The Story Is Not Over Yet

Zagnac grabbed Azela’s chin very slightly and lifted her head.

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He made her proudly lift her head and made her look at herself before uttering quietly in a very light voice yet calm voice.

“Even that is your reason, there’s no such thing as a choice without a reason.”

At his words, she glanced at the papers in her hand, which he had stamped.
In fact, she didn’t really think much because she thought he’d check again, anyway.
She just looked around and suggested a place that looked pretty good.

…Revenge.

She was determined to get her revenge against him.
However, when she heard Daniel’s words, she thought, ‘Can I get my revenge?’ Azela couldn’t shake the thought that it might have been her who had ruined his life from the start.

In the end, she ruined his life, so that was why Daniel changed.

The thought that she was the one who caused Irene to die like that grew bigger and bigger every hour.
What if it was her, not Daniel, who had to receive revenge on Irene’s death…?

Zagnac smiled calmly and sat across from the desk, gazing at her.
In his gaze, Azela dropped her hands down helplessly.

“I have no sense of achievement.
You’ll never find any regrets in my life.”

She said with confidence.

Zagnac only listened to her with his arms crossed as Azela continued her incoherent words to herself.

‘Perhaps, that’s why?’

The words she had been holding down in her heart began to burst out.

“…He never loved me.”

She stared at him.
Transparent tears flowed from her blue eyes.
Zagnac couldn’t take his eyes off her, like looking at stagnant water in a pure lake flowing down.

“From start to finish… He was right.
He hasn’t changed.
He’s been like that from the beginning.
Daniel was forcing himself to my standard, and I…I was comparing him to my standards.
I shouldn’t have believed him when he said ‘it’s okay’ from the beginning.
I should have asked if he was okay, and I should have looked at Daniel.”

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As if she couldn’t stand it, Azela covered her face with her hands.
It was the tears she had been holding back, but strangely, she was able to cry in front of him casually.
It was like she was standing in front of Irene.

As her blue eyes were obscured, Zagnac felt sad.
Her sobs leaked through the gaps between her fingers.
Though he did not comfort her nor gave her words of consolation to her.
He just stood there and listened to what she had to say.

That was how he comforted Azela.
He didn’t read her extensively, he didn’t say anything to her.

While her mournful cry filled his study, Zagnac lifted his head and looked at the ceiling with an indifferent expression.
His eyes and mouth were stiff and hard as usual.

The strength in his clenched fist went into his hands.

‘…How dare you spoil my food.’

He tightly clenched his jaw.

Even though her weeping continued for a long time, he continued to hold his position.

As his movements were still until now, she was able to cry comfortably for a long time.
Azela cried for a while and then sniffed her nose when she calmed down.
It was the first time she was seen crying like this in front of someone after Irene’s death.

After crying, she felt embarrassed and it was difficult to look at Zagnac.
She quietly lowered her head.

“Good then.”

Zagnac, who had been waiting for her to calm down, said in a voice of determination.

Azela glanced up at the voice and gazed at him.
Although they had the same face and the same person, their appearance as ‘Duke Ferial’ during the day and ‘Zagnac’ at night seemed very different.
She thought that also meant that he was trying hard as she was.

“Let’s go.”

When she stared at him, Zagnac, who grabbed his hat, hummed and left the study first, leaving a short word.

‘…Let’s go, where?’

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Azela hurriedly followed him out of the study without even asking with a puzzled look.

“Whe, where…”

She bit her mouth firmly as she found servants bowing to him and her.

Meanwhile, he did not answer her question.
Zagnac hurried out of the mansion and stopped in front of the carriage prepared in advance.

“Come on.”

He then turned and reached out towards her.

Looking like a prince from a fairy tale book she had read as a child, Azela took his hand and got into the carriage without realizing it.
He climbed after her, the carriage started without hesitation.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll find out.”

Zagnac tapped his fingers in a steady rhythm as if excited.
He didn’t say anything about her crying.
Of course, there was no question like, “Are you okay?”

She didn’t know if he simply didn’t care, but she moved her gaze out of the window, feeling gratitude for him, as she felt it was a consideration so she wouldn’t embarrass herself.

Many people were busy moving.
Everyone was smiling broadly, and the streets were lively… Unlike her.

“We’re here.
Let’s get off.”

Shortly thereafter, the carriage came to a halt.

When she got off the carriage along Zagnac, what she saw in front of them was a beautifully decorated bakery.

“…Why are… we here?”

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Azela, who did not understand why she had come here, asked carefully.
Nonetheless, he didn’t answer and strode towards the inside of the store with bold steps.

There were several people lined up outside the store, although Zagnac went inside as if he didn’t care about the order.
The people in line only bowed their heads to say hello as if they were not dissatisfied with his behavior.

Staring at him for a moment, Azela reluctantly followed him.

As she entered the shop, the smell of filled bread and the smell of sweet dessert pricked her nostrils.
When the patissier came out of the kitchen with a bunch of freshly baked bread and found Zagnac, he frowned.

“Duke Ferial, are you here again?”

Even though he spoke politely, it was not a welcoming voice.
The patissier, who emphasized ‘again,’ sighed deeply and placed the bread he was holding on the table without displaying it.

“Benja, I’m here again.
Though rest assured.
I am not here today to enjoy the taste alone.”

Zagnac, who was gazing at the cakes on display, looked at the patissier and shouted warmly.
Then, he smiled, pointing to Azela behind him.

As he sighed, the patissier followed his fingers and found her before uttering gladly with a smile on his face.

“Welcome to Lachata Bakery!”

“Nice, nice to meet you.”

“I will buy everything here!”

As soon as she barely finished her words, Zagnac opened his arms wide and shouted loudly with a happy face.
While Azela was startled by his words, the patissier muttered, ‘Yes, yes,’ as if he was familiar with it and glared at him lightly.

He said with a smirk at the gaze.

“Benja.
Ordinary merchants should like it when I say, ‘I’ll buy them all.’ You hate it, though.”

“As I said then, I’m not running a shop to make money.
My goal is to make the customers who eat my bread and desserts happy.
I want more people to eat it.
However, every time the Duke comes like this, he says he buys everything, I have to close the business that day!”

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“But then, you make money in the end… The end result is a happy complaint!”

Azela, who saw the name ‘Benjamin’ written on the patissier’s nameplate, carefully sat down on the chair, listening to their conversation.

Benjamin seemed to have pride and confidence in his work.
Nonetheless, he, unable to refuse the customer’s request, eventually went back to the kitchen to pack all the bread, and Zagnac sat down opposite Azela with a satisfied face.

“Are you here to buy this?”

“Yes, right.
Food made by humans who work with pride gives it a special taste.”

He muttered, picking up the bread that Benjamin had placed on the table.
Zagnac cut the croissant in half and handed the larger one to Azela.

The freshly baked bread smelled sweet.

“I’m fine.”

“Eat.
I came here for you today.”

“…Me?”

“I heard that ‘appetite’ is one of the most important human needs.
Besides, eating something sweet and delicious makes you feel good.
There are so many people who live with regrets in life just for that alone.
For example, people who said, ‘I will never die before I eat this.’”

At his words, she took the bread.

Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember how long it had been since she bought and ate bread in a bakery like this.

Azela, who had been looking at the hot bread in her hand, raised her head again and glanced at Zagnac as he was already eating the bread.

“Then, you came here to make me have regrets for life, right?”

“Correct.”