---

– The hero has appeared.

For the first time, Tristan mentioned the hero at the Seven Stars Union.

After Grace, the hero who defeated the first Demon Lord, it was believed that the Bloodline of the Hero had long been severed. That’s why when the second Demon Lord descended, the founder of Izakhel, Hero Alonso, defeated the Demon Lord. Since then, until now, the stories of the hero and her descendants have been passed down only as legends.

The mere fact that a hero had appeared was surprising enough, but Tristan added one more thing.

– All I can tell you is that the hero has appeared, and I am protecting that hero.

At the time, even the skeptical heads of the Seven Stars had no choice but to believe Tristan. No matter how they thought about it, there was no reason for him to lie.

Tristan didn’t answer any of Bella’s questions about the hero. Every time he visited the Ruelberta Mansion, he checked if there was anyone suspicious of being the hero, but there was no such person. In the end, Bella thought Tristan had lied to secure his position in the Seven Stars.

‘How could I not have noticed when it was right in front of me?’

The first person Bella thought of was Michaela. As a newcomer, she must have known. Bella felt a bit disappointed that Michaela hadn’t given her a hint, but that feeling didn’t last long.

In the end, it was Bella herself who hadn’t noticed.

If she had thought about it a little, she might have figured it out.

Who else was there that Tristan always kept close and favored?

Only Wendy.

If Bella had even once considered that Wendy might be the hero, she might have reached the truth. But Bella never doubted Wendy. She thought that behind those transparent and pure eyes, there was nothing hidden.

But Bella’s thoughts were completely off.

Wendy bowed her head politely.

“I’m sorry for hiding it all this time… Princess.”

“That power… is it the Hero’s Power? Given by the gods?”

“Yes.”

Bella looked at Wendy, who had grown so much. She had grown taller, her hair had grown longer, and her limbs had stretched out. Wendy had become a woman of Bella’s age.

Bella thought she was beautiful. Even Bella, who was acknowledged as a beauty by everyone, had to admit that Wendy was beautiful. Wendy’s beauty was different from hers. If Bella was an ice flower blooming on a cliff, Wendy was a sunflower basking in warm sunlight.

Bella witnessed the miracle that was said to be possible only for the hero. The rainbow light imbued with magic power was proof that it couldn’t be manipulated at will.

Wendy was the hero.

The moment Bella realized this, a question arose.

“Then why didn’t you fight the Demon Lord… Trinity in the north?”

The hero is the one who can defeat the Demon Lord. But during the northern expedition, Wendy didn’t fight the Demon Lord Trinity. She didn’t even participate in the battle. Why didn’t the hero step forward when the Demon Lord was right there? Was she scared? She was only 12, so that was possible. But was that really the reason?

After a moment of thought, Bella found the answer herself.

‘No… she didn’t not fight.’

Wendy didn’t not participate; she couldn’t participate. Because of ‘him.’

“……Tristan was trying to protect you not just from people but also from the Demon Lord.”

Tristan must have known. The identity of the hero is too heavy a burden for a 12-year-old girl. He knew that as a great being capable of defeating the Demon Lord, she would have to live her entire life under the scrutiny of others.

Facing a powerful being like the Demon Lord is a harsh task even for a grown adult. That’s why Tristan advocated for an alliance in the north. So that the hero, Wendy, wouldn’t have to step forward. He had been striving to create a peaceful world where Wendy wouldn’t have to do anything.

– All I can tell you is that the hero has appeared, and I am protecting that hero.

Tristan couldn’t say more not for his own benefit but for Wendy’s future.

When Bella realized the truth, a mix of emotions crossed her heart. What stabbed her heart the most was the fact that she hadn’t realized Tristan had been carrying such a heavy burden alone.

She should have noticed.

She didn’t want to make excuses for not knowing because he hadn’t said anything. Bella was someone who was infinitely merciful to others but held herself to strict standards. That’s why she was tormented.

As the lady of the Izakhel Family House, who prided herself on being a descendant of the hero, she should have recognized the truth behind Tristan’s actions and supported him.

The hero is the one who saves people from the Demon Lord. People see the hero as a savior, not as someone who needs saving. Only Tristan thought of saving the hero.

Of course, if Bella had been in Tristan’s place, she would have done the same. If she had known that a young girl like Wendy was the hero, she would have gladly protected her. And she would have fought the Demon Lord in Wendy’s place.

But Tristan chose not to fight. He worked hard behind the scenes to form an alliance with the demons. He protected not just Wendy but everyone.

“So that’s how it was…”

It was very much like Tristan. He had always been doing reckless things behind the scenes.

As Bella stood there in awe, Wendy could only nod.

She couldn’t reveal the truth that the Demon Lord Trinity was Tristan. Wendy knew that if she said that much, things would spiral out of control. She felt guilty for not being able to tell Bella the whole truth.

The only consolation was that even without knowing the whole truth, Bella’s guess was accurate.

“But Wendy, why did you reveal your identity to me?”

Bella voiced her question.

It was something that could have been kept hidden. She was curious why Wendy had chosen to tell her.

“I wanted to show you my resolve, Princess.”

“Resolve?”

“The reason I could change into this form is partly because I’m the hero… but I also wanted to become a woman worthy of the Count.”

Wendy looked at Bella. Without any shyness or hesitation, she looked straight at her. Seeing that, Bella understood why this girl had been chosen as the hero.

“I thought that if I looked like this, the Count would see me as a woman.”

Bella felt a pang at those words. It was only natural, as Bella had never really noticed Wendy.

Even during sparring, she just seemed cute. It wasn’t that she ignored her.

After all, she was just a 12-year-old girl. She didn’t seem like a sparring partner, let alone a rival. She just seemed like a younger sister with an age gap. Naturally, Bella didn’t see her as a woman. That’s why, even though Tristan was always with her, Bella never felt jealous.

“Still… even if you’ve become like this, you’re still a child.”

“Yes… that’s true. The Count said the same thing. But…”

A light shone from Wendy’s body, and she returned to her original child form.

“My body may be young and immature, but my heart isn’t… My feelings for the Count will never… never change…”

Wendy looked at Bella and spoke in a clear voice.

“Someday, when I grow up… I will become the Count’s bride, just like you, Princess…”

In the end, Bella had no choice but to acknowledge it.

The girl she hadn’t noticed all this time was actually her equal competitor.

*

“Count…!”

Two days later, Wendy tried to hug me, but I stopped her.

“Don’t make a fuss.”

“Hmph… I missed you…”

“It’s fine. You could have just accepted it. Wendy missed you so much.”

That was Bella.

Bella, who had taken Wendy to the Izakhel Mansion, somehow reappeared in front of me just two days later. That alone was strange enough, but what was even stranger was that she had accepted Wendy’s engagement.

Something’s fishy.

Bella wouldn’t change her mind so suddenly.

“Were you angry?”

“Ah… I learned something about you that I didn’t know before.”

“…About me?”

“I guess you could say I saw you in a new light… It’s just something like that.”

Bella gave a bitter smile. It was a smile that made it hard to ask more questions, so I kept my mouth shut. Whatever the reason, it’s a relief if she respects my opinion.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for misunderstanding. Loristan.”

……Huh?

Bella, who met my eyes, gave the most beautiful smile in the world.

“What did you just say…”

“I will bless your engagement. Loristan.”

“……”

This is that thing.

It’s the difference between when a husband asks his wife if he can go out drinking all night, and the response is either ‘It’s fine if you go’ or ‘Go ahead and see.’ And this is definitely the ‘Go ahead and get engaged’ kind. It’s like saying, ‘Go ahead and get engaged to Wendy if you want.’

“Huh? Why? Loristan.”

“Are you still misunderstanding?”

“Huh? That can’t be. Loristan.”

“……”

She’s definitely still angry.

While I was at a loss for how to appease Bella, Helga cluelessly interrupted.

“Waaah! I’m Helga, the baby the Count loves!”

“It seems you want to be deployed to a faraway place again.”

“Eek…”

The pacifier in Helga’s mouth fell with a plop.

 

---