Chapter 15 – Part 1 (Someone Was Waiting When the Work is Done)

As dawn deepened, Ailon did not wake. Although he didn’t show it, it seemed that the intense emotions he felt upon waking had taken their toll.

During this time, Anne, who had sorted out her emotions, looked at Ailon with pity.

‘He must have been projecting his situation when he spoke harshly earlier.’

Anne also felt relieved by his attitude of not taking issue with her rudeness at the end.

Worried that his condition might worsen, Anne finally stood up. She washed her hands in one corner of the Crown Prince’s bedroom and prepared to leave the room.

Anne roughly wiped her wet hands on her dress and approached the door. As she did, she sensed someone’s presence outside.

“…Who is it?”

The door opened, and he embraced Anne without a word. The person was Evan. He smelled sweetly of strawberries.

“Duke, why were you waiting here? No, since when….”

“I told you I would wait.”

As Anne released his arm and turned around, she saw the faces she had so dearly missed.

“Lady Anne!”

“Kyle! Lady Carly!”

Anne embraced Kyle and Carly with both arms.

It was their first meeting since the banquet. Despite the chaos that had ensued, it was a relief they were safe.

However, Anne was most worried about Carly. Meeting Ferrell, whom she had thought dead, must have been a significant shock.

As expected, Carly’s nose was red, and her eyes were swollen.

Anne’s soft voice, filled with concern, echoed down the corridor.

“Lady Carly, are you alright?”

“Of course! I wanted to see you soon, but other things came up.”

Instead of saying it was okay, Anne endlessly patted Carly’s back.

Meeting Kyle’s eyes, Anne signaled him to keep an eye on Carly’s condition. Kyle nodded deeply in response.

“Had enough hugging?”

A disgruntled voice came from behind. Carly pointed at the Duke with her finger and spoke.

“It’s been a while, but he’s still an annoying Duke.”

“Better than the crybaby of the Dehart family.”

“Huh, you think you’re just annoying? You’re quite the fool. Even now, I think Anne deserves better. Anne, how about you and I live together, sweetly? Eating delicious food and playing chess together.”

Anne laughed, thinking this was typical of Carly.

But there was one man here who couldn’t take a joke as a joke.

Evan chuckled and suddenly kissed Anne on the cheek.

In the blink of an eye, Anne stared at Evan with wide eyes. His lips parted, and a cheeky remark slipped out.

“She’s already mine, no matter what.”

Kyle rubbed his forehead with one hand.

“Ugh, you two were sweet even in a field hospital, but to see it here too, oh dear.”

Evan shrugged as if he had done nothing wrong.

“Private Kyle, you should find love too.”

At those words, Anne’s cheeks turned red.

‘Love?’

Anne, who hadn’t thought of what she was doing as love, felt a strange flutter in her heart.

Unable to calm her feelings, Anne fidgeted with her fingers behind her back.

Kyle replied with a resigned tone.

“Ah, yes, yes. You are quite the tyrannical superior.”

At those words, Anne and Carly burst into laughter.

After the laughter died down, Carly spoke up.

“I have something to say.”

“…It’s difficult to talk here, so let’s go to my room.”

Leading the way, Anne was followed by the three of them.

Since they were inside the palace, they moved cautiously to avoid appearing as though they had other motives.

Rumors that Anne was taking care of Ailon spread quickly, so the servants only greeted Anne’s group from a distance and did not approach them.

When Anne reached her room and saw Suen tidying up, she grabbed her hand.

“Have you been cleaning up since I left?”

“Of course! Among those who came to the palace with you, no one else could assist Lady Anne. Ah, please, guests, sit on the sofa. I will bring some tea.”

Suen looked at the Duke standing beside Anne with a pleased expression. However, Anne, with a slightly worried face, asked,

“We couldn’t talk earlier due to the situation. Since I’ll be staying at the palace a bit longer to take care of Prince Ailon, won’t your family be worried, Suen?”

Suen shook her head as if to say it was no problem.

“No, this is my job. They’ll just think I’m working hard.”

“Still, how about contacting them?”

“No, what if it gives them something to criticize? Besides, everyone is safe. By the way, would chamomile tea be good? It’s quite chilly today.”

“Alright.”

Carly stared intently at the two of them. It seemed like Anne had a deep affection for the maid by her side.

At least the Duke, who had lived his second life, and Kyle, who had been by Anne’s side the longest, would know.

The maid Suen was the person most similar to Anne, who devoted herself to her work while humbling herself.

Carly guessed that Anne’s tenderness toward this girl was actually pity for herself.

The four of them sat around the sofa in the parlor.

As Carly savored the scent of the tea Suen had brought, she carefully chose her words.

“Anne, listen carefully. When the war is over, a lot of grain produced in the Vails will be released. That will give the empire’s citizens some relief. We’ll also be able to sell the manufactured goods and ores produced within the empire.”

Anne nodded slowly at these words.

Since becoming Anne Riley, Terossa had been at war, and she thought it was still okay now.

If the war really ended, could she start looking for the original protagonists?

No, no. Is it really necessary to meet them? Even now, she is doing well enough….

Anne listened attentively to Carly’s words with a pounding heart.

“The most important thing right now is the peace negotiations.”

“Yes?”

Anne looked puzzled at the sudden shift in conversation.

She didn’t understand why she needed to persuade Vails’ prince about any conditions.

“The condition for the peace negotiations is your attendance, Anne Vanessa.”

“Me at the peace negotiations?”

Evan, who disliked this idea, immediately responded.

“There’s no need to go. It’s not obligatory.”

Contrary to Evan’s words, Carly shook her head and said,

“The only thing Prince Howard demanded was Anne Vanessa’s attendance. But if you don’t go, the negotiations could disadvantage the Terossa Empire. If that happens….”

Becoming a traitor to the empire was a given. Carly grabbed Anne’s hand.

“So, you need to go to Prince Vails and persuade him not to impose excessive conditions. On the way here, he must have grown quite close to you, so he would have given you the antidote.”

Evan clenched his teeth.

From the moment Prince Vails held Anne’s hand, he had not liked him.

It was true that they had received help with this matter, but he hadn’t expected Anne to be treated this way.

This was all his fault.

However, Anne nodded as if it was no big deal.

“When are the peace negotiations? Until then, I need to look after the Crown Prince’s condition….”

Kyle, watching Evan’s reaction, spoke to Anne.

“But Anne, is this something you really need to do?”

“Yes.”

Kyle, feeling resigned, averted his gaze.

‘You’re so oblivious.’

Kyle leaned his head slightly toward the Duke next to him and whispered.

“Your Grace, you must be quite anxious.”

* * *

Yvonne asked the maid she had brought to the palace where her brother was.

“Well, My Lady, he’s with Lady Anne Vanessa.”

“Then it’s better not to go.”

Waving her hand dismissively, Yvonne sent the maid away and gazed outside the garden.

“Really, later on, everyone will say he’s such a devoted husband.”

Sitting on the terrace bathed in warm sunlight, Yvonne sipped the tea the maid had prepared and thought.

‘Has he found a place to belong?’

Even though she recognized him as family, they had lived almost like strangers for ten years. When her brother first asked for her help, it felt like she had been struck.

‘I’ve been neglectful.’

Evan’s childhood was filled with nothing but anger and a desire for revenge against the previous Duke, who had let their mother die.

Yvonne couldn’t stop or encourage her brother, so she just watched nervously between him and their father.

In the end, Evan killed their father and, even at a young age, protected the Duke’s family by becoming the emperor’s pawn.

Only when she reached his age at that time did Yvonne realize how cruel that was.

Since becoming an adult, she couldn’t approach her brother, with whom she had grown distant, and this had always weighed on her mind.

A woman trying to protect her brother, and her brother doing everything to protect that woman.

Yvonne felt both guilty and grateful that Anne cared for Evan more than his own family did.

‘When I leave the palace, I should visit the Barony of Vanessa first. Where would be the best place to have a wedding dress made?’

Knock, knock.

“Come in, Herren.”