CH 117

“Benjamin came to the Capital.”

“…Have you met Benja?”

After the sparring at the training ground, Azela wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and breathed heavily. Zagnac’s breathing was calm and unconcerned.

“You know.”

Benjamin clearly said that he knew everything. Despite this, Zagnac said nothing to her. Was he trying to protect Benjamin, or was he trying to protect her…?

“At the party. Findar said he went to escort you.”

As Azela glanced over at him, he raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his chin despite her question. Zagnac, who did not answer, just sat down and stood up.

“Well.”

Again… He evaded again, avoiding her gaze.

It was like that then, too. He looked just like him on the day when she came to see the Emperor, he didn’t ask where she had been and evaded her words. As Zagnac got up and was about to go back, Azela hurriedly grabbed him by the sleeve.

Even though she didn’t hold it too hard, he stopped his stride.

“I heard Benjamin came to kill you.”

In the end, she opened her mouth first, just like last time. His expression was calm despite hearing what Azela said… no, he was pretending to be calm though his eyes were trembling slightly in surprise.

“How did you know?”

“…I see.”

“Before I ask how you knew, I want you to ask me why I didn’t tell you first.”

He didn’t tell her everything and said nothing… but it didn’t really upset her. It had to be. It seemed that Zagnac had never revealed his feelings and his story to anyone so Azela asked in a calm tone.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Azela tugged his sleeve.

Zagnac reacted greatly to even the slightest pull, so he sat back down and met her gaze. In the unwavering blue eyes, he was only a small existence.

“Just.”

A lot of meaning was implied in one short word, ‘Just.’

Why he didn’t want to tell her was that he didn’t want to see her focus on him while struggling to protect him from the assassin when she found out. He didn’t want her to get hurt by giving sympathy for a moment because Benjamin was someone he knew.

Humans tended to show compassion to those they knew, even when they didn’t need it.

“Yes. I’m just saying.”

And finally, because he didn’t want to see her betrayed by humans.

Zagnac frowned. He didn’t even know why she felt this way, and he didn’t know why he didn’t want her to find out.

At the same time, Azela nodded her head at his short answer. It was like she knew it all.

“I heard the Emperor sent him. Do you know that too, Zagnac?”

“…Yes. Judging by the fact that he hired Benja, he must be quite serious about killing me.”

“You are unconcerned that someone is trying to take your life.”

“Because no mere human will be able to kill me.”

He replied triumphantly with a sly smile. Seeing that, Azela silently lowered her gaze. For a brief moment, but for some unknown reason, she thought of him as a human being… that he was a person to be protected.

“Don’t say things like that lightly.”

As she frowned, Zagnac looked back at her with a questioning gaze.

“When you say something so confident, it just turns out to be the opposite.”

“What?”

“If you say you won’t die, you die, and if you say you want to live, you won’t live.”

“What? What are you talking about.”

“If you say you don’t love me, you love me.”

Azela’s plain face with no smile looked at him with a serious gaze. Still, he was gazing at her, laughing as if he found her weird with those words.

Zagnac shook his head and opened his mouth.

“Humans have strange words. If you say you won’t die, you die, and if you don’t love, you love… Strange. That’s nonsense.”

Saying that, he laughed as if he was having fun. Azela lifted her body and looked down at him with a serious face, seeing his laugh. She uttered quietly with a face that has not even the slightest hint of a smile.

“If you don’t want to believe it, it’s okay not to believe it. But, it’s real.”

* * *

A few days passed after the party.

Today was the day when Zagnac received a letter from Marquis Delter, who wanted to invest in his new business, and they visited his mansion. The conversation, which began before noon, continued even after several hours.

Azela, who had been walking around the Marquis’ house without incident, stepped into the garden.

“Wow.”

It was so beautiful that it made her exclaim.

The garden of the Imperial Palace was obviously beautiful, but the garden of Marquisate Delter was like a work of art. They said that the Marquis had a hobby of collecting various flowers. Perhaps, showing that was true, there were many flowers that she hadn’t seen before in his garden.

While she looked around the garden with an excited face, she saw Zagnac, who was watching her through the window of the parlor.

‘Beautiful.‘

Contrary to the Marquis Delter, who was discussing business with an enthusiastic face, Zagnac, while resting his chin, glanced at her through the window. As he said ‘beautiful’ with a smile and the shape of his mouth, Azela hurriedly turned her gaze with a hot flush.

‘…It must be that the flowers, not me, are pretty.’

Even though he denied that he didn’t like her, his attitude didn’t change. It was the same with her, who replied that she did not love him.

Azela glanced at the window of the parlor where Zagnac was. It seemed that he had already taken his eyes off her and was having a heated discussion with Marquis Delter again. So, she decided to sit on the bench right in front of it and looked at him through the window.

‘I am an escort. I need to see where the other person is to escort them.’

A gentle wind blew.

Whether it was because of the fragrant scent of flowers in the wind or because of the way he looked into her eyes, she felt better. Azela rolled her feet lightly and couldn’t take her eyes off the window. She quietly raised her hand to the air and stroked Zagnac, who was conversing leisurely beyond the window.

Of course, she didn’t feel anything special because she was just stroking the empty space. But strangely, even though she was just doing that, she felt her face turn red.

‘I’m crazy.’

She hurriedly lowered her hand, wondering if Zagnac would turn his head this way. Her feelings for him, rather than disappearing, clearly revealed their own presence as the days passed.

As she thought that, Azela put her hands on her forehead and shook her head.

“Azela.”

Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears even though no one would call her by her name friendly here. Azela opened her eyes wide and raised her trembling head. In the garden, without an escort, Crown Prince Chises stood alone.

Thinking it was a hallucination, she quickly rubbed her eyes.

“Azela.”

Still, he didn’t disappear.

Azela slipped her hand down this time and pinched her thigh. Looking at Zagnac made her feel so good that she wondered if she had fallen asleep. Nevertheless, it wasn’t even a dream, as her pinched thighs vividly conveyed the pain.

“How are you here?”

Azela shook her head and asked in a puzzled voice.

Chises answered her, moving very slowly, like handling a cat, minutely moving with an attitude of afraid to startle her and lest she ran away.

“I asked Marquis Delter.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

“I thought you wouldn’t come just because I called. Even if I did visit, Duke Ferial would let me talk with you alone. I wanted to talk to you alone, Azela.”

“Crown Prince.”

“If Duke Ferial comes here, you, Azela, will of course, follow.”

Listening to his words, she turned her head to look at the parlor window with a bemused face. Fortunately, Zagnac was concentrating on the conversation with Marquis Delter, so he did not see the situation on this side.

Azela frowned and turned her gaze to Chises. She wanted to send Chises back before Zagnac found out and got offended.

“Don’t be surprised, I just want to talk with you. I also wanted to apologize for that day.”