Chapter 95: Longing
When Armand finally returned to the ballroom and found Evelia, she was already in the dessert area, eating.
In front of her were all kinds of beautiful little cakes. They looked fancy and well-made, but they all had one strange thing in common, every piece had a thick layer of ketchup on top. Of course, that was all Evelia’s doing. Armand was sure there was nothing called a “ketchup feast” on the menu here.
He stared at all that bright red and, just thinking about the sour taste of ketchup, couldn’t help but frown. His mouth started watering, but not in a good way.
“Ah, Mr. Armand, you’re back.”
Eve wiped a bit of ketchup from the corner of her mouth. She was about to bow, but Armand quickly stopped her. He figured this was a ballroom, not a noble estate, and since Evelia was his dance partner tonight, there was no need for such formal gestures.
“What are you doing?” Armand asked as he looked at all the ketchup-covered desserts. He even spotted a glass of what looked like cloudy ‘red wine.’
He was certain that wasn’t red wine. At least not real wine. The only red in it was definitely from ketchup.
“I’m taste-testing, Mr. Armand,” Evelia said as she gently pushed a small dessert plate toward him. “Mr. Carle gave me these. He said I could eat as much as I wanted, so now I’m trying to see which desserts go well with ketchup.”
“…Desserts that go well with ketchup?”
“Yes, Mr. Armand.”
Armand really couldn’t imagine any dessert going well with ketchup.
“So, which one do you think tastes the best?”
“All of them.”
That was exactly the kind of answer Armand expected, because he knew that as long as there was ketchup on something, Evelia would think it tasted good.
“Would you like to try some?”
“No, go ahead and eat them yourself. You look like you’re enjoying it. If you like them, then eat as much as you want. It’s all free anyway.”
Armand politely declined Evelia’s offer, pretending to be reluctant, and pushed the plate of ketchup desserts back toward her.
Since Carle’s family business was in food service, most of the food at the knight hall tonight had probably been handled by his people.
Honestly, without Carle, this whole ball might not have happened. Armand was pretty sure Carle had paid for everything himself and even helped clean up the hall. The royal family only agreed to split the ball into two halls because Carle’s family covered all the costs. Otherwise, the extra budget for two separate halls would’ve taken forever to approve.
As for the cakes Evelia was eating, a few of them might have been made by Carle himself. Even though his family business had grown big and Carle had gone from being a cook to the boss of many cooks, he still kept his cooking skills. Once in a while, he’d show off his talents in the knights headquarter’s kitchen, and he was always very popular when he did.
That said, Armand didn’t enjoy the "stomach-soothing recipes" Carle often recommended.
But as for the ketchup Evelia was using, Armand couldn’t figure out where she got it. Did she get it from the kitchen? Or... was she hiding it under her skirt?
Would anyone actually carry ketchup in their skirt?
Armand thought about this question for a moment. Then he gave up and figured. If it’s Evelia, then... yeah, maybe she really would.
But whatever, as long as she was enjoying herself, that was all that mattered.
Thankfully, Carle wasn’t the strict, traditional type. Otherwise, if he saw Evelia squirting huge amounts of ketchup into the whipped cream on cakes, he might have called it an insult to dessert.
Armand watched Evelia quietly eating her sweets, then looked over to the center of the dance floor, where Carle and Melian were dancing together. Although they couldn't resist the temptation to join the dance and had left Evelia at the dessert area like parents dropping off a child, with plenty of treats to keep her busy, they still kept their eyes on her, as if afraid someone might try to trick or kidnap her. Only after Armand gave them a nod did they finally relax and slowly join the dancers.
They’ve been married for so many years, and they still act like they’re on their honeymoon.
Watching Carle smile as he led Melian through the steps of the dance, Armand couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Time had flown by. Carle had been married for many years now. Back when Carle first met his wife during a business event, Armand was still young. At that time, he hadn’t yet become the commander of the royal knight, nor had he been poisoned.
Seeing Carle and Melian fall in love back then had once stirred something in Armand too. He had wondered, if everything could have ended while he was still young, maybe he would’ve found a woman he loved and spent his life with her.
But life doesn’t always go the way you want.
When the doctors told him that his organs were slowly being damaged, he knew that kind of life probably wasn't for him.
He didn’t want to become a burden, someone with a short life, who would leave a young woman widowed so early.
It seemed better to stay alone. At least it was peaceful. And besides, he had long gotten used to being by himself.
He didn’t know exactly how many more years he had left, maybe a few, maybe ten, maybe even decades. But living alone wasn’t all that hard.
“Mr. Armand?”
“Hmm?”
The voice beside him pulled him out of his thoughts. Armand looked down and saw Evelia gazing up at him.
“Do you want to dance?” she asked.
“Dance?”
“Yes. I noticed you kept looking toward the dance floor.”
“…Did I?” Armand paused. “I was just spacing out.”
“Spacing out? Could it be you’re bored being with me?”
“Of course not.”
Just watching you nibble away like a little hamster is already plenty entertaining.
That’s what Armand thought, but he didn’t say it out loud. Instead, he simply picked up a napkin and gently wiped the ketchup from the corner of Evelia’s mouth.
Looking up at Armand’s warm smile, Evelia suddenly felt like maybe she’d misread him. Just moments ago, when he had been staring at the dancing couples in a daze, he definitely hadn’t looked like this.
But she couldn’t really understand what that earlier look on his face meant. All she knew was that, for some reason, it made her heart feel a little tight.
After a short silence, Evelia looked around at the men and women chatting and dancing happily. It felt like only she and Armand were on the outside, each lost in their own thoughts.
“Mr. Armand.”
She wiped her hands, called his name softly, and then, just like a proper lady, reached out her hand to him.
“Come dance with me.”
But unlike a typical noble lady, Evelia wasn’t waiting to be asked. She was inviting him.
“……”
Armand blinked in surprise. He looked at Evelia’s serious expression and the hand she held out so gracefully, then smiled, leaned down, and gently took her hand.
“With great pleasure, my lady.”