WCMBI - Chapter 218: Absurd (Patreon)

Ian couldn't refuse the emperor's summons and immediately entered the imperial palace. The fact that he couldn't find a trace of Melissa, despite believing she was alive, tormented him deeply.

Upon seeing him enter the Audience Hall with a profound countenance, the emperor sighed. Could one's appearance change so drastically, even after a long absence?

The duke's reflection in the emperor's eyes appeared miserable and agitated, like a banished beast from its territory.

"Your Majesty, have you been unyielding?"

"Why does your countenance appear so sallow?"

Ian's transformation, which had impressed even the emperor, was sufficient to affect him as well.

"This is not the composed and resolute duke I used to see. Surely, the circulating rumors cannot be true."

Adrian thought the rumors about the duke's engravings were baseless, but seeing him in such a state made him unable to resist inquiring further.

Hoping to hear a displeased response and clarify the situation, he was met with silence from Ian, prompting Adrian to sigh once again.

"Alas. How could such an error be made?"

The emperor's statement, attributing his engravings to a mistake, left Ian contorted inside. However, he dared not oppose the emperor. At least, he still retained that level of sanity.

"Only now do I feel like a fool, Your Majesty."

"Duke."

"I've pondered so much. Could it be that I've gone mad? How could I only now realize my engravings?"

Ian's words flowed ceaselessly like a gushing stream.

"From the depths of this tangled reasoning, a single curiosity emerged."

"What is it?"

"Your Majesty, when did Alphas start designating Betas as their heirs instead of Omegas?"

While wandering about aimlessly in search of Melissa, this question had suddenly occurred to him. Alphas were supposed to mate with Omegas, so why were they now considering Omegas as secondary choices for succession?

The traditional practice that had come down through generations no longer held true in the present. As if someone had forbidden it, all Alphas treated Omegas solely as providers of heirs.

When did this change, and why?

"Hmm..."

Adrian couldn't answer the Duke's question immediately. He had never entertained such curiosity before. The habits one was born and raised with are common to all humans, regardless of being an Alpha, Omega, or Beta.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't we live according to propriety? I am..."

"For Alphas, Omegas are perfect mates. I've always tried to suppress my instincts and failed to recognize my true feelings. I wanted to use this irrational tradition as an excuse."

Only after losing my Omega did I realize my true feelings. Everything seemed to have conspired to create such a situation.

If he didn't think that way, he feared he might die before finding her. With a face already like a corpse, he awaited the Emperor's response.

But Adrian couldn't offer any answer. He had not experienced such curiosity as Ian did. Pretending not to know had become difficult when the rumors had already circulated so widely. Tentatively, he opened his mouth.

"Are you all right?"

"No."

Ian no longer concealed his weakened state, and in truth, he might have wished to convey his feelings to anyone willing to listen.

"Is your omega still with the Marquis?" he asked.

"Yes, that's correct."

"With what intentions does he hold onto her? Isn't it time to let her go?"

"She's too innocent, like a child, and it's not easy to simply cast her out into the world."

"Hmm, Marquis, I am curious. Why must we keep omegas confined to their estates? No one has ever stopped them. No alpha ever regarded omegas as anything more than successors in producing offspring. Why does it persist this way? Do you understand?"

Ian's persistent inquiry seemed more urgent than annoying, prompting the Marquis to respond candidly, almost involuntarily.

"It has been a longstanding tradition, and omegas mostly come from humble origins or are commoners, setting them on different starting points compared to alphas. Therefore, it seems difficult for them to reach the stage of marriage."

As he continued speaking, the previously hazy and nebulous truth became clearer to the Marquis, and he slowly raised his gaze.

In essence, alphas were no different from omegas, often born out of wedlock just like omegas. So why were omegas still regarded as outcasts or commoners while only alphas could ascend to nobility?

"It's absurd," Ian interjected, representing the Marquis' thoughts.

"I don't like it," Ian continued directly, emitting a sharp sound akin to teeth grinding. At that moment, he accidentally spilled his coffee. Surprised, the Marquis reached out to help, but Ian evaded his hand as if in a duel.

"What is this smell?"

While keeping a certain distance from the Marquis, Ian moved closer, and in an instant, an unpleasant scent filled his nostrils.

It was an extremely subtle pheromone that other individuals might not have easily noticed, but for him, it was different. The pheromone from a different omega, not his own, was distressing and repulsive.

Not only that, but he also felt a wrenching pain in his insides, making it impossible for him to stand properly. Weakly, he collapsed, and as he did, instead of seeing the Marquis' face, he saw Melissa's visage. With each slow blink, her image became clearer and more vivid.

She had smiled, albeit falsely, until the very end. When was the last time he saw her smile?

What kind of smile was it, and what gentle words had she spoken? He could no longer recall. The mere thought of losing her caused his heart to still, as if it had forgotten why it should keep beating.

"Marquis, get a hold of yourself!"

It was only after the Marquis' cry that Ian snapped back to reality. Part of him wished he could just keep his eyes closed forever.