Chapter 147: Family Matters
When Rachel suddenly realized that terrifying truth, she clutched Armand’s shoulder even tighter.
She had thought the reason Evelia was acting so awkward around her was simply because she didn’t know how to take care of a child and needed more time to get used to the role. Maybe, as they spent more time together, things between them would improve.
But she hadn’t expected the reality to be so far from that nice idea!
Evelia just saw her as something disposable! Like a pair of daily-use contact lenses!
Use it up, throw it away, then go get a new one. This was the scary situation Rachel was facing now.
Ugh, please. Just give me some money so I can support myself! If I don’t have to rely on her, maybe I’ll live two years longer!
“Look at you, scaring the child.”
Armand noticed Rachel’s small, panicked reaction and gently patted her back, using that moment to steer the conversation away from Melian’s comments.
“Alright, alright, let’s drop the topic,” Melian laughed, waving it off. “You’re all grown-ups now and still getting shy. Come on, have a seat. It’s so hot today, take a break and have some tea.”
Melian smiled and invited Armand and Rachel into her office.
“Mr. Armand, it’s rare for you to visit, especially bringing this little one with you. Is there a special reason?”
As both a friend and a guest of honor, Armand was served tea personally by Melian. Rachel received a cup too. As a polite gesture, they each took a sip, only to quickly purse their lips at the bitter taste.
Clearly, neither of them liked bitter drinks, even though this kind of tea was popular among rich people.
“I brought them over,” said Carle. “Rachel looks about the same age as Salana, so I thought it’d be nice to let them spend time together. I also haven’t had a chance to take my daughter out in a while, so I was thinking of taking them to the park.”
“Oh~?”
From behind her desk, Melian glanced at Rachel, who was now frowning and sticking out her tongue at the bitter tea. Maybe it was because she was about the same age as her own daughter, but just like Carle, Melian couldn’t help but feel a natural fondness toward this little girl.
“It’s a good thing to have friends around the same age. I used to think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if my child could become friends with Mr. Armand’s child one day?’ I didn’t expect that day to come so soon. Aww, what a pity Rachel’s a girl, if she were a boy, maybe they’d even end up in a special relationship someday.”
“No way.”
Carle immediately shut that idea down with a firm gesture.
“There’s no way I’d let my daughter get involved with his kid in the future.”
“Wow, do you dislike me that much?”
Armand let out a helpless sigh. He wasn’t planning on having kids anyway, but Carle’s words still stung a little.
“It’s not just you,” Carle looked him straight in the eye. “I’ll dislike every man who gets near my daughter.”
“That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”
Armand tried to take another sip of the tea to ease the tension, but the bitterness hit him before he could swallow, and he gave up.
It was strange, this office had a soft, sweet fragrance in the air, and yet the tea was so painfully bitter.
“Okay, okay, stop bickering like little kids,” Melian interrupted. “If you’re going to the park, I won’t go. I still have some accounting work left. Besides, Carle, I bet you wanted some time alone with your daughter, didn’t you? So I’ll stay out of your way~”
“Yay! Going out with Dad!”
As soon as she heard that, Rachel leapt into Carle’s arms. Carle looked a little embarrassed at being called out like that, but since his daughter was hugging him, he didn’t look too awkward. In fact, his usually calm and serious face was starting to blush just a little.
...Wait, what?
This guy actually gets shy from a hug from his own daughter?
Holding a cup of tea she didn’t dare sip again, Rachel quietly observed Carle, this Vice Commander of the knights, slowly overturning everything she thought she knew about him.
Then again, it made sense. It was always these serious-looking men who had no clue how to interact with kids, especially daughters.
Rachel had seen it so many times before, tough on the outside, soft on the inside. If Carle didn’t learn how to deal with that proud “dad heart” of his, he was going to have a very rough time when his daughter hit her rebellious teenage years.
When Rachel was thinking about all this, she subconsciously glanced over at Armand, and suddenly realized he was looking at her too.
…What was that look?
Rachel frowned slightly as she looked at Armand’s smile. What was with that expression, like he was expecting something?
Across from them, Carle and his daughter Salana were cuddling warmly. Carle wasn’t doing anything exaggerated. Just holding his daughter to keep her from falling, but Salana was being so affectionate that it made the whole scene look extra cozy.
And on their side?
Even though Rachel and Armand didn’t dislike each other, they obviously weren’t a real father and daughter. Rachel was a century-old woman, way past the age of wanting to act cute. So even though they were sitting on the same couch, there was still some space between them, and the distance made things feel awkward. Compared to Carle’s side, the contrast was even more obvious.
‘…What are you looking at? It’s not like I’m going to start acting all sweet or clingy…’
Rachel turned her gaze away with that thought.
But even then, Armand was right next to her, so she couldn’t exactly escape that eager, sparkling gaze of his. It was like a big goofy dog staring at her, just waiting for her to come closer.
—Ugh, seriously!
Why does everyone around here act so immature!?
Fine, fine!
As the “grown-up” here, I’ll reluctantly humor you!
Rachel finally couldn’t take being stared at anymore. With a stiff, reluctant expression, she slowly scooted closer to Armand on the couch, inch by inch, until she leaned her head lightly against his arm.
There. Happy now? I’m being nice to you!
She grumbled to herself in her head.
Honestly! These prideful men… I'm only doing this so I can survive a little longer. After all, relying on Armand is still better than being treated like a disposable tool by that "Red Crow" woman...
Compared to Rachel, who was in a complicated mood, Armand looked much happier.
Originally, he had just wanted to prove something to Carle, to show that his Rachel was close to him too. But the moment she leaned on him, that small sense of competition disappeared completely.
Armand didn’t know that Rachel was actually an over-100-year-old alchemist. He just saw her as a cute little girl. After spending so much time dealing with complicated adults, young, middle-aged, and old alike, having a child nearby to relax around was refreshing.
Because he saw her as a regular person, Armand actually felt more at ease with Rachel than he did with Evelia, who was a subordinate of the second prince.
Even though his instincts as a knight still made him a little suspicious of Rachel, his attitude toward her was much more relaxed than it was with Evelia.
He had no idea that this make-believe “family of three” was full of secrets. In fact, the one playing the “child”, Rachel, was the one who knew the most.
…Yeah. This was a family built on shaky ground.
Right now, everything was balancing on a thin, wobbly wire. All three of them could feel it trembling. While they were enjoying the peace they had created together, deep down they were constantly on edge, worried that when they woke up the next day, something would be different, or that they’d discover some secret they couldn’t ignore.
Evelia wanted to settle down, but kept reminding herself that she was just a tool of the second prince.
Armand wanted a peaceful life, but even basic things like eating and sleeping had become a challenge.
Rachel just wanted to live well, but every step she took felt like walking a tightrope. One wrong move, and she could lose her head.
They were all stuck in the middle of this mess.
After coming to Carle’s house, that feeling became even clearer to Armand.
The warm, loving bond between Carle, his wife, and their daughter was completely different from what Armand had. That kind of happiness made him feel a little jealous at times.
He even started to wonder if someone like him would end up dragging Carle into danger… especially since Carle was the only friend he had left.
“I had the butler go buy you a few changes of clothes. When we go out later, take off that uniform.”
Carle’s words pulled Armand out of his thoughts. It took him a moment to respond, but then he gave a small laugh and nodded.
“Melian, do you want us to bring you back anything?”
After finishing his talk with Armand, Carle looked at Melian, who shook her head a little, clearly troubled, and sighed.
"No need for that. I don’t really have an appetite right now."
"What’s wrong? Is it another problem with someone’s accounts?"
"It’s about the Scassia Viscount family."
When Carle heard that name, he didn’t react much. But Armand immediately perked up his ears. Rachel, who was leaning against his arm, felt the change even more clearly. Armand had subconsciously clenched his fist when he heard the name.
"Ah, the one who bought his title with money. That leech stuck to your mother’s side of the family."
Carle walked over to Melian and took the project sheet from her. He glanced at it briefly, then looked toward Armand.
"What is it?"
The slight tension in Armand’s breathing made Carle feel something was off.
"Nothing, nothing. Just thinking about some messy stuff from my own family."
Armand chuckled a bit and waved his hand to signal he was fine.
"We’re out to relax, so don’t be so tense. Just enjoy the time."
"Alright, alright, I got it. You go ahead. Rachel and I will just wait here."
Carle nodded and went back to his conversation with Melian, while Armand stayed silent, listening intently. His serious focus was so strong it made Rachel feel like the air around them had frozen.
Melian noticed how closely Armand was listening and assumed he was just curious about some juicy noble gossip. She cleared her throat, ready to share the story. After all, none of them here were nobles, Melian figured people from different social classes probably enjoy hearing each other’s drama.
"That family got their baron title back when their eldest son proved himself on the battlefield. Then they used that title to try and build some businesses. But honestly, a baron’s rank isn’t that high, so the businesses were pretty average. Because of their ties to my mother’s family, my mother’s side always invested in them."
"Businesspeople caring too much about relationships isn’t always a good thing."
Carle suddenly cut in with that blunt comment.
"But merchants have to care about relationships, don’t they?"
Melian smiled a bit helplessly.
For businesspeople like them, networking was everything. They had to be on guard against schemers while also playing the same game themselves. It often felt like they were everyone’s friend, and no one’s friend at the same time.
When it came time to cut ties, they had to think carefully. Would cutting this person off affect future deals? If the answer was yes, then the break had to be clean and precise.
So for merchants, “friends” might not be real friends, but enemies? Enemies were definitely real enemies.
"Alright, back to the story. Later on, they heard their eldest son was in serious danger on the battlefield. So they figured, if he dies, the baron title can’t be passed on. They decided to spend money to buy a viscount title in his name. Publicly, they said it was a royal promotion. Looked impressive, right? People thought, ‘Wow, their son is amazing, he got promoted!’ That helped their family business too…”
“...Then if the son really did die, they could play the 'grieving noble family' card and guilt people into helping them. Make it seem like the family didn’t fall apart after the tragedy, perfect for milking sympathy."
As she talked, Melian took a big gulp of the bitter black tea nearby, like she was drinking beer at a banquet. The strong taste didn’t seem to bother her at all. Carle, quietly playing support, picked up the teapot and refilled her cup.
"But come to think of it… that son had a kid. Technically, the title should’ve gone to the child. But after the war, no one knew where the son’s wife and kid went. Some say they died of illness? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me mad…”
“...Now the Scassia family has no connections, no money, and they’re still shamelessly sending bills to my office, with big expenses, no less. Ugh—seriously, it’s exhausting. I don’t know why my parents ever got involved with people like this."
Melian got more and more irritated as she spoke. She rummaged through her office drawer, and not long after, pulled out a bag of dried sweet potatoes. With a frustrated expression, she angrily bit into one of the tough snacks, chewing like she was trying to crush her anger.
This was Melian in “stress-eating mode”, turning her frustration into appetite.
"Honestly, if I were that dead son, I’d be so mad I’d jump out of the grave. I bet the wife and kid didn’t die of illness. They probably got bullied to death by those shameless old fools! I swear, I just want to punch them both! Don’t you think so, Mr. Armand?"
"Ah—" Armand lightly tapped his fingers and gave his usual standard smile, the one he used to cover up his real feelings. "Yeah… definitely."
But really, it was just a stiff, half-hearted reply.