Chapter 58: The Wind Is Very Loud Today
“It’s been a while, Captain Armand. What brings you here today? What kind of wind blew you in?”
As soon as Armand stepped into the Saint Fleurs Church, a deputy officer from the church came to greet him and Carle. This man was a Count by title, and since he was in charge of the Saint Fleurs Church, it was clear he worked for the second prince. He didn’t like Armand and spoke with a mocking tone, pretending to be polite but clearly looking down on him.
“North wind, probably. It’s colder today.”
Armand replied with a dry joke. He sounded very casual.
“Oh, no wonder you’re dressed so warmly. I almost thought winter had already started. From far away, all I saw was a big dark figure. It looked like a wall coming at me.”
“Really? But I’m not wearing that much. Maybe I just seem bigger because I’m taller than you.”
As Armand said this, he raised his hand and made a simple gesture to show the height difference between them. After taking a good look, he realized this proud and arrogant count was actually shorter than Evelia, his own little maid.
He couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of confidence did this guy have, standing there in Armand’s shadow, trying to act tough?
“……”
The count’s face immediately turned sour. He wasn’t smiling anymore. For nobles like him, face and pride were everything. His short height had always been a sore spot. When he was young, people said he was “cute” because of it.
But now that he was older, it became something people laughed at. Every time someone mentioned his height, it made him angry inside. Because of his short build, even the noble ladies looked down on him. He had only stopped being openly mocked after paying money to get this deputy position in the Saint Fleurs Church.
“Well then, Captain Armand, what are you here for today?”
The count’s tone turned cold after seeing Armand’s dismissive attitude. Armand might be the captain of the Royal Knights, but in the eyes of proud nobles, people without noble titles were still commoners, even if they worked for the royal family. Even though the Crown Prince trusted Armand enough to give him a title and land in the future, as long as the official papers hadn’t been approved, nobles like the count would continue to look down on him.
“You didn’t get the notice?”
Armand stood beside the small-statured count like a towering wall. Carle, who stood next to him, was also tall. Together, they surrounded the count like two sides of a triangle. He looked almost crushed between them.
“Ahem, y-yes, I got it.”
The count couldn’t hold up under the pressure from the two of them. He quickly stepped back a little, trying to get away from their overbearing presence.
“Since you got the notice, then get to work. Give me the floor plan of this place.”
When working, Armand always focused on efficiency. He did exactly what needed to be done, said nothing extra, and didn’t waste time. Come, do the job, leave. No need to talk nonsense with people.
But when it came to Evelia, Armand often lost that focus. Even he didn’t understand why, and it bothered him.
“The floor plan… that kind of detailed map is classified—”
“That’s your business. We just need the floor plan to set up our knights for security. Give it to me.”
Armand didn’t want to say more. Every second he and Carle stayed in Saint Fleurs, they felt sharp gazes on their backs, making them uncomfortable. So he simply reached out his hand, ready to take the map directly.
“B-but—”
“No buts. I’m just doing my regular job. You acting so secretive, does that mean there’s something wrong with Saint Fleurs?”
“Well—”
“Alright, Captain Armand. Don’t be too hard on Count Tilino. He’s just a deputy officer of the church. He can’t go against you knights.”
Just as the Count stuttered and couldn’t answer, a familiar voice came from behind them. The moment Armand heard the first word, he rolled his eyes in annoyance and turned around with Carle. Standing there was someone both of them disliked, the second prince.
“Looks like the wind really is strong today, it even blew you over here,” Armand said with a sarcastic smile.
“Of course. If it’s strong enough to blow you big guys around, it must be really strong,” the second prince replied with a cheerful smile.
They both smiled, but their eyes were cold and sharp. Their dislike for each other was obvious, only their polite expressions were fake.
“So, has the wind stopped now?” Armand asked.
“Who knows? Spring winds are unpredictable. No one really understands them. You never know where the wind might blow next,” the second prince said.
“Well then, Your Highness, you’d better be careful. My men and I are big, no wind is going to blow us away. But you’re quite delicate. If you misjudge the wind and step outside, even if you don’t get blown away, you might still get sand in your mouth.”
“Thanks for the warning, Captain. With your kind reminder, I’ll be extra careful.”
Armand raised his eyebrows and let out a short laugh. Seeing the second prince’s fake smile made him sneer inside. He had planned to finish things quickly, but now that the second prince had shown up, things would get dragged out again. Just thinking about it made him feel sick.
“I heard you wanted the floor plan?”
The second prince continued the conversation after Armand stopped talking.
“Mm. If you have it, please give me a copy. It’s something the crown prince asked for.”
When speaking to the second prince, Armand had to bring up the crown prince, his older brother.
“Oh? I actually do have the map. I also heard that my dear brother wants to place guards in Saint Fleurs, so I took the map to study. There was a big renovation here not long ago. The one the count has is outdated. I helped with the entire renovation, so the one I have is the most accurate. But sadly, it’s in my private room right now.”
“I see.” Armand didn’t want to argue. “Then I’ll just walk around and take a look. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not. I’ll give you a tour.”
Armand actually preferred to split up with Carle and check the place on their own. But since the second prince was officially in charge of Saint Fleurs, and he offered to show them around, they had no choice but to accept. In the royal palace, they had the crown prince’s support and could act more freely. But here, in the second prince’s territory, it was better to avoid trouble.
Still, it was strange. The second prince usually hated them, but now he was being friendly and even offered to give them a tour. That probably meant something was being hidden inside Saint Fleurs.
Armand and Carle exchanged a quick look, then followed the second prince.