Chapter 80

Chapter 80 – Dreams Reflect Reality

A few weeks ago.

Shuria waited at the end of a long and long patience, as Kiehl said, “When Bella becomes the softest.”

—”Bella likes the Lady, so she’ll do whatever you want.”

She had that feeling when they had already talked about the marriage.

— “You can’t get married anyway.”

Even though Bella used to cut it off a lot, she had a different feeling about it. Just as there was a standard of ‘absolute.’ However, when she asked Shuria first…

“Then, I’ll follow you to the Imperial Palace.”

She thought that this was the “softness” that Kiehl was talking about.

“Miss Bella. So how about this?”

“What is it?”

“Please, enter the contest for the Crown Princess instead of me.”

Shuria held Bella’s hands tightly.

“Actually, I don’t want to live that kind of life either.”

“However…”

“If Miss Bella went out instead of me, I don’t have to be the Crown Princess.”

“Well…”

“I don’t want to entrust this Cruelle to my brother, I want to build it with my own hands.”

Shuria shed the tears she had been holding back as she continued her words.

“…All my dreams are here.”

Tears of sadness and resentment ran down her cheeks as she spoke to Bella.

“If you want to be with His Highness, go for it. Because it was Shuria Cruelle who was promised the Crown Princess, not Bella Cruelle.”

Bella thought for a moment.

Her decision here and now would change Shuria’s life.

‘She’s my favorite, too…’

Bella also wished for her to live happily ever after, if possible.

‘Anyway, in this situation, it would be best for Shuria not to go to the Imperial Palace.’

And, each family must let all her young children go.

‘In the end, this is the only way.’

And after much thought, she opened her mouth.

“…Yes. I will go instead.”

She had no choice but to take Shuria’s role.

* * *

Shuria went to Kiehl like a knight, conveying her victory.

“Your Highness.”

“Seeing you smile, you seem to have succeeded.”

Shuria clenched her fist and slid it out in front of Kiel. He unknowingly clenched his fist in the same way and bumped it with hers.

“You know this, too. This is what I learned from Miss Bella.”

Kiehl snorted and sighed in relief.

‘I don’t have to call Iwer anymore.’

“It took a long time.”

From the time he found out that Bella was a demon until now, he won Shuria’s favor based on the novel she had written and given Shuria what she wanted in her hands.

“I almost got things wrong because of brother, but that’s a good thing.”

“I know. Where did he hear that you were going to be the Crown Princess?”

“Who do you think?”

“Sir Herod?”

Shuria shrugged her shoulders instead of saying anything.

“He really likes Your Highness.”

Kiehl smirked and sat comfortably on the sofa.

“The next time we meet at the Imperial Palace, you will become a duke.”

Of course, that would be nice.

Shuria Cruelle would keep her cousin in check, and she would become the Duke of the Cruelle family. For her, it was an opportunity for both. It was only natural that the Crown Princess would come from within the Cruelle family.

“Your Highness. Do you remember the saying to separate public and private life?”

“You mean you still need Juan?”

“Yes. So, don’t even think about hurting him. I will take care of it.”

To be honest, he had thought about getting rid of Juan many times, so Kiehl leaned on the sofa and just nodded.

“I will.”

Kiehl’s tension was relieved, and only a smile came out. How long has it been since he felt comfortable like this?

The cat entered the trap safely.

“And, as an outsider, can I increase the amount of education a little more?”

* * *

Back in the present, Bella glanced out and let out a sigh. At some point, one of the three carriages headed for the Imperial Palace from the Cruelle family left the formation though she did not notice at all.

‘I hope it’s a good choice…’

Recently, a dream she had often came to mind.

Over the past few weeks, she had been preparing for the Crown Princess competition on behalf of Shuria. It was not difficult for her to simply memorize the family tree or relationship chart of noble girls.

However, the problem was a social life.

She practiced drinking tea until she got tired of it and practiced dancing until she was fed up. Now, she could pretend to be elegant and smile beautifully. No matter how much she danced, she never improved.

It was difficult to move freely in a long, decorated dress.

“No, miss. Right, left, left, right, left, right, right, right. Left, right, left, left, left…”

“….”

How difficult were the damn steps.

“Make it easier….”

“This is the easiest dance ever.”

She was practicing while her self-esteem became crumpled. Bella thought the knocking would save her from dancing.

“Bella, maybe you have time… Are you practicing dancing?”

She raised her hand shyly and then hurriedly lowered it.

“How are you?”

Bella avoided his gaze and answered.

“Yes. Well…. To a certain extent?”

Kiehl was the one who knew she was bad at dancing better than anyone. When he was a child, she showed it all at the summer festival in Daisy. Bella alone went to the other side, and she hit someone’s butt with her hand.

“Then, would you like to dance a song with me, Lady?”

Knowing that, Kiehl’s words sounded sarcastic to her. Bella took his hand as if accepting a challenge, and he naturally kissed the back of her hand.

‘Well…’

She felt very bad when Juan did it. However, perhaps because it was Kiehl, she didn’t feel any rejection. Beyond that, she didn’t feel repulsed. The back of her hand that he touched was tickling.

Seeing the mood, the teacher immediately turned on the music, Kiehl confidently laughed.

“This is a basic song.”

“It’s not that I haven’t mastered the basics yet.”

“Let’s see.”

Kiehl took her hand and placed his hand on Bella’s waist.

‘Ah…’

The tickle ran down the back of her hand and rested on her waist.

Thump, thump.

Hearing music at a tempo as fast as the sound of her heart, he pulled Bella’s waist toward him and hugged her tightly. At the same time as he started, she put her left foot in front of her and stepped on Kiehl.

“Miss… rig…”

The teacher looked into Kiehl’s eyes as she was about to say something before closing her mouth. However, Bella didn’t even realize that she had stepped on his foot.

When he rode a horse with her and hugged her from behind…

When he hugs her when she dances…

…There clearly was a strange tension different from when she always hugged him when he was young.

“Relax.”

“I’m… not being lax.”

It was not lax, it was relax. Bella was already showing she was nervous from her words.

“Then, tell me which foot to use and move so you will get used to it.”

“…Yes.”

Even though she didn’t remember a thing, Bella looked up carefully at Kiehl, making a noise through her mouth. She had never seen him up close like this. She always thought he was handsome, but why does it feel a little different?

“…Right foot. Left foot…”

This was all because of Shuria’s question… Because she asked Bella what her ideal type was.

“Left foot…”

No, it was from when they were riding a horse when the carriage wheel broke before.

“Fright foot…”

“What’s fright foot?”

No…

All of this was because Kiehl’s smile was so pretty. It was clear that this smile cast magic on her.

“What’s wrong?”

“That, that… I guess I’m wrong again.”

Yeah, it was because Bella was embarrassed, she kept getting it wrong.

“Bella, relax and just follow me as I move.”

Saying so, Kiehl grabbed her waist tighter and spun her around. The dress, which only felt uncomfortable the whole time, made her dance moves more beautiful.

“Come closer.”

Bella hurriedly pushed him away as the jewelry on his clothes touched her skin.

“Ah.”

He looked at her with a subtle smile.

“Why?”

“You, you can’t be this close while dancing.”

“Why?”

“People may be misunderstood.”

Despite her telling him not to get too close, Kiehl secretly wrapped his arms around Bella’s waist with both hands.

“What misunderstanding?”

Bella lost her breath as she couldn’t speak for three seconds.

“Well… Because you’re an adult, too. Such misunderstandings may arise between men and women. So, if we’re too close…”

At that moment, Kiehl did not back down and whispered softly as he lowered his head slightly.

“Does it make you flutter?”

“N…o? No!”

Like a thief’s numb feet, Bella retorted loudly.

“Of course, I’m not making such a misunderstanding! I’m okay!”

She was so loud. It was louder than the music the teacher played.

“I see.”

“I…I hugged you a lot when we were little, so it’s okay. Just in case you dance to other people like this.”

“…I see.”

“I’m talking because you’re older now.”

“Okay.”

“You will meet a lot of ladies in the future, so what if everyone misunderstands me?”

Kiehl raised his lips at an angle and slightly pinched her cheek.

“I know.”

Bella muttered in a low voice.

“You’re just touching me so casually…”

“….”

She didn’t really remember a single thing after Kiehl casually messed with her.

* * *

Returning back to the present and in the carriage on the way to the imperial palace, Bella sighed as she patted her collarbone.

‘Is this a really good choice? I’m going to the contest instead…’

From the day she danced like that, her magic returned little by little as if that day had pulled a trigger. Not only that, but she also had strange dreams.

‘Why do I keep dreaming like that? .’

In the dream, Kiehl appeared slowly, surrounded by light, in the pitch-black darkness where even her hands could not be seen, and kissed her. At the thought, Bella touched her own lips with her hand.

…It was a dream, but what her lips felt was so vivid.

— “Take me.”

It was soft like ice cream. His breath was filled with the scent of sunlight she had longed for.

How much she wanted it.

Bella thought so in her dream. She thought that she might have already died because there was no sunlight, so she must have been like a blooming cactus. In her dream, for every brief moment their lips fell apart, she exhaled her breath and said:

— “I love you.”

At that time, Kiehl was crying. As he choked to speak, he pressed his breath hard against her lips again. No matter how she expressed it, her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was going to explode.

“Miss.”

“…Uh?”

Suddenly, Jenkins on the other side called, Bella coughed a few times before turning her head.

‘…I’m really trash, trash. What are you imagining with that kid?’

They said that dreams reflect reality.

Could this sweet poisonous heart even stimulate hidden lust?

“What were you thinking?”

“Why, why? What? What!”

“You just looked more perverted than Iwer.”

Bella kicked Jenkins’ knee.

“No, I’m not! No! Because no!”