CHAPTER 30
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5 DAYS TO GO
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Fatigue was already setting in
The impact of metal to metal echoed out of the forest, sounding like a bee's buzz in the castle
Beads of sweat formed and rolled down Isabella's forehead
Josephine looked fine, despite the hint of her sanity missing
Gina had tucked Nathan from a safe viewing point, immediately returning to help Isabella
Battered and bruised, the younger Giovanni felt her knees tremble
"Lady Isabella!" Gina joined in, blocking a scythe with a shuriken
"I can't talk to her, or she can't hear me. Either way, I think she wants everyone dead as long as she's in this... state" Isabella caught her breath, managing to make Joey fly back
"Belphegor! Princess, use your illusions and make a realistic Belphegor. I'll distract Lady Josephine" Gina brought out a long small chain
"I'll try!" She panicked, closing her eyes and holding her scythe tightly
Belphegor...
Tall, messy blond hair, a tiara sagging to the side of his head, black and purple striped shirt, Varia uniform pants, black boots…
"Lady Isabella, she stopped…" Gina whispered, returning beside her
Isabella, still focused on the image of Bel, opened her eyes
There it was, her illusion of Belphegor, standing a couple feet away from Joey
"Hey there, Jo~"
"Belphegor" Something in her eyes flickered
"Yes, princess?" the illusion flashed a toothy grin at her
Joey collapsed, her own fatigue catching up
The illusion disappeared while Isabella and Gina rushed to her aid
"Josephine!" Her sister tried to wake her up
"We must hurry back to the castle" Gina carried her on her back
"I'll get Nathan"
…
"What did I tell you?" Katherina warned Isabella
They were all waiting for Joey to wake up
"…" Isabella frowned, twiddling her thumb against her dress
Dressed down to a simple white dress, Joey lied on her bed
Her expression looked worn out while her chest breathed in a slow pattern
"Mother… can't we do something about father's grave?" Isabella broke the eerie silence
"I cannot do anything about it. The country might go into revolt if we do. Josephine just has to understand"
"I-I'll never understand" A feeble voice replied
"Josephine!" Isabella jumped beside her, taking her hands
"Good morning, Josephine" Their mother greeted
Joey's blue eyes peeked out of her eyelids
"We have 5 more days until Varia, Josephine" Isabella tried to lighten up her mood
"…" Joey closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.
"Josephine, please think positively. 5 more days to Belphegor" She kissed her sister's hand
"That was a horrible illusion of Bel, by the way"
"I tried" Isabella laughed
"At least you improved" Joey smiled, tightening the grip on her sister's hand
"Thanks"
…
"Nathan!" Joey called out to the tall boy, wandering near the courtroom
"Hey Joey" He replied, looking back
"I'm sorry if I scared you when… things got out of hand"
Nathan smiled at her and laughed "You're pretty powerful, Joey. By the way, should you really be moving around? I heard you just woke up"
"I'm fine, nothing will happen if I just lie down and rest. I need exercise too" She shrugged
"She's also escaping from an earful of sermon from the queen, nay, worse, her mother" Queen Katherina walked up to them
Nathan bowed down "Your Majesty"
"Nathaniel" She acknowledged his presence
"Ciao… mother" Joey grinned
"To your room, Josephine, I have not delivered my impending speech for you"
"Was that Isabella calling for help? I should attend to her"
"I'm right here, Josephine, I was asked to escort you back to your room" Her sister stepped out into view from behind their mother
"Crap" Joey murmured
"Go ahead, I have some minor cases to take care of in the court room, am I right, Nathaniel?" Katherina looked over to the aristocrat's son
"Y-Yes, your majesty" He bowed once more
"Okay, fine" Joey pouted, crossing her arms
"Good girl" Katherina tapped Joey's nose and proceeded on with Nathan towards the court room
"Bright side~ 5 more days~" Isabella poked her sister's arm
"I get it, I get it" Joey shrugged, walking the opposite way, trudging to her bedroom
Isabella brushed off her blue hair off her shoulders, and followed her sister
After a soft sigh "You know, you need to learn on how to control your anger"
Joey stopped in her tracks and turned around "What's that suppose to mean?"
"You get angry too fast"
Joey narrowed her eyes at Isabella
"You see?" Her sister merely pointed out
Easing up, Joey continued to walk
"You should hurry up and get married to Belphegor soon"
"What are you saying?" Joey turned around once more with a flushed expression
"The slightest remembrance of Belphegor calms you down. It would be a great benefit to everyone if he's around you most of the time"
"But," Joey paused, sliding her hand across her other arm
"Duties…" She sighed
"Are incompetent lies that make sure we are well behaved, but we're the Giovanni sisters and we are never well behaved when something as important as love, be second to our so called duties. Mother will understand. Don't let our duties bring you down"
Joey chuckled, "Who the hell are you, Isabella does not talk like that"
Her sister responded with a laugh
"You've been pulling speeches recently, is this what love does to you?" Joey teased
"It may seem so" Isabella twirled her hair
"Fran's lucky"
"Belphegor, as well"
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"Ehhh, I miss Joey-kun and Isabella-kun already" Lussuria whined at the dinner table
"You say that everyday" Levi grumbled, washing out the peppery taste of their steaks with red wine
"Because it's true!" He continued on "Bel, Fran, don't you feel the same way as I do?"
"Ushishishi~ of course" Bel snickered
"I don't know what you're talking about" Fran muttered, being his usual self
"Stupid frog, do even really like Isabella?" the blond prince spat at the illusionist
Fran, however, remained silent
"Hey, you do like Isabella, right?" Bel put his fork down and stared at his kouhai
"…" Fran looked up at him and stuck his tongue out "Fake prince"
"WHY YOU LITTLE" Bel got his knives and prepared to launch at him
Fran stood up, received a couple of knives to his hat, then advanced on out of the room
"Fran seemed… distraught for a moment there" Lussuria commented "Bel, go apologize!"
"Eh? Why should I?" Bel scowled at him
"You brought up Isabella! I'm sure he misses her!"
"If he did, he should have said so"
…
The blond prince stretched his arms up, removing his Varia jacket off after
Entering his room, he spotted Fran's silhouette form on his balcony
"Get out, stupid frog!" Bel threw a knife at his head
"Ne, I'm the one who already came here to talk. If you don't want then, fine~" Fran irritably stated, maintaining his monotonous tone
"Wait, what?"
"Never mind~"
"COME BACK HERE YOU STUPID FROG" Bel sprang to the balcony
"I said never mind" Fran disappeared into Joey's vacated room
"Hmph" Bel pouted
Fran nonchalantly walked through Joey's room, out to the hallway, and into his room
He idly sat on the edge of his bed, removing his hat
"Ehh, why is it when I hear anything related to Isabella, my chest feels heavy? She must be a burden then…"
The mint green haired boy, removed his uniform and settled into his bed, clearing his thought from what he believes is a "burden"
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"I can't sleep" Isabella grumbled in her bed, pulling the sheets to her chin
"Fran must be thinking of me then~ … does that mean when I fall asleep, he stopped?" She threw the sheets off her body and sat up
"I can't help but feel a weight on my chest every time I think of him" Her hand trailed up to her chest
"It must be love~" Isabella closed her eyes and lied back down
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