FLBE Chapter 6 Part 3
by SYLPH“Um… I submerged myself in the holy water… and drank a potion that Roan gave me.”
Rhetrik’s brows furrowed at her words, seemingly displeased at the casual mention of Roan’s name.
“And then… Roan said he used divine power and pheromones. After that…”
Liena glanced at Rhetrik and spoke in a shrinking voice.
“I don’t remember well…”
Rhetrik’s face twisted in irritation, and he gulped down his water before slamming the cup down.
Liena flinched at the noise, her throat tightening. She couldn’t tell which part had angered him.
“So, he used the divine power, and on top of this, he even emitted pheromones.”
Ah, was that the part that upset him?
Liena quickly added more information to clear up his misunderstanding.
“That’s not it. He said it was necessary to check the color of my mark. So…”
“Now, are you taking his side in front of me?”
“What? No, it’s not about taking sides… I’m just stating the facts…”
The atmosphere suddenly turned tense. She had planned to mention her temple visit after dinner, but the mood seemed too fraught to even bring up the word ‘temple.’
Suddenly, Rhetrik who was contemplating something. stood up and strode over to her, abruptly pulling at her collar and looking at her br*asts.
“Kyah! What are you doing?!”
“Hmm… the light has definitely brightened. It’s clearly different from when I first saw it.”
“Let… let me go!”
She struggled to push away his thick wrist, but he remained immovable, staring intently at her chest. After a moment, he rang a bell. As Liena hastily adjusted her clothes, Emma rushed in.
“Did you summon me, Your Majesty?”
“Bring Theor.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After Emma left, he casually sat back down and stared at Liena with an indiscernible look. Confused and offended by his sudden action, she frowned and stared blankly at her empty plate.
“Are you mad? Mad because I saw your br*ast? I’ve seen it all night, and I don’t understand why you’re suddenly so angry.”
“…”
This jerk. Liena clenched her dress and glared at Rhetrik. She felt foolish for even momentarily expecting anything from him.
“You’re the only one who dares look at the emperor with such eyes. Still, I have no intention of killing you, so that’s something.”
“Why…? Because I’m an omega? You need my body, so you expect me to be grateful?”
“Hmm, here we go again. I don’t know what to say to you.”
Conversations with Rhetrik always went this way. His harsh words would hurt her, and if she reacted, she would end up feeling like the unreasonable one. If they were a married couple, they might have signed divorce papers a dozen times over, given how twisted Rhetrik’s personality seemed.
No wonder there were no women by his side with that kind of attitude.
Boldly stepping out of line, Liena did not hesitate to speak her mind.
“That’s right. I’ve never met anyone with whom communication is so difficult before. So, I’m going to visit the temple.”
“What?”
Being with this unpredictable madman seemed less appealing than conversing with the kind-hearted Roan for the sake of her mental health.
However, Liena’s boldness shriveled under the man’s cold gaze, making her seat feel like a bed of nails. As she shifted uncomfortably, unable to bear it any longer, she stood up abruptly.
“I’ll be leaving first.”
“Sit down.”
The atmosphere turned even colder. The mood and her spirits, which had been fine moments ago, chilled instantly, leaving Liena feeling suffocated, as if she had swallowed something wrong.
Defiantly standing her ground against his command, Liena glared back at him. Then, someone burst through the door urgently.
“Your Majesty!”
“How long it took you to come.”
Theor, panting from his rush, glanced briefly at Liena before bowing shortly and hurriedly whispered something to Rhetrik. The already cold man’s expression turned even icier. It was clear something had happened just by looking at Rhetrik’s face.
Quickly dropping her defiant gaze, Liena looked at Rhetrik uneasily, knowing better than to provoke him further.
Catching the mood, she was about to sit back down when she froze at the man’s derisive snort.
“The rat has shown itself, daring to set foot in my house, and now a mere mage dictates my actions?”
The rat…? Suddenly, a man came to mind. There was only one person he would refer to that way.
Could it be… Lance? Is that man alive? What is he exactly?
The thought that the man she believed dead was alive and had audaciously returned to the palace was bewildering.
Liena couldn’t make sense of the situation. Characters not mentioned in the story were appearing one after another, complicating her already precarious life.
“Theor.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Take the Saintess to the temple immediately. Inform the pope of the current situation and ensure she does not leave the temple grounds under any circumstances.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Rhetrik rose slowly and approached her. As she instinctively stepped back, she was soon enveloped helplessly in the large man’s embrace. He tenderly kissed her forehead, his voice softer than before.
“I’ll come to fetch you later. Stay hidden deep within the temple until I arrive.”
“What…?”
“And if that pope bastard uses pheromones on you again.”
He chuckled softly and whispered quietly into her ear.
“I’ll cut off his d*ck.”
What, what?!
At Rhetrik’s words, Liena’s eyes widened in shock.
“See you later.”
The moment he kindly smiled and hastily left the room, she blankly watched Rhetrik’s back before finally noticing the large sword in his hand.
The sight of the ominous sword wrapped her in a foreboding feeling.
* * *
Having prepared for the temple, Liena left the Imperial palace with Theor, who had been waiting outside. It felt surreal and not entirely pleasant to be going to the temple under unexpected circumstances.
Seated in the carriage, Liena was lost in thought.
Who the hell is this Lance? He definitely didn’t seem ordinary. And he was said to be a mage. Why do characters not in the original story keep appearing?