"I'm sorry."
Darius finally spoke as he approached Sion in the smallholding, who was busy pulling weeds from the soil with his bare hands so they would not steal nutrients from the vegetables.
The afternoon sun hung low, casting warm gold across the fields. It had taken him the entire day to find this moment alone.
Since morning, Eiran had been constantly beside Sion—working, talking, hovering in quiet concern. Darius had waited through breakfast, chores, lunch, and even tea before finally catching an opportunity.
His apology had been delayed until afternoon.
Not because he wished to hide anything from Eiran… but some things simply felt too personal to say in front of another person.
Sion did not turn.
"Hmm?" he responded lightly, still focused on removing the weeds. "What are you apologizing for?"
Darius straightened unconsciously.
"For… last night."
His hand paused briefly.
Darius swallowed.
"When I was drunk," he continued stiffly, "I behaved improperly. Especially… when I kissed your forehead."
Sion blinked once.
Then tilted his head.
"That part?"
"Yes."
Darius straightened immediately, voice stiff with panic. "I must have mistaken you for my younger brother."
Silence settled between them, broken only by the rustling leaves.
Sion slowly turned toward him fully now, curiosity clear on his face.
"You have a younger brother?"
Darius nodded. "Yes."
"When he was younger… whenever he had nightmares, I used to tuck him in like that. I must have confused things while drunk."
Sion studied him for a moment,as if filing away new information rather than reacting emotionally.
"I see."
"It's fine," he said casually, turning back to his work, "It wasn't a big deal."
But Darius shook his head immediately.
"It is," he insisted. "It's already the second time I've made that mistake."
Now Sion looked at him again, one brow lifting slightly.
Darius flusteredly scratched the back of his neck.
"I'm not usually like that," he added quickly. "I swear."
That earned him a soft chuckle.
"I can tell," Sion said, amusement slipping into his tone. "Which is why it was… refreshing."
Darius blinked.
Refreshing?
Sion straightened and dusted soil from his hands before facing him properly.
"You don't need to apologize. It wasn't unpleasant."
Darius hesitated, then nodded awkwardly.
"…Thank you."
Sion then glanced sideways, eyes sparkling mischievously while smiling.
"Though next time, perhaps ask permission before stealing affection."
Darius nearly forgot how to breathe.
They returned toward the house together as if nothing significant had happened, yet Darius felt strangely lighter.
Inside, preparations for dinner began.
Eiran and Darius worked in the kitchen while Sion was preparing the plates and utensils in the table. The familiar domestic rhythm returned quickly—pots simmering, knives tapping softly against wood.
Then—
Sion froze.
It was subtle at first.
A faint tightening of his grip against the table.
Heat crawled beneath his skin.
His breathing grew uneven.
He knew immediately.
Ah.
So it came early.
The dizziness followed next, along with a wave of warmth that made standing suddenly difficult.
Sion clicked his tongue softly under his breath before pushing himself upright.
"I'll… skip dinner tonight," Sion said, voice controlled but strained. "I'm heading to my room."
Both Eiran and Darius turned at once.
Sion's complexion had flushed slightly, sweat gathered near his temple, and his usual composed expression strained just enough to reveal discomfort.
Eiran reacted instantly.
"Young master—"
"I'm fine," Sion muttered, though his steps already faltered.
Eiran hurried over, supporting him before he could stumble.
He glanced toward Darius. "Can you finish preparing dinner?"
Darius nodded immediately. "Of course."
They disappeared down the hallway toward Sion's room.
The door closed.
And the house fell quiet again.
Darius continued cooking, but his focus wavered.
A faint sweet scent of citrus lingered in the air.
Sion's pheromones.
Subtle… yet overwhelming enough to make his chest feel tight.
Even as a beta, he could sense it—the unmistakable presence of omega pheromones drifting faintly through the house.
His hands tightened around the ladle.
This was the first time he had ever witnessed an omega entering heat.
All members of his family were betas. He had only heard about it a in passing during training and read from the books but never experienced it this closely.
Time stretched painfully.
Every small sound from the hallway made him glance up.
Finally, footsteps returned.
Eiran entered the kitchen, looking slightly tired.
Darius turned immediately. "How is he?"
Eiran washed his hands before answering.
"I helped him settle down and gave him the higher dosage suppressant."
He sighed quietly.
"Now we wait and see how his body reacts."
They began eating in relative silence.
After a moment, Darius spoke again.
"…How long does heat usually last?"
Eiran glanced at him briefly.
"For someone without a bonded alpha?" he replied. "Five to six days. Sometimes a week."
Darius's grip tightened slightly around his spoon.
"But," Eiran added, "it might be shorter this time because of the stronger suppressant."
Darius hesitated before asking—
"He… doesn't have a bonded alpha?"
Eiran gave him a dry look.
"As you can see," he said sarcastically, gesturing around the nearly empty house, "it's just the two of us here."
He continued eating before adding,
"That's why young master always wears a protective collar in his neck . Same as any omega who isn't bonded."
Darius fell silent.
"I suggested it before," Eiran went on. "Finding an alpha partner. Someone trustworthy."
"And?"
Eiran snorted softly.
"He brushed it off."
Darius looked up.
"He said he'd rather suffer than tie himself to the wrong person."
The words settled heavily in the room.
Without realizing it, Darius's gaze drifted toward Sion's closed bedroom door.
Behind it,Sion was enduring pain alone.
A complicated feeling twisted painfully inside him.
Relief.
And guilt for feeling it.
He hated himself for it.
Because part of him—quiet, selfish, shamefully human—
Was glad.
Glad that no alpha stood beside Sion.
Glad that no one else had that place.
And that realization unsettled him far more than anything that had happened the night before.