By Zephyria 
―…That is how it happened. Fortunately, the emergency measures were administered quickly and effectively, so there were no complications. It was just that after returning to the castle to rest, things suddenly took this turn.
Ashley remained silent for a moment. It felt as though a great deal had been omitted, but pressing the Duke for more details was not an easy task.
However, he could make an educated guess about the situation. Above all, knowing the child’s temperament, he couldn’t shake the suspicion that Bliss’s “consumption” of the mushroom might have been, to some extent, his own fault.
“…I understand.”
Ultimately, Ashley ended the conversation in a calm voice.
“I will head there immediately. I’ll contact you again before I arrive, so please prepare to have the child ready for pickup.”
When he made the polite request, the Duke readily agreed.
―Understood. We wouldn’t mind bringing him to you, though.
“No, thank you for looking after him. I will see you soon.”
After politely declining and hanging up the phone, Ashley immediately called for his secretary.
“I’m going to England now. Prepare the private jet.”
“Understood. Should I inform Mr. Niles as well?”
At the secretary’s question, Ashley hesitated for a moment before nodding. It would take some time before they could board the plane anyway. He would have to deliver the news to Koi, and Koi would undoubtedly insist on going to England to see the child as soon as possible….
“…Sigh.”
Ashley sank deep into his chair and let out a long sigh with his head tilted back.
Not a single day went by in peace.
20.
“Oh my god, Bliss!”
The moment Koi saw the child lying alone on the large bed, he turned pale with shock and rushed over. He hurriedly checked the child’s condition, and fortunately, aside from some redness in the cheeks, nothing seemed seriously wrong.
“Bliss… thank goodness.”
Sighing in relief, Koi gazed quietly at the child’s face. Although a slight fever remained, this was a normal symptom of manifestation, so he would be fine soon. He held on well all by himself. Feeling proud, Koi began to stroke the child’s hair.
…Eh?
He felt something strange. Because Koi had suffered a head injury in an accident as a child and could not smell, he didn’t know what kind of scent was currently permeating the air. However, the more he looked at the sleeping Bliss, the stronger a mysterious attraction became. It wasn’t simply because it was his child, but an attraction stemming from another reason.
No way.
Just as a startled Koi widened his eyes, there was a knock on the door, and Ashley entered a moment later.
“Koi, how is he? Is Bliss okay?”
“Ash.”
Turning his head, Koi struggled to calm his racing heart. Meanwhile, Ashley strode across the room and spoke in his usual indifferent tone.
“The doctor says the manifestation is certain. He said there are no other abnormalities. The mushroom incident didn’t cause any problems, so you can relax. Now we should go back for a detailed examination….”
“Ash.”
Koi immediately stepped toward Ashley. He needed to speak, but his body kept trembling. Ashley waited. After swallowing hard, feeling his heart thumping even more violently, Koi barely managed to speak.
“Um, by any chance… is there a pheromone scent left here?”
“What?”
Ashley looked down at Koi with a frown. He had been told that the room had been ventilated several times before they arrived. Therefore, the pheromone scent released during manifestation should have barely remained in the room. Anyone who could sense pheromones to this extent would have to be exceptionally sensitive.
Or perhaps they were having an overreaction.
Trait bearers can carve marks on each other’s ears, and in the case of Alphas, they can do so for as many people as they wish without limit. Instead, those marks can be overwritten by another Alpha or disappear for no reason. In the end, while an Alpha can carve an infinite number of marks on an Omega, there is no coercive effect. Furthermore, the binding power is weak; there are frequent cases where an Omega, despite having a mark, smells another Alpha’s scent and goes into heat.
But Omegas are different. They can carve a mark on only one Alpha in their entire life, and that mark never disappears until one of the two dies. Moreover, an Alpha who has been marked cannot smell the pheromones of any trait bearer other than the Omega who marked them, nor can they have children with anyone else.
In short, an Omega’s mark is absolute, effectively binding the partner for a lifetime with a single instance. Literally, ‘until death do them part.’
…However.
Because Ashley suffered from a brain impairment caused by pheromones, he was unable to be marked. Consequently, he could smell the pheromones of Omegas other than Koi, but the problem was that he suffered seizures from doing so. Therefore, in unavoidable circumstances, he would take medication to block pheromones in advance or take measures to keep trait bearers away; however, when he was with Koi, he took no such precautions. This was because Koi’s pheromones calmed him.
Even so, Koi had never asked Ashley to smell a pheromone scent before. That was why it was only natural for Ashley to be puzzled by Koi’s sudden question about whether there were pheromones nearby.
“What do you mean, all of a sudden?”
“I’m asking if there’s a pheromone scent. I can’t smell it, so please, I’m asking you.”
At Koi’s repeated request, Ashley couldn’t bring himself to refuse and lowered his hand. The only people in the large room were Ashley, Koi, and their small child. After repeating the process of inhaling slowly to search for any remaining scent in the air three times.
“…What?”
Suddenly, Ashley muttered to himself, his face twisting in discomfort. Seeing him immediately cover his nose and mouth with one hand, Koi asked eagerly.
“How is it? Do you smell something? Huh? It’s there, right? Right?”
“Wait a second, Koi. …This is strange.”
Raising a hand to stop Koi, Ashley scanned the surroundings with a still-scowling face, then reluctantly and slowly lowered the hand covering his nose and mouth. He took a slow, deep breath and checked the scent again. It was clear. He wasn’t mistaken.
There was an Omega pheromone scent in the air.
It wasn’t Koi’s scent. If it were, his stomach wouldn’t be churning like this.
Yet, it wasn’t disgusting or nauseating. What on earth was this scent?
Just as he thought that, someone suddenly entered Ashley’s field of vision. Not his precious Koi standing before him, but the tiny child lying on the bed behind him.
…No way, it couldn’t be.
Feeling a sense of disbelief, Ashley took a step forward. Watching from the side, Koi couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up.
“Right? That’s it, isn’t it? My guess was right, huh?”
Ashley didn’t have the luxury to ask what he was thinking. He slowly walked toward Bliss. The child was still asleep. However, as he drew closer, his suspicion gradually turned into certainty.
Because the scent grew stronger.
Not the tedious pheromones of a Dominant Alpha, but the scent of an Omega. A child with the same trait as Koi—the only one.
Ashley slowly reached out and held the child’s body. His thinly trembling hand stopped shaking as he embraced the child. Letting out a faint sigh, Ashley hugged Bliss and buried his nose in the crown of the child’s head. From the sleeping child’s scalp, a fresh and pleasant scent felt intensely.
It was exactly the same as Koi’s—the pheromone scent of an Omega.
“My god.”
Only then did Ashley speak. Holding the child tightly, he looked down at Koi and continued, as if he couldn’t believe it.
“My god, Koi. There is a God.”
“Right? I was right, wasn’t I?”
At Ashley’s words, Koi’s voice rose, even more excited.
“Bliss has the same trait as me. Right?”
“Yes, that’s right. …Probably.”
Ashley paused before adding the last part. He could be an ordinary Omega. If so, the scent wouldn’t be this concentrated, but he still left a sliver of possibility open. What did the specific trait matter? Anything was welcome as long as he wasn’t a Dominant Alpha, and to be an Omega on top of that.
“He has the same trait as me, I’m sure of it.”
Koi spoke with emphasis once more. Ashley looked at him, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from softening.