The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 44.1

Evelyn approached him, who was sitting in the bathtub, step by step.

“Your Highness.”

She sat behind him, placed her hand on his bare shoulder, and tilted his head up to look at Evelyn.

“I’ll trim your hair for you.”

He stared at Evelyn as if wondering what she was up to, then lowered his head and mumbled.

“Do as you please.”

Evelyn held the soap she had used to wash Libe just moments ago and lathered up her hands. She inserted her fingers between the wet strands of hair and began to scratch her scalp. As smooth locks wrapped around her fingers, Evelyn applied pressure and massaged firmly.

“I will deliver your message exactly as you said to the Lady. She will be very pleased.”

“Fine, you may leave.”

The Court Lady watched the couple for a while, then turned away. llya’s body seemed to grow weaker as time went on. It was fascinating to see a fierce man like him entrust his body to her hands and stay still. Evelyn firmly rubbed the nape of his neck with her soapy hand. It was so hard that her fingertips began to ache.

“It’s as hard as a rock. No wonder you have a constant headache.”

“…”

Evelyn poured warm water over his head. She poured water several times and massaged his scalp until all the foam disappeared. The sound of water filled the garden on this moonlit night.

“Sit up straight.”

Evelyn decided to exert a little more strength for the pitiful man. After all, he had taken care of her legs that night, so this was repayment. She picked up a towel and vigorously dried his hair, repeatedly doing the same task due to the thick strands, unlike Libe’s soft locks, which were like feathers.

As the moisture in his hair reached an optimal level, Evelyn cast a piercing gaze upon his nape and shoulders. She tightened her fingers, readying herself, before meticulously pouring her attention from the base of his neck to the expanse of his shoulders.

“Ah, what manner of woman possesses such formidable strength?” he mused, a hint of astonishment lacing his voice.

“Endure it,” Evelyn replied curtly, her countenance reflecting a steely resolve. She pressed firmly on the junction where his neck melded seamlessly into his broad shoulders.

The once languid countenance of Ilya seemed to elongate as he reclined amidst the water’s embrace. He, too, closed his eyes, engrossed in his thoughts, before he broke the tranquil silence with a question.

“Regarding that barrier, what became of the ring?” His voice was tinged with a curious yearning, as if peering into a veil of unseen possibilities.

“I am as clueless as you, my lord,” Evelyn admitted with a faint shrug. “The ring seemed to beckon to me, and upon donning it, as you witnessed, events began to unfold.”

“Undoubtedly, there must be some significance in Oden’s choice to deliver it,” he murmured, his voice awash with an undercurrent of speculation.

Evelyn, too, had found herself plagued by a persistent curiosity, ruminating over the enigma during her absence. Alas, the elusive truth remained beyond her grasp, teasingly shrouded in the mists of uncertainty.

“It is but an ordinary ring, bereft of any precious gemstones, merely one of the Marquis of Maduse’s many treasures,” she offered, her tone tinged with a sense of resignation.

“Well, regardless, now that the barrier has been breached, the die is cast,” Ilya proclaimed nonchalantly, his voice betraying a hint of relief.

“I am grateful for your assistance in this matter,” Evelyn interjected, her words carrying a weight of sincere gratitude. “This entire undertaking owes its success to your intervention. Should there be any desires unfulfilled, pray, speak them aloud.”

In that moment, Evelyn’s very being seemed to freeze, as if suspended in time, as she contemplated her deepest yearnings.

What is it that I truly desire? [peak, reveal thyself, whatever it may be.

Shall I hold you close, within the sanctuary of my embrace?

Once more, she knew that her heart would be vulnerable, just as it had been on that fateful night. However…

“Why do you hesitate?” Ilya’s voice, resonant and commanding, resounded through the air, causing Evelyn’s fingers, which had been leisurely traversing his bare shoulders, to falter.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Evelyn summoned the courage to unburden her soul.

“I yearn to attend Aunt’s soirée, assuming as Pia,” she confided, her words filled with an earnest longing.

Suddenly, the once-relaxed gaze of the enigmatic man underwent a swift metamorphosis, his eyes sharpening to a piercing intensity.

“What? That is out of the question,” he declared vehemently, the firmness of his stance underscoring his refusal.

Evelyn did not falter this time, perhaps emboldened by an unseen reserve of courage. She stood her ground, her resolve unyielding.

“I encountered Aunt during my return journey. She expressed a need for an illusionist to provide entertainment.”

“Even with that fool Nikolas by your side, she dared to utter such nonsense?”

“She invited us to join the soirée together.”

In an instant, Ilya swiftly turned his body and seized Evelyn’s arm, pulling her into the open-air bath.

With a splash, Evelyn was dragged into the water, struggling to regain her balance as she glared at him.

“What on earth are you doing?” she demanded, her voice filled with indignation.

Ilya snarled fiercely. “So you’re willing to go with that man? Pretending to be another woman?”

“It has nothing to do with Lord Captain! As Pia, I have a better chance of unraveling the clues, so that’s why…”

Cutting off her words as if they held no value, he interjected, “If you insist on going there, go as Evelyn Maduse.”

His face blurred into a haze.

The water was too hot; that’s why I’m not crying.

“You know nothing.”

Before his long war and return to this castle, Selice held frequent parties, inviting the noblewomen and the elite. Evelyn, too, was invited to these gatherings each time.

Standing like a statue, she would silently pray for time to pass quickly when she heard the malevolent whispers.

<How would the daughter of a traitor feel in a place like this?>

<“If I were in her position, I would have already taken the child and leaped into the riverbank.”>

“On that night, witnessing Libe sobbing as if her throat was being torn apart, I…”

“Ah!”

Ilya forcefully pulled the arm he was holding. Evelyn found herself instantly trapped in his embrace. As his wet chest touched her face, she felt dazed.