CH 134

Livia, who had looked tearful at Zagnac’s words, smiled brightly. Her smile seemed to have found the light of life, though Azela, who heard him from behind her, couldn’t bear to smile.

Even though she pushed his back and told him to do it, she couldn’t pretend that it was nothing or even smile. Princess Livia, who was smiling brightly, gazed at her with a sorry face, but even at that moment, Azela couldn’t smile.

“It’s okay, so stay outside.”

Having invited Livia to the dinner table, Zagnac spoke to Azela in a sweet voice.

Even though it was his consideration towards Azela not to let her hear the marriage talk, Azela lost her smile once again. But still, she couldn’t show displeasure, so she had to nod her head and walk out of the dining room with the lightest possible step.

The intimate evening time shared by the two of them brought laughter. The laughter heard through the closed door became a sword and stabbed her in the chest.

“…That’s what you told him to do, Azela.”

Azela, who was stamping her foot for no reason, murmured quietly to herself. Was she being conceited? Even if she asked him to marry Princess Livia, she might have thought that in a part of her heart, he was going to say, ‘No, I don’t want to leave you alone!’

…Perhaps, she wanted to test him.

“Miss.”

As she continued to tap her feet, Baharf came calling her. Baharf’s face, as he looked at Azela, looked pitiful. Unlike Zagnac, who had no sense, he was quick-witted and knew everything.

“If you are hungry, can I prepare a meal for you?”

Azela quietly shook her head at that question.

It was clear that if she ate anything in this state, she would just be nauseous. Seeing her press her finger on her stomach, Baharf stood back, knowing that his question had been answered.

“Hahaha.”

Zagnac’s loud laughter could be heard through the closed dining room door. It was difficult for Azela to stand guard in front of the dining room and listen to him and Livia laugh. If an assassin came in at a time like this, she would rather vent her anger to her heart’s content.

Azela tapped her foot again.

At that moment…

“….!”

It seemed that what she wished for became a reality.

Noticing an unpleasant figure crawling through the mansion like a snake crawling, Azela grabbed the hilt of her sword. Princess Livia was also here, so it was unknown whether the intruder was targeting Zagnac or Livia.

Even if they were targeting Livia, she was now a guest invited by Duke Ferial. Not only that, but she was a member of the imperial family. Still, instead of a full-fledged escort knight, she brought only one low-ranking knight who was just interested in passing the time, so it was also Azela’s duty to protect her.

“Stay here.”

After spitting short words to the low-ranking knight who couldn’t read the situation and spat out boring yawns, she grabbed the handle of her sword and moved quickly.

The place where there was a presence was the garden.

Azela scrambled toward the garden and took hold of the handle of her sword. The garden was quiet. It was as still as if even the air was holding its breath. She couldn’t feel anything that had been creeping around her just now.

‘Here it is…’

It meant that the assassin was also holding their breath here. As she surveyed her surroundings, Azela drew her sword very lightly so that anytime, anywhere, no matter who popped out, she could cut it at once.

And soon, footsteps came, and an assassin with a sword jumped out from behind.

“….!”

Azela drew her sword in one breath, and before the assassin’s sword could reach her, she cut the assassin’s throat without hesitation.

Blood splattering like a fountain drenched her face, and before she could wipe it off, another assassin jumped out from the right. When she jumped to the side and swung her sword again, red blood stained the green sprouts that bloomed in the garden.

“How many of them are there?!”

There were never more than three, perhaps they decided to compete with quality since there was no end to the attacking assassins even as the corpses in the garden piled up.

Azela stopped and started to read the signs. She had cut down three. There was another one standing in front of her and one hiding its presence.

Of the five, only two remained.

“If you’re going to attack, attack all at once.”

She changed her grip on the sword. The one that had been hiding appeared along with other assassins at her words. When the assassin who had been hiding appeared, the assassin who had attacked first looked lost.

“It seems like the two of you met for the first time.”

This had happened before when Benjamin came as an assassin. Even then, it was clear that the assassins were not sent by the same person.

It was the same this time, too.

She glanced at them alternately as she gripped her sword tightly before running first to the dazed assassin. It was definitely difficult for her to deal with both at the same time, but she didn’t have to worry about who else might pop up.

Azela swung her sword to her heart’s content.

‘…This one is weak.’

The swordsmanship of the assassin, who was taken aback, and who was in the same party as the three who died earlier, was poor.

However.

‘This side is stronger.’

The later assassin who came alone to attack had quite strong swordsmanship.

If one side must have been sent by the Emperor, then who was the other side? Chises? Daniel? Sylvia? There were not one or two places that could be involved. Azela thought as she thrust her sword into the chest of the weaker assassin.

And just then, another assassin’s sword cut deep into her back.

“Kuht!”

It was the result of a brief carelessness. Azela, who even dropped her sword due to the surprise, evaded the place with a quick forward roll. It was momentary, but it was clear that if she hadn’t evaded, she would have been stabbed in the heart.

A thick cold sweat ran down her forehead.

‘I’ll die.’

The opponent was excellent. Of course, there was also where she was caught off guard, but if she didn’t pay attention, she would die in an instant. She couldn’t see how much blood was flowing or how deep the wound was, but her back felt as if it was burning.

A bitter taste swirled in her mouth.

“How could you let go of the sword? It’s a lifeline.”

The assassin who kicked her sword into the corner laughed. Looking at the discarded sword in the corner, Azela bit her lower lip hard. The assassin was right. It was her own mistake that she dropped the sword, startled at the moment’s pain.

‘I still lack practice… to let go of the sword.’

Thinking that, Azela frowned and glanced at her discarded sword in the corner. Although she wondered if she could go to pick it up, it was obvious that she would get cut or die while trying to pick it up.

Here, there was no other way than to drag the time and make the opponent vigilant. Azela, who let out a breath, asked.

“Did you come to kill Duke Ferial?”

“…Duke Ferial? Ah, this is the mansion of Duke Ferial.”

He tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders. Judging from what he was saying, it seemed that Zagnac was not his target.

Then…

“…To kill Princess Livia?”

“Oh, it looks like Princess Livia is here too. It looks like I made a good visit during the evening when important people gathered.”

He didn’t even know that Princess Livia was visiting this place today…

Azela shook her head, hiding her surprise. It occurred to her that maybe not all the assassins who had recently come were ordered to kill Zagnac.

‘…No way.’

She thought, but Azela shook her head. The assassin swung his sword first before she asked the next question.

“Azela Vellista, I have come to kill you.”

What she had hoped for had become a reality.

Even though she thought everyone had come to kill Zagnac, it didn’t seem to be the case. It was obvious that Daniel or Sylvia would try to kill her and not Zagnac. Why couldn’t she have thought of it? She simply thought they were all assassins sent by the Emperor.

“Who sent you? Daniel? Sylvia?”

Azela asked as she crept towards the discarded sword. In any case, the only way to end this fight was with a sword in her hand.

“Well. I only received a request, so I don’t even know who the requester is, whether it is a woman or a man.”

“….”

“Judging from the fact that there are many people you can guess here and there, it seems that you have been hated quite a bit.”

“That’s true.”