CHAPTER 173: AFTER THE GAME!

The sound of the last bell echoed through the arena. The laughter, the cheers, the desperate cries... all faded into silence. The Duke’s Game had ended, so had the auction.

But the faces of the Omegas in the centre field said it all. There were no winners. Only the ones who survived. The masked host raised his jewelled hand, his voice booming,

"And so concludes the Duke’s Game! What a thrilling display of power and grace! Now, let the final bids be sealed!"

No one spoke for a heartbeat... until Lucien stood up from his seat. His shadow fell long and sharp under the arena lights.

"I’ll buy all of them," he said.

The crowd gasped.

Caspian’s voice came a breath later, calm but firm. "Half will belong to me. I’ll pay for the rest."

The host blinked, the painted grin on his mask twitching.

"E–everything? My lords, that’s quite the fortune..."

Caspian cut him off with a wave. "Send the bill to the palace."

Lucien smirked slightly. "And to the House of Vortellion. Make sure they’re split evenly."

The merchant on the platform clapped his hands with forced delight, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Ah, such generosity from the noble houses! The Omegas are sold! A clean sweep, my lords!"

The crowd murmured restlessly. Some nobles looked disgusted, while others found it amusing. But most... most were bitter. The entertainment was gone, the prey taken, and their twisted fun cut short.

Rin sat quietly between the two men, watching the stage as the Omegas were gathered, trembling but alive. He exhaled slowly, relief softening his shoulders.

It was finally over.

Lucien leaned closer, his voice low. "We did well, didn’t we?"

Rin turned his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You sound like a dog asking for praise."

Caspian’s lips twitched. "He’s not the only one waiting for a thank you."

Rin gave them both a dry look. "Alright then. Good dogs."

Lucien’s brows rose, amused. "Careful, Rin. I might bite."

Rin ignored him and stood. "Thank you... Both of you. I mean it." His tone softened. "Now I need to take care of them."

Lucien stood up too. "Do you want me to take you to the brothel?"

Rin shook his head. "No. You’ve done enough already."

He turned to Caspian. "I owe you one, Your Highness."

Caspian smiled faintly. "You owe me more than one."

Rin smirked and winked at Lucien. "Keep score for him."

Before either could reply, he walked away, his coat fluttering behind him as Sasha and Kiro appeared from the side hallway, waiting for him.

Kiro’s face was pale, his eyes red from holding back tears. Rin reached out immediately and pulled him into a quiet hug.

"It’s alright," Rin murmured. "It’s over now."

Kiro trembled slightly. "I didn’t think people could be so cruel..."

Rin rubbed his back gently. "Then don’t think about it anymore. Forget what you saw."

Sasha stepped forward, his expression calm but his hands shaking slightly.

"We’ll take the Omegas to the brothel first. They need treatment."

Rin nodded. "Good. I’ll be right behind you with Kiro."

Sasha bowed his head, gathered the rescued Omegas, and led them out to another carriage.

Rin turned to Kiro. "Come on. Let’s go home."

But just as they were heading to their own carriage, a tall man in a dark green cloak stepped in front of them. His hair was streaked with silver, his eyes cold yet composed.

Rin stopped, eyes narrowing slightly. The man bowed his head. "Forgive the intrusion. I am Marquess D’Amaris."

"Marquess D’Amaris?" Rin’s smirk was instant. "Lady Seraphina’s father?"

The Marquess gave a faint, controlled nod.

"Yes. I came to apologise on behalf of my daughter’s behaviour earlier at the palace. She acted... disgracefully."

Rin crossed his arms. "Yes. Yes, she did. But it’s fine as long as she stays away from me... and from Lucien."

The Marquess’s face twitched slightly. He never thought there would be a commoner whom he would be scared of.

"I’ll make sure she understands that."

Rin tilted his head, his voice light but sharp.

"Do that. It’ll save everyone some trouble."

He gave the Marquess a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes and turned toward the carriage. Kiro followed quietly behind him.

The Marquess watched them go, his jaw tightening. Rin could feel the man’s gaze burning into his back, but he didn’t care.

Once the carriage door shut, Rin sighed and leaned his head against the glass window. "He’s going to talk to her, but she won’t listen."

Kiro glanced at him. "You think so?"

Rin smiled weakly. "She’s a villainess, Kiro. And villainesses don’t give up easily."

Kiro blinked in confusion. "Villainess?"

"Never mind," Rin said, closing his eyes. "Just don’t worry about it."

The carriage rocked gently as they rode through the streets. The noise of the city dimmed behind them, replaced by the steady sound of hooves against cobblestones.

Rin’s thoughts drifted back to the arena, the faces of the Omegas, the fear in their eyes. His hands tightened slightly in his lap. He didn’t watch the game but he could imagine everything they went through.

’At least they’re safe now,’ he thought.

When they finally reached the brothel, the smell of herbs and antiseptics filled the air. The building was buzzing with noise... sobs, hurried footsteps, and the low murmur of healers giving orders.

Inside, Lirien stood by the entrance, her hair tied back neatly, her sleeves rolled to her elbows. She turned when Rin entered.

"Well done," she said softly. "They said you saved all of them."

Rin sighed. "Not just me. The prince and Lucien did most of the spending."

Lirien smiled faintly. "And I’m guessing you plan to return the gold I gave you."

"Of course," Rin said. "I didn’t even use it."

"Keep it," she said simply.

Rin arched a brow. "Really?"

She nodded. "You’ll need it someday."

Rin smirked. "Fine. I’ll keep it."

A calm and familiar voice came from the back hall. The voice came with a trace of exhaustion.

"I need more hands here!"

It was Elyria, her gloves stained with blood as she emerged from one of the treatment rooms. Her hair was tied messily, and there were dark smudges under her eyes.

Rin’s expression softened instantly. "You shouldn’t overwork yourself, mother,"

Elyria glanced at him and gave a small smile. "I’m fine. But we need help."

Rin sighed, took off his coat, and rolled up his sleeves. "Alright. What do you need me to do?"

She smiled faintly. "Follow me."

They walked into the main hall. The scene there was hard to watch... Omegas lying on the floor and on makeshift beds, some trembling, others crying, their bodies covered in bruises and bite marks. The heavy scent of pheromones filled the room.

Rin frowned deeply. "This is horrible."

"Theron’s treating the ones with open wounds," Elyria said, moving toward a small table where blades and towels were laid out. "We’re working on removing the marks."

Rin blinked. "Removing them? How?"

Elyria picked up a clean surgical blade, her eyes calm but distant. "When an Omega wants to break a bond, they must reject their Alpha. But if the Alpha refuses... we have to do it manually."

Rin stared at the blade. "You mean you... Cut it out?"

She nodded. "The mark, the bond... everything."

Rin’s chest tightened as he watched her disinfect the blade. "That’s cruel. Isn’t it connected to their heart or something?"

"It is. But, it’s freedom," Elyria said quietly. "Even if it hurts, they have to endure,"

He hesitated for a second, then reached for gloves. "Let me help."

She looked up, surprised. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I can heal them. I have healing powers."

Elyria frowned slightly. "You shouldn’t use your blood."

"It’s not blood," Rin said softly. "It’s just... mana."

She hesitated, studying him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Help me, then."

They worked side by side. Elyria would slice away the mark... just a small, precise cut... and Rin would place his hand gently over the wound, releasing a soft glow of golden light. The torn skin mended instantly, the mark fading away as if it had never existed.

The Omegas cried, screamed, then fell silent one by one as their expressions eased into peaceful sleep.

Elyria wiped her brow, her voice trembling slightly.

"You’re exhausting your mana."

Rin shook his head. "I can still go on."

She looked at him quietly, then smiled. "I’m proud of you, Rin."

He froze for a moment, staring at her. Then he looked away, pretending to focus on the next patient.

"You shouldn’t say that. I’m not a child."

She chuckled softly. "You’ll always be my child."

Rin didn’t reply. But something warm flickered behind his usual calm eyes.

By the time they were done, most of the Omegas had fallen asleep. The room was quieter now, the tension replaced by a strange, fragile peace. Theron was at the corner, washing his hands. His clothes were stained, his eyes tired.

Rin walked up to him.

"You’re not affected by their pheromones."

Theron shrugged. "I’m used to it."

Their eyes met for a second... then Rin looked away first.

"Thanks for helping."

Theron gave a short nod. "You’re welcome."

Rin turned back to his mother, who was cleaning up the tools. "That should be all of them."

"Yes," she said softly. "It’s done."

Rin glanced around the hall one more time, at the sleeping Omegas, the faint glow of lamplight over their faces. For the first time in a long while, he felt something close to peace.

But then a cold and unwelcome thought slipped through his mind.

He remembered what Elyria had said.

’When an Omega was marked, they could only have one bond.’

He touched his own neck unconsciously, his expression tightening.

’What if someone... tries to mark me forcefully?’

He forced a small laugh under his breath. "No. That’s impossible."

He glanced back at the resting Omegas one last time and whispered, "I won’t ever let that happen."