FLBE Chapter 4 Part 12
by SYLPHRoan gently unclenched her hand, looking at the nail marks on her palm with a furrowed brow.
“I was asking because I was curious. I was not trying to interrogate you.”
“…”
Tears welled up in Liena’s eyes. She had been afraid of being questioned like Rhetrik had, worried she might lose her ability to fulfill her duties as a Saintess and would be discarded.
She desperately wanted to go to the temple. She needed to learn how to control her pheromones and perform all her duties as a Saintess. Her goal was to be more than just Rhetrik’s personal Omega.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you. That was not my intention…”
“B-But why ask about that man…?”
Roan wouldn’t have asked without reason. Liena, too, was curious about the man, so she hastily wiped her tears and asked cautiously.
“Did you see that man for the first time at the banquet?”
“No… Actually, I first saw him in the indoor garden where I met you for the first time. He appeared after Your Majesty and you had left. I don’t know where he came from. He just suddenly stood in front of me.”
“Hmm… So it was from that time.”
Roan stroked his chin, lost in thought again. Liena watched him intently, waiting for him to say more. But then he asked another question.
“Have you seen him any other time?”
“Yes…?”
“Like, did he visit your room…?”
“Hic!”
Startled by the unexpected question, Liena hiccupped involuntarily. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes darting around before blinking rapidly. It was undoubtedly a suspicious reaction. But she was more confused than anyone about this situation.
Came to her room? Wasn’t that just a dream…?
“Did he come?”
“N-No! He didn’t come…”
“Are you sure?”
Under Roan’s narrowing gaze, Liena’s eyes trembled even more. She was uncertain whether she should reveal this or not. Sensing her turmoil, Roan gently smiled and firmly grasped her hand again.
“I’m on your side, Saintess, in any situation. Please be honest with me so I can protect you.”
“…”
Torn by Roan’s kind voice, Liena hesitated. Should she really tell him…? It was just a dream…
“Saintess?”
“The truth is… I had a dream…”
“A dream?”
“Yes… In my dream, I saw that man. And he said it was a dream too…”
“Ha! That bastard…”
“!”
Liena’s eyes widened in shock, not expecting such coarse language from Roan. His expression twisted fiercely, and she instinctively stepped back.
Roan then looked at her with a softer expression and smiled again. Does he even know what kind of expression he had just now? In that moment, Liena thought there might be more to this man than she knew.
Caught off guard by Roan’s unexpected question, Liena hiccupped involuntarily. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes darting around before blinking rapidly. It was undoubtedly a suspicious reaction. But she was more confused than anyone about this situation.
Roan, a seemingly ordinary Preist who was also an Alpha, but had never exhibited the beast-like gaze typical of other Alphas. He had always remained constant, even after sensing her pheromones. However, she didn’t know why she felt so wary of him today.
“Saintess.”
“Yes…”
“Do you remember anything that happened in your dream?”
“…”
“Please be honest―”
“No! Nothing happened… he just said he wanted to see me…”
“Hmm.”
Avoiding Roan’s suspicious gaze, Liena turned her eyes away. However, her flushed face and evasive eyes were already giving away her secrets.
“I understand. But if that basta..I mean that man… appears again, even in a dream, you must not fall for his temptations. Dreams can turn into reality if they occur too frequently.”
“…Yes.”
Liena didn’t fully grasp what Roan meant, but she felt compelled to agree. It was clear Roan knew something about the man. However, she couldn’t bring herself to ask more, fearing she might have to reveal everything about that night.
Whether it was a dream or not, she didn’t want to share it with anyone. Just the thought of someone knowing about that embarrassing incident made her shiver.
“Let’s go. It’s best to take you to the temple as soon as possible.”
“…Yes.”
Roan resumed walking at a slightly slower pace but still with a sense of urgency.
* * *
In Rhetrik’s cold, austere office, Liena shivered, not just from the chill in the air, but from the frosty atmosphere created by the two men seated before her.
It seemed the meeting was not prearranged as she had assumed. Rhetrik’s expression upon seeing her enter with Roan was fiercely hostile.
Caught between the two men glaring at each other, Liena didn’t know what to do, unable to even voice her gratitude. Then, Rhetrik’s icy voice cut through the tension.
“Bold of you to take the Emperor’s woman by the hand and bring her here.”
“She’s not the Emperor’s woman, but the Saintess of the temple. And escorting her is a basic courtesy of a gentleman.”
“Gentleman? Since when did Priests become gentlemen? Weren’t you just dogs of your god?”
“I believe I advised you to watch your words.”
The air crackled with tension between their locked gazes. Liena was overwhelmed by the unexpected hostility, struggling to breathe in the suffocating atmosphere.
What puzzled her most was Roan’s identity. How could a mere Priest glare and speak so boldly to the Emperor, even advising him on his conduct?
Liena remembered how Rhetrik had obediently followed Roan’s call that day. She glanced at Roan, who was seated beside her, trying to comprehend the situation.
“Liena.”
“Yes, yes?”
Startled by Rhetrik’s sudden call, Liena turned to him with wide eyes. Rhetrik frowned deeply, then growled in a displeased tone.
“You should not set your sights on another man. You belong to me.”
“…”
Liena turned her head away, embarrassed by Rhetrik’s serious yet absurd claim. Roan’s stifled laugh from the side made her face turn even redder.
“Ahem, I shall now take the Saintess to the temple. Any further discussions can wait for another time.”
“I’ll be with her tonight. Ensure she is brought back before dinner.”
“Considering that man used illusion magic, are you sure it’s safe? He might even take her out directly in front of Your Majesty―”
“Enough. You’re making baseless claims. Do you think I’ll fall for such magic?”
“You underestimate him at your peril. He’s the Master of the Magic Tower.”
Liena’s eyes darted between the two men, confused by their cryptic conversation.
Illusion magic? Master of the Magic Tower? Who is this character?
This was a completely new development, not present in the novel she had read. Were there really mages in this world? She suddenly remembered the magical artifact she had seen earlier.
Back then, given the situation, she had brushed it off, but now it felt as if the genre of the novel had changed entirely. Indeed, it was strange because, in the novel, Rhetrik was the only Alpha mentioned, yet now there seemed to be more.
“Liena.”
“Yes…?”
“Do you know who the man beside you is?”
“Roan…?”
“Still calling his name, I see.”
Rhetrik’s expression turned fierce again, making Liena swallow hard.
“Listen well. The man beside you is the High Priest of the temple. And he’s an Alpha, just like me. A high-tier Alpha, at that.”
“What?!”
Liena’s heart dropped in shock. Her eyes widened to the point of almost popping out. Roan, still smiling gently, suddenly seemed like a completely different person.
The vague sense of caution she had felt earlier now made sense. She was at a loss for words upon discovering the existence of another high-tier Alpha, something she had never imagined.