Chapter 45: There was an update before, which is why a monthly ticket is needed in advance.
“Evelia… you, you—ah?”
Alman looked somewhat incoherently at Evelia Kroyer beside him, his mind racing to recall everything he had experienced that morning.
First, he had the same damned dream as always. The light sleep kept him in a half-dreaming state, waking occasionally in a foggy awareness. He remembered dreaming about the past, where he also encountered a strange scene.
He wouldn’t think too much while dreaming, but upon waking, he found it odd that a “pink large dog” appeared in his dream. Only upon seeing Evelia Kroyer, who was now standing obediently by the bed, did he truly understand what that dog was about.
—She must have such strength; it should have been a cow in the dream…
Even in this strange situation, he still had the mind to joke.
But thinking about it, there was nothing wrong with that. Evelia was tied to the Second Prince, having come from Nightingale House, making her a loyal dog of the Second Prince. Referring to her as a dog completely matched her character.
Also… that habit of licking people, yes, she was definitely dog-like.
Yet, a pink dog? That was really strange.
Alman seemed to still be immersed in that unfinished dream, his mind subconsciously fixating on that pink dog.
Are there really pure natural pink dogs? That would be pretty cool—could one be raised?
With such thoughts, Alman turned his gaze to Evelia, who seemed to be standing there, not knowing what mistake she had made but still maintaining an air of respectfulness.
Evelia Kroyer, that clean neck of hers really seemed suitable for a dog collar…
—What am I thinking?
Alman shook his head with closed eyes, shaking off those strange thoughts.
Earlier in the morning, he indeed heard someone enter his room. Even though Evelia tried to hide her footsteps carefully, Alman still sensed someone was nearby. He originally thought it was the Old Butler coming to call him, so he waited for the Old Butler to speak while continuing to rest. However, that “Old Butler” didn’t say anything, and Alman fell back asleep. At that half-dreaming state, he never considered it could be Evelia sneaking in.
Now, reflecting on the little incident with Evelia, he felt embarrassed but at the same time he was horrified; if Evelia had the intention to kill him just now, while it might not mean he would actually die, he would still endure some pain.
Alman had a relatively confident perception of “killing intent.” As a man who had fought on the battlefield, facing life and death struggles, how could he not be familiar with the breath of death? Yet, so far, he always found it strange that Evelia had never shown him any “killing intent.”
Alman always considered Evelia to be aligned with the Second Prince and that she could not possibly harbor “pure goodwill” towards him. Everything was likely for some ulterior motive, but he couldn’t quite grasp what that motive was.
At first, Alman thought that Evelia might simply be coming for his life; after all, he had seen many such things before. He could mumble something like, “Ah, how is there poison in this dish?” while continuing to enjoy his meal. There were simply too many people who wanted him dead, especially those from the Second Prince’s faction; they all wanted his life.
But Evelia—strangely enough, she didn’t look like someone who intended to take his life. She did her work every day, sticking to her responsibilities, never doing more or less than required. Apart from the kitchen, she never went to other places. Alman never ceased monitoring Evelia, and his informants kept telling him the same thing—Miss Evelia had done nothing.
Alman wondered if Evelia was just that simple, a person from a questionable background who intended to wash her hands of her past instead of continuing down a dark path?
To put it bluntly, from the beginning, Alman just sensed something was off about Evelia. Including the Old Butler, their suspicions about her identity were merely based on “intuition.” Having dealt with too many assassins, they could tell at a glance that she was no ordinary girl. However, apart from that, they had no evidence to prove she was an assassin under the Second Prince.
Ah—except for her stubborn nature.
Those who came out from Nightingale House, due to their training methods that required them to complete their tasks comprehensively and perfectly, all tended to be somewhat single-minded. They wouldn’t stop until the job was done, and they wouldn’t rest until their objective was achieved.
However, initially, this “relentlessness” wasn’t because of their high awareness, but rather because if they didn’t finish or it wasn’t done perfectly, any mistakes could lead to fatal consequences. There was no one to clean up after them, and if their connection to the Second Prince was exposed, that meant certain death, even a “tragic death.” Thus, people from Nightingale House developed the habit of being rigidly thorough, considering every aspect before starting and ensuring everything was done right.
But Evelia…
Alman truly couldn’t find her patterns. He felt like Evelia was someone who acted on whims. Sometimes, he thought his thoughts were quite unconventional, yet how could there be someone who continuously did things he couldn’t even comprehend? Such as those strange tomato sauce dishes, stuffing his underwear into his hands, and that memorable princess carry and scissors legs, not to mention this… bizarre morning.
“Evelia…”
Noticing that Evelia had been silent for a while, Alman gestured for her to come closer.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Alman?”
As Evelia approached him, Alman simply stared at her intently, doing nothing and saying nothing. He tried to find some flaws in her, yet even after straining his eyes, he found no outward traits in her that were unusual apart from her usual lack of expression.
“Hah—”
The usually sunny and cheerful Alman had sighed countless times while facing such a beautiful maid.
“Mr. Alman, do you need help?”
The troubled Alman heard that light, airy voice beside him.
When would she realize that she was the one causing the trouble?
“No—it’s nothing. I don’t need any help…” Alman rubbed his temples, sighing again and again. “I might be a bit overheated…”
Who wouldn’t feel frustrated dealing with someone like Evelia?
“I see.”
Evelia responded with her usual calm tone.
“Would you like me to help you cool down?”
This was a line she had learned from the novel, and she finally used it this time.
However, she seemed not to fully understand the exact meaning behind her words.
