* * *

“But I’m a beta! Seriously!” I protested, looking up at Duchess Velesa in panic. Irina paused thoughtfully before speaking.

“It’s true you don’t emit the pheromones typical of omegas, Viscount, but…”

Then what in the world is inside me?

The dragon had said there was a way, but I’d outright refused, warning him not to even think about trying it.

Yudenet himself had agreed not to force me.

So, had he deceived me behind my back?

While I reeled from the implications, Duchess Velesa clicked her tongue lightly.

“I admired you for your intelligence and poise—qualities rare in today’s youth. I even considered you as a potential match for my grandson.”

“…”

Well, that was terrifying enough on its own.

Lowering my head in shame, I braced myself for her reprimand.

“Unmarried and already with child, you’ve truly given me no choice but to intervene.”

There was nothing to refute.

Absolutely nothing.

Of course, even I would have been horrified in their shoes.

As for me, the person in question, I was barely holding on to consciousness, teetering on the edge of fainting again.

Not only had I wasted precious time collapsing in such an urgent situation, but now, suddenly—pregnancy?

It felt less like being hit over the head and more like I’d lose consciousness again if I didn’t make a deliberate effort to stay focused.

“Regardless, what I require from you remains the same. That child.”

Child? My head tilted slightly in confusion.

As though satisfied we were finally back to the main topic, Duchess Velesa gave a pleased smile.

---

The weather in Velon was as merciless as ever, with winter’s chill gnawing at the flesh, but the central region, where the capital lay, still clung to late autumn.

It was a chaotic time in the imperial palace, with preparations underway to replace various supplies for the upcoming cold snap.

During the youngest princess’s recent birthday banquet, there had been hushed speculation about whether His Majesty might accept a northern son-in-law.

Now, the palace staff kept their thoughts to themselves, cowed by the storm of rumors engulfing the palace.

“Ugh… I should’ve left when they asked me to go.”

There were more than a few who regretted brushing off the notice that Garnet Palace was temporarily hiring extra maids to accommodate the influx of guests from across the empire.

“So what if a man’s handsome? No matter how beautiful, they all look the same,” they had scoffed, preferring to relax instead—only to find the price of their indifference unexpectedly steep.

Currently, there wasn’t a single person in the empire as renowned for their looks as the Grand Duke.

How extraordinary must his face be for him to turn down the honor of becoming a royal son-in-law?

And while the Emperor’s retaliatory order for him to march into battle might have been excessive, it only deepened the intrigue.

Everyone wanted to know: just how extraordinary was this man who dared to reject the highest marriage proposal a common-born noble could ever dream of?

“Don’t even get me started. My friend worked catering that day and said the whole hall was packed with people who just wanted a glimpse of him.”

Although most tried to suppress their curiosity, their lips twitched with the urge to comment.

A man who turned down the princess solely on the strength of his looks?

There hadn’t been gossip this juicy in ages.

As people quietly placed bets on what might happen next to the Grand Duke, a maid burst into the break room, waving a handkerchief like it was breaking news.

“What’s going on? Why are you running in here out of breath?”

Giselle, the senior maid among the unmarried staff, set down her book and asked.

The dark-haired maid, still catching her breath, blurted out, “It’s huge! The princess has invoked a Guardian Order!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Guardian Order?

The others exchanged confused looks, most unfamiliar with the term.

The dark-haired maid sighed in frustration and elaborated, “You know! That special privilege of the royal family that can override even His Majesty’s commands!”

“Oh…”

“You don’t remember? It’s the one where they can command any army to protect themselves.”

“Oh, right, I think I learned about that…”

As Giselle squinted, trying to recall the royal protocols she’d been taught, another maid jumped in with a question.

“But why would the princess use that? Did the Grand Duke try to retaliate against her for being annoyed over the rejected proposal or something?”

The idea that the Guardian Order was used to prevent the Grand Duke’s deployment didn’t even cross their minds.

The maids were already speculating wildly when the dark-haired maid revealed her “big secret” with a smug grin.

“No! Just as the Grand Duke was about to march out, the princess ordered him to come protect her at Heskin Castle instead.”

“What? Wait, are you saying the princess summoned the Grand Duke herself?”

What on earth was going on?

As confusion rippled through the room, another maid burst in, throwing the door open.

“Breaking news! The Grand Duke is on his way to the imperial palace right now!”

“What?”

“What is going on now?”

The chaos of the rumors seemed to escalate by the second.

“Wasn’t he supposed to be at Heskin Castle? Now he’s coming to the palace?”

Giselle, trying to make sense of the situation, asked, and the latest arrival nodded vigorously.

“Yes! To be exact, the advance party arrived earlier, so he’s probably on his way up now. What on earth is happening?”

“An advance party?”

“The scale doesn’t seem big enough for a rebellion, but I have no idea why he’s coming!”

Still clueless about the unfolding events, the maids speculated even further.

Could the Grand Duke and the princess have fallen for each other in that short time?

Or was it a power play to gain leverage in a potential royal marriage?

Just as everyone was throwing out increasingly improbable guesses, the door swung open for the third time.

“What are you all standing around for? Guests have arrived at the palace. Stay alert and prepare for anything!”

It was the fearsome head maid, Margaret.

Her stern tone made everyone snap to attention, hastily setting aside whatever they were holding and straightening their posture.

“Yes, ma’am! Right away!”

What was truly happening?

Only those directly involved in this storm of events knew the answer.

---

The autumn air in the imperial palace was brisk.

While it wasn’t particularly cold for someone like me, accustomed to Velon’s bitter winters, the locals’ attire had noticeably thickened since my last visit.

“You’ll soon be granted an audience with His Majesty. Mind your manners.”

Beyond the steward, who regarded me as if I were an uninvited thug, stood the tightly sealed doors of the audience chamber.

Lavishly adorned with ornate carvings and encrusted with jewels, the doors screamed of excess.

They didn’t exude elegance but rather the vulgarity of wealth poured in for its own sake.

‘Sure, they’re rich, but their taste is… lacking.’

I caught myself critiquing the Emperor’s aesthetic as I turned and extended a hand to escort Duchess Velesa.

She placed her hand atop mine with a blank expression.

“You’ve steeled yourself, I hope?”

Though Duchess Velesa didn’t specify what for, I knew. If things went wrong, I’d bear the consequences.

The punishment for such audacity before His Majesty would be severe.

Velon might even have to prepare for all-out war, and Nirvan would not escape unscathed.

To protect my estate—more precious to me than anything—I had to become a silver-tongued devil capable of spinning any argument.

Failure meant there would be no second chances.

“Of course.”

I gave Duchess Velesa a deliberate nod and signaled the steward to open the doors.

“The Duchess of Velesa and Viscount Everdeen request an audience!”

The steward’s booming announcement was followed by the blaring of ceremonial horns.

Slowly, the heavy metal doors began to open.

* * *