Chapter 78

Chapter 78 – No Choice But To Follow

After that, she kept asking Kiehl though his thoughts were pretty firm.

— “It’s okay. Because the Crown Princess doesn’t have to be the person I like.”

Rather than him, she was the one who was not okay. Bella lay down in the middle of the garden, which she had cut down and left bare.

“Uwaaahh!”

Even if she tried to run away, she couldn’t get her heart out. At the same time, she thought about taking it out—regardless of whether Kiehl’s was hurt or not—but she couldn’t.

— “Can Bella kill me?”

She still remembered her trembling hands when she grabbed Kiehl’s neck in the Demon Realm.

‘…I can’t.’

She was just looking at the sky while organizing her thoughts, and her long silver hair appeared like clouds and called out to Bella.

“What are you doing here?”

Shuria would never give up on being the Crown Princess. She was not a woman to miss this chance like a fool.

‘Should I approach it emotionally?’

Bella asked, thinking it was her last move.

“Does the Lady like Kiehl… His Majesty?”

“Yes? His Highness is the only person who fights with me.”

“Ah…”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Right. That wasn’t what she meant.

“Miss Bella fights with me, too. I am very happy these days.”

“Do you like that kind of man?”

“No? Not at all.”

The answer was so quick that Bella thought she hadn’t asked the question properly.

“Why?”

“Why? Well…. His Highness…is it a little too gentle?”

What was wrong with our Kiehl?

“I was more attracted to those with a slightly rough impression. The impression that they had gone through a lot of hardships.”

Kiehl grew up with his share of hardships, too.

‘Still, he had a good time in the mansion, so he probably didn’t go through that lot of hardships.’

Even though Bella wanted to refute Shuria’s words, she asked back sweetly as she endured the remarks.

“The Lady then… Is it okay to marry without love?”

“Well. Marriage is to do what is favorable to the family.”

Perhaps, it was because she had been a daughter of a Duke since she was born, that was why her thoughts were like this.

“Doesn’t the Princess want to have a relationship with the person you like?”

At those words, Shuria smiled.

“I wish Miss Bella would do that.”

“Me?”

“You belong to the Duchy. You can go whenever you want.”

Suddenly, somehow the atmosphere seemed to be focused on Bella.

“What kind of man do you want to marry, Miss Bella?”

…Marry?

“I never really thought about it…”

“If possible, I would like to find you a mate before I return to the Imperial Palace.”

“Well, I just want to be alone.”

“Oh, why?”

She had never thought about it. What kind of marriage was it to a demon?

“…I can’t connect with humans.”

“Why? The person named Jenkins said that his father was human.”

Bella got her body up.

‘Come to think of it, that’s right.’

She didn’t ask… In fact, she was not interested – because she thought it was rude.

‘So, it wasn’t banned at all?’

Bella thought she had inherited most of the power of the Demon King, but it seemed that there were still things she didn’t know.

‘Wait a minute, if I sleep with someone, won’t that person become my companion?’

For Bella, the Demon King, marriage was almost like choosing a partner, even if it was a normal demon.

“Anyway, I can’t get married.”

Bella cut it off so firmly that Shuria was surprised.

“Hmm. Then, don’t Miss Bella have an ideal type?”

“First of all, tall and handsome…”

“It’s like a ready answer.”

The question of her ideal type had been asked by Iwer for a long time, so now the answer came automatically.

“Even if you won’t get married. You need to find a lover.”

“Haha.”

All of a sudden, Shuria asked a little cautiously.

“Maybe, brother… Is he close to Miss Bella’s ideal type?”

“Ah, no. My preference is a little more…”

It was then.

“Your Highness. How are you?”

As Shuria quickly stood up and greeted him, Bella looked behind. Looking up from underneath, the handsome Kiehl was standing there.

‘My taste is this one.’

From the beginning until now, her undisputed favorite. When he was young, he was cute, but now, he was…

“What were you talking about?”

“We were talking about Miss Bella’s ideal type.”

“Aha. I wonder, too.”

As if she had been caught naked, Bella stood up hastily with her ears turned red.

“I-I have to go take care of the kids.”

As she stood up, she bumped into Shuria though she didn’t say sorry, and moved on with her steps.

“Where are you going?”

“T-to feed the kids!”

They were not even animals raised by demons. Still, Bella couldn’t even correct the strangeness of her own words and left.

‘Why is my male lead too much?’

Thinking so, she hit her own cheeks with both her hands as she walked.

Watching her back, Kiehl coughed embarrassedly.

“Did I interrupt you?”

It was the same for Shuria, who was also embarrassed. It was a conversation that wasn’t particularly secret, but why was Bella running away as if it were a secret?

“Haa. I don’t know what Bella is thinking. Did she tell you to go to the Imperial Palace with her?”

Shuria shrugged her shoulders.

“Did you find out where Sir Juan heard of that?”

When Juan’s name appeared, Shuria remembered what he had just said.

“Your Highness. Apart from that, there is something I want to ask you.”

“What?”

“I understand that Your Highness is in love with Miss Bella, but I’m a little worried that it might interfere with state affairs.”

“Are you talking about patriotism, or are you trying to laugh at me like Sir Juan?”

“Oh. Is brother laughing at you?”

Kiehl let out a long sigh.

Since then, Juan has constantly provoked him.

— “You grew up like a brother and sister, would you look like a man?”

He would just say one word out of nowhere?

— “How much regret would it be if you found her and lost her?”

Would it go on like this?

“I’m on the verge of reaching my limit.”

At his words, Shuria laughed, amused, and moved closer to Kiehl.

“Of course, it is patriotism. I am the Crown Princess?”

“…Lady Shuria.”

“Keep your promise, Your Grace. You know how to separate public and private, right?”

Kiehl crossed his arms and stared at Shuria.

“Anyway, I guess it runs in the Cruelle family to talk while being sarcastic, right?”

“You know that? Your Highness is no match.”

Hearing those, Kiehl laughed after a few days. He continued to be bothered by Bella, and when he saw Shuria, his heart was relieved.

* * *

The more she thought about it, she couldn’t think of a better way to do it.

“Driving me crazy…”

No matter how much she reread her novel, and no matter how much she looked at the situation, the answer seemed to be the least desired.

“Would it be better to come along to the Imperial Palace and change the situation?”

…Although she did not want to be involved in this novel anymore.

‘Yes… If I just dodge it, it might twist strangely again.’

…Kiehl coming to the underworld and giving up his bride.

It was a story she never knew.

‘If I had just possessed a normal role, I wouldn’t have had to worry about this.’

If she had just lived and died, it would be over. It was a life where heaven and hell were decided when it was finished.

“Where did Pur go?”

Bella tried to carefully reflect on her determination as she touched her fluffy fur a little. Back at the mansion, Pur would be mimicking a teddy bear in Bella’s room, but not now. The bear doll Pur from another world was quite popular in the Cruelle family, so she was surprisingly easy to find.

“What are you doing here?”

Perhaps, it was nice that every maid passing by said she was cute, so Pur was just standing in the path they passed every day.

“Ack! I love Miss’ kiss the best!”

Pur was sweating as if caught in the wind.

“No. You can just like someone else’s kiss more.”

Pur was being sincere, but as if it felt like she was being pushed away so she held Bella’s waist and wept.

“I was wrong! Please forgive me!”

“No, why are you like this?”

As the passing maids glanced at them, Bella was perplexed. It was like being a naughty adult who made a child cry.

“Stop crying. I’ll give you a kiss.”

At those words, like having a mute button, Pur stopped.

‘So sly… Pretending to be naive.’

The next moment, Pur turned her back slightly and poked her butt.

“Please, do it on the butt.”

In the Demon Realm, when she was putting the obedience oath and she had only given her once, and since then, whenever she had time, she stuck out her butt.

“No. Didn’t I say it back then? I’ll only kiss your butt once in your bear life.”

“Hnngg.”

“Please, can’t you just take a kiss in a normal way?”

At that, she reached towards Pur and lifted her vigorously.

“Why are you so light? Are you skipping meals?”

“No? I eat five meals a day?”

“What do you eat so much?”

“Princess eats like that, too!”

“Hey. I eat only snacks in between.”

Bella gave a light kiss on the forehead, and Pur hugged her tightly.

“Princess is my favorite!”

Bella held Pur tight and rubbed her face against her fur. Even in the underworld, whenever the smell of blood fluctuated, she sniffed the scent of this fur and barely found peace.

This smell reminded her of many things. Especially the teddy bear that she bought for her nephew in her previous life. She had never seen that before, but it made her imagine her sister holding the teddy bear and her nephew on her lap.

And, her nephew’s waved his hand towards Bella.

— Aunt is over there. Let’s say hello to Aunt

All her memories of living as a person flashed in front of Bella.

“Are you crying, Princess?”

“… Are you crazy?”

Bella sniffled her nose slightly and hugged Pur tighter.

‘If all the demons were like you, it would be more bearable.’

Still, she couldn’t stand it, so she had no choice but to move forward.

* * *

Bella stood in front of Shuria and spoke firmly.

“I want to go to the Imperial Palace with Lady, too.”

She made up her mind.

As much as possible, she decided to wrestle with the Duke to prevent Shuria from becoming the Crown Princess.

‘It was a pity she was my favorite, but Shuria is a villainess anyway.’

Whatever it was, she would make Shuria the best villainess. At the same time, she would push Rosanne as much as possible. Even though she hated Rosanne, she would still push her.

Bella made a firm decision.

Meanwhile, Shuria, who was looking at her, alternately recalled what Juan and Kiehl had said.

‘Isn’t this power? One word from me can change everything.’

It would be odd if this situation was dizzying and funny, with all the wins and losses in her own hands. However, Shuria liked the taste of that power.

She smiled and tilted her head slightly to her side.

“Oh my, that’s not okay.”