<Episode 46>

“Take it off for me.”

Elkais tried to pull down the strap hanging on Eve’s shoulder with his mouth.

Thud!

“Ugh…!”

Someone kicked Elkais from behind, causing him to fall to the floor.

“Eve!”

“Ah… Brother?”

Eve was in a daze. She felt strange, possibly due to the sense of loss from Elkais being away from her.

“Abel.”

“Eve…”

Eve smiled, reacting to the pheromones emanating from Abellard. She then hugged Abellard, who was holding her shoulder.

“Abel, I feel so good right now.”

“Eveline.”

Elkais got up and glared at Abellard with predatory eyes. He then took his sword and pointed it at Abellard’s neck.

Abellard hugged Eveline tightly, seemingly unfazed by Elkais’s sword.

“Huh, didn’t you take the sedatEve?”

“Brother, why are you crying?”

“Eve… Ugh…”

As Abellard began to sob sorrowfully, Elkais lowered his sword.

“Eve… I’m so sad. It hurts so much to see you like this.”

As he started to cry and sob, Eve began to regain some clarity. However, her body was still hot, and the thought of wanting an Alpha to hold her did not leave her mind.

Though she had always decided to run away from any Alpha she met, now the very idea of not being close to them made her body burn even more.

“Abel.”

Even as she called him by his nickname, Abellard did not let her go.

A moment later, Abellard released her and ran to the table, pulling out fEve bottles of sedatEves.

“You take three, and Eve takes two.”

“Why?”

“Drink it quickly. If not, I’ll end up dying.”

Eveline looked at Elkais. She noticed that Elkais’s eye color had returned to normal.

Elkais regained his composure immediately after inhaling Abellard’s intense Alpha pheromones.

His pheromones seemed to be warning him, making him realize what he had almost done.

So, Elkais downed the three sedatEve bottles Abellard handed him.

Meanwhile, Abellard handed two bottles to Eveline.

“If I drink this, will you grant my wish?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Abellard sighed in relief, realizing that Eveline had been clinging to Elkais due to the pheromones.

Elkais, now back to his senses, understood this as well.

He realized that everything she had allowed was due to the influence of alcohol. An intoxicated Alpha and Omega in the same space naturally stimulated each other.

It was his fault for being careless, thinking she couldn’t sense his pheromones well.

And Elkais realized that his feelings for her were due to pheromones from the beginning.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, he believed it to be true. Eveline seemed to think the same way.

She didn’t seem to care which Alpha she was with. Seeing her sultry gaze towards Abellard confirmed it.

“Feed it to me.”

“Alright.”

Abellard sat down with Eveline leaning against him. He then poured the stabilizer into her mouth.

Abellard waited for her to regain her senses after drinking the two bottles of stabilizer.

“Abel.”

“Ugh… Eve…”

Seeing Eveline throw herself into Abellard’s arms made Elkais clench his fists unconsciously.

“Abel has a refreshing scent.”

“Eve…”

Abellard started crying again. This time, it was a sorrowful sob, different from his earlier outburst.

“Why are you crying?”

“Because you make me sad, Eve.”

“Why are you sad?”

She wiped Abellard’s tears and looked at him straight.

“I know you don’t like me, but seeing you like this makes it hurt even more.”

“Don’t be hurt. I like you, brother.”

“Ugh…!”

As he hugged her tightly and cried, Eveline smiled blankly and hugged him back.

Then, after a while…

“Could you please kill me?”

“Eve! Are you back to your senses?”

“…Yes.”

Eveline loosened her arms and looked serious.

“The smell is overwhelming.”

At that moment, Rubellite Croppers, the Grand Duke, entered the cabin.

“Did you take a pheromone shower? How can the scent be so strong from so far away?”

Boom! Swoosh!

Coincidentally, as he entered the cabin, lightning struck, and it started raining.

Abellard frowned, realizing he hadn’t closed the door, and hugged Eveline tighter.

“Let me go, brother.”

“I’m too sad because of you, Eves.”

“You said you hated me, but now you’re pretending to be my brother.”

“I don’t want to be your brother.”

“Then what do you want to be?”

“I…”

“Ah, don’t say it. I already know you’re going to spout nonsense.”

Eveline struggled to push him away, trying to pry Abellard’s head off, but his face was slippery with tears, making it difficult.

“Is what I’m saying nonsense?”

“Stop crying and talk. I can’t do anything while you’re crying.”

“Eve… Ugh, I really hate you!”

“Okay.”

“Ugh…!”

She sighed as Abellard hugged her tightly and sobbed, realizing he had come rushing out of concern for her, and felt sorry.

Abellard was covered in wounds. Even his hands, holding her, were a mess.

From her perspectEve, he was a scared and weak person. Seeing him hurt from rushing over in panic didn’t make her feel good.

“Let go and treat your wounds.”

“Ugh, I hate it…”

He ignored her words and burrowed into her arms. Fearing he might stay like this forever, she held his hand, noticing how badly injured it was.

“Get treated, clean up, and then let’s talk. I’m sorry.”

“Eve…”

“Abellard.”

“I’m still angry. It still hurts.”

“I know.”

“It’ll make me feel better if you stop calling me brother.”

Eveline felt a bit relieved by his stubbornness even in this situation. With a resigned expression, she said,

“Alright, Abellard.”

“Abel.”

“Yes, alright. Abel.”

“Okay, I’ll clean up.”

Breathing heavily, he moved to where the water was and soaked a handkerchief.

Feeling utterly ignored, Rubellite looked at Elkais in confusion, then noticed Eveline’ clothing and understood.

“If you were going to mark her, you should have done it in the rain, where no one could interrupt until the cycle ended.”

“Shut up.”

Abellard’s fierce retort made Eveline feel sorry for Elkais.

“I’m sorry, Eveline.”

“Me too. Lately, I don’t know what’s wrong…”

Eveline suddenly realized she could now detect Alpha pheromones.

“Eveline?”

“Ah…”

She was now acutely aware of Rubellite’s repulsEve pheromones, adding to her confusion.

She finally understood why Elkais had once pinched his nose with a clothespin.

“Ugh…”

Eveline took the clothespin Abellard had once used and pinched her nose.

“Eve? What’s wrong?”

“I can smell Alpha pheromones now.”

She said with a serious face.

Her words made both Elkais and Abellard look at her.

“What does that mean?”

Elkais asked, seeing her puzzled expression.

“Before, I could only tell what the scent was. Now… it’s more than that.”

Abellard couldn’t help but laugh behind his hand at her words.

“What do I do now?”

Eveline asked, her face showing distress, but no one had an easy answer.

That day slowly came to an end.

* * *

Perhaps because of what happened that day, Eveline fell ill. Elkais, who had been drinking with her, was perfectly fine.

“There’s a cycle stimulant in this chocolate.”

“How do you know that?”

“I just tasted it.”

Abellard was talking to Elkais while Eveline, lying on a pile of clothes, listened.

“Why are you fine then?”

“Because I can use divine power.”

“Why do you use divine power but not treat your hands? It’s annoying to look at, so heal them quickly.”

“No.”

Abellard deliberately left his hands untreated because he saw how Eveline’s expression changed to one of pity whenever she looked at them.

“Now get out and go hunting.”

“Why do you automatically get to stay?”

“Do you think you should stay after almost causing that mess yesterday?”

Elkais fell silent at that.

Eveline was sick and needed someone to care for her. But after yesterday, Elkais couldn’t stay, and Rubellite didn’t want to.

That left only Abellard.

“If you understand, get out.”

“….”

“Go catch some meat. She needs to eat meat to get better.”

Abellard pushed Elkais out of the cabin.

Standing by the door, Rubellite watched Elkais being pushed out and laughed before following him outside.

“Ugh… Brother.”

“Yes, Eve!”

Abellard quickly went to her as she called.

“I’ll help you drink some water.”

Abellard said gently to Eveline.