Chapter 262: Acting Without Restraint
Evelia’s face was very gloomy right now. She looked like she was nervous, or maybe thinking about something terrifying.
In fact, she was thinking about something serious. She was wondering, if Armand could sleep a little longer, wouldn’t that give her more chances to “do whatever she wanted”? If he could sleep more deeply, maybe she could even do things to him that involved more physical contact—
—Should she go get some sleeping pills?
Something that would help Mr. Armand sleep very soundly every day.
Just like when she used to carry out “assassinations”, as long as the “target” was sleeping peacefully, everything went much more smoothly. Otherwise, sometimes the cries of children or women would startle others and ruin everything.
Anyway, Armand’s medicine already had some sleeping ingredients in it. If she added just a bit more to help him sleep better, he probably wouldn’t notice.
Or maybe, it didn’t have to be sleeping pills.
In that instant, Evelia remembered how Armand had once been half-asleep and responded to her. That warm, rubbing feeling between them... it wasn’t something she could feel just by doing everything on her own.
If it were some other kind of medicine... if it were that kind of medicine, then maybe...
“Eve?”
“—”
Hearing Armand’s voice snapped Evelia back to reality.
In that moment, she had even imagined a certain “scene” that might happen, and it made her let out a few hot breaths.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Armand. I was just—”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I just want you to take a proper rest for a few days.”
Armand seemed especially sensitive to Evelia’s apologies, maybe because he never quite knew how to deal with her when she was feeling sorry.
So the moment she started apologizing, Armand began quickly thinking about what he might have done wrong. It was almost like a reflex by now.
Because of that, Armand noticed there was something off about his tone of voice.
He usually spoke very directly, his personality just didn’t let him talk in a roundabout way. Sometimes, when he suddenly said things that made Evelia’s heart race, it wasn’t because he was trying to be romantic, it was just what he honestly thought. Even the kind things he said were just natural for him, he had always been a gentle person.
But to Evelia, those ordinary words from Armand had a powerful effect. They felt like sweet talk that completely took hold of her. It was as if, without meaning to, Armand had figured out exactly what she wanted to hear.
Of course, Evelia had also figured out what Armand wanted. The way they both went straight to the point could be seen as equally strong, but between the two of them, there was still a “wall” they couldn’t easily cross. A wall that made them both hesitate.
“Just... a tone problem?”
Evelia, who had nearly confessed something very serious, paused.
“Yeah—ah, I just saw your face and thought you might think I was trying to send you away... I just wanted to clear that up. Sorry, I guess I still talk too bluntly.”
Having a mouth means using it, and solving problems as soon as they appear is a good habit. Ignoring things only makes them worse.
Maybe from the very beginning, from those blue roses, Armand had been paying special attention to Evelia’s feelings. He had learned that when there’s a problem, he should deal with it quickly. He really didn’t want any unnecessary misunderstandings with her.
“I’m sorry. You’ve been taking care of me all this time, you must be exhausted. You can go rest now, okay?”
To make sure Evelia understood that he really was just too straightforward in his wording, Armand repeated his original meaning on purpose.
“......”
Evelia listened to his words and stayed silent for a few thoughtful seconds.
Tired? No, not at all.
Evelia didn’t feel tired at all when she was with Armand. In fact, it even felt like she was “recharging.”
She often felt mentally exhausted because of her own thoughts. But whenever she got close to Armand and saw his usual gentle smile, all those worries and troubles seemed to disappear. Her mind, which had felt like a tangled mess of wires, would become calm again, bringing her a sense of peace that she could only feel when she was with Armand.
If ketchup was Evelia’s “comfort item,” then Armand was her “super ketchup.” No matter how tired she was, as long as she could quietly hold him while he was asleep, all her negative feelings would go away.
To Evelia, Armand’s presence was like an addictive medicine.
“I’m not tired at all, Mr. Armand,” Evelia shook her head. “And you don’t need to apologize. I’m your maid, so it’s my duty to take care of you.”
“But you—”
Armand was about to say something, or maybe ask something, but stopped himself.
When Evelia said, “I’m your maid,” Armand really wanted to ask what her current position truly was.
Why had she disappeared during that time? What was that dead body all about? And how had she come back, what had she gone through?
Armand didn’t know any of it. Because of some missing memories, there were many things he still didn’t understand.
As the captain of the knights, he wanted to know all the details. He could use that information to learn more about the group known as the "House of Nightingales."
But as Armand, the man who was now the “master” of the maid Evelia in this mansion, he didn’t want to know.
All he needed to know was that Evelia had come back safely.
From the old butler, Armand had learned that Evelia had returned with some injuries. But because she didn’t want him to worry, she had asked the butler for some ointment to cover up the wounds. That’s why she now looked fine and healthy.
As for the ointment, it wasn’t some rare or secret medicine. Many maids from wealthy families knew about it, since those young girls didn’t want to have scars from their work. Still, considering Evelia’s background, she probably knew about that medicine for different reasons.
But this was all the information Armand had.
As for the rest, he didn’t want to know. So he didn’t ask, and he didn’t let anyone investigate. He just pretended not to notice anything and quietly enjoyed the time while Evelia was still safely by his side.
Knowing too much... isn’t always a good thing.
But Armand knew that one day, the truth would come out.
That day might come if a future event revealed clues that pointed directly to Evelia, forcing him to take action. Or maybe that day would come when Evelia herself chose the right moment... to take his life.
Either way, the day when everything would be revealed was coming.
But thankfully... at least it wasn’t today.
At least today, under the warm sun, Armand could still look at Evelia, someone who “for now” still belonged by his side.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Armand?”
Evelia tilted her head slightly, confused, when she saw Armand start to speak and then stop.
“...Haha, no, it’s nothing.”
Armand let out a couple of laughs. Maybe because his throat was still dry, the laugh didn’t sound as nice as usual, and there was even a bitter curve at the corner of his lips.
“I was just thinking... how should I say this, Eve...”
Armand was smiling, but his eyebrows lowered in a sad way.
“From now on, please take good care of yourself. Okay?”
His words sounded like a heartfelt reminder, full of care and meaning.