'I'm going to go crazy…!"

Evelyn felt like she would become one when she heard unintentionally about Prince Adley's plan and his aide.

​​

'Seriously, this is driving me nuts!'

She walked back to where Silvester and Sir Izzy is. Her stoic face can be seen by Silvester but he saw the anger inside her dyed chestnut eyes. He immediately masked his concern emotion as the nobles are still pestering him, trying to suck it up to him.

"Miss Adelyn, where did you go?" Sir Izzy was the one to ask as he saw the disguised Evelyn frustrated.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to go to the washroom… why did something happen?" She asked as she looked at Sir Izzy.

Sir Izzy and Evelyn talk to each other and they also hear Silvester excused himself from the nobles.

"I apologize, I will take a break for a bit…" he excused himself and approached the disguised Evelyn and Sir Izzy.

"Should we talk for a bit?" Silvester questioned Evelyn and they headed towards one of the balconies.

He closed the red curtain and made Sir Izzy stand guard to not let others inside.

"What happened Adelyn?" Silvester refrained from calling her real name as a precaution.

"Did you see the Duke of Emsworth in the party?" she asked, still frustrated.

"What?! Now that you said it, I haven't seen him. I also didn't see Allan ever since the welcome greetings three days ago. Why?" Silvester asked and also wondered.

Evelyn clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"I need a favor. Can you find out what is happening at the mansion?"

"Why? Did something happen?"

Silvester is also feeling that something must have happened seeing Evelyn frustrated.

"I heard Prince Adley and his aide while I was out searching for Crown Prince Edickart..."

She closed their distance and whispered so that only they could hear.

"Those bastards, I heard them saying that the Duke is at his deathbed!"

Silvester frowned and looked at Evelyn gritting her teeth.

"Does that mean that they have something to do with it?" He asked.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that it's them... " She said truthfully as what her guts were telling her then she continued.

"I have a suspicion that they were also the ones who planned the Crown Prince assassination!"

"You mean… the rumors that Crown Prince Edickart was poisoned and was in critical conditions were true?" He brushed his black hair as he understood the situation.

"They really are planning something if they are targeting the Crown Prince and your family." He explained as he voiced his opinion.

Before they could go further in the subject, they heard Sir Izzy inside the close curtains.

"I'm sorry your grace but his highness wants to have a break for a while, I will convey to his highness that you come to greet him." He said respectfully.

Silvester and Evelyn are wondering who was the person on the other side of the curtain and thought that it must be some noble who wants to leech off to Silvester.

"...But did he say "Your Grace?" she mumbled.

A few people can only be called by that.

'It's either Duke Keene or…' she thought and she heard a familiar voice.

"I won't take long, I will just say my greetings to his highness…"

"But…"

"Let him in… I know who it is." It was Silvester who acknowledged the visitor.

Evelyn stared at Silvester and saw in blue eyes that 'it can't be helped…' looked.

'What can't be helped?' she thought.

She bowed her head when she saw the gallant look of Cabel walking near Silvester. His silver hair swayed and shined more beautifully as the moonlit shine upon it like it was giving him the spotlight.

Cabel leaned into a bow as a sign of respect and Silvester acknowledged it by speaking first.

"It's been a long time… Duke Cabel."

"It is… It really has been a long time." he said, his eyes were glued to Silvester before he found the disguised Evelyn behind Silvester with her head down.

"Is she your knight, your highness…?" Cabel asked that it made Silvester and Evelyn frown.

"Of course, she is." Silvester replied and decided to let Evelyn go first.

"Miss Adelyn, you can wait outside with Sir Izzy."

"Yes your highness." she bowed towards Silvester and Cabel.

Evelyn silently walked to the door but before she could go inside, Cabel stepped forward that made her look up and they met each other's eyes.

Cabel is silently staring at her chestnut orbs underneath the black mask. Evelyn unconsciously stepped backward as she felt that Cabel was getting closer.

Her mind went blank when she realized that Cabel cupped her face with his big hands.

'Huh?'

The world felt like it went into desolation as it fell quiet for a while.

Blink. She blink a few times and tried to understand what Cabel was doing. When she realized what happened, she glanced at the hand and Cabel who was still silently looking at her face.

"What are you doing, your Grace?" She asked, her tone was sharp as she woke up from her stupor.

She didn't hear a response, his hand was still in her face. She stepped backward again to give some distance.

'What is this guy doing?!' she thought as she still saw Cabel looking at her as he let her go.

Silvester stepped in as he saw the annoyed face of Evelyn. He knew that face even though it was behind a black mask because it was always what she showed back at the Academy whenever he teased him.

"Duke Cabel, do you have something to say to my knight?" His tone was also sharp but Silvester was showing his business-like smile.

"Nothing, your highness…" he answered. Then he turned his head to the disguised Evelyn under the black mask.

"As an apology, I'll visit you sometime with an apology gift." Cabel continued.

'Visit?!' Evelyn is getting more confused at Cabel's actions.

"You don't need to do that, your Grace." She decided to put Cabel's action to a stop before he learned that it was her.

She thought that it was fine not to let Cabel into the messed up situation that she was in.

Silvester gestured to Evelyn to go immediately. Evelyn walked past Cabel but she heard him whisper.

"It's you, right?"

Evelyn' eyes shake for a moment before she went out and dismissed what Cabel said. She saw that Sir Izzy was there behind the curtain with another visitor.

'Ah! This is driving me nuts!!!'

She felt so frustrated that everyone who came looking for Silvester are the people she wants to avoid the most. She then heard Sir Izzy, the mage speaks.

"Commander Gabriel, his highness is still talking with Duke Cabel. You should go back…"

Before Sir Izzy could explain and inform him, Gab had stopped him.

"It's not him that I was looking for…"

Then, he turned his head to where Evelyn who just escaped Cabel.

"...It's her, I'm looking for."

The weight of his words echoed to Evelyn's ears. She decided to give up escaping Gab's gaze.

She sighs.

"This way, Commander." she replied and they walked out from where Sir Izzy was.

***

The gardens of the Royal Palace are vast and the moonlit are shining upon it that makes the walk easy as they can see the road ahead.

But Evelyn can't see anything as her mind is bugged by Gab's silent demeanor.

When they are far enough from the castle, Gab stops walking and Evelyn also stops when she realizes the footsteps are gone.

She looked back, what she saw was Gab in close proximity. She unconsciously observes the difference between the slave that she picked up in the Shield Forest and now, the representative of their Kingdom and who became a commander.

'What's his name again… Gabriel Louise Denzell? So, he's a noble too.' she thought.

The moonlit also shined upon him like he was at a center of a play. His wide shoulder and muscular physique are in full display. The white tuxedo looks so good at him that Evelyn's old self as Adelyn was starting to appear.

'Whoa' she inwardly gasps as she admired his toned and muscular body.

She lifts her head and then their eyes meet.

"Oh…" she let out a small gasp.

Evelyn saw the watery golden eyes of Gab. Evelyn was shocked and didn't know what to do.

'Why?!' She felt frustrated again. She feels like she bullied the red wolf.

Evelyn was stunned. Droplets of water that came from his eyes came down to Gab's face. She didn't know what to do at this point and panicked that she saw an adult man crying in front of her.

"C-commander? Wh-what is it?" she asked.

Gab is still silent and is still looking at her while tears are trickling down his face.

And Evelyn let out a sigh. She stepped a little closer and stretched her pale hands towards Gab's face. She wiped his tears while her sweet voice echoed in the garden like a lullaby.

"Why is my Gab crying?" she smiled and called him what she used to do

'My Gab...' The words resonate to his head. Gab tilted his head and touched her hand that was on his face.

He slowly smiled and replied.

"It's all your fault, Eve…"