[Cassian's POV]"No, there's nothing. Just forget what I said, Mother."Anxious, I could already feel my mother would keep bombarding me with various questions if I didn't escape. To avoid that, I quickly got up from my seat and left the room. Leaving her behind."Hey! Cassian! Answer your mother's questions! My child!"*Blam!*Seemingly cruel, but I intentionally slammed the door shut to drown out her questions. Queen Veronica fell silent inside as her son left her alone.Meanwhile, with a lingering pain in my back, I continued walking toward the first floor of the palace to meet someone.Certainly not Seraphine. I'm sure after what happened between us earlier, our relationship will now become more distant.I can't meet her for the time being.________________"Jesse."A young Alpha whose name I called suddenly placed a cup of warm tea he was about to sip down. Maintaining the respect and politeness that seemed ingrained in him, Jesse immediately stood up as he saw me approaching him
[Seraphine's POV]*Knock! Knock! Knock!*"Who is it?"In this vast and quiet room, the sound of a few knocks on the door is enough to resonate loudly. I freeze and stare at the door, which remains silent after the knocks."Seraphine? It's me. Can we talk for a moment?"I recognize the voice. It comes from behind the closed door, which I didn't bother to lock. Cassian. He's back from his treatment and now intends to come in.This is his room, his territory. Why bother knocking as if he cares about politeness? The Cassian I remember is a cold and ruthless Alpha who rarely cares about other people's feelings.So, I have no reason to respond. I leave the door as it is, without any intention to answer.*Knock! Knock! Knock!*"Seraphine. Can you please open up? There's something I want to talk to you about."*Knock! Knock! Knock!*"Are you already asleep?"Cassian is wasting his time calling me from outside when he could easily enter the room without considering me. What's up with him? Does
[Seraphine's POV]I couldn't deny it. The tension and fear that enveloped my mind dissipated and vanished thanks to his warm embrace. With patience and affection, I could feel how Cassian's cold and sturdy hands continued to stroke my back. My body drew closer to him, and he allowed me to rest my head on his broad chest.With this hug, I could hear Cassian's heartbeat pumping right next to my ear. It sounded soft yet firm, a rhythm so beautiful, like a melody or the sound of gentle raindrops.I closed my eyes, listening to the heartbeat of the Alpha holding me. Slowly, the fear and nervousness no longer dominated my consciousness. Like ocean waves tamed by the gentle breeze, I found peace thanks to Cassian by my side._________________"May I see the examination results?"I knew Cassian was surprised by my words just now. Perhaps he had thought of not discussing Riana's death anymore after witnessing my reaction to the news. And as he was about to hide the white paper, I instead asked
[Seraphine's POV]"Is there anything I can do for you, Miss Seraphine?" I was too focused on trying to find a moment to talk to Veronica without interruption that I forgot Jesse was standing right in front of me.Only when he called my name did I realize we had been standing in the front yard for quite some time? I quickly wiped the sweat from the bottom of my face, feeling nervous, and composed myself to look ready for the conversation."Jesse, do you remember the last moments when you stopped me from pursuing Riana, on the night we stayed at that hotel?" I straightened my face to meet his gaze, waiting for his response with hope in my eyes."Of course, Your Highness," he replied. "I prevented you from chasing after Riana because it was getting late, and the morning was approaching. I didn't do anything to Riana that night."My eyes widened when I realized my previous question might have sounded like I was suspecting Jesse of being involved in Riana's death."No, no, no. That's not w
[Seraphine's POV]Unexpectedly, Jesse nodded easily. "Yes, Miss," he replied calmly, surprising me.'And here I thought he would try to hide the fact that he is a true member of the Cassian family. But it seems he is the type who can cooperate,' I thought to myself."Jesse, can we work together to solve this mysterious case? You know, one of the villages under Prince Maximilian's rule, Silverbook Haven, is experiencing an incredibly terrifying deadly epidemic. I think if we can solve this case, we might find some clues about the deadly plague," I said to him."If that's the case, I must ask for permission from Prince Cassian first, Miss," he answered. His words instantly made me glare at him."No—please! Do not do that!" I whispered urgently. "Cassian must not know about this! Only you and I can conduct this investigation!"Jesse's face showed confusion as he looked at my panic. "But I can't act without Prince Cassian's approval, Miss.""Yes, I know. I will find a way to handle that,"
[Seraphine's POV]Various emotions and protests she directed at me, I could only stare at her face in silence. Today, I don't have enough energy to deal with her fighting, and Cassian's emotions don't make sense to me either."Cassian. Are you jealous?"His eyes widened at my question. I, too, am surprised that I uttered those words that I've been thinking about for a long time. It's as if my brain has become impulsive, and my mouth no longer has any brakes.The question easily escaped my lips and hit Cassian's sensitive spot directly. As a result, his face turned bright red. Either because he's angry or because I managed to guess what's on his mind."Jealous ... you said?" He repeated my words with a tone full of emphasis. "What makes you think I could be jealous of an Omega like you?"Now, it's my turn to roll my eyes at his words. 'Oh. Finally, Cassian's true nature comes out. The selfish and cruel side of him is surfacing again. As soon as I say that, he's already starting to pani
[Seraphine’s POV]*Crash*Cassian collapsed in my arms with just one shot. More precisely, I hypnotized him as I desired, making Cassian forget about this problem.I patted Cassian's back as he fell weakly into my embrace, making sure he was completely unconscious. After making sure there were no witnesses on this floor, I immediately dragged Cassian's body and laid him on the sofa.*Thud!*And finally, I no longer had to carry Cassian's heavy body. Amazing. It was the first time I felt like I was hit by a heavy rock, illustrating just how big Cassian's body was to me."I'm sorry, Cassian. I didn't need to do this if you weren't aware of my meeting with Jesse. My powers should not be used for personal gain. However, you forced me to do it. I'm sure you wouldn't just let me go if you knew what I would do next," I said at length, even though I knew Cassian couldn't hear me.Before leaving, I searched for something to cover Cassian's helpless body. He had fainted on the sofa on the first
[Seraphine's POV]Both of us remained silent, lost in our thoughts. The train door opened without me stepping inside, and Jesse refused to meet my gaze intentionally."Sigh." I finally sighed to let go of my frustration. In front of him, I put on the gloves he had given me. These gloves were too big for an Omega like me. They felt uncomfortable to wear, but the thick and soft material instantly provided a warm sensation, rescuing my almost numb hands from the cold."Please, get inside, Miss," Jesse asked me for the second time. He still kept his eyes down and avoided looking at me.I was slightly annoyed by his indifferent attitude. Nonetheless, I obeyed his request and entered the train.After the door closed, Jesse didn't immediately take his place in the driver's seat. Instead, he walked to the back where the train's pantry was located. I felt a slight jolt and saw the light coming in through the open back door of the train.When I glanced back, I could only see Jesse picking somet