Chapter 289: Family, Found At Last
Eve’s smile deepened, "Yes....family," she whispered. The word still felt unfamiliar, yet she understood it now. This was what family was: standing together, bearing one another’s burdens. When one stumbled, another reached out without hesitation.
Soon, warm arms slipped around her shoulders, and his heated breath brushed the shell of her ear. Eve gasped softly and turned, only to meet with molten red eyes already watching her far too intensely. Ivan leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her nose.
"Missed me?"
The blush hit her instantly, racing straight to her roots, and it only worsened with the keen awareness of three pairs of eyes avidly observing the scene.
"I....uh....when did you come back?" she blurted. "I did not hear you at all."
Ivan’s lips curved ever so slightly. But he was shameless only where she was concerned. Lifting a brow, he asked, "You did not answer my question."
His gaze dropped slowly straight to her lips.
Oh no.
He leaned in, fully intending to steal the answer he wanted. Eve squeaked internally, heat flooding her entire being, and acting on pure survival instinct, she slapped a hand right over his mouth and blurted, far too quickly, "Yes. Now sit down. We found something."
Ivan narrowed his eyes at her, clearly displeased at being denied his kiss, and muttered against her palm, "I will take it when you least expect it." Then he calmly pulled back and slid into the seat beside her. It was only then did Eve finally let out the breath she had been holding.
Her heart was still racing crazily, her cheeks burning with the lingering heat of his nearness.
’This sly devil is going to be the death of me,’ she thought, pressing a hand to her chest in a futile attempt to steady herself, all while stubbornly refusing to look up. She did not need to, as she could already sense the shameless audience watching them and grinning at their little exchange.
"So," Ivan asked calmly, settling in as though nothing noteworthy had just occurred, "what did you all discover while I was away?"
"Well, well, well," Damien drawled, grinning far too widely. "I am not sure about discoveries made while you were away, but I must say, brother, uncovering your shameless side has been deeply enlightening."
Edward and Cece chuckled as Ivan ignored them entirely and pulled Eve’s chair a little closer to his own, prompting her to yelp in surprise.
Shaking their heads at the lovebirds, Cece took it upon herself to relay Eve’s discovery to him.
Ivan was deep in thought before his voice finally rang through. "Honestly, it is a little too far-fetched without any proof or anything to connect it."
Eve somehow knew he would say that, as Ivan had always approached things with logic. However, she then heard him continue, "But we cannot dismiss the possibility of something like this happening, because everything that has happened so far has defied logic. So we cannot rule anything out unless we are certain."
This time, all of them agreed with him.
"Do any of you remember anything more related to your... past life?" Cece asked carefully, as she was not certain how far that topic could be raised.
Eve met her eyes and replied, "Not much. I only see glimpses of the past in the form of dreams."
She then looked at Ivan, who replied, "I have not had any such dreams for a while now."
"Then I suppose we will just have to keep looking through the texts," Cece sighed, the weight of defeat clear in her voice.
"How about we put this on hold for today?" Ivan said. "You and Eve need to be present in the visiting room later, as the seamstress is on her way to bring your gowns for tomorrow."
Eve and Cece looked at him in surprise, and he continued, "We must attend tomorrow’s ball, and then we can return to this afterwards. Not to forget, we are due back at the academy the day after, as Headmaster Charles has been asking about us."
"Oh, I see," Eve replied softly.
"Well, that is a wrap then. Thank the goddess," Damien said cheerfully, already sounding as though he was halfway out of the library.
.....
Later that day, in a spacious visiting room, Eve stood upon a circular platform before a full length mirror, her gaze fixed on her reflection. Or rather, on the breathtaking gown she adorned now.
Cece and Madame Vesper stood nearby with their hands clasped to their chests, watching Evelyn with awe, as though neither of them could quite believe what they were seeing.
"I must say, Madame Vesper, you have truly outdone yourself with this one," Cece murmured, her voice still tinged with admiration as her eyes traced the gown’s silhouette.
Madame Vesper wore a proud smile as she replied, "Why, thank you, Lady Cece. But truly, it is the wearer who lends the gown its beauty."
A warm blush crept across Eve’s cheeks as she replied, "Even so, Madame Vesper, this gown is exquisite. I have never seen such a design before." Her fingers brushed lightly over the intricate detailing.
Madame Vesper adjusted her glasses and bowed slightly. "I am pleased that you like it, Your Highness. After all, it was His Highness who personally selected this design for you."
Eve’s blue eyes widened slightly at the revelation, and she finally turned to face them. "Ivan did?"
Madame Vesper nodded with a warm smile on her face. "Yes. His Highness summoned me a few days ago and gave me special instructions regarding what he wished this gown to be. I must say, he truly has an exquisite imagination."
"Only when it comes to Evelyn does His Highness truly not hold back," Cece agreed, offering an approving nod.
The blush deepened on Eve’s cheeks, and she quickly cleared her throat before asking, "Where is your gown, Cece?"
Madame Vesper quickly gestured to her assistant, Lily, who stood frozen in place, clearly bedazzled by Evelyn’s beauty. When she did not move even then, Madame Vesper called out, "Lily, if you will please?" and motioned towards the wheeled rack to bring Cece’s gown forward. That was when Lily finally snapped out of her daze.
She flushed deeply and bowed her head. "F-forgive me for my tardiness." With that, she moved with swift efficiency, guiding the gowns forward with practised skill.
As she presented the rack filled with exquisitely crafted gowns, Madame Vesper added, "Lady Cece, although His Highness gave me special instructions for Her Highness’s gown, he also selected the finest designs for you to choose from. However, if you were to ask my personal opinion, this one would suit you best. Knowing you as my long-time client, I took special care to design it with you specifically in mind."
"Of course he did," Cece remarked with a soft smile, rolling her eyes lightly before her dark crimson gaze settled on a delicate blue gown.
She nodded in approval. "It is beautiful. You truly understand my taste, Madame Vesper."
"It is my duty to attend to my clients’ needs," Madame Vesper replied with a bow before stepping forward to help Cece try it on.
Once everything was settled, Madame Vesper and her assistant took their leave, granting Cece and Eve the privacy of the room.
The two friends chose to catch up away from everyone else, just the two of them, as they had not had a proper moment to do so with everything unfolding around them.
Arthur served them tea and then withdrew, leaving the two ladies in the quiet peace of the balcony to enjoy one another’s company.
Cece set her teacup aside, her fingers lingering against the porcelain before she spoke. "So, how have you really been handling everything these past few days?"
Eve exhaled slowly, her gaze drifting towards the horizon. "Honestly, it has been overwhelming in ways I cannot quite put into words. Sometimes it feels as though reality itself is slipping through my fingers."
She paused, then smiled faintly. "But Ivan’s presence keeps me grounded. Somehow, he makes everything feel bearable."
Cece’s eyes softened as they stayed on her friend, "I can see that," she said gently.
"Truth be told, I have never seen him like this before, and it truly warms my heart to see the two of you so close." Her voice lowered, almost hesitant. "He has always been so lonely, so careful to keep people at a distance. But you....you changed that."
Eve stayed silent for a moment, her fingers curling lightly around her teacup as she took in Cece’s words, "I can say the same. He has changed me, too, Cece. Before him, I never truly understood what it meant to be free, to be loved, or how much it matters to have people who genuinely care for you."
She paused, her gaze dropping briefly before lifting again. "He has taught me many things, but most of all, he made me realise that I do not have to apologise for things that are not my fault, and that I am allowed to be my own person. For that, I am truly grateful to him....and to all of you who stand beside me."
