When he woke up, Arren didn't open his eyes right away, instead sensing his surroundings. As he took a deep breath, the smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils. He was already aware that he was in the hospital without even opening his eyes.
He slowly opened his eyes; the corner of his eyes hurt, but it was tolerable. As he opened his eyes, his vision was hazy at first, gradually becoming clear as the white and empty ceiling greeted him, confirming his initial assumption.
The room was silent except for him, who appeared to be the only person in the room at the time. Arren roamed his eyes around and inspected his room. It was only an average room and could be considered a standard ward for patients. He wasn't picky, though, because it was an emergency last night and no one would think of choosing the best hospital over the nearest one, even if it was a small one.
Arren narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall what had happened the night before, but nothing came to mind because everything was a blur. This did not surprise him. He was in heat, so losing control was natural. It was also the reason omegas in heat had their own ward and were advised to strictly monitor their heat dates or take suppressant shots every two months.
Heats only occur three times a year, with the exception of unusual circumstances that may cause an unexpected heat. Omegas only experience heats every four months.
The heat was the omegas' most vulnerable side, and they were prone to accidents during those times. That is also why heat-inducing drugs are illegal and strictly prohibited, with severe penalties if caught distributing them. The one who drugged him had no fears, especially given his status.
He gritted his teeth and wrinkled the white bed sheets in rage just thinking about it. He didn't want to think about what would happen if their plan worked. He probably was...
With the terrifying possibility, Arren closed his eyes once more. He admitted he was careless. To some extent, he may have become overconfident. Nobody in their right mind would do anything bad to him because of his unique identity and status.
He also lowers his guard around his friends, as they have known him for much longer than he can remember. He had forgotten what kind of people they truly were. No one has good intentions, or rather, everyone has ulterior motives for wanting to be close to him. They all get together for reasons other than just hanging out and having fun.
Some of them wanted to advance in their careers or be his partner; he felt the same way. Arren also had his reasons for putting up with them and turning a blind eye to their intentions, it was because he didn't want to mix too much with the upper nobility.
His current identity as Duke's son was enough for him to directly interact with the important characters. He was almost paired up on a blind date with the Emperor before if he hadn't begged his father to cancel it. The upper nobility's circle was just that small. Perhaps if he didn't immediately stay away when he just regained his memories, he would meet the protagonists earlier even before the plot began.
Years of doing the same thing and interacting with these types of people had made Arren more careless than he had intended. He forgot that even though he was only an extra in the main plot, he had a unique identity. His father was a very important character in this world, and as his son, he could not hide and escape for the rest of his life.
It was unavoidable that some villains had their sights set on him. He was simply extending the time and delaying the inevitable situation. At the end of the day, he was destined to meet and interact with the main characters, whether they were the protagonists or antagonists.
It was just a matter of when, and Arren had the answer. He maintained his vow, however, that he would never interfere with the plot and would remain the lovely extra that he was.
Although his memories of the book were incomplete, the general direction remained clear. The novel was not a typical romance omegaverse, but rather one full of schemes, conspiracies, and intrigues. Arren enjoyed the plot while reading it, but experiencing it in real life was out of the question.
Well, no matter how he runs, it was bound to happen anyway. He was certain that someone was acting behind the scenes. His so-called friends didn't have big names to go against his father so suddenly. He was certain that someone in the shadows was involved in this. He had his suspicions, but the evidence was required to confirm his suspicions.
While he was familiar with some of the contents of the book, that was the main plotline in which Arren was not even involved. It was more difficult to identify the mastermind, and blindly suspecting a villain from the novel wasn't a good idea because he could be swept into even bigger trouble without realizing it.
The only thing he can do now was to figure out who drugged him. He was confident that once the mastermind realized the plan had failed, he would discard this piece. Arren didn't mind. It was enough for the time being that he could vent his rage on that asshole. He couldn't do anything for that damn mastermind, but he could make a little lackey regret living after what he did to him.
Fuck, Arren didn't remember much of what happened that night, but the pain and helplessness he felt were so vivid that it was all he could remember. The feeling of being pathetic and being controlled by his desires was terrible. Last night was the first time he regretted being an omega.
He also had some fragmented dreams in which he was being carried by someone with an irresistible scent, and all he wanted to do was submit and be fucked into oblivion. It was such a nightmare.
Arren squeezed his eyes shut to avoid recalling that humiliating memory. He hopes it was all a dream.
The sound of footsteps reached his ears as he was reminiscing about the events of the previous night. It was loud and could be heard clearly in the small room. Someone was following the one with heavy footsteps, but it was light. They were talking in a low voice, with occasional controlled and yet furious shouts.
Arren just wanted to play dead forever the moment he recognized the owner of one of the voices. Seriously, just hearing the man's enraged yell, which was already under control to some extent, made him realize how enraged he must be. Fuck, he was so dead. His father was furious this time.
But Arren was mistaken. This time, his father was more than angry; the Duke was enraged. Spade informed the Duke of what had happened. The Duke had the right to know what had happened to his son right away.
As Spade expected, when the Duke heard from him that his son had been drugged and was in an unexpected heat, he immediately lost control and forgot who he was talking to on the other line. He didn't mind because he understood how the Duke felt.
There was a commotion in the Duke's residence as he furiously mobilized a large number of guards and ordered that everyone in that bar who was with his son be arrested and questioned. He will not rest easy until the perpetrators are apprehended.
As for himself, he went to the hospital to see his beloved son. The same commotion occurred at the hospital because the alpha Duke was not permitted to enter the ward. On a normal day, the Duke was known to be gentle and easy to talk to, but that night was different. The Duke was so enraged that he could see red. He yelled at everyone and had no regard for any policies. The rest of the doctors were terrified stiffed and eventually let the Duke in.
In any case, the Emperor was the first to break the rule, and after all, they were just ordinary people. It was better to keep their mouth shut and turn a blind eye. It wasn't like they'd be reprimanded; it was enough for them to keep their jobs.
Arren didn't have long to play dead before his father noticed him nervously fiddling with the sheets.
"I know you are awake, stop pretending." His father's voice rang somewhat hoarse, probably from all the shouts of the Duke all evening. The Duke's aggressiveness vanished in an instant, and he instead spoke gently to his son as before.
Arren had no choice but to open his eyes, and the moment he did, he locked gazes with his father. For his age, the Duke was still attractive and muscular. He was already in his fifties but maintained a look that didn't resemble his true age. Arren always sees the gentle and peaceful demeanor of his father.
Perhaps the Duke never showed him his tough side, only the gentle and loving father he had always seen. It was most likely one of the reasons he grew up carefree and unbothered by others. The Duke wanted him to live a life away from the palace's controversies and complicated affairs. He wished to protect Arren from the burden of his surname and identity. It was only Arren who overlooked it, or more accurately, he was protecting himself from the identity by deceiving himself all these years.
He understands now why his father never said anything about his friends or intervened in anything he desired. The Duke just basically spoiled him and never reprimanded him for his wrongdoings. Arren and his father were both escaping reality.
But today's incident made them realize, especially the Duke, that no matter how much he protects his child, they will never escape the fact that Arren was destined to live a life, unlike others. The Duke was not reconciled; he couldn't lose his son the same way he lost his wife. He was his life, and he would protect him for the rest of his life.
And then the last night happened, and everyone can imagine how the Duke felt when he heard the news from the Emperor. He was enraged, but most of all, he was terrified. He was terrified that something bad would happen to his son. His chest ached just thinking about it, and all he could think about was checking on his son. He needed to see for himself that Arren was all right.
"Dad," Arren mumbled. His heart was filled with guilt.
In an instant, his eyes turned red. It was also for this reason that, aside from the occasional party, he never did anything risky. He also didn't leave the capital very often, and if he did, he always made sure he had bodyguards to reassure his father. He was aware that his father had not yet recovered from the loss of his mother, despite the fact that it had occurred a long time ago.
As tears flowed down his cheeks, his father immediately embraced him. "Don't cry, father will find them. Perhaps they think I've softened after all these years, huh?" The tone began gently and gradually became indifferent.
The Duke would never let anyone off the hook who dared to touch his son. The thought of someone assaulting his son made his stomach churn and his teeth clench with rage.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Arren said, his voice low and his head down. At some point, it was part of his fault. He had no idea that his careless actions would almost put him in danger.
He sighed deeply and buried himself in his father's embrace. Arren knew that his future actions would be limited. There was no way his father would let him go out without bodyguards. He couldn't help but curse the bastard again, Fuck them all.