Chapter 36

Chapter 36

“You gave it to him, though now it belongs to Count Todd. It’s ‘illegal’ if you take it back at will. It ends the moment you get caught.”

Zagnac’s voice saying that it was funny was full of excitement. He covered his mouth with his big hand and grinned. Azela was well aware that Zagnac sought to have fun, so it was obvious what expression he was going to show now.

There was nothing wrong with his words. She gave it to him, in the end, it was Daniel’s, and it was his family’s. Unless he handed it back to her, it was illegal for her to take it by force. If caught, it was something that might be punished according to the imperial law.

Azela, who glanced down for a moment, raised her head to face Zagnac, who was still smirking, before nodding her head heavily.

“I know everything.”

Had it been the former Azela, she would never have nodded because she hated ‘illegal’ and she hated shortcuts. Nonetheless, she was different now. Still, she was going to do it since that was how much she wanted to take away everything from Daniel.

Looking at her expression, she seemed unlikely to change her mind, Zagnac nodded his head with a satisfied look. His purple eyes gleamed beautifully.

With a happy expression, he turned around and spoke lightly.

“I have something to show you.”

Bewildered as Zagnac took a sudden step, leaving only a brief word. Azela followed him in a hurry.

After walking for a long time without saying a word, Zagnac stopped at an annex located in the corner of the mansion. She followed him as he rolled up the corners of his lips and opened the door to the annex.

Azela frowned for a moment at the bright light pouring in. However, she could not keep her mouth shut, astonished at the sight of the annex that soon came into her view.

Taking a quick glance, she turned her head to Zagnac and said with eyes wide open in surprise.

“This, this is…?”

“I prepared a little.”

Her mouth was wide open enough to cause her jaw to fall out in surprise, and Zanac laughed, amused. He unwrapped his arms and walked in front of her.

What he had prepared in the annex was a small training group.

It was a space only for Azela. He picked up a sword that had been well organized in her corner, brought it in front of her, and held it out.

“Here.”

She didn’t know what to do with the sword held out in front of her after years, and she just looked down at it. He did not urge her. He didn’t even put the sword in her hand… Instead, he just stood still and waited for a long time for Azela to grab the sword with her own strength.

Moments passed.

Azela mustered up her courage and grabbed Zagnac’s sword with trembling hands.

As the sword crossed Azela’s hand, he lifted his hand and stood beside her, watching her silently. It wasn’t a bad word, but it wasn’t a very good sword either. Still, the moment she held the sword in her hands, she felt her heart explode.

‘…I might die if my heart bursts like this.’

She really thought so.

Perhaps, the ‘devil’ was trying to kill her, Azela was so numb that she thought strangely…

Zagnac merely whispered in a low voice so that she would not be disturbed as he saw Azela holding the sword firmly in her hands.

“It’s a gift for you. It’s okay to take it out.”

It was a voice close to the devil’s temptation, as he did when he first met her.

Azela pulled the sword out of the scabbard as she stared blankly as if she had been possessed by his voice. And, the moment she pulled out the sword, she lost strength in her legs and knelt down on her knees. Her shoulders were shaking a little.

A thump echoed through the annex, though Azela couldn’t hear it.

Zagnac, startled again, tried to get her up quickly, but he soon withdrew his hand. It was because Azela was on her knees and weeping as she held the sword in her hand.

“A sword… I don’t know how many years I’ve had a sword in my hand.”

Azela, unable to hold back her tears, clenched her lips at the end of those words. She cried loudly as she gripped the handle tightly for fear that if she let go of her hand, it would just disappear. The loud cry was more like a happy sound than a sad one.

The moment she held the sword in her hand, many things came to mind.

In the past, the image of herself holding a sword and smiling brightly, and the image of herself who turned away from wanting to hold the sword after marriage… Even the lost figure of Irene. It all rushed into her chest at once, and she couldn’t stop her tears.

As he listened to her cry, which sounded like a piece of music, Zagnac sat down on his knees in front of her. Then, his thin, long hand gently grabbed her chin, making her gaze at him.

“It’s one of the gifts to make you feel a lingering attachment for life. Do you like it?”

His gaze, drawing an exact arc, was only on Azela.

At that, she burst into tears and smiled like a fool at his calm question. She then wiped the tears with the back of her hand, and she lifted her body up by herself, then said.

“You’re passionate.”

Zagnac, who got up at the same time as she brief words, laughed along with her and nodded his head lightly.

“Because it’s a contract we agreed to in the first place.”

He wanted Azela to live. He didn’t just want her to live the day, he wanted her to live her life with passion and attachment. So that he could eat the sweet soul he wanted — for that, Zagnac was ready to do anything.

Glancing down quietly at the sword in her hand, she gripped the handle of the sword tightly as if she would never let go of what had come into her hand again.

* * *

A few days passed.

Business was still going well, and Azela was busy every day. In her spare time in the business, Zagnac taught her how to read the accounts. The things she learned from him were quite beneficial, so she looked forward to the time.

When she was to some extent familiar with the learning, Azela found that she alone was able to grasp Todd family’s ledger directly. She was also able to detail Daniel’s relationship to property, land, and mines.

“…You look very busy today.”

“Unfortunately, today is also a very busy day.”

Crown Prince Chises looked at Azela that was concentrating on the papers, with a bored expression. He would visit Todd’s mansion from time to time like this.

On the days he visited, he would sit opposite her while Azela worked like this at the tea table in the garden, or in the parlor. There was nothing in particular that he did by visiting the mansion. All he did was watch Azela concentrating on her work all day.

After staring for a long time without saying a word, when the sun went down, he got up and went back to where he was staying. She didn’t know what he was doing on the outskirts, though he hadn’t returned to the Imperial Palace for quite some time.

However, today was different. Chises, who was gazing at Azela with a languid expression, opened his tightly closed lips.

“…Are you trying to steal what Count Todd has?”

“I think so…”

Azela, who was about to answer his sudden question, was startled and stopped her words and lifted her head.

The gaze in the red eyes was staring straight at Azela.

For a moment, a chill silence engulfed the garden. Chises, who was looking at Azela, who couldn’t say anything in surprise, suddenly smiled.

“You are looking at me now.”

“….”

“When you do things like that, it’s important to manage your facial expressions. If you harden like that, it’s as if admitting everything in one question, it’ll be trouble.”

Saying so, he tapped his face with his index finger and added with a smile like a joke. How did he find out…? She then furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her gaze for a moment.

…No, what did he mean?

As she pondered for a moment, she shook her head. Even if she denied it now, he wouldn’t believe it. Azela, who laid the papers in her hands on the table, whispered in a low voice.

“Your Highness is right.”

“You’re being too docile to admit it.”

“If I tell a lie now, you won’t be deceived by me.… How did you know?”

“Every time I come, the documents you’re seeing are documents of Todd family, and the Countess’s expression when you see them is as if you are going to seek revenge. I’ve seen the Countess for quite some time, so I can tell.”

She frowned at Chises’ words.