Chapter 11: If One Day There's Nowhere Left to Go
Even though the two of them had been running, they never actually left the estate. Armand had only taken Evelia far enough away to escape the noise and find a quiet place to rest.
The back garden of the estate was huge, with small pavilions everywhere. He picked a spot with a nice view. If you looked up, you could see the moon clearly in the sky.
“Whew... Sorry for dragging you around like that. I didn’t expect you to have such good stamina,” Armand said.
He loosened the thick cloak on his shoulders, letting the heat from running escape a little. The cloak, made of animal fur, was not only warm but also quite heavy to wear.
Evelia stood beside him, looking calm and composed. They had both sprinted earlier, but aside from being a bit warm, neither showed signs of being tired.
Armand, being a warrior, wouldn’t get tired from something like this. But seeing how relaxed Evelia was made him think that some of his guesses about her might be right.
“A maid needs to have strong stamina to properly serve her master,” she said.
Her cheeks were still a bit red from the running, but her expression was the same as always. Calm, as she fixed her long hair that had gotten messy from the run.
“I see, that makes sense. Being a maid is hard work too. Cleaning a place this big isn’t much easier than training at the shooting range,” Armand replied with a laugh. Just like before, he casually sat down on a stone bench in the pavilion. It was still cold out, and the stone felt chilly against him at first.
“Don’t be so stiff. Sit down,” he said, patting the spot next to him. He took off his heavy cloak and laid it out as a cushion for Evelia.
“……” She paused briefly, then sat down next to him as he asked. “Thank you.”
Evelia wasn’t someone who cared for moments of rest, but like always, she reminded herself, her mission was to get close to Armand and gain his trust. So a small chance to sit closer to him was something she wouldn’t let slip by.
“We’re going to be ‘partners’ from now on. No need to be so formal in private,” Armand said.
“……”
But as for what to do next, Evelia hadn’t figured it out yet.
After all, she had never done a mission that involved building emotional closeness. She was always just used for killing and fighting. This time, the Second Prince chose her for her loyalty, and that’s why he trusted her with this very important task.
But… were they just supposed to sit here?
Evelia thought Armand would be the one to start talking, and she could just follow along. But unexpectedly, he just sat there quietly, looking up at the moon. He seemed deep in thought, or maybe just zoning out, as he tapped his fingers on the stone bench out of boredom.
“Eve.”
“Yes, I’m here.”
After who knows how long of silence, it was Armand who finally spoke. With a small “click,” he slid his finger across the stone where he had been tapping. He tilted his head slightly toward her and called her by the nickname he’d given her.
Evelia responded immediately, turning to look at him.
The moonlight shone on the side of his face, and under that soft glow, his features seemed gentle. Evelia was always drawn to Armand's blue eyes, because she could never read anything from them. Whether he was smiling or arguing, there was always that same look in his eyes. A smile filled with a warmth she had never felt before in her years as an assassin.
How could someone who had been through so many battles be this gentle? She felt like she walked on the edge of blades her whole life. As the leader of the knights, Armand must have seen so much blood in war. He was older than her, too, so he’d definitely taken more lives than she had. And yet, he could still smile like that.
Was it because he had become numb? Or maybe he had found peace?
…She didn’t know.
Evelia thought about a lot, guessed at a lot. But her face stayed emotionless, calmly watching the man beside her.
That emotionless look, that was the result of her training.
She wasn’t allowed to have feelings. Her only job was to obey orders, no matter what.
If Armand suddenly told her now to take off her dress and serve him, she wouldn’t hesitate. She would show her unfamiliar body to him in the cold wind, let him do as he wished, because that was part of her mission. Unless the Second Prince ordered her to stop, she would do anything to please Armand, even if it meant throwing away her pride or her life.
Of course, that was only as long as she stayed alive to finish the mission. But whether she lived or died afterward didn’t matter to her. If needed, she could choose death.
Even death was better than failing and making the Second Prince angry enough to punish her…
But now, facing Armand, she didn’t feel as calm as she used to. After spending just one day with him, she felt something she hadn’t felt in years.
Maybe it was because he was just too strange…
“Have you ever thought about the future, Eve?” Armand asked.
Maybe it was fate, but just as Evelia had been thinking to herself that she wasn’t even afraid of death, Armand asked her this.
“The future…”
She didn’t know.
Evelia had no idea what the future held. When Armand asked her that question, it was the first time she truly didn’t know how to answer.
“Maybe I’ll always be a maid?”
Even her usually calm tone ended with a question mark this time.
“You became a senior maid at such a young age. Maybe one day you’ll be a super maid?”
…That was such a lame joke, she didn’t know how to respond.
“But really, Evelia, if one day you find yourself with no way out, come join my knight order.”
“…Huh?”
Evelia froze for a moment, unsure what he meant by that.
No way out? Why would he say something like that?
“Haha, I saw how fast you ran without even getting out of breath. You’ve got great physical strength. So, if things ever go wrong, join my order. We’ve got plenty of female knights too. And if you don’t want to fight, you can work in the office. How about it? I feel like we’ve got some fate between us. I’ll make sure you get a good position.”
Armand laughed loudly. If Evelia were a man, he probably would’ve slapped her on the back like a good buddy. It really seemed like he didn’t treat her as just a servant, but as a friend. If she were still using her old male disguise, maybe they could’ve even become brothers.
“Being a knight is too far away from me…” Evelia shook her head, thinking that it was a noble job that didn’t fit someone like her. “I don’t think I’m suited for it.”
“You won’t know unless you try. Everyone in my order is a good person. You’re welcome anytime.”
This was an invitation from the captain of the royal knights. For most people, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance that could change their future. But for Evelia, she only cared about her loyalty to the second prince.
“You seem to get along well with the knights. Why did you run away from the party?”
Evelia couldn’t accept his kindness, so she changed the subject.
He looked like the kind of guy who enjoyed joking and spending time with his team. So why did he leave all that and come talk to someone like her who was sitting alone?
“I came to find you.”
“…What?”
“I came to find you, Evelia.”
“Find me?” Evelia was getting more confused by his words. “Is there something important you wanted to say to me? There’s no one else around, so if it’s a secret mission, I—”
“I just came to find you. That’s all. No other reason.”
Before she could finish, Armand cut her off.
Evelia had hoped to gain his trust and maybe learn some secrets. But clearly, things weren’t going the way she expected. He was getting harder and harder to figure out.
“You’re my personal maid. That’s a high position, and it also means more danger. So don’t go wandering off. Stay where I can see you, Evelia.”
There was another meaning behind his words, don’t leave my sight.
Whether Evelia would understand that, was up to her.
But at least she didn’t misunderstand it as something romantic, because the concept of “romance” didn’t really exist in her mind yet.
“…Ah.”
She nodded slowly. What he said did make some sense. After all, even she was sent to either seduce or kill him. Who knew how many others might be after him too? Staying close to him could really be dangerous.
…But was that really all there was to it?
“I understand, Mr. Armand. I will protect you.”
She had some doubts, but didn’t think too deeply for now.
“Haha, I don’t need protection from a little girl like you. If I did, what kind of knight captain would I be?” he said as he stood up. “Alright, Evelia. Let’s head back. It’s getting late. Time to rest. We’ve got work tomorrow.”
“Yes, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia stood up too, dusted off the heavy cloak she had been sitting on, and handed it back to him. But instead of taking it, he placed it back around her shoulders.
“You look like you need this more than I do.”
As he gently fixed the thick fur around her shoulders, Evelia felt him pat her lightly and pull her long pink hair out from under the cloak. They weren’t standing very close, but maybe because the night wind was so cold, she could clearly feel his warm breath near the top of her head.
Then the two of them quietly walked back to the bonfire. It was late now, and most of the girls had left to rest. The knights were still cleaning up, using the excuse of a “special night” to help the ladies who had gone back. When Armand returned, the vice-captain, Carle, couldn’t let him off the hook, he grabbed him by the neck and dragged him over to the beer barrels that hadn’t been put away yet, calling the other knights to drink with them.
As for Evelia, still wrapped in Armand's cloak, she returned to her private room for senior servants. She folded the warm cloak neatly on the table, then picked up the book she had borrowed, “The Maid’s Knight”.
She originally thought the book was some kind of strategy guide.
But after flipping through it quickly, she realized she was wrong.
Even though the story was about a maid and a knight, the words on the title page said “Special Collector’s Edition – Side Story Compilation,” which made it very clear what the book was really about.
“This is totally a dirty book.”
Evelia sighed and closed it.
There was nothing useful inside about how to “win over” a knight. Instead, it had detailed descriptions of all kinds of “positions” and “techniques.”
“…Totally useless.”
She had no idea why the girls had this kind of book, but either way, she would return it tomorrow.