Chapter 10

Evelyn, who jumped up in shock, was restrained by Seth.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine!”

Everything was ruined; how could it be fine?

The King, who had been staring at Evelyn in her flustered state, turned her gaze to Seth.

“You didn’t tell her anything, did you?”

“I thought you might punish her for the crime of leaking classified information, Your Majesty.”

“Always scheming unnecessarily. That’s why I dislike you.”

Listening to the conversation between the two, Evelyn tried to make sense of the situation. Something about the atmosphere felt off. Judging by Seth’s calm demeanor, it seemed he had anticipated this would happen.

At that moment, the King extended her hand toward her. Her long, knuckled fingers bore a single silver ring. The plain ring, devoid of any gemstones, sparkled as if it emitted its own light.

“This is the Ring of the Sovereign. It’s a royal artifact passed down through the royal family, compelling the person before it to speak only the truth.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t know about Divine Artifacts? They’re treasures imbued with the power of the gods. They possess their own will, choose their master, and lend their power.”

The King explained, treating Evelyn as though she were utterly ignorant.

Hearing the term ‘Divine Artifact,” Evelyn vaguely recalled something. She had read about it in a history book at the mansion. It was a tale about some benevolent deity who gave five treasures to a person, and with those, they built an entire kingdom.

She had thought it was akin to a myth, like the legend of Dangun, and never imagined such items actually existed.

And a ring that compelled one to speak only the truth? Why was something like that here?

To be honest, Evelyn herself had a mind-reading ability, so it wasn’t strange for a treasure with a similar power to exist.

However, her ability required physical contact to activate. A power like the King’s ring, which worked unconditionally, was completely unfair.

‘Wait, isn’t this a crisis?’

If she wasn’t careful, secrets about Bran or even her own abilities could be exposed. If things went terribly wrong, she might even be accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake.

Snapping back to her senses, Evelyn shouted at Seth.

“It’s not too late! Hurry, knock me out!”

“Eve, calm down.”

“I might spill all my secrets! Ahhh! Why did I say that?!”

Evelyn slapped her mouth with her hand. She had only ever seen others fall victim to her ability, never imagining she’d experience something similar herself. It was utterly excruciating.

Watching Evelyn flail about, the King’s expression turned intrigued.

“Oh-ho, now I’m very curious about these secrets.”

Determined to faint, Evelyn kicked Seth’s leg. With a sigh, Seth pulled her into a tight embrace, immobilizing her.

“Shh, it’s fine. Just stay still.”

“Ugh!”

He was so strong that Evelyn felt like she might be crushed. Alarmed by her limp state, Seth loosened his grip and, for some reason, blamed the King.

“You’re being cruel. I already told you she’s my fiancée.”

“She isn’t until I acknowledge her.”

“Even if you opposes it, Your Majesty, nothing will change.”

“You’ve grown quite arrogant. Do you think I can’t do anything to you?”

Caught in the middle of their argument, Evelyn felt like a krill stuck between two whales. Unable to breathe, she desperately pleaded.

“While you two are talking, can I wait outside?”

Sharp gazes immediately turned toward her. Regretting her words, Evelyn pretended to play dead.

“This is going nowhere. Fine, I’ll make a concession.”

The King smiled generously. But her words were anything but merciful.

“Evelyn Gran. I will ask you three questions. If you give even one answer that satisfies me, I’ll acknowledge you. But if you fail, I’ll take your life.”

“…?”

What? Isn’t that just a roundabout way of saying she’ll kill me?

“Your Majesty.”

“Whatever you say, I will test her. If you have no intention of rebelling, do not interfere.”

The King cut Seth off before he could say more. With a sigh, Seth spoke.

“In that case, please modify the conditions.”

“I have no intention of making further concessions.”

“If any of her answers fail to satisfy, I will offer my arm in her place.”

What? What did he just offer?

Unlike Evelyn, who was utterly shocked, the King sneered.

“Your arm in exchange for her life? Isn’t that too light?”

“If even one of her three answers fails to satisfy, I will cut off my right arm.”

The conditions had worsened!

Flustered, Evelyn jabbed Seth’s side repeatedly. But Seth didn’t budge.

After a moment of silence, the King asked in a cold voice.

“Cutting off your right arm… Are you saying you’re willing to give up your life as a swordsman?”

“With all due respect, I don’t believe I’ll lose.”

“You’re quite confident. Very well.”

“I’m not okay with this!”

Evelyn shouted urgently. Things were progressing too quickly for her to keep up. But one thing was clear: this needed to stop.

Grabbing Seth’s arm, Evelyn shook it furiously and scolded him.

“Why are you calmly losing your mind all of a sudden?!”

“It’s better for me to lose an arm than for you to die.”

“No, it’s not better at all!”

Who sacrifices an arm to save a mere slave? 

Even if the King acknowledged it, Evelyn couldn’t.

“Just call off the engagement! Your Majesty, I resign as his fiancée!”

“Do you think you can simply withdraw from an engagement that the entire nation knows about? Do you want to be torn limb from limb for insulting the King?”

The King’s face looked like a volcano about to erupt. Overwhelmed by her authority, Evelyn shrank back. Her gaze bore into her with murderous intent.

“You have only two options. Take my test, or die for deceiving the King.”

Evelyn was terrified. Even though she knew death wasn’t the end, she couldn’t help being scared. She wasn’t brave enough to say, ‘I’ll just die so the Duke can keep his arm.’ Trembling like a leaf, Evelyn felt Seth’s hand gently rest on her shoulder.

“It’s fine. Trust me.”

“I-I’m the one who has to answer, though.”

“I’ve placed my bet on you winning. And I’ve never lost a gamble.”

His low voice carried a hint of amus*ment. Laughing in this situation seemed absurd, yet Evelyn felt her trembling subside. She whispered softly.

“Do you really think I can win?”

“Yes.”

Seth answered without hesitation. She didn’t know what he was basing his confidence on, but Evelyn wanted to trust him too. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back.

“Alright, fine. Let’s do this.”

Seth, smiling faintly, released her. Trying her best to appear confident, Evelyn declared.

“I will take your test, Your Majesty.”

“There’s no need to be so tense. If you have no ulterior motives, you’ll pass easily.”

The King’s voice softened slightly. But Evelyn couldn’t let her guard down. Clenching her fists tightly, she waited for the first question. After a brief pause, the King asked.

“What do you think of Seth?”

“A handsome pervert.”

…What?

The words burst out without a moment’s hesitation, and Evelyn’s face turned pale.

“No! That wasn’t my true feelings! I thought he was a twisted personality who enjoys poking and tormenting others, but I didn’t think he was a pervert!”

It’s over! I had failed the first question!

Covering her face with her hands, Evelyn let out a silent scream. The King stared at her expressionlessly, making it impossible to read his thoughts.

Turning her head, she found Seth looking at her with the same expressionless face as the King.

“Eve, is that really what you think of me?”

“…Your Majesty, I’ll just die now.”

Seeing Evelyn flailing in despair, the King lowered her head slightly, her shoulders shaking. Evelyn widened her eyes and stared at her.

Did she just laugh? Does that mean I’m innocent?

“I’ll ask the second question.”

However, when the King raised her head, there wasn’t a trace of a smile on her face. It seemed she had been too nervous and misread the situation. Feeling dejected, Evelyn quietly clasped her hands and waited for the next question.

The King stared at her intently before speaking.

“Why did you agree to act as a stand-in if you dislike Seth so much?”

“Excuse me? I don’t dislike the Duke. Of course, he does say rude things just because he’s handsome, he’s a workaholic who neglects others, and he does thoughtless things like suddenly throwing people in front of wild beasts, but that doesn’t mean I hate him. He’s the one who saved me, so I’m grateful to him. The reason I agreed to act as his stand-in was because I wanted to repay his kindness.”

Wow, the human subconscious is terrifying. Things she hadn’t even consciously thought about are coming out so smoothly. Listening to her own words and realizing, ‘Oh, so that’s how I felt,’ was a very strange experience.

“If it’s not a lie, then it’s a foolish sentiment. Repaying kindness? That’s like a pig bought to be slaughtered thanking its owner.”

The King openly mocked her. It seemed she didn’t know that Seth had promised to secure her brother’s future. Honestly, even if Seth had bought her with the intention of using her, Evelyn didn’t care. He was the only person who had reached out to her when she needed help.

In any case, the second question and answer were over. Only the final question remained. Too scared to look back at Seth, Evelyn just wanted everything to end quickly. The King, who had been stroking her chin as if deep in thought, finally asked.

“Evelyn Gran, have you ever thought about seducing Seth and becoming the real Duchess?”