An Unexpected Proposal - Chapter 27

TL: Kay (kkrivulet)

“I heard you’re leaving for Schwarhan before winter arrives.”

“It’s true that I’m leaving for Schwarhan before winter arrives. But why do you have to prepare for the moment when I’m gone?”

“Well, of course, when Your Grace leaves, I’ll be in Neinstein–”

“Are you not going to follow me?”

Cabellenus asked in a lower voice. Alicia barely moved her lips as she tightly grasped the hem of her skirt.

“……I don’t have the right to decide.”

“So, you’re just going to watch me leave?”

Cabellenus clenched his teeth. Leaving with Alicia was a natural thing for him, but it was not the case for her. Instead, she took it for granted that she would separate from Cabellenus.

“It’s up to Your Grace’s heart if I can leave–”

“You will also leave, too.”

Cabellenus hastily intercepted Alicia’s words.

“Pardon?”

Alicia’s eyes widened in astonishment. It was the face of someone who had no thought of leaving together.

That fact gnawed at his nerves like a worm.

[T/N: to ‘gnaw (away) at someone’ means to create constant anxiety in someone. By introducing the ‘worm’ part, the author emphasises how unsettling and anxious Cabellenus was feeling.]

“You’re going to Schwarhan too.”

“Am I really coming?”

“Then were you going to stay here alone?”

Without me?

Cabellenus roughly rose from his seat, barely swallowing back the last few words.

The relationship with this woman was always like a torrent.

[T/N: A torrent is a strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid.]

Every time he thought he was getting closer to her, it would turn out that the distance had only grown even further apart.

The only one who was constantly nervous and anxious was himself, while Alicia always looked indifferent.

“As soon as the carriage to Schwarhan is ready, I’ll get you in the carriage first. Do you know what that means? Whether you like it or not, you have to go to Schwarhan with me.”

“…….”

“……Why are you crying?”

“…….”

“Is the thought of it so disgusting it makes you cry?”

“Oh, no! It’s not that…….”

Alicia lowered her head to try to stifle her tears.

Of course, she had thought he was going to leave her, but he was not.

Even after winter, she could continue to stay by Cabellenus’s side. That fact alone made her heart overwhelmed, and she could not bear it.

“Don’t cry. I won’t let you go even if you cry.”

“…….”

“And, don’t bow your head in front of me. I feel like I go crazy every time you bow your head and try to hide your feelings.”

Cabellenus’s large hand grabbed Alicia’s face and raised her head.

His hands still smelled of iron, and it was so hard. It was as if he could crush anything.

But Alicia was no longer afraid of him.

Instead, she was glad to see the beastly man’s gaze.

“It’s because I’m happy.”

Tears rolled down Alicia’s cheeks.

All her life, she had been taught to hide her greed. But, she did not want to do that in front of this man.

Even if she gave up and tried to run away, this man, who repeatedly grabbed her and told her not to hide, never hated Alicia whenever she revealed her feelings.

“……What are you happy about?”

One day she may regret this choice. She had nothing, and he had too much.

The day they clearly realised each other’s differences, she was sure that they would regret what happened today.

Nevertheless, she wanted to say it.

“……Because I can be with Your Grace.”

“…….”

“Actually, I kept thinking about it. I wanted to go to Schwarhan with you.”

Alicia’s gaze trembled anxiously.

If Cabellenus had not held her chin, she would have bowed down straight away.

“Then why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Nobody wants me.”

“……Nobody wants you?”

Cabellenus furrowed his forehead and exhaled a harsh breath.

“Yes. And, above all, I…….”

Alicia pursed her lips and looked at Cabellenus.

She thought he would have urged her to continue, but he only waited quietly for her words.

In the end, Alicia carefully said the words that she had withheld, tightly clenching her fists.

“……I always bring misfortune.”

Everyone was reluctant to Alicia.

People murmured that she must have been born under the stars of misfortune.

They said her mother’s power disappeared and that she died in the end because Alicia was unlucky.

“Misfortune?”

“I haven’t been able to tell you so far, but it would be better for Your Grace to stay away from me if possible.”

“What exactly was the misfortune?”

“Pardon?”

“What exactly was the misfortune you brought about?”

Cabellenus moved his hand and made Alicia look straight at him.

The brilliant golden eyes that shined at her were arrogant but also confident.

“The day I was born, there was a big fire–”

“The day you were born, the fire that happened was arson. Someone began the fire to deal with things. It wasn’t because of you.”

“…….”

“Why don’t you tell me the next misfortune now that the first misfortune is over?”

Cabellenus raised his head arrogantly.

Alicia’s lips shook as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“Well, that’s why my mother died–”

“Your mother was beaten to death. None other than, at the command of King Neinstein. You already knew that. That’s why you wanted to kill him.”

“As a result, the King was killed, but the reason is–”

“Do you really think so?”

Cabellenus’s grasp on her tightened.

Alicia held her breath reflexively as the face of the man got closer.

“I’ve looked into you, but I didn’t see any record about you bringing misfortune.”

“But…….”

“Nothing was your fault. You were bullied. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

That was what he believed.

Cabellenus’s last words were quiet, but Alicia could hear it very clearly in her ears.

Alicia’s face distorted as she fought back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“……I knew it wasn’t my fault, actually.”

“Look, you thought so, too.”

“But, that’s what everyone said. It was my fault, and it would have been okay if it weren’t for me.”

Alicia’s trembling hand grabbed Cabellenus’s collar.

She knew she should not cry, but she could not stop her tears from falling.

She did not want to blame herself.

However, when she heard everyone say that it was her fault, she unwittingly thought so too.

Because what the majority believed was always true and reasonable.

“It’s not like that. I’m telling you it wasn’t your fault.”

“…….”

“And, even if you really bring misfortune, it doesn’t matter. No. If you can really do it, try to bring that great misfortune before me.”

“……Why?”

Alicia murmured through her tears.

“If you were lucky enough to cause me to falter because of that, I’d be sorry for the name of the Duke of Schwarhan.”

The man who raised his chin was full of fierce arrogance, but she could not deny that it suited him well.

“……Is Your Grace afraid of anything?”

“If I was afraid of anything, I wouldn’t have learned the sword in the first place.”

“…….”

“I don’t know about neither luck nor bad luck. I’ve never looked at luck to achieve something, and that’s the same in the future. There’s no place for misfortune to intervene.”

“……Well, then can I follow you?”

Alicia barely managed to keep her grasp on Cabellenus’s collar as her vision blurred from the tears.

“Can I really go to Schwarhan with Your Grace?”

“Even if you say you won’t follow me, you’ll have to follow.”

“That’s a relief.”

Alicia’s breath came out as a strangled cry.

Now she could see why she could not keep her eyes off him.

He was strong.

To the point that even the stain of misfortune that had always followed Alicia’s footsteps and crushed her breath was insignificant.

All of a sudden, the fact became crystal-clear, and Alicia burst into tears.

*  *  *

“I guess the lady isn’t accompanying you today.”

“Something happened yesterday. There will be no class today.”

Cabellenus shook his head as he recalled how Alicia had cried yesterday.

What was so upsetting was that Alicia, who fell asleep because she was tired from crying, could not get up without struggling.

Even though she gained weight and replenished her energy, she was still weak.

“I have to grab her feet and feed her.”

[T/N: There’s a common saying “hold someone’s feet to the fire” which means to pressure someone to undertake something. The author plays on this phrase to show how desperate Cabellenus is to force Alicia to eat more and become stronger.]

“Feet?”

“No. I was talking to myself. Don’t worry.”

Cabellenus responded briefly and then turned to the papers.

However, in his mind, he was already thinking of food supplements and feet.

Alicia was already weak.

It was natural to be worried about whether it would be possible for her to endure the rugged land of snow well.

“It’s fortunate that the lady is not here today. There’s something I need to inform you about.”

“What do you have?”

“It’s about the investigation into the lady you ordered from before.”

Gazeff quickly approached Cabellenus.

The competent lieutenant was careful not to leave any documents about the case, so he purposely did not leave a record.

“Have you found anything suspicious?”

“That part has not been found yet. However, in the process of searching for information, I came across this finding that I thought should be urgently reported to you before I proceed any further.”

“Is it important information?”

“In some cases, I guess so.”

As soon as Gazeff responded, he manipulated the soundproof bracelet on his wrist. It was a precaution. He did not know that he would use the magic tool he brought with him here, but this information was important.

“I’ll just get right to the point before the duration of the magic tool ends.”

“Okay.”

“First of all, it turns out that her mother was the lady of the Neutrina family.”

“The Neutrina family?”

“It’s a minority race in the South. Records show that they were destroyed a long time ago.”

Gazeff took a short deep breath.

At first, he thought it was nonsense. However, when he recalled the ridiculous acts of King Neinstein, there was no definite answer other than this.

“Is that important?”

“The Neutrina family have a myth that they are the descendants of God, and their bodies are strong and used as a vessel of God for various generations.”

“Doesn’t everyone have a myth? Even in the empire, there are plenty of such things.”

Cabellenus raised his head and crossed his legs.

From an early age, everyone in the Blanche Empire grew up educated in the faith, but he did not believe in God.

Seeing the actions done in the name of God, he used to doubt if it was really God’s will.

For Cabellenus, God was just a tool to maintain power, and myths did not sound any different.

Myths were nothing more or less than a justification for giving speciality to those in power.

“If it were just a myth, King Neinstein would never have brought her mother into the castle.”

“Are you saying the myth is true?”

“Yes. The power of the Neutrina group is likely to be real.”

“What does it mean to be real?”

Cabellenus’s eyes narrowed.

“In short, the Neutrina people have the power to fulfil wishes.”

“It’s an empty story.”

“Yes, I think so too. Myths are inherently exaggerated or distorted by word of mouth. They will not be exactly the same. But if the myth is true, it’ll be difficult in many ways.”

After confirming the remaining time of the soundproofing magic, Gazeff spoke straight away.

“As you may well know, the God Plaim, which the Empire enshrines, was described as an omnipotent being able to accomplish anything. So, from generation to generation, the Plaim Temple has perfected their doctrine by saying that anyone can achieve what they want if they faithfully follow the will of God. But, if a special entity that can make a wish actually appears–”

“It’ll be one of the two. Either be enraptured or drive into heresy.”

The temple was not a purely religious place.

The Temple of Plaim, which shared the founding of the empire and had long held power as a state religion, possessed absolute power separate from the emperor.

It was a well-known story that those who claimed to be the servants of God maintained their power by forcing sacrifices under the pretext of God’s will.

“To be honest, the story of the Neutrina still doesn’t sound credible. The young lady I’ve seen looks just plain and normal. But the positions of others may differ.”

“If Alicia’s story spreads, not only will the Temple of Plaim move. Everyone will be eager to get a treasure that fulfils their wishes. And, if it gets worse, then the truth may not matter.”

“I don’t want to think about it, but it’s possible. If the rumours about the lady heat up the world, just owning the lady would be a symbol of power. By then, authenticity will not be necessary.”

“Then, how should we proceed?”

“In fact, the best way…….”

Gazeff could not help but forget what he wanted to say and trailed off.

Even if Alicia had the power to make wishes come true, Cabellenus did not need such power.

Cabellenus was a man who earned what he wanted by his own strength rather than relying on wishes.

But that was only true for Cabellenus.

Other than him, he was not sure about the other people of power.

Whether or not Alicia’s power was real, as long as there was a potential for conflict, it was neater to clear it up before the death of the lady fell in their hands.

If the cause was eliminated, then the problem would not arise.