094. The Engagement (1)

Owen, without hesitation, accepted Lucia’s request.

Having already gathered evidence of Edward’s illegal operations through prior investigations, filing formal complaints wasn’t difficult. Upon returning to his estate, Owen meticulously organized his findings, preparing for the next steps.

The very next day, evidence of Edward’s illegal enterprises began to surface in public channels.

Once the truth was out, Edward Celid’s downfall was swift. Idle rumors held little weight compared to concrete proof, especially in a society governed by strict imperial law.

Edward’s wealth and businesses were stripped away, and his reputation crumbled. The Celid Marquessate, desperate to salvage what remained, removed Edward from his position as heir. His younger sister, Hannah, was appointed in his stead.

Though Edward seethed with anger and resentment, he was powerless to fight back. Stripped of his resources, his influence, and even his standing within his own family, he was placed under strict house arrest. The situation was entirely against him, as it should have been.

Edward had committed the crimes, and his vulnerabilities were glaringly exposed.

By the time Bella and the rest of the party returned to the capital, Edward was on the brink of total ruin.

‘What a pathetic mess this guy made. Can’t even use dark magic properly.’

Bella thought bitterly as she watched the fallout.

It was laughable. He had dared to wield dark magic, yet his incompetence had left him utterly powerless. Bella couldn’t even understand why he had pursued dark magic in the first place if he couldn’t use it effectively.

‘No wonder Lucia dumped him…’ Bella clicked her tongue in disdain.

It made sense now why Lucia had broken off their engagement. Edward was not only a criminal but also a liability. Staying tied to him would have dragged her down into the abyss alongside him.

‘If you’re going to be a villain, at least be meticulous. Otherwise, you’re just asking to get caught.’

Bella sighed and shifted her focus. She wasn’t here to help Edward—she just needed to ensure his obsession didn’t become her problem.

“What will you do now?” she asked through the communication orb, her tone carefully neutral.

Edward’s face, projected within the orb, was pale and strained. He let out a long breath before responding.

“There aren’t many options left,” he admitted, his voice eerily calm.

It was unsettling, like the hiss of a snake cornered but still venomous. Bella maintained her composure, masking her irritation with feigned concern.

“Well, you’d better figure something out. You’ve run out of leverage.”

Edward was silent for a moment before replying in a voice so low it sent chills down her spine.

“Perhaps the only thing left is to kill her.”

“…What?”

Bella froze, struggling to process what she had just heard. Was he actually considering killing Lucia?

“What are you talking about?” she stammered, disbelief evident in her tone.

In ‘The Flower of the Empire’, Lucia’s death had been tragic but not random. She had been executed for repeated attempts to poison the saintess—a crime that warranted such punishment under imperial law. Yet here Edward was, casually suggesting murder out of sheer spite.

“Lucia will never love me. Hypnosis didn’t work, and neither did suggestions. There’s no way she’ll ever come to love me willingly.”

“….”

Bella’s silence wasn’t agreement—it was horror.

“If I can’t have her,” Edward continued, “then no one else should.”

Bella’s stomach churned at the sheer malice in his voice. This wasn’t love; it was madness. Obsession. He sounded like the deranged villain Kyle had warned her about, one willing to destroy anything and anyone in his path.

“That way, no one else can ever claim her.”

His words were the kind of twisted logic only the most unhinged murderers would use. Bella clenched her fists, realizing why Edward had been so passive in the original story when Lucia was sentenced to death. It wasn’t because he cared—he had wanted her gone. If he couldn’t have her, he had preferred her eradication, even if it meant watching someone else deliver the blow.

‘This bastard is insane.’

Bella’s lips tightened as she glared at the communication orb. She had thought Owen was extreme in his devotion, but Edward was a whole different breed of monster.

“I won’t involve the saintess,” Edward said suddenly, his voice adopting a mock gentleness. “After all, she’s meant to save lives, not take them.”

Bella’s expression soured further. His faux sincerity was sickening.

“Besides,” he added, “I hear the engagement ceremony is next week. Even after what I did, Lady Lucia insisted on proceeding without delay. Isn’t that commendable?”

“…Yes, it is,” Bella forced herself to reply, her voice strained.

“Two dukedoms uniting—how splendid. I assume the saintess will attend as well?”

“Yes.” Bella’s response was clipped, every fiber of her being warning her that Edward was plotting something.

“The engagement ceremony,” Edward mused, dragging out his words. “What a perfect place for an… event. So many people gathered, so much opportunity.”

Bella’s stomach twisted in dread. Though he didn’t elaborate, the sinister smile on Edward’s face told her enough.

“Be sure to attend, saintess,” Edward said, his tone dripping with false politeness. “I promise it will be… entertaining.”

The connection cut off abruptly, leaving Bella staring at the now-dark orb.

The connection to the communication orb was severed, leaving Bella biting her lip as she grappled with her swirling thoughts.

She couldn’t decide if it was better to let things unfold as they were. In ‘The Flower of the Empire’, Lucia’s death hadn’t caused a catastrophic shift in the story. Owen would be devastated, perhaps even driven to madness, but the plot could still move forward.

And if Owen broke completely?

‘Then I could have him.’

It would be easier to handle a broken Owen. The person he loved so desperately would be gone from this world. Edward’s success in carrying out his plan would ultimately work in Bella’s favor.

But there was one significant problem—Bella had never truly considered killing Lucia. Her dislike for Lucia wasn’t personal; it stemmed from the fact that Lucia was the one Owen loved, the one Bella had to contend with for his attention. But killing her? That was a line Bella hadn’t thought of crossing.

“Damn it,” Bella muttered, running her fingers through her hair in frustration.

Unable to find a solution, she opened a window to clear her head. A cool breeze, carrying the scent of autumn, swept into the room. Unlike Taylor County, where winter had already arrived, the capital was still in the throes of autumn.

The leaves outside had turned vibrant shades of red and yellow, painting the city in warm hues. Bella watched the falling leaves for a moment before mentally calculating the time.

Owen and Lucia’s engagement ceremony was next week. By then, October would have arrived.

‘If Owen becomes too exhausted and gives up…’

She started to mull over the possibilities again. If she let Edward carry out his plan and succeed in killing Lucia, Owen would lose the reason he stayed in this world.

‘He might even return to his original world.’

If that happened, Bella might meet the “real” Owen. And in that scenario, he would undoubtedly choose her.

“And even if he doesn’t leave, he’ll be left with nothing he wants.”

If Owen stayed, it wouldn’t matter. Losing Lucia would render him powerless to act. He would hate Bella, but that didn’t concern her. Unlike Edward, Bella had left no evidence or weaknesses to be exploited.

Even if Owen rejected her endlessly, he couldn’t erase her presence. He wasn’t the type to kill someone, so she could keep pressing until she found a way in.

The church and the imperial family would eventually back her efforts. The emperor feared the Verdun Dukedom’s power, and the church would push Bella forward as Owen’s equal—a saintess to counterbalance his might.

“After all, that’s why they supported their marriage in ‘The Flower of the Empire’,” Bella thought with a smirk.

“If he still refuses, maybe I could borrow Edward’s methods.”

If Owen resisted even after losing Lucia, if he sank into despair so deep it consumed him, Bella would have no choice but to resort to darker measures. She could seek out a dark mage or use their magic to manipulate Owen’s memories.

With mental magic, she could erase every trace of Lucia and replace those memories with herself. Hypnosis or suggestion could make him believe he loved her.

‘f Owen is too far gone to fix, then I’ll simply rewrite him.’

She would mold Owen into the perfect version—the one who loved her completely, the one who existed in ‘The Flower of the Empire’.

‘It’s not a bad idea,’ Bella mused, satisfaction creeping into her thoughts.

In the end, Bella decided to remain silent and let Edward carry out his plan. After all, it was his crime, not hers. If he failed, the consequences would fall squarely on him. Even a failed assassination attempt would turn the engagement ceremony into chaos, buying her time to maneuver.

“And if that happens, I’ll just have to spin some story.”

If Edward’s plan failed, there was only one option left—to lean into her role as the saintess.

Bella smiled wryly. The world had deemed her a saintess for her immense holy power and the rare ability to use it offensively.

If the world believed in her as the saintess, they would also believe her claims of hearing divine messages. No one could challenge the word of a saintess; neither the imperial family nor the church would dare oppose her.

“I’ll simply claim the gods have decreed our union.”

Even if it sounded absurd to Owen or Bella herself, the world would believe it. If Bella declared that the gods had chosen her as Owen’s fated partner, it would be impossible to refute.

Owen wouldn’t have to believe it; the rest of the world would believe for him.

And when the world turned, when people moved in Bella’s favor, Owen would have no choice but to follow.

So, Bella reassured herself, it didn’t matter.

 

 

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