I Became the Omega in a Game - Chapter 21

Raymond flinched at her reaction, looking as if he realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have. But contrary to what he thought, Riche wasn’t upset. Instead, she was mildly intrigued by the mention of Idelli Grace—someone she considered the most exceptional Omega she knew.

“So the first Omega you bonded with was Idelli Grace? Oh, no, that can’t be it. You said you’ve never been intimate with her. Then was it another Omega? Or perhaps a Beta?”

Raymond remained silent.

The long pause made Riche wonder if she’d asked something inappropriate, and she awkwardly shifted her gaze. Suddenly, her body was flipped over.

Raymond, leaning over her with his arms caging her in, stared down at her with an indecipherable expression. What’s he doing now?

Riche dropped her gaze slightly, and her eyes landed on his muscular torso. He was entirely unclothed. Despite his decadent lifestyle, he clearly never neglected his training. His well-defined, sculpted muscles gave him an undeniable sex appeal.

Clearing her throat to steady herself, Riche averted her gaze to the side and mumbled, “What… what’s with you all of a sudden?”

“You’re such a strange woman. Why are you curious about those things? Doesn’t it bother you? Why?”

Riche smiled, careful to maintain her composure. Though Raymond was sharp and perceptive, he was also fairly straightforward, which made it easy for her to predict how to avoid his suspicion.

“Because I want to know everything about you, Raymond.”

“…You always know how to answer, don’t you? You sly little thing.”

He didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he wasn’t displeased either. A wide grin split across his face, softening his features in an unexpected way.

His usually rugged and brooding expression had transformed into something mischievous and playful. He looked less like the rough, irritable man she’d come to know and more like a carefree boy.

Raymond hugged Riche tightly and rolled them both across the bed.

Pinned snugly in his embrace, Riche’s mind raced. He hasn’t figured anything out, right?

When they finally tumbled to the edge of the bed, Raymond propped himself up slightly, still holding her waist. His features, though resembling his brother Kairos, had a boyish charm that made him look far more endearing.

‘Kairos Strigo was so much more mature and composed in comparison,’ Riche thought.

Occasionally, Riche recalled how Kairos had spoken of Raymond. From the way he described his younger brother, it seemed Kairos found this insecure, inferiority-ridden sibling rather endearing.

Understanding the wounds of someone who had grown up overshadowed by an exceptionally gifted older brother, Riche gently pushed Raymond’s curly red hair back and patted the back of his head.

Raymond frowned deeply, grabbed her hand, and bit her finger.

“Ow!”

At the sound of her soft gasp, he teasingly licked the spot where he’d bitten her and rubbed his lips against it. His gaze was mischievous and playful.

“Who said you could treat me like a kid?”

The warmth of his lips transferred to her fingers, sending a strange shiver through her body. Holding her gaze, Raymond slowly extended his tongue and licked her delicate finger as if savoring a lollipop.

“But seriously, how long are we going to keep meeting like this? This setup is a pain,” he muttered.

Riche blinked calmly, her hand still captured by him.

To her mild surprise, Raymond had been more diligent about keeping their meetings secret than she had expected. Whenever he visited the Queen, he would take a hired carriage without the family crest and disguise himself as a servant. He had his attendant pretend to be him while he quietly arranged to see Riche in the back rooms. By now, his attendant was probably enjoying the drinks and snacks Raymond had ordered for him.

“Do we really need to go this far?”

“You said yourself it was fun,” Riche replied casually.

“That was at first, damn it. Now it’s a royal pain in the ass.”

“There’s no need to attract unnecessary attention. I’d prefer to avoid strange looks, too.”

Raymond looked as though he was about to argue but then paused, as if something had occurred to him. After a moment of contemplation, he gave a small nod.

“Fine. Everyone already thinks I’m chasing after Idelli because I want to swallow up the Grace duchy. Let them talk—they’re all idiots. I should have them all tied up and tortured.”

“…”

“If word gets out, all the attention will fall on you. I wouldn’t like that,” Raymond muttered.

Riche simply nodded, signaling her understanding.

Unlike when she had previously asked about his Alpha awakening or his perception of Omega pheromones, this time she remained silent. Still, Raymond glanced at her restlessly, like a dog in need of attention.

Riche tilted her head, confused.

“Hey, look… Ah, fuck. Why can’t I just say it? That thing… it’s not true.”

“What?”

“Stop pretending you don’t know what I mean. It’s not true!”

Raymond glared at her, clearly frustrated. Riche stared blankly, wondering what nonsense had set him off this time.

“I might have big dreams of success and all, but I don’t want to achieve it by latching onto a woman like some parasite. That’s pathetic—hell, I’d cut my dick off out of sheer embarrassment.”

“…?”

“I don’t need my dick to keep a woman well-fed and taken care of, all right?”

“…”

“So what I’m saying is, it was never like that with Idelli. Got it?”

Raymond’s sudden outburst left Riche’s ears ringing. She stared at him, her expression asking, Why are you telling me this? His mouth tightened into a bitter line.

“But you like her, don’t you?”

“…What?”

Raymond’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t expected those words to come from her.

Riche recalled the day she had served Idelli Grace and her companions. That day, Idelli and Raymond had practically snarled at each other, like two predators circling for dominance. However, their exchanges didn’t feel like genuine hatred; it felt more like a lovers’ quarrel.

After all, wasn’t it suspicious enough that the two most notorious libertines in high society had kept each other close for so long yet had never slept together?

Their relationship piqued Riche’s curiosity.

“To you, Lady Grace means something different compared to other women, doesn’t she?”

“…Yeah, maybe she does,” Raymond muttered, looking conflicted. Lowering his head, he buried his face into Riche’s ample chest. His hair tickled her skin. As he remained there, Riche absentmindedly stroked his hair back and turned her gaze toward the ceiling.

From where he lay, his muffled voice rose faintly.

“Maybe that’s true, but I don’t want to hear it from you.”

“…”

“No, damn it, now that I think about it—it’s weird. Doesn’t it bother you when I talk about Idelli?”

Lifting his head, Raymond looked at her, clearly waiting for a reaction. Riche shifted her gaze from the ceiling, briefly considering her options before settling on a neutral expression.

“I’m not really in a position to care, am I?”

Unlike her world, where social hierarchy was nonexistent, the status system in this dimension was both rigid and highly complex. Alphas and Omegas were valued above Betas, and wealthy families often sought to adopt talented Alphas or Omegas into their households. In high society, titled Alphas and Omegas ruled the social order.

This society divided people by their genetic traits and the circumstances of their birth.

In this world, Riche was (at least publicly) a Beta—a club worker serving drinks to Alphas and Omegas. In short, she occupied the very bottom rung of the social ladder.

Even if she had presented as an Omega, her status was still lower than a wealthy Beta’s. It was only natural, from the perspective of others, that someone like her couldn’t even begin to compare herself to Idelli Grace—a prized Omega born into a duchy.

In reality, figures like Idelli Grace and the rest of the Alpha-Omega elite were merely research subjects to Riche. Still, her words seemed to have an effect on Raymond.

“…You don’t need to put yourself down like that,” he muttered awkwardly.

Riche shrugged her shoulders. On the inside, she felt nothing at all, but Raymond—interpreting her expression in his own way—quickly changed the topic, his demeanor stiff. Riche welcomed the diversion.

“Oh, I got a letter from my brother.”

Her body tensed instantly.

“…From your brother?”

“Yeah. When I got home yesterday, a courier had dropped it off. He says the conquest war will end soon.”

Riche only nodded in response. Raymond hesitated for a moment before looking her straight in the eyes.

“When my brother comes back, I’m going to tell him I’ve found someone I want to marry.”

Riche flinched. This again? She’d thought that his earlier mention of marriage had been just drunken rambling, something he’d blurted out in the heat of the moment. But this time, he was much more serious. It wouldn’t be so easy to dismiss with a laugh.

‘What a hassle…’

Marriage. She was sick of hearing about it.

“What’s with that look, damn it?”

Raymond immediately noticed her expression, and his face twisted into a scowl. His grip tightened, sending a sharp ache through her sensitive nipples.

“You look like you’d rather die. Huh?”

“That’s not it,” Riche replied calmly.

“What do you mean, ‘that’s not it’? Does that mean you like the idea?”

His gaze softened slightly, but when Riche said nothing, his eyes darkened again, turning sharper than before.

“Damn it, so you hate the idea.”

“…”

“You really hate it that much? Is it so awful to be with someone like me—a nobody?”

“Why do you say things like that?”

“Then what is it? You’re sitting there looking like you swallowed a bug.”

What a stubborn brat, Riche thought.

“I already told you… I don’t think I’m good enough,” she said softly, a faint, wistful smile tugging at her lips as she lowered her gaze. She probably looked rather melancholic—exactly what Raymond would fall for.

As expected, his tone quieted, his earlier anger ebbing away.

“…But I like being with you.”

“…”

“Don’t you feel the same? Isn’t that what matters most?”

As Raymond spoke, suggesting there was no reason they couldn’t marry, Riche considered that his proposal might not mean much after all. To him, marriage was far lighter than most people perceived it to be. Even if he married her and then went off to meet other women, Riche doubted she would be surprised.

“Raymond,” she said gently, carefully broaching the subject as if trying to calm a stubborn child. She even took a deep breath, as though gathering her courage.

“Please think it over again.”

“…”

Raymond’s face twisted with dissatisfaction, but before he could get angry, Riche spoke softly, like soothing an unruly child.

“Marrying me won’t benefit you at all.”

“Benefit? What, is this business now? What kind of marriage weighs benefits? It’s not like I’m the heir to the family or anything…”

“That’s not it. You’re a very charming man, Raymond.”

“…”

“But if you marry me, won’t it tarnish your reputation?”

She sighed deliberately and nestled closer into his arms, catching the heady mix of sweat and bodily scent clinging to him.

“You once said you wanted to step out of your brother’s shadow and start your own house someday. I won’t be able to help you with that dream.”

That should be enough, Riche thought.

Faced with such a realistic issue, even a playboy like Raymond would have to think a little deeper about the matter.

As expected, Raymond’s expression grew pensive, his gaze lowering thoughtfully.

Riche let out a small sigh of relief, but suddenly, he looked up. She froze in surprise, holding her breath as he turned to her with a mischievous grin.

“Damn it, that stuff doesn’t matter.”

No, it really does matter, Riche thought to herself.

“Sure, getting support from my bride’s family would make things easier, but since you won’t be of much help, I’ll just work harder myself. I don’t want to rely on my brother. But if it comes down to it, I’ll ask for his help, too.”