Chapter 92

As Chises pushed the knight standing in front of him with a harsh tone, the door that had been tightly closed swung open.

When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was the nanny, Daran. The nanny clenched her shoulders in surprise as the door suddenly opened, and as soon as she saw Chises’ face, she greeted him with a pale face.

“Princess, Princess Livia is sleeping.”

“Then, wake her up.”

“The night is late, Crown Prince… If you have something to say, you can do it again tomorrow…”

“I told you to wake her up.”

It had been less than two hours since Serena came and went.

The nanny Daran spoke in a voice as low as possible so that the sound did not reach the inside of the bedroom though it did not work. Chises uttered with sharp eyes as he touched the sword hanging from his waist.

He was showing that he would cut them all down if he had to.

“Yes, I see.”

Daran couldn’t help it. She had no power.

In the end, she moved her steps towards the inside of the room. On the bed covered by the pure white canopy, Livia was sleeping soundly. Perhaps, she fell asleep from crying as tears were forming around her eyes and her mouth was slightly torn and bleeding.

Daran gazed at Livia with a sad look before shaking her slightly.

“Princess… Princess.”

“Unng…”

After shaking her body for a while, the Princess rubbed her eyes and lifted her upper body up. Livia, who had glanced around the dark surroundings, turned her head to look at the window.

Seeing the dark moonlight, she tilted her head to one side.

“Nanny, what’s going on? It’s still night.”

“That…”

The nanny stuttered. Daran peered out of the bedroom and let out a sigh. All she could do was to delay this for a minute or two.

“Crown Prince Chises has come.”

“…Brother?”

Livia’s eyes widened, and her swaying gaze turned outward.

As the heir to the throne, Chises usually did not consider her well as he shouted at her that she was a shame to the Imperial Family. Besides, if he had to force her to wake up late at night, it must have been a bad thing.

“…Nanny, give me the cardigan.”

“But, it’s better to change your clothes…”

Livia smiled bitterly at the nanny’s words and shook her head. She then draped the cardigan that was given over her pajamas and stood up from the bed.

“Brother hates waiting, so if I change into a dress, someone out there will die.”

The nanny glanced at Livia with sad eyes. In this mad imperial court, there was only one person who was normal, Livia. However, everyone in the Imperial Family treated her like a mad person.

Soon, the Princess stepped past the nanny, who gazed at her with a pitiful gaze.

“Crown Prince.”

She couldn’t call her father ‘father,’ nor did her brother ‘brother’ because they didn’t want her to.

“Livia.”

“What brings you here late at night?”

“Come, sit down.”

Chises uttered while pointing his chin at the sofa on the other side. At his words, Livia did not rebel and sat down on the sofa as her brother told her.

“I told you that Duke Ferial was the one who would be your husband.”

“…The Emperor has ordained it.”

“Yeah, it was decided by father. Of course, you will do so.”

“Yes.”

Livia replied firmly. Azela’s face appeared in her mind while she answered, but she quickly erased it.

“Then, let’s go see father tomorrow.”

“…Yes?”

Yes, he had to put Duke Ferial away first… That was the order.

“I’m announcing you and Duke Ferial’s engagement in public.”

If he didn’t do it, he had no choice but to kill Zagnac. Thinking so, a smile as bright as sunlight appeared on Chises’ face.

“…Is it okay to do that?”

“Even if it can’t be done, I’ve already done it, so there’s no helping it.”

* * *

In the carriage going back to the mansion, Zagnac was calm.

Embarrassed to see his face for nothing, Azela avoided his gaze. Even after saying such a remark, he was calm…

“I must have become a man who could not do anything without her.”

Recalling what he had said, Azela slowly lowered her head and looked at the wrist that he had held. Although there was nothing, it was strangely hot. Then, she gazed at Zagnac. He was leaning on his chin and glancing out the window.

His eyes, resembling the night sky, were deep as if thinking about something.

“What did that mean earlier?”

“…Well.”

Zagnac lowered his gaze.

As if immersed in the world of purple that stretched beyond his long, dense eyelashes, Azela did not say anything.

He glanced at her and turned his eyes to look at her.

“I was quite surprised myself.”

“….”

“But thanks to that, fortunately, the strange rumors will change. You are a woman with a lot of charm, not a woman who is ignorant.”

Azela lowered her head again with Zagnac’s words. If he felt the same way… Should she accept it with a happy smile…?

Azela thought of Daniel, whom she had seen at the party a while ago. He wasn’t like that at first, either. In the beginning, he also loved her, as if he would give up everything. It was a love that seemed to last forever. He was the most perfect person, and it was the perfect love.

In the end, though, he changed his mind.

‘So, in the end…’

There was no guarantee that Zagnac would be no different. Of course, he might not change his mind, and this could have been forever. Still, Azela didn’t want to take any chances. She was unsure of putting hope in that small possibility and seeing the ruin again.

“…Did you do it to get out of that situation?”

Azela asked with a smile.

Her voice trembled. Even though she thought she shouldn’t have such feelings for him, on the other hand, she was expecting it.

Zagnac slowly turned his head to look at her. As she gazed into his eyes, it seemed as if the world had stopped for a moment. There was no sound of the carriage wheels, and the sound of an owl crying outside the carriage seemed to have stopped.

It was a night where only she and him were moving.

“Would you like that?”

He asked.

Zagnac wasn’t smiling. He had a hardened face as he only asked in a voice darker than the dark night as if he would do it if she wished so.

‘Would you like that?’

She hoped not… but the desire for it was greater than that. Only then would she be able to keep this feeling to keep wishing for a long time without changing.

“I hope so.”

Azela answered firmly.

However, unlike her resolute voice, her crying expression and unusually shaky eyes were telling the truth.

He stared at her with his lips clenched after hearing Azela’s answer. It looked like he was thinking about something. Zagnac, who was in a dilemma as to whether or not to open his mouth, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Unfortunately, it was wrong.”

He spoke in a firm voice, unlike when he opened his mouth with hoarseness. Azela swallowed a gulp in his confident tone.

“I didn’t say it to get out of that situation.”

The bold words he spoke began to seep into her heart and bear fruit. For a moment, a sweet smell filled the carriage, and it felt like it stimulated the tip of her nose. She didn’t know if it was from her body or from his.

“I was faithful to the moment.”

She swallowed a gulp. At the same time, Azela seemed to have swallowed the sweet scent he exuded. Her throat was tight. It felt like it seeped through her throat and into her.

“It’s the truth.”

* * *

Azela, who was staring at the ceiling, couldn’t close her eyes. The words he said in the carriage kept running through her mind.

“I was faithful to that moment. It’s the truth.”

After that, they said nothing to each other, neither Zagnac nor her. He didn’t even ask her for another answer.

She just returned to the mansion, where she was engulfed in silence and locked herself in her bedroom. Azela knew what that meant though she pretended she didn’t know. She closed her eyes and covered her ears.

Her mind was pounding, just like her heart.

…Zagnac must have felt it, too.

Azela lifted her torso from the bed she was lying on and walked towards the window. Opening the window that had been closed, a cool night breeze blew just like the first day she met him.

‘…Is Zagnac thinking the same as me now?’