Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 257: Kael proposes his love to Zora

Once her silhouette vanished from sight, Reesa finally let out a long breath.

"Finally gone," she muttered, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off a heavy burden. "If we’d kept being polite, who knows how long she would’ve stayed."

Raphael quietly raised his thumb toward her, admiration written plainly on his face. That confrontation had been brutally satisfying to watch.

Alaric Von Seraph said nothing, but the slight nod he gave spoke volumes. Whatever reservations he had before, they were gone now.

Prince Kael withdrew his gaze from the direction Guinvere had disappeared and turned to Zora instead. A familiar, wickedly charming smile curved his lips as he leaned slightly closer.

"Darling," he asked softly with his eyes gleaming, "was my performance satisfactory?"

For him, her opinion outweighed everything else.

Zora lifted a brow, her expression calm but faintly amused. "More or less," she replied. "After all, this trouble was something you brought upon yourself."

His smile widened instantly, unbothered in the slightest. "My lady is generous," he said lightly. "Then let me promise this—there won’t be a next time. How does that sound?"

Zora narrowed her eyes and looked straight at Prince Kael. "Then tell me," she said slowly, "will this kind of thing happen again... with me?"

Truth be told, this man himself was a walking source of trouble. Fiona was already enough of a headache, and Guinvere was even worse.

If one had to rank them, Prince Kael was the root of it all.

As if completely unbothered by her sharp tone, Prince Kael stepped closer and reached out, clasping her hand without hesitation. His palm was warm, steady, and firm.

"Is my lady angry?" he asked with a faint smile.

Nearby, Reesa and the others immediately exchanged knowing looks. Without a word, they turned and walked away, tactfully leaving space for the two of them.

"What would I be angry about?" Zora replied lightly with a shrug. "It’s just that you come with too many complications. I find it... troublesome."

"The matter with Guinvere was indeed beyond my expectations," Prince Kael admitted, his voice maintained calmness. "But I’ve already made everything clear to her. She won’t interfere again. Is that not enough?"

Zora let out a soft, mocking laugh. "She’s someone you’ve known for many years. How could I possibly compare to her?"

The moment those words left her lips, Prince Kael’s expression shifted.

He turned her body to face him fully, his hands firm but gentle, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Darling," he said, his voice low and solemn this time, "in my heart, you are the most important. No one can compare to you. No one."

There was no exaggeration in his tone, only sincerity. A trace of tension even flickered in his eyes, as though he feared she might doubt him.

For the first time, Zora hesitated.

"Am I really... that important to you?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Prince Kael answered without the slightest pause.

"Why?" she pressed. "If it’s as she said... Because I cured you and you were filled with gratitude, then you don’t have to..."

"No." He cut her off sharply, not intending to let her finish the sentence.

"I like you," he said, each word clear and deliberate, "never because you cured me. I like you because you are you. Your character, your temperament, your courage, your boldness, your stubbornness, the way you face everything head-on. I like all of it."

His dark eyes shimmered, deep and unwavering.

"I like you, and I want to be with you. That’s all."

The affection in his gaze was no longer concealed. This was the first time he had laid his feelings bare, with no schemes, no reservations, no retreat. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"I never thought I would like anyone," Prince Kael continued softly. "Not until you appeared."

His voice carried a rare warmth. "From the very first time I saw you, you felt different. And the more time we spent together, the clearer it became."

He paused, then smiled faintly as he continued. "I was never pressured into marrying you. On the contrary, I’m grateful to Li Weixiang. Without him, I might not have had the chance."

His grip on her hand then tightened slightly.

"I didn’t marry you for alliances or convenience. I married you for one reason only—because I wanted to."

Every word fell with certainty.

From the very beginning of their meeting, he had only ever had one intention: To make Zora his wife.

He had never been someone who bowed to pressure.

Even back when his legs were crippled, even when the imperial court whispered, and the throne loomed above him, his lifelong matters had never been dictated by any emperor.

Choosing Zora had never been an act of gratitude, nor an acceptance of the Emperor’s decree. From the very beginning, it was simply because he wanted her.

Hearing Prince Kael speak so openly, Zora froze for a moment. A flicker of surprise passed through her clear eyes, followed by something softer, warmer. Before she realized it, a quiet joy had already taken root in her heart.

She recalled how, back when he was cultivating outside, he had always appeared beside her at the most critical moments. At the time, she found it strange, but never thought too deeply about it.

It wasn’t until the beast tide, when he had returned without hesitation, that she sensed something different.

And after Prince Kael joined the academy, that feeling only grew clearer and clearer.

Now, for the first time, he was laying his thoughts bare in front of her, without disguise, without retreat.

"There are many outstanding women around you," Zora said softly. "Whether in status, background, or strength, they’re all better than me."

Prince Kael shook his head and tightened his grip on her hands. "No matter how outstanding others are, none of them can compare to you in my heart."

Her dark and clear eyes lifted slightly, meeting his gaze. In those star-like eyes, she saw only sincerity and a trace of nervous anticipation. There was no calculation, no falsehood.

"Darling," Prince Kael asked quietly, "can you accept my love and acknowledge me as your husband?"

Zora fell silent.

In truth, they had already become deeply entwined, bound by shared danger and trust. Accepting him would not be a reckless choice.

But she still carried blood-deep enmity. Her mother’s whereabouts were unknown. Her future was clouded with uncertainty.

"Master," Black said gently, its tone unusually serious, "you’re thinking too much. The Prince Kael doesn’t look like someone who fears life or death, or abandons others halfway. If you like him, why burden yourself with so many worries?"

Black had been by her side for so long that it understood her hesitation better than most.

"Black’s right!" White chimed in excitedly. "In my eyes, Master and Prince Kael are a perfect match made by heaven. As for the future, we’ll deal with it when it comes!"

From the beginning, there had never truly been a line between her and Prince Kael, only an unspoken understanding. His feelings had been obvious, but never pushed forward outright.

But ever since she took his hand and walked into the Suffocating forest, everything had already changed.

Seeing Zora remain silent for so long, Prince Kael’s heart slowly sank.

He had seen her affection for him. He had felt it clearly.

Could it be... that she had changed her mind?

A faint, aching loss spread through his chest. Her smile had long since etched itself into his heart, becoming something he could no longer part with.

If she did not yet trust him completely, then he would wait. He was willing to wait.

Just as Prince Kael was steeling himself for that outcome, a soft, calm voice finally reached his ears.

"Alright."

The moment those two words were spoken, Prince Kael looked up sharply, staring at Zora in disbelief, as if afraid he had misheard.

The woman before him met his gaze, her expression steady and clear.

And in that instant, the world seemed to brighten. "Darling... what did you just say?"

For the first time, Prince Kael’s voice trembled with unmistakable tension. "Could you... Say it again?"