Chapter 133: Shelley’s Heart! Stealing a Man and Stealing a Home!
Previously:
The dragon who had fought for the country for two hundred years…
Ahem, Queen Nadia had worked hard for a day (reviewing documents). Just as she was about to rest, she received a secret message… and found out that her man had run off with someone else! In a fit of rage, a hundred thousand half-elven warriors stayed obediently in their homes… She rushed to the palace (someone else’s) to find her husband discussing life with someone else! She waited outside for three hours before her husband finally emerged from the vixen’s clutches…
…
Shelley: Danger!
“What’s Nadia’s mood right now?”
Hurry up and tell me! Help!
[Guess.]
[It’s no fun if I just tell you.]
Damn it!
Shelley looked at Nadia’s blank expression and felt his liver tremble.
“Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!”
“I absolutely cannot lose my composure!”
Taking a deep breath, Shelley was just about to speak when Nadia said, “…No longer a Bell?”
A calm tone, a calm expression… but Shelley sensed danger.
Danger!
Swallowing, Shelley slowly nodded.
Bell…
But thinking of Bruno, Shelley’s guilty heart also calmed down. He sighed softly and said in a low voice, “I really don’t want to be associated with that surname anymore…”
The glory of the Bell family has nothing to do with me anymore.
Her eyes narrowing slightly, Nadia looked at Shelley’s expression and frowned. She looked him up and down, carefully observing his right arm. She nodded, then turned and walked away.
Shelley didn’t speak, just quietly followed. He first walked to Nadia’s left, paused, then switched to her right.
Nadia turned her head to look at Shelley’s profile, and the left hand he was offering. She snorted.
“Hmph.”
Then she silently took his hand.
Fingers intertwined, the two of them walked through the quiet castle. As they strolled, they didn’t hide their figures, but no one could see them. Feeling the warmth from each other’s palms, they both felt themselves relax.
They walked up flight after flight of stairs, gradually ascending. The moment before she opened the door to the rooftop, Nadia suddenly asked, “…Why didn’t you tell me first?”
Before Shelley could reply, the door before them was easily pushed open. The bright moonlight and the vast expanse of stars filled Shelley’s vision. The cool wind blew Shelley’s robe off, revealing his bandaged upper body.
Letting go of his hand, Nadia walked into the moonlight, looked back at Shelley, and said softly, “Are you sad about his passing?”
…Him? Bruno?
“Nadia… what are you talking about?”
“How could I…”
How could I be sad for him? How could that be?
“…Did you misunderstand something?”
Smiling at Nadia, Shelley said, “Yes, he was a hero. A hero in every sense of the word.”
Bruno Bell… a man who could dedicate his entire life to his country. He was definitely a hero. No one can tarnish his greatness.
“He was worthy of his country…”
“But what about his family!?”
For some reason, Shelley’s emotions became a little agitated. His voice gradually rose, “Sandy and her mother!”
“The harm they suffered, can it be compensated for with just a ‘sorry’ and a title?”
“No! That kind of pain and harm cannot be erased with a verbal apology!”
Nadia looked at Shelley calmly, watching his eyes gradually turn red. She said softly, “What about you?”
Suddenly calming down, Shelley said flatly, “Me? I don’t care.”
If he’s dead, he’s dead. Everyone has to die. In the great wars of the future, countless more people will die.
Walking forward, Nadia reached out and caressed Shelley’s cheek, asking in a low voice, “Then… why are you crying?”
Crying? What? Me? What are you talking about?
Shelley wanted to laugh, but he felt tears on his face.
“Why… why am I crying?”
Huh?
Nadia comfortingly stroked his cheek and gently buried his head in her chest. The two of them gradually sank to the ground, and Shelley’s tears began to flow freely.
What was the reason?
“You’re probably just confused…”
Nadia’s gentle voice was like a clear spring flowing into his heart.
“The one you thought was your greatest enemy turned out to be a true hero.”
“You’re feeling disoriented.”
Is that so?
Shelley didn’t think so.
That’s not me. I know very well that he and I were just father and son by blood. Nothing more.
“I’m very clear about it!”
“But… you’re dead. Who am I supposed to hate now?”
When he truly analyzed his own heart, Shelley realized, as if waking from a dream… the hatred in his heart… existed. No matter how rational he was, no matter how much he understood that this world was just a reincarnation, he still longed for the warmth of a family.
Shelley rested his head on Nadia’s soft lap, the hem of her robe cushioning him. He looked up at the boundless starry sky. Because there weren’t many lights in the city, the stars were particularly clear.
Some said that every time a god raised their divine kingdom, a new star would appear in the sky. When they fell, that star would also fall from the sky.
Lost in thought, Shelley seemed to understand.
So, I was afraid…
“I… have no family in this world anymore.”
A mother whose fate was unknown, a half-sister, and perhaps some other relatives… but to Shelley, none of them were his real family. Bruno couldn’t be considered one either, but he had indeed given him life.
“I have also lost my family.”
Nadia lowered her head, looked at the confused Shelley, and said gently, “Then…”
“Are you willing to be my family?”
Family…
Shelley was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at Nadia.
Nadia took out a teardrop-shaped, sky-blue gemstone earring and put it on Shelley’s ear. She smiled and said softly, “Are you willing to be my husband?”
“From now on… we will be family, real family.”
I never thought… I would be the one being conquered one day.
Shelley’s expression became gentle and helpless. He let out a breath and said with a light laugh, “Alright.”
“Real family.”
Having exchanged their vows, they became a real couple. Looking at Nadia, Shelley’s heart was filled with a myriad of emotions. Many words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t say them.
“It’s alright. There’s still a long time…”
“I can wait for you to say them slowly.”
Slowly nodding, Shelley felt extremely tired. He rested his head on Nadia’s lap and gradually fell asleep. In the last moment before his consciousness faded, he vaguely saw a cunning smile on Nadia’s lips.
Confirming that Shelley was asleep, Nadia’s smile grew even wider. She picked him up, then turned to look at the entrance to the rooftop.
Elena was standing at the entrance with an ashen face, her fists clenched as she stared at Nadia.
“It’s been a few days…”
“My sister.”
Hmph. You little girl, trying to fight me. You steal my man, I’ll steal your home.
