The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 128

#128.

It was an attitude that conveyed, “Just name it.”

That alone brought comfort to Chelsia. She was grateful for Zerachiel, who was willing to do anything for her.

“I don’t know yet. But what’s certain is that I have no intention of being led around by the Sarvan family head.”

In her previous life, she had already been used amidst the complex interests of such adults.

Learning from that unfortunate experience, she vowed not to be foolishly dragged into situations where the other party was clearly trying to exploit her, and she had lived that way for a long time.

Since she was already abandoned, she didn’t need to concern herself with the Sarvan family’s plight.

Rather, the fact that she had a pretext to travel to and from the North without incident meant there was plenty of room for her to exploit them.

Circumstantially, there was a high probability that the Opal of Nothingness was in the North. To freely enter and exit the North, she needed the guise of being from the North.

“The thing I’m looking for might be in the North. So, I’m thinking of going to the North as they want.”

Chelsia stared at Zerachiel. It wasn’t an issue she could unilaterally decide. She muttered softly with a hesitant look.

“Will you come with me?”

It was the moment she lowered her eyes, fearing rejection. A soft touch briefly graced her forehead and then was gone.

The moment she blankly raised her head, Zerachiel looked down at her and said,

“As much as you want.”

“…….”

“I will follow you wherever you want to go.”

“Zerachiel.”

“Rather, you shouldn’t even think about leaving me behind, Chelsia.”

Zerachiel then pressed his lips to her eyes. Before she knew it, a tense feeling filled the air between them. Chelsia’s closed eyes fluttered.

Zerachiel’s gaze turned to her red lips. Seeing her tightly closed lips made him thirsty. As he ran his tongue over his lower lip with a parched look, Chelsia flinched.

“I’ve always said it. I’ll do anything if you want me to.”

“…….”

“So, you just tell me. I’ll do the action.”

With those words, Zerachiel gently pressed his thumb against Chelsia’s lips. White teeth were visible through her slightly parted lips.

As Chelsia parted her lips slightly, Zerachiel said,

“I’m ready to be loyal to anything these pretty lips say, you know.”

As his head naturally tilted, Chelsia tightly closed her eyes again. As permission was implicitly given, their lips met as if they had been waiting.

Breaths mingled through the overlapping lips. Zerachiel’s large hands gently gripped Chelsia’s cheeks, ears, and jawline to steady her.

Heat rose wherever his hands brushed past. Her body trembled involuntarily whenever their flushed breaths sought each other.

Unfamiliar sensations washed over her, followed by an unknown heat swirling through her body.

Chelsia’s heart fluttered with the emotions they now knew so well.

After a while, Zerachiel stepped back. When she looked up, regretting the brief touch of his lips, he smiled.

It was only natural that a smile would appear in response.

They had already grown enough to know how precious they were to each other.

Chelsia and Zerachiel were both feeling that their relationship, which had been put off all along, was slowly changing.

And at this very moment, they could tell without speaking that their relationship had completely changed from before.

* * *

The time had come for me to attend the negotiation table.

Since I had already discussed the situation with Zakari and Zerachiel, I wasn’t too worried.

Thanks to Eve, I roughly knew how they would proceed.

Although my other plans were disrupted due to unexpectedly meeting my mother, the situation itself wasn’t turning out badly.

Because I had sent Ella to Dane Village in advance to prepare for this.

Fortunately, Ella arrived safely in Dane, but a problem arose.

‘I met Page’s young lord [referring to Heathcliff] there.’

‘How did Heathcliff know about that place?’

‘I think… I was being followed.’

‘Gasp…….’

To think she would run into Heathcliff there of all places.

It seemed he had been keeping a close eye on her because Ella had infiltrated the North last time.

But to leave the negotiation table and follow her.

The Heathcliff I knew from the original work valued etiquette, order, and principles.

For him to skip out, let alone attempt to follow someone…

There must have been something between them that I didn’t know about.

I was too preoccupied with my mother’s situation to immediately notice the strange atmosphere between them.

Anyway, thanks to Heathcliff’s intrusion(?), I managed to get the scripture, but the problem was that Heathcliff had it.

‘I’ll get it back no matter what.’

It had been two days since Ella left those words and disappeared again.

She hasn’t come back yet, so it seems she hasn’t gotten it back yet.

‘Is she okay?’

Anyway, it would be dangerous for Ella to be seen sticking with Heathcliff in what was essentially enemy territory.

Besides, I was curious as to why he insisted on keeping an item he didn’t even need.

Since he knew Yanu, the village chief of Dane, he had probably already read the scripture.

Considering his usual attitude of wanting to help me, he was taking too long.

Then, Heathcliff’s words suddenly came to mind.

‘Did I do something wrong to the author by any chance?’

Perhaps it was a clever trick he came up with to find the reason himself.

Since Ella never opens her mouth once she closes it, they might have just been facing each other for two days.

‘Should I bring Ella back?’

I was wondering if I should intervene before the situation worsened.

From outside, I heard Isla’s voice.

“Chelsia, it’s time to go.”

“Okay!”

I straightened my clothes and got up from my seat. Now was not the time to worry about them.

Today was the day I would finally accompany them to the negotiation table. The opponents were those who were trying to use me in any way they could.

No matter how favorable the situation was for us, it was an important day where I couldn’t let my guard down.

* * *

Heathcliff was troubled by Ella, who was constantly following him around.

When she was with other beastmen, she would stay far away and watch, but when he was alone, she would quickly approach and threaten him.

“Give it to me.”

Yes. Like this.

Heathcliff was troubled by the gaze that even felt hostile.

Ella, who stubbornly came to urge him to hand over the scripture, had an unexpectedly persistent personality.

He was just curious about the reason why she hated him.

Ella would only close her mouth and didn’t seem to want to tell him the reason at all.

No matter how he looked at it, that face seemed to have a separate reason. Since she was Chelsia’s close aide, he wanted to resolve any misunderstandings if there were any.

At this rate, it seemed that he would only increase her animosity rather than resolve it.

He wondered why she disliked him so much.

“I’ll give it to you if you tell me the reason.”

“I just hate you for no reason.”

“I’m not such a jerk that I’m hated for no reason.”

Ella frowned at his somewhat self-loving statement.

She didn’t forget to glance around in case anyone came.

‘If you’re so anxious, you can just tell me and take it.’

She was small and adorable, but her stubbornness was amazing. Heathcliff looked at Ella with a thoughtful face for a moment.

It was when Ella turned her head away from that burdensome gaze.

“Then I’ll ask you another question. I won’t give you the scripture if you don’t answer this time either.”

“Okay.”

Only then did Ella look at Heathcliff with a face full of delight. A face that said she would be happy if she could avoid uncomfortable questions.

However, Ella became uncomfortable in a different sense at Heathcliff’s following question.

“What’s the reason for looking for the Opal of Nothingness?”