Chapter 188
Chapter 188 (Final)
After leaving the party venue, Alice headed to the Rose Garden, a famous spot in the Imperial Palace.
Though somewhat distant from the palace where the party was being held, the Rose Garden was close to the Sun Palace.
The reason for its fame was none other than the fountain at the center of the garden.
A legend-like story said that couples who confessed their love there would never part.
It was said that many couples who came together there had indeed lived happily.
That’s why so many imperial knights had confessed to the ladies-in-waiting there.
And that’s why Alice had brought Kylus to this place.
Alice smiled at the tranquil atmosphere as she looked at the roses, still beautiful under the night sky.
“Since we left the party early, there’s no one in the garden.”
Kylus held Alice’s hand firmly and said:
“Hmm, and there won’t be anyone coming either. Because I blocked entry.”
‘What?’
Alice paused at this strange answer and turned her head. Kylus replied as if it were perfectly natural:
“You seemed to want some quiet time, so I blocked entry.”
Alice suddenly recalled Kylus briefly speaking with the guards at the Rose Garden entrance.
So that’s why he suddenly went to the guards at that time.
“…Is that allowed?”
‘After all, this is the Imperial Palace, not the Ducal House.’
When Alice cautiously asked, swallowing the rest of her words, Kylus shrugged nonchalantly:
“There’s no reason why not. I’m in charge of palace security today.”
That distinctive confident and arrogant gaze.
Alice was momentarily taken aback by his brazen abuse of power, then let out a wry laugh.
Once again, as always, she found she couldn’t refute him.
‘Well, considering how many achievements Kylus has made for this country, I suppose he’s entitled to do this much.’
Alice gripped Kylus’s hand in return and walked toward the fountain.
Smiling with pleasure at the fragrant scent of roses and their time alone.
Arriving at the fountain, Alice looked at the statue of an angel shooting arrows of love, then turned to Kylus.
Black eyes meeting hers, as if they had been waiting.
Kylus gazed steadily at the continuously smiling Alice and spoke:
“You look especially happy today, Rien.”
“Hmm… I am happy. Because today is the day when what I wished for has come true.”
Kylus nodded with a light chuckle:
“Indeed, what you’ve wished for has finally come true today. All the evil forces have been eliminated, and Sienna and His Highness are together…”
“That’s not what I wished for.”
As Alice interrupted and looked up at him, Kylus’s eyebrow twitched.
“This isn’t what you wished for?”
Alice nodded.
“Yes. What I truly wished for was neither the elimination of evil, nor Sienna and His Highness coming together. Of course, I’m glad they’ve both found their places, but those things were more like missions for survival rather than my true desire.”
‘Missions I had to accomplish.’
Alice added softly.
“…Then what did Rien truly wish for?”
Alice gazed into his pitch-black eyes, like the night sky, and slowly spoke:
“…To be with Kyl after everything has found its place.”
“…”
“Even if everything finds its place, what use would it all be to me if you weren’t there?”
‘What I wanted was to be with you in a beautiful world without evil.’
“Kyl, I could never be happy in a world without you. If you had truly died that day as planned, I wouldn’t be able to smile like this now.”
Kylus’s black eyes wavered at Alice’s low voice.
“I saw it by chance. The will you left behind. And I heard the truth you tried to hide from Tessiri.”
Indeed, Alice had accidentally seen his will in his office, and had heard everything from Tessiri.
‘…My lady, the Duke truly intended to give his life in your place. And he had made all preparations so that you could live a new life after his death.’
‘A marriage annulment agreement…’
As Alice vacantly recited the phrase written in the will, Tessiri added more:
‘The Duke… wished that after his death, you would not be associated with him at all… for your sake. As you know, in the Empire, it’s not easy for a widowed noblewoman to remarry. So he chose to annul the marriage entirely.’
‘After all, regardless of your current feelings, it was a marriage that was forced in the beginning.’
‘…Even so, to think that I would sign this…’
‘He knew you wouldn’t sign easily.’
Tessiri paused briefly, then took out a letter envelope from his inner pocket.
It was none other than the final letter Kylus had left for Alice.
Alice received the envelope and read the last letter Kylus had intended to leave for her.
After reading the letter, Alice finally burst into tears that she had been holding back.
She had cried a lot.
She felt sorry and grateful to Kylus, who loved her more than himself.
And she regretted.
Not knowing his desperate heart as he prepared for death alone.
Why hadn’t she known, like a fool?
Looking back, everything about Kylus had been strange before the operation.
To think that his sad eyes when looking at her were because he was preparing for their separation alone.
How difficult it must have been for him, unable to say anything to her.
Alice had cried for a long time,
Moved by Kylus’s love, which thought only of her even in the face of his own death.
Alice felt a surge of emotion as she recalled that moment again.
As her eyes reddened, Kylus furrowed his brow.
As if it pained him.
“Rien, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand. But at that time…”
At Kylus’s care for her even in this moment, Alice shook her head as if he were incorrigible, then reached out to him.
Gently cupping his cheek, Alice softly called his name:
“Kyl.”
“…Yes.”
“I don’t think I can return your love as much as you love me. Honestly, I don’t understand how you can love me this much.”
At Alice’s somewhat strange words, Kylus’s eyes darkened slightly.
But he just silently looked at her.
As if he would accept whatever she said.
How could she not accept him like this?
How could she not love him?
Even if not as much as he did.
“But even if it’s not as much as you, I love you. So much that my heart races and I can’t hold back my smile when I see you, so much that I don’t dare imagine a world without you.”
“…!”
“Kylus Dearrut, I love you.”
Alice finally confessed her true feelings for him.
“Rien, just now…”
Kylus’s voice trembled.
Alice looked at Kylus’s handsome face, now completely defenseless, then withdrew her hand from him.
And opened the pendant around her neck.
Inside the elaborate pendant studded with diamonds, a very precious gift was hidden.
An engagement ring prepared with Tessiri.
Alice took out the ring, held it out to Kylus, and drove the point home:
“So, Duke Kylus Dearrut. Would you please truly marry me?”
Kylus’s gaze turned to the ring. His eyes widened as he saw it.
“This is… mother’s ring…”
Indeed.
The proposal ring Alice extended to him was Carolina Dearrut’s—his mother’s—blue diamond ring.
The ring that his mother’s mother had passed down to her, the ring his mother had cherished most, and the only intact keepsake that remained.
And also… a keepsake he had forgotten about.
Alice spoke softly to Kylus, who could not continue his words:
“I wanted to make a special proposal to you. At first, I thought about preparing a sword… But Tessiri told me. That there was exactly one keepsake from the previous Duchess left in the Ducal House.”
Alice continued to the frozen Kylus:
“So I found your mother’s ring and had it reworked. I wanted you to put this ring on me.”
“…”
“But because I prepared it in a hurry, and there was only one ring… I couldn’t prepare one for you. I’m sorry.”
Alice whispered to Kylus, who had gone rigid upon seeing the ring.
Kylus could not help but crumble at the small whisper that knocked on his heavy heart.
He exhaled a “Haa,” releasing the longing that had risen to his throat, and met Alice’s eyes.
Alice smiled at his clear gaze that had returned and teasingly urged:
“Won’t you answer me now? Keeping a lady waiting like this isn’t befitting of a fine knight. Will you marry me? Or not? Though I won’t accept a refusal.”
With a chuckle, Kylus finally couldn’t hold back his laughter. He carefully took the ring and replied in a trembling voice:
“I will live my whole life looking only at Rien, living for Rien. So please marry me, Rien.”
Kylus returned the proposal, and,
“Yes.”
He slipped the ring onto the ring finger of the brightly smiling Alice.
Then, as if she had been waiting, Alice flung herself into his arms.
And smooch-
She kissed his lips.
“I love you, Kyl.”
Saying her love once more.
“I love you, Rien.”
Kylus cradled Alice’s cheeks, so lovely it made his heart ache, and kissed her.
Deeply and intensely, as if pouring out his overwhelming emotions.
Wishing that their happiness would never end.
And at that moment, a light of blessing poured down on them from the heavens.
It was a special gift and secret known only to the master of the sky.
I Thought You Were A Time-Limited Husband – Main Story End
