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Chapter 100 – Struggle to Get Away
As much as Kiehl loved this person, he hated this moment.
Ever since she entered the Imperial Palace, he hadn’t seen Bella all along. Then, of course, she came into his daily life out of the blue.
The cat who said she would take revenge on the first banquet didn’t come even after he waited all night. Even more, he was also disappointed that she submitted a blank paper without telling him during the first round of the contest.
And even after that, she hadn’t come to see him. He thought he’d see her often in the main palace though he knew she was intentionally avoiding him.
…Still, he persevered.
He had to be patient.
His traps must be perfect, for she was a prey that must not be missed. He waited patiently with all the longing to see her that she finally came to see him.
“I want my heart back.”
Did she still want to run away and take this heart with her?
“I’ll check the wounds and summon Iwer.”
It was his only safeguard. If he didn’t have this, he couldn’t handle this anxiety.
“Take it off.”
He grabbed Bella by the waist and lifted his head.
“No.”
Bella, who he glanced up from below, was like when he was a child, but neither he nor Bella was young anymore. The next moment, sShe unbuttoned one of his buttons without a change on her face.
“Bella.”
As their eyes met, at that moment, Kiehl, who had no magical powers, eagerly cast a spell.
‘If she put her hands on me, I won’t stand still.’
…Even if all the castles he built were to crumble like sand, he would monopolize her now.
In the meanwhile, the cold moonlight was beating down on them, and Bella didn’t open the second button. It was because Shuria’s words circulated around and caught her reason.
— “They will demand the love they deserve.”
As she slowly lowered her hand, she stopped her breath again.
“I haven’t seen you in a while, and you want to take your heart the first thing?”
“It’s because I have to go to the mansion.”
“Why do you have to go there?”
How could she say that she was going to check the arrangement of the novel?
“It’s just my gut feeling that I have to go there.”
“….”
Bella felt as if the look in Kiehl’s eyes was telling her to ‘say something that makes sense.’
“No, I’m just a little worried.”
“What are you worried about?”
Inside, she let out a big sigh.
This was the result she had been avoiding so far… that the order of the contest would change, and Rosanne might be eliminated. She didn’t want to see the two of them together, she didn’t want to hear each other’s names come out of their mouths, so it was enough just to avoid them.
It felt like a cold wind was blowing inside, but Bella uttered calmly.
“I think it will be difficult for Rosanne to pass the second contest…”
She was going to ask him to use his strength to bribe someone.
“Yes. I think so, too.”
The words that came out of Kiehl’s mouth were rather unexpected.
“…Uh?”
Bella was just taken aback.
She was someone he likes, so how could he judge objectively like that…?
“But why is Bella worried about that?”
Kiehl glanced slightly at Bella and asked.
“What, what? It’s just…”
I’m afraid that Rosanne won’t become the Crown Princess.
Nevertheless, these words did not escape her mouth.
“I thought Bella didn’t like Rosanne.”
“Oh, no! When did I—”
“….”
“…I really like Rosanne.”
Bella could see that the stiff tone sent a chill down her spine.
“I, I have to go.”
“Are you leaving already?”
The moment he tried to hold Bella’s hand, he had already turned into a cat and disappeared through the open window. In the end, Kiehl sat on the window sill and watched the cat sprint away without looking back, only letting out a sigh.
‘Let’s see…’
* * *
Meanwhile, Mary, who had been briefly employed as Rosanne’s escort, let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the letter of introduction in her hand.
— “I’ll write you a letter of introduction. Meet Shuria Cruelle.”
Even though she came to the Cruelle mansion, she still felt uneasy.
A few years ago in her hometown, where she returned after a few years, they saw Mary and clicked her tongue and said, ‘Are you here to find that witch, too?’
She could barely hear the news that they had left the mansion.
And she knew then that Juan Cruelle had visited and prowled the village several times, trying to find Bella. Even when she was in the mansion, she was a person of authority, but she ended up becoming the adopted daughter of the Cruelle family.
‘…Besides, Juan Cruelle seems to go by the name ‘Ian’.’
Although it seemed to be a good thing for Bella, somehow, she was not at ease because of Bwen’s request.
‘I have to tell them that I found Miss Bella.’
He was the friend who always secretly tried to please Bella by bringing crops. Somehow he said Bella was like a rabbit-no one agreed- and he used to give her carrots. Without even knowing that in the mansion, she frowned at the mention of the word ‘carro’ in carrot.
— “If you find out about Bella, will you tell me, too?”
Bwen asked Mary because she was a mercenary.
At first, she was reluctant. Why was he looking for her?
However, when she saw the pretty wife and rabbit-like children by Bwen’s side, she knew that he wasn’t just asking for his selfish favor.
— “It seemed Kiehl was looking for Bella.”
Bwen said he was looking for someone like his ‘sister’ because she was missing, but Mary knew. Even though he didn’t get along very well with the other kids in her swordsmanship class, the reason she was able to get along with Kiehl was because of Bella.
— “If I ever found out about Bella, he told me to send a letter.”
Mary did not know the address.
Back then, he hadn’t even thought to ask.
‘I should’ve told Bella that Kiehl was looking for her.’
Full of worries, Mary handed Bella’s letter of introduction to the Cruelle family gatekeeper.
* * *
The second contest began with an anxious feeling.
The contest was both simple and complex. As many people were invited to the Imperial Palace, and each lady talks about their vision, it was to select the young lady who would go to the next contest by polling the public opinion gathered there.
In the novel, Shuria’s evil deeds were revealed in the third competition, and Rosanne’s good deeds stand out, so needless to say, she received overwhelming support.
The contest took place in a fairly large garden. Twenty young ladies are sitting in a row, and many people in front of them were listening to their words.
‘I wonder if they can hear everything the young ladies say.’
In any case, most of the invited people would already had a family that they firmly support. And across from the young ladies sat the emperor, his aide Rohan, and Kiehl, like during the debate.
Bella decided just to trust Kiehl.
Yes, he must have been counting since he was got a good brain.
Thankfully, the questions were typical. For instance, when they become the crown Princess in the future, how would they govern state affairs, and how would they help the Crown Prince? So while they rephrased the question slightly, in the end, that was the idea.
And when it was time to listen to Rosanne’s answer…
‘Ha… Will Rosanne be able to speak?’
Please, she should answer at least normally here.
“I… I am…”
Why was she stuttering stupidly? Bella only sighed inside.
“I wish everyone could be free. I will work hard for that.”
“How does Lady Rosanne Psilia intend to assist the Crown Prince?”
“I—”
Bella turned her head as she watched Rosanne’s face turn red with heat.
“I think it is destiny.”
Every time she heard Rosanne’s voice, her heart was sliced, and she became resigned.
And finally, it was Bella’s turn to answer.
“If you become the Crown Princess, you will become the Empress in the future. What do you think of the empire?”
As for Bella’s question, she thought it was similar but slightly different. That was probably the question they were asking because she was from another world.
She struggled to get away.
“I don’t think so.”
Unlike the young ladies who had answered positively so far, the questioner asked again when she expressed a negative opinion.
“What do you not like?”
“Hmm…”
In fact, she hadn’t really thought about it. She had never felt so uncomfortable in the Empire. From the moment she became possessed by the novel, Bella pondered remembering something she had never liked.
“Here, children are left unattended and abused.”
From Kiehl sitting across from her, Mary from the swordsmanship class, and Myu, Rosanne’s maid… It was something she always felt when meeting them in their childhood.
“Especially orphans without parents ended up just sitting on the streets.”
“Ah…”
“Isn’t there a nursery here?”
The people gathered at Bella’s words began to look at each other.
‘Hmm. Everyone is embarrassed. Well done, Bellatrice.’
Then came the opportunity to hate her fiercely once more. Emperor Lariette, who had asked a question or two before, raised his hand slightly and asked Bella.
“There are nurseries in the empire, but each family manages them, so there may be differences in each region.”
This was her first time talking to the Emperor.
“That means the Empire is incompetent. You can’t manage it, so you’re just sitting by the sidelines.”
Even though Bella was sorry to hit Kiehl’s father like this, she had to be a bit mean to be eliminated.
“Then, what would Lady do?”
Of course, she had several thoughts though she decided to tell Kiehl separately.
“If they don’t do it properly, I will slit the head of that family.”
She would be the villain now.
“…You mean a reign of terror?”
“What kind of reign of terror is slitting the throat? It is a reign of terror only when it is divided into sixteen equal parts.”
“I-I’ll stop with this question.”
The questioner glanced at the Emperor and cleared his throat.
“Then, what can Bellatrice Cruell do for the Crown Prince?”
“What can I do…”
Bella opened her mouth for a second before she closed it slightly.
Looking at Kiehl sitting in the center, he was laughing as if he enjoyed hearing her answer as well. She forgot all the stuffy and uncomfortable things she had to do after coming to the imperial palace, feeling anxious as if things kept going differently from the novel.
Her destiny was to die at his hands in the Demon Realm…
But thanks to that person who smiled so brightly in front of her eyes, she was able to come back to the human world, and she was able to enter as the adopted daughter of a Duchy.
No matter how bad she was, she didn’t want to hurt Kiehl with that question, even in empty words.
In the mansion where the moonlight shone brightly, she still remembered blowing the breath of promise into his lips.
“I will… grant his wish.”
And then it was.
The whole sky shook, and the ground vibrated with a colossal vibration of magic power. At the same time, Kiehl quietly closed his eyes.
In order to win this love, he had to risk his life.
‘This is my wish.’