WMPW Chapter 4

“Oh, so he treats us well because of his brother? He cares for omegas because of him?”

“That’s part of it, and also because of the former duchess.”

It seemed like a well-known story across the empire, considering even a nobody like Etienne’s fellow orphan knew it, but Etienne was hearing it for the first time, probably because he was always focused in his research.

Nodding, he listened attentively to his companion’s words.

“What about the former duchess?”

“Why do you not know this… The previous duke was an alpha! Alpha sons are born with alpha father. But the former duchess gave birth to an omega, and not just any omega, but one with defect…”

“Really? Is that true?”

Etienne’s eyes burned with academic fervor again.

His emerald eyes sparkled with the desire for knowledge, particularly in the genetics of traits.

However, to the average person, that fervor only appeared as curiosity about gossip, so his companion eagerly shared the scandalous story about the duchess.

“Do you think I’d make this up? The former duchess faced all kinds of slander because she gave birth to an omega!”

“Why?”

“Why do you think? Despite marrying an alpha, she gave birth to a defective omega. A healthy woman wouldn’t give birth to an omega after marrying an alpha, so it must be one of three things: she committed adultery, her lineage is impure, or she is cursed by the gods!”

“A curse? Really?”

The mention of a curse instantly quelled Etienne’s academic enthusiasm.

His blood pressure rose, and he grabbed the back of his neck, looking at his orphanage companion in disbelief.

“A curse?”

A curse from the gods? What a ridiculous notion!

Sure, waking up in a completely different world and body was already a flipped reality, so the idea of a god’s curse wasn’t entirely far-fetched.

Still, the science-drenched brain of a nerd like Etienne from the 21st century refused to accept such superstition.

A curse from the gods? An impure lineage?

It was as nonsensical as claiming a sticker could block electromagnetic waves.

“Wow, this is so creepy. It’s not even pseudo-science; how can such crazy nonsense be so confidently stated…”

As someone once said, the hardest urge to resist isn’t lust or hunger but the urge to correct others.

Etienne was no exception.

He had become so allergic to absurd superstitions and pseudoscience.

“What curse of God? There’s no such thing as superior or inferior traits! Are you Hitler? Huh? Are you Hitler? An Omega child being born from an Alpha is the result of scientific laws, not some curse of God!”

“What… what are you talking about? Hitler? Who’s Hitler?”

Etienne spoke passionately, more fervently than ever before, spitting as he did so, pouring all his sincerity into his words.

“Every element of life is the result of chance. Nature has no intention! Both Alphas and Omegas are just expressions of genetic blueprints, so why are you spouting nonsense about curses?”

“Genes? What are those? What are you even talking about?”

Naturally, Etienne’s colleague couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Regardless, Etienne, highly agitated, continued to speak like a runaway train.

“And even if I concede a hundred times that Omegas are inferior, is it the woman’s fault for giving birth to one? Can a child be born alone? If they were cursed, they’d both be cursed, damn these ignorant modern folks!”

And oddly enough, Etienne’s heartfelt rant managed to capture someone else’s interest entirely.

Just moments ago, the person who had scolded and looked at Etienne with contempt for being vulgar had his attention taken again.

“…Interesting.”

Lucian, leaning quietly in a corner, let out a chuckle as he listened to Etienne’s words carried by the wind.

Initially planning to just pass by the vulgar Omega, he was stopped by rumors about his mother and brother before he could leave.

Intending to step in if those fearless guys crossed the line, Lucian found himself unable to move, struck by the unexpected words he heard.

“Curse of God? Why is there superiority and inferiority in traits?”

Dismissing the curse of God as nonsense and refuting people’s prejudices about traits.

A lowly Omega with nothing to his name, daring to challenge that absolute authority!

How audaciously insolent!

“An Omega child being born from an Alpha is the result of scientific laws, not some curse of God!”

Every word from Etienne was a blasphemous statement.

Even if he were taken away for a religious trial, there would be nothing to say.

“All elements of life are the result of chance. Nature has no intention!”

And thus…

“I thought he was just a vulgar guy who couldn’t control his instincts, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

He liked it.

Lucian couldn’t suppress the smile at the voice, full of confidence, uttering words that could easily get one branded a heretic.

The voice, which had seemed lewd, trying to seduce an Alpha just moments ago, now sounded confident and assertive. It even seemed more attractive now.

He was intrigued. His mesmerizing violet eyes shimmered.

His middle-aged butler, quietly observing from beside him, spoke in a low voice after a while.

“Shall I summon him for you, Your Grace?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Lucian shook his head at the butler’s suggestion. Then, with a captivating smile, he spoke.

“I’ll go see him myself.”

* * *

Before visiting Etienne directly, Lucian decided to take an unannounced tour of the orphanage.

Since he was sponsoring the facility, he wanted to ensure it was running properly.

Following Lucian were his butler, Ferden, and the orphanage director, Kionel.

“So, no particular issues?”

“Y-Yes! Of course not, Your Grace!”

Unlike Ferden, who quietly followed his master, Kionel was flustered, barely managing to keep up with Lucian, sweating profusely.

His constant bowing and scraping made it obvious he was dealing with a difficult superior.

“Please, come inside. I could offer you some tea…”

“I’m not interested.”

Striding along, Lucian inspected various parts of the orphanage, leaving Kionel sweating bullets.

“If you had informed us in advance, we could have prepared something…”

“If I did that, I’d never know how this place is usually run.”

Despite the old man’s attempts to curry flavorto him, Lucian’s response remained cold.

“Y-Your Grace! This is the area where the young boys stay, so it’s a bit messy. It might be better if…”

“In an institution like this, hygiene is pimportant, as I’ve stated it multiple times.”

Lucian’s expression darkened as he inspected the orphanage. Though his face was rarely cheerful, he was still stoic.

No wonder, as the orphanage he visited after a long time was far from clean or orderly.

“Disappointing.”

Cold tone. Even colder gaze. The overwhelming pressure felt like standing before a predator.

The sheer intimidation from a young man much younger than himself made Kionel’s knees nearly buckle.

“I don’t like my donations being wasted.”

“I-I apologize!”

“I expect to see improvement on my next visit, Director Kionel.”

Lucian spoke in a chilling voice.

“If you wish to keep your position, that is.”

Kionel could only nod at the terrifying warning.

“By the way, the daily schedule here ends at 10 PM, right?”

“Yes, yes! That’s correct, Your Grace.”

At Lucian’s question, Director Kionel nodded quickly, cautiously speaking up.

“But, may I ask why…”

“Not your concern.”

Naturally, the icy retort forced him to lower his eyes.

Had Etienne seen this, he might have wondered if it was the result of an unfair class system or if Alpha pheromones could affect Betas too.

“By the way, I need to ask about a specific orphan.”

“Yes? Oh, yes! Ask away.”

“The name is…”

Pausing for a moment, Lucian frowned slightly as he mumbled.

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t ask for the name.”