BSWRCPO Chapter 61

Chapter 61
Clyde summoned the doctor again. He needed to confirm if there was anything necessary to care for a late-presenting Omega, an exceptionally rare case.
“As you can see, Edith can’t even support herself. What should I do now? Should I just let her rest?”
He said this while holding her limp form and placing her gently on his lap.
“Rest is the most important thing. There must be an excess of Omega pheromones built up in her body. I’ll give you some fever reducers and pheromone stabilizers—please administer them as needed based on her symptoms.”
“All right. Anything else?”
“There’s not much to do during the heat cycle. However, once it’s over, she’ll need to start learning how to regulate her Omega pheromones. If she’s started sensing your Alpha pheromones, it’s likely she’ll begin to sense her own Omega pheromones soon.”
“Understood. I’ll call you again when necessary.”
Edith listened to their conversation but remained as unresponsive as a doll, only blinking her eyes.
Her cheeks were unusually warm. Her labored breaths came in heavy, ragged gasps.
“Edith, shall we head up to the bedroom?”
As he carried her out of the drawing room and up to his chambers, she made no effort to resist. Instead, she clung tightly to the back of his neck, leaning her soft body against him.
The heat cycle, when likened to the animal world, was akin to mating season—a time when Alphas and Omegas instinctively sought their mates with heightened urges. It was also a period when their most alluring traits were accentuated.
Even under normal circumstances, Edith was so beautiful it was almost unbearable. Now, with her flushed cheeks and the faint smile gracing her lips, she was utterly enchanting. She seemed oblivious to the charm emanating from her expression.
The urge to hold her even tighter flared in Clyde’s chest like a wildfire.
It took tremendous effort to place her gently onto the bed.

He wrung out a wet towel, droplets of clear water falling back into the basin. Clyde carefully folded the towel, its fibers neat and precise. He prepared several wet and dry towels, arranging them on a tray.
On his knees, he climbed onto the bed and placed the tray beside her.
“You’ve been sweating a lot.”
He pulled the light blanket halfway down and reached for her feet.
Her pale, delicate feet flinched at the sudden touch. The hem of her raised gown revealed her knees, the skirt and frills at the edges pure white. She looked like a serene morning painting nestled in the bed.
Clyde reached out to gently hold one of her feet. Her slender ankle, as if startled like a rabbit, jerked away.
“You don’t have to do this.”
Edith clung to the oversized pillow in her arms.
“It’s fine. It’s not difficult.”
“I’ll be taking a bath soon anyway.”
“You said the stickiness on your skin was bothering you.”
After breakfast, she had informed the maids of her intent to bathe, so for now, she had merely changed her clothes after waking up.
The scent of Omega pheromones, sweet and rich, wafted from the sweat-dampened skin of her back, where perspiration had dried.
“Could you relax your ankle a bit?”
“If you’re insistent, then call for one of the maids—”
“I’ll do it.”
Clyde finally managed to cradle her heel in his palm. He gently held the rounded heel and placed it on his knee.

“I’m doing this because I want to, Edith.”

Every word he spoke seemed to carry weight—too heavy and overwhelming for Edith to bear.

If she wasn’t planning to accept his feelings, she knew she shouldn’t let this continue.

But it felt so good, every moment so comfortable, that she was letting him do as he pleased, as though she were addicted. Resigning herself, she relaxed her legs slightly.

“Then just for a little while.”

Clyde smiled brightly, as if he had just gained the world. His handsome lips curved upward in delight, as though serving her like a maid was a source of immense joy.

He dabbed at her toes with the damp towel, a light, deliberate touch.

“Is it too cold?”

“Not really. You can just wipe it quickly.”

“I don’t like doing it that way.”

After letting her skin adjust to the towel’s temperature, he started cleaning her toes one by one. He delicately wiped her pinky toe, as though it were something precious, then wrapped the towel around his fingers to clean between her toes.

His fingertips brushed lightly between her toes.

“Ah, that tickles.”

She had intended to let him do as he pleased, but her body instinctively flinched away.

“I’ll have to be gentler.”

“You could also just stop here.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

His stubborn hands massaged her heel firmly. Switching towels, he thoroughly wiped her ankle and foot until they were clean, only then sliding the tray aside. The strange ritual, which seemed to benefit neither of them, was finally over.

But Edith’s foot was still trapped in the grasp of his large, warm hand.

He stroked the top of her foot with his fingers.

The soft, downy skin of her instep shimmered like a pearl under the morning sunlight.

Lowering his nose, Clyde gazed at the faint network of veins visible beneath her skin.

His dark blue hair shifted slightly as he moved.

Slowly, his nose lowered, coming to rest lightly on the veins of her instep.

“So beautiful.”

She couldn’t see what he was doing, hidden as it was by his bent head.

A warm, damp sensation, like a fleeting breeze, brushed across her skin. It felt strangely pure.

The place he touched happened to be the most ticklish spot on her instep. Her pinky toe twitched and danced involuntarily.

Clyde stayed there for a while, his head bowed, before reluctantly straightening up.

It felt as though he had branded her, leaving an indelible mark. The soft, rounded sensation lingered, as though it were eternal proof that Edith belonged to him.

Alongside the feverish heat of her awakening, his every small gesture sent her heart pounding.

—

When Edith called for a maid to help her dress, Clyde’s expression turned sour as he spoke up.

“The cycle isn’t over yet. You need more rest.”

She had thrown on a robe and draped a light shawl over her shoulders, preparing to head to the adjoining dressing room.

“I’m fine now. I’m all better.”

“The doctor said you needed sufficient rest. Just because the fever has gone doesn’t mean it’s over.”

“Thank you for worrying about me, but I think it’s time I got up.”

She gave him a bright smile, pretending to be completely at ease.

Clyde crossed his arms, his expression turning rather grim. He looked ready to stop her by force if necessary, so Edith hurriedly stepped away.

She was trying to put some distance between them.

Having experienced her awakening with him, she realized just how different the depth of their feelings was.

During his care, Edith found herself physically comfortable. The Crown Prince, practically a deity, had attended to her personally, even feeding her.

But for Clyde, every action he took was heartfelt. If Edith wanted something, he seemed ready to do whatever it took to fulfill her wishes, even if he received nothing in return.

He calmly insisted that he was doing it because he wanted to, asking only that she let him. He was careful not to burden her, but how could she not know? Surely, Clyde’s heart must be burning inside.

To put it harshly, it felt like she was using him.

As she changed into her outdoor attire, Edith tried to steel herself.

*“Sincerity must be met with sincerity.”*

If she stayed by his side any longer, Clyde would only continue to get hurt.

She had to leave while she still could.

She needed to harden her resolve and hand in her resignation.

Before leaving, she went to his room one last time to tell him. Through the open door of the adjoining room, she saw the space where they had worked together for countless hours.

If they had maintained the roles of Crown Prince and attendant, she would have been more than happy to support him wholeheartedly.

She didn’t dislike the work that involved concern for the empire. In fact, it suited her well.

Could she ever return to this room? With how she felt now, it seemed impossible.

“Well then… take care.”

It was just a routine report of her departure, but the atmosphere between them was cold.

Clyde, who had his back turned, slowly turned around.

Edith, feeling uneasy, kept her gaze lowered, staring at the patterns on the carpet as if they held all the answers, waiting for him to say something—anything.

“Edith, why don’t you come with me somewhere?”

“Where to?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“I was just on my way home.”

“Just stop by for a bit. I won’t hold you long.”

His words—promising it wouldn’t take long and that he wouldn’t keep her—somehow felt as though he knew her heart. She hadn’t revealed her intention to write her resignation letter that evening, yet it felt as though he had guessed.

Her chest pricked sharply, as if stabbed with a needle. Her heavy steps followed him reluctantly.

The two of them left the Crown Prince’s palace and headed toward an even grander, more magnificent one.

The Imperial Palace.

“This is…”

It was a place he always visited alone. While Clyde had rarely been apart from Edith, this was the one occasion where he hadn’t asked her to accompany him.

The guards and attendants who had escorted them stopped at the entrance, but Clyde beckoned only to her.

Edith hesitated, finding it difficult to follow him inside.

“Can I… really come in?”

“Come. I want to show you something.”

Hesitating, she crossed the threshold of the grand entrance. They passed through the quiet halls of the palace, heading toward its center.

The Imperial Palace attendants leading the way were extremely reserved, almost mute. If Edith hadn’t heard them exchange brief greetings earlier, she might have thought they were incapable of speech.

When they reached what appeared to be the Emperor’s bedchamber, Edith felt something strange.

The attendants did not announce their presence to the Emperor, nor did they knock or make their presence known. Their lack of basic decorum left her bewildered.

The room, known to have housed the Emperor bedridden for years, carried the faint scent of burning incense.

When Clyde remained silent and refrained from greeting the Emperor, Edith clasped her hands together and waited quietly, observing the peculiar surroundings from a distance.

The bed curtains were drawn. Was the Emperor asleep?

“Edith, come closer.”

Even if the Emperor were resting, she knew it would be improper to approach. She shook her head slightly, but Clyde gestured again, urging her to step closer to the bedside.

“What you’re about to see must remain an absolute secret.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

“No one other than the attendants serving His Majesty has been here. You’re the only one.”

Edith swallowed hard.

Even the ministers aligned with the Emperor’s faction had never been here. She couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of surprise, though she kept her expression neutral.

Clyde used the back of his hand to part the thick, opaque curtains just slightly.

A shadowed view of the bed’s interior came into focus.