Chapter 60

Adelia went up to her room like she was running away. Her head throbbed. Her memory was cluttered up and made her confused. Adelia sat down, clutching her head.

Demalo. The man who became Adelia’s guardian. The only man Adelia gave her heart to in a barren environment. Young Adelia’s memory flooded her head.

Adelia, feeling faint dizziness, scrambled to open the drawer. Looking hurriedly through the drawer, she took out an old diary. Adelia looked at the cover of the diary for a while. Her eyes were filled with hesitation.

At last Adelia slowly opened her diary. She flipped the pages quickly. Finally, the diary of the day Demalo left was revealed.

– Demalo left me. He said he didn’t want to see me again. We’ve been fighting a lot lately, but Demalo always forgives me…. Did I make a mistake that even Demalo can’t forgive? I hate Demalo. I hate him, I hate him so much that I don’t even want to think about him. But I want to find Demalo. And I want to apologize to him and tell him to come back. I did everything wrong, so come back….

Adelia closed her eyes after reading the diary stained with regret and resentment. 

‘Why did you come back? After leaving like that….’

Adelia sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling. Demalo was the only guardian of Adelia who was shunned by her family.

Whenever she found a happy moment in Adelia’s memory, it was always a memory with him. The man who played the role of father on behalf of Marquis Sorne. The man who thought little Adelia was a family.

Adelia thought, rolling her fist hard.

‘…this is not my memory.’

But she didn’t know why she felt so emotional. Adelia clenched her teeth. She couldn’t get carried away by emotions now.

I have to remain calm.

The enemy she had to fight was too strong, and now she is too weak.

I shouldn’t be swayed by emotions.

Adelia, determined, slowly lifted her eyelids. The confusion in her eyes had gone away before she knew it. Adelia closed the diary without hesitation. And put it in a blazing fireplace. The old bundle of paper was quickly engulfed in flames. She couldn’t be tied to the past. Because she had tomorrow.

‘By the way, why did the Grand Duke bring Demalo?’

Judging from the circumstances earlier, it seemed as if the Grand Duke had found and brought Demalo.

The Grand Duke and Demalo…. Is there something I don’t remember?

‘This uncertainty could be poisonous. Should I have a word with him….’

***

The Grand Duke was sitting in his office chair with a stiff face. He couldn’t get his hands to work.

What was the meaning of her tears? Why did she shed tears?

Even after Rohen’s collapse, she felt sad, but Adelia never showed tears.

“Did you part in a bad way?”

One side seemed very happy to be reunited. But Adelia’s tears didn’t look like tears of joy to him either.

‘I shouldn’t have let them run into each other.’

A sigh poured through Ivan’s lips. Then he could feel a movement through the door. Soon there was a knock.

“Your Highness, I have brought the mercenary.”

“Come on in.”

The door slowly opened when Ivan’s permission fell.

Maybe he didn’t sleep well last night, a dark shadow was cast under Demalo’s eyes.

“I couldn’t say hello properly before. My name is Demalo Hexen.”

Ivan looked down at Demalo and opened his mouth.

“You can raise your head.”

“Thank you.”

Demalo’s attitude was quite polite, but his eyes were sharp.

“Demalo Hexen. I ask you, were you employed by Viscount Yurpheon 12 years ago?”

“If you mean Lady Adelia, you’re right about that.”

“Do you remember saving the kidnapped children?”

“Yes, I rescued children who had been kidnapped in a collapsing cave.”

Ivan, who got the answer he wanted, nodded.

“I see.”

“May I ask you a question this time?”

Zen’s face, which was crumpled behind Demalo’s bold voice, turned pale.

Is there no word for fear in his human dictionary?

Zen looked tired and watched how the Grand Duke would react.

“What are you curious about?”

Fortunately, Ivan didn’t lose his temper like Zen’s worry.

He just looks at Demalo with his eyes like, “Look at this?”

“What do you have to do with Lady Adelia?”

Not only Zen but also Ivan was confused at the blunt question of Demalo. Ivan was speechless for a while.

Barely out of shock, he soon laughed and pointed out Demalo’s error.

“There are two things wrong with your question.”

“…….”

“First of all, Adelia Yurpheon is no longer a lady, but a viscount. And the second is that you are not in a position to dare ask about my relationship with the Viscount.”

Demalo’s expression hardened for a moment. Zen was nervous that he would dare to talk back to the Grand Duke at any moment. Contrary to Zen’s expectations, however, Demalo’s remarks gently withdrew from his mouth.

“…That’s right.”

There was a bitter smile around Demalo’s mouth. Ivan, who saw Demalo who lost his fighting spirit in an instant, briefly kicked his tongue. He picked out the easiest answer and answered back.

“You can say that she and I are partners.”

“Partner…”

Demalo was lost in thought, reciting a little. He soon looked up and faced the Grand Duke. And suddenly he fell on one knee and said, Ivan watched Demalo’s action with his eyes narrowed.

“Your Highness, please do me a favor.”

“Favor?”

“Please allow me to be the Viscount’s escort.”

At that moment, there was silence in the office. Zen stared at the back of Demalo’s head with the eyes, ‘What the hell is that man talking about?’ With a silent signal to please stop. But Zen’s signal did not reach Demalo.

“Please.”

Ivan thought quietly.

Why would Demalo want to return to Adelia’s side?

“I want to hear why.”

At Ivan’s question, Demalo hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth.

“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but I… I thought of her as my own child.”

When he heard Demalo’s answer, a slanted smile came to Ivan’s mouth.

“You’re child… that’s definitely a dull remark. Then I’ll ask again. Why did you leave the Viscount?”

“…My life is being threatened at that time. Every day, assassins came looking for me.”

Demalo continued to reply quietly and silently, recalling the time.

“When I found out they were even trying to harm the Viscount, I thought I had to leave.”

“So, you left?”

Demalo nodded silently. Ivan’s expression became complicated. He now knew vaguely why Adelia cried when she saw Demalo.

‘I think they had a pretty close relationship. Father and daughter….’

If Adelia and Demalo were in that relationship in the past, it’s not up to him to decide.

“I think this is something I can’t decide. If you want to escort the Viscount, ask the Viscount herself. I will abide by her decision.”

I meant I wouldn’t say much if Adelia allowed him.

Demalo bowed his head thankfully.

“I’ll give you a week. If you don’t get a positive answer from the Viscount, you’ll leave the Duchy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Demalo nodded his head with a firm look and left the office.

Click. 

Demalo disappeared and only Zen and Ivan remained in the office. Zen glanced at the Grand Duke and spoke cautiously.

“…even if he looks like that, he’s not a bad person.”

Ivan’s eyebrows frown.

“Zen, you must have grown attached to him while we were traveling together”

“Well, it’s not like that….”

“No?”

“I’m sorry, I lied.”

Zen’s head, speaking in a crawling voice, gradually turned downward. A mischievous smile formed around Ivan’s mouth.

“It was a joke.”

“Sorry… What?”

Zen opened his eyes wide and raised his head sharply.

“Zen. What kind of man do you think he is?”

After being confused for a moment by the unexpected question, Zen soon began to think seriously. A person who is really selfish and gives a scary look if he doesn’t like you… Even so, his eyes change when he talks about Viscount Yurpheon. The tired eyes of life shone brightly at that time.

“I think he’s a selfish human being. However, I felt that he truly cares for our benefactor.”

“The Viscount?”

“Yeah. Every time he talked about her; his eyes were shining.”

But no matter how good Zen feels, the decision is entirely up to Adelia.

“Will she accept him?”

Ivan recalled Adelia, who had been in tears without realizing it.

“Maybe it won’t be easy.”

***

Liam knocked carefully on Adelia’s door. Behind him stood a nervous-looking Demalo.

“What’s the matter?”

“Demalo wants to talk to you.”

The other side of the door fell silent. Demalo waited nervously for Adelia’s answer. Soon the door opened and Adelia appeared.

Demalo frowned faintly at the sight of her red eyes.

“Just in time. I also wanted to talk to you. Come on in.”

Demalo felt awkward at Adelia’s use of honorifics. But he was relieved to know that she wanted to talk to him. Demalo slowly entered the room of the now-grown girl.

“Did you say your name was Demalo?”

“…lady.”

Demalo froze on the spot, shocked by Adelia acting as if she didn’t know him.

“You used to be employed by me.”

“That’s right.”

“I have a question.”

Demalo was still hopeful of Adelia’s words. He thought she’d ask why he left. But contrary to Demalo’s expectations, Adelia asked a completely different question.