In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 37

Ether hurried into the Crown Prince’s palace, freezing the moment he opened the door to the office. His body stiffened upon seeing an unexpected figure, rendering his mind and tongue equally paralyzed.

“I-I greet Y-Your Majesty, the E-Empress.”

His voice trembled as he belatedly bowed, lowering his head. The Empress Violentia’s crimson eyes glanced at him with a look of disdain. Setting her teacup down, she turned her cold gaze toward Impes, who was already brimming with displeasure.

“If you disappoint me one more time, even being the Crown Prince won’t save you,” she said icily.

“Yes, Mother.”

“You will take a wife soon, so conduct yourself accordingly until then.”

“…Yes, Mother.”

Rising from her seat with an elegant gait, Violentia made her way toward the door. On her way out, she glanced briefly at Ether, who was sweating profusely, and clicked her tongue in disapproval.

“My handmaidens have more courage than you.”

Clicking her tongue again, she threw a disdainful look at her son before exiting the office. Once the door closed, Impes stared at his now-cold tea, his hand trembling as he raised the cup. He looked like he might throw it at any moment, but instead, he slammed it down on the table, shaking with frustration.

Ether, sensing the dangerous atmosphere, slowly stood and cautiously approached the Crown Prince.

“Y-Your Highness…”

“Where is Bellona?”

“Well, that is…”

Ether nervously wiped away the sweat streaming down his face, biting the inside of his cheek. He hesitated, knowing that if he told Impes that Bellona had left the palace, the prince’s wrath would undoubtedly fall on him.

Just as he was struggling with what to say, Impes’s voice exploded in a thunderous roar. “Where is Bellona?!”

“Y-Your Highness, th-that woman… she has left the palace.”

“What?”

“It seems that Caelus has already taken her away.”

The bloodshot red eyes of Impes gleamed dangerously. She’s already gone to the grand duchy?

“And Caelus?”

“He’s still in the palace, but judging by the knights’ movements, he’ll be leaving soon as well.”

Impes’s narrowed gaze followed Ether’s report.

“They went separately.”

The fingers tapping the table betrayed his anxiety. Noticing the Crown Prince’s nervousness, Ether leaned in and whispered, “That woman betrayed Your Highness. If you command it, I’ll go and kill her.”

The fingers tapping the table abruptly stopped. Impes slowly raised his eyes, a twisted smile forming on his lips.

“Can you win?”

“Y-Your Highness! I’ve been a knight longer than that woman—”

“And that’s why you ended up beaten to a pulp, wasn’t it? You couldn’t even land a blow on a woman half your size, and you stood there like a dog while she thrashed you.”

“T-that’s only because she attacked first—”

“I see I’ve been keeping useless vermin in my palace, feeding them for no reason.”

Even as Ether prostrated himself, his head bowed low, anger blazed in his eyes.

‘This is all because of that wretched Bellona. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be suffering this humiliation!’

His clenched fists shook with fury as veins bulged across them.

Impes, just as consumed by rage, closed his eyes tightly. The harsh words his mother had hurled at him still echoed in his ears, fueling his anger.

The more he thought about it, the more his fury grew. He wanted nothing more than to capture both Bellona and Caelus and execute them on the spot. Yet, what drove him to madness were the relentless memories of that day.

He couldn’t shake the sensation of her soft skin fitting perfectly in his hands, her body burning hot enough to melt him, and the way she had ridden atop him, swaying her hips seductively as she lured him in. Each time her red hair fanned out, her beauty was so striking that even through his hazy vision, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Just thinking about it caused a heavy ache to build in his loins. He wanted to capture her, tie her to his bed, and ravish her night and day. How dare she, after ensnaring him like that, follow after that worthless man?

What a foolish woman. What kind of luxury and glory did she think awaited her as the cast-off mistress of a disgraced prince?

Oh, right. She said she’s going to be a grand duchess, didn’t she?

A mere knight, becoming a grand duchess. Ha!

A laugh escaped him. How naive she was to fall for such sweet words.

Grinding his teeth, he suddenly remembered something Bellona had said.

“It was an honor to serve you, Your Highness. I’ll never forget it.”

An honor. She’ll never forget it.

The image of her sorrowful smile as she turned to leave flashed vividly before his eyes. Impes sprang to his feet, shouting orders at Ether, who was still kneeling.

“Go get her.”

“Yes?”

“Go and bring Bellona back right now!”

“Y-Your Highness, do you mean… without killing her?”

Impes smirked as he looked down at Ether’s crumpled face. “That night was far too enjoyable to end her life just yet. Capture her alive. I’ll make sure she understands how wrong her choices were.”

I’ll cherish her like no other, make her feel like the luckiest woman alive. And while she falls for me, I’ll use her, break her until her body is in tatters.

“You’ll pay the price for betraying me, Bellona.”

Ether, seeing Impes’s twisted grin, clenched his teeth in anger as he bowed his head. “I’ll bring her back.”

“This is your last chance. If you fail me again…”

Impes’s icy warning made Ether stand up straight.

“Useless vermin will only become food for the dogs.”

“Do not worry, Your Highness. I will bring her back and tie her to your bed.”

Only then did a satisfied smile spread across Impes’s face.

***

Standing in front of the carriage, Bellona clasped her hands tightly, her face showing rare signs of tension. The thought of seeing her siblings again made her heart race. To them, it may have only been a few days, but to Bellona, it felt like a lifetime since they had last met.

As she anxiously waited, a familiar, bright voice called out from somewhere nearby.

“Sis, hurry up!”

“Marca! I told you not to run! What if you get hurt again?”

A burst of noise followed, and soon, a little figure with fluffy red hair appeared before her.

“Sis!”

Marca, with his short legs, ran over and threw himself into her arms, hugging her waist tightly. For a moment, Bellona’s heart ached. The memory of a horrific scene flashed vividly in her mind, and it felt like all the blood had drained from her body.

She could still see the pale face and limp arms hanging off a stretcher, an image etched clearly in her memory. Despite being the greatest swordmaster in the empire, she had been unable to protect this small child. The guilt tore her heart to pieces.

“Sis, why did you take so long to come? I missed you so much.”

“Hm!”

Unable to hold it in any longer, Bellona’s tears began to flow. She bit her lip hard enough to numb her chin, but the dam of emotions had already broken, and the tears spilled freely.

“Sis? Are you crying? Why are you crying?”

Marca, who barely reached her waist, tilted his head up and stamped his feet in concern. Seeing his sister cry upset him, and his eyes began to glisten with tears as well.

“Sis, why are you crying? Arina, come quickly!”

“Don’t run! Wait, what? Sis, why are you crying?”

At the sight of Arina coming down from the carriage, Bellona finally broke down. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. Marca, who had fallen with her, clung to her neck and began crying loudly as well.

Caught off guard by the sudden flood of tears, the knights standing nearby exchanged confused glances.

“Sis, what’s wrong? Did something happen at the palace?”

Concern mixed with the hint of anger in Arina’s voice. Her green eyes turned cold as she shot a sharp glance at the knights standing awkwardly nearby. Sensing the unspoken blame, the knights cleared their throats and shifted their gazes uncomfortably.

“Sir Bellona, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Bellona cry for the first time, Eshil was also at a loss for what to do. After a moment, Bellona managed to regain some composure and wrapped her arms around Marca’s small body as he continued to cling to her neck, sobbing.

“My baby, you’ve gotten smaller.”

“Sniff… I’m not baby!”

“Right, you’re a man now. You’ve grown into a fine young gentleman.”

Marca’s warm body pressed against her, and finally, the hard knot in Bellona’s heart began to soften. As she gently ruffled Marca’s fluffy hair, she glanced up and saw Arina looking at her with worried eyes. Tears welled up again.

“Are you alright, sister?”

“Yes, I’m alright. I just missed you both so much.”

She couldn’t forget the image of Arina that day—clutching Marca tightly, tears streaming down her face as Impes used the children as shields. Back then, they had looked so small and helpless. Now, seeing them even younger, it felt surreal and heartbreaking at the same time.

How scared they must have been.

“Sir Bellona, we must depart now. We need to reach the next town before nightfall.”

Forcing herself to pull it together, Bellona gently lifted Marca and stood up.

“Sis, put me down. There are people watching…”

Marca’s embarrassment at being held in public made Bellona smile. Without thinking, she kissed his flushed cheek.

“Sis…”

Embarrassed to be treated like a baby, Marca’s face crumpled, and Bellona chuckled softly before finally putting him down and giving the knights an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry. Let’s go.”

“Sir Bellona, please ride with your siblings in the carriage. His Highness has given the order.”

“Yes.”

Bellona gladly accepted, relieved to be able to stay with her siblings.

“Eshil, join us in the carriage. Net, ride on horseback.”

“Yes.”

With everyone in their places, Bellona, her two siblings, and Eshil climbed into the carriage. Being surrounded by the people she loved the most made her smile without even realizing it.

Can I really be this happy?