The Dignity of the Omega

#17

“If they were so close, why did they break up?”

At that question, everyone’s eyes turned to Enrique.

“Oh… So you’re concerned about his past, as expected of a first partner?”

“That’s unexpected, Enrique. I thought you wouldn’t care about such things at all.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Enrique frowned deeply at his friends’ comments.

“What exactly do you think of me?”

At those words, his friends exchanged glances and then spoke in unison.

“A stubborn one!”

“An arrogant bastard!”

“A selfish guy!”

“Someone who’d sell his own child for the country!”

Even extremely provocative words came out, but his friends were truly uninhibited. Enrique knew himself well and had no reservations about acknowledging such aspects of himself.

“You guys who get along with me are the same kind of bastards, you know.”

Enrique said, clicking his tongue. His friends nodded and burst into laughter.

This group of well-bred omegas centered around Enrique was famous not only for their arrogance but also for their eccentricity. Not only because of their lineage, but also because they had grown up with Enrique since childhood, no one dared to give them dirty looks or mess with them. Of course, they must have been considerably influenced by Enrique as well.

“Anyway, I’m relieved it’s Damiel. Rumor has it that he’s not only attentive and kind in daily life, but also in bed.”

“Well, once you gain some experience, you might crave something rough occasionally… but for the first time, gentle and kind is definitely the best.”

A friend who had already come of age said, nodding his head.

“Ooh~. So you did prefer it rough?! You wild horse!”

A friend who was still underage shouted, pretending to choke him by wrapping an arm around his neck. Everyone giggled lewdly again.

Enrique, sitting languidly with his chin resting on the sofa armrest, watched his friends with hazy eyes. As he watched them bickering and exchanging jokes, he closed his eyes without realizing it at some point.

*

“The water is too lukewarm.”

Enrique complained, setting down the glass of water Pol had handed him on the table with an irritated clank. Pol alternately looked at the droplets of water on the surface of the glass and Enrique’s annoyed face. He hesitated for a moment as if about to say something, then removed the glass and offered a new one filled with water.

Enrique picked up the new glass while pressing his throbbing temples with his fingers. He took a sip, but it still felt lukewarm. However, the glass felt extremely cold to the touch, making him realize he was getting irritated over nothing.

“It seems the bachelor parties with Your Highness and your friends are getting more impressive each time. It’s been two days already, and your condition still hasn’t recovered.”

“……”

Pol’s words carried a subtle hint of nagging, suggesting he should drink less. Enrique flopped back onto the bed, holding his throbbing head.

His body felt not just languid, but heavy. His head was pounding and his mind was scattered. He kept moving his legs restlessly, seeking the cool surface of the sheets, as if he had a slight fever. Overall, his physical condition was a mess.

It was originally Enrique who started the tradition of presenting a glass flower vase cup to the main character at each bachelor party. But for it to come back like this as a boomerang… Although he knew he would receive one someday, it was truly a tradition with tremendous after-effects.

Enrique pulled the blanket over himself, then immediately threw it off. It wasn’t particularly hot, but… No, something lukewarm was making him feel very uncomfortable. If it were really hot, he could at least jump into cold water, but it wasn’t quite that hot, yet not cool either… This inexplicable, strange feeling of heat made him not just irritated, but anxious.

“I think we should call a doctor after all.”

Pol said worriedly, watching Enrique toss and turn restlessly.

“What use is a doctor for a hangover? I’ll be fine after a good sleep.”

Enrique said irritably.

If rumors spread that the prince had called a doctor because of a hangover after enjoying a bachelor party, what would become of his reputation? Just thinking about being teased by his friends was dreadful.

“That’s not what I mean…”

Pol moved closer to the bed and placed his hand on Enrique’s forehead. Then he touched his own forehead, then Enrique’s again, repeating this several times.

“As I thought… You seem to have a slight fever. Yesterday it could have been attributed to drinking, but for the fever to continue until today, don’t you think there might be a problem?”

“After drinking that much, a hangover could last a couple of days.”

“Hmm… You, the greatest drinker in Shamier? Suffering from a hangover for two days, no matter how much you drank?”

Pol tilted his head. He was clearly teasing. Enrique grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it at Pol’s face. The soft pillow hit Pol’s face with a thump and fell to the floor. Pol, as if used to this, picked up the fallen pillow, patted it a few times, and placed it back on the bed. Then, after pondering for a moment, he cautiously said:

“Could it be that?”

“What are you trying to say now?”

“You know, that thing. Slight fever, craving cold water, heightened senses, feeling anxious and restless for no reason, emotional instability…”

“……”

“These are all symptoms of heat syndrome that typically occur before a heat cycle, aren’t they?”

Pol stated definitively.

Enrique felt a surge of anger momentarily but suppressed it. Certainly… there was nothing wrong with what Pol said.

“It’s been so long since I started serving Your Highness… Ah… To think this day has finally come. As Your Highness’s head servant, I’m truly overwhelmed with emotion.”

Pol said, placing his hand on his chest, his face a mix of emotion and complexity. He looked like a father sending off his daughter to marriage. Enrique glared at Pol fiercely. Pol flinched slightly and cleared his throat, straightening his posture.

“Given this situation, I’ll call for a doctor right away. We need a doctor’s confirmation to make further preparations.”

Instead of answering, Enrique pulled the blanket over his head. He could definitely feel that he was in a very unstable psychological state right now.

After pulling the blanket on and off several times, there was a knock on the door, and the palace doctor entered the bedroom, accompanied by a servant and an apprentice.

“It seems the prince’s heat cycle is approaching. Could you please check?”

Pol said to the doctor with a somewhat worried expression. The doctor nodded and approached Enrique, putting down his medical bag.

It wouldn’t do to lie sprawled out in front of the doctor as if he were some gravely ill patient. Enrique forced himself to sit up. Pol quickly approached and stacked pillows to create a backrest. Once Enrique was comfortably seated, the doctor finally spoke.

“I’ll just take your temperature for a moment.”

Enrique nodded to the doctor who was looking at him as if seeking permission. The doctor reached out and placed the back of his hand on Enrique’s forehead.

“Hmm…”

The doctor nodded slightly and began to ask a few questions. Enrique tried to answer sincerely, forcibly suppressing his rising irritation.

The doctor’s questions were typical. They were almost no different from Pol’s questions. The doctor listened seriously to the answers to several questions and then nodded.

“It seems your heat cycle will come soon. It would be good to make preparations in advance.”

“How long will it take?”

Enrique asked, pressing his throbbing temples.

“Probably within two to three days.”

“You mean I have to endure this terrible physical condition for two to three days?”

Enrique said with an irritated face. As if very familiar with this reaction, the doctor opened his medical bag without any change in expression. He took out a few small glass bottles and handed them to Pol, who was standing nearby.

“This is medicine that works well for heat syndrome. Take one bottle each morning.”

Pol’s face filled with deep concern as he received the medicine bottles. He carefully examined the bottles and asked the doctor:

“Are there any potential adverse side effects?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. It’s a mild medicine that will only make you a bit drowsy and languid, with no other side effects.”

Pol listened carefully to the doctor’s words and nodded.

“Take one bottle now and get some rest. When you wake up, you’ll feel much better.”

The doctor recommended.

Pol opened the cap and handed over one bottle. The medicine given by the palace doctor was trustworthy. Enrique put the bottle to his mouth without hesitation and drank it all without leaving a single drop. A bitter taste lingered in his mouth, but not enough to make him grimace.

“Then I’ll take my leave now. Please get some good rest.”

The doctor bowed with his apprentice and left the bedroom. Pol carefully placed the remaining medicine on the table and helped Enrique lie down on the bed.