In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 31

Bellona had forgotten how to say she was in pain, even when she was.

No matter how her flesh was torn or her body shattered, she believed that tearing something else apart to scatter the pain was the best course of action. Some praised her for this, while others condemned her as relentless. The only person who pitied her for not taking care of her own body was Eshil.

Moreover, the people who knew that Bellona’s glamorous life was nothing but a facade were Impes and Empress Violentia. After all, they were the ones who had created that life for her, turning an ordinary knight who loved her sword into a beast devoid of emotion. Caelus could never have imagined just how miserable the real Bellona was, despite the praises she received under the title of “Goddess of the Sword.”

In his eyes, the woman standing before him was merely stubborn, frustrating, and obstinate.

Why was she being so foolish? He couldn’t understand.

“Hah…”

Caelus ran a hand over his dry face, looking at her with eyes full of guilt and unresolved emotions.

This wasn’t the face he had hoped to see. This wasn’t how he had planned to torment her. As time rewound, it seemed that his self-restraint had thinned just as much as his younger appearance. Seeing the woman in front of him, so different from the past, filled him with uncontrollable emotions that he couldn’t suppress.

In the past, she had seemed strong and flawless, but now, she appeared fragile at every moment, like a moth drawn to a flame, unaware that it was burning itself. Her stern, cold nature remained the same, but now, Bellona no longer looked strong or perfect. On the contrary, she seemed so vulnerable that he felt the need to keep her by his side, watching over her day and night, just to feel at ease.

He must have been losing his mind. To think that the “Goddess of the Sword” appeared vulnerable.

If her fallen enemies could hear him, they would rise from their graves and laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Suppressing a bitter laugh, he glared at her with resentment. Contrary to his expectations, her expression remained as indifferent as ever, as though last night had been nothing more than a dream he had experienced alone.

And yet, she had spoken so warmly with Impes.

She had always been his to begin with, but the moment he saw her with Impes, it felt as if his blood were boiling. This revolting emotion grew larger and darker with each passing moment. It felt as though he had caught his own wife enjoying an affair with another man.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before, and realizing it for the first time filled him with an unbearable sense of defeat.

That was why, despite knowing it was childish and petty, he had acted foolishly. At that moment, he had been consumed by one thought: Bellona Riknis now belonged to him. She was his woman, and he wanted to make sure Impes knew that clearly. He wanted to drill it into Impes’s head so that he wouldn’t dare dream of her.

The sight of Impes’s twisted expression had filled his chest with satisfaction. The sense of defeat had been replaced with triumph, a thrill even greater than that of annihilating an enemy on the battlefield.

In hindsight, it was shameful how he had lost control of his emotions, but he didn’t particularly regret it. Even if he could go back to that moment, he knew he would do the same thing again. After all, he was a fool, addicted to the dangerous poison called Bellona Riknis.

A bitter smile slipped from his lips, but even so, the possessiveness in his eyes only grew stronger. His true nature had revealed itself earlier than planned, but plans could always be changed. As long as she stayed by his side, he wouldn’t follow the same path as before.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll take my leave.”

“I told you not to speak without my permission.”

“…I apologize.”

“Follow me.”

As he turned without hesitation, taking her hand, he suddenly stopped. Something sticky and damp could be felt in their clasped hands. Turning back, Caelus lifted her hand. As soon as he saw her small hand, covered in blood and raw skin, his expression twisted in anger.

“What is this…?”

“It’s nothing. Really.”

“Hah!”

Her hand was not only covered in blood and pus, but it was also so swollen that her flesh was exposed. And yet she said it was nothing? If left untreated, she might eventually lose the ability to even hold a sword.

“Really, you…!”

Just then, a sharp voice cut through the air, interrupting his outburst.

“What could possibly cause the respectable prince to raise his voice so that it echoes throughout the palace?”

The sudden voice caused Bellona’s usually composed expression to turn cold in an instant. It was a voice she would never forget, a voice that squeezed her heart mercilessly.

Caelus’s expression turned just as icy, but he quickly composed himself and turned around slowly.

A woman, adorned in a luxurious dress and jewelry, approached gracefully with handmaidens and knights in tow. Bellona, who had been standing still, staring at the ground, quickly withdrew her hand from his and clenched her fists. Caelus glanced at her briefly before stepping in front of her to greet Violentia, shielding Bellona from her view.

“What brings the Empress here?”

“You make it sound as though I’ve come somewhere I’m not allowed.”

“How could that be? I simply meant that this palace is too humble to properly welcome Your Majesty.”

Violentia gave him a faint smile at his bold response but quickly glanced past him to Bellona standing behind. In response, Caelus stepped closer to the Empress, his intention to shield Bellona clear.

Violentia’s lips curved ever so slightly upward. It was the first time Caelus, who usually hid his emotions so well, had revealed them so openly. There must have been some truth to what Impes had said. Violentia was certain that the knight hiding behind Caelus was the reason for his unusual behavior.

“What is the reason for your visit?”

“Does a mother need a reason to visit her son?”

At Violentia’s deliberately provocative words, Caelus’s jaw clenched slightly. She smiled, knowing full well what the word “mother” meant to him, as she twisted the knife into his heart.

Caelus struggled to maintain his composure, returning her smile with one of his own, but he had no intention of being a passive victim.

“I didn’t realize I was Your Majesty’s son until today. If I had known earlier, I would have made sure to give my brother Impes a proper lesson in manners.”

“Prince, no matter how much of a brother he may be, Impes is now the Crown Prince. You should show him the proper respect.”

“Apologies. I haven’t quite gotten used to losing my title yet.”

“Losing your title? Such thoughts are poisonous, Prince. It wasn’t as though Impes stole it from you. You simply failed to protect it.”

“I see. I’ve learned a valuable lesson from Your Majesty’s wisdom. I’ll make sure to teach it to Impes one day.”

Caelus’s response, barely veiled as a declaration of war, caused Violentia’s once calm face to harden into a glare.

The tense atmosphere made Bellona, who had been standing quietly, clench her fists even tighter. She couldn’t understand why Caelus, who was usually so composed, was acting this way today.

It wasn’t wise to provoke the Empress, who would stop at nothing to eliminate those who threatened her power. Bellona worried that something terrible might happen before they even left for the Grand Duchy.

Could this have been why Violentia had been so desperate to kill him in the past as well?

“And who is that behind you, Prince?”

Violentia, having quickly regained her composure, directed her attention to Bellona, her voice laced with curiosity. Her reason for coming here was clear: she wanted to confirm the rumors and gauge Caelus’s true intentions.

At the Empress’s sudden inquiry, Caelus’s previously calm expression noticeably stiffened.

“She is my subordinate.”

“A knight with no manners, it seems. How dare she not show proper respect when the Empress is standing before her?”

“That’s—”

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.”

Bellona stepped forward, her movements sharp and disciplined as she knelt before Violentia. She spoke with a voice laced with praise.

“I was so overwhelmed by the honor of standing before the radiant and beautiful Empress that I forgot my place. Please, forgive my insolence.”

Violentia, known for her vanity and pride in her appearance, often softened when flattered in such a way. And, just as expected, her lips curved into a satisfied smile as she straightened her shoulders.

“Even without manners, you seem clever enough.”

“Your praise is too generous.”

“But the atmosphere between you two seems rather unusual. Could the rumors be true?”

“What do you mean?” Caelus asked coldly, his face hardening.

Violentia’s expression turned into a mocking grin as she tilted her head slightly. “Rumors are spreading throughout the palace that you, Prince, have taken a female knight into your arms. Are you aware of this?”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Then why did you take Impes’s knight as your own? Over a mere knight, no less. Is it any wonder such rumors are spreading?”

“Your Majesty, Sir Bellona—”

“Let her answer. Aren’t you a member of the Imperial Knights?”

Bellona bowed her head and responded calmly, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then why are you serving the Prince instead of the Crown Prince? Don’t you know that the master of the Imperial Knights is the Crown Prince?”

“I am aware, Your Majesty.”

“You know this, yet you chose to serve the Prince? Ah, I see, you must have seduced him. Were you trying to become the Prince’s mistress by using that insignificant body of yours?”

“……”

“So, the Prince has fallen victim to that woman’s schemes?”

Bellona stifled a bitter laugh at Violentia’s scheme to turn their relationship into an established fact.