Side Story 6. Saints and Wizards (3)

“Huh…”

Bella clutched the blanket tightly, her eyes darting around to take in her unfamiliar surroundings.

The ceiling, the windows, the bed—none of it was familiar. This wasn’t the temple.

That alone was shocking enough, but what truly startled her was the presence of someone else in the bed.

‘What happened last night?’

The tousled blue hair against the pillow made the identity of the other person glaringly obvious.

Kyle.

The Mage Tower Lord.

He was still asleep, his eyes closed as if lost in a deep slumber.

‘I don’t remember anything.’

Had it been the three consecutive glasses of alcohol she’d had for the first time? Or was it simply that the drink had been too strong for her inexperienced tolerance?

Bella bit her lower lip in frustration as she realized that her memory was completely blank beyond the scene of drinking.

‘Did I do something…?’

She hadn’t returned to the temple, which meant they were likely in an uproar over her disappearance. The Mage Tower was probably no different.

And then there was the inevitable fallout in the social circles.

The thought made her stomach churn. A young, unmarried man and woman sharing a room? The rumors were bound to spread, and they wouldn’t be kind.

Among the nobility, appearances were everything, even if the reality often told a different story. The scandal of a saintess and the reclusive Mage Tower Lord—both of common birth—breaking such social norms would surely fuel endless gossip.

“What do I do now…” Bella muttered to herself, sighing in despair.

As if on cue, Kyle’s eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes slowly opened. His sleepy blue gaze wandered aimlessly before landing on Bella.

“Ah—Saintess!”

Kyle bolted upright, his voice trembling as he struggled to piece together his fractured memory.

All he could recall was Bella’s laughter from the previous evening:

“You’re completely drunk, Tower Lord.”

The memory made his face pale with dread.

‘This is why I don’t drink.’

Kyle had always avoided alcohol for a reason. He was unbelievably weak to it—one glass was enough to leave him tipsy, two would blur his memory, and three… well, three made him a complete mess.

He would lose control of his body and, sometimes worse, his mouth.

He had sworn never to drink again after his first disastrous encounter with alcohol. Yet, last night, he had caved to Bella’s request. He hadn’t been able to refuse her earnest plea.

But he hadn’t expected to wake up like this.

‘What on earth did I say or do to end up here?’

Kyle let out a long, heavy sigh, running his hands over his face. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios, his inability to remember making it all the more terrifying.

He looked around the unfamiliar room—likely an inn—and couldn’t shake the feeling that he had done something irreparable.

“I’m sorry,” Kyle blurted out, squeezing his eyes shut in regret.

“I’m sorry, too,” Bella said simultaneously.

The unplanned harmony made them both blink in surprise, and their gazes briefly met before they quickly looked away, their faces flushing.

“Wh-what do you have to apologize for, Saintess? Surely I’m the one who overstepped,” Kyle stammered, his words rushed and jumbled.

“No, I insisted on drinking. It’s my responsibility,” Bella countered.

Neither of them could bring themselves to make eye contact again.

Bella’s disheveled appearance, though fully clothed, hinted at the chaos of the previous night. Meanwhile, Kyle wasn’t even wearing a shirt, his pale, well-toned torso on full display—a sight that only added to the awkwardness.

“I’ll take responsibility,” Bella said, her voice suddenly resolute.

Kyle, startled by the statement, turned his head to look at her.

“Responsibility?” he repeated, confusion evident in his wide, blue eyes.

“Yes, I’ll take responsibility for you, Tower Lord,” Bella declared with determination.

“Will you go out with me? Let’s date.”

“…Excuse me?”

Kyle’s delayed reaction was filled with shock and disbelief. His eyes trembled as if unsure whether he had heard her correctly.

“Let’s be together. What do you think?” Bella asked, leaning into her bold decision to confront the situation head-on.

Kyle instinctively leaned back, retreating toward the edge of the bed much like he had during their previous conversation in his office.

“I-I… uh…”

Completely unprepared, Kyle found himself floundering, his ears turning a vivid shade of red. Desperate, he glanced around the room as if searching for an escape route.

“Don’t run away,” Bella said firmly, grabbing his wrist before he could slip away.

The touch made Kyle flinch, his entire body tense as his gaze darted wildly.

“Something happened, so I’ll take responsibility. It’s mostly my fault, so you don’t need to worry about anything,” Bella continued with unwavering resolve.

“It’s not about worry, it’s just…” Kyle trailed off, struggling to make sense of Bella’s logic.

Why did it feel like everything was spiraling out of his control?

And why did her touch, her words, her very presence make it impossible for him to think straight?

It was only natural to think that in situations like this, people usually apologized and pretended nothing happened to sweep it all under the rug.

‘Why is the Saintess so bold…?’ Kyle thought, baffled.

They were both in positions where they had a lot to lose. Just the revelation that they had spent the night together at an inn would spark sharp-tongued rumors. While Kyle, who cared little for gossip, might not be affected, it would be a different story for Bella, who had just entered high society.

And yet, here she was, proposing to formalize a relationship with the Tower Lord.

Kyle couldn’t wrap his head around it. The inevitability of vicious rumors seemed glaringly obvious—gossip of commoners pursuing each other to their “appropriate level,” as the nobles would put it, dripping with condescension.

Surely, it would be better to cover up the incident and pretend it never happened.

But Bella didn’t seem to care at all.

Memories of last night surfaced, bringing with them fragments of their conversation.

“Saintess, have you ever liked someone before?”

“Hmm, if you mean in the past tense, then no.”

“I see… Neither have I.”

“So, this is your first love?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, nothing. First love sounds romantic, doesn’t it?”

Kyle cringed inwardly as he recalled those words. He had brought up the topic of love out of nowhere, and Bella had effortlessly turned it into a whimsical discussion.

“Tower Lord, what do you think when you see me?”

“When I see you…?”

“Yes, when you see me.”

“…I think you’re dazzling.”

Alcohol had a way of loosening tongues, and last night had been no exception.

“You’re a radiant person. From the moment I first saw you, I thought so. Kind and dazzling.”

Remembering how he had poured out his heart, Kyle silently screamed.

‘What on earth was I thinking…?’

As his face paled in mortification, Bella leaned in closer, taking advantage of his distraction.

“What’s with that face? Did you remember something from last night?” she asked, her face now mere inches from his.

Startled by her proximity, Kyle instinctively jerked back, causing him to lose his balance and tumble to the floor.

Unfortunately, Bella, still holding onto his wrist, followed suit, landing on top of him.

Their awkward position was enough to make anyone do a double take. With Bella on top of Kyle, it looked as if she were pinning him down.

Bella blinked at their predicament before resting her arms on either side of Kyle’s head, trapping him.

“Well, since we’re already like this,” she said, her voice steady, “why don’t you tell me what happened? I don’t remember anything.”

“I… that is…” Kyle stammered, unable to meet her gaze.

“Are you planning to keep it all to yourself? That’s not fair,” Bella teased, her tone light but persistent.

“…No, of course not,” Kyle said, finally relenting. His voice was barely above a whisper. “I remember what I said last night.”

Kyle’s face was now beet red, his embarrassment compounded by their compromising position. He could guess what had happened based on their disheveled appearances, and the thought made him want to crawl into a hole.

“Tell me. I’m curious,” Bella insisted, lowering her face until their lips were mere inches apart.

Kyle squeezed his eyes shut, his thoughts spiraling.

Memories of last night came rushing back again.

“Tower Lord, did you know? I like you, too.”

“So, how about it? Will you give me a chance?”

He recalled how, after dinner, they had wandered through a bustling night market together, having sent the temple knights away. Intoxicated and unable to walk properly, they had ended up at an inn.

And then, he had done something unforgivable.

“Tower Lord, you’re a beautiful person,” Bella had said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around him after freshening up. Her drunken state had made her bold.

“You’re beautiful, kind, and someone I adore.”

She had repeated her feelings several times, and Kyle, swept up in the moment, had kissed her.

Not just any kiss—a kiss filled with pent-up emotions, as if he were swallowing her confessions whole.

When Bella hadn’t pushed him away, the kiss had naturally led to the next step, both of them surrendering to the moment without hesitation.

“Tell me,” she had murmured, their breaths mingling. “Do you like me?”

Kyle had taken her hand and placed it around his neck as he replied, “I think I do.”

“Be certain,” she had pressed, her voice insistent.

“When I see you, my heart races uncontrollably,” he had confessed. “I look forward to the times I see you. I even wait for your unannounced visits.”

“That sounds like love to me,” Bella had muttered, and Kyle had finally admitted it.

“It must be.”

And then, in the quiet of the night, Kyle had murmured over and over again that he loved her, just as Bella had repeatedly confessed her feelings for him.

 

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