Chapter 54: Healing Magic
“Mr. Armand, have you been getting enough rest lately?”
“Ah, it's been okay. Why do you ask?”
After returning from the knights' headquarters to the estate, Armand ran into Evelia as soon as he reached his bedroom. As usual, she brought him dinner. The simple meal didn’t look like something prepared for someone as important as the leader of the Royal Knights.
“You had trouble sleeping before, right? I was worried it might still be a problem.”
“Ah—yeah, that.”
If we’re talking about trouble sleeping, then yes, he still had that problem.
The nightmares didn’t seem to go away. They kept circling around him, dragging him into the mud of his dreams.
It wasn’t the first time this had happened to him. Every time he thought he could finally relax, the dream came back. He had even asked the royal family doctor about it during a regular check-up, but the old doctor just gave him one answer, “mental stress.”
Armand wanted a peaceful life, but the burden he carried was heavy.
Even though he was saved by the Crown Prince, that didn’t mean he could just become the head of the knights overnight. He had started as a regular guard, climbing up step by step through sheer effort and willpower.
And honestly, no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t come out of every battle without a scratch. As a warrior, he had many scars all over his body, big and small. One of them even went through his chest. If not for his strong will to stay alive, he would’ve become just another dead soldier on the battlefield back when he was still just a rookie.
But now, the very belief that had pushed him forward was also wrapping around him tightly, like chains.
【You’re living so peacefully now... Have you forgotten the promise you made?】
— I remember.
【Why are you making that face now? Do you even realize who you’re dealing with?】
— I know.
【Don’t keep falling like this, you said you’d do it for me—】
“Mr. Armand?”
“Ah—”
In that brief moment, Evelia’s voice pulled him back.
If she hadn’t spoken up, he might’ve gotten lost in his memories again.
“I’m okay.”
He gave her a smile and took off the coat decorated with clinking medals.
Ah… what a relief.
The medals weren’t that heavy, but having to wear them to every formal event and listening to that annoying clinking was enough to give him a headache.
“Please wait a moment, Mr. Armand.”
As Armand casually threw his coat onto a chair, Evelia came closer. Her body moved nearer and nearer, until she gently leaned next to him. It was that subtle closeness, neither too far nor too near, that made him feel a little nervous.
Evelia rose on her toes and leaned in. They weren’t exactly touching fully, with a small space between them, but with every breath, their bodies moved slightly. Armand's stomach would rise and fall with his breathing, brushing softly against Evelia’s soft chest with each breath, only to separate again, until the next breath brought them close once more.
“Mr. Armand… your dark circles are worse.”
Evelia reached out and gently touched the skin under his eyes. Her fingertips were a little cold, which made the touch even more noticeable. She traced around his eye softly, her finger pausing at the corner of his eye, reluctant to let go.
“Eve… what are you doing?”
The soft touch made Armand step back a little. Evelia also pulled her hand away.
“I’m worried about you,” she said, lowering her hand. “You look very tired. Your energy feels off.”
“It’s not something you need to worry about…”
Armand touched his own face. With his rough, callused hands, he couldn’t really tell if he looked tired or not.
"Of course you're someone I worry about," Evelia said seriously. "You're important to me."
As her top priority, Armand was definitely someone worth worrying about. Up to now, he still had an important role to play. Evelia didn’t want him to suddenly fall ill or collapse before she could uncover the secrets of the Crown Prince.
But Armand completely misunderstood what Evelia meant. In his mind, her words sounded very intimate, and it made him smile awkwardly.
"Anyway, if you're not feeling well, I should give you a little healing."
"Healing?" Armand looked at her, curious. "Wait, have you learned any kind of priest healing magic?"
If Evelia really had that kind of skill, then Armand would have yet another reason to keep her by his side.
Even now, he was still trying to find excuses for why he hadn’t sent Evelia away, convincing himself in his heart that it made sense.
"Please, come sit over here."
Evelia walked over to the bed and patted the spot next to her.
"...What are you planning?"
Because of what happened last time, when Evelia helped him "sleep", Armand was a bit nervous. Setting aside the part where she ended up licking his ear, her aggressive handling of his ears at the beginning had already left him with psychological scars.
"Just sit down, Mr. Armand."
Armand couldn’t read Evelia’s expression at all. He couldn’t tell if she was up to something good or something strange. But in the end, he still followed her words and sat down beside her on the bed.
"Now then, it’s time for me to heal you, Mr. Armand."
"...Huh?"
Just as he was feeling confused, Evelia opened her arms and pulled Armand into a tight hug.
"Eve?"
"Shh, don’t move, Mr. Armand. This is healing."
This so-called "healing" was actually something Evelia had read about in a novel.
【When the knight fell into despair, the maid quietly walked up to him. She smiled and said she brought healing magic.
Before he knew it, the knight was gently pulled into her warm arms. That warmth, that softness, wrapped around him, and the love in her heart began to heal his wounded soul.
‘This is my healing magic. I hope it can take away the pain in your heart.’】
—That was the general idea.
So, Evelia decided to do the same thing, and called it "healing."
But compared to the gentle and careful maid in the story, Evelia used a little more force to pull Armand into her arms, though not as strongly as last time when she picked him up completely.
Her calm breathing brushed the top of Armand’s head. Warmth and softness wrapped around him. Her arms held him tightly, and he could hear the soft thump-thump of her heartbeat right next to his ear.
In just a few breaths, Armand’s thoughts spun in several directions.
At first, he hadn’t expected Evelia to suddenly hug him, so he froze for a moment and wanted to pull away. But his small, greedy desire for warmth couldn’t beat Evelia’s strength.
Then, he remembered the time she picked him up completely, and wondered if she might throw him over her shoulder next, but nothing happened. When a few moments passed without trouble, he relaxed a little.
Now, Armand was completely quiet. He had thought about resisting, but now… he was enjoying the hug.
He felt everything about Evelia. Her warm embrace chased away the coldness in him.
He had always liked warmth. After he was poisoned, he liked it even more, always trying to keep himself in a cozy state. He used to think he could stay warm on his own, but now… he realized Evelia’s presence made him feel even warmer.
The bedroom was quiet. Evelia stood there, hugging Armand with her special kind of "healing." Armand sat silently in her arms. Because Evelia was taller, she could completely wrap around him.
By the time Armand came back to his senses, he realized his arms had already wrapped around Evelia’s waist. What started as just her hugging him had become a shared hug between them.
Haah…
Armand let out a silent sigh and buried his head deeper into her chest, like he couldn’t get enough. His short hair tickled Evelia’s chest, making her feel a bit itchy.
He had always feared one day his heart would soften and useless emotions would lead him astray. But in the end… that day was bound to come.
One wrong step... and it all starts to slip.