An Unexpected Proposal-Chapter 46

“Of course.”

Though Alicia’s nod wavered slightly, there was strength behind it.

Lady Morco took another breath before speaking carefully.

“You are with child.”

“Oh… that…”

“Did you already know?”

“Yes. Somehow, I just… realized.”

Alicia let out an awkward laugh.

“Are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t want a child.”

Lady Morco studied her carefully. She knew Alicia had been just as reluctant about the child as Cabelenus.

“I used to feel that way, but not anymore.”

Alicia absentmindedly stroked her stomach. Now that she knew the child could hear her, every word felt more precious.

“I still don’t know if I’ll be a good mother… but the baby seems to like me a lot.”

“They like you?”

“I had a dream.”

A dream of a beautiful child.

Her voice softened, as if sharing a secret. Lady Morco’s expression grew complicated. She didn’t know what kind of dream Alicia had, but she could see it—Alicia was smiling so naturally while speaking of the child.

The frail woman she had once known was preparing to become a mother.

And that realization filled her with sorrow.

Because the more Alicia loved this child, the greater the pain would be when the world inevitably tried to take them away.

“…You wish to protect this child, don’t you?”

“The word ‘protect’ feels strange… but if I can, I’d like to.”

Alicia nodded without hesitation.

The child in her dream had been beautiful—so, so small that it worried her. If she could, she wanted to hold them close, to keep them safe.

“Then you must listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“…Is something wrong with the baby?”

“Not the baby. His Highness.”

“His Highness?”

“He does not want this child.”

“That can’t be. He told me—”

Alicia trailed off, her expression going blank.

Cabelenus had already lied to her once.

How could she be certain that wasn’t a lie too?

“I had hoped to tell you once you had fully recovered, but the situation is not in our favor.”

“Tell me everything.”

“For reasons unknown, His Highness abhors the idea of a child.”

“…Not just that he dislikes it, but… abhors?”

“Yes. He despises it.”

Lady Morco nodded gravely.

“After you collapsed, His Highness was only concerned with saving you.”

“He… focused on me?”

“If he could heal you, he was willing to use medicine harmful to the child.”

“…Then… does that mean…”

Alicia’s face turned deathly pale.

The mere thought that something might have happened to her baby made her feel as though the blood had drained from her body.

“You need not worry. I made sure no such medicine was used.”

“…Thank goodness.”

Or… was that truly a good thing?

Alicia stared blankly at Lady Morco’s hardened expression.

She wanted to believe otherwise, but a terrible thought had crossed her mind—and she couldn’t erase it.

“His Highness would not hesitate to harm the child if he deemed it necessary.”

“…”

“To him, you are special. Perhaps you can change his mind.”

“And if I can’t?”

Alicia’s eyes wavered with uncertainty.

She had asked, but she already knew the answer.

“The child’s life is not guaranteed.”

Even though she had expected it, hearing it out loud made Alicia squeeze her eyes shut.

She wished she could cover the child’s ears so they wouldn’t hear such cruel words.

“They are my child… but they are also his. How could he even think of harming them?”

“His Highness already seems to know about the baby.”

“He knows?”

“And he thinks of them as a monster. He believes the child is destroying you.”

“That’s impossible. A baby is just… a baby.”

Alicia desperately shook her head.

The tiny life in her dream, so eager for affection, could not be a monster.

“I think the same. But that is only what we wish to believe.”

Lady Morco removed the ring from her finger—the one Gajev had given her.

“This is a recording artifact. It only has one use left.”

“…”

“It may be hard to accept, but if you want to protect your child, you must become strong.”

She firmly pressed the ring into Alicia’s hand.

She could have softened her words, eased the truth for Cabelenus’s sake. But she chose not to.

Because the only one who could truly protect this child… was Alicia herself.

If she truly wished to keep them safe, she needed to understand everything.

***

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“…”

“Do you still not wish to see me?”

“…I wanted to see you.”

Alicia forced a smile as she met Cabelenus’s gaze.

Everything felt like a mess, but even so, she needed to see him for herself.

She needed to hear his words and judge them with her own ears.

“…I thought even if you woke, you wouldn’t want to see me.”

“I heard you visited often.”

“There was nothing else I could do but watch over you.”

Looking at him now, gaunt and pale, it would be a lie to say she didn’t waver.

But as much as she pitied him, she also feared him.

Alicia clenched her hands into fists.

The moment she saw him, she hadn’t only felt relief—

Unconsciously, she had wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach.

“You must have heard the news by now.”

“What news?”

“That I’m pregnant.”

Cabelenus stopped in his tracks.

Alicia watched him in silence. She had agonized over this moment, endlessly turning it over in her mind before facing him. But no matter how much she thought about it, she had found no clear answer. If Cabelenus’s attitude toward the child didn’t change, they would be trapped in an endless cycle.

“This conversation can wait.”

“Wait?”

“You only just woke up. Your health should be the priority right now.”

Cabelenus took another step forward.

Alicia let her gaze slowly roam over him, from head to toe. She had already known, but seeing it in person made it feel even more suffocating.

“…Aren’t you happy?”

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“I am. That’s why I rushed here.”

“No, not about me. About the child.”

“…”

“They are your child.”

Even though she had tried to keep her voice steady, her emotions slipped through.

Cabelenus looked at her with such unmistakable affection, but the moment she mentioned the child, that light in his eyes dimmed.

That was hard to accept.

“I already told you—your health comes first.”

“And this child is mine as well.”

“…I do not like children.”

“They are our child.”

Alicia’s voice hardened.

She knew from experience that a parent’s love didn’t always come naturally. She herself had only grown attached to the child after repeatedly confirming and accepting their existence.

Cabelenus could, too.

She couldn’t let go of that possibility.

She didn’t want their child to suffer the way she had.

More than anything, she wanted to give them a proper family.

“I want you to be happy about this.”

“I can’t.”

“Your Highness.”

“You told me you no longer trust me. That my lie shattered what we had.”

Cabelenus knelt before her and took her hands.

Alicia’s expression twisted as she looked down at him.

“That lie nearly cost me you. That’s why I can’t bring myself to lie anymore.”

“…”

“I’ll be honest. I do not want this child.”

She hadn’t expected him to admit it so easily.

Alicia swallowed dryly.

Seeing him up close, she could now see how hollow his eyes were.

Only then did she realize—Cabelenus was unlike himself. He was weakened.

“You might just feel this way because the child is unfamiliar to you. If you give it time and love, your feelings might change.”

“This is not that kind of issue.”

Cabelenus shook his head.

“Then what is it?”

“A personal matter. Knowing won’t do you any good.”

“I still want to know. This concerns our child.”

“…Our child.”

He stared at her with knowing eyes.

Alicia clenched her fists but did not look away.

Finally, Cabelenus sighed.

“You won’t like what I’m about to say, but the thing growing inside you… is a monster.”

Monster.

She had heard the word through the recording, yet every time she did, it felt unbearable.

Alicia could only pray that the child did not understand what was being said.

“What makes you say that?”

“For certain reasons, I possess a special power. And the one who gave me that power warned that it could spread through blood.”

“What do you mean? What special power?”

Alicia gaped at him.

Power passed through blood was something she was all too familiar with.

“I know it sounds absurd. But it’s the truth.”

“…”

Alicia’s eyes dropped to her stomach.

She could see the child’s power clearly.

But she couldn’t see anything of Cabelenus.

“You don’t believe me?”

“I do. I’ve heard of something similar before.”

“No. What I possess is different from whatever you’re thinking.”

Cabelenus slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again.

He didn’t want to bring up the past.

But this was more important.

The thing growing inside Alicia—it had to be removed.

That monster had already tried to kill its mother once.

There was no telling when it would do so again.

“The symbol of the Blanche Empire is the black wolf. And for generations, it’s been said that the royal family carries the blood of wolves. A legend found in many nations.”

Except, in this case, it was real.

His golden eyes gleamed, his pupils sharpening into slits.

More beast than man.

“The blood I carry is that of the wolf from the empire’s founding legend.”

“I don’t see that as a problem. To me, you’re not a beast. You’re a man.”

“Are you certain?”

“…”

“The power I have was never meant to exist. It should have remained in legend. If only those who desired it had known better and left it alone.”

The veins in Cabelenus’s hands bulged.

Even after all these years, that day remained crystal clear in his mind.

A child, faced with an impossible decision, had made his choice.

And the price had been devastating.

“His Majesty calls my power the gift of a ruler. The temple calls it divine. But neither is correct. They’ve simply wrapped it in pretty words and worshipped it.”

“…”

“The truth is, its origins lie in what they despise most.”

“The origins?”

Alicia’s voice wavered.

“That power came from the legendary wolf, didn’t it?”

“If it had been pure, there would be no problem.”

Cabelenus’s gaze fixed on Alicia’s stomach.

No—on the thing inside her.

For generations, the royal family had worked with the temple, refining their claim to power.

They sought an undeniable symbol of strength—something that could trample over the temple’s so-called holiness.

“There was no legendary wolf. It was nothing more than a decoration for the royal family’s prestige. A blunt sword meant to look sharp, nothing more.”

“Then…”

“Beasts.”

“…”

“Grotesque, unnatural monsters. That is the blood that runs in my veins.”

His golden eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

He had inherited the blood of the creatures that had ruined him.

And now, there was another.

Growing inside her.