"Haa, haa..."
The sound of heavy breathing was heard.
Hayden was gripping his own neck, blocking his breath. Soon, his hand fell from his neck. Hayden collapsed into his seat with a deeply reddened face. The pain of not being able to breathe overwhelmed him, but nevertheless, his mind didn't clear. The only thing dominating his mind was thoughts of his master, whom he must serve.
"Damn it!"
His master will return. Because she said so. Yes, so Hayden should believe her and do what he needs to do. That was what he ought to do as Liv's servant. But...
"I can't concentrate..."
He couldn't focus on anything. Only thoughts of Liv filled his mind.
He had tried several times to inflict injuries on himself to clear his mind. He had tried strangling himself and even slapping his own cheeks. His arms were covered with red wounds he had inflicted on himself.
But he couldn't erase Liv. Yes, maybe it's natural.
Because Liv was his very mission itself.
Liv was Hayden's center that he couldn't escape from no matter how hard he tried. Liv was his destiny and his mission.
Hayden's unusually strong interest in Liv began around the time he received divine punishment because of her. He could have avoided her, thinking his life would be ruined if he got involved, but somehow he didn't want to. Strangely enough, from that moment on, Hayden couldn't take his eyes off Liv.
When he suffered hardships from the Emperor because of Liv, his mind became clearer. Although he was the one imprisoned, he felt pity for Liv. Hayden was also a human lacking in many things, but he couldn't stop thinking that Liv seemed empty every time he saw her. She seemed to be a person with a much more vacant inner self than Hayden himself.
Feeling like he needed to take care of and look after her for no reason, Hayden unknowingly began to hover around Liv. And now that he knows Liv is the master he had been looking for...
"Damn it."
With his head throbbing as if it was about to burst, Hayden slashed his arm with the dagger lying beside him. Blood flowed down his arm and dripped onto the blanket. Looking at that vivid red color, Hayden felt his headache subsiding a little.
"Yes, I guess this is all my karma..."
It's natural to suffer pain for the sin of not properly protecting his master. Until Liv returns, he will gladly endure this pain. Recalling the pink eyes that smiled at him, Hayden tightly shut his mouth.
Knock knock knock.
At that moment, he heard someone knocking on his door. Hayden answered with an exhausted voice.
"Yes, come in."
The person who entered as soon as the door opened was an unexpected figure.
Anne Wolfe, the granddaughter of Viscount Wolfe with her ash-gray hair tied back, was standing there. Discovering Hayden's bleeding arm, Anne showed a slightly surprised expression, but soon returned to her original expressionless face and opened her mouth.
"Are you waiting for her?"
"...Yes."
After hearing Liv's words to return to the Wolfe viscounty and wait for an opportunity, Anne really returned to the viscounty. And she heard all the explanations from her grandfather. Even that the person she had met that day was Gracia.
Since then, she became a completely different person from before. Her uncultured speech that was like a street ruffian instantly transformed into that of a noble lady, and her always unruly demeanor changed to be gentle following noble etiquette. When Hayden asked why she changed her attitude so drastically, Anne answered, "If Lady Gracia returns, I should serve her as a noble too."
Hayden kept recalling the conversation he had with Anne. He also asked Anne why she wanted to devote herself to Gracia whom she had never met.
-Well, you from the Schulze family would know too, we learn loyalty from childhood, don't we?
-...That's right.
-And even if that wasn't the case, I need to take revenge.
-On August?
-Yes, because that guy is the reason my father died.
Because vengeance burned in Anne's eyes as she said that, Hayden could trust her completely.
When Hayden looked at Anne as if asking why she came to his room, she spoke in a quiet tone.
"I'm leaving this place now."
"Where are you going?"
"Where else?"
Impulsively disregarding etiquette, Anne grinned.
"I have to go cut off August's head."
* * *
[You're leaving tomorrow...]
[Yes, that's right.]
Sitting next to Rania, Liv was continuing her meal. Although the food of the Kingdom of Ashur was too salty for Liv's taste, she was satisfied just to be able to eat. Perhaps it was because the years she spent in Abgrund were much longer than the time she spent as a noble.
At that moment, a servant carefully approached and whispered something in Rania's ear. Rania's expression brightened upon hearing those words.
[What? My fiancé has come?]
[Yes, Princess.]
[Tch, why did he come, how annoying?]
Seeing this, Liv tilted her head. Rania was grumbling as if she didn't like her fiancé coming, but strangely, both her cheeks were flushed red.
[Lady Liv, would you like to see my fiancé together?]
[Yes, I'd like that.]
A moment later, the man said to be Rania's fiancé entered the room where they were.
The man had black hair and black eyes like most people in this region, but his hair was slightly curly. He was also tall and had a slender build. Although the beauty standards of the Kingdom of Ashur are a bit different, the man seemed handsome to Liv. It was different from what Rania had said about her fiancé not being handsome.
'But why did she say that?'
As Liv was wondering, recalling what Rania had said about her fiancé before, Rania abruptly stood up, stood next to her fiancé, and began to speak.
[Hmph, did you come all the way to the palace to make someone embarrassed?]
[I wanted to see you.]
While saying that, Rania's fiancé didn't look embarrassed at all. Rather, it was Rania's face that reddened at those words.
[Did I interrupt something?]
[You didn't interrupt... but I was with an important person right now.]
At those words, the man turned his head towards Liv.
[I'm sorry for interrupting. I'm Ahmose, the Princess's fiancé.]
[I'm Liv Gracia.]
[You're from the Ein continent, I see.]
[Yes, that's right. I'm from the Holy Hilysid Empire.]
[I can't tell you in detail, but Lady Liv is a very special and precious guest to our country too.]
[I see.]
Ahmose naturally extended his arm to Rania, and Rania linked arms with Ahmose. The process was as natural as flowing water.
Seeing this, Liv somehow felt like she was getting a grasp of the situation. Yes, the reason Rosina laughed when Liv asked Rania why she didn't take another fiancé was...
[Then I'll return to my room now.]
When Liv said that, Rania's eyes widened.
[Is it because of my fiancé? Should I kick him out?]
[No, there's no need for that. I just think it would be good for me to rest a bit before I leave tomorrow.]
Saying that and leaving the room, Liv whispered in Rania's ear.
[It would be better for the Princess to be more honest.]
[Ah...!]
Rania's face turned red as if it was about to burst. Leaving such a Rania behind and exiting the room, Liv was certain that Rania loved her fiancé.
Although she usually grumbled about her fiancé, their actual appearance was different. More than words, actions better show a person's true feelings. Rania showed a consistently flustered appearance in front of her fiancé. Like a child shy in front of someone they like.
'Even though she speaks like that, she actually likes him.'
Hmm, it seems that observing actions rather than words is better to really know a person. Liv thought anew.
* * *
"Ah, Liv..."
In a dark room, a man sitting alone muttered with his face buried in his hands. Emmett's eyes were bright red when he raised his head. Needless to say, his face had become haggard. Anyone could see he hadn't slept at all.
Since Liv went missing, there hadn't been a moment when he wasn't in agony. But what tormented him most of all was...
"I love you, Liv..."
With Liv not in front of him, the words of love came out naturally. No one was stopping his mouth.
Inside Emmett, resentment towards the gods surged madly. Why on earth did the gods inflict such divine punishment on him? He could have endured everything except for the thing about Liv, so why this of all things?
"I love you, Liv..."
Emmett wanted to say those words to Liv. He wanted to whisper those words every day while holding Liv in his arms. He wanted to see Liv's face smiling back at him upon hearing those words.
But Liv had disappeared, and all that remained were words that had lost their light before he could convey them. Though called a duke of the empire who has everything, without Liv, he was nothing more than a person who had nothing. Feeling pathetic about himself, Emmett laughed as if in self-mockery.
"Haha, where did it go wrong..."
Where did it go wrong? Was it a problem that he married without even being able to tell Liv he loved her? Or was it a problem that he rejected Liv's love back when he didn't know anything? Well, there's no point in dwelling on such things now anyway.
"I love you, Liv."
His words, growing cold without being conveyed, only served to remind Emmett more poignantly of his miserable situation.
"Your Grace, it's time for you to depart."
At that moment, Philip's voice was heard from outside, so Emmett raised his head with a coldly set face. In his hand was the long sword he always carried.
"Yes, it's time to depart."