CH 17

Chapter 17 ( Asrazan, take it off )

The beginning of the incident was that Lariette brought back a list of her wishes for a date again.

Since she had seen the city, she stretched out holding Asrazan’s arm, saying let’s try something else. However, the level of contact was very light due to the harsh treatment of him last night.

“I must go to the Palace today.”

“When are you coming back? Are you going home again at dawn again?”

Just like when he avoids me. Lariette  added grumbling, inflating her cheeks. Asrahan, who was stabbed, replied, slightly avoiding eye contact.

“No. I will be back early, so please eat first.”

Asrazan also didn’t want to leave her and go to the Imperial Palace. It was hard work for him to meet the old Emperor and aristocrat and having useless conversations.

“Are you coming in the evening? So, how about drinking today?”

“You mean alcohol…?”

“Yes. Go to a bar with a nice atmosphere downtown.”

Lariette, who was looking through her notebook, said with her eyes wide open, as if she had found a good idea.

Asrazan frowned slightly, remembering that she was going to a bar downtown for a drink with the priest. Every time I replayed, my head was ringing with jealousy.

But, as he had previously thought, going to a bar in the city was still difficult for him. It was because he did not want to face those gazes that corrode him.

The thought of not being able to do with her, that she could do with the priest subsided into a mixed mood. Asrazan said in a cautious tone.

“… It is difficult for me to go to a bar and have a drink with you.”

Unlike that priest. Asrazan swallowed the words.

“I’m sorry, Lariette.”

I was afraid that the many restrictions I had placed on her would exhaust her. She may have to sacrifice a lot because the person she meets is a monster Duke. That caught my mind.

But even more sorry, he had no intention of letting her go.

In other words, such a confession was merely an advance apology for the sins that would continue to be committed.

Meanwhile, Lariette, seeing his dark expression, spoke in a cheerful voice.

“What are you talking about! Of course, lovers take care of each other according to their circumstances.”

It was certainly the case in the romance novels she had read many times. Although it was not something she had experienced herself, Lariette pretended to be a dating doctor with a clever face.

“And the place doesn’t matter at all. Asrazan and I, and alcohol. If it’s like this, it’s the most atmospheric bar and romantic attraction, well.”

“……”

“So, when you get home today, let’s drink together at home!”

“What are you talking about?” she patted Asrazan’s shoulder. Then she said in a playful tone.

“I’m really good at drinking . Asrazan, you will be surprised later.”

“Is that so?”

“You don’t seem to believe me. Shall we make a bet?”

Asrazan smiled softly and looked at her. It was cute to see her speaking confidently.

The conversation ended like that, because it was time for him to go to work. Lariette was busy arguing until the very end that she was called the drunkard of Blanche.

Overhearing the conversation with a happy face, Halstein began preparing drinks for them.

‘Sweet for a lady Lariette to drink… And with a high alcohol content.’

He carefully selected the drink with a sinister look. The notice of a post-mortem resolution seemed to flash in front of his eyes.

Drinks, nights and lovers. It was perfect condition.

* * *

That evening, Asrazan sat down at the meeting in a very annoyed state.

This was because the meeting was getting longer due to conflicts with other kingdoms. It seemed like it would last until late at night, even considering the never-ending war of words.

Thinking of Lariette waiting for him in the mansion, I kept getting nervous. Fighting under the guise of a meeting continued, and Asrazan’s patience gradually shattered.

The Emperor was terrified at the sight of the Duke of Kandel, who was sitting with his arms crossed and constantly tapping the table with his fingers. Therefore, the Emperor looked into his eyes and asked carefully.

“Duke Kandel. What’s the matter?”

“… How long are you going to continue this useless argument?”

Asrazan’s cynical voice echoed through the conference room. Everyone looked at him and couldn’t even open their mouths.

“How dare you to, Your Majesty!”

The Duke of Blanche banged the table and raised his voice. However, as soon as Asrazan moved his eyes and looked at him in that posture, he trembled.

‘… Lariette’s father.’

I wanted to give him a warning as he climbed up like that. But the fact that he was the one who brought Lariette into this world made Asrazan very merciful.

Asrazan turned his gaze away from him and looked at the Emperor again. The Duke of Blanche, who was freed from the distant and heavy pressure, relieved himself by exhaling a breath that had stopped involuntarily.

“Should I ask one more time?”

Asrazan continued speaking as if giving a warning. Then the king responded quickly.

“Great, as Duke Kandel said, there is no conclusion to be reached by further arguing, so today’s meeting will end here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

It was a very different aspect from usual, where once a meeting was long, it continued without end.

Asrazan got up and left the Imperial Palace as soon as the Emperor declared the end. Watching his disappearing back, the Duke of Blanche sharpened his teeth.

“That little guy is cocky… .”

“You are lucky, Duke Blanche. You know how ferocious the Duke Kandel is, why are you rushing to order?”

“Isn’t it impertinent to see a son-like man acting his own way?”

“Haha, is it a day or two? If you want to preserve even a declining family, you’d better be wise.”

The Duke of Illington, one of the three great Dukes of the Kharshan Empire, gave his with a tug of tongue. It was pathetic to talk to him without fear even having a Bibil hill.

The Duke of Blanche slammed and got up and left. I don’t think it’s working out these days.

After Lariette left home, the situation for the Duke became more difficult. However, it was because Raon’s luxury became worse when she, who had been managing the family thrifty, disappeared.

The Duchess blamed the Duke for Lariette’s departure, and the Duke blamed her for not teaching properly.

In the midst of all that, Raon was ignorant of spending money and had him work for the imperial family for a while.

‘Where the hell did that girl go!’

I thought she would come back soon because she didn’t have money, but it was Lariette who didn’t come back even after a few weeks.

He was worried about whether she died of starvation, but the Duke of Blanche did not regret the act the day he expelled her.

The problem was that the daughter challenged her father’s authority, and I believed my decision was flawless.

He had never heard of the woman in noble clothes dying as a corpse, so he was sure she was still alive.

If his daughter came back as soon as possible and cried and asked for forgiveness, he had the heart to mercifully accept her back into the Duke’s family.

‘Cause I’m a great father’. The Duke of Blanche, ironically, thought so.

* * *

After leaving the Imperial Castle, Asrazan hurriedly got on a carriage and returned to the Duke of Kandel’s residence. I was impatient to think that Lariette was waiting for me.

“Ah, Asrazan! You’re back? You came very quickly!”

It’s late! Lariette added with a sly smile.

After she had heard the news of Asrazan’s return and was in a hurry to meet him. She pretended to be relaxed, but her hair was messed up in the wind.

Illustration 

Haha! Lariette pretended to laugh and secretly exhaled a rough breath. However, there was no way Asrazan, who had dealt with all kinds of trickery, could not have noticed her clumsy acting.

“Did you run?”

“I am? What do you mean run?”

The noble lady running back and forth down the hallway was not elegant, so Lariette shuddered.

But to Asrazan, the way she, who would have worked hard for him, was trying to hide it was just lovely. So he smiled briefly and reached for her head.

“There is no need to rush out to meet me.”

Asrazan tidied up Lariette’s messy hair with his fingers. Lariette’s cheeks reddened involuntarily at the friendly behavior that was not synonymous with bluntness.

‘As expect! He must have had a lot of dating experience.’

She thought with certainty. Otherwise, it was because there was no way he could do such a secretly exciting act.

‘How many? three? five? More than that?’

Lariette narrowed her eyes and inferred the number of his ex-lovers. Just by looking at his handsome face, it seemed like she would believe it even if there were more than ten people.

And Asrazan, who does not have an ex-lover, observed her with a rather serious expression, looking at him with interest.

‘What are you thinking in that little head.’

It was always surprising to see so many different facial expressions. Of course, he did not even dream that she was suspicious of his past.

“Master, my lady. I have prepared a table for you.”

Halstein appeared just in time. Asrazan nodded and continued.

“Lariette. Please go first. I will come and change clothes.”

“Ugh, you have to come quickly!”

“Yes.”

After a brief reply, Asrazan returned to the room. It was to change not only clothes but also bandages.

Although she said she couldn’t smell him, the rotting smell of the curse was still his in there. It would be forever, unless it was completely purified.

Meanwhile, Lariette was excited and looked at the liquor table that Halstein had prepared. There was nothing lacking from luxurious spirits to wine and cocktails. It was perfect for snacks such as various cheeses and fruits.

“Who made the cocktail?”

“I made it.”

“Halstein? Wow, can you even do bartending?”

“I’m now using what I have learned to become a good butler. I’m happy.”

Halstein explained with a satisfied smile. He believed that a perfect butler must be able to do everything, so he has learned to catch all kinds of things.

However, Bartending was a technique that had not been introduced to the world until now, as it was impossible for Asrazan to drink cocktails.

The butler in the Duke of Blanche was very clerical, so in Lariette’s eyes, Halstein’s appearance was very interesting. So she looked at him with curious eyes and asked.

“Can you show me how to make cocktails? I have never seen it.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Halstein didn’t miss a good opportunity to show off his skills. He was excited and even showed off a fancy trick of throwing a bottle around, making cocktails. Lariette smirked and clapped her hands.

“What are you doing now…”

“Master, are you here?”

Asrazan, who took off his robes and changed into an indoor shirt, looked at Halstein without hiding his embarrassment.

Despite being over sixty years old, he was shooting fire on the cocktail in an unnecessary motion. This was the first time in Asrahan’s 27 years.

Halstein finished the bartending show with a proud face. Lariette shouted and cheered Bravo.

“Then master has also come, so I will leave. Have a good night.”

He gave a meaningful greeting and politely left the place. Lariette, who did not notice the strangeness, raised the glass with a recalled expression.

“I want to drink this! Halstein’s Special Cocktail! I thought it was sweet.”

“I will drink the same.”

Asrazan usually preferred to drink it on the rock, but now he wants to share the same taste and aroma with Lariette. It was a strange feeling.

“Cheers-!”

Lariette clashed the glass with a confident expression. Then she poured the cocktail into her mouth.

“Lariette, aren’t you drinking too quickly?”

“Kyaa! Hey, it’s just a cocktail. It won’t be too much.”

She slowly turned the glass round and round and continued.

“And I’m a good drinker, right?”

“… Indeed.”

“Why don’t you believe me? I’m good at drinking!”

“It reminds me of you claiming to be a  person who never catches a cold.”

Lariette kept her mouth shut. How dare you put my old work in shame! It wasn’t too long ago, but she pouted her lips and expressed her nobility.

It wasn’t a lie to say that I drink well.

When she was at Blanche, she drank alone to quench her frustration and resentment. It was because there was no outlet other than that.

As Lariette’s face didn’t turn red even when she continued to drink, Asrazan gradually erased his doubts.

They sipped various cocktails and chatted.

The content of the conversation was very brief. It was everyday and trivial topics like what’s your favorite fruit and what’s your taste in music.

It was the first time Asrazan had such an unproductive and inefficient conversation with someone.

So it was strange, and it was special. It was the first time he realized that getting to know someone can be a joy.

While he was feeling the tickling in his chest, Lariette broke his heart with a random topic.

“Ah, by the way, Doha…”

“…….”

A faint smile disappeared from Asrazan’s face in an instant. Lariette, who found him, quickly corrected her words.

“My friend, the priest.”

“… Yes.”

“The two of us are really friends. Don’t misunderstand. No, that priest also gave me dating advice. It’s thanks to him that we did well!”

Although this was not what Doha really intended. Lariette believed his intentions purely, so she was terribly sorry that she was misunderstood.

Meanwhile, Asrazan narrowed his eyes and stared at her. Just thinking about him still gave him strength in his arms.

The eyes of the priest he saw were never looking at her as a friend. However, there was a possibility that he misunderstood because it was just a glance at a very brief moment.

“So, by the way, can I continue to receive the treatment? I will ask him to change the posture.”

“… Why don’t you call another priestess?”

“But, his healing was the most effective in my life.”

Lariette recalled his amazingly excellent healing. Even in Blanche, she encountered various priests, but he was the first to be so effective.

‘Maybe someday he will rise to the rank of high priest.’

She truly thought so. No matter how great the divine power, it was difficult to advance if the training was not enough.

Therefore, it was believed that a person with Doha level of talent would be able to rise to the ranks of a lay priest in a few years and a high priest in a few decades.

Asrazan looked at Lariette, who gave him a sparkling gaze with a subdued face.

To be honest, it was a request he really didn’t want to grant. But the thing he feared the most was not soaring jealousy.

Being hated by Lariette. When she left him. That alone made him afraid.

So he could withstand any kind of anger or jealousy. As long as she stayed by his side, forever.

“Do as you will.”

Asrazan drank a cocktail that was too sweet for him at once and said. Lariette got excited and grabbed his hand again and started bouncing around, and she also emptied the rest of the drink.

Several toasts followed, and time passed quickly.

And soon Lariette realized something was strange. She only drank this much, but her body was strangely hot.

The buttons on the bottom of the neck felt particularly stuffy, and the accident did not flow properly.

Lariette looked at the fruit on the table with blank eyes. Mistaking that gaze because she wanted to eat it, Asrazan gently pushed the plate closer to her.

“Hehe, as expected. You’re sweet… ”

“… Lariette?”

Lariette muttered, and suddenly rested her head on his shoulder. Embarrassed by the sudden contact, Asrazan quietly called her name and lowered his gaze.

And in his field of vision, Lariette’s face, looking at him with strange eyes, was put in.

“Asrazan.”

“… Yes.”

Asrazan answered very slowly. She only met his gazes, but the muscle-filled thighs were full of strength.

And Lariette continued to say something unexpected.

“I’m hot.”

“Yes?”

“I think it’s hot….”

Lariette mumbled over and over in a blank slate, trying to unbutton his jacket abruptly.

Asrazan saw her and felt his mind spinning. Fortunately or unfortunately, the button did not come off because of the constant carelessness.

But she did not stop there and found a new way. Lariette, who had a bright red face, smiled and opened her mouth.

“Asrazan, take it off.”