I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 31

While Eve was continuing her conversation, she noticed that Azazel was intently staring down one of the two hallways. Following his gaze, Eve turned, only for Azazel to step in front of her as if to cut off her view.

“If it’s uncomfortable for you, you’re free to walk around as you please now, Eve.”

“Huh?”

Eve blinked in surprise at the unexpected suggestion. Despite her suspicious look, Azazel calmly pushed her away.

“Even if you’ve changed your mind, please bear with me for now. My lips hurt too much.”

Of course, in the end, he had to tease her. Eve bit back the urge to retort about being grateful it was only his lips that had been injured. She turned away from him without a word. Glancing back, she saw him walking off in the opposite direction.

Now left alone, Eve could examine the artwork more comfortably. The paintings were captivating, but the artifacts Aeshath had collected were equally unique and a delight to explore. While admiring a necklace of a style she had never seen before, Eve heard footsteps approaching and sighed, looking up.

However, the person approaching wasn’t who she had expected. One of the duchy’s servants bowed to her.

“Dinner has been prepared. May I escort you?”

It seemed more time had passed than Eve had realized.

“And the young master…?”

Eve pointed in the direction Azazel had gone earlier. “He headed that way a while ago.”

“Thank you.”

The servant bowed again, excusing himself to go find Azazel. As she followed the servant, Eve caught sight of Azazel standing and staring intently at something. His broad shoulders blocked her view of what he was looking at, but it was clear he was absorbed in whatever it was.

Watching the servant approach him, Eve suddenly remembered the bruised and swollen state of Azazel’s lips, bitten by her earlier. Would it be alright for the servant to see that? Before Eve could stop him, the servant called out.

“Young master?”

Thankfully, Azazel didn’t turn to face the servant. Eve moved slightly to the side, curious to see what had captured his attention. As she shifted position, she could finally see what Azazel had been looking at. It was a plain, ivory-colored dagger, an unassuming piece that didn’t seem worthy of such focus.

As Eve pondered the simplicity of the dagger, the servant spoke again, breaking her concentration.

“Young master, dinner is ready.”

Eve hesitated to leave, worried the servant might notice Azazel’s injuries. Azazel, perhaps sharing her concern, responded with an odd question.

“This item—who brought it here?”

Unlike the whispering voice he used with Eve, Azazel’s tone was cold and detached, void of any emotion. Hearing it, Eve recalled how his voice had originally sounded—dry, as though devoid of any feeling, despite being pleasant to the ear.

Realizing this gave her an odd sensation, like a tingling pleasure.

The servant dutifully responded, eager to meet his master’s expectations, “This was one of the new acquisitions the Duchess brought in herself.”

“My mother?”

“Yes. She personally selected and received the item. It hasn’t been here long… Is there a problem with it?”

Despite the servant’s worried inquiry, Azazel remained silent. As the silence dragged on, the servant grew visibly anxious. Fortunately, Azazel spoke up before Eve had to intervene.

“…No, just tell them I’ll eat separately today. And after the meal, let them know I’ll visit.”

“Understood. Shall I escort Lady Jenna to dinner, then?”

“I’ll take her to the dining room myself.”

The servant, after a brief hesitation, left. Eve waited until she was sure the servant wouldn’t notice Azazel’s injury before making her presence known.

His shoulders flinched as he turned, and the icy blue eyes that locked onto hers began to melt away, transforming from the frozen waters of winter to the gentle currents of spring.

The sight filled Eve with a sensation akin to viewing a magnificent piece of art—an awe that sent shivers down her spine.

Azazel, as if waiting for this moment, strode toward her with purpose. As he drew closer, Eve’s gaze fell on his still-swollen lips. They looked even worse now, making her wince at the imagined pain.

However, she didn’t feel sorry for him. The sight of his otherwise perfect face marred by the wound reminded her of the mischief he had been up to earlier.

Noticing her, Azazel’s lips curved into a smile. “As you might have guessed, I won’t be able to join you for dinner tonight because of my lips.”

Though the smile didn’t tear his wound open again, his lips still looked terrible.

“…Do you think it will heal in just one day?”

Her voice was slightly hoarse, but not enough to sound strange. Azazel didn’t seem to notice, smiling with his eyes.

“Are you worried? It will heal soon enough. The duchy has excellent medicine, so don’t be concerned.”

Who was worrying about whom? It was absurd. But instead of picking at his words, Eve turned away. Today was not a day she wanted to face that handsome face any longer.

Without a word, she began to walk, and Azazel quickly fell in step beside her. Eve fought the urge to glance at him.

“Make up any excuse you like, but don’t use me as one.”

Azazel nodded with a light-hearted smile. “Of course. I won’t make things difficult for you, Eve.”

If only he didn’t talk, he wouldn’t be so infuriating. Azazel spotted the servants standing by the entrance to the dining room and stopped a little distance away.

“It seems this is where we part ways. I hope you enjoy your meal.”

“You as well, young Duke.”

Ignoring the longing look Azazel cast her way, Eve turned toward the dining room. Yet, just before entering, a fleeting image of him passed through her mind, causing her to look back.

Sure enough, his blue eyes were already on her. When their gazes met, he tilted his head in curiosity, as if surprised by her sudden glance back.

His innocent expression only made Eve feel more uneasy. Eve let out a small sigh. She knew that saying anything wouldn’t help, but having caused the situation, it was hard to just ignore it. Furrowing her brow, she gestured towards his lips with a glance.

“Make sure you apply some proper ointment.”

Though her tone was sharp, it seemed to be enough for him.

“Ah.”

Azazel blinked in surprise, then blushed slightly, looking shy or embarrassed. He couldn’t even meet her eyes, instead glancing sideways. Watching him now, Eve was reminded of how nervous he had been when she first kissed him.

Her lips twitched in amusement. Without waiting for a response, she turned her head sharply, determined not to let him see her smile. As Eve entered the dining room, she wiped the smile from her face just in time, catching sight of the servants bowing to her.

The dining room was already occupied by the other guests. The moment she stepped inside, Dane greeted her warmly.

“You’ve finally arrived. We were about to send someone to check on you again since you were taking so long.”

The memory of the near-incident from earlier made Eve want to glare at Dane, even though she knew it wasn’t his fault. Fortunately, her smile didn’t falter.

Meeting her gaze, Dane stood and walked over, escorting her to the table. He dismissed the servant and pulled out her chair himself. Once they were both seated, Aeshath spoke firmly yet gently.

“I told you, Dane, I’m not going to show it to you.”

Ignoring Dane’s grumbled protest, Aeshath turned her attention to Eve. “Eve, did you enjoy my collection? You seemed to spend a long time looking around.”

“Yes, everything was wonderful.”

Aeshath smiled at Eve’s lighthearted response but looked around curiously. “And Azazel? He was supposed to escort you. Did he leave you alone?”

“He walked me to the dining room before leaving.”

Having anticipated a question about Azazel, Eve answered naturally as she raised her glass of water.

“Hmm, I see. Well, I hope you enjoy the meal, Eve.”

At Aeshath’s subtle gesture, the servants began bringing out the dishes one by one.

Thanks to the lively conversation between Aeshath and Dane, the meal passed quickly, with plenty of laughter to ease Eve’s tension. By the time they reached dessert, Eve found herself lost in thought, replaying the warm gaze of Azazel’s blue eyes in her mind.

Suddenly, she heard her name and turned her head.

“Yes?”

Aeshath, their eyes meeting, asked, “Do you agree?”

Eve didn’t answer immediately, simply smiling and observing the atmosphere. What had they been talking about?

Fortunately, Aeshath seemed intent on convincing her and repeated the question.