SWGMBWD CH 04

“……Something feels strange.”

“What is it?”

At Roxy’s question as she tightened the corset from behind her, Bella quickly shook her head.

“No. It’s nothing.”

She said it was nothing worth worrying about, but in truth, it was far from nothing.

That was right. This was a huge deal.

All because of the dream she had on the carriage yesterday.

I definitely died.

Of course, it had only happened in her dream so far, but her dreams were connected to reality.

In other words, this was something that would actually happen to her.

And it would happen within the next 199 days.

Then…… am I going to die now?

Bella stood in front of the mirror, checking her appearance as she fell into deep thought.

Then, a thought suddenly occurred to her, and she let out a small laugh without realizing it.

God is more petty than I thought.

She had barely challenged God to try taking her life, and He had immediately sent a grim reaper after her.

What kind of god was this, anyway? He was unbelievably petty.

Of course, I’m grateful.

Bella stared at herself in the mirror, desperately suppressing the laughter that kept threatening to escape.

She found it hilarious that she looked so perfectly fine for someone who was facing death.

Anyone looking at her face would think she had received some wonderful news.

No, to be honest, she was happy.

Because at last, she would be able to escape this miserable reality.

First, I have to find that man.

Her eyes gleamed.

But how am I supposed to find him……?

The hope before her took one step back.

Bella fell into thought.

How was she supposed to find someone she had never seen before in her life?

A man she had seen only once—and only in a dream, at that.

I’m certain he’s a noble, at least.

She calmly searched through her memories.

She could only remember it vaguely, but there had been a distinctive emblem embroidered on the man’s clothes.

And in Argen, only a very small number of nobles were allowed to possess such an individual crest.

If he really is a high-ranking noble, I might be able to meet him at the Founding Festival.

The Founding Festival, where almost every noble would gather.

Bella suddenly thought that this event might be her opportunity.

The fact that she had happened to dream that dream at this particular time couldn’t be a coincidence, either.

Hope took another step closer.

Come to think of it……

Another noticeable feature of the man in her dream was his dark black hair and red eyes.

Most people of the Argen Empire had blonde or light brown hair.

Because of that, anyone with even slightly darker hair tended to stand out immediately.

And black hair?

If she encountered him at the Founding Festival, she was certain she wouldn’t miss him.

Perfect.

Bella grinned and clenched both fists.

Roxy, who had been fastening the buckles on her shoes, glanced up at her and gave a small laugh.

“You seem to be in a particularly good mood today.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. Your eyes are practically sparkling.”

At Roxy’s words, Bella stared intently at her reflection in the mirror.

But no matter how much she looked, she couldn’t figure out what was different from yesterday.

“Did something good happen?”

“That’s right. I actually found him.”

“Found what?”

“My destined partner.”

“Oh my. When? Where?”

“I’m planning to meet him in the future.”

The moment Bella finished speaking, Roxy’s amber eyes narrowed.

She soon let out a deep sigh and turned Bella around, saying that they should at least fix her hair first.

“Yes, yes. Then before you meet this destined partner of yours, shall we brush your hair first?”

At this rate, even her destined partner would run away, Roxy pointed out, staring at Bella’s horribly tangled hair.

Bella snickered.

Well, I suppose anyone would think I was talking nonsense.

The very idea of seeing the future through dreams was difficult to understand in the first place.

Last night, she had dreamed that she was killed by some man.

Which meant it would really happen within 199 days.

And now, she was searching for the man who had killed her in her dream.

Why?

So that, just as fate intended, she could be killed cleanly by his hand.

Anyone would agree that this was far from normal thinking.

199 days. I only have to hold out for 199 days.

Then I’ll be able to escape this horrible reality.

Or perhaps it would happen even sooner.

Bella looked at herself in the mirror and smiled again.

For some reason, her heart felt lighter today, as though something good was bound to happen.

Perhaps all the hope that had been invisible until now had suddenly come rushing toward her the moment she decided to embrace death.

Everything before her sparkled.

Hope seemed to overflow.

And with that pleasant fluttering in her heart, Bella’s limited-time life truly began.

“Your Highness.”

“…….”

“Crown Prince Evan?”

Keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead, Bella deliberately called out to him in a nasal, slightly teasing tone.

Only then did Evan turn his head toward her with an indifferent expression.

“I don’t like that tone.”

“Then would you please stop paying so much attention to me, Your Highness?”

I’m already busy enough as it is.

She quickly scanned the crowded hall and smiled faintly.

Since it was the second day of the festival, the banquet hall was so crowded that there was barely room to stand.

The food was also even more extravagant than yesterday.

There was an entire roasted venison, piles of roasted pigeons, and even rare seafood dishes.

These were foods she could never dream of eating at home, so if she didn’t eat them now, she might never get another chance.

But this is no time to get distracted by food.

Bella finally tore her eyes away from the table and looked at the people around her.

Most of them were faces she hadn’t seen yesterday.

Among them was Evian, the only daughter of Marquis Grace and Evan’s fiancée.

Wow…… She’s really glaring at me.

Although Evian had hidden her face behind a fan, Bella could still see the fierce look in her eyes.

“Evan. Move at least ten steps away from me right now.”

“What?”

Evan lowered his head and asked what she was talking about all of a sudden.

At that, Evian’s face twisted into an even more vicious expression.

Bella almost worried that the fan in her hand might snap in half.

Her hand was even trembling slightly.

“Look over there. They’re glaring at me like they want to kill me.”

Bella pointed across the hall.

A group of young noblewomen had gathered on the opposite side like a swarm of bees.

Among them was the familiar little fox with reddish-orange hair.

If looks could kill, I probably would have died the moment I walked in.

Bella sighed at the women’s jealous stares.

Judging from the overwhelming hostility radiating from them, it seemed like they were ready to cause another scene as soon as they returned home tonight.

“Just ignore those women.”

“How am I supposed to ignore them when they’re glaring at me like that?”

“Then should I go over there and say something to them?”

“Just try it.”

Evan quickly closed the distance she had deliberately created and asked casually.

Bella hurriedly shook her head.

After all, the reason she was being threatened in the first place was because of him.

She shot him a pointed glare that clearly said, Do you really not understand?

Evan finally backed down.

“If you’re going to stand this far away, why did you even come?”

“I have someone to meet.”

“Someone? Who?”

Bella swept her sharp gaze over the crowd once more before looking at him.

His eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

He clearly wasn’t going to let her get away with some vague answer.

Fine. I might as well be honest.

“My destined partner.”

The moment she answered, Evan’s blue eyes flashed just like the ones she had seen in her dream.

Unfortunately, though, the color was different.

What she wanted was a red so vivid it was almost frightening, like the blood that had stained the marble floor.

“What’s his name?”

After remaining silent for a moment, Evan asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Then what about his family?”

“Who knows…….”

As the questions continued to pour out, Bella fell into thought.

Judging from the charisma surrounding him, she didn’t think he was a low-ranking noble.

“He seemed like he was somewhere in the middle-to-upper ranks.”

“Middle-to-upper ranks…….”

Even Bella thought her answer was far too vague, and she gave an awkward smile.

Evan frowned as though frustrated.

“How old is he?”

“I think he was about my age.”

Bella searched through her memories for a moment before answering confidently.

This much she was certain about.

The man she had seen in her dream hadn’t looked particularly old.

“……What’s his personality like?”

“Hmm. His personality…….”

It was only a dream, but considering that he had swung his sword without mercy and then calmly brought it down on her even while she was already covered in blood and dying……

“I suppose he’s a little hot-tempered?”

One thing was certain.

He had absolutely no mercy.

When Bella added that he also seemed somewhat ruthless, Evan’s expression twisted into something impossible to describe.

“Why on earth would you want to meet someone like that?”

“Unfortunately, someone like that is my only lifeline right now.”

And not just any lifeline.

One sent by God himself.

Even as she said it, Bella felt strangely bitter and let out a sigh.

Evan stared at her as though he couldn’t understand her at all, but there was nothing she could do.

“You don’t even 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 lifeline?”

“I suppose I’m at the stage where I get to know him from now on.”

“…….”

“Isn’t that what love is usually like?”

Bella began listing the theories about love she had picked up somewhere.

Evan clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Whew…… Fine. Then what does he look like?”

“Does his appearance really matter?”

“You never know. Maybe he’s someone I know.”

Bella paused at Evan’s words.

He had a point.

Given his position as Crown Prince, he was bound to have met countless nobles.

Why didn’t I think of this before?

Having come up with an easier way to search, Bella quickly described the man she had seen in her dream.

“First, he has black hair. His skin is so pale that it almost looks white…… Oh, and his eyes are red, like the setting sun.”

That was about all she could remember.

Black hair.

Red eyes.

And, if she remembered correctly, he had been quite a handsome man with surprisingly refined features.

Could Evan possibly know someone who matched those conditions?

No.

For some reason, she felt the possibility was rather slim.

So she wasn’t expecting much.

But then—

“Oh, could it be……?”

Evan hesitated before carefully beginning to speak.

Just then—

“His Excellency, Duke Avalan, has arrived!”

Huh?

At the attendant’s announcement, which echoed through the hall at precisely that moment, everyone gathered inside began to stir.

Bella was no exception.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone acting like this? Duke Avalan? Was there a ducal family by that name?”

Bella looked around before quietly asking Evan.

But for some reason, there was no answer.

When she turned to him, she found him staring at her with a shocked expression.

He looked as though he had been struck by a tremendous shock.

“Avalan? The real Avalan actually came? He never comes to the capital…….”

He stared at her before asking,

“What’s going on, Bella? Did you somehow know in advance that the duke would be attending today?”

“What?”

“Did you arrange to meet Duke Avalan separately?”

“I’m asking who Duke Avalan is.”

“Ray Avalan. You really don’t know?”

Bella shook her head at his exasperated question.

Evan let out a deep sigh.

Then he pointed toward somewhere in the hall.

“That man is Duke Avalan.”

“That man? Who…….”

Bella turned toward the direction he was pointing.

And then she froze.

There, in the distance, standing among the crowd, was a man who immediately caught her eye.

Jet-black hair.

A face as white as snow.

And eyes as intensely red as though rubies had been embedded in them.

Thump.

That man.

It was him.

The man from her dream.

He was right there.