An Unexpected Proposal-Chapter 75

"…The Emperor seems to believe Mikael is controlling the monsters."

"…"

"You don’t have to be so afraid. I had already anticipated this much and decided to accept it."

A warmth touched her shoulder. Slowly, Alicia lifted her head. Cabelenus wasn’t looking at her with disgust—only concern. That gave her the courage to continue.

"Eight years ago, that day… I encountered the monsters in the snowfield."

"You met them?"

"Yes, I did. And they saved me."

"I’ve never heard of monsters saving anyone before."

"But it’s true. That day, it was the monsters who saved me and Mikael. If not for them, we wouldn’t have made it to the village—we would have frozen to death in the snowfield."

Alicia absentmindedly fiddled with the edge of Cabelenus’s jacket. Unlike the stories she had always heard, the monsters had not been violent. On the contrary, their kindness had been so blatant that it was almost suspicious.

"But that kindness… had a purpose, didn’t it?"

"As you might have guessed, Mikael is not an ordinary child."

"He certainly has an unusual way of thinking."

Cabelenus let out a dry chuckle, and Alicia finally loosened her clenched fingers. The deep nail marks on her palms were a stark reminder of her tension.

"The disappearance of the monsters from Schwarhan eight years ago—it wasn’t a coincidence. They simply no longer had a reason to wander."

"…"

"They had been searching for their king all along."

"Their king… Don’t tell me—"

"Yes. They called Mikael their king."

Alicia’s expression twisted as she spoke. Cabelenus, stunned, remained silent as he looked at her.

"A king, huh? That’s a rather unsettling word. But how do you know that for certain?"

"They spoke to me."

"The monsters spoke? You mean, they actually spoke in words?"

"It was clumsy, but yes, they spoke in human language. Why? Does that matter?"

"I’ve never heard of such a thing before."

A deep crease formed between Cabelenus’s brows. He had fought countless monsters over the years, yet never—not once—had he ever heard them speak. Monsters were not beings capable of reason. At least, according to everything that was known. There were no records of anyone ever having a conversation with them.

"If you don’t mind, could you tell me more? I want to compare it with what I know."

"I don’t know everything either. But one thing is certain—the monsters had been waiting for a king to judge something. For a very, very long time."

"Wait. Judge something?"

"Why? What’s wrong?"

Alicia wrinkled her nose slightly.

"It’s just… something is bothering me."

"Something…?"

"It could be a mere coincidence, but…"

Cabelenus ran a hand over his furrowed brow. The word judgment wasn’t commonly used. But there was one place where it frequently appeared.

"Even if it’s something minor, please tell me."

"…It’s a term that comes up often in the teachings of the Prime Temple."

"The Prime Temple?"

"Ah, right. You wouldn’t know about that."

Resting his chin on his hand, Cabelenus frowned slightly. He didn’t particularly like the Prime Temple, but its doctrine was considered essential knowledge for the imperial family. From the moment he had learned to read, he had been forced to study it until he could recite the scriptures by heart. Only after mastering it completely had he been allowed to put an end to the tedious religious education.

"It’s nothing special. Just another legend crafted by those in power to justify their rule."

"Even so… I’d still like to hear it."

He despised those scriptures, but he couldn’t ignore the woman in front of him. Her hands were pressed together in a prayer-like gesture, her eyes desperate. Cabelenus let out a breath and nodded.

"God loved humanity so much that He granted their every wish. But as time passed, humans began to take His love for granted. Eventually, they even sought to claim His throne for themselves."

"…"

"Those who killed God were cursed, transformed into wretched monsters, and they began slaughtering the remaining humans. With God gone, the world fell into ruin. Only then did humans realize their sin and regret their actions, desperately searching for God once more."

"…"

"Then, one day, in the midst of humanity’s desperate prayers, a man appeared. He cast out the raging monsters, banishing them to the frozen lands, and restored peace to mankind. He was none other than the divine sacrifice—Prime."

As he finished speaking, Cabelenus’s lips curled into a smirk. He had given a brief summary—there was no way he was reciting the entire thick scripture. Even saying this much had been unpleasant.

"…Is that the end of the story?"

Alicia frowned.

"Not quite. That was only the legend of Prime’s birth. The important part comes next."

"What comes next?"

"The Prime Temple teaches that humanity has yet to fully atone for its sin of killing God. That is why suffering—aging, hunger, and pain—exists in the world."

"…"

"If all sins are atoned for, Prime will grant a wish. But if humanity continues to sin, the monsters will break free from their exile in the frozen land, and ‘Judgment Day’ will come once again."

A long sigh slipped from between Cabelenus’s lips.

"You think there’s a connection between the monsters’ judgment and the temple’s teachings?"

"I think it’s possible."

"…Then, are the monsters seeking to destroy humanity?"

Alicia’s voice trembled. If the monsters’ purpose was mass slaughter, then she could never let Mikael go to them. She refused to let her child become a weapon of destruction.

"Or… it could be something else entirely."

"Something else?"

"History is always written by the victors. It can be manipulated and distorted however they please."

He couldn't fully trust the temple’s version of the story. Their doctrine had always been a tool to consolidate power. And above all, the temple had long used the monsters as a means to reinforce that power. Blindly believing their teachings was not an option.

"Did the monsters say anything else?"

"…They spoke of a promise."

"A promise?"

"That they could not leave Schwarhan because of a promise. That they had no choice but to wait for their king to return and fulfill it."

"…"

"To be honest… I’m really scared right now."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Alicia lowered her gaze slightly. That was why she had never been able to return to Schwarhan. She could still hear the cries of the monsters as she fled, promising to wait for her.

"As if facing His Highness and the monsters wasn’t enough, now I have to deal with the Emperor and the temple as well. It feels like everyone is my enemy. I can’t hide my anxiety anymore."

"Then why did you tell me all of this?"

"Because I know you’re the best option I have. And also…"

"And also?"

Under Cabelenus’s gaze, Alicia hesitated, lowering her head slightly. Was she being too rash? But she couldn’t help it. Just once more, she wanted to believe. Just as she had changed over these past eight years, she wanted to believe that he had changed as well. She wasn’t the only one who found meaning in the smallest of things.

"…Because I want to believe in you."

"…"

"It’s laughable, isn’t it? I kept telling myself I would forget, over and over again. But the moment I stand before you, I waver. I can’t help but hope."

"…"

"There was a time when you were my entire world."

Of course, you were also the one who shattered it. Alicia let out a small, self-deprecating chuckle as she lifted her head. The moment their eyes met, she could see the way Cabelenus’s pupils trembled.

"I…"

"I’ve always been cautious. To be honest, I still am. And maybe I always will be. But at the same time, I can’t deny that I see hope in you."

"…"

"So… I want you to try as well."

Alicia forced a small smile. Even without absolute certainty, she had no choice but to believe right now. She had to prepare for the worst, in case there ever came a day when she disappeared.

"I will do whatever I can. No matter what happened between us in the past, from now on, my only focus is protecting Mikael."

"…Are you serious?"

"That’s why I need you to try as well."

For my child—no, for our child. Slowly, Alicia reached out her hand.

***

"My lady seems to care for the young master quite a lot."

"I can see that as well. But…"

Cabelenus stopped walking, a faint crease forming between his brows.

"Is something bothering you, Your Highness?"

"It’s… strange."

"Strange?"

Even just asking for help had made Alicia look so tense. The past still weighed heavily on her, refusing to fade so easily. And yet, despite that, she had reached out to him. Because she was prioritizing the child over herself.

"She’s too devoted to the boy for it to just be lingering trauma over almost losing him."

"Perhaps she had no choice but to be this way?"

"Had no choice?"

One of Cabelenus’s eyebrows arched slightly.

"My lady has no family, no friends—nowhere to rely on. Naturally, all of her focus ended up on the young master."

"…"

"In the end, people aren’t meant to live alone. We all need something to hold onto."

"…You sound like your aunt."

"Perhaps I’m finally getting old. I used to think her words were nothing but nagging, but these days, I find myself recalling them more often."

Gajev let out a quiet chuckle before continuing.

"And Your Highness cares for the young master as well, does he not?"

"I wouldn’t say that."

"Really?"

"He’s just… not as bothersome as I expected. And Alicia seems to cherish him dearly."

Cabelenus’s gaze drifted toward the window. Even now, he still couldn’t think of himself as a parent. He had no idea how to be one. What made a good parent? How was one even supposed to act? He didn’t know.

"To be honest, I don’t think I’d make a good parent. Alicia is exceptional—that’s all. But as for me… I’ve never truly felt anything for another person before."

Perhaps it was because of the monster’s blood, or maybe it was a side effect of the experiments. Either way, emotions had stopped making sense to him. Good things didn’t feel good, bad things didn’t feel bad. Everything blurred together. He rarely felt anything at all. Instead, he remained trapped in the past, living only to fulfill the promise he had made to his mother. That was the only reason he had kept going. When it was all over, he had fully intended to die. There had never been any reason for him to keep living.

"Alicia is special to me. That much, I can say for certain. But the child… I don’t know."

"The young master is half hers, after all."

"Which is why, without realizing it, I always search for traces of her in his face."

But he isn’t her. A quiet sigh escaped Cabelenus’s lips. Just because the child was Alicia’s didn’t mean he could take her place.

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"Watching her devote everything to protecting him… it made me think. She’s the kind of person who would willingly die for her child."

"…"

"Then… what about me?"

"…"

"If that time comes, will I be able to look at him, see traces of her, and not resent him? Will I be able to protect him just because she loved him?"

His voice was rough, pushed through clenched teeth. The tension in his jaw was visible, muscles taut with strain.

"I want to give him everything he needs. If he wants it, I’ll even leave him everything I own. But I still don’t know what he means to me."

"Must there be a meaning?"

"…"

"Pardon my boldness, but… My aunt used to say that no one is good at something from the very beginning. You try, and you fail, and you learn."

There was no clear answer to this. There was no single way to be a parent. Everyone experienced the uncertainty of it for the first time.

"My lady didn’t want the child at first either. But now, she loves and cherishes him more than anything."

"…"

"And I believe the same will be true for you, Your Highness. You claim you don’t care for the young master, but to me, it seems like you already do."

"…"

"Perhaps it’s not that you haven’t found meaning in him yet."

A faint smile appeared on Gajev’s lips as he watched Mikael running toward them from the distance.