Chapter 77

Chapter 77 – No Choice But To Run Away

…What was this about?

“For adopting me as an adopted daughter, Lady Shuria will become the Crown Prince…?”

Kiehl let out a small sigh. He didn’t expect Juan to say this.

“The tea party ends here. Everyone get out.”

“Your Highness, why…”

“Get out.”

Shuria was the first to stand up and took Juan as if dragging him. Following them, the twins went out with a confused mind.

Bella doubted her own ears and asked Kiehl again.

“It’s not, right? Did I hear it wrong?”

“…It’s right.”

Saying so, he smiled sadly and nodded his head. It took only a few seconds for the long and enjoyable daily life to fall. How did this novel go? Was she going to try to talk about love enough to beat that promise?

“You should marry the person you love.”

At those words, he grabbed Bella’s wrist and covered the back of her hand with his other hand before opening his mouth.

“Lady Shuria is someone who has the talent to become an empress.”

It was something Bella had to admit.

“Still, your heart…”

“Bella. The Crown Princess is a separate matter from my heart.”

“…Ah.”

“It’s about choosing people who can lead an empire well, not the person I like.”

Kiehl’s hand caressed Bella’s cheek.

“So, don’t be sorry.”

“Still…”

“No Emperor chooses the Empress he likes, so that’s okay.”

Bella’s red eyes grew dark and out of focus as she kept listening to his words. Well, the novel was different. His fate was destined to be with Rosanne, no matter what.

“Because of me…”

She changed it again.

Before she returned to the Demon Realm, she had made up her mind that she didn’t care how the novel went. However, after spending four years in the Demon Realm, that thought was proven arrogant and childish…

She didn’t want to have the same experience again.

‘I was greedy for no reason… Then, this happened.’

Bella’s hands were trembling. She thought that if this novel didn’t finish as it originally did, she would have to spend eternity like a beast.

“I don’t want to get adopted into Cruelle. Can’t you undo the Crown Princess’s promise?”

Seeing her hand shaking, Kiehl closed his eyes and sighed inside.

“Bella is already in Cruelle, and even if you say you’re going out now, it has already been promised, so I can’t undo it.”

Bella jumped to her feet.

“We don’t know that. We must try! Let’s pretend I’m going out because of Juan and put it on him.”

It was a good way, though.

What Kiehl wanted was a story that was completely missing.

“Then, how will I meet you?”

“I-I will find a house in the capital. Once in a while, I can turn into a cat and go play.”

“…Once in a while?”

At that, Bella smiled mischievously.

“That… Then, I’ll just continue to be a cat.”

She couldn’t be a cat all day.

Even after one night, she felt like she had already been a cat for half a year. Because it was the closest to instinct, the magic power filled up faster than other times though she behaved according to its nature.

Wherever she smelled fish, she would even eat those that had fallen to the ground?

If there was something moving, she would run after it like it was possessed…?

‘I’m sorry to deceive him, but for now, I’ll say this.’

She could change the word later.

Bella stomped her feet on the floor, trying to open the summoning circle. However, when the summoning circle didn’t open because of her lack of magic, she stormed out.

“Stay here for a second!”

* * *

Kiehl smiled bitterly as Bella returned to the room with her.

‘I knew it.’

Whether she liked it or not, the plan had already started on the track.

“I’ll get out of this house now. I’ll say Juan tormented me.”

“Umm…”

“You’ll know if you try. So.”

She said, throwing Iwer at Kiehl.

“Give me back my heart.”

As she said that, he took a deep breath, placing his hand on his chest.

‘She always chooses the worst case scenario.’

Calm down. One at a time.

There were already steps Bella could follow without panicking. Nonetheless, everything was tangled up in a mess right now.

“Okay, then.”

“Hey! Then, take off your clothes, Young Master!”

“Why are you excited?”

Contrary to Bella’s serious expression, the corners of Iwer’s mouth went up as her eyes met Kiehl.

Bella paced back and forth in the room, biting her nails, while he unbuttoned his buttons one by one. With the precipice in front of her eyes, it felt as if she was working her brain, which she normally wouldn’t use.

‘Yes. Let’s get out of here and put everything on Juan…’

He had been tormenting her all the time, so she didn’t have to feel guilty. Even if the sky fell, there was a hole through which to rise.

‘If I disappear, he will surely be able to undo the promise.’

And, if she went to the mansion and found the summary of the novel again, maybe the answer would come out.

She thought so.

“Well. Miss, I can’t take it out?”

“…What?”

However, she heard something really unexpected.

“I think the Young Master may die if I take it out?”

“What kind bullsh—”

Bella frowned and pushed Iwer away. Then, she turned her head away, grabbing Kieh’s untied clothes with one hand.

At first glance, it was clear that the wounds still looked red.

“Look.”

Bella strode forward, and she opened his chest wide.

“Oh, my. You are so powerful, Miss.”

The wounds were more damaged than when it was first wrapped in bandages in the Demon Realm.

“…Is this because of my heart?”

“He has been very tired lately, so it’s not getting well soon.”

Bella let out a long sigh and slapped Iwer’s back hard.

“See! I told you not to disturb him! How much did you disturb him…”

“Ah…!”

The next moment, she faced Kiehl, and gently touched the wound with her hand. As his face twitched slightly, Bella frowned.

“Does it hurt?”

She didn’t know it hurt, but rather how to touch it.

“Do you want some of my blood? The guys say that they recover if they drink it.”

“Won’t it be useless for me…”

Kiehl smiled a little bitterly.

Every time she saw his cute appearance, the sick appearance, hated to be seen appearance, she was a little more calm.

“Miss, then I want it.”

“You keep quiet.”

Bella was furious with Iwer, and then turned her head to look at Kiehl with pity.

“Why does it still hurt?”

The thought of her stopping Shuria from becoming the Crown Princess hurt him. If this happened, she had to follow him to the Imperial Palace.

“It will be fine until I go to the Imperial Palace. Don’t worry.”

“What if not? You can’t even recover…”

He pressed her forehead slightly, and buttoned his clothes.

“Let’s think about it then.”

With the same hand, he gently touched the frown between her eyebrows. Bella was tangled up with problems to solve, and she didn’t know what she should fix first.

“If it doesn’t heal even then, I will go with Lady Shuria to the Imperial Palace. It’s okay with her to take me.”

“I think… that’s okay, though.”

Maybe, it would be too late by then… to tell her to keep her promise.

“I’m sorry. I’ll get better soon.”

Bella tapped the tip of Kiehl’s head.

“It’s not something you should be sorry for…”

He wanted her to stop following the original flow of this novel. The amber color eyes do not let go of her as if they had captured her.

“I need to get some air.”

After Bella left, Iwer made sure Bella had gone and then burst into a grin that she had been holding back.

“Aww, I’m tired of acting.”

“….”

“You were supposed to tell me in advance. Why did she suddenly ask me to take out the heart?”

“I didn’t know either.”

“However, I did a good job, right?”

Iwer asked for praise and drew a ‘V’ with her hands as cute as Pur.

“…Yes.”

“Then, we don’t have to do that anymore?”

“Continue until we enter the Imperial Palace. Bella may ask for it again.”

“Oh, now that you have loosened the button, shall we do it?”

Kiehl quietly opened his collar.

“Yes.”

Iwer looked at his open chest with covetousness and licked her lips. In the blink of an eye, her hand pierced Kiehl’s chest.

“Doesn’t it hurt? You never make a sound every time.”

As her hand ran through the wound and pulled it out, Kiehl let out a long breath that he had held back.

“…It hurts.”

While Iwer tasted his blood on her hand, he immediately put on his clothes and picked up a yellow bouquet.

“It’s better than Bella taking it, though.”

“I’ve been thinking for a long time, but our Young Master is really not normal…”

Kiehl muttered a little as he smelled the flowers.

“I’m not even normal since I liked the Demon King in the first place.”

At that, Iwer tilted her head.

“By the way, are you really saying that the Miss is going to the Imperial Palace?”

“That would be best for Bella.”

It was bound to be the best.

‘What’s left now is Lady Shuria.’

* * *

At that time, Shuria was smiling while facing Juan.

“Brother, where did you hear about it?”

“Is it something to hide? Some employees already know.”

Only a few people knew that Shuria had been chosen as the Crown Princess.

“I think brother planted a person in the mansion.”

“You are my person. Are you not? We are of the same bloodline.”

At those remarks, even though she had kept the smile she had since earlier, Shuria’s lips were twitching.

“You could have spoken to me first.”

…Even if she did not know that this information would be used without being measured like this.

“I think it’s because I feel too disgusted.”

“….”

“To bring a lover into the Crown Princess’ family?”

“The order is different. Miss Bella comes first, followed by the promise.”

“The Lady herself is fine with it?”

Juan crossed his arms and looked at Shuria with a smirk.

“His Highness knows the distinction between public and private life.”

“Is that so?”

Shuri couldn’t answer that right away. Even though she didn’t know it before, she’d been watching Kiehl’s behavior closely when Bella was right in front of his eyes.

“Brother, the Crown Princess position is a much more responsible position than brother thinks.”

“….”

“When the feeling of love enters, on the contrary, you may not be able to do the right thing.”

“So, you are satisfied with the position. Is that it?”

They did not know, but in the novel, Juan persuaded Shuria.

“However, can it not be shaken?”

To separate Rosanne and Kiehl.

“You thought he was the one to be trusted, but what if he wasn’t?”