Heat cycle?
I doubted my ears, then saw William’s gaze colder than ice and realized it.
The fact that William had known all along that I was going through a heat cycle and had been pretending not to know…
Though I was shocked enough for my heart to sink, I tried to maintain my composure. If I insisted it wasn’t true, or at least insisted I didn’t know because it was my first time experiencing it, that would be enough.
“Heat cycle? What do you mean by that? Are you… suspecting me right now?”
Even at my question, William said nothing. The lack of any reaction made me even more anxious. I was sweating cold sweat profusely.
William wiped my forehead with his palm.
“What? Are you really having a heat cycle? Why are you sweating so much?”
“…It’s not that, I’m just surprised because you suddenly said something strange.”
“Hmm?”
William gave me a subtle look. I lowered my head to avoid his gaze, pretending not to know. I didn’t even have time to think about how suspicious I must look in this situation.
If I’m caught, it’s over…. Calm down, Seo Ajun. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to know.
I anxiously chewed my lips and waited for William’s next words. He observed me for a long time before finally speaking.
“You can’t even make eye contact, and you’re sweating cold sweat. That’s suspicious, isn’t it?”
“What’s there to be suspicious about? I’m living comfortably without any problems, not even knowing if I’m an Omega. But why did you suddenly mention heat cycle?”
William spoke as if it was nothing.
“I said it because I was worried whether this was okay.”
“What does that have to do with anything….”
I tried to resist with a trailing voice, but William jumped up.
“What are you talking about? I said I’d wait until your heat cycle. We should practice little by little beforehand so you won’t be scared, right?”
“Ah…”
So that’s why he mentioned heat cycle.
I felt relieved that William hadn’t discovered my body’s condition, but at the same time I was worried.
They said dominant Omegas’ heat cycles must appear around age twenty at the latest, so his words about needing to practice beforehand bothered me.
Should I be relieved, or should I worry about the mention of practice? I smiled awkwardly with complicated feelings.
“So that’s why. You startled me.”
William, who smiled brightly at my words, pulled me into an embrace with one arm around my waist. At that moment, pheromones seemed to surge but soon calmed down.
“You startle easily. My Omega wouldn’t deceive me, would he?”
I felt pain as if a nail had been driven into my chest, beyond just a guilty conscience. I couldn’t manage my expression at all and buried my face in William’s chest. He whispered in a voice mixed with laughter.
“I have to endure until your heat cycle….”
“Th-thank you.”
“It’s troublesome when you provoke me like this, Danny.”
“…What?”
When I was startled and tried to escape from his embrace, William hugged me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.
“Of course I know it’s hard for you to endure too, Danny, but if you do this before your heat cycle comes, your body will hurt, so try to endure it.”
That’s not it… I was just trying to hide my expression, Your Majesty.
Swallowing words I couldn’t say, I had to stay in William’s embrace for a long time, unable to breathe properly.
***
That night, William appeared in my room wearing the military uniform he only wears when troops march out to war.
Military uniform at bedtime…. Why on earth?
This question briefly crossed my mind, but seeing William approaching closer and closer, my thoughts flew away.
I had thought he would look good in clothes that knights wear, but this was beauty beyond expectations, to the point where I couldn’t take my eyes off him. The knights I had seen so far couldn’t even touch William’s toes.
I slowly blinked, confused whether I was looking at a statue or a person, but no matter how I looked, the person in front of me was William.
“Danny, are you tired? Why are you blinking like that?”
William came closer and stared intently at my face. Heat that started from my toes seemed to color my entire face red. He poked my cheeks.
“Are you sick somewhere? Your face is bright red.”
“St-stop it.”
I quickly covered my face and turned my body to the opposite side from William.
“That’s strange…. Danny, why are you so suspicious lately?”
That’s right. Why am I like this?
Since I’m a dominant Omega, it’s natural to react to a dominant Alpha, but it was strange to have a reaction when William wasn’t emitting pheromones.
“The st-strange one is… Your Majesty.”
William was already in front of me. His grinning face looked like he knew something, but I pretended not to notice.
“What’s strange about it?”
“You came wearing the military uniform that knights wear when marching out to war, at bedtime.”
It was a natural question, but William didn’t even pretend to hear my words and only said what he wanted to say.
“Danny, am I so handsome that it’s hard to even look at me?”
It was accurate, but seeing William being smug without even answering my question, I felt strangely irritated.
“Aren’t you being too overconfident? Anyone would think it’s strange if you entered their room dressed like that at this hour.”
“…Hmm, so? You’re saying I don’t look handsome to you right now, Danny?”
I shut my mouth. I couldn’t bring myself to say that William wasn’t handsome, even as a lie. Seeming pleased with my reaction, he brought his face close and grinned.
Thump….
“Don’t smile like that….”
Surprised by the words that slipped out without my knowing, I shut my mouth, and he smiled even more brightly as if amused and asked.
“Don’t smile? Why?”
“No, just… because you’re smiling too close.”
Thinking I’d only be teased more if I kept looking, I turned my head away, but William immediately cupped both my cheeks and fixed my face toward him. Not knowing where to look, I only rolled my eyes.
“Why? Does your heart flutter when I smile close like this?”
“That…, that’s….”
I became flustered at the words that hit right on target. I had tried so hard to maintain composure, but to be this defenseless….
William’s face came closer and closer. Naturally remembering the kiss from during the day, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“What are you doing? Why are you closing your eyes?”
“……”
“Huh? You don’t seem to be breathing either…. Danny, calm down. You’ll die if you don’t breathe. I don’t want to live in celibacy for life at this age.”
I was speechless and my head spun. This little… no, this adult fox, why was he tormenting me so persistently today of all days?
How did he know I like knight uniforms? Did he wear it because of that? Otherwise, there’s no reason to dress like that and come at night….
When I showed no reaction, William pulled on my cheek. I flinched and tried to grab his wrist to pull it down, but his hand was already holding my shoulder. My body was pushed back until my back touched the wall.
“Why can’t you say anything?”
Though his tone remained playful, his gaze that seemed like it would devour me made it hard to breathe. When I lowered my head to avoid his gaze, I immediately heard a reproachful voice.
“What did I say earlier? I told you to close your eyes if you’re embarrassed. It becomes hard to control my impulses when you avoid me.”
I immediately raised my head with my eyes closed. I heard giggling sounds.
If I had known this would happen… I had the ridiculous thought that I should have at least kissed a lot in my previous life.
At this age… what kind of embarrassment is this in front of someone who just turned twenty?
Feeling a strong need to divert William’s attention elsewhere, I removed the epaulette hanging on his shoulder and said.
“I’ll tell you a really interesting story, so how about you take off those uncomfortable clothes and go to bed?”
William lowered his head as if being shy and muttered to himself.
“If Danny tells me to take them off… I’ll take them off….”
“No! It’s fine. If Your Majesty isn’t uncomfortable, you can sleep like that.”
I quickly stopped William’s words. Seeing me flustered and not knowing what to do, he burst into loud laughter.
“Cute….”
I gradually felt self-loathing.
I had watched every single moment of William’s growth process without missing anything, so why didn’t I expect him to come at me like this? I felt so pathetic for thinking complacently about this problem.
“But really, why did you suddenly wear those clothes?”
William playfully shook his head. His reaction of only wanting to play around made me irritated.
“If you don’t want to answer, I won’t be curious either. I was going to tell you the story of the fairy and the woodcutter, but if you don’t want to hear it, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Who said I don’t want to?”
“That’s exactly thief mentality. It’s unfair that you don’t answer what I’m curious about and only ask me to tell you stories.”
When I glared at William and argued, he seemed to think my words were right and slyly avoided my gaze.
“If you keep doing that, I’ll cut off the story at the most curious scene and absolutely never tell you.”
William’s eyes grew twice as large.
“That’s too mean! You know I can’t sleep when a story is cut off because I’m too curious!”
“Then you should tell me what I’m curious about too.”
“Uh, that’s….”
William, who had been mumbling and trailing off, soon straightened his shoulders and said.
“If you’re curious, honestly tell me first. How do I look?”
I answered with the feeling of giving candy to a crying child.
“You’re so handsome. Handsome enough that I can’t take my eyes off you.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
