Chapter 55

“I looked through the books, and they said that Alphas are instinctively attracted to Omegas, so it will be good to smell Omegas’ pheromones during Alphas’ ruts……”

Renato, unable to finish his sentence, stealthily glanced at Khalid’s expression. When their eyes met, Khalid signaled by his eyes for Renato to continue what he was saying.

However, Renato couldn’t easily speak up. He recalled the contents of the books he had read. In books written about Alphas and Omegas, it was the pheromone part that particularly caught Renato’s attention.

It was written that pheromones could act as a sedative in case of emergency, pheromone showers could be used for therapeutic purposes, one’s companion’s pheromone could have a mental stabilization effect, pheromones could have effects during ruts and heat cycles, and so on.

Renato learned from the books that Alphas’ and Omegas’ pheromones played more roles than he had expected. Then, naturally, several worries came to his mind. This was because a Beta like him had no pheromone.

“I’m a Beta, so to do it properly with you, your highness…… Uhm, no. Anyway, I mean, it’ll be better to sleep with Omegas than Betas, right?”

Hearing Renato’s question as he changed his words in the middle, Khalid’s expression became strange.

“I’m not sure…… I don’t know because I haven’t slept with Omegas.”

“Excuse me?”

He has never slept with Omegas? Renato’s eyes widened as he heard an unexpected answer. Khalid scratched the back of his head and answered again.

“Actually, I have never slept with anyone. I’ve never spent my ruts with anyone else.”

“Then, uh, but you said the last time that when the ruts came, people would have to spend the night with their companions, right?”

“That’s because it’s about companions. This is not the case if they do not have a specific partner or if they are not married. The ruts can still be passed without sleeping with someone else. It’s just more difficult.”

When Alphas and Omegas had no one to spend the night with, they usually took sedatives and sleeping pills to fall asleep or to solve it by themselves. But either way, it was less effective than sleeping with someone else. Because of that, they might be reluctant to do so since it would be more difficult, but it didn’t unconditionally mean that they would have to sleep with someone else.

Khalid had always been having his ruts alone ever since his first rut. It would be a lie if he said it wasn’t difficult, but it was still manageable for him. He thought that after all, it was better to be exhausted for a few days than to have an accident due to a moment’s desire.

“The reason why I do not sleep with other people even when my ruts come is because of my personal belief. I have a strong conviction that I will not cause something that I cannot take responsibility for.”

“Something that you cannot take responsibility for……?”

“I mean children.”

Khalid answered right away. Having suffered numerous hardships because he was born as an illegitimate child, Khalid was naturally negative toward marriage and having children.

“During ruts and heat cycles, pheromones are stronger than at other times. That is why even if contraceptive pills are used, sometimes a child can still enter. If Alphas completely lose their reasons and do the knotting, the chance is also higher.”

While it was true that ruts and heat cycles increased the chances of getting pregnant, spending the night together wouldn’t necessarily mean that the chance of pregnancy was 100%. If numerical values were used, it would be around 70%. However, if knotting happened, it would become a different story.

During ruts and heat cycles, if an Alpha knotted an Omega, there was an almost 90% chance that a child would be born. Because it dramatically increased the probability of pregnancy, Alphas and Omegas that wanted a child sometimes still did the knotting with mutual agreement even if it was not during their ruts or heat cycles.

Because of that reason, from an early age, Alphas thoroughly learned how to control and regulate their pheromones, how to maintain rationality even when exposed to Omegas’ pheromones, and how to endure their ruts while suppressing knotting. This was to prevent problems between families, or to prevent having children that would not be blessed.

“When I began to stand out as a knight, there were people who seduced me for irreverent purposes, or when my ruts came.”

“Ah.”

“Ever since I found out about it, I’ve been managing my ruts more thoroughly. As you also know, Your Imperial Highness, my origin has a bit of a problem, right? I didn’t want to have another child like me. I didn’t want to be used politically because of that either.”

Renato’s face darkened because of Khalid’s words. After all, he was also one of those who tried to use Khalid.

“Please don’t make that face. You are different from them, Your Imperial Highness.”

Noticing what Renato was thinking, Khalid hurriedly comforted him. However, Renato’s expression couldn’t easily brighten up.

“Anyway, for that reason, I have never spent the night with anyone. Accidents always happen unexpectedly, so I thought it would be better not to sleep with anyone at all.”

“Then even after we get married……”

“Maybe it will depend on the situation. As I said before, if I spend my ruts alone even when I have a companion, people will definitely think it is strange.”

“That’s true.”

“Of course, I don’t mean to force you. We are making it seem that you and I fall into a fateful love and get married, Your Imperial Highness, so we should at least show that we are in the same space.”

After finishing his words, Khalid looked at Renato with a complicated face. Truthfully, he didn’t know that Renato was thinking so seriously about his words and was agonizing alone.

At that time, Khalid told Renato about the consummation duty only to slightly scare him when Renato kept on insisting. He never dreamed that the words he said to make Renato reconsider and give up on marriage would return to him in this way.

“You don’t have to worry about this part already. Even if I spend my ruts alone just like before, I won’t feel any discomfort at all. If you say you hate it, Your Imperial Highness……”

“No! It’s not that I hate it!”

Startled by Khalid’s words, Renato waved his hand. It wasn’t because he hated sleeping with Khalid, but because of other reasons.

“I’m just worried that you won’t be satisfied…… Ah.”

In a surprise, Renato said out loud the reason why he was agonizing over it, then quickly covered his mouth with his hands. But the water was already spilled.

“Satisfied? With what?”

“That, I mean……”

Renato tightly closed his eyes just like a child caught doing something bad. Now it was too late to say it was nothing. Renato opened his mouth again with a look of resignation.

“Some books say that Alphas are more sexually satisfied while sleeping with Omegas than with Betas.”

His voice explaining the books he had read became smaller and smaller. The end of his words was so faint that it was barely audible. After finishing speaking, Renato bowed his head like a sinner. His cheeks were burning and his ears were ringing.

Since Betas were different from Omegas, there were a lot of things to prepare separately when they slept with Alphas. If they did it wrong, they could be seriously hurt. And above all, unlike Omegas, Beta did not release pheromones that excited Alphas. Therefore, if the amount of pleasure felt by Alphas while sleeping with Omegas was 100, it was only 50 with Betas.

That was the part that bothered Renato the most when he learned about Alphas and Omegas’ pheromones. Since pheromone showers were something he couldn’t do in the first place, he didn’t feel particularly bothered by it.

However, the part about sleeping together was different. He said that he would fulfill the duty of a companion to Khalid, and Khalid also mentioned the consummation duty, so it was an issue that he could not overlook.

“So I was worried. I don’t have pheromones, and unlike Omegas, I need to prepare……”

“In that sense, a Beta like you wouldn’t be satisfied too, Your Imperial Highness. I think I should be more worried about it than you.”

Khalid worriedly looked at Renato who seemed severely lacking in self-confidence. Considering the environment Renato grew up in, he could understand the reason, but that attitude was not good for the future. After pondering for a moment, he made a slightly impulsive suggestion.

“If you are so worried, let’s kiss.”

“……Pardon?”

“Aren’t you worried about whether you can sleep with me properly and whether I will feel good or not? To be honest, that’s something I’m worried about as well. If you overdo it or are hurt because of me, I think I will feel very guilty, Your Imperial Highness.”

Khalid got closer to Renato and moved his hand. The feel of Renato’s cheek against the palm of his hand was as soft as silk, making Khalid feel a little guilty.

“So, let’s take the time to get to know each other and make progress step by step.”

“Progress……?”

“Yes, we will have to show that we are in a relationship in front of other people anyway. I think you are very inexperienced with skinship, Your Imperial Highness. To show that in front of people, you need to get used to it first.”

Renato could not refute Khalid’s words. It was an undeniable fact that he was clumsy and weak in physical contact with others. Toward Renato who was in agony, Khalid whispered in a low voice as if to seduce him.

“What do you think, how about rehearsing for the consummation with me?”