My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 749: The world of Irth (part-15)

The movie was a medieval love tragedy—a forbidden romance between a noble princess and her loyal knight.

Despite their deep love for each other, their relationship was doomed from the start. The knight was but a warrior, bound by his oath, while the princess was shackled by royal duty. In the end, faced with the crushing weight of society, they made the painful choice to part ways.

But the princess could not bear the separation. On the eve of her wedding to a noble suitor, she succumbed to heartbreak and passed away in her sleep.

The film ended with the knight, now an old man, standing before her grave, whispering her name one last time before fading into the background.

As the credits rolled, the theater was filled with muffled sniffles.

Leiza wiped her tears, still shaken by the tragic ending. "That was so unfair," she murmured, her voice trembling. "They loved each other so much… why did it have to end like that?"

She turned to Azzy, expecting to see some kind of reaction, only to find him completely unfazed. His face was blank, his golden eyes devoid of emotion.

Leiza frowned. "Hey… did you seriously not feel anything?"

Azzy blinked. "No."

Her frown deepened. "What do you mean, no?"

"I don't think it was a good story," he said plainly.

Leiza stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? It was beautiful! It was about love, sacrifice, and—"

"It was about weakness," Azzy interrupted, his voice cold.

Leiza was taken aback. "Weakness?"

Azzy leaned back against his seat, his arms crossed. "The princess and the knight were cowards. Love isn't supposed to bind people with rules and fear. It's supposed to make them free."

Leiza narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"

Azzy sighed. "If they truly loved each other more than they feared society, they would have fought for their love. If the world stood in their way, they should have resisted together. And if that wasn't possible, then they should have run away and lived freely somewhere far from the kingdom."

Leiza fell silent, processing his words.

"Instead," Azzy continued, "they chose to be prisoners of their own circumstances. And because of that, they lost everything."

Leiza bit her lip. "That's… that's easy for you to say. But real life isn't that simple. What if the knight had no choice? What if he truly couldn't escape his duty?"

Azzy met her gaze, his eyes unwavering.

"Then he didn't love her enough," he said.

Leiza sucked in a sharp breath.

"If I were in the knight's place, I wouldn't let anything take my love away from me," Azzy stated firmly. "Not duty, not society, not even an entire army."

Leiza's heart pounded.

"If I had to abandon everything—my home, my title, my past—I would do it." His voice was resolute, unshaken. "As long as the person I love stays with me, I wouldn't care about anything else."

Leiza's breath hitched. She stared at him, her cheeks flushing.

Her heartbeat raced.

"Y-You…" she stammered, but the words wouldn't come out.

Azzy simply stood up and stretched. "Anyway, let's go."

Leiza followed behind him silently, still stunned.

Her mind replayed his words over and over again.

Her chest felt tight, her hands clammy.

And for the first time in her life…

She didn't know how to respond.

The limousine came to a stop in front of Azzy's temporary residence. The evening air was cool, the city lights flickering like distant stars.

Azzy stepped out, stretching his arms.

Leiza leaned against the car door, pouting. "You're really going to make me go alone?"

Azzy gave her a flat look. "I have to pack my things first. I'll be there in an hour."

She huffed. "Fine. But don't take too long."

Azzy gave a nod before turning towards the house. The moment he stepped inside, a strange silence greeted him.

The living room was empty.

The energy chains that had once restrained their fallen angel hostage were gone. His teammates were missing. His captain, nowhere to be found.

Azzy frowned. Something was off.

His sharp gaze scanned the room until it landed on the coffee table. A single envelope sat there, untouched.

He picked it up and unfolded the letter inside.

"Caelith, Ramiel, Seraphina, and Anaris have returned home.

I am taking the hostage with me to locate the fallen angels' hideout. I will send word if I need assistance.

Stay on your mission. Protect your client."

— Captain Astro

Azzy let out a quiet sigh, folding the letter back neatly.

It was just like the captain to make a reckless move on his own.

Shaking his head, he made his way to his room. He didn't have time to worry about that now—he had a contract to uphold.

After freshening up and packing his essentials, Azzy made his way to Leiza's estate.

When he arrived, he was surprised to find that his room was situated right next to hers.

Even more surprising—it was Philip Nightingale, Leiza's uncle, who had arranged it.

Leiza, on the other hand, was delighted. She smirked at him, clearly enjoying his mild discomfort.

"I guess this means you'll really be watching over me 24/7 now," she teased.

Azzy sighed. "I would have watched over you regardless of where my room was."

Leiza only chuckled, pleased with the arrangement.

Later that evening, with Philip caught up in work, Azzy and Leiza had dinner alone.

They sat across from each other in the vast dining hall, candlelight flickering over their plates of gourmet cuisine.

Leiza twirled her fork in her pasta before casually asking, "So… what was your childhood like?"

Azzy barely glanced up. "Normal."

She raised a brow. "That's vague. Try again."

Azzy sighed. "There's nothing to talk about."

Leiza leaned forward. "Come on. You know so much about me. I don't even know where you grew up, or if you have a family."

Azzy was silent for a moment. His fingers curled slightly around his knife.

"...I had a family," he finally said, his voice quieter than usual.

Leiza's expression softened. "What happened to them?"

Azzy's gaze lowered to his plate.

"Nothing. They are fine. It's just I had to leave them for a girl I dated for only a year."

The air between them grew still.