Side Story 5. Saints and Wizards (2)

The moment Kyle heard the words “Do you have feelings for me?” his body froze.

It felt as though Bella had struck a nerve he didn’t even know he had. He couldn’t understand why. Why did those words feel so sharp, cutting into him as though they exposed something deeply buried?

Yet, the sensation lingered—an unshakable feeling that he had been caught off guard and struck somewhere vulnerable.

He remained silent, his blue eyes betraying his inner turmoil. The faint trembling in his gaze, the way it darted helplessly, seemed to speak more than words ever could. His confusion was palpable, almost tangible.

Watching Kyle’s reaction, Bella became even more certain.

There was no doubt in her mind—Kyle had feelings for her. He simply didn’t recognize them yet.

“Do you like me?” Bella pressed again, determined to be direct as Lucia had advised.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and it seems like you might,” she added, her persistence unintentionally cornering Kyle like a trapped animal.

Kyle’s wide eyes betrayed his panic. His ears flushed red as he instinctively leaned back, as though trying to put more distance between them. His tall frame seemed to shrink into the corner as though he thought he could escape there.

“…Tower Lord?” Bella tilted her head, blinking at his flustered state. It was almost amusing how a man of Kyle’s stature and composure could crumble so easily.

Kyle opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. His lips moved uselessly, betraying his inability to form a coherent response.

‘Why am I so rattled?’ Kyle wondered, his mind a swirling mess. He couldn’t understand his own reaction. Why was this question so unsettling? Why did he feel like running from it?

He had always considered himself far removed from feelings like love.

Romance was a trivial pursuit for the aristocrats who laughed and schemed at their frivolous banquets—or for people like Owen, who could pour their whole hearts into it without hesitation.

Kyle, on the other hand, had no space in his life for such things. He couldn’t abandon his work or his responsibilities for the sake of love. Choosing a lover over the world was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

So why was he acting as if he was someone capable of such feelings?

Thump, thump.

The sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears, loud and relentless. His vision wavered as the heat rising to his face became unbearable.

“…It’s a misunderstanding,” Kyle finally forced out, clinging to logic like a lifeline. He struggled to steady his voice, convincing himself that his reaction was due to fatigue.

‘Yes, that’s it. I’m just tired.’

After all, he’d been pushing himself to the limit with his magical research, staying up for days at a time. Then, he had been meeting Owen during the day despite his exhaustion.

Surely, that explained it.

“You’re mistaken,” he said again, though his trembling voice made the words sound hollow even to his own ears.

Bella’s calm response cut through his fragile confidence.

“Ah, I see. It was my misunderstanding,” she said with a soft smile, her tone unbothered.

Kyle’s chest tightened at her words, a strange ache forming as if he were losing something precious.

When his gaze finally met hers again, Bella continued, her smile gentle yet earnest.

“But I didn’t dislike the misunderstanding,” she said. “Even if it wasn’t true, I liked the idea that you might care for me. It made me happy… because you’re a good person.”

Thump, thump.

Kyle’s heart seemed to beat differently now, or so he thought. It no longer felt erratic but… expectant. Like a quiet hope had bloomed in the chaos.

* * *

From that day, Bella followed Lucia’s advice—except, she took it several steps further.

She actively sought Kyle out, meeting him nearly every day. She visited him at the Mage Tower and invited him to spend time with her in various settings.

Kyle, caught up in the whirlwind of her attention, found himself unable to resist. He didn’t know how to handle the constant, focused affection. It was disarming, pulling him further into her orbit.

Still, even with her overt advances, Kyle didn’t utter the words Bella was waiting for. He didn’t confess. Yet Bella wasn’t discouraged.

His reactions were all the reassurance she needed.

He always opened the tower’s doors for her, welcomed her presence no matter how long she stayed, and never refused her invitations—even those to events with prying eyes.

As a result, rumors about Bella and Kyle spread like wildfire through the social circles, much like they had when Owen and Lucia began spending time together.

Initially, both the temple and the Mage Tower were uneasy about the connection between the Saintess and the Tower Lord. The two institutions had a long-standing history of animosity, and their leaders being tied together seemed like a recipe for trouble.

But both sides eventually came to realize the truth: the Saintess and the Tower Lord were sincere in their relationship.

After that, the two factions seemed to move in quiet agreement, as though some secret pact had been made. Perhaps discussions had occurred behind closed doors—nothing grand, but perhaps something as simple as agreeing to maintain peace for the sake of the pair.

‘In other words, there’s nothing standing in our way,’ Bella thought, her confidence growing.

It might take some time, but with no obstacles to hinder her, she was content to wait until Kyle came to terms with his feelings. If he didn’t, she could always confess first.

‘If I say it too soon, he might not know how to respond,’ she mused, nodding to herself.

That day, she met Kyle at a restaurant. The venue was popular among nobles, its patrons consisting largely of socialites.

‘Now that I think about it, Lucia probably recommended this place on purpose,’ Bella realized, a small smile forming on her lips.

Bella’s decision to have several meetings outside stemmed from Lucia’s recommendation. While the daily meetings were Bella’s choice, the venues were guided by Lucia’s suggestions.

When Bella sought advice, feeling it might be awkward to keep meeting in the same place, Lucia had confidently proposed a solution.

“The marketplace would be nice,” Lucia had said. “Preferably places frequented by nobles—restaurants, dessert shops, or tea houses.”

At first, Bella found the suggestion puzzling. Choosing such upscale venues seemed unnecessary, given that neither she nor Kyle came from noble backgrounds. Eating in places that might make them both uncomfortable didn’t seem ideal.

But she trusted Lucia. Lucia always had her reasons, grounded in careful consideration and experience.

Now, Bella understood.

Bella, with her straightforward personality, would never have come up with such a calculated strategy on her own. She wasn’t the type to manipulate circumstances to create pressure on someone else, even if it was with good intentions.

But Lucia was different.

Lucia wasn’t above using every tool at her disposal. She knew how to utilize rumors and public opinion to accelerate matters. Her habit of strategically leveraging whispers in noble circles extended even to Bella and Kyle’s situation.

“Saintess.”

Kyle’s voice interrupted Bella’s thoughts. She turned her silver gaze to meet his blue eyes, noticing his awkward grip on his knife as he attempted to cut into his steak.

“About the alcohol…” Kyle hesitated, his voice tinged with unease.

Following his gaze, Bella’s eyes shifted to the whiskey glass and bottle on the table—yet another of Lucia’s ideas.

“Alcohol is one of the most effective tools,” Lucia had explained. “It’s the quickest way to get someone to reveal their true feelings. The only downside is they might not remember anything afterward.”

“…What if they don’t remember?” Bella had asked hesitantly.

“It’s better if they do, of course. But if they don’t, you can always tell them what you want them to believe,” Lucia had said with a sly smile.

Bella had been reluctant at first. The idea of relying on someone’s drunkenness and then potentially lying to them didn’t sit well with her.

“Would it be too much trouble to have just one drink with me?” Bella asked now, her voice soft but insistent.

Despite her reservations, she had followed Lucia’s advice. Lucia’s status as the pinnacle of the social world gave weight to her words. Moreover, her personal experiences lent her advice an undeniable credibility.

“I’ve experienced something similar,” Lucia had said, sharing her own story. “It was meaningful, even though the other person didn’t remember at first.”

That was enough for Bella to overcome her hesitation and gently but firmly request Kyle’s participation.

Kyle avoided her gaze for a moment, clearly torn. But as Bella’s earnest eyes stayed fixed on him, his resolve faltered, and he finally gave a small nod.

Bella’s face lit up as she poured whiskey into his glass, the ice clinking softly as the amber liquid filled the cup. Kyle watched the process with a mix of dread and resignation.

“…Thank you,” he muttered, his voice low and unconvincing.

With a determined expression, he lifted the glass and took a deep breath before bringing it to his lips.

Gulp, gulp.

Bella watched as Kyle drained his drink, and then, steeling herself, she poured a glass for herself.

‘…Ugh, it’s awful,’ she thought, wincing as the sharp, bitter taste assaulted her tongue. The alcohol’s strength made her face scrunch involuntarily.

Still, she forced herself to finish the drink. She had asked Kyle to join her, after all, and it wouldn’t be fair to back out herself. Closing her eyes tightly, she downed the rest of the whiskey as if it were a punishment.

Clink.

Both glasses returned to the table at nearly the same time. Bella and Kyle looked at each other, their expressions oddly resolute as if they had just overcome a great challenge.

“…Would you like another?” Bella offered hesitantly.

Kyle visibly recoiled, but he ultimately nodded. He couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

The evening continued in this manner, with both of them enduring three glasses of whiskey each before they moved on to the actual purpose of their meeting. However, contrary to Lucia’s assurances, there were no dramatic revelations. Neither Kyle nor Bella seemed significantly affected by the alcohol, and neither opened up about their deeper feelings.

Bella found herself puzzled and a little disappointed. Had she done something wrong? Was the alcohol not strong enough?

* * *

The next day, Bella came to understand exactly what Lucia had meant.

 

 

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