SWGMBWD CH 03

“Who is it?”

Bella’s eyes naturally lit up.

She couldn’t help wondering who the man was whom the Crown Prince of the Empire himself would recommend.

But that anticipation didn’t last long.

“Me.”

Huh? What did he just say?

“There’s a decent man right in front of you. Why are you leaving me out of the candidates?”

“No, wait. Just wait a second……”

“Honestly, I’m not exactly lacking in the looks department. My personality…… well, I can’t say it’s particularly wonderful, but it’s at least average. And I have more than enough money. I’m even the same age as you.”

Evan spoke urgently.

His earnest words sounded almost like a confession, and Bella gave an awkward smile.

But she couldn’t smile as brightly as she had expected to. She knew he wasn’t joking this time.

In the end, she let out a deep sigh.

“Uncle…… No, His Majesty would never approve of it.”

She knew her own circumstances very well. There was no way the Emperor would hand over his precious only son to an ordinary count’s daughter.

“And if I married you, those foxes would definitely make it their mission to bleed us dry.”

“But……”

“I can’t let that happen. I’d rather marry some old grandfather than go through that.”

Bella firmly shook her head.

Those foxes had eyes that practically turned into gold coins whenever money was involved. If she were chosen as the Crown Prince’s partner under such circumstances, Bella couldn’t even imagine how much trouble they would cause.

“At most, ten years? I’d only have to put up with it for that long.”

Those ten years would undoubtedly be dreadful day after day, but by then, her elderly husband would have passed away, leaving her a widow.

Come to think of it, that sounds pretty miserable.

Bella smiled bitterly.

For a moment, she felt sorry for herself for even thinking this way.

Just as she was once again focusing in earnest on finding a husband, a voice came from beside them.

“Your Highness.”

She had sensed someone approaching.

A neatly dressed attendant was standing nearby. The man who had spotted them bowed politely.

“His Majesty is looking for you.”

“……Understood. Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

Evan’s expression darkened even further.

He let out a deep sigh, clearly thinking that he wasn’t even allowed a moment of peace.

Seeing him like that, Bella quietly began walking away.

“You seem busy, so I should get going too.”

“Already?”

“There aren’t usually many people around on the first day.”

Although it was the Founding Festival, the first day had more of the atmosphere of a pre-celebration. As a result, not many people attended.

The real festivities began on the second day, and since the Emperor and high-ranking nobles attended that day, the crowds were much larger.

“I’ll walk you to the front.”

Even though the servant beside him was already urging him to hurry, Evan insisted on seeing her off and followed after her.

“I’ll somehow stop Viscount LeBlanc’s matter. If I speak to Father, he’ll take action. He thinks of you like a daughter.”

Yet there was no certainty in his voice as he said this.

Bella felt the same way.

After all, the Emperor had merely stood by and watched from afar even when her parents died.

When Bella was young, the Emperor had always welcomed her warmly whenever she accompanied her parents to the Imperial Palace. But after Bella’s mother, the only prophet, passed away, the Emperor’s attitude toward her became cold.

“You have to understand. Everyone is on edge right now.”

He gave her a bitter smile.

“It’s been nearly thirteen years, and a new prophet still hasn’t appeared. Thanks to that, the priests who are at odds with the Imperial Family have become even more arrogant. They claim that the reason the Main God, Morpheus, hasn’t answered is because the people lack faith in the gods.”

Evan let out a deep sigh.

“They’re right, though. If a new prophet appeared soon, the people of the Empire would finally be able to relax.”

Bella responded absentmindedly.

There was an ancient legend in Argen.

It was said that humans had lost their dreams after losing a war against the gods. Dreams belonged to a realm that humans could never reach, and therefore, the gods had forbidden humans from dreaming.

Except for seven children born between the god who governed dreams and a human woman.

The land where those seven children were said to have lived was none other than this country—Argen.

Perhaps because of that, seven children capable of dreaming were born in Argen every generation. People called them “Morpheus,” believing that they had been chosen by the god of dreams.

Each Morpheus possessed a different ability according to their order, and because of their extraordinary powers, they were also known as the jewels of the Empire.

Bella’s mother had been one of them.

She possessed the power of the Fourth Morpheus—the ability to see the future through dreams.

However, after her mother’s death, the position of the Fourth Morpheus became vacant.

The Imperial Family and the people, having lost their prophet, began living in fear.

As a result, the Emperor of Argen had spent thirteen years desperately searching for the successor of the Fourth Morpheus.

“I wish you were the Fourth.”

“……”

Bella was just about to climb into the carriage when she stopped at the quiet murmur from behind her.

She carefully turned her head.

There, she saw a pair of strangely shimmering blue eyes.

For a moment, she said nothing.

No.

She couldn’t.

“Bella.”

She was afraid that if she said the wrong thing here—

“You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?”

—he might discover something.

Bella watched him cautiously and swallowed dryly.

Living with those foxes had been nothing short of hell, but she had gained something from it as well.

And that was—

“……What do you mean, hiding something? Of course not.”

She no longer felt even the slightest guilt when she lied.

“You know that too. Just because someone’s parents are Morpheus doesn’t guarantee that their child will inherit the ability. The probability is extremely low.”

The abilities were randomly bestowed upon the people of the Argen Empire.

At least, that was what Bella knew. It was said that the gods had designed it this way from the beginning so that no single family could monopolize the power.

“I suppose that’s true.”

Evan gave a bitter smile and nodded.

Bella calmly climbed into the carriage.

She pretended to be completely unaffected, but in truth, her heart was pounding like mad.

“And I hate the Morpheus.”

“Why? It’s a life where you’re respected by everyone. And if you became one, you wouldn’t have to marry that old viscount either.”

He said it confidently, but Bella didn’t agree.

“Morpheus are the property of Argen.”

The Morpheus were, in other words, the property of Argen.

The Imperial Family did not treat them as individual human beings.

That was why they had to live under Imperial surveillance, deprived of all freedom.

They were watched constantly, as though they were jewels hidden inside the Emperor’s treasure vault—lest they escape or someone steal them away.

“Still, isn’t that better than marrying that pervert?”

“That’s true.”

She nodded.

Certainly, being locked away and treated as one of the Empire’s jewels seemed better than becoming the wife of a disgusting old man.

“But I still hate it.”

Sitting down and smoothing the fluttering hem of her dress, she answered firmly.

He smiled as though he had finally given up arguing and nodded.

“Fine. If you hate it, then you hate it.”

“You do realize we’re having a completely pointless conversation right now, don’t you?”

Their conversation had begun with a mere hypothetical “what if,” yet they were taking it far too seriously.

Perhaps he realized that too, because he nodded and even closed the carriage door for her himself.

“Are you coming again tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

Bella clenched her fist firmly.

Her search for a husband wasn’t over yet.

At that, the slight gloom in his expression disappeared, replaced by a little more brightness and energy.

“Get home safely.”

“Okay.”

After saying goodbye, she signaled the coachman that he could depart.

The carriage jolted before slowly beginning to move.

As it gradually picked up speed, it quickly left the castle behind.

After they had traveled for some time—

“Sorry, Evan.”

Bella, who had been staring blankly out the window, finally opened her tightly closed lips.

The castle that had seemed enormous only moments ago now looked like a tiny toy house in the distance.

“Haaaa……”

She let out a long sigh and collapsed sideways onto the seat.

Stretching her legs toward the opposite side, she finally felt some of the tension leave her body.

Lying there absentmindedly and staring at the ceiling, she slowly closed her eyes.

Her consciousness, already clouded by fatigue, began to waver.

Then, she heard someone’s voice.

—Bella, listen carefully.

From an old memory.

A woman holding young Bella in her arms smiled warmly as she spoke.

—You must never let anyone discover your ability. If they do, you’ll become unhappy.

—…….

—But don’t worry, Bella.

And those had been her final words.

—You will definitely be happy. All right?

Until the very moment she died, her mother had wished for the happiness of the daughter who had been born with the same curse as herself.

But contrary to her mother’s words, Bella was not happy at all.

Reality was so miserable that sometimes she even thought it would have been better if she had died alongside them that day.

“What’s so great about this stupid ability, anyway?”

Bella possessed a special power.

The same power her mother, the Imperial Family’s prophet, had possessed.

The power to see the future.

However, being able to see the future didn’t mean she could see whatever she wanted. Most of the futures she saw were also events whose exact timing she could not determine.

But once Bella saw something in a dream, it would inevitably become reality within 199 days.

Compared to her mother, who had been able to accurately foresee the future, Bella’s ability was less than half as powerful.

Even so, simply possessing the power of a Morpheus meant that she had to live in constant fear of someone discovering her secret.

But now, even that had reached its limit.

She was desperate for it to end.

She wanted this ending more than anything.

“……You said everything seen in a dream eventually comes true.”

Bella stared blankly at the ceiling and murmured softly, hoping that the god somewhere above would hear her.

“Then why don’t you try taking me too?”

She had no attachment to life anymore.

So this was almost a challenge to an unseen being whose very existence she wasn’t even certain of.

After venting her anger at someone who might not even exist, all the strength drained from her body.

Her consciousness soon became hazy.

What is this? Maybe it’s because I met so many people after such a long time?

Convinced that it must be the aftermath of the party, she let out a small sigh and closed her eyes.

It would still take several hours to reach home anyway.

Deciding to sleep at least until then, she finally relaxed.

Sleep slowly overtook her.

Darkness descended over her mind.

And before she knew it, Bella had fallen asleep.

Then she dreamed.

A man was standing inside a room covered entirely in pure white marble.

She had never seen him before.

He was a mysterious-looking man with jet-black hair and red eyes, and in his hand was a sword stained with blood.

The blood dripping from the blade gathered at his feet, forming a large pool.

And inside that very pool—

Bella saw a woman who looked like her lying there.

She knew without even having to approach and confirm it.

The ‘her’ lying on the floor was no longer breathing.

Her heart was no longer beating.

Shocked, Bella held her breath and watched the scene unfold.

Soon, the man’s intense red eyes turned toward her, glaring at her menacingly.

I will never forgive you.

The man, his face twisted with rage, spoke coldly.

Then the blue blade was raised into the air.

In the next instant, it came crashing down.

Yes.

Right now, in her dream—

Bella was witnessing her own death.

She was seeing herself being brutally killed by the hands of a mysterious man whose identity she did not know.

And this was also something that would happen to her in the future.

Because her dreams were connected to reality.