Chapter 20: A Request
In Evelia’s understanding, holding hands between a man and a woman already meant something intimate. So instead, she carefully chose to hook her little finger around Armand's little finger, using the smallest finger on her hand to touch his.
She thought this was a more reserved gesture. But in fact, hooking pinkies could seem even more suggestive than simply holding hands.
That tiny action created a gentle, unclear feeling between them. It was as if they were quietly leaning on each other, but at the same time keeping a slight distance, uncertain and careful.
Her soft, smooth skin brushed against Armand's rough finger. Armand instinctively curled his pinky a little, trying to feel the faint warmth coming from hers.
The first round of confrontation began in silence.
They walked in silence for a few seconds, but their footsteps didn’t stop. During that time, they avoided each other’s eyes. The sunlight fell gently on them, adding a light warmth to the moment.
If someone had passed by and seen this, they would definitely gossip, “Wow, Armand's finally falling in love?” But neither Evelia nor Armand had any romantic feelings in their hearts, even though they were walking side by side with their pinkies linked, heading toward the garden.
—‘Is this girl trying to send some kind of secret signal? Could there be other spies that haven’t been cleared out yet?’
Armand didn’t seem to understand the mood at all. He was just focused on being alert around her.
—‘Even if this was something from a novel, does pinky hooking count as physical contact? Why does it feel more like walking a dog?’
Evelia was still using her own way of thinking to judge whether what she was doing made sense.
“Evelia, what are you doing?”
Armand was the first to break the silence. He kept their pinkies hooked and lifted her hand slightly.
“Hooking pinkies,” Evelia replied calmly.
“I know it’s hooking pinkies.”
Armand laughed a little, then changed his gesture. While keeping their pinkies connected, he gently placed his thumb on top of hers.
The second round had begun.
This time, the position of their hands felt much more intimate. Their fingers were pressed together tightly, and now they could truly feel each other’s warmth.
“When you hook pinkies, you’re supposed to make a promise. Evelia, is there something you want me to do?”
“……”
Evelia silently looked at Armand, thinking things over.
There were, in fact, quite a few things she wanted him to do.
First, she needed him to trust her.
Then, she needed him to fall in love with her.
After that, she needed him to be unable to live without her.
If she could completely win over this man, then she could get anything she wanted.
If she could fully control his heart, she could make him do whatever she said.
Controlling him meant controlling the entire Royal Knights, and also holding the crown prince’s fate in her hands.
She could trick him into revealing important information, or tempt him enough to make him switch sides.
In the end, once everything was ready, she could eliminate both him and the crown prince together.
To put it simply, ‘It's discarding the tool after the job is done.’
Looking at it this way, Evelia really did seem like the kind of girl who would play with someone’s heart and toss them aside afterward.
But to her, it was nothing personal. Just business.
“…The kitchen.” After thinking for a while, Evelia gave him just two words.
“Can you let me go to the kitchen?”
This was the second time Armand had asked a question in a way that was clearly testing her. The first time, Evelia had asked him to remember her name, hoping he’d remember her more deeply.
This time, she decided to ask for permission to use the kitchen. After all, many books said, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
That phrase appeared often in the Complete Family Cookbook she had bought, it was even printed on the cover.
Of course, that was just a marketing trick used in books for women.
If it were a makeup book, it would say, “The way to a man’s heart is through his eyes.”
If it were a massage book, it would say, “The way to a man’s heart is through his pressure points.”
If it were an adult book, it might say, “The way to a man’s heart is through his [censored].”
There was even a self-defense manual with the line, “The way to a man’s heart is through his skull.”
Evelia, who had never cooked seriously before, had gone so far as to buy a cookbook and prepare lots of spices, just to please Armand.
But before she even had the chance to show off her skills, Armand had already banned her from the kitchen.
“The kitchen?” Armand chuckled. His answer was direct and firm. “No.”
Being immune to poison was one thing, but suffering through bad food was another.
Although Armand could tell that Evelia put a lot of effort into cooking, whether it was the "Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood" omelet rice, the occasionally attempted chaotic spice stews, or that unforgettable potion-like soup that seemed like a manifestation of ancient vengeful spirits. He just couldn't bring himself to accept any of it.
Even the way she served the food, with a stiff face and awkwardly saying, “Master~ your little maid has brought your meal! Let me feed you~ ♡”, was too much for him.
With that blank face and flat tone, it felt like mental damage. Armand wasn’t into that kind of thing. He didn’t want her watching him eat with a disgusted look like he was a garbage can. That just made bad food feel even worse.
“I heard from the head chef that you’re a picky eater,” said Evelia.
“I’m not that picky. I can eat almost everything the chef makes.”
“What about food made by other people?”
“Some of the knights bring snacks from home. I can eat those too…”
“I see. So, the only one you won’t eat from… is me.”
“Ah… well…”
Thud.
In the distance, the sound of knights hitting the bullseye with their arrows rang out. Just like Evelia’s words had hit the center of Armand's thoughts.
“You don’t like me.”
Evelia said it directly, making Armand feel a little awkward.
“It’s not like that.”
“Then let me use the kitchen.”
Same words again. She was stubborn, once she made up her mind, there was no turning back.
Evelia never gave up on what she wanted to do.
“I’ll make something that pleases you.”
Her face didn’t show much emotion, but even she didn’t notice that she had already moved from hooking fingers to holding Armand's entire hand.
“You really don’t give up, do you?”
Armand smiled and gently held her hand in return. The warmth from his palm made her glance down at their hands. The next moment, he turned and pulled her in a new direction.
“Where are we going?”
“To the back kitchen. Isn’t that where you wanted to go? I’ll go with you.”
“Mm…”
Evelia followed beside Armand. The spring breeze blew gently across her face. She didn’t let go of his hand. Instead, she went further and intertwined their fingers.
Armand didn’t stop her, he just let her hold his hand like that.
This was their third round.
Armand didn’t truly mean to give in. He just wanted to see what she was planning.
Evelia wasn’t cooking out of love. She simply wanted to win Armand's favor. They each had their own hidden thoughts but acted so close.
On the surface, they smiled calmly. But inside, they were playing a different game. Just a man pretending to care and a woman who planned to toss him aside in the end.
But at least for now, this battle had no smoke or fire.