"It Was All A Lie"

(Night Before the Swordsmanship Tournament)

A quiet knock echoed through the house.

Eva wiped her hands on her skirt and opened the door. The cool night air brushed her cheeks—and standing before her, tall and poised in silver-trimmed black, was Prince Velcon of Drexenthur.

She blinked in surprise, then quickly bowed. "Your Highness... I wasn't expecting—"

"Lady Eva," Velcon interrupted gently, his eyes scanning her face. "I apologize for arriving so late, but I needed to see you."

She hesitated, still confused. "You needed to... see me?"

"Yes," he said, voice calm. "There's something I must tell you. May I come in?"

Eva stepped aside. "Of course. Please."

He stepped inside, letting his gaze linger on the modest surroundings. "What a charming place."

Eva forced a smile. "It's not suitable for royalty like yourself. It's just a small home."

"Don't say that," Velcon replied smoothly. "Simplicity has its charm."

His eyes scanned the room, then settled back on her. "Are you alone? I don't see your husband."

"He's out for work," she said, voice steady but guarded.

Velcon clicked his tongue. "Oh? Out at night, while leaving his beautiful wife all alone?"

She didn't respond.

"Tell me, Lady Eva…" he continued slowly, stepping a little closer. "Do you love your husband?"

Eva blinked. "Yes. I love him very much."

Velcon looked at her with solemn eyes. "Then I'm sorry. Because what I'm about to say may break your heart."

Her chest tightened. "Your Highness... what is it?"

Velcon stepped forward. "What if I told you… that the man you love is not who he says he is? That your husband is lying to you."

Her breath caught. "What do you mean, Your Highness? I don't understand…"

He chuckled under his breath. "No, I suppose you don't. But you will."

He paused, then took a bold step forward. "What if I told you… your 'commoner' husband is not who he says he is? That the man you share your nights with is none other than the Emperor of Velmoria himself—Eyan Lucien Therald."

Eva stared at him, completely still.

Then—she laughed. A dry, disbelieving sound. "That's absurd. Why would you say something like that?"

But Velcon didn't laugh. "I'm not joking."

She took a shaky step back. "No. No, that's… that's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Velcon tilted his head. "Then allow me to offer you proof."

He reached for her hand and pointed at the ring on her finger. "This. You said he gave you this."

"Yes," she whispered. "He did."

Velcon's expression turned sharp. "That ring is no trinket from the market. It's worth a fortune. Do you truly believe a common laborer could afford such a thing?"

He let go of her hand with a light shove.

She looked down at the ring—so simple, yet now suddenly heavy on her finger.

"That day when I met him, I noticed the ring he was wearing. Do you know what I saw?" His voice dropped. "A powerful enchantment—ancient disguise magic."

"No..." she whispered, voice cracking. "He's just—he's just Kyel. He's always been—"

"Kyel is a lie," Velcon said gently. "His real name… is Eyan Lucien Therald."

"He has been lying to you from the start, lady Eva," Velcon said softly, but his words were razors. "You didn't marry a common man. You married the Emperor."

"No…" Her voice cracked. "That's not true. It can't be."

"I know it's hard to accept. I didn't want to believe it either. But the moment I confirmed it… I thought of you. Because I care about you. Deeply."

Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision.

"He… he wouldn't do this. He's not—he's gentle, and kind—"

"Is he?" Velcon's tone turned icy. "Then tell me, Lady Eva—do you know what happened to Duke Malric Vane?"

Eva looked up, confused. "He was sentenced to life in the royal dungeons. That's what the officials said."

Velcon shook his head slowly. "That's what they told the people. The truth? He's dead."

Her knees buckled slightly. "No…"

Velcon's tone turned bitter. "The night after the Duke attacked you… your husband didn't show mercy. He slaughtered him. Quietly. Ruthlessly."

Tears welled in her eyes. "No, that's not true. They—They said he—"

"They said what?" Velcon said, voice rising. "That he is paying for what he did? That he's locked away in some cell? Lady Eva… you don't understand what kind of man you've married."

Velcon leaned in, his voice low and venomous. "Your husband bathes in blood. He's no gentle man. He's a killer. Every smile he gave you—every touch—it was wrapped in lies."

She staggered backward, clutching the edge of the table to steady herself. Her breaths came in short, painful gasps. The room spun around her. Her ring—it burned on her finger.

Velcon leaned slightly forward, his voice quiet but sharp like a dagger.

"You've never noticed anything off about him? Not once?"

Eva's breath hitched. Her vision blurred slightly as memories—scattered and hazy—rose to the surface like ghosts from deep waters.

Suddenly, the room seemed to dissolve around her.

She was lost in thought, pulled into the shadows of moments she had brushed aside before.

---

Eva: "Your Majesty… how do you know where I live? I never told—"

Eyan: "The wolf told me."

She had laughed nervously at the time, but now her heart dropped.

Another memory surfaced—

Eva: "Kyel? What are you doing in the palace?"

Kyel: "You didn't come home… so I came looking for you."

And then—

Eva: "Mr. Hans, where is His Majesty? I should thank him. If he hadn't come—"

Kyel and Hans (in unison): "No…"

She had brushed past their interruption.

Eva: "Mr. Hans, where is His Majesty? I brought my husband to greet him."

Hans (avoiding her gaze): "His Majesty is… sleeping."

---

She blinked, her hands trembling. Her throat was dry.

Eva: "Stop…" she whispered under her breath, but her memories wouldn't listen.

Now, both voices echoed in her ears—overlapping, haunting.

Kyel: "Eva…"

Eyan: "Lady Eva…"

Kyel: "Princess…"

Eyan: "Lady Eva…"

Eva: "Stop it… please…"

The walls seemed to close in. She clutched her head, shaking.

Kyel: "Eva…"

Eyan: "Lady Eva…"

Eva (screaming): "Shut up!!"

Silence fell like a curtain.

Velcon watched her with an unsettling calm as Eva stood frozen, her eyes still glassy from the storm of memories clawing at her.

Then, in a low voice—almost gentle, almost pitying—he said,

"Lady Eva, if you still don't believe me…"

He took a single step toward her, his gaze unwavering.

"…then the next time you meet him, look at the chain he wears around his neck."

Eva's breath caught.

"The Ring…" Velcon continued. "The Wedding Ring—he keeps it there. Hidden. In that chain."

She stared at him, her lips trembling, heart racing with disbelief and denial tangled together.

Velcon gave a shallow bow.

"Now, I shall take my leave. Forgive me for disturbing your peace… though I believe it never truly existed."

He turned without another word, his cloak brushing the wooden floor as he walked out the door and disappeared into the night.

---

Silence returned, but it was no comfort.

Eva stood motionless in the middle of the small house—her home—now feeling foreign, cold, too quiet.

Tears began to spill, slowly at first, then all at once. She sank to her knees, her fingers curling around the fabric of her dress as silent sobs escaped her lips.

The flickering lamp on the table cast shadows on the wall…

And she was alone.

Alone with the truth she didn't want to believe.

Alone with the ache in her chest that had no name yet—only questions.

"Kyel…" she whispered through trembling lips.

"Why did you lie to me…?"

---