111 – Gift
The Azbel family and the Baslet family were busy preparing for the wedding.
Even though there are still a few days left before the ceremony, the family tried their best to make the wedding as good as possible.
The wedding venue was decided to use the place I had seen with Shael in the Holy Kingdom.
The wedding venue was much larger than I thought, and Sael and I didn’t have a lot of connections.
Of course, since wedding invitations were sent to the main members of the families that mainly traded with members of the Azbel and Baslet families, there was no way the wedding would be modest.
Shall and I were just thinking about the future, planning, and waiting for a beautiful marriage.
“Even though I have several days left, I am nervous.”
“I’m not like that at all.”
That was Sael’s answer. Contrary to her answer, of course, Shael’s hands were shaking.
It was clear that Sael was also looking forward to marriage so much.
“There is bound to be tension. It’s not all about having a wedding at the wedding hall you saw then, it’s also a very pretty dress.”
A dress that was commissioned at the dressing room. It was a dress that made me smile and made me feel happy just by looking at it.
If Shael wore that dress, it would put a tremendous strain on my heart.
‘I want to see you right now, but…’
I somehow endured it. For the happiness of the future that will come slowly and quickly.
“Let’s just get out. Father and Duke Jespen will be waiting for you.”
Azzel and Duke Ezran. And I and Shael, who will soon become a couple. Everyone was supposed to get together and have a meal together.
Read at noblemtl.com
Kikiiik.
“⋯?”
Shael questioned her. The reason was that I felt my attitude more cautious than usual.
Shael, who had been glancing at me, took her eyes off her. I took Shael’s hand and stepped her foot down the stairs on Baslet Street.
“What are you doing?”
Shael asked while holding my hand. It was a question worth pondering. Because I was overprotective of Shael as if I was handling her treasure.
‘I recalled the memories of the past in more detail, but I have no choice but to do this.’
The guilt I felt for Shael was what made me do that. The conversation with Duke Ezran was the trigger.
Duke Ezran wasn’t the only one who suffered in the world where I died. Shael must have gone through hard adversity too.
I couldn’t even fathom how much pain Shael must have felt.
‘I was the reason I obsessed over Clie’s bracelet of holy power in the original novel and tried to take it away…’
Shael, who lost her fiancé and stole her bracelet of holy power from Clie in order to save me.
I don’t know how painful and heartbreaking it must have been. Even in the original novel, it was Sael who had a miserable ending.
‘After fulfilling my wish through the bracelet of holy power, I must have come to a disastrous conclusion soon after.’
If I didn’t feel sorry for Shael who did that for me, that would be ridiculous.
I spoke to Shael, who was still standing on the stairs and glaring at me, with the guilt growing toward Shael in my heart.
“What if I accidentally slip on the stairs?”
“You can walk just fine on your own, so watch out for yourself.”
She couldn’t bear to get mad at the person who cared about her, so she grunted and passed me by.
“I’m sorry about something, but it’s okay, don’t do anything weird.”
Words for me were a bonus. I followed her, feeling that her love for her grew in Sael’s actions.
When you feel happy just walking down the hallway with Shael. Time passed before we knew it, and we arrived at the large restaurant on Barcelet Street.
Duke Jespen and Lady Enella were seated. It was the same with Duke Ezran.
I thought it would definitely create an awkward atmosphere. Because Duke Ezran’s personality was quite different from Duke Jespen’s.
Strangely, however, the atmosphere wasn’t too bad. It was thanks to the friendship between Duke Jespen and Duke Ezran that was stronger than I thought.
“Ezran, it’s been a while since I saw you, and your complexion seems to be better than before.”
Duke Jespen said with a grin. Since he had been cured of the disease he had been suffering from, Duke Ezran had a brighter mood from my point of view.
That’s how we talked about this and that.
I was able to obtain a lot of information that would help strengthen the relationship between the Azbel family and the Baslet family, which had been close in the first place, and also help the Baslet family’s difficult finances.
A little strange story came and went. The first one was the Duke of Jespen.
“Actually, something strange happened, so it’s a problem. Someone is destroying Azbel’s books in her library.”
Suddenly, Shael, who was eating dessert next to her, started coughing at her.
“Why is that?”
“Oh, no.”
After exchanging a little conversation with Shael, I spoke to Duke Jespen.
“It’s a big deal that the books are damaged. Aren’t there some important books in the Azbel family’s library?”
Duke Jespen, who tilted his head, said with a frown on his face.
“Only books related to romance were damaged.”
First of all, I’m glad that the important books are safe. A love book? Why are those books damaged?
It was difficult to understand, and I did not want to understand.
“I found out today, and it’s the same with the Baslett’s library. Some of the books are torn out, so I don’t want it.”
Duke Jespen pulled out some books. Most of them were books stuck in the Baslet family’s library.
As he said, a lot of pages were seriously torn out.
It wasn’t a big deal, but I was curious and checked the book. There was the only intact page that was not torn.
ㅡTo get closer to your lover, bullying your lover is one way.
ㅡIf the person you like is swearing at you as if they hate you, you need to think about it the other way around. Rather, it could be that he is interested in you.
As soon as I read the text, I was convinced. Turning her head, I saw Shael, who was eating dessert next to me pretending not to know anything.
Have you left only the pages you like and ripped out the other pages?
I admired the cute Sael’s actions. Barely holding back her laughter, she just turned a blind eye to Shael’s secretive actions.
Next came a conversation with Shael about my future. It was also the time when Duke Jespen raised his voice most fervently.
“Heir. I don’t want to bring out this story already, but… The Azbel family and the Baslet family need someone to connect their bloodlines.”
Duke Jespen looked back and forth between Shael and me. I spoke on behalf of Shael, who was silent because she couldn’t overcome her shame.
“Of course I have plans. However, I would like to have a year or so for the happy time we will spend together.”
“I see.”
Duke Jespen nodded his head. It was a reasonable statement, so he seemed to understand it too.
Of course, I wanted to see my daughter as soon as possible, but it was a plan decided after careful consideration.
Because if you have a child as soon as you become a couple, you won’t have a fresh time.
“Even so, I wouldn’t leave Sael alone for a year.”
“⋯⋯.”
“The Barsletts have a lot of great wines.”
What that word meant was simple.
“So… Great.”
Shael’s eyes interrupted Duke Jespen’s words. The conversation ended with Shael blushing.
I blushed and Shael and I walked together. No matter how much time passed, the blushing face could not find its original color.
Even though the conversation had already ended, and Sael and I had just come to the room.
An awkward atmosphere lingered. I had no choice but to be silent because my voice would tremble just by talking.
“Let’s go in.”
“I’m sorry.”
As soon as I entered her room, Shael couldn’t overcome her embarrassment and turned around with her back to me.
“Okay, I’m going to go to the bathroom for a while.”
She was Shael who finally chose to escape. It was an advantage for me. My condition was not much different from Sael’s.
But there was one thing I was mistaken about. Shael didn’t run away, she fought back.
Shael said he was going to the bathroom. When she came back to my room, her wine bottle was in her hand.
“⋯⋯.”
Shael set the wine bottle down on the table. Shael’s incredible courage. Then I couldn’t back down.
I gently put the wine glass in the room on the table and tilted the wine bottle.
The red-tinted wine filled the wine glasses. Even as the wine glasses overflowed, Shael and I remained silent.
Soon Shael and I lifted our wine glasses without a signal. There was no need for side dishes. Because they were already aware of each other’s eyes.
I worried that I might hear the sound of drinking wine, so I carefully drank the wine.
As I raised my head, I felt the visible ceiling close by. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the alcohol or if it was because of my heart beating.
The wine glass showed the bottom.
Intoxication lingered, exhalation pierced the sky, and blood overflowed.
The overflowing blood was spread beyond containment.
The ceaseless beating of the heart was already uncontrollable.
Sael and I hugged each other after clearing our throats. The nervousness that seemed like it would never be resolved was gone.
It wasn’t long before their lips met and the wall collapsed. A warm atmosphere drove away the awkward atmosphere, and the cold night was filled with cheerful air.
The dizzying and distant night continued.
* * *
I opened my eyes feeling tired from the weight I felt. Shael was using my stomach as a pillow to sleep.
The irregular sound of Shael’s breathing felt harsh, as if it showed her fatigue.
I would normally look at Sael with a smile, but I couldn’t because Sael was lying so uncomfortable.
“Give me a seat, please. Can I be your bed?”
It was a grunting remark toward Shael that came out of me without realizing it.
“Then go to bed.”
Is it because he was awake or in his sleep? Shael, who had been talking strange nonsense, fell asleep again.
To make a bed for someone?
Of course it wasn’t bad. He was willing to serve as a bed for the villainess.
Shael tossed and turned her posture while talking to her in her sleep, but her posture was still uncomfortable. As she pushed Sael aside a little, something in her fell off Sael’s clothes.
Tooung.
It was a cross. The cross I bought when I went to the Holy Kingdom Blessing Party.
‘Did you say that the cross will come true if you make a wish every day?’
If Shael, who has bad patience, had been carrying a cross and wishing for it, it was obvious what that wish would be.
It must have been a wish related to me.
I put the cross in my arms that Sael must have been holding in his hand all the time and making a wish. He touched the cross, imagined a happy future, and drew it in his head.
‘I’m still happy, but…’
I hope that one day we can have a happier family.
I made a low wish. Just in time, it felt like the big snow seen through the window showed a good future.
Putting the cross back in Shael’s arms, he closed his eyes and smiled brightly.
For some reason, it felt like a small and precious gift had arrived.