NOVEL NEXT Chapter 145- Qi Resonance
"Shit, my body hurts like hell."
Lying on a soft surface, Kyle groaned as intense pain surged through every inch of his body. His eyes felt heavy, but slowly, the lids parted, revealing hazy pupils as his vision shifted from blurred to clear—only to be obscured moments later.
"Humphh!?"
Something soft, squishy, and plump was pressing down on his face. It was smothering him—firm enough to block his breath, yet gentle enough that he could have moved his head away. But he didn't. He had no desire to part from that heavenly softness.
It was one of those moments where he wanted to die from suffocation—but not escape it.
"H-Husband? Are you awake?"
Aleriana, sensing his slight movements, slowly leaned back after setting a scroll on the table. She'd clearly felt him stir, his breath brushing against her chest. Strengthening her composure, she watched him finally open his eyes.
"Wife, can we go for another round?"
Kyle chuckled, the grin on his face betraying how little he registered the presence of others in the room. Aleriana's eye twitched, her expression turning stiff as faint lines of blood shimmered near her eyes.
Only then did Kyle shift his gaze—and freeze.
There stood Olya, the maid. Mialthara, too. And then… a headless woman.
All of them, quietly watching him.
"Did I miss something important?"
He stared blankly at the headless figure, blinking once. The dark aura radiating from her was unmistakable. Ashmira. But stronger. Far more potent.
His suspicion was confirmed the moment he noticed the tiny reaper perched on her shoulder, casually swinging its feet.
"Yes—but nothing to worry about, husband," Aleriana said quickly, snapping back into motion. With a swift motion, she tucked the scroll into her dimensional ring, deciding then and there to ignore its contents and never bring it up again.
Her priority was her husband, after all.
Politically, it was a loss. Many nobles would interpret her absence from the banquet as the Princess Ellariana showing no interest in fostering ties—especially with Prince Orion, who had extended the invitation.
Such events were fertile ground for negotiations and profitable ventures, often exchanged under the guise of diplomacy.
Skipping it would raise eyebrows.
"Nothing? That bastard sent an invitation, didn't he?"
Kyle sat upright, frowning. He could tell she was lying. The scroll had landed within his domain—and in that space, nothing escaped him. Every molecule whispered its truth. He already knew what the message said.
Prince Orion.
It made sense. The man would undoubtedly make a move now, especially after the destruction of the Exorcism Sect.
'!'
"You really don't need to worry, husband. It's not worth thinking about—"
Aleriana tried to reassure him, sensing he might be concerned for her. She planned to reject the invitation anyway.
But before she could finish, Kyle cut her off.
He reached out and caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger, pulling her closer until their faces were just an inch apart. His gaze sharpened, locking into her sapphire eyes like a blade seeking truth.
His voice was low. Stern.
"Don't tell me—you were planning to visit that place alone again, just like last time?"
"N-no, definitely not. I would never endanger my life like that again," Aleriana responded quickly, initial confusion flashing across her face at his sudden move.
But as his words sank in, she understood, her heart softening. The memory of that time—when she thanked him for not letting her go—still lingered.
She had come too close to losing these moments, to losing him.
That regret burned deep, and she had no intention of repeating it.
"Of course, you won't," Kyle said, stretching his arm back and folding it beneath his head, casting her a side glance. "You haven't forgotten our little bet, have you? The one where you promised to follow every word I say from now on—given I plea—!?"
"Umphh?"
"I understand, husband. Now please don't speak further," Aleriana muttered, sealing his lips with hers to quiet him.
'Tch, not even a day has passed and you're already silencing your husband in front of everyone?' Kyle glanced at the others in the room, most of whom were watching with flabbergasted stares.
Mialthara and Valeriana seemed to understand what was going on, but the rest remained completely baffled.
'Princess seems… different.' The head maid observed silently. This wasn't the composed, reserved Aleriana she had always known. No, this was someone softened yet firm—grounded by the presence of the man beside her.
And for once, the maid felt relief. The Princess was no longer alone.
"How are you, Grandma?" Kyle suddenly called out.
"Oh, I am fine, my lord—" the head maid began, startled and standing up to greet him properly with a bow, only for him to cut her off.
"Not you, my lady. I'm talking to that grandma wearing fake young skin," Kyle pointed directly at her with a mocking grin.
The jab hit its mark. A twitch of annoyance appeared on the elder woman's face. But this time, she simply clicked her tongue and turned away, refusing to take the bait. Kyle smirked.
He understood well enough—he had the upper hand now.
'By the way, what exactly happened to me?' Kyle asked internally, now that the mood had settled a bit. He remembered passing out just after giving Ashmira her name.
[Host, it appears that naming a Death Beast triggered something. There isn't enough data to elaborate fully,] Systum responded.
'I see.' Kyle nodded slightly. It made sense that even Sustum wouldn't have a complete picture yet. Shaking the thought off, he lightly tapped Aleriana's finger, prompting her to hand him the scroll.
He unfurled it and skimmed through the contents. A smirk curved his lips. The message was carefully worded—an open invitation to everyone—but the intent was obvious.
It was meant for him.
Especially now that Mialthara had already spread the word that she did it for him.
'So, we are meeting this soon, huh?' Considering there wasn't any appearance of Prince Orion until the opening of The Puppet Master's Legacy, Kyle seemed to think that until he claims it for himself, he would not be encountering this prince.
But now that these butterfly effects had pulled him from where he wanted to run away, he was just going to fish it out with full blow, turning to tell Aleriana and the others about the secret weapon that Prince Orion was so confident in.
"Have any of you heard about the ability called Qi Resonance possessed by Prince Orion?"