In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 95

Being held in the arms of a large man like this almost made her feel like a delicate lady.

Since the first night, this was the first time she had been carried in such a manner, and it felt unbearably uncomfortable and awkward.

She wanted to ask him to put her down immediately, but Caelus’ mood was so ominous that Bellona simply frowned and watched his expression carefully.

With a hardened face and lips pressed tightly together, he remained silent, making it impossible for her to say anything.

No matter what she said, to him, it would only sound like an excuse.

She had hurried early in the morning to avoid this situation…

Regardless, she had gone to check on Impes, but now, seeing Caelus’ cold expression, she felt uneasy.

As if she had hurt him again.

“Stop stiffening up and lean on me. Your face looks like you could stop breathing any moment.”

Despite his cold tone, there was concern in his voice.

Even now, he worried about her, which only made her feel more guilty and uncomfortable.

Feeling embarrassed, she rubbed her cheek lightly.

“I-I’m fine now. You can put me dow—”

“If you don’t want to see the limits of my patience, shut your mouth and stay still.”

His golden eyes gleamed fiercely as he shot her a sharp glare before looking straight ahead again.

He seemed even angrier than she had anticipated, and Bellona started growing nervous.

What if he asked why she had gone to see Impes?

In the past, she would have deflected or drawn a harsh line between them, but she couldn’t do that now.

No, she didn’t want to.

She had no desire to hurt him further when he was already troubled over the emperor’s condition.

Her anxious green eyes sparkled as she thought of an excuse.

She knew using this method was underhanded, but she had no choice. This was the best option for both him and herself.

Suddenly, she rested her head against his shoulder and let out a deep sigh, as if exhausted. Her warm breath tickled his neck, making his sharp jawline twitch slightly.

Not missing the opportunity, Bellona wrapped her arms around his tense shoulders and let out a weak murmur.

“I don’t know why I’m so tired. I must have overexerted myself these past few days.”

It wasn’t even a lie.

Endlessly indulging in his desires had indeed taken a toll on her.

As expected, Caelus’ brows furrowed, and his pace quickened. She felt a little guilty for using his concern against him, but at least she was relieved.

With him looking so worried, he likely wouldn’t press her for answers right away.

Just as she was feeling reassured, Caelus suddenly gave an order to Net, who was following behind them.

“Bring the imperial physician!”

“Your Grace? No, wait. I just need a little rest—there’s no need to call the imperial physician—”

“They’re paid well for this kind of work. It’s best to use them properly when needed.”

His sharp tone made it clear he was still displeased, even as he swiftly climbed the stairs and carried her into the room, placing her carefully onto the bed.

Then, pressing his hand against her forehead, he compared their temperatures.

“You have a slight fever.”

Forgetting his earlier anger, Caelus propped a pillow behind her back and meticulously tucked the blanket around her.

Bellona curled her toes, feeling oddly like a child as she averted her gaze.

“Did you eat?”

“……”

“Skipping meals even when you’re unwell—whatever you were doing must have been very important.”

His sarcastic tone made her shut her eyes tightly.

Caught off guard by the sudden jab, Bellona wracked her already throbbing head for an excuse.

Should she say she had been out for a walk?

Or that she had just returned from her quarters?

Just as she was about to come up with an excuse, a sigh of resignation escaped her lips.

He had clearly seen her returning from the Crown Prince’s palace. There was no way he would believe her.

Rather than make things worse with a pointless lie, it was better to tell the truth—at least, a filtered version of it.

Bellona looked straight at Caelus. At her usual indifferent expression, his face hardened as well.

“I visited His Highness the Crown Prince—no, Impes.”

“I already know that.”

“Of course, I didn’t go because I was worried about him.”

“That, I also know.”

Staring at the man who kept cutting her off, she quickly organized the information she could reveal to him and then spoke, “Impes’ condition appeared serious.”

“What about it.”

“It seemed as though he was being abused by the Empress.”

The man, who had been responding with a hardened face, suddenly scoffed. “Impes isn’t some snot-nosed child—abuse? Do you really think that reckless fool would just sit back and take it if the Empress tried to abuse him?”

“…Yes, he was taking it. The Empress poisoned him.”

“What?”

Seeing her eyes grow even colder, Caelus’ expression also darkened.

“How do you know that?”

“I heard it from Mona.”

“Mona? That maid?”

“Yes, I assigned her to watch over Impes and the Empress.”

Caelus’ brows furrowed even further at the unexpected revelation.

“You had someone who betrayed you monitor the enemy’s movements? Hah, how exactly should I interpret this?”

“Mona is currently consumed by revenge.”

Bellona laid out everything that had happened between her and Mona without embellishment.

Her past relationship with Ether, the suffering she endured under him, her feelings for Impes, and her ambitions.

It was unrelated to the past, so she also explained how she intended to use Mona going forward.

The only thing she omitted was the fact that Mona was impersonating her to tame Impes.

Even as he silently listened, Caelus’ expression remained stiff.

“Don’t worry. As long as Mona’s ambition remains intact, she won’t betray me.”

He let out a short sigh, as if organizing his thoughts, before looking at her again.

“So, how exactly is the Empress abusing Impes?”

“It’s a form of education.”

“Education?”

“She’s using his fears against him.”

His expression twisted menacingly.

“As you know, belladonna is a poisonous herb that induces hallucinations and allows control over the victim’s mind. The Empress must have fed it to Impes, embedding his worst fears in his mind as though they were real. That way, she can completely break him, ensuring he never dares to rebel.”

Caelus clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes. “You know an awful lot about this. Almost as if you’ve experienced it yourself.”

At his meaningful gaze, Bellona quickly masked her reaction and made an excuse. “I merely deduced it from Mona’s report and what I observed of Impes myself. …As for belladonna, I learned about it in the knight order—”

“Enough. I wasn’t trying to interrogate you.”

Somehow, his mood seemed even worse than before. Bellona quickly replayed her previous words in her head, wondering if she had made a mistake.

Suddenly, Caelus shot to his feet. His eyes, burning with fury, made Bellona’s expression stiffen as well.

“Your Grace?”

“Belladonna. If she fed that poison to my father, too…!”

The image of the Emperor screaming as if the Empress were right before his eyes flashed through his mind.

But he had been told that the poison given to the Emperor was something different.

At that moment, a knock sounded, followed by Net’s urgent voice.

“Your Grace!”

“Come in!”

Sensing the tension in the air, Bellona immediately granted permission, and Net rushed in, casting a quick glance at Caelus before turning to her.

“It’s fine. Speak.”

“The Empress’s lady-in-waiting is heading toward His Majesty’s chambers carrying a medicine tray.”

Finally, they had made a move.

Realizing this was an opportunity to catch them red-handed, Bellona shot up from her seat—only to have her vision blur again as all strength drained from her body.

Caelus, who had been beside her, quickly caught her as she swayed.

“Bellona!”

“Ah, I’m fine.”

She tried to reassure him, but the dizziness wouldn’t fade easily. She desperately wanted to go there herself, but her nausea was too intense for her to even move.

Left with no choice, Bellona issued her command to Net. “Hurry and tell Nobert to capture that maid. Take her to the underground prison in secret. And make sure to secure the medicine as well—don’t forget that.”

“Understood.”

Net quickly dashed out of the room, while behind him, the imperial physician hesitated with a flustered expression.

At that moment, both Bellona and Caelus turned their sharp gazes toward the physician.

The chilling intensity in their eyes made the man instinctively recoil in fear.