An Unexpected Proposal

May 11, 2020

"How was it? Did you enjoy the hot spring bath?"

"Yes. It was wonderful. The Pelle I had while soaking was also very tasty."

Alicia’s cheeks, reflected in the mirror, were flushed from the heat. Mrs. Morco chuckled softly, finding Alicia’s appearance endearing, and adjusted her dress. Even though it was meant for indoor wear and had minimal decorations, the dress was simple but not shabby. In fact, it exuded an elegant air every time it moved along her body.

"You look like a magician, Mrs. Morco."

"Me?"

Alicia nodded vigorously. She had tried on many dresses, but this one was the first to feel like it truly belonged to her. The dresses Cabelenus had gifted her were all beautiful, but once worn, they left her feeling like her face was too bare for them. She had vaguely thought that dresses were never meant for her.

"This is the first time I’ve worn such a beautiful dress."

"It's not the dress that's beautiful. It's because you, my lady, are beautiful."

"That’s not true. I’m not particularly pretty."

"There are standards for beauty, but not fitting them doesn’t mean one isn't beautiful. Everyone has something beautiful about them. For example, your figure is very lovely."

Mrs. Morco tapped Alicia’s exposed shoulder with her index finger.

"My figure?"

"Yes. You have a graceful silhouette, like something painted with a brush. That's why you look even more attractive when wearing a dress that shows off your figure like this."

"...I’ve never thought about that before."

"It’s hard to notice these things. People tend to focus on their flaws rather than their strengths. It’s not strange; everyone does it."

Noticing Alicia’s slumped shoulders, Mrs. Morco gently comforted her.

"Is that so?"

"Especially now, you have me. I’ll help you discover all the hidden charms you don’t know about. You don’t need to worry about it."

Mrs. Morco expertly gathered Alicia's hair and twisted it up.

"Look, you look lovely with your hair done this way. This is all thanks to your delicate, long neck. And your skin is so fair that any jewel will suit you perfectly."

"..."

"By the way, I was admiring your jewelry box earlier. Next time we have some free time, let’s experiment with different pieces and see which jewels suit you best. Of course, we’ll need to dispose of those absurd dresses first."

"Uh, do we really have to get rid of the dresses?"

"Don’t you want to?"

Mrs. Morco tilted her head in question.

"Well, those were all gifts from His Excellency..."

A warm smile spread across Mrs. Morco’s lips as she noticed the slight blush on Alicia’s face. From what her nephew had told her, the Duke seemed far more impatient, but it appeared that wasn’t entirely the case.

"In that case, how about we just alter them and change their design?"

"Is that possible?"

"Of course. If you give the order, I can make it happen."

"Then, please do."

"It’s my honor."

Mrs. Morco gave a quick bow and removed her hands from Alicia’s hair. What had been a mere moment of attention now looked like a perfectly styled head of hair, evoking admiration.

"You really do seem like a magician, Mrs. Morco."

"It’s just a simple technique. Today, there’s no need for formalities, so I was able to do something light and simple."

"Still, it’s so beautiful."

"I’m glad you like it. Next time, I’ll make your hair even more beautiful."

As Mrs. Morco stepped back, Sijna, who had been waiting nearby, handed Alicia her cloak. It was much lighter than the fur coat she had worn in the carriage.

"Now that I think about it, it’s strange. It’s not cold at all inside the castle."

Alicia tilted her head as she put on the cloak with the help of the maids. Just before they arrived in Schwarhan, she had been struggling against the biting cold, but now, she didn’t feel any chill at all.

"The castle has mana stones all around, so it always maintains a constant temperature."

"I’ve never heard of mana stones."

"It’s a term used for the essence of mana. It’s a treasure of Schwarhan."

Mrs. Morco answered without looking up from the shoes laid out on the table. Despite talking, her focus was entirely on picking the pair of shoes that suited Alicia the best.

"A treasure of Schwarhan?"

"Processed mana stones can be used by people who aren’t magicians. That’s why we use them for all sorts of purposes here. The warmth inside the castle is also due to the mana stones."

Mrs. Morco, now having given up on choosing the shoes, urged Sijna to open another box of shoes. Alicia’s shoes were all matched with her previous dresses, but they didn’t go well with her current one.

"That’s fascinating."

"Right? I feel the same way. Even though I benefit from the mana stones every day, I’m always amazed and grateful. If His Excellency hadn’t recognized their value, this place would still be a land forsaken by the gods."

"A land forsaken by the gods? Isn’t it more accurate to say it’s a land untouched by the gods' blessings?"

"You’ve heard Gajev’s nickname for Schwarhan, haven’t you?"

Mrs. Morco set down the shoes and turned her head toward Alicia.

"How did you know?"

"That boy likes to maintain appearances. He tries hard to use more refined expressions."

"..."@@novelbin@@

"To be honest, the nickname 'land forsaken by the gods' is correct. The harsh cold and the fact that it was often used as a place to send criminals made it earn that name."

Not thrilled with her choice, Mrs. Morco finally picked a more reasonable pair of shoes and approached Alicia again.

"The land of criminals—what does that mean?"

"Well, it’s not something we try to do now, but back in the day, when the Prime Temple dealt with heretics, they often sent them to Schwarhan."

"Processing, you say?"

"There’s no one who could survive in the endless snowfields and freezing cold, and most of all, the pure white snow erases everything, making it perfect for that purpose. It was called exile, but in fact, it was no different from a death sentence."

"...."

"Since they couldn't dirty their hands directly, those who claim to be the followers of the gods found a neat solution in their own way."

It wasn’t a conversation that should have been spoken so casually, yet the woman telling the story, Morco, still had no interest except in the shoes she was holding. Alicia let out a small breath, staring at the shoes Morco had given her. The lace ribbons adorning the shoes fluttered slightly with Alicia’s small movements, catching her gaze.

"It’s a cruel story."

"Do you think so?"

"Don’t you, Morco?"

"You may think it’s cruel, but it’s not something that affects me. Back then, for the people of Schwarhan, death wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t uncommon to see the bodies of friends or family who had been fine just yesterday. So, even when I heard that story, I didn’t feel any particular emotion. It was a land of death anyway, and adding a few more lives to be lost wouldn’t have mattered much."

"You’ve become indifferent to it."

Morco, who had been frowning, eventually removed the shoes from Alicia’s feet. The neat dress and the fluttering lace shoes didn’t quite match, even if you tried to see it in a good light.

"After going through so many deaths, I couldn’t help but become numb to it. There was no other way. Of course, when my twin sister died, I cried for an entire day."

"Your twin sister… Is she… Lord Cloud’s…?"

"Don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past now. Honestly, I can barely remember her face. When I look at mine now, I just think, 'If she were alive, this is what she would have looked like.'"

Only after removing the protruding decorations from the shoes did Morco’s expression brighten. She quickly slipped the shoes back onto Alicia’s feet, and a satisfied smile spread across her face. Behind her, the shoes that hadn’t been chosen were strewn about carelessly.

"It’s a bit disappointing, but I can’t have shoes custom-made for you right away. We’ll make do with these for today."

"...."

"I was trying to make things less boring for you by telling you a story, but I seem to have ended up with something rather grim. My apologies."

"No, it’s not something for you to apologize for."

Alicia waved her hands hurriedly.

"In that case, please keep what I’ve told you a secret from Gajev."

"A secret?"

"Because that boy is different from me. He’s young, and as such, he’s sensitive to his emotions. He’s like the epitome of the younger generation in Schwarhan. They’re angry at the atrocities of the Prime Temple and are eager to change Schwarhan."

Morco clicked her tongue and folded her arms.

"As for Lord Cloud, I don’t think he would change Schwarhan for the worse."

"I’m not saying Gajev is bad. I’m just saying that good intentions don’t always lead to good results. And even the great Duke, whom he blindly believes in, is still just a human."

"...."

"Besides, even with the magic stones, Schwarhan itself hasn’t changed. It’s still a frozen land of death, and it will continue to claim more lives. As long as that doesn’t change, there won’t be much that’s different. It’s more efficient to focus on not losing what we’re currently enjoying."

Morco, grumbling, realized that she had shared more than she intended and gave a shy smile.

"I’ve probably said too much. Don’t pay too much attention to it and just consider it the complaints of an old woman."

"No, it was a good time for me to learn things I didn’t know."

Alicia quickly shook her head. She wasn’t lying. She had always been curious about Schwarhan.

"Next time, I’ll tell you a more interesting story—"

Knock knock.

"Has your preparation been completed, young lady?"

"Oh dear. They say when you talk about a dragon, it comes, and it seems there’s no difference with him either. If it’s alright with you, may I let him in, young lady?"

Morco chuckled and, as always, asked Alicia for her consent. Alicia quickly nodded in agreement.

"I’m not sure if you had a good time with my aunt, but as you now know, she’s a respected lady, though she does tend to use somewhat impolite expressions at times..."

Gajev, who had been speaking smoothly, suddenly stopped when he spotted Alicia. Honestly, although he had thought of Alicia as a small, timid creature before, he had never once thought of her as beautiful. He couldn’t understand why Cabelenus had been so drawn to her. Alicia had always struck him as plain and unremarkable, and his evaluation of her had never changed, even from when they first met until now. But seeing Alicia now, something seemed different. It wasn’t that her face had changed, but her aura was entirely different from before. Dressed in a lighter outfit, with her hair elegantly styled, Alicia now exuded a graceful and dignified presence, as if she belonged to a noble family. No longer did thoughts of a fallen princess or a slave come to mind when looking at her.

".... I was worried I might have upset you, young lady."

Gajev, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly cleared his throat several times. No matter how surprised he was, it was disrespectful to gaze at the future Duchess like that. He imagined how terrible it would have been if Cabelenus had seen her like this.

"No, I wasn’t upset."

"That’s a relief. His Excellency said he would come directly to the dining room, so you should head to the dining room as well."

Gajev tried to smile as usual but awkwardly turned his head when their eyes met. Alicia, now with a more composed expression, was a completely different person than the one he had known. He felt like he was seeing a completely different woman.

"Can I join His Excellency for dinner in Schwarhan as well?"

Alicia’s face brightened noticeably at the mention of Cabelenus. Everyone had been kind to her, but she still longed to see him.

"Of course. He must be hungry, so let’s head to the dining room quickly. The meals prepared by Schwarhan’s chefs are quite delicious. I’m sure you’ll like them."

"I’m looking forward to it."

Alicia, shyly reddening her cheeks, was the same Alicia Gajev had known. With that, Gajev let out a quiet sigh of relief and offered to accompany her.