"Damn it!" Marquis Cheney cursed as dark thoughts ran through his mind.What if Ehrlich's king truly desired the princess' hand in marriage and later became enraged upon seeing Alicia? All of his resentment would be directed at his niece. He would never allow it. He couldn't and wouldn't."Alicia is unqualified for the job. She is a frail and vulnerable person who still has nightmares. She will be unable to hold the title of Queen. "Please reconsider," the marquis pleaded."So you'd rather my only sibling, my sister, suffer?" The crown prince's golden eyes shuddered.The nearby noblemen breathed quietly as they saw his steel-hardened face.“That’s…” Marquis Cheney tried to come up with a defense, but he couldn't think of anything. He eventually shut his mouth because he knew that any further resistance would only lead to worse consequences for him and his family."Don't be too concerned, marquis. When your niece was a child, she lived in Ehrlich. She is accustomed to their way of life
Short chapter.The marquis went into great detail about what happened at the emergency meeting of state affairs a few hours ago. Ehrlich was able to encircle Coulson in the sea and officially convey the king's intentions via an envoy. Ehrlich desired peace and harmony, never antagonizing Coulson. As proof, he requested that a royal member of Coulson be sent to him. She is going to be his queen.Alicia listened intently to the story, her face stiff.Finally, the marquis concluded, "At first, everyone was furious because they thought Helen'd become Ehrlich's tool, but after a consensus that a royal lady could be anyone, you, Alicia, were chosen... I'm sorry I couldn't be of assistance."The marquis' face flushed with guilt and his head drooped. Alicia was beautiful, but beauty was often the cause of a nation's downfall. He believed there would come a time when he would abandon her..."So you want to send Alicia to Ehrlich and kill her? You can't be of assistance, so you give up? What d
"....Dimi, uncle, it's late. Let's take a break for now and talk again tomorrow."Alicia sent them out of the room while rubbing her brow. If she does not treat their wounds, an irreversible scar will form.She exited the study room and noticed Latty outside on standby. Her deep brown eyes were swollen with tears. She dashed over to Alicia."Oh, Miss..." Latty moaned.Alicia gave a bitter smile. "Did you hear it all?"Latty nodded and wiped her tears. "Yes, I heard it earlier when the door opened. Is it true, Miss? Will you have to go to Ehrlich rather than the princess...?"Alicia was unable to respond to Latty's inquiry. She had no idea. She had been constantly worried about Helen until today, but everything had changed. She now had to be concerned about herself."Uncle said he'll figure something out. Don't be too worried, Latty. I'm exhausted and need to rest. You should as well."Latty nodded, still in tears. "Yes, Miss. I'll take you to your room."Latty led Alicia to her bedro
"Who... who..."“Shh…”Alicia struggled to speak with her mouth closed, but she couldn't stop herself from hearing that familiar voice."Dimi?" she asked softly, her beautiful silhouette glistening in the moonlight streaming through the window.Dimi, her cousin, pressed his finger to her lips and quietly said, "Be silent."Alicia was taken aback when Dimitri handed her a coat, shoes, and a hat and said, "Put this on first.""What is it, Dimi?""I'll explain on the way." There isn't any time. Come on. Hurry.”Alicia hurriedly dressed up in response to his urgent request. Dimitri grabbed her hand as she put on her shoes and exited the room. She was led from the dark mansion into the stable.Dimitri hurriedly mounted Alicia on the horse and climbed up behind her. The duo had only taken a few moments to leave the mansion."Dimi, be honest. What exactly is going on?" Alicia inquired after reaching a state of calm. Regardless, Dimitri remained silent and continued their journey in silence
Short chapter. Next chapter will be long and lengthy.“Alice!”Dimitri pounced on Alicia, immediately embracing her in his arms and shielding her from an unknown object.Alicia and Dimitri looked up and saw stones shining brightly around them. They realized what it was and their face quickly hardened.It was an ore named Arc Stone and categorized as one of the rarest minerals in the world. When burned, it produced light and heat without odor. Every nation made great to acquire Arc Stones. For its usefulness, the masses titled the ore Lord of Light.Apart from its purpose to burn lights, arc stones had far too many purposes – one included flying through the air to reveal their target. Though the problem was the rarity of the stones. It was not easy for regular folks to have one in their hands. Only the powerful and wealthy could afford such luxury and Alicia and Dimitri know fairly well who wielded that power in Coulson.A few minutes later, a dozen men appeared in the light the stone
Alicia was to wait until the following morning to meet the crown prince. Meanwhile, Dimitri was sent to prison and Alicia locked and confined in the mansion. She was under heavy surveillance and unable to do anything. She only had a small leeway until the promised meeting with the crown prince. Until then, she needed to go to the princess. Only she could help her.“But… I can’t meet her right now…”Not mentioning her confinement, she’d have trouble entering the palace. Besides, there were guards outside the mansion preventing her from escaping. But… there was a guard nearby standing still and proper. She walked to him.“Please pass this message to the princess… Alicia wants to meet you.”However, the guard did not react. He lacked the slightest sign of willingness to convey her words. Alicia sighed dismally. As she tried to look for alternative methods, someone from the outside barged in.“Lady Alicia!”It was the princess’s old nanny.Alicia smiled and welcomed her. “Nanny, is the pr
When she thought of this, she lost all her energy. Why does she struggle so hard? The future won’t change no matter what she does. She was tied to him. For a time, Alicia stared forward absent-mindedly ‘till a sudden flick of wings buzzed in her ear.Chirp, chirp!A shrill cry of the bird rang out. The bird, who earlier fought with the snake, circled around her. It sought Alicia’s help after seeing her familiar figure.Rihanann turned around and looked at the bird’s nest. Only two baby birds were left, the rest swallowed by the snake.Chirp, chirp!The bird chirped again, hurriedly and anxiously. Understanding its intent, Alicia picked up a wooden stick lying on the ground and ran straight to the tree. She threw the stick at the snake whose venomous fangs crept closer to the baby birds.Wack!The snake, hit right on the head, fell off the tree. It was unconscious for a moment before it crawled quickly into the grass. It disappeared and peace was found once again. The bird circled arou
“Let me guess,” the crown prince rubbed his chin, “You want me to free Dimitri from prison? Or maybe you’re pleading that I not send you to Ehrlich? Did I hit the mark?”“If I ask you of that, Your Highness, would you accept my request?”“Impossible,” he snorted. “If this is your sole reason for coming here, go back home. I accepted your visitation request as I thought you’d have anything special to say, but how utterly disappointed I am.”“Ehrlich’s king asked for Princess Helen. You know that.”“You’re Helen’s friend but you are her servant, first and foremost. As her servant, you’re to make sure you keep her away from harm at all times. This is how it works.” Then he smiled, raising the corner of his lips upwards. “But of course, it’s not like there’s no way out.”His gaze swept through Alicia’s chest and waistline. She looked pleasing to the eye.Alicia saw through his lewdness and greedy thoughts. He looked at her like a delicious prey. She wanted nothing but to run and escape, b