Morning light filtered softly through the curtains.
Oliver slept peacefully, wrapped in layers of silk.
Charles watched him quietly, still afraid to look away for too long. Every small breath reassured him.
The royal physician cleared his throat. "Your Majesty… there is one more thing."
Theo's gaze sharpened. "Speak."
The physician hesitated, then carefully reached for Oliver's tiny wrist, checking once more. A faint scent lingered in the air — delicate, barely there.
Charles noticed first. "…Is something wrong?"
"No," the physician said quickly. "Not wrong. But… important."
The room grew tense.
"The heir… shows signs of presenting as an omega."
Silence fell.
Charles blinked in surprise. "An… omega?"
Theo didn't react immediately, but the air around him grew colder.
The maid gasped softly, quickly lowering her head.
"The signs are faint, but clear," the physician continued carefully. "It is rare… but not impossible."
Charles looked down at Oliver, expression softening instead of hardening. "…He's still our child."
Theo finally spoke. "And?"
The physician swallowed. "News will spread quickly. An omega heir… some nobles may see it as weakness."
Theo's eyes darkened.
"Weakness?" he repeated quietly.
No one answered.
Charles held Oliver closer instinctively, as if shielding him from unseen judgment. "He's just a baby…"
Outside the chamber, whispers had already begun.
"The heir is an omega…"
"An omega successor?"
"Will the empire accept that?"
Oliver stirred faintly in his sleep.
Inside his mind, faint awareness flickered.
Omega…?
Memory from the novel surfaced again.
In that story, the heir was never born — so no one knew.
But in many ABO worlds, omega heirs were often targeted, controlled, or used politically.
That's… dangerous.
His tiny fingers twitched.
Theo stepped forward, voice calm but absolute.
"Listen carefully."
Everyone froze.
"My child's designation changes nothing."
The words landed heavily.
"He will be protected. Anyone who sees this as weakness…" Theo's gaze swept the room, "…will learn otherwise."
The tension broke into fearful silence.
Charles looked at Theo, eyes soft with relief.
Oliver slept between them, unaware of the storm beginning beyond the palace walls.
But inside—
Omega heir…
That means… I need to be even more careful.
Because he remembered—
In stories like this…
Omega heirs were always the first target.