FMY 9

<No matter how much you wish for it, even if you are reborn two or three times, it’s not something you can have.>

Serge finished his reminiscence, recalling Prince Raphael from that time, who was being indiscriminately kissed on the cheek by brightly dressed young ladies and girls.

“…Thinking about it now, it was such a foolish conviction.”

Serge snorted, comparing his previous life—not the one right before this where he was successful in the modern era, but the one before that where he was miserably defeated by Gabriel—to the present.

So what if it was impossible even if he were reborn.

If you grit your teeth and live with enough effort to cough up blood, you can change things like this.

Of course, even if he had gained this new, confident life again, he had not the slightest intention of attracting followers or fangirls like Prince Raphael. He had enjoyed that kind of boisterous life to the fullest in the modern era. Here, an increase in the number of eyes on him would only be troublesome.

‘My life doesn’t have much time left anyway, so standing out in aristocratic society will only lead to more tiresome things…’

Serge, reflecting on his past foolishness, lifted his teacup.

A pleasant aroma of black tea wafted from the teacup that the attendant had placed while he was lost in thought. As he was savoring it, the door finally opened again.

Although not a single whiff of alpha pheromone could be felt, Serge knew clearly that the person he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Thump, thump, thump.

A huge person entered through the wide-open double doors, and even as the sound of his shoes walking to the center of the reception room where the tea table was located could be heard, Serge did not stand up to greet him, nor did he even lift his eyes from the teacup.

‘I need to gain the upper hand.’

This was a negotiation where the battle of wills was crucial.

The opponent already knew his true self. Since he was not someone he needed to put on a coy act for, gaining the upper hand first in this negotiation was more important than anything. If the opponent possessed a status and trait that made him naturally assume superiority over others, then he had no choice but to try his best not to be instantly overwhelmed.

Fortunately, thanks to his long years rolling around in the acting world, he was confident when it came to a battle of wills.

“The tea in my palace must be quite excellent.”

Raphael came right up to Serge’s face and deliberately extended a hand under his face, offering a handshake. It was a comment on his attitude of not showing proper respect even though a prince had entered.

Serge, still staring only at the teacup, haughtily lowered his eyes and said.

“Yes. Even though it has cooled down quite a bit, it is still drinkable.”

After finishing those words, Serge finally raised his head and click, slowly placed the teacup down on its saucer. Contrary to his rudeness in not even offering a greeting, his elegant posture did not deviate one bit from proper etiquette.

Hearing Serge’s response, Raphael withdrew his hand and chuckled.

When he pointed out the lack of respect from the position of a ‘prince,’ the other pointed out the rudeness of the ‘alpha’ who made an omega wait, despite it being an appointment made with a prior invitation. He thought that this was indeed not an easy opponent.

It felt as if electricity was sparking from the gazes of the alpha and omega looking at each other.

How much time had passed since they had exchanged glances like that, neither yielding an inch?

“I apologize for making you wait.”

Raphael, facing the unyielding Serge, put his left arm behind his back, clasped his hands, and bent at the waist, offering a playful apology.

“I will forgive you, as befits a generous person.”

Although the one who had actually apologized first like a generous person was the prince himself, Serge praised his own generous heart instead of the prince’s. This too was a battle-of-wills technique he had honed among formidable senior actors.

However, even at Serge’s attitude, Raphael simply raised the corners of his mouth again as if it were nothing and sat down opposite him on the couch.

“My, my… it seems you’ve decided to use polite speech again?”

At those words, Serge glanced at the attendant who had entered with Raphael and was now pouring freshly brewed tea into the prince’s teacup. Raphael’s gaze naturally shifted in that direction as well.

“Ah.”

As if he had finally realized why Serge had not yet shown his true, undisguised self. He nodded his head and opened his mouth.

“Nicolas, you may leave now. And it would be good if you cleared the area around the reception room of people.”

At those words, the loyal, curly-haired attendant simply placed the dessert plate and fork, which he had not yet properly set before the prince, down right where they were. Then, without a single word of protest to his master’s command, he draped the large napkin that had been covering the teapot over his arm and bowed.

“I understand, Your Highness. Then please, you two, have your conversation.”

Watching the man’s retreating back, Serge thought to himself.

‘He’s quite the loyal servant.’

He had felt it since he was guided to this reception room earlier, but this was a man who took great pride in being the prince’s attendant. He also obeyed the prince’s words unconditionally.

Having such a loyal person under him had significant implications. That he was a truly good master and superior, and at the same time, a trustworthy human being…

‘Unlike his arrogant appearance, he seems to treat his subordinates well… how unexpected.’

Serge observed the attendant quietly closing the door and disappearing, storing all the information in his head. The information he knew about him from the memories of his past life was all too subjective, felt by the loser Serge of that time. He needed new, objective information acquired with a mind that had shed its timidity and wretchedness.

A humble prince’s palace located in a remote area, as if to prove that the rumors of him being an ill-fated prince alienated by the royal family were not just mere rumors, yet the attendants of the Second Prince’s palace were tight-lipped and looked loyal, as if carrying out a secret operation. All this information would surely be helpful for Serge in gaining the upper hand between the two of them.

Once it was certain they were alone, Serge leaned back comfortably against the couch and crossed one leg. His posture was even more arrogant than before. In addition to that, Serge put on a very bright smile on his face. It was a captivating smile that shone even more seductively when he crinkled the corners of his eyes as he smiled. A sense of leisure could even be felt from the ends of his slightly raised lips.

“His noble Highness seems to have played a rather cheap trick.”

The raw words that Serge spat out cut across the reception room.

“Haha.”

At Serge’s words, Prince Raphael leaned back even more arrogantly, as if not to be outdone, lifted his chin, and laughed.

Look at that bastard’s arrogant mug…? Serge inwardly ground his teeth, watching Raphael, who seemed completely unaffected no matter what he did. Could it be that this was his original nature?

It was probably because of the confident expression unique to royalty, but Raphael had not shown any sign of hostility toward Serge before. No, both last time and now, wasn’t he approaching him with an oddly active enthusiasm? He seemed like someone desperate to hold on to him.

“Call me Raphael, Raphael.”

Just like right now.

He wants me to call him by his name. To become that close? For whose benefit?

Serge simply wanted to properly reject the ridiculous ‘engagement’ he had proposed before, negotiate an agreement not to interfere in each other’s paths, and grow distant from him again, like in their boyhood days when they treated each other like strangers. Only then could he lay the foundation for peace and well-being in this life. We live in different worlds to begin with, so why is this guy suddenly acting like this?

“How could I dare utter Your Highness’s noble name.”

Serge played dumb, using extremely honorific language again. Though the words were extremely polite, his expression was one of pure disgust, as if he found it so revolting and filthy that he did not even want to say the name.

“You must have called it quite a bit during our school days. At a fencing match, for instance. Surely you didn’t not watch a single one of my matches?”

That, that wretched confidence…! But his words were so self-evident that he could not refute them. Had he not just been recalling memories that made him keenly aware of his popularity at the time? Besides, Raphael was perfectly equipped with the trifecta of looks, wealth, and status, allowing him to toss out such words with ease.

Serge barely suppressed the urge of rebelliousness against the perfect dominant alpha from welling up and acted out an even more obnoxious expression. For some reason, he wanted to gently press down on that confidence… perhaps it was the rebellious spirit of a king of effort, who finds those born with everything obnoxious and feels the urge to stomp on them.

“Well now. It might be quite a novel story for Your Highness, but.”

“I’m curious to know what is so novel.”

“My, you’re so full of curiosity.”

“It’s one of my many strengths. Doesn’t curiosity lead to a passion for learning?”

The nuance was as if to say, you, who competed for the top grades with a similar passion for learning, should know this well. Serge gave Raphael the finger, who was trying to form a common ground with him. This is revenge for backstabbing me using Gabriel, you punk.

“Then and now, I’ve never been interested enough in you to call you by your name.”

It’s such a shame I have no experience calling your name. Serge added in a small voice, a fresh smile on his face. As if to contradict the verbal finger he had just given. Annoying, isn’t it? Even more irritating, right? I don’t even want to say your damn name, that’s what. And then, as soon as Raphael graciously permitted him to call his name, Serge remembered.

Why he had been wary of him from the very beginning.

Why he found this prince fellow so detestable.

That ‘beginning’ referred to his boyhood in the life before the last. In fact, Serge had not trusted Raphael since back then. It was not just because he was a shining person on the complete opposite side from himself, or because of petty jealousy, or the sense of distance that made it seem like they could never exist in the same space.

His name.

It was because of his name, taken from the sacred name of the archangel, ‘Raphael’.

To Serge, his name reminded him of Gabriel, who likewise had the name of an archangel.

To be precise, it was the image of Gabriel standing on the opposite side, receiving everyone’s love, praise, and light, while tormenting and looking down on him…. This was true even though Prince Raphael had never directly tormented Serge like Gabriel had.

Strangely, Gabriel and Raphael had many similarities.

Putting aside their physical resemblance, like having blond hair and blue eyes, the part where they overcame their unstable backgrounds to stand in a shining place was particularly similar. Of course, Gabriel’s side was far more wicked and dirty.

Before, befitting a noble prince, he had not looked down on anyone without reason. He was simply indifferent to Serge and came close to not even being conscious of him, like a rock rolling on the side of the road. But unlike him, the prince’s circle, in other words, those high-nosed dominant alpha sons of high nobles who flaunted their traits as if they were a prize, did not hide their looks of contempt and disdain when they saw the loser Serge passing by.

So, even if the prince himself did not openly ignore him, the atmosphere that emanated from their group… the pheromones that carried the undisguised emotion of contempt and the scornful glances he saw when they brushed past each other told him precisely.

‘Lord Serge d’Arthur is truly pathetic and insignificant, it’s a disgrace that he’s a high noble like us,’ they seemed to say.

Having been scorned by the prince’s circle like that, it was no wonder that Serge thought of Gabriel when he saw Raphael. For Serge, the only difference between the two was whether they were an alpha or an omega. When he was near either Raphael or Gabriel, he felt intimidated, humiliated, and uncomfortable all the same.

So, just because he had regained his confidence and was living proudly in this life, there was no way Raphael would look lovely or feel comfortable.

Of course, it was he who had gotten his act caught by carelessly talking to himself, but instead of covering for another’s weakness or pretending not to know, from digging into the cracks of that weakness to backstabbing him by saying he would make him move. Everything about him was utterly detestable. Just like that fellow Gabriel.

I can’t lose, I won’t lose. Do you, who have been great since birth, know the power of blood-sweat-and-tears effort? For some reason, whenever Serge faced Raphael, he found himself unconsciously burning with hostility, like a self-made, dirt-spoon icon who envies the chaebol.

Once again, invisible sparks flew from Serge’s eyes.

With a dumbfounded expression, Raphael continued the conversation.

“For someone who has never once called my name, you seem to be treating me excessively casually.”

“It’s not in my nature to grovel just because the other person is uncomfortable.”

“Well, that’s… where on earth has the Lord Arthur I used to know gone?”

“Yup. That person went far away and isn’t coming back.”

Nope, not happening, won’t change for you. He’s not here, so go back.

Along with his relaxed posture, he was now speaking in completely casual language, and even making absurdly shameless jokes. Raphael stared at Serge with wide eyes at this display, then burst into laughter.

“Good. I actually like this side of you better.”

Damn it…. Did I take the wrong approach? Just as Serge was about to regret not acting like the loser he was before, Raphael put on a serious face and got to the main point.

“I apologize for using such a method.”

Raphael suddenly stood up from his seat and bowed deeply toward the person sitting opposite him.

Serge was utterly startled. For him, one of the five most noble individuals in this country, to bow his proud neck, which had likely never bowed to anyone in his entire life except for the king or queen, before him?

“I am truly sorry. But I thought it was the only way to make you come find me as soon as possible.”

For a moment, he was so shocked and flustered that in this society with a strict class system, Serge almost felt apologetic at the sight of a prince bowing to the son of a noble family, but he barely managed to endure it. He frowned as if not surprised at all and nonchalantly threw out a remark. He could not get caught up in this.

“That’s not very gentlemanly.”

“I didn’t know you expected gentlemanliness from me. For that, didn’t we both agree to face each other with our true selves laid bare?”

“That true self has to be within reason…!”

You’ve laid way too much bare…! How can he be such a bulldozer of a thug! Serge ground his teeth as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

“I was born a bit free-spirited.”

Was I born the son of oppression and restraint?

“You delinquent…”

“If you’re going to call me that, then I suppose I must strive to meet those expectations even more in the future.”

Looking at the aspiring delinquent, Serge shuddered with rage and continued with his business. It felt like if any more wordplay continued, his blood pressure would rise and he would collapse.

“Did you not think that if you used such a hostile move against me, I would be even less likely to cooperate with that plan? Did you not think of that?”

Who attacks someone after proposing a negotiation?

“Oh dear…. Did you not realize it even after seeing that I brought the card of Her Majesty the Queen’s forgiveness for Lord Gabriel Loutel and the position of the Crown Prince’s partner?”

Raphael shook his head with a pitiful expression. This bastard? Watching that teasing gesture, Serge clenched his jaw muscles so hard they felt like stone. Unlike his plan to come back with the memories of his past life as a great actor and conquer this life, he felt like everything went haywire whenever he met Raphael.