* * *
Chel looked at Anakin with tear-swollen eyes.
He must’ve been scolded harshly by the Countess for letting anything happen to Anakin.
Still, Chel had done his job as an attendant perfectly.
It was just bad luck this time.
“Yes…”
Anakin didn’t want to go back to the palace either.
From the moment he regained consciousness, he could feel how messed up his body was.
The rapid manifestation of his Omega traits had pushed his body into overdrive—it couldn’t keep up.
“Where’s my brother?”
“He’s probably at the training grounds by now. You know how he is.”
His mother smiled softly as she answered.
Anakin nodded, then stepped down from the bed on shaky legs.
The Countess caught him just as he wobbled and spoke with concern.
“You shouldn’t be moving right after waking up. It’s dangerous.”
“I’m okay,” he replied, forcing a smile.
“Oh, and… don’t tell anyone I said this, but even the Count—though he didn’t show it—was really worried about you. Once you feel better, maybe stop by his office?”
That night, Anakin tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
He was so aware of every little sound that even Chel’s careful breathing as he checked on him now and then was noticeable.
But at one point, there was a different sound.
Heavy, masculine footsteps—definitely not Chel’s.
“……”
Even half-asleep, Anakin could tell the man stayed a while before quietly leaving.
Normally, he would have greeted him, but his body, still exhausted from everything, remained still as a corpse.
The next morning, Anakin stretched out his stiff body and got out of bed.
The attendants, used to the routine, began helping him bathe and dress.
“Someone visited during the night, didn’t they?”
Chel nodded.
“It was the Count.”
Anakin had heard things were hectic with territorial affairs.
Still, his father had made time to check on him.
Considering he was the family’s beloved youngest, it wasn’t too surprising.
Fathers worrying about their children—it was the same in any world.
Still, as peaceful as life felt now, he couldn’t shake the discomfort of how abruptly he’d left the Imperial Palace.
There was Leo, who must’ve been shocked… his social circle friends… even Harca, to whom he had said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
They must’ve noticed he’d disappeared by now.
And then there was the Crown Prince—and Evelin.
As he thought of them, the memories of that day came flooding back.
Would this become a trauma?
There were only two reasons why an Omega would manifest early:
1.Natural hormonal development due to rapid growth.
- Repeated exposure to Alpha pheromones that forcibly trigger early manifestation.
In the original story, Anakin manifested at the usual age.
So, clearly, this was the second case.
And the drink Lewis gave him—there was a high chance it was laced with something that triggered manifestation.
To fall for such an obvious trap…
It was frustrating, but what could he do now?
What mattered was what came next.
He had failed to see the truth because he felt sorry for Lewis—he’d let sentiment cloud his judgment.
So the real question was—who kept exposing him to such intense pheromones?
There were a few possible suspects.
Leo hadn’t manifested as an Alpha yet.
Hilde was an Alpha, but they hadn’t spent much time together.
Which left two candidates: the Crown Prince, and Harca.
And the Crown Prince… seemed like the most likely culprit.
Whenever Anakin was near him, his body felt hot and strange.
If it was the Crown Prince—why would he do it?
Triggering someone’s manifestation early didn’t automatically make them your Omega.
If it wasn’t malicious intent, then there was no reason for it at all.
Unless… he and Evelin were working together to trap him?
He could have easily been raped by an Alpha.
The scandal would’ve ruined him socially—he would’ve been exiled from noble society.
At the age of just thirteen.
If he hadn’t transmigrated into this body, the real Anakin would never have been able to endure this.
Even as an adult, Anakin trembled just thinking about it.
In the original story, the Crown Prince was obsessed with Anakin—he wanted to possess him entirely.
He tormented Anakin and never hesitated to hurt him.
Whether it was love or obsession, it was clear Anakin suffered.
But maybe… things had changed.
Maybe, because their first encounter had played out differently, he had lost interest.
Maybe he wouldn’t fall for Anakin at all.
There were always variables.
Besides, he wasn’t the real Anakin.
That’s when he remembered what Harca said to him the night before the banquet:
“Are you trying to manifest early?”
He hadn’t thought much of it at the time—but Harca had clearly noticed something strange.
Like how Anakin was completely drenched in Alpha pheromones.
Whether it was on purpose or not, the Crown Prince had led Anakin into that trap.
He knew what he was doing—he couldn’t possibly have been unaware that his pheromones were affecting Anakin.
He must’ve been layering them on, little by little, each time they met—until it built up enough to trigger manifestation at the worst possible time.
“Haha… God, it’s infuriating.”
The betrayal hit like a punch. His tightly clenched fists trembled.
Was this how the original Anakin had felt?
Being manipulated and tormented by the Crown Prince—helpless and alone.
While I spent those long, painful hours suffocating in my room, the very people who put me there were basking in praise at the banquet—laughing and dancing with Evelyn.
Just thinking about it made me feel like all the blood was draining from my head.
The moment Anakin realized he’d been played by their damned scheme, he closed his eyes tightly.
Lewis and Evelyn, fine—he could accept it from them.
But the feeling of betrayal by someone he had trusted… that was beyond words.
After staying still like that for about thirty seconds, Anakin slowly opened his eyes.
“…I guess there’s no helping it.”
He still needed to thank Roman for saving him, and he should also check in with his father.
If he wanted to survive in this brutal world, he had to become stronger.
The central training ground of House Descartes, buzzing with activity.
Normally, the knights would be loudly shouting and training with spirit, but today, strangely, they were quiet—stealing glances at the small boy who gave off the air of an immature omega.
In the center of the field was Roman Descartes, the cold-eyed, sharp-featured beauty, sparring with the knights.
When he noticed the knights sneaking glances at Anakin, Roman took a step back.
As Anakin bit his lip, clearly wanting to say something, Roman, distracted by the stares, reluctantly ended the sparring session and walked over to him.
“What is it, Anakin?”
It was their first proper encounter since Roman had saved him—but his tone was as chilly as ever.
Clearly, he was more interested in getting back to his training than catching up with the brother who had nearly died.
“I-I just… wanted to say something…”
Anakin had meant to greet him with some shameless bravado, but fear crept into his voice, making him stammer.
He hadn’t even released any pheromones, but the unfamiliar presence of an alpha—and that uniquely annoyed expression in Roman’s eyes—made him shrink back.
When Anakin fluttered his lashes nervously, Roman finally spoke.
“Let’s talk later.”
With his black hair and pale, almost translucent skin, Roman resembled me in appearance—but out of all the knights, he stood out unmistakably as an extraordinary beauty.
No, not quite.
He looked more like our sculpted-count father than me.
This family’s genetics really were unfair.
“C-Can’t we talk now?”
As Roman turned to head back to the sparring ground, Anakin hurriedly bit his lip and looked up at him.
Roman paused, and after meeting Anakin’s desperate eyes for a moment, he lifted an arm and made a subtle motion to dismiss the surrounding knights.
The training field cleared in seconds. Swift movements—perhaps fitting for him.
The cold air felt even chillier thanks to Roman’s frosty demeanor.
“What did you want to say?”
It was rare for an alpha male to speak so coldly to Anakin.
The fact that this alpha was his only sibling made it sting all the more.
“I just wanted to thank you… for saving me.”
Now that they were alone, Anakin hung his head and stared at the ground.
Anyone would’ve averted their gaze under this kind of overwhelming pressure.
He said it in such a small, hesitant voice he wasn’t even sure Roman had heard it.
“You came all the way out here in that weak body just to say thank you…?”
Roman narrowed his eyes at Anakin and slowly scanned him up and down.
They barely saw each other outside of family dinners.
Roman didn’t even know if Anakin was eating properly. His fragile-looking frame was trembling.
To Roman, the sight of a scared child trembling in front of him was nothing new.
Kids were always afraid of him.
But Anakin, especially so…
Roman’s eyes slowly trailed from Anakin’s head to his toes.
His thin limbs looked like they could snap at any moment.
On top of that, his omega pheromones—triggered abnormally early—were unstable and immature, leaking out without control.
He’s clearly terrified of all these alphas in the training ground.
Then why the hell did he come outside?
“…Follow me.”
At Roman’s curt command, Anakin quickly raised his head and rushed to follow him.
In his haste, he tripped over his own feet and nearly fell, but Roman didn’t pay it any attention.
“You were groaning like a sick kitten back then. I thought you were going to die.”
“…”
“I tried not to touch you, but you kept shoving me away anyway.”
* * *
