An Unexpected Proposal-Chapter 58

Cabelenus ruffled his hair again, as if trying to shake off the thoughts floating around his mind. It was ridiculous to be thinking this now, but every time he registered how much the boy resembled Alicia, one particular thought refused to leave him.

"You… could it be—"

"Mikael! Mikael! S-Something terrible happened—hieek!"

"Chris?"

Chris, who had been running toward them, froze in place the moment he spotted Cabelenus.

"That looks like your friend over there—"

"You need to go away right now! You’re scaring Chris with that scary-looking face of yours!"

"Kid, you are seriously—"

"Just go home already!"

Mikael shouted, unleashing all his pent-up frustration at Cabelenus before running straight to Chris. The boy was already on the verge of tears, trembling.

"Chris, are you okay? What happened?"

"I-It’s my aunt and… my uncle…!"

"Aunt? You mean my mom?"

"Did something happen to Alicia—"

"Hieeek!"

Chris let out a shriek at Cabelenus’s sudden interjection and staggered backward before collapsing onto the ground.

Mikael clicked his tongue in frustration and crouched down beside him.

"Ugh, seriously! I told you to go home! You scared him—huh? Chris? Chris?!"

No matter how much Mikael shook him, there was no response. Chris had fainted on the spot.

Mikael scoffed in disbelief before glaring up at Cabelenus, who, for once, actually avoided his gaze.

***

"So, who was that man?"

"Just someone I know."

Alicia replied flatly as she searched for a bucket, only to frown when she saw it already filled with water. She had used up all the water yesterday and was supposed to fetch more, yet someone had already taken care of it. The culprit was obvious.

Even though I told him not to.

Clenching the hem of her skirt, Alicia looked up at the patched-up roof of the storage shed.

Cabelenus hadn’t even been in the village that long, yet there wasn’t a single place in her house that hadn’t been touched by his hands. The storage shed roof, which she had been planning to fix herself once she borrowed a ladder, had already been neatly repaired.

"Just someone you know? And yet he fixes your house, your fence, does everything? Be honest. What’s your relationship with him?"

Noticing her distraction, Peter stepped into her line of sight, blocking it. Alicia’s face twisted with irritation as she met his gaze.

"Don’t call him ‘that guy.’ Watch your words. He’s not someone you can speak about so carelessly."

"See? The way you react proves my point. If he was really just ‘someone you know,’ you wouldn’t get so worked up."

"And even if I did have some sort of relationship with him, what does that have to do with you?"

"Now that’s just cold."

Peter lowered his voice slightly, gauging Alicia’s reaction.

"I already told you, raising Mikael is more than enough for me. I have not, for a single moment, considered giving you even a sliver of my heart. So please, stop."

"And what? You’re going to raise Mikael as a fatherless child?"

"……."

"Sure, he’s young now, but how long do you think that will last? You really think he won’t ask about his father one day?"

"That’s not something you need to concern yourself with."

Alicia’s expression hardened.

"How can I not care? It’s your life we’re talking about."

"Exactly. My life. Not yours—mine."

"How long are you going to keep pushing me away?"

Peter swallowed and leaned in slightly. His gaze was unmistakably lecherous.

"You can stop playing hard to get. If you keep this up, even I have my limits—"

Slap!

Peter’s hand halted awkwardly in the air, blocked before it could reach her. Alicia folded her arms, making no effort to hide her disgust.

"You need to stop. I’ve only tolerated you this far because of your father, but even that has its limits."

"You little—"

"Don’t make me repeat myself. I’ve made my stance clear, and it’s not going to change."

Her cold, unwavering stare left no room for argument.

Peter tried to hold her gaze, but in the end, he lost and looked away first.

"Well, that fiery temper of yours is part of your charm, I guess."

"Ha…"

"Don’t dismiss this as nonsense. Think it over properly—I’m a good catch, you know?"

"A ‘good catch’ doesn’t have to say that about himself."

"If I don’t say it, you won’t realize it."

"It’s not that I don’t realize it—I simply don’t care. I have absolutely zero interest in you."

"…Then what about him? Do you have feelings for him?"

"Why are you bringing him into this?"

Alicia swallowed down her rising anger, narrowing her eyes.

It had been over two years since she and Mikael settled in this village, but the townsfolk still treated them as outsiders. She had no intention of stirring trouble. It was best to stay quiet and let things pass.

She couldn’t uproot Mikael’s life again—not when he was just starting to make friends and feel at home here.

"So I’m right, aren’t I? You do have feelings for him. That’s why you’ve been acting so cold to me. That’s why you let him fix your house, when you wouldn’t even let me touch it!"

"If you keep this up, I won’t hold back anymore."

"Oh? And what are you gonna do if you ‘don’t hold back’?"

"……."

"How do you think you've been able to stay in this village all this time? It's all thanks to my father and me looking out for you."

Peter smirked as he leaned closer to Alicia once more. At first, he had merely thought she was a delicate beauty, but the more he looked at her, the more captivating she became. The fact that she wasn't easily swayed only made her all the more attractive.

"Honestly, just look at our circumstances. If you really think about it, I'm the one making a huge sacrifice here. Taking in a woman with a child? Raising another man's kid? Do you think men like that are common?"

Alicia remained silent.

"Stop clinging to your pride and face reality. How long are you going to keep wearing those ragged clothes? If you marry me, you won't have to suffer like this anymore."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Now, leave."

With a sigh, Alicia turned away. As if her mind wasn’t already troubled enough, Peter’s persistence only made it worse.

"…Wait. Don’t tell me—you’ve already slept with him?"

"What did you just say?"

"You slept with that bastard, didn’t you? That’s why you’re acting like this."

Peter suddenly grabbed Alicia’s wrist, forcing her to turn back toward him. She gritted her teeth, glaring at him without an ounce of fear.

"Watch your mouth."

"What, are you telling me he actually intends to marry you? No way. Don’t tell me—he’s Mikael’s father?"

"Stop spouting nonsense."

"Oh, so he’s here to collect his mistress? His wife must be dead, then."

"Enough! Stop it!"

Alicia could no longer hold back. She shoved Peter away with all her strength. His grip had been so tight that red marks had already begun forming around her wrist.

"Damn it! Why are you playing so hard to get? It’s not like this is your first time!"

"Not my first time?"

Alicia’s forehead creased in anger.

"That’s not what I meant. I’m saying we should consider a path that benefits us both."

Peter let out a forced laugh, feigning ignorance as he gripped her shoulder tightly. He had planned to take his time, slowly wearing her down, but that stranger’s sudden appearance made him uneasy.

‘There’s no way I’m letting some fancy bastard take her away. I’ve spent years working on her.’

Just the thought of Cabelenus lingering near Alicia’s cottage was enough to twist Peter’s lips in disgust. He couldn’t stand it. That arrogant noble showing up out of nowhere, ignoring everything, and taking the woman he had pursued for years—it was infuriating. The way Cabelenus prowled around her home like some self-important knight only made it worse.

"Think about it. Even if he’s a noble, do you really think your life will change for the better? You ran away all the way to this village with a child. That alone tells me everything I need to know. You’re just a toy to him. A passing amusement."

"You don’t know anything."

"Men are all the same. And nobles? They’re even worse."

Alicia didn’t respond.

"But I’m different. Unlike other men, I truly love and cherish you. Why else would I be willing to raise another man’s child?"

Peter’s fingers brushed against Alicia’s cheek. With Cabelenus frequently around, he had hardly gotten a chance to be alone with her. Now was his opportunity. He needed to make Alicia his and crush that noble bastard’s arrogance.

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"I love you, Alicia. Marry me."

"Do you really love me?"

"Of course I do. I told you, I’m not like other men."

"Not like other men? You need to stop talking nonsense."

Alicia coldly slapped Peter’s hand away. His sudden reappearance after disappearing for so long was no coincidence, and she knew it.

"What? Nonsense?"

"You vanished for days, then conveniently show up as soon as he leaves. Do you really expect me to believe that’s just a coincidence?"

"O-Of course it is! Why would I care about that bastard?"

Peter’s voice wavered, but he tried to mask it by raising his tone. Alicia scoffed bitterly.

"Then prove it. Look him in the eye and tell me you love me."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because you can’t. He’s not someone you can push around, but I am. That’s why you only act like this with me."

Alicia took a bold step forward, meeting his gaze without flinching. Raising Mikael alone had shown her the ugliest sides of people. There had been plenty of men who thought a single mother was easy prey, and their words and actions were always the same. They claimed to care, to love her, but their so-called affection never showed in what they did. They simply wanted something easy—someone they could manipulate.

"Did you know? Your sister is always furious at me and Mikael. She’s terrified that something might actually happen between us."

"My sister is just—"

"And that’s not all. People can’t spread enough rumors about me. The men are busy making me out to be some cheap woman so they can justify coming after me, and the women blame me for attracting them. That’s my life."

"If you marry me, all of that will go away. They only talk because you’re alone—"

"So it’s my fault?"

Alicia let out a short, scornful laugh before continuing.

"No. None of that is my fault. I’ve never done anything to be ashamed of. I’ve done nothing but my best."

Peter clenched his jaw.

"And don’t ever say Mikael needs a father again. If a man who calls my best efforts a mistake is the only option, I’d rather bite my tongue and die."

Alicia delivered every word without hesitation, her voice sharp as a blade. Peter swallowed dryly. The weight of her words settled in his gut like a heavy stone, but he refused to accept it.

"In the end, if some rich bastard proposes, you’ll say yes, won’t you?"

"What?"

"Stop acting so noble. The only reason you’re talking like this is because you have a rich man backing you up."

"I’ve rejected you time and time again. You were the one who ignored it."

"I never ignored you! You’re the one sending signals! Don’t act like you don’t know! Smiling at men like that—who wouldn’t think—"

"Who are you calling a prostitute?"

"Who else? You. You think I don’t know? Everyone’s talking about it. Some delicate little woman who’s got nobles tripping over themselves to have her? It’s obvious. You must be some high-class whore."

"You—"

"It’s fine. I understand. The past is the past. Let’s just forget this little argument and—"

Peter softened his voice, reaching for her once more—

But before he could touch her, a rough hand grabbed him by the throat.