Chapter 13
Tilting my head with a calm face that hid my true thoughts, I looked at Bellietta. She pointed at my necklace.
Ah, was this about the Depoxy Island story from before?
Had she gone there in the meantime?
Did she actually go through all that trouble herself?
…Though I doubted she had.
“What do you mean?”
“You said the gemstone you’re wearing only comes from Depoxy Island. I sent people there to check, but they couldn’t find any gemstone like that. What’s going on?”
“I told you before. It’s such a rare gemstone that you’d have to go there yourself to find it. It’s so valuable that most people pretend it doesn’t exist.”
“That’s impossible. No one in this land would dare lie like that after seeing the Vozbon family’s crest. You know that.”
I quietly looked at Bellietta as she calmly spoke, then nodded.
I didn’t like to admit it, but she wasn’t wrong.
“Really? That’s strange. That’s what I was told.”
“Told?”
“Yes.”
I wanted to tease her a little more, but I could end up stirring up a hornet’s nest.
So I ended it with a simple excuse.
Bellietta looked at me suspiciously.
I, on the other hand, put on a regretful expression and walked over to sit across from her.
Bellietta sat down as well, staring at me as if demanding an explanation.
“Who told you that?”
“Ezekiel Ross.”
Sorry, Ross. I’ll borrow your name just this once.
We met over ten years ago. This much should be fine, right? It’s not like we’ll ever meet again.
It was a lie, but Bellietta reacted the moment she heard his name.
“That man told you that?”
“Yes. I thought it was true because he said so… Wasn’t it? I never thought someone like him would lie to me. But you’re saying there’s nothing there? That’s strange…”
I bit my nail as if I were the one troubled.
Bellietta couldn’t stay angry. Instead, she frowned in frustration.
Of course she was angry.
Of course she was annoyed.
Why else would she send nobles all the way there?
She wanted to copy me.
She wanted to steal another piece of what was mine.
But things hadn’t gone as she wanted, and she still hadn’t gotten what she wanted.
She was probably boiling inside.
That alone was satisfying enough.
“I ended up misleading you without meaning to. I’m sorry, Bellietta.”
I had tricked her on purpose.
And I wasn’t sorry at all.
But my expression looked sincerely apologetic.
Bellietta bit her lip before letting out a long sigh and slowly nodded as if she understood.
Idiot.
I laughed at her inwardly while watching her face.
Looking at her reminded me of Aden.
A mocking smile naturally formed on my lips again.
She had no idea what had happened in Ripton, yet here she was worrying about gemstones.
I wanted to laugh in her face and tell her I had taken her man.
But…
It wasn’t time yet.
I wanted to enjoy this happiness a little longer.
Resting my chin on my hand, I watched her reaction before casually speaking.
“By the way, Bellietta.”
She tilted her head at my quiet voice.
She looked at me with an innocent smile.
I smiled back and deliberately paused to make her curious.
“What is it?”
At her impatient voice, I slowly opened my lips.
“It’s nothing important… I’ve recently become interested in someone.”
“…Someone?”
Bellietta’s eyes widened.
But she didn’t seem that surprised.
She already believed I liked Layton, so there wasn’t much to be shocked about.
Pretending to be shy, I nodded.
Clever Bellietta quickly changed her expression into one of eager curiosity.
Bellietta was never stupid.
Nor was she simple.
She only pretended to be.
She acted innocent to lower people’s guard, remove their suspicion, and gain the advantage.
That was Bellietta’s nature as someone born into House Vozbon.
Anyone who didn’t know her would think she was sincerely happy for me.
She smiled warmly and lightly clapped her hands.
“Who is it? Is it someone I know too?”
Seeing her quietly trying to gather information made me laugh inside.
She had already convinced herself it was Layton.
She had no real reason to care about my answer.
Unlike her cheerful expression, her eyes looked completely uninterested.
That amused me.
Bellietta…
That attitude won’t do.
If you really want to steal everything from me, you should at least pretend to be curious.
“Yes. It’s someone both of us know.”
“Really? Who is it?”
Who else?
I smiled and gently waved a finger.
“That’s a secret. I’ll tell you later.”
“What? That’s not fair. Tell me now. Who is it?”
I simply laughed at her persistent questions.
After hiding it this long, Bellietta’s eyes sparkled as she tried to test me.
She mentioned several young noblemen besides Layton.
Instead of denying them, I only gave her an unreadable smile.
“I’ll tell you later.”
I hid my mocking smile behind a gentle one.
Bellietta narrowed her eyes.
She was already convinced the man was Layton.
Yet my refusal to tell her clearly seemed to irritate her.
For a while, she simply stared at me in silence.
I returned her gaze with a quiet smile.
Seeing that I wouldn’t reveal anything, she changed her approach.
She sighed softly, wearing the face of someone who was genuinely hurt.
“Sierra, my dearest friend. If you wanted, I could tell you all of my secrets. But… I guess you don’t trust me.”
“You don’t have to think that. I don’t even understand my own feelings yet.”
“I think we can figure that out together by talking.”
She was certainly persistent.
More importantly…
The way she acted brought back memories I wished had stayed buried.
“Sierra… are you playing games with me?”
Bellietta always acted as though we stood on equal ground.
But the moment something displeased her…
She changed completely.
And every time that happened…
I was the one who got dragged along.
Bellietta was always the one in control.
I forced down the unpleasant emotions rising inside me as I listened to her pressing me again.
That’s enough.
The smile slowly disappeared from my face.
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
Then I looked straight at Bellietta and spoke calmly.
“Bellietta.”
The moment I quietly called her name, she fell silent.
After seeing my expression, her own slowly stiffened.
“That’s enough. You’re going too far. We may be friends, but this isn’t appropriate. Isn’t the important thing the fact that I like someone, not who that person is?”
Bellietta’s eyes shook.
Perhaps because I had done what she had intended to do first.
“Sierra, I’m only worried about you…”
“Thank you for worrying about me. But I’d appreciate it if you respected my boundaries.”
You’ve crossed those boundaries long ago.
Bellietta quietly met my eyes.
Silence settled heavily between us.
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she seemed to be wondering what to do after having her pride wounded.
Before Bellietta could act, I lightly beckoned a maid over.
Bellietta looked startled after losing her chance to speak.
But I spoke before she could.
“Prepare Bellietta’s carriage.”
Meeting her gaze, I quietly added,
“Why don’t you head home for today? I’m a little tired.”
“…”
Bellietta bit her lip as she silently looked at me before letting out a quiet sigh.
Perhaps she remembered the day three years ago when I rejected her.
Holding back her unpleasant feelings, she slowly stood up.
Then she relaxed her expression and looked at me.
“…All right.”
As though nothing had happened, she smiled gently.
It was the kind of smile that seemed to say,
“I’ll let this slide today.”
“I’m leaving now, Sierra. Get some rest.”
Bellietta slowly walked past me toward the terrace.
Then she suddenly stopped.
Turning around, she looked straight at me.
With a gentle smile, she slowly spoke.
“Sierra.”
I tilted my head at her voice.
She brushed her hair back with an easy smile.
“We’re still friends… right?”
Friends.
If a relationship forced by one person could be called friendship…
Then sure.
I stayed silent for a moment.
A gentle breeze brushed across my back before disappearing.
Feeling the wind, I smiled quietly.
“Yes.”
If it’s only in words…
I’ll be your friend as long as you want.
“Of course, Bellietta.”
A childish game like this…
I could keep playing it for years.
“Don’t you think you were a little too harsh, Miss?”
I narrowed my eyes at the voice that interrupted me as I raised my teacup.
Turning my head, I looked at the maid.
Her shoulders trembled.
She was obviously talking about what had happened between Bellietta and me.
She was the only person who had heard our conversation.
To someone who knew nothing…
I must have looked cold for drawing such a firm line against a friend who only seemed happy for me.
I didn’t blame her.
After all…
She knew nothing.
Setting my cup down, I crossed my legs.
“Why do you think that?”
“Th-That… I spoke out of turn, Miss. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m just curious. Why did you think I was being too harsh? What made you feel that way?”
The maid nervously looked around, as if trying to find a way out of the situation.
Poor thing.
