PHATFO 90

~Chapter 90~

Armians could not hide his displeasure.

The House of Durnar was supposed to be his support when he became Emperor.
He knew he should keep the relationship from turning sour, yet he could not control his expression.

First, because he knew what the Duke aimed to gain by adopting Bella.
Second—

“Bella might choose him instead of me.”

Bella was wise; she might even choose neither of them.

Still, Armians knew his relationship with Bella was fragile.
He was always impatient, always anxious, yet unable to show it.

That night, when Bella mumbled in her sleep that she was afraid of him—he realized she meant it.

Now too, she glanced at his mood first, wary of his irritation.

He knew he had to restrain himself. He knew… but—

“Do you want to become the daughter of House Durnar?”

He couldn’t hold back.

“Are you… uneasy?”

“Yes. Bella, you’re so capable and charming that people everywhere desire you…”

Armians clenched his fists.
He feared that if he lost control, he would just seize her out of greed.

“If I take my eyes off you for a moment, I’m afraid you’ll flutter away.”

And the House of Durnar was one of the few that could truly rival him.

“…I’ve spoken nonsense. Even if you chose them, there’s nothing I could do.”

Armians gave a bitter smile.

If he loved her less, maybe he could force her to stay under his will.
But he knew—such a choice would only bring regret.

“Because not loving Bella is impossible.”

“Then rest.”

If Bella were to leave the Grand Duke’s house—or even just make up her mind to do so—he didn’t want to see it.

He turned and walked toward the mansion. Then Bella hurried after him and grabbed his arm.

“Your Highness, I—”

“Bella.”

The instant her warmth touched him, Armians shut his eyes, feeling tears rise.

He realized he had walked slowly on purpose, secretly hoping she would follow.

But precisely because of that, he had to tell her—

“I could declare war on the Ducal House. I could turn that place into a wasteland so you could never step foot there again. In truth, I want to do it right now, but I’m holding back. That’s the kind of despicable, cowardly man I am.”

That was who he was.

“So if you want to leave me, do it before I become even more shameful—”

“I won’t leave.”

His mouth shut. His mind reeled, dizzy as if he had misheard.

“What did you just—”

Before he could finish, warmth brushed his lips. Soft and fleeting.
A heartbeat later, he realized—it was Bella’s lips.

“I said, I’ll stay here.”

Even that brief touch was sweet beyond words.

“I—”

“Bella.”

But precisely because of that sweetness, he needed restraint.

“If you’re teasing me again, I won’t forgive you—”

This time, her hand pulled at his neck. Her palm pressed against the sensitive skin beneath his jaw, her scent close.

Her lips touched his again, then pulled away.

Bella might have done it to calm him.
But this time—Armians could not endure.

He grabbed her shoulders as she tried to retreat, bent his head, and captured her breath.

“There’s no way I’ll let you run.”

Their lips pressed tightly together, breaths mingling, warmth not his own filling him.

It left Armians dizzy.

At some point, Bella leaned against a tree, while Armians held her hand tightly against his chest as he finally let her lips go.

Her eyes flushed red, her breath uneven.

“You promised you wouldn’t leave, didn’t you?”

“Y-yes…”

Her face still crimson, Bella slowly spoke, fumbling for words.

“I may not see Your Highness in everything around me… but among people, you’re the one I like most. Enough that… I wanted to kiss you first—ah?”

Armians suddenly lifted her into his arms.

“Now you’ll never take it back. Even if you call it a joke or a cruel prank, I won’t listen.”

“……”

“Will you accept that?”

His voice sank deep, heavy with desire.

What Armians wanted was simple: Bella’s heart.
The heart she had guarded tightly, never yielding, whether at the Rohiltern estate or in exile.

Bella swallowed hard, then slowly nodded.

It was her first step—choosing to trust and accept another.

“……”

Armians said nothing more.
The closer they came to the mansion, the faster his footsteps grew, urgency seeping into every stride.

The next day, in Armians’s office—

“You look especially radiant today, Your Highness.”

“Did something pleasant happen?”

“…Maybe.”

Armians gave a vague nod to his retainers’ questions.
But despite trying to appear indifferent, the corners of his lips kept twitching upward.

The attendants whispered among themselves.

‘To change so much in just one day… unbelievable! What on earth happened yesterday…?’

‘His posture looks a little awkward… don’t tell me he’s hiding the young lady under his desk?’

‘I already checked—no one’s there.’

Those who had visited the mansion yesterday knew the answer, but they kept quiet. They understood: nothing good ever came from speaking too openly about their master’s affairs.

Armians was staring at a document. The more his eyes lingered on each word, the more his lips alternated between smiling and frowning.

His secretary, standing nearby and reading with him, finally spoke up.

“Is this the proposal for the young lady?”

“Exactly. Rather than hold a grand engagement and delay the marriage, I’ve decided it’s better to wed her quickly.”

Armians began laying out his plans without hesitation.

In his mind, Bella was already his wife—and he was already a husband with two children.

“Congratulations, Your Highness!”

“I’ve always supported this marriage from the very beginning!”

“Thank you.”

Their words were full of flattery, but the retainers secretly felt sour. Seeing their master genuinely happy made their stomachs twist.

‘He threw us into overtime hell, and now he’s the only one enjoying romance…’

‘I haven’t seen my fiancée for a whole month… my side feels colder by the day…’

Of course, marriage wasn’t a decision he could stamp alone. But Bella wasn’t present now—because of their conversation that morning.

That morning, Bella had woken later than usual—likely because of the previous night.

Armians had wanted to be the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. So, he lay beside her, watching her sleep.

Naturally, when she woke, their eyes met.

Blinking blankly at first, Bella slowly accepted his touch, then flushed bright red and pulled the blanket over her face.

[Bella?]

Why… Was she upset I touched her? Or had her feelings changed overnight?

His fists clenched tight with panic—but her next words loosened them at once.

[Don’t make that face.]

[A… full face.]

Armians burst into laughter.

[Ah, true. I did feast last night.]

He licked his lower lip.

[But that was last night. This is morning. And in the morning… one must have breakfast.]

[W-what are you planning—don’t lean over me like that!]

She smacked his back in alarm. But even that felt sweet to him.
It meant she was starting to feel more at ease with him than before.

“Ha ha.”

When Armians laughed out loud, the attendants in the office exchanged glances.

‘Ugh… sickeningly sweet…’

‘Still, it’s for the best. Maybe we won’t have overtime tonight…’

‘Indeed. I’ve always had poor eyesight anyway.’

Meanwhile, Gelion, who had been waiting and watching others hand in reports, quietly slid his own forward.

“Your Highness, here is this quarter’s—”

Suddenly, the doors banged open.

“Your Highness, urgent news!”

“…Madam Hilton? What brings you to my office in such a rush?”

“Count Rohiltern claims that Your Highness has forced the young lady into confinement at the Grand Duke’s residence. He insists that, as her legal guardian, he has the right to take her back.”

“…What?”

Armians shot to his feet.