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“Heeing….”

Wendy, who had put down the newspaper, buried her face in the blanket.

How was she supposed to go to school from now on?

She couldn’t lift her head out of sheer embarrassment.

“Huhuhu…. You’ve become quite the celebrity.”

Bella was watching the scene with amusement.

On the newspaper lying on the bed was a bold photo of Tristan holding Wendy against a backdrop of flames.

The newspaper that had scooped the story had covered his exploits in a somewhat exaggerated manner.

It was probably a newspaper with a pro-Ruelberta bias. After all, this was the same paper that had been the first to report when Tristan became a member of the Seven Stars.

Bella had read and reread the article after hearing about the incident.

What a foolish man.

To recklessly jump into an unknown barrier to save students.

He must be the most foolish among all foolish men.

And to think she had fallen for such a man… how foolish she must be.

Bella sighed inwardly. Then, in a calm voice, she spoke.

“It’s a relief that you look better than I thought. I was really worried.”

“Y-yes. It’s all thanks to the Count.”

“I hope you recover soon so we can meet at school. I’d also like to see Wendy’s swordsmanship skills.”

“H-huh!?”

“Just kidding.”

Bella, who had been laughing while covering her mouth, suddenly spoke as if she had just remembered something.

“By the way, is this the Count’s bedroom?”

“Yes…. The Count told me to stay here until I recover….”

“Hmm…….”

Bella’s eyes scanned every corner of the bedroom.

Today was a day without classes, so she had come to the Count’s mansion to visit Wendy. But unexpectedly, Wendy was recuperating in the Count’s bedroom.

Though completely unintentional, Bella had gotten the chance to see Tristan’s bedroom.

“How extravagant….”

That was her first impression.

Having lived a luxurious life as a child, Bella could tell.

Not a single thing in this room was cheap.

Perhaps this was the most expensive bedroom in the world.

Tristan’s bedroom was quite spacious.

Within that vast space, various artworks were tastefully arranged.

Though it was merely a luxurious setup from the original story, Bella had no way of knowing that.

‘He still has that bad habit of showing off with money.’

As Bella slowly looked around the room, she stopped in front of a wall with paintings.

Her eyes narrowed as she spotted ‘that painting.’

Artistically speaking, it was a very fine painting.

The scene of beautiful women frolicking in a field, painted in a hyper-realistic style, was framed within the canvas.

The colors and composition were flawless.

The only peculiar thing was that the women were all nude.

“……Trash.”

Bella flipped the painting over with magic and hung it back on the wall.

To hang such a lewd painting in a bedroom.

He must really have something wrong with his head.

After flipping one, she noticed there were quite a few other paintings that bothered her.

Bella began flipping over the paintings one by one with a flick of her hand.

She flipped over the one with nudity.

She flipped over the one with cleavage.

She flipped over the one with short skirts.

She flipped over the one that looked indecent.

She flipped over the one with women in it.

By the time she came to her senses, most of the paintings had been flipped over.

Wendy, who had watched the whole process, cautiously called out to her.

“Um…. Princess? Are you okay?”

“Ahem…. The Count clearly has no taste in art. I had no choice but to pick out the decent ones for him. That’s all.”

“I-is that so…?”

Snapping back to reality, Bella cleared her throat and approached Wendy’s bed.

“…Now that I look at it, this bed is unnecessarily big. Why would a bed for one person be so large….”

It was a massive bed, the kind you’d never see in a market.

Bella casually lay down next to Wendy.

“Indeed, this bed is big enough for two people.”

“Y-yes, yes. It’s really big! It could probably fit four people comfortably—!”

“Four…?”

At that, Bella flinched.

Though she had criticized it as a waste of money, Tristan always had a reason for his spending.

Besides, she had heard that men often had such fantasies.

So it wasn’t entirely impossible.

Unaware that her lips were pouting, Bella muttered.

“Hmm……. Maybe that’s why he uses such a big bed. He is a man, after all. Anyway….”

“Yes…?”

“It’s nothing. Our Wendy doesn’t need to know anything. Heave-ho.”

“Eek!?”

With that, Bella hugged Wendy and lay down.

The bed was incredibly soft.

Tristan’s bed offered the coziest comfort she could imagine.

And the faint scent coming from the pillows and blankets.

“This is really nice….”

Bella muttered absentmindedly without realizing it.

If she hadn’t been hugging Wendy, her relaxed expression might have been noticed.

In her arms, Wendy was at a loss for what to do.

“P-princess….”

“Shh. When it’s just the two of us, call me sister.”

“Uu… s-sister.”

“Good. Good girl. Our Wendy…. Can you stay like this for a while?”

Wendy obediently nodded.

Seeing her like that, Bella couldn’t help but imagine.

‘If we were to marry someday….’

She would wake up in this bed and see his sleeping face first thing in the morning.

She could whisper a morning greeting into his ear.

And he would kiss her with a sleepy face.

Just the thought made her smile.

And how wonderful it would be to have a cute daughter and live happily together.

‘No….’

Bella knew.

That such a future would never come as things stood.

When Tristan had rescued her after her kidnapping, he had revealed his hidden feelings to her.

Those who carried the Ruelberta bloodline were cursed to be born without magic power.

To break the curse that had been passed down through generations, he could not marry.

Bella couldn’t bring herself to respond to that.

But…….

‘Where does a man who says he has no intention of marriage propose so romantically….’

Bella’s chest tightened.

Thinking of Tristan, who wanted to stop the curse from being passed on. Remembering his lonely voice. His solitary背影.

And that day, when her lips touched his, the complicated expression on Tristan’s face came to mind.

Tristan had clearly been shaken.

Her affection had finally swayed his heart.

That was enough.

Lying on Tristan’s bed, Bella thought.

What she had to do was now clear.

She had to fight against the fate that separated him and her.

She had to fight against the Ruelberta curse.

‘I have to break the curse that’s on him.’

Just as Tristan had saved her, this time she would save him from the darkness.

She would never let go of his hand.

*

“It’s about time to head back, miss.”

When Blanshe opened the bedroom door, there was no response.

“Miss…?”

Looking closely, Wendy and Bella had fallen asleep on the bed.

The two of them looked so peaceful.

She thought for a moment.

Though it was the scheduled time, the Count showed no signs of returning from school.

He probably still had a lot to do at school.

In that case, it wouldn’t hurt to let them stay a little longer.

Blanshe left the bedroom and quietly closed the door.

She spoke only after that.

“…What business do you have with me?”

In the hallway of the Ruelberta mansion, as the sun was setting.

Only Blanshe and her shadow stood there.

“I know you’re hiding there. Come out.”

“…My apologies.”

As Blanshe took a step back, a figure emerged from her shadow.

Blanshe’s eyes wavered as she recognized the figure.

“…The Black Hound.”

“Yes.”

Before Blanshe stood a figure wearing the Aslan uniform.

However, instead of the lion mask that symbolized Aslan, they wore a wolf mask.

Within the Ruelberta family’s private soldier group, Aslan, there were those who handled assassination and covert operations. Commonly known as the Black Hounds.

It was none other than the place where Blanshe had spent the longest time during her days as Ruelberta’s assassin.

Though she had never imagined they would still be active.

Whether or not they knew Blanshe’s thoughts, the masked Black Hound spoke.

“I’ve come to deliver a message from the Count.”

“A message…?”

“It’s about work.”

“…!”

Blanshe couldn’t help but be surprised again.

The voice that came from the Black Hound’s mouth was exactly the same as Tristan’s.

But she realized it was just magic mimicking his voice.

“Work, you say…?”

At Blanshe’s question, the Black Hound nodded.

And then, in Tristan’s emotionless voice, the Black Hound informed her.

“It’s time to repay your debt.”

 

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