I Became the Emperor’s Sleeping Pill - Chapter 56

Schedule: Tuesday and Friday

“I’m considering that as well. According to the divine prophecy, Lady Luigia can sense suspicious circumstances, correct?”

“Yes, even though the dark magic isn’t visually apparent right now, I can definitely sense something strange.”

“Do you know when this ability to see dark magic will manifest?”

“That depends on Sir Zerga.” Luigia covered her cheeks with both hands and fidgeted.

Amused by her behavior, Lysei set her teacup down on the table with a chuckle. Zerga, flustered, glanced between Lysei and Luigia.

“On me?”

“My ability to see dark magic will emerge when I present as an Omega. To present as an Omega, I need to be exposed to a Dominant Alpha’s pheromones. Until I present…”

“I’ve never heard of a Beta presenting as an Omega due to a Dominant Alpha’s pheromones…”

Lysei, also having forgotten this fact, looked at Luigia. In the original novel, Luigia presented as an Omega because she spent so much time with Edin. The other Nyxnas were quickly distanced from the Emperor by the Empress, and Lysei herself was already an Omega, so she wouldn’t have reacted.

“Even so… I’m not the only Dominant Alpha. And since Lady Luigia is His Majesty’s Nyxna, wouldn’t exposure to the pheromones of an extremely Dominant Alpha, like the Emperor, allow her to present as an Omega much faster?”

“Of course, that’s possible. But being exposed to the pheromones of a genius Dominant Alpha is much better than those of just any extremely Dominant Alpha. Think about it. If I present as an Omega due to an Alpha’s pheromones, and that presentation gives me the ability to see dark magic, wouldn’t receiving the pheromones of Sir Zerga, a genius among Dominant Alphas, be a plus factor for the ability I’ll gain?”

It sounded utterly absurd, but Lysei, equally amused by Luigia’s obvious fondness for Zerga, played along. “Receiving Sir Zerga’s genius pheromones might accelerate the manifestation of Luigia’s abilities. That would be ideal.”

“….” Zerga cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed, his ears noticeably red. Luigia winked at Lysei, a gesture only Lysei could see.

“Let’s discuss this matter again after the Founding Festival.” Feigning composure, Zerga quickly changed the subject.

***

As expected, the Empress’s faction used the Founding Festival to bring many heretics into the Empire disguised as members of foreign delegations.

Theor had been traveling between countries gathering information and had located the leader of the heretics, though he hadn’t met him directly. He did, however, receive confirmation that the offer from Marquis Beneretti was still under consideration, leaving open the possibility of a future meeting.

When Zerga’s side suddenly changed the location of the Founding Monument, the Empress’s faction quickly scrambled to find a new target. They devised several scenarios to disrupt the Emperor’s street parade and instill in the citizens the belief that the current Emperor was a harbinger of disaster.

Since the dark magic was invisible, any unfortunate incidents during the parade would be attributed to the Emperor.

Lysei, anticipating unforeseen circumstances, asked Luigia, who couldn’t yet see the dark magic, how she could sense it.

Luigia explained it felt like an invisible, yet tangible, protrusion.

The original novel mentioned that after Luigia presented as an Omega and came into contact with Edin, he, too, could see the dark magic she saw.

This brought Lysei to a new question: if she came into contact with Luigia while she was still a Beta, would Edin also be able to see it?

Ultimately, only Edin possessed the power to nullify dark magic. Lysei concluded that even if Luigia couldn’t see the dark magic yet, if she and Edin maintained physical contact, he might be able to sense the strange protrusions she felt.

As a result, Luigia would stay by Edin’s side throughout the Founding Parade. If any unforeseen events occurred, their contact would allow them to test whether Edin could nullify the dark magic.

With all preparations complete, the day of the Emperor’s street parade finally arrived. Countless citizens filled the streets to catch a glimpse of their ruler.

The Marquis’s faction had planted dark magic curses along the Emperor’s parade route. In some places, they planned to use dark magic to lift people into the air and drop them onto Edin’s carriage, while in others, they planned to collapse buildings as the Emperor passed by.

While the shadows and the Imperial guards would ensure the Emperor’s safety, the goal wasn’t to harm him, but to turn public opinion against him.