CHAPTER 71………………………………………………….
Jurgen, who had been idly chewing on a piece of candy, spoke.
“Hmm… it’s nothing much. I heard that Your Highness has someone you secretly admire.”
It was something I’d heard somewhere before.
I quickly traced the source of the story in my mind. Ah! That came straight out of my own mouth.
“Moreover, that person happens to be Priest Sonia! Surprising, isn’t it? Priest Sonia might even become a saint in the future.”
Startled, I just gaped.
It was a hasty lie I had made up so that other knights wouldn’t see the traces of the curse on Cassius’s body.
But now that I thought about it, I hadn’t fixed the situation—I had just returned to the Holy Kingdom.
No wonder the priests have been treating me so well lately!
They even gave me enough food to fill my pockets, and Isaac seemed to be hurrying things along to elevate me to sainthood and have me marry Cassius.
There was also talk of the palace being given if I had a child.
So they’re talking about Cassius’s child!
At the thought of Cassius’s second generation, I imagined the child would inherit superior beauty genes, but just thinking about being by their side made me feel flushed.
Uh, I need to handle this somehow.
I lightly slapped my cheeks to calm myself and opened the office door.
Cassius was sitting cross-legged on a long sofa that could seat two.
Thud. The door closed behind me, leaving only the two of us in the room.
“You’re here.”
I walked stiffly to stand before him.
In front of the sofa where Cassius sat lay Lucius’s diary. He handed it to me and said,
“I’ve been waiting. Please read it aloud.”
Since the only seat was right next to Cassius, I chose to stand across from him.
“Weren’t you tired from walking all the way here? Please, sit.”
It would have been strange to refuse, so I sat beside him.
The rumors bothered me.
How could they have spread so fast that they’re already saying Cassius and I will have a child!
I glanced at him. Maybe Cassius had already heard the rumors too.
What would he think? Would he just dismiss them as nonsense?
I turned my eyes to Lucius’s diary, thinking that focusing on it might help me push other thoughts aside.
“Let’s begin!”
Just as I was about to open the diary, Cassius stopped me by placing his long hand on the cover.
“Before that, I have a question.”
“Yes? Yes! Go ahead.”
I stammered, uneasy from past lies.
“Does Sonia want to undergo her final awakening?”
The unexpected question made me jump.
I found myself laughing at my own nervousness. Final awakening—it seemed obvious I would want it.
“Yes.”
“You should think carefully. Once your healing powers fully awaken, many will seek to take advantage of you.”
His words made me realize that my final awakening wasn’t something to take lightly.
Many people in the world wished for miracles. Healing powers could create miracles. If I were hunted not only by obsessed mages but also by those seeking miracles, it would be very difficult.
Can I get through this?
Suddenly, the diary felt heavy in my hands, making it hard to open.
But if I didn’t awaken, people could die from Omega fever even as we speak.
It wasn’t an easy decision.
“Since you haven’t answered, it seems you need some time to think.”
“…Yes.”
“Let’s do this. You will make your decision after reading the entire diary.”
The diary was fairly thick. Alone, I could finish it in a day, but if I read it aloud every day, it would take about a week.
By then, my decision would probably be clearer.
“Alright.”
I began reading the diary, translating the ancient sacred language into the kingdom’s tongue. Cassius focused on my voice.
A lot of time passed since I started reading.
The beginning detailed Lucius’s early days as a trainee priest, which honestly was boring. Daily tasks consisted of prayer, theology study, and cleaning.
My voice sank under the monotony.
Slightly, Cassius tilted his head toward me. And he didn’t just tilt—it was getting closer.
I began noticing him more than the diary.
“Not very interesting, right?”
“No. It’s pleasant to hear.”
Pleasant to hear, not the content?
He paused thoughtfully before speaking again.
“I also heard a strange rumor.”
Ugh, I knew this moment would come.
I had prepared myself when I entered the room, but now that it was happening, I couldn’t think of any way to respond except to tell the truth.
I explained in detail what happened the day Cassius passed out drunk.
I had gone to retrieve Lucius’s diary, and Cassius had collapsed due to a curse.
When the paladins guarding the entrance rushed in to check, I told them it was lovesickness and shooed them all away.
Cassius quietly listened, meeting my gaze.
Not saying anything was scarier.
Say something already!
Having confessed all, I quickly apologized in case he scolded me.
“I should have fixed it right away, but I forgot. I’m sorry. I’ll try to resolve it somehow.”
“How?”
“I’ll say I misunderstood or didn’t know correctly.”
“That’s unnecessary.”
Was Cassius going to handle it himself?
But then he said something completely unexpected.
“I thought Sonia had read my mind.”
He, who possessed the psychic ability, not me?
I quietly listened, unable to follow his meaning.
Cassius reached out carefully, holding a strand of my curly hair without touching my cheek, smiling with his eyes.
“It’s true. A crush.”
“A crush? On whom, Your Highness?”
Instead of answering, he pressed my hair to his lips, then calmly raised his gaze to look at me. His intense eyes made me feel warm all over.
Cassius had already confessed: he wanted me.
Now it was my turn to respond.
Your Highness likes me?
It would have been a lie to say I didn’t know. He often gazed at me with that intensity.
Cassius had looked at me in many ways.
At first, his calm gaze was frightening, like a predator atop a high cliff, while I was a small, insignificant creature.
When I showed fear, he lowered himself to meet my level, and I saw different sides of him.
When he taught me pheromone control, he was like a mentor. On the journey to the Empire, he was a trustworthy companion.
Dancing at the ball brought us closer, until our relationship couldn’t be called just friends or colleagues.
I realized then that Cassius had begun gazing at me with excitement. The reason he desired me was obvious.
“Because I’m an Omega?”
“No.”
“Then…? I don’t understand.”
Why did Cassius like me?
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he spoke.
“I enjoy being with you. Seeing your eyes sparkle when you talk never gets old.”
“….”
“Your honesty about your desires is admirable too.”
His words made my cheeks warm.
“My favorite is when Sonia smiles. The way you light up at something cute captivated me.”
“Just that…”
Could such a simple thing be enough to explain liking someone?
His smile deepened.
“Many fall for trivial things. A smile seems like a pretty good reason.”
It wasn’t just that he was an Alpha drawn to an Omega. It didn’t seem to have started only after the ball either.
He seemed to have liked me for longer.
When exactly?
Flustered, I failed to control my pheromones. He took a deep breath and let go of my hair.
I didn’t fully understand my own feelings. But he, sensing my Omega pheromones mixed with emotion, likely knew my true feelings better than I did.
A cool, clear scent reached me, like being in a forest during rain.
Cassius’s pheromone.
It was the familiar scent he had sent multiple times to mask my Omega pheromones.
The emotions mixed in his Alpha pheromones weren’t clear, but they were soft, tingling, and playful.
Cassius moved closer.
I slowly traced his eyelashes, sharp nose, and lips. His closed lips parted.
“The pheromones are stronger now.”
I didn’t even think about controlling mine. Our scents blended.
Breathing it in, my chest filled with a fluttering excitement, like receiving a long-awaited gift.
Why am I like this?
My heart raced, and I felt lightheaded, almost drunk. I wanted to open this gift immediately.
Cassius spoke.
“Do you know what I’m thinking?”
I wasn’t sure, but I nodded as if I could guess. He was about to say something.
“Marry me…”
I stopped him—with my own lips.
