ODKO | Chapter 15

“Our Young Master only drinks tea made from Hiporand’s scarlet petals in the morning. Steep it for exactly one minute and thirty seconds—no more. He won’t even touch it otherwise, so make sure to check.

He’s been resting lately due to not feeling well, but he usually wakes up at 5:30 AM for morning training, so keep that in mind. No juice or other tea.

After training, just prepare a cup of cold water for him. Oh, and he’s sensitive to the smell of water, so be sure to add lemon.

After that, he has breakfast and goes to work, but he often skips meals when he’s focused, so even if it’s a bit of a hassle, make sure he eats properly.”

The elderly chamberlain spoke with an air of warmth and practiced precision, his demeanor pleasant and reassuring.

Jack listened attentively, nodding along with a gentle smile, mirroring the chamberlain’s expression.

But something felt… off.

“Um, but…”

As soon as Jack opened his mouth, the chamberlain’s kind smile deepened, as if to encourage him.

His eyes held a silent question: Yes? What is it?

Jack blinked awkwardly.

“I’m not a servant,” he said, hesitating for a beat before adding, “I’m a secretary.”

They called it a promotion, but it felt more like a demotion—to a glorified servant.

The man, who had introduced himself as the chamberlain of the Madison Family, had been rattling off instructions like a rapid-fire handover from the moment Jack stepped into the empty Knight Commander’s office.

And, honestly—who knew a person could be this picky?

The scarlet petal tea must be from Hiporand, steeped for exactly one minute and thirty seconds—no more, no less. For naps, a lavender oil-infused eye mask was required. Bedding had to be thin yet soft. And because he was sensitive to noise and couldn’t sleep deeply, the surroundings had to be kept completely clear.

Oh, and apparently, he refused to eat boiled vegetables.

Even the Crown Prince wouldn’t be this demanding.

No matter how noble the Madison family was, did Cayenne think he was royalty or something?

Jack couldn’t help but feel complaints bubbling up inside him.

“I understand. Jack Carlson, secretary to the Repelz Knight Commander.”

“But why do I have to…”

Jack was about to ask, “Do I really need to know all this?” but the words died in his throat the moment he saw the chamberlain’s smile.

Was it just his imagination, or had that kindly smile sharpened ever so slightly?

“Of course, Jack Carlson. You should know, right?”

Jack stiffened.

Do chamberlains of knightly families receive military training?

Because the aura radiating from this elderly man was no joke.

His round eyes held a chilling intensity, the kind that hinted at someone who knew how to handle a weapon—at least to some extent.

Instead of clearing up any confusion, the mystery only deepened.

Why the hell am I getting this kind of treatment from a chamberlain I just met?

Jack already felt like a worm being crushed underfoot.

He still hadn’t recovered from Cayenne’s cold rejection—spoken with that detached expression before Jack had even had the chance to confess anything. And now, here was the chamberlain, looking at him with something close to disdain, rubbing salt into the wound.

Just as Jack felt an emotional outburst rising, the chamberlain beat him to it.

“And please take care of this separately.”

Jack barely had time to process the words before a neatly wrapped small box was pressed into his hands, as if this had been the main purpose of their conversation all along.

“What is this?”

Despite his irritation, Jack accepted the box, eyeing it with suspicion.

Meanwhile, the chamberlain—now free of any burdens—casually adjusted the brim of his hat, as if the exchange had been nothing more than routine.

“It’s a suppressant and a stabilizer. Just in case, we’ve also prepared a rut suppressant for you, Secretary. The one marked with a blue label is yours—use it well to avoid any unfortunate incidents.”

Jack unconsciously frowned.

How… meticulous.

They even prepared something for him.

Come to think of it, the chamberlain seemed to know about what had happened between him and Cayenne. Was that why his expression had been so menacing earlier?

Jack pondered the thought as he looked down at the small box in his hands.

They had told him to keep quiet and pretend it never happened—yet it was Cayenne’s own side that had spilled the truth.

That was… unpleasant.

Jack let out a slow breath and spoke.

“Then…”

The chamberlain, who had just turned to leave, paused as Jack continued.

“Is it a secret that the Commander is an Omega? You have no intention of revealing it, right?”

The chamberlain’s gaze flickered, but his tone remained calm.

“It’s not that there’s no intention; it’s that it must not be revealed. What do you think would happen if it became known that he is the only Omega in a knight order composed almost entirely of Alphas?”

Jack fell silent.

At those words, his mind drifted back to the first time he had met Cayenne.

To the image of him inhaling a stabilizer, his pheromones seeping through despite the cigarette smoke, as if he were utterly disillusioned with the world.

Jack thought he understood.

Yet, somehow, he couldn’t fully grasp it.

Yes, if the truth came out, Cayenne would have to give up his knightly career. But was staying in the order really that important?

With the Madison family behind him, he could live a life of luxury without ever needing to lift a finger.

Jack couldn’t wrap his head around it.

As someone who had joined the knights to survive, to support his younger siblings after growing up in poverty, Jack simply couldn’t understand.

“Then a suppressant should be enough.”

“His cycle is irregular, so there’s a limit to what suppressants can do. There are times when he enters a heat state without warning. You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

Although the chamberlain’s tone remained unchanged, Jack couldn’t help but sense a thorn in his words. It was clear he wasn’t pleased about the incident involving his master.

Who would want that? Jack thought bitterly.

But he let the argument go.

The truth was, he had wanted it quite a bit.

”…Old man. Why are you here?”

The conversation was abruptly cut short as the door swung open—without so much as a knock.

Cayenne strode into the commander’s office, dressed immaculately in his white knight uniform, the red epaulettes of Repelz standing out sharply against the pristine fabric.

His brows furrowed the moment he saw Jack and the chamberlain together.

“I’m here to hand over the responsibilities,” the chamberlain replied smoothly, smiling kindly at his young master.

Cayenne, however, wasn’t convinced. Despite the chamberlain’s pleasant demeanour, his frown deepened as he glanced between the two of them.

“What handover? He’s not even a servant.”

Jack stiffened.

‘He’?

For some reason, Cayenne’s casual dismissal stung. No matter how high his status, they were about the same age. Yet, the way he was addressing him…

It was as if he were some household pet.

No—that’s not right. Even pets had a hierarchy.

He wasn’t even at that level. Maybe he was more like… an old cobweb forgotten in the corner of the house. And in a household as meticulously run as the Madison estate, there probably wasn’t a single speck of dust left unattended.

…Why the hell am I even thinking about this?

Jack clicked his tongue inwardly at his own ridiculous thoughts.

“The secretary should naturally know about the Young Master,” the chamberlain continued. “To serve him without inconvenience.”

“I’ll handle my own matters.”

The Young Master—who was as meticulous as a Crown Prince—spoke with unwavering confidence.

The chamberlain merely smiled pleasantly, adjusting his hat once more.

“Since you’re still not fully recovered, please take care of him, Secretary. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Why say such things? Just go back.”

Jack’s eyes flickered between them.

The chamberlain, ever poised, gave Jack a refined bow before gracefully retreating.

Cayenne, now fully inside the room, looked far from pleased. His expression remained tense even as the chamberlain’s presence faded.

Jack realized then—Cayenne’s dismissiveness wasn’t necessarily directed at him.

That was just how he spoke.

It was a habit.

The realization made something in Jack’s chest loosen, just a little.

The chamberlain chuckled as he disappeared down the hallway, and Jack finally turned to Cayenne.

“Were you unwell?”

The words left his mouth before he even thought about them.

Come to think of it… wasn’t he supposed to wake up at 5:30 AM for training? But according to the chamberlain, he had been resting lately.

The unexpected information made Jack’s mind whirl.

“Mind your own business.”

“Was it because of that day?”

Jack’s voice was steady, but there was an underlying weight to the question.

Had Cayenne been absent because of that?

Had he been too unwell to come to work and keep an eye on him? Had he been deliberately keeping Jack busy, hiding behind security measures to prevent any accidental conversations?

“Is that why you asked if I was in a position to question it?”

Cayenne’s cold gaze met his. Then, with a deep sigh, his shoulders slumped slightly.

“Yeah, you rag. Even if I allowed it in a moment of urgency, do you think anyone would be fine after something like that?”

Jack flinched.

His lips parted, but before he could stop himself, the words tumbled out—

“Are you okay now…?”

Cayenne’s frown deepened.

“Stop. Keep your distance.”

Jack had unknowingly been stepping closer. But at Cayenne’s sharp command, he stopped in his tracks.

“I’m fine now, so don’t even think about trying anything.”

Jack sighed. “I’m not trying anything, I just… I’m sorry. My dragon isn’t usually so rough—”

“Dragon, my foot. More like a worm.”

Jack gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “That’s too harsh. Still, in the end, you managed with the worm, didn’t you?”

Cayenne’s expression flickered.

”…Well…”

I wasn’t in my right mind either.

The words nearly slipped from his lips, but he swallowed them down.

Whether out of embarrassment or pride, he couldn’t bring himself to say them out loud. Instead, he exhaled sharply and muttered under his breath—

“Damn it.”

Cayenne ran a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly exhausted.

“This is so frustrating. Enough. I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life—let’s end this conversation.”

He waved a hand, as if trying to physically dispel the sheer ridiculousness of this exchange.

Jack, however, wasn’t done.

“I really am sorry, though.”

Cayenne shot him a glare.

“I mean, I’m not exactly small—for someone new to this, it must have been a lot to handle. I just didn’t think—”

“Hey, are you crazy? Are you laughing?”

Cayenne’s voice rose, his eyes narrowing with undisguised irritation.

Jack, despite himself, was grinning.