Chapter 351: Change
“…Of course I know, Your Highness. I’ve always been part of the House of Nightingales.”
A dangerous feeling filled the air, pressing down on Evelia so hard that she could barely breathe.
Evelia used to feel happy when she began to understand emotions. But now, she realized that emotions could be a problem.
If it were her old self, she would have been able to calmly answer Eric’s question without showing anything on her face.
But now, because of these so-called “feelings,” tiny changes in her heart showed up in her expressions and actions. And those small movements, Eric saw every one of them.
“Look at me, Red Crow.”
Eric looked up. His rose-pink eyes locked tightly onto Evelia. The color might have seemed charming or beautiful to others, especially under his short golden hair, but to Evelia, those eyes felt extremely dangerous.
Hearing his command, Evelia obediently looked at him. She tried her best to stay calm and emotionless, so Eric wouldn’t be able to read anything from her face.
“I suppose I’ve never really looked at you closely before.”
Eric examined Evelia from head to toe, as if he was seeing something new.
“Ever since you gained that outer shell through alchemy, you haven’t spent much time by my side.”
Not long after Rachel transformed “Red Crow” into Evelia, she had quickly adapted to her new body and taken on the name Evelia. Because Armand moved into his new home earlier than expected, Evelia was rushed into maid training right away.
Once the mission was assigned, Evelia just needed to follow the steps. There was no need to report every detail to Eric. The fewer people who knew the full plan, the better. She was told not to say anything unnecessary to anyone.
That’s how Evelia, with barely any contact with Eric, ended up at Armand’s estate. With a letter of recommendation, she became Armand’s personal maid.
Eric did all this because he trusted Evelia.
Because Evelia was his “Red Crow,” the person he trusted most, the one he believed would always be on his side.
Their relationship had always been strange, even twisted, due to many reasons, but they did grow up together in a way, even if it was more like hell than childhood.
Maybe Eric once had a passing thought, wondering if someone like Furst could become his friend. But when he saw how emotionless Furst had become after being “trained,” he gave up that thought completely, and never looked back.
He had turned a person into a ghost and still hoped that ghost would act like a real person. Even Eric himself found that idea disgusting.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
Eric looked at Evelia again, from top to bottom, and finally said those words.
If someone else had said that, it might have been praise, or maybe dislike. It might have shown their feelings about how Evelia had changed.
But that’s not what Eric meant.
Evelia’s change wasn’t just on the outside.
It was like how someone living with you might not notice if you’ve gained or lost weight, but someone who hasn’t seen you in a long time will notice it right away.
The people around Evelia may have slowly gotten used to the “new Evelia.” But Eric, who hadn’t seen her in a while, could spot the difference immediately.
“……”
He seemed to fall silent. Holding his teacup, he finally took a sip of the hot tea.
It was still very bitter. He didn’t like the taste, but he had gotten used to it.
“Did you finish everything I asked you to do?”
Eric only took two sips before putting the cup down again, letting the remaining white steam slowly disappear into the air.
“It’s almost done, Your Highness. I’ve already gained the trust of the Royal Knights’ captain. I will slowly work my way into the Knights and gather information about the Crown Prince.”
Evelia calmly spoke about the mission Eric had given her before. Her original task was to find a way to gain Armand’s trust, and then use that connection to collect information about the Royal Knights and the Crown Prince.
As for gaining trust, she had truly done that. But whether she would really carry out the next steps… even she wasn’t sure.
“I see. And how is the Royal Knights’ captain’s health?”
“…He seems to have caught a cold after getting chilled. His condition is just so-so. He had a fever a few days ago, and only recently started to feel a little better.”
Armand’s physical condition was something Eric had already heard about. He might not know every detail, but based on the information he had, he could make a few good guesses. This question was actually more of a test.
There was no way he hadn’t noticed Evelia’s odd behavior. Especially after what Gray Dove had said earlier, Evelia was clearly acting strange.
Still, Evelia managed well. She chose to truthfully report part of the information to Eric. If she had chosen to hide Armand’s illness at this moment, then it would’ve meant that her recently learned “feelings” had already led her to make a serious mistake.
“Hmm…”
Eric didn’t ask further. He simply gave a low hum.
Right now, he had a lot of scattered pieces of information in his hands, enough to piece together many clues. Even if nothing was confirmed with 100% certainty yet, his reasoning was leading him in the right direction.
White Dove, although part of the House of Nightingales and officially under Eric’s command, was actually a very self-centered person.
He was probably the one who respected Eric the least. His head was always filled with experiments and endless mixtures of medicine.
Even though he had managed to get Armand’s blood and learn many things from it, he didn’t share all the details with Eric. He only told him one thing, that Armand had gotten seriously ill and was now in a very weak state. And that the next time an opportunity like this came again… might not be until next winter.
Armand, the Royal Knights captain, the Crown Prince’s trusted man, and once a slave in the House of Nightingales… the one who killed his mother…
Now, Eric had more than enough reasons to want Armand dead.
He even thought to himself, ‘What if I had just killed him back then, how would things be now?’
“Red Crow.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’m here.”
“I remember last time, at the ballroom, you went as Armand’s dance partner. This time, I have a new mission for you.”
Thump, thump.
The moment she heard the word “mission,” Evelia’s heart beat hard twice.
In the past, hearing the word “mission” only made her feel relieved. Back then, she was someone who couldn’t survive without following Eric’s orders.
But now, after starting to enjoy a brief moment of peaceful life… she didn’t want to go back to all the fighting and killing.
But there was no choice.
“Please speak.”
She was still “Red Crow.” She still hadn’t escaped from that identity.
“When the New Year’s party comes around soon, the royal family will send an invitation to Armand. This time, you must attend again as his dance partner. There’s something very important I need you to do, and you’re the only one who can do it.”