‘You say such things so well.’

Callid held back a sneer at the words Bellia had uttered.

He couldn’t believe those words either.

But…….

Though he didn’t want to admit it, what was certain was:

“You’ll stay by my side no matter what happens?”

The fact that he was shaken more than ever by that one sentence.

“Yes. If you help me, I will become Your Highness’s perfect ally.”

It was the first time.

That someone had said such words to him.

For a moment, Callid felt like giving her everything because her words were so sweet.

‘How ridiculous.’

How much he had longed for those words saying she would stay by his side no matter what.

It was laughable that the trivial and weak wish of his younger days, which he thought he had completely forgotten, still remained in his heart.

Of course, she wasn’t the one Callid had hoped for, but no one had ever said such words to him.

“…Why do you dislike Raul?”

Callid asked.

“That’s not nearly enough to explain my feelings.”

Bellia bit her lip as if the mere thought was dreadful.

Seeing this, Callid’s curiosity was piqued.

“You haven’t known Raul for long, have you?”

Considering the period of exchanging letters, Raul and Bellia had only met for barely a month.

There was a madman who proposed in such a short time, but it was also very surprising to him that someone could come to dislike another person so much in that period.

Surely, that Raul would have been extremely attentive to Bellia.

He always poured endless effort into what he wanted to possess.

“I have my reasons for that.”

Bellia held back her words.

Not yet, not yet.

“More importantly, we’re in the same boat now. You won’t pretend nothing happened after kissing in front of all those people, will you?”

Callid nodded.

“I’d like it if you got engaged to me right away, but I’m sure that would be burdensome for Your Highness for now…”

“Didn’t we already decide to do that? So it doesn’t matter when it happens.”

“Is that so.”

Seeing Callid’s nonchalant expression, Bellia smiled faintly as if relieved.

“It’s a bit silly to ask this now, but…”

Bellia paused for a moment.

“If you get engaged to me, you really won’t be able to break it off. If you happen to have someone you love…”

“Didn’t I tell you before that I don’t have such a thing?”

Callid looked over Bellia carefully once again.

His slow gaze moved from Bellia’s forehead to her eyes, nose, and then lips.

“I don’t go back on decisions I’ve made. Besides… watching the princess is quite entertaining.”

With her cheeks slightly flushed from his intense gaze, Bellia quickly changed the subject.

“Then please tell me if Your Highness finds a true lover. I’ll step aside cleanly once I achieve my goal.”

“…Didn’t you say you would stay by my side?”

Callid asked in a heavy voice, his expression suddenly turning cold.

Something that had come into his hands was trying to escape on its own.

That fact bothered him more than anything.

“But I can’t sit beside you as a fake lover if Your Highness has found someone you truly love.”

Callid’s face darkened at Bellia’s calm reply.

“If I find such a person, what about you?”

What will you do then? Will you still stay by my side?

Hiding these inner thoughts, Callid met Bellia’s eyes as if urging her to answer.

“I… As long as I can achieve my desired goal, I don’t care what happens to me after that.”

Callid felt Bellia’s answer strangely pierce his heart.

That nonchalant attitude kept bothering him.

“I’m not that bad of a person. Whether I get engaged to the princess or marry her, once I’ve decided to do so, I should keep my word.”

Though he had no such intention, Callid spoke gruffly, feeling a surge of defiance.

Callid was someone who didn’t have much to hold onto from the start. It wasn’t easy for anything to get past Raul and reach him. So he had a persistent side when it came to the few things he managed to obtain.

‘It’s irritating.’

Callid frowned as he looked at Bellia.

“I’m grateful you say that.”

Unaware of what he was thinking, Bellia smiled brightly.

Her expression brightened at the thought of completely grasping what she wanted.

“If we discover a gold mine, we can start preparing for the engagement right away.”

Callid made a strange expression as he watched Bellia treat their engagement like an item on a market stall.

“…Let’s do that. In the meantime, I’m thinking of causing a bit of trouble so that Raul will withdraw his proposal.”

Callid explained his future plans in slightly vulgar terms.

“Just showing ourselves publicly like today won’t be enough. Raul isn’t the type to let go of what he wants so easily.”

The Raul that Bellia knew was also like that.

He was a greedy man. And Bellia had a lot to offer.

He’s not the kind of person who would withdraw his proposal just from seeing such a sight.

The conditions attached to her would suppress his anger and force him to smile.

After all, Raul was a man quicker than anyone at calculating gains and losses.

“Do you have any ideas in mind?”

“How about I send you an official proposal?”

Bellia pondered for a moment at his words.

If the Second Prince sends her a proposal while the First Prince’s proposal hasn’t been withdrawn, it will surely become a huge topic in both the Ingot Empire and the Ronica Kingdom.

It’s really rare for the empire’s princes to propose to the same person simultaneously.

In that situation, even the emperor wouldn’t be able to force her to accept the First Prince’s proposal.

Bellia tapped the desk lightly, then looked at Callid with a grin.

“…If that happens, I’ll have the initiative.”

She would be the one to choose who to marry among those who sent proposals.

Having thought that far, Bellia asked him in a low voice.

“A proposal letter with the emperor’s seal. Can you get it? I don’t think he’ll give it easily.”

“It won’t be easy. But it’s not impossible if we go through the empress. But before that.”

Callid gently grabbed Bellia’s hand resting on the table and smiled mischievously.

“We’ll need to solidify our relationship even more.”

That’s how we’ll have grounds to persuade the emperor.

Not just the Second Prince proposing recklessly to a woman the First Prince proposed to, but because they have a deep relationship and he couldn’t bear to lose her – a romance narrative perfect for circulating in social circles.

“Not bad.”

Bellia could already start imagining how to use that rumor.

She was very satisfied with it.

“I’ll do my best to help with that trouble-making, so please take good care of it.”

They met each other’s eyes and grinned, simultaneously thinking of someone who would be troubled by this.

While preparing for a party to be held in a few days, Bellia hurried to the office upon Herald’s sudden summons. Wondering if Prince Raul had said something about the proposal again, her steps to the office were anxious.

“Come in, Bellia.”

“Elder brother. Did Prince Raul say anything again about demanding an answer to his proposal?”

Bellia asked urgently.

“Haha. It’s not that, so don’t worry. I just called you because I wanted to ask you something.”

Herald paused for a moment, sighed once, and then carefully opened his mouth.

“Bellia. I heard you told father you want to marry Prince Callid.”

Ah. So that’s what it was.

She had been called to the king’s office earlier to explain her behavior at the Second Prince’s welcome ceremony.

And there, she had told him that she was thinking of marrying Callid, not Raul.

It seems that information had reached Herald as well.

Bellia nodded.

“Yes, I did.”

“…Is this your doing?”

Herald asked carefully.

He didn’t want to doubt her, but it was suspicious that Bellia suddenly mentioned marrying the Second Prince, Callid, not long after saying she wouldn’t marry Prince Raul.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if you’re using Prince Callid to avoid marrying Prince Raul.”

It was an accurate guess.

But even while asking this, Herald was actually unsure.

The sister he knew wasn’t very resourceful, and was rather stubborn and a bit rigid, so she wasn’t the type to handle things this way.

“Didn’t you hear that from father? I like Prince Callid, elder brother.”

“Bellia…”

“I’m serious. I want to marry him. So I don’t like Prince Raul.”

Seeing Bellia’s stubborn appearance, Herald sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Let me ask you frankly.”

Herald felt very complicated.

If it were Closet, he might understand, but he never dreamed Bellia would pull such a scheme.

“Until just recently, you had feelings for Prince Raul, so why did your heart change so suddenly? And when did you even meet Prince Callid? What on earth are you thinking, Bellia?”

“…Even if I explain, you won’t understand, elder brother.”

The past Bellia who chose Raul and all that happened because of it was still vivid.

When she loved him, chose him, became his wife and the empress of the empire, how the Ronica Kingdom fell, how father and mother died, how Closet and elder brother died.

And in the end, even Bellia herself had to end her life miserably.

Bellia swallowed all those words, pressing them down in her mouth.

Even while getting used to this peaceful and comfortable life, whenever she thought of that time, all sorts of negative emotions including anger would suddenly well up.

‘No one would believe me if I said I experienced all that and came back to the past.’

So she had no choice but to make excuses while containing her emotions.

“Just think of it as my childish whim, elder brother.”

As Bellia shook her head lightly and spoke, Herald sighed.

“…Your behavior is different from usual, so honestly, I’m a bit worried.”

“There won’t be anything for you to worry about, elder brother.”

One day, Bellia’s behavior suddenly changed.

‘It was probably from that day when she cried so much.’

Herald saw his sister unable to control her emotions like that for the first time.

Bellia had a somewhat cynical side, so she was a bit slower than others in grasping her own emotions.

When he saw his sister shedding tears in such a crowded place, he really thought his heart would drop.

And after that day.

Bellia began to do incomprehensible things.

‘She clearly seemed to have a liking for the First Prince.’

How could her heart change so suddenly?

She was slow to realize her feelings, so it wasn’t easy for her to turn away from someone she had given her heart to.

Though he couldn’t understand why Bellia hated the First Prince so much, Herald couldn’t let his sister marry someone she disliked so much.

“I’ve been looking for a way to reject the proposal without friction with the empire. But you suddenly saying you’ll marry the Second Prince is honestly a bit shocking.”

Ah…

Elder brother too.

Bellia looked at Herald, a little surprised by the story she didn’t know.

“But I trust you. I know you’re not the kind of child to do pointless things. Anyway. I’ll look for more ways too, so just refrain from such sudden actions. My heart won’t be able to take it.”

Bellia burst into laughter at Herald’s playful gesture of clutching his chest.

“Thank you, elder brother.”

Bellia looked back at Herald warmly.

Someday when everything is settled.

Maybe then she could tell him everything?

Bellia’s smile was somewhat lonely.