"You were awake."
"I had something I wanted to ask Your Highness, so I waited."
"Me?"
"Yes."
Her nodding head, like a bobblehead doll, was quite adorable.
Cabelenus gave a slight smile and quietly sat down beside her.
Though he didn’t want her to struggle while waiting for him, seeing her wait made him feel happy all the same.
“What’s the matter that’s making you look so serious?”
“It’s because it's something important.”
Alicia nodded repeatedly as if reaffirming her resolve.
She wanted to continue speaking with James, but with Madame Morco present, it was hard to open her mouth.
If she said anything unnecessary in front of Madame Morco, it would put James in a difficult position.
Besides, this was originally a matter between her and Cabelenus.
No amount of advice from a third party like James could solve it.
“I don’t know what it’s about, but speak freely. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”
"Well..."
Alicia quietly accepted Cabelenus’s touch and carefully chose her words.
At first, she hesitated, unsure if she should say it at all, but the tenderness in the way he brushed her hair helped ease her tension.
“Is there another woman besides me?”
"...What?"
Wrinkles formed clearly on Cabelenus’s smooth forehead.
Even as she saw his face contort, Alicia didn’t avert her gaze.
She wanted to hear the truth from him, and no one else.
“Where did you hear such a thing?”
"Do you have another woman?"
“...”
“Why won’t you say anything? Do you really have someone else?”
This time, Alicia’s expression twisted with emotion.
It was only then that Cabelenus came to his senses and grabbed her shoulders in a hurry.
“No. Nothing like that.”
"Really?"
"Yes."
Her sideways glance, still full of suspicion, made Cabelenus let out a soft, helpless laugh.
She was clearly trying to look strong with that fierce gaze, but to him, it was more endearing than intimidating.
“But then, why did you hesitate?”
She was even learning how to ask back now.
Looking at Alicia, like a bristling cat with all its fur on end, Cabelenus burst into laughter again.
He had never understood why people adored small animals so much, but now, he thought he might be starting to get it.
“Why do you just laugh and not answer?”
“I didn’t expect you to say something like that.”
"You told me to be honest."
“That’s right. I did say that.”
The sight of a woman striving little by little to change without being held back by the past was always heartening.
Cabelenus lowered his head and gently kissed Alicia on the lips.
She blushed in surprise, but the resolve in her eyes showed she had no intention of backing down.
“You don’t have to look at me like that — I’m already yours.”
"Really?"
“What will it take for you to believe me?”
Cabelenus softened his voice as much as possible.
Alicia wore a slightly sulky expression, yet she leaned her face against Cabelenus’s hand as it touched her cheek.
No matter how gently he stroked her skin, the calluses on his hand were so rough that they scraped her cheek each time.
But Alicia liked those rough hands.
She liked everything about him — his body temperature, warmer than most; his large hands, big enough to cover her entire face; even the calluses that made them look rough and far from graceful.
Of course, what she loved most about the man was his eyes.
His eyes, strange and reminiscent of a beast, held a menace that could make her knees buckle — yet Alicia knew the tenderness they held when they looked at her.
"I want you to be my model."
"Model? What for?"
"A model for my painting."
"That’s—"
"I want to paint Your Highness."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Alicia cut him off.
She had already drawn him countless times, but that still wasn’t enough.
She wanted to capture the man’s image more perfectly and faithfully on the canvas.
"Painting someone like me wouldn't be all that interesting."
"That's not true at all. Your Highness is incredibly interesting."
Caught off guard by the unexpected remark he had never heard before, Cabelenus was momentarily at a loss for words.
Alicia sounded far too sincere for it to be a mere attempt to win favour.
"...This is the first time anyone's ever called me interesting."
"Your Highness is plenty interesting. And also..."
"And?"
"You're beautiful. Very much so."
"That’s quite a rare compliment as well."
When was the last time anyone had called him beautiful?
Cabelenus frowned, trying to recall a memory that no longer came to mind.
He might have heard it when he was young, but since he began wandering the battlefield, no one had said that to him.
"Moreover, you're very handsome."
"I think I’ve heard that a few times."
"Not a few times — you must have heard it a lot."
"Is that right?"
Cabelenus glanced sideways to read Alicia’s expression.
Once again, she was completely sincere.
That fact made him feel unexpectedly good.
He had thought appearance didn’t matter much, but the compliments from Alicia sounded undeniably pleasant.
"That’s why it’s difficult."
"Why is it difficult?"
"Because capturing Your Highness fully on canvas is so hard."
"That sounds like you’ve drawn me before?"
"…You won’t get mad, right?"
Wasn't it cheating to say everything she wanted and then try to back out now?
Cabelenus relaxed his shoulders as he looked at this unpredictable woman.
"Why would I get mad?"
"…Actually, I have drawn Your Highness. Many times."
"Why?"
"Because you’re the one I want to paint the most."
“...”
Cabelenus’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
“Because hearing that makes me want to see the drawings you’ve made.”
He had no real interest in art, but since Alicia kept bringing it up like this, he couldn’t help but get curious.
Cabelenus raised a mischievous smile as he looked at the bashfully smiling lady, sweet and innocent like a lamb.
“That’s a bit…”
“Is it inconvenient?”
Cabelenus tilted his head.
Alicia stared blankly at him and swallowed dryly.
As expected, she wanted to draw him right there and then rather than trying to secretly remember his image to paint later.
She wanted to capture every fleeting moment of him on canvas — to remember it forever.
“My skills aren’t good enough yet, so I’ll show you when I’ve drawn it properly.”
“But I want to see it now.”
Cabelenus leaned in slightly.
Though his upper body leaned noticeably to one side, Alicia showed no sign of being on guard.
“It’s embarrassing.”
"From what I saw last time, you draw really well.”
He liked that she wasn’t wary of him, but oddly, that also annoyed him.
Holding those contradictory feelings, Cabelenus brazenly cupped Alicia’s face.
Their noses nearly touched, and Alicia’s face flushed bright red.
“Th-that was because Nixon helped me.”
“Nixon, huh…”
“That’s James’s last name. You said you didn’t like me calling him by his first name…”
“I did. But…”
Would it make him seem petty if he admitted he even disliked her using James’s surname?
Cabelenus looked at Alicia for a moment.
Even though she’d grown used to him, she still blushed when he looked at her — and that pleased him.
“If I remember correctly, I said something else back then as well, didn’t I?”
“Something else?”
“My name.”
He wanted to keep teasing her, just to see how much of an effect he had on her.
“Well…”
“Still too much? Or should I go back to speaking formally like before…”
“Don’t!”
Realising what he was up to, Alicia reflexively reached out and covered his mouth.
But once Cabelenus’s teasing started, there was no stopping it.
“I-I…!”
The soft sensation under her palm made Alicia freeze mid-sentence.
Her eyes, wide as they could go, trembled restlessly.
At that moment, the man reached out and grasped Alicia’s wrist.
Her slender wrist fit easily in the man's one hand.
“I-I made a mistake… hng.”
Alicia couldn’t continue speaking and simply bit her lip.
Though he could have withdrawn his hand at any moment, Cabelenus didn’t.
Instead, he gently pressed his lips to her tender skin.
Alicia looked at him with uneasy eyes.
It would be nice if he said something, but he didn't.
All he did was willingly place a kiss on Alicia’s palm and stay silent.
Alicia fiddled with her fingers nervously.
He wasn’t even moving — just pressing his lips against her skin — yet her mouth inexplicably went dry.
From where his lips had touched, warmth started to spread.
“P-please let go.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Alicia slowly pulled her hand back, creating a small gap.
She let out a short sigh of relief.
But it lasted only a moment.
“I don’t want to let go.”
Cabelenus’s breath brushed softly against her skin as he stroked her wrist, making Alicia instantly regret speaking.
But there was nowhere to retreat.
He wasn’t even using much strength, yet she couldn’t break free from his grasp.
No, perhaps she actually didn’t want to.
Alicia stared into the golden irises shining between the man’s subtly curved eyelids.
His elongated pupils unmistakably resembled those of a predator.
“If you really don’t want this, you can push me away.”
He hoped that she wouldn’t.
Cabelenus’s lips settled on the tender skin inside her wrist.
Alicia watched him with anxious eyes.
His inhuman gaze sent a chill down her spine, yet she couldn’t look away.
Like a predator savouring its prey, he alternated between her wrists, inching upward — and she couldn’t deny that she liked his growing hunger.
After hesitating, Alicia took a deep breath.
Then, looking straight into his eyes, she opened her mouth.
“…Cabelenus.”
“...”
It was just a name, meant to be spoken — so why did her heart pound so wildly?
Pretending not to notice her burning cheeks, Alicia forced her stiff lips to move and called his name again.
“Cabelenus.”
The first time was difficult, but when she called his name again, it came out more easily than before.
With a more confident look on her face, Alicia uttered the man’s name once again.
And at that moment, her vision flipped.
“…Say it one more time.”
Though he had released her hand, she still couldn’t move.
Alicia looked up at the man’s face before her and swallowed hard.
Before she knew it, a soft cushion was pressing against her back.
Only then did she realise she was lying on the bed.
“One more time.”
Like a child begging, Cabelenus buried his face in her neck.
His breath tickled her skin every time he spoke, making her blush even more.
Alicia pursed her lips and then carefully opened her mouth again.
“Cabelenus…”
Even so, she didn’t want to push him away.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t embarrassed, but apart from that, she liked the way he clung to her.
“Cabelenus von Schwarhan Blanche.”
“...”
“As expected, that name is too long. It’s hard to say.”
Alicia muttered with a bit of a pout.
Long names were symbols of power — something others envied.
Still, Alicia sometimes wished that Cabelenus’s name wasn't so long.
He was someone who naturally belonged with greatness, but because of that, holding him close sometimes felt even more difficult.
“In that case, call me however you like.”
“Is that really okay?”
“Yes.”
“Alicia.”
The low, tender whisper that followed softly lingered by her ear.
Alicia stretched out her arms and pulled Cabelenus into a hug.
No matter how overwhelming it was, she never wanted to let go.
She knew that even being called by a single name could bring her happiness, and that was why she couldn’t give up.
If she had never tasted it at all, she might not have understood; but just as thinking of a lemon naturally made her mouth water, forgetting a flavour she had already experienced was far from easy.
Alicia slowly tightened her grip around Cabelenus’s neck.
The man’s face gradually drew closer, and their lips met.
And in that moment, Alicia’s face twisted in pain.
“W-wait…!”
Alicia pushed Cabelenus’s shoulder with impatience, then roughly pounded it.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?”
Startled by her uncharacteristically rough behaviour, Cabelenus immediately stood up and examined Alicia’s expression.
With her hand covering her mouth and her face pale and ashen, it was clear that her condition was serious.
“N-no… wait a…”
"Tell me your symptoms — no, I’m calling the physician right now."
“I-I’m fine—urgh…! ”
No matter how hard she tried to hold it back, the rising nausea overwhelmed her.
It felt like the only way to calm her churning stomach was to throw everything up.
Unable to suppress the nausea, Alicia roughly pushed Cabelenus aside and dashed out as if fleeing.
In the end, only Cabelenus remained in the room, wearing a stunned and helpless expression.
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