Chapter 278: A Question That Shouldn't Be Asked (Part 1)
After looking him up and down, Rachel could clearly tell that Armand had put in effort to dress up before coming.
Even though Armand was already a super handsome guy who could look good even standing there without any clothes, today he had obviously taken care of the hair that sometimes stuck up when he slept, and he looked like he was getting ready to attend some kind of fancy party.
If Rachel had been to that ball where Evelia and Armand both showed up together, she would have noticed that today, even though his clothes weren’t as fancy, everything else was pretty much “fully prepared.” Even his smile looked better than usual.
Also, Rachel noticed something else. Armand seemed nervous.
For someone like Armand, who had become the captain of the knights, it meant he had already faced many serious situations and could stay calm under pressure. But now, this normally calm man was nervously rubbing his palm with his thumb.
Did something happen?
But it didn’t seem like something bad. Looking at Armand’s face, he didn’t seem worried or upset. On the contrary, he looked… happy, so much so that there was a light blush on his cheeks.
It felt like something big was about to happen. Was it really okay for me to still be here?
A man dressed up nicely coming to visit a woman’s home… that kind of thing usually means something important is going to happen…
—Ah.
Suddenly, the always quick-thinking Rachel had a flash of realization, like she just figured out something huge.
Dressed up nicely, looking nervous, smiling like he couldn’t hide how happy he was, and constantly touching his pocket or rubbing his hands, could it be…
Could it be the legendary… proposal?!
Have they already reached that point?!
My ship will become canon?!
But… is something this important really supposed to happen just in Evelia’s room?
As the captain of the knights, shouldn’t this kind of thing be more grand and dramatic?
Ah—wait, maybe not.
Both Armand and Evelia have kind of special positions, so making it too public might actually be more troublesome.
Hehe…
Just thinking about how the second prince will react when he finds out about Armand and Evelia made her laugh. She bet he’ll be so mad his nose will go crooked.
Thinking that, Rachel couldn’t help but let out a little satisfied laugh in her heart.
But if things are really going the way she thinks they are… maybe she should give them some space?
However, before Rachel could make a decision, Evelia was already busy in the kitchen. At first, Armand wanted to follow her, but Evelia pushed him back into the chair, saying it would only take a few minutes.
As expected, the strong smell of tomato sauce quickly filled the room. Rachel, having lived with Evelia for a while, was already used to this kind of thing and had been "trained" well. And Armand? He was clearly too focused on other things to even notice the smell, so the sweet-and-sour scent didn’t bother him at all.
“Thanks for waiting, Rachel, Mr. Armand.”
Just as Evelia had promised, after a few minutes she finished her “mission.” She brought out three trays, each holding a beautiful plate of tomato tuna pasta. If you ignored the strong smell, just by appearance alone, this was probably the most normal-looking tomato dish Evelia had ever made.
“You’ve worked hard, Eve.”
Armand stood up and took the trays from her, placing them on the small dining table.
Since this dorm room was originally just for Evelia, the table was quite small. When all three of them sat around the round table, it felt a bit crowded, but none of them seemed to mind.
After setting out the plates and utensils, Evelia brought over three bowls of soup. Judging by the color, it was clearly creamy tomato soup, with basil leaves on top for decoration.
"This is tomato sauce and tomato thick soup. It's getting cold, Mr. Armand, so please drink more hot soup."
"Alright, thank you."
He held the steaming hot bowl in his hands. Even though he hadn’t taken a sip yet, just feeling the warmth through his palms already made his body feel a little warmer.
But still, he couldn’t help but comment.
“Isn’t tomato sauce and tomato the same thing?”
“That’s why it’s thick soup, Mr. Armand,” Evelia answered seriously.
Rachel, who had once asked the same question before, couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.
“Haha, that’s so Evelia.”
Maybe because laughter is contagious, not long after Rachel laughed, Armand, who had been stunned by Evelia’s serious answer, also started smiling and laughing.
Out of the three of them, Evelia was the one who didn’t understand what was so funny. She truly didn’t think she had told a silly joke, what she said was just honestly how she felt.
Still, when she saw her "family" smiling like that, Evelia's expression softened too. The small curve on her lips wasn’t big, but it looked much nicer than the tight, serious face she usually had.
At first, Rachel thought she should leave and give Evelia and Armand, this “new couple,” some space to be alone. But later, when they were all squeezed around the small table eating dinner, she suddenly didn’t feel like leaving anymore.
Just like Evelia had always wished, it really did feel like a home.
Not just Evelia, Rachel herself sometimes missed this kind of warmth too.
On a cold day, holding a hot bowl of soup, squeezed together in a small room at a small table… everyone had their own worries and stress, but in that one moment, when they smiled at each other, it felt like all the sad things just disappeared.
Someone who’s lived for over a hundred years, of course, knows what loneliness feels like. If it wasn’t for being blinded by money sometimes, she could actually see things very clearly. And that’s why she knew exactly what she truly wanted.
She wasn’t like Evelia, wandering through confusion, waiting for someone else to lead her to the light. Rachel was different. She knew where she was, and she knew what she should do. She just needed the determination to actually do it.
“...Haha.”
Sitting squished between Evelia and Armand, Rachel held her soup bowl as her nose suddenly felt a little stuffy.
Because she knew her current situation. She also knew what kind of plan she had made for the future.
While she felt touched by the warmth of the moment, she also felt a bit sad when she remembered what kind of future she had chosen for herself.
Looking at her reflection in the soup, Rachel slowly sipped the thick tomato soup. The taste was still okay. Just like the soup in her hands, their time together was slowly changing, from more to less, from hot to cool.
“I’m full!”
Finally, Rachel put down her bowl.
She patted her belly to show everyone that she was satisfied.
“Okay, then let me clean up.”
“No, Mr. Armand, let me do it instead.”
Evelia and Armand, who had been chatting, had already finished eating long ago. Rachel, who had kept her head down and quietly eaten, was actually the last one to finish. It felt like those two had already made up their minds about where they were headed, even after being lost for a while. But Rachel, who always seemed clear and serious, hesitated, and still left a few sips of soup unfinished.
“......”
Rachel silently looked at the two of them, who were now playfully arguing over who would wash the dishes. She seemed to be thinking about something but didn’t say a word. She just quietly watched them for a few seconds, then showed her usual mischievous smile.
“Okay then, Mom and Dad! I’m going out to play for a while!”