Episode 67
In the end, Azaid couldn’t break Serena’s stubbornness. He glanced at his three friends and the court physician, all leisurely enjoying tea time in the garden.
“Is black tea fine in the afternoon? It might disturb your sleep since it’s a bit strong.”
“It’s fine. My body always runs on caffeine anyway.”
“If that’s the case…”
As Nocturne smiled and poured tea, Jack, who was crunching on cookies nearby, spoke up.
“I was wondering why the dark circles under your eyes are so bad—it’s sleep deprivation, isn’t it?”
“Jack, you’re still here?”
“…”
Serena’s cold response made Jack grimace. Leonard, sitting nearby, teased him.
“See? That’s what you get.”
“Are you really going to do this too, Leonard?”
Jack glared at him, but Leonard ignored it effortlessly and turned to Serena.
“By the way, it feels like the empty spot is finally filled now that you’re here, Miss Serena. Lily couldn’t make it this year.”
“Hey, are you ignoring me?”
“The Earl of Lowell was supposed to come, wasn’t he? Then again, I guess I’ll stay today as his stand-in. Right, Sir Leonard?”
“Indeed, that fits perfectly.”
Serena laughed brightly as she and Leonard exchanged words. Jack, feeling completely ignored, clicked his tongue. Then his eyes met Azaid’s.
‘Follow me.’
“…”
‘Not coming?’
“… Fine, I’m coming!”
Grumbling, Jack reluctantly trailed behind Azaid, whose piercing gaze left no room for refusal.
***
The place Azaid and Jack arrived at was a study with a clear view of the garden outside the window. As soon as the door shut, Azaid spoke.
“Alright, explain everything.”
“Explain what?”
“Everything in that head of yours.”
Azaid’s cold voice made Jack let out a groan. He had hoped to get away with joining the tea time earlier, but of course, Azade wasn’t one to let things slide.
“I was just worried about you…”
“I told you I didn’t want Serena to know about this.”
“She would’ve figured it out anyway. Just look at her; she’d inspect you from head to toe if she had to… Fine! I was wrong, okay? I’m sorry, man!”
Jack started mumbling excuses but eventually gave in and apologized, overwhelmed by Azade’s increasingly fierce expression with every word.
Still, Jack felt it was unfair. After all, when Serena showed concern for him, Azaid’s lips had subtly curved upward.
He knows how he feels, right?
Jack believed Azaid must already be aware of his feelings for Serena. It was such an obvious truth—foretold since the rumors first spread and when he barged into that inn.
“You were happy Serena came, weren’t you?”
“Not at all. Thanks to you, it’s just been annoying.”
Wait, does this guy seriously not know?
Jack suddenly froze, scrutinizing Azaid. Despite his frown, Azade sneaking glances at Serena in the garden through the window. It was clear he had feelings for her.
Is this guy an idiot?
Jack felt a different kind of frustration. He had never imagined Azaid could be this oblivious.
This is completely unexpected.
Jack’s plan had been flawless—Serena’s presence was meant to comfort Azaid, who always sank into deep melancholy on this day.
Having someone you love nearby should be enough to lift your spirits, right?
But this guy didn’t even realize his own feelings?
Narrowing his eyes, Jack spoke provocatively.
“Hey, who looks at someone they find annoying like that?”
“What’s wrong with the way I’m looking?”
Azaid’s sharp retort made Jack click his tongue.
There’s no way to explain this to him directly!
When it comes to love, third parties usually end up taking all the blame. If it worked out, great—but if not, they’d be resented for meddling.
“Think carefully about how you feel.”
“Cut the nonsense, Jack. You should be glad I’m not angry at you right now.”
“Exactly. Normally, you’d be furious, but you’re not. In fact, you’re smiling instead. Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”
It was so obvious that even a blind man could see the signals flashing brightly, but Azaid remained clueless. Azaid stared blankly at Jack, clearly unimpressed by his words.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Would you have been smiling if Serena had really left for the palace just like that?”
“What?”
“Think about it. If Serena had heard about your situation and said, ‘Anything outside of work hours is my free time,’ and left without a second thought, how would you have felt?”
“…”
Azaid froze, startled by the perspective he had never considered.
If Serena had learned of his condition and still nonchalantly gone off to the palace? That thought alone would have left him incredibly hurt and disappointed.
‘Isn’t it obvious? When a friend is struggling, of course, it’s upsetting to ignore them.’ Azaid grumbled, as though questioning why such a thing was even worth asking.
“Of course, it’s upsetting. If you thought someone was your friend but they didn’t care about you at all, who would feel good about that?”
“Friendship? Yeah, right.”
Jack thumped his chest in frustration before continuing.
“Hey, do you think Lily would feel that hurt over something like this?”
“Lily is busy.”
“Serena must be busy too! She’s practically working overtime every day!”
Jack snapped, angered by Azaid’s double standards.
“How is Lily the same as Serina?”
“And how are they different, exactly? I’m genuinely curious.”
“That’s…”
Azaid tried to retort but stopped mid-sentence. He was certain he felt differently, but explaining why it was different wasn’t easy.
Jack muttered to himself as he watched Azaid stand there dumbfounded.
“See? Look at him, clueless as ever.”
Despite Azaid’s sharp glare, Jack didn’t hold back.
“Sure, I might’ve acted without consulting either of them, but it wasn’t for my own benefit.”
“…”
“Think about it carefully. If Lily and Serena really are different, figure out why.”
“…”
“If you can’t, then try imagining a hypothetical scenario like before and compare.”
Azaid fell silent again. Jack felt victorious seeing Azaid subdued. Then, suddenly—
“What’s with that guy?”
Jack mumbled, staring out the window.
“What?”
Azaid turned his head at Jack’s words and looked outside. In the garden, Nocturne and Leonard were still sitting with Serena, enjoying tea.
Or so it seemed—until they noticed someone else there. A man dressed in clerical robes was smiling warmly at Serena, engaging her in conversation.
From Azaid’s perspective, the man appeared too forward. Serena, however, simply smiled politely, showing no signs of discomfort.
But, of course, Azaid was mistaken. From Jack’s viewpoint, Serena looked extremely uneasy. Leaning against the window frame, Jack murmured again.
“Who’s that? Should we step in?”
Unfortunately, Azaid didn’t catch Jack’s comment.
Is he someone she knows? Who is that guy?
A spark of irritation flared in his chest. The sight of Seriena laughing with a man he didn’t know instantly soured his mood.
Jack lightly tapped Azaid on the shoulder, speaking nonchalantly.
“Hey, you might want to keep an eye on that.”
“…”
“Come on. Serena may not put much effort into her appearance, but her face is pretty… Hey! Where are you going?”
Before Jack could finish, Azaid shoved him aside and quickly left the room, heading toward the garden. His expression resembled that of a man storming off to confront the guy who had stolen his girlfriend.
***
At some point during their tea time, Benjamin, who had suddenly inserted himself into the gathering, caught Serina’s attention. She gazed at him with weary eyes.
Was he naturally sociable or just oblivious to his surroundings?
Having stumbled upon the garden by chance, Benjamin recognized Serena and eagerly approached. When Leonard, out of courtesy, offered him a cup of tea, Benjamin immediately accepted and made himself at home.
Leonard awkwardly glanced at Serena as if apologizing with his expression.
‘I’m sorry, milady.’
‘It’s fine.’
Their silent exchange passed through glances and slight movements of their lips.
“So, you’ve become a royal physician and are now acquainted with famous people. Moving up in the world, huh?”
“It just sort of happened.”
“I need to get my act together too. Pass my priest promotion exams and secure a position quickly.”
Benjamin chuckled while complaining about the hardships of life, going on about how difficult exams were and how everyone struggled to make ends meet these days.
Was he always like this?
Serena looked at him, puzzled. Had he changed over the years, or had she never noticed this side of him before? Either way, she found it hard to adjust.
“Sir Benjamin, aren’t you busy?”
“You said you’d just call me Benjamin, Rina.”
“That’s…”
“I’m not busy. Days like today, lowly priests like me don’t have much to do. It feels nice that you’re worried about me, though.”
Benjamin rested his chin on his hand, grinning. Serina leaned back slightly to increase the distance, but Nocturne intervened.
“Don’t you think you’re a bit close? Serina looks uncomfortable.”
“Huh? Really? We usually talk like this, right, Rina?”
“Step back.”
“What?”
Benjamin blinked at her curt reply, then laughed nervously.
“You haven’t changed a bit, Rina.”
“I told you to call me Serena.”
“Oh, come on. That feels so cold, considering our relationship.”
With a grin, Benjamin finally leaned back. His expression showed no sign of offense, leaving Serena feeling exhausted. When she clamped her mouth shut, Benjamin spoke up again.
“We go way back, you know. Please understand, Count Harrison.”
“…Is that so?”
Nocturne responded reluctantly. From his expression, it seemed he tolerated Benjamin simply because he was Serena’s acquaintance.
Realizing this, Serena decided that being direct was the best way to handle someone like Benjamin. Just as she was about to tell him to leave—
“Excuse me…”
“Urk!”
Suddenly, Benjamin let out a short scream and fell backward along with his chair.
Thud!
With a loud crash, Azaid appeared behind him, feigning surprise.
“Oh, my bad. That was an accident.”
Sure didn’t seem like one.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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