TEOGDA Chapter 6

At his words, the crowd gasped and turned to stare at Charlotte and Bella.

It was an era full of prejudice against beastkin.
Alpha beastkin who could control their pheromones were respected for their power, but it was different for betas or omegas.
Those who couldn’t control their instincts and went into heat in public were despised.

“No, that’s not true. I’m an alpha.”

Charlotte hurriedly embraced Bella.
Even she could tell that pheromones were spilling uncontrollably from Bella.

“Bella, what are you doing? Control your pheromones properly!”

“I… I can’t help it.”

Bella’s face flushed, and her breathing grew ragged. Seeing this, Charlotte had no choice but to drag Bella out of the ballroom.

Watching coldly, Kaithan brushed off his shoulder, as if shaking off the unpleasant scent.

“It’s really time for me to leave.”

“Yes, I’ll escort you.”

The strange scent had made Kaithan’s headache even worse.
He left the ballroom with quick strides.

* * *

Backstage, Raina clutched her mask tightly.
It was her first time singing in a place like this.

As the night deepened, Laorde filled with more and more men.
The loud voices, the perfumes worn by women, the mix of pheromones, and the heavy smell of alcohol and greasy food made her stomach churn.

“You ready? Oh, and from now on, your stage name is ‘Daphne.’”

Raina nodded at Emilia’s excited voice.
She didn’t care about some fake name.

“Everyone, let me introduce a very special singer tonight. Representing Laorde, our very own ‘Daphne’!”

With a nervous face, Raina stepped onto the stage.
The bright lights illuminated her red dress.
The form-fitting gown highlighted her slender figure and pale skin.

“Oh! She’s stunning!”
“She’s beautiful!”
“Check out that body, whew!”

The sound of a whistle from a man in the front row rang in her ears.
Feeling their crude, lustful gazes, Raina’s body tensed.

‘I should never have agreed to this…’

But as always, regret came too late.

“Shouldn’t she be pouring drinks instead of singing?”
“Miss, you’ll come down here after the song, right?”
“You don’t need to actually sing well.”
“How about spending tonight with me?”

As the crude jeers rained down, Raina closed her eyes tightly.
She was thankful she had the mask on.
Without it, she wouldn’t have been able to endure this.

“Hurry up and start!”

At Emilia’s signal, Raina began to sing.

“Ah…”

As her clear, refreshing voice echoed through the tavern, the noisy room fell silent.
The rowdy men froze in place, staring only at Raina.

“Beneath this moonlight,
Your beautiful face.
The moment I first saw you,
It was destiny.

My love,
My love.

Your face in the moonlight shines so bright.
Come to me, come to me,
My love.”

It was shocking.
No one had ever heard a song like this.

It was like the voice of an angel.
Hearts felt purified, as if soaring through the sky. Some even shed tears.
The listeners were completely enchanted, their bodies feeling cleansed, their minds at ease.
Even after the song ended, no one could snap out of the trance.

As Raina bowed and turned to leave the stage, the men finally shouted in unison.

“Encore! Encore!”

“I’m sorry. I was only scheduled to sing one song tonight.”

As Raina repeatedly declined, Emilia couldn’t take it anymore and climbed onto the stage.

“I’ll pay you double. Just sing a few more songs.”

“I can’t. I don’t have time.”

Raina shook her head desperately.
If she wasted time and missed Charlotte, it would all be for nothing.
Money didn’t matter — she wouldn’t see a single coin of it anyway.

“We agreed on one song.”

“Fine, have it your way. Just go for today. I’ll talk to Charlotte later.”

With Emilia’s permission, Raina was finally able to step off the stage.
But no sooner had she come down than a group of excited men rushed toward her.

“Daphne, look over here!”
“Daphne, just one more song!”

Emilia tried to hold them back, but the men’s gestures were rougher than expected.
When someone grabbed the back of her red dress, Raina froze in shock.

“Gentlemen, that’s enough! If you continue, you won’t be welcome in our establishment again!”

Taking advantage of the slight pause in their frenzy, Raina quickly escaped outside.

She stumbled into the street, breathless.
Clutching the torn fabric of her dress, she kept it pressed against her body.
All she had to do now was reach the boutique just ahead.

But as she ran forward, she slammed into a broad, solid figure.

‘Who…?’

A strong, towering body. Piercing black eyes stared down at her, threateningly.

“Was that song just now… did you sing it?”

* * *

One hour earlier, Kaithan had left the ballroom in a hurry.
The pain wracking his body had worsened, thanks to Bella’s pheromones.

He staggered, clutching his head, barely able to walk straight.

“Your Grace! I’ll have the carriage prepared—”

“No.”

He couldn’t stand the thought of being trapped in that carriage.
He’d lose his mind.

He couldn’t even remember how he’d gotten out of the palace.

He had no idea how far he’d wandered.
His eyes were bloodshot, the energy inside him raging wildly.
He fought the urge to cut down everything in sight.

Just as he stumbled deeper into an alley, writhing from the pain stabbing through his body like needles—
A cool, clear voice pierced his mind.

Kaithan froze in place.
It was the same voice he had heard in his dream. Exactly the same.

‘Where is it coming from?’

His senses sharpened to their limit, Kaithan darted through the alleyways, wild and frantic.

‘Here?’

He stopped in front of a building that seemed to be a tavern.
Just as he did, a woman came rushing out, and they collided.

“Was that song just now… did you sing it?”

Kaithan looked down at the woman who had run into his chest.
He knew instinctively that she was different. Special.
As she tried to run, he grabbed her wrist tightly.

“Answer me.”

His low growl made the woman flinch as she tried to twist her arm away.
But his iron grip didn’t budge.

“Let… me go.”

“Answer me. That song — did you sing it?”

The woman kept her lips tightly sealed.

“What’s the point of wearing a mask like this?”

Kaithan reached for the white plaster mask.
For some reason, he wanted to see her face.
He had never once cared about a woman’s face before.

“No!”

As his hand touched the mask, the woman cried out desperately.
Kaithan’s hand stopped.
The high, clear tone of her voice—it was exactly like the one he’d heard that night.
The pain inside him stopped instantly, and with it, all of Kaithan’s movements froze.

Seizing the moment, the woman broke free from his grasp.

But just then, an unexpected voice rang out.

“Daphne! Wait, please!”

A man, clearly enchanted by her singing, rushed out of Laorde after her.

“Ah!”

Before she could run, he grabbed the hem of her dress.

“Let go of me!”

But the man was persistent.

“Miss Daphne, I’m Count Lucas. Your singing moved me deeply. You don’t belong in a place like this. I will pay whatever you ask—please, just one more song. Come with me to my estate, right now.”

“No.”

“Miss Daphne, name your price, I—”

The man couldn’t finish.
Kaithan had lifted him high into the air with one hand.

“Count Lucas, didn’t the lady just say ‘no’?”

Dangling helplessly, Count Lucas flailed his arms and legs.

“Your Grace… that woman is just a tavern girl. She’s beneath us—you can treat her however—”

“Shut your mouth.”

Kaithan flung Count Lucas far away.
As the man coughed and hunched over, Kaithan gave him a look of disgust before turning back to the woman, an intrigued expression on his face.

“So, your name is Daphne?”

Raina’s face turned pale.

If he was calling himself “Your Grace,” could he really be that Kaithan?

No—it must be.
She’d heard all about Grand Duke Kaithan over and over again inside the carriage.

Raina looked around.
But it was too late to run.
Men from earlier were now gathered near the door, while Kaithan stood blocking her path in front.

Raina sighed and lowered her head.