(A/N):
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After finally getting her anger out on Fuegoleon, Mereoleona made her way toward the royal palace.
Her mood had improved only slightly.
She was still irritated.
Not because Ben had fought a devil.
She knew better than anyone that dangerous situations were part of his life now.
What bothered her was that he had gone through something that serious without telling her a single word.
She had only heard about the battle afterward.
A High-Ranking Devil had appeared.
The village had been surrounded by an enormous barrier.
Ben had fought her alone.
And from the descriptions she had heard, the fight had been anything but easy.
Mereoleona clicked her tongue as she walked through the quiet palace corridor.
"If he had told me..."
She clenched her fist.
"I would've gone with him."
There wasn't even any doubt in her mind about that.
She would have dropped whatever mission she was doing and gone straight to him.
Not because she doubted Ben's strength.
Quite the opposite.
She knew exactly how strong he was.
But that didn't mean she was willing to sit somewhere else while the man she loved was fighting a High-Ranking Devil.
"He really thinks he can handle everything himself..."
She muttered.
"Idiot."
Eventually, she reached Ben's private chamber.
She was just about to open the door when it suddenly opened from the other side.
Mereoleona stopped.
Charlotte stepped out.
For several seconds, the two women simply stared at each other.
The corridor became strangely quiet.
Charlotte's eyes narrowed.
"Mereoleona?"
Her tone was polite.
But there was an unmistakable edge underneath it.
Mereoleona raised an eyebrow.
"Charlotte."
Neither woman moved.
Charlotte glanced toward Ben's chamber before looking back at Mereoleona.
"What are you doing here this late?"
Mereoleona crossed her arms.
"What do you think?"
Charlotte's eyes narrowed further.
"I asked because I wanted to know."
"I'm here to see Ben."
That answer immediately made Charlotte's expression slightly more guarded.
"He's resting."
Mereoleona smirked.
"Then I'll wake him."
Charlotte's eyebrow twitched.
"You shouldn't."
"Why?"
"Because he's tired."
Mereoleona stared at her for a moment before giving a small laugh.
"So you're protecting his sleep now?"
Charlotte's cheeks gained a faint tint.
"I'm simply saying he needs rest."
"Of course."
Mereoleona stepped closer.
Charlotte didn't move.
Both women were perfectly aware of the situation between them.
There was no secret here.
Charlotte knew Mereoleona loved Ben.
Mereoleona knew Charlotte loved him too.
And neither woman was willing to pretend otherwise.
Mereoleona tilted her head.
"So..."
Charlotte's eyes narrowed.
"So what?"
"You've been spending a lot of time with him."
Charlotte's cheeks became slightly warmer.
"We are together."
Mereoleona smiled.
"I know."
Charlotte studied her expression carefully.
"You don't seem bothered."
"Why would I be?"
Mereoleona shrugged.
"I knew what I was getting into."
Charlotte remained silent for a moment.
Then she asked,
"You're angry with him, aren't you?"
Mereoleona's smile disappeared.
"Very."
"Because of the devil?"
"Because he didn't tell me."
Her voice became more serious.
"If he had told me that a High-Ranking Devil was coming to Hage, I would've gone with him."
Charlotte understood immediately.
"So that's why you're here."
Mereoleona nodded and revealed her feeling for Ben.
"I want to know why the hell my man thought it was a good idea to face something like that without telling me."
Charlotte couldn't help smiling faintly.
"You should ask him."
"I intend to."
Mereoleona then looked at Charlotte again.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"And you?"
Charlotte blinked.
"What about me?"
"You stayed with him after the battle."
"Yes."
"You were worried."
"Of course."
Mereoleona smiled.
"Good."
Charlotte looked slightly surprised.
Mereoleona leaned against the wall.
"I'm not going to pretend I don't get jealous."
Charlotte's expression softened slightly.
"Neither am I."
The two women stared at each other.
Then Mereoleona suddenly laughed.
"At least we're honest."
Charlotte gave a small sigh.
"That's probably the only thing we agree on."
Mereoleona grinned.
"Don't worry."
She reached for the chamber door.
"I'm not here to start a fight with you."
Charlotte raised an eyebrow.
"That's reassuring."
"I'm here to beat up the idiot inside."
Charlotte immediately shook her head.
"No."
Mereoleona stopped.
"No?"
"He has had enough for tonight."
Mereoleona stared at her.
Then slowly grinned.
"So you're telling me I need to wait until tomorrow?"
Charlotte gave her a tired look.
"Yes."
Mereoleona clicked her tongue.
"Fine."
She turned away.
Then stopped and looked back.
"Charlotte."
"Hm?"
Mereoleona's expression became unexpectedly serious.
"Take care of him."
Charlotte's eyes softened.
"I will."
Mereoleona nodded.
"Good."
She started walking away before suddenly turning back with a grin.
"And tell him his other woman came looking for him."
Charlotte's face immediately turned red.
"You're impossible."
Mereoleona laughed as she walked down the corridor.
"He's the one who made us like this!"
Charlotte stood at the doorway, watching her leave.
Then she quietly shook her head.
"...He really has no idea what he's gotten himself into."
From inside the chamber, Ben's sleepy voice suddenly came through the door.
"I heard all of that."
Both women froze.
Mereoleona slowly turned around.
A wicked grin spread across her face.
"Perfect."
She immediately started walking back.
Charlotte's eyes widened.
"Mereoleona, don't!"
"Too late."
The chamber door opened again.
And Ben, who had been hoping for a peaceful night's sleep, immediately realized he had made a terrible tactical error by forgetting to tell one of his girlfriend about the devil attack.
Mereoleona didn't give Charlotte another chance to say anything.
The moment Charlotte turned toward the chamber, Mereoleona stepped forward, opened the door, and walked straight inside.
"Wait..."
Charlotte barely managed to raise her hand.
Click.
The door closed in her face.
For a few seconds, Charlotte simply stood there, staring at the wooden door.
Silence filled the corridor.
She slowly lowered her hand.
"...She really did that."
Charlotte rubbed her forehead and let out a quiet sigh. Normally, hearing another woman openly confessing her feelings for Ben would have been enough to send her into a jealous spiral.
She had spent more than enough time worrying about other women getting close to him, especially when Ben seemed completely oblivious to how easily his kindness attracted people toward him.
But this time...
Something felt different.
Charlotte stood there for another moment, thinking about what Mereoleona had said.
'I'm not here to start a fight with you.'
'I'm here because my lover nearly got himself killed without telling me.'
There had been no attempt to hide her feelings.
No awkward excuse.
No pretending that Ben belonged exclusively to her.
Mereoleona had simply admitted that she loved him.
And strangely enough...
Charlotte wasn't angry.
She wasn't even particularly jealous.
Instead, she found herself smiling faintly.
Perhaps it was because she had finally stopped seeing every woman who loved Ben as a rival that needed to be pushed away.
She knew what she meant to him.
Ben had shown it to her countless times, sometimes through words and sometimes through the little things he did without even realizing how much they affected her.
His affection wasn't something Charlotte needed to constantly fight for.
It was already hers.
And no matter how many women entered his life, Charlotte knew one thing with absolute certainty.
Ben loved her.
That certainty had slowly changed something inside her.
Rather than feeling threatened whenever another woman confessed her feelings for him, she had started thinking differently.
If those women genuinely loved Ben...
Then perhaps there was no reason for her to hate them.
She could simply accept them.
Charlotte shook her head at the thought.
"Since when did I become this calm?"
A tiny smile appeared on her lips.
Perhaps being involved with Ben had changed her more than she realized.
She turned around and began walking toward her own chamber.
As she walked, she couldn't help imagining what was happening behind that closed door.
Mereoleona was probably lecturing Ben.
Or threatening him.
Or perhaps both.
Charlotte sighed.
"Poor Ben."
She took a few more steps.
Then stopped.
A faint, amused smile returned to her face.
"...Actually, he probably deserves it."
Behind the closed door, meanwhile,
Ben sat on the edge of his bed and looked toward the woman standing before him.
Mereoleona had crossed her arms and was staring directly at him.
Ben already knew that expression.
He had seen it many times.
It meant trouble.
"You're angry."
Mereoleona raised an eyebrow.
"What gave it away?"
Ben sighed.
"I suppose you're going to tell me that I should have informed you."
"Correct."
"I knew it."
"And you're going to listen this time."
Ben smiled helplessly.
"I'll listen."
Mereoleona stepped closer.
"Good."
She stopped directly in front of him.
"Now tell me exactly what happened with that devil."
Ben looked at her for a moment before smiling.
"...You really were worried."
Mereoleona's expression softened.
"Of course I was."
She placed a hand against his chest.
"You can be the King."
"You can have an army."
"You can have enough transformations to fight half the continent."
Her fingers curled slightly against his clothes.
"But that doesn't mean I stop worrying about you."
Ben gently covered her hand with his own.
"I know."
Mereoleona stared into his eyes.
"Then next time..."
Her voice became quieter.
"...tell me."
Ben nodded.
"I promise."
She studied his face for several seconds, seemingly deciding whether she believed him.
Finally, a satisfied smile appeared.
"Good."
She leaned closer.
"Because if you ever disappear to fight a High-Ranking Devil without telling me again..."
Ben raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Mereoleona grinned.
"I'll make sure the devil isn't the thing you have to worry about."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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