Chapter 76: Just Enjoy the Candy, Anyone Looking for Trouble, Get Kicked Out!
“You went out shopping that day?”
After morning training, Carle sat on the steps by the training ground, resting, and tossed a bottle of milk to Armand. Judging by the size, it looked like a free small bottle that came with a buy-one-get-one deal.
“You know about that too?”
Armand twisted open the bottle and took a few sips. It wasn’t as refreshing as water, but it was good enough to quench his thirst.
“One of my guys saw you while on patrol. Said you were with a girl with pink hair.”
“Ah…” Armand sat beside Carle, looking a little embarrassed. “Your info’s pretty accurate.”
“I think I saw a pink-haired girl during the bonfire party. That one, was her name Evelia?”
When it came to remembering names, Carle was definitely better than Armand. In fact, Armand had started getting sloppy with small details, knowing Carle could always handle things properly.
“Evelia Croyelle. She’s my maid.”
Since Carle already knew, Armand didn’t bother hiding it anymore. He told him Evelia’s full name. Last time at the ballroom, Armand had reacted strongly. Not because he didn’t want people to know Evelia was his dance partner, but because he didn’t want Carle to see her strange outfit.
Good thing he stopped Carle back then… otherwise, he would’ve witnessed that second, indescribable dance.
“Hmm… she’s definitely a pretty girl.”
Carle thought back to the bonfire night. That long pink hair was eye-catching. In fact, it was that color that made Carle notice Armand, who had been hiding in the shadows next to her in all black.
“You’ve got a lot of pretty girls hovering around you. For one to actually catch your eye, that’s rare.”
“It’s not what you think,” Armand said with a helpless laugh.
“You invited her to the festival, and you’re telling me it’s not what I think? Didn’t expect you to be such a heartbreaker.”
“What kind of talk is that…”
“You don’t seem like the type who cares much about power or background. So what, is it because she’s a maid that you don’t like her?”
“Don’t twist it. It’s just… it’s not that simple.”
“Oh? Then you’re saying she’s more than just a maid?”
“……”
That sharp question from Carle made Armand fall silent. He didn’t know how to answer.
“Forget it. I won’t get involved in your personal matters, just don’t let it turn into a big mess.”
Armand’s brief silence was enough for Carle’s mind to imagine several possibilities, some of them not so great. Still, he didn’t say anything. He knew Armand well. Sure, Armand liked to avoid trouble when it came to small things, but if it was something serious, as long as he stayed calm, he always found a way to handle it. If it were really something dangerous, Armand wouldn’t be sitting there so relaxed, sipping milk.
But judging by that slight frown when the topic came up. It probably was something troublesome.
“It’s already this late…” Armand glanced at the big clock above the door, finished the rest of his milk in a few gulps, and shoved the empty bottle into Carle’s hand as he stood up. “Time for me to head back.”
“In a hurry?”
“It’s breakfast time.”
“Ha.”
Carle laughed at the word breakfast.
“The sun must be rising in the west today. You actually care about meals now? Maybe that maid of yours will cure your stomach problems.”
“I never realized you were such a chatterbox.”
“Guess we’re not close enough yet.” Carle chuckled and shook the empty bottle in his hand. “Alright, get going. I need to tidy up and head home too. I’m a married man, after all.”
“I already told you, it’s not what you think.”
“Well then, I’m staying out of it,” Carle replied as he stood up and walked in the opposite direction from Armand. “Just don’t make a mess of things.”
Armand gave a helpless smile, grabbed his coat, and left the knights’ training grounds.
On the other side, Evelia was still quietly sitting on that stone bench. Although the morning-shift servants had already started getting busy, the garden was empty except for her.
Usually, it was more common to see people wandering here at night, admiring the view while standing under the fountain, watching the roses shimmer softly in the moonlight. That dreamy feeling often brought a sense of closeness between couples who met there.
But in the early morning, everyone was busy with their own tasks.
Evelia didn’t put down the tomato cookie in her hand. She just sat there with her head down, silently, with the corner of her eye still catching sight of the rose bushes she had accidentally messed up.
The wind kept blowing, rustling the leaves. Her long pink hair swayed in the breeze, and the ribbons on her maid uniform fluttered with it.
This feeling of loneliness… was something she had never experienced before.
Evelia had always been alone. She never interacted much with others. So why did she feel lonely now?
Lonely. Lost. Even though the sun had risen, the wind still felt freezing cold.
This was Evelia’s first time trying to learn about emotions, and all she had learned were negative ones.
“……”
If there had been someone else around, maybe she could’ve at least complained a little. But now, sitting there alone, there was no one to talk to. Even trying to talk to herself, she could only get two or three sentences out before she didn’t know what else to say.
She never cared what others thought of her. But now… she didn’t know what to do or if there was any way to fix things.
She had thought she had blended into life at the manor. But now it seemed like everyone wasn’t as welcoming as she imagined.
Even though most people at the manor actually thought Evelia was quite nice, aside from being unable to handle her overly sour tomato sauce, she didn’t understand those feelings. To her, it just felt like everyone had already pushed her away.
…Annoying.
That’s what Evelia grumbled in her heart.
If things stayed like this, wouldn’t it mean she wouldn’t be able to do anything right?
And if she’d been disliked this whole time without noticing… then wouldn’t that mean even Armand—
“Eve?”
A familiar voice came from above her.
It was only then that Evelia realized someone was standing in front of her, blocking the sunlight. She looked down at the ground and saw a large shadow covering her completely.
“Did something happen?”
But that darkness only lasted a moment.
As her heart tightened for no reason at the sound of that voice, the shadow disappeared. Sunlight poured down again. And the darkness on the ground was no longer just a shadow. But Armand, who had crouched down, looking up at her.
The moment she saw his familiar face and those calming blue eyes, Evelia’s tense nerves suddenly eased. Even the cold wind didn’t feel so chilly anymore.
"Ah..." Evelia gripped the dry, hardened cookie with tomato sauce, trying to quell the strange flutter in her chest as the sounds around her grew louder. “Mr. Armand… you’re back.”
“Yeah, I’m back. Sorry to keep you waiting, Eve.”
What greeted her was a familiar smile. Not a fake or polite one, but a real smile.
Yes… she had waited a while.
But it’s okay…
Because he had returned, just as he always did.