Dimitri takes it back when he said he found a well-behaved Maridawn Silverfang "off-putting".
Now after two weeks have passed, he kind of missed the time when she just obeyed whatever Madame Ping wanted her to.
So not surprising that after waiting expectantly on that single letter, Maridawn has gone completely nuts.
Every tiny mistake done by the maid, she starts her raging fits, like a tantrum child demanding to get what needs to be done. Her excessive demands, the long list of shopping for clothes, the furniture that needs to be here and there, and even just the mere glance from terrified maids could set her off.
Oh, the total expenses within two weeks?
Almost 20,000 USD.
If this goes on, the whole country will be in debt with her continuous spurge of expensive purchases.
The maids are literally kneeling on the floor, begging Dimitri to appease their mistress and if this goes on, there won't be any maids left to attend to her.
As for Madame Ping, Maridawn has become more hostile towards her. Refusing to continue the concubine training and argue with her more. And if she continues to refuse her, Madame Ping will be stuck here for a long time.
It will get complicated if there will be a new omega coming to the palace soon.
He sighs for the umpteenth time and Madame Ping only stares at him with calculating eyes. The topic of transfer hasn't been mentioned again since that night but Dimitri has this inkling feeling that has been in her mind the entire time.
Get that transfer. Have another alpha attendant take care of her instead and wait for a new one.
Honestly, it would be easier for him to transfer now. But what stopped him, really? It's something he hasn't found out till now.
But whenever they're alone, Maridawn is rather calm. They talk more in the evening as he gets to know more of Maridawn and occasionally he brings up the complaints of the maids.
However, it doesn't always end well whenever her attitude is brought up in the discussion.
"You have to understand, Dimitri," she says this more than once that Dimitri has lost count. "I'm getting anxious that it took too long for the doctor to actually send me the results! I keep sending him letters for a follow-up but he has completely ignored them! What kind of a doctor does that?!"
And he just nods, absent-mindedly as he continues to debate whether to tell her or not. But seeing her this agitated after the lack of response, what would really happen if she found out that she is truly an omega?
A recessive at that?
This is starting to become troublesome even for him. And he wonders if he could pay Frieda a visit and ask her for some tips.
But then again, from what he observed during his first encounter with Orga, Frieda is acting like a stool and allowed Orga to do as he pleased.
Nah.
But should he really transfer? His time with Maridawn wasn't unpleasant. In fact, he enjoys her company, really. But with the way things are going and the upcoming Red Moon, he starts to worry.
"Why can't I at least give a phone call, Dimitri?" His thoughts are interrupted by her question and he can see her beautiful eyes, obviously with desperation, yet beautiful, looking at him, pleading for him to find a solution to her anxiety.
He forces a smile. "My apologies, Miss Silverfang. Phone calls aren't allowed in the palace vicinity. As you know from your lessons—"
"—That it could lead to a potential danger leading to more enemies here, I know, I know." She sighs as she slumps down on her bed. "Is there another way? Can you at least visit Doctor Swan at the hospital? I know what I'm asking you is too much but I have no other choice, Dimitri."
"I'll try," he says.
Dimitri realizes that now is the time to bring it up.
"I know you're desperate." In fact, she is showing more of her weakness to him now more than ever before. "But it doesn't justify what you've done to those maids."
Once again, her weariness is replaced by her scorn. And he can tell, based on the dark circles under her eyes, that she hasn't been sleeping well these past few weeks.
"They do nothing but gossip! I could have sworn they laughed behind my back, thinking that I was a fool for waiting for nothing! I couldn't forgive them."
"Miss Silverfang…"
"I…I know," she says as she sighs in defeat as her palms placed on her face.
'Breathe in, breathe out,' she thinks this like some sort of a mantra.
After finally calming down, she lies on her bed, still in her floral dress, and hasn't changed into her sleeping garments.
In fact, she has been in a spiral of uncontrollable fear that takes her every fiber of being and all she ever wants is to leave the palace, back to her old life.
At least she is not in any danger to wait for a potential death in her house.
"We need more help if we want to be more prepared for The Red Moon."
Maridawn dawdles for a moment as she slowly lifts her head. "The Red Moon?" She has heard of it and has once witnessed it before. But she doesn't see any great importance in learning about it.
"The Red Moon only appears one evening every four years, Miss Silverfang," he starts explaining. "So I don't want to bore you with its history, so I'll make it short. Basically, when the moon goddess existed back in the day, she poured her own blood from her skin and poured it to the bright moon."
"A fairy tale, indeed." She rolls her eyes.
He nods in agreement. "Even if the existence of a moon goddess is hard to believe, we have to agree that a phenomenon of its powers still exists."
She raises her brow, confusion is visibly shown and as much as Dimitri enjoys teasing… he doesn't have the mood for it at all.
"The Red Moon is a manifestation that instigates omegas to their full potential," he says, calmly, without beating around the bush. "Thus, producing a hundred percent of their pheromones. Since all of the omegas in this country are now in this palace, the scent will be much stronger now."
"It will make even a dominant alpha go wild." Her eyes widened.
"Yes," he replies, quite wearily. "Omegas will suffer if they are not going to be mated. The king couldn't handle all of his concubines in one night." He frowns. "As for the minors, thanks to the medicine produced, it can give them more control of their pheromones. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for omegas older than sixteen."
"Before, you told me about the complications of an omega. Since the king only has two favorites…"
"And thus, on this special occasion, Miss Silverfang, the reason why omegas wouldn't die during the Red Moon," he continues. "Is because the alpha attendants are allowed to bed their assigned concubines."
'What?' Her eyes widened. She doesn't have time to think as Dimitri continues.
"That is why we have to get you prepared, Miss Silverfang. As a recessive omega—"
"What makes you think I am a recessive omega, Dimitri?" She snaps as she crosses her arms. His words stung her and snapped her out from her surprise.
"I thought you'd said that I was an alpha that night."
She shoots him a glare and Dimitri realizes that it was a slip of the tongue on his part.
Too late to take it back now.
He sighs again as he massages his temples. "Miss Silverfang, listen. With the Red Moon coming, we have no other choice but for you to listen this time. The Red Moon is going to affect your very being and you will lose your senses.
"That is if I am an Omega," she seethes, her eyes glimmering with fury.
A part of Dimitri wishes he should have been careful but the weariness has definitely taken a huge toll on him.
Her pride is testing his patience and even if he were an extremely patient man, even he has his own limits.
"Fine then. About that night, you must have misunderstood me. I only said that you have the qualities of an alpha, thus making you stronger and I admired you for that."
"But you are still an omega and as long as you're the King's Omega Concubine, you must abide by what you are tasked to do."
"Y-you—" she growls, silver brows furrow downwards to show her fury as she gritted her teeth. Silver hair raises up as she is about to be transformed. "I believed in you—Confided you, even! And you are telling me you are no different from everyone else?!"
"Then why won't we have a damn demonstration then?!" He bellows.
Dimitri has never shouted at her before. And Maridawn is frozen stiff when she catches sight of another side of Dimitri.
Anger.
Without warning, Dimitri tackles her to her bed. She gasps as soon as her head hits the pillow, and her long silvered hair sprawls on the mattress. She looks up, as Dimitri's figure is getting closer to her. His head leaning to her as his lips get closer to her ear to whisper.
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as he said those words.
"I'll prove it to you that you're an omega, Miss Silverfang. Right here, right now."