“yes, i will,” the black figure answered, but hesitated and asked, “but why did he do something unexpected at this time of year? i can’t believe he suddenly sneaked into askan and kidnapped seira.”

    “well, unless you are equally crazy, who can understand the spiritual world?”

    “but he’s usually fine. maybe there was a reason.”

    louis was lost in his thoughts for a while, clicked his tongue lightly and said, “i have no idea. but as you said, if my judgment was right, then it could be a clue.”

    the black figure jumped from where he stood.

    “are you saying that someone was targeting seira again? that’s why he took it one step ahead?”

    “it’s highly possible.”

    the corner of louis’ mouth raised.

    “his majesty and the temple are most likely to do it, but tellon and glad will also make their attempts. blood calls for blood, and revenge begets revenge after all.”

    the late emperor thought seira was useless when she hadn’t manifested as an omega and threw her out. damon glad, who tried to manipulate her using his alcohol with the power of oblivion. xyle tellon, tried to steal askan’s lineage and kill seira too.

    after plotting such an ugly scheme, when retaliation came their way, they even felt resentful as if the blood of the innocent was shed.

    “even if it’s not them, there surely would be one or two families who’d want to get their hands on her.”

    so far, there have been dozens of enemies that aven and askan’s vassals had struck. there were just too many of them that seira couldn’t handle and stop herself.

    “there are things i’m not even informed of.”

    seira askan’s real use wasn’t in her womb where one could produce an heir, but it was funny for them to come and attack her without even recognizing her true value. was viseltium optimistic that franto and jeff would just wait and watch without making a move?

    knowing calrad’s personality, it would be clear that he’d kill and eliminate all alphas and their families who’d take her in as their family.

    besides, even a terrifying monster wearing a servant’s mask was crouching next to seira.

    “i wonder what our ‘brother’ will be doing. i should visit him.”

    “me too! i want to see him too!” the black figure exclaimed, excited at the mention of their ‘brother’.

    “now, just go and do as i told you,” louis waved a dismissive hand, “if you don’t make a mistake, you will get your chance someday.”

    disappointed by louis’ words, the black figure drooped his shoulders and said, “alright. then i will go.”

    after the black figure sullenly disappeared into the shadows, louis got up and headed to the telegraph in the corner.

    as he wrote a letter to aven helford, he recalled the image of baron’s furious face when he told him to wait for just one day.

    louis thought it strange to see a turbulence of emotions which he couldn’t seem to hide. all the more because it was baron jeff, the commander-in-chief of the empire, who led victorious wars with cool judgment and boldness.

    ‘how long has it been since they became partners? how could he lose that much reason?’

    of course, seira askan was very beautiful. louis often found it difficult to even take his eyes off her captivation smile and elegant gestures.

    when he recalled the moment when she saw the wheat field and hugged him with tears in her eyes, or when they kissed on the terrace of the imperial palace, his body froze.

    but that didn’t mean his emotions didn’t flutter. it was nothing more but the desire to hold an omega as an alpha.

    ‘i wonder if things would change,’ louis pondered.

    the pleasure of mating with a pure-blooded omega was addictive like a drug to an alpha. if he coveted her body as if digging into her narrow, wet, and warm mouth, would he end up clinging to seira blindly like baron did?

    ‘no… there is no way.’

    louis sneered.

    if that was truly possible… if a pure-blooded omega could easily seduce any alpha with her body like a swamp would swallow an unsuspecting prey, his mother, philias franto, wouldn’t have crossed the line as a human.

    no matter how beautiful she was, no matter how soft and sweet her body was, it wouldn’t make the slightest change in his plans.

    five minutes passed after louis wrote and sent his message to askan, an answer immediately came back.

    ‘is this a refusal?’

    he couldn’t hold back a slight laughter with how cold the sentence that was written back to him. he was polite as seira and him were contracted, but he seemed to have no intention of sharing information. aven’s wariness towards louis and franto in general seemed to be close to hostility.

    ‘as expected, i’ll have to go and find him.’

    determined, louis crumpled the paper in one hand. when he opened it again, all that was left was a handful of ashes.

    * * *

    perhaps because he brought enough fruit to feed seira, her captor never left her side. even when she went to the bathroom, she wondered if she’d get another chance to escape since he stood guarding the door.

    ‘it’s fine, we still have three days left,’ she convinced herself.

    seira devoted herself to knowing the man’s identity rather than becoming impatient. even if she looked at it from different angles, it seemed like the similarity with aven proposed the idea that they were related by blood. maybe even a cousin.