The End of Your Arrogance - 42.2

With a chuckle, Nikolas rushed towards the stables to fetch the horses. The two of them stood there, waiting for our gracious hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Donner, to bid us farewell.

“They asked us to wait for a moment. I wonder what they have in store,” Evelyn mused.

“Perhaps they have something delectable to offer us?” Nikolas suggested with a grin.

True to Nikolas’s prediction, the hostess emerged, clutching something in her hands. 

“I’ve prepared this for you to enjoy on your journey back.”

An enticing aroma wafted through the air. “I’ll savor every bite. Thank you,” Evelyn expressed her gratitude.

As she held the still-warm lunchbox in her hands, a comforting warmth spread through her heart.

“Remember to come and visit us again,” the hostess said, waving her hand cheerfully.

“Yes, I promise to return,” Evelyn replied.

With a wave of her hand, the hostess bid farewell, and the gentleman who appeared later followed suit.

It had only been two days, yet the moments Evelyn spent with Pia, filled with laughter and tears, felt invaluable. A smile graced her face as she reminisced about those enchanting moments. But now it was time to return to being Evelyn Maduse.

****

As they reached the Grand Citadel, the culmination of their arduous journey, a mixture of relief and frustration washed over Evelyn. She stood before the castle gate, watching Navaron and Aelon fade into the distance as they exchanged their farewells.

“Whoa, whoa!” Nikolas, who had been charging like a tempest from the city gates to the castle, finally slowed his pace.

“Pia, once we pass the grand cathedral, we’ll be nearing the towering Mage Tower,” Nikolas remarked. True to his words, two imposing and slender towers came into view, reminding Evelyn that she had returned home.

Clang, clank, clank.

From somewhere nearby, the delightful laughter of young women reached their ears. 

“This isn’t the place one would expect such sounds,” Evelyn commented.

“You’re right,” Nikolas agreed.

As they pondered the source of the laughter, the mysterious voices drew closer. A group of elegantly dressed women emerged from the cathedral, their voices filling the air.

“Oh, I had no desire to encounter her,” Nikolas mumbled, as if foretelling his impending fate. Evelyn glanced ahead to see who he was referring to.

“I share the sentiment, but what can we do?” Evelyn sighed, resigned to their fate.

Recognizing Nikolas, the women approached them. “Well, well, what do we have here? 

Let us descend.”

With a swift motion, Nikolas gracefully dismounted, assisting Evelyn in her descent. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Evelyn adjusted her robe with determination.

“And who might you be? Lord Lauren, if I’m not mistaken,” Nikolas addressed the woman before him, wearing a warm smile.

“Countess Glenn, it has been quite some time. I hope you have been faring well,” Nikolas greeted her, bestowing a gentle kiss upon the back of her hand. Selis’s face bloomed with a radiant smile.

“Please grace us with your presence more often. The young ladies of the Grand Dominion eagerly await your company,” Selis remarked, causing the young women behind her to blush.

“But who is this young lady beside you?” Selis inquired, her gaze shifting to Evelyn, who stood there with a modest bow.

“She is my subordinate. There is no need for you to be concerned about her,” Nikolas assured her.

Selis narrowed her eyes. “Hmm, she doesn’t appear to be a knight. Yet, if she is under your command, I am curious to catch a glimpse of the face concealed beneath the robe.”

The palm clutching the robe grew damp with sweat, and Evelyn’s mind raced with tension. 

“I’m supposed to be the subordinate of the Grand Temple Knight Commander. Should I forcibly remove the robe? But what if they insist on seeing me without it?” 

After contemplating for a while, she remembered a forgotten fact. 

“Ah! I am an illusionist. I can alter my face and voice to appear as someone else.” 

Perhaps due to the struggles of the past few days, she had gained a sliver of confidence in her abilities. With determination, Evelyn prepared herself. Meanwhile, Nikolas intervened, blocking the path between her and Selis.

“Madam, that might be rather inconvenient. This child has a prominent scar on her face,” Nikolas explained. At the mention of the scar, Selis’s lips momentarily twitched, but she quickly regained her composed countenance, befitting a seasoned noblewoman.

“Since you are a gracious lady, I trust you will understand,” Nikolas smiled, radiating warmth more than usual. Selis surrendered to his affectionate smile, as if beholding her beloved.

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Selis conceded, though her gaze remained fixed on Evelyn. “But who is this child? May I not know at least that much?”

“She is an illusionist,” Nikolas replied. The murmurs of intrigue spread through the crowd, and Selis herself showed a glimmer of interest, her eyes narrowing.

“Then you must be able to conjure rabbits and birds, I presume?” she quipped.

“I can even create a dancing spectacle for the grand ball!” Evelyn exclaimed. The young maidens behind Selis grew excited and let out cheers. When Selis raised her hand, the maids fell silent.

“In that case, I will soon arrange a gathering and request your presence with the child,” Selis proposed. Evelyn’s eyes widened at the mention of a gathering.

“A gathering…?” she murmured.

“We frequently host tea parties with these young maidens. Having an illusionist among us would provide added entertainment, don’t you think?” The laughter vanished from Nikolas’s face.

“My lady, my subordinate…” Nikolas began, his voice trailing off.

“Very well, then. I shall do as you wish, my lady,” he conceded. Nikolas looked at Evelyn with astonishment. Her voice, fractured and unlike her own, sounded completely different.

“Very well, I have had enough fun,” Selis said as she bid farewell to Nikolas.

“I shall take my leave now.”

“Very well, please take care.”

Nikolas stared at Evelyn in disbelief. Her voice, which was now splitting at the seams, sounded nothing like her original tone.

“Alright, Pia, let’s finally head home,” he sighed, mounting Evelyn and racing toward the Mage tower.