Chapter 05
After washing her body with warm water and receiving treatment from the physician, Evelyn was sitting inside the quarters prepared at the outpost.
Although it was not a proper place and the wounds on her body stung whenever they touched water, it was truly the first time in her life that she had received such precious treatment.
Normally, Evelyn would never have been able to enjoy such luxury.
“Would you like some tea?”
At the maid’s question, Evelyn slightly parted her lips.
Her mouth was indeed dry.
However, Evelyn knew nothing about different kinds of tea.
“Could I have some water……?”
Evelyn had almost instinctively used overly polite speech, but she forced herself to speak more naturally.
Her tone was awkward beyond belief, but the maid did not think much of it.
That was because the maid believed Evelyn was the real Princess Ophelia.
The maid filled a clean glass with clear water and brought it to Evelyn.
After telling her to call if she needed anything, the maid left the tent prepared for Evelyn.
The maid seemed to have noticed throughout their entire interaction that Evelyn was uncomfortable around her.
After taking a sip of water, Evelyn let out a quiet sigh.
Being alone made her feel like she could finally breathe.
It had only been a couple of hours.
Yet during that brief time facing the maids, Evelyn had felt uncomfortable the entire time.
A caterpillar should live by eating pine needles.
Maid Evelyn was not suited for such a luxurious life.
Even she herself knew this did not fit her.
Wearing things that did not belong to her only made her feel uncomfortable and burdened.
And part of the reason was because the title she was wearing now held her life in its hands.
Evelyn logically imagined what would happen if they discovered she was the fake Princess Ophelia.
The possibility of the maids finding out, the soldiers finding out, and finally the Emperor of Vite discovering her true identity.
She did not need to think about it for long.
In every future Evelyn imagined, there was only death waiting for her.
That was how serious the situation was.
‘Wouldn’t it be better to just run away rather than live while constantly worrying about being discovered?’
Evelyn seriously stared at the water inside the cup.
Rather than trembling in fear like this, finding a way to survive and escaping would be much easier on her mind.
Of course, if Evelyn escaped from here, the relationship between Vite and Hesta would become irreparably damaged.
Many people would die, and many would lose the people they loved.
But to Evelyn, it was not particularly important.
She had never formed attachments to others in the first place.
She had been born and raised while receiving nothing but contempt and disdain.
There was no reason she would suddenly care deeply for them.
Even the little conscience she had left had disappeared completely, buried beneath the urgent need to survive.
Besides, had Hesta not already tried to kill Evelyn?
Having made up her mind to escape, Evelyn slightly lifted the tent flap that served as a window and looked outside.
Even during the day, soldiers could be seen patrolling around the outpost in groups.
It seemed that the best time to leave without being noticed would be late at night.
After deciding on roughly what time to leave, Evelyn carefully observed outside, searching for the direction with the fewest eyes watching.
At that moment, Raynard and his soldiers returned, leading their horses.
Evelyn lowered the cloth slightly and watched him intently while holding her breath.
The man who had introduced himself as Raynard Theodore was the infamous Emperor of the Western Continent.
Having only heard rumors about Raynard circulating within Hesta’s capital, Evelyn had always imagined him as some kind of devil.
However, the Emperor of Vite she actually met was a handsome man with a sturdy build and well-developed muscles.
The horrible stories had probably been spread with the sole intention of degrading him.
After easily dismounting from his horse, Raynard spoke to the people who gathered around him before suddenly raising his head.
Their eyes met.
Even though they were quite far apart, Evelyn could clearly feel Raynard’s gaze fixed directly on her.
Startled, Evelyn hurriedly lowered the cloth she was holding and turned her head away.
Her heart pounded anxiously, as if she had been caught stealing something.
Her fingertips turned cold, and the hand she clenched tightly became covered in cold sweat.
Considering that she was actually planning to escape from this place, her anxiety was not entirely unreasonable.
She wished time would pass quickly and night would arrive, but the sun was still high in the sky.
Biting her lips nervously, Evelyn hesitated before lifting the cloth again.
Raynard had already left the place.
No one remained where he had been standing moments ago.
After barely eating the dinner filled with rich foods, Evelyn waited for the outside of the tent to become quiet.
Because dinner had been noisy with so many people gathered, even waiting for silence felt endlessly long to Evelyn.
The time that seemed like it would never come finally arrived.
Night fell.
Silence soon settled over the surroundings.
The only sound in the quiet night was the crying of insects.
When Evelyn carefully lifted the cloth serving as the door, she could see people standing guard in the distance.
Fortunately, no one was guarding Evelyn’s tent.
It was strange that no one was protecting the tent where Princess Ophelia stayed.
But from Evelyn’s perspective as someone trying to escape, it was rather fortunate.
When the guards were not looking toward the tent, Evelyn quickly stepped outside.
Looking around anxiously, she moved while trying to silence her footsteps.
The flowing skirt was uncomfortable.
Worried that someone might notice her, Evelyn held the hem of her skirt and continued forward.
The soles of her feet began hurting as if she were walking on broken glass.
It was because she was walking on feet that had only just finished receiving treatment.
Evelyn barely managed to suppress the scream that almost escaped her lips.
Without being noticed by anyone, Evelyn entered the bushes.
Her anxiety eased slightly, and she let out a sigh of relief.
However, she could not stay like this.
Wondering if someone had seen her, Evelyn looked back once before running toward the forest.
Cold sweat formed on her forehead as she endured the pain.
The deeper she went into the forest, the darker it became.
Relying only on the faint moonlight, there was a limit to how far she could continue.
After running for a long time, Evelyn reached out and grabbed onto a tree.
The damp texture of the bark touched her hand.
‘Where am I? Where am I supposed to go?’
She had never even visited the streets of Hesta’s capital, so she had no useful information.
The sounds of insects that had seemed distant from the tent now surrounded her.
They cried from every direction, making it impossible to tell where she was.
The sound of Evelyn’s rough breathing was swallowed by the cries of the night insects.
The problems she had only vaguely ignored while inside the tent began surfacing one by one.
Regret over her irresponsible escape suddenly washed over her.
Regardless of the reason, Evelyn had escaped from Vite.
But now that she had actually left, she had nowhere to go.
Anywhere would be better than facing death.
However, she was currently between the borders of Hesta and Vite.
Going to Hesta was meaningless if war was about to begin.
But going to Vite was also impossible because her identity was uncertain.
She did not even know whether she could enter Vite in the first place.
Then where was she supposed to go now?
While she was confused, she heard the sound of bushes moving.
It was not the sound of leaves shaking from the wind.
The direction was difficult to determine, and Evelyn’s body immediately tensed.
She had heard stories that wild animals such as stray dogs wandered around at night searching for food.
She had also heard frightening tales that such beasts were so fierce they could bite a person to death instantly.
Had she been too reckless?
Evelyn swallowed dryly.
The sound of the bushes was getting closer.
The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow.
After carefully listening to the rustling sound, Evelyn realized it was coming from behind her.
To confirm it, Evelyn hesitantly moved her body.
“What were you thinking, coming out alone at this hour?”
Before Evelyn could even turn around, a voice brushed past her ear.
She gasped in shock.
She had been so startled that the strength left her legs, and she collapsed onto the ground.
Contrary to Evelyn’s fears, the owner of the sound from the bushes was not a wild animal.
However, she could not feel relieved either.
Because the owner of that voice was the Emperor of Vite.
“Where were you going, Princess Ophelia?”
