Chapter 195: The Name

Chapter 195: Chapter 195: The Name

The young girl before her was clearly not the fool from those rumors.

Rather than shock, Evelyn’s first reaction was curiosity about when the girl had regained her sanity, and how she had managed to deceive everyone.

Putting on an act and maintaining a disguise since childhood required an immense amount of mental energy as well as an extensive network of connections.

Relying solely on a fallen princess, completely devoid of protection from her maternal family’s faction, it would be impossible to hide such an earth-shattering truth just to bide her time.

Therefore, it was highly likely that the girl’s intellect had only recently been restored.

As for her physical condition... it wasn’t as dire as the rumors claimed, where even walking required someone to support her.

However, judging with the naked eye, it wasn’t very optimistic either.

Evelyn’s gaze shifted away slightly, then looked straight at the young girl before her, her voice calm: "You are a far cry from the rumors."

The young girl lightly raised her hand, gesturing for the two people beside her to step down.

Only after they received the order and left did the girl speak: "In what aspect?"

The girl drew out her words, her tone making it difficult to discern her true emotions: "Could it be you are surprised because I am not a fool?"

Evelyn glanced at the tightly shut door behind her back.

The person outsiders constantly alluded to as the maid caring for the princess must be a connection left behind by their late mother—perhaps one of the two individuals wearing black cloaks just now.

As for the man... whether he was a guard left by their mother or a mage secretly hired by the girl, it was impossible to know.

But one thing was certain: the realms of those two people were not low at all.

There were too many mysteries. However, Evelyn had no desire to touch upon troubles that would only complicate her own situation, so she couldn’t be bothered to ask.

For this trip, confirming the condition of the person before her was enough.

The girl across from her seemed to be waiting for an answer. Evelyn retracted her gaze, maintaining an air of extreme calmness: "If you wish to maintain the status quo, I will not interfere."

"Heh~" The girl suddenly let out a laugh: "You are more interesting than I thought."

Whether that statement was a genuine exclamation or laced with sarcasm did not matter.

Evelyn checked the time: "Since you are safe, I will take my leave."

She had barely taken a single step when the hem of her dress was tugged from behind.

Compared to her earlier aloofness, the young girl’s voice now carried a hint of teasing: "I haven’t given you permission to just leave like that. Separated for almost twenty years and meeting for the first time, shouldn’t we sit down and catch up? Why are you in such a rush?"

Evelyn, who had just turned twenty this year: "..."

Was this girl including the time spent in their mother’s womb in her calculations as well?

The tug on her dress was not strong. Evelyn could have easily yanked it back and walked away.

But she didn’t. Nor was there any reason to do so.

Evelyn turned around to look at the girl, asking:

"Would it be convenient to tell me your name?"

The girl’s fingertips trembled slightly. Yet, her face revealed absolutely no emotion.

The corners of her lips curled up into a mocking smile.

"Could it be you don’t know? The reigning Emperor, our father, simply because of a few words from the late Empress, refused to bestow a name upon a foolish princess born to a deposed concubine. After the late Empress passed away, he completely forgot he even had such a daughter. Things like a name, I do not possess."

"..."

Evelyn had only recently begun to look into the rumors circulating within the royal family.

She hadn’t expected that even now, the Emperor still hadn’t bestowed a name upon the girl.

Without a name, one could not be recorded into the royal genealogy.

That also meant having absolutely no qualification to become an heir.

"If you want, I will go request His Majesty to grant you a name."

"No need." The young girl’s voice grew cold again: "I find it filthy."

Evelyn’s expression remained unchanged.

If such words were overheard by an outsider and spread, it would be a grave crime warranting severe punishment.

Yet the girl before her showed not a single ounce of apprehension.

Rather than calling this trust placed in a sister met for the very first time, it was more akin to the confidence of someone with a solid backing, fearing absolutely nothing.

Evelyn was just about to close this topic when she heard the young girl speak again.

"If you truly wish to call me by a name, call me Thalira."

"According to Ashe’s recounting, this was the name personally given to me by our mother, right before she was plotted against and driven to her death by the late Empress."

Imperial Consort Silur was poisoned to death during childbirth, yet now Thalira claimed it was the late Empress who had orchestrated her murder...

Setting aside the actual truth of the matter, Thalira was only one year old at the time and naturally could not have known the exact details, which proved that someone had recounted the story to her.

Thinking back, it was almost certainly that maid.

But whether it was the late Empress or the only biological child she left behind, Amber, both of them had already descended to the underworld.

Even if the claim were true, there was no longer any target left for revenge.

"Truth be told, my ability to smoothly clear out the vermin left behind by that woman was all thanks to the assistance of your captain."

At the mention of the word "captain," Evelyn’s expression changed slightly.

A while ago, when word spread about the Crown Prince and a faction of nobles bullying Sylas—the young master of the Valmont family—Evelyn had assumed that the successive downfalls of the Crown Prince and the Marquis backing him were connected to the Valmont family.

In truth, Evelyn was not the only one who held this view; such speculations were rampant among the public. Yet, no one was able to find a single flaw to exploit, not even the reigning Emperor.

Whether the Valmont family’s actions were simply airtight and flawless, or if they had never actually intervened in the first place—making clues impossible to find—people could only quietly speculate behind their backs.

But now that Thalira had linked Jeremy and herself together through this matter, could it be that Thalira and Jeremy had been in contact with each other long before this?