OPDPS 87

“A, a, actually, no?”

The young man denied it. He seemed like he was trying to act casual, but he failed—he stuttered, and the effort fell flat. Maybe he realized it himself, because tears welled up in his large black eyes.

‘I’m going to make him cry at this rate.’

Aeryl felt like a terrible adult bullying a child.

He gave a soft smile and released a wave of friendly pheromones. The young man flinched and looked around the empty air in confusion. As if pheromones could be seen.

“Is this your first time meeting someone with a dynamic?”

“…Yes.”

Thanks to the pheromones Aeryl had released, the other seemed to calm down a bit.

“What’s your name? I’m Aeryl. Aeryl Aden.”

“…Raeler. Raeler Hauser.”

“Hauser? That’s the same surname as the inventor, Mr. Vale. So you really are his son.”

“Ah!”

Raeler quickly clapped both hands over his mouth. He was an adult, but pure as a lamb.

“How did you get out of the house? People said it was full of traps.”

“They said His Grace had arrived, so I got worried… I disabled the traps just for a bit and came out… Father doesn’t know. If he finds out I left, I’ll be punished.”

Raeler was shaking, as if his father might be watching even now. It was clear he had been locked away—just for being an omega. Aeryl’s anger surged, but he held it in.

“Um, is H-His Grace angry…?”

Raeler cautiously asked after some hesitation.

“Hard to say.”

The Grand Duke didn’t seem angry. He was just handling a situation that needed to be handled.

“Father didn’t do anything wrong. It—it’s all my fault.”

“…What?”

“It’s because I became an omega…”

“And?”

“Because I’m an omega, I became lewd, and I kept tempting men, which made things dangerous… That’s why he built that house. And he couldn’t answer His Grace’s summons—he had to protect me.”

Raeler poured out his words in defense of the inventor. Aeryl’s head throbbed.

Where was he supposed to even start with this?

“First of all… the idea that omegas are lewd is just prejudice. And we don’t go around seducing men!”

“But we get weird on a regular basis…”

“That’s… because of heat!”

From the perspective of betas, heat could definitely seem negative.

Losing your rationality to sexual desire, throwing yourself into intercourse—it could seem strange. But somehow, only omegas got shamed for it.

Alphas went through heat too.

Aeryl swallowed his anger and continued.

“Every animal has a heat cycle. Humans are animals too. People with dynamics just have slightly stronger animal instincts.”

He explained patiently, like he was teaching a child. Inside, he was boiling. But as a fellow omega—and as a doctor—he had a responsibility to give Raeler accurate information.

“Going into heat doesn’t mean you always lose control. With experience, you can learn to manage the urges. And if needed, medicine or devices can help—you can get through it like a mild cold.”

“R-really?”

“How have you been dealing with heat until now?”

“I kept trying to do weird things, so I got tied up… Ah, but Father always stayed nearby and prayed for me.”

‘…Would it be wrong to kill the inventor? Even a cat in heat wouldn’t be treated like that.’

Aeryl clenched his fists. He was so furious, his hands trembled.

To be treated as less than an animal—it was beyond insulting.

“…Aeryl?”

Raeler looked up at him, frightened. Despite being the same age—and taller—he looked as helpless and anxious as a newborn fawn.

Which, in a way, wasn’t wrong. As an omega who knew nothing about dynamics, Raeler was still a baby.

And Aeryl couldn’t turn his back on an abused fawn.

He didn’t have room in his life to take care of others, but he knew he’d regret leaving this one behind.

“Come with me. Don’t go back home. I’ll teach you how to live as an omega. That way, you can live like a normal person too. Freely.”

“Freely…”

Raeler repeated the word like he was savoring it. He drifted off into the image for a moment, but soon snapped back to reality.

“No, I can’t. I can’t leave my father behind.”

“Mr. Vale is going to be arrested anyway—for defying the Grand Duke’s command. He’ll be taken to the capital, and no one will be left in that house.”

Raelerr’s face went pale. He had expected this, but hearing it said aloud was a shock.

It felt like a dark possibility had suddenly become reality.

“Th-then what do I do? Father only did all that because of me! Arrested, a criminal… Isn’t there any way to help him?”

“What? Why would you help him?”

Aeryl was caught off guard. If the inventor got arrested, the person imprisoning Raeler would be gone—wasn’t that a good thing?

If Aeryl had the chance to get rid of the emperor, he’d welcome it with open arms.

“Of course I have to help him! He’s my father!”

Aeryl couldn’t understand Raeler’s answer. Just because he was your father?

“My mother died giving birth to me. Father went around begging milk to feed me. He never remarried because of me… and then I became an omega…”

Raeler rambled, trying desperately to defend his father. It was pitiful.

“He gave everything up to protect me and vanished from the world. If not for me, he would’ve answered the Grand Duke’s summons. How can I just pretend I don’t know anything?”

“I… see.”

To Aeryl, the inventor was a terrible man who locked his son away and taught him nothing—just because he was an omega.

But from Raeler’s perspective… it looked very different.

Raeler’s love for his father was clear. And if what he said was true, then the inventor must love his son in return.

Was this what a normal father-son relationship looked like?

‘Hm, I don’t know.’

Whether at his maternal home or in the imperial palace, Aeryl had never really felt attached to anyone. He respected and followed his teacher, but the feelings Raeler had toward the inventor felt different somehow.

‘Am I the strange one?’

In any case, once he’d calmed down, a way to help Raeler did come to mind.

“…If I could save your father, would you do as I say?”

“Yes!”

“Then disable the traps and open the door wide to receive His Grace. That way, His Grace might not press charges further.”

Truthfully, even Aeryl didn’t know what the Grand Duke would decide to do with the inventor. Since the bell tower repair required him, he wouldn’t be executed or thrown in prison… probably.

“That… my father wouldn’t want that.”

“Of course not. Whether you persuade him or sneak around—that’s your job.”

“Do you think I can do it?”

“You can. If it’s really what you want.”

Raeler stood still in place, deep in thought.

Through the pheromones, Aeryl could feel it all—Raeler’s anxiety, his flickers of courage, the fleeting joy of hopeful fantasies, followed by despair again.

He had lived locked up and controlled for ten years. It wouldn’t be easy to change overnight. Aeryl knew that too well. Even after all his meticulous preparations, he had felt uncertain and afraid just before stepping into the palace.

‘It’s frustrating, but I know why he’s like this. I can’t just leave him be.’

Aeryl decided to help Raeler a little more. Perhaps this was how his teacher had felt when he’d risked danger to help Aeryl.

“If you’re afraid to go alone, I’ll come with you.”

“Really?”

Raeler’s face lit up noticeably.

“Yes. Ah, but I need to get permission from His Grace first.”

He couldn’t just act alone without reporting to his superior.

“Alright. Then…”

“Would you wait here? It might take a little time.”

“I’ll wait!”

“Then I’ll be back soon.”

Aeryl gave Raeler’s shoulder a reassuring pat. Raeler bowed his head politely. A warm scent gently bloomed from him—along with the trust he now held for Aeryl.

To be so trusting after just a few exchanged words… he really was like a lonely child.

‘Is this how I looked to my teacher too?’

Aeryl’s heart grew slightly complicated.

***

The Grand Duke’s group had gathered by the lake. It was so quiet that even a small breath felt out of place. The air was heavy, and everyone kept their heads low, only darting their eyes about.

It was all because of the Grand Duke.

When he returned to join the others and heard that Aeryl had disappeared into the forest, he hadn’t said a word since. He simply stood staring into the trees—but the alpha pheromones pouring from him weighed down the others so heavily it felt hard to breathe.

Even Rynello, who didn’t flinch at much, was carefully watching the Grand Duke’s mood.

Aeryl.

The Grand Duke’s mood was plummeting.

Why wasn’t he back yet? Had something happened? Even if the forest wasn’t supposed to be dangerous, one could never be sure.

He remembered what happened with Derbas. Even knowing the bastard wasn’t nearby, the fear of something similar repeating itself made him feel like he would lose his mind.

They said Mason had followed Aeryl after he disappeared. If not for Rynello stopping him—saying they might miss each other if he rushed in—he would’ve already torn through the entire forest.

No, even the fact that it was Mason who went after Aeryl made his blood boil.

‘I should’ve kept him with me. Kept him where I could see him and never let him out of my sight. Whatever excuse I had to make. No, what use are excuses? I should’ve tied him to me if I had to…’

Dangerous thoughts kept flooding his mind. He had clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, but he had no room to feel pain. Worry and ominous thoughts filled his head.

Thankfully, Mason and Aeryl returned soon after.

“Aeryl!”

The Grand Duke ran to him without a care for who was watching. But Aeryl looked strange.

“Don’t come any closer!”