OPDSP 29

“…Animals, you say?”

Many omegas were treated as mere tools for producing superior offspring. They were forced into heat with drugs. There was no respect for the humanity of omegas in such acts.

They were handled like broodmares—treated like animals. Aeryl, blessed with noble blood, had been treated well, but other omegas still faced harsh lives even now.

“How could you say something so degrading…? There’s nothing wrong with omegas. The problem lies with those who treat them like animals.”

Aeryl bit his lip lightly. He could have let it go here, but he had to make the Grand Duke understand what was wrong.

“Countless omegas are actually treated like animals. Your Grace may not know better, but those words were deeply offensive.”

‘He’s just a child. He doesn’t understand anything. But I’m an adult.’

Holding onto his reason, Aeryl spoke calmly. The Grand Duke looked down at him, his sharp gaze pressing like a weight.

“Are you angry with me right now?”

“…”

That reply drained Aeryl completely. At the same time, the patience he had been clinging to began to shake. He already knew what would come next—‘How dare someone like you get angry at me?’

The Emperor used to suppress people in exactly the same way whenever Aeryl spoke up. Even when the Emperor was clearly in the wrong. And every time, Aeryl had felt a deep sense of shame.

How are men in power always the same?

He felt deeply disappointed in the Grand Duke. Watching him endure and strive had earned Aeryl’s respect, and now that very respect turned to anger. The Grand Duke overlapped with the image of the Emperor in his mind.

“Yes. Someone like me dared to get angry. Must be because I’m just a beast and don’t know my place.”

Aeryl snapped, sarcasm thick in his voice, just as he used to with the Emperor.

“Wait—”

“I’ll take my leave now.”

The Grand Duke tried to say something, but Aeryl didn’t want to hear it. He turned to leave the tent—but then spun around again.

“Don’t forget to take your medicine! I’ll be in the infirmary, so come find me if anything feels even slightly off. Don’t overdo it, stop working, and get some rest!”

No matter how angry he was, he still had to say what needed to be said. Aeryl never forgot his duty as a doctor.

The flap of the tent closed. Aeryl was gone before the Grand Duke could stop him, leaving behind only a faint groan.

“That’s not what I meant…”

Aeryl had misunderstood—he hadn’t meant to trample him with authority.

While Aeryl had been speaking, his pheromones had shifted into something sharp and biting. The Grand Duke had sensed Aeryl’s anger through them. It was a new sensation—strange and unfamiliar. He had asked if Aeryl was angry just to confirm if his perception was right.

It wasn’t the right question for the situation.

Too late, he realized. Aeryl was already gone. Normally, he would have thought things through before speaking, but he’d lost his composure in the moment. The cause was clear.

While they were speaking of omegas, he had remembered that person. Even the terrifying obsession.

“…Haa.”

The Grand Duke let out a rare sigh. This wasn’t what he had meant to do. The success of the purge depended on Aeryl—why in the world had he provoked him? Caught in old memories, he’d lost control of his emotions and said something he shouldn’t have. It was unlike him.

He remembered how Aeryl had looked at him—how the once gentle scent had turned fierce. It felt like being held close and then suddenly thrown to the ground.

‘I need to explain myself properly.’

The Grand Duke stood up. He still needed Aeryl. He had to clear up the misunderstanding and maintain a cooperative relationship. That was the logical calculation—but in truth, it was the unspeakable emptiness that drove him to move.

He rushed out of the tent. The cold air struck his face, and he sensed eyes watching him.

‘Who is it?’

Thinking it might be Aeryl waiting, he followed the gaze—but no one was there. Aeryl wasn’t the type to sneak around like a rat.

‘Then… a spy?’

Spies often lurked to track the Grand Duke’s movements. He had a pretty good guess who had sent them, and since they posed no real threat, he usually let them be. A few spies were easy enough to manage… but—

‘I should go back.’

The interruption had cooled his head. He could no longer chase after Aeryl like this.

The Grand Duke returned to the tent. Perhaps because he hadn’t been able to stop Aeryl, the emptiness nestled in the corner of his heart lingered until the dawn.

***

It was the morning of the sixth day of the purge. Perhaps because so much had happened the day before, it felt unusually tiring.

“Let’s hope nothing happens today.”

Aeryl yawned lazily but froze mid-motion—then quickly relaxed. Right, this isn’t the Imperial Palace.

Back at the palace, he had been constantly reprimanded to maintain his dignity. His rough sleeping habits had even led them to tie his legs so he would lie properly. The other princes weren’t treated that way—it was clearly because he was an omega.

“Omegas should be like this, omegas should be like that… Ugh.”

If his master hadn’t told him it was all nonsense and to let it slide, Aeryl would’ve been far more stressed.

“I wonder how you’re doing, Master.”

He suddenly felt sentimental and recalled his master’s s face—but for some reason, the only image that came to mind was that annoying grin of his, laughing with a “Serves you right, my dear pupil! Life isn’t so easy, is it?”

“…Time to get up.”

Shaking off the thoughts, Aeryl rose. After getting ready and stepping outside, he saw that people were already busy moving about. On one side, the combat unit was gathering; on the other, those seeing them off had gathered. He was among the ones staying behind today.

“Beryl is going out today, right.”

Beryl was nowhere to be seen yet. Still groggy, Aeryl stood there blankly when a red-haired knight in the distance waved enthusiastically and approached.

“Sir Aeryl!”

“Oh, Sir Mason.”

“Doesn’t it feel like it’s been a while? How are you this morning?”

“I’m well.”

“That’s good to hear! Also, here—”

Mason extended his fist. Aeryl reflexively held out his hand, and something like a marble wrapped in thin wax paper dropped into it.

“A candy? Is this for me?”

“I won it in a bet with a fellow knight. I heard sweets help lift one’s mood.”

Mason smiled sheepishly. He had gone out of his way to challenge a sweet-loving knight just to win candy for Aeryl, worried he might be feeling down.

Though he had once vowed to repay Aeryl, he hadn’t really done anything for him. Aeryl had resolved the rumors himself, and though Mason had tried to defend him here and there, constant combat had left him with little chance to change things meaningfully.

“It’s nothing much, but I wanted to give it to you.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Sweets were rare in any region. Touched by Mason’s thoughtfulness, the single piece of candy felt even more precious. When Aeryl smiled while holding the candy, Mason’s ears turned red.

“Once the purge is over, I’ll get you something even better!”

“Haha, that’s not necessary.”

“No, I insist! I’ll treat you to the most famous restaurant in the capital!”

“I actually prefer the Edge of the World Village. I’m not sure if I’ll ever go all the way to the capital where the Grand Duke’s castle is…”

“Th-then at least in the village…!”

As they bantered idly, a scent hit Aeryl’s nose.

‘Look at me.’

The words echoed in his mind, and he nearly turned instinctively—but he quickly realized it was the effect of someone else’s pheromones.

“Is His Grace the Grand Duke nearby?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. He’s looking this way. But why is he staring at us…? Did I do something wrong?”

Mason seemed nervous. Aeryl held back a sigh. It was the first time the Grand Duke had reached out to him like this. Since he still didn’t know how to control his pheromones, his emotions must have been conveyed without filter.

‘Strangely enough… he doesn’t seem angry about last night.’

The only feeling Aeryl could sense through the pheromones was a desperate desire to be seen by him. If anything, it would’ve been easier to deal with if he were angry.

Aeryl’s thoughts were tangled. After a night’s sleep, the anger and disappointment he’d felt toward the Grand Duke had mostly subsided. That led him to reflect—maybe he had overreacted.

At the time, instead of lashing out, he should’ve calmly explained why he was offended. He was the Grand Duke’s personal physician, and also in a position to guide him.

Even though he knew better, the moment he saw the Emperor in the Grand Duke, he lost control. He had unleashed all the pent-up feelings he’d carried toward the Emperor onto the Grand Duke.

‘Why did I act so immature…’

He knew it too well, and that only deepened his shame. It made him question whether he was really as composed as he thought he was.

The Grand Duke’s words last night had hurt him, and he had been disappointed. But now, he also felt ashamed of himself. Those tangled emotions made it hard for him to face the Grand Duke. Though they’d have to meet again tonight, he just didn’t want to deal with it right now.

Just for now…

The Grand Duke’s pheromones grew stronger and more desperate.

‘Why are you calling out to me so desperately…?’