Second candy
Inside the Palace of Bavrot.
The queen was pruning flowers in the greenhouse, while the king was accompanying her and making flower tea himself.
A maid came in, bowed to the king, then stopped and whispered something in the queen's ear.
"Lost him?" The queen frowned.
"What's wrong?" The king noticed the queen's expression and came to her side and asked with concern.
Feeling the warmth on her shoulder, the queen's expression softened a bit and she shook her head. "It's okay. Lina said the people we sent out lost Violet. I didn't react for a moment, but the dragon crisis has been resolved, so nothing will happen."
"Your Majesty, it was Her Royal Highness the Princess who deliberately shook off the knight who was following her," Lina added.
This year, Evelyn and Violet studied at Violet Academy.
The King and Queen didn't constantly consult their teachers, but instead directly deployed numerous personnel within Violet Academy. Almost daily, letters would arrive at Bufflot Palace from Violet Academy, informing the King and Queen of Evelyn and Violet's progress.
At the beginning, Evelyn and Violet's relationship had to be conveyed through letters from Violet. As time went by, letters were no longer needed. Rumors such as "Her Royal Highness the Princess has a close personal knight" and "Her Royal Highness the Princess and her personal knight go in and out, eat and sleep together" could fly into the ears of the king and queen by themselves.
Half the country is curious about the future queen's love life.
This year, the King and Queen had taken a hands-off approach to Evelyn and Violet's relationship. They knew that when love was strong, any obstacle would become a catalyst. Bavrot House didn't need Evelyn to marry another king to consolidate its power, but the Queen couldn't rush into choosing a partner. This wasn't about Violet's status, but about the strength of their relationship.
Although their daughter studied every course very attentively, feelings are not something that can be generalized in class. Besides, the king and queen did not believe that a dragon could have true love.
The king's previous worries were not entirely wrong. This kind of emotional union could not have any problems, but no one dared to take the risk.
"Intentionally getting away?" the king asked. "Where did the knight lose Evelyn?"
"It should be after leaving Violet Academy that the Knights could only determine that Her Royal Highness the Princess's carriage was heading north." said the maid.
"North? What's in the north?" The queen murmured, wondering which direction Evelyn's sudden action would take the matter.
The king looked at the queen's pensive profile and had a guess in his mind. He was afraid that the result would not be what they expected.
*
A carriage drove from the northern town of Hod to the northern town of Aklan.
Evelyn sat upright in the carriage, wearing a dark cloak with a hood on her head that covered most of her face.
Evelyn always knew that there were knights sent by the King and Queen to follow her, and she also knew that these knights would pass messages to Bavrot Palace from time to time. Evelyn turned a blind eye to all this, because just as the King and Queen were waiting for her and Violet to break up on their own, she was also expecting those messages to subtly influence the King and Queen's habits.
One year, this was the deadline Evelyn gave herself.
This year, Evelyn was able to handle nearly eighty percent of the kingdom's affairs.
Some important things were naturally put on Evelin's agenda.
The carriage stopped beside an unremarkable shop along the street. Evelyn got out and paid the driver the fare and tip. She went forward and knocked on the shop window, which opened a little from the inside. An old man with a glass mirror squinted at Velvet, whose lower half of her face was exposed, and said in a hoarse voice, "The shop is closed today. What can I do for you..."
Before the old man finished speaking, Evelyn took out a badge from her arms. The badge was engraved with the royal pattern of the Bavrot Palace.
The old man's expression suddenly became respectful. The tightly closed door creaked open, and the old man walked out from behind the window to greet him. He bowed and lowered his head, "So it's you, Your Highness. Please come in."
There were only a few kerosene lamps lit in the house, and the surroundings were dim as if in a small box. After the old man welcomed Evelyn in, he raised his hand and turned on the magic lamp. The light came on brightly. Behind the window was a repair table. Huge cabinets occupied two walls, and the cabinets were filled with various objects that needed to be repaired.
"The store is a little messy, please don't blame me, Your Highness." The old man noticed Evelin's gaze, and he smiled but there was no embarrassment in his tone.
“I thought you would continue making rings after you retired,” Evelyn said, looking away.
"I only know how to make palace rings. There's no way for me to make rings for ordinary people." The old man said, revealing a look of nostalgia. "It's a pity that you still remember me."
"Master Maker of the Palace, Francis, my father and mother's wedding rings were designed and made by you. I will certainly not forget it," said Evelyn.
When Evelyn was born, Francis had already reached retirement age and returned to Aklan to live out his days.
As a child, Evelyn was so short that she could just look up and see the king and queen's fingers. She was curious about why her father and mother wore similar rings. This question satisfied the king's desire to show off, so he picked Evelyn up and began to tell her the romantic story behind his and the queen's wedding rings.
As Evelyn grew up, the romantic story of the king and queen's wedding rings and the name of the ring maker remained in her mind.
Frases naturally became Evelyn's first choice for a custom ring.
Although Francis had a shop, he only repaired common items in ordinary people's homes. He was really poor, and no one knew where the pension given to him by the royal family went.
The old man originally wanted to pour Evelin a glass of water, but seeing that he didn't look like he could find a spare cup, Evelin refused. "Don't bother. I have to get the ring and rush back to Bavrot Palace immediately. I don't need any water or tea."
"Please wait a moment, I'll get it." Francis bowed slightly and walked slowly to the back of the house.
Evelyn asked Francis to customize a pair of rings, which she had secretly started preparing half a year ago.
It's just that the blueprints and contracts can be exchanged through the magic creation, but Evelyn is not confident in handing the ring itself over to the magic creation, so she has to look after it personally.
Evelyn didn't want her parents to know about getting rid of the knight before she returned to Bavrote Palace. She would consult the two elders after she got the ring and returned to the palace. After all, Velvet could handle everything on her own, so any procedures involving the elders would have to be handled by her parents.
Francis moved quickly, bringing out two crystal boxes. The crystal boxes looked exquisite and translucent, but when he held them in his hands, he couldn't see the contents.
Evelyn opened the crystal box, revealing the sapphire wrapped in dozens of broken diamonds, which reflected light under the illumination of the magic lamp.
She looked at the two rings carefully again and again. This was Evelin's most serious shopping experience. She closed the crystal box, nodded with satisfaction, and took out a space ring and handed it to Francis.
Francis took the ring, and a fluorescent light appeared on his finger, followed by the edge of the ring. This was a basic magic that could show what was inside the ring and how much was inside.
After getting what she wanted, Evelin didn't stay any longer. She nodded slightly at Francis, then stood up and left.
It was already morning three days later when Evelyn returned to Bavrot Palace. She jumped from the carriage, still wearing her cloak, looking extremely tired. She had intended to go to see the king and queen, but she paused, looked up at the window of the king and queen's bedroom, and then returned to the carriage and said, "Back to the Princess Castle."
*
"You said that His Highness originally planned to see us directly when he returned, but for some reason he turned around and returned to the Princess Castle?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"What is Evelyn doing now?"
"Your Highness is resting after a long journey," Sudi said, looking a little hesitant. "Your Majesty, there is one more thing."
Seeing Sudi's hesitation, the queen's heart skipped a beat for no reason. She put down the tea in her hand and wiped her fingers. "Speak."
"Lona said that the first thing Princess Evelyn did when she returned to the Princess Castle was to go to the safe. She placed the two crystal boxes she brought back in the safe."
The queen laughed as she looked at the clear patterns on the paper.
The king had just returned from court. As he entered the room, he heard the queen's sneer. While reflecting on whether he had offended Anna, he cautiously moved closer to the queen, "What's wrong? Who made you angry?"
The queen asked Sudi to repeat what she had just said to the king. As soon as Sudi finished speaking, the queen said in a stiff tone: "This is our good daughter!"
Now the Queen also remembered who was in the North - where Francis had settled after his retirement.
"You always tell her all kinds of nonsense for no reason!" The queen looked at the king and became angrier and angrier.
The maids beside them were so cautious that they didn't dare to breathe, fearing that they would be implicated. The king waved his hand to let them all go, and he stood behind the queen and raised his hand to massage her shoulders. "These are all recorded in the palace. She would have found them even if I didn't tell her. Look, I didn't tell her about Francis's whereabouts, but Evelyn found them on her own."
"I see you can't wait to become a father-in-law."
“Hey, Evelin did this so that we can be mentally prepared in advance.”
The king immediately pointed out the crux of the problem. The queen was not angry that Evelyn had secretly customized the ring without saying anything. She was angry that Evelyn used this method of leaking information on her parents.
"Besides, weren't you angry when Evelyn deliberately asked the Knights to send a message back?"
"Humph, I knew you couldn't teach me anything good with your imperial skills."
The king looked helpless, but he knew that shouting "unfair" would only add fuel to the fire, so he lowered his head and massaged his queen's shoulders and legs.
Evelin was exhausted from the journey and slept until the next afternoon.
Her maids were paying close attention to the movements in Evelin's room, but they didn't dare rush in to serve her like they had done before. Hearing the princess getting up, Rona knocked on the door twice, "Your Highness, we're coming in."
However, as soon as the door was opened a crack, Evelin's voice came out, "No need." After the voice fell, Evelin seemed to think of something and continued, "Lorna, come in."
Rona and the other palace maids looked at each other. They were already used to Evelyn's words. Rona put the skirt in her hand on her elbow, took some snacks and black tea and walked into Evelyn's room.
Evelin had indeed finished dressing and washing. She was wearing a rose-colored long dress, and her hair on her temples was a little damp. She was sitting in front of the mirror, braiding her hair into a bun.
"Is Violet back?" Evelyn stopped Rona from putting down her things and trying to come over to help. Her full attention was on the mirror, not looking at the dress and food Rona brought in.
"I don't know where Miss Violet is." Rona said softly. Shouldn't Miss Violet be with the princess?
Violet was recruited by Jack at Violet Academy, so it was understandable that her maid didn't know. Evelyn changed the question, "Have Jack and his knights returned?"
"Not yet. It is said that the knights' mission to arrive at the Foto Forest was successful, but it will probably take nearly twenty days for them to return to Bavrot Palace." Rona said.
Twenty days… Evelin tied her hair up, thoughts racing in her head. Time was a little tight, so she had to go faster.
So Evelin stood up and walked out of the room.
Her Royal Highness slept all day and didn't even have a sip of water when she woke up. Rona looked worried, "Your Highness, please have some water and snacks first. The kitchen is already preparing dinner. You haven't eaten all day, it's not good for your health."
“Yeah.” Evelin responded, but walked out of the room, turned right and walked deeper into the corridor.
In the deepest room was Evelin's safe, where she had placed two crystal boxes openly yesterday.
Soon, the news that "Princess Evelyn woke up and went to the safe without even eating, staring at the crystal box and smiling" reached the queen's ears.
The queen had only eaten half of her meal when Sudi came with the news. As soon as Sudi finished speaking, the queen threw down her chopsticks and was so upset that she couldn't eat a single bite.
The king frowned, "That's outrageous!
"Tell Evelyn to come to me and the Queen after dinner," the king then ordered.
"Aren't you doing what she wants?" said the queen in a cold voice.
"Then don't you want to hear what Evelyn thinks? Anna, you know that what you hear today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or even a month later will be the same. And maybe things aren't as exaggerated as we think?"
"Is there any difference between engagement and marriage for you?" asked the queen.
The king was speechless.
However, the queen did not say anything to refuse. She asked Sudi to bring a new set of tableware and continued to eat with an expressionless face.
After dinner, the queen did not stop the king from calling Evelyn.
Evelin came to the study and saw the queen sitting in the main seat and the king standing next to the bookcase as a mural. She saluted and said, "Father, Mother, do you have something to talk to me about?"
The king said nothing, motioning Evelyn to look at the queen's expression. The queen had a cold face, showing no emotion, and asked directly, "Are you preparing the ring?"
"How did you know so quickly?" Evelin pretended to be surprised.
The queen's expression grew colder. "You're deliberately trying to get the news to your father and me, just to see how we'd react. Evelin, have you really thought this through?"
"Mother, I'm almost 20 years old." Evelyn paused, "I thought you and father were already mentally prepared."
"But you know, this is different."
"You are because..."
As if she knew what Evelyn was about to say, the queen shook her head. "You are the future queen. The entire country is in your hands, and all living things must obey your orders. So it doesn't matter whether your partner is a man or a woman, a dragon or a commoner. Even if you marry her now and divorce her later, it won't be a big deal."
“Mother.” Evelin frowned.
"Look." The queen's expression was calm. "But Evelyn, love is not a royal subject. It's not like you finish one course and get an A, then there's another. I know how deeply you care about that evil lady dragon. But can you accept facing only one person like this for the next few decades without feeling bored?"
"It's not just you, but also that Miss Dragon. I can't even understand her as well as I understand you. Evelin, you don't know the influence of blood inheritance. Her obsession with you comes precisely from the memory inheritance in her bloodline, but is the emotion brought about by this inheritance really love?
"She's a dragon. She's been exposed to these deep and intense emotions since birth, and she's very devoted to you. But how much love does that devotion contain? Does she understand heartache, what it's like to love someone? How long has she been born? How long has she been around human society? What will happen if one day she realizes that bloodline inheritance is just a mirage, and that her feelings for you aren't equal to yours? What will you do then?"
"The legend doesn't say the princess and the dragon divorced," Evelyn retorted in a low voice.
"That's because the princesses in the legend were trapped to death!" The queen raised her voice.
"Mother!"
"Evelyn!" the king interrupted Evelyn's heated voice. "Talk to your mother."
The queen squinted at the king, but still signaled with her eyes that he could sit next to her.
Evelyn closed her eyes, calmed down for a moment, and said, "Mother, I have seen the world through human eyes for so many years, and Violet has learned to see the world through human eyes for so many years. I know what you mean. That is indeed what I am worried about, but I am not worried about being abandoned. I am worried that she will no longer love me. You once cried because of the legend of the princess trapped in a tower by a dragon, crying and depressed. If Violet wants to leave me, I will also lock her in the tower, and she will not be able to go anywhere except by my side.
"Do you understand?"
"Evelyn. This is our worst fear."
"But we won't get to that point. She won't abandon me, and I can't bear to love her."
Evelyn smiled as she spoke. "Similarly, I don't think all princesses in legends die unhappy. If the entire past is a tragedy, then what are these evil dragons passing down? The blood and tears of failure and the hatred of unfulfilled desires? Do you think she hates me?"
The queen sighed softly.
"You really don't understand her, so it's not surprising that you have these thoughts, but Violet..." Evelyn said, taking out a staff from the space ring. The staff was inlaid with transparent magic crystals that bloomed with colorful colors. Those lights were like silk threads outlining a map, which was actually the Forto Forest viewed from the air. They could even clearly see every blade of grass and every tree in the forest by following Evelyn's finger.
This is not something that can be done by magic alone. The king and queen felt even deeper magical elements in this map, as if half of the monsters in the forest had gathered before them, and the magic crystal on Evelyn's magic wand could actually be sensed among the auras of the monsters.
Evelyn smiled and waved the magic wand in her hand. "Earlier, I showed you a high-level magical beast's fire elemental crystal. I hadn't originally planned to take it out because it was too exaggerated. But... the magic crystal for this staff of your father and mother was given to me by Vilt after she killed Chongjun and polished it herself. And this map..." Evelyn paused for a moment, thinking about how to describe his parents in a more understandable way. "Vilt also gave me half of the Futo Forest. Now I am half the owner of the Futo Forest."
"What did you say?" The king and queen were surprised. They looked at each other and suspected that there was something wrong with their ears.
"Evil dragons aren't born randomly in the Futo Forest. Each dragon controls the forest's protective magic circle, which regulates the evil dragons within the forest and keeps them from causing any disaster. Father and Queen, do you know what I plan to do after I get half of the Futo Forest?"
The king and queen had never heard of a protective array in the Futo Forest. It wasn't mentioned in historical texts or in the myths passed down orally, but the magic element wouldn't lie. And even if there wasn't a protective array, the magic crystal from Chongjun in Evelyn's hand was enough to shock them.
That demon beast existed before the continent became a nation, and it's been alive for nearly a thousand years...
Such a treasure is just a small magic generator on Evelyn's staff, which does seem like something that Miss Dragon can do.
"You..." The queen sighed and was speechless for a moment.
At this moment, the king and queen seemed unable to find any reasonable reason to stop it.
"You need to give us some time to think about this, Evelyn," the king sighed as he finally glanced at the queen.
When Evelin knew that her father and mother said this, it was equivalent to turning a blind eye and agreeing!
Unable to suppress the smile on her lips, Evelin raised her hand and scattered the map of Foto Forest, “I believe you will like her.
"So, can we talk about some business now?"
*
It was just dawn when Violet returned to Bavrot Palace. She rushed back without stopping, and the time she took was nearly one-third less than expected.
Violet originally planned to enter the Princess Castle through the window, but she roughly calculated the time and decided not to disturb Evelyn's rest.
She walked slowly into the house from the main gate of the Princess Castle. Although it was just dawn, the palace maids in the Princess Castle were already busy. They were about to change the tablecloth on the coffee table.
Rona was the first to notice that Vilt had returned. She was obviously surprised when she saw Vilt. "Miss Vilt, why... did you come back early?"
Rona realized that her words were very rude and quickly added, "Her Royal Highness thought you would return with the Knights and was going to greet you."
After she finished speaking, Rona signaled the maid beside her to tell Her Royal Highness the Princess that Miss Violet had returned.
After hearing Rona's words, Violet looked up at her and nodded to indicate that she heard it.
The Princess Castle has changed a lot - the leather sofa has been replaced with velvet, the unknown broad-leaved green plants at the door have been replaced with clusters of small pink flowers, the crystal chandelier above the head has been wiped from top to bottom and every crystal is sparkling, and the carpets from the door to the stairs have also been replaced with new ones.
Is this the arrangement that was changed when Evelin went to Violet College?
Violet and Evelyn hadn't been back to Bavrot Palace for nearly six months, so it made sense for the King and Queen to use that time to redecorate it.
Violet didn't think about it any further. Seeing the exchange of glances between Rona and the maid, she stopped them and said, "Don't tell Evelin. Let her continue to rest."
"Her Highness would blame us if we didn't inform you of your return," Rona said, bowing. "Besides, the princess has been looking forward to your return."
That's true.
In addition to decorating the Princess Castle, Evelyn spent the rest of her time looking at the ring in the crystal box or the two magic crystals given by Violet, which reminded her of someone she loved.
As soon as Rona finished speaking, there was no need for the palace maid to go upstairs to pass the message, as hurried footsteps were heard on the stairs.
“Virtel, you’re back!” Evelin ran to Viltel with a smile and hugged her, even in her pajamas.
“Why are you awake so early?” Raising her hand to hold Evelin’s waist, Violet felt her heart settle down.
"Maybe he sensed you were back," Evelyn said. "Have you split up with the Cavaliers? Jack wrote to my parents saying it would take about a week to return. You haven't gotten enough rest, and you even have dark circles under your eyes."
Evelin looked at Vilt’s face and touched her eyes with some pity.
"Because I want to come back and see you soon." Violet looked back into Evelyn's eyes and said seriously.
"I missed you, too."
They had clearly been together in Violet Academy and had only been apart for less than a month, but the feeling of missing each other was like an endless silk thread wrapped around their hearts, which could only be untied when they saw each other.
The lobby on the first floor of Princess Castle was crowded with people. Evelin said to Rona, "You don't need to make breakfast too sumptuous. Just send it to my room when it's ready."
Then, Evelin took Vilt’s hand, and the two of them walked upstairs. “Come with me and take a nap.”
*
Because Violet came back early, Evelyn's proposal was naturally put on the agenda. She was eager to take out the ring as soon as she saw Violet, but she resisted the urge, as that would be too informal.
The royal engagement ceremony is much simpler than a wedding, and it is even more like a contract signing ceremony than an engagement.
This ceremony was not popular when the king and queen were engaged, and now when faced with Evelyn and Violet, the king and queen just went along with it.
The most important thing is that the protagonist is happy; nothing else matters.
Although Violet arrived back early, she didn't feel tired at all after flying all the way back.
But Evelyn forcefully pulled her onto the bed, and with the warmth and familiar scent of the other person beside her, a sense of relaxed laziness washed over Vilt's heart, and she fell asleep in a peaceful and comfortable manner.
When Vilt opened her eyes again, she first saw the curtains in front of her, and then felt the warmth behind her. Evelyn's hand was around Vilt's waist, and the whole person seemed to be embedded in Evelyn's arms.
The curtains in the room were drawn tightly, and the light was dim, making it impossible to tell the time.
Evelin didn't know when she woke up, but she was still asleep. She felt Violet's movement, and one hand stroked along her waist, then her arm and finally stopped at her shoulder. She whispered in Violet's ear, "Are you awake?"
Vert nodded and hummed softly, but had no intention of getting up. She closed her eyes again and rubbed against Evelin's arms.
She had become more and more relaxed around Evelin this year, and this act of attachment was very useful to Evelin.
After closing her eyes for a while and waking up from a nap, Violet's hand hidden under the quilt interlocked with Evelin's fingers, "Have I slept for a long time?"
"It should be afternoon now." Evelyn rubbed her chin against Violet's hair and said, "Are you hungry? I asked the kitchen to prepare dinner."
Violet shook her head. "Not bad." As she spoke, she moved her body so that she was face to face with Evelin. "I have something to go out for tomorrow. Can you leave your weekend night to me?"
Evelyn's expression was blank for a moment, her mind working frantically, trying to figure out what anniversary or holiday was on the weekend. However, the date flashed through her mind twice: it was an ordinary day, a week before Evelyn planned to propose to Violet.
"Want to go out on a date with me?" Evelyn asked with a smile.
Violet didn't deny it, but just asked, "Your Highness, are you willing to give me this opportunity?"
"With great pleasure."
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