maid's night (r19) | completed

Chapter 45

North of the border, the war was in full swing, but the capital was peaceful.

He said it wouldn't be long as he would be dealing with barbarians crossing the border, but it would never be an easy war just because the barbarians, famous for their brutality, had been bothering the emperor for quite some time.

The quiet in the capital meant that the odds of winning the war were tilted in Kater's favor, but Evely couldn't rest easy.

"Why isn't he coming? I think it's been a while."

"It hasn't been that long since he left."

Brianna, who had been watching Evely repeat the same words all day, smiled at her.

"You and Master seem to be a bit alike, don't you think?"

"What are you talking about? No way."

Evely shrugged her shoulders, saying they were completely different. That was just as well, because Evely and Alec were different from head to toe. Evely had shorter hands and feet, and was smaller in stature. If she was the smaller and prettier of the two, there was nothing about Alec that was not big. He was taller and had a much better physique than most men his age, and while Evely was cheerful, he was indifferent. It was hard to know what he was thinking.

"When you were gone, Master would ask the same questions about you over and over again. He was always like that."

Brianna shivered, as if she didn't want to think about it.

"At first he searched for you in that calm, unsympathetic tone, and later he became like a parrot."

".... Was that so?"

"Yes. At that time, all the servants were very wary of him. We all waited for you to come back. Just like you're waiting for him now. You're better than Master, though."

Evely smiled faintly as she remembered his conversation with Brianna.

After Alec left the castle, Evely felt his absence.The castle was empty without him. The many memories of him that dwelled in every place she stepped made her miss him more and more.

".... When will he be here?"

She had never really thought about war.

She never thought it would bother her this much, even though it seemed so far away that she had never experienced it in person.

The battlefield was a messy tangle of clashing blades and blood.

If all the enemies were after him, no matter how strong he was, he was still in danger. War was war, no matter how less serious it was. Hundreds of lives and deaths a day...

When she thought about it, time seemed to flow much more slowly.

"Lady, the carriage is ready."

Awakened from her thoughts, she heard the voice of a servant.

Today was the day she decided to go to her grandfather's castle.

At first, the only thing they could talk about was her parents, but as time passed and they saw each other more often, they began to confide in each other the details of their daily lives. She would read books to William, whose eyes were blurry, and he would tell her funny stories in return.

"......I've often been told that I was handsome when I was young. When I went out with your father, people around would ask if I was your father's brother."

Evely looked at her grandfather with a smile. Her smile was the same as always, but there was something else.

It was also strangely somber. William was about to continue again, when he suddenly said to Evely.