Chapter Forty-Eight: What He Likes, What She Likes
“Maybe he really likes you?”
On the other side, Evelia arrived at that clothing store again.
She was not good with words, and combined with her icy demeanor, there were very few people she could truly connect with. So even though the maids in the manor were good girls, the one she could really talk to was the shopkeeper.
After all, the strategies throughout this journey relied on this girl, and she had made significant contributions to the relationship between Alman and Evelia.
“Really? I feel like he has always been rejecting me.”
Recalling how Alman had struggled in her arms, although he had obediently let her lick his ears afterward, it still didn’t seem completely voluntary; he even ran away in the end.
“Is that so?” Anna pondered for a moment, then said, “Maybe he is just shy?”
“Shy?” Evelia tilted her head in confusion. “He doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would be shy.”
To be honest, Evelia didn’t really understand what being shy meant; the word was absent from her emotional vocabulary. Therefore, in her eyes, she couldn’t see Alman being shy.
“Really? So could it be… really, really that he is gay?”
Anna raised that hypothesis again. After all, how could a charming girl like Evelia not attract a normal man?
“What does he usually like?”
“Um…” Evelia was at a loss. She thought back and couldn’t really think of anything specific that Alman particularly enjoyed.
Alman’s daily life seemed very regular; it was as if he had perfectly divided his time into segments, and there was always something he needed to do in each segment. There hadn’t been anything that stood out as something he particularly liked.
Though she had heard that Alman enjoyed drinking watered-down beer and some bar snacks from the Commoner District, it wasn’t to the degree of being particularly fond. If there was an opportunity, he might buy some, but when there wasn’t, he didn’t seem to crave it much.
“If you have to say what he likes… flowers?”
After pondering for a while, Evelia replied with this answer.
She had heard that during that time, Alman often went to the garden to sit and appreciate the flowers, and the bunch she picked seemed to be a kind of blue rose that Alman particularly liked. Because of this, Evelia had been too scared to present the packaged blue rose to Alman. Although she tried her best to care for the flowers she picked using methods from her gardening books, the blue rose ultimately withered during this long-term operation. Nevertheless, she still kept them in her room.
“Wow…”
Although Anna knew that an appreciation for flowers does not depend on gender and that many men enjoy flowers, under the premise that ‘the gentleman Evelia is pursuing might be gay,’ her fondness for flowers would only serve as a ‘small piece of evidence.’
“Evelia, your gentleman… I’m afraid…”
“He’s not my gentleman.”
Evelia was still stubbornly clinging to that question, showing just how headstrong she could be.
“Let’s not talk about that—ah, in short, it’s terrifying. Evelia, you’re not going to become a ‘wife to a gay man,’ are you?”
“Wife to a gay man?”
“Like, a wife to a gay man… but it’s quite tragic.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Evelia said, “As long as I can win him over.”
“Oh my, Evelia…”
Hearing Evelia say such things, the adorable shopkeeper was surprisingly moved. What kind of resolve did it take for such an excellent woman like Evelia to willingly become a ‘wife to a gay man’? If it wasn’t for love, how could such a beautiful girl make such sacrifices? Evelia’s character suddenly became grand in Anna’s heart.
“Woo… you are truly amazing, making such sacrifices must be hard for you. Boo hoo, if you need anything, you can definitely tell me, I will help you…”
While Evelia was not affected as much, Anna, with her strong empathy and imagination, began to cry, pulling out a small white handkerchief to wipe her tears, and patted Evelia on the shoulder to cheer her on.
“Ah, thank you.”
Evelia didn’t understand why she was crying, but she decided to thank her for now.
“About your gentleman—”
“He’s not mine.”
“Then, Miss Evelia, why not let me take a look at your knight?”
“Take a look?”
“Yes, the aura of a gay man and a straight man is different. After working in a clothing store for so many years, I can tell at a glance. So if it’s convenient, you could bring him here. If I get to see him in person, I will definitely help you come up with more suitable methods.”
Actually, until now, Anna’s methods had been quite suitable; it was just that due to Evelia’s emotional misconceptions, Anna felt that all her decisions had failed and even felt a bit guilty about it.
“But…”
Evelia hesitated. Setting aside whether she could get him to come out… wasn’t it inappropriate to bring the Knight Order’s leader here? She originally did not plan for Anna to know that the one she intended to pursue was Alman. If she brought him along, many troubles could arise, much like what she had mentioned before; during the tasks of Nightingale House, no one would clean up after you.
“Are you troubled by something?” Noticing Evelia’s hesitance, Anna’s little mind started turning. “Could it be that he is a public figure?”
“Um.” Evelia nodded slightly; that was indeed what was troubling her.
“No problem!” Anna quickly grabbed Evelia’s hand. “My lips are sealed, Miss Evelia! Even if a prince came here, I wouldn’t say a word! Moreover, there are so many public figures out there, gossip is everywhere, so you don’t have to worry. I will absolutely keep your name a secret! The store will be open just for you that day!”
“……”
Evelia watched Anna’s earnest expression, and after a moment of silence, she didn’t speak.
If Anna had a way to find Alman, it wasn’t impossible.
Even if something went wrong in the end, Evelia could handle it herself without needing Anna. Troubles that could be dealt with merely by taking a few lives were nothing to her.
“Um, fine.”
Seeing Anna so excited, Evelia nodded her head in agreement.
“When I have the chance, I will bring him to see you.”
On the other side, Anna excitedly embraced the Evelia who was willing to believe in her, while Alman had already arrived at the nearest and best market, all alone.
“Excuse me, shopkeeper… do you have tomato sauce here?”
If Anna had seen this scene, she would surely have asserted that he was the straightest man one could imagine.
