Chapter 263: Things One Likes
Armand had noticed this problem a long time ago.
Evelia… she didn’t really have anything she wanted to do.
When Armand told her to take the rest of her time to relax or do something she enjoyed, Evelia just became confused and lost.
The last time Armand noticed this was a few months ago before a ball. He had told her to go enjoy herself for a bit, but instead, she ended up following him around the entire day.
And now, this problem came up again between Armand and Evelia.
Armand had been lying in bed for a long time. His back was stiff, and his legs were sore. Tomorrow he would return to the knight’s headquarters, and he definitely couldn’t show up in this condition. So, after finishing breakfast, Armand decided to go to the training grounds to stretch and warm up a little.
Even though it wasn’t an official training time, there were still quite a few knights in the training area practicing with their weapons.
Some of them were truly working hard to get stronger. But there were also a few young men who had gotten close to certain maids and were clearly trying to show off in front of the girls they liked.
Striking cool poses on the training field was one of the most common ways for knights to win a young lady’s heart. In the knight circle, this kind of thing was as ordinary as it gets.
But there was also an unspoken “rule” among the knights.
‘Never appear on the training ground at the same time as Captain Armand or Vice-Captain Carle.’
Carle might look like a clerk now, but his title as vice-captain wasn’t just for show. The fact that he was second only to Armand proved his strength. Even though Armand had taken over all the hands-on work and left Carle to manage documents and internal affairs, Carle was still more than just a guy who made desserts.
And Carle looked great too. He was the perfect example of a “handsome and wealthy” man. Whether it was in his career, family life, or looks, he was better than 90% of the other knights.
Even if the knights didn’t like to admit it, their vice-captain was, in every sense, a “successful man.”
That’s why many knights didn’t want to appear in the training field with him. First, because his presence made them feel less confident. And second, because even though Carle didn’t train anymore, he was still in charge of knight training. If he spotted any issues, he’d definitely increase the intensity, so when knights saw him coming, they ran for it.
As for Armand, the reason was even simpler. He was extremely popular among the noble ladies, and his strength was on a level that regular knights couldn’t even begin to compare with.
To avoid embarrassing themselves, knights always stayed away when their two commanding officers showed up.
However, the knights stationed at Armand’s mansion couldn’t avoid this. After all, this was Armand’s home. Even if they wanted to escape, there was nowhere to run.
At times like this, couples who liked each other would be truly tested. If the girl’s heart was easily swayed just because Armand appeared, then the knight who liked her might end up heartbroken.
Now, when Armand arrived at the training field wearing his tight-fitting training clothes, the knights became visibly nervous again.
And when they saw Evelia arriving with him, their expressions grew even more tense.
They weren’t nervous because they wanted to show off in front of the most beautiful maid in the mansion, Evelia. They were nervous because… they realized something about Armand and Evelia’s relationship.
As mentioned before, knights loved showing off in front of the girls they liked. They would use their coolest, most practiced, most flashy moves on the training ground just to impress that girl and make her see how awesome they were.
And now, Armand had brought Evelia with him.
Those ordinary knights were still knights, and Armand was also a knight. The girls they liked were maids, and Evelia was also a maid that Armand himself liked.
Even though Armand and Evelia never said anything out loud about their relationship, everyone in the mansion could tell there was definitely something between them. Just the fact that Armand had chosen Evelia as his dance partner at the ballroom showed that he had feelings for her.
Not to mention the way Armand treated Evelia afterward, anyone could see it. Even a blind person could tell just by listening to their voices that their relationship was not normal.
...If Captain Armand wants to show off a little in front of Miss Evelia here at the training field, then we’re all in trouble…
The knights who had just been trying to act cool on the training ground now wore troubled expressions, thinking exactly that.
But actually, Armand only came to move his body a little in front of a wooden dummy. He hadn’t even started yet. He just came to check out the training ground.
If there were too many people around, he planned to jog somewhere else first and wait until lunchtime, when most of them would leave to eat. Then he’d return to do his “recovery training.”
As for Evelia, she had followed him on her own. It seemed like she didn’t know what she was supposed to do.
He told her to rest, and she just kept repeating, “I’m not tired, Mr. Armand,” like she was trying to ease the guilt he felt for making her take care of him for so long.
Then he told her to use her free time to do something she liked, but Evelia still silently followed behind him. She didn’t disturb him, but she didn’t leave either. Because of what had happened once before, Armand didn’t even dare go to the bathroom.
“Eve…”
Armand turned around helplessly and looked at Evelia, who had been following him the whole time. She still had that calm, cool look on her face. When she heard him call her name, she quietly nodded.
“I’m here, Mr. Armand.”
Armand was already so used to hearing that line that it almost felt like it had grown roots in his ears.
“Eve, actually, how should I say this, you can try to discover something you enjoy? You don’t have to keep following me around like this.”
“Do you not like it when I stay close to you?”
“Ah—no, that’s not what I meant…”
The moment he heard the words “don’t like”, Armand immediately picked up on the key phrase and rushed to deny it, afraid that Evelia, who seemed a bit sensitive, would misunderstand.
Although… maybe it wasn’t exactly “sensitive.” It felt more like… insecurity?
Would things be better if Evelia were more confident?
“You were the one who told me to do this,” Evelia said.
“Huh?”
Armand made a confused sound when he heard her say that.
What did I say? What kind of trap did past-me leave for myself this time?
“You said not to leave your sight so easily. You told me not to go anywhere you couldn’t see me.”
“…Ah.”
—Yeah, I did say that.
Armand remembered saying that on the night he first met Evelia. Back then, all he had in mind was warning and watching her. He never imagined things would turn out like this now.
“I only said that because—uh… well, what I mean is, things are different now. Before is before, and now is now. I’m giving you a break right now. You can go and do something you like. You don’t have to stay in front of me or follow me around—”
“But the thing I like most is being by your side.”
“—Uh?”
A straight answer, so direct that Armand was completely caught off guard.
He clearly hadn’t expected Evelia to reply like that.
“You… you mean…”
“I like being by your side. That’s what I enjoy most.”
Evelia thought Armand hadn’t heard her clearly, so she seriously repeated it again.
Because to Evelia, that’s simply what she believed.
She liked being by Armand’s side.
She liked his warmth, his scent, the feeling of being in his arms.
She liked listening to his heartbeat.
She liked kissing his lips.
She liked rubbing the calluses on his hands.
Just like she said, she enjoyed being near him.
“...Ah... um...”
Armand clearly didn’t know how to respond. He awkwardly covered half of his face with his hand, but his red ears and the way he avoided eye contact couldn’t be hidden.
“E-Eve, you—”
Clang!!
“Captain! Watch out—!”
“—!”
Right when Armand was still frozen from being “hit” by Evelia’s sudden confession, the sharp sound of metal clashing rang out in his ears. Right after that came the startled gasps of knights and maids nearby.
Armand’s mind still wasn’t fully clear. He hadn’t completely recovered yet. By the time he realized what was happening, a sword that had been knocked loose during training was already flying in his and Evelia’s direction.
Normally, he would’ve quickly drawn his sword and blocked it. But this time, he was a little too slow. He could only try to dodge it.
But if he dodged to the side, Evelia would definitely be the one to get hurt. So instead—
The sword came spinning through the air. At worst, it would leave a cut, but Armand didn’t hesitate. Instinctively, he pulled Evelia into his arms to protect her.
But... the pain he expected on his back never came.
Instead, right next to his ear, he heard a sharp clang.
A gust of wind from the sword swept past him, and the blade was forcefully deflected off to the side. No one was hurt.
“Mr. Armand, are you okay?”
Evelia’s calm voice now carried a bit of worry, something unusual for her.
“......”
Armand looked at Evelia in shock, then looked down at her hand holding his sword tightly.
Just like how Armand instinctively shielded Evelia, Evelia had also instinctively stepped in to protect him.
She didn’t want Armand to get hurt again, and even more than that, she didn’t want him to get hurt because of her. So she had drawn the sword from his waist and blocked the incoming blade.
—But how did she do that?
That reaction speed…
That accuracy…
That way of swinging a sword with such power and control…
You couldn’t learn that without years of training.
And also…
That pose... Have I seen it before?
...Damn it. I can’t remember. Where have I seen it?
Is she really just a spy?
Just an ordinary spy from the House of Nightingales?
A spy with that kind of reaction speed?
“Mr. Armand, are you sure you’re okay?”
Seeing that Armand didn’t reply, Evelia looked at him with even more concern. For once, her calm face showed clear tension.
“...Ah...”
Armand snapped out of it and gave Evelia a small smile.
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
—But… is that really all there is to her?