OPDPS 101

‘I barely walked a little, but I’m already tired.’

It had been a while since Aeryl had dressed up and worn something that showed off his figure, so he became overly conscious of his posture and gait. Because he was so mindful of it, he felt overwhelmed by the way everyone’s eyes seemed to follow him. He hadn’t been this aware of it before, so the feeling struck him anew.

‘Wearing this really makes me stand out.’

If he wanted to stay hidden, it was better to dress plainly. No matter how common the name, a striking appearance made it too easy to be singled out.

Even if being an omega couldn’t be hidden forever, there was still a big difference between “an omega who shares a name with the youngest prince” and “an omega who shares both the name and appearance of the youngest prince.”

‘I wonder what the Grand Duke will say when he sees me?’

Seeing how others reacted only made Aeryl more curious about the Grand Duke’s response.

“Hello.”

Aeryl greeted them. In front of the office, desks were lined up on both sides where officials and attendants assisting the Grand Duke were seated.

They had been briefed to treat Aeryl as the most important guest and to memorize his face based on the Grand Duke’s behavior. So when Aeryl appeared, they couldn’t help but be flustered.

‘He looks totally different from last time.’

‘If it weren’t for the glasses, I wouldn’t have recognized him.’

‘He looks way better—why did he dress like that before?’

Of course, being well-trained, they responded without letting their inner thoughts show.

“Doctor Aeryl, you’ve arrived?”

“I came to see His Grace. Is he in? I just dropped by, so could you check if he has time?”

“His Grace is inside. Please, go ahead. I’ll open the door for you.”

Normally, they would ask the Grand Duke first, but Aeryl was an exception—wasn’t he the Grand Duke’s lover and fiancée? Naturally, the Grand Duke would want him to come in.

“Thank you.”

When Aeryl gave a soft smile, the fluttering excitement the attendant felt was so intense that it made even those watching feel ticklish. Dazed and enchanted, the attendant went to open the door.

But suddenly, a bell hanging on the wall rang. The Grand Duke had summoned an attendant from inside the office. Was it because he sensed movement outside?

“Pardon me for just a moment.”

The attendant excused himself and entered the office. Aeryl looked at the closed door. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about this. And sure enough, moments later, the attendant returned looking visibly troubled.

“His Grace says… now is not a good time.”

“Oh… I see…”

Aeryl couldn’t hide his disappointment. His face looked so heartbroken that the people around couldn’t bear to look away.

Wait, what? The Grand Duke is totally in the wrong! Your lover shows up all dressed up and you turn him away at the door? No matter how busy you are, you could at least say hi!

“He’s probably finishing up last-minute preparations for winter! This season is packed for everyone.”

“Exactly! We’re all busy, and His Grace is even busier! Maybe he’s trying to finish quickly so he can leave work early!”

They surrounded Aeryl and tried their best to comfort him. It didn’t exactly make him feel better, but Aeryl forced a smile.

“It’s fine. I didn’t make an appointment, so it can’t be helped.”

He bowed politely to the people around him and turned to leave. Maybe because of the lingering disappointment, he couldn’t help but feel the eyes on his back as he walked away.

Aeryl returned to the infirmary. Raeler, who had been staying at his post in case of an emergency, was startled.

“Doctor? You’re back alrea—Ah!”

Connie suddenly appeared from somewhere and jabbed Raeler hard in the side. She had secretly followed Aeryl for his protection and had seen the Grand Duke reject him at the door. On the walk back from the outer quarters to the inner one, she had seen Aeryl sigh over and over again. It had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I’m going to rest for a bit. Call me if any patients come in.”

Aeryl trudged over to a patient bed and flopped down on it. Raeler and Connie exchanged glances, then quietly stepped out of the infirmary.

“He looks worse than he did this morning.”

“Can you blame him? He went to all that trouble getting dressed up, and didn’t even get to see His Grace’s hair, let alone his face.”

“…That’s just cold.”

“…”

Connie silently agreed with Raeler’s complaint. When had the Grand Duke not stirred up the entire inner quarters just to be with Aeryl? And now, not only had he stopped showing up, but he actually turned Aeryl away? It was impossible to tell what had changed.

‘It’s not like he’s suddenly shy, right?’

Connie, who had witnessed firsthand just how excessive the Grand Duke had been about Aeryl, simply couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“Should we at least bring him something to eat? I doubt he’s eaten.”

“Yeah.”

Raeler headed off to fetch some food, and Connie quietly reentered the infirmary. Aeryl had already fallen asleep, his breathing soft and even. Connie walked over and stood beside the bed.

His carefully styled brown hair fanned out over his delicate face. His softened skin and smooth lips caught her eye.

‘He went to all this trouble to make himself look beautiful, and the one person who should’ve seen it didn’t even bother.’

A slow, simmering anger rose in her chest at the thought that her masterpiece had been ignored.

“Doctor. Please wake up. Doctor.”

A soft voice stirred Aeryl from sleep. He hadn’t meant to doze off—he’d just wanted to rest for a bit after feeling so drained. But with the lack of sleep over the past few days and all the effort he’d spent getting ready, it wasn’t surprising he’d passed out.

“I’m awake.”

Aeryl sat up with a small yawn. Connie and Raeler stood by his bedside, and Raeler looked oddly excited. His expression made Aeryl smile and ask,

“Did something good happen?”

“Not really… but it’s time for dinner! Let’s head to the dining hall!”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

He wasn’t hungry, but seeing how the two were urging him, he figured they were up to something and got up from his seat.

‘What are they trying to do?’

Maybe they’d arranged a fancy meal? Since he’d looked so disappointed earlier, perhaps they were trying to cheer him up.

How cute. Their steps were faster than usual, probably from excitement. Just watching their backs was enough to lift his mood.

But instead of heading where Aeryl expected, the two led him somewhere else.

The West Wing of the inner quarters.

It was where the residential quarters and common facilities for the servants were located. He’d only been there once before, back when Lady Merel was scheming—under the excuse of an emergency or limited mobility. Since then, most patients came to the infirmary, so there hadn’t been much reason to visit again.

The two stopped in front of the West Wing’s dining hall and looked back at Aeryl.

“We’ll open the door for you. Please, go in.”

“Let’s just go in together?”

“No, you go first.”

Though both Raeler and Connie kept their faces neutral, their eyes were sparkling. Was this…? Aeryl obediently stepped between the doors they held open.

As the door parted, the view opened up—and he saw the West Wing dining hall. A wide, open hall filled with long tables—and to his surprise, every table was packed with people.

Pop!

The sound of a paper popper rang out, and with it, music began playing as voices shouted out:

“Welcome to the inner quarters, Doctor Aeryl!”

Aeryl blinked wide. The chorus of different voices, perfectly in sync, echoed through the wide hall—and the vibrations carried through to his core.

‘This is… actually… kind of touching.’

To be honest, he had suspected some kind of surprise party with the servants the moment they brought him toward the West Wing. He’d been grateful for the effort and had planned to act moderately surprised in return.

But now that it was actually happening, it felt nothing like what he’d imagined. So many people had gathered just for him—and that reality hit him with a swell of emotion.

“…What is this, all of a sudden…”

He tried to sound nonchalant, but his voice caught in his throat.

“Everyone, I think he’s touched!”

Someone shouted, and laughter rippled throughout the room.

“Come on, have a seat.”

Connie and Raeler pulled Aeryl toward an empty spot, then sat on either side of him. A man stood up and raised his voice.

“Ahem! It’s a bit late, but we’re now holding a welcome party for Doctor Aeryl, who’s joined us as the physician of the inner quarters! We didn’t have much time to prepare, but we’ve got plenty of food—so please enjoy yourselves!”

Aeryl tilted his head.

“A welcome party? Now?”

“It’s just an excuse to throw a party.”

Connie whispered next to him.

“What’s going on?”

When he asked, Railer responded this time.

“When you came back earlier and I went to get food…”

Raeler had gone to the central kitchen. As he waited for the food, several maids suddenly approached him. Knowing he was Aeryl’s assistant, they came straight out with it.

‘Doctor Aeryl’s been looking really down lately—what’s going on?’

The way they looked at him—filled with concern and urgency—was overwhelming.

“I couldn’t tell them the full story, so I just said your research wasn’t going well.”

But they’d already figured out it had something to do with the Grand Duke—that maybe Aeryl was feeling lonely, neglected.

‘What if the doctor gets tired of the Grand Duke and leaves the castle?’

The Grand Duke’s castle had always been a cold, suffocating place. While the Grand Duke wasn’t unreasonable or prone to tantrums, he was such a cold and difficult person that everyone naturally became tense around him.

On top of that, tensions with Lady Merel had everyone walking on eggshells, and the castle was divided into factions—like walking on a frozen lake. Because of this atmosphere, many gave up the otherwise good job and left.

But that started to change once Aeryl arrived. The general mood had become more relaxed.

If they thought about it, ever since Aeryl came, Lady Merel had quieted down, and even the Grand Duke no longer had that sharp, icy edge. Thanks to the Grand Duke’s direct orders, the spies were expelled, and the factions began to dissolve.

‘If the doctor leaves, won’t it all go back to how it was?’

Now that they’d tasted a breath of fresh air, they couldn’t go back to the past.

Besides, they genuinely liked Aeryl, too.