here. Most of all, the most bitter of all happened a week ago.
…Gabriel had noticed that I wasn’t pregnant.
“So, you mean it was all lies from the beginning?”
“…I had a miscarriage.”
“You’re lying. If that’s the case, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known.”
Gabriel smiled with his eyes widening like a snake’s.
“Now, I see that Eve really did love Cassius Brudenell.”
“I didn’t love him, I just… couldn’t let him die because of me.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
He smirked before opening his mouth again.
“So, you’re saying I can be both Eve’s first and last love?”
Then, that gaze was stuck on my stomach.
“One day, the day will come when Eve will give birth to my child.”
“…Wake up from your dreams.”
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of forcing you to do anything.”
“….”
“Why would I do that? Eve will want me soon.”
I slowly stared at the wall. It was a hard, bumpy, grayish wall, just like the situation I was in.
Hopelessly tight and unresolvable situations.
“I can’t live my whole life in a place like this. If it were you, would you be able to live alone in a place like this yourself?”
“I can’t live alone, isn’t that a given?”
Gabriel’s tone was like he was asking the obvious.
“But now, I have Eve… my destined mate!”
“….”
I gritted my teeth.
Ever since I learned that Gabriel was the one responsible for me being trapped in Evelyn’s body, there had been a nagging thought.
‘…He said that the wavelength of the soul was right. Is that why I came to this world?’
If so, wouldn’t it be possible for me to return to my original body when I sent Gabriel back to his original body? Perhaps the last chance to escape from this crazy world was right in front of me? Nevertheless, it was a method that was close to impossible since Gabriel’s original body would have rotted away by now.
‘And, my original body…’
Would it look the same by now?
As I buried my face in my hands, it didn’t take long to feel the dampness.
‘Ah, I want to go home.’
Not the house I used to live in every day before I became Evelyn. I was thinking of ‘Evelyn’s House.’
A house where Arfie wagged its tail to welcome me.
A home with parents who didn’t see eye to eye but still loved their daughter.
A home where I could invite Ophelia anytime, and she would come running, smiling…
Even though it was filled with all sorts of luxurious furnishings, it was a far cry from the cold, desolate house. All of a sudden, Gabriel took my hand and forcibly exposed my tear-stained face to the air.
“Don’t cry, Eve.”
It was a very sweet voice.
“When you cry like that, it makes me sad.”
“….”
I couldn’t have tumbled harder for the way he put his sadness ahead of my sadness. In the end, I coughed while clearing my throat.
“…I want to be alone.”
“Let me show you to Eve’s room.”
As Gabriel held my hand tightly as if he was excited and walked away with brisk steps, on the other hand, I was dragged along.
‘I can’t live my whole life in a place like this… I’ll definitely escape.’
…But how?
The entrance to this place was hidden deep in the mountains. To get there, we had to walk through long, complicated passageways that resembled a mine. Even if I wanted something, I couldn’t imagine how the hell I would transport it here.
“Here it is, do you like it?”
“It’s fine.”
I nodded and looked around.
Gabriel was very meticulous in his preparation, and the room was decorated to my usual taste, not too flashy but luxurious. In addition, there was also a novel I enjoyed reading, a painting that I mentioned in passing that I liked, and finally, a music sheet…
‘Music sheet…?’
I frowned.
I didn’t like music.
The fact that I was tone-deaf was even an open secret that no one in the Empire’s social circles wouldn’t know. Of course, it was also widely rumored that I was a musical genius even though I couldn’t sing.
Nonetheless, I couldn’t afford to look at the music sheet right now so I turned back to Gabriel.
“Thank you. Are you going to let me rest alone in the room now?”
“Of course.”
He nodded.
“It’s okay to walk around anywhere in this house, not just this room, but don’t try to go outside. This isn’t for me but for Eve’s sake, okay?”
…For my sake?
But instead of cursing, I gave him a light smile.
“That’s very generous of you.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Eve. Then, you should get some rest.”
I jumped up from my seat the moment he left the room and immediately scanned the room for something that could be used as a weapon. Of course, Gabriel wouldn’t have decorated the room so haphazardly, so I’d have to dig around to find a useful weapon.
‘…Maybe there isn’t.’
As I opened the drawers first, I froze.
Knock, knock, knock…
It was because I could hear the sound of someone knocking as if sending a signal.
The sound was coming from the floor.