In the nightmare, inside the royal castle in the royal hall, the choir band softly played music in the background, their bows gliding over the violin strings smoothly and delicately, spreading a calm and deep melody. Many nobles began to talk among themselves, getting to know new nobles or strengthening their relationships with the high ones among them through flattery. Their sons got to know their daughters, and even their elders flattered the women.
Alistair and Arabella stood in the middle. Alistair looked around in confusion and astonishment, especially the amazement that filled his eyes. The atmosphere was very royal and elegant. He looked strange in his casual clothes to the point that he wanted to vomit, but that would only make him seem even more common.
"What are you thinking about? Do you feel honored that the noble honored family held a party in your honor?" Arabella asked, her hands behind her back, looking at Alistair with curiosity and enjoyment, waiting for his answer.
"In my honor? I doubt that. I expected a noble girl to try talking to me, but it seems everyone is more interested in the royal family or the other nobles," said Alistair, hinting at the many nobles who had lined up walking toward the throne, kissing the king's hand and congratulating him.
"At least I have a beautiful girl with me, so I don't think it's that bad," said Alistair, pointing to Arabella jokingly.
"You should stop this flirting. It won't work on me because I... am already engaged," Arabella said and raised her hand. On her finger was a silver ring engraved with runic letters.
"...Excuse me?" Alistair said, shocked, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Didn't you realize? It's the same hand you kissed. How did you not see the ring?" Arabella said, a soft giggle slipping from her lips.
"I didn't notice that... wow, you broke my heart in a few seconds. You're so cruel," Alistair said in a cold, joking tone, not really meaning his words.
"Oh, shut up. You're just a womanizer, so stop acting like that. It doesn't suit your image," Arabella said, patting Alistair's shoulder.
"I guess... so, who's the lucky man?" Alistair asked curiously.
"You'll be surprised. It's The High Inquisitor of the Crown's Sacred Order, Lord Ephraim Nethercott!" Arabella said in an enthusiastic tone, expecting a similar reaction from Alistair, but he remained unimpressed.
"What a long title..." Alistair said, glancing sideways—this is when his eyes met the princess's, who waved at him as soon as she noticed him looking her way.
"Seriously! Don't say that about my fiancé! He's stronger and braver than you! I'm sure he's killed more witches than you!" Arabella said, starting to nag at Alistair, who looked away.
Alistair's eyes sharpened as he watched the princess, who turned to her father and whispered something in his ear.
"Lady Medici," Alistair said in a formal tone, which immediately grabbed Arabella's attention.
"What's the matter?" Arabella asked, interested, following his gaze toward the royal family.
"Have you ever noticed anything strange about the princess?" Alistair asked, turning to Arabella with a serious expression.
"Hmm... I don't think I've ever noticed anything strange before," Arabella hummed, putting a finger on her chin pretending to think. That's when she smiled playfully.
"Are you interested in her?" Arabella whispered teasingly, trying to annoy Alistair.
"...I think so..."
---
At the royal family's platform, where the king, queen, and princess sat on the throne above all.
"My king, what do you think of this guest?" the queen whispered, looking toward Alistair with curiosity.
"What I think of him doesn't matter—what matters is his usefulness. We'll use him to get rid of the witches. Sadly, he might leave after his mission ends... if only there were a way to keep him..." the king said, rubbing his chin, thinking of a solution.
"What if I married him?" the princess said out of nowhere, whispering.
"Excuse me?" the king said, shocked at his daughter's suggestion.
"That's an excellent choice," said the queen, already agreeing, pleased and happy with the suggestion.
"We must think carefully about this decision. We can't suggest it so suddenly," the king said, confused and nervous.
"My king, calm down and think. If we marry our daughter to the witch-killer, he'll be forced to stay and work directly under you within the frame of marriage. He won't be able to oppose you and will be an excellent weapon and shield for you," the queen said, trying to convince the king cleverly.
"But..." the king said, still somewhat opposed to the idea.
"If he marries another noble's daughter, he'll still have an excuse to leave. He won't work for you and will escape whenever he wants. Also… what about his offspring? Don't you want a future army of witch killers? Our daughter will be the cradle of a great army, a magnificent beginning. She'll make you the greatest king in history. You don't want to miss this chance, do you?" the queen said as she held the king's chin, making him turn toward her and look into her enchanting eyes.
"...Very well then," said the king, unable to oppose his wife any longer.
"A wise choice. Now, my daughter, what do you think about speaking with him in private?" the queen said, smiling gently.
"Too much secrecy. Speak on the balcony where I can see you," said the king, tense and nervous, but when he felt the queen's sharp glare, he looked down in shame as if he were just an ant being ignored.
---
Back to Alistair's location, he began walking away, avoiding the attendees and nobles as much as possible, while Arabella followed him in confusion.
"You can stop following me if you want," Alistair said calmly and coldly.
"What's wrong with you suddenly? You're suddenly angry. Did something happen? Or are you mad I didn't tell you I was engaged?" Arabella asked, confused, quickening her steps until she walked side by side with Alistair.
"I just want to go get some air... alone," Alistair said in a sharp tone, which made Arabella stop in place, standing there tense and confused.
"...Very well then..."
Alistair left the royal hall, even the castle entirely, heading to the green garden in the back. He walked the stone path until he reached a gazebo in the middle of the path. It was a room open from all sides with four white pillars holding up the round roof, the center of which was open like a lotus flower. Alistair sat on one of the white marble chairs there alone, as if waiting for something.
The sun began to set and disappeared behind one of the castle towers. Flowers that had been closed began slowly to bloom, their red petals glowing with the rising moon.
Then, Alistair heard the sound of light footsteps approaching. He turned behind him to find the princess walking toward him with all her grace. He stood up and bowed to her as soon as she entered the gazebo.
"Greetings, princess," Alistair greeted the princess. She extended her hand to him, and he took it gently and hesitantly, brushing his lips on her hand lightly, as if rejecting the act. Then the princess withdrew her hand, grabbed her dress, gathered its layers, and sat across from Alistair's seat.
"Please, sit," said the princess in a soft tone, pointing at the seat. Alistair sat—only a marble table separated them.
"I am honored to meet the princess, especially in secret. But may I ask the reason for this pleasant meeting?" Alistair asked, smiling lightly, his eyes full of curiosity.
"There's no need to act so formal with me, Mr. Crowley. You can just call me Ivara... Anyway, let's get to the point... The reason I came to meet you is... you really caught my attention, Mr. Crowley," Ivara said playfully, leaning on the table, resting her head on her hand.
"Excuse me?" said Alistair, confused in astonishment.
"As soon as my eyes fell on you, I felt this weirdness. My heart beat faster, and I felt this heat and strange dizziness when our eyes met. You have a great effect on me, don't you?" Ivara said, letting out a soft hidden laugh from between her lips.
"So if you may, to ease my poor little heart... Mr. Crowley... would you consider marriage?" said Ivara, drawing her finger along the table.
"Marriage?" Alistair repeated coldly and confused, a bit tense and hesitant.
"Yes, marriage. Isn't it a wonderful idea? You'll marry this beautiful princess who's fallen for you, have children with her, and live happily ever after with her. You'll sleep and wake up every day next to this beautiful princess," Ivara said, rising from her seat and leaning close over the table toward Alistair.
"That..." said Alistair, nervous and tense.
"That's wonderful! That's all you need to think about, Mr. Crowley. Or do you think I'm not beautiful enough for you? That I don't suit your taste? That would hurt my poor heart. And you don't want me crying near my father, do you? The king would be furious that you rejected his daughter. Who knows what he might do to you?" Ivara said as she grabbed Alistair by the chin, forcing him to look into her eyes that began glowing a pink hue, her magical eyes becoming more enchanting. Alistair appeared dazed, as if hypnotized.
Silence fell between them as Ivara awaited Alistair's reply. That's when he let out a faint chuckle and smiled from ear to ear.
"Did I say something funny, Mr. Crowley?" Ivara asked curiously. Alistair laughed more, covering his eyes with the back of his hand from how hard he was laughing. Ivara let go of his chin and stepped back to the other side of the table. After a few short seconds, Alistair stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"They say silence is a sign of acceptance, but I don't know what laughter means. So, could you simplify your answer for me?" Ivara said, a faint smile on her face.
"Sure, I'll make it short for you... No!" Alistair said with a serious expression on his face.
"W-What? But why?" said the princess in confusion and embarrassment. She hadn't expected a response like that at all.
"Simply, you're not my type. You seem way too annoying, honestly. And most likely, our children would be even more annoying, considering you'd be their mother. But that's not the most important reason... because as you see... you're a witch, aren't you?" Alistair said sharply, rising from his seat.
Ivara's eyes widened in shock and confusion. She clenched her teeth and clicked her tongue, letting a "Tsk" slip from her mouth. She hadn't expected her secret to be uncovered this easily. But then… she smiled.
"Waaa~ looks like you've exposed me. Congratulations, Alistair. You're right... I am a witch!" Ivara said mockingly, her eyes glowing pink. She then stepped away from her spot and began slowly approaching Alistair with measured, almost dancing steps of excitement.
"But what are you going to do about that, Alistair? Will you tell my father, who already hates you? Or my mother, who adores me too much? Or the nobles who fear me because of my father's protection? Even that friend of yours from the Medici family won't believe you. Her family exists solely to protect the royal family. On the contrary, if you expose me, everyone will see you as a heretic and you'll be impaled like a fool... So what are you going to do about that, hmm?" Ivara said, leaning in close to Alistair, her fingers twitching like they were about to wrap around his neck.
At that moment, the glow around the iris of Noah's right eye grew brighter. Suddenly, from nowhere, long black stakes like nails appeared, surrounding Ivara from all directions—around her waist, neck, and head—very close to her body.
Ivara's eyes widened in shock. She tried to escape, but it was already too late. She whipped her head around quickly, and the edge of one of the stakes grazed her neck, cutting it and drawing blood.
"Gghhgh!" Ivara groaned in pain and slowly turned toward Alistair, who was still sitting in place, not lifting a finger. If she could move even a single inch, she would have ripped his head off right then and there.
"You bastard! What do you think you're doing?!" Ivara shouted angrily, biting down hard on her teeth.
"You've asked me that question many times already. Can't you figure it out?... Simply... I'm going to kill you," Alistair said in a cold tone—and that made Ivara shudder with fear.
"K-Kill me? Y-You fool! I-I'm still the princess of the kingdom! I-If you kill me without proof that I'm a witch, y-you'll be hunted down by the knights, and in the end, y-you'll die a horrible death!" Ivara said, terrified and stammering from fear.
"I'll still kill you anyway," Alistair said coldly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye with empty, hollow eyes that made her panic even more—realizing that this man wasn't afraid of consequences at all.
"Y-You've lost your mind!… I-If I scream from right here, the guards will rush in, and you'll be surrounded by thousands. Are you sure y-you want to do this?" Ivara said, panicked and anxious. Her body went cold and her mind blank. The fear of death overwhelmed and pierced her like a bitter, violent flood. She was so terrified that even if the stakes vanished, she would remain frozen in place.
"I'll have killed you by then."
Again—that cold reply. A reply that made the foolish princess realize her life was in the hands of this madman. This man—"the Herald of Purification."
Then, Alistair stood up from his seat and reached out his hand to touch the princess's head—but he hesitated and stopped his hand before making contact.
The princess looked up to see Alistair's palm hovering above her. His hand looked large and cast a shadow over her eyes. The light of life in her eyes dimmed from sheer fear. That's when Alistair pulled his hand back, and the black stake-like nails vanished around her, disappearing like ash on the breeze.
Alistair placed his hands in his pockets and began walking away from the princess, leaving her in a state of confusion and shock. But she didn't have the courage to call out to him or even ask him anything. That's when Alistair stopped and turned slightly toward her.
"If you harm anyone, or use your magic to cause pain or suffering to anyone at all—I will kill you!" Alistair said, then continued walking away.
Alistair had been ready to kill. He had always been ready to feel blood staining his hands—as long as it was the blood of a witch, But Noah Grace had hesitated.