“No. Nothing has changed at all.”

Come to think of it, apart from feeling unwell, he seemed to have been constantly craving desserts lately. Not only had he devoured all kinds of desserts without refusing them, but when there were no desserts, he even added sugar to his tea. And when he got tired of those, he would suck on jewel-like sugar pieces imported from far-off countries.

“You’re right. Now that I think about it, I don’t know why I’ve been craving sweets so much lately.”

Even Valentine himself couldn’t understand it and tilted his head.

Perhaps…?

Dawson was pointing out that, looking back at his recent behavior, he had been no different from a sugar addict.

“Because you’ve been craving sweets so much, I thought the young master’s ‘cycle’ might be approaching, but it doesn’t seem to be that either, so I was going to ask about it anyway.”

“Cycle?”

“Yes. Your heat cycle is every two months, isn’t it? Did it change while you were in Sorrenche?”

It had been well over two months since he returned home. But Dawson had never attended to or served the young master’s cycle. Dawson, being a beta, had always taken care of the young master’s cycle periods alone. It was one of his main duties.

So it was a very reasonable suspicion on his part. In fact, cycles can change, becoming longer or shorter, due to stress, other illnesses, or poor condition.

“What’s today’s date?”

Valentine asked, putting down his fork, suddenly feeling his blood run cold. His last social activity had been visiting the Marchioness’s house with his mother recently. Apart from that, he had been living without knowing the date, going back and forth between his room and studio. So he had completely lost track of time.

“Tomorrow is the first day of June.”

It wasn’t a death sentence, but as soon as he heard the date and realized, this time all the blood drained from his body. Valentine’s jaw dropped, turning pale.

‘There was no heat…’

The heat cycle that should have come at the end of April hadn’t come, even though it was long past due. There weren’t even signs of his body heating up or the cycle approaching.

‘Is it because I’ve been stressed lately…?’

No, that’s not it either. Even if that were the case, all the stress had ended over a month ago.

There haven’t been such peaceful days recently…

‘Could there be something wrong with my body…?’

Surely, just when I’ve finally paved a smooth path for my life, is my body rebelling? I’m not dying of some illness, am I?

“…Young master…?”

Dawson carefully called out to Valentine, who was staring blankly at the food he had been eagerly eating, lost in thought with his fork dropped on the plate. It was a call that said, ‘Where has your mind gone again? Please come back!’

“…Dawson.”

“Yes, young master.”

It seemed that a proper diagnosis from an expert was needed.

He couldn’t tolerate clouds gathering or obstacles blocking his happy future. After all he had gone through to secure this future.

“Call the family doctor.”

“Do you mean Dr. Mason?”

“Yes. Right now.”

“Understood.”

Dawson answered neatly, seeing Valentine’s resolute expression, and quietly left the room.

‘Surely not…’

Valentine shook his head vigorously to chase away some very ominous premonition or guess that was trying to cross his mind. As if by doing so, those guesses or thoughts would move nimbly like sparrows riding the wind, not settling in his head but flying away into the air and disappearing.

‘Surely it can’t be…’

So Valentine sat in his bedroom, waiting for Dr. Mason.

Dr. Mason, the resident physician of the Count’s family, arrived promptly at the young master’s room upon being summoned, and what followed is the story we know from that day.

The day of ‘fainting’ when Valentine fainted three times in one day, shouting “I’m screwed” upon hearing the news of his pregnancy.

What story awaits Valentine, who last fainted in Reynard’s bedroom…!?

Dear readers, you have waited long.

Applauding your patience in peeking at Valentine’s journey so far, let’s follow the story right after that.

Right now, immediately.

—

Each Person’s Stance in Facing the Storm

—

“Valentine. Valentine…!”

A voice full of worry awakened Valentine from sleep to reality.

With his back to the window showing the dusky evening sky, the kindest and most reliable person in the world was caressing Valentine’s face.

His platinum blonde hair, so similar to Valentine’s, was disheveled instead of being neatly arranged as usual.

“…Dalton…”

A dry, parched voice flowed from the fragile body lying in the white, fluffy bedding.

“…What on earth happened, my nephew.”

Dalton’s brow remained furrowed even as he looked at the awakened Valentine. Somehow, his eyes were moist too.

Valentine only then realized that he was lying wrapped in fluffy bedding on a bed in a large room he had visited before.

“Valentine, what on earth happened for you to collapse…”

An expression containing both worry and anger. Valentine reached out to smooth Dalton’s furrowed brow, but that hand was caught by Dalton’s right hand before it could reach its destination.

“Uncle, what exactly happened…?”

Valentine asked in a foggy voice. He couldn’t quite remember why he was lying here like this. Looking at Valentine’s dazed face, his mind not yet fully returned, Dalton sighed deeply and said:

“That’s what I should be asking, what on earth…”

“…?”

Dalton held his nephew’s hand with his right hand, pressing it to his own face, while his left hand felt Valentine’s forehead and under his chin, checking for fever. It was a familiar action Dalton had often done since Valentine was young. After all, he used to fall ill with fever for trivial reasons when he was little.

“You have a slight fever…”

Dalton sighed again out of concern for his nephew as he continued to caress Valentine’s face with his hand. Just how unwell was he to have collapsed and be lying in a place like this… Dalton frowned and then opened his mouth to explain the situation.

“On my way home earlier, I met someone who said they were from Duke Dennox’s mansion. They said you had collapsed and they were taking care of you… And that they would send you home tomorrow after taking good care of you…”

“Ah…”

Only then did he remember why he had collapsed and was lying here. He had gone to have a meal with Reynard, gotten terribly sick, and fainted. Somehow he had been brought to the Duke’s mansion and received medical attention…

“When the person who said he was the butler told me this very politely, how could I possibly…!”

“Dalton…”

“What household would just leave a grown omega like that?! It’s below common sense, I really…!”

Bang!

Dalton’s angry words were cut off before he could finish.

“Ugh!”

Dalton’s body rose into the air. An overwhelming force had grabbed his body and lifted him up.

Reynard, who had arrived like lightning, grabbed Dalton by the collar and lifted him.

Valentine watched with dazed eyes as he tore his uncle away from him like that. The shocking sight of Dalton suddenly seeming to float in the air…!

“Who the hell are you, bastard?”

Reynard intimidated Dalton, grabbing him by the collar with fierce eyes.

“Gak… Let go of this…!”

“Who are you to be touching my omega?”

“Re-Reynard!”

Valentine was so shocked he could barely speak. Having just woken from a deep faint, he was already feeling dazed as if blood wasn’t flowing to his head, and now he was flustered himself and the situation was urgent, causing him to stutter.

“I was under the impression there was no other fiancé?”

He glared at Dalton as if to kill him with his fierce eyes, gripping his collar more tightly and twisting it upwards.

Dalton was certainly an alpha superior, and among other alphas, he boasted an exceptionally large and sturdy build. However, he was no match for Reynard, who was born with outstandingly superior genes and had a strong body and unparalleled size from various training as a soldier. Valentine had never imagined in his life that he would see his uncle’s collar grabbed like that, his heels lifted off the ground by someone else.

“Reynard, please!”

The desperate call of the patient who had just woken up was too small and weak to reach the alpha, scattering instead.

“Who are you? Where did you come from, you bastard?”

No, wait! You have to give the person a chance to answer! Valentine hurriedly sat up, seeing Dalton unable to answer due to his neck being choked from the collar grab. Dalton’s face was turning red from lack of blood flow, and it looked like something serious was about to happen. Valentine forced his anemic body between the two in a hurry.

“Please! Stop it!”

“You’re defending this guy in front of me?”