Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 3.4

Kevin and Anessa’s faces turned blank as the realization hit them. Callisto alone retorted sharply.

“We’re not real siblings!”

“Even if you’re half-siblings, it’s the same thing. You can’t get married.”

“Yes, we can! I’ve thought it all through! You don’t know anything, Brienne!”

“Fine, do whatever you want.”

Brienne turned her head away as if she couldn’t be bothered anymore.

It seemed like the right time to step in. I cleared my throat lightly, and the children jumped in surprise, turning to look at me. Callisto’s round cheeks instantly turned red.

“H-hyung. When did you get here?”

“Just now. Have you all been doing well?”

The awkward siblings from the Gillos family nodded hesitantly. Only Brienne clicked her tongue, exasperated. Still, the children, awkwardly fidgeting with their fingers, looked endearing to me. I pulled Callisto into a side hug and addressed the Gillos siblings.

“I didn’t get to greet you properly last time because of the chaos with Evry. Have things been fine?”

Kevin and Anessa exchanged quick glances, seemingly confident I hadn’t overheard their conversation. Their faces brightened as they energetically replied.

“Yes! We just took the Imperial Trainee Knight test a few days ago!”

“We think we did well! Kevin and I were in different groups, but we both ranked first in our groups!”

“Oh… the Imperial Knight Trainees?”

“Yes!”

I quickly masked the fleeting gloom on my face. I couldn’t bring myself to dampen the spirits of these excited children, eagerly awaiting their results.

A slender, blond young man with a presence as cold and sharp as midwinter snow strode forward on long legs, stopping directly in front of me. It was Roen, now 21 years old.

I closed my eyes tightly, wishing I could avoid this encounter. I had hoped to avoid Roen altogether, but I hadn’t expected to meet him so abruptly. Roen was an unstable force, unpredictable in many ways. Ever since I was a child, standing before him felt like facing a predator—cruel and cold.

But he was the first prince of the empire, and avoiding him was not an option. I had no choice but to lower my head in deference.

“…Etienne of Wynyeates greets His Highness, the First Prince.”

“It’s been a while, Etienne.”

His blue eyes, glinting like ice, looked down at me with a faint smile. It had been six years since I last saw Roen.

“Your Majesty, I didn’t expect you to come,” Harrington said, greeting his nephew with a bright expression.

“Something came up at the palace, so I’m a bit late, Uncle,” Roen replied smoothly. “I thought the meeting would be over and I’d miss seeing Etienne, but I suppose I’m fortunate.”

“Haha, young master Etienne isn’t feeling well today and was just about to leave,” Harrington explained.

“Not feeling well?” Roen narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold and unrelenting as it examined me. The intensity of his scrutiny left my body stiff and tense.

“I heard a rumor that Etienne was frail,” Roen continued. “Is it true? It’s rare for a dominant alpha to be unwell.”

“I’m just a bit tired,” I managed to say, a cold sweat breaking out on my back. Although I could control my pheromones with some effort, Roen made no attempt to suppress his, letting his presence bear down on me.

I was technically an alpha thanks to the accelerator, but my weak constitution left me vulnerable. Roen’s dominant alpha pheromones hit me like sharp shards of ice, stabbing at my entire body.

“I see. You’ve grown a lot, Etienne. How old are you now?”

“…I’m eighteen.”

I bit my lower lip, struggling to keep my composure. Roen took a step closer, his long fingers tilting my chin upward so I had to meet his gaze. A languid smile played on his lips.

“She was beautiful as a child, but I didn’t expect her to grow into someone this stunning. An alpha with a face like this? If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d think you were trying to deceive me.”

“How could that be?” I forced myself to respond, though my vision blurred as the strain of his pheromones grew unbearable. Harrington, clearly noticing my discomfort, gave Roen an awkward smile and spoke up.

“Your Majesty, the business for today has been concluded. Perhaps it’s time to return to the palace?”

“Is that so? What a shame. It was nice meeting Etienne again. Well, I suppose we’ll see each other more often from now on.”

Roen smiled faintly and released me. The overwhelming weight of his pheromones lessened slightly, allowing me to finally breathe again.

“But you’ll see me off, won’t you?” he added casually. “Since it’s been so long.”

“…Of course, Your Majesty.”

Despite desperately wanting to cleanse myself of the pheromones clinging to me, I couldn’t defy the prince’s command. Reluctantly, I accompanied him and Harrington outside.

After we reached the carriage, Harrington quickly excused himself and departed. Roen, however, lingered, engaging me in idle conversation. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but I had no choice but to endure it. My head felt heavy and clouded from his pheromones, making it difficult to think straight. It didn’t even occur to me that Callisto’s class had already ended and she might return home soon.

Then Roen’s voice, tinged with amusement, broke my train of thought.

“Who’s that child? If they belong to Wynyeates… could it be that child?”

I turned in the direction he indicated and froze. Callisto stood in the distance, silently staring at the imperial carriage. My heart sank.

Callisto turned around slowly, amber eyes meeting mine for a moment before shifting to Roen. Her usually bright, cheerful face was pale and expressionless. The transformation startled me, and I feared she might lose control of her emotions.

But contrary to my fears, Callisto bowed gracefully, her face calm and composed.

“Callisto greets His Highness, the First Prince.”

“Callisto, is it?” Roen’s tone turned peculiar.

“You’ve grown quite a bit. How old are you now, Callisto?”

“I am thirteen years old.”

Roen took a step closer, tilting his head slightly as he observed her. His blue eyes, cold as a frozen lake, gleamed dangerously.

“And are you really the Count’s illegitimate child?”

The blood in my veins turned icy. I clenched my fists, terrified that Roen would see through my growing anxiety. His gaze, however, remained fixed on Callisto. My chest tightened as I hurried to intervene.

“Your Majesty, Callisto—”

“Yes, Count Wynyeates is my father,” Callisto answered coolly, cutting me off. Her voice was calm and measured, almost unnervingly so. The cheerful, endearing child I knew was gone, replaced by someone cold and composed.

For a fleeting moment, the image of her wielding a longsword against Evely flashed in my mind.

“I see… But…” Roen moved closer until the space between him and Callisto was barely existent. One side of his mouth lifted in a smirk as his piercing blue eyes scrutinized her.

“I feel as though I’ve seen you before,” he mused. “I don’t know why, but you make me uneasy.”

My breath caught. Roen’s pheromones suddenly flared, washing over us in a suffocating wave. My stomach churned, and I felt as though I might vomit, but I forced myself to intervene.

“Your Majesty… I am not feeling well…” I managed weakly.

“Oh, right. Your complexion has been poor for some time. I should take my leave now.” Roen smiled faintly, then turned to me, leaning close enough to brush his cold lips against my cheek.

The icy sensation was as unsettling as snake skin. His heavy pheromones slowly subsided, leaving me gasping for air, my body trembling.

I rolled my eyes helplessly, and then my gaze landed on Callisto. Her face was pale, almost blue, and her lower lip, bitten hard, was stained with blood. Her large golden eyes were welling up with tears.

“Majesty.”

I summoned all my strength to lift my heavy arms. Pushing Roen away without making a sound, I spoke softly.

“It’s late. Let’s meet another time.”

“Okay.”

Roen smirked and boarded the palace carriage. The suffocating pheromones that had been pressing on my neck finally began to dissipate. I took a deep breath and turned toward Callisto.

Without warning, Callisto collapsed.

“Callisto!”

I rushed to her and caught her just as she fell. The unconscious child slumped in my arms, her small body limp. At that moment, a strong floral fragrance filled the air, suppressing Roen’s lingering pheromones instantly. The scent was unmistakably calendula, golden like Callisto’s eyes.

Callisto’s manifestation had begun. Her fever surged alarmingly, and she barely managed to open her eyes, gasping for air as her body trembled uncontrollably. The overpowering, heady scent of calendula filled her bedroom, weighing heavily on me. It felt like my entire body was being pierced by sharp needles, yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave her side.

“Your Majesty, you must step out now,” Dr. Woodson urged.

“But she’s in so much pain…”

“If her manifestation progresses further, her pheromones will start to affect you. It’s for the young master’s sake.”

“She’ll look for me when she wakes up…”

“It’ll take a few days before she regains full consciousness. Master, you also need rest. Please, hurry.”

Dr. Woodson gently but firmly ushered me out of the bedroom. My legs felt weak, and I stumbled to my bed before collapsing onto it. Prolonged exposure to Callisto’s pheromones had taken a toll on me. If I had been born an omega, perhaps I could have endured it, but being forcibly transformed into one made me especially sensitive to the pheromones of other alphas.

So, it’s Alpha…

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