LUNA: Alpha’s Soulmate from Another World

Two days later, the situation in both Mylonas and the border remained unchanged and had only grown more tense. Luna sat lost in thought, staring at the plate in front of her. Her departure to Veniam Duchy was initially planned for the day after Duke Veniam declared the state of alert. Still, the plan was suddenly postponed for security reasons. After further consideration and better preparations, her departure was now set for the next day.

“Miss, are you not hungry?” Luna snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the servant, who was watching her with concern.

The servant glanced at her face, then down at the dinner, and back up at her again. Luna sighed softly and pushed the plate of dinner aside, feeling no appetite. It wasn’t that she was ungrateful, but her stomach was in knots, and if she forced herself to eat, she felt she would just throw it all back. It was all because of the anxiety and guilt gnawing at her heart.

“Do you not like the meal? If so, I can ask the palace chef to prepare whatever you’d prefer for dinner.”

Luna shook her head and smiled at the servant, though it was obviously forced. She stared blankly at the night sky. Her mind was filled with countless thoughts, but most of all, Duke Veniam’s whispered words to her lingered. Sighing again, she lifted her hand to massage her throbbing head before reaching for the fork on the table and beginning to eat her meal slowly. Occasionally, she glanced at the servant, who waited patiently and dutifully.

Judging from the woman’s demeanour, Luna could already guess that this servant was one of Alkrevas’s spies sent to keep an eye on her. If she didn’t eat now, the moment the servant left, a report about her behaviour would surely reach Alkrevas, and that was the last thing Luna needed. She didn’t want his attention diverted due to his overprotective nature. She took her time finishing her dinner, and once done, she pushed the empty plate aside, grabbed a glass of water, drank it all, and then stood and walked toward the window.

“Miss, would you like some dessert?” the servant offered as she cleared the table of dirty dishes.

“No, thank you. And please tell the chef that I enjoyed the meal,” Luna replied, turning to give the servant a small smile. She saw the servant nod before excusing herself and leaving. Once alone in the room, Luna opened the window, letting the fantastic night breeze fill the room. Fortunately, she had asked the servant to light magical lamps instead of candles. Her eyes gazed at the night sky, illuminated by stars and a moon that appeared more significant than the one in her world.

Luna took a deep breath, her fingers playing with the ruby ring that Alkrevas had given her, murmuring, “Why does it feel so empty? Alkrevas…” She blinked as she realized she had spoken his name aloud in the stillness of the night. Slowly, her hand lifted to rub her chest, which felt tight. What was this feeling? She felt restless as if something was missing from her life. She felt lonely, tormented by this sensation… Could she be missing Alkrevas? Luna slapped her cheeks with her hands, trying to snap herself out of it and laughed at her foolishness. Of course, she missed him. His presence by her side had affected her so profoundly, and now, with them separated, there was only emptiness. But since when?

Luna stepped away from the window and looked at the ring Alkrevas had given her again. Duke Veniam’s whispered words replayed in her mind like a broken record. “You’re in love with him. You love Alkrevas… I can see it in your eyes…” Luna bit her lower lip and hit her head gently with her hand. “There’s no way I…” She ruffled her hair in frustration, trying to dismiss the ridiculous thoughts that kept coming. It was impossible that she was in love with Alkrevas! Ugh! She wanted to stop her mind and heart from arguing.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock at the door. Moments after she answered, the door opened, and Duke Veniam entered, dressed simply in a shirt with its sleeves rolled up to the elbows, black trousers, and fine leather shoes. His usually well-groomed hair was now tousled, falling over his forehead. Even though he looked casual, Luna had to admit that it didn’t detract from his handsomeness and perfection in any way.

Luna looked at him, puzzled. Seeing him so casually enter the Emperor’s bedroom and sit comfortably on the sofa made her wonder if Duke Veniam wasn’t afraid of the Emperor’s wrath. Luna bowed her head and lowered herself in a respectful greeting, to which Duke Veniam immediately responded, “I’ve told you, there’s no need for that, Miss.”

Luna lifted her head, her eyes meeting the handsome face of the Duke, adorned with a gentle smile. At first, she wondered why Duke Veniam had suddenly shown such concern for her, even going so far as to call Alkrevas, his superior, a “bastard.” The explanation Duke Veniam had given wasn’t convincing enough for her. Sure, he was angry about Alkrevas’s decision to perform a public mating, but to the point of openly defying him? Besides, from what the Duke had said, Luna guessed that Alkrevas had revealed the truth to him.

Luna frowned. If there were any feelings of affection from the Duke, it didn’t seem likely, as his behaviour didn’t show any signs of attraction toward her. In fact, those signs appeared more when he mentioned her manager-Nicole. So, why? Luna didn’t want to speculate about Duke Veniam, but the more she tried not to care, the more curious she became. And she couldn’t forget the Duke’s whispered words. How could Duke Veniam be so confident in saying she was in love with Alkrevas when she wasn’t sure of her feelings? After all, the Duke had only witnessed her interactions with Alkrevas at the moonflower festival banquet. Luna glanced at the Duke and asked, “What brings you here at this hour, Your Grace?”

Duke Veniam sighed heavily, sounding tired. “I’ve told you, just call me by my name.” Luna pursed her lips, not intending to say anything further. “How are you feeling?”

“Not bad.”

The Duke gave a brief nod. “I just wanted to inform you that you’ll be leaving before dawn. I’ve ordered my aide to accompany you.”Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

“I’ll be traveling by carriage?” Luna asked, confused.

“No. You know about that teleportation magic, don’t you?”

Luna blinked and replied, “Err… yes…”

“I’ve sent a one-way secret message explaining my plan to that ‘bastard,’ so you don’t need to worry about him,” Duke Veniam said, pausing for a moment before continuing, “My aide will accompany you. Beta Savon will follow with several knights, traveling north by horseback.”

“Beta Savon?”

“Yes, though I don’t fully trust him, I’ll rely on him this time. The eternal blood pact isn’t just any ordinary agreement, and because of that pact, the ‘bastard’ can read Beta Savon’s every thought, feeling, and memory if necessary.”

Luna wanted to ask more about the eternal blood pact, but she felt she had already grasped the basic concept. It was a contract that essentially turned one party into a puppet for the other. That’s how she saw it-since Beta Savon’s life and body now belonged to Alkrevas, even the most minor lie could be uncovered, showing absolute loyalty and obedience. She remained silent for a moment before deciding to ask the question that had been bothering her all evening. “Why do you think I’ve fallen in love with His Majesty the Emperor?”

Duke Veniam smiled. “I could already tell from the way you talk about him, how you chose him over your desire to return home. I believe the reason you gave for staying was just a hollow excuse. The real reason is that you don’t want to be away from him.” He paused for a moment before adding, “You also worry about him a great deal. I could see it in your expression when we talked about the situation at the border.” Duke Veniam shrugged. “Well, that’s just my guess, but I became certain when you didn’t deny anything I said and simply remained quiet.”

“I was just shocked!”

“Is that so? But your body’s reaction was clear, Miss.” Luna pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Honestly, I’m not surprised because you two are soulmates. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. I just don’t want you to get hurt because of it. And…” Duke Veniam glanced at the claim marks clearly visible on both sides of Luna’s neck. “… the absolute bond has a much stronger ability to bind souls than an ordinary mate bond.”

“I… I refused your offer. So why do you suddenly care about me?”

“Because you’re important, Luna. Not just to this empire, but to Veniam Duchy as well.”

“What?”

“I’ll explain it another time.” Duke Veniam stood and walked over to Luna, gently patting her head, causing her fragile heart to warm. The feeling of his touch on her head was different from Alkrevas’s usual caress. However, there was still warmth as if she were family to him, and it was the same feeling she had when Maya embraced her.

Family.

….