Chapter 77

As she recalled what Livia had said, Azela’s chest tingled for no reason. Livia seemed firmly committed to her marriage to Zagnac. There was nothing left of the cute face she had seen at the last party, only solemnity.

Besides, the Emperor seemed to want that, too

. Whatever Zagnac’s opinion, if the people of the Imperial Family push it like that… Duke Ferial, a human being, would have no choice but to do so.

At the thought, Azela glanced away and looked at Zagnac.

“What’s wrong?”

As she gazed at him, he asked with an innocent smile like a child. It was completely different from the smile he had shown in the parlor of the Imperial Palace earlier. Yes, this smile was something only she could see.

The privilege of being his contractor.

It took a privilege like this to make a contract with the devil. Yes, that was right. She then nodded her head strongly to herself.

Zagnac tilted his head at her appearance but didn’t ask any more questions.

Meanwhile, the carriage passed through the downtown area of ​​the capital. It was so glamorous, noisy, and lively that it could not be compared with the outside. There was so much food and things that she had never seen before, and there were so many people that it was difficult for a carriage to enter.

“I think it would be better to walk from here.”

Zagnac spoke as he snapped his finger at the carriage, which had stood still for a long time. At his suggestion, Azela hurriedly nodded her head. It was because she was full of thoughts of wanting to melt into that lively scene rather than riding a carriage.

When she nodded her head as if she was waiting, Zagnac smiled and got off the carriage.

As she got off the carriage, the noise reached Azela’s ears. Some merchants shouted to buy their things, while others quarreled with merchants asking for a lower price.

“We will go to the one who can make the best sword among the blacksmiths that exist today.”

As Azela slowed down while peering around her, Zagnac grabbed her wrist.

He was right, she forgot why she came out for a moment… She was his escort knight. She wasn’t out here to play. Azela blushed and clung to Zagnac’s back as she was momentarily excited and ashamed that she had forgotten her cause.

“Aren’t we going to go buy a sword now?”

“Exactly, on the way to find the crafted sword.”

Azela opened her eyes and mouth wide after hearing Zagnac’s words.

Usually, the lower knights used a provided sword, and the upper and intermediate knights purchased and used the sword that was right for themselves. It had to be at a higher level to use a custom-made sword from a blacksmith.

While it wasn’t customary, everyone was living like that. The reason was simple. No matter how good a sword made by a great blacksmith, the reality was that if the skill of the person wielding it was not good, it could not show its true value anyway.

However, to her, getting a blacksmith’s sword…

Azela tugged at Zagnac’s sleeve with an astonished face.

“You, you don’t need to make a sword. Just a common one is a good thing.”

“This is the sword my escort knight will use to protect me, so you just want me to buy a common sword that is lying all over the ground and let you protect me with it? Nonsense.”

Surprised, she stopped her steps in burden though Zagnac pushed her back with his palms and accelerated his steps.

“Don’t worry. When you accept it, you will be satisfied.”

That was not what she was worried about… Azela wept as she forced her steps in hands with him.

The better the sword, the more likely her wretched skills would be exposed, so she was embarrassed first. Meanwhile, at the end of the gaze of the two who had left the downtown area, a small house with smoke rising from the top of the tall chimney at the end of the forest came into view.

It was just like an ordinary family house with no signage attached, but Zagnac’s light, excited steps were heading towards it.

“…Is it really here? No signs, no people—”

A blacksmith was someone who made swords…

This didn’t seem to be any place for that. Azela swallowed her words and asked, although Zagnac didn’t answer. He simply knocked gently and gracefully on the door of the small house with excited steps.

“…Who is it.”

What they heard from inside was a slender woman’s voice, not a harsh and thick male voice. It was hard to believe that she was a blacksmith with the sound of his thin voice. Perhaps, they really came to the wrong place.

“It’s me. I’m here to pick up what I ordered.”

As he spoke with a bright face, the firmly closed door opened with a squeaking, old sound.

As soon as the door opened, Zagnac hurried inside as if waiting for it. By any chance did he come here to look for a sword as an excuse… Maybe, he came to meet that woman? He looked so excited that she thought so.

Azela, who was looking at Zagnac’s back as he entered with narrowed eyes, followed him.

It was hot inside, and the sound of hitting the metals was heard loudly from all over the place. Apparently, from the outside, there was only one small and secluded house, but it was different from the inside

.

A long cave continued without end.

Surprised, Azela hurriedly looked behind her. All she could see behind her was the tightly closed door she had entered from.

“…The promised time must have been tomorrow.”

Hearing the woman’s voice she had heard earlier, Azela turned her head again. A woman in a tight-fitting dress, as if boasting her slim figure, stood with her arms crossed and a dissatisfied expression face.

Zagnac smiled broadly at the sight.

“After all, time doesn’t matter to us.”

“…The dwarves worked day and night for days to fulfill your order.”

Dwarf…?

When the race she had only read about in books appeared, Azela’s eyes widened. They were only in legends… So, weren’t they a fictional race that could only be read in books?

“Then, you need to hire more manpower. You are the bad boss, so why are you blaming me?”

“You need to have the manpower to hire. Do you think that dwarves are as common as they used to be? There are so many obstacles even to just tying men and women together every night, and locking them in the room for breeding…”

Shaking her head and letting out a sigh, the woman glanced at Azela, who was standing behind Zagnac. Her purple eyes scanned Azela from head to toe.

The tip of her hair stood up at the woman’s gaze as if she was looking at her soul.

As if noticing her, Zagnac gently moved his steps and hid Azela behind him. Seeing that, the woman drew an amused smile.

“You really care about your contractor.”

“Because she is my precious contractor.”

Listening to the two’s conversation, Azela’s eyes widened again and she grabbed Zagnac’s clothes. Did she know Azela was a contractor? Was it okay for her to know? As he saw her pulling his clothes like that, Zagnac exclaimed, ‘Ah,’ with a small grin.

“This is Lane… A devil like me.”

“Nice to meet you, contractor.”

She pointed her head towards Azela and waved her hand lightly.

…Devil? Did this woman also say she was a devil? Azela stared at Zagnac, astonished. Was he not the only devil in this world?

* * *

“…What did Azela do?”

“As an escort knight for Duke Ferial…”

The servant could not open his mouth any further because Daniel tossed the cup in his hand. The glass shards from the cup shattered against the wall and flew, then scratched the servant’s cheek.

Red blood was dripping down, but Daniel didn’t seem to care at all.

His breathing was unstable and rough. It must have been because of the fact that he was drunk though it was also because of the news that Azela had become an escort knight for Duke Ferial.

‘Who is she following, and what is she doing now?’

Daniel’s stomach churned.

…Duke Ferial, just thinking about that face, his anger rose to the point that his stomach would turn upside down. He should have known from the moment she said they were doing business together. Was it because of this that she boldly demanded a divorce?

In his mind, he could clearly picture Azela, who was smiling brightly next to Zagnac. The two of them kissed, undressed, and even imagined lying in bed together. Daniel couldn’t sit still, so he jumped up from his seat.

“The divorce papers… Did you send it to the great temple?”

“Yes…?”

“Did you send the divorce papers?”

Had he known this would happen, he wouldn’t be processing divorce papers quickly. He couldn’t resist Sylvia’s urging, so the day Azela handed her the papers and left, he sent the papers asking for the divorce to the temple.

Since it was a marriage vow they swore to God, divorce was also dealt with in the temple.

“Yes, yes. The document is from a week ago…”

“Sh*t! In such a case, why are you working so fast? Useless.”

The next moment, he strode over to the servant, and slapped him hard on the shoulder before spitting out a swear word. The servant, who did not understand the situation, simply bowed his head and apologized.

Daniel staggered and hurriedly left his bedroom.