Their eyes met.

As soon as Alicia realized that, she reflexively embraced her child.

Thump Thump

She could not tell if it was her heart that was beating so fast, or if it was her child's who had been jumping just now.

There was a part of her that didn't want to know the answer.

Alicia's embrace tightened.

"Is it your child again?"

Alicia's voice fell and she couldn't look away.

The sensation of the sweat on her back made her want to cower in fear.

She wanted to run away if she could.

However, there was a child in her arms.

"Well, it doesn't matter."

The man walked towards Alicia.

Alicia knew it was pointless, but still covered her child's face so that it would not be seen by the man.

Although he had inherited her red hair and grey eyes, her child looked more like someone else than her.

Alicia was afraid that the man would notice.

"Alicia."

Alicia bowed her head. Her cheeks seemed to be burning hot even though he had only just called her name.

In the past, Alicia loved having that man call out her name that way.

She knew that every time he did that, a faint smile, would appear on the face of the indifferent man.

But now he won't even laugh when he calls her name.

"I have told you not to lower your head in front of me."

His rough hand lifted Alicia's chin.

Alicia bit her lower lip when the warmth of another person touched her skin for no reason.

Her eyes were sore and could not focus. She thought she would start crying.

Even though he ordered her, his hands were always cautious. Both in the past and present.

The fact has kept her occupied.

"It's in front of the child."

It's worth forgetting now, but the familiar touches easily brought back memories of the past.

Alicia forcefully pushed the man's hand off her face.

"What did I do?"

The man's mouth was slightly distorted.

"Go back. There is nothing different about it."

Alicia avoided the man's gaze.

Knowing that his gaze was stuck in one place from the beginning to now.

"There is nothing different?"

The man laughed.

"Ha, yes. Yes, nothing will change."

The man's hands grabbed Alicia's shoulders.

Alicia swallowed. His gaze aimed at her face were fiercely persistent.

"If you come back."

The man's lips kissed the back of Alicia's hand that was trying to push him away.

Alicia turned her head to hide her face that seemed to be ready to cry at any moment.

"Let's go back, Alicia."

The man's hand patted Alicia's cheek.

His hand that had held a sword for such a long time that it had taken the shape of a sword, and smelled faintly like iron.

"I cant."

"Why?"

"I have a child."

"If I was bothered about the child, I wouldn't have come here."

The man's eyes turned to the child.

Alicia held the child closer to her face with a ferocious look.

"It's not as easy as you say. I don't want to be a shameful parent to my child. Your Majesty must already have a wife......"

"Wife?"

Before Alicia could finish, the man clenched his teeth and puts his face closer to hers.

Close enough for their nose to be touching.

When she felt the breath of another person touch her lips, Alicia reflexively swallowed.

The man's breath felt exceptionally hot.

"Ha! Okay. I'll have a wife starting today.

The man glared at her while distorting his mouth.

"Gazeff."

"Yes, Lord."

"Take the child."

Before Alicia processed the man's words, her child had already been taken away.

"Mom!"

"Michael!"

The child, who instinctively sensed the danger, cried and stretched out both hands towards his mother.

Alicia tried to chase after the child but was blocked by someone's arm.

"What are you doing?! Give him back! He's my child! My son!"

"Don't worry about it. I won't kill him. From now on, I will treat him as a child with noble bloodline."

"Cabelenus!"

"......I guess I can only hear my name from you in this situation."

The man grinned and tilted his head.

Alicia's eyes trembled and bit her lips.

"I won't change my decision. If you want to get your child back from me, be my wife. That is the only way you can get that child back from me."

"......Do you know who that child's father is?"

"If that was important, I wouldn't have come all this way."

"Cabelenus."

Alicia grasped Cabelenus' arm with teary eyes.

His cold gaze was unfamiliar, but she thought of her child and knew she could not avoid it.

"I don't care if it's another child. Even if his blood is mixed, I will raise this child as if it were my own."

"You want to raise a child whose father is unknown as if they were your own?"

"Yes."

Cabelenus answered without any hesitation.

Alicia forgot to breathe and stared at Cabelenus.

Even at that moment, his golden eyes were still shining like the sun. Like the past years, when I was blinded by that splendour.

"Never think of running away again using your child as an excuse."

Grabbing Alicia's shoulders, Cabelenus snarled like a starving beast.

"Because I'm barely holding back my desire to crush that little creature that took you away from me."

That year especially had a lot of bloodshed.

It began with the horse-riding unit that came in the blazing sunlight.

Blood fell from the sky instead of the rain.

Piercing shrieks and the sharp sounds of swords hitting one another.

The knights of Neinstein hurriedly came and fought against the enemy. But everyone already knew.

Resisting was pointless.

The more they fought back, the more obvious the difference in their skills were. Whether they will win or lose, became more obvious.

It was the wolf of Schwarhan, Cabelenus von Schwarhan Blanche, who led the horse-riding unit in iron armor.

He has never lost a battle.

Cabelenus lifted his sword up into the sky.

The sword shone golden under the sun.

Even though he had swung his sword countless times, there was not a drop of blood on his sword. 

The soldiers' shouts rose.

**Wherever Cabelenus passed by, the enemy's presence will vanish.***

Blood was smeared everywhere. One would not be able to tell if it were their's or someone 

else's. Alicia's nose had gone numb after having to smell blood for a long period of time.

The corpses that piled up was the only way you could tell time was still passing by.

The battle was more like a massacre rather than a fight.

The king of Neinstein saw his helpless soldiers get killed one after another. He took treasures and gold and fled alone, abandoning his people. 

However, the king was caught because of a maid and was soon after beheaded by the wolf of Schwarhan.

The king who was clinging onto his life, had his head hung at the top of his castle.

It was a futile end for a king who ruled an entire country. 

The Neinstein royal family, who ruled over the country for over 500 years, was erased from history in the span of a single day.

A bell rang to announce the execution of the remaining Neinstein royal family members.

"Execution-!"

Whenever the executioner's cries were heard, a head would roll under the guillotine.

The survivors were silenced by the fear of death.

They were all well aware that the body on the guillotine, could be them tomorrow. 

There was no mercy from the foreign man who now occupied the palace. 

He knew how to deal with everything with one hand.

Whenever Cabelenus' hand that was resting arrogantly on the throne, raised and lowered, life 

and death was clearly divided.

"Next."

His crisp voice was dry, but far more intimidating than people who deliberately raised their voice and swore.

The solders quickly brought the next prisoner of war and made them kneel in front of Cabelenus.

The prisoners who were screaming became silent each time they heard the bell announcing the next execution.

Cabelenus looked at the prisoners with a straight face.

His aide, Gazel, who stood next to the throne, calmly read the identities and chargers of the prisoners.

The prisoners' eyes showed a glimpse of hope thinking they had a chance of surviving as they read the atmosphere.

They were completely unaware of what had happened to the previous prisoners.

Since the beginning of the execution, Cabelenus' hand was never lifted. 

**Jokes amongst the soldiers spreaded saying that he'll raise his hand to toast after savouring all the fruits of the castle.***

"Wait a minute."

Cabelenus, who was looking down at the prisoners, narrowed his eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

Gazef, who was about to write 'death penalty' next to the prisoner's name on the paper, stopped 

and followed his master's gaze.

Cabelenus' gaze was on a woman.

"You. What is your name?"

The woman did not answer. 

He forcefully strengthen his hand to hide his trembling hands.

Although the woman wore generous clothes, her bare body, which was not hidden, seemed pitiful.

"I asked for your name."

Gazef noticed his lord's face and quickly identified the woman's name and informed Cabellenus.

Nevertheless, Cabelenus could not take his eyes off the woman as he listened to his aide's words.

Gazef frowned at his master's strange behaviour.

Cabelenus, who was indifferent to the temptation of the beauties of the empire, took interest in an ordinary woman. 

Her features were different from the typical beauty figure, and her red hair and grey eyes made her look less attractive.

"It seems like the Princess of Neustein has no mouth."

The only unique thing is that the woman is the youngest daughter of a king.

Gazef fiddled with the paper that had rough notes about the woman written on it.

Alicia Neustein.

A princess who was classified as a maid because of her shabby appearance. 

Her status was only later revealed.

The woman, who looked different from her splendidly dressed brothers, somehow managed to survive. 

But her luck is now over.

Her future will soon be like her father and brothers.

"No. I don't."

Alicia, who hesitated to meet Cabelenus' persistent gaze, squeezed out a reply.

"No?"

Cabelenus tilted his head sideways.

Alicia hesitated but then slowly raised her head.

"You're going to kill me anyways."

Her face was filled with fear, Alicia was not afraid to speak.

Even though she was trembling, she did not look away from Cabelenus' eyes.

Cabelenus frowned.

He wasn't imaginating it. He knew this woman.

"What, you think I'm gonna kill you?"

Cabelenus stared at Alicia's tightly stretched hand.

Her hands were rough and did not fit a princess.

"Well......"

She closed her lips for awhile to choose her words and finally spoke after a short rest.

"You killed them all.""Not all of them."

Not yet.

An arrogant gaze glanced over Alicia from head to toe.

"Do you want to live?"

"If I say so, will you let me live?

Alicia's eyes were faintly vibrant.

"It is true that we caught the king because of you. So I can have mercy on the heartless daughter who sold her father."

Alicia's life was precious to her, so she sold her father.

When Gazef realized that the maid who helped catch the king of Neustein, was none other than the princess herself, he clicked his tongue.

"Then spare the servants in the castle."

"Servants?"

"There is no value as a hostage to servants who have no royal family or aristocracy to help resist against an enemy. Unless you plan to kill all the Neusteins in the palace, I want you to spare them.

"I'm talking about your life."

"If you save the royal family from ruin, it will only return."

A smile appeared on Alicia's face caused Cabelenus to narrow his eyes. 

"If I ask you if you want your life and the lives of your servants spared, will your answer change?"

"If I can."

It wasn't that Alicia wasn't afraid of Cabelenus.

Like other prisoners, she was afraid.

But the princess in front of him was a little different from the others.

That disturbed Cabelenus.

 -------

TL/N: By vanish, it means the enemy is killed so their presence is no longer there since they're dead.If you did not understand what it meant by 'Savouring all the fruits of the castle', it means like enjoying being on the throne until he no longer found it enjoyable.

“Any other requirements?”

“There is not.”

Alicia did not hesitate to answer.

“Is that truly all?”

Cabelenus tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.

Alicia’s eyes met Cabelenus’ and she carefully nodded her head up and down. 

“It’s a stupid idea to pretend to be a kindhearted saintess. Or was a noble priest mistaken as the princess of Neustein? But then why did you betray your father and let him be killed by my own hands?”

“I’m not pretending to be kindhearted, I’m just being realistic.”

“Even though I’m saying you can ask for more?”

The man who was born and raised as a conqueror did not know how to say he was giving mercy. 

However, there were no lies in his words.

Cabellenus knew the weight of his words and always paid the consequences for what he said.

Whatever Alicia was going to ask for, Cabelenus was going to listen to most of her wishes.

But he didn’t know if Alicia’s lips would ever open.

Eventually, Cabelenus, who couldn’t wait any longer, spoke first.

“Usually when I have mercy, they ask for more.”

“You said you were being merciful but you did not give me a definite answer for my requests. I do not want to have high expectations.”

A shallow breath came out of Alicia’s mouth, where she had a scab.

Cabelenus looked at it and unconsciously added strength to his clenched fist.

“Why did you betray your own father?”

Cabelenus loosened his fist and uncrossed his legs.

His body was leaning a little more forward than before.

“It does not end when only that man dies.”

“Have you thought of fighting to the very end?”

“I thought that if it was a war we could not win, it would be better to end it sooner and have at least one less person killed. And……”

Alicia’s eyes were distorted for some time.

“And?”

Cabelenus asked her quietly. 

It was the same as back then. Her eyes were desperate but also courageous.

Cabelenus was curious.

“......I wanted to die.”

Alicia took a deep breath and answered.

“Because I do not deserve to live.”

“And why is that?”

Cabelenus urged Alicia to answer again.

But this time, there was no answer.

Silent with her head down, Alicia seemed to have no intention of saying anything anymore.

The knights who could not stand the silence anymore stepped forward.

But Cabelenus stopped his men from stepping forward. His gaze did not leave Alicia.

Alicia’s hair was messy, her grubby clothes that made her get mistook as a maid, and her hand was covered in calluses showing the hardships she had.

Cabelenus looked at the shabby woman and slowly rose his hand.

Alicia was the first survivor ever since Neustein was conquered by Cabelenus.

She felt the sensation of warm water for the first time in a long time.

Alicia stared at the water vapour filling the bathroom with her hazy eyes.

She slowly wriggled her toe and her hands were fidgeting.

Alicia closed her eyes and listened to her heartbeat.

‘I’m alive.’