Chapter 129…
The Broken Birdcage
“W-What are you saying, right now! Come inside first.”
With eyes full of bewilderment, the Saint grabbed Bella’s hand and pulled her into the room.
Left alone in the hallway, Ridel blinked. She had clearly met the king, and something had changed—but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what.
“Are you… breaking up with the Duke?”
Ridel’s hollow voice echoed down the corridor just as the Saint, who had dragged Bella inside, half-forcibly seated her in a chair and leaned close, interrogative.
“Bella. Calm down and explain again. Why, all of a sudden, do you want to lift the curse?”
In truth, the one who should have calmed down was the Saint. She visibly trembled, her fingertips quivering, while Bella remained composed.
“Saint. I don’t want to possess someone. I want to love.”
“…Bella.”
“Likewise, what I desire is to be loved—not to receive payment.”
“But if you lift the curse, Chae will…!”
“No. He won’t disappear.”
“How can you be so sure?”
The god, who had even created the existence of a ghost to prevent Chae’s death, would not abandon him.
The divine plan had already been in motion since the royal treasures. Bella was now certain: even if the curse was lifted, nothing would vanish as everyone feared—not Chae, nor anyone else.
This was literally the god’s intervention to save Chae, a final chance given to humans who had tried to kill him.
“It’s not a curse, it’s an opportunity. An opportunity not just for Chae, but for the royal family, the House of Arle, and the temple.”
The god was simply giving them a chance to apologize.
Even if the ancestors died without acknowledging their sins, at least their descendants would regret and atone.
“You mean…”
“Even if the curse is lifted, he won’t disappear. He can live a new life. So I will willingly…”
…part ways with Chae.
Bella swallowed the rest of her words and gave a quiet, soft smile.
“Are you serious? You’re letting go of that beautiful soul just like that? Why? Didn’t you love Chae?”
The Saint grabbed Bella by the shoulders and shook her.
Her lavender eyes brimmed with tears, as if she herself were the one about to part ways.
The pressure was painful, but Bella didn’t stop her.
“Go and kiss Chae, Saint.”
“…What?”
The Saint shivered and took a hesitant step back. The moment she looked into Bella’s deep violet eyes, she felt incredibly small.
It was a strange, frightening sensation—precarious, like the very foundation of her being might shatter like broken glass.
“The way to lift the curse… is with the kiss of one loved by the god.”
Bella forced a smile, though a single tear ran down her cheek.
“Really, that’s all?”
“Yes. That’s all. I’ve dragged this out far too long for something so simple.”
Bella nonchalantly wiped the tear streak from her cheek and replied.
The Saint, still dazed, stared at Bella and wiped her face with a conflicted expression.
“Even if the curse is lifted, Chae could love Bella again, right? So why break up…? What does that mean?”
“Chae is the Duke of Prelorde, and this was the Prelorde estate. The royal family has fallen, and people will want to challenge things in the name of Prelorde. They could even contest the ownership of this mansion—it was taken by the king after he tried to kill Chae, after all.”
Above all, this mansion was as precious to Chae as it was to Bella.
‘Bel Lord,’ Bella’s home, didn’t need to be this exact mansion. She could relocate the main office to the capital and the factory to the south without issue.
“But you rightfully bought this house, Bella…!”
“The world isn’t always so neat, Saint. All I ask is that you tell people later that the awakened Chae turned out to be a Prelorde descendant. That’s all I ask.”
“Why go that far? I…I don’t understand you at all, Bella.”
“Chae gave me so much: stability, warmth, excitement, comfort—precious things.”
“….”
Bella’s attachment to her home originally stemmed from a desire to escape an unstable and unfair life. Now she was a legitimate duchess and business owner. The sorrow of having no home, the anger of being unprotected, had faded.
“The same goes for you, Saint, right? Chae was the only one who recognized you.”
“Everyone wanted something from me, but Chae didn’t.”
“I’ve experienced the same. How could I not love him?”
Bella smiled warmly. She had initially struggled to understand the Saint, but now she could begin to.
The pain of realizing that for centuries, only Chae had offered unconditional kindness to the Saint was striking.
Bella now had her business, employees she was responsible for, a partner and friend in Ridel, and knights who had lived long in the mansion. The Saint had no one.
“Bella… I don’t know why I feel this way, but I wish you wouldn’t leave this mansion.”
“…I feel the same. But it seems this home is more meaningful while Chae is its owner.”
“Truly, it’s not a lie. Everything Bella has said.”
“Ha ha… Can divine power really tell that too?”
Bella laughed, scratching her cheek awkwardly.
The Saint stared at her blankly. Strangely, Bella’s face reminded her of the Duke of Prelorde she had once admired.
“I understand your wishes, Bella. Honestly, I don’t fully comprehend, but I will grant your request. It’s for Chae, after all.”
“Thank you. I’ll be going, then.”
Bella bowed politely, as if to show utmost respect.
She turned to leave, but suddenly stopped, turning back toward the Saint.
“Bella?”
The Saint, looking down at Bella’s hand in hers, called out in confusion.
“I didn’t ask this… Forgive me. I was rude.”
“You still had something to ask?”
The Saint, puzzled, looked at her. Bella shyly met her gaze.
“My name.”
“…My name?”
The Saint repeated the word as though it were strange and alien.
“Yes. I always called you ‘Saint,’ but I never tried to know your name.”
“That’s…”
No one ever asked the Saint for her name. Since becoming a Saint, she was her title. Her duty was to relay divine prophecy, hear prayers, and help others through sacrifice. For centuries, she had never considered the value of her name. When you enter the temple, all worldly ties are severed.
Yet even thinking of her name made her chest ache.
“If it’s your choice, I will call you Saint, but having your title as your name feels sad.”
“…Why?”
Why did it hurt? Why did tears come so suddenly?
“Hmm?”
“Nothing. Just a passing thought. I don’t have a current name. I left all my past behind when I entered the temple.”
The Saint finally collected herself, covering her eyes with one hand, speaking in a forced calm.
Bella nodded, a little disappointed.
“I see… I shouldn’t have asked.”
“But I do have a name from my childhood.”
“A childhood name?”
The Saint looked deeply into Bella’s wide eyes. The emotions swelling in her chest were overwhelming, like a late wave flooding her soul.
“…Greta. My name is Greta.”
“Thank you. Next time we meet, I’ll call you Greta.”
It was a strange feeling. Seeing Bella’s smiling face, the Saint realized she hadn’t loved Chae.
She had admired him.
She hadn’t loved Chae; she had aspired to be like him. Her heart and actions were not for him, but for herself. She had simply wanted to become him.
“Now, I feel a little happy to just be me. And there’s someone to call my name.”
“Uh…”
Bella’s eyes widened.
The Saint smiled—innocent, bright, more than ever.
“Even if centuries pass, I will find Bella’s soul and call my name to her again. So, Bella, don’t forget my name either.”
