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Chapter 15
“You did very well.”
Avalkin, spotting the slightly unsettling smile on Ingrid’s face, instinctively looked away.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He handed over the duck he had just hunted—intended for tonight’s dinner for him and Bellaxina.
Ingrid took the duck and said, looking pleased,
“You followed my instructions perfectly.”
“I really don’t know what you mean.”
“You took your shirt off, didn’t you?”
At that, Avalkin remembered last night—sharing pajamas with Bellaxina—and turned away, visibly flustered.
“She had no sleepwear. I didn’t take off my shirt to show off!”
“I think that body is worth showing off.”
“Enough with that talk.”
Sensing Avalkin’s unusual level of irritation, Ingrid realized this was a very good sign.
Avalkin had let noble ladies stay in the castle before, but never had anything questionable happened.
‘Might need to give him a little push.’
She’d known Avalkin his entire life and could read him like a book. Confidently, she said:
“If you don’t like her, you could always return her.”
“…What?”
Startled, Avalkin turned to her. Ingrid simply smiled knowingly.
“She’s just a slave, after all.”
“You, of all people, saying that? You know the situation.”
“Well, since you personally bought her, I assumed she suited your taste. After all, even if everything else works, you can’t force attraction.”
Ingrid, a mother of six, spoke from experience.
Avalkin, concerned someone might overhear, muttered under his breath,
“I didn’t say I wasn’t attracted to her.”
“Well, that’s a relief. So you could marry the noble lady and still have a child with a local Yeshken girl, if needed. Oh, here she is.”
As she handed the duck over to a kitchen maid, Ingrid began explaining how it should be cooked. Meanwhile, Avalkin took a moment to sort through his thoughts.
‘An heir…’
Avalkin’s full name was long and complex: Istvan-Zsigmond von Yeshken.
“Von Yeshken” came from the land he governed. But “Istvan-Zsigmond” had a more unusual origin.
Yeshken was once part of the Istvan Kingdom, ruled by unicorn beastkin in the far north of the continent.
The Kalhorn Empire didn’t conquer Istvan through war—but through marriage.
The combined family name reflected this historical union: Istvan (the unicorn kingdom) and Zsigmond (the noble family from the empire).
So Avalkin was both a border lord in the empire and the rightful king of the old unicorn realm.
The problem? Not with his noble title—but with his heir.
Unicorn beastkin can only reproduce through union with a virgin human woman.
Once a woman has been with any man, even once, she can’t bear a unicorn child.
No exceptions. No workarounds.
Most noble ladies lose their virginity before marriage—either by choice or due to political arrangements.
And that’s not immoral—it’s human.
Noblewomen often seek love before entering forced political marriages. It’s seen as their last chance to choose.
As long as they don’t get pregnant—or hide it if they do—it’s quietly accepted.
Unfortunately, for Avalkin’s purposes, social virginity wasn’t enough.
So every time he approached a noble family, he had to ask them to accept this deal:
“I will marry your daughter, but have a child with another woman.”
Not surprisingly, no one ever agreed.
‘That’s why Bellaxina is different.’
She’d been engaged to the Crown Prince since childhood.
As the future empress, she had to remain spotless.
No one dared to flirt with her. If anyone even tried, she would probably have slapped them with a scathing insult and a glass of champagne.
“Yeshken needs a mistress of the house. If she could bear an heir too, even better,” Ingrid said with a soft smile.
She was gently helping Avalkin realize the obvious: Bellaxina was perfect for him—and there might never be another chance like this.
“I know what’s expected of me,” he said.
“You always have. You’ve always focused more on duty than privilege.”
Ingrid stepped closer and added,
“But you’re forgetting something important.”
“What is it?”
“The mistress of Yeshken is also supposed to be your partner.”
Now Avalkin understood what she was getting at.
Yes, Bellaxina fits all the practical requirements. But was she the right person to be with?
Ingrid was saying: She can accept whatever choice you make. Even if it hurts that woman.
“I only ever wish for your happiness, my lord.”
Even if that meant being cruel to the woman involved.
Avalkin let out a soft sigh, a little overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility.
“…Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”
At this point, he preferred when Ingrid just told him to take off his shirt to impress the girl.
“Return her, she says… as if one woman’s entire life depends on my decision.”
“I do hope you two get along. It’s rare to find a noble lady with such a wild, thorny spirit.”
“Please stop calling her a ‘wild weed.’”
“Let’s say it’s a spirit that suits Yeshken.”
Avalkin shook his head and went back to his duties.
****
“How do I look?”
Alicia watched Bellaxina carefully as she admired her reflection in the mirror, wearing the gown Alicia had stayed up all night to alter.
The deep navy velvet was now adorned with tiny gem-like accents. Bellaxina examined the gown under the light.
‘I thought there wouldn’t be enough fabric… but this girl has talent.’
Taking in a dress to make it smaller is easy with skill.
Making a too-small dress larger is a real challenge—it requires matching extra fabric, which is often impossible with older gowns.
Yet Alicia had cleverly opened the neckline and bust area, inserting lace of a different but matching color, creating a new and elegant design.
“You did well.”
Bellaxina’s brief praise made Alicia beam.
“Thank you!”
“You did the work. Why are you thanking me?”
“Because I’m happy.”
Bellaxina chuckled.
“You should’ve said, ‘Because you’re the one evaluating the result, my lady.’”
“I’ll remember that. Oh! Speaking of which…”
Alicia perked up, remembering something.
“Your new bedroom should be ready. Would you like to inspect it? Patricia says this one has both a window and a fireplace!”
Bellaxina sighed.
A duchess being happy about a window and a fireplace? How far I’ve fallen.
Still, she said nothing.
She wasn’t officially married yet, so technically, she was still just a guest.
“Alright. Lead the way.”
“Yes, my lady!”
Alicia, glowing with pride, led the way—excited both to show off her work and to be seen walking with the woman who had just praised her.
They arrived at a large room on the third floor of the inner castle.
“I greet you, my lady. I’m Patricia, your new chambermaid.”
“I’m Natasha, your bath maid.”
Bellaxina nodded briefly.
Unlike capital nobility, it seemed that in Yeshken there wasn’t much difference between a maid and a servant.
‘Small population, I suppose.’
The imperial capital had over 2 million people.
Yeshken? Barely a tenth of that.
And out of those, not many would be educated enough to serve in a noble household.
“Alicia said the room was redone. Show me.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The doors opened. Bellaxina stepped inside.
The room was simple:
- Large bed
- One door to a study, another to a bath
- Oval red carpet
- Small table and two chairs
- Long bench by the window
- Fireplace
It was a normal, decent room—not too grand, but not poor either.
It didn’t even feel much inferior to Avalkin’s own chambers.
“It’ll do.”
Patricia let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Thank you, my lady.”
“You did the work. What are you thanking me for?”
“Uh, that… because…”
“Because the lady is the one who judged your efforts,” Alicia stepped in.
Quick learner. Bellaxina smiled.
“Well said.”
Patricia looked at Alicia like she’d saved her life.
Alicia had just earned herself a slight promotion among the ladies-in-waiting.
“Um, my lady,” Natasha the bath maid said shyly.
“These items were retrieved from your old room in the west tower. We thought they might be personal… Would you like to look?”
Bellaxina nodded—then frowned.
Among the items were the strange, expensive-looking book and a worn leather pouch that had caught her eye the night before.
“Something’s wrong.”
“Pardon? I thought they were yours… Especially the book—it looks very valuable.”
“I’m not talking about that.”
Bellaxina flipped the pouch upside down.
“This should have had 24 gold coins in it.”
Not a single coin dropped out.
