Chapter 14
Killid said nothing.
They say silence means consent—that saying really hit the mark.
I let go of Killid’s arm, cleared my throat, and got to the point.
“Keep it a secret that you saw me today.”
“……”
“You can keep the bracelet… if you want.”
Honestly, I’d love to get it back and sell it even now, but that’s probably not an option.
I don’t know exactly what happened, but it looked like the old owner of the jewelry store was about to be arrested by the city guards. Which meant I’d have to find a new jeweler if I wanted to sell the bracelet—and I didn’t have the time or luxury to go through all that.
How much time do I have before Delta Lu gets back to the restaurant?
Let’s not take any unnecessary risks. I decided to just let Killid have the bracelet.
The real priority was keeping the secret.
Ethan Crawford must never find out about this.
He gave me something close to a warning just two weeks ago.
How would Ethan react if he found out what I did today?
What if he learns that the person he gently warned to “stay a good sister” secretly shook off her escort and went behind his back to raise money?
…If Ethan finds out I’m planning to run away, it’s all over.
Killid doesn’t matter.
Killid Crawford would be the last person to care if I escaped the duchy. No, he’d probably be delighted to see me go.
But Ethan’s different. Ethan needs me—Bella pretending to be Elissa Crawford.
That terrifying “locked-away forever” ending I once imagined… It came flashing back.
…No. I cannot let that happen.
“Of course, I’m not asking for this favor for free. If you do this for me, I’ll grant you one request later.”
Honestly, Killid probably only has one request in mind: Get the hell out of Crawford.
I’d love to do just that, but I’m not ready yet. That’s why I said “later.”
Killid, just wait a little longer. If all goes well, I might be able to give you the perfect birthday gift.
So… could you help me out this once?
“…Well?”
I looked up at him anxiously. Suddenly, the hood covering Killid’s face annoyed me. I couldn’t see his expression.
How long had I been staring at his lips in nervous silence? Finally, those still lips moved.
“I don’t care what kind of mess you’re making for yourself.”
“……”
“But don’t drag the Crawfords into it. That’d be a pain.”
“What are you—Killid. Hey, Killid!”
He turned his back on me and walked away without another word. Hey!
I took a step to follow him, then stopped.
Something told me that this time, Killid wouldn’t let me catch him.
I stood still and watched his silhouette shrink into the distance. When he finally vanished, I scowled.
“So is that a yes or a no…?”
…If it’s the latter, I’m in trouble.
I lingered a bit longer before turning around. In any case, I had to get back to the restaurant before Delta Lu did.
I gave the strawberry tart Delta Lu bought me back to him as a gift.
I don’t remember the expression he made when he received it.
To be honest, I didn’t pay much attention.
I made it back to the estate before Killid did.
He didn’t return until after nightfall.
Late into the night, as I was getting ready for bed, Nfi came into my room.
“My lady, you’re going to be surprised when you see what I brought!”
“Hm?”
“Here it is.”
I looked at what Nfi handed me and, sure enough, I was surprised.
“Killid came back to the estate?”
It was the bracelet. The one with the platinum chain and sky-blue gem—no mistake about it.
Nfi blinked at me.
“How did you know Young Master Killid returned?”
…Right. The only person who knew Killid had the bracelet was me.
“Uh, well…”
How should I spin this? As I was struggling to find the words, Nfi spoke first.
“You didn’t lose the bracelet, you gave it to the young master for safekeeping?”
“…Huh?”
“When Young Master Killid returned earlier, he gave it to me and asked me to deliver it to you… I thought you’d lost it during your outing today. I figured the young master must’ve found it for you.”
She gave a sheepish smile.
“I mean, with a bracelet like this… no way you’d lose it.”
“A bracelet like what?”
“Sorry?”
“Actually… I still don’t really remember everything clearly.”
Thank goodness I’d already lied about having memory problems from that bump on the head.
Nfi sighed softly and looked at me with pity—maybe just my imagination—and began to explain.
“This bracelet was given to you as an engagement gift, my lady.”
“Engagement gift? This?”
“That’s right.”
Nfi hesitated a little, then added carefully,
“You… remember your engagement, don’t you?”
“…Yeah, I remember.”
“And who you’re engaged to?”
“Don’t worry, I remember that too.”
Bella’s fiancé.
I know exactly who he is.
He is—
“Thank goodness. I’m glad you haven’t forgotten His Highness.”
His Highness. Right.
Bella is engaged to none other than the prince of this kingdom.
Sure, she used her title as a Crawford to secure the match, but that’s not the point right now…
Holy crap. I nearly sold off a royal engagement gift!
And for pennies, too.
My head spun as the pieces finally clicked together.
Why the jeweler dropped to his knees the second Killid showed up… Why Killid said the jeweler had guts…
And why he warned me not to “drag the Crawfords into it.”
Yeah, if I had sold this, I wouldn’t have been the only one to suffer the consequences.
I stared down at the bracelet, disturbed.
If it was a royal engagement gift given to the Crawfords, then it was no doubt a one-of-a-kind treasure in this kingdom.
Selling it and thinking I could get away with it? That was delusional.
The moment this bracelet showed up on the market, my whole plan would’ve been exposed.
At best, my actions would’ve been seen as an insult to the royal family.
I don’t even want to imagine what the worst-case scenario would’ve been.
Even if Killid hadn’t caught me at the jeweler’s, I would’ve still been in big trouble.
Damn it, Bella. Important stuff like this should be locked up somewhere safe…
Knowing the kind of relationship Bella had with her fiancé, I could probably guess why she treated the gift like that, but still…
“But my lady, even if you don’t remember everything, you must’ve realized this bracelet was important. That’s why you gave it to the young master, right?”
I took my eyes off the bracelet and looked at Nfi.
Instead of correcting her assumption, I carefully asked,
“When Killid gave you this bracelet… did he say anything else?”
“Sorry?”
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
So is Killid accepting my deal… or not?
“Thanks for bringing it back. I think I’ll go to sleep now.”
“Of course. Sleep well, my lady.”
After Nfi left, I stayed up for a long time.
I kept wondering if Killid would send someone to relay a message. But nothing happened before I fell asleep.
For days afterward, I kept my senses sharp, closely watching Duke Crawford and Ethan Crawford for any sign that they’d found out.
And finally…
“…I’m in the clear.”
It looked like Killid decided to accept my offer.
Neither Ethan nor the duke seemed to have any clue about the jeweler or the bracelet.
Thank you, Killid.
I promise I’ll repay this debt—with a successful escape.
Now that I was sure Killid was cooperating, I could finally relax.
And immediately started preparing to go out.
Escape funds! I have to get some today.
…But right before leaving, I ran into a small problem.
