Chapter 159: A Problem with Mental State
This wasn’t the first time Evelia noticed the dark circles under Armand’s eyes. She had asked him many times before whether he was getting enough rest.
Of course, every time, Armand told her that he was sleeping and resting just fine, just like a teenager lying to their parents, saying they never stay up late.
But honestly, it was a bit of a joke.
Evelia was worried about Armand’s sleep problem, but the real reason he couldn’t sleep… was her.
As long as Evelia was nearby, Armand couldn’t sleep well. Even though he had already silently accepted her presence, carefully arranged all his things so she wouldn’t find anything important even if she looked around, and even though he didn’t worry too much about her doing anything extreme when he wasn’t home—
Even with all that, Armand still couldn’t sleep properly.
Just like before, her presence kept him on edge. He kept thinking about her every move, constantly wondering what she might do next. While trying hard to maintain this delicate balance between them, he was also exhausting his own mind.
And… he was still haunted by that same nightmare.
After all, she came from the House of Nightingales.
Even though he had no written proof that Evelia was part of that group under the Second Prince, it was like a predator sensing another predator, he just knew. Through little things she did, Armand was sure that Evelia was from the House of Nightingales.
And… she feared the Second Prince.
He had seen it back at the ballroom. When she heard the Second Prince’s voice, her nervous reaction didn’t escape Armand’s eyes.
That was why, back then, he had taken her away. He felt he had to step up, at least at that moment, he needed to. He had to take Evelia away from that place.
If only back then, he had been able to take that person away too.
Maybe that’s why he now placed that old regret on Evelia’s shoulders.
If he could help Evelia gain her freedom… then maybe he could finally forgive himself for what happened back then.
“Mr. Armand?”
Evelia stood in front of him and gently reached out, just like before, touching the dark circles under his eyes with her finger.
“They’re getting worse, Mr. Armand.”
His face looked more and more tired.
It wasn’t just poor sleep, his body was also getting worse.
Taking too much medicine might not hurt someone like him, who had a strong resistance to toxins, but it could still affect his mind. His insomnia was one of the symptoms. Thankfully, he could still sleep a bit during lazy moments at work, so it wasn’t like he was awake 24/7.
“I’m fine,” Armand said, shaking his head and dodging Evelia’s finger. “Like I said, it’s just work. Everyone’s like this when they have a job.”
But in truth, it was the opposite. Armand actually slept better at work than at home. He was practically stealing a paycheck.
“Mr. Armand, aren’t you going to work today?”
After realizing he had avoided her hand, Evelia’s fingers hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before she slowly pulled her hand back.
“If you’re not going to the knights' headquarters today, you should take a proper rest.”
“……”
Hearing Evelia’s words, Armand paused. He wasn’t sure whether she was really worried about him or secretly planning something.
His feelings toward her had always been conflicted. He wanted to change her, but he also kept doubting her.
This annoying suspicion… even he was getting tired of it.
"I—" Even so, Armand couldn’t stop himself from doubting the people around him.
"You probably don’t have to go to work today, right, Mr. Armand?"
While Armand was still hesitating on how to respond, Evelia spoke first. Rather than a question, it sounded more like a statement. From how Armand looked now, it was pretty clear he didn’t need to go to work today.
"...Ah..." Since the truth had already been guessed by Evelia, Armand gave a small nod. "Yeah... I really don’t have to today. Things haven’t been that busy lately."
Armand had already handed most of the knight order’s tasks over to Carle, so there wasn’t anything urgent for him to worry about. It was a peaceful time right now, with no major incidents requiring his attention.
And besides, the weather was getting hotter. In a few days, the knights would start rotating out for their summer heat breaks. As for Armand’s own time off. He could take it whenever he wanted, as long as it didn’t affect important duties. If he wanted a few days off, he could just take them. He was the one in charge of the schedule anyway.
That was one of the perks of being in a leadership position...
Even though sometimes he did complain about why he ever accepted such a high position in the first place, whenever he used these "boss privileges," he would always tell himself, ‘Well, it has its benefits, I’ll just deal with it.’
"Then, Mr. Armand, you should take a proper rest."
Both of them seemed to care a lot about the other’s rest. Evelia didn’t even know how many times she had fallen asleep here in Armand’s room. And Armand, too, had tried many times to get Evelia to relax and rest a little.
To both of them, rest and sleep had become a kind of luxury. Neither of them had ever really slept well.
When Evelia brought back all that wine the other day, her main goal was to get Armand drunk and push him into a situation where something “irreversible” might happen…
But at the same time, she also had a second reason. She genuinely wanted Armand to rest, to fall asleep, even if it was only because of the alcohol. Even Evelia could tell that, underneath his professional mask, Armand was deeply tired.
Although she knew their positions were different, she still thought, if she needed to win his favor anyway, it’s better to keep him healthy. After all, there’s no point in killing him off just yet.
It’s kind of like raising a pig, you have to keep it fat and healthy first. Then when it’s time to slaughter it, there’s more meat.
If Rachel heard Evelia’s thinking, she’d probably complain, ‘Wow, you’re so thoughtful when raising Armand, but when it was me, it’s like you wanted me dead from day one.’
"Rest? Ah, I don’t really need to—"
"Mr. Armand." Evelia frowned when she heard him trying to dodge the idea again.
Actually, ever since he tried so hard to explain that nothing happened between them last night, Evelia had been feeling a little frustrated inside. And now that he had dodged her hand earlier, she felt even more like something was stuck in her chest.
"Mr. Armand, come here. Lie down. Let me help you relax a little."
Evelia said this as she walked over to the bed and patted the mattress.
The way she said that, combined with her wearing Armand’s shirt with nothing underneath, definitely gave off a weird kind of mood.
"...What are you planning now?"
Seeing Evelia’s serious face, puffed cheeks, and how eager she looked, Armand couldn’t help feeling nervous.
"I just learned how to give a massage. I hope it can help you relax."
"You just learned… massage?"
Just hearing the word “learn” made Armand a little uneasy. So far, everything Evelia had “learned” always turned out a little… strange.
“It’s just a normal massage, Mr. Armand. You don’t have to be polite. I’m your maid, so feel free to make full use of me.”
“No... I’m not being polite with you…”
And what does she mean by ‘make full use’?
...Is she really saying I can use her however I want?
“Then please come over, Mr. Armand. It might not help you fall asleep, but I hope it can help your body and mind relax a little.”
“But…”
“Please come here, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia sounded more assertive than before, probably because Armand had turned her down too many times. She stood there respectfully, but the pressure she gave off was hard to ignore.
“Alright…” With her insistence and presence pressing in on him, Armand could only give in and walk over to her.
“Then please lie down.”
“Lie down?”
“Yes, lie down.”
“Lie… lie down where?”
“On the bed, Mr. Armand. Where else would it be?”
“Ah… alright…” Feeling a little guilty, Armand looked away awkwardly.
Then with a soft plop, he lay down on his large bed, lowered his head, and buried his face in the blanket. While he was still wondering what Evelia was about to do, he suddenly felt the mattress sink slightly beside him, and the bed let out a soft creak under someone's weight.
That must be Evelia getting on the bed? Well, yeah, of course. She can’t stay standing the whole time. And this angle probably is easier from on the bed.
“Excuse me then, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia’s voice fell right next to Armand’s ear. The soft, almost teasing tone made his ears tingle, and his face, still pressed against the bed, grew warm in the darkness. He could feel her shifting her position beside him, and his imagination started running wild.
But Evelia still didn’t move her hands, and the longer she waited, the more nervous Armand got. His back even started to itch slightly, like he was anticipating something to happen.
“...?”
But what touched him next felt strange. It had five points like fingers... but it definitely didn’t feel like a hand.
“How does it feel, Mr. Armand?”
“What... exactly are you doing?”
Armand turned his head slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of Evelia from the corner of his eye.
Yup, she was standing. One foot on the bed, and the other was firmly pressed onto Armand’s back.
“I’m giving you a massage, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia didn’t seem to think there was anything strange about it. She looked down at Armand from a rather odd angle. And that wasn’t even the biggest problem.
The real issue?
She was still wearing Armand’s shirt... and nothing else underneath.
“Uh—Eve...” Armand quickly turned his gaze away and awkwardly buried his head in the bed again.
“You don’t… think I’m some kind of... weird foot freak, do you?”
After all, ever since the horse stable incident, Evelia’s behavior had been kind of strange…
“Hm?” Evelia paused for a moment when she heard that. “Aren’t you?”
“Of course not!!”