In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 40

Impes stormed into Ether’s quarters, gritting his teeth at the sight of his subordinate, who looked as though he was on the verge of death.

The man who had left boasting that he’d tie Bellona to his bed had returned as a half-dead corpse in just half a day. And to make matters worse, the knights who had gone with him hadn’t even come back.

Impes, his rage boiling over, barked furiously, “What happened?!”

Legnan, who had returned with Ether, prostrated himself on the floor, trembling as he spoke, “We… we managed to take a shortcut and catch up to the carriage, but…”

His voice trembled so violently that he couldn’t finish. He couldn’t bring himself to admit that a single female knight had single-handedly wiped them all out.

Suddenly, a cold blade pressed against his throat. When he glanced sideways, he saw the sharp edge of the sword, glinting as though it could cut through his neck at any moment.

A pitiful whimper escaped Legnan’s lips, his entire body trembling in fear. Slowly, he lifted his gaze. Impes’s bloodshot eyes gleamed with amusement as a deranged smile tugged at his lips. There was madness in his gaze, and even the hint of murder.

Legnan couldn’t believe the terrifying face he was seeing—this was the same calm and dignified crown prince he had once followed faithfully. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined Impes would have such a monstrous side.

Terrified beyond words, Legnan pressed his forehead against the floor, shaking uncontrollably.

“If you stop talking, your life will end just as abruptly,” Impes growled.

“Y-Your Highness! W-we followed the carriage and caught up, but… ugh!”

The sharp point of the sword dug into his neck, and he felt hot liquid trickling down as drops of blood splattered onto the floor.

Then, in the silence, came a chilling sound—Impes laughing maniacally. It was the laughter of someone who had truly lost their mind.

Legnan, consumed by fear, could only regret his decision. If he had known it would come to this, he would have followed Bellona instead.

He had chosen to remain loyal to Ether, thinking he was protecting some worthless sense of honor, and now his life was in danger because of it.

Suddenly, the sword pressing into his throat was lifted and stabbed into the floor. As Legnan cautiously raised his head, he saw Impes squatting in front of him, his bloodshot eyes bulging.

“What happened after you caught up?” Impes screamed, the force of his shout nearly deafening.

Legnan, paralyzed by fear, stared blankly at the crown prince. Unable to resist the overwhelming terror of his impending death, he blurted out the truth, “We… we were all taken down by Sir Bellona. A-and the other knights… they… they all… they all followed her! Ugh!”

Legnan’s eyes widened, then his head dropped to the floor as his neck was pierced by Impes’s sword. A fountain of blood gushed out, and his lifeless body crumpled where it lay.

“Ha, ha… they followed her?”

Impes stood up, still looking at the blood-stained sword in his hand as if it were the most amusing thing in the world. Laughter spilled from his lips once more.

With a long, tired sigh, he wiped the blood from his face with his hands, as if trying to clean away the mess.

“Bellona… so you’ve finally managed to screw me over this badly.”

He began to laugh again, but this time, his face twisted in fury. He screamed Bellona’s name at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with rage.

“Bellona Riknis!”

Then, as if he’d gone completely mad, Impes raised his sword and stormed out of Ether’s room, panting heavily. The knights outside the room gasped when they saw him covered in blood.

“Your Highness!”

“Where is Caelus?”

“Pardon?”

“I said, where is Caelus?!”

Impes swung his sword wildly, as though he would cut down anyone who got in his way. The frightened knights backed away, unsure how to stop him.

But before anyone could intervene, a sharp voice cut through the chaos, freezing Impes in his tracks.

“Crown Prince!”

Impes slowly turned around to see Violentia approaching with an angry expression. His bloodshot eyes trembled as he looked at her.

“Everyone, leave us!” she ordered.

The Imperial knights scattered immediately, each returning to their posts. As Violentia drew closer, Impes, still panting heavily, muttered under his breath, “I have to meet with Caelus.”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Mother, please. I need to see Caelus right now. Forgive my rudeness—”

Smack!

The force of the slap snapped Impes’s head to the side. His pale face quickly reddened with the imprint of her hand.

“Have you lost your mind? Do you not realize that nobles are currently in the palace?”

“Mother!”

“Were you planning to kill him in front of the nobles who’ve come to bid him farewell? And in this state, no less?”

“Ah… if I don’t kill Caelus now, he might kill me in the end! Do you not care, Mother? Or should I say, Your Majesty the Empress?”

Seeing her son once again throwing a tantrum, Violentia’s expression turned cold. “Weak fool. I thought you had finally come to your senses, but it seems I was wrong. Clearly, your education was lacking.”

At the word “education,” Impes’s face darkened noticeably.

Clicking her tongue in disgust, Violentia turned away and gave an order to the captain of the knights, “Lock the Crown Prince in the palace. Guard him carefully until I return.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Impes stared blankly after his mother’s retreating figure before a twisted smile crept across his face.

“If Bellona had been as ambitious as Mother, she wouldn’t have made such a foolish choice. I’ll make sure to bring her here, no matter what it takes. I’ll ‘educate’ her the way Mother taught me. Then she’ll become as obedient as I am.”

The anger and obsession Impes felt toward Bellona grew even stronger.

***

The journey had been longer than expected, and everyone was visibly exhausted. After days of traveling, resting, and then moving again, it was no wonder that fatigue had set in.

While the knights and Bellona were able to endure it, Eshil and her siblings had grown quieter with each passing day.

Late at night, the carriage finally arrived in a quiet city and stopped at a storage area. They had been delayed due to an encounter with bandits along the way, which meant they didn’t reach the Kingdom of Michelan until late at night.

Bellona, cradling the sleeping Marca in her arms, gently woke the two girls who had fallen asleep with their heads resting against each other.

“We’re here. Time to wake up.”

Arina, blinking drowsily, yawned and looked around the unfamiliar surroundings outside the window.

“Where are we?”

“We’re in the Kingdom of Michelan. Once the knights arrive, we’ll head to the lodging.”

“Ugh… why does it have to be so far?”

“I know…” Eshil, who agreed with Arina’s complaint, rubbed her stiff shoulders as she peered out the window.

A moment later, Net’s voice came from outside the carriage. “Sir Bellona, you may disembark.”

“Alright.”

Bellona gave Net a grateful nod as he opened the carriage door, then stepped out, still holding Marca in her arms.

Following Net toward their lodging, Bellona noticed a sign in the middle of the square that read, “The Kingdom of Michelan, Blessed by the Goddess of Abundance.”

Seeing the sign made her think of one particular man.

“If you feel lonely on the way, you can stop and wait in the Kingdom of Michelan.”

His face, with that embarrassed smile, appeared in her mind like a painting.

Where might you be now?

At the earliest, Caelus would have departed two or three days after them. Since they were traveling with a large group of knights, they could have been camping in the woods by now.

But since they were riding horses, they would have made better time than those in a carriage. Even so, the gap was still likely three or four days, so waiting for him here wouldn’t be efficient.

Not that she had planned on waiting for him anyway. Besides, it wasn’t wise to linger in a foreign place with such a large group. Outsiders were always viewed with suspicion.

They entered a large inn, where Rondo, who had been waiting for them, approached. “Sir Bellona, what would you like to do about dinner?”

Bellona glanced back at Arina and Eshil, who were sluggishly following her, their fatigue clear on their faces. Judging by their state, they seemed more interested in sleep than food.

“You go ahead and eat. I’ll take care of my siblings and come down later.”

“Understood.”

Looking over, Bellona noticed that the Imperial and Valensis knights—who had grown quite close during the journey—were slumped over the tables, thoroughly exhausted. It made sense; after riding all day, their entire bodies must have been aching.

Turning away, Bellona led Eshil and Arina upstairs.

The inn was old and a little worn down, but the room they were given was spacious, with two large beds. Eshil and Arina, now used to traveling, naturally climbed into one of the beds together.

“Sister, I’m going to sleep now…”

“Sir Bellona, is there anything I can help with…?”

Eshil’s eyelids drooped as she spoke, clearly on the verge of falling asleep. Despite being older than Arina by three years, her small stature made the two of them look like sisters. Watching them together, Bellona couldn’t help but feel as if she had gained another sibling.

Perhaps she had already thought of Eshil as a sister but had been too strict and distant with her because of her own rigid nature. Now, she felt a pang of regret for not being warmer toward her in the past.

“There’s nothing you need to help with. Just get some sleep.”

But both girls were already fast asleep.

Bellona chuckled softly, then laid Marca on the bed and carefully tucked him in. As she watched him sleep, her thoughts returned once more to Caelus.