Two-Faced Princess

New Embers (18)

“In five minutes, I can tell you their approximate whereabouts. A few more hours and then we’ll know their exact location. But I’m sure no one can find her faster than me.”

As soon as Evangeline had a specific answer, the eyes of the three people, Uriel, Caelion, and Adrian, sparkled. Uriel took a deep breath and fiddled with the sword in his waist. It was naive for Evangeline to think that if she just shut up, her information would be kept, but she was wrong. Although she was unwilling, there were many ways to obtain information by force. Didn’t he learn it all from Sapiro a long time ago? Evangeline won’t be able to keep any secrets before him if Uriel decided to. If Apollonia knew, he could do as many cruel things as he could to the extent that she would get shocked enough to drive him away. That particular tactic hadn’t been used for a very long time, but the fact that Apollonia was at stake made him forget all the other points.

“I don’t want anything else.” Evangeline continued, perhaps not noticing his movement. There was only one thing she wanted. Something that money can’t buy, and Apollonia could never give. Caelion.

“I’ll do everything I can to find Her Highness. I don’t want anything great in return. Just half a year. Please be my lover for half a year, Caelion.” Evangeline suggested neatly. As if she had never thought that her blackmail was wrong, her young countenance even reflected a little expectation as she looked at Caelion. A few seconds of silence in the room. Her wish sounded sincere. Not mocking. For her part, it might be a sensible suggestion. Thoughtful, even. It wasn’t like she was asking for a lifetime. Uriel’s hand was slightly relaxed as he held the sword.

“Now answer me. Are you ]giving me the price I want?” Her and Caelion’s eyes met. “If you don’t like my offer———-”

When Evangeline turned her head, Uriel strengthened his hold on the sword with a flop. Caelion knelt right in front of the sofa where she sat. Uriel, Adrian, and Tanya’s eyes widened and Evangeline’s calm countenance was colored with embarrassment. He had the noblest blood in the Empire aside from the royal family. No one there had ever seen Caelion kneel.

“What are you doing?”

“Please.”

Caelion, who had never been more polite than necessary even in front of the Emperor, knelt and bowed his head in the plea. His eyes lifted towards Evangeline.

“Sister. Please find my sister. I’m begging you.”

Caelion’s voice, which sounded relaxed most of the time, trembled quietly. His breathing was rough and his gaze was uneasy.

“I didn’t tell you to do this,” Evangeline said furiously. “You understand what I’m saying——-”

“I can’t recklessly trade my life with this information but I’d give you as much as I could. However, you should know that I belong entirely to my sister, Apollonia.”

Evangeline frowned and bit her lip. “This is unnecessary. Don’t do that again and get up————”

“I have no choice but to beg you.” Once again, Caelion said earnestly as his whole body shook like a bird that had lost its mother. Uriel could tell that Apollonia wasn’t just the apple of Caelion’s eye. For him, who had only relied on Apollonia at such a young age, she was like his love and salvation, his fiance and sister, and even his mother. Evangeline’s expression crumpled.

“So upright and confident!

“You’re not acting like yourself, Caelion.” She said. “You’re upright and confident! Even after going through dozens of assassination attempts, you never flinched in battle or politics! Even when I defeated your commander-in-chief in Rajan, you thought of fooling me by casually negotiating!” She shouted at him as if she was innocent. As if she had nothing to do with why Caelion was kneeling in front of her. She turned her head to see him touching the floor with both hands. “I didn’t ask for that condition because I wanted to see something like this. I would rather you threaten me or give me a lot of money to persuade me. Stop throwing away your pride in a way that doesn’t suit you!”

But Caelion didn’t happen.”I don’t threaten people who hold their sister’s life. This is a plea, a plea. This is all I can do.”

As Caelion continued trembling, Evangeline’s expression grew uneasy. The two confronted each other without saying a word for about a minute. And it was Evangeline who eventually broke into tears and collapsed on the sofa again.”Get up, please.” Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn’t know whether she just found this unfair or because she saw Caelion’s weak appearance.