Chapter 2 – Meeting For The Novel

Even if they were known as blood relatives, Evelyn and Ethan had never met in person.

Because they grew up separately in the Fedora Grand Duchy and the Hereos Empire, respectively.

There was physical distance between the two lands, thus it wasn’t easy for the heir to move about.

That was why they exchanged letters once or twice a month.

That will come to an end today.

The servants lined up in front of the Castle couldn’t hide their tense excitement.

“Be quiet.”

The murmurs were escalating to the point that the Archduke had to intervene.

Evelyn peeked at the Archduke who quieted the vassals.

He was clearly nervous.

Of course, he was meeting his son after 19 years.

‘They will be together in the future.’

Unlike her, who must leave.

Ethan was going to stay here for a few months to attend Evelyn’s coming-of-age ceremony and to spend the end of the year and the New Year’s celebrations with the Archduke’s family.

To keep his childhood promise, he will definitely set aside his busy schedule to attend his sister’s coming-of-age ceremony and travel to see his family.

“If he broke his promise, I could postpone it…”

“Eve? What did you say? What do you want to postpone?”

The Archduke, standing next to her, looked at her quizzically.

Evelyn, who had been muttering to herself without realizing it, shuddered.

Despite the fact that she had already made up her mind to leave, the hope that the truth would not emerge followed her persistently to the point of making her sick.

Evelyn laughed at her stupidity.

The middle-aged man with hair black as the night sky and golden eyes with a strange glow watched her.

Archduke Auss Lokt Fedora, once the Prince of the Hereos Empire and now the ruler of the Fedora Grand Duchy.

“…It’s nothing, Your Highness Archduke. I was talking to myself.”

At the formal answer, a shadow crossed the Archduke’s face as he stared at her.

Even knowing this, Evelyn slowly turned her gaze away, as if ignoring it.

Ever since she acknowledged her future, she had kept her distance from him.

Running into his big arms and hugging him, sitting on his lap and chatting were all things she had to stop doing.

It had been a few years since she started to treat him as the head of the Grand Duchy and not as her father.

The conversations between the two of them slowly dwindled.

Fortunately, they had been able to discuss the affairs of the Grand Duchy, but those didn’t last long.

After turning away from Archduke Fedora, Evelyn fixed her gaze on the gate.

They prepared faithfully after hearing the news that Ethan had arrived in Holfman, the city where the Archduke’s Castle was located.

Evelyn and the Archduke, as well as the servants lined up behind them, stared at the gates, waiting for only one person.

Before long a carriage appeared as if to satisfy expectations.

Thanks to the snow having been previously pushed and stacked on the edge of the road, the carriage passed smoothly through the gate.

The wagon bearing the crest of the Orman Duchy, trusted by the Emperor of the Hereos Empire, was getting closer and closer.

Like the future she had to face.

‘This day really is here.’

Evelyn felt a strange emotion as she and the knights and servants watched the carriage approach.

Every year, the Duke of Orman sent a portrait of Ethan, so it wasn’t like she didn’t know his face.

It wasn’t just the face. She knew quite a lot about Ethan.

She had been exchanging letters with Ethan since the time she started dreaming of her previous life.

She knew about his daily life as well as his tastes and hobbies.

Nevertheless, the exchange wasn’t enough to build up a loving bond between family members.

It was natural to feel a sense of distance compared to a relationship that was built up by seeing and talking in person.

Yet, Ethan had always been kind to his sister in the letters he sent to her.

Gifts sent along with personal letters several times a year evidenced the effort he had put into choosing them, and in the slightly crude handwriting, there was a feeling of affection for the sister whom he had never met.

He seemed like a kind, calm and straightforward person in his writing.

Even in the original work, he was portrayed as an upright and honest person, serving a cause beyond himself.

‘Would it be the same if I saw him with my own eyes and experienced it? I’ll see if I keep on watching him.’

While she was distracted by her growing curiosity, the carriage stopped.

A knight approached immediately and the figure of a man appeared through the door he opened.

Evelyn’s eyes widened slightly when she saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

Before her were oddly glowing golden-colored eyes and trimmed short black hair as dark as the night sky.

When the clean-cut brows and sharp nose caught her eyes, Evelyn unknowingly exclaimed.

“Oh…”

She had thought he was handsome when she saw his portrait, but she realized that the painting didn’t do him justice when seeing him in person,

Unlike portraits, Ethan’s lines were deeper and sharper in the flesh.

His overall facial features were distinctive and deep rather than refined.

In addition, his calmly subdued eyes and expression gave a very different feeling from the portrait.

Having burned Ethan’s image into her retinas, Evelyn unwittingly looked back at Archduke Fedora standing next to her.

The Ethan before her looked like the Archduke from head to toe.

Although he was gazing at his son, the Archduke seemed nervous.

Will it be a new feeling to see his own for the first time after almost 20 years?

Evelyn was engulfed in thoughts as she stared at the Archduke.

‘It must be complicated meeting him after a long time.’

In the past, he divorced for a future with his loved one.

The same was true for the former Archduchess, Sylvia.

But that was a decision made between him and Sylvia and did not include Ethan.

Because the relationship between the Archduke and Sylvia was not bad, Ethan was not in an awkward position between them.

It wasn’t that the Archduke didn’t love Ethan. He simply made this choice because he loved someone more than his son.

From what Evelyn had heard, the Archduke and Sylvia had a good relationship even though theirs was an arranged marriage.

If both of them had never met their loved ones, then neither of them would have sought a divorce.

Plenty of things must have changed.

“…Ethan.”

The Archduke’s hoarse voice barely escaped his lips.

At that brief call, Ethan shifted his golden eyed focus from Evelyn.

He had already gotten off the carriage while Evelyn was lost in her thoughts.

As the servants behind them bowed their heads, Ethan approached Evelyn and Archduke Fedora.

After meeting for the first time in 20 years, they looked at each other silently.

Evelyn swallowed a bitter smile at their appearance as if they were standing each before a mirror.

Because she didn’t resemble Archduke Fedora.

Instead, she resembled the second woman who married the Archduke and became the Archduchess.

Not just the scarlet eyes, but also the shiny silver hair and features.

It was because of her appearance that Evelyn was able to deny her dream for four years.

Because she couldn’t not be the Archduke’s daughter, when she looked just like the Archduchess.

Unless the Archduchess had an affair, it should have been an absurd assumption that Evelyn was someone else’s child.

Unfortunately, that absurd assumption was true.

‘There is no way that the Archduchess had an affair.’

Evelyn wasn’t the daughter of the Archduke just as much as she wasn’t the Archduchess’ daughter.

The original story, which she learned from the memories of her past life, clearly described Evelyn as a ‘switched fake.’

It didn’t say how the children were exchanged or who Evelyn’s biological parents were.

Though it was certain that the child was changed.

Even so, she was born resembling the Archduchess, so she was probably somehow related to her.

While Evelyn was thinking about something else, the Archduke, who managed to control his feelings, spoke.

“Long time no see.”

“…Yes, father. It’s been a while.”

“Do you remember me?”

“It’s faint, but I remember. You… hugged me often.”

“That’s right, I did.”

It was clear that Ethan and the Archduke were awkward with each other.

Nonetheless, their eyes were warm.

The Archduke hesitated, but steadily reached out his hand, and held his adult son who had grown up in a faraway place.

“How… how have you been?”

It would have been nice if he greeted him with more kind words.’

What he asked was the common question that he used to ask in letters every time.

“Yes, I have been well.”

Ethan, who returned the Archduke’s hug, answered with a warm voice.

“Has father been well too?”

“Yes, I have been well, too.”

The Archduke released Ethan and carefully examined him.

The words that came out sounded a bit muffled.

“…You’ve grown up to be a wonderful man.”

“Thank you, but…”

At the end of the short conversation with the Grand Duke, Ethan glanced to his side.

The Archduke hurriedly came to his senses and introduced Evelyn.

“Ah, greetings, right. I should introduce her. This child is Eve.”

Ethan’s lips twitched as if searching for something to say.

An unfamiliar voice said,

“Evelyn, glad to meet you.”

At that moment, Evelyn’s lips were softly curled up as she faced Ethan.

“Welcome, Older Brother.”

Ethan’s fingertips twitched and trembled, but no one saw it.

“…thank you for welcoming me.”

“Was your journey tough?”

“Thanks to the leisurely schedule not…”

Evelyn continued with a smile.

“The conversation might take long, so would you like to come inside first?”

Instead of answering, Ethan frowned.

Then, the Archduke intervened.

“That’s right! It’s cold, so let’s go first as Eve suggested. Do you want to rest for a while first? Did you eat? If you’re hungry, I’ll have lunch prepared.”

It was originally expected that he would arrive around noon, but he was delayed by a couple of hours.

It was a little late for lunch, but neither Evelyn nor the Archduke had eaten yet.

“I’m hungry because I skipped a meal. Father…”

“We haven’t either. If it’s okay, would you like to eat together?”

“Yes, gladly.”

Thus, the Archduke’s eldest son entered the castle for the first time in 19 years.