Meria's mind felt fluffy and clouded with the pheromones. His chest felt tight every time he tried to breathe.
However, once the source disappeared, these pheromones could not hold on to Meria for long.
Meria could breathe easier, wake up, and drag himself out of the hole he had dug with a little effort.
'Ouch, my head still hurt. All I remember was the pressure of the emperor's golden eyes and then…what happened. Ah, I remember! That bastard tried to frame me!'
Meria felt his anger rise every time he remembered what happened to him. He had almost been killed without any evidence.
The more he thought about it, the angrier Meria felt at the injustice he had suffered at his ex-fiancé's hands. He wanted to get back at the man, but he did not have the means.
Meira might be a general, but his position did not hold any meaning outside his title. Since he was a beta, he did not have the court's support.
His soldiers obeyed him, but that was out of general principle. Most of them did not like him but were too scared of his cold looks to say anything to him.
He was sure they would abandon him and join other units if given the chance.
'Ah, I cannot complain about it. After, my father did warn me that this would happen, but I still decided to join the military. I still remember how annoyed Kerin got when he heard that I would join the military. He even threatened to fire the whole department if I did not change my mind…'
Meria was surprised as soon as that thought passed his mind.
Up until now, it had been difficult to think about his best friend. But it suddenly felt easier to think about Kerin.
The familiar scent surrounding him must be why Meria felt like this. Nothing else made sense to him.
"Ugh, you reek so much of this stink. Go and take a shower or something. Just do anything to get this scent off your body. It is irritating me."
Fiona's sharp voice immediately made Meria's mood tense. His step-sister was the last person he wanted to see.
His tense shoulders must be enough clue to tell Fiona how he felt because she looked awkward seconds later.
But it seemed like she was here on a mission and quickly sat opposite Meria.
"Brother, you know you are a beta and someone already abandoned by your fiancé, right? Then, do you think it is alright for you to be married off into a position you do not deserve?"
Fiona started to speak in a tense voice. Her hesitation annoyed Meria, but he wanted to hear what Fiona had to say.
He was sure he could piece things together if he heard what Fiona said.
"Hurry up and say what you want to say, Fiona. You are not my favourite person right now, and I would rather not spend any time with you if I can."
Meria reminded his step-sister, causing her to bite her lip. Whatever favour she wanted to ask must be huge enough to make her swallow her pride and come here begging.
"I am getting to that, brother. What I want you to do is simply - transfer your massage proposal from the emperor to me. I will make a better empress since I am more beautiful than you and an omega."
"A muscular beta like you will only bore a true alpha like his majesty, and he will abandon you before you know it. I, on the other hand, will never…"
Meria felt himself glare at Fiona. Her words were irritating him, and he could not hear a single more thing.
These instincts were also beginning to irritate her.
"Fiona, are you even hearing what you are saying? First, don't forget that our emperor is only 12-years-old. Even if he was serious about his proposal, we cannot take it seriously."
"He is also not at an age where he should be about marrying or having a wife. I am sure the council and elders will talk him out soon."
That was what Meria felt about the situation.
All he remembered about his encounter with the emperor was the pressure of familiar pheromones rushing toward him and a pair of golden eyes looking at him.
Fiona's silence told Meria that she understood what he was saying and agreed with him.
But still, Fiona could not bring herself to agree with Meria's words completely. He had fainted before he could feel the total pressure of the emperor's presence. If he had, then she doubted that Meria would be able to call the emperor a 'kid.'
"Think what you want, Meria. But remember what I told you - I am a better fit to be the empress than you will ever be. You have never even attended a noble gathering, much less headed one."
"You will be eaten alive if you step into the emperor's palace like you currently are."
Fiona warned before she stood up with an angry huff. Meria was not surprised to see her ego hurt after being rejected like this.
'Tsk, who does this bitch think he is? I will make sure he suffers for this rejection! A beta like him and as our empress! I will never allow this to happen.'
Fiona collided with a hard body, and she felt her irritation spike to the top.
"Who do you think…father? Are you here to meet, brother? If you are, I would advise you not to enter the room. Brother is not in the best of moods and-"
"Fiona, go to your room. I specifically asked you not to come out of there, right? I will not take it lightly if you disappoint me again. Do you understand?"
Fiona bit her lip once she heard her father's threat. She could not help but feel as if everyone had suddenly turned against her.
"You are asking me to lock myself in my room. But father, I-"
"I know what you want to say, Fiona. But don't forget that your brother is being investigated for being framed. You do not want to be blamed for something you did not do, right?"
Fiona closed her lip but vowed that this was not the end yet. She would make sure her beta brother knew his place.
'If anyone will become the empress, it will be me. I lost my chance when the previous emperor died, but I will not lose my chance this time.'