Chapter Twelve: Early Morning
No matter how exhausted Evelia was the night before, she was always able to greet the sun that had not yet fully risen on time.
She skillfully donned her black and white maid outfit, tying the butterfly ribbon at her chest in front of the full-length mirror.
For her, anything unfamiliar had to be thoroughly familiarized within two days, including changes that had occurred throughout her entire being. This also included the various personal habits she had maintained for nearly 20 years.
However, this was not a big deal for her; after all, as an assassin, changing identities and “starting anew” was not something unusual.
Evelia pushed open the door, walking down the empty corridor with the poised mannerisms of a lady. In the soft morning light, she observed every corner of the corridor. Out of her previous profession’s habit, her flat-soled shoes made almost no sound in the quiet hallway.
The other maids had indulged too much during last night’s bonfire party, so most were still sleeping in, waiting to rise until the last possible moment, and it was inevitable that some were suffering from hangovers as well.
The cooks in the kitchen were busy preparing a substantial breakfast, so they had risen early and worked quickly. By the time Evelia reached the back kitchen, breakfast for Alman was already neatly arranged on a silver cart. From the recipe note beside it, his breakfast was quite simple, consisting of bread, fried eggs, milk, and a piece of chicken, seemingly made to accommodate his stomach ailment, with flavors kept rather bland.
Evelia pushed the cart along the quiet corridor, listening to the clattering sound of the wheels. She noticed that some of the maids seemed to have already woken up, and the corridor gradually filled with the light footsteps of young girls. The hallway, which had just been eerily quiet, suddenly came alive.
Knock, knock, knock.
Evelia gently knocked on Alman’s door and respectfully called his name from outside.
“Mr. Alman, your breakfast is ready.”
“Mm, come in.”
“Certainly.”
Upon hearing his voice, Evelia opened the door, entering Alman’s bedroom with the breakfast tray. Normally, the manor’s master would have meals in the dining hall, but the reason for going to the dining hall was generally to dine with family. In Alman’s case, eating alone meant that no one else needed to join him, so he simply resolved his meals within his own bedroom, allowing him to eat without worrying too much about etiquette.
Alman appeared to have been up for a while; the room gradually filled with sunlight, and the bedding was neatly folded. His hair was still damp from washing, and he wore a knight’s formal uniform, truly giving off a sense of a reliable and upright knight.
“Did you rest well last night?” Alman tightened his tie and sat at his small dining table. “My knights could barely drag themselves out of bed.”
Monday mornings were claimed by the knights as the most tormenting time of the week. Although there was a rotation system, on Mondays, regardless of whether they had rested the day before or where their squad was, they had to get up at four in the morning on an empty stomach for training until six, followed by an hour of rest, and then gather at seven to continue their shifts in the knight order.
Under normal circumstances, Alman should have been training with the knights in the manor, but because the First Prince summoned him to the palace today, he got a rare opportunity to take a break and returned halfway.
“I didn’t do much work yesterday, so I’m not tired. I’ll take care of your shawl and bring it back to your room shortly.”
Evelia replied to Alman with precision while helping him cut the small piece of chicken.
The meal looked entirely like a nutritional plate; aside from the dry chicken, there were very few fats or oils. Evelia had learned from others that Alman had a stomach ailment, but she hadn’t realized it had reached such a level. It felt like he was merely getting the daily essential nutrients rather than enjoying his meal.
“That sort of thing doesn’t matter. Many knights enjoy hunting in their spare time; there are plenty of animal furs where we come from.”
“I will return your belongings as soon as possible.”
“You’re really stubborn, aren’t you?”
Alman appeared to eat slowly, but he finished breakfast after just a few bites. He wiped his mouth and stood up, and the Old Butler, who had been waiting at the door for a while, came in with the special knight uniform he would wear for the royal audience.
“Mr. Alman, is there anything you need me to do afterwards?”
Evelia knew that Alman was to meet the First Prince today. Although she wanted to place a listening magic stone on him, she figured such an obvious tactic would not go unnoticed by the royal family. So, she could only obediently wait by, hoping that Alman might reveal something to her during casual conversation.
“Just do your own thing. Evelia, I’m only reporting in to the First Prince; it’s not like I’m staying out all day. I should be back in time for lunch, so just prepare my lunch.”
“Yes.”
Since he had said this, Evelia refrained from pressing him with further questions. After she quietly cleaned up the dishes, she watched the Old Butler help Alman with his attire, then she silently left the bedroom, pushing the silver cart out.
After Evelia walked far away, Alman stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the troublesome but necessary cloak adorned with the emblem of the Royal Knight Order.
“That girl walks without a sound; you need to be careful.”
Alman fastened the medals on his chest, watching the Old Butler through the mirror’s reflection.
“Understood. Do you need additional guardians for your visit to the palace today?”
“No need; they won’t dare to ambush me in the royal capital anyway. Rather, after I leave, keep an eye on the house. As for Evelia…”
Alman pondered for a moment. It seemed there were many ways to deal with Evelia in his mind, but each carried its own risks. After all, Evelia belonged to the Second Prince. Although the Second Prince had many “free-range” subordinates out there, Evelia should undoubtedly be one of the people from the Nightingale House, where the levels of training were rather terrifying. Forcing someone like her into a corner would yield few rewards.
Although Alman understood that he might one day slip up and lose his life, he still thought about retiring peacefully at home one day. If it weren’t for the First Prince’s favor and his sense of responsibility toward the knight order, he probably would have already quit.
Who fights on the front lines against the royal family while feeling poisoned and half-dead? It would be unworthy of him not to receive recognition for his efforts.
…So annoying.
Alman scolded inwardly.
Evelia was a character he would not act against without absolute certainty. Right now, he and Evelia were like two crickets in the hands of the royal family, simply two princes competing to see whose cricket would win.
It could be likened to dogs; perhaps one day, the Second Prince would call out, “Evelia! Bite him!” and he would be commanded by the First Prince, “Can you bear this? Alman! You bite him too!”
In the end, the dogfight would probably leave them unharmed, but it didn’t guarantee either could survive.
“Don’t feel the need to constrain her. Let her do what she wants, as long as she doesn’t go too far. Absolutely don’t alert the enemy; if anything comes up, we’ll discuss it when I return.”
“Understood.”
Perhaps because he currently couldn’t do anything about Evelia and the Second Prince, or perhaps because the two biting dogs shared a plight, Alman opted to do nothing, choosing the approach that upper management typically loathed: “Let’s take it one step at a time.”
Ah—so annoying.
I really want to retire…
