Chapter 155: From the Heart
“Oh my goodness, Master Armand, what are you doing?! Is that Miss Evelia? Why is it all red everywhere, did you kill her?! Ahh… I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it! I thought you wouldn’t have the heart. I’ll go get someone to take care of the body.”
The old butler rushed into Armand’s room the moment he heard him calling. As soon as he entered, the strong smell of alcohol made him pinch his nose.
Then he squinted and saw Evelia lying on the floor, unconscious and red all over. There was a red smear at the corner of her mouth.
Her clothes were still intact, but she was soaked in sweat, so much so that her clothes looked half see-through. Armand, however, wasn’t as lucky, he was completely covered in red, looking like he just came back from a murder scene.
“What are you saying? That’s tomato ketchup. Can’t you smell that sharp, tangy scent? Anyway, go grab her a change of clothes and throw away this carpet.”
Armand’s clothes were totally ruined by the ketchup. No saving them.
“Whew…” The old butler let out a relieved breath after hearing Armand’s explanation. “I knew you wouldn’t actually do something like that.”
“Can you not say such ridiculous things?”
Armand took off his ketchup-covered shirt and pants and tossed them onto the sticky, stained carpet. Thanks to Evelia, not a single item he wore was spared. He pulled out a bathrobe from his closet, planning to go take a shower in the bathroom nearby.
“You’re not going to take care of Miss Evelia?”
“Of course I will. Go find a few maids on night duty. Ask them to help her change and then take her back to her dorm.”
“That might not be a good idea.”
The old butler picked up the clothes, rolled up the dirty carpet, and started gathering the scattered beer bottles into a box.
“Not a good idea? Why not?”
“It won’t look good.”
“Look bad? For who?”
“For you and Miss Evelia. Just think about it, calling a few maids into your room this late at night, and carrying Miss Evelia out unconscious… and needing to change her clothes too? That’s not going to sound good for either of your reputations.”
“…Reputation?”
“You know how it is. No matter how loyal the servants are, they still have mouths, and people talk. With the way you look now, your ‘innocence’ is already gone, but Miss Evelia’s… hers still matters.”
“……”
Armand tied the belt of his bathrobe and raised an eyebrow as he listened to the butler's long, seemingly heartfelt speech. After a while, he muttered:
“What do you mean my innocence is already gone?”
“That’s what you’re focusing on?”
“I—hey, old man, what are you trying to say?”
“I’m just thinking about what’s best for both you and Miss Evelia. I don’t have any women’s clothes with me right now, and it’d be inappropriate for me to go into her room to get them. Just lend her some of your clothes and let her rest here tonight.”
“Huh?” Armand looked down at Evelia, who was sprawled out on the floor in a completely disheveled state. His expression turned complicated. “You’re telling me you don’t keep spare uniforms for the maids? That’s impossible.”
“Whether I do or not isn’t the point. The point is what you think I have.”
Armand rubbed his temples and, with a tired “argh,” plopped down onto the nearby couch, watching the old butler cheerfully clean up the beer bottles on the floor.
“Lug.”
“Yes, Master Armand?”
“…You do understand, right? Evelia’s special situation.”
“Mm,” the old butler still smiled. He glanced at Evelia, carried a box of empty bottles, walked up to Armand, and nodded slightly as he whispered, “I understand.”
What Armand knew, his long-time butler Lug naturally also knew. Back then, it was the two of them who figured out that Evelia had been sent by the Second Prince. So there was no way Lug didn’t know that Evelia was essentially an enemy.
“Then why are you still doing all this?”
“I’m just helping you follow your heart.”
“Follow my heart? Please… don’t say such cheesy things. You should know that between me and her—”
“I know, Master Armand,” the butler cut him off before he could finish. He clearly knew what Armand was about to say.
“I also know that if you really wanted to, you would’ve found a chance to ‘take care of’ her already. But the fact is, she’s still here. She’s still by your side.”
“...That’s just because she’s still useful…”
Armand bent down, lowering his head and resting it in his hand. His vision was filled with the shadows cast by his own body.
“Is that really all there is to it, Master Armand? Are you sure that’s your only reason?”
“……”
Faced with Lug’s gentle but direct question, Armand didn’t respond. The old man was right. It wasn’t just that.
“Master Armand, from what I know about you, you’re not the kind of person who gives up on something, or someone, you like so easily.”
“But she doesn’t belong to me.”
“Then make her yours.”
That strong statement made Armand look up. Coming from the kind-faced old butler, those words felt surprisingly bold.
“…Hah.”
Armand let out a helpless laugh. He leaned back a bit, now lying more comfortably on the sofa.
“I’ll go dispose of this dirty carpet now. If you need anything, just call me.”
Lug had said everything he needed to. He gave a polite bow and slowly walked out, dragging the long carpet and the box of bottles with him.
Armand stood up, opened the window and the terrace door. He looked out as the night wind blew in, making the white curtains flutter, and the moonlight quietly slipped in through the gap, casting a soft glow on Evelia lying on the floor.
She didn’t look like she was having a good dream. Her brows were furrowed tightly, and sweat dampened the bangs on her forehead.
Armand leaned against the terrace doorway. The breeze on his neck made him shiver slightly. He pulled up the collar of his bathrobe. His hand moved from the side of his face down to his mouth, where his little finger lingered on his lips.
He could still remember the taste of the ketchup just now. He had eaten many of Evelia’s special tomato dishes before, but somehow, the flavor tonight felt especially vivid and unforgettable.
“So annoying…”
He squinted as he looked at the moonlight lighting up the tiny dust particles in the air. On instinct, he reached forward to grab something. But all he caught was empty air and a handful of moonlight.
He stared at his empty palm, then shifted his gaze. Through the gaps between his fingers, he saw Evelia lying there on the floor.
“…Youth is great, huh? Just drink and fall right asleep.”
He gave a soft, helpless laugh and lowered his hand.
“Evelia…”
Armand walked over and gently picked her up in his arms.
“…If I wanted to take you for myself… would you go along with it?”
He whispered to himself, but the only answer he got was the sound of her breathing.
“…Hah… I really am just being selfish, huh…”