Chapter 33

“…Die?” What are you talking about?”

Kaon was terribly perplexed, as he’d had no doubt in his mind that she would be better off returning.

Rather than staying in a relationship to keep an eye on the other person, fearing the exposure of their respective weaknesses, he thought it was much better to live separately.

“What do you think my family will think of me if I simply return to Ingelos like this? Will they welcome me when I couldn’t even properly fulfill my role? What’s more, you know the truth about me,” Alessia matter-of-factly described a situation that he hadn’t ever imagined.”

“I won’t tell…”

“And I should trust you?”

Kaon’s embarrassment stunned him into silence.

What did she mean, she’d die if she went back?

In the first place, he didn’t intend on revealing that she wasn’t a real mage. Ferdinand and Ingelos had agreed to discuss the possibility of a marriage between their families, and so it seemed possible to simply put an end to those negotiations before they came of age.

Didn’t Leonida also say that? That they didn’t know if the Ingelos family would change their mind once their situation improved?

“Why would such a bad thing happen to you? It’s not your fault.”

“If Ferdinand rejects the agreement, it is my responsibility.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Kaon cried.

After all, it was the Ingelos duchy who sent her, who was not even a mage, to Ferdinand. Since both parties agreed, she had been sent all the way to pretend to be a mage, which meant that it was the whole family that violated the contract, not the individual.

Besides, wasn’t Alessia their princess? She was not a criminal, nor was she alone in her deception.

‘How could they treat a precious princess like that?’

Kaon, trying to quell a growing sense of dread, began to remember.

Desserts, which were common in most aristocratic families, made her react in amazement. She also seemed greatly moved when the chef complied with her requests.

She hadn’t worn a proper dress at the banquet, and neither did she have a single attendant.

If Alessia was someone they valued, she would not have been so neglected. At those times, her attitude was so confident that he didn’t think much of it, but now…

Kaon’s eyes shook. She had been born into a prestigious family of mages, but she couldn’t manipulate mana herself. He’d been so caught up in the betrayal of her deception that he didn’t even consider the huge gap in his assumptions.

What if Alessia was forced to leave for Ferdinand? What if she lived without being loved, made into her family’s pawn?

“Have you… Did you experience anything bad in Ingelos?”

“What is ‘bad’? Being thrown into a lake in the middle of winter? Being strapped to a wall to see if I could get myself out? Or being shot at by a fireball to feel what mana is?” she replied casually.

‘She was abused.’

Those were obviously acts of cruelty.

His face stiffened. How could they make a sixteen-year-old girl suffer so much?

His anger flared.

At the same time, he understood Alessia. If those were his home circumstances, he wouldn’t have wanted to return. Even if it meant living in enemy territory, it would still be better than returning.

“Then don’t go back,” he said without hesitation. “Just…”

Soft laughter interrupted him.

Tears glistened in Alessia’s eyes as she giggled. “Kaon Ferdinand, you’re so naive.”

“…What?”

“I never thought you’d believe me. It’s a relief that you’re not the head of your household, lest you get swindled out of your territory.” She wiped her eyes, not a trace of seriousness on her face.

“So all that earlier was a lie?”

“Of course, it was. How badly do you think of Ingelos that you would believe all those accusations?” Alessia’s eyes were wide.

“You!” Kaon burst forward in anger.

There were things that one could joke about, and things that one shouldn’t. How worried had he been in those brief moments? If she’d cared for him at all, she wouldn’t have told those lies.

“What kind of…” He bit his tongue.

Alessia was leaning back, and it had never been more obvious than in that moment that he was both larger and broader than her.

Kaon took a deep breath and stepped away, placing his hands behind his back to show that he wouldn’t harm her. “Why would you lie like that? Are you in the habit of lying?” he asked gruffly.

“…Yes. So don’t be fooled next time.” Alessia laughed.

“I would sooner deny my identity than trust you another time, Alessia Ingelos,” he said through his teeth, then crossed the curtain into his room.

Mages and people pretending to be mages were not to be trusted.

***

As soon as the curtain fluttered into place, Alessia’s legs gave out from underneath her.

She pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes, moisture seeping out.

‘I’m sure that idiot has come to his senses now.’

Bitterness filled her heart. It was the first time she’d seen him so angry. No matter how stupidly in love he was, surely by this time he’d lost all affection for her.

Alessia welcomed it. It soothed her conscience, as well as her remaining pride. She didn’t want to take advantage of the only person who truly liked her.

Since Kaon had discovered her secret, her new plan was to stay in Ferdinand until she came of age, then leave and live as if she was dead.

It would be difficult because she had no possessions, but if she worked hard for the two years she had left before she turned eighteen, she could at least manage to live quietly on her own.

‘If I dye my hair and keep my eyes hidden…’

She could live as long as she wasn’t in Ingelos.

“Then don’t go back. Just…”

She had expected him to be visibly agitated, but not to say those words unhesitatingly.

‘Stupid Kaon Ferdinand.’

He was too soft-hearted, too kind to the wicked girl who was deceiving his family. He was born soft and foolish… and good.

Had he been a little less foolish, she would have been able to stomach manipulating him, pretending to be pitiful and good-natured, relying on his kindness. Perhaps she would have even been able to stay in Ferdinand forever because Kaon would certainly keep her secret.

But she couldn’t. She was a bad person, but she still didn’t have the heart to do it.

And so Alessia decided to be as mean and unlikable as possible so she could eventually leave peacefully.

She hoped that Kaon would someday forget her.