“Either way, the chances of an alpha being born are much higher. And even if the child is born an omega, you can give them a generous allowance later and send them to the alpha of their choosing. If you choose well, that alpha will keep them by their side for life and treat them properly, never passing them off somewhere else. Just make it so they can’t bring themselves to do otherwise—if only out of regard for your face.”
“And what if, even with me holding the line, that bastard changes his mind later and hands the kid off somewhere else? Or even if he doesn’t sell them off, what if he locks them away in some backwater corner for the rest of their life?”
“…….”
Ilya couldn’t answer right away.
A father could hand off his omega child however he pleased—whether for political gain or money—because he held absolute legal rights over his child. However, once an omega formed ties with another alpha through a formal marriage, the legal authority over that omega transferred to the husband. Even so, it was impossible to leave a child of the ducal house in an ambiguous, half-recognized position—not a proper marriage—just to keep legal authority with the father.
Just as Mihail said, if the alpha on the other side steeled himself to defy the Castiya ducal house and sold or handed the omega off elsewhere… even if revenge could be exacted privately, the act itself couldn’t be undone. No matter how much money was spent or how many blades were drawn to retrieve them, the wounds already inflicted wouldn’t simply disappear.
“Still, we can’t have them live here alone for their entire life.”
Mihail said quietly. Then, flicking his index finger as he continued,
“And thinking about it again… Chaika is right. When I imagine the child being born an omega, when I imagine that child growing up, I can’t see any answer at all. No matter how much I think it through, I can’t come up with a surefire method that would put Chaika at ease—and me as well. So what choice is there? We’ll have to create a solution before the child is even born.”
Mihail was completely sincere. Ilya could no longer find words to stop him or persuade him otherwise.
“We’ve gathered everyone in the conference room.”
The butler returned and reported.
Mihail smiled faintly, rose from his seat, and spoke.
“From this point on, they are not to step even a single foot outside the conference room. Meals, toileting, sleep—every aspect of daily life will take place inside. See to it carefully so they aren’t inconvenienced, but ensure they make absolutely no contact with anyone—family or otherwise. If family members come looking for them, tell them there’s a critical confidential meeting and that they’ll be staying under my protection for the time being.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The seasoned butler replied at once. Ignoring the dumbfounded look in Ilya’s eyes, Mihail added coldly,
“No notes—no matter how small—are to be passed through servants, maids, or errand hands. If even a single word of what happens or is said inside that conference room leaks outside, every servant who has so much as set foot there will be hanged outside the outer castle gate. Make sure everyone understands that clearly.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The butler bowed deeply and answered in a firm voice.
“Then I’ll be off.”
Mihail waved a hand at Ilya in farewell and left the office with a brisk, almost cheerful stride. Watching Mihail’s retreating figure, Ilya rubbed his arms and shook his head.
Mihail might live a life of leisure day in and day out, but he was an extraordinarily formidable man. As a Dominant Alpha, he could hardly be otherwise. If word spread that he was trying to tamper with laws regarding omega property rights, the Castiya ducal house would immediately come under attack from all sides. Every noble would rise up to impeach Mihail, and it would provoke the emperor’s suspicion. In that case, everything would collapse before it even began. Mihail was clearly sealing the process off completely from the outside, preparing everything to perfection before launching a sudden strike.
Left alone in the office, Ilya scratched his chin and soon shook his head again.
“This is all His Majesty’s fault for forcing an omega onto him in the first place. If he’d just left things alone from the beginning, would any of this have happened?”
Shifting all blame squarely onto the emperor, Ilya pushed himself up from the desk. His head was a mess. At times like this, the only solution was to rush outside the castle walls, into the arms of his affectionate lover in the village.
“Ugh—hk.”
What greeted Mihail when he returned to the bedroom in a refreshed mood was the sound of painful retching.
Chaika had his head buried in a wide-mouthed ceramic vessel the physician had handed him, his small body heaving as he repeatedly gagged.
“Ugh—hk.”
After several bouts, thin porridge mixed with medicine spilled out completely. The physician quickly moved the vessel aside, and Chaika collapsed backward as if all strength had drained from him, lying limply on the bed.
Mihail took the cloth from the physician’s hand as he wiped Chaika’s mouth and carefully cleaned away the traces of vomit himself. Chaika faintly knit his brows, as if he didn’t want to be seen in such a dirty state. But he didn’t even seem to have the strength to protest—his eyes half-lidded as he gasped for breath. His hair was damp with cold sweat, clinging to his forehead, and his face was pale beyond pale, completely drained of color.
“Why is the morning sickness so bad?”
Mihail clicked his tongue as he asked. The nausea had started suddenly the day before, so severe that Chaika couldn’t eat or drink anything. Even when they coaxed and pleaded and forced a little food down, he’d just throw it all up again like this. The worst part was how much pain Chaika himself was in.
“Usually, early in pregnancy, the body of the carrier suffers quite a lot. Once the pregnancy stabilizes, the morning sickness will almost completely disappear.”
“He’s already tiny as it is—at this rate, he’ll end up as small as a rabbit for real.”
Mihail said as he gently smoothed back the hair stuck to Chaika’s forehead. At that, a faint smile appeared on Chaika’s exhausted face.
“Calling me a rabbit no matter how small I am—that’s just cruel.”
“If you’re rabbit-like, then you’re a rabbit. Small, and skittish, too.”
When Chaika grumbled weakly, Mihail laughed aloud and lightly pinched his cheek.
“Um… Lord Mihail. Would you consider slowly releasing your pheromones to Chaika?”
The physician suddenly suggested it. Without much thought, Mihail slowly released the pheromones he always kept tightly controlled. A Dominant Alpha’s pheromones were practically an aphrodisiac to an omega, but to betas or other alphas, they were overwhelmingly threatening—the physician recoiled in alarm, hastily retreating backward.
“……Ah….”
A soft sigh escaped Chaika’s lips. The furrow in his brow gradually smoothed out, and the painful tension clouding his face eased away.
“That works really well.”
Mihail said in surprise. From the far corner of the room, the physician nodded with a smile.
“In the early stages, before the pregnancy fully settles, the partner’s pheromones are extremely helpful.”
“Why are you only telling me that now?”
When Mihail shot him a cold glare, the physician shuddered visibly. Chaika reached out and took Mihail’s hand to stop him, and Mihail’s expression softened at once.
“Still, that’s a relief.”
“Yes. Fortunately, this method is effective. There are cases where it works, and cases where it has no effect at all. Until the pregnancy stabilizes, if you stay by Chaika’s side as much as possible and continue exposing him to your pheromones, the morning sickness should be significantly alleviated.”
While the physician spoke, Mihail opened his pheromones a little more. Before the pregnancy, Chaika’s expression would have turned hazy right away, his hips instinctively shifting—but now, perhaps because he was pregnant, what appeared on his face was a cradle-like comfort and a faint smile. Feeling very content, he even pressed his face against Mihail’s chest and breathed in his scent deeply.
But that pleasant state didn’t last long. The faint smile vanished without a trace, replaced by a rising heaviness in Chaika’s expression. It had been nearly half a month since they confirmed the pregnancy, yet Chaika’s depression had only grown worse instead of improving. Mihail had assumed it would ease with time—but Chaika’s reaction was far from what he’d expected.
Fortunately, today Mihail had a trump card of his own. This would surely blow Chaika’s gloom away in one stroke. With a gesture, Mihail sent the physician and servants out of the room, then climbed onto the bed and pulled Chaika into his arms, letting him lean back against his chest. Chaika’s compact body fit perfectly into Mihail’s broad frame. Even though he was leaning comfortably, the weight against Mihail’s chest felt far too light. Mihail had always thought that rabbit-like smallness was adorable—but now, a sharp ache pricked at one side of his chest.
“I brought you a gift.”
As he said that, Mihail took a ring out of his pocket. It was the same ring he’d given Chaika before. Back then, Chaika had sunk even deeper into depression, so it had been put away—but today, Mihail had brought it back out.
“…That ring.”
Chaika recognized it at once. Sunlight streaming through the window reflected off the amethyst, making it glow with a deep, luminous light.
“Yeah. That ring. I went through quite a bit of trouble finding an amethyst that matched your eye color exactly.”
Mihail whispered by Chaika’s ear as he lifted Chaika’s small hand and slipped the ring onto his finger. Then he raised the hand to admire it. The ring looked slightly large on his small hand, but his fingers were so pale and long that it only made them look elegant—almost dignified.
“This is the one you gave me before, isn’t it?”
Chaika asked, tilting his head up to look at him. In the past, he would’ve simply said thank you without a word of complaint, but ever since becoming pregnant—whether due to hormonal changes, or because of the physical and emotional hardship—his temperament had shifted a little.
Smiling, Mihail clasped the ringed hand tightly.
“That one’s not the gift. I just put it back on you. The real present is something else.”
“Mm….”
Chaika made a noncommittal sound. It was the reaction of someone who wouldn’t be particularly happy with any gift. But after receiving this one, he wouldn’t be able to keep that reaction—Mihail was certain of it. Curling one corner of his lips into a confident smile, he leaned close to Chaika’s ear.
“Today, I gathered those among the retainers with the sharpest minds and had them look for a way to overhaul the laws restricting omega property rights.”
Chaika stayed still for a moment, then suddenly turned his head to look at Mihail. His violet eyes widened slightly—eyes that clearly weren’t yet sure of what they’d just heard.
Well at least something good came out of this