~Chapter 63~
Bella was sleeping deeply beside me.
‘So naïve.’
What was she trusting to sleep so soundly like this? I was no different from any other man.
Was she dreaming?
Bella furrowed her pretty brow and slightly moved her lips. Armin looked at her slightly open mouth, then touched her lips with his fingers.
The moment he felt that soft sensation—
‘Dangerous.’
Holding hands while sleeping? What a reckless request from the start.
Bella might be able to sleep well with me beside her, but I couldn’t. Tonight would be a night of endurance.
Knock, knock.
“Master.”
“…”
“Master?”
“Morgan.”
“You’re still awake. I have a report to—”
Morgan opened the door without thinking, then froze at the sight of the two figures lying together.
“Apologies.”
“No, I was about to get up anyway. Let’s go out.”
Morgan looked displeased but followed Armin’s lead and stepped into the hall.
Leaving Bella behind, Armin followed him downstairs without asking questions—he already knew why he’d been called.
At the bottom of the stairs, in the lowest floor of the mansion, there was a hidden space.
Some used it as storage, others for secret meetings, and some very innocently as a wine cellar.
But Armin…
“Unlucky for you. You get to see me alive again.”
…used it as a prison and torture chamber.
The air was heavy with the mixed scent of many people’s blood. Viola knelt, bound, staring blankly at the floor.
When she saw Armin, she trembled. After witnessing dozens of people beheaded for no reason, she no longer felt love for him—only fear.
“Why… why am I here?! You found her! You found that woman, so—”
“I’m looking for a slave trader.”
Viola fell silent.
“His name is Malcop. Slightly shorter than me, broad back, big belly. He’s a typical Galpa tribe man, and a heavy smoker—you can smell cigars even when he’s not smoking.”
“…”
“I know you’ve been in contact with him. If you tell me where he is—”
“You’ll let me live?”
“I’ll give you a clean death.”
Better than being the lone survivor of a destroyed family.
Viola suddenly laughed.
“Why laugh?”
“You’re asking me about Malcop because of the artifact, right? I bought a teleport artifact and gave it to him.”
“You know well.”
“Too bad for you, Your Highness.”
Viola giggled.
“That artifact lets the user set the coordinates however they want! That means even I don’t know where he went.”
“An artifact tied to the caster’s will. Must have been expensive. You probably stole from the family vault—way beyond a maid’s wage.”
Viola flinched but shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter now. My father’s dead!”
“Yes, good for you—not getting scolded.”
“You know what’s really good? I learned your weakness.”
“…”
“You’re right. Giving an artifact in exchange for getting rid of one woman was too much. I tried not to give it. Tried persuading Malcop instead. But he said he had sinned against someone important. That he accidentally mistook the Grand Duke for a slave and sold him, so he had to leave the empire fast.”
Armin stared at her silently. His silence was the answer.
“So it’s true… you were sold as a slave. Hah, unbelievable.”
Viola laughed madly, then suddenly focused on him.
“Does she know? That you lived miserably at the bottom of the empire? Treated worse than a servant—how—”
“She knows.”
Viola shut her mouth again.
“…She knows very well.”
That was why he kept Bella close.
For a moment, Armin wavered—because Viola knew his secret.
“I’ll check on your condition again tomorrow. There are more things to confirm.”
But he quickly regained composure.
Viola bit her lip. Bella—that cursed name was Armin’s peace. And she… would never stand in the same place as that woman. The truth made her despair, hurting her whole body. She didn’t want to live anymore.
“I’ve told you everything! Kill me now! You don’t need me anymore!”
She slammed herself against the bars, screaming, but Armin left without answering.
It had been a tiring night, but confirming Bella’s feelings had been a small victory. He didn’t want to taint that joy with blood.
At the end of the basement stairs, Beryl was waiting. Locking the gate, he asked:
“What should we do?”
“Handle it as usual.”
“Yes. We’ll say the Miolenga family resisted violently when caught in the act at an illegal site, and were subdued after a struggle… correct?”
“Not bad.”
“Good. Please approve it.”
Beryl handed him a report. Once signed, it would go to the emperor. The empire had many noble families, and Miolenga wasn’t special—the truth of their annihilation would be buried.
“Approved.”
“Shall we leave?”
“Yes. Ah, how about a night out? I found a nice tavern.”
“Later.”
There was something more important than drinking tonight.
Morgan, quick to catch Armin’s intent, whispered:
“Lady Bella is still sleeping.”
“…I see.”
“What is it, Your Highness? Don’t tell me you shared a bed tonight?”
Beryl whistled.
“Shut up, you crude fool.”
Morgan’s eyes narrowed.
“Did you hear that, my lord? That old stiff just called me crude.”
“Morgan knows how to judge people objectively.”
“Wow, even you, my lord.”
Beryl pouted and grumbled.
Armin clicked his tongue and started back upstairs.
When Morgan moved to follow—
“Don’t follow me.”
“!”
“And don’t come into the bedroom in the morning.”
Morgan slowly looked up.
“Come in as late as possible. Understood?”
Morgan wasn’t oblivious to the hidden meaning.
“…Yes.”
Morgan smiled.
For the first time since coming to the Grand Duke’s residence, I overslept.
The sunlight stung my eyes.
“You’re awake?”
Turning my head, I saw Armin holding me tightly by the waist. Then I remembered last night—grabbing him like a child to stop him from leaving.
And that the maids had seen us.
“…”
My face grew hot.
“Is the room temperature okay?”
“Where should we prepare breakfast?”
“I’ll bring water for washing first.”
The maids acted the same as usual, but under their slight smiles, I felt a different emotion—it was unbearably embarrassing.
“Bella?”
Noticing my silence, Armin stretched his neck to check my face.
“Your… hand, from my waist first.”
“Ah.”
He let go as if realizing it just now.
I washed my face without water, feeling dazed. My head buzzed, and my ears rang—it felt like the noise inside me was spilling out.
‘No, it really is noisy.’
“I told you I need to see her!”
“The Count may be one of the three masters of the Magic Tower, but this is too rude—”
“What? You know what’s really rude? Taking someone’s student without permission!”
“That is the Grand Duke’s bedroom! And His Highness hasn’t even risen yet—”
“I said I’ll just see Bella! Whether your lord is snoring or grinding his teeth is none of my business!”
“If you continue, we’ll have to remove you by force.”
“Oh? Try it then. You’ll be fighting the second master of the Magic Tower.”
I turned to look at Armin. Surely he heard all of that.
“Don’t mind it, Bella.”
His smile looked no different from usual.
“Shall we eat here? It’d be nice to have a quiet breakfast together.”
“Sorry, but to bring food here, we’ll have to open the door anyway.”
And those people outside… sounded like they were fighting.
Armin muttered a curse.
“Open the door.”
I told the maids. They hesitated but eventually opened it.
“Bella!”
As expected—
“…Aisha.”
The person I’d guessed was standing there.
