The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

"What did you say?" Malvina's eyes widened in disbelief, convinced she had misheard.

Was the genius mind of his really that different?

Ulrich looked at her with utter seriousness. "I've been giving it a lot of thought on my way here, and I realized that I want to be with you- for a lifetime, just like my parents."

Initially, he had only planned to confess his feelings.

But somehow, Tristan and Sienna got wind of it.

Most likely, Elara, who was in on the plan, let the cat out of the bag!

Tristan, having misunderstood, thought Ulrich was planning to propose.

After a transatlantic call filled with earnest advice from Tristan, insisting that Ulrich treat Malvina well, Ulrich felt more and more that something was off. After clearing up the misunderstanding, father and son hit upon an idea: why not propose directly?

"Dr. Schnabel, are you serious?"

"Absolutely! I like you, and I want to be with you every day!"

Malvina stared at the earnest man before her.

Ulrich, clad in his white suit, looked somewhat similar to how he did in his white coat, casting an enigmatic aura reminiscent of a vampire knight from a medieval castle.

"Dr. Schnabel, are you sure you've thought this through?"

She was astounded!Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Whether it was Ulrich’s affection for her or his sudden decision to propose, both were equally shocking. Was Ulrich overwhelmed by work stress to the point of madness?

"I've thought about it a lot! I know I'm not the smartest, and I don't know how to pursue a girl, but every time I see you, I feel incredibly happy!"

Ulrich struggled to describe his feelings.

It was as if after years of barrenness, the first flower had suddenly bloomed in the soil!

From the moment he secretly saved a photo of Malvina, to finding himself smiling at it after a long surgery day.

From his nightly strolls near the Shadow Dragon Society, devoid of purpose until he laid eyes on Malvina.

From seeing Palmer going out with Noella, and his first thought not being his sister being taken away but wondering if Malvina would like the place they were going to...

Through these moments, Ulrich realized he was completely smitten!

"Malvina, do you like me? Would you marry me and join my family? My mom and sister, they all really like you!"

Malvina felt nervous and out of her depth.

"But, this is all so sudden. And I'm still young, not in a hurry to get married."

"It’s okay, you can grow up after marrying me, or not grow at all; it doesn't matter, everything you need, I've got you."

Malvina's heart skipped a beat.

"Dr. Schnabel, I'm tempted to accept, but... I must decline.

You know about my family, and I just don't have faith in something like marriage. Maybe it's not for me, you should find someone else."

A hint of disappointment flickered in Ulrich's eyes, but it quickly vanished.

He smiled. "It's okay to reject my proposal, then compensate me by becoming my girlfriend."

"What?"

She had already declined. Then how could Ulrich continue to confess?

"Be my girlfriend. You don’t need to consider marriage. I want to marry you because I want to share everything with you - my wealth, my family, and lots of love. My family adores you, and

from the first day we met, I've been captivated by you, Ms. Gruber. Please, give me a chance to love you openly. Will you?"

All Malvina ever wanted was love!

Her eyes were slightly moist as she looked at Ulrich firmly.

"Are you sure it's me?"

"It's you, only you. It can only be you, and it will always be you!"

"But I... I'm not as pretty as I used to be, and I don't have a family."

Ulrich smiled gently. "I'm your doctor. Your wounds will heal, and even if they don't, I don't mind! As for family, mine is yours."

Facing such unwavering eyes, Malvina felt her resolve waver.

All her life, she had never been chosen so firmly.

Perhaps all she ever wanted was someone to love her firmly, something she never got from the Gruber family, and never expected from a stranger.

But now, it seemed possible.

Malvina smiled softly.

"Okay, I accept."

If someone chose her firmly, she could also be brave for love, just this once!

Ulrich was momentarily stunned before realizing what Malvina had said. He quickly stood up and spun her around in his arms several times!

Hiding behind a nearby tree, Elara and Noella watched the scene unfold.

This was too good to miss for Elara; she wouldn't dream of leaving now!

"Did they just make it official? Why isn't he kissing her?" Elara wondered aloud.

"My guess is that he just doesn't know how."

Ulrich was a total novice in romance.

Beyond holding Malvina and dancing around in joy, he was clueless about what else to do.

The happiness between Ulrich and Malvina was palpable, even to the bystanders; it was almost like pink bubbles were about to burst out!

Elara gleefully live-streamed the entire scene to the Schnabel family, and received comments from each one of them.

Tristan: [Your mother and I booked the earliest flight back! We need to celebrate!]

Sienna: [I knew we should've kept that honeymoon brochure! Time to put it to good use!]

Stirling: [No way, Ulrich moved fast! I told you he had that look in his eyes for Ms. Gruber!]

Jasper: [It's not Ms. Gruber anymore, it's our sister-in-law.]

Beckett made a bank transfer to them in celebration.

…

In the heart of Serene Haven, nestled within the grandeur of Phoenix Tower, lay the quaint yet imposing Schnabel Manor.

Inside her room, Noella had just finished setting up her mini-computer. Despite its palm-sized frame, it boasted both essential and some rather unexpected features.

Inserting a USB drive into it, Noella was met with a prompt for a password on the screen.

She furrowed her brows slightly. When she had originally crafted this intricate piece, she hadn't programmed it to require a password.

It must have been something her grandma had set up herself.

First, Noella tried entering her own birthday, only to be greeted with an 'Incorrect Password' message.

After a moment of contemplation, she typed in another date - a special one that only she and her grandmother shared, commemorating the unique way they used to celebrate her birthday together.

The drive unlocked successfully.

A video began to play, and there on the screen was Harriet Lambert, her gaze as tender as ever, seemingly looking right at Noella through the digital barrier. Her eyes were soft, and her lips curved into a gentle, loving smile.

"Noella, this message is meant for you only.

I miss you dearly, and I wanted to say, I'm sorry, my dear!"