December 14, 2020
“How do you think Roakin will respond? Do you think they’ll cooperate?”
“If the conditions are right, it should be possible to move forward.”
“That’s a relief.”
Alicia smiled lightly. A thick book was placed on her lap as she sat.
“However, the conditions are a bit vague.”
“Did they make unreasonable demands?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“Well...”
Cabelenus furrowed his brow, trailing off. The request could easily be unpleasant for Alicia.
“Did Roakin demand Neuschwein, perhaps?”
“...How did you know?”
“Roakin is a neighboring country, bordering Neuschwein.”
“You know a lot about Roakin?”
“I don’t know much, but a little.”
Alicia answered while turning the pages of her book. Cabelenus, feeling disappointed by her distant gaze, leaned forward slightly. If this was going to happen, he thought he should have sat next to her instead of across from her.
“How much do you know, exactly?”
“I’ve seen them struggle with Roakin’s thieves before, and there was also a time when a marriage proposal came up.”
“...A marriage proposal?”
Alicia casually turned the page, but Cabelenus’s eyes had already hardened.
“...May I ask whose engagement it was?”
“I said ‘engagement,’ but honestly, it wasn’t really an engagement.”
“So, it was your engagement.”
Cabelenus gritted his teeth. Alicia finally turned her head to look at him.
“Don’t misunderstand. It really wasn’t like an engagement. I didn’t even know the name or face of the person.”
“Even so, would you still be upset?”
“Are you jealous?”
“Yes. I’m jealous. Even though I don’t know the person’s name or face, I’m still jealous because they remain in your memories.”
Cabelenus tried to hide his jealousy with a smile, but he couldn’t fully mask the expression on his face.
“Then, how do you think I would feel?”
“...”
“I was jealous too.”
“...”
Cabelenus’s eyes twitched. Alicia chuckled softly and returned to her book.
“It really wasn’t a real engagement. When I couldn’t sense any sign of my power returning, they were planning to sell me for a low price.”
“...How dare they sell you for a low price?”
“It’s an old story. It was only mentioned, but it never actually happened.”
Should they sell me for a low price, or hold onto the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) power that was fading? After much deliberation, my father chose the latter, and the marriage proposal quickly faded. If Elena hadn’t come to mock me, I wouldn’t even have known my own marriage discussions were being held.
“Neuschwein is not special to me. I could talk endlessly about the bad memories tied to that place without even trying.”
“...”
“You don’t need to worry about Neuschwein. If it’s something necessary to protect Mikael, I’ll do it.”
“...But it’s not just bad memories, is it?”
Alicia’s hand paused. Cabelenus carefully took her hand in his.
“Your memories of your mother, whom you loved more than anyone, are also there.”
“...”
“You don’t need to pretend to be strong in front of me. If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”
Alicia bit her lower lip. When she looked up again, Cabelenus’s gaze was gentle, which made her nose tingle for no reason.
“Honestly, seeing Neuschwein brings many thoughts to mind. It’s a place where many things happened. But in the end, it’s just land.”
“...”
“The memories of my mother, though, I have them, and it’s me who cherishes those.”
“...Is that the truth?”
“Yes. It’s the truth. If my mother were here, she would surely support my choice.”
Alicia’s hand touched Cabelenus’s cheek. He silently rested his face in her hand, lowering his eyes slightly. Through the palm of her hand, it felt like he could hear his heartbeat pounding.
“And honestly, I feel pretty good right now.”
“Why? What’s making you feel good?”
“Because of your efforts.”
“...”
“I’m really glad. It feels like we’re becoming better versions of ourselves.”
Alicia’s hand slowly brushed across Cabelenus’s cheek. Each time her rough palm touched his soft skin, his eyelashes trembled. His golden eyes reflected Alicia’s face like a mirror between the lifted eyelids. A soft gulp could be heard, but neither of them knew whose it was. Alicia carefully tucked his stray hair behind his ear. When she glanced up slightly, she could see his throat bobbing.
“Roakin wants Beltain, one of Neuschwein’s lands.”
“Why Beltain, of all places?”
“Roakin doesn’t have the capacity to govern other territories, so they just want a land that will help them. It’s a smart choice.”
No matter how much he tried to act unaffected, his voice still grew rough. Cabelenus clenched his fist, trying to force the next words out.
“The northern part of Beltain is farmland, and the southern part has a port, so, in the long run, they could also aim for trade.”
“It’s likely because there are many mixed-bloods there.”
“True. Having a mix of cultures would definitely make it easier to rule.”
He couldn’t hold it in any longer. His breath escaped through clenched teeth. Cabelenus took a deep breath, finally rising from his seat. The palm of his hand clearly showed the marks of his nails.
“I think we should leave the rest of the discussion for next time. If we continue...”
Cabelenus couldn’t finish his sentence and roughly ran a hand through his hair. His brutal nature couldn’t be controlled by just obeying. Despite wanting to treat her with great care, he wanted all of her, from head to toe, and to make her entirely his.
“Are you asking me to kiss you?”
Alicia looked directly at Cabelenus. He stepped back a pace, suppressing the boiling feelings inside. Alicia’s cheek no longer reddened as it once did when he spoke such words, but a faint redness lingered in her earlobe. The sight drove him mad, as if it were proof that his presence still affected her.
“...It’s not just that, and that’s the problem.”
Cabelenus smiled bitterly and rubbed his forehead. Despite everything, Alicia’s gaze felt sweet to him.
“But if I don’t want it, you won’t do it, right?”
“...”
“You will, won’t you?”
A smile spread across Alicia’s lips. Cabelenus contorted his face, unable to answer. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and consume her completely, but instead, he could do nothing. The moment he saw her smile, made solely for him, everything else seemed meaningless. In the end, the only words he could utter were clear.
***
“I’ll walk you to your room.”
“If you keep doing this, people will start complaining.”
Alicia took the book from Cabelenus’s arms. Even though she could easily carry it herself, Cabelenus acted like it was a big deal.
“If anyone complains...”
“What will you do?”
“Well, about that...”
Cabelenus glanced away from Alicia. With a sigh, Alicia hid the book from his view. Cabelenus made an annoyed face but didn’t try to take the book from her arms and just watched her.
“I’ve said it before, but I’m not that weak.”
“I know. It’s just, you’re so small and thin...”
“I’m not small at all.”
“You’re smaller than me.”
“You can’t use yourself as a standard. It’s harder to find someone bigger than you.”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Alicia laughed in disbelief. Cabelenus, who was taller than the average person from Schwarhan, was exceptionally tall, even among people from other empires. Alicia had never seen anyone taller than him.
“That means, to me, you look small.”
“You teased Mikael for being small.”
Did you go and tell him that? Cabelenus’s lips curled slightly in displeasure. Alicia glanced up at Cabelenus for a moment, then stood up quickly and walked ahead, stopping right in front of him.
“Honestly, this isn’t going to work. I’m stopping here.”
“Why? Are you saying I—”
He couldn’t bring himself to ask if it was because of teasing Mikael. Cabelenus frowned, unsure of how to react.
“You need to trust me a little more, Your Grace.”
Alicia’s hand tightened. She understood why Cabelenus was acting the way he was. He had lost before, but it wasn’t just that. Cabelenus had been waiting for Alicia to speak, but his unease hadn’t faded. With his sharp senses, it seemed like he instinctively understood the cost of power.
“That can’t be true. How could I not trust you?”
“If you trust me, show it through your actions.”
“Actions?”
“Trust me and act with confidence. I’m not some fragile glass that’ll break if you touch me.”
Alicia smiled faintly.
“But...”
“If you cross that line, I might get angry.”
At Alicia’s added words, Cabelenus quickly stepped back. The line on the floor, which he hadn’t noticed before, now seemed unnervingly clear.
“I believe it’s better to wait until the other person is ready, rather than doing everything for them.”
“...”
Alicia, smiling, took another step back. This time, Cabelenus didn’t follow. He simply looked at her with an anxious expression.
“Your Grace, please turn your back first. Then, return to your office.”
“Can’t I just look at your back?”
“No.”
Alicia shook her head firmly.
“Why?”
“When you remember me, I don’t want you to remember me by my back.”
“...”
One day, she would have to show Cabelenus the true cost of the power she wielded, but not now. He needed to be ready to accept it, especially given how blindly devoted he was to her. Whether or not she used her power, her end was already determined. She couldn’t know how much life force she had left, but at least her end would come before Cabelenus did. Alicia slowly closed her eyes and opened them again. Cabelenus stood still, staring at her. The gray eyes reflecting the light seemed to shine in many colors.
***
“Old man.”
“What is it?”
“Well, today I saw a woman.”
“You came all the way to another country to chase after women—!”
“Wait! Calm down, old man! I haven’t even told you the main point yet!”
Fenril quickly waved his hands in the air to calm Cher, who seemed ready to charge.
“Main point? When you talk about women, it’s always obvious!”
“Do you really have that little trust in me? I’m hurt!”
“You haven’t done anything to earn trust!”
“That’s just prejudice!”
Fenril dodged Cher’s swinging fists, shouting in a hurry. The anger behind Cher’s fists was palpable.
“Prejudice? Is it a coincidence that you’re known as a womanizer? Huh?”
“It’s all for a reason... No, forget that. Anyway, just listen to me!”
“If you’re going to talk about women, it’s always the same nonsense.”
“Let’s see if you still say that when you hear that the woman came out of the Duke’s office.”
Fenril crossed his arms and lifted his chin. But Cher’s response was lukewarm.
“Maybe she was just a maid.”
“Her clothes were too good for a maid.”
“Then maybe she was a lady-in-waiting.”
“She had better clothes than a typical lady-in-waiting.”
Although it was from a distance, the dress had a subtle shine that couldn’t be mistaken for an ordinary one. It was made from fine cloth, something likely worn by someone of high status.
“So what are you trying to say?”
“Well, shouldn’t there be other words coming out at this point?”
“You want to say that it doesn’t matter if the woman is the Duke’s lover.”
Cher waved his thick hand dismissively.
“Even if she has ash-gray eyes and chestnut-colored hair, like someone from Neuschwein?”
“Oh, now I see why your eyes are all over the place. It’s exactly your type of woman.”
“It’s not like that.”
“If it’s not, then what is it?”
Fenril shook his head with both hands raised, but Cher didn’t seem willing to back off from his judgment.
“It’s the youngest princess of Neuschwein.”
“I really don’t want to hear that.”
“Just hear me out. A woman who has the appearance of the youngest princess of Neuschwein and is connected to the Duke, who is sensitive about Neuschwein. Doesn’t that sound suspicious?”
“The royal family of Neuschwein is dead.”
“Not all of them. The youngest princess...”
“She’s dead too. And it was the Duke of Schwarhan who killed her.”
Cher muttered indifferently, resting his chin on his hand.
“I’ll tell you this now: if the Duke’s secret is something like this, you should drop it.”
“...”
“You said it yourself. We shouldn’t be blinded by revenge. We’re not the ones driven by hatred.”
“Why would I seek revenge? I always do my best for Roakin.”
“That’s why I brought you here. Among your brothers, you’re the one with the most potential.”
Except for one thing. Cher tapped the mirror on the table with his index finger. In the reflection, a man’s face, unable to be concealed, was visibly excited.
