* * *

Arriving fashionably late to the party, Lowell sipped his champagne while surveying the scene.

Many people greeted him as he passed, and several Alphas—likely guessing his secondary gender—hovered nearby, clearly wanting to strike up a conversation but hesitating.

Fully aware of their attention, Lowell deliberately ignored them and avoided their eyes.

“You look as stunning as ever. Even a rose’s fragrance can’t compare to yours.”

“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me.”

Some bold individuals approached with blatant flirtations, but Lowell deftly sidestepped them, making his disinterest unmistakable.

Impatience gnawed at him as the person he was waiting for failed to show, leaving only the wrong kind of attention.

Just as he began to wish for a place to sit, the doors finally opened.

A man dressed in black robes adorned with gold accents strode in.

Each step echoed in the suddenly hushed ballroom, the sound of his boots reverberating through the stillness.

His breathtakingly beautiful appearance and commanding presence were so overwhelming that even Lowell, who had steeled himself, faltered slightly.

‘The original owner of this body… must have been either remarkably brave or incredibly foolish.’

Revising his opinion of the original Lowell, he observed Felix approach the Crown Prince, who also happened to be his cousin.

The Emperor and Empress, of course, hadn’t bothered to attend.

‘This whole affair is just for show.’

Although Felix was ostensibly the guest of honor, after greeting the Crown Prince and a few others, he was left standing alone.

His expression made it clear he was eager to leave as soon as possible.

The table set aside for him, ostensibly to honor him, was in reality meant to isolate him.

“Clearly, His Majesty dislikes that ‘ominous’ shade of black.”

“He’s a war hero, but they’re treating him like this? I suppose sending him to the battlefield at fourteen, hoping he’d die, backfired when he kept coming back victorious. Must’ve been a headache for them.”

The whispers of gossip flowed freely.

Lowell shook his head with a bitter smile.

‘This is the perfect environment to break someone’s spirit. It’s a miracle he hasn’t turned rotten.’

Recalling the countless students he had counseled in his original world, Lowell assessed Felix as someone relatively easy to work with.

As he moved closer, intending to approach Felix, he noticed the mage lifting a glass with a bored expression.

‘He shouldn’t drink that.’

The champagne at Felix’s table had been spiked.

The Emperor’s men had tampered with it, intending to make Felix lose control of his magic.

The result would be injuries to several nobles, including the child of a former comrade who still held some goodwill toward Felix.

That incident would strip Felix of his remaining allies and deepen his isolation.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

Lowell hurried across the room, practically running.

Just as Felix brought the glass to his lips, the orchestra reached a crescendo.

“Don’t drink that.”

Lowell arrived just in time, grabbing Felix’s hand to stop him.

The mage’s cold gaze fixed on him.

“What are you doing?”

Felix slapped Lowell’s hand away and raised the glass again, seemingly out of spite.

‘Ah, he’s being stubborn.’

Lowell blocked him once more.

This time, Felix swatted his hand aside with more force, his brows furrowing.

“Don’t touch me so freely.”

The atmosphere turned icy.

Felix’s glare, sharp enough to make anyone tremble, felt to Lowell like a pet cat puffing up its fur.

“Then I won’t touch you. But please, don’t drink that.”

“And why shouldn’t I?”

Leaning in, Lowell whispered, his voice low enough to be drowned out by the music.

“It’s poisoned.”

“Oh? And how do you know that? What proof do you have?”

Felix’s suspicion was razor-sharp, the wariness of someone who had never received genuine help from anyone.

“Are you really going to drink it, then?”

“There’s no reason I shouldn’t.”

A headache began to form.

‘He really is just a tall child.’

People like Felix wouldn’t listen until you earned their trust, but Lowell didn’t have the luxury of time.

“Then, would you believe me if I drank it instead? But if something happens to me, you’ll need to intervene and get the antidote immediately.”

Felix’s expression turned incredulous, unable to understand why Lowell would go to such lengths.

Taking advantage of his hesitation, Lowell snatched the glass and downed it in one go.

He had his reasons.

Based on his memories, this body had no magical abilities—neither talent for magic nor skill with a sword—so he assumed the potion wouldn’t trigger the same reaction it would in Felix.

‘Even if something does happen, Felix will stop me.’

However, there was a flaw in that logic: the potion wasn’t designed to induce magic overload.

That was merely a side effect.

“See? Nothing’s happening. You must have been mistaken—”

Before Felix could finish, a sweet, honeyed scent began to spread through the room.

There was no need to check; it was the pheromones of an Omega.

Both Felix and Lowell’s expressions darkened simultaneously.

‘This isn’t a magic booster…’

Heat pooled in Lowell’s core, heavy and smoldering.

‘This is bad.’

His entire body felt feverish, as if set aflame.

Even he was suffocating on the cloying, saccharine scent he was emitting.

The once-melodious instruments faltered and fell silent, and all eyes in the ballroom turned to him.

‘Still, better me than Felix losing control.’

Despite the chaos, Lowell’s first thought was relief. He clung to that positivity, fearing the heat would consume him entirely.

“Are you alright?”

Felix’s voice was laced with guilt, his face pale as a sheet.

Clearly, he blamed himself for not trusting Lowell and causing this situation.

Sensing an opportunity, Lowell gestured for Felix to come closer.

Momentarily subdued by guilt, Felix leaned in, allowing Lowell to whisper into his ear.

“If I… start acting strange… stop me. And… find the antidote.”

His breath was molten heat, and his honey-dipped voice melted into Felix’s ear.

“There’s… probably an empty room nearby. Lock me in there… and bring the antidote.”

Lowell’s pants were damp with sweat.

He was sure his body was a mess underneath, but his remarkable self-control was the only thing keeping him coherent enough to speak.

“…Very well.”

✨✨✨

Beads of sweat formed on Felix’s forehead.

His heart pounded as if it would burst from his chest, likely because he was catching the scent of an omega’s forced heat at such close proximity.

As he glanced around, seeking another beta attendant to call for help, all he met were cold stares from the onlookers, who seemed more interested in watching the situation unfold than intervening.

His hair stood on end, a visceral reaction born of instinctive discomfort.

To him, humans—especially the ones gathered in this party hall—were an untrustworthy species.

And yet, he was supposed to entrust an omega, one as charming as a kitten and as melodious as a songbird, to someone else?

It was bound to cause trouble.

“Phew…”

Taking a deep breath, Felix lightly supported Lowell with one arm, unfastening his own robe to cover him.

He didn’t want others to catch even a glimpse of this endearing young man.

“Put your arms around my neck.”

Felix spoke, his voice tinged with nervousness, despite having no intention of letting go.

* * *