Chapter 11
Instinctively curling into herself, her body had no idea how to respond within his large embrace.
When her back jolted, it brushed against his rippling abs. Though she managed to leave a small gap, the loose fabric of his shirt tickled along her spine.
Was correcting her shooting stance really supposed to feel this provocative? What on earth were they doing at the shooting range?
Around them, dozens of attendants serving Clyde had gathered, but there was no time to glance back. With Clyde exuding alpha pheromones in full force, she didn’t notice whether they were excited or flustered.
She focused on the gentle whispers meant to soothe her, absorbing each small encouragement into her mind.
“Yeah, try it yourself.”
A low, resonant voice.
“Aim and fire.”
She thought, Whatever.
Focusing as best she could, she aimed at the target and pulled the trigger.
Bang—!
Startled, her body jumped on its own. The explosion right in front of her was terrifying.
The recoil pushed the gun barrel back, and Edith was also pushed slightly backward.
“Ah!”
Clyde caught her.
The gun’s weight, coupled with the strong recoil, was no joke—just as she had been warned.
“You okay?”
His thick, solid arms wrapped firmly around her waist, steadying her. This wasn’t the teasing, languid touch from before—she was fully supported from behind.
Even after firing, Edith held onto the gun handle tightly. Her knuckles were white with effort.
Her ears rang from the gunshot, and her tension hadn’t yet eased.
“Yes, I’m fine. Did… I shoot well?”
Perhaps if she had concentrated alone, she wouldn’t feel this dizzy. But if she had, she might have been thrown backward or hurt her arms from the recoil.
“You shot very well.”
Without even checking where the bullets landed, he declared her perfect. He busied himself putting away the gun and soothing her with firm embraces.
“Can you stand now?”
Of course she could. The arms wrapped around her waist were a little uncomfortable.
“Of course.”
It was the perfect opportunity to end the sticky, intense contact. She carefully pushed Clyde away, taking a step back.
But strangely, her body wouldn’t obey.
Her knees buckled. Before she could even process it, she was about to fall.
Clyde hurriedly closed the distance, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her back.
Her flustered forehead bumped against his firm collarbone.
“Not okay, huh?”
Instinctively, she grabbed at whatever she could. Her small hands slipped trying to grasp his broad shoulders, clutching instead at the sleeve of his shirt like a lifeline. Against the firm contours of his arm, her fingers felt tiny.
She avoided a humiliating tumble to the ground, but hugging him this way wasn’t exactly what she wanted either.
“The gunshot… it was loud… but I’m feeling a bit better now…”
Clyde didn’t allow her to step back. He ignored her comment about feeling better.
“Was it because of the gunfire?”
“…?”
“Did you notice any special scent? A feeling of your body changing?”
“What do you mean?”
He lowered his voice when questioning further, leaning in so close that his lips were near her earlobe, whispering softly.
“Or wanting to cling to me.”
She punched him lightly with the fist clutching his coat.
“Your Highness!”
What on earth had he done to her? Her knuckles slammed against his solid chest.
Clyde was fine, but it was her wrist that hurt. Her eyes widened as she noticed the shocked faces of the surrounding attendants. For the first time, she realized she had punched the Crown Prince.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I’ve committed a terrible offense.”
He held back the guarding knight trying to intervene and lightly supported her arm.
“Don’t worry. I allowed you to be familiar with me, didn’t I?”
He allowed it? When?
Curious, she looked at him, and he twitched his nose in response.
Ah, she got it. Feeling grateful, Edith decided to shamelessly play along, acting comfortable with him despite her misgivings.
But she was still curious about what he meant earlier. He mentioned a scent and feeling differently—what did that mean?
“Your Highness, I didn’t notice any scent at all. Was it important?”
If there was a scent here, it would have been his cologne or the smell of sweat after exertion—but she noticed neither.
“If you didn’t notice, then that’s that.”
A trace of disappointment passed over his expression. She realized she should have detected some scent. Another test, perhaps? She felt a pang of anxiety.
“…I’m sorry.”
Though she didn’t understand, Edith apologized as part of her duties as an attendant.
“You have nothing to apologize for. But why did you nearly collapse?”
Ah, this was a difficult question. She couldn’t admit that being embraced had left her feeling warm, dizzy, and slightly out of this world. But having just failed the “scent” test, she couldn’t lie outright and offered a vague excuse instead.
“I… felt a little dizzy from being too close to Your Highness.”
“You get dizzy being close to me?”
“Well… yes.”
Indeed. She had focused on the intimate contact but wasn’t sure if she had been so overwhelmed that her legs gave out.
In a flustered state, she offered a ridiculous excuse.
“I must have just lost my footing.”
Clyde’s sharply angled eyes deepened. Meeting his narrowed gaze made her uneasy, despite having done nothing wrong.
“You didn’t smell anything, but your body reacted?”
“Is this… some kind of test? To detect a foul odor or something?”
She thought of rare uses of scents in tests—to make someone dizzy, fall asleep, or physically aroused…
The realization hit her suddenly.
He had asked if she wanted to be held—that was it!
“Your Highness, did you use… an aphrodisiac scent on me?”
Clyde burst into laughter.
“An aphrodisiac scent? Edith, you’re really clever.”
He relaxed the frown of concentration, showing his teeth in a broad smile. His amusement alone answered her question.
“R-right? There’s no way it was an aphrodisiac scent.”
She never found out what scent had passed by, but she was content having given the Crown Prince a moment of enjoyment.
Chapter 2: Being dominated by both an Alpha and an Omega
As the “always-by-your-side” attendant, Edith had to follow Clyde for all his activities. Even during lunch, taken separately, she had only a brief respite before returning to his side.
Clothing suitable for the royal standard was provided continuously. The private chamber’s wardrobe quickly filled with her outfits, and she was told more dresses would be added for future occasions.
Later, she was ordered to follow him into the audience room, standing behind him. Secretaries recorded the conversation, while another attendant supported the Crown Prince’s official duties—Edith’s role was simply to attentively listen to the exchanges.
This time, Clyde met with a powerful noble advocating a reduction of the Emperor’s standing army. The atmosphere in the audience room was tense.
Back in the private chamber, she changed clothes again. A palace attendant was assigned to serve her, making her more comfortable after the showy ceremonial dress.
She perched on the edge of a chair, sitting loosely.
4 PM. Official duties began.
Opposite Edith’s desk, a full wall of shelves was stuffed with files. Over the three days of her leave, the private chamber had been completely organized this way.
“Oh dear—when will I ever finish reading and sorting all this?”
A sigh escaped her lips.
“How many people are in the palace? They can’t just leave paperwork stacked. Surely some of it is organized.”
Should she ask the attendant responsible? She murmured, calculating quietly without touching the documents.
“Edith will do it herself.”
“Ah!”
She slipped in her chair, landing hard on her backside. Why is my poor rear always suffering these days?
“Your Highness, you’ve come…”
He cut her off sharply.
“Yes, I’m here. And I noticed you were trying to be clever.”
Before she knew it, Clyde appeared before her, kneeling on one knee.
His tilted jaw exuded a particular mood. Not good. Very bad. That sly, mischievous look often led to bizarre outcomes.
Having learned from experience, she found even his playful, seemingly innocent smile unnervingly ominous.
“I won’t do that. I’ll read and organize everything myself.”
“You must.”
“But why duplicate work unnecessarily?”
“The previous reports were influenced by each attendant’s backers. Not objective at all. That’s why I need your unbiased perspective.”
He said this seriously, then extended his hand.
“You’re not sitting on the cold floor because you like it, are you?”
A man skilled at twisting one’s patience. His hand was there, but Edith wasn’t sure he was being gentlemanly. More likely, he was mischievous in a childish way.
She pouted, but didn’t refuse, grasping his large hand firmly.
“You startled me, so I slipped.”
“Really? I’ll be careful.”
He returned her to her seat and stepped back obediently.
Their desks were arranged at a 90-degree angle, with Edith’s profile facing him.
After completing the day’s official duties, the rest of the time was free, so he relaxed at his desk, pouring himself tea and looking out the window.
The first-floor grand office offered a better environment, but with numerous attendants in the hallway, this spot seemed more private.
Edith selected several file folders from the shelves, focusing on those marked with priority tags. The volume was large, but she had been persuaded this process was essential, and she turned pages without complaint.
No one entered the private chamber.
Even with a busy Crown Prince, no attendant came to summon her. Perhaps they had been instructed not to disturb her time here.
