We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 176

“Wow, you’ve done well to find that.”

“There’s nothing I can’t find. I don’t know how you came to know that, but it’s not the important matter, so let’s move on. What I’m really curious about is this.”

“Go ahead and ask.”

“Have you met not only the Duke’s omega but also Lucia?”

Pedro shot a cold glance at Adrian, who was now getting to the heart of the matter after sidestepping the question for so long.

“Yes, and what of it?”

“…I would like you to bring her to me.”

“Hmm…”

Despite the magical restraints, Pedro appeared remarkably at ease as he considered the request, eventually nodding slightly.

“Well, it’s not impossible.”

“Then…”

Just as Adrian was about to express his relief at the agreeable response, a thunderous sound echoed through the palace. At the sound, Pedro squinted and smiled brightly.

“Oh, she’s arrived already. As expected of my master.”

Before Pedro could finish speaking, another loud noise reverberated, causing the entire palace to shake.

It was a near-emergency situation and the imperial guards spring into action.

Adrian, protected by the imperial knights, was attempting to evacuate when he felt a strange pull. He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone would be at the epicenter of the tremendous energy that was shaking everything.

“Your Majesty?”

Surprised by his sudden change in direction, the imperial knights and attendants hurried to follow him.

“You can’t go that way! It’s towards the source of the noise!”

Despite their protests, he did not stop. As he picked up speed, he forgot all about his composure and began to run. The force that was shaking the palace felt like wind. After stepping outside, he was met with a storm so powerful it nearly blinded him.

However, Adrian couldn’t stop his steps. He had caught a faint scent of pheromones in the wind. It had been a long time, but he couldn’t forget Lucia’s pheromones, and he followed the trail.

Behind him, the imperial knights and attendants were close on his heels. Arriving at the source of the immense wind, he spotted Lucia. She sat atop the highest palace roof, drawing a magic circle in the air—someone he knew but who also felt foreign.

Has it been so long since they last met? No, her expression and demeanor were so different from the past.

“Lucia…”

She had already sensed that Adrian was coming. No matter how long they had been apart, her clever mind had managed to recall his pheromones.

“It’s been a while.”

“…What the hell is going on here?”

“I want to ask the same thing. Did you just kidnap my student?”

“The Tower Master is your student?”

While it was conceivable for the Tower Master to have a teacher, the way it was framed felt odd. Lucia looked at the Emperor, who looked full of suspicion, with a sense of displeasure.

“See, this is why alphas are so foolish.”

They never once considered that an omega could command an alpha. Lucia felt offended by their prejudice and wanted to break that stereotype. Believing that the secret would eventually be revealed, she saw today as an opportunity and drew upon her magical power to create multiple layers of magic circles above Adrian’s head.

“Your Majesty! It’s dangerous!”

The commander of the imperial knights lunged forward but could not reach the Emperor. It was as if an invisible hand held him back, leaving him suspended in the air with a look of shock on his face.

Then, the chief attendant also rushed toward the Emperor, but the situation was the same. Although many knights surrounded them, none could approach, creating a breathtaking scene of several men floating in mid-air.

Adrian, far from thinking his safety was at risk, stared blankly at her.

“You know, I always liked it when you had that foolish expression.”

Lucia chuckled softly as she activated the magic circle.

“Your Majesty!”

“You must dodge!”

He looked up at the magic circle glowing with a pink hue above his head. The light grew brighter until it suddenly exploded, blinding him momentarily as a warm spring breeze enveloped him, lifting his body off the ground.

It seemed the saying that a person could do nothing when surprised was indeed true. Stiffened in place, Adrian heard Lucia’s voice gently reach his ears.

“Do you still find omegas amusing?”

“Lucia…”

“Just as we suffered, I wish for you to writhe in pain until your extinction. You wanted that for us too.”

“That’s not true. I…”

“You’re funny. You should experience it for yourself—the revulsion of being treated like a breeding mare and discarded after a lifetime of contempt.”

“Lucia, listen to me. I…”

“Don’t give me orders. Ah, I’m releasing you now. You were a nuisance.”

Her authoritative and languid tone was not the Lucia he knew. He wanted to confirm if this was truly the same person he had once known, but his vision remained blurred.

“Lu….”

As he called for her again, the burst of light suddenly vanished. Slowly, the surroundings began to come into focus, and the knights and attendants suspended in mid-air fell to the ground.

With a thud, they landed so hard but they quickly turned their heads to look for the Emperor’s safety. The Emperor, taken aback by his disheveled appearance, felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him.

As his clothes were silently torn away, revealing his skin, Lucia’s voice whispered in his ear.

“Do you really think you can wear clothes like that, given your status as a breeding stallion?”

“Lucia!”

The chief attendant, after seeing the Emperor’s state, hurriedly dashed off to retrieve some clothing, while the knights surrounded him. The Emperor, brushing them away with annoyance, scanned the roof but found no trace of her.

He was flustered by the humiliation and disregard he had never experienced in his life, but finding Lucia was his top priority.

“…We need to go back immediately. We must confirm if the Tower Master is here.”

Despite knowing he was there, she had come to rescue Pedro, revealing herself in the process.

But now she has disappeared. They hadn’t even uncovered the location of the Tower yet, and he couldn’t let Pedro leave like this.

Forgetting his dignity, the Emperor hurried back to the audience room, only to find that no one was there.