Chapter 131
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: A Change of Heart
After returning to my room, I fell asleep in an instant, as if to make up for all the tossing and turning I'd done at dawn.
The morning dawned bright.
To announce the decision I'd made at dawn, I summoned everyone.
The atmosphere suggested they already anticipated my answer.
What a shame, I no longer intended to do that.
Mesis's complexion was brighter than ever, as if he'd already finished preparing to leave.
"I'll get straight to the point."
"When do we depart, My Lady?"
"We're staying here, Mesis. We're not going back."
When the expected answer didn't come, the beaming smile on Mesis's face cracked.
He seemed desperate to return to the south, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible yet.
"Why? ......You don't want to face Lord Artban either, My Lady."
"I didn't, but I've changed my mind. He's coming all this way to see me, so I should at least meet him once."
"...My Lady, staying is fine, but that man seems very strange to me. All his plans have gone awry, and there's no reason for it now, yet he keeps trying to contact you."
Paymon also grimaced, shivering as if unsettled.
It seemed they all shared a common sentiment about the current situation.
Strange and unsettling.
It was a natural reaction, as the people here didn't yet know the secret of my pheromone.
After his ploy to spirit away the family heir failed, he hadn't quietly sunk beneath the surface; instead, he was becoming even more conspicuous.
Hestia, who had been silent, spoke softly.
"I suppose we'll find out the reason when we meet him."
The reason. That was obvious.
Once he had me, the rest would be smooth sailing.
And that was precisely what I feared. Falling into Diel Artban's hands.
"My Lady."
"Yes, Hestia."
"May I ask why you changed your mind?"
There were many reasons. But if I had to name the biggest one…
"Because on second thought, I'm sick of him prodding at me."
"Pardon?"
"At first, I was terrified."
The moment I learned the secret about myself and realized what Lord Artban planned to do with me.
An uncontrollable fear washed over me.
"That man has known every detail about me since before I was born, but I know nothing about him. The gap between us felt so vast, it was frightening."
"..."
"But now he's conquered the east and is coming to the north to see me... I couldn't even sleep properly last night, worrying that the people I care about would get hurt because of me. I hated the thought of facing him so much that I've been ignoring it, but all this time, he's been preparing to meet me."
"...I see."
The room fell silent.
It seemed everyone was rendered speechless by my first-ever display of emotion.
"But my mindset has changed. Now, more than being afraid, I'm just very, very angry."
I could never let things go the way he wanted.
"If he won't give up on me, then I'll just have to make him."
The time had come for one of us to be finished.
I looked at Hestia.
"That's why I need you to help me, Hestia."
* * *
Hestia blinked slowly, looking around the training grounds.
She looked as if she'd never dreamed the place I'd lead her to would be a training ground.
"...What is it you need my help with in the training grounds, My Lady? Surely not..."
"Hmm?"
"You're not planning to resolve things with Lord Artban through force, are you?"
Pale-faced, she shook her head, insisting it was out of the question. I burst out laughing and waved my hand dismissively.
"No, it's not like that."
"Then what?"
"I'm going to practice controlling my pheromone."
I hadn't been able to practice properly until now, so I needed to master it before it was too late.
To be precise, to the point where I could control my pheromone even if it escaped my body.
In truth, controlling one's pheromone was the first thing a Su-in learned.
Because it was an innate ability, it could be learned with ease.
However, I currently couldn't gauge the extent to which I could use my pheromone, so Hestia's help was absolutely essential.
"...How to control your pheromone?"
When I revealed the reason for coming to the training grounds, Hestia's expression subtly darkened.
She parted her lips several times as if she had something to say.
"What is it, Hestia?"
"My Lady."
"Yes?"
I calmly waited for Hestia to speak.
I didn't know why she was hesitating, but it seemed to be the kind of thing that required time to say.
After a short wait, Hestia finally spoke.
"Before we begin, there is something I must ask you, My Lady."
"What is it that's making you so hesitant? It's all right, you can speak freely."
"Why do you want to learn how to control your pheromone?"
Well...
"Why are you curious about that?"
"Please answer me."
Her voice held a hint of urgency, bereft of its usual composure.
I stared at Hestia. A flicker of tension crossed her clear face.
She was pretending to be calm, but she was holding her breath, listening intently for my answer.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
*Could it be that Hestia knows something?*
It was likely something that I, Kaide, Dante, and finally, Diel Artban knew.
As my reply was delayed, Hestia smiled and added, as if making an excuse.
"It's just that I don't quite understand what controlling your pheromone has to do with this situation."
But having known her for a long time, I could easily tell that her smile wasn't genuine.
I let out a deep sigh.
"How long have you known?"
It was clear she already knew, and since it seemed pointless to deny it, I admitted it frankly. At my question, Hestia's green eyes widened.
She looked as if she'd received a shock too great to describe in words.
It was understandable.
After all, she had just received confirmation that the Black Mamba's most powerful tool for survival could be neutralized. She seemed to have many questions but couldn't easily bring herself to ask.
We weren't the only ones here, after all.
The guards must have already noticed the unusual atmosphere and were watching us.
I decided to first address the things that must have been weighing on Hestia's mind one by one.
"For the record, a total of four people know this fact."
"......!"
"Ah, now that you know, Hestia, I guess that makes five."
"My Lady!"
"Yes?"
Hestia was flustered by my unhesitating words, not knowing what to do.
On the verge of tears, she instantly created a condensed pheromone barrier to prevent any sound from escaping.
She quickly glanced around before letting out a sigh of relief.
Then she mulled over what I had just said.
"So you're saying that including me, five people know this secret..."
Hestia held up her hand, then tilted her head.
"Five people?"
"Yes."
"How is it five? You, the Lord, me... who else knows?"
she asked, folding her fingers one by one.
I pointed to one of the two fingers that remained unfolded.
"Uncle Dante knows too."
Another finger folded down.
"Then who is the last one? Lady Rosaria? Or Lord Baon?"
How I wished it were Rosaria. But unfortunately, it wasn't her.
This matter was also being kept secret from Baon.
As I shook my head, denying both, Hestia's expression turned bizarre before hardening.
"Who do you think the last one is?"
"Don't tell me..."
"Your guess is correct."
Hestia stifled a scream, covering her mouth. I decided to wait until she calmed down. A moment later, Hestia asked in a trembling voice.
"Is this why Diel Artban is coming to the north?"
"That's right."
"Then your plan to control your pheromone is..."
"It's to prepare for the worst-case scenario. If I get caught by him, he'll try to take my pheromone."
The one fortunate thing was that no rumors had spread outside so far.
His intention to have me all to himself was painfully obvious.
Ironically, because of that, I was certain that Diel Artban would never reveal the secret to anyone.
Though the very idea of placing such trust in him was laughable.
I looked at Hestia.
"As you might have guessed, we were trying to keep this a secret from the entire clan, Hestia."
So, our fate now depended on the stance Hestia would take.
Soon, a look of determination flashed in her eyes.
"I will do my utmost to assist you, Lady Aileen."
* * *
And on the afternoon of the scheduled day.
Diel Artban arrived at Kiraas Castle.
A carriage, bearing a golden sun on a black banner, slowly came to a halt.
The door opened smoothly, and a man with silver hair and dark purple eyes emerged.
"We meet for the first time, Young Lord Kiraas."
A pleasant, low voice resonated. In contrast, a sinister pheromone enveloped him. It was the dark energy characteristic of a jaguar.
Diel slowly turned his gaze, as if searching for someone.
Sage leisurely stepped forward, blocking his line of sight. Diel's eyes, which had been looking elsewhere, turned to Sage.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I should be asking you that. We haven't even exchanged greetings, yet I wonder who you're looking for so intently."
The playful smile on Sage's lips vanished.
"As I understand it, there is no one else here who should be of interest to Lord Artban but me."
It was a clear warning. Do not show interest in anything else in his territory without permission.
"I happen to be very jealous."
"Ha."
Diel let out a scoff of disbelief.
He'd come looking for his sole interest, Aileen Astrofel, only to find a tiger standing in his way. Moreover, he could sense a pheromone from the tiger's body that didn't suit it at all.
It was fluffy like cotton candy, yet it concealed a rather sharp, trained fierceness within...
It was undoubtedly the pheromone of Aileen Astrofel, the one he so desperately wanted to possess.