“The pheromones are far too strong.”
Mihail sat with his legs crossed in his chair, scowling at the physician who came in to report once or twice a day. It wasn’t the physician’s fault that an omega was giving off pheromones, but the man still wore a guilty expression.
Lately, what Mihail had noticed while taking walks with Chaika was that the pheromones were growing stronger by the day. Calling it a walk was generous—Mihail would walk ahead, and Chaika would trail after him, trotting along—but it was more than enough distance to sense the pheromones.
“I heard from the knight who guards him at all times that the pheromones don’t seem especially strong yet… Perhaps because Your Grace is a Dominant Alpha, you’re sensing the omega’s pheromones more acutely.”
“Hm.”
If pheromones that made one dizzy from a single breath weren’t affecting all alphas equally and were only registering so strongly to Mihail, then that wasn’t a bad situation. If other alphas felt the same way he did, he wouldn’t know how many more knights he’d need to assign to protect Chaika. And as it was, even the knights didn’t feel particularly reliable.
“Ah… now that I think about it….”
The physician spoke as though something had just occurred to him.
“It’s about time for his heat cycle to return. That may be why the pheromones feel even stronger.”
“Heat cycle?”
Caught off guard, Mihail furrowed his brow.
An omega’s heat cycle varied by individual, but generally came every three to four months. Chaika’s last heat had been about three months ago, so it was indeed around that time.
“Will suppressants be enough this time?”
“This is my first time encountering a case like this…. We can try suppressants for now. But since the poison hasn’t been fully purged from his body yet, there’s a strong chance they won’t work.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“We can’t exactly make him take Bellagie extract again just to suppress the heat, so if the suppressants don’t take effect… he’ll simply have to endure it….”
The crease between Mihail’s brows deepened. He didn’t know much about omegas, but even he knew that enduring a heat cycle without suppressants or a sexual partner was excruciating.
The physician trailed off, clearly intimidated by Mihail’s hardening expression, unable to finish his thought.
“Say it.”
Mihail urged him on with a rigid face. Only then did the physician finally force himself to speak.
“Although he’s recovered considerably, his body is still damaged by the poison and will need time to fully heal. An omega in heat who cannot have sex or take suppressants can lose their reason from the pain—to the point of self-harm. A healthy omega might stop there, but given Lord Chaika’s current condition….”
The physician paused, then continued carefully.
“We can’t rule out the possibility of death from cardiac shock.”
Bang—!
Mihail slammed his fist down, punching a hole into the expensive rosewood desk—something only royalty could afford to use. The physician staggered back, shrinking into himself.
Omegas had to endure heat cycles their entire lives. And yet, dying of shock from a single heat cycle?
“Then find another solution.”
Mihail growled. The physician swallowed hard and barely managed to speak.
“…Of course, I’ll do everything I can to find one, but… I believe you should prepare in advance for the worst-case scenario.”
“Prepare?”
There was something ominous in the physician’s words. Mihail frowned at him. After hesitating for a long time, the physician finally spoke.
“An omega’s heat cycle is instinctual… When pregnancy isn’t desired, they usually do as they always have—find a suitable partner and remain together until the heat passes….”
“Send someone up for him to roll around with until the heat’s over?”
Mihail ground his teeth as he spoke, and the physician wiped cold sweat from his sleeve.
“At present, there really is no other option… I’m terribly sorry. If it’s a beta man, there’s no risk of pregnancy, and the heat can pass safely….”
Having said that much, the physician hurriedly added,
“Of course, rather than such an absurd solution, it would be far better—best, even—if Your Grace were to go up yourself….”
Mihail grabbed an object from atop the desk and hurled it. The heavy item narrowly missed the physician. A butler rushed over and urged him to leave at once. The physician fled the office as if he’d just escaped with his life.
Mihail turned and stared out the window at the Black Tower.
The intense pheromones released during a heat cycle—meant solely for conceiving a child—not only drew in surrounding alphas, but also robbed alphas of their reason. It was what Mihail loathed most.
The butler approached quietly. He waited until Mihail’s mood had settled somewhat before speaking.
“How shall we prepare?”
Mihail looked at him. The butler’s voice and expression were both remarkably calm.
What the butler meant by “prepare” was obvious. Who should be arranged as Chaika’s heat partner— a beta, a suitable alpha, or… Mihail himself.
***
When Mihail began their walk, Chaika would emerge from the tower and hurry after him at a near run. Mihail walked in front, Chaika just behind. That had become their daily routine.
Chaika no longer apologized. Mihail didn’t say anything either. The two simply walked together as though nothing had happened. As if by not speaking of it, everything might return to how it was before…. But both Mihail and Chaika knew. That was impossible.
The pheromones were growing stronger. The physician had said Mihail was more sensitive because he was a Dominant Alpha, but with the heat cycle approaching, Chaika’s pheromones were already influencing the alphas around him. Proof of that lay in the way the two knights assigned to Chaika looked stiffer than usual, and how they remained excessively vigilant of their surroundings. The pheromones were already strong enough to exert a powerful influence, dominant or not.
It wasn’t only Mihail or the alphas who were affected. Most importantly, Chaika himself was already within that sphere of influence. For the past two or three days, instead of sticking close to Mihail on their walks, Chaika had begun to keep his distance. His cheeks were faintly flushed, his movements sluggish yet unnervingly tense. Even a touch from a physician or servant made him recoil violently; if someone tried to support him, he’d startle as though shocked. His body was already preparing for heat.
The sound of footsteps trailing behind him carried hesitation. When Mihail turned around, he saw Chaika standing more than ten paces back—unlike just days ago, when he’d been right behind him. As soon as Mihail looked his way, Chaika quickly lowered his head and avoided his gaze. He was someone who used to smile with joy just from making eye contact. Avoiding his eyes now meant just how poor his condition had become.
Watching something he’d felt was his for the first time in his life—something he’d found lovable—transform into the very thing he despised most. Mihail had expected it to hurt like a profound loss.
But what he felt as he watched Chaika change into an omega wasn’t loss. It was sorrow for someone who wanted to live and die as a beta even if it meant only ten years. Pity. Tenderness. Heartache. All the emotions a soft-hearted man might feel. Among all of them, not a single grain of disgust existed.
He acted as though he hadn’t yet decided what to do with Chaika, but in truth, the conclusion had already been reached. The creature—Chaika—was still lovable, still adorable, still his. And yet locking him away in the Black Tower, snapping cold words at him until he cried, making him feel guilt and anxiety… that was nothing more than misplaced cruelty born from the remnants of Mihail’s long-held hatred of omegas.
“…Lord Mihail.”
How long had he been standing there, staring? After a long while of keeping his head bowed, Chaika finally called out to him. When Chaika slowly lifted his face, his cheeks were flushed red. The corners of his eyes were red too, as if he were about to burst into tears, and his breathing was faster than usual.
“Could you… give me the medicine?”
After all that hesitation, that was all he managed to say.
“That… the medicine. If I don’t take it now, I’ll….”
Chaika wrapped both arms tightly around himself, as if trying to block the pheromones pouring out of his own body, as if trying to cool the heat rising instinctively within him.
“Please, Lord Mihail. I have to take it. Please give it to me.”
In the end, Chaika cried again. Tears dripped onto the ground at Mihail’s feet. The already-heavy scent of pheromones grew even thicker. The knights standing behind Chaika stiffened and took a step back.
“Please give me the medicine. The medicine…. I have to take it. I need it now. Otherwise… please. Please.”
Chaika begged and begged, tears falling in steady drops. Mihail lost count of how many times he heard the word “please.” The physician, already accustomed to such pleas from Chaika, only wore a look of pity.
“…That’s enough. Go back now.”
Mihail said quietly. Chaika, who had been sobbing and pleading, jerked his head up. Despair flooded his tear-soaked face. From more than ten paces away, Chaika suddenly ran toward Mihail. Along with him came a wave of dizzyingly sensual scent.
“Lord Mihail! I don’t want to become an omega! I don’t want that! I don’t want to have children! I don’t want to give birth! I don’t want to be sold around like Lord Nile! I just want to live like this! I just want to live as an ordinary person! Please give me the medicine. I need it. Please!”
Clutching Mihail’s clothes with both hands as if they were his lifeline, Chaika screamed in desperation. Tears streamed down from his violet eyes, his pupils blown wide with fear. This wasn’t simple pleading anymore. It was a panic attack born of terror.
