Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 50.1

A cool, damp wind blew, and finally, the rain began to fall. Green grass, rising from the soaked ground, brushed against the hems of his trousers. The sun had already risen, but the thick mist enveloping the cemetery made it feel eerie. Even the cemetery keeper, who was always there, was nowhere to be seen.

In one hand, he held an umbrella, and in the other, a bouquet of roses picked from the garden. He passed dozens of marble tombstones, blackened and stained by the rain. Then he stopped before a particular gravestone. The white tombstone, meticulously carved by a skilled sculptor, never felt familiar no matter how many times he saw it. It was as if the owner of the grave might suddenly rise and glare at him with fierce eyes. As he silently gazed at the tombstone, the sound of rain tapping on the umbrella gradually subsided. After a long while, when his shoes were completely soaked, Aeroc placed the bouquet of red roses before it.

“It’s raining again this year, without fail.”

Aeroc was not surprised by the sudden remark. Not only was the voice familiar, but it was also not at all strange to meet this person here at this time of year. As he lifted his umbrella, the expected figure appeared.

“Linus.”
“Aeroc.”

Wolflake, who had walked through the rain without an umbrella, held a bouquet mixed with red roses and purple irises. Like Aeroc, he bowed his head briefly at the tombstone, then placed his bouquet next to the roses Aeroc had brought.

“Raphiel asked me to send his regards to you.”
“Of course. Is Raphiel doing well?”
“He’s still anxious, but there are no major problems.”
“I hope nothing happens this time.”
“Of course.”

Raphiel had a miscarriage with his first child last year. Aeroc was going through a difficult time personally and couldn’t properly visit him. After he became pregnant again this year, Raphiel focused solely on stability. He sincerely hoped he would give birth to the child safely this time.

Wolflake, standing side by side with Aeroc and looking at the cemetery, suddenly spoke.
“He was a dangerous and irresponsible bastard to the very end. It was his own doing.”

Without needing to ask, Aeroc knew who the subject-less sentence was aimed at. Aeroc smiled faintly.
“I think so too.”
“If he hadn’t only thought of harming someone, such an accident wouldn’t have happened.”
“It wasn’t others.”
“Then?”

Aeroc slowly raised one hand and pointed his index finger at his own head. Seeing that, Wolflake scoffed.
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have intervened beforehand. I made a mistake.”
“That’s also your own doing.”

At the cynical reply, Wolflake did not argue further. Instead, he began to walk to leave. His coat was already soaked and swayed heavily with every movement.

“I looked into what you mentioned before.”

Aeroc, walking beside him, glanced at him. Wolflake continued speaking without hurrying.
“The name Aeroc is rare to begin with, and since it’s a name alphas use, it was even harder to find. There are omega Aerocs, but only two in the last hundred years. One is an eighty-year-old man, and the other is an eleven-year-old. The eleven-year-old died in a carriage accident a few months ago, right before secondary sexual characteristics were about to appear. Other than that, there are no other omega Aerocs. Even after searching all criminal records, it’s the same. There are a few alpha Aerocs in exile records, but they all died decades ago. None exist in modern times.”
“Is that so.”
“Who are you looking for? Is it related to that bastard?”

Aeroc gave no answer to that question. Still, Wolflake sneered as if he understood.
“The Count seems to have lost his mind, playing along with a madman.”
“I think so too.”
“I’ll tell Raphiel you’re doing well.”
“Thank you.”

The two parted ways at the cemetery entrance. As Aeroc got into the carriage, the coachman headed to the next destination without asking. They passed through the rain-splashed streets and arrived at the doctor’s office.

“Count, I’ve been waiting for you.”

The doctor greeted him warmly, as it was a pre-booked appointment. As Aeroc sat in an empty chair, the doctor bustled into the medicine storage room and soon returned with several familiar-looking brown bottles.

“This is what you always take. Your condition has stabilized recently, so I’ve diluted the concentration slightly. However, there’s still a risk of addiction, so you must strictly adhere to the dosage intervals.”
“I know. I have another question, though.”
“What is it?”
“Lately, my body feels hot, and I often have fevers. It’s not serious, but the symptoms are persistent and bothersome. My stomach isn’t feeling well either.”
“It could be a cold, but just in case, I should examine you. I’m free today, coincidentally.”

With that, the doctor picked up his coat and hat from the hanger. Seeing him put the necessary instruments into his medical bag, Aeroc cleared his throat.
“The patient is me.”
“Ah, is that so.”

The doctor put down the items he had picked up and approached Aeroc. He pulled down Aeroc’s eyelids, opened his mouth to examine under his tongue and inside his throat, then inserted a mercury thermometer into his ear. It was unpleasant, but Aeroc remained silent for an accurate diagnosis. After taking his hand and feeling his neck, the doctor tilted his head in puzzlement.

“It’s not a cold, hmm. Just a moment.”

Then he disappeared into the medicine storage room again. When he reappeared, he held a small, unfamiliar vial and a white test strip. He used the dropper attached to the vial cap to drop a few drops of the liquid onto the test strip.

“Count, I apologize, but could you please apply some urine to this?”
“What?”

Aeroc stood up abruptly in surprise. But the doctor, as if nothing was amiss, handed the test strip to Aeroc.
“The restroom is over there. It’s just for testing. There’s no need to be embarrassed.”

He didn’t want to undergo such a humiliating test, but the doctor’s demeanor was so resolute that he lost his chance to escape. Aeroc was pushed into the restroom and eventually had to apply urine to the test strip as the doctor wished. The test strip was white even with the chemical applied, but it turned purple as soon as some urine touched it.

“Count, what color is the test strip?”

As if he had already anticipated the change, the doctor asked from outside the restroom. Aeroc answered honestly, as he saw it.
“It’s purple.”
“Is that so? Not blue? Show me.”

The doctor barged into the restroom without warning and snatched the test strip from Aeroc’s hand. It was fortunate that Aeroc had already straightened his clothes, otherwise, he might have hit the doctor. Aeroc walked out with a flushed face. The doctor completely ignored Aeroc and took out an encyclopedia from the bookshelf, flipping through it. He stopped at one page.

“Hmm. Interesting. This is a very rare case.”
“What is it? Have I contracted some serious illness?”

Aeroc was suddenly frightened by the doctor’s attitude. Both his parents had died young from illness. There was a high probability that he would too. Dying immediately was one thing, but the thought of those he was responsible for made him even more anxious. He had no heir right now. The count’s family might fall into the hands of some strange fellow.

“It is a serious illness, if you could call it that. Because there’s no cure.”
“What?”

With a dizzying sensation, Aeroc slumped into the chair. As his shock was fully revealed, the doctor hastily shook his head.
“It’s not a fatal illness. Though it might be shocking enough to make you wish you were dead.”
“Don’t beat around the bush and explain properly!”

As Aeroc raised his voice out of impatience, the doctor froze.
“It’s a mutation.”
“A mutation?”
“Yes, to be precise, it’s a mutation called acquired omega-ization.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means being born an alpha but becoming an omega later in life.”

What kind of ridiculous nonsense was this? Although he didn’t say it aloud, his expression seemed to convey it sufficiently. The doctor quickly added an explanation.
“Alpha and omega are not as clearly differentiated as male and female sexes. They develop as one grows. Most are determined at the fetal stage, but sometimes they are born undifferentiated. They may appear to be alpha or omega on the surface, but in reality, they live without clear distinction and are discovered later. So, Count, you may have grown up as an alpha, but you might not actually be an alpha.”
“What nonsense are you spouting? If I’m not an alpha, does that mean I’m an omega?”
“Have you ever knotted during a wet dream?”

It was a probing question. Aeroc rarely had wet dreams, and he had never knotted at all.
“O-Only if I have relations with an omega, I suppose.”
“Typically, alphas knot even during wet dreams. Without exception.”
“I am that exception.”

As Aeroc retorted, the doctor held up the discolored test strip.
“Do you see it? It’s a clear purple. This is a recently invented hormone confirmation test fluid. It turns blue for alphas and red for omegas. Purple means it’s differentiating.”
“It must be a defective product.”
“No. It’s a test fluid verified by many doctors, and I just purchased a new batch recently.”
“So you’re telling me to believe that I’m becoming an omega? If I were to become an omega, why wouldn’t it have happened sooner? Why now?”
“Well, wouldn’t it be because of a special stimulus?”

As he said “special stimulus,” the doctor glanced at the brown bottle on the desk. At that moment, Aeroc could no longer tolerate it and sprang from his seat.
“I didn’t realize you were a quack. I won’t be coming here again!”
“If you want to do something about it, you must do it quickly. Otherwise, even if you become an omega, you’ll be infertile.”