Chapter 3: "The Meddling Omega"

The imperial doctor smelled like herbs, ink, and exhausted patience.

Dafne sat across from him on an uncomfortable chair while the man reviewed some papers with an indifferent expression. Her body had felt heavy since she woke up in this world, and the burning in the mark on her arm hadn't fully gone away since she'd seen the Emperor.

The doctor barely looked up.

"Severe malnutrition, physical exhaustion, lack of rest, and anemia."

Dafne rested her cheek on her hand.

"Didn't you miss something?"

The man ignored the comment.

"You need to eat more protein — more red meat, eggs, fresh bread, and foods with higher fat content."

She let out a small, humorless laugh.

"Sure."

The doctor wrote something quickly.

"You also need vitamins and less physical labor."

"Of course. Easy to manage when you're not a servant."

The man finally looked at her with annoyance.

"If you don't improve, you'll keep fainting."

The doctor set his pen down on the table. Because Dafne had no answer for that.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Then the man simply sighed.

"Take this to the head of the kitchen staff. You need better nutrition for the next few weeks."

Dafne took the paper and read the list quickly. It included foods she hadn't even seen in the servants' kitchen.

"I can't afford this."

"That's not my problem."

She raised her eyes slowly.

"What a warm soul you have."

"I'm busy. But I came on the Emperor's orders."

"I noticed — you didn't even pretend to have compassion."

The doctor went back to writing without looking at her.

"You may leave."

Dafne walked out of the room muttering under her breath.

"In my other life, doctors at least smiled before ruining you financially."

The moment she returned to the service area, the atmosphere was already frantic. Servants were crossing the hallways carrying trays, flower arrangements, and enormous decorative fabrics. Some were running. Others were barking orders at top speed.

Lina appeared holding several folded tablecloths.

"Finally! I thought you'd died again."

"The afternoon's just starting — give me time."

Lina handed her a stack of tablecloths.

"Move fast. Today's going to be horrible."

"What's happening?"

The girl looked at her as if she'd forgotten something obvious.

"The imperial banquet."

Dafne felt tired immediately.

"Oh, no..."

They walked together toward the main hall while everything around them grew more elegant and more tense. The nobles would start arriving at nightfall, and every detail had to look perfect.

Dafne observed everything in attentive silence. The imperial wing was immense. Every corridor seemed built to remind everyone how much power the imperial family held. Soldiers guarded every entrance, nobles walked with arrogance, and workers bowed their heads every few seconds.

And the Omegas were still treated like delicate objects or nuisances, depending on the mood of whoever was looking at them.

A cook shoved a young Omega out of the way just because he was standing near the door.

"Move it, useless."

The boy apologized immediately, though he clearly hadn't done anything.

Dafne clenched her jaw slightly.

Lina saw.

"Don't make that face."

"What face?"

"The one you make before you say something that gets you in trouble. You've been like this lately."

"You're only just getting to know me."

Lina lowered her voice while they arranged goblets on an enormous table.

"Seriously, behave tonight. Important noble families, high-ranking Alphas, and imperial advisors are coming. If someone gets upset with you, nobody's going to defend you."

Dafne straightened a crooked goblet.

"I'm not planning to start a revolution before dinner."

"Dafne. Stop acting strange."

"I'm joking."

"That's the problem — you never joke."

She let out a small, tired smile.

The afternoon flew by between orders and preparations. When night finally fell, the imperial hall was lit by enormous golden lamps. Soft music filled the air while nobles began entering in elegant clothing and excessive jewelry.

Dafne watched everything while holding a tray of wine.

She still couldn't get used to this place.

In her old life she'd read enough novels to imagine balls and palaces, but living inside one was exhausting. Everyone pretended too much. The smiles looked rehearsed. The conversations had venom hiding beneath polite words.

And the Omegas...

The Omegas acted as if breathing too loudly were a mistake.

One of the nobles took a goblet from Dafne's tray without even looking at her.

"What an ugly Omega."

She forced a smile and was about to do something when Lina appeared instantly.

"Enjoy the drink."

The noble scoffed and walked away.

Lina spun toward Dafne in horror.

"Do you want to die?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Dafne!"

She let out a small laugh.

But that laugh vanished the moment the entire hall fell silent.

The main doors had just opened.

Emperor Hazem entered accompanied by several guards and members of the imperial family.

Dafne felt the burning in her arm again.

Stronger than before.

She had to clamp her fingers around the tray to keep from dropping it.

Hazem walked slowly through the crowd like someone accustomed to everyone stepping aside. Tall, impeccable, cold expression. His presence filled the hall even without a word.

The nobles bowed their heads immediately.

Dafne took a second to do the same.

And when she barely raised her eyes, the Emperor's gaze was on her.

Again.

That made her deeply uncomfortable.

Hazem continued forward while the servants began moving again. Soft conversations filled the air once more, though the tension remained.

Dafne tried to ignore him.

Tried to focus on serving drinks.

Tried to pretend her arm wasn't burning.

But then she heard a man's voice nearby.

"The Omegas in the south wing keep causing problems."

One of the nobles was talking to Hazem as they walked near the main table.

"There was a fight yesterday," the man continued. "One of them refused to obey."

Hazem took a goblet calmly.

"And?"

"The supervisor requested authorization to punish them."

The Emperor didn't even hesitate.

"If an Omega forgets his place, correct him."

Dafne felt anger rise in her chest immediately.

What an unpleasant man.

Another noble laughed slightly.

"Some believe Omegas deserve more freedoms these days."

Hazem drank some wine before answering.

"Weak people always believe they deserve more than they can sustain."

The words landed heavy near the servants.

Dafne watched discreetly as several Omegas lowered their heads even further.

She felt rage.

Because he talked about them as if he were describing bothersome animals.

Then something happened.

One of the young Omegas working the service tripped accidentally near the imperial table. A goblet fell to the floor and shattered.

The hall went silent.

The boy went pale immediately.

"F-forgive me, Your Majesty..."

Hazem watched him for a few seconds.

Cold.

Impassive.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen..."

"And you still can't even hold a tray."

The Omega started trembling.

"I'm so sorry."

One of the nobles let out a mocking laugh.

"Young Omegas are getting more useless by the day."

Dafne clenched her jaw.

The boy was still shaking in front of everyone, trying to pick up the glass with unsteady hands.

Hazem spoke again.

"Look at him. The moment he faces any pressure, he looks like he's about to cry."

The Omega lowered his head further.

Dafne was getting tired.

Very tired.

She took a slow breath and stepped forward before she could think about it too much.

"He's going to cut his hands if he keeps picking that up while he's shaking."

Several faces turned toward her immediately.

Lina nearly dropped her tray.

Hazem slowly raised his gaze to Dafne.

The hall went dangerously quiet.

Dafne already knew she'd just gotten herself into trouble.

But honestly, she was already irritated.

She set her tray on a nearby table and crouched in front of the Omega boy.

"Move over a little."

The boy stared at her, terrified.

"B-but..."

"If you bleed on the imperial carpet, they'll probably kill me too, so cooperate."

Several nobles stared at her in horror for daring to speak that way in front of the Emperor.

Dafne picked up the shards carefully while she felt Hazem's gaze on her.

Very much on her.

Uncomfortably on her.

When she finished, she stood up slowly.

Brina looked about to faint from across the hall.

Hazem was still watching her without a word.

Dafne held his gaze for a few seconds before speaking.

"Glasses slip. It happens even to important people. Wouldn't you say so, Your Majesty?"

A noble opened his eyes, outraged.

"How dare you speak to the Emperor like that?"

She looked at him without much interest.

"I didn't shout at him. I didn't insult him either."

"Of course you did!" the noble exclaimed. "You called him clumsy — when he is perfect."

Hazem ignored him completely and set his goblet down on the table.

And then something strange happened.

He didn't seem angry.

That confused everyone even more.

His eyes remained on Dafne with an intensity that was hard to explain. As if he were trying to understand something he couldn't get out of his head.

The burning in the mark on her arm worsened so much that Dafne had to tense her fingers.

Hazem noticed the movement.

"Come here."

The command landed directly.

The entire hall froze again. Lina looked on the verge of panic.

Dafne swallowed slowly. Every instinct inside her was telling her to keep her distance from that man.

But she also knew that refusing would be worse.

She walked slowly until she stood in front of him.

Hazem was even more intimidating up close. He had a heavy, dominant presence — the kind of man who was probably used to destroying lives with a single sentence. And he'd do it with that face so perfect he looked like a dark angel.

He was still watching her in that strange way.

"Dafne," he said.

That caught her off guard.

"You remember me?"

"The sick servant."

She barely raised an eyebrow.

"What an honor to be remembered for my terrible health."

Several nobles looked scandalized by her response.

But Hazem...

Hazem almost smiled.

And that seemed to unsettle everyone more than any cold expression would have.

The Emperor lowered his gaze to Dafne's arm, covered by the long sleeve.