Chapter 83: Born to Be the Worried Type
"Based on what people say about Mr. Armand, it feels like anything he does would seem normal. But… actually, I think he might be a pretty decent guy?"
Even though Armand was a hero, the public rarely had a chance to meet him. He wasn’t someone who liked being in the spotlight. Anything that required him to appear in public, if he could let Carle do it, he would. Carle, the vice-captain, was basically acting like both the dad and the mom of the Knights, always worrying about everything.
“Miss Evelia, don’t let Anna influence you.”
Not only did Carle worry about the Knights’ affairs, but he also cared a lot about Armand’s reputation.
“What do you mean by that?” Anna frowned, clearly upset.
“Miss Evelia, you don’t need to listen to those rumors. After spending time with Armand, you should know what kind of person he is.”
“......”
Listening to Carle, Evelia fell into deep thought.
What kind of person was Armand, really?
If someone gave Evelia a “What Do You Think of Armand” survey, all she could probably write was, “Someone who always smiles casually.”
But being a cheerful person didn’t really explain why there were those weird rumors about him and a horse...
Next to her, Carle noticed Evelia staying quiet and gave Anna a look that said, ‘What nonsense have you been telling her lately?’
Anna wasn’t about to back down and returned a look that said, ‘Hey, I’ve been helping her, okay?’
“Umm, Miss Evelia, don’t overthink it. Those are just silly rumors, really! You even invited Mr. Armand the other day, right? I saw it myself, there was nothing strange about him at all, trust me!”
Maybe it was Carle’s glare that pressured her, but Anna quickly threw away the gossip and tried to calm Evelia, who actually didn’t need calming.
To Evelia, what kind of personality Armand had didn’t really matter that much. She just needed to keep changing herself to fit whatever he needed.
…At least, that’s what she thought.
But now, Evelia’s confidence wavered a little.
She did care. She just hadn’t fully realized it yet.
“Armand came over?”
Carle, holding an empty teacup, was about to ask Anna, who was closer to the teapot, to pour more tea for him, but all he got in return was an eye roll.
“Yeah, he came over before to help Miss Evelia pick out a dress.”
While talking, Anna glanced at the quiet Evelia, then leaned closer to Carle and whispered, “You didn’t see what Mr. Armand looked like that day, his eyes were practically sparkling.”
“Oh?” Carle raised his eyebrows, clearly interested. “So that’s why he took a day off that day, he was with Miss Evelia?”
“Yup, yup! Honestly, if I had known he was the captain of the Knights, I would’ve tried to get a little closer to him—”
Tap.
Before Anna could finish, she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
Then came a sudden chill.
It felt like some terrifying force had crept up behind her. It was like a demon was breathing down her neck, ready to snap it at any second.
Even Carle, who was usually calm and collected, broke into a bit of cold sweat, though his hand didn’t stop pouring tea.
“Anna… tell me, who exactly were you planning to get close to?”
Evelia gently tapped Anna’s shoulder, but her cold voice pierced straight into Anna’s heart. The moment she heard the first word, Anna could almost smell death.
“Th-that... what I meant was business! I meant business connections, Miss Evelia! I just thought, if I could get closer, maybe I could land a contract for the Knights’ uniforms later, that’s all! I swear I’m not interested in Mr. Armand himself. I’m just interested in business deals and money!”
Anna quickly explained herself. If she wasn’t naturally a bold and strong-minded person, she probably wouldn’t have been able to speak a single word under Evelia’s pressure.
“…Is that so.”
When Anna shakily explained the second half of her unfinished sentence, the overwhelming pressure Evelia gave off instantly vanished, like nothing had ever happened. Her hand also moved away from Anna’s shoulder. It wasn’t until that very moment that Anna finally felt like she could breathe warm air again.
“……”
Carle didn’t say anything. He just kept drinking his tea, watching Evelia out of the corner of his eye. The intense feeling she had just now… that wasn’t just pressure, that was killing intent. If Anna hadn’t cleared things up fast, Carle might’ve drawn his sword on the spot.
That kind of cold, sharp presence wasn’t something just anyone could give off so casually. Carle couldn’t help but instinctively become more cautious around Evelia.
Where on earth did Armand even find this girl…?
Carle had never cared about other people’s family matters before, but now, doubts started forming in his mind. After all, Armand had avoided giving clear answers about Evelia’s true identity last time too.
…Well, whatever. Maybe only a girl like this could actually keep Armand in check.
But after thinking about it for a moment, Carle still decided not to get involved in other people’s personal business. He figured Armand probably had his own reasons.
“Anna,” Carle turned to Anna, who was still too scared to say much, “didn’t Miss Evelia say she wanted to buy some perfume just now?”
“Ah! Right—perfume…!”
Anna suddenly snapped out of it, quickly got up, ran behind the counter, and after digging around for a bit, pulled out a beautifully packaged, high-end-looking box and handed it to Evelia.
“This is a full set, Miss Evelia. There are five bottles inside, all different floral scents. You can try them out at home and see which one suits you and Mr. Armand best.”
“Ah, okay, thank you.”
Evelia took the heavy box with one hand while using the other to take out her wallet, planning to pay Anna.
“No need to pay, Miss Evelia,” Anna said quickly, pushing the bills back. “This is a gift.”
“A gift?” Evelia tilted her head. “You can’t just not pay for something.”
“Oh come on, don’t say that. Do I look like someone who’s short on a little money like this?”
It was as if Anna had completely forgotten how scared she had been earlier. She put her hands on her hips and laughed, eyes sparkling with excitement like she’d just had the best idea ever.
“We’re friends, right? So if there’s anything you want, just tell me! If you need it, I can even buy you and Mr. Armand a little place with just a bed. Hmph, let me be part of it in some way. You can wear the clothes I made, spray the perfume I gave you, and—ahh, if I’d known earlier, I would’ve made the clothes out of fabric that’s easier to tear off, so when you and Mr. Armand—”
“Anna.”
Carle cut her off before she could say anything more outrageous, leaving Anna pouting.
“Hm? What were you going to say would happen with me and Mr. Armand?”
Evelia, on the other hand, seemed really interested in the rest of Anna’s sentence. Her eyes blinked curiously, looking eager to know more.
“That’s between you and Armand,” Carle said firmly. “Don’t listen to Anna’s nonsense. Things will happen naturally when the time is right.”
“I see.”
Evelia accepted that answer and didn’t ask any more questions. After thanking Anna, she didn’t stay any longer. Having finished what she came to do, she said goodbye to both Carle and Anna and left the clothing store without hesitation.
“……”
Watching Evelia walk farther and farther away, Carle finally set down his teacup. He turned toward Anna, who now looked like she was acting out an entire love story in her head since she couldn’t say it out loud. Her face was bright red, and she was so excited she looked like she might start drooling.
“Anna.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Carle’s voice pulled Anna out of her fantasies, and she didn’t sound too happy about the interruption.
“…It’s nothing,” Carle said after a pause.
He picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
“But from now on… you’d better be more careful.”