<Episode 67>

 

“Your Highness, is there any way ice could stop transferring heat?”

“In theory, it’s possible.”

At that moment, Crown Prince Ferite spoke as if he had just realized something.

“Oh, Lady Eveline, you’re a genius.”

As he waved his hand in the air, a cup made of ice appeared.

“But ice melts.”

Abellard said, pouting as he watched Eveline admire Ferite’s abilities.

“If it doesn’t transfer heat, it won’t melt.”

“I had forgotten about that too. Have you studied physics, my lady?”

“I’ve read a few books in my room.”

With that, he created a cup and a basket out of ice that wouldn’t melt. He then filled the basket with ice and placed the rum bottles inside.

He even created bowls.

“I’m really glad we met, Your Highness,” Elkais said, his voice a bit tense due to the Alpha pheromones coming from Ferite.

Elkais was well aware. It was no secret that Crown Prince Ferite was notorious for his indulgent behavior in the empire.

“Hahaha, I’m the one who’s fortunate to be on this island, especially because I got to meet Lady Eveline.”

Everyone there knew that Eveline Wilden had a crush on Crown Prince Ferite, and that he was her first love.

“You said the same thing to me once,” Abellard casually pointed out, giving Ferite a light jab.

“Did I?”

“Yep.”

Abellard was making things up, but unusually, Elkais stayed silent.

Normally, he would have called out Abellard for the way he twisted his fingers when lying. But this time, he just quietly grilled the meat.

“It’s only natural for a Royal Alpha to desire a Royal Omega.”

However, Crown Prince Ferite wasn’t one to be easily discouraged. He smiled cheerfully, as if unaware that Abellard had been teasing him, and looked at Eveline.

It felt strange to Eveline that he was watching her so intently every time he smiled.

Come to think of it, Elkais also had a habit of watching her when he smiled.

Is this a trait of royalty?

As Eveline pondered this, she said, “It’s a shame we don’t have any seasonings.”

“There are some in the attic, up there,” Ferite replied.

On the other island, Eveline had rarely gone up to the attic. The lightning had burned it down, but it also reminded her of the time the tiger had died and when Elkais had been severely injured.

At that time, Elkais had been hurt when lightning struck. It was because she had lied about being afraid of lightning.

Her fear of lightning had been something she’d claimed in the past, but now it was a mistake she couldn’t undo. It was too late to regret it.

Rumble!

“Eve, are you okay?”

“Eveline.”

Both Abellard and Elkais were watching Eveline’s expression closely as the lightning struck, so there was no way she could confess the truth now.

“Yes. I’m feeling a bit better now.”

After checking her expression, the two men turned to glare at each other. In the midst of this awkward tension, Crown Prince Ferite gave a sheepish smile and headed towards the attic.

The wooden stairs creaked loudly.

Not wanting to stay behind with just the two of them, Eveline stood up to follow him.

“I think I can bring it down myself.”

“I just want to check out the attic.”

“Oh, I see. I thought you were hoping I’d come along with you. I was a little excited.”

He smiled politely, but there was something odd about the way his eyes seemed to gleam, making Eveline feel uneasy.

Even though it wasn’t that bright around them, his eyes shone like those of a bird of prey.

The stairs to the attic creaked noisily with each step.

Eveline followed slowly behind him as they ascended. The sound of their footsteps echoed loudly, mixed with the creaks of the old wood and the rhythmic patter of rain.

Somehow, she noticed a faint smell of grass.

His Alpha pheromones, mixed with various other scents, were surprisingly comforting. They reminded her of warm blankets dried in the sun.

“My lady, how many gods do you think there are?”

“There are three, right? It’s basic theology, isn’t it?”

“Correct. And do you know what each of the three gods governs?”

“Yes. Remeros, Yulias, and Dekarv—past, present, and future. Remeros is the goddess of Betas, Yulias is the goddess of Alphas, and Lord Dekarv is the god of Omegas.”

“You know well.”

Eveline couldn’t understand why he suddenly brought up this topic, but she guessed it might have been to fill the awkward silence.

Especially since her condition hadn’t been normal after they visited the temple.

So she decided to respond sincerely. If he was trying to break the awkwardness, she was more than willing to oblige.

After all, he was the one who had tried to give her some space away from the two others.

“Goddess Remeros represents the past and the attribute of creation. As the goddess of Betas, she’s considered the most compassionate among the three.”

“That’s right.”

Eveline gave him simple answers as he continued talking about the gods.

“And Goddess Yulias, who governs the present, is also known as the goddess of healing. Healing is essentially about moving past wounds into future circumstances.”

“I think I’ve heard that in basic theology.”

As they walked closely enough to almost touch, he glanced back to check on her.

Eveline had a passing thought that their conversation might be loud enough for the others downstairs to hear.

“And Lord Dekarv, the god of the future, holds the power of destruction. That’s why he’s always been the god who opens new futures.”

“I see.”

“Then, among the three gods, who do you think is the least trustworthy?” Ferite asked.

“I’m not sure… but maybe Goddess Yulias. She has quite the history.”

Eveline replied, recalling the kingdoms Goddess Yulias had destroyed out of personal anger.

Goddess Remeros, on the other hand, never unleashed her anger by harming life. In fact, it was the other two gods who treated living beings like insects.

“It’s strange that you didn’t choose Dekarv. Usually, when asked who the least trustworthy god is, people think of the god of destruction.”

“I see. I guess I didn’t know the socially expected answer since I’m not very involved in social activities,” Eveline said.

Ferite laughed, clearly amused by her response.

When they reached the attic, Eveline had to bend down due to the low ceiling. Ferite, being much taller, had to crouch even more.

“Did this cabinet always exist here?” Eveline asked. She had never noticed such a cabinet before.

“This is…”

It was the same cabinet she had seen when she first arrived on the other island, when she went to the cave by the beach to rescue Elkais.

“A cabinet like this here… Doesn’t it seem suspicious?” Ferite commented.

Eveline thought the same thing.

“I believe the gods have a hand in what’s happening here.”

Knowing there were restrictions in place, Eveline chose not to speak further.

The ceiling around the cabinet was slightly higher, allowing them to stand up straight. Both of them began checking the contents of the cabinet for seasonings.

“I don’t trust any of the three gods,” Ferite stated.

“I can understand your distrust, Your Highness. If my family had suffered the way yours did, I would likely feel the same way,” Eveline replied, sympathizing with him.

She picked up the nearest bottles of salt and sugar, while Ferite grabbed the pepper.

The small bottles looked quite cute.

“Did you know there were originally only two gods?”

“What?”

“They could accuse me of heresy at the temple for saying this, but it’s true.”

“What do you mean?”

Curious about this new information, Eveline stared at Ferite. She had always believed there were three gods.

When she first inhabited Eveline Wilden’s body in the Croppers Empire, she had worked hard to adapt to her new surroundings.

The knowledge she acquired during that time had been hard-earned, so she could never forget it.

“Originally, there were only two concepts: order and chaos.”

For a brief moment, his eyes seemed to glow brightly.

A shiver ran down Eveline’s spine, as if cold water had trickled down her back.

“You seem very interested in the gods, Your Highness.”

“Well, given the circumstances, it’s only natural.”

Feeling uncomfortable about continuing the conversation while facing him, Eveline followed him down the stairs.

As they moved, the sound of rattling powder accompanied their footsteps.

When they reached the lower floor, Elkais was watching Eveline closely. She handed him the salt.

“Sprinkle salt on mine,” she said.

“Alright.”

“Oh, there’s sugar! Sprinkle some sugar on mine,” Abellard chimed in, squeezing between Elkais and Eveline on purpose. Ferite chuckled and said,

“There’s plenty of meat. Why don’t we season them with different spices? I think pepper will taste better than expected.”

With that, he handed the pepper to Elkais, who then took the salt, sugar, and pepper over to the fire.

Eveline uncorked the rum bottle and poured it into the cups Ferite had made of ice.

“Elkais.”

She handed him the bottle of rum, and he smiled.

“Rum goes well with the scent of grilled meat,” he said, accepting the rum.

While the two were close together, Ferite and Abellard were having a conversation behind them.

“Your Highness is still as insufferable as ever,” Abellard remarked.

“And it seems the more you embrace your Alpha nature, the more your true self is revealed,” Ferite retorted.

As Eveline overheard their banter, she suddenly felt warmth on her hand and looked down, surprised. It was Elkais’ hand. He was smiling shyly, his face flushed, causing Eveline to stare at him, a bit dazed.

“It’s because of the pheromones,” he mumbled, blushing even more.

Eveline kissed his cheek.

“It’s because of the pheromones for me, too.”