Chapter 170: Thunder and Rain
The rain was pouring down heavily, and it didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon.
Evelia ran toward the estate. To avoid stepping into puddles and making loud splashes, her path was a little messy and zigzagged. Because of that, she came back a bit later than expected.
When she left earlier, Armand hadn’t returned yet. His work schedule was always unpredictable. Technically, Armand had fixed working hours, but in reality, while he always started work on time, when he finished was completely up to his mood.
Sometimes, when things weren’t too busy, he’d come back early. Other times, when there was too much to handle, he’d return late. He often told the coachmen not to wait for him, and would just walk back on his own, meaning no one could really guess when he’d arrive.
Evelia had been serving as Armand’s maid for a while now, but even so, she still couldn’t figure out his schedule. She had no idea which days he worked, when he’d get off, or even when he’d be walking back alone, especially since he didn’t like taking the carriage. Unless she went out of her way to check, it was almost impossible to predict when he’d be home.
He was a very casual person. Main gate, side gate, back gate, it didn’t matter. He’d just enter through whichever one he felt like. Sometimes, even the knights looking for him didn’t know which door to wait at or when.
After making sure there was nothing suspicious on her body, Evelia silently climbed over the wall of the yard, avoiding the guards' sight. Even though Armand liked randomly changing patrol routes, it was no problem for Evelia. If she got caught by a guard so easily, all her years of “experience” would have been a waste.
Her hooded cloak wasn’t as waterproof as a real raincoat, but the inside layer kept her clothes dry. She was also wearing tight-fitting clothes underneath, so the rain didn’t soak through. The bloodstains had already been washed away by the rain, so she didn’t need to worry about cleaning up later.
Click.
In a blind spot outside the guards' view, Evelia picked the lock on her own window and quietly slipped back into her bedroom. Like a graceful cat, she landed without a sound. Even though this was her own room, Evelia still had the habit of never revealing her position too easily.
Unfortunately for her, Armand had already noticed this kind of thing. It was actually because she walked without making footsteps that Armand began to realize Evelia was different from most people.
After all, who would expect someone as easygoing as Armand to notice something like the sound of footsteps? But the truth was he knew those habits very well.
Even Armand himself used to walk without making a sound.
Back in her room, Evelia began to remove her outer cloak as usual. Normally, after a rainy mission, she would dry it with fire. But tonight wasn’t a good time for open flames, since they might draw attention.
So instead, she carefully folded the cloak and her inner clothes, stored them in her alchemical mark, and pulled out a fresh maid outfit. She slipped on her usual white stockings and black shoes, planning to wash her face and rest until morning before going back to work.
But then—
“......”
Her eyes stopped on the bed, and her hands froze.
It wasn’t unusual for Rachel to sleep elsewhere around the estate. She had more freedom than anyone, aside from being unable to leave the estate on her own. But Evelia hadn’t expected Rachel to return tonight, especially not at the exact time she was “out.”
Evelia always had the habit of locking her door, whether she was inside or not. Even her windows were locked, she had picked the lock just now to get in.
But there was Rachel, lying quietly on her little bed, like someone had taken good care of her. Her outer clothes and shoes were neatly placed. She was wearing a soft nightgown, with a thin blanket tucked over her stomach.
Who brought her in?
The moment Evelia saw that, her chest tightened.
She had never failed a mission before. But now, faced with this unexpected scene, she felt a rare wave of panic.
And this wasn’t a normal job. It wasn’t the kind of mission where you could just clean up the mess if things got exposed. She still had to stay by Armand’s side. She still had to live in this estate as “Evelia.”
So… who brought Rachel here?
Could it have been Armand? As the owner of the estate, maybe he used his key to unlock the door and let Rachel in?
If it was him, Evelia thought, he definitely would have noticed she wasn’t in the room. Even though people outside called Armand careless, after spending so much time with him, Evelia knew he was actually very observant. His instincts were sharp. If he had brought Rachel here, he would’ve picked up on something… anything.
...What should I do... What now...
If it really was Armand who brought her in, what excuse should I make? What should I do to make him stop being suspicious?
Rachel... That girl really is a walking time bomb. I need to get rid of her somehow...
Killing her directly won’t work. I’ll have to stage an accident. It’s raining heavily, and the ditches are overflowing. This is the perfect chance, I'll make it look like she drowned.
The killing intent in Evelia’s heart could no longer be hidden.
While she was thinking about how to explain things to Armand, she was already planning how to deal with Rachel. She might be slow to come up with excuses, but when it came to planning a murder, Evelia was a natural.
“......”
Evelia walked silently to Rachel’s bedside.
Outside, the rain kept falling. Raindrops tapped loudly against the glass.
Some people say rain is nature’s white noise, and on a night like this, with everything so quiet and calm, Rachel was sleeping especially soundly.
Even though life for Evelia, Armand, and Rachel was far from easy, Rachel’s days were still much lighter than those of the other two.
She didn’t have to worry about politics, nor did she have to carry out missions that crushed her sense of self. All she had to do was survive.
She didn’t expect Armand or Evelia to take care of her anymore. Instead, she planned to take care of herself, to treat life like a kind of game where she had to grow stronger. She wanted to survive and become a great alchemist again.
Sure, being near Evelia gave her pressure, but she wasn’t just some dumb, anxious kid who constantly panicked.
She understood one thing very clearly now. Even if Evelia didn’t like her, being next to her was still the safest place.
Unless something unusual happened, Evelia wouldn’t kill her outright. If she left and Evelia had an alibi, that’s when her life would really be in danger.
So on this stormy night, Rachel had chosen to return to Evelia’s room, like she was afraid she might die in some random corner of the estate if she stayed away.
But now…
The “safety” she believed in was standing right beside her bed.
Evelia stood there, silent as death, watching Rachel in the dark like a reaper waiting for her time to strike.
CRACK!
A loud bolt of thunder crashed outside, so loud it sounded like it struck right by the window.
Rachel woke with a jolt. Even though she wasn’t afraid of thunder at her age, the sudden noise in the quiet night shocked her awake.
CRACK!
A second bolt lit up the room in a blinding flash.
And in that split second, Rachel saw Evelia, standing right next to her bed.
“—!!”
That tall figure, with long pink hair hanging down like soul-stealing threads…
Her hands were behind her back. She wasn’t holding anything, but in the darkness, Rachel’s mind imagined a cold blade hidden there.
When the lightning flashed, Rachel saw Evelia’s face expressionless. Her golden eyes looked down at her like she was already dead.
As the light faded, Evelia’s outline blurred into the shadows again, but Rachel couldn’t shake the feeling that those cold, heart-stopping eyes were still staring straight at her.
It was like something out of a horror movie.
Rachel’s teeth chattered. She even forgot how to breathe.
She couldn’t speak, or rather she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Her throat was so dry not a single word would come out.
That killing intent… there was no mistaking it.
It was real.
Rachel had to say something. Anything. Even though it felt like she couldn’t breathe, she had to speak.
She knew Evelia hadn’t been in the room just moments ago.
She knew Evelia had gone out in this thunderstorm to do something… that couldn’t be seen in the light of day.
So she definitely couldn’t say something like ‘You’re back!’
If she did, she was sure Evelia would kill her within 24 hours.
Say… say something else…
Act like a kid. A clueless, harmless kid!
Right now, I’m just her daughter… nothing more…!
“...M-Mom...”
Rachel swallowed hard, moistening her dry throat.
With a slight tremble in her voice, she called out to Evelia and opened her thin little arms.
“Were... were you scared by the thunder too? Do you want to sleep together? Mom?”
Ah—damn it! Wrong character choice! What the heck am I saying?!
Now it sounds like I’m the mom!!