Chapter 269: So Close, Yet So Far
Even Evelia had started to notice, Armand had been acting distracted lately.
She often caught him staring at her without saying anything, and sometimes he would turn his head to look off somewhere else.
At first, Evelia thought maybe Armand had discovered something and that’s why he kept watching her. But later, she realized that he wasn’t really watching her. He just happened to be looking in her direction, completely zoning out, like he was “sleeping with his eyes open.”
“Mr. Armand, is something bothering you?”
She truly didn’t know what he was thinking. She had never seen Armand like this before.
Evelia had always thought of Armand as someone full of energy and presence. It wasn’t until his recent fainting episode that she saw this tired and fragile side of him.
Did something happen in the knight order?
Or maybe the crown prince had made some tough demands?
Could it be that the second prince had done something that risked being exposed?
Seeing Armand always lost in thought made Evelia start to imagine the worst. If there was important information... she would have to report it to the second prince.
Even though she was relying on Armand right now, she hadn’t forgotten her identity or her mission.
“Mr. Armand?”
But Armand, sitting at his desk, didn’t respond at all. His eyes were half-closed, his head tilted, and he stared aimlessly at a corner of the room, completely out of it.
Something must have happened…
Mr. Armand isn’t even speaking to me anymore. Is he unwilling to talk, or is the situation already too serious for him to care about others?
If this was related to the second prince, she has to find out.
Evelia thought for a moment. She decided to try speaking to Armand again. Even if it was just a light conversation, she had to do it, for the sake of the second prince.
Yes. No matter what, it was for the second prince. After all, no matter how things seemed now, she was still the Red Crow.
“Mr. Armand, are you alright?”
Evelia gently called Armand’s name again, but strangely, he still didn’t react.
“Mr. Armand?”
She lightly tapped him on the shoulder. Only after she called his name once more did Armand seem to snap out of it, slowly turning to look at her.
“...Mmm...”
His head, which had been resting on his hand, suddenly drooped. Just before it hit the desk with a “thump,” Armand quickly lifted his head and leaned back into the chair.
"......?"
He looked dazed, first at Evelia, then at his surroundings. His confused expression looked like a big question mark.
“Mr. Armand? Are you okay?”
“—Ah.”
That soft call seemed to bring Armand fully back. He looked at Evelia’s worried face and gave a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, what were we talking about again?”
He raised an eyebrow and blinked a few times, like someone waking up from a deep dream.
“No... we weren’t really talking about anything.”
Evelia paused and pulled her hand back.
For some reason, a strange feeling started to rise in her heart.
“It’s just... you looked lost in thought for a while. Is something on your mind?”
“Hm? Not at all.”
Armand chuckled like nothing had happened, his usual self again. It was as if all the confusion and fatigue she had just seen were only her imagination.
“...Please don’t move.”
Right now, Evelia was more worried about Armand’s condition than about whether the Second Prince was planning something dangerous.
She reached out her hand and gently placed her palm on Armand’s forehead, trying to feel his temperature.
His forehead felt normal, but she wasn’t sure if her hand could really tell. So instead, she brushed aside his bangs, leaned in close, and gently pressed her forehead against his.
“Eve...”
“Shh, don’t talk yet, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia raised a finger to his lips, stopping him from speaking.
The two of them were so close their noses were touching, and they could feel each other’s breath. Besides the soft scent of perfume, Armand could also smell the familiar tomato ketchup scent that Evelia always seemed to carry.
—Looks like dinner will be another ketchup dish tonight.
Smelling that familiar scent, Armand already knew there would be no escaping the “tomato feast” this evening.
As for Evelia, her mind wasn't just on checking his temperature.
In truth, just a few seconds of touching foreheads was enough to tell if someone had a fever. But greedy little Evelia didn’t want it to end so soon. She wanted to touch him more, to feel more of his warmth.
—I really want to kiss Mr. Armand.
For days now, Evelia had only been able to hug him secretly while he slept, without being able to kiss him. She longed to taste Armand’s lips again.
—I want to kiss him freely again, like before when he was asleep.
But...
“My temperature seems normal, right, Eve?”
Armand’s slightly awkward smile snapped Evelia out of her fantasy. She silently pulled her forehead away.
“Yes, everything seems normal, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia swallowed hard, along with the urge inside her.
It seemed like that kind of thing would have to wait until she could do it in private.
She would just have to make up for this moment tonight after Armand fell asleep…
Although she felt a little disappointed for not being able to go further just now, the thought that she could still be close to Armand later gave her something to look forward to.
“Um… Eve, if you don’t mind, could you make me a cup of hot tea?”
“Of course, Mr. Armand. Please wait a moment.”
Hearing his request, Evelia nodded. She picked up the teapot, gave a polite bow, and left his office.
“Haaah...”
Once Evelia was gone, Armand finally let out a long sigh. He hunched his shoulders and hid his blushing face behind his raised collar.
…What on earth was that just now? What is Evelia trying to do?
That strange, quiet moment just now had almost pulled Armand into something… dangerous.
Their foreheads had been touching, and when their eyes met, all he could see in her gaze was himself. Nothing else existed in that moment.
But still… Evelia was someone from the Second Prince’s side...
To Evelia, the Second Prince was her real master...
“Seriously…”
Armand rubbed his head, feeling confused. He had no idea what Evelia was really thinking. And because of that, he didn’t even know if he should take that next step with her.
He only knew one thing, he still had something he needed to do.
He wanted Evelia to stay by his side, but he also couldn’t let himself fall completely into the Second Prince’s trap.
He still had to... avenge his friend.
Because from the very beginning, it was to get revenge for that friend that he had approached the Crown Prince and stayed in the knights' order.
Yes… he couldn’t stop here.
Between Evelia and that friend...
He could only choose one.