Bloodline is a Cheat Code - Chapter 22
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22
“Blessed…?”
“Yes.”
Serpina Rosena nodded thoughtfully.
The presence of a blessing meant someone had used holy power.
Unlike magic, which was subtly scorned, holy power was completely forbidden. Priests or saintesses who hid their identities occasionally bestowed blessings, but I’d heard it was never an easy task.
“They say blessed objects bring good fortune just by carrying them on your person. Plus, your vitality improves too.”
“If it could make you healthy, I would’ve done it long ago. I didn’t realize holy power was so important. I just thought of him as one of the annoying men who kept following me around.”
Serpina Rosena pressed her temple as if recalling one of the men from her past life, then sighed.
“Did the priest like you?”
“…It’s in the past, so I’ll tell you about it later when I have time. Tiae, just open it for now.”
“Okay.”
She really wasn’t giving me a chance to pry anything out of her.
Still, I was curious about what was inside. With trembling hands, I opened the case.
Yes, it was fine up until then. The holy power was so abundant that just looking at it felt sacred, and my breathing seemed to become purified.
“So this is holy power…”
“I haven’t seen such pure sacred power in a very long time.”
“Is it impressive?”
“Extremely powerful. It must have been blessed by either a candidate for High Priest or a saintess with holy power among the finest. An object blessed by such a person… Who on earth…”
Serpina Rosena spoke for a while before finally seeming to realize. There was only one person in The Empire who could obtain such an object and gift it to me.
From the moment I heard the word “blessing,” I’d naturally thought of him, so I wasn’t surprised as I opened the letter placed at the very top of the case.
[ I heard you returned empty-handed without bidding on anything. Of course, that’s because you were busy moving for my sake, but it’s quite disappointing that you left with nothing when there were so many precious items.
So I went ahead and bid on one thing to gift it to you. Your eye color came to mind, you see. If it feels burdensome, you can think of it as thanks for your help.
Or you could consider it commemorating our friendship. Though I must say, I prefer the latter. As you’ve likely guessed, refusal is not an option.
Lucian Advein ]
What came with the short letter was a necklace beautifully adorned with purple pearls.
“Ah, this…”
Was it made from a mermaid’s tears?
I’d rushed out when I heard Deneb’s voice during the auction for it. I didn’t know it looked this beautiful.
The moment I found myself gazing at it in a daze, Serpina Rosena, who had been frozen, suddenly began making a fuss.
From “How dare you target my sister” to “This is absolutely unacceptable.”
“I’m returning this right now. I’ll pay double what he paid for it! Or at the very least, let me start a rebellion.”
“Wait, it must have cost an enormous amount! And starting a rebellion is an even worse thing to do!”
“We have an enormous, enormous amount of money, so it’s fine!”
“That’s not the point! A gift carries one’s heart!”
“That’s exactly the problem! That’s it! Tiae, you have no idea what the real issue is here! And there’s already a rumor spreading in the Capital!”
Serpina Rosena, who had been shouting at the top of her lungs, finally calmed down only when Elian came running in alarm.
After the auction, rumors spread through the Capital that Flotie Rosena was a candidate to become the Crown Prince’s consort.
Ever since Serpina Rosena heard about it, she’d been in a foul mood. Even though I’d explained it to her, she kept saying “Did it have to be that way?”
After a long while, Serpina Rosena finally calmed down and sighed as she spoke to me.
“If you truly have feelings for that prince, tell me. Then I can move more actively on your behalf.”
“Huh?”
“As my sister, you deserve nothing less than the highest position. I’ll make sure to place him on the throne for you.”
At her reassuring words—words that made me feel as though affection might bloom where none existed before—I nodded. Besides, I had been rather idle lately.
“Serpina Rosena, if I were you, what would you do first for him right now?”
Without hesitation, she pointed to the necklace and answered.
“We need to find the owner of this sacred power.”
I typically trust my sister’s judgment over my own and follow her lead without question.
Not only has she lived far longer than I have, but she’s also accumulated vast experience and knowledge from meeting countless people.
Yet her last statement made no logical sense to me whatsoever.
Wouldn’t Lucian Advein already know who this person is? Wouldn’t that be why he received the blessing through the necklace in the first place?
“…Do you mean we need to find the owner who imbued this sacred power into the necklace?”
“Yes.”
Serpina Rosena looked at me as though this were obvious.
Had I somehow missed a crucial part of the conversation without realizing it? Was everything moving forward without me?
“Serpina Rosena, I’m truly sorry, but may I ask just one question?”
“If something puzzles you, then my explanation must have been insufficient. Ask me anything you’d like.”
“It’s not that your explanation was lacking, but rather… doesn’t His Highness already know who the owner of this sacred power is?”
I love my sister as deeply as she loves me, yet I cannot help but harbor suspicions.
Was she trying to learn the face of whoever had attempted to befriend me? Or perhaps—
Was she planning to kidnap this person outright and use them as a living sacred power artifact for my protection? My sister was capable of anything she set her mind to, after all.
“Of course he knows. That’s precisely why he had it blessed and sent it to you in secret. Unless he wanted to annihilate our entire house, he wouldn’t send something whose origins we couldn’t trace.”
“…”
“If this were discovered, he would naturally lose his position as prince and face terrible retaliation. So the probability of that is low.”
“Low?”
Did that mean there was still a small chance it could happen?
Noticing my face drain of color once more, Serpina Rosena hastily corrected herself.
“No. No, there’s no chance. Tiae, are you alright? Would you like some water? Or perhaps medicine to calm your nerves right now? Did I frighten you terribly? My dear sister, please calm down. Don’t be alarmed. If you’re having trouble breathing, take slow, deep breaths. There we go, that’s good. What should I do? I’ll fetch an elixir for you right away.”
“Calm down, Serpina Rosena. I was just startled for a moment. There’s nothing wrong with my body.”
Right now, she looked as though she might faint.
Minabell had said that the ‘Serpina Rosena’ in the novel was truly a ruthless villainess.
The heroine had rushed toward revenge without any possibility of redemption, driven by vengeance alone rather than goodwill or greater causes, willing to destroy herself in the process.
‘Your sister is truly capable of becoming far stronger and crueler than you can imagine.’
‘But my sister isn’t a bad person.’
‘Of course she’s not a bad person! I thought the same while reading. If they hadn’t taken away Serpina Rosena’s sister, none of this tragedy would have happened! If Serpina Rosena had at least possessed the power to return to the past, this novel might have ended beautifully like an ordinary romance! That’s what I mean.’
And that event actually came to pass.
I still don’t fully understand what kind of ordinary, beautiful ending Minabell had hoped for.
But at the very least, I hope my sister doesn’t become a demon of vengeance—capturing humans and transforming them into blessed monsters, or blocking every man from approaching me.
Of course, she wouldn’t have a clear justification for such retaliation, but the excessive protective instinct she harbors toward me is terrifying.
She mustn’t commit such a terrible act as harming someone who possesses sacred power.
“I’m relieved you’re alright. You nearly gave me a fright.”
“I was startled too, thinking you might faint, Serpina Rosena. But please, don’t make jokes about our house being in danger or something terrible happening.”
“I won’t bring up anything dangerous unless it’s real. Anyway, returning to the main point—even if we knew who owns this divine power, we wouldn’t recognize them, would we? Tiae, what I’m saying now means we need to find out who that person is ourselves.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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