CHAPTER 49…………………………………………………
Feeling reassured, I nodded.
“That’s right. This is reality.”
The corners of his eyes softened.
“You’ll be returning to the Holy Kingdom in a few days. Until then, rest here.”
I glanced around at his words.
This wasn’t even a palace where priests stayed.
“Where is this?”
“This is a villa the Emperor provided.”
At his words, the scenery I had only glimpsed before now became clear.
The carvings on the walls were extravagant, too luxurious for words. It was a palace that only royalty would use.
A temporary residence… and yet, it’s a villa?
I had expected a small building for servants!
I’m not a noble who inherited a title. A building like this was over the top.
“This place?”
“Yes. The Emperor also has a responsibility to cover the incident, so don’t worry and just rest.”
Cassius acted as though it was natural to pry further.
A sense of burden I hadn’t felt before began to form, but for now, I nodded in understanding.
His hand moved away. When the familiar warmth disappeared, I felt a twinge of disappointment and rubbed the back of my neck.
‘Huh?’
I felt something bumpy on the back of my neck. I kept rubbing it to confirm exactly what it was.
Watching me, he finally spoke.
“Ah, I should have explained first… While you were asleep, Sonia, I passed my pheromones to you.”
I felt as if something had climbed onto my body—it turned out to be Cassius.
But this…
‘It looks like a hickey!’
Cassius had injected me with alpha pheromones a few times before, but never leaving a mark like this.
“I think you were a bit too rough…!”
He blushed slightly.
“The pheromones on your body were so strong that I kissed you without asking for permission. But because the scent was so strong, I lost control of my strength…”
I felt my face heat up at his words.
Even though I didn’t remember it, the mark remained, and that was embarrassing.
I couldn’t really do anything about it.
With Shane and Schwartz in the palace, I couldn’t keep releasing omega pheromones continuously.
Still, feeling embarrassed that Cassius’s mark remained on the back of my neck, I pulled the blanket around me and curled up.
Not seeing it made me more conscious of it.
He lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“…No. It can’t be helped. Just don’t leave a mark next time.”
If I used my healing power, the alpha pheromones would disappear, so I had no choice but to leave them.
He nodded.
For some reason, I felt warm. Quietly lying there, I thought back to what had happened in the sanctuary.
‘I lost control of my pheromone storage.’
Schwartz, who tortured and killed me, was terrifying. In my fear, I released my pheromones with all the emotion I had.
“Don’t come near me! Stay away! I’m scared, I hate this!”
All the negative emotions drove away the alpha pheromones Cassius had left in my body.
And my omega pheromones spread freely with their own scent.
“…I released omega pheromones in the sanctuary.”
“I know. Come to think of it, Prince Shane was there too.”
“Prince Shane as well?”
Having met many omegas, Shane would surely be able to distinguish pheromone scents clearly.
“Yes. I might be able to cover it up for now using my alpha pheromones. Until you return to the Holy Kingdom, stay quietly in the villa.”
This was the villa the Emperor had provided.
‘Prince Shane wouldn’t dare touch me while I’m under the Emperor’s protection.’
That seemed like the safer option, so I accepted the arrangement.
He stood.
“I’ve assigned Jurgen to guard you.”
“Thank you.”
Cassius left with a faint smile.
Alone, I sank deeper into my thoughts.
He had mentioned Shane but said nothing about Schwartz.
Then the Schwartz who appeared underground was clearly an illusion, right?
His pulling me to his mansion had been fake.
Yet some things about Schwartz’s appearance were unsettling, making it hard to tell what was true.
Most notably, Schwartz’s final expression bothered me.
When I was held in his arms, I could see him closely.
The illusionary Schwartz looked at me with a chilling, cold gaze.
His expressionless eyes watched me as he swung his sword, clearly detached…
But the Schwartz holding me had been worried, as if something might happen to me.
When I screamed, his face contorted.
A tortured, sorrowful, pained, bitter expression met my eyes briefly, and then he handed me to Cassius, letting go of his lingering attachment.
Schwartz’s back seemed unusually heavy, as if weighed down by wounds.
‘Was that all fake?’
If it was an illusion, why did he later show an apologetic expression? I couldn’t understand.
After thinking so much, my head felt dizzy, likely from a slight fever.
I collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.
Then, I woke up to a strange voice.
Cassius, having calmed Sonia, stepped outside.
His expression instantly turned cold.
Jurgen, who was at the entrance, bowed.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Cassius looked down at Jurgen with an expressionless face.
“I won’t forgive a second time.”
Jurgen had been ordered to protect Sonia at all costs, even at the risk of his life.
He had tried his best, but instead of protecting her, the hallucination-inducing powder caused a mess.
Jurgen placed his fist over his heart.
It was a vow to risk his life.
“I will remember.”
“Have you finished investigating the sanctuary?”
While Sonia was unconscious, Cassius had released the paladin and priest to investigate the healing sanctuary.
“Yes. The bodies in the sanctuary’s maze are those who died in ancient times.”
“What about the ones at the entrance?”
The bodies found in the maze had been long dead, reduced to skeletons.
But the ones at the entrance seemed strange.
They wore priest robes, but had died recently.
Moreover, the air around them was dry, mummifying most of them, yet there were red marks on their hands or foreheads.
It was evidence of forbidden alchemy, but no alchemical sigils were found.
It seemed the evidence had been erased.
“They all died ten years ago. Their identities were confirmed, but none were priests. They deliberately wore priest robes to resemble the bodies in the maze.”
Cassius muttered.
“Ten years ago…”
The scale of the sacrifices suggested a massive killing.
If many had died ten years ago, it was during an omega fever epidemic.
‘Was the fever artificially created?’
The traces of alchemy suggested involvement from the Mage Tower.
Since losing the war with the Holy Kingdom, the Mage Tower was under their supervision. Alchemists had to wear restraints made with the sacred power of the earth, and entering unapproved lands was forbidden.
So the likelihood of someone leaving the Mage Tower and performing forbidden arts in the sanctuary was low.
‘Someone in the Empire is involved.’
Only high-ranking nobles could contact the Mage Tower.
Cassius’s ability could read thoughts in real-time.
Reading the thoughts of someone firmly closed off required multiple touches or strong use of the ability.
For now, this investigation would continue once they returned to the Holy Kingdom.
Having finished, Cassius moved to a room not far from Sonia’s bedroom.
He also moved his own room nearby.
He felt uneasy leaving her alone.
Sertina was summoned by the Emperor and arrived at the audience hall.
After formal greetings, a seat was arranged for her due to her leg, and the Emperor invited her to sit.
Then he dismissed everyone else.
Only Sertina and the Emperor remained in the hall.
‘This might be a long conversation.’
Thinking that, Sertina sat down.
Emperor Jade spoke.
“I’ve discussed with the priests why the princess’s leg hasn’t healed.”
Were the priests bringing up money again?
Sertina recalled priests who demanded wealth in exchange for healing.
It disgusted her to think of them shamelessly coming to the Empire to demand money.
“It seems your devotion hasn’t reached the heavens sufficiently.”
How much would they want to satisfy the priests’ greed?
She wanted to ask, but wasn’t allowed to speak yet.
“So I spoke with you and concluded that it would be best for you to undergo priest training.”
Sertina thought she misheard.
Jade’s words were that shocking.
Seeing cracks form in Sertina’s calm expression, Jade spoke.
“You must be surprised. But consider it an opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”
Priest training typically took about ten years.
To be absent for ten years during such a politically important period…
It was as if he was saying she had no value as a pawn and wouldn’t even be considered as a candidate for succession.
“Father! That’s too much!”
“I only suggest this thinking of you. Consider, your Highness, there is no current consort.”
“What does that have to do with me becoming a priest?”
“Remaining here to be used in a political marriage is worse than becoming a consort, isn’t it?”
But that’s impossible—Cassius doesn’t like me; he emits killing intent at me.
