Between Love and Divided Hearts

Chapter 1

Trapped in a time loop and a marital crisis, where do they go from here?
Lord Cedric had harbored a secret crush on Sir Alaric for seven long years. When he finally made his feelings known, their marriage unraveled in a mere seven days.
Sir Alaric remained indifferent to his affections, no matter how much Lord Cedric schemed or how humiliated he made himself. The very thing Sir Alaric despised was seeing Cedric in such a vulnerable state.
If that were the case, it was best to let go.
Cedric believed he could break free from the swirling vortex that was Sir Alaric and, in doing so, grant Sir Alaric the freedom he so desperately sought. However, fate had other plans. A sudden, inexplicable incident plunged him into a bizarre 12-hour time loop.
It was only then that Lord Cedric realized how drastically a single relationship could shift—when filled with love, it was sweet like honey, but when love faded, it was instantly transformed into an unending hell.

Chapter 2

“Sir Alaric, I’ve been thinking carefully these past few days… I think we should get a divorce.”
When Lord Cedric uttered those words, the sheer pain in his heart was almost unbearable, yet it was accompanied by a momentary feeling of relief.
Perhaps he should have made this decision a long time ago, ideally right when he first fell in love with Sir Alaric. Lord Cedric had always been decisive; he never hesitated to cut his losses. But when it came to Sir Alaric, he had clung on stubbornly, leading himself to this absurd situation.
Just a week prior, amidst the chaotic impulses of desire, he had briefly regained his clarity and witnessed Sir Alaric, teeth gritted, administering the suppressant shot—knowing that the instinctive urge from their Alpha and Omega pheromones was an irresistible force, yet Sir Alaric would rather endure the side effects of the injection than succumb to that instinct and respond to him.
However, at the other end of the table, Sir Alaric merely frowned at his words.
“What are you upset about now?” He set down his chopsticks, and the robotic butler promptly offered a napkin. Sir Alaric carelessly dabbed his mouth, casually dismissing Lord Cedric’s declaration as nothing more than a trivial joke. “I told you, my relationship with him is just—”
“I’m being sincere,” Lord Cedric interrupted, straightening his back. Even among Omegas, he wasn’t particularly strong, and standing next to the tall and sturdy Sir Alaric, he appeared almost fragile. Omega instinct often drew them to submit in the presence of an Alpha, but in this moment, Lord Cedric’s demeanor suggested he was entirely unaffected by it.
“Are you joking?” Although Sir Alaric spoke dismissively, it became clear to him that Lord Cedric wasn’t joking. His brow furrowed deeper as if deep in thought. “What about the mark on you? Didn’t they say you couldn’t have surgery?”
“I consulted with the doctor. I have experience resisting the mating cycle through willpower. If I take my medication consistently, there’s a good chance I can minimize its effects,” Lord Cedric explained. “I’ll be moving out in a couple of days. Don’t worry, I won’t disrupt your life anymore.”
Sir Alaric’s reaction was a mere “oh,” as he remarked lightly, “I see you’ve already got everything planned out. Today is just a notification.”
“…I’ve put you through enough during this time.”
“What have I been deprived of? I got to spend an entire mating cycle with you, I’m the one who’s gained,” Sir Alaric retorted coldly, stepping closer to Lord Cedric. He stumbled a bit as the robotic butler darted past to clear the table. Sir Alaric steadied himself without moving forward but glared fiercely at Lord Cedric, while the small, round robot rolled about aimlessly, its interface showing a puzzled expression.
Lord Cedric closed his eyes for a brief moment. “Sir Alaric, let’s keep some dignity for both of us.”
“You don’t get to lecture me.”
Before he could finish his sentence, a wave of citrus suddenly inundated the air. Lord Cedric’s breathing became erratic; the refreshing scent of sandalwood subtly mingled around them.
Sir Alaric was very sensitive about his citrus-scented pheromones and rarely allowed them to show openly. The fact that he released them recklessly today indicated just how furious he was.
Certainly, someone with his pride would never tolerate Lord Cedric initiating divorce proceedings.
Cedric’s fair face began to flush, and his previously straight posture inevitably slumped. He knew that in a moment, he would lose his composure. Fortunately—
“Detecting abnormal pheromone levels. Warning: You are releasing excessive pheromones toward an Omega, potentially inducing forced mating. In accordance with the Human Rights Protection Act—”
The pheromone suppression spray fired automatically, restoring his rationality. Lord Cedric quickly deactivated the butler’s warning system. Sir Alaric let out a low chuckle.
“Quite self-aware, aren’t you? You’ve even erased your pheromone signature from my robotic assistant. If I don’t leave now, will you threaten to accuse me of assaulting you like last time?”

Chapter 3

Lord Cedric sat upright, his face pale, but his demeanor was as steadfast as ever, gazing intently at Sir Alaric.
Sir Alaric was as handsome and vibrant as he had been seven years ago, a brilliant flame that had once brought light and warmth to the darkness surrounding Lord Cedric. A force that had him yearning to draw closer still.
Yet he felt lost, unsure of how to act, awkwardly and greedily reaching out, hoping to keep that flame beside him.
It was his own actions that had cast a shadow over that bright and passionate fire, and in the end, it was that very fire that had burned him.
“I’m sorry,” Lord Cedric spoke softly.
“That’s all you have to say?” Sir Alaric snapped, his teeth clenched. “You’re the one who pressured me into marriage, the one who seduced me during my heat cycles, the one who told me removing the mark could lead to my death… And this morning, before breakfast was even finished, you casually dropped the bomb that you want a divorce. What do you take me for? Do you think I—” Sir Alaric suddenly shut his mouth, his eyes blazing with fury.
“Detected unusual pheromone activity. It is recommended that you promptly take suppressants. I have searched your purchased items and found zero available; would you like to accept related product advertisements?”
Sir Alaric cursed, his face flushed with anger, and he kicked the Healing Automaton that had dared to play advertisements in such a charged situation. The round robot, having just struggled to its feet, spun around in confusion on the ground.
Lord Cedric opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat. Finally, he said softly, “Just stop kicking it.”
“Oh, now you have feelings for this thing, huh?” Sir Alaric retorted, pointing at the robot. “Fine, if I'm the extra one here, I’ll take my leave without you needing to move.”
With that seething declaration, Sir Alaric turned his back and strode out, not looking back.
Lord Cedric remained in silence, continuing to nibble on his breakfast, lost in thought until the sound of a door slamming echoed from downstairs.
His chopsticks clattered to the table. He pressed a clammy hand against the back of his neck, unable to stifle the aching breaths that escaped him.
February 23, 2032, 9:30 AM, Privy.
Lord Cedric wiped his face, raising his gaze to meet his reflection in the mirror.
The figure staring back was frail and pale; damp hair clung to his forehead, and his eyes showed signs of exhaustion, tinged with a sickly red, filled with an almost desperate longing.
This was the very image of an omega that Sir Alaric loathed most.
Without the love he yearned for, an omega could wither like a tendril lost without its host, fragile enough to crumble at a mere touch, reduced to dust.
“All that isn’t human,” Sir Alaric had once succinctly remarked.
Lord Cedric couldn’t recall how he had responded, if he had at all. But he remembered Sir Alaric's following contemplative murmur clearly.
"Human rationale should rise above instinct. It’s just too ugly to turn like that because of pheromones."
Indeed, it was grim.
Lord Cedric glared at himself in the mirror, as if the sheer intensity of his stare could snuff out the undeniable omega nature that stained his existence, just as it had when he first came into his own.
The room’s temperature climbed automatically, warm air brushing against him, but Lord Cedric switched off the smart thermostat, splashing cold water on his face instead to numb the throbbing in his neck.
The discomfort lingered, a whisper from the mark on his skin, calling for the touch of an alpha. Deep down, he knew that the sadness wracking his body stemmed from a drop in endorphins, a condition further aggravated by his unfulfilled pheromones.
Could pheromones even influence the heart, the stomach, the senses?
He felt cold, his heart aching, a spasm seizing his stomach in discomfort.
Lord Cedric took a deep breath, forcing down the whirlpool of complex thoughts, reaching for a calming patch from the medicine cabinet and fumbling to apply it to the back of his neck.

Chapter 4

The sharp pain from his glands began to subside, the active pheromones temporarily suppressed. However, the discomfort in other parts of his body refused to relent, becoming even more pronounced.
Lord Cedric pondered this as he raised his wrist to check his health data, only to be interrupted by a buzzing sound from his smartwatch—someone was initiating a holographic call.
Lady Genevieve.
Seeing her name flash on the screen gave Lord Cedric pause. He wasn’t in the mood for company; he just wanted some solitude. But given their history since college and knowing her reckless tendencies, he worried she might have hacked into something she shouldn’t have and ended up in trouble. Reluctantly, he accepted the call to prevent losing one of the few friends he had left.
A disheveled young man with wild red hair and heavy dark circles under his eyes popped up on the screen. He seemed unusually animated, far from his typical groggy self. “Big news, Cedric! You will not believe what I just saw!”
Lord Cedric frowned, guessing, “You finally broke into the Department of Information Security’s database and landed yourself on the wanted list?”
“Uh…” the red-haired youth scratched his head, then broke into a silly grin, “I hadn’t thought about that! But wouldn’t that be wild?”
“Lady Genevieve, you have thirty seconds.” Cedric rapidly lost his interest in the conversation.
“Hey, don’t rush me! You’ve always been so impatient. Remember back in school when you—”
“Twenty seconds left,” Lord Cedric interrupted. He picked up some background noise that didn’t completely filter out, surprised. “You actually went outside?”
“Once a year is a big deal for me, okay? It’s not like I never leave my place,” Lady Genevieve replied excitedly. “So, I landed a gig with your brother's company and met this gorgeous girl. I think she’s a beta, and she’s totally my type! Plus, I hacked into her terminal and found out she never uses beauty filters. You know how rare that is—”
“I don’t know.” Lord Cedric was now completely disinterested. He figured the reason people had skewed perceptions of information tech specialists was mostly because of reckless individuals like Lady Genevieve. He set a five-day access ban for her and prepared to end the call.
“Don’t hang up, wait! Don’t block me!” Lady Genevieve flailed as she tried to break through his access restriction. But realizing she was outmatched, she quickly stopped the chatter and revealed the hidden scene behind her.
“I’m not kidding, Cedric! It’s serious! Sir Alaric and Dame Elinor are fighting outside your brother’s company!”

Chapter 5

February 23, 2X33, 10:00 AM, Castle of Infinite Sciences, outside.
Sir Alaric and Dame Elinor were not actually fighting, but the tension between the two top alphas was palpable, their postures radiating dominance without the need for words or gestures.
No one dared to approach them. Lord Cedric, however, could see the situation more clearly than anyone else. One was his freshly divorced partner, and the other was his identical twin brother.
On the surface, Dame Elinor bore a striking resemblance to Lord Cedric; if one were to judge by looks alone, nine out of ten people would easily confuse them. Yet Lord Cedric understood that Dame Elinor was utterly different from him. Her strength was undeniable, and her calmness was not a façade, contrasting sharply with Lord Cedric’s façade of bravado and insecurity.
If it weren’t for their pheromones, if it weren’t for Lord Cedric’s deliberate manipulation of the situation, these two wouldn’t…
Lord Cedric’s gaze darkened, lost in thought.
Lady Genevieve, always perceptive, chimed in, "Ah, just look at your brother! What’s that saying again? Right! 'Gorath the Brute has no wretched sibling, indeed a superb counterpart!' When those pheromones hit, half the street just turned jelly-legged. Sure, he doesn’t have Sir Alaric's height, which adds a visual disadvantage. By the way, you're the same height as your brother! Even though one’s an alpha and the other’s an omega, do twins influence that too?"
Watching Sir Alaric with Dame Elinor again stirred complex feelings within Lord Cedric, but Lady Genevieve's incessant chatter successfully yanked him out of his emotional spiral. Maybe the best way to suppress pheromones wasn't medication but sheer outrage.
“What’s going on between them?” he asked, a simmering curiosity boiling beneath his calm exterior.
Oblivious to Lord Cedric’s barely restrained anger, Lady Genevieve, a beta herself, felt the underlying alpha energy envelop her. Expertly, she pulled a mask from her pocket and donned it, hiding behind the Cleaning Automaton while peeking out, her sly demeanor made Lord Cedric entertain the mischievous idea of hacking into the public safety system to send two enforcement bots after her.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. It just started when I arrived. I asked around and no one seems to know what’s up. Apparently, Sir Alaric had been waiting here for half an hour before Dame Elinor arrived, and then they just... faced off. It’s been about three minutes now.” Her head tilted to the side as if seeking confirmation. From the crowd, another excited female voice chimed in, “More than three minutes! These two hunks have been locked in a gaze for at least five! Wow, are they possibly dating secretly?”
“Now wait a minute, you can’t just throw that out there. The guy on the left is my brother’s partner; the one on the right is my brother. I’m standing right here talking to my brother,” Lady Genevieve hurried to clarify.
The other girl could hardly keep track of how many brothers Lady Genevieve mentioned before she erupted into excited cheers, “They hugged! They hugged!” The surrounding crowd joined in, a wave of exhilaration rippling through them, “Ooh! Ooh!” interspersed with enthusiastic shouts of “Go for it, boss!” likely from Dame Elinor’s subordinates.
Lady Genevieve looked up, her expression shifting from curiosity to outright astonishment. Something seemed to catch her eye that threw her into an awkward moment, wiping away her earlier excitement. She disengaged her holographic display, hurriedly covering her terminal, and turned to Lord Cedric. “I’ve got to take care of something. I'll talk to you later!”
But Lord Cedric had already seen it.
The blinding scene, reflected in the glass behind Lady Genevieve, was laid bare before him— Sir Alaric and Dame Elinor were embracing one another.
“Ugh, enforcement’s coming. These two are practically broadcasting their pheromones in public; they’ll likely end up in some educational seminar… Wait, only Sir Alaric is getting taken away! You’ll have to go to the educational center to pick him up later. How about we grab a bite after?”
“It doesn’t matter; we’re already divorced.” Lord Cedric snapped back to reality, slowly speaking the words, filled with a mixture of regret and disbelief.

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