CHAPTER 180
Brigitte abruptly turned her back first and left the spot.
Elijah and the Byeokhyeol Knights hurriedly paid their respects to Eve and followed after her.
Watching a retreat that looked no different from fleeing, Mikael offered his impression.
“Her Highness the Third Imperial Princess is quite emotional.”
“She has reason. There aren’t even any roses here to make potpourri with.”
“Potpourri?”
“Ah—Betty Noona has a way to relieve stress.”
Eve looked around Dandelion a bit more, then returned to the barracks.
As she wrote her journal, time flew by, and dinner grew near.
From the enormous cauldron set up in the square, the stamina-sausage stew sent up billows of steam.
Now fully adapted to the local diet, Eve was drawn out of the barracks by the delicious smell.
It was right after the Baekya Knights and the Hwayeom Knights had returned to Dandelion.
Eve ran into Sylvestian, who was on his way back to the barracks.
“I pay my respects to Your Highness the Seventh Imperial Princess.”
“Ah, Sir Millard. You’re back. Nothing happened?”
“We couldn’t find any trace of the seal stone and only had minor skirmishes. I can only apologize.”
“No, you really worked hard.”
Sylvestian dipped his head in a silent bow as if grateful.
Eve examined his face carefully.
There had been meaning in making Sylvestian drink World Tree tea every day for the past four days.
His complexion was much better now, and even the whites of his eyes—which had been bloodshot—had returned to such whiteness that they carried a bluish tint again.
To confirm, Eve asked Sylvestian:
“Did you sleep at all last night?”
“Yes. Thanks to Your Highness’s care, I’ve improved a great deal.”
“Really? The way you talk is exactly the same as when you’re pretending you’re fine, so it’s confusing.”
“Ah… I’m sorry. This time, I truly am speaking the truth.”
“Even so, don’t bow your head. It makes me feel like I’m tormenting you, so I can’t even joke. Anyway, I’m glad the tea seems to be working.”
She decided to end the private conversation there.
This wasn’t the Imperial Palace, but it still wasn’t desirable to keep someone else’s knight held up for long.
“Keep taking it as if it were medicine. Come drink tea today as well.”
With those words, Eve meant to send Sylvestian on his way.
But he hesitated, unable to take a step.
“Sir Millard—do you have something to say?”
If he was hesitating even after she’d opened the floor for him, what could be so weighty?
At this point, Eve could barely contain her curiosity.
“Sir Millard. Any further silence is disrespectful to Her Highness the Seventh Imperial Princess.”
Only after Mikael’s urging did Sylvestian hurriedly open his mouth.
“I beg your pardon, but I have a request for Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“If it is acceptable… would you, today, drink tea not with me, but together with Her Highness the Eighth Imperial Princess?”
“What? With Rosie?”
Eve reacted as if she were almost having a fit.
Even if she’d received an illegal bribe request, she felt she could have stayed more composed than this.
Mikael, too, was barely keeping his expression under control as he watched Sylvestian.
If it hadn’t been his close friend, he would have poured killing intent out on the spot.
“Please, I beg you, Your Highness.”
Even so, Sylvestian dropped to one knee and even performed formal etiquette.
Eve forcibly crushed the rejection surging up inside her and struggled to judge the situation.
‘It looks like Sir Millard agonized a lot before bringing this up.
For him to ask me this despite the discomfort…’
The conclusion was obvious.
Eve let out a long sigh.
“Rosie must be having nightmares.”
“And seeing as you can’t answer… she must have imposed a gag order.”
He hadn’t said anything, but the embarrassed face and the apologetic eyes were more honest than most confessions.
Eve fell into inner conflict.
Having to look after the mental state of the person who had killed her in her previous life filled her with intense resistance.
But this wasn’t just anyone’s request—it was Sylvestian’s.
As she looked at the bowed silver crown of his head, she remembered his previous life, ruined because of Rosenitte and Mikael, and her heart softened.
Eve, who was not strong-hearted to begin with, needed only that momentary wavering.
“…All right.”
“Thank you very much, Your Highness.”
Sylvestian expressed his gratitude with heartfelt sincerity.
Loyalty based on imprint was truly absolute—so much so it felt unreasonable to anyone watching.
Soon Sylvestian withdrew with his greetings, and only Eve and Mikael remained.
“You didn’t refuse.”
Mikael’s low baritone, ringing by her ear, had sunk down heavily.
For some reason, Eve felt pricked—like she ought to make excuses.
“If Rosie loses her mind, it’ll be trouble. If she goes mad, you never know what she might do.”
Once she said it, it was true.
Even just to avoid ever drinking Belladonna Poison again, it seemed she needed to pay attention to her half-sister’s mental health.
Mikael lowered his eyes with an expression that said, ‘Fair enough.’
Not long after, dinner time arrived.
The fact that she had to call in a pretty girl and drink something together with her was, apparently, more stressful than Eve had expected.
It felt as though dinner was sitting heavy in her stomach.
Eve pressed her temples firmly and let out heated sighs again and again.
Seeing her liege acting unlike her usual self, Peony showed concern.
“Your Highness, are you unwell?”
“It’s a nervous headache.”
“Ah! Your Highness’s precious body! Medicine! I’ll bring medicine!”
“It’s fine. I’m going to drink World Tree tea soon anyway.”
With Peony making such a fuss, Eve felt embarrassed, as if she’d put on needless airs.
Only after Eve repeated over and over that she was fine did Peony calm down.
Then, in her own way, she tried to analyze the cause of the headache.
“Maybe it’s because you’ve been worrying so much about Dandelion. Honestly, Your Highness works too much. You should balance work and rest—work during the day, and at night, recharge through Sir Agnito…”
“Okay, stop. Go prepare the World Tree tea. We’re going to drink it together, so call Rosie too.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Peony bent her knees neatly in a bow, then left to run the errand.
Sitting in her chair, Eve tilted her head back and turned around to look behind her as she spoke.
“Mikael, it would be better if you go out now too.”
“Are you planning to meet the Eighth Imperial Princess alone?”
“I have to. Sir Millard’s reactions are too honest.
If we talk and Rosie realizes that Sir Millard reported her nightmares to me, that would be a problem.”
“So you’re sending me out first to create a pretext for withdrawing Sir Millard.”
“Yeah. I have to match the conditions.”
“Then there’s no helping it.”
Mikael didn’t stubbornly insist.
Instead, looking into Eve’s eyes, he cautioned her:
“I’ll wait outside the door, so if anything happens, make sure you scream.”
“Okay. I’ll be careful—extra careful.”
The two of them were deadly serious.
To them, Rosenitte was a more dangerous person of concern than even Brigitte.
After Mikael left, only Eve remained in the barracks.
Even sitting at her desk, she couldn’t get her hands on any work.
While she absentmindedly fiddled with the cutting branch of the World Tree that she kept tucked together with her pens, Rosenitte arrived.
“I’m here, Eve Noona.”
“Ah, yes. Sit.”
Eve tucked the branch into her arms and moved over to the table.
Indeed, Rosenitte’s condition was such that it made sense Sylvestian would have brought a difficult request.
Her haggard complexion and hollow-looking eye sockets made Rosenitte look like a frail, beautiful young girl.
Once they sat facing each other, there was nothing to say except to pick apart her face with her eyes.
As the awkward silence dragged on, Rosenitte questioned her.
“You don’t seem like you even have anything to say, so why did you tell me to drink tea?”
With Rosenitte’s temperament—pampered by Desmond II—she could have snapped, thrown a tantrum, and stormed out right here.
Eve recalled Sylvestian’s face and decided to endure hearing unpleasant things.
“Rosie.”
“What?”
“There was no other royal I could think of to share tea time with but you. As you know, Betty Noona and Brother Derrick are only close with each other.”
“…In the carriage, you ignored everything I said like it was nothing.”
“Hm?”
“Forget it.”
Just then, Peony returned, having prepared the tea.
Relieved that she could finally handle the matter at hand, Eve brightened.
She sent Peony out early and picked up the teapot herself.
“I’m not planning to keep you long. Drink just one cup and go.”
Eve personally filled Rosenitte’s cup and even cooled it to a suitable temperature.
It was consideration with the intention of making her drink quickly and leave.
“Here. Hurry.”
Rosenitte flinched at Eve, who had suddenly become gentle.
She alternated her gaze between Eve’s eyes and the green tea, then asked, distrustful.
“You’re not trying to make me drink something weird, are you?”
“Do you think I’m you?”
Eve’s chest lurched as she recalled Belladonna Poison from her previous life.
The moment she realized she’d blurted out her true feelings without thinking, and belatedly thought, ‘Ah’—
Rosenitte’s reaction in front of her was a little strange.
Eve had expected her to snap back, but instead, she’d gone pale and couldn’t say a word.
‘What? What’s wrong with her?’
Eve couldn’t make sense of it.
Since she looked unwell, Eve decided to end it quickly.
“Just drink one cup and go. Do you really think I would… feed you poison or something? It’s good for the body.”
“O-okay…”
The word “poison” made both the speaker and the listener unable to hide their discomfort.
Especially Rosenitte—she answered with difficulty, as if something were stuck in her throat.
Soon Rosenitte’s fingers hooked around the teacup handle.
She took a sip—slurping a mouthful of the clear green tea.
“Ah…!”
Because her magical resistance was weak, the effect appeared immediately.
Light returned to her hollow eyes.
‘Refreshing!’
Realizing the tea’s efficacy, Rosenitte hurriedly brought the cup to her lips again.
It looked like she was about to down it in one shot, so Eve felt satisfied, thinking Rosenitte would leave quickly.
But instead, the moment the rim touched her lips, Rosenitte paused—
and began sipping in small, careful mouthfuls.
At the regrettable situation, Eve subtly gave her a look.
“You can go back once you finish that.”
“…I’ll drink slowly.”
Rosenitte answered, clutching the teacup with both hands.
For some reason, the warmth fitting into her hands reminded her of fresh stew, and the tea’s green color reminded her of a troll pack.
Everything was precious—things Eve had obtained for Rosenitte.
Perhaps because the warm drink had gone into her, Rosenitte’s cheeks were faintly flushed.
‘Not one mouthful—she’s drinking it drop by drop. Why is she so slow?’
In any case, this meant Eve had kept her promise to Sylvestian.
Only then did Eve begin drinking her own share of tea as well—hoping the World Tree’s miraculous healing power would soothe her nervous headache and the heavy feeling in her stomach.
But the moment Eve swallowed a sip of World Tree tea—
an incident occurred.
“Uh…?”
Suddenly, Eve’s vision spun.
A dizziness so intense she couldn’t possibly steady herself crashed over her.
Thud!
“U-Unnie? Unnie!”
“Agh!”
Collapsed on the floor, Eve clutched at her chest.
It felt as though she had swallowed burning coals—her insides were scorching hot.
Something had gone terribly wrong.