Chapter 15
“Ah…”
“Haa…”
Their breathing grew closer — only a finger’s length apart.
Bella slowly lifted her eyelids.
Acares’s emerald eyes filled her entire vision.
It felt like she was dreaming — standing in the middle of nature itself.
“I-I’m sorry…”
Bella whispered, her ears red with embarrassment.
Thanks to Acares quickly supporting himself with his elbow, they narrowly avoided an accident.
If he hadn’t… well, it could have been bad.
‘Oh no, that was close!’
Bella curled her toes at the embarrassing thought that flashed through her mind.
“I-I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just…”
“Pfft.”
Acares’s broad back suddenly trembled.
‘Is he… laughing?’
Bella looked up at him blankly, surprised.
“Why… why are you laughing?”
“Bella, don’t tell me you were just having weird thoughts?”
‘What? How did he know?!’
Acares’s smile turned mischievous. He leaned closer, whispering in her ear.
“You’ve got that exact face — like ‘how did he know?’”
“N-no!”
“Oh, you totally did.”
“I said no!”
Bella balled her fists and denied it fiercely.
Acares straightened up — holding something in his hand.
Bella quickly realized it was the wolf — the prince of Loie — hiding under the blanket.
“Rie, lock this one up again. Make sure it never escapes.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Rie, who had been standing quietly like a statue, swiftly took the wolf and dashed out of the room.
Now only the two of them were left.
Akcares got up from the bed, then suddenly bent down and began wrapping Bella tightly in the blanket.
“What are you— Aaah!”
She felt her body lift off the bed, floating like a cloud.
Akares picked her up — blanket and all — and said,
“You’re awake now, so it’s time to eat, Bella.”
***
Later
At the dining table, Acares sat at the end and lifted a spoonful of soup to Bella’s lips.
“Say ah—”
“I can eat it myself…”
Bella refused his help again.
Acares looked disappointed but handed her the spoon.
‘Strange… Father’s mistresses loved it when he did that.’
In truth, Acares was imitating some of the tricks his father used to charm his lovers.
They always giggled and seemed delighted.
Acares had hoped Bella would smile the same way.
But her reaction was usually something like — “Ugh, that’s so cheesy.”
‘Maybe I’m doing something wrong…’
He’d never really been close to women — unless Rie counted, though she was more like a fellow soldier than anything else.
‘If you want to make a lady happy, Your Highness, perhaps training and achievements are the way,’ Rie once told him.
Not helpful at all.
Even Eden’s advice wasn’t much better — he spoke too slowly to be useful.
So all Acares could do was spoil Bella endlessly, hoping she’d open her heart to him.
***
“How long has it been since… that day?”
Bella asked as she ate her soup.
Acares thought for a moment. “About ten days.”
“What?”
Clatter!
Bella dropped her spoon. Rie immediately appeared, replacing it with another.
“T-ten days?!”
“Yes. I was worried you’d never wake up.”
Bella’s fingers trembled.
(The kids at Piroche must be looking for me…)
Acares frowned slightly.
‘Seriously? She’s worried about work now?’
He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
During those ten days, Acares had summoned Eden again and again, begging him to wake Bella up.
(You expect me to do that?)
(You found that ancient magic book, didn’t you? Figure it out!)
They had spent days trying to decode the book — but failed.
And after all that, Bella woke up only to complain about her job.
“Don’t worry. I told Piroche you’re on medical leave.”
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t think you could handle paperwork,” Bella said with a teasing smile. “I was a little worried you’d just chop wood in this countryside forever. But it’s nice to know you can do office work too. Impressive.”
Acares almost fell off his chair.
‘Was that a compliment or an insult?’
Bella could be timid, yet sometimes she threw punches without realizing it.
That innocence made her even cuter.
***
“Anyway… that wolf. Is he really the prince of Loie?”
“Oh, that.”
Acares recalled what had happened.
After Bella fainted, he quickly activated a magic circle.
The wolf charging at him collapsed the moment it entered the circle.
Since then, the prince had been trapped in wolf form, unable to turn back into a human.
“You don’t need to worry about it.”
“Why not?”
Bella’s beige eyes flashed with suspicion.
“Acares, you’re my summoned being. So why can you know things that I can’t?”
(Pfft.)
Rie held back a laugh.
(You’ve got your hands full, Your Highness.)
Acares’s mouth twitched.
He knew Bella hated it when he brought this up, but he decided to use the same excuse again.
“The god said so. He told me this is beyond your concern.”
“What?”
“He also said that wolf really is the prince of Loie.”
“…Really?”
Bella’s voice grew quiet. After a moment, she stood up.
“Bella?”
“I’m going to rest.”
“But your food—”
(I’m so annoyed.)
Acares froze. Bella walked out of the house without looking back.
***
“Phew!”
Bella sighed deeply as the cool air hit her face.
The fresh breeze finally cleared away the heavy, romantic atmosphere.
“Ugh, so cheesy!”
Ever since Acares showed up, she’d been eating nothing but cream soup.
‘If this kept up, her stomach would turn into cream!’
She walked past the small, rickety house and down the hill.
‘Since when did gods talk so much?’
It felt unfair.
For 24 years, she’d never once heard the voice of God — even though Oracion users were supposed to.
After Simone’s death and her father’s imprisonment, she’d lived alone.
Working at Piroche, the company Simone had supported, gave her something like family — but deep down, she was still lonely.
She wanted warmth.
But she was also afraid — afraid that her powers would cause another tragedy.
“Bella!”
She turned and saw two familiar figures waving — Mr. and Mrs. Hedleton.
“Mrs. Coco!”
Bella ran up happily and took Coco’s small, kind hands.
“Are you feeling better now?” she asked, looking at the woman’s healed knee.
The wound from that day had almost disappeared — so Acares was right, it had been ten days.
“Thanks to you and your husband, dear, we’re fine!”
“H-husband?! No, we’re not—!”
Bella’s cheeks turned pink.
“Oh, come on. I saw how sweetly your man looked at you! Anyway, here—take this.”
Coco handed her a small box that radiated a strange energy.
It was red, decorated with tiny heart-shaped beads.
“I heard you two haven’t had your wedding yet, right?”
“W-where did you even hear that?”
“Oh, word gets around!”
‘No, it really doesn’t…’ Bella thought grimly.
She made a silent vow: tonight, she’d build a very high wall around her house.
“Go on, open it. I hope you like it.”
‘Please don’t let it be something weird…’
Bella carefully opened the box.
(To be continued…)
