Because the symptoms of stuttering were getting worse, Adel firmly requested this.

Listening to his words, her heart weakened despite not wanting it.
Rather than being shaken like this, it was better to firmly engrave in her mind that this man had no soul, that he was nothing more than a monster. However, Valentine rejected her suggestion.

“I, don’t want… to do that.”

“Why?”

“There’s no formality in anger expressed consciously. It’s like thinking without formality. It’s a very efficient communication method.”

“I don’t understand how that’s relevant.”

“I want to respect you.”

Respect. It was a pretentious excuse. Adel tightly clenched the hem of her skirt until her palm turned white.

“If you respect me so much, why haven’t you answered my question until now?”

“You might get hurt.”

“Not answering is more hurtful. That day…”

Adel swallowed her stifled breath, unable to do anything else.

“Your Highness, I really thought you were going to kill me.”

Tears welled up instantly and fell onto her pale cheek. She awkwardly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

Betrayal, anger, disgust, horror… The emotions that surged at the thought of him were so intense and overwhelming that she hadn’t imagined her first words would spill out like this.

What was even more bewildering was that once the tears started flowing, they couldn’t be stopped.

“…”

Tears, accumulated for a while, streamed down her cheeks and chin.

She let them flow freely without attempting to wipe them away.

“Adel.”

Valentine froze with a face that turned as pale as someone who had seen something they shouldn’t have.

He seemed to have forgotten even the flexibility to wipe away tears.

Perhaps such human emotions were never there from the beginning.

In the heavily blurred vision, Valentine’s lips were barely seen trembling.

“That wasn’t my, intention… I apologized.”

“Apology.”

She almost burst into a dry laugh.

His excuse didn’t even come close to her expectations. All this time, she had been enduring such a feeble excuse.

Adel wiped her wet eyes a bit more roughly. When she tried to reach for it, he extended his hand.

“Eyes, are puffy.”

Valentine, surprised by Adel’s unexpected reaction, remained frozen.

His large hand, suspended in the air, suddenly grasped the air as if scraping it away.

The bluish complexion, like a sleepy neck, was unfamiliar. He seemed to have forgotten even to breathe.

“Please don’t cry…”

“…”

“I was, wrong.”

“Why did you come?”

Turning away from him, Adel wiped her cheeks once again with the back of her hand.

It was easier to speak when she turned away from Valentine.

Although it was embarrassing to show a crying appearance like a child, once this concluding victory celebration was over, they wouldn’t have to see each other’s faces for a while.

So it was okay.
“I haven’t forgotten the contract to assist you. I plan to attend the victory celebration, and there won’t be any interference with Your Highness’s plans. If it’s necessary to appear as a couple with good relations externally… I will comply as appropriate.”

“I didn’t come for that reason at that time.”

“Then, what is it?”

“I wanted to give you this.”

Adel raised her gaze slightly to see what he meant by ‘this.’

It was a finely crafted dagger. The blade was made of silver, and a turquoise gem was embedded near the handle.

Overall, it looked like a downsized version of a bastard sword.

“…”

Adel instinctively took what he offered.

The dagger, which looked like a small dagger in Valentine’s gloved hand, appeared quite hefty and long in her hand.

Even with both hands wrapped around it, the tip of the blade protruded noticeably.

“What is this…?”