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Chapter 95 – I Hate You So Much
Kiehl hurriedly took the papers from Rio and read them calmly.
It was reported that there were signs of bullying among the ladies. The content was different from what he had been concerned about. In the novel, Shuria Cruelle also conspired and made her fall into the trap, but she did not childishly trip the feet or tear the dress.
“Who wrote this? Did you check it yourself?”
“I got it from the annex security. The guard said he had a fairly reliable source of information.”
“Who is the reliable source of information?”
“I don’t know. I heard the name is Ian.”
“I don’t trust them at all.”
Bella promised Kiehl that she wouldn’t hurt Rosanne.
‘Bella isn’t stupid either.’
Since she was still under the illusion that he liked Rosanne, it was obvious that Kiehl would eventually find out about this.
“If Rosanne can’t stand it, she’ll talk to me. Not yet.”
As Kiehl said that and just threw the paper he was holding onto the floor, Rio opened his mouth once again as he didn’t like his attitude.
“But, it’s true that Rosanne is being bullied.”
“I said it in the first place. If she was willing to help me, join the contest. If not, she’s out of the contest.”
“Rosanne…”
Rio replied in a slightly angry voice as he bent down to pick up the fallen papers.
“Even if it’s hard, she’ll persevere.”
Looking down at Rio, Kiehl sighed.
“Even if everyone is having a hard time, she’ll bear it.”
“She’s not Lady Bella.”
At those words, Kiehl opened his mouth slightly, but eventually closed it firmly again.
* * *
Shuria Cruelle.
Bella’s favorite in the novel. The cool and sweeping personality made her a charming character that she liked.
At first, she thought Shuria was in a collaborative role with Rosanne. However, as Shuria became jealous of Rosanne, she greedily sought the position of the crown princess as she gradually transformed into a villainess.
‘Clearly, Shuria and I are different.’
First of all, in the novel, Shuria did not share the same room as Rosanne. And although Shuria witnessed the secret love between the two main characters, Bella never went out to see or interrupted.
It meant that a lot had already changed a lot from the original—things that she didn’t care about since it would be a happy ending for the two of them anyway.
For example, Kiehl and Shuria are closer than she thought.
‘That’s because he was trying to adopt me as the adopted daughter…’
He even promised her to be the Crown Princess. The fact that Shuria chose her family over the Crown Princess was definitely different from the original story.
‘Still, why is this happening?’
It felt like the situation kept forcing her to play Shuria’s role in the novel… the role of being jealous of Rosanne and greedy for the Crown Princess.
Becoming a hindrance between the two…
She was the person the male protagonist trusted so much, but she seemed to be asking for betrayal. Some of the ladies were harassing Rosanne and cursing at Bella, implicitly.
“Oh, that girl pretends to be nice with an innocent face, like she wasn’t bullying her?”
She was sure she had told them to leave. Even though she hadn’t come forward for fear of further ruining the novel, Bella couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Why spend your time hating someone else?”
Bella was also soothing herself by reflecting the words like a mirror. An uncomfortable feeling arose every time she saw Rosanne.
— “They look like angels and demons.”
She repeatedly felt like it because Rosanne was so nice and Bella was so bad. Even so, she seemed to have to rationalize. And with her words, the ladies’ faces who had been swearing a moment ago turned red.
“Huh… that is…”
Feeling apologetic for nothing, Bella soothed the flustered ladies as she forced a smile.
“We don’t have enough time just doing what we like, so let’s do what we like.”
“I-I was short-sighted.”
So, for now, just being next to Kiehl should be enough.
Just like before sending him to the imperial palace, she was grateful for this opportunity to spend each day by the side of someone she loved.
‘…Because I’m already a dead character.’
* * *
That day was a few days before the first contest.
After reprimanding the ladies who bullied Rosanne with nice words, Bella warned them whenever she could.
“Everyone says they are educated people, so don’t do that.”
However, it was clear that they continued to harass Rosanne unknowingly. She didn’t know if they were from the ladies following her or the ladies following the Merken family. In addition, there were several occasions when she saw Rosanne sniffling, so she couldn’t enter the room.
It was like that that day, too.
Bella was the one who was sharing the room with Rosanne, so maybe she should have come in and comforted her. She turned her feet and walked aimlessly.
‘…I’m so bad.’
She thought it would be better to just avoid her than to add to the sadness next to someone who was crying for no reason.
When evening approached, the sun went down, and the moon was shining on the other side, preparing. From afar, people working in the imperial palace gathered in groups and headed for the main gate, getting off work.
‘This place is also quite systematic.’
The most fun thing in the world was watching people pass by, Bella was watching them without thinking.
And then.
She saw a long shadow cast in front of her and she slowly turned her head back.
It was a familiar face.
‘…Who was it?’
If Jenkins had been around, he would have explained it.
“How long will you be here?”
However, no explanation was needed from anyone. As soon as she heard that voice, Bella’s hidden rage seemed to ignite.
“We are really meant to be, because we met again.”
It was Rohan… the investigator, who took Kiehl.
The Emperor’s aide and Kiehl’s current aide, and the so-called influential figure of the imperial family.
“This is where you fled after all?”
Bella raised a corner of her mouth.
Ever since she entered the imperial palace, she didn’t want anyone to notice her, so she stayed still. Maybe the novel would change. Maybe, her actions would harm Kiehl… Still, she could not forgive this.
“Ah. The gifts you gave me were well received.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
…The bastard who sent an assassin to the mansion.
…The one who sent the characters in the novel, and eventually made them leave the mansion.
Rohan stared through Bella’s eyes, then scanned Bella from head to toe.
“Didn’t you say that you would not get involved in His Highness’s life?”
“I never said I would do that.”
Silence passed between the two. Rohan sneered at Bella’s behavior and held Bella’s chin, holding her face close.
“Do you know where this is? How dare you.”
As her scarlet eyes grew red, she moved closer to Rohan as if he were about to kiss her.
“Do you know who I am? How dare you.”
Rohan was an absolute aide for the Emperor and Crown Prince. And quite a lot of forces were supporting the Crown Prince around Rohan. If it had been before, she would have been afraid of Rohan, but not now.
“You cannot become the crown princess.”
“….”
“You will never be.”
“I have never been greedy.”
Bella’s fingernails grow longer, but Rohan doesn’t notice. Her cold expression gave her goosebumps as it was so scary.
“I’m too greedy for your life.”
Saying so, she slowly scratched Rohan’s cheek from above with her long fingernails.
“You will die someday. Do you want to die today?”
As it had been eight years ago, fear seeped deep into Rohan’s bones.
“It will happen anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to do it quickly?”
If there was a demon king, wouldn’t it be like that?
As expected, she was a dangerous person, too. Fortunately for Rohan, she stopped as soon as she saw his blood. Then, she stepped away from him, wiping the blood from her fingernails into his clothes.
“I told you. Don’t use your mouth carelessly.”
After a brief, scary warning, she headed back to her room. Her steps quickened, and her breathing quickened.
Bella hesitated for a moment before opening her door.
‘…She’s not still crying, is she?’
Fortunately, no one was inside.
Carefully closing the door and leaning against it, she let out the breath she had been holding back.
“Why would you say that?”
She tried to forget the smell of blood for a moment, and she scolded herself for falling for his provocation.
“When was I greedy?”
Why did everyone want her to be greedy? Even though she didn’t do anything, why would they look at her like the villain and be expectant of her?
“…That’s too much.”
The results of her greed were always right in front of her eyes. The ending where she had to live like a beast for eons of time in the demon realm. Since she knew the end of this novel anyway, she tried to be satisfied here without being greedy.
‘Where is Pur?’
She had to hug something.
Before this thought grew, Bella glanced around her and saw a cactus on her window sill.
‘Ah….’
She drew a picture of a cat on a flower pot to give to Kiehl. The cactus that hadn’t been delivered yet had the same color next to her withered cactus.
‘I guess I have no talent for growing plants.’
Bella slowly approached the window and pushed the cactus into a corner. Besides it, she could see the one that she had gifted to Rosanne. Darkness was coming outside, but the pink flower buds on the green cactus shone as if they didn’t know what darkness was.
Like the bright and pure Rosanne.
‘…I hate you so much.’
Why do you shine like that to make my shadow darker?
* * *
Kiehl had been looking forward to the end of the first contest.
The first contest consisted of a simple test. They were free to answer the question of how to maintain a relationship with the country she had newly interacted with.
‘I’ll just have to guess about twenty people here.’
Since the Crown Princess would later become empress, it was the Imperial Family’s idea that they should know at least about the international situation and come up with countermeasures for it. Of course, that response wouldn’t be the right answer, but it was enough to check if they thought in various ways.
In any case, when the Crown Prince was interested after this contest, it was like there was a somewhat proven excuse.
‘I’ll be able to see Bella more often now.’
Kiehl secretly expected Bella’s answer from Rio’s report that he gave him.
“…What is it?”
“What you are so curious about.”
Just looking at the blank paper, he gazed at Rio with a confused face.
“There’s nothing?”
“It was given by Lady Bella during the first contest.”
“…What?”
Kiehl looked at the paper and checked the name ‘Bellatrice Cruelle’ written on it.
“Could it be that she just handed out the blank paper?”
He was so full of energy that he couldn’t even laugh.