The Crown's Entrapment

Chapter 763 I Love You

Amon couldn't believe how he was reacting right now. Just hearing how Bella mentioned that first love of hers made him feel annoyed already. Then she also mentioned that she painted him, and he didn't know what to think of it. He didn't know why he was acting like this, but just the thought of Bella thinking about another man left a bitter taste in his mouth for some reason.

Was it jealousy? That probably explained why his mood was so sour right now. That should explain everything after all there was no doubt how attracted he was to Bella. 

Amon quietly released a heavy sigh. She was holding his hand, and yet she was gleefully talking about another man who was also her first love?! Just where was he in the picture? Her second love?! Third?! Maybe fourth?!"

Bella blinked at him as she amusedly asked, "Why is your face so dim? Are you being jealous of Calypso right now?"

Blinking right back, Amon quickly composed himself as he defended himself. "I am not," he scoffed with a frown. "Why would I?"

Since when did he become such a liar like this? Of course, he was jealous. He simply didn't want to admit it. In fact, the only reason he lied was because he wanted to see the painting and see if this Calypso man was better-looking than him. Amon wasn't someone who had the habit of comparing himself to another man, however, so it was a surprise to him that he even had this thought in the first place.

"You said you painted him," he added. "I want to see if I can remember him since you mentioned that I knew him."

"I did," she replied. "Let me show you"

As Bella led him to the supposed painting, Amon looked around, and he couldn't help but be amazed at all the beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. They were all magnificent in their own right, and it was clear that their painter knew what they were doing. 

"Here…" Bella stated as she pointed at a particular painting. 

Following her lead, Amon raised an eyebrow as his narrowed eyes scrutinized the painting of a handsome man with burgundy colored hair in front of him.

"You're quite good at painting, Lady Bella," he mumbled wryly. "I bet he's not this good-looking in person." 

Bella chuckled. "Hmm… Calypso is more handsome in person though. I didn't even manage to emphasize his expressive eyes in this painting," she pointed out with a smile. "That man made a lot of women cry, including me…"

"You cried because of him?!" he burst out in disbelief while staring into Bella's side profile. 

She simply smiled, her eyes lingering on the painting. "He turned me down after I confessed to him. It turns out that he only saw me as a sister," she sighed. "I even dyed my hair purple and always had that lavender scent on me knowing how he loves it… I guess we're simply not meant for each other." 

Bella then turned to him with a wink. "It's because we're meant for each other," she sincerely stated. "And I'm glad that you came into my life during that time as Osman, pursuing me with patience and making my heart fall for you so deeply like it never did to any man."

Amon blushed hard at Bella's bold words. "Why… Why is it so easy for you to say those words?" he couldn't help but ask. Ever since he met Bella, he noticed how she would simply voice out her thoughts on everything so easily, especially if they were about her feelings.

"Why would it need to be so hard to express what you truly feel? I don't want any regrets in my life, Amon. That's why I already erased the word hesitation in my vocabulary," Bella firmly stated. "I simply want to be honest about everything I feel. I… I experienced what it's like to almost die, and saw how you died before my eyes… Do you think after everything I've experienced, I will still hold back? No, I won't."

Amon gulped. The way she looked at him was so intense that he felt like he was about to melt on the spot. Turning his gaze away, his forehead creased as he saw yet another painting that Bella made. The Queen Fairy… She looked exactly the same as how he last remembered her.

Seeing where his attention was, Bella let out a mouthful of a sigh as she whispered, "I also drew her, the Queen Fairy Helena, back then. I truly admired her beauty whenever I watched her in the vision during Queen Xenia's trials," she recalled. "That's what she originally looked like… Your memory of her has returned though, so I guess you remember her looking exactly like this."

"Yes, I remember her looking around exactly like this" he hummed. "You're truly talented, Lady Bella."

"Stop being so formal. Call me Bella from now on, and I'll call you Amon," Bella suddenly remarked. "We're getting married soon, after all. Or if you want, you can call me something else. Maybe a sweet endearment that we can call each other with like Darling, My Love, or even call me Little Vixen like how you sometimes used to call me."

Amon smiled at that. "I'll address you as Bella then." Bella's shoulders shrugged but it was still better than him calling him with Lady or Milady…"

A few beats passed as they continued their tour of Bella's works. The more he saw them, the more Amon couldn't help but be amazed at what she had done.

"Hmm… You're really good at this," he commented as he looked at more of the paintings. While he didn't look as such, he was actually looking for a particular painting that was still eluding his sight.

'She said she loves me, but how come she didn't even bother drawing me? Where exactly is my portrait in this workplace?' he inwardly thought. 'Even a black and white version of me wouldn't been good enough.' 

The more he looked around, the more he couldn't help but feel disappointed that Bella drew her first love but not him. He guessed he was the second since aside from that Calypso, there was no other portrait of a man around. Then again, he was also currently stopping himself from asking her directly if she had a painting of him.

"Is this all that you've painted?" he curiously asked. He was really itching to ask her if she painted him as well.

"Hmm, I have one more," Bella said with a small smile as she once again grabbed him by the hand and led him outside. "Come…" 

"Where are we going?" he asked, his eyes still lingering on the hand that was currently clasped against hers. He felt really comfortable around her.

"You'll find out soon. I'll show you the last painting I did that you haven't seen yet," she remarked with a faint smirk. "It's a masterpiece that I made. The best of all my paintings." 

Amon was about to ask about things further when they suddenly stopped in front of a door. She opened it, and Amon gasped as Bella's scent filled his senses. It was spacious for a bedroom, and he could tell that it was her most private chamber.

"This room?"

"My bedchamber… You're the first man I let in entering this personal space of mine," Bella murmured before stopping in front of her bed where there was currently a painting hanging in a way that it looked like someone sleeping on the bed could see it in full.

Looking at the ceiling, Amon gulped at what he saw. It was his portrait, smiling lovingly and happily for some reason. He didn't remember himself smiling like that and it was refreshing to see. He had a feeling that he truly lived his life to the fullest when he was Osman.

"I had your portrait put in here when that incident happened, and everyone thought that you were already dead," she muttered. "I really couldn't believe that i lost you like that. I can't accept you dying on me like that so I refused to believe that you're already dead." she continued with her eyes fixated on him.

Bella raised her hand and cupped his face with her warm palm. She gently caressed his cheek and with a smile whispered, "I… I barely kept myself breathing, but seeing your smiling face like that in your portrait gave me just enough strength to continue with my life… Thank you for being alive and coming back to me, Osman… Amon… No matter what your name doesn't matter because I will recognize you no matter what. I love you so much."

Amon snapped out from the remaining of his self-control and restraint. Without saying a word, he snaked his arm on Bella's waist. He pulled her closer to him and passionately sealed her lips with his.