Chapter 162
The wind naturally followed the course of the air.
As I watched, I couldn’t help but think of the terrible things that had happened so far.
Four suicide cases, and Milchin.
The day I met Phil, I also saw Milchin.
The man who had sent the yellow-banded viper to Priscilla was sleeping forever.
‘I’m sorry. I should have been the one to kill him, but he was already dead.’
Helios explained the circumstances under which he discovered Milchin’s corpse, and he showed the burn scars on Milchin’s body.
Once again a man who had burned himself and committed suicide.
The difference this time was that he didn’t hang himself but took poison.
I became curious.
Could I read this man’s symptoms too?
I placed my hand on Milchin’s body.
— Scalding pain
Whether for better or worse, I read the same symptoms from him that I had from Kama.
“What is it? Why can I only read the symptoms of these people?”
I straightened my body and looked down at my hand.
It was an ordinary hand. The appropriately sized white hand bore thin calluses from handling and slicing herbs.
The hand, marked by life, appeared unremarkable to the naked eye.
But I had a special ability, one that only manifested in a few specific people.
…The imprinted, or those who will be imprinted.
Could it be that my power is connected to the act of imprinting?
The hypothesis gained some traction, but was quickly discarded.
I hadn’t been able to read Demyre’s symptoms when I visited her when she was in pain.
If my ability only worked on people who’ve imprinted or those who will be imprinted on, I should have been able to read Demyr’s condition too.
Hmm… Could it be that Demyr being a woman is the reason it didn’t work?
I needed to test this theory.
To confirm whether my ability only worked on men.
I didn’t have to search hard for a subject.
The person I was about to meet today was imprinted.
“Your Majesty, I need to touch you for a moment.”
I let the words slip out of my mouth that I wouldn’t dare say in front of Terman.
***
“Your Majesty, Lady Rienna Harris has arrived.”
“Has the time come already?”
Terman flicked the cigar he had been holding. He swirled the smoke and gestured with his finger toward the attendant standing by the window.
As the attendant opened the window to let in some air, a maid approached and adjusted his coat.
“Where is she?”
“She’s waiting in the parlor. Shall I bring her in here?”
Terman despised wasting time, so he preferred to summon people to his study rather than the parlor.
No refreshments were served.
After all, the people he met were either vultures, eyeing him for something they could extract, leeches who needed his help to survive, or subordinates who followed his orders.
So, what category does Rienna fall into?
She had never once claimed credit for saving Helios, so she wasn’t a leech. Was she someone to keep around as an asset? But she was far too close to Helios for that to be the case.
Here was the woman who was hard to categorize.
She even managed to get Demyr on her side.
Terman clicked his tongue as he remembered Demyr barging into his bedroom, where she had insisted on marrying Helios off. He clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Then, just a few days later, rumors surfaced that Demyr had been seen with Rienna, and there was talk of her helping with Helios’ matters. The ongoing conflict between the Queen and the Crown Prince had become a thorn in the Empire’s side, a seed of misfortune.
Terman found himself intrigued by Rienna, who had resolved that issue so decisively.
“Your Majesty, what should we do?”
She had saved Helios, and while he thought she might try to entrap him with marriage, she had instead given him wings.
“To the parlor.”
The aide awaited Terman’s next words, but Terman furrowed his brow.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you leading the way to the parlor?”
“Ah, yes!”
It had been so long since Terman had personally greeted a guest in the parlor that his aide was a little slow to react.
However, from that point on, he moved quickly.
Terman descended to the lower parlor.
“I’ll go in.”
“No need.”
With that, Terman didn’t bother with the cumbersome formalities and personally opened the door to the parlor.
The pink hair was visible, sticking up above the sofa.
Sensing his approach, Rienna turned and looked at him. Her eyes widened briefly, then curved into a smile like a bow.
“You must be another royal aide. Does the Emperor pick his aides based on looks? You’re incredibly handsome.”
Terman froze for a moment, and everyone in the corridor immediately froze as well.
