Chapter 31: Betrayal (2)
[21 February 774/Backstory]
It happened a week after we met.
"Dorothy! Look at this!"
Azrael exclaimed happily while walking towards me.
I looked upwards at Azrael with both of my palm stretches opened resting on my dress.
His hand unfolded to reveal a small box as he placed it on my palms.
I looked at it with a tilted head, then gazing at Azrael afterward.
"What is this?"
Azrael just appeared to smile when I questioned him.
"Try and open it. A gift for your recovery."
Hearing his reply didn't give the answer I needed.
I raised my brow in confusion, then I decided to slowly open the small box he gave me.
When I opened the box, my eyes went wide at the sight of a visible simple hairpin that was carefully placed inside of it.
".. A hairpin? What for?"
I was puzzled by the sudden gift that Azrael presented.
I gazed at him back.
My eyes met his black jet eyes and his usual smile.
"It's simple. You never wear any accessories, so I thought you would like simpler ones better. Besides, you're so plain and always wear dark colors as if you're waiting for your funeral."
Azrael exclaimed his reason.
I stood there greatly astonished since I didn't expect him to notice the trivial things that I wore.
"Not to mention, it's assuredly cheap. So don't be shy and wear them. It'll look pretty on you either way."
Azrael continued and ended his sentence with a quick compliment.
I looked back at the hairpin before gazing back at Azrael.
I made a small delighted smile with my hands slightly tighten the hold of the box.
".. Thank you. I will cherish it."--
-
[2 April 774/Present Day]
"--Sir Azrael de Revanche Second Order."
I casually exclaimed with a relaxed smile.
He stared down at me with his eyes slightly widened beneath the armor.
".. How did you know that I was in Directive Special Knights?"
I chuckled at his expected question.
I looked at him in the eyes and answered.
"Azrael, one of the reasons is because you're a terrible liar."
I exclaimed as he looked at me with wide eyes again.
I took a step closer towards him with a confident smile.
"Remember when you say you can manipulate a human's past? But later, you said that demons have overflowing energy. I figured it was transferring the demon energy to other objects. With that in mind, demons can attack humans. If it's raw energy, then that can only affect the other demon-like you exclaimed before."
I asked him that question when we were still at the Forest Dreams.
---- "Well... demons do have overflowing energy, which makes them a bit scary. Like-- transferring energy to other objects. We can attack humans by that."
Azrael exclaimed and confirmed my question.
".. Whoa~ and If it's raw energy, then that can only affect the other demon you exclaimed before?"
I asked again for more confirmation.
He looked at me and slightly nodded.
"Yeah."
With the answer I got, I narrowed my eyes as I started my conclusion.
"So demons just have that overflowing energy? Nothing more, nothing less?"
I asked with a slight smile.
His eyes were slightly widened by the statement.
"... Yeah."----
That's what he said back then.
He didn't notice the meaning of my question at that time.
With that, I'm grateful that he didn't notice it anymore.
I continued my confirmation of when Azrael was bed-ridden temporarily.
"... When you're sick, it's not because you manipulate your past. It was because you filled too much energy inside my carriage to know what I will say to Sir Dean. You actually can't manipulate a human's past. You were just working alongside Directive Special Knights."
".. Dorothy--"
I quickly interfere with his statement.
"Oh, and also-- I knew the fact that you know Althea will kill Gray."
I finished my statement as I revealed I knew all along what had happened.
Azrael looked at me quite dumbfounded from my confidence but right exclamation.
He hesitantly opened his mouth as he asked with a disbelief tone.
".. Where did you get such information?"
I chuckled bitterly.
I looked at him with a cold gaze that they weren't the same as when I encountered him before.
'It was like reading an open book.'
In the first place, we were just using each other.
Azrael's goal is only to capture Cristo who has overflowing mana and Selene who does not possess mana but can execute witchcraft flawlessly.
After that--
Azrael plans to kill me and his whole plan almost succeeds besides taking my life.
But my plan also succeeded because I used him to the fullest without him noticing.
"Then, you ask me to work with you because you know?"
Azrael looked at me as he refused to be treated like a fool.
I smiled calmly while answering him.
"No. I asked you to help me because you're useful, Azrael."
He looks at me with an open mouth and there's a slight shock written all over his expression.
"Well, it's such a shame but-"
I walked closer to the cell and smiled satisfyingly.
"--I have no choice but to take you with me."
Silence filled the cell.
His expression was like he just looked at me like I've grown three heads.
Azrael originally planned to kill me but--
He didn't.
"In my hardest times, Azrael, you were there to comfort me. When I was lost, you create multiple choices for me to choose. All of those are not assumptions. They are my feelings."
I smiled sadly at the thought.
I slowly reach his arms through the cell and hold it gently but assuring it won't let go.
"... So warm."
I exclaimed softly while looking at his pale, warm hand.
We indeed form a friendship.
I was comfortable even if I know he's a Directive Special Knight.
Maybe it was because--
The feelings were genuine.
"... Azrael, when you hugged me, I realized something. It was warm and tender. I am grateful to have you by my side at that time."
Azrael looked at me with a disbelief expression.
"... Why didn't you kill me first?"
Azrael harshly asked.
I lift my gaze as my expression slowly softened.
"... Why didn't you kill me as well?"
I answered him with another question with a warm smile.
"..."
".. Is it because I'm still useful?"
"..."
"Or is it because I can be a tool when I take the throne--"
"... I just want you to live."
This time, it was not me that grabs his hand.
It was him that grabbed mine.
He grips my hand so firmly and gazes downwards.
".. I don't want you to die. You're... Dorothy, you're so much trouble for me. Why can't you just live peacefully inside this Kingdom?"
"..."
"I acknowledge our friendship and I regret it. If I didn't ask Althea to arrest you that day, you might commit another sin that can lead to death..."
I looked in the eyes with my other hand slowly caress his cheek.
".. Azrael, even if you lied to me. You can't be a sinner, right?"
"... Yeah."
Azrael slowly nodded as I continued my questions.
"Is it because you're really a demon?"
"Yes."
"... Was everything a lie? Searching for the books and everything.. trying to escape Lucretia..?"
I looked at him with a lack of conviction.
Azrael shook his head and tighten my hand.
He looked at me in the eyes.
"No matter how many lies I told you, sometimes I couldn't help it and told you the truth. That was my downfall that made you realize. But still, I don't want you to get in my way, Dorothy."
When I try to open my mouth to explained something, he beat me to it.
"Please."
He averts his gaze away from me as my eyes widened.
He refused to look at me, even as his lips trembled and his shoulders heaved with emotion, unwilling to back down.
"... I will let you out if you change your mind. But if you get in my way, I won't be as nice as now."
He pulled his hand away from me and turned on his back.
'.. It's impossible. He's here but he's not. It's impossible to reach him now.'
".. I don't want to accept it."
He stopped on his track but he didn't turn back.
"... I don't want to live in this place! In this world! Even if you're far away, I'll drag you with me to escape!"
I was being foolish as emotions folded inside me.
Azrael never looked back and continue his journey to exit this place.
Slowly, the sound of his footsteps disappear.
'... Azrael.'
I grip on the cell firmly and grit my teeth in anger.
'Even though it's really obvious, even though I know everything from the start, even though he's the enemy--!'
I grip on the cell firmly with my emotion overtook my state of mind.
'Even though he was a terrible liar-!!!'
As much as I tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent scream.
'Why!?'
Remembering all the times I spent with Azrael, the suffocating emotions overwhelm me.
The beads of water started falling one after another, without a sign of stopping.
I hit my head on the cell and scream inside my head.
The muffled sobs wracked against my chest as I felt the world turned into a blur.
What lies behind his betrayal, Azrael may have been honest at first sight.
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Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone