An Unexpected Proposal-Chapter 70

A hollow breath escaped through Alicia’s teeth.

"We scattered her ashes on Mount Penjan. She always said that when she died, she wanted her remains spread over the highest mountain in Schwarhan. She joked that even in death, she would still meddle in Schwarhan’s affairs."

"…"

"Typical of her, isn’t it?"

Gajev gave a light chuckle before glancing at Alicia. Her head was bowed, so he couldn’t see her expression, but he could tell—her body trembled ever so slightly. She was crying.

After hesitating, Gajev spoke cautiously.

"My lady… it’s alright to cry aloud."

Alicia shook her head, biting her lip hard.

Lady Morco had died protecting her.

She had no right to mourn her.

"My lady, this wasn’t your fault."

"She died trying to protect me."

Alicia clenched the fabric of her dress tightly. Tears had already begun to soak the ground beneath her.

"If she were alive, she would have been relieved that you were safe."

"…"

"And besides, the one responsible for her death is someone else entirely."

For a brief moment, Gajev’s eyes flashed with cold sharpness.

"Sir Cloud…"

"When we judge right from wrong, we don’t blame the one who was struck—we blame the one who threw the first blow."

"…You don’t resent me?"

"Honestly, if I said I felt no resentment at all, that would be a lie. To me, my aunt was no different from a mother."

"…"

"But… she wouldn’t have wanted me to resent you."

"…"

"She didn’t simply get killed—she chose how she died. At least, that’s what I believe. She died the way she wanted, as a knight protecting her master. It was an honorable death."

Alicia slowly lifted her head.

Gajev wasn’t looking at her with resentment.

Instead, he was smiling.

"She would want to be remembered that way."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course. She can’t speak for herself anymore, so in the end, this is just my way of making sense of it. But from what I knew of her, she was that kind of person. She valued her beliefs more than her own life."

"…"

"What kind of person was she to you, my lady? Was she someone who would have wanted you to blame yourself?"

Gajev held out a handkerchief.

Alicia hesitated, unable to bring herself to take it.

Instead, she just stared at it for a long time before shaking her head.

"…No. She wasn’t like that."

"I think so too."

"She was a good person. Strong… and kind."

"A little headstrong at times, though."

Gajev smirked.

Alicia hesitated for a moment, then, however faintly, she smiled too.

"But one thing is certain—she truly cared about you, my lady. If she could see you safe now, she would be overjoyed."

Once again, Gajev offered the handkerchief.

"Yeah… I think she would be."

This time, Alicia took it.

As she wiped her tears away, Gajev spoke carefully.

"The young master… he has His Highness’s eyes."

"…He does?"

"Yes. It’s hard to tell now because of his baby fat, but as he grows older, his features will become more distinct. Even though he’s a bit smaller than other children his age, his bone structure is strong—he’ll likely be as tall as His Highness someday."

Mikael’s soft, childlike features hadn’t yet fully developed, which is why it wasn’t obvious.

But if one looked closely, they could see the traces of Cabelenus in his face.

"His Highness didn’t notice, did he?"

"His Highness isn’t the type to examine people closely. Besides, he already had his own certainty."

"Because of his black hair and golden eyes?"

"Yes. That combination is a defining trait of the current imperial bloodline."

Gajev glanced in the direction where Cabelenus was.

A man who never cared about his own wounds was now getting treatment simply because Alicia had asked him to.

That alone was proof of what she meant to him.

"Eight years ago, when His Highness tried to harm the young master… I honestly didn’t understand it. That was why I sided with my aunt at the time. But now…"

"But now?"

"Now, even though I know it was wrong, I can understand why he did it. If I had lived the same life as His Highness, maybe I would have done the same."

Gajev chuckled, almost bitterly.

He had once admired Cabelenus simply as a strong man.

To him, Cabelenus had seemed invincible, capable of overcoming any obstacle.

But he had been blind to what it took for Cabelenus to become that man.

"I’ll be honest… I hope you stay by His Highness’s side."

"Don’t say that. I’m only staying with him for my child’s sake."

"That’s fine."

"…Fine?"

"As long as you’re there, His Highness will continue to live."

"What do you mean by that?"

Gajev hesitated under Alicia’s direct gaze.

He knew that speaking carelessly could ruin everything between them.

But he couldn’t just stay silent.

Cabelenus would never say anything about it himself.

If Gajev said nothing, then Cabelenus would take the truth to his grave.

Ever since Cabelenus had come to Schwarhan, Gajev had followed him.

But it wasn’t until these past eight years that he had truly come to understand him.

"Eight years ago, when you disappeared… His Highness suffered greatly. Back then, he truly believed you were dead."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"I just…"

"You were only trying to protect the young master, my lady. And you likely didn’t even know that your own corpse had been discovered."

"My corpse was discovered?"

"It was Princess Christi’s doing. She wasn’t just an ordinary mage—she was a necromancer. She had the ability to command the dead."

Gajev grimaced at the thought of Veloa. Once hailed as the most beautiful woman on the continent, she now looked nothing short of grotesque—her face so ruined that she barely fit within the realm of the living. The elegance she once carried was now unrecognizable.

"I’ve never heard of magic that can control the dead."

"It’s considered forbidden. A rare ability. The emperor kept her alive solely for that reason."

Through the process of uncovering Jerpeneus’s spies, including Sijna, part of his scheme had been revealed. Originally, Jerpeneus had planned to use Veloa and discard her once she was no longer useful. While circle mages were valuable, the imperial family had plenty of skilled ones already. The only reason Veloa’s life had been spared was because of her necromantic talents.

Jerpeneus had a habit of thoroughly exploiting whatever he deemed useful.

Just as he had done with Cabelenus.

"When we examined Princess Christi, we found a peculiar type of magic carved into her body."

"A peculiar magic?"

"We call it a shackle."

"That… doesn’t sound like a spell name."

"It’s not a formally registered spell. It’s a mix of divine law, curses, and various enchantments—it isn’t purely magic at all."

Gajev sighed, resting his chin on his hand.

He had already known that Jerpeneus was conducting experiments to restore the shackles.

But he hadn’t expected him to alter them.

The difference between Cabelenus’s shackle and this new one was still unclear.

"Who created such a thing? The emperor?"

"No. The shackles were originally created by the late emperor."

"The late emperor…?"

"His Highness’s father."

"…"

Alicia instinctively furrowed her brows.

Even without knowing the details, the word shackle alone left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Shackles were, after all, tools for control.

"The late emperor created them to break His Highness."

Gajev paused for a deep breath before continuing.

"Why would he do that?"

"The throne was meant to belong to His Highness."

Alicia’s forehead creased.

This was the first she had ever heard of it.

"In the empire, only one spouse is officially recognized, and only children born from that union are granted legitimacy. That’s why illegitimate children have no claim to succession."

"But… the current emperor—"

"Yes. The current emperor was born of an imperial concubine, a foreign dancer. And, on top of that, his eyes are green instead of gold. He was never meant to be the rightful heir."

Jerpeneus had been flawed in every way.

Until the moment he was named crown prince, no one had ever expected him to ascend the throne.

Yet, the late emperor had chosen him.

"…Why?"

"If you want to know the answer to that, you’ll have to ask His Highness yourself."

"…"

"I know this might sound like I’m trying to defend His Highness. And, in truth, I probably am."

Gajev smiled lightly, but Alicia could not return the gesture.

She simply gripped the handkerchief in her lap.

"Having a tragic past doesn’t excuse his actions."

"But maybe it helps you understand him a little better."

"…"

"My lady, His Highness intended to die with you."

"What…?"

Alicia’s breath caught in her throat.

She had heard the words clearly, but she couldn’t make sense of them.

"His Highness didn’t take his own life back then only because he wanted revenge. If he had succeeded in that, he would have ended his life shortly after."

"…"

"And even if he had never met you… I believe he still would have done it. His Highness had no reason to live. He was only holding on for a promise he made long ago."

Gajev turned his head.

By then, Cabelenus had finished receiving treatment and was making his way toward them.

***

"What were you talking about?"

"Oh, just… various things."

Alicia forced an awkward smile and avoided his gaze.

Gajev had left, leaving behind a mountain of unanswered questions, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask them out loud.

"You say that, but your eyes are filled with tears."

"It’s just… we were talking about Lady Morco."

"Is that why you’re crying?"

Cabelenus instinctively reached out, but the way Alicia flinched made him frown.

He had simply wanted to wipe away her tears.

But seeing her startled expression made him hesitate.

Right now, he was in no position to be reckless.

He had to be careful—he couldn’t afford to do anything that might push her further away.

After a long moment of indecision, he quietly lowered his hand.

"…Have you finished getting treated?"

"They said I’ll heal quickly. It wasn’t a deep wound to begin with."

Cabelenus gestured toward his bandaged thigh with a slight nod.

He had already forgotten the medic’s reaction—how they had been astonished that it was the first wound he had sustained in years.

"It’s a relief that it wasn’t serious."

"So… you’re worried about me?"

"…Don’t ever do something like that again."

Alicia scowled at him, and yet, Cabelenus’s smile only deepened.

If she was worried, that meant she still cared.

"That makes me happy. That you’re worried about me."

"…"

Alicia shot him a cold glare.

Cabelenus turned his head slightly, unable to meet her eyes directly.

No matter how many times he saw it, her look of resentment never got easier to endure.

"…The gate to Schwarhan will be ready soon. That’s what I came to tell you."

"A gate?"

"It’s a magical transportation device developed independently in Schwarhan."

"So that’s how your army got here?"

"Yes. We set up an entrance in advance just in case. It won’t last long since it was only made for emergencies, but we can use it at least once."

Cabelenus was making an effort.

Forcing himself to dig up words he normally wouldn’t say, trying to stretch the conversation.

He despised long conversations.

He hated explaining things unnecessarily.

And yet, here he was—desperately trying to hold a conversation with her, just for the sake of speaking to her a little longer.