Chapter 294: One Person’s Fragility
In the gentle and steady sound of a lover’s breathing, many worries simply melt away.
Evelia quietly held Armand in her arms. The warm, calm air brushed past his ear as his breathing slowly changed from rushed to steady. His heartbeat also returned to a lively rhythm, syncing once again with hers in a quiet harmony.
Neither of them knew how long the hug had lasted. Only that somehow, at some point, they had ended up next to the bed in the bedroom.
Evelia sat calmly on the bed, while Armand, looking even more worn out, knelt on the floor, resting his upper body against her as she held him.
Neither said a word. They just quietly enjoyed the rare afternoon sunshine in the middle of this cold day.
Usually, Evelia was the one being hugged. She had always hidden under Armand’s protection. She liked the feeling of being in his arms, liked snuggling up against him. But this time, seeing how clearly fragile Armand looked, made her, the girl who had always been taken care of, want to protect him instead.
Evelia wasn’t weak. She was once the “Red Crow.”
When it came to fighting, as long as there weren’t any tricks she didn’t understand, the “Red Crow” never lost.
Her strength meant she was always alone. But because of that loneliness, she was moved by Armand’s kindness and slowly came to understand what it meant to have friends, to have family, and to have a lover.
But… since when had she always been in the role of “the one being protected”?
When had that umbrella that Armand held up for her been raised over her head?
Maybe those things didn’t matter anymore. After all, it was because of that umbrella that she could now enjoy a kind of life she’d never known before.
And this new experience also included something else, learning how to hold the umbrella herself.
When Armand's arms get tired, she would take over and hold that umbrella. Even if she was a little shorter than him, she’d lift her arms higher or stand on tiptoe if she had to.
—I’ll shield him from the wind and rain too. After all, I’m his wife.
Well, even though for now she was still “just a fiancée.”
But one day, she would wear a wedding dress and truly become the wife who would stay by his side.
Thinking about it that way, the line she once planned—“to become the woman by his side”—had actually come true in a rather unexpected way.
She tightened her hold on Armand, trying to hug him the way he always hugged her. It looked like she wanted to wrap him completely in her arms, but the difference between men and women made that a bit difficult. Still, it didn’t stop Armand from leaning into her embrace with all his strength.
And for Armand, this was the first time he had ever felt this way.
The first time he truly felt what it was like to be pampered by someone else… and honestly, it didn’t feel bad at all.
It was hard to imagine the leader of the Royal Knights, a man known for standing at the peak of power and on the frontlines of conflict, quietly enjoying the soft warmth of a woman’s embrace.
But people always have their desires, and Armand was no exception.
Even Evelia, who once had no idea how emotions worked, had ended up falling for him. So how could Armand, a man who had always carried heavy burdens, not be drawn in too?
If the old version of himself, the one who had firmly declared he would eliminate Evelia for being a spy, could see him now, he would probably stare at this “willingly fallen” version of himself with confusion.
“Phew…”
Sometimes their teasing might just be jokes, but right now, Armand really did feel that Evelia was “soft and sweet.” The faint scent on her always calmed him down, and her skin certainly didn’t feel like the rough bunch of men back in the barracks.
In front of Armand, Evelia felt small, though that was probably because of a bit of a “girlfriend filter.” After all, in Armand’s eyes, Evelia was the cutest girl in the whole world.
Maybe it was Evelia’s hug that healed him, but even though he had just been worrying about the future, now he had the time to bury his face in her chest and secretly squeeze the soft flesh at her waist with his hand.
If it had been a regular girl, she probably would’ve reacted to the ticklish squeeze on her waist.
Armand had seen this kind of thing before at the estate. Maids in the early stages of love often played little pranks like this with their partners. Armand had thought about copying them, just to see how Evelia would look if she got shy.
But that was just a thought.
Someone like Evelia, who was so well-trained, couldn’t possibly have such a weak spot. No matter how much Armand squeezed the soft flesh on her waist, she didn’t react at all. So Armand just gave up and quietly enjoyed the softness of her belly.
“Mr. Armand, are you feeling a bit better now?”
Seeing that he wasn’t staying silent anymore, Evelia asked with concern. She brushed aside his bangs and clearly saw his blue eyes. Though they looked a bit tired and not as full of energy as before, their crystal-like color still made Evelia feel relaxed and happy.
“Yeah… much better. Thanks.”
Armand rested his chin on Evelia’s chest and tilted his head up slightly. It was probably the first time he’d looked up at her like this. Normally she was a full head shorter than him.
“If something’s bothering you, I hope you’ll tell me.”
Evelia gently ran her hand through Armand’s hair, letting his smooth black strands slide through her fingers, enjoying the feeling of touching him.
“Mmm… it’s nothing. I just wanted to hold you.”
As always, Armand tried to change the topic. No matter who it was, he didn’t want anyone to worry about him too much.
After all, he was someone who didn’t expect to live long. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving behind trouble for others even after he died. At least, that’s what he used to believe.
“Really, Mr. Armand? If something’s wrong, please tell me. After all, I’m your… fiancée, right? If you’re feeling troubled, you should talk to your fiancée. We’re family now, and you’re the person I care about most.”
Before Evelia said those words, that had always been how he thought.
To be honest, he had heard similar things from many people. When he was struggling, people around him would try to share his burdens. Even the Crown Prince, someone with high status and power, once tried to cheer him up, wanting his trusted knight to feel better.
But Armand always brushed them off.
He didn’t want others to worry. He didn’t want to trouble anyone. And most of all, he didn’t want people to see his weaknesses, didn’t want them to find out that deep down, he was fragile and soft.
But in front of Evelia… there was nowhere for that weakness to hide.