Chapter 60
Bellieta’s smile, which had been calm until now, slowly faded as the conversation went in a direction she hadn’t expected.
Her lips twitched, but her eyes narrowed as she tried to regain her composure.
‘You think you can trick me with your little schemes? Not a chance.’
At this point, Bellieta was playing right into my hands.
“…That’s not what I was expecting at all,” she muttered, letting out a long sigh.
Just then, a sound came from behind me, like something rustling, followed by the sharp pull of a bowstring.
As I turned to look, Bellieta’s voice rang out, “Sierra.”
When I looked back at her, Bellieta’s lips parted slowly.
“The Sierra I used to know… Where did she go? The friend I loved and cherished—where did she disappear to?”
I stayed silent.
“What happened to you? What made you change like this? I just want to go back to how things were before when we were kind to each other. I even begged you to stay friends and practically threw myself at you. I did everything I could to help you, even if it was difficult… So why won’t you change? Tell me… Where did the Sierra I knew go?”
She took a step closer, her expression hardening.
In her hands, she now held a bow with an arrow notched.
She glanced down at the taut string before meeting my gaze again, looking at me with the saddest expression.
“Sierra, I’ll ask you one last time. Come back to me. Come back to the kind and thoughtful friend I used to know.”
What nonsense.
That was never going to happen.
Not when I came back, and not now.
The only thing I had to offer you, Bellieta, was death.
How could I ever forgive you after you ruined my family, desecrated my parents’ remains, and mocked everything I held dear?
There was no need to hide my emotions any longer.
I could say it loud and clear now.
“Wake up, Bellieta.”
“…What?”
“Let me say this one last time. Kneel in front of me and beg. Beg for forgiveness for everything you’ve done.”
“Sierra…”
“Maybe then, just maybe…”
I’ll kill you quickly, without any pain.
I smiled coldly, not needing to finish my sentence.
Bellieta seemed to understand what I was implying, her face briefly contorting in shock.
She shook her head and lifted her bow, pointing just to the side of me.
The bow wasn’t aimed directly at me, but her body was.
All she had to do was turn her arm slightly, and the arrow would hit me dead center.
Her eyes wavered.
“What happened to us?” she asked, her voice heavy with sadness.
Then, she drew the bowstring back.
At that moment, Fiorètte, who was standing behind her, also raised her bow, drawing her own arrow.
It would only take a second for both arrows to hit me.
The small earring in my ear swayed as I lifted my chin, the one Kestian had given me just in case.
Bellieta gave me one last nod as if to say goodbye.
I shook my head.
Bellieta sighed deeply before whispering, “It’s a shame, Sierra.”
And with that, she released her arrow.
But just as it was about to fly, a loud rustling sound broke through the tension.
“Oh my… what’s going on here…?”
Startled by the sudden noise, Bellieta jerked her bow to the side, causing the arrow to fly off course and land directly in front of Cherni, who had just emerged from the bushes.
“…”
Cherni stood frozen in shock, unable to even scream, staring at the arrow lodged in the ground at her feet.
It wasn’t just Bellieta and Cherni who were stunned—Fiorètte had also faltered, though her arrow remained undrawn.
Behind Cherni, other voices echoed as more young noblewomen stumbled into view, all dressed casually, with leaves tangled in their hair.
As they came closer, Bellieta’s expression twisted with frustration.
The silent, eerie forest where monsters supposedly roamed…
This was supposed to be a place where anything could happen.
But now, Bellieta’s carefully laid plan had completely fallen apart.
She clenched her lips and shot a glare toward the noblewoman before glancing back at me.
I met her gaze and smiled quietly.
Bellieta’s lips parted.
“…You’re not the Sierra I used to know, after all.”
“How could I be? I’m the same person you’ve always known.”
And you’re the same Bellieta who wouldn’t hesitate to push me to my death.
Bellieta signaled for Fiorètte to lower her bow before turning away.
“Sierra, I’m not giving up. I’ll keep trying until you come back. There was a time we were torn apart before, but we found our way back to each other, didn’t we? We’ll do it again. Just wait and see, Sierra.”
With that, she turned and plastered a bright smile on her face as she greeted the other noblewomen, acting as if nothing had happened.
I scoffed internally.
‘Wait? Sure, I’ll wait. Let’s see what tricks you come up with next.’
As she exchanged pleasantries with the noblewomen, I turned to walk away. I could still feel Bellieta’s gaze burning into my back, her frustration palpable.
She was determined, and that was the scariest part.
I had no intention of going back to the way things were, but the more she pushed, the more I felt like she was just going to keep coming at me.
“Did you do this?”
Fiorètte’s cold voice cut through my thoughts.
I paused, glancing at her.
Her face was expressionless, but something about her reminded me of someone… that same rigid, unreadable look.
It was unsettling.
Suppressing the irritation that rose in me, I resumed walking.
“What, cat got your tongue?” I replied, not bothering to hide my sarcasm. “I thought maybe you’d gone mute after all that shock.”
“…”
“Relax. I’m fine. It’s not like I expected anything from you,” I added, brushing past her.
What was there to expect anyway?
A loyal dog like her probably wouldn’t hesitate to point a bow at the very person who saved her life.
As I walked past her, Fiorètte’s gaze remained locked on the spot where I had been standing.
That cold, unwavering gaze sent chills down my spine.
I couldn’t help myself; I glanced back one last time.
Her expression was stiff, and I felt a wave of disgust wash over me.
Before I could stop myself, I spat out, “Is it fun, living like a trained dog?”
I don’t think it would be for me.
For a brief moment, Fiorètte flinched, her shoulder twitching slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
I turned away, quietly walking off, feeling a mix of satisfaction and annoyance.
“Ugh, so annoying,” I muttered under my breath.
The momentary thrill I had felt from seeing Bellieta’s frustration faded, leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
I didn’t want to dwell on it, but I knew this wasn’t over.
She wouldn’t give up easily, and neither would Fiorètte.
The forest around me felt eerily quiet now, the weight of the earlier confrontation lingering in the air.
I needed to find a way to regain control, to turn the tables.
As I walked further away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a much larger game. And I was determined to come out on top, no matter what it took.
As I stepped out of the forest, I immediately spotted Rippert wandering at the entrance.
He rushed over, checking my condition while keeping an eye on the woods, instructing the other knights to stay alert.
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine. Thanks to the way things went, I was able to return safely.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried a monster might show up.”
“What kind of monster would appear right at the entrance?”
I had only seen humans who were more monstrous than any beast.
Before entering the forest, I had asked Rippert to ensure that the noblewomen could follow us.
I could easily guess what Bellieta was planning.
She wasn’t the type to risk her life unnecessarily.
Not bringing knights meant the area was safe, which made her the most dangerous element.
I figured that if the noblewomen arrived before Bellieta could make her move, she wouldn’t be able to touch me, and I was right.
To silence me, she’d have to kill everyone, but there were too many of them, and even if she managed to silence them, secrets could still leak out.
Thanks to that, I managed to get through this incident unscathed.
“By the way, did you handle everything I asked?”
“As you instructed, I’ve approached the relevant parties based on the information Getia provided. Everyone seems to understand your intentions.”
“That’s good. Keep an eye on things until the hunting tournament ends. It’ll wrap up soon as the sun sets, so ensure those you’ve placed with the relevant parties can focus.”
“Understood.”
While listening to Rippert’s brief response, I heard rustling sounds coming from behind.
Turning slightly, I saw Bellieta walking out of the forest with the noblewomen.
As the noblewomen and Bozbourne knights hurried over to check on her, our eyes met.
I gave her a slight smile and handed Rippert the sword I had taken with me.
“I think I’ll need to train again when we get back. I should at least be able to protect myself.”
I shifted my gaze back to Bellieta before returning to my seat.
As I sat down and surveyed the area, it was clear that the tournament was nearing its end; the atmosphere was becoming quite lively.
Everyone was curious about who would return first and who had caught the biggest monster.
But I didn’t care about any of that; I just wanted the tournament to end quickly.
As I lifted my drink again, I noticed Bellieta approaching from the other side.
Did she have more to say?
