Celestina had expected him to get a little mad or frustrated but was surprised to find how calmly he responded.
“You aren’t angry?”
A chuckle escaped Azriel’s lips as he shook his head in response.
“What kind of person would I be if I got angry at you for not wanting to indulge in my selfishness?”
‘I guess he is right…’
There was no reason for her to really accept this engagement since it wasn’t even an order given to them.
Besides, Celestina found it more selfish of her parents and Azriel’s parents to only tell them about all of this now.
If there was anyone she blamed, it would be them, not Azriel.
“Though, can I ask you a question?”
Raising her eyebrows at him, trying not to offend her, she nodded her head.
“…Why do you want to be a hero?”
Celestina looked at him, puzzled and a little shocked.
Why would he ask her such a question specifically?
It felt like Azriel already knew the answer, making her furrow her brows.
It wasn’t like the incident was kept hidden or anything like that.
Azriel was also a prince, meaning he obviously knew more than others about what happened that day.
But it still confused her why he would ask her such a question.
She had never really told anyone apart from her parents why she wanted to become a hero, and Celestina was sure they never told Azriel as well.
As if sensing her hesitation and confusion, Azriel spoke once more.
“When Uncle Ragnar and my parents left, your expression resembled that of someone I once knew…”
‘Someone he used to know?’
Celestina kept looking at him, confused.
“It looked like you were thinking about something painful. Something or someone you hate deeply and want… revenge.”
“…!”
Her eyes widened at Azriel, who calmly assessed how she felt. She was sure that even if she zoned out, she was at least masking what she felt.
Or at least that was what she thought.
‘Was I really that obvious…?’
Celestina didn’t think she was someone who was easy to read, so it was either she had misjudged herself or underestimated Azriel.
Maybe even both.
A wry smile appeared on Azriel’s face.
“Looks like I was right, huh… Sorry, you don’t have to tell me. It was rude of me to ask something like this.”
Celestina bit her lip, hearing his words.
“No, it’s fine… you are right. The reason I want to become a hero is indeed for revenge.”
Azriel didn’t interrupt and merely listened to her attentively, making her feel grateful.
“You might already know this, but seven years ago, when that incident happened, among the victims were my grandparents. I loved them as much as I love my parents, perhaps even more since Mom and Dad are usually always so busy, resulting in me spending more time with my grandparents naturally…”
A chuckle escaped Celestina’s lips.
“Back then, I truly felt like a princess. Even though Mom and Dad were always busy, everyone doted on me and spoiled me to no end. I had everything I wanted and felt fulfilled, but… I was naive to think it would last forever. The attack of those skinwalkers made me realize just how cruel this world really is.”
She could feel tears starting to form in her eyes, but Azriel didn’t comfort her in the slightest. He just kept staring at her silently.
A smile broke onto Celestina’s face at his actions.
“How cruel of you… shouldn’t you comfort a crying princess?”
Celestina joked as she wiped her tears with her hands.
Azriel grinned in response.
“I don’t find the princess in front of me so delicate as to need the comforting words of someone like me.”
A chuckle escaped her lips as Celestina shook her head.
“Anyway… ever since that day, I promised myself to get revenge for what happened.”
“Revenge? Even though your father killed those skinwalkers already?”
“The skinwalkers aren’t the source of all this tragedy in our world. It’s the void realm. Until the day the void realm is destroyed, countless other grandparents, parents, or children will keep suffering. I will make sure to destroy the void realm and kill those creatures with my own hands… that will be my revenge.”
“I see…”
Azriel sighed as he looked ahead.
Anyone who heard Celestina now and looked at her face could tell she had made up her mind.
There was no convincing her otherwise that what she was trying to do was pure madness.
‘He must think I am insane now…’
Celestina thought with a sad smile on her face. It was normal for someone to think that way if they heard her goals.
She didn’t understand why she even told Azriel this in the first place.
Perhaps she wanted someone to understand her and take her seriously.
It was obvious to her that even though Celestina’s parents didn’t say anything, they didn’t believe in her revenge either.
‘Given how absurd the void realm is, it’s only natural…’
“…How admirable.”
“!?”
Hearing the voice on her left, her head snapped towards Azriel, who was still looking ahead.
A smile was on his face as he spoke those words directed at Celestina.
“W-what did you just say…?”
Celestina asked, thinking that she might have misheard.
“I am saying that you have such an admirable goal.”
‘What… my revenge is admirable?’
The last thing she ever expected was to be praised.
She even expected Azriel might tell her to give up on revenge, yet…
He didn’t.
“There was a person once who also wanted revenge for his family…”
‘The one who resembled my expression?’
Looking at Azriel, she saw him staring at the couch where his parents and her father had been sitting before they left.
It looked like those blood-red eyes of Azriel were seeing that very person in front of him.
A mocking smile suddenly cracked on Azriel’s lips, making Celestina speechless.
“That boy’s little sister, mom, and dad… basically his entire family, which gave him an excuse to wake up the next morning, were killed by some bastard. The boy had nothing left to live for after his family was gone. All he had was a desire for revenge against the bastard that took his family, yet… he was too powerless in that world to take his revenge.”
‘That world… Is he speaking of the void realm? Does that mean he was there with that boy? He wasn’t alone?’
Celestina knew that Azriel wasn’t in any of the conquered places in the void realm, so that must have meant he was in some unexplored territory of the void realm.
But the fact he wasn’t alone made her even more curious about where he was all this time in the void realm.
“He realized that it wasn’t just that bastard’s fault for his family’s death… Just before his family’s death, the boy and his family had a huge fight. Later on, he realized that if he hadn’t fought with them and had listened to them instead of pushing them away, they would still be alive. He was just as much to blame—perhaps even more—for their death than the one who killed them.”
“Then… what happened? Did he never get his revenge?”
For some reason, Celestina felt a strong need to know the answer.
A chuckle escaped Azriel’s lips. She felt there was something off about that laugh but couldn’t quite place it.
“He didn’t. He simply… gave up on his revenge. That’s why I find it admirable, you know?”
His red eyes once again locked with her grey ones.
There was a certain intensity in his gaze that made her want to look away, but she couldn’t.
It was as if her eyes were glued to him.
“You are also as powerless as he was to achieve your revenge, yet… you don’t give up. The way you speak about it, it’s as if you would do anything necessary to accomplish your goal, even if it means being called crazy.”
“Ah…”
It felt strange to be acknowledged for not giving up on her revenge.
He didn’t rebuke or discourage her—instead, he admired her perseverance.
She never thought anyone would say such a thing to her, and it made her… happy.
Perhaps that’s why she was at a loss for words.
“It looks like we’ve taken too long, huh…”
Azriel suddenly spoke, making her glance at the clock. An hour had already passed.
‘It felt like only five minutes…’
“We should probably let them know we don’t agree with the engagement.”
“Right…”
With that, Azriel and Celestina both stood up.
Her mind was still caught up on the boy and his failed revenge.
‘Why did it feel like… he was talking to himself?’
There was something oddly emotional in the way Azriel spoke, but she couldn’t quite discern what it was.
As she continued to ponder, she suddenly heard Azriel call out to her from behind as she was about to open the door.
“Celestina.”
Turning around, she saw Azriel standing there with a smile that momentarily took her breath away.
She was captivated.
“Once we truly love each other, let’s get engaged.”
“…”
“…”
“…H-huh…?”