Chapter 25 - Hairtail Playing The Piano

Chapter 25 – Hairtail Playing The Piano

Love stick game.

“Wow, that sounds like fun. Do you want to go to the hot springs, too?”

“Yeah. I’ve never been to a hot spring.”

Bella frowned as soon as she saw it and pulled Kiehl closer to her.

“Are you crazy? The three of you go.”

‘Why are you sending our Kiehl to a game like that?’

“Jen, Sir Zanbar, go!”

“Why me?”

“Any game that humans play is fun.”

“Aaahhhhhh—!”

As Iwer began to make a ruckus, passersby began to stare.

They thought it would stop if left alone.

Like a child having a tantrum for not buying toys at the supermarket, he now sits on the floor and pulls Jen and Zanbar’s clothes.

Bella said firmly, “It’s noisy, so go play a game. We’ll sit here.”

“Yay!”

Excited, Iwer jumped up and applied to participate.

“I don’t want to.”

“I don’t want to either.”

“It’s time to say something nice because Iwer is our money.”

She then smiled as she saw the two of them grudgingly following Iwer.

“Kiehl, only adults do that.”

“Ah yes.”

Kiehl’s looked a little disappointed.

“How can you be so innocent? You can’t kiss anyone when you go to the Imperial Palace later, okay?”

“I don’t do it with anyone.”

At her words, he blushed and looked away, but Bella pinched his cheek lightly.

“Ugh, why are you so cute?”

“…I’m not cute.”

Kiehl swung Bella’s hand down, pouting his plump lips.

“I….”

Kiehl, speaking for himself, wiggled his fingers in embarrassment and then said with a sigh. “I’m going to do something cool.”

But, even that appearance made Bella smile.

‘If you don’t do cute things with that face, it’s a foul.’

The game Iwer participated in took quite a while because there were quite a few players. The game that was held like a tournament was about to end, though they kept winning and participating in the next game.

When she heard the 12 o’clock bell on the clock, Bella remembered the person she had met yesterday.

“Shall we go to the show she said yesterday?”

“….”

“Let’s make a bet. What kind of performance.”

“Then, grant the winner’s wish.”

“Okay. Kiehl said it could be boring, so… unicycle performance.”

Kiehl was about to say something before biting his mouth. Even if he thought the unicycle performance seemed dull, too.

“Then, I’m…juggling.”

“Ah. Do you think you’ll win?”

Before long, the two of them talked to each other about what kind of performance it was going to be, and they arrived at the place the person was talking about.

Before they even arrived, they both admitted they lost their bets.

It was lunchtime, so most of them were sitting and watching the show while eating. No, while listening.

The sweet sound of the piano.

Neither of them had heard much music, so they sat in a suitable place, shut their mouths, and immersed themselves in the appreciation.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a performance.”

It was such a beautiful melody that they forgot to be hungry.

The young boy she saw yesterday was wearing a white suit and gently playing the keys of a black piano.

His silver hair and a white suit.

Besides, the piano is also white. Looking at it, Bella thought it was a bit ‘excessive.’ Still, every time the boy’s slender fingers, visible from afar, pressed the keys, she was mesmerized with admiration.

“Playing the piano is cool. In the past, my ideal type was a man who made music.”

Indeed, it was.

Because Bella’s previous life was far from art. After her parents passed away, she didn’t have time to enjoy the culture just to avoid the hardships of her day-to-day life.

…Although she dies, she falls into a web novel as a latecomer as she awaits reincarnation.

Kiehl asked Bella.

“Do you still like people who play the piano?”

“Well, it still looks great.’

When one song was finished, hands clapped from all sides. The boy stood up for a moment, bowed his head, and introduced the next song.

“Everyone can sing along to this song.”

And, the song they heard after a while was a festival song that was sung during the summer festival.

“This is the song. Kiehl, sing this song.”

“Yes?”

“What did you call it? Eum. Eum. Eum. Eum… When spring comes…”

“I will bloom as a flower.”

Bella and Kiehl held hands, waved side to side, and sang along to the people’s songs. After singing along a few times, the chorus part is now memorized, and they sang.

“I will fall asleep listening to your voice, so that I can meet you in my dreams.”

A song that sends the message that they will never see each other again during wartime.

Bella stopped singing and looked at Kiehl’s profile.

Soon, after this summer, Kiehl will be thirteen.

Two years in the future.

And, after waiting three more years, this novel finally begins. The day Kiehl meets his fateful mate…

“I wish I could smile when I send you to the Imperial Palace…”

At this moment, she wanted to keep Kiehl smiling brightly in her eyes for a long time.

After a while, when the performance was all over, yesterday’s boy came up to Bella.

“Did you enjoy it? Aren’t you bored?”

“Yeah. I saw it. It’s not funny, but it’s moving.”

Bella quickly pulled out the handkerchief. However, the boy did not accept it and rather asked another question. “Where are you from? Is your house near here?”

“No. We’re from near Illinois.”

“Aha. In Illinois, it must be near Count Psilia.”

As the boy continued the conversation, she answered bluntly.

“Well, it’s hard to explain.”

“Yeah? I know some geography. Is there anything famous nearby?”

Looking at it, Bella thought it would be better for her to answer quickly than to be asked twenty questions.

“There’s a wizard’s tower near our mansion.”

“I know where it is. Next time I go nearby, can I go out to play?”

“Well, what if there’s nothing to do?”

Bella made an affirmative refusal and held out the handkerchief again.

‘Why doesn’t he take it?’

At that time, Kiehl, who had been looking at the boy sensitively without saying a word, threw a word.

“No.”

…With a very serious and stern face.

“We have a bear at home.”

There was indeed a bear.

But, the boy said the next thing as if he had not expected it.

“Then, come over to my house next time. I’ll invite you.”

“Huh…?”

“May I ask your name?”

Even though the boy asked Bella, Kiehl answered instead. “Isn’t it polite to introduce yourself before asking a question?”

The boy stared at him with a bit of annoyance.

“You seem to hate me very much. My name is Juan Cruell.”

And so, he said it very confidently.

Bella unwittingly clapped her hands at that moment and pointed his finger at Juan.

“Aahh!”

Oh, my gosh. Duchy Cruell.

‘That’s why he’s acting so cocky.’

Juan is Shuria’s cousin, though he has a crush on Rosanne. In the novel, he was portrayed as a dangerous man, but he wasn’t a bad man because he was a child. His white suit looked just like a hairtail.

“So, what’s your name?”

“I’m Bellatriche. Call me Bella.”

“Ah… Haha. Yes. Show the handkerchief, and the guard will let you in.”

Come to think of it, the opponent is the Duke of this city, although she forgot such courtesy.

“Come to play anytime.”

At that time, two worries came and went into Bella’s mind.

‘If I go to see Juan, maybe I can meet Shuria, too.’

After all, Shuria was her second favorite.

Shuria did not want to become the Crown Princess. Nevertheless, because of pressure from her family, she gave up the knightly path she wanted to go. Even though she gave up her life, she gradually turns into a villain because of Rosanne, who appears out of the blue.

After Bella did not answer for a long time, Juan looked at Kiehl and opened his mouth again.

“You can come with your cute little brother.”

He then took Bella’s hand, which was holding the handkerchief, and gently kissed the back of her hand.

“Well then, I hope to see you someday.”

After those words, Juan left, and Bella continued to agonize as she glanced at his back.

“…Bella, are you going?”

“I’d like to meet…”

‘My second favorite, Shuria.’

But, she was worried that she would play the original story for nothing.

‘When I first took possession, if it wasn’t for Rosanne, I wanted to possess Shuria.”

If that was the case, the original would have been boldly twisted.

“Though you are the most important.”

Bella said, gazing at Kiehl, who was angry next to her.

Did Juan feel the energy to become his rival in the future? He hated him for no reason, even in the novel.

“Don’t hate him for no reason. That’s Duke Cruell, someone you’ll run into later.”

“There’s a reason.”

“What? Because you’re cute?”

“….”

Saying so, she pinched his cheek as Kiehl’s eyes, which seemed to be relieved of anger, regained strength.

“No, I say cute things are cute, so why don’t you like them?”

“I’m twelve, now. I’m not a child. I’ll be thirteen in a little while…”

“Pft.”

Even his words seemed cute, Bella stopped laughing at him.

At that, Kiehl opened his mouth in a moment of bewilderment, then bit his lip.

“…I’m not going to do anything cute.”

“I’m sorry, sorry. Kiehl, are you mad?”

“…Don’t laugh.”

However, her lips, which went up, did not think of coming down.

“…I’m going to Jen.”

When Kiehl turned around, Bella ran after him, still with a smile painted on her lips.

After a while, Iwer and the party returned from the game.

“Voila! We got third place!”

“Great job.”

“But, why is the atmosphere so gloomy here again?”

Iwer asked, peering at Bella and Kiehl in turn.

“Kiehl’s pissed off because he’s cute.”

When Bella spoke to Iwer, Kiehl looked at her with a grudge.

“Young Master, if you don’t like cute things, you have to be a man. Learn how to be a man.”

“Iwer.”

“Hmmm…”

Saying that, Iwer then bit her mouth tightly as a joke.

“Kiehl, there will be fireworks soon. Stop getting angry, okay?”

“….”

“After the fireworks display, the lanterns are floated. If you write your wishes on the lanterns, they will come true. Shall we go buy the lanterns?”

At the word wish, he turned his head back to Bella.

Although he even made an oath with Bella, Kiehl since then used to try every single superstition that makes wishes come true.

‘What the hell is your wish that you became so brave like that?’

“Aren’t you going to buy a lantern?”

“…I’m going to buy it.”

“Oh, my…”

She was about to say, ‘You’re cute,’ though she quickly bit her mouth.

“Are you going to say cute again?”

“No…?”

Anyway, his senses are quick.