Chapter 207: A Relationship Without Realizing It
Rachel sat quietly on the side, watching as Anna held up one dress after another in front of Evelia, comparing them to her figure.
Evelia was also very quiet, like a doll waiting to be dressed up. She didn’t agree or refuse, if Anna asked her to stand and hold something up to measure, she’d obediently do it.
“Just as I thought, Miss Evelia looks good in everything.”
Just seeing Evelia hold the clothes was enough for Anna to picture how perfect she would look in them.
—Of course, that’s because this body was shaped by her, Rachel thought proudly.
Off to the side, Rachel looked smug after hearing Anna’s compliment.
“Honestly, Miss Evelia is so beautiful, why won’t Mr. Armand make a move?”
Anna looked troubled as she spoke.
From her point of view, Evelia wasn’t just one in a thousand, she was one in ten thousand. She was like a goddess’s masterpiece.
So how could Armand stay calm around someone like her?
What kind of heavy responsibility does he carry to have that kind of self-control?
“Maybe… he’s just seen too many beautiful women?”
At the checkout counter nearby, Clund popped his head up from his writing and looked over at the three women.
“Seen too many beautiful women?”
Like she had just heard a keyword, Evelia, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly turned her gaze to Clund in a flash, so sharp it made him jump in surprise.
“—Uh, well… I mean…”
Under Evelia’s intense stare, Clund stammered as he tried to explain.
“Think about it, he’s the commander of the knight order. That kind of person has a high status and must’ve seen way more beautiful women than we have. And most of the ones around him are noble ladies, each one prettier than the last. So maybe… to him, Miss Evelia, you’re just kind of average?”
The moment the word “average” came out, all three ladies frowned.
Evelia frowned, thinking, ‘Could it be that Mr. Armand is always surrounded by beautiful noble ladies? He said he had to go to the knights’ headquarters and would be late… Could there be a beautiful noblewoman there too? I need to find a way to look into this…’
And she remembered he once mentioned having a very close friend he even sees in his dreams… Who is that? Who’s so special that Armand can’t forget them, even in his sleep?
‘Looks like I need to find out, and get rid of her. As long as Mr. Armand sees only me, that’s enough. In his dreams too, it should only be me.’
Meanwhile, Anna frowned for a different reason, Clund’s words made a bit too much sense.
Although Anna’s clothing shop now mainly served commoners, her family had once run a high-end boutique.
Back then, noblewomen came and went all the time. Those ladies weren’t just beautiful. Their elegance, their fashion, and their jewels made them truly stunning.
Evelia was very different from them. She didn’t have that natural noble arrogance. Instead, she had a cool and distant feeling about her. But within that coldness was a kind of pure beauty that was hard to describe.
It was like Evelia was a flawless gem, cold and hard when you first touch it, but if you hold it long enough, it slowly warms up.
If Armand really had seen too many stunning women and now had impossibly high standards, then… this could be trouble. And what if his type was actually those mature, elegant noble ladies? Or those proud, confident types?
After all, Evelia had mentioned before that Armand seemed a bit… into pain. A bit of a masochist?
And Anna had also heard that Armand was quite popular among noblewomen. Compared to those women who had spent years mastering the art of high-society relationships, young girls like them… really didn’t stand a chance.
As for Rachel sitting off to the side, the reason for her frown was very simple.
—Excuse me?! I’ve lived over a hundred years, do you think I haven’t seen beautiful women before? And you dare say the Evelia I personally created isn’t as pretty as those older noble ladies? Pfft!
If I weren’t too short to even reach the top of that counter, I would’ve already jumped up there and smacked you, let you see what real beauty looks like!
My Evelia is the cutest! The most most most adorable! Don’t you dare compare her to those noblewomen who reek of money and fake manners!
What do you mean “Armand doesn’t like her”? Please! Their eyes are practically shooting sparks every time they look at each other, do you even see that?
I’m a witness! I was there! Why don’t you people ever ask for my opinion? Don’t just deny Evelia’s beauty like this!
You can give me advice on alchemy if you want. But when it comes to taste and beauty, you’ve got no say!
“I think Mom and Dad really love each other!”
Finally, so angry she could hardly breathe, Rachel spoke up.
“Dad and Mom are super in love! Right, Mom?!”
As she spoke, she acted like a sweet little girl and gave Evelia a big hug. Well, as much of a hug as she could manage around Evelia’s waist.
“And Mom is suuuuper super super—super pretty! And super cute too! Mom is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen! And Dad really really likes you!!”
Hmph! You’d better believe my excellent taste deserves credit for this!
“……”
Evelia looked at Rachel, who had suddenly thrown her arms around her, and paused for a moment.
On instinct, she raised her arms slightly to let the little girl hug her waist, watching as the child snuggled against her legs like a kitten.
Even though she still felt like this was troublesome, Evelia’s opinion of Rachel had already changed.
Ever since the day Rachel comforted her, Evelia had quietly accepted her as a daughter in her heart.
She didn’t actually dislike Rachel. It was just that, no matter who interrupted her time alone with Armand, she would naturally be annoyed.
“Haha—yeah, you’re right. I guess I was overthinking it.”
Clund gave a slightly awkward laugh as he looked at the sweet mother-daughter moment. He hadn’t meant anything bad. He’d just said it without thinking, and didn’t expect it to upset them.
“I guess I was being a bit shallow. Looks are just one part of it. Since your kid says you two are very much in love, that must mean your relationship is pretty close…”
“...After all, children are really sensitive when it comes to that kind of thing. Their feelings are more honest. Maybe you and the commander only feel like there’s distance between you, but in reality, you’re already quite close.”
As someone who wrote romance novels, Clund felt like he was finally starting to understand something.
The “distance” Evelia thought existed between her and Armand… most of it was a wall she had built herself.
If she could let that wall down, the distance might disappear.
And Clund figured Armand was probably the same. They were both hiding something. Maybe they just needed that final push, an honest conversation, and then everything would fall into place.
He didn’t know what they were hiding, but he believed that if Evelia and Armand could have a proper talk, things would turn out just fine.
After all, it was obvious they already had feelings for each other.
That blurry, bittersweet feeling was exactly what Clund, a writer of romance stories for young girls, loved most.
But… the secrets between them might not be as simple as he imagined.
“Is that… so?”
Evelia gently patted Rachel’s back, quietly thinking over everything they had said.
So… Mr. Armand and I are already… pretty close?
Then… does that mean… I can really become someone important to him too?