Evelyn's eyes imdiately fixed on the Relation section. Her face transford into one of mockery.
Evelyn (Thoughts): "Fiancé... ha... does he really consider his fiancé? I almost forgot about him after recalling the mories of soone I once obsessed over. I used to do all sorts of foolish things for him, but he never even glanced at ..."
Her gaze shifted down to the Trait sections.
Evelyn (Thoughts): "I know he's strange, but what kind of trait is that? Wait... he doesn't like . Does that an he wants to destroy or what?"
Evelyn turned her eyes back to Edrick. He was glaring at her with murderous intent. She had been looking at the panel for so long, it seed as though she had been staring at him the whole ti, which clearly irritated him.
Evelyn (Thoughts): "Aha... I guess he does want to..."
Evelyn gave him a wry smile and said gently,
Evelyn: "Take a seat, Roddick."
Edrick was imdiately frustrated by her mispronunciation of his na. He was obsessed with perfection.
Edrick: "It's Edrick, Your Highness."
He walked over to the couch, took a handkerchief from his pocket, and ticulously wiped the seat before sitting down. Evelyn raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior.
Evelyn (Thoughts): "The couch was already clean. There's no way a princess's room wouldn't be properly kept. Even though my mansion isn't grand, Cassy always makes sure my room is spotless. Was there really a need for him to wipe it again? I an, being clean is one thing, but this is a little extre. The system did ntion he's obsessed with perfection, but I didn't realize he had severe OCD."
Evelyn: "Yes... Aric."
Edrick: "Ha... I heard that after hitting your head, you couldn't even say soone's na properly. Looks like it's true."
He sat down, adjusting his posture as though the act of sitting required ticulous attention.
Evelyn: "The reason I ca here is the sa, please break off the engagent..."
Evelyn: "Why should I?"
Edrick blinked, caught off guard.
Edrick: "What?"
Evelyn: "Give a reason why I should break off the engagent."
Edrick: "I don't like you. Is that not reason enough?"
Evelyn gave him a sly smile.
Evelyn: "That's not a reason. It's just an excuse. We're both still children. You can try to like , or wait until we grow up, or even start tomorrow. Give a good reason."
Edrick: "You are arrogant, willful, rude, an, selfish, and unmannered. Everyone knows you are a powerless and useless princess. You don't even act like a princess."
Evelyn fell silent for a mont. Then she slowly smiled again and looked at him.
Evelyn: "I don't act like a princess because no one taught how a princess should act. I'm arrogant because no one taught whay kindness is... I'm willful because no one taught what benevolence is... I'm rude because no one taught what politeness is... I'm an because I was never shown gentleness... I'm selfish because no one taught what selflessness is... I have no manners because no one ever taught that. I was never taught any of those things... I've never received them from anyone, so it's natural I wouldn't know."
Evelyn's voice was quiet, almost emotionless, but her words struck deep.
She paused and added, her gaze piercing into him,
Evelyn: "But I don't think I've ever been any of those things toward you, have I?"
Edrick fell silent, unable to respond. It was true. Evelyn had never treated him with those traits; she had always been clingy and overly affectionate, to the point of being annoying. But she had never pointed it out before.
Edrick was trying to reconcile the calm, adult-like Evelyn standing before him with the young girl who used to cling to him incessantly. He was at a loss.
Evelyn: "Anyway, I'm still a child. I'm only six years old. It's still the ti when I'm growing. I can change over ti. Or you can change the way you want as we grow. Give a reason."
Edrick: "I... we... we're not perfect for each other."
Evelyn: "Nobody's perfect. Everyone has flaws. Can you bring soone who is absolutely perfect?"
Edrick: "Th... that... I..."
Edrick couldn't find the words. Evelyn looked at him in silence for a mont, then asked abruptly,
Evelyn: "Do you have soone you like?"
Edrick was taken aback, his eyes widening in shock. Evelyn, who had always snapped in anger when she saw him with soone else, was now asking him about his feelings.
Edrick: "NO!!!"
He blurted out loudly, so loudly it echoed throughout the room. Evelyn laughed.
Evelyn: "Then there's no reason for to break off the engagent. You can call it off yourself if you want."
Edrick: "You... you..."
Edrick stood up, anger boiling in his chest. He felt like she had been playing with him. His hands clenched at his sides, but he managed to regain control, placing a hand on his chest and bowing his head.
Edrick: "I should take my leave for today, Your Highness."
Evelyn: "Yeah. Sure, Aric."
Edrick stord out of the room, fuming with rage. Evelyn watched him leave, laughing at his outburst.
Evelyn: "What a perfection freak."
Edrick had co many tis before to break off the engagent, but the old always rejected him because I was completely obsessed with this guy. Now, I would have agreed because I have no desire to shalessly hold onto soone who doesn't want to be with and dislikes . But he should have asked more politely, who told him to mock ...
Although I admit, after living so many lives, I have trouble rembering so nas, but he shouldn't have mocked anyway.
Huh... I don't even need to rember anyone's na, I have the great E.L.S. system.
As Evelyn lost herself in thought, Cassy entered the room with a plate of snacks. She looked around, as if searching for soone.
Cassy: "Has the young master left already?"
Evelyn: "Yes. I'll be resting now, so I won't see any more visitors. Don't let anyone in, Jessy."
Cassy: "It's Cassy... (muttering). Yes, Your Highness."
As Cassy left, Evelyn suddenly called her back.
Evelyn: "Wait, Cassy."
Cassy stopped in her tracks and turned around.
Cassy: "Yes, Your Highness."
Evelyn: "Leave the snacks here."
Cassy: "But you had snacks not too long ago."
Evelyn: "I'm still growing, Cassy. I need to eat more to grow faster."
Cassy: "...yes, Your Highness."
With a sigh, Cassy left the room, leaving the plate on the table, knowing she couldn't win against Evelyn.
Evelyn picked up a book titled "The History of Aristynne." She began reading seriously, eating her snacks as she went along.
anwhile, outside the palace, Edrick walked briskly toward the palace gates, but as he reached the entrance, he stopped. His carriage waited for him just outside the palace grounds. He looked back, his gaze lingering on the towering walls for a mont. A sigh escaped him as he muttered to himself, barely audible over the clatter of the horses' hooves.
Edrick: "She was so different today..."
His mind replayed the strange interaction they'd just had. If it had been any other day, Evelyn would have clung to him like a leech, throwing tantrums and refusing to accept the cancellation of their engagent. The palace would have been in chaos, with everyone scrambling to calm her down. But today...
His thoughts were interrupted by the mory of Evelyn's words, her sharp yet honest declaration.
Edrick: "...Today she was really different..."
He shook his head as if trying to shake off the thoughts swirling in his mind. It didn't make sense. He had known her for so long, and yet, today, sothing about her was off. In all the years they'd spent together, she had never said sothing so raw, so unguarded.
Shaking his head, Edrick climbed into the carriage, settling on the plush seat as the vehicle began to move. He leaned back, letting the motion of the carriage calm his restless thoughts. But Evelyn's unexpected question suddenly resurfaced, and he froze for a mont.
[Evelyn: "Do you have soone you like?"]
Edrick's heart skipped a beat, the question catching him off guard. His mind drifted to the mory of a small girl, no older than three, crying softly in the corner of so bushes. Her tear-streaked face and those wide, innocent eyes haunted him, though there was an odd sweetness to the image.
Before he could even process the thought, Edrick's eyes flew open, and he sat up straight in the carriage. His ears flushed crimson, and his face burned with an unexpected heat. He quickly covered his face with his hands, as if trying to hide the blush that had spread across his cheeks.
Edrick (Thoughts): "Cute... Seriously, have I gone crazy? What am I even thinking about?"
He groaned and slapped his face lightly, trying to snap himself out of the strange daydream.
Edrick: "It's not gentlemanly to think of soone like that... Stop it, Edrick... Stop."
He sighed, rubbing his face and trying to regain his composure. His heart still raced, but he did his best to steady it, taking a few deep breaths. He glanced out the window, the passing scenery doing little to ease his troubled mind.
Edrick (Thoughts): "Maybe I'll find out what's wrong with her on my next visit."
With a final, thoughtful glance back toward the palace, he settled back into his seat. It wasn't over. One thing was certain—this wasn't the sa Evelyn he thought he knew, she changed.
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