Chapter 37

Chapter 37

It was her fault.

Chises’s eyes were always on her, so she naturally assumed he wouldn’t care for the papers Azela was looking at. As she bit her lip without answering, he asked in a cold, subdued voice, wiping the smile off his face.

“Does Count Todd know what the Countess is doing now?”

“….”

“I don’t think so. So, does Madam know that what you are trying to do now is illegal?”

It was a low-pitched voice.

Indeed, it was a sense of intimidation like the first heir to the throne, who was aiming for the next Emperor. Being questioned, Azela nodded her head heavily without any hesitation.

At that, Chises smiled absurdly as she nodded her head in acknowledgment.

“I am a person who can rule Madam according to the imperial law right here and now. You admit it too easily.”

That was correct.

Even if he laughed and acted foolishly in front of her, he was a man with enough power to do so. At his words, she proudly raised her gaze and gazed at him. Azela, who had been staring at Chises’ puzzled expression for a long time, opened her lips, which she had bitten slowly and leisurely.

“But, you wouldn’t.”

“What…?”

“Your Highness will not rule me under imperial law no matter what I do.”

“…Why do you think so?”

“Because you still want to keep me by your side.”

She replied with such a very confident voice and expression. Chises had an absurd on Azela’s confident look, saying, ‘You still like me.’ But, as soon as the surprise left, he burst out laughing out loud.

While he smiled, Azela just kept her gaze down with a flat face.

After laughing for a while, he wiped the tears from his eyes and asked in a voice much brighter than before.

“What if I told the Count about this?”

“If that is your will, then do it. It is your freedom, so I have no right to stop it.”

Obviously, it was her whose weakness was caught. Still, she did not hesitate in the slightest.

Again, she only shows a confident and calm appearance. Chises stared at Azela, trembling all over without realizing it. It was as if he could feel the thrill that he had felt when she first showed off her swordsmanship in the past.

The birth of an excellent swordsman surprised the whole empire…

In her normal life, she seemed like a young girl from a noble family. However, when she held the sword in her hand, Azela became a different person… Her eyes, actions, tone of voice, and even the air surrounding her — everything.

Feeling like seeing her again at that time, he could hardly hide his excited expression.

Azela, who did not know what Chises was thinking, continued with a calm look, and she continued her words quietly with a relaxed figure like a slow-hunting beast.

“I’m well aware that this is illegal, though I plan to do it to the end.”

“….”

“So, if you’re not with me on this occasion. Or, if you don’t like me, you may tell Count Todd and leave the mansion. Even if you do, I won’t stop you.”

The meaning of Azela’s words was like a fiercely raging wave slicing through stones. Seeing this, he smiled while raising his arms lightly.

“It’s okay if you don’t stop me, as I had no intention of telling the Count.”

“….”

“Still, instead of keeping my mouth shut, I don’t think I’ve ever come down here to eat with the Countess… How about taking some time to prepare a meal?”

“Is it a threat?”

“A threat, what a sad thing to say… This is by no means a recommendation.”

Azela lowered her gaze at Chises’s smiling face. Although she seemed to think for a moment, she soon shook her head with a determined expression.

“No, it’s fine. I will not eat.”

Chises smiled once more, looking at Azela, who refused him without leaving a single trace of regret. He seemed to be very happy with the situation itself. Then, he nodded his head and continued speaking again.

“So, the meal was rejected? Then…”

He jumped from his seat and grabbed her wrist tightly.

Azela, startled by the sudden action, raised her head and glanced at him. Gently grabbing her chin, Chises twisted her head to one side and stepped closer to her lips.

“How about a short kiss?”

“…Your Highness.”

“I think it could be done with a light greeting. Only your lips can shut my mouth.”

Azela furrowed her eyebrows, giving her strength to pull her gripped wrist away.

In the past, it would have been easy to take it out, but it was challenging to get one wrist out with the body of the Countess, who had not done any physical training or exercise. Chises did not miss the gap and pressed his lips firmly against Azela’s.

He wanted his tongue to go towards Azela’s mouth, but it was not easy to dig into her with her clenched teeth. Eventually, he, who had been wandering near her lips, pulled away from her with an interesting smile.

As soon as he let go of her wrist, Azela wiped her lips from his saliva with the back of her hand.

Sitting back comfortably, Chises clasped his hands and hummed.

“I don’t know if it’s okay to say this…”

“If you think it’s okay to say something like this, it’s better not to say it.”

“It seems that I fell in love with the Countess again. You are truly a woman who is too good to stay here.”

Without answering Crown Prince Chises’s smile, Azela bowed her head, took the papers, and read them down again. Chises, who gazed at Azela’s unresponsive figure, was still clapping his fingers with joy.

* * *

Late at night, Azela’s bedroom stayed lit. She had a lot of work to do.

The business, and the assets of the Todd mansion. One body was not enough. As she was turning over the papers, she could hear heavy footsteps outside the bedroom door. It seemed that there was only one person in the mansion who made this sound of footsteps.

She hurriedly put the papers pertaining to the Todd mansion into a drawer, leaving her with only the business papers. As soon as she sat down in her chair calmly, the bedroom door swung open without knocking.

“…Daniel.”

It was Daniel.

He entered Azela’s bedroom and grinned as he glanced at the business papers on the table. Then, he spoke in a sarcastic voice.

“You’re working hard until late.”

“…What is going on here?”

“What’s going on here? This is my mansion. There’s no place I can’t go.”

At his words, Azela sighed lightly and looked away from Daniel’s reckless and strange logic. She wondered if Crown Prince Chises said something, though she shook her head. He wished Daniel to be ruined, but he was never the one to hand over good information to him.

Daniel stepped forward with heavy steps, picked up the business papers lying on the table, and read them.

“It sounds like you’re having a lot of fun taking on this job, Azela.”

“…Give it to me. It’s a document that shouldn’t be leaked in advance…”

Before she could finish her words, Daniel looked at her with his sharp eyes.

Without any hesitation, he began to tear the papers in his hands. She thought he was going to do something, so Azela stared at him without saying a word about his bottomless actions.

“…Rumors have spread that you are doing business with Duke Ferial.”

“….”

“There was a meeting at the salon today… Do you know what they said to me?”

A meeting in the salon… So, that was why.

Listening to his words, she lowered her gaze. It was a meeting regularly held by nobles, including Daniel. It was mainly a place to boast of one’s power, honor, and wealth. Azela had long stopped him from going to such sham meetings, but he enjoyed it.

He seemed satisfied with the sense of accomplishment that he was intermingled among the nobles. However, after he went to the meeting, he didn’t necessarily feel good. He deserved it.

Among them, Daniel was nothing more than a noble with nothing.

“I still live because of you, Azela.”

“….”

“I don’t have a single business, right… Without you, I’m nothing.”