37.2. Betrayed Trust - Part 2

My out of the blue level up frightened me, I won't deny that, but I slowly start to enjoy our strengthened telepathic connection. Liana and the gang know everything about me so it's nice to have something just between me and Erik. Our sweet little secret as he called it.

At first, I feel a bit bad that I'm intruding Erik's privacy which is almost non-existent at this point but he assures me that he has to focus really hard to make a specific thought stand out enough for me to perceive without touching. I guess we should be fine for now.

That ass, I make a remark to myself while watching Erik dressing up in the morning. Facing the wardrobe, he's standing with his back to me, giving me a very nice view.

"I heard that, you know," he turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

"I wanted you to," I smirk and try to slowly sit up.

I manage somehow but, damn, I still feel dizzy. I fold my left wing and leave my right one stretched out. I feel much better today but having a wing injured is indeed paralyzing for a Celestial. It's like the healing process is sucking all energy out of me.

"I need to use the bathroom, please," I sigh.

I'm really glad that I don't have to go nearly as often as humans do. Erik isn't fussy about helping me out but it's embarrassing. And my wings are so cumbersome when I can't fold both of them properly.

When we return, the door leading to our living room is open and Julia is waiting for me, sitting on a chair she positioned next to our bed and ready with her equipment. She's watching me analytically as Erik is putting me back on our bed. I guess it's evident I'm suffering from dizziness.

"Humans have their centre of balance in the ear," she tells me while changing my bandages. "We need more concrete evidence but it might be that Celestials have it in their wings now. You're not dizzy because of the meds since they should be out of your system by now. I think you're dizzy because your centre of balance is disrupted."

"That's plausible," I agree and let her do the job. "When will I recover?"

"Don't be impatient, you're still healing much quicker than humans," Julia rolls her eyes and Erik does the same. "Give it a few more days and you should be okay."

"How's Liana? She looked dreadful last time I saw her," I ask next, worried about my Viceroy. "I don't feel her in her apartment. Isn't she supposed to be resting considering her condition?"

"Nothing eludes the telepath," Julia says admirably and tells me to untie my kimono so that she can scan my ribs. "Healing nicely, Your Majesty. We need a much bigger specimen but researchers roughly estimated that new races heal 50% quicker than humans. And that's naturally, without any magic or special skills."

"How's Liana?" I repeat my question because she didn't answer it.

"If I'm to be frank," Julia sighs resignedly. "She totally disregards my medical advice and keeps working when she should be resting."

"Because I'm indisposed," I chew my lip. "Celestials won't listen to anyone else than one of us. Still, how come she's allowed to go out but I couldn't when my wings went into the growth spur? Is Fefnir carrying her around?"

"Her condition isn't nearly as bad as yours was," Julia shrugs, notes something down and starts quickly packing her things. Is she trying to avoid answering me properly?

"Julia," I frown. "Is something going on?"

I try reaching for her but she flinches. Okay, that's weird. She used to be eager to experiment with my telepathy before.

"That's rude, Your Majesty," she purses her lips at me. "You shouldn't use your telepathy just because people aren't willing to say something."

"If it's your private business, I respect that. But somehow I just know it concerns me," I push on. "Julia, please. I was asking about the current situation at breakfast but the guards and maids don't want to tell me anything."

"Because Her Excellency ordered absolute rest until you fully recover," she says unwillingly. "It frightened her that you could have died. Honestly, it frightened everybody, especially Celestials. And human governments."

"Why humans?" I frown. "I thought they'd be quite happy to see me gone as they consider me such a threat."

Julia looks at me as if I'm utterly stupid. I'm starting to feel stupid.

"Gosh, Ryuu, you're so slow sometimes," Erik puffs but at least he doesn't think I'm stupid.

"About what?" I demand an explanation.

"About how important you are," he hugs me preventively.

"Well, His Majesty doesn't have any time to actually watch social media," Julia shrugs and her glare softens. "I guess we're pretty much keeping him in a bubble."

"What does that mean?!" my confusion transforms into frustration.

"Your Majesty, those hours you spent unconscious after the operation," Julia says slowly, "Celestials were prepared to riot in your name. The only thing that stopped them was Her Excellency imploring them that you wouldn't wish for it. If you were killed... I have no doubt we'd already have a global civil war."

I sigh out and realise only after ten long seconds that I forgot to close my mouth. I remember Luviael telling me that Liana ordered to cut off the entire floor. I just didn't think it was to keep me isolated so that I don't excite myself. I naively thought... what did I think exactly? Did I even think about it? Do I ever question anything Liana says and does?

"Did you know about it?" I look up to Erik.

"No, but I... guessed," he meets my eyes. His expression is both tender and painful. "Ryuu, what do you think that would happen if someone assassinated, for instance, the American President? Or the Queen of the UK? That country would go crazy for sure."

"I'm nowhere near as important as those people," I murmur.

"And that's where you're wrong, dummy," he's trying to make it sound soft even though he's serving me the harsh truth. "Your people are scattered all over the world, possessing dangerous abilities while having nonhuman mentality that's hard to understand and therefore hard to reason with conventionally. If their Emperor had died, they'd go berserk."

"I didn't die," I say defiantly.

"No, you didn't. But you were close... too close," Julia insists. "That terrorist attack and your injury made your people realise how fragile the position of their new government is and that their Emperor isn't safe. And they're not the only one who is scared. The EU and the UN finally realised that should something bad happen to the race rulers, there's no telling what Draconians would do."

"Which is a good thing actually," Erik tries to see something positive in this mess. "It should be also their priority now to protect the race rulers and not to antagonise Draconians."

I ponder for a moment. They're right and it all sounds very logical. If only it wasn't me in the epicentre of everything. For a moment, my old habitual thinking emerges and I think that I'm totally inadequate. But it's weak and gets overwhelmed by my Celestial thinking. Then it gets overrun completely and I can't help feeling like the Emperor. I feel like that even in Erik's presence now. Am I losing my human perspective for good?

"Anyway, better to hear it from the Viceroy directly," Julia stands up. "Sorry, I have another work to do."

"Thanks, Jul, for helping everyone," I appreciate. "Do you have a lot of patients? Are you managing?"

"Oh, I don't run the clinic for the whole skyscraper anymore," she sets the record straight. "Her Excellency made me a personal physician of your inner circle and a researcher. Right now I'm busy analysing your samples."

"Samples? You mean my feathers?" I tilt my head.

"I have much more to work on because of your injury—not only your feathers but also blood and muscle tissues. Of course, my infirmary is better guarded now so nothing should get stolen again."

"Do you have some results already?" I swallow, expecting something not pleasant.

"I'm no biologist, let's be clear on that," she highlights. "First of all, I need help to even understand what I'm looking at. Ingri found me one Earthborn who is a geneticist PhD student. We're working closely together now and you'll get to know him soon. Naturally, he's under a strict confidentiality contract."

"W-wait a second," I gasp for breath. "Did you tell him about my telepathy?"

"We did, Her Excellency okayed it. She didn't tell you?" Julia is genuinely surprised. "We wouldn't be able to work properly on your samples if he didn't know."

It takes me a moment to digest what I've just heard. Liana told my secret without my consent, acting behind my wings just because I'm indisposed. Does she take me for incompetent? Or does she naturally act as the Celestial Viceroy would? Which is it? Which is worse? I've never been so disappointed by someone in my life. And it's hundred times more painful because I love her and consider her my closest friend.

"Unbelievable," I shake my head, broken-hearted. "It's not Liana's secret to share!"

"Your Majesty, pardon me, but how many people do you think know right now?" Julia looks at me with a tense expression and also glances at Erik who's also getting angry.

"How many?" I'm trying to recall the faces of those guards who went with me into the dining hall. "Our gang, Luviael, Miruel, Vermiel and... six guards?"

Julia flinches uncomfortably.

"M-more? How many more, Julia?" I shiver.

"For the convenience, Her Excellency told all your personal guards and your maids as well," she says feebly. "B-but to be honest, they suspected something was off about you anyway. You're not as careful as you think when you communicate with Erik and one has a chance to watch you for some time."

I stare at her, dumbfounded. I expected the worst but it's even worse than that. Liana... she... basically told everyone who's taking care of me! How could she? She knows how fiercely I protect my secret. She knows about my trust issues. I feel... betrayed.

"My phone," I say quietly.

"Ryuu, I bet Liana had a very good reason why she...," Erik tries to calm me down because he senses my distress.

"Hand me my phone, Erik, please," I repeat. "I shouldn't use telekinesis while my wing still isn't healed."

Erik doesn't oppose anymore and passes me my phone. Liana is the second contact on my priority list, right under Erik's number. She doesn't let it ring for long.

"Aefener?" she picks up almost immediately. "Do you feel better? Don't worry about work and rest properly, we're managing."

"Did you tell my guards and maids that I'm a telepath?" I ask directly, my voice icy cold. I need to hear it confirmed from her mouth. I need to hear her reasoning and it's better to be good.

There're a few seconds of silence.

"I did," she admits finally.

"Why?" I say plainly. "It wasn't your secret to share."

"I needed them to know why we have to protect you at all costs," she answers extremely slowly. "I needed them to know how to react when you feel overwhelmed again. I needed them to know because we can't be pushing them behind the closed door every time when we have to discuss something. I needed them to know so that it's easier for you to be around them. And they'll be around you all the time from now on."

"Did you need it or did I need it?" I clutch my fists. "Whose convenience is it? I was hiding it my whole life, Liana, I don't mind continuing to do so."

"They won't tell anyone," she assures me. "I spoke separately to every one of them. They are our people. Trust them, please. These goes beyond some measly confidentiality contracts. They're your subjects, Aefener. They want to serve you best to their abilities and for that reason it's better they know. Think about it—now they know why you don't like it when strangers touch you so they can prevent it."

Liana's arguments do make sense. As expected of my reasonable and calculating businesslike Viceroy. But this isn't some business deal. This is my most guarded secret. This is about our mutual trust... and she betrayed it. Simple as that. I feel my Celestial Emperor's nature raging and I have to try hard to push it back a bit.

"You had no right, Liana," I hiss between my teeth and end the call abruptly so that I don't say something I might regret later.

"Your Majesty...," Julia isn't sure what to do.

"I want to be alone. Please, go away," I say feebly and feel my eyes getting watery. But I won't cry. Just won't.

Julia bites her lip but takes her medical bag and hastily leaves the bedroom.