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Chapter 58 – Plan A Hunt

Bella didn’t say a word and couldn’t keep her mouth shut as she gazed at Kiehl. While they were apart, his words grew a lot.

“Re… really. There is no food here that humans can eat.”

Saying so, she turned her gaze away from his face as he approached her.

“Iwer has brought some things to cook from the human realm.”

With the mention of Iwer’s cooking, her stomach rumbled once more.

“…Are you hungry?”

“Don’t talk about eating. I’m getting distracted.”

Bella exhaled calmly.

“The fourth reason is…”

However, once she felt hungry, Bella couldn’t think of anything else. As her stomach rumbled again, she trembled as she tried to get out of her predicament.

“The fourth reason is after we talk.”

“There is no more reason, right?”

“….”

“No.”

Exhaling her breath briefly, she answered.

“Okay. We can go when Rinee is ready.”

It was true that she was impatient at the thought of being able to go to the human world. She thought she had to go quickly for Kiehl… because it was actually what Bella wanted the most. Bella didn’t know that his face would fade away, as she was still not satisfied with him.

She let go of the hand holding her and gently pushed his face away.

‘I’ll let it slide because you are handsome.’

If he had been ugly, she would have cut off his tongue before he could even come close.

“But, if I can’t pass even with Rinee’s summoning, then we’ll do what I said.”

“Rinee will do well.”

“If.”

Bella pursed her lips and lightly pinched his cheek.

“It doesn’t really hurt.”

Kiehl gently lowered his eyes and placed his hand on the back of her hand, facing her.

“…Can’t you cherish it a little bit?”

“Yes?”

“I wish Bella would love herself a little more.”

“….”

“Because the Princess should live happily ever after.”

…It had been a while since she heard such a warm word.

Thinking that, she glanced up at Kiehl and smiled delightfully. Bella wrapped her arms around his waist, like holding an angel that fell from the sky.

“What are you talking about so prettily?”

It felt distinctly different from the Kiehl, whom she often hugged as a child. The sound of his heart, who had suddenly become a man, could be heard clearly in her ears. A tickling touch caressing her back reached up to her chest.

“Our Kiehl has grown up so beautifully?”

“Yes… What?”

“The person you love is truly blessed.”

It had been a while since she said such a warm word. Every moment felt like heaven as if Bella was lying on a cloud. Nonetheless, it was her stomach that broke the drowsy atmosphere.

When she heard the growl again, Bella fell from his arms in embarrassment.

“Are you hungry?”

“If I say I won’t eat until we go to the human world, will we go to the human world now?”

“…Doesn’t work that way.”

Fabion was summoned with a tray in one hand.

“At this point, I knew you would call me, so I was preparing in advance.”

As Bella slowly opened the lid of the tray, Kiehl peeked inside nervously.

‘Obviously, the demons eat…’

He already knew what kind of meal the demons were eating from Jenkins. They usually eat the flesh or intestines of their own people uncooked.

‘Because Bella is a princess from the Demon World, it’s only natural.’

He tried to put a smile on his lips as he recalled the most terrifying image he had ever imagined.

“I thought it would be eaten with the human Young Master, so I chose only non-toxic ones.”

“Oh, my gosh. I like him because he’s so smart.”

In the tray, only the weeds that Iwer had thrown were neatly arranged. Kiehl’s eyes were slightly startled, and he went behind Bella and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You can eat whatever you want without worrying about me.”

“Thinking about that, I brought what the princess usually eats.”

Kiehl got nervous again.

“When I first went, I was a little surprised to see the demons eating because I knew what kind of punishment they were going to receive.”

Obviously, Jenkins scared him a lot.

“This… Does Bella usually eat it?”

He grabbed Bella’s shoulders a little tighter. She had been caring for him since they met after a long time. Why was she so skinny…?

As Fabion cleared the plate on top, beneath it lay colorful and pretty vegetables.

“Don’t worry. It’s okay to eat this together.”

Bella replied in a bright voice to Kiehl’s voice with vivid concern. As Iwer said, she was head over heels for meat.

“Now, we know the ingredients of most herbs, so it’s fine. Fabion and I have worked hard for a year, right?”

Kiehl was still smiling, though inside, there was confusion.

‘…What the hell does that mean?’

He was worried because he thought that she was only eating pretty salads that didn’t have any nutritional value. Fabion added whether he knew that Kiehl was listening to the conversation without knowing the background.

“Most of the demonic grasses are toxic. For example, what the princess eats the most, even a drop could dissolve the intestines.”

“Dissolving what?”

Couldn’t keep his smile any longer, Kiehl was surprised that Bella patted his hand. Still, she tried to appease him.

“Hey, Fabion. If you say that, my baby will be surprised. It’s okay. If we eat together, it gets better…”

He grabbed Bella’s shoulder with one hand from behind her and grabbed her by the waist with the other.

“…Does it hurt if I eat this too?”

Kiehl could have predicted the groan that Pur was talking about.

When she rested her face on his shoulder and sighed a little, Bella raised one hand and gently stroked his head, which was clasped behind her back.

“Look. Our Kiehl was surprised.”

Just a little while ago, he said, ‘I want you to cherish your body.’ How shocking would it be to hear something like this…?

Of course, when she did not know the ingredients of medicinal herbs at first, there were times when she got sick from eating anything. But, now that she was well acquainted with all kinds of herbs, she knew the right amount, so it was fine.

“It’s okay. There are only a few side effects when taken together with relieving drugs… .”

Kiehl hugged her tighter.

“What side effects?”

Bella smiled calmly as she sniffed the scent of Kiehl being close to her.

“Like getting stomach ache after eating spicy food.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s embarrassing to be worried like this.”

“…Yes.”

At that, Kiehl took a long breath in relief. Bella put a smile as she listened to his relieved breathing.

“The princess of the animal kingdom is not that weak.”

His warm words and touch, his tender heart, tickled Bella’s whole body.

“I’m really fine.”

Whenever there was a big change in magical power in the Demon Realm, she could feel vividly as if she was in the scene because she was the Demon King of the Demon Realm. So, even now, in her ears, the sound of the ant-type demons killing each other while repairing the Demon King’s castle could be heard intermittently.

…Especially when she was hungry, even more vividly.

Even in the Demon Realm, it was full of things that went against her nerves without a break.

“It’s better with you.”

After possessing the novel, all she thought of was being happy next to this kind and pretty male lead. For this moment, she was really envious of Rosanne. To be able to monopolize the love of the male lead who has grown up like this…

She stroked Kiehl’s soft cheeks with her fingertips and quietly stared at the plate that Fabion was holding.

“That will be the last thing I eat before going to the human realm.”

Then, Kiehl seduced Bella with words sweeter than the devil.

“Bella, Iwer brought the ingredients for budae jjigae… Would you like to eat it?”

Iwer’s cuisine was originally prepared to receive the promise that Bella’s heart would not be removed without Kiehl’s permission. Luckily, he kept it aside as a negotiating card for Bella’s oath. He wanted to put all the cards down and give Bella unconditionally.

And, Bella’s eyes twinkled at the appearance of ‘budae jjigae’. She turned her head to the side.

“Oh, my gosh…”

Was this the sound of winning the lottery you picked up by passing?

“Kiehl, I love you so much.”

Bella turned her head back to him and pressed her lips against Kiehl’s eyelids. Only the sound of ‘chu’ echoed inside the villa, and he turned to ice and hardened, and only his eyes blinked.

It was the same with Fabion on the other side.

“….?”

Bella, excitedly, quickly fell from his arms and called out to Iwer.

“Iwer! Budae jjigae!”

Perhaps, it was because she had been preparing since she came from the human world, so Iwer made a budae jjigae and offered it to Bella. As soon as the delicious smell came out, Fabion praised the dish most curiously.

“This is what the princess said.”

“Right. No matter how well you prepare a meal, nothing compares to Iwer’s budae jjigae!”

“Wow…! It’s been a long time!”

Bella put her hands together as if in prayers, and as she opened the lid, she slowly soothed her excited chest.

After all, it was a meal after four years.

As soon as she took a spoonful, she grabbed her chest and leaned against Iwer as if fainting.

“…Miss?”

“I thought I would die from not eating…”

It must have been such a thrill that tears welled up in Bella’s eyes.

And so, the second night in the Demon Realm passed.

Everyone enjoyed Iwer’s food after a long time and fell asleep while talking. Kiehl awoke and touched the unexpected reward that remained with warmth. He listened calmly to the sound of Bella’s heart beating inside his body.

A story that Jenkins only told him…

It was said that when he had another person’s heart, he could feel the other person’s feelings when it deepened.

— “Kiehl, I love you so much.”

Although he wanted to give meaning to even that little action somehow, the only thing pounding was Kiehl’s heart, who realized what had happened a long time later. He gazed at Bella’s sleeping face like honey dripped down her face.

Of course, he wanted to cross the line, though he shouldn’t be greedy.

“…Pretty.”

Her messy dark hair, her pale face from not seeing much sunlight, and her red lips…

She was a little skinny, and it looked like she was tired under her eyes, but she was still pretty. What if Bella’s taste wasn’t Kiehl? He then smiled and placed his thumb on her lips.

‘…I will be satisfied with this for now.’

He waited eight years, so he could wait longer.

‘It’s okay. Slowly… Don’t let her run away.’

Countless plans and futures come and go before his eyes. His eyes searched for a tight trap from which she could never escape.

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Thank you so much for always supporting the novels I work on, even if you don’t buy me a coffee, I really do appreciate it a lot. ❤︎

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