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Chapter 21
Strictly speaking, Bellaxina had lost the bet with Avalkin.
After all, she did eat the food he made.
But Bellaxina had no intention of admitting defeat.
Lose? That word didn’t exist for someone from House Outbayan.
“I didn’t lose the bet,” she said firmly.
“I’ll admit I ate the pasta. But not because I wanted to. I just didn’t want to waste food. Yeshken is a poor region, right? Someone has to be responsible.”
Avalkin looked up from behind his desk, staring at her in disbelief.
“I didn’t realize you were such a frugal woman.”
“You don’t know me very well.”
“Or maybe just shameless.”
That one stung a little, and Bellaxina looked away, pretending not to notice his stare.
Avalkin waved her off, signaling she could leave, but she cleared her throat with a fake cough.
“You still have something to say?”
“Let’s just call it a tie.”
“A tie?”
“Yes. I mean, I did eat the pasta, but I’m being the bigger person here by giving a little ground.”
Did every mature person on this continent die or something?
Avalkin wanted to point out how ridiculous her logic was, but it was obvious even though she knew how nonsense it sounded.
“…So, you hate admitting you lost, but you’re not bold enough to pretend you won either.”
“You didn’t have to say that out loud.”
“I meant to say it. Fine, a tie it is.”
Bellaxina smiled, satisfied—not because she was happy to grant him a favor, but because she didn’t have to admit defeat.
“Then, we each get to ask the other one for a favor.”
“Can’t we just skip it and call it even?”
“Nope. I cooked in the middle of the night—there has to be some result.”
Well… he is a marquis, and he did make a full meal at midnight. It’d be rude to just brush it off.
Besides, they both agreed the favor had to be within reason. And Avalkin’s “reasonable” likely covered a lot more than hers did.
All in all, she had more to gain.
“Fine. One request each.”
But then Avalkin spoke, and her mood instantly dropped.
“Let’s get married. Within a month.”
That was, without a doubt, the worst proposal she had ever heard.
“So… soon?”
She had a million things she wanted to say: What kind of proposal is that?
Who gets married out of the blue like this?
Isn’t a month way too fast?
But she said none of it.
I knew this was coming.
After all, Avalkin bought her to marry her. He had paid a large sum, likely hoping to achieve that goal quickly—especially considering Yeshken’s situation.
“Sigh. I should’ve just not eaten that pasta…”
Avalkin let out a quiet laugh at her sulky mumble.
“Too bad, but the pasta wouldn’t have changed much. Winter is coming in Yeshken.”
Bellaxina pouted.
“What does winter have to do with anything? It’s not like people can’t get married because it’s cold.”
“You really don’t know anything, do you?”
Avalkin muttered under his breath, “It’s probably a good thing you never became empress,” then explained.
“‘Yeshken’s Winter’ isn’t just about cold. It refers to a strange natural phenomenon unique to this region.”
“What kind of phenomenon?”
“…The Polar Night.”
Avalkin looked away, unable to meet her bright, clueless gaze.
Bellaxina was a southern noblewoman. She had never experienced—or even imagined—such an extreme environment. The fact that it was just normal for Yeshken felt deeply unfair.
“Have you never heard of it?”
Bellaxina thought for a moment, then shook her head.
As a noblewoman who had received the standard education, she had picked up many things in passing—but not this.
“Maybe I’ve heard of it once…”
“Well, from now on, you should engrave it into your bones. You’ll face it every year.”
The Polar Night, also called Yeshken’s Winter, is simple to explain:
“The sun… doesn’t rise?” Bellaxina asked.
Avalkin nodded.
“For about 80 days, centered around the winter solstice.”
During those 80 days, Yeshken is completely swallowed by darkness.
Because of how far north it is, the sun never rises above the horizon.
Without sunlight, the land is ruled by a freezing, blind winter—so cold that fingers stiffen, blood freezes, and even breathing becomes painful.
All people could do during this time was pray.
With no night or day, the only way to tell time was by the church bells ringing three times a day.
“There was a year when we lost 30% of the population.”
“Thirty percent?!”
Bellaxina had been listening like it was someone else’s problem—until that.
Yeshken had around 150,000 people. Thirty percent meant nearly 50,000 deaths.
“They all froze to death?”
“Not all. Some fell from cliffs or died in accidents. That year, the entire continent had a cold snap, and we didn’t have enough stored food.”
Freezing, starvation, accidents—and even worse tragedies that couldn’t be put into words. Avalkin remembered their faces. It was a brutal, merciless winter.
“How could that even happen…”
“It’s all in the past now.”
He said it calmly.
It happened when he was six. He remembered it, but it wasn’t worth dragging back up.
“What matters is: since then, we’ve had a tradition not to marry in winter.”
Experience taught them that if a woman got pregnant during the Polar Night, her health—and the baby’s—was at serious risk.
Bellaxina’s expression grew heavier.
It was already October. If they wanted to marry before the Polar Night, they had no more than a month.
“You don’t look happy.”
“You think I should smile after hearing about mass deaths and babies at risk?”
Avalkin gave a small nod, admitting that, fair enough, she had a point.
“Fine. It’s a grim topic. But let’s be honest—you’ve never smiled at me anyway.”
Then his tone turned serious.
“Still, this is the reality we live in. As lord of Yeshken, I have to lead by example. The wedding must happen within a month. That’s my request, as per our bet.”
Bellaxina bit her lower lip.
I’m not a child. I didn’t expect a fairytale wedding. But still…
In noble marriages, there was formality, even if not love.
In commoner marriages, there was love, even if not luxury.
But Bellaxina, sold into slavery and being married off as a noble, had neither.
“…And you’re okay with this?”
Because marriage wasn’t a one-sided choice.
“You’re fine choosing your life partner like this?”
“That’s an odd question.”
Avalkin frowned, looking confused.
“Did I ever say you were my life partner?”
“…!”
“I believe I’ve already made your purpose very clear.”
Purpose.
That word changed Bellaxina’s face.
She remembered. She could never forget.
The first time she exploded at Avalkin was when he had told her flatly:
“Your purpose is to sleep with me, get pregnant, and give birth.”
Her fingers clenched the edge of her skirt. Her voice trembled, but she held her feelings back.
“…You haven’t changed at all.”
“Why should I?”
“…Right.”
A look of resignation spread across her face.
They had shared a bed, split a late-night snack, even had a silly bet together… and maybe—maybe—she had started to think they were getting closer.
How stupid of her.
Avalkin was still the same.
And she was still a slave who had been sold to him.
“I’m the one who needs to change.”
Avalkin watched her as she lowered her head in silence.
She’s quiet for once.
Unlike the usual fiery girl who’d scream and fight, this quiet and sad Bellaxina was clearly upset.
But Avalkin wasn’t the kind of man to read between the lines.
So… she’s finally calmed down.
He thought it was like taming a wild animal.
At first, they panic and go wild when trapped—but after being fed a few times, they calm down and start to trust.
See? Proof:
“…You haven’t changed at all.”
That’s just another way of saying I’m reliable and consistent.
Clearly, the late-night pasta had been worth it.
He smiled in satisfaction—completely misunderstanding her.
Then Bellaxina spoke again.
“I get a request too, right? Since it was a tie?”
“Of course.”
“Then… give me money.”
“…What?”
“Money. I always need money.”
She said it boldly.
She felt a bit like a child asking for allowance, but money was genuinely what she needed most.
“I can provide anything you need.”
“No, I’d prefer gold coins.”
Now that she’d brought it up, there was no backing down.
With a shameless, unbothered expression, she added:
“Gold! Gold bars! Gold dust! I’ll take anything shiny and gold!”
For once, Avalkin actually looked flustered.
