Chapter 122: A Hell-Level Relationship
"Don’t worry, Evelia. I’ll stay here with you. Just relax and go back to sleep. That’s one good thing about being the boss, if I don’t have to go on a mission, I can stay home anytime I want. So today, I’m staying here with you. Take it easy and sleep until you forget the time!"
After helping Evelia lie down again, Armand climbed onto the bed and half-laid beside her, blocking her path so she couldn’t get up.
Of course, Evelia could still get out from the other side of the bed if she really wanted to. Armand only did this to make his intentions clear.
If Evelia truly didn’t want this, he wouldn’t force her. He would never try to trap a girl in his room.
“……”
Evelia didn’t seem upset by this at all. In fact, to her, this might even be a good opportunity.
From the beginning, she had thought that the fastest and easiest way to earn Armand’s trust was to become someone close to him, maybe even someone who shared his bed. And while their relationship hadn’t gotten that far yet, this moment felt like a step in that direction.
“Mm…”
So Evelia didn’t resist. She quietly lay down next to Armand and gently rubbed her head against the side of his thigh.
“I’m right here. Just rest.”
“…Okay, Mr. Armand.”
Even though Evelia told herself this was all part of her “plan,” that everything she was doing was for the mission, when she felt Armand’s hand softly stroke her hair…
She had to admit, it felt nice. Actually, it felt really nice.
Her loud heartbeat and the way she breathed deeply made it very clear how she really felt inside. She just hadn’t realized it yet.
…Maybe it’s just too hot.
Evelia felt a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. It didn’t feel like the cold sweat from earlier when she woke from a nightmare, it was something warmer.
Because of Armand’s health, his bedroom was built in a sunnier part of the house so he could stay warm in the winter. Compared to Evelia’s room, his got a lot more sunlight. As the sun rose, even though Armand had opened the window to let the breeze in, the room still felt much warmer than what Evelia was used to.
So she told herself her body’s reaction was just a natural response to the heat. But even as she felt herself getting hot, she didn’t want to move away from Armand.
If she moved away, she’d feel cooler. But for some reason, she just wanted to stay close to him.
With that thought in her mind and Armand gently comforting her, Evelia fell asleep again.
She was the kind of person who didn’t rest properly at night but still acted totally fine during the day. But once she did feel tired, she could sleep deeply, and over and over again.
Besides, she hadn’t really slept well last night because of that terrible nightmare.
“……”
Evelia fell asleep beside Armand without any defenses up. That kind of trust was so deep that she didn’t even notice her head had shifted positions.
If Armand wanted to, he could’ve reached under the mattress for a hidden dagger and ended her life right then. Or he could have wrapped his hands around her smooth, pale neck and slowly choked the life out of her.
But—
There’s no way he could do that.
Armand thought this to himself, in a tone that sounded like he was mocking his own weakness.
At the start, he had confidently said that if he ever noticed anything suspicious, he’d take care of it himself, quickly and cleanly.
But now, he realized he had overestimated himself.
In the end, he was just a useless man.
If this was really some kind of honey trap, some kind of scheme to get close to him…
Then Armand could only say, ‘Yeah, I fell for it. I walked right into their trap.’
“…Ha.”
Thinking about all of this, Armand let out a helpless sigh. He looked down at Evelia and gently ran his fingers across her cheek.
—So annoying.
He was scolding his own restless heart.
His hand slowly moved down to Evelia’s collarbone. Just like he had imagined earlier, he spread his palm and lightly wrapped his fingers around her neck.
With the strength he had, the same hand that could easily swing a heavy sword, it would be no trouble at all to snap a human woman’s neck. He could’ve ended it before Evelia even had a chance to react. She would just wake up in shock, barely aware as her neck was crushed.
But… just like he already knew—
Armand couldn’t do it. At least, not right now.
“……”
Instead, he only brushed her long pink hair away from her neck, letting it fall across his palm. He watched the strands rise as he lifted his hand, then slowly slip through his fingers like flowing sand.
Why was he even thinking about all this?
When the last bit of pink hair fell away from his palm, Armand finally sighed after a long silence.
Why was he thinking about something like that?
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t really mean anything.
Even if he kept thinking until his hair all fell out, what could someone as insignificant as him really change?
The answer was obvious, nothing.
To the outside world, he was just a “rough guy who only knows how to fight.” Because of that, Armand never liked thinking too much.
He especially hated those noble types who talked in circles and played with words like traps.
"I’m an idiot, so what? What are you gonna do about it? What can I do about it?"
That’s always been Armand’s attitude.
He believed that instead of blaming himself, it was better to complain about others.
That’s why “So annoying” became something like his catchphrase for a while. Even now, he still used it to grumble.
But he knew very well, complaining wouldn’t change anything. No matter what he said, he still had to deal with it in the end.
Just like now, facing Evelia like this.
He could already tell this was going to be a big headache. But he had to deal with it.
“…When the time comes, will you kill me?”
Armand found himself saying this out loud without thinking.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized it and shut up quickly, looking down at Evelia, who was still sleeping peacefully. He let out a breath of relief.
If she had heard that, it would've been bad…
Why did he even say that out loud?
Armand held his mouth with a pained expression, saying nothing more.
Maybe, deep down, that question came from a real fear inside him. Maybe that’s why it just slipped out.
Luckily, Evelia seemed to be sleeping soundly. His voice had been soft, quiet enough that she didn’t hear it. A near disaster avoided.
But what Armand didn’t realize was that they weren’t the only ones in the room.
Rachel, who had been half-awake since Evelia stirred earlier, had heard that sentence clearly.
The moment she heard it, her sleepy mind snapped awake, but she didn’t dare move.
After hearing those words, Rachel suddenly understood.
She understood why Armand’s feelings toward Evelia always seemed so cautious, why even though he wanted to get closer, it felt like there was always a wall between them. Like the "affection meter" was stuck, unable to go any higher.
So the leader of the Royal Knights already knew Evelia was working for the Second Prince?!
Oh no…
How am I supposed to bring these two together now?! This is like… nightmare-level difficulty!!
Help—!!