Nobles don’t greet stable hands they happen to meet outside. The Duke’s demeanor was not inappropriate. Niall wasn’t particularly bothered by it.
It was just that the Duke he met in the dimly lit chamber with the crimson curtains drawn was so different from the one he encountered outside, making him feel awkward alone.
As he lowered his arm, his hand brushed against his chest inadvertently, causing him to startle. His shoulders recoiled inwardly. Niall lowered his gaze to his chest.
Every day in that dimly lit chamber, he was summoned to the Duke, who was fastening onto Niall’s nipples.
In that chamber, the Duke was like a beast seeking blood, obsessively sucking and licking Niall’s nipples, even when Niall was conscious. He behaved as if he were born solely for that purpose.
Thanks to him, Niall’s nipples… the skin had peeled several times. The tips of his nipples, originally a pale pink, began to turn red. His nipples, which were already somewhat large, were now noticeably erect.
Though born a man, he had an Omega’s body. Now that body was becoming more attuned to being an Omega who knew men. Niall hunched his shoulders further, pushing his chest inward. There was no one watching, but he felt compelled to conceal himself even more.
“Just a little more now.”
Exhaling a white breath, Niall turned his eyes back to the clear starlight in the sky. The time the Duke spent in his right mind was gradually decreasing.
Soon he would be free from the Alpha’s frenzy, and then the war would end, and we would return to the castle.
And then… after that, would the Duke still touch me?
Niall shook his head and pushed the empty bottle away with a sound. The clamor of drunken soldiers demanding more booze echoed in the wind.
∞ ∞ ∞
As the Duke’s moments of clarity grew longer, naturally, the occasions when he called for Niall disappeared. When Niall suddenly found himself with free time and boredom set in, Elmiran sent him to the infirmary where the wounded soldiers were gathered.
Niall received a warm welcome there. It wasn’t easy for fourteen women to take care of all the wounded soldiers.
Morin, a thirty-two-year-old Beta woman from the northern regions, was hard to come by. She was lively and refreshing, a rare trait in the North. Worried that her husband might get injured on the battlefield, she followed him. Apart from being a bit boastful about her husband, Morin was a good nurse who sincerely cared for the patients.
“It would be nice if we had more medicine.”
Morin sighed deeply and said, “Medical supplies are meant to be used. What’s the point of saving them when the war is soon to be over?”
“Would you like this?” Niall willingly offered the ointment he had.
“Isn’t this expensive? It’s in such a nice jar and smells good,” Morin remarked after opening the jar and taking a whiff.
“It looks like medicine for nobles, no matter how you look at it,” Morin’s words were accurate. This ointment was what the baron had given him to apply after sucking Niall’s chest.
“You can use it, Morin. It’s mine. I won’t be needing it anymore, so I’ll give it to you,” Niall smiled and extended the ointment. After all, the baron hadn’t been seeking Niall out lately. Perhaps he had decided not to call Niall until the next frenzy.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
It would be better to give the precious ointment to someone who needed it rather than let it go bad from saving. Convinced by Niall’s persuasion, Morin eventually accepted the ointment happily.
Coafg atja, Rljii raemx klat Zbglc jcv abbx la eqbc tlwrfio ab tjcvif atf mtbgfr lc atf lcolgwjgs obg atf kbecvfv rbivlfgr. Zbra bo ktja Rljii tjv ab vb kjr mifjclcu jcv ijecvgs, klat yjcvjuf kjrtlcu yflcu atf wbra ogfdefca. Rljii mjgglfv yibbvs yjcvjufr jcv rtffar ilxf j wbecajlc jcv tfjvfv ab atf ijecvgs jgfj.
“You’re really thorough with your work,” Morin exclaimed, lifting up the bandages Niall had washed. Niall chuckled and dipped more bandages into the lye.
“You’re good at laundry, nursing, and you’d make any woman happy if she married you.”
“Not to mention, you’re quite skilled at cooking and decent at plumbing too.”
“Stop it before I get too greedy.”
Laughing gleefully, Morin joked that if her husband didn’t love her so much, she’d want to have a few more children. After finishing the laundry, Niall also picked up Morin’s share of the laundry basket. Even though Morin insisted, Niall didn’t pass it over. As a sign of gratitude, Morin promised to make Niall a splendid hat when she returned and Niall assured her that he would be better at making hats anyway, making Morin smile.
As they chatted and climbed up to the laundry area, they saw a man standing in the middle of the path. It was the Duke.
“Oh my,” Morin exclaimed in surprise and bowed. Niall, unsure of what to do upon encountering the Duke after a long time, simply stood still. Unable to bow due to the weight of the laundry he was carrying and the fact that they were no longer on terms where they bowed upon meeting, Niall hesitated and bent his waist when the Duke turned his back first.
“Oh my, I could barely breathe.”
Morin straightened her back, clasping her hands tightly and murmured.
“Did you feel it too, Niall? It felt overwhelming. This is the first time we’ve been this close.”
Niall smiled wordlessly.
“As they say, he’s really handsome. To think he’s such a young Duke. And single.”
Morin sighed.
“I wonder who he’ll marry.”
“Well, rumor has it there will be good news before spring arrives.”
“What kind of news?”
The two of them continued to walk up the steep path.
“I’ve heard that before spring comes, the engagement ceremony between the Duke and his fiancée will take place. She’s coming to the North.”
“Really? Oh, I’m so excited. Who could she be? She’ll be the lady of our Northern estate.”
Morin clasped her hands together and her eyes sparkled.
“I hope she’s from a prestigious family. Don’t you?”
“A prestigious family?”
Morin nodded.
“So that she can support our Duke solidly.”
Ah. Niall made a sound of realization as he pushed the laundry basket along. As someone from the North, he couldn’t be unaware of the situation the current Duke was facing.
The Duke was alone. Although he was the eldest son of the former Duke and had taken the position of the prince and the Duke, he had not yet been recognized by the king.
Relatives were eyeing him, aiming to pull him down, and behind those relatives were various power factions. Southern nobles, royal factions, foreign influences. Amidst all these complex conflicts swelling up like clouds, the Duke stood alone.
“And this is just my selfish desire, but… I wish the future duchess would be a male Omega.”
“A male Omega?”
Niall was startled by those words and stopped abruptly. Morin also stopped when Niall did.
“Why?”
“Why, you ask? Because I think they could better protect our Duke. For instance, if a war broke out like now, a male Omega could fight alongside the Duke here.”
Morin said that and walked ahead. Niall followed her a beat late.
Among Betas, there were many who disliked male Omegas. They couldn’t understand the attraction between men, simply because they perceived a scent that didn’t appeal to them. Furthermore, because male Omegas were fewer in number than female Omegas, it was easy for biases to form. Betas regarded male Omegas as something akin to ‘incomplete men’, treating them as second-class males.
Of course, being a male Omega didn’t mean they were weaker than regular men. They weren’t as tearful or jealous as the stereotypes portrayed. Male Omegas were still Omegas, but they were just men. Niall felt slightly uplifted by Morin’s unbiased remarks.
“Our Duke is also getting engaged. Niall, don’t you have a lover left in the central region?”
Morin teased Niall lightly. Niall smiled and shook his head.
“Come on, tell me honestly. Really none? If not, should I try to mediate something here?”
“Haha.”
Niall laughed aloud.
“Why are you laughing? I really know many pretty girls. What type do you like? Blondes? Brunettes? I can arrange everything.”
“A widowed Omega.”
Niall cut in before Morin’s words could get longer.
“I like a widowed Omega with a child.”
“Oh my.”
Morin’s mouth fell open as she turned to Niall. At first, she didn’t know if it was a joke, but seeing Niall’s calm but firm expression, she realized it was serious and felt very bewildered.
“A widowed Omega with a child? Really?”
“Yes. Really. My dream is to meet such a man and build a home together.”
Excited by Niall’s response, Morin was taken aback. What was a Beta man going to do with an Omega man? Was he not going to have children? Why did he start thinking like that? These were all words Niall had heard before.
“But Niall, male Omegas aren’t easy to find. Plus, he has to have a child. Do you think you can meet one, even if you’re a noble?”
“If not, then it can’t be helped.”
Niall shrugged.
“Don’t close your mind like that. Can’t you consider someone other than a male Omega?”
“Someone else…”
“Hmm,” Niall pondered. It was something he had never considered before, but he realized he could still answer.
“A Beta male.”
At Niall’s response, Morin exclaimed, “Oh my,” making a sound of surprise.
“And then?”
“And then? Well… after that, perhaps a female Alpha.”
Morin rolled her eyes, sensing that this also wasn’t the desired answer.
“And then?”
“A female Omega.”
“Shiralund’s city walls.”
Morin exclaimed, using a phrase that Northerners used when they blamed themselves, and slapped her forehead with her palm.
“And then?”
haha Morin is cute
Thank you for this update 🙂😊😘