Rashad felt dizzy from the flood of information and explanations pouring out one after another. He pressed his hand to his temple and let his previously straightened back slump down. The sofa’s backrest supported his large frame with a soft sound.

Rashad closed his eyes and organized the information piece by piece in his mind, seemingly struggling to digest everything that had been dumped on him at once.

Meanwhile, Dionte, who had been staring intently at Aileen without taking his eyes off her, nodded in understanding.

“Right. Special traits manifest after age fifteen. Aileen was only thirteen then, so it was natural that she hadn’t manifested yet.”

“…Lord Dionte is correct. The three of you met me and manifested Alpha traits that same year, but I was only thirteen and grew up an ordinary child, completely unaware. I didn’t even know you were suffering because of meeting me…”

“Wait. Hold on, Aileen.”

Rashad, who had been listening carefully to the explanation, swept his palm over his face like he couldn’t handle any more.

“Phew… Okay, I get it. I understand that part. But why have you been making that tearful expression since earlier? Don’t tell me you feel guilty because you think it’s your fault we manifested Alpha traits?”

“That’s the truth. It is my fault that you manifested.”

“Aileen.”

Rashad, who always maintained a playful atmosphere, quickly changed his expression and looked at Aileen. Nothing was more frightening than seeing someone who always smiled turn serious. The atmosphere grew so cold that not even a trace of lightness could be felt, further stimulating Aileen’s guilt.

If they hadn’t met her. If she hadn’t clung to them, begging to see her parents, they might not have suffered for ten long years. Aileen hung her head low, remembering that time.

The village where Aileen lived was on the empire’s outskirts, completely vulnerable to invasion. Fortunately, the army arrived quickly and prevented major damage, but Aileen was only thirteen then, and the terror of war didn’t fade easily.

Unfortunately, Aileen had to stay at a friend’s house for several days because of her father’s rut, and she couldn’t pull herself together from the shock that she might lose her parents forever during their brief separation.

Aileen’s house was in a forest slightly removed from the village, and her friend’s parents judged it too dangerous to send her back there. So Aileen spent her nights in tears until she could return home and see her parents. It was natural for her to cry like that, having suddenly become an orphan.

That’s when she met the three of them. Aileen tearfully begged the princely figures who appeared on magnificent horses to let her see her parents, and the three spent time together, caring for the pitiful child, if only briefly.

In the end, Aileen didn’t become an orphan and lived happily with her parents after their reunion, carrying dangerous but intense memories. That was until she heard the news that they had suffered after meeting a potential Omega and manifesting Alpha traits.

“So you came to the capital out of guilt to meet us?”

“…Yes.”

Devion, who had remained silent throughout, asked a weighty question. His voice was the same usual tone when he cut straight to the point, but Aileen, wrapped in guilt, failed to notice the emotion in his voice.

“Even knowing you would manifest Omega traits upon meeting us?”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

Aileen answered Devion’s question honestly. If this could ease the three men’s suffering even a little, she didn’t care what happened to her body. That’s why she came to the capital with resolve the moment she heard the news and headed to the imperial palace.

She felt sorry for His Majesty the Emperor, who could only make discreet inquiries because he couldn’t openly announce the Crown Prince’s illness. Because of this, a curable disease had dragged on for ten years. 

If she had known a little earlier, if she had paid just a bit more attention to news from the capital, would the three of them have suffered less? 

She ended up blaming herself for everything.

And it always ended with: “If they hadn’t met me, born with Omega traits, or if I had been born just two years earlier.” Then they would have had normal childhoods and grown into even more wonderful adults.

Carrying this guilt, Aileen, who had become responsible for three Alphas simultaneously, tried to apologize, even if belatedly.

“Aileen, you don’t need to feel guilty toward us.”

She thought they would scold her. She expected them to shout about why she came only now, and whether she should have realized it first if she was born under parents with such traits. But the words that came, surpassing all expectations, warmly soothed her heart stained with guilt.

“That’s right, Aileen. You’ve already shown great courage by coming to us. You could have lived pretending not to know, but you didn’t—you came back.”

“I share Rashad’s feelings. Taking responsibility for one’s actions is truly adult behavior. I actually feel grateful for that heart of yours. I’m sure Devion and Rashad feel the same way.”

“Lord Rashad…, Lord Dionte…”

Aileen was deeply moved by the two men who didn’t blame her but understood her completely. Rashad and Dionte smiled at her glistening amber eyes, seemingly telling her not to cry anymore. It was so reassuring. Aileen wiped away the tears that seemed ready to fall at any moment.

“Your parents also tried to stop you from coming to the capital, didn’t they? They must have said several times that you would surely manifest Omega traits upon meeting us, so why did you insist on going?”

“Yes, that’s right. Since Mother is also an Omega, she worried a lot…”

Aileen stopped mid-sentence, seemingly sensing something.

“Children born between Alphas and Omegas can’t know their gender until they manifest. Unless they manifest the opposite gender from their latent traits, that is.”

“…Your Highness. Perhaps…”

There’s no better textbook than personal experience, right? Devion smiled with raised corners of his mouth, spinning out mysterious words. Listening to him, Aileen changed her “surely not” suspicion to “as expected.”

‘His Highness definitely met my parents.’

But how? Even traveling diligently by carriage from here would take a long time. Moreover, her parents, who disliked people, lived close to the forest, away from the village. They wouldn’t have come to the capital…

“Devion, don’t tell me you met Aileen’s parents?”

“Of course.”

“What?”

The moment Rashad asked, Devion answered without hesitation and casually waved his hand to summon a waiting attendant. The attendant, who had been standing silently, somehow understood Devion’s unspoken intent and withdrew, disappearing outside the door.

Shortly after, a new figure entered the audience chamber that had contained only four people.

“Aileen!”

“D-Dad?”

“Oh my, sweetheart!”

“Mom!”

They were none other than Aileen’s parents. The moment the door opened and they saw Aileen, the two rushed over and were busy embracing their daughter, forgetting they were in front of His Highness the Crown Prince.

Aileen, more surprised by the sudden reunion, could only move her lips wordlessly while embracing her welcoming parents. The embrace she felt after so long was very warm and cozy. 

She hadn’t noticed when leaving home, but both parents’ pheromones, clearly expressing joy, enveloped and gently caressed Aileen.

“Mom, Dad…”

“Yes, Aileen, it’s Mom. Our daughter…”

The mother’s hand stroking her daughter, who seemed to have grown so much already, looked very small. Aileen tightly embraced her parents’ unexpectedly felt warmth and swallowed the rising tears. She didn’t want to show tears first when seeing them after so long.

“How did you come all the way here? It must have been far…”

“His Highness the Crown Prince lent us a wonderful carriage, so we could come comfortably.”

“And thanks to Duke Coraloin and Marquis Hibion renting out entire inns wherever we stopped, we rested well along the way. Far from being difficult, it was so nice it felt like traveling.”

Hearing her parents speak in turn, Aileen’s gaze immediately turned to the three men. She had no idea when they had planned all this.

“Plus, we got to see the imperial palace, which we thought we’d never have a connection to in our lifetime. His Highness took such good care of us. We couldn’t see your wedding because we hesitated a bit about leaving for the capital, but instead we received three portraits. You looked beautiful in every one.”

“Oh, Dad…”

Aileen finally burst into laughter at his silly words and scolded her father with an expression saying she couldn’t help him. The tears had disappeared completely, leaving only joy. 

Aileen couldn’t take her eyes off her parents whom she was seeing after so long. Devion, who had been quietly watching this scene, cleared his throat with a “Ahem.”

“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law. I apologize for the late greeting. I should have visited you first, but I failed to do so and I’m sorry. Please rest comfortably just like you have been. I will always ensure you lack nothing.”

“Oh my, Your Highness. What is this… No, that’s not right. We are already honored and grateful just for this. We’re truly thankful not only to His Highness the Crown Prince but also to the two gentlemen who took care of everything from beginning to end.”

“No, where is there a father-in-law who bows his head while speaking formally to his son-in-law? Please straighten up immediately. Okay?”