WMPW chapter 16

A unique gaze could truly captivate a person. Lucian, who had been silently staring at Etienne, snapped out of it and finally spoke.

“…If you were caught, you would’ve been executed.”

“But I wasn’t caught, so it’s fine.”

Etienne, who had been meticulously observing the dissection cadaver, finally closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head to pay his respects to the deceased.

The person who had been bounding down the stairs moments ago was nowhere to be found, replaced by someone reverent.

Lucian, who had been watching quietly from the side, spoke up as soon as Etienne opened his eyes again.

“I didn’t know you were a devout believer.”

“Me? No.”

“Yes. Didn’t you just offer a prayer?”

“Ah… It’s similar, but not quite. It’s more like a silent tribute.”

“A silent tribute?”

“Yes. It’s a matter of showing respect to the deceased. Properly expressing gratitude allows them to rest a bit easier.”

Etienne’s response came as if it was the most natural thing in the world. For Lucian, it was an unexpected answer.

“I thought you were far from superstition.”

“Well, respecting the deceased is different from believing in an afterlife.”

Lucian had never genuinely shown respect for the dead.

Not because he didn’t respect them, but because the idea of doing something for someone who no longer existed seemed akin to the superstition he so despised.

However, seeing Etienne offer a silent tribute, Lucian thought for the first time that maybe showing such respect wasn’t so bad.

“…Indeed.”

Lucian briefly looked down at the cadaver, then closed his eyes and bowed his head, just as Etienne had done. After a short silent tribute, he picked up the dissection knife lying beside him.

“Let’s begin.”

“Yes!”

“Do you want to try it yourself?”

At Lucian’s suggestion, Etienne shook his head. Despite his burning passion for learning, he had no experience handling human cadavers properly.

“I’ve never learned human dissection formally. I don’t think I can do it well… Since you have more experience, Your Grace, you should do it.”

“What about the dissection diagrams in your research journal?”

“Those were just rough sketches. It wouldn’t be right to do the same now…”

“Then watch and learn carefully.”

Etienne nodded with a determined expression. And the next moment, as Lucian brought the knife to the dissection cadaver, the dissection began.

The two of them became engrossed in the dissection, losing track of time. Lucian’s knife was exquisitely precise, and Etienne rapidly absorbed the flood of knowledge and information.

With each hidden organ that came into view, Etienne’s eyes filled with curiosity. His concentration was almost palpable.

Eventually, the two remained in the lab, unaware that the sky outside had darkened. They stayed until Etienne had observed the Omega’s organs he had wanted to examine.

“The organ structure is more similar to birds than humans in many ways… I had some idea since I heard males could get pregnant.”

“Indeed, the Omega’s body structure is unique.”

“This kind of organ structure, inside me as well…”

Etienne gently stroked his abdomen with his hand, his eyes still fixed on the dissection cadaver.

“I wondered if only Alphas could impregnate Omegas due to a structural difference during knotting, but it’s hard to tell just by looking at this.”

“…”

“It’s truly fascinating, isn’t it? Cells form tissues, tissues form organs, organs form organisms… becoming Alphas or Omegas, and males or females.”

The curious Omega proposed various hypotheses and analyses with bright eyes, his fervor unwavering.

Lucian found it unusual. Having someone who shared his ideals and understood him, instead of a clueless assistant barely managing their revulsion, was a new experience.

Unaware of Lucian’s inner thoughts, Etienne eventually smiled brightly at him.

“We’ll uncover the principles together, Your Grace.”

How could one not feel their heart race at that smile?

It was mesmerizing. Although their feelings diverged, Lucian felt a similar sense of awe, nodding vaguely.

“…Yes, it’s fascinating.”

He reassured himself that the intense emotion he felt was merely respect for the brilliant intellect reflected in those green eyes.

***

As the days at the Duke’s mansion passed, the time Lucian and Etienne spent together grew longer.

From the moment they opened their eyes until just before they closed them, the two remained inseparable, as if they were one.

Their daily routine consisted of conducting experiments, having discussions, and dining together until just before bed. Sometimes, they would lose track of time and stay up all night.

Today was no different.

“Let’s call it a day here and continue tomorrow.”

“What? Just a little more…”

Etienne, who was in the middle of dissecting a corpse with Lucian, looked longingly at his partner, who had set down his knife, but the reply was firm.

“Your stomach is growling, Etienne.”

“What?”

Only then did Etienne, who was so engrossed in the dissection, realize that his stomach was growling loudly.

“Oh, it really is…”

“We just had some quick snacks in the lab for breakfast and lunch. We should at least have a proper dinner.”

“I’m fine. It’s not the first time I’ve had to endure hunger.”

Etienne said it lightly, but Lucian’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Don’t do that again.”

“What? But you’ve been down here dissecting since dawn…”

“I can handle it, but you can’t.”

This was an astonishing statement. For Lucian to nag someone to eat properly, it was more believable that a mythical creature existed.

In reality, before meeting Etienne, Lucian himself often worked all night without eating, causing much distress to the servants, who nearly suffered from stress because of him.

Unable to defy Lucian’s stubbornness, Etienne finally left the dissection room, quickly hedding his protective gear.

“What’s for dinner?”

“Do you have anything you want?”

“Um…”

Etienne pondered carefully, clearly deep in thought.

When Etienne finally spoke, Lucian felt his heart sink for a moment.

“Actually, after seeing all that blood earlier…”

Was his precious Omega, no, partner, losing his appetite? Or was he feeling unwell?

Unaware of Lucian’s concerns, Etienne spoke in an innocent voice.

“I want to eat steak. Rare.”

“…”

“Is that possible?”

‘What was I thinking? My Omega… no, my partner wouldn’t be that weak.’

Quickly chastising himself internally, Lucian nodded silently.

“Of course. Go wash up, I’ll have the steak prepared.”

“Ugh, what a hassle…”

Grumbling, Etienne obediently went into the bathroom. Spending the whole day in the dissection room had left all sorts of smells clinging to him.

If they went downstairs in this state, the servants would be horrified. So, it was their routine to take a bath in water scented with fragrant oils after finishing the dissections.

“When I was in the orphanage, I couldn’t even dream of taking a bath, but living in the Duke’s mansion has its perks…”

Only briefly complaining, Etienne melted into the warm water, enjoying the bath. The warmth and fragrance wrapping around his body brought a lazy satisfaction.

After a long, relaxing bath, Etienne emerged dripping water and wearing only a robe. Lucian, already perfectly dressed and elegant without a single flaw, was waiting for him.

Thinking aimlessly about how Lucian’s military past made him so quick in his actions, Etienne began to dry his hair with a towel.

“But, Duke.”

“What is it?”

“Why have you been wearing the same clothes for days?”

Lucian paused, momentarily frozen. Etienne was right; Lucian had been rotating through the same clothes for the past few days.

“Does it bother you?”

“No, not at all. I was just curious… Is the Duke’s family’s finances perhaps not as good as I thought?”

Lucian couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity. For someone to worry about the finances of the Duke’s family he managed, it was unheard of.

Amused, Lucian gently flicked Etienne’s forehead.

“You cheeky thing, do you not know who’s responsible for this?”

“Huh?”

Etienne looked puzzled, only making Lucian laugh more.

Taking the towel from Etienne, Lucian shook his hair a few times before squeezing his cheek gently and letting go.

“Don’t worry about it, just focus on your research.”

“Why do you have to hit me for that…”

Not understanding, Etienne grumbled and turned away.

Then, without warning, he shrugged off his robe.

Fresh from the bath, his warm, smooth, pale skin filled Lucian’s view.

The sweet, fragrant Omega pheromones, intensified from the long soak in the hot water, were a bonus.

The smile vanished from Lucian’s face.

Oblivious, Etienne, while changing into new clothes, chuckled and turned to Lucian.

“Duke, look at this. The servants seem to have brought the wrong clothes.”

Wearing only a large, airy shirt that barely covered his thighs, Etienne’s straight, pale legs were exposed.

“This looks like your shirt, Duke. It’s huge.”

Wearing the oversized shirt, with sleeves that covered his hands, Etienne smiled brightly.

“Your shirt almost reaches my knees.”

The sight of his beautiful, fragrant Omega in such an alluring state made Lucian feel his reason slipping away again.