Chapter 117…
As I Intend
“What on earth… is this?”
Ridel muttered in a hollow voice as he stood hidden among the crowd.
The Saint was supposed to be at Bella’s residence. Then who in the world was the Saint standing on the podium right now?
No—more importantly, where was Bella?
Bella had definitely come to the capital for a reason.
If he knew that purpose, it would be easier to guess her destination, but unfortunately, despite making inquiries about Bella, the only information that surfaced was that she had been in frequent contact with the temple recently.
Thinking he would have to visit the temple again and get in touch with his informant, Ridel turned to leave—
“God has spoken to me.”
The Saint’s voice seized Ridel’s ears, which had been spiraling into panic and confusion.
Ridel whipped around, eyes wide in disbelief, staring at the Saint in the white veil atop the podium.
“…Bel… la?”
The Saint’s—no, Bella’s—voice recited the prophecy.
When the prophecy ended, applause and cheers erupted, and clusters of white light scattered among the people.
As if spellbound, Ridel stood there without blinking, staring at the Saint—at Bella.
Soon, a faint curve formed at the corner of his lips.
“Just like Bella.”
Letting out a light chuckle, Ridel turned away.
If Bella had gone so far as to collude with the temple, disguise herself as the Saint, and even stand on the podium, then something enormous was clearly unfolding.
“Then I suppose I’ll do what I need to do.”
With those words, Ridel naturally melted back into the crowd. Truly, just like his nickname, he vanished like mist.
“Success!”
Bella tore off her veil and cried out in joy. Seeing her, the Pope covered his mouth with one hand and laughed softly.
“Indeed. You’ve entered the royal palace, and you’ve drawn the flow exactly where you wanted it.”
“Of course, once we enter the castle, the king will try to resolve this not through negotiation, but by killing the head of the council and me. Still, this is more than enough.”
Grinning broadly, Bella lifted the cumbersome white skirt with both hands and flopped comfortably onto the sofa.
The captain of the royal guard, who had come outside the city walls, said that the king wished to resolve things through dialogue and had invited the council’s representative and the Saint to the castle.
This rally was an opportunity for the council and the temple—but also for the king. One of the few chances to lure the leaders of those opposing him into the castle and deal with them easily.
“So, what’s next for you, Bella?” the Pope asked, sitting down beside her with practiced familiarity.
“I go back to being Bella the businesswoman. The temple has officially begun attacking the royal family, saying it can no longer serve a royal house that doesn’t follow God’s doctrine. I should lend my strength.”
“That’s reassuring.”
The Pope reached out and gently brushed the ends of Bella’s long silver-gray hair.
How beautiful the wings of a bird in flight were.
If one called it beautiful and locked it in a cage, one would never see those sparkling eyes and confident expression again.
“Do you think the temple can truly achieve independence this time, Your Holiness?”
Not even a minute after lying down, Bella sprang up as if revitalized, tightly tying her hair back and discarding the cumbersome garments.
Once she shed the pure white Saint’s robes, the formal dress she usually wore came into view.
“Originally, I didn’t think it would go that far, but…”
“But?”
“Seeing you, Bella, I think it might be possible.”
Watching Bella change clothes without a shred of hesitation in front of him, the Pope laughed again. Bella tilted her head slightly.
He really does laugh easily, she thought.
“You remember our deal. You said you’d take my side. But keep this in mind—even if my products sell incredibly well, the people who actually like me are very few.”
“I know. Then know this too, Bella. I am one of those few.”
“I remember.”
With a refreshingly broad grin, Bella left the Pope’s chambers. She needed to hurry to her capital branch and draft documents.
The council would move as well, of course, but a king who had once forcibly dissolved the council wouldn’t fear them.
There was only one thing the unhinged king truly feared.
Cheyre Preload.
A blood relative with a claim to succession—and proof of the sins her ancestors had committed.
“…Why did it have to be a curse?”
In the distance, a carriage approached to pick Bella up. Watching it come closer, Bella blinked slowly.
She felt like she was missing something. Clues that seemed within reach yet slipped away kept flashing through her mind.
“If it were me… I would’ve just killed them.”
If you’re that afraid, why leave behind future trouble at all?
Thinking back on her conversation with the king, he had clearly believed Cheyre was dead.
Which meant the royal family’s objective had been to kill Cheyre—not to turn them into a ghost through a curse.
Then what exactly was that curse?
Had they decided assassination was impossible and tried to kill Cheyre with a curse instead—only to fail?
If so, why did it fail?
“A special power of the royal family. A special… power.”
Bella’s gaze caught the emblem on the carriage door—the temple’s crest.
The temple also wielded a special power, calling it divine power. Curses were likewise a form of special power. Could there be some connection between the two?
The royal family’s heirloom, passed down for generations, had now been exhausted, leaving only the red ring the king wore.
It symbolized the end of a power sustained by curses.
“But still… the royal family does possess a special power, one way or another.”
A special space and special sorcery meant only for the royal bloodline.
On top of that, there was a reason people believed the king to be close to a god.
Longevity.
A lifespan nearly as long as the Pope’s, and a youthfulness unbelievable for his age. That was the greatest reason their authority had been accepted.
If—just if—the royal family’s treasure and that mysterious power were not an unholy curse, but truly a blessing and gift from God…
“Ah, no. What am I thinking.”
Bella shook her head.
Count Treshy and Count Karl had died, hadn’t they? How could a power that made people cough up blood and die just for uttering certain words ever be compared to divine power granted by God?
Coughing up blood…
Bella blinked, eyes wide.
Hadn’t she experienced that once herself?
“……”
The carriage stopped in front of her, cutting off her thoughts. Bella’s lips parted slightly.
“His Holiness has instructed us to escort the guest to her destination.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
Only after the driver spoke to her, puzzled by her stillness, did Bella relax her expression, put on a polite smile, and climb into the carriage.
The carriage left the temple and headed toward Bella’s branch office in the capital.
It had been a long time since Bella had visited it in person, and she gazed up at the massive building with a sense of unfamiliarity.
“I’m more impressive than I thought.”
Murmuring in self-admiration, Bella entered the building without hesitation.
The guards stationed out front recognized her immediately and hurried inside.
“Master!”
“I told you, it’s ‘Boss.’”
Seeing the employee rush over with a bright smile, Bella laughed lightly and shook her head.
What was so great about a workplace superior? She really couldn’t understand it.
Arriving at her office with the employee, Bella admired how spotless and perfectly organized the room was.
“Who’s in charge of cleaning the building?”
“The reception department.”
“Tell them to choose between a week of vacation or extra pay. I’ll prepare the paperwork before I leave.”
Bella rummaged through the neatly divided drawers, found the relevant documents, and firmly stamped them with her seal.
After the employee left with the papers, Bella remained alone, staring intently at a blank sheet of paper, her expression unusually serious.
“I really don’t want to do this.”
She knew it was the queen’s intention, but knowing that the queen wasn’t the kind of person to do such things made it painful to write something that criticized and attacked her.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Bella reluctantly began to write.
At the very end, she pressed her seal down firmly, certifying it as an official statement written by Bella herself.
“……”
Bella stared silently at the name of her business stamped in red. Reaching out, she gently traced the letters with her fingers and let out a faint smile.
“I miss you.”
When Bella rang the bell, an employee entered and took the statement she had written.
For a moment, the name of Bella’s shop was visible on the document in the employee’s hand.
〈Bell Road〉
At first, she had wanted to name it after Cheyre, but after Cheyre’s opposition, she had barely managed to change it to this.
Within that name was Bella’s wish to engrave Cheyre’s name into the place that was her everything—and remember it for the rest of her life.
