#93

Suppressing the overwhelming urge to smack the mischievous grin off Zerakiel’s face, I ducked behind a pillar.

Then, pointing an accusatory finger at him, I sternly warned,

“Anyway, y-you can only do it if I allow it!”

“You’re not gonna allow it, though.”

“Y-you don’t know that!”

I stammered, feeling like a thief caught red-handed.

And then, Zerakiel casually dropped a bombshell.

“But Chichi, don’t you remember? You kissed me first—without permission.”

“…?”

What in the world was he talking about?

I stood frozen, eyes wide in shock.

Zerakiel, now standing way too close, continued nonchalantly,

“Plus, we already spent our first night together.”

“Can you not say things that can be wildly misinterpreted?!”

If someone overheard that, they’d think we had a scandalous night!

We were still kids, for crying out loud!

Our so-called first night had involved nothing but sleeping.

I had plenty to say about that, but judging by Zerakiel’s smug expression, arguing would be pointless.

‘Ugh!’

Frustrated by how effortlessly he toyed with me, I shook my head.

Then, my eyes met Ella’s.

Her face was an absolute disaster—she had been forced to witness this entire mess.

The moment our gazes locked, she gave me a painfully awkward smile and offered,

“Y-you two… get along so well…!”

And what does that make me?!

“Haha…”

I could only laugh dryly.

If I denied it, I’d be refuting my own marriage.

If I agreed, I’d die from sheer indignation.

So, instead, I just glared at Zerakiel.

‘He’s doing this on purpose.’

He had been jealous of Ella earlier, so now he was pulling this nonsense to get back at me.

And, just as I suspected, he suddenly put on a shy expression and mumbled,

“Do we really look like that?”

“Y-yes! You two look very close!”

Ella forced out an exaggerated smile, giving us two enthusiastic thumbs up.

And at that, Zerakiel’s smirk stretched sky-high.

“You hear that, Chichi?”

Seeing him blush bashfully was the final nail in the coffin.

There was no doubt about it—he was doing this on purpose.

I nearly shifted into my weasel form to uppercut him into the sky, but at the last second, I decided against it.

Fine. Let it go.

I had learned one thing after spending so much time in Jabis—

Giving up fast was the best way to survive.

If I hadn’t, I would’ve already dropped dead from sheer exasperation.

* * *

That evening, Zerakiel immediately departed for Jabis Castle.

Rachel, upon learning this, was displeased that she hadn’t been sent instead. However, the moment Orban was mentioned, she quickly relented.

‘If that family is involved, he has to go himself.’

Her unexpectedly cooperative reaction proved that she had rightfully earned her place as the mistress of Jabis.

With Zerakiel gone, I was finally free and naturally ended up spending more time talking with Taby.

As the Saintess Examination approached, Taby began explaining the Guardian I needed to obtain from the Treasure Vault.

—The Guardian you need to meet is called Sapphire of Order.

“Sapphire of Order?”

Hearing the familiar name, my eyes sparkled with recognition.

The Sapphire of Order had made a brief appearance in Ella’s Kingdom.

What had stood out the most was its personality—it was exactly as its name suggested: strict, disciplined, and obsessed with etiquette and order.

Each sacred relic had a different temperament depending on its abilities. For example, Taby, the Pearl of Purification, was deeply altruistic and pure-hearted for that very reason.

In Ella’s Kingdom, Ella had communicated with various relics inside the Treasure Vault after being recognized as a Saintess.

Becoming a Saintess granted the privilege of forming a contract with one of the relics in the vault.

Although Ella had chosen a different relic, Sapphire of Order had made such a strong impression that I had remembered it.

Of course, I didn’t recall the exact details of its abilities, so I had no choice but to rely on Taby’s explanation.

“So how exactly does this extend my lifespan?”

—As you already know, you currently have two pheromones in your body. Even one would be overwhelming for your weak little body, but you have two, and they’re both extremely potent. That’s why it’s causing problems.

“Hold on, did I just hear a subtle insult in the middle of that explanation, or was it my imagination?”

Ignoring me, Taby continued as if nothing had happened.

—Ahem. Anyway, due to what happened last time, your dormant pheromone awakened too suddenly, and now your body is on the verge of exploding.

So that’s why I had been in so much pain.

Recalling the immense surge of power I had felt back then, I listened intently.

—To stabilize things again, you need a mediator—which is exactly what the Sapphire of Order is.

“So it literally brings order to my body?”

—Exactly. The Sapphire of Order has the ability to stabilize and suppress pheromone awakenings. The only issue is that the Guardian protecting it is incredibly stubborn and will probably be a huge pain to deal with. But hey, better than dying, right?

Taby casually dropped the word dying with a perfectly innocent expression.

I pursed my lips and muttered,

“You don’t seem to get along with it very well.”

—It’s too cautious. Always blocking things for unnecessary reasons, even when it’s an emergency.

Taby grumbled in clear frustration.

Judging from that, the Guardian must have seemed indecisive to someone with Taby’s quick judgment.

“So as long as I get it, I’ll be safe?”

—For now.

“Huh? What’s with that vague answer?”

Suspicious, I grabbed Taby’s bracelet form and squeezed it tightly.

It vibrated violently, as if recalling past trauma.

—Could you not suffocate me?!

“Answer me.”

No way was I letting this slide.

Seeing that I wasn’t backing down, Taby groaned dramatically.

—Ugh! How did I end up contracting with you?!

Then, with a quick shimmer, Taby transformed into a fish and flopped a few feet away.

—The Sapphire of Order has its limits. The fundamental issue is still the fact that you have two incompatible pheromones.

If even Taby was saying this much, then my powers really were a disaster waiting to happen.

—I’ve never seen anyone with two pheromones before.

“Tell me about it.”

Even I couldn’t believe my own condition.

Rather than a special advantage, it felt more like a crippling weakness.

Having one unique pheromone was already extraordinary.

But two?

And not only that, both were special pheromones.

If my body had at least been compatible with them, it might’ve been fine, but as expected, excessive power always came with a price.

Honestly, the fact that my body hadn’t collapsed already was a miracle.

I couldn’t help but sulk.

“So, no matter what I do, I won’t live long, huh…”

—Well… there is one possible way.

Hearing Taby’s hesitant words, my eyes lit up.

“What is it?”

—It’s…

But Taby hesitated.

That alone told me that this method wouldn’t be easy.

Seeing me stare expectantly, Taby finally muttered in a reluctant tone.

—If you reach adulthood, you’ll be able to fully control one of your pheromones. But the problem is the other one. That power isn’t something that can be easily controlled.

“And?”

—If you can’t control it, you’ll need to either find another mediator to purify it… or get rid of it.

“Get rid of my pheromone?”

Shocked, I widened my eyes.

—Yeah. But it’s extremely dangerous. If you attempt it recklessly, you could end up shortening your lifespan instead.

So I had to risk my life again.

I scowled.

“Could you please stop dropping horrifying information after getting my hopes up?”

—Well, you can’t even attempt it unless you have that.

“That?”

—In Hebel, there’s actually a thirteenth sacred relic—one that no one knows about.

 

 

 

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