Chapter 288: The Invitation Letter
"...You really work fast."
When Carle received the invitation letter from Armand, his expression showed clear surprise.
In his memory, Armand was never the kind of person who liked to delay things. But even so, when it came to this matter, Carle had assumed he would hesitate like a shy girl, taking forever to make a move. He honestly thought he wouldn’t hear any news until next spring.
But to his surprise, it had only been a few weeks, not even a full month, and Armand was already sending out invitations for his engagement party.
“Thanks to you, actually. Eve really liked the ring.”
“If my wife hears you say that, she’ll be so happy.”
Carle stood up from his desk and took the invitation letter with both hands. Although the two of them weren’t really the formal type, this was a major life event for Armand, so Carle felt he should show some respect.
“I bet Melian will start designing your wedding rings right away when she hears the good news.”
“More rings?”
Armand, who had never been married, was clearly unaware of this tradition. After Carle sat back down, Armand followed and took a seat on the sofa across from him.
“Of course,” Carle said, raising his left hand and showing Armand the ring on his finger.
It was a simple ring, nothing fancy, despite Carle being a wealthy man in the capital. It didn’t have any flashy features and looked just like any other typical wedding ring, completely unlike the extravagant styles that rich people in the city usually wore.
“Now that I think about it, the ring we prepared for Eve is pretty simple too.”
He looked at Carle’s ring and remembered the days he spent planning his proposal, how he carefully studied the engagement ring he had picked out.
From a craftsmanship point of view, there was no flaw at all. Every detail was perfect. The pink diamond had a soft, elegant color. Although it was a very expensive type of diamond on the market, the design was calm and understated. It looked beautiful without being flashy or over-the-top.
“Mhm, I thought that style would suit you and Evelia. Neither of you seem like the type who likes flashy things.”
Although Carle hadn’t seen Evelia many times, just a few quick glances were enough to tell that she wasn’t the kind of woman who liked loud or showy outfits. She had a calm personality.
And from Anna, Carle had even heard that Evelia was the kind of innocent girl who had to ask others about how lingerie works. So, in his mind, Evelia clearly wasn’t the type who would love big, fancy jewels.
Carle could have offered an extravagant diamond ring. In fact, Melian had even joked about just giving Evelia a full set of pink diamond jewelry.
But Carle knew very clearly that Evelia wasn’t that kind of person. Melian understood what her husband meant, and the two of them quickly agreed on designing a pink diamond ring for Evelia that looked refined and graceful.
And as for Armand… well, there was even less to say.
He was the kind of guy who didn’t even put decoration on his sword. So clearly, he wasn’t someone who would like fancy jewelry or sparkly things.
“Haha, you really put a lot of thought into this,” Armand said with a laugh, leaning back on the sofa.
He had originally wanted to make the invitation delivery a bit more formal and serious, but it seemed that being around Carle always made things casual again. A few lines of conversation, and they were already back to their usual rhythm.
“It’s nothing,” Carle replied. “But is your party ready yet? It’s only a few days away. If you need help with decorations or anything like that, just let me know. My wife owns a wedding planning company.”
As they say, ‘If you need money, go to Carle. If you need something done, go to Melian.’
Together, the two of them were like the perfect support team. No matter what Armand needed, they could find a way to get it done.
After all, the two most important things when solving problems are money and connections, and they had both.
"No, even though it looks like an engagement party… I only invited you two."
"Hm?"
Carle’s surprise didn’t come as a shock to Armand. After all, back when Carle got married, he had specifically told Armand, ‘When it’s your turn to get married, even if I’m away and busy, you must call me back. I’ll make sure your wedding is grand and amazing.’
But now, judging from Armand’s tone, he didn’t seem to be looking forward to that kind of “grand” wedding at all.
“Because I’m no longer in a position to host a party that draws a lot of attention. My lover, Eve, feels the same. And more importantly… I honestly don’t want other people to know that I’m engaged.”
There were many concerns weighing on Armand’s shoulders. Even though he had taken the brave step of confessing his love to Evelia, he was still carrying other heavy decisions in his heart.
“……”
Carle didn’t say anything for a moment. He just quietly looked at Armand’s complicated expression.
Of course, he understood what Armand meant, because he was a good example himself.
People often said that his marriage with Melian was a perfect love story, and it was true that everyone knew they were husband and wife.
But being in his position, Carle had to be cautious about many things. At the same time, he also had to find ways to protect his wife, who had already become a public figure.
Luckily, Melian had already built her own reputation in society. She wasn’t a delicate little wife who needed his protection all the time.
Nobody would casually mess with this powerful businesswoman, who had connections both legal and shady thanks to her business dealings.
Carle knew that Armand was also worried about similar things.
And since Carle didn’t know Evelia’s true identity, he didn’t realize that the role of “Royal Knight Commander” was higher and more dangerous than a vice-captain’s position.
But he still understood why Armand wanted to protect Evelia, very deeply.
So, Carle nodded.
“If there’s a chance… after everything settles down, how about coming to my wife’s place and booking a luxury honeymoon trip?”
“Ha—”
In the middle of this heavy and serious talk, Carle lightened the mood. And sure enough, Armand finally stopped frowning.
“Sure, as long as the price is reasonable,” he replied, smiling back at Carle.
Compared to the serious mood between the two men, the ladies were in a much more cheerful atmosphere.
“Aaaahhh!!!!!! Miss Evelia!!!!!!! Is this real?!!!”
Just from the amount of exclamation marks, it was obvious how excited Anna was after hearing the news of Evelia and Armand’s engagement.
Her voice was high-pitched, and her scream sounded like a knife scratching glass.
“Yes, it’s true.”
Evelia, looking very calm and used to Anna’s reactions, handed her the carefully prepared invitation letter.
Then she stretched out her hand, showing Anna the ring on her finger. Her eyes were already red from excitement.
“Mr. Armand and I are engaged.”
When Evelia said this, the joyful expression on her face was so bright that Anna could barely keep her eyes open.
She looked at the ring… then looked at Evelia’s happy face…
Just a moment ago she had been screaming loudly, but now she was completely silent.
A few seconds later, she clearly sniffled.
She gently touched Evelia’s hand, the one with the ring, and tears started to fall one after another.
“Sniff… this is so wonderful… Miss Evelia…”
Anna bit her lip as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Miss Evelia, you… can finally start chasing your own happiness.”