An Unexpected Proposal - Chapter 25

TL: Kay (kkrivulet)

“You’re finally up.”

“…….”

As soon as she opened her eyes, Alicia swallowed her dry saliva. Perhaps she was still asleep, or her mind was confused as she noticed clear golden eyes staring back at her.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Does it hurt a lot?”

“…….”

Alicia stared blankly at Cabellenus like a possessed person and recalled what had happened to her.

She was sure that Velita attacked her, confirmed that Elena was not dead, and in the end, that man……..

As she reached that thought, Alicia’s eyes hurriedly looked around.

The familiar bedroom was calm as if nothing had happened.

Only then did a sense of relief rush in, and her whole body relaxed.

“I’m calling a doctor.”

Cabellenus, who misunderstood Alicia’s silence, immediately rose from his seat.

“Don’t go.”

Alicia hurriedly grabbed Cabellenus’s collar as he was about to leave.

She was confused, and it felt like her voice was stuck in her throat.

“……Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes…….”

She answered reflexively, but in fact, she was not okay at all. Her body hurt as if she had been beaten all over.

“In the midst of all this, you still lie.”

Cabellenus clicked his tongue and touched Alicia’s cheek.

It was warm.

Alicia leaned into Cabellenus’s hand like an animal seeking warmth.

Normally Alicia would not have even thought of doing that, but the hazy mind made many things possible.

“You slept for three whole days.”

“Three days…….”

She knew she had been sleeping for a while, but to think that she slept that long?

Alicia glanced up in disbelief.

Perhaps because she heard that she slept for three days, Cabellenus’s face seemed to look duller than usual.

Of course, it was a very slight difference, so she was not entirely sure.

“If you hadn’t woke up today, the doctor’s life wouldn’t have been guaranteed.”

“Sorry. I’m sorry.”

Alicia tilted her head to the side.

“There’s no reason for you to be sorry. I’m the one to blame for not paying attention to the guards in the castle.”

Cabellenus reflexively frowned at the lost warmth.

“Your Grace is busy.”

“It’s different from being busy.”

Cabellenus breathed a short sigh.

He knew there were rebels, but he did not care much about them.

When he thought about Neinstein’s regular army, the level of the rebels was obvious. Instead of pursuing an army that was not competent enough, rather than to cause it to scatter, it was advantageous to leave it alone until it showed its own tail.

[T/N: Cabellenus’s strategy was to wait for his enemies to show themselves so that he could pretty much defeat them all at once. This would allow him to save his resources and focus on the more pressing issues.]

His usual judgement threatened Alicia’s life.

“……They said it could leave a scar on the palm of your hand.”

He wanted to apologise. But his mouth would not open. In the end, Cabellenus spat out completely different words from an apology.

“It’s fine. There was always a scar.”

“…….”

“…… Did I make a mistake again?”

Alicia wrinkled her nose.

“No.”

Cabellenus shook his head, but his expression did not relax.

“But…….”

“I told you not to worry about it anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know how many times you’ve apologised.”

“Sorry, no, no……. um…….”

For a while, Alicia fumbled around as she tried to select her words carefully, but she eventually shut her mouth.

Cabellenus sighed again as he gazed down at her lying still.

“There’s a long way to go.”

“…….”

“But it’s okay. We have plenty of time. I won’t rush you, so let’s take it slow.”

Until you’re really okay.

Cabellenus held back his words as he silently put his hand on Alicia’s forehead.

There was no need to be hasty.

It would take a lot of time to fulfil all of Gerpenus’s conditions, and it would also take a while to train Alicia to become the future duchess.

It was enough to start by slowly changing the way she glanced around and her overly cautious and surprised reaction to small gestures.

In the future, she would never leave his side.

* * *

“Please feel free to tell me if there are any other injuries.”

“Oh, no. There’s no more.”

Alicia hurriedly shook her head.

It was the first time she had actually seen a priest in a pure white uniform, but she was familiar with the rumours.

In the vast empire, priests with the ability to heal were extremely rare, and it was a famous story that even Alicia, who did not know the world, knew that every step they took held value.

It was unclear how much Cabellenus had paid for bringing the priest to Neinstein.

“Don’t look around and say it correctly.”

Cabellenus frowned and grabbed Alicia’s hand.

He had made the priest come as soon as possible, but due to the distance from the capital to Neinstein, the priest only arrived after Alicia woke up.

Thanks to that, Alicia boiled with a fever the whole time she didn’t wake up, but now there was an opportunity to erase all of the scars on Alicia’s body.

“But, the priest’s healing…….”

Not only did he call a priest, but a price had to be paid for each wound healed.

It was ridiculous to spend a lot of money to heal scars that were not even painful anymore.

“Don’t say useless things, and let’s start treating from right here.”

Cabellenus lightly dismissed Alicia’s defiance and showed her wounds to the priest.

The priest healed the scars that Cabellenus pointed to without saying a word.

“I think all the scars we could see have been healed. Is there anything else?’

“Well, that’s…….”

Alicia hesitated and looked at Cabellenus.

“If you’re going to say that you won’t be treated anymore, don’t do it.”

“It’s not that…….”

“If you are going to say it, make sure you speak clearly.”

“I mean, the scars are under my clothes…….”

Alicia could not say anymore and bowed her head.

Cabellenus looked at Alicia with bewilderment as he finally understood what she was trying to say and the meaning behind her bowed head.

“I made a mistake. I’ll be out, so make sure to heal all of them. I’ll confirm it later…….”

Cabellenus stopped talking.

He then took a rather rough breath before he left the room.

“The Duke has a surprisingly cute side.”

As soon as Cabellenus left, the priest chuckled.

“Yes?”

Alicia was so embarrassed that she only blinked.

“Isn’t that right?”

“That’s…….”

Alicia tended to accept all opinions, but this time she couldn’t easily nod.

No matter how hard she thought about it, Cabellenus and ‘cute’ weren’t a good match.

“His Grace called me in a hurry, so I was wondering what happened, and it turned out he was hiding a lady.”

“You seem to know His Grace well.”

“You can say that. Not anymore, but when I was a child, I came here to treat him often.”

“I see.”

Alicia smiled awkwardly and avoided the priest’s gaze.

For some reason, she felt a pain in her stomach.

“My name is Natalie. I am the twelfth priest of the Temple of Plaim.”

“Ah, I…….”

Alicia struggled to speak, so she kept her mouth shut.

Even though priests did not use their surname as they dedicate everything to God, they were not common people.

Slaves and thousands of other poor people were the ones who did not have surnames.

If she revealed her surname as Neinstein, the priest would find out that she was a fallen royal, and on the contrary, if she didn’t say anything, she would be exposed as a slave.

“It’s okay. I roughly heard about you.”

She gently touched Alicia’s back with a friendly smile as if she knew everything.

The scar was covered with the white light wrapped around Natalie’s hand and disappeared so quickly she almost doubted her eyes.

“You heard about me?”

“Yes.”

As expected, it was Cabellenus who told her the story.

Alicia chewed on her lips as she recalled the man who had just left.

There was no reason to be disappointed, but thinking of Cabellenus, who would have told Natalie everything, upset her.

“……You mean, you know that I’m a slave, right?”

“I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“Pardon?”

“It must be extremely unpleasant if your personal story reaches the ears of someone you don’t know. Even if the lady is angry with me, I have nothing to say.”

At the sight of Natalie sincerely apologising, Alicia’s eyes widened like a rabbit.

Priests with healing powers were no less than most nobles. Even if Natalie slapped Alicia in the face right now, there would be no problem.

“I didn’t mean to listen to your stories either, but he didn’t have anyone to talk to. He was holding it in by himself, and when he finally couldn’t bear it, he came to me and told me all kinds of stories.”

“…….”

Natalie’s words suddenly reminded her of the time Cabellenus spent with her.

It was hard to imagine Cabellenus having a friendly conversation with someone else, but if it was the priest in front of her, it seemed possible.

Her warm smile was like the pouring spring sunlight.

“I’m really sorry. I’ll apologise again. Are you very angry?”

“No. I’m not angry. Rather, I was afraid that it would be unpleasant for the priest to heal a slave.”

“There’s nothing different about being a slave. We are all the same before God.”

Her eyes sparkled with conviction and did not shake.

Even though she was wearing a simple uniform with no makeup on her face, she was definitely a beautiful woman, but it was not just her appearance that made her shine.

“Don’t worry too much. Everything will work out. Even though people can be stubborn, there will always be one person who’ll win. I’m sure that’ll happen again.”

She was a benevolent person.

Alicia could fully understand what type of person she was after exchanging a few words.

But it was strange.

The more she thought Natalie was a kind person, the more Alicia’s heart ached.

“……The priest seems really close to His Grace.”

“Does it look like that? Actually, it’s–”

“How long are you going to keep treating her?”

“I’m almost done, so keep waiting outside the door. A man who is too obsessed is unattractive.”

“…….”

Alicia’s heart pounded for no reason at Natalie, who treated Cabellenus casually. However, neither Cabellenus nor Natalie pointed out the rude remarks. They were that close. The moment she realised that she felt her heart sink.

[T/N: When your ‘heart sinks’ it means you feel disappointed and discouraged.]

“I guess the Duke doesn’t like the time women spend with each other.”

Natalie pursed her lips as if she was disappointed and then healed Alicia’s scar.

However, Alicia no longer had the confidence to smile at her.

She could not erase the thought that Cabellenus and Natalie were a good match.

* * *

“Are you feeling okay? Does it hurt anywhere else?”

“Yes, I’m fine. The priest took good care of me, so it doesn’t hurt at all.”

As soon as the treatment was over, Natalie hurried back saying she had business to do, and Cabellenus did not stop her.

At first glance, there seemed to be no special relationship between the two.

“It’s because her skills are indisputable.”

[T/N: In case you’re confused, Cabellenus says this. He’s saying that the priest’s skills are impossible to doubt.]

However, Alicia often recalled how the two seemed familiar with each other and conversed with each other.

If Cabellenus got married and had a wife, she thought it would be someone like Natalie. She could not help but worry.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Cabellenus tilted his head and met Alicia’s gaze.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Alicia waved her hands rather roughly, but the excessive response only aroused the man’s suspicion.

“If you have any questions, just ask.”

“No, there is no such thing.”

‘What is your relationship with the priest?’

The words were stuck in her throat, but she could not bear to ask.

[T/N: If words are ‘stuck in (one’s) throat, it means that it’s something difficult to say.]

Such a question was not appropriate for slaves.

“I have one.”

“Yes?”

“You may not have any questions for me, but I do.”

“…….”

Cabellenus raised his head and crossed his arms.

Alicia looked at him with a troubled expression.

“It’s a rather belated question, but do you have a guy you like?”

“Yes, pardon?”

It was a completely unexpected question.

Alicia was embarrassed and confused, and her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.

“I asked if there was a man in your heart.”

“Oh, no……. I don’t think so…….”

“Then, how about anyone you have a crush on?”

“Of course, there’s no one like that…….”

Why was he asking her that?

Alicia’s face was still burning with embarrassment, and she could only mumble in response.

However, Cabellenus, who had confused her, nodded with satisfaction.

“I’m glad then.”

What was fortunate about it?

Alicia barely managed to push the question that almost reflexively popped out down her throat.

Cabellenus’s behaviour did not just change yesterday.

After Velita’s attack, his attitude towards Alicia changed.

Even though the people were surprised that Cabellenus was no longer buying things for Alicia, they calmly spread rumours about Cabellenus, saying his affection for her had fallen.

No, to be precise, only rumours about Alicia spread.

From that day on, Cabellenus, who heard the buzzing rumours, armed the Blanche soldiers in the castle.

There was no need to issue orders to deny the rumours.

Those who saw the soldiers standing guard in black armour – the symbol of death – recalled the horror they had forgotten in the peace and quietly shut their mouths.

It was true that ever since Cabellenus took over Neinstein, the slums declined and the treasury improved day by day, but the fact that he was the invader who destroyed a country did not change.

They never knew when his mercy would turn into a sharp sword.

People naturally began to hesitate to speak of the rumours about Cabellenus, and rumours about Alicia died down.

Cabellenus no longer heard Alicia’s name on the lips of others.