Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Identity Revealed

After taking a sufficient amount, Adonis came out of the cave and hid behind a big tree.

As expected, not long after, the swarm of black spiders creepily entered back into the cave.

Then, a hand tapped his shoulder from behind.

Minos was there, smiling gleefully.

“Took you long enough, Adonis. I thought you were dead by now.”

“Me and the Queen had a talk,” Adonis replied, taking the lead to walk away.

Minos followed him from behind, stunned. “The Queen talked to you? Why didn’t she attack?”

“Maybe I’m too handsome,” Adonis shrugged.

Minos snorted lightly. “Don’t take me for a fool. If handsomeness could solve everything, there wouldn’t be so much blood in this world.”

Adonis looked back. “Why are you getting so serious? I was just trying to avoid that question. Anyway, she told me that there were others before us who also knew this secret technique. That’s all.”

“Some people already know? And yet, the Royal family has no knowledge on the matter. How mysterious!” she muttered with a frown.

Adonis smiled faintly as he asked,

“Where did this ’Royal family’ come from? How do you know they don’t have knowledge about it, Minos?”

Adonis paused and looked back at her.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

Her heart thumped.

“Um, I… I was just blurting out anything. Don’t mind me,” she stammered.

“Oh really? Anyway, do you know Princess Mariana Von Magnus in some way?” he asked, hitting the nail on the head.

Mariana was visibly sweating.

*He knows. He already knew. But how is this possible when even the Dean couldn’t recognize me?*

She decided to probe further.

“Yes. I have seen her once. She was beautiful and very cute at that time.”

He played along.

“Uh huh. How does she look now?”

“I don’t know. But she must have grown into a very beautiful and hot woman by now. Anyway, why are you showing so much interest in her?

Do you have any ulterior motive?”

Surprisingly, Adonis nodded as he resumed walking through the woods.

“Yes.” His gaze turned melancholic. “Like you, I have seen her when she was little. I have been dreaming of her ever since. I really want to marry her and keep her close.”

Hearing his confession, which was made up, Mariana’s heart started beating faster.

*Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump*

To think Adonis Kingsbane had already seen her and loved her secretly. Her heart was in turmoil.

She already wanted to scream: It’s me. I am Princess Mariana.

But if she did that, wouldn’t she turn out to be a desperate woman?

Well, who cares…

She decided to confess right there.

So she paused, tugging his sleeve.

“Adonis wait. I want to confess something.”

Adonis paused mid-step on the forest path, then turned around with one brow raised in curiosity.

Mariana, still disguised as Minos, stood a few paces behind him, fingers twisted tightly in the sleeve of his robe.

Her golden eyes were wide, pupils blown, cheeks flushed beneath the illusion of rougher male features. The hand gripping him trembled just enough to be noticeable.

“Confess?” Adonis repeated gently, “Go on.”

Mariana swallowed hard. Her heart hammered so loudly she was certain he could hear it.

She had rehearsed this moment in her mind a thousand times in every possible way to drop the mask, every angle to keep her dignity intact.

But now, standing here with sunlight piercing through pine needles and his gaze locked on hers, all the clever lines evaporated.

“I…” She licked her lips. “I’m not, who you think I am.”

Adonis didn’t blink. Didn’t move. Just watched her with that deep, unfathomable depth that always made her stomach butterfly.

“Really? Then who are you, Minos?”

The name felt like a gentle prod straight to her heart. She let go of his sleeve, took one shaky step closer.

“I’m Mariana,” she whispered. “Mariana Magnus. First Princess of Fernis Kingdom.”

Instantly, the forest went quiet.

Adonis’s expression didn’t change. Not surprise, not shock, not triumph. Just quiet satisfaction, like a predator finally hearing the prey admit it was already caught.

“I know,” he said simply.

Mariana blinked. “You… what?”

“I’ve known since the first night we shared a room.” He stepped forward, closing the distance until they were almost chest-to-chest.

“The way you move. The way you smell. The way your heartbeat skips every time I get too close. Even the way you pretend to be cocky when you’re actually nervous. It’s all Mariana. Not Minos.”

Her knees nearly gave away.

“Y-you knew, and you still played along? All the teasing, the nicknames, the bed we shared. Al thus while you knew I was a girl the whole time?”

Adonis lifted a hand and gently brushed a damp strand of pink hair from her forehead. The touch was light, almost reverent.

“Yes, Princess. And I enjoyed every second of watching you squirm.”

Mariana’s face burned. She ducked her head, mortified and exhilarated at once.

“I thought… I thought if I stayed as Minos, I could get close without you treating me like some fragile royal doll. But you, you never treated me like a princess anyway. You treated me like—”

“Like Mariana,” he finished for her. “Like the girl who’s been in love with me since the Awakening Ceremony.”

Her eyeslids trembled. “You noticed that too?”

Adonis cupped her chin, tilting her face up so she had to meet his eyes.

“I notice everything about you. It was you who saved me from the curch and sent Claudia to train me.”

Mariana’s composure finally shattered..

Whoosh…

She surged forward, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

The Minos disguise faded away like shadows.

Her skin was smooth and shinning like moonlight.

The short pink hair became long, flowing on her back like silk. The male physique adjusted accordingly.

Her chest was very big, Adonis felt their suppleness very clearly.

Now she was fully Mariana, First Princess of Fernis Kingdom .

“I love you,” she choked out against his neck. “I’ve loved you since I saw you awaken your Sword Soul. I created Minos just to stay near you. I—I didn’t know how else to get close without the crown getting in the way.”

Adonis wrapped one arm around her curvy waist, the other cradling the back of her head.

“I know,” he murmured into her hair. “And I’ve been waiting for you to stop hiding.”

She pulled back just enough to look up at him with watery eyes.

“You’re not disappointed? That I lied? That I pretended to be a man?”

Adonis’s thumb brushed away a tear tracking down her cheek.

“No. On the contrary, I’m impressed,” he said honestly. “You fooled everyone. Even me, for about five minutes. But once I figured it out, I wanted you even more.”

Mariana’s heart trembled. “Adonis.”

He leaned down slowly to her pink lips, giving her every chance to pull away.

But she didn’t.

“Smooch~”

Their lips met.

Her lips were soft, and more than anything, they tasted very sweet.

Their kiss slow and tender at first.

Hwoever, soon Adonis kissed her like he was claiming something long overdue, whileone hand slid down to grip her firm ass possessively.

He groped them to his heart content, while enjoying the influx of Harem Force.

[ +180 ]

[ +170 ]

[ +150 ]

…

“Huff, huff, huff…”

5 minutes of exchanging love, saliva, and rising hormones.

When they finally parted, both were breathing hard.

Mariana’s cheeks were scarlet and her eyes simmering with lust..

“I’m yours, Adonis. You can do anything you want with me.”

Adonis pressed his forehead to hers.

“Good girl. Let’s become one then.”

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