A few days passed in uneasy quiet, though Rin hardly felt any of it. Elise had been pestering him nonstop—appearing at his doorstep at dawn, following him around the apothecary, insisting she must become his apprentice. Rin handled her persistence with his usual sharp tongue, but even he was beginning to wilt under her enthusiasm.
That afternoon, he was bent over a simmering flask, carefully adjusting the flame beneath it, when Alaric arrived from playing with the twins. His steps were light, but his expression wasn't.
"Rin," Alaric said suddenly, tone too serious for casual conversation. "When are we going to talk? Properly. One on one."
Rin stiffened.
Right… I promised him, didn't I. He had promised Alaric he would explain everything—back when the prince had fallen ill and Rin had no choice but to use dominant-omega methods to stabilize his pheromones.
"Yes… I did," Rin muttered. He slowly put down the glass rod, wiped his hands on a cloth, and sat across from Alaric. He inhaled, preparing himself to begin—
But Alaric lifted a hand sharply, stopping him.
His golden eyes flicked toward the window.
Rin followed his gaze.
A shadow. A figure. The faint creak of hurried footsteps.
Someone had been listening.
Alaric rose immediately, moving with silent precision. He stepped outside, scanning the corridor and catching only a glimpse of a woman's back as she fled in a panic.
He frowned.
Rin's voice came from inside. "What was that?"
Alaric returned, tone deceptively calm. "Just a bug."
He shut the door firmly, ensuring the latch clicked. Only after a long moment did he return to his seat.
"Now," Alaric said, eyes locked on Rin. "Talk."
Rin exhaled shakily. His fingers curled into the fabric of his robes. "Before I say anything, I need your word. That you won't punish my father. Or my family. And that… you'll protect them once you know the truth."
Alaric's expression softened—not much, but enough. "You have my word."
Rin nodded once, then spoke quietly.
"When my father found out that I'm a dominant omega… he panicked. As we all know , when when an individual turn fifteen, he undergo the appraisal. If your secondary gender is rare or powerful, the palace is immediately informed." Rin looked down at his hands. "My father bribed the examiner. Begged him to hide the result. That man… owed my father for curing his wife's illness, so he agreed."
Silence soaked the room.
"I see," Alaric murmured, voice unreadable.
Rin's breath trembled. "And… that night at the banquet… the one four years ago…" His throat tightened. "That was me. And the twins… they're the result of that night."
Alaric didn't breathe for a moment.
"And when you realized you were pregnant," he said slowly, "you ran away. Am I right?"
"Yes." Rin swallowed. "I took the chance when you left for the northern expedition. My father found out I had traveled to the capital. He pulled me back home before anyone found out about me. I agreed to treat your pheromones only because I wanted access to the palace herbs I'd read about for years." His voice cracked. "Then I discovered I was pregnant… and I was terrified you'd find out I'm an omega—the kind you hated the most."
Alaric closed his eyes briefly. "I did hate omegas."
Rin flinched.
"But," Alaric continued, looking directly at him, "you were the exception."
His words were soft, almost fragile. "When I thought you were a beta, I was relieved. But then I started wishing—selfishly—that you were an omega. So I could tie you to me." He let out a quiet breath. "I'm sorry."
Rin's lips parted.
"But Rin…" Alaric's gaze sharpened. "When and how were you planning to tell the twins the truth? That I'm their real father? And that the 'mother' you told them about… doesn't exist?"
"I don't know," Rin whispered. "I—"
A loud crash slammed through the door.
Both men turned.
Standing there were the twins—Rhen trembling, Riven's eyes already brimming with tears.
"I knew it…" Riven choked, voice small and breaking. "I'm… I'm not really Papa's child…"
Before Rin could say anything, Riven bolted, fleeing out the doorway in silent sobs.
"I'll go after him," Alaric said immediately, already moving. "Stay with Rhen."
He left in a rush.
Left behind, Rhen's face crumpled. "Papa… what does that mean?" he whispered, beginning to cry.
Rin pulled him close, heart twisting painfully.
__________________________________________
"Your Highness," the second prince's aide whispered as he entered the dimly lit room, "the… item has arrived."
The second prince leaned back in his chair, expression coldly satisfied.
"I see," he murmured. "So everything is in place."
He smiled faintly, a sharp, predatory curve.
"Once my dear brother returns… everything will finally begin."