An Unexpected Proposal Chapter 8

Chapter 8: An Illusion (2)

Maybe he should have ended it all then. As he watched Alicia walk through the promenade in the gardens, he smoothed his forehead with his finger. He thought her eyes were the only problem, but he was wrong. He couldn't shake off the look on her face from a few days ago.

"How amusing."

Cabelenus then released a sigh. After that day, he was spending his nights in the study, not the bedroom. He was using his work as an excuse, but the thought of seeing Alicia made him uncomfortable. And Cabelenus was well aware that usually, nothing good happens in situations like these. He had spent half of his life on the battlefields, and his intuition was as sharp as a beast.

"Your Highness, may I enter for a moment?"

Cabelenus heard a familiar knock as he continued to stare at the garden. It was his aid, Gazeff.

"What is it?"

"Words from His Majesty.".

"Come in."

Gazeff smiled awkwardly and handed him the communication mirror. He knew Cabelenus did not like speaking with the emperor very much.

Cabelenus let out a small sigh. Conversing with the emperor was not always pleasant, but it was something he had to do from time to time.

"Well, well. It sure is difficult to reach the grand duke of the north."

As soon as he was put through, the emperor, who appeared in the mirror, scoffed. Even at a glance, there was a close resemblance between Cabelenus and the emperor, which was proof that the two were related by blood.

"What is it, Your Majesty?"

"I thought I would have received a report from you by now but I haven't heard anything yet."

"I was planning on contacting you soon."

"Then perhaps I should have waited a little longer. I've waited, hoping my curt little brother would come to me but surprise, you never reach out first."

"The report has been carefully prepared."

"I don't care about the report. It's more important to me to know that my only brother has survived the war."

Zerfenus smiled so broadly that his teeth were fully exposed as he leaned his face close to the mirror, forgetting all about imperial etiquette.

"I say it only because I doubt you called just to check up on me. You probably have something else to say."

"Yes, but I can't bring it up right away, or else you'll hang up as soon as we're done."

"Then I'll hang up now."

"Wait! Hold on!"

Zerfenus waved his hand urgently in front of the communication mirror. He just wanted to have a little fun, but his brother never played along.

"Just state your business. Unlike you, I'm quite busy, Your Majesty."

"I told you to just call me casually, but you never change, do you?"

"Can I hang up?"

"Cabelenus. My cold, curt little brother. You're being so cruel though we haven't seen each other in so long. Can't you be a little more endearing?"

Zerfenus clicked his tongue and leaned his back against the throne. He wanted to chat a bit and prolong the conversation, but his little brother was not about to fall for it.

"Can you just get to the point?"

"I heard you've spared a Neustein princess."

"...."

"So it's true!" Zerfenus exclaimed, his voice a little brighter. Cabelenus frowned.

"You've always been so uninterested when it comes to women that I thought you might like men, but I can't believe you've brought a girl to your bed! Father would have jumped out of his grave had he heard."

Zerfenus was doubtful when he heard the rumors. He had never imagined it was the truth. He twisted his lips upward and gave a mischievous smile.

"It's not something you should concern yourself with."

"If I don't, who will? Tell me. What kind of woman is she?"

Cabelenus scowled, displeased, but Zerfenus' eyes glimmered with curiosity.

"I said it's none of your concern."

"I thought I told you to get rid of all the Neusteins."

Zerfenus smiled with his eyes.

"...."

Cabelenus' jaw flinched.

"Few have survived after disobeying my command, but how can I point a sword at my own brother?"

"Are you going to keep doing this?"

"My naughty little brother only listens when I press my authority. If you don't like it, you'd be emperor. I will gladly pass it on to you right now. Because it's you, I would be more than happy to do it."

Zerfenus spoke in jest, but there we some truth to what he said. Cabelenus tried to ignore this and placed one hand on his strained forehead.

"She's an ordinary woman," he said, though he wasn't sure if this was the correct way to describe this woman. All she wanted from him was death anyways.

Cabelenus glanced outside the window again. Alicia was quietly seated on a garden bench. The weather was cloudy with no sunlight, so her reddish brown hair looked duller and shabbier. No matter how he thought about it, there was really nothing remarkable about her.

"An ordinary woman managed to seduce my little brother?"

"She didn't seduce me."

"Is she that beautiful that you've become infatuated with her? Is she?"

"An emperor shouldn't say such things."

"Don't be so uptight. Well, alright. Fine."

Zerfenus smiled, pleased, and rubbed his chin.

"As I said, you don't have to concern yourself. Nothing's happened, and nothing will."

"We'll see about that."

"There's nothing to see."

"Shall we make a bet then? On whether you'll fall for the Neustein princess?"

"I don't have that kind of free time to make bets," Cabelenus said as he firmly shook his head.

"Don't be like that. Let's do it. Don't you think it'll be fun? Just so you know, I bet that you will fall for the Neustein princess."

"No."

"Why? Think you'll lose?"

Zerfemis' eyes narrowed. Even if he pretended to be kind and generous, he was the emperor. If Cabelenus was a hunting dog, Zerfenus was the hunter that controlled him. This was a golden opportunity he could not lose.

"I don't want to waste my time on nonsense."

"Even if I tell you that if you win. you don't have to come back to the palace?"

"......"

"For one year. No, I'll be generous. You don't have to come back for ten years."

Cabelenus' eyebrows twitched slightly. What Zerfenus just said was indeed tempting.

"All you need to is is make sure nothing happens. It's not a bad opportunity for you. Can't you let your brother just have one fun thing? I'm exhausted from being emperor," Zerfenus said quietly as he chuckled.

He was the only person who did not fear Cabelenus.

"That's enough. You should get back to work. I'll get going now if you don't have anything else to say."

Once Zerfenus set his mind to something, he saw through it. If Cabelenus let himself get sucked into his brother's games, there would be more annoyance to deal with.

And above all.....

Cabelenus turned towards the window again and his thoughts trailed off. Alicia seemed to be done with her walk and was standing up from the bench. At that moment, the gloomy clouds parted and a ray of sunlight shone through.

"....."

Their gazes met.

Cabelenus gulped.

But, it was only an illusion.

Their eyes hadn't met. It was all in his head.

He knew this, but he couldn't look away from Alicia.

Cabelenus thought Alicia's hair was always dull, the color of rust. but just for a moment, when the sun was shining on her, her hair reminded him of the sunset, and he couldn't shake this thought.

Then he recalled her eyes again. He wondered what her eyes would have looked like in the sun.

"Were you just saying that nothing happened when something really did? Maybe that's why you're not confident."

"Fine... let's do it," Cabelenus muttered through his gritted teeth. Zerfenus' playful voice had shaken him from his reverie. When he closed his eyes and opened them again, Alicia's hair was back to its dull rustiness.

But it was strange.

Though he swallowed the truth he wanted to deny, he couldn't stand the feeling of something forming in the pit of his stomach.

And he didn't want to admit this.

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