The Married Alpha Who Refuses to Be a Heartthrob (A/B/O · Alpha POV) - Chapter 22

Erlan lay awake in bed, tears welling whenever he thought of Shu. His hatred for Keith grew by the day—he wished Keith were dead.

Though he was an Alpha, he couldn’t make sense of his own orientation. He preferred other Alphas over Omegas, feeling an inexplicable aversion toward them.

Omegas could bear children, while Alphas above S-rank lacked reproductive cavities and couldn’t conceive. He seethed with jealousy toward Keith.

Even while Keith could no longer have children, he still felt envious simply because he was an Omega.

Alphas always favored Omegas, drawn to them and showering them with affection. This infuriated and frustrated Erlan, the flames of jealousy never extinguished in his heart.

……

When the day came for Abe to return home, he threw a tantrum, refusing to leave and locking himself in his room.

A letter arrived from the palace, and Kaes had no time to gently persuade Abe.

Upon entering his office, Kaes found two letters on his desk—one from the Queen and one from Keith. Seeing the Queen’s letter always unsettled him.

Could she be assigning him a new fiancée?

He decided to read the Queen’s letter first.

【Governor Kaes:

I deeply regret the matter concerning Abe. Perhaps it is God’s will… After careful consideration, I have decided to betroth Keith to you.

I shall dispatch Keith and church officials to assist you in apprehending the fugitive. Given the current extraordinary circumstances, for security reasons, the engagement ceremony may be omitted. The wedding may proceed only after the fugitive is captured.】

Why had the Queen suddenly changed her mind? Kaes read it twice to make sure he hadn’t misread it.

The Queen was actually betrothing him to Keith! He didn’t know what the Queen was thinking, but this was good news for him. Besides, Keith was already on his way. By tonight, they could meet.

Keith’s Letter:

【Kaes, My Fiancée:

I’ll be back soon!! ! Aither said he wouldn’t marry me, but after my persistent nagging, Auntie agreed… Besides me, eight others will be coming—four stewards and four nuns.】

Kaes chuckled. The title had changed to “fiancée.” The Queen was a practical woman, granting special permission to skip the engagement ceremony during this period. They were now officially betrothed. Once the SSS-rank sorcerer was apprehended, they could formally marry.

Kaes summoned his attendant; he still had tasks to arrange, and time was tight.

Attendant: “What are your orders, Governor?”

Kaes: “Guests are arriving at Lanqi tonight. Take some men and prepare the guest quarters.”

Besides Keith, church representatives would also arrive. These people were on official business, unlike Keith and Vansen’s trips where they could stay wherever they pleased.

Kaes had to arrange accommodations for them, naturally including Vansen and Keith himself.

The annex had once been the Lanqi family’s castle. After their defeat, it was confiscated and now served as the annex.

Things seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

…

At noon, Kaes sent someone to persuade Abe to join them for lunch, suggesting he could return by boat afterward. Abe refused, remaining locked in his room.

Keith waited by the dining table for a while. With Abe still hiding inside, he had no choice but to instruct the maid to serve the meal.

The maid brought a plate, set it on the table, and reached to lift the stainless steel food cover. “My lord, this is roast duck.”

As the maid lifted the cover, a sickening, foul stench assaulted their noses. Instead of a delicacy, it held the head of a dead dog!

The head was rotting, eyes bulging, the neck hacked to a bloody pulp. Maggots crawled over the decaying flesh.

The maid covered her mouth in shock. Kaes was equally stunned. “What is this?”

“Master! I don’t know what happened! I took roast duck from the kitchen—I saw it!” “ The maid knelt, hands pressed against the floor, her head bowed against the tiles.

”Where did this dead dog come from?“ Kaes stood up and pulled the dog-head platter closer. Faint words were visible on the plate.

”I truly don’t know!” The maid cried in terror.

Only after Kaes tossed the dog head aside could he read the inscription. The head rolled onto the floor. The maid, convinced her fate was sealed, wailed desperately, “Master, spare my life! It was perfectly fine when I served it!”

The plate read: I gave you the dog head. Can you give me back the nun?

That fugitive wizard was up to his tricks again.

Kaes scanned the windows—nothing outside. The wizard remained hidden in the shadows.

Long Shi rushed in: “Another incident! A young painter reported strange occurrences in his neighborhood. Chunks of dead dog meat appeared in his neighbors’ and his own vegetable dishes.”

It seemed the dog had been dismembered by the sorcerer. Kaes glanced at the dog’s head on the floor. Long Shi followed his gaze: “Is this the same dog?”

“Highly likely. Where is this young painter?” Kaes headed outside. There was no time for a meal now; he had to handle this matter before panic spread.

“He’s at home. Let’s go.” Long Shi followed behind Kaes.

The two boarded a carriage and headed straight for the painter’s house—this time on Third Street.

During the ride, Kaes casually mentioned the Queen’s letter: “The Queen has agreed to let me marry Keith.”

“But that Abe fellow just…” Long Shi was taken aback. This seemed like a seamless transition. Regardless of who Keith married, it stung a little.

“So I should congratulate you?” Long Shi lowered his eyelids, his voice strained to remain calm.

Kaes smiled. “Thanks. Hope you find someone you like soon too.”

That smile felt like a knife to Long Shi’s heart. He couldn’t tell if Kaes was using him or genuinely liked him. Speaking to him in that friendly tone only made him feel worse. He turned his head to look out the window.

…

Midday on Third Street was busier than usual. Several households found the mangled remains of dogs on their dining tables. Panic spread as neighbors gathered to watch, the alarm rippling through the neighborhood.

They got out of the car and walked toward the painter’s house. The painter, named Wei, was already waiting at the door. He was the one Kaes had commissioned to paint.

Wei’s home was modest, a single-story structure with a small patch of neglected land behind it.

“Your Excellency,” Wei greeted Kaes immediately upon seeing him, bowing deeply. “Your portrait is complete. I intended to make further adjustments, but a strange vagrant has appeared recently. These days have been filled with unease, and I haven’t been able to make the changes.”

“Where do you think it needs adjusting?” Wei ushered Kaes inside.

With limited space, Wei used his living room as a studio. The curtains were often drawn to shield his work from harsh sunlight.

Two paintings sat on the easel. The larger canvas depicted Keith and Kaes in the dining room. Warm yellow candlelight contrasted sharply with the cool, dark hues of the seaside, creating a serene and beautiful atmosphere between them.

Wei picked up the smaller painting, roughly a size smaller than A4 paper: “This one is for the Governor. I’m not sure if he’ll like it, but if there are any details he’s unhappy with, I can make changes.”

The smaller painting depicted Kaes and Keith returning, standing before their carriage. The entire scene was rendered in muted tones, with the carriage lanterns illuminating their faces. Their eyes met, soft light spilling across their features, softening their contours. Keith appeared almost ethereal and dreamlike in the painting.

It must be said, Wei was exceptionally skilled at capturing atmosphere.

“No need for changes. I love them all. The gifted painting is also beautiful.” Kaes settled the final payment and slipped Wei a “red envelope” as a token of appreciation.

“…” Long Shi remained silent beside them. He hadn’t known when Kaes had commissioned the young artist. Even to please that magician from Bain Perella, it didn’t need to go this far.

The attendant loaded the painting into the carriage. Now it was time to discuss serious matters. Kaes turned to Wei: “Tell us about that dead dog and the strange man.”

At the mention of the freak, Wei’s face clouded with unease. He led Kaes and the others into another room. Here stood a solitary easel, a small oil painting covered in white cloth.

Wei lifted the cloth. Everyone who saw the painting held their breath, their expressions turning slightly grim.

The painting depicted a sickly, crippled dead dog. Its white fur was filthy, matted in clumps, with patches of baldness and a missing hind leg.

The corpse lay on the ground, its face grotesque, swarming with insects. The stench of decay seemed to leap off the canvas.

The background appeared to be the Wei family’s overgrown backyard.

Wei: “A few days ago, a strange vagrant appeared on Third Street. He wore a cloak and looked peculiar, his face was covered in hair and he had a long beard.”

“The vagrant held that nearly dead stray dog, asking if anyone could save it. We were all terrified. Every time he went berserk on the street, the guards would chase him away.”

“We thought he’d left, until the day before yesterday. I woke up to find that dog dead in my backyard—it disgusted me. I went to bury it and found a bag of gold coins and a note beside it.”

“Probably left by that weirdo. He asked me to draw the dog’s death, paid me, and said he’d come pick up the drawing today… I didn’t want to draw it—I was afraid he’d come… Oh my God, he’s not actually going to show up, is he?!“

”I buried the dog this morning. It stank too much. After burying it, something strange happened. I buried the whole body, but pieces of it appeared on everyone’s dinner plates… It was like some kind of magic trick… That’s why I decided to report it to the Governor.”

“Governor, what should I do?”

Wei grew increasingly frantic as he spoke. He stared pleadingly at Kaes, then dashed to the window to peer into the backyard, checking for the strange man’s appearance.