Chapter 332.1: Recognition and Effort (Part 1)
“About… me?”
Evelia was a bit surprised when she heard that question. She had expected that Armand might ask her something, but she didn’t think he would start by asking about her identity.
—It seems that Mr. Armand really does have some doubts about me…
But when Evelia thought about it more carefully, it had always been like this. Even now, she still didn’t know how she had revealed her identity in the first place.
She had no idea how Armand figured out that she was the one called “Red Crow.” Armand never explained it, and Evelia never asked.
They just ended up being together without really knowing how it happened, only knowing that both were being sincere with each other.
However, ever since Armand lost part of his memory, he had started paying more attention to Evelia’s identity again. Each time, Evelia would introduce herself all over from the beginning.
But from the looks of it, Armand had probably already seen through her long ago. It was just that, after spending time together and building feelings, he chose not to press her further and simply turned a blind eye. Eventually, they became husband and wife.
“If it’s about my identity…”
To be honest, Evelia hesitated. She wasn’t sure how to explain herself to this version of Armand, because he was different from before. It felt like having to reapply for a job under a new boss. She was a little nervous.
But—
“Hoo…”
—No matter what kind of Armand he is, he’s still Mr. Armand. Since he once made a promise to me, then I must face everything openly and bravely.
If one day Armand looks back on this time, he’ll definitely say Evelia has grown so much. She was no longer that lifeless “Red Crow” who had lived like a puppet. Now, she was spreading her wings for real, searching for a sky where she could fly freely.
“Then… let me reintroduce myself, Mr. Armand. It’s true that I’m your maid and your wife, Evelia Croyelle. But at the same time, I’m also… the ‘Red Crow.’”
Evelia took a deep breath and revealed her true identity to this version of Armand, wondering how he would take it. In the past, when Armand was still his gentle self, even he would react strongly when hearing the truth, so wouldn’t this more distant, odd version of Armand have an even stronger reaction?
If that’s the case—
“Red Crow? Who’s that?”
—Huh?
Evelia had already prepared herself for all kinds of reactions…
But unexpectedly, Armand didn’t seem to react at all. In fact, he even asked the question like he’d never heard the name before.
“The ‘Red Crow’… the assassin.”
Faced with that kind of reaction, Evelia was at a bit of a loss. She didn’t even know how to explain her identity anymore.
“Sorry, I don’t really know. Maybe it’s because I don’t recognize that name right now.”
Armand simply shook his head, and that was it. No other reaction. Or rather, since he didn’t know who the Red Crow was at all, there was no need for a reaction.
“Ah… what?”
Evelia had explained herself to Armand many times before. Sometimes there were small surprises, but she always got through it, and Armand always accepted her for who she was. But this time, with an Armand who had no memory of the “Red Crow,” he simply couldn’t understand what she meant by that self-introduction.
That made sense. The “Red Crow” only became active in recent years, so there was no way Armand, whose memories were stuck almost ten years in the past, would know about them.
“Then… let me put it another way… No, Mr. Armand, whether you care or not, I think I should first tell you what kind of person you are.”
Rather than starting with who Evelia was, she felt it was more important to help Armand understand who he was first. That way, when she explained things later, he’d better understand the relationship between them.
“All right, go ahead.”
Armand didn’t seem too interested at first, but since Evelia wanted to talk, he didn’t mind listening.
“Mr. Armand, even though your memories stop around the time you just joined the Knights, right now you’re already the captain of the Royal Knights.”
“Oh.”
Armand actually looked a bit surprised hearing that.
After all, to someone whose memories stopped ten years ago, becoming the captain of the Knights felt like something far out of reach.
Going from a low-ranking soldier to the leader of the Royal Knights in less than ten years, anyone would be surprised. But in terms of ability, Armand definitely deserved that position.
Thinking about how this was the same position his father nearly achieved once, he felt an odd sense of pride, as if he hadn’t let his father down.
Sadly, neither his father nor mother would ever get to see this moment...
“You’re the captain of the Royal Knights. Your close friend, Mr. Carle, is the vice-captain. And politically, you’re loyal to the Crown Prince.”
That part didn’t surprise Armand.
Because back when he escaped from the House of Nightingales, he was taken in by the Crown Prince.
At that time, the Crown Prince, who was around the same age, gave shelter to the homeless, angry Armand. And after learning his background, the prince offered him a deal.
But of course, that deal came with a price. The Crown Prince would help him take revenge, but in return, Armand had to complete something that sounded nearly impossible. And after that, his loyalty could only belong to the Crown Prince.
The current Armand was probably still in the early stages of joining the Crown Prince’s camp.
He’d heard a lot of promises from the prince, like glory, wealth, and status. But none of that mattered to him.
All he cared about was getting revenge for his old friend.
Just like Evelia had no dreams for the future and only felt “alive” when carrying out the Second Prince’s orders, Armand was the same. He no longer had a “master,” so he gave himself orders. His reason for living was to avenge his friend.
He even started using that friend’s name, as if hoping to find a bit of comfort in something so small.
“And I… Mr. Armand, I’m not on the same side as you, at least not before. Before we became husband and wife, we were on different sides.”
Armand looked at the hesitant Evelia, and he seemed to already know the answer.
The open and secret fights between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince had been going on for years. After the Second Princess died, the Second Prince took over her “business.”
If Evelia really was from the House of Nightingales, as he suspected, then it made sense. They had been on opposite sides from the start, Armand with the Crown Prince, Evelia with the Second Prince.
“I know.”
It was as if he didn’t want Evelia, who was struggling with how to explain, to feel too anxious, so Armand said it himself.
“You’re from the House of Nightingales, right?”
“—!”
Even though it wasn’t the first time her identity had been revealed, Evelia still looked surprised.
It seemed like every time, Armand could accurately figure out who she really was, whether it was the current Armand who had lost part of his memories, or the old Armand who always seemed cheerful and smiling every day.
Even if Armand didn’t know exactly what was going on, even if he didn’t know the details, like the fact that Evelia was Red Crow. He still always managed to realize that she came from the House of Nightingales.
“What exactly is this…?” Evelia really didn’t understand.
At first, she thought maybe Armand had received some kind of special information, and that was how he knew she worked for the Second Prince.
But now Armand, who had lost his memories, there was no way he could know something like that.
Almost ten years ago, he didn’t even know that the Red Crow existed. So how could he possibly know that Evelia was working under the Second Prince?
“How… did you know?”
So Evelia decided to speak her doubt out loud. To be honest, Evelia wasn’t sure what to think about this Armand now.
If it were the old Armand, she’d feel more at ease. At least he would speak in a gentler tone.
But the man in front of her now, a man whose eyes didn’t even reflect her image, he honestly made her feel a little scared.
That feeling of distance was suffocating. It felt like no matter what she did, she could never truly reach his side.