Chapter 18
“The aura on the ring finger of the left hand.”
It was the mark of a forbidden magic—the magic of destiny.
“What happened?” Aiden asked as he folded the letter.
Acares lowered his left hand again.
“It’s exactly what you saw. I am Bella’s destined partner.”
“What does that even mean…?”
Acares looked out over the balcony.
The day before Simone was executed, Acares had risked his life to go to the underground prison.
‘Acares. Please… take care of my daughter.’
That day, for the first time, Simone spoke formally to young Acares.
She explained everything to him through their shared mind so the guards wouldn’t notice.
“True Oracion users can see their destiny early,” she said.
A destiny of being abused by her own husband.
A destiny where that husband would sell her to the Empire.
A destiny where her calling was not to save the world, but to die a meaningless death at the hands of a tyrant who would bring the world to its end.
“Isn’t it strange? How could God give someone such a cruel fate?” Acares gave a bitter smile.
According to Simone’s letter, Bella could release her true power only by loving the son of her enemy.
This was why Acares insisted on playing the role of Bella’s husband—
Because he believed that if he stayed close long enough, Bella would someday come to love him.
And that was the only way to stop the end of the world.
But deciding to marry so soon?
He wasn’t prepared for that at all.
“Then… why did you tell me to find the magic book? If we follow Simone’s will, you wouldn’t need to investigate Oracion magic at all.”
“All Simone told me were the parts about destiny. She never told me anything about the side effects of Oracion.”
Eden’s eyes turned cold.
‘Ah. So he just told me to ask the emperor for the Labyrinth Gate and fetch an ancient spellbook… simply because he hates seeing Bella sick?’
“Correct.”
Acares even clapped his hands.
“I thought you already knew.”
“I assumed… you had some other reason.”
Acares shrugged.
“And whether Bella loves me or not—that’s her choice. I can’t touch that part. All I can do is wait.”
“…There’s no other way?” Eden asked as he removed his glasses.
“Well. Unless I cut off my father’s head with my own hands.”
“Your Highness…!”
Eden’s voice shook with fear and shock.
Acares shrugged again.
“Yeah, I don’t have the guts for that.”
There were only two ways to stop the apocalypse:
Bella needed to love Acares—
Or he needed to kill his war-obsessed father.
The second option would be easier, but the consequences would be enormous.
Even Eden’s reaction showed that.
Even if he killed the bloodthirsty emperor, the kingdoms that hated the Empire would never leave Acares alive afterward.
“But… marriage is out of the question,” Eden said firmly.
Acares nodded.
“Yeah. I only planned to play house.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course. Bella crying and begging me to marry her? That’ll never happen.”
“…And if Bella Isis does cry and beg you to marry her?”
“Then of course I would.”
Eden’s mouth dropped open.
Meanwhile, the area under Acares’s eyes puffed up like warm macarons.
“So, Eden. Since you’re married, you should know.”
“…?”
“Tell me how to win a wife’s heart.”
***
The day after Acares disappeared without a word, Bella went to work alone for the first time in a while.
“Ahh… how nice and peaceful.”
For the past month, Acares had escorted her to the Bureau of Fatigue every single day.
So every morning, the whole street’s eyes had been on her.
After all, Acares was one of the most handsome men in the entire continent.
It felt good having such a handsome man by her side.
But for Bella, who wanted a long, calm life, it was also exhausting.
Taking advantage of his absence, Bella finally found her favorite dark-brown cape again.
Wearing it made her feel energized.
“Nice, nice. Quiet, peaceful… what a—”
“Awoo—”
“…Awoo?”
Bella turned her head stiffly.
“…What?”
“Awoo?”
A wolf with dark-red fur stood a step behind her and whined softly.
“You…!”
“Awooooo—”
“Kyaa!”
When the wolf started howling louder, Bella hurried to lift it into her arms and hid in a quiet alley.
“What are you doing here?”
“Awoo… wrr!”
Just as the wolf looked ready to howl again, Bella quickly covered its snout.
“…This is bad.”
If she went back home now, she would definitely be late for work.
ArBut she also couldn’t abandon the wolf on the street.
Earlier that morning, Bella had asked:
‘Rie, why are we still keeping the wolf?’
Rie hesitated before answering:
‘If people learn the prince of Roie is alive, another war will start. So Lord Acares is protecting him. He looks like he doesn’t care, but he’s actually a peace-lover.’
Bella still didn’t know why they had to hide a foreign prince in her house. But remembering Acares’s reason made her even more troubled now.
“What am I supposed to do with you?”
Bella thought for a moment, then removed her bag strap and tied it around the wolf’s neck like a leash.
She wrapped a scarf around its head too, covering some of its fierce wolfish features.
Bella looked around again and whispered:
“Listen. From now on, Your Highness, you’re my pet dog.”
“…Awoo?”
The wolf backed away one step.
Bella pulled the leash—he took three steps back toward her.
“Think of it as your own fault,” Bella said with a kind smile.
So much for a peaceful morning on her way to work.
