OPDPS 139

Aeryl remembered when the Grand Duke had once said omegas were like animals—during the Great Purge.

“That was ages ago. And you already apologized back then.”

“But I didn’t tell you then… that it was because she came to mind. Strange, isn’t it? My father was clearly the one at fault. I should hate him more. But in the end, I lived just the way he wanted me to.”

Even that contradiction tortured him.

The rights and wrongs were so clear—so why couldn’t he hate his father more? Why did his mother, not his father, remain the uncomfortable one in his heart?

He felt like there was something broken inside him. That maybe it was better not to feel anything at all.

“That doesn’t make you strange.”

Aeryl spoke firmly.

“You were the one who suffered the most, Your Grace.”

A selfish father who forced his will onto others. A mother driven mad, clinging to her child with unbearable desperation. Whatever their relationship with each other, to Hiello they had both been awful parents.

“Don’t blame yourself. No matter what you feel or think—it’s all justified. There’s nothing wrong with any of it.”

Aeryl met the Grand Duke’s eyes and spoke with deliberate clarity, hoping the words would imprint themselves in his mind—so that he wouldn’t keep torturing himself.

“…If you say so.”

The Grand Duke nodded without resistance.

He listens so well. Such a good man.

Aeryl was just about to tell him how dear he found him when the Grand Duke gave him a worried look.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Do you hate me now?”

“What? Why would I?”

“Because… I was born of an omega who was abused.”

“That’s not your fault. It’s the former Grand Duke who was a bastard. Don’t ever think that way.”

Aeryl’s voice was firm. The Grand Duke’s expression softened just a bit.

“Then say it again. The confession—from yesterday.”

“…That’s embarrassing.”

“I love you.”

The Grand Duke blurted it out, and Aeryl’s cheeks instantly turned bright red.

This is his way of making me say it back, isn’t it? He’s being clever about it.

“I—I love you.”

‘Aaaahhh!’

He had no idea what he’d been thinking when he said it yesterday. He was probably making some ridiculous face now.

Aeryl quickly ducked his head and covered his face with both hands.

‘I’m going to die of embarrassment.’

“Let me see your face, Aeryl.”

At his words, Aeryl slowly lowered his hands and looked up.

The Grand Duke cupped his cheeks and kissed him gently.

The Grand Duke’s pheromones wrapped around Aeryl, full of warmth and happiness. Aeryl’s pheromones answered in kind, fluttering softly as they mingled with his. Their emotions flowed directly between their minds, unfiltered.

‘Feels good.’

Aeryl, caught in the haze of the Grand Duke’s pheromones, suddenly realized something.

“Just now—asking me to show my face—you used pheromone manipulation, didn’t you?!”

“I did.”

“Wow—since when? Yesterday? The day before? Then you can smell your pheromones too?”

“Yes. Just like you said—once I could recognize my pheromones, controlling them wasn’t difficult.”

He said it as if it were nothing.

But it wasn’t supposed to be that easy.

Aeryl thought back to how hard he’d trained to control his own pheromones and felt slightly indignant. This man had natural talent even for this.

“You should’ve told me earlier! We’re going for a checkup—now!”

Aeryl was thrilled that his theory had proven true, but more than that, he urgently wanted to check the Grand Duke’s condition.

“Now?”

In the middle of such a sweet moment, he wanted to go now?

“You’re not going to get out of it by saying I’m not your attending physician again, are you?”

Aeryl glared at him.

The Grand Duke had already learned his lesson about being stubborn, so he had no choice.

“…Fine. I’ll get examined.”

“Good! Let’s go!”

Aeryl cheerfully grabbed his hand and took the lead.

He was just in a hurry, but the Grand Duke felt genuinely happy—they were holding hands so naturally now.

More than anything, he’d finally revealed the secret he thought he’d carry to the grave—and he’d been accepted.

“There’s nothing I’m hiding from you anymore.”

The Grand Duke spoke with relief.

“You did well.”

Aeryl found himself envious.

Because he was still hiding so much.

‘Will I ever be able to confess everything too?’

Maybe now was the time.

But he couldn’t get the words out.

The Grand Duke had only kept a secret—But he, Aeryl, had lied from the beginning just to hide his truth.

What if the Grand Duke felt betrayed, or angry, once he learned?

‘What if he thinks I approached him deliberately because I’m the Emperor’s son?’

Damn Emperor!

As always, he cursed the Emperor—but in truth, it was just fear.

The Aeryl the Grand Duke knew—the physician—wasn’t the real him. What if he told the truth and ended up disappointing him? What if the Grand Duke fell out of love?

‘Wasn’t that why I tried to leave—because I didn’t want to keep worrying about this?’

But now, he couldn’t even leave anymore.

‘I love him. I don’t want to leave him alone.’

Now that he’d accepted that feeling, leaving was no longer an option.

Instead, he resolved to stay by the Grand Duke’s side no matter what.

Even if the Grand Duke’s feelings changed after learning he was a prince—he would find a way to stay.

***

“Woooow!”

The next morning, Aeryl pressed his face to the window and shouted in awe.

Snow had started falling the night before, and when he woke up, the world outside had turned completely white.

Unlike the capital, where snow rarely stuck, here it had piled up in heaps! For someone from the South who had never seen a scene like this, Aeryl’s excitement was through the roof.

He quickly threw off his pajamas, changed clothes, and bolted out of the central quarters.

In the garden of the inner quarters, servants were already out shoveling snow with weary expressions. Wherever they’d cleared, only wet ground remained.

Aeryl felt a little let down—until he heard Sorel’s voice in the distance.

“Aeryl! Over here!”

Sorel bounced up and down, waving for him to come around back.

There must be something there!

Aeryl, thrilled, ran through the central hall and exited through the back door.

“Wow!”

Behind the central building lay a vast, untouched blanket of snow.

No one had stepped on it. The pristine white stretched all the way to the forest.

It was strange and marvelous. Aeryl braced himself like it was something serious, then stepped onto the clean snow. A crisp squish followed, the unfamiliar sensation fascinating him.

It was odd—but fun. He stomped around, delighting in the feeling…

“Catch!”

Sorel shouted and lobbed a snowball at him. It hit Aeryl’s leg instead of his torso, but it startled him enough.

“I’ve never had a snowball fight before!”

“Then come at me!”

Sorel called out boldly.

Aeryl quickly crouched to scoop some snow, but the Grand Duke appeared out of nowhere and gently grabbed his wrist.

“If you touch it bare-handed, your hands will freeze.”

“Oh—Your Grace!”

“Give me your hand.”

When Aeryl held it out, the Grand Duke slipped a pair of leather gloves onto him.

They fit perfectly, like they’d been made for him.

“And do you know what happens if your head gets cold?”

“I do.”

“Then why didn’t you bring a hat?”

The Grand Duke placed a fur-lined leather hat on his head.

Aeryl couldn’t help the ticklish warmth bubbling up in his chest—he smiled wide.

Just then, Sorel came running over and gave a deep bow.

“Your Grace! It’s been too long!”

“Sorel. I see you dressed properly.”

Sorel had on a hand-knit hat, gloves, and a scarf—fully bundled.

So this was the kind of gear one needed for snow!

“I want to have a snowball fight with Aeryl! And build a snowman too!”

“Do you now?”

The Grand Duke looked at Aeryl, who nodded enthusiastically.

They could build a snowman?! His heart was pounding from excitement.

“Have fun, then. But don’t stay out too long.”

“Okay!”

“Let’s go, sir!”

Sorel and Aeryl ran into the snowy field.

Sorel taught Aeryl how to pack a snowball, then took three paces back—and declared war.

The two ran around joyfully, chasing and pelting each other with snow.

The Grand Duke stood at the doorway, watching them.

“Is it really that fun?”

Lady Merel came to stand beside him.

“You say that, but your face says you’re about to melt from how cute they are.”

“So is yours.”

“Of course. Ah—look, now he’s plotting something.”

“Oh dear. Sorel’s been knocked into the snow. Look at that sulking face!”

The Grand Duke and Lady Merel chatted as they watched the two play.

Their conversation, in essence, was: Our boys are too cute!

It was the most peaceful, tension-free exchange they’d had since the day they first met.

And both of them could feel that.