Chapter 5 : “You Look Just Like Someone I Once Knew”

The paved stone road wasn’t bustling with traffic—only a single carriage approached from the distance, flanked by four riders in total: two leading the way, and two guarding the rear.

Though it was a relatively modest display, for a remote northern city like this, it still came off as far too refined and ostentatious.

Seeing this, the commoners quickly made way, some even dragging their children into nearby alleys, fearful that one wrong move might anger these noble knights. 

Being struck would be considered lucky—broken limbs would be the real tragedy.

The carriage was pulled by two strong black horses, but the reins weren’t in the hands of an ordinary coachman.

Instead, it was a strikingly sharp-looking maid.

She wore a finely tailored long dress in classic black-and-white colors. 

Her flaxen hair was tied high into a ponytail. 

Though her looks were attractive, she wasn’t stunning—what truly stood out were her piercing eyes. 

One glance from her could send a chill through anyone’s heart.

Enya immediately sensed that gaze falling upon her and quickly turned her head away, lowering it in haste.

Thankfully, with the help of “Lie”, a legendary magical artifact, she appeared no different from the surrounding townsfolk—just as weak and unremarkable.

That sharp gaze soon passed her by, but Enya still broke into a cold sweat. 

She had nearly thought she’d been recognized.

Because she knew that maid. Very well, in fact.

Back when she was a child, that very maid had taught her a few sword techniques. 

Which meant that the person inside the carriage could only be—Vivienne.

As the carriage rolled slowly past, Enya’s eyelashes trembled involuntarily.

She held her breath, doing everything she could to resist the urge to turn and look. 

But before she could make any decision, the carriage stopped.

The sound of hooves clopping against the ground echoed briefly, then footsteps approached—getting closer and closer.

Enya clutched her chest as her heartbeat quickened wildly.

“Miss, my lady wishes to speak with you.”

The maid had approached her from behind.

Enya’s heart sank. 

No way she saw through me, right? 

That can’t be!

She suddenly wanted to return “Lie” and demand a refund.

That supposedly ancient witch—who looked like a child—had sworn up and down that there’d be no quality issues for at least a hundred years. 

And now, barely two years in, it was already falling apart?

At this point, most eyes on the street had shifted toward Enya. 

Some looked on with pity, others with indifference.

To them, it seemed like some lecherous noble inside the carriage had taken a fancy to this soft-featured, pregnant beauty.

How pitiful. 

How tragic.

Enya placed a hand on her dragon egg, soothing the little one’s emotions, all while rapidly thinking through her options.

Logically speaking, she should turn around and greet the person inside the carriage. 

But Enya truly couldn’t bring herself to face Vivienne in her current state.

Luckily, right now, she was “Mrs. Phil Clorcy”—just playing a role beneath a disguise!

“Lie” hadn’t actually failed; Enya simply couldn’t understand how Vivienne had picked her out from a crowd.

The maid, seeing Enya remain silent, spoke again.

“Miss, my lady means no harm. She simply wishes to talk.”

“…”

There was no avoiding it now. 

Enya braced herself and reluctantly turned, looking toward the maid just three meters away, then up at the curtain of the carriage.

She swallowed hard, silently praying not to be found out.

Her steps stiff, she slowly approached the carriage.

Just then, the curtain lifted slightly, and someone inside peered out.

Enya kept her head bowed, afraid that making eye contact would pierce through the false identity of “Mrs. Phil Clorcy.”

“Lift your head. Let me see you.”

The voice was soft, slightly hoarse, but laced with gentle expectation.

To Enya, it boomed like thunder in her mind. 

Panic began to set in.

Originally, she’d planned only to hide in the crowd and observe from afar. 

But her moment of hesitation had left her frozen in place—leading to this very moment.

But now, it was too late to regret anything. 

Slowly, she lifted her head.

That voice alone had already confirmed it: there was no doubt.

This was Vivienne.

From the small opening in the curtain, their eyes met.

And in that instant—Enya locked eyes with a pair of soft pink irises.

Though it lasted only a moment, it stirred a thought deep in Enya’s heart:

Should I just take off “Lie” and tell her everything?

No. No no no…

Enya slammed the brakes on that dangerous idea and flushed it from her mind.

With a shiver, she finally calmed down.

That blonde villainess’s overwhelming pressure far exceeded even the giant dragon Enya had barely managed to defeat. 

Staying near Vivienne would only place her in terrible danger.

Once she dismissed the thought, Enya took a determined step back.

She had decided to shoulder everything alone.

Her lips moved slightly as she spoke in a soft voice:

“May I ask… what the noble lady wishes to speak to me about?”

“……”

Silence.

After a moment, a voice came from inside the carriage:

“You remind me of someone very dear to me.She also had beautiful silver hair… But now, she’s run away from me.”

Run away?

That choice of words left Enya—who was the very person being talked about—deeply embarrassed.

“Is that so? What a coincidence, ha… haha… hahahaha…”

“She was always leaving without saying goodbye. Every time she left, she’d be gone for a long time.”

“Uh…”

“She used to send me letters—telling me what she was doing, what she was planning. But this time… she didn’t send a single word.”

“Mm…”

“If she comes back again… I’ll have to chain her up.”

“…Tch.”

Enya was momentarily stunned. 

The bitterness in those words ran deep—so deep that even she could clearly hear it.

She had never realized that Vivienne thought this way.

Inside the carriage, Vivienne sat alone.

She was the Third Princess of the Westwind Empire.

On the surface, she was a beautiful but fragile noble flower.

In secret, she was a key player with vast influence—central to the imperial succession struggle.

But right now, her face looked haggard. 

Her beautiful eyes were bloodshot.

When she’d first seen that flash of silver hair, she truly thought Enya had returned.

But standing before her was a completely unfamiliar woman.

No trace of Enya’s presence could be sensed in this woman. 

Not even the faintest hint of her aura.

Vivienne was deeply disappointed.

What if she’s deliberately disguising herself?

That thought flickered through Vivienne’s mind—and suddenly, her emotions, which had just settled, flared back up again.

She lifted the curtain higher and looked directly at the strange woman.

But the sight of the woman’s large, pregnant belly startled Vivienne so much she nearly jumped from her seat.

What the hell?!

Vivienne’s voice trembled:

“What is your name?”

“My name is Phil Clorcy.”

Vivienne saw Phil Clorcy, not the true Enya beneath.

The magical disguise from Lie was flawless.

So Enya responded accordingly.

“Are you… pregnant?”

“……”

That question froze Enya in place.

Now how the hell was she supposed to lie her way out of this one?