Chapter 45. Rolling Down the Cliff
It was the moment when Evie Ariate had just entered the secret passage to uncover Cassel Montera's schemes.
"Marquis has decided to support Rio Tuha instead of Evie Ariate."
At the same time, Zion Laurel was in his room, hearing the news about Evie before Evie herself.
"He also requested Rio Tuha to persuade Roble Tuha, stating that it's not right to nominate someone who disrupts order and breaches rules as a Saintess. They should support someone with legitimacy and qualifications like Rio Tuha."
Morren spoke with a firm face.
A few minutes earlier, Morren had visited Cassel's room under Zion's orders.
Zion had issued two main instructions.
One was to kindly inform Cassel that if he neglected the watchdog's uniform even once more, he would have to face suitable consequences.
The other was to stand by until Evie visited Cassel's room to prevent Cassel Montera from doing anything foolish.
Though he couldn't show it, Morren was delighted to receive these orders.
Our cold-hearted leader had changed.
To personally consider the dignity of his subordinate and care so attentively for a girl, it seemed that our leader might have developed feelings — perhaps this was the power of love, Morren thought excitedly as he headed to Cassel's room.
However, the moment Morren saw Cassel Montera, his excitement evaporated in an instant because of Cassel's consistent obnoxiousness.
As soon as Cassel realized that Morren was there on Laurel's orders, he acted with exaggerated kindness.
Despite receiving what was almost a threatening warning, he acted as if even that was a great honor, given it was from the Count.
Even before this could wear his patience thin, the arrival of people from the Tuha family left Morren even more dumbfounded.
Cassel flashed a sly smile at Duke Tuha and started spouting off about how a saintess suited the daughters of Tuha.
He loudly declared that he would support the current saintess' sister as the next one, instead of Evie.
Naturally, the people from the Tuha household reacted with surprise and joy, expressing gratitude.
Standing proud as if he had bestowed a significant favor, Cassel looked arrogantly pleased.
But when Evie Ariate, the one really involved, visited, Cassel shut his mouth.
He didn't mention anything important and merely mocked the young lady with them, sharing laughs.
Morren, having witnessed it all, felt her initial good mood plunged into disappointment.
Of course, choosing the next saintess was the exclusive right of the great nobility.
Morren somewhat understood the reasons behind Cassel's decision not to support Evie Ariate.
But Cassel's manner, independent of this, was excessively lowbrow.
If he had any decency as a human being, he shouldn't have toyed with Evie Ariate that way.
"The Marquis hasn't informed Evie Ariate about this. She might find out soon, but if she learns of it later, she could be severely shaken."
Morren reported Cassel's antics in detail, hoping for Zion to exhibit outrage.
However, Zion did not react as Morren had anticipated.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, that's all."
"Then go and wait outside."
Zion said this simply, prompting Morren to close her mouth and turn away, abandoning his attempt to add more.
Then Zion, having dismissed Morren, lifted his gaze toward the ceiling.
At that moment, a small creak echoed from above.
This sound had started when Morren nearly finished his report.
Normally, he would brush it off as mere noise from the upper floor.
But Zion already knew that a secret passage ran right above, so upon hearing the sound, he promptly sent Morren out.
'Is it Evie Ariate?'
He speculated it might be Evie finding her way to him.
So Zion waited, hopeful that Evie would send a small signal from above.
Yet, for some reason, even after the creaking noise of someone crawling ceased, nothing happened for quite some time.
Thus, Zion considered the possibility that it might be someone else sneaking in, not Evie, and without further delay, he opened the entrance to the secret passage.
Suddenly, a girl dropped from the ceiling.
Surprisingly, it was indeed Evie.
Zion reached out instantly to catch Evie.
Then, holding her in his arms, he asked with a bewildered look.
"Why didn't you come down but stayed there...?"
He stopped mid-question upon seeing her face.
Evie was as pale as a sheet.
Half dazed, she neither looked at Zion nor seemed uncomfortable being in his arms.
Zion found himself taken aback.
Normally, Evie would have explained promptly why she had fallen from the ceiling soon after landing in his arms.
Yet Evie did not.
Instead, she remained motionless like a cornered small animal, just maintaining shallow breathing.
Zion alternated his gaze between Evie and the ceiling from which she had fallen, eventually understanding the situation and asking quietly.
"Were you spying on Lord Montera?"
"Yes, there was something strange about the Marquis' atmosphere!"
Evie answered, looking completely out of sorts.
Zion became convinced that her response was not of her own volition but was drawn out by the curse.
Sighing deeply, Zion carried Evie over to the sofa.
Evie, during this time, remained quietly nestled in his arms.
Gently, Zion laid Evie on the sofa.
Without sitting beside her or helping her up, he steadied his arm on the sofa and observed her complexion.
Only then did Evie raise her eyes to Zion.
She looked at him absentmindedly for a long while before whispering.
"You already know."
"I heard from my adjutant just a moment ago!"
Zion replied calmly, causing Evie's face to turn even paler.
Zion, unaware that his response once again crushed Evie's already fragile heart, noticed only her eyes trembling precariously and inquired.
"Are you alright?"
"No, I'm not!"
Evie answered softly, only to frown as if startled by her own words.
"... Not at all."
She realized just then how much pain she was in.
And that realization eventually pushed Evie off the cliff.
Gasping, Evie murmured, no, she moaned.
"I have never once... been okay."
But she couldn't finish her sentence.
The series of breaths she took rendered her vision dark.
Evie continuously inhaled without exhaling.
Zion saw she was struggling to breathe and held her shoulders.
"Don't touch me..."
But Evie shook her head, pushing his hand away, and leaned forward, rejecting any intervention.
Her already faint breath grew even more labored, so Zion helplessly lifted her to her feet.
With that, Evie weakly struggling hung limp.
She let her forehead rest on Zion's shoulder in front of her, and he momentarily lifted her cheek only to quickly call for his adjutant.
...
Morren swiftly brought in a military physician.
Dressed in the uniform of a sentinel, the physician carefully examined the girl lying on the commanding general's bed.
After a considerable period, the physician cautiously concluded that she had exhausted herself from overwork.
He mentioned that since she was young and healthy, she would recover after resting well for a few days.
This diagnosis caused Zion's anger to misfire in a different direction.
'What has her butler been doing, not noticing something like this?'
He had spent the entire day with her and yet let her collapse.
Zion gritted his teeth at the thought of Evie's irritating butler.
Evie still lay asleep in Zion's bed, breathing softly as if in deep sleep.
Zion sat by the bedside, quietly looking down at Evie.
Overwork — it was not all that surprising.
Evie Ariate's life had been tumultuous recently.
Starting with being cursed, then getting involved intricately with Zion, she traveled back and forth tirelessly between Thiendavis.
She narrowly avoided punishment and repeatedly used the Manyanya's blessing, remaining tense throughout the Wisteria Festival.
Add betrayal to all this, and exhaustion seemed inevitable.
Although the military physician said she only needed a few days of rest, Zion found the situation distressing.
Was it compassion, guilt, or perhaps the lingering influence of that man's legacy deep within him?
Perhaps it was all of them.
Whatever the cause, Zion felt a great unease.
He had to protect Evie.
That's why he had told her that if she just gave up becoming the Saintess, he would give her anything else.
But Evie had chosen the mire instead of Zion, leaving him vexed by this stagnant situation.
Of course, it was Zion's oversight.
While the curse served as an impediment, Zion failed to adequately persuade Evie before making his proposal.
With the concealment curse on him making it impossible to explain the situation, and Evie's revelation curse causing him to think she was simple-minded, he pushed instead to convince through results alone.
If persuasion was difficult, he should have at least built trust, but even this he avoided.
"Evie Ariate" was something he repeated over and over in his mind, a debt that needed to be settled, and he intentionally maintained distance, fearing he would be overtaken if he didn't draw a clear line.
That resulted in a mess of a situation.
Ending up as an onlooker who couldn't do anything as Evie Ariate stumbled and got hurt right before his eyes.
He almost imagined hearing that man's harsh voice scolding him.
So with his mood hitting rock bottom, Zion watched Evie slumber peacefully for a time longer.
...
Evie awoke close to nightfall.
She found herself alone in a large bedroom, with darkness around her when she opened her eyes.
As soon as Evie left the bed, she heard a knock at the door.
"Are you awake?!"
It was the Count's voice.
Upon Evie's quiet response, he spoke again.
"Come out for a meal if you'd like. Or sleep more if you're tired."
His voice was politely brusque as ever.
Though she had no appetite and didn't feel like sleeping more, Evie opened the door to step outside.
There stood the Count by the doorway, with a broad reception area visible behind him.
Zion was alone in the reception area.
Normally, he used the bedroom while the sentinels guarded the reception area, but Evie's occupancy of the bedroom had pushed everyone one unit outward.
Yet, oblivious to this fact, Evie sat at the table at the Count's gesture.
On it was a small brazier warming up soup and bread.
"It seems it was overwork."
Zion said.
"I see."
Evie replied calmly.
"Nobody knows you're here."
Zion assured her.
"That's good."
Evie responded, appearing indifferent and lost in thought, still showing signs of the shock preceding her collapse.
While Zion observed Evie's complexion, she turned her head toward the window.
"Has the banquet started?"
"Yes, about two hours ago."
Zion replied.
Two hours ago — too late now even if she prepared immediately, Evie thought in resignation when suddenly, Cassel's voice echoed in her mind.
— "If she's not pretty later, I'll scold Evie instead."
Recalling that voice, an indescribable feeling swept over Evie once more.
"Huk..."
A rush of emotions overwhelmed her, and Evie reflexively covered her face, silently letting out a groan.
Zion, hearing this, froze.
"Could it be..."
He wondered, and looked over to see Evie starting to sob into her hands.
"Huk, heuk..."
Seeing her shoulders shake, Zion quickly went around the table to reach Evie's side.
But remembering Evie's earlier plea not to touch her, he stopped in his tracks, unable to do anything.
In his moment of hesitation, Evie's trembling shoulders shook even more sorrowfully.
Feeling caught, Zion eventually reached out, unable to see her so distressed.
And just as his hand was about to touch her, Evie's sobs shifted to an unsettling tone.
"Huk, huhu, huhuhut..."
'What is this?'
Zion, initially alarmed thinking Evie was crying, felt a chill as her cries began sounding like laughter.
Evie, with her head still bowed, muffled her laughter long, and then suddenly, in a clear voice, called out to Zion.
"Count."
When Evie looked up again, her face was clear of any tears, and a pretty smile graced her lips.
As Zion stood frozen, unable to grasp her condition, Evie spoke with a gentle voice.
"Could I borrow some paper and a pen?"
Naturally, while her smile and voice were amiable and sweet, Evie's eyes were colder and more intense than ever.
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