Clack. A flash of brown caught the edge of his vision. Even as he instantly recognized that it was a different shade from that creature’s, his eyes turned toward it anyway, almost against his will. As expected, it was just another servant with an entirely different appearance. The servant, startled by Duke Mihail’s gaze, bowed his head in alarm and hurried away with quick steps.
As Mihail resumed walking, eyes clung to his back. Like a soldier patrolling the castle grounds, Mihail roamed the entire estate at all hours, and everyone looked upon him with wary, unfamiliar eyes. The menial laborers and servants in particular stiffened like mice frozen before a cat whenever Mihail passed by or met their gaze, utterly unsure of what to do. It was undoubtedly due to the grim reputation they’d pieced together about him from whispered rumors.
Whether the stares stuck to him or not, Mihail continued his stroll through the castle. At a glance, it looked like a leisurely walk, but a closer look revealed the opposite. His eyes, which seemed casually fixed straight ahead, were in fact honed razor-sharp in search of prey, and the steps he took forward resembled those of a beast poised to spring at any moment.
Prey and hunter. A chase where it felt as though only the two of them existed in the world. The thrill of focusing every sense solely on the prey, tracking its presence down to the last trace.
The Mihail now obsessively searching for that servant’s trail felt exactly like that—like hunting. The excitement, anticipation, and anxiety of sniffing out the faint traces of a cunningly hidden prey. The more difficult the pursuit and the longer the test of patience, the more intense the pleasure when the prey was finally cornered.
Mihail stopped at a crossroads where he could faintly sense the creature’s presence. Through relentless tracking, he’d identified the routes his prey most likely favored, but a creature this cautious, sensitive, and sly would never willingly expose itself within Mihail’s field of vision.
Mihail stopped searching with his eyes and tilted his head slightly back, slowly drawing in the air around him. The air filled his lungs in a measured pull. A multitude of scents brushed against his senses, stimulating his nose as they passed.
Before long, a sharp smile curved Mihail’s lips. That distinctive, bitter medicinal herb scent was mixed into the air. There was no doubt—the servant had passed through here not long ago. Perhaps—no, most likely—he’d noticed Mihail and hastily changed his route.
Like the moment just before blades clashed on a battlefield, or when the distance finally closed after days of pursuit, every nerve in Mihail’s body stood on edge, and an electric anticipation surged through his muscles.
But instead of immediately sprinting in the direction the creature was presumed to have gone, Mihail turned away. After all, the true pleasure of the hunt lay not in closing the distance all at once, but in maintaining it—slowly, relentlessly driving the prey into a corner.
The Duke of Castiya turned and walked away.
Pressed tight against a wall thickly shadowed by trees, Chaika finally let out the breath he’d been holding. His lungs, screaming for air, greedily welcomed the urgent gulp of oxygen. Only after drawing in several deep breaths was Chaika able to release a long sigh, heavy with relief.
By then, the duke’s figure had completely vanished from sight. Chaika stared fixedly at the path where the duke had disappeared. Violet eyes gleamed sharply beneath tousled brown hair.
He’d anticipated it, but still—his opponent was no easy mark.
Alphas, by nature, possessed physical abilities far superior to those of betas. Their senses, too, rivaled those of wild animals. Having grown up alongside Andre, who was also an alpha, Chaika was well acquainted with their capabilities. But Duke Mihail Castiya far exceeded anything Chaika had known. A Dominant Alpha was not simply an alpha in name.
According to the original plan, Chaika was supposed to scatter traces of his presence throughout the castle—just enough for the duke to detect with some difficulty, but with certainty. Instead, the duke proved far more formidable than expected. As a result, Chaika hadn’t been able to spread his presence at all; he’d been too busy desperately hiding and running for his life. It was, quite literally, a frantic escape.
The situation required far more effort than anticipated, but the objective was nonetheless being achieved. Over the past several days, the Duke of Castiya hadn’t missed a single day of tracking Chaika’s traces. Not only had Chaika captured his attention, but he’d firmly seized the duke’s interest as well. The big fish had noticed the bait—now it was about time for a bite.
Even after the duke had completely disappeared, Chaika remained crouched in the darkness, refusing to let his guard down. Only after a long stretch of time passed did he finally straighten up. His legs trembled as he rose. Choosing only the most secluded paths, avoiding any route where he might be seen, Chaika began to walk.
Reaching a shadowed corner of the castle—despite its otherwise immaculate and imposing decor—a small door came into view. Even ordinary servants didn’t use this side door; it was primarily a passage for laborers hauling waste or trash. Even the duke himself likely didn’t know such a door existed here.
Pushing the door open, Chaika navigated the narrow passage with practiced ease, weaving through its twists and turns. He occasionally crossed paths with laborers, but no one paid any attention to a shabby, brown-haired worker in worn clothing.
Exiting the laborers’ passage brought him into a corridor used by regular servants. Unlike the narrow routes for menial workers, this was a proper castle hallway. The only difference from the corridors frequented by nobles was that secret doors were hidden throughout the otherwise pristine walls. These weren’t secret passages so much as mechanisms designed to allow servants to move swiftly and discreetly with minimal exposure.
Chaika deftly slipped his hand behind a tapestry hanging on the wall and opened a concealed door. This passage was primarily used to transport food quickly from the kitchens. After walking through the dark corridor for some time, a single beam of light appeared ahead. Chaika paused, quietly assessing the situation beyond, before gently pushing the door open.
The space beyond was nothing like the pitch-dark passage. Sunlight poured in through a large window like a waterfall, warmly bathing the room. His body, which had been enduring the cold air in thin, worn clothing, eagerly soaked in the heat.
“Chaika?”
A soft voice came from within. With every step closer, a deep, rich fragrance flooded his senses. The nearer he got, the denser the scent became, reaching its peak when he arrived beside the voice’s owner—so intense it almost stole his breath. It was a sweetness far too stimulating for an alpha to endure, but it didn’t affect Chaika the same way.
“The scent’s too strong.”
When Chaika frowned, Nile smiled awkwardly, embarrassment flickering across his face.
With honey-sweet blond hair neatly arranged and dressed in elegant, high-quality clothes, Nile looked like a painting come to life. His pale, soft skin was flawless, and everything about him—his features, his posture as he sat—was beautiful and refined.
With his heat cycle approaching, his slightly flushed cheeks, damp and subtly unfocused eyes, and the thick pheromones drifting around him made it impossible for any alpha or beta not to be utterly captivated.
An immature alpha lacking proper restraint would undoubtedly rush at him like a madman, even knowing full well that Nile belonged to someone else. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for young alphas to be killed by an omega’s owner after attempting to violate another alpha’s possession. That was precisely why seasoned alpha knights guarded the residence whenever Nile’s heat cycle drew near.
“Did you starve yourself again all day?”
Nile asked. Chaika silently took a seat across from him. As he sank into the warm air and the soft sofa, the exhaustion he’d been holding at bay came crashing over him in waves. Nile slid the teacup in front of him across the table. Wrapping his hands around the cup, still faintly steaming, Chaika felt the chill in his fingers slowly melt away.
“Eat something, even if it’s just a little, Chaika,”
Nile said gently, as if coaxing him.
“You’re not exactly in a position to be worrying about me,”
Chaika muttered, glancing at him.
As Chaika said, Nile wasn’t in good condition either. Enduring a heat cycle nearing its peak without suppressants was no easy task. Sure enough, Nile’s eyes were tinged red with a low fever, and his breath came out hot.
“What about suppressants?”
Chaika asked. Nile shook his head with a bitter smile.
“They wouldn’t allow an omega sold to bear an heir to take suppressants.”
“Right. Once an omega becomes an alpha’s possession, they don’t even have the right to take suppressants.”
Chaika replied coolly, then added,
“If it gets too hard, tell me. I’ll share some of my medicine.”
Nile immediately frowned.
“Your medicine is too strong, Chaika. If you keep taking something that toxic, your body won’t last more than a few years before it’s completely ruined. Please—I’m begging you—either change the drug or at least reduce the dosage.”
At Nile’s worried words, Chaika snorted.
“And end up leaking pheromones all over the place like you are right now?”
“…Chaika.”
Nile let out a shallow sigh and fell silent. He’d known for a long time that no words could change Chaika’s mind.
Silence settled between them. Nile lowered his eyelids slightly, focusing on enduring his condition, while Chaika rested, sipping warm tea to ease his fatigue. Sitting across from each other, lost in their own thoughts, the air between them—like their appearances and clothing—felt nothing like that of siblings raised together. There was no doubt they knew each other well, yet there was hardly any familiarity.
“It’s about time to start,”
Chaika said suddenly. Nile lifted his downcast gaze, his eyes filled with conflict.
“Just like we agreed—do everything you can to seduce the duke.”
Chaika spoke in a slightly commanding tone, then added as he took in Nile’s heat-flushed eyes,
“With your current condition, it’s the perfect time to hook him.”
As if trying to conceal his scent, Nile pulled his clothes tightly around himself—though it was, of course, completely useless.
“If… if he really does fall for it…”
Nile said, his face tense with worry. His concern was understandable. Chosen by the Lucius marquisate for his innate beauty, adopted, and meticulously educated ever since—what alpha could truly resist if Nile set his mind to seduction?
But Chaika scoffed immediately.
“The guy who despises omegas to the point of outright revulsion? The bastard who not long ago pinched his nose like your pheromones were the stench of a latrine? You don’t need to worry about that. Just do your best.”
Then, seeing Nile still looking uneasy, Chaika added,
“Even if the duke really does fall for you, it wouldn’t be bad for you, would it? He’s the Duke of Castiya. The day you bear his child, your fate would change entirely. There’s nothing in it but gain for you. And even if things somehow go that wrong, it’d be my miscalculation—not your fault. So don’t worry.”
“Don’t say things like that, Chaika.”
For the first time, Nile’s expression hardened in genuine anger.
Knowing well Nile’s hatred and fury toward alphas—even if it wasn’t quite as deep as his own—Chaika gave a small shrug and closed his mouth.
“…Really. Don’t say things like that, Chaika.”
Nile murmured weakly once more, sinking back against the sofa.
