Chapter 353: Arrangements
Maybe it really had been a long time since he last went to the knight order, because when Armand finally returned, it even felt a bit fresh to him.
Armand disliked riding in carriages, but now he had no choice but to take one.
Even though Evelia had now gained Armand’s renewed trust, and technically could go with him to the knight order where he worked, it seemed she deliberately chose not to go, maybe to avoid gossip. As always, she just said, “Be careful on the road.”
“Captain, you’re back from vacation?”
“Captain, you’re finally back to take over from the vice-captain—ah, thank goodness…”
When Armand appeared at the knight order, the knights around him warmly welcomed his return. Armand had always been someone with a great personality who was easy to like. Compared to the strict Carle, everyone clearly preferred Armand. Seeing that he was finally back on duty, they all came up to greet him one after another.
Armand smiled and accepted their greetings, saying polite and friendly things while pretending to inspect the place. After a walk around the knight order, he finally returned to his office with a cheerful smile.
Then, the smile on his face dropped.
He used to be good at keeping that kind of smile, but now… he just didn’t have the heart for it anymore. Keeping up the act only made his face feel sore from forcing the expression.
That Carle guy—of course, Armand had sent him off on vacation. The captain’s office finally belonged to the captain again.
Armand had promised Carle a break a while ago, and this time, he finally kept that promise.
And of course, knowing Carle’s serious personality, he didn’t leave Armand with any work to do. Everything that needed to be done had already been taken care of. Even the planning reports were finished. All that was left for Armand was to sign them.
Soon, the New Year’s party would be happening. Even though the actual new year had already passed, the event was more of a seasonal celebration.
Armand and Evelia had spent their New Year’s Eve together during a heavy snowfall. But sadly, Armand had no memory of that time.
By the time he was truly awake again, it was already the next year. It all felt like a strange dream, as if it had happened in another life.
“The party…”
Armand didn’t like parties. No matter what, he just didn’t.
He hated socializing, hated making pointless small talk with nobles, and hated those clingy young ladies even more. And to make it worse, the party was hosted by the royal family, the second prince would definitely be there.
In some ways, Armand was a bit of a loner. He didn’t actively seek out other people.
But if someone truly wanted to be friends with him, he would treat them with genuine kindness. Just like he did now with the people around him. The knights and staff who truly followed him, and Evelia, who genuinely wanted to stay by his side.
For them, Armand’s kindness was sincere.
He had always been trying to atone for the past, hoping the people around him could live better lives.
Rustle.
Armand flipped through the documents in his hand and glanced at the calendar on his desk.
He still remembered how confidently he once said he’d finish the engagement ceremony before autumn. But now it was already the next year, and that promise still hadn’t been fulfilled.
“Hah… just let it go.”
He quietly comforted himself in his heart. That’s what he had always told himself all these years, just let it go.
People have to think positively, right?
After all, so many things had already happened and passed. Now, this was the final stretch.
Once all the mess was behind them, and once his body got better. He could finally leave this place with Evelia.
As for the people who still lived in his estate. He would make arrangements to let them go. Armand planned to divide up the valuable things in his manor and give them away.
After all, he didn’t need any of it. He still had plenty of savings tucked away in his own little “private stash.”
Back then, he already knew that his life would have to become more proper and disciplined. After all, even the old butler was someone he planned to let go. The butler had followed him for a long time, but Armand thought, everyone has a place they want to go. The old man had stayed by his side for ten years. He should be allowed to go out and see the world. If one day the butler came back tired from traveling and needed a place to rest, Armand wouldn’t mind letting him stay again.
As for Rachel, if everything could be settled safely, with no trouble left behind, Armand might consider keeping Rachel by his side. But if things remained complicated and messy, then he would probably send her to a safer family. Or he could pay for her to go to school and study alchemy, something she was interested in, so she could explore her hobbies.
"Alchemy..."
Muttering this word, Armand leaned back tiredly in his chair.
Maybe he had overestimated himself. He had only walked around the knight order for a bit and already felt exhausted.
His body was still weak and couldn’t even be called “recovering.” Although it wasn’t getting worse, it wasn’t getting better either. He was just living on in a messy and difficult way.
Alchemy... is it really that amazing?
‘A past version of him’ had once discussed this with Rachel. Back then, the pressure was so intense that the nervous Rachel almost revealed her secret. But it was as if Armand at that time had decided not to break that final barrier between them. He didn’t ask any further.
And now, just like before, no matter what time it is, he is still the same person. Whenever he catches a clue, he uses the same way of thinking to figure things out.
Now that he’s weak again, his mind turns to alchemy once more.
If alchemy could turn Furst into Eve, then surely it could do many other things too, right? Like fix his body that’s falling apart?
—In theory, it should be possible, if he could really find the person who turned Evelia into what she is now.
But according to Evelia, the first thing she did after changing her body was kill the alchemist who knew too many secrets. So the "genius" who could possibly save him was probably already killed by Evelia long ago.
At that thought, Armand remembered Rachel again.
If she really studied alchemy seriously, could she reach that level?
But after thinking about it, he let the idea go.
Healing people sounded like a very difficult and complicated kind of alchemy. Asking a child to handle something like that was too much pressure.
That kid, Rachel… she deserves a safer, more peaceful childhood. The time she spent with him had already been hard enough.
Even now, Armand still felt afraid whenever he remembered that “kidnapping” incident.
Although there were many doubts surrounding it, in the end, he believed Rachel was just a child. No matter what, she was still just a child. Letting her experience something like that… it was all because of who he was. Or maybe, now that he thought about it, it was also because of Evelia’s identity.
He knew Evelia now loved Rachel deeply too. That’s why, in the future, they needed to find a chance to send Rachel somewhere safe.
—No, not in the future. Maybe they should do it now.
The current situation was very complicated. From the way Carle spoke, it sounded like the old King was going to get involved in the “battlefield” again. If that happened, as the commander of the Royal Knights and someone with military authority, Armand would be a prime target. Not to mention Evelia, who was the Red Crow…
Maybe... it really was time to find a good family and send Rachel away.
“...Sigh.”
Thinking about all this, Armand let out a long sigh.
Ever since before, he had been thinking about what to do with the people around him if something happened to him. He had to make sure they would be okay. Because of that, he hadn’t been sleeping well for several nights now.
“So tired…”
He leaned against the chair in his office, showing a tired and defeated side of himself that no one else had ever seen, alone in the office that now belonged only to him.