I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 46

This… isn’t Lucas’s usual scent.

Leon pressed a hand to his chest, trying to steady his breath.

Sion had once mentioned that Lucas used a light fragrance to suppress the ominous energy that leaked from his body.

If that were true, then his scent shouldn’t be changing like this. Artificial fragrances fade over time they don’t grow stronger, nor do they transform into something entirely different.

Leon blinked as he stared at Lucas, then, without thinking, leaned closer.

So close that his nose nearly brushed against the side of Lucas’s neck.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent directly.

A sharp jolt coursed through his body.

“Haa…”

The more his body burned, the clearer the memory of the knights’ gazes from earlier became.

They must have caught his scent. Even from afar.

Otherwise, there was no way they would have looked at him like that.

The thought made Leon restless.

He needed to drown Lucas in his pheromones—now.

It was the only way to ease his anxiety.

Leon called out to him softly.

“Lucas…”

There was no response.

Lucas was deeply asleep.

Leon swallowed hard before carefully releasing his pheromones.

Slowly, he let his cool, bitter scent envelop Lucas, washing over him from head to toe.

Lucas shifted slightly, as if responding to the change in the air.

Leon bit his lip and buried his face in a pillow, gripping it tightly.

A pheromone shower was harmless—Lucas wouldn’t even notice.

But anything beyond that…

No. That was too dangerous.

Leon took a deep, shaky breath before turning his head.

The sight of Lucas lying there, wrapped in his scent, made his lips look even redder than before.

This is enough. Any more than this…

Leon forced himself to sit up.

He left the room quickly but didn’t return to his own chambers.

He couldn’t.

Leaving Lucas alone, knowing what kind of effect he had on Alphas, wasn’t an option.

Instead, he sat just outside the door, crouching in the empty corridor, his eyes scanning both ends of the hall.

Even though no servants ever passed through this part of the castle due to the curse, he couldn’t shake his unease.

He clenched his fists, his legs tense, ready to move at the slightest sign of danger.

Despite having drenched Lucas in his scent, the sweet vanilla fragrance still leaked through the cracks of the door.

No matter how much of a curse-repelling fragrance it’s supposed to be, Lucas isn’t the type to use something so soft and sweet just for appearance’s sake.

Leon frowned.

He’s definitely not an Alpha. Then… what is he?

An Omega?

No.

Omegas experienced heat cycles, and Lucas had never shown signs of one.

Then… a Beta?

But Betas didn’t have a scent.

What the hell is he?

Leon’s suspicions, which had been growing over time, only deepened further.

Lucas awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed.

He vaguely remembered Leon helping him back to his room, but everything after that was hazy.

It was strange—he had drunk so much, and yet, his body felt light.

After a quick shower, he headed to the study.

Sion was already there, working through reports.

“I was just about to come see you, Your Grace.”

Lucas took his seat, glancing at the neatly compiled patrol report on his desk.

Impressed by the speed of the work, he looked up at Sion, who only smiled.

“I drafted it during the patrol, Your Grace. Something about this situation seemed unusual, so I wanted to act quickly. The monsters descending into the villages—it’s becoming too frequent. We need a strategy before it gets worse.”

Lucas nodded.

He had been thinking the same thing.

In the past, there had been occasional monster attacks, but nothing this frequent.

If they didn’t prepare, there would be casualties.

“I’ve been considering forming a large hunting unit to deal with this. The longer we wait, the worse it’ll get.”

Sion’s expression turned serious.

“I noticed several capable knights during the patrol. It seems some villages have already been training warriors in advance. If we integrate them into our forces, it could strengthen our defenses.”

“Are their backgrounds verified?”

“Yes, I personally confirmed their records.”

Lucas nodded. If Sion had vetted them, they could be trusted.

They would need to assign senior knights to lead the new recruits, but with enough manpower, their hunts would be more effective.

“Then we’ll do it. The sooner, the better.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Lucas signed the report, officially ordering the integration of the village knights into the Rion Castle Guard.

Once Sion left to oversee the preparations, Lucas stood and walked to the window.

The snowy peaks in the distance glowed under the morning sun.

It would take time to fully mobilize a large hunting unit, but at least now Leon could protect himself.

That meant Lucas could focus on leading without worrying about keeping him safe.

And yet…

Anxiety wasn’t so easily dismissed.

Lucas exhaled, trying to ease the tension in his chest.

Then, he remembered how Leon had faced that massive monster without a hint of hesitation.

A soft smile curved his lips.

A bit of the unease faded.

Reports of monster attacks flooded in from all directions.

The castle was in an uproar.

The hunting unit had been formed quickly to respond to the crisis, and today, they would finalize their battle strategies.

Lucas was reviewing the deployment routes and combat plans when, suddenly, dizziness washed over him.

He stumbled, catching himself on his desk.

What…?

His body had been under strain from the past few days of overwork, but this—this was different.

He lifted a hand to his forehead.

His skin was burning.

Turning toward the window, he caught his reflection in the glass.

His face was alarmingly pale.

“…This isn’t good.”

If he appeared before the knights in this condition, it wouldn’t boost morale—it would shatter it.

Lucas exhaled heavily, gripping the edge of the desk.

There was only one option.

“I’ll have to ask Sion to handle this…”

Just as Lucas was about to call for Sion, the door to the study suddenly swung open.

Expecting it to be Leon, he turned to look—only to find Michelle entering instead.

“Lucas!”

She strode toward him, unable to get too close but close enough to assess his condition.

His face was deathly pale, his scent stronger than ever—so potent that even Michelle could sense it now—and he could barely stand without gripping the desk for support.

Lucas himself seemed unaware, but it was clear as day.

This was the onset of a full-fledged heat cycle.

I had hoped this wouldn’t happen, but of course, you just had to push yourself too far.

Most recessive Omegas either experienced mild heat cycles or none at all.

However, frequent exposure to an Alpha could trigger one—and when it did, it was far worse than what a typical Omega endured.

She had been worried about how much time Lucas spent around Leon, but since Leon wasn’t yet an adult and Lucas had shown no symptoms, she had let her guard down.

That had been a mistake.

Without hesitation, Michelle issued orders for Sion to take over the strategy meeting and forbade anyone from entering the study.

“That’s unnecessary, Michelle. I agree that Sion can handle today’s meeting, but I still need to receive reports from the senior knights—”

Her sharp gaze cut him off.

“You fool! Do you have any idea what state you’re in right now?”

When Lucas gave her a confused look, Michelle lowered her voice and said,

“You’re in heat.”

A wave of shock washed over him.

Heat? Me?

His mouth opened, but no words came out.

Michelle continued speaking calmly.

“You’ll have to stay locked in your chambers for a week. I’ll tell everyone that the curse has worsened, so don’t worry about any suspicions.”

“That’s ridiculous. There’s no proof that this is a heat cycle, and more importantly, I’m recessive. Besides, the expedition—”

Michelle clicked her tongue in irritation.

“And how long did you think Leon was going to stay a child? He’s already grown—he’s practically your size now. Have you forgotten that he’s an extreme-dominant Alpha?”

Lucas had no response.

His mind flashed back to the night of Leon’s first hunt celebration—the way he had felt breathless just from looking at him.

He had dismissed it as the effects of alcohol.

But if it had been the precursor to a heat cycle…

Unable to argue further, Lucas reluctantly followed Michelle’s instructions, quietly retreating to his chambers and collapsing onto the bed.

His body was drenched in sweat.

“Why?” Leon demanded. “Why can’t I see him?”

Michelle kept her expression carefully neutral as she faced him.

His towering frame, those sharp golden eyes flashing with frustration—he was imposing, even without trying to be.

And yet, he was holding himself back.

No doubt because he didn’t want to make himself look bad in front of Lucas.

She let out a tired sigh.

“How many times must I repeat myself? Lucas’s energy has become too dangerous for anyone to approach.”

Leon scoffed. “That doesn’t apply to me. The curse doesn’t affect me, so why does it matter?”

At this rate, using the curse as an excuse wouldn’t be enough to stop him.

She needed another way.

Ah. That should do it.

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