Chapter 41: Inviting You Into My Room
After that day, Armand became a frequent visitor in front of the now-bald patch of blue roses.
The other servants said they often saw him sitting alone in a corner of the back garden, not saying a word, lost in thought.
In the morning, he still went to the knights' training grounds like usual, but at night, he spent most of his time in front of that empty flower bed.
After their strange "silent treatment" where both thought the other was mad, Armand and Evelia wanted to talk things out and clear the air. But after Evelia used her "scissor legs" move and nearly cracked his head open, Armand became even more unsure of what to do.
"Why did things turn out like this…?"
He sat on the stone bench, hoping the night wind would blow away the mess in his mind.
It had been nearly a week since the “scissor legs” incident.
Armand could still remember how soft Evelia felt. Even though he tried not to think about it, every time he saw her, all he could remember was her warmth, her touch, and even her scent from that day.
"Damn it…"
He rubbed his head, trying to calm himself down.
He still hadn’t had the chance to ask her who she went to meet that day, or where those flowers had come from.
He knew he shouldn’t care so much. But his brain kept ringing alarm bells, telling him to find out the truth.
…Don’t do this. She’s the Second Prince’s person!
An enemy spy… a rotten traitor… someone who should be executed on the spot…!
Just like that day in the carriage, Armand was still wondering if he should kill Evelia. But the thing he feared most was already happening, his desire to kill her was much weaker now. A voice deep inside was telling him to show mercy, to take a chance on the tiny hope, less than one percent, that she might not be what she seemed.
The night wind was still cold. Armand shivered and coughed softly.
But this was still better than the harsh conditions in the Northern War Zone. At least here, he could breathe normally without suddenly puking blood while leaning against a tree.
Back then, to keep up morale, he had to swallow all that blood and pretend he was fine. Sometimes he drank so much of his own blood that it felt like a full meal.
He looked up and took a deep breath. The cold air rushed into his lungs and made his stomach feel sick.
Ugh… it hurts.
His head, throat, and all his organs hurt.
On the outside, it looked all fancy, showing off things like being carried like a princess or doing flashy moves. But deep down, everything was a mess.
…Is it worth it?
Sometimes, Armand asked himself that.
Was everything he was doing really worth it?
He had given up everything, and now his life was also on the line, but he still insisted on staying here. Was it worth it?
Maybe it was…
Armand narrowed his eyes and looked at the moon. For the first time, he thought the golden half-moon was almost too bright.
The elders always said that people need something to look forward to in life. That was what kept Armand going all this time.
He still had unfinished business with the Second Prince, and many debts to repay.
The moonlight was so bright that even with his eyes closed and head tilted up, he could still feel it through his eyelids.
With his eyes closed, he started remembering all the painful things in his past.
The suffering of his childhood, the struggles of his youth, and now as an adult. Just when it felt like he had made some progress, it also felt like the end was drawing near.
The cries of a friend from his younger days echoed in his ears as he closed his eyes. It was both a scream and a plea. That painful memory had become a shadow that followed him for life, and also the reason he stayed strong until now.
Lately, maybe because of Evelia, he had started to feel like giving up. But this negative thought brought back the anger and sorrow he felt when he barely survived back then. He could almost hear the voices of his fallen friends crying out again, louder and louder in his head, like flies buzzing non-stop, so loud it made his head hurt.
“Of course I know… I’ll get revenge for you…”
Armand mumbled to himself, as if replying to the voice in his mind.
What used to be his belief… now felt like it was turning into a curse on his heart.
His steps were no longer as steady as they were when he was young. Ever since he collapsed in a pool of blood because of that strong poison, his body had started to become shaky.
…He had to kill the Second Prince.
He rested his forehead weakly on the back of his hand.
That was why Armand and the Crown Prince had reached an agreement, their shared target was the Second Prince.
They had a common enemy. They both had reasons why the Second Prince must die. That’s also why the Crown Prince trusted Armand more, because they shared the same goal and the same determination.
Ah… yes. The Second Prince had to die.
But it wasn’t like he could just rush into the palace and cut off the Second Prince’s head like some fool with a sword.
So, he had to make use of Evelia.
Even now, he was still trying to find reasons in his heart to protect Evelia.
He was trying to give himself a reason to let her stay, a reason not to kill her.
Thinking about this, Armand gave a bitter laugh. Maybe Evelia had already made up her mind to kill him, and was just waiting for the right moment, and here he was, her future “victim,” still trying to find excuses for the killer.
But at least, his mind was starting to clear a little. He couldn’t keep going in circles like this.
He casually came up with a reason to push away the “romantic thoughts” in his head.
He had planned to defend himself, but now it felt like Evelia had suddenly taken the offensive again.
Thinking back, Evelia never seemed to follow any rules. She just did whatever she wanted, and he was always the one left a mess afterward.
“So annoying.”
Armand looked up. The moonlight reflected in his blue eyes.
It was too cold. Time to go back.
He stood up and walked away from the direction of the moonlight.
But when he reached his bedroom door, he saw Evelia waiting there.
…Here we go again.
Just seeing that hint of pink made Armand's heart start to pound.
But maybe because the cold wind had sobered him up a bit, he didn’t feel too awkward to face her this time.
If Evelia didn’t care at all, why should he be the one feeling nervous?
Everything she did was just part of her sneaky tricks. So he should respond with the fake smile he was best at.
“Eve?”
Armand walked over to her as if nothing had happened.
“Mr. Armand,” Evelia greeted him politely with a bow.
“What are you doing here?”
“I heard you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
“Ah—” Armand paused.
Lately, his mind had been a mess, caught between his feelings for Evelia and the memories of his old friends’ cries. Every time he closed his eyes, those voices haunted him. Of course he couldn’t sleep.
And now, the very person who was messing with his head was standing here, acting concerned about his well-being. To Armand, that felt almost like a cruel joke.
“I guess I’ve had a bit of trouble sleeping, but it’s nothing—”
“That’s why I came to stay with you.”
“…What?”
The determination Armand had built up in his heart suddenly started to crumble.
“What did you just say?”
He thought he’d misheard her, so he asked again.
“I said I came to stay with you.”
“Stay with me for what?”
“To sleep, of course.”
“…Huh?”
The calming effect of that cold night wind was quickly wearing off.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you feel good.”
“W-Wait—hold on!!”
Before Armand could struggle or argue, Evelia had already taken his hand and pulled him into the bedroom. She gave another respectful bow, then pointed to his bed and said,
“Please, go ahead.”
Armand looked at the bed, then at Evelia.
Cold sweat started to run down his face.