<Episode 75>

“Elkais…”

Eveline murmured his name like a sigh, and a smile curved at the corners of his eyes. She looked down in disbelief as she saw half of her tender flesh disappear into his mouth.

The warmth and sensation inside his mouth made it difficult for her to think clearly.

“If you keep this up, you’ll end up bald,” she managed to say with some effort.

His head was still covered with bubbles from the yucca leaves she had lathered up. If he left the soap in too long, it might cause hair loss.

Besides, she had pulled at his hair earlier in her excitement.

Her words made him chuckle softly, but then he nibbled at her skin with a teasing bite.

“Ow…! What are you doing?”

She could feel the soft warmth of his mouth again as he looked at her, gently holding her skin between his teeth, his gaze lingering on her.

As he finally released her, a thin string of saliva connected them briefly before breaking.

“You said you wouldn’t bite.”

“I said I wouldn’t bite your neck.”

Eveline watched as Elkais spoke gently, slowly setting her back down into the water. An odd sense of determination flared up within her.

“You left a mark.”

“Did I?”

Elkais smiled brightly as he looked at the petal-like mark he’d left on her chest.

Eveline was momentarily stunned, having never seen him look so genuinely satisfied before. She quickly frowned, trying to regain control of the situation.

“Rinse your hair.”

“Alright.”

He took her words to heart and submerged himself in the water, surfacing a moment later.

As Elkais swept his hair back, his soaked appearance made him look even more handsome than usual.

And with the water dripping off of him now…

“Eveline?”

She placed her hands on his chest, mimicking his earlier actions, and raked her nails down his skin.

“Does that hurt?”

“No… it feels…”

She mistook the pained expression on his face for discomfort.

“It feels too good. This is a problem.”

He bit his lower lip and looked at her again, his gaze intense and focused. Eveline felt her nerves tingling under his attention, a mix of excitement and apprehension coursing through her.

Despite her nerves, she wanted to provoke him. She wanted to see how far she could push him, to test the limits of his restraint, even if she feared what might happen next.

Her curiosity overcame her fear, so she kissed the spot she had scratched earlier.

“Does it feel better like this?”

“…Yes.”

He felt like heat was rushing to his head. Her kisses on his chest heightened his senses, and he marveled at how his body grew warmer despite already being hot by nature, as was typical for Alphas.

“Elkais.”

Suddenly, he wrapped her in a tight embrace. He sensed that if she continued to torment him like this, he wouldn’t be able to maintain his control.

“I was wrong. Let’s stop here.”

“Why? Can’t you hold back?”

“Yes.”

“What is it you can’t hold back?”

Eveline smirked, expecting him to say something crude, something uncharacteristic of him.

“I want to lay you down and leave my mark inside you.”

His blunt honesty, paired with the way his cheeks flushed, caused Eveline’s face to heat up as well.

“But not here.”

“Why not?”

“It’s too dirty here. I don’t want to hold you in a place like this. You’re too precious to me.”

His confession was earnest, and it caught Eveline off guard, making her nod instinctively.

He seemed relieved by her reaction and pulled her into another tight hug.

“I want to kiss you.”

At her words, Elkais’s arms loosened, his expression lighting up with genuine happiness. He leaned in and captured her lips, their kiss deepening as their breaths mingled.

At that moment, something unexpected happened.

Just as Elkais was about to close his eyes, white letters emerged above the water, startling him.

“Elkais?”

Eveline, confused by the way he pulled back, followed his gaze and turned to look at the same spot.

[Due to ignoring the penalty of approaching the target, an increased penalty is applied to Elkais de Robein.

Duration: 7 days.

Penalty: The most precious thing will be taken away.]

“No.”

Elkais instinctively tightened his hold on Eveline, his heart hammering in his chest as the words “losing the most precious thing” echoed in his mind. He feared that because of his actions, she might disappear forever. The thought squeezed his breath from his lungs.

[The penalty will be applied at precisely 12:00 PM.

Current time: 11:59:58]

A blinding light suddenly poured down from the sky, concentrating directly on Elkais.

* * *

At 11:50 AM, Abellard was preparing a meal with Crown Prince Ferite.

There wasn’t much to prepare, as Elkais de Robein had left everything well-organized. All they had to do was wash the insulated dishes and serve the food.

Still, Abellard maintained a cold, unfriendly demeanor toward the Crown Prince, unable to hide his dislike.

“When did you find out you weren’t blood-related to the young lady, Lord Abellard?”

“I don’t know. When I was about five, maybe.”

Despite his dislike, Abellard thought he should gather information about Ferite. He knew that understanding one’s enemies was one of the best ways to devise a winning strategy.

“And have you been fond of her since then?”

“I guess I realized it a bit later, even though I already liked her back then.”

Abellard answered vaguely, then pricked his finger on a thorn. Without a second thought, he let his blood mix with the melted ice in the basin, stirring the water until it cleared.

Though the melted ice water was already clean enough to drink, Abellard mixed in his blood, knowing that it would purify the water even further. He hoped Eveline would drink the water that bore his essence.

“And when was that?”

“Why? Now that Eveline’s an Omega, do you want her?”

“Yes.”

“How amusing. Have you forgotten how you rejected her? You’re shameless.”

Abellard’s crude words made Ferite chuckle bitterly.

“It was a long time ago. I was young then.”

“That was just fifteen years ago, and you think that counts as young? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Abellard openly mocked him.

Ferite, however, thought that while Abellard’s words were harsh, there was some truth to them. But he did believe that fifteen years ago, he had been young enough to justify some of his actions, so he only half-agreed.

He found himself remembering those days.

* * *

<I truly like you, Your Highness. I want to marry you.>

Eveline had followed the Crown Prince onto the terrace, where he had retreated to take a break from the birthday celebration.

It had been Ferite’s birthday celebration, and he was weary from dealing with all the guests.

Even aside from Eveline, many others, especially Omegas, had been drawn to him, compelled by his Alpha pheromones. Most were of lower rank, desperate for his favor.

<Ah, I’m so tired of this.>

<Ah… Your Highness.>

He had said those words as he dragged Eveline back into the ballroom, pulling her to stand before the Duke of Wilden.

<Duke Wilden, your daughter says she wants to marry me. What do you think?>

<What?>

<Is the young lady perhaps a low-ranking Omega? I can’t imagine a Beta would propose to me.>

Abellard had been present, listening to every word.

He had glanced at Eveline, who had turned pale and begun to cry, and the sight disgusted him, prompting him to speak up.

<Maybe she just misinterpreted my feelings for you, Your Highness.>

With a shy smile, Abellard had spoken, and Ferite had offered a reluctant smile in response.

Neither of them had been sincere back then.

<I will speak to His Majesty.>

<No, let’s discuss it again when I come of age.>

With that, Ferite had made a swift exit from the scene.

* * *

“If you ever imprint with Eveline, I’ll kill you.”

“You say that so casually.”

Abellard’s smile faded, leaving only a cold glare as he stared at the Crown Prince.

Ferite couldn’t help but smile nervously, sensing the threat in Abellard’s eyes. The Crown Prince found the Alpha’s pheromones oppressive and suspected that Abellard was preparing to unleash a wave of them, making Ferite’s expression twist with discomfort.

“Do you think I’m joking? You’re nothing. I wouldn’t need a minute to take care of a mere magician like you.”

Abellard didn’t bother hiding his murderous intent.

“You seem to underestimate me, Lord Abellard. While I might not match up to Lord Elkais, I’m confident I wouldn’t lose to you.”

Ferite kept his smile, maintaining his composure.

Abellard considered his options. He wondered if he should just kill the Crown Prince here and dispose of the body somewhere far away.

But he had yet to receive any divine orders, and he had ignored the existing penalties by engaging with Ferite.

Soon, Yulias, the goddess, would likely deliver instructions, and if he was unlucky, he might face severe penalties for his disobedience.

It would be troublesome if he couldn’t deal with Ferite properly now and the Crown Prince turned his attention back to Eveline.

“We’ve both made mistakes, haven’t we, Lord Abellard?”

Ferite finally relented, speaking with a more conciliatory tone. Abellard sighed deeply in response.

“Fine. Just stay away from Eveline. I’ll be the one to imprint with her.”

“The young lady doesn’t seem interested in you.”

“She is. We’ve already kissed.”

Abellard spoke with conviction, but Ferite only smiled as if he didn’t believe him.

However, Abellard genuinely thought that when Eveline had given him artificial respiration, it counted as a kiss. He, too, had never experienced a real kiss before.

At that moment, a blue note appeared in Abellard’s hand.

[Though you disregarded my warnings, I have chosen to show mercy due to my boundless compassion.

The following penalty will be applied for a week. Accept it with gratitude.

Penalty: You are unable to use divine powers for a week.]