An Unexpected Proposal

June 1, 2020

"Are you certain there's a slave inside the castle?"

"Would the Emperor of Blanche lie to me? Look again. That rat must be hiding somewhere."

Veloa impatiently drummed her fingers on the table. Her escort, visibly troubled, carefully observed her mood. He had hoped she might change, but the self-absorbed princess had not adjusted to Schwarhan in the slightest. If anything, her limited movements had only made her more irritable, leading to frequent outbursts.

"But if we've searched everywhere and still can't find them, isn't it possible the Grand Duke has already handled the situation…?"

"If you contradict me one more time, I’ll tell my father everything."

Veloa glared, baring her teeth in irritation. If it had been one of her personal maids from home, they would have catered to her every whim like an extension of her own tongue. But the escort assigned by the king had no such talents.

"…I’ll search again."

"You should’ve done that from the start. Honestly, do I always have to repeat myself?"

She clicked her tongue in frustration, her dissatisfaction obvious. At first, the vast, snow-covered landscape had seemed romantic, and the grand castle had piqued her interest. But now, everything was dull. Schwarhan had no parties. No matter how extravagant her dress or how dazzling her jewelry, there was no one to admire her. If Cabelenus weren’t such a striking man, she would have left this unbearably tedious land long ago.

"And what do you intend to do if you find the slave?"

"Why, show them the virtues of a proper lady of the house, of course."

Veloa straightened her posture, lifting her chin with an air of refined grace.

"The lady of the house? But when you met the Grand Duke, you clearly…"

"Oh, that? I was just saying things."

"Pardon?"

"Men don’t like women who are too easy."

She blinked slowly, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

"But still, you’re dealing with the Wolf of Schwarhan. If you provoke him unnecessarily—"

"I think his reputation is exaggerated."

"Exaggerated? That can’t be."

Cabelenus wasn’t just surrounded by fearsome rumors—he had an undeniable record to support them. His infamy as the Wolf of Schwarhan was not something to be dismissed lightly. But Veloa, ignorant of warfare, would never understand that.

"No, I’m sure it’s exaggerated. It doesn’t make sense for someone with such a handsome face to do those things."

She smiled leisurely, idly twisting a ring on her finger. She had never known scarcity, nor did she care to. War, politics—those were just abstract concepts, far removed from her reality. Like other nobles of her age, she simply liked beautiful things and preferred not to dwell on anything too complicated. There were plenty of pleasures in life without getting tangled in such matters.

"You think the Wolf of Schwarhan is handsome?"

"He’s the most attractive man I’ve ever seen. Tall, strong—"

She hadn’t expected much, but the infamous Wolf of Schwarhan had turned out to be unexpectedly beautiful. He wasn’t on par with her, of course, but standing next to him wouldn’t be embarrassing.

"If only he didn’t have such poor taste."

Of all the women available, he had chosen a slave. Veloa clicked her tongue in open disdain. From the perspective of someone born into noble blood, it was nothing short of tragic.

"Princess, are you truly considering marriage with the Grand Duke?"

"Of course. Do you think I’d let a lowly slave ruin the greatest opportunity of my life?"

"But you said this place bores you."

"What choice do I have? For the sake of my future, I must endure it."

She flicked her fingers with a smug smile. She had no intention of remaining confined to this frozen wasteland forever. Veloa wanted more—far more.

"One marriage, and I could become the mistress of the vast Blanche Empire. It’s a bargain too good to pass up."

Even with the love of her father and the admiration of her kingdom, her position in the line of succession had never changed. The next king of Christi had already been decided. In the end, she would always be beneath someone. But Veloa despised that idea. She wanted to be the center of attention, to have people gaze up at her in awe. Becoming Cabelenus’s wife was the perfect path to achieving that. If only that wretched slave weren’t in her way.

"Stop wasting time with pointless chatter and find that slave as quickly as possible. It’s best to deal with nuisances before they become real problems."

"But… is it really safe to interfere with the slave?"

"Safe? Are you actually asking me that?"

Veloa laughed, as if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke.

"A slave is nothing more than property. No matter how much he cherishes it, there’s no way he’d be angry over a mere object. Even if I do something, the Grand Duke wouldn’t dare say a word to me."

"But the way he’s hidden them away so thoroughly… it does seem concerning."

"That just means he’s embarrassed to admit it. The Grand Duke must see that slave as a weakness."

Would a man who considered a woman his shame truly take her as his wife? The escort had his doubts. But he knew better than to voice them aloud. He was well aware that beneath her dazzling beauty, the princess of Christi was little more than a poisonous flower. The king had always indulged her whims. Regardless of the truth, provoking her was never a good idea.

"I am Veloa. Veloa Christi. Do you think there exists a man who would reject me? The mere thought of being compared to a pathetic slave is laughable."

"But—"

"If you have time to waste on nonsense, go find that slave’s whereabouts or bring me something entertaining. Being trapped in a land that holds only two parties a year is enough to drive me mad."

"Then… what about summoning a tailor?"

"The quality of the clothing here is obvious. Why would I bother having a dress made?"

Veloa shot him a cold glare. Flushing red, the escort hesitated before speaking again.

"Then perhaps… a jeweler?"

"There’s no point in buying jewels when there are no parties to wear them to."

She clicked her tongue, utterly unimpressed.

"Then how about hiring a performer?"

"You expect me to amuse myself with common entertainment?"

No, not this. Not that. The escort could only sweat nervously as Veloa’s scowl deepened.

"Ugh, this is unbearable. How is it that no one can satisfy me?"

"Perhaps… you could ask the Grand Duke to host a small gathering?"

"A party?"

"If it’s a modest one—"

"I despise modesty. If I’m going to have a party, it must be grand."

Resting her chin in her hand, she thought for a moment before smiling elegantly.

"Fetch me pen and paper. Immediately."

"Paper?"

"I need to see just how far the Grand Duke is willing to go for me."

Veloa accepted the pen her escort brought her, her expression smug as she prepared to put her plan into motion.

***

"She Wants a Celebration?"

"A banquet, is it? That sounds exactly like something a princess like her would suggest."

"She’s used to lavish parties in her homeland. Adjusting to Schwarhan’s customs must be difficult for her. Though, even with that in mind, this is an unreasonable demand."

Gajev lazily waved the paper containing Veloa’s request.

"She claims that in the Christi Kingdom, they host extravagant celebrations all the time."

Cabelenus scoffed in amusement.

"That’s ridiculous. If they truly held parties as often as she claims, their treasury would’ve been emptied long ago, no matter how strong their kingdom may be."

He knew the financial state of the Christi Kingdom well. Hosting the kind of opulent celebration Veloa had requested on a regular basis was simply impossible.

"Then what do you think her real intention is?"

"She’s looking down on Schwarhan. She’s convinced that she holds all the power in this marriage arrangement."

"Foolish."

Cabelenus clicked his tongue.

"She’s never known scarcity. That’s the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"From what I’ve gathered, the King of Christi dotes on her excessively. Anything she desires, he provides. Even when she commits a crime, it’s quietly covered up."

"A crime?"

"She had a teacher executed because she didn’t like him."

Gajev exhaled a tired sigh as he recalled the princess, overflowing with arrogance. No matter how he looked at it, she was far from suited to be the lady of Schwarhan.

"Executed?"

"She secretly placed a diamond necklace in his bag and accused him of theft. It was an incredibly expensive piece, meant to be a birthday gift for her. The supposed theft resulted in a death sentence."

"Audacious."

"And she did this at thirteen years old. ‘Audacious’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. What’s worse, she received no punishment. Most people aren’t even aware it was her doing."

Gajev let out a bitter laugh. It hadn’t stopped there—after sending that teacher to the gallows, she had continued to trample over countless lives. Even now, that part of her remained unchanged.

"The king must adore her beyond reason."

"She was born from his most beloved queen. They say she resembles her late mother so much that he could never bring himself to deny her anything."

"Excessive affection often turns into poison."

Cabelenus fell silent. A memory surfaced, one he thought he had long buried. Sometimes, even when he believed it had faded, that day would resurface in his mind.

"So, what should we do about this banquet request?"

"That depends…" Cabelenus mused. "Gajev, what do you think of Princess Veloa?"

"She’s unimpressive. Young and inexperienced. That much was obvious just from looking at her, and the background check only confirmed it."

"Is that so?"@@novelbin@@

Cabelenus tilted his head slightly.

"Yes. That’s why I believe we could humor her a little. Negotiating with her won’t be difficult—she’s no different from a spoiled child. She might be easier to handle than expected."

Gajev nodded firmly. Veloa’s character didn’t matter. What mattered was how they could use her. Now that they knew she was naïve and reckless, she would be even easier to manipulate.

"But is it really that simple?"

Cabelenus rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"What’s bothering you?"

Gajev looked at him curiously.

"As you said, she’s inexperienced. But why her?"

"You mean, why was she chosen as your potential bride?"

"Exactly. There’s more than one unmarried princess in Christi, isn’t there?"

"Yes. Princess Veloa has an older sister, the second princess. However, from what I’ve heard, she’s nowhere near as beautiful."

Cabelenus lowered his gaze, tapping his chin lightly with his index finger. It didn’t add up.

"The emperor isn’t foolish. He knows beauty is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. From his perspective, choosing the second princess would’ve been the logical decision—she’s closer to the throne."

"Then perhaps Veloa was chosen deliberately."

"That seems likely."

If there was one thing Cabelenus knew about Jerpeneus, it was that the man didn’t make mistakes—he only pretended to. There was a reason he had chosen such an ill-prepared princess.

"That raises another question: why her specifically?"

"There are only two possibilities. Either she’s deliberately playing a role, or she has some hidden value we don’t know about."

"I doubt she’s pretending," Gajev muttered, furrowing his brow.

"You never know."

"Do you believe she’s acting?"

"No."

Cabelenus leaned back in his chair, his answer curt. Even to him, Veloa didn’t seem capable of such deception. But standing behind her was none other than Jerpeneus. He couldn’t afford to take this lightly.

"Even so, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions."

"Then…"

"For now, indulge her whims. Humor her and keep her satisfied. But don’t trust anything. Watch her closely—don’t let a single detail slip by."

Cabelenus’s eyes glinted sharply. He was not the type to simply endure. He was born a predator.