Chapter 83: Chapter 83

“…Miss Vellista, you are the first to say this to me.”

“I see.”

“I thought I could be good friends with you… I’m sorry. Even after listening to your feelings, I can’t give up on Duke Ferial.”

Livia’s voice was full of regret. Azela’s shoes, fortunately, fit her feet perfectly. Livia was even more beautiful when she changed the dress and shoes. Her childlike appearance disappeared, and only a mature lady remained.

Azela, who raised her knee, nodded her head before stroking Livia’s frizzy hair.

“That’s right. But, let’s keep this a secret between you and me… It’s a secret no one knows about.”

“…I will.”

Feeling good that she held someone else’s secret, Livia clenched her fists and her cheeks blushed as she pretended to be dignified. As she lifted her head and gazed in the mirror, she looked at Azela, who was tidying up her hair.

“How about this?”

“Yes? What?”

“I only need to marry Duke Ferial. After that, it doesn’t matter who Duke Ferial sees or what he does. After we are married, I will not interfere if Duke Ferial meets Lady Vellista.”

“….”

Azela smiled vaguely. As there was no answer, Livia quickly continued.

“It wouldn’t be a bad offer. What I want is freedom, not Duke Ferial. I am going to stay married for about a year and then leave. I promise you money, land, and status for the two of you to live on for the rest of your lives.”

“…If that happens, only you will be unhappy. Everyone will whisper behind your back. They will say that the Princess had become a joke. The Emperor would call on the Princess to clean this up every day. You couldn’t win a man’s heart.”

“It’s not just my fault as a woman. It is the problem of two people who do not agree with each other as a married couple.”

“That’s right.… It is especially the fault of a man who went astray, who had his heart for the mistress over the wife.”

…Like Daniel.

Azela swallowed those words and oiled Livia’s frizzy hair with plenty of oil.

“Still, the world that needs gossip would pin it solely on the fault of the woman. Without the reward of escaping from the Imperial Palace, the Princess will not be free no matter where she goes.”

Because she did just that…

She smiled bitterly as she recalled her past. Livia grimaced, listening to Azela. She never thought of it after that since the only thing she had been wanting was to get married and escape the Imperial Palace.

“Are you still okay with that?”

Asking that, Azela pinned the last hairpin to her hair. Livia looked ecstatic as she looked at herself in the mirror. She seemed happy with the dress and shoes because she always had her sisters’ dresses and shoes that didn’t fit her. Then, she looked at Azela beyond the mirror with a darkened look on her face again.

“Miss Vellista.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“From my point of view, I’m giving you a lot of consideration.”

Livia turned her body and looked up at Azela directly, not through the mirror. The next moment, she reached out her little hand and squeezed Azela’s hands tightly.

“I can ignore you, who is not currently Duke Ferial’s lover. You know it too, right?”

Azela answered her question with a bitter smile. Right, this was true since she had nothing to do with Zagnac. She had only exposed her feelings to Livia.

With a bitter smile, Azela opened her mouth.

“Princess.”

“Yes?”

“You also know that I can just lightly ignore the Princess, that Duke Ferial keeps rejecting, right?”

Livia looked blank for a moment, but she soon nodded her head with a pleasant smile.

“That’s right. Why are we thinking of putting the cart before the horse, so it’s no use for the two of us to talk here.”

Her face was stained with sorrow.

If asked which one of the two had a chance, it was Azela because he had already firmly rejected her marriage twice. At the same time, Azela, who looked at the mourning face, gently raised her chin with her fingertips.

Touching the Princess’ face was something no one could do, but Livia looked at Azela without a sign of displeasure.

“If the Princess wants to marry Duke Ferial until the end…”

“If I want…?”

“The two of us could be competitors.”

“Competitor?”

Livia asked the word ‘competitor’ and lowered her gaze.

“I can’t give up on my marriage to Duke Ferial, so it will be so.”

“I can’t give up my heart for Duke Ferial.”

When Azela smiled at her, Livia followed her and smiled together. Anyway, the choice was his. Moments after, Azela reached out her arm towards her. Livia, who was looking at it, gently grabbed her extended arm and stood up.

“You’re the first to offer to compete with me, Miss Vellista.”

“Usually, everyone avoids competition with the Princess.”

“That’s not it.”

Livia shook her head weakly.

“It’s not that they’re avoiding it, it’s that they don’t have to compete with me in the first place. They can’t see me in their eyes.”

“….”

“Competition is also about having a match with someone who is suitable for you. So, there is nothing to compete with me, who has nothing and nothing to do.”

Saying so, she paused for a moment and swallowed her bitter saliva. The face of a girl who was only sixteen seemed to contain all the sorrows of the world.

“So, I’m really happy that there are people who are willing to compete with me.”

“….”

“Actually, it’s the first time that someone has told me that they like someone… It’s also pretty fun.”

“There is only one thing I can say.”

“What?”

“Do whatever you want.”

“….!”

Livia’s eyes widened. She was only sixteen years old, but no one had ever told her to do her own thing. They just told her to live by the set rules, follow a set life, and told her not to stray from it or struggle to run away.

“Of course, I can’t help the Princess, nor can I suggest another way to the Princess. In a way, the reason I can say this is because I have never been in the Princess’ situation, and you may think it is irresponsible.”

“….”

“Although I can’t congratulate you on your marriage to Duke Ferial…”

“Miss Vellista.”

“I still want to tell you to do what you want to do.”

Azela escorted Livia out of the bedroom. Perhaps, it was because she was wearing the right shoes. Livia’s gait, holding Azela’s arm and walking, was much more natural than before.

“Really…”

She smiled at Azela’s last words as her eyebrows curled up into a smile. The sound of the two people’s heels echoed in the hallway.

“You are the first to do what I want to do.”

“It is an honor to be able to be the Princess’ first.”

“What I want to do is to reject this marriage that the Emperor tells me to do and run away from the Imperial Palace.… Though that won’t happen either.”

As Livia uttered bitterly, Azela did not turn her head. She just gazed in front of her with her back upright.

“…It was irresponsible to say.”

“Even if it was irresponsible, I feel good. I never had anyone to talk to me so irresponsibly.”

With a worried expression staining her face, Livia gulped and asked urgently.

“I will do everything I can to marry Duke Ferial.”

“Yes.”

“Then, will you hate me?”

Stopping her steps, she gave strength to her arm that was holding Azela. As she stopped, Azela, who had stood in place with her, turned her head to look at her. Livia seemed to have the words ‘I don’t want to be hated’ written on her face.

As Azela pondered carefully, she said with a wide smile.

“I may hate you.”

“…I’m sure it’s like that.”