Chapter 1
Year 1191 of the Divine Calendar, December.
Winter in the Eagle Kingdom had always been bitterly cold, and this year was particularly harsh.
The servants in the royal palace had long since lit the furnaces in the underground brick chambers, filling the entire royal city with warmth, allowing the nobles to indulge in revelry.
There was only one exception: the dark, damp, and sunless dungeon.
Kitagawa Wakako was jolted awake by a splash of cold water. The numerous wounds on her arm contracted slightly from the cold.
She glanced down at her body and knew the situation. They were all flesh wounds, nothing serious.
An officer and a prison guard stood in front of her. The guard who had awakened her held the ladle and asked with a stern face, “Still refusing to talk?”
She didn’t answer.
The guard, having no patience to waste, gave her a vicious lash that instantly drew blood. To the surprise of both men, the woman didn’t make a sound. She didn’t even blink.
It was as if she couldn’t feel pain.
The two exchanged glances before leaving the cell.
After walking some distance, the officer frowned in thought for a moment and ordered, “Continue the interrogation, just don’t kill her.”
The guard bowed respectfully, while glancing suspiciously towards the cell, wondering about the woman’s identity.
A few days ago, a high-ranking ministers had been rewarded by the King and held a banquet in the palace. This woman was arrested on the spot and had been imprisoned for several days.
According to reports, she was a spy from an enemy kingdom. As for the specific details, that was beyond what someone of his rank could inquire about.
All he knew was that this woman’s lips were sealed tighter than a stone. They had used every method, but had gotten nothing out of her.
The officer held a small scroll in his hand, containing information written in a coded language that only specific personnel could decipher.
He unrolled it again, glancing down at the contents:
Name Unknown, Gender: Female Alpha.
Royal Mercenary of Mios.
Responsible for the night raid and assassinated three generals during the Rose War.
Appearance unknown, footprint evidence suggests a tall, slender female. Proficient in weapons.
On the back of the scroll, more information was written in small print, but with a note beside it stating “Source unverified”—
Pheromones resemble a certain type of plant;
Born without the ability to feel pain, known as the “Human Weapon” within the mercenary group;
23 years old, black-haired, black-eyed female.
After reading, the officer rolled up the scroll again.
If this woman truly was a member of the royal mercenaries, he would have made a great contribution to the Eagle Kingdom!
Now alone in the cell, Wakako could feel herself weakening from blood loss. She closed her eyes to rest and conserve her strength.
She had undergone special training and possessed exceptional hearing. Even from a great distance, she could clearly hear the whispers of those two men.
They were right, Wakako was indeed from an enemy kingdom.
As for why she was caught…
***
A few months earlier.
“Mission codename N, objective – approach Minister Camus at the banquet. Eliminate if necessary.”
When Kitagawa Wakako received this mission, she frowned and turned to her junior sister, Lin Lin, with a puzzled expression. “Just the two of us?”
Lin Lin nodded woodenly. “I think so.”
In this world, two kingdoms stood in opposition to each other. One was called the Eagle Kingdom, the territory where they now found themselves. The other kingdom was known as Mios.
The war between the two kingdoms had raged for centuries, with shifting territories and the gradual intermixing of different races, yet neither side had emerged victorious.
However, in recent years, Mios had gained the upper hand, all thanks to their secret weapon—the Royal Mercenaries.
It was said that Mios had paid an enormous price to assemble this elite force, excelling in everything from violent purges to intelligence gathering, from inciting defections to forging internal and external alliances. Whenever the Royal Mercenaries made a move, they never missed their target.
Even many of the Eagle Kingdom’s core ministers had fallen by their hands.
The Eagle Kingdom’s royal family had long regarded this mysterious Royal Mercenary group as a thorn in their side, something they desperately wished to eliminate.
Yet, they were elusive, and in numerous confrontations, only the dead had witnessed their true faces.
Those in the know understood that the Royal Mercenaries were Mios’ most closely guarded secret, with separate Alpha, Beta, and Omega squads operating independently.
Wakako and her junior sister, Lin Lin, belonged to the Alpha squad. They were carrying out other missions near the Eagle Kingdom’s border when they abruptly received this unexpected order:
Drop all current tasks and urgently handle Mission Code N.
The order only instructed them to approach the minister but didn’t specify what to do afterward, suggesting a long-term undercover mission within the enemy kingdom’s palace.
Each squad had its specialty. The Alpha squad typically handled missions requiring forceful resolution, swiftly and decisively.
Espionage missions like this were typically handled by the more socially adept Omega and Beta squads, which made both of them suspicious.
However, after confirming that the message had indeed originated from the Mios Royal Palace, they had no choice but to execute the order.
It was their duty as Royal Mercenaries.
***
On the day of the mission, Minister Camus was hosting a banquet in the royal palace. Many outsiders were admitted – musicians, singers, dancers, and even portrait artists for the nobles.
Wakako concealed her pheromones and disguised herself as an artist, blending in among them.
Lin Lin, only fifteen and still as fresh as a young sprout, could only pretend to be a lowly servant attending to the wine at the banquet.
Wakako was sketching a portrait of a noble lady, lightly outlining her features. “Please raise your head a little higher.”
This lady was Minister Camus’s newly wedded fifth wife, rumored to be his current favorite and enjoying immense popularity.
Their plan was to approach Minister Camus through her, and if successful, they might even seamlessly infiltrate the minister’s household.
Wakako had studied painting for a period during her childhood and had specifically inquired about this lady’s preferences, learning that she disliked heavy and vibrant colors, favoring instead simple and elegant sketches.
She presented herself as an innocent and naive young painter, catering to the lady’s tastes, and quickly gained her approval.
“Wait.”
The lady suddenly interrupted, scrutinizing the draft for a while before an idea struck her. She summoned a servant and instructed, “Take this sketch to Minister Camus and tell him I wish to have a double portrait painted with him.”
The servant bowed and departed with the order. Wakako forced a smile and discreetly exchanged glances with Lin Lin, who stood not far away.
The servant returned shortly after.
“My lady, Minister Camus has instructed me to bring this artist to him.”
The lady misunderstood, rising to accompany them, but the servant awkwardly emphasized, “The minister requested only the artist’s presence.”
“What?” Her beautiful face instantly contorted as she smashed a white porcelain cup. “Is the minister having his portrait painted with someone else?”
That was beyond the servant’s ability to answer.
Wakako silently bowed to the enraged lady, then gathered her skirts and art supplies to follow the servant.
Everything was going a little too smoothly. She hadn’t expected to get a private audience with Minister Camus so quickly. The mercenary instinct within her made her more alert.
Mios had a special type of jade stone with extraordinary properties. If two people split a piece and wore it, they could communicate with each other in secret, even at a distance.
Although it was precious and extremely rare, as a Royal Mercenary, possessing such an item wasn’t unusual.
Under the guise of casual conversation with the servant, Wakako discreetly passed on this information to Lin Lin.
Moments later, Lin Lin’s voice came through softly, “Confirmed. Camus’s wives and important officials are all present at the banquet. No one has left.”
In other words, Camus had summoned her alone.
The servant led Wakako to a secluded lounge at the innermost part of the palace. Several guards stood by the entrance, seemingly ready to serve the minister at any moment.
“Please enter,” he gestured for Wakako to go in alone.
As expected, only Minister Camus was inside. He was a male Alpha in his forties, and the room was filled with his pheromones—a pungent, fishy scent.
As an Alpha herself, Wakako subconsciously felt a slight aversion to the scent of her kind. However, she was currently playing the role of a Beta, who shouldn’t exhibit any emotional fluctuations, so she concealed her feelings well.
The room was draped in silk curtains, a glass of red wine sat on the table, and the soft light of an oil lamp flickered gently.
Minister Camus had just finished his drink and was drowsy.
Wakako bowed to him and set up her easel and canvas.
“Greetings, my Lord. I am the artist you summoned.” She inquired, “Would you like me to begin your portrait now?”
Minister Camus looked up as if startled awake, looked her over briefly. Seeing that she was an ordinary Beta, he lost any interest.
Lazily, he said, “I’ve seen your work. Your technique is quite unique.”
Hearing this, Wakako paused for a moment, as if lost in a memory.
But it was only for a moment. She quickly smiled and replied, “Thank you for your praise, my lord.”
This technique wasn’t her own creation.
The person who once held her hand and taught her each stroke was long gone.
Minister Camus chuckled, suddenly revealing a lewd gaze.
“I want you to paint me, along with the Omega in this picture.” He placed an object on the table, emphasizing his words, “This painting is for my private collection, you understand? You’ll be well compensated.”
Wakako stared at him blankly, not grasping his meaning. “A double portrait of you and this Omega?” she asked.
Despite his repeated hints, she remained clueless.
Palace servants were always adept at anticipating the desires of their masters, but outsiders—like this artist—were frustratingly oblivious, no matter how much he hinted.
He clicked his tongue in irritation and had to explain bluntly.
Finally, Wakako understood. It turned out that due to some peculiar fetish, Camus desired an erotic painting…
She lowered her head, concealing the flicker of disgust in her eyes, then looked at the canvas to see what the Omega looked like.
But in an instant, she felt as if struck by lightning.
It was an oil painting, not particularly skillful, but still clear enough to show the woman’s extraordinary beauty – familiar yet strange.
Familiar were the long, smooth black hair like satin and the lips as red as cherries, glistening with an alluring sheen. What was unfamiliar was the youthful innocence that had now been replaced by a mature, seductive allure.
She stared, transfixed, unable to tear her gaze away.
How could it be her?
Wasn’t she already…
Camus, tipsy from the wine, mistook the artist’s stunned expression for being captivated by the woman in the painting. He chuckled, “Have you never seen such a beautiful woman before?”
He, too, was deeply infatuated with her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take her as his wife, so he could only commission a painting to alleviate his longing.
Camus didn’t notice the sudden shift in the artist’s eyes.
Wakako asked softly, “Who is this lady?”
The promise of a handsome reward was nothing more than a lie. For such an audacious act, only the dead could keep secrets. Thus, in Camus’s eyes, this young artist was as good as a corpse.
So even though the question was presumptuous, he didn’t mind indulging her curiosity.
“Well, don’t be too shocked,” Minister Camus lowered his voice dramatically, “but this is the legendary Saint.”
He seemed to recall something and smiled faintly, “She has a beautiful name, Miki. It’s a pity, she’s so well-protected by His Majesty that I’ve only seen her once…”
Miki.
Wakako stared intently at the oil painting.
The memories she had desperately sealed away came crashing back, triggered by the mere mention of that name.
Miki.
She thought Miki had died five years ago.
The Saint who had taught her to paint and read, who named her “Wakako” from a book.
The Miki who always left the scent of cherries on her, saying, “This way, everyone will know you’re mine.”
The master to whom she willingly offered everything.
T
Note:
This book has a mix of japanese and chinese names. I was tempted to use senpai, kouhai, san, chan etc. but opted for senior sister instead.
