San and Jongho practically dragged Hongjoong across the floor like two murderers hiding a body. They dropped him onto the mattress in his chambers, breathless, panting, and staring at each other.
Hongjoong wasn't calming down though. Not even close.
He was still saying things, voice low and feral,
"She's mine. She's mine. I want her. I want her."
San blinked. "Wait… I thought he was out of the rut? The prince of Silla had helped calm him down, right?"
Jongho, who looked like he had aged ten years in the last twenty minutes, whispered, "He is. His alpha rut was calmed by the prince. But this… this is different."
San squinted. "Different how? Because this looks like a fated bond awakening. Don't play with me, Jongho."
Jongho's eye twitched. "Yeah. I think Captain just met his right mate."
San just froze. "Oh… okay. Cute. Also scary. But did you see that the princess was actually the prince? The youngest prince?"
Jongho ran back through the events in his head. "Honestly… it makes sense. The crown princess Geumjin is married. The second princess Chaeyoung is married too and she just lost her husband. The king wasn't going to send his grieving daughter. And the third one is too young."
San nodded. "So, boom. They dropped an Omega prince instead. Nice. But how do we calm Captain before he tears down a wall?"
Jongho sighed. "We… don't. We just sit here and wait for him to sleep. Preferably before he goes out again and kills people or—worse—annihilates demon villages."
San let out a guilty laugh. "His highness is known for that."
So both of them sat cross-legged on the floor like two exhausted parents watching a toddler who could level a city.
It didn't even take long before Hongjoong stretched, groaned, and blinked awake like he'd just taken a five-minute nap in the middle of a battlefield.
He sat up. "Why are you in my chambers?"
San bowed dramatically. "Your highness, that is another way of saying 'thank you' for dragging you here before you murdered someone."
Hongjoong clicked his tongue. "What happened?"
He remembered everything up until chasing the beast… then the lavender scent hit him… and after that it was just static.
San and Jongho exchanged glances, panic-bonded instantly, and downplayed everything. Leaving out the part that the princess was a guy.
San couldn't resist though. "By the way, Captain… you called the youngest prince a princess. Repeatedly."
Hongjoong's whole face dropped. "My father told me a princess from Silla was coming for a marriage alliance. What was I supposed to think?"
Jongho shrugged. "Either your father tricked you or the King of Silla tricked your father and delivered a prince instead."
Hongjoong stared at them like they just confessed to stealing the sun.
"So…" he finally said, "you're telling me the lavender scent that made me lose control was… that prince?"
Both nodded.
Hongjoong groaned. Loudly. "First of all—ew."
San and Jongho: "What?!"
Hongjoong raised a hand. "I don't care if men can be Omegas. I would never date a man. I would rather live lonely and feared. Trust me, being feared is satisfying."
San and Jongho exchanged another look—this one very "bro, he's lying to himself but okay."
Hongjoong kept rambling, ranting, pacing, even smiling. Actually smiling. San and Jongho stared at him like he had grown feathers.
Finally Jongho interrupted.
"Captain… question. Why are you smiling like that? You're always moody. And, yes, we're your friends so we're used to you being you, but this? This is creepy."
Hongjoong froze mid-smile.
Then he exhaled slowly. "I don't know. Ever since I woke up… my chest feels lighter. Like the things bothering me just… evaporated. I feel… peaceful? Bright? Like—okay, I won't say it."
San leaned closer. "Say it."
"No."
"Say it."
Hongjoong glared. "I feel like rainbows and butterflies. There. Happy?"
San and Jongho absolutely were not ready for that answer.
They just stared at Hongjoong like he had grown horns.
San finally muttered, "When did captain become a princess from books? "
Hongjoong rolled his eyes. "Get out. I want to sleep. I'm ordering you as your prince."
Jongho nodded slowly. "Right. Totally expected you to pull the I'm a prince card when you're dodging questions."
Hongjoong sat up, voice low with authority that could freeze oceans. "I want to sleep. Get out. Unless you want to spend the night in the dungeon. The stray beast I caught is still awake. I'm sure it will love the company."
San slapped a hand over his chest. "Yup, that fear the entire kingdom has for you? Fully justified. You're worse than the deadliest witch coven."
The moment that word left San's mouth, Hongjoong's face darkened.
He turned his head slowly toward San, eyes sharp.
"What did I say about mentioning anything concerning witches around me?"
San's bravado died. "I'm sorry, Captain."
"Get out."
So they ran.
Leaving Hongjoong alone with his scent-thick room and the ghost of lavender still twisting through his bloodstream.
Sleep didn't come.
Not for him.
Not tonight.
By the time the horizon started leaking pale gold, Hongjoong was still tossing like he was fighting invisible chains.
Finally, he stood.
He needed answers.
He needed to face the man responsible for this chaos.
His father.
He marched straight to the Great Lord's chambers.
The guards announced him, and the king allowed entry.
Hongjoong strode inside with the posture of a soldier and the annoyance of someone who was done with everyone's nonsense.
"Great Lord."
His father gestured lazily. "Sit, sit."
Hongjoong remained standing. "About the marriage alliance… is the princess your bride?"
His father raised a brow. "You weren't interested at all. Whether a marriage was happening or a war was brewing, you didn't care. Why the sudden curiosity?"
Hongjoong hesitated.
Truth?
He was tortured all night.
"I'm not interested," he lied smoothly. "I just think the King of Silla tricked you."
His father leaned back. "How so?"
Hongjoong swallowed.
Deep.
"The princess is actually a prince. You were tricked, Father. Allow me to go take revenge for you."
The king sighed, long and tired, as if Hongjoong were a stubborn child refusing to eat vegetables.
"Son… sometimes you must learn to compromise with good people. This marriage is to create peace. Do not ruin it."
Hongjoong waved a hand. "Calm down, I was joking. But you still didn't say anything about that part."
His father shrugged. "Yes, it's a prince, not a princess."
Hongjoong blinked. "So you knew?"
"I lied," the king said casually, like he was admitting to stealing the last dumpling.
"Why?" Hongjoong demanded. "You could've just told me you were adding a prince to your collection of concubines."
His father's eyes widened. "What? I'm not adding anyone to my collection!"
"Then who?" Hongjoong pressed. "I'm your only son. You clearly don't want to marry again. So which unlucky soul is marrying the prince? Not princess. Prince."
The king stood, walked toward him, placed a heavy hand on Hongjoong's shoulder.
"You are," he said softly.
"That is your Omega. And you will mark him permanently."
The air cracked.
Hongjoong's whole world tilted.
Every nerve in him screamed.
Hongjoong let out a shaky laugh.
Not the amused kind.
The kind you make when the universe hands you nonsense and expects you to clap.
He looked his father dead in the eyes.
"You, of all people, know what I'm dealing with. I have a curse hanging over my neck. I want to live like everyone else. Every demon has a name. I don't."
His voice rose.
"And now you're throwing a marriage on top of that? A spouse I have to be responsible for? A whole Omega? Are you serious?"
His father didn't blink.
Hongjoong kept going, spiraling fast.
"Everyone in Silla despises me. Captain is a monster over there. If the princess— no, the Prince— finds out who I am, he'll hate me instantly. And I'm sure this whole marriage was forced on him too. So no. I can't do it. I can't."
The Great Lord inhaled slowly.
"It's not about whether you can or cannot," he said. "You will. You were cursed for a reason. Because of your own stubbornness. You think I feel happy not knowing my own son's name?"
Hongjoong's jaw tightened. His hands curled into fists.
"It was the witches," he snapped. "They cursed me for nothing. I didn't do anything wrong!"
The Great Lord let out a laugh.
A mocking one.
The kind that made Hongjoong's blood boil.
"It was not the witches' fault. It was yours. Until you understand why your mother let her coven curse you, the curse will not break."
Something inside Hongjoong cracked.
He shot to his feet. His voice thundered, scraping raw.
"No. This curse could've been broken years ago. But you? You decided to keep your mouth shut. Before Mother died, she told you how to break it. And you've been letting me live like nameless trash."
His chest heaved. "It's disgusting. It's painful. And now I'm supposed to marry? My husband won't even know my name!"
The Great Lord didn't flinch.
Not once.
He only said,
"If you're done ranting like a child… the wedding is in three days."