Time Limit

Chapter 14 ( There’s No Way I’m Jealous )

“The priest, the lady’s close friend, is a man, not a woman.”

It felt like my heart was pounding to the bottom. It sounded like a blue sky.

‘Obviously long hair…’

Asrazan recalled the long silver hair that he had glanced at, but at the same time realized that all he had seen was his hair.

– All day today. She said she was walking around the city with the shrine.

– They ate cake together and went to the market together.

The thorn, which had only been slightly annoying until just now, became a large awl and pierced his nerves.

Asrazan clenched his fists involuntarily. Blue veins sprang up over his skin.

It was information with no reason to be offended. It didn’t matter who she was with, where she was, or what she did.

‘Even if your heart and mind connect to each other, you can be lovers.’

Asrazan’s heart pounded once again at the one sentence that came to mind regardless of his will.

As I recalled Lariette’s serene smile and that refreshing voice calling out his name, my heart ached.

It was a feeling I couldn’t even understand. But he desperately pretended to be composure and opened his mouth.

“I just want to rest, so go out.”

“Master, did you not know? I thought he was a woman… Ah, so…!”

“I told you to leave.”

Asrazan gave an order in a cold voice. Because he didn’t want to hear anything.

On the other hand, Halstein’s expression as he left his room was different from before. In Halstein’s eyes, the look on Asrahan’s face, which was a very good sign.

“Master, ask the lady to eat together again! If you let it go, it’s going to get really bad!”

He talked non stop until the last moment of closing the door.

Asrazan didn’t even look back and just finished putting the bandages on. However, there were clear wrinkles on his forehead.

“You don’t know what the two of them will be!”

Halstein’s desperate voice leaked through the closed door. Asrazan, unable to bear the rudeness any longer, struck the table next to him with his hand.

Bang!

There was a dull sound, and the table made of high-quality wood was completely smashed and its lifespan was changed. Only then Halstein shut his mouth.

However, despite his departure, his words hovered in the air, tickling Asrazan’s ears over and over again. In his mind, Lariette and the Priest, who became lovers, kept coming to mind.

I have nothing to do with it. I don’t care, not at all. Asrazan continued to mutter in his mind, but it only made his feelings more complicated. He couldn’t really calm himself down.

“Hah….”

He took a deep breath and then closed his eyes as if giving up.

* * *

The next day, Lariette grabbed the dress and started bouncing with excitement.

The dress was ordinary because she didn’t have much, but she was wearing a lot of care, such as putting her pink hair neatly in a ponytail and putting on a shiny necklace.

‘It works!’

She managed to control her lips, which were constantly trying to soar into the sky. What made it worthwhile was that Asrazan had suggested to her to eat together first.

As soon as Lariette got up, she was overjoyed by the news of the meal invitation delivered by the maid. It was as if she had received the birthday present she had been waiting for all year.

Clearly, the Operation Jealous proposed by Doha must have been successful. Otherwise, Asrazan could suddenly make a meal offer! My heart was pounding with anticipation.

It was surprising and moving that even that blunt Asrazan was jealous. And I was anxious to share this good news with Doha, my love advisor.

However, I remembered the advice Doha gave while eating cake with him. It was advice not to wander easily again just because you looked back once.

For Doha, it was advice he gave without thinking that Asrazan would look back on her at first, but Lariette, who saw the effect of his proposal, decided to follow Doha thoroughly.

‘Well, this would be easy!’

Lariette thought confidently. But the moment the dining room door opened and she met Asrazan, she realized that it wouldn’t be easy.

“… Did you come?”

“As-! ss… It’s cold, yes.”

Unknowingly, Lariette, who was excited to call out Asrazan’s name, hastily bit the inside of her lip to hold it in. Then she hurriedly pretended that it was a cold.

It’s been so long since I saw his handsome face that I was glad to see him over everything.

‘Wake up! Wake up!’

Lariette smashed her cheeks in her heart. His appearance was full of ups and downs.

Asrazan glanced at her with a subtle expression and glanced at the servant. The maid brought her a shawl to her seat.

Lariette was not cold at all, but she said thank you and wore a shawl.

“Why did you suddenly call me?”

Lariette asked with a cold voice. As Doha had advised, she couldn’t quickly show her wiggling just because he called her once.

Seeing her attitude like this for the first time, Asrazan remained silent for a moment, then replied with a characteristic expressionless face.

“It’s been a while since I’ve talked to you.”

He was so expressionless and his eyes were indifferent, so she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Lariette, thinking positively that he had suggested the conversation first, began to eat the salad in front of her.

Lettuce, tomato, arugula, yellow paprika… It was a cute salad with bright colors. Unlike usual, there was no cucumber, which made me even more satisfied.

“How have you been today?”

He opened his mouth as he grabbed his share of the salad with a fork. Unlike hers, there were cucumbers in it.

“I’ve been well. I go out to play with my friends.”

“Is that so.”

Lariette deliberately mentioned Doha and glanced at Asrazan’s eyes. It was because she thought that if Operation Jealous worked, there would be a reaction.

However, contrary to expectations, his face was only calm. Embarrassed that she couldn’t find the slightest jealousy in his expression, she added an explanation for nothing.

“We ate delicious food together – we looked around the city – and it was fun. Later, we decided to drink together. I heard there are good bars in town.”

“… Good.”

Asrazan answered calmly and drenched his throat with champagne. There was a slight force in the hand holding the glass, but it was not noticeable.

Lariette was starting to feel impatient. I thought the jealous operation was successful and he called me, but there was no change in Asrazan’s attitude.

As if it had nothing to do with it.

“Doha is coming this afternoon as well. You don’t have to worry about it because we’ll only stay in my room.”

“I don’t care. However.”

He continued to speak, waving the glass with a feminine look.

“As long as it doesn’t affect the purification.”

Lariette clenched her fists and grabbed the fork upon hearing Asrazan’s cold reply. Her voice continued to tremble.

“… Don’t you really care?”

“Is there any reason to be concerned?”

“Don’t you feel jealous?”

Lariette put the fork down on the table and stared into his eyes. In the end, she couldn’t stand it and just confessed her feelings.

At first, she was a straightforward person, and it was impossible to say more than that. Lariette wanted to know his sincerity.

After hesitating for a moment, Asrazan looked at her with unshakable eyes. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

The answer was already decided, so there was no need to hesitate. But for some reason, it was so difficult to say a single word. His lips didn’t come off very well.

“… Yes.”

After his answer, the mood of breakfast subsided.

Lariette chewed on a salmon sandwich and engulfed the growing melancholy and shame.

It was stupid to expect alone. He was only here to warn her to leave some mana to purify.

She blushed in embarrassment, but luckily she was spared the tears.

Asrazan kept twitching her lips at the sight of her cold silence. Without knowing what you want to say. Eventually, he kept silent, biting his lower lip.

The awkward breakfast ended like that. Lariette hurriedly left the room, saying ‘I’ll see you when purification.’

Asrazan looked at her back with regret, but it was already too late.

* * *

It had been three hours since Doha arrived at Kandel mansion.

Unlike usual, he wore light brown glasses and entered Lariette’s room with a playful smile on his face.

But soon, he bowed his head and found her sitting on a chair. Doha approached with a puzzled expression.

“Why is that, lady?”

Doha leaned down in front of the chair and made eye contact with her. He tilted his head as he looked at her, Lariette answered with a gloomy voice.

“It didn’t go well. Jealousy Operation.”

Is he not interested in me at all? Lariette pursed her lips a little and muttered.

If he is really not interested at all, it might be rude to push him further. She also thought he liked her to some extent, but it must have been a misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, Doha thought the result was as expected. It was because he believed that the cold-hearted Duke had no way of paying attention to anyone.

Lariette was a pretty cute and interesting woman, but I didn’t think it was enough to melt his heart.

Of course, it was quite special to me. Doha hid this sinister heart and lowered his eyebrows as if he was sorry.

“Is that why you’re so depressed?”

“… What are those glasses?”

Doha skillfully offered words of consolation. Lariette, who only then saw her face, asked curiously at the sudden change of appearance with just one pair of glasses.

If he usually had a seductive and playful look, now he looks very neat and calm with glasses on. It was even more so because his hair was neatly tied.

He was like the handsome librarian in a certain library. Of course, if there were such a library in the world, there would have been a lot of visitors.

“Ah, I feel like I have to write something today.”

“Write?”

“Yeah, it’s a good fit. my feelings.”

It wasn’t exactly a hunch, it was a prophecy. The power of prophecy is an ability that only the most outstanding believers have, and it was also an important criterion for selection as a pope.

However, Doha used his prophetic powers for personal use. One of them was mimicking the fortunes of top-tier magazines, saying that you will be lucky if you wear something today.

If other high-ranking officials had known, it was an act that would pour out dozens of criticisms of him. However, Doha had enough power of prophecy to go unnoticed, and even if found out, he didn’t really care because his power was stronger and there would be no problems.

“How do you like it?”

“Well, you’re handsome, so anything goes well with you.”

“Thank you. I like it too.”

Your own face? Lariette tilted her head in amazement, but did not dare to ask a question. It was understandable that he was full of confidence if he looked like that.

“Then shall we begin today’s healing?”

Doha smiled and reached out towards her. Lariette was tense and hardened despite the actions she had already been subjected to several times.

Doha burst out laughing as if it was cute, and then pulled his hair back. He’s grateful to his past self for choosing this posture as a healing method.

Lariette closed her eyes and soon their faces overlapped.

* * *

After breakfast, Asrazan was imprisoned in endless punishment. The name of the punishment was Sight Jail, and the subject was Halstein.

Halstein, who had been waiting for the whole breakfast even though he didn’t have to, was very disappointed with Asrazan’s cold attitude.

‘How could you do that to a lady!’

To say such a thing at a time when it is not enough to cherish and treat her well! As soon as breakfast was over, Halstein followed Asrazan, staring at him with anger. It was a gaze that was hard to ignore.

“Do you have anything to say?”

Asrazan responded with ignoring about two hours. But in the end, he couldn’t stand it and raised his head to look at Halstein.

Halstein opened his mouth as if waiting for those words.

“That was too much.”

“I would have told you to stop using unnecessary expectations.”

“I thought she was going to cry.”

Asrazan was silent for a moment at the sharp point.

The face I saw at breakfast was vividly pictured in his mind. The twinkling eyes that had been shining until they came in quickly lost their light after talking with him.

It seemed that the corners of her eyes had become particularly red. So he was anxious the whole time, but there was nothing he could solve.

“If that’s the case, why did you decide to have breakfast together?”

“… If we are going to continue purification in the future, I want to maintain a suitable relationship.”

“How can master and a lady have a proper relationship?”

Halstein continued, beating his chest as if frustrated.

“How is it possible when the hearts of the two of you are not like that?”

“You speak like you know my heart very well.”

“How is it possible when the hearts of the two of you are not like that?”

There was a deep wrinkle between Asrazan’s forehead. He wanted to ask him if he knew what he was telling the truth, but before that, Halstein hit him.

“Soon a priest will arrive at the mansion.”

“… So?”

“Go and see yourself. The appearance of the priest and the young lady together.”

“Why do I have to do that?”

Asrazan frowned and leaned back on the chair. Cool gazes fell on Halstein.

But Halstein was the one who had been raising him since he was an infant. Even the vicious gaze that could subdue someone at once could only be seen as a a tantrum to him.

“That way you can be sure. What is the master’s sincerity”

“… Enough for now.”

“No. If that was enough, you wouldn’t have listened to this old man for so long.”

Halstein finished his speech with a soft smile.

If he had thought it was really useless, he would have ignored him without paying any attention. It was a feeling that seemed too obvious to Halstein, but it seemed difficult for his master to admit.

‘It’s the first time he ordered food.’

He remembered Asrazan’s indifferent expression before breakfast, ordering him to prepare a salmon sandwich.

The appearance of taking away cucumbers to the wizard’s salad was uncommon.

Halstein bowed his head briefly and then left his office. Because he knew that further advice would be pointless.

Asrazan, who was left alone, sat quietly for a long time.

And when he finally came to a conclusion, he got up and walked slowly towards her room.

With every step he took, countless memories and worries ran through his head repeatedly.

– I’ve been well. I’m going out to play with friends.

She said she had a good time. It was a good thing because mana would be stable if she is doing well. It was definitely a good thing for purification, but I couldn’t figure out why it felt uncomfortable.

– Later, we decided to drink together. There’s a good bar in town.

Do you drink too? It looked like she would drink well, but I was also worried because her body was too small.

A bar in a crowded city is a place you can’t go to. Not just in bars, but in many places.

– You really don’t care?

She was so concerned that I couldn’t say any more. It was the first time. To care so much about anything other than my curse, and to never get the job done.

But I thought it was just a passing wind due to a small change. That’s the way it was.

– Don’t you feel jealous?

Asrazan stopped walking when he remembered her voice that asked while looking straight at him. All of a sudden, he came close to her room.

When he heard that question, Asrazan desperately pretended to be composure. Because it was a nonsense question.

Jealousy is what you have to hold in your heart. So it wasn’t his job.

‘I can’t be in love with anyone.’

The feeling of love was something he had long forsaken. So long that I can’t even remember.

As long as he had a cursed body, I never thought or expected that it would last forever.

‘There’s no way I’m jealous.’

He bit his molars and muttered in his mind as if he were memorizing a spell.

The door to Lariette’s room was open just in time. The sound of a man’s laughter leaked out through the cracks in the door. Asrazan approached the door very slowly.

And what was seen through the gap was a scene where a silver-haired man grabbed Lariette’s head and pulled her closer.

Lariette gently lowered her fine eyelashes, and the two faces overlapped.

As if kissing.

At that moment, he heard something snap and break inside Asrahan. He moved without realizing it.

Bang!!

Lariette’s door broke down with a loud sound.

* * *

Lariette closed her eyes, and soon Doha’s face overlapped.

When viewed from the back, it looked like their lips were touching, but in reality they only bumped their foreheads.

Bang!!

A loud sound, like something breaking, rang in her ears. At the same time, the gentle touch on her forehead disappeared in an instant.

“That hand.”

Lariette’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden familiar voice.

“Let it go.”

Illustration 

And in front of her stood Asrazan holding Doha’s hand. With an expression that looks like he will kill someone at any moment, it exudes a terrifying energy.

‘If you don’t want your limbs to be cut off.’

Asrazan was in front of her, she barely tolerated these words. But the boiling murderous intent could not stand it. Black energy sharply poured towards Doha.

Soon, the walls of Asrazan and the golden eyes of Doha met for the first time.