In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 41

Suddenly, she remembered how a few days ago, she had burst out laughing when she saw Caelus. For some reason, at that moment, Marca’s face had overlapped with his, even though there was no resemblance at all. She couldn’t understand why Caelus reminded her of Marca, nor could she believe that such a trivial thing had made her laugh.

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought and gently caressed the soft cheek of the child.

With a smile as warm as a mother’s, she murmured softly, “Why is our little Marca so adorable? He’s cute when he pouts, and he’s even cuter when he smiles.”

But as she gazed at Marca, a shadow of worry quickly clouded her face.

Marca had been born with a weak heart. His condition was dangerous, especially because their mother had passed away during his birth, almost taking him with her. Back then, the imperial doctor had at least prescribed medicine to manage Marca’s condition, but now, there was no such help, and she was deeply concerned.

Still, she didn’t want to ask Caelus to ensure Marca’s well-being. Who knew when he might use that as leverage against her, threatening her and her siblings once again?

It would be best to find a skilled doctor as soon as they arrived.

“I’m not a mistress, but as the Grand Duchess, I should have enough money for that,” she muttered quietly.

After spending some time watching over her siblings and collecting her thoughts, she quietly left the room.

As she descended the stairs, she could hear the loud voice of a Valensis knight echoing through the inn.

“Hah! I still can’t forget that sight. It felt like the wind itself was gripping the sword! Every time she moved, the crows scattered!”

“Sir Uta! Please, enough already. You bring this up every time you drink.”

“Why are you so angry? Wouldn’t you be proud to be in the same order as such a remarkable knight? Though, to be fair, they did get beaten up pretty badly… by a female knight, no less.”

Sir Uta, a large man, laughed mockingly, drawing groans from those around him.

It was no surprise. Whenever they stopped in a town, Uta would always bring up this story as soon as he started drinking.

At first, he had seemed to be praising Bellona, but in truth, he simply enjoyed mocking the Imperial knights.

“To be honest, that day I thought the Goddess of the Sword herself had descended from the heavens. I’ve never seen swordsmanship like that in my life.”

“Well, if the Goddess wielded a sword, I suppose that’s what it would look like. But still, Devos, she’s just a female knight. It only looked more impressive because the others were weak.”

At Uta’s boastful words, one of the Imperial knights finally spoke up. “So, Sir Uta, are you saying you could defeat Sir Bellona?”

“Ha! Pfft! Now look here, Sir Yanvino. You see the size of me, right? My main weapon is a greatsword. How am I supposed to spar with someone as frail as Sir Bellona? I’d blow her away with just a breath.”

“So you’re saying you could beat her?”

It was as though the Imperial knight was deliberately trying to provoke him, stirring the fire.

“Well… if Sir Bellona asked me to, I might give it a try. But it wouldn’t feel right to bring it up myself. Speaking of which, wasn’t there talk about her becoming a grand duchess or something?”

As Uta subtly tried to change the subject, Bellona, who had been listening quietly, finally descended the stairs.

“Grand duchess, huh… Whose grand duchess would that be? The Grand Duke’s?” Uta rambled on, but another knight quickly slapped his arm, silencing him.

Finally noticing Bellona, the other knights straightened up immediately.

Realizing what had happened, Uta smiled widely and waved at her. “Oh! Our Goddess of the Sword has arrived! Come join us, Sir Bellona! We were just talking about you—ouch!”

Rondo, who had been quiet the whole time, smacked Uta on the back of the head. After casting a disapproving glance at his comrade, Rondo rose to his feet and bowed.

“My apologies, Sir Bellona. Uta is a little drunk today.”

Bellona glanced at the empty bottles strewn across the table with an indifferent expression as she approached. By now, it had become second nature for the Imperial knights to stiffen up at the mere sight of her expressionless face.

The difference in her demeanor was striking—she had been so warm and bright when she was with her siblings, but here, her coldness made the knights fearful.

“If we’re leaving early tomorrow, it might be wise to get some rest now.”

“We were just about to do that!”

The Imperial knights jumped to their feet, awkward smiles plastered on their faces, and hurried off to their rooms.

Uta, looking dissatisfied that the fun had been cut short, opened his mouth to speak. But Bellona cut him off before he could say a word.

“I’d like to challenge you to a duel, Sir Uta.”

“Sorry?”

“I’m eager to experience firsthand the renowned skill of the Valensis knights, so please, don’t refuse.”

“Ah, well… if you really want to.” Uta’s loud voice gradually quieted, his confidence faltering.

Bellona, with a faint smile, gave him a small nod of thanks. “Then I’ll arrange for a time once we arrive at the Grand Duchy.”

With that, she turned and walked away, her expression quickly fading.

She hadn’t issued the challenge to show off her skills, nor was she upset by Uta’s remarks. But she knew that unless she firmly established her authority, the Valensis knights wouldn’t easily accept her as the Grand Duchess, especially since she had once been just a common knight.

Even if they didn’t say it to her face, they would continue to talk behind her back.

It didn’t matter if they insulted her personally. But if she allowed this to continue, the knights might one day speak ill of Caelus as well.

Bellona believed firmly that there had to be a clear distinction between those who served and those who ruled.

And if she had to use force to ensure that the knights didn’t take her lightly, so be it.

That way, Caelus’s honor would remain intact.

Stepping outside the inn, Bellona gazed up at the sky, a bitter expression on her face.

She was already consumed with thoughts of revenge, and now she had to deal with all these unnecessary distractions as well.

“Hah…”

She sighed deeply and closed her tired eyes. Just then, a large shadow fell over her.

Sensing the presence, she quickly moved to draw her sword. But before she could react, a strong arm grabbed her and spun her around, pulling her into a tight embrace from behind.

Caught off guard, Bellona froze. Then, a familiar voice, soft and lazy, whispered in her ear.

“It seems we’ll never have a tender reunion. Every time, I have to twist your arm and overpower you just to get a hug.”

“Your Highness…?”

As she tried to turn and face him, he tightened his grip around her.

“Stay still. I’m not exactly in the best condition right now.”

“What happened?”

It was only then that she realized how weary his voice sounded. There was a slight rasp to it, a clear sign of exhaustion.

“A lot. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in days.”

“Sorry?”

“Hah…”

His warm breath brushed against the back of her neck, making her bite her lip. His cheek pressed against her shoulder, and she felt the weight of his body leaning heavily on her. But she allowed him to rest against her without protest, gently accepting his weariness.

After a while, his drowsy voice tickled her skin.

“At least it was worth it. Smelling you woke up my broken heart…”

His words trailed off, his breathing growing slower and steadier. He was on the verge of falling asleep.

Bellona, her brow furrowed, tried to pry his hands off her waist.

“Your Highness, you should go inside—”

“I was planning to get my revenge for what happened the other day, but I don’t even have the energy for that.”

Revenge?

Bellona hesitated for a moment, then tried again to remove his hands, but before she could, Caelus grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest.

She was enveloped in his broad arms, and despite the absurdity of the situation, Bellona couldn’t help but laugh quietly to herself.

His voice sounded utterly exhausted, as if he might collapse at any moment, yet his strength was as firm as ever.

Of course, if she had truly wanted to escape, she could have easily pushed him away. But for some reason, she didn’t feel the need to resist.

The warmth of his body, the comfort of his embrace—it didn’t feel unpleasant.

In fact, just being near him seemed to soothe the tension she had carried with her all the way here.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“……”

“I knew it. That’s why I didn’t sleep and rushed here like a madman—because I thought you might be waiting for me.”

She almost laughed at his shameless words.

Breaking the brief silence, Caelus asked in his lazy voice, “Are they all asleep?”

“Judging by the silence, it seems they’ve gone to bed.”

“Then we should go to sleep too.”

“I’ll find us a room. Just a moment—”

“Where’s your room?”

“On the second floor. My siblings are sleeping there.”

Caelus chuckled, clearly aware of what she had been hinting at by offering that extra bit of information.

He loosened his grip and tilted his head, gazing into her eyes with a look that was impossible to read.

The longer they locked eyes in silence, the tighter his hand gripped her shoulder.

“It’s been days, but the way you look at me hasn’t changed.”

“And how am I looking at you?”

“With eyes that show no emotion.”

“So, does that upset you?”

Her teasing words made the weariness in his golden eyes fade, replaced by a sharp intensity.