The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 15.1

“Are you finished already?”

Evelyn nodded in reply to Ilya’s question. He had lost his appetite when he heard news of Odin’s arrival. On impulse, Evelyn gulped down the rest of her drink. A servant girl quickly refilled the glass. One, two, three glasses, down they went. Watching all this in silence, Ilya took the glass from her hands.

“I’m not drunk,” Evelyn interjected.

Ilya frowned at her flushed face, and ordered the knight standing behind him, “Tell him to come in.”

White as a ghost, Odin walked inside the restaurant. When he spotted Evelyn sitting next to Ilya, he could not help but be taken back.

Odin greeted him, “Why don’t you sit, brother-in-law.”

Gesturing with his gaze, a servant led Odin to a seat close to the entrance. Without warning, he punched the servant’s face and growled at Ilya. “How dare you…You cannot do this to an heir of Maduse.”

Ilya looked at him blankly. He repeated, “I told you to sit.”

His voice, lower than ever, echoed throughout the room. Gesturing once more with a cold gaze, a knight that had been standing by the entrance walked up behind Odin and pushed him down on his shoulders.

“How dare you!”

Odin struggled to break free, but he could not endure the strength pushing down on him.

“Do you care for a drink?” Ilya asked.

The servants hesitantly walked up to Odin to pour his drink.

“Ah, never mind. I shouldn’t be recommending a drink to someone who cannot duel because he is sick.”

Relieved, the servants shuffled back to their places.

Evelyn fell into deep thought as this short play unraveled before her. She knew Odin was short-tempered, unable to control his bursting anger at times… He looked strangely at unease as if he was possessed by something.

“The Royal Highness has sent a handwritten letter,” Odin finally said.

Ilya broke into a chuckle at the triumph in his voice. “I’ve received the letter as well,” he replied.

The Royal Highness had been pushing one of the daughters of the government to Ilya for marriage since his stay at Tatar. Since Evelyn had to disappear to make the daughter a royal princess, their interests aligned. The problem was the daughter’s young age: she was only 12. Though with royal blood running in her veins there was no need to hurry.

“Isn’t the most important thing the thoughts of the soon to be married?” Ilya asked.

“Their thoughts do not matter at all!”

Meeting her eyes, Ilya looked straight at Evelyn and asked, “Answer me this. Do you not want to stay with me?”

Evelyn shook her head. Odin grinded his teeth across them. Ilya pulled the tiny set of shoulders toward him. Evelyn froze at the sudden touch.

“If you want to go back… I will let you. What do you want?” he asked again.

His fingers brushed through the curls of her hair. Evelyn raised her gaze from his firm chest and looked at him. Hesitating for a moment, her voice could be barely heard.

“I want… to stay by your side.”

Her voice shook. She was drunk… So just this once, she thought. Quiet for a long time, she whispered, “Forever… with you.”

The fingers that combed through her hair stopped. She shouldn’t have said anything, she thought as she lowered her head. Ilya’s callused hand pulled her head to him. A melodic low note pierced her ears.

“Okay, together… forever.”

Evelyn’s head shot up, disbelieving the words that she had heard. Her heart hammered as if she had run a marathon when her eyes met his glowing, deep blue eyes.

Ilya set her back to stand after looking down at her flustered cheeks. Grabbing Evelyn’s arm, he walked to the entrance and looked back.

“Sorry but I’m in a hurry. You’ll understand, as I’m about to become a husband, brother-in-law.”

At their exit, the loud shatter of dishware breaking could be heard behind them.

* * *

Not a single word was exchanged between them as they walked past the dark hallway and up the long staircase. The knights who guarded his room looked surprised upon seeing Evelyn, but they were experienced – their faces were blank with expression once more.

“You have come,” greeted a knight.

Evelyn was suddenly swept into the room when she was staring blankly up at the enormous door.

“Liar.”

At the sigh that followed his word, Evelyn became startled and her body trembled.

“You’re always looking to escape,” Ilya said.

“It’s the right thing to do. People will… chase us out.”

She was close to sobbing. Maybe it was the alcohol, but her emotions were heightened more than usual.

“Liv is still young, but it will be alright… because you don’t have another child yet… because of my foolishness Liv…”

“You were and still will be my wife! It’s not like I had any other women.” He growled fiercely, grabbing her chin to make her face him. “Is it because I covered up that case?”

Her head dropped without a word.

“Those who tried to poison the child will pay.”

“You cannot… because you’re the prince of Ajauntice.”

The one who tried to poison Livell was an older brother of the guard who died because of Maduse’s betrayal. If Ilya attempted to dig deeper into the investigation not only would it agitate the Dark Forest Knights, but the whole patriarchy would quake.

He would not make such a political risk for his son. Although she knew it was the logical thing to do, she still resented him with her heart.