Chapter 65: The Truth Stirred in Tea

The two of them grabbed their coats and entered the cafe. After ordering two cups of black tea, Evan even went so far as to put two sugar cubes into Liana’s cup and stir it for her. Liana obediently drank the tea Evan pushed toward her.

“Are you all right?” Evan asked in a low voice when she was about halfway through her tea.

Liana’s face was already clear, but Evan felt as if he could still feel her trembling in his hands. Earlier, he had become agitated in a way that was unlike himself. Why had he even brought up his sister?

Their gazes met awkwardly.

“I apologize.”

“I didn’t think you knew how to apologize.”

Evan, who had been staring blankly at Liana without realizing it, stroked his chin and frowned.

“Well… yeah.”

He looked as though he didn’t quite understand why he had acted that way either.

“You want to hear everything, don’t you?”

When he had offered to take her back to the dormitory, Liana insisted that she had to hear the rest of the story at the cafe.

Indeed, there was a mountain of things he hadn’t told her properly because he had been too busy pressing her in his sudden agitation.

Looking into Liana’s eyes as she watched him intently, Evan recalled the day of the riding accident.

***

Evan, Harkins, and Cecilia stood around Liana, who lay motionless on the infirmary bed.

“Cecilia, you shouldn’t say such things so carelessly. Do you have proof? Even if you do, you should watch your words.”

Evan’s eyes darkened coldly as he remembered the rumors that had inevitably circulated the streets the last time he visited the capital.

“No! What if this isn’t Liana’s first attempt? What if it’s happened before?! Is covering it up always the best solution? If Liana… if something goes wrong with Liana! The scandal isn’t the problem! This is a matter of Liana’s life!”

Cecilia didn’t back down, even though her clenched fists were shaking. Evan lost his words at the sight of her blue eyes, which were becoming as wet as the deepest waters of a distant sea.

For a noble lady, a scandal is as fatal as a disgraceful death. If rumors spread that she had attempted suicide, she wouldn’t even be able to attend the academy. Even if she made her social debut a few years later, she wouldn’t be able to build proper connections.

But Cecilia was appealing that Liana’s life was more important than some rumors.

Evan quietly watched the sleeping Liana. Her thick eyelashes cast dense shadows.

The somewhat soft yet sharply honed side she showed when her eyes were open was nowhere to be seen. With that ironic appearance erased, Liana looked extremely peaceful.

True, nothing can take precedence over life.

“Then what should we do? Surely there must be a reason for you to make such an assumption?”

Cecilia, who said she would explain later, shook her head at Evan’s suggestion of introducing a therapist. Then, with a look of grim determination, she spoke of another way.

“Shh.”

Placing a finger to her lips, Cecilia grabbed Harkins’s and Evan’s sleeves and led them a short distance away from the bed.

“Let’s do this. First, it’s most important to know Liana’s heart. So, I’ll ask her in a whirlwind of questions. I really want to ask her, too…”

“Cecilia.”

“It’s okay.”

Cecilia quickly wiped away her tears. The tears on her fingers looked just like morning dew on a flower petal.

Evan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

“She might say no. I hope that’s the truth, but…”

“How can I help?”

Indeed, Liana had been a bit strange.

Evan remembered Liana flatly refusing any helping hand when they first met. He recalled how she tried to keep her distance, armed with etiquette and smiles.

Since Evan was always surrounded by people who clung to him, he had found Liana refreshing and interesting, but he never imagined she had such a problem.

Evan looked at Liana as if drawn to her.

“Your Highness.”

Cecilia suddenly grabbed Evan’s hand with both of hers.

Startled by the soft sensation against his hand, Evan looked at Cecilia. Her small, white hands were holding his affectionately, unable to fully wrap around them.

“Your Highness?”

“…Cecilia.”

As he met her blue eyes, he felt as if he were being sucked in.

“It would be best for Your Highness to hide behind the curtain. Then, when I speak… please step in at the right time and question Liana as if you’re pressing her. Otherwise, she’ll skillfully hide her heart…”

As if she hated the situation where she had to press her friend, Cecilia finally welled up with tears. A pitiful sigh escaped Harkins’s lips.

Cecilia smiled bravely and looked at Evan.

“You’ll do that, won’t you?”

“…I will.”

“Lady Cecilia. I…”

“Sir Harkins, could you wait outside the infirmary and then come in?”

“…”

Harkins looked reluctant.

“I’m sorry… but Liana seems a bit uncomfortable around you. To hear her inner thoughts…”

As Cecilia trailed off, looking like she didn’t know what to do, Harkins waved his hand.

“Not at all! Of course I should stay outside. No, don’t be sorry. I’ll step out.”

Harkins hurriedly denied any offense and acted as if he would leave immediately. Catching Harkins, Cecilia met Evan’s and then Harkins’s eyes in turn, as if to confirm one last time.

Evan looked at Cecilia’s hand as she pulled away and then clenched his own empty hand.

“Liana might deny it until the end, but don’t give up and ask her one more time. She might accidentally blurt it out to someone she’s not close with… if by any chance you’re left alone with Liana, please make sure to ask her then.”

“I’ll do that.”

At Evan’s confirmation, Cecilia gave a faint smile. It was a smile that seemed to brighten the entire infirmary.

The sound of Liana stirring reached them.

The three of them fell silent as if by agreement and watched her. When Cecilia nodded, Harkins left the infirmary with muffled footsteps, and Evan went to the adjacent bed and grabbed the curtain.

“Your Highness.”

Just before he drew the curtain, Cecilia called out to him.

When Evan looked at her, Cecilia opened her hesitant lips.

“Just for the time being, could you look after Liana to see if she’s really okay… or if there’s anything strange?”

‘Could anyone care for a friend this much?’

Evan looked at the lying Liana, then nodded toward Cecilia, who was still staring at him.

Evan thought Liana was truly blessed by the Goddess Rafre. After all, she had a friend who cared for her so sincerely.

From behind the curtain, he heard Liana and Cecilia’s voices.

To hold one’s breath in the bath. Evan couldn’t help but know what those words meant.

‘So that’s why she said that.’

He understood why Cecilia had made such a request while trembling. Everything, including the request to look after her, made sense.

Evan decided to grant Cecilia’s request.

He thought he should properly watch over Liana to see if she was all right.

***

“That’s how it happened.”

Evan finished speaking and moistened his throat with tea.

He hadn’t intended to speak so seriously, but as he said it, it felt as though it wasn’t that big of a deal. Had he been swayed because he was so flustered at the time?

Evan stared into Liana’s eyes, which were similar yet different from his own. ‘Liana probably didn’t know it, but she was one of the few who could look the Crown Prince straight in the eye.’

“When we ran into each other in the capital, you were heading down a dangerous path. So I misunderstood. It turns out you were just bad with directions.”

Evan chuckled. His heart felt lighter now that the misunderstanding was cleared. Seeing the bewildered look on Liana’s face, he felt he didn’t need to worry. If anything, this was more interesting than her forced smile that masked her boredom.

“I have one thing I’m curious about.”

Liana, who quickly regained her composure, asked casually.

However, unlike her soft question, her gaze felt somewhat piercing. It was a look that seemed to scrutinize Evan intensely.

“What is it?”

“…Are you the type who is prone to helping people, Your Highness?”

“Pardon? What kind of question is that?”

Evan set down his teacup at Liana’s question.

“Just as I said. When you see someone in a dangerous situation, there are those who pass by and those who don’t. Which side are you on?”

“Are you testing me?”

“I’m not joking.”

“Someone in a dangerous situation… for example?”

Evan decided to humor Liana’s question.

“Someone dying in an accident.”

Liana’s voice sounded eerie.

What a random question. But seeing her expressionless face, he felt he should answer seriously.

Leaning back in his chair, Evan replied without much thought.

“Wouldn’t anyone help?”

“What if a loved one and a stranger were in an accident together?”

“I’d save the loved one first, but I’d still provide life-saving measures.”

Wouldn’t that be the natural thing for a human being to do?

For some reason, the question was strange.

Upon hearing the answer, Liana looked as if she were in deep thought.

“Why do you look like you don’t believe me? Liana, what kind of person do you take me for?”

“Because you never know what will happen.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“You might only save the person precious to you, without any interest in saving others.”

It was a voice that sounded like an assertion.

“Is there any point to this question?”

A crease formed between Evan’s brows. Liana, who had been staring at that crease, shook her head.

“…No. I just asked because I was bored. Let’s go now.”

“Wait.”

She was certainly impatient.

“If you’re okay with it, let’s go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow.”

“Didn’t you have plans to meet Miss Margareta?”

The hand that had been grabbing her coat stopped as she stood up, and Liana’s eyes rolled to stare at Evan. Her cold voice sounded almost contemptuous.

Evan was momentarily lost for words. He felt like he had become some kind of rogue.

“I’m seeing Margareta in the morning, and I plan to go to the Imperial Palace in the afternoon. I have some business there. If you don’t want to, we can postpone it. I asked because you seemed to be in a hurry, but it seems you’re not inclined.”

After a moment of thought, Liana stood up straight and gave a clear smile. It was a smile like freshly polished glass.

“I’ll go.”

“Ha.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

She didn’t forget to seal the appointment with her thanks.

Liana might be more shameless than he thought. She looked down at him as if her business was finished, her gaze asking if he wasn’t going to leave.

“I’ll walk you.”

“All right.”

Liana answered readily to the darkening campus. When Evan stood up, Liana found herself looking up at him.

“Was there always this much attention?”

Liana stopped walking, looking uncomfortable.

Her gaze was directed at the students sitting on the cafe terrace. They were stealing glances at Evan and Liana.

“Is that so?”

Public attention was something Evan was well-accustomed to.

Liana shot a pathetic look at Evan.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Evan walked past them, even raising his hand in greeting. But his gaze remained cool.

Just as he thought the path was getting dark, the magic lamps lit up one by one.

The orange glow that brightened the street illuminated the faces of Evan and Liana. As the warm light flickered, Liana’s face also looked gentle.

“I’ll head inside now.”

He was going to ask if her body was okay, but they had already reached the fork toward the dormitory.

“Yes, get some rest.”

“All right. Get back safely.”

‘There’s plenty of time.’

Evan gave a brief farewell and watched Liana’s retreating figure as she walked away without any lingering attachment before he turned his own steps.

***

Liana walked briskly through the main entrance of the dormitory.

“Madam.”

Mrs. Perolten, who was sitting at the desk, stood up as if to have a word with Liana for returning after dark, but Liana didn’t give her the chance. Before Mrs. Perolten could even put her hands on her hips, Liana finished her greeting and quickly boarded the elevator.

“Ha!”

All that remained in view was the hem of the dress fluttering loudly as it disappeared behind the closing elevator doors. Mrs. Perolten’s exclamation of disbelief echoed through the lobby.

Stepping off the elevator, Liana stood in front of her door. After taking a short breath, she gripped the doorknob firmly. Then, without hesitation, she swung the door wide open.

“Are you in here? Cecilia? We need to talk.”

It was a determined voice unlike any she had used before.