Royal Dot (5)

The place Alicia had thought of visiting after defeating the Warden of West Alik in hell.

What about the geography of hell now?

The question crossed her mind—but there was no one she could ask.

After all, in this world, no one knew hell better than Alicia herself.

“Haa…”

Right now, Alicia was brimming with energy.

After all, she had absorbed such a massive magic stone—it was only natural.

If she compared, she felt even stronger now than when she had absorbed the one from the Warden of West Alik in hell.

The magic stone of the master of East Noah had amplified her far beyond expectation.

“I wasn’t supposed to be the one to take that…”

She had given it to Reichardt.

But the power of the magic stone had simply flowed into her of its own accord.

Alicia sighed deeply as she looked at a letter lying to one side.

It was from Anne.

Anne had written in the tone of a friendly update, reporting the situation at Brennel.

“Everything’s going well…”

The Marquis of Manners had arranged three separate matches for Cynthia.

All three ended with the gentlemen vomiting violently.

Because of this, the Brennel Viscounty’s reputation had hit rock bottom.

Rumors spread that they were a house not to be trusted.

Brennel was rapidly losing its trading partners.

Social connections were being severed one by one.

Even the Marquis of Manners was slowly distancing their family.

The suitors complained, questioning whether there had been something wrong with the food served by Brennel.

For a nobleman, vomiting during tea time with a lady was far more humiliating than being poisoned.

Their families began to suspect Brennel of drugging the food.

But no poison was found in the investigation.

That only made Brennel feel more wronged—and made society all the more suspicious.

From Alicia’s perspective, it was fortunate.

All three of Cynthia’s suitors happened to have allergic reactions to Ronan Powder.

Ronan Powder, a few years later, would become famous as the miracle compound that rapidly formed ice.

If you mixed it into water and kept it in a cool, shaded place, it turned to ice—hence the “miracle powder.”

However, some people experienced vomiting and dehydration after consuming ice made with it.

The three men Cynthia met were exactly those unlucky few.

Since the powder used had not yet been refined, the symptoms were even more violent.

After being proven non-toxic, Brennel began to threaten the Manners Marquisate in retaliation.

They even suggested they would accuse the Marquisate of involvement in the Rain family incident.

They deluded themselves that they could escape blame by claiming the Manners and Miller families had manipulated them.

“Everything’s going perfectly.”

There was no way the Marquis of Manners would sit still after such threats.

Alicia had already instructed Judith to reinforce Anne’s security detail.

“All of it…”

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

Brennel would soon be taken care of by their own enemies.

Alicia was in perfect condition— brimming with vitality, yet, for some reason, she felt like crying.

Everything was going so well, and yet she had consumed the precious magic stone herself.

Something meant for the one in pain had been absorbed entirely by someone perfectly healthy.

“I wasn’t supposed to take it…”

Murmuring the same words again, Alicia looked on the verge of tears.

Reichardt was reading.

Or rather, trying to.

He was beginning to doubt the point of it.

He had started reading after his meal, but after forcing himself to focus through two lines, he found himself glancing around the room, swallowing hard.

He would read another two or three words, then drift off again.

His attention wandered constantly.

Eventually, Reichardt closed the book and left the study for the tea room.

Someone was already there.

Two days ago, she had accomplished what everyone in Tessen had dreamed of—destroying the mysterious white castle.

Alicia sat at the table, staring blankly at a letter from a friend.

The castle in the western forest of Tessen was officially called East Noah.

Alicia had been the one to reveal that.

Her face as she explained what no one would ever have known otherwise looked strangely blank—devoid of pride or boastfulness.

East Noah had been sealed by Alicia and Reichardt.

No more monsters appeared afterward—that was proof of the seal.

And from that moment, Alicia had become gloomy.

It was as if she’d suffered some great shock.

Her listless expression always carried a hint of guilt whenever she looked at him.

Reichardt felt pity for her—but also, strangely, a quiet delight in watching her sulk.

That guilty expression, like someone who had taken something they shouldn’t, reminded him of a puppy with drooping ears and tail.

She had that same look now.

When Reichardt entered the tea room, Alicia looked up at him as if she had committed a grave sin.

“You were here?”

Reichardt took the seat across from her.

“Yes.”

Their eyes met, and Alicia flinched slightly.

The dazed look on her face slowly turned sorrowful.

To Reichardt’s eyes, she didn’t seem sick or weak—if anything, she looked healthier than ever, aside from the way she often stared off blankly.

So he allowed himself to watch her pouty expression without guilt before turning away.

“Tessen isn’t convenient for exchanging letters, is it?”

“No.”

“What letter is that?”

Reichardt asked casually, pouring himself tea.

Alicia folded the letter and set it aside.

“Some trouble at the Brennel Viscounty.”

She answered offhandedly, carefully watching his reaction— and at the same time, scooted a little closer.

“That’s unfortunate.”

Reichardt sipped his tea and subtly leaned away in proportion to her movement— a smooth, graceful motion.

“……”

Alicia saw it clearly.

“……”

Reichardt met her violet gaze calmly—and leaned back further.

An unmistakable gesture of avoidance.

“Rei.”

“Yes.”

Alicia shed her gloom and looked at him seriously.

Reichardt pretended not to notice her piercing stare.

“You’re avoiding me—or no, wait. It’s Rua’s cycle—are you feeling all right?”

She had been about to argue but stopped to ask something more important first.

“I’m fine.”

Reichardt’s answer came as he deliberately stepped back again.

Alicia’s face twisted in hurt surprise.

Their relationship was… complicated.

Officially, they were engaged.

Reichardt had confessed his feelings to Alicia countless times.

She had never said “I love you,” but she had admitted her feelings in her own way.

Both were busy people, always caught up in incidents and duties.

Sometimes they grew close, only to drift apart again because of their work.

Reichardt did love Alicia.

But he had always insisted he did not want marriage—declared it firmly, many times.

Alicia was ready to smack him the next time he said it.

Reichardt regretted coming here now.

Seeing something adorable was fine—but right now, this place was dangerous.

He set down his cup and stood.

“Alicia.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Her formal tone made Reichardt smile faintly.

He wasn’t offended by his fiancée’s cold demeanor.

“When we’re together, we should keep some distance.”

He said it seriously.

“……”

Alicia didn’t respond at first.

Her delicate brows drew together, then curved sharply before returning to normal.

Her violet eyes fixed on him.

Reichardt suffered excruciating pain during certain periods— but whenever he touched Alicia, the pain disappeared.

By their usual rhythm, he should be in agony right now.

Yet he was the one asking for distance.

‘Is it because I took all the magic stone…?’

Alicia barely managed to swallow the childish words before they escaped.

Reichardt watched her expressive face closely, his own expression serious.

As her heart pounded and emotions surged wildly, his discomfort only deepened.

“Um… Alicia.”

“Yes?”

“This will sound unpleasant, revolting, even filthy—but I think it’s better to be honest.”

Reichardt spoke with complete sincerity.

He faced her with the utmost courtesy he could muster.

“…What?”

Seeing her confused look, Reichardt immediately regretted not saying it sooner.

“You smell… extremely delicious.”

His face full of anguish, he exhaled the confession.

Alicia blinked slowly.

Her ears heard the words, but her mind took time to process their meaning.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t come near you with impure thoughts. I should’ve said it earlier, but no matter how I phrased it, it sounded indecent.”

Reichardt said, still serious.

“I… smell?”

Alicia raised her hand to her nose, flustered.

“Yes.”

Reichardt stepped another pace back.

“An extremely, incredibly delicious smell.”

His voice was firm yet dripping with self-reproach—almost self-loathing.

“Rei.”

Alicia moved, but Reichardt’s tone turned stern.

“Don’t come any closer. Stay right there. I’ve been meaning to tell you since the day before yesterday. It’s true. But I liked that guilty, sulky look on your face—it was cute. Pitiful, but cute. Normally, I never get to take care of you or comfort you, so… I missed the right time to say it.”

Reichardt’s explanation was all over the place.

“Could you… make that make sense?”

Alicia was completely lost.

He’d suddenly asked for distance, apologized, declared she smelled delicious.

‘What am I, a pancake?’

Not “nice,” not “sweet”—delicious? Really?

Reichardt’s face had gone rigid with embarrassment.

He already regretted blurting it out.

“Alicia. Since the day before yesterday, when you’re beside me, I feel no pain at all. I think it started after the light from East Noah flowed into you.”

“What? You’re not in pain?”

“So don’t come closer.”

Reichardt gave up on explaining further and turned quickly away.

“Why—not?”

Alicia, forgetting her guilt, started after him.

“Because you smell unbelievably good!”

Reichardt barked, striding out of the tea room.

That incredible scent— sweet, fresh, like fruit or flowers.

But the first impression upon smelling it wasn’t “fragrant”—it was “delicious.”

Reichardt now understood that the divine curse laid upon him vanished when Alicia was nearby.

Rua hung high in the sky.

Even though they were in Tessen, the absence of pain had started right after that kiss with Alicia.

At least, that’s what he suspected.

And now, being near her didn’t just ease the pain— it filled him with vitality.

Reichardt couldn’t bring himself to tell Alicia everything.

“……”

He was back in his room.

He had opened a book only to close it again immediately.

Reading was impossible now.

He had realized as much earlier—it was pointless.

He threw himself onto the bed like a layabout, then sat bolt upright again.

He was in his room— yet, since two days ago, even when sitting there, he could feel where Alicia was.

“Am I losing my mind?”

Burying his face in his hands, Reichardt rubbed his flushed cheeks as if to wash them.

Even as he did, he could still sense Alicia’s presence.