LVSMLA 30

Chapter 30

A bone-chilling cold seized my entire body. I lay collapsed, trembling for a long time. But even as time passed, the fever and chills refused to subside. It felt as though thick needles were stabbing into my head, and my eyes burned so much I couldn’t even open them. A strange, unidentifiable smell suddenly overwhelmed me, turning my stomach.

The pain and suffering themselves were still bearable. What was hardest to endure was the strange, burning sensation rising from my lower abdomen. Unable to withstand the unfamiliar feeling I had never experienced before, I thrashed about continuously. The sensation of a sticky liquid running down my thighs felt foreign and terrifying. My eyes swelled, and my voice grew hoarse from crying, but no one came. That was when I realized I had to endure it alone.

And then, after an immeasurable amount of time had passed—

My body felt heavy, as if submerged in water, my limbs weighed down as I finally regained consciousness. When I weakly opened my eyes, I saw my father looking down at me with a worried expression. Behind him stood Dr. Woodson, the family physician.

“Etienne, are you awake?”

“Father…”

A rough, cracked voice slipped out. My father brought warm honey tea to my lips. The sweet liquid flowed down my parched throat, soothing it warmly. Only after my appetite stirred slightly did I feel a faint hunger. My blurred vision slowly cleared.

“Where is Callisto? Is he in his room?”

I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like nearly ten days had passed. If I had been unconscious for that long, Callisto must have been in an uproar, so I looked for him first.

“Callisto is…”

My father looked troubled. Instead, Dr. Woodson stepped forward and explained.

“It would be best not to go near Lord Callisto for a few days. You may affect him, at least until you stabilize.”

“What do you mean, Doctor?”

“You have manifested, young master.”

“Manifested?”

I repeated his words absentmindedly, then realized the atmosphere was grim. My father’s face had hardened.

“…Could it be…”

I moistened my lower lip with my tongue. My stomach, which had barely calmed from the tea, churned again.

“…Am I an omega?”

“Etienne.”

A hollow laugh escaped me without my realizing it. I had never expected this kind of development. In a dazed voice, I muttered,

“This is troublesome.”

Troublesome didn’t even begin to describe it. Thinking of Roen, who had smiled while saying a platinum crown would suit me, made my chest feel tight.

To be honest, I had let my guard down a little, trusting the original storyline. While it hinted that Etienne wasn’t a dominant alpha, I had still believed he would at least be a recessive alpha or a beta. After all, he was supposed to be the “villainous sub-male lead”—surely he wouldn’t be an omega.

But I had forgotten Author H’s preference for niche settings…

In my previous life, when I was an editor, Author H had once shown me a synopsis and proudly suggested, “What do you think about an omega top, PD? Doesn’t it sound fun?”

“An omega with a beta? You said you were going mainstream this time.”

Of course, I rejected it immediately.

“But there are so many people who want omega tops! I’ve never even seen anyone asking for alpha tops! Isn’t omega top actually more mainstream?”

“People who like niche things just tend to be louder. Alpha tops are already mainstream, so they don’t need to say anything.”

“Are you seriously calling me out like that?”

“It’s just the truth.”

That was how Callisto, who had almost been an omega, became an alpha after my persuasion. And now, it seemed that setting had been secretly given to Etienne instead. I had underestimated Author H’s stubbornness.

I sighed and pressed my forehead. But the bad news didn’t end there.

“Etienne, there’s something else I must tell you.”

I looked at my father with a horrified expression. Being forced into becoming the crown prince’s consort because I had manifested as an omega was already disastrous—there was only one worse possibility.

“Your trait… is recessive.”

Of course. A groan escaped me.

A recessive omega was physically weak, lacking strength, and highly vulnerable to alpha pheromones due to their faint traits. And now, a recessive omega as a sub-male lead? Author H must have been furious that I had prevented the omega-top Callisto. They had completely shaped Etienne according to their taste.

So this was my punishment…

A heavy silence fell over the room. Eventually, I forced myself to speak.

“Is there any way to deceive Roen?”

Dr. Woodson hesitated, then quietly shook his head. My father’s expression darkened even further.

I wanted to cry. Just when I thought I had avoided my death flag by raising Callisto properly, another flag had appeared out of nowhere. Would I be dragged away by Roen, become the consort of a twisted prince, suffer abuse, and then be executed when Callisto’s rebellion succeeded…? Surely the current Callisto wouldn’t kill me… would he?

Seeing me lost in despair, Dr. Woodson quickly tried to comfort me.

“The First Prince would not treat you carelessly. You need not worry too much—”

“Don’t say such things. You know the Empress’s temperament, Doctor!”

My father raised his voice, recalling how the Empress had murdered the gentle Princess Marie Louise and even tried to eliminate the newborn Callisto. But he didn’t know that Roen was even more dangerous than his mother.

If I had known this would happen, I should have taken an alpha manifestation stimulant earlier. It would have strained my body, but pain was pain either way.

“…A stimulant?”

That’s when I remembered it.

“Father, I’ll take an alpha manifestation stimulant. Can you obtain one?”

“Etienne, that medicine is dangerous. And it’s already too late after manifestation.”

That was the current understanding. But the improved version Lawrence would use years later could change one’s traits. It was an upgraded version with a few additional ingredients.

“If I remember the components… evening primrose and mulberry… was it mulberry juice?”

As I struggled to recall, Dr. Woodson, who had been watching me, finally spoke with determination.

“Actually, I have been experimenting with an improved stimulant. It’s not complete yet, so its effects are limited… but while it cannot fully change your trait, it could temporarily deceive others.”

My eyes widened in shock. A forgotten detail from the original story resurfaced.

Lawrence had obtained that drug from the Winyeats Count’s family. A servant who had known him since childhood had secretly given it to him.

“So it was made by the doctor?”

Dr. Woodson was their family physician—of course it was possible.

“Could you tell me the ingredients?”

“The additional components are ground evening primrose and mulberry juice… but why do you ask, young master?”

That was it.

Relief washed over me, and my body went limp. As I collapsed back onto the bed, my father hurriedly supported me.

“I’ll take it. Please prepare it.”

“But it hasn’t undergone clinical testing—”

“Etienne, isn’t it too dangerous?”

My father’s face turned pale.

“There’s no other way. And it will work.”

Since Lawrence had proven its effectiveness, there was no doubt. Even if it couldn’t fully change my trait, it would be enough to deceive the Empress and the First Prince temporarily.

The pain worried me, but it was far better than a death flag.

My father tried to dissuade me several more times, but we had no other option. After some argument, we agreed to proceed once I had fully recovered.

Now, it was the best plan we had.

After making the decision, a headache set in. My father gently stroked my forehead as I closed my eyes.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t protect you.”

“It’s not your fault.”

It was my fault—for failing to recognize Author H’s obsession with omega tops. If I had known, I would have just let Callisto be one…

I never thought I’d learn the importance of respecting others’ tastes in such a painful way.