The Boundaries of Possession - Chapter 38
“It’s an honor to take a walk with you on a day like this.”
He must have said that just to throw her emotions into turmoil again.
Elysia let out a slow, deep sigh.
He was always like this.
“By the way… your scent seems a little different today.”
Andreas took a step closer.
For a moment, Elysia felt as though her breath had caught in her throat.
Had she taken her suppressant today? She couldn’t remember.
“It’s not quite the same as usual.”
While Elysia remained frozen stiff, Andreas spoke casually, as if bored.
Watching the way her blue eyes trembled endlessly, a question arose in his mind.
“What’s wrong?”
He slowly lifted his arm, reaching out toward her flushed cheek.
When Elysia flinched, his eyebrows lifted slightly.
Her reaction wasn’t normal.
Had he made a mistake?
Just as he was about to reconsider, she spoke.
“I think it would be best for me to leave for today.”
“…Already?”
He cursed himself for the way his words came out—almost disappointed.
Elysia’s lips curved slightly as if she were about to laugh.
“Do you dislike the idea of me leaving?”
What an utterly unreadable omega.
Andreas let out a half-formed, uncertain smile as he looked at her.
“You’re impossible to figure out.”
At times, it seemed like she was drawn to him—but then she would turn and act as if she had other motives entirely.
It was only natural, of course.
They both knew what they wanted from this arrangement.
They had agreed to be each other’s partners for balls and social events, as long as they did not sign a marriage contract.
Just like before, their relationship was built on mutual interest.
If she were to lose herself in emotions and fail to make rational decisions, it would only benefit him.
And even if that didn’t happen, he was confident he could still steer the situation in his favor.
“In any case, I should go for today.”
But something about this situation felt off.
For Elysia, it would have been far more advantageous to be seen with him in public.
That way, she could reinforce the appearance of a strong relationship.
Even if the engagement fell through, she could at least claim the Duke of Eperthier had betrayed her and preserve her pride.
“Today feels a little strange.”
His hand, which had been cupping her cheek, slowly moved down to her shoulder.
Elysia glared up at him, her gaze sharp and wary.
“Andreas, can you sense my pheromones?”
Pheromones, huh.
So that was it.
A low sigh escaped Andreas’s lips.
This woman was impossible to understand.
Despite being a dominant omega, she had no idea how to use that fact to her advantage.
Now, when they were alone, would have been the perfect opportunity.
It wasn’t a lie to say that releasing her pheromones would be a powerful weapon of seduction.
If she ever chose to use them against him, it would be troublesome beyond belief.
After all, her scent was as rich and alluring as ripened fruit.
“Yes, I can.”
Elysia’s eyes widened, and she turned away abruptly.
Andreas had no idea why.
A sudden surge of heat rushed to his head, and without thinking, he grabbed her wrist.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Where else? I need to take my suppressant.”
Suppressant?
Did dominant omegas even take suppressants?
If it wasn’t her heat cycle, there shouldn’t have been any need for one.
Andreas’s mind was filled with questions.
Why wouldn’t she use her pheromones like other omegas?
How had she managed to maintain control of House Brillen despite the presence of her alpha father and younger brother?
The more he met her, the more she felt like an unsolvable mystery.
Just as Elysia tried to wrench her hand free, Andreas’s eyes flashed with something unreadable.
With a sudden pull, he yanked her into his arms.
Then, lowering his head, he pressed his nose against her shoulder and inhaled.
“What are you—!”
Even through the thick perfume, he could sense it.
A scent that was fresh yet soft—like a delicate blend of lemon and deep lavender.
It was unexpectedly sweet, an allure he couldn’t shake off.
Her pheromones were faint, barely lingering in the air like melting ice, yet they were undeniably there.
For a split second, an instinctive urge took hold of him.
It wasn’t simply that her scent was pleasant.
Nor was it just because she was an omega.
A memory surfaced in his mind—hazy, like a mist-covered dream.
A forgotten past clawed its way into his consciousness.
He was sitting with someone.
And in that fleeting moment, he had the thought—
I never want to leave this place.
