Chapter 99

Prince Alfonso learned that the deceased mentioned in the letter of condolences sent by Cardinal de Mare was not Ariadne, but her younger sister, Arabella, when he was about one-third of the way from Taranto to San Carlo. He met a monk who had formally delivered the funeral notice at the relay station attached to the monastery.

"Miss Arabella de Mare, under the jurisdiction of Cardinal Simon de Mare, departed on her long journey under the guidance of the Divine on the afternoon of February 1, 1123. We hereby inform you with due respect.

Vigil: Cardinal de Mare's residence

Requiem Mass: February 15, 1123, at dawn, Basilica of San Ercolo, Benedict Hall."

'Arabella, Arabella de Mare.'

Alfonso scanned the name of the deceased written in the letter several times, fearing he might have read it incorrectly.

"Brother, is this the death notice of someone you know?"

When Prince Alfonso couldn't take his eyes off the letter for a long time, the monk who had shown him the parchment death notice asked cautiously. Alfonso, trembling, handed the letter back to the monk.

"No, no."

Although he didn't say it out loud, Alfonso was inwardly thanking the Divine for it not being the other person. He also felt guilty about his selfishness.

"We need to hurry to offer our respects at the vigil before the requiem mass."

The monk, looking up at the stormy winter sky, muttered worriedly. The monk was on his way to the Diocese of San Carlo in the central region to offer condolences on behalf of the Diocese of Salvatore in the south.

"Where are you going, Brother? To Taranto?"

Since it was confirmed that the death notice was not for Ariadne, Prince Alfonso should have returned to Taranto.

"No, to San Carlo."

Alfonso gripped the reins tightly. * * *

"Alfonso...! How did you...!"

It had been almost 100 days since they last saw each other. Ariadne almost burst into tears at the sight of Alfonso. Seeing her pale and sorrowful face, Alfonso's eyes also welled up with tears. He gently wiped away the tears from her eyes with his thumb. The warmth of his body penetrated the cold winter air and touched her skin. Feeling the coldness of Alfonso's fingers, Ariadne regained her composure.

'This is not the time.'

She barely managed to control her urge to cry and looked around. Ariadne could easily guess why Alfonso de Carlo, the so-called 'Golden Prince' of the central continent, had cut off contact with her. It must have been because of the Kingdom of Gallico and the Grand Duchess of Gallico. He shouldn't have come here.

After looking around, Ariadne quickly led Alfonso to a small hall next to the main corridor, which was originally used as a family dining room connected to the kitchen.

"Let's go in here. There are too many eyes in the main corridor."

Alfonso followed Ariadne obediently. In the small, narrow room with a fireplace, they were alone.

"How did you get here!"

"I heard about my sister's death. I offer my deepest condolences."

Tears welled up in Ariadne's eyes again. Arabella was the only family member she had felt close to in this house. Alfonso, who knew this from their letter exchanges, made the sign of the cross.

Although she had received countless condolences over the past eight days, this was the first time she felt someone truly cared. This time, Ariadne couldn't hold back her sobs and mourned for her sister. They sat in silence for a long time.

Alfonso broke the silence first. He was always the one to initiate conversation between them.

"How are you feeling?"

Ariadne laughed bitterly in response.

"An innocent child died."

She clutched the sleeve of her mourning dress.

"An innocent child, who did no wrong. The Divine takes the sinless and leaves the sinners. Good deeds go unrewarded, and evil deeds unpunished."

She swallowed the rest of her thoughts, 'I will punish the evil that escapes karma.'

The fire crackled in the fireplace, and the sound of the winter blizzard could be heard outside the window.

"Why do we have to live? Alfonso, why do people live?"

Her voice was filled with deep regret and exhaustion. Alfonso, surprised by the dryness in her voice, looked at the green-eyed girl. Her cheeks, once plump when he first met her last year, were now gaunt. Her wrists, exposed under the thick, heavy black mourning dress, were as thin as twigs.

Alfonso moved closer and pulled her into his embrace.

"Ari, you must be so tired."

Once the tears started, she couldn't control them. The tears she had been holding back finally overflowed. Clear, endless tears streamed down Ariadne's eyes.

She hadn't cried for a week after learning of Arabella's death, being too busy with various tasks. But now, hearing Alfonso's gentle voice, the pent-up sorrow welled up inside her.

"That's...,"

She whispered through her tears, a mix of sighs, sobs, and words.

"I just wish everything would end. I wish that when I close my eyes, tomorrow would never come again..."

Hearing her frail sobs, Prince Alfonso couldn't hold back and pulled her into his arms. The smell of the winter wind that had seeped into his hood contrasted with the warm body heat that enveloped her. The fur-lined cloak covered her eyes.

She was overwhelmed by the warmth and the sweet, spicy scent and burst into tears. All her self-restraint was gone. Protected by the double layer of the fur cloak and Alfonso's embrace, she cried freely, without caring about her voice or expression, until she could hardly breathe. Alfonso simply held her and patted her back.

His hand stroked her back in rhythm with her sobs. The warmth, the comforting weight, and the connection between two people.

When Ariadne's sobs subsided, Alfonso spoke softly, sharing his thoughts.

"I sometimes think about this too. Why do we live?"

Even when someone dies, time moves on. Time moves on, and eventually, people die. The end is predetermined. What is the point of mechanically filling the time in between?

"Ultimately, people cannot live forever and will die. Some argue that there is a choice in death, but death is ultimately inevitable, as it comes to those who do not want to die. The choice is only about when to die."

He was afraid she might become one of those who argue that there is a choice in death.

"Since we are born, let's live our lives to the fullest, be grateful for being alive, and enjoy the time we have as much as possible. Even if life doesn't go as planned, don't be disappointed. Save your energy and go wherever you can to find the greatest happiness."

After crying for a long time, Ariadne pulled her head out from under the cloak, and Alfonso wiped her tears with the edge of the cloak. Her slightly protruding front teeth, visible between her thick lips, made her look like a rabbit.

She knew what she shouldn't do. There are lines in life that, once crossed, can never be returned to.

But there are times when, looking back on the past, one realizes that there was no other way to act. When the choices in life narrow down to one. This was one of those moments.

Unable to hold back any longer, Alfonso leaned down and pressed his lips to Ariadne's parted lips.

"…!"

Soft lips met. Unfamiliar heat spread from the point of contact to her cheeks, then to her neck, and finally to her entire body. Ariadne gasped in surprise, and Alfonso didn't miss the opportunity.

He first found her cute rabbit teeth. Ariadne's white front teeth, contrary to the expectation of being cold, were as smooth as candy and as sweet.

"Ugh…!"

The woman moaned softly, lacking oxygen. The man pulled his lips away slightly, giving her time to breathe, then quickly delved back into her open mouth. The sweet scent of her, deeply etched in his memory from the time he entered her room, stimulated Alfonso's senses. He inhaled the scent he had longed for but couldn't have, several times deeply.

The kiss of the man who had braved the snow and cold winds to see her was persistent and fierce. She didn't resist.

Alfonso buried his hand deep in her hair at the nape of her neck, and Ariadne clung to his neck, receiving his passionate advances. The embrace was the same as when he wiped her tears with a purple ceremonial cloak at the debutante ball, but many things were different.

The heat was different, the intensity was different, and the hopelessness of unattainable love overflowed.

Unlike the beautiful and elegant cloak Alfonso wore that day, today's cloak was covered with melted ice and frozen grass, evidence of the winter journey.

After a time that would have cooled a soup in the cold room, Alfonso slowly pulled away.

"…Haa…"

"Umm…"

The contact was dreamlike, and nothing remained after it ended. Only a long thread of saliva and reddened lips, and a sudden rise in body temperature, testified to what had just happened.

He looked into her deep emerald eyes, hoping that hope would bloom in the despair within them.

"Don't even think about dying."

Alfonso raised his hand and smoothed her disheveled hair. It was similar to when Ariadne had smoothed his sideburns at the fountain in the queen's palace, but his touch was stronger and deeper. Her black hair, tied up, cascaded like a waterfall.

"It's a matter of respect for life. Respect for your heart, your blood, and the living body you inhabit."

And for me, for the man who loves you. Alfonso whispered only in his heart. Don't die. I realized it this time. I can't live in a world without you.

"Good days will come if you are alive."

Even as Alfonso endured the hardship of traveling 280 miglio (about 500 km) through the snow and winter winds, he was now comforted by Ariadne's scent.

Even if the Kingdom of Gallico threatens with conflict, even if you are in danger of being sold to a woman you don't love, there will be good parts to life.

He paused for a moment, then added more words.

"I was really scared of losing you."

Ariadne could only nod helplessly.

Alfonso gazed down at Ariadne and tightened his arms around her.

"I thought you were dead."

Alfonso reflected on the emotions he felt while traveling through the snow from Taranto. The first was regret.

'Why couldn't I even tell her I love her?'

There were countless reasons. For the sake of the country, the people, and the throne. But when he thought Ariadne was gone, he felt an overwhelmingly heavy sense of loss.

He couldn't be without her.

Alfonso grew up learning to sacrifice himself for the country and the people. But as he worshipped her lips, he realized that without this girl, he would be nothing.

He was not the type to abandon his responsibilities and run away. He wouldn't flee with her into the plains now. Instead, he had the youthful optimism and determination to believe he could do anything.

Alfonso leaned down and rubbed his nose against her cheek, still held tightly in his arms.

"I'll fix everything and come back."

As the Duke of Larissa's fiancé, his behavior was inappropriate in more than ten ways. The Etruscan Kingdom's regular army was in disarray, but they had abundant gold, fertile land, and a large population.

He would be fine even without Gallico's help. He would make it so. Prince Alfonso, the future young king, silently swore to his future queen.

"Please wait a little longer, Ari."

Alfonso kissed Ariadne's cheek.

Ariadne immediately understood what the prince was saying. She knew what would happen next. Could he really handle the situation?

Ariadne wanted to reveal the future to Alfonso, but it was impossible.

The thought of Zia's burning hands made Ariadne shudder. She didn't want to think about anything right now. She just wanted to believe in Alfonso's assurance, in that sweet, irresistible promise.

She looked up at Alfonso and nodded, and he kissed her lips again.

The kiss was smooth.

They shared heat again, breathing heavily, and Alfonso's hand, which had been holding Ariadne, moved up like a salmon swimming upstream, reaching the front of her dress.

"Alfonso!"

No one knew whether it was an accident or intentional.

But the first thing that came to Ariadne's mind was the actions of her ex-fiancé. Without even considering the possibility of it being an accident, she reflexively straightened up in shock.