I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 11

I felt a little nervous for some reason as I opened the door to the office.

“This brings back memories…”

Prince Leon’s office. I’ve been in and out of this place so many times, I’ve lost count. The last time I was here was just a few weeks ago—the day I told him I was an Omega and that I wanted to quit being a knight. Even though it was so recent, it already feels like a distant memory.

Today, the weather was surprisingly clear, and morning sunlight poured in through the office window. The documents were neatly arranged as always, and the ink bottles were lined up perfectly at the edges. Everything reflected Prince Leon’s usual sense of order.

“Cyril, come in.”

I heard Prince Leon’s voice from the back of the room and took a deep breath before closing the door behind me.

He was sitting at his desk, going over some papers. The sunlight streaming in made his blond hair sparkle. When I entered, he looked up and set his pen down.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Good morning, Cyril.”

Prince Leon answered calmly, as always.

“What brings you here today?” I asked.
“Over here.”

He beckoned me closer, and I stepped up to his desk.

“Today, I want to officially appoint you.”
“Appoint me?”
“Yes. I want you to be my personal guard knight.”

He pulled out a small box from his desk drawer. When he gently opened it, a beautiful badge made of gold and silver appeared inside.

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but whisper in awe. It was clearly different from the knight badges I’d seen before. It had the royal crest and a strange-shaped sword crossed over it. There was some writing engraved on the back, too.

“What is this…?”
“It was specially made for you.”

I caught my breath at his words.

“But I’m an Omega, so I can’t be a knight…”
“You’ll be a guard knight. Different from a regular knight.”

Prince Leon stood up and walked over to my side.

“Actually, I’ve been working behind the scenes with the council members about making you my guard knight.”
“Eh? Since when?”
“Since the day you submitted your resignation.”

I was so shocked I couldn’t say anything. Since that day? That long ago?

“But everything got messed up after the recent incident.”
“Wait, the recent incident… do you mean the one with Princess Lydia?”

I asked quickly, panicked. But saving the princess was the only choice I had…

“No, it’s the opposite.”

Prince Leon turned around. A gentle smile appeared on his face.

“Because you saved the princess, the council was surprisingly quick to approve. Before they even started discussing, it was basically decided.”

“Seriously!?”

I said loudly. That was the reason?

“You always exceed my expectations,” Prince Leon said, his tone more warm than critical.

“So… what exactly does being a guard knight mean?”

I tilted my head. I knew the term, but I wasn’t sure about the details.

“Regular knights have the duty to protect the entire nation’s people,” Prince Leon explained.

“But guard knights focus first and foremost on protecting the person they serve. In this case, you protect me above all else.”

“Oh, I see.”

So basically, a bodyguard?

“As my guard, you’ll be allowed to enter places and meetings normally restricted to royalty. You’ll need to show strong loyalty and keep secrets.”

I nodded. Being able to go deep inside the palace was pretty amazing.

“But does someone like you really need a guard?”

I asked honestly.

“You’re also an excellent swordsman. When we fought during my knight days, I lost two out of three times.”

Prince Leon looked a little surprised.

“You remember that?”
“Of course! I was really frustrated back then.”

I nodded strongly. Honestly, Leon was such a skilled swordsman that I always got nervous during our matches.

“It feels strange when the person you protect is stronger,” I said shyly.

“Well, that just means I’ll have to do my best to protect you!”
“…Are you planning to risk your life again like last time?”

Prince Leon’s face grew serious.

“I still remember clearly when you took that poisoned arrow. I don’t want to see you like that ever again.”

His words surprised me. He cared about me that much? That made me kind of happy.

“Yeah, maybe I went too far then. But protecting you—that’s definitely the guard knight’s job, right?”
“That’s true, but…”

Prince Leon’s voice trailed off. He seemed like he wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words. That was unusual.

“…By the way,” he changed the subject, “the next mission is to inspect the fortress at the eastern border.”

“The eastern fortress!?”

My face lit up. Going outside! And a fortress inspection!

“Really? When are we leaving?”

Prince Leon smiled a little.

“You’re that happy?”
“Of course! I’ve been stuck inside the palace for weeks, and honestly, it’s been suffocating…”

I accidentally spoke my true feelings. The palace was luxurious but not being able to move around freely was tough.

“Oh, I’m not blaming the palace!” I quickly corrected myself. Prince Leon waved his hand lightly.

“Don’t worry. I understand. You’re the type who likes to move around freely.”

His words comforted me. He really understood me.

“By the way, that fortress is the one we visited together a year ago, right?”
“You remember?”
“Of course. That time…”

I trailed off. That inspection was when I got hit by the poisoned arrow aimed at Leon and ended up with a high fever.

“Thinking about that makes me nervous to go back…”

Leon’s expression darkened. He still resented what happened then.

“It’s fine! I’m not worried about that,” I said cheerfully. Really, I wasn’t.

“So, when do we leave?”
“In three days.”

Leon seemed to be thinking. Then he hesitated, like he wanted to say something.

“By the way, Cyril…”
“Yes?”
“How’s your health recently?”

I was a little surprised by the question.

“My health? I’m fine!”
“No, I mean…”

Prince Leon struggled to say the words.

“…Your health as an Omega.”

“Ah…”

I finally understood. He was concerned about my condition since I became an Omega.

“Thank you, but I’m okay. I’m taking suppressants properly.”

“Suppressants?”

Leon raised his eyebrows.

“Well… I just became an Omega, and my heat cycles aren’t stable yet, so I need to keep taking them for a while.”

When I explained, Leon’s face changed.

“You take suppressants regularly?”
“Yeah, well…”
“I’ve heard that’s not good for your body. There can be side effects.”

His voice clearly showed concern.

“No, I’m fine. I seem to have a body that doesn’t get many side effects.”

“Still, continuous use should be avoided. Doctors say Omegas should only take suppressants during heat periods when necessary.”

“But I worry about sudden heats…”

“I’m going to have you see a doctor I know. Can you stand?”
“Wait, no! A royal doctor is too intimidating!”

I quickly refused, but Leon didn’t listen.

“I’m not introducing you to just any doctor. Strictly speaking, it’s a researcher.”

“A researcher?”
“Yes. Someone who has deep knowledge about magic energy and secondary sexes.”

Leon lightly grabbed my arm and almost forced me out of the room.