Her mother told her not to feel guilty, but Alicia couldn’t help it.
After she was born, her mother’s power gradually faded until, at some point, it completely dried up like a well running dry.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that if only she hadn’t been born, her mother’s life wouldn’t have ended so miserably.
“She must have been a good person.”
“...She was.”
Alicia’s mouth drooped helplessly.
Knowing what kind of person her mother had been made her even sadder.
“You must resemble her, isn’t that right, my lady?"
Madame Morco looked at her kindly.
Alicia hesitated, then shook her head.
“I wanted to resemble her, but I don’t think I really do.”
"I’m sure you do. Parents and children are said to be mirrors of each other. It’s only natural they resemble one another. ”
“Is that so? I hope that’s true.”
It wasn’t something she, who couldn’t even embrace her own child, had the right to say.
Alicia rubbed her lower abdomen out of habit.
She clearly knew it didn’t exist, yet her hands kept going there.
"What’s the matter?"
"No, it’s nothing."
Alicia quickly withdrew her hand from her stomach.
But the faint warmth where her hand had touched remained.
That fact made her feel inexplicably gloomy.
She definitely didn’t want a child, and that feeling hadn’t changed, but still, an emptiness lingered inside her.
“If you’re not feeling well, please tell me immediately.”
“I’m fine now. More than anything, right now I want to try to recreate my mother’s soup.”
“Do you remember anything else?”
“She put in a lot of unknown herbs and water, and boiled it — it was a large amount, but the taste was really bad. Even though I was hungry, I didn’t want to eat it.”
A faint smile spread across Alicia’s lips.
Life had been difficult, but the time spent with her mother had still been happy.
“I don’t know what ingredients were in the soup, but I remember there were plants with thick vines and many thorns. I think they grew in rugged terrain.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well…”
Alicia fiddled with her fingers.
Her mother’s soup was so bad she wanted to spit it out immediately, but Alicia never once complained.
“I couldn’t ask directly, but whenever my mother made that soup, her hands were always a mess. So I vaguely thought that must be why.”
"..."
“Ah, do you happen to have a plant encyclopedia in the castle? Even if I don’t know the names, maybe I could recognise the plants by their pictures.”
"..."
“Would that be difficult?”
Looking into Alicia’s round eyes, Madame Morco finally snapped out of her thoughts and stepped back.
“No, I will look for one by tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“But...”
Madame Morco stared at Alicia for a moment.
Though it wasn’t something to be dismissed lightly, Alicia seemed unfazed.
She had always felt it, but the young lady she served had a strangely indifferent attitude toward her own wounds.
Becoming numb to wounds was never a good thing.
“Why? Do you have something to say to me?”
“No.”
Madame Morco shook her head, but her eyes remained fixed on Alicia.
‘I thought she resembled Janet…’
When Madame Morco first saw Alicia, she naturally thought of her hunting dog.
But now, looking again, Alicia resembled Cabelenus far more than Janet.
Especially the young boy who first came to Schwarhan.
‘I hope my lady does not follow the same path as His Highness.’
Recalling Cabelenus’s childhood, Madame Morco frowned slightly.
Her gaze toward Alicia was heavy as if thick sediment had settled deep within.
・・・・・
“So, have you considered my proposal?”
Veloa raised her chin elegantly.
“Are you referring to the engagement?”
Cabelenus stared at Veloa without the slightest change in expression.
“Of course, an engagement with marriage in mind.”
The confident princess never lost her courage even when facing the feared Wolf of Schwarhan directly.
On the contrary, she had a triumphant gaze, as if she had seized the upper hand.
“It seems the princess must have taken a liking to me.”
“Do you want an honest answer? Or a suitably plausible one?”
“Let’s go with the honest one.”
That way, this tiresome battle of wits could end quickly.
Cabelenus nodded lightly, hiding his true feelings behind a casual expression.
His entire attention was already on Alicia.
“The ridiculously cold, snowy plains are truly the worst. The fashion is definitely out of date, and the party culture is lacking. Honestly, it’s not a place I like. No wonder they call it the land of death.”
Veloa nodded slightly.
Her lightly furrowed brows showed no intention of hiding her disgust for Schwarhan.
"But you still want to marry me anyway.”
“Yes.”
Veloa nodded without hesitation.
“May I ask why?”
“There’s no great reason. It’s simply because I know Your Highness will be the next emperor.”
There was a gleam in her blue eyes.
Veloa’s eyes were filled with greed, but her beautiful, glassy pupils suited it perfectly.
“Interesting.”
"Do you like what I’m saying?"
“I don’t dislike honest people.”
Cabelenus murmured calmly.
“Then our talks will be easier.”
Veloa’s smile deepened.
"That would depend on what the princess is willing to promise me."
“Are you trying to test my worth?”
“Since you have already tested me, I must do the same.”
“You’re quite interesting yourself, Your Highness.”
Veloa giggled and elegantly curved her eyes.
“So, do you dislike me?”
“No. I’m satisfied. No man has spoken as confidently before me as Your Highness, so it’s refreshing.”
Veloa smiled, deliberately tucking her hair behind her ear.
Cabelenus’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It was an obvious temptation, but Veloa made no effort to hide it.
On the contrary, she seemed relaxed as she exposed her pale white neck and smiled.
“May I take that as a positive sign?”
“I like Your Highness more than you think, so of course, it’s positive.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Cabelenus nodded briefly.
An engagement with Veloa was already something he had considered.
As nobles acted according to their interests, engagements remained flexible until marriage, and it wasn’t uncommon to break them off due to changing circumstances.
Moreover, Veloa was a princess from a foreign country.
Even if bound by engagement, in reality, there would be few opportunities to see her.
Using Veloa as a convenient cover to conceal Alicia’s existence, all he had to do was break off the engagement at the right time.
“I’m glad to hear Your Highness feels the same way.”
“Before that, the princess must prove her worth.”
Cabelenus leisurely stroked his chin.
“Isn’t my existence alone enough?”
“...”
“Gaining the top title in any field is never easy. And once you have it, it naturally turns into power. Simply keeping me by your side would be to Your Highness’s advantage.”
“Having a beautiful woman by one’s side is enviable, but that’s all there is to it.”
"What did you say?"
"In this world, there are things that cannot be accomplished by a pretty face alone. Beauty is more fragile than you think; it fades easily."
It was time to show his teeth.
Cabelenus revealed a hint of the killing intent he had been hiding.
"That was rather rude of you, Your Highness."
"The princess's behaviour has been quite disrespectful as well."
"If you treat me like this, Your Highness, you won’t get what you want."
"If that happens, the princess won’t get what she wants either."
Cabelenus smiled lazily.
The arrogant expression Veloa had maintained gradually paled.
The killing intent of a beast who had long fought on the battlefield was not something a princess raised in a greenhouse could endure.
"Think carefully, Your Highness. Persisting like this won’t do you any good."
“There’s nothing good about it, but nothing bad either.”
“What did you say?”
“Even if it’s not the princess herself, many would come with better offers.”
Cabelenus concealed his killing intent again and looked at Veloa indifferently.
Being unable to endure even this much and doing nothing but raising her voice only made her look pathetic.
"Are you saying it doesn’t matter if it’s another woman?"
Veloa raised her eyes and clenched her teeth.
Her noble pride seemed hurt, but that was not a bad outcome for Cabelenus.
Lacking nothing meant she also didn’t know the meaning of surrender.
Rather than handing everything over perfectly, it was better to keep a tantalising distance — just close enough to intrigue, but not quite within reach.
“This is a noble's marriage.”
“...”
“And it’s also a marriage between two countries.”
“...”
“If there’s no satisfactory outcome for both sides, there’s no reason to push forward and endure losses. That’s all.”
After saying that, Cabelenus didn’t say another word, but Veloa’s complexion changed repeatedly.
In the prolonged silence, Cabelenus thought of Alicia, who must now be meeting with the physician.
Although all the famous physicians in Schwarhan had been called, no one had properly diagnosed Alicia’s illness.
All he could do was watch as she grew thinner and weaker, barely able to eat.
That fact made him more anxious, and the farce he was currently involved in irritated him.
“So, what do you want from me, Your Highness?”
“That’s something the princess must consider. Among many, the fact that I chose a princess of Christie Kingdom must have a reason.”
“...A princess of Christie Kingdom?”
She wasn’t completely stupid.
Cabelenus smirked as Veloa’s face twisted upon realising the implication of his words.
“I found out the second princess is also unmarried.”
“Do you think the second princess is as beautiful as I am?”
“I told you, a pretty face isn’t what matters.”
“...”
Cabelenus looked indifferently at the young princess who was trembling as if enduring humiliation.
From just that, it was easy to see that Veloa was a princess who had been protected and sheltered all her life.
So, why had Zerpheus chosen her?
Cabelenus erased the inscrutable face of his brother from his mind and uncrossed his arms.
Regardless of Zerpheus’s intentions, now was the time to obtain what he wanted.
"I have fulfilled the princess’s wishes, so now it’s up to you."
Cabelenus’s eyes narrowed.
The only reason he had tolerated Veloa’s rudeness until now was because of magic.
At present, Schwarhan’s magic was far too insufficient to foresee the future.
To survive in the harsh land where bitter cold never ended, one could not endure without the aid of magic.
“What do you want from me?”
“That depends on what the princess can offer me.”
The more profit, the better.
Therefore, there was no need for him to set the standards first.
It was better to let the other side set them.
Someone like Veloa, who couldn’t stand losing and had a strong sense of pride, would respond by offering something worth showing off once challenged.
"There’s nothing to gain from treating me this way."
“As the princess knows her worth, so do I. The seat beside me is limited, but many are aiming for it. If it’s a marriage we must have, it makes sense to choose the one that yields the greatest benefit.”
“It's the position of the imperial consort, after all.”
At the added remark, Veloa’s gaze wavered.
Even then, she showed no intention of giving up the future empress’s position.
Her pride was only bruised for a moment, but in the end, she would ultimately fold and yield.
“…Please give me a few more days to think.”
"Take all the time you need to consult with the king. After all, this isn’t something the young princess is meant to handle alone."
“I don’t need to consult my father. I’ve always handled my own affairs.”
A trace of irritation crept into Veloa’s voice.
Her reaction was no different from a child’s tantrum when called young.
“Ah, I see.”
His plain response made Veloa’s eyes shake.
No matter how many times he saw her tremble at the slightest provocation, it was clear she was unfit to sit at a negotiation table.
Although he tried not to let his guard down, by this point, he began to seriously doubt whether Zerpheus actually had some hidden agenda.
But Cabelenus’s thoughts did not linger long.
Now, something else was gnawing at his nerves.
He glanced at the clock and sighed inwardly.
The physician’s examination should be finished soon.
He needed to send someone to check on Alicia’s condition.
If possible, it would be better to visit her himself.
‘Looks like I’ll have to stay up all night again.’
Cabelenus rested his chin on his hand and exhaled.
Though he acted nonchalant, inside, he was frustrated to the point of suffocation.
The helpless situation, where there was nothing he could do but wait, made him feel powerless.
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