<CHAPTER 14>
To Catch My Wayward Fiancée
To explain how this situation came about, we must go back exactly 5 minutes.
The Inevassel family’s carriage, which should have been right in front of the bakery, was for some reason parked a block away.
“Then I shall take my leave first.”
Evelyn, tilting her head in puzzlement, politely bid farewell to Duke Rikeran.
However, for some reason, he offered to accompany her all the way to the carriage.
At the man’s kindness in saying he was not busy for once, she had to shed tears inwardly.
It felt as if the settings kept going awry even before the original story began, and it was all her fault.
‘I did intend to change my own fate, but……’
Evelyn, who believed that the main characters’ fates were not within her authority, shook her head firmly.
“I appreciate your kindness, but I don’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstanding with my fiancé.”
In truth, even if Aksion were to learn of this, he clearly wouldn’t bat an eye.
However, she thought that as long as they maintained their engagement, they should respect each other and observe proper etiquette.
She had to be especially careful about gossip involving the opposite sex.
Khalid, wearing a slightly surprised expression at her answer, bowed his head and offered an apology.
“I had no intention of putting you in a difficult position, my lady.”
‘Of course you didn’t.’
As the male lead, he was merely showing kindness according to his nature, nothing more.
Evelyn, knowing full well that it held no special meaning from the start, broke into a bright smile.
“I know. I really must be going now.”
Just then, Gideon, who had descended from the carriage, spotted his master and came running urgently.
Khalid nodded once and held the sight of her departing figure in his eyes for a brief moment.
***
In her bedroom, where warm sunlight streamed in, Evelyn gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
Her reddish-pink hair tied with a ribbon and an outfit that looked more neat than usual.
‘Good, this should be enough!’
Wearing a satisfied smile, she propped one hand against the mirror and called out in a clear voice.
“Appearance ~!”
“My lady, what…………… are you doing?”
When had she returned to the dressing room?
Rarie was visible on the other side of the mirror, wearing a bewildered expression.
Suddenly embarrassed, Evelyn let out a small cough.
“Ahem, it’s nothing.”
Today, she was in higher spirits than usual, to the point where her dedicated maid looked at her strangely.
And for good reason, as she had an appointment with the student council executives of Coxen Academy.
Evelyn, who had been closer to them than her fellow medical faculty classmates, was already feeling delighted.
Of course, there was also news she absolutely needed to check on.
“My lady, shouldn’t we depart now?”
At Rarie’s question, Evelyn checked the time and nodded with widened eyes.
“Look at me spacing out. I’ll be back!”
***
Evelyn, who had entered a café in the capital, leaned against the wall watching the juniors who had arrived before her.
‘When they first joined, they were like little chicks……………….’
They were the ones who used to cry with distressed faces when making mistakes due to their inexperience upon first entering the student council.
But now, seeing the juniors handling their work smoothly on their own, she felt a new sense of emotion.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you going in?”
“Huh? Felix.”
Felix, like Evelyn, was a student council executive at the academy and had served as vice president to help her, the president.
When they first met, he had been so guarded that she could never have imagined becoming close with him.
‘It’s been a while, you rascal.’
Felix had been unable to attend the coming-of-age ceremony due to having to urgently depart for an inspection of his family’s territory.
Just as Evelyn was exchanging pleased greetings with her old friend—
“The seniors have arrived!”
Hearing the conversation, the student council juniors greeted them respectfully.
The reason they had gathered today was to hand over the remaining duties to the juniors who would remain at the academy.
From overall student council election management to the vendors who rented supplies during festival periods.
While sharing documents containing their accumulated know-how, they were taking a break to catch their breath when—
“To think you’re the valedictorian, you’re truly amazing, Senior!”
Evelyn showed an awkward smile at the juniors looking at her with eyes full of wonder.
‘No, that’s not it.’
Normally, she would have raised the corners of her lips slightly, saying it was only natural, but knowing the truth, she couldn’t do so.
For the true owner of the valedictorian title was someone else entirely.
“Originally, the graduate representative would have been your fiancé.”
“What………………? Aksion was the valedictorian?”
They said that if only his attendance days hadn’t been insufficient, Aksion would have taken the glory of being the academy’s valedictorian.
He was the one who excelled overwhelmingly in practical exams, written exams, and overall aspects.
The shock she had received at the time was considerable, and Evelyn suppressed the bitter emotions slowly rising within her.
Then, to change the subject, she looked at Felix sitting beside her.
Though it was still only a guess, there was something she wanted to confirm directly with him.
“Come to think of it, was there some matter in your territory?”
At Evelyn’s question, Felix hesitated briefly before speaking as if muttering to himself.
“Well, everyone will find out soon anyway.”
Not missing her friend’s soliloquy, she opened her eyes wide and asked.
“What do you mean?”
“A collateral relative has recently come to rely on our family.”
‘A collateral relative, you say……………’
A certain figure flashed through Evelyn’s mind.
Barely hiding her tense expression, she deliberately asked nonchalantly.
“I see. What is that person’s name?”
At this, Felix answered indifferently, as if she were asking about everything.
“I believe her name was Dahlia.”
Evelyn’s green pupils dilated for an instant before contracting.
As she had expected, the original story’s female protagonist had come to stay at Count Lorenheim’s residence.
However, the problem was that it was not yet time for the original story to begin.
‘Has the original story truly been moved up?’
Though not yet announced at the Great Temple, if things proceeded according to the original story’s development, they would soon introduce Dahlia as a new priestess.
Events that should have occurred several months from now had suddenly become reality, leaving her feeling only bewildered.
“But Senior, are you feeling unwell?”
Evelyn, who had shadows cast across her face in that brief moment, deliberately smiled brightly.
“No, I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s a relief, but……………….”
Before the junior could finish speaking, one of them called out to her with eyes opened wide.
“Senior………………!”
“Hmm?”
As Evelyn tilted her head while taking a sip of tea, the junior’s urgent cry reached her ears.
“Isn’t that person over there your fiancé?”
Pfft—
No matter how you looked at it, that was too much.
You shouldn’t say such scary things so carelessly.
Evelyn hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth.
Yet the junior across from her still had their gaze fixed behind her, and feeling a sense of unease, she turned her stiff neck.
The moment she discovered the man standing right behind her, Evelyn’s mouth fell open.
With his outstanding height and extraordinary aura, it was indeed her fiancé.
Aksion, his heterochromatic eyes shining vividly, seemed to have no intention of hiding his presence.
“Aksion, why are you appearing from there?”
At Evelyn’s somewhat flustered voice, the man pulled the corners of his mouth into a languid smile.
Unlike the faint smile on his lips, no particular emotion dwelled in his eyes.
Soon, Aksion bowed his head and whispered in a voice small enough for only her to hear.
“To catch my wayward fiancée.”
At those words, the astonished Evelyn lowered her voice to scold him, lest anyone else might hear.
“Hey, are you crazy? What are you saying right now!”
The man, who had been looking at her with furrowed brows for a moment, let out an elegant laugh.
Felix, who had been staring at the two of them intently, cleared his throat as if casually and spoke in an indifferent tone.
“You two, why don’t you go outside for your display of affection?”
Only then did Evelyn realize that all the student council executives were looking at her and Aksion.
Aksion, wearing an expression of surprise at Felix’s actions, muttered in satisfaction.
“Hmm, a better friend than I thought.”
What on earth……………?
