Chapter 123: The Alchemist's Resolve
When Evelia woke up, not much time had actually passed.
Her body had gotten used to a strict schedule over the years. So even though she had taken a short nap, it really hadn’t been long.
Rustle. Crunch.
While still half-asleep, it wasn’t her eyes but her ears that woke up first. Curled up in the shadow Armand cast to block the harsh sunlight, Evelia listened to the sounds coming from him.
Rustle.
It sounded like pages being turned.
Crunch.
That one sounded like someone biting into toast.
Evelia thought for a moment, then perked up a bit. Was Armand reading some urgent documents while eating at the same time?
If so, wasn't this the perfect chance for her to pretend she was still half-asleep and quietly glance at the papers, then pass the info on to the Second Prince?
Thinking this, Evelia let out a soft hum, acting like she was still sleepy. She slowly sat up and tried to lean on Armand—
“?”
But instead of landing on Armand’s chest, her hand landed on a small, round head.
“Eve, you’re awake?”
“Mom, you're awake~”
Two voices greeted her, one low and gentle, the other soft and cheerful.
That small round head she had touched was none other than Rachel’s.
The ‘crunch crunch’ sounds of toast earlier had also come from her. Right now, she was holding a slice of bread with salad spread in one hand, and a small sausage on a fork in the other. She had a bib tucked under her chin and sat happily in Armand’s lap, her cheeks glowing and joyful.
But her pigtails… one was up to the sky and the other hung down toward the floor. It was clear someone who had no idea how to do hair had fixed it. With how messy it looked, anyone might think she’d just walked through a hurricane.
Rustle.
The sound of turning pages came from Armand, not from some stack of important documents as Evelia had guessed, but from a simple-looking novel.
The book had a plain cover. A sky, a tall mountain, the faint silhouette of a dragon behind the peak, and the shadow of a young hero holding up a sword. Compared to the enormous dragon that covered half the sky, the tiny figure of the hero looked so small.
“The Guardian from That Faraway Land.”
Judging from the title, it was clearly an adventure novel. Evelia looked at the tagline on the cover, “A young boy’s lonely adventure”, and that confirmed her guess.
Evelia sat up and leaned against Armand’s shoulder to get a better look at the book in his hands. At the same time, she gave Rachel a poke.
Although she couldn’t do anything too bold with Armand right there, just a single look from Evelia was enough for Rachel to understand. She quickly stuffed the last bits of food into her mouth, then jumped off Armand’s lap, her uneven pigtails bouncing as she moved.
“Umm—” Rachel patted off the crumbs from her dress. “I’m still a little hungry, so I’m gonna go out and grab some more!”
Knowing how to read the room is always the key to survival. And right now, Rachel could clearly tell she wasn’t needed here. Her job was just to help the two get closer. Once that’s done, it was time to disappear, no third wheel allowed.
“Hm?” Armand raised his head and sat up straighter, putting the book on the table. “Then I’ll go with you.”
“—No need!” Rachel shouted before he could get up, not wanting him to leave Evelia behind. She gave a nervous smile and added, “I’m a big girl now! I can go find Grandpa Butler and ask for more bread myself!”
“A big girl? You’re still just a little—”
“Mr. Armand, she’s independent enough.”
Evelia cut in calmly.
Evelia cut Armand off mid-sentence and shot Rachel a look that clearly said, "Go be useful somewhere else."
“Ah—yeah! That’s right! I worked hard to get here! So, it’s fine!”
“So young and already talking about hard work…”
“This is a good chance for her to grow, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia was starting to look a bit impatient. She glanced at Rachel and furrowed her brows, the kind of frown that screamed ‘don’t test me.’
“Rachel, go on now.”
“Yes—! Okay! Mom!”
This time, Rachel didn’t say anything back to Armand. She took a few quick steps and rushed out of the room, remembering to softly close the door behind her.
Once outside, Rachel wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. She felt like she’d barely escaped being wiped out by Evelia.
“...Sigh.”
Even though she looked like a small child on the outside, that sigh she let out had the weight of someone with years of stress behind it. If someone had walked by and heard her, they’d probably wonder how such a little kid could sigh like the world was ending.
But with how serious things were right now, Rachel had every reason to let out a sigh that heavy.
She was supposed to be helping this couple get together, but they were standing on opposite sides. Evelia had come in as a spy, and Armand had already seen through her act. Still, judging by the current situation, Armand probably didn’t know that Evelia was actually Red Crow, a top assassin working for the Second Prince.
Right now, Evelia might feel like she’s already been completely exposed, but she’s still hiding her most important secret.
Rachel figured the only reason Evelia could still stay by Armand’s side and try out her “charm tactics” was because Armand knew she was suspicious, but didn’t know she was the Red Crow. If he did find out that Evelia was the Second Prince’s personal assassin, he’d probably either kill her or lock her up. Either way, he’d cause major trouble for the prince.
“Ugh… This is impossible.”
Rachel walked along the hallway, scratching her head with frustration.
Sure, every problem should have a solution, but she honestly couldn’t think of one right now.
The only half-baked idea she could come up with was: either make Evelia Armand’s person, or make Armand Evelia’s person. In short, someone had to switch sides. As long as they ended up on the same team, it would work.
“......”
But wait, what does this even have to do with me?
I’m just trying to stay alive. I’m not some love matchmaker. Why am I thinking so hard about this?
“......”
Even as she thought that, Rachel couldn’t help but feel a little torn.
She should be looking for a way to escape this whole mess safely, but…
Even putting that aside, if she actually pulled this off, maybe it would bring some real peace to the people.
But the real reason was—
—They’re just too perfect for each other!!
Rachel couldn’t help screaming that inside her head.
—So perfect that if they don’t end up together, I’m going to die of heartbreak!!
She’d only been here for just over a day, and yet—
—How did these two manage to create that "old married couple" kind of peace while also having the sweet awkwardness of a new romance?!
If they don’t end up together, I won’t be able to eat anymore…!!
“Ahhh—seriously.”
Rachel muttered her complaints softly in the hallway.
Even though part of her really wanted to run away from this mess as fast as possible, another part of her remembered that Evelia was her greatest creation. She was also the perfect test subject for her research on “emotional development in artificial life.”
As a top-class alchemist, Rachel knew she had to dedicate herself to alchemy!
Telling herself that, Rachel gave herself a mental pep talk.
Come on, Rachel. You’re a genius alchemist. No way a problem like this is too much for you!
…Hopefully.
Even so, deep down, she still wasn’t completely sure.