.
Liu Wei sat quietly in her chair, watching the growing commotion around the great stage. It was almost impossible for her to think of her own performance.
The young princess no longer had the strength even for that.
If she tried to lift her legs, they weakened. If strong pheromones reached her, they made her sick. If she dared to drink alcohol, she would almost certainly vomit.
There were no good choices for her—only the desperate hope that time might move faster than usual.
Qui Mei was a blessing, mostly because she spoke so much. Liu Wei barely had the energy to reply, barely had the energy to be anything more than a listener, and yet her cousin never seemed discouraged. She kept speaking, filling the silence, as if her words alone could protect Liu Wei from collapse.
Despite all that effort, Liu Wei could hardly manage even a bite of the shortbread on the table.
Her stomach was in knots. Her head felt unbearably heavy. If the world were ending, she thought grimly, it would end in a terrible, painful way.
A weary sigh escaped her lips.
Anna, as always, remained close, a shadow in every room. Yet Liu Wei's condition was so poor that Anna could no longer remain invisible. The maid had to ask, softly, instantly, her worry spilling through her voice.
"Do you feel very bad?"
Liu Wei forced a small, frail smile at the question. Anna tried so hard to act natural, as though nothing were wrong.
"I need cold water… I feel dizzy."
Anna nodded at once, leaving quickly to fetch it.
Meanwhile, Li Zhang appeared, smiling, her presence a gentle brightness in the room.
The rose-scented omega had grown attached to Liu Wei's company. The palace, once unbearably lonely, was now softened by their shared hours together.
Even with her new book in progress, Li Zhang still carried too much time—time that became exhausting in its emptiness. Time to think, time to overthink, time to feel loneliness creeping into her chest.
She entered slowly, and her eyes fell on another woman beside Liu Wei.
The stranger seemed cheerful, chatting warmly with the princess. What truly caught Li Zhang, though, was the smile on Liu Wei's face—so radiant that heat rose instantly to her cheeks.
She approached softly, not wanting to disturb their lively exchange.
"Liu Wei… may I stay here with you? I feel a little lonely…"
Liu Wei made a small effort to rise in greeting, but the world immediately tilted and spun. Without Qui Mei's arm to steady her, she would have collapsed.
The little princess leaned heavily on her cousin's shoulder before being helped back into her seat.
"Careful…" Qui Mei murmured.
Li Zhang instinctively reached to hold her, but then caught the scents that filled the space: sandalwood from the alpha, sharp and steady, and mint from the princess—intense, consuming.
Her only reaction was to retreat a step, unsettled. The mixture was confusing, overwhelming. She didn't understand their closeness, nor the chaos of pheromones swirling around them.
"Hi, Li Zhang… forgive me for not being able to rise," Liu Wei whispered.
Li Zhang's eyes flicked toward Qui Mei, catching the anxious look she gave the princess. And then, with a sudden clarity, she understood.
The mint in the air was unbearable, flooding the room so strongly it felt almost aggressive.
Relief, sharp and sudden, broke inside her chest. Relief that it wasn't what she had feared. But why did she feel that way? The confusion of it made her cheeks burn even hotter.
Qui Mei stepped closer, her smile graceful, her tone warm.
"Hello, I'm Qui Mei, Liu Wei's cousin—and first princess of the Shanyr Islands."
The faint scent of roses seemed to wrap around the sandalwood fragrance, weaving into it with a tenderness that made both hearts beat faster.
Both women blushed deeply. It was almost comical. Liu Wei laughed softly at the sight, amused by their awkwardness.
"D-don't worry… It's a pleasure to meet you," Li Zhang stammered. "I'm Li Zhang."
She moved closer to Liu Wei, bending to meet her at eye level.
Li Zhang had always been tolerant of omega pheromones. In fact, she preferred the sweetness in them, one of the many reasons she had never shown much interest in alphas.
Liu Wei's pheromone was different. Not honeyed, not mellow—mint, sharp and sugared, sweet and biting at once.
But now it was too strong. Unbearably strong. So much that it burned her lungs to breathe it in. The young princess was clearly at the edge of estrus, and still it shocked Li Zhang to see her here, in the theater, suffering like this.
Her gaze lingered on Liu Wei's pale face, damp with sweat, lips parted as if each breath cost her.
Tenderly, she brushed aside the strands of hair stuck to her forehead.
"What are you feeling?" she asked.
But Liu Wei's body refused to obey her mind. Everything was sluggish, unbearably heavy.
Her mouth was dry. Her head pounded. Her glands throbbed with a hot, swollen ache.
"So unpleasant…" she thought.
"I feel dizzy," she murmured aloud.
Li Zhang leaned closer, carefully tugging at the fabric near her neck. Liu Wei did not resist. She simply sat there, too exhausted, while Li Zhang's eyes fell upon her swollen, reddened glands.
"Are you using a barrier?" she asked softly.
"Yes…"
It was a breach of manners to adjust someone's clothing like that, but the princess could not protest, and Li Zhang needed to see.
The situation was truly precarious.
She wore one of the few protectors that was allowed and it only served to prevent her clothes from becoming impregnated with the omega's pheromone.
Liu Wei needed to return to her room immediately. She needed to release the pheromones building within her body before it destroyed her.
"Liu Wei… you're already in estrus. Your pheromone is too strong. You need to go back to the palace."
She turned to Qui Mei, who stood only a few steps away, tense with worry.
"What's her maid's name?"
"Anna."
"Alright."
Li Zhang hurried outside to speak to her servant, who was waiting nearby. "Prepare the car. We'll return to the palace at once."
He nodded and ran to obey.
Anna returned within moments, surprise written across her face at the sight of Li Zhang beside the princess.
She quickly handed over the cold water, and Liu Wei sipped it slowly.
Anna bowed briefly, and Li Zhang answered with a reassuring smile before drawing her aside.
In a whisper she asked, "Has Liu Wei been like this long?"
Anna's expression fell. "All day."
Li Zhang sighed inwardly. She knew Anna only followed orders; she couldn't stop the princess from pushing herself like this. But it hurt to see her in such a state.
The car was ready before long, and soon Liu Wei and Anna were settled inside. The vehicle was large enough for many passengers, yet it felt stifling with the overwhelming mint pressing against them.
Li Zhang and Qui Mei joined them, but after only a short distance, Qui Mei had to leave. The scent was unbearable for her.
"Li Zhang, will you stay with her, please?" she asked, flushed, ashamed. "You're an omega, right?"
"Yes," Li Zhang answered gently. "Don't apologize."
She smiled, understanding. For an alpha, the pheromones of an omega in estrus were suffocating, impossible to endure.
"It's alright. I'll stay with her."
The car door closed, and they drove on.
Li Zhang felt a pang of guilt for leaving Qui Mei behind, but there was no time to hesitate. The princess needed her.
She glanced to her side and saw Anna gently covering Liu Wei with a thin blanket.
Her chest tightened.
"Anna, inform Huan Yang that the princess and I are returning to the palace."
"Yes."
When they arrived, attendants rushed forward to help her out of the car. Their first instinct was to take her to the infirmary or hospital, but the little princess gathered the last of her strength to refuse.
"I'm fine… I just need rest."
"You should go to the hospital."
"No. My room. Quiet."
Her voice was weak but firm enough to obey.
The world blurred around her as they carried her through the palace. Heat surged in her body, fog pressed against her mind, and she no longer knew where she was, no longer knew who surrounded her.
All she felt—all she craved—was the lingering memory of that sweet pineapple scent.
The only thing she desired near her again.