LUNA: Alpha’s Soulmate from Another World

Luna was increasingly shocked by those words, still unable to believe that Duke Veniam had met Nicole. And what had the man said? Nicole? Unique? Luna grew even more curious about how Duke Veniam knew about Nicole and how he could be in her world, but she held herself back. After all, Nicole was not a unique woman.

Quite the opposite of Duke Veniam, Nicole was chatty, easily angered, and impatient. Please wait a minute… thinking it over, their personalities actually complemented each other, and suddenly, Luna imagined Duke Veniam standing side by side with Nicole. However, as quickly as the thought came, Luna brushed it away.

She was so busy with her thoughts that she didn’t hear the commotion outside. She only realized something was happening when the door opened. Royal Beta Savon, along with several knights of the Royal Pack, entered the room, surrounding the seating area where she, Sigmund, and Duke Veniam were.

Luna immediately stood up just as Sigmund asked, “What’s going on, Beta Savon?”

“I heard that Duke Veniam forced his way in, violating the Alpha’s order forbidding him from setting foot in the palace.”

Luna sighed heavily. What kind of irrational order had Alkrevas given his subordinate this time? She glanced at Duke Veniam, who looked completely calm and not at all offended by the Beta’s words, even appearing indifferent.

“Beta Savon, everything is fine… His Grace the Duke was only speaking with me, and Mr. Sigmund was accompanying me,” Luna murmured. Her body flinched as she received a sharp, deadly glare from the Beta as if the man had despised her presence here.

Luna took a step back, feeling her heart tighten because, once again, someone looked at her with hatred. She took a deep breath and mustered the courage to ask, “By the way, what reason does His Majesty the Emperor have for forbidding Duke Veniam from coming to the palace?”

“Because Duke Veniam expressed his anger over His Majesty’s decision to conduct a public mating with you, miss, and he threatened the Emperor to take you away,” Sigmund answered wearily, indicating that he was growing tired of the constant bickering among his superiors.

“What?” Luna exclaimed in disbelief.

There was a sigh from behind her, and when she turned, Duke Veniam was glaring at Beta Savon with a murderous look as if the Beta was his enemy. Slowly, Duke Veniam stood up and walked toward Beta Savon. “I heard there’s a rat in this palace. A traitor who leaked the critical points of the protective shield to the dark sorcerer.”

“Your Grace, Duke, I ask you to leave the palace immediately.”

Duke Veniam ignored the Beta’s words and continued, “No wonder it was you.” Luna gasped at the Duke’s blatant accusation.

“Let’s see… I can see the hatred so clearly in your eyes, Savon. I’ve stayed silent all this time because you’ve been so obedient and loyal to Alkrevas and this empire, but after this incident, I’m starting to question your loyalty.”

“Your Grace, Duke!”

“You’re the one who received the important message my aide sent to Alkrevas, right? Why didn’t you pass it along?”

Beta Savon thinned his lips and hissed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Your Grace.” He then straightened his posture, making himself appear unafraid of the Lycan staring him down.

“I am loyal to the Alpha.” Then he began removing the uniform he was wearing, stripping down to his bare torso. Beta Savon drew a dagger from his waist belt and, without warning, slashed his palm with it. Luna covered her mouth in shock at the Beta’s unexpected action. After that, Beta Savon smeared the blood from his wounded palm over his heart.

Slowly, a golden light appeared and spread from his chest to his left arm, up his neck, and across his face, forming an intricate glowing pattern before turning into a tattoo. “This is proof of my loyalty. The eternal blood pact, showing that my body and soul belong to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Since when?”

Beta Savon glanced at Luna briefly, causing her to flinch in surprise. “Since Miss Luna returned. Her opposition and defiance have made His Majesty question my loyalty. But I have done everything for His Majesty and Vasilos. Moreover, the fact that Miss Luna is from another world has made me cautious. I dislike her and disagree with her becoming both Luna and Empress because, at any time, she could abandon not only His Majesty but also the Vasilos Empire.”

The room fell silent immediately because Beta Savon’s words were undeniably true. It was understandable that he disliked and distrusted Luna because at any moment, whether in hours, days, or years, Luna might change her mind. She might choose to leave, turn her back, and cruelly abandon Vasilos and the Emperor to return home because that was what she had done before. “Not to mention the fact that she once had contact with the dark sorcerer, which has led to the current situation in Vasilos.”

Duke Veniam pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Then, he roughly grabbed Beta Savon’s hand, pulling him along while saying, “I need to talk to you.” After that, the two of them left the room, leaving Luna and Sigmund standing silently, still in shock.

Luna was the first to snap out of her surprise, clearing her throat softly, which also brought Sigmund back to his senses. She looked at him and asked, “What do you think the important message His Grace the Duke mentioned was, that he would accuse Beta Savon of being… you know… a traitor?”

“I don’t know…” Sigmund muttered mysteriously.

Luna didn’t ask further and instead murmured, “I guess you think the same about me, Mr. Sigmund.”

“Think what?”

“About me.”

Sigmund sighed heavily and stepped closer. “Don’t take Beta Savon’s words to heart. His opinion has strong reasoning, but I believe you don’t think that way. I’ve seen it myself when you refused Duke Veniam’s offer, even when the man showed evidence that could help you return home.”

Luna smiled in relief. “Thank you, Mr. Sigmund.”

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” Luna said, looking at the tightly closed door while Sigmund watched her. In truth, he knew what Duke Veniam was going to say to Beta Savon. Still, he had no intention of telling Luna, as it was the Duke’s right to share that information.

They waited for quite some time for the two men to return, waiting for the outcome of their discussion. Occasionally, they chatted, mostly with Luna answering Sigmund’s questions about the world she came from and the documents Duke Veniam had shown earlier. However, their light conversation came to a halt when Duke Veniam and Beta Savon finally returned. Their expressions were utterly opposite:

Duke Veniam appeared calm with a slight smile, while Beta Savon looked grim and pale. Luna noticed how drastically Beta Savon had changed, especially when he met her eyes. He quickly averted his gaze and turned away as if unwilling or embarrassed to look at her. Luna wondered what Duke Veniam had said to make Beta Savon change so much. She watched as the man grabbed his uniform from the floor and haphazardly put it on.

Suppose Luna hadn’t already seen Alkrevas’s body. In that case, she might have been tempted by Beta Savon’s muscular physique, with his strong build and six-pack abs. However, his body didn’t interest her, as only Alkrevas’s form seemed beautiful and alluring to her.

The atmosphere became awkward, and Luna didn’t know how to break the tension. No one spoke until the door to the room opened again, and a knight from the Royal Pack entered, his face full of worry and urgency. “Sorry to interrupt, but Beta Savon, there’s an urgent matter requiring your attention.”

“What is it?” Beta Savon asked. The knight hesitated, glancing at Luna with uncertainty. “Just say it,” she urged.

The knight nodded before responding, “Black magic has been detected in Mylonas Capital.”

“What?” Sigmund muttered softly. “But… how is that possible? So far, only two black sorcerers, Abigail and Beth, have been identified, and the team sent by His Majesty reported them at the harbor.”

Luna remained silent. She was deeply concerned about Mylonas and wanted to offer some input. Still, she feared her words would be misinterpreted due to the bad reputation she held at the moment. It was better for her to stay quiet while considering the best way to correct her mistakes. Duke Veniam let out a bitter laugh, drawing everyone’s attention, including Luna’s.

“Ah… I understand now…”

“Your Grace, Duke?”Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.

“Savon, send a message to His Majesty about the current situation,” Duke Veniam instructed. Savon nodded and followed the Duke’s orders. The Duke’s gaze became vacant and clouded, a sign that he was using a mind link. Duke Veniam clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disbelief. “I don’t understand the incompetence of the Magic Tower. Truly disappointing,” the Duke commented sarcastically. “Sigmund, prepare the magic communication tools. I need to speak with the other nations-”

“There’s no need, Your Grace. The leaders of the other nations are already coming for a high-level meeting with His Majesty,” Sigmund interrupted.

“When will that take place?”

“If everything goes according to schedule, the meeting will happen the day after tomorrow, which means the delegates will arrive soon. However, since His Majesty the Emperor is at the border handling the Goblins…”

“The meeting will likely be postponed,” Duke Veniam completed Sigmund’s unfinished sentence. He nodded and said, “Proceed as planned. I will stand in for His Majesty. After all, it is my duty as Prime Minister.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Sigmund quickly stepped out to prepare everything for the meeting. Luna bit her lower lip and gathered the courage to ask, “Have Abigail and Beth returned?”

Duke Veniam shook his head. “If the report from the intelligence His Majesty sent is accurate, then the appearance of black magic in Mylonas Capital isn’t their doing.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Abigail and Beth’s existence is already known, and their magic has been recognized by His Majesty. If they entered the capital, which is currently on high alert, especially with their wanted posters widely distributed, it would be like walking into a lion’s den. They must have anticipated that His Majesty would set a trap to capture them if they entered the capital. That means there is another black sorcerer hiding in the capital, and it’s likely this person who told the two black sorcerers about the critical points of the protective shield.”

“Your Grace, Duke.” Beta Savon’s voice interrupted their conversation. Both Luna and Duke Veniam turned to face the Beta, who wore a worried expression. “His Majesty has entrusted everything to you.”

“Did he mention when he will return?”

Beta Savon shook his head. “He didn’t say anything about that. He only mentioned that the situation at the border is getting more complicated. The Goblins can’t be defeated, even with magic. Their wounded bodies heal themselves, which has made things difficult for His Majesty.”

Duke Veniam nodded. “He also said he will hold an emergency meeting with all the Alphas from the packs spread across Vasilos via mindlink.”

“If that’s the case, it means the situation is worsening.” Duke Veniam let out a heavy sigh and murmured, “Miss Luna, you should go to the Duchy of Veniam. It’s the only safe place right now.”

“What? You want me to hide?”

“Yes, for now. It’s already clear that everything happening is just a diversion. The black sorcerer in Mylonas Capital is no different. If my initial suspicion is correct, they are targeting you, and if I’m wrong, then this sorcerer is just bait, with the real mastermind waiting for the right moment to catch us off guard-and, of course, their target is still you.”

Duke Veniam then stepped closer to Luna and whispered something so softly in her ear that it shocked her to the core. Even after he left, followed by Beta Savon, Luna remained frozen in place, her body trembling. She couldn’t believe whether what she had heard was real or not.

“What…?” she whispered into the silence of the room.

…….