***

"What are you doing here?" Cabel asked as he saw Evelyn with his nightwear and only a shawl was put on her shoulders.

​​

"It's cold you know. You should have put on more clothes." He said as he took off his robe that was hanging on his shoulder and put it to her.

"Shouldn't I be asking that? What are you doing here at the break of dawn?" She observed his movements and his glistening silver hair under the sky.

"... you didn't plant a shadow knight on me... Right? As she looked at his ruby eyes he looked away which led her to sigh.

"So you did plant one...! Why?" She asked.

"That's... For protection." He deadpan said.

"Protection for what?" She asked, perplexed vividly in her sunset eyes.

"Just thought you need one..."

'What is this man thinking again? I really can't read his actions. What's the benefit of getting close to me? He also does what I asked him to do. Does he really want to be my friend?' She thought as she observed the man who was also under the willow tree.

"So... You wake up early? Is that why you're taking your time to walk at the break of dawn?" He asked as he brushed her ombre hair with his hands.

"Why do you always do this?"

"This?" He asked still, her hair was in his hands.

"YOU. Touching. My. Hair?!" She pronounced every word with emphasis.

He laughed and continued to swirl her hair to his hands. "Because it's soft and pretty"

'Huh? What's this guy saying? Does he have a hair fetish?' She giggles at the thought.

"You need to stop being touchy... Your flirting side is showing."

"Are you jealous?" He asked as he put her hair near his lips and kissed it.

"You must be out of your mind." She said as she saw what Cabel did.

"I'm not in the mood to play with you..."

Then Evelyn started to shift the topic to what they talked about a few days before inside the clinic.

"I would like to apologize, Cabel..."

"For what?" He asked as he stopped his hands and tucked it inside his pockets.

"The other day... Inside the clinic. I know I must have hurt your feelings." She said as she stared straight into his eyes.

"I was... I was really hurt at that time."

She brought her head down as she heard his sincere answer.

'I'm not really good with this kind of confrontation...'

She sighed. Then she looked up again.

'I need to say sorry. I was really a b*tch that time...' She concluded.

"I'm sorry, Cabel. I had a lot of things in my mind... Why am I making such alibis..." She shakes her head.

"I'm sorry. I was cranky at that time and I let it out to you..." She said.

He laughed as he saw Evelyn's crumpled face. He knows that what happened that day was something that can make someone cranky. He understands yet he wanted Evelyn to let him console her, but as he knew Evelyn's character, he knows that she wouldn't let anyone see her in her weak state.

He folds his hands to a fist before he lets go in surrender.

"It's fine... A lot happened that day." He answered and smirked.

She stops a sigh as she saw that he was back again with that scheming smile.

'Whatever..!'

"Let's talk about Cassandra, is the information credible? She asked as they started to walk further in the forest.

"You're asking about that to me? The head of the Night Guild?" He said proudly.

"You know what... If I don't know you for the past year, I would think that you're an idiot for boasting that you're the head of the famous information guild." She shakes her head and starts to look for a stone to sit on.

"It's because you know me that I can boast to you... Besides, you were the one who knows it from the start!" He said.

"Well, that's true. I can't argue with that." She chuckled at the thought of how he made this man take her request.

Cabel has a lot of enemies as the head of the Night Guild. His face was unknown and he also used an alias that only a handful knew that he was the Big Boss. The information guild that even the dirt that the King has hidden so well is in their hands, even the maid's rendezvous meeting is known to them.

Nothing escapes the Night Guild's information if they dig. That's the reason why Evelyn tried to strike a deal.

On the day when Cabel visits her after the assassination, she decided to risk it and blackmail him with his identity. She didn't know if he was alarmed or was amused but he immediately agreed to her "request".

That request was to find someone. And that was Cassandra, the witch of the west!

She knows that it would be hard to find her as Cassandra's whereabouts have been unknown for a hundred years. But still, she believed that if it's the Night Guild that one of the Male leads owned there would be a result even if it's small.

Evelyn needs to know where Cassandra was. In the story, she helps Elise to make a potion that would make her light magic stronger. Though she doesn't need her for that.

What she wants is Cassandra's knowledge to curse. She knows that being a cursed child will lead her to a dangerous path and besides she wants to live a peaceful life, she needs to solve the problem.

Though she doesn't know what cursed she has, she still needs to try. She didn't restrain herself in the Emsworth household for nothing.

Ever since she woke up and has known that her life is in the world of fiction, she immediately makes adjustments and plans to escape her wretched fate.

But she still needs resources, and for that, she needs her family backing.

'That's only the reason why I didn't lash out at them even if I can!' She thought.

Anyway, back to Cassandra.

"She was in the Kingdom of Perpiru, you say?"

"Yes... That's where her mana was last seen but I don't know if she's still there. But why do you need a witch?" He looked at her, both of them were sitting in the grass.

"Witches are known to be black magicians, and because they were purged a long time ago because of their practices, It is still known that they are powerful... enough to lift curses." She mumbled the last words and also looked at Cabel.

"I need answers to my questions... And one of them needs her assistance." She smiled at him.

"Is that really the reason?"

"Yes..."

Actually. NO.

She also needs her because witches can do a lot of taboo things, like erasing someone's memory and also remembering them.

'It's the last hope that I can hold. Seeing as my brother is the key to learning what really happens, I know for sure that he wouldn't tell me about my mother...'

She sighs. If she had known that his brother was the last witness, he wouldn't kick his balls and would start acting friendly with him.

'But I still need to teach him a lesson, so I would definitely do that again if given a chance...' She thought.

Cabel was only looking at her, observing how she can focus and be in deep thoughts. His eyes were shining brightly but there's unreadable emotion swirling in the depths of his ruby eyes.

She caught him staring and froze.

"What is it?"

"Hmm? Oh... I said that Cassandra's mana was seen last in the Reginia in the Kingdom of Perspiru and it seems that she vanished after that... Do you still want to find her?"

"If what you said is correct even if she's not there, I still need to go. That's the only clue I have for now..." She said.

"Thank you, Cabel." She continued.

He smiled as she heard a sincere thank you this time.

"As long as you need assistance, feel free to ask me... Though there would be compensation for the next request!" He said as he stood up.

The sun was rising, a few minutes and the clock tower would begin to rang indicating the start of the morning class.

"Let's go... I know you don't want people to know that you're with me this early in the morning... Though I wouldn't mind~" he said playfully.

"There you go again with your jokes!"

"I'm not joking though~"

"Sure..." She said, deadpan.

***

Evelyn started her morning routine, even though she's sluggish it was the one thing that she can't neglect.

"Training will help me forget my worries..."

When she was in the field, a green hair guy suddenly approached her.

"Well, well, if it isn't Lady Evelyn... How diligent, training in the morning."

"Sir Vallen... aren't you tired of getting haughty? I thought you learned your lesson at the tournament." She replied.

"Hmmph! I'm not convinced that a frail-looking Lady such as you won the battle! I knew you did underhanded tactics at that time!"

Evelyn just sighs.

"Alright! Come! I'll let you taste dirt again."