Chapter 374: Casual
When they walked to the display of old-style pocket watches, even the ticking sound in the air seemed louder.
Holding Rachel in her arms, Evelia’s eyes fell on the rows of watches that carried a sense of old-fashioned charm.
Of course, she couldn’t remember what the original pocket watch looked like. Not only because most of those memories had already faded, but in truth, she had never really seen its true appearance.
Back then, when she had snatched it from that “big brute,” Evelia’s hands had already been covered in blood. The watch in her hand was also soaked red, its true look hidden beneath the stains. At that time, she was just a poor child with no idea what a “pocket watch” even was. She only thought she had grabbed some hard object, now colored red with blood, its original form already lost.
Later, Armand almost never showed that pocket watch to anyone. During that time, he had even coldly said he was going to throw it away. So Evelia hadn’t cared much about it. She never expected that after so many years, Armand would still keep that watch with him. Even when it became old and broken, he didn’t throw it in the trash, he carried it with him all the time.
“……”
Evelia stared at the counter in silence.
She suddenly didn’t know what to do.
She had been so eager, riding the carriage here to choose a gift for Armand, but now that she was here, she had lost all her ideas.
“Mom.”
Rachel knew this was the moment for her to step in.
“Mom, are you trying to remember what the old pocket watch looked like?”
“Mm.” Evelia nodded. “But… too much time has passed. I can’t really remember anymore.”
“That’s not a problem.”
Rachel smiled brightly as she sat in Evelia’s arms. She glanced at the shopkeeper, who looked as though he was hoping she would say something to make Evelia spend more money on an expensive watch.
“But I already told you, right? As long as it’s from you, Dad will definitely like it. Don’t always think about how things were in the past. Just choose the one you think suits Dad now. No matter which one it is, he’ll be happy.”
Evelia had heard the same words many times before.
But she didn’t understand this idea of “casual.” Under the Second Prince, all she had ever learned was how to “please others’ preferences.”
“Casual… really okay?”
“Of course.”
Rachel leaned against Evelia, stretching out her hand. One that, unlike a normal child’s, carried a thin layer of calluses. Gently, she lowered Evelia’s head until their noses touched, rubbing softly against her.
“See? If I do this, does it make you a little happier, Mom?”
With a kind smile, Rachel looked straight into Evelia’s eyes. It was a simple, unplanned, casual gesture.
Through her action, she showed that even without careful planning, something casual could still bring happiness.
Not because of what it was, but because it came from someone you love.
“…I see.”
Evelia took a light breath, her thoughts turning.
She lowered her gaze to the old-style pocket watches, then stretched out her hand to point at the most inconspicuous bronze one in the corner.
It was actually the same one Rachel had noticed first.
She still remembered the style of the watch she once used for her experiment. So at a glance, she had spotted the one in the corner that most resembled it. Though the details were different, it did stir up memories.
But Rachel didn’t mention this. She decided to simply go along with Evelia’s choice.
Because she felt the past was already gone. There was no need to pick something exactly the same as before. Since this was a new life, it should come with a new watch.
Rachel still thought Evelia would choose the pocket watch in the corner. Even though it only had a very small sapphire decoration, both of them immediately thought of Armand.
Those blue eyes that had so often watched them were burned too deeply into their memories.
“This one…”
The pocket watch with the blue gem was the simplest piece in the display. Compared to the other old-style watches, it was the plainest. Just bronze with a single stone, which might not even be a sapphire but just an ordinary crystal.
When the shopkeeper saw Evelia choose one of the least valuable watches in the shop, he tried to hide his disappointment, but Rachel could still hear it in his tone.
“This watch isn’t very refined. If you’re giving it to your husband… I’m afraid it might not be a good choice. Many ladies come here to choose New Year gifts, but almost none of them pick this style. Forgive me for being blunt, but your husband may not like it.”
The shopkeeper was doing his best to change Evelia’s mind. After all, whether he could make good money depended on this sale. With New Year coming soon, who didn’t want to earn more?
“No,” Evelia shook her head. “This child said… as long as it’s from me, he won’t care.”
When going out, Evelia always avoided saying the names of the two people by her side.
She didn’t want others to know who she was, or who the people with her were.
Besides, if people didn’t pay attention to military affairs, very few would even remember Armand’s name. Most nobles knew the famous and well-connected Kallai instead. So to avoid trouble, Evelia usually never mentioned Rachel’s or Armand’s names.
“Come on now, she’s just a child. What does a child know? Are you really going to let a child decide something between you and your husband?”
The shopkeeper hadn’t expected a noblewoman like Evelia to actually listen to a child’s words. In his experience, children were just tools for marriage arrangements. Most nobles didn’t care what their children thought, only that they could carry on the family line.
Hearing that, Rachel frowned. She might look like a child, but the sharp glare she gave the shopkeeper was unsettling. After all, kids this young almost never showed such a disgusted expression, and usually couldn’t even understand words like his.
But Rachel definitely understood. Not only that, she complained in her heart...
‘What do you mean, letting a child decide? Do you even know I’m over a hundred years older than you? Do you know the only reason those two are together now is because of me? Do you know that without me, this country would already be ruined?!’
Of course, she couldn’t say any of that out loud. She could only swallow her anger, just like a masked superhero who had secrets but couldn’t reveal them.
“Wrap it up.”
Evelia’s personality was far tougher than the shopkeeper imagined. She didn’t waste words. She simply pulled out the money according to the price tag, set it on the counter, and silently stared at him until he didn’t even dare breathe too loudly.
The look in Evelia’s eyes was not something an ordinary person could withstand. The shopkeeper swallowed nervously and packed the plain pocket watch into a luxurious gift box it didn’t deserve. After the trade was finished, Evelia didn’t say another word. She turned, holding Rachel in her arms, and left the store.
The shopkeeper watched her back as she walked away, thinking that he had hoped to earn a big profit but instead had run into someone who was not easy to deal with.
When Evelia and Rachel got back into the carriage, Rachel looked at the small gift box in Evelia’s hands and remembered the experiment she had once done with the original pocket watch.
Back then, that pocket watch had probably saved Armand’s life. And now, here was another one. Maybe it was fate. Maybe she should add a new protection spell to it.
She leaned closer to Evelia and tapped the box lightly with her finger.
“Mom, I recently read about an interesting defensive alchemy spell. Since Dad is a knight, it should be useful. How about… letting me try it on this watch?”