Chapter 11 If One Day There Is No Way Out
Although the two of them were running, they did not manage to escape from the manor. Alman simply pulled Evelia away from the noise and found a relatively refreshing place to take a short rest.
The rear garden of this manor was quite large, with small pavilions scattered everywhere. He chose a place with a decent view, lifting his head to catch a glimpse of the moon in the sky.
“Ha… I’m sorry for dragging you along for so long. I didn’t expect you to be quite fit.”
Alman loosened the somewhat heavy shawl draped over him, allowing the heat generated from running to dissipate a bit. This piece made from animal fur was not only warm but also felt quite heavy to wear.
Evelia stood beside him, appearing composed. Although they had just sprinted, aside from feeling a bit hot, she didn’t seem to exhibit any other signs of fatigue.
Alman, being a warrior, certainly wouldn’t feel tired from such physical exertion, but Evelia’s ease made him think that it validated some of his assumptions.
“A maid must have ample stamina to serve her master.”
Evelia’s face was flushed from running, but her expression remained as calm as ever as she tidied her long hair that had become disheveled from their run.
“That’s true—after all, being a maid is also physical work. Cleaning such a large courtyard isn’t much easier than training at the shooting range.”
Alman chuckled lightly, casually sitting on a stone bench in the pavilion. The weather was still cool, and when he sat down, he felt a slight chill.
“Don’t be too formal, take a seat.”
Alman patted the space beside him and removed his heavy shawl, simply using it as a cushion for Evelia to sit on.
“…” Evelia paused briefly and then followed his instruction, sitting beside Alman. “Thank you.”
Evelia was certainly not the type to enjoy a moment of rest, but as she had mentioned, her task was to get close to Alman and gain his trust. She wouldn’t miss an opportunity for slightly more intimate contact.
“In the future, we’ll be ‘partners’, so you don’t have to be so polite with me privately.”
“…”
However, Evelia hadn’t yet thought about what to do next.
After all, she had never undertaken a mission that required emotional involvement. Previously, she was just used for killing, and this time the second prince had only chosen her for her loyalty, thus entrusting her with this vital task.
But… is it just sitting here?
Evelia thought that Alman would be the one to start a conversation, and she could just respond, but to her surprise, he sat there quietly, lifting his head to gaze silently at the moon above, as if lost in thought or simply daydreaming, tapping his fingers mindlessly in boredom.
“Evelia.”
“Yes, I’m here.”
After an unknown amount of silence, it was finally Alman who spoke first. With a ‘click’ sound as his finger struck the spot he had been tapping, he called out her custom nickname, tilting his head slightly in her direction.
Evelia immediately responded, turning to look at Alman.
The moonlight spilled over his profile, and the soft glow made his brows and eyes appear gentler. Evelia had always been attentive to Alman’s blue eyes, as she could never read any hint of emotion from his gaze—whether he was smiling or amid noise, his eyes always held that affectionate look, a gentleness she had never felt in her years as an assassin.
How could someone seasoned by battle be so gentle? Evelia felt as if she walked the edge of knives, yet Alman, as the commander of the knight order, had unknowingly spilled so much blood in war at a slightly older age than her. He must have taken more lives than she had; why could he still smile like this?
Could it be that he was numb? Or perhaps he had come to terms with it?
… Who knows.
Evelia pondered and speculated a lot, but her expression remained unchanged; she just looked calmly at the man beside her.
This emotionless façade was her “training result.”
She wanted no feelings, only unconditional obedience.
If Alman were to ask her to remove her long dress to serve him at that moment, she would undoubtedly display her unfamiliar body to him in the cold wind, allowing him to use her as he wished because that was part of the mission. As long as the second prince didn’t command her to cease this task, she would do anything to keep Alman pleased, even if it meant sacrificing her dignity or life.
Of course, the premise was that she must at least complete the task alive; however, whether she lived or died afterward was of no concern to Evelia. If necessary, she could choose death.
Even facing death seemed much better than failing the mission and incurring the second prince’s displeasure and punishment…
But now, in front of Alman, she felt that she was not as calm as she used to be. In just one day of interaction, she seemed to have experienced some emotions she had not tasted in many years.
Perhaps it was because he was just such a peculiar person…
“Have you thought about the future, Evelia?”
Perhaps by coincidence, just as Evelia was contemplating her fearlessness towards death, Alman tossed this question her way.
“The future…”
I don’t know.
Evelia was filled with uncertainty about the future.
When faced with Alman’s question, she found herself for the first time bewildered about how to answer.
“Will you always be a maid?”
Even her usually calm tone ended with a question mark.
“You’re already a senior maid at such a young age; in the future, you might even become a super maid!”
… What an exasperating joke.
“But speaking of which, Evelia, if one day you find yourself with no way out, come join my knight order.”
“… Huh?”
Evelia was taken aback for a moment, unsure of what he meant by suddenly bringing this up.
No way out? Why would he say something like that?
“Hahaha, seeing how fast you run without even catching your breath, your physical fitness must be quite strong! So if things really don’t work out in the future, join my knight order. We have quite a few female knights here, and if you don’t like the battlefield, you could work as an office clerk—how does that sound? It’s quite a twist of fate, and I’ll give you a good position.”
Alman laughed heartily, and based on his demeanor, if Evelia were a man, he would surely be laughing and patting her back. It seemed he truly did not view Evelia as merely a maid but as a friend; if he were still in his previous manly form, he might even become a brother.
“Being a knight seems too distant for me…” Evelia shook her head at the thought of the sacred-sounding profession. “I’m not suited to be a knight.”
“You won’t know if you’re suitable until you try. They’re all good people; you can come to me without worry.”
This was an invitation from the commander of the royal knight order, akin to extending an olive branch. For others, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could change their fate. However, for Evelia, she was only loyal to the second prince.
“You seem to have a good relationship with the knight order; why would you escape from the banquet?”
Evelia could not accept his kindness and simply changed the topic.
After all, he appeared to be someone who enjoyed playing around with friends from the team; why would he suddenly seek her out, someone enjoying the tranquility by the side?
“I came to find you.”
“What?”
“I came to find you, Evelia.”
“Find me?” Almana’s words seemed increasingly incomprehensible to Evelia. “Is there something important you want to tell me? There shouldn’t be anyone around; if it’s a private mission, I will—”
“I just came to find you, that’s all, nothing else.”
Before Evelia could finish her sentence, Alman interrupted her.
Evelia had thought she might gain his trust and obtain some secret information from him, but it seemed that was not the case; her words made it increasingly difficult to grasp his thoughts.
“After all, you are my personal maid. Your position is high, and the danger will also be greater, so do not easily leave my sight, and don’t go where I cannot see you, Evelia.”
Of course, there was another layer to Alman’s words—don’t leave my line of sight.
Whether she understood that part was up to Evelia.
But at least, she wouldn’t interpret it as some ambiguous meaning because the concept of “ambiguity” had not even entered her mind.
“… Ah.”
She nodded blankly, listening to his words, which contained some truth. After all, even she was here to tempt or assassinate him; there could be even more forces threatening his side, and she truly was in a dangerous position near him.
… Is that all?
“I understand, Mr. Alman. I will protect you well.”
Though she had some doubts, she did not think much of it for now.
“Haha, do I need you to protect me? If I need a little girl to guard me, wouldn’t I, the commander of the knight order, just become a decorative piece?” Saying this, he stood up. “Alright, Evelia, we should head back. It’s getting late; let’s clean up and rest. We’ll have to work normally tomorrow.”
“Alright, Mr. Alman.”
Evelia stood up as well, patting the shawl she had been sitting on back to Alman, but after he took it, he draped it over her shoulders.
“You look like you need it more than I do.”
Through that thick layer of fur, she felt Alman gently pat her shoulder and help her pull her pink hair out from under the shawl. The distance between them was neither far nor close, but perhaps the chilly night wind made Evelia acutely aware of the warmth of his breath on her head.
Afterward, the two walked back in parallel, as if taking a stroll, to the bonfire they had been by earlier. The night was deepening, and the young ladies had mostly left to prepare for rest. The knights were tidying up for the ladies who had already returned, using the excuse that “today is a special banquet.” When Alman returned from a distance, Deputy Commander Carly certainly would not let him off easily, throwing his arm around Alman’s neck, pulling him toward the table where drinks hadn’t been cleared yet, and summoning the knights to ensure they had a few drinks.
As for Evelia, she returned to her single room as a senior maid with Alman’s shawl draped over her. She neatly folded the furry shawl and placed it on the table, then picked up the book “The Maid’s Knight” that she had borrowed.
She had originally seen this book as a strategy guide, but after glancing through it, she realized she had been mistaken.
Although the novel told the story of a maid and a knight, the words on the cover reading “Special Collection Series Side Story Compilation Edition” hinted at what was really inside.
“It’s simply a smut book…”
Evelia sighed and closed the novel.
It did not explain how to court a knight at all; rather, it elaborated in detail on various “positions” and “play.”
“I won’t need this at all…”
Although she didn’t understand why such books existed, she decided to return it tomorrow.
