Bella, who grew up with him for a long time, noticed at once. Helios was interested in the Ardentines.

‘I know. I’m just a close friend.’

Bella has liked him for a long time, from the first time she met him. She couldn’t forget the moment she met Helios in the backyard of the Imperial Palace, nervous as she was unfamiliar with the area while searching for her brother.

I was walking in uncomfortable shoes and tripped over a stone. I couldn’t move because my knee was hurt, and I was so afraid that no one would find me and I would be abandoned. Now that I know the layout of the Imperial Palace, I won’t get lost, but I was too young back then.

When Bella, who was immersed in her memories, hardened her face and didn’t answer, Helios, feeling strange, approached her and spoke to her.

“Are you okay?”

Yes. That’s what he asked back then too. Helios, who appeared drenched in the dazzling sunlight, extended his hand to Bella, who had fallen, and asked. Are you ok?

“Yes, I’m fine.”

When I was young, I cried a lot because I was relieved that someone had found me. He was like an actual prince from a fairy tale.

“Really? So, shall we go see the Ardentines?”

“You’ve been interested in the Ardentines since last time.”

“Well, politically, it’s good to build a friendship with the Ardentines.”

Even the dull Grandwin could feel it. Helios shrugged off his criticism and gave a vague excuse. Grandwin nodded silently at his excuse. Helios was stubborn so he had no intention of stopping him because it was obvious that he would do whatever he wanted.

“They all came, right?”

“Are you talking about Lady Ariel?”

Bella spoke with a sharp voice unknowingly.

Ariel Ardentine. She was beautiful enough to catch everyone’s attention. She had only heard rumors, but even Bella admired her. It was understandable that Helios was interested. The two looked so good together as they danced at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet.

“No. Just everyone.”

Helios averted his gaze and answered timidly. Is he trying to hide his interest in her? The more he became interested in the Ardentines, the more Bella’s mood fell.

“Prince, the Ardentine carriage has arrived at the palace.”

Helios’ nanny announced the news that she had received from the maid. Helios’ face became brighter.

“They’ll go to the office first, right? Let’s wait in the hallway!”

“Are you going to pretend it’s a coincidence?”

“Yeah. That’s the easiest thing to do.”

A playful smile. Even though it was Bella’s favorite expression, she felt sick looking at a smile that wasn’t directed towards her.

“Bell?”

“Aren’t you coming Bell?”

Helios and Grandwin asked Bella, who was still sitting. They were already standing at the door, ready to leave.

“I… I don’t feel well. I’ll stay here. You two go.”

‘Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone.’

She forced herself to laugh as she uttered the opposite word of what was in the depths of her heart. However, the two men, who did not know Bella’s feelings, left the room saying she should rest and they’ll be back soon.​​

The corners of her lips, which had been forcibly raised, fell as soon as the door closed. Just like Bella’s feelings. Her stomach felt like it was twisted.

‘Let’s get some fresh air.’

Bella went out for a walk to calm her feelings. The sky was clear, unlike Bella’s mind. Looking at the blue sky, she felt ashamed of her feelings.

‘You said you wouldn’t be greedy. Let’s be satisfied with being by Helios’ side.’

It was something Bella had always sworn to herself. Knowing that her unrequited love could not come true, she found it so hard to swallow it up alone.  Bella went deep into the backyard. It was a light walk, but now she felt like crying. Bella wanted to spew out the emotions she had to swallow alone.

“Kya!”

Maybe it was because she wore high heels today, but Bella, who was walking fast without slowing down despite the rough road, stumbled into an unorganized bush. She fell and the heel she was wearing broke, and her stockings were torn by the bushes.

‘Is this my punishment for being jealous?’

The tears she had been holding back burst out.

Bella’s scratched leg sting between the torn stockings, and her heart hurt so much because of the feelings she had to deal with on her own. In fact, Bella doesn’t like high heels. The reason why she wore high heels after a long time was because of her inferiority complex to Ariel, who was taller than her. She wanted to get even a little of Helios’ attention.

‘I look like a fool.’

She really felt so stupid. Bella, who was worn out after crying for a long time, let out a deep sigh. After she let out her pent-up emotions, she was able to think calmly again. Bella was now close to Sirius’ palace. No wonder it wasn’t taken care of.

Realizing that she was near his palace, Bella was perplexed. Everyone in the Imperial Palace avoids Sirius, so she doesn’t even come close to his palace. It’s too far from the central palace, so Bella couldn’t go back alone. She frowned and thought hard about what to do when she heard faint voices in the distance.

‘People? Who came all the way here?’

It didn’t matter to Bella who was approaching. It would be nice if it was a knight or servant, but it didn’t matter if it was a maid. All they had to do was inform Grandwin of her situation. The voices were getting closer.

“Help me!”

Bella exclaimed. However, Bella’s voice could not reach them because she was still a little far away. After she cleared her voice and shouted one more time, a man’s voice came from over the bushes.

“Who is it!”

“Help me.”

Bella answered in a calm voice, thanks to the relief of being found. The people who heard her voice were surprised to find her there.

‘Why are these people here? Didn’t they go see His Majesty the Emperor?’

Bella, who was looking at Erial, Ariel, and Sernia, waited for a moment to see if Helios or Grandwin were with them. But they weren’t together. Maybe they crossed paths.

“Are you okay?”

The first person to approach her was Sernia.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Oh, blood…”

Sernia frowned as she looked at her scratched legs through the torn stockings. Bella felt ashamed to show her ugly side. She thought that blood would not be familiar among young noble girls, so she tried to cover it with her dress, but Sernia was quicker.

“It may hurt, but hang in there. It didn’t bleed much, but there could be a secondary infection.”

tl/n: A secondary infection is an infection that occurs during or after treatment for another infection.

Secondary infection? I did not understand Sernia’s words, so I tilted my head and looked at her expression. Sernia had a hurt face like my wounds. Why? I couldn’t understand Sernia’s kindness. We weren’t even close friends, since today was the first time we’ve ever talked.

Sernia took out a handkerchief and tied it to the wound. The white handkerchief was stained a little red, but she didn’t care.

“Umm, your shoes are also broken. What to do.”

Sernia looked at Bella’s condition nonstop. She fixed her tangled hair and removed the leaves on her dress. Then she looked at the broken shoes and was troubled.

“Sister. I informed the maid that Lady Bella was injured. Wait a little bit, and a knight or a doctor will come.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Ariel said as she approached Sernia. Sernia then walked over to Bella and sat down with a relieved expression on her face. It was something a normal noble would never do.

“You were surprised, right? Oh, by the way, I didn’t even introduce myself. My name is Sernia Ardentine.”

“Thank you for your help. My name is Bella Kaylen.”

Bella, surprised by Sernia’s actions, opened her eyes and responded to her greeting.

“Sister! At least sit down on a handkerchief.”

“But I don’t have a handkerchief.”

It was twins who reacted to her sudden action. Erial and Ariel took out their handkerchiefs at the same time and tried to hand them over to Sernia. The twins, whose eyes collided in the air, began to quarrel with each other to give their own handkerchiefs.

“She doesn’t need yours, so put it away.”

“I took it out first.”

Not paying any attention to the two of them, Sernia smiled as she folded her silver-gray eyes into a half-moon shape. Bella blushed at Sernia’s smile and bowed her head. When she looked into Sernia’s eyes, it felt like she was reading her mind.

“Okay. I’ll use both. Lady Bella.”

“Yes? Me?”

Sernia snatched the two handkerchiefs, wrapped one around her leg, and placed a blue stone from her arms on the other handkerchief. Sernia whispered softly into Bella’s ear, saying that her eyes were red.

“Sister that’s a Spirit Stone…”

“Yes. I’m going to use it a little.”

A subtle light flickered on the blue stone for a moment and then disappeared. Then she wiped the area around Bella’s eyes with the handkerchief.

‘It’s cool.’

The wet handkerchief erased Bella’s tear marks. She quietly surrendered herself to Sernia’s careful but meticulous hand. It was amazing. I thought of myself as a shy person, but Sernia narrowed the distance in an instant. It was like a soft embrace of light.

‘She resembles Helios, but it’s different…’

Bella leaned lightly on Sernia’s shoulder, who was sitting next to her. On the other hand, she resembles her brother. It felt like she could lean on Sernia with confidence. Sernia did not reject Bella and gently stroked her hair.

‘So comfortable.’

Was it because I let out the dark emotions I had been holding in with tears or was it because Sernia was too comfortable? I felt better after the bad day I had. Even though there was a person in front of me that I didn’t want to see, I didn’t hate her anymore.

***

​​​​I was worried about Bella, who was about to collapse at any moment. No matter how safe the Imperial Palace was, how frightening it must’ve been for a child to not be able to move. I tried to reassure Bella, and her face became more comfortable now that she was okay.

“Why don’t you introduce yourselves, Ariel and Erial?”

Feeling the atmosphere calming down, I asked a question I had been curious about for a long time.

“We introduced ourselves at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet.”

“You weren’t there then.”

At that time, I must have been shivering in the cold. Haha.

I laughed awkwardly.