After finishing a very touching reunion in the eyes of others, Bellia and Callid were spending time in Bellia’s room late in the afternoon.

“Callid.”

Of course, it was not at all the kind of lovers’ time that others might imagine.

Those outside might be very curious about what the two were doing, but in fact, they were seriously continuing a meeting with a large map spread out between them.

“Were there any variables during the subjugation process?”

“It was exactly as you said.”

“That’s a relief.”

Bellia let out a low laugh as if she was pleased.

Callid, who had been staring at her, reached out and caressed Bellia’s lips.

“Hm? Why?”

“Nothing. Just, you’re beautiful.”

What is this, really.

Since spending the night together, this was a familiar occurrence that Bellia had experienced several times, so she naturally brushed off Callid’s action and asked another question.

“Explain the details of what happened during the subjugation. I thought less than half of Prince Raul’s knights would return, but almost all of them came back alive. This is completely different from the plan.”

In reality, what was expected was a scenario where only Prince Raul and a few knights would be rescued, as Bellia had done before.

But Callid brought most of them back alive. Of course, they had sustained injuries of varying degrees, but none of them were critically wounded to the point of being completely incapacitated.

“I couldn’t just let them die after getting caught up in the princes’ fight.”

“Don’t show them mercy.”

Bellia said a bit coldly.

They will eventually become our enemies anyway. Even if we show them kindness like this now, when it comes time to clash with Raul, won’t they naturally stand on the opposite side and take up their swords?

She worried that leaving them alive with such half-hearted compassion would make it more difficult to bring Raul down later.

“This isn’t mercy.”

Callid shook his head as he answered.

Raul’s knights are not knights loyal to Raul. They are men loyal to the Emperor and the Empire. The same was true for the knights Callid commanded.

“If I become Emperor, they will all eventually become my knights. So it’s right to save as many as possible.”

She understood the meaning of those words well enough. But she wanted to minimize variables as much as possible. To be coldly honest, Callid doesn’t have much compared to Raul right now. Yet he gives such a soft answer.

Somehow, doesn’t it feel like she’s the only villain?

“Bellia.”

“……”

“Bellia. Look at me.”

Callid grasped Bellia’s shoulders and guided her to meet his gaze.

“…Do you think I’m cold-hearted?”

At Bellia’s dejected voice, Callid silently embraced her tightly.

“You can say that because you don’t know me well yet.”

Bellia raised her head from Callid’s chest at his words.

“The rumors about me aren’t all false. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who I am?”

A low chuckle echoed in her ears.

It didn’t quite register when he said so affectionately that he was a frightening person.

Callid had always been soft towards Bellia after all.

Bellia recalled after a long time why she had reached out to him.

‘That’s right. Just because he’s weak towards me doesn’t mean he’s become a different person.’

Rather, thinking back to their first meeting, she couldn’t have imagined at all that he would become this affectionate towards her.

How long has it been that she’s already completely forgotten?

“Raul was badly injured. So I had him and the knights retreat to the rear first. After that, we blocked the waterways and easily subjugated Alarag.”

Callid calmly explained the subjugation process.

“They were incapacitated, and we appeared very timely to help when they were on the defensive.”

“Didn’t Prince Raul suspect anything?”

“Even if he did, there’s not much he could do. It’s a fact that Raul failed, and it’s also a fact that we helped them when they were on the brink of annihilation.”

Anyway, the result was quite excellent.

Thinking that this conversation should be wrapped up here, Bellia nodded. Then she asked about what he absolutely had to obtain from this monster subjugation.

“What about the mana stone?”

“Here.”

The mana stone Callid held out was as large as an adult’s fist.

It was a size rarely seen even among those possessed by the Emperor.

If Raul had gotten this…

‘That would have been the worst case scenario.’

How did Bellia know about the existence of this mana stone?

Does she really have the power of prophecy? Or can she see the future?

Callid felt a chill run down his spine the moment he got his hands on the mana stone.

What if Bellia wasn’t on his side? He keeps finding himself making such assumptions.

“No one knows that you obtained this, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Keep this hidden. There will be a use for it later.”

Bellia searched her memories.

A few years later, a magician from the Magic Tower develops a new type of magic tool.

They needed to keep it for that time.

In her previous life, she had regretted so much when they immediately refined it and made it into a search magic tool as soon as they discovered it. This time, they would be able to use it in a better direction.

“And there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to soon.”

Bellia said, suddenly remembering.

Come to think of it, there were many things she needed to tell Callid.

“Someone you want to introduce? Who might that be?”

“Derick Selon, the master of the information guild ‘Lunes’.”

How did she come to know the master of an information guild?

It’s strange to even feel suspicious at this point.

But more than that, the familiar name made Callid ask Bellia.

“Selon? The Viscount Selon family?”

“Yes. He’s the Viscount’s illegitimate child. Ah, of course, the Viscount has no idea that his son is the master of an information guild.”

“…How on earth do you know that?”

Bellia just smiled silently. If you want to know everything, bring Raul to your feet, right?

Callid looked at Bellia’s face and wore a blank expression for a moment.

“How did you get to know him?”

His voice was full of dissatisfaction.

It seemed he was more upset about Bellia meeting another man separately than about him being the master of an information guild.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t meet privately with other men. It makes me jealous.”

Saying that, Callid naturally laid his head on Bellia’s lap.

Bellia also stroked his head with her hand as if used to it.

The distance between the two had grown noticeably closer since that day.

‘It’s vexing that he still won’t fully open his heart to me even like this, but…’

Callid comfortably closed his eyes at Bellia’s gentle touch.

“Callid.”

Her calm yet refreshing voice calling his name keeps making him smile.

A sense of fulfillment that filled his chest enveloped his entire body.

“Are you not going to answer?”

“Mm.”

Callid answered shamelessly.

So keep calling my name more.

“Then I won’t speak either.”

“Keep talking to me. Let me hear your voice.”

He demanded of Bellia while keeping his eyes closed.

As Bellia’s hand gently stroked his head, the tension slowly eased from his body, making him feel languid all over.

It had only been a few days that he hadn’t been with her, but thinking about how on edge he had been during that time made him feel somewhat foolish even to himself.

“While we were apart, I kept hearing your voice like an auditory hallucination.”

“…You’re lying.”

“It’s true.”

Did I tell you that I felt like I would die from missing you?

Callid chuckled.

“But that was just a fiction created by my imagination, so it was rather painful.”

He could stay up all night explaining how difficult it was to restrain himself from running to her right away.

“So I want to hear it directly. Say anything, I just want to hear your voice.”

“…Should I read you a fairy tale?”

Bellia jokingly suggested.

Callid responded that would be nice too, as he settled into an even more comfortable position.

“If possible, I’d like a fairy tale that ends with ‘And they lived happily ever after.'”

Bellia burst into laughter.

Why is he answering so seriously?

“Callid.”

“Yes.”

Bellia called out to him.

Looking at his face as he smiled, resting his head on her lap, somehow reminded her of the day she first met him. Could she have ever imagined back then that he would make such an expression in front of her?

“Why do you like me?”

“Does one need a reason to hold someone in their heart?”

The sincerity he showed made Bellia uncomfortable.

It would have been easier if he thought of her just as a contractual relationship, or if he said he was taking her out of necessity like Raul did.

‘Why on earth…’

She might be making the mistake of fully believing in someone’s feelings again because she was foolish.

Maybe, just like Raul did, Callid was only pretending to be sincere, and she was misunderstanding and deluding herself into believing it was real.

But if he really was sincere towards her…

“Don’t pour all your heart into me.”

Callid opened his closed eyes and looked at Bellia.

Bellia covered his eyes with both hands, trying to avoid Callid’s gaze.

“What do you mean?”

“Just because.”

How nice would it be if people’s hearts moved exactly as they thought.

She was hopelessly shaken by him to a degree she couldn’t deny.

How can a person be so stupid?

Even knowing that she might repeat the same mistake, she finds herself uncontrollably shaken and her heart stirring for someone.

The more Callid approached her, the weaker her resolve to push him away became.

‘How pathetic.’

Until Raul is brought down, until he loses everything and writhes miserably on the ground.

‘Don’t waver, don’t get swept away.’

There are things that need to be done.

So there should be no room to think about anything else.

‘I shouldn’t…’

Because she’s not a person who deserves that.

Bellia closed her eyes.

Callid placed his hands over Bellia’s hands that were covering his eyes.

“Bellia.”

“……”

“I told you, didn’t I? That it’s okay to run away.”

Why does he speak so kindly and warmly? Her eyes keep getting hot.

“Keep avoiding it and running away like that. I’m fine with it.”

Callid held Bellia’s hands tightly.

Though his view was completely blocked by her hands, he could feel Bellia’s anxious heart through the slight trembling of her hands.

“It’s okay for you to do that.”

“……”

Slowly. Very slowly.

He intended to gradually encroach at a pace so slow she wouldn’t notice.

“I told you to just use me. Don’t feel guilty. You don’t need to be swayed by my feelings.”

“But…”

Be more afraid and more scared.

Keep running away with a face that says you’re dying of concern for me.

“It’s okay for you to think only of your goals, just like the day you first faced me.”

A smile spread across Callid’s lips.

“You’re doing well.”

Keep being shaken by me. Think only of me, confused and at a loss for what to do.

Callid hid his true feelings and smiled with his eyes curved.

Bellia stiffened as she vividly felt his eyelashes moving against her palm.

“Just do what you want to do. I’ll always be by your side to help.”

Callid removed Bellia’s hands covering his eyes.

Then he slowly sat up.

“…I feel like I’m doing something terrible to you.”

Callid barely held back his laughter at Bellia’s choice of words.

Something terrible, she says.

It was a somewhat suggestive word.

“If it’s something terrible, I don’t mind suffering more of it.”

As Callid playfully shrugged his shoulders, Bellia also sighed and laughed lightly.

Watching that smile, Callid looked over Bellia with greedy eyes.

“And the terrible things you mentioned, I plan to do from now on.”

Finally, Callid pressed his lips to Bellia’s.