Servants whispered. Advisors murmured.

But when the King's own parents heard the rumors, the entire court trembled.

---

The Queen's Suspicion

"A beauty by the river?"

The Queen sat upright in her throne, her fingers lightly tapping against the silk of her robes. Her golden eyes narrowed as the head maid bowed before her, relaying the gossip that had already spread like wildfire through the palace.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The King has been searching for someone. A young man… They say His Majesty has been restless, more temperamental than usual."

The Queen exchanged a glance with her husband, the Emperor, who had remained silent thus far.

"A mere fascination." The Emperor's voice was deep, dismissive. "Let him have his plaything."

But the Queen was not so easily convinced.

She knew her son.

This was no passing interest.

She had seen the way his temper had frayed, the way his patience had worn thin. The King was a man of discipline, of control. If this unknown beauty had managed to shake him so deeply—

"This is different," she murmured, her fingers tightening on the armrest of her seat.

She had spent years choosing the finest omegas, presenting them before him in grand ceremonies, yet he had never once been moved.

But this one?

A nameless stranger?

A wild thing he could not catch?

Her eyes darkened.

"Find out who he is."

The maid flinched at the cold command.

"But… but the King has already—"

"Do you think I will sit idly by while my son loses himself over a nameless nobody?"

The Queen stood, her voice low and sharp. "Do as I say. If my son will not speak, then the people will."

---

The Emperor's Warning

The Emperor, however, was not so amused.

He had let his son rule as he pleased. Had let him lead wars, conquer lands, and build an empire with an iron fist.

But this was different.

This was not war. This was a weakness.

A weakness that could be exploited.

He called for his most trusted general that night.

"You will keep an eye on him." His voice was as sharp as a blade. "If this infatuation threatens the kingdom—"

The general stiffened.

"You wish for me to intervene?"

The Emperor's eyes darkened.

"I wish for my son to remember that he is a King."

The warning was clear.

---

Meanwhile, the King…

Was growing impatient.

He had tried to bury his frustration, drown it in the heat of another omega's body.

But it wasn't the same.

He needed more.

Needed him.

And no matter what it took—

He would have him.

---