Chapter 78
An imprint without mutual exchange causes the Alpha’s pheromones to spiral out of control, turning inward, attacking their heart. Marie knew this well. She had studied it and heard of the rare, tragic cases.
But none of that was harder to believe than this — that he, Russell, had imprinted on her.
Imprinting…
Imprinting was…
It was the ultimate bond. A sign of devotion, of deep emotional and physical love. Something sacred and irreversible.
“…He really… imprinted on me?”
He really loved her?
They were… the same?
Marie’s thoughts trembled. Her chest burned.
And then, the knight captain stepped forward, like a man ready to offer his life. He drew his sword, flipped it, and dropped to his knees.
“I swear upon my life, that this is the truth.”
And one by one, the rest of them — those who had watched in silence, those who had judged her, ignored her — began to kneel. Please. Please, save our prince. Please save our lord.
In the midst of all the desperate pleas, Marie looked at Russell. This was the Alpha who, even to the end, was stubborn, dishonest, and not even kind.
A foolish man who, even in that agony, had poured out his pheromones to stabilize an unstable pregnant Omega.
He said he loved me. Does he really?
A hollow voice escaped her lips.
“Everyone, please step aside.”
“Lady Marie!”
Marie gave a pale smile.
She felt more sorrow than joy. Anger too, and a bitter, incredulous laugh slipped through. How could he deceive her so thoroughly? How could he not let even a single sliver of his heart show?
The Alpha who had imprinted on her was far crueler than she had ever imagined.
“There’s something I haven’t heard from him yet. This isn’t right. If you mistook someone and hurled cruel words at them, you should properly apologize. Not just say I should kill you if I want to leave and then… then make me witness something like this. Does he even remember that I’m carrying his child?”
Marie wiped away a single tear that had trickled down and snapped the dazed people out of their stupor.
“What do I have to do?”
The palace physician quickly stepped forward.
“Y-You must pour your pheromones to the limit. And, um, also… the act…”
At that moment, the captain of the knights interrupted with a horrified shout.
“Wait. That wasn’t part of the explanation!”
“Well, th-the thing is…”
To demand a pregnant Omega to release her pheromones to the limit? This lunatic! The physician shrank back like a turtle at the knight captain’s murderous glare. But, perhaps out of professional duty, he kept explaining resolutely.
“Well, in normal cases, yes, that would be unthinkable. But this isn’t normal! This is a half-imprint!”
She thought she understood what they were all worried about. Marie placed her hand over her belly and asked quietly,
“The baby… could it be in danger?”
“…To be honest, the real variable isn’t the mother. It’s His Highness,”
The physician shut his eyes tightly.
“It was already terrible that he went through rut without proper resolution, but now, deprived of pheromones from his imprint partner, his condition has worsened. He’s barely clinging to reason.If, by any chance, he becomes aggressive like during rut…”
If an ultra-dominant Alpha went berserk, the consequences could be catastrophic. That much was certain. But the people of the Crown Prince’s palace did not waver.
“No. I raised His Highness. He would never be that weak.”
The head maid spoke firmly.
“Our lord is… relentless. If it came to it, he’d stab himself before hurting Lady Marie.”
The knight captain added without hesitation.
“His Highness would never harm the child. Nor Lady Marie. From the very beginning, His Highness ordered us not to force anything on her. Acting of our own accord was our mistake.”
And everyone else there silently stood in agreement.
‘Russell, can I trust you, like they do? Can I believe I won’t be hurt again? That I don’t have to be afraid of love anymore? Can I make this decision and not regret it?’
The turmoil in her heart gradually stilled. Marie gently stroked her belly.
‘I…’
Her stomach hadn’t yet begun to swell, but the child was still there. Was it because she didn’t want this baby to grow up fatherless? No, that wasn’t it. That wasn’t it at all.
‘I just… I just can’t abandon him.’
No matter how far she ran, she couldn’t let go of this feeling. So she had decided that she would choose for herself.
It was her own desire. She didn’t want this to be the end. If so, then she had to do something.
And so Marie gave the order.
“Whatever happens in here, do not stop me. Do not come in. Everyone… please step back.”
Closing the door behind her, Marie left behind the weight of everyone’s concern.
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