Chapter 74: Communication
A bird flapped past the window, and under the moonlight, it dropped a fallen leaf onto Evelia’s windowsill.
To avoid being noticed, the bird didn’t stay for long. It calmly placed the leaf between the window panes, then flew away.
Evelia heard the sound of flapping wings. She sat up from her bed, walked to the window, and under the soft moonlight, took the leaf from the window gap.
At first glance, it looked like a completely ordinary fallen leaf. There were even marks from being pinched in the window. It looked so fragile that with a little pressure, she could poke a hole through it.
But to Evelia, this leaf represented a command from the Second Prince. The faint traces of alchemy on it showed that the person she served was sending her a message.
Although Evelia worked for the Second Prince, others might also call her a "royal hound." Because of this, she also had an alchemic mark on her body.
Compared to the one on Armand’s palm, Evelia’s mark was more hidden. It was carved on her thigh. In certain situations, she could hide certain tools under her skirt, and no one would be foolish enough to check under a maid’s skirt, or even look there on purpose.
Of course, the mark hadn’t always been in that spot. It was only placed there after she used alchemy to change her body. It was simply more convenient now.
The alchemic traces on the leaf didn’t need any special tool to activate them. As long as Evelia held it in her hand, it would work. This special leaf acted like a communication device. Once it confirmed the alchemic mark on Evelia’s body, it would activate automatically.
【Red Crow, how are things lately?】
There was no image, just a voice.
As the traces on the leaf glowed softly, the Second Prince’s voice came through.
Evelia sat down on the chair at her desk, holding the softly glowing leaf in both hands.
This was a special way for the two of them to communicate, something even the Second Prince’s other agents didn’t know about.
The old man selling tomato sauce at the market was responsible for passing on simple tasks, while the Second Prince himself used these special leaves to talk to Evelia directly when needed.
The prince’s spies might know that she worked for him, but only the prince himself knew that she was the mysterious "Red Crow."
"Everything is as usual, Your Highness," Evelia replied.
Not “going well” and not “difficult”, just “as usual.”
To be honest, Evelia hadn’t found a breakthrough.
Even though she felt that things between her and Armand weren’t as stiff anymore, wasn’t that just how it had always been?
From the very first day they met, Armand had shown her that warm attitude. He treated everyone that way, whether it was knights or other servants, he was always friendly and open.
So Evelia couldn’t tell if Armand treated her any differently. She didn’t know if he had grown closer to her or if he was just acting the same as always.
Maybe it was because she didn’t have anything to compare it to.
She’d always been a loner. She didn’t understand those subtle feelings. She had no way of knowing how Armand acted when other people got close to him.
Without a clear comparison, she couldn’t figure out what Armand truly thought of her now.
But... maybe it’s a little better?
That was what Evelia thought.
After all, she had been trying to follow the methods written in books, and she also listened to Anna’s advice. And besides—
Hadn’t he... started to accept her?
She didn’t know how Armand acted around others, but at least on that day, he had personally said he accepted her.
Anna also mentioned that he liked the way she looked in that outfit, right? Or... was it just the outfit he liked?
【How much have you found out during this time?】
“I’ve more or less figured out this knight captain’s daily routine, and I’ve also safely secured my place as his personal maid. But I’m sorry, Your Highness the Second Prince. For now, even though I’m still his personal maid, I haven’t gotten any closer to him. I still haven’t gained his full trust. If we want to find out anything about the Crown Prince, I’m afraid it will take more time. Please forgive my failure.”
For an ordinary maid, earning the full trust of a nobleman like Armand could take eight or ten years. But Evelia, the one known as “Red Crow,” didn’t have that kind of time. She wasn’t a real maid, she was an assassin. She was supposed to be better at gathering intel than any maid.
Yet all this time, she hadn’t been able to get even a single useful word out of Armand.
To avoid being discovered, she never went through Armand’s room or drawers. She only glanced at a few papers on his desk once in a while. But those documents were all small, unimportant matters. And they were written so carefully, as if they were meant to prevent anyone from twisting their meaning. Even if she sent them to the Second Prince, there would be no way to use them to stir up rumors or trouble. Besides, none of them were related to the Crown Prince. They were just minor knight squad affairs.
【Have you found out anything about his personal interests?】
“……”
Evelia thought for a moment, remembering the small incident from the day before. She calmly answered.
“Cat-eared maids.”
【?】
Even though it was just a short sound, Evelia could hear how confused the Second Prince was by her answer.
Armand... is he really into that kind of thing in private?
“I haven’t figured out anything else yet, Your Highness. I’m very sorry.”
【Never mind. It’s fine.】
There was a brief pause, and then the Second Prince’s voice came again from the leaf. Before speaking, it sounded like he let out a long sigh.
【These things can’t be rushed. If you slip up, everything I’ve invested in you will be wasted. You know that, don’t you, Red Crow? I’ve poured a lot into you. You must not let me down. You cannot waste my efforts. Do you understand?】
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Even without a visual, she bowed her head toward the glowing leaf. Just the Second Prince’s voice alone made her feel the weight of his pressure. His demands were always pressing down on her. But she accepted it willingly.
【Since there’s nothing else to report today, let’s stop here. I’ll contact you again soon. I hope next time, you can bring me something useful.】
“I will, Your Highness. Red Crow will never disappoint you.”
After Evelia said those words, there was no reply. The voice on the other side had already gone silent, as if he didn’t care to hear her polite promises at all.
A few seconds later, the leaf in Evelia’s hand turned to ashes and vanished. The soft golden sparkles fell to the floor, then dimmed and disappeared. Even the dust was gone.
Evelia sat silently at the table, looking toward the half-covered window she had left open while waiting for the prince’s message.
Moonlight poured through the gap and landed softly on the dried-up blue rose sitting on her table.
Even the last bits of the flower’s center had rotted away. Only the brittle stem remained. But Evelia still kept it in a vase, changing the water regularly.
Even though the flower had long since died.
No matter how much water she gave it, it would never come back to life.
“......”
Eveleia stared quietly at the dead rose, then looked up at the moon in the sky. On the night Armand had first taken her hand and led her away from the bonfire party, the moon had shone just as brightly, casting its soft light on them, just as it did now.
She gently touched the dry stem of the rose, then silently moved the vase into the brighter patch of moonlight coming through the window.
Slowly, she leaned over the desk, resting her head sideways. Her eyes watched the light shimmer on the surface of the water inside the clear vase.
For the first time, Evelia felt troubled, because she couldn’t understand what real emotions were.