CH 295

The man lifted up his hands trying to placate Lunia. Amethyst gestured for her to sheathe her sword.

“Now this makes me a little sad,” said the man. “You really don’t recognize me? Or, is it because you choose not to? It’s me, Zaizen. I didn’t think I change a lot from back then. Not as much as you.”

Zaizen? Ah, the man Belice mentioned. I don’t like him being so informal with me.

“So?” Amethyst rudely asked.

“So? What do you mean? I was your first love…”

“So what?”

Zaizen flinched and seemed quite flustered. She was so different now. She wasn’t the submissive lady that he had wooed.

As other people started looking over, Zaizen started acting tough. “Wow… indeed you have changed a lot, I didn’t know the Duchess was so scary.” He mocked.

“Now you know,” she said briskly. “Get out of my way.”

Amethyst turned to Lunia. Zaizen grabbed her hand. “Wait! You can’t leave like this! It’s been so long.”

“What? I can do whatever I please!”

“Is it because I left you and called you ugly? Is this your revenge? Let it go. To be honest, you were ugly back then.”

Just what did Amethyst see in this vile assh*le? She restrained her anger. “Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t have time to think about revenge on someone so insignificant that I don’t even remember their faces.”

“Can’t remember?” he said, perplexed. “You begged me to go out with you.”

“Yeah right. Fat chance. Do you have any proof?”

“I have the letter you sent me. It was stolen recently but I still remember that you wrote it.”

“Oh really? I also have a hundred golden calves at home which I unfortunately can’t show you.”

“What? What does that even mean?”

“As dumb as you look, no surprises there. Stop making things up. There will be consequences if you keep making things up like this and spreading your lies. You should be using honorifics with me.”

“Wow, Duchess is actually scary. Someone who should be using honorifics with. You couldn’t even meet my eyes before.”

“Listen here, you dumbass. I am not only saying this to you as a Duchess but also as an ordinary person. Get your vile face out of my way and get lost.”

“What, what?!”

Lunia examined her as she berated him mercilessly. Amethyst had watched so many dramas that the dialogues were imprinted in her mind. There was more where it came from, if needed.

“If you keep running your mouth, I will tear your tongue out and feed it to the dogs,” said Amethyst.

“You! How dare you?!”

Lunia pointed the tip of the sword at his throat and pushed slightly. “How dare ‘she’? Who are you to speak to the Duchess in this manner?”

“Calm down…,” said Zaizen, nervously.

“Hm? Forgotten already? Do you know what honorifics are?”

“Please… calm down,” said Zaizen.

“Don’t keep running your mouth and spreading lies, understood?” said Amethyst. “If I ever see you, or anyone, calling me your first love, there will be consequences. Next time you see me, keep your eyes down. Got it?”

Amethyst turned around and walked off. Lunia withdrew her sword and followed her.

“Madam.”

“Hm?”

“You were so amazing.”

Amethyst glanced at her. “Really? I thought you were pretty amazing.”

“No. Did you see how his face turned all blue with rage at your words?”

“I didn’t even look at his face. Who would look at such a vile face? Let’s go. I am tired now.”

“Of course, Madam.”

Amethyst got on the carriage with Lunia’s help and quickly left the palace.

***

Amethyst got back to the duke’s mansion and waited for Alexcent to come back. She knew that he wouldn’t believe baseless rumors about her but she would feel loads better if she could clear everything with him face to face.

Alexcent, on the other hand, headed straight to the office after getting back from the palace. There was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

“Are you busy?” asked Amethyst as she pushed the door open.

“Not at all.”

“How about some tea?”

Alexcent nodded. She walked over to him and observed his face. He didn’t seem upset. But it was often hard to tell. She placed a tea cup in front of him and poured some tea. Then she sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Alec….”

“Hm?”

“I have something to ask you.”

“Go on.”

“Do you know about the rumor?”

Alexcent’s forehead creased a little. “Who told you?” he asked. He had explicitly instructed everyone to be quiet about it. Someone must have opened their d*mned mouth. There was only one person who ignored his instructions so blatantly. Ah, she did say she was going to meet Belice today.

“Is it important who told me?”

“It’s probably Belice,” he scowled.

“Right. But why didn’t you tell me yourself? The rumor is about me. I have a right to know.”

“It was not worth mentioning. A petty rumor someone spread to aggravate you.”

“You’re right. It isn’t worth our time or energy.”

“Yes.”

“So I hope you don’t pay attention to that worthless stuff.”

“Of course, I don’t.”

“That’s good then.” Amethyst placed a kiss on his cheek. She felt him relax.

“You are the only one for me, you know that. My beginning and my end.”

“Mm,” he pulled her closer to him.

“So, leave him alone, alright?”

“What?”

“Don’t do anything. Just don’t pay attention to it and leave him be.”

He didn’t respond. “Because if you get angry and do something, then I will feel like you acknowledged the rumor to be true.”

“What? How would that even…”

“It doesn’t matter. If you act, the rumor will get worse. People will think you got rid of him because of jealousy which will indirectly imply that the previous rumor was true. It will just get worse.”

“I don’t like this.”

“I know. But I don’t want you chasing some man who doesn’t even matter.”