CH 46

A simple table with a chewy and dense, easily tearable flat bread and fresh milk-made savory stew. Mahle opened his eyes wide and eagerly opened his mouth.

“Oh my goodness.”

“Try it.”

Mahle seemed grateful. He picked up a spoon and took a bite, then quickly emptied the bowl with hearty spoonfuls.

He eats well, he eats well.

Smiling happily, I asked if he wanted more, and he said he wanted to eat more.

There may be those born with golden spoons and silver spoons in the world, but the young lad in front of me is a dairy spoon.

As the heir to the largest herd of dairy cows in the vicinity, he was also the most diligent and the top worker in the village.

“It must have been difficult to come up here with so much snow. Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was worried because the person who comes every morning didn’t come.”

Mahle blushed again.

“I was worried that you couldn’t come down because of the snow.”

Oh my, this kind-hearted fellow.

I wanted to pat his head, but we weren’t that close yet, so I held back.

“How are you dealing with the feed in the winter?”

He would probably handle it well on his own, but out of curiosity, I asked.

Mahle picked up a piece of bread with a face that seemed unaware that he would be asked such a question.

“I’ve dried and stored harvested corn stalks and straw in advance to use as feed. Fortunately, this area has a good harvest every year, so I don’t have to worry about running out of feed in winter.”

“I see.”

After my response, Mahle hesitated for a moment, tightly closed his eyes, and asked.

“By any chance, are you interested in raising cows or making milk?”

It was a sudden question, but I nodded without thinking.

“Yes, well. I’m also interested in milk, and I enjoy making butter or cheese. Oh, I made homemade cheese the day before yesterday. Would you like to try some?”

It was my first attempt, so I’m not sure if it tastes good or not.

As I tried to get up from my seat, Mahle grabbed my hand.

“If, if it’s okay, w-would you like to visit our farm? The cows have given birth to calves. T-They’re quite cute. Also.”

Oh, I see.

Even if I pretended not to notice, I understood what Mahle was trying to say.

Mahle wasn’t suggesting we come to see the calves but rather making a date request.

His face as red as if he were on fire, his hesitant speech, and his avoidance of eye contact were all classic signs of first love.

Most importantly, the warmth emanating from his palm, where his heartbeat seemed to be pounding, gave me certainty.

“The calves are adorable, and, um, you can even try milking them, and also…”

Now he’s rambling.

Is it because of his face? Mahle doesn’t seem like an alpha.

“If it’s a tour, I would gladly accept, Mahle. But do you happen to have any other interests in me?”

Moreover, this young man was in his prime at eighteen.

He was twice my size, but I still called him a young man, since he looked like he was only a sophomore in high school.

Mahle hesitated for a moment and nodded.

No, I’m content with having just one man as a romantic partner.

I lightly touched my head and then locked eyes with Mahle.

“I’m sorry. I am…”

I was trying to turn him down, but Mahle made the first move.

“I understand. Carthen is an omega, and you’re also currently on the run for some reason.”

Excuse me?

I almost forgot that Carthen is my fake name.

I’m on the run? How did he know that?

And how did he know about me being an Omega?

Do I smell?

When I opened my eyes wide, Mahle chuckled.

“Isn’t it common for Omegas to run away from Alphas? Except for noble Omegas who engage in political marriages, commoner Omegas are said to feel fear towards the lord Alphas.”

“In our village, we have omegas running away and coming here once or twice a year,” Mahle said.

“It’s a trend?”

The voice that came out in disbelief was so unexpected that even I felt startled when I heard it.

“Isn’t it true? Carthen, you’re a commoner omega, and you ran away because you didn’t want to marry a noble alpha, right?”

It’s a fact that the whole village knows, even though they’re all hushing about it.

“Running away is running away, but that’s not what I did.”

First of all, I wasn’t a commoner, and it was true that I was engaged in a political marriage with the Crown Prince, but I had temporarily left for complex reasons.

In fact, when I left, I also thought that I wouldn’t be able to escape his sight forever.

However, as the original story progressed, I had to reveal myself at least once, even if it was because of Leia, Marco, or Elizabeth.

And it wasn’t until this morning that I realized, but if Belfry doesn’t become an Omega, I would have had to marry Adrian out of loyalty, if nothing else.

That was the only thing I could do for him, and it was also the only thing he wished for from me.

“When a beautiful Omega male appeared here alone, it was hard to find any other reason than running away. So, I thought, just in case, if Carthen wants it, w-we could mate and run the farm together…”

But I can’t mate with a beta.

“Once we are engaged and married, even the lord nobles cannot propose to you.”

Ah, I see…

Mahle’s expression became dejected.

“Carthen, are you perhaps a noble?”

“… I’m not.”

I wasn’t a noble, but a royal, so it wasn’t a lie.

Mahle asked with a determined expression.

“You may not be a noble, but you must be an omega from a good household. I’ve observed you when you were selecting magic stones. It was as if you knew the purpose of every piece of magic stones there.”

Oh, you observed everything in that busy morning market.

“Mahle, I…”

“In that case, will you not marry me?”

Mahle asked bluntly.

The young man, whom I thought looked disheartened, gripped my arm tightly with a strong force.

“Our family is wealthy too. There’s no need for you to give up a single thing you’ve enjoyed so far. If you want, after marriage, I will purchase a separate house at the center of the archipelago.”

Um, excuse me.

“An omega like you, who has grown up so beautifully, would get tired of living alone in this old and inconvenient house within a week. Cooking meals that no one shares with you alone.”

“Mahle.”

“I felt it when I saw you happily serving me a meal on purpose. I thought you would be very lonely.”

That hits the mark, and that’s why it’s even more embarrassing.

“Even though I’m a beta, my strength is not inferior to an alpha, so I can easily handle your heat cycle if it comes.”

Where does that confidence come from?

It’s not something an eighteen-year-old would say.

“It’s tough, isn’t it? Spending lonely nights by yourself and soothing a body that feels like it’s burning.”

Mahle’s gaze became increasingly intense.

He seemed to harbor some kind of fantasy about omegas.

I tried to shake off his grip, but the difference in strength was too great, so I couldn’t easily break free.

I felt a wave of fear.

It was because Mahle pressed his body closely and tried to bite my neck.

I managed to twist my body to barely avoid it, but it seemed to have further provoked Mahle’s nerves.

“Why are you rejecting it! You ran away because you didn’t want a loveless marriage! You ran away not because of the wealth and honor you could gain from marrying a noble, but because you wanted something more sublime. I will give it to you!”

What nonsense.

You’re getting too caught up in your own novel.

My head grew so cold that I couldn’t think anymore.

Mahle now made a motion to slide his hand into the waistband of his trousers.

Without any other options, I fiercely punched his cheek with my fist.

A loud thud resounded, and Mahle’s head jerked back.

Mahle, seemingly unaware that I would strike him, loosened his grip slightly, and I seized the opportunity to break free from his grasp and step back.

My fist that had struck his cheek throbbed with a sharp pain.

“You, how could you…”

“No matter what I ran away from, it doesn’t mean I love you.”

As I delivered those words coldly, Mahle’s eyes widened, and he forcefully pushed me against the wall.

I thought I had trained myself to some extent, but when my body felt weak and my back hit the wall, a wave of sadness washed over me.

It doesn’t have to be this weak.

With intense eyes, Mahle pressed his face closer to mine.

“Then why did you do that? Why did you smile at me? Why did you walk around, shaking your hips and emitting such a pleasant scent?!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Smiling in front of you was merely a gesture of kindness, and emitting a pleasant scent was not under my control. Keep your delusions in check.”

It felt like my eardrums were about to burst.

And it was disgusting.

Indulge in your delusions and get aroused alone.

“Omegas emitting a pleasant scent is just a way to tempt others, they say! I’m telling you, I’m willing to succumb to that temptation!”

Ah, just stop it already.

All sense of reason vanished, and in that moment, I wanted to kill Mahle.

With each word spoken, the pain from the impact on my back, where he forcefully shook my body, felt as if it had turned into a bruise.

“Who planted such absurd common sense in your mind? The reason I emit a pleasant scent is simply because I’ve washed well. And your assumption of temptation is nothing but your own delusion, considering I never explicitly said I wanted to be with you.”

It felt like my ears were clogged.

The worst-case scenario unfolded before me.

Mahle pinned me down to the floor and climbed on top of me.

I couldn’t breathe as if a rock was weighing on my chest.

“You! Oomph!”

As I tried to shout, Mahle covered my mouth with a hand like a lid on a pot.

“Why did you let me into your house? This is all your fault. You belong to me.”

An attempt to kick him away by lifting my legs was also thwarted.

Mahle’s actions seemed as if he wanted to show me what true terror was.

With a smirk that seemed to discard any pretense of being a good person, Mahle raised one corner of his mouth.

“Do you know, all my poker buddies have their eyes on you? Once an omega is marked by someone, they only see that person for life. It’s satisfying to have obtained something that others covet.”

This, you bastard.

I was out of breath, my head spinning.

Did I become an omega because I wanted to?

No, at the very least, it wasn’t to be treated like this by a despicable bastard like you.

That damned magic power that supposedly exists somewhere in my body remained dormant even in a situation like this.

Mahle slowly lowered his head, clearly aiming for my exposed neck, and opened his mouth wide.