<CHAPTER 26>
You Should Give Me a Reward Too
The moment the young girl’s words ended, silence descended upon the orphanage courtyard.
As if the air itself was filled with silence, everyone firmly sealed their lips.
‘Is the tension just my imagination?’
While Evelyn curled her fingertips tightly, the quick-witted children covered the girl’s mouth.
“Shh! Children shouldn’t interfere in adults’ romantic affairs.”
“That’s right. Don’t make things difficult for Sister!”
No, that’s not it. You’ve got the wrong idea.
Wondering why everyone was misunderstanding, Evelyn bit her lower lip firmly.
As if sensing she was in a difficult situation, Kalid answered smoothly.
“I met the Lady by chance while doing volunteer work. Any misunderstanding is-“
“Why would I misunderstand Evelyn.”
Aksion interrupted, drawing an elegant curve on his lips.
Today, an unusually chilling aura seemed to hang around him.
His red eyes, reflected in the sunset light, flickered strangely.
It was an overwhelming gaze that anyone who met it would want to avoid.
To this, Kalid calmly nodded his head.
“I’m glad to hear that, then.”
“It’s my lover’s matter, so of course I should believe her.”
Aksion’s mouth was clearly smiling, but his eyes were not at all.
‘He… he seems angry somehow!’
When something displeased him, he would put on a more cynical smile than usual.
He seemed to be hiding his emotions, but the cold aura still lingered around him.
‘Oh, it’s cold!’
Was he angry because she hadn’t kept her promise to cooperate?
Evelyn felt somewhat aggrieved at why she kept finding herself in these situations.
But for now, sorting out the situation was the priority.
After rolling her eyes about, she let out a short breath and approached Aksion.
Then she lightly linked her arm with his and put on a shy smile that made the corners of her mouth twitch.
“Everyone’s misunderstanding. This person is my lover.”
At those words, the children’s eyes widened like startled rabbits.
“The Prince is someone else?”
“Sister said she had a fiancé!”
“Then this brother must be the one marrying Sister!”
So this was what it meant for a storm to sweep through.
Evelyn glanced at Aksion at the children’s commotion.
The man’s gaze, wearing a satisfied smile, was still fixed on Kalid.
Just as she was watching him, wondering what bizarre words her fiancé would utter next.
Aksion opened his mouth in a considerably softened voice.
“Since we have that relationship, I shall take my lover and go first.”
At those words, though only for an instant, Kalid looked at them with an indescribable expression.
Soon, Duke Likeran, who pulled his lips into a slight smile, lightly nodded his head.
“…Please do so.”
When they had crossed the wide courtyard and escaped the children’s gaze, Evelyn unlinked her arm from her fiancé.
“Aksion, why did you come all the way here?”
When she narrowed her eyes at him, Aksion answered with a face that seemed to ask if he really didn’t know.
“Rather, I should be asking that.”
“Asking what…?”
Evelyn subtly avoided the man’s gaze that seemed to pierce through her.
“I went to the Count’s residence, and your brother was saying strange things.”
“By brother, do you mean Viaron?”
She couldn’t hide her astonishment at his form of address toward her brother.
Aksion tilted his head and spoke softly.
“He said you picked up some boy.”
Gulp-
So the news had already reached him too?
While Evelyn tried hard to hide her bewilderment, a low and calm voice flowed from the man.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to run a temporary shelter?”
“It’s not like I built a temporary shelter.”
Evelyn shrugged her shoulders as if telling him not to meddle in her affairs.
Then Aksion slightly narrowed his brows as if something displeased him.
‘Why is he really acting like this!’
Just as she was shaking her head at her fiancé who seemed to have taken a wrong turn.
Click-
Zekter, who had been in the carriage, poked his head out the window.
“…Evelyn Sister?”
“Sister? How outrageous.”
As Aksion muttered lowly beside her, Evelyn stomped on his foot hard.
Then she put on a benevolent smile and spoke to the boy.
“Zekter, did you wait long?”
“No, I’m fine. But who is the person next to you?”
When Zekter tilted his head, Evelyn glanced at her fiancé.
“That’s… it’s the person you wanted to meet.”
“Huh? Really that person?”
At her vaguely mumbled words, Zekter’s golden heterochromatic eyes sparkled brightly.
The boy immediately got down from the carriage and approached Aksion with proper manners.
“I greet you for the first time. I’m Zekter.”
At the unexpected situation, Aksion raised one eyebrow and muttered lowly to her.
“What are you trying to do now?”
Evelyn scratched one cheek as if embarrassed.
She knew the current situation must be absurd to her fiancé.
So she whispered quietly in a voice only he could hear.
“I told him a bit about you, and he wanted to meet you.”
After briefly explaining what had happened earlier, interest settled in Aksion’s red eyes.
Him… him, what is he going to say in front of the child,
Just as she was stepping aside at the man’s ominous gaze.
A considerably affectionate voice flowed from Aksion’s languidly parted lips.
“Then I should grant his wish.”
The completely unpredictable man took out a cufflink from his pocket.
Then he placed it in Zekter’s hand and said.
“Come find me with this next time.”
“This is…”
The boy, examining the pattern on the cufflink, was startled.
As a citizen of the Valtian Empire, he would know how high Valentino’s status was.
“It would be even better if you come with your sponsor.”
The man who glanced at Evelyn showed a playful smile, and Zekter nodded his head enthusiastically.
“I’ll definitely come with Sister!”
Watching the boy return to the carriage, Aksion spoke indifferently.
“He’s quite spirited. I like him.”
Handing a cufflink engraved with his family’s crest to a boy he just met.
Evelyn narrowed her eyes at her fiancé who had sorted out the situation in an instant.
‘What on earth is he scheming?’
But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t read Aksion’s intentions.
She let out a small cough and subtly expressed her gratitude.
“Ahem, thank you for helping.”
After all, thanks to his help, things had flowed as she desired.
Aksion seemed to show a surprised expression, then loosened the corner of his mouth.
“Are you planning to keep your mouth shut like this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Since I granted your wish, you should give me a reward too.”
When Evelyn stood dumbfounded and speechless, he pressed her conscience.
“My fiancée likes negotiations, after all.”
“So?”
“Surely you’re not thinking of getting something for nothing.”
You, you’re doing this so I can’t refuse, aren’t you?
Just as Evelyn was showing a somewhat indignant expression after belatedly grasping her fiancé’s intentions.
The eyes of Aksion, who had been gazing at her intently, curved affectionately.
“Evelyn, I want you to ride in my carriage.”
“Why would I ride in your carriage?”
When Evelyn answered coldly, he spoke with a completely unconcerned face.
“Because now we must get to the main point.”
Aksion added that she would soon know the details.
Then he approached the Inevassel carriage and lightly tapped on the window.
When Zekter opened the window, the man asked in an indifferent voice.
“Evelyn wants to return with me, is that alright?”
As if he had already become Aksion’s follower, the boy’s golden eyes shone vividly.
“Yes, I can return alone!”
Zekter, you…
Whose side are you really on?
