Hurriedly returning to the village, he searched for the child who had blocked his path earlier. The pheromones exuding from the Omegas were overwhelmingly rancid, making his stomach churn, but he had to endure it. If the note’s contents were true, then there had to be traces of Night here.
“Young master! Please wait a moment!”
The aide, who had fallen behind, shouted for him to wait, but he was too blinded by his urgency to hear anything. Leaving the aide behind, he pressed deeper into the village.
Perhaps due to his agitation, he was unable to regulate his pheromones. The scent of an Alpha rippling through the air drew out the Omegas, who began emerging one by one. The stench only grew more unbearable. He raised a hand to cover his nose and mouth, but it was no use.
I just have to find it quickly and get out.
Pushing past the Omegas, he advanced further into the village, where he found the child waiting for him. The same child who had stood in his way moments ago.
“I greet the young master of the district.”
Unlike the hesitant speech from before, the child’s pronunciation was now crisp and clear. After offering a polite greeting, the child turned and began walking away. A quick glance back over the shoulder made it seem as though he was being urged to follow.
A strong sense of suspicion told him this could be a trap, but for now, he had no choice but to follow. Checking the gun holstered at his waist, he trailed the child’s retreating figure deeper into the village.
It’s completely different from the outside.
From the surface, it seemed like an ordinary village, but passing through a forest of dried, withered trees revealed a different reality. The moment he saw the wall blocking his view, his certainty grew—there were traces of Night here.
The child slipped through an entrance in the wall. The paths inside twisted like a maze, intricate enough that without a guide, finding an exit would be nearly impossible. No doubt, the layout was deliberately designed to confound intruders who might stumble upon this place.
At least he was moving farther away from the Omega-filled village, which meant the stench was easing. His limits had been nearing, but now, he could finally lower the hand covering his face and take in the fresher air.
By then, the child had led him to the end of the labyrinth. As the wall that had obstructed his view disappeared, an entirely new landscape unfolded before him—one that should have been nothing but wasteland at the edge of the district.
This can’t be real.
The sight before him left him speechless. It was another village. Lush land, thriving vegetation, and even electricity running from somewhere unseen.
As he struggled to process the unexpected scene, someone approached. The moment he sensed their presence, his hand instinctively moved. Drawing the gun hidden at his waist, he aimed it at the figure standing before him.
The man glanced briefly at the gun barrel pointed precisely between his brows before breaking into a slow, amused smile.
He took a careful look at the man in front of him—curly hair, dark bronze skin. Judging by his appearance, he was likely from District 2.
Of course, it was a religion that stretched across all districts, so it wasn’t unusual to see people from outside District 1. After confirming that the man was unarmed, he lowered his gun.
“We have been expecting you, Vincent Shining.”
They had known he would come. This mission had been carried out under the utmost secrecy, yet somehow, the information had leaked. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he resolved to return to the estate and root out the rats in hiding.
“Shall we proceed?”
The man led him deeper inside. He briefly thought of the aide he had left behind but quickly pushed the thought away. If the leader of Night was truly here—
“Lead the way.”
He tucked his gun away. The man maintained his ever-present smile as he guided him forward. As he walked, he suddenly realized something—the artificial moonlight did not reach this place.
Instead of moonlight, the area was illuminated by lamps hanging from tall poles. This place, the very edge of District 1 where the light never faded, was now immersed in complete night.
***
Less than a full day had passed since that pest had set out for the district’s edge, yet Joshua couldn’t suppress his anxiety. If he returned with meaningful results, he would soon be named the official successor on the upcoming District Day.
This was the last chance. The final opportunity to keep things unofficial. Once the district’s ruler publicly declared him the next leader, there would be no turning back.
Calm down. It’s just another baseless rumor.
There had been countless reports claiming that Night was hiding somewhere in this district. But not a single one had ever turned out to be true. Even when he had taken charge in that bastard’s absence, nothing had changed—it had all been a waste of time.
But if, by some impossible chance, this time it was real—
Unable to quell his unease, Joshua left his room. He couldn’t just sit still. With him gone, he had to find a weakness—something massive, something that would utterly ruin him and send him crashing down.
First, he decided to inspect the bedroom—the one he had locked down so tightly that not even a single ant could slip inside. He didn’t know what was being hidden there, but he prayed it would be enough to turn the tide.
And when Joshua stormed into the room in his absence, he couldn’t hide his excitement. At last, he had uncovered the dirty little secret that vermin had been so desperate to conceal. And it was huge.
He had suspected something was amiss when the bedroom was guarded as if it contained some forbidden truth, but he had never imagined it would be this monumental.
The fact that he had vowed to take only one partner was already a shock. But the real scandal? That partner was not only a man—but an Omega.
The District 1 ruler hated Omegas. His hatred was so intense that he had ordered every hidden Omega within the district to be hunted down and expelled. If he were to discover this truth, then the successor—who had not yet been officially confirmed—could very well be replaced.
Returning to his room, Joshua was now faced with the most delightful dilemma—how to reveal this information. Should he, as his sibling suggested, join forces with the elders and spread the word? The elders would undoubtedly stand with him against such an unthinkable disgrace.
They had already been furious when he declared he would take no concubines. But now, learning that the only mate of the next district leader was an Omega? There was no way they would let this slide. It would be enough to turn the entire district upside down.
“First, I’ll go to Jeremy.”
Joshua tried to calm his excitement as he headed toward Jeremy. In this mansion, there were only a few places where the pale-skinned Jeremy would be—the central garden or his own room.
He went to Jeremy’s room first. Without bothering to knock, he threw the door open, eyes searching for him. The room, dimly lit behind thick blackout curtains, was saturated with Jeremy’s faint pheromones.
“Jeremy!”
Joshua’s loud voice, sharp enough to chase away sleep, stirred Jeremy awake from where he lay buried in his bed. He struggled to lift his heavy body, and the moment he sat up, Joshua threw himself onto the bed, sprawling across Jeremy’s legs.
“I finally found out.”
“…Found out what?”
“That bastard’s weakness.”
Jeremy stared at Joshua’s beaming face before letting out a soft chuckle. It was probably nothing major, he thought, and gestured for him to spill whatever he was so eager to share. Flashing a grin like a child hoarding a secret, Joshua lowered his voice.
“There’s an Omega.”
“…An Omega? Where?”
“In that bastard’s bedroom.”
Jeremy’s pupils trembled violently. The fact that an Omega was in District 1’s mansion was shocking enough, but the real surprise was that he had been the one hiding one.
“This is it. This is how we get rid of him.”
Joshua was utterly convinced. With this, he could drive Vincent Shining out. But Jeremy thought differently. Joshua, now brimming with excitement, declared that he was going straight to the elders, but Jeremy barely managed to hold him back and asked,
“What exactly are you planning?”
“You told me to join forces with the elders. If we tell them this, they won’t stay silent. We’ll go to Father together. That bastard isn’t just hiding an Omega—he’s planning to take one as his mate.”
“We need to be careful, Joshua.”
“Why the hell should we wait when we have solid proof? District Day is almost here. Once it comes, it’s all over.”
Pushing Jeremy’s hand aside, Joshua stormed out of the room. Left alone, Jeremy quickly gathered himself and threw on his clothes. He barely managed to catch up to Joshua, blocking his path.
“Wait… I need… to tell you something.”
“What? Move.”
“What if Father already knows?”
“…You’re saying Father knows that bastard is hiding an Omega?”
Jeremy nodded. Joshua scoffed, dismissing the idea outright. The notion that their father—who despised Omegas—would allow one to live in his mansion was absurd.
But Jeremy thought differently.
He recalled the time, a week after he returned from District 5, when he had rushed to meet their father. There had been countless lengthy meetings, and considering how long those discussions had gone on, was it really possible that he hadn’t mentioned the Omega he brought with him?
After all, he had even managed to secure permission for something previously unthinkable—marriage.
“You can tell the elders. But don’t say anything to Father yet.”
“And why the hell not—”
“For once in your life, use your head, Joshua!”
It was the first time Joshua had ever seen Jeremy lose his temper, and the sheer force of it forced him into silence. Now that he had finally shut up, Jeremy took a deep breath and spoke in a sigh-laced voice.
“Just be a little more careful, Joshua.”
For a moment, everything had been on the verge of falling apart—all because of his idiotic brother.
