February 1, 2021
"What is the meaning of this? I am the Grand Duke’s guest! Let me out this instant!"
A piercing, almost desperate, cry echoed down the corridor. Without any change in expression, Alicia silently followed the direction of the voice.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"If you won’t lend me your sword, you’re free to leave."
"No, that’s not what I meant. I just don’t see why you should dirty your hands over this."
Fenril’s gaze landed on Alicia’s hands. Small and pale, though slightly rough, they seemed ill-suited for holding steel.
"Then is it acceptable for your hands to be dirtied instead?"
"I'm already used to such things."
"So am I."
"...You are?"
Fenril’s steps halted abruptly as he followed behind Alicia. However, from her back alone, he couldn’t discern her expression. She was simply moving forward.
Fenril parted his lips as if to say something, but when he saw Alicia stop, he instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword. He had followed her under the pretense of lending his blade, but in truth, he had intended to act as her sword instead.
"Alicia!"
James rushed toward her the moment he saw her. He was locked inside a prison cell.
"Alicia, hurry and tell them! I’m your guest! How dare they—"
"Let him out."
"He is a suspicious individual."
"It’s fine. Release him. I’ll take responsibility."
The soldier hesitated before pulling out the keys. Alicia stood motionless, watching as James was freed.
"Thanks, Alicia. There must have been some kind of misunderstanding."
James laughed awkwardly after stepping out of the cell. Alicia, however, turned her head toward a bag lying on the ground.
"Where were you in such a hurry to go?"
"I received an urgent message from the Association."
"Urgent enough that you’d leave without even notifying me?"
"There were... circumstances."
James turned his head slightly, only to notice Fenril standing nearby. The blond man, as tall as Cabelenus, had an undeniable presence. It was only then that James became conscious of his own disheveled state—his shirt was in tatters from being restrained by the soldiers and dragged across the floor. Even without a mirror, he knew he must look like a mess.
"You couldn’t even tell me about it?"
"Sorry, it’s something important."
James rubbed his fingertips over the stains on his shirt, though it did little to clean it. Eventually, he gave up and simply covered the stains with his hand. Alicia observed him quietly before clasping her hands together.
"James, have you seen Mikael?"
"Why are you asking me about Mikael?"
"You’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately, preparing my birthday gift."
"That’s true, but not today. Like I said, I had to leave urgently because of the Association’s message. I didn’t have time for anything else."
"Is that so?"
"Sorry, but can I go now? It really is urgent."
"If it’s urgent, then you should go."
"Thanks for understanding."
James lifted his travel bag as if to prove his point, flashing a strained smile. He couldn’t even properly meet Alicia’s gaze.
Without another word, Alicia turned toward Fenril. Seeing this, Fenril carefully pulled a dagger from his coat.
"You’re not feeling well. Carrying something heavy isn’t good for you."
He discreetly covered the sword at his waist and only handed her the dagger.
"You’re quite considerate."
"It’s my duty to protect you, after all."
Fenril shrugged nonchalantly. Alicia withdrew her gaze from his longsword and took the dagger. It had been a while since she last held a blade, but the familiar weight no longer felt foreign. She could not go to Lubertain as she had once promised her mother.
"Could you step aside for a moment?"
Alicia glanced between Fenril and the soldier. Fenril furrowed his brows in hesitation.
"You don’t mean to be alone with him, do you?"
"It won’t take long."
"But—"
"There’s no need to worry. It’ll be over quickly."
Fenril hesitated before nodding reluctantly. No matter how much he tried to find an opening, Alicia showed no intention of backing down.
"If it takes too long, I’m coming in."
"Alright. Thank you."
"Please don’t overexert yourself."
Even after saying this, Fenril lingered for a moment before finally stepping away. Once she confirmed he was gone, Alicia turned around.
"James, let’s talk."
"Talk? About what?"
James curled his lips into a forced smile. Alicia stepped in front of him, standing tall.
"There’s something I need to ask."
"While holding a blade to me?"
"Depending on your answer, I might hurt you with this."
"Alicia."
"Or perhaps, I might kill you outright."
Alicia stared at James intently. He opened and closed his mouth in shock.
"...You don’t trust me."
"The James Nixon I know wouldn’t act like this."
"Alicia—"
"Tell me now. Where is Mikael?"
A sharp glint flashed in Alicia’s eyes.
"Why are you asking me about Mikael?"
"Because Mikael is missing."
James instinctively took a step back. Alicia tightened her grip on the dagger.
"Mikael is missing, and yet your first response isn’t concern—it’s excuses."
"T-That’s because you’re misunderstanding—"
"Am I?"
"..."
James’s eyes trembled. Alicia exhaled slowly.
"I’ll ask again. Where is Mikael?"
"How would I know?"
"Then I’ll ask differently. What did you say to Mikael?"
"Nothing."
James answered firmly, but Alicia didn’t lower the blade. His gaze flickered toward the veins protruding on her clenched hand, and he frowned.
"I know Mikael is special to you, but this is going too far. Who threatens someone with a weapon just because a child cried?"
"If you were the one who made Mikael cry, then you must have hurt him."
"Mikael is like a son to me. I would never do that."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"You really think I’d do that?"
"Of course not. I would nev—AARGH!"
The moment James reached out, a spray of crimson scattered through the air. Alicia strode forward without hesitation, unfazed by the droplets staining the hem of her dress. James clutched his wounded hand tightly, his teeth grinding against the pain.
"What the hell are you doing?! Did you really just attack me?"
"I learned something today," Alicia said coolly. "Every time you lie, the left corner of your mouth twitches."
"...What?"
"Now, tell me what you did to Mikael."
"Alicia, calm down and listen to me. I was just—"
"Talk."
Alicia’s voice was a low growl as she pointed the blade at him. A droplet of blood slid from the tip of the dagger.
"Don’t act tough. I know you won’t even be able to use that properly."
"Then don’t bother dodging."
Alicia swung the dagger without warning. James barely managed to evade it, his face contorting in frustration.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"You said I wouldn’t be able to use it. So why are you dodging?"
"Alicia!"
"I was grateful to you." Alicia’s voice was calm, but her eyes shone with an eerie light. "It’s true that I’ve relied on you a lot. I tried to endure things and convince myself you meant well."
If only he hadn’t touched Mikael. Alicia’s gaze sharpened. James instinctively stepped back. The woman in front of him was still Alicia, and yet, at the same time, she wasn’t.
"Go on. Tell me exactly what you did to my child."
"A-Alicia, I just—"
"I don’t need excuses. That’s not what I’m asking for."
"I didn’t say anything to him!"
"Then what did you say?"
Alicia stepped forward. James stepped back. The glint of steel flickered under the dim lighting.
"Mikael already knew who his real father was! It wasn’t because of me—he ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ found out that the Grand Duke of Schwarhan is his biological father, and he was shocked!"
"Because of him?"
Alicia exhaled shortly. James seized the moment to speak hastily.
"Yes, because of him! It was always about him!"
"..."
"If the Grand Duke had never come looking for you, none of this would’ve happened!"
"..."
"It’s all his fault! If only he were gone—"
"No." Alicia’s lips curled into a bitter smile. "Even if he wasn’t here, things would have turned out this way anyway."
She had merely peeled away the thin layer of sentimentality between them, and suddenly, everything looked different. There were so many things she had forced herself to ignore, just to remain James’s friend.
"I’ve always known I wasn’t normal. That’s why I tried to adapt to your standards. To me, you were the definition of normal."
"..."
"But now that I think about it, why should I bother? Everyone has different standards, so how could we even define what’s normal or not?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You once called me strange. But from my perspective—you’re the strange one."
"...You think I’m strange?"
James scoffed, glaring at Alicia.
"Yes. You are."
Alicia’s breathing grew ragged as her expression twisted.
"Lying about his marriage, erasing every trace of me so he couldn’t find me—you might have convinced yourself you did it for my sake. But this? This is different."
"What exactly did I do to deserve this?"
"You hurt Mikael. You always blame someone else for everything. And more than anything—you always justify everything to serve yourself."
"I didn’t do anything wrong! Everything I did was for you and Mikael—"
"No. It wasn’t for us."
Alicia shook her head firmly. James’s expression hardened.
"Did the Grand Duke tell you to say that?"
"No. That’s my judgment."
Alicia’s grip tightened on the dagger.
"...Your left lip keeps twitching, James."
Clang.
The bloodstained dagger clattered onto the floor. Fenril quickly stepped forward, steadying Alicia.
"Are you alright?"
"Don’t come too close. Your clothes will get dirty."
"Your clothes are the least of my concerns right now."
Without hesitation, Fenril supported her again. This time, Alicia didn’t refuse his help.
"I’ll take you back to your room."
Fenril glanced downward. James lay unconscious on the floor, a deep wound staining his shoulder red. Despite his concerns, Alicia had been more adept with the blade than he had expected. Not a professional, perhaps—but she had used it before.
"Not my room. Take me to His Highness."
"To His Highness?"
"That’s my priority."
"..."
"I know it’s troublesome, but please. My legs still give out on me sometimes."
Alicia gave him a faint smile. Fenril pressed his lips together tightly.
Paradoxically, despite being drenched in blood, the woman before him looked fragile. She didn’t seem like someone capable of harming another.
If he hadn’t seen James lying there himself, he might not have believed it.
"You should at least clean up before we go. His Highness will be alarmed if he sees you like this."
"I’ll wipe off as we go. This is urgent."
Alicia took the handkerchief Fenril offered and wiped her hands. The pristine white fabric quickly turned crimson.
"I’ll get you a new one."
"You don’t need to worry about a handkerchief. Right now, the real concern is—"
"What?"
Alicia looked up absentmindedly. Their eyes met.
Fenril’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed reflexively. He tried to act indifferent, but for some reason, his mouth felt dry.
Even covered in blood, she still smelled like fresh grass.
