Chapter 183: Not Truly Alone - Cardboard Translation

Chapter 183: Not Truly Alone

“What... did you say?”

Evelia was stunned by the strange request. She thought she might have heard it wrong. How could anyone, especially the leader of the knight order, who was technically her “master”, ask her to hit him?

She had never heard of such a thing before. The one she truly served, the Second Prince, would never say something like that.

“Hit me, Eve.”

But Armand looked very excited. He brought his handsome face close to Evelia’s, smiling like he was really looking forward to getting punched by her.

“......”

Evelia clenched her fist in surprise, thinking, Is he crazy or something?

If she really punched him in the face, his nose would probably break. Why was he even asking for this? Was he the kind of man who liked being hit?

Her clenched hand tightened and relaxed again. She couldn’t understand what was going through Armand’s head.

But Armand’s idea was simple, he just wanted Evelia to let out all her bottled-up emotions.

If she needed to vent, she needed to move. He’d seen it plenty of times before, whenever one of the knights was in a bad mood, they’d go for a run or fight someone in the training yard.

After letting off some steam, they’d either lie flat on the ground or go back to their dorm feeling better, maybe even talk things out.

Since he obviously couldn’t take Evelia running laps, he figured, why not let her hit him?

She looked like she had a great time throwing him into the trash earlier anyway. He didn’t mind going back in there if it helped.

“Come on, Eve. Hit me. Get it all out.”

“......”

Evelia hesitated, still holding her fist.

“Do I really have to hit you, Mr. Armand?”

“Of course! It’s the easiest way to vent. Want me to go get a trash can for you instead?”

“...That won’t be necessary.” Evelia reluctantly turned that down.

Yes, reluctantly.

She really was thinking about throwing him back in the trash can again. But when she looked at Armand, shining like a bright light, she felt a bit unwilling to actually do it.

Just moments ago, she was heartbroken and afraid that her actions might make Armand stop caring about her. But now, deep down... she still wanted to make that blue gemstone of light her own.

“Then... Mr. Armand...”

If doing this would make Armand accept her more, if it would make him happy, then she had no choice but to go along with it.

“...Excuse me.”

No matter what, Evelia was a trained assassin with a proper name and reputation. The fact that even someone as picky as the Second Prince praised her showed just how skilled she was.

In terms of combat ability, she was definitely top-tier. If her mission was to kill someone, that person would almost never live to see the next day.

Most importantly, after spending years making dead bodies, she had no idea how to “go easy” on someone.

“—?!”

As soon as Evelia finished speaking, Armand suddenly felt a strong gust of wind coming at him. Her small, pale-looking fist carried a terrifying amount of power. The fact that she could punch this hard at such a close distance really showed how strong Evelia was.

With a loud "Bang!", Evelia’s fist came flying through the air. Armand, purely out of reflex, ducked his head and dodged it.

That’s right, it was just instinct. Even though he had told himself to let Evelia vent her anger, his body reacted on its own. As a trained warrior, when facing a punch that could probably kill him, his body didn’t wait for his brain to decide, it just moved.

Still crouching with his head lowered, Armand looked up at Evelia in confusion. He hadn’t expected her to hit that hard.

Was she seriously trying to kill him?

"Mr. Armand?"

Evelia looked at the now-disheveled Armand and called out to him. Her voice sounded like she was just checking on him, but her blank face and clenched fist staring at him as he dodged made it feel like she was silently mocking him.

Are you really this weak?

That stare lit a fire in Armand’s pride.

Even though he had no intention of fighting back, his sense of challenge was now burning.

"—I’m fine," Armand said stubbornly, coughing awkwardly before sitting back in place. "Go ahead. Continue."

"Okay, Mr. Armand."

The moment she finished speaking, Evelia threw a left hook. Armand had mentally prepared himself to take the hit this time, but in the end, he still couldn’t help dodging it. Her punches were so fast that he kept swaying left and right to avoid them. It honestly felt like if he didn’t dodge, he might not survive.

But—

Since he was the one who made the mistake, he has to take responsibility!

As a man, how could he said he’ll do something and not follow through? It’s just one punch, right?

"Ugh—!"

So, he braced himself... and actually took one of her punches head-on.

Even though he tried to block it a little with his palm, there was still a price to pay.

"—Mr. Armand!"

"Dumb old dad, are you still alive?"

When Armand opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in Evelia’s arms.

"Phew..." Armand rubbed his swollen left eye. "I’m... still alive."

He wasn’t sure if he was answering Rachel, who had returned at some point, or just mumbling to himself out of relief.

"Sigh—"

He sat up slowly, checking that he could still move properly. It seemed like Evelia had knocked him out cold, and now both of them were sitting on the ground. Rachel, too, was squatting nearby, looking far from ladylike.

Armand glanced at her, noticing she’d come back empty-handed. He had wanted to ask her what she was doing earlier with those flower stems, but after thinking about it, he decided not to ask.

He squinted at the sky, the sun hadn’t moved much since earlier, and that drifting cloud was still within sight. Looked like he’d only been knocked out for a few minutes.

Still, even a few minutes is enough to kill me... Has my body gotten so weak that just one punch can knock me out?

"Old Dad, why are you lying here? Weren’t you supposed to be comforting Mom? Instead, you ended up with a black eye!"

Rachel poked Armand right in his swollen bruise, making him suck in a sharp breath in pain.

"Ow—! I was letting your mom blow off some steam, okay? Seriously..."

"And since when did you start calling me ‘old dad’? Didn’t you used to sweetly call me ‘dad’? It’s only been a few days and I’ve already aged?”

"You still have the energy to joke around? Looks like you're really okay."

Even though Rachel sounded sharp-tongued, deep down she was truly worried about Armand.

She had just come back to check on how Armand was doing with comforting Evelia. Only to see Armand lying flat on the ground after taking a punch from her. Just the thump of that punch was enough to make Rachel flinch. To survive a hit with that much force… in a way, Armand was pretty tough.

Letting the "Red Crow" punch you... you really don’t care about your life, huh.

"I’m so glad… Mr. Armand, you’re okay."

Evelia, sitting beside Armand, also let out a deep breath of relief. Sure, throwing those punches felt good. After all, she was a warrior. When she used to feel restless, she’d also practice punching things.

But when Armand groaned and collapsed to the ground, she panicked so much she forgot how to breathe. Her heart felt like it had been squeezed tight, like someone was gripping it hard in their fist.

She held him in her arms, calling out "Mr. Armand" over and over again. Every few seconds, she checked if he was still breathing.

By the time Rachel arrived, Evelia was even asking the little girl what to do, pleading for help like a desperate child. Even after Rachel said Armand was probably fine, Evelia still clung tightly to him, afraid that if she let go, she would never be able to hold him again.

If Rachel hadn’t stopped her in time, Armand might’ve been crushed to death by her hug.

"It’s nothing, really."

Armand, though his eye was still swollen and throbbing, smiled brightly and tried to comfort the panicking Evelia.

He hadn’t expected her to hit that hard.

"Mr. Armand..."

"Okay, okay, okay~~"

Seeing how scared Evelia was, Armand just pulled her into a hug without thinking. Like a parent comforting a frightened child, he gently patted her back.

"See? I’m totally fine. Really! I asked you to let it out, didn’t I? So don’t blame yourself, okay? Even if you punched me again, I’d still be fine. It’s really okay, Eve. There, there~"

To Armand, this was just a joke. But to Evelia, it was terrifying. She really thought she had almost lost him, almost lost the light in her life.

If something like that had really happened, she probably would’ve gone insane.

She had once thought about the possibility that she might be forced to kill Armand one day. But when she saw him lying there, unconscious and helpless. She couldn’t breathe.

And yet, she knew the future couldn’t be changed.

With that in mind, Evelia hugged Armand even tighter. She buried her head in the crook of his neck.

—She was destined to kill this man someday.

"I came here to comfort you, not make you more upset. Come on, let’s calm down a little... Here, have some ketchup."

Still held tightly in Evelia’s arms and unable to move, Armand gave Rachel a look. Rachel, being sharp as always, quickly ran to a nearby chair, grabbed a bottle of ketchup, and handed it to Armand. He quickly twisted the cap off and, still patting Evelia’s back, gently offered it to her.

"......"

Evelia slowly let go of him. She pressed her lips together, took the bottle of ketchup, and brought it close. To Evelia, ketchup was like a calming medicine. She licked the rim of the bottle, and the sweet and sour flavor helped her settle down quite a bit.

After getting her ketchup fix, Evelia became noticeably more relaxed. She sat quietly in front of Armand, holding her “medicine bottle” like a treasure.

Seeing that, Armand stood up and went to grab a bottle for himself too. Rachel followed and grabbed one as well, even handing her bottle to Armand so he could open it for her.

And just like that, the father and daughter sat down on either side of Evelia.

They just sat right down on the ground without holding back. If they wanted to lie down, they did. If they wanted to sprawl out, they did. Before they came, Armand had already told the old butler not to let anyone else into the back garden. So right now, it was just the three of them, their little family. They could do whatever they wanted without worrying about anyone else watching.

"Eve, do you feel a bit better now?"

Armand held a bottle of ketchup, but he wasn’t really drinking it. It looked more like he was just going along with the mood. Rachel was handling it a little better than Armand, she used the tip of her tongue to taste small bits, like she was slowly getting used to the flavor and didn’t find the ketchup too bad in small amounts.

"......"

Evelia was quiet for a few seconds. Then she swallowed the ketchup in her mouth. "You scared me..."

"Haha—sorry. I didn’t think I was so weak that I’d get knocked out by a lady’s punch."

"But it’s fine. For people like me who’ve been on the battlefield, this kind of thing is just a small injury. No big deal."

"Really, you don’t need to hold back. I told you, you can punch me again if you want."

"......"

When Evelia heard that, she looked at Armand. And seriously, she raised her fist again.

Armand was a bit stunned to see her do that, but since he was the one who said it, he couldn’t back out now. So he took a deep breath and got ready to take another punch from Evelia.

Thud.

But this time, Armand felt Evelia’s fist lightly tap against his face. It wasn’t hard at all, it was more like a gentle touch.

"Hm?"

Armand looked at Evelia in confusion. She was still holding her fist near his face, but it didn’t seem like she planned to punch him again.

"Ha—"

Seeing this, Armand laughed softly. Then he gently leaned his face into her small fist again, like it was a playful game between kids.

"Looks like you’re feeling a lot better, Eve."

He reached out and wrapped Evelia’s fist in his palm. Her rough and powerful hands looked so small and delicate inside his large hand.

And since Evelia didn’t seem as heavy-hearted or trapped as before, Armand felt like it was finally time to get to the point.

"So, we said we’d talk, right? Come on, Eve. Is there something on your mind?"

They had finally reached this moment. Evelia thought to herself. But even now, she still didn’t know how to speak her heart.

"Go ahead, Eve. Don’t be nervous. If you need anything, just tell me."

Those words were exactly like what the Second Prince used to say. No matter what she needed, the "Red Crow" could tell him. She could make a list of her mission requirements and hand it to the Second Prince to prepare or pay for.

But this time, the words felt different.

Even though they were the same, coming from a different person, the feeling they gave her was completely different.

Why was that? Evelia didn’t know.

But she knew one thing, she liked it more when Armand said those words.

She liked his tone. She liked his voice.

So maybe she could speak after all.

When she faced the Second Prince, she didn’t dare to talk. She was afraid that if she spoke about what she truly wanted, it would make him angry. He might take away everything from her in a moment of rage.

But Mr. Armand would never do that.

She didn’t know why, she just believed it deeply in her heart. She believed Armand wasn’t that kind of person.

Even though Evelia was afraid that Armand might take everything away from her too, just like the Second Prince, the feeling was different this time. When she was with the Second Prince, she felt helpless and scared. But with Armand, there was still a little hope in her heart.

Just a moment ago, she had been full of fear. But now, maybe it was because of the warm, relaxed atmosphere, Evelia felt like she had the courage to speak.

‘Don’t leave me. Don’t abandon me.’

She kept repeating that in her heart.

Because Armand refused to eat her tomato dish, she thought it meant he was rejecting her. But now, he was sitting right beside her, happily sharing ketchup with her.

So maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance.

—Say it.

After so many years of holding everything inside, she finally wanted to let it out. She wanted to speak from her heart. She wanted to tell Armand, this man she didn’t want to lose.

"I—" Evelia gathered her courage like she was placing a bet on everything.

This was all or nothing, she was going to say what was truly in her heart. Even if Armand agreed or didn’t agree, to her it felt like a one-or-zero kind of situation. A hundred or nothing.

"Mr. Armand—" She took a deep breath, like this was the first time in her life she was going to share her true feelings.

"Yes, I’m listening," Armand said gently. 

He was right there beside her, waiting patiently for Evelia to tell him what she wanted. As long as she said it, he would try his best to make it happen.

Right now, he felt just like Evelia’s knight. If his princess gave the order, he would raise his sword to protect her honor.

Though if her wish had something to do with the Second Prince, that might be more difficult... Armand hadn’t even achieved his own goal yet. But he could at least count Evelia’s wish together with his.

"Mr. Armand... please don’t leave me. Please don’t throw me away. Is that okay?"

She finally said it.

Evelia felt like a heavy stone had been lifted from her chest. She let out a big sigh of relief.

But at the same time, she also felt nervous. Because she didn’t know how Armand would respond.

After all, it was true that he hadn’t eaten her tomato dish.

"Hm?"

Armand, who had been expecting something heavy or dramatic, was a little surprised by what Evelia said. He made a small sound of confusion.

Even Rachel peeked her head over and looked at Evelia.

When she heard Armand’s unsure reaction, Evelia got even more anxious and quickly explained.

"I—I just don’t want to be alone. I—"

"I thought you were going to ask me to reach up to the sky and grab a star or something."

Armand laughed and set the ketchup bottle down. Then he scooted a little closer to her.

"Come on, what are you saying? When have I ever abandoned you?"

"...Eh?" Evelia made a small, confused sound.

"But you didn’t accept my tomato dish... you gave it to someone else... isn’t that the same as rejecting me? Like you were trying to stay away from me—?"

“That’s not true at all!”

Even though Armand didn’t want to make excuses for himself, now that Evelia had misunderstood him like that, he had to explain things clearly. After all, he had a mouth, and since he had one, he should use it to speak.

He really hadn’t expected that something he thought was no big deal would become such a heavy burden in Evelia’s heart.

“It’s just that… how should I put it… Eve, you know about my stomach problems, right?”

To be honest, Armand didn’t like showing weakness. Even though a lot of people already knew about his stomach issues, he still didn’t want the news to spread.

Weakness is something that should never be exposed, especially to enemies. Even if it was “just a small stomach issue” to others, for Armand, it was more complicated.

His condition wasn’t just a regular stomach illness. It was caused by poison that kept damaging his body from the inside. So really, it wasn’t just his stomach, his whole body had issues. It was only because he was young, physically strong, and receiving royal treatment that he was able to keep going.

But the stomach problem was the most obvious and hardest to hide. So to the outside world, he simply claimed he had “stomach problems.”

If anyone with bad intentions started digging into this issue and found something out. It could cause big trouble. So for his own goals, he couldn’t let anything slip.

But since it was Evelia… well, the stomach thing was already public anyway. Mentioning it briefly should be fine.

Technically, Evelia was someone from the Second Prince’s side. That meant Armand shouldn’t be telling her this kind of thing. But...

…oh well.

Armand didn’t really know if this feeling was good or bad. But right now, he didn’t want to act like a knight commander. He just wanted to sit beside Evelia and have a simple, honest conversation with her.

“Honestly, my stomach is in pretty bad shape, so like you’ve noticed, I usually only eat plain and mild food. Ketchup is a bit too strong for me. And the kind of ketchup you like, Eve, is really sour. Plus, you use a lot of it… My stomach just can’t handle it very well.”

“But I didn’t want to throw away the food you worked so hard to make, so I… gave it to someone else instead. I’m sorry, Eve. I really didn’t think it would upset you this much.”

Armand chose to tell the truth. Since Evelia had opened her heart and said what she was really feeling, Armand couldn’t keep hiding things either.

He didn’t eat her tomato dishes simply because of his stomach and taste. Not because he was rejecting Evelia.

He could still eat things that looked good or had milder flavors that others said were fine. But if something tasted too strange or was too strong, he really couldn’t handle it. Even if his mind could deal with it, his stomach couldn’t.

In fact, after drinking those two bottles of ketchup just now, his stomach was already starting to hurt.

“…Is… is that really it?”

After hearing his explanation, Evelia realized things weren’t as terrible as she had imagined.

So it was all just a misunderstanding?

And that meant… Armand hadn’t rejected her after all?

He even said his stomach couldn’t take much ketchup… but still drank so much of it just now, was that… for her?

She didn’t know why, but Evelia felt touched. She even felt a bit happy.

‘Ah… thank goodness. Mr. Armand really didn’t reject me. He’s still by my side… He won’t take back the warmth he gave me…’

“Also, Eve, you just said you’re all alone?”

“……”

When Evelia heard that, she paused for a moment. Then she nodded softly.

That feeling of not belonging anywhere. It was something that had always weighed down on her heart.

“I’ve always—”

“Don’t say nonsense like that!”

Armand spoke as he suddenly pulled Evelia into his arms.

"What do you mean, you're all alone? You still have us, Eve!"

"That's right, Mom!"

Seeing this, Rachel joined in too. She stood up and stretched her arms wide, hugging Evelia tightly.

"Eve, don't worry anymore. We're here. We’ll always be here."

"Yes, Mom, your daughter is right here. I’ll always protect you! I’ll always stand by your side!"

"What about Dad then?"

"Dad is a dummy!"

"Ouch… so unfair."

The two of them joked back and forth, just like how families tease each other sometimes.

On one side was Armand, on the other was Rachel. The two of them held Evelia tightly, the same Evelia who just called herself “all alone.” It was like they were telling her, ‘You were never alone.’

"Ah..."

Even though it was summer, wrapped in their arms, Evelia didn’t feel hot or stuffy. This warmth she felt, deep in her heart, was passing through their embrace. She was being held tightly, surrounded in the middle of the two of them.

After being alone for so many years, this was the first time she had ever truly felt warmth from others.

‘This... this is what I wanted. Mr. Armand... and Rachel, as my daughter… That’s right… how could I ever say I was alone?’

Without meaning to, she felt her nose start to sting.

She still felt like she shouldn’t show her feelings too easily. But she couldn’t stop it. That warm liquid called “tears” spilled from her eyes.

Even though the Second Prince’s control over her mind couldn’t be broken in just a day or with just a few words. Even now, she was still the Second Prince’s "Red Crow."

But—

When her teary eyes finally cleared up and she could see again, what she saw was Armand and Rachel, holding her tightly.

‘Yeah… yeah… This is what I hoped for. This is what I dreamed about. It was nothing like the Second Prince’s "generosity," and nothing like the "rewards" given after completing a mission.’

This was hers, truly hers. Something she owned.

With that thought, she returned the hug, raising her arms to wrap around theirs. And as if they noticed her response, both Armand and Rachel held her even tighter.

Her tears didn’t stop. They soaked their arms.

Tears are usually a sign of sadness, but Evelia didn’t feel sad at all.

Instead, she felt like she had received a priceless treasure. And on her tear-streaked face, there was a smile.

She cried, but she smiled too.

It was the first time Armand and Rachel had seen Evelia with this kind of expression. And seeing her finally smile, they couldn’t help but smile too.

They all knew this was just the beginning. Evelia was only starting to understand what emotions truly were. Maybe deep inside, she still didn’t fully understand human feelings.

But since she was smiling now, they would smile with her too.

The three of them smiled, holding each other tightly.

Evelia, the “Red Crow” who had once flown alone across the sky, had finally found her nest.