“Aileen.”

The man’s voice calling her name affectionately was incredibly sweet. But the person actually hearing that name seemed to feel different emotions, shrinking her shoulders and trembling. 

The man had only called her name once, yet she backed away like she’d been threatened, making him chuckle softly.

“Oh, am I not supposed to call you that anymore?”

“Yes…?”

The man furrowed his brow like he was remembering something, wearing a contemplative expression. Aileen, who had been staring blankly at him from across the room, couldn’t hide her anxious demeanor and was breaking out in cold sweat. She looked utterly restless, like someone who’d committed a crime and been dragged here.

‘How did things end up this way?’

Her worry-filled face was round and soft. Her light brown hair, so pale that it might appear white under strong sunlight, swayed in large waves. This happened because she had quickly moved to avoid his sudden approach.

She unconsciously stepped backward, then flinched as she realized her mistake.

“Your Highness, Your…”

The man seemed to be thinking something as he approached step by step, then stopped and just stood there quietly, seemingly gauging Aileen’s reaction. Why didn’t he understand that this was even more frightening? 

Aileen became conscious of her palms, now damp with sweat, and roughly wiped them on her skirt.

Aileen took great care to express her thoughts without appearing presumptuous. The man before her was the most precious treasure of the Emperor who ruled this land, the Nigel Empire. She was merely a commoner who had briefly met him to offer help to that treasure.

No, her status as a mere commoner had ended a few hours ago. The Aileen standing here now was meeting the men before her in a completely different capacity than when she first entered the palace.

“Wife.”

“Yes, that’s how we should address you.”

When the man in the center uttered that title, the one standing to his left chimed in agreement. Aileen turned her gaze to follow the man who added his comment like he was encouraging something. Next to the man who had spoken the title “wife” with a gentle expression stood another man with a completely different aura.

Unlike Devion, the man who left a gentle and soft impression smiled warmly, crinkling the corners of his eyes the moment their gazes met.

“Tsk.”

A displeased sound immediately came from the opposite side. Aileen’s eyes shifted instantly, landing on the man who was frowning with obvious irritation. Her light brown eyes, filled with anxiety, took in his expression.  

The man who had just clicked his tongue had a face with a completely different charm compared to the other two men. His atmosphere was entirely distinct as well. Unlike the favorable impressions of the men to the left and center, this man radiated irritation, his displeasure written all over his face.  

It was clear he didn’t like the situation at all. Though undeniably handsome, the cold, wind-like aura surrounding him gave off an entirely different feeling. His deeply furrowed brow seemed like it would only smooth out if something drastic—perhaps even someone’s death—occurred right then and there.  

Anxiety surged through Aileen in an instant, and she instinctively took another step back.

“Who makes that kind of expression at their own ‘wife,’ Dionte? Could you smooth out that frown?”

The man called Dionte let out a low sigh and pressed his temple. Only then did Aileen feel somewhat released from the suffocating pressure. Dionte’s presence was so overwhelming that it felt as though it could crush her small, delicate frame.  

Standing a full head shorter than the men lined up before her, Aileen felt endlessly weighed down, even though no one was physically pressing on her. Anyone would feel this way when faced with royalty and nobility they might only encounter once in a lifetime.  

But an even bigger problem loomed over Aileen. It was the title “wife” that had just been mentioned.  

Just hours ago, she had been nothing more than a commoner. She had reached out to help the men who were shamelessly flirting in front of her, only to find herself completely ensnared.  

And not just any title—it was the title of “bride to three men.”

“It seems our wife is frightened. So we should stop the teasing here. What would we do if she actually started crying?”

“How disappointing, wife.”

“Hmph.”

The man who looked disappointed, like he wanted to make her cry but couldn’t, was the first one who had called Aileen’s name. His name was Devion. He was also the one Aileen found most detestable in this situation.

Aileen bit the inside of her mouth hard and swallowed her words to avoid being swayed by them. It was far too late to say that they shouldn’t do this, that she had really come to them with pure good intentions.

“Well then, wife, we’ll see you tonight.”

“Ah, I’m jealous. If I had been the eldest son instead of the second son of a marquis family, I would have gotten the first turn.”

“Then you take the second turn, Rashad.”

“Really? Is that okay?”

The man called Rashad asked Dionte with a noticeably brighter tone. Expectation filled the face of Rashad, the man who had corrected the title when Devion first called Aileen. Dionte answered “yes” with an indifferent expression that said he didn’t care either way.

The sound of their chatter lingered in Aileen’s ears for a while, buzzing. Aileen just stood there with a dazed expression, like she couldn’t properly understand this situation. 

The men before her seemed to find even this appearance cute as they laughed and whispered among themselves again. Only Dionte maintained silent silence.

“Get permission from His Imperial Majesty first. I can’t do anything about that part.”

“Of course he’ll say no. Tsk, never mind then.”

Rashad spoke regretfully as soon as he heard Devion’s words. Dionte snorted like he’d expected as much, and Devion, who had been looking back and forth between the two from the center, smiled at Aileen with his handsome face.

His bright and fresh smile that seemed to spread light around him was beautiful enough to steal one’s soul.

‘They say Alphas become more beautiful the stronger their trait… Father’s words were true.’

The face, sculpted with flawless beauty, left Aileen—who had only ever lived in the countryside—staring wide-eyed in awe. His sparkling silver-blonde hair, golden eyes brimming with intelligence, and elegant lips that could inspire trust with a single smile made him the first truly handsome man Aileen had ever encountered in her life.  

But it wasn’t just Devion. Dionte and Rashad, standing beside him, were equally captivating. The men of the capital were so gorgeous and refined that Aileen couldn’t help but wonder if all men here were this handsome. And yet, these unbelievably stunning men were all focused on one person—her.  

Dionte, the man with jet-black hair and green eyes reminiscent of a lush forest, had a cold and aloof personality that matched his cool, distant tone. Rashad’s cheerful grin beside him only made Dionte’s icy temperament stand out more.  

Rashad, with his striking red hair reminiscent of fresh blood and deep red eyes, had an uncommon yet mysterious appearance that instantly captured Aileen’s attention. His personality, however, was far from intimidating. He seemed more like a friendly, oversized dog than a man, and his boundless warmth helped ease some of Aileen’s trembling fear.  

Among them, Devion—who was patiently waiting for the “first” turn—gently lifted Aileen’s hand with care.

Smooch.

“Aileen, thank you for marrying ‘us.’ We won’t forget this kindness and will repay you, so please take care of us from now on, wife.”

Devion, who greeted her with proper etiquette, was exactly the impressive Crown Prince everyone talked about. Aileen still couldn’t hide her bewildered state and just stared at Devion kissing the back of her hand. Anyone watching would think she was enchanted by his face. She seemed to hear such words whispered somewhere small.

“Don’t forget to continue teaching us about our ‘trait’ as well.”

“Ah…”

Right, that’s it. Aileen belatedly came to her senses and remembered why she had come here, why things had turned out this way.

The reason she had traveled from her quiet hometown to the noisy, bustling capital to help those with the ‘Alpha’ trait. It was all because of them. She had come all this way to the distant capital, enduring hardships with her parents’ request and good intentions in her heart, so why had things turned out like this…

“Please take care of our first night tonight as well, wife.”

Aileen, who had been standing in a daze, was startled back to her senses the moment she heard those words. Aileen couldn’t take her eyes off the three men looking at her, each with their different atmospheres.

Rashad’s left beauty mark twitched as he smiled with crinkled eyes, sending a seductive temptation.

‘First night…!’

Aileen blushed as she became aware of the reality that would soon hit her.

‘Right, since we had the wedding ceremony today, we have to spend the first night…’

When her thoughts reached that point, the reality before her felt even more dreamlike. No, this was such a shocking event that she couldn’t possibly think of it as reality. Even the three men involved probably never could have imagined it.

The men who had been counting down the days until they’d suffocate to death from nightly fever probably never imagined they’d gain a wife.

‘Three husbands, one bride.’

This phrase spun round and round in Aileen’s head. 

The three husbands were Crown Prince Devion, the Duke’s eldest son Dionte, and the Marquis’s second son Rashad, standing right before her. They all shared a common trait – they were ‘Alphas’ who had been starving for 10 years, unable to find any Omega.

And the bride they had desperately sought was… Aileen herself, who had suddenly manifested as an ‘Omega’ just four days ago.