...

Alexander stood before his parents and siblings, his body tense and his mind reeling. After a rollercoaster of emotions—remorse, desperation, wrath, and joy—everything seemed perfect until Janina shattered the moment, reminding them of what they had all consciously or unconsciously forgotten.

'Right—' He stared at her, not knowing how to grapple with such an issue, '—a fiancé, huh.'

Every heir needed to have a fiancé before they could be officially coronated.

Luckily, the stupor didn't last, as he felt that this situation was very different from that before, 'I am actually in control—' he felt his body relaxing.

He could recover immediately and avoid panic—it was a situation he could control, one that only affected him.

'This will be tricky—' he mused, already searching for a loophole, which happened in a matter of moments, an easy feat for someone with an excellent [Law] skill, '—it would be tricky—though not impossible.'

Alexander's mind raced, plotting how to bend the law to his advantage, hoping to avoid ending up with a fiancé still in diapers.

"Is that necessary, Mari? I don't like the idea—" his Father's voice, tinged with unease and concern, pulled Alexander out of his thoughts.

He glanced at his wife, visibly uncomfortable with the thought of Alexander getting married so young. As a commoner and Druid, he saw marriage as a bond of love, a merging of souls, not a political arrangement like the nobility had been doing.

His Mother gave him a sad smile, gently caressing his leg and whispering something too quiet for anyone else to hear, deepening the lines on his forehead.

Alexander, however, ignored them for now. He had already mapped out a solution in his mind. His gaze drifted to his siblings, whose reactions were somewhat predictable.

Janina, cautious, looked at Narsiz with uncertainty, "Did I… say something wrong?"

After ensuring Alexander was fine, Narsiz turned away and gently smiled at her, trying to calm her down, "No, you did great."

Janina looked down, playing with her hands, as she stammered nervously through her sentence, "But... but everyone is so weird again."

He started caressing her behind the ear, with her leaning toward his hand, "You actually remembered every one of something very important—" his voice full of brotherly love, "—I am proud of you; please don't worry."

Alexander sighed in relief. Seeing such a sweet scene always warmed his heart. He glanced at Sarah, who remained silent, her eyes fixed on the ground, her posture rigid. There was a tension about her that warned everyone to avoid her.

Meanwhile, Lorient tilted her head in confusion, her gaze fixed on Alexander, "Are you okay?—" She looked puzzled, "—I thought you'd be more upset about needing to find a fiancé."

Alexander grinned mischievously, sticking out his hips exaggeratedly, "What can I say? How could I deprive the world of all this?" He smacked his buttocks playfully, making her chuckle.

"You're so weird—" Her tone switched into playful curiosity as she leaned forward slightly, "—But what about Eli?"

Alexander blinked, momentarily confused, before remembering the fake story he spread for convenience's sake. It was about him being in love with his Aunt Elisabeth, who had been mentally affected after a failed demonic baptism.

His Mother spoke up before he could respond, drawing the room's attention, "Eli won't be a candidate for marriage—she's already married to a lovely, lowly fa—" She coughed into her fist, correcting herself, "—I mean, a cultivator. And sadly, she's not interested in you—" She glanced at Alexander with a sorrowful look, "—I'm sorry, Alex."

But he was nothing if not a talented actor. With a dramatic sigh, he kicked at an imaginary stone on the ground and slumped his shoulders, affecting a crestfallen look, "Shucks..." he muttered, trying to sound convincingly disappointed.

The room fell silent for a moment before Sarah, sounding oddly chipper, broke it, "You're not really in love with Aunty?"

Narsiz answered first, his tone matter-of-fact, "No, he only recently started paying attention to us."

Sarah's face flushed, and she turned away with a mischievous grin. Her reaction confused Alexander, though he didn't have much time to process it.

"Didn't Emma, Vanessa, and Matilda confess to you?—" Janina's voice dripped with jealousy as her gaze narrowed at Alexander, "—So why did you tell that story about Aunt Elisabeth instead of engaging with one of them? I don't like that you lied to them!"

She was clearly angry, siding with the girls, and Alexander could already imagine her venting her frustrations to them in their letters. He couldn't deny that noble canine girls had a tough time in the dating world, and if someone like him weren't upfront, it would only add to their frustration.

Alexander opened his mouth to respond, but a low growl escaped Sarah, cutting him off and making Janina flinch, "He rejected them—" her voice was rough, her anger barely restrained, "—and it was the right decision."

Her reaction caught him off guard. Before he could even process why Sarah was so defensive, his Mother's calm voice interrupted them, "There are plenty of excellent candidates eager to marry you."

She paused, glancing at Alexander with a meaningful look. He sighed and went to the couch, sensing that this conversation wasn't ending soon. Given how it was before, he didn't want to interrupt the relatively cheery atmosphere.

As everyone stared at him, lost in their thoughts, no doubt deciding on the perfect partner for him, all he wanted was to present his solution, one that wouldn't force him to play Dreamhouse for the following years.

"I think Alex needs someone special—" Sarah said, her tone laced with worry.

Their Mother turned to her, "We can arrange the engagement just before we select him as the official heir—" She smiled, "—That gives us plenty of time to find the right match."

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As they continued discussing his love life—throwing out names of potential fiancées—his Father was the only one defending Alexander's autonomy, citing Temple doctrines about soul partners and love.

'It seems I have no chance of becoming a wizard with so many girls around me—' he thought jokingly.

"How about the Iron-Claws? I remember them being somewhat aggressive when I was at their ball—" Lorient reminisced about her first ball.

His Father's voice became increasingly frustrated, "I understand you, but boys need much longer to grow, and forcing him into something he isn't ready for will only end in a disaster."

"But couldn't we find someone similar, then?—" Janina also decided to join the discourse, seeing Alexander as nothing but a piece of meat she wanted to sell off, "—I like the Nine-Fire household! How about engaging him with Patty?"

Unfortunately, such behavior was customary in nobility circles, making his Father even more frustrated, "Nina, you can't force someone to love—"

Meanwhile, Alexander sat back, barely paying attention, as their discussion became white noise, and he drifted into his own world.

'It all makes sense now.'

He thought about how His Mother sounded. Sure, she was cheerful enough given the circumstances, but Alexander also felt she had an underlying sense of relief. He remembered a conversation they had some time ago.

'Damn it—' he thought, leaning back into the couch, '—She should've congratulated me then, at least.'

Alexander had always struggled with adapting to social norms, especially physical closeness. His behavior often made him appear eccentric or distant.

After he saved Patricia and got seriously injured, his Mother became more concerned. She began talking to him frequently, offering advice on how to behave. She was genuinely worried about his awkwardness. Her efforts did help, but progress was slow—he still clung to habits from his previous life.

'She tricked me—' he thought, glancing at her as she leaned toward his Father, '—Stronger mating seasons, my ass.'

Alexander recalled a moment when Sarah visited after training, her body drenched in sweat and her pheromones out of control. He couldn't stop staring at her, and his Mother had noticed immediately.

Back then, he wasn't as conscious of his behavior, unable to control his reactions. So, his Mother's sudden invitation to bathe together was too obvious to him now.

'I can't believe it was all a setup—' he mused, frustration bubbling.

Once in the bath, his Mother's pheromones spiked, and the situation became far more uncomfortable than he had anticipated. He had a powerful desire to be as close as possible to her.

Worse, since then, he needed to actively suppress his desire to get close, as her scent still lingered in his nose, making him occasionally blush when remembered.

'At least one good thing came out of it—' he sighed inwardly. He understood why his Mother had done it and why her behavior had changed afterward.

After that day, his Mother stopped bringing up relationships. She seemed satisfied with his progress, even if he was still far from what was expected of someone his age.

Janina, for instance, was younger but already following the same path. He now saw what their Mother had been worried about and what one would typically do and want.

Janina often clung to their Father or Narsiz, pestering them to bathe together. The specific scent they gave off was comforting—not sexual, but something that soothed her in a way she probably didn't fully understand yet. It was as though their bodies were wired to experience sexual closeness without fully interpreting it.

'It's like putting training wheels on instincts—' Alexander thought, finally understanding the strange behaviors he had seen in Wolfsteeth, where puppies seemed unnervingly close to adults.

Alexander also understood that such behavior gave them a certain edge in terms of cohesion, even though he still found it creepy.

'Hmm, she seems to be happy after putting me through Outer Circle—' Alexander thought bitterly, his gaze resting on his Mother. He sat quietly, waiting for a moment when he could finally speak up. The conversation continued, discussing his future as if they were bargaining for vegetables, and it grated on his nerves.

Finally, unable to hold it in longer, he blurted, "Are you happy now?—" His sudden outburst caught everyone's attention, "—You really should've told me what you did in the bath hall—and why I felt the way I did."

The room fell silent. Alexander's face flushed red, but he forced himself to be honest, as the scent inside the room made him crazy. His Mother's brow furrowed for a moment before her expression softened. She chuckled, clearly remembering.

"You're right—" she admitted with a gentle smile, "—It was a bit forceful—" She looked around the room, meeting the eyes of her family, "—But yes, I'm happy that you're just a late bloomer."

Much to Alexander's embarrassment, the conversation shifted, and she recounted what happened in the bath hall. His cheeks burned as she recounted every detail, but the others took it in stride, to his surprise. He noticed relief in their expressions, as though they shared a private understanding.

Even his Father, who had been grumpy earlier, gave him a wink. Lorient, however, was quick to take advantage. With a mischievous grin, she struck a playful pose, making a stupid kissy face.

"Lorient, knock it off!—" Sarah growled, elbowing her sharply. Her face turned a bright shade of red.

As they began to be more playful, gone the tension from before entirely, Alexander could feel it—the strange sensations flooding his mind, 'This is too weird—' suddenly aware of how off-balance everything had become, '—all these pheromones are messing with me.'

Barely able to focus, Alexander observed Janina's behavior with newfound clarity. Everything made sense now—how she clung to their Father and Narsiz, her need for closeness. It wasn't just affection; the same pheromone-driven urge had also begun to overtake him. This was how they expected him to behave, and he had resisted it for as long as he could.

It was close to mating season, and no one was hiding their scents anymore. Though Alexander could feel the pull, he was still hesitant. His past experiences had left him cautious of entirely giving in. Yet, as the atmosphere in the room thickened, the innocence of familial closeness blended with a rising sexual tension that he could no longer ignore.

"Alex—" His Mother's voice snapped him from his thoughts. Her tone was gentle, but his mind was becoming increasingly hazy, clouded by the scents around him, as if they were doing it on purpose.

"I'm glad you're catching up, becoming more like Narsi was back then—" She paused, sensing his discomfort, "—We'll stop for today. You're not feeling well."

"Yeah—" He shook his head, exhaustion lacing his voice. The stress of the last few hours, and even weeks, weighed heavily on him. He wanted to stand up and leave quickly, desperate to escape the confusion caused by the overwhelming scents around him.

But before he could rise, someone gently pushed him back down. Sarah slid beside him, her scent strong and calming, "Calm down and enjoy it, okay?—" she whispered, her voice soothing, "—we don't understand why you're resisting, but if you keep fighting it, your body's going to break from all the stress."

Her words slipped into his ears, and as his eyes began to blur, he leaned into her warmth. Her scent was all-encompassing, pulling him closer despite his will wanting to flee.

"Time to go—" his Father's booming voice interrupted, barely pulling Alexander back to reality, "—Enjoy your time together—and don't do anything weird!"

Although his Father's words had a playful tone, Alexander sensed the familiar mischievousness underneath them and understood his meaning.

Part of him wanted to leave, to escape the weight of the pheromones pressing in on him, but another part—the one that craved comfort—urged him to stay. Her scent was soothing and gentle, and he felt his body slowly melting into the moment.

'This is why Janina is so clingy with Dad and Narsi—' he realized. The sensation was almost like a drug, addictive in its calming effect.

He barely registered as the others left the room, their voices fading into soft chuckles and murmurs. The day had been an overwhelming blur of emotions and strange events, but now all that mattered was the warmth and scent surrounding him.

Then, something shifted in the air, 'What is that?—' the pressure around him intensified.

The door closed with a gentle clang, and Sarah's scent spiked at that moment, flooding Alexander's senses. His body grew heavy, and his thoughts turned sluggish, the room around him blurring at the edges.

"Alex—" Sarah's voice cut through the haze, sharp but strangely gentle, "—I need to tell you something."