Chapter Two: The Bright and Cheerful Young Man
Holding the forged identity documents, Evelia successfully blended into the crowd of new attendants at the Commander of the Knight Order’s new residence. Her entire disguise had been arranged meticulously by the Second Prince, leaving no room for error. The Second Prince had even arranged for her to be the personal maid of the Commander, making it convenient for her to carry out her plans.
All the servants gathered in the manor early in the morning, waiting for their new master to arrive. The lavishly decorated manor hinted at the power of Commander Alman.
Evelia stood at the front, as her identity was that of Alman’s personal maid. She had spent an entire day learning the etiquette of noble maids, followed by two days getting familiar with all the “colleagues’ ” information. Time was tight; she hadn’t even gotten used to the changes in her own body. Though she had mastered the etiquette, her posture still felt a bit stiff.
“Welcome the master of the manor, Alman Sistaria.”
The old butler was the first to speak, and the moment the door swung open, all the attendants bowed their heads respectfully.
A man with short black hair walked in, backlit by the sunlight outside the door, his tall frame blocking the light, giving a momentary impression of a shadow descending, filled with a sense of oppression.
“Hahaha, no need to be so formal; why such a big fuss over moving house?”
Just a second ago, the aura of a victorious general on the battlefield radiated from him, but when he spoke, his relaxed and friendly tone eased the air around.
Since he believed everyone should engage in normal conversation, there was no rule in Alman’s presence that servants shouldn’t look their master in the eye. As soon as Alman spoke, the new attendants curiously lifted their heads to see what this legendary Commander of the Knight Order was like in person.
“Hello, everyone. I am Alman Sistaria. I couldn’t be bothered to join in on the political struggles, so I didn’t get the royals to grant me a title. Therefore, there’s no need for formality; you can just call me by my name or call me Commander.”
Alman waved cheerfully to his attendants. When he smiled, his pronounced canines were visible, and he looked nothing like the Commander feared by enemies on the battlefield; he seemed more like a friendly older brother you might encounter in youth.
Evelia, along with the other curious attendants, examined the man before her. Although she had seen his portrait before, it was nothing like seeing him in person.
In the official portrait, Alman looked much more imposing due to the serious nature of the setting. Despite also wearing a smile, the lengthy list of personal achievements next to the image made Evelia feel pressured during her infiltration.
However, seeing him in person, Evelia couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The man before her was under thirty, tall but not rugged in the way one might expect. He was filled with youthful vitality, appearing much like a “young man.”
His black hair made him less dazzling than the royal blondes, and his clear blue eyes gave a very pure impression, his brows and eyes always smiling, with long eyelashes to boot.
Evelia could now completely understand why so many noble young ladies were infatuated with him. Among those who only appreciated looks, Alman’s face was indeed unmatched in the noble social circle, and his congeniality was something no scheming politician could emulate.
From his attire, he seemed indifferent to fashion; for such a significant event as moving, he wore only a white shirt underneath a grey trench coat, with the sword he favored strapped to his waist. There was hardly any ornamentation from top to bottom, making it exceedingly simple.
Yet it was this simplicity that allowed Alman to showcase his unparalleled handsomeness. Evelia observed this man with an investigative mindset, while the other young maids had already succumbed to Alman’s sunny and cheerful smile.
The old butler introduced the attendants to him one by one, but it seemed that Alman wasn’t particularly good at remembering names, as he nodded awkwardly along with the butler’s introductions, feeling he could only distinguish people by their attire.
“This is Evelia Kroyer, your personal maid here. Any questions about your daily life, you can directly assign to her.”
“Pink hair, how rare.”
It seemed that Alman didn’t remember Evelia’s name either; he simply chuckled at her strikingly pink hair. Unlike the previous attendants, Evelia couldn’t introduce herself in a smitten manner and merely lowered her head to greet Alman.
“Hello, Lord Sistaria. I am your personal maid, Evelia Kroyer.”
“Why the formalities? I told you, just call me by my name. I don’t like it when class distinctions are so pronounced in my home.”
Alman smiled brightly at Evelia, his radiant demeanor almost felt like a shining light above her head.
“Then… Alman—Lord?”
“Just ‘mister’ will do. The title ‘lord’ makes me feel old.”
“Okay, Mister Alman.”
After Evelia finished speaking, theoretically, as the last maid to be introduced, the old butler could take Alman on a tour of the manor after introducing her. However, Alman did not leave; he stood in front of Evelia, smiling at her, seemingly lost in thought.
Alman’s smile was always sunny and cheerful, so standing before him, Evelia felt the intensity of attention on her head was quite overwhelming. She wondered when this “big sun” would set. If she were still male, her comparable height with him might not have made her feel so hot under his gaze.
“Do you need anything else…?”
Evelia felt a bit perplexed and was somewhat unable to tolerate this overly cheerful guy, so she raised her head, looking at the man she might need to assassinate in the future with her hazel-golden eyes.
“Nothing, just never seen a girl with pink hair before; I couldn’t help but take a few extra looks.”
Alman laughed casually as if he were completely absent-minded.
“Pink isn’t that rare…”
“Very beautiful.”
“…” Listening to Alman’s words, Evelia was taken aback. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“You look much younger than the others. How old are you this year?”
“In response to your question, of age.”
“That’s quite the clever response… What was your surname again? Which family are you from?”
“Evelia Kroyer, just an ordinary daughter from a common family.”
“It’s not easy for an ordinary daughter to reach this position; you must have worked hard.”
“Not really. The higher you go, the more you earn.”
“Haha, that’s true. I like straightforward girls like you; it seems I was right to have you as my maid.”
“…Thank you for your kindness.”
Alman chuckled, patting Evelia’s small shoulder as one would to commend a soldier. Evelia said nothing further, quietly listening to his laughter while feeling the controlled strength of his shoulder pat.
Then, Evelia caught a glimpse of him softly sighing, as if lamenting her struggles along the way.
After Alman turned to leave, Evelia slightly raised her head, watching his departing figure, lost in thought amidst the excited whispers of the other attendants.
