Chapter 21…………………………………

I asked carefully.

“Are you awake?”

“…Yes.”

He began to sit up, but the moment he felt the towel slipping down, he froze and lay back down again.

Our eyes met—perfectly.

Cassius’s cheeks and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

“Is your fever rising again?”

“…No. That’s not it.”

He even turned his gaze away.

I had a feeling I knew why.
I wanted to die of embarrassment too.

‘The steam covered everything—I didn’t see! Don’t worry! Your lower half is perfectly safe!’

Of course, I couldn’t say something that bold out loud.

Better change the subject entirely.

“I think you collapsed because of the curse on your ability. Should I… touch you a bit more?”

“Touch…?”

“T-the curse! Should I press it again? With my hand…?”

“……”

This suffocating, painfully awkward atmosphere—what am I supposed to do with it?

I was losing my mind. I suddenly wanted to cry.

It was frustrating. I wanted to tell him the whole truth and prove my innocence.

I didn’t see anything. Please believe me.

Well… I saw the outline, but still!

Cassius slowly turned his head away. It looked like he was avoiding my eyes, lying sideways like that.

I felt wrongfully accused. Maybe it would have been less upsetting if I really had seen everything.

His ears, now fully exposed to me in that position, turned even redder.

“It’s all right… it was an accident.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m the one who received your help.”

Despite his reassuring words, I still felt mortified.

Then he spoke again.

“Please remove the curse on my ability. I beg you.”

“You can count on me.”

I placed my hand on his exposed shoulder and pressed firmly.

It would’ve been nice if I could erase it completely.

The black thorns shrank, but the smaller they became, the slower they disappeared.

The closer the thorns were to the red rose, the stronger the curse, and the slower the decay.

They faded slowly, sluggishly… then eventually stopped shrinking at all.

This was the limit of an unmarked Omega’s power.

I quickly averted my eyes from his body.

He’d said he hated revealing himself while cursed—so I couldn’t keep staring.

He gently wrapped his hand around the back of mine and whispered.

“Thanks to you, I feel much better. Thank you, Sonia.”

“This is nothing. If you ever need me again, just call.”

Preferably somewhere that isn’t a bathroom.

He turned toward me, meeting my eyes—ruby-colored eyes.

Maybe because we were in a bathroom, with moisture in the air, but… the atmosphere felt strangely intimate.

I was quietly looking into his eyes when—

The sound of a key turning came from outside. Then someone shouted.

“Your Holiness Cassius, are you here? You weren’t in your office so I came to look for you.”

“Kyaaa!”

The shift in atmosphere suddenly felt like we were committing a sin, and I screamed.

A long curtain blocked the entrance to the bath, and a human silhouette appeared behind it.

“That voice… So Priestess Sonia is still with Your Holiness. Inside, even.”

Isaac’s shadow froze mid-sentence.

“A-ahem! My apologies for interrupting. I’ll lock the door from outside, so please—enjoy your time!”

And Isaac hurried away.

Feeling uneasy at his words, I looked toward the curtain where our silhouettes were cast—and gasped.

It looked like I was straddling Cassius.

Heat rushed to my face instantly.

Anyone would misunderstand that!

Cassius’s face reddened just as fiercely—and at the same moment, the curse marks surged outward again, spreading all the way up his shoulder.

W-what?

If the curse is spreading, that means he’s using his ability again.

He was actively using it—right now.

What kind of ability activates at this moment!?

Cassius covered his burning-red face with the back of his hand and muttered.

“It seems he misunderstood… I can take responsibility, but…”

He kept talking, but my mind was scrambled by the horrific misunderstanding, so none of it sank in.

***

Isaac was troubled.

He had panicked at the two figures clinging together so suspiciously behind the curtain and had misunderstood for a moment—but after thinking it through carefully, the possibility of Cassius and Sonia becoming lovers was extremely low.

No—almost nonexistent.

Isaac had served Cassius since childhood and observed his every move.

As the future Holy Sovereign, Cassius must eventually take a consort and leave an heir. Usually, the next Sovereign is betrothed young.

Even the previous Holy Sovereign had introduced Omega girls to the young Cassius.

Those Omegas were so beautiful that even Beta men proposed to them.
Cassius took one look and said, “Their pheromones are revolting,” and sent them away.

Every Omega afterwards received the same treatment.

After the Omega fever epidemic, Isaac even suggested he meet Beta women instead.

The chance of children was lower, but an Alpha and Beta could still conceive.

Cassius refused Betas too.

All because of his ability.

His power activated regardless of his will.

Normally, he suppressed it, but when his bare skin touched someone else’s, it triggered automatically.

Isaac understood, but Cassius couldn’t avoid taking a consort forever.

‘Priestess Sonia is doomed.’

Everyone who accidentally triggered Cassius’s ability through touch had been exiled far away.

All they’d needed was a towel at the door—why did she go into the bath?

Unlike the others, she also knew the secret of his ability.

This time, she might need to be executed by the paladins.

But days passed, and Cassius still didn’t punish her.

Was he unsure how to handle her?

“Your Holiness, what do you plan to do about Priestess Sonia?”

“What about her?”

“…No, nothing.”

The silhouettes had been far too close.

Even if he gave them the benefit of the doubt, their hands had surely touched.

Yet he forgave her? The Holy Sovereign?

‘I need to confirm this.’

Whatever happened that day.

When the day’s duties ended, Isaac went to find Sonia. She happened to be alone.

“Good evening, Priestess Sonia.”

She bowed politely.

“Sir Isaac, what brings you here?”

“I have something to confirm.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about what happened in the bathhouse a few days ago.”

Isaac had no talent for talking around things, so he said it directly.

“To me, it looked as though you climbed onto His Holiness.”

Sonia flailed in panic.

“N-no! I-I did not! He collapsed, so I held his shoulders to support him… and I leaned over to hear his voice!”

“So His Holiness collapsed, and you supported him?”

“Yes!”

“Did you touch His Holiness’s body?”

“I didn’t touch, I supported him!”

“With your bare hands?”

“…Yes.”

What in the world?

“Heh… hahaha…”

Isaac let out a hollow laugh.

She continued explaining desperately.

“It was an accident. I had no choice!”

She insisted nothing inappropriate happened—that it was merely medical assistance.

Cassius, who was indifferent even to the most stunning Omega women…

‘So Betas are fine.’

Well, he had always said Omega pheromones disgusted him. Betas were probably okay.

For the first time, Isaac felt the empty consort seat might be filled soon.

“Priestess Sonia.”

“Y-yes…?”

She looked like a frightened rabbit, afraid she’d be scolded.

“You did well.”

She blinked, not understanding.

Isaac smiled meaningfully.

If that’s how it is, then he would simply create more opportunities for the two to be alone.

Cassius, coincidentally, said he had more work to finish and would stay in his office longer.

“Do you have remaining duties?”

Sonia, who had no official tasks assigned, had more than enough time. Isaac knew that.

She had no idea what he was planning, so she couldn’t answer and only darted her eyes around nervously.

“His Holiness is very busy. Go assist him.”

“……”

“You said nothing happened, so I’m relieved. You’ll go help him, right?”

***

Knock knock—someone tapped on the office door.

Cassius assumed Isaac had returned.

But the visitor wasn’t Isaac.

“Sonia? What brings you here?”

Cassius possessed a mental-type ability that let him read others’ thoughts.

If he didn’t suppress it, people’s thoughts would flood in endlessly.

But when he had physical contact with someone, their thoughts flowed in with ease.

He had connected with Sonia several times.

Even without intending to, he could read her thoughts.

‘Think pure thoughts. Ah! Flowers—think of flowers!’

Sonia was remembering the bathroom incident while looking at him.

“Sir Isaac sent me, saying I should come help.”

She spoke calmly, but her mind was completely different.

‘His Holiness’s body in the bath was… in many ways… truly surprising…’

The pen in Cassius’s hand twitched.

At least she didn’t seem disgusted. That was… a relief.