In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 67

Three days later, Bellona, ready to leave for the imperial palace, gazed at the quiet mansion with worried eyes.

Not wanting to find herself unable to leave, she had said her goodbyes the night before and quietly slipped out while her siblings slept.

“Your Grace, don’t worry. I will keep everything safe,” said Eshil reassuringly, to which Bellona responded with a faint smile.

Even then, her face still filled with worry, Rondo stepped in this time.

“Most of the senior knights remain here, so there’s no need to be overly concerned. Not even an ant will make it into the Grand Duke’s residence. Just take care of His Grace.”

“Thank you, Sir Rondo. Please take good care of my siblings.”

“Hey, I’ll protect you, Your Grace, so there’s no need to worry!” shouted Uta, who was assigned to Bellona’s escort, with an exaggerated grin.

Net, who was also assigned to her escort, shook his head at the newly-revived Uta’s attitude.

Since his duel with Bellona, Uta had been downcast for several days, like a person who had lost his spirit. But now, having been personally appointed as her escort, he had regained his vigor.

Rondo, still worried, brought up the matter again. “Your Grace, as Sir Akon suggested, why not bring the rest of the knights along? With nobles accompanying us, there’s a risk of encountering assassins.”

“This number will suffice. We’re already leaving a day late, and a larger group would only cause further delays.”

It was an excuse.

Knowing this, Rondo had no choice but to stop trying to persuade her.

Bellona was not one to easily overturn a decision once made.

More than that, Rondo knew why she insisted on traveling with a small group, despite Caelus’s care for her.

Bellona’s concerns for her siblings bordered on obsessive, and he knew she wouldn’t listen to any reasoning regarding their safety.

Having dealt with Caelus’s stubbornness for years, Rondo accepted Bellona’s unyielding determination.

“Please, return safely.”

Responding to his heartfelt gaze with a faint smile, Bellona then turned her cold gaze to the nobles and knights who were ready to leave.

“From now on, we will ride at full speed without rest.”

Lightly mounting her horse, she gripped the reins, feeling the comfort of wearing armor after a long time.

She briefly touched the sword she had received during the knights’ oath of loyalty at her wedding, signaling Eshil and the waiting knights with her eyes that she would return.

With a loud cry, Bellona’s horse began to gallop powerfully.

Nobles and knights followed behind her.

Watching her red hair fluttering in the wind, Rondo muttered unconsciously, “The goddess of the sword… It’s truly a fitting title.”

Standing beside him, Eshil’s face filled with pride.

***

After reaching the imperial palace in seven days, a journey that usually took ten, Bellona looked emotionless as she gazed at the gates of the Fidentia imperial palace.

The palace looked the same as before, unwavering in its appearance. But her feelings were completely different from when she had first stood before these gates in her past life.

The foolish loyalty of a naive knight had long since been replaced by nothing but revenge.

Trying hard to calm her once again tumultuous emotions, a man’s threatening request echoed in her mind.

“If you dare use yourself as bait again, you will never see me become emperor. So if you’re going to cause trouble, do it by my side. I can accept that much.”

A bitter smile escaped her.

‘If you knew what I was planning, you wouldn’t have said that.”

The image of the man growling while holding her throughout the night flashed before her eyes. Though his concern was touching, it weighed heavily on her heart.

Despite becoming his woman, Caelus treated her as someone precious, not a subordinate or a disposable pawn, as if he were trying to honor his promises from a past he could no longer remember.

Seeing his unwavering attitude filled her with growing guilt.

And yet, in his warm embrace, she no longer hated the unfamiliar version of herself that wasn’t a knight, but just a woman.

No… it was unfortunate, but she liked it. She missed him so much at that moment.

Her fingers holding the reins trembled.

Realizing her feelings, ones she had sealed tightly, Bellona frowned deeply.

In the end, her foolish heart had dared to embrace him, knowing full well what harsh punishment awaited her.

Embarrassed, she tried to control her emotions, but once realized, her feelings became an unstoppable torrent.

Suddenly, her heart began to pound violently, as if it might burst from her chest.

“Haa…”

Trying to expel her uncontrollable emotions, she threw her head back and took a deep breath.

Even the drifting clouds in the clear sky seemed to resemble him. Once realized, her feelings consumed her mind and spirit entirely.

‘In this life, my heart will be torn to pieces by your hands, Your Grace. But it’s fine. Whatever punishment you give me, I will accept it willingly.’

Bellona decided not to deny her emotions. She wouldn’t try to erase them, either.

If her feelings grew, so be it. If they hurt, she’d endure it, accepting the consequences for her past and future sins against him.

Only then could she see her revenge through to the end.

A bitter smile crossed her face at the thought of her selfish self until the very end.

“Your Grace, are you alright?”

While Bellona was lost in thought, Net approached her with a worried expression.

Quickly concealing her emotions, she turned to look behind her.

The knights who had ridden two nights without rest all looked weary.

Even knights used to rigorous training were exhausted from the forced march, and the young nobles brought along looked so pale they seemed on the brink of death.

Realizing she had delayed too long, Bellona started to move, but Net stepped forward and bowed.

“Your Grace, allow me to do it.”

Bellona, pleased with how much Net had grown as a knight during their time in the Grand Duchy, nodded.

He was now dignified enough to be considered a proper knight. Perhaps it was time to officially bestow a knighthood upon him.

The man who had proved her choice right made her proud.

“This is Her Grace, the Grand Duchess of the Grand Duchy of Camirus. Show proper respect and open the gate!”

Despite Net’s loud command, the gatekeepers remained unmoved. An odd silence lingered, until a rough voice suddenly rang out from behind.

“Are your ears blocked, you bastards? How dare you not open the gate for Her Grace, the Grand Duchess!”

Before Uta’s booming voice had even faded, the tightly closed gates finally began to open.

As the gates opened, Uta’s wide grin quickly turned cold.

With his silver hair flowing, Impes walked gracefully out, the atmosphere in front of the gate growing even more chilling.

Impes, smiling brightly, was like a gentleman bowing extravagantly to his dance partner.

“Welcome, Grand Duchess. You must be tired from your long journey.”

With an elegant gesture, he straightened up and confidently approached, extending his hand to her, who was still on her horse.

“I’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment. I’ve prepared a banquet for you, so I hope you won’t refuse.”

Bellona looked down at his hand briefly, then replaced it with a short bow instead.

“I will accept your hospitality later. First, I must meet with His Majesty and pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress.”

Seeing his own hand, Impes looked slightly embarrassed before quickly withdrawing.

“Then I shall wait for you. Ah, when you come, I’d prefer if you were dressed as the elegant Grand Duchess, rather than in this blood-stained armor.”

Suddenly drawing closer, Impes whispered softly, “Whenever I see you in a knight’s attire, I find it hard to resist crossing the line.”

Seeing that the man had remained unchanged, Bellona found herself strangely relieved.

***

Entering the imperial prince’s palace, Bellona clicked her tongue at the sight of the building, which had turned into a ruin.

After Caelus left, it seemed there had been no maintenance at all. Cobwebs were built all over the place, with thick layers of dust beneath them.

She had turned down Impes’s offer to prepare a place for her until the hunting event ended and had come here instead.

But seeing the state of the place, it was simply too much.

“Ha! These bastards! They knew the Grand Duke was coming, yet they left it in this condition!”

After Uta’s loud curses, a heavy silence followed. The atmosphere, already bleak, turned even more hostile with his heaving breaths of anger.

The young nobles, worn out, looked as displeased as the knights, but none dared voice their complaints.

After all, they had witnessed firsthand how ruthless the Grand Duchess could be during their journey here.

“Your Grace, it seems impossible to stay here tonight. It would be better to move to the palace that the crown prince prepared.”

“Just bring me a damp cloth.”

Coldly cutting off Net’s suggestion, Bellona looked around with narrowed eyes. She had no intention of playing along with Impes’s games.