Now, only Lioren and Veyr remained in the dining hall. The nervousness that always stirred in Lioren's chest around Veyr began to creep back, but this time it was muted. He was no longer exhausted, and with a clearer head, he could actually think. His body was still recovering, but his mind was steadier.

Veyr, meanwhile, wasn't even looking at him. Not the way he had during their first encounter, nor in the room where Lioren had first woken up. Back then, Veyr's stare had been intense—heavy enough to feel like it pinned him in place.

Now, he wasn't looking at him at all.

Lioren let out a slow breath, fingers curling against his knees under the table. What's with him? he thought. One moment he's all sharp eyes and unreadable questions, and the next he's... distant, like I'm not even here.

Part of him felt relieved at the absence of that suffocating attention; another part felt strangely unsettled.

Lioren was still serious about how everyone in this house has their respective scents, but not this guy sitting in front of him. Lioren was still scared of this unknown entity.

Yes, he is unknown. Lioren couldn't even smell the faint trace that comes off someone who has taken scent suppressants. Not even a slight basic human scent.

Lioren can't tell who he is— Beta, Alpha, or an omega—or something else....an Enigma.

But as the word Enigma rose to his lips, Lioren caught himself and snapped the thought in half. No way. Something like that doesn't even exist.

He rubbed at his palm under the table, forcing a breath. I guess before fleeing Upperncrest , I must've subconsciously wanted those rumors to be true... but rumors vanished as quickly as they came. Not even a single day did the rumors last.

Lioren's mind wandered. Maybe he was using a patch... or some kind of suppressant so strong that it erased his scent completely—not like the usual ones, but a top-notch one. The idea unsettled him. If he weren't sitting right in front of me, anyone walking by would swear there was only one person in the hall.

Being a golden Omega with a scent that could overwhelm even the strongest suppressants, Lioren was desperate to know the name of the brand—some top-tier, legendary concoction that could erase a person's essence so completely. But he had no clue what it was.

Otherwise,The only other explanation for Veyr's scentless nature was far stranger: that Veyr's own blood acted like a built-in scent concealer, a living suppressant.

To Lioren, the idea of someone being a walking scent-concealer was actually more believable than the existence of a being stronger than the Alphas at the top of the hierarchy. 

As mentioned in the legends. Lioren can't imagine the state of Alpha's pride —becoming exclusive omega for  enigmas. In an alpha-dominated society, Lioren had seen everything: Alphas harassing omegas, doing whatever they want. 

There have been many laws introduced for omegas' security, but only a few follow them.

They don't think that  omegas and betas,  are the same beings as them, who are breathing and can feel hurt too. He was really curious to see such beings dominated by someone above them in every aspect. Lioren wanted to see them experience what they make Omegas go through in this society.

Veyr's voice broke through his thoughts.

"I know I'm handsome," Veyr said, his tone light but laced with irony. "You've been staring at me with that weird look in your eyes for a while now. but let me tell you, I'm not interested in Omegas. Last time I..."

"I'm sorry for asking ", Lioren cut in, his voice sharper than he intended. "But did you fall from somewhere when you were a kid?"

Veyr blinked at the unexpected question. "What?"

"It has to be that," Lioren said with a serious expression. "You must've been hit in the head when you were little; otherwise, there's no excuse for this level of delusion."

"Narcissistic bastard," Lioren thought. Seeing his stunning looks and the way he carried himself reminded Lioren of a cheeky Omega. "I'd doubted it before, but now... I'm sure he's an Omega, and a dominant one at that. What was his name again?"

For a heartbeat, there was silence, then a low chuckle slipped from Veyr's mouth. It wasn't mocking, but it wasn't warm either. Just a dry sound that didn't reach his eyes. "Well, well... Vale's kid is more bold than I thought.".

Lioren's facial expressions stiffened. His chest tightened, and a strange heat rose to his face. " You... know my family?"

Veyr stood, moving toward him with deliberate ease. As he reached Lioren, he rested his hands lightly on his shoulders, hunched slightly, and whispered close to his ear, "In Velmira... who doesn't?"  Then, without breaking stride, he continued down the hall, leaving Lioren frozen in place.

Then he moved forward, continuing down the hall without another word, leaving Lioren frozen in place.

Meanwhile, in the study room, the group had gathered around the long table. Half-finished drinks and scattered papers lay across the polished wood.

"He's from Uppercrest," Max announced. "Lioren valethrone , only  son of Nathan Valethrone {A.k.a Vale}."

The name drew a ripple of recognition. The Valethrone family was notorious, though not for shady dealings like some of the other prominent households. 

Their power was rooted in law — almost a monopoly over legal counsel and courts in Velmira. Beyond their formidable status, they were also infamous for the obsessive devotion of their Alphas and the allure of their Omegas. Crossing them was unthinkable.

Max folded his arms and leaned back slightly. "Back then, our focus was entirely on the Seravane and Revenor families.

"The Revenors were rumored to have secret ties to Enigma research funding," Max explained. "And the Seravane family... well, they were suspected of running experiments in the shadows."

Meirei's gaze sharpened at the names. "So the Vales slipped off the list simply because they didn't look suspicious?"

"Any investigation would have been impossible anyway due to the extreme security," Max said, shaking his head. "That estate of theirs is a fortress. You can't bribe their staff, you can't sneak in, and you can't even get a clear look at who comes and goes."

"Extreme security?" Meirei asked, raising an eyebrow. "If they're not involved in any illegal business, why would they even need security like that?"

"I guess you don't really talk to Neil after he married Noah," Leyla snorted, her voice carrying just enough derision to turn a few heads. "It may not be a famous incident, but everyone here knows what happened. Neil told us. Nathan Vale buried it with the help of his old friend, Daniel Arclayne — whose son happens to be the fiancé of Lioren, Kael Aeclayan."

The air in the study went still. Meirei shot her a look that could have frozen stone — a death-glare that made it clear Leyla had just brushed up against a subject she should never have touched. For a heartbeat no one moved, the weight of the unspoken history settling between them like smoke.