The First Survivor

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.’ 

All the people who struggled to live died. Meanwhile, she, who wanted to die, survived.

‘How filthy.’

Alicia’s head dropped down.

A red hair woman’s reflection shone above the water with rose petals floating.

‘His taste is unique. Why would he want such a filthy woman?’

Alicia let out a laugh when she recalled the man who sat arrogantly on the throne and controlled everything with one hand.

Everyone was already talking about how the princess of a ruined country will warm his bed.

‘It might be better to just bite my tongue here and die.’

It may be better to end it now, since it is irrelevant whether Alicia died or not.

But……

Alicia’s eyes were not focusing anymore.

If she were to die, she would not be able to fufil that promise.

‘I should not have made that promise.’

It was an old promise that made it impossible for her to end her life.

‘If I could, it would be nice if I could sleep like this and never wake up.’

Alicia listened a little more to the sound of her breathing as if it would be cut of at any moment.

She had many thoughts and mixed feelings, but she tried to ignore it.

Since the beginning, there were not many options given to the princess of a ruined country.

* * *

“You can move now.”

The maid laughed as she looked at Alicia who had finished getting dressed.

Alicia looked into the mirror without sincerity with an emotionless face.

Each time she turned her head, the thick earring on her ear flickered.

The necklace that was paired with the earrings emphasized her thin neck.
The soft cloth that seemed like it would melt from someone’s touch, revealed Alicia’s figure.

She looked much better than when she was a princess.

“You are really beautiful.”

A lie.

Alicia listened to the maid’s words with one ear half-heartedly.

Alicia knew the subject very well.

No matter how much she decorates herself, the traces of her hardships will not be erased within a day or two.

Both of Alicia’s hands were covered with calluses due to being a mistreated princess.

*Knock Knock*

Alicia heard quiet knocks and the door opened.

Alicia got up from her seat with a polite, but expressionless face.

It was a soldier who entered the room.

“Are you ready?”

The soldier with a large beard asked Alicia.

The men looked up and down at Alicia. Their gazes showed that they did not see her as a human being.

But what difference is there between her and an animal?

Alicia’s mouth slightly twisted.

There was no reason to feel offended, to begin with.

Alicia could only laugh because she could see the intentions of the clothes that were revealing the silhouette of her body.

* * *

The room was quiet enough for Alicia to feel a bit at peace.

Alicia glanced at the closed door.

When she had entered the room, the door was firmly closed behind her.

Her only chance of escape was gone.

Alicia hesitated for a while, and only began to walk around after confirming no one else was in the room.

There was no way she could use this room.

Alicia looked around the room with nervous eyes.

The largest and the finest bedroom she has ever seen.

The bedroom was filled only with the most extravagant decorations that only those on the throne of Neustein could enjoy. But now, this has become the ruler of another country to enjoy.

Alicia carefully sat down on the bed.

The bed, which was filled with expensive cotton, was fluffy and comfortable.

It was an incomparable luxury compared to her bed made entirely out of straw.

Alicia laid her back against the bed frame and gazed at herself in the glass window.

A cold breeze blowing through the open window as Alicia watched the red sunset.

Why on earth did he pick her?

The beauty of the Neustein princesses was so famous that there were rumours in foreign countries.

‘If he needed a woman, it would have been better to keep my sisters alive.’

Alicia wondered why Elena, who was the most beautiful among the princesses, was not chosen.

There was no reason to choose Alicia, who was ashamed of her title, Princess of Neustein.

Rather than picking Elena, Cabelenus put the beautiful princess, Elena, on the guillotine and called Alicia to his bed.

‘Well, how would I know what the murderer* thinks?’

Alicia closed her eyes.

Her back that was leaning on the hard bed frame felt cold.

But this feeling was something she was familiar with.

* * *

“Your Majesty, that woman…..”

“The woman?”

Cabelenus signed the paper while holding his chin.

After a large-scale purge, many became obedient.

It was impossible to kill everyone, to begin with so it was necessary to prepare a compromise.

“The Princess of Neustein.”

Before Gazef finished, Cabelenus’ hand stopped moving.

“What about her?”

“They have said that she is ready.”

Gazef awkwardly glanced at Cabelenus’ golden eyes that were looking at him.

It wasn’t easy to serve Cabelenus even though Gazef has already served Cabelenus for quite some time.

Cabelenus von Schwarhan Blanche was a man with the eyes of a beast ready to devour his prey at any moment.

There is one in the Blanche Empire that did not know his name.

Schwarhan’s Wolf.

Ruler of the North.

Blood-Crazed Killer.

Even though there were countless nicknames, the names proved the lineage of Cabelenus.

Cabelenus was a Blanche, as well as the ruler of Schwarhan.

He was the second son of the Emperor and the only brother of the current Emperor.

No matter what he looked like, his noble lineage would not change.

“Where is she right now?”

“I was informed that she was placed in your Majesty’s bedroom.”

“My bedroom?”

Cabelenus’ voice was slightly lowered. However, it was a subtle difference, so even his faithful aide did not notice the change.

“Are you not getting drunk?”

Gazef asked with confidence because it was only natural.

It was Cabelenus, the one who put all the beautiful Princesses of Neustein on the guillotine without a change in his emotionless expression.

It was unbelievable that he was interested in an ordinary, poor woman.

However, the man in front of him was Cabelenus.

The natural ruler that deserved all the things he desired.

“I have no intention of doing that.”

“I apologize, your Majesty.”

Gazef quickly bowed down and apologized to Cabelenus.

“It seems like I’ve gone too far ahead of myself. I’ll be preparing the bedroom now.”

Cabelenus hates repeating himself.

Gazef turned to call a servant.

“Wait.”

At that moment, Cabelenus who had remained silent scratched his head.

“Is there something you need, your Majesty?”

Gazef, who could not grasp what his master was thinking, stood silently.

“Bring me there.”

Cabelenus said after a long silence.

“You mean to your bedroom?”
“No.”

Cabelenus touched his chin for a moment and got up from his seat.

“I’ll go by myself.”

The ruler of the North personally goes to see the princess of a ruined country?

Gazef reflexively narrowed his eyebrows and looked at Cabelenus’s eyes.

But he could not read the expression of his stubborn master.

* * *

‘Why are you sleeping like this on the bed?’

Cabelenus found Alicia asleep, leaning on the bed frame.

He slightly frowned.

All Alicia was wearing when she fell asleep was a thin nightdress.

No matter how you look at it, she was a woman ready for a one night stand.

‘This woman has never acted normal.’

She must have noticed what it meant to be dressed up like this.

But she still fell asleep in the bedroom of the man who destroyed her country, regardless.

Cabelenus felt it from their first meeting, but the woman in front of him truly is quite special.

“Alicia Neinstein”

Perhaps it was because of her name.

Cabelenus scratched his chin, recalling the name he had heard from Gazef.

At that moment, Alicia’s eyes closed eyes twitched.

Alicia opened her eyes and her hazy eyes were revealed once more.

Like rusty iron, her eyes were a shabby and unappealing colour.

However, her voice was not bad.

Even though her voice was hoarse because she had been asleep, Alicia’s voice was loud and clear to Cabelenus’ ears.

Cabelenus stared at Alicia silently.

“……”

“……”

Alicia could not overcome the drowsiness despite the stinging gaze towards her.

She quickly blinked several times and opened her eyes.

The strange golden eyes and his thin pupil still felt unfamiliar, but Alicia could not forget it.

“Hah…”

Alicia, trying to step back reflexively bit her lips.

Her back was against the frame of the bed.

She almost let out a scream.

“When did you come? N-no, I mean…..”

Alicia, who was stuttering not knowing what to say, decided to tightly seal her lips.

Alicia’s back was throbbing, but Cabelenus’ gaze looking down at Alicia made her forget the pain.

“You must have slept well.”

Cabelenus continued to stare at her silently.

Alicia did not know what to do with a man whose expression cannot be read.

Alicia touched her lips and Cabelenus swallowed.

He was silently watching.

Alicia’s cheeks turned red the moment she realized what Cabelenus’ golden eyes were looking at.

Cabelenus’ gaze was on Alicia’s lips.