Without any further explanation, it was clear who had sent the bloody warning card.

Kay sighed and shook his head while Abigail opened her eyes wide and asked Victor:

“If you already knew, why did you call us, Cousin Duke?”

“Because I can’t do everything myself. And the people of Hessen shouldn’t know about this.”

Otherwise, it would reach Eve’s ears too.

“Abigail, you said you know the wandering gypsies well, right? I think you mentioned they have potions that can change one’s appearance, not just hair dye?”

“Are you serious? You’re going to use potions to attend the graduation party? Gypsy potions aren’t miracle workers. They have time limits too.”

“Why not? Eve has never had a moment like this before. Should she miss this opportunity again? I just need to get in.”

Abigail glared at Victor for a moment, then sighed and said:

“I already knew this, but you really are meticulously insane.”

Then she raised both hands, indicating she would try to get it.

“I will secretly contact Isaac and Marin to monitor them.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. Not even a real task.”

Victor liked Kay’s reliable smile and smiled back at him.

Is everything settled now? He felt as if cloudy skies had finally cleared.

“Kay, before we part, tell me objectively. How old do I look?”

“Have you gone senile while I haven’t seen you?”

Victor stepped hard on Kay’s foot and turned away.

* * *

Finally, graduation day arrived.

The autumn sky was blue, the breeze pleasantly cool, and the sun high—a perfect day.
Eve, wearing her graduation gown and cap, successfully completed the solemn graduation ceremony and received her degree.

She laughed and chatted freely among close friends, took graduation photos, and then spotted her family and waved.

“Victor! Monette!”

Victor waved back from beside Monette.

Where is he going? Victor stepped backward and disappeared somewhere.

She rushed to Monette, but her husband had already vanished.

“Mommy, congwatulations.”

“Thank you, Monette. Where’s Daddy?”

“He busy.”

“What?”

Just then, a welcome face appeared.

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

“Joan.”

Baroness Joan had brought her mother Monica. The two had been staying at the main castle since Eve and Victor moved to the annex in the inner citadel.

“I’m proud of you, Eve. The King and Queen were quite disappointed.”

“Mom. Thank you. It couldn’t be helped.”

The King and Queen of Hessen couldn’t come even though they wanted to. They had decided that their presence might ruin the school graduation ceremony.

“Mommy, do good.”

“Yes. Thank you, my daughter.”

After confirming that Monette was safely returning with her nanny, Eve searched for Victor with her eyes.

Where did he go? Victor never usually lost track of her…

“Eve! We need to go put on our dresses!”

Her friends called her to prepare for the party.

As she headed toward her friends, Eve continued looking for Victor but couldn’t find him.

* * *

As dusk brought evening and painted the sky fantastically, the doors to the graduation party hall opened.

The graduation hall was filled with youthful energy and laughter, making it exciting just to be there.

The interior, decorated in the school’s banquet hall, was splendid. Chandeliers shone with colorful lights, and waltz music played.

“Sister, they made it with transparent colored paper, isn’t that clever?”

“Yes. It’s really amazing.”

“Look over there. I think they’re about to start.”

She moved toward the stage with her close classmates. The host introduced a special performance, and acrobats took the stage.

After all the scheduled performances, the drama department’s graduation performance would begin last.

As the grand finale.

The acrobats began performing stunts, riding unicycles on high wires. As thrilling scenes continued, gasps and screams erupted from everywhere.

Eve excused herself from her friends and sat on a secluded patch of grass to watch the stage.

‘This is wonderful. It would have been nice if Victor could see this too. I know it’s impossible. I don’t want to be unreasonable. But… I can’t deny I feel sad.’

Since this moment would never come again, she wanted to be with him.

“Aren’t you thirsty?”

“Who?”

It was a man in his early twenties.

A tall man with black hair offered Eve a glass of cream soda, her favorite.

Now that she looked closely, his sparkling eyes were golden.

The same color as Victor’s?

“Victor?”

“Do I look like him?”

Eve blinked stupidly and opened her eyes again.

Well, this person is still a student.

His soft skin, not yet free of down, looked baby-like. The young man with his sharp jawline resembled a pure, delicate flower.

“Why are you staring at me? Do I look strange?”

“No. You just look very much like someone I know.”

“So you’re surprised because I look too young? I only asked to look a few years younger.”

The young man turned his head and muttered something to himself.

“Hm?”

“Nothing.”

‘But why is he speaking informally to me when we just met? Though I’m doing the same.’

Just as Eve was about to question him, there was a clinking sound. The ice in the glass the young man held out made a refreshing collision.

“This is melting.”

He nodded as if telling her to take it quickly.

Eve reluctantly took the glass with both hands, took a sip, and asked:

“Are we acquainted?”

“Yes. You just said so.”

“What?”

The soda in her mouth sprayed out. The black-haired man’s face turned pale after being showered with soda water, and Eve’s face turned red.

“S-sorry. You startled me.”

“What do you think? I told you I’d come.”

“Is it really you? Victor? Is it really Victor?”

It was impossible. How could this happen? Eve was speechless at this unbelievable reality.

“I persuaded the principal for outside visitor permission, and ask Abigail about how I got younger.”

While investigating Isaac and Marin, Duke Kay discovered the true culprit. Apparently, Isaac had caused trouble, and they had to get their hands dirty to make him talk.

Anyway, Isaac thought Marin broke up with him because she fell into despair after losing the lead role to Eve. It seems Marin knew nothing about it.

“Abigail?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And I hope you don’t know anything else either.”

Victor’s gaze deepened as he watched Eve furrowing her brow in thought.

That’s enough.

“Right. You mentioned before that she knows gypsies.”

“Correct! I thought it would only change my appearance, but after taking the potion, I really
became younger.”

“It’s not harmful, is it?”

“It is, but the effect only lasts a few hours. Isn’t it amazing, sister?”

“S-sister?”

“Since I’m younger now, I’ll call you sister.”

“Y-yes! No? What am I saying?”

Her face felt so hot it might explode, and as she fanned herself, Victor held his stomach and laughed.

“Eve, your face is as red as a strawberry.”

“Stop it. You’re so mischievous.”

“It’s fun. When will we ever have a day like this again? I’m fine with it, sister.”

Even as Eve glared at him, Victor showed his teeth in a fresh, bright smile.

Eve looked into Victor’s cheerful eyes.

She had thought before that they shone like the sun. But today, the younger Victor’s eyes overflowed with vitality.

Barely suppressing his laughter, Victor placed both hands on the ground and said:

“Was I like this at 20? I’m amazed too. I should track down those gypsies.”

“For business?”

“Bingo.”

“You haven’t changed even though you’re younger.”

“That’s me.”

He usually didn’t show his emotions outwardly, but the 20-year-old Victor’s expressions were much more evident.

Victor with his slightly flushed cheeks looked cute.

“So this is what you must have been like.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve seen pictures of you when you were young.”

She remembered the young Victor holding Lyudmila’s hand in the corridor, the family portrait.
Victor in the family painting had looked like a teenager.

“Ah, that.”

“You looked so sad when you were young, it hurt my heart. I’m really happy to see you smiling like this.”

“…Oh.”

Just as Eve thought she glimpsed moisture in those sun-bright eyes, Victor lowered his head.

“R-really? Then, should I stay like this?”

Victor’s voice cracked as he asked. The tip of his white nose was red.

“No, there’s no need for that.” Eve reached out and lifted his chin to make him look at her.

Other people were absorbed in the performance and weren’t watching the two sitting in the corner.

Eve gathered her courage.

She hesitated briefly because Victor with his wide-open eyes looked too beautiful, but then she pressed her lips to his red ones and pulled away.

“I love you as you are now.”

“Eve.”

“Actually, I wanted you to be here with me too. Because this is the most brilliant moment of my life, I wanted you to be here…”

The acrobatic performance was already forgotten by both of them.

“I’m relieved. I thought you’d scold me for being unreasonable.”

“How could I forget what you’ve done for me? How could I…”

‘I tried not to cry in front of you.’ Eve hurriedly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

“Come to think of it, I’ve only left you with bad memories. A lifetime of effort wouldn’t be enough. In a way, I’m the selfish one. I wanted to remain even a little positively in your happiest memories.”

“Victor.”

“Abigail called me meticulously insane. But she’s right.”

‘You know I can’t live with owing debts, right?’

Reading his gaze, Eve slowly closed her eyes.

Victor cupped her face with both hands and poured a passionate kiss on her.

He tasted her lips, bit them, and swam freely within.

His hands, which had been caressing her round shoulders, impatiently stroked her waist as if he couldn’t hold back anymore, then pulled her delicate body into his arms.

As their chests pressed together and they clearly felt each other’s breath and warmth, Eve became dizzy.

Just when her reason was about to snap, Victor whispered quietly in her ear:

“Eve, can you hear me?”

Victor traced her right arm with his finger and slowly interlaced their fingers.

Their moist fingers clung together sensually.

Eve held his shoulders and listened to the sound of two heartbeats in his embrace.

Thump-thump, it was the first time the sound of heartbeats had seemed so *rotic.

“Yes. I can hear you very clearly.”

“I love you. I think I’m crazy about you. That’s for certain.”

“Me too. I’m no different.”

The man and woman who desired each other caught their breath there.

Their reluctant fingertips finally separated from each other.

Now it was time for the graduation performance.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yes. You should make a grand finale.”

“I’ll do well.”

“If you don’t, I’ll punish you at home!”

“How will you punish me? Tell me in detail.”

Her purple eyes sparkled mischievously.

Unexpectedly caught off guard, Victor froze for a moment before coming to his senses.
It was because of his reddened neck and the heavy sensation he felt.

Victor quickly pushed her back and said:

“Whoa, whoa. Your Highness, please restrain yourself.”

Eve laughed brightly and ran toward the stage as if her steps had wings.

Her platinum blonde hair fluttered as she ran.

She looked back several times, hopping like a rabbit, laughing, and acknowledging him.

‘What a fatal woman, really.’

Even now, his heart pounds as if it might burst when he sees Eve.

Excited about how she would captivate him today.

What would she say when they returned home?

‘I want to make her fall in love every day so she can’t run away from me.’

‘Just as I, Victor, am always in love with you.’

As she was about to go on stage, she raised both hands high and waved at him.

He thoroughly mocked the audience who cheered without knowing.

Those people don’t know who Eve is smiling at right now.

That the man Eve Saint Gion loves is right here.

But that’s fine.

‘Because today too, she smiled because of me instead of crying.’

‘Because my present self is passionately in love with you, that is enough.’

~~The End of Never Seen A Duchess On Stage Before, Have You?~~