An Unexpected Proposal - Chapter 13

Alicia stared straight at Cabellenus, grasping the trinket like a lifeline.

Her original plan to spend the night together and assassinate him while he was off guard was out of the question now.

It was no longer necessary to be held by Cabellenus.

Nevertheless, Alicia had no intentions of rejecting him.

Even if she knew she was doing something meaningless, she could not stop it.

It was not just Cabellenus who was curious.

Alicia, too, was curious about him.

A foreign man who did not kill her was peculiar to her.

“I won’t regret it.”

‘If you’re going to die anyway, it won’t matter if you just check it and then die.‘

[T/N: In case you’re confused, the above is Alicia’s thoughts.]

The moment Alicia raised her trembling voice her lips were swallowed.

“Huh.”

‘Eaten.‘

At that moment, why did she think that way?

Alicia hurriedly grabbed the man’s hem and clung to him.

The sensation of her tender lips being chewed and dug out was overwhelming, but there was no corner to retreat.

His hard fingertips digging into her hair did not allow her to run away.

Alicia instinctively wrapped her arms around the man’s neck as her mind turned blank, intoxicated by the heat.

Her whole body trembled at the eerie sensation sweeping her back.

* * *

It was dawn when Alicia opened her eyes.

Alicia slowly blinked her eyes at the stiff arms squeezing her body.

The man sleeping in front of her did not look real.

But it was not an illusion.

She certainly spent the night with that man.

The memories of last night where she was pushed to the limit countless times were so vivid that she could not forget them.

‘It hurts.’

Alicia tried to get out of the bed quietly, but struggled and soon let out a heavy breath.

This kind of pain used to be nothing, but it had been a long time since she had felt pain, so she reflexively frowned.

‘I’m ridiculous, really.’ 

After a short sigh, Alicia cautiously slipped away from Cabellenus’s arms.

She was stiff as if her whole body was beaten, but it was better than being held by him.

The man’s arms, whose body temperature was higher than that of ordinary people, was too big and comfortable.

Alicia looked down at Cabellenus with a bemused expression.

She had seen his face many times, but it was the first time she could observe him so closely.

‘Everyone said that the Wolf of Schwarhan was a monster…….’ 

The man reflected in the moonlight was so beautiful that he did not feel real.

It was hard to believe that he was the Wolf of Schwarhan, a monster that caused people to tremble just from the name.

‘Honestly, he’s too pretty for a monster.’ 

Alicia’s hand carefully reached towards Cabellenus’s face.

Of course, she did not have the confidence to touch it, so she kept a distance.

Even though she had been in those arms moments ago, she was too ashamed to touch him.

“Cabellenus von Schwarhan Blanche.”

Alicia muttered in a small voice, almost as though she would be blown away by her breath.

Originally it was a name that no slaves should call out, but at least once, she wanted to see his face and call it.

When she called his name, she wondered what kind of face he would have had.

Alicia’s hand that had been tracing over the shape of Cabellenus’s eyes, nose, and lips, from a certain distance, stopped.

She thought there would be nothing to regret even if she died, but for some reason, that face seemed to come to mind, causing her to choke up.

Alicia bit her lips and tried to swallow a cry that seemed to burst out at any moment.

It was strange.

Determined to die, Alicia thought she would have no regrets, but for some reason, she kept growing greedy whenever she was with that man.

The warmth she missed so much was given by the man who destroyed her country, not anyone else.

Alicia covered her face with her hands, unable to overcome her emotions.

However, no matter how hard she pressed it with her palms, the tears that burst out continued to flow.

‘No more. I really can’t. This will only result in futile greed.’ 

Alicia roughly wiped the tears with her damp palms.

At the end of her gaze, there was a memorabilia that she could not use yesterday.

Alicia picked up the trinket that fell to the floor with a wince.

Now it was clear.

That man will not kill her.

And, no one will defy him.

If she really wanted to end this life, she would have to take her own life.

“…… I’m sorry.”

The apology was not directed at anyone.

Alicia muttered to herself with wet eyes, twisting the jewel part of the trinket.

She then closed her eyes tightly, pointing the tip of the sharp knife to her neck.

The knife was poisoned so it would be very easy to die.

However, she could not move her hand.

She was afraid to die.

She could no longer be calm about death.

It was not until she was facing the blade that she realised this fact deeply.

‘Why are you doing this now? What will be different after living like this.’

If she delayed it any longer, she was afraid that everything she had been hiding in her heart would be exposed.

Alicia tightly squeezed the hand that was holding the weapon.

Even though her whole body was trembling, she moved her hand with the knife.

Hwick—! 

It was then.

She fell backwards.

Alicia, who was lying on the bed in a daze, slowly closed her eyes and opened them.

Cabellenus, who she thought was asleep, was above her.

“By any chance, were you really going to die?”

Alicia suddenly burst out laughing at Cabellenus, who was staring down at her with his teeth clenched.

She was happy that she did not die even though she knew it was a contradiction.

“You’re laughing?”

Cabellenus, who misinterpreted Alicia’s laughter, growled in a low voice.

He was like a beast revealing his ferocious expression without filtration.

But Alicia was not afraid of him at that moment.

It was rather sweet.

“Don’t get any ideas. You will never die.”

This man was holding onto her meaningless life.

Alicia looked up at Cabellenus with a twisted expression. She did not know whether to smile or cry.

Tears, which she thought had stopped, suddenly began to flow again at the thought that she could see that face again.

She realised then.

She did not really want to die.