Chapter 186: Subjugation

“…”

Rosetta looked at Roman in confusion.

She wondered, even after Linda teased you like that, you still don’t mind?

In fact… for Roman himself, he really didn’t care.

Everyone treated him as a Holy Son, but he himself had no such awareness.

In his view, he hadn’t been harmed, not even verbally insulted, so what was there to make a fuss about?

Besides, even if he really was verbally humiliated, Roman still wouldn’t care—it’s not like he’d lose a piece of flesh.

As for the ‘presumption’ Rosetta mentioned, he didn’t feel it at all.

The reason he stopped Rosetta was because he really discovered an issue with Linda.

While Linda stood there blankly, Roman looked at her seriously.

“Do you… usually overtrain yourself?”

Linda froze.

Rosetta froze.

The girls in the audience all froze.

So Linda’s body really did have some issues?

Roman didn’t care what they thought and continued, “The consequence of overtraining is binge eating as an aftereffect.”

“It might also be related to your Sacred Seal—your case is especially severe.”

“Just now when I checked, I found your digestive system is already in a dangerously sub-healthy state.”

Thinking for a moment, Roman continued,

“Have you recently felt discomfort after meals, needing to use magic most of the time to forcibly digest?”

Linda, hearing this, already felt as if her life was being watched.

She dumbly kept nodding.

“Your body can’t withstand such intense training. If you continue like this, you’ll develop irreversible aftereffects.”

Roman stared at Linda and said seriously.

Including Rosetta, the girls below were all stunned.

So Linda’s appetite really was a problem?

“I understand…”

“And there’s one more thing I’m curious about,” Roman said.

“Did you learn this method from someone else? This isn’t something you should be exposed to in the first place.”

This speculation came from his own guess.

However, Linda’s expression completely betrayed the truth.

Hearing Roman’s words, Linda lowered her head in dejection and remained silent.

“Who did you learn it from?”

Rosetta asked with a frown from the side.

After all, she considered Linda her child; her usual strictness was just another form of closeness.

So after hearing Roman’s diagnosis, she felt a bit unsteady.

Hearing Rosetta’s question, Linda lowered her head even further.

Roman, however, turned his gaze to Rosetta beside him.

After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and grabbed her sleeve.

“…?”

When Rosetta saw Roman grab her sleeve, her serious expression instantly turned respectful.

Roman glanced at Linda from the corner of his eye and beckoned to Rosetta to come closer.

After hesitating for a moment, Rosetta softly said, “Then… pardon my rudeness.”

After speaking, she carefully moved her head closer to Roman’s lips.

Roman spoke quietly into Rosetta’s ear,

“Do you usually take good care of her?”

“I suppose so,” Rosetta admitted.

“What is her Sacred Seal? Is it convenient for you to tell me?”

“Of course. Linda’s Sacred Seal is the upper-class Sacred Seal, ‘Fortress.’ It greatly enhances physical strength and creates a near-impenetrable fortress-like field.”

Whether in squad or frontline combat, Linda is an indispensable member of the Saint Key Knight Order.

Combined with various enhancements from other knights, Linda alone can hold the defensive line, giving her sisters more space to perform.

“I see…”

Roman murmured.

The two were so close that Roman’s breath brushed against Rosetta’s earlobe as he spoke, making her extremely uneasy.

Was this presumption?

She asked herself.

Fortunately, after Roman finished, he let go of her.

He looked at Linda and asked directly,

“Have you been secretly following the Rosetta Captain’s training standards, trying to push your body toward the Sanctuary level through intense Sacred Seal practice?”

At Roman’s words, silence fell over the surroundings.

After a while, Rosetta stepped forward and asked, “Is what Your Highness said true?”

At this point, Rosetta’s tone had become much gentler, even tinged with worry.

Linda never imagined that a spur-of-the-moment decision would lead to this.

“Everything Your Highness said is true…”

Linda closed her eyes, ready to accept Rosetta’s punishment.

But nothing happened.

She opened her eyes in confusion and was met with Rosetta’s gentle touch.

A hand clad in light armor gloves gently stroked her head.

Looking down at her, Rosetta’s gaze was complicated.

“Where did you learn my training methods?”

“…I spied on you.”

“Still thinking about that time? It wasn’t your fault.”

“…”

“Don’t ever do that again. If your body suffers any more damage, I’ll stop all your activities. If it affects the Knight Order’s missions, you won’t be able to bear the responsibility.”

“Un-understood!!!”

Linda finally nodded hurriedly, eyes filled with anxiety.

This foolish child.

Linda was considered one of the best new-generation talents in the Saint Key Knight Order, barely in her early twenties—practically a child in Rosetta’s eyes.

Possessing the ‘Justice’ Sacred Seal, she also had the power to see into people’s hearts.

Every knight in the Saint Key Knight Order was Rosetta’s pride.

Because besides their own powerful talent, they were all good-hearted children.

Linda was a vivid example—she seemed quirky and mischievous, but inside, she worked far harder than she appeared.

“Your Highness, about Linda’s condition…”

Rosetta turned, about to ask, but Roman had already placed his hand on Linda’s body.

Soothing magic that healed all wounds slowly poured in.

With Roman’s precise control, Linda only showed a look of blissful comfort, closing her eyes and enjoying it silently—without the abnormal reactions Annie and Milis had shown before.

After a few seconds, Roman removed his hand from Linda’s abdomen.

“Alright, there are no aftereffects anymore.”

Roman smiled at Linda.

Only after hearing these words did Rosetta finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Then she noticed Linda staring at Roman without moving.

Rosetta instinctively wanted to scold her for being disrespectful, but suddenly, Linda knelt on one knee in front of Roman.

“Ah…”

Roman was completely taken aback.

Kneeling on one knee, Linda looked up at Roman with deep respect and affection.

“From this day forward, I am Your Highness’s most loyal knight. I swear by Goddess Fara—”

“I…”

“You.”

Roman suddenly interrupted.

“…?”

“Can you pull up your pants first?”

Roman pointed at Linda’s slender waist, his face blushing.

A few seconds later, the girls’ teasing laughter echoed across the entire field.