OPDPS 58

The Grand Duke’s pheromones failed to subdue Aeryl. When it came to handling pheromones, Aeryl was a step above. All it did was make him even angrier.

‘Oh, so that’s how you want to play it? After I went through all the trouble to fix him, and he uses that on me? Ungrateful bastard!’

Of course, Aeryl knew the Grand Duke couldn’t fully control his pheromones—but he was far too worked up to remember that now.

‘Fine, then. I won’t just sit and take it. I’ll reclaim my freedom myself!’

If he insisted on locking him up, Aeryl would simply get rid of the carriage. He pushed past the Grand Duke and headed toward a nearby supply cart.

“We’re not finished talking,” the Grand Duke snapped and moved to follow—until he saw Aeryl come back holding an axe. He froze.

There was something about the way Aeryl held it that made it clear: do not stand in his way. His eyes blazed with a hint of madness. Even his pheromones were flaring wildly.

“Aeryl…?”

Ignoring the Grand Duke, Aeryl marched up to the carriage, raised the axe with both hands, and brought it down on one of the wheels.

CRACK!

“Ah!!”

One of the subjugation party members gasped in horror—but Aeryl didn’t care. He just kept swinging the axe at the carriage.

THUD!

CLANG!

He didn’t say a word. The way he tore into the carriage looked downright possessed. No one dared approach—until the Grand Duke grabbed the axe handle.

“Aeryl.”

“Let go. I’m breaking this thing. That way you won’t be able to lock me in again.”

“All right, all right, I get it. Are your hands okay? Let’s put the axe down now.”

The Grand Duke was alarmed. Wood splinters had already flown dangerously close to Aeryl’s hands, and if he accidentally caught himself with the blade—

“I’ll do as you say. I promise. So please, okay?”

“Really?”

Aeryl narrowed his eyes at him.

“I promise.”

“Doesn’t seem like you’ve kept many promises so far.”

“…”

He had no excuse for that.

“Don’t try to control me like this again. Respect my choices. If you don’t—Grand Duke or not—I won’t hold back.”

Aeryl’s warning was firm.

“…Understood.”

The Grand Duke answered quickly.

“Good.”

Aeryl lowered the axe. The Grand Duke, visibly rattled, snatched it from him and tossed it deep into the bushes.

“I’ll go get my horse. I need to get ready to ride.”

Aeryl walked off lightly to find his horse. The Grand Duke watched his back as he grew smaller in the distance.

‘I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.’

But he couldn’t stop him. Dragging Aeryl back to his side by force would be easy—but if he did that, Aeryl would leave for good. Today had made that crystal clear.

He could never control Aeryl with brute force. That truth carved itself deep into his mind.

“…I’ve never met anyone like him,” the Grand Duke muttered. His face was still cold, but his pheromones leaked with inner turmoil. The only person who could have noticed was Aeryl—and he was already gone.

Once the Grand Duke disappeared as well, the purge unit finally exhaled the breath they’d been holding.

“Haah…”

“Whew…”

“That was seriously terrifying…”

To the people of the territory, the Grand Duke was a figure of absolute reverence—and fear. Challenging him had always been unthinkable. And yet, Aeryl had just done the impossible.

Even before that, everyone had been buzzing about the significance of the Grand Duke locking Aeryl in the carriage. Now that Aeryl had fought back, it wasn’t just fascinating—it was downright thrilling.

I thought he was just sweet, but he’s got a real backbone, huh?

Wow, I’ve never seen anyone talk back to His Grace like that.

How will the Grand Duke react? Will he let it slide because they’re lovers?

They all perked their ears toward the commotion. Just then, the intense pheromones of both the Grand Duke and Aeryl rolled through the air, one after another. Their fury slammed into the unconscious minds of the nearby betas. But since betas couldn’t perceive pheromones the same way, their impression was simpler:

“The mood got seriously scary when they started arguing… I couldn’t even breathe.”

“Right? His Grace is always intimidating, but Sir Aeryl’s no pushover either. I’m going to be super polite to him from now on.”

In their minds, Aeryl was now firmly established as a kind and skilled physician—but also someone with a fierce, unyielding temper.

“Just because he’s nice to you doesn’t mean you can step all over him.”

Whether he liked it or not, Aeryl had gained authority.

Aeryl mounted his horse again. After that, the journey continued smoothly without incident. There were a few minor moments—like Mason wiping away tears every so often as he watched the backs of the Grand Duke and Aeryl, or the way the purge unit members began treating Aeryl with visibly increased respect.

***

Eventually, they arrived at the Grand Duke’s castle. It stood atop a hill, with sharp spires that seemed to pierce the sky and a sharply angular structure that left a strong impression. The overall palette was white and blue, but weathered by the elements, the building had a heavy, somber air. At the base of the hill, beyond the castle walls, stretched a well-developed town.

‘Wow, this is nearly on par with the capital.’

Even Aeryl, who had grown up in the imperial capital and had high standards, was impressed. Unlike the capital, which was lavish and ornate, this town had a calm, clean elegance of its own. What stood out most was how orderly the crowd was, despite gathering to welcome the purge unit.

Like the others, Aeryl waved to the welcoming crowd. He had returned to the ranks of the unit to avoid drawing attention after spending most of the journey beside the Grand Duke. Confetti fluttered in the air, and boys and girls threw flowers.

“Thank you!”

Aeryl accepted a flower with a bright smile. For a moment, people around him seemed to forget themselves.

After passing through the town, a massive wall loomed ahead. Beyond it lay the Grand Duke’s castle. The castle was divided into an inner and outer quarters. The inner quarters housed the Grand Duke’s family, while the outer quarters were where the vassals lived and where the administrative institutions of the Grand Duchy were located.

Aeryl parted ways with the purge unit at the outer section. The Grand Duke gave a light speech praising the success of the campaign and declared the unit disbanded. Some members remained in the outer quarters, while others returned to their hometowns.

“Keep in touch!”

“See you next year!”

“It’s a long journey—stay safe and write us when you get there!”

As they exchanged farewells, Aeryl also had to say goodbye. His destination had been decided: the inner quarters. It was an unavoidable decision—the Grand Duke’s condition could change at any time, and Aeryl needed to be nearby in case of emergencies.

‘Only the Grand Duke’s family lives in the inner quarters…’

The Asirion family was a small one: the Grand Duke himself, his stepmother—whom the previous Grand Duke had married—and her son. There were likely more servants than family members.

“Family,” huh…

It was a difficult word for Aeryl.

“Aeryl, let’s go.”

Aeryl looked up at the castle with a troubled expression. He really hadn’t wanted to come here. What was going to happen next? He was worried—but he couldn’t run away.

‘I’ll just keep quiet, stay out of sight, and hang on until spring.’

With that resolution, Aeryl followed the Grand Duke.

What he dreaded most about coming to the Grand Duke’s castle was how much harder it would be to conceal his identity. There would be far more people here than in that far-off village—some might even recognize the face of a royal. There was a chance the Emperor’s subordinates might show up at the castle.

What’s more, as the Grand Duke’s personal physician, he was bound to attract attention. He might even be investigated.

‘I made sure my false identity is airtight, but still… you never know.’

It never hurt to be cautious. Aeryl wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible, and he asked the Grand Duke for help with that.

The Grand Duke, of course, welcomed the idea. He was already tormented by the desire to hide Aeryl. And realistically, if he wanted to keep his own alpha manifestation secret, Aeryl’s presence had to be hidden as well.

So the Grand Duke appointed Aeryl as the physician assigned exclusively to the inner quarters. The inner quarters were off-limits to most—even the Grand Duke’s vassals rarely set foot there—and the limited contact with others made it a perfect place to stay hidden.

Let’s lie low and get through this quietly.

In that sense, the inner quarters were ideal.

After passing through the gates that separated the outer and inner quarters, a narrow road appeared. It was just wide enough for a single carriage, flanked on both sides by rows of sharp-leafed trees. Following that path led them to the inner quarters.

Built alongside the Grand Duke’s lineage, the buildings of the inner quarters radiated a quiet dignity. Three old-fashioned buildings stood in a “ㄷ” shape, connected by bridges and covered corridors. The heavy, composed atmosphere matched the Grand Duke perfectly.

‘I like how secretive it feels.’

The news of the Grand Duke’s return had already been delivered, so the doors stood open. In the first-floor lobby, all the castle’s servants were lined up in neat rows, waiting to welcome him.

Standing in front of the servants in their neutral-toned uniforms were a lady in a green dress and a boy of about ten.

The lady must be the former Grand Duke’s wife, and the boy… the Grand Duke’s half-brother.