Uncertain about how to seduce Divlik and doubting she could show the same appearance as last night while sober, Eva wandered near the east annex, lost in thought.

Though she wasn’t sure if Mia was trustworthy, she was undoubtedly an excellent herbalist. With such skill, might she be able to control the potency of an aphrodisiac? Eva hesitated whether to ask for help.

“Do you have the luxury to stroll around so leisurely?”

“You’re here, Lord Divlik.”

There, Eva encountered Divlik, who had come to see the progress of the garden being built between the inner and outer castle. Eva hurriedly covered her eyes, and Divlik looked at her with displeasure before asking,

“Did you like the clothes the tailor brought today?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I’m glad. I personally altered the design despite knowing little about clothes. And you still liked them.”

Divlik looked at the straight-standing Eva as if doubting her words. Despite Divlik’s sarcasm, Eva’s shoulders remained unshaken. She had collapsed at his demand to seduce him, yet now she had regained her composure. Though he already knew it, she was not a woman to be taken lightly.

“I heard the women who are leaving tomorrow visited your bedroom.”

“They came to say goodbye, so we talked briefly.”

“Is that so? I thought perhaps you were being proactive, trying to learn from those women how to seduce me.”

Eva chose not to mention that she had indeed asked. There was no point in feeling embarrassed or preserving her pride now, but she didn’t want to admit she had gained nothing from the conversation.

“I’ll think about it on my own.”

“Do you think that’s possible on your own? It’s something you’ve likely never done before. Everyone must have begged you to give them your hand first.”

Fabian, too, as emperor, must have begged. It might have made Eva’s body even more desirable because it wasn’t easy to obtain. The thought of Eva approaching him while swaying her hips seemed unimaginable, yet he looked forward to it.

“Very well. I’ll be waiting for that night when you accomplish this task admirably.”

Divlik turned away from Eva without lingering. The pointless battle of attrition was over. Eva had maintained her dignity as empress until now. After that night, Eva would regret ever having sat on the empress’s throne.

* * *

Early the next morning at the fountain in front of the castle gate, the women from the east annex were boarding carriages, appearing exactly as Joseph had sent them.

“Goodbye, cute brothers. Say hello if you see me in Elan. I’ll welcome you warmly, remembering we shared a roof.”

“Take care. Thank you for listening to my requests, brothers.”

“Oh my. What will you do, brother? I didn’t know we’d be leaving today. I thought tonight would be when we’d spend deep time together.”

Fluttering like willow branches in the wind, the women who had captivated men’s souls continued their charm until the end. The Blue Army soldiers who had gathered at the fountain to watch the women seemed secretly disappointed. Even though they had no claim to women meant for Divlik, they had enjoyed having such women within the same castle walls.

Leaving Dean tearfully disappointed among those soldiers, Finn was loading the women into carriages when he paused and looked around intently.

“Where’s the purple-eyed blonde woman?”

At the instruction to find the missing woman, Dean grumbled about whether they really had to send everyone away, but still appeared at the fountain with Mia in tow.

“No! I want to stay here! Eva said I could stay! I don’t want to leave this castle!”

Or rather, he appeared with Mia clinging to his leg. Mia was stuck so firmly to Dean’s leg that she was practically dragged out. Even when two strong men nearby managed to pry her off, she created a scene, crying and wailing that she would rather die than board the carriage.

“What’s going on?”

As Divlik walked to the fountain amid the commotion, Mia clung to his legs too, crying.

“Lord Divlik, I’m a skilled herbalist. I have much knowledge about illnesses and wounds. I’m a useful woman.”

“You’re here. This woman insists on staying here, saying she doesn’t necessarily have to return to Elan if she leaves here.”

Unable to throw her aside like a man, Finn answered while catching his breath after struggling with her. Mia went even further, hardening not only Finn’s expression but Divlik’s as well.

“Eva promised to let me stay. Please ask Eva.”

Eva, who had been urgently summoned with her eyes covered due to the commotion Mia caused, was equally perplexed.

“Did you arbitrarily promise to let this woman stay?”

“Didn’t you, Eva? Didn’t you promise that I could stay here?”

Of course, Eva had never made such a promise to Mia. With the lives of her servants and her own life hanging in the balance, she had no capacity to look after anyone else. Yet Mia shamelessly clung to Eva’s legs as she stood by the fountain with covered eyes, insisting that Eva confirm her words were true.

“Tell me, Eva, did you make such a promise?”

“I wanted to…… make that promise, but I couldn’t.”

Mia looked up at Eva with eyes filled with terror, as if being expelled from here meant death. Eva couldn’t completely ignore that gaze, but she couldn’t lie either.

“I only heard her request to speak to Lord Divlik about her staying here. Because this is not my castle.”

“Eva……!”

Eva’s answer was so sensible that there was no question of whose word to believe. At that answer, Mia let out a scream-like wail and began crying so pitifully that the soldiers standing nearby anxiously shifted from foot to foot.

“Since she wants to stay so badly, wouldn’t it be alright to keep her as a maid?”

Dean, who had been most displeased about sending the women away, stamped his feet as if his own lover were crying. Divlik was about to turn away, unconcerned with anyone’s tears or distress, when Eva stopped him.

“Would you consider letting her stay?”

Seemingly not angry that Mia had used her name without permission, Eva asked for Mia to be allowed to remain.

“When you ascend to the emperor’s throne and people begin coming and going more frequently, the current number of servants in this castle will be insufficient to maintain it. This girl has extensive knowledge of herbs, so keeping her as a maid would be beneficial in many ways.”

“Are you now concerned about the operation of my castle? This is why I say I don’t understand you. Someone who would rather die than be in my arms is now worried about me. Not knowing your place.”

Divlik snorted. This woman would be like this until her dying moment. It no longer surprised him.

“If I have offended you, please forgive me.”

Despite Eva’s apology, Divlik’s displeased expression showed little improvement, but seeing Mia covered in tears and mucus at Eva’s feet gave him an idea.

“At least this woman might have one aspect that could be useful. Grand Duke Joseph sent her here with confidence, saying he had trained her well. Yes, you must be confident in your ability to draw anyone into your embrace and satisfy them, regardless of who they are?”

Misunderstanding Divlik’s meaning, Mia wiped her face with the hem of her dress, crossed her legs while seated, slowly opened and closed her eyes, and displayed a rather seductive demeanor.

“I am a woman who has satisfied men who disliked me, and men I disliked.”

She confidently stated she could serve Divlik and give him satisfaction right away.

“That’s fortunate. Because that’s exactly what the person standing beside you needs most.”

“What? Are you saying I’m needed not by you, Lord Divlik, but by Eva?”

Mia, who had been ready to undress on the spot if Divlik desired, widened her eyes in surprise at his unexpected words. Divlik, seemingly uninterested in what Mia was saying, turned his gaze to Eva.

“That’s what she says, Eva. Since it seems difficult on your own, why don’t you learn diligently from this woman? I will allow this woman to stay in the castle as you wish.”

Looking alternately at Eva and Mia as if finding the situation quite interesting, Divlik disappeared into the building with a short laugh.

Eva breathed a sigh of relief. She had worried that regardless of what she said, he might not believe her and become angry as he had with Esther…… But perhaps it no longer mattered.

“Depart!”

As Finn closed the carriage door and cleared the area, Dean, who hadn’t actually done anything, took both of Mia’s hands and rejoiced.

“You can stay here, that’s wonderful!”

“Sir Knight, my name is Mia. Would you please call me that from now on?”

Eva felt slightly confused. The gap between Mia’s crying and smiling was too great. She wondered if there were other reasons why people warned her to be careful of Mia, but she had no opportunity to ask the other women. The carriage carrying them was already passing through the castle gate.

“Eva……”

Only then did Mia approach Eva’s side.

“I’m sorry, Eva.”

Before Eva could reveal any expression, Mia prostrated herself on the ground and begged for forgiveness with tears.

“I felt that if I didn’t mention your name, they would put me on that carriage and send me away, so I had no choice but to use your name. Please forgive me.”

Had Mia caused trouble for Eva? Yes, she had. Eva shouldn’t have further displeased Divlik by presumptuously suggesting keeping someone, yet she had. She needed to make a good impression, somehow make a good impression so she could beg for Eileen’s life.

“Please get up. You’ll soil your clothes.”

This time, Eva hadn’t acted with the thought of “won’t you kill me for this?” Mia had nowhere else to go if she left this place—she couldn’t return home, nor did she have anywhere else to go. Understanding how Mia must have felt, hating to return to Grand Duke Joseph more than death itself, Eva had acted out of genuine compassion.

Out of sincere pity for Mia.