Chapter 144
Bella walked along the beach, where the waves crashed, for a while without saying a word.
The wind blowing from the sea was warm.
The gritty sand pressed against the soles of her bare feet.
She thought it wouldn’t be so bad to live in a place like this for the rest of her life.
But… this is all a dream.
“Is the time okay?”
“Yeah.”
Tristan, who was beside her, showed her the bracelet on his wrist.
The bracelet, originally woven with red thread, seemed like it would soon turn completely black.
If it turned completely black, she would be trapped in the dream forever.
“Don’t worry. We have enough time until tomorrow morning.”
“…Thank you. For indulging my pointless stubbornness.”
“It’s fine. If you leave any lingering attachments in this dream, we won’t be able to leave here completely.”
“Haha… It’s so hard to wake up from a dream.”
Bella smiled bitterly.
It was rather fortunate.
That it was hard to wake up from this happy dream.
“Count. Do you remember?”
“…?”
“The day we first met… You said to me. That you would never say you’re sorry.”
She finally remembered.
In the countless dreams she had, Tristan was always there.
“Yeah. I did say that.”
“At first, I thought you were absolutely insane… But now that I think about it, you were saying you wouldn’t let me have anything to be sorry about.”
“…How did you interpret it that way?”
“Haha… Isn’t it better to be seen as a romantic lunatic than just a lunatic?”
Tristan chuckled at Bella’s cheeky retort.
“I can’t deny that.”
“Right?”
Bella linked arms with Tristan.
He didn’t refuse and let her take his arm.
She felt his well-trained forearm.
Leaning against his solid presence, Bella whispered softly.
“Then can I take it as you promising to make me happy?”
“…If that’s what makes you comfortable, then go ahead.”
Tristan answered indifferently.
The person who cared for and cherished her the most in the world was by her side.
Though she shouldn’t, Bella secretly prayed that this desperate dream wouldn’t end.
If it were reality, it would have been an impossible time.
The day Tristan and she would walk along the beach together had come.
Even though she knew it was a dream, she wanted to savor this happiness a little longer.
“…So you’ll stay with me today, right? Tristan.”
“Yeah. I’ll stay by your side.”
“Then…”
Bella unlinked their arms and walked into the waves.
The cold seawater wet her feet.
She kept walking until the water reached her knees.
As she dipped her hand into the rippling water, she felt the transparent seawater. It was a dream more real than reality.
Tristan watched her from a distance.
Seeing him, Bella waved and shouted.
“Why aren’t you coming in?”
With a smile that wouldn’t fade, at least for this moment.
“Aren’t we a couple until today?”
*
We spent time on the beach with Bella until sunset.
With the sunset behind us, we returned to the cabin.
Having played in the sea, our clothes were soaked.
As I looked for a towel, Bella suddenly spread her arms.
“Hug me.”
“…What?”
“It’s cold, so hug me. Are you going to let me catch a cold?”
Water dripped from Bella’s soaked dress and hair.
“…It’s a dream, so you won’t catch a cold.”
“No, I already have. Achoo! Achoo! See? I’m already sneezing.”
“……”
I sighed and hugged her.
As I held her slender body, I felt her warmth.
“Feeling better?”
“Well… It’s warm. Ah-! How about this?”
Bella grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around us like a towel.
“Ta-da! Now we can both dry off, right?”
If Bella had done this at the mansion, the servants might have scolded her.
But here, it was just the two of us.
Seeing her so proud, I almost laughed but held it in.
“You’re just like a disobedient child.”
“My goodness… Are you saying I’m as cute as a child?”
“…Don’t you think that’s a bit of a stretch?”
“Why? You said to think whatever makes me comfortable. Haha…”
Whatever…
We dried each other off with the blanket.
I gently brushed her damp silver hair.
The silver eyelashes beneath looked like a snow-covered forest.
“…Hey, Count… No, Tristan.”
Suddenly, Bella was staring intently at me.
“Living in a place like this with you seems like it would be fun. Abandoning the family, honor, and status, just as a man and a woman.”
Though hidden under the blanket, I could see the blush on her face.
“I’ve imagined days like this. Waking up in the morning to your face. Playing in the water with you at the beach until we’re tired. And having you watch over me until I close my eyes at night… Always having you by my side.”
The sun was setting outside the window.
“Do you feel the same way about me?”
Her words took my breath away.
Her passionate feelings for me were clear.
Had I ever faced such sincere emotions from someone in my life?
But…
“…I told you before. We’re not a good match. Someone as dark and gloomy as me… You’re too beautiful and noble for me.”
“It doesn’t matter. Because from the moment I first met you…”
Bella reached out and touched my cheek.
“I liked you. Your arrogance, your bluntness, your caring nature, and even your ugliness.”
“……”
Bella was gazing at me with a distant look.
It was painful to see her eyes.
I couldn’t accept her feelings.
“…Even if you become my partner, we’ll never be happy.”
“It’s okay. Having you by my side is my happiness.”
“That’s not what I mean. I don’t have a future where I can make you happy.”
“Is it because of the child? Are you afraid the curse will pass on to the child?”
Yes. That was part of it.
The curse Tristan bore was cast by a powerful demon.
Bella moved closer to me.
“If only you want it…”
Bella took my hand and placed it on her stomach.
“I’m ready…”
“……”
Darkness fell over the bedroom.
It was clear what she was ready for.
“We don’t need to use magic here. It might be a bit clumsy, but we can learn step by step. Our child… We can raise them like that, right…?”
“No… I can’t do that.”
I shook my head painfully at Bella’s desperate words.
I had no choice.
“Why…? Why not?”
Bella was already crying.
“Am I not enough? I can’t bring myself to hate you. I can’t bring myself to love anyone else but you…”
Her voice was choked.
In the end, I had to tell her the truth I knew.
“Bella… There’s something I haven’t told you yet.”
“…What haven’t you told me?”
“The curse on the Ruelberta family isn’t just about not having magic power.”
I took a moment to catch my breath and told her the reason we couldn’t be together.
“Women who marry into the Ruelberta family lose their lives the moment they give birth. Because of the curse.”
“…!!”
Bella slumped onto the bed beside her.
The curse on the Ruelberta family was far more powerful than Bella thought.
The curse passed down through generations of the family’s heads. Its effects reached not just the child but the mother as well.
Tristan’s mother and grandmother all died the moment they gave birth.
Externally, it was said they died in childbirth, but in reality, it was because of the curse.
Women who bear the child of the family head lose their lives. The Ruelberta family had hidden this curse to continue their lineage.
It was a grim reality.
Uncontrollable tears flowed from Bella’s eyes.
I couldn’t bring myself to wipe them away.
I just felt miserable, driving a stake into her heart.
“If you become my partner, all that’s left for you is tears.”
My voice choked, but I held on with ‘patience.’
I spoke as calmly as possible.
“All we’ll have is sorrow. I don’t want to lose you. So… I can’t accept your feelings.”
“…I understand.”
Bella spoke with a dark expression.
“So that’s why… That’s why you didn’t tell me.”
“……”
“Ah… I really don’t want to wake up from this dream. The only place I can be with you is in this dream…”
I closed my eyes.
This was exactly why I didn’t want to tell her the truth here.
Entering the dream was possible with the power of the dream demon.
But to leave the dream, the will of the dream’s owner, Bella, was absolutely necessary.
If Bella decided she didn’t want to wake up from the dream, we would be trapped in this dream forever.
And the ending wouldn’t be as sweet as Bella thought.
Because being trapped in a demon’s dream meant falling into hell.
I thought I might have to prepare for the worst.
But Bella shook her head.
“But I won’t do that.”
“…What?”
Bella wiped her tears and stood up.
“Even if the future with you is nothing but tears… Even if it’s all sorrow… I’m okay with that.”
Hearing her words, I realized once again.
Bella was the woman who survived until the end in this game, resisting with the players.
And she was the woman who never gave up until the very end.
“I… Tristan, I will definitely save you in reality…”
No matter what I said, I couldn’t break her heart.
“…Is that so?”
“Well, it’s a shame, but let’s get going.”
The sorrowful expression from earlier was gone, and she asked me in her usual spirited manner.
“Count. Tell me. What do I need to do? To wake up from this dream.”
Right. If she’s regained her spirit, that’s enough.
But the words that came out of my mouth were harsh for Bella.
“Kill me.”
