The evening at the royal palace was grand and lively, filled with nobles arriving one after another under the glow of chandeliers and golden lights. The sound of soft music echoed through the halls as servants moved gracefully between guests. Evelyn stood near the entrance, welcoming everyone with a polite smile, but her eyes kept drifting toward the door again and again, as if she was waiting for someone important. Even while speaking, her attention never stayed for long. When Maria arrived, Evelyn greeted her warmly, but Maria quickly noticed the way Evelyn kept looking at the entrance. "Is he here?" she asked softly. Evelyn shook her head, a small sadness appearing on her face. "No…" she answered. But just as she looked toward the door once more, he finally appeared. Maekal Blackthorne stepped inside, calm as always, his presence quiet yet impossible to ignore. Evelyn's expression instantly changed, her eyes lighting up as all her worry disappeared. She walked quickly toward him, unable to hide her happiness. "I thought you weren't coming," she said. "I promised you," he replied simply. That was enough to make her smile.
She led him inside and brought him to her mother. "Mother, this is Maekal Blackthorne," she said. Queen Rosaline observed him carefully, her gaze sharp yet composed, before giving a small nod. "So, he is the one you've been talking about," she said with a faint smile. Evelyn felt slightly embarrassed. "Mother…" she said softly. Before the moment could continue, another presence entered the hall. Katherine walked in, and beside her was Kael. The atmosphere seemed to change again. Evelyn's smile faded slightly as she went to welcome them. Maekal's eyes immediately moved toward Kael, sharp and watchful. Katherine handed over a bouquet of black roses, their dark color standing out among everything else. Evelyn looked at them in surprise. "I've never seen black roses before." Katherine smiled lightly. "Kael chose them. He has good taste." Evelyn nodded politely and thanked them, but something felt off. She noticed Katherine closely this time—she looked tired, almost drained. Without thinking too much about it, Evelyn returned to Maekal and gently asked him to follow her.
She brought him to a large wall inside the palace, where the names of noble families were written along with their heads and children. "This is where all the noble families are recorded," she explained, pointing toward the names. When they reached the Blackthorne section, Evelyn read the names softly. "Maekal Blackthorne… Kael Blackthorne…" Her voice slowed slightly as she noticed both names written together. Maekal's expression changed for a moment, as if something about it bothered him. Then a voice came from behind them. "The original Blackthorne brothers." They both turned. Kael stood there, smiling. "Our ancestors," he added calmly. Evelyn looked confused at first, then relaxed. "Oh… I didn't know you were named after them." Kael only smiled, saying nothing more. Soon, Katherine came over and pulled Kael toward the dance floor as the orchestra began playing a waltz. The music filled the hall, and couples started moving gracefully across the marble floor.
Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then suddenly reached for Maekal's hand. "Will you dance with me?" she asked. He looked at her briefly before agreeing. As they stepped onto the dance floor, their movements became smooth and natural, as if they were perfectly in sync. Slowly, they became the center of attention. People around them began watching, whispering about how well they looked together. Evelyn felt happy, her heart light in that moment. But Maekal's attention was not fully there. His eyes kept moving toward Kael. Kael noticed it and smiled in a way that felt mocking. Without warning, he stepped closer and interrupted them. "Princess, may I have this dance?"Before Evelyn could answer, Katherine slipped between them and took Maekal's hand. "Then I'll take him," she said with a playful smile, though there was something sharper hidden beneath it The partners changed, and now Evelyn was left dancing with Kael.
As they moved together, Evelyn felt uncomfortable. There was something about him that made her uneasy. Then, without warning, he spoke. "Do you like my brother?" The question shocked her, and she missed a step, almost falling. Kael caught her gently. "Careful, Princess," he said softly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, trying to steady herself. They continued dancing, but her mind was no longer calm. "I hope you don't break his heart," Kael continued. "His previous girlfriend already did that. It took him a long time to recover." Evelyn froze for a moment. "…Previous girlfriend?" she asked quietly. Kael smiled slightly. "Oh… you didn't know? I thought he told you." Before she could say anything else, the music ended, and he let go of her hand. Evelyn stood there, confused and uneasy, her thoughts tangled.
Maekal quickly came to her. "Are you okay? Did my brother say something?" he asked. Evelyn forced a small smile. "It's nothing… I'm just tired. I'll go to the washroom." She left before he could say anything more, but Maekal knew something was wrong. He looked at Kael with clear anger, while Kael simply ignored him. After some time, Evelyn returned and continued talking to guests, hiding her emotions behind a polite smile. Slowly, the event came to an end, and people began leaving the palace. Maekal waited for her. When she finally came back, she looked slightly tired. "I'm sorry… I had to talk to everyone," she said. "I understand," he replied gently. Then he took something out of his pocket. It was a necklace, delicate and beautiful. Evelyn's eyes lit up. "Is that for me?" she asked. "Yes," he answered. All her doubts disappeared in that moment. She smiled brightly and turned around. "Can you put it on me?" Maekal carefully placed the necklace around her neck. "Thank you… I'll treasure it," she said softly. He smiled at her.
Suddenly, the sound of something breaking echoed behind them. A plate had shattered on the floor. They turned and saw an old maid, nearly seventy years old, collapsed on the ground. Both of them rushed to help her. "I'm sorry, Princess…" she said weakly. "It's okay, Granny. Are you alright?" Evelyn asked gently. "I'm fine…" the old woman replied, but her eyes slowly moved to Maekal. She stared at him for a long moment. "I know you," she whispered. Maekal's expression became tense. "I think you're mistaken," he said. The old maid shook her head. "No… this can't be… you haven't aged at all…" A cold silence followed. "Evelyn, I need to go," Maekal said suddenly. Before she could understand, he left. When Evelyn returned after a moment, the old maid was gone. No one had seen where she went. After searching for a while, Evelyn sighed and convinced herself that the old woman must have mistaken him for someone else.
When Maekal reached the Blackthorne mansion, his face was filled with tension. Kael was already there, waiting. Without saying a word, he threw something toward him. It rolled across the floor. Maekal looked down—and froze. It was the old maid's head. "You should be careful, brother," Kael said calmly. "Or your little princess might find out your true identity." Maekal clenched his fists. "You didn't have to kill her. You could have compelled her to forget, just like you did with Katherine." Kael smirked slightly. "So you figured it out." "What are you planning?" Maekal demanded. "Why are you here?" Kael's smile didn't fade. "You already know." Maekal's expression darkened. "…No. That's not possible." Kael tilted his head slightly. "How is your relationship with Evelyn going?" That was enough to push Maekal over the edge. He rushed forward and punched Kael, but it had no effect. Kael only laughed and pulled out an old photograph from his pocket. He showed it to him. Maekal's eyes widened. The girl in the picture looked exactly like Evelyn—but the photo was old, very old. The year written on it was 1536. "Where did you get this?" Maekal asked. "From your safe," Kael replied. "Tell me, brother… that human girl looks just like the one we both loved back then." "No," Maekal said firmly. "She's not the same. Evelyn is kind. Her soul is pure." Kael laughed softly. "You really think she's different?" "Stay away from her," Maekal said coldly. "If you go near her, I'll kill you." In an instant, Kael grabbed his neck and lifted him effortlessly. "If you want to kill me… you need to be stronger," he said before throwing him to the ground. Then he walked away. Maekal stayed there, breathing heavily, his eyes slowly moving to the photograph lying nearby. The face looked like Evelyn… but the name written below it was Rebecca, and the year beneath it read 1536.