On that night, Bella went to meet ‘that man’ and was rejected again. She decided not to wait any longer after countless futile attempts.

 

Bella went to his store and knocked on the door.

 

“Why won’t you open the door!?”

 

If he had opened the door obediently, she would have met him already. Bella took a deep breath when there was no response from inside the door.

 

It would be a huge mistake to turn back now. She gathered strength in her feet and kicked the door with all her might.

 

With a single kick, the wooden door broke like a piece of paper, scattering dust and debris. Bella shielded herself with her robe and looked inside.

 

There was no sign of anyone. The sofa didn’t even feel warm.

 

But she wasn’t going to back down.

 

Bella took out a bag from her pocket and placed it on the table. It contained enough money to buy a house in the city.

 

Of course, she didn’t leave it there for no reason.

 

“I didn’t know you’d go this far.”

 

Bella turned her head from side to side as if stretching.

 

From now on, this store was going to be destroyed until it turned into dust.

 

Although it was an act of obstruction, she didn’t hesitate.

 

I’ve waited long enough. It would be foolish to just sit here and do nothing.

 

Even if it’s ‘that man,’ he won’t just sit still and watch his store be destroyed.

 

In case anyone came, Bella unleashed a noise spell and began to rampage.

 

Crash!

 

She broke a vase decorated with a dagger and made a loud cracking sound.

 

Bella kicked the table and threw a chair, which hit the frame of a painting on the wall and rolled onto the floor.

 

If she hadn’t blocked the sound, the security guards would have rushed in immediately.

 

The store was already a mess from how quickly she destroyed it, but Bella wasn’t satisfied yet. She held a small bomb in her hand.

 

It was an action fueled by frustration with ‘that man’ and some personal anger.

 

“This won’t do.”

 

Then, a mysterious man appeared behind her. He quickly took the bomb from Bella’s hand.

 

“You…!”

 

It was the store owner that Bella had been waiting for. He was also the person who had requested her services.

 

Bella couldn’t listen to the words of the man who had refused to meet with his client. She quickly turned around and grabbed him by the collar, preventing him from running away.

 

The man got close enough to Bella’s mask that their noses almost touched. He pressed his hood down and raised both hands, begging for mercy.

 

“Sorry, is it possible for you to take a look at me just once?”
“You need to keep your head attached to your body, so I’ll take a look with just one finger.”
“My only advantage is my hands, are you trying to take that away from me?”
“You talk a lot for someone who didn’t keep their promise.”

 

Bella grabbed his index finger tightly, saying that excuses weren’t necessary.

 

Finally, the man seemed to come to his senses and urgently shouted,

 

“Wait! Can’t we resolve this peacefully with words?”
“That’s just talk. Violence is the way to go for a guy like you.”
“Did you come here because you were curious about me!?”

 

As he struggled, he closed his eyes and shouted.

 

The man was trying to find a way out, but unfortunately, it was a futile attempt.

 

His words were enough to anger Bella. She raised her hand and struck his neck with a loud thud.

 

“Ugh…!”

 

It was a strong enough blow to make him dizzy. Bella tightened her grip on him, telling him not to even think about getting up.

 

Bella’s voice, which had been calm until then, suddenly became hoarse.

 

“Now, it won’t hurt.”
“Wait! Who’s the one that’s hurting!?”
“Isn’t it obvious who I’m talking to?”

 

He’s thinking of running away like a chameleon. His attempts to buy time were d*sgusting.

 

“Since you didn’t complete the client’s request, it’s fine if you die, right?”
“It’s not fine at all! I clearly said that there are variables in everything!”

 

The man claimed his innocence, wriggling his body to escape from Bella.

 

“If I’m really in the wrong, then I deserve to pay for it, but if I’m going to die because of your personal feelings, then I’m just a f*cking dead man!”
“The fucker who won’t die even if I kill him speaks well. He must die a dog’s death, not you.”

 

Bella sharply retorted the man’s words.

 

But it was also true that her momentum had weakened somewhat as she calmed down.

 

Meanwhile, the man’s body was still not released. He secretly stuck out his tongue while lying motionless.

 

“Okay, okay. So what you’re saying is that his life is in danger again?”
“Uh, nothing has changed. The cause must have been eliminated… ”
“Then there must be another cause.”

 

The man pouted, his mouth protruding like a crucian carp from the pressure on his face.

 

“Another cause?”

 

“It’s unrealistic to hope that all plans will go perfectly. There are countless variables in reality. Especially in this case.”

 

Bella stared at him blankly after he finished speaking reasonably. No emotions could be read from her pure white mask.

 

However, she seemed to have made her judgment as she released her grip on him.

 

The man, who had become free, cautiously watched Bella.

 

“You acted like you would never let me go for the rest of my life…”
“Does that mean my wish won’t be fulfilled now?”

 

Although the context of her words was unclear, the man immediately understood their meaning.

 

A heavy sigh filled with frustration and a sense of responsibility escaped from Bella.

 

“To be honest, yes.”
“Can’t you use magic?”
“For such a difficult spell, the caster’s will is the most important thing.”

 

Bella shook her head at the mage’s assertion.

 

The caster’s will. It seemed simple yet difficult. Would Estelle really want to prolong her life with magic?

 

She hoped she would, but that was just another wish that would not come true.

 

“More importantly, there’s something else we need to do now.”

 

He spoke cautiously to Bella as if scolding her.

 

She raised her head with a furrowed brow.

 

“Are you going to let her die without knowing anything?”
“That–”
“You might be okay with that, but she has the right to know.”

 

Bella clenched her mouth tightly as the mage calmly conveyed his message without raising his voice.

 

It was the conclusion she had not been able to reach despite countless agonies.

 

The conflict written all over her face prompted the man to speak sincerely.

 

“If I may offer some advice, it’s better to speak while she’s still alive. You can’t turn back time once she’s gone.”
“I know that too…”

 

Her clenched fist began to tremble. It’s only been a day or two, but I feel suffocated even though I haven’t worn a mask.

 

Bella had learned of Estelle’s death, but she still couldn’t accept it.

 

Thinking only of Estelle’s death made everything in front of her turn white, and she couldn’t even imagine it.

 

“What am I so afraid of?”

 

It wasn’t just a simple sense of guilt or hesitation. The emotion she embraced was clear fear.

 

“Because she might hate me.”
“Does she hate you?”

 

Bella nodded in agreement, but the man still couldn’t understand.

 

“Why worry about that?”

 

As the mage received his commission, he naturally understood the relationship between the two. However, that was only their previous relationship.

 

“You know as well, that person–”
“I know. I know too…!”

 

Bella shouted, unable to bear it. Overwhelmed by intense emotions, she gasped for breath.

 

“…But she’s still the same person.”

 

It was clear that Estelle had changed. She couldn’t remember me, nor could she ever remember.

 

However, she was still Estelle. As long as that didn’t change, Bella couldn’t erase this fear.

 

The man observed Bella carefully. The mage shook his head, saying he couldn’t do anything about it.

 

“I see. That could be true.”

 

Since Bella held her in high regard, it wouldn’t be easy for her to accept it so easily.

 

“But you know that once she’s dead, it’s all over, right?”
“I won’t let her die.”
“That’s just your wish.”

 

Bella threw a dagger at the man who kept pushing her buttons until the end.

 

The dagger grazed his cheek and pierced through the wall. Wood fragments rolled on the ground.

 

The man, who was dizzy at the thought of the dagger piercing his body, begged in a trembling voice.

 

“Can’t you stop your habit of throwing things?”
“I hear you, but isn’t it better to kill first than to be killed?”

 

He was someone who killed people at the slightest provocation. Anyway, she always pretends to be good all by herself.

 

Bella turned her back on the infuriating man, her tongue frozen.

 

“Just fix it with that money.”
“Money? Your kindness knows no bounds.”
“Well, your life was included, but you didn’t die, so there’s nothing I can do.”
“…You were serious.”

 

The man who watched Bella leave with a scary expression had a very dry face.

 

He was the reason why she found him d*sgusting. Bella lightly ignored him, waving her hand goodbye.

 

She couldn’t erase the thought that she had wasted her time. It only made her feel worse without any results.

 

“Should I go see…”

 

Her wandering feet stopped abruptly. She turned her gaze towards where Estelle was supposed to be.

 

At this time, Estelle would be asleep. She hesitated to meet her in person, but if she was only going to see her…

 

Bella made up her mind and twisted her body. She used magic and instantly moved to Duke Labyrinth’s mansion.

 

Bella, who had infiltrated the mansion in an instant, hid herself among the trees and saved Estelle.

 

The lights had gone out, and she was lying down, obviously sleeping.

 

Bella, who was relieved, quietly opened the window. She decided to just watch, as there was a risk of Estelle waking up if she got too close.

 

Waking her up was not an option.

 

“… Bella?”

 

In other words, she wasn’t expecting this at all.

 

Estelle, blinking her eyes, stared at the frozen Bella.

 

She couldn’t react in any way. As soon as she heard Estelle’s voice, her mind went blank.

 

Something lukewarm rolled down her cheek onto the floor.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

The words came out before she could think about it.