Author: Raven

Chapter 103

Carl Lindbergh took a deep breath. Candles lit, rose petals scattered, he’d set the mood perfectly.

Marco, tilting his head, asked, “What’s all this for?” as he stopped Elizabeth from chewing on the rose petals. Carl just laughed.

Carl Lindbergh was going to be reborn in this novel. Not as Jeon Woo-young, acting the part of the kind Carl Lindbergh to survive, but as the real Carl Lindbergh, possessing the soul of Jeon Woo-young.

It would begin with revealing the truth to his beloved Adrian Heineken and seeking his understanding. And then, accepting himself as an Omega.

Leia Lindbergh’s Omega crash course had been helpful in many ways, but since her explanations came from a character within this world, there were gaps. Because of this, there were limits to accepting it with his heart even though he understood it with his head.

Of course, he’d been cramming a lot of information from Lulu lately, but that also wasn’t very helpful as it was heavily influenced by her preferences.

The Omegaverse that Lulu described was a more terrifying world than he had imagined.

Carl’s eyes unfocused slightly.

He was surprised once by the fact that this world, which he had known only as the author’s creation, was already mainstream within the Boys’ Love category. And when he reached the imprinting part, past scary settings like marking and knotting, Carl Lindbergh’s consciousness almost faded.

So, his physiological fear upon seeing Adrian’s ‘there’ wasn’t an overreaction.

Honestly…

The thought of continuing a platonic, agape-like love briefly crossed his mind despite his body becoming wet without his permission.

Carl Lindbergh’s cheeks flushed red. He shook his head and nervously picked at the sofa armrest.

Actually, that was a lie. It was because the identity that remained in his mind urged him to turn away from those expectations amidst the fluctuating emotions of hope and fear.

Carl was definitely attracted to Adrian, both physically and mentally.

If Adrian understood that, he felt like it would be easier as they would overcome it together from now on.

It had been about 10 minutes since Marco went to get Adrian, so he should be here soon unless something happened.

He could faintly hear the soldiers moving in formation.

He must be coming already. As always, he was a man who made no concessions when it came to Carl.

Carl Lindbergh’s lips were dry.

If Adrian believed him…

He had to conquer noir, romance, and any other genre that might come their way.

❖ ❖ ❖

Marco lamented that his legs were still too short to catch up with the Crown Prince’s stride.

He had to let the prince know that His Highness the Crown Prince would be arriving soon, but the Crown Prince appeared from behind and quickly passed him.

“Does he have wheels on his feet?”

Someone grabbed Marco, who was panting and sweating as he chased after the Crown Prince who kept getting farther away.

“Hey, where are you going?”

It was Lulu.

Marco frowned at Lulu, who was acting increasingly familiar.

“To get His Highness. Why?”

“Hey, don’t go today.”

Lulu, glancing at the retreating Crown Prince, gave a meaningful smile.

“Are you crazy? Then who’s going to attend to them?”

The room was a mess already. Once the prince and the Crown Prince were finished, he would have to remove the dangerous candles first.

“What business would the prince have with the Crown Prince at this hour, after dinner? Don’t you get it?”

Marco’s face flushed red.

“He said he had something to tell him today. Just a conversation, he said.”

Lulu clicked her tongue.

“These days, conversations lead to other things. That’s how relationships work.”

Marco’s face turned pale.

“But His Highness isn’t in heat yet…”

Honestly, acting all innocent while using the word ‘heat’ so casually…

Well, it was a common term here.

Lulu chuckled softly.

“Who said you need to be in heat? Newlyweds overturn tables even in the middle of a meal.”

“But they’re not even married yet…”

“They’re engaged, and they live together.”

Staying in separate rooms in a building with dozens of rooms wasn’t exactly ‘living together’ in Marco’s opinion, but Lulu didn’t allow him to argue.

Looking at Marco, whose ears and tail were drooping, Lulu wondered if this was a Carl Lindbergh harem novel.

He wasn’t a guard dog protecting its master, so why was he so stiff?

He was the perfect attendant for her brother, but she worried he might develop feelings for him.

Carl Lindbergh’s face was a problem, but her brother’s obsessive care for those around him was the bigger problem.

The same went for Belfry Hendrick.

Lulu sighed dramatically.

She’d been rooting for her favorite and second-favorite characters to get together. Her favorite character had fallen in love with the villain, and her second-favorite character had fallen for the villain, who turned out to be her brother. It was a complicated situation.

Lulu was the first to notice Belfry’s feelings for Carl, perhaps even before Belfry himself.

When she’d heard about Belfry, a newly differentiated Omega, muttering about being in love, she was immediately alerted.

He hadn’t even begun his romance with the Crown Prince. There’s no way he’d have feelings for someone else already.

Lulu, lingering near Belfry’s room, asked Janis, whom she happened to meet, if Belfry had called out Adrian Heineken’s name. Janis shook her head.

Relieved, she turned to leave when she heard a muffled sob of ‘Your Highness’ from behind the slightly ajar door.

Janis calmly closed the door, placing a finger to her lips and bowing her head.

Lulu, having unknowingly made a silent promise, left the drawing room, a realization dawning on her.

She’d noticed Belfry’s subtle glances towards Carl Lindbergh ever since the prince’s arrival at Heineken’s Imperial Palace.

‘First, it was vigilance, curiosity, vigilance again, denial… acceptance?’

She recalled Belfry overreacting to her seemingly harmless comments to the prince.

Marco was fidgeting nervously, glancing towards the prince’s room.

“They say it hurts a lot if you… do it… before your rut…”

He whimpered.

“Did the maids tell you that, too?”

What were those women teaching this kid?

“It’s true! It hurts… a lot…”

“Love is always painful.”

Lulu, no longer feeling the need to answer sincerely, gave a perfunctory response.

“I really don’t want the prince to be hurt…”

“The Crown Prince will be gentle. Don’t worry. Where’s your dog?”

Lulu grabbed Marco’s wrist.

“My dog?”

Marco, startled by the absurd question, just stared at her, his wrist still in her grasp.

“Yes, that big, scary one who’s only nice to its owner.”

Lulu, who still held a grudge against Elizabeth, spoke.

“That’s not my dog, that’s the prince’s dog.”

“Tsk. I told you to drop it.”

Belfry was holed up in his room, Leia Lindbergh was still touring the countryside. While everyone else was busy, Lulu knew where to take Marco and Elizabeth.

Her brother was about to make a huge confession, potentially followed by… other activities. But time was of the essence, and Parman was still a threat.

She had to confirm her suspicions.

“She’s taking a walk in the garden.”

Lulu led Marco outside.

“I’ve been meaning to ask… why do you let that dog roam free on its own?”

“Elizabeth has boundless energy. She likes going where we can’t follow. Up trees, or cliffs… or running far, far away…”

Lulu nodded.

The garden was brightly lit despite the late hour.

The monster’s remains were still there.

The surrounding grass and insects were dissolved, but the toxins had dissipated.

Lulu, suppressing her nausea, joined Marco in his search for Elizabeth.

Even though Lindbergh was a fallen kingdom, its castle was still vast, though smaller than Heineken’s.

There were three annexes besides the main building, several smaller gardens and courtyards, a maze, and a private royal forest. It took them a while to find Elizabeth.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going underground.”

Marco stopped, startled.

“Why?”

“I’m wondering if Parman might have planted something in this castle.”

“What?! W-We need to evacuate immediately!”

“I don’t think it’s an immediate threat. Heineken knights were stationed here the entire time the Queen was confined. No one could have gotten past them. And the King’s body… it’s missing. That’s concerning.”

The monster’s remains would be examined once they were neutralized.

Experts would determine how the Queen had become a monster, but Lulu needed to uncover Parman’s other plots.

“If they can disrupt pheromones, they can manipulate magic, since they’re closely linked. The Queen and the King must have been exposed to something. And bringing it in from Parman every time wouldn’t have been feasible. So, it must be hidden here… probably underground.”

If the unknown substance was like radiation, harmful beyond a certain threshold, then Carl Lindbergh might be in danger.

Marco froze, his face pale.

Lulu tugged at his arm, but he just stood there, tears streaming down his face.

“It’s my fault.”

He’d delivered the poison with his own hands.

He should have thrown it away.

If the prince became a monster like the Queen… he wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt.

Lulu grabbed his hand.

“Then do something about it. You’re a Beta and are relatively safe. So am I. And we have Elizabeth. The three of us can investigate safely.”

Marco wiped his tears, his jaw firming.

“Alright.”

“Let’s do this. As the prince’s closest confidants.”