His lashes twitched, and his eyes slowly opened. Before him, the general was seated, a cup of tea in his hand. He blinked rapidly, his surroundings sharpening. He struggled to move the back of his neck but tried his best to straighten his posture.
"You are awake?" Zayden placed the cup of tea on the table beside him.
"I-I apologize for coming in such an unsightly manner..." Zion’s breath was heavy, but he managed to speak.
"To visit me during your rut, it must have been urgent."
Rut—a period when alphas experience heightened, overwhelming desire for sex. It occurred during a cycle, which differed from one to another. Sometimes triggered by an omega in heat nearby or a strong emotional state. It lasted from a day to four days mostly.
"Is Ashley in heat?" Zayden raised an eyebrow.
Heat—the period when omegas are most receptive and fertile to mating. It was also a cycle that repeated over the years, or it could easily be triggered by strong alpha pheromones or strong emotions. It could last from a day to a week.
"You would have been dead by now if it were not my mansion," Zayden added, his voice strangely low although it was his own mansion.
In Revhara, all second genders were forbidden from wandering outside during their rut or heat, for the security of themselves and others. Cases of alphas raping omegas dropped surprisingly compared to the last few centuries once law 3301 was passed, stability among the second genders and even beta returning.
If someone was caught in public during their heat or rut, they would be sent to a trial, often resulting in imprisonment for a certain amount of time. Some began using it as a perfect asset to escape the grasp of their partners, resulting in false claims of rape.
The situation increased dramatically when unnecessary executions were held for rapes that never occurred. Hence, the emperor entrusted Zayden with the task of finding a way to verify if those who claimed to have been forced into sexual relations against their will spoke the truth.
"I came... because Ashley isn’t the target, Zayden. You are. And they will strike when you’ll be distracted by the festival," the man began, his voice shaking.
Zayden didn’t correct Zion, asking him to address him properly. After all, they were childhood friends. Their parents were best friends for centuries—demons and elves. Formality between them was never required although sometimes, in public they kept their relationship purely official—that of a knight and a general to avoid strange situations.
Zayden frowned upon hearing his friend’s words.
"Festival? I am not holding any—" he paused, looking at Zion.
The banquet he planned for Eiran? He hadn’t sent the invitation letters yet. Only the servant knew of that so that they could begin preparing so that nothing would be missing at the banquet.
The man nodded as if he understood what the general was thinking—the Duke had implemented a new spy—or perhaps there was one already present in the mansion.
"I’ve heard... You hired a new... servant," Zion panted, slowly removing the ropes Ren used to tie him. He chuckled softly before mumbling, "Who tied these damned ropes? It’s... so tight!"
Zayden crossed his arms, pondering without answering Zion.
As much as Ren bothered him recently, he didn’t want to believe he could be one of the spies. Every time Zayden suspected him, the result remained the same—Ren was a harmless, useful servant. Nothing to do with the deceitful noble men.
His gaze lingered on Zion as the alpha struggled with the last knot, his breath uneven.
"You think the servant is the spy?" he asked finally, voice low.
Zion let out a sharp exhale.
"I didn’t say that... but if the Duke planted someone, he’d choose someone who blends in well. Someone you wouldn’t look twice at, someone capable enough to never leave a single clue behind them." His eyes glinted with suspicion. "And from what I heard during my investigation... this personal attendant of yours... He has caught your attention."
The general’s jaw tightened.
"Attention is not the same as trust. I would never trust him."
Zayden didn’t finish his sentence out loud. A person without flaws couldn’t possibly exist. Everyone had their own
Zion smirked faintly. "In your case, they’re dangerously close."
Zayden didn’t answer. His thoughts turned unbidden to the quiet servant—those guarded eyes, the way he moved through the halls like he was trying not to leave a trace. Every suspicion he’d had in the past had fallen flat, yet... why did Ren always seem to appear at the edges of trouble?
The ropes fell away, and Zion rubbed his wrists, leaving faint red marks on pale skin. "I’d watch him, Zayden. Spies are often the ones who make themselves useful."
Zayden leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the armrest. "And sometimes," he said slowly, "the ones who shout ’spy’ the loudest are the ones with something to hide."
Zion’s smirk faded. He scoffed.
"Don’t tell me you suspect me, and not that low-class servant! I risked getting killed by the duke to investigate his plans, and?"
"I did not mean that," Zayden sighed, standing from his seat.
Both didn’t speak for a moment, looking at each other.
The silence was broken once the door was swung open.
"My Lord!" the knight bowed instantly, panting.
"Why do you not catch your breath first?" Zayden turned to his subordinate.
"Ughh!" the man groaned, holding his nose. "P-Pheromones!"
"Ah," Zayden clicked his tongue. "Right, Zion, go to the room beside this one before someone else senses your pheromones. I hired betas but it doesn’t mean they can’t sense your pheromones. I might be used to it but others aren’t."
Zion didn’t respond to the general. The heat had begun to worsen, his body burning like he had been set on fire.
"Do me a favour and send Ashley there," he turned, standing beside the doorframe.
"Can’t spend a rut without your partner?" Zayden sneered.
"I’m not like you, spending my rut in some pleasure house."