I Became the Omega in a Game - Chapter 22

“…”

“So don’t worry about that.”

Wait, that’s not what I meant…

“There’s no one but you anyway. Who the hell would marry a loser like me?”

“Haha… Well, when you put it like that…”

“Right?”

Riche forced herself to look touched.

“If that’s really how you feel, could we… delay it for a bit?”

“Why?”

This time, she let her expression fall, as if weighed down by some unavoidable burden. Her mind raced.

Coming up with a convincing reason to postpone the marriage wasn’t easy.

The simplest way would be to use a private matter—something related to her family—but there were too many workers here who already knew she didn’t have a family. If she lied and got caught, the fallout would be catastrophic.

In the end, Riche simply gave a wistful, melancholic smile, the kind that invited others to imagine she carried a secret too heavy to share.

Raymond frowned in frustration, clearly dissatisfied, but after a long sigh, he pulled her into a hug.

“Fine. I won’t push you anymore, so don’t make that face.”

“…”

“I don’t care if your pussy’s sore—I still want to shove my dick in right now…”

So it’s not out of pity, huh?

‘These natives really are something else, giving me this kind of headache,’ Riche thought, resting her chin on Raymond’s shoulder and letting out a quiet sigh.

* * *

Kairos Strigo.

The master of the House of Strigo. His room had been without its owner for two months due to his deployment, but thanks to the devoted care of the servants, the fireplace still crackled with warmth, and the carpet remained impeccably clean.

Creaaak.

The door opened with a faint noise. Raymond’s gaze fixed on the roaring fireplace, which emitted a comforting glow.

“Still as dignified as ever, even without its master,” he muttered sarcastically as he stepped inside.

The House of Strigo, once solidified in power as the Imperial Sword, had seemed destined to decline due to the incompetence of the previous count. But it had risen to glory once more when Kairos Strigo became the most loyal sword of the Crown Prince.

Truly, one could say his older brother had both exceptional judgment and incredible luck.

No one had paid attention to the small factional prince who had eventually become the crown prince. Now, it was clear he would ascend to the throne as emperor. Kairos, who had chosen this prince as his lord when he was still an insignificant sapling, had undoubtedly chosen well. The gamble had paid off perfectly.

Raymond approached the spear mounted on the wall—the Strigo Spear, once the cherished weapon of the family he had once admired. Now, it belonged to his brother.

His crimson eyes, tinged with nostalgia for a fleeting moment, soon turned icy cold. With a sharp motion, he struck the spear with his hand.

Clang!

The weapon clattered to the floor. Raymond ground it beneath his foot, pressing it firmly into the carpet.

The memory of his younger self desperately struggling to earn even a shred of acknowledgment from their family—always overshadowed by his brother—flashed through his mind. It was a humiliating recollection, one that stirred a familiar sense of defeat that rose from the pit of his stomach and clawed its way up.

Crunch. His foot pressed harder against the family treasure.

The festering inferiority he felt toward his brother, Kairos Strigo, was like thick, unrelenting rust that had accumulated over the years. It was something he knew would never be scrubbed away, no matter how much time passed.

There had never been a moment when he truly forgot.

Not when he drank, nor even when he held a woman in his arms. The crushing weight of defeat clung to him like a shadow, ceaselessly reminding him of his place beneath his brother.

However, recently—

Raymond’s expression shifted. It was a powerful sensation, so intense that it momentarily erased the heavy weight of inferiority and defeat that had been stiffening his neck for as long as he could remember.

And it was all because of one woman.

‘Once I’m married, I’ll be done with this wretched place.’

This was his brother’s domain—a space he had longed for, despaired over, and eventually come to resent.

Raymond glanced down coldly at the Strigo family’s spear, now lying discarded on the floor.

In the past, he had dreamed of surpassing his brother, earning the title of the greatest knight, and leaving the family behind with pride. But when the realization struck that he might never defeat his brother, he abandoned everything.

The countless hours spent training, the ascetic lifestyle he had maintained—all of it, cast aside.

Yet recently, he had started devoting himself to training again. He wanted to. The thought that he was no longer alone gave him new purpose.

He hadn’t anticipated this change at all, but to his surprise, he didn’t mind.

‘Rejection is annoying, sure, but fine. It’s not bad to solidify my foundation first before starting a family.’

A smile spread across Raymond’s otherwise hardened face.

Knock, knock.

“Come in,” he called.

The steward of the House of Strigo stepped into the room, pausing briefly when his eyes landed on the fallen spear. He said nothing, only bowing his head.

“What is it?” Raymond asked.

“A messenger has arrived from Madame Esther’s salon.”

“For what?”

“They say your friends are waiting for you, sir.”

* * *

In the salon, lit with the elegant candles currently in vogue in the capital, Idelli, dressed like a delicate flower in full bloom, was surrounded by her admirers.

“You’re beautiful, Lady Grace.”

“Today you’re wearing a tiara. So graceful, like a princess.”

“Idelli.”

“Lady Idelli Grace.”

Most of her admirers were Alphas, but there were Betas and Omegas among them as well. However, the subject of their admiration, Idelli, wore a disinterested expression.

It was unusual for her, someone who usually enjoyed flattery, and it left her followers both puzzled and anxious. Despite their earnest gazes, Idelli remained lost in thought. She reached for her drink, but her long, manicured nails clinked against the glass, creating a sharp sound that made her frown.

Ignoring the followers who seemed ready to serve her drink to her lips themselves, she grabbed the glass again and took a sip. The alcohol was still strong despite the half-melted ice. She drained half the glass in one go, her mind too preoccupied with the irritations that wouldn’t let her focus on those around her.

“Acting all high and mighty because he’s an ultra-dominant Alpha. He’ll still turn into a rutting mutt as soon as he tastes me.”

The source of her frustration was none other than Crown Prince Jante M. Luceno. Though her family’s close ties to the imperial household granted her access to the palace, she was annoyed that, despite her advantages, she had failed to establish a close relationship with the Crown Prince.

If she were honest, she hadn’t just failed—she hadn’t even come close. Though her pride prevented her from admitting it outright, it stung.

“There’s no opportunity to make a move.”

The Crown Prince meticulously managed his ruts, only engaging with Omegas handpicked and confined to the separate palace. He seemed to avoid promiscuous relationships entirely.

But despite his intentions, the rumors surrounding his separate palace were infamous. People claimed the Omegas there had their teeth removed to make oral service easier, used plugs to keep themselves open and ready at all times, and constantly diffused aphrodisiacs like incense.

Though unverified, the separate palace had earned the nickname “The Serpent’s Den,” implying it housed snakes bred for mating marathons lasting days.

“Ridiculous. That kind of palace doesn’t even exist.”

The rumors weren’t true. She had never seen such a place with her own eyes, and if the Crown Prince truly indulged in such carnal desires, there was no way he would have rejected her.

The reason for his rejection was absurd: the belief that the inherent lustfulness of Alpha-Omega relationships could cause him to lose rationality and jeopardize his standing as a ruler. To Idelli, it was an infuriatingly self-righteous value system.

“What a stupid mindset for someone born as an ultra-dominant Alpha. Isn’t it natural to screw wherever you want? That’s instinct, isn’t it? He must want to.”

Having been rejected again today—dismissed with the excuse that he couldn’t engage with outsiders—Idelli had called her devoted followers together in frustration, hoping to distract herself from the cold reception she had received from the Crown Prince.

Seeing their adoring eyes, so full of devotion they seemed ready to kiss the ground she walked on, eased her irritation somewhat.

“Sure, he’s an ultra-dominant Alpha, but in the end, he’s still an Alpha. Soon, he’ll realize that I’m the perfect match for him.”

By then, he would kneel before her as her first and most loyal follower.

Confident in her vision of the future, a faint smile softened Idelli’s beautiful face.

But then she realized something was missing. Among the many voices surrounding her, one voice she had come to expect wasn’t there.

Her dear childhood friend, the one who hid his expressions of love behind sharp words—his voice, the only one capable of speaking harshly to her, was missing.

“Where’s Ray?”

Realizing this belatedly, Idelli’s sharp gaze swept over the room. She had assumed he would be sitting in some corner, sulking as he nursed a drink, but no matter how hard she looked, he was nowhere to be found.

Others often mocked him behind his back, claiming that the prideful, reckless son of the Strigo family was hopelessly infatuated with the prized jewel of the Grace family, Idelli. They speculated that Idelli rejected him outright because she couldn’t stoop to being involved with someone so notorious.

But the truth was a little different.

While Idelli hadn’t gone out of her way to squash such rumors, she hadn’t intentionally rejected him either.

She, who often brought men into her bed, savoring the pleasure they shared and using that intense ecstasy as a leash to control them, treated Raymond differently. She had her reasons for keeping him out of her bed—she thought of him as special.

It was a romantic notion, even for someone like Idelli: that it might be worth keeping one person as a cherished “friend,” sharing a stronger, more profound connection rather than something fleeting.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. Part of it was her desire to make Raymond even more desperate. Unlike Idelli, who would keep someone in her bed until she tired of them, Raymond never slept with the same woman twice.

It was because of his infuriatingly fickle and jaded personality.

“It’s not like he’s grown tired of chasing me by now. He wouldn’t dare…”

Or could it be that he had found someone else?

Idelli chuckled softly. The thought didn’t bother her in the slightest. If anything, it would only make his desire for her burn even brighter.

“He’s a fool who fixates on what he can’t have. Leaving him alone for a bit will only make him cling to me more. Not a bad strategy.”

Even the way Raymond glared at her with those predatory eyes thrilled her.

“Still, not showing up after I called him is annoying. Should I go to him instead?”

The Strigo estate was forbidden territory for her. The thought of barging in and seeing him grimace at her sudden appearance made her fingers itch with anticipation. Letting him stew was tempting, but so was the idea of stirring things up directly.

As she pondered which approach would be more satisfying, her musings were interrupted by a commotion at the entrance.

It was Raymond.

Idelli smiled. Of course. There was no way he wouldn’t come. He had probably been sitting stubbornly somewhere, too prideful to rush over the moment he got her message.

As Raymond approached with a sullen expression, Idelli looked at him with affectionate amusement.

“Ray, you’re late. Did you forget how to keep track of time? You idiot.”

“What the hell are you on about, you crazy woman? Stop calling me like this ever again.”

Idelli thought Raymond was just throwing a childish tantrum and smiled brightly, tilting her head as if she didn’t understand.

“What are you talking about? Stop calling me. I’m not coming the next time, no matter what. I figured if I sent a messenger, you’d just pretend not to understand, so I came to tell you myself.”

‘What’s he saying?’

Idelli blinked, momentarily stunned. Without waiting for a response, Raymond turned on his heel and walked away.

“Hey, Ray…”

He briefly acknowledged a few men he knew with a casual nod, then strode out of the room like someone who had hidden a bar of gold at home and was in a hurry to get back to it. His long legs carried him swiftly to the door, and before anyone could fully process it, he was gone.

Idelli was left dazed.

Is this some kind of joke?

He’d pulled plenty of silly stunts to preserve his pride before, so maybe this was just another one of those tiresome tricks.

But something about it felt different this time.

What unsettled her most was that he hadn’t looked back at her. Not once. His retreating figure was unreasonably resolute, leaving an unpleasantly firm impression burned into her memory.

Idelli’s once-smiling face slowly hardened.

* * *