There Is No Mercy

Chapter 43

Aden looked at me quietly, then leaned back and spoke slowly.

“Is this also Bellieta’s doing?”

“I think so.”

I hadn’t anticipated things would turn out this way from the start.

Just as Bellieta had planted people to spy on me, I had done the same to her.

I needed to gather information in advance so I could prevent her from pulling any tricks.

Because of that, I found out that Bellieta had been secretly meeting with some man.

That man was Krembel, who had been hanging around Count Oxiad.

I had someone keep an eye on him, thinking Bellieta might use him for something, and one of the things we caught was the military council meeting.

“I could handle other matters on my own, but the military council wasn’t one of them. No matter how hard I tried, there are some things beyond my control, like the chair vote. That’s why I prepared the gate in advance.”

“Honestly, when I got your letter, I was pretty surprised. I didn’t think you’d invest this much in something uncertain. Even if that wasn’t the case, dealing with everything from A to Z in such detail isn’t easy. This kind of response can only come from someone who knows their opponent inside and out.”

I smiled silently at Aden’s words.

He wasn’t wrong.

No matter how closely you watch someone, people can be unpredictable.

If I didn’t know Bellieta well, I wouldn’t have been able to deal with this so effectively.

If I had thought, ‘There’s no way she’d get involved in the military conference. Even if Brilloxen suffers serious damage, it’s not like I’d be the only one in trouble,’ I would have been caught off guard again.

But knowing Bellieta, I was fully aware that she’d be willing to kill a hundred people if it meant hurting me, even just a little.

Bellieta’s personality and methods…

I’d experienced them for decades now.

I was beyond sick of it.

“But did you really have to go this far?”

“What do you mean?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

Was he saying I overreacted?

Or was there some other meaning?

As I looked at him curiously, Aden set down his glass.

“Even if the bill passed, we could’ve stopped it in the internal revision meeting, right? In those meetings, my influence is stronger than in the military council. You could’ve just asked me to block it then. Wouldn’t that have been more efficient than spending all this money?”

At first glance, it sounded like he was saying my response was too hasty or over the top.

But Aden’s eyes didn’t seem to be questioning that.

He was genuinely curious why I chose to respond this way.

I stayed silent, sipping my juice, and after a moment, Aden added more.

“I’m not doubting your abilities or criticizing your actions.”

“I know. I understand what you’re asking. What kind of idiot wouldn’t pick up on that?”

I smiled and set my glass down, and Aden’s expression relaxed slightly.

Leaning back in my chair like him, I glanced out the window.

It was a sunny afternoon.

The sunset was stretching out, signaling the day’s end.

I stared at it for a while, then closed my eyes.

“Don’t you know people like that? Someone you absolutely don’t want to lose to, even over something incredibly petty. Not something with a clear winner or loser like a game, exam, or work result. More like… I can eat the food they hate, or I can finish my meal faster than them. Silly little things, but you still don’t want to lose.”

I turned my gaze from the window and locked eyes with Aden.

His calm face met my eyes, and I could see his shoulders rise and fall.

Lowering my gaze to the glass in his hand, I continued.

“Bellieta is exactly that kind of person to me. She’s not just someone I don’t want to lose to. She’s the one who took everything from me. The mere fact that she exists in this world fuels my rage. She’s someone I absolutely need to end with my own hands.”

I placed the empty glass on the table.

A drop of water slid down the glass and spread across the table.

I lifted my gaze from where it had fallen and looked at Aden, continuing.

“Of course, as you said, there’s a way to handle things after they pass. I had thought of that too. But since I’ve already intervened here, there’s no guarantee I won’t have to intervene later. There’s a reason I blocked this in advance.”

Just like I told Chelano, there were ways to handle things afterward. They were effective but came with some risks.

“It wasn’t just for that reason though. If I backed off now, it would mean things went exactly the way Bellieta wanted.
Avalanches start from a small snowball rolling down a mountain and eventually moving the entire mountain, Aden.”

I called his name briefly, and his golden eyes shimmered.

Meeting his gaze, I spoke with firm determination.

“I’m not leaving even the slightest possibility open. I don’t want Bellieta to be drunk on this victory and move on to something even bigger. So, calling you here and making such a big investment—what might seem like overkill—wasn’t too much for me.”

I crossed my legs and rested my chin on my hand as I looked at Aden, who squinted slightly.

When I tilted my head, my hair swung forward, brushing my cheek.

I tucked it behind my ear and let out a breath, smiling slightly, which made Aden’s eyes flicker.

I pointed at him with my long, slender fingers.

“It’s thanks to you.”

“…”

“The moment I had you on my side, any investment after that became insignificant.”

“…”

“You’re that kind of man to me. Right now, you’re the most important person in my life—someone I can trust and rely on.”

I smiled at Aden, who had been helping me more than I ever imagined.

“You’re the most precious person to me, someone I’d never trade for anything. In that sense, I’m actually grateful to Bellieta.”

I picked up the two empty glasses and set them down, facing each other, then raised my chin slightly.

“For not taking you.”

That’s one thing she did right.

She gave me a priceless gift.

“Thanks to that, I have you.”

The man named Aden Rippleton.

* * *

As Bellieta was leisurely sipping tea in the garden, Fiorret approached her.

Bellieta gave her a quick glance and smiled before politely excusing herself from the Countess sitting across from her.

Leaving the clueless Countess behind, Bellieta walked over to Fiorret, crossing her arms as if to ask what was going on.

Fiorret spoke in a very quiet voice.

“The Marquis of Mormond has come to see you.”

“Send him away, Fiorret. Father is in the capital, and so is Mother. Besides, I’m not merciful enough to meet with someone who’s failed.”

“…But he’s unstable. If we send him away, who knows what he might do? Maybe it’s best to meet him.”

“What do you mean by ‘who knows what he might do?'”

Fiorret’s eyes widened in panic as she looked up, but Bellieta gazed back at her calmly, expressionless.

As Fiorret stammered, unable to continue, Bellieta’s lips curled into a slow smile.

She walked over to Fiorret, still smiling.

“I’m joking. Of course, I’ll meet him. How could I not, when the Marquis of Mormond himself has come looking for me?”

“…”

“Naturally, I have to meet someone dangerous enough to threaten the Lady of Bozebourne. Isn’t that right, Fiorret?”

Fiorret bit her lip in silence.

Bellieta quietly turned and headed for the drawing room, where the Marquis of Mormond’s knights were lined up.

As soon as Bellieta stepped inside, the Marquis, who had been waiting, jumped to his feet and shouted.

“Bell—!”

“What brings you here, Marquis? I believe I told you we wouldn’t be meeting.”

Bellieta’s voice cut him off, her tone sharp, hiding her subtle anger behind a calm facade.

She waved off the maids standing nearby and took a seat.

As she crossed her legs elegantly, the Marquis narrowed his eyes.

Bellieta clasped her hands neatly in her lap, signaling him to speak.

The Marquis exhaled deeply, blinking.

“What are you going to do now, Lady? I did exactly what you asked, and now my position is at risk. How are you going to take responsibility for that?”

“Responsibility? That’s a strange thing to say. What responsibility are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb! Didn’t you tell me to support Count Oxiad at the military council?!”

“Let’s be precise. That was my father’s decision, not mine.”

“Are you trying to weasel out of this? Do you think I don’t know what’s really going on?”

The Marquis, furious at Bellieta’s evasion, lashed out.

As a man from a military family, facing the disgrace of an unprecedented forced retirement had pushed the Marquis to his breaking point.

The thought of his name being recorded in history in a negative light enraged him.

“I’ve always been neutral on Count Oxiad’s proposal. If anything, I was against it. But Bozebourne forced me into supporting it. Isn’t that right?”

“How strange. I don’t recall forcing you into anything.”

Bellieta tilted her head slightly and gave a slow, mocking smile.

The Marquis, already boiling with anger, finally exploded, jumping to his feet.

“Are you mocking me?!”

“Didn’t you choose this yourself? To obtain the position of Commander-in-Chief that you could never achieve in your lifetime.”