The Original Work Got Ruined After I Quit Being the Sub Male 95

“Ah, Eddie!”

When I entered the salon guided by the Rochrel family butler, Riette and Laura, who had arrived first, waved their hands to welcome me. Cedric was also there beside them.

“Hoho, Edgar. Have you been well?”

When I approached closer, Laura greeted me cheerfully with a face glowing with vitality. Laura, who asked this, seemed to have been living very happily and joyfully.

“Yes, I’m fine… How about you, Miss Laura?”

“Actually, I have someone I’m dating!”

It was a statement that came out eagerly, as if she had been hoping I would ask. Riette and Cedric, having apparently heard this to their hearts’ content already, showed no surprise.

Finding the sparkling eyes right in front of my face burdensome, I led the conversation as she wanted.

“Oh. Really? With whom?”

“Hehe. It’s Lucas. Count Garcia’s son. We’ve been dating for exactly about a month now.”

“Huh? Isn’t he a Beta?”

In contrast, Laura was a dominant Omega. While a man and woman could have children regardless of traits, the probability of trait-bearing children being born would inevitably be slim in such a relationship.

Among families that had carried on dominant traits for generations, or recessive trait families that valued traits, they often avoided Betas to avoid losing their traits, which could easily cause trouble.

“That’s right! When I lay down saying I’d die if they didn’t allow me to date him, my parents had no choice but to give permission.”

Laura said while holding her blushing cheeks.

…Is that really something to say while being shy?

“Th-that’s fortunate. That it was resolved well.”

“Right?”

I smiled in agreement. Riette, who let out a small sigh, tapped Laura’s shoulder to draw her attention.

“Laura, you said you knew a lot about people who changed traits. Now that Eddie’s here too, talk about that.”

“Ah, that’s right!”

Laura clapped her hands as if remembering. The two seemed to have become close enough to call each other by name and have personal conversations.

We sat around a table prepared in a corner at the suggestion to sit somewhere quiet and talk first.

The people gathered in the salon were having conversations on topics they wanted, gathered in groups of close friends like us. Because of that, there probably wouldn’t be anyone paying attention to us, but we had to be careful when talking about other people.

Laura lowered her voice and opened her mouth.

“I’ve heard various cases related to trait changes. In the case of the person who changed traits fastest, it took a week, and among people who endured without breaking up and achieved change, the longest period was 3 years.”

“One week… that’s amazing.”

No, should I say those who waited and won it even after 3 years are more amazing? Anyway, one week – I was really envious.

“Right. But there were no meaningful differences between people who changed quickly and those who changed late. That doesn’t mean there were many commonalities either. The methods they encountered among those circulating as superstitions were all different too. Ah, but this one thing could be called a commonality.”

“What?”

“The point that they all did pheromone marking on their partner at least once. Um… are you doing it?”

“Ah, yes.”

We do it almost every time when we’re alone together.

I glanced back at Cedric. He was also listening to her words with a calm face.

Riette interjected and asked.

“Wasn’t there any other peculiarity or something?”

To that, Laura shook her head.

“Unfortunately, there really aren’t any commonalities other than that. Naturally, there are no peculiarities either. I looked at all cases – dominant Omega and Beta, dominant Alpha and Beta, dominant trait-bearer and recessive trait-bearer – but they all dated normally and then changed. Still…”

“So there’s also this rumor. The better the compatibility between two people, the faster and more surely trait change occurs.”

Before Laura could continue with something more, the voice that came out was that of an unfamiliar woman. Someone who had approached our table and was eavesdropping on our conversation had interjected.

“……!”

Surprised, I quickly turned my head toward where the sound came from. A woman who had approached behind Cedric drew a bewitching smile, then bent her waist while placing her hand on Cedric’s shoulder.

“Right, Miss Laura? Why are you leaving out stories like this?”

“…Isn’t it problematic to speak of such groundless talk as if it’s true in the first place?”

Laura shot back sharply while rolling her eyes. Riette was also looking at her with a somewhat displeased expression, so it seemed the two knew who she was.

Who would have thought there was someone eavesdropping…

I quietly whispered to Riette.

“Ret, who is she?”

“She’s the young lady of the Canelli Marquis family, one of the imperial collateral families. Her name is Emma…”

She seemed to want to say more, but Riette trailed off.

When I was strangely concerned and watching her, Cedric knocked off the hand placed on his shoulder, making Emma purse her lips.

“That’s too much, Rick. It hurts when you hit it away like that.”

The whining voice was full of charm.

Rick is usually another pet name for Cedric…

“……”

Does she know Cedric too?

I suddenly had that thought, but since she was said to be imperial collateral, I quickly reached the conclusion that there would have been exchanges with Soliwen, which was also in the collateral line.

“So what business do you have, Miss Emma? Eavesdropping like a petty thief?”

“No, well, it seemed like you were having an interesting conversation, so I listened for a moment. Your voice was quite loud, you know. I see you’re having trouble with trait change issues?”

Emma, who answered Laura’s prickly question brazenly, suddenly looked directly at me. Her sharp gaze wasn’t very kind, making me involuntarily startled.

“Ah, yes. So we were trying to get some advice…”

“Really? If I were to give Edgar advice too, I’d like to tell you to give up on useless efforts early.”

“Miss Emma!”

“Don’t shout so much, Miss Riette. But it’s true, isn’t it? Soliwen must have a headache too. Why choose something like a Beta… A dominant Omega like me would have been a perfectly good option too.”

The atmosphere is very, very bad. No matter how oblivious I am… when she’s being so obviously hostile, I can’t not notice.

‘…She must have been continuously interested in Cedy.’

That’s probably why she’s speaking so sharply and negatively. I understand that with my head, but my heart became very uncomfortable.

“A good option?”

Suddenly, Cedric, who repeated her words, tilted his head and said with a face showing not even a hint of emotion, let alone any intention of disparagement.

“Well. It’s an option I’ve never even thought about.”

When Laura burst out laughing at that, Emma’s beautiful face twisted fiercely. Riette seemed burdened even by this war of nerves, sighing and shaking her head gently.

Finally choosing to leave first, Emma playfully patted Cedric’s shoulder and turned around.

“Rick, I hope you come to your senses soon.”

The silence continued until she completely left and mixed with another group.

The atmosphere became awkward, and while I was wondering what words to use to break this awkwardness, Cedric spoke to me.

“Don’t mind what she said, Eddie.”

Laura also added while checking my complexion.

“Right! It’s really just a rumor, that stuff.”

I quietly nodded at their comfort. I tried not to think deeply about it.

But Emma’s barbed words stuck in my heart and wouldn’t easily fall away.

〈So there’s also this rumor. The better the compatibility between two people, the faster and more surely trait change occurs.〉

〈But it’s true, isn’t it? Soliwen must have a headache too. Why choose something like a Beta…〉

What was sadder was that I was unconsciously accepting her words.

‘Do I… not have good compatibility with Cedy?’

That compatibility probably isn’t about personality matching well or issues on that level. It would be talking about ‘something innate.’

In other words, it’s not something that can be changed through effort…

When I became gloomy, Laura continued the story she had been telling earlier, diluting the atmosphere.

“Anyway, this is the story I was going to tell earlier, but I think not giving up is the most important thing. Among couples who didn’t break up and tried until the end, there were no failed cases.”

“Laura, really?”

“Yeah, even among people currently in progress, there are no cases of trying for more than 3 years. Maybe the maximum is 3 years!”

“Did you hear, Eddie?”

When Riette grabbed me and asked, I answered in confusion that I had heard.

So in the end, it meant only relationships that broke up failed… but that was close to wordplay.

It’s no different from saying that people who say ‘yes’ are only those who didn’t say ‘no.’ And since it was closer to ‘it’s possible,’ it wasn’t certain either.

‘…3 years. I can wait about 3 years.’

What is 3 years? I could wait even decades. If only my traits would change. The problem was the painful reality that the end might only be a breakup.

‘Sigh.’

Anxiety goes on endlessly.

I had to fall into deep contemplation.