Rowan sat stiffly on the edge of the canopy bed while the thin white robe draped over his shoulders emphasizing the delicate lines of his slender body. The robe fell open slightly at the chest, revealing pale, smooth skin that felt alien to him. His small, almost feminine face was framed by long, dark hair that tumbled over his shoulders, and his ocean-blue eyes reflected both confusion and fear.
The old palace doctor shuffled into the room, leaning heavily on his cane. Despite his frailty, his sharp eyes immediately took in Rowan's appearance, noting the unusual softness of the young prince's frame and the way the white robe clung to his form. With a low groan, the doctor pulled over a wooden chair and lowered himself beside the bed.
He extended a trembling hand and gently grasped Rowan's wrist, pressing his fingers to the pulse.
"Your Highness… your pulse is steady, but it seems like you're a bit stress," he murmured, squinting through thick glasses.
Rhydan, Rowan's alpha brother and heir to the Vlandia throne, remained standing nearby, arms crossed, his sharp gaze assessing him. The weight of his scrutiny made Rowan shrink slightly into himself, acutely aware of his bare chest, his delicate hands, and the feminine softness of his new form.
The doctor's fingers counted the pulse, steady and professional, while Rowan's mind raced. What should I do? I read the manhwa, it's true but being here myself was too hard, and I became Rowan of all people!
Should I tell them?
"So… what's wrong now? Has my brother lost his mind enough that he's looking for breasts that he didn't have to begin with?" Rhydan asked, his voice sharp as he strode toward the bedchamber, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"But it's true!" Rowan shot back, panic and frustration mingling in his voice. "I had breasts in the past, and they were… big! But now… look! My chest is flat, and I even became… a man!"
Rhydan froze mid-step while his eyes widening. He had rarely seen his timid, quiet brother—always so soft-spoken and submissive to speak up like this, let alone shout while baring his chest. The sight made Rhydan's face go slightly pale, and for a brief moment, he felt a rush of… disbelief.
The old doctor, who had been leaning over the bed checking Rowan's pulse let out a startled groan, almost collapsing in his chair. His frail hands clutched the edge of the wooden seat as he tried to regain composure.
"W-what the hell are you doing, Your Highness?!" the doctor stammered and voice cracking, while his eyes darted nervously between Rowan's bare chest and Rhydan's frozen expression.
Rowan's face flushed bright red.
He scrambled backward on the bed, tugging at the thin white robe that barely covered his delicate frame. "I-I'm… I'm just trying to explain! You don't understand!"
Rhydan's smirk returned, though it was now tinged with disbelief. "Explain, huh? Maybe I should call a doctor… or a priest." He shook his head, clearly trying to process the chaotic scene in front of him, while the other servants in the room exchanged anxious glances, unsure whether to intervene or flee.
The doctor adjusted his glasses, leaning closer to Rowan with a concerned expression. "Your Highness… it's possible you're experiencing emotional trauma, or perhaps even hallucinations. You may have dreamed of this and mistaken it for reality," he explained cautiously while his frail hands wringing the edge of his cane.
Rowan's gaze drifted to his brother, locking eyes with Rhydan in a way the original Rowan never had the courage to. There was fear, confusion and a flicker of defiance swirling in those ocean-blue eyes that Rhydan had never seen before.
"Leave us," Rhydan commanded with his voice sharp and cold and those words left no room for argument.
Immediately, the servants moved to obey. They gently assisted the old doctor as he shuffled toward the door while his cane tapping softly against the polished floor. One by one, the other attendants quietly withdrew, casting hesitant glances at Rowan before disappearing from the chamber.
Now, the room was silent—just him and his alpha brother. The air even felt heavier, charged with authority and unspoken tension.
Before Rowan could gather his thoughts, a loud, commanding bellow echoed from Rhydan's lips, carrying even beyond the bedchamber doors.
"If you only knew how to follow instructions, you wouldn't be in this mess!" Rhydan shouted, his voice sharp and cutting. "I told you weeks—maybe even months ago—that you were not allowed to enter the banquet! And yet, you disobeyed me! Look at what has happened because of your actions! Do you even realize what you've done?"
Rowan flinched under the sheer force of his brother's anger. The words hammered against him, a mixture of fear and disbelief tightening his chest. He had never been confronted like this, never spoken back and never had the chance to see Rhydan's fury directed at him so directly.
Well, that was because she was just a reader of this story before and now, she even has to listen to Rhydan's petty nagging.
"I miss my sister…"
The room then seemed smaller now, the grandeur of the chamber overshadowed by the weight of his brother's voice and the heavy silence of the observing servants.
"Never mind," Rhydan spat while stepping closer, his eyes sharp and cold. "Since when have you ever done anything right, Rowan? If it weren't for me, Father would have already sent you off to a random Kingdom as a political pawn just to breed children. I… I don't even know what to do with you anymore."
Rowan flinched at the words and the weight of neglect, fear as well as shame pressing down on him. His chest tightened and he swallowed hard, the realization of just how powerless he had been in this family—and in this body—sinking deep into his bones.
Before Rowan could even think of responding, Rhydan's hand shot out, gripping Rowan's chin with firm authority. His fingers dug gently but unyieldingly into Rowan's jaw, tilting his face up to meet his gaze where the pressure was controlling, demanding and impossible to ignore.
"Look at me, Rowan," Rhydan said, his voice low but commanding. "Do you understand your place? You are the younger brother, the omega. You exist under me, under our family and under Father's rules. Do you think you can just disobey me and not face consequences?"
Rowan's ocean-blue eyes widened while his body trembling involuntarily under the weight of Rhydan's gaze and the firm grip on his chin. The robe then slipped slightly from his shoulders, leaving him exposed, fragile and entirely at the mercy of his brother's authority.
"I… I understand…" Rowan whispered, his voice barely audible but the knot of fear, shame and reluctant obedience settled deep in his chest. For the first time, he felt just how absolute Rhydan's control was—and how powerless he truly was in this world.