In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 52

He even delayed his departure to find that flower. It was uncharacteristic of him.

Caelus was a man who always kept his word.

‘Could the ‘flower of the battlefield’ have been referring to Sir Bellona?’

But the meaning of those words was unclear to him.

What did she have to do with the battlefield, and what did he mean by pools of blood?

Considering the circumstances, the sudden mention of a wedding as soon as they arrived at the Grand Duchy seemed to have been about her.

Had they been involved even before this? When did they meet? When had they become close?

Come to think of it, it was around that time his lord had started acting strangely.

Suddenly waking up and asking for the year, or what his rank was.

He even attended the vice commander exam for the Imperial Knights, a place he no longer needed to be. If Caelus were still the Crown Prince, he naturally would have attended, but having stepped down, they were now knights of Impes.

It clearly wasn’t a place for him anymore.

Akon’s expression darkened as he recalled the incomprehensible actions of his lord.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy and full of questions he became. It felt as if an unknown whirlpool was waiting at his feet, ready to drag him in.

“Akon.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Take the Imperial knights as subordinates.”

“I intend to.”

“But keep an eye on them for a while.”

Understanding immediately what he meant, Akon bowed with a resolute expression.

“How are the preparations for the wedding coming along?”

“Well… we need more people. We can handle most of the preparations, but we need handmaidens to attend to… the Grand Duchess.”

Caelus turned slowly, Akon’s awkward tone making it clear how uncomfortable he was addressing her.

Seeing Akon’s transparent expression, Caelus made him comply with just one sentence.

“She is as precious to me as my own life.”

“……!”

“So don’t waste your time on needless thoughts or worries. As long as she is by my side, victory will be ours.”

Though it still seemed odd that his lord would make such bold declarations about Bellona, Akon, unwilling to trouble his sworn lord, bowed his head.

“From now on, the Knights of Valensis will lay down their lives to protect the Grand Duchess. You need not worry about a thing.”

“Very well, I trust you.”

Caelus nodded at his subordinate’s loyal vow, his eyes glinting.

Once the wedding was over, all the initial plans would be completed. Now, he could fully focus on claiming the throne.

He would first conquer the neighboring kingdoms one by one, gather strength, and ultimately swallow Fidentia whole.

Suddenly, he thought of the father he’d left behind.

The emperor must be regretting his poor choices now, seething at his inability to protect even his son’s position.

Seeing his son exiled, the once-dry man had even shed tears.

Swayed by the allure of a beautiful woman, he had made her the empress after the death of Empress Minelia. It was the beginning of this tragedy.

Caelus’s misfortunes had started from that point.

Though his father had torn his mother apart emotionally, Caelus could not abandon the emperor.

In his mind, vivid memories still remained of his parents’ love-filled days when he was a child.

‘Ha… stay strong. I will come for you soon.’

***

Bellona had arrived early at the training ground and sat on one of the knights’ resting chairs, staring blankly at the sky.

The world that had changed overnight flowed quietly, no different from her previous life.

The brilliant stars that filled the pitch-black night sky, and the faint clouds embracing the round moon, all moved swiftly and silently as always.

‘Then why do I feel like I’m the only one frozen in place?’

No matter how desperately she tried to move forward, she always ended up in the same spot. Whenever she thought she had found her way, she was back at the beginning, as if trapped in a maze without an exit.

And that wasn’t all.

For some unknown reason, fate had wound back time and sent her back to her past. And she was reliving the same time once more.

Because of this, she hadn’t improved at all compared to before.

In fact, her spirit and mind felt like they had regressed.

She was still foolish, unable to control even a single emotion, and found herself endlessly frustrated and pathetic.

What was so frightening about being called ‘Grand Duchess’? Was it really a title so terrifying that it made her run away from a duel?

She’d used that term countless times before, so why had hearing it now shaken her so stupidly?

“Ha… you’re screwed, Bellona.”

All day long, she had scratched and berated herself for running away at that moment, but her disappointment in herself only grew.

She couldn’t figure out how to rid herself of this unpleasant feeling. She thought about swinging her sword as usual, but that no longer helped.

Instead of pointlessly breaking training dummies, she figured it was better to just stay still.

“Hoo…”

“You’re going to blow the whole forest away.”

Startled by the voice that came from directly behind her, Bellona shot to her feet.

She’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even sensed him until he was right behind her.

If it hadn’t been Caelus, but rather an assassin infiltrating the castle, she would have been as good as dead.

“You’re here.”

“What’s troubling you that you sigh as if the world is ending?”

“It’s nothing.”

Caelus pursed his lips at her stubbornly evasive response. He knew that no matter how much he pressed, she wouldn’t tell him, so he didn’t ask further.

He sat down on the chair, while Bellona stood upright like a loyal subordinate, staring at nothing.

“I didn’t summon a subordinate. I asked my wife to come for a walk with me.”

“It’s not yet—”

“We’ve already spent our wedding night. Do you still want to deny it?”

Glaring at the man whose face instantly took on a mischievous expression, she let out another long sigh and sat down.

“Now that we’re married, you even look at me that way.”

“My apologies.”

Caelus chuckled at her stiff voice, devoid of sincerity.

Soon, his gaze turned to where she was staring, and he spoke languidly, “There are so many stars. If they all fell, this world might be destroyed.”

“Why here?”

His eyes shifted to her at the sudden question, then returned to their previous position with a small laugh.

“You tend to make me feel like an idiot quite often. How am I supposed to understand you when you ask questions like that with no context?”

“Why did you choose such a worthless place?”

“Ah, so you see this place as worthless.”

“Is there even a citizenry for this Grand Duchy? Are there people living here at all? The streets are piled high with trash, and the buildings look ready to collapse.”

Her tone was unusually agitated, and he turned his head slowly to look at her shadowed eyes.

After a moment, his languid voice stirred her irritation. “I don’t see why you’re angry. Isn’t there a different reason you’re here?”

Bellona, not understanding his cryptic question, offered another response with a frown. “This place is unworthy of you. What do you hope to achieve in a land falling apart like this?”

“Then where would be worthy of me?”

“Fidentia. You are the rightful ruler of that land.”

Her eyes, filled with unwavering conviction, spoke openly of rebellion.

“This must be why I keep falling for you.”

Bellona’s round eyes narrowed at his sudden, irrelevant comment.

“So, you’re saying you’re angry because of me, aren’t you? Because you pity me, you’re getting angry on my behalf.”

“Your Highness, I am—”

“If that’s not the case, then you’re just like anyone else.”

“……!”

“Of course, I believe it’s the former.”

His sharp eyes curved gently as he smiled.

Bellona didn’t like his attitude—so dismissive of her concerns, unaware of her true feelings.

Was he truly unaffected? Could he look at this small, desolate land and not feel a thing? Was that why he had come back here, just as he had in the past?

No. He must have chosen this place again because it was his destined path.

Seeing the fury still evident on her face, Caelus tilted his head slightly. “Now you look angry at me.”

At his still playful demeanor, Bellona sharply turned her head away. But her wrist, which he had carelessly grasped, was suddenly pulled, bringing them uncomfortably close.

“Of course, I didn’t like this place either. But now, I’m thrilled. I’m excited to see how this Grand Duchy will change as we build it together.”

The golden pupils that filled her vision seemed to shine brightly, as if he genuinely meant what he said.

Time seemed to move very slowly. No, it felt as if her time had stopped once again.

If it weren’t for the hot breath brushing her lips, she might have mistaken the world for being frozen.

Then, breaking the silence, his voice whispered softly, almost melting into her ears, “Did you ask why I chose this place?”

Her small ears perked up, finally about to hear the answer. But what he said next was something she hadn’t expected at all.

“Because it sounds like my name.”

As Bellona’s expression turned bewildered, his painted lips curved into a long smile. Then, his tilted face drew nearer.