OPDPS 122

“What? That Omega? That person is here now?”

Baron Berel had never heard any of this before. All he’d been told was that they were to go to the Grand Duke’s castle on His Majesty’s orders to locate someone. Mouth agape, he couldn’t say a word.

The prince ran away?

“Are you sure this Aeryl guy is really the prince? He’s known as a respected physician. How could an Omega work as a doctor? And when would a prince have learned medicine?”

“No idea. No one even knew he’d run away.”

The youngest prince had always seemed like a lifeless doll—no one had expected him to run away. Who knew he’d secretly been studying medicine behind the scenes? Dervan wasn’t completely sure, but he was almost convinced Aeryl in the Grand Duke’s castle was the missing prince.

“There’s no time. The prince hasn’t shown his face, and the suitors are starting to complain.”

It was a known secret that the Emperor was using the youngest prince to extract favors from potential suitors.

“And now, a new suitor has appeared. His Majesty wants to move the marriage talks forward as soon as possible.”

“Who is it?”

“Duke Fest of the Infel Duchy.”

“Didn’t his wife give birth this spring?”

“Stillborn. She died, too. He’s looking for a new bride.”

The Baron frowned. Duke Fest might be rich and the ruler of his duchy, but his reputation was a mess. Rumor had it that both of his wives had died from diseases he had passed to them.

“A new suitor, huh. Can’t produce an heir due to his illness, so now he’s targeting an Omega.”

“His Majesty has ordered us to bring the prince back at all costs. Do your part well. Capture the prince, and the Emperor might just favor you.”

“…Haah.”

Baron Berel sighed heavily. He looked like he might bolt at any moment, but Dervan knew he wouldn’t. He constantly complained about being sick of life under his wife’s thumb and wanting to escape to the capital.

“The Grand Duke’s overprotectiveness is suspicious.”

It didn’t quite feel like he was just protecting a cherished subordinate. Dervan couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was too much.

Does the Grand Duke know Aeryl is the prince? Or is he protecting him without knowing?

Either way didn’t matter. The important thing was that the person the Emperor was after was under the Grand Duke’s roof. That alone would be enough to make the Emperor label the Grand Duke an accomplice—and there would be plenty to gain from that.

Dervan already had his eyes on what he could gain from all of this.

“That youngest prince really is useful. I’ll catch him and hand him over to His Majesty myself.”

He saw Aeryl not as a person, but as prey. What Aeryl might feel about any of it didn’t even enter his thoughts.

***

The next day.

Aeryl left with the Grand Duke to meet the leader of the Valbean Pirates—Valbean himself.

He’d expected it would be hard to get permission, but surprisingly, the Grand Duke had allowed it without protest—on the condition that Aeryl go with him.

All he had to do now was check on Valbean’s condition, take care of him, and then send word back to Derbas.

Being with the Grand Duke is kind of overwhelming…

Especially after the grand declaration he’d made the day before. But despite his worry, the Grand Duke behaved no differently from usual. He treated Aeryl with his usual politeness and kept a respectful distance, which put Aeryl at ease.

The soft, fluttering pheromones drifting around him were tolerable—almost cute.

Valbean was being held in a building reserved for the Black Knights order.

Since pirates were considered serious criminals and executed upon capture, Aeryl had expected some kind of terrifying dungeon.

Instead, the Grand Duke brought him to a perfectly ordinary room on the third floor. Two knights stood guard outside the door and saluted when they saw them.

“And the prisoner?”

“He’s carrying out his assigned duties faithfully, Your Grace.”

The Grand Duke nodded and turned to Aeryl, who was visibly tense. If Derbas was that crazy, how much worse must his boss be?

“No need to worry. I’m here, and he’ll be on his best behavior.”

On his best behavior? That was hard to believe.

At the Grand Duke’s signal, one of the knights opened the door. The Grand Duke stepped inside first, and Aeryl followed.

The room inside resembled a meeting room. A large table filled the center, cluttered with papers, books, pens, and what looked like maps.

Valbean stood behind the desk, sketching something on a piece of paper.

His sun-bleached brown hair and tanned skin marked him as a seafaring man, but his features were otherwise unremarkable. He looked to be in his mid-forties, with laugh lines hinting at a cheerful personality.

His expression was so relaxed that, if not for the shackles on his wrists and ankles, he wouldn’t have seemed like a prisoner at all. The chains were thick, but long enough that he could move around freely within the room.

“Oh? Your Grace! You’ve come!”

Valbean greeted them like a street thug, arms wide and bowing in mock formality.

One of the knights stepped in to push him back against the wall and pressed an arm across his chest to keep him still.

Even under restraint, Valbean cooperated willingly.

“This is Valbean?”

Aeryl was deeply bewildered. The infamous pirate captain who had once terrorized the northeastern coast looked like a kind-faced middle-aged man—and that wasn’t even the most surprising part.

Even Valbean’s polite behavior threw him off.

Wasn’t the pirate crew wiped out and dragged here in chains? Why is he being so cooperative?

Whatever the reason, it was clear from his healthy complexion and relaxed demeanor that he was eating and sleeping well.

‘This is nothing like I imagined…’

Normally, when you think of a captured pirate captain, you picture someone bone-dry from dehydration, shredded by torture, locked away in some dark underground cell.

‘I was worried he might be in bad shape.’

Aeryl had spent time racking his brain for how to explain his presence, what excuse to give to justify bringing food or treatment. All of it had been pointless.

Just from his face, Valbean looked much better off than Aeryl, who always had something weighing on his mind.

“Aeryl, over here,”

the Grand Duke called, pulling out a chair for him. Aeryl sat down, still watching Valbean closely.

“This man is the head of the Valbean Pirates—Valbean himself.”

“…Yes.”

“Surprised?”

Aeryl nodded.

“He avoided execution by agreeing to cooperate with us. Right now, he’s helping us map the eastern sea.”

“Haha, knowledge is power, after all. I used to be sick of the ocean—but I owe it my life now. Gave up piracy, too.”

Valbean chuckled as he joked, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. No matter how you looked at him, he seemed quite content with his current circumstances.

“So, what brings a beautiful guest like you here to see me?”

Valbean looked at Aeryl with a sly smile. It was a bit much.

“Eyes.”

The Grand Duke said just one word, and Valbean immediately lowered his gaze. Aeryl cleared his mind and focused on the original reason he had come. He’d checked Valbean’s condition. Now, he just had to pass on the message about Derbas and get an answer.

“Derbas showed up recently. I told him you were alive so I could escape.”

“Derbas, huh? Tch. That’s going to be a pain.”

Valbean clicked his tongue. The blunt annoyance was a stark contrast to Derbas’s reaction.

Derbas had been ready to risk his life and take the prince hostage for the sake of revenge. He’d been so worried when he learned Valbean was imprisoned.

“He called you ‘father.’ Is that true?”

“Yes. Well, technically, I’m his foster father.”

“…And that’s all you have to say?”

“That kid’s nuts.”

It wasn’t untrue, but Aeryl almost felt bad for Derbas. That guy had been heartachingly devoted.

“He wants to see you.”

“I don’t. Who knows what he’ll try to pull. Just tell him if we meet again, he should live his life however he wants.”

“You don’t want to know how he’s doing?”

“Nope.”

Even for a foster father, he was absurdly indifferent. So indifferent it bordered on cruel. Thinking about both Valbean’s reaction and Derbas’s desperation left a bitter taste in Aeryl’s mouth.

“Aeryl, let’s go.”

At the Grand Duke’s signal, Aeryl nodded. He’d checked on Valbean’s condition and relayed the message about Derbas. His task was done. No need to linger. Aeryl stood.

“Let’s meet alone next time, beautiful— Ow!”

Valbean tried to flirt again but was swiftly smacked by the knight.

Seeing the contrast between the clean-cut Valbean and the filthy, ragged Derbas made the whole situation feel absurd.

“That’s his father?”

Aeryl muttered irritably. Now, all that remained was to deliver Valbean’s message to Derbas.

The job had gone smoother than expected—but for some reason, he didn’t feel good about it at all.