I. The Unhappiest Prince in the World
Etienne de Frédéric.
The sole direct heir of the Frédéric Empire and the undisputed number one in line for the throne.
He lived a life everyone envied, yet he considered himself the unhappiest person in the world.
If people had known that Etienne harbored such thoughts, they would have immediately dismissed it as madness or spoiled tantrums.
Who could possibly think the Empire's royalty and a strong contender for the next Emperor could be unhappy? Objectively speaking, Etienne lived in a more blessed environment than anyone else.
That's right. In the eyes of the people, it didn't matter that Etienne was not an 'alpha' like his siblings.
Unlike omegas, betas could ascend to the throne according to imperial law.
If Etienne had alpha siblings, it might have been a different story, but he was the sole offspring of the current emperor.
Furthermore, behind Etienne stood the formidable Empress, Lady Heraise of the Duke House, whose influence sometimes exceeded even the emperor's. With the backing of Lady Heraise and her noble faction, it was practically a foregone conclusion that Etienne would ascend to the throne.
Unquestionable lineage and overwhelming power, no one could deny it.
In front of all that, whether Etienne was a beta or a hopeless scoundrel made no difference whatsoever.
That's why countless people believed that Etienne's future would be paved with flowers just as it is now. They didn't doubt his happiness.
But that was a misconception. Etienne was unhappy in the past, and he remained so now. Happiness was a strange and unfamiliar word to him. That's how dark and dismal Etienne's life had been.
Perhaps that's why Etienne genuinely felt that he was unhappy. If he were to pick the unhappiest prince in the world, he was certain it would be himself.
Etienne was, after all, pretending to be a beta when he was actually an 'omega.'
***
"Te... Etie."
Yes?
"I love you. I really do."
I do, too.
"So... give it to me. You must..."
What are you saying? I can't hear you.
"Goodbye."
No, don't, I don't want that. Don't leave me alone in this hell. Please.
Gasp
A harsh breath escaped through tightly sealed lips. Etienne clutched the blanket and took deep breaths.
What kind of dream was that?
Etienne closed and opened his eyes in an attempt to grasp onto the remnants of the dream. It seemed like he had dreamt of something he longed for, but he couldn't recall the details. Instead, a sense of sadness and melancholy clung to his body.
Phew...
Failing to recall the dream, Etienne tried to calm his racing heart as he exhaled deeply. Even after waking up, his body felt heavy.
Lying down, he blinked a few times, and as the drowsiness faded, his vision gradually became clearer. Etienne forced himself to sit up, his body limp like a soaked sponge.
"Your Highness! You've awakened!"
Both fearful and relieved, a voice greeted Etienne as he rose from his spot.
"Thank goodness!"
"Ben..."
Etienne scrunched his face when he saw the approaching attendant, Ben. His voice sounded louder than he expected, making his head throb.
"Speak quietly."
A feeble voice escaped through his lips, surprising even himself. It was as dry and cracked as the bark of a tree in a long drought.
"I apologize."
At Etienne's reproachful tone, Ben quickly lowered his head. He observed Etienne's complexion while keeping his lips sealed. Perhaps it was because he had regained his senses after several days, but Etienne's somewhat pale complexion was relatively okay.
"Shall I get you some water?"
Ben, relieved that Etienne's condition wasn't as dire as he feared, reached for a glass of water on the bedside table. Assuming that Etienne might be thirsty after not waking up for so long seemed reasonable.
"Take it slowly."
Etienne listened to Ben's advice, holding onto the glass. As expected, he was quite parched. Etienne brought the glass to his lips in a hasty motion. The cool water moistened his dry, cracked lips and flowed into his parched mouth.
Cough!
Drinking water was a daunting experience, and he suddenly coughed. The glass slipped from Etienne's hand. Fortunately, Ben's quick reflexes prevented the glass from shattering.
"Are you alright?"
Cough, cough, cough!
Etienne hunched over, coughing continuously. Ben, with a worried expression, patted Etienne's back.
"I'm sorry, truly sorry," Ben apologized with a trembling face. Etienne gestured that he was okay, coughing a few more times. It was just that he had hurriedly sipped the water and got choked; Ben did not need to apologize.
Sigh
Etienne, who had finally managed to stop coughing, leaned against the headboard with an exhausted expression.
"...How long was I unconscious?"
"Three days."
Ben replied cautiously to Etienne's question as if he was worried that Etienne might be shocked by the answer.
"Three days... I slept longer than I thought."
Etienne muttered with a sigh. He clenched and unclenched his fist slowly with an expressionless face, his wrists bearing painful bruises.
Damn it.
For a moment, Etienne's expression twisted. He glared at his trembling fingertips. Etienne tried to recall the situation before losing consciousness as calmly as possible.
This heat cycle had come without warning. It was much stronger this time, given that it had been almost half a year since the last one. As soon as Etienne realized it was a heat cycle, he called for someone to lock him in his chambers. He had tried to suppress his surging desires with suppressants provided by the palace.
But it was in vain. Etienne had lost half his sanity, thrashing about. He couldn't regain his composure due to the overwhelming desire that coursed through his body.
"...Ah, ugh..."
"I hate it. Anyone, anyone will do, please..."
When his omega instincts remained unsatisfied, his rationality disappeared. Bereft of control, he howled almost like an animal. Even sedatives couldn't put him to sleep.
He shuddered to think what dreadful things might have happened if he hadn't foreseen the loss of control and bound his wrists and ankles himself.
He didn't know how much time had passed in that state. If he asked Ben, he would probably tell him, but Etienne didn't really want to know.
At some point, it had just been pitch black. Either he had completely lost his sanity or had blacked out, one of the two.
Etienne, groping for faint memories, gave up trying to think further. Instead, he asked what had been on his mind since earlier.
"What does the palace physician say?"
"They believe it's a side effect of the suppressants. They plan to visit Your Highness soon, conduct an examination, and create a new medication based on the results."
"While they're at it, ask them to change the sedatives."
"Pardon?"
"It seems like I've developed a tolerance. The last one didn't work much."
At Etienne's words, Ben's forehead creased deeply. Saying that the sedatives had no effect meant that Etienne had suffered in agony until he lost consciousness due to the unrelenting desire.
"...I will inform the palace physician."
Instead of replying, Etienne nodded. After waking up for the first time in days, his stomach ached, and his head throbbed. He thought he needed to eat something when he heard a soft voice outside the door.
"Your Highness,"
"Who is it?"
Ben frowned at the voice from outside. During Etienne's heat cycle, he had ordered all palace staff to be discreet. Hearing someone speak out without Ben's permission indicated that the person wasn't from the Prince's quarters.
"Her Majesty requests your presence."
Of course, it had to be this. The voice owner was one of the maids who served the Empress. The uninvited guest delivered the Empress's message before Ben could react.
"The Empress, you say?"
"Yes. Please come to the palace immediately."
"Ah!"
Ben's expression displayed a mix of surprise and bewilderment at the news that the Empress was looking for Etienne. He wondered how she had known to seek him out immediately upon his awakening, considering she hadn't shown her face once while unconscious.
"It's alright," Etienne intervened, preventing Ben from saying anything more. Any conflict with the maid here would cause complications.
"I should freshen up before I go."
He had been told to come immediately, but going without washing would surely invite disdain and scolding. Etienne issued the order with an impassive face.
"Prepare a bath."
"Very well."
Ben, whose lips were puckered as if he had some grievances, replied after swallowing a sigh. While Ben went to the bathroom, Etienne used the bedpost as support to rise from his seat. Even such a slight movement strained his strength.
"I should... go when she's looking for me..."
Etienne mumbled in a hushed voice, his face showing an undeniable fear.
To be continued...