The Princess Imprint A Traitor - Chapter 30: The One Awakened from the Dream within a Dream (11)

“It seems Derek was quite perceptive after all.”

“Only when it’s too late do people realize how valuable a lost asset was. Now, you understand the situation, don’t you?”

“…”

Eve’s mind cooled, matching the iciness in her eyes. Brigitte was a formidable opponent. Any move against her would be fraught with peril, even in a normal situation. But with Derek’s death now at the forefront, the risk to Eve was even greater.

Eve also couldn’t afford to openly expose the truth about Derek’s death. Justice wasn’t easy to achieve. Without solid evidence, the imperial family would never acknowledge a crime as heinous as kinslaying.

Given that Mikael had been present at Derek’s death, Emperor Desmond II would likely punish Mikael for failing to protect a member of the royal family, thereby closing the case.

And above all else, Mikael mattered most to Eve. Choosing to protect him was the obvious decision, even if it meant compromising.

“…”

Seeing Eve’s heavy silence, Brigitte assumed the situation had resolved in her favor. Satisfied, she smiled and spoke.

“Now, take care, Eve.”

“…”

“Not planning to leave? Shall I open the door for you?”

“Wait.”

Eve’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion, as if she had lost all feeling.

“I was just thinking.”

“Thinking?”

Brigitte repeated with some curiosity. That was when Eve’s eyes changed.

“Brigitte, perhaps killing you here would be my ‘greater good.'”

“…!”

Brigitte flinched. The bloodlust radiating from her younger half-sister, whom she had always thought of as soft and inexperienced, was suffocating. The smug expression on Brigitte’s face immediately hardened.

Nearby, Elijah clutched his chest, barely able to breathe. Even as a homunculus, his body was instinctively bracing for the psychic shock of his master’s potential death. The raw, pure intent to kill that Eve exuded was enough to paralyze him. Surprisingly, the one who stopped Eve was none other than Mikael.

“Your Highness.”

“…”

Mikael knelt on one knee, gently placing his hand over Eve’s, which rested on the arm of the chair.

“There is no need for you to dirty your hands.”

“Mikael…”

“Please, deliver just punishment in an honorable way, achieving the outcome through rightful means. You are more than capable of that, Your Highness.”

“…”

The light returned to Eve’s amber eyes, which had grown murky with anger. Mikael, as always, was the one thing that could calm her better than any remedy. The stifling tension in the room finally began to lift. Eve rose from the sofa.

“Remember this, Brigitte: Mikael saved your life twice today.”

“…”

“Have a peaceful night.”

With those final, formal words, Eve turned and walked away, Mikael by her side. The heavy door slammed shut behind them as they disappeared into the deep corridors.

***

The rain had eased its intensity, now tapping gently against the windows, mingling with the sound of their footsteps. Eve and Mikael walked down the dark, silent corridor that stretched endlessly through the night.

Their rooms were positioned at opposite ends of the palace, with Eve’s at the southern end and Brigitte’s at the northern. It was a deliberate choice, made to reflect their political enmity, but now the distance felt unbearably inconvenient. The path to Eve’s room seemed unnecessarily long.

As Eve’s pace quickened, a tightly closed door came into view. Her footsteps turned into near running as she reached out for the doorknob.

Click! The door flew open, and the two of them stepped inside, as though being pulled in by an unseen force.

“Mikael!”

Eve could no longer contain the emotions she’d been holding back. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she had wanted to pull him close, to hold him tight, to reassure herself that he was unhurt. Her hands ached to trace his body, checking for any sign of injury.

“Eve…!”

Mikael felt the same, but even more desperately. He had fought his way back to her, carrying with him the weight of not one, but two lives’ worth of emotions. He had defied death and returned to her side, craving her presence with an urgency that overwhelmed him.

He cupped the back of her head with his hand, pulling her closer. Their lips met in a fierce kiss, as though he intended never to let go. His tongue entwined with hers, demanding, hungry, leaving no space between them.

While Mikael ravaged her mouth like a predator, Eve combed through his hair and caressed his cheeks, her hands wandering over him as if needing to confirm his existence. Her touch, wild and unrestrained, filled Mikael with a bliss more profound than any gentle caress could.

“Eve!”

“Mm, haah…!”

As they clung to each other, the rainwater from Mikael’s hair and uniform soaked into Eve, spreading across her clothes. Mikael noticed but couldn’t bring himself to pull away. He had no energy left for restraint, nor did he want to distance himself from her.

The sound of wet fabric clinging to their bodies filled the air for a long while. In truth, this wasn’t even Eve’s room—it was an empty space they had hurried into, unable to wait. They exchanged heated breaths, filled with longing and desire, over and over again. It was only after this that the overwhelming urges they both felt finally began to subside.

Now, for the first time, they had the space to look into each other’s eyes without immediately rushing toward one another again.

“I was so worried. I thought… I thought you wouldn’t come back,” Eve confessed, her voice soft but heavy with emotion.

“I would never leave you behind.”

“Still, I was so scared… just in case.”

“Eve, I can’t die. Do you know how hard I fought to be by your side? I’m not giving that up easily, not in this lifetime.”

Mikael pulled her even closer, wrapping her tightly in his arms. His eyes, filled with an unfathomable depth of emotion, gazed over her shoulder. His voice, deep and resonant like a stringed instrument, was steady and comforting as he tried to ease her fears.

“I’ll always be by your side.”

“Yes, Mikael.”

Eve tightened her embrace around him as well. They stayed like that for a long time, sharing each other’s warmth and presence, both finding solace in the other.

***

Later, after calming down, Eve listened as Mikael recounted how he had fallen into Brigitte’s trap and how he had escaped. The part where she used gravity to pin him down and drew the magic circle in the sky made Eve shake her head in disbelief at her half-sister’s villainous talent.

When Mikael described how he disrupted the magic circle by changing the medium of the coordinates, bending the light, Eve couldn’t help but applaud his ingenuity. After dealing with the aftermath of the incident, Mikael had hurried back to Dandelion, convinced that Brigitte had also targeted Eve.

While searching for her, he had come across Rosenittee, Peony, Silvestian, and others who had collapsed. Mikael had left the recovery of these victims to the Punitive Knights, assuring Eve there was nothing to worry about. However, Eve still had important matters to handle.

“Snowlet Wint greets Her Highness, the Seventh Princess.”

Snowlet, Derek’s personal knight and the leader of the Knights of Flame, approached Eve with a pale face. Eve didn’t bother asking if she was alright.

“And my brother, Derek?”

“His Highness, the Sixth Prince, is in the tomb.”

Derek’s body had been moved to a cave used as a temporary tomb, guarded by the Knights of Flame. Eve passed by the kneeling homunculi, approaching the wooden coffin covered in white cloth.

“Open it.”

With a low creak, the coffin was opened.

“…”

The gruesome expression on Derek’s face showed how much pain he had endured at the moment of his death. Although Eve had little affection for him, she paid her respects with proper solemnity, not for Derek himself, but out of reverence for death itself. After a moment, she turned and spoke to Snowlet.

“Rest, Lady Wint.”

“I am guilty of failing to protect His Highness. At the very least, let me—”

“Your bonded master is dead. Whether you realize it or not, you need mental treatment just as much as anyone else.”

“…Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for your care.”

A royal like Derek couldn’t be buried quietly in the wilderness. Fortunately, with the discovery of the last sealing stone and the completion of the reconstruction efforts, it seemed they would be returning to the capital within days.

After working on the necessary paperwork to expedite the schedule, Eve eventually dozed off at her desk. A soft hand gently shook her awake.

“Eve. Eve, wake up.”

“Mmm… Huh? Mi-Mikael!”

Startled awake, Eve quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, relieved to find no trace of drool.

“I-I’ll sleep in my bed.”

Before Mikael could scold her, she offered to do the sensible thing, but Mikael shook his head, smiling.

“Sleep can wait a little. There’s somewhere I want you to go with me.”

“Huh?”

“You promised, remember? You’d come up to the watchtower with me.”

“Now…?”

“Yes, now.”

It wasn’t exactly the best time for a walk, especially in the deep hours of the night, but Eve couldn’t refuse. She found herself captivated by the charm in Mikael’s smile, so she took his hand.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Mikael kissed the back of her hand in thanks and led her outside. The air was cold and damp after the rain, and everything felt soaked, as if even the slow-moving moon were breathing with gills in the drenched world.

Before long, they arrived at the village’s main gate, where two watchtowers stood tall.

‘Huh?’

Eve noticed the eerie absence of guards and soldiers. Given the chaos Brigitte had caused only hours ago, there should have been heightened security. Mikael seemed unbothered, however, and gently stroked Eve’s cheek with a soft smile.

“It’s fine.”

Though he didn’t provide an explanation, Eve trusted him. They soared into the air using flight magic and landed gently at the top of the watchtower. With no one around, they had the moment to themselves. Mikael didn’t waste the opportunity, wrapping his arms around Eve from behind.

To the west, the violet waves of the coniferous forest spread out, while to the east, the buildings Anise had poured her soul into constructing stood proudly. Though the scene wasn’t particularly clear, the soft silhouettes under the moonlight lent a quiet, mysterious beauty to the landscape.

“It’s beautiful. Perhaps because I’m seeing it with you.”

“Maybe.”

Eve responded confidently to Mikael’s compliment, and his soft laughter rumbled in her ear, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. Just as she was getting lost in the sweetness of the moment, Mikael playfully nipped at her earlobe.

“Ah!”

“Focus. I’m about to make a very important confession.”

Startled by the reprimand, Eve was both amused and curious.

“An important confession?”

She turned to face him, but Mikael didn’t answer right away. He gazed at her silently, his presence growing stronger in her eyes. His smile, his gaze, and his very existence seemed more intense, more magnetic.

“Mikael?”

As Eve called his name, she suddenly sensed something outside the watchtower—a heavy, collective presence. It wasn’t just one or two people, but a mass of footsteps.

“Eve.”