I was wounded, and he was helping me. I was helpless, and because of that, I was also ashamed of myself. He took me to the mansion.
I said to him,
"—…You don't need to carry me like this. I can walk."
"—My Lady… (he paused suddenly.) I'm sorry, what should I call you? You probably don't like me calling you Lady. Should I call you Princess? Or Sultan?"
"—You can call me Almila."
"—By your name? "
"—The man who showed me this kindness should be able to call me by my name. Besides, if you wish, you can also call me Princess or Lady. I'm beginning to realize that when you call me "Princess," your intention isn't bad, it's just out of habit, Mr. Stormwell. You can call me whatever you want. Lady, Sultan, Almila, Madam. It's up to you. You can use them all if you wish."
"—I understand. You can also call me Victor, Madam Almila."
" —…"
I fell silent.
"—After you recover, we'll take you back to your home. If you wish, of course. If not, we'll find another solution. If you want to stay away from your family, I can help you. I have a mansion a little way from here. You can stay there."
"—Why… why are you treating me like this? So polite? What are you aiming for? I know men, Sir. They all have a hidden agenda that they can't hide."
"—I do have an agenda, that might be the only thing you're not mistaken about regarding me. But on the other matter, My Lady, I'm afraid I'll have to break your generalization, but it's not pleasant that you approach me with the same prejudice you despise. I sense you'll be surprised as you get to know me. Most of those I know say I'm a respectable person. Once someone hears my name, they never forget it."
"—You're very confident. I don't like self-confidence in people like you."
"—It's a matter of preference. I find self-confidence fitting for myself. A future king should be able to be this confident about himself."
"—King, you say… So you're going to take over this empire and establish an aristocracy, a feudal system?"
—"Yes. It's a guaranteed method for me."
"—That's not very logical, though. It divides society."
—"If you're going to give all the power to someone in a government, you have to be sure that person is truly trustworthy. It seems the reins weren't given to someone completely trustworthy."
—"How can you know? Whether a person is trustworth or not?
—"You just can't know. That's why there aren't many countries in the world where politics are always good."
—"Victor, let me be frank. I've seen many people like you. I know all the games you play by heart. Your end is either rope or gun. I'm not saying this to be mean. It's true you helped me, but please consider what I'm saying as a warning."
"—This time, I think the game will surprise you."
We smiled. We were both enjoying this banter. In modern terms, we were flirting. Victor joined me. We entered Victor's mansion. The servants were surprised to see us suddenly. "I've never seen our master with a girl before..."
"Is she his fiancée?"
They immediately started gossiping. Victor silenced them. But I had already heard what I needed to hear.
I said to him,
"You haven't had many female friends, have you? Wouldn't a man as superior and arrogant as you have at least four ladies on his arm every day? It seems you're not that superior." I said, intending to annoy him. I smiled.
He replied,
"Why, My Lady? Do you think women should be in the arms of men who consider themselves superior like me? Do you really see women as so worthless? I am a man who values women, My Lady. I believe women deserve men who love them for their individual thoughts and personalities. Not men who only look at their appearance and treat them like objects. That's my ideal, at least. I don't know about yours."
He had won this round. He beat me at my own game. But his victory only fueled my determination. In the next round, I had to give everything I had. While I was thinking how to respond to him, I suddenly found myself in front of the mansion's doctor. He had brought me to him.
Victor led me to a room, filled with medicine and other things; it was probably the mansion's infirmary. Then he closed the door and spoke to someone. He hid me. Perhaps he didn't want that person to see me? So I listened to them from behind the door.
—"Sir. The Sultan has officially announced that Mr. Karan is engaged to Princess Leyla."
I was shocked, my mouth dropped open. My hands suddenly started trembling. I was going to go crazy with anger.
My leg was injured, but I was so angry that I supported myself from the side and came to the door and said,
—"My fiancée and my sister! How could they do such a thing!?"
Victor's assistant was surprised to see me. His mouth dropped open.
I said to his assistant,
—"Answer me!"
He replied,
—"After all, the princess has been missing for a few days… They've decided she's dead."
—"A few days? A few days haven't passed! A few hours have passed!"
I stepped in front of him,
The assistant,
—Victor, what's your new plan? It's hard to guess what you're planning by bringing this girl here…
Victor,
—"Is there a problem, Sebastian? I just decided."
—"Of course not…"
I waited for an answer,
—"Your name is Sebastian, isn't it? Answer me. How could they have proven I was dead?! Not even a proper day has passed! You seem to know!"
—"They found your body. It was torn apart by a bear."
—"…How…How could they tell such a lie! What did I do that they wanted to erase me like this! Even my fiancée…Why was I so worthless that I could be discarded in a single day!?"
Victor turned to me,
—"Who said you wanted to be ruler? Was it my grandfather?(He said it with sarcasm)That's why they might have seen you as a threat"
Sebastian,
—"No sir. Your grandfather Philip Stormwell certainly didn't say such a thing."
—Yes. Sebastian, I know. Can you give us some time?
—"Yes sir."
Sebastian walked away.
I started to cry.
—"Normally, after the death of a member of a sultan's family, time would stop for 50 days! No wedding or engagement announcements would be made. Why did this happen..!"
—"I'm sorry, Almila. I'm sorry for what happened."
I turned to Victor.
—"Victor, how much power can you give me? If I marry you..?"
—How much do you want?
—"I want them to bow before me! I want them to beg in agony! I want every move I make to be recorded in history."
—"(He laughed.) My Lady. That's my real plan. To bring us both to the most powerful position in this world. To a position where no one can oppose us, where they can't even breathe without our permission."
—"Okay…but don't get killed. What will I do if this future possibility is lost because of a tiny bullet? (I was crying with anger.) What have I become?! I'm practically proposing marriage to a man!"
—"Please. Your wounds still need to heal. Don't worry about such things. Besides, I proposed first. You only indicated your acceptance."
—"If my crying seems pitiful to you, I can cry in another room"
—"I didn't mean that."
—"…"
—"Your leg hasn't even been examined by a doctor yet; we don't know how bad it is but you are still standing."
—"It's alright…My family. They disowned me in an instant. I'm so weak, Victor. They shouldn't have done this to me..."
—"I had an idea."
—"What is it?"
—"Let's go to your funeral together. Let's show them you're alive."