<CHAPTER 48>
A Promise That Could Not Be Kept
In the chaos, Evelyn had not noticed earlier, but there had only been the Lizard Man and herself in the forest.
‘Did something happen to her?’
As if sensing her concern, Aksion slightly furrowed his brows.
“You were the only missing person in this hunting festival.”
He briefly explained what had happened at the hunting grounds while she had been wandering in the forest.
A pale-faced young lady had appeared in tears and requested a search party to be sent into the forest.
“And yet, who is worrying about whom?”
Aksion’s voice had sunk coldly.
Seeing his anger, Evelyn could not respond.
She only cautiously asked another question.
“Is there a problem related to the monster?”
Aksion let out a heavy sigh before answering.
“It’s the same mark as the one from before.”
“What do you mean…?”
Evelyn’s expression stiffened just like his.
His words meant that the mark before them was evidence of sorcery.
Blinking slowly, Evelyn recalled the incidents that had happened.
The young lord who approached her during the midnight banquet, and the monster that attacked her in the forest.
They all shared the same mark.
And though it was still only a suspicion, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she herself was the target.
As if thinking the same, the air around Aksion grew cold.
‘Controlling monsters to do this?’
Why she had become their target, everything felt confusing.
Aksion’s red eyes glowed ominously as he spoke calmly.
“I will hold the imperial family accountable for this.”
Since it had occurred during an official event hosted by the imperial family, they could not avoid responsibility.
Though Evelyn nodded slightly, something felt off.
It was as if someone was deliberately trying to frame the imperial family.
If she had truly been a nuisance, the Emperor would have acted long ago.
‘Then who is behind this?’
As she nervously bit her thumbnail—
Aksion suddenly lifted her into his arms.
Evelyn stared at him in shock.
“What are you doing right now?”
“You should go back and rest.”
With an indifferent gaze, he gestured toward the forest entrance.
Only then did Evelyn realize her ankle was badly swollen.
At the same time, being carried like this made her face burn with embarrassment.
“I’m fine, so put me down already!”
“Then go to the hunting grounds like this.”
‘This guy…’
Evelyn glared at him, though not truly annoyed.
Being held in Aksion’s broad arms felt strangely unfamiliar.
Trying to avoid his gaze, she accidentally looked at his firm chest.
His muscular physique beneath his sharp jawline was not fully hidden by his shirt.
With a few buttons undone, his well-built body looked overly stimulating.
‘What kind of training does he even do… to have a body like this?’
Judging by it, Aksion was probably no less than the male lead of the original story.
Not that she had ever looked at another man’s body before.
As she tried to look away—
Her eyes met his red ones.
As if he had been watching her the whole time, Aksion slightly curved his lips.
Startled, Evelyn swallowed dryly.
‘I didn’t mean to…’
Her cheeks flushed as her eyes darted around.
“Evelyn.”
Leaning closer, he whispered softly so only she could hear.
“At this rate, you’ll start drooling.”
***
At the sound of raindrops tapping against the window, Evelyn slowly opened her heavy eyes.
A burning thirst filled her throat, and she struggled to sit up.
After the incident at the hunting festival, she had been bedridden for several days.
In a way, it was a relief.
Her usual seasonal illness had come early this year.
“That’s good. My parents won’t worry as much this year.”
She tried to sound cheerful, but a shadow lingered on her lips.
It was always like this.
Whenever the spring rain fell, her mood would sink.
More precisely, she hated that her birthday was approaching.
Recalling memories she could never share, she bit her lower lip.
“Evelyn, Mom and Dad will be back soon.”
“Can’t you stay?”
“We’ll return quickly. With the birthday gift we ordered for our daughter.”
“Really? Then you have to go quickly!”
Her parents had left for an audience with the Emperor, leaving their young daughter behind.
But the promise that they would return soon was never kept.
That was why Evelyn hated the spring rain.
That day, too, the rain had fallen steadily.
As if trying to erase the traces of those precious to her.
Her face was filled with sorrow as she recalled her childhood.
The carriage her parents had been in was said to be completely destroyed.
Yet there was one thing that remained intact.
A pendant with their portraits.
It had been her birthday gift, and also their keepsake.
Her eyes stung, and she tightly shut them before opening them again.
Even though it was a distant memory, it still remained vivid.
After drinking the water prepared on the bedside table, Evelyn calmed herself.
As she tried to get out of bed, her gaze fell on a single rose in a vase.
‘Come to think of it, Aksion gave me that.’
With the hunting festival canceled due to the monster incident, no winner or Goddess of Spring had been chosen.
Yet he had suddenly handed her the rose and said in a casual tone—
“Didn’t I tell you? The Goddess of Spring this year would be you.”
‘This guy…’
A faint laugh escaped her as she recalled his baseless confidence.
But the cold anger on his face at that time still lingered in her mind.
As soon as the hunting festival ended, Aksion and Marquis Inevassel had formally protested to the imperial family.
A monster appearing at an imperial event could not simply be overlooked.
Moreover, traces of sorcery had been found on the monster.
The imperial family had feigned ignorance, though they appeared somewhat wronged.
Of course, whether to believe them or not remained to be seen.
There were also those who had sent letters out of concern for her.
The young ladies she had grown close to, her destined best friend Chloe.
And even Kalid Likeran, the male lead of the original story.
‘I didn’t expect him to send a letter.’
His letter contained sincere concern for her after the attack.
Though it was likely just as a friend.
***
That night, Evelyn’s body burned with fever again.
Just as the heat subsided, chills quickly followed.
Her whole body trembled.
The resident physician urged complete rest and gave her a new special remedy.
Only after forcing down the bitter medicine did the servants leave.
“I finally feel a bit better.”
As her condition improved, Evelyn sat by the window and looked up at the night sky.
At some point, the rain had stopped, and stars shimmered faintly.
When she opened the window slightly, a cool breeze flowed in.
Though it lifted her mood, the night air was still cold.
As she shivered and tried to close the window—
