Chapter 312: Don’t Know How Much Time Has Passed
“If… like this…”
Everyone’s voices entered his mind, but he couldn’t hear clearly.
“…banquet… time…”
There seemed to be some important words, but all he could catch were a few scattered fragments.
“…later… then…”
That familiar feeling again, like being stuck between a dream and reality, what exactly happened?
“…winter…”
He wanted to open his eyes—no, he had to open his eyes. There were still things he needed to do.
Evelia was still waiting for their engagement banquet, and after that, the spring wedding. He had to settle everything properly.
So busy… but this isn’t the time to rest yet. Even if he was so tired his eyes wouldn’t open, he still had to wake up again.
“Just… again…”
He remembered that he still—
…………………………………
Champagne, food, music, clothes, decorations.
To prepare for their engagement banquet, Armand had put in a lot of effort.
Time seemed to move quickly for him. For Armand, the phrase “it feels like a whole day has passed every time I open my eyes” was no joke. As the date got closer and his mind became more scattered, that pressure of being chased by time made it so even basic math for the banquet expenses became hard. He even had to write out the equations on blank sheets just to do simple calculations.
He didn’t know when it became a habit, but every morning Evelia would come to tell him the date, and how many days were left until the engagement banquet. Watching the number of days shrink little by little made him feel a kind of growing nervous pressure.
Ever since coming back from Anna’s dress shop, Armand felt like he had gotten busier and busier, or rather he had made himself busier on purpose.
He even started planning for the future. Specifically, life after the wedding.
After all, both of them still had complicated identities. If the fight between the two princes wasn’t resolved before the wedding, things would become much more troublesome for the two of them.
The simplest solution might just be to play dumb.
Pretend not to know Evelia’s secret, pretend not to know she was actually a spy sent by the Second Prince. Make himself look like a fool who fell for a maid, and just go along with the Second Prince’s plan—until he could find the right moment to completely eliminate that hidden danger.
Until he could find a better way, that was the only plan Armand could come up with.
After all, the Crown Prince wanted Armand to get married. He didn’t care who Armand married, as long as he had a family. He believed that would make Armand more stable and easier to control.
Even though they were technically allies, from the Crown Prince’s perspective, no alliance could ever replace a ruler-subject relationship. He still wanted Armand to be a loyal follower, obedient and without personal ambition.
As for the Second Prince, that was even more obvious. He sent Evelia here precisely to use her to gather information from the Knight Order.
The Knight Order controlled most of the capital’s military force. Whether it was about gaining power over it, or making sure the knights wouldn’t get in the way, or even trying to shake the Crown Prince’s grip on the capital, any of those would help the Second Prince. Now that Evelia had successfully made Armand fall in love with her, that was exactly what the Second Prince wanted to see.
Armand and Evelia were living like political pawns.
That’s why, in his future plans, Armand kept things simple. He didn’t want to be a “retired official” with any ties to the royal family. He just wanted an ordinary life.
Maybe they could travel to other countries, stay far away from all the power struggles and enjoy peaceful scenery, while also looking for a cure for the poison in his body.
“Haah—”
Maybe it was because his brain really was starting to shut down. It was like everything in his head had turned to water, and then the sudden cold froze it solid. His thoughts stopped moving. And he’d been sitting with his head down too long. His neck and head both ached, and his whole body felt uncomfortable.
Armand gently put down the pen in his hand and glanced at the calendar on his desk.
Normally, he didn’t keep a calendar. This one had been placed there by Evelia after they came back from Anna’s place.
Evelia said it would help remind him of the date, and also remind him not to forget too many things.
Armand twirled his pen and looked at the calendar beside him. He moved it in front of him, tapping the table lightly with his fingers. From the look on his face, it was hard to tell what he was thinking about.
“The weather’s really cold lately…”
His eyes moved past the calendar and toward the lit fireplace in the room.
He had forgotten exactly when they had started lighting it. But judging from the calendar, it still seemed a bit early for a fire.
But the weather didn’t wait for anyone. Even if the calendar said it wasn’t winter yet, the cold had already arrived.
Armand used to think the manor’s heating system worked well, but now that it was really cold, he could still feel a chill throughout the place.
Maybe it was because his body didn’t handle the cold very well. Every time he stepped out into the hallways or the large rooms, he’d shiver without meaning to.
“Mr. Armand, are you done with work?”
Two soft knocks came from the door. Evelia walked into his office and quickly stepped up to him. She leaned down, staring closely at his face, which made Armand feel a little nervous.
He quickly asked, “What’s wrong, Eve?”
“I’m just checking your mental state, Mr. Armand.”
“My… mental state?”
“Yes.”
After that short reply, the two of them locked eyes and fell into silence.
Armand didn’t quite understand what she meant. He just looked at her with a confused expression.
Evelia, on the other hand, seemed to be checking something, or rather it felt like she was waiting for something. She stared closely at him, not looking away. From her eyes, Armand couldn’t tell anything, because his mind felt like mush. He didn’t have the mental strength to figure out what she was trying to do.
Finally, after about a minute, their “staring contest” ended. They both looked away and blinked to relieve their dry eyes.
“My mental state… I guess I’m okay?” Armand rubbed his eyes and asked carefully.
“Mm.”
Evelia turned her head slightly and didn’t look at him. He couldn’t tell what kind of expression she had.
“As usual, Mr. Armand.”
Her voice gave nothing away.
It was as if the Evelia who had worked so hard to learn how to express her feelings was now trying just as hard to suppress them again.
“What’s the matter?”
This wasn’t how Evelia usually acted, or at least, not how she had acted since they got engaged. A little worried, Armand reached out and hooked his pinky finger around hers.
“No, it’s nothing, Mr. Armand. I just hope you get better soon.”
Evelia responded to his gesture, wrapping her slender fingers tightly around his.
“I already told you, once winter is over, I’ll be fine. It’s not even winter yet and you’re already this anxious, what’ll happen when it really starts? Don’t worry, I’ve made it through every year like this, and this year will be no different. I’ll be okay.”
“Winter…”
Evelia quietly repeated the word, her expression hard to read. It looked like she said something more, her lips moved after saying “winter,” forming a few more syllables. but Armand didn’t hear anything.
It was as if she had only mouthed the words without making a sound.
“—Mm. I hope so too, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia gently held Armand’s hand tighter, passing her warmth to his palm.
“Of course I remember. You said things would be fine once spring comes. So, don’t forget your promise to me either.”