An Unexpected Proposal

March 19, 2020.

<"Good. You’ve made the right choice. Indulging your older brother is a duty, after all.">

"I have no intention of losing."

Was it competitiveness? Or just stubbornness?

Either way, it didn’t matter.

The only thing that mattered was that the woman irritated him.

Even his own reactions to her felt unfamiliar—so much so that it was unsettling.

He needed to find a reason.

If he didn’t, this persistent, gnawing sensation wouldn’t go away.

<"The same goes for me. After all, a man doesn’t waste even a grain of thought on a woman he has no interest in.">

Jerpeneus grinned as he poured himself a glass of wine. His sharp, calculating gaze lingered on Cabelenus’s thumb as it unconsciously brushed against his lips.

***

On a sunny day, sitting on a bench and passing the time was an easy thing to do.

No matter what she said or did, no one paid Alicia any mind.

She was openly known as Cabelenus’s woman—an existence separate from everyone else.

Though she lived far better than before, it didn’t change the fact that she was still an outsider in the Schwarhan stronghold.

Just as oil and water could never mix, Alicia could never blend into the crowd.

But that didn’t make her sad.

She was used to it.

That was why, instead of sadness, her mind was filled with something else—surprise.

Alicia touched her lips absentmindedly.

Even though it had been brief—just a fleeting moment—she could still feel the warmth of someone else’s touch as vividly as if it had just happened.

Surprisingly warm.

Of course, living beings were warm. That was natural.

And yet, it was still strange.

She had assumed he would be cold.

A man like him—one who seemed incapable of shedding even a single drop of blood—shouldn’t have had such warmth.

But he did.

And those eyes of his, caught in uncharacteristic confusion, were burned into her memory like an unshakable imprint.

She shouldn’t be thinking about this.

Alicia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress the memory that refused to fade.

Everything happening now was beyond her expectations.

She had no idea what to do.

"It seems you’re doing quite well."

A blanket was suddenly thrust toward her.

Alicia slowly looked up.

With the sun behind her, the maid’s face was obscured, but her voice was familiar.

"And you seem to be alive just fine yourself."

Alicia smirked wryly.

Though this woman wasn’t her usual attendant, she was easy to recognize.

She was Velita, a former knight who had once served the queen of Neuschwein.

"I’ve come because I need your help, Princess."

"It’s the first time I’ve heard you call me that."

Alicia’s lips twisted bitterly.

The scars on her thigh—the ones from when the queen had poured scalding tea on her—were still there.

And Velita had been one of the people who laughed when Alicia was left writhing in pain.

Alicia was certain that Velita had called her "vermin" more often than "princess."

"Even a princess who grovels to her enemies for survival still has duties to fulfill. It is the least you can do to repay the queen who fed and clothed you, and to honor the noble blood running through your veins."

"If you’re just here to spew nonsense, then leave."

Alicia turned away, her expression weary.

She knew the queen was dead, and yet just thinking about her made her fingers tremble.

Everyone had praised the queen for taking in a bastard-born princess, calling her merciful.

But what she had given Alicia was not mercy—it was abuse, disguised under the mask of benevolence.

There was no point trying to explain that to Velita.

It was better to remain silent than to invite unnecessary trouble.

"I won’t waste time with a long explanation. What I have to say is very simple."

Velita smirked confidently.

"The woman who gave birth to you—we have her."

"Don’t lie."

Alicia’s response was immediate.

"You don’t believe me?"

"My mother is dead."

"Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant."

Velita pulled something from her clothing and tossed it into Alicia’s lap.

It was a pendant.

Alicia hesitated before picking it up.

The moment her fingers touched the slightly cracked surface, a familiar voice echoed in her ears.

Her pupils lost focus as she looked up at Velita, who was already grinning in victory.

"That pendant was made with the blood of the woman who bore you. It only reacts when touched by someone of the same bloodline."

"……"

"You’ve experienced it before, haven’t you? The kingdom used such methods to verify royal bloodlines."

"……"

"It took quite some time to create such a precious artifact in times like these. But judging by your reaction, it wasn’t a waste of effort."

Velita tilted Alicia’s chin up with her fingers.

"I’ll say it again. Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you have no choice but to listen to me."

"If you refuse… the one who will bleed won’t be you, but her."

"……What do you want?"

"Kill Cabelenus."

Under the flickering light, the madness in Velita’s eyes gleamed, unable to be completely hidden.

"…What?"

"You seem to have inherited that woman’s natural talent for seduction. Put it to use."

"I can’t do that."

Cabelenus never held her.

And even if he did, nothing would change.

He was a seasoned warrior—one who never let his guard down, even in his sleep.

His weapons were always within reach.

Trying to assassinate such a man was nothing more than an act of suicide.

"No, you will."

"You want to save her, don’t you?"

"What if I fail?"

"I already told you. There will be blood. So do as you’re told—kill that demon."

"Killing him won’t change anything."

"No. Once that butcher is dead, everything will be over."

"The kingdom of Neuschwein still lives."

Velita gritted her teeth, gripping Alicia’s shoulders roughly.

Alicia parted her lips, intending to reason with her, but quickly shut them.

This old knight, blinded by the glory of the past, knew nothing—then or now.

The Neuschwein royals had never been loved.

They were objects of hatred, resentment, and fear.

When the king was beheaded, the tears shed by the people of Neuschwein had not been tears of sorrow.

***

Alicia clenched her fists tightly, trying to hide her trembling hands.

A single pendant wasn’t enough to prove her mother was alive.

She had seen her mother die with her own eyes.

“If anything, such things are prepared beforehand. This isn’t proof of her survival—it’s just a trick to use me.”

Alicia tried to calm her racing heart, but she couldn’t stop the thoughts from spiraling.

And the more she thought about it, the less certain she became.

It wasn’t completely implausible.

The queen and her circle had often grumbled about how much of a waste it was to verify Alicia’s royal blood.

She had heard those complaints so many times that she could easily estimate the cost and effort required to create a blood-activated pendant.

Would they have gone through such trouble for a woman they had despised?

It seemed unlikely.

Maybe… my mother really is alive.

Alicia raised her hand and touched the ornament in her hair.

It looked like an ordinary hairpin, but if she twisted the jewel at its center, a sharp blade would emerge.

If I tried to kill him…

She didn’t let herself finish the thought.

Velita had claimed the blade was coated in deadly poison, that even the smallest scratch would be enough to kill him.

But Alicia didn’t even have the ability to create such an opening.

And even if she succeeded, it wouldn’t change anything.

Cabelenus was the Emperor’s brother.

Neuschwein, already defeated once, had no power to stand against the empire.

Velita boasted about her allies, about how many there were, about how strong they had become.

But if they were truly that capable, Neuschwein wouldn’t have fallen in the first place.

Cabelenus’s death would only lead to the complete annihilation of the kingdom’s survivors.

Alicia let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.

She was not in a position to celebrate her mother’s survival.

Which meant there was only one choice she could make.

Her vacant eyes stared at her own reflection in the mirror.

The maids always did their best to make her as beautiful as possible, but they could never erase the deep sorrow clinging to her expression.

Her face, pale and bloodless, was always weighed down by exhaustion.

She had long stopped trying to hide it.

But now, knowing it was the last time, she felt an unexpected sadness.

Perhaps it was because she had tasted something good, something undeserved.

Now, leaving it all behind felt… regretful.

Alicia picked up a lipstick from the vanity.

With unsteady hands, she carefully traced her lips with color.

"It doesn’t suit me at all."

The clumsy makeup only made her look worse.

The lines were uneven, the color smeared too thickly, the stark contrast against her pale skin making her lips look grotesquely vivid.

And yet, she liked it.

At least if she looked ridiculous, the tension coiling inside her might ease.

***

"You’re early tonight."

"Yeah."

Their greetings were always stiff, always the same.

Even after spending so many nights together, silence always lingered between them.

Alicia swallowed dryly as she studied the man’s emotionless face.

She didn’t know if his reason for keeping her alive had been curiosity or mercy.

But whatever it was, it was over now.

No matter how patient he was, he wouldn’t let an assassin live.

"What did you do today?"

"The weather was nice, so I just went for a walk."

"The princess of Neuschwein enjoys walks?"

"I never expected to be alive this long. I don’t know what else to do."

Alicia curled her legs up against her body, gazing at Cabelenus’s back.

His broad shoulders, his towering frame—she envied them.@@novelbin@@

If she had been that strong, maybe she wouldn’t have been tossed around by fate.

Maybe she wouldn’t have been left wishing for death.

"Do you still want to die?"

"Would you kill me if I did?"

"No."

His answer was immediate, without the slightest hesitation.

Alicia’s lips twitched.

"Then why do you keep asking me that every night?"

"……"

She wanted an answer, but all she received was silence.

Alicia watched him quietly, her lips pressing together.

She curled her legs in closer, then hesitantly parted her lips again.

"If you have something to say, say it."

Cabelenus’s voice was indifferent, but she could tell he had noticed her staring.

Even with his back turned, his sharp senses picked up on her every movement.

"Are you really never going to kill me?"

"That’s right."

"Then… would you do something else for me?"

She swallowed hard, the sound unnervingly loud in the quiet room.

Her fingers were already slick with sweat.

"If it’s within my power."

Cabelenus’s voice dropped lower.

"Hold me."

"……."

Even though she had forced the words out, he didn’t react.

Alicia took a deep breath and forced herself to speak again.

"If you won’t kill me… then hold me instead."