Chapter 13

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: There Is No Mercy - Chapter 13

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Despite my inner thoughts, I tilted my head with a calm expression, and Bellieta pointed at my necklace.

Ah, was this about that Depoxy Island story from before?

Had she already gone there in the meantime? Or had she sent someone and gone through the trouble herself?

I doubted she had gone in person.

"What does it mean?"

"I told you, that gem you have can only be found on Depoxy Island. I sent someone to check, and there's no such gem there. What's going on?"

"I told you. It's so rare that you have to go there yourself to find it. People mostly pretend not to know because it's that precious."

"No way. No one in this land would spout such nonsense after seeing the Bozbon crest. You know that, right?"

I stared silently at Bellieta as she continued in a composed tone, then nodded.

It wasn't ideal, but she wasn't wrong.

"Really? That's strange. That's what I heard."

"You heard?"

"Yeah."

I wanted to tease her more, but it might stir up a hornet's nest.

I cut it short with a suitable excuse.

Bellieta eyed me suspiciously.

Meanwhile, I put on a regretful expression and sat down across from her.

Bellieta sat as well, her eyes narrowing as if demanding an explanation.

"Who did you hear it from?"

"Ezekiel Roth."

Sorry, Roth. I'll borrow your name just this once.

We've known each other for over ten years, so this should be fine, right? We won't meet again anyway.

It was a lie, but Bellieta reacted to the name.

"That man said it?"

"Yeah. I thought it was true because he said so... Was it not? I never imagined the Sage would lie. But it's not there? That's weird..."

I nibbled at my nail as if troubled, and Bellieta couldn't get angrier, merely furrowing her brow in frustration.

She must be furious. Annoyed, for sure.

Why else would she send nobles all the way there?

She wanted to imitate me, to steal a piece of me.

But it hadn't gone as planned, and she hadn't gotten what she wanted. Her insides must be boiling.

That alone satisfied me.

"I've unintentionally misled you. Sorry, Bellieta."

I'd done it on purpose and wasn't sorry at all, but my expression brimmed with realistic regret.

Bellieta bit her lip hard, then let out a deep sigh and nodded as if accepting it.

Idiot.

I sneered inwardly while scrutinizing her face.

Looking at her brought Aden's image to mind.

A sneer curved my lips again. Here she was, casually talking about jewels, oblivious to what had happened in Riplton.

I wanted to laugh triumphantly and tell her I'd stolen her man.

But it wasn't time yet.

I wanted to savor this joy a bit longer.

Resting my chin in my hand, I watched her reaction, then rolled my eyes.

Should I probe a little?

"By the way, Bellieta."

I called softly, and she tilted her head.

I flashed a sweet smile at her adoring gaze.

I paused slightly to pique her curiosity.

"What is it?"

As she urged me on, I parted my lips casually.

"Nothing much... I've got a guy I'm interested in lately."

"...A guy?"

Her eyes widened round, but she didn't seem all that surprised.

She already knew I was interested in Reiton, so no big shock there.

I nodded with a shy, feigned expression.

The cunning Bellieta switched to a face full of curiosity, one I knew well.

Bellieta wasn't stupid or simple.

She'd just pretended to be.

In fact, she used that facade to dispel suspicion, lower guards, and gain advantages.

It was innate to Bellieta, born into the Bozbon family.

To an outsider, she looked genuinely pleased, smiling sincerely and clapping lightly as if congratulating me.

"Who is it? Do I know him?"

I smirked inwardly at her probing for details.

She was already convinced it was Reiton, so no real curiosity in my answer.

Her eyes were dull despite the outward reaction. I sneered at the lukewarm display.

Bellieta, that attitude won't do.

If you want to take everything from me, you should be genuinely curious.

"Yeah. Someone you know and I know."

"Really? Who?"

Who else?

I smiled and wagged my finger.

"It's a secret. I'll tell you later."

"What? Tell me quick. Who is it?"

I brushed off her nagging with a laugh.

Now that I was hiding it, her eyes gleamed as she tried probing, lips twitching several times.

She threw out names of young lords besides Reiton, but instead of denying, I just gave a vague smile.

"I'll tell you later."

I hid my sneer in the smile.

Her eyes narrowed at my response.

Even convinced it was Reiton, my continued secrecy irked her.

She stared at me in silence, and I returned a quiet smile.

When I nailed it as a secret and budged not an inch, she changed tactics.

She put on a genuinely hurt face, mixing a feeble voice with a sigh.

"My dearest friend Sierra. If you want, I'd tell you all my secrets. But you don't trust me."

"No need to think that. I just don't know my feelings yet."

"We can figure that out together through talks."

She's persistent.

And her act dredged up unpleasant memories.

'Sierra. Are you toying with me right now?'

Bellieta would chat as if we were equals, then turn vicious at the slightest annoyance.

I was always dragged along, while she led.

I suppressed the unpleasant feeling creeping in amid her urging whispers.

Time to stop.

I slowly hardened my smile and tucked a stray lock behind my ear.

Then, smiling faintly at her gaze, I spoke deliberately.

"Bellieta."

Her mouth shut at my soft call of her name.

Her expression slowly stiffened as she read mine.

"That's enough. It's too much. Even as friends, this crosses a line. It's not about who or why—it's the fact itself that matters, right?"

Her eyes wavered.

Maybe because I'd done what she should have first.

"Sierra, I'm just worried about you..."

"I appreciate the concern, but please respect boundaries."

You crossed lines you shouldn't have long ago.

She met my eyes quietly.

Silence thickened between us.

The speechless Bellieta seemed to ponder how to salvage her trampled pride.

Before she moved, I beckoned the maid with a finger twitch.

She looked flustered at the missed timing, but I spoke first.

"Bellieta, have the carriage prepared."

Meeting her rising gaze, I said curtly,

"I'll head back now? I'm a bit tired."

"..."

She bit her lip, stared, then let out a small sigh.

Recalling that day three years ago when I rejected her?

Embracing a strange displeasure, she rose.

Standing, she looked at me and slowly relaxed her expression.

"...Okay."

As if no fluster had happened, her subtle smile seemed to say, 'I'll let it slide today.'

"See you, Sierra. Rest well."

She passed me and headed to the terrace slowly.

Then paused, turning to fix her gaze on me.

With a benevolent face, she spoke leisurely.

"Sierra."

I tilted my head at her call.

The departing Bellieta brushed back her hair with a leisurely smile.

"We're still friends, right?"

Friends.

If you can call a forcibly imposed bond friendship, sure.

I held silence to her slow words.

A gentle breeze brushed my back and faded slowly.

Facing it, I smiled quietly.

"Yeah."

If it's just words, I'll be your friend forever.

"Of course, Bellieta."

This childish play? I can keep it up for years.

"Weren't you a bit too harsh, my lady?"

I narrowed my eyes at the voice amid tilting my glass.

I turned to the maid.

Her shoulders twitched faintly.

The subject of 'harsh' was Bellieta and me.

She was the only one who heard our talk there.

To an ignorant maid, I must have seemed cold, drawing a firm line against a friend congratulating me.

No intent to blame her.

She knew nothing anyway.

I set down the glass and crossed my legs lightly.

"Why do you think so?"

"It was... impertinent of me, my lady. I'm sorry."

"No, nothing to apologize for. I'm just curious why you think I was harsh. What made you see it that way?"

The maid's anxious eyes darted, scheming an escape.

Poor thing.