Chapter 21
The rough breath momentarily settled into Clyde’s throat.
It was evident that he was patiently enduring his instincts.
The slow, booming roar of the alpha beast was fiercely intimidating. The fact that the voice contained human language was even more astonishing.
“Edith, when were you diagnosed as beta?”
It was a sudden question.
Clyde’s eyebrows lifted slightly as he tilted his head. Although she didn’t understand why he was asking such a question, she obediently responded to the overwhelming atmosphere.
“It was around the age when temperament is commonly determined.”
“I had my first heat at the age of ten when the alpha rut first came to me. When was it exactly for Edith?”
She tried to probe into the memories of the original Edith. Until the age of sixteen when she was possessed, Edith didn’t show any temperament.
People who will become alphas or omegas commonly have their temperament determined during their early teens, experiencing their first heat. Clyde manifested quite early, and it’s rare for it to happen after turning twenty.
For those who haven’t had their heat, they undergo a diagnosis by a doctor around the time of adulthood. Unless there are any changes, they are concluded to be beta.
Clyde felt too burdened waiting for her to answer while staring at her intently.
Her hesitant voice crawled in slowly.
Maybe… when I was twenty?
What’s with that vague answer? When did the doctor confirm it?
Her bewildered eyes rolled around. It felt like being stabbed in the chest.
Catching his hesitation, Clyde didn’t give her a chance to pause and pressed again.
“Edith is twenty now. Tell me when the doctor diagnosed it, or rather, where the clinic is located.”
The atmosphere cooled rapidly, and instead of feeling like a ferocious beast attacking, he felt more like a judge interrogating a criminal.
Is this topic so probing? While he wondered, on the other hand, it was uncomfortable. It wasn’t something to hide, but due to the arising resistance, he didn’t want to divulge it effortlessly.
“Why do you keep probing? This is my personal issue. Whether I’m beta or not, it doesn’t matter for my job as an officer, right?”
As he questioned, the current situation dawned on him anew. Edith was at a loss for words, her lips trembling as if she needed to say something.
The sturdy hand resting on his lower back was boiling like a fever patient. If she were an omega, her temperament would have a deep connection, as it could help with her heat.
There was no choice. He had to tell the truth.
“I haven’t seen a doctor this year. I haven’t been sick either. As for temperament… it’s obvious. If there are no pheromones, then I’m beta.”
There was no need for second thoughts.
The original Edith was also a beta, and she still is now. So, without hesitation, he wrote down beta on the royal management support form.
In this world, betas are not treated inferiorly. The three temperaments have different characteristics but are not in a hierarchy. Among them, betas are a category with limitless potential, as they can grow through effort.
In fact, Edith quite liked being a beta. Wherever she went, there were usually more betas, so she felt comfortable blending in without any hesitation about her identity.
However, Clyde’s demeanor drastically changed. He looked astonished, his white sclera so visible it seemed they might burst out of his eyes.
So… does that mean it’s not determined yet? Even if it’s a small medical expense, she didn’t want to waste money on unnecessary expenses in their tight budget.
“No, there’s no need to see a doctor.”
Edith slightly loosened the hand around her waist and quickly retreated. There were more important matters at hand than getting into a confrontation.
His excessively high body temperature and his intense glare had been bothering her for a while. She thought she should at least put a cold towel on Clyde’s forehead instead of continuing the discussion about temperament.
“Your Highness, please rest now. You don’t look well at all.”
Whether it was his resolute stance or not, he silently guarded the bedside with clenched fists.
There was a large basin of water on the console in the corner of the bedroom. It was prepared for simple hand washing or face wiping. Edith dipped the towel placed next to it into the water.
Just as she was about to rinse it thoroughly and wring it out, he rushed over.
“What are you doing?”
“I need the towel for something.”
“What do you need it for? You should say it. Obviously, stick it to your guy’s forehead to keep it cool.”
“Your Highness, you seem to have a high fever…”
Clyde’s distinctive eyebrows rose sharply, almost like a soaring eagle.
Grabbing the towel from her hand, he growled fiercely.
“Don’t do this kind of thing.”
He was definitely angry. In the past few days, this was the first time Edith had been scolded so severely by Clyde.
As she attempted to wring out the towel, it floated around her face. Although she wasn’t very good at wringing out water, so the towel was already quite damp, the sight of it floating separately in the water gave her a different feeling.
“No, this isn’t right. Your Highness, you have a high fever right now.”
As Edith tried to approach the console, he blocked her with his body.
“My brain may be melting, but Edith isn’t here to be bossed around.”
“But…”
Even as the titled Prince’s exclusive attendant and head of water services, not allowing her to even touch a towel seemed a bit excessive. While she appreciated his consideration not to burden her with trivial tasks, she couldn’t help but worry about Clyde’s warm body temperature, possibly influenced by his rut. As she looked at him with concerned eyes, he sighed briefly.
Clyde wrung the towel himself and neatly folded it into a square shape. “Is this okay?”
He pulled Edith’s hand and wiped it with the clean towel. Then, he wrapped the towel around her still slightly damp hand and carefully patted it dry.
“Edith, just so you know, in this palace, don’t hold anything other than paper and pen in your hands. It might be a bit strict, isn’t it? Edith’s position is undoubtedly as the Crown Prince’s closest aide and head of water services. Besides, there may be times when it’s just the two of us. Whenever that happens, having Clyde do small tasks constantly might seem a bit inappropriate. But there are times when it’s necessary. Like now.”
“Absolutely not. I won’t allow it.”
He washed his face refreshingly in the water Edith had dipped her hand in, then used the towel she had used to wipe herself to dab off the moisture. Despite having a dry towel nearby, he still did so.
He cooled down with cold water and unbuttoned a few more buttons on his shirt. Even though his chest was exposed between the split shirt down to his spine, she had to pretend not to see the man’s bare flesh. It was difficult to even suggest him to wear a shirt.
After changing the mood, Clyde’s condition improved considerably. The intensity of his rut still seemed precarious, but his cognitive abilities returned to normal.
After drinking a glass of refreshing lemonade together, there was nothing left for Edith to do.
“Then may I leave now?”
Seeing his expression with a raised corner of his mouth, she was certain he had regained his composure.
“Where are you going? This isn’t the office, is it?”
“Yes?”
“It’s still working hours.”
As he gestured towards the study, Edith thought, ‘Work after all this chaos?’ He’s still the same nasty piece of work.
“No, but still, in this situation, to review documents—”
“Did I call Edith to make towels? Or did I call her to pour lemonade? We have some backlog of work to catch up on. Wow, there’s really no separate evil. Demon. Satan. Hellfire messenger. Even though Clyde prepared the lemonade, isn’t it too much? Asking her to catch up on work while the alpha’s bedroom across the hall is in full rut cycle.”
“No, Your Highness, you really should rest…”
Clyde’s finger spun around, pointing towards the direction of the desk.
Edith didn’t really want to take a break, but she had no choice but to enter the star room beyond the barrier. Sitting forlornly in front of stacks of policy reports and a vast amount of cleaning proposals, Edith had to sift through the documents she hadn’t opened for days.
Without any room for procrastination, Clyde instructed her to review several volumes of documents containing proposals, just like last time. He also followed it up with a reminder that she couldn’t go home until everything was done.
I can’t go home again? Where will I sleep tonight? While her eyes skimmed over the minuscule text of the documents, her mind wandered to Clyde’s soft bed.
Her head started to throb, and her cheeks even felt hot. Memories of the last time she used that bed and the hardships that lay ahead collided in her mind. ‘Sharing a bed together. Especially with an alpha going through his rut cycle.’
Behind the door without a latch, Clyde watched her with feverish eyes.
<Chapter 3. A Submissive of My Taste>
It was only after experiencing firsthand how much the Prince’s rut cycle affected the attendants that she realized the enormity of it.
Until Clyde returned to normal condition, Edith had to sit glued to the bedside in the bedroom.
During the rut period, it was the duty of the water service attendants to stay by his side 24/7. Edith was originally focused solely on organizing reports, but even just seeing him not suffer alone made the court physician grateful.
But aside from eating well and resting well, she had to maintain a tense psychological state throughout. Unable to stretch her legs due to the persistent attention, she was constantly in Clyde’s line of sight, becoming the focus of his attention every moment.
He seemed like a predatory beast deliberating whether to devour his prey. It felt like she shouldn’t approach him instinctively. Trembling and tense, Edith barely managed to survive Clyde’s rut cycle.
So by the time she could finally return home, she felt like a limp worm.
Despite what others might say about improving complexion, it was actually the opposite. Although she seemed outwardly vibrant, inside, it was as if she had entered a new world of chaos.
Fortunately, she temporarily postponed transitioning to a palace maid under the pretext of household chores. If she had lived completely in the Prince’s palace, she felt like her blood would soon curdle in Clyde’s presence.
One good thing about overcoming this ordeal was that she received ample vacation time in exchange for working diligently throughout the rut cycle.
Edith slept deeply in her humble but comfortable home without any dreams.
The next day, she spent time idly on the terrace of the mansion. She truly wanted to do nothing, as peaceful moments were something only the upper class enjoyed in the busy Prince’s palace.
Without touching the dusty table, she only wiped down one chair and sat down. It wasn’t even necessary to worry about the neglected state of the mansion, considering the shortage of manpower.
While dozing off without realizing the passage of time, something appeared to disturb her rest. It was a servant carrying a tray with an envelope adorned with gold trim.
“What’s this?”
