The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 59

The next day, the eagle, whose name was Evelyn, cautiously approached Eagleheart. Evelyn smiled playfully and asked, “Eagleheart, why do you look at people like that? It’s quite intimidating.”

Eagleheart snorted. “Intimidating, huh?”

Sophie, who had been playing with her friend Libe nearby, turned around and asked with a warm smile, “Miss, what would you like as a birthday gift this year?”

Eagleheart was taken aback by Sophie’s question and jumped slightly.

“Human, is it your birthday today? I heard humans consider birthdays important.”

Evelyn burst into laughter, watching Eagleheart’s discomfort.

“It’s not my birthday today. It’s still a long way off.”

Sophie chimed in, “It’s not that far off. We can celebrate your birthday here, Miss.”

Evelyn’s expression hardened at Sophie’s words. Even Arthur, who had been quietly listening, couldn’t resist joining the conversation. “A birthday is a birthday, isn’t it? Are there fake birthdays and real birthdays?”

Arthur scratched his head, muttering, “Madam, I’d like to give you a gift. When is your real birthday?”

Evelyn wore a guilty expression and stammered, “You don’t have to bother with something like a birthday. Even when I was at the Duke’s estate, they never celebrated it separately. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.”

Arthur protested vehemently, “Unbelievable! The Duke, with all his wealth, never celebrated his only daughter’s birthday?”

Tension hung in the air. Arthur immediately regretted his outburst and covered his mouth with his hand. After a moment, he apologized to Evelyn with a crestfallen look.

“I’m sorry, Madam. I got carried away.”

Seeing the sincere young man before her, Evelyn couldn’t help but smile.

“He’s such an adorable boy. I wish our Libe could grow up like Arthur,” Evelyn thought to herself.

Evelyn glanced around at her surroundings, taking in Sophie, her three dedicated bodyguards, or rather, her three loyal companions, and her precious son, Libe. No matter what anyone said, these were her family in this grand ducal palace. Evelyn decided to be a bit more candid in front of her beloved people.

“In truth,” she began, and everyone pretended not to listen while eagerly perking up their ears.

“My birthday is the same as my father’s. It’s quite unfortunate that someone as insignificant as me was born on the same day as the Duke. So, I’ve never had a birthday party on the day I was born.”

Evelyn spoke calmly, as if she held no grudges or regrets. But Arthur, who was listening, couldn’t hold back. He roared with indignation.

“Who in their right mind would say such nonsense? Did my lady choose to be born on that day? They decide it themselves, and then they talk nonsense!”

Bellina chimed in, “That’s right, my lady. What you say is absolute nonsense.”

Eagleheart interjected, “It’s been a while since I heard such human-like words, Bear-cub. When the big human marches into Marvus Castle, I’ll make sure to chew that damned noble thoroughly.”

Evelyn burst into laughter, and her spirit lifted for the first time in a while. The somber mood from last night seemed to have disappeared, thanks to her precious companions.

With a gleam in his eye, Arthur asked, “Madam, this time, we’re celebrating your birthday. This isn’t Maduse Castle; it’s Ajauntice Grand Ducal Palace. You can do whatever you like.”

Everyone enthusiastically clapped and cheered, but Evelyn shook her head. “My father’s birthday is an important day here. I know you all mean well, but please don’t make a fuss.”

Arthur exchanged knowing glances with Sophie, who was familiar with Evelyn’s preferences. Sophie spoke up, “Miss, it’s okay to at least enjoy some delicious food. We can ask the chef from the main house to make a small cake for us.”

Evelyn lowered her head and replied, “Well, if you insist.”

Evelyn stubbornly shook her head. “It’s because the young master and I want to enjoy it. You remember, right? Our young master, he’s quite the cake enthusiast.”

Arthur and Bellina burst into laughter. It had not been long after they became her bodyguards that Nazz sent a cake to comfort the wounded Evelyn. They all remembered Libe crying while trying to use a fork, mimicking his mom, who was sobbing.

“Didn’t I fall for our young master back then?” Arthur reminisced with a happy smile.

“Alright then, let’s just have one cake.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure it’s delicious,” Sophie replied, her eyes exchanging silent signals with the others, leaving Evelyn out of the loop.

While the others exchanged knowing glances, Evelyn was lost in thought. “A birthday, a birthday. Didn’t Father mention something about a letter?”

Suddenly, Evelyn broke into a bright smile, leaving everyone puzzled. Eagleheart cocked his head curiously. “Why are you smiling so strangely?”

“I just had a good idea,” Evelyn replied.

The eagle raised an eyebrow. “What good idea?”

“It seems like a good opportunity to test the ring’s abilities.”

While in Ajauntice Grand Ducal Palace, she couldn’t ask for gifts for herself, considering she was supposed to be a sinner. But didn’t the Marquis say he wanted to see his illegitimate daughter? She thought it was only fair to ask for a birthday gift from her father or her stepmother.

With determination in her heart, Evelyn called for Sophie. “Sophie, prepare to send a letter.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Brother, you can look forward to what I’ll do,” Evelyn thought with a smile as she watched Sophie run off, as if she were flying.

Back in her room, Evelyn dipped her quill in ink and began writing a letter. Eagleheart sat beside her, watching with curious eyes.

“I’ve never seen you write anything before,” he remarked.

“I’m not good at writing, and I have no one to send letters to,” Evelyn replied.

She paused their conversation and started composing her letter in the Empire’s common language.

{ Dearest Father and Dearest Brother, I hope you are both in good health. }

After the greeting, Eagleheart pretended to cough.

“People usually write like this,” Evelyn explained, undeterred.

She continued writing diligently.

{ I am doing well, just as always. With Father’s birthday approaching, I find myself missing our hometown dearly. }

“Eagleheart, you’re quite the critic,” Evelyn teased.

“People always write like this,” Eagleheart retorted.

Ignoring Eagleheart, Evelyn added the final sentence, which was the crux of her letter.

{ There is one gift I wish to receive from you, dear brother, and I kindly request that it be sent to the Grand Ducal Palace. }

“Human, let me see it too. What gift do you want from your brother?” Eagleheart inquired.

“You’ll find out later,” Evelyn replied with a self-assured smile.

A few days later, Ilya found Evelyn, just as he had mentioned before. The place he had summoned her to was not the Grand Duke’s study, bedroom, or even the tower. It was the workshop behind the mansion where the stonemasons worked.

Evelyn, her face hidden behind a white veil, asked Bellina, “Why did His Grace summon me there?”

“He’s having a statue made to send to the Marquis of Maduse,” Bellina replied.

“Finally, are we going to have a showdown with those Marvus people? I’m going too!” the knights exclaimed excitedly.

Bellina wore an awkward expression as she recalled the knights’ enthusiastic reactions. When Evelyn saw her face, she had a hunch that today, too, she would spend an unusual time.

Evelyn deliberately spoke cheerfully, “Well, we’ll find out when we get there. Let’s go quickly.”

The workshop of the stonemasons was filled with dust and debris from the moment they entered. Half-naked stonemasons, each wielding hammers and chisels, were shaping massive stones.

Thunk, thunk, thunk! The sound of massive stones being struck and chiseled on anvils resembled thunderbolts.

Overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sight, Evelyn briefly forgot why she had been brought here. The stonemasons stopped their work and scrutinized Evelyn. The noble lady in her white veil seemed out of place amidst the rough surroundings. In the midst of their grumbling, the familiar words reached her ears.

Maduse’ witch, enemy, former Grand Duke…

Bellina stepped in front of Evelyn, eyeing the stonemasons warily. The stonemasons yielded to Bellina’s intimidating presence and turned back to their work.

“You arrived quickly,” a long shadow fell before her. She looked up and saw the familiar face of a man. Today, just like before, he wore an inscrutable expression as he greeted Evelyn.

He extended a hand towards her. After a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand on his arm, and they began to walk.

“This is what I wanted to show you,” he said.

A hazy shade of green? No, it was more like emerald. He came to a halt in front of the statue emitting a vivid emerald glow. The statue was of a similar height to Evelyn, but due to the blue crown it wore on its head, it appeared to match Ilya’s height.

Evelyn blinked as she gazed at the statue, sensing a familiarity she couldn’t quite place. It was a blue-crowned priest. The priest with the blue crown, that was the Marquis of Maduse’ emblem.

“Father… you’re sending this as a gift?” she asked.

“Yes, for our dear artisan. I specially prepared this gift. This emerald stone is a specialty of the Grand Duchy,” he explained about the stone, but it didn’t register in Evelyn’s ears.

“It’s not just about sending this, is it? What’s the real gift?” she thought.

With a sardonic laugh, he said, “Evelyn, step back.”

She took a few steps back as directed by Bellina, who approached with a worried look. His figure appeared small from where she stood.

Ilya turned to face Evelyn and smiled. His smile, bathed in the noonday sun, was exceptionally refreshing, though strangely out of place for this setting.

He turned back around and faced the statue, drawing a knife from his waist. The sharp blade glinted, causing Evelyn to close her eyes intermittently. As he swung the knife through the air, something flashed, and in an instant, the statue’s neck separated from its body and rolled onto the ground with a dull thud.

The entire event happened so quickly that, to the untrained eye, it was impossible to comprehend what had just occurred.

From behind Evelyn, a gentle voice spoke, “Madam, you don’t need to see this.”

Bellina, who had been standing behind her, placed a reassuring hand on Evelyn’s shoulder.

“No, I must see it. If I don’t, then who will?” Evelyn replied.

“Exactly. If you don’t see it, who else in this Grand Duchy will?” Ilya said, stepping quickly toward Evelyn. He extended his arm once more. She placed her hand on his arm and walked with him towards the location of the statue.

“Madam, how do you like my craftsmanship? I carved it with a knife,” he said as they approached. When seen from a distance, it wasn’t apparent, but the cut on the statue’s neck was incredibly clean.

The man’s face, visible through the white veil, was enigmatic. His expression didn’t seem joyful at all, yet he was shouting in a manner that suggested amusement.

Evelyn averted her gaze from the man in front of her, her eyes focusing elsewhere.