A Decision

Alister doesn't remember anything else since he suddenly felt his body go limp and without strength. Alister only felt that his body was being carried in a soft horse-drawn carriage. Then, the next moment he woke up, Alister found himself lying on a soft bed that was familiar in his memory.

In his room, Alister slept with clean clothes and wounds that had been carefully treated. Bandages covered his body like a mummy. There was also a strong smell of medicine coming from his body. From his overall condition, Alister could guess that he was quite badly injured after being caught in the landslide that suddenly occurred at that time.

"Ugh."

Alister tried to support his body and got up from his lying position. But just as he moved his hand, the feeling of stinging pain made Alister choose to give up and remain lying helpless. Alister's condition was already bad when he was hit recently on his right hand. But when he tried to forcefully climb down from the tree that saved his life, Alister suffered a deep wound that made his chest hurt every time he moved.

If it weren't for his feelings for Melisa being so strong, Alister would probably have fainted before finding Melisa. Alister was lucky that he could at least hold out until then. Because he was now at his residence, Alister immediately concluded that Melisa and Teresa were saved before he lost consciousness.

Thinking about Teresa made Alister feel much calmer. The man spent his time staring at the canopy ceiling of his bed until someone entered his room.

"Young, Young Master!"

The Alister family's butler, Gery, said in disbelief when he wanted to check on Alister's condition and instead found that his young master had woken up and was busy looking up without any desire to call anyone. Only when Gery called out did Alister finally look at the butler. Alister smiled, then greeted the butler casually.

"Hello, Gerry."

"Master! Someone, please call Master and Madam!"

Alister didn't understand why people looked so surprised when he saw him conscious. He waited until his parents came and looked at him with a million emotions that confused him.

Of course, Alister had broken the rules by going and putting himself in danger. But his actions should have earned an angry look from his father, not a complicated look mixed with relief when the man saw his son's condition.

Marchioness Lilia, who is Alister's mother, cried after seeing her son finally wake up. The people around Alister were so happy when Alister finally woke up. Among all of them, perhaps only Alister himself didn't understand why everyone was so excited when they found out that he had regained consciousness.

"You... you really...."

Marquess Webster looked like he wanted to scold Alister when his son looked at them confused. However, when Marquess Webster saw that the wounds on his son's body had not completely healed, all the scolding words just got stuck in his throat.

"...Why are you guys so different when you see me? Mother, how long have I been unconscious?"

After Alister sorted out what questions he should ask, the man finally chose two questions to ask his parents. Marchioness Lilia took a deep breath before she answered her son's question with a small smile.

"Two weeks. You've been unconscious for two weeks, Alister. The doctor said you had hypothermia, and the injuries you received made your condition worse. For the first week, you were always in a condition where you were one step closer to death. ."

"Two weeks?!"

Alister thought he would be unconscious for a day or two at most. But two weeks was too much. Alister hadn't even had time to check on Melisa's condition before he suddenly lost consciousness at that moment.

"Then what happened to Melisa?"

"You fool! Not only do you dare to call Her Highness by her name. You are even more worried about her than your health!"

Actually, Marquess Webster didn't want to scold Alister anymore. However, because the child's carelessness knew no bounds, he ended up scolding his child once again. Alister could have lost his life at that moment. But compared to worrying about himself, he was still more worried about someone who had received the best care and protection from the palace.

"Father, you know how much I care about him."

"Why don't you use your concern to understand our concerns for you, huh?!"

Alister just woke up. But lately, the man couldn't help but argue with his father. Only a gentle stroke from Marchioness Lilia managed to stimulate him.

"Please let me meet him, Father!"

Marquess Webster couldn't even get angry anymore when Alister insisted on meeting someone who would become their future queen. The man took several deep breaths to calm his emotions. Thanks to his wife's support, Marquess Webster managed to control his emotions when talking to his most reckless son.

"Alister, you know that she is the Crown Prince's fiancee, right?"

"Of course."

Alister answered confidently, and it made Marquess Webster's head suddenly feel dizzy. The man took another deep breath before speaking seriously to his son.

"You know that despite your history, she can never be your wife, right? What's more, your whole family will be in trouble if you become romantically involved with the crown prince's fiancé."

Marquess Webster didn't have it in his heart when he saw Alister's sad expression. His heart softened a lot after that. Marquess Webster and his wife sat side by side, then spoke to Alister, who finally managed to lean back in a sitting position thanks to the pillows arranged by their butler.

"The doctor said that the wound on your right hand is too serious, so there is a big possibility that you won't be able to use a sword again after this. I will probably forced to appoint your younger brother as the family heir because of the rules of this kingdom. But I also don't want to leave you. Because of that, I hope you are willing to marry Lady Vanessa."

"Even though she is not part of the main Alison family, Lady Vanessa has a lot of influence in this kingdom, regardless of her status as a woman. You can enjoy a comfortable life with her, Alister. I also hope you can stop doing anything dangerous and live in peace like the two of us."

Being advised by his parents made Alister pause and think carefully about their words. Even Melisa herself had asked him to do that. However, Alister's chest seemed to be crushed by a large rock every time he thought about having to live with a woman other than Melisa.

"I wish I could do it too, Father, Mother."

Alister spoke softly because he already knew his fate through his father's explanation. The wounds on his hands were severe enough that he could no longer hold a sword. Meanwhile, the rules in the Sigmund Kingdom require a noble to at least master basic sword techniques. He who is disabled will no longer be able to be the head of the family. With his condition, it was fortunate that Lady Vanessa still wanted to marry him.

"You can do it. We will help you do it, Alister."

Alister realized that his family only meant well and thought of his condition. Alister had made his young brother bear the burden of being the new heir. Therefore, marrying another woman should be a small price to pay for his mistake.

Alister was gloomy, but he no longer rejected what his parents wanted from him.

"Then, please allow me to meet Her Highness one last time."

His parents looked doubtful after hearing Alister's words. Therefore, Alister immediately continued his words before they misunderstood further.

"I will only accept his good intentions to visit the person who saved his life. As you wish, I will forget my feelings for him. Therefore, please let me see him one last time."

Even though Alister's parents were sad to hear Alister's words, they remained strong for the good of their child too. Marquess Webster nodded in agreement with Alister's request. They both held their son's palm and whispered to comfort Alister, who looked so tormented.

"Thank you for trying to understand, Alister," they said in low voices.