<CHAPTER 40>

Can You Tell Me Now?

When had he approached—Felix was looking at her with puzzled eyes.

Evelyn, who met him for the first time in a while since the student council meeting, showed a bright smile anew.

“I came following Mother. As you can see, I’m taking a brief rest now.”

Felix nodded and looked toward the back garden while speaking.

“How about going that way?”

At the words that the evergreens had grown large enough to avoid the sunlight, Evelyn’s ears perked up.

“Oh. Shall we?”

When she shone her clear eyes, Felix added in a serious voice.

“I happen to have something to tell you too.”

Evelyn, who vaguely sensed what story he was trying to tell, cautiously threw a question.

“Is it related to that incident?”

The balcony incident that occurred at the recent banquet was originally being handled by the House of Valentino.

However, traces of sorcery were discovered during the interrogation of the culprit, and it was formally transferred to the investigation bureau’s investigation.

Thus she had asked Felix to deliver the progress of the investigation.

Since his maternal uncle was the head of the investigation bureau, he should be able to obtain detailed information.

Felix, who had heard the whole story from Evelyn, accepted her request for help after much consideration, as she was the victim of this incident.

‘Even if I asked Aksion, he wouldn’t tell me well.’

He must have wished for his fiancée not to be involved in dangerous matters, but that in itself did not put her mind at ease.

Occasionally when events occurred that were disconnected from the original work, Evelyn’s fear of the future grew.

Therefore, as a preventive measure, she wanted to prepare even a little for what might happen in the future.

While she was lost in various thoughts, Felix lowered his voice as if conscious of their surroundings.

“That’s right, but I don’t think this is the place to talk.”

The two moved to the back garden where people were scarce and reached the evergreens.

The lush leaves rustled following the wind as if trying to hide their conversation.

“Felix, can you tell me now?”

As Evelyn urged as if impatient, he scratched his head.

“Actually, my maternal uncle has been tracking the source of sorcery for a long time.”

As her green pupils widened slightly, Felix calmly continued his explanation.

Though not yet known to the public, traces of sorcery had been discovered centered around the slums since a few years ago.

“How do you know it’s traces of sorcery? It could be a tattoo.”

“I heard the symbol of the sorcery array is recorded in forbidden books.”

Forbidden books regarding taboo abilities were stored in the Imperial Library.

Felix’s maternal uncle would be able to access the forbidden books using his position as head of the bureau.

“The problem is that traces of this sorcery have recently been found on noble children as well.”

“So it might not be an ordinary matter……”

Evelyn, who had been submerged in thought, expressed her gratitude to him who had been of great help.

“Thank you so much, Felix.”

“My maternal uncle said your testimony was helpful.”

Earlier, she had delivered the conversation she had with Young-sik that day through her fiancé.

Of course, whether the Moon Goddess was a real person or a fictional figure would have to be found out in the future.

When Evelyn smiled saying it was nothing special, Felix checked his pocket watch with an indifferent face.

“Then I’ll go first. I think Mother will be looking for me.”

As it became time for the charity gathering to begin, Evelyn nodded with a short sigh.

“Yes, I should go now too!”

When the conversation of nobles with deep knowledge of art was in full swing.

Evelyn, who felt like she would yawn at any moment, urgently covered her mouth.

Perhaps because she didn’t usually pay attention to it, she couldn’t feel much interest in art.

She sipped her tea and formed a satisfied smile at the sweet fragrance spreading in her mouth.

‘I think I’m finally coming to my senses!’

Then she put down her teacup and looked around languidly.

Though she had attended the charity gathering after a long time, today’s protagonist was too busy.

Dahlia was following Countess Lorenheim around, making impressions on the nobles one by one.

‘Perhaps today isn’t my day.’

At that thought, Evelyn naturally let out a sigh.

Soon her green eyes looking at the table shone as clearly as peridot gems.

On the table covered with white cloth, her favorite desserts were being prepared one by one.

‘Oh. These are desserts from Marong Bakery?’

It seemed the Countess had properly exerted herself for Dahlia’s social activities.

Seeing that she had specially hired a patissier from Marong Bakery.

‘Not having to stand in line, this is totally a jackpot?’

In her previous life, she had often bought bread from standing in line when bored!

As Evelyn was savoring a canelé with a fork, the whispering voices of noblewomen were heard from the next table.

“I didn’t know the Lorenheim family would adopt a daughter.”

“Could she be the Count’s hidden illegitimate child?”

What.

That’s not possible.

When her inner thoughts almost popped out unconsciously, Evelyn glanced around and swallowed the canelé.

As in the original work, those who doubted Dahlia’s birth were appearing one after another in society.

Though this too was merely a rumor that would soon disappear.

Felix, who had become Dahlia’s stepbrother, planned to find those who uttered such nonsense and punish them with a duel.

To go against Felix, the swordsmanship department’s prodigy……

They must have had tremendous guts to have their liver outside their belly.

While Evelyn clicked her tongue inwardly, she was about to pick the dessert she hadn’t tasted yet with her fork.

“Fortunately, it seems the desserts suit your taste.”

At the familiar voice heard nearby, she raised her head with a snap.

“……Dahlia?”

When had she approached the table—Dahlia curved her eyes in a smile.

It was a smile that would make everyone gathered there stare blankly.

“Thank you so much for attending today’s gathering.”

Dahlia also greeted the young ladies gathered at the table affectionately.

A young lady watching the two carefully opened her mouth with an interested gaze.

“It seems you two are acquainted.”

“Yes, I really wanted to become close with Miss Inevassel.”

The woman who shone her faint purple eyes blushed slowly as if shy.

At those words, another young lady sitting next to Evelyn rose from her seat tactfully.

“Please sit here, Miss Lorenheim.”

“Oh my, may I?”

“Of course. The seat doesn’t have a fixed owner.”

As the young lady gladly yielded her seat as if she didn’t mind, Dahlia expressed her gratitude and sat in that seat.

“Evelyn, have you been well?”

Evelyn, who had barely hidden her ambiguous smile, nodded readily.

“Yes, have you been well too, Dahlia?”

“Of course. I am learning every day at the temple.”

Befitting a woman called the noble wings of the divine, Dahlia seemed to possess unusual faith.

Though monster subjugation alone would be arduous and difficult, she showed not a single sign of it.

Evelyn felt sorry, wondering if she had misunderstood needlessly.

To doubt the original work’s female protagonist when there was no one to suspect.

‘No, that doesn’t make sense!’

While she was making an embarrassed expression, Dahlia lightly moistened her throat with black tea in a new teacup.

Then she whispered in a greatly lowered voice.

“By the way, there was a small disturbance at the night banquet, wasn’t there?”

Was she talking about the drug incident Aksion had resolved?

Evelyn, who had decided to refrain from mentioning the incident as much as possible, deliberately tilted her head to the side.

“What are you referring to?”

“Actually that day…… I was worried about Evelyn.”

“What……?”

What was Dahlia talking about—Evelyn, who had been slightly narrowing her brow, swallowed a short sigh.

Now she saw that the original work’s female protagonist had mentioned the incident at the balcony.

But another doubt soon passed through Evelyn’s mind.

Clearly, Aksion had said he had made all the guard knights keep silent about the balcony incident.

Moreover, since the investigation was proceeding secretly, Dahlia should not know about this.

‘Felix wouldn’t have leaked it……!’

Evelyn looked at the woman’s face for a moment, which showed clear signs of worry.

Then after moving her lips, she asked with a deliberately calm voice.

“But how does Dahlia know about that?”