If You Wish For Something Useless - Chapter 39
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Chapter 39 – First Encounter (5)
As soon as she got ready and left the bedroom, a letter from Liam arrived.
From his point of view, he wouldn’t be happy with Cesar’s intervention in Evelyn’s life. Thus, as soon as he heard about the unexpected visitor, he would rush immediately.
“Send word for him to come.”
She felt better when she turned to the butler who had delivered Liam’s letter. He even touched her veil, so he should be punished accordingly.
Evelyn stepped into the parlor feeling refreshed.
The first thing she saw was blonde hair shining in the sunlight. Next, she met reddish purple eyes, and she unknowingly halted. It was because she knew the name of the man sitting in the waiting room even if he hadn’t said a word yet.
〈 Pharrel Eiss Hesselia 〉He was Cesar’s cousin, a man with whom he grew up together and built trust from an early age.
…A descendant of Count Hesselia, a relative of the Arangis household. A man who existed to dedicate his entire life to Cesar.
A loyal aid who would be willing to throw himself if he had to die on Cesar’s behalf. In the past, present, and future, he was Cesar’s strongest confidant. He wasn’t a man to come as the escort role Evelyn had demanded.
‘Even if it’s for surveillance, it’s an exaggeration…’
Contrary to Evelyn’s bewilderment at seeing such an unexpected person, Pharrell stood up calmly.
“He told me to ask if it was necessary for me to introduce myself.”
At that moment, Evelyn came to her senses.
‘Sh*t.’
Instead of revealing her bewilderment, she should have acted calmly as if she knew who had come. Everything she just showed will be delivered to Cesar.
It was a mistake.
Evelyn sighed and waved her hand.
“You don’t need.”
As Evelyn approached Pharrell’s opposite side, he politely bowed and said, “I have been commanded to stay by Milady’s side from now on.”
“I look forward to your kind cooperation. I was troubled because I picked up a ferocious dog.”
“…Shall I block Agramento’s Young Lord access?”
‘Is he indeed Cesar’s closest aid…?’
Although he was a character created with a setting of idleness* and loyalty, he had a good sense of humor.
“You don’t have to. I picked it up because I needed it.”
“But, in case he’s a threat to Milady’s safety…”
“That’s a given. Naturally, you should prevent him from reaching me.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
As she pointed to the sofa, beckoning him to sit down, Pharrell sat.
“Are you here alone?”
“We have servants to take care of the lady and guardians to keep the mansion safe, but if you do not allow it, I will send them back.”
“Let them stay. It would be good to mix everything reasonably.”
“Yes.”
Cesar had sent several servants besides Pharrel. From now on, they will mix in with Liam’s people and keep each other in check. Things were going the way Evelyn wanted them to. So all that was left was to correct the mistakes made before.
Evelyn tilted her head and fixed her gaze straight ahead, in Pharrell’s direction.
“It’s nice.”
“Please, tell me what you mean.”
“I like your face.”
Pharrell’s lips, which had been drawing a smile all along, closed in a straight line. It wasn’t a lie. In fact, his appearance was Evelyn’s taste.
“It’s good to have someone who is an eye-candy if possible. The best one is here, so I’m pleased.”
Although it was half-true, it couldn’t be regarded as pure admiration without any intention.
It was an excuse to wrap up her bewilderment when she faced him. From now on, she will tell Pharrell that the future was variable — to convey that she knew that Cesar would send someone, though the person was not specified.
“You’re better than Bilbetan or Hudson.”
Bilbetan and Hudson were also loyal to Cesar.
They were also on the list of escorts that Evelyn expected. She predicted with a high probability it would be one of the two. In the end, Pharrell came, but there will be two other candidates Cesar thought of.
They were the most appropriate people to be away from him and to keep an eye on Evelyn. Of course, knowing their names didn’t prove that she could see the future.
This was information that anyone who observed Cesar and had infiltrated his forces could find out. Yet, conveying the existence of variable outcomes was more than enough. It was time to wrap up the previous misshape.
“I like pretty things.”
It was a voice mixed with laughter. Pharrell’s head, who pursed his lips again, went down. Evelyn checked his ears turning red and thought hard.
Even before she started playing the prophet, she had a number of settings in mind. Just like the setting value that the Original gave to this world, she had done the same thing with the imaginary setting she created.
The foresight she crafted was as if peeping at the end of a myriad of options.
According to plan, she was going to explain herself when meeting Cesar again. She would have to cover the loopholes that would appear due to her lack of foresight by making it clear that she had limitations. But before she did that, she made a mistake, so she had no choice but to use it now.
The first move was stable. What should be the next move…?
Evelyn took advantage of Pharrell’s embarrassment and began to dig through her vast memory. She needed to reconsider her information for a moment, as she thought he wasn’t a persona she would have to deal with. She needed to find what she needed in her current situation.
‘Has there ever been any comments about Pharrell’s taste or preferences about food?’
Clear memories of her reading the paragraphs with her own eyes were her asset and strength. It wasn’t long before she achieved what she wanted, and her lips curled up.
“However… Your master’s actions are rather disgraceful.”
Evelyn called a maid with her gaze fixed on Pharrell.
“I have to serve my guest, so bring me some shrimp.”
His body twitched noticeably. He didn’t enjoy seafood, and he couldn’t even put crustaceans in his mouth.
A dialogue between Etrada and Pharrell would take place in the future.
“Are you sick? You have barely eaten.”
“It’s just that I don’t enjoy seafood.”
“Uh? It’s my first time hearing this? Cesar doesn’t know? If you had told me in advance…”
“I hid it intentionally. There’s nothing good about this being known.”
“…It’s not that you don’t eat, you mean that you can’t eat it?”
“Yes, only His Majesty and my father know. Allergies are an easy weakness to attack, so if there are foods you cannot eat, hide them. When something goes wrong with our bodies, the sword will easily reach His Majesty.”
“Ah… That’s right. If you eat something like that while escorting, you’ll get a hole.”
The setting was towards the end of autumn, and the venue was the Emperor’s Banquet Hall.
It was the day Cesar invited his entourage to give a toast. It was a scene that showed that Etrada was recognized by Cesar’s people. Enough to reveal the weakness that Pharrell had been hiding.
‘The time when Ragmalt was beheaded.’
After the execution of the Duke of Ragmalt, the center of the East, the tide of war began to lean towards Cesar. It was time for a clear victory.
‘Hasn’t happened yet… but it’ll be better to use it.’
The contents of the Original, which she had seen in her previous life, remained in Evelyn’s head without a single mistake. It was like having a booklet inside your head that you could look at whenever you wanted.
Evelyn, who opened the book and checked its lines and prints over and over again, urged the maid.
“He must have waited a long time, so hurry up. There is no need to cook it separately.”
Although she wasn’t prepared for today, since Evelyn was born and raised on the seaside, she enjoyed seafood. The chef at the mansion had to serve meals to suit her taste. This was why shrimp, which were traded at high prices inland, could appear in the drawing-room in a matter of minutes.
“I prepared it with all my heart, so will you enjoy it?”
Pharrell’s gaze was fixed on the plate in front of him. It took a few seconds for his trembling hand to pick up the fork, and for the fork to dip into the raw shrimp.
Evelyn spoke again just before Pharrell ate the shrimp.
“You’ll eat it? I’m not going to call a physician.”
His hand suddenly stopped.
‘You’ll probably suffer from shortness of breath and itching the moment you eat it. You truly are honest to a fault.’
Evelyn chuckled and leaned back on the sofa.
“I know it will be painful, but you really don’t need to eat it. I’m not that vicious.”
“. . .”
“Take it as a warning. You should tell your master to keep his manners from now on.”
It was rude to come early in the morning. Pharrell, unable to hide his doubts and confusion, lowered the fork. Nonetheless, Evelyn’s acting wasn’t over yet.
“You’re not sick, are you?”
A question arose in Pharrell’s purple eyes as he was scrutinizing Evelyn. She looked at him silently and smiled.
“You barely eat.”
“. . .”
“Allergies are a vulnerable weakness, so if there are foods you cannot eat, try hiding them.”
Her voice was calm as she read the neatly arranged letters.
The letters from the original story she had read before. She didn’t mean to hear Pharrell’s answer, so she had no reason to even look at him. She succeeded in planting a seed that would, one day, bear fruit.
‘I can step down now.’
Just in time, the sound of horses’ hoofs was heard, so it was the right time. Liam must be riding in the wagon that will appear soon.
‘You departed even before I gave you permission.’
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have arrived so soon. It seemed that he moved as soon as he heard the news that a person from the Imperial Palace was heading to Evelyn’s mansion. She had borrowed Cesar’s power and began to be wary of him, so a thousand fires must have cracked inside his mind.
“You have something to do.”
Evelyn cast her gaze out of the window as Pharrell rose from his seat and stood behind her.
“Should I hide that?”
Pointing to the shrimp and speaking, Pharrell bowed his head and answered.
“…Please.”
Evelyn immediately called the maid. As soon as the shrimp and Pharrell’s glass were removed, the butler announced Liam’s visit.
She greeted him quite happily.
When she thought she could see the contorted expression on his handsome face, her lips curled up on their own.
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