“What do you think? Do you think Roaquin’s side will cooperate?”
“As long as the conditions are right, it should be fully feasible.”
“That’s a relief.”
Alicia gave a faint smile.
She was seated with a thick book on her lap.
“It’s just that the conditions are a bit vague, you see.”
“Did they make unreasonable demands or something?”
“No.”
"Then?"
“Well...”
Cabelenus furrowed his brows and trailed off at the end of his sentence.
From Alicia’s perspective, it was a request that could easily feel unpleasant.
"Did Roaquin even demand something like Neustein?"
“...How did you know?”
“Because Roaquin is a neighbouring country that shares a border with Neustein.”
“Do you know a lot about Roaquin?”
"I don't know much; just a little.”
Alicia turned the page as she answered.
Cabelenus leaned his upper body forward a little more, disappointed that the woman’s gaze didn’t reach him.
If it was going to be like this, he should have sat beside her instead of across.
“How much is ‘a little’?”
"I once saw someone struggling because of Roaquin’s bandits, and there was even a time when the subject of an engagement came up."
“...Engagement?”
Alicia calmly turned the next page, but Cabelenus’s gaze, fixed on her, had long since hardened.
“...May I ask whose engagement it was?”
"I said it was an engagement, but honestly, it wasn’t really something that could be called one."
“So, it was your engagement.”
Cabelenus clenched his teeth tightly.
Only then did Alicia turn her head to look at the man.
"Don’t misunderstand. It was truly an engagement that didn’t feel like one. I didn’t even know the other person’s name or face."
"What if it’s still upsetting despite that?"
"Surely you’re not jealous?"
“That’s right. I’m jealous. Even if I don’t know the name or face of the other person, I’m jealous of him because he still remains in your memory.”
Cabelenus tried hard to soften his expression, but he couldn’t completely hide the jealousy staining his face.
"Then, how do you think I felt?”
“...”
“I was jealous too.”
“...”
The corners of Cabelenus’s eyes trembled slightly.
Alicia let out a quiet chuckle and turned her eyes back to the book.
"It didn’t even feel like a real engagement. When there was no sign that my power would return, they intended to sell me off cheaply.”
“…How dare they sell someone off cheaply?”
“That was long ago. It was only talk and never actually happened.”
To earn even a bargain price, or to hold onto the lost power — after much deliberation, her father chose the latter, and the marriage talks soon faded away.
If it weren’t for Elena, who came to mock, Alicia might not have even known that marriage talks had taken place.
“Neustein isn’t special to me. Even without effort, I can talk endlessly about the bad memories tied to that place.”
“...”
"You don’t have to worry about me over the Neustein matter. If it’s something necessary to protect Michael, I will accept it.”
“...It’s not only bad memories, right?”
Alicia’s hand came to a halt.
Cabelenus cautiously took her hand.
“The memories with your mother, whom you loved more than anyone, are also there.”
“...”
“You don’t have to pretend to be strong even in front of me. If you don’t want it, I won’t do it."
Alicia bit her lower lip tightly.
The man looked up again with a gentle gaze, and her nose tingled for no reason.
“To be honest, when I see Neustein, many thoughts come to mind. It’s a place where a lot happened. But in the end, it’s just land.”
“...”
“I hold the memories of my mother, and I am the one who cherishes them.”
"…Do you mean it?"
"Yes, I really mean it. The mother I know would definitely have supported my choice.”
Alicia's hand touched Cabelenus's cheek.
Cabelenus silently leaned his face against her hand, his eyes half-lowered.
It felt like the pounding sound of the heartbeat was being transmitted through the palm.
"And honestly, I’m feeling pretty good right now."
“Why? What makes you feel good?”
“Because I see your efforts.”
“...”
“That truly makes me happy. It feels like we’re becoming better versions of ourselves.”
Alicia’s hand slowly brushed against Cabelenus’s cheek.
Every time the somewhat rough palm brushed his delicate skin, the man’s eyelashes trembled.
Between his raised eyelids, golden eyes appeared, reflecting the woman’s face like a mirror.
Gulp—.
There was a swallowing sound, but it was unclear whose it was.
Alicia carefully tucked the man’s hair that had fallen down behind his ear.
When she looked up slightly, she saw his throat move roughly as he swallowed.
"Among the lands of Neustein, Roaquin desires Beltein."
“Why Beltein of all places?”
“Since Roaquin doesn’t have the capacity to govern other territories, they just want to keep the beneficial lands. It’s a wise choice.”
Even though he tried to act unaffected, a rough voice kept slipping out. Cabelenus clenched his fists tightly and struggled to continue speaking.
“The north of Beltein is a fertile grain-producing region, and with a harbour to the south, it even holds potential for trade in the long run.”
"The high number of mixed-race people is probably one of the reasons."
“That’s probably true. When cultures are mixed, it certainly makes governing easier."
As expected, he couldn’t hold it in.
A raw and ragged breath was expelled through tightly clenched teeth.
After taking a long, deep breath, Cabelenus barely managed to lift himself back up.
Clear nail marks were etched into the man’s outstretched palm.
"It seems we’d better leave the rest for next time. If we keep going…"
Cabelenus couldn’t bring himself to say the next words and roughly ruffled his hair.
Blind obedience alone couldn’t suppress his savage nature.
Aside from the desire to treat her with utmost care, he longed to possess every part of her — from head to toe — and make her entirely his own.
“Do you want to kiss me?”
Alicia looked straight at Cabelenus.
Cabelenus suppressed the boiling turmoil inside and took a step back.
Now, even when saying things like that, Alicia’s cheeks no longer flushed bright red like before.
However, a faint blush lingered on her earlobes.
That fact drove the man crazy.
Because it seemed like proof that the man still remained within the woman.
"...The problem is that it’s more than just that."
Cabelenus gave a bitter smile and pressed his hand to his forehead.
Despite everything, he found Alicia’s gaze on him pleasantly sweet.
"But if I don’t want it, you won’t do it, will you?"
“...”
"You won’t, right?"
A smile spread across Alicia’s lips.
Cabelenus grimaced but couldn’t bring himself to say he wouldn’t do it.
Even now, he wanted nothing more than to swallow her whole, but at the same time, he was completely powerless to do anything.
The moment he saw a smile meant solely for him, everything felt meaningless.
In the end, the words he could say were already decided.
・・・・・
“I’ll take you to your room.”
“If you keep doing this every time, people will start criticising you.”
Alicia took the book back from Cabelenus’s arms.
She could easily carry a book, but the man acted as if even that was a huge problem.
“If someone criticises me, then I’ll just—”
“Just what will you do?”
“Well, you see…”
Cabelenus subtly averted his gaze from Alicia.
With a sigh, Alicia hid the book she had been holding from Cabelenus’s view.
Cabelenus wore a displeased expression, but couldn’t bring himself to take the book from her arms and merely watched her, gauging her mood.
“I’ve told you many times, I’m not that weak.”
“I know that, too. But since you’re so small and slender…”
“I’m not small at all.”
“You are smaller than me.”
“You can’t use Your Highness as the standard. It’s hard enough finding anyone taller than you.”
Alicia laughed in disbelief.
Even in Schwarhan, where the average height was greater than in other empires, Cabelenus stood out as exceptionally tall.
Alicia had never seen anyone taller than Cabelenus before.
"That’s how small you look to me."
“You teased Michael for being small as well.”
‘He already went and tattled?’
Cabelenus’s mouth twisted slightly.
Alicia stared up at Cabelenus intently, then quickly strode forward and stood before him.
“As I thought, this won’t do. This is as far as we go together."
“Why? Don’t tell me it’s because I...”
He couldn’t bring himself to say that he had been teasing Michael.
Cabelenus didn’t know what to do and just frowned.
“Your Highness needs to trust me a little more.”
Alicia clenched her hand.
She knew why Cabelenus was acting this way.
He said it was just because he had experienced loss, but in truth, that wasn’t the only reason.
Cabelenus waited patiently for Alicia to bring up the topic, but he couldn’t shake his unease.
Perhaps because of his keen senses, he seemed to instinctively understand the cost of her power.
“That’s impossible. You have no idea how much I trust you.”
“If you trust me, you need to show it through your actions.”
“My actions?”
“Trust me and stay calm. I’m not fragile glass that shatters if touched.”
Alicia smiled softly.
“But…”
“If you cross that line, I might get angry.”
At Alicia’s additional words, Cabelenus quickly stepped back.
The line on the floor, which he usually didn’t even notice, now looked unusually clear.
“I believe that rather than doing everything for someone, you should wait until they’re able to do it themselves.”
“...”
Alicia smiled and stepped back once more.
This time, Cabelenus didn’t follow.
He just looked at Alicia with a worried expression.
“Your Highness, please turn your back first. Then, return to your office.”
“Can’t I at least see your back?”
“No.”
Alicia shook her head firmly.
“Why?”
“When Your Highness remembers me, I don’t want you to recall just my back.”
“...”
Someday, she would have to tell Cabelenus what the price of the power she possessed was, but now was not the time.
For the man who was blindly devoted to her to an extreme degree, she needed to prepare him to accept the truth.
Whether she used her power or not, her end was already determined.
She didn’t know how much life force she had left, but at the very least, she knew that her end would come before Cabelenus’s.
Alicia slowly closed her eyes and then opened them again.
Cabelenus stood still, staring at her blankly.
Her ash-grey eyes reflected the light, shimmering with a spectrum of colours.
・・・・・
“Sir.”
“What?”
“You know, I saw a woman today.”
“This bastard came all the way to a foreign country just to fool around with a woman—!”
“Wait! Calm down, Sir! I haven’t even gotten to the main point yet!”
Fenrir urgently waved both hands in the air and shouted at Cher, who was about to rush forward.
"Cut the crap! Whenever you start talking about a woman, it’s always the same!"
“You had so little trust in me? Well, that’s truly disappointing!"
“You’d know if you ever did something worthy of trust!”
"That’s all just prejudice!"
Dodging Cher’s rapidly swinging fists, Fenrir shouted urgently. The punches, mixed with genuine intent, carried a deadly fierceness.
“What prejudice? Why else would you be called a womaniser? Huh?”
“There’s a reason for all that… No, never mind. Just listen to what I have to say!”
“It’s probably some ridiculous story, as usual. Whenever you talk about women, it’s always the same.”
“Let’s see if you still say that after hearing that the woman came out of the Grand Duke’s office.”
Fenrir crossed his arms and raised his chin.
But Cher’s reaction was lukewarm at best.
“She must be a maid.”
“For a maid, her clothes were too nice.”
“Then a lady-in-waiting.”
“Even for a lady-in-waiting, her clothes were nice.”
Though seen from afar, the dress’s subtle sheen was no ordinary garment.
It was definitely made from high-quality fabric fit for nobility.
"So, what is it you're trying to say?"
“At this point, wouldn't you normally say something else?"
"What I’m trying to say is that even if that woman is the Grand Duke's lover, it's none of our business."
Cher waved his thick hand as if annoyed.
“Even if that woman has reddish-brown hair and grey eyes?”
"Ah. Now I see why your eyes went wild. She’s exactly your type."
"It's not like that."
“If not that, then what?”
Fenrir held out both hands and shook his head, but Cher showed no sign of withdrawing his disdainful gaze.
"I'm referring to the youngest princess of Neustein."
"I’ve had enough of that talk."
"Still, hear me out. A woman who looks like the youngest princess and the Grand Duke of Schwarhan, who is sensitive about Neustein. Doesn’t that sound suspicious just hearing it?"
"All the Neustein royals are dead."
"Not all of them. The youngest princess—"
"She’s dead, too. And the one who killed her was the Grand Duke of Schwarhan."
Cher propped his chin and muttered indifferently.
"Let me say this first — if the Grand Duke’s secret you’re talking about is something like that, you should’ve given up on it ages ago."
“...”
"Didn’t you say it yourself? That we shouldn’t let our pride take over. That we’re not just revenge-driven fools."
"Why would I seek revenge? I’ve always only done my best for Roaquin."
“I brought you here because I want you to be that way. Among your siblings, you’re the one with the most potential.”
Except for just one problem.
Cher tapped the mirror on the table lightly with his index finger.
In the mirror, there was a man whose excited expression was impossible to hide.
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