SYZYGY:The raise of the Monarch

Chapter XX

Before Eva could turn to the other side, morning arrived. She jumped out of bed, walked to the basin to fill it with fresh water, washed her face with icy cold water, and opened her drawer to take her hairbrush. While glancing at her open drawer, she noticed the rouge she had bought, following a trend among the women in Ruvia. However, after trying it, she found it a bit excessive and decided to purchase cosmetics only from foreign merchants in Ergeipt or Hina.

As she dressed, she added her green earrings and applied perfumed liquid behind her ears. After grabbing her sword, she walked out of the inn. Eyes stared intensely at her from both men and women. While the stares had been annoying in the first month, she had grown accustomed to them and learned to ignore them.

Suddenly, a woman stopped her. She appeared to be in her mid-fifties, with darker skin compared to the Ruvians, indicating she was a foreigner.

"Hello, Aunt Inana," Eva said with a faint smile.

During her training in the new area last winter, many people initially avoided her. However, the only person who treated her normally was Inana, an immigrant who had faced deportation several times but had successfully become a Ruvian citizen thanks to the Tsar's new policies. As a result, Inana supported the young king, making her a target for nearly every Ruvian who opposed the Tsar and prayed for his downfall daily.

"Eva, dear, could you run an errand for me?" Inana asked.

"I'm on my way to an important meeting. I'm not sure when I'll be finished," Eva replied.

"It's alright, honey. Here's the money. Whenever you're done, could you please bring me a long white-haired wig?"

Eva was taken aback. White, long hair was a distinctive trait of the Tsar and something that gave her nightmares.

"W-what do you need it for?" she stammered.

"Oh, it's the season for rare plants to be found in the deep forest, and also the time when wild beasts come out to hunt. I need it to protect myself," Inana said while counting and handing over the money.

Without further explanation, Eva had a vague sense of what Inana meant. It seemed like she planned to use the white wig to scare off the animals, but Eva wondered if that was even legal.

"But Inana, how are you so sure that will work?"

"Everyone knows that at night, the Tsar walks through the deep forest, his hair visible to the living creatures. His presence emits a powerful mana that terrifies them. He's done this for so long that his aura has seeped into the roots of the trees. Every animal born in the forest grows up fearing the Tsar, even if they've never encountered him. The king does all this to protect his ungrateful people. They know he's the one making Ruvia the safest, strongest, and wealthiest country, yet they still celebrate the day he was whipped as a child in public! I don't understand how he continues to rule this country so perfectly. If I were him, I'd have lived up to my name and burned all those ungrateful fools alive!"

Eva hurriedly tried to quiet Inana as she spoke recklessly.

"Shh, Auntie, be quiet! You're being reckless!"

"They're ungrateful, those bastards!" Inana muttered.

Eva chuckled softly, agreeing with her to some extent. Even though she was terrified of the Tsar, she couldn't deny he was an exceptional ruler. And, truthfully, she didn't blame him for wanting to kill her—he was just protecting his country. With a gentle push, Eva helped Inana back into her house before heading off to her meeting.