Chapter 19
He trembled in front of Edith, making a bombshell statement that could overturn the original world view.
“If I were to desire someone, it would be because they are good, not because of their temperament or gender.”
Unexpectedly, a realization struck her like a bolt from the blue.
It could have been like that.
In the original, Clyde never gave his attention to anyone before meeting Adrian. There was no preference for male or female, Omega or Alpha, Beta. He only fell deeply in love with Adrian because he was Adrian, not because of his preferences. It’s not about taste.
This isn’t a collapse of coherence or destruction of the original. Until the 25th episode, these circumstances weren’t sufficiently revealed, so Edith didn’t know.
‘He used to have no interest in romance.’ How could you interpret this passage as ‘he had no particular preferences’? It requires a string of explanations and events to grasp.
She was bewildered.
Especially, the mention of Beta lingered in her mind.
“You used to say you didn’t like it. You said you weren’t interested.”
The more she wore the mask, the more distorted Clyde’s disappointed words became, and she couldn’t grasp the thread of her own heart.
Then Clyde leaned forward. He had always looked grim or unhappy, but now even that didn’t show to Edith.
An unusual heat emanated from him. The seat next to him was warm.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
He seemed off.
She accidentally touched Clyde’s wrist lightly and was surprised by the feverish temperature, like a patient suffering from a high fever.
“Your Highness…”
He grabbed Edith’s hand firmly.
What should I do?
This man, he’s boiling.
When she raised her lowered gaze, she was suddenly met with a frightening sight of bloodshot eyes. The grip on her wrist felt unbearably tight, as if it couldn’t be controlled.
“Ah, I’m in rut cycle…”
His gruff voice instantly transformed the atmosphere between them into something decadent.
Exhales through dry lips felt as hot and arid as desert winds.
“Rut is coming.”
A sudden surge of intense heat washed over Edith as she was pulled towards him by the strong wind.
Her body leaning towards Clyde was becoming warm and flushed. Her waist curved like a bow due to the strong pull of the wind.
An Alpha going through rut cycle is more akin to a mating male animal than a human. A creature driven by intense excitement, seeking a partner to copulate with.
Signs of impending frenzy were already showing in Clyde. His feverish golden eyes became like furnaces, and the grip that held her grew increasingly greedy.
“Ha, hnn!”
The deteriorating pace was faster and more intense than any Alpha she had ever seen. Lips that were smooth just moments ago now became parched. A flickering tongue darted out to lick her lower lip, even the tiny bumps on its tip magnified in her sight.
“My throat is dry.”
As he swallowed dry saliva, his elegant neck swayed significantly. His lips, slightly parted as if seeking a solution for his thirst, slowly descended towards Edith.
This couldn’t be left alone.
“Your Highness, please stop now.”
An urgent helping hand was needed. And it was needed right away.
Edith pushed away his wrist, stood up, and picked up the fallen flag while signaling the end. She waved the flag vigorously, hoping the people waiting nearby could see the signal, and, with trembling steps, she retreated.
Clyde rose after her.
He seemed bigger than just a moment ago. It was strange. The dark shadow cast over his back of his head was terrifying.
“Edith…”
He called her with the lament of a beast.
“I… need to…”
He suddenly pounced with desperate groans, contrasting with his savage movements. Like a predator hunting its prey, he swelled his body and struck from above.
His broad shoulders enveloped her completely, leaving no room to escape, while his rugged arms created a beautiful circular well around her.
After forcefully turning her around and pulling her close, he embraced her tightly until her ribs felt sore and her breath was cut off. His rough grip on her back was so tight it felt like it might break her spine.
“Your Highness, if you continue like this… Haat!”
Slipping his thick male arm under her armpits, he lifted her trembling body effortlessly. The grating sound was unmistakably not human cries, and the yellow-glowing eyes were definitely wolfish.
Although she knew he enjoyed training every day, she was surprised by his overwhelming power. Edith’s body, easily lifted by him, flew through the air as if it were a feather.
It was as if he could induce the illusion that his own weight was light. It was the first time she had experienced levitation since riding a roller coaster in the real world.
No matter how high she was lifted, she could see the dark blue roots of his hair below. Her chest rose to Clyde’s face. His hand holding her spine felt like a large claw, and his sturdy forearm supporting her lower back was very firm.
His murmuring became increasingly unclear.
His obsessive repetition of her name confused rather than reassured her. Edith. Edith. Edith. The uncertain repetition only added to her confusion.
The ominous feeling about his actions grew stronger. In fact, witnessing the rut cycle was very close to the original flow.
Every time Clyde or Adrian met, it seemed like the intensity kept rising. And this time, the R-rated scene was unfolding with Edith as the subject.
“Your Highness, please come to your senses.”
He groped her back.
“Soft. You… Haah.”
Instead of coming to her senses, she was getting more and more faint with each passing moment, as Clyde, like a predator about to devour its prey, bared his teeth as if he would devour her at any moment.
White teeth and vividly red veins.
Seductively murmuring in an incomprehensible tone.
With plump, swollen lips, he conveyed incomprehensible stories and moved as if he had caught a cold, his movements erratic.
Even though the sensation of his lips didn’t reach inside, Edith trembled uncontrollably. In the narrow gap, she was overwhelmed by Clyde’s thick breath and movements, feeling utterly helpless.
The hairs on the back of her head stood on end.
“Please… let me down.”
Her feeble voice trembled helplessly.
Enduring the full force of a man’s strength.
Being carried away by the atmosphere herself.
Her spine, bent to its limit, sagged against him, and her wrists, much thinner compared to Clyde’s, were now wrapped around his firm and sturdy neck.
“This is awkward.”
He was firm and persistent, to the point where it felt suffocating. Even in her foggy mind, she realized that he would soon come to his senses and searched for somewhere to hide.
Where to hide? What to do once hidden?
“Just a moment.”
Surprised, Edith twisted her waist. It was an instinctual movement to escape.
“Don’t go.”
His grip strengthened. His palm pressing against her back pressed her torso.
His gaze, briefly lifting, seemed like that of a beast driven by instinct.
Edith pushed his shoulders with all her might.
“Stop it.”
Clyde, raising his head, lowered his eyes sadly like a rejected male.
His excessive focus on her felt dangerously intense. It was just the beginning of the rut cycle of an Alpha, especially of the highest rank like Clyde, and yet the situation was already so dire.
Still, as the point of contact decreased, the atmosphere between them momentarily calmed down.
As if realizing that this place was not a maze garden, he took a deep breath to restrain himself, briefly looked up at the sky, and then returned his gaze.
“Sorry, are you feeling upset?”
Clyde still didn’t look well, but his tone was much improved, and his attitude inquiring about Edith’s well-being was similar to usual.
“I asked for help. The end is coming soon.”
As soon as she spoke, several attendants appeared in the maze corridor. They hastened their steps upon noticing the drastic change in the prince’s condition.
There were also puzzled murmurs about the rut cycle being brought forward, which was originally scheduled for a few days later.
Once the distance between Clyde and Edith widened, his state of excitement seemed to decrease. Instead, he became hotter and more disoriented, showing signs of anxiety as he looked around.
“Edith, follow me.”
Leaving behind a dry voice, he strode ahead and disappeared into the distance.
As they navigated the maze, more attendants and knights joined them. With a line of followers and protectors, Clyde’s figure soon became obscured from view.
—
For a while, Edith found herself in a state of limbo.
During Clyde’s rut cycle, his chambers were restricted, and naturally, she couldn’t go to the designated workspace. As her immediate superior was Clyde, there was no one else to report to.
The lack of a desk to sit at was quite frustrating. Thanks to the steward’s arrangements, she was able to stay in the adjacent attendants’ office.
She also received some information about Clyde’s special rut cycle.
Clyde’s rut occurred monthly and lasted for three days. It was severe, with high fever and intense instincts, making daily life impossible.
Unlike other Alphas who would experience mild arousal for a day or two, Clyde’s rut was completely different.
Furthermore, Clyde was famous for not allowing Omegas into his chambers. He believed that having an Omega nearby would make it easier to endure the rut cycle, but he refused to have one by his side, stating that he only wanted to satisfy his instincts without any emotional attachment.
In rut cycles, pheromone regulation is simple with an Omega in bed. After releasing their Alpha instincts to the fullest, they can feel relieved for a while.
Even lower levels of skin contact or proximity can be helpful. Because scents and energy can influence each other.
However, Clyde refused even this, stubbornly enduring alone, causing headaches for the royal physician.
As a stubborn and dominant Alpha, Clyde was a patient who made the physician’s job very difficult.
