TOPWL 127

“My prince is the kind of man who’d say he’d rather be an alpha than become a dominant omega.”

“You two share a close bond, don’t you? It’s possible that, subconsciously, His Highness wished to be someone who would match Your Grace—a dominant alpha.”

“Hmm, a plausible theory. What’s the third?”

The physician hesitated, which was rare for her, then continued.

“A powerful shock. When someone experiences death, or something close to it, every cell and nerve in the body searches desperately for a way to survive. And sometimes, in that process, the body decides to alter its very nature. It’s the third example, but by far the most probable. There are more cases than you might think—people who awaken from near-death with their secondary gender changed.”

“So what you’re saying is that Yudit is undergoing secondary manifestation due to a combination of reasons.”

“Yes. If you want a more specialized opinion, I can call for a specialist.”

“No. You’ll do just fine. Fewer eyes on this, the better.”

Khalid could smell it too—Yudit’s scent, deepening little by little—and he had no trouble believing the physician’s explanation. He brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen over Yudit’s round forehead.

“This is going to be troublesome.”

He wasn’t exactly pleased about the situation. It wasn’t that he wasn’t glad, but… with the battle for the throne raging, manifesting as a dominant omega now was far too dangerous. As the flowery scent spread through the room, Khalid let out a sigh. The moment Yudit woke, the first thing he’d have to teach him was how to control his pheromones.

“How long until he wakes?”

“Manifestation can take anywhere from three to ten days. And given the carriage accident, I expect it will take a little longer for him to fully regain consciousness. That said, he might begin to stir in a day or two. If necessary, I can administer a drug to force him awake.”

“No, don’t.”

If it was only a matter of time, then the later he woke, the better. Things outside were… inconvenient right now. As Khalid watched over Yudit, there came a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

At his command, the butler entered with a slight bow.

“Your Grace. You have a visitor.”

“Ah, show them to the reception room. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Understood.”

As the butler withdrew, Khalid stood. The physician looked at him, lingering a moment. She wouldn’t do that without reason—so Khalid asked,

“What is it?”

“I know Your Grace is busy, but… I hope you’ll stay by His Highness’s side as much as possible. His pheromones are highly unstable right now. I could use medicine, but the most effective way is to stabilize him with an alpha’s pheromones.”

“Just staying near him is enough?”

“It would be even better if you held his hand. Just… nothing beyond a kiss. If you do more than that, his pheromones may spike and send him into heat. In his current state, his body wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

“I have no intention of laying a hand on a patient. What do you take me for?”

“Yes, of course. I know well that Your Grace is not that sort of man. But even after he wakes, it would be best if you refrained for two weeks to a month.”

Khalid’s expression twisted slightly.

“You… give me too much credit. I don’t have that much restraint.”

The physician tried not to laugh and replied,

“…Then please try to refrain for at least a week.”

“I’ll try.”

With that, Khalid straightened his coat and left the room reluctantly.

He headed to the drawing room before the tea he’d ordered for his guest went cold. When he opened the door, a Lirutian man with a downcast expression was sitting inside. Khalid recognized him. He’d already investigated the man while looking into Yudit’s background.

Diego Antier.

“Is Yudit all right?”

Diego asked, worry evident in his voice. Khalid gave a short nod. It wasn’t surprising that Diego knew about the carriage accident—Khalid had made sure the news was published in the papers.

“He should wake by tomorrow.”

“That’s a relief.”

Diego let out a quiet breath of relief. It was sincere. Still, part of him felt a twinge of bitterness. That man who had been ruthlessly merciless, now acted like a tamed beast around Yudit. It was fortunate, perhaps, but not without its sting. It had been Eden who had kissed Yudit’s cheek—but this one was the true danger. He had feelings for Yudit. And had for quite a long time.

“So. Have you thought about it?”

At Khalid’s words, Diego gave a bitter expression. While Yudit remained bedridden, a crisis had erupted.

Hiore’s faction had first stirred up trouble by publicizing a protest held by villagers outside the Empire’s official newspaper office, The Light of the Empire. Led by Eden—a Lirutian from the slums—protesting in front of a royal paper was deemed a rebellious act, tantamount to treason, and thus deserving of punishment.

By morning the day after the carriage accident, ten newspapers had published articles echoing this same accusation. Having stayed by Yudit’s side all night, Khalid had been too late to make any proper response. Nobles could commit a hundred sins and still be revered, but a single misstep from a commoner would earn them scorn. All the more so if the commoner in question lived in the slums and wasn’t even an imperial citizen.

The protest crowd, egged on by instigators, began demanding the arrest of Lirutians in both District 3 of Bern and outside the capital gates. Within half a day, before they could even react, the Lirutians were rounded up. Over 300 were taken. With the labor force gone, District 3 of Bern quickly descended into chaos. Most shops didn’t even open, the streets were filthy from the protests, and customers voiced their dissatisfaction. Selena had brought in people from her household, and Khalid had resorted to hiring workers and even pulling knights from the Order to keep things barely running, but the visitors never came back in the same numbers.

Every Lirutian who hadn’t participated in the protest was arrested. Meanwhile, not a single villager protester was taken. It was blatant, calculated discrimination. Had they imprisoned the villagers, public backlash would have followed—so they targeted the Lirutians, who had no backing.

Afterward, Khalid had sent an urgent missive to the Emperor requesting an immediate pardon. But the imperial side had yet to respond. It didn’t seem like the Emperor was personally involved—if he were, the response would’ve been far more discreet. Likely, the Emperor—and by extension, Azil—had judged that simply watching how things played out would benefit them more.

Seeing Hiore take the lead made it clear this was likely Reginald’s doing. In the name of uncovering the truth, Khalid had used his authority as a duke to have Diego—who’d been detained—temporarily released. He had wanted to speak with Eden but had been denied due to Eden being the main perpetrator. Though Diego hadn’t participated in the protest, he knew both Yudit and Eden, making him a worthwhile candidate for discussion.

After a long pause, Diego finally opened his mouth.

“Eden should be punished, since he did commit a crime. But the others… they won’t survive life on that ship.”

“Is there another option?”

Khalid’s voice was low. Diego said nothing. There wasn’t. Khalid recalled a recent proposal from Reginald.

[Those who have defied the will of the imperial family must, by right, be punished as traitors. However, in accordance with the teachings of the divine lord, who says all should be given the chance to repent, we wish to extend mercy. Those who board the ship departing March 19th to labor in service of the Empire shall have their sins forgiven and, upon safe return, be granted Adanauer citizenship.]

“On the surface, it sounds like a generous offer. Citizenship, of all things.”

Lounging loosely, Khalid tapped the armrest of the sofa.

“But the ship you’ll board won’t make it back. It’ll sink the moment it leaves Adanauer waters.”

His voice was calm. Diego didn’t seem surprised—he had likely suspected as much.

“I can stop that from happening. But if I do… what can you offer me in return?”

At Khalid’s question, Diego hesitated, then answered quietly.

“What do you want?”

“That’s something you should have thought of before sitting down at this table.”

Diego looked caught off guard—clearly not expecting Khalid to come out this directly. Khalid decided to hammer the point home.

“If it were Yudit, he’d have rolled up his sleeves and helped in a heartbeat. He’s kind, and he feels he owes you all something.”

“…”

“But I’m a businessman. And I have no direct connection to any of you. So instead of relying on Yudit’s compassion, try offering something—anything—you can do for your own survival.”