‘A gift has arrived.’
He was an attendant and Rilke’s hands and feet.
‘It’s a pretty earring.’
It had a structure that could be worn without piercing the ears. Just a simple-shaped earring.
The attendant recommended it to me, and at his continued urging, I just nodded. He clumsily unwrapped it. He brought one to me. The earring was fastened starting from the left.
And the world turned white.
……!
Ah, that.
I had no choice.
Without any time to react, everything before my eyes was too bright,
too hot,
bright.
Hot, too bright, too, hot!
Pain extending from the left ear. Heat. Horror. I couldn’t feel anything but those things.
I seemed to have collapsed just like that. It felt like scraping my face off with glass shards. I thrashed about madly. Just rolling on the floor. Only the pain of flesh melting away and the wails bursting from my throat existed.
Joachim!
No! No!
Rilke came running. That child was screaming desperately.
Bring water! Quickly!
That moment.
As if a small fortune was thrown into a great misfortune, it entered my vision clearly.
Like a small quartz sparkling in the ruined ashes. Even though my distorted face was streaming with fluid and tears, it stuck clearly in my eyes.
Rilke’s face, pouring water over my face, was brightly smiling.
* * *
Even while losing consciousness, I tried hard not to worry too much. Even though Rilke smiled exactly the same as that worst moment.
The rumors surrounding me were quite frivolous.
Duke Yorick turned a blind eye to his own promiscuous and utterly base private life, while acting as if the only things that could be displayed in that world were precious jewels that couldn’t be easily obtained.
In that sense, I was a worthless stone. A bit bigger because I’m an omega, but still a stone, something with absolutely no display value.
When I came to, I was in an empty room. I stared at the dark red ceiling for a long time. I didn’t know how long I’d been like this.
Was this the Regent Duke’s residence? Or his summer villa?
I could see the interior decorated in red tones like an imperial palace. I was laid on a bed, and I felt the quietness around me. My eyes, still affected by medicine, blinked sluggishly. Looking at the window visible in the distance, I knew it was now night.
“You’re awake.”
A young lady entered. She had a meticulous impression and looked about Jake’s age. She asked if I could move.
“Follow me.”
I walked down the corridor.
It was a corridor decorated exactly like the room I’d been lying in. While trying to grasp the unclear surroundings, I realized my clothes had been changed.
Only then did I notice my still-wet hair and swallowed a sigh. The lady walking ahead opened her mouth.
“It’s been a while. Since I received an omega drugged with medicine.”
“……”
“Is your health poor?”
“No, I’m fine.”
I wanted to interrogate even her with my burning insides, but I held back. Making a fuss here would be useless. To make the other party let their guard down even a little, it was better to act obedient.
“As you know, whether to hold you or not is up to him. You’re not the only omega.”
I suppressed my turbulent insides. Without bothering to respond, I silently followed the woman.
While hearing Rilke’s threats, two thoughts came to mind.
First, escape. But there are knights outside. It was a thoroughly deserted road. Then take Rilke hostage? No. It would be difficult to defeat formally armed imperial knights all at once.
Second, make a deal with the Regent Duke.
I know how he will die.
Although the first transaction I attempted was essentially a failure, he must think he’s currently gaining great profit from the information about the ancient island I passed to him.
I followed the woman while organizing exactly how much information I should reveal.
When I finally arrived before a large door, I thought I was perfectly prepared.
The lady opened the door.
And my perfect preparation completely evaporated.
“Aren’t you going in?”
At the lady’s urging, I barely lifted my stuck steps.
He too was surprised to see me, our eyes meeting.
His eyes, slightly wider than usual, followed my steps. Then they calmed down again like an accidentally caught emotion.
“So this time you’re Duke Yorick’s omega.”
Prince Benedict was with Sana again this time.
It was a splendid room decorated in dark red tones symbolizing the imperial family.
The area under the Prince’s eyes, receiving the low scarlet light, was flushed. That appearance contrasted with him sitting neatly as if lost in thought. Sana was leaning at an intimate distance from him, dressed lightly.
While blankly staring at Prince Benedict, I recalled one rumor that circulated after Duke Yorick’s death.
—The Regent personally selects omegas to attend the Prince’s rut breeding period.
Among the unbelievable rumors that circulated secretly after Duke Yorick’s death, there was definitely such talk.
Meanwhile, Sana silently stood up and approached like a shadow. An eye greeting was exchanged. Despite being so close with the Prince, her attitude was indifferent as if they’d been sharing philosophical doctrines all along.
The door closed behind me.
“You seem to care about my knight every time.”
Benedict opened his mouth, receiving the dim light.
“…I greet the light of the Empire.”
Of the Prince’s neat posture and heated eyes, the answer seemed to be the latter. He spoke words that skipped context. His tone sounded duller than usual.
“I… I’m not Duke Yorick’s omega,”
Nevertheless, I wanted to make excuses.
“I don’t know why Your Highness is here. I came thinking Duke Yorick would be here.”
“You came looking for Duke Yorick.”
The Prince, catching the end of my words, quietly examined my appearance.
His gaze fell from my not-quite-dry hair to my toes. Even though the clothes the lady gave me were ordinary indoor wear, I felt anxious.
“Yes, to make a deal with Duke Yorick,”
I spoke firmly then just closed my mouth.
It didn’t seem like good words to salvage the situation. I don’t know why I’m acting so stupid.
“……”
“……”
“I came to make a deal with Duke Yorick. I was going to pass information to him and return home without incident.”
“Are you saying you have information that would tempt the Regent?”
“…Because I also gave him information about the magic stone mine he purchased this time.”
“And you jumped from that person’s terrace.”
Silence filled the room again.
I observed the Prince. His gaze was calmly lowered, but his eyes were still noticeably reddened.
Without looking at me, he quietly issued an order to leave. I became anxious again, like when he looked at my wet hair.
“Will you let Sana back into the room?”
I asked that abruptly.
“You really do care about my knight.”
An impulse arose.
Like when I couldn’t stand wanting to kiss him. Like when I eventually kissed him.
I saw his cold eyes furrow, but I really couldn’t stand caring so much. Yes, I care. I answered that way. Why had she, of all people, she who didn’t exist in my past, become such a close person by his side?
I couldn’t stand caring about it all along.
In case Benedict shares more time I don’t know with her I don’t know.
No, that wasn’t it. Everything I’d been suppressing burst forth from within, triggered by a small gap.
“—What are you doing?”
I pulled off my clothes.
The hem successively slipped past my calves.
When I pulled down even my underwear, a dry laugh was heard. Looking at his cold lips, I blurted out.
“If I leave, you’ll let in Sana or whoever, won’t you?”
These were words pulled out directly without going through thought.
“Not Sana,”
What did I want to do?
“You were what I cared about most.”
Standing here in this moment, I felt I understood a little. I was certain.
Only then was Benedict looking at me.
I had to admit it. I was drawn to him in a way I couldn’t define. The moment what I wanted, which even I didn’t know exactly, came before my eyes, I wanted to be greedy for one step.
“Not Sana, but you holding someone is what I care about most.”
I was clearly insane.
“Not her, not anyone else, but I—”
Both ears were burning up like they would explode.
“Want to be here.”
Prince Benedict said nothing.
I pushed through the silence where even breathing could be heard and approached him. The closer I got, the more I felt his pheromones. Ferocious, but calm. I hesitated only briefly at that sharp yet magnificent energy. He was already right there. If I reached out, I would definitely touch him.
And really, fortunately,
Benedict, who seemed made of ice, pulled me into his arms first.
While sitting, he slowly wrapped around my waist. Warm body heat touched me through a layer of clothes. It tingled. My touched waist and stomach tickled and trembled. I felt his breath and body heat.
I embraced that warmth back. Warmth circulated inside my chest.
“It’s my first time with a man.”
He looked up and said.
“I might hurt you.”
Is it okay? His eyes, completely colored and asking, were even innocent. Unlike asking for permission, the arm wrapped around my waist tightened forcefully. I lowered my head. The warmth in my chest spread to my fingertips, to my toes, to the tip of my lips. I kissed first below those eyes that were even innocent, hiding secrets.
