NOVEL NEXT chapter 50
I worried about Rikal, but when we returned to the lab, he was already lying on his usual spot, fast asleep. Before I could even feel relief, the steward began patting me down from head to toe. I thought washing off the Crown Prince’s pheromones would be faster, but he surely knew that, so I waited silently. At last he rose to his feet again and more carefully checked my scent—pressing his nose to this spot and that. He frowned, stroked his chin.
“That’s strange. I’m certain I didn’t smell anything earlier.”
Hearing that, I stiffened as he leaned closer. If he detected Asgail’s scent and I… I dared not imagine. My head already felt light, my breathing quick; I could not afford a scene. I waited in silence for the excitement to ebb. After a long moment of thought, the steward finally spoke.
“Yohan, I may simply be mistaken.”
“Yes.”
His tentative tone made my heart pound. I waited anxiously as he guided me to the sofa and brought a chair to sit facing me.
“You know what my research is about, right? Yohan.”
“Yes. It’s on alphas and omegas.”
He smiled faintly, then grew serious.
“As you know, the world has alphas, omegas, betas, and gammas. Betas are most common, then omegas, alphas, and gammas. Among those, both omegas and alphas split again into extreme omegas and extreme alphas.”
“Yes.”
He continued.
“Here, the numbers actually invert. Normally omegas outnumber alphas, but extreme omegas are far rarer than extreme alphas—perhaps only a thousand extreme omegas per hundred thousand. Only one or two of those become extreme alphas. That rarity means few cases to study. I told you about extreme alphas before.”
I nodded, and the steward leaned forward.
“But rarer still are extreme omegas.”
“Fewer cases, then.”
I answered, puzzled why he spoke of this, but listened earnestly. He winced.
“Not just because they’re few in number. Because they can’t be found.”
“Can’t be found?”
He nodded.
“Unlike other types, extreme omegas can ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) suppress their pheromones, so they’re often mistaken for betas or ordinary omegas. Extreme alphas can also remove pheromones, but only temporarily—excess builds up and harms them, and their physical traits still give them away.”
He tapped his eye meaningfully.
I wondered how anyone discovered them. He answered immediately.
“Discovery was pure chance. A doctor treating an omega with unusually high pheromone levels ran tests and found it—and word spread, causing serious trouble.”
“What kind of trouble…?”
I braced myself. The steward sighed.
“You know how alphas and omegas react to each other’s pheromones. Extreme omegas aren’t immune—problem is, their pheromones are specialized to extreme alphas. They drive them mad.”
“Drive them mad? How?”
My voice trembled. He tapped his temple.
“The pheromone spikes far beyond normal levels, overloads their system. They mostly lose memory, but sometimes suffer psychotic breaks.”
I gasped. He nodded solemnly.
“In a way, though it seems extreme alphas control the world we see, at the pyramid’s apex are the extreme omegas. Among all types, extreme alphas are most vulnerable to pheromones, so extreme omegas are dangerous. In fact, when found, they’re often trafficked or subjected to horrific experiments—imprisoned, raped endlessly, impregnated. Some extreme alphas do that. Madmen, really.”
He shrugged as if disgusted.
“So most extreme omegas hide, so little is known about them.”
“Then many might live without ever meeting one.”
“Or meet and not recognize them.”
I tilted my head. Why was he telling me this? He answered in a firm tone.
“Still, sometimes their identity is revealed. Extremes aren’t perfect.”
My stomach lurched. I asked carefully,
“How…?”
He paused, then said,
“A birthmark.”
“A birthmark?”
I echoed. He explained,
He traced a butterfly shape in the air. I watched his finger, and he glanced at me.
“If you, Yohan, were an extreme omega, being here would be many times more dangerous. Understand?”
“Yes….”
If, he said. But that could not be. I was ordinary omega.
I answered weakly. He leaned in, studying my face intently. I felt uneasy and tried to look away, but he held my gaze—like he suspected something. Then he whispered my name, startling me.
“Yohan.”
“Yes?”
“If I asked to test you… you’d think I was insane, right?”
“Wha—?”
I blurted in shock, eyes wide. His expression was deadly serious. I felt as though he might spring on me the moment I nodded.
A forgotten memory crashed in—hands pinning me down, my body bound, and then…
I swallowed dryly. My heart raced, my limbs trembled, and I clung to the sofa. The world turned white. Then, a meow cut through my panic. Rikal.
The tension shattered. The cat, awakened, mewed and rubbed against my leg. Grateful, I bent to pet him, using the moment to break the steward’s stare. When I straightened, his expression was back to normal.
“Already time for Rikal to eat. He must be hungry.”
He stroked the cat’s head and rose, smiling.
“Don’t worry. I’m not mad like those extreme alphas.”
“R-right.”
I muttered agreement, uneasy, but he continued before I could think.
“In summary, extreme omegas can’t be found unless they reveal themselves. If you can control your pheromones, that’s a great relief.”
He shrugged lightly.
“But I’m certain you’re not an extreme omega, Yohan.”
“Of course not.”
I nodded vigorously. He laughed and returned to his desk, stretching and resuming work. Not wanting to disturb him, I padded to the cupboard, fetched Rikal’s food, filled his bowl, and poured water. Then I tidied the sofa before glancing back: the steward was engrossed in his work as always.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. My head spun at how strange it felt—less than two hours since encountering Asgail in the garden, and it already seemed like a dream.
“Yohan.”
“I love you.”
My vision blurred once more, and I shook my head. I busied myself, trying to dispel the lingering memory—and that unforgettable, sweet scent.