Chapter 90

‘How can HE pretend to know me?’

As Azela’s clenched hands trembled with anger, Zagnac smiled as he intercepted her and Daniel.

“Count Todd.”

“…Duke Ferial.”

“I haven’t heard of you coming to the Capital.”

It was different from the greetings he had given so far. Zagnac uttered in a sharp voice, and it felt like an invisible line was drawn between the two. If he crossed that line, he was ready to reveal his teeth and bite Daniel’s neck.

“Is it a sin to come to say my greetings? We also came at the Crown Prince’s invitation.”

It wasn’t Daniel who responded but Sylvia, who had gone to pick up champagne and had a glass of champagne. Putting her arms around Daniel, who was staring at Azela with a dazed expression, she smiled as she glanced at Zagnac.

“Can I say my greetings now? Duke Ferial.”

“….”

Zagnac didn’t answer.

Everyone at the party was looking at the situation with excitement. For them, this situation was just entertainment to relieve their boring daily life. Satisfied with seeing the scene in person, which had only been in the rumors, they even stopped paying attention at the party and focused on the conversation.

‘The child…’

Azela suddenly turned her head to look at Sylvia’s belly. She had the illusion that her belly was a little more swollen than when she left… No, looking at her as a whole, it looked like she had gained weight. Judging by the fact that the two were together, the child must still be in Sylvia’s womb.

“Azela, I’m here to talk to you.”

“…I guess it was a pity that I left. Without conscience.”

Azela frowned at Daniel’s detestable voice and so were his drooping eyebrows. Even that face was full of regret now. Even though she didn’t know what he was going to say, the look on his face made her feel somewhat jaded, and she didn’t feel like listening.

It was because he always lived with regrets about the past.

‘…This time, he must have come to take me with regrets.’

Azela hid her body behind Zagnac. When he saw that, he smiled proudly like a victor before opening his mouth.

“If you would like to speak with my escort, why not do it through me, Count Todd?”

“…It’s something the two of us are going to talk about.”

“Still, she can’t leave my side because she’s my escort knight. Besides, she doesn’t seem to want to talk to the Count.”

Hearing his words, some of the observers applauded. Zagnac bowed his head politely towards the side, where the applause was heard briefly as if thanking them.

Feeling like the protagonist in a play, Azela lowered her face.

“I would like to speak with Azela for a moment, Duke Ferial.”

Daniel let out a sigh. For him, he had given up his pride. However, Zagnac tilted his head as though he was thinking about it before shaking his index finger from side to side and smiling.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”

“….”

“Besides, Count…… you have abandoned this woman, have you?”

“What, what do you mean…”

“You don’t really think you are a victim because you are drunk with the rumors of being a victim, do you?”

Zagnac put a twisted smile on his lips. The deep purple eyes behind the long eyelashes contained silent anger. Facing it, Daniel couldn’t say anything more and shut his mouth firmly.

“Count, I know that you have imprisoned the woman who was once your wife in her bedroom.”

“….!”

“On the third day, you didn’t even give her a sip of water or even a meal.”

Daniel’s eyes widened with an expression of wondering how Zagnac knew it.

At the same time, the inside of the party hall quickly became noisy at Zagnac’s words. The crowd who used to point their fingers at Azela, saying ‘She has no dignity’ were now pointing at Daniel, saying, ‘He is crazy.’

“I, I—!”

“Besides, you killed the maid, whom she loved like her family, in front of her.”

“….!”

Daniel turned red and shut his mouth at Zagnac. He thought no one would know because Azela wasn’t the one to say that anywhere. He looked at Azela behind Zagnac and uttered with a grin.

“Did you say all that?”

Seeing Daniel’s wounded expression, Zagnac laughed cheerfully.

“Count Todd, you have come to acknowledge it with your own mouth!”

“….!”

Zagnac shouted loudly and spread his arms wide.

Daniel was a bit bewildered by his action and hurriedly looked around. He shook his head, denying it though the nobles gathered at the party were already looking at him with eyes looking at garbage.

At that moment, the perpetrator and victims of the rumors were exchanged in an instant.

“….”

Sylvia, who had her arms linked to Daniel’s side, slowly lowered her arms as she looked at him in anger.

Things were going strangely. He then glanced around hastily and looked at Zagnac with eyes full of resentment. He just wanted to talk to Azela, but he didn’t understand why Zagnac was interrupting him like this.

“I…”

Having come this far, he couldn’t stand back. Daniel took a step closer to Zagnac and reached out to Azela behind him.

“Azela, I have come to the Capital to take you.”

“Daniel!”

It was a sad voice that even the listeners became aloof.

Sylvia, who was standing behind him, hurriedly grabbed Daniel’s arm with a startled face. She had never heard that he had come to pick up Azela. The reason he left for the capital was because of work, as she knew.

As she was resting in the mansion, the Crown Prince’s person came to her and told her that it would be better to stay with Daniel at the villa because he would be staying in the capital for a long time.

She was full of anticipation of enjoying a splendid life in the capital… What a disgrace this was from the first day of the party…!

Sylvia hurriedly looked around with a blushing face.

“Daniel! This isn’t right!”

If this spread out, she would be nibbled on behind her back, far from entering the social world. Nonetheless, Daniel didn’t lower his outstretched hand toward Azela as if her voice could not reach him.

Seeing the two of them, a snicker spread from Azela’s lips, who was hiding her body behind Zagnac.

“…Azela.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. This is a serious situation, right? But this situation is so funny.”

She was now making fun of him, covering her mouth with her fist and making a ‘Hoho’ sound. At that look, everyone held their breath and gazed at her. Laughing for a long time, Azela pretended to wipe her tears and said in a voice mixed with laughter.

“That’s what I said.”

“What?”

“I’m going to become a thorn under your fingernail.”

“….!”

Listening to that, Daniel looked at his memory with a surprised look.

“Right. Do you remember?”

“….”

“At that time, you obviously said, ‘It can’t be,’ right? However, in the end, it’s like this?”

As Azela curled her lips, she gave the brightest exaggerated smile.

“You have come to me… Though what?”

“….”

“I don’t have anything to talk to you about, and I don’t want to hear from you, Daniel. You want to hear me, and you want to talk to me… but that’s your wish, not mine.”

“Azela!”

“Remember? I said I would go back to where I was, where the light was, and you wouldn’t be there.”

“….”

“You don’t deserve to stand next to me, Daniel.”

Azela spoke in a cold voice. Zagnac drew a satisfied smile alongside Azela’s cold voice.

“It’s funny, Count Todd.”

Zagnac smiled as Daniel lowered his hand toward Azela. Even though he was clearly smiling, the bloody atmosphere was not friendly. The next moment, he glanced at Sylvia, who kept pulling Daniel from behind.

“Looks like you didn’t like the new Madam.”

“It’s none of your business, Duke Ferial.”

“I’m sorry that it doesn’t seem like my business. Of course, I have to be concerned about you taking my escort knight. She and I even officially signed a contract. If you want to take her, you have to pay her penalty… I don’t know if the Todd family can afford it?”