CHAPTER 80……………………………………….
Not long after, the paladins gathered and captured Schwarz.
I had thought that once restrained, Schwarz would be locked away in an underground cell—completely cut off from his abilities and divine power—left only to await execution. But his punishment was…
“Exile him.”
It ended with him being banished from the holy kingdom.
I returned to my room, but Schwarz’s lonely back lingered in my mind.
The way he walked weakly reminded me of the moment I had seen him in the sanctuary and screamed. There was something else that worried me.
He keeps pressing his lower abdomen…
That was where his ability’s curse resided. I had heard that his ability’s curse spread slowly.
Last time, I had helped loosen the curse somewhat, and it seemed he had poured all his strength into this latest fight.
When I arrived at my room, I opened the door and froze.
Gift boxes were stacked everywhere.
At the same time, I remembered what Schwarz had told me:
“Flowers, jewels, dresses… and the cookies you liked.”
He had brought so many gifts for me. I couldn’t bring myself to open them and had piled them in a corner of the room, stopping mid-way.
I couldn’t just leave them there, worrying me like this.
As I stepped outside, I bumped right into Cassius, who was heading toward the office.
“Where are you going?”
I felt a strange sensation, as if I had been caught doing something wrong.
He slowly scanned me from head to toe.
“You look restless.”
“Well…”
I was concerned about Schwarz, but I didn’t want to lie to Cassius.
“May I explain when I return?”
I couldn’t reveal the truth immediately, especially with guards nearby.
Cassius grabbed my wrist as I tried to move away. I flinched, worried he might read my thoughts.
He whispered just enough for me to hear:
“Since permission hasn’t been given, I won’t read them.”
He didn’t use his ability to read my mind, but he seemed to already know my destination.
“You want to go, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“I just drove him away…”
His voice was soft, almost inaudible, but I carefully asked, sensing restrained anger.
“Are you upset?”
“Yes, because you’re going to another Alpha.”
“…You caught me.”
“You want to go? Then I’ll let you. But be sure to come back.”
He tightened his grip as if trying to hold me back. I cautiously observed him. His eyes were fixed firmly on me.
“Be sure.”
He emphasized it again.
I nodded awkwardly, and only then did he release me.
Even as I distanced myself from Cassius, I felt his gaze. I didn’t turn around, but it seemed as if his eyes were drilling into me.
He really didn’t like that I was going to an Alpha like Schwarz.
Jealous, huh.
Because I was going to meet another Alpha.
Feeling this strange mix of amusement and awkwardness, I quickly headed toward the place where Schwarz’s carriage waited.
Passing through the Holy Treasury, I arrived at the main hall. At the entrance stood a huge, jet-black carriage.
The paladins surrounding it had stepped back, and the driver shook the reins.
“Wait! Stop!”
I ran as fast as I could toward the carriage.
The massive horses halted in place with a loud thrum.
I quickly ran down the temple steps and grabbed the carriage door. It wasn’t locked, so it opened easily.
Without asking the owner’s permission, I climbed in. The driver didn’t stop me, so I assumed it was fine.
The interior was as spacious as it looked outside. Schwarz inside glared at me.
Strangely, I wasn’t scared. I understood the meaning behind that murderous glare.
Like Michael.
The expression of someone bristling because I tried to touch his tail.
He spoke in a voice that sounded sulky:
“When you first visited the holy kingdom, you said that… you would protect me.”
I couldn’t remember exactly, but I thought I had promised to protect him, even if an assassin appeared while handing over my sword. I moved closer to him.
“That’s why I came to heal you.”
He chuckled lightly.
“Heal me? You boldly climbed into my carriage. What if we depart like this?”
“I’ll jump off.”
Even if I got a little hurt, I’d do it. I had promised to return to Cassius. He spun his head sharply and then fell silent.
Since he calmed down, I thought it would be fine to start treatment.
“Take off your clothes. I’ll check the curse.”
Looking closer, I saw he was sweating and breathing heavily. The curse’s pain must have been intense.
It also meant he had poured all his strength into fighting Cassius.
Phew.
Thankfully, there weren’t many Alpha with abilities like his.
If there had been more, the chaos from not being able to “kill each other” would have been absolute hell.
“I’ll excuse myself, Your Highness.”
I sighed and touched his shirt.
As I unbuttoned each button, his shirt stretched and revealed his muscles.
Seeing his body exposed, my hands slowed.
His solid body was a mess of old scars and thorny vines. I had seen his body before, but I still couldn’t get used to it.
When did he even start living a life of constant fighting?
I felt a brief pang of sympathy, but then I noticed the thorns and sighed. I parted his loosened shirt and touched the black-thorned yellow rose beneath.
Schwarz’s heated skin burned. The curse had spread considerably, so recovery would take some time.
“You’ve really done well. I nearly healed you last time, and now you’re already in chaos from the curse again.”
“You can just undo it again, can’t you?”
“There won’t be a next time. This is the last.”
“Because you’re marrying that guy?”
I widened my eyes and looked at him. He scoffed.
“The rumors have even reached the Empire.”
Crazy, the rumors evolved as they crossed the border.
“We never talked about marriage.”
“If it’s just unrequited love, no problem. So, shall we go to the Empire together?”
I had no reason to dodge the question. I looked Schwarz straight in the eyes and replied:
“It’s not unrequited love. I like you, too.”
“Hm.”
Suddenly, a cool scent like dawn washed over me—it was Schwarz’s pheromone. Instinctively reacting, I relaxed a little.
He inhaled deeply, as if savoring my inadvertently released pheromone.
“You haven’t even marked me yet. Seems like I still have a chance, huh?”
He brushed my hand across the curse.
“You don’t need to give me a formal position. Or even have affairs if you want.”
What is he talking about?
I smacked his curse lightly, striking as hard as I could, but he didn’t even twitch an eyelash.
“Enough. Use your abilities moderately.”
“I’ll be careful.”
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
Did Schwarz smoke? In the original story, he had quit.
“You smoke?”
“Yes, because of your scent. To forget it even a little.”
“Don’t use that as an excuse. It’s bad for your body. Quit.”
I hurriedly got off the carriage because I hated the smell lingering.
Opening the window, he said:
“Don’t forget my offer.”
Wait—he’s saying it’s fine to have affairs? Crazy.
As soon as the carriage departed, I decided to completely forget his offer.
I forced a smile and told him to go, and he chuckled.
“Seems the healer’s effect is quite strong. My body feels lighter. I’ll ask again next time.”
This time, it seemed he didn’t want to hear my answer, so he closed the window and departed quickly.
I wanted to reply to “next time.”
What does he think I am, a curse decoder?!
No next time!
I needed to resolve the Omega fever as soon as possible. Then another Omega could heal Schwarz separately.
Thinking this, I headed toward Cassius’s office, but kept feeling like I was missing something.
Curse, abilities, antidote.
As I walked slowly, I finally realized something.
The Tower Master Lloyd was also an Alpha with a psychic ability.
He had a blue rose—the symbol of the curse—on his back, if I remembered correctly.
Were there thorns?
Lloyd, trapped in the Tower, usually appeared in Lancelot’s presence by borrowing other people’s bodies. So I barely remembered a direct description of his own body.
Strange.
Shane, an ordinary Alpha, could live fine without an Omega. But Lloyd, an Alpha with abilities, needed an Omega to break the curse.
Then why did he create a disease that killed all Omegas?
He probably didn’t want to commit suicide.
Moreover, in the original story, Lloyd used abilities to borrow many bodies. Yet strangely, he never suffered from the ability’s curse.
Even though psychic abilities were supposed to be especially vulnerable to curses.
As I continued thinking, I arrived in front of Cassius’s office. I knocked gently and opened the door carefully.
“Ah, you’re here.”
His voice was a bit subdued, giving a similar feeling to Schwarz sulking and greeting me.
