IRTHP 02

Chapter 2…

 The Beginning of All Misfortune

Eileen forcibly suppressed the words threatening to spill from her throat. There was no time.

“Get inside, first.”

Eileen ruthlessly pushed Ethan deep into the attic.

“Even if you can sense pheromones, don’t make a sound—hide like a mouse. That’s the only way both you and I will survive.”

She warned Ethan firmly. But perhaps it was too unexpected, because Ethan blinked in confusion and repeated one word.

“Pheromones?”

“You mustn’t be discovered. If you are, you’ll be taken away.”

“Then can’t I just refuse? Do we really need to hide like this?”

“You just don’t understand him.”

In the future, he would understand very well—but for now, there was no way he could.

“Anyway, listen to me. No matter who comes, don’t come down. Only come down if our parents arrive. Got it?”

“Eileen?”

Seeing Ethan’s bewildered face, Eileen had no time to explain. Judging from the sound of hooves outside, whoever it was would arrive any second. She hurriedly opened a window to release Ethan’s pheromones and dashed toward the front door.

She muttered the name of the person who had forced her to hide Ethan so urgently, as if chewing over it bitterly.

“Grand Duke Lloyd Rehast.”

The bastard who had brought her own brother as a marriage candidate and handed him over to his subordinates was on his way.

Feeling pitiful at having fallen so suddenly into ruin, Eileen was certain God had turned back time for her.

[Your brother—and even your parents—were all killed by the Grand Duke.]

Patrick’s words, spoken to her just before death, echoed in her mind. Her misfortune had begun with the Grand Duke Rehast. Her brother had married the Grand Duke, committed suicide, and their family had fallen. Everyone had died, leaving Eileen alone.

‘I never want to go through that horrible ordeal again.’

So Eileen resolved not to let the Grand Duke claim her brother this time, by any means.

“Miss, Grand Duke Rehast is outside. What should we do?”

The butler reported the situation outside upon spotting Eileen.

Out of breath from having hurriedly hidden Ethan, Eileen focused on steadying her breathing rather than answering. Rushing to greet him would only leave her flustered.

Once her breathing was under control, she spoke.

“Open the door.”

The butler obeyed, revealing a black silhouette backlit by sunlight. As the figure stepped inside, the shadow on his face lifted.

Eileen’s mouth fell open at the sight of him.

Being dominant was something only a child of God’s favor could possess. Those born without deficiencies were said to be so beautiful that few could rival them.

Even Ethan, hidden in the attic, was a mesmerizing beauty as a dominant Omega. The man who had just entered possessed a similarly extraordinary appearance—but in a different way.

Under his short, dark hair, shadows fell across his sculpted face at different angles. His high, sharp nose and sensuous lips were striking—but what dominated the gaze were his eyes.

Arrogant eyes that seemed to look down on the world.

Eileen swallowed hard at his icy, intimidating gaze.

Could I deceive this man?

She gripped her skirt and bent her knees slightly.

“Welcome.”

“Did you know I would come?”

One of the Grand Duke Rehast’s eyebrows rose sharply. He had come unannounced, and yet he appeared unconcerned with how impolite that might be.

‘It’s so frustrating to be powerless.’

Any complaint here would only cost Eileen. Compared to the Duke’s house, flowing with royal blood, Eileen’s family had no influence or leverage.

“Of course not.”

Originally, the Grand Duke had intended to arrive suddenly and take Ethan away. But because Eileen had traveled back in time, she had foreseen his arrival. She couldn’t admit that truth, so she deflected.

“I just came out because I heard the sound of horses.”

The Grand Duke scrutinized her face. Eileen clenched her teeth to remain composed under his sharp gaze.

After a suffocatingly long silence, he finally spoke.

“I came to see Ethan Claudia.”

Eileen, who had just relaxed slightly, tensed again.

Ethan was hidden in the attic. As a dominant, he could control his pheromones, but the man in front of her was also dominant—and perceptive enough to notice. So Eileen raised her voice more than before.

She needed him to focus on her, not Ethan.

“He isn’t here.”

Eileen looked at the Grand Duke with an innocent expression, pretending she knew nothing.

“He isn’t?”

She nodded as he scanned the room. Eileen swallowed nervously as his gaze swept across the interior.

‘Hmm?’

She noticed the butler beside her trembling. Judging from his reaction, the Grand Duke was likely emitting pheromones.

Eileen secretly exhaled in relief. It was fortunate he hadn’t noticed Ethan’s pheromones. Even now, the aura from the man was overwhelming; had she sensed his pheromones too, she would not have been able to act so convincingly. She realized with relief that Ethan’s was still dormant.

“What shall we do about this?”

“Next time, we should arrange a proper meeting to set an official date.”

Eileen knew the Grand Duke’s words carried hidden implications. She recalled how, in the past, after he had hurriedly married Ethan and headed straight to the war-torn principality of Sihar, the Duke had reluctantly agreed to marry Ethan under pressure from the council.

The Grand Duke had a prearranged match from his predecessor, and of course, that candidate was Ethan, an Omega.

‘And yet he abandoned my brother.’

Fury surged in Eileen, and she pressed her lips together, lowering her gaze. Otherwise, her emotions would betray the fact that she was hiding Ethan.

‘You’re the one in a rush, not us.’

Eileen resolved to prevent the Grand Duke from taking Ethan at all costs. Whether he argued with the council or married another Omega was none of her concern.

The Grand Duke’s eyes scanned the surroundings briefly before returning to Eileen.

“Then I suppose I must take you instead.”

…Huh?

Is this man insane?

Eileen suppressed the urge to protest. The man before her was the Grand Duke Rehast—a formidable opponent, even for the most cunning of the Empire.

“Why… why would you try to abduct me in broad daylight, even as a Grand Duke?”

“This is not abduction—it’s a proposal. Will you marry me?”

A proposal?

Eileen stared, aghast, at the Grand Duke, who spoke as if it were the most natural thing.

“Who proposes in such a threatening way?”

“And your answer?”

He asked indifferently, as if the tone didn’t matter.

Of course, she refused. She didn’t want to give Ethan to him, nor get involved with the Rehast family. But outright refusal carried risks.

Even the Grand Duke had likely been displeased about his prearranged match, but he came anyway. This was entirely the fault of her grandfather, who had orchestrated the political marriage and left a written promise to the family of the predecessor Grand Duke.

‘I can’t let myself be taken like this.’

Eileen racked her brain and quickly found a suitable excuse to fend him off.

“I’m a Beta, you see.”

Although she was slated to awaken as an Alpha in a year, she was still a Beta. Even if her family had arranged a political marriage, taking her—a mere Beta—would serve no purpose. While Alpha-Beta unions weren’t forbidden, the chances of producing an Alpha heir were minimal.

‘Would the council even permit this?’

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I knew it… what did you say?”

“Even a Beta can bear children, so it doesn’t matter,” he replied.

Eileen looked up in shock as the Grand Duke’s previously stern mouth curled slowly upward.

“Is that just your personal opinion, Grand Duke?”

She initially rejected him. Her brother was absent, and she, a Beta, could not be his match.

“Is that so?”

The Grand Duke nodded casually. Eileen, waiting for him to leave, noticed the butler clutching his throat and coughing repeatedly.

“What’s happening all of a sudden…?”

Before she could protest, a thud came from above, making her heart jump. The Grand Duke slowly raised his eyes. Although he merely glanced at the ceiling, his sharp gaze felt as if it were piercing the attic to see her brother.

Despite trying to rationalize it, Eileen felt as if he had fixed his attention somewhere. She shivered at the thought.

“Seems there’s a little rat upstairs.”

And a rather large one.

At the Grand Duke’s words, Eileen’s face turned pale.

Why… why is my brother…?