Chapter 27
Her shoulders twitched slightly, but she felt oddly dizzy, with his handsome face so close.
He lifted Edith’s waist slightly, and as she naturally leaned in closer, his firm lips swelled thickly. The corners of his mouth rose like hooks, exuding a mischievous aura.
“But unfortunately.”
Clyde pressed his lips against her ear.
“This time… I just invited you to dance together.”
“Dance?”
His warm breath brushed against her ear.
A slight heat seemed to be absorbed into Edith’s body, making her feel sluggish for reasons she couldn’t understand.
Even the hand holding her felt like a hedgehog curling up.
“Shall we postpone the dance for now? Edith, you seem a bit weak.”
She bit her lip, trying to suppress the peculiar sensation swirling in her stomach.
But her efforts to endure were futile as Edith’s body swayed uncontrollably. She had been perfectly fine when she entered the gallery, but now, just standing upright was becoming difficult.
Every time she tangled with Clyde, it ended up like this.
The physical changes were too significant to attribute solely to his handsome face.
“No, I’m fine.”
Trying to hold back the sensation of dizziness, she rolled her eyes, as if struggling to keep her wits about her. The feeling of Clyde pressing down on her was suffocating.
Was she enchanted?
Was she falling for this man?
“Let’s just find a place to sit for now. Edith, you seem a bit unsteady.”
He supported her, urging her to put more weight on her toes.
“No, really?”
She was shaking so much it was hard to keep her balance.
Could merely dating cause such drastic changes in the body? She wasn’t even in a relationship with Clyde.
Edith couldn’t help but recall the doubts she had harbored all along.
Clyde had asked her once before when she had been confirmed as a beta. At the time, she found it odd that he was asking about something that seemed obvious, but now, it bothered her.
Whenever she experienced a fainting spell, Clyde was always there. The repeated incidents made her suspicious.
Clyde, a dominant alpha, and Edith, originally a beta in the original work, had no reason to be involved in terms of their orientations. But with the story constantly changing, it was hard to ignore the possibility of change.
Even amidst the confusion, she couldn’t ignore the part of her that doubted her own orientation.
Clyde gazed into her dazed eyes and smirked, his mouth curving into a devilish grin.
“If you’re not feeling well, you can rely on me.”
He reached around her shoulders, attempting to pull her closer, but Edith recoiled.
“No, it’s okay.”
“Really? There’s no need to push yourself.”
“Really.”
Clyde’s touch slid along her forearm, all the while attempting various stratagems to initiate physical contact. He exuded pheromones, coating Edith’s body. It was the scent of a male enticing a female.
As he stimulated her with pheromones, he gradually noticed a stronger omega scent emanating from her.
Clyde was curious about Edith. Why was she lingering in a non-alpha or non-beta state? Why did he casually leave her without even considering an examination?
So, he provoked her.
He enticed her with alpha pheromones.
He hoped that awakening her consciousness as an omega might be helpful. Of course, seeing Edith succumb to his pheromones was enjoyable, but he also hoped it would help her change her perspective.
Thanks to him, Edith started to think differently. Unable to resist, she placed her hand on his shoulder, unable to hide her bewildered feelings.
“Looks like we’re getting too close. If we continue like this at the banquet…”
His thick fingers dug into her armpits, lifting her up several inches, focusing more on embracing than dancing.
Her shoe tips barely touched the air.
“Please, let me stay like this for a moment. I’m still not feeling well.”
A sigh of frustration brushed against her neck.
He gradually loosened his grip on her arms, causing Edith to slip away like a piece of ice.
His golden eyes, shining with sharpness, seemed like a stretched rubber band reaching its limit. The alert signal radiated from his entire body.
Clyde had been in a bad mood all day. He became increasingly annoyed every time Edith was congratulated on her conversations with colleagues. He even exploded in anger at someone unintentionally interrupting him during work.
But whenever he smelled her scent, he felt relieved. As if his bubbling turmoil subsided, a moment of peace washed over him.
Taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with Edith’s scent, he looked up.
“Edith’s right. Dancing like this isn’t appropriate. Shall we try again?”
He politely extended his hand.
The piano music started again. Keeping a slight distance, they delicately overlapped their fingertips and danced lightly to the soaring steps, like flying birds.
They danced several songs in a row.
He persistently observed Edith’s every move, while she glanced at Clyde’s chin with a perplexed expression.
“There must be a teacher responsible for Your Highness’s dance.”
“There used to be. But we haven’t held a ball in so long that the lessons were discontinued.”
“But there must be a designated dance partner…”
“That’s you, Edith.”
Stubbornly, her gaze, which had been fixed downwards, abruptly rose to meet Clyde’s piercing gaze.
“The position of dance partner… Thinking about it again, it seems like a well-chosen title for the job. After all, you can also request a dance partner for such occasions.”
The music changed at that moment.
This time, it was a dance that required wide steps, utilizing the entire space of the gallery with lively movements.
“Still, it would be better to invite a professional for dance practice rather than relying on me.”
“Edith is excellent for the job. There’s no one better.”
She stepped quickly, causing her skirt to flutter.
The ceiling-to-floor windows on one side of the gallery let in warm sunlight at an oblique angle.
However, as they transitioned from shadow to light, everything suddenly became bright.
[☆Urgent Notice☆]
Wait, instead of a passage from the original work, a notice appeared?
[Hello, dear readers.
I greet you after a long time and I should be showing you the next part of the story, but unfortunately, I have to post this notice first.]
How could such a scene be shown? Could real-life events unfold before her eyes in real-time?
This post undoubtedly indicated that there was a recent update. Four years ago, when she fell into the world of the original work, there was no such notice. This was definitely recent content.
It was shocking to see real-life changes reflected here. It was as surprising as the moment she realized she could twist the original story with Edith’s power.
[I am striving to write a good story that lives up to your expectations. However, things don’t always go as planned.]
[I’ve found several errors in the setting. The story is unfolding differently from my intentions, so I may need to make significant revisions.]
Setting errors! What could possibly be the problem?
[Therefore, I am considering making this work private for the time being. I ask for your understanding, dear readers.]
How much did they intend to overturn the original work?
She also worried about what would happen to her fate if the original work changed. Could she continue her safe and uneventful life as it was?
Furthermore, returning to reality was also a problem.
Over the years, she had not found any hints that could serve as a link between reality and the story. She had no choice but to live her life as Edith. But if the original disappeared, she might not have a way back at all.
More detailed content seemed to follow below. She focused all her attention on the bright light outside the window.
Before she could read a few more words as the screen scrolled, Clyde’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
“Edith?”
She turned her abruptly pale face to him. He shook her hand from up close, then lifted her chin to check her pupil reflex.
“Edith, what’s wrong?”
“Uh…”
The announcement post gradually disappeared, mixed with sunlight.
Her gaze, which had been staring into the distance, suddenly shifted to Clyde, making her gaze dark and murky. She blinked, as if trying to clear invisible eyes.
“Oh… it’s nothing.”
His palm gently touched her pale forehead.
“Why did your body temperature suddenly drop? I think we should call a doctor.”
“It’s just that the sun was too bright. It’s really nothing.”
“Let’s go back now. There’s no need to push yourself with dance practice right away anyway.”
His words of refusal seemed meaningless, as Clyde persuasively led her up to the bedroom.
Unfortunately, they had to call one of the palace physicians.
***
The royal physician team was usually on standby 24/7, but as soon as Clyde called, the doctor rushed in with surprising speed. It was almost as if they were waiting nearby.
Edith led the way to the private room next to the prince’s bedroom.
As they stood behind her, the doctor and Clyde exchanged glances. Clyde’s intense gaze conveyed the meaning of making a proper diagnosis during this opportunity, and the prince sternly directed his gaze towards them.
