“Keith, we didn’t finish that conversation we started in the carriage,” Cassius said. He was still curious about why Keith couldn’t have children.
The ABO ratio in this world was fairly balanced, about three to four to three, with Betas being slightly more common.
Normally, Omegas had strong fertility. Most average Omegas were considered playthings for the rich.
Keith’s inability to have children wasn’t a secret among the nobility, but Cassius hadn’t known him well enough to ask before.
Keith spoke slowly.
“When I had just differentiated into an Omega, my family arranged a marriage for me. My fiancé was an Alpha who specialized in close-range combat. We had only met a few times.”
“Six years ago, I followed my aunt’s army to a place called Lamma Bay,” Keith said as he recalled the expedition with the Queen to expand the colonies. “At the time, the magic corps had been ordered to eliminate a group of rogue Lamma wizards. I went into a valley alone to search for any stragglers.”
“I searched for a long time and eventually found one. He fought back with everything he had, and I had no choice but to attack. I was faster than him by just a few seconds, but he still managed to cast a binding spell and restrained me.”
“It felt strange. I seemed to be hit by two spells. The gland at the back of my neck started to ache, and my body hurt too. But that wizard had only used a simple restraint spell. I couldn’t understand it.”
“Esther arrived right after. He was standing just behind me and killed the Lamma wizard.”
Cassius thought to himself that spellcasters could spend all that time chanting spells, and in the end, someone with a gun could just shoot and end the fight instantly.
“After we returned, the doctors found a strange curse on my gland. The Pope said I had been cursed with infertility. The curse was marked with a symbol no one had ever seen before, and no one knew how to remove it.”
“The only person who might have known how to undo the curse was that wizard. But he was already dead. Esther killed him. He was the last of the Lamma spellcasters.”
It really was a dead end. If that wizard had lived, maybe there would have been hope.
Cassius said, “If I had been in Esther’s place, I would have killed him too.”
A combat-based fighter wouldn’t understand magical sigils. See the enemy, eliminate the enemy.
Keith let out a quiet sigh.
“I never blamed him. Some people said that if Esther had arrived just a few seconds earlier, I wouldn’t have ended up like this. Later, my fiancé broke off the engagement when he found out I couldn’t have children. Said he didn’t want an Omega who couldn’t bear kids. I didn’t care. We were never close.”
Cassius found himself wanting to see what the curse on Keith’s gland looked like. If even the Pope couldn’t lift it, it had to be something powerful.
Many nobles had felt sorry for Keith. If this hadn’t happened, there would have been a long line of suitors begging to marry him.
Cassius pictured the scene in his mind. People must have believed that the wizard had cast two spells. One to bind Keith and another to curse his fertility.
But the combination of those two spells felt off.
Cassius had been a criminal investigator in his past life. His instincts told him something wasn’t right. He reached out to the side and accidentally touched one of Keith’s books.
“Are you sure that wizard only cast one spell?”
“Yes. Why?” Keith asked as he held Cassius’s wrist, watching him closely. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“I think there was a fourth person there. You were ambushed,” Cassius said firmly. “Even if Esther had arrived a few seconds earlier, you still would have been cursed.”
“What? Why?” Keith stared at him, stunned. He had never heard anyone say that before. He had always assumed the wizard had cursed him. “Esther was there. Who else could have attacked me?”
“You said you saw the wizard use one spell, but your body reacted like it was hit by two. You may have thought it was just your imagination. But he was your enemy. Who would care about your ability to have children during battle?”
“Just because you didn’t see someone else doesn’t mean they weren’t there. What we do know is that whoever it was, they knew magic.”
“I…” Keith fell silent. He had always found it strange. He could understand being interrupted while casting a spell, but why would anyone target his fertility? Cassius’s explanation suddenly made everything fit.
Keith let go of his wrist and stared off, dazed.
“It has already been so many years. Maybe this was just fate.”
It happened so long ago, and in a distant colony. There was no way to investigate it now.
Cassius heard the disappointment in his voice but didn’t know how to comfort him.
They kept talking, and before long, thirty minutes had passed.
Vincent returned.
“You can take it off now.”
Keith responded, then leaned in to remove the white cloth from Cassius’s eyes.
Cassius opened them. His left eye still stung a little, but he was surprised to see that his field of vision had expanded. He covered his right eye to test it. His left eye really could see, though it was still a little blurry.
“How is it?” Keith asked hopefully. “The color looks normal again.”
“I think it worked,” Vincent said as he held a glowing spellbook. The light from the pages reflected on Cassius’s face.
His left eye had turned blue again and was able to focus.
“I can see, but it’s still a little blurry, Bishop Vincent,” Cassius said as he stood up and took a few steps. Seeing through the newly healed eye made him a little dizzy.
The Pope’s apprentice was truly skilled.
But their joy didn’t last long. After about five minutes, Cassius’s left eye went dark again. The color faded back to gray.
Their celebration ended before it even began.
“It looks like it didn’t hold,” Vincent said quietly.
Cassius’s heart dropped. He felt like he had been lifted up just to crash down again.
“Even if it was just for a few minutes, it was still amazing. Thank you both.”
He had spent thousands of gold coins. For a few minutes of vision, it felt worth it. He hadn’t expected miracles. Even modern science couldn’t fix him.
Cassius said goodbye. Vincent was staying with Keith for now, so the two of them walked him to the door.
Keith called out to him and handed over a small bottle.
“Take this. It’s the simulated pheromone we talked about. Don’t give up. We’ll keep trying. Today was already a breakthrough.”
Vincent waved from the doorway, his glowing book floating beside him.
“Yes, Governor. Go get some rest. We’ll keep researching.”
Cassius climbed into the carriage. The driver told him it was already eleven o’clock.
It was so late already. Time had passed quickly tonight.
When he returned to the Governor’s mansion, a servant informed him that several portraits and a letter from the Queen had arrived earlier in the afternoon. Everything had been placed in his office.
Cassius had not replied to the Queen’s last letter. She was probably getting impatient.
When he entered his office, he saw a row of portraits lined up along the wall. Each one showed a handsome young man or a beautiful young woman. They were clearly nobles. Cassius frowned and asked, “What is all this?”
A servant handed him a stack of papers. “These were sent by the Queen. She said they are noble Omegas who admire you. If any of them catch your interest, you only need to let her know.”
This felt too much like an arranged marriage. It was starting to feel like a royal matchmaking ceremony.
Cassius normally disliked being pushed into anything, especially marriage. But tonight, he was in a decent mood, so he didn’t feel as angry as he usually would. Some of the portraits were stacked together, making it hard to see everything clearly at once.
He wondered for a moment if Keith’s portrait would be among them.
If it was, maybe he could just go along with it.
“Let me take a look,” Cassius said, accepting the stack of papers.
Each one included a brief introduction and a profile of a noble Omega. They came from all sorts of backgrounds and professions. Most were S rank. None were ranked lower than S.
On top of the formal profiles, many included personal messages from the candidates themselves.
One read, “Governor, I’ve admired you for a long time. Please let me become your spouse. I’ll give you many children.”
Another said, “Governor, I dream of walking with you under the moonlight. In those dreams, things happen that I cannot describe. I’m sure our pheromones are a perfect match.”
A third message read, “My heat cycle nearly kills me every month. Only you can save me. I’ve even left my kiss on this letter.”
One note asked, “I don’t know if you like milk-scented Omegas. My pheromones might be a little too sweet, but my skin is as soft and white as milk. Please take care of me, Governor.”
Cassius felt his scalp tingle. These were far too forward. He skimmed the rest quickly, only glancing at the names and skipping the messages.
There were dozens of letters. Some had been recommended directly by the Queen. These had no personal notes, but the meaning was clear. They were all willing to marry him.
So many people were lining up to marry him. That should have been flattering. But instead of feeling pleased, Cassius felt strangely disappointed.
Keith was not among them.
The servant nearby was growing nervous. Seeing how fast the Governor was flipping through everything, it was obvious that none had caught his interest. Even the portraits received only the briefest glance.
“Sir, if you do not respond to the Queen soon…”
“A reply?” Cassius asked. He had no interest in any of these candidates and still wanted to delay.
The servant wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It’s already late. Perhaps you can write back tomorrow. But Her Majesty is waiting for your response. If you delay too long, she might come in person.”
Cassius sat down at his desk. The Queen’s letter had the same tone as always. She was urging him to marry.
He thought about how she had tried to match Keith with Esther.
Then he knew exactly what to write.
He picked up a pen and began.
“Your Majesty, thank you for your kind intentions. I have already found the person I want to be with. He is currently in Lanchi. He is a mage from Bane Perella. His name is Keith.”
It was short and to the point. Cassius paused after writing it. Was he really going to send this?
After a few seconds, he nodded to himself.
Why not? He was one of the top combatants in the empire. What was there to fear?
Let the Queen react however she wanted. He had made his choice.
He did not love Keith. Not yet. But being with him felt right. It was far more comfortable than being with anyone else.
Besides, Keith’s status and profession fit perfectly with what Cassius imagined for a future spouse.
Long Shi entered the room. He had seen the light in the Governor’s office and decided to check in.
“Cassius, what are you writing?” Long Shi walked over and saw the letter. The ink was still fresh, glistening faintly in the candlelight.
“What? Keith? That mage? How could you even think of marrying him?” Long Shi’s eyebrows shot up. He was furious.
He grabbed the letter and looked as if he wanted to tear it in half. The man who had chased Cassius for years could not believe he was about to marry someone else.
“Why would you marry someone you don’t even love?”
“Who says I don’t love him?” Cassius sat calmly in his chair, turning slightly to look at Long Shi.
“You love him? That’s impossible.” Long Shi’s voice was full of disbelief. He knew what Cassius looked like when he was in love. Back when Cassius had pursued him, he had loved with everything he had.
“It doesn’t matter whether I love him or not. I’ve decided to marry him,” Cassius said, speaking calmly as he stood up. He held the letter between two fingers and looked Long Shi in the eye. “I suggest you don’t tear up my letter to the Queen.”
Long Shi was stunned. His hand trembled. But in the end, he let go of the paper.
He turned and stormed out of the room, filled with anger, like a powder keg waiting to explode.
Cassius sighed. Close combat types always had such bad tempers.
He sealed the letter. The servant helped him by melting red wax over the envelope. Cassius pressed Lanchi’s eagle seal into the wax.
“Send it out tomorrow,” he said.
