“Please look at me. Are you alright?”

When Bellota wouldn’t raise her head, Seiden took another step closer and tilted his head, trying hard to see her face. Though Seiden asked if she was alright, Bellota’s face actually grew hotter because of his words. To the point where that question didn’t feel awkward at all, last night she and he had…….

Finally, his careful touch caressed Bellota’s flushed face.

“You seem to have a fever. I should call Priest Felton……”

When Seiden, who had become serious, turned around as if he would really go call Felton, Bellota unconsciously grabbed his arm tightly. Seiden paused and turned back to look at her.

“I’m fine.”

Bellota’s face was flushed red, all the way to her ears, clearly far from fine. Yet Seiden stayed frozen in place where she had grabbed him. It was only when Bellota met his gaze that something finally shifted.

Questions welled up to his throat, painfully constricting Seiden’s throat. However, he swallowed those urgent feelings and deliberately brought up something else.

“I’ve caught a bevel. I sent him to Yevar, so he will visit Lady Margaret today.”

At Seiden’s words, relief immediately shadowed Bellota’s face. Seiden’s heart ached again seeing her face, which had surely been worried about Lady Margaret even in this situation.

“Once Lady Margaret wakes up, we’ll be able to identify the culprit. After that, everything will go smoothly.”

Everything will go smoothly. Unlike the previous news, those words didn’t seem to provide much comfort to Bellota. Her eyes remained calmly subdued as she nodded slowly. Seeing this, he could no longer hold back the question that had risen to his throat.

“Did the Duke quietly accept your rejection?”

Finally, as the topic she had wanted to avoid came up, Bellota’s vision blurred. Unable to answer readily, she rolled her eyes in apparent difficulty. At this, Seiden’s brows furrowed.

“Did that fellow threaten or harm you……”

“No.”

Bellota quickly answered, shaking her head. That answer made everything clear. Bellota had truly rejected Geril’s proposal and returned.

“The Duke…… accepted my decision.”

Seiden quietly looked at Bellota. It was obvious that those words were lies without needing to confirm with his own eyes. That petty and vulgar man would never have quietly accepted Bellota’s rejection.

But even Geril couldn’t do anything right now. What could he do when Bellota herself said no? Though he too couldn’t be considered a sage, feeling overwhelmed and happy about this fact.

“I rejected it too.”

When Seiden made this sudden statement, Bellota raised her head to look at him again. Seeing her expression that seemed not to understand properly, Seiden kindly added:

“The imperial marriage proposal, I mean. I had already rejected it from the start.”

As Seiden spoke slowly, Bellota’s ears grew hot again. A warm and subtle atmosphere flowed between them, repeatedly making Bellota’s breath catch. Moment by moment, yesterday’s pleading came to mind, making Bellota’s head spin. Because Seiden’s answer seemed like a response to her pleading yesterday, Bellota hastily opened her mouth.

“I rejected the Duke because, as you said, I simply don’t love him.”

It was an urgent statement hiding the cruel meaning that he shouldn’t make any other misconceptions. Unfortunately, Bellota didn’t know that she couldn’t spoil Seiden’s mood with such words. When Seiden looked down at her with leisurely eyes showing not even the slightest movement, Bellota’s heart grew more anxious.

“I’m saying clearly that there is no other meaning.”

Even at that firm and clear confirmation, Seiden just looked at Bellota with a peaceful face. Seiden watched as Bellota turned her head away again, unable to bear his obvious gaze.

He knew too. That her rejection of Geril didn’t mean she had given permission for himself. That therefore, those tender conversations they had shared last night should be forgotten. Nevertheless, like a madman, he couldn’t suppress his purely happy feelings at all, remaining ecstatic like last night when he had held Bellota.

“I understand, so please look at me.”

Though Seiden quietly requested, it only made Bellota’s head stiffen more. Bellota was enduring like someone who had decided to never meet Seiden’s eyes again, staring at the innocent castle wall.

Watching that stubborn gaze, Seiden blurted out.

“I’m injured.”

At that, Bellota’s startled gaze instantly reached Seiden. Seeing this, as Seiden’s lips curved up slightly, Bellota realized she had been tricked.

“I thought you would never look at me again.”

At that leisurely and low voice, Bellota let out an exasperated breath. Then Seiden casually raised one hand.

“The injury is real.”

This time Bellota didn’t believe Seiden’s words and glared at him with suspicious eyes before reluctantly looking at his hand. Then she saw a deep cut that was just starting to show red flesh. Surprised, Bellota inhaled sharply and hurriedly reached out.

“Let me see.”

Bellota tried to grab Seiden’s hand to heal it, but her delicate and small hand was firmly caught by Seiden’s as soon as it touched his. The large hand effortlessly enveloped Bellota’s hand and gently pulled, causing her, who had been off guard, to be drawn one step closer to him.

Bellota’s face came under his face as he slightly bowed his head. Having missed the chance to protest in her surprise, Bellota just looked at those distant eyes while holding her breath. Seiden was no longer smiling.

“I will resolve this.”

Seiden’s voice was quiet, carrying deep responsibility. At that promise, Bellota’s heart sank and vibrated slowly. Looking at those deep red eyes that seemed to say all of this was his responsibility, that therefore he would resolve everything, Bellota parted her dry lips.

“It’s not your responsibility. As I said, it’s my decision, and I simply don’t love the Duke.”

“I know. I’ll still resolve it.”

Her clumsy excuse didn’t work on him at all. At that firm answer, Bellota looked at Seiden, having lost any more words to say. She remained constantly aware of her hand caught in his grip. Bellota tried to gently pull her hand away, but Seiden wouldn’t allow it. Instead, he bound Bellota more firmly and opened his mouth.

“So please promise me you won’t waver until it ends.”

It was like a plea. At Seiden’s words, Bellota stopped her weak attempt to pull her hand away and looked at his eyes that were focused solely on her.

Until it ends. Would the day truly come when all of this would end?

Her heart, which had been sinking into a distant depth, gained strength again from the warmth of the hand holding hers and rebounded toward the light-touched surface. Bellota looked at the red eyes that were clearly the light guiding her.

The die has already been cast and there is no way to turn back. In this distant darkness where she didn’t know what would befall her, the only one holding onto her was the man gripping her hand. So perhaps it was inevitable that she wanted to hold onto this hand a little longer. Even if it was such a selfish feeling…….

When Bellota finally nodded slowly while lowering her head, Seiden’s eyes sank slowly as if in relief. Only then realizing how extremely close they had become, when Bellota quickly tried to pull her hand away again, this time Seiden readily let go.

Bellota glanced at Seiden and turned around to climb the stairs without saying goodbye, and Seiden too didn’t hold her back anymore, quietly letting her go.

With each sound of footsteps climbing the tower, Seiden’s heart beat cheerfully. Only when he finally heard the sound of the door closing did Seiden look down at his hand that still held Bellota’s warmth. Incredibly, just this faint warmth melted away all his previous pain without a trace. Seiden tightly clenched his hand to keep that warmth from escaping and turned around.

* * *

Crash!

After Bellota left, the sound of things being broken and shattered echoed throughout Geril’s mansion all night long. Even after throwing all the objects in the reception room where Bellota had stayed, Geril’s anger wasn’t quelled, and he finally calmed down and gritted his teeth after smashing even the wine bottle he was holding against the wall.

Outside, the fact that he had been rejected by Bellota would surely have spread to the ends of the empire by now. Now everyone who had revered him would instantly change their attitude to mock him, belittle him, and find him laughable. How dare they.

Thinking about that, blood rushed to Geril’s face as if it would burst. Just then, the sound of someone arriving in response to his summons was heard. When Geril whirled around, his hair in complete disarray, a faint shadow in human form rose in the center of the wrecked reception room. Geril opened his mouth with bloodshot eyes at the shadow wearing a pitch-black hood from head to toe.

“Didn’t you say there was a weakness? A weakness to use as a last resort?”

The shadow stared at Geril for a moment before speaking.

“That’s right.”