Chapter 149: Chapter 149

My hand, are you crazy?

Why are you holding Perez’s hand like that?

My heart, are you crazy too?

Why are you running like crazy?! (Yeah it’s love)

That was when my mentality was disintegrated by parts of my body that disobeyed me regardless of what I thought.

"Tia."

That’s all.

Perez was just calling my name.

Thump-thump.

But my heart was pounding even harder.

And my eyes kept turning to Perez’s face.

No, exactly on those lips.

I keep looking at his lips like I’m attracted to a magnet.1

Perez must have sensed such a change in me, too.

His gaze, which was firmly fixed as if entangled with my eyes, became hot.

I was completely exposed underneath it and couldn’t move.

Slowly.

And through that gap, his fingers dug between my fingers and clipped them tightly.

"Uh..."

It was the same this time.

That’s all, but it felt so, so close.

But I can’t push it away.

"It’s too..."

You are handsome.

Yeah, it’s all because of Perez’s crazy beauty.

I closed my eyes tightly.

I don’t think I will come back to my senses when I see Perez’s face.

"Pe, Perez."

"....Huh?"

I was wrong.

With my eyes closed, Perez’s voice became more stark and clear.

I opened my eyes and said, really raising the sense of self-control under the soles of my feet.

"We can’t do this."

"What is this?"

"Ah, you know! like this!"

I still screamed halfway, raising my clasped hands.

"You have someone you date! I don’t have a bad hobby of stealing someone else’s man!"3

Man-, man-, man-! (echo in the original sentence goo- goo- goo-)

My little cry echoed in the empty hallway.

Perez looked down at me and quietly frowned his dark eyebrows.

"...Someone I’m dating?"

There was something unpleasant about the low voice.

After a moment of thought, Perez asked.

"...You?"

"No, not me! That, that..."

Perez doesn’t know that I know about Ramona.

I don’t even know about the link between Perez and the Monak Top in the first place.

What should I say if Perez asks me, ’How did you know about Ramona?’

’In fact, it’s my person, Violet, who competed with Ramona for the Triva wood.’

Or should I say ’I actually returned from the future when you and Ramona became an official lover of the Empire.’?

In the end, I was forced to ask a half-empty question.

"Oh, the girl you met at the Academy?"

"No such thing."

Perez answered right away.

"I have a classmate who is a woman I met at the academy, but."

His hand held my hand tighter.

"None...?"

"None!."

Perez said firmly.

There seems to be no lie.

No, originally Perez doesn’t lie to me.

On top of that belief, one thought slowly raised in my head.

So they’re not in that relationship yet?

At the same time, I felt a sense of relief sweeping down my chest.

Then someone from over the hall called us.

"Your Highness, Lady Florentia."

It was Avinox with a fresh smile on his face.

"What do you do without going in?"

I quickly turned in the direction Avinox coming and let go of the hand I was holding.

Turning my head from the side, I could feel Perez was looking at me.

"We were talking for a while before we went in, Sir Avinox."

"Did you? If you’re done talking, let’s go in together."

"Shall we?"

I tapped Perez’s arm and glanced as I went inside.

"...Yes."

I left Perez on the left and entered the dining room with Avinox on the right.

But my head was full of only one thought.

Why am I relieved?4

...

The dinner ended shortly.

Lord Ivan was not present today, and his second son, Migente, treated us instead.

However, Migente Ivan did not stay long after the meal.

After a brief conversation with Perez in the corner, he told us to ’take a rest’ and left the dining hall.

"Then I’ll go..."

I’m tired maybe because I’m so nervous because of Perez.

It was time for me to put my napkin down on the table and start my luck.

Squeeze.

Someone grabbed my hand, which is still holding the napkin.

"...Sir Avinox"?"

"Lady Florentia..."

Who gave him a drink?

Avinox, whose face turned red, seemed completely drunk because his eyes had already been loosened.

And to make matters worse.+

"...Sniff."

Who gave him a drink?

Avinox was whimpering with his shoulders drooping with tears in his eyes.

It was a completely different side from the usual bright appearance.

It’s going to be annoying.

Being sober and crying is the perfect angle for counseling or complaining!

"Sir Avinox? Don’t get sober in the morning and cry, go back to your room..."

"What should I do, Lady Florentia?"

It is already a step late.

"I like her, but I don’t know what to do."

Avinox was already starting to whine.

"That Sir Avinox, I’ll hold it for you, so let go of this hand."

"Does she hate me?"

I don’t know if she doesn’t like you or not, but she’ll hate you when she sees you like this.

It was just before I pulled my hand out.

Bum Bum.

Perez, who had been away for a while to get another piece of cake for dessert, returned to the table.1

Then, in no time to stop, he took Avinox’s hand out of my hand roughly.

"Uh!"

Astonished, Avinox looked at me alternately with Perez, who was staring at me with sharp eyes and apologized quickly.

"Sorry, I’m sorry, Lady Florentia. I made a mistake."

I guess he’s sober now.

"It’s okay, Sir Avinox."

I said that with a smile.

By the way, Avinox seemed to understand the word ’okay’ a little differently.

"I have a problem, would you please listen to me?"

"What’s your concern?... I don’t know if I can be of any help."

I can’t help but listen to you when you talk like that.

"There’s a woman I like."

I listened to Avinox while eating the cake Perez brought me.

"She doesn’t even know that I like her. No, she seems to know, but I don’t know."

"What, what are you talking about?"

"Yes?"

I almost came out of my mind without knowing it.

"Oh, no. So, wouldn’t it be necessary to accurately inform the situation so that we can consult your concerns, Sir Avinox?"

"Oh... that’s right."

Avinox said, more shrugging.

"So the first time we met was a social gathering. It’s the most famous reading group in Capital, so I attended without much thought. I really fell in love at first sight. In that beautiful figure."

There are hearts in Avinox’s eyes explaining about that person.

You really like her.

"Since then, we’ve encountered each other several times at banquets or large and small gatherings. So we spent time together reading books and drinking tea."

"Maybe she has a heart for Sir Avinox, too."

"That’s what I thought. But..."

Avinox’s eyes were filled with tears again.

"She said to me not long ago. Soon, it seems that there will be a marriage partner decided in her family..."

Dark clouds formed on Avinox’s face with a voice that was getting smaller.

"I don’t think I can live any longer if she marries someone else."

"No, wait a minute."

I asked, sending a stop sign by hand.

"So she told Sir Avinox that she was about to get married? Is that what do you think?"

"Yes..."

"And it"s not a love marriage, but it"s a political marriage that her family decides?"

"Yes..."

What, it’s a green light.

I looked at Perez because I couldn’t understand the tearful Avinox.

I think he’s pathetic.

But for some reason, Perez was tapping Avinox on the shoulder.

He seemed to be very sympathetic.1

Men who don’t have courage.

I asked Avinox.

"Sir Avinox. Did you confess to her?"

"Although I didn’t confess... I did convey my feelings in a different way."

"For example?"

"I’ll get her a valuable book, or I’ll give her flowers... And if we get a good tea leaf, we can have tea together.

"You’ve done everything but confess?"

"Well, that’s... Yes..."

Oh my gosh.

I sighed softly and shook my head.

"Sir Avinox, you have to confess."

"Ha, but we’ve talked a lot together, and we’ve had a lot of time..."

"You have good feelings for each other, but you’re not confident."

"Confident..."

Avinox murmured with a blank face.

"I think there must be a reason why she pre-announced to Avinox about the marriage, and not decided yet."

I can’t believe he’s worried about this kind of problem.

Oh, I’m tired.

I patted the edge of my mouth again with a napkin and stood up and said.

"Express your heart, Sir Avinox. Unexpressed love is not love."9

I roughly told him the phrase I once heard.

Oh, I don’t know. It’s useful to many people, so it’s famous.

"Love without expression is not love..."

"Yes, that’s right, Avinox..."

It wasn’t Avinox.

It was Perez, not Avinox, who was repeating what I said.

And his red eyes looked up at me standing out of my chair. (Tia you have triggered the switch)2

I flinched my shoulders in a little embarrassment.

Why are you listening to that word?1

* * *

Half a year had passed since Madame Sussew was bedridden.

She was very healthy for her age, but she was unable to get out of bed since she slipped in the rain and was seriously injured.

In the end, Madame Sussew made a decision.

He decided to give up his position of the head family, which had not been handed over for a long time.

It was Chanton Sussew, the son of his late husband’s cousin.

Chanton was one of the most prominent knights in the Empire, where he returned to his hometown a few years ago.

The succession was carried out quietly a month ago.

After placing a brilliant and honest Chanton as a householder, Madame Sussew focused on treating her illness.

Until she heard some strange news today.

Madame Sussew immediately called Chanton to her bedroom.

"Aunt, did you call?"

Chanton stepped inside, calling Madame Sussew ’Aunt’ without the complicated title.

It was an ordinary face with short-cut brown hair, but he showed the sharpness unique of the swordsman and the relaxedness of the strong man who had been dealing with the sword for a long time.

"How are you feeling, Aunt."

"It’s gotten a lot better. How are you getting ready to go to the Capital?"

Madame Sussew asked, putting down the book she was reading on her lap.

"Yes. We are preparing well one by one. I was worried because you called me suddenly. What is it?"

"I heard a strange noise today, Chanton. The reason you leave for the Capital tomorrow is because of the Empress’s letter."

Madame Sussew finished her speech and looked at Chanton’s complexion.

He was a tree-like man with a cool shade and no vanity.

So there were many friends and many people who followed him.

It was fortunate for Madame Sussew that Chanton returned home from his position as the Commander of the Imperial Knights.

Because she believed in Chanton that much, so she called him without believing the rumors she heard.

"...Yes, that’s right."

Madame Sussew swallowed a deep sigh at Chanton’s calm answer, which she thought would jump ’no’.

"You’ve worked at the Palace for a long time, so you know what’s going on with the Imperial Family. I’m sure you’ll make the right judgment for Sussew, Chanton."+

But with that said, Madame Sussew didn’t look so good.

She was still staring at Chanton with a nice smile, but she finally added a word to him.

"Watch out for Angenas. You should never trust them."7

Chanton, who was listening silently, smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Aunt."