“There may be an issue with his birth, but since Lord Nile insists that he’s a full sibling and wants him kept close, it’s best to leave it be. He’s quiet, diligent, and finds work to do on his own. He’s also very cautious and doesn’t easily draw attention, so there shouldn’t be anything that would trouble you, Your Grace.”
The butler, unusually, went on at length.
It seemed that Nile—the omega who, for the first time in a long while, was residing at Castiya Castle for an extended period—had earned the goodwill of nearly everyone except Mihail. Even the butler was now speaking on Nile’s behalf.
But rather than bothering with such trivial matters, Mihail was simply satisfied to have learned why the creature had chosen to build his nest in Nile’s quarters, and why he’d continued to linger around the place despite the risk of being discovered by Mihail.
“It’s about time I took another look at that pathetic mess of a thing.”
Mihail grinned, baring one side of his teeth as if genuinely amused. The butler, well aware that Mihail rarely did anything good while wearing such an expression, let a faintly worried look slip across his face.
***
Late the following morning, the day after their walk together, Mihail once again stormed into Nile’s quarters without any prior notice, just as he had for the past several days. As if he had no intention of staying long, he downed a cup of hot tea in one gulp and left immediately. By now, Nile and the servants had grown accustomed to that once-a-day storm, and they bowed in greeting behind Mihail as he vanished without so much as a farewell.
Another day passed that way.
Nile’s position, lacking even a bond through mental marriage, was as ambiguous as it could be. Mihail hadn’t yet shared a bed with him, and even if things progressed and Nile bore an heir, there was no way to predict what would happen afterward. Officially, Nile had come to form ties with Mihail as a member of the Lucius marquisate, but unofficially, he had simply been sold to produce an heir.
Marquis Lucius never interfered in the fate of an omega once a proper price had been paid. Whether the omega was kept, formally married, or sold off again elsewhere made no difference to him. As a result, while Nile carried the Lucius name, he could expect no support whatsoever from the family.
All things considered, his position and circumstances were uncertain at best, but for now, Nile’s life wasn’t unpleasant. Everything was abundant, his treatment impeccable, and the attitudes of the servants and castle residents toward him were notably favorable.
With the aftereffects of his heat cycle completely gone, Nile’s days were calm and uneventful. He drank tea, read books, and took walks through the beautiful garden when he felt stifled. Aside from Mihail’s brief, intrusive visit, it was a day no different from any other.
When darkness fell, the garden caretaker lit lamps throughout the grounds, and the maids lit candles throughout the castle. With no lady of the house and a master who had no interest whatsoever in hosting parties, nights at Castiya Castle were always quiet. For the servants, it was a blessing—they could retire early.
As the night deepened, the maids who had been waiting in the corner of the room, sewing or chatting idly, all returned to their own quarters. Normally, one maid would remain on duty, sleeping lightly on a small makeshift bed in the corner so she could attend to Nile the moment he awoke. But Nile had adamantly refused, so every night, the room was left empty as usual.
When everyone except a handful of night guards had gone to bed and fallen into deep sleep, one wall of Nile’s quarters opened silently, and Chaika slipped inside.
“Chaika?”
Nile, who had been dozing lightly in bed, turned his head and called out. Chaika nodded and approached the bedside.
“You look so pale. Where have you been hiding all day?”
Nile asked with concern. Without answering, Chaika merely shrugged and picked at the water and biscuits the maids had prepared for Nile, eating a small amount.
“I’m cold. And tired.”
Chaika murmured quietly. He rarely spoke words of weakness, so Nile clicked his tongue softly. Chaika spread out the small makeshift bedding used by the night-duty maid and crawled inside. He pulled the blanket up to his neck and curled in tightly, looking thoroughly unwell.
“Chaika?”
Nile called.
“Go to sleep.”
Chaika replied as if even answering were too much trouble, then pulled the blanket over his head. Knowing Chaika’s temperament well, Nile didn’t call out again and instead rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes once more.
As had always been the case since arriving here, two quiet breaths soon alternated through the room. From the time everyone retired for the night until the early dawn when a diligent maid came to Nile’s quarters, this was the only time of day Chaika could rest in peace at Castiya Castle.
Since Duke Mihail Castiya’s pursuit had begun, Chaika’s nerves had been stretched taut to the breaking point, leaving him unable to sleep deeply. Each time he drifted off, he startled awake, then fell back into a hazy doze, repeatedly registering his surroundings in a half-conscious state. With his already short sleep rendered so poor in quality, it was only natural that his appearance grew more gaunt by the day.
Even so, being able to sleep—even like this—in a warm and safe place was more than enough to be grateful for. Chaika drifted into something close to unconsciousness, jerking awake and sinking back down again several times.
It was when he’d flinched awake once more, then slipped back under as though sinking into the earth.
Bang!
The sound of a doorknob turning was followed by the heavy door being flung wide open. Candlelight from the brightly lit corridor poured into the dark room like a waterfall. Nile bolted upright in bed, staring at the sudden intruder with a shocked expression.
“…Y–Your Grace?”
Murmuring in confusion, Nile instinctively shot a brief glance toward where Chaika lay.
“It’s quite late—may I ask what brings you here?”
Nile asked in a tightly tense voice. From appearances alone, it looked as though Mihail had come on a sudden whim to spend the night with him. But as always when he visited, Mihail didn’t spare Nile so much as a glance, instead sweeping his gaze around the room. Already aware of Mihail’s true purpose whenever he came, Nile made a conscious effort not to look toward Chaika, who was curled up quietly beneath the blanket in the corner.
Nile’s effort was in vain. There was no way Mihail—who had been barging in repeatedly for the sole purpose of catching Chaika—would overlook the figure curled beneath the blanket. Spotting what looked like a small bundle of bedding, Mihail’s lips curled upward and his eyes narrowed.
“What’s this?”
Mihail said, nudging the blanket bundle with the tip of his foot. It was so small, and it rocked easily with each poke, that it didn’t even look like there was a person inside. But knowing just how small his prey was, Mihail seemed certain. After nudging it several more times, he finally reached down and yanked the blanket away.
“……”
“……”
A brief silence fell over the room. Only the sound of the blanket hitting the floor after being tossed aside broke it. Where the blanket had been was now a small body, curled tightly atop a shabby makeshift bed, fully exposed.
Hugging himself tightly with both arms and burying his head deep, the small body didn’t move easily even after the blanket that had concealed him was gone. Candlelight spilling in from the corridor flickered over his messy brown hair and tightly curled form.
With no sound or movement even after the blanket was removed, the small one cautiously lifted his head. Mihail watched his movements in meticulous detail, just as he had the first time they met.
A head slowly lifting while still curled in on itself. Eyes emerging from beneath messy hair, traveling gradually upward—from Mihail’s feet, to his ankles, to his knees. All the while, Mihail traced with his gaze the pitifully thin ankles and calves beneath the hiked-up, worn trousers, and then the gradually revealed chin—small and pale to the point of looking bloodless.
“Hng—!”
Only after his gaze finally reached Mihail’s face did the small one suck in a sharp breath and spring away from his spot. It was lightning-fast—but the attempt to roll past Mihail’s side failed. With one hand, Mihail easily snatched the small body out of the air.
“I let it slide once, but twice is too much.”
Mihail sneered, gripping the creature by the collar and lifting him up. Dangling helplessly in midair, the small body kicked its legs. It seemed desperate enough, but it hardly looked like resistance.
“Sneaking in and out of my study without permission wasn’t enough—you had to crawl all over my castle too?”
“Your Grace! Your Grace!”
Nile rushed out of bed and hurried over, grabbing Mihail’s wrist where he held the creature by the collar.
“Please, let him go!”
Nile cried out desperately. But instead of releasing him, Mihail lifted the creature even higher, bringing their faces level.
“An ‘him’? Looks more like a stray dog.”
Even face-to-face, the creature’s face was mostly hidden by messy hair. All Mihail could tell was that his face was tiny and pale, and that his eyes were squeezed tightly shut.
“Please let him go, Your Grace.”
Nile pleaded again. The creature hanging in the air now seemed to have given up resisting altogether, his body going limp. Just how small was he? Even accounting for Mihail’s tall stature, the creature’s feet were still dangling far above the ground. His build was so slight and his weight so light that it was hard to tell whether Mihail was holding a person or a rabbit.
After chasing and tracking this prey with such effort, catching it so quietly left a sour taste in Mihail’s mouth. That was only worsened by the fact that he still had no idea what he intended to do with it. With a flick of his arm, Mihail threw the creature back toward the spot where he’d originally been curled up.
Thud!
Despite being small and light, the lack of flesh on his body made the sound of impact surprisingly loud.
“Chaika!”
Nile rushed to the child sprawled on the floor, kneeling down and placing himself between him and Mihail.
“What exactly did you bring into my castle, Nile?”
Mihail asked.
Ironically, it was the first time Mihail had ever spoken Nile’s name aloud.
