FLBE Chapter 7 Part 2
by SYLPH‘It’s troubling how her tears affect me so much. When did I become so soft-hearted towards her?’
As his feelings for her had grown while being together, Roan smiled bitterly. However, his feelings shouldn’t grow any larger. She was the Saintess, and he was the Pope. Moreover, she was a ‘double-edged sword’. Roan tried to push away his futile feelings.
“Hooo… Saintess.”
“…”
“I’ll try to make arrangements.”
“…But then you’ll say it probably won’t work, right?”
“If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll personally take you there.”
Liena’s eyes widened at Roan’s words.
“So, please stop showing me those tears.”
“Really…? Are you serious?”
“Yes. You know I don’t lie, don’t you?”
“Roan! Thank you!”
As she hugged him again, Roan clenched his teeth. The more time passed and the closer they became, the more he realized how affectionate she was. Especially during happy moments, she would hug him impulsively like a child, which often left him feeling awkward.
It was fortunate that she had learned to manage her pheromones to some extent. Otherwise, if she had continued to release them unchecked, he might have been unable to resist her multiple times.
Roan had a difficult time resisting her pheromone scent. His initial self-pl*asure had become almost a habit, indicating a loss of patience and a newfound pl*asure in indulgence over controlling it with divine powers. The pl*asure once tasted turned him more towards the instincts of an alpha than the poise of a pope.
However, the real issue was his rut. His body, now accustomed to pl*asure, was almost unmanageable. During the rut, if she were in front of him, he would undoubtedly desire Liena. It seemed best not to see her for a while.
‘The rut is approaching, and if things continue like this it could lead to trouble.’
There was only one reason Roan was holding back. Once he indulged with her, he wouldn’t be able to control his desires with divine power anymore. If that happened, and when Liena, with her lifespan getting short, would be gone and another Saintess would arrive, he would inevitably desire the next Saintess as well.
But he didn’t want that. He was not like a corrupted demon. More than anything, he had no desire to embrace another Saintess out of sheer lust. How would that be any different from a beast? So, it was better not to pursue Liena at all. Resolving with his hand was a far better option.
If he, who couldn’t easily give up the pl*asure he’d tasted, fell for a dominant omega, it was clear what would happen. Perhaps he would become even more depraved than Lance or Rhetrik.
Unaware of Roan’s tormented heart, Liena hugged his arm tighter and urged him.
“Roan, let’s go quickly. Teach me how to bestow blessings. I’ll practice hard so I can give a huge blessing to my friends.”
Seeing Liena excited at the thought of meeting her friends, Roan smiled bitterly. She had no idea what bestowing blessings entailed and how exhausting and challenging it was.
Roan felt a heavy weight in his heart at her innocent smile, as she didn’t even know that bestowing it would cost her lifespan. He wished he could prevent her from doing it, but he couldn’t.
She was the Saintess, and he was the Pope. And that was their given fate and mission.
With a heavy heart, Roan looked at her, seemingly enchanted by her innocence. Otherwise, he wouldn’t find her so pitiable and worrisome.
‘Can I really ignore these growing feelings till the end?’
It seemed best to send her away today. His state had been fluctuating recently, and it was clear that his rut was approaching. His intuition was off due to the particularly irritating scent of her today. If he lost control suddenly, he wouldn’t be able to let her go.
“Saintess, it would be best for you to return today.”
“Huh? Why? What about the blessings?”
“You’ve overexerted these past few days. Please take care of your body until you learn about blessings. I will come to fetch you in a few days.”
“In a few days?”
Liena’s face fell at Roan’s sudden words, saying he would teach her in a few days when she thought she would learn right away. Being naturally impatient, being told to wait made her even more anxious.
“Roan, I’m fine. Can’t we start learning today?”
As she stepped closer with a pleading tone, Roan unconsciously stepped back. Until just moments ago, it hadn’t been like this, but suddenly her scent became overwhelmingly stimulating.
It felt like the onset of a fever, with his body feeling chilly and boiling from the inside. His temperature rose, and his nerves became sharp.
However, Liena, completely unaware of Roan’s condition, took a step closer to him after he had stepped back and grabbed his arm, pleading once more.
At that moment,
“Ugh!”
Roan suddenly covered his mouth and bent over.
“Roan!”
Startled, Liena bent down as well, but Roan hastily pushed her away and stumbled backward. Liena was taken aback by his sudden rejection. Her heart sank as the always tender Roan pushed her away.
But there was something odd about his condition. His face, red and hot, seemed seriously unwell. Liena tried to approach him again but stopped in her tracks, compelled by his pleading hand and words.
“P-Please, go back… quickly.”
“Roan, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? I can heal you.”
As Liena attempted to approach again, Roan, managing to stand upright amidst his swaying, shouted angrily.
“Go! Quickly, I said!”
“Roan…!”
At that moment, Roan’s strong pheromone scent brushed past her nose.
* * *
Returning to the Imperial Palace earlier than usual, Liena was in a daze, as if she had lost her mind. She had never seen Roan get angry and shout at her before, so the shock was quite significant.
He clearly looked in pain. With furrowed brows and groans escaping him as he covered his mouth. His face was flushed red, and his eyes appeared somewhat… multicolored?
“Huh, what? His eyes definitely changed to a myriad of colors.”
She had seen his gaze change momentarily several times before. But she had never seen such mysterious colors.