Chapter 6.1

They say ominous feelings are never wrong.

“What do you mean by ‘even more’…?”

Rosaline’s voice trembled slightly as she asked. Synox replied with,

“Miss Rensier, from this point forward, you’ll need to receive magic from others through physical contact.”

“What do you mean?”

“Without it, your body will begin to suffer, with the severity depending on how much mana you lack.”

Rosaline remembered what the kidnapper had said. That one of the sisters would be left to live a lifetime of pain.

Her lips, cold and stiff, barely moved.

“What kind of… discomfort?”

Synox’s sharp blue gaze passed over her eyes, cheeks, lips, neck, and landed squarely on her chest. As if he were seeing the heart pounding deep inside her ribcage.

Then, he answered.

“At worst… your heart could fail entirely.”

The way he said it, it felt like a death sentence. He wore the same expression he had the day he rejected her confession under that summer sky.

* * *

As Aria stepped out of Rosaline’s bedroom, her brow furrowed.

Truthfully, she wasn’t the only one who’d been in that room.

She pictured the man’s face, so breathtakingly handsome it was hard to believe he was real.

A face so flawless it could exist only once a century… if only his expressions weren’t so lifeless.

Aria knew exactly what the servants whispered about that perfect man.

“Lord Aphlenta would do anything for our lady.”

But Aria knew the truth.

Even if others thought that extraordinary man belonged to her, in reality, she didn’t matter to him at all.

She’d seen his face the moment he opened that door to the warehouse and spotted the bracelet in her hand.

He’d looked so hopeless, like he wanted to deny what was happening right in front of him.

He even dared to doubt her.

“…How exactly did this bracelet end up here?”

That suspicion stung. Rosaline was her younger sister, and Aria had always been kind to her.

For Synox to even consider that she’d purposely put Rosaline in danger was nothing short of an insult.

“Rose gave it to me.”

She’d told him the truth, but he hadn’t apologized for suspecting her.

Worse, he’d turned and he handed her over to her father’s knights like she was a criminal.

“Escort the young lady.”

And then he’d walked away, never looking back.

Now, back in her room, Aria covered her mouth with a handkerchief and hacked out a dry cough. Her maid rushed to help her into a chair.

“My lady, you need to rest.”

“I’m fine. I’m already feeling much better.”

It was all thanks to the medicine Synox had brought her.

Aria had thought the illness she’d had since childhood would never heal, but Synox had found a cure. Rumor had it the treatment used a rare ingredient not seen on the market in centuries.

His obsession had shocked her, even unsettled her… and more than anything else, disappointed her.

Once she was cured, Synox wouldn’t feel indebted to her anymore.

Aria had wanted him to stay guilty for a long, long time. That way… he wouldn’t dare even think of looking elsewhere, would he?

Of course, she could never say such things aloud. She turned to her maid and offered a sweet, composed smile.

“We should thank Synox.”

* * *

Even the next day, Rosaline couldn’t collect her thoughts.

What Synox had told her was simply that shocking.

She sat in a small chair on her bedroom balcony, blankly staring down at the courtyard below. The final words he’d said still echoed in her mind.

“Right now, your body is in a state where it cannot maintain its normal functions without regular infusions of mana.”

“…”

“Solving the issue isn’t difficult. Mages are capable of transmitting mana through physical contact. So assistance from one will suffice.”

“When you say ‘assistance’…”

“I refer to sexual intercourse, or acts of similar intimacy.”

Synox had spoken so plainly that Rosaline had momentarily thought he meant something else, something less intimate, because of how emotionless he sounded.

“Don’t worry. I can provide what you need without difficulty, Miss Rensier.”

…For her, it was a deeply sensitive issue, but Synox was simply treating it with indifference.

A maid approached as Rosaline sat deep in thought.

“Miss.”

“…”

“Miss, are you alright?”

“Oh? Yeah.”

Rosaline nodded awkwardly. The maid didn’t seem entirely convinced but didn’t press further.

“An investigator has arrived from the imperial palace.”

So that was the reason for the stir outside the window.

It was just as Aria had said. Rosaline rose to her feet.

“Please escort him to the drawing room. I’ll be there shortly.”

She wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone, but they couldn’t afford to ignore the imperial court.