I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 21
“…Ugh.”
My head felt foggy, my entire body heavy and sluggish. A strange weariness weighed me down.
“Where… am I?”
When I opened my eyes, a familiar ceiling came into view. It was the private quarters of the fortress. I was lying in bed in one of its rooms.
“Why am I here…?”
My memory was hazy. What happened yesterday?
My throat was parched, so dry it hurt to make a sound. It felt like I had been shouting all day. On top of that, there was an ache all over my body.
“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”
I turned toward the voice and saw Prince Leon sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. As usual, he looked composed and immaculate, though today he had a somewhat tired air about him.
“Your Highness…”
And then, as if triggered by his presence, memories of last night flooded back into my mind.
The heat that struck me in the middle of the night. The encounter with Valen in the fortress. The uncontrollable turmoil in my body. The hidden room in the watchtower’s basement. And then… Prince Leon and I…
“Aaaahhh!!”
I let out a scream without thinking. My face burned hot with embarrassment. What on earth had I done? What had I said to him?
“Y-Your Highness! I sincerely apologize for what happened!”
I shot up from the bed and bowed my head deeply. The sudden movement made my body ache even more, causing me to wince.
“I’m so sorry! I lost control because of the heat and caused you so much trouble! I’ll make sure this never happens again!”
As I blurted out one apology after another, my memories of last night became even clearer. I had exposed myself—utterly disheveled—in front of Prince Leon. On top of that, I had… sought him out, reached for him. Just remembering made me want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
Prince Leon, however, didn’t seem amused. He wore a faintly displeased expression as he listened to my rambling apology. His brows furrowed slightly as he gazed at me.
“Why are you apologizing?”
His unexpected response made me lift my head in surprise.
Why? Isn’t it obvious? Because of me, the prince had to deal with unnecessary trouble during an important inspection. It wasn’t a duty that should have fallen on a royal. I couldn’t think of anything else but to apologize.
“Because it’s my fault… I lost control during the heat and forced Your Highness to handle such a mess…”
My voice trailed off, too embarrassed to continue. Just saying it aloud was mortifying.
“Forced me?”
Prince Leon’s tone grew sharper as he stood up. For some reason, he silently approached my bed.
“W-wait, don’t misunderstand! I’m not blaming Your Highness! It’s all my fault!”
“Cyril.”
He cut me off, looking me directly in the eyes before speaking again.
“You are my fiancée. Of course, I would help you.”
“But…”
“Besides, everything that happened was my decision. You don’t need to feel responsible.”
His words caught me off guard. Right… he was just trying to be considerate so I wouldn’t feel guilty.
“…Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll do everything I can to ensure this doesn’t happen again, but for now, I’m grateful for your kindness.”
Prince Leon’s expression faltered for a moment as if he wanted to say something more, but perhaps it was just my imagination. I decided to change the topic.
“Um, by the way… about that storage room. What exactly was going on there? And what happened to Valen afterward?”
Prince Leon paused before letting out a deep sigh.
“After you passed out, I summoned the knights to investigate the basement. As suspected, there were supplies hidden far beyond what official records showed. Among them were numerous unidentified substances—possibly drugs.”
“And Valen?”
“The knights detained him. But ever since his arrest, he’s refused to speak. The investigation is at a standstill.”
Prince Leon’s face twisted in frustration.
“As it stands, we have little to charge him with. Without clear evidence of his motives or intentions for storing those items, his punishment will be minimal.”
He stopped speaking, leaving a heavy silence in the room. It was true—just hiding supplies wouldn’t warrant serious charges. Even the strange drugs I saw in the basement weren’t enough to prove treason or illicit dealings.
“Because of this, my stay here will be extended. With Valen, the fortress’s commander, detained, I’ll have to oversee the fort’s operations until reinforcements arrive from the capital.”
“How long until they arrive?”
“Likely two weeks. Not just due to the travel distance, but also because deploying troops requires approvals from the council and royal family.”
“I see…”
“However, you’ll return to the capital ahead of me.”
“What?”
His unexpected order made me blink in surprise. Return? Now? Why?
“After last night’s incident, you need to see Adrian for a check-up.”
“No way! I’m your bodyguard! I can’t leave your side in a crisis like this!”
“But—”
“It’s fine! The heat has passed, and my cycle won’t trigger another one anytime soon.”
“But your condition is still unstable. What if it happens again?”
Prince Leon’s piercing gaze bore into me as he pressed the issue.
“I-It’s fine! If it does…”
I hesitated, glancing at his face. If it happens again, would I rely on him once more? Embarrassing memories of last night flashed in my mind, and I shook my head to push them away.
“…I’ll use suppressants. They should work this time.”
He sighed, clearly not convinced, but eventually nodded.
“Very well. But there’s a condition.”
“A condition?”
“Yes. Your heat cannot be ignored. …So I’ll have Adrian brought here.”