Chapter 128 Keeping the Cover

Chapter 128 Keeping the Cover

Azekiel wouldn't have stopped teasing me if Mrs. Dawsey hadn't knocked on the door. She was accompanied by another woman, and both were carrying trays laden with food, which they placed on the small table next to the lantern.

"We'll bring the wine next," Mrs. Dawsey said after setting down the food. "When you're done eating, please leave the table outside so we can fetch the used dishes."

"Thank you, Mrs. Dawsey," Azi replied, still wearing that charming smile.

The woman turned to me. "I heard you're pregnant? Would you like me to call a healer to check on your condition?"

I swallowed hard and shook my head hastily. "T-there's no need, Mrs. Dawsey. I feel completely fine. Thank you, though." I covered my overwhelming embarrassment with a polite smile.

Now I felt genuinely guilty. After everything she had done to welcome and serve us, we were just lying to her face. Meanwhile, Azi couldn't care less, as usual. He was even amused by the whole thing.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Dawsey pressed gently.

Azi wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "To be completely honest, she doesn't need a healer, Mrs. Dawsey. All she needs is the warmth of my body—"

I gave Azi a sharp pinch on his side. What a jerk. "Can you just shut up, please?" I hissed under my breath.

Damn it. When did he become so chatty? Did Ragnal possess him or something? He was acting no different from him now. They were both equally annoying and embarrassing.

Mrs. Dawsey let out a hearty laugh at Azi’s antics. "My goodness, you two are such a delightful couple. It's clear how deeply you love each other."

I nearly choked on my own saliva. Geez, this is awkward. Azi just chuckled at the chaos he was creating.

"Alright, we'll leave you two alone so you can eat," Mrs. Dawsey said as she began walking toward the door. She paused and turned back to us. "Oh, by the way, Mr..."

"Max," Azi filled in seamlessly.

"Mr. Max. Our leader has agreed to meet with you. You may head over to the main hall after you eat or before the day ends. Leader Austin is expecting you."

Once the two women left, I didn't hesitate to dive into the food. The aroma alone was intoxicating. I grabbed one of the trays and set it down in front of me.

"Damn. My wife is starving..."

"I haven't eaten anything since last night," I replied, completely ignoring the title he just threw at me. I took a sip of the hot soup. Azi wasn't lying, even the broth tasted incredible. "You should eat too, Azi."

Azi pulled his tray over, sitting directly across from me. We ate in silence, hunkered down on the floor since we weren't using the table.

"If you want more, you can have mine," Azi offered.

"This is plenty for me," I replied.

We continued eating quietly until I heard Azi let out a low chuckle. I looked up. He was sipping his soup with a smirk plastered across his face.

"What are you smirking at, Azi—"

"Max," he corrected me smoothly. "Nothing. If you could see your own face earlier, you'd laugh too. You're terrible at acting. Careful, or you're going to blow our cover."

I froze mid-chew. "What do you mean? How would I blow our cover? I thought you said you had everything under control? You told me that yourself."

Yeah, that's what he said. He assured me I didn't have to do anything because he'd handle it. Well... aside from keeping to his rule about staying right by his side.

"We're roleplaying here." He swallowed his food before continuing. "If they find out you're not pregnant or that you're not my wife, everything goes haywire. They'll start questioning who we really are. If that happens, I don't think I can keep my promise about not shedding blood."

I stared at him in disbelief. He casually went back to eating, leaving me stunned.

Before I could say another word, a knock echoed at the door. Azi stood up and opened it. A woman handed us a bottle of wine and left as quickly as she came. Azi returned to the mat and poured the drink into two glasses, pushing one toward me.

"Are you serious? Do we really need to keep up this act?" I asked.

Using his teeth, Azi pulled the stopper off the bottle and filled his own glass before taking a sip.

"It's not strictly necessary, but unless you want this mission to turn into a full-scale invasion, you'd better play along," he said coldly. "It's your choice, though. I'm not used to playing house either. I prefer the faster, messier method."

I picked up the glass and downed a gulp of wine, staring at Azi. He was dead serious. Acting wasn't impossible for me... but it felt deeply uncomfortable, especially considering who the man sitting across from me actually was.

"So... even when it's just the two of us, we still have to pretend?"

His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "Don't be dense. They aren't humans. Every single one of them has the heightened senses of a trained vampire. It's a small clan, which means they keep close tabs on everyone."

"Oh..." I fell silent.

"Make up your mind." Azi poured himself another drink and knocked it back in one go. He gathered our empty dishes onto the trays and picked them up. "I'm going to get some fresh air. By the time I come back, you'd better have made your decision."

Once he stepped out, I let out a long, heavy breath.

I didn't want blood to spill here either. If going along with Azi’s plan, pretending to be his wife, was the only way to prevent that, then I had no choice.

"Max..." I whispered to myself. "He's Max."

Right. That was all I needed to keep in mind. I wasn't with Azi right now, I was with Max, a regular vampire from Eldoria Clan. And I was his wife.