OPDPS 79

“Something you can do while lying down, huh…”

The Grand Duke murmured. Why did the exact same words sound so suggestive when they came from him?

“It’s something wholesome! Wholesome!”

“Did I say otherwise?”

He had no response to his question. He’d basically outed himself. Feeling a sense of defeat, Aeryl began to explain.

“I was originally planning to teach Your Grace how to control your pheromones today.”

Contrary to what betas assumed, it took training for an alpha or omega to become aware of their own pheromones. It was similar to how people usually couldn’t smell their own scent.

“You looked tired, so I thought about postponing it, but I think a light attempt wouldn’t hurt.”

“How does it work?”

“It’s simple. Close your eyes and focus on your nose. While taking in the various smells around you, try to identify your own pheromone scent. Pheromones smell different from normal scents.”

“How are they different?”

“Well, it’s more of a feeling, so it’s hard to put into words. Just give it a try.”

Aeryl took a pheromone neutralizer out of his bag. He sprayed it directly on himself to completely erase his scent. No matter how well one controlled their pheromones, traces still lingered faintly or clung to clothes, so in cases like this, neutralizers were best.

“I don’t smell you at all now.”

The Grand Duke didn’t seem pleased about that. A faint furrow appeared between his brows.

“My scent would just interfere. Now, close your eyes and focus.”

The Grand Duke did as instructed and began breathing calmly with his eyes closed. Aeryl quietly observed him.

The Grand Duke was skilled at controlling his emotions. Once he became aware of his own pheromones, he’d likely learn to regulate them quickly.

‘Becoming aware is the hardest part, but it’s not impossible.’

However, when the Grand Duke finally opened his mouth, Aeryl realized this wasn’t going to be easy.

“I don’t feel a thing.”

“Really?”

“They all just smell the same.”

“It can be difficult at first.”

“Are you sure I’m even producing pheromones? I can’t sense anything.”

“I can smell them quite clearly.”

The bed was filled with the Grand Duke’s pheromones. The scent of freshly washed sheets, the faint smell of ink and paper clinging to his body—all of that was distinctly different from the cool, heavy scent that saturated the space. It seeped into the brain through the nose, unlike any ordinary fragrance.

“What does it smell like?”

“Hmm, it’s like when you wake up early one winter morning and open the window—when that cold breeze rushes in. That kind of scent. Do you know what I mean?”

“I know what scent you’re describing… but I don’t smell it right now.”

“It’s an easy scent to notice. It’s very unique—and really nice.”

As Aeryl spoke, the Grand Duke’s pheromones wavered noticeably.

“That felt different just now, didn’t it? Did you smell it?”

“No.”

Why couldn’t he?

“Let’s try again.”

They repeated the process a few more times, but the Grand Duke never managed to detect his own pheromones.

“Hmm… you need to be able to smell them before you can control them.”

Aeryl had expected him to catch on quickly, but it turned out to be a hurdle from the start—an unexpected one.

“That’s enough for today. Try to stay aware of the scent that always follows you throughout the day.”

“Understood.”

“Now, you should get some sleep.”

Some time had passed already. Aeryl pulled the blanket over the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke stared up at Aeryl, unfamiliar with this kind of attentive care.

“You need to close your eyes to fall asleep.”

He was rolling his eyes like a child refusing to go to bed, so Aeryl gently chided him—but even then, he wouldn’t close them. There was no way to get him to sleep like this.

“Here.”

Aeryl reached out and closed the Grand Duke’s eyes with his hand. He kept his hand there a moment longer, just in case the man opened them again, and gently let out his pheromones. The neutralizer had worn off by now, and his scent reached the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke inhaled deeply. The sweet scent filled his body, melting away his worries as a profound sense of fulfillment took hold. His mind slowly emptied, leaving only serenity behind.

“I can definitely smell yours.”

The Grand Duke murmured, his voice thick with drowsiness, like a well-fed beast letting out a low purr. He looked completely at peace, thoroughly content.

‘He really likes it.’

A man who never relied on anyone, perfect in every way—was now openly trusting and comforted by him. Aeryl felt both a warm pride and a ticklish giddiness as he smiled.

There was clearly a different kind of thrill compared to what he felt for Mason or Innis, but Aeryl hadn’t realized that yet.

He just thought: So this is what it feels like to be a good doctor.

***

In general, the inner quarters always felt heavy and stifling. This—where things felt even slightly lighter since Aeryl’s arrival and the few incidents that followed—was already a huge improvement. Before that, even breathing felt burdensome.

Connie quickened her steps. She was on her way back to the infirmary after lunch.

As Aeryl’s personal guard, she rarely left his side, but mealtime was an exception. That was when servants gathered and exchanged stories. It was a crucial time for picking up the castle’s atmosphere and collecting information.

“Connie, heading back to the infirmary?”

One of the other maids called out to Connie.

“Yeah,” she replied, though she was in a hurry to return to Aeryl.

When Connie urged her with a glance, the maid blushed and held out a handkerchief.

“I made this myself. Could you give it to the doctor?”

Looking closer, it had embroidery on it. The craftsmanship was excellent, and it was clear how much care had gone into it.

“It’s nothing much. It’s just… he was so kind to me when I twisted my ankle last time. I wanted to give him something in return! Please make sure he gets it!”

The maid rattled off her explanation like an excuse, then quickly turned and walked away—almost like she was fleeing. For something that was supposedly a simple token of gratitude, she seemed far too shy.

‘Am I really supposed to give this to him or not?’

Connie shoved the handkerchief into her apron pocket for now. Every now and then, she received requests like this—to pass along gifts to Aeryl. Each time, it left her conflicted. The gifts were obviously filled with ulterior motives, and handing them over to Aeryl made her wary of the Grand Duke’s reaction. But filtering them herself left her feeling guilty.

‘It’s hard to know what the right thing is.’

Aeryl was an easy person to work with, but that didn’t mean he was easy to deal with. Connie had originally been trained to serve the future Grand Duchess. But Aeryl wasn’t the Grand Duchess—nor was he the Grand Duke’s lover.

He was simply the castle doctor. And yet, the Grand Duke now held him in special regard. That discrepancy was always the issue.

‘Aside from that, this job’s actually pretty great. Especially getting to see that face.’

She loved beautiful things. That’s why she’d volunteered to serve as an attendant to a noble lady.

When she’d first met Aeryl, she’d been briefly disappointed by how messy and plain he looked. But once she saw the face hidden beneath, her complaints disappeared. No lady in the world could match that level of satisfaction.

‘If only he’d let me dress him up a little… he’d be perfect.’

It was a shame that Aeryl had no interest in his appearance. Especially that bizarre pair of glasses. Not only were they ugly, but the ties at the back left marks on his face—that bothered her most of all.

‘Why is he so attached to those awful glasses? One day, I will take them off.’

Connie opened the infirmary door and stepped inside. Aeryl was sitting at the desk in the consultation room, nibbling on cookies he’d gotten from the kitchen. In front of him sat a small boy with black hair.

“Hello, Young Master.”

When Connie greeted him, Sorel glanced at her and turned his head away.

“Young Master, you can’t just ignore her when she greets you.”

Aeryl scolded him right away.

“I wasn’t ignoring her. Hello, Connie.”

Sorel flared up, then offered his greeting.

“Good job. See? Doesn’t it feel nice when you say hello?”

When Aeryl praised him, Sorel sulked but swung his legs cheerfully.

“Where were we again? Ah, you said your mother promised you a gift since you finished the whole textbook, right? And you wanted to carry a dagger like His Highness.”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know. I always wanted an anatomical diagram of the human body.”

“Ew!”

Sorel made a face full of disgust.

‘They’ve gotten close already.’

It was a sight no longer surprising in the infirmary. Sorel had first come to have his ankle treated, and from the very next day, he began visiting every day. He’d hang around chatting with Aeryl, munch on cookies, then leave when it was time.

At first, Connie had been suspicious, thinking of Lady Merel, wondering what his true intentions were. But it didn’t take long to realize he was just a child who liked Aeryl.

‘The doctor sure is… popular.’

And that wasn’t the end of Connie’s worries.