Chapter 325: I See Those Memories as a Treasure
Even though Evelia had boldly pushed Armand down that night, in reality, the two of them mostly just talked.
Evelia liked to snuggle into Armand’s arms, and Armand didn’t push her away. He simply held her like that and asked questions that, to him, felt a little embarrassing.
“—What do you think of me?”
It was such a simple question, but until now, he had always hesitated to say it out loud.
He was just a little curious, how did others see him? What had he done over the past year? Did everything he had done really match the price he had paid?
At this stage, Armand was clearly more clear-headed than he had been during the earlier days of their relationship. What he was going through now wasn’t something that could be brushed off with a simple “it’s just winter, so my brain isn’t working.”
Back then, he had been busy trying to make Evelia feel safe, so he was also lying to himself. But now, he had finally started to face the truth about his body.
A worsening illness, maybe even the loss of his life. That was the price he had to pay. And he needed to know, if he had to pay such a price, then had he done something truly worth it?
Just like he had thought before. If he had to die, he wanted to die for a reason.
And Evelia answered him honestly.
She wasn’t someone who used sweet talk. She didn’t say meaningless, flattering words. She simply and truthfully told Armand about everything they had been through.
Of course, she hoped that Armand would never forget the things they’d experienced together. But if he really did forget, then she would tell him again and again, like telling stories, ten times, a hundred times, reminding her beloved every day of what they had gone through and how they had walked this road together.
Armand simply held Evelia close and quietly listened to the stories coming from her lips. Maybe Evelia didn’t know all the things Armand had done as the head of the knights, but as his wife, she remembered every detail of what they had gone through together, because she had always seen that time as a treasure.
“…Eve.”
Armand held Evelia, resting his head on her neck, and softly called her name.
“I’m here, Mr. Armand.”
“If one day… you feel like you can’t go on anymore, you have to learn to let go.”
“……”
That sudden sentence made Evelia freeze for a moment.
“What are you talking about, Mr. Armand?”
But quickly, she came back to her senses. She grabbed his hand tightly, the one wrapped around her waist, so tightly it was as if she wanted to fuse him into her own body.
“I won’t give up, and you’re not allowed to give up either. Aren’t you always so positive? And aren’t we still waiting for spring to come?”
Armand had expected her to respond like that. He understood her personality well enough. He had definitely said something before to pretend that he was okay.
But now that he was more clear-minded, the more he thought about it, the less hopeful everything seemed.
Just like the doctors had said, he was now in a state of “early-onset dementia.” Sometimes he was clear-headed, sometimes confused. Sometimes he could remember everything, and other times he had no idea where his memories had even started again, from which year, which day. And in the end, before he completely forgot everything and turned into a madman or an idiot, he would likely die from the illness.
Looking back now, maybe he had just loved Evelia too much at that time. That’s why he did something so irresponsible, proposing to her when he already knew he was dying.
“Sorry, Eve. Back then, I didn’t know I would become such a burden…”
“That’s not true, Mr. Armand.”
Evelia lifted her head and looked at Armand from very close.
“Back then, it wasn’t that you ‘didn’t know you’d become a burden.’ It’s that you had hope, and you had the power to give that hope to me too. So please, don’t give up. You still owe me a wedding, Mr. Armand.”
Every word Evelia said landed deeply in Armand’s heart. Her honesty made him feel even more ashamed of his thoughts about giving up. He could only turn his eyes away, full of guilt, thinking to himself, maybe he really shouldn’t try to run away now.
Even so, even if Evelia’s encouragement did help a little, Armand still planned to prepare for the worst.
Of course, he hoped he and Evelia could make it through together. But if that wasn’t possible, then he had to make sure Evelia could get away safely.
At first, he was worried about her. With Evelia’s personality, could she live a normal life after losing him? But now, he was more at ease.
Even if he was being overly sentimental, and even if Evelia would be sad for a while because of him, he believed that the Evelia standing in front of him now would become even stronger.
And she should start searching for her true freedom…
……
After that, Armand’s condition still didn’t get much better.
His memory jumped around like a lottery, shifting randomly to different points in time. Sometimes he’d hit the jackpot and remember everything clearly. On those days, it felt like a rare reunion with Evelia, where they could share old memories and write down things he didn’t want to forget.
Maybe because each version of his memories had slightly different feelings and thoughts, Evelia slowly realized something.
She wasn’t the only one who had changed over the past year.
The Armand next to her had also changed.
And of course, it was all because of Evelia.
From someone who once thought he’d grow old alone, to someone who now wanted to live and build a family. It was all thanks to Evelia.
Their relationship was always a journey of saving each other.
And while they were busy with their own struggles, Rachel didn’t stop either.
A week later, she finally received the materials sent by a merchant from the border. With that, she might finally be able to trace the root of all the strange symptoms.
Then, one morning, when Evelia opened her eyes, she saw Armand’s back.
He seemed to be deep in thought. From behind, he gave off a quiet feeling that made her hesitate to disturb him.
Evelia lay on her side in bed. When her head shifted on the pillow, it made a sound, causing Armand to turn and glance back at her.
“……”
They stared at each other in silence, her blue eyes and his golden eyes meeting. It was as if their emotions were written all over their faces, yet hidden deep in their hearts.
Evelia noticed Armand was holding a notebook in his hands, full of tiny writing.
She knew that notebook, he had started using it recently to record the things he didn’t want to forget.
It looked like a novel filled with their daily life together. Whenever Armand had a clear mind, he would write down every moment he shared with Evelia.
“...Mr. Armand?”
Evelia sat up and looked at him. When she spoke, Armand reached out and gently patted her head, a warm smile on his face.
“Morning, Eve.”
A new day had begun, and it would be the start of another page in their story.