Chapter 248: A Hug in the Dream
For someone as busy as the captain of the knights, maybe this was the only time Armand could truly rest.
He didn’t know how long he had been lying down, but his body already felt sore from it. Even though he had been asleep, he kept feeling like someone was moving him around, especially his arms, like someone was always touching or adjusting them. He didn’t know why.
But most of these sensations were covered up by his dream. He was lost in a long dream made of countless small, broken pieces.
Just like any other strange dream, Armand’s dream jumped from one scene to another, switching suddenly and without warning. Since people dream about things that are on their minds, his dreams had that weird mix of being close to real but also very magical.
That’s why, even after he opened his eyes, he still had a blank look on his face.
“Eve?”
He called out the name of the person in front of him again, as if trying to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
“...!”
When Evelia heard Armand’s voice, her heart suddenly ached.
Just a moment ago, she had been thinking “Maybe it would be better if he just stayed asleep forever”. But now, hearing his rough, weak voice, all she could think was, “I’m so glad he’s awake.”
Armand stared at Evelia, who was lying next to him, a little stunned. Then, with a troubled expression, he frowned slightly.
“Ah... sorry.”
He closed his eyes, looking a little embarrassed and helpless.
“I can’t believe I was dreaming about you like that... sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just... sigh, whatever. Maybe the next scene will start soon.”
It seemed like he still hadn’t fully woken up from all those crazy dreams. He licked his lips, still feeling the wet, soft sensation there, and for some reason, he thought he could taste ketchup.
That must have been part of the dream too, right?
There’s no way Evelia would really be lying next to him in his bed, sharing the same blanket.
“...Sorry.”
He even felt ashamed about having such dreams. He believed it was wrong to think such impure thoughts about someone who had already “left.”
But—
“Let me... just hug you... a little longer.”
—He still opened his arms and pulled Evelia into a tight hug.
This time, it wasn’t like before when Evelia had to move his arms into a hugging position herself.
Now, she was truly wrapped in Armand’s embrace, his warmth surrounding her completely.
Lately, Armand had been dreaming about Evelia a lot. Every time he saw her in his dreams, he would hug her, trying to make up for the regrets he carried.
But the Evelia in his dreams never responded. She wasn’t real. Just a memory or something made up by his imagination.
In his dreams, Evelia had always been quiet and didn’t speak much, so even in the dream, she never talked back. Armand didn’t say much either, because he knew that in a dream, words didn’t matter. After all, real life doesn’t have such magical things like dreams that send messages.
So, even now, he did the same thing as in his dreams. He held Evelia in his arms, letting her rest her head in the crook of his shoulder.
Before, he’d been a little scared of her after she used her "scissor legs" to lock him down. But now, as he hugged her again, he realized something.
Despite how strong she had seemed before, even taller than most maids, when compared to his own body, Evelia was actually quite small.
Just like a beautiful crystal decoration, something that looks hard on the outside but is actually fragile and easy to break.
As Armand thought about it, he loosened his hug just a little. He had wanted to hold her tightly, but he was also afraid of hurting Evelia if he used too much strength. Even if he believed this was just a dream, even if the Evelia in his arms wouldn’t respond—
“Mr. Armand?”
Her voice suddenly sounded by his ear.
Armand was surprised. Could it be that his dreams were becoming more detailed, more real, with time?
“Are you okay?”
It was like Evelia had sensed his nervous and stiff embrace, how he wanted to hold her, but hesitated.
She gently leaned closer and patted his back like one would comfort a scared child. Then she moved upward in his arms, poking her head out and lifting her face to look at him.
“I... I’m okay.”
Maybe because they could finally talk, Armand’s voice suddenly choked up with emotion.
He had so many things he wanted to say. He had always wanted to tell her, even in his dreams, how much he missed her. But Evelia had never answered him in those dreams. And so, over time, he stopped trying.
But now, she had replied to him.
Just a simple “Mr. Armand” was enough to shake his heart deeply.
“Um—sorry... I... I...”
A thousand thoughts were stuck in his throat. Looking at Evelia’s face, calm and expressionless, just like always. He had so much to say, but couldn’t get a single word out.
For someone who usually seemed smooth and confident with words, it was surprising to see Armand like this. Even in a dream, he couldn’t bring himself to speak his heart.
It was like his voice was tied to his feelings, and once he spoke, all the emotions he had kept bottled up would pour out uncontrollably.
“Mr. Armand, are you upset?”
Seeing Armand frowning and stammering, Evelia looked at him with concern.
Even now, she still wanted his approval. Still hoped he would welcome her back.
“—No, not at all.”
“Then, Mr. Armand, smile for me.”
That was something Armand had once asked her to do. Now, Evelia was saying the same thing back to him.
“Ah... okay…”
Armand gave a small, weak smile. It was nothing like the warm, gentle smile he used to have. Maybe it was because he still looked pale, but the smile looked tired and forced.
“Mr. Armand I know wouldn’t show that kind of face.”
Evelia reached out and gently smoothed the frown on his forehead.
“Say it with me, ‘Yay! Ketchup!’.”
Just like before, Evelia said her usual photo-taking catchphrase in that stiff, serious tone, as if she wanted to teach Armand how to smile again.
Armand blinked, a little stunned. Then, with a voice that trembled slightly, he repeated after her.
“...Yay... ket... ketchup.”
When Evelia said it, her lips did curl up a little. But because her eyes and brows didn’t move, it didn’t look like a real smile.
Armand, though still exhausted, tried his best to smile while saying the line.
He bit his lip, forcing himself to show the kind of smile he thought Evelia liked, the smile she remembered. It was like he was fighting against the heavy sadness in his heart one last time.
“That’s right, Mr. Armand. Just like that. Smile. You look best when you smile.”
—And I like you the most when you smile.
“Ev... Eve... I...”
Armand struggled, not knowing how to say what he truly felt.
“I’m sorry... I...”
All he could do was apologize. Even though he knew "sorry" wouldn’t fix anything, he kept saying it, again and again.
“I couldn’t... I couldn’t bring you back… I’m sorry, Evelia… I got there too late…”
Even though Evelia was right in front of him, the image in Armand’s mind was still that lifeless body in the alley. If only he had gotten there a little faster… if only he had been smarter...
“It’s okay, Mr. Armand. You didn’t bring me back, but see? I came back on my own.”
Evelia clearly didn’t follow Armand’s train of thought. She blinked at him, looking harmless and innocent.
“It’s not the same... This is just a dream. If I wake up, then I’ll—”
“Mr. Armand, this isn’t a dream.”
As Armand kept apologizing over and over, Evelia gently held his face in her hands. She looked at his lips, which were tight and pale from nervousness, then leaned closer and licked away the blood.
She had planned to do more, but since Armand was already awake now, she held herself back.
After carefully cleaning away the blood, she pulled away from his lips. But before that, she lightly sucked on the cut, making Armand twitch from the sting.
“Did that hurt, Mr. Armand?”
Just like the classic way to check if something is a dream or not, Evelia used pain to help Armand wake up fully.
“...Yeah, it hurts.”
Armand felt the warmth and pain on his lips, and his eyes started to blur a little.
“Yeah… it really hurts... Evelia…”
He suddenly realized, this was real.
The sharp pain on his lips was stronger than when he had been injured. He even bit down on them again, just to make it even clearer.
“Mm-hmm. So, Mr. Armand, that means this isn’t a dream.”
“Eve—”
In that moment, when his emotions spilled over, Armand hugged Evelia tightly again.
—So this really wasn’t a dream. Evelia... was alive and well.
“Eve... you're... you’re really okay?”
Armand pressed his chin against Evelia’s shoulder so she wouldn’t see the mess of emotions on his face.
“I’m okay, Mr. Armand. I’m really fine. But you... you were the one who made me worry.”
“I’m sorry... I—I just... ha, just think of me like a mild cold or something.”
“......”
Hearing that poor excuse, which sounded a lot like the ones Rachel used, Evelia sighed softly.
But since Armand was finally awake and talking normally, she didn’t press him any further.
“Mm... I’m just glad you woke up.”
“Yeah...”
Armand gave a quiet hum, and the trembling in his body slowly began to fade.
“Oh, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say—”
Evelia took a deep breath as she spoke.
“—I’m back, Mr. Armand.”
Just like she had imagined, Evelia said those words to him with all her heart.
“......”
Armand paused, then with a choked voice, replied.
“...Welcome back, Eve.”
One question, one answer. Finally, the two who had been apart for so long met again.
It wasn’t exactly like the emotional reunion scene Evelia had imagined, but still... she didn’t think it was bad at all.
“Mr. Armand.”
She gently patted Armand, who was still resting his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck with his hair. From the sound of his breathing, she could tell something.
“Are you crying?”
“......”
Armand paused, then sniffed unconsciously and said.
“No... I’m not.”
“I see.”
Evelia didn’t say anything more. She just continued holding her Armand, just like in the dream.