“Ah, Ar!”
“Why are you so surprised?”
It’s not really a situation to be surprised about. After all, this relationship started when Rosenthal sprayed omega pheromones and pressed against him with his body. Nearly every scene where the two faced each other was filled with sticky, hardcore scenes.
“This is the imperial palace.”
I urgently made excuses while grabbing his hand. If it were the original Rosenthal, he would have rolled around with the Third Prince right now, but I’m different.
‘You have a problem too, how does it make sense for a gay guy to be a pre-marital virginity advocate?’
On the day I was murdered, Kim Jigwang’s words rang in my ears. When things didn’t work out after making a move, he blamed me. He pushed the ridiculous logic that he had no choice but to get married because I refused to have sex, acting like it was all my fault. And he even told me to be grateful that he dated a pathetic gay guy like me…. I became consumed with rage and lunged at that bastard, and ended up falling into the novel.
From the start, he said he’d wait for me, that sex wasn’t the goal, so that’s why we dated. It wasn’t like I was asking to go to the Netherlands to register our marriage, “marriage” was just a symbolic word. After dating seriously for about a year, I was planning to at least make a small couple ring before having relations. But you shoved a wedding invitation at me and broke up with me!
It was my first love, my first relationship. Was wanting an ordinary romance such a grave sin? Enough to be murdered for?
As anger toward Kim Jigwang burst forth, the Third Prince raised the corner of his lips and roughly pulled down his pants.
“The imperial palace? So what?”
“Ar…!”
I desperately reached out toward the already removed pants, but he threw me onto the bed.
“What difference does the imperial palace make? Does your lewd nature disappear or something?”
A strange scent emanated from his body. Sweet and tingling like it was striking my head, yet an indescribably strange fragrance…. Is this what alpha pheromones are?
Suddenly my body became languid and my strength drained away. The Third Prince spread my legs bare and traced over the intimate folds. It was the first time another person’s hand had touched such an intimate place.
“Ahh, st-stop…!”
“Acting like you don’t want it when you’re this wet.”
He sneered and circled around my anus. I should tell him not to, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to be held like this. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t the Third Prince. I wanted to have sex. I wanted to accept someone. Lewd thoughts churned through my mind, and suddenly a hot sensation concentrated at my anus as something squishy and liquid flowed out.
Just like the novel described, fluids really came out from there. I really had become an omega.
“Stop!”
I urgently pushed Arleigh away. The changes in my body were so bewildering that even my arousal faded. Vaguely thinking I was an omega and actually feeling the sensation were completely different things.
Arleigh also sensed something was off and removed his hand.
“Rozen, what’s wrong? You’re like a virgin who knows nothing. You weren’t like this the first time.”
He spoke with subtle sarcasm but didn’t force himself on me. He also withdrew his pheromones. Then, as if a hypnosis was lifted, the lewd thoughts disappeared and reality hit me.
To think I almost slept with a man I was seeing for the first time while drunk on lust…. But there was no time to wallow in self-loathing. I hurriedly pulled myself together and firmly grasped his hand.
“Ar, do you still want me?”
“Of course. I can’t escape from you.”
That’s a lie. You’ll change your mind the moment you see Seha. Well, it was Rosenthal who betrayed first though. Anyway, right now he was the man with power second only to the Emperor. Moreover, his practical power was greater than the Crown Prince’s.
“And you can’t escape from me either.”
He wiped my tears away with his hand. I must have cried without realizing it from being so shocked.
“Actually, I feel the same way.”
I made what could be called Rosenthal’s signature sensual smile. Or rather, I tried to make it while nestling into the Third Prince’s embrace. And I revealed what Martin had done to me.
The original Rosenthal had too much pride to tell anyone about this situation and only shed tears in secret, but I had absolutely no intention of playing the frustrating fool like that.
If I were the “main uke,” I would know it’s a happy ending anyway, so I would act faithfully to the original story—eating my frustration while pretending to be good and deliberately falling into crises—but right now I have my own problems to worry about.
“So that’s why you tried to become the Crown Princess?”
The Third Prince stroked my hair with slightly softened eyes. I had thought he was a simple character, easy to manipulate, and my prediction was right.
“Yes. But I couldn’t forget Ar no matter what. That’s why I collapsed. Even that day, I had barely pulled myself together to go see Your Highness, when that incident happened….”
“Foolishly. As if I couldn’t handle a single idiot like that!”
“I thought you’d be disappointed if you knew I was from slave origins.”
“You’re a precious omega. A special existence. Far more noble than some aristocrat trash.”
In truth, the Third Prince never truly loved Rosenthal. He merely mistook his obsession with a rare and noble omega for love. After meeting Seha, he gradually realizes what true love is.
“Really?”
“Of course, Rozen. You’re more precious than anyone. I will love only you for the rest of my life.”
What a liar. While having 3 official concubines. Even that was only limited to 3 because of the law that nobles can’t have more than 2 concubines, princes can’t have more than 3, the Crown Prince can’t have more than 5, and the Emperor can’t have more than 9.
The Crown Prince also has 5 consorts, but he only took them in for political reasons and didn’t give them his heart. But the Third Prince was an incarnation of lust. Even the maids and servants had all had relations with him at least once. Even while dating Rosenthal, he never stopped having sex with others. The only person in this world who could cure his sex addiction was Seha.
But I pretended to believe his words. Because it’s better than being brutally killed. Since Seha appears on the Crown Prince’s wedding day, there’s less than a month left now. For now, I just need to go to the Third Prince and refuse sex for about 3 weeks with appropriate excuses. After meeting Seha, the main uke, neither the Crown Prince nor the Third Prince will spare me a glance anyway.
Arleigh is merely a stepping stone for freedom and survival. Since his heart isn’t sincere either, I felt no guilt about using him.
“I don’t want to become the Crown Princess. Ar, please save me.”
“Alright. I’ll make you my partner immediately.”
No thanks. There’s no need to go that far.
“I don’t harbor such excessive greed. It’s enough if I can just remain by your side.”
Eldon kills Rosenthal who gets in the way of making Seha his partner, and ultimately places the empress’s crown on Seha’s head.
If I become the Third Prince’s consort, Arleigh will probably do the same thing. He’ll kill me to make Seha his partner.
He was described as treating his concubines well, but that was only before he realized his love for Seha. When his love for Seha reached its peak, the Third Prince Arleigh drove out all his concubines and servants he’d slept with. Arleigh showed Seha the now-empty mansion and appealed his love.
In the Keltan Empire, unlike concubines, an official spouse cannot be easily cast out without just cause, so the Third Prince said that if he had a partner, he would have killed them for Seha’s sake.
I had absolutely no intention of becoming the Third Prince’s partner. Rather than suffering from the concubines’ power struggles and hardcore sexual preferences before dying there, it’s better to be locked away in a detached palace drawing pictures before my neck gets chopped off.
And the Third Prince will never make me his partner. He’s just spouting romantic words because we’re in bed, there’s no way he’ll officially tie himself to an omega who almost married Crown Prince Eldon and diminish his political standing. The Emperor and Empress won’t allow it either. At most, he’ll ask for me as a concubine.
But the official concubine positions are full, so I’ll have to wait my turn. And if Seha appears within that time, everything will work out perfectly.
Haah, do I really have to make calculations like this? Isn’t there a kind, gentle alpha with enough power and wealth to protect me from my crazy stepbrother who only looks at me?
A sigh escaped without me realizing it, and the Third Prince stared at me intently.
“Rosenthal, you’ve changed a lot.”
Right, I’m Rosenthal—arrogant and willing to use any means necessary to get what he wants. It seems I’ve been acting too nice. I deliberately raised my eyes haughtily, pretending to be aloof.
“I was too shocked by my brother’s matter. It was serious enough that His Highness the Crown Prince, who dislikes me, brought me all the way here. But His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t want me either. Once he knows Ar’s feelings, he’ll break off the engagement immediately.”
I only want freedom; I have no desire to drive a wedge between brothers or cause turmoil in the empire. If I make such a fuss and then get cast aside as soon as Seha appears, how could I endure the embarrassment and shame? He might kill me even more miserably.
“Don’t worry. You’ll never marry that bastard.”
“His Highness the Crown Prince only saved me and has no feelings whatsoever. Even after coming to the palace, I haven’t seen him once. So please ask him gently.”
Please control your temper and speak amicably. I earnestly pleaded as I sent him off. If I can break off the engagement and leave the imperial palace like this, I can distance myself from 90% of the death flags—no, since Martin and the Third Prince also carry risk factors, about 60%.
***
From the day after the Third Prince’s visit, wedding preparations suddenly stopped. The ceremonial dress designer and jeweler didn’t show themselves, and imperial etiquette education didn’t proceed either. Though nothing was said explicitly, I knew the reason.
The Third Prince must have declared that he wanted me.
“Young master, are you alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is it okay for you to be leisurely painting like this?”
Raki seems worried. Well, Duke Chendewden adopted Rosenthal to form a connection with the imperial family who only had princes. Since he’d received education his whole life to become Crown Princess, and had ambition himself to the point of using physical seduction without caring about the means, Raki must be worried that if the engagement suddenly breaks off, Rosenthal might go mad.
“Then what should I do?”
I continued painting the imperial scenery visible outside the window. Who knows when I’ll get to see it again after the engagement is broken off.
“As long as you’re alright, young master.”
“Thank you for worrying.”
I smiled at Raki. Then he turned red up to his ears and ran out saying he’d bring tea. He’s so cute, really.
I was painting again when, not long after, the door opened.
“That was quick.”
I spoke without taking my eyes off the canvas.
“Your painting skills are outstanding.”
At the low, cold voice, I whipped my head around in surprise. Crown Prince Eldon was standing right behind me.
“Your Highness….”
“You’ve done something cunning.”
His voice was subdued but cool pheromones rippled. Rather than sexual stimulation, I felt an ominous sensation.
