March 22, 2021
"...Are you alright?"
Cabelenus murmured in a low voice. His insides churned with heat, his thirst unbearable, but the fragile arms in his grasp kept him from indulging in his own desires.
"It’s a little... complicated."
"I’m sorry. I should have controlled myself."
Cabelenus furrowed his brows as he lifted his head. Alicia was barely holding herself together as it was—he had no intention of pushing her past her limits.
"No, that’s not what I meant."
"...Not what you meant?"
Cabelenus turned to look at her and froze. Her gaze, locked onto his, burned with a feverish glow.
It wasn’t just his desire.
His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. Even as he tried to steady himself, his voice threatened to crack. Once his instincts were provoked, they weren’t easy to suppress.
He wanted to kiss her reddened, tear-stained eyes. To mark the pale column of her throat with his teeth. To—
Grinding his teeth, he forced the thoughts away. He would rather be cut to pieces by a blade than let them consume him.
"You should go in and rest. You’ve been through a lot."
"And what about you?"
"I have some matters to take care of."
It was a poor excuse, but necessary. If he stayed in the same room with her any longer, he knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself. He needed distance, even if just for a moment.
"I’ll be back soon. So for now—"
A hand grabbed his.
Cabelenus instinctively flinched.
"You said you wanted me."
"I know the state of your body. I wouldn’t do that to you—I’m not some beast."
"Are you worried about me?"
"I always worry about you."
Alicia pulled at his hand, drawing him toward her. He was much larger than her, but he followed her movements without resistance.
"You’re kind."
"I’m just trying not to become worse than a beast."
His voice was barely above a mumble. He could have easily freed himself if he wanted to. But he didn’t.
"If you don’t want this, I won’t push you."
"And if I do want it?"
"......."
His pupils shook violently.
Alicia leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to the inside of his wrist—the same way he once had to hers.
"You smell good."
"...I used cologne."
"You don’t usually like things like that."
Every breath she exhaled against his skin sent a shiver down his spine.
If he could, he’d devour her completely.
She said he smelled good, but that wasn’t true.
He knew what really smelled good.
"...Don’t tempt me."
"I won’t break."
"Even so, not now."
Cabelenus let out a heavy sigh, smiling bitterly.
"But you keep looking at me."
"Because you’re beautiful."
"......."
Alicia's lips parted, and the seductive smirk she had worn crumbled instantly. Her cheeks turned as red as a ripe apple.
"Mikael says that to me all the time, but coming from you, it’s..."
"Mikael adores you, and so do I."
"......."
Her hand loosened.
Cabelenus clicked his tongue inwardly, already missing the warmth that had slipped away. He wanted to bite into her flushed face, but he knew it wouldn’t stop there.
"I think you’re beautiful, too."
"I— I think you should leave now! You said you had important matters to ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) attend to!"
"Does it embarrass you that much?"
"I mean... I’m not even that pretty."
Alicia hesitated, her lips moving without sound. She could easily accept compliments from Mikael—he was just a child. But hearing it from Cabelenus was different.
If anything, he was the one who fit the definition of beauty. His well-groomed hair, his sharp yet refined features—everything about him was striking, without even trying.
Hearing those words from someone like him was... overwhelming.
"In the past, when I looked at your hair, I thought of rusted iron. Dull, unimpressive."
Cabelenus reached out, taking a lock of her hair between his fingers.
"But I was wrong."
Her red curls had always been the same, yet they no longer seemed dull to him.
"Your hair isn’t rusted iron—it’s the color of the sunset. A beautiful shade. When you move under the sun, it flickers like fire."
"......."
"And your eyes are the same. They’re light enough that they change color depending on the light."
"......."
"Your hair, your eyes—they’re uniquely yours. The more I look at them, the more beautiful they seem."
Alicia bit her lip, unsure of how to respond.
His voice wasn’t sultry or suggestive—there was no seductive lilt to it.
If anything, it was steady. Matter-of-fact.
And that was why it felt even more sincere.
Her fingers twitched before she finally reached out, hesitantly touching his hand.
"...I think I’d rather stay with you."
"Not the best choice for my self-control."
"Does that mean you don’t want me to?"
"...As if I could say that."
She didn’t have a mirror, so she had no idea how she looked at that moment.
But he could see.
Cabelenus clenched his jaw and pulled her into his arms.
Her cheeks were still warm, her lips slightly parted. Her light eyes shimmered, glassy with unshed tears, as if struggling to hold them back.
She was trying to stay composed, but her body trembled under his touch.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
***
"Rest."
"You’ll stay with me, won’t you?"
"If that’s what you want, as long as you want."
Cabelenus’s fingers gently brushed aside the strands of hair covering Alicia’s forehead. Like a spoiled cat, she leaned into his touch. She knew this wasn’t the time for such indulgence, but tonight, she wanted it. She wanted to bask in his affection, to confirm over and over again that it belonged to her and her alone.
He had said that if she wanted to leave, he would let her go—but that wasn’t her true desire.
"Just as I thought... the real thing is always better than a drawing."
"Of course. A drawing can’t do this."
Cabelenus cupped her face, about to kiss her, when a soft rustling sound made him pause.
Somehow, Mikael had latched onto Alicia’s back like a cicada clinging to an ancient tree.
"Mommaaa..."
The child’s sleepy mumble made both Cabelenus and Alicia freeze, as if they’d been caught in the middle of something forbidden.
"Hehe, Mom smells nice..."
Unaware of the attention on him, Mikael let out a pleased giggle and burrowed deeper against Alicia. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t fully woken up.
"Once everything is settled, I think we’ll need separate bedrooms."
Cabelenus muttered in clear dissatisfaction. The child hadn’t woken up, but the mood had certainly been ruined.
"I like the three of us being together."
"It’s definitely been helpful in improving my patience."
Deep lines formed on Cabelenus’s forehead. Alicia chuckled softly and smoothed them out with a gentle press of her finger.
"I’m going to live. I’ll survive and stay by your side—with you and Mikael. I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen."
"......."
Cabelenus stared at her in silence, then, seeing the unwavering determination in her gaze, he finally smiled.
"That’s right. You should."
"Which is why... if you’re willing, I’d like to summon the monsters here."
"You want to summon the monsters? How?"
"It’s difficult to explain, but I have an idea."
Lowering her eyes, Alicia recalled the moment she had encountered them. She had been overwhelmed at the time, but she had remembered everything important.
"The monster told me that if I willed it, they could hear my voice anywhere in Schwarhan."
"That’s possible?"
"We won’t know until we try. But they said it with certainty. And I think they have the answers we need. It’s worth a shot."
"Do you think those answers have anything to do with curing your condition?"
"Not just mine... I think they might know how to remove the monster’s blood from you, too."
"I don’t care about myself. Focus on your own condition first. That takes priority."
Cabelenus’s voice was firm.
"You’re kind."
"I’m just trying."
"That doesn’t change the fact that you are kind. You won’t ask me anything until I choose to tell you myself."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Cabelenus looked away, but Alicia could already see the truth in his actions. He was pretending not to question her, giving her the space to speak when she was ready.
And for that, she was grateful.
"By now, you must have figured it out. I knew you’d notice."
She studied him closely. After a long pause, Cabelenus let out a sigh.
"Nothing is certain yet. You’re just considering possibilities."
"But if we want the answers, we need more than just possibilities."
"......."
"Eight years ago, the first time I encountered a monster... I was pregnant with Mikael."
That’s why I misunderstood.
Alicia’s lashes trembled. Mikael had been born with extraordinary power—he had even been born in the form of a beast. Given everything she had seen, it was only natural to assume that the monsters were after him.
But looking back now, there was something odd.
"I can hear the monsters... but Mikael can’t. That’s why, whenever he tried to describe them, he only spoke of strange, eerie cries."
"......."
"They used Mikael’s body to speak to me. They told me he was only a passageway to reach me."
"......."
"And that’s when I began to realize."
It wasn’t Mikael.
Alicia met Cabelenus’s gaze head-on. She hadn’t expected to reveal this much, but the warmth of his hand—steadily holding hers—gave her courage.
No matter what happened, as long as he was by her side, she could face it.
"It was me."
She took a deep breath and continued.
There can only be one throne.
If it wasn’t Mikael—
Then there was only one other possibility.
"The King of Monsters isn’t Mikael."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Cabelenus’s grip on her hand remained steady.
"It’s me."
