The Dignity of the Omega

#18

“It’s fortunate that there’s medicine. If I had to endure Your Highness’s foul temper for days, I might have collapsed from nervous exhaustion first.”

Pol’s playful words were tinged with a bit of sincerity. Enrique, well aware of his own temperament, merely snorted once.

As the medicine took effect, his body became languid and soon drowsiness set in. Enrique drifted off into a soft sleep, feeling Pol’s hands tucking him in with the blanket.

*

When he woke up after a good sleep, there was chaos around him.

The first heat cycle was very important for an omega. Especially for a prince of a country, and moreover, a superior omega born after 200 years.

Enrique was informed that his father had visited while he was sleeping. The King of Shamier, with a very tense face, had ordered that all alphas be barred from entering within a certain distance of Enrique’s quarters. This was no exception for the knights responsible for his personal security; all alpha knights had been replaced with betas.

Beta knights surrounded Enrique’s quarters like an iron wall. A major alert had been issued in the palace. Even Enrique, leisurely lounging in bed, could feel the tense atmosphere pervading the palace.

Enrique thought his father was making too much of a fuss, as always. But after hearing Pol’s explanation, he realized his father’s actions were absolutely necessary.

Enrique, with his heat cycle approaching, had already started emitting strong pheromones. He hadn’t noticed because he was surrounded only by betas. The King of Shamier, being an alpha, had sensed the strong pheromones his sleeping son was emitting and immediately taken action.

One might think there wouldn’t be any madman who would dare forcibly take advantage of a prince of a country, but in reality, it was unpredictable. Stories of alphas losing control and causing accidents due to the fatal pheromones emitted by omegas during their heat cycles were not uncommon. In severe cases, some alphas would even go into rut when stimulated by an omega’s pheromones. Moreover, these were the heat pheromones of a superior omega. There was no telling what might happen if alphas were exposed to them.

“Your Highness.”

Pol approached quietly and called. Enrique, somewhat languid due to the medicine’s effects, turned his gaze towards Pol while crunching on a cookie. Like everyone in the palace, starting from the King of Shamier, Pol was also in a state of high tension.

“Why aren’t you speaking after calling me?”

Enrique irritably urged the hesitating Pol. Although his mind was as languid as his body, it didn’t mean his personality had changed.

“Well… Your Highness. The Prince of Ruben is requesting to see you.”

Enrique frowned at this unexpected statement. Pol wore a troubled expression.

“Although His Majesty strictly prohibited the entry of all alphas, it seems ambiguous to apply that order to the Prince of Ruben, who is still a young boy. We’ve been continuously refusing and blocking him, saying that Your Highness is unwell, but he’s been standing firm in front of your quarters since morning, with no intention of leaving.”

“…Since morning?”

“Yes.”

“Until now?”

Enrique muttered, glancing at the clock. It was already past 2 PM.

“What should we do?”

Pol’s face was full of perplexity and trouble.

Given the royal order, it must not have been easy for Anture to even reach the front of Enrique’s quarters. He must have forcibly pushed through tremendous dissuasion and interference. And to think he had been standing firm since morning… It was like a child throwing a tantrum… Or perhaps his determination was somewhat admirable…

Pol stood silently watching Enrique, who remained silent without urging.

Just as he was about to utter words of refusal, Anture’s black eyes flashed through Enrique’s mind. The gaze that had been pure and harmless. And then the eyes burning with anger appeared in turn.

Enrique suddenly became curious. What kind of face would that well-bred puppy, not yet fully grown, show this time?

Judging by how he had barged in and was standing firm, he must have heard about Enrique’s heat cycle. He might even have heard that Damiel would be the partner for the heat cycle.

How would that little boy, who had burned with anger just from Damiel kissing the back of his hand, react to this news? What kind of face would he show?

As his thoughts turned in this direction, a strong curiosity raised its head for no particular reason.

“…Well… He’s still a young kid, so there shouldn’t be any danger. And considering the face of the Ruben Empire, let him in.”

Was Enrique’s response unexpected? Pol’s expression changed strangely.

Pol hesitated for a moment before nodding. Then he gestured to the attendant waiting by the bedroom door.

Enrique waited for Anture to enter, continuing to crunch on his cookie. To reach the bedroom, one had to pass through several doors. All these doors were now heavily guarded by attendants and knights.

As he finished the cookie in his hand and picked up a teacup to rinse his mouth, there was a knock.

Knock knock.

Along with the knock, the bedroom door slowly opened. Pol moved closer to Enrique, wearing a tense expression. His determination to immediately block with his body if Anture were to rush in was palpable.

Contrary to Pol’s worries, Anture did not rush in abruptly. The black-haired boy entered slowly, accompanied by a Shamier knight behind him. In Anture’s hand was a bouquet of flowers, probably picked from the garden.

“Enrique.”

Anture called quietly. Despite having stood firm for hours, there was no sign of fatigue or resentment. Instead, he had eyes that seemed excessively calm. It was a gaze Enrique had never seen before.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting so long. I was taking a nap because I wasn’t feeling well.”

Enrique spoke slowly, observing Anture’s every move. His languid physical state naturally made his speech slower.

“I’ve heard about your… condition. Despite that, I apologize for insisting on seeing you like this.”

Anture apologized politely. Then he carefully asked,

“May I come closer?”

At this question, Pol immediately took a step forward, about to speak. Before Pol could utter words of refusal, Enrique nodded first. A light of relief appeared in Anture’s black eyes.

“Then, I’ll approach a little.”

Anture spoke in a careful tone, as if giving a warning. Then he came closer, taking each step with caution. Anture was carefully observing Enrique’s expression with each step he took. He seemed to be checking if Enrique was uncomfortable.

Seeing Anture approaching so carefully, as if approaching a timid rabbit, a smile involuntarily spread across Enrique’s face. Enrique gestured for Anture to come closer, as he seemed to be hesitating about how far he could approach. Anture’s eyes flashed with joy. This time, he stepped up to Enrique’s bedside with a somewhat more confident gait.

“I picked these from the garden. Of course, it didn’t cost a single coin.”

Anture said as he handed over the bouquet. Enrique stared at the bouquet offered to him for a moment. Perhaps because they had been picked in the morning, or rather at dawn, the flowers that had been sitting for some time were a bit wilted.

Anture followed Enrique’s gaze to the wilted flowers and looked slightly flustered.

“Ah, this. I mean, I didn’t intentionally pick wilted flowers…”

Anture hurriedly explained.

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll freshen up again if we put them in a vase.”

Enrique spoke somewhat kindly, unlike his usual self, and accepted the bouquet, handing it to Pol. Anture’s cheeks turned slightly red, perhaps from embarrassment.

“So… What brings you here?”

Instead of offering Anture a seat or tea, Enrique asked directly. The implication was to say what he needed to say and leave quickly. Judging by his clear eyes, he didn’t seem to be greatly stimulated by Enrique’s pheromones due to his immaturity, but there was always a possibility.

“Well…”

Anture trailed off. His expression also gradually clouded.

Enrique saw Anture’s shoulders slowly drooping. Anture’s gaze also gradually lowered. He looked completely dejected. He resembled a puppy with both ears drooping down, whimpering dejectedly. Enrique unconsciously reached out to pat Anture’s head but barely restrained himself.

“Anture.”

When Enrique called, Anture slowly raised his gaze that had been cast down. Surprisingly, the boy’s eyes were red-rimmed. Seeing this, Enrique was slightly taken aback.

As Enrique failed to speak, Anture, staring with dejected eyes, chewed on his lips. He bit so hard that his lower lip burst, pierced by his teeth. Enrique frowned, looking at Anture’s red lips where blood was visible.

“…I… heard. That you’ll be spending your heat cycle with… that knight.”

Anture forced out the words with great difficulty. He was clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if even speaking was painful.