Evelyn, The Red Moon

-Chapter 7-

When the dawn’s pale light started to spread out, a middle aged man, who was heading to the river, stopped walking.

A woman was laying at the shore on a field of gravel as the river continued to gently flow. The man then approached the woman carefully.

From her wet appearance, it was obvious that she had fallen into the river. The man was thinking about how bad her appearance was until he noticed the unusual dress.

“Hello.”

The man squatted and shook Evelyn by her shoulders. But there was no movement, so he brought his finger close to her nose.

“It’s weak, but she’s still breathing.”

The man paused and thought for a moment. He was a man who didn’t want to do troublesome things like working but recently, he was getting short on money.

He has never done a good deed in his life. He does numerous awful things if it would help him make money.

“Ugh…”

One of Evelyn’s fingers twitched as she groaned but the man didn’t notice that since he was intently staring at her face with admiration.

When looking at her closely, she was quite the beauty. He thought that he’s lucky that he’d be able to fill his pockets.

The man lifted Evelyn, who was unconscious, and hung her on his shoulder. He wasn’t tall but his shoulders were broad so he was able to easily carry her while he walked away from the river.

***

Evelyn heard faint voices of a man and a woman..

“When will she wake up? Can we leave her like that?”

The man replied to the woman’s endless blabbering.

“She’ll soon come to her senses.”

“What if I’m alone when she wakes up?”

“Why are you so worried? You can just make up a story.”

Evelyn, slightly opened her eyes. Observing her surroundings, she was in a crude room with old furniture and a stale smell.

She was laying on the floor. A man with broad shoulders and a middle-aged woman with a strong impression were sitting at the table, facing each other.

Evelyn inwardly sighed with relief. It was obvious that she was alive. Although she was a good swimmer, she gambled with her life by jumping from a cliff into a deep river.

Fortunately, Evelyn, who sank deep into the water, grabbed a fairly large piece of wood. She caught it and let the current take her after losing consciousness.

The man seemed to have saved her, but the conversation was concerning.

“If you sell her to Madame Dre’s salon, you’ll get a lot of money.”

“Once she wakes up.”

The woman rose from her chair while Evelyn closed her eyes once again.

Salon? Where a man gets a woman for a price?

They call it a salon, not a brothel, to make it plausible.

Evelyn held her gasp since she was pretending to still be unconscious. The woman approached and thoroughly examined her appearance.

“The dress is so luxurious even though her feet have a lot of scratches, by any chance… a noble?”

“Does it matter, if it’s a noble or a rich lady?”

“But what if she has someone backing her up?”

“It’s not even your first time, what’s wrong with you?”

The woman pouted her thin lips.

“There’s nothing wrong with being careful, right?”

“Ah, stop nagging at me with your futile worries!”

The man stood up and picked up his hat.

“I’ll be out, if she wakes up, feed her something, act nice and keep an eye on her for me.”

“When will you be back?”

“Before it gets dark. I have a lot of things to take care of.”

They were partners. After letting an orphan or a wandering woman stay at their home, they treat her with kindness, and then sell her to a place where laughter and alcohol are being sold.

When the man left, the woman stretched out and yawned.

“Ugh… Um…”

Evelyn wriggled with a low groan as if she were finally coming to her senses. The woman approached her with shining eyes.

“Do you feel like you can get up?”

After opening her eyes, Evelyn raised her upper body up and looked around with a blank stare.

“Oh, great! You’re awake.”

The woman was delighted.

“Where…”

“Relax. This is my house.”

“What happened? I’m… Why?

“My husband brought you because you were lying along the river.”

Evelyn frowned at the fact that the woman plastered her kindest smile to her.

“My memory… I don’t remember.”

“Don’t you remember what happened to you?”

Evelyn raised her hand and touched her forehead with an embarrassed look before she nodded.

“Well then, what’s your name?”

“Name…what’s my name?”

“You don’t even remember your name?”

With tearful eyes, Evelyn nodded once again. The woman thought this was a good thing. Actually, a very good thing, thinking a big sum of money walked in on its own. If one doesn’t know who they are, they can be sold without an issue.

“Did you lose your memory after running into an unpleasant incident?”

“I- I don’t know. It’s just… I can’t think of anything.”

“Oh, what should we do about it?”

The woman hid her intentions and held Evelyn’s hands, as if she were genuinely concerned.

“I’m glad you’re awake. Memories will surely come back slowly. You should eat something first, I’ll bring some hot soup.”

“Thank you. I must have come across an angel. You saved my life and you’re helping me.”

Evelyn acted very plausible for a woman who lost her memory. The woman helped her sit at the table and then brought a vegetable soup, some bread and an apple jam.

“Eat properly and cheer up. Your clothes are a mess, so I’ll give you something to change into.”

“Sorry for being a bother. I won’t ever forget your kindness.”

“It’s nothing much, we should all help each other. I had a daughter who‘d be just about your age, if she were alive. She died from an illness a few years ago.”

The woman wiped her non-existent tears with the back of her hand.

“When I saw you, I thought of my daughter…”

The woman wept while signing Evelyn to eat. First, Evelyn had to fill her stomach. Seeing that the sunlight is shining through the window, Evelyn assumes that it’s already past noon.

Evelyn emptied the soup on the plate and then spread jam on the bread.

“Is there really nothing that comes to your mind?”

“Where is my home? I don’t even know if I have a family or not.”

Evelyn looked miserable second by second, to make the woman feel sorry for her.

“You can stay as long as you want, think of this place as your home. Maybe that’ll help bring back your memories.”

After finishing her meal, Evelyn changed into the clothes the woman gave her.

“Don’t worry about anything and try to get some rest. There’s a bed in that small room.”

“You’re so kind, thank you.”

Even though Evelyn has already restored her energy, she still did what the woman suggested in order to convince her.

The woman then sat on the table and began to drink. Evelyn peeped through the door and looked at the window’s location. It was quite high up and small, it seemed difficult to escape with.

What to do? I have to run away before the man comes back. 

If she goofed around, she would get sold. Feeling restless and anxious, Evelyn paced back and forth around the room but then paused when she thought of an idea.

She was more confident than anyone when it comes to running. Evelyn went out to the living room and touched her lower abdomen with both her hands. She showed an embarrassed expression to the woman, whose eyes were already drooping after a few drinks.

“I don’t feel well. Bathroom…”

“I will show you the way.”

The woman gave Evelyn badly worn-out shoes.

“Put that on and follow me.”

Now she had shoes after having clothes. The clothes that didn’t fit her body looked a bit ridiculous but with an appearance like this, she’d be able to go to Antimar without catching anyone’s attention or suspicion.

There was a hut-like bathroom in the backyard. Evelyn looked around while following the woman. The woman’s house was a common farmhouse.

“Here, see your business.”

The woman didn’t seem to have any intention of going back into the house.

If that’s the case, well. 

Evelyn rapidly turned around and started running towards the gate.

“He-hey, where are you going? Wait. Wait!”

The woman who got startled for a moment was fast, but Evelyn was much faster than a middle-aged, drunk woman.

“Why are you running away? I saved you and even fed you…!”

The evil woman tripped on a stone and rolled over. Evelyn ran without even looking back,  she ran nonstop until she left the village and entered a woods path.

She took a mountain path in case she got caught escaping using the main road. Evelyn halted when she felt safe.

“Hah, hah, haa…”

Tears welled up her eyes, as she breathed through rough breaths.

Don’t cry—crying is a luxury for you.

I will be going to Antimar now. Rasmania Travitt’s Palace. That’s where my golden opportunity is. 

She clenched her fists with all of her strength.

After getting back on track, she started walking. She was fortunate enough that the weather was good.

By night, she entered a village and secured her eyes on a barn that is far from the other farmhouses.

She filled her stomach with water and with every fruit she saw. When Evelyn finally arrived at Antimar, after walking for so long, she now looked like a total beggar.

Standing in front of the main gate of Bavela Palace, which was as magnificent as the Royal Palace, Evelyn inhaled a deep breath.

Her heart pounded. She didn’t know what kind of life awaited for her after entering through the solid, high main gate.

Maybe it would turn out different from what she was expecting. Even so, she was sure that it would be better than the life she had lived up to until now.

“Survive and come to the Bavela Palace in Antimar. I am the lord of the Palace, Rasmania Travitt.”

***

“Evelyn, sorry but…”

Lady Redicia, the tutor, stared at her with a faint look.

About a month ago.

The beggar like Evelyn appeared in front of the Bavela Palace. She confidently told her name to the guard who was trying to hold her back.

Rasmania ordered the guard of the gate to escort Evelyn to her when she arrived.

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Rasmania welcomed Evelyn with admiration. As a sign of her gratitude towards her, she adopted her into the Travitt Family. If it weren’t for Evelyn, she wouldn’t be able to come back alive.

But this action was too much of a compensation as gratitude for saving Rasmania’s life. It would have been enough to just hand Evelyn a fortune.

Nevertheless, Evelyn was officially adopted by Rasmania because she had some ulterior motives about Evelyn, who had an outshining beauty and intelligence.

Lady Redicia firstly taught Evelyn writing and etiquette, but she never once called her lady.

“Mrs. Redicia, why won’t you call me lady?”