Minos looked nothing like his older battle-hardened self, yet she would never mistake him for someone else. When the world was against her, he didn’t turn back and even protected her at the cost of tarnishing his own honor. For that, he had won her heart.

It didn’t matter, though.

Her husband Minos had died with her on that dreadful day. The person in front of her… was not him. She felt hollow all of a sudden. She knew she had to meet him someday, but she didn’t know it would be this soon, let alone know how to act now that he was here, so she behaved like how she normally would when she was this age: emotionless.

“And you are?” she asked, turning her head back to the arena to watch the gore and the carnage that were left behind. “Even if you are the gold key holder, I don’t think barging into a lady’s room is a refined behavior of a gentleman.”

There was a moment of silence.

“I apologize,” Minos finally said. “I was excited to be able to meet Lady Nacia at last. We have never run into each other before, despite both of us having been very generous customers of this place, you see.”

Eva was too surprised by the fact that she met Minos that she didn’t even question why he was here. And not only that; Minos was also one of the highest-paying patrons of this arena. What was going on?

“I also happen to be quite curious about what kind of people the gold key holders are,” Eva said, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair. “Please, have a seat. We still have time to talk before the next show.”

“Thank you, lady.” Minos sat in the chair next to Eva’s. His postures and manners were all as she remembered. It made her feel this hollowness once again.

Eva glanced at the servant by the entrance. “I won’t need anything else. You may take this time to rest.”

“Thank you, lady.” The servant bowed with his right arm against his abdomen before sauntering away to the nearest corridor, understanding her message.

“Now then,” Eva said, looking down below. The arena’s personnel was restraining the lion and cleaning up the corpses. Some audience got out of their seats to find something to eat or drink. “What is it that you wish to talk about? Sir…”

“Nikitas.” Minos looked around, ensuring that no one was within their earshot. “I know who you are, Lady Nacia,” he said.

Eva suspected this. If he didn’t know who ‘Nacia’ was supposed to be then he wouldn’t have made such a bold move. The question was, what did he want from her?

“Am I supposed to be impressed, Sir Nikitas?” she said, leaning her cheek against her palm, looking jaded. “With a little effort of digging, anyone could know who I am, which is intentional.”

“No. I really know who you are,” he said with the tone of a card player who knew he had already won. “You are not Lady Nacia. I have trailed her since long ago and know that you are not her.”

Eva frowned, trying not to show anything on her face except an expression of annoyance no matter how surprised she was. “Is this a game of yours? To test how much patience I have talking to an imbecile?”

Minos smiled. “I also know that it is usually your sister, Lena Vallou, who comes here while pinning everything on you, Lady Eva.”

Her eyes widened. He knows, she thought. He knows what had been happening. This was why he trusted her years into the future despite solid evidence against her, why he stood with her without having a single doubt.

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This time, she looked around to make sure no one could hear them. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Sir Nikitas.”

Minos laughed. “Your reaction already told me everything, my lady,” he said with a mischievous smile. “Do not worry. I am on your side.”

Eva glared at him for a moment before sighing and relaxing. “What do you want?”

“I want the same thing as you, my lady.” He leaned toward her and whispered, “I want this place destroyed.”

Knowing Minos, that was exactly what he would do, though she didn’t know that he would be involved this soon. Eva thought for a moment and settled on a conclusion. This was the perfect opportunity. Not only would she be able to deal with Lena, but she would also be able to ensure Minos’s safety and could warn him about any future occurrences.

Eva smiled. “You know that my sister is trying to frame me, correct?” This time, she leaned toward him. “I want to teach her a lesson, one that she will never forget, so if you can help me with that, I can also help you do what you want.”

Minos smiled back. “I’m glad the lady is so agreeable,” he said, grabbing the slave ledger, and he pointed to the exact name Eva had eyed before. “Do you know who this is?”

So he has the same idea. “Kalis Vascatos, the 6th son of duke Vascatos, a friend of the prince. I was planning to use him to alert the dukedom. I suspect that he is hiding some kind of proof of identity on his person. Maybe a ring or a badge.”

“And you were going to contact Duke Vascatos himself and have him launch a full investigation. Your sister couldn’t have erased every trace, and sooner or later the truth will come out. It is a solid plan, but unfortunately, it wouldn’t work.”

Eva frowned. “Why wouldn’t it?”

“I searched him already. He has nothing to prove his identity. You should already realize that without the proof, the duke wouldn’t make a move, since he doesn’t want to look desperate. And well, he has no love for his kin.”

Eva gritted her teeth as she was far too familiar with a father like that. “Are you sure there’s nothing on him?” In a couple of years, a signet ring of House Vascatos would be found on a corpse here, and it would be revealed that the deceased was the duke’s long-lost son.

“More than certain. I even inspected him myself.”

Damn Lena. She probably held the ring with her and planted it when it was convenient, and by then, she would have already solidified all the evidence to the point that even the duke’s people couldn’t find the truth.

“Please don’t worry. I wouldn’t have brought up his name if I didn’t have a plan,” Minos said as he produced a pen out of his pocket. “Instead of evidence that existed… why don’t we create one instead?”

Eva grabbed her chin and quickly realized. “You want him to write a letter to the duke.”

“Correct.” He put the pen away and looked down at the arena, staring at the corridor below where slaves were kept. “The problem is, we don’t have a way to be alone with him.”

Eva followed his line of thought but couldn’t figure it out. “And how exactly would you need my help?”

“I need another person who has a significant amount of authority here. You will do a perfect job, and you being so pretty is also a bonus point.” He winked.

Eva hated that she was flustered. Had Minos always been this kind of person? She always remembered him being a loyal and serious person, but she supposed he was still young at this time. “That didn’t answer my question,” she said, trying her best to keep calm, but she knew that he saw a crack in her facade.

Minos smiled even more brightly. “My plan is to orchestrate a battle between my lady and me. There is a protocol before the battle commences, you see. Each side will be able to inspect the other side’s combatants, and if we battle each other, no matter whose side the duke’s son is in, we will be able to be alone with him.”

Eva thought for a second. This… could work, but somehow, she felt something off. “What would you do if I decide to tell the guards of your plan?”

“Then, I will also tell them my lady’s identity. We can see who they trust more, then.”

“And what would you do if I accept your proposal and decide to stab you in the back later?”

“Then, I simply misjudged you, and I will gladly accept my loss, even at the cost of my life.”

Eva thought some more. She would trust Minos with her life anytime, but the man in front of her was not him, she had to tell herself again and again. She needed to think objectively.

“My lady,” Minos said, grabbing her hand, his eyes looking straight at her with what she could only interpret as sincerity. “Please believe in me.”

It was warm; a feeling she had missed. Eva didn’t know if she was swayed by his words or not, but finally, she said, “I accept.”

Minos smiled, holding his hand out. “I look forward to our cooperation, Lady Nacia—no, Lady Eva.”

Eva looked at his palm and its blisters. She placed her hand on his, and he bowed forward to kiss her hand, looking up at her.

“Yes,” she said. “I suppose I also look forward to this.”