By Zephyria 
There are only two expressions I’ve ever seen on Joo Min-hyeok’s face. Either a polite smile or a blank expression. Even when he did smile at me, it was merely the corners of his mouth lifting, and as soon as that brief smile ended, a blank expression took its place as if he had never smiled at all. Still, I wasn’t particularly upset by it. Since coming here, I hadn’t been much different myself.
However, the expression on Joo Min-hyeok’s face right now is one I’ve never seen in my life. Is it true that no two blank expressions are the same? It is certainly a familiar blank look, yet strangely, it’s filled with emotion. I can see displeasure in that calm face. Joo Min-hyeok was currently in a state of dissatisfaction.
As he uncrossed his arms and approached us, Joo Min-hyeok looked like the Grim Reaper. I felt a chill, as if I were looking at the Joo Min-hyeok from the future I desperately wanted to change. If I didn’t risk my life to change the future, Joo Min-hyeok would surely corner me with that exact expression and that kind of intimidation.
“I see you like your bodyguard? That’s a relief. I took special care in choosing him.”
“Thank you for your consideration. Your Majesty, I told you I needed someone who could be by my side at all times. That’s why I chose him, so this is more of a… private interview? Something like that. I asked him to stay so we could talk. But once we were actually alone, I didn’t know how to start the conversation and realized I didn’t have much to say. As you know, I’m not very good at dealing with people.”
I rambled on, offering explanations he hadn’t even asked for. Cha Hae-joo. Don’t avoid his eyes. Don’t avoid his eyes. You’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t be afraid. As I stuttered out my excuses, Joo Min-hyeok’s eyes curved softly, and he showed the usual smile he always wore.
“Of course. I’m sure you did. I understand. Since you were homeschooled and didn’t attend school, you probably didn’t know how to communicate with peers, so you must have been flustered.”
Understand my foot. Stop lying! You were just cold and spoke informally to me a moment ago.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Then, excuse me for a moment.”
Having finished speaking, Joo Min-hyeok stepped forward and blocked my path, completely cutting off the space between Hyun-wook and me. All I could see in front of me now was Joo Min-hyeok’s broad back. Now that I was out of his sight, I finally bit my lip and let my nervous expression show without filter.
Why is he like this? Even after my explanation, he still seems to be in a bad mood. Surely he’s not going to remove Hyun-wook from my guard because of this? That can’t happen. Knowing that Joo Min-hyeok is the type of person who would actually do that, I was inwardly worried.
“Kang Hyun-wook, right? Your father, Dae-ho, is my teacher. So I was glad to see Dae-ho’s youngest son’s name on the list. It’s not a bad thing for me, but I heard that Dae-ho didn’t even know you applied to be the Palace Lord’s bodyguard. Doing something without your parents’ help is a good attitude.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost to ensure that not a single mistake occurs while serving the Palace Lord user.”
Though I couldn’t see him because Joo Min-hyeok was blocking the view, I could tell from his trembling voice that Hyun-wook was very nervous.
“Naturally, you should. However. No matter how much the Palace Lord may be staring at you, you should have bowed your head first. You aren’t ignorant of the Imperial protocols, are you? It is the most basic of basics that one must not dare to look directly at the Emperor’s concubine.”
“Ah, that… I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, that’s because I told him to lift his head. Your Majesty, please don’t misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand what? I’m telling you I’m just curious. And I wasn’t asking the Palace Lord. If you keep taking sides, I’m the one who will start misunderstanding.”
No, I’m not taking sides, I was just trying to clear the air, but his nuance has been weird for a while now. It’s not like I’m a wife caught cheating…
Wait, what is this scent?
Regardless of this situation, something has been strange for a while. A mysterious scent was spreading through my Imperial Pavilion. A very fresh and fragrant smell. The scent of wet grass was continuously wafting in from somewhere.
It was that pleasant scent of grass saturated with moisture found in summer mountains or forests, the unique fresh scent one smells when it rains. Where is this coming from? Is it raining outside?
Puzzled, I turned my head and looked out the window, but far from raining, it was perfectly sunny. What is it? This is a scent I like. Before I knew it, the mysterious fragrance filled the Imperial Pavilion, and I began to feel slightly dazed, as if paralyzed by the scent.
And through that fragrance, a sweet scent of acacia, contrasting with the other smell, began to flow from my body. Oh, I smelled this once right after I first possessed this novel. It’s the first time I’ve smelled it since then, and I wonder why the scent is suddenly pouring out.
…This acacia scent, could this be my pheromones?
There was a description in the novel stating that what maximized the beauty of the Grand Imperial Concubine’s charm was precisely these Omega Pheromones. Although he wasn’t a Dominant Omega, the Grand Imperial Concubine’s pheromones always rendered Alphas and the Emperor powerless.
It was that much of a powerful weapon and advantage. However, after I arrived here, not a single scent had emerged, let alone pheromones, so my grandfather had secretly taken me to a hospital for a separate Trait Examination. To see if I was recessive, or if I had become a Beta.
But I was a normal Omega, and I had only received a diagnosis that my pheromones would emerge normally someday. To think that ‘someday’ is now, right now when I’ve met Hyun-wook…
Still, the scent is quite nice. I feel like I’m under an acacia tree. No wonder Alphas go crazy for a scent this good.
While I was floundering in my own pheromones and the unidentified scent with a hazy mind, Joo Min-hyeok suddenly turned around, grabbed my shoulders, and checked my face. His expression was full of bewilderment and shock.
“Good grief… Court Lady! Bring the Pheromone Suppressants!”
Pheromone Suppressants? Joo Min-hyeok frowned and covered his nose and mouth with one hand, then scooped me up in his other arm and looked back at Hyun-wook.
“You, go back for now.”
“What? Why is the Palace Lord user… is he unwell?”
“You’ll hear it later. Get out, quickly! There’s no time to explain.”
I could see Hyun-wook trying to look at my face. I wanted to tell him not to go and to wait, but Joo Min-hyeok kept chasing him away. I wanted to speak for myself, but my lips wouldn’t move.
I feel like I’ve shown a truly unsightly side to a friend I haven’t seen in a long time. To have Omega Pheromones, which hadn’t appeared once, burst out at the moment of reunion. Of all times, in a situation like today, damn… my pride.
Leaving Hyun-wook behind, Joo Min-hyeok carried me into my bedroom. It’s absurd that my long-awaited reunion with Hyun-wook ends like this. Hyun-wook, let’s meet again tomorrow…
But I really am acting strange. Instinctively seeking the source of the other scent besides my own, I buried my nose between Joo Min-hyeok’s shoulder and nape. Ah, so this grass scent was Joo Min-hyeok’s pheromones? Why am I smelling it for the first time? I love it. I want to smell more.
As I lost half my reason and buried my face deeper into his nape, my lips twitching, Joo Min-hyeok flinched and quickly set me down on the bed. However, instinctively, I clung tightly to Joo Min-hyeok’s neck, refusing to let go.
“Palace Lord, calm down.”
“Your Majesty, I have brought the suppressants. The Palace Lord has never been like this, why suddenly…?”
The Court Lady handed water and suppressants to Joo Min-hyeok in an urgent voice.
“…It’s because of me. I lost my temper earlier and my pheromones leaked without me realizing it. It seems the Grand Imperial Concubine’s pheromones poured out suddenly because they were stimulated by it. It’s my fault. I’ll handle it, so you may leave now.”
While Joo Min-hyeok was sending the Court Lady out, I began pouring out crazy words I could never normally imagine.
“I don’t want to take the suppressants. I won’t.”
I don’t want to. I don’t want to take suppressants; I want to keep smelling these pheromones. My mind was filled with the thought that I wanted Joo Min-hyeok to keep holding me and giving me his pheromones. My reason was completely collapsing.
“…No. You’ll definitely regret this tomorrow. Later, again, okay? Let’s do it again later. Not like this. I don’t think it’s a Heat yet, it just seems like you’ve lost your mind because your pheromones suddenly poured out.”
I don’t know, I don’t know! I don’t care about that. I just want to keep smelling this grass scent. Does Joo Min-hyeok not want to smell my pheromones? Why? Isn’t my pheromone scent good? As if provoking him, I poured out even more pheromones, and Joo Min-hyeok bit his lip and hurriedly took out the medicine.
It’s not that I want to do something with Joo Min-hyeok, I just like these pheromones. Can’t he just understand that? As if determined, I wrapped my legs tightly around his thighs and hips, clinging to him.
“Cha Hae-joo, please. You… if you press there like that.”
Joo Min-hyeok, who had barely managed to get me onto the bed, was flushed from his neck to his face. He was struggling desperately to calm his body. Meanwhile, I instinctively turned my head this way and that to avoid taking the medicine he offered.
“Haa, Cha Hae-joo, you usually can’t even smell my pheromones. Your scent is driving me crazy too. Seriously.”
While my mind was strangely blank, I saw Joo Min-hyeok put the medicine and water into his own mouth. Why are you taking it? Being consumed by pheromones was truly a dangerous thing. Not only do you lose control of your body, but your reason is paralyzed to the point where you can’t even judge the situation.
Then, Joo Min-hyeok’s large hand grabbed my cheek and jaw, opening my mouth to overlap his own. In that moment, something went down my throat along with cool water.
What, did he do that just to make me take the medicine? Even after the medicine went down, Joo Min-hyeok, who kept me trapped in his arms without pulling his lips away, slowly pulled back and hugged me tightly. And then, did he just bite his own arm?
Why is he biting his own arm? He’ll bleed at this rate. I wanted to tell him to stop, but the strength was draining from my body, and I couldn’t say a word.
And a moment later, perhaps as the medicine took effect, my body cooled down and calmed quickly. The thick acacia scent that had filled the room vanished in an instant, and my foggy head began to clear.
Exhausted, as if I had run several laps around a huge sports field at full speed, sleep washed over me. Was there a sedative mixed in with the suppressants…?
Tucked between Joo Min-hyeok’s chest and arm, I fell asleep leaning against him. In my slumber, I think I heard Joo Min-hyeok’s voice saying he was sorry.