Chapter 27
“Senior Sister?”
Wakako was momentarily stunned.
But she quickly realized who it really was. There was no way Miki could be here, nor would she address her as “senior sister” in such a tone.
It was Miki, her fiancée, whose name sounded just like Miki’s.
Wakako’s emotions spiked, only to settle again as she opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
Under the moonlight, Miki looked travel-worn, clearly having just arrived from the capital. Her eyes were tired, but she couldn’t hide her excitement.
“The war is intensifying. The Queen has stopped our current missions and ordered us to come as reinforcements.”
As she spoke, Miki’s gaze never left Wakako, filled with admiration and respect. “I heard about how you took down three enemy commanders. It’s really incredible…But why didn’t you join the Crown Princess in the pursuit?”
“The military doctor said I need to recuperate.”
Miki gasped softly, “Senior is injured? Is it serious?”
Her door wasn’t fully closed, and through the gap, Wakako could see her mischievous expression and teasing smile. Wakako knew immediately that Carol had misunderstood.
… In fact, it wasn’t entirely a misunderstanding, as Miki was indeed still her fiancée.
Although they had previously agreed to break off the engagement, Wakako couldn’t bring herself to urge Miki to bring up the matter with the Queen during such a tense and critical time in the war. It would be too inappropriate.
However, since they had already reached an agreement, it was best to avoid any further misunderstandings.
“Miki,” Wakako said softly, subtly dismissing her, “It’s late, you should go and rest.”
Miki’s expression clearly showed reluctance, but since Wakako had mentioned her health, she didn’t want to disturb her rest. After exchanging a few more words, she sensibly took her leave.
As soon as she left, Carol’s laughter could be heard from next door.
“Oh my, Wakako,” she chuckled, “Your fiancée seems quite fond of you. She couldn’t even wait to unpack before rushing over to see you.”
“Master Carol…”
Wakako felt a little helpless.
Carol was her senior, and even though she didn’t mind, Wakako still addressed her with respect.
“Don’t say that.” Wakako raised her voice slightly so Carol could hear her through the wall. “Miki and I have already agreed to break off the engagement soon.”
Like Liu Siruo, Carol’s reaction to this news was one of disbelief. “Why? Do you dislike her?”
“That’s not it.”
Wakako paused for a moment. “I just don’t have any thoughts about marriage right now.”
Carol fell quiet for a while before suddenly barging into Wakako’s room. She sat beside Wakako on the bed, puzzled.
“But why rush to break off the engagement? The Queen hasn’t ordered you to marry her right away…” Carol found it baffling. “I think Miki is quite nice, why don’t you try spending some time with her?”
Wakako didn’t know how to explain, so she just smiled silently.
She knew from the beginning that this would be everyone’s reaction upon hearing her decision.
After all, being granted a marriage by the Queen was an incredible honor. Others would fight tooth and nail for such an opportunity—so why was she the one pushing it away?
Carol could sense that Wakako had her reasons but didn’t press further. She simply patted Wakako’s shoulder gently. “If you have anything you want to talk about, feel free to come to me anytime.”
“Thank you, Master Carol,” Wakako murmured. “I’ll try to avoid Miki for the next few days. If I upset her, I hope you can help comfort her. I’d rather not confront her directly.”
Though Wakako knew this decision would hurt Miki, she believed it was better to end things sooner rather than later. She didn’t want to mislead her with any false hope.
Carol agreed, “Alright, leave it to me.”
***
Among the mercenaries, different dynamics were always managed in separate teams with little interaction, except in very rare circumstances.
For instance, now, with most of Nanling City’s forces out pursuing the enemy, the Omega team was ordered to reinforce and protect the city to prevent a surprise attack.
Apart from daily patrols and vigilance, their tasks weren’t too demanding. Therefore, during their free time, the Omega team members couldn’t resist seeking out the two Alphas.
After all, Wakako had become famous after the Rose War, and they were all curious about the prowess of the “Human Weapon,” eager to learn a few moves from her.
Although all mercenaries were all trained fighters, the Omega team primarily focused on intelligence gathering and didn’t specialize in combat. And since Wakako was widely recognized as the strongest in one-on-one duels, it was inevitable that they’d lose to her.
During the night patrol, a few of the Omegas began discussing this matter again.
“Senior Wakako is truly incredible,” one of them said admiringly. “Even if I trained for another ten years, I still wouldn’t be able to catch up with her.”
“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but Wakako can wield any weapon with such mastery. She’s truly one in a million.”
Suddenly, a girl among them expressed a melancholic sentiment. “It’s just a shame that the others aren’t here…”
As soon as she said this, the others teased her, “You’re missing your fiancée, aren’t you?”
When the Queen had arranged the marriages, this Omega girl and Albert were also paired together. What was even more fortunate was that they fell in love at first sight and had already set a wedding date.
“So what if I am?” The girl’s face turned bright red as she mumbled, “We’re engaged anyway, I’m not afraid of your teasing.”
She had hoped to see her fiancé here in Nanling City, but Albert had joined the Crown Princess in the pursuit, leaving her disappointed.
She sighed and looked over at Miki. “I’m so jealous of you. Your fiancée is right here.”
“Exactly,” the others chimed in, their attention shifting to Miki. “Miki, why don’t you take this chance to have some alone time with Wakako?”
“Haven’t you always admired her? You must be thrilled, right?”
“You were so quiet during the previous sparring session, were you shy? Oh well, we forgot about that. We should have given you two some private time.”
Amidst the teasing, Miki managed a forced smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
She seemed as if she wanted to explain something but ultimately swallowed her words under the weight of their gazes, keeping her thoughts to herself.
No, as far as everyone else is concerned, we’re still engaged…
Miki couldn’t bring herself to confess the agreement she had made with Wakako in front of so many people.
Moreover, her squad mates were well aware of her admiration for Wakako. If they heard about the broken engagement, they would immediately guess that Wakako wasn’t interested in her…
No way!
Just imagining the scene in her mind made Miki feel overwhelmed with embarrassment. She couldn’t bear to lose face in front of her squadmates like that.
This hesitation caused her to miss the best opportunity to explain, and she ended up tacitly agreeing with their assumptions.
“Alright, alright, we’ll take care of the patrol. We’ll allow you to slack off today and spend some quality time with your fiancée.”
Seeing her dazed expression, they misinterpreted her silence and, laughing, gently pushed her away before running off into the night.
Miki stood there, feeling lost and uncertain.
Having Wakako as her fiancée, someone she had admired for so long, should have been a blessing beyond measure.
But after finally mustering the courage to meet her, she learned that Wakako’s heart belonged to someone else and that she wasn’t interested in her at all.
It was impossible not to feel discouraged.
She had initially thought she could quickly move on, but upon arriving in Nanling City, she had instinctively rushed to Wakako’s residence without a second thought, just to see that familiar face again.
Perhaps… perhaps she had only agreed to Wakako’s decision with her words, while her heart still refused to let go.
And wasn’t it fate? The Queen herself had arranged their marriage—how could anyone say that this wasn’t the hand of destiny guiding them together?
Why couldn’t she have this marriage? She… she still had a chance, didn’t she?
Although Wakako’s heart already belonged to someone else, they hadn’t yet made any lasting commitment.
If Miki fought for herself, wouldn’t that be worth it? It wouldn’t be shameful at all.
Miki reasoned with herself, then quickly made a decision, running towards the inn.
Perhaps it was the encouragement from her squad mates, who had tacitly acknowledged them as a couple, that spurred her on. She wanted to talk to Wakako again, to see if there was still a chance.
Outside the inn, Carol was practicing her swordsmanship. The moment she saw Miki approaching, she frowned and sheathed her weapon.
Recalling Wakako’s earlier request, she stepped forward to block the path. “Can I help you?”
“Senior Sister Carol,” Miki nodded slightly, disregarding formalities in her urgency. “Is Senior Sister Wakako here?”
Carol scrutinized her. “What’s going on?”
In front of Carol, Miki couldn’t possibly state her real reason. She lowered her head, mumbling, “It’s nothing in particular…”
“In that case, please leave.” Carol pointed toward the distance. “Right now is the time for patrolling. You should be with your squad.”
The unusual tone in Carol’s voice made Miki realize something.
She asked softly, “Is it that senior doesn’t want to see me?”
Seeing the hurt expression on the girl’s face, Carol—who was naturally soft-hearted—couldn’t bring herself to be too harsh. She sighed deeply and patted Miki on the shoulder but said nothing.
The hope that had flickered in Miki’s eyes instantly dimmed.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked, her voice trembling with frustration and hurt. Grasping for some hope, she pressed “Senior, if you know who the Omega in Senior Wakako’s heart is… could you tell me? I want to understand what I’m lacking compared to her.”
“Huh?”
Carol was taken aback. She thought for a moment. “What Omega? There’s no Omega around Wakako.”
At least, as far as she knew, Wakako had never mentioned anyone like that.
Seeing Miki’s continued dejection, Carol’s compassion won out. “If you really want to talk to her, go ahead. Speak your mind—it might make you feel better.”
She stepped aside, clearing the path to the inn.
Taking a deep breath, Miki summoned her courage and rushed in.
The inn was spacious, and she still had some distance to cover. Just as she was about to run to Wakako’s room and knock, she suddenly froze.
The door wasn’t completely closed.
Through the gap, she could vaguely see Wakako’s collar slightly open, revealing half of her shoulder. Presumably, her wounds hadn’t fully healed, and she was applying medicine.
But that wasn’t the main point.
Miki was a highly trained mercenary with exceptional eyesight and night vision.
Even from a distance, she could clearly see the faint red marks trailing down Wakako’s pale neck, along her shoulder and arm, extending far beyond what was visible. She could only imagine what lay hidden beneath her clothes.
No physical injury could look like that.
Miki stood frozen in place, the understanding she had held in her mind suddenly shattering.
These were marks of intimacy, left by passionate lovemaking, as possessive and domineering as a beast marking its territory.
And it must have happened not long ago, for the marks to be such a vibrant shade of red, like fresh blood.
Her senior sister, the seemingly invincible Alpha, who had single-handedly slain countless enemies and effortlessly taken the heads of enemy commanders. The one who wielded her sword with such grace and whose every feature exuded heroism.
Yet, this very senior sister, whom she admired and respected so deeply, had allowed someone to leave such marks on her body.
Suddenly, Miki recalled the last time she had asked Wakako about the Omega in her heart.
Wakako’s answer had been just a few words.
“A very stubborn girl.”
Who could it be, so stubborn as to claim ownership of an Alpha in such a way…
Miki stood rooted in place, almost forgetting how to breathe, forgetting why she had come.
After a long while, she finally snapped out of her trance, fleeing in a panic, not daring to look back even once.
