Emelia had one objective when she got out of the mansion—to see the doctor and find out what was wrong with her body. But once she finally got out, she remembered a thousand things she had to do.
Thankfully, none of the stuff she had to do took too long.
Emelia postponed shopping for after her visit to the doctor, and she scheduled an appointment with the doctor.
The appointment was scheduled under another name since Emelia did not want to put her identity as a Heinsberg. Not that she personally minded, but she did not want any rumor to break out.
She had already played the role of villainess for the family before, willingly, but that did not mean she wanted to tarnish its reputation at every turn she got.
"Welcome. May I see your appointment letter?"
The receptionist asked with a smile on her face. That smile made her look like the happiest person alive at the moment, but Emelia had a feeling that the receptionist hated every second she had to sit there and talk to the customers.
Still, money was money, and thus, the receptionist prevailed and did her job.
"My appointment should be under the name Emelia. No last name. I made it this morning about an hour ago."
Emelia did not go too far with her disguise.
Since she was a branch member of the Heinsberg family, most people knew her name. But she had almost no media coverage (due to her aunt). This was made possible only because her aunt had people who helped Emelia keep things that way.
Anyone else could have a problem with using others by having them take her credit, but Emelia had been taught since her young days that too much attention was not good for her.
The receptionist gave Emelia a look filled with joy, but behind her smile was her annoyance, barely concealed.
"Let me see… hmm, ah, I do see your appointment, miss… please sit down. What would you like to have? Tea? Coffee? Maybe juice?"
The receptionist, who looked bored seconds ago, now looked truly locked-in. She had likely seen the amount of money Emelia spent to get this spot.
Usually, Emelia was not a big spender, but she did have a lot of money saved up. Her parents' inheritance, plus her money that she earned working for Heinsberg, was more than enough to make her live off the interest alone.
And then there was the warden salary. It was much higher than anything Emelia expected to get.
'Well, I have money but not a place to spend it on. I might as well use it here.'
Emelia did not have 'friends' she could hang out with, and she no longer had important people to meet. Half of her annual expense had disappeared because of this… not that she had much to begin with.
"Miss, what would you like to have?"
The receptionist asked again, wanting to get into Emelia's good graces.
"Huh? No, I don't want anything. Thank you for asking though."
The receptionist did not say much after that, but she did pay special attention to Emelia until she was called for by the doctor.
And even then, the receptionist kept looking at her.
The receptionist was likely a beta because she had no pheromones, and the doctor was a beta as well. That was why Emelia had chosen her.
There were things and experiences that alphas and omegas regarded as normal that betas did not have.
'Well, knowing my sensitivity, I might as well not be a beta. But it is still safer to go to a beta than another dynamic.'
Emelia entered the doctor's room, and the doctor immediately rushed her in.
The amount Emelia had paid likely played a big role in that, but she had a feeling that a lot of it had to do with the doctor's nature.
"Please sit down. Now, please tell me what seems to be the problem with you?"
The doctor asked in a kind voice. Emelia could sense the trust when she looked at the doctor, and she decided to speak up.
"Something is wrong with me. I can feel my body heating up around alpha pheromones, and I also feel odd at times. Do you think it is because of some disease?"
Emelia asked the question, and the doctor looked a little taken aback by it.
The doctor quickly took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead before she jotted notes. Once she was done, she decided to ask her question once more.
"Let me recap. You are saying that you feel like you are in heat around alpha pheromones, but since you're a beta, you can't go into actual heat, right? In that case, I need you to be truthful with me. Is this your 'time of the month'?"
The doctor asked in a straight voice.
Emelia felt a little embarrassed to answer this question, but if she was not truthful to her doctor, whom would she be truthful to?
"Yes. I am bleeding, and it started around the same time I started feeling odd. Do you think it's related?"
Emelia asked in a hesitant voice, and the doctor let out a relieved sigh hearing this. It seemed as if she had finally found the root of the problem.
"Yes! Of course. That's the problem. This is the time when your body goes through hormonal changes, and I am sure what you are feeling is a by-product of that. You should not worry too much."
The doctor reassured Emelia, and she knew she should be feeling better.
But somehow, she did not feel reassured. If anything, she felt even more worried.
"What about my instincts? Will they go away as well? I need to co-inhabit with three alphas, and my body's reaction is not working."
Emelia spoke truthfully, and the doctor looked to be in an awkward position. At first, it looked as if she would suggest something, but then she stopped herself.
Ultimately, when the doctor did speak, she did not sound as confident as she should have.
"I will prescribe you pills to take in case your condition gets truly dire. However, that should be your last course of action since these pills can make you dizzy, among other things. Make sure to only take them if it's an emergency."
The instructions couldn't be clearer, and Emelia quickly jotted them down. But as she heard them, she couldn't help but read between the lines as well.
Especially about what the doctor was not warning her against.
The doctor likely noticed the expression on Emelia's face and decided to be clear with her.
"Usually, I advise people to stay away from sexual solutions, but in your case, it might just be better to get the itch out if you have it."
The doctor was not subtle about it, and Emelia almost choked on her saliva.
Out of everyone, the doctor was the last one she expected to hear those words from.
But the doctor looked unapologetic and refused to look away. She gave Emelia a calm look that told her the doctor had not said what she did out of ignorance.
She knew what she said, and she still said it with pride and confidence.
"I… I see. I will surely take your advice, doctor."
Emelia felt speechless and embarrassed at the same time. Thankfully, nothing else happened after that to make her experience worse.
She got out of the doctor's appointment with a flushed face and an awkward expression.
'Well, so much for peace and quiet. I guess this is the best I can expect at the moment. Let's hope it doesn't come to bite me in the ass.'
Emelia had no intention of fanning the flames any hotter than they already were. She believed that as long as she avoided the source of her problems—those three alphas and their pheromones—she would be just fine.
She did not run her thoughts by the doctor, and after a few more questions, her time ended.
Just as she was about to leave, the doctor stood up, and her eyes looked at Emelia with a heavy look.
"Miss, if anything happens, do seek out a doctor. Preferably, an omega this time. I am not an expert, and based on what you said, I ruled some things out. But you better get them checked out just in case."
That sounded like a warning, but Emelia had a feeling that it would be better for her not to delve too much into it.
Maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe this really was just hormones messing with her.
But a part of her—a quiet, uneasy voice in the back of her mind—kept whi
spering that this was only the beginning.
Something deeper was happening inside her, and ignoring it wouldn't make it go away.
She took a deep breath and walked down the busy street, her footsteps steady but her mind restless.
Emelia tried to shake off the lingering discomfort. The idea of returning to the mansion, back to the presence of those three alphas, felt heavier than before.
She didn't know if it was fear, hesitation, or something else entirely, but the thought made her stomach twist.
She could still feel the doctor's eyes on her, that last look of concern that lingered in her mind like a shadow.
It wasn't just medical advice—it had felt like a quiet plea. As if even the doctor sensed that Emelia might be stepping into something dangerous without realizing it.
'Am I really safe in that house?'
The question came uninvited, and she didn't like how it made her feel. She had always known she wasn't like the others.
But maybe, just maybe, she was something else entirely—and soon, she would have to face what that meant.