Chapter 375: Clothing
Although Evelia had once felt a little “jealous” when Rachel gave Armand a gift before her, after thinking about it, she decided it didn’t really matter. After all, the gift was meant for Armand in the first place.
If Rachel’s hands could make it more refined, then it wasn’t a bad thing. So she generously handed the gift box to Rachel, and to give Armand a surprise, told her to hide it in her clothes so no one would notice.
Luckily, the box was small. With Rachel’s fluffy outfit, no one paid attention when she tucked it inside. Just like that, the pocket watch that was meant for Armand was carried back to their room. After that, it was time for the genius alchemist to secretly show her skills.
“…Phew.”
Evelia returned to Armand’s bedroom. As expected, he wasn’t home from work yet.
The two of them were already used to living together. The wardrobe even had Evelia’s spare clothes in it. They even had matching pajamas, a gift from Anna back when they first got engaged. The fabric was expensive, soft, and warm.
But in truth, they rarely wore those pajamas. Nights were long, and to pass the time before sleep, they often “did something together.” If things got too heated, the clothes might tear, and neither of them could bear to damage that expensive set.
After one night where they fumbled too much with each other’s buttons until the mood was gone, they ended up not wearing those pajamas much anymore.
Evelia glanced at the fine pajamas, then reached instead for her maid uniform.
Even though she had already seen and worn many kinds of clothes as a woman, the outfit she still felt most used to was this maid dress.
She put on the dress, the headpiece, and then her favorite white stockings. Of course, these were the thick, warm kind. They felt soft and sturdy, though unfortunately, the pale skin of her thighs couldn’t be seen beneath them.
Then came the stockings, it didn’t have much use anymore, but it did look nice.
For Evelia in the past, the stockings had some real purpose.
Her alchemy seal was on her thigh. Nobody would normally lift her skirt to check for hidden marks, but taking precautions was never a bad idea. On Anna’s advice, Evelia had worn a dark-colored stockings to draw attention away from the faint mark that might show on her skin.
Now, though, she didn’t really care.
She didn’t know that the alchemist who had engraved that seal on her was still nearby. To Evelia, the only person in the manor who could ever notice the mark on her thigh was Armand.
But now that Armand knew her true identity, and both of them understood each other’s secrets, there was no need for such decorations anymore.
Still, Evelia kept wearing it. Not because she had a sense of beauty or style, just because she was used to it.
Armand even allowed it. One day, he had even brought out the cat ears and tail he once confiscated from her. That was the day Evelia finally understood what that tail was really meant for.
After putting her clothes in order, Evelia stood in front of the full-length mirror. She thought about how Armand, who often looked into this very mirror, would show his expression and actions.
As she grew more familiar with Armand, Evelia realized that he wasn’t always smiling. Perhaps, in the quiet mornings when he faced the mirror and tied his necktie, his face didn’t carry the bright smile of welcoming a new day.
Evelia stood before the mirror, gently touching her own face.
To be honest, Evelia didn’t really know if she was beautiful or not. She only knew that, according to the words of ordinary people, she was often praised for her looks.
It was the same for Armand. In the eyes of those around him, Armand was a famously handsome man. Because of that, Evelia sometimes felt relieved, thinking at least in appearance she was a good match for him.
She reached out and picked up a hair tie from Armand’s bedside table. Bit by bit, she had already moved her personal belongings into his room. Armand had even prepared space for her in the cabinet. Since Evelia no longer went back to her old dorm to rest, the two of them were already living together.
She lifted her long hair and divided it into strands.
Back then, she never tied her hair. After all, she had been a young man. But now, after practicing again and again, she had learned how to manage her long hair.
Sometimes Evelia thought long hair was troublesome, but whenever she remembered that her Mr. Armand liked her pink hair, she never cut it. After almost a year of living like this, it had already grown quite long.
She raised her arms and carefully braided her hair.
Now she was skilled enough that she could even braid Rachel’s hair when it grew long.
Facing the mirror, she pulled the braid to the front of her chest, watching the pink strands flow down her shoulders.
Who could have imagined this scene? The once-famous assassin “Red Crow,” whose hands used to be busy taking lives, was now like a married woman, quietly braiding her hair in front of the mirror. Someone who didn’t know her might even think Evelia looked very feminine.
Once the braid was done, she flicked it back, then twisted it into a bun.
Maybe her hair was too good in texture. After tying it tightly, it even felt heavy.
She adjusted the collar that had wrinkled while she braided, and looked into the mirror, practicing the kind of gentle smile Armand liked.
Of course, Armand never forced her to laugh or cry. He always respected her feelings. It was Evelia herself who was trying, trying to learn the gentle expressions that belonged to Armand.
He was her husband, but sometimes, Armand was also her goal.
“…Hoo…”
She let out another deep breath, as if cheering herself on.
Ever since Armand had fallen ill, Evelia had developed this habit of giving herself silent encouragement. Even though Armand’s condition was much better now, she still kept that habit.
Everyone was busy preparing for the New Year, and Evelia was no exception.
Carrying a whole box of tomato paste, she walked alone into the kitchen she knew best.
When Armand was sick, his meals had always followed a strict diet plan. Now that his food restrictions had relaxed, Evelia returned to the kitchen again.
“…Mm…”
With a loud thud, Evelia set the box full of tomato sauce down at her feet, then looked at the fresh ingredients in the nearby wooden crate and let out a sound of satisfaction.
“It’s been such a long time… I should cook something for Mr. Armand again. Let me think… how about a tomato cake? If I replace all the cream with tomato sauce, it should taste delicious.”