"Master!"
In Noan's private room, two women were kneeling on the ground.
One was wearing a black robe, a white badge on her chest signifying her as a believer of the Church.
At this moment, she had removed her mask, revealing a rather beautiful face; however, her expression showed little emotion.
The other person wore an outfit that was also black, and her face was not much different from the other girl's.
In their eyes, there was only absolute reverence and determination for the young man lying on the bed.
If the Knight Captain had been present, he would surely have recognized the girl in the black robe as the one who had attacked Lathel.
The girl bowed her head and said, "Because I have hurt you, Master, please punish me."
Lathel sat on the bed, his shirt removed, revealing a cut that stretched from his shoulder blade to the middle of his chest.
The cut was so deep that bone could be seen, and a lot of dried blood had collected around the wound's edges.
However, his face showed no sign of pain.
He paid no attention to the girl, only admiring his wound.
'The 'Disguise Card' is truly more miraculous than I thought,' Lathel thought to himself. 'The wound looks completely real; it even shows signs of healing in real time.'
At this moment, Lathel was genuinely intrigued by the 'Disguise Card'.
With just one card, he could deceive countless people. Where else could he find such a wonderful prop, other than the System?
In reality, he wasn't injured at all; it was all an act.
The two women kneeling before him were also Knights he had summoned from a 'Knight Summoning Card'.
He named them Aris and Vera.
Just then, Lathel looked towards Aris, the girl dressed in a robe like a believer of the Church, and said, "Come here…"
Aris, naturally, had no suspicions and slowly approached the bed.
"Closer," Lathel said, his voice still as gentle and warm as a ray of sunshine.
Aris leaned towards Lathel, and suddenly…
"ACK!" Aris let out a scream, but the sound was immediately silenced.
Lathel's hand was now tightly wrapped around Aris's neck, causing her face to turn red, then gradually purple.
However, Aris struggled only slightly before standing still, allowing Lathel to choke her.
Vera remained kneeling on the ground, as if the unfolding events had nothing to do with her.
Lathel glanced at Vera, then back at Aris, who was on the verge of suffocating.
Then… he slowly released his hand.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Aris fell to the ground, coughing repeatedly, then desperately gasped for air as if clinging to life.
'It seems... their loyalty is absolute. Even if I wanted them to commit suicide, they would immediately follow my command without hesitation,' Lathel thought to himself.
"No… you did very well…" Lathel said with a smile. Although his smile was the same as before, it was no longer warm.
Instead, it held a chilling and terrifying evil that made even Aris and Vera tremble.
Aris took a deep breath, her face still betraying no emotion, as if nothing had happened to her.
However, the red handprint on her neck was proof that the recent event was real.
She took another deep breath and said, "Master, would you like me to infiltrate the group of believers, and then…"
"No need!" Lathel cut Aris off, smirking as he leaned back against the headboard. "This is enough. The seed has sprouted, but it needs time to grow."
"Aris, you are to spread the news that I was the target of an assassination attempt by the believers, but it failed. Spread it everywhere, especially in the refugee area."
"Vera, you are to spread this news to the Carol Magic Academy."
"Yes, Master!" Vera and Aris said in unison.
However, Vera then asked, "Master, please forgive my foolishness. If this news spreads to the Magic Academy, I fear your reputation will be…"
Lathel smirked. "That's exactly what I want. Let them say whatever they like, understand?"
"Yes, Master!" Vera replied, bowing her head.
Afterward, the two of them left through another exit.
Lathel sat on the bed, frowning and muttering, "Catherine has probably arrived by now."
BAM!
As soon as the words left his mouth, the door was violently thrown open, so forcefully that its hinges nearly ripped from the wall.
Catherine rushed towards Lathel, her face filled with anxiety and worry, her eyes glistening as if she were about to cry.
"Lathel!" The moment Catherine saw him, she lunged forward and embraced him tightly.
A familiar scent filled Lathel's senses, along with the warmth and softness of her body.
The alluring fragrance was slightly intoxicating, but he remained quite clear-headed.
He could feel Catherine's body trembling violently, accompanied by teardrops falling onto his shoulder.
He sighed, about to pat her back to comfort her, but she quickly let him go.
"Ah! I'm sorry, I… I was so emotional I just hugged you like that. Does it hurt?" Catherine asked hurriedly, her gaze falling on the wound on Lathel's chest, her eyes turning red.
Her hands clenched into fists so tightly they turned white, trembling slightly, perhaps from rage.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Lathel, don't you worry. I will kill all of those believers, burn down the church, and avenge you."
Her voice was filled with killing intent, and with the tears still lingering on her cheeks, she looked both pitiful and terrifying.
A terrifying killing intent radiated from her, causing the room's temperature to drop sharply.
Hearing this, Lathel shook his head, reached out, and gently wiped the tears from her face.
Catherine was slightly startled but didn't resist. Suddenly, in that moment, feeling the warmth from Lathel's hand and seeing his gentle face, her heart began to beat faster.
Not from anger.
Nor from worry.
It was a strange, very different emotion that made her face flush red.
"Mother, don't do this," Lathel said softly. "They are just ordinary people, after all."
"Perhaps they were incited by someone, or in the heat of the moment, they couldn't control their emotions."
"Mother! I'm safe now, anyway. Please don't make things difficult for them, alright?"
Catherine was stunned to hear this, a pain so sharp in her heart that she had to press a hand to her chest.
"Lathel, why are you so kind? Those bastards don't deserve your kindness and mercy," Catherine said, gritting her teeth, her voice thick with anger.
Lathel shook his head. "Mother, even if you vent your anger on them, it won't solve anything. In fact, it will make the people think we only know how to use force, that we lack compassion."
"That's also what the Church wants. If that happens, the Church will immediately criticize us. I'm afraid they might even use this opportunity to overthrow the Royal Family."
Hearing Lathel's words, Catherine was taken aback, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She sat on the bed, right next to Lathel, and her fragrance enveloped his face.
She grasped his hand tightly and said guiltily, "Lathel, you're right. But… this anger… I can't just swallow it."
Catherine gently cupped his face with both hands, looking directly into his eyes with her own, which were soft and full of love.
"You are my treasure, the most wonderful thing I have in this world. I… will not allow anyone to hurt you."
Lathel smiled warmly, placing his hands over Catherine's.
"Mother… thank you. But I still think we shouldn't let emotions overwhelm reason." Lathel said with a smile. "You built this Empire with blood and tears; I don't want to see it destroyed by the Church."
"Uhm!" Catherine nodded lightly. "I trust you."
After saying that, she hugged Lathel tightly once more.
The surrounding space grew quiet, the fragrant scent from Catherine's body a mix of cinnamon and orchid.
The two embraced for a long while before separating. Lathel then frowned and asked, "Mother, where is Selvia?"
"Ah!" Catherine started, then said hastily, "I forgot to tell you. After hearing you were attacked, she… she fainted."