The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 12: The Straightforward Man - From Alicia's Perspective

Chapter 12: The Straightforward Man – From Alicia’s Perspective

“Once you make a decision, it’s natural that the other option disappears. Even if you get revenge, what’s gone won’t come back.” 

This was his reply, as if he had seen through the true intention of my question.

Ragna probably knows.

The fact that my engagement was broken off, including the full story behind it.

“It’s a story from a little while back.”

He began, and I waited, tense, wondering what he would say next.

His words were a departure from the past, where he would laugh off matters of life and death, such as bets on his father’s death or how quickly one might die in this land. 

Now, he spoke seriously about his family being killed in action.

He pursued and killed the enemies who had slain his father.

Dying in battle is considered an honorable deed in the Brave territory.

He was taught, repeatedly, that one should not fight out of personal vendetta but for the protection of the country. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself.

Despite being in a disadvantageous situation, being dissuaded by many, and the sacrifices it entailed, he, who had lost his family to the enemy, pursued and decapitated the enemy general.

He mocks himself for the sacrifices that resulted from such forced actions, given the shortage of manpower in the Brave family.

“No matter how much I was taught it’s inevitable, I still regret it. But I’m grateful to those around me who loved and raised me, and that’s when I realized I still had everyone else left.”

He continued, gazing over the Brave territory below.

“It’s not like everything’s gone; there are still many things left. That’s why I’m trying to be the noble I never wanted to be, and why I’m thinking of going to the school I never wanted to attend.”

There are still many things left, huh?

I took his words seriously and wondered if there was anything left for me. But, as usual, there wasn’t anything. 

It makes sense, since all I had envisioned for myself was standing beside the prince, the future king, not him as he is now.

“What if nothing was left? What would you do if everything you’ve been taught you were meant to do from birth can never happen again?”

“If you’re not dead, something remains.” 

“There’s nothing!”

I raised my voice without meaning to.

“The past me is dead… as a member of the duke’s family… so in this forsaken place… sorry, I misspoke.”

Despite knowing that acting impulsively only leads to failure, here I am, feeling as pitiful as a child again.

The scar from a burn on my left eye throbs.

My heart feels increasingly pained. 

No matter how much I try to forget, it seems impossible.

It’s like there’s a bottomless swamp at my feet, and the more I struggle, the deeper I sink into its dark depths.

Just like Ragna said, even if I achieved revenge, the person standing next to the prince wouldn’t be me. It’s predetermined to be someone else, so I’ll never feel fulfilled.

..What if I just threw myself off this cliff? How much easier would that be?

Looking at the magnificent view from this cliff made me realize how petty I am for worrying over trivial things. If my eyes cloud over and I can no longer see the path or anything else, then this is nothing more than a mere landscape.

It was when my vision began to blur and I felt all strength leaving my body that I heard his voice.

“Alicia, I’ll protect you for as long as I live.” 

These words reached my ears out of nowhere. 

My vision, which had started to haze, cleared up, showing Ragna standing with a serious expression.

“…Eh?”

What did he just say?

Did he really say he would protect me forever?

Confused, I listened as he continued.

“If the duke’s daughter in you is gone, then the person in front of me is Alicia, who has come to join the Brave family, right?”

Then, he held out his pinky finger.

“Then, this is one thing I can promise: I will always protect you.” 

His answer wasn’t really a response to my question.

But if I were asked whether I could provide a better answer, it would be difficult, and I’d probably only be able to say something idealistic like “time will solve everything.”

It’s a tough question.

After much thought, his answer was a promise to protect me, symbolized by a pinky promise.

“You really say the most unexpected things, don’t you? Since this morning.”

“Well…”

He replied, scratching his head sheepishly.

“I tried to find the right words, but us Brave men aren’t used to this kind of situation, and I could only say what I truly felt.”

“…Fufu.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a bit at that scene. 

His carefree smile and straightforward words reflected the Brave family’s way of living with pride in the moment, without any pretense or deceit common in noble society.

There was something very cool about him standing in front of me just as he is, unadorned.

It made me feel like I was a child again, reminding me of things I had forgotten.

“Was it really that strange? I’ve never said anything like that before… My father and brothers were the type to speak with their actions…” 

I hurried to tell Ragna, who was getting flustered.

“Actually, it’s the first time someone has said something like that to me face-to-face.”

The fact that someone looked straight at the real me and said it.

“Eh, I thought as a duke’s daughter, you’d have heard such things from many people.”

“People who blurt out such unusual things tend to be avoided, you know?”

“Darn… Now all the practice I did in secret so Sebas wouldn’t nag me about finding a good wife when I start attending school feels wasted…” 

“What kind of silly practice is that?”

I was about to laugh at the absurdity of practicing pick-up lines while living a bloody, war-torn life in this land. 

He’s truly a strange man, but…

“But, I don’t dislike it. It’s straightforward.”

Maybe, as a child, I would have thought it was lame. 

But having lived through the noble society, faced failures, and reflected on the prince’s words, now I appreciate honest words more. 

High-ranking nobles are often seen more for their position than as individuals.

Probably, the prince felt the same way.

In a noble society that values tradition, he was fed up with not being seen or understood for who he was. Now, I understand why my engagement was broken off; it makes sense.

“You might be right; I might have been overthinking things too much.”

Looking down at the Brave territory, I could see rivers, forests, towns, and fields stretching out to the horizon.

“So small, huh? Clinging to a past that’s gone and wallowing in it forever…”

“Well, that’s human nature.” 

“But in the Brave family, such behavior is frowned upon, right?”

“Yeah, feeling down is okay once, but after that, you’re supposed to move on.”

So, the person I was before is dead, and now I am Alicia of the Brave family. 

I feel as if the gaps in my heart are being filled. 

This situation is not a punishment. 

Deciding it’s a new beginning, I chose to change my mindset.

That’s the Brave way, after all.

“Going back to school with me, you’ll probably attract a lot of attention. Honestly, it might feel like you don’t belong, and there could be hostility… But will you still protect me?”

As I said this, I held out my pinky to Ragna, and he linked it strongly with his.

“That’s something I’m good at, leave it to me.”

To an outsider, our exchange might seem like a romantic scene from a storybook about a hero and a princess, albeit with both of us bearing scars on our faces, which adds a touch of humor to the scenario.

A lady whose engagement was broken and a lord living in a forsaken land.

The characters in stories are worlds apart from us, but right now, that disparity feels just right and comfortable to me. 

It’s as if the me from before was in the first volume, and now we’re starting the second volume… something like that?

“Alicia, wait a moment. I want to redo the part where I make the vow.” 

“…Huh?” 

I felt suddenly yanked back to reality.

Well, I had a faint feeling that Ragna was not exactly the romantic type, right?

I tried to console myself, thinking I shouldn’t have expected such things from Ragna in the first place.

“Just wait, I’ll call him now.”

He then shouted.

“―Onyx!”

In that instant, a huge black dragon landed in front of us from the sky. 

Wait, is that really a dragon?

I’ve never seen one before, but its appearance matched the dragons I’ve seen in picture books and encyclopedias, so my brain instinctively recognized it as a dragon. 

And not just any dragon, but a black dragon.

In stories of heroes and princesses, black dragons are often depicted as evil beings. Now, one of these dragons was glaring at me with its big face. 

At that moment I lost consciousness.