Chapter 31
“Hmm.”
Did he let out a sigh of frustration?
Edith let her chest, which had risen in a curve, sink back down and held her breath like stagnant water. His small noises caught her ear.
The rustling sound of clutching the pillow, the sound of his long body curling up.
“Exactly.”
As she focused on his voice, her hair bristled slightly.
“Getting into bed together.”
Naturally, vivid moments together came to mind, like water flowing downstream.
“Other alphas wouldn’t dare to approach each other’s bodies with pheromones. Even after a few days, my scent would linger on you.”
The heavy and large body, the warm temperature.
The sound of a beast breathing.
“It’s a sacred ritual of fully possessing each other.”
Why did she recall a moment she had never experienced?
Why did his scent feel so intoxicating?
This is wrong. Clyde is deeply immersed. I need to snap out of it. I need to.
“Now, stop.”
“…”
“If you’ve heard everything.”
She couldn’t move a muscle.
Though he whispered softly from a few steps away, her feelings strangely fluctuated. Unaware of what sensation this was, her body beneath the blanket squirmed like it was on fire.
A sleepless night stretched on.
—
Scent of an Omega
Apart from the national assembly meetings held every ten days, the Crown Prince’s duties were so numerous that Edith found it overwhelming to keep up. Despite knowing that Clyde’s robust stamina stemmed from his early morning training, she couldn’t bring herself to join in the exercise. Thanks to her cunning excuses and tightly wrapped blankets, she managed to send him off alone every time.
But her own body, weakened to the brink of collapse, struggled to keep up with the frail Crown Prince.
Even in this national assembly meeting, Edith’s report was cited. In an atmosphere where even a momentary laxity was not tolerated, she listened to various remarks, diligently jotting them down on her notepad.
“Darn it. Maybe Clyde is right. Maybe I just can’t stay still.”
He called it ambition, but I thought it was just plain rudeness.
In a situation where the stakes were glaringly high, I just couldn’t bear it any longer. Some nobles were showing signs of threatening the imperial power, and I couldn’t just sit back and watch.
I racked my brain over what opinions I should offer for the national assembly meeting. The result? I faltered in round one.
“Your Highness…”
Clyde, striding confidently, halted his steps.
“Why?”
“Go, go alone… I mean.”
“Carry me?”
“No, no.”
I caught up with Clyde with great effort, panting as I leaned on my knees.
“We’re here. The meeting is here this time.”
The reception room, suitable for small gatherings, was wide open.
People waiting inside rose to greet the Crown Prince’s arrival. Exhausted yet having to play the role of the Crown Prince’s attendant, Edith only hoped for Clyde to sit down quickly.
Formal greetings were exchanged. Amidst bowing heads, a familiar voice caught her ear.
“It’s an honor to see Your Highness again.”
Edith snapped her head up. Among the five visitors, Adrian stood out with his bright charm.
“Thank you for accepting Lord Raymond’s invitation.”
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Adrian responded to the Crown Prince while fixing his gaze on Edith behind him.
It was such a subtle angle that others wouldn’t notice the difference. It seemed like only Clyde might realize that Adrian’s gaze was actually fixed on Edith.
According to the Crown Prince’s orders, Edith had to wait nearby. She sat on a secondary chair a little away from the round table. Coincidentally, Adrian’s seat was opposite Clyde’s. Every time he spoke to the Crown Prince, their eyes met.
Adrian, smiling brightly, was still beautiful.
Clyde knew that smile wasn’t directed at him. But he pretended not to notice. Since the Crown Prince’s demeanor was generally austere except when interacting with Edith, no one found it strange when he conversed stiffly.
“It’s said that those gathered here are deeply acquainted with each other. I might be the odd one out, don’t you think?”
Adrian, who had been making eye contact with Clyde, replied.
“You are not an odd one out, Your Highness. Please don’t say that. Although I often meet Jerryan and Smith on social occasions, meeting Your Highness is much more meaningful to me.”
“I would like to create more opportunities to be with you all.”
“If you call, I’ll come running anytime.”
“That’s for sure, right?”
With a face that was hard to read, Clyde murmured softly.
The attendees were mostly operators of large-scale commercial gatherings, and their status was generally commoner. They were quite different from the people Edith had met at the national assembly meeting just before.
In the noble class, there was often a disdainful view of emerging businessmen. However, from the Crown Prince’s perspective, those who paid hefty taxes and grew rapidly were not bad at all. Among the documents on the special shelf, the priority mark for Edith’s report was precisely for the commercial sector.
“Is Raymond the only one among you with a title?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The rest will find it cumbersome to attend the royal events that will be held soon.”
Of course, everyone would attend social gatherings using their broad networks. But they would come as partners invited by nobles or as companions, nothing more.
“I should make it clear this time. Those who contribute greatly to the Empire will be officially invited to the events.”
Jerryan, the owner of the commercial gathering, nodded.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“As times change, your treatment should change as well. It would be nice to regularly organize such gatherings with a focus on those who pioneer new businesses. It’s also a way for me to hear about the changing external circumstances.”
A regular meeting among businessmen in the palace. This was a radical privilege.
“Is it really okay, Your Highness? I am honored!”
Jerryan, too, understood the meaning and was greatly moved.
But Edith, who had written down this content on her memo pad, couldn’t help but worry inwardly. It was mostly because of Clyde’s actions, which seemed reckless. The power of the nobility was still formidable, yet there were signs of him openly opposing them.
There was a possibility that this would eventually lead to a bloody reckoning. Although the romance flow of the original novel had deviated significantly, the storyline remained unchanged. It seemed that the future of the Empire would be bleak if things continued like this.
As the Crown Prince, Clyde might be making the right judgment, but he was too aggressive. Being close to him, she clearly saw the looming danger.
Edith wondered whether she should point out such concerns to him. During her time in his service, she felt her perspective broadening as she observed the whole situation.
She wavered between wanting to speak up and focusing on the gathering. She ultimately decided to keep quiet for now.
As the discourse continued, Clyde turned to Adrian and spoke.
“Raymond, I’ll see you separately later.”
His calm tone made it difficult for others to catch on to why they wanted to meet separately.
However, although Edith didn’t know, the other attendees quickly understood. They all responded with flattering words.
“Your Highness, that’s a wise decision. Raymond and I are not just saying this because we have a close relationship, but because Raymond is indeed an exceptional Omega. He has excellent character as well.”
“That’s right. Raymond wouldn’t be lacking in any way by Your Highness’s side.”
“I’ve heard that he’s not bad in social circles either. Raymond boasts of overcoming his background.”
Adrian, who had been busy glancing at Edith across the tea cup, was surprised by the atmosphere of active recommendation. He raised his head.
“I feel embarrassed to hear such words. I’m just honored to be at Your Highness’s service.”
After the meeting in the reception room was adjourned, Clyde took Adrian aside. He left everyone else behind.
Edith was somewhat taken aback when she was told to rest. Such cases were extremely rare.
Left alone, she became more curious. Why did Clyde want to meet Adrian alone? She also pondered Adrian’s reaction. Was his talk about feeling honored just a courtesy? That’s probably it.
Edith couldn’t rest easy and kept hovering around their room.
Their private conversation lasted a long time.
When it was nearing evening and she received a summons to come down, she found Clyde in the corridor. He was with Adrian, standing in a corner and engaged in a private conversation.
The two men were very close together. Edith couldn’t tell what they were whispering about.
Adrian, showing his profile, bowed his head in response to Clyde’s whisper. His long purple hair was disheveled. A few strands fell onto Adrian’s slender cheek and swayed.
A nearby attendant let out a small gasp as they walked away shoulder to shoulder.
“It seems Your Highness is finally going to keep an Omega partner by his side.”
“An Omega partner?”
“The atmosphere is very nice. Your Highness has never allowed an Omega to approach so closely before.”
Sensing someone’s gaze, Clyde turned around. His expression was as inscrutable as always.
As the two approached together, Edith felt inexplicably conflicted. The Crown Prince was walking beside Adrian instead of leading the way. What did they talk about to show such an unusual sight?
Adrian hesitated and asked Clyde.
“Your Highness, may I borrow Edith’s time for a moment?”
“That’s inconvenient. Edith has something to do with me.”
“It will only take a moment.”
“Fine, then talk to me here.”
Until just a moment ago, the two men had an atmosphere of camaraderie, but Clyde looked at Adrian with suspicion upon hearing his request.
