Chapter 77
“I don’t know if it’s day or night, hot or cold, raining or clear, just by looking at a clock, so I’m curious about those things.”
“….”
“Is Edin still looking for me?”
“…He is.”
At Theor’s words, Lysei’s face hardened instantly.
“Sei, Edin is….”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“….”
“Right now, I don’t want to hear anything.”
Lysei said, lowering her head. Truly, she didn’t want to hear anything right now. She didn’t want to think about anything, and she didn’t want to recall the scene she had witnessed.
“…Will you be mine?”
Theor asked. Startled by his sudden question, Lysei lifted her head to look at him.
“I’ll make you forget.”
“….”
“Will you be mine, Sei?”
***
Despite spending two days with Zerga, Luigia hadn’t presented as an Omega. Two days was a short time for Omega presentation, and Zerga wasn’t a dominant Alpha.
Edin and Luigia had no choice but to head north to eliminate the nearly invisible, transparent dark magic. Before leaving, Edin ordered Zerga to devote all his efforts to finding Lysei.
In the carriage heading north, Edin and Luigia gazed out the window, lost in their own thoughts. Edin worried about Lysei, consumed with thoughts of where she was, if she was safe, and how she had disappeared due to a misunderstanding. Meanwhile, Luigia recalled the original story where the heroine, like Lysei, ran away due to a misunderstanding, and considered the places where she might have hidden.
“Your Majesty, forgive my boldness, but you have searched Duke Theor’s estate, haven’t you?”
Luigia’s question drew Edin’s gaze from the window. His eyes, slightly unfocused due to the scent of her Nyxna pheromones, he nodded once before speaking.
“Every inch.”
“Even… the secret chamber?”
“…Secret chamber?”
Ah, he hasn’t. No, he doesn’t even know about it.
Luigia became certain that Lysei, just like the original heroine, was under Theor’s protection.
“The Prasetia dukedom has a very old secret chamber.”
Edin’s eyes widened at Luigia’s words.
“Of course, only the head of the dukedom knows about this secret chamber, so he wouldn’t have told even his friend and liege, Your Majesty.”
“…!”
“Perhaps you should search that place…”
“Stop the carriage!”
Edin suddenly interrupted Luigia, shouting to the outside. The carriage screeched to a halt at his command, and Edin ordered Luigia to explain in detail.
“I’m not entirely sure. The one who knows about this secret chamber is…”
Luigia hesitated. She couldn’t say she knew from a book, nor could she reveal she was a transmigrator.
“Tell me everything, without a single lie.”
But if she tried to gloss over it, Edin looked ready to kill her if she didn’t answer properly. Left with no choice, Luigia invoked the divine prophecy she had used with Lysei.
“The divine prophecy mentioned Prasetia’s secret chamber. It also said that Sister Lysei would be there.”
“Why are you only telling me this now?!”
“Because… today…! …I heard the divine prophecy this morning.”
The first time is always the hardest; the second time is easier, as they say. Luigia marveled at how smoothly the lies flowed from her lips.
At Luigia’s words, Edin yelled at the driver to turn the carriage around. Luigia’s eyes widened in surprise as Edin ordered the carriage turned away from the north.
“But, Your Majesty! What about the north?!”
***
Trey, startled by Edin’s sudden command to bring the Shadow Guard to Theor’s estate in the Frandel territory, hurried to obey. Meeting Edin on the outskirts of the road leading to Frandel, Trey’s eyes widened at Edin’s order.
“A sword coated with my blood, infused with divine power, will have the power to nullify that dark magic for a certain period. I’ll give you more of my blood separately, so when the power fades after a certain time, recoat the sword and use it.”
“But, Your Majesty!”
As a bewildered Trey addressed him, Edin ordered an attendant standing next to the driver to bring an empty vial, then looked at Trey.
“Nyxna will accompany you. Contact with Nyxna will allow you to see the dark magic, so use that power effectively.”
“Your Majesty, however, drawing your blood is unthinkable!”
“Indeed, Your Majesty! Even in wartime, using your blood…”
“That’s right! It’s unthinkable, Your Majesty. Please reconsider your command.”
The Shadows each voiced their concerns at Edin’s words.
Trey had worked with the Shadows for a long time, but it felt like the first time he had heard each of their individual voices. That’s how shocking it was for the Shadows to inflict a wound on the Emperor.
Despite their protests, Edin sliced his palm with a knife and let his blood drip into the empty vial the attendant had brought. He had to go to Theor’s estate to find Lysei, so giving his blood to Trey and the Shadows was his only option.
“That should be enough, Your Majesty!”
“Please stop, Your Majesty!”
Trey and the Shadows paled at the sight of the not-insignificant vial half-filled with blood, but Edin remained unfazed. He had received reports that the dark magic had swept across the border regions, and he suspected this much blood wouldn’t be nearly enough to nullify it all.
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