Chapter 64
Lady Jin, along with the servants, left the room, granting the two some privacy. In a noble household, this was highly inappropriate, but Senryu seemed entirely unbothered, standing quietly in place as if nothing was wrong.
Even pregnant and in the most vulnerable stage of an Omega’s life, Miki was still a seasoned mercenary. A newly presented Alpha like Senryu, who had never undergone combat training, was no match for her.
Miki didn’t rush to open the letter. She simply said coldly, “I have questions for you.”
Senryu, seemingly unaware of the impending danger, took two steps closer in response to Miki’s words.
In that instant, Miki’s blade shot out from behind the curtains with lightning speed, unimpeded, and rested firmly against Senryu’s neck, exerting a considerable amount of pressure.
The once vibrant and passionate face was now covered in a layer of frost, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
The familiar scent that had once enveloped her rushed back into her nostrils, making Miki’s hand tremble slightly. “It really is you.”
The girl who had been with her that drunken night, the one responsible for the child growing inside her…
Despite the threat to her life, Senryu didn’t panic. She gazed at Miki with concern. “Yes, it’s me. The doctor advised me to rest for a while, but once I recovered, I came to see you.”
She hadn’t been due to naturally present yet, but Miki’s pheromones had triggered her heat that night, throwing her body into chaos. She had been taking medication to stabilize her condition ever since.
Senryu’s gaze shifted to Miki’s slightly swollen belly, her voice softening with disbelief. “Sister, you’re really carrying my child…”
The mention of it only intensified the pain in Miki’s heart. “Shut up!” She pressed the blade closer, almost drawing blood on Senryu’s neck. “Who gave you permission to call me sister?!”
Senryu looked at her with a hint of sadness in her eyes. She had never been particularly beautiful, but after her presentation, a certain cold elegance now graced her features, like a flower blooming for the first time.
“You’re pregnant now, please don’t get angry,” she said softly. “Whatever you want me to call you, I’ll change it.”
Her tone, like that of a wife placating her spouse, only fueled Miki’s murderous intent. She grabbed Senryu’s collar fiercely. “I can kill you right now!”
Senryu bit her lip in a troubled manner. “I’m afraid you can’t.”
She gestured with her eyes, almost calling her “sister” again, but managed to stop herself in time. “Please read the letter from the Saint first.”
Miki fell silent for a moment, then released her grip, but the blade remained pressed against her neck. With one hand, she tore open the letter and quickly scanned its contents.
Her expression shifted from suspicion to shock, then turned grim. Moments ago, she had been ready to kill Senryu, but now her hand fell weakly to her side.
The matter had come to this. The Saint’s suggestion was the best option available. What other choice did she have?
The blade clattered to the floor. Miki closed her eyes wearily. “You can go report back to the Saint now. I don’t want to see you again.”
She knew deep down that it wasn’t entirely Senryu’s fault, yet she couldn’t help but direct her anger at her.
Senryu stood by the bed for a while, then crouched down beside Miki and said sincerely, “Can we keep the child?”
“That night at the banquet, I only wanted to find a chance to talk to you. I never expected…” She paused, wanting to say more. “I…”
Miki interrupted her. “How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“You’re still a child.” A bitter smile touched her lips. “How can we possibly raise a child together?”
Senryu lowered her gaze. “You’re the one who’s pregnant, so it’s your decision to make. I have no right to interfere. I just wanted you to know that I’ll do everything I can to take care of both of you.”
She gathered her courage and confessed, “I’ve seen you from afar at the training grounds for a long time. I… I’ve always admired you.”
Miki was slightly taken aback.
***
Inside the royal palace, a servant placed a sealed letter on the wooden table before the Queen. “Your Majesty.”
The wax seal was distinctly different from others. The Queen recognized it at a glance as the one used exclusively by the mercenaries.
Recently, the Eagle Kingdom had launched several surprise attacks against them. After learning of the existence of firearms, Mios had increased its defenses, and thus, after the first attack, no casualties were sustained. Although the losses were minimal, the repeated attacks left the kingdom anxious.
Hua Yumu, Albert, and Carol had been dispatched to secretly track the enemy kingdom’s Crown Princess, but there had been no word from them for some time. Today, at last, they had sent their first letter.
The Queen used a small knife to break the seal and unfolded the letter to read.
“To Her Majesty, Queen Ruijun:
The three of us have been tracking and following Crown Princess Loren, whose destination is our own capital…”
The very first sentence surprised the Queen.
Our own capital?
She had heard that the Eagle Kingdom’s Crown Princess had contracted an illness in her childhood, and her health had never fully recovered. She didn’t have many years left to live. Given the upcoming trial, the Eagle Kingdom should have kept her well-hidden. Why would they send her on a long journey to the capital of Mios?
Such a long and grueling journey would surely worsen her health, offering Mios a chance to win without battle if her condition grew critical.
What was the Eagle Kingdom planning?
The Queen continued reading.
The three mercenaries mentioned in the letter that they had followed the enemy’s footsteps back to the capital. There was an abandoned manor on the outskirts of the city, where the Crown Princess was currently hiding. They had set up camp at a distance to observe her without alerting the enemy.
The people of the Eagle Kingdom weren’t fools. They wouldn’t simply deliver themselves to be slaughtered. The Queen felt that something was wrong and even suspected that they might be following the wrong person. However, she trusted that mercenaries of their caliber wouldn’t make such a basic mistake.
Still, she couldn’t fathom any reason for Crown Princess Loren to come to the capital.
The Queen summoned a servant and casually inquired, “Has Lady Kitagawa fully recovered from her injuries? What about the other mercenaries?”
The servant replied respectfully, “Your Majesty, Lady Kitagawa’s leg injury has healed. Currently, Lady Lin Lin and Lady Liu Siruo are stationed beside the Crown Princess, and…”
The servant listed the mercenaries’ positions, and the queen weighed their combat strength in her mind.
Since the enemy’s Crown Princess was hiding on the outskirts of the city with a small retinue, they could easily overwhelm her with superior numbers.
It seemed like a sure victory, yet the Queen still felt uneasy. After so many years as a ruler, her intuition told her that things weren’t that simple.
Regardless, it was necessary to investigate. She calmly issued her orders: “Send a message to all the mercenaries and the generals… No, wait. Just to the generals. Gather the troops and launch a direct assault on the outskirts of the city.”
It was better to hold some forces in reserve.
Thanks to the intelligence provided by Hua Yumu and the others, locating the estate was a simple task. That very night, the generals led their troops to surround the manor and launched an attack.
But then, a strange thing happened—they couldn’t enter.
It was just an old, abandoned manor, left behind by some nobleman who knows how many years ago, with no apparent barriers. When the words “unable to enter” reached the palace, all the ministers present were shocked.
That’s right, they couldn’t enter.
There was a forest outside the manor. As soon as they tried to enter, they would become disoriented. Even if they walked in a straight line, they would end up back where they started. On the other side of the manor was a shallow stream, barely reaching their waist, yet some soldiers nearly drowned in it.
The generals, seasoned veterans of countless battles, had never experienced anything like this before. They knew that some supernatural phenomenon must be at play, perhaps even the will of God.
The ministers had their suspicions but didn’t dare to voice them directly, instead, they all looked towards the Queen.
If they couldn’t enter, they couldn’t kill the enemy’s Crown Princess. But why would God give them an impossible trial? There must be another way.
The Queen pondered for a moment and slowly arrived at an answer.
The key to this trial lay with the Crown Princess.
If no one else could approach, it was highly likely that Tsukiyo, the Crown Princess of Mios, had to enter alone. But Tsukiyo… she was only ten years old.
The Queen closed her eyes, concealing the pain in them. This was her own daughter—bright, clever, and so full of life. How could she bear to send her into danger?
But some things had to be done. After a long pause, she finally spoke to the servant by her side. “Summon the Crown Princess and the mercenaries to see me.”
She paused, then added, “And the Saint.”
***
Among those the Queen had called for, Wakako was not included.
Everyone knew that she had been hit by a firearm, suffering severe injuries. Even if she recovered quickly, she still needed proper rest to avoid lingering complications.
However, when the messenger arrived, Wakako requested to join them.
Tsukiyo, thinking that Wakako was pushing through her injury to protect her, was moved to tears. Looking at the child’s innocent face, Wakako couldn’t bring herself to speak the truth.
The day Miki had confronted her and exposed her feelings, Wakako had all but fled in panic. Though she continued to serve Miki as usual, she never dared to look her directly in the eye again.
Perhaps, in some dark corner of her heart, she truly enjoyed seeing Miki jealous and driven to madness for her…
But Wakako couldn’t, and shouldn’t, feel that way. With only three months left to live, she should focus on staying by the Saint’s side until the trial was completed, ensuring nothing like her last injury happened again before the trial was complete.
So this time, she volunteered to participate, but didn’t reveal her true reasons to anyone.
Liu Siruo and Lin Lin, who were aware of her poisoning, tried to persuade her to take it easy and spend her remaining time doing what she wanted. While focusing on state affairs was noble, they urged her to think of herself—especially since her end was near.
Wakako had only smiled and shook her head.
In truth, they weren’t wrong. For Wakako, spending her remaining time by Miki’s side was the only thing she wanted.
On the last night before their departure, everyone stayed in the royal palace. Tsukiyo stayed with her two mothers, while Lin Lin and Liu Siruo stayed in the mercenaries’ quarters.
Wakako, unusually, didn’t stay with her fellow mercenaries. Instead, she took up residence in the guest room next to the Saint’s small courtyard.
Ever since the Eagle Kingdom’s night raid on the Kitagawa estate, she had been guarding Miki every night. Even though a sneak attack on the palace was highly unlikely, she still did so.
The guest room was spacious, with several beds, and both Wakako and Senryu slept there.
Before going to bed, Senryu spoke up. “Lady Wakako, the mission is dangerous. Please be careful.”
Wakako smiled but didn’t reply.
“When your leg was injured, the Saint cried a lot,” Senryu continued. “She stayed awake the whole night, unable to sleep.”
Wakako was startled, suddenly recalling that when she suffered minor injuries in the past, Miki would press her lips together, silently shedding tears while gently touching the wounds, begging her not to get hurt again.
They both knew that Wakako couldn’t feel pain and wasn’t afraid of it.
Yet, Miki would always cry for her.
