CH 108

Daniel’s gaze at Sylvia was cold… just like when he was looking at her in the mansion before. In the end, it seemed that both of them were ruined.

Azela, who saw the enraptured Daniel and Sylvia, who was trying to do something next to him, spoke.

“I’m curious. How long can the two of you be happy?”

“…What?”

“The two of you must have been happy when I was there. I will watch until the end to see how long the two of you can be happy, without me now.”

“This, this…!”

As soon as she said that, Sylvia lifted the champagne glass from her side and poured it straight into Azela’s face.

“Hooo!”

“Sylvia, what are you doing!”

The sound of heavy gasps could be heard from all around.

Azela lowered her head to see the champagne dripping down her hair and onto the floor. Such a sight was rare, as no noble had behaved in this way, as this kind of behavior was something that only commoners do.

“…Sylvia.”

Raising her hand and running through her wet hair, it should be normal for a mouse soaked in water to look miserable, but Azela was somehow beautiful.

Sylvia gritted her teeth as she was overwhelmed.

“You do all the really degrading things by yourself.”

“Madam, Madam too! How dare you! You and I—”

“Are of a different class.”

“….!”

“Do you think you, a commoner from an unknown background, and me, who has lived as a noble since birth, are the same?”

“Now, now I am…!”

“You are Countess Todd now, the place I used and threw away.”

As she tilted her head to one side and glanced at Sylvia’s bag on her wrist, it was a familiar bag.

“…That bag, too, was eventually picked up and fixed again.”

“This, this…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to be shy.”

Azela whispered softly as if to comfort her. Then, she fluttered her colorful fan and pointed at Daniel, the bag, and Sylvia in turn.

“The husband I abandoned, the title I abandoned, and the bag I trampled on.”

“….!”

“It’s okay if you pick them all up. I’ll give you permission.”

At those words, Sylvia’s eyes were filled with shame. It looked as though if she had a knife in her hand, she might stab Azela at any moment.

Sneering at her, Azela passed Sylvia lightly on the shoulder.

“A, Azela…!”

“Daniel, please!”

Behind her, Daniel’s voice calling for her was heard, along with Sylvia’s tearing shouts to stop him. They, too, were doomed. As a result, it felt that her following Zagnac was truly the best revenge for them.

Azela hummed.

‘I didn’t expect to get revenge like this.’

Thanks to Daniel’s quicker-than-expected reaction, she finally got her revenge. It probably wouldn’t end like this. Because of his personality, Daniel wouldn’t end it lightly. It was also because he had a mad obsession comparable to that of Crown Prince Chises.

Azela, unable to stay in the party while soaking wet, came out of the banquet hall.

As she left the banquet hall and walked a little down the hallway, she came across a garden the Imperial Family was proud of. In the garden, a man and a woman who had already met while enjoying a party were paired up together.

Watching the scenes, she sat down at a quiet table.

“Oh, you are very wet.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice came. The subject of the voice was smiling at Azela as he held out a handkerchief.

“…Benjamin?”

As she sat across from him, Benjamin smiled lightly. Azela expressed her delight as she wiped her wet hair with the handkerchief he gave her.

“Long time no see.”

“I’m glad you’re doing well, that’s what I wanted to say…”

Benjamin looked at Azela and smiled at her.

Hearing his words, she glanced down at herself and laughed along, saying, ‘I don’t look well now.’ She wondered if Findar’s statement that he was guarding Zagnac like he was invisible was a lie though he was really at the Imperial Palace.

“I heard from Findar. While I’m away, you escorted Za—no, Duke Ferial for me.”

“It’s because I’ve been watching him.”

“Thank you.”

Benjamin lightly nodded his head. If he had kept watching, did that mean he saw all of the situation somewhere in the party?

When Azela glanced at Benjamin, he opened his mouth with an answer.

“It’s His Majesty’s birthday, but the main character of the party is Madam… No, Miss.”

“…You saw everything.”

“Yes, even the thrilling scene where you make Count Todd kneel.”

“If I knew he would really kneel, I wouldn’t have made him do that. I don’t like being noticed that way.”

“You were cool.”

Azela shook her head after Benjamin’s praise.

“What are you doing in the Capital? What about the bakery?”

“I’m closing it for a while. I have something to do.”

“In the Capital?”

“Yes.”

Benjamin gave only a short answer, refusing to give details. Meanwhile, Azela also didn’t ask too deeply about it because of his attitude, and she didn’t need to know his circumstances deeply.

“You’ve become the Duke’s escort knight.”

“Somehow, it happened.”

“I may be rude to say this, but you look much better now than the last time you came to my bakery.”

“Really?”

“Yes, at that time, you were like a dying dry tree. But right now, you’re like a tree in full bloom and bearing fruit in spring.”

At those words, she laughed and said, “I did.”

There was silence for a moment. Azela, who had roughly wiped her face, hair, and dress with the handkerchief he had handed her, stood up.

“My dress is roughly dry and my face and hair are roughly cleaned, so I have to go back inside.”

“Like that?”

“Because I need to be by Duke Ferial’s side when he finishes talking with the Emperor.”

As she stood up, Benjamin followed her as the soft moonlight floated behind him. Azela, who handed the handkerchief to him, tilted her head to Benjamin’s face.

“Us…”

“Yes.”

Benjamin smiled as he took the handkerchief Azela had given him and put it back into his arms. Seeing that, she furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at him. Strange… He was definitely someone she hadn’t seen in a while, but somehow, it wasn’t unfamiliar.

“Have we met recently?”

After Azela’s question ended, a cool night breeze blew.

Benjamin gave no answer.

As she took the question out of her mouth, her doubts were confirmed. She had definitely met him somewhere recently. When and where did they meet? Studying his face more closely, the night sky spread out behind, harmonized with him.

“Maybe.”

His ambiguous answer gave her confidence again. Benjamin was the kind of person who wouldn’t give such an ambiguous answer. Even though the night wind was blowing, she couldn’t smell the bread from him.

Suddenly, the events of one night came to Azela’s mind.

“Benjamin.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Raising her trembling hand, she then brought it close to Benjamin’s face, and she covered his nose and lips with the palm of her hand. Benjamin, with only his eyes exposed, just stared at Azela.

…It was familiar. His eyes were familiar.

“You are that assassin at that time…”

She murmured softly to him as if she had lost her mind. At the same time, Benjamin replied to the muttered word without conviction.

“Yes.”

His answer was without the slightest hesitation that Azela widened her eyes and withdrew her hand. She then grabbed the sword that was hanging from her waist.

Watching her take such an action, Benjamin did nothing. Azela lowered her gaze to examine Benjamin’s body. Light and simple clothes did not look good enough to hide a sword or other weapon… Not a single sword was visible from his waist, who had come to escort Zagnac.

“Benjamin, you…”

“….”

“You’ve come to kill the Duke.”

“It’s because I’ve been watching him.”

He replied just like that. Benjamin never said he was escorting Zagnac. He was just watching Zagnac, even if the intention was for murder, not escort…

“I do not know. I have yet to decide which one—to kill or to save him, so I’m just watching.”