Chapter 87

“I know best how much Miss Vellista loved you and how passionate you two were. It doesn’t make sense for two people like that to break up after a brief wander.”

When he finished his words, Daniel looked at him with suspicion. Seeing Daniel, who got wary, he smiled broadly and waved his hand.

“Don’t look at me like that, because I felt a lot of disappointment for Miss Vellista about this! I can’t be with a woman like that!”

“…Did you give up on Azela?”

“Even more! As time went on, I got so discouraged that it was not the same as before. Shouldn’t a noble be able to have a mistress? It’s not enough for her to get a divorce because of that, she came to the Capital with another man in no time! That is no dignity a noble should have!”

“Does the Crown Prince also think that way?”

Daniel’s vigilance was lifted in an instant. Seeing his eyes flutter and his lips twitch, Chises nodded enthusiastically.

“Right! After all, Count Todd, you must take Miss Vellista back.”

“As expected, right?”

Daniel asked with a bright face. Chises’ face hardened for a moment at the question, but soon he nodded again with a bright smile.

“Perhaps, Miss Vellista is regretting it by now. Count Todd, she may be waiting for you.”

“…I knew it!”

“In a few days, there will be a secret ball in my private palace.”

Chises took an invitation from his arms and held it to him. Daniel took it carefully.

“Of course, I will also invite Miss Vellista as well.”

“….”

“Let’s show that you and your mistress are still happy and doing well.”

“Sylvia? …Isn’t that counterproductive? I’m going to pick up Azela, without Sylvia…”

“No, no.”

Chises cut off his words and crossed his index fingers before uttering firmly. He tightened his grip on Daniel’s shoulder.

“A woman’s heart is not like that. A woman is a goddess of jealousy. She feels jealousy and love, both at the same time. If the Count goes before Miss Vellista with your mistress, won’t she suddenly fall in love with you?”

“….”

“If you go up to her after making her feel jealous and say, ‘Actually, I missed you, come back.’ Miss Vellista must feel great!”

Hmm, Daniel muttered a little and shook his head. At times like this, he had no friends to talk to. As Daniel looked complicated as he touched the invitation in his hand, Chises shoved him into the imperial carriage that he had prepared while smiling brightly.

“Don’t worry too much, I will help you both physically and mentally! Go to my villa today and enjoy champagne to your heart’s content! It’s been a while since you lived in the Capital!”

“…Thank you. I think I misunderstood the Crown Prince.”

“Yes? If there is any misunderstanding, please solve it right away!”

Chises smiled brightly and slammed the carriage door shut.

“Oh, Count Todd, you better hide the fact that you are in the Capital until the day of the party.”

“…What?”

“So, Azel… No, Ms. Vellista will be surprised.”

Daniel hesitated for a moment at Chises’s words but then nodded his head vigorously, agreeing with him.

“Yes.”

“Right! So, if possible, don’t leave the villa until the day of the party. Understand?”

When Chises had finished speaking, he said to the coachman, “Please take good care of him,” and the carriage left. He waved his hand until the carriage was out of sight, seeing Daniel off.

“Crown Prince. The carriage is ready.”

As the carriage disappeared from view, Chises, who wrinkled his bright face, climbed onto another carriage he had prepared in advance. With a displeased look, he took out his handkerchief and wiped his hand that had touched Daniel’s shoulder.

Then, he threw it out the window of the carriage with eyes disgusted.

“Stupid Daniel bastard.”

He didn’t even want to call him by his title. The Count… That must have been the title that Azela had gained with her hard work, yet he left Azela and got another mistress. It was insane.

Chises rested his chin on the window sill and glanced outside.

“However… This one is better than Duke Ferial.”

The latter was difficult for him to deal with. Even his own father, the Emperor, was struggling. Chises hummed and flicked his fingers.

‘Great.’

Everything was going perfectly.

He also sent someone to bring Sylvia to the Capital, so she was sure to show up. Silly Daniel believed him and would come to the party with his mistress. It was his plan for Azela to show up, and then, he would comfort her, who met Daniel at the party, as she got her heart broken.

‘Or, when she’s upset again with Daniel and abandons Duke Ferial, I’ll show up and put her by my side.’

Either way, the plan was perfect. Until now, he had lived his whole life looking only at Azela. He knew everything she liked… So this time, he was confident that he would make her like him.

Chises, who had made a perfect calculation with the problem solved, smiled with hope.

* * *

Late at night, Azela, who had changed into a slip, combed her wet hair and saw herself reflected in the dressing table. As she lowered the upper part of her slip, the countless red marks he had embroidered were visible. Seeing it reminded her of what had happened earlier in the afternoon.

Azela asked as she was about to go back to the bedroom after it was all over.

“…But, why all of a sudden?”

“What?”

“Did you need human energy?”

Looking back, he didn’t smell sweet today. Still, he held her violently. Azela tilted her head and asked while Zagnac shut his lips.

For a long time, he did not speak.

‘He must have needed human energy.’

She asked a strange question, so Azela was about to say that she didn’t have to answer though Zagnac spoke up before her.

“No. I was in no need of human energy.”

Her eyes widened. It was the first time he had held her, even though he didn’t need human energy.

Why…?

Azela lowered her head with a blushing face. This expectation made her heart flutter even though she told herself she wouldn’t have such expectations. Was it possible that she attached too much meaning to trivial things?

“It’s because of you.”

“…What?”

Zagnac raised his hand and covered his eyes, muttering a little. She didn’t understand what was going on with her. What did she do wrong? Did she endanger him, or did she almost let Livia find out that he was a devil?

Azela tilted her head and waited for him to speak.

“You…”

He stopped his words before clenching his teeth. There was the sound of him grinding his teeth as he still had his eyes covered.

…What emotions were seeping into his eyes now? Azela wondered about it. Perhaps, that was why, without realizing it, she reached out and grabbed Zagnac’s hand, which was covering his eyes, and pulled it down.

‘Ah…’

The vibrant purple eyes could be seen over his helplessly lowered hand. It was a complex gaze that contained obsession, embarrassment, and regret for his impulsive actions. She couldn’t see him as the devil… It was a human-like gaze with many emotions.

“You keep thinking of others by my side.”

Zagnac spat out those words, then shook off her hand, which was still holding his hand, before going to his bedroom. Azela’s hand, floating in the air, was empty. She never understood what this meant.

Left alone in the hallway, her cheeks turned red.

* * *

A few days have passed.

After that, Zagnac’s behavior did not change at all. Azela, who had hoped, finally sighed deeply at his unchanging behavior. It must have been a brief whim, or it must have been that he got along with humans so much that the chaos affected him, too.

“Here, it came for you.”

“…What’s this?”

Upon receiving the letter from Zagnac, Azela frowned at the handwriting. It was from Chises… Clearly, there must have been other useless stories in it. She would rather say that she had lost the letter and not read it.

As she was pondering, Zagnac, who held the same letter in his hand, said lightly.

“It came to me, too.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a party invitation.”

“…Invitation?”

She opened the letter to her, prompted by Zagnac’s words. The content was simple. It was an invitation to a party he was hosting.

Azela frowned and raised her gaze to him.

“Are you going?”

She hoped he would not go. When Azela asked that, he smiled languidly as he waved the party invitation in his hand.

“Should I not go?”

“…Whatever you please.”