"Nothing will change. I will still welcome her as the Grand Duchess."
Noticing Gazeff's uneasy gaze, Cabelenus spoke firmly.
"...Are you truly certain about this?"
"It's unbecoming of the Lord of Schwarhan to fret over problems that haven't even arisen."
"I beg your pardon. How foolish of me to have dared worry about my lord."
Upon seeing his superior's arrogant smile, Gazeff realised his mistake and quickly bowed his head.
He had been concerned just in case, but in reality, that itself was a laughable matter.
Cabelenus, as far as Gazeff had seen, had always been a man who made the impossible possible.
Fear simply did not suit him.
"Even so, it’s best to avoid unnecessary troubles whenever possible."
Even without causing any problems, Alicia had many unnecessary thoughts.
It was better to leave no room for situations that might cause commotion.
"What shall we do, then?"
"We must erase Alicia’s traces."
"Erase, as in?"
"The Princess of Neustein will be deemed to have died here. And, all information about her will be wiped out."
Cabelenus's eyes gleamed sharply like those of a beast sinking its teeth into its prey's neck.
"In that case, the young lady…"
"Whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, Alicia doesn’t have the appearance of a Neustein."
"Being noticeable means it's that much easier to spread rumours, I suppose."
"Can you do it?"
"Of course."
Gazeff smiled confidently.
From the moment Cabelenus spoke, Gazeff had already devised a flawless plan in his head.
"First, we’ll erase all records and information related to the lady, making it appear as though she has died. Then, we’ll ensure that the servants witness this and spread the word themselves."
Alicia was a well-known figure within Neustein.
Instead of erasing her existence outright, it was safer to use her fame to handle the situation.
"If that happens, things will probably get pretty noisy around here."
"The louder the commotion, the more vividly she’ll remain in people’s memories. Then, as time passes, people will gradually forget about her, leaving only fragmented recollections."
Gazeff nodded briefly.
Cabelenus didn't pay much attention to it, but the fact that Alicia was a slave to begin with was a flaw in itself.
If it were possible to shed the label of a slave, it would actually be advantageous for Alicia in her pursuit of becoming the Grand Duchess. Therefore, deceiving others about her status wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
"Not bad."
"However, in that case, the young lady’s status would become ambiguous."
The plan was to free Alicia from slavery, have her adopted into a suitable noble family, and arrange the marriage. However, this was only to happen if they met the conditions set by Zerpenus.
Until they received Zerpenus’s consent to the marriage, it was better for Alicia to remain a slave.
Many people were coveting the position of Grand Duchess of Schwarhan, and the competition was fierce.
There was no need to put her in danger by drawing unnecessary attention to her.
"It’s fine. I don’t intend to drag this out for long anyway."
"Understood. However..."
Gazeff trailed off, cautiously observing Cabelenus’s reaction.
Even though he knew it might be overstepping his boundaries, he couldn’t help himself.
For Gazeff, a loyal vassal, the most important thing was the well-being of his lord.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Wouldn’t it be better to inform His Majesty about the young lady’? If His Majesty were aware of her power, then such a proposal would be—"
"Precisely because it’s His Majesty, it’s all the more impossible."
Cabelenus firmly cut off Gazeff’s words.
Zerpenus genuinely cared for his half-brother, Cabelenus.
No one knew better than Cabelenus himself that Zerpenus’s feelings were sincere.
But precisely because of that, it was all the more critical to ensure that Zerpenus never discovered Alicia’s true identity.
If Alicia truly possessed extraordinary powers and Zerpenus found out, the choice he would make was obvious.
With his gaze lowered, Cabelenus let out a short sigh.
・・・・・
"Something has come up, so you will be leaving first."
"By myself?"
"I’ll send Gazeff along with you, so don’t worry too much."
"If Sir Gazeff accompanies me, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about, but still..."
"I thought I told you to fix that habit of trailing off at the end of your sentences."
Cabelenus clicked his tongue briefly.
Though Alicia had grown more accustomed to asserting herself, she still had a habit of swallowing her words.
"It doesn’t matter what you say. So don’t overthink things and just speak honestly."
Alicia hesitated for a moment, carefully parting her lips after gauging Cabelenus’s mood.
Expressing her thoughts still felt unfamiliar and difficult for her, but with Cabelenus, she had no choice.
The persistent man wouldn’t back down until he got what he wanted.
"...Thinking of being without Your Grace makes me feel a little lonely."
"That’s a pleasant thing to hear."
"Pardon?"
For a moment, a flush of red quickly spread across Alicia’s pale cheeks.
"Come here."
Alicia hesitated, then carefully leaned into Cabelenus’s embrace.
His arms wrapped around her waist as if they had been waiting, firm and unyielding.
"I’ll join you soon after you leave. So, don’t let your attention wander elsewhere."
“Wander elsewhere?”
"I’m telling you not to overthink. You always have so many thoughts."
Cabelenus gently stroked Alicia’s hair.
Despite his rough hands, his touch was so tender and cautious that it always amazed her.
"You’ll be leaving by the end of this month at the latest, so if you have anything you need to pack, let Gazeff know in advance."
“I don’t really have anything to pack..."
"There you go again, trailing off."
Cabelenus tilted his head slightly in disapproval.
Alicia hesitated, then cautiously spoke.
"...If it’s all right, could I bring just one thing?"
"What is it?"
"I heard from Sir Gazeff that items belonging to the royal family are kept in storage. If my belongings are stored there too, I was wondering if I could take them with me."
Her voice grew quieter with each word until it was barely audible by the end.
Even so, Cabelenus’s curiosity was piqued.
It was rare for Alicia to make any sort of request.
"It’s nothing significant, just a few ordinary sheets of paper."
Misunderstanding Cabelenus’s silence, Alicia hurriedly added an explanation.
"Calm down. If it’s just a few ordinary sheets of paper, as you say, it’s not a big deal. Don’t be so nervous. If that’s what you want, I’ll make sure to get them for you."
Cabelenus gently patted the tense woman on the back.
Alicia cautiously lifted her head to look up at him.
"Are you sure that’s okay?"
"What’s so difficult about it?"
Cabelenus’s gaze quickly scanned Alicia’s expression.
For once, there was a glimmer of anticipation on her face, an unusual sight.
Intrigued, Cabelenus immediately followed up.
"Or, how about going to check on it right now?"
"Right now?"
"Instead of just a few sheets of paper, you can see for yourself if there’s anything else you need and take it. Once we leave for Schwarhan, there won’t be many opportunities to return here."
Caught off guard by his unexpected suggestion, Alicia looked at him in disbelief.
"…Can I really go check right now?"
"If that’s what you want."
A faint smile played on Cabelenus’s lips.
The mere fact that Alicia had made a request made him feel unexpectedly pleased.
"I’m not asking for much. It’s just—"
"Then from now on, learn to ask for more."
"..."
"If you want, I can give you more than just a few sheets of paper."
Still holding Alicia, Cabelenus rose from the bed.
Her slim and light frame made it effortless for him to lift her.
What pleased him more, however, was the way her arms instinctively clung around his neck, startled by the sudden movement.
"I–I can walk on my own..."
"If you don’t speak properly, I won’t know what you’re trying to say."
"..."
"As I’ve told you many times, if you have something to say, just say it. Keeping it to yourself achieves nothing."
Cabelenus strode forward without hesitation, leaving Alicia pale with alarm.
At this rate, she would end up being carried into the hallway in his arms.
Biting her lip as the door drew closer, Alicia finally opened her mouth.
"…P-please put me down."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to make Cabelenus stop.
"See, it's easy once you actually try it."
He gently set her down.
Though he missed the warmth of holding her, the result wasn’t bad.
"Don’t walk behind me. Walk beside me."
Of course, that stride which naturally stepped back and retreated had room for improvement.
Cabelenus slowed his pace, wondering how much time it would take for Alicia to become a plausible Grand Duchess.
He had never adjusted his stride for anyone before, but seeing Alicia struggle to keep up with him made it natural for his steps to slow.
For a while, the only sound that filled the quiet space was the soft echo of their footsteps.
"Your Grace, what brings you–"
"Open the door."
At Cabelenus’s gesture, the soldier standing guard quickly unlatched the door and lit the lamp inside.
Only once the light illuminated the room did its true state come into view.
The interior was far from tidy — belongings had been moved haphazardly and piled up carelessly.
The moment Cabelenus saw this, regret struck him.
He had acted impulsively, letting his emotions cloud his judgment.
Even if Alicia pretended not to care, the Neustein royal family was her bloodline, and the items in this room were their keepsakes.
"Searching in this state seems impossible. Once the sun rises tomorrow, I’ll send someone…"
Cabelenus couldn’t finish his sentence and frowned.
Since entering the room, Alicia had been staring blankly at one spot.
Just as Cabelenus was about to call her name, Alicia’s feet had already started moving.
Tap, tap, tap —
Before he could stop her, Alicia’s hands quickly opened and hastily closed the drawers.
She was searching for something.
"Alicia."
"I-I'm sorry…"
Startled by Cabelenus’s call, Alicia finally snapped back to her senses and turned around with a frightened expression.
In her hands were several crumpled pieces of paper.
Cabelenus frowned as he approached her.
"What is that?"
"..."
"Alicia."
When Cabelenus called her again, Alicia finally looked up at him.
She had almost regained her composure, but the sudden, horrible memories would pop up and make her body tense reflexively in fear.
But standing before her was Cabelenus, not the Queen of Neustein. There was no reason to be afraid.
Alicia took a deep breath and, with trembling hands, extended the paper she was holding toward Cabelenus.
"…It’s my mother’s portrait."
"A portrait? But this…"
Cabelenus frowned as he looked at the aged parchment.
The paper that Alicia handed to him had words written on it, not a picture.
"The picture is on the back."
As Alicia said, when he flipped the paper, there was a drawing of a woman.
Cabelenus hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say as he looked at the smiling woman in the drawing.
It was unlike him to hesitate, but seeing Alicia's eyes tinged with red, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
"...You resemble her quite a lot."
In the end, that was the best response Cabelenus could offer.
Alicia glanced at Cabelenus once more, observing his reaction, and then slowly relaxed her body.
"My mother was much more beautiful."
"Really?"
"Yes. She was an extraordinary beauty."
Alicia gazed at her mother's portrait with tearful eyes.
"But why is her portrait here, in a place like this? Who drew it?"
"Embarrassingly, I did."
"You?"
Cabelenus's gaze returned to the portrait.
Upon realising that Alicia had drawn it herself, the drawing seemed to take on a different meaning.
"It's been a few years since I actually last drew a picture."
"That expression sounds like you're saying no one liked the idea of you drawing."
"That's because no one liked me doing anything."
Alicia gave a half-hearted smile and looked away.
She thought she would never forget, but as time passed, her mother's face grew more and more blurry.
The reason she began drawing was to keep her mother's face from fading from her memory.
The drawing she started with a worn-out pen on a discarded piece of paper was clumsy, but there was nothing that helped her remember her mother better than recreating each of her features — her eyes, nose, and mouth.
However, no one liked the fact that Alicia drew.
The day she was caught drawing, she was falsely accused of stealing expensive paper and pens, beaten severely, and not only forbidden from drawing but also had all the portraits she had worked on taken away.
The only time Alicia could see the drawings she had lost was when Queen Neustein was in a bad mood.
Whenever Queen Neustein was displeased, she would have Alicia kneel at her feet and, in a mocking display, burn one of the portraits Alicia had drawn.
Seeing her mother's portrait burning and vanishing in the fire, Alicia's anguished screams were a source of entertainment for Queen Neustein.
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