Lotte hurried to Aries' side as soon as he stepped out of the carriage. The sight of blood trickling down his forehead drained the color from her face.

"We should get you treated immediately!"

Aries pressed a hand against the shallow cut before glancing at the blood staining his fingertips.

"Calm down, Lotte."

His voice remained as composed as ever.

"This isn't much."

"But—"

"No buts."

He cut her off gently, his crystal-blue eyes already drifting toward the crowd gathered farther down the street.

"What interests me more..."

He lowered his hand from his forehead.

"...is whatever is causing that commotion."

The crowd had grown considerably since the accident.

People stood in clusters, whispering among themselves, while others deliberately kept their distance. Some even turned away altogether, as though afraid to remain any longer.

Interesting.

Whatever had happened...

It was enough to make an entire street uneasy.

Without another word, Aries began walking toward the disturbance.

"My lord!"

Lotte hurried after him, torn between worrying about his injury and stopping him from getting involved.

When they finally reached the edge of the crowd, Aries immediately understood why everyone had gathered.

Several men were restraining another man whose appearance bordered on frantic.

His breathing was uneven.

His clothes were in disarray.

Every muscle in his body strained against the people holding him back.

"Let me go!"

His desperate voice rang through the street.

"My spouse needs help!"

Despite his struggles, the men refused to release him.

"Hold him!"

"Don't let him get any closer!"

"His pheromones are getting stronger!"

Aries quietly observed the scene.

Rapid breathing.

Dilated pupils.

An elevated pulse.

Extreme emotional distress.

The symptoms were obvious.

Yet they failed to explain why everyone else looked equally uncomfortable.

He glanced toward Lotte.

"What do you think is going on?"

She blinked before answering hesitantly.

"They're being affected by pheromones, my lord."

"As a Beta..."

She offered him an apologetic smile.

"...you won't be able to sense them."

"I see."

That explained quite a lot.

While everyone else reacted to something in the air, Aries noticed nothing unusual.

No scent.

No discomfort.

Nothing at all.

"And you?"

Lotte lowered her gaze.

"I'm... a recessive Omega."

"So, I can sense them as well."

Aries nodded thoughtfully.

"That sounds complicated."

A small, helpless smile appeared on Lotte's face.

"...It is."

Without another word, Aries stepped forward.

The crowd instinctively moved aside.

Whispers immediately spread among the onlookers.

"Isn't that the young lord of House Lelouche?"

"I heard he finally woke up."

"...Wasn't he the one who went mad?"

"Quiet!"

Someone hurriedly silenced the speaker.

"If he hears you, you'll might lose your head."

Aries heard every word.

He simply chose not to acknowledge any of it.

Rumors had never interested him.

He stopped a few steps away from the restrained man.

"May I ask what is happening here?"

His tone remained calm.

There was no trace of authority or intimidation.

Yet the crowd fell silent.

An elderly woman slowly stepped forward, leaning on a wooden cane.

She offered a respectful bow.

"Young Lord Aries Cain de Lelouche."

Aries inclined his head in return.

"What happened?"

The old woman sighed.

"This man has been causing a disturbance outside the Great Physician's Clinic."

She glanced sympathetically toward the restrained man.

"But not without reason."

Aries waited.

"My spouse..."

The man finally found his voice.

"My spouse needs help."

"He is giving birth to our child..."

"...yet no one is willing to help us."

Pain and desperation filled every word.

The elderly woman continued where he could not.

"His spouse is a male Omega."

"The birthing process of a male Omega differs greatly from that of a female."

"It is far more dangerous."

"Most physicians refuse to handle such cases."

"So he came here..."

She looked toward the clinic behind them.

"...hoping a physician connected to the nobility would accept the case."

Aries followed her gaze.

The clinic's doors remained tightly shut.

Not a single person had come outside.

He found that... disappointing.

Silence settled over the street.

Then Aries looked back at the desperate husband.

"So..."

He spoke as calmly as if discussing tomorrow's weather.

"Would you take me to your spouse?"

The man's eyes widened.

"...What?"

The man stared at Aries in stunned silence, convinced he had misheard him.

“…My lord?”

“I asked if you would take me to your spouse.”

His voice remained calm, almost indifferent.

“I would like to examine him.”

The crowd erupted into hushed whispers.

One of the men restraining the husband frowned.

“My lord, surely you don’t mean—”

“You should reconsider.”

“He’s in no condition to lead anyone.”

Another nodded in agreement.

“The pheromones have already affected everyone nearby.”

“If we release him now, he may lose control again.”

Aries quietly observed the desperate man.

His breathing was rapid.

His pulse was undoubtedly elevated.

His judgment was clouded by panic.

Yet beneath all of that…

He saw no hostility.

Only desperation.

“He isn’t trying to hurt anyone.”

Aries spoke matter-of-factly.

“He’s trying to reach his spouse.”

No one responded.

After a brief silence, Aries continued.

“If someone precious to you was fighting for their life while you were being held back…”

He looked at the men one by one.

“…would you remain calm?”

Their expressions faltered.

Slowly, their grip began to loosen.

The husband nearly stumbled forward before catching himself.

He bowed repeatedly.

“Thank you…”

“Thank you, my lord…”

Aries shook his head.

“Don’t thank me yet.”

“I haven’t done anything.”

The man hurriedly wiped his eyes.

“My spouse…”

“Can you really help him?”

Aries looked toward the physician’s clinic once more.

Its doors remained firmly closed.

Not because there was no patient.

Because there was a difficult one.

His gaze slowly returned to the man before him.

“A male Omega…”

He murmured almost to himself.

His eyes narrowed with quiet interest.

He had read enough of this world’s inherited memories to understand that male Omegas were uncommon.

Their physiology differed from ordinary humans.

Even their reproductive anatomy was unlike anything he had encountered in his previous life.

How fascinating.

For the first time since awakening in this world…

Something genuinely piqued his curiosity.

This wasn’t merely an emergency.

It was an opportunity to understand a body that should not have existed according to everything he once knew.

His interest, however, remained hidden beneath his usual calm expression.

There would be time to satisfy his curiosity later.

For now…

There was still a patient waiting.

“Take me to your spouse.”

The husband blinked.

“…You truly intend to come?”

“Yes.”

“But…”

“What are you going to do?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Aries’ lips.

“Who knows?”

“Perhaps I’ll help him.”

After a brief pause, he added,

“After all…”

“I’m a doctor.”

His smile lingered.

“…Well, I was.”

The husband frowned.

“…A doctor?”

Aries blinked once.

Right.

Wrong world.

“I mean…”

“…a physician.”

Understanding dawned on the man’s face.

“Oh…”

“And before you ask…”

Aries continued with the same calm expression,

“I’m not an OB, though.”

Silence.

The husband tilted his head.

“…An O… what?”

Lotte looked equally confused.

Aries sighed almost imperceptibly.

“…Never mind.”

“Let’s just say childbirth wasn’t my specialty.”

Lotte’s eyes widened.

“My lord…”

She stared at him.

“…You mean you’ve never delivered a baby before?”

“I’ve treated far more complicated cases.”

“Just not this particular one.”

He answered so naturally that it somehow made the situation even more absurd.

Lotte looked as though she wanted to protest.

Instead, she pressed a hand against her forehead.

“…Somehow that doesn’t reassure me.”

A faint chuckle escaped the elderly woman.

It was the first hint of laughter the crowd had heard since the commotion began.

Aries turned toward the men who had been restraining the husband.

“You may let him go.”

They exchanged uneasy glances.

“But my lord—”

“If he causes another disturbance—”

“I’ll take responsibility.”

His answer came without hesitation.

“In the name of House Lelouche.”

The certainty in his voice left no room for argument.

One by one, the men stepped aside.

Freed at last, the husband immediately bowed once more before motioning for Aries to follow.

“This way, my lord!”

Without another word, he broke into a run.

Aries followed at a measured pace.

Lotte hurried after him, still looking thoroughly unconvinced.

“My lord…”

She lowered her voice.

“…Are you certain about this?”

Aries looked ahead, his expression unreadable.

“No.”

His honesty caught her completely off guard.

“But opportunities rarely wait.”

He glanced briefly at her.

“A male Omega’s anatomy…”

“It isn’t something a physician encounters every day.”

His tone remained perfectly calm.

“As long as I can save both parent and child…”

“It would be a waste to let this opportunity pass.”

Lotte stared at him.

For a brief moment, she wasn’t sure whether she should admire his dedication…

…or be concerned by the curiosity shining behind those crystal-blue eyes.

Either way…

She had a feeling today would become a day neither of them would ever forget.

TO BE CONTINUED...