Mihail was the kind of man who used to dash off to the hunting grounds every ten days or so to burn off his excess energy. And yet, it had already been over two months since he’d shut himself inside Castiya Castle, like a bird guarding its nest. The servants, keenly aware that their lord’s mood was scraping the bottom, moved far more cautiously and quietly than usual, giving the entire castle the tense atmosphere of walking on thin ice.
Within that hushed, careful air, there was one time each day—about an hour long—when life returned to the inner castle. That was Chaika’s walking hour. Having received permission from Mihail, the physician was exceedingly enthusiastic about taking Chaika out for his daily walks.
Taking the cold weather and Chaika’s condition into account, the physician bundled him up layer upon layer. Over a soft linen shirt and undergarments, he dressed him in thick woolen tops and trousers, then put soft, heavy knitted wool gloves and socks on him, and wound a scarf snugly around his neck. Finally, he wrapped him in the fox-fur coat Mihail had worn as a child. Once all that was done, Chaika’s small body looked bulky, like a little bear cub.
Except when asking for Bellagie extract, Chaika was always compliant. Even if he thought his bundled-up appearance looked a bit ridiculous, he didn’t fuss, quietly following the physician’s lead onto the walking path. But with his weakened body, bearing the weight of thick winter clothing—especially the heavy fox-fur coat—was no easy task. Naturally, his steps became slow and clumsy.
After spending nearly a month curled up against a wall, even a light walk was exhausting for Chaika. With the already heavy clothes pressing down on him, he staggered with every step. In the end, the physician and a servant supported him from both sides as they made their rounds.
Fortunately, an omega’s recovery ability rivaled—or even surpassed—that of an alpha. As the poison left his system and his omega traits returned, Chaika first walked for three or four days supported on both sides. After that, he managed with just one hand supporting him. And a few days later, he could walk slowly but properly on his own.
By then, word had already spread throughout the castle that Chaika was an omega, and that he had been chosen to replace Nile. It was also widely known that he was confined in the Black Tower—and that, for a prisoner, he was being treated remarkably well. As a result, every move Chaika made became a subject of keen interest.
That was why so many eyes were fixed on him during his once-daily walks. Perhaps uncomfortable with those gazes, Chaika kept his head lowered the entire time, quickly changing direction to avoid anyone who came too close.
After a few days, access to the garden during Chaika’s walking hour was completely restricted. When Chaika heard that, he lifted his head and looked up toward the window of Mihail’s office. No one could be seen by the window, but Chaika whispered a soft “Thank you,” to himself, as though he had seen Mihail there.
No matter how kindly he was treated, the moment he was confined to the Black Tower, he was officially a criminal. After more than a month trapped at the top of a tower without even a proper window, Chaika soon began to genuinely enjoy his walks. The sorrow and guilt still lingered on his face, but whenever he looked at trees that retained a fresh green even in winter, or walked through the maze adorned with evergreen foliage, a faint smile would sometimes touch his lips.
Once a day. One hour.
Ever since Chaika began his walks, Mihail had not missed a single one. He watched him from start to finish every day.
The sight of him waddling under layers of clothing. The sight of him unable to walk properly without being supported on both sides. The way he drooped his head, moving carefully wherever he was guided. Then, after a few days, walking with only one hand supporting him. After that, beginning to walk on his own, cautiously. His comical wobbling when he walked alone. The way he kept his head down, subdued, burdened by the attention directed at him….
And how, despite being so dispirited, his gaze would linger whenever he passed a green tree. How, after hesitating again and again, he would sometimes carefully lift his head to look up at Mihail’s office window….. Mihail saw it all.
A month confined in the Black Tower. Then another month after beginning his walks.
Two months. A span of time that felt short, and yet unbearably long.
Throughout it all, Mihail thought over and over again about what to do with Chaika—what he wanted to do, what he should do—like a wheel endlessly spinning in place. But no matter how many times he circled the same thoughts, he reached no conclusion. Telling Marquis Lucius he would take Chaika in Nile’s place had merely been a way to keep Chaika here; it wasn’t a decision born of resolution.
At least from above, looking down through the window, Chaika was still the same as before. Shy, timid, small, delicate, weak, obedient. There wasn’t a single threatening thing about him—looking at him up close sapped all one’s strength.
Whenever Mihail saw the desperate, sorrow-filled look in Chaika’s eyes as he cautiously glanced up at the office window, he wanted to drag him up immediately. But Mihail knew it wouldn’t go that smoothly. It was only because of the distance—because a window separated them—that Chaika still looked like his old self. If Mihail got close, the omega pheromones, now fully emerging after the poison’s removal, would greet him first.
When he smelled that scent, Mihail had no idea how he would react. There was a strong chance he would look at Chaika with revulsion, maybe even say it made him nauseous and bring him to tears. Then Chaika would cause a scene, insisting on drinking Bellagie extract again…. And Mihail would not give it to him.
What an idiotic, pathetic situation this was.
Mihail could only sneer inwardly as he watched Chaika walk every day. No—rather than lamenting the situation, it was a sneer directed at himself.
If he fed Chaika poison, he could return him to the Chaika he used to be. But in a mere ten years, he would lose him to death. If he cut off the poison, he could keep him by his side for a hundred years—no, even longer. But Chaika would change into a loathsome omega, no longer the man he had been.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t choose either path. In the end, he chose to stop the poison and extend Chaika’s lifespan—but he couldn’t bring himself to meet him like that. He didn’t want to confirm that something once so dear had transformed into something he found repulsive. He didn’t want to accept it.
Mihail stared intently at Chaika, wobbling along in his thick fox-fur coat. By now, Chaika could walk well on his own, and his pace had noticeably quickened.
Lately, Chaika’s favorite place to walk was the maze garden. Formed by carefully trimmed evergreen trees towering well above a person’s height, the maze wasn’t particularly complex, but it offered the simple pleasure of wandering around for a bit while searching for the exit. After going in once, Chaika had taken a liking to it, and for the past week, he’d visited it every day.
Because the trees were far taller than an average person, Chaika’s small frame often vanished from Mihail’s sight once he entered. Each time Chaika appeared here and disappeared there among the trees, Mihail’s brow furrowed deeper. Fortunately, a servant, an alpha knight, and the physician—three people in total—were following behind him, so there was no real cause for concern.
Today as well, the moment Chaika emerged from the tower, he headed straight for the maze garden’s entrance. When he reached it, he lifted his head and looked up toward Mihail’s office window. Whether Mihail’s figure was visible from Chaika’s perspective or not was impossible to tell. After gazing at the office for a moment, Chaika walked into the maze garden. The knight, physician, and servant followed after him.
Between the tall trees, Chaika’s figure appeared and vanished repeatedly. Since the path was fixed, Mihail already knew exactly where Chaika would be obscured by the trees and where he would reappear.
As Mihail stared down at the maze garden, a deep crease formed between his brows. Given Chaika’s walking speed, he should have appeared in a certain clearing by now—but he hadn’t. Mihail immediately sensed that something was wrong. And sure enough, in the space where Chaika should have emerged, the knight, servant, and physician came running in with panicked expressions, scanning their surroundings.
“Idiots.”
Muttering the curse under his breath, Mihail turned sharply and moved. Chaika’s movements had largely returned to normal by now. Mihail knew better than anyone how agile Chaika could be if he set his mind to it. He must have spent days following the same route to lull them into complacency, then seized his chance today and darted through the trees.
“Y-Your Grace!”
When Mihail appeared before the people floundering around the maze garden, the physician and servant turned pale in terror. The knight had already vanished, having gone after the fleeing Chaika. Mihail surveyed the blind spots that couldn’t be seen from above. There on the ground lay the thick fox-fur coat that had restricted Chaika’s movement.
Mihail examined the lower part of the trees. Just as he expected, there were signs where a small body had forcibly squeezed through the densely packed trunks. Only someone as small as Chaika could have managed this; anyone else wouldn’t have stood a chance. That was also why the knight hadn’t been able to pursue him immediately, only picking up the trail after exiting the maze.
Mihail drew the sword he’d brought with him. The physician and servant turned deathly pale. Without sparing them a glance, Mihail slashed through the trees where Chaika had escaped. With a single swing, tall trees that had been tended for decades were severed cleanly, opening up a wide passage. Mihail sheathed his sword and began walking in the direction Chaika had fled.
