CH 132

With Baharf’s voice, the closed parlor door opened.

‘A guest? I didn’t hear that anyone was coming today…?’

Surprised, Azela looked towards the door, but Zagnac didn’t. His gaze was still on the surprised Azela as if he had expected this to happen.

“….!”

It was Princess Livia who was standing in front of the wide-open door of the parlor.

There was silence.

Entering the parlor, Livia widened her eyes in surprise at seeing Zagnac and Azela but calmly calmed her emotions. On the other hand, unlike her, the startled Azela pushed his chest, but Zagnac didn’t move.

“Are you here, Princess?”

“I wondered if you were busy because you didn’t even come to greet me in advance, it turns out you’re doing this in a place like this.”

“Yes. As you can see, I am busy.”

Judging by the way he calmly greeted Livia, Zagnac must have known that she would come to his place.

Azela frowned.

In the end, it was clear that reading a book was an excuse, and he actually wanted to show Livia this sight.

“…You are not turning around and running away today.”

Raising his upper body, Zagnac smiled.

It was a kind voice though Azela looked frightened at the voice full of ridicule. Still, Livia was unconcerned. Instead of stepping back, she took a step forward and turned her attention to Azela, who was still sitting on the couch.

“I’m sorry, but I have something to say to Duke Gerial, so can you please step aside for a moment?”

Livia’s courteous tone lifted her from her messy position. Turning her gaze slightly to Zagnac, he nodded his head with a look in his eyes telling her not to worry. As she raised her body, Azela gave a polite bow to the Princess and quietly exited the parlor.

After she stepped out and the door closed, only Zagnac and Livia were left in the quiet parlor.

“What kind of talk do you need to send out my escort knight?”

She did not react to Zagnac’s grin.

As she walked close to him, she raised her hand and placed her hand on Zagnac’s chest before pushed him hard. With a thud, Zagnac sat down on the sofa rather violently. Livia’s expression when she saw that did not contain any emotion.

“You look like you’re going to kill me, Princess.”

“Duke Ferial.”

Moving closer to Zagnac, who ended up on the sofa, she called out to him once and raised her trembling hand. Then, she began to slowly unbutton the buttons of her dress that were fastened around her neck.

The parlor was quiet, and only the sound of Livia unbuttoning her dress echoed. Zagnac did not stop her from doing so. He didn’t even ask what she was doing as he just sat on the sofa and watched her.

“I really need you.”

As she unbuttoned all of the buttons and loosened the straps, the limp dress tumbled at her feet. Naked in an instant, Livia raised her hand to cover her chest and glanced down at Zagnac with a reddened face.

The smirk was gone from his face. He just looked up at Livia with a stern face, devoid of any emotion.

“The only thing that can save me from these scars is you, Duke Ferial.”

Her whole body was covered with wounds. There were bruises everywhere, and some were so large that just looking at them was repulsive. She had more scars than the knights on the battlefield or the scoundrels who enjoyed fighting on the streets, both in her body and in her mind.

“So.”

Livia lifted her trembling hand before she caressed Zagnac’s cheek, who looked up at her, and leaned over to touch the sofa he was sitting on. Today, perhaps because of this situation, she even sprayed perfume, but the scent of an adult did not suit her at all.

“Take me, Duke Ferial.”

Saying so, she closed her eyes and leaned over to Zagnac.

They said that the seduction of a woman was hard for men to refuse. It was just a beastly instinct. While she knew it all, it was the last string she could hold onto.

‘…This is enough.’

Livia slowly lowered her upper body and made a promise inside her. If she got married anyway, she would have to do the first night with him, so it didn’t matter whether it was before or after.

She heard the creaking of the sofa as Zagnac moved his body. Livia tried to soothe herself as she was about to burst into tears. However, even with her eyes closed, nothing else happened. It didn’t feel like he kissed her on the lips, nor did she feel like he had put his hand on her naked body.

“….”

Livia opened her blurry eyes. She couldn’t see Zagnac, who should be sitting in front of her. Covering her chest in embarrassment, she turned her head to see that he was taking off his outer garment.

‘That’s right, to do that, Duke Ferial has to take off his clothes as well.’

Startled, she turned her head away hastily. It was the first time she had ever seen a man undress, but that was her misunderstanding.

Zagnac took off his coat and left the jacket hanging over Livia’s shoulder.

“…Duke Ferial?”

She called out to him in a trembling voice.

The coat was too big for Livia to wear. He raised his clunky hand and buttoned it slowly so that her scars were not visible. It was a clumsy touch though he buttoned the coat, which he had put on her, right up to the tip.

In the meantime, Zagnac said nothing.

“Are you saying you don’t like me even if I do this?”

Tears eventually fell from Livia’s eyes as she saw Zagnac’s hand buttoning the last button. She had put down both her pride as a woman and her pride as a princess and took off everything in front of him… still, the answer that she got was this.

“Your Highness will surely find someone who will heal your wounds.”

It was an outright refusal. Livia’s face was red with shame. Even though she said it must be him, he kept on talking about someone else.

She clenched her fists tightly.

“I am not waiting for someone to heal my wounds.”

“….”

“I don’t want to be hurt anymore, so I’m looking for someone who will be the key. Duke Ferial, you are the key to opening my closed door…. the other keys don’t fit. I showed you my scars—”

Livia paused as she spoke and bit her lower lip hard. There was a bloody taste in her mouth.

“…I showed you my scars, not to ask you to care for me, but because I want you to see them and feel sympathy for me.”

Feel sympathy and be forced to choose her… that was her intention.

Tears continued to flow as she spoke her feelings out of her mouth. It was a strange feeling… sympathy towards herself, guilt towards herself, and obsession with her life had to go this far. Various emotions surged like waves and wrapped around Livia.

“I’m sorry, Princess.”

“….”

“I don’t feel the slightest pity for you.”

Livia lowered her eyes at Zagnac’s words. It felt like her heart was pounding. Would it feel like this if she fell off the edge of a cliff?

She felt like she was dying.

“Not only that. I have never felt any other emotion in my life.”

“…You never felt emotions?”

“So, asking me to feel that way…”

“You’re lying.”

She sternly cut off Zagnac.

“Liar.”

“I’m not lying. I don’t care about human emotions…”

“You feel the feeling of love for Miss Vellista.”

Her words made him dumbfounded. Livia, who did not look at Zagnac’s expression, let out a tear-soaked voice.

“You felt anger when the Crown Prince tried to do bad things to Miss Vellista. Duke Ferial, don’t you know how I feel when you look at her? I feel bitter because you are looking at Miss Vellista with a gaze that is so much sweeter than a sweet cake.”

“….!”

“Even when she was grieving as the Countess, you must have felt sympathy for her… unlike me!”