# Chapter 029
At Ember’s request for understanding, Luke looked at Asher. His gaze indicated he would decide based on Asher’s wishes. Asher looked at Luke with regretful eyes, returned the coat he was wearing, and asked for his understanding.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Who knew that the words “someone will wait for you” could feel so good? Asher nodded slowly with a shy face.
“What’s going on?”
As soon as Luke stepped aside, Asher asked Ember. Ember shrugged with a relaxed expression as if nothing had happened and even sent Toms away who had been standing behind them.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Watching Ember moving farther away from the ballroom, Asher felt a strange sensation. As if he was being sold off somewhere. With this prickling feeling, Asher asked Ember in a trembling voice:
“Where are we going? This isn’t the ballroom.”
Asher asked with an uneasy tone as he watched Ember heading into increasingly sinister and narrow alleyways. Worried that something might happen, he stopped walking, and Ember also stopped and turned to look at him.
“What? Are you scared? Of what?”
“Hyung.”
“I’m your family, don’t you trust me?”
“That’s not what I mean. This is far from the ballroom, and you’re not telling me anything…”
He was about to explain, but seeing a figure appear behind Ember, Asher’s fine brows furrowed sharply.
“…Baron Varhan?”
He looked up at Ember as if questioning why Baron Varhan was here. But the answer came not from Ember’s lips but from Varhan’s, and Asher couldn’t hide his dismay.
“I asked him. I also had something to ask of Hyung, so…”
Baron Varhan flicked his hand toward Asher with a sly smile. He was grinning as if their meeting was coincidental. Asher glared at him once before looking at Ember and asking:
“Don’t tell me this was the urgent matter?”
“I’ve also received help from Varhan, so how can I not grant his request? You two are close, aren’t you?”
“Hyung.”
“I heard you fought. They say the closer the relationship, the more you fight. And through that, you grow closer.”
From what Varhan had said, Ember seemed to think it was just a simple quarrel. Asher let out a long sigh at Ember’s signals hoping they would quickly reconcile.
Honestly, it was true that he had been unilaterally avoiding Varhan. He was about to tell Ember clearly that he wouldn’t meet him anymore, but Varhan, noticing his intent, quickly called to Ember and said:
“I’ll make up quickly as you said, Hyung. So could you step aside for a moment? We have some things to discuss privately.”
“Don’t take too long.”
“Thirty minutes will be plenty.”
When Varhan smiled innocently like a child, Ember left with a small chuckle. Leaving his Omega brother with an Alpha man… Watching this, Asher thought that this must be what it feels like to be abandoned. Seeing the stark difference from Shaki, Asher clenched his fist, and Varhan displayed a small sneer at the corner of his mouth, as if mocking the situation.
“What can you do? It seems your Hyung trusts me more than you.”
“Don’t ever think about using my Hyung like this again.”
“Oh my. The deep brotherly love brings tears to my eyes. But does your Hyung think of you the same way?”
At the words bordering on ridicule, Asher turned away as if he no longer wanted to hear. But Varhan, as if unwilling to let him go, grabbed his wrist and pushed Asher into a secluded alley.
“You can’t leave like this. Do you know how much effort it took to bring you here?”
“Baron Varhan.”
“Your Hyung said to make up. If I let you go like this, what will your Hyung think of me?”
“I told you, didn’t I? I won’t be friends with you. From the beginning, we have different traits, and I don’t befriend people with ulterior motives.”
Watching Asher speak resolutely, Varhan began to laugh out loud as if finding it amusing. Asher frowned as he watched him laugh so boisterously that it would make even passersby uncomfortable.
“You can’t be friends because of different traits? Even a passing dog would laugh. But you know what? I don’t want to be friends with you either.”
“That’s good then. Step aside.”
Asher pushed against his chest forcefully, trying to escape the alley. But Varhan caught his wrist too easily and confined Asher within his arms.
“I said I won’t be friends, but I didn’t say you could leave, did I?”
“I won’t let this incident slide.”
“Do as you please. But what can you do? The person who brought you here is your Hyung.”
Varhan acted as if he would mention Ember if anything happened.
“Do you think I would approach you like this without a shield? Become a bit more cunning.”
“Why are you going to such lengths? What do you want from me?”
“You said it yourself. You won’t befriend someone with ulterior motives.”
“…”
“It’s simple. I want to spend a night with you. Considering the time I’ve invested in you, I think that’s quite a cheap price, don’t you?”
Varhan wedged his leg between Asher’s thighs. Then he pressed his swollen center against Asher’s thigh.
“W-What are you doing?!”
Asher tried to push him away at the distinctly felt sensation. But he firmly gripped Asher’s wrist and pulled it above his head.
“Stop provoking me. I’m already exercising quite a bit of restraint.”
Asher bit Varhan’s arm as he continued to spout nonsensical words. In response, Varhan delivered a punch with such force that it made an ‘ack’ sound, and Asher’s face turned.
*Thud*-
“Huh? What’s this earring? Did you two really fall for each other or what?!”
Asher felt his vision spinning from the powerful blow to his head. It was definitely stronger than the strength of Betas.
“This is troublesome. Didn’t I tell you? I have a contract in my hands. Would it be alright if I gave this to the Grand Duke?”
Asher glared at Varhan from his disheveled position. Varhan clicked his tongue at Asher’s appearance as if it were ridiculous and tapped his forehead.
“No matter how much pride you show, you’ll eventually kneel before me. Why? Because you too are a recessive Omega who can’t resist an Alpha.”
As if saying Asher should be grateful that he liked him, Varhan released his pheromones all at once. The scent of lemon reached Asher’s nose.
“Ugh…!”
The lemon scent, which should have been refreshing, felt nauseating enough to make him vomit. Asher felt his breath constricting from Varhan’s forcibly emitted pheromones.
“See? Even you are helpless in the face of pheromones?”
Varhan emitted a large amount of pheromones, no different from a pheromone shower, forcibly drawing out Asher’s desire. Varhan’s pheromones pressured Asher as if urging him to submit. Eventually, Asher bit the tender flesh inside his mouth. But contrary to his will, his body submitted to Varhan’s pheromones, making his mind hazy.
Luke…
In the fading reason, Asher thought of him. Then, with a ‘thud’ sound, his familiar and missed voice was heard.
“What… do you think you’re doing?”
Luke’s speech had dropped all honorifics, and savage informal language leaked from his mouth.
“Ha, the white knight has arrived.”
At Varhan’s muttering, Luke emitted vast pheromones. The threatening pheromones, thick with killing intent, enveloped Varhan’s body, choking his breath.
“It seems it would be better for you to die today.”
Luke approached Varhan, speaking in a voice so cold it sent shivers. An enormous amount of pheromones, incomparable to anything felt before, poured out. Varhan’s eyes showed the whites as they rolled back, seeming to be in pain. Worried that something terrible might happen, Asher painfully approached Luke and tightly gripped the hem of his clothing.
“Y-Your Highness!”
It was hard to speak, as his throat was constricted. But fearing there might be an actual murder, Asher mustered all his strength and said:
“You’ll really… kill him…”
We can’t let that happen. I don’t want Your Highness to become a murderer—with such a pleading look, he gazed pitifully, but Luke looked down at him reproachfully, as if asking why he was stopping him.
“P-Please…”
It was almost a begging tone. Luke, as if he had no choice, gathered his pheromones and kicked Varhan once. Then he embraced Asher’s staggering shoulder and covered him with his own pheromones.
For an Alpha to cover an Omega with pheromones meant “this is my Omega, don’t touch.”
With his breathing becoming more comfortable, Asher looked up at him and smiled faintly.
“I don’t want to make this into a big issue.”
Not only high-ranking nobles but also royal family members were gathered here. He didn’t want to create a problem on such a day and make things noisy. Not wanting to tarnish Luke’s image, Asher grabbed his arm and struggled to continue speaking.
“I’m feeling very weak right now… Could you stay by my side for a moment?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
