Chapter 9: Bonfire and Dinner Party
Evelia stood quietly to the side. She never expected that what was originally meant to be a formal dinner to welcome the new owner of the manor would turn into a small bonfire party.
It all started when Armand strolled into the kitchen. On the way, he happened to run into Evelia, who was holding the book “The Maid’s Knight”. But Armand didn’t seem to care about what she was holding, he simply greeted her and continued on his way to the kitchen. In the end, the dinner followed his idea and became a casual garden party for everyone in the manor.
Laughter and happy chatter filled the air. What was meant to be a welcome party for Armand now felt more like a mixer. These kinds of gatherings were where young people often got to know each other better, and sometimes sparks would fly.
Of course, rules still had to be followed. No matter how lively things got tonight, nothing inappropriate was allowed to happen. If anyone planned to get “closer” afterward, they had to wait for their time off. After all, both the maids and the knights still had to work as usual tomorrow.
Evelia, however, wasn’t the type to enjoy this kind of lively atmosphere. So while the others chatted and laughed in the center of the garden, she stood quietly beside a small man-made pond, enjoying a moment of peace under the familiar dark sky.
“Why are you here?”
As always, someone came to break her peace. This time, it was the captain of the knights, whose hair was as dark as a moonless night. But his blue eyes shone like stars that lit up the darkness.
“Mr. Armand,” Evelia gave a small bow.
“Looks like you don’t like crowded places.”
Armand smiled and leaned casually against the railing beside her.
“Not really,” Evelia said, telling a small lie just to seem more sociable. “I just came out to feel the night breeze.”
“The night breeze? It's pretty cold out here. But I guess it’s fine, your winter maid coat looks warm enough.”
The late winter to early spring nights were chilly, but with the large bonfire and endless drinks, the wind didn’t feel so sharp.
Evelia no longer needed to rely on her long hair to stay warm. As the maid of the knight captain, she received good treatment. Her coat was made of fine material and was warm enough near the fire.
The people here were already used to the cold. They danced and sang in pairs, their energy keeping them warm. Every now and then, a girl would sneeze, and a nearby knight would cover her with his coat. It all looked quite romantic.
Most of the knights were friendly, inviting the maids to dance traditional dances from their distant hometowns. The squad Armand brought here was made up of people he trusted, carefully selected for their good character. The maids could safely accept their kindness.
It almost felt like a large matchmaking event. But that’s often the point of a dance party, to meet and connect with new people.
“Are you hiding from the party?” She asked.
Evelia didn’t look at him, just kept her gaze forward. In front of her were all the laughing, joyful people, but her eyes only reflected the darkening sky.
“That word ‘hiding’ is quite an interesting choice.”
“Because this is your party. You’re the host. If the guest of honor leaves without a word, then that’s escaping.”
“Haha, I suppose you’re right. But actually, I came out to find you. I want you to stay where I can see you. Out of all the maids, you’re the one I know best now, and we’ll be working together for a long time.”
Armand laughed out loud, bending slightly at the waist as he did. He looked down at Evelia beside him, hoping to read something from her expression. But all he saw was a calm, unmoving surface, like a still lake.
“Tell me,” he said, “have you ever thought about running away?”
He paused for a moment before asking the question, his eyes on Evelia’s beautiful but unreadable face.
“Run away?” Evelia raised her head slightly and looked up at Armand's blue eyes, which were partly hidden by his hair. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
They both tried to read something in each other’s gaze, but found nothing.
Evelia’s eyes remained calm, while Armand's eyes still held that same friendly smile.
“I mean running away,” he explained, “doing what you want, going where you want, just not doing things you hate.”
“You mean avoiding responsibilities.”
“Don’t make it sound so harsh,” Armand grinned. “Let’s just call it… leaving for a while, Siv.”
“It’s Evelia, Mr. Armand. Not ‘Siv’.”
“Haha, Eve, Eve. Your names just sound too similar, it’s hard to tell them apart.”
“…Haa.” Evelia let out a tired sigh. “I honestly don’t understand how someone like you became the Royal Knight Captain.”
She had been wondering that all day. The only explanation she could think of was something ridiculous like, ‘Is he the Crown Prince’s secret lover or what? How else could such an airheaded man rise so high? They hadn’t known each other that long, and Armand had already called her by several different names. He even got it right once, how did he forget so quickly? Was his brain the size of a walnut?’
“I just have a bad memory for names,” he said, still smiling. “You don’t have to doubt me like that, it hurts my feelings.”
He said it as if he were sad, but his cheerful smile didn’t change at all, making it impossible to believe he was actually hurt.
“If you can’t even remember names, how do you manage your people?”
“I just forget at first,” Armand replied casually. “I’ve worked with most of these soldiers for years. I can call the familiar ones by name. But on the battlefield, we don’t really use names, we all go by nicknames. That way, if someone finds out your real name, they can’t threaten your family.”
Armand leaned lazily against the railing and looked out over his knights and attendants.
“Names don’t really matter that much. What’s really useful is remembering someone’s habits and traits. After all, today you might be called Evelia, but tomorrow, maybe Elya or Sivia or something else. Your looks can change too, if you don’t like long hair, you can cut it. Don’t like pink hair? Dye it black. Even your eyes, nose, and lips could be changed. But the little habits deep in your bones? Those never change.”
It was just a simple example, but Evelia felt her heart skip a beat.
Armand didn’t seem to notice the change in her expression. He lifted his hand and pointed toward a few of the nearby knights.
“That guy on the left? We call him ‘Chef’, he’s the best cook in the team. He’s also left-handed and likes to stomp his foot to the rhythm of his chopping. Holds the knife with his thumb on top. The guy jumping in the middle? ‘Foxhound’, the smartest one here, but also the sneakiest. He likes to crack his knuckles by pressing his left middle and ring finger, then squeezing his hand into a fist until it clicks. And the one drinking over there? ‘Balloon’, that guy gained weight faster than you can believe…”
Armand went on and on, introducing each knight to Evelia without mentioning a single real name. But through his descriptions, it became clear that he had truly remembered each person’s unique traits.
Even for the maids he had only seen once or twice, he could point out small details and habits. For the ones he hadn’t given nicknames to yet, he just referred to them as things like “the black-haired girl from the kitchen” or “the green-eyed girl who wipes the cabinets.”
To a normal person, hearing all this might feel touching, like Armand was a thoughtful leader who paid close attention to his people. But to Evelia, it was terrifying.
There were dozens of knights and maids here, and Armand could describe all of them in detail. Evelia didn’t know most of them very well, but even with her limited observations, she could tell that Armand's descriptions were almost completely accurate, and far more detailed than anything she knew.
Even if he’d worked with the knights for years, what about the maids and other staff in this manor? If this really was his first time here, when did he manage to observe and memorize all these people?
Evelia was a very cautious person. She often moved through the servant areas, but she had never noticed Armand watching from nearby.
—’What about me?’
As she marveled at Armand's frightening powers of observation, another thought crossed her mind.
—’Will he discover who I really am?’
For the first time, Evelia felt nervous.
But she wasn’t worried about what Armand would do to her if he found out.
She was worried that if her mission failed… the Second Prince would...