Chapter Thirty-One: Rebellion Phase
“What have you been up to today?”
In the manor, Alman sat awkwardly on his sofa, next to the old butler, who had spent the entire afternoon trying to figure out what had actually happened.
“…” Alman rubbed his temples, pondering how to explain the situation. He was so troubled that sweat was trickling down his face, yet he didn’t know how to articulate it.
—That girl took off her underwear in the carriage and handed it to me, am I supposed to say that?
Although Alman didn’t seem like he would fit the word “innocent,” he had genuinely never experienced anything like this. Even a slightly more open noble lady would, at most, have a dress with a lower neckline or a higher slit, but someone directly handing him their underwear… he had truly never encountered that before.
“Evelia, she…” Alman hesitated for a long time, his gaze drifting as he lifted his head. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he closed his mouth midway.
…This kind of hesitation is not my style.
Alman leaned his forehead on his hand in frustration while his other hand’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the table as if trying to carve a hole in it.
Tapping things was an old habit of Alman’s. People tend to have little movements when they think, and tapping his fingers was one of them. However, this little habit became particularly loud when he tapped on the table, so during large meetings, the nobles often didn’t want him there because no one liked a woodpecker that couldn’t be quiet.
But aside from dealing with tricky issues, he needed to use “finger tapping” to replace “writing” to design appropriate plans in his mind.
Or when faced with indecision, and when his two thoughts were “confronting” each other, he would tap his fingers as if debating with himself.
Moreover, most of the time, he just wanted to annoy those nobles who pulled him from his home to the royal meeting hall for every little issue.
In the royal meeting hall, he would tap with extra force. Sometimes, when he encountered nobles he disliked, he would deliberately create rhythms that turned their speeches into a sort of rap.
It was simply like a mischievous student disrupting the order of the classroom instead of paying attention.
Tap tap tap.
As for this time, he was genuinely troubled.
His fingers continuously tapped out one question after another, only to cross them off one by one.
Evelia was his opposite, and he should have dealt with her.
But—was it just going to end like this?
He had safely sent Evelia back to the manor, and according to the old butler, she was still busy within her responsibilities, just like before.
“I was in the carriage with Evelia…”
Alman hesitated, unsure how to explain, yet he didn’t notice the increasingly expressive look on the old butler’s face.
“Could it be that you and Evelia… did that?!”
“……?”
Alman froze for a moment.
“Or was it in the carriage?!”
“?”
The old butler still vividly remembered the way Evelia, wrapped in Alman’s coat, had come down from the carriage, looking all shy. Although there was no expression of bashfulness on her face, the sight of her descending from Alman’s carriage while saying, “Only for Alman to see,” was hard not to misinterpret.
“Oh my, Lord Alman, what on earth did you do—?!”
“I did nothing…!”
Alman, flustered, went from tapping the table with his fingers to slamming his fist down. His agitation was clearly indicated by the scattered pen holder and ink on the table; fortunately, the solid table prevented any lasting damage from the punch.
“Alright, alright, then tell me, what exactly happened?”
The old butler, seldom seeing Alman so worked up, sighed and poured a cup of tea for him before starting to tidy up the mess on the table.
“I went to the old street today and happened to run into Evelia, then… I brought her back.”
After Alman finished speaking, it felt as if the topic had ended without further elaboration, whereas the old butler sorted through the desk while straining to listen. When he saw Alman didn’t continue, he curiously looked up and asked:
“Is that it?”
“That is it.”
Alman awkwardly pressed his lips together.
“What about the details in between?”
“What details could there be—”
Before Alman could finish his sentence, he felt the pressure of the old butler’s gaze. Though there was some distance between them, that piercing gaze made Alman feel his face flush.
Since Alman was recognized by the First Prince and gained status, the old butler, Lug, had been responsible for his daily care.
This old man had always been by his side, through both glory and low points; they had been through it all together.
Even because Alman was so well-known, the old butler had faced near-death situations multiple times, yet no matter what, he remained loyal to Alman.
When Alman was poisoned and on the brink of death, it was the old butler who tirelessly worked with the doctors to pull him back from the edge of the abyss, watching him rise from an ordinary palace guard to the current leader of the Royal Knight Order.
In terms of status, Alman was his master and Lug his servant, but over the decade of shared life-and-death bonds, they were as close as father and son.
Therefore, faced with the gaze of someone resembling a father figure, Alman could only struggle and open his mouth, clearly detailing what had happened today, even down to the specifics.
“—Basically, that’s it. Do you understand?”
“…Hmm…”
After hearing Alman’s words, the old butler fell into deep thought for a long time.
“In other words, for various reasons, that girl Evelia handed her clothing to you, and you inadvertently caught sight of many ‘special scenes’?”
“That’s right…”
Although the old butler’s words weren’t wrong and were said quite tactfully, hearing them repeated made Alman feel very awkward.
“And you did nothing at all?”
“Yes.” Alman furrowed his brow and answered firmly, “I did nothing and simply sent her back.”
“…Hmm…”
The old butler looked at Alman’s expression, thinking deeply again.
“Do you know? Right now, you seem like a teenage boy in the throes of puberty.”
“—Huh?” The old butler’s words caught Alman off guard, raising his voice considerably. “You say I’m like a teenager? How old do you think I am to still be in puberty?”
“Perhaps it’s a rebellious phase as well.”
“What—” Alman was at a loss for words. “What do you mean? How do I look like I’m in a rebellious phase? I did nothing at all!”
“Exactly, you did nothing, which should mean you have no other thoughts about Miss Evelia.”
“Of course not!” Alman’s tone grew increasingly agitated. “How could I have any feelings for Evelia, who comes from—”
“Then what have you been fretting about since your return?”
“—”
Alman, who was halfway through a sentence, suddenly paused, left speechless.
“Ha…”
Then, he felt his mouth twitching as he forced a bitter laugh, resting his head on his crossed arms.
“Yeah… what have I been fretting about?”
