027. The Reason for Change (1)
“Crazy….”
She thought it was over with one, but…
The demons didn’t stop at that.
Emerging from somewhere, a group of demons appeared together, sluggishly slithering into the barn.
Bella summoned her energy again to attack the demons, but she was unsure.
Sure of protecting the nobles behind her.
She might be able to sacrifice herself, but it seemed difficult if the demons targeted someone else.
As Bella fought the worrisome demons.
“Cough.”
Several demons rushing into the barn fell simultaneously, blood spilling.
The bodies of demons, sharply cut as if by a single stroke, began to pile up.
Behind those bodies, a familiar figure emerged.
“Lucia.”
With jet-black hair and obsidian-like eyes.
A figure with overwhelming charisma and skill.
The male lead of ＜Empire’s Flower＞, Owen Verdi.
Bella’s gaze immediately shifted to Owen at his sudden appearance.
The situation was not clear.
The demons revealing themselves where they shouldn’t have, and Owen personally taking action to deal with them.
Such things did not happen in the original.
There were no “distortions” in the forest, no sudden attacks by demons on civilians, but above all-.
Owen was not delicate enough to step in and solve it.
Until Bella appeared, he was extremely pragmatic.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
As Bella tried to assess the situation with a confused look.
Owen, who had entered the barn, approached Lucia in one breath.
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With desperate eyes, Lucia blinked silently and nodded at his breathless appearance.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
For some reason.
Owen seemed extremely anxious.
Lucia, who had been pondering, soon realized the reason for his anxiety through the sight of the demon’s bodies.
It seemed like he had belatedly realized an unforeseen situation.
“How did Owen get here….”
As she was about to ask for more details.
Owen, who had dropped his sword to the ground, embraced Lucia.
Bending his knees and bowing his waist to hold Lucia sitting firmly in his arms.
“Thank goodness.”
Embracing Lucia tightly, he whispered slowly.
His voice that reached her ears was filled with deep and intense emotions.
“I was worried. Worried you might get hurt.”
The words that spilled from his lips, the emotions that surfaced, were all of the same nature, to the point where not understanding was more difficult.
“…I’m really fine.”
She wanted the person she longed for, the response she had hoped for.
For some reason.
She couldn’t just smile and take advantage of the situation.
It was strange.
Seeing someone worry about her getting hurt, feeling those emotions.
Perhaps because she had never experienced it before.
The thought of calming her eyes filled with worry and anxiety suddenly came to her.
So, instead of taking advantage of the situation as usual, she reached out her hand.
To soothe the emotions floating above Owen’s surface.
“So, you don’t need to worry.”
Softly speaking, Lucia cautiously placed her hand on Owen’s back.
Then she began to pat him slowly.
Her small, delicate hands were gentle yet warm.
“Yeah.”
He wasn’t sure about others, but at least Owen felt that way.
* * *
To eliminate the demons underground, Kyle had to once again scatter his magic deep into the ground.
Thanks to Owen quickly heading to the barn, there were no more casualties, but the cost and magic stones to restore the forest had increased.
The next day, at the call of Marquis Ceres, priests arrived at the temple.
Although Bella had already proven her status in front of many nobles by using her powers, formal intervention from the temple was required to obtain the title of a saint.
After confirming Bella’s magical power, the priest officially declared her as a saint, and the announcement from the temple spread to the palace.
As everything settled down and the curtains fell, the nobles all returned to their territories and mansions.
And Bella, for her education as a saint, headed towards the temple.
‘What on earth.’
The path to the temple.
Sitting in the carriage, Bella furrowed her brows, deeply immersed in thought.
‘It can’t be just because I destroyed the original setting… Owen has changed too much.’
The image of Owen she saw yesterday troubled her.
She had been concerned since Owen showed familiarity with Lucia, but to embrace her in front of everyone, especially in such a dangerous situation.
It was not the right time for such actions.
It must have been for a reason.
Owen, who had never acted like this in the original, couldn’t have suddenly changed like that.
If it was simply because of my capriciousness, I would do my best to revert to the original setting, but…
‘There seems to be something else.’
Something felt off.
There seemed to be parts I hadn’t noticed, events that wouldn’t have occurred in the original.
Something unknown to me, but Lucia and Owen seemed to know something.
Oddly.
“We have arrived, Your Grace.”
While Bella was lost in thought for a while.
The carriage came to a halt in front of the temple.
“Oh, yes.”
As the stableman opened the carriage door, Bella rose from her seat, uttering a brief reply.
Carefully stepping down from the carriage, she was met with a grand and expansive building in her sight.
“Wow…”
Although it had been emphasized in “The Empire’s Flower,” the main temple in the capital was truly magnificent.
Not only was it incredibly vast, but the atmosphere was also overwhelming.
“Please come this way.”
Seeing Bella chuckle at the sight of the temple, the priest personally guided her.
Upon hearing the priest’s voice, Bella regained her composure and followed his lead.
It was not the time to be distracted.
To proceed as closely as possible to the original setting, she needed to return the situation as it was.
She had to follow the path of being adopted by Viscount Taylor just like in the original.
To erase all the causes that led to the destruction of the original.
“This is the office of His Grace.”
The place the priest led her to was the office where His Grace managed his affairs.
He knocked on the door to announce their arrival before opening it for her.
“Welcome, Your Grace. I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival upon hearing the news.”
“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you.”
His Grace appeared just as described, with a benevolent demeanor.
Feeling somewhat relieved, Bella exchanged greetings with him.
“Please have a seat. There’s much to explain, and it seems we’ll need to talk for a while. Would you like some tea?”
If it was tea, it would undoubtedly be black or green tea.
Even if not, there were certainly various kinds of floral teas.
Bella, who disliked the taste of healthy tea, shook her head in refusal.
“No, thank you. Instead…”
As the conversation was about to prolong, she had to speak up first.
It was urgent to restore the situation as it was in the original.
“May I speak?”
“Please, go ahead.”
His Grace nodded, wearing a puzzled expression.
As a saint who had appeared after decades, he seemed willing to accommodate almost any request.
Bella was well aware of the situation in the temple and His Grace’s character.
She had read the original dozens of times, memorizing the settings like a mantra.
“I want to be adopted by Viscount Taylor. Is that possible?”
His unexpected request seemed to surprise His Grace.
Perhaps it was because the words that came from Bella’s mouth were unforeseen.
“Yes, it might be possible. If Viscount Taylor makes the request.”
However, he soon nodded, holding affirmative words on his tongue.
Though unexpected, the words were not harmful from the temple’s perspective.
Moreover, the fact that the maiden was of common birth was a concern.
If she were to enter a noble family and gain noble status, it might actually benefit her position.
“Then, I’ll ask for the favor.”
As expected, a positive response came from the prosperous lips, causing Bella to smile.
With the twisted settings now corrected, the only thing left was to learn about Owen.
Even after fixing the settings and events I’ve arranged, if he doesn’t return.
No, if it’s not me but something else that’s the cause.
Certainly, it had to be found.
* * *
While Bella struggled to revert the original flow, Owen was lost in similar thoughts.
‘Why on earth.’
No matter how much he thought about it, Bella’s timing of appearance was odd.
Even if I had changed, I never expected the original to change this much.
No, I did hope for changes in the original, but not in this direction.
I only wished for Owen to change, to gain what Lucia wanted.
I never wished for Bella to change as well.
‘The timing of her appearance, the place. And…’
The fact that the starting point of ＜Empire’s Flower＞ had changed was a problem in itself.
The fact that Bella’s appearance had been accelerated, that the place of her appearance had changed.
It all distorted the settings of the original work.
But the most concerning part was not that.
‘Her abilities.’
In ＜Empire’s Flower＞, Bella gains full abilities alongside her awakening.
Not only can she attack demons with her power but she can also freely manipulate that power.
Yet strangely, the Bella he saw at the hunting competition couldn’t do that.
At that time, the schedule of the original had simply been pushed forward.
So, he thought it was a result of the timing of her awakening being altered.
Honestly, even now, he couldn’t think of any other explanation.
And yet, he felt something was amiss.
‘Perhaps it’s just a hunch.’
Racking his brain didn’t yield any answers.
Realistically, aside from the changes that had occurred to me, there was no apparent cause.
Shaking off his thoughts, Owen sighed softly, feeling a headache coming on.
His musings about Bella had been sufficient by now.
Since the maiden’s awakening and the events of the hunting competition would be discussed at the upcoming council meeting.
It wasn’t something within my authority.
It was a matter for the palace and the temple to handle.
“Logan.”
Owen, emerging from his study, immediately called for the butler.
Standing by, Logan inclined his head respectfully.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The reservation was for 3 o’clock, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. You instructed Stella Boutique to be completely vacated by 3 o’clock.”
“Alright.”
Today marked the launch of the summer season collection at Stella Boutique.
Typically, on such days, the boutique would be busiest and have the highest sales, making it uncommon to rent out the entire store.
However, as always, Owen was an exceptional figure.
It was a well-known fact that the few hours he rented would bring in more profit than dozens of other guests.
Hence, Owen easily rented out the boutique for the opening day of the new season.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
The reason for his actions was clear.
Because the limited edition brooch on Lucia’s wish list was being released this season.
He wanted to personally present the limited edition brooch to her.
Of course, Lucia would manage to find a way to rescue him, but this side seemed to have more significance in various aspects.
Owen got on the carriage and headed towards Boutique Street.
Since the distance from Verdin Mansion to Boutique Street was not far, the carriage stopped shortly after setting off.
At the moment Owen was about to get off through the carriage door opened by the coachman, he paused at a sudden movement.
“…Presence?”