Chapter 168: Rainy Day
By the time he looked up again, it was already raining.
Even though Armand, as the Knight Commander, technically had the power to give himself an unlimited vacation, as long as nothing urgent happened that required him to step in, doing that would mean dumping all the work on Carle.
Carle, being Armand’s closest friend and the Vice Commander, had already been helping out a lot. He usually handled things himself and didn’t bother Armand unless necessary. But still, Carle was a family man. Well, actually, very much a family man.
There’s no way a guy like that could keep working nonstop. Of course he needed to set time aside for his wife and kids. That’s why Armand couldn’t stay home doing nothing for too long. Whenever Carle went home to be with his family, Armand had to return to the Knight Order and take up his role again.
It all sounded rather lazy.
Even Armand couldn’t help but laugh a little as he picked up the glass of lukewarm water on the table.
Good thing the Crown Prince didn’t pay much attention to this place. If he ever checked in, he’d definitely find out that these two were basically taking turns giving each other fake vacations, sometimes even with pay, just to take a break now and then.
“It’s already this late, huh…”
Armand held the glass of water and leaned by the window.
Maybe it was because the lights were still on inside while the outside was dark and rainy, but when he looked at the window, all he saw was his own reflection in the glass, not the view outside.
“……”
It had already been a week since that night Evelia got drunk. Over the past week, Armand had been fully focused on work.
Not because, like in the romance novels Evelia liked to read, he needed to distract himself after some awkward tension. It was simply because he got busy.
Even though Armand had given Carle time off, that was only during a temporary lull before things picked up again.
The night was quiet. The streets still had people coming and going, but because of the rain, everyone was walking or running quickly to get where they were going.
The more fortunate ones rode in their family’s carriages, with their guards and coachmen walking beside them in raincoats. But many regular folks didn’t even have umbrellas. They could only rush home before the rain got heavier.
If it was just a light shower or a sudden heavy downpour, they could at least duck into a café or dessert shop and wait it out. Once the rain stopped and the sky cleared, they could hurry home. But judging by the thick clouds above, tonight’s rain was going to be heavy, and it might not stop even by morning.
That’s just how summer was, moody and unpredictable. One moment it’s fine, and the next, the sky opens up.
Armand looked down from the Knight Headquarter building and saw the night shift knights already putting on their raincoats. Since their gear was custom-made, all of them wore coats with the Knight Order’s crest printed on the back. It looked tidy and official, but also incredibly obvious. If some criminal were to attack, they’d be easy to spot from a mile away.
Armand, of course, hated wearing the uniform. Just like how he didn’t like living in that big fancy house, or decorating his weapons. Armand wasn’t one to show off. His experiences as a young man had shaped him into someone who preferred to stay in the shadows. He had a "habit" of doing things without leaving a name behind.
That flashy uniform with medals and everything, it drove him crazy. It felt like the outfit was just screaming to the world, “Look! I’m the commander of the Royal Knight!” If an enemy came charging, he’d basically be a walking target.
But there was no helping it. Work was work, and when on the job, you had to wear the gear. Sometimes he’d bend the rules a little, like removing the more eye-catching decorations to make himself look less fancy.
Carle was the same. Even though he was a rich guy, he rarely wore anything flashy. Both the Commander and Vice Commander were extremely low-key, between the two of them, they’d happily leave the house in just a shirt, skipping the tie, blending right in with regular folks.
“Hoo…”
With the room lit by a soft light, Armand leaned against the window, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the glass. He picked up a document from the table. Even though the water in his cup was just room temperature and didn’t feel warm at all, he still brought it to his lips and gently blew on it, as if he were seriously drinking tea.
Meanwhile, Evelia was quietly resting in her own bedroom. Although Rachel had been assigned to share her room before, that gluttonous girl often ran off to ask someone else for food, so Evelia didn’t keep a strict watch on her. In fact, to some extent, Evelia secretly hoped something would happen to Rachel while she was out, then maybe she just wouldn’t come back at all.
Tonight, that little brat had probably snuck into some maid’s room again or gone to the old butler’s place to steal some snacks. Evelia didn’t care. Just like usual, after washing up, she got ready to lie down and sleep. And, as usual, she didn’t even take off her shoes.
Maybe she had gotten too used to staying in Armand’s room, because now, lying in bed alone, she felt... uncomfortable.
Even though this room was meant for a servant, Armand had made sure she wasn’t treated poorly. All the furniture was top quality, and the bed was incredibly soft and comfortable. After all, she was the head maid, and Armand always treated her with a level of generosity that matched her role.
Still, something about it just didn’t feel right.
Even though, in the past, Evelia didn’t even have a concept of “discomfort.”
She used to be like a goldfish, eat whatever was given, take whatever was offered. Never picky, never refusing.
But now, lying on this bed made her feel strangely... uncomfortable.
As if something was missing.
“Hahh…”
She sighed softly as the thought crossed her mind.
She remembered the last time she and Rachel ended up in Armand’s room in the middle of the night. It had been because she couldn’t fall asleep…
Could Armand have some kind of calming presence that makes people sleepy just by being next to him?
She adjusted her posture, put both hands under her chest, and lay down in exactly the same way Armand had before. She closed her eyes, trying to quiet her mind in the darkness behind her eyelids and let herself rest.
But then—
Crack!
Before the thunder even sounded, the light from a bolt of lightning flashed at the window, and Evelia opened her eyes.
The thunder was nothing special. The flash of lightning was also completely normal.
But what caught Evelia’s attention wasn’t the lightning itself, but the shadow that appeared at the window the moment the light lit up the room.
A small bird had landed quietly on the window frame and left a leaf wedged in the crack of the window.
“......”
Evelia didn’t say a word. She just watched silently as the bird, soaked by the rain, flapped its wings and flew off.
She didn’t know why, but the sight of that leaf made her hesitate.
Right now, she was selfishly enjoying one of the rare moments of peace in her life. She didn’t know what message that leaf would bring her. She didn’t know, what it would mean she had to do next.
…No. She shouldn’t hesitate.
That’s what she told herself.
She sat up and walked to the window. She opened it, letting the rain, mixed with the scent of wet earth, blow in and hit her freshly washed face.
This is what I must do.
What I have to do—
Just like that little bird, soaked by the rain… yet still flying forward.