Chapter 116: Chapter 119: Just One More Day

Chapter 119 – Just One More Day

After a loud noise was heard and the guards entered Kiehl's room, they could see that all the windows were broken and there was debris, but Bella was not there.

“Your… Your Highness!"

Fearing that she would be framed, Kiehl wiped his tears with his hand and stood up as if it was nothing.

“It’s okay. The Crown Princess had to go to the animal kingdom for a while.”

“Are… are you really okay? You're bleeding…”

“This is okay. It's a wound caused by magic. Bring Jenkins, Bella's henchman.”

“I’ll call Sir Rio Proha, just in case.”

Rio and Jenkins, who came after a while, couldn't hide their surprise when they saw the Crown Prince's room looking like a battlefield.

“Kiehl… what happened?”

“Oh my God. Young Master, what's going on?”

When everyone had gone out and only the three men remained in the room, Kiehl sat on the bed and exhaled.

“Bella… took her heart.”

“What? Only Iwer can take it out…”

As Kiehl opened his chest to reveal the scar, Jenkins frowned.

“Young Master, how are you still alive…?”

“…I need first aid.”

Rio also lost his words. How could the Crown Princess hurt the Crown Prince like this? In the meanwhile, while Rio focused on the treatment, Jenkins glanced around and kept tilting his head.

“By the way, where did she go?”

“…To the animal kingdom.”

“Young Master, this is not the time for jokes.”

Jenkins shook his head seriously.

“And why is one side of your face so red? Did the Miss hit the Young Master?”

Kiehl lay on the bed without saying anything and gasped in shallow breaths.

— “Don’t look for me. I made it clear.”

The scar on his chest where he had been pierced through was so painful that it was unbearable.

“Grandpa Jen, this might be due to the magic of the underworld, so it keeps canceling out my healing power.”

“Then, how about using herbs?”

Rio stared at Kiehl, who was barely holding on to his senses.

“There are some good herbs, but…”

“What is it? If it’s not in the imperial palace, I'll get it.”

“…It is.”

It was the main ingredient in the drug that dilutes memories… the drug that Rohan had been forcing Kiehl to take whenever he tried to find someone from the past. Although he knew that Kiehl had nightmares every time, so he didn't want to use it if possible, Rio apologized to Kiehl in his heart and moved on to save his master.

During the summer festival, Kiehl was unable to leave the room.

He fell asleep drunk on the drug.

As always in his life, time was not on his side. When he opened his eyes, he didn't even have time to feel the pain Bella had given him and even took on what Bella had to do.

“Did Lady Bella really go to the underworld?”

Rio, who suddenly had more things to do, asked worriedly but Kiehl didn't say anything.

One day, two days pass.

Fireworks came, marking the end of the summer festival. He waited another day, fiddling with the ring he hadn't given. The story of Bella's brief return to the Animal Kingdom spread throughout the Imperial Palace. Everyone asked Kiehl as if he was worried, but every time, he forced a smile and replied.

“Isn’t it natural to go to the parent’s house even though she is married?”

Still, everyone thought it was strange. The Princess didn’t show her face even at the ball and suddenly disappeared after the first night.

In particular, Shuria did not hide her disappointment.

“My house is also her family home, but…”

A week passed.

Like a boat rocking in a storm of uncertainty in the Imperial Palace, the demons guarding the room without Bella started talking.

“Did she run away because she didn’t want to do the first night?”

“Haven't she raised the young master for that day? No way.”

Those who didn't know about the scar on Kiehl's chest thought she was hiding somewhere and thought that she still had a heart for him. On the other hand, knowing the truth, Jenkins kept his mouth shut and thought to himself.

“…Is it because she doesn’t want to make him her companion?”

“That's right! I'll be Miss’ companion!”

“Pur, I’m better than you are.”

Another week passes.

To make up for Bella's absence, Rio and Rinne have taken over her duties again. For several months after she became the Crown Princess, they were really comfortable. When the moment when they seemed to die from overwork came again, Rinne sighed and asked again.

“Lady Bella, will she be coming?”

“….”

“Please tell me something. I heard that Lady Bella didn’t go back to the Demon Realm.”

“She's just going somewhere for a while.”

“So, when is she coming?”

Kiehl didn't say anything, just gulped. Eventually, Rio stopped Rinne when he saw that Kiehl was barely breathing.

“She will come on her own. Kiehl is taking the medicine to treat him, so he'll have a hard time remembering her. Stop asking.”

“I’m just asking, why are you being so mean and fussy about it?”

Kiehl sat at his desk and looked at the spot where Bella always sat as a cat.

— “Don’t look for me.”

He wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace right now and look for her. It felt like he would never see her again if he didn’t look for her.

— “I don't even want… to see you now.”

Since she said ‘now,’ she might come back so he pinned his hopes on those three letters.

‘I miss you…’

He ran his hand over the air where the cat usually was. He even teased the invisible cat with the feather pen.

‘You’ll be back right…?’

He endured one more day with that thought in mind.

As always, only as long as he can hold on.

Just one more day… maybe she would come back tomorrow.

* * *

There were many times when Bella spread her wings and flew through the sky, but this was the first time in the human world. As she passed by the countless beautiful lights that decorated the night, she moved further and further away from the imperial palace and the capital.

She flew through the sky until she was exhausted. And when her feet touched the ground, she walked until she collapsed.

She didn’t even know where she was going.

She didn’t even know how many days had passed. Still, it felt like if she didn't do something like this, she would break something.

Then, suddenly she heard Kiehl's voice.

— “I think you want it to be like that novel…”

Bella tugged at her ear as if she was about to tear it off. She didn't want to think about anything.

— “Because I love you… I couldn’t let it go the way that novel did.”

Nonetheless, the thoughts kept coming, and Bella, who couldn't stand the anger, went into the woods and killed the animals.

Even though her anger rose to the top of her head and her face heated up…

— “I don't mind if you hate me… Just stay by my side.”

…She wanted to hate him, and she didn't want to hate him.

“Aarrgh!”

Those who like flowers pluck them, and those who love them water them… If only he had looked at the note and knew that she wanted it to go the way it was in the novel. If he was that smart, he must have known what she really wanted.

She didn’t understand why he oppressed, restrained, and obsessed over her with the word ‘I love you.’

As a few moons and suns rose, Bella wanted her mind to be united. But rather, she was left with just enough love to embrace it all.

She must kill him to leave behind a hatred that seemed to unravel her heart.

* * *

Those who left at the end of summer did not come until autumn and the harvest festival. When people saw the Crown Princess’ absence, they were worried, saying, “The Empire is in ruin.” Bad news piled up, and even Emperor Lariette was staying down.

Kiehl's wounds, which Bella had torn open, did not heal no matter the amount of herbs that was applied to it.

“Young Master. Did the Miss say she was coming back?”

Jenkins asked Kiehl while preventing the nosebleed. Although he tried the walkie-talkie several times, Bella didn't take it with her so she couldn’t pick it up

“Did she have an accident and run away?”

Jenkins felt sorry for Kiehl, who continued to remain silent.

“Young Master, can I tell you about the past?”

“….”

“A very long time ago. There was a ten-year-old child living near the Fire Kingdom.”

Even though Kiehl didn't say he would listen, Jenkins carried on.

“The child was born into a family that was neither too poor nor too wealthy, and lived a normal life.”

Straightening himself up and sitting down, he started talking in earnest.

“But one day… the child’s father got sick and he was suffering.”

“So, did you give the child medicine?”

“The child delivered newspapers during the day to pay for his father’s medicine, and her mother nursed him.”

“The medicine was not enough.”

“Don’t cut me off in the middle, Young Master… but one day, it became strange.”

Jenkins looked at Kiehl and went to his bed and lay down gently, “When he always went to his father’s room, he would lie down like this, and his mother would hold him like this.”

“….”

“He didn’t notice it at first, but after a few days it started to smell rotten.”

Kiehl quietly raised his eyes and looked at Jenkins.

“His father has been dead for a long time, and his mother has been crazy ever since.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“What’s really unfortunate was the next one. The child thought it was strange, so he woke up his distraught mother. Because he has to hold his father's funeral. Can you guess what the child saw then?”

“Did his father come back to life?”

“That would have been nice. The child saw his mother eating his father.”

Kiehl frowned. The old story that Bella used to tell him was absurd, but it ended happily.

In the meanwhile, Jenkins looked at Kiehl like that and added calmly.

“That's demons, Young Master.”

“….”

“So, don’t be too heartbroken.”

The ten-year-old was Jenkins… and his mother was a demon.

Kiehl denied Jenkins’ words by grabbing his collar.

“Bella… won’t hurt me.”

Jenkins had been pondering. When Bella invaded the human world, which side would he be on? Half of him was a demon, but half of him was a human. It was nice to have a Demon King who acknowledged him. Though he also liked humans who struggled to live their short life and pursued their hopes.

“Miss is here to use the Young Master.”

“Use?”

“She wanted to invade the human world. Miss said so.”

Even if it hurt Kiehl, if he could accept this truth then at least he wouldn’t be nervous because he didn’t know when Bella would come back.

Jenkins wanted to tell him to just love in moderation

Still, Kiehl laughed bitterly at his words.

“I'd rather take that.”

If so, she wouldn’t push him away.

It rained that night.

The sound of the rain hitting the window was like a cat's footsteps. When Kiehl softly opened his eyes, he saw Bella’s face, that he had been dreaming of.

“…Bella?”

Bella smiled at him while she propped her arm on the bed. He thought she would be going somewhere else, so he stood up and reached out for her.

“Ah…”

But nothing was in his hand.

__

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