Chapter 25
However, Lucas couldn’t afford to show his surprise. If he reacted too strongly, it would only fuel Leon’s suspicions.
Michelle had yet to fully recover from her illness, and their relationship with the Theian Empire remained uncertain. If word got out that the Grand Duke was a recessive Omega, the consequences would be irreversible.
Suppressing his unease, Lucas forced a faint smile.
“You say the strangest things. You know as well as anyone—I’m an Alpha. It’s just that my curse makes my body exude a strong energy. To soften its effects, I use scented oils with a gentle fragrance. Surely, you didn’t come all this way just to ask me about that?”
Leon, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, slumped his shoulders, looking disappointed. He must have been excited to share a secret he thought no one else knew, only to be met with denial.
“But… I kept smelling something sweet from you, so I thought you weren’t an Alpha. I even tried to figure it out on my own.”
Lucas, now calmer, responded in a steady voice.
“Your Highness, does it really matter whether I’m an Alpha or not?”
Leon looked up at Lucas, who had taken a step closer. Letting out a soft sigh, Lucas reached out and took his hand.
“What’s important is that you learn to control your blessing as soon as possible.”
“Mm… I guess that’s true. I get too anxious when I’m away from you.”
His shoulders slumped even further.
“That’s why I’m planning to conduct an experiment, starting today.”
“An experiment?”
“Yes. We need to determine how long you need to stay close to me in order to properly regulate your power. We should study it more thoroughly.”
At that, Leon’s face brightened, and he leaped off the bed, clapping his hands together. His flushed cheeks and restless feet made him look so endearing that Lucas almost smiled.
But he couldn’t allow himself to relax just yet.
“…Your Highness, this isn’t something to be excited about.”
“Why not?”
Leon tilted his head, his scent subtly deepening with emotion.
Lucas inhaled, then pressed his lips together.
Leon had definitely noticed his scent.
What if Leon realized the truth—that he was an Omega?
But looking at Leon’s innocent face, Lucas forced himself to stay calm.
No—I’m barely an Omega at all.
He had spent his entire life surrounded by Alphas in the knights’ order, and it had never caused a problem.
Even if his scent was faintly noticeable, it wouldn’t be enough to expose him.
“Nothing has been confirmed yet, so it’s best to be cautious. As your power changes, we don’t know how my curse might react.”
Yes, this was the safest way to frame it. Lucas swallowed back a bitter smile as he spoke.
Leon, meanwhile, fiddled with Lucas’s fingertips.
“See? Nothing’s happening. Even when I breathed on your bare skin before… and when you were asleep….”
Leon hesitated. He couldn’t possibly say that he had secretly touched Lucas’s lips and felt perfectly fine.
“When I was asleep?”
“Uh, no! I mean… Nothing happened when we slept together, right?”
“Well… that’s true.”
Lucas’s halfhearted response made Leon pause in thought. Then, gripping his fingertips, he asked,
“Lucas, can I take off your gloves?”
Lucas flinched but eventually relaxed.
Leon repeated himself, his tone coaxing.
“Lucas… You already know, don’t you? Your curse doesn’t affect me. And if we’re going to experiment, wouldn’t it be best to start by holding hands?”
His reasoning was sound.
Eventually, Lucas relented and let him.
Leon carefully peeled away the gloves, making sure not to startle him.
As soon as Lucas’s bare hand was revealed, he reflexively curled his fingers—but Leon was faster.
He quickly interlocked their fingers and smiled.
“Lucas, you trust me, don’t you?”
Then, just like he did in his tiger form, he rubbed their clasped hands against his cheek.
Lucas’s hands were rough, but Leon didn’t seem to mind. His face was warm and soft against Lucas’s skin, making the cool air feel even sharper in contrast.
Slowly, Lucas started to relax.
“See? Nothing happened.”
“…It seems so.”
“And that’s how it’ll always be. Because you’re special to me, Lucas!”
Leon beamed excitedly, then quickly continued.
“You said we’d experiment, right? Now that we’re holding hands, let’s test it!”
Closing his eyes, Leon muttered,
“Turn into a tiger.”
The truth was, Leon had already gained partial control over his transformation.
But there was just one problem…
“…Leon?”
Only part of him had transformed.
His hands, his golden hair, and his body all remained the same—but a fluffy tiger tail flicked behind him.
“…Pfft.”
Then, a pair of rounded tiger ears popped up.
Lucas finally let out a stifled laugh.
But as Leon’s tail thumped against the floor in frustration, Lucas quickly cleared his throat and spoke seriously.
“Now, let’s try reversing it.”
Leon nodded, pretending to concentrate.
Truthfully, he could easily control this part of his transformation.
But if he made too much progress too quickly, Lucas might decide they no longer needed to share a bed.
And that was unacceptable.
His tail and ears remained, unmoving.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“Hmm. I suppose it takes longer to go back.”
“Yeah… I guess so.”
Feigning disappointment, Leon released Lucas’s hand and sat down on the floor, looking dejected.
As if struggling with his own uncontrollable power.
His pitiful expression was surprisingly convincing.
Though Lucas still found the lingering animal traits strange, his familiarity with Leon made it less unsettling.
And so, he was the one to make the next suggestion.
“Your Highness, there’s no need to be distressed. You’ll learn to control it in time. Come closer—it might help if we increase physical contact.”
Leon straightened his posture and took a step toward Lucas. The idea of getting closer made him feel giddy, and his tail instinctively stood up.
No! Don’t wag it! If I look too happy, he’ll realize I can control my power!
He forced himself to stop and took a deep breath, steadying his mind.
Lucas, standing just a few steps away, slowly leaned forward, wrapping his arms around him.
“Mm…”
A weak sound escaped Leon’s lips.
Why is this happening?
This had never happened before. Flustered, he flattened his round ears against his head.
“Press closer.”
“…….”
As Lucas pulled him in, the rich vanilla scent overwhelmed Leon’s senses. His own scent, normally tinged with bitterness, also seemed to intensify. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t regulate his power.
At this rate, he needed to shift back into his human form—just once—to prove that close contact helped him control his abilities.
Ah, this feels good… but…
His head felt light, his stomach churned as if he had caught a fever, and his thoughts grew hazy.
Then, Lucas’s lips brushed against his ear.
“Is it too much? Take a deep breath. Focus on how it feels to be in your human form.”
Following Lucas’s instructions, Leon inhaled deeply, pressing closer to his chest. Slowly, his fevered body cooled, his breathing steadied, and his form gradually returned to that of a human.
“Haah…”
“You did it!”
Lifting his head from Lucas’s chest, Leon was met with a warm, pleased smile.
“Impressive. Controlling your power isn’t easy, but you learn quickly.”
“…See? I told you—I can do it as long as you’re with me.”
“Yes, it certainly seems that way.”
Leon nodded, recalling the strange sensations from earlier. He wanted to experience it again, so he took Lucas’s bare hand and held it firmly.
“Let’s practice a few more times.”
Lucas agreed without hesitation.
Though it wasn’t as intense as before, every time they made contact, Leon’s heart pounded and his body warmed.
It was like floating on water—a pleasant, weightless feeling.
After repeating the exercise three more times, Leon clung to Lucas’s arm and beamed.
“As long as you stay by my side, I think I’ll be able to control my power perfectly!”
“That’s great news.”
Lucas chuckled, mirroring his smile.
Leon responded by pressing even closer, and they remained like that for a while, their hands clasped together.
Then, glancing out the window, Lucas remarked,
“It’s already time for dinner. Let’s go eat.”
“Okay!”
Lucas reached for his gloves, intending to put them back on, but Leon interlocked their fingers, preventing him.
With a sigh, Lucas said,
“I can’t leave this room without wearing my gloves.”
“Why not?”
“It may be safe for you, but there’s always a chance I might encounter someone else.”
Leon shook his head, protesting.
“But the servants rarely come to the floor where your room is. And besides, people always avoid you the moment they see you from a distance, so it’s fine!”
“That may be true, but…”
In all his years at the castle, Lucas had never gone without his gloves—except when he was asleep.
The thought of someone else getting hurt because of him…
Even just imagining it was unbearable.
