A Night Worse than Death - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

At that moment, he ran up to her and hugged Aleisha tightly. Caleb, who was not as tall as Franz, hugged her and threw her into a hug.

He groaned as he hugged Aleisha tightly.

“Are you leaving already? Not even saying goodbye!”

“I know.”

Patricia, who followed him, shuddered at Caleb’s words, full of sadness. It was clear that her mouth was tickling because she wanted to pour out the blame.

Aleisha swallowed her laugh at the sight. Patricia had now lost her way, and she was embarrassed by her anger. Seeing the figure she had only drawn in her dreams, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

“I was so excited that the Prince came to pick me up. Sorry.”

“If you go, I will never see you again. I have to say goodbye before you go… Ah!”

“You should stop there.”

Just as Caleb was about to kiss her on the top of Aleisha’s head, tight arms snapped between them.

Franz pushed Caleb out and stood in front of Aleisha. As his back was hidden behind her in suddenness, and she stared at him in bewilderment.

“Are you trying to not let her even say goodbye to her family?”

“Family?”

Franz sighed and looked at Aleisha and Caleb alternately. Then, seeing Caleb’s silver hair and Aleisha’s red hair, he spoke harshly, as if to put an end to the nonsense.

“It looks too different for a family, doesn’t it?”

“You don’t have to be alike to be a family.”

Aleisha concealed her displeasure and responded politely.

‘Why is he doing this?’

Franz was not interested in her. He was also indifferent to her family. She knew that to the bone. Caleb said he wanted to visit her, and she said it over and over, though he pretended not to hear it.

Aleisha said quietly, clenching her fists.

“Even if we don’t have the same blood, we can be a family. Just like the First Prince and Your Highness.”

“Then, this man and the Lady are family.”

That was what they were trying to say.

“Family.”

For some reason, Franz just repeated the words with a face of disbelief. Aleisha struggled to contain her irritation.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but Caleb and I are just normal siblings.”

“Normal?”

“Yes. Normal…”

Aleisha paused, trying to explain her general family to Franz.

Caleb and her are ordinary siblings.

Although he was her half-brother, Caleb was a supporter that kept Aleisha from leaving the Ambrose family, despite Patricia’s bullying.

When Caleb first met her, he was a child who had not yet been able to read letters.

As for their illiteracy, Caleb and her, two years younger, was no different.

If he was an ordinary aristocrat, he would have learned to write by that age, but because he was from a commoner. People murmured that Caleb, who succeeded the barony after Aleisha’s father passed away, was said to have been lucky and that his life had changed.

However, Aleisha didn’t think so.

Apart from Patricia’s ambitions and lust, Caleb was her brother.

A gentle older brother who would blow her knees up and bring her back to the castle if she fell while walking.

However, it was rare for a brother to become close in an aristocratic family. Moreover, there was a high possibility that the concept of a brotherly existence would not appeal to Franz, a member of the Royal Family.

The Second Prince, Franz, was in a position to compete with his half-brother and First Prince, Creighton, the Crown Prince.

So, Aleisha decided to give explanations as she would to the little ones.

“An ordinary sibling means we grew up together, eat together, sleep together, go for walks, and study together since childhood. You can think of it as a relationship between the Prince and the First Prince, or like a playmate.”

“I see.”

Just then, Franz lowered the hand that was covering Caleb.

He gazed at Aleisha with a neat face and gave her a pale smile. His smile, which she had longed for so much, and his gaze, were something she was very hesitant to see today.

“Lessa? Is it okay?”

Caleb rolled his eyes as he listened to their conversation, and when they finished their conversation, he pulled his neck out slightly to Aleisha.

When he asked if he could hug her, she smiled broadly at his gesture.

“Yes, Caleb. It should be fine.”

“Why do you say it like the last time? We will meet again.”

‘No, we can’t meet because Franz won’t allow it…’

Aleisha swallowed the words that reached her throat and patted Caleb on the back.

Franz watched Aleisha silently as she and Caleb exchanged friendly greetings. There was an unpleasant light on his stern expression.

Nevertheless, she didn’t care. This was because she has received countless more contemptuous glances than this.

“Let’s go. Your Highness.”

Aleisha turned away from Patricia, who was holding her chin up in the guise of receiving her greetings. Her face turned red and green, but she ignored that, too.

Franz stared at her and reached out to the carriage, which was waiting at the entrance of the mansion. As she followed his hand and shifted her gaze, she saw the carriage and her face hardened.

It was a golden carriage to take the Second Princess.

Aleisha slowly walked towards the carriage.

It was as if she was walking into the devil’s mouth. When she entered and exited there, a terrible hell awaited her.

…A hell of two years of loneliness, neglect and abuse.

‘But I’m not going to suffer this time.’

Aleisha carried that promise with every step. Her eyes, resembling summer leaves, were dazzling.

* * * 

The carriage of the Imperial Family was so comfortable that it could not be compared with that of the Ambrose family. If you want, you can even drink tea in this place.

Franz, who was guarding in silence, grabbed the window frame as the carriage rattled a little.

“Are you uncomfortable? This will take about three hours. You can also use the portal, but that has consequences.”

“Isn’t it mild vertigo for the aftereffects of the portal?”

Aleisha asked, puzzled.

Franz was on the active side in the use of magic. The more he consumes his magic, the weaker the magic torments him. Therefore, he often used the portal, ignoring the aftereffects. Of course, the magic consumed when using the portal was as low as the nails, so it wasn’t a big help.

“That’s right.”

He gave a brief reply and closed his mouth firmly. It seemed that he was unwilling to explain further.

Seeing so, she also did not continue to speak.

Aleisha, who was trying to somehow carry on the conversation with him, is no longer there. Now, she only thinks of herself.

‘What should I do from now on?’

Aleisha looked at Franz from the side.

He was as she remembered.

He had sharp eyes that added dignity to his beautiful appearance, broad shoulders suitable for a straight posture, an ideal upper body that got narrower as it went down to the waist, and long straight legs.

Franz was still beautiful, still shining.

However, it struck her heart that his behavior was a little different from the past.

‘There is no way that everything will run the same.’

Could it be that Franz returned to the past like Aleisha…?

The likelihood of that happening was extremely low, but she had to check as far as possible. If he came back with her, Aleisha would strangle him right away.

But, what if Franz did not return?

‘No. Either way, it doesn’t matter, I’m going to get my revenge.’

Aleisha held her heart. She decided to take revenge step by step.

“Come to think of it, I couldn’t greet you because of the situation.”

Arranging her thoughts, Aleisha sat upright, placed her hands on her chest, and bowed her head deeply.

“Nice to meet you, Second Prince. May the glory of the sun stay.”

His gaze turned to Aleisha as she spoke slowly.

“I am Aleisha Ambrose, who will be the Prince’s wife. From now on, I will be Aleisha Eustache.”

“Lady.”

A dry voice escaped from Franz’s mouth, who had been silent. He stretched out his hand with an anxious, thirsty look.

“Is that all you have to say?”

Aleisha glanced down at Franz’s extended hand. As she looked at the large hand, she eventually slowly raised her head.

The clear golden eyes overlapped her dark green eyes. The moment she was contained in the golden orb-like eyes, his eyes fluttered slightly. Aleisha pretended not to notice his agitation and raised the corners of her lips.

She said with a bright smile.

“What else can I say at the beginning? Have you ever seen me before?”

“No.”

Franz, who had been staring at Aleisha, immediately turned her head. It was embarrassing to see her smiling face.

“No.”

She was so used to seeing him turn away in a hurry. Aleisha raised her eyebrows at the somewhat bland conclusion.

‘Franz didn’t return.’

If Franz had returned with his memories intact, there would be no such reaction.

The moment he saw this smile, he must have remembered the moment she was dying because that was the last time Aleisha looked at him. And, he would have automatically remembered the curse that she had poured out…

A curse that ended with a confession.

Then, she wouldn’t be sitting in the carriage as leisurely as she is now. He must have threatened her to break the curse at once, although Franz didn’t.

Again, it was her guess.

Now, she didn’t know the future.

‘I wish the curse was still on. It’s a pity I can’t put the same curse on the same person twice.’

If you cast a curse on the same person twice, the curse returned to the caster. Even if the effect of the curse on Franz disappeared, she didn’t know whether it was nullified or applied as it was.

Therefore, it was reckless to cast that curse again.

“You said he was a normal brother.”

“…Yes?”

Aleisha, who was obsessed with revenge, widened her eyes at Franz’s words. He was already fixed his gaze on her before she knew it.

‘What is this…?’

“Sir Caleb Ambrose, Lady.”

Franz added the explanation as if he had heard the question in Aleisha’s mind. At that, she nodded her head.

“Yes. Though why are you asking that?”

“I also want to be a normal couple with Lady.”

It’s a silly suggestion. Aleisha raised her eyebrows.

What is this guy talking about now?

No, she didn’t know what he was talking about. The Prince of the empire wants the woman who would be the Prince’s wife to become a normal couple.

“A normal couple who eats together, walks together, and sleeps together.”

Franz smiled as he finished his words. It was a fantastic smile that drew a perfect arc. Aleisha looked at him and sat still, like an idiot who lost her words.

She couldn’t say anything.

Because the person she loved the most was looking at her.