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Chapter 37
I got a chick.
Strangely enough, the chick was red and had turquoise eyes.
Quite fascinating, really.
“How far exactly are you planning to follow me?”
Bellakshina narrowed her sharp crimson eyes fiercely.
It was such a terrifying glare that most people would tremble and say, “We’ve only just met, but I’m sorry.”
“To the ends of the earth, my lady.”
But it had absolutely no effect on this obsessively clingy red chick.
“No matter what, the bathroom is crossing the line, Margareta!”
“You never know where you might need my assistance!”
Bellakshina found herself wrestling with Margareta over the bathroom doorknob, her emotions growing increasingly complicated.
This wasn’t even repaying kindness with betrayal—she’d gone out of her way to save her, so why was this happening?
“Please don’t reject me so harshly, my lady. From now on, I’ll help you with everything. You can show me absolutely anything. I shall forever be your—”
“Alicia! Natasha! Patricia!”
Unable to endure it any longer, Bellakshina summoned Alicia, the dressing maid; Natasha, the bath maid; and Patricia, the bedroom maid. Only after the three of them successfully restrained Margareta could Bellakshina safely use the bathroom.
And when Abalkin heard the story, he couldn’t suppress his laughter.
“So Margareta’s obsessive personality ended up redirected toward you.”
“This is driving me insane.”
Bellakshina regretted not giving someone else credit for saving Margareta, but it was already too late. Margareta was obviously going to follow her around everywhere and pester her endlessly.
“Do something about her! Honestly, I feel like throwing her out.”
Abalkin chuckled quietly as he watched Bellakshina grumble.
It was amusing seeing her completely at a loss over how to deal with someone expressing gratitude and affection toward her.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I just happen to laugh a lot.”
Abalkin shamelessly lied before continuing.
“Anyway, as for Margareta, I can give you some breathing room for the time being.”
“How?”
Abalkin looked at her as though asking, Do you seriously not know?
But Bellakshina genuinely had no idea, and merely stared back blankly. Eventually, Abalkin let out an irritated sigh.
“You really go through life without thinking about anything, don’t you?”
“What was that?”
“Am I wrong?”
Bellakshina immediately bristled, but she had no comeback.
Because Abalkin was completely right.
“You even forgot your own wedding.”
“…!”
Bellakshina couldn’t refute that.
After all, she couldn’t exactly say, ‘I don’t care because I’m planning to run away anyway.’
Abalkin stared at her face for a moment, clearly convinced she had forgotten the wedding, as if reprimanding her. Then he continued.
“If you leave the final wedding preparations to Margareta, she won’t have time to trail after you for a while. The schedule is tight, and there’s too much to do for her to focus on anything else.”
“That… makes sense. Thank you.”
“Isn’t there anything you’re curious about?”
Bellakshina shrank slightly under Abalkin’s prickly tone. After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously asked:
“When exactly is it?”
“Haa…”
Abalkin pressed a hand to his forehead in irritation.
Even asking one of the maids would’ve given her the answer. The fact that she had to ask him directly was proof that Bellakshina truly had been drifting through life thoughtlessly.
“There are less than twenty days left now.”
Abalkin spoke coldly.
“Seventeen days. That’s the day of your wedding. Our wedding.”
“I see.”
“That’s all? ‘I see’?”
Bellakshina felt uncomfortable under his sharp criticism.
But she couldn’t argue back. It was painfully obvious why he was angry, and at the very least, Bellakshina had no way to defend herself regarding why she’d forgotten the wedding or why she didn’t care about it.
When she remained silent no matter how long he waited, Abalkin irritably said:
“Go.”
“Yes.”
Watching Bellakshina hurriedly flee the office, Abalkin let out a long sigh.
I know this isn’t a marriage she wants, but still… how can someone be so indifferent about their own wedding?
Did Bellakshina truly not care what happened around her?
Did marrying him genuinely mean nothing to her?
The thought suddenly made anger rise within him.
No. That can’t be right.
Even if there was no great romance between them, Bellakshina’s attitude was undeniably strange. Marriage was a major event no matter what form it took, and it inevitably changed the shape of one’s life.
Whether she wanted it or not.
“Right. It makes no sense.”
Abalkin stopped writing and began piecing things together.
When had Bellakshina’s strange behavior started? And where exactly was this bizarre level of indifference coming from?
Several scenes flashed through his mind.
And among them, one stood out.
<Were you very shocked?>
<Not particularly. Seeing your hair color, it’s not that surprising.>
When Abalkin had revealed that he was part unicorn beastfolk and confessed the curse passed down through his bloodline—
Bellakshina hadn’t reacted in the slightest.
Normally, anyone would say something about their future husband, or the children they might one day have together. But Bellakshina had responded with utter indifference, as though it were someone else’s problem.
“Like it’s someone else’s problem… someone else’s…”
The phrase kept circling in Abalkin’s mind.
Instinctively, he felt it was the key.
But how could that be? Thinking of her own marriage as someone else’s affair?
“That’s impossible.”
Abalkin was certain of it.
Bellakshina had even shown strong resistance toward this marriage before, hadn’t she?
He clearly remembered her arguing desperately to delay the ceremony somehow.
And yet now, there was only one explanation for her sudden indifference toward what happened to the wedding.
Is she planning to run away?
But surely not.
And even if she were—how?
Abalkin’s heart drifted uneasily between suspicion and betrayal.
There was only one way to uncover the truth.
Leaving all his remaining work behind, he rose from his desk.
Meanwhile, Bellakshina hurried back to her bedroom.
The moment she was alone—after sending all the maids away with pointless errands—she opened the drawer of the bedside table.
Inside lay a modest leather-bound book.
The grimoire, having exhausted all its gold to save Margareta, had lost its once-luxurious appearance and now looked completely ordinary.
Placing the book on the table, Bellakshina spoke.
“System.”
At once, the pages flipped open on their own, and a tiny green fairy emerged from between them.
[Hm? Did you bring money?]
Bellakshina groaned.
Like a pack leader wolf returning empty-handed from a failed hunt, she felt deeply ashamed.
“No money. I just wanted to ask something.”
[Go ahead.]
The System sat on the pages with its legs stretched out, staring up at Bellakshina with tiny bean-like eyes.
“As you know, I’m in a difficult situation right now.”
[Really? You seemed pretty relaxed enjoying your bath earlier…]
Bellakshina cleared her throat awkwardly.
The System wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t the point.
“You remember I said I planned to run away, right? From here—from Yeshken.”
The System nodded.
Bellakshina had never hidden her ambition: escape this marriage, gain her freedom, and eventually overthrow the Kalhorn Empire itself.
[Yeah. I remember. So?]
“I’m running out of time. Apparently the wedding’s really soon.”
The System tilted its head slightly.
[So?]
“So?! What do you mean, ‘so’?! You know the only way I can escape this place is by using a miracle!”
The System rolled its eyes, then silently flipped to another page and showed her the balance.
「0 GOLD」
Completely broke.
She had spent every last coin buying the potion to save Margareta.
“I know. I know I’m broke. Ugh… I can’t believe I’m actually saying this.”
Bellakshina, who had never once experienced being without money in her entire life, pressed her fingers to her temple as if suffering a headache.
Then, forcing out words she’d never before uttered in her life, she asked:
“S-System… would you maybe allow credit?”
The System’s eyes widened.
[Credit?! You want miracles for free?]
“Who said free?! I’ll pay it back. I swear I’ll pay it back!”
[Hmmm.]
The System crossed its arms skeptically as it looked up at Bellakshina.
[I never trust people who say they’ll pay me back after they win.]
