Chapter 187 – A Change of Heart

“Why would you say that? I think about you all the time, Loic.”

“If that’s true, then how can someone neglect their own safety like that?”

I felt a bit embarrassed and hesitated before answering.

“It was just an accident…”

“You could have been hurt, Annette.”

His black eyes darkened heavily.

“Do you know how shocked I was when I saw the prince covered in blood? When I think that it could have been you instead…”

Loic bit his lip tightly and muttered,

“You didn’t have to stay in such a dark and dangerous place.”

There was clear hurt in his quiet voice.

“And after such a huge accident, how could you think about staying at the theater to clean up the aftermath?”

As he spoke, Loic finally turned his gaze away like someone sulking.

Maybe I really had been too careless.

“Um… I’m sorry.”

I gently held his long index finger as if comforting him.

He flinched at first, but then he intertwined his fingers with mine as if he couldn’t resist.

“I think Annette is misunderstanding something.”

His voice came out as a quiet mumble.

“Me?”

“You act as if I could live perfectly fine without you.”

“Can’t you live without me?”

I asked teasingly.

Loic lowered his eyes slightly.

“How could I live without you?”

Despite his pouty lips, his affectionate hands continued to hold mine.

“You are my only light and my sun.”

His quiet voice echoed beside my ear.

Perhaps embarrassed by his own words, the tips of his ears turned red.

“So please be careful from now on.”

“Because you are holding two lives in your hands.”

My heart fluttered at those words.

“…I will.”

Only then did Loic slowly raise his head.

A man with such a huge body kneeling before me and calling me his sun.

Seeing the love in his dark eyes filled my heart with happiness.

I leaned forward and kissed him with a soft smack.

“Are you still upset now?”

Loic looked slightly surprised for a moment before narrowing his eyes.

“I’m still a little upset…”

He tilted his head and kissed me again.

Smack.

Smack.

“Am I allowed to keep doing this until I’m not upset anymore?”

“I might even stay up all night.”

His teasing voice made my face burn red.

Before I could even respond, his warm tongue slowly slipped between my lips.

The rising heat soon made my mind grow hazy.

Later

“What about the Count?”

“He has been waiting in the reception room for about an hour,” Perel replied.

Hearing that, Loic swallowed his irritation as he walked down the hallway.

This should be the time I’m lying in bed holding Annette…

Loic licked his lips, still remembering their kiss.

He had almost lost control and gone further earlier.

Not today. Annette must already be shaken from the accident.

Tonight he wanted to comfort her so she could sleep peacefully.

She might even have nightmares again like before.

I should finish this quickly and go back.

Loic quickened his pace.

When he entered the reception room, he saw Count Avoir sitting stiffly on the sofa.

Loic dropped into the seat across from him and spoke immediately.

“Well, go ahead. Let’s hear your excuse.”

The Count opened his mouth but hesitated.

“The condition was that this matter would not grow bigger.”

Loic absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck, remembering Annette running her fingers through his hair earlier.

“And yet you involved the Countess and caused such a disturbance. Should I take that as you wanting to challenge me?”

“That’s not it!” the Count said urgently.

“My wife acted without consulting me! She left the house earlier today and never returned. I was searching for her all day. I never imagined she would cause such a scene at the theater!”

After Lady Meisel had been imprisoned in the dungeon earlier, Loic had summoned the Count and informed him of his daughter’s crimes.

“Your daughter will be executed.”

Kidnapping the Grand Duchess.

Colluding with a dark sorcerer.

Treason against Blenheim and the Empire.

The Count had been unable to protest against such serious accusations.

To that Count, Loic had given one condition.

“If you quietly accept the punishment unofficially, the Avoir family will not be touched. Your daughter will also die without suffering.”

If Meisel’s crimes became public, the Avoir family could easily be destroyed.

For the head of the family, this was actually a very generous decision.

“But the entire Avoir family must remain silent about this matter.”

“You must not speak about her crimes, the punishment, or the execution. You will not even be allowed to attend the execution.”

This condition was also beneficial for the Avoir family.

“Please give me some time,” the Count had asked.

He had requested time because he loved his daughter dearly.

And Loic agreed because he knew the Count would eventually choose his family.

Even if a trial happened, Meisel had no chance of being saved.

Instead, many enemies of the Avoir family would attack the entire family.

Loic also did not want a trial.

If attention from the capital gathered, discussions about dragons and dark magic might surface.

Most of all, if things grow bigger, Annette will suffer.

That was why Loic planned to handle everything quietly.

But I didn’t expect the Countess to cause such a public scene.

“It truly wasn’t intentional!” the Count insisted nervously.

After deciding about Meisel’s fate, he had told his wife, but she became emotional and left the house.

“I rushed to the theater as soon as I heard about the commotion.”

“In any case, our negotiation is over.”

“Your Grace!”

“The Avoir family will now bear responsibility for the crimes your daughter committed. You may leave.”

Loic stood up coldly.

Suddenly—

The Count dropped to his knees.

“…Please tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“What you truly want from me.”

The Count’s voice trembled.

“…I will accept anything.”

So he noticed.

The Count was right.

If Loic had truly ended negotiations, he would not have met him at all.

Earlier that night, when Loic had been putting Annette to bed—

“Loic, about Lady Meisel…”

Annette had spoken casually.

“Is her execution already confirmed?”

Her tone sounded calm, but Loic understood her true feelings.

Annette felt guilty about Meisel being executed.

She didn’t say it directly because she felt responsible as the Grand Duchess.

That was why Loic had avoided the topic before.

“Annette, don’t worry too much. If it bothers you that she will die, I can replace the execution with another suitable punishment.”

“There are other punishments?”

“Of course. Even if I cancel the execution, she will still receive punishment for her crimes.”

Annette’s expression had immediately relaxed.

Because of that, Loic had changed his mind.

Annette was already soft-hearted.

If Meisel were executed, Annette might suffer nightmares for a long time.

But things will never happen the way the Countess wants.

Letting the Countess continue speaking in the theater lobby had been his mistake.

How dare she accuse Annette and demand mercy in front of everyone?

Suppressing his anger, Loic spoke.

“The execution of Lady Meisel will be withdrawn.”

The Count’s head snapped up.

“R-really?”

“Instead…”

When Loic finished speaking, despair filled the Count’s face.

Dawn

It was a dark blue dawn before sunrise.

Meisel was dragged out of the underground prison without explanation and forced into a shabby transport carriage.

The carriage had no proper walls—only iron bars.

“Where are you taking me? It’s not the execution ground, right?”

Neither the guards nor the knights gave her any answer.

Fear began to grow in her chest.

“Please! Someone call Count Avoir!”

Meisel no longer called for the Grand Duke.

At the final moment, the only person she trusted was her father.

“Our estate is not far from here! My father will give you as much money as you want! Please!”

She shouted at the guard locking the iron bars.

Just then, an official who looked like an administrator approached with a tired expression.