I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 67

“Anything you want.”

Eve, wandering between the boundary of dreams and reality, opened her eyes at the sound of the familiar whisper.

Azazel.

It was Anna who completely brought Eve back to reality. As Anna approached the bed, she realized that her mistress had woken up.

“My lady! Are you awake?”

Eve blinked several times before she belatedly asked, “…How many days have passed?”

Judging by the fact that her throat wasn’t very dry, it didn’t seem like too much time had passed.

Anna, tears brimming in her eyes, responded, “It’s been about a day. You collapsed when you came back, and I was so worried! Luckily, the Duchess offered you a room and called for a doctor.”

“What about the others?”

Anna looked surprised and asked, “Don’t you remember?”

Eve tried to recall the events before she collapsed. So, after Aeshath had suddenly appeared and pulled the dagger from Azazel’s body, she had healed the wound. Watching that, Eve had heard that both Azazel and Dane were fine, and then she lost consciousness herself. Not something she could explain to Anna, so Eve shook her head.

“Don’t worry. It’s probably just the shock.”

Anna, with a face on the verge of tears, explained, “Whether it was an interior accident or something else, a fire suddenly broke out. Everyone got hurt, except for the Duchess, who arrived late.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, they said most of the paintings in the hallway where you were burned.”

“That’s a shame. Rose must be heartbroken.”

Anna, with a troubled look, whispered quietly, “Indeed. But there’s something more serious…”

“Something more serious?”

“Though the Count wasn’t seriously hurt, the young duke still hasn’t woken up. It seems to be a big problem; the servants of the duchy are in quite a fuss.”

Azazel would probably be alright. Eve recalled the sound of his voice just before she woke up.

Unaware of the full story, Anna asked with a worried expression, “They said the exhibition might be canceled or postponed. Is that alright with you?”

“I’m fine with it.”

In truth, the one who suffered the most from this incident was Rose.

“How is Rose doing?”

“Other than the paintings in the hallway where you were, there’s no significant damage, so I think she’ll recover soon.”

Anna, who had been answering Eve’s questions with confidence, remembered that Eve had just woken up and brought in the doctor.

Though the duchy’s physician diagnosed her as having no major problems, Anna fussed, insisting that Eve should be cautious for a while. Eventually, Anna had to leave when Aeshath came to visit, though not without reluctance. To Eve, Aeshath was a welcome visitor in many ways.

Aeshath pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down. “Did the maid explain everything?”

“Yes, I heard you took care of the fire.”

Aeshath nodded. “That’s right. Dane has been sent back to his estate.”

“Did he leave quietly?”

“On the surface. If he hears you’ve woken up, he might rush over.”

“Will he?”

“I’ll pass along the message once I leave this room.”

Eve, not quite sure how to handle Dane just yet, decided to put those thoughts aside for now. First, she wanted to know the full story of what she had experienced. As she hesitated on how to bring it up, Aeshath spoke first.

“Azazel hasn’t woken up yet.”

“I heard. When will he wake up?”

“His body was overloaded from the power he couldn’t control. He won’t wake up for a while. But don’t worry, there’s no major issue.”

Eve wasn’t too worried about Azazel. What she was curious about was something else.

“You once said you wanted it all to end. What exactly did you mean by that?”

“Erasing the traces of your past with Azazel, whether they were longings or punishments.”

“Was I part of that?”

“Yes. It’s something from your past that you don’t remember.”

Eve frowned. “There’s a past of mine I don’t remember? And what about punishment?”

“All the things Azazel went through with you were his punishment. But it ended with your confession. And your forgotten past… Are you curious?”

Eve, thinking about how long Azazel had been with the Hound family, asked, “Is it something that happened a long time ago?”

“It’s a very old story.”

Seeing Aeshath lost in memories, Eve shrugged. “Well, that’s fine. Judging by your expression, it seems like a deep love story, but I don’t think I need to hear it. It’s not my story now.”

Aeshath’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? You’re not curious?”

“No. If I’m curious, I’ll ask Azazel later.”

“Well, it seems Azazel would want to tell you himself.”

Eve nodded slightly and asked seriously, “Aeshath, so is it true that the punishment is really over?”

The present was more important than the past. Eve didn’t want to go through something like this again.

Aeshath blinked a few times before replying playfully, “There shouldn’t be anything else.”

“Shouldn’t?”

“Don’t worry, there’s nothing to fear.”

As Aeshath reassured her with a gentle smile, Eve asked, “Are you Gabriel?”

Aeshath nodded. “Yes, I’m telling you this in confidence, but the ‘G’ in my name stands for Gabriel.”

Eve let out a small sigh. “Azazel and you both didn’t seem too interested in hiding your true identities, did you?”

Aeshath was an angel, and Azazel was a demon—an odd relationship indeed.

“Why did you help Azazel?”

Though Aeshath had been somewhat vague in her actions, she had continued to give Eve hints and help.

Aeshath smiled with her eyes and replied, “Azazel used to be an angel.”

“…What?”

An angel? That Azazel? Even though Eve liked him, she couldn’t say that he seemed to fit the image of an angel.

Seeing Eve’s disbelief, Aeshath chuckled and said, “It’s from a very long time ago, so don’t dwell on it too much.”

As Eve’s stiff expression softened at the thought of Azazel and angels, she quickly nodded.

“By the way, if it’s not too much to ask, can I make a request?”

“Yes?”

Their eyes met, and Aeshath, looking a little shy, asked, “If you’re not too uncomfortable, can we remain friends?”

At those words, Eve recalled how Aeshath had always treated her with friendliness.

“Were we connected in the past, too? Were we friends originally?”

“That’s true, but that’s not the reason. I just enjoy spending time with you now.”

The reason was one that fit perfectly with Eve’s heart.

“I like you too, Aeshath. It’s fun spending time with you.”

“Really?”

As Aeshath beamed, Eve extended her hand. “You’re my first friend in the capital, besides my sister.”

Aeshath took her hand eagerly. Eve welcomed her first friend in the capital with a cheerful smile.

“Let’s continue to get along.”

***

As expected, upon hearing that Eve had woken up, Dane came to visit immediately. The two exchanged greetings.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“…Yes, I’m fine. How about you?”

“I’m not in pain, so I’m fine.”

“That’s good.”

A moment of silence filled the room. It was Eve who broke it first.

“I’m not sure how much you’ve heard.”

Eve didn’t fully understand everything herself yet, but there was something she needed to say to Dane.

“I’m sorry…”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

Dane cut her off. Was he too angry to even listen to an apology?

While Eve hesitated, Dane sighed deeply and asked, “So, are you leaving the capital?”

“…Yes, I plan to.”

“Let’s forget our contract and the confession. Both didn’t happen.”

“Dane.”

Eve looked at Dane in surprise, and he gave a painted-on smile.

“They say it’s destiny. What can I do about that?”

After a long pause, Dane finally met her eyes.

“No, that’s just an excuse. Before destiny even played a role, it was me who failed to be faithful in our marriage. That much is certain. The misunderstandings between us wouldn’t have happened if not for my shameful past. You said you weren’t hurt, but that doesn’t make it right. I’m sorry.”

It was a sincere apology, devoid of any pride. After watching him silently, Eve sighed softly and then spoke firmly, “I like Azazel.”

“…You’re being a little cruel, don’t you think?”

A mix of astonishment, disbelief, and a bit of anger swirled in his blue eyes.

“I thought it would be better to be honest. You should be honest too, Dane.”

“What?”

“Get angry. Don’t hold it in like this.”

While it was fortunate for Eve not to have to bear the brunt of his anger, letting Dane walk away blaming himself wouldn’t do him any good either. Dane blinked, dumbfounded, then slowly shook his head.

“…I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

Dane muttered sulkily, “If I get angry here, it’ll feel like I’m really losing.”