CH 115

As Chises trembled at his determined voice, he clenched his fists tightly and cast a defiant glance at the Emperor.

“If father won’t do it, I will find out who he is.”

“Chises.”

“He is clearly not human. If he’s a different race that has lived since a distant era, shouldn’t we reveal his identity in front of all the people of the Empire?”

Chises finished speaking, and before the Emperor could say anything more, he lowered his head and left the office. The Emperor, who was looking at the door of the closed office, flicked his finger on the desk.

“He’s still young.”

Muttering to himself, he turned his gaze and picked up the book he was reading.

“Whether he’s a different race or a human, what’s important? No matter what he is, killing him is enough.”

The Emperor began to finish reading the book he was reading with a flash of light. The book he was reading was an old, worn-out book with the title ‘The Origin of the Devil’ written on it.

* * *

“Daniel.”

Sylvia, calling his name in a seductive voice, climbed onto his bed as he was sleeping. She needed to repair her recently estranged relationship with him.

When she thought about why he was looking for Azela, it seemed to her that it was also her fault for not paying too much attention to Daniel, either because she was pregnant or because she was the Countess, or she had many issues to care about.

If she paid attention to him again like before, he would come back to her like before. Thinking so, she lay cautiously next to Daniel as he was asleep.

“…Are you asleep?”

As she reached out her hand and hugged Daniel, who was sleeping with his back turned, Sylvia cautiously spoke her words. He didn’t even flinch.

“I don’t think we’ve been too interested in each other lately. I think it’s because I’m out of my mind, too. I’m sorry.”

“….”

“Though you know that I only have you, Daniel, right?”

So, you should be the only one with me.

Gazing at him back with her eyes wide open, she buried her nose in his shoulder. The smell of alcohol mixed with his scent hit her nose. Daniel has been drinking every night lately. He seemed to find it difficult to even fall into a deep sleep without alcohol.

“…Azela?”

A faint voice called out a name as he tossed and turned and grabbed the arm that was embracing his back. As he called Azela’s name rather than her name, Sylvia’s face instantly turned red with anger, and she coldly whipped her arm out of his hold and jumped to her feet.

“Mmm.”

Meanwhile, when the hand on her back disappeared, Daniel, feeling empty, rubbed his eyes and lifted his upper body. And as soon as he saw Sylvia right in front of his eyes, he shook his head with a troubled face.

Realizing his mistake, he raised his hand and covered his eyes.

“…No apologies or excuses now?”

As she scolded him in an astonished voice, Daniel apologized a little, saying, ‘I’m sorry,’ but Sylvia couldn’t get over it.

She bit her lower lip hard.

“Why the hell…!”

Why the hell do you keep looking for Azela?

She shook her head, unable to contain her emotions, as she swallowed her words. Her lower lip, bitten tight, trembled. Controlling her emotions has been difficult since her pregnancy. She was easily upset, easily saddened, sometimes happy over small things, and easily generous.

Sylvia raised her hands and covered her face.

“Sylvia.”

Daniel called Sylvia’s name. Seeing her weeping, he only called her name in a low voice but did nothing else. He didn’t reach out his hand for her, nor did he comfort her in his arms.

“Then, why did you come to bed all of a sudden…”

“What did you say?”

“…No, I’m sorry.”

“Daniel, are you… are you saying it’s my fault?”

Sylvia stared at him with tear-soaked eyes. It wasn’t until she finally let out a loud cry that he sighed and reached out his hand, and took her into his arms.

“No. I talked too much because I was sleepy. I’m sorry, Sylvia.”

Even though she was held in his arms, she was strangely not warm at all. Not a single word he said was warm at all. Sylvia, with tears in her eyes, was speechless in shock.

Daniel, who had been comforting her as he held her in his arms, raised his hand and carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Daniel.”

Even though it was a tender touch, there was no warmth in his gaze as he looked at her.

Tears flowed down her cheeks incessantly.

Still, just because it was, she couldn’t let go of Daniel easily. How did she come to the position of a noble and Countess? This mistake did not allow her to renounce him and abandon her status as a noble.

“I understand. Since she has been around for a long time, the name must have stuck to your lips like a habit.”

“Ye-yes, that’s right.”

“I know you can’t change overnight. Though now, I want the name that comes out of your mouth to be ‘Sylvia.’ Our baby wants it, too.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

“Don’t do that again.”

Eventually, Sylvia whispered in a sweet voice as she reached out and put her hand around Daniel’s neck. Saying that, her eyes also went cold.

Whether he loved her or not, it didn’t matter. It was only important to keep this position.

‘…Don’t worry, Daniel. I’ll get rid of Azela so you won’t be distracted.’

Azela was a dangerous figure who could usurp this position of hers at any moment. As long as she was there, Daniel would always think of Azela suddenly like he did now, and he might throw Sylvia away… It couldn’t be like that.

How did she get this spot, she couldn’t let it go in vain.

Sylvia ground her teeth.

* * *

“…I’ve been thinking about it.”

While she was having breakfast, Zagnac suddenly spoke. He didn’t say a word from the moment he entered the restaurant, and he didn’t even eat the food. However, it turned out he had been thinking about that.

Azela nodded and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“What you said yesterday was wrong.”

‘As expected.’

Just as she thought, he denied his feelings. Yes, this would do.

Thinking so, she replied with a nod.

“I must have been mistaken.”

“Yes, I do not like you.”

It was a firm answer. It felt her heart skip a beat at Zagnac’s firm tone of voice as if he was trying to turn his doubts into certainty. It was definitely the answer she was hoping for, but the feeling of hearing it in reality was so different.

‘Did I secretly hope that he won’t…’

Azela smiled bitterly and nodded her head.

“I’m glad then.”

“And you?”

“…What?”

At the sudden question, she gazed at Zagnac in surprise. His expression was serious. When Azela couldn’t answer with a surprised face, he asked again.

“Do you like me?”

Silence fell in the dining room at his thoughtless question.

The chef who prepared the food, the handmaids who arranged the tableware, the patissier, and the butler Baharf who prepared the dessert all held their breath and gulped as they stared at Azela. Everyone was expecting an answer to come out of her mouth.

“I…”

Azela swallowed, too. She didn’t even eat bitter food, but it felt strangely bitter in her mouth.

‘I don’t like you.’

She had no idea it would be this hard to say. Azela shook her head, unable to speak. It was hard for her to say that she loved him though she couldn’t even tell the lie that she didn’t love him.

“What about you?”

Zagnac, who did not know her heart, pressed for an answer. His fingers, which were placed on the table, were tapping in a steady rhythm. In the quiet dining room, only the sound of Zagnac knocking on the table echoed.

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing saliva was heard loudly.

“I…”

Azela raised her lowered head. If she had to spit it out of her mouth anyway, it had to be the I don’t love, rather than the I love. She had to get used to telling lies like this.

With the thought, she soothed her sore throat and opened her mouth.

“I don’t love you.”

When her firm answer came out of his mouth, Zagnac stopped tapping his fingers. It was a question he asked with the expectation that such an answer would come out. But even so, he was strangely upset.

‘Why am I upset? Did I eat the wrong breakfast?’