Chapter 319: A Fate That Was Meant to Be
Compared to the Armand who used to visit Evelia every day, the Armand now felt more distant, probably because he was thinking a lot about her.
Although he still let Evelia pull him from his office chair over to the sofa, his attitude was clearly more relaxed and casual than the version of Armand during their later “honeymoon phase.”
After all, this version of Armand was still in the stage of trying to figure things out with Evelia. And now that he had learned about some things that had “happened later” from Evelia herself, the way he interacted with her had a kind of “second playthrough” calmness, like someone who already knew what was coming.
As for Evelia, she had already told him everything she knew. Given the situation between them now, she had no reason to hide anything or lie.
So she told Armand everything, every single thing she could remember. That included her true identity, her secret as the person known as “Red Crow.”
At first, Armand was deeply shocked. He frowned and stayed quiet for a long time, thinking hard. He looked Evelia up and down, struggling to connect the quiet girl in front of him with the legendary figure known in rumors as the “Red Crow.”
And besides, wasn’t the Red Crow supposed to be a man?
Armand hesitated for a long time. He felt like it might be rude to ask directly, so he was trying to think of a gentler way to bring it up. But before he could speak, Evelia seemed to understand the look on his face, and answered the question first.
To be honest, Evelia didn’t know much about how the body change had worked. Back then, she was nothing more than a puppet controlled by the Second Prince.
She didn’t have to think for herself. As long as the Second Prince gave an order, she would follow it without question. She simply obeyed, with no hesitation at all.
So to her, what happened to her body didn’t matter. Even if she was turned into a woman who existed only to seduce others with her body, it made no difference. That version of Evelia never cared about the details of her transformation. She just remembered hearing the word “alchemy” now and then, when she woke up or fell asleep.
After hearing what Evelia said, Armand finally understood. So the information the Crown Prince had mentioned at the ballroom about alchemy, that was actually about the Red Crow using alchemy to change bodies?
But—
That’s just crazy. How was that even possible?
Could alchemy really make someone switch bodies like that, with no effect on their everyday life?
If a body could be changed so completely… Then what else could be changed?
Thinking this, Armand gave a soft cough.
Even though he was calmer than before due to missing some emotionally important memories, his body was still in bad shape. His throat felt dry and irritated, and he couldn’t stop himself from coughing a little.
It wasn’t serious enough for him to cough up blood, but he could taste the metallic flavor rising in his throat, and it made him feel uncomfortable.
“Mr. Armand, have some warm tea.”
Evelia had long been used to serving others as a maid. And more than that, she was honestly worried about Armand’s health. So when she saw that he was feeling unwell, she quickly stood up, poured a cup of tea, and brought it over to him.
“Thank you.”
Armand took the cup from Evelia and, without thinking much, drank more than half in one gulp.
If this had been the old him, knowing the person in front of him was the legendary Red Crow, he definitely would’ve been on full alert.
But now, even with some of his memories missing… Armand felt that Evelia was someone he could trust.
Even though Armand’s mind wasn’t working as well as before, his feelings deep inside hadn’t disappeared.
When he coughed just now, he instinctively covered his mouth and turned away from Evelia. Almost like he didn’t want her to see him in such a weak and messy state.
But at the same time, part of him really hoped Evelia would help him. That at least for now, she could support him just a little.
These two thoughts might seem completely opposite, but Armand understood his own heart.
He knew exactly what he was feeling.
He didn’t want Evelia to see him at his weakest. But he also wished that, during the hardest moments, the person he loved would show him some care.
—Yeah. That’s exactly it.
No matter which version of himself he became, in the end, he would always fall in love with Evelia. It felt like fate, like he was always meant to be drawn to her.
Just thinking about that made Armand smile. Helplessly, but also with peace in his heart.
He truly loved Evelia, from the bottom of his heart. He loved her so much that even if he lost all his memories, he would still want to confess to her all over again.
That love had already built up inside him, deep and strong. Even if everything reset, even if he forgot everything, he would probably still fall for the girl in front of him at first sight.
Thinking about that, Armand felt like cursing himself in his heart, ‘What a hopeless romantic I am…’
But there was nothing he could do. That was just how things were. Evelia had completely captured his heart.
Evelia seemed to sense the change in the air around Armand. And once she felt the mood had softened, she started to get closer to him.
Since Armand was already leaning into the corner of the sofa, Evelia leaned onto him as well.
The two of them were now pressed tightly together. A nearby blanket, kept there “just in case,” now covered both of them, wrapping them together on the couch.
“......”
Armand could handle Evelia’s weight leaning on him. But he couldn’t stop the thoughts and fantasies that came with such close contact.
Evelia’s hands were wrapped tightly around his arm. Her soft chest pressed against him from both sides, sandwiching his arm like a burger filling, gently rubbing as it squeezed.
Her legs also closed in, trapping his hands between them, covering him with their warmth.
She surrounded him completely. And Armand, who was still a bit shy, froze a little from the contact.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered that time when Evelia once gave him “sleep support.” If Evelia now started licking his ear the way she did back then, he probably wouldn’t be able to handle it at all.
In the face of this kind of seduction, no calmness or cool attitude could survive. Just a moment ago, he was so confident and composed. But Evelia’s affectionate “attack” left him totally flustered. He even thought to himself, ‘Wow, to have a girl like this as my wife... I’m really lucky.’
But, now is not the time to enjoy this.
Flirting and playing around... that should be saved for a “healthier version” of me.
Since he woke up, it hadn’t even been half a day, and yet Armand already felt his body and mind growing heavier and more tired. He could fall asleep at any moment, but he was forcing himself to stay awake.
He picked up a pen and some paper from the desk and began writing down what Evelia had just told him about alchemy.
If alchemy could really change a person’s body. Even remove certain organs and replace them with strange things like it had with Evelia. Then in theory...
Maybe, his own “failing” organs... could be replaced too?