Way too abstract

[A proper Alpha should release pheromones politely and with restraint when faced with an Omega who needs soothing.]

[How do you control pheromone release?]

[Step one: close your eyes and feel.]

[Step two: slowly release your pheromones.]

[Step three: adjust the concentration.]

"This is way too abstract!" Pei Ji wailed.

It was a preschool book, after all. Expecting it to read like an Academy of Sciences laboratory manual was unrealistic.

But wasn't this a little too dumbed down?

Pei Ji pressed his temples, trying to remember whether he had learned anything similar in basic physiology class.

Absolutely not.

As an outstanding soldier, he had been taught that powerful Alpha pheromones were a weapon, a deterrent, and the key to achieving mental resonance with S-class mechs.

Not some sissy trick for making little Omegas happy.

He was supposed to unleash them with abandon, making his enemies' knees buckle the instant they faced him.

The person beside him let out a faint murmur.

Pei Ji paused in the middle of turning a page, unconsciously gentling his movements.

Fine. Let's give it a try.

He closed his eyes and followed the steps in the book.

Step one: sense the pheromones.

The floral fragrance in the air flooded his nostrils.

Pei Ji still couldn't tell what kind of flower it was. He hadn't seen many flowers to begin with; seventy percent of White Sand Star's land was desert.

Cacti were what bloomed most often here.

But the commander's pheromones smelled like delicate flowers growing somewhere lush and rainy.

Even their fragrance carried a hint of water.

Just how concentrated were they in the air right now?

Thirty percent or forty percent?

Help. He wasn't a measuring instrument. How was he supposed to tell?

He blundered into step two.

The scent of sand and dust spread, scorching grains falling onto plump petals.

Sensing compatible Alpha pheromones, the Omega's pheromones naturally twined around them, leaving Pei Ji burning all over, too.

"Mm..."

Shen Que shifted toward Pei Ji.

He sniffed first, then unconsciously clutched the hem of the Alpha's clothes.

Something in Pei Ji's mind snapped.

A sandstorm swept in, blotting out everything.

He rolled over, caught Shen Que's wrists, and pressed him back into the pillow.

Shen Que choked out a cough and, eyes closed, released a trembling, ragged breath.

An unhealthy flush rose on his pale face.

Pei Ji took a deep breath, abruptly sat bolt upright, and frantically recited-

"I swear from this day forth to fulfill my pledge to Her Majesty the Empress to remain loyal to the Empire loyal to Messiah like the eternally shining stars to offer up my glory along with my heart..."

Ten minutes later, Pei Ji had calmed down.

Fuck (a type of plant).

This was so hard.

The Alpha's pheromones had been completely withdrawn.

Like a downpour that began without warning and ended just as suddenly.

Pei Ji was drenched in cold sweat.

If he kept stopping so abruptly like this...

Wouldn't something go wrong with him?

He glanced at the commander, who had slipped back into a semiconscious state.

Impossible!

He was exceptionally gifted!

How could anything go wrong?

Picking up the preschool book again, Pei Ji brimmed with confidence.

"I refuse to believe I can't do this... again!"

In the early hours of the next morning.

Pei Ji opened the door and emerged with dark circles under his eyes.

Anya, who had been waiting outside for some time, immediately hurried over.

"General! Your husband... is he all right?"

Pei Ji raised his head listlessly. "Why aren't you asking if I'm all right?"

Anya stammered, "Uh, uh, uh... well... looking after you is Demi's job. My job is to attend to your husband..."

"I'm only getting one salary..."

"And aren't you... up and about? You look... apart from being a little short on sleep, you should be... fine?"

"All right, all right."

Pei Ji stopped the little maid before she could dig herself any deeper.

"My husband, my husband... every word out of your mouth is about that troublesome guy. Take a good look-is Fallen Star Palace's family name Pei or Shen? Who's the one signing your paychecks, anyway..."

"The lord's wife..." Anya said quietly.

"Mom?" Pei Ji blinked.

His sharp gaze swept around before returning to take a fresh look at the slightly unfamiliar little maid in front of him.

"Your name's Anya? When did you get here?"

"Last week."

Under Pei Ji's beastlike, piercing gaze, the shy little maid lowered her head and twisted her apron anxiously.

"New hire?"

"I applied a while ago."

She explained in a tiny voice.

"To choose a personal maid for your husband, the lord's wife selected a hundred people from the First Oasis a month ago."

"We trained for a month, studying etiquette and various subjects, then took an assessment at the end."

"So... you were the one who won the final assessment?" Pei Ji asked.

Anya nodded repeatedly.

"It's a great honor to have gotten this job!"

"...You didn't cheat, did you?" Pei Ji said flatly.

"Of course I won because I'm capable!" Anya defended herself. "The cookies I bake are delicious!"

"Really, really," Pei Ji said perfunctorily. "Then remember to bake a batch for your precious charge."

Anya stole a cautious glance at Pei Ji. "Then your husband is now..."

"Don't worry. He's perfectly fine."

Pei Ji opened the door a little wider.

Warm morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, filling the room.

Dry grains of sand and a fresh floral fragrance gently intertwined.

Like two currents of wind blending together.

But as a Beta, Anya couldn't smell any of it.

All she could see was Shen Que lying in bed, his head making a shallow hollow in the pillow, his brow relaxed as he slept peacefully.

"Satisfied?" Pei Ji's lips curved.

After an entire night of research and experimentation, he had finally stabilized the pheromones in the room at some numerical value he couldn't even identify.

Now he was a fully developed, walking, talking soothing agent.

The commander was sleeping comfortably now, while Pei Ji was sticky all over, having sweated through countless rounds of hot and cold perspiration.

It was more exhausting than killing bugs all night.

"Keep an eye on him."

Pei Ji gave his handiwork a satisfied glance and loosened his collar.

"I'm going to take a shower. Oh, and tell Demi to open the simulation room at the training grounds."

"Huh? Huh? Huh?"

Anya stared after Pei Ji.

"General! What are you going to the training grounds for? Didn't you just kill a whole bunch of bugs yesterday? Aren't you waiting to have breakfast with your husband?"

Pei Ji waved a hand.

"To blow off steam."