Chapter 34

Chapter 34

“…Why are you here?”

Azela asked with a puzzled expression.

No, she didn’t know exactly what expression to make. It was the same for Daniel, who was next to her. Rather, he seemed more perplexed than her.

As the man glanced at the two of them, he tilted his head to Azela’s question and said with a questionable look.

“I sent a letter to visit, but you didn’t receive it?”

At his words, Daniel looked at Azela quietly, and she, too, raised her hand and placed it on her forehead.

It was evident that it had been mixed in with the letter she had thrown at the fireplace a few days ago. She never thought there would be such an important letter. No… Maybe, she was too angry and impulsive at the time.

Azela let out a small groan at my mistake.

“What an unwelcome atmosphere.”

At that, Daniel, who was glancing at her, hurriedly shook his head and smiled politely at him, “How is that possible, Crown Prince?”

“Does the Madam welcome me, too?”

“…Yes.”

Azela reluctantly answered Crown Prince Chises’s question with a frown.

Perhaps, he liked even the reluctant answer, Chises laughed out loud.

Early in the morning, they were surprised by the fact that there was a sudden visitor, though they were even more stunned when they found out that it was an imperial carriage. It was impossible to imagine that Crown Prince Chises would visit this place in person.

“I had to come down to the outskirts for personal business… I suddenly thought of it. I had sent you a letter in advance of your visit, but I never thought it would not have arrived.”

“Is that so?”

“On the way, I heard many rumors, Count.”

Crown Prince Chises set aside the teacup in front of him and stared at Daniel with his eyes twinkling. The two didn’t get along well. Even after getting married, he did not give up on Azela for a long time, so they could not get along well.

So, Daniel, who became the object of Chises’ sparkling gaze, had no choice but to feel burdened.

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

“You brought in a ‘mistress’ that suits your heart.”

Although having a mistress was secretly permitted among the nobles, no one asked so directly because it was mutual respect.

Azela almost spewed the tea she had in her mouth at his rude question, but she barely swallowed it. It wasn’t just Azela. On the other hand, Daniel also seemed perplexed at Chises’s blatant question.

‘…Yes, he was such a man.’

It seemed that he had already heard the rumors, so Daniel couldn’t answer ‘no,’ and if he answered ‘yes’, it seemed disrespectful in front of the Crown Prince, who wanted to marry Azela until the very end.

As Daniel lowered his helpless gaze, Chises smiled broadly.

“It’s okay because it’s not a sin.”

“Yes, right. That’s right.”

“Can I see her once?”

Before Daniel could answer, Chises asked, leaning his upper body forward. There was nothing that could not be done.

The ‘mistress’ was like a decoration for the nobles, so they could brag and show off to each other as much as they could under the agreement. It was also a contest of who had a more beautiful mistress. It was the same for the Madams with another man.

At Prince Chises’ words, Daniel nodded cautiously and said to the servant behind him, ‘Bring Sylvia.’ Azela, unable to engage in the conversation, sipped her tea. Chises then turned his attention and asked her softly.

“Was Countess Todd ill?”

“…I’m okay.”

“Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

“I think it’s because I haven’t slept well lately.”

“I think your body is a little thin. It looks like you’ve lost weight.”

Azela shut her mouth and bowed her head in response to the concern that filled Chises’ face.

She was always uncomfortable and unwelcome to him. Chises, who had been crazy about her in the past, saw all the men around her as enemies. In the name ‘for Azela,’ he often used his power to keep the men around her away from her. Some died, and some lost their jobs and honors.

Wherever she went, there was always Chises, and at the end of all her actions, there was Chises.

Childhood obsession and madness. All of him was directed towards only one person, Azela… She hated it so badly.

‘Has it changed now?’

With that thought, she glanced at Chises. She couldn’t see the obsession and madness from that childhood. Azela got married, and he was a grown man now, too.

According to the news she hears, he was pretty good at politics and had built up a lot of trusts. A moment later, as she recalled what had happened with him, Sylvia came down from the third floor. It was the first time she had officially gone to a visit from her guest, and she seemed delighted.

Perhaps, she had heard that the Crown Prince was visiting as she was more glamorous and more beautiful than usual. Sylvia, who approached without hiding her lifted cheeks, glanced up at Chises and waved her fingers in a small greeting.

“Greet, greetings, Crown Prince.”

“…You’re as beautiful as they said.”

Chises, who said that she was beautiful as rumored, did not show any emotion on his face. Unaware of that fact, Sylvia smiled brightly with a happy expression at the small compliment that Crown Prince Chises gave her.

“Thank, thank you, Crown Prince.”

“I went to see Count Todd because they said he has a pretty mistress.”

“I’m, I’m not pretty.”

Twisting her body and replying coyly, she looked a lot more amiable than when she spoke to Daniel, and she seemed kinder. It was as if she thought that Crown Prince Chises had heard of her.

However, Sylvia’s face hardened at Chises’s next words.

“That’s right. I’m glad you know.”

“…Yes?”

“As expected, you don’t even come close to Countess Todd’s toes.”

“What…”

“After all, no one can follow after Countess Todd, no matter how many beautiful women in the Empire are brought in. Isn’t that right, Count Todd?”

“Ah… Yes.”

When Chises said that with a bright smile on his face, Daniel had to agree with him with a trembling expression, and Sylvia took a seat next to him. Chises watched it all and turned his head to look at Azela.

And, while she still had a dissatisfied expression, he smiled brightly as if he was delighted with Azela’s appearance.

* * *

“…What are you really here for?”

Azela has been very busy with the recently started business. First of all, the leveling of the site that she had chosen by herself began. Even though there were still a lot of things to be decided, since the work of leveling the ground takes a long time, she followed Zagnac’s advice to start in advance.

Today was the day she was going to see the site, so Azela had no choice but to apologize to Crown Prince Chises and leave the mansion. She didn’t expect he, who said that it was okay, to follow after her.

“Azela, how are you…”

“I would appreciate it if you could call me Countess, Your Highness.”

Chises nodded his head with an ecstatic expression at the sharp appearance he had seen in his childhood.

“Countess, I came to see how you are doing.”

“So suddenly?”

“I didn’t care if you were doing well, but… I heard that Count Todd brought in a mistress, and you’re upset. Even if I don’t care, I can’t help it… By the way, the Count must have had strange eyes. He takes such a woman as the ‘mistress.’ I would never have done it.”

“…Who said that to Your Highness?”

Azela, who was staring out the window of the carriage, turned her head and asked in a sharp voice. It was something that no one could ever do to the Crown Prince, though Azela had always treated him that way.

And, he accepted her, who treated her like that. Chises was always ecstatic around her.

‘I was worried because she seemed like an animal with all its teeth and claws missing in front of the Count… It doesn’t seem like that yet.’

Thinking that, Chises nodded his head, satisfied with Azela’s sharp look.

“Not long ago, Duke Ferial visited the Imperial Palace. Then, I met him.”

“…Duke Ferial?”

“He told me about you.”

Zagnac told Prince Chises about her…?

Azela lowered her gaze with a puzzled expression, hearing Chises’ words. For a moment, her mind was drawing Zagnac’s smirk.

It was not his fault, as she never told him not to. It could be that he just happened to have come up with that story. However, for some reason, Azela didn’t feel good about it. She was strangely offended that Zagnac had told Chises about her so casually.

Without knowing her heart, Chises continued his words brightly.

“In the meantime, Azel—No, Countess, I’ve sent you many letters, but you haven’t answered a single one.”

“….”