Episode 3
The moment something warm and soft brushed against her forehead—
‘Wait… this isn’t a dream?’
“Eeeeeek!”
Bella shot up from the bed as if struck by lightning.
She scrambled away, crouched down, and screamed,
“W-Who are you?!”
Grabbing an empty bottle from last night, she pointed it at the stranger.
But then—
‘Hold on. That guy… he’s not wearing any clothes!’
The blanket had fallen to the floor, revealing his firm, muscular upper body.
Panicking, Bella slapped her hands over her eyes.
‘Don’t tell me… I got drunk and… with a random guy—?!’
She shook her head frantically.
“No way, that can’t be it!”
The man stood up slowly, speaking in a calm voice.
“Bella, relax. If you look at me like that, it hurts my heart. You’re the one who called me here.”
“I… called you?”
“Yes. Last night.”
Before she could even process what that meant, he continued,
“Bella, you should be taking responsibility for me right now, not acting scared.”
“I-I’m not Bella! You’ve got the wrong person!”
The bottle in her hand trembled.
‘Bella Isis, you’ve lost your mind!’
She racked her brain, but there was no memory of ever bringing home a man who looked like a sculpture.
“P-Please just leave… I think you’ve got the wrong house.”
But before she could take another step back—
“Watch out, Bella!”
The man lunged toward her, wrapping his arm around her in one swift motion.
They both tumbled to the ground as dust filled the air.
“Don’t worry, I got it.”
“G-Got what?”
Still dazed, Bella blinked at him.
The man opened his palm to reveal a tiny spider twitching weakly.
‘Wait… this can’t be…’
Her mind flashed back to her drunken prayer from last night—
‘A man taller than me by a head, so handsome even the gods would be impressed, kind, righteous, strong, brave, good at catching bugs, great at cooking… please send me that perfect husband!’
Oh no.
“Now you remember?” the man asked softly, as if reading her mind.
And Bella realized it for sure—
God had actually granted her wish.
***
Bella folded her arms and stared at the man sitting in front of her.
He looked just like one of the marble statues she once saw at a museum on a field trip with the orphanage kids—
Golden hair that gleamed like sunlight, emerald-green eyes that sparkled with intelligence, a smooth, rich voice, and a chest sculpted like a knight’s armor.
‘Mom… did I really summon someone this perfect?’
The strange thing was that the Oracion—the sacred magic book—had never once granted a wish for Bella herself.
It only worked for others.
‘So why now? What changed?’
Her eyes shifted toward the table.
Spread before her were plates of luxurious food—way beyond anything her pantry could’ve produced.
“…What should I call you?” she asked cautiously.
‘Okay, step one: collect information.’
So far, he didn’t seem dangerous. But if she had really summoned him, she needed to be sure.
The man met her gaze with a soft smile.
“Acares.”
“Acares?”
“If you want, you can change it. I was just born today, after all.”
“No, Acares suits you. Keep it. For life.”
Bella drew a sharp line.
He smiled wider.
“For life then. At your side.”
Her lips twitched.
‘That’s not what I meant…’
Trying to stay composed, she pressed on.
“Do you… have a job?”
“Yes.”
“You do?!”
She almost jumped.
‘Wait—how can a summoned being have a job?’
He replied smoothly,
“I’m a rich unemployed man.”
Bella’s eye twitched.
‘Yeah. Definitely something I would summon.’
She remembered what she always told her matchmaking friend Ida—
“If I ever get married, it’ll be to a rich guy who doesn’t work. Someone with time for me and enough money to build us a nice house.”
Half joke, half dream.
“Bella, you should eat something,” Acares said gently.
“Your stomach must hurt.”
He pointed to the creamy soup on the table—filled with chunks of meat.
It was the same dish her mother used to make.
“Did… did you make this?”
A bit of emotion welled up as Bella asked.
Acares nodded, scooped a spoonful, and held it out to her.
“Say ‘ahh.’”
Her pupils trembled.
‘He’s… feeding me?’
Completely unaccustomed to such gentle affection, Bella shrank back.
“I-I’ll feed myself.”
“As you wish,” Acares said, handing her the spoon with a regretful look.
Just as Bella lifted the spoon—
Knock knock.
Someone was at the door.
‘Who could that be?’
She wasn’t expecting anyone.
Quickly throwing a cape over her pajamas, Bella went to open it.
“Yes, who—”
She froze.
Two tall men stood at the entrance, armored and imposing.
Their insignia glinted with the seal of the Atlanta Empire—a white butterfly on their sword hilts.
One of them stepped forward.
“There will be an inspection.”
“An… inspection?”
The other bowed politely.
“By decree of His Highness, the Crown Prince of the Atlanta Empire, a population survey is being conducted across all of Pione Kingdom.”
“What?”
Bella frowned.
‘Now? Of all times?!’
The Empire’s “population checks” were infamous surprise raids to root out rebels.
If they found him—the strange man she’d summoned—she’d be doomed.
Her eyes darted back toward the room.
Sure enough, Acares was still calmly chewing his bread.
‘What do I do?!’
After a quick internal battle, she spoke.
“P-Please, come in for a moment.”
The knights stepped inside.
All three pairs of eyes fell on Bella—
as she opened her glowing Oracion.
Her throat tightened.
‘Can I… really do this?’
She had planned to use the book’s magic to wipe their memories, but—
‘What if I fail?’
Her mind filled with terrible images:
The same soldiers who took her mother away.
The torture chambers of the Empire.
Her father—the man who betrayed them.
If the Empire got their hands on Oracion, they’d use it as a weapon of war.
“Bella Isis. What are you trying to do?”
The knight’s sharp question made her flinch.
Her gaze darted toward the empty bottles by the wall.
‘Okay, Bella. Keep it together. Time for Plan B.’
“Handsome knights,” she said with a trembling smile, “please, look over here for a moment.”
The knights leaned in, curious.
Because she was small, they had to bend down to see what she was holding.
“Now then… you will forget everything that happened here—”
Fwoooosh!
A golden light filled the tiny house, washing over the knights’ eyes like liquid sunshine.
‘It worked!’
Bella drew in a deep breath and started the next incantation.
“Now, hurry to the next inspection—”
“Bella.”
Her words died in her throat.
Acares, with crumbs on his lips, gently took her slender wrist in his hand.
