Cannot Escape the Devil - Chapter 23

“Asaya Lubedoa is alive.”

Was there any other news that was as terrifying and unpleasant as this?  Lishayas doubted her ears. She didn’t know how to react. She needed time to organize her thoughts. So she just looked at Reibene without saying anything.

“Are you lying?”

Lishayas asked as if she was still doubtful after a long silence. Reibene shook his head as if to confirm her doubts.

“It’s true. I saw her with my own eyes. We met and had a conversation.”

“Are you serious? Asaya was supposed to be dead, now she’s suddenly alive? Oh my gosh!”

Lishayas tried to deny Reibene’s words. She tried to deny the painful reality but looking at his serious face, she realized that the catastrophe was real. Lishayas stumbled, feeling her legs weakened. Fortunately, Reibene reached out to catch her just in time before she fell, however, she was still out of her mind.

She was gripped by shock, and soon ran out like a crazy person.  Looking up at the sky with her hands wrapped around her head, Lishayas laughed maniacally. All the servants that were watching the scene felt their heart race, scared of the situation. She laughed, then wiped away the tears from her eyes with a bitter look on her face.

“Asaya, you’re amazing, I’ll give you that. Were you really under the protection of the goddess Hebeia? It’s been 7 years since you were in that hellhole, and yet you’re still alive. You had nothing but a weak body and you survived. How lucky you are! How much the Goddess loves you!”

After Lishayas had calmed down, Reibene got closer to her and spoke.

“Leah, she is alive too. Asaya’s mother is also alive. But her mind is not good. Also, there was a child who looked like her younger brother.”

“She must have a brother to replace me. How about Count Lubedoa?”

“I didn’t see him there. He’s probably dead by now, that would be great.”

“She came back for revenge, right? To pay us back for that day?”

Lishayas’question made Reibene grimly distort his face and cursed.

“She is not the same old Asaya we once knew. She is not at all dignified like she was, but a savage. Revenge? There’s no doubt about that. The way she gnawed her teeth at me and was so proud with the Kabelheider’s name. It was a very repulsive sight.”

“Wouldn’t anybody be proud of having the Kabelheider’s name?”

Lishayas couldn’t deny the fact that Asaya was a great woman. May it be from the past or present. Somehow, Lishayas was terrified that Asaya was alive but felt relieved at the same time. She wondered if she should cry or laugh. She couldn’t understand her complicated heart. Her heart pounded at the thought of meeting Asaya who she hated and loved once again. Lishayas was stunned at herself. It was fascinating that a terrible hate and a deadly love could coexist.

“Will she be coming to the National Day celebration?”

“She will. She is Duke Kabelheider’s fiancée, after all.”

“Then, we will see her soon.”

“Yes. We will be reunited again. Asaya Lubedoa will definitely die this time.” Reibene said firmly.

There was no way the church would let Asaya stand still. There was no way they would spare her life, who had the bloodline of Runeshard Lubedoa. They would try to kill her somehow because in their eyes, Asaya was a very dangerous woman. As Runeshard Lubedoa did, she may try to destroy divine authority, and she must be killed.

“Are you going to kill her right away? Should I kill her instead?” Lishayas asked.

“I will kill her. The mad woman is trying to dig up the ‘work of that day’. And if the secret rises above the water….There’s going to be a big ripple, and I will not let it happen.” Reibene said with a firm determination.

“If she is alive, she should have lived quietly…Why did she have to come forward and cause trouble.”

Lishayas sat up with bitterness. She never thought that they would be reunited again. She didn’t even think Asaya would be alive in the first place. She knew their relationship would be impossible to recover or reverse like it once was. But now, it was inevitable. The event that year was like a dagger which had stabbed Asaya’s noble and pure heart, but she still came back alive and stronger than ever. The moment Lishayas realized that the dagger was not fatal enough to finish her off, she needed a knife. It seemed that Asaya had been in the harsh and barren land, where it drove people to the brink of death, had not been enough to sever this relationship. Therefore, Lishayas had no choice but to cut off the relationship herself.

Lishayas leaned against Reibene, with her arms folded in his arms.  Then she muttered in a soft voice.

“This year’s National Day… It must be exceptionally noisy.”

****

On the 3rd day after Edwin, a workaholic announced his vacation and shocked everyone, today was the day of the promised date. Today, he was planning to visit Matthia Square, which was considered the largest and most crowded downtown area in August. They needed appropriate attire to wear to National Day, and Matthia Square was the exact place to visit.

Asaya had been sitting in front of the mirror since early morning.  At the news of the two going out for a date, Lucia and Diana were overwhelmed with excitement and began to doll Asaya up.

“Do I have to be decorated like this?”

“Yes. If you go outside, there will be a lot of eyes on you, so you need to dress up beautifully.”

“There will also be countless paparazzis who will be waiting to capture all of your features and movements. So it’s good to look appropriate, right?”

Although Asaya was once a nobleman, she lived in seclusion, so she knew little about the general daily life of the nobles. When she was called Lady Lubedoa, Asaya always insisted on a modest outfit. No, in fact, because she was a member of the priesthood and a faithful church member, it was natural to avoid fancy dresses.

“Isn’t it too fancy?”

“This is close to everyday wear. Other wives like to wear this kind of dress as casual clothes. Since colorful dresses are a symbol of wealth and power, I heard that even casual clothes are becoming more and more colorful nowadays. The capital aristocracy would wear fancier dresses than this.”

“The Grand Duchess should wear this much.”

“That’s right, you shouldn’t let others look down on you. Costume is a symbol of status. Now you have to stick to the outfit that suits your status.”

The dress they chose for Asaya was beautifully crafted, even though it wasn’t as flashy as it would be seen at a ball or a party. The black dress had long sleeves and a long hem compared to ordinary casual clothes. White jewels such as sparkling diamonds and pearls were adorned on the circumference of the neckline, and the sleeves and hem of the dress were embroidered with sparkling silver threads. Because the weather was quite chilly, a cape-shaped shawl made of white fur was also prepared. It wasn’t too flashy, but the dress decorated with sparkling jewels and embroidery seemed luxurious enough to be called formal wear.

“Do you feel uncomfortable in this dress? Would you like something more colorful?”

Asaya shook her head hurriedly. There were many more colorful and over designed dresses which were too much for her taste.

“No, it’s fine. I want to wear this one.”

“My lady, it’s all done! Do you like it?”

Asaya looked at herself in the mirror. It was a beautiful sight. She looked so stunning that it was incomparable to the day she first came to the mansion covered in dirt. And this beauty far from reality was very strange to Asaya. The appearance that she saw every day came to her differently.

“Duke Kabelheider will be surprised. My God, you are so beautiful!”

Asaya looked in the mirror and laughed bitterly. Ever since coming here, she had subconsciously avoided the mirror, the appearance in the mirror was always unfamiliar. However, today she felt a sense of  disparity beyond the usual unfamiliar emotions.

Was it just an illusion? The extravagant appearance reflected in the mirror felt fictional. Lucia and Diana’s remarks, which  kept on praising her every time, also felt unusually uncomfortable because the sense of separation from reality felt even greater than it already was. All of this was just an intentional game. Today’s date was just a step that shows they have a good relationship under the name of buying the attire that was needed, and today, she had to act as a fiancee who was happier and more lovelier than anyone else.

“Are you happy, my lady?”

“Yes, I’m very happy.”

“We’re glad.”

Asaya pulled the corner of her mouth and pretended to smile.  Today, she had to maintain the appearance of a happy fiancee, however, the worries had already filled her head.

“Go downstairs quickly, my lady! The lord is waiting.”

Asaya stood up from her seat at Lucia’s urging. Seeing her beautiful reflection in the mirror, she told herself once again not to be swung over by fleeting hope and useless anticipation. She vowed to never repeat her previous mistakes again. She didn’t want her heart to get shaken once more.

Edwin was insensitive to beautiful things. To be precise, the expression that there was no inspiration might be more correct.  He was born beautifully and grew up being praised for his beauty by countless people, and he got tired of it. It was a natural instinct for humans to like beautiful things. Even bees are tangled in flowers with darker scents and pretty colors, and it is also true that the value of gems and jewels scattered on the road only have the same value as ordinary stones.

Edwin had rarely been interested in something extremely outward, whether it be a beautiful woman, colorful clothes or shiny jewelry.  It may be because it has become a habit to search and observe what the inside looks like rather than looking at people’s appearance, but when dealing with people, he always cared about words, actions and moods rather than the appearance of others.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, the preparation time was longer than I thought.”

Edwin stared at the beautiful woman who was just coming down the stairs. Asaya’s appearance was quite unfamiliar to him. Her figure in a black dress with her blonde hair tied up clearly stood out.

“It seems to have taken a while. Diana and Lucia must have struggled.”

Lucia and Diana, who were standing behind Asaya, grinned proudly. Their mouths were itchy to show off their work but managed to hold it in. Asaya stood in front of Edwin, feeling a little embarrassed to come before him. She didn’t know why, but she was embarrassed as if she was standing naked in front of him, and deliberately looked away. Edwin glanced at her and reached out his hand. Asaya stared blankly at the outstretched hand, making a quaint expression and spreading her hand on his.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen your hair tied.” His long fingers swept past her ears through the slightly flowing fine hair.  As he looked slowly at Asaya, a bright smile appeared on his face.

“It suits you well.”

With a rare bright smile, Asaya looked at him as if she were surprised. What did she just see? It was the first smile that a man who had always adhered to a cold expression. It was different from the usual pale smile. Asaya was shocked and realized that Edwin knew how to smile after all. The smiling appearance of the Grand Duke, nicknamed the devil, was more like an angel that enchanted and dazzled made her in awe. Asaya replied timidly, feeling her face burning.

“Thank you.”

Edwin gently embraced Asaya’s embarrassing hand. “Then let’s go.” He took the lead by grabbing Asaya’s hand. Asaya’s heart was beating rapidly and she felt a strange feeling rose all over her body.

A thoughtful compliment and a wonderful smile made her heart tickle strangely. She couldn’t believe that she could feel the warmth and kindness exuded from the man who was known for his coldness and indifference, even though his tone and actions weren’t much different than before. It was still hard and blunt.

It seemed like just yesterday that Edwin was like a dry tree standing alone in the cold.

What a strange feeling.

A strange warmth that would not suit a man who was colder than anything else in the world. The look, the tone, and the treatment are the same without any change. Still hard, still blunt.  It seems like yesterday that I thought it resembles a dry tree standing alone in the cold. Asaya suddenly felt an indescribable happiness from her trembling heart.