The Regressed Empress Tames the Hunting Dog - Chapter 48

It was necessary to show that the influence of the Kingdom of Ronica was still strong, just as the Empire established relations with other western countries as the hegemon of the West.

Thinking this, Bellia glanced at the Empress.

Though she was forcing a smile on her lips, her expression was visibly uncomfortable to anyone who looked.

Right. She must be frustrated.

She must think that all of that belonging to the Kingdom of Ronica was almost her son’s, but it was all taken away before her eyes.

“Your Majesty. It’s almost time for today’s main characters to enter.”

“Ah. Right.”

At the Empress’s words, the Emperor turned his body back towards the ceremony hall.

Bellia was satisfied with just this much. If she provoked them any further here, it could unnecessarily draw attention and restrict her actions.

Callid gripped Bellia’s hand tightly. As if to say she did well.

‘Hmph. I can’t just ignore their attitude of disrespecting Callid.’

Bellia smiled lightly with a refreshed expression.

Soon, to the sound of the orchestra’s music, Raul and Elin slowly walked out along the flower-decorated path.

Elin, elaborately dressed up, looked exceptionally beautiful. Raul, holding her hand and walking together, gazed at Elin as if she was lovely.

Watching them smile with utmost happiness, Bellia snorted.

‘All masked faces…’

When she clearly knew that those seemingly affectionate attitudes were all fake.

Moreover, even while acting like that, Raul searched for Bellia sitting in the upper seat. That was quite rude behavior towards the Kanterif princess standing beside him.

Of course, Bellia didn’t need to care about that at all. It was the princess herself who chose such a Raul.

“They really are a beautiful couple.”

Bellia turned her gaze towards Raul and Elin, today’s main characters. Then, smiling very brightly, she ostentatiously leaned her head on Callid’s shoulder.

Then she looked at Raul, who was staring this way, and smiled.

‘I’m not your lover.’

Though it wasn’t a very close distance, she felt like she could clearly see his wavering gaze.

Despite having his fiancée holding his hand and walking the flower path together, he couldn’t take his eyes off Bellia.

‘How annoying.’

Who does he think he is.

As if he had been someone special to her.

Finding that sight ridiculous, Bellia subtly distorted her expression.

Since returning to the past, she hadn’t shared any special feelings with Raul. The time she returned to was around when Bellia was starting to fall for Raul, so in reality, she and Raul weren’t anything to each other.

If she had to define their relationship, he could be called someone who proposed in the past, or her fiancé’s older brother.

‘Just that level of relationship, and yet…’

Why does he keep looking at her as if gazing at an old lover?

Why is he so frustrated, as if Callid had taken her away from him?

“…He’s looking at you.”

Callid whispered very softly into Bellia’s ear. His displeasure was overflowing.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Bellia deliberately snuggled up to Callid affectionately and looked straight at Raul.

Their eyes met.

“…”

Raul stopped walking and stared intently at Bellia.

Elin, who had been walking holding his hand, noticed where he was looking and her expression hardened coldly.

“Your Highness.”

At Elin’s call, Raul turned his head and resumed walking.

Raul still couldn’t believe that Bellia was by Callid’s side.

From the beginning, she had been someone he approached calculatingly, so there were no real feelings at all.

But the fact that Bellia, whom he thought he had almost caught, pushed him away and chose Callid filled him with unbearable anger. And now…

‘She was originally mine.’

An obsessive, strange desire towards Bellia quietly leaked from Raul’s coldly frozen eyes.

The smile gradually disappeared from Raul’s face.

And beside such a Raul, Elin’s heart was crumpled and thrown to the ground.

Even from this far away, Bellia kept shaking Raul endlessly.

Though it was an engagement with him that she had always longed for since childhood, at this moment she felt utterly miserable and only wanted to run away.

“Blessings to today’s main characters!”

Thunderous applause poured out.

But the expressions of the actual main characters were ice cold.

The guests watching from behind couldn’t see those expressions, but Bellia, who ended up observing Raul and Elin from the closest, immediately noticed. That they were now captivated by their own emotions while thinking different thoughts.

Bellia hoped Raul would proceed with the engagement ceremony feeling utterly wretched. She hoped he wouldn’t feel even the slightest bit of happiness.

‘…And it’s already become that way.’

Bellia gave a sincere smile as she offered applause blessing their unhappiness.

“Isn’t this too noticeable?”

Bellia asked Callid worriedly.

Wasn’t this flashy attire enough to make anyone turn to look?

“No. This level is actually needed to avoid suspicion.”

Callid replied while adjusting his outfit.

Beside him, Bellia examined her own clothes with a displeased expression.

“It’s pretty, what’s the problem?”

“Even so, wouldn’t it be better to change into clothes that don’t stand out as much?”

Right now, Bellia and Callid were arguing in front of the casino while dressed in flashy outfits.

The place where the only illegal facility Raul left behind was hidden.

This casino was that very place.

“Actually, appearing conspicuously helps avoid suspicion, Bellia.”

“But…”

As Bellia kept hesitating, Callid wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her inside.

“Don’t worry and just trust me, Princess. Nothing will happen today anyway, so you just need to enjoy yourself.”

While she was going “Uh, uh,” Bellia found herself pushed into the casino by Callid before she knew it.

“Prince Callid. Princess Bellia. This way please.”

The facility manager guided them to a separately prepared room. Bellia sighed and followed him further inside.

The casino’s interior was more pleasant than expected. She had vaguely thought it would be steeped in gambling, but it actually had a clean and fresh atmosphere.

“It’s not much different from a regular social venue, is it?”

“That’s right. It’s just that a few ordinary games have been added.”

As it was Bellia’s first time visiting a place related to entertainment, she felt very curious.

At tables placed here and there, men and women alike were comfortably seated, continuing conversations over tea or alcohol. On one side, dealers were standing at each table to help conduct various games for guests to enjoy.

It was splendid.

But there was nothing special.

“This is the room where Your Highness and the Princess will stay.”

The room the manager guided them to seemed to be usable as a lounge. This place was also very spacious and pleasant. It seemed to serve a similar purpose to using a lounge for resting in between during a ball.

This place too was being utilized as a space where people could return to their assigned rooms to rest if they wanted a break after mingling with others in the hall for socializing.

Bellia rolled her eyes watching Callid naturally even place an order.

“Have you been here before?”

“Well… A few times?”

“With whom?”

Callid avoided answering and just laughed, “Haha.”

It seemed he had come more than just once or twice.

Bellia narrowed her eyes sharply and asked once more.

“Who did you come with?”

“Haha. Bellia. Are you perhaps jealous now?”

Bellia, feeling a sense of ‘oops’, calmly settled her heart. Jealous! Somehow she absolutely didn’t want to admit it.

“…I’m just curious why you came here, that’s all.”

“What would a useless second prince do? I just went around having fun here and there.”

Callid avoided answering by putting himself down as usual.

At that, Bellia glared at Callid.

“Is there something I shouldn’t know about?”

“What are you talking about?”

Callid, who had been trying to gloss over it, awkwardly smiled and answered at Bellia’s sharp gaze.

“Um, I just drank some alcohol, played some games, listened to forced flattery, that’s all.”

Really nothing much, right? Callid said as he lightly embraced Bellia. But Bellia quickly pushed away Callid’s hands.

“Really?”

“…It can’t be helped. I have to maintain the image of an idle person to be under less surveillance.”

Though she quickly agreed with his answer, Bellia still looked at Callid with languid eyes for no reason.

Then Callid, who had been feeling awkward, suddenly wrapped his arms around Bellia’s waist and kissed her face here and there.

“Eek! What are you doing?”

“Hahaha.”

“Callid!”

“You’re becoming more and more lovable.”

Callid said that while continuing to give light kisses. After making a few futile resistances to his actions, Bellia finally succumbed to his seduction when…

Clatter.

The sound of something wheeled being dragged was heard nearby. It seemed the manager who had left earlier had returned with drinks. As if her prediction was correct, at the sound of knocking on the door, Bellia startled and sat up.

“Callid!”

Knock knock.

Bellia hit Callid’s arm.

But Callid, seemingly without any embarrassment, slightly turned his head and said to the manager waiting outside.

“Leave it and go. Don’t disturb us.”

“Yes.”

The manager politely bowed, placed the tray with drinks beside the table, and closed the door as he left.

“Shall we continue what we were doing then?”

“What were we doing! Really!”

I’m so embarrassed, seriously.

Bellia covered her face with both hands and shouted.

“Isn’t it too much to make me this desperate and then stop?”

What are you saying!

“We didn’t come here to have fun.”

“We did come to have fun though?”

Callid said with a shameless face.

Bellia gaped at Callid, dumbfounded. Then he burst into laughter again, “Haha.”

“Alright. Let’s go out for now.”

Bellia really couldn’t understand what he was thinking.

Did he not come to catch Raul?

Holding the hand of the puzzled Bellia, Callid left the room.

“Huh?”

“Shh. Just follow me.”

Thus, Bellia, who ended up going down to the hall in a daze, noticed that all the gazes around were directed towards them.

“It’s been a while, Prince Callid.”

As they came down to the hall, several people greeted them as if they knew them.

Bellia glared at Callid again.

However, Callid received their greetings with an unbothered expression and led Bellia to sit at a table.

It was a place where card games were taking place.

“Do you know how to play this?”

“Somewhat?”

“Hmm? Seems like you’re not that good at it?”

Bellia lightly pricked his pride.

Then a vein popped on Callid’s forehead.

“You’ll see.”

Callid quietly declared his participation in the game.

Then he handed his pouch to the manager and requested to exchange it all for chips.

People gathered around one by one. From the appearance of the second prince and Princess Bellia, attention was already focused, but with them participating in the game, interest intensified even more.

“I will deal the cards.”

At the dealer’s words, Callid nodded.

The sound of shuffling cards stopped, and the dealer placed three cards in front of each person participating in the game.

‘How fascinating…’

It was an unfamiliar sight she was seeing for the first time.

Bellia, unlike her worried appearance at first, increasingly observed them with sparkling eyes.