CH 116

Zagnac raised his hand and gently brushed his bitter chest, tilting his head to one side. He was glad she didn’t love him… that Azela, a human, loved a devil, Zagnac. There had never been a precedent like that before.

It was not possible, so this was normal… because she didn’t love him, and he didn’t love her either.

Still…

‘…Why is it so annoying.’

Nonetheless, he didn’t know why he was getting so annoyed.

As he thought that, Zagnac lifted his head and looked back at Azela. She was calm as she replied in a confident voice that she did not love him, and even now, she was eating the prepared dessert with a calm attitude.

‘Can she eat dessert in this situation?’

He lowered his head and glanced down at the dessert in front of him. It was tart topped with sweet strawberries and banana pudding with a sweet banana scent. Even though it was his favorite dessert with sweet harmony, it was strangely unappetizing.

Zagnac raised his fork and patted the tart, glancing at Azela with a sad face.

“…Delicious?”

“Yes, it’s delicious. You should eat it quickly, it’s your favorite sweet taste.”

She smiled broadly answering his bored question.

As Azela answered with a broad smile, Zagnac gazed at her, putting down the small fork he was holding in his hand and resting his chin. The expression on his face was somewhat dissatisfied, but it also seemed that he was angry. Although, of course, Azela knew full well why.

‘Stupid.’

Azela thought as she lowered her head to the dessert to avoid meeting Zagnac, who was staring at her. Still, she was oddly happy that he acted differently than when he had said he didn’t like her.

A bright smile came on her lips as she ate the dessert.

“Seeing you smile, I guess it’s really delicious.”

With a grunting voice, he then tapped the pudding with a spoon this time. Seeing his childish behavior, she laughed though Zagnac furrowed his brow at the sight.

“I’m glad.”

“What?”

“I’m glad you say you don’t love me. Because I wondered what would happen if you were mistaken and loved me.”

Azela gave no more answers to his grumbling. She only ate the dessert with her head down.

On the contrary, Zagnac kept getting angry, seeing such calmness. He didn’t know why because it was the first time he had felt this feeling. Suddenly, he remembered what Baharf said to him last night.

‘As expected. I don’t like Azela.’

He nodded and fixed his gaze on Azela.

Looking at her like this now, seeing that his anger rose more than a happy feeling, it was clear that he did not like her.

Zagnac lifted the spoon and scooped the pudding into his mouth with a relaxed look on his neatly arranged face and tilted his head. Something was strange. As he raised his fork this time and shoveled the usual strawberry tart into his mouth, it was also weird.

‘…What’s delicious about this?’

The sweet desserts he liked so much were strangely sweet and full of bitterness. It didn’t taste good.

He frowned.

* * *

“Are, are you okay?”

“…Am I okay? It’s not just a day or two.”

Nanny Daran spoke in a worried tone, Livia lowered her gaze and nodded her head. Her face was miserable even as she said that. There was blood on the bedroom floor. It was all the blood shed by Livia.

Serena, who had come to her at dawn, grabbed her hair and shouted as soon as she saw Livia’s face.

“Are you going to embarrass His Majesty by not winning that man’s heart?”

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Serena tried to win the Emperor’s heart, but all of her plans failed due to Zagnac’s refusal to marry Livia in front of everyone. Because of that, her furious anger that rose to the tip of her head eventually returned to Livia.

“Ah, I think it would be best not to leave the Palace for the time being.”

Daran said as she smeared the medicine on her face. Still, the only sensible and worth-looking place was her face.

Serena always used violence everywhere except on the face, but she was different today. Livia smiled bitterly at Daran’s words and nodded her head. She then turned her gaze to her bedroom, which was a mess.

Although it may be her bedroom, it was not her place to be.

Today, unlike usual, Serena’s hands and feet flew mercilessly toward Livia’s face. She didn’t know where it would be next. She thought that if she stayed here like this, the next assault might fly to her heart.

‘I might really die like this…’

Livia grabbed her chest and furrowed her brow. She had to run away from here as soon as possible because her life was at stake. At that moment, she remembered Zagnac. As she thought of him, Azela’s face also came to mind at the same time.

“…Nanny.”

“Even if it hurts, hold it in. You have to apply the medicine so that there are no scars.”

“What about the torn dress?”

Daran, who was applying the medicine, tilted her head to one side to Livia’s question. She lowered her hand that was applying the medicine.

“It wasn’t just the sleeves that were torn, but the lace part of the dress came off as it got rubbed while falling. It seems better to throw it away…”

“Did you throw it away?”

“No, how dare I throw it away without permission. May I bring it to you?”

“Yes.”

Hearing her sad voice, Daran put down the medicine, stood up, and brought the dress.

It was the dress Azela had given to Livia. As Daran said, not only the sleeves were torn though the lace part was also peeling off, and the jewels on it were also falling off. While Azela kept it well, the dress would quickly wear out over time, even with minor scratches.

“…Shall I ask them to do repairs?”

Seeing Livia’s sad gaze looking down at the dress, Daran asked softly. Of course, if it was repaired, it could be worn again. Still, it would be a little different from the original and it would be awkward because it would be padded with fabric, but there will be no big problem in wearing it.

“…No, that’s okay. It’s fine.”

Livia shook her head as Daran asked cautiously. It was a resolute nod, contrary to her sad eyes and hesitation in her voice. She quietly closed her eyes and held the dress in her hands tightly in her arms.

It was the first time she had received it from someone.

It was the first favor for her.

“Nanny.”

“Yes, yes.”

“…Throw this away.”

As she opened her closed eyes, Livia held out the dress she was holding in her arms to Daran. She seemed to care for it so much, yet she handed over the dress with a trembling expression to her and ordered it to be thrown away.

“Are, are you really going to throw it away?”

“Yes.”

“Bu-but you like this dress, don’t you?”

“That’s right.”

“Besides this dress, you wouldn’t have a dress that would fit… They are all small.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Livia nodded her head.

As she grew up, no one would tailor a dress to her. If the dress she had became too small to wear, they would probably bring her sisters’ discarded dress with mockery.

“Still, it’s okay. It’s okay to assume that it didn’t exist in the first place.”

Livia couldn’t take her eyes off the dress.

Daran’s eyebrows twitched at the sight of Livia looking vaguely at the dress, so she looked rather puzzled. Looking at her expression, her eyes seemed to say never to throw it away while she said to throw it away firmly.

“…Are, are you really going to throw it away?”

“Yes.”

“Really? Even if you ask me later why you threw it away later, it’s not my responsibility?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Daran eventually stood up, holding the dress in her hand. Livia said to throw it away, so she thought that she should throw it away right away. As she was about to leave the bedroom with the dress, Livia hurriedly called her.

“Daran.”

Of course.

Daran picked up the dress and turned her body. What would she have done if she really went to throw it away? She looked at Livia, thinking that to herself. However, Livia, contrary to what Daran had expected, was still determined. She suddenly thought that the young princess had become a lady and had grown up.

Livia uttered in a cold voice as she gazed at the dress with a determined face.

“If possible, don’t just throw it away. Burn it.”

“…Yes?”

“Don’t let me come back to it.”

Saying that, she squeezed her hands and turned away from Daran before climbing onto the bed. She then pulled the blanket over her head.

No matter what he said, she needed Zagnac. When Azela’s face appeared in her mind, Livia resolutely closed her eyes, burying her face in the darkness. Her words with her to fight her fair and square echoed in her head, but Livia covered her ears. It was time for her to live on her own.

Closing her eyes, Livia only remembered her marriage to Zagnac.

And a few days later, Sylvia came to her.