《Even Villainesses Wilt》


 Predecessor Epilogue

    ¡°Let me out, Minos!¡± Eva cried, her hands sore from banging on the wooden door. Each thump reverberated in the dark basement, echoing into no one¡¯s ears but hers. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she knew better than to lose control. Crying was for the weak and the helpless, and she was neither.


    It had been perhaps five minutes since the door shut. There¡¯s still time, she thought as she felt around for a lantern. She eventually found one lying near the door and quickly ignited it. She started plunging into the darkness, doing all she could to recall the layout of the basement, her nose barely noticing the damp smell. She took turn after turn while feeling doubts rising in her heart. What if she went the wrong way?


    Eva heard the sound of heavy steps above her head, the sound of people fighting and dying. She knew that she was putting herself in danger, but to her, nothing was as important as going back.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she was underground, but soon she found herself in the wine cellar, a place she knew off the top of her head. Knowing that she came the right way, she confidently rushed ahead with even more speed until she found herself before two flights of stairs made of stone. She raced up the steps and saw light shining through the crack under the door. She swung it open and whipped her head left and right. No one was in sight. She placed the lantern down and hurried to her bedchamber. That was probably where he was.


    ¡°Die, you imperial scum!¡±


    Eva stopped just before a sharp turn and put her body against the wall, peeking her head out from the corner. In the corridor behind her were soldiers and barbarians clashing their weapons: the soldiers with their swords, the barbarians with their axes. She could tell at a glance that the soldiers were at a disadvantage, being outnumbered and visibly more worn out.


    ¡°You will not get past me, you damn beast!¡± said a bleeding soldier who was having a contest of strength with a barbarian, their weapons in a lock, though the soldier¡¯s grip was faltering. Others were in the same predicament, with some handling two opponents at the same time.


    Eva gritted her teeth and went back the way she came from. She knew she was of no use in battle, but that didn¡¯t make her feel any less guilty. She took the long way around, avoiding and hiding from the skirmishes inside her own manor, each time feeling the sins weighing more and more on her back.


    Finally, she arrived at the grand bedchamber where she had spent the last eight years in. She stepped forward and felt dampness under her feet. She looked down to see a pool of crimson and a red trail continuing into the room. She felt as if the floor had vanished, and now she was falling endlessly into the abyss.


    What if he was¡­ dead?


    She swallowed and walked forward another step, feeling her heart racing like never before. What if she was too late? The further she walked, the more blood stained her feet. What if it was because of her? Again?


    Eva heard a groan inside the room, and she rushed forward with her hope flared up. Amidst the dark room and sitting against the bed was her husband, a man so scarred that it would be difficult to find a part of his body with fair skin. He had black hair that shimmered against the moonlight, his red eyes glimmering faintly, dark blood painted all over his body, and he was looking at¡­ his left hand? Eva ignored the smell of blood and moved forward, and as she got closer, she realized that he was looking at his ring¡ªat their ring. She relaxed her hands and touched her matching ring, then reached out to him, giving him a hug.


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    ¡°Minos¡­ You fool. Imbecile. Idiot.¡± She started sobbing despite her effort to hold it in. ¡°Why would you think that sacrificing yourself will make me happy? Do you truly think that I will be able to go on without looking back in regrets?¡±


    ¡°Eva¡­¡± Minos sounded startled. He shakily hugged her as if he couldn¡¯t believe she was real. When the marquis realized that she was not an illusion, however, he pushed her away, his eyes widened in horror. ¡°Why did you come back?¡± he said, looking as if the world had fallen apart. ¡°You were supposed to¡ª¡°


    ¡°Live on without you?¡± She grabbed his bloody hand and put it to her cheek, smearing blood all over. She smiled. ¡°How could you be so cruel?¡±


    ¡°No! You¡­ I¡­ I just¡­¡± He looked away, gritting his teeth. ¡°How could I bear the thought¡­ of you¡­¡±


    Eva caressed his hand and trailed her fingers to his ring. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember our vow?¡±


    Minos¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°How could I forget?¡±


    ¡°To live and to die as one, to share each and everything, to be of one mind, to our eternity.¡±


    ¡°To our eternity.¡±


    Eva leaned forward, putting her mouth over his, tasting iron but also tasting sweetness. As much as she wanted to stay like this, she knew she couldn¡¯t as they had little time. ¡°Minos, we have to get out.¡±


    ¡°And go where? After everything, we don¡¯t have a place anymore. Not in this whole empire.¡±


    ¡°We can start anew. Go to a far village, use fake names, and live peacefully.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ Not with the blood of my men spilled. And¡­ the battlefield is the only place I will ever be.¡±


    Eva bit her lips, but she nodded anyway. ¡°If that is your choice, then I will follow you anywhere, but now, we have to get out first.¡± She held him from the armpits and pulled him up, but she stopped when she heard Minos groan deeply. She let him sit back down and jerked his military outfit away, revealing a gashing wound running down his chest to his abdomen, blood pouring out endlessly. ¡°M-Minos¡­ Y-you¡­¡±


    The marquis laughed. ¡°It seems I won¡¯t be able to live a simple life with you, regardless,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°Please forgive me, Eva, but it appears that I have no choice but to break our vow.¡±


    She held her hands to her mouth, and, without realizing it, tears started falling out of her eyes. She didn¡¯t try to wipe them off. ¡°No¡­ no, no, no.¡± She sniffed, reaching her hand out to touch his face. She noticed that he was visibly paler than when she first arrived, and his eyes were losing focus as well. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this to me.¡± Tears blurred her vision until she couldn¡¯t make out what was what. ¡°Please.¡± But even through the blur, she could also see tears streaming down his face.


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± he sobbed. ¡°I wish it hadn¡¯t come to this. If only¡­ if only¡­¡±


    Eva shook her head, tears dripping down onto the pool of blood. ¡°No, it was my fault. I got you into so many troubles since I arrived. I am the one who led this entire territory to ruin. I¡­ I am the one who killed your vassals.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself,¡± he said, grabbing her hand. ¡°It was no one¡¯s fault but mine. I am their lord but before that¡­ I am your husband. It was my pleasure to be able to spend time with you, so please run away now¡­¡± His grip lost its strength. ¡°You have many skills¡­ You will be able to survive¡­ Perhaps you could go¡­ to a far kingdom and¡­ start a new life¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this. Please don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Eva¡­¡± His hand fell off. ¡°I love you¡­¡± His eyes lost focus, his head lolled forward, his body lifeless.


    ¡°Mi¡­ nos¡­?¡±


    She shook him. He didn¡¯t stir.


    ¡°Minos?¡±


    His body grew cold.


    ¡°Minos!¡±


    But she could see clearly: He was smiling. A wail left her throat before she even realized that it was her own¡¯s. Tears poured out of her eyes. What weakness. What helplessness. She forgot everything about her pride at this moment and cried until her voice was gone, her eyes dry of liquid. She clenched her fists and bit her lips until she could taste her own blood mixed with his. In the corner of her eyes, she noticed a shining dagger on Minos¡¯s body, the moonlight reflecting on the golden hilt.


    Eva mindlessly reached out. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she rasped as she unsheathed the blade, raising it high, pointing at her neck, ¡°let our vow be broken.¡± She could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching, could hear the shouts of the barbarians slaughtering the soldiers and the servants, could hear the end approaching.


    ¡°To live and die as one. To our eternity.¡±


    Without a moment of hesitation, she pulled the blade down, and everything went dark.

 Chapter 1

    Eva jolted awake, gasping. Her eyes darted left and right, but no matter how much she looked, she couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. She sat up and noticed that she was in a bedroom, with sunlight shining brightly through the window, which made no sense to her. The north barely sees the sun, let alone receives this kind of light. She got up, still looking around, and a sense of¡­ nostalgia overwhelmed her. She noticed the silk bed canopy, the jewelry on the walnut cupboard, and the dark dresses in the giant wardrobe. She had seen all those before.


    Then, she saw the mirror, and her eyes widened in shock.


    Eva rushed to the mirror, her hands clasped on its edges, her face near touching the surface. In the mirror was herself, though there was something amiss. Her green eyes which shined like two pieces of jewels were still prominent like before. Her flowing blonde hair which had been praised by all in the empire was still the same. Her stature and proportion, however, were out of place. Her height seemed to decrease while her limbs seemed to shorten. She noticed that she was wearing a white and breezy nightgown and realized what happened. She looked around the room again, and each second that passed confirmed what she suspected.


    She was back in the Vallou Earldom, her birthplace, and other than that, she seemed to have become younger. Eva grabbed her head, trying to process what happened when there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°My lady?¡±


    Eva composed herself in a second and hurriedly tucked herself back in bed before saying, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened, and Sofia walked in and bowed. Eva hadn¡¯t seen the maid in years, but there was no way she could mistake her for someone else. This girl had bronze hair and tanned skin, traits of people from the south, had a small face and big dark eyes from the oriental. Eva trembled a little. This girl was supposed to be dead.


    ¡°My lady?¡± Sofia glanced up, expecting Eva to allow her to relax.


    Eva coughed. ¡°Be at ease,¡± she said.


    The maid straightened up, her face showing worry. ¡°My lady, are you alright?¡± she said, walking to the bed. ¡°You¡­ look startled.¡±


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    ¡°Never mind me.¡± Eva waved away the concern, looking at Sofia sharply. ¡°Now that I think of it, how old will you be this year, Sofia?¡±


    The maid paused, looking confused and sad. ¡°My lady¡­ my 15th birthday was 2 weeks ago¡­¡±


    Eva did a quick calculation in her head, recalling her maid¡¯s birthday and comparing the time. And she realized: Somehow, she had traveled back nine years ago, when she was still the 16-year-old Lady Eva, the eldest daughter of Vallou Earldom. She didn¡¯t let her surprise show, however. ¡°Is that so. It looks like I am quite tired. What day is it, anyway?¡±


    ¡°The seventh of Month Isidoros, 267th Imperial Year, my lady.¡±


    Eva recalled the events that would happen soon, and she froze in place. In a year, she would be betrothed to Minos and sent to the north. And that would be when all the misfortunes in her life started festering and coming up to the surface. And now that she thought of it, the cause of it all was¡ª


    ¡°Sister!¡± A cheerful girl who inherited their father¡¯s black hair and their late mother¡¯s emerald eyes rushed into the room, jumping onto the bed, hugging Eva in a tight embrace. ¡°Why are you so late today? I didn¡¯t want to have breakfast without you, so I came here!¡±


    It was her.


    Eva¡¯s first instinct was to strangle her on the spot, to release the anger that had been pent up all these years, to nip the poisonous ivy in the bud, so she reached her hands out¡­ and stroked her sister¡¯s head gently. ¡°Lena, a lady needs to have her composure and elegance at all times. Didn¡¯t Mother always tell you this?¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡°


    ¡°No but.¡± Eva smiled, even if that made her sick to the core. ¡°Be a good girl and wait properly. I shall be ready in a minute.¡±


    Lena looked genuinely disappointed. She climbed out of bed, looked back at Eva for a brief second, and ran out of the room as quickly as she had come.


    Sofia sighed. ¡°The young lady really should take after you more, my lady. That way his lordship will be able to rest¡ª¡° The maid paused. ¡°M-my lady? I-is something the matter?¡±


    Eva glanced at the mirror and noticed her own expression. It was one of pure disgust, a face so contorted and twisted, she from the past would never be able to imagine it was her face. She looked away at the window, facing the sunlight shining through. ¡°I feel quite tired today, Sofia. Please tell my sister that I won¡¯t be able to join her.¡±


    ¡°U-understood, my lady. What about your meal, though?¡±


    ¡°Have it delivered here.¡±


    There was a moment of silence, and Eva didn¡¯t need to look back to know that Sofia was having an awkward debate with herself. It almost made her feel better. Almost.


    ¡°Then¡­ I shall take my leave, my lady.¡±


    A moment after Sofia exited the room, Eva got out of bed and strode over to the cupboard, her eyes fixed on the shiny stones and antique rings. She grabbed a handful of jewelry and let it slide through her fingers, landing back on the wooden surface. ¡°Dear sister¡­¡± she murmured, her tone unamused, her eyes freezing cold. ¡°I hope you will be able to smile later¡­¡±

 Chapter 2

    The Vallou Earldom was as she remembered: a territory abundant in trades of commodities such as velvet and seasoning, abundant in money and prosperity. The people strolling around were comprised mostly of merchants and business owners. This was because the earldom was seen as the land of the elite, one that only the best of the best could settle in, making the cost of living and cost of goods naturally high. People dressed as if they were nobles, so it was not out of place for Eva to dress as she normally would.


    She was in a simple black dress: something not too superfluous or dull. She wore black gloves that almost reached her elbows, wore a thick scarf that covered every bit of her neck, which she regretted the moment she stepped out of the manor. She was no longer in the north, and excess clothing would only add to the heat. The broad hat she was wearing, however, was necessary. After all, her hair was more than recognizable, being a shade of blonde so bright and unique, one could tell at a glance that she was a noble.


    ¡°U-um, my lady? What exactly are you planning?¡± said Sofia.


    Eva stopped in her tracks and turned around to her maid who dressed like a merchant¡¯s servant. ¡°Outside, you will call me Lady Nacia.¡± She then continued forward, going through the streets she still remembered after many years without much effort.


    Finally, she reached Lady¡¯s Opal, a rundown bar on the far side of the city where not many were roaming about. Appearance can be deceiving, she thought. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this place was the source of evil, one that was deviously nurturing her fall from grace behind the scene.


    It would have been 2 years later when Eva¡¯s influence and power had been reduced to almost nothing. Instead of being revered as the Golden Flower of Vallou, she would be known as one of the vilest human beings to ever exist in the empire¡¯s history. People were aiming for her head, and it became a witch hunt that put the entire marquisate and Minos in danger.


    All because of her sister. Lena had been planning for her downfall since they were mere children. When Eva thought Lena went out to play, her sister would disguise and pose as Eva, doing all sorts of abhorrent things from buying slaves in her name to participating in underworld arenas using those slaves. And because slavery was prohibited since the reign of Emperor Aelis IV, when Lena revealed those crimes and pinned them to Eva, all kinds of outrage happened. People¡¯s long-lost families were found either dead or crippled in the arena, having been treated lesser than animals. There was even a noble child included in that list, and thus Eva was branded as the devil, someone who would dispense others¡¯ lives for entertainment. Many people had requested to the emperor to have her before an executioner¡¯s axe, but to everyone¡¯s surprise, including Eva¡¯s, the emperor did nothing. She suspected that Minos had something to do with it.


    It was not without a loss, however. People who were close to Eva either had to cut all ties with her or mysteriously disappear from society. Afterward, the marquisate was never the same. People who grew to trust her as the lady of the house started avoiding her, some showing hostility without even hiding. The territory¡¯s relationships worsened miserably; no one but greedy merchants were willing to trade with them. Those avaricious bunches even set the prices of goods at outrageous rates, leaving many starved and cold. Finally, when the barbarians invaded, no reinforcement arrived, and the marquisate, with its under-equipped soldiers, faced its demise.


    She would rather end her life than let that happen another time.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± she said to Sofia after settling in the hotel opposite of Lady¡¯s Opal. She put away her scarf and gloves, keeping her hat.


    ¡°Where are you going, my lady?¡±


    Eva picked up the jewelry box Sofia had carried. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± she said, looking at her maid.


    ¡°With everything I have, my lady,¡± Sofia answered without hesitation.


    Eva smiled. She knew she could trust her maid. In her past life, Sofia was one of the people who lost their life after the scandals came to light, but unlike others, she stood with Eva until the very end. But since the maid didn¡¯t come to the north with her, Eva only knew that she had passed away through a piece of paper, making it a regret that haunted her to the very end.


    ¡°Good,¡± Eva said, rummaging through her belongings until she found a letter. ¡°Then, wait for me here. I have some business with the bar opposite this hotel. If I don¡¯t come out in four hours, then deliver this to my father.¡±


    Sofia received the letter, still looking hesitant."


    Don¡¯t worry. I am quite confident that nothing will go wrong. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


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    The maid clenched the letter tight and bowed from the waist. ¡°My lady, please depend on others if you need to and take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Eva said before leaving, adjusting the hat so that the semi-translucent brim covered her face.


    She entered the bar with the air of someone who frequented the place. Inside was as ramshackle as the exterior suggested, with furniture made of cheap wood, the lighting gloomily lit. There was not one customer in the entire place, which was justified by how dirty and odorous it was. It was hard to believe that such a place existed in the Vallou Earldom. It wouldn¡¯t be for long, though.


    ¡°Welcome, miss,¡± said the bartender behind the counter, cleaning a mug with a dirty rag.


    Eva didn¡¯t hesitate and walked up to him. ¡°Blue beer with an extra hint of spice,¡± she said.


    The bartender froze, looking up at her. ¡°How would you like the ratio?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Two to five.¡±


    The bartender silently put the mug and the rag down. He reached into his shirt pocket and slid the content across the counter. ¡°You know the rules. Please enjoy your stay.¡±


    It was a silver key with a snake¡¯s head connecting to the key¡¯s shaft. She pocketed it and headed to the door behind the counter. She pushed it open and headed downstairs into the dark, the torches at the side barely helping her see the steps. Finally, she reached the floor and faced an iron door. She inserted the key into the lock and pushed it open with much effort. As soon as light peeked its way out of the gap between the door, shouts bombarded her ears, making her flinch. She continued to push the door and entered.


    She knew what this place was from her past life, but seeing it with her eyes was something entirely different. In front of her were people in seats upon seats, all directed at the arena below where a group of people was caged in with a lion. Above her were private booths spanning three levels, with the highest being decorated with gold.


    ¡°Go! Tear them apart!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die now! Survive for two more minutes!¡±


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡±


    People below were running for their lives, fending off the beast with broken weapons, their starved selves barely able to stand straight.


    Eva didn¡¯t realize that she was digging her nails into her palm, though her face was as calm as a statue.


    ¡°Dear guest,¡± said a man standing next to the door and Eva. He was wearing a snake mask that covered the upper half of his face. ¡°May I have your key?¡±


    Eva glanced at the man briefly and held the key toward him.


    ¡°Silver, I see.¡± He received the key with his gloved hands, putting it away in his shirt pocket. ¡°Please follow me. I shall take you to your seat.¡±


    Eva followed him to a private booth adorned with silver on the second highest level where a masked servant was stationed outside. The masked men acknowledged each other, and the gatekeeper left to return to the door. She entered the booth and sat in the cushioned chair, beckoning for the servant to come close.


    ¡°Yes, lady?¡±


    ¡°I need the list of all¡­ the combatants still alive.¡±


    The masked servant smiled. ¡°Of course. Please wait a minute,¡± he said before disappearing into the nearest corridor. He later came back with a ledger and chips on a tray. ¡°Thank you for your patience. May I have your name please?¡±


    ¡°Nacia.¡±


    This was the identity that Lena had been crafting for how many years she didn¡¯t know, but her sister left many trails that could be traced back to Eva with the name. It was fortunate that her sister had no use for this identity at this point in time, so Eva could use it without being exposed.


    The servant paused for a second before continuing to place the tray down. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would be meeting the famous Lady Nacia herself today,¡± he said as he handed her the ledger. ¡°But are you not sending in some¡­ combatants from your side, lady?¡±


    ¡°I would like a change of mood.¡± She scanned the ledger until she found the name she had been looking for. ¡°Having my properties damaged beyond repair is causing me much monetary loss, you see.¡±


    ¡°Then, who shall you bet on, lady?¡±


    Eva pointed at the name and handed the ledger back. ¡°Him.¡±


    The servant grabbed his chin, smiling. ¡°I see you have a unique taste, lady, but I am afraid that he will not be able to take part in the arena¡­ He is sick and is on the verge of death, you see.¡±


    ¡°No matter. Give him physicians and all the care he needs. I shall take care of any cost that incurs. And inform me through letters if anything ever happens. I will assign a man you can contact.¡± She grabbed a random ring from her jewelry box and held it toward the servant.


    He kept silent for a moment before receiving the ring and replying, ¡°Since it is Lady Nacia who is asking, I shall make sure that your wish is fulfilled.¡±


    ¡°Then, I will trouble you for a bit.¡±


    He bowed. ¡°It is an honor to be able to serve you, lady,¡± he said before retreating to the booth entrance.


    Down below, no slaves were breathing. Their mangled bodies sprawled across the ground, dark blood spreading, seeping into the dirt. The lion was feasting upon a corpse while the crowd cheered. Some audiences were throwing a fit at the staff.


    Soon, Eva told herself. Soon this place will cease to exist. She just had to endure for a while longer, and her snake of a sister would also go down with this place.


    ¡°Lady,¡± said the masked servant who entered hurriedly. ¡°There¡¯s a guest who would like to meet you.¡±


    Eva glanced back. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on meeting anyone. Please send them away politely.¡±


    ¡°Lady Nacia¡­ I apologize, but he¡¯s already here¡­¡±


    Eva frowned. This was more than strange. This guest must have the gold key, then, a generous patron of the arena, to be able to come and go as he pleased. She glanced back, curious as to why such a person would be interested in ¡®Nacia¡¯, but when she saw his face, her heart almost stopped. He was a man with black hair and deep crimson eyes, with smooth skin and delicate features. He was wearing a black suit embroidered with gold fabric, the pattern intricate and obviously high-quality. And as no tragedy had happened yet, there were no scars on his body.


    Minos Ganakos, her future husband.

 Chapter 3

    Minos looked nothing like his older battle-hardened self, yet she would never mistake him for someone else. When the world was against her, he didn¡¯t turn back and even protected her at the cost of tarnishing his own honor. For that, he had won her heart.


    It didn¡¯t matter, though.


    Her husband Minos had died with her on that dreadful day. The person in front of her¡­ was not him. She felt hollow all of a sudden. She knew she had to meet him someday, but she didn¡¯t know it would be this soon, let alone know how to act now that he was here, so she behaved like how she normally would when she was this age: emotionless.


    ¡°And you are?¡± she asked, turning her head back to the arena to watch the gore and the carnage that were left behind. ¡°Even if you are the gold key holder, I don¡¯t think barging into a lady¡¯s room is a refined behavior of a gentleman.¡±


    There was a moment of silence.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± Minos finally said. ¡°I was excited to be able to meet Lady Nacia at last. We have never run into each other before, despite both of us having been very generous customers of this place, you see.¡±


    Eva was too surprised by the fact that she met Minos that she didn¡¯t even question why he was here. And not only that; Minos was also one of the highest-paying patrons of this arena. What was going on?


    ¡°I also happen to be quite curious about what kind of people the gold key holders are,¡± Eva said, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair. ¡°Please, have a seat. We still have time to talk before the next show.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, lady.¡± Minos sat in the chair next to Eva¡¯s. His postures and manners were all as she remembered. It made her feel this hollowness once again.


    Eva glanced at the servant by the entrance. ¡°I won¡¯t need anything else. You may take this time to rest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, lady.¡± The servant bowed with his right arm against his abdomen before sauntering away to the nearest corridor, understanding her message.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Eva said, looking down below. The arena¡¯s personnel was restraining the lion and cleaning up the corpses. Some audience got out of their seats to find something to eat or drink. ¡°What is it that you wish to talk about? Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Nikitas.¡± Minos looked around, ensuring that no one was within their earshot. ¡°I know who you are, Lady Nacia,¡± he said.


    Eva suspected this. If he didn¡¯t know who ¡®Nacia¡¯ was supposed to be then he wouldn¡¯t have made such a bold move. The question was, what did he want from her?


    ¡°Am I supposed to be impressed, Sir Nikitas?¡± she said, leaning her cheek against her palm, looking jaded. ¡°With a little effort of digging, anyone could know who I am, which is intentional.¡±


    ¡°No. I really know who you are,¡± he said with the tone of a card player who knew he had already won. ¡°You are not Lady Nacia. I have trailed her since long ago and know that you are not her.¡±


    Eva frowned, trying not to show anything on her face except an expression of annoyance no matter how surprised she was. ¡°Is this a game of yours? To test how much patience I have talking to an imbecile?¡±


    Minos smiled. ¡°I also know that it is usually your sister, Lena Vallou, who comes here while pinning everything on you, Lady Eva.¡±


    Her eyes widened. He knows, she thought. He knows what had been happening. This was why he trusted her years into the future despite solid evidence against her, why he stood with her without having a single doubt.


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    This time, she looked around to make sure no one could hear them. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Sir Nikitas.¡±


    Minos laughed. ¡°Your reaction already told me everything, my lady,¡± he said with a mischievous smile. ¡°Do not worry. I am on your side.¡±


    Eva glared at him for a moment before sighing and relaxing. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want the same thing as you, my lady.¡± He leaned toward her and whispered, ¡°I want this place destroyed.¡±


    Knowing Minos, that was exactly what he would do, though she didn¡¯t know that he would be involved this soon. Eva thought for a moment and settled on a conclusion. This was the perfect opportunity. Not only would she be able to deal with Lena, but she would also be able to ensure Minos¡¯s safety and could warn him about any future occurrences.


    Eva smiled. ¡°You know that my sister is trying to frame me, correct?¡± This time, she leaned toward him. ¡°I want to teach her a lesson, one that she will never forget, so if you can help me with that, I can also help you do what you want.¡±


    Minos smiled back. ¡°I¡¯m glad the lady is so agreeable,¡± he said, grabbing the slave ledger, and he pointed to the exact name Eva had eyed before. ¡°Do you know who this is?¡±


    So he has the same idea. ¡°Kalis Vascatos, the 6th son of duke Vascatos, a friend of the prince. I was planning to use him to alert the dukedom. I suspect that he is hiding some kind of proof of identity on his person. Maybe a ring or a badge.¡±


    ¡°And you were going to contact Duke Vascatos himself and have him launch a full investigation. Your sister couldn¡¯t have erased every trace, and sooner or later the truth will come out. It is a solid plan, but unfortunately, it wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    Eva frowned. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I searched him already. He has nothing to prove his identity. You should already realize that without the proof, the duke wouldn¡¯t make a move, since he doesn¡¯t want to look desperate. And well, he has no love for his kin.¡±


    Eva gritted her teeth as she was far too familiar with a father like that. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing on him?¡± In a couple of years, a signet ring of House Vascatos would be found on a corpse here, and it would be revealed that the deceased was the duke¡¯s long-lost son.


    ¡°More than certain. I even inspected him myself.¡±


    Damn Lena. She probably held the ring with her and planted it when it was convenient, and by then, she would have already solidified all the evidence to the point that even the duke¡¯s people couldn¡¯t find the truth.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t have brought up his name if I didn¡¯t have a plan,¡± Minos said as he produced a pen out of his pocket. ¡°Instead of evidence that existed¡­ why don¡¯t we create one instead?¡±


    Eva grabbed her chin and quickly realized. ¡°You want him to write a letter to the duke.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± He put the pen away and looked down at the arena, staring at the corridor below where slaves were kept. ¡°The problem is, we don¡¯t have a way to be alone with him.¡±


    Eva followed his line of thought but couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°And how exactly would you need my help?¡±


    ¡°I need another person who has a significant amount of authority here. You will do a perfect job, and you being so pretty is also a bonus point.¡± He winked.


    Eva hated that she was flustered. Had Minos always been this kind of person? She always remembered him being a loyal and serious person, but she supposed he was still young at this time. ¡°That didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± she said, trying her best to keep calm, but she knew that he saw a crack in her facade.


    Minos smiled even more brightly. ¡°My plan is to orchestrate a battle between my lady and me. There is a protocol before the battle commences, you see. Each side will be able to inspect the other side¡¯s combatants, and if we battle each other, no matter whose side the duke¡¯s son is in, we will be able to be alone with him.¡±


    Eva thought for a second. This¡­ could work, but somehow, she felt something off. ¡°What would you do if I decide to tell the guards of your plan?¡±


    ¡°Then, I will also tell them my lady¡¯s identity. We can see who they trust more, then.¡±


    ¡°And what would you do if I accept your proposal and decide to stab you in the back later?¡±


    ¡°Then, I simply misjudged you, and I will gladly accept my loss, even at the cost of my life.¡±


    Eva thought some more. She would trust Minos with her life anytime, but the man in front of her was not him, she had to tell herself again and again. She needed to think objectively.


    ¡°My lady,¡± Minos said, grabbing her hand, his eyes looking straight at her with what she could only interpret as sincerity. ¡°Please believe in me.¡±


    It was warm; a feeling she had missed. Eva didn¡¯t know if she was swayed by his words or not, but finally, she said, ¡°I accept.¡±


    Minos smiled, holding his hand out. ¡°I look forward to our cooperation, Lady Nacia¡ªno, Lady Eva.¡±


    Eva looked at his palm and its blisters. She placed her hand on his, and he bowed forward to kiss her hand, looking up at her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I suppose I also look forward to this.¡±

 Chapter 4

    ¡°I thought something happened to you, my lady!¡± Sofia hugged Eva tight, sobbing.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I was late. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°It has been almost four hours!¡± The maid pried her face away from Eva, her eyes about to burst into tears. ¡°If something happened to you¡­ how would I be able to repay you?¡±


    Eva patted Sofia¡¯s head. Her maid was an orphan she recruited when she was young. Eva knew best that her maid gave nothing but her all since she entered her circle, so there was nothing to repay in her eyes.


    ¡°Just you being here by my side is already enough,¡± Eva said, smiling.


    ¡°My lady¡­ Such kind words are wasted on me,¡± Sofia sniffed, wiping tears off her face.


    Eva let Sofia calm down, silently comforting her, and after a moment of silence, the maid¡¯s eyes widened as if she just recalled something, and she said quickly, ¡°M-my lady, when you were gone for about an hour, I went out to buy food in case you would be hungry, and I ran into another servant. He told me that his lordship is looking for you. We need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°My father?¡± Eva released Sofia and clenched her fists unknowingly, her eyes reduced to a glare. ¡°Let¡¯s depart, then. We don¡¯t want to keep him waiting.¡±


    In front of the Vallou Estate stood a pair of maids. Eva recognized them as two of her father¡¯s personal maids. They were tall and graceful, people Eva used to look up to when she was young, but now that she had grown and developed her intuition, she could tell that these two were dangerous.


    ¡°Welcome back, Lady Eva,¡± they chorused, bowing. ¡°Please follow us.¡±


    Eva nodded. The two maids straightened up almost unnaturally, with their movements too precise and calculated like dancers who took into account every detail. One of them glanced at Sofia. ¡°Good work getting the lady here. You can go now.¡±


    ¡°I am my lady¡¯s personal maid. I go where she wills it.¡±


    ¡°Not when his lordship wills otherwise,¡± snapped the other maid.


    Sofia looked at Eva, uncertain. It was strange how they wouldn¡¯t allow her personal maid near the study. Was there something her father didn¡¯t want her maid to hear?


    ¡°You may rest, Sofia,¡± Eva said, and her maid hesitantly bowed before walking away and occasionally glancing back. The two maids then led Eva to the manor¡¯s study, a grand room in the heavily guarded zone where the most important businesses were done.


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    Eva entered.


    Sitting behind a wide desk full of papers was the earl of Vallou, Thalis Vallou. He was an ordinary-looking, middle-aged man with midnight hair and golden eyes. It was said that the ancestor of the earldom was a breathtaking woman who commanded attention everywhere she went with her lustrous golden hair, therefore, every generation of Vallou would try to sire a child as similar to her as possible.


    Thalis Vallou was not one of them. He was born with black hair which was regarded as bad luck in the family, but even with that disadvantage, he became the lord with his scheming mind and ruthless ideology, getting rid of his competitors one by one until there was no one left but him. Eva had no doubt that her late mother was not fond of him.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. Sit,¡± he said, squaring a stack of paper in his hands and putting it away, though he never looked up.


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Eva strode up to the chair with grace and sat. ¡°May I know why my lord asked for me?¡±


    He glanced at Eva for a brief second before continuing with his paperwork. ¡°Eva, I will be brief. You are already at a marriageable age, so I have already prepared your partner for you. He¡¯s¡ª¡°


    ¡°The young Marquis Minos, am I correct?¡±


    This time, her father stopped what he was doing to look at Eva. ¡°You are quite sharp,¡± he said as he put the stack of paper down for good and rested his chin on his hands, fully paying attention to her. ¡°Then you should also know that this is your biggest opportunity to ascend the hierarchy, correct?¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is,¡± Eva replied, her expression never changing. ¡°But I would like to refuse.¡±


    This caught Thalis off guard as he suddenly stared at her with his eyes half-closed. The Eva he knew was an ambitious girl, one who would never settle in the same place no matter how lofty her position was. It was not that she had changed, but more so the fact that she couldn¡¯t bear to be with Minos any longer. Every moment spent with him hurt, and she hated that she was now so vulnerable because of such a pointless feeling. Thus, she concluded: She would never have anything to do with Minos ever again after she was done putting her sister in her place.


    ¡°Instead,¡± Eva continued, ¡°I would like to propose something for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Thalis leaned back in his chair, his right index finger tapping the armrest. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Please cancel the marriage with House Ganakos, or have my sister take place as the bride; any way is fine, and in return, I will increase the guild tax rate by two times with full consent.¡±


    Thalis stopped. ¡°So you plan on making connections and taking my place when I retire?¡± he said, grabbing his chin. ¡°I cannot understand why you would want to stay in this place¡­¡± He stared at her for a second before sighing. ¡°Very well, if you can really do what you said, then I have no reason to stop you. I will talk with Lena later if you succeed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°But.¡± Thalis slammed the desk with his palms and pushed himself up. He sauntered around the desk. ¡°If you fail¡­¡± he said, ¡°there will be consequences.¡± He continued to walk around Eva and stopped directly behind her. He reached his hand out past the chair and came back with a lock of her hair. ¡°You should know best how I despise having my time wasted, correct?¡± He stayed still for a moment before letting go of her hair. ¡°You may go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Eva said before she got up, gave him a bow, and left the room. She could feel his stare all the way until the door closed.


    The road ahead was certainly long. There was much work to do.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Don¡¯t let those greedy merchants intimidate you, sister! I¡¯m here with you!¡± Lena said.


    ¡°Lena?¡± Eva said, smiling, trying her best not to crumple the papers in her hands.


    ¡°Yes, sister?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet and follow me obediently.¡±


    The two sisters were inside the merchant guild headquarters with an employee guiding them further inside. Eva could tell that he was not happy with them from the occasional disdainful look he gave. There was always some friction between the noble and the merchant, but in this case, his attitude was all because of this obnoxious little twat she called her sister.


    ¡°You should be grateful that my sister deigned to come to this shabby little place!¡± Lena yelled at the employee. ¡°Be sure to engrave this moment into your skull¡ª¡°


    ¡°Lena.¡± Eva turned around and stared at her sister with ice-cold eyes. With her experience as the wife of the marquis as well as being recognized as the demoness of the empire, she knew best how to intimidate people. ¡°What did I tell you?¡± Her cadence was emotionless, her volume low and chilling.


    Her sister visibly shook, her face pale. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry, sister.¡±


    ¡°Say that to this gentleman here.¡± Eva gestured toward the employee, and even he was surprised.


    ¡°T-there¡¯s no need, my lady,¡± he said.


    ¡°No,¡± Eva replied, glancing at him. ¡°In House Vallou, we give respect to those who deserve it, and apparently my sister fails to see your business¡¯s prestige. For that, she must make up for her mistake.¡±


    Lena flashed a look of anger, but she bowed before the employee could notice it. ¡°I apologize,¡± she said. ¡°I will be sure to be on my best behavior during my time here.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± he said, scratching his head. ¡°Um, now please follow me.¡±


    If Eva hadn¡¯t known what her sister would do, then she might have written her behavior off as simply childish, but now, she realized that her sister had been trying to sabotage her by using this persona as an excuse. Perhaps her father realized this and wanted to make the negotiation more difficult.


    Finally, they reached the meeting room where the door was open, revealing a long table with yellow-cushioned seats, though there was no one sitting in them.


    ¡°Where are the guildmasters?¡± asked Eva.


    ¡°They will be here shortly,¡± answered the employee before he guided her to the head seat, pulling it out and inviting her.


    So that is how it is.


    Eva sat in the chair, and Lena sat in the nearest seat to the right, the employee bowing and leaving the room. No one else came. There wasn¡¯t even a person who brought them refreshments. Their message was cleared. ¡®You are not welcome.¡¯


    After waiting for a few minutes in silence, the door opened, and the guildmasters entered. They ranged from a bulky man in an oriental uniform to a tanned woman in gold clothes with gold accessories.


    Only one of them came up to her before having a seat.


    ¡°I apologize for the late arrival, my lady,¡± panted the sweating Guildmaster Marcus, a man of moderate build in normal clothes. Looking at how unkempt he was, he probably was in a hurry to come here. He was the most ordinary-looking guildmaster in Vallou, with at best a mediocre performance in generating revenue, but in Eva¡¯s eyes, he was the perfect piece. Guildmaster Marcus bowed and retreated to sit in the farthest chair.


    Eva waited for everyone to settle down in their seats, even those who arrived a few more minutes later. When the seats were full, she glanced at everyone¡¯s faces, and slowly, their voices died down.


    ¡°My lady, may I ask why you gathered us here?¡± asked Guildmaster Melina, the woman in gold. ¡°We are all busy people, so it is more than difficult for the guildmasters to assemble in one place.¡±


    ¡°Is that your excuse for arriving late?¡± snarled Lena from nowhere. ¡°I will have you know that the name Vallou is not something¡ª¡°


    ¡°Lena, be quiet,¡± said Eva without even glancing at her. ¡°I apologize to all the guildmasters here. My sister is quite young and she doesn¡¯t know what she is talking about.¡±


    Eva thought her sister would stop at this point, but she was gravely wrong.


    ¡°No, sister! Didn¡¯t you teach me to always uphold our honor? I can¡¯t let these greedy worms tarnish our name!¡±


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    ¡°Is this how Vallous treat their vassals?¡± said one guildmaster. ¡°It seems I have wasted my time in coming here.¡±


    Following that guildmaster were the murmurs and the quiet protests, the glares and the condescending looks. Lena must have thought Eva wouldn¡¯t do something to embarrass her in front of all these people.


    Well, Eva thought as the corners of her mouth lifted, how wrong you are. She stood from her seat, making the voices die down once more. She slowly walked over to her sister. ¡°Stand up,¡± she said.


    Lena complied, her face smug, thinking that they were going to leave. She looked at her sister, and when their eyes met, Eva slapped her in the face.


    ¡°S-sister?¡± Lena whimpered.


    ¡°It is you who tarnishes our family¡¯s name, Lena. Not only have you been acting uneducated, but you are also lacking in morals. This will not be the last time you hear of this. I will make sure father gives you an appropriate punishment.¡± Eva nodded toward the door. ¡°Now get out.¡±


    At first, Lena seemed confused, but when she grasped the situation, her face went red, and she didn¡¯t bother to hide the hatred on her face. Finally, she stormed out of the room and closed the door with a bang.


    So this is her true color, thought Eva, sighing internally. I can¡¯t believe I used to have affection toward her.


    Eva looked back at the guildmasters and said, ¡°I apologize for my sister¡¯s behavior. I will make sure to have her educated later.¡± She returned to her seat and sat, the room eerily silent, waiting for her to continue. Eva smiled. ¡°Now then, I am here because I¡¯m proposing a new service that I would like to provide to all of you.¡±


    The first one to say anything was Guildmaster Melinda. ¡°A service, my lady? Can you please elaborate?¡±


    Eva looked to the nearest servant and handed him the stack of papers. ¡°Please distribute these to the esteemed guildmasters here. Names are labeled on them.¡±


    One by one, the guildmasters received their paper. They looked bored at first, not taking anything leaving her mouth seriously, but after they finished reading, their reactions were the same: disbelief.


    Being a merchant in Vallou was special, and every big business owner had some kind of trick up their sleeves. Most would have a secret subsidiary they didn¡¯t tell others was their own, either to give the illusion of competition or to perform a decoy effect. Others would monopolize a distribution channel, paying an exorbitant amount of money for a particular good. These papers contained all of their business secrets.


    ¡°H-how¡­¡± said Guildmaster Melinda who received the paper first. ¡°How did you get your hands on this, my lady?¡±


    ¡°I have my connections,¡± Eva replied.


    Voices of the other guildmasters erupted, with questions upon questions being thrown at Eva, but she chose to focus on Guildmaster Melinda first.


    The female guildmaster got up, slamming the table. ¡°That¡¯s not possible! No matter how deep your connections run, there is no way you can get this information, I have made sure of that!¡±


    Eva leaned on one side of the armrest and crossed her legs. In the future, there would be a law that prevented these big shots from doing shady practices, and the truth would be revealed to the public eyes. Needless to say, people were not content. ¡°What if I tell you that I also am in possession of the same kind of knowledge on other businesses as well?¡±


    The room grew silent for a brief moment before questions were thrown her way again.


    ¡°Can you elaborate on how you acquired the information?¡±


    ¡°Does the earl know of this?¡±


    ¡°What do you plan on doing with the information?¡±


    ¡°By other businesses, do you mean businesses from other territories?¡±


    Eva sat still, leaning her head on her hand, waiting for the voices to die down. It took a moment, but the senior guildmasters slowly pacified their younger peers.


    When the room grew silent, Eva said, ¡°I will tell you how I get the information.¡± She smiled. ¡°I have been developing a secret organization years ago, and I can guarantee you that they are the best in the empire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simply outrageous!¡± said one guildmaster.


    Eva straightened up, looking at the guildmaster. ¡°The evidence is already in your hands, so believe whatever you wish. And for what I am going to do with the information in your hands¡­ Well¡­¡± She opened her palms. ¡°Nothing. I will do absolutely nothing with it. Not even the earl will know of this if no one in this room tells him.¡±


    ¡°T-then¡­¡± said Guildmaster Melinda, swallowing. ¡°Why have you gathered us here?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, I am here to provide you with a service. And since you already know how capable my information channel is, I would like to demonstrate how efficient my men really are.¡± Eva looked at everyone¡¯s faces until she stopped on the most polite one. ¡°Guildmaster Marcus, I would like to provide my service to you first.¡±


    ¡°M-me?¡± said the guildmaster who had been silent this entire time.


    ¡°Indeed. And through my service, I believe you will be able to increase your revenue to at least five times.¡±


    Some guildmasters widened their eyes in disbelief. Others were still skeptical, but when they looked down to see the papers in their hands, they didn¡¯t voice out their doubts.


    ¡°My lady,¡± said Guildmaster Melinda, smiling her business smile. ¡°If I may suggest, I do believe my firm will be able to utilize your service better than Guildmaster Marcus¡¯s. In all of Vallou, my businesses can be said to be one of the most profitable¡ª¡°


    ¡°My lady, please choose me instead! I will comply with whatever request you have!¡±


    ¡°My lady, my firm is said to be¡ª¡°


    ¡°My lady¡ª¡°


    And so chaos erupted. Not even the senior guildmasters kept their calm, joining in with others on their proposals.


    Eva was still smiling when she said coldly, ¡°Silence.¡± The air seemed to drop in temperature. The guildmasters visibly shivered, with those that were standing falling into their seats. ¡°Have I permitted you to speak?¡± Eva stood, paused for a moment, and scoffed. ¡°I chose Guildmaster Marcus not because of his position in the business world, but because of his character. When you arrived late, I didn¡¯t comment on your tardiness, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can act however you like. Guildmaster Marcus here had enough respect for me to apologize before we start, but you?¡± She looked at other guildmasters. Almost all of them averted their eyes and turned their heads elsewhere. ¡°You thought I was a naive little girl who came here to waste your time, didn¡¯t you? In Vallou, we give respect to those who deserve it, and in my eyes, none of you are entitled to even a shred of it.¡±


    Eva looked around once more with her cold eyes. ¡°I will give the details on my service to Guildmaster Marcus later. Today¡¯s meeting is done,¡± she said before turning around and exiting, leaving the guildmasters to themselves.


    When the door closed behind her, and there was still no sound from the room, she knew she had won.

 Chapter 6

    Dear my lovely Lady Eva,


    Ever since I laid my eyes on you, my heart has been so restless that it aches. I thought many times during the past few days that if this pain keeps up, I might simply perish. Every second that passed, every second that excruciatingly continued on without you, reminds me of how precious my time with you was, and thus I have come to a realization. I no longer have ownership of my heart as your delicate hands firmly hold onto it to this moment, and I ask of you to let my suffering end as soon as possible.


    Eternally yours,


    Nikitas


    Eva crumpled the letter in her hands and thought of lighting it on fire. Had Minos always been this frivolous? She couldn¡¯t believe his younger self would differ from the man she knew so much. She gulped the tea in front of her down and slammed it on the saucer with a clang.


    ¡°My lady, are you alright?¡± asked Sofia, refilling the cup.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ my lady¡­ Your face is red.¡±


    Eva looked away. ¡°It is not.¡±


    ¡°B-but I can see that it clearly is¡ª¡°


    ¡°It. Is. Not.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, my lady. I must have seen wrongly.¡± The teacup started to overflow. ¡°Ah! I apologize, my lady!¡±


    Eva didn¡¯t look back as she could still feel the hotness on her cheeks. While Sofia cleaned up the mess, Eva also calmed down and composed herself. What was Minos thinking? They had already agreed on the details of their plan a week ago, so there was no need to exchange letters. Had the letter contained a cryptic message? Eva looked over the content again and could feel her cheeks burning once more. She put it back down, debating where to burn it.


    ¡°My lady, what about these gifts?¡±


    Eva glanced at the mountain of presents to her left. The guildmasters were quick to adapt, and all of them either apologized via letters or visited her in the manor to do so. After all, Guildmaster Marcus¡¯s firm did have explosive growth in revenue after receiving her information of what products would be in high demand, making his firm one of the most profitable in Vallou overnight.


    ¡°Store them for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±


    Eva stood. ¡°I¡¯ll go meet my father. He doesn¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡± And she continued her way from the garden to the right wing of the manor, going past the guards and the servants around the estate. She reached the study where the two maids were standing by and knocked.


    ¡°Come in,¡± came her father¡¯s voice.


    She entered and bowed. ¡°I greet my lord.¡±


    ¡°Come sit first,¡± he said, taking his eyes off the paperwork to look at her. He seemed to be in a good mood.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Eva said, walking toward the chair and sitting down. ¡°What do you request of me, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Always right to the business, huh?¡± he said, smiling, though it was a smile without any affection. ¡°I simply want to praise you and distribute some rewards.¡±


    ¡°I am not worthy, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Do not be modest. I am quite satisfied with your work.¡± He laced his fingers together on the table. ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while now since those greedy bunches know their place. I won¡¯t ask how you did it, but I will certainly reward you for it.¡± He reached into a desk cabinet and came back with a sealing stamp in the shape of a fox with three tails¡ªthe Vallou¡¯s emblem. ¡°This will be yours from now on. Of course, it is a replica, and I still have mine, but you will have authority only second to me.¡±


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    Eva had been in high society for decades, so she naturally knew what her father meant. He was willing to give over his authority since he judged her capable, but he was also giving a clear warning not to vie for his position. ¡®Be content with what I¡¯m willing to give you. Do not be too ambitious.¡¯


    Eva smiled and received the stamp. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Now go complete the contract with the guildmasters. I talked to a few of them already, so I believe I can expect good news soon.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± Eva got up and bowed. ¡°You can expect good news very soon.¡±


    Dear my lovely Lady Eva,


    My heart has been longing for its rightful owner, and I cry thinking of its eventual reunion with you¡ª


    Eva threw the letter away without reading further.


    ¡°My lady, you have been acting strange these days,¡± said Sofia, picking up the letter and tossing it into the hearth of the hotel room. Eva had once again visited the hotel opposite Lady¡¯s Opal, ready for whatever Minos called her for. ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t even let me read them¡­¡±


    ¡°Sofia?¡± Eva smiled.


    The maid trembled. ¡°Y-yes, my lady?¡±


    ¡°Do not even think of reading them.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Now then,¡± Eva said as she put on her hat. ¡°I¡¯ll get going now. Don¡¯t panic if I don¡¯t come back in time.¡±


    She left the hotel and entered the underground arena with the same procedure as before, though this time finding herself in the golden booth where Minos was already present. She sat and waited for the servant to leave, but Minos had something to say first.


    ¡°Oh how my heart weeps from joy,¡± he said, gesturing like he was in a theater play, ¡°to be able to witness your beauty once more.¡±


    ¡°If you are here to joke around, then I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Please wait, my lady.¡± Minos coughed, sliding a piece of paper toward Eva. ¡°Please do have a look at this.¡±


    Eva picked it up and read. It was an underground contract confirming the duel date of their slaves in seven days. Everything was proceeding smoothly, and soon, they would be able to meet Kalis Vascatos, the duke¡¯s kidnapped son.


    ¡°Is this all?¡± Eva said, handing the paper back. ¡°You could have used your letters to convey this instead of¡­ whatever you have been sending.¡±


    ¡°Those pieces of paper contain my heart and soul, my lady. Compared to sending my feelings across, overthrowing an illegal underground arena pales in comparison.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Please wait, my lady, I have a piece of information you might want to hear.¡±


    She glanced at him with a tired look and sat back down. ¡°Please be quick. I have a group of merchants I need to attend to.¡±


    Minos straightened up, and the air around him changed. Eva could see glimpses of the battle-hardened marquis she knew. ¡°My lady, I shall be frank: Please let me help you.¡±


    ¡°With the situation in my family?¡± Eva frowned. ¡°I can handle it by myself. You can keep your information to yourself.¡±


    Minos reached his hand out, but Eva retreated her hand first. He looked hurt but continued on. ¡°My lady, I believe you might already have a good idea what kind of a person I am from your investigation, and I think every one of you men can testify that I have no ill intent, so please let me help you.¡±


    Eva looked down at her hand where her ring used to be. She had sworn to not let Minos into her life more than necessary, but she knew a part of her wanted to be with him no matter what, and, as much as she didn¡¯t like it, that part was growing with every passing day. She averted her eyes from her ring finger. ¡°I refuse,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help.¡±


    He paused for a second. ¡°Then please at least tell me your plan. I can help you troubleshoot and give you an outsider¡¯s perspective.¡±


    ¡°That is no different from helping me¡ª¡° Eva sighed. She didn¡¯t have all day to argue with him. ¡°Fine. Ask what you want, give me the information, and we can leave.¡±


    Minos nodded. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have a plan to deal with the slaves your sister is keeping, correct?¡±


    ¡°I do. As soon as the duke hears of his son¡¯s kidnapping, he will launch a thorough investigation, and Lena won¡¯t be able to hide her trails for long. My name will be cleared naturally.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is where my information comes in. What you might not realize is that your sister has already transferred the slaves somewhere unknown and bribed your men, so they will say the same thing when the slaves are found. Clearing your name won¡¯t be that easy, even with the evidence collected on my part.¡±


    Eva grabbed her chin. She didn¡¯t know exactly what time Lena would move, but she thought her sister would wait for a bit longer. Had her coming back to the past changed the actions of those around her?


    ¡°I appreciate your information. Now then, I will get going.¡± Eva stood and turned around.


    ¡°Please wait, my lady! Will you not tell me how you will deal with your sister?¡±


    Eva glanced back at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of it yet.¡±


    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t we think of it together?¡±


    Eva turned her head back and strode away. ¡°No need. I shall take care of it myself.¡± She left the underground without looking back once.


    It would be two days later when she received Minos¡¯s letter, and she would regret not staying with him that day.

 Chapter 7

    Lena could stand by no longer.


    Initially, she wanted to wait until Eva was sent off before revealing her cards. Her sister was at a marriageable age, after all. It was only a matter of time. When she was gone, Lena would be free to operate and pile evidence on her even more, sealing her fate while she was away. However, she didn¡¯t think that Eva would change her attitude so much that it became intolerable.


    Lena touched her cheek where her sister hit her and ground her teeth, the dark room making her expression even darker, her white nightgown a contrast. ¡°You will pay for this,¡± she said, feeling the urge to break objects.


    Eva was born with everything, having the appearance that resembled the Vallou ancestor and the ability to excel at anything she did. Lena, on the other hand, lived in a shadow, having inherited almost everything from her father while her mother favored Eva. She told herself it was no matter since she would follow in her father¡¯s footsteps in getting rid of her competition and rising to the top, and that started with her sister.


    ¡°My lady, there has been some movement from Lady Eva¡¯s side. It seems she is planning to go outside,¡± said Lena¡¯s maid.


    ¡°At this time?¡± Lena looked out the balcony. Moonlight was shining through the window, leaving tall shadows for both her and the maid.


    Eva had been acting suspiciously recently, with her often going out without bodyguards. Lena tried to trail her with some men, but they couldn¡¯t catch up to her even once, either with Eva blending in with the crowd or with her disappearing into a complex alleyway.


    ¡°Should we call for some men?¡± asked the maid.


    Lena thought for a second. ¡°No. We can¡¯t make big movements. I will follow her myself since I know her better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Lena grabbed a cloak and put it on.


    I¡¯ll see what secret you have, sister.


    Eva considered using the secret passage her mother had built but decided against it at the last second. She wanted it to be her trump card, and using the passage, even discreetly, might expose it. Tonight, she hurried to meet Minos and took a small risk, as she didn¡¯t think Lena would send men out this late in the night.


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    It was his letter with only two sentences that made her feel this sense of dread.


    Abort the plan. Meet me tonight at the town square.


    Something went wrong, and time was not on her side as she already confirmed that Lena was indeed making a move.


    Finally, she arrived before the fountain in the middle of the town square where Minos was sitting on the edge and looking up at the moon.


    ¡°Nikitas,¡± she said.


    ¡°My lady, you are here,¡± he said, standing up and smiling.


    ¡°What is it? What do you mean by aborting¡ª¡°


    Minos walked close and held a hand over her mouth, looking left and right. ¡°This is not a place to talk about this. Please follow me.¡± He put his hand away and walked into an alley. Eva followed.


    ¡°Would you care to explain what you mean?¡± she asked.


    Minos turned around but kept silent, averting his eyes. He opened and closed his mouth as if forming words alone was difficult.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Eva asked, feeling worried.


    Finally, Minos spoke. ¡°What happened was¡­¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°The duke¡¯s son had passed away.¡±


    Eva couldn¡¯t understand his words for a second. ¡°What?¡±


    He finally looked into her eyes. ¡°It was the other slaves that did it. They didn¡¯t like that he was getting attention from big shots, so they beat him to death. Of course, they didn¡¯t mean to, but they took it too far.¡±


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°The day you left. I was going to check on him with you, but I figured we could do that next time. The next day, he was already found dead.¡±


    Eva bit her lip, and her whole body trembled, from what emotion she didn¡¯t know. She offered a silent prayer for her noble peer, and Minos did the same. When they finished, Eva breathed in deeply, steeled herself, and said, ¡°We need a new plan.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Minos replied, nodding. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we should come up with a new one so quickly. We need time to deliberate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time. My sister is on the move.¡±


    ¡°Then, shall we meet tomorrow? At least give yourself one night¡¯s worth of thinking.¡±


    Eva doubted one night would help. She hadn¡¯t even found the place Lena was keeping the slaves, let alone identified how many of her men had been bribed. Her sister had been planning for years, so the roots ran deep. She could barely do anything with only a handful of trustworthy men, and now this happened.


    Eva sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s meet tomorrow, then.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s¡ª¡°


    Suddenly, Minos jolted his head around and turned to the other side of the alley.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eva asked.


    He stayed silent for a moment. ¡°Nothing, my lady. It must have been my imagination.¡±


    Eva noticed that his hand had already reached into his coat pocket, most definitely already gripping a knife. She knew best how astute Minos was and how his instincts were always on point, so she walked forward to the end of the alley. Minos ran in front of her and led the way.


    ¡°It is probably nothing,¡± he said, walking forward and peeking around the corner. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s just¡ª¡°


    Meow!


    ¡°¡ªa cat.¡±


    A black cat with golden eyes strolled out of the dark corner of the alley, stretching and yawning. Indeed, his instinct was on point.


    The ominous feeling still didn¡¯t go away, however. She turned the corner and inspected the ground. In the dark, there was not much she could see, but when she looked up, she noticed a piece of khaki fabric hanging on an iron rod jutting out of the wall. She pulled it out and felt it. This was something torn off from a cloak.


    Eva looked up at the moon. She had a bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 8

    For the first time in her life, Eva had to sneak around in her own house.


    The city¡¯s layout was not the only thing she remembered; she could even recall the servants¡¯ shifts and patrol patterns, and with that knowledge in mind, she made her way to Lena¡¯s room without anyone seeing.


    It was a room similar to Eva¡¯s, though instead of pale yellow, this room was gray. The furniture was identical from the giant wardrobe down to the cabinet by the bedside. They both hadn¡¯t changed anything their late mother prepared for them, but Eva had a feeling that her sister simply couldn¡¯t be bothered to replace them instead of having an attachment to what their mother had left behind.


    Eva checked behind the cabinet, rummaged through the pull-out drawers, checked under the bed, glimpsed behind the wardrobe, peered outside the balcony. She found nothing that could help her; no duke¡¯s signet ring, no incriminating letter. When she was out on the balcony, however, she saw a servant carrying a letter toward the entrance. It might not be hers, but she hurriedly cleared her traces and left anyway.


    In Eva¡¯s room, Sofia was standing by, and there was a letter in her hand. Eva received and opened it.


    Dear Lady Nacia,


    On behalf of the arena, I sincerely apologize to say that your selected combatant has passed away. We will compensate you for any cost that has incurred on your part and will do our best to find a new replacement. We would like you to visit us as soon as possible to discuss your new warrior. We are certain that one of them will catch your eye since we have a wide selection of those similar to the combatant that has passed away.


    With respect,


    Serpentine


    Eva tried to recall other names that were revealed in the news during her past life, but she couldn¡¯t think of one that was useful. Perhaps there were other noble¡¯s brethren whose identities hadn¡¯t been revealed?


    She thought for a moment and realized: The arena wouldn¡¯t want to let the mass realize how many of noble blood they had, so they tried their best to hide this fact. The duke¡¯s son was the only one who had his proof of identity that Lena planted on him, so he was also the only one known. There were likely other noble¡¯s children there as well. If she could find someone from at least an earl¡¯s household, then she could ask for their family¡¯s help to launch an investigation.


    ¡°Sofia, change my clothes!¡± Eva smiled. ¡°We are going for a stroll.¡±


    In the arena, Eva found herself in the same silver booth, though she noticed that there were more armed guards than usual. Perhaps to prevent any more death of the slaves.


    Eva had left Sofia in an inn she promised to meet Minos at. She already told her that the man coming was trustworthy and that she would most likely have returned to the inn by the time he arrived.


    ¡°You,¡± said Eva, glancing at the masked servant by the door. ¡°Bring me someone knowledgeable about the combatants. I need a specialist.¡±


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    The servant bowed and disappeared into the corridor, later coming back with an elderly man dressed in a loose robe. He had eyes so narrow Eva thought he was walking with his eyes closed.


    ¡°Lady Nacia,¡± said the man, his voice so hoarse it was unnatural. ¡°How honored I am to be able to meet you again.¡±


    Again?


    ¡°Sit,¡± Eva said sharply. ¡°And I would appreciate it if you could be quick. I have an urgent appointment soon.¡±


    The old man bowed and sauntered over to sit. ¡°How can I be of service, lady?¡±


    Eva leaned into her chair, rested her head on her hand, and crossed her legs. ¡°Find me another combatant that has¡­ an exquisite background. I would like to have this done before the day of my duel with Sir Nikitas.¡±


    ¡°Your wish shall be done.¡± He bowed again. ¡°But would you like to come and have a look at those¡­ combatants? I am sure seeing your warrior for yourself will heighten your¡­ uh¡­ experience.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I am in a hurry?¡± snapped Eva.


    At first, he didn¡¯t reply, and she could barely hear his chuckle.


    ¡°What is so funny?¡±


    He proceeded to guffaw, and Eva felt an ominous feeling rising in the pit of her stomach.


    ¡°I asked what is so funny,¡± she said.


    ¡°Please pardon me, lady. I just find it amusing,¡± said the elderly man as his smile widened, ¡°that you could be this haughty even though this is the first time we meet.¡±


    Eva at first didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but suddenly, a napkin was slammed over her nose and mouth from behind. She could smell the incapacitating agent doing its work as her body slowly lost its strength. She dug her nails into the back of the hand, making the servant loosen his grip. She pinched the napkin with her other hand¡¯s nails to avoid direct skin contact and yanked it away. She turned around and got up in one movement, kicking the chair into the servant. She threw her hat away and reached behind her head to pull out her sharp hairpin, letting her golden hair billow and shine against the dim light of the arena.


    Instead of heading for the exit full of armed guards, she lunged toward the elderly man and grabbed him by the neck, pushing and circling until he was faced with the guards. She pointed her hairpin at his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± she said, pushing the sharp end into his flesh, a single drop of blood running down. ¡°Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee his safety.¡±


    The servants and the guards paused, looking at each other, and then looking at the old man, waiting for him to speak. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± he said, and yawned. ¡°Apologies. My old bones can¡¯t keep up with you young ones these days. I need at least ten hours of sleep¡ª¡°


    Eva pushed the hairpin deeper, now with a stream of blood trailing down his neck. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking? I will do it, and I will not hesitate.¡±


    The elderly man glanced back at her flippantly. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you,¡± he said before looking back to the front, ¡°but here¡¯s what is really happening, lady: My days are already numbered; it doesn¡¯t matter whether I die by your hands or die by falling down three steps of stairs. And to be honest, the former sounds like a much better alternative.¡± He yawned another time. ¡°If you want to do it, just do it.¡±


    Eva noticed her hands trembling. It was not because she was afraid, but because the incapacitating agent was draining her with every passing second.


    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t have much time,¡± said the old man.


    ¡°I want to ask you something,¡± said Eva, tightening her grip. ¡°Why are you in this industry? Why not do something to better the world if you realize your time is running short?¡±


    He replied instantly, ¡°Why do you engage in pastime activities? To kill time and to feel better for yourself, essentially.¡±


    Eva saw a sickening smile on his face even from behind, and he glanced back to show her the full repulsive and hideous expression.


    ¡°For me,¡± he said, widening his eyes, ¡°seeing humans fight for their lives does both.¡±


    Eva paused. ¡°Is that so?¡± she said, then her eyes turned cold. ¡°Then, I suppose killing you wouldn¡¯t weigh down on my mind.¡± And she stabbed her hairpin deep into his neck, blood gushing out, and his voice became gurgling sounds.


    ¡°Sir Serpentine!¡± the servants and the guards yelled, rushing forward to her. She didn¡¯t resist and let them hold her to the ground. Her eyes met the old man¡¯s, and she noticed that he was smiling, even when he was facing his end.


    She felt a dull pain at her nape for an instant, and the world went dark.

 Chapter 9

    Eva stirred awake to the reverberating noise of metal on metal. She blinked her dizziness away, though the darkness still lingered. Only a single torch was present, with a shadow of a woman blotting out the light and hitting the iron bars with what seemed to be a metal rod. It smelled of dampness and rust, and the ground was cold and rough.


    ¡°You are awake, sister.¡±


    ¡°Lena?¡± Eva murmured, grabbing her head, still feeling weak. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Why, you are permitted to be in this slaughterhouse but I am not?¡± Lena said, slapping the iron rod into her palm. ¡°I simply cannot miss out on the fun, sister. After all, seeing you walk into your own doom is most entertaining.¡±


    Eva stayed silent, her head running through scenarios. Not good. She couldn¡¯t come up with a plan.


    Lena laughed. ¡°This is the first time I have seen you so helpless and weak! Where did the lofty lady from before go?¡±


    ¡°Why did you do this?¡± asked Eva, trying to stall for time. ¡°Is this for what I did to you before the guildmasters? I apologize if I upset you, but you were¡ª¡°


    ¡°How long do you plan to keep up this play, sister?¡± Her voice was low and emotionless. ¡°I already know everything. From how you discovered this place, how you knew my identity, and how you joined that Nikitas character in trying to overthrow this place. Unfortunately for you, sister, I do not think the outcome is that favorable?¡±


    ¡°Why? Why did you do all this, then?¡± Eva asked, even though she already knew the answer. In her past life, her sister didn¡¯t just make her life miserable, she even made sure to meet her in person to reveal everything and mock her. Eva had no doubt she would do the same in this life. ¡°Haven¡¯t I always treated you well?¡±


    Lena scoffed, and even in the dark, Eva could see the disdain on her sister¡¯s face. ¡°I know what you are aiming for. You are trying to stall for time, aren¡¯t you?¡± She hit the rod into her palm one more time. ¡°I hate that you are always so collected.¡± She turned around and paced to the corner of the room where Eva could roughly make out the shape of a brazier. Lena lit the coal container on fire, and Eva finally realized that the iron in her hand was a branding rod. Lena laid the rod amidst the rising flame and turned back to her. ¡°I would like to see how you handle this, sister. How you will react when the scorching iron makes its mark on you¡­¡± She giggled. ¡°But me seeing you alone like this doesn¡¯t do you justice, does it?¡± Lena walked away out of Eva¡¯s sight. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you worthy audiences, sister.¡±


    Eva listened to her sister¡¯s footsteps getting farther and farther away. When she could hear her sister no longer, she got up and grabbed the iron bars one by one, pulling and pushing them in case one of them was loose. They were all firmly welded. Eva tried to squeeze her body out of the cell sideways, but only her arm was able to pass through. She gave up on the iron bars and looked back. She started banging the wall, but none of the spots were frail or hollow. Finally, Eva fell to the ground, panting. There was no way out.


    The sound of footsteps approached the cell, and Lena appeared in front, with masked men following after her. Eva counted ten of them.


    Lena walked over to the brazier and picked up the rod, looking at the heated iron, redness reflecting in her eyes. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t make you wait for long, sister.¡± She glanced back with a sickening smile. ¡°After all, I could barely contain myself right now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t scare me, Lena,¡± said Eva. ¡°Try as you might, but I will only see an insecure child in front of me.¡±


    Her sister¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade. ¡°Is that so?¡± she said, then she looked to her side, and another masked man walked into sight, but also with him was Sofia who was tied and gagged, struggling to break free.


    Eva felt her hands clench. ¡°Lena,¡± she said, her eyes freezing cold. ¡°Do whatever you like to me, but I promise you: You will regret it if you even so much as lay a finger on her.¡±


    Lena flinched for a second, then her face twisted into an emotion of pure anger. ¡°How long are you going to keep playing tough!¡± she said, looking at a masked man. ¡°Open the cell. It is time to teach this wench a lesson.¡±


    After the cell door opened, three masked men entered and held Eva in place. One of them at each of her arms, and the last one holding her head up by yanking her hair back.


    Lena sauntered over, holding the branding rod forward. ¡°I am very curious about what sound you will make, sister,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°And what expression you will have when you are presented to the court with a slave mark on your face, being condemned and laughed at by everyone until you see the gallows. I shiver just thinking about it.¡±


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    Eva could feel the heat radiating from the iron, every moment getting hotter and hotter as the rod was getting close. She didn¡¯t blink or shy away.


    Lena¡¯s face became one of pure evil, her eyes becoming slitted curves while the edges of her mouth lifted. ¡°And this is all thanks to you. You walked yourself here, and I truly, truly thank you for that. I am sure these men will also thank you after they have had their ways with you, sister.¡±


    Sofia¡¯s muffled voice got louder, tears running down her face while trying to break free. Eva breathed out, readying herself for whatever fate awaited her when all of a sudden her left arm was freed. She didn¡¯t have time to process what was happening, but the masked man on her left was already moving forward, grabbing the branding rod close to the handle and twisting it out of Lena¡¯s hand. He jammed the scorching iron into Lena¡¯s left eye, and her scream filled the dungeon.


    ¡°Attack!¡± the masked man yelled, and Eva recognized his voice in an instant. Minos used the branding rod to strike the two other masked men¡¯s heads in a single second, his swings swift and merciless.


    Three of the masked men outside the cell pulled out their swords and stabbed the closest men to them, with some able to dodge in time. The one that was holding Sofia pulled out a knife, brought it up high, and slashed her bondage. The maid removed her gag and ran into the cell without caring about the fight going on behind her. ¡°My lady!¡± she yelled. ¡°My lady, are you hurt?¡±


    Minos pulled out his knife and finished off the two men inside the cell, then joined the others in fighting the rest. Lena was on the ground, rolling from side to side while holding her eye and screeching.


    ¡°What about you, Sofia? Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, my lady,¡± she sniffed. ¡°Sir Nikitas and his men disguised themselves and pretended to have found me, so those other men didn¡¯t get the chance to do anything.¡±


    Eva allowed herself a second to let out a sigh of relief, then steeled herself and stood. ¡°We need to get out. Others must have heard the commotion here.¡±


    Sofia nodded, and they ran out of the cell, with Eva glancing at her sister for a brief second before looking back forward. Minos and his men had finished off the masked men, and everyone but Minos ran off to the entrance down the dungeon¡¯s corridor.


    ¡°My lady, please stay close to me,¡± Minos said, holding his hand out.


    Eva hesitated for a second before grabbing it, feeling the warmth transfer from his body into hers. ¡°Thank you, Sir Nikitas.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    They hurried to the door where Minos¡¯s four men were holding it shut. ¡°My lord, we await your command!¡± one said.


    ¡°We will whittle their number after opening the door!¡± Minos commanded, Eva seeing glimpses of her husband in him. ¡°Protect these ladies with your lives! Abandon me if you must, but make sure they are safe!¡±


    His men looked hesitant, but all of them nodded anyway. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Now go!¡±


    They released the door, and it swung open, with masked men filing in while holding their swords. Minos and his men finished them off one by one as soon as they entered, attacking them from all sides except the rear. Shouts and screams were the only sounds present. Corpses started to pile up in front of the door, but before the path became clogged, the masked men stopped rushing in.


    Still, Eva saw a crowd of masked men surrounding the entrance on the other side of the door, waiting for them to come out. ¡°Sir Nikitas, what are we going to do?¡±


    Minos smiled at her and patted her on the head, finally releasing her hand. ¡°My lady doesn¡¯t have to worry. I promise to get you out safe and sound.¡±


    Eva didn¡¯t like being treated like a child, but somehow, it didn¡¯t feel as bad when Minos did it.


    The marquis looked back to the front and commanded, ¡°Their number is high, so we are going to hold until reinforcement arrives! Men, there is no need to fear, for we are warriors of honor!¡± He held his sword up high, the blade scraping the stone ceiling and sending sparks flying. ¡°They have the advantage in numbers, but they are a bunch of ruffians! No matter how many there are, we will remain triumphant! ARE YOU WITH ME!¡±


    His men cheered. Despite there being four of them, Eva still got shivers like in her past life. She noticed that these men were all Named People she used to be acquainted with, warriors with big achievements who received titles and were known throughout the marquisate.


    The masked men finally pushed the mountain of corpses and squeezed their way into the dungeon while holding up wooden shields, yelling. Minos and the Named People stabbed through their defenses with pinpoint accuracy, halting their advances one man at a time. Some of the masked men tried to run away but were pushed back into the battle. Piles upon piles of corpses filled the entrance, but slowly, Minos and his men were pushed back from the sheer number. After a while, they could hold no longer, and the masked men made their way through the door, kicking corpses out of the way.


    Two sides were now facing each other at a standstill. It didn¡¯t last long as people behind the masked men shouted orders for them to fight, and chaos erupted. They rushed at Minos and his men all at once, squeezing into the narrow corridor while stumbling over the corpses of their peers. Despite now facing multiple of them, Minos and the Named People stopped their advance with their combined effort, assisting each other like they were of one mind.


    As they fought, Eva noticed that a ruckus was brewing behind the masked men.


    ¡°Reinforcement has arrived!¡± Minos shouted. ¡°Hold on!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    The masked men started to panic. They fled from the rear and pushed each other toward Eva¡¯s direction. Minos and the Named People suffered injuries upon injuries, trying to hold them back.


    ¡°Men!¡± Minos said. ¡°We are almost there! Hold¡ª¡°


    Blood left Minos¡¯s mouth, and he looked down to see a sword protruding out of his chest, his face growing paler by the second. Eva¡¯s eyes widened, and tears fell as she saw the images of her husband¡¯s death overlapping with the current Minos.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could shed tears, sister,¡± said Lena, smiling from ear to ear, her red left eye surrounded by a fresh burn mark. ¡°How I wish you could see yourself right now...¡±

 Chapter 10

    ¡°My lord!¡± a Named man yelled as he abandoned his fight and rushed toward Minos, pushing Lena to the ground.


    Minos fell to his knees, blood running down his clothes and seeping out of his mouth. ¡°Ah¡­¡± he said, but he composed himself almost immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Go hold them back!¡± he said, each word making blood stream down his mouth more.


    ¡°M-my lord!¡± The Named man glared at Lena, and he held his sword up. ¡°I shall finish her quickly before I obey your command, my lord!¡± He lunged toward her and swung his sword¡ª


    ¡°Stop!¡± Minos shouted, then coughed blood.


    The Named man halted just before the blade reached her neck. He looked back. ¡°Why, my lord? Why won¡¯t you¡ª¡°


    ¡°You fool!¡± Minos said. ¡°If you kill her, then all the attention will be on her death! We will have wasted our chance in exposing her wrongdoings! Now listen to me and go hold them back!¡±


    The Named man gritted his teeth and rushed back to the frontline. All the while, Eva stood still, her mouth agape. She touched her cheek, and her hand came back wet. ¡°No¡­ Not again¡­¡± she whispered.


    The world seemed to slow down, the shouts becoming more distant, the colors dull. Eva searched in her memories, thinking of a way to save him. She thought of their first meeting in her previous life, in a restaurant near her estate. She thought of the time he was captured in her stead and tortured. She thought of the time he locked her in the basement, thinking she would escape by herself.


    There¡¯s nothing you can do, a voice in her said. You are going to watch him die again.


    Eva gritted her teeth and looked frantically around the dungeon. She saw empty cells, saw Lena who still remained on the ground, smiling, saw the Named men fighting for their lives as the masked men slowly retreated.


    Then, she noticed one of Minos¡¯s men.


    ¡°Silas!¡± she called out to the Named man with platinum hair. ¡°You know medicine, correct? Come here!¡±


    Silas was startled. He looked back with wide eyes. ¡°How did you¡ªNo, my lady, I have never treated anyone before. I simply read some books¡ª¡°


    ¡°No matter,¡± she said. ¡°Help him!¡±


    She knew he would succeed. He was the Doctor of Death who wielded both medicine and swords, after all.


    The Named man looked to his comrades, each of whom gave him a nod after noticing that the majority of the masked men were fleeing in the other direction. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave them to you!¡± he said before leaving the battle and rushing toward Minos. He appraised the marquis, with each second his expression becoming darker and darker, sweat streaming down his forehead. ¡°Please find me cloths. A lot of them. And also please get me the brazier.¡±


    Sofia, who had just finished tying Lena up, rushed into the dungeon, and Eva followed. Together, they hauled the burning brazier back. Silas pulled out a dagger and placed the blade in the fire. He looked at Eva who was tearing her dress into pieces. ¡°My lady, I am going to cauterize the wound. Please hold the cloth to his wound in the front while I use the dagger to close the wound in the back. Your maid will pull the sword out in one go, and we will start the moment the steel is out.¡±


    Eva nodded and stuffed a piece of cloth in Minos¡¯s mouth. She was stationed in front while Sofia stood beside Silas nervously, grabbing the hilt of the sword.


    ¡°My lord,¡± said Silas, retrieving the burning dagger. ¡°No matter how painful it is, please hold on.¡±


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    Minos nodded.


    The Named man looked at Eva, then at Sofia. ¡°3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Do it!¡±


    In one movement, Sofia pulled out the sword, and Eva pushed the piece of cloth forward. Silas held one side of the burning dagger against his wound. The sound of flesh being burned and the sound of Minos¡¯s muffled scream tore Eva¡¯s heart. She wanted to avert her eyes and block her ears, but she couldn¡¯t do that, so she looked into his eyes, hoping that he could see her sincerity through the pain.


    It didn¡¯t matter to Eva anymore. She knew she wanted to be with him no matter what, even if that meant she would bear the pain of the past forever. She prayed to God with all her heart to keep him safe, to let him stay with her longer. Eva felt tears streaming down her face. ¡°Please¡­ please, please be safe. Please don¡¯t leave me. Please don¡¯t do this. Please¡ª¡°


    Minos grabbed her hand.


    Before this point, he had been clawing at the ground in pain, but somehow, his hand that was holding her was gentle, as if to comfort and reassure her. Eva wanted to cry her heart out and embrace him, but she could do neither, so she nodded while holding in her tears. ¡°I love you,¡± she sobbed. ¡°I love you. I will say it however many times you want afterward, so please, please live on.¡± Her voice trembled, and she couldn¡¯t hold in her tears any longer. ¡°I cannot live on without you anymore.¡±


    Minos somehow stroked her hand through the pain. Tears fell out of his eyes, and he seemed to smile and mouthed something. ¡®I love you too,¡¯ Eva thought he said.


    ¡°This side is finished!¡± said Silas, circling Minos. Eva let go at his signal, and the Named man slapped the burning dagger on his wound.


    Minos screamed through the gag once more, his hand tightening on Eva¡¯s so much that it hurt, but Eva only squeezed him back. She held his hand with both of hers, holding it to her forehead. ¡°Please, please, please, please.¡±


    The sound of fighting behind her stopped. The Named men and other men came over to Minos¡¯s side. ¡°My lord!¡± they said, kneeling.


    ¡°What about the enemies?¡± asked Silas, slowly applying pressure to the wound.


    ¡°They retreated after our reinforcement broke through, but we can¡¯t stay for long. It seems the city guards are already alerted.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Silas said. ¡°The wound is about to close. If no vital internal organ is injured, then his lordship will be alright.¡±


    ¡°His lordship will be fine!¡± said one of them.


    ¡°This kind of wound isn¡¯t enough to put him down!¡±


    ¡°Indeed! He is a man of perseverance!¡±


    The men voiced out praises for Minos, cheering.


    Eva loosened her grip and smiled. ¡°Right,¡± she said, stroking his hand. ¡°You are not someone who will go down that easily.¡±


    After the men had chanted their songs for a round, Silas removed the dagger and confirmed his condition. He asked Minos how he was feeling and whether there was something he felt was amiss.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Minos replied.


    The men cheered and whistled. Eva¡¯s tears burst out, and she did not try to hide them.


    Minos looked at his men with an annoyed face, though he was obviously smiling. ¡°Just shut up, will you? Who told you it was a good idea for you to shout into a patient¡¯s ears?¡± He got up and stumbled a step, Eva helping him stand. He looked at her. ¡°My lady, I will hold you to your word later.¡± Minos held her hand up and kissed it, then he looked at his men. ¡°We will leave right away. Even though we are knights, we are not supposed to be here, let alone fight, so don¡¯t make any more commotion and disperse. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡± said one Named man, glaring at Lena who was sitting silently. ¡°Some of our men perished during the fight.¡±


    ¡°Leave her be,¡± replied Minos, turning away. ¡°She still has a role to play, and our brothers will understand.¡±


    Eva helped Minos walk while Silas supported his other side. The men led the way down a path Eva had never used, and they made their way out of the underground arena with this secret passage reserved for gold key holders. They came out through a hatch of an abandoned house, and Minos immediately gave out orders for his men, having some gather information while having others secure their route.


    Finally, only Minos, Eva, Sofia, and the four Named People were left.


    ¡°I need to talk with my lady,¡± Minos said, looking at his men and Sofia. ¡°Alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± the Named men said.


    Sofia hesitated, and Eva nodded toward her, ensuring her. The maid bowed and followed the men outside.


    When they left, Minos walked over to Eva. He reached his hand out and stroked her face with his thumb. ¡°My lady,¡± he said before hugging her awkwardly, flinching as his chest pressed into her. ¡°I cannot tell you how happy I am right now.¡±


    The warmth enveloping her felt so comforting that she almost drifted off. She eventually got hold of herself and said, ¡°S-Sir Nikitas, this is not appropriate¡­ A-and we have just met not a month ago.¡±


    ¡°Please call me Minos. And isn¡¯t it much longer than that, my lady?¡±


    Eva froze. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Minos released her, looking into her eyes and smiling. ¡°I also came from the future, Eva.¡±

 Chapter 11

    ¡°What¡­ did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I am the same as you, my lady,¡± Minos said, holding her hands. ¡°I came back to the past as well, though I came back ten years while I suppose yours is nine?¡±


    ¡°How did you¡ª¡°


    Minos held a finger to her lips. ¡°When I first came back, the first thing I did was to travel to this territory to find you. I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do, but I simply needed to see you again.¡± He looked up. ¡°But when I found you and realized that you were not the same Eva that I had spent my life with, I felt my heart shatter. I couldn¡¯t bear to see you any longer, so I left, though I assigned some men to inform me of your every action. I think I just wanted that affirmation of your safety. I then did everything in my power to uncover your sister¡¯s plot, so I disguised myself as Nikitas and rose in rank until I was the gold key holder.¡± He looked back down and smiled. ¡°And that was when ¡®you¡¯ came back to me. You cannot imagine how surprised I was when I saw you at the arena, and judging from your behavior, I also realized that you were the Eva that I know and love, and I have been meaning to tell you this since.¡± He scratched his cheek. ¡°I have never been so elated. I was¡ªWait, Eva, why are you crying?¡±


    Eva touched her face, and indeed tears were running down her eyes. ¡°No, I¡­ I just¡­¡± Eva looked up at him and hugged him around the neck. ¡°I am just so happy, Minos. Words cannot describe what I am feeling right now.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Eva.¡± He stroked her head, running his fingers down her hair. ¡°Me too.¡±


    They embraced for how long she didn¡¯t know, but not for a second did she want to part with him. They didn¡¯t let go of each other even when the door opened.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Minos said with an irritated tone.


    Eva looked back and saw the Named People and Sofia. ¡°My lord,¡± Silas said. ¡°The city guards are searching for my lady since they have been tipped off by her sister, and they are likely to find this place soon. We need to move.¡±


    Minos clicked his tongue, but when his eyes met Eva¡¯s, his expression turned gentle in an instant. ¡°Let us continue this conversation later, my lady,¡± he said, holding her hand and leading her to the door.


    Eva didn¡¯t move with him. He looked back in puzzlement.


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    ¡°I can¡¯t go with you, Minos,¡± she said.


    ¡°W-why, my lady?¡±


    ¡°No matter how much evidence we have, we won¡¯t be able to put my sister to justice with that alone. You must have realized this as well, correct?¡±


    Minos didn¡¯t say anything, but he nodded anyway. ¡°I had a hunch.¡±


    ¡°Right. This is a job that only I can do, Minos. For us to achieve peace, I must do this.¡±


    Minos hesitated to let go. His hands were shaking.


    Eva came up to him, grabbed his shoulders, and leaned forward, putting her mouth over his. Once again, she hated that she had to release him, but when she did, his hands had already stopped shaking. ¡°I will be alright, Minos,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Nothing can stop me from having you.¡±


    His cheeks turned red. He wasn¡¯t good with sweet talks even from back then. This made Eva want to tease him even more.


    ¡°My lord.¡± Silas coughed. ¡°We can¡¯t delay any longer.¡±


    Minos turned away from Eva, but she could still see his red ears. ¡°We will create three squads to disperse our number and stand by near the Vallou Estate. The lady may need our help later.¡± He then gave out his orders to each of the Named men.


    ¡°You will be coming with me, Sofia,¡± Eva said, turning to her maid whose face turned as red as a tomato.


    ¡°Y-y-yes, my lady.¡±


    The Named People left the building, and Minos followed them, but not before he looked back at Eva with his red cheeks and shouted, ¡°Be safe, my lady! I will be waiting for you where we first met!¡±


    Eva waved him off, watching him fondly as he left.


    ¡°M-my lady? W-what is¡ª¡°


    ¡°We can talk later, Sofia,¡± she said, heading for the door. ¡°We need to get back to the Vallou Estate.¡±


    Sofia hurried after. ¡°But aren¡¯t all the guards looking for my lady right now?¡± the maid asked. She probably had been told of the situation roughly.


    Eva exited the abandoned building, facing the city in the grim evening light. There was no one in sight except for Minos and his men in the far distance, and the buildings around here looked dilapidated. She recalled her memories and realized that she was in the Ghost District, a place the merchants didn¡¯t dare to touch due to superstition. It was said that associating yourself with this place would only bring bad luck. She even heard that many lost their lives here, but now that she thought of it, there was a high probability that it was the underground people¡¯s doings.


    ¡°We will sneak in,¡± said Eva, heading off toward the estate. ¡°And, if my intuition is correct, there will even be people welcoming us.¡±


    Eva found a cloak to hide her hair and a robe to hide Sofia¡¯s outfit before they exited the Ghost District. Outside the cursed area, guards were scuttling about seemingly without direction. She heard their shouts in passing and realized that they were given two orders: one was to apprehend the underground personnel, and the second was to capture her. She and Sofia hurried while remaining discreet.


    Outside the Vallou Estate, there was no guard, and Eva took that as an invitation. She headed straight for the entrance and entered, and, as she expected, two maids were waiting for her. Her father¡¯s personal maids.


    ¡°Lady Eva,¡± they said, bowing. ¡°His lordship has been expecting you.¡±


    Eva strode over, still carrying the demeanor of a lady. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Eva sat opposite Thalis Vallou, and they looked at each other without uttering a word. He sipped his tea slowly, closed his eyes, and groaned when he had had several gulps. He opened his eyes and placed the teacup back while looking at the ceiling.


    ¡°How about you have a cup as well, my daughter?¡± he said, finally looking back down.


    ¡°I would rather we get down to business, my lord.¡±


    Thalis scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike this side of yours. Very well, let us discuss what has been going on, shall we?¡± He laced his fingers together on the table and cleared his throat. ¡°You being here means that you already realize that I could thwart your plan with just a simple statement, correct? Even if you have evidence far stronger than Lena¡¯s, with just a testimony from me, the lord of the territory, it all becomes irrelevant. I could spin the tales however I want, and there is nothing you can do about it.¡± He smirked. ¡°You feel helpless, don¡¯t you? You need me, don¡¯t you? Well, I have a deal for you.¡±


    Eva looked straight at him, unfaltering. He knew what was going on, and she expected that. ¡°Please go on.¡±


    ¡°I want you to leave your identity as Eva Vallou and work for me. I can ensure your safety, then.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like someone who would abandon my fight and hide like some rats, my lord?¡±


    ¡°You have no choice. Either you work for me or I send you to the gallows. You are too dangerous to be left alone. Landing a deal with those greedy merchants proved that.¡±


    Eva felt her anger simmering underneath. ¡°Please allow me a few questions, my lord,¡± she said.


    The earl nodded. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°If I had failed to negotiate with the guildmasters, would you still be willing to keep me alive?¡±


    ¡°Is that even a question?¡± He sighed as if she had just wasted his time. ¡°I have no use for incompetent people.¡±


    ¡°Then, if I were one of those incompetent people, what would you be doing at this moment?¡±


    Thalis frowned and leaned back in his chair, pondering. After a short moment, he said, ¡°I would help Lena confirm your ¡®crimes¡¯ and name her my successor.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Eva unknowingly clenched her fists. ¡°Last question, my lord. There is no way you didn¡¯t know what your daughter had been up to. Why didn¡¯t you stop her, but instead decided to turn a blind eye and help her in the end?¡±


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    Thalis¡¯s smile reached from ear to ear, his eyes becoming curved slits. ¡°Why, isn¡¯t this what being a noble is all about?¡± He leaned forward with his hands on the table. ¡°Scheming, betraying, deception. The one who triumphs the other is obviously the one worthy of sitting in the seat of the lord.¡± He leaned back while glancing at his chair and then at Eva. ¡°And since you couldn¡¯t see what was going on, that means you are the loser, my daughter. Helping my successor clean up is only natural. I would even help Lena sell you off as a slave if she wished. That is the privilege of the winner.¡± He smirked one more time. ¡°But you are fortunate that I have a need for your skills.¡±


    Eva always wondered in her past life why the crimes pinned to her name were confirmed so quickly and why Thalis was persuaded seemingly overnight. It was not that Lena had sufficient evidence, but because he helped her in her plot. He was no less guilty than her.


    Eva had heard everything she wanted to hear. She had to hold back no longer, so she smiled. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, my lord. However, I would like to propose something for you as well.¡± This time, she laced her fingers on the table and leaned forward. ¡°If I were to tell you that I can get the Ganakos Marquisate under you, what would you be willing to trade?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and stared at her.


    ¡°You know what has been going on in the territory, so you should know that the marquis of Ganakos is within this city, correct?¡± She smirked. ¡°What if I told you that I already got ahold of his weakness? One that would make him answer to our beck and call no matter how absurd the order is?¡±


    ¡°Stop beating around the bush. Tell me what it is and be done with it.¡±


    ¡°If I told you, then I wouldn¡¯t have any card left to play, would I?¡± Eva sighed. ¡°I am not even requesting something grand. I simply request that you don¡¯t interfere with my actions for a day. I will face Lena and clear my name before I abandon my identity.¡±


    He grabbed his chin. ¡°What if you don¡¯t go through with your promise?¡±


    ¡°Oh please,¡± she said. ¡°Why are you underestimating your status as the lord of Vallou? As long as you wish for it, my ¡®crimes¡¯ will surface for all the people to see with the help of my sister¡¯s made-up evidence no matter how much I clear my name.¡±


    He pondered for a moment. ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°To prove you wrong,¡± she replied. ¡°I am not inferior to my sister in any and all way. Not even in the way of deception.¡±


    There was a moment of silence, then he laughed. ¡°Very well!¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll see what my daughters have in store to the end.¡±


    Eva bowed. ¡°I will not disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± he said as he slammed the desk with his fist, his expression a dark one, ¡°if you had lied about Ganakos¡¯s secret, then don¡¯t think that I will let you off lightly.¡±


    Eva smiled. ¡°Please wait for the good news.¡±


    Thalis laughed another time. ¡°Good! As expected of my daughter!¡±


    ¡°Now, if you will excuse me, I have much work to do, my lord.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, go. I will be waiting for you, my daughter.¡±


    Eva got up and bowed another time before leaving the room. She gave the personal maids who were standing guards a nod, and they bowed back. Sofia who was just outside followed her down the corridor, and they exited the estate with their cloak and robe on.


    ¡°Did you get what I asked you to, Sofia?¡± Eva asked as soon as they were outside.


    ¡°Yes, my lady. Those maids didn¡¯t let me go at first, but after I pestered them long enough, they allowed me.¡±


    ¡°Good. Very good,¡± Eva said, smiling. She walked down the street toward where Minos should be. ¡°We can proceed now.¡±

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Minos, I need five men with the best fighting prowess,¡± Eva said as soon as she swung open the door. It was a private dining room on the second floor of a high-end restaurant near the Vallou Estate, though this place had a secret nobody but Eva and her mother knew.


    Inside were Minos and nine of his men sitting around a long table. ¡°My lady, you are back!¡± Minos said, standing up and hurrying to her. ¡°Five men, you say? I believe the Named men and I will do.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too.¡± Eva nodded. ¡°Follow me.¡± She led the men and Sofia downstairs to an unused room on the first floor. There was a waiter who tried to stop them, but a senior manager talked to him first. Eva recognized him as the elderly man who often chatted with her late mother when they came here together when she was young. Perhaps he also knew the secret.


    The room had the same layout as any other private dining room, though this one was abandoned, with the furniture either broken or rotting. Eva hurried to the table and pushed it. Minos came over to help, and after they got the table out of the way, Eva grabbed the carpet on the ground and yanked it away, scattering dust all over. She crouched and unlocked the door latch on the ground and opened the hatch, revealing a flight of stairs descending into the darkness.


    There was a lantern on the first step down, and Eva picked it up and ignited the oil. She headed down without hesitation, and the others followed.


    ¡°My lady, what is the plan here?¡± Minos asked, walking by her side. ¡°Where are we heading to?¡±


    ¡°We are going for the snake¡¯s head,¡± Eva said. ¡°This passage was created by my mother, and we will reach the Vallou Estate soon.¡±


    The secret passage was not long, and Eva had only a moment to brief everyone of her plan, but when she finished, the Named men seemed hesitant.


    ¡°My lady,¡± Silas said. ¡°Are you certain of leaving us with such an important role?¡±


    ¡°If I have to rely on someone other than Minos,¡± she replied, still looking forward. ¡°I will choose you people without a second thought.¡±


    They reached a stairway leading up and ascended the steps. At the top was an opening blocked by the giant wardrobe. She tried to push it but to no avail, so Minos and his men came over and toppled the piece of furniture, making a loud thump that surely would invite the guards over.


    ¡°Follow me!¡± Eva said, hurrying over to the wardrobe and exiting her own bedchamber, the Named men erecting the wardrobe back up to cover their traces. She recalled in her head the guards¡¯ positions and bolted for the safest direction while navigating through the manor to her father¡¯s study. The others caught up to her, and they reached the corner before the study. Eva looked back, and the Named People nodded.


    She stood behind the corner while Minos¡¯s men rushed out with their swords. The four of them started wreaking havoc, fighting the guards near the study. Since some of her father¡¯s men were patrolling elsewhere while the rest were checking out the noise in her bedchamber, none was there to assist the guards. Her father¡¯s personal maids were stationed directly in front of the study, and one of them reached for a hidden knife while the other yelled into the study, alerting Thalis Vallou of the attack. They then joined the guards and overwhelmed the Named men.


    The guards were not as skilled as Minos¡¯s men, but the maids were adept in handling knives and hidden weapons ranging from bladed shoes and sharp hairpins, pushing them back slowly with their relentless attacks.


    ¡°This is not looking good,¡± Eva said, looking at Minos. ¡°Cover your face and help them.¡±


    Minos nodded, put on a snake mask, and rushed out.


    Her husband turned the tide of the battle instantly despite his injury. His skills in swordplay left even his men stunned. The guards were the first to fall, and then the maids were cornered by their number.


    Eva made sure to wait until the men had incapacitated the maids before she came out of the corner and headed for the study. She slammed open the door and crouched, dodging a sword swing from her father. The sword went over her head and lodged itself into the wall outside the study.


    ¡°Eva?¡± Thalis said, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Capture him!¡± Eva said, and the Named men lunged forward and pinned him down in a second. She walked into the room toward the desk. ¡°Bring him here.¡±


    The men forced Thalis toward Eva, pushing him while holding his hands behind his back.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Eva!¡± shouted the earl, struggling.


    ¡°I have no time to bicker with you. Write exactly what is written on here,¡± said Eva as she received a letter from Sofia and presented it to him.


    He looked over the content of the letter, and after a moment, his eyes went wide. ¡°You plan to kill me, don¡¯t you?¡± he said. ¡°After I write this, you would have no need for me anymore. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see through you, Eva!¡±


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    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Eva said. ¡°If you write this exactly as it is said, then I will spare your life.¡±


    Thalis laughed. ¡°Do you think I am a child who will believe in anything you say? You already went back on your words once. Why wouldn¡¯t you do it a second time?¡±


    Eva walked up to him and yanked his hair up, staring him in the eyes with her emotionless ones. ¡°The difference between you and me, Thalis Vallou,¡± said Eva, ¡°is that I do this due to necessity while you do it just because you can. Don¡¯t speak like we are the same.¡±


    She looked up at the Named men and nodded. They forced the earl into his seat and put a pen in his hand and a piece of paper on his desk.


    ¡°Write,¡± said Eva, slamming her piece of letter down. ¡°Exactly as it says.¡±


    Thalis stared up at her for a long moment. Finally, he sighed and dipped his pen in ink. He started writing, and everyone focused on every letter, though his hand was visibly shaking. The earl was writing at a moderate speed, so it didn¡¯t seem like he was stalling for time, but somehow, Eva felt something amiss.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± Minos suddenly shouted.


    Eva noticed Thalis¡¯s left hand in his coat pocket, and everyone seemed to realize at once, though no one could stop the earl anymore. Thalis pulled out a knife and stabbed himself in the neck, blood spewing all over the desk. Eva watched in shock, but her father, in the face of death, only smiled at her.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t win¡­¡± the earl said. ¡°Then you can¡¯t either, my daughter¡­¡± And he slumped over the letter, blood spreading all over the desk, dripping drops of crimson to the ground.


    Everyone was speechless.


    Eva wanted him to write a confession letter and silence him by sending him somewhere far away. When he eventually came back, Eva would have already consolidated her position, but now that he was dead, she would soon be labeled as both a slave trafficker and a murderer. No amount of evidence could save her now.


    ¡°My lady!¡± Minos said, being the first one to snap out of it. ¡°We need to leave now before someone discovers us!¡±


    ¡°And do what, Minos? People will assume that I am the murderer anyway. My sister has alibis while I do not, and she would get her way sooner or later.¡± Eva looked around the study. Was there something she could use? Something she missed? She saw stack upon stack of paper around the room, saw the pen soaked in blood, and while she was looking, she also noticed Sofia who was now pale all over. An idea struck her mind. ¡°Sofia!¡± she said. ¡°You brought it with you, right? Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Y-yes, my lady!¡± Sofia reached into her pocket and handed over the seal stamp that Eva received from her now-deceased father.


    Eva grabbed it, then hurried to a stack of paper and snatched one piece of plain parchment. She headed over to the desk and started writing on the clean surface. She didn¡¯t stop writing when she said, ¡°Silas, change into a guard¡¯s outfit. Others, clear the unconscious people out of the way. When you are finished with the task, come back here as soon as possible.¡±


    They looked at each other, but soon readied themselves and did as they were told.


    A moment passed, and Eva finished her letter, sealing it with wax. Everyone had gathered back in the room, with Silas dressed in a guard¡¯s outfit.


    ¡°What is next, my lady?¡± he asked.


    Eva handed him the letter. ¡°Go give this to Lena. Her whereabouts should be public. Just tell her that the earl is looking for her.¡± Then, she looked at the other Named men and ordered, ¡°Gather peasants in the city to have a rally near the estate. Include your fellow knights in the plan as well. After my signal, you will storm this manor and go straight for this room. Have as many people with you as possible.¡± Finally, she looked at Minos and Sofia. ¡°You two are coming with me.¡± Eva looked at everyone. ¡°Now go!¡±


    They moved the way they had come from and avoided the guards, incapacitating the ones they ran into. They reached the secret passage and went through to the restaurant. The Named men went out to do their tasks while Eva, Minos, and Sofia stayed in the building.


    ¡°What are you planning, my lady?¡± Minos asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain,¡± she replied. ¡°But you are going to be the signal, Minos. You will be the head of the rally.¡±


    They made their way to the rooftop, seeing the sun about to set, people and guards going about below with torches, giving numerous glows and telling Eva how many the Named men had gathered. Since the news about the underground arena surfaced, people discovered their loved ones either dead or crippled inside, and they were furious. They even found where Lena was keeping the slaves, and thus the people demanded answers from the earl and would even join the rally after a few words.


    Eva waited for a long while, with the number of people hiding outside the estate growing with each passing moment before she noticed a carriage arriving at the estate. She only saw the silhouette in the dark, but the person that left the vehicle was without a doubt Lena. She waited until her sister entered the manor when she stood at the edge of the building with Minos who was holding a torch.


    Finally, he seemed to understand her plan and nodded.


    ¡°PEOPLE!¡± bellowed Minos, his voice reverberating throughout the city. The whole area seemed to quieten down. ¡°My name is Minos Ganakos, and I am the marquis of the honorable house Ganakos! Today I have witnessed the source of evil that has been growing in the dark for years as you all have!¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Are you going to accept this? Are you not going to fight back? Are you going to keep your head down forever?¡± He held his torch up. ¡°I will not allow you to do so! I have enough evidence with me to condemn the perpetrator inside the manor, and I urge you to follow me! For the people you love, and for the beautiful city of Vallou, we will fight!¡±


    There was a moment of silence before the people started cheering. The Named men and the others started leading charge into the manor. Eva raced down the steps while putting on a cloak, with Minos and Sofia close behind. She followed after the rally into the estate and saw Minos¡¯s men stalling the guards while the others led them to the study. They understood her plan perfectly.


    Eva reached the corridor where people were already surrounding the door, about to break it open. Silas was at the front, shouting, ¡°The perpetrator is behind this door! We will get an answer from her!¡±


    People cheered, slamming their bodies against the door.


    After a few tackles, the door popped out of its hinges, falling over, and the scene in the study made the people freeze in place. In front of them was Lena who sprawled under the door after trying to hold it shut, and behind her was the earl of Vallou, dead, with a knife sticking out of his neck, blood spreading everywhere.


    They all came to the same conclusion: She had killed her own father.


    And her fate was sealed.

 Epilogue

    ¡°My lady, you look so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sofia¡­ but why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°M-my lady is¡­ is¡­ is leaving me! Wahh!¡±


    Eva flicked her maid¡¯s forehead, making her let out a yelp. She patted Sofia on her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, and even if I do, I will still take you with me.¡± She winked. ¡°And that is an order.¡±


    ¡°My lady¡­¡± Sofia teared up once more and lunged forward, hugging her and crying. ¡°My ladyyy!¡±


    ¡°You are going to wrinkle the dress, Sofia!¡± Eva chided, but couldn¡¯t wipe the smile off her face. She never thought she would be marrying the same man twice, but she couldn¡¯t be happier to go through with it. Ever since the underground arena incident, Eva and Minos had been planning their wedding while keeping every detail in mind, though they had to spend much time testifying to her sister¡¯s crimes to clear all obstacles standing in their way. Till the end, Lena showed no remorse, and she faced her death without ever uttering a word of apology to the victims.


    Sofia still didn¡¯t stop crying, so another maid came over and pried her away from Eva. ¡°Come on, Sofia,¡± she said, pulling her away. ¡°You can¡¯t be doing this on such an auspicious day.¡±


    ¡°Wahhh¡­ My ladyyy¡­¡±


    Eva sighed and looked in the mirror. It had been months now since she came back to the past, and she was still getting used to her younger appearance. Seeing herself in a wedding dress on top of this youthfulness made her feel like she was in a different person¡¯s body. She wondered if Minos felt the same.


    ¡°My lady,¡± said the third maid, smiling. ¡°It is time.¡±


    Eva nodded, and the maids bowed, two of them holding the doors open, revealing a long carpeted way leading to an altar where Minos was standing. He was in the same black-and-gold formal suit that he wore in his previous life. Eva felt tears welling up in her eyes. She never thought she would be able to experience the happiest moment of her life twice.


    She strode down the path, the crowd cheering and clapping. People from all over the empire came; from the guildmasters of Vallou to the knights of other marquisates. There was even a prince here.


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    Eva reached the altar and stood facing Minos, both of them smiling from ear to ear.


    ¡°Blessings upon all,¡± said the cleric behind the altar. ¡°We are here today to witness the birth of a marriage between Lord Minos Ganakos and Lady Eva Vallou¡­¡±


    Minos grabbed her hands, holding them up to the waist and looking into her eyes. All noises seemed to die down, and only they existed, at least at this moment. It was not until the cleric coughed after he had finished giving the opening words that they snapped out of their trances.


    ¡°Do you, Lord Minos Ganakos, take unto thyself as the husband of Lady Eva Vallou and pledge unto her to be her protector, to honor and sustain her, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, so long as ye shall both live?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Minos said.


    ¡°Do you, Lady Eva Vallou, take unto thyself as the wife of Lord Minos Ganakos and pledge unto him, to be his protector, to honor and cherish him, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, so long as ye shall both live?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Eva said.


    ¡°Let these rings be symbols of thy union and represent thy loyalty. May thee receive these rings and testify to the world an unshakable covenant.¡± The cleric brought two rings on a cushion and presented them to the couple. Eva and Minos had tried to find the same jeweler in their past life, but there was no trace of him in the whole empire. It was as if he had vanished, so they settled on a renowned jeweler in the marquisate instead, and they were both delighted when they saw the final products.


    Minos and Eva picked up their partner¡¯s rings respectively.


    ¡°Receive this ring as a symbol of my trust, my loyalty, and my love for you,¡± Minos said, inserting the ring on her finger.


    ¡°Receive this ring as a symbol of my trust, my loyalty, and my love for you,¡± Eva said, doing the same with his finger.


    ¡°Then you both can¡ª¡°


    ¡°Please wait,¡± Minos and Eva said at the same time. ¡°We would like to pledge another vow.¡±


    The cleric furrowed his brows but nodded anyways.


    Minos and Eva looked into each other¡¯s eyes. They shared a deep, long stare with each other, and Minos said first, ¡°Lady Eva, with you, I vow to live and to die as one, to share each and everything, to be of one mind, to our eternity.¡±


    ¡°Lord Minos, with you, I vow to live and to die as one, to share each and everything, to be of one mind, to our eternity.¡±


    They looked at the cleric and nodded.


    ¡°Then you both can now kiss.¡±


    Eva and Minos leaned against one another and shared a deep kiss. People started cheering, the warriors hooting, the merchants clapping.


    ¡°I now pronounce you husband and wife.¡±


    Eva didn¡¯t want to part her lips from his, but she told herself that later that night she would be able to monopolize his lips all she wanted. She put her body against his, feeling tears running down her face, and he hugged her back.


    ¡°To our eternity,¡± he said.


    ¡°To our eternity,¡± she finished.