Chapter 99
“You need to go!”
“Get out of the way!”
“Your Grace!”
Sierra’s frantic cries fell on deaf ears as Aden was only focused on the rocks.
But the ceiling collapsed faster than the debris could fall, and rocks were already pouring down behind Aden.
He bit his lip and held on to the rocks.
“Aden!”
At the brief call, Aden looked up.
I looked directly into his thrilled eyes and shook my head for a moment.
“Let’s go up. It’s dangerous here.”
As I spoke, the ceiling continued to fall.
Startled by a boulder the size of a body dropping right above him, Aden froze, but he easily sliced through the rock like cutting cotton.
Just as I let out a sigh of relief, I noticed cracks starting to form above my head too.
“Sierra! I’ll come to save you; just wait…!”
The moment Aden’s voice echoed, the ceiling came crashing down.
The rocks perfectly blocked the space between Aden and me in an instant.
***
“It’s been a while, Bairon Holland.”
Bellieta pushed her teacup toward Holland, who was sitting across from her.
Holland, bowing his head slightly, slowly raised the cup with his fingers.
“I’ve heard you’ve been busy helping my father day and night. It sounds tough.”
“It’s just my duty as the head of the Bairon family to serve the Bozbourne.”
“My father always speaks highly of you when he mentions you. He claims that he can trust you, which is significant because he does not have faith in anyone else.
Holland chuckled as if those words were a source of pride.
He had been working for the Bozbourne family for 45 years now.
That meant he had also served the Duke of Bozbourne for just as long.
“I’m always grateful to the Bairon family. You take on the difficult tasks and provide support. That’s not an easy job.”
“Thank you for saying that. I’m just doing my best to uphold the responsibilities of the Bairon family.”
“Of course, you’re impressive.”
Bellieta smiled softly and lowered her cup.
As she crossed her legs slowly, Holland quickly noticed the shift in the atmosphere and straightened up.
Bellieta faced him, perfectly mirroring his demeanor, and neatly placed her hands together.
“I’ve heard you’ve been troubled lately.”
“No, it’s nothing like that…”
“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? We’re practically family; can’t you share at least a little of your troubles?”
“…”
“I just want to help you, just like you’ve devoted yourself to my father and my family.”
Holland hesitated, his lips pressed shut.
Bellieta maintained a serene smile as she leaned back in her chair.
Settling comfortably, she opened her mouth again.
“It’s about Fiorette, isn’t it?”
Holland’s gaze flickered upward, and Bellieta nodded.
“Fiorette has been acting strange lately. I’ve noticed it too. She always seemed a bit intimidated by me, but it’s gotten worse recently. It’s almost like…”
As Bellieta trailed off, unease crossed Holland’s eyes.
Her gaze narrowed as she spoke.
“She seems to be avoiding me.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. It’s my fault. I should have trained her better.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t call you here to blame you. You might not know, but I rely on Fiorette a lot.”
“Is that so?”
Holland nodded slightly, recalling his conversations with Fiorette.
Bellieta leaned forward to lift her cup.
As she looked down at the swirling liquid, her gaze slowly rose.
“But this is the last time.”
Holland, caught off guard, looked up at Bellieta with surprise.
Her icy blue eyes pierced through him with chilling clarity.
A shiver ran down Holland’s spine as her voice struck him.
“I’ve given Fiorette multiple chances and even provided ways for her to prove her feelings. But every time, she responded with disappointment instead of trust.”
“That…”
“Bairon Holland.”
Holland swallowed hard.
Bellieta placed her empty cup on the table with a thud.
With a sharp sound, Bellieta spoke.
“Eventually, Fiorette will face a choice. Only she knows which path she’ll take.”
“Your Highness, Fiorette, will definitely come back. She’s just a bit shaken right now…”
“You’re saying something interesting. You’re trying to understand the feelings of a girl who isn’t even your own daughter. That’s quite remarkable.”
“…”
“Does Fiorette know? That you’re not her biological father? Or about how the Bairon family has lived?”
“…She doesn’t know yet.”
“Then she must still believe that ridiculous nonsense.”
Bellieta chuckled softly as she stood up.
Holland hurriedly got to his feet, but her voice dropped before he could follow.
“I don’t like losing what’s mine. Especially not to Sierra.”
The reddish glow of the sunset cast a warm glow on Bellieta’s fine features.
The conflicting thoughts in her mind about Sierra were biting her inside.
‘What exactly makes you so special?’
What is it that can shake Fiorette, who was controlled by fear and punishment?
‘Sierra was a puzzle Bellieta couldn’t solve, her pieces refusing to fit into any coherent picture.’
Belleita gritted her teeth together, unable to understand Sierra.
“I hope Fiorette makes the right choice.”
So that she can come back.
***
“Phew…”
I leaned back against the wall and let out a breath.
Thanks to memorizing the way, I barely made it back to the food storage while the ceiling was collapsing.
The food storage wasn’t hit as hard as the other places.
Even though the ground shook, the ceiling didn’t fall.
With my head resting against the shaking wall, I gazed into the darkened tunnel.
The dark scenery evoked a sense of loneliness and silence.
If I were to die alone, trapped in a place like this, what would I feel?
Would I be lonely?
Or would it be fear?
Probably both.
Maybe I wouldn’t even see the sunlight as a corpse for the rest of my life.
Restoring a collapsed tunnel was incredibly difficult and labor-intensive.
Death wasn’t a strange word to me.
I had already experienced an unpleasant brush with it once, and that memory still lingered in my mind.
That chilly, unsettling feeling.
Even the vivid sensation of my breath stopping.
“This isn’t the time to be thinking like that.”
Feeling my breath slow, I stood up.
Even though the food storage had suffered less damage, the inside was a mess.
The floor was littered with broken tables and chairs, as well as food and water leaking from overturned barrels.
I steadied myself against the shaking wall and finally got up.
I pushed the table in front of me to make some space and moved the chairs aside.
The container filled with water was only half-full, but it was still heavy.
“Bellieta.”
I pulled out my bag, which was crammed into a corner.
The messy floor was still bothering me, but I’d rather die trying to clean it up than get crushed under the debris.
“Look at you, doing something so unlike yourself. Guess you’re really anxious since things aren’t going your way.”
I tilted the bag I was holding and glanced around.
Outside the food storage, everything else was nearly destroyed.
Crack!
The ceiling of the food storage had started to crack as well.
Even the torches hanging on the walls were flickering out one by one.
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll come to see you before long, and when I do, I’ll make sure to collect this debt.”
Slowly, darkness began to creep in, and soon the last remaining light went out.
Thick darkness settled around me.
“Wait for me, Bellieta.”
***
The entrance to the mine was buzzing with commotion from the sudden noise.
The external supervisor sensed something was wrong as the ground shook violently.
He checked inside and quickly made arrangements to get everyone up via the lift.
Just as the loud noises subsided, a rough voice rang out from the entrance.
“The lift is coming up!”
Oh, thank God.
The supervisor let out a breath of relief.
Thank goodness, they made it out safely.
But as he checked the lift, something felt off.
Four people had gone down, but only three were coming up.
The young lady was missing.
As the supervisor approached with a confused expression, the lift doors opened and a familiar voice boomed.
“Bring the map!”
Shearer’s voice was loud and clear.
The supervisor, startled, hurriedly grabbed the map while Aden, who had made it out safely, recalled Sierra, who was left behind.
“…Damn it.”
He should’ve just held onto her and run.
No, he should’ve moved from behind instead of leading her.
It was a mistake to move ahead to prevent her from falling.
“This way.”
As Aden glanced down the tunnel, he turned at the sound of voices coming from behind.
Shearer and the supervisor were checking the map to find another exit.
They were suggesting exits that shouldn’t have collapsed, but in reality, there was no answer.
They’d just have to see when they got there.
While they were focused on the map, Aden stepped in among them.
He studied the map for a while before narrowing his eyes.
“Where is the weakest point in this mine? The spot that could easily collapse with even a small shock?”
“What?”
The supervisor, looking dumbfounded, received a withering look from Aden.
“Uh, well… it’s over here.”
Aden fixed his gaze on the spot the supervisor pointed to and immediately turned his body.
People followed closely behind him as he moved in a hurry.
