Chapter 277: Waiting
Rachel yawned and woke up on her familiar little bed.
Even though she already had a room of her own, that “alchemy workshop” type of place wasn’t really “suitable” for a child to live in. So, to avoid suspicion, Rachel usually told people it was just a “themed room,” and from time to time, she still came back to rest in Evelia’s room.
Rachel didn’t have a job, and her schooling had pretty much been put on hold. The plan was to wait until she was older. So for now, Rachel was completely free, able to enjoy her time however she liked.
Just like now. The sun was already high in the sky, and it wasn’t until the warm autumn sunlight landed on her that she finally opened her eyes lazily.
“…Mom?”
To her surprise, Evelia was still in the room.
Normally, by this time or even earlier, Evelia would already be off sticking close to Armand. But today, strangely, she stayed behind, sitting at the desk and staring blankly at the blue rose that Rachel had “specially taken care of,” which was now bravely holding on against the autumn wind.
“You’re awake,” Evelia said when she heard Rachel’s voice, giving a brief greeting without even turning her eyes toward her. But compared to the cold Evelia of the past, even saying hello was already a big improvement.
“Ah… right. Mom, aren’t you going to see Dad today?”
Rachel didn’t have to walk on eggshells during conversations anymore. Now that Evelia had told her she was actually Red Crow, Rachel just treated her like a slightly older teammate. There was no need to be overly cautious.
At the very least, Evelia was way more reliable than that crazy woman named Grey Dove. Just thinking about her gave Rachel a headache.
“No. Mr. Armand said he’s the one coming to see me today.”
“Huh?”
Hearing that, Rachel finally noticed that Evelia wasn’t really looking at the rose. Her gaze kept shifting toward the window behind it.
If someone took the main path to get here, that window would face the road they had to pass. So if Armand was really coming over, his figure would definitely appear there.
“I see... Mom, you look just like a wife waiting for her husband to come home.”
“…!”
Rachel said that without thinking, then quickly turned her thoughts elsewhere.
Looking at Evelia, who now looked like a girl daydreaming about love, Rachel couldn’t help but feel emotional.
From a cold assassin to a girl longing for love… that was quite the transformation.
But then again, Evelia had always longed for love deep down. Becoming like this… was probably a good thing.
No matter what, it was better than the assassin who used to live like a lifeless doll, closing herself off from everyone. Now, with her heart open to emotion, she finally felt like a real person.
Second Prince, you really did terrible things.
Meanwhile, Evelia’s mind kept replaying what Rachel had just casually said.
‘Like a wife waiting for her husband to come home…’
Was that what Rachel said?
…Was it true?
If it was true, then that meant… this was a family, wasn’t it? The kind of home she had always dreamed of.
Mr. Armand as the husband.
Rachel as the child.
And herself… as the wife.
Just like a fairy tale, a happy little family of three.
As that thought warmed her heart, she saw someone in white turn the corner and appear on the path she had been staring at.
Her eyes instantly widened. Her golden pupils sparkled with a light she’d never shown before.
“Mr. Armand is here.”
“Huh?”
Just as Rachel was still grumbling to herself about that awful Second Prince, Evelia’s soft voice reached her ears. She turned and saw Evelia, who just moments ago looked kind of dazed, suddenly come to life. She got up from beside Rachel’s bed and walked quickly toward the door.
"Mr. Armand."
"—Ah."
Just as Armand raised his hand to knock, Evelia had already opened the door. She looked at him, wearing the cloak she had personally picked out for him the other day, like a little kitten seeing its owner after days apart.
If she had a tail or ears, they’d probably be wagging right now.
"Good morning, Eve. Sorry I’m late."
"It’s no problem, Mr. Armand. Please come in."
Evelia instinctively reached out to take his coat like she usually did, but before she could move, Armand had already hung it neatly on the coat rack by the door, almost as if to say, ‘You’re not just my maid today.’
"I was planning to bring some flowers from the garden, but it was too cold. They all wilted. I left early but still ended up being late, and I couldn’t even bring you a bouquet."
Armand gave her an apologetic smile, his red hands rubbing together from the cold. Evelia noticed the small gesture and quickly took his hands in hers, breathing warm air into his palms.
"It’s okay, Mr. Armand. I’d be willing to wait even for a whole day. You told me to wait for you here, so I’ll keep waiting until you arrive."
As Evelia spoke, she gently pressed Armand’s cold hands to her cheeks. The chill of his hands and the warmth of her face quickly blended together, and Armand, who had just been out in the cold, suddenly felt a wave of warmth from that simple touch and her words.
"...Haha."
The way Armand was standing now, it was like he was cupping Evelia’s cheeks in his hands. Her face, still slightly round with a soft, youthful look, made it hard for him not to fall for her all over again.
"Ughhh..."
Meanwhile, Rachel, watching this scene from the side, felt like the sparkle from their “young love” was almost blinding. Had they really only been apart a few days? How did they get this lovey-dovey?
Thinking about Grey Dove gave her a stomachache. Thinking about the Second Prince gave her a headache. And watching Armand and Evelia now… it just made her teeth ache from how sweet it was.
Ah, to be young...
"Oh, Rachel, you’re here too. Good morning."
When Armand entered the room, his eyes were completely locked on Evelia. It wasn’t until Rachel let out a tiny sigh that he realized she was also there. Her sigh was so soft, but even that was enough for Armand to notice someone else was in the room.
"Mm. Morning, Dad. How come you came to see Mom today?"
Rachel greeted him casually, sticking to her usual character. But as she spoke, she couldn’t help but glance at Evelia’s expression. After all, Evelia could be surprisingly petty sometimes. Rachel figured that since Armand had finally come to visit, Evelia would probably find a way to kick her out soon…
"Hmm, I have something important to talk to your mom about."
To her surprise, they actually managed to finish that exchange without Evelia interrupting them.
Because Evelia… had already placed herself fully into the scene Rachel had casually described just earlier. She was now thinking of this moment as one of a “happy family of three.”
That warm and cozy kind of life she had dreamed about it for so many years.
Since she was a child, that’s the kind of future she always wished for. Sadly, her childhood never gave her such luck.
But Rachel, on the other hand, didn’t seem to realize the impact of what she had just said. She simply guessed that maybe Evelia was in a really good mood because Armand had come, and that’s why she didn’t overreact.
Looking at Evelia now, though her face didn’t show much emotion, Rachel could still tell she was really happy.
‘Sigh… whatever makes her happy, I guess.’
Even though Rachel felt a little helpless, the smile on her face was actually full of quiet comfort.