I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 19
“Excuse me!”
I spun around, desperate to escape, but Valen grabbed my arm before I could get away. His grip was firm, yanking me back and locking me in place.
“Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done here.”
His sharp eyes glinted dangerously as they scanned me, making my skin crawl. I tried to avoid his gaze, but he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.
His face was too close. His scent was unmistakable—an alpha’s distinct presence.
“Stop it!”
I struggled against him, but my body refused to cooperate. The onset of heat weakened me, making it harder to resist. Worse, his scent only intensified the symptoms.
“An omega like you—how did you end up as a royal guard?”
Valen’s cold voice cut through me. His words dripped with disdain.
“Did you seduce the prince with your body? Typical omega behavior.”
“That’s not true!”
“Really? The prince must be enamored with you to keep you so close. You must be quite… skilled.”
His venomous words sliced through my pride. Everything I had worked for, my honor as a knight, and the trust Prince Leon placed in me—none of it mattered to him.
“Shut up!”
I mustered all my strength to shove Valen away. My push barely fazed him, but it was enough for him to loosen his grip momentarily.
“You!”
Ignoring his angry shout, I turned and ran as fast as I could.
Run, just run! If he catches me here…
The distance, which would have been nothing under normal circumstances, felt endless. My body burned, my legs wobbled, and it felt like I was wading through quicksand.
I didn’t know how long I ran. By the time I stopped, I was standing before the northern watchtower.
The watchtower?
This was the same tower we had inspected earlier in the day—the one they claimed was “no longer in use.” But now, a guard stood at its entrance.
This doesn’t add up…
I crouched in the nearby bushes, watching silently.
Before long, Valen appeared, striding angrily toward the guard. He barked orders.
“Did anyone come this way?”
“No, sir, no one has been here.”
“Dammit… Search the area!”
The guard and Valen began combing the surroundings. My heart pounded as they moved closer to my hiding spot. Beads of cold sweat trickled down my back.
But they didn’t find me. After a tense few moments, they moved on.
Now’s my chance!
Once they were out of sight, I crept out of the bushes and approached the watchtower door. Slowly, I pushed it open. It wasn’t locked.
Once inside, I slid the wooden bar across the door, securing it from the inside.
“Hah… hah… I made it…”
The interior of the watchtower was dim, but faint candlelight illuminated the space just enough to see.
Candlelight? Someone’s definitely been using this place…
The room was sparse, with a spiral staircase leading upward and, to my surprise, a ladder descending into a hidden basement.
“A basement…?”
No one had mentioned a basement in this tower. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“Ugh…”
A sudden wave of heat washed over me. I fumbled for the vial of suppressants Adrian had given me earlier.
“Damn it… suppressants…”
I managed to open the vial and downed its contents in one go.
I slid down against the wall, waiting for the suppressants to kick in. But the burning sensation didn’t subside. It only got worse.
Adrian’s warning echoed in my mind. “Overusing suppressants can cause severe rebound effects during heat. Be careful.”
No way… Is this it? Is this the rebound he was talking about? And now of all times?
“Not now… not here…”
I forced myself to stand. Staying still wouldn’t help. I needed to investigate while I still could.
I descended the ladder carefully, my shaky legs barely holding me up.
The basement was vast, far larger than I expected. Dim candlelight illuminated rows of supplies stacked neatly.
“This is…”
The hidden storage was massive, far exceeding the size of the daytime warehouse. Crates of food, weapons, and even shelves of medicinal herbs and vials lined the room.
So this is the real supply depot they’ve been hiding.
But I didn’t have time to inspect further.
“Ugh…!”
The heat surged again, and I collapsed onto the floor. My body felt like it was on fire, every nerve screaming in agony.
“Why… now…?”
The suppressants weren’t working. If anything, they had made the heat stronger, more unbearable.
I curled up, gripping my arms as if trying to hold myself together. My vision blurred, and my breath came in ragged gasps.
“Somebody… help…”
In my fading consciousness, one name surfaced.
Prince Leon… please… help me…
The dim light of the candles grew fainter and fainter, as if the world itself was slipping away.