Chapter 316 - Cruel Intentions (1/2)
”DID YOU bring the snow with you?”
”I'm sorry to disappoint you but I can't fully control the weather, Soleil,” Kalel said in an amused tone. ”Do you like the snow?”
”Not really. I like warm weather the most,” Soleil confessed, then she pointed at the beautiful white flowers underneath the deciduous trees in front of them. ”But they bloom every time it snows, and that what makes me love this weather.”
She brought Kalel to her favorite part of the man-made forest that surrounded her residence.
It was in the middle of the woods. Since she would often train there, her servants built a cabin for her and it was just behind them.
Right now though, she and Kalel were seated on a bench. They were having tea while enjoying the tea together. It was already late at night but aside from the full moon that made the night sky a little brighter than usual, there were also floating spirit stones around them.
Those spirit stones were made of their clan's flame. So basically, they were like floating candles that light up the surroundings. And since the flame was from the Fire Mages, ordinary snow or water wouldn't be able to put them out.
”Snowdrops,” Kalel said, cutting off her thoughts. ”Those flowers are called snowdrops.”
”They look like little bulbs.”
Much to her pleasant surprise, he chuckled. ”That's true.”
She smiled not because he agreed with her, but she found his happy face really soothing. ”Lord Kalel, are you serious about wanting to marry me?”
”I am.”
”What made you realize that you want to marry me suddenly?”
”It's not 'suddenly,'” he denied while shaking his head. ”You already know that I have feelings for you before the Crades war began, don't you?”
She nodded, then she pouted. ”But you gave up on me easily.”
”You turned me down.”
Well, she couldn't refute that.
”I don't know where to put myself in that kind of situation, Soleil,” he said. ”Had I pursued you after you turned me down, I would have been the kind of man that most women detested. And most of all, I don't want my feelings to scare you.”
Ah, that was nice to hear.
”Although I have to say that during the three years that I spent with you, my feelings may have turned me into a monster,” he confessed softly. ”I have become greedy for you, Soleil. I no longer want a life without you in it. Thus, I left Auro and the kingdom to come here and beg for your love.” He paused for a while to sip tea, then he continued. ”Will you give me a chance this time?”
To be honest, she didn't have to think twice.
In the past, she decided to remain ”friends” with Kalel because of the first prophecy. But now that she knew that she had to marry him and conceive the Moon Serpent with him for the sake of the world, she didn't want to escape her fate anymore.
Because just like Kalel, her feelings for him also grew for the past three years.
”I don't want to live here once we get married,” she said, obviously surprising Kalel. ”I love my clan but they can be so overprotective most of the time. Thus, for that reason, I don't want them to be involved in our marriage in any way.”
But that was only a part of the reason why she didn't want to stay in Solarium when they get married in the future.
She knew that Kalel was still a threat to her clan. Thus, she wanted him to stay from the Fire Mages as far away as possible. But that wasn't the end of it. She wanted a different place to call home to separate Kalel from Auro Moonchester as well.
I can't straight up tell Lord Kalel that Auro Moonchester is planning sinister things behind him. I have to gain his trust first. And I can only do that once we're separated from his brother.
”I can't return to Kale Kingdom because my existence threatens Auro's reign,” he said after a few seconds of silence. ”Although I already expressed my lack of interest in the throne, the people who want to oppose my brother still keep on bothering me.”
”Then, where shall we live after our marriage?”
As the heiress of the Rosenberg clan, she had several territories under her name. But as she said, she didn't want to live in a place where her clan could easily go to. Knowing them, they would probably ”visit” as often as they wanted.
”I'm still a royal prince, Soleil,” he reminded her. ”Although King Aleo was a horrible father, he still secured a territory in my name as a part of his deal with the Moon God.”
”Oh, you have a territory?” she asked curiously. ”Where is it?”
”In the northern region of Kale Kingdom.”
She blinked in surprise, then she gasped. ”Isn't it the land that always snows?” She clicked her tongue. ”Lord Kalel, the late king scammed you! He purposely gave you a vast yet wasteful land as a territory. I know that it's bad to bad mouth a bad person but I'm still going to say it: Aleo Moonchester deserved his gruesome death.”
Kalel looked at her in surprise, then he laughed. ”I like it when the usually nice and polite Soleil turns bad,” he said, then he gently patted her head. ”Don't worry, Soleil. The North is an inhabitable land. I've been there so I know. The snow only acts as a barrier. But once you get inside, it isn't as cold as it looks like from the outside. The late king didn't know that because he didn't bother to inspect the land thoroughly.”
”Oh,” she said. She decided to forget about the late king's evilness because it didn't matter anymore. ”So, we're going to live in the North after we get married?”
”Only if it's fine with you,” he said worriedly. ”Although the cold is bearable even for average humans, it might still be uncomfortable for a Fire Mage like you, Soleil.”
”Don't worry about me, Lord Kalel,” she assured him. ”I can survive it. My body is naturally warm so I don't get cold.”
He smiled as if he was relieved, then he blinked in surprise. ”Soleil, does it mean you agree to marry me?”
She chuckled and was about to tease him about how 'slow' he could be sometimes when all of a sudden, a strong ball of energy came out of his chest– pulling Kalal away from her.
”Lord Kalel!”