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Chapter 4
“…How strange.”
“Hm? What is?”
At Roxy’s question as she tightened the corset behind her, Bella quickly shook her head.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
She told her not to worry, but in truth, it was far from nothing.
It was something enormous.
It was because of the dream she had on the carriage yesterday.
I definitely died.
For now, it had only happened in a dream.
But Bella’s dreams were always connected to reality.
Which meant that this would truly happen to her…
Within the next 199 days.
So… I’m really going to die.
Standing before the mirror and adjusting her dress, Bella drifted into thought.
Then she suddenly burst into a quiet laugh.
God is more petty than I expected.
The moment she challenged Him to take her life, He immediately sent someone to kill her.
What a narrow-minded god.
Though… I suppose I should be grateful.
She desperately held back the smile threatening to spread across her face.
For someone staring death in the face, she looked surprisingly cheerful.
Anyone who saw her would think something wonderful had happened.
To be honest…
She was happy.
At last, she would be free from this miserable life.
First… I have to find that man.
Her eyes gleamed.
But… how am I supposed to find him?
Her hope immediately faltered.
She had only seen him once.
In a dream.
How could she possibly find someone like that?
He’s definitely a noble.
She carefully searched her memory.
His clothes had borne an unusual crest.
In Arhen, only a handful of high-ranking noble families possessed unique family emblems like that.
If he’s really one of the great nobles… maybe I’ll meet him during the Founding Festival.
Almost every noble in the Empire attended the celebration.
Perhaps…
That was exactly why she’d been shown the dream now.
Hope returned.
Come to think of it…
The man’s appearance was distinctive.
Jet-black hair.
Crimson eyes.
Most people in Arhen had blond or light brown hair.
Even dark brown was uncommon.
But black hair?
That was impossible to overlook.
If she encountered him at the festival…
She was certain she’d recognize him immediately.
Perfect.
Bella clenched both fists.
Roxy, who had been fastening the straps on her shoes, glanced up and smiled.
“You seem especially happy today.”
“Do I?”
“Yes.”
“Your eyes are sparkling.”
Bella looked at her reflection.
No matter how carefully she examined herself…
She couldn’t see any difference from yesterday.
“Did something good happen?”
“Yes.”
Bella smiled.
“I found him.”
“Him?”
“My destined partner.”
“Oh?”
Roxy’s amber eyes widened.
“When? Where?”
“I’ll be meeting him soon.”
Silence.
Roxy sighed and turned Bella around to brush her hair.
“Yes, yes.”
“Before you meet this ‘destined partner’… let’s at least fix your hair.”
“At this rate, even fate will run away from you.”
Bella laughed.
I suppose anyone would think this sounds ridiculous.
After all…
Claiming you could see the future through dreams wasn’t exactly believable.
Last night, she had dreamed of being killed by a mysterious man.
That dream would become reality within 199 days.
And now…
She was searching for the very man who would kill her.
Why?
So that he could kill her exactly as fate intended.
From anyone else’s perspective…
She sounded completely insane.
One hundred ninety-nine days.
I only have to endure that much.
Then I’ll finally escape this horrible life.
Maybe… even sooner.
She smiled at herself in the mirror.
Today, somehow…
Her heart felt lighter.
It almost seemed as though something wonderful was about to happen.
The hope she had never been able to find while clinging to life…
Appeared only after she had accepted death.
Everything before her glittered with possibility.
Filled with that strange excitement…
Bella’s countdown toward death had officially begun.
* * *
“Your Highness.”
“…”
“Your Hiiighness?”
Bella deliberately called to Evan in an exaggeratedly sweet voice while keeping her eyes fixed ahead.
Only then did he reluctantly look at her.
“That tone is irritating.”
“Then perhaps Your Highness could stop following me around.”
She smiled brightly.
The ballroom was packed.
It was the second day of the festival, and there wasn’t even room to walk comfortably.
The food was even more extravagant than yesterday.
Whole roasted venison.
Towering platters of roasted pigeons.
Rare seafood from distant coasts.
The sort of dishes Bella could never dream of eating at home.
But now isn’t the time to be distracted by food.
With great effort, she tore her eyes away from the banquet table and looked across the crowd.
Most of today’s guests hadn’t attended yesterday.
Among them…
She spotted Lady Ivian, the only daughter of Marquis Grace.
Evan’s fiancée.
Wow…
She’s glaring at me.
Ivian hid behind an elegant fan, but Bella could still feel the hostility in her eyes.
“Evan.”
Bella spoke quietly.
“Take at least ten steps away from me.”
“What?”
He leaned closer in confusion.
At once, Ivian’s expression became even darker.
She gripped her fan so tightly it looked ready to snap.
“Look over there.”
Bella pointed.
Across the ballroom stood a swarm of noble ladies.
Among them…
She recognized the familiar reddish hair of Cecil.
If looks could kill…
I’d have died the moment I entered.
Bella sighed.
Judging by those murderous stares…
Tonight would undoubtedly become another nightmare when she returned home.
“Just ignore them.”
Evan shrugged.
“How am I supposed to ignore people staring at me like that?”
“Should I go say something?”
“Don’t you dare.”
He moved closer again.
Bella shot him an exasperated glare.
Who do you think caused this situation in the first place?
Only then did Evan quietly retreat.
“If you’re trying so hard to avoid me…”
“Why did you come today?”
“I came to meet someone.”
“Who?”
Bella slowly scanned the crowd again.
She could tell from Evan’s sparkling curiosity that he wouldn’t accept a vague answer.
So…
She decided to tell him the truth.
“My destined partner.”
His blue eyes immediately lit up.
For a split second…
They reminded her of the dream.
But only for a moment.
The color was wrong.
The eyes she sought were the deep crimson of fresh blood.
“What is his name?”
“I don’t know.”
“His family?”
“Not sure.”
Bella hesitated.
Judging by the overwhelming presence he’d carried…
He definitely wasn’t a minor noble.
“Probably one of the higher-ranking families.”
Evan frowned.
“That doesn’t narrow it down much.”
“How old is he?”
“Around our age.”
That much she remembered clearly.
He hadn’t looked old at all.
“And…”
Evan sighed.
“What kind of personality does he have?”
Bella thought back to the dream.
He had mercilessly swung his sword.
Even after she’d already been dying…
He’d struck without hesitation.
“Hmm…”
“Perhaps… hot-tempered?”
She nodded seriously.
“At the very least, he doesn’t seem merciful.”
“Maybe even a little violent.”
Evan’s face twisted into an indescribable expression.
“Why would you want to meet someone like that?”
Bella smiled bitterly.
“Unfortunately…”
“He happens to be my only hope.”
A hope sent by God Himself.
Even saying it aloud felt strange.
Evan stared at her in complete disbelief.
“You don’t know his name.”
“You don’t know his family.”
“You don’t know what kind of person he is.”
“And yet you’re calling him your only hope?”
“Well…”
Bella smiled innocently.
“I suppose we’re still getting to know each other.”
“…”
“Isn’t that how love works?”
Evan clicked his tongue.
“Fine.”
“Then what does he look like?”
“Does appearance really matter?”
“What if I happen to know him?”
Bella blinked.
He had a point.
As Crown Prince…
He knew nearly every important noble in the Empire.
Why didn’t I think of that?
Excited, she immediately described the man from her dream.
“He has black hair.”
“Very pale skin.”
“And his eyes…”
“They’re a deep red.”
“Like the evening sunset.”
That was about all she remembered.
Black hair.
Red eyes.
And…
A surprisingly handsome face.
Would Evan know anyone matching that description?
She doubted it.
Then—
“Oh…”
Evan hesitated.
“Could it possibly be—”
Just then—
“His Grace, Duke Avalan, has arrived!”
The servant’s announcement echoed through the grand hall.
Immediately…
The crowd erupted into whispers.
Bella looked around in confusion.
“What’s going on?”
“Duke Avalan?”
“There was a duke by that name?”
She turned to Evan.
He didn’t answer.
Instead…
He was staring at her in shock.
“Avalan…”
“Don’t tell me…”
“The Duke actually came to the capital?”
“He never leaves his territory…”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“Bella.”
“You didn’t somehow know he’d be here today… did you?”
“What?”
“Did you arrange to meet Duke Avalan?”
Bella frowned.
“Who exactly is Duke Avalan?”
“You don’t know?”
He looked genuinely stunned.
“Ray Avalan.”
“You’ve seriously never heard of him?”
Bella shook her head.
Evan sighed deeply.
Then he quietly pointed across the ballroom.
“That’s Duke Avalan.”
Bella turned toward the direction he indicated.
And froze.
There—
Standing out effortlessly among the sea of nobles—
Was a man.
Hair as black as midnight.
Skin as white as marble.
Eyes as crimson as polished rubies.
Thump.
Her heart skipped a beat.
It’s him.
The man from her dream.
The man who would one day kill her…
Was standing right there.
