FMY 23

At Duke Arthur’s permission, a chamberlain dressed in a dazzling royal uniform walked in with elegant steps.

‘Sir Guinet…’

It really was him. Raphael’s most loyal servant. The one who could not hide his pride in his master in front of Serge. Seeing him here, it was clear that Raphael had deliberately and properly sent a person to the Arthur ducal estate. But for what reason?

‘Could it be…?’

“Nicola de Guinet, chamberlain to His Highness Raphael Duke de Bernadotte, greets Duke Arthur. I have come to deliver a gift by order of His Highness the 2nd Prince.”

After Nicola formally finished his greeting with a hand on his waist and clapped his hands, other chamberlains walked in with disciplined movements, carrying a box and flowers placed on velvet cushions.

It was that box. The jewelry box he mentioned when they were getting the rings fitted. If it was not that one, there could not be another dazzling box studded with jewels in every direction.

And the person who came in last, behind the line of chamberlains, was…

‘Raphael…?’

Dressed more simply than usual, yet in a distinguished attire whose high quality was unmistakable upon closer inspection, Raphael entered.

“And, His Highness the 2nd Prince.”

Chamberlain Nicola’s declaration rang out clearly in the Duke’s office.

For a moment, Duke Arthur shot a glare. Hey, you said a chamberlain came, didn’t you?

Serge, too, with his eyes wide, turned his head like lightning toward the old head butler, Martin. The seasoned face, which was not easily surprised by most things, was visibly flustered by the unexpected situation. Not this one. Having found him innocent, Serge whipped his head toward Chamberlain Nicola. And Serge realized it upon seeing the shameless expression on Nicola’s face.

‘It was your doing…’

He had conspired with Raphael to make it seem as if only the chamberlains had come. Whether it was to make a surprise visit, or to enter easily without going through formalities and difficult procedures, whatever the reason.

“…I greet Your Highness the Prince.”

Duke Arthur, who had been looking flustered along with his son, quickly composed himself and paid his respects. Serge, caught off guard, also stood up and bowed.

Raphael strode forward confidently and exchanged courtesies with Duke Arthur. As a more noble member of the royal family, he did not need to, but he was showing his respects as a subject of Blanche who also held a ducal title, and to his lover’s father. However, Serge watched that ridiculous sight with a dumbfounded expression.

‘That swindling apple seller, again without a word…!’

As if he knew exactly what Serge was thinking, Raphael, after finishing his greetings, quickly approached him. Then, in front of Duke Arthur, he smiled like sunshine and closed the distance with Serge. The Alpha’s hand and face, intending to greet him intimately with a cheek kiss, came close to the Omega.

“Ugh…!”

“Shh. Don’t avoid it. I came in a hurry due to circumstances, so I hope you’ll play along. I’ll be sure to compensate you later.”

As Serge instinctively shuddered and tried to pull away, Raphael held his face and whispered quickly in his ear, pretending to give him a ‘bisou’.

“What on earth is it that…?!”

“The King is trying to summon you and the Crown Prince together. He’s starting to listen to mother’s words and intends to gather the Crown Princess candidates.”

“……?!”

Startled by those words, Serge’s mind raced.

‘This is moving faster than I expected…’

Come to think of it, it was probably around this time in his past life. When the short list of the final Crown Princess candidates was released.

It seemed that Serge had made an excessively good impression at the Queen’s salon. This time, it looked like his name would be on the list of Crown Princess candidates without any trouble… In his previous life, his name had not been on that annoying piece of paper this early on. He had completely forgotten about the existence of the list because his name had only been added later, and with great difficulty, at Duke Arthur’s request.

Raphael was clearly trying to make their relationship public before Serge’s name was written on that terrifying list.

‘He had a good reason to come in a hurry.’

If the order of events was messed up, he could be portrayed to others as having snatched his hyung-nim’s marriage candidate with sinister intentions. If that happened, their relationship would always be followed by suspicion and unpleasant rumors.

Serge secretly scrunched up his face and sighed. Thinking about it again, this sudden action was indeed the best choice.

I’ll get you later… The Omega, who had finally made up his mind as Raphael wanted, shut his eyes tightly.

Serge pressed the button in his mind that signaled the start of the lover act.

And when he blinked his eyelids open and lifted his head, Serge’s mind was filled with this sentence.

‘I am an Omega who has just suddenly met my beloved fiancé.’

In an instant, his expression turned as bright as the face of the Alpha he was facing. It was a moved expression, welcoming the unexpected visitor, as if he had never been so surprised his eyes were about to pop out.

“Your Highness…!”

Serge clasped Raphael’s hands. Raphael, too, began to actively respond to his newly started performance.

“My chouchou. I told you to call me Raphael.”

“…But.”

“You are being shy in front of your father.”

Twinkling stars poured out from the eyes of the two people as they looked at each other. A fluttering and tender affection for each other, which they could not hide, was evident. In particular, the natural way they lightly touched each other’s elbows or hands during their conversation was the very picture of lovers whose relationship had just begun to ripen.

Now, the only person left with his mouth agape in surprise, to the point where a passing fly might mistake it for a cave and enter, was Duke Arthur alone.

“This is the first time we’ve met privately and informally, Duke Arthur.”

“…Yes……. To grace us with your presence like this without any notice of your visit. What on earth is this matter about……”

His meaningful expression seemed to say, “Just looking at this… seeing the strange way you two are acting, I can sort of guess what’s going on, but as an intelligent being who communicates with words, I’ll hear your explanation in human language first.”

“It seems my lover was too intimidated by his father to speak about our relationship. So, as a mature Alpha protecting my Omega, I have stepped forward to explain it myself.”

Raphael, with his arm around Serge’s shoulder, declared confidently to Duke Arthur.

That they were desperately in love.

Duke Arthur’s eyes popped out as if they would explode.