"James."
"Yes, my lady."
Fortunately, this time she addressed him correctly.
Alicia finally let out a sigh of relief and quickly revealed her purpose.
"I heard you would paint a new portrait for me, but can you paint a portrait without actually seeing the person?"
"Every painter has their own style, so it may differ from the actual appearance, but it is possible."
"Then, even with a rough sketch like this?"
Alicia carefully took out a drawing from the box the maid had brought and handed it to James.
It was a shabby drawing, but that was all Alicia could manage to create, so there was no other choice.
"If there’s someone who can describe the appearance of the person in the portrait, it’s possible. This sketch has no colour, so without a description, I wouldn’t be able to add any colours."
"I could provide a description."
"You, my lady?"
"Actually, this is my mother."
A smile naturally spread across Alicia's face.
"Ah, I see. No wonder I thought you resembled the lady quite a lot."
James smiled back at Alicia, who was looking at him with eyes full of anticipation.
"Do I look a lot like her?"
"Yes. So if the young lady could assist as a model, I believe the work would proceed much more smoothly."
"I’ll help with whatever I can. As long as the painting gets finished, anything else doesn’t matter."
Alicia nodded hastily without realising it, then glanced up at Madame Morco, who was staring at her sharply.
Sure enough, Madame Morco’s expression was far from pleased.
Alicia hurriedly stifled her excitement and tried to force an elegant smile.
To maintain an elegant smile, with only a subtle lift at the corners of her mouth, Alicia endured dozens of small spasms in her lips.
"My lady, you don’t need to push yourself so hard."
Of course, despite her efforts, she still hadn’t stepped beyond Madame Morco’s strict expectations.
Alicia, feeling a pang of disappointment at Madame Morco’s whisper in her ear, relaxed the tension around her mouth — then reflexively blinked as their eyes suddenly met.
Silver eyes, reminiscent of glass beads, were fully focused on her.
"...Is there something on my face?"
"It’s because you’re beautiful."
"Pardon?"
Flustered, she accidentally slipped into using honorifics.
Alicia furrowed her brows.
“You don’t have to give compliments out of courtesy.”
“My compliment is sincere.”
James smiled once more.
But even this time, he failed to earn Alicia’s trust.
The man was so beautiful that he could rival the finest beauties — enough to make one entertain the absurd thought that the stories of fairies living in the forest might be true.
Being called beautiful by such a man was only something she took as a polite, customary remark.
"This picture was drawn by the lady, isn't that right?"
"...How did you know that?"
"A painting always carries the heart of the one who draws it. You must have missed them very much."
"..."
She wondered if even emotions like that could be seen by a professional’s eye.
Alicia looked at the old portrait, her lips moving slightly as if murmuring something.
Under that all-knowing gaze, she felt as if her innermost thoughts had been completely laid bare.
"You don’t need to worry too much. The features are well captured, and since you’ve even agreed to model for me, painting it won’t be too difficult. However—"
"However?"
"How about you try drawing it yourself, my lady?"
"By myself?"
Alicia’s eyes grew as round as a rabbit’s.
"Yes."
"If you wish, I can draw it, but for this painting, I’m sure you would do a much better job."
"I’ve never formally learned how to draw…"
"Even though you’ve never learned, being able to do this much means you’re not without talent, so it’s more than enough."
"But I’ve never really thought about doing something like that…"
At the sudden suggestion, Alicia instinctively glanced at Madame Morco to gauge her reaction.
"If you’re alright with it, I don’t think it would be a bad idea. After all, art is one of the qualities of a noblewoman."
Alica had expected her to say no, but Madame Morco’s response was surprisingly positive.
Alicia looked at James with even more bewilderment.
"If it’s too much for you, you can decline."
"..."
"However, a painting should truly be created by someone who wants to draw it. It might take longer, but I’m sure a beautiful painting will come out of it."
"..."
As Alicia gazed at James’s beautiful smile, she could only fidget with her fingers.
For Alicia, painting was a way to hold onto memories.
It was a desperate attempt to remember her mother, even if just a little.
Even when she received the offer to learn to paint, she felt dumbfounded as if she had heard absurd news.
Yet despite that, she didn’t want to refuse.
Alicia clenched her fists tightly and swallowed a dry lump in her throat.
・・・・・
“What’s the matter?”
「Even though you’ve probably already heard the news from a letter, I’m hurt that my younger brother hasn’t reached out to me at all.」
Zerpheus crossed his arms, ending his sentence with a mischievous lilt.
Although he was always willing to communicate, his indifferent younger brother consistently made him the one to initiate contact.
"I’ve already heard about the arrival of the delegation, and everything is being prepared smoothly as planned, so there’s no need for you to worry."
「You know what that delegation represents, and you're still this indifferent?」
“No matter what meaning it holds, if I don’t feel it, it’s meaningless to me.”
「Seeing you wag your tongue in such an unfitting manner, it looks like your ridiculous thoughts haven’t changed one bit. You really are a younger brother without a single ounce of charm.」
Zerpheus rested his chin on his hand and openly clicked his tongue.
He hadn’t expected Cabelenus to change his mind in such a short time, but he’d hoped there might at least be a small crack in his resolve. Yet his stubborn younger brother didn’t show even the slightest sign of it.
Cabelenus was sincere.
To Zerpheus, who had watched his younger brother for years, that sincerity was all too obvious — and it only made things more difficult.
"That’s not something open to discussion. I’ve already made my decision, and I have no intention of changing it."
「I had a faint hope, but if you’re going to be this way, then I have no choice either.」
Zerpheus shook his head at his obstinate younger brother, who simply wouldn’t listen.
There had to be something in their bloodline — the Blanche family had been notoriously stubborn for generations.
Once they made up their minds, it was nearly impossible to change them with ordinary effort.
「I’ve received word that the delegation has departed. If all goes smoothly, they’ll arrive in Schwarhan as early as next week — or the week after, at the latest.」
"I’ll do my utmost to welcome them."
Cabelenus’s dry expression made one thing abundantly clear: the line had already been drawn.
Zerpheus clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair.
「And among the delegation, there will be a young lady I’ve had my eye on. Just as we agreed in our little wager.」
"...”
「Her name is Veloa Christie. She’s the youngest princess of the Christie Kingdom. Not a princess of a fallen kingdom whose name has now been forgotten, but a proper princess of a kingdom that lacks nothing. On top of that, she’s an incredible beauty. You can consider her on a completely different level from that worthless slave woman.」
“I don’t appreciate vulgar remarks.”
Cabelenus furrowed his brow slightly.
「I can’t tell whether you’re offended just because I used vulgar language — or because I insulted her.」
"...“
「If I had to guess, I’d say it’s both. And honestly, you seem more upset about the latter.」
"...“
「Ahh, younger brother. If you’re going to do this anyway, you’d better learn to hide your feelings more clearly. The way you keep showing them like that ends up making even this older brother’s mood sour. I keep finding that woman’s presence increasingly annoying because of it.」
Zerpheus spoke in a voice tinged with amusement, but the eyes visible through his narrowed gaze weren’t smiling at all.
「I trust you. I believe that, for now, you still have the rationality and ability to make sound judgments.」
"So, is it because she’s from the Christie Kingdom?"
「That’s right. I made this decision because I thought you would understand the significance of having ties with the Christie Kingdom for Schwarhan.」
A smile spread across Zerpheus’s lips.
He was confident that he knew his younger brother better than anyone else.
If there was even a trace of rationality left in Cabelenus, he wouldn’t be able to refuse Zerpheus’s proposal.
「It would be nice if this were a problem that could be solved with just a beautiful or high-ranking woman, but you’re not that kind of person. If you were captivated by such things, you would have fallen into the pleasures of women long ago.」
"...“
「The woman I chose is the one who has what you want. She’s the person Schwarhan needs the most right now. Well, even if I don’t say this, you know it better than anyone else.」
"That’s a matter for me to decide."
「The choice is yours, but the options will be the ones I provide.」
Zerpheus slyly raised the corners of his mouth.
Marriage wasn’t just any simple matter; it was a question of Cabelenus’s entire life.
In this matter, Zerpheus had no intention of acting like a lenient older brother.
「You have a strong sense of responsibility. Once you consider someone your own, you’ll do whatever it takes to protect them. Your people follow you like a god because they know that’s the kind of person you are.」
"...”
「Would someone like you really be able to turn down the opportunity I present before you? 」
Although the discovery of the magic stones fortunately extended Schwarhan’s lifespan, Schwarhan’s chronic problems remained.
To solve the problem, Cabelenus had to make a choice — and Zerpheus knew that better than anyone.
He could simply abandon the land of death, but Cabelenus wasn’t the kind of person to do that.
Zerpheus had always been displeased by that trait, but now he was grateful for it.
A person with much to protect was bound to have just as many vulnerabilities.
「Hey, younger brother. Calm your anger for a moment and think it through. Emotions are fleeting, but gains last. Even if you choose that woman, there’s nothing to be gained from it.」
"This decision wasn’t made for the sake of gain."
「In that case, you need to reconsider. A marriage that offers nothing in return is just a foolish choice for a noble.」
"...“
「Have an ordinary marriage, younger brother. Don’t let a moment’s emotion taint your bloodline.」
Zerpheus stared directly at Cabelenus with a face completely devoid of any hint of a smile.
The half-brother, born with a flawless bloodline, did not understand how significant that was.
It was the virtue of an elder to make such a younger brother face reality.
"What do you mean by an 'ordinary marriage'?"
「It’s a typical noble’s marriage. Exchanging a woman with reasonably suitable conditions for an appropriate price.」
"...”
「If you really like that woman, keep her by your side. I won’t stop you. My younger brother isn’t so insignificant that having a mistress would ruin his authority. That much I can easily overlook.」
"I didn’t expect Your Majesty to say something like that."
「It’s because I’m the emperor, so I can do that.」
Zerpheus nodded calmly.
He did not disregard the hardships of his mother, who had lived as the former emperor’s mistress, but he was now the one in the position of emperor.
When it came to choices, it was right to make decisions based on reason rather than emotion.
"I will not live a life like that of the former emperor."
「You are still trapped in the past.」
"Isn’t that the same for both of us?"
「...」
Arranging the marriage and taking Alicia as a mistress was an easy task.
But in the end, that meant following the same path as his father.
Cabelenus remembered his mother silently swallowing her tears alone in the room where no one could see.
As long as he remembered that sight, he couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing.
That was the least respect Cabelenus could show for his mother.
“No matter what you say, it’s useless. Your Majesty has already made a bet with me, and I have no intention of losing. It’s only a matter of time.”
「A matter of time, you say?」
Zerpheus let out a harsh breath.
“The lady of Schwarhan has already been decided, and nothing will change. This is all I can tell you.”
Cabelenus met Zerpheus’s gaze without avoiding it, maintaining a calm expression.
Zerpheus said that if he met the woman he personally chose over the course of a year and remained unswayed, he would acknowledge the marriage with Alicia.
The young emperor was skilled at assessing value.
And he also knew well what kind of woman would make a suitable wife for Cabelenus.
The marriage arranged by Zerpheus was definitely not a losing deal.
It was the best proposal a brother who knew Cabelenus well could come up with, and it was something the former Cabelenus would have easily accepted.
In the past, marriage was something Cabelenus believed he could have as long as the necessary conditions were met.
If a single marriage could solve Schwarhan’s long-standing problem, it was definitely a profitable deal.
But he didn’t want to do that.
Cabelenus could no longer let go of Alicia.
The rustling warmth in his arms had become so natural that he couldn’t even imagine it disappearing.
「Didn’t I tell you? I have no intentions of losing, either.」
By any means necessary.
Zerpheus concealed his true feelings and smiled leisurely.
He knew his younger brother well, but the younger brother had no idea just how far his elder brother could hit rock bottom.
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