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Everard tight-shut his eyes in anger. Anger towards himself. And he shook his head to shake off that woman’s image from his mind.

‘Why the hell would I remember someone whom I met for a minute or two? What the hell is wrong with me?’ he grabbed his hair and screamed in his head.

And he kept on hitting his head with his fist in order to punish himself for thinking about some random woman when he was worried about Anastasia.

“Eve...” Alexander was now starting to get concerned for his friend. He had never seen Everard beating himself up like this. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk? I am starting to get worried now.”

However, Everard kept looking out of the window and ignored his friend.

Alexander couldn’t take the silence anymore. So he got up on his feet and said, “I’ll go to my room. You can come and talk to me when you’re ready. I will leave you alone for now.”

He stepped towards the door when suddenly he heard Everard’s whisper, “I am worried about Anna.”

Alexander stopped his foot in midair.

.....

“I heard about King Caspian from my father. And he is a...” Everard inhaled deeply and stopped himself before he accidentally revealed all the secrets.

And he continued, “He isn’t a good man. I had sent a letter to Anna asking how she was, but I haven’t gotten a reply yet. Now I am feeling extremely anxious for some reason. And I can’t help but think that something is wrong with her.”

Alexander felt a sting in his heart upon hearing that. Cold sweats started to form on his back and his forehead. He was scared that Everard’s gut feeling might be right, but he tried not to show his fear to his friend.

Without even turning around to face his friend, he took a few deep breaths in and said, “I will send another letter to her then. Maybe she got busy with her new household and her new position. So, it might have slipped her mind to reply to you.”

Everard’s attention peaked after hearing his friend. “New position? As in someone’s wife?”

“No, as the Queen of Sorvando,” Alexander replied. “I heard from my parents that she was appointed as the Queen of Sorvando, but they mentioned that the ceremony was done in haste, so we weren’t invited. My parents sounded happy in the letter, though.”

Everard was dumbfounded. “He appointed her as his Queen?”

“Yes.” Alexander finally turned around to face his friend with a slight smile on his face. “So I would like to assume that my sister is happy there. But since you mentioned it, I will write a letter to her shortly. And I will share her reply with you when I get it. Sounds good to you?”

Everard finally gave a soft smile and nodded. “Yes. That will put my heart at ease if I know that she is doing fine.”

Alexander, however, could see the hidden pain behind his friend’s smile. He felt sorry for his friend because he now knew how much Everard cared for Anastasia. He knew that his sister was Everard’s first love, although one-sided. And seeing him still hung up on Anastasia even when she was already married to someone else made his heart ache for his friend.

“I will find you later.” Alexander gave a pat on Everard’s shoulder and left from there.

After Alexander left, Everard continued to pace back and forth. His heart was uneasy even now. He could feel his heart aching for Anna, and he was longing to see her.

He suddenly went and rummaged through his belongings to take out Anastasia’s portrait. He kept on staring at Anastasia’s innocent and pure face.

However, at the back of his mind, the innocent face of that other woman was constantly there.

“Argh!” he screamed again.

He was frustrated and angered with himself.

“Why? Why does she keep on appearing in my head? And why do I... Argh!” He grabbed and pulled his hair again because he suddenly felt the similar sensation in his heart that he had felt when he had met that woman.

He recalled how he had felt something unexplainable in his heart when that woman had looked up at him and asked if she was in heaven.

The moment he had laid his eyes on her, he had felt as though he had known that woman for ages. He had felt as though she was someone who was very close to him and also someone who was important to him. And he had felt the need to protect her even when he was meeting her for the first time.

In short, she felt like a family to him.

And he hated that feeling because he couldn’t believe that he would feel that way upon seeing some random woman on the street.

He was disgusted by his own heart for betraying him and beating like that for someone else other than Anastasia.

‘I should loosen myself up. I need something that can make me forget everything,’ he thought to himself and then headed for the town.

He visited a sophisticated place that served food and alcoholic beverages to the higher-class men of the society. That place, called the ‘Chamber of Sallust’, was famous for rare wines and the fine women who served them.

But rather than for food and women, Everard was there for the liquor. He wanted to drown himself in liquor so that the constant uneasy feeling in his heart would fade away.

He went inside a luxurious room that was decorated with beautiful abstract paintings. A beautiful table and a few chairs were placed in the center of that room. And on one of the corners of that room, there was a bar filled with expensive wines and alcohol.

A beautiful woman, who was wearing a turquoise gown, came up to him and asked in an enchanting voice, “Milord, how may I be of your service?”

Everard looked at that woman.

Her face looked beautiful. Her hair was well groomed. Her gown was also beautifully tailored, and it sat well on her well-proportioned body.

However, Everard felt nothing when he looked at her. His heart was as calm as the sea.

He then recalled the appearance of that red-headed woman.

In an instant, his heart began to beat like crazy even though she didn’t look appealing to his eyes at that moment. She looked tired, hungry, sick, and dirty. And she was also wounded when he met her. Her hair was a mess. She wasn’t wearing a flattering dress. She wasn’t even wearing shoes!

“So why?” Everard frowned and mumbled, “It is confirmed. I have officially lost my mind.”

“Milord?” the lady gave a smile and inquisitively looked at him.

Everard looked at the bar in front of him and ordered, “Bring me the finest alcohol and wines that you have. Don’t stop bringing them until I say so.”

He swiftly put his hand inside the pocket and then handed her a handful of gold coins. “Upfront payment, in case I lose my consciousness. You know Alexander, right? Call him if that happens.”

That woman gladly accepted all the gold coins and bowed. Those coins would be more than enough to buy all the liquor in that room. So she happily went away to serve the guest as he wished.

Everard was intently staring at the bartender who was preparing a drink for him. His mind was completely occupied by that red-headed woman even though his eyes were on the counter of the bar.

“Do you mind if I join you, Milord?”

Everard’s attention was suddenly pulled by a man around his age. He looked at that young man and then looked out of the open door. “I would be happy if you left me alone,” he tried to dismiss that man since he wanted to spend some alone time while trying to drown his pain.

However, that man sat down in front of Everard with a wide smile on his face. “I would have loved to do that, but all the other rooms seem to be fully occupied at the moment.”

Everard cursed himself for forgetting to book the room all to himself, but he didn’t want to do that now and chase that man away when he had already made himself comfortable.

He sighed and leaned back on his chair. “Be my guest then,” he said to that man as he picked up the drink that had been served to him by that same beautiful lady.

Everard took a big gulp of his drink. The first sip itself felt heavenly. He closed his eyes and went for another sip. He wished not to be disturbed by that man in front of him.

But he was disappointed when that man began talking merrily, “Since we will be accompanying each other while we are here, I think it is only appropriate if we get to know each other a little.”

Everard opened his eyes and looked at that man with disinterest.

However, that man extended his hand for a handshake and continued anyway, “My name is Lorenzo. I come from the Kingdom called Xanmar.”