Chapter 328 - Gilded chambers
The carriage trundled its way through Freybrook, the cobbled streets gradually giving way to the wider, more spacious roads of the northern district. Scarlett and Evelyne sat in silence, each gazing out their respective window. Outside, the view shifted between patches of dark, snow-covered forest and the vague silhouettes of affluent estates, their forms softened by the faint glow of scattered lanterns.
After some time, Scarlett shifted her attention to Evelyne, quietly studying the younger woman’s distant expression.
As usual, conversations with Evelyne weren’t easy. Tonight was no exception. Their talk had wandered into territory Scarlett hadn’t planned for. She hadn’t meant to share so much, and she honestly wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it yet.
In one sense, being cornered like that—almost forced to reveal secrets she’d carefully guarded—had been immensely infuriating. But it had also been…useful. Or, at the very least, necessary. After all, she herself had made the decision to open up. If she had wanted to, she could have deflected much more, as she normally would. Perhaps, on some level, it was liberating not to.
Not that the frustration didn’t outweigh any sense of freedom. Scarlett also made a conscious effort to suppress whatever comfort she might have taken from it, a deliberate attempt to maintain her guard. She still believed some truths were best kept hidden — truths about this world, about Fate, and about her real identity. The sharing of those secrets had ended with Arlene. Evelyne didn’t need to know everything.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how Evelyne would have reacted if she had told her everything.
To Scarlett’s surprise, Evelyne eventually seemed to sense her gaze. The younger woman turned her head slowly, meeting her eyes.
“…What is it?” she asked quietly.
Scarlett studied her for a moment longer before answering. “I was…merely curious.”
“Curious about what?”
“Your opinion of me now that you know the truth,” she said. “We are sisters, but our shared past is one only you remember. I am not the sister you once knew, and I doubt I will ever truly become her again. Many would hesitate to see me as the same person, were they aware of this reality.”
Evelyne’s expression was unreadable, the lantern light casting flickering shadows across her partially covered face. “…I don’t know what you expect me to say here, Scarlett.”