<Episode 61>

“Isn’t this too strong?”

“But it seems to be giving me some energy.”

Ferite had eaten a few pieces of raspberries. Then, he laughed when he saw Eveline calmly accepting the raspberries he handed her.

“My lady is quite careless.”

“What do you mean?”

“I could have poisoned the food I brought.”

“So, didn’t you notice I mixed it on purpose?”

Before Eveline ate, she had randomly mixed the fruit he brought. If he had intentionally poisoned something, she wouldn’t have been able to tell which one it was.

If there had really been poison, he wouldn’t have eaten any first.

“Lady Wilden. Were you always this clever?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Eveline Wilden I knew used to be so simple, happy just to have a conversation with me.”

“That Eveline Wilden is dead, so you can forget about her.”

“Hahaha.”

He chuckled, clearly amused, as he picked up another piece of fruit. He seemed to be in a great mood, likely because the alcohol was starting to affect him.

Seeing him laugh so freely helped Eveline relax a little as well.

“By the way, if you didn’t come here willingly, you must know nothing about the situation, do you?”

“…Yes.”

Eveline answered calmly, matching the casual tone of Ferite’s question.

“I can understand why you’re cautious around me. If I were in your position, I’d do the same.”

Although she had tried to hide her unease, she felt slightly uncomfortable that he seemed to know.

“If I were an Omega dropped on an island full of Alphas, I’d be wary of everything just like you. Are the Alphas on the other island targeting you?”

“Do I have to answer?”

“That’s answer enough.”

Eveline didn’t feel the need to mention that the ones on the other island were Elkais and Abellard.

She thought it would be best if, as in the original story, the two of them grew closer and came looking for her when they were ready to leave.

*Are you alright?*

But Elkais, who had always reached out to her, weighed on her mind. Even when her body had changed, he had been so kind.

Even if it was all because of pheromones.

“My lady.”

“Yes.”

“By any chance, were you also transported here while sleeping?”

“Yes. I fell asleep as usual, and when I woke up, I was here. Is that how it happened to you as well, Your Highness?”

“Yes, it was the same for me. I woke up and found myself on this island. At first, I thought someone had kidnapped me and abandoned me here. But I expected someone would come for me soon. After all, even though the imperial family has many children, I’m the only one of royal grade.”

Eveline found his words extremely arrogant, but she had to admit he was right.

The royal grade was truly rare. On this island, it was hard to control pheromones, but once they returned to the empire, a royal could easily dominate lower-grade Alphas or Omegas using pheromones alone.

Betas, being physically inferior, could never win in any competition with Alphas or Omegas. The only thing Betas were equal in was intellect, which is why many Betas became scholars.

However, Betas faced a high wall when it came to advancing their social status. Even lower-grade Alphas and Omegas could rise higher than a Beta.

The citizens of the empire often viewed Betas as if they were not human but an inferior species.

“What do you think the person who brought us here wants?”

“I don’t know.”

“Wouldn’t there be some reason behind dressing us like this?”

Eveline couldn’t answer honestly to Ferite’s question. She still couldn’t fully trust him, and she intended to leave when the situation improved.

“Your Highness, whatever their intentions, I have no desire to follow the orders of our kidnappers.”

Eveline spoke in a businesslike tone and stopped eating.

“You’re drunk, my lady.”

“Yes.”

She had eaten too much *nahan fruit* and was starting to feel intoxicated.

The heat rising within her, combined with the effects of the alcohol, made her feel a strange sense of detachment from her pain.

It was better this way. She hurt less.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“If you get too close, I might attack, so be careful.”

“Hahaha. It’s the pheromones.”

As Ferite casually touched Eveline’s cheek, she considered pulling her gun on him but decided against it, instead opting to glare sharply.

“How did you become an Omega, my lady?”

“I don’t know. I just became one after coming here.”

“Do you dislike being an Omega?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I hate it more here. I’m afraid of who I might end up imprinting to.”

“Why are you afraid of imprinting?”

When Eveline slapped his hand away, Ferite laughed and sat back calmly.

“I know you avoid imprinting for the same reason, Your Highness.”

“What have you heard about me?”

“I know that you force your partners to wear chokers.”

“Most Omegas wear chokers.”

“But the Omegas you sleep with wear steel chokers.”

Eveline knew this very well.

When an Alpha in rut becomes too aroused, they lose all reason the moment they see an Omega. During physical relationships, an Alpha could instinctively try to claim an Omega as their own, which is why Ferite was so strict about managing the Omegas he was involved with.

Those Omegas would enter his bedroom wearing steel chokers, the keys to which were held by the Crown Prince. This way, they couldn’t take them off and tempt him at their own will.

“That’s the nature of being the Crown Prince. I must marry someone who is beneficial to me.”

“This isn’t the empire.”

“When we return, I will be the emperor.”

Eveline stared at him, unsure of what he was trying to say.

“The Wilden Ducal family is unmatched in wealth among the two ducal houses in the empire.”

Eveline couldn’t help but frown as memories of her life in the empire, which she had tried hard to forget, surfaced in her mind.

“The de Robein Ducal family still exists as well.”

“Unfortunately, as you know, the only bloodline of the de Robein family is a royal Alpha. And you and he have always been like enemies.”

Eveline recalled that, in the original story, her relationship with Elkais wasn’t good.

However, since she had entered this world, they hadn’t interacted much, and the number of meaningful conversations they had was extremely limited.

Even when they spoke, it was mostly unpleasant, involving events she had unwillingly caused—though they were actually planned by Abellard—as the villainess. So, any civil conversations were rare.

“I sense two people from the opposite island. One is definitely from the de Robein family. The other is someone I’ve never encountered before.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Did you come to this island to escape from them?”

Eveline remained silent. His guess wasn’t entirely wrong, but it wasn’t completely right either.

“In that case, why don’t you imprint with me?”

“Why?”

“I need the power of the Wilden family, and you still love me.”

“Do I?”

“Yes, and if we imprint, you won’t have to fear another imprin twith anyone else.”

Eveline found it amusing how confidently Ferite assumed her feelings. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that she did not love him.

“I don’t love you, Your Highness.”

“Even so, aren’t you tempted by the position of empress?”

“No, I just want to survive.”

He gave a bitter smile and then moved closer, sitting so that his shoulder touched hers.

“Understood. Then I’ll wait until you fall for me again.”

“That will never happen.”

“You can’t know that. After all, I’m exactly your type in every way, am I not?”

Eveline openly laughed at him. Perhaps the old Eveline would have felt that way, but not her, not now.

“Stop wasting your time.”

“That’s my choice.”

He smiled brightly as he handed her a piece of ice. Eveline sighed and chewed on it.

It seemed to clear her head a bit.

Rumble!

Then, it began to rain.

* * *

Elkais was not someone who would give up easily.

It was at that moment when the scorching midday sun beat down on them.

“Hey! How do you plan to get there when you’re restricted and can’t go?”

“I forgot to take my sword earlier.”

“So, you’re going back to cut them down with your sword?”

“Yes.”

Elkais couldn’t leave Eveline alone for two days. He didn’t know how she ended up there, but he knew it was dangerous to leave her by herself.

Her gun had also disappeared along with Rubellite. She probably couldn’t defend herself in her current state.

This thought drove him to the edge.

Eveline always acted like everything was fine, but she was strong and fragile at the same time. She often pretended to be okay when she wasn’t, and that scared him.

He hadn’t even properly apologized yet.

And now, he finally understood his own feelings.

Yes, his initial attraction to her had started because of pheromones. But that wasn’t the only reason. Even when she was in Abellard’s body, he had still liked her.

Every time Eveline’s habits or way of speaking showed through Abellard, his heart raced, and he found it endearing.

This had to be love.

He couldn’t let this unfamiliar feeling, which he had experienced for the first time, fade away without expressing it.

“If Eveline dies, I’ll die too.”

“I feel the same,” Abellard sighed.

“I know how to weaken that barrier.”

“What?”

“So, what will it be? Will you follow my lead?”

Elkais didn’t fully trust Abellard, but he knew that, at least when it came to Eveline, Abellard was sincere.

“What do I need to do?”

He had no choice but to follow his plan.