(Outside Eva's Chamber)
Eyan paced back and forth in front of the door, his steps restless, uneven.
His eyes kept drifting to the door.
Waiting.
Watching.
Counting every second.
Luca approached slowly, studying him.
"Eyan…" he called gently, "why are you in such a hurry to take sister-in-law to the palace? You look like something is seriously wrong."
Eyan stopped for a moment, running a hand through his hair, his breath still unsteady.
"It is serious, Luca," he said, his voice tight with concern. "It's already been two months… and she hasn't had proper care."
He looked toward the door again.
"I need to get her checked as soon as possible… I need to make sure she's fine… that the child is fine…"
Luca's expression softened, but there was still doubt in his eyes.
"…Eyan," he asked carefully, "are you… going to keep the child?"
Eyan turned his head sharply, staring at him.
"What kind of question is that?"
His voice wasn't angry, but firm.
"Of course I will keep it."
He took a slow breath.
"I know what I said before… I said I would never let Eva go through childbirth again…"
His gaze lowered slightly.
"But things have changed."
A pause.
"Now that she's already carrying our child… I can't ignore it."
His voice softened, filled with quiet determination.
"I'll take care of her… I'll do everything I can…"
His hands clenched slightly.
"And this time… I will protect both her and the child."
Luca's tense shoulders finally relaxed. A small smile formed on his lips as he stepped forward and pulled Eyan into a brief hug.
"I guess I was worried for nothing," Luca said with a light breath. "The way you reacted at the physician's place… I thought you were going to force her not to have the child."
Eyan lowered his gaze again.
"…That was my first thought," he admitted quietly.
His voice grew distant.
"I came here thinking I would tell her to not have this child…"
A pause.
"But on the way… I remembered something she once said to me."
He looked up slightly, eyes softening.
"She told me… that if we ever had another child… it would be normal."
His lips parted slightly.
"That what happened before… happened because Leo was not a normal child…"
His voice grew heavier.
"And she told me she's stronger now… that nothing would happen to her if she gave birth again."
A faint, fragile smile appeared.
"…Because of her words… I changed my mind."
His gaze returned to the door.
"Now that this child is here…"
His voice steadied.
"I want her to give birth."
Aranel smiled warmly, her eyes soft.
"Brother… Eva was right," she said gently. "You don't have to be afraid this time. Everything will be fine."
Eyan looked at her and smiled faintly.
"…I hope so."
Luca clapped his hands lightly, breaking the heavy mood.
"Well then," he said with a grin, "now that everything is settled…"
He extended his hand dramatically.
"Your Majesty, congratulations on becoming a father again."
Eyan let out a small breath and shook his hand.
"…Thank you, Luca."
Luca turned excitedly toward Aranel.
"I can't wait to tell Leo," he said, almost like a child himself. "He's going to be so happy to become a big brother again. And Nolan and Nayra too—they'll be jumping around the moment they hear the news."
He laughed softly.
"Looks like this house is about to get a lot noisier."
He glanced at Aranel, smiling.
"And soon… we'll be welcoming two more little members into the family."
Eyan smiled faintly.
"…Yes…"
But Aranel's attention shifted back to the door.
Her brows slowly furrowed.
"Why is Eva taking so long?" she murmured. "She should have come out by now…"
Eyan turned immediately. A flicker of unease crossed his face.
He stepped closer and knocked.
"Eva? Are you done changing?"
Silence.
His expression tightened.
"…Why isn't she answering?"
He knocked again—harder this time.
"Eva, are you alright? Say something."
Still nothing.
The silence felt… wrong.
Eyan pressed his ear against the door.
His breathing slowed. Listening.
Nothing. No footsteps. No movement. No sound.
His heart skipped.
"…I don't hear anything…" he whispered, his voice turning uneasy. "There's no movement inside…"
Aranel's face paled.
"…Did she faint?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice. "Or is she feeling unwell?"
Eyan's expression changed instantly. Fear replaced everything.
He stepped back—
And kicked the door hard.
THUD!
The wood shook.
Another kick—
Stronger.
CRACK!
"Move back!" Luca said quickly, pulling Aranel away.
Eyan didn't wait.
He kicked the door again—
With full force.
CRASH!
With a loud crash—
Eyan kicked the door open. The wood splintered as it gave way.
He rushed inside immediately.
"Eva!"
His voice echoed through the room—
But there was no answer. No presence. Just emptiness.
His eyes darted around wildly.
"…Eva…?" his voice lowered, unease creeping in.
Luca and Aranel hurried in behind him.
Aranel looked around, confusion quickly turning into fear.
"Brother… where is Eva?" she asked, her voice trembling as her eyes searched every corner of the room.
Eyan didn't respond. He was already moving. He rushed toward the bathroom and threw the door open.
"Eva!"
Nothing....Empty...No one inside.
Eyan stood there for a second—
Frozen.
Then slowly—
He stepped back out.
"…She's not here…" he muttered, his voice hollow, disbelief written all over his face. "Where did she go…"
His breathing became uneven...His heart racing.
Then—
His eyes landed on Aranel...She was standing near the table...A letter in her hand.
Her expression pale...Worried.
"Brother…" she said softly, her voice shaking slightly as she held the letter out. "Eva… left this for you…"
Eyan's chest tightened.
Without a second thought, he rushed forward and snatched the letter from her hands.
His fingers trembled as he unfolded it.
His eyes scanned the words—
And with each line his face lost more color.
The Letter
Eyan,
I know why you were taking me to the palace…
You said the physician will "take care of everything"…
I understood what you meant.
You want to remove this child… don't you? I knew you would never let me have this child, that's why I hid it from you.
But Eyan… no matter what you say… I will give birth to this child.
Even if I have to do it alone.
So I'm leaving.
I will return… after eight months… with our child.
Until then… don't look for me.
—Eva
Eyan's hands began to shake violently...The letter crumpled slightly in his grip.
"…Eva…" he whispered, his voice breaking under the weight of it.
Luca stepped closer, his brows furrowed.
"Eyan… what is written in the letter?" he asked, his tone serious but edged with concern as he watched Eyan's reaction carefully.
Before Eyan could answer—
Aranel spoke, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Eva… misunderstood everything…" she said, her eyes filling with tears. "She thought brother was taking her to the physician to remove the child… that he was trying to take the baby away from her…"
Her voice broke slightly.
"So… she left… and she asked him not to look for her…"
Luca's eyes widened in disbelief.
"…What?" he said sharply, frustration rising in his tone. "She left? Just like that? How could she make such a decision…?"
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated.
"This is bad… this is really bad…"
His gaze shifted back to Eyan—And what he saw made his expression fall...he looked… shattered. Like the ground beneath him had collapsed.
Eyan's grip tightened around the letter.
His voice came out broken.
"She… misunderstood me…" he whispered, shaking his head slowly. "She really believed that I was going to harm our child…"
His breathing became uneven.
"But that's not true… that's not what I meant at all…" his voice rose slightly, desperation creeping in. "I was only trying to take her to the physician so they could check her condition… to make sure she and the baby are safe…"
His eyes turned red.
"I would never… never do something like that…"
Luca stepped forward immediately and grabbed Eyan's shoulders firmly.
"Eyan!" he snapped, forcing him to focus. "Why the hell are you still standing here wasting time like this?"
Eyan blinked, pulled out of his spiral.
Luca's grip tightened slightly.
"She just left not long ago, which means she can't have gone too far yet," he continued urgently. "If you stand here any longer, then you will actually lose her for real."
His voice lowered but remained intense.
"You need to go after her right now… find her… and clear this misunderstanding before it's too late."
Eyan stared at him for a moment—
Then nodded.
"…You're right…"
Without another word—
He turned and ran out of the room.
Luca watched him go, then exhaled heavily.
He turned toward Aranel.
She was shaking. Tears falling silently down her cheeks.
Luca softened immediately. He stepped closer and gently took her hand.
"Aranel…" he said softly, his voice filled with reassurance. "Don't worry so much… nothing will happen to her."
Aranel looked at him, her eyes full of fear.
"…Please find her…" she said, her voice breaking. "She's alone… I can't stop thinking about what might happen to her…"
Luca squeezed her hand gently.
"We will find her," he said firmly. "I won't let anything happen to sister … and neither will Eyan."
He gave her a small reassuring nod.
"Trust us.
Aranel nodded slowly, though her tears didn't stop
Luca turned to leave...then suddenly she called out—
"Luca… wait…"
He turned back.
"Yes?"
"Before you go… can you teleport me back to the palace?" she asked, her voice still unsteady. "The children are alone… I need to be there with them… I won't be able to stay calm here otherwise…"
Luca nodded without hesitation.
"Of course," he said gently. "You're right… you should be with them."
He stepped closer and held her hand firmly.
"Hold on."
A glowing magic circle formed beneath their feet. Light spread around them.
And in the next moment—They vanished.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Marquess Calren Delyss Estate — Entrance)
Eyan burst out of the house, his breath uneven, his heart pounding violently against his chest.
His eyes immediately locked onto the two guards standing at the gate.
He rushed toward them.
The guards straightened instantly and bowed.
"Your Majesty—"
"You two!" Eyan cut them off sharply, his voice urgent, almost trembling with panic. "Answer me quickly—did you see the Queen leave the estate just now? Did she pass through this gate?"
The guards exchanged a quick glance before one of them stepped forward.
"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied respectfully. "We saw Her Majesty leave only a few moments ago. She got into a carriage and departed immediately."
Eyan's breath hitched.
"A carriage…?" he repeated, his mind racing. "What kind of carriage was it? What did it look like? And the coachman—did you notice anything about him? His face, his age, anything at all!"
The guard nodded.
"The carriage was quite ordinary, Your Majesty," he explained. "And it had red curtains on the windows."
He paused, recalling.
"As for the coachman… he appeared to be a middle-aged man."
Eyan clenched his fists.
"…Red curtains… middle-aged coachman…" he muttered under his breath, committing every detail to memory.
Then he looked up sharply.
"Which direction did they go?" he demanded, urgency flooding back into his voice. "Tell me exactly which road they took!"
The guard immediately pointed west.
"They headed west, Your Majesty."
"West…" Eyan repeated, his eyes snapping toward that direction.
For a brief second—
He stood still. Then determination replaced the panic. Without wasting another moment, he turned sharply, strode to his horse, and mounted it in one swift motion.
"Eva...please…" he whispered under his breath, gripping the reins tightly. "Don't go too far…"
With that—
He kicked the horse forward and rode off at full speed.
__________________________________
(Velmoria Streets — Inside the Carriage)
The carriage moved steadily along the road.
Inside—
Eva sat rigidly, her body tense.
Her fingers clutched the fabric of her dress, one hand protectively resting over her belly.
Her foot tapped restlessly against the floor.
Her breathing uneven.
"…Eyan must have found out by now…" she murmured softly, her voice filled with guilt and fear. "He must have read the letter… he must be so angry with me…"
Her grip tightened slightly over her stomach.
"…I'm sorry, Eyan…" she whispered, her eyes lowering. "Please forgive me for leaving like this… but I had no other choice… I'm only trying to protect our child…"
Her eyes flickered with unease.
"I told Eyan not to look for me but, what if he comes after me…?" she thought, panic rising again. "No… he will come… I know him… he won't just let me go…"
The carriage jolted slightly as the coachman spoke from outside.
"My lady," he called, his tone respectful but curious, "you haven't told me your destination yet. Where would you like me to take you?"
Eva froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Destination…" she repeated faintly.
Her mind went blank.
"I ran away without thinking… I didn't plan anything…" she thought, panic tightening her chest. "Where am I supposed to go now…?"
Her breathing grew shallow.
"What should I do…? If I choose the wrong place, he'll find me immediately…"
She bit her lower lip, trying to think.
"Where can I go…?" she whispered under her breath, anxiety creeping into her voice. "Where can I hide so he won't be able to find me…?"
Then—
Suddenly—
A face appeared in her mind.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Right…"
A small breath escaped her lips.
"…There is one place…"
A place Eyan would never suspect. A place where she could hide.
Her expression steadied.
She leaned slightly forward.
"My driver," she called out, her voice more composed now, though a hint of urgency still lingered beneath it. "I've decided… please change direction and take me to—"
__________________________________
(Velmoria Streets)
Eyan rode through the streets at full speed, his eyes scanning every passing carriage, every turn, every shadow.
"Move aside!" he shouted as people quickly cleared the road.
Up ahead, a group of knights were patrolling the area.
Eyan pulled the reins sharply, stopping his horse in front of them.
The knights immediately bowed.
"Your Majesty—"
Eyan didn't waste a second.
"You all" he said, his voice urgent and commanding. "A carriage passed through this road not long ago. Ordinary build, red curtains, driven by a middle-aged coachman. Have you seen it?"
The knights exchanged glances.
One stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, we have seen several carriages pass, but none matching that exact description… not yet."
Eyan clenched his jaw.
"Then start looking," he ordered sharply. "Spread out across every road, every crossing—don't leave a single path unchecked."
The knights straightened instantly.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
But one of them hesitated slightly before asking,
"Your Majesty… may we know who we are searching for?"
Eyan's expression darkened, his voice lowering—but growing heavier.
"…The Queen."
The knights' eyes widened in shock.
"The Queen has left the estate, and she is alone," Eyan continued, his tone firm but edged with urgency. "You are to find her carriage immediately."
He leaned slightly forward on his horse.
"But listen carefully—" his voice sharpened, carrying authority, "if you find her, you are not to stop the carriage, and you are not to do anything that might frighten her."
The knights nodded quickly.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Eyan's gaze hardened.
"You will inform me the moment you locate her. Nothing more. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Eyan gave a short nod, then pulled the reins.
"Move."
And without another word—
He rode off again, chasing a trail that was already slipping away.
__________________________________
(After 30 Minutes — Inside the Carriage)
The carriage rolled steadily forward, its wheels echoing softly against the stone road.
Inside—
Eva sat quietly, her expression tense.
She slowly opened the small pouch in her hand and poured the coins into her palm.
Gold glinted under the dim light.
She began counting them one by one, her fingers slightly trembling.
"…Ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one hundred…"
She exhaled softly.
"…One hundred gold coins…" she murmured under her breath, her brows still slightly furrowed. "This should be enough… it has to be enough to reach there…"
Her hand moved protectively to her belly.
"…I just need to get there safely…"
But suddenly—
Voices.
Loud.
Commanding.
The carriage slowed slightly.
Eva frowned and shifted closer to the window, carefully pulling the curtain aside just a little.
Her eyes widened.
Royal knights.
They were stopping carriages one by one.
Searching.
Inspecting.
Her heart dropped.
"…No…"
Her breath quickened.
"…Eyan…"
Panic surged through her chest.
"He's already started searching… this fast…?"
Her fingers tightened around the coins.
"I can't let them find me…not before I reach there…"
She looked forward, thinking quickly.
Then suddenly—
"Stop the carriage!" she called out, her voice urgent but low, trying not to draw attention.
The coachman slowed and halted.
"My lady?" he asked, confused. "Is something wrong? We haven't reached—"
"I know," Eva interrupted quickly, her voice slightly shaking but firm. "Something urgent has come up… I can't continue this journey with you."
She quickly gathered the coins and pushed them into his hand.
"Here," she said, pressing the payment into his palm. "This is your fare… and extra for the trouble."
The coachman looked surprised.
"My lady, but—"
"Please," Eva said again, her voice softer but desperate. "I need to go… now."
The man hesitated—
Then nodded.
"…As you wish, my lady."
Eva pulled her cloak tighter, lowering it to hide her face.
Without another word—
She stepped down from the carriage.
The noise of the street grew louder.
Knights.
People.
Movement everywhere.
Keeping her head down, Eva quickly slipped away from the main road and hurried toward a narrow alley.
Her steps were fast.
Uneven.
Her breath shallow.
Once inside the alley, she pressed herself against the wall, trying to steady her breathing.
"I'm safe… I'm safe for now…" she whispered, though her heart refused to calm down.
But then—
Footsteps.
Approaching.
Voices.
"…Check that side."
Eva's eyes widened in terror.
Two knights.
Walking straight toward the alley.
Toward her.
"…No… no, no…"
Her body stiffened.
Her breathing hitched.
"There's nowhere to run…"
Her back pressed harder against the wall.
Her hands instinctively moved to protect her belly.
"Please… don't see me…"
The footsteps grew closer.
Closer—
Just as panic was about to take over—
A hand suddenly clamped tightly over her mouth.
"Mmm—!"
Before she could react—
She was pulled back...The darkness swallowed her as she was dragged deeper into the narrow alley.
Eva struggled instinctively—
"Mmm—!"
—but the hand covering her mouth tightened, firm yet controlled, silencing her completely.
"Don't move," a low voice whispered against her ear.
Her back pressed against the cold wall as she was held in place, hidden where the light couldn't reach.
Footsteps echoed closer—
The knights.
"…Check this alley as well."
Eva's heart nearly stopped.
They're coming… they're going to see me…
Her body tensed, her hands instinctively curling toward her belly.
The man behind her didn't move.
Not even a shift.
He only pulled her slightly deeper into the shadows, shielding her completely with his body.
The knights stepped into the alley.
Their boots scraped against the stone.
Closer.
Closer.
Eva squeezed her eyes shut.
"…Nothing here," one of them said after a brief pause.
"Let's move. We're wasting time."
Their footsteps slowly faded away.
Silence returned.
But the grip on her didn't loosen.
Not yet.
Eva's breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling rapidly beneath his hold.
Then—
Slowly—
The hand over her mouth eased.
But his arm still kept her close.
Too close.
A warm breath brushed against her ear.
And then—
That voice again.
Soft.
Almost amused.
"Running away all by yourself…"
A faint pause.
"…that's not very wise, is it?"
Eva's eyes widened.
Before she could turn—
Before she could even speak—
He leaned closer.
And placed a slow, deliberate kiss on her cheek.
Eva froze completely.
Her mind went blank.
.
.
To be continued—