WCMBI - Chapter 245: Equality (Patreon)

Having emerged from the palace, Adrian couldn't conceal his shallow sense of betrayal and futility. He had come with a glimmer of hope, only to be confronted with bitter realities.

The Empress, surprisingly candid, revealed the truth of her time with Lucia. She confessed that back then, the thought of someone other than herself giving birth to the Crown Prince was more agonizing than death itself. She also acknowledged how wretched it was not to be an Omega.

Lucia's envy and resentment were understandable. With the Emperor, her capacity for open animosity was limited, leading her to resort to subtle means to express her discontent.

He found the Empress' words contradictory. If what she said was true, enduring relentless disdain and humiliation as an Omega, why would she still desire to become one?

As an Emperor, he had the opportunity to interact with different classes, including Betas. Consequently, he possessed comprehensive knowledge about them, and he noticed they seemed to consider only their own grievances, never bothering to ponder the injustices faced by Omegas.

Ironically, they harbored a sense of inferiority towards Omegas akin to how Omegas were pitied and ridiculed by Alphas.

In the end, it seemed that whether Alphas or Omegas, they treated us, the lesser in number, as their playthings to suit their whims.

The Empress' primary cruelty was in demeaning Lucia. She made sure to humiliate her directly, insisting she should live quietly like livestock if she only produced an heir, denying her luxurious clothing and leaving her feeling demeaned. Learning all this left him in a state of bewildering confusion.

To think that the Empress, who always presented a mild smile and an amiable demeanor, could commit such deplorable acts was almost inconceivable. He felt not only betrayed but also deeply disappointed.

Yet, on the other hand, he couldn't help but wonder if the Beta women who had to share their lives with Omegas suffered in similar agony.

However, he couldn't entirely blame conventions that favored Alphas. Besides the disgraced Duke Bryant, there might be other Alphas like Pedro, facing comparable situations. So, for whose benefit were these customs established?

He couldn't let such harmful practices that affected all imperial subjects continue unchecked. Rather than returning to his own quarters, he headed towards the imperial library, where the records and diaries of past Emperors were kept.

The private study, accessible only to the Emperor, exuded a timeless grandeur. Adrian hurried through it alone.

Retrieving the journal of the 10th Emperor, Gael Aeris Fernando, he settled on a nearby sofa to meticulously examine it from beginning to end.

The entries stated that during Gael's reign, there had been a notable scarcity of Alphas. This resulted in Omegas being more assertive in order to catch the attention of Alphas. Moreover, those Omegas were of pure noble lineage, not mere commoners like the Betas today.

If there was one thing that remained unchanged, it was the beauty attributed to the Omegas. Their allure not only captivated Alphas but also left Beta men yearning for them.

Still, Beta men remained ignorant of how crucial pheromones were. Hoping that they would understand the intangible was perhaps the ambition of Alphas and Omegas alike.

Many Beta men proposed to Omegas during that time, but the opportunities were repeatedly seized by Alphas. Among them, the cunning one happened to be a Beta man of considerable power and influence—this might have been the issue.

Adrian took out a thin, small journal from within Gael Aeris Fernando's journal and continued to read further.

At some point, rumors about Alphas had spread negatively. They were treated merely as instinctual beings, and their dignity was tarnished. No matter how superior Alphas were in terms of capability, if they were outnumbered, they had limited options.

Betas insidiously maligned even the Imperial Emperor Gael Aeris Fernando. He could not tolerate the decline of Alpha's authority. Yet, he couldn't attack the Beta, who formed the majority of the empire. Thus, he pondered for a long time.

Naturally, the scapegoat for this degradation turned out to be the beautiful but otherwise inadequate Omega. Since then, Omegas had become debased, going from nobles to commoners, from commoners to outcasts, and within their ranks, there emerged the mares who bore Alphas.

Having read through the journals from the 10th Emperor Gael Aeris Fernando to his father and beyond, Adrian closed his eyes, feeling exhausted. While it wasn't possible to pinpoint whose fault it all began with, one thing was certain:

"Innocent Omegas had to suffer in agony for far too long."

For too long, they endured scorn and contempt for just being beautiful. He couldn't remain idle any longer. Though ignorant of the pain he had already caused to Lucia, he yearned to offer his apologies.

Finally, he believed that awareness and treatment of omegas should improve starting with his generation. He deemed this not only crucial for omegas but also for alphas and betas. Thus, he rose from his seat, knowing there was much to be done and no time to waste.

Upon stepping outside, he addressed the steward directly.

"Find out where Duke Bryant has disappeared to."

"As Your Majesty commands."

"Once discovered, inform me immediately."

"Yes!"

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