Chapter 21
Acares’s eyes turned cold.
The wolf, seeing no reaction from him, pointed toward the mountain again with its front paw.
It was clear that Bella was still alone somewhere in the mountains.
Everyone held their breath. Rie quietly approached Acares and whispered:
“I’ll call the search team right away.”
“No, don’t.”
Acares answered shortly and handed the bouquet in his hand to Rie.
But his eyes never left the dark, snowy mountain.
He slowly scanned the mountain with a suspicious look.
Something’s wrong.
Had it ever snowed this much in Pione?
In all the years he ruled, there had never been such a heavy snowstorm.
And it just had to happen today, the day Bella went out to search for the missing child.
While he hesitated, the blizzard grew stronger, and the ominous feeling in his chest grew heavier.
Today of all days… why today?
Something about this moment filled him with unease.
“Rie, go get Eden.”
After he gave the order, Acares began walking toward the mountain entrance.
***
Meanwhile…
“Ah—!”
Bella slipped again and fell to the ground.
Her white stockings were ripped, and the toes of her shoes were worn down.
She had thought the snow would pile up enough to climb easily, but strangely, the snow kept sinking under her feet instead of building up.
Completely out of strength, Bella let out a long sigh.
“Ah… Am I going to die like this?”
She looked up at the dark gray sky.
Between the heavy snow clouds, she felt like she saw her mother’s face calling to her gently with open arms.
Bella snapped back to her senses and shook her head.
“N-no, Mom! I still have things to do!”
She did want to see her mother—but not like this.
Not by dying in the mountains.
She wanted to finish the war, build a happy family, and live a full life before going to the afterlife like her mother wished.
Bella crossed her arms and looked up at the cliff again.
There were deep wolf footprints here and there.
I wonder if Sui got back safely…
The wolf touched by Oracion’s light had grown bigger and carried Sui quickly down the mountain.
Bella saw them heading toward Piroche, so Sui should have arrived by now.
She stretched out her right hand and looked at her palm quietly.
She had no choice but to send Sui alone.
If she tried the spell again with depleted magic, they both might have been trapped here.
Then Acares’s face suddenly appeared in her mind.
Does Acares know what’s happening to me?
He was the kind of man who couldn’t stand even a little dirt on her shoes.
If he saw her now—covered in mud and melted snow—she couldn’t imagine how his fairy-tale-like face would twist.
“…Why am I thinking about him now?”
Cold breath escaped her lips.
And then Sui’s words echoed in her ears:
‘Teacher, you married the prince. So you can take Sui with you, right?’
Her ears turned even redder.
A man who fell from the sky one day, claiming to be her husband.
They had lived together for over a month now.
But Acares was a summoned being.
No matter how sweet he was, no matter how much he cared for Sui, she couldn’t just marry a summoned creature because things were difficult.
To Bella, that felt like marrying a stuffed bear.
Rustle—
She suddenly sensed movement not far away.
“…Acares?”
She perked up her ears and moved toward the sound.
Realizing she had called his name without thinking, she flushed with embarrassment. But she accepted it.
If Acares learned she was missing, he would come for her—no matter what it took.
Truly, no matter what.
He was the kind of man who might burn down the entire snowy mountain just to find her.
“Acares! I’m over here!”
This time she called loudly.
The moving presence approached the pit where she had fallen.
Under the pale moonlight, a large figure appeared.
Tall and broad shouldered.
It must be Acares…
She let out a relieved breath—But then the figure straightened and cast a huge shadow over her.
Rough fur, massive paws that could kill with one hit, sharp white fangs shining between breaths—
It was a wild bear.
***
At the same time…
Whoosh—
Every step Akares took made white flames bloom on the snow.
The white butterflies around him devoured the falling snow at terrifying speed.
The wolf behind him lowered its ears, afraid of his overwhelming aura.
The wolf whimpered, and Acares turned toward it.
He narrowed his red eyes.
“Roye, are you sure you’re heading toward where Bella is?”
“Awng—”
“I see.”
Akares raised his right hand.
The butterflies gathered around his hand instantly.
“Of course… asking a wolf that can’t speak was my mistake, wasn’t it?”
A dangerous smile flickered across his face.
He pointed to the sky, then slowly bent his finger toward the wolf.
Sensing danger, the wolf tried to run, but the butterflies wrapped around it instantly.
“Show your real form, Your Highness.”
The butterflies beat their wings harder, lifting the wolf into the air.
“AWOOO—!”
With a sharp howl, the wolf’s body began changing into a young boy.
He fell to the ground with a thud and glared up at Acares.
“W-what are you doing?!”
His black eyes were full of hostility.
Acares calmly studied him.
Shoulder-length dark red hair, a battered uniform of the Roye royal family, a young face around fourteen—
It was definitely Prince Alberto von Roye, the youngest prince.
Acares straightened respectfully.
“It has been a while, Prince Alberto.”
“S-stop calling my name! It’s creepy!”
“Then should I call you ‘my little wolf’?”
“Don’t you dare!”
Alberto shouted much louder than someone who was trembling with fear.
Acares sighed, untied his cloak, and placed it over Alberto’s shoulders despite the boy stepping back.
“We can catch up later. Finding Bella comes first, don’t you think?”
“You…”
“That’s all the kindness you’ll get. Time to earn your keep, Your Highness.”
Alberto gritted his teeth.
He wanted to rip off the cloak and tear it apart—but his thin, ragged clothes wouldn’t survive the freezing cold.
Acares smiled calmly and gestured for him to walk.
“Lead the way, Your Highness.”
“How can I trust you…?”
“If I wanted to kill you, I would’ve done it already. Do you think I would feed you and let you sleep next to my fiancée just to kill you here?”
Acares spoke with a blank expression.
Alberto shut his mouth.
Suspicious but needing warmth, he swallowed his anger and walked ahead.
Acares followed with his hands behind his back.
After a few minutes of silent walking, Alberto spoke first.
“…How did you undo my beast transformation?”
“Oh, that?”
Acares scratched his cheek.
“Well…”
“KYAAAA—!”
