Chapter 275: The Ring (Part 2)
“......”
“......”
“......”
“......”
The moving carriage gently rocked, making it easy to feel sleepy. But these two who usually loved to slack off didn’t feel tired at all. They looked at each other for a moment, then turned their eyes to the window to escape the awkward silence.
“Are you just planning to stay quiet the whole time?”
Carle was the first to break the silence. It seemed like he was trying to help Armand relax. While speaking, his eyes stayed on the view outside the window. He leaned against the side of the carriage casually, his expression calm and non-threatening.
He was clearly trying to ease the mood, because this moment was a big deal for Armand, a turning point in his life.
“Yeah...”
But Armand didn’t know what to say. His fingers rubbed the surface of the ring box, and his thoughts were a complete mess.
He didn’t even dare to touch the ring directly, afraid he might leave smudges or fingerprints on it. But if he really planned to propose, he’d have to take the ring out and personally put it on Evelia’s hand.
For a brief moment, Armand’s thoughts drifted off to an imagined scene.
Like something out of a romance novel, he saw himself kneeling down on one knee, gently placing the ring, its color close to Evelia’s hair, onto her finger.
That thought brought a smile to his face. It was a small, happy smile. His cheeks turned a little red, and his lips curved up slightly as his eyes narrowed.
If someone had been watching him closely, they would’ve noticed that he often wore this kind of expression when he was around Evelia. Armand himself had never realized this.
But in the very next second, that soft smile turned into a bitter one.
The corners of his mouth stayed up, but weakly. His eyebrows lowered, casting a shadow over his eyes.
Everything in his imagination had seemed so happy…
Flowers, applause, a warm hug...
But the one thing he couldn’t picture... was Evelia’s face in that moment.
He didn’t know how Evelia would look at him when he proposed. Would her eyes be warm, or would she be hiding something? He didn’t even know if proposing to her was the right thing to do.
He was afraid that when he looked up, he’d see her staring at him with a “gotcha” kind of smirk, as if she had tricked him, and that someday, when he was lost in his happiness, she might kill him in some forgotten alley.
In a way, Armand wasn’t afraid of dying. As the captain of the Royal Knights, he was trained to have the heart of a true knight, ready to sacrifice himself if needed. He also knew he didn’t have much time left, so he thought he should accept death calmly.
But in another way, he was terrified.
He was scared of leaving Evelia behind and scared of Evelia being left alone with no one to protect her. But most of all, he was scared that he might die at Evelia’s hands.
Even as he loved Evelia with all his heart, he still feared her betrayal.
Maybe it was because his feelings for Evelia had grown stronger that this fear had become more intense.
He was afraid Evelia would never be able to escape the control of the Second Prince.
Armand was a contradictory man, or perhaps it’s just that all people who feel deeply tend to struggle with inner conflict.
He worried that after his death, Evelia would be unprotected. But at the same time, he also worried that Evelia would never break free from the Second Prince’s grasp.
The Second Prince’s “trust” might seem like a kind of “protection,” but deep down, Armand didn’t believe that was what Evelia truly wanted.
He was torn between worrying for Evelia’s safety... and fearing that Evelia might betray him someday.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Evelia, it was that he knew too well how dangerous the “House of Nightingales” really was.
After all, he had once been part of it.
He had spent many years being suffocated under its control. The rules there were strict, harsh, and heavy. Even though he had risked everything to take that first step toward “escaping,” in the end, after everything, he was still nothing more than a watchdog for the royal family.
Even someone as strong as Armand had ended up like that after his time in the House of Nightingales.
It had taken him years of fighting on the battlefield, working side by side with comrades in a different kind of true teamwork, to finally break free from the harsh influence of the House.
But Evelia, could she really break free?
She was a girl who seemed to have been brainwashed by the House of Nightingales from a young age… Could she really escape it?
As for death, he could handle it. But if he were to die without meaning, then Armand would feel truly ashamed.
“You seem to be thinking about a lot.”
Even with just his side glance, Carle could clearly see how much Armand’s expression had changed in just a few short minutes.
When Armand smiled earlier, looking so happy, Carle had felt relieved. As his friend, of course he wanted to see Armand living a happy life.
But after that moment, Armand’s face had clearly fallen into sadness.
That kind of sorrowful expression was in complete contrast to the happiness from before, and Carle couldn’t help but speak up, hoping to stop him from getting lost in unhappy thoughts.
“Ah… yeah.”
Armand let out a bitter smile. It really didn’t look like the face of someone who was about to propose.
“Talk to me. As someone who’s been through this stuff, maybe I can help you sort out your thoughts.”
If the Crown Prince were sitting here too, he might also be willing to help Armand deal with his feelings. But that man was different. Carle truly cared about Armand. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, would probably be partly thinking, ‘If Armand has a family, he’ll be easier to control.’
“…It’s nothing…”
But Armand couldn’t bring himself to say it. He couldn’t explain Evelia’s situation clearly, not even now.
“Is the problem on your side, or Miss Evelia’s side?”
—So Carle decided to ask one step at a time.
“Hmm... I guess... both?”
“Ha, that’s a tough one.” Carle straightened his head and leaned back against the window, curling two fingers to gently press on his temple. “Is it a health issue?”
“…Not really.”
Even though Armand was worried about his health, it was obvious that the real issue wasn’t his body.
“Then it’s a problem between the two of you, like a difference in how you think.” Carle turned his eyes thoughtfully and sighed. “I can tell, Armand, you always seem to be holding back something. If, like you said, it’s not about your health… then what exactly are you afraid of?”
“......”
Armand paused. He wanted to speak, but no words came out. He pressed his lips together tightly, unsure of what to do.
“There’s no one else here. Is it really so hard to talk about your feelings with a friend you’ve known for nearly ten years?”
Carle raised an eyebrow and changed his tone just a little. But to Armand, it still sounded patient.
Or maybe Carle had always been patient, he just acted strict in the Knight Order.
“It’s just… I’m afraid Evelia still hasn’t…”
Armand spoke halfway, then stopped again, clearly unsure of what to say.
“—You’re afraid her heart isn’t with you?”
“Yeah.” Armand let out an awkward smile. “I guess that’s it.”
Hearing that, Carle’s expression grew more and more strange.
“......”
Armand was quiet for a moment. He tapped his lips with a fingernail and said:
“......”
“Armand, do you know what my wife thinks of you and Evelia?”
“What?”
Armand looked up, curious.
“She once said to me, ‘Carle, look at those two, Evelia and Armand. Just look at the way they act around each other! Are they going to have a baby before getting married or something? They're way too close! It’s just like when you and I were newly engaged and in love! I need to hurry up and make them rings!’”
Carle imitated Melian’s voice and said a whole bunch of things that left Armand completely stunned.
“—Huh?”
Yeah… he really didn’t see that coming.
“Have you heard this saying, Armand? ‘The person involved in the situation often can’t see it clearly’.”
“…So you’re saying people watching from the outside can see it clearly?” Armand leaned back on the couch and gave a helpless laugh.
“Smart guy.”
“But Evelia—”
Carle interrupted, “I don’t know what exactly you’re so worried about. You’re acting like you have some amazing rival in love. But from the way Evelia looks at you... I doubt there's room in her heart for anyone else.”
“……” Armand still looked unsure. “Really?”
“Did you forget you’re super popular with all the noblewomen? Come on, have a little confidence, Armand. The way Evelia looks at you, I swear, her eyes practically sparkle.”
“…Hah.”
Maybe it was the way Carle said it, but Armand finally showed a real smile, a good one.
“You need to take that step, Armand. Time doesn’t stop. Every second, it keeps moving. No one knows what might happen in the next moment. What you need to do is hold on to now. And again, have some confidence.”
Click.
Carle leaned forward and closed the ring box in Armand’s hand. Then, he tucked it into Armand’s coat pocket.
“Alright, we’re here. Time to get out.”
Then, Carle opened the carriage door himself.
When Armand saw the view outside, he realized this wasn’t the road to the Knights’ Headquarters. It was the way back to the estate.
“Don’t stay cooped up in the carriage all day. You’ve got to take a look at the world outside.”
“……”
Armand looked at the familiar scenery outside, and for some reason, he froze for a moment.
“Welcome home, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia stood at the front gate of the estate, just like always. She had once said that she would always wait by the window for the carriage to appear, so she could be the first to greet Armand when he came home.
“Even if time keeps moving forward… it’s okay to take a moment to prepare yourself. I’ll be waiting for your good news.”
Carle smiled and held out a fist to Armand.
“Hah.”
Seeing the rare smile on Carle’s face, Armand smiled too. He reached out, and their fists bumped lightly, just like they used to do when they were younger.
Armand stepped down from the carriage, into the wind of late autumn. He looked up as Evelia came to him, holding a cloak in her arms.
“It’s getting cold. You should wear more when you go out tomorrow, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia reached out and draped the cloak over him. Armand bent down slightly, and his eyes met Evelia’s golden ones.
Yes…
In Evelia’s eyes now—
There was nothing… except him.