Evelyn had to stay awake through the night until the darkness faded into a pale light.

Fatigue washed over her like a rising tide, but sleep never came.

Anxiety and worry over what was to come had firmly rooted themselves within her.

Reynard’s words weren’t wrong.

At this point, Evelyn had no grounds to reject the man’s proposal.

She was clearly isolated.

The only places she could go were Hesta to the east and Bait to the west.

Among them, Hesta wanted her dead, and in Bait, she had no place to belong.

From Evelyn’s position, Reynard’s offer was a lifeline in its own right.

If she stayed by his side as Princess Ophelia, she could preserve her life safely under the protection of Bait.

And on top of that, he had promised freedom and funds a year later—it was a deal with nothing to complain about.

The issue was Reynard’s intentions.

Why had he offered such a generous proposal to Evelyn, even going so far as to crown her with the title of Princess Ophelia?

That was the true problem.

It couldn’t be mere goodwill.

There had to be a reason behind it.

Evelyn had her reasons for suspicion.

Reynard had said to her:

‘Well, not knowing can be its own kind of answer, too.’

That meant there was indeed a reason behind everything Reynard did for Evelyn.

She spent the entire night pondering that issue.

And yet, Evelyn couldn’t be certain of anything.

“Your Highness, I’ve brought your wash water.”

Evelyn jumped at the sudden voice and looked toward its source.

“Are you awake?”

It was a maid’s voice—one she had heard before.

Evelyn, unsure if she should rise from the chair where she had been sitting, hesitated for a moment before nodding, unable to hide her discomfort.

“Pardon me, but may I come in for a moment?”

“Yes. Come in.”

Once Evelyn gave her permission, the maid carefully entered the tent.

There were three of them in total.

The maid in front entered empty-handed and gave instructions to the two behind her. The second maid brought in the wash water and set it on the table so Evelyn could wash comfortably. The last one held a towel and stood by Evelyn’s side.

Being a former maid herself, Evelyn felt uncomfortable being the focus of their attention as she washed. Even so, she couldn’t bring herself to send them away.

She dipped her hands into the cold water and splashed her face, and the heaviness in her head, brought on by fatigue, began to lift slightly.

Grateful for that small relief, Evelyn finished washing her face.

Immediately, the waiting maid handed her a towel.

“His Majesty wishes to have breakfast with you.”

Evelyn paused as she dried her face and turned to look at the maid who had spoken.

“Together…?”

“Yes. Since walking may be difficult for you, His Majesty has said he will come here. Also, the knights discovered the carriage with Your Highness’s belongings yesterday, and they have retrieved some of the items still intact. If you wait, we will prepare your clothes and accessories.”

Unaware of Evelyn’s concerns, the maid continued speaking.

“After the meal, a physician will arrive for an examination. After that, we will depart for Bait.”

“Depart?”

“We will be returning to the imperial capital.”

Upon confirming the schedule after the examination, Evelyn bit her tongue.

Whether she worried or not, things would proceed regardless.

As she anxiously waited, dressed in a gown that wasn’t hers to begin with, food began to be set on the table.

Fresh vegetables—hard to find during travel—along with fragrant soup and bread were placed before her.

“Princess Ophelia, may I enter?”

At some point, Reynard had arrived and called out formally from outside the tent.

But he entered without waiting for Evelyn’s permission, as if it weren’t necessary.

Despite his rude entrance, Evelyn couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye.

“Oh dear, was I too impolite?”

Reynard sat across from Evelyn, smiling casually.

Leaning back in his chair, he dismissed the waiting maids.

“Are you really that uncomfortable?”

He asked her directly.

“…I can’t say I’m not.”

“Enough to lose sleep?”

Evelyn lightly bit her lower lip. She had tried to hide it, but it seemed to have been quite obvious.

“I’m not brave enough to sleep soundly.”

“You talk back more than I expected, though.”

Evelyn flinched and glanced nervously at Reynard. Fortunately, there was no sign of displeasure on his face.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, well. There’s nothing to be sorry about. Here, you are Princess Ophelia.”

Reynard tore a piece of bread and put it in his mouth.

“Are you worried that someone might find out you’re not Princess Ophelia?”

Of course she was. Evelyn had never stood above anyone her entire life. Pretending to be Princess Ophelia wasn’t an easy task for someone like her.

“There are already people who know your true identity.”

“What?”

Evelyn’s head snapped up in surprise. It was a situation she hadn’t considered.

Looking back, it had been contradictory to assume that Reynard would know but others wouldn’t. It was even possible that they had noticed first and reported it to Reynard.

“Even so, there’s no need to worry. They’re my subordinates. If I say you’re Princess Ophelia, then to them, you are Princess Ophelia.”

Reynard’s voice was filled with confident trust in his men. However, Evelyn muttered in a crawling voice,

“How could I not be worried…”

Even though he heard her, Reynard didn’t offer any words of reassurance.

A quiet breakfast continued. Reynard ate gracefully, while Evelyn sat there awkwardly, merely stirring the soup in her bowl with a spoon.

Between her anxiety and the sleepless night, she had no appetite at all. She tried to take a few bites, but everything felt rough—like swallowing sand.

Staring at the surface of the soup, which was beginning to form a thin skin, Evelyn let out a small sigh.

At the sound, Reynard set down his fork and dabbed his lips with a napkin.

“So, when are you going to tell me your name?”

Only then did Evelyn realize she had never told Reynard her name.

“Evelyn. Evelyn Ebenezer.”

There was no reason to hide it, especially from someone who already knew the truth.

“What kind of person were you in Hesta?”

“…Pardon?”

Evelyn’s eyes widened at Reynard’s sudden question. She didn’t understand what he meant.

“I mean, what did you do before you became Princess Ophelia’s double?”

“Oh, I was a maid.”

Not even a lady-in-waiting, just a maid. She was grateful she wasn’t given the lowest of tasks, but in truth, the work she did wasn’t much different.

“Do you have family?”

“My mother… is alive…”

“Hm.”

Worried that her status might make him frown in disgust, Evelyn studied Reynard’s face. But he nodded with the same expression he had before the meal.

“If you wish, even if I strike Hesta one day, I’ll spare your family. Be grateful for that.”

He spoke as though bestowing mercy upon her. Was that something to be grateful for?

Evelyn gave a faint, bitter smile and asked herself. It was her own mother, Glenna, who had pushed her into this deadly situation. She had never given Evelyn affection, nor even shown the slightest interest.

It was always Evelyn who longed for love, and always Evelyn who was cast aside.

Still, that didn’t mean she wanted Glenna dead, so Evelyn bowed her head in resignation.

One year from now, war would break out. Even the people of Hesta who had driven her to the edge wouldn’t be able to stop the forces of Bait.

Evelyn lowered the hand that held the spoon. The more her thoughts spiraled, the heavier she felt.

“From now on, I’ll have breakfast with you every morning.”

In the end, the morning meal ended with her barely taking a single bite. 

Reynard left the tent without another word to the silent Evelyn, and she was left alone inside.