An Unexpected Proposal-Chapter 59

His gaze fell on her wrist, swollen and red from Peter’s grip. Letting out a short breath, he turned to Mikael. The boy stood frozen, his face pale with fear.

"Stay with your mother."

With that, Cabelenus grabbed Peter by the collar, hoisting him up.

"Gack—! Ughh!"

Peter choked as he dangled in the air like a rag doll, gasping and clawing at the iron grip around his throat. But no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break free. Mikael stared blankly, only coming back to his senses when his view was suddenly blocked.

"Don’t look, Mikael."

"Why?"

"This isn’t something you need to see."

Alicia’s grip on Mikael’s hand tightened. The boy wanted to pull away, but he couldn’t. Even without looking, he could feel how swollen her wrist was.

***

"Mom, does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn’t."

"You’re lying."

"Why would I lie to you?"

Alicia smiled softly, running her fingers through Mikael’s hair.

"You always do this. You always say you’re fine. But you tell me not to hold it in when I’m hurt."

She fell silent.

"I don’t want you to hold it in either. You told me before—if you don’t say it hurts, no one can help you heal."

Mikael wrapped his small arms around Alicia’s waist.

"It doesn’t hurt that much. I’ll be fine after some rest."

"…Really?"

"Of course."

"Then I’ll check tomorrow. If you still look like you’re in pain, we’ll go see the doctor together. Promise?"

"Promise."

Alicia said nothing more, simply rubbing Mikael’s back in silence. He had grown up too quickly. Perhaps it was their circumstances, but seeing him try so hard to act like an adult left an ache in her heart.

"I just wish you could take your time growing up."

When his breathing finally steadied, Alicia carefully laid Mikael down on the bed. Her wrist still throbbed, but looking at his sleeping face made the pain bearable.

There was no doctor in the village, and seeing one meant traveling to the next town over. The medical fees weren’t cheap either. Until she received payment from James for her goods, she would have to be careful with expenses.

Suppressing a sigh, Alicia ignored the pain in her wrist and quietly made her way downstairs.

…Is he still not back?

She hesitated, then cautiously peeked out the window. Night had already fallen, yet Cabelenus was nowhere to be seen.

I should have handled it myself.

Alicia rested her forehead against the cold glass. The night air felt particularly frigid tonight. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there when she suddenly sensed someone’s presence. Slowly, she lifted her head.

"It’s too cold to stand there like that."

"…When did you get here?"

"A while ago."

"Then why didn’t you say something?"

"I didn’t think you’d be pleased to see me."

Five steps.

That was the distance between them. Cabelenus smiled faintly, standing just far enough away. Alicia bit down on her lip. It was strange—she shouldn’t have been able to see clearly in the darkness, yet his face was perfectly visible. Even more unsettling was the fact that she could read his emotions so plainly.

"Why did you interfere? I could have handled it myself."

"I know."

"You know?"

Alicia blinked in surprise.

"I can’t claim to understand everything about your life, but I know enough to see how exhausting it must have been for you."

She said nothing.

"At first, I was angry. If you had stayed by my side, you wouldn’t have had to go through any of this. You would have had the best clothes, the best food, everything you could ever need."

Silence.

"But then, you wouldn’t be standing here today, speaking your mind like this. So now, I don’t know. I don’t know whether I should be angry at what you’ve been through, or not."

Cabelenus remained where he was, watching her.

The Alicia he remembered had been so small, so fragile. She had been a woman who hesitated to even speak her thoughts, always tiptoeing around others. That was why he had wanted to protect her—why he had worried so much.

"Lady Morco once told me something. She said you weren’t weak."

Alicia tensed at the familiar name.

"I think I finally understand what she meant."

Hearing that name again made Alicia instinctively cross her arms over her body. She had never forgotten. There were so many questions she wanted to ask about that day.

But she couldn’t.

Digging up the past would only bring back the regrets she had tried so hard to bury.

"It wasn’t strength. It was desperation. If I hadn’t fought back, people would have walked all over me."

"But you endured."

"…."

"You did well. Truly."

Why did those words make her eyes sting?

Alicia bit her lower lip, grateful for the darkness hiding her face.

"I don’t want to hear that. The only reason I was waiting for you was because of Peter. He’s the village chief’s son. If something happens, I—"

Her excuse trailed off.

There was something else she wanted to say, but she couldn’t.

She was afraid that if she let it out, all the emotions she had been suppressing would spill over.

Even now, the way Cabelenus looked at her made it hard to breathe.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"I didn’t kill him, so don’t worry. I don’t always kill people."

"That’s not what I meant—"

"I’m sorry."

For showing you that side of me.

At his apology, Alicia lowered her head.

Their first meeting had been drenched in blood, and both of them knew all too well that he was called a butcher.

So why was he suddenly trying to soften the truth?

No—he had to.

Alicia gripped the windowsill tightly before forcing herself to look up.

"Since when do you care about people?"

Cabelenus didn’t answer.

"Don’t pretend to be weak. You abandoned your own child, didn’t you?"

Still, he said nothing.

"Just because you helped me this once doesn’t change anything. So leave."

She didn’t say the rest.

Don’t stand there and listen to me say these things.

Instead, she turned and slammed the window shut.

She barely managed a few steps before sinking to the floor.

Her skirt was already stained with the tears she hadn’t realized were falling.

***

"Mom?"

"…Mikael?"

Alicia struggled to lift her heavy eyelids, barely managing to focus on Mikael’s face. He was wearing an expression far too troubled for a child his age.

"Why are you sleeping here?"

"Ah, I was just really tired…"

"But you always tell me it’s bad to sleep on the floor."

"I’m sorry."

She must have fallen asleep after crying herself into exhaustion. As Alicia attempted to sit up, a sharp pain shot through her wrist, making her wince.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, it’s fine."

"But it’s even more swollen than yesterday."

"That’s just because it’s morning. It’ll get better soon."

Alicia waved her hand slightly in front of Mikael, feigning ease. A faint pain pulsed through her wrist with every movement, but it was bearable.

"But—"

"Mikael, can you go to Aunt Jona’s and get some milk? I’ll make pancakes for breakfast."

Before Mikael could argue further, Alicia kissed his forehead and stood up.

"Oh, and now that I think about it, I used up all the eggs baking cookies yesterday. Can you bring some of those too—"

As she spoke in an exaggerated tone to distract him, Alicia reached for the window, only for her expression to freeze.

There, on the windowsill, lay a small container and a roll of bandages.

Her fingers trembled as she picked up the container and opened the lid. A sharp, familiar scent wafted up to her.

Schwarhan’s medicine.

Alicia instinctively turned her head, searching for Cabelenus, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Then… last night…?"

Her knees gave out, and she sank to the floor.

She could picture it vividly—him standing at a distance, hesitating, afraid that she might fear him.

"Mom, what’s wrong? Are you crying?"

Mikael pressed himself into her embrace, concern etched across his small face.

"Mom, don’t cry. I’m here, so don’t cry, okay?"

"Hic… hhk… hkk…"

Alicia said nothing, simply pulling Mikael into her arms and burying her face against his tiny shoulder. She knew she shouldn’t cry in front of him. She knew she should stop. But once the dam broke, she couldn’t hold it back anymore.

Dealing with Cabelenus was like wielding a blade with no handle. Every time she swung it, intending to wound him, she ended up covered in blood herself.

***

"Fine, I admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That I’m weak."

Mikael folded his arms, lifting his chin smugly.

"Is that something you even need to admit? It’s obvious just by looking at you."

"You’re so annoying. Do you talk like this to my mom too?"

"Of course not."

"Then why do you do it to me?"

"I told you—I don’t like you."

Cabelenus looked down at him with the same irritated expression as always.

He had briefly wondered if the boy would be scared after what happened yesterday, but Mikael was as cheerful as ever, completely unaffected.

"Why don’t you like me? Everyone else says I look exactly like my mom."

"You don’t. Not even a little."

"That’s not true! I look the most like her in the whole world!"

"Believe whatever you want."

If Cabelenus had smirked, Mikael might have laughed it off, but the man spoke so indifferently that it only made him more irritated. He glanced at Cabelenus’s leg, recalling the incident from a few days ago, and pouted.

"Tch, do you think I like you? I hate you too!"

"Then stop bothering me."

Cabelenus dropped the firewood he had gathered and picked up an axe.

Most of the houses in the village had already begun stockpiling wood for winter, but Alicia’s home still lacked enough. Even the small pile she had gathered was mostly twigs—barely enough to last.

Even if he had to leave, he wouldn’t let her freeze.

The woman he remembered had always been sensitive to the cold.

"You know, I wouldn’t even be talking to you if—"

Thud!

"I didn’t have anyone else to ask—"

Thud!

"Just listen to me for a second—"

Thud!

"Stop chopping wood and pay attention to me!"

Mikael stomped his foot in frustration.

"Talking to you is pointless. Chopping wood is a better use of my time."

Cabelenus swung the axe with ease. The moment the blade met the wood, the thick log split cleanly in two.

"Mom cried."

The axe stopped mid-swing.

Mikael wanted to be annoyed at how easily the man reacted to his mother’s name, but since he had no one else to ask, he pushed down his irritation and smiled.

"So, can you make me strong too?"

"What does your mother crying have to do with you getting stronger?"

"She never says she’s in pain in front of me. She hardly ever cries."

Cabelenus didn’t respond.

"But ever since you came, she cries a lot more. That’s why you’re annoying. But also, I’m a little jealous."

For a brief moment, Cabelenus’s throat tightened, but Mikael, oblivious, continued chattering.

"Mom told me that bottling things up only makes you sick. I always wish she wouldn’t hold things in, but she does—because of me. She thinks she has to protect me all the time. But I’m already grown up."

"…"

"That’s why I want to get stronger as soon as possible. I want to be strong enough that Mom doesn’t have to hold back anymore."

Mikael stood on his tiptoes, trying to meet Cabelenus’s gaze.

His eyes, clear and untainted, sparkled under the morning sun.