TPWTM 1

“Yuri! Yuri!”

The sound of striding footsteps echoed through the quietly submerged mansion. Sehil Windsor, the second son of the Windsor family, frantically searched for one person, his face fraught with urgency as he roamed the mansion.

“Young Master Sehil……!”

He threw open the drawing-room door, but only a maid and a servant were there; the person he sought was nowhere to be seen. In the end, Sehil climbed the second-floor staircase, arrived in front of a certain room, and knocked violently on the door.

“Yuri!”

There was no answer from within. The impatient Sehil did not wait any longer and flung the door open.

Due to the wind blowing in from the open window, the pages of a book on the desk were flipping wildly. Sehil stormed into the room with stomping feet.

“Yuri!”

Yurik, who had just woken up, shielded his dazzled eyes with his hand, then irritably sat up at the sound of Sehil’s voice calling him.

His one and only younger brother, after a series of rude acts, pushed aside the curtain next to the bed without a hint of remorse and thrust his face forward.

“Yuri! Is what Gorgen said true? That Father racked up a huge debt with the Ryuzha Company and ran away!”

Gorgen? Yurik frowned at the name and then grabbed his forehead. Just as he was thinking the name sounded familiar, he belatedly realized. The second son of Viscount Ryuzha, who runs the Ryuzha Company.

That bastard was an Alpha, and he was the one who started hitting on Sehil after seeing him at a party that the party-loving Sehil had attended a few months ago. How did he know this story?

Because Sehil had boasted about it very proudly every time they had a meal.

Yurik pushed away Sehil, who was blocking his path, and gestured to the servant who had come in and was standing there unsure of what to do.

The servant naturally brought a bowl of water for washing his face and a toothbrush for cleaning his mouth. As he was washing up with a scrub-scrub sound, receiving the prepared items, Sehil stomped his foot beside him and roughly pulled out a table chair to sit down.

“What in the world is going on, and why did Mother follow Father! Yuri! Say something! I heard they took every single thing in the house!”

Yurik, patting his face dry with a towel the servant handed him, glared at Sehil.

“Shut your mouth, Sehil.”

No matter how long the servants had worked in the house, there were many listening ears. Sehil pounded his chest as if frustrated.

“How can I be calm when the great House of Windsor is on the verge of ruin? What in the world is going on! Mother even took my jewelry!”

“Did you come here to complain about some trinkets you wear to parties?”

“That’s not what I mean, Yuri!”

“Maintain your dignity. Sehil Windsor. The House of Windsor will not fall.”

Sehil’s expression changed in an instant as if blooming. Sehil rushed to Yurik and grabbed his clothes.

“As expected of Yuri, you’ve prepared something, right? Right? Our family has such a long history, there’s no way it would fall so easily. Right?”

“……Stop talking nonsense and shut your mouth.”

He wanted to say, can’t you see the servants whispering outside, but Yurik held it in.

The insolent Sehil, for whom everything revolved around himself, was not one to care about the servants’ gossip.

Sehil let out a deep sigh, gracefully placing a hand on his forehead. Slumping back into the chair and crossing his legs, Sehil finally spoke with a slightly relieved face.

“I really thought we were in big trouble. You should have seen the lecherous way Gorgen was smiling at me. Do you know what he said when he spoke to me? He wants me instead of money! Me! That crazy bastard, he’s ugly too, and he grabbed my hand while lusting after an Omega!”

Yurik stared at Sehil with cold eyes, then handed the towel to the servant and unbuttoned his pajamas.

Gorgen Ryuzha was a bourgeois whose scandals from his disgustingly vulgar private life in the capital were piled up like a mountain.

He was the son of a man who had become a noble by buying his title with money made from rolling capital, and he was stupid.

How dare a bastard like that make a move on the second son of the Windsor family? And an Omega at that?

“Ignore the ramblings of a madman, and you, for the time being, do not go out, whether it’s to a party or anything else.”

On the continent, considering the traits, there was an absolute shortage of Omegas. Alphas, on the other hand, were overflowing.

Therefore, a noble family with a born Omega not only became famous within the empire but was also given a high rank in the marriage market.

Prominent noble families were desperate to form ties with a family that had an Omega. The Windsor family, where Omegas had been born for generations, had occupied the top position in the marriage market and leisurely observed the scene. The House of Windsor had a good family background, money, a territory, and an Omega, making them an excellent marriage partner.

……Of course, that was before they went bankrupt. Yurik frowned and gestured for Sehil to leave. However, Sehil did not budge.

“Yuri, tell me exactly. Our family, we’re okay, right? Really?”

“Are you still believing that Gorgen bastard’s nonsense? Straighten up your conduct and stop spouting strange things because you’re distracted by useless talk. For an Omega to be so unchaste…….”

Sehil looked at Yurik with a fed-up expression.

“Chaste? You must be the only one who says such outdated things in this day and age, Yuri! Anyway, you’re saying we’re okay, right? I’m really trusting you, okay?”

“……Don’t worry. The family will not fall.”

Only then did Sehil let out a sigh of relief and jump to his feet.

“What a relief. For a moment, I imagined that a prestigious family with a long history like ours would go completely broke in my generation, and that I, an Omega, would be sold off like an object. To someone like Gorgen who only has a lot of money. I know that in popular novels, there are plenty of romances about finding true love that way, but reality is different, isn’t it? I’m very wise and smart, and I distinguish between ideals and reality. I was just worrying too much.”

What kind of nonsense is he spouting so grandly. Yurik looked at Sehil with a weary face. As if he finally understood the “please shut up and get out” look in his eyes, Sehil’s face brightened and he flung himself into Yurik’s arms.

“It really was a useless worry. There were some strange rumors circulating in high society, but I’ll only believe your words, Yuri. Yuri’s small and beautiful younger brother will trust Yuri and rest assured.”

Sehil smiled gently at Yurik with a shameless face. Ignoring Yurik’s crumpled expression, Sehil hummed a tune and left the room.

From a distance, the sound of ‘Sarah, get me ready to go out!’ could be heard. That punk, I told him to straighten up his conduct, and he’s going out again?

Yurik was about to go out and say something, but he gave up and sat in the chair Sehil had been sitting in. The butler, who had been listening quietly outside the room, approached Yurik.

“Young Master, will you be alright?”

It was a question asking if it was okay for Sehil not to know. Yurik quietly nodded his head.

“What would he do if he knew. It’s better to keep Sehil’s mouth shut.”

The butler remained silent at Yurik’s answer.

The County of Windsor was a family that had been recognized as a meritorious subject since the Britas dynasty established the kingdom and the country’s name changed to the Halcon Empire.

It is a noble family for generations, with a deep history and high honor. For a family that had been passed down for several generations to be in a situation where they had to sell their territory and house after overextending themselves trying to imitate the bourgeoisie during this most prosperous period of the Halcon Empire. Yurik felt a sensation beyond bewilderment, as if he was being slapped in the face.

Does this make any sense? No matter how much he tried to avoid it, the parchment on the desk filled with debts was exactly as the butler had delivered it the day before yesterday.

How on earth should I resolve this situation? Should I ask relatives or connections for help? He had often heard gossip in high society about nobles who went bankrupt after recklessly starting businesses, but Yurik never dreamed that he himself would become one of them.

“Butler, prepare for me to go to the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Since no conclusion came to mind, he planned to carry on with his daily life for now. His parents must have some plan. Surely, they wouldn’t just leave everything to Yurik like this and not return. It’s not like they had no emergency funds at all.

……Yes. That’s what Yurik thought, until that morning.

If his younger brother, Sehil Windsor, had not taken all of Yurik’s assets deposited in the Imperial Bank and run away in a lovers’ flight with a man of unknown name.

• ~ *

Life plays tricks on a person in an instant.

The three-story house on the outskirts of the capital that Yurik owned, and the villa with a lake in the southern territory. Even the land in the north inherited from his maternal grandfather.

Sehil had made off with the land deeds, the house deed, and a large amount of cash.

Yurik was dumbfounded. The house deed was kept in the deepest part of the desk and the drawer was even locked; how on earth did he find it and think of running away with it? Yurik looked at the ring on his right index finger, which was engraved with the family seal. It was a ring from which Yurik’s personal seal would emerge if the jewel was twisted.

Without this, it would be difficult to resell the documents perfectly even if he took them. But since the documents themselves had value, he could probably sell them somehow.

Fortunately, he wouldn’t lose all his assets completely. He could request a reissue from the administration department immediately, but the method was extremely complicated and would take an enormous amount of time. That meant that everything would be frozen in the meantime. The cash was one thing, but…… the house and land deeds were a real problem.

The land inherited from his maternal grandfather was something only his mother and he knew about. His maternal grandfather had surely left it for him to use as a dowry when he got married…….

“Damn that Sehil Windsor, that bastard……”

The younger brother he had cared for and cherished with love…… well, that pricked his conscience a little, but anyway, the brother he had cherished had run away with all of it. On a lovers’ flight, no less.

Yurik grabbed the back of his neck as he looked at the second letter handed to him by the butler.

「My dearest Yuri.

I have found someone I truly love. We promised a future together, but differences in status and various other things were blocking our path. But we couldn’t let each other go, and in the end, we made a big decision.

I am carrying his child…… I’m not sure if you’ll believe me, Yuri, but I want to raise my child under parents who love them completely. You know, my dream was to live a normal and happy life in a stable family.

Yuri, I’m borrowing your assets for a while. I believe that the Yuri who loves me will understand my sincere feelings.

I will pray that only light and a flower path unfold in your future, Yuri. I have no doubt that you too, Yuri, will one day meet someone you truly love, just like me, and be happy.

With sincere love, Sehil.」

Damn bastard! A stable and peaceful family? What is he talking about, the one who lived the most stable and selfish life under the honor, power, and wealth of the Windsor family?!

Yurik was beyond flabbergasted. And on top of that, pregnant! An Omega is pregnant! Even if he had brought the Alpha bastard who got him pregnant home, he would have sighed, but he wouldn’t have not allowed the marriage! This Sehil bastard had basically run away lost in a delusion, following the romance of a popular novel.

Yurik staggered and slumped onto the sofa. The butler, watching the infuriated Yurik, carefully placed a glass of cold water in front of him. Yurik gulped down the cold water.

“……Besides that, another letter has arrived, Young Master.”

“A letter? Another demand from the debt collectors? Tell me that Sehil bastard didn’t rack up debt in the family name.”

“Please calm down, Young Master. Fortunately, it is not that.”

Of course, we will have to look into that matter further……. The butler mumbled the last part quietly and handed Yurik the letter that had arrived at the mansion.

The letter, on elegant stationery with a floral scent and adorned with a fancy pattern, was sealed with wax bearing a family crest. Yurik frowned. Because the crest was one he had seen many times before.

Yurik opened the sealed letter with a paper knife and checked its contents. The stylish cursive script was perfectly aligned and elegant, as if written by a scribe. And the content…….

「From Carnes of the House of Chevinelle to Count Joseph Windsor of the House of Windsor.」

The House of Chevinelle? Yurik’s eyes widened. The House of Chevinelle was one of the four great ducal houses. Moreover, Chevinelle was ‘that man’s’ family. Why would they send a letter to his father……. Yurik continued to read the letter.

「……as the joy of spring, with new buds sprouting after winter’s end, continues, if a child of the House of Windsor and Karon Chevinelle of the House of Chevinelle were to be united, the goddess’s blessing could reach them…….(abridged)」

Yurik blinked and read the words again.

「Please accept this with a willing heart.

Carnes Chevinelle」

“……Butler.”

Yurik handed the letter to the butler with a dazed expression. As Yurik staggered and sat down on the sofa again, the butler hurriedly examined the letter.

“Young Master, this is,”

“Yes. That’s right.”

A marriage proposal. A marriage offer had arrived. Since the son of the Chevinelle family was an only child and an Alpha, the proposal must have been sent with Sehil Windsor in mind. Of all times, at this very moment when Sehil Windsor has had an unchaste night with a man of unknown identity, gotten pregnant, and run away.

“Are they insane……”

Yurik lamented, clutching his forehead. Just thinking about what to say to the Ducal House of Chevinelle made his stomach churn. That his younger brother ran away? That they can’t get married because he ran away? What noble family would respond to a letter from a ducal house in such a manner? It was then. The butler, who was looking at the pale-faced Yurik, cautiously spoke.

“Young Master. In this current crisis, there seems to be only one way out.”

Yurik, who had his eyes closed, looked at the butler at his sudden words. The butler spoke with a very serious expression.

“The marriage. You should do it, Young Master.”

What kind of nonsense is this. Yurik was an Alpha. How could an Alpha and an Alpha get married…….

Yurik blinked. An Alpha and Alpha marriage. In this country where Omegas were in absolute shortage, about one such pair emerged every year. There was no legal problem, and above all…….

Yurik hastily snatched the letter from the butler’s hand and read it again.

“It only says ‘a child’ of the House of Windsor, does it not?”

“Ha……”

That’s right. ‘A child’ of the House of Windsor also included Yurik. But an Alpha and an Alpha, the heir…….

“I heard it somewhere, but do you know of the Viscount Jeon family?”

“Of course I do. The couple who had a grand wedding two years ago, aren’t they? But that was a union between an Alpha and an Omega……”

“The rumor is that it’s not.”

“What?”

“There’s a rumor that…… they were both Alphas.”

“……But didn’t they…… have a child last year?”

“Yes. And yet, there’s a reason why the rumor is spreading like wildfire.”

The butler gave a slight bow as if to say pardon the impertinence, then leaned in close to Yurik’s ear and whispered. Yurik’s pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

The butler pulled back and said in a solemn tone.

“Young Master, you must make this marriage happen, no matter what. As for the rest…… I will look into it.”

The butler and Yurik’s eyes met. At that trustworthy face, Yurik let out a sigh, rubbed his forehead, and finally nodded.

• ~ *

The Ducal House of Chevinelle. A family so famous in the Halcon Empire that if someone didn’t know of them, they would be called a spy from the neighboring duchy.

The Duke of Chevinelle was originally a man with no title, nothing more than a parvenu, but he was a figure who had made a significant contribution by helping the current Empress of the Halcon Empire, Empress Bistet, when she was a count’s daughter, making her a crown princess, and eventually helping her attain the position of empress.

He was also a man with a sharp mind for political calculations and was good at managing money, so rich that it was said to be easier to count what he didn’t have, owning mines, companies, real estate, hotels, and more.

There was even a joke that one-third of the taxes collected in the imperial treasury came from the Ducal House of Chevinelle. A man of iron and blood who had even sent his only son to serve under the First Prince, the Empress’s rival, to keep him in check. A family criticized for being crazy about money and power.

Yes, it was that kind of family.

Although they were criticized for being a family with no noble honor, only bright in matters of money and calculation, attached with the label of being the Empress’s dog and rumors of buying their title as soon as Bistet became Empress after rising from a parvenu, they were, nonetheless, the richest family in the Halcon Empire.

Yurik read the delivered letter once more. Karon Chevinelle. Seeing the name of the only son of the Chevinelle family stamped on the letter, a sigh escaped him yet again.

“Why is the esteemed Sir Yurik sighing again?”

Yurik hastily folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. The person approaching was Sir Lawson Tanner, an official working in the Ministry of Justice. He had received his knighthood in the same year as Yurik and was someone who acted particularly friendly towards him. Yurik composed his expression and sat up straight.

Lawson placed a thick pile of documents on Yurik’s desk. They were documents that Yurik, as a direct official under the Prime Minister, had to review and report to him.

“It’s nothing.”

“What do you mean it’s nothing, do you know what your face looks like right now?”

Lawson snatched the pen from Yurik’s hand as he was about to look through the approval documents. Lawson was great in all respects, but he was excessively nosy. Yurik twitched an eyebrow and held out his hand to Lawson.

“Stop doing things that are unbecoming of your dignity.”

“Dignity, dignity, this and that. I am so sick of hearing it. Yuri, is it befitting of the dignity for the son of a renowned noble family, and the heir at that, to be in the administration department?”

Lawson smiled slyly and placed the pen on the desk with a click. Yurik sighed and ran a hand through his hair. A son of a noble family sitting in the administration department, wrestling with documents, was also ridiculed in high society as an undignified, un-noble act.

Although the image had been changing a lot recently, such public perception still existed.

In fact, Yurik had graduated from the military academy, but he felt that sitting loftily and looking down upon the world suited his aptitude more than wielding a sword and sweating, so he deliberately chose to enter the administration department. During his interview, he had drawn curious glances for being the heir, not even the second son, of a noble family applying for a busy civil servant position, but Yurik was satisfied with his current position.

Yes, that is, if Sehil hadn’t run away yesterday.

As he unconsciously gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, Lawson flinched and looked at Yurik.

“Dignity…… is important. Nowadays, it’s not a flaw for a noble to work in the Imperial Palace. I misspoke.”

It wasn’t Lawson’s words that had angered him, but Yurik decided to let it pass as such. To get the approval documents to the Prime Minister even a day sooner, he had to be on good terms with the chief officials under him. Lawson cautiously sized him up and placed the pen back in Yurik’s hand.

“But still, why do you look so gloomy? Did something happen?”

“What… what do you mean, what happened?”

Yurik answered, grinding his molars. He managed to put on a smiling face, but it was tinged with ferocity. Lawson laughed awkwardly and changed the subject.

“Hahaha, did you have a fight with your current partner? It can happen.”

“A partner, you say? I don’t have one. Someone like that.”

Lawson approached Yurik with surprised eyes.

“The other day at Madame Garner’s salon, everyone was talking about you! They said you and Lady Ashel were in that kind of relationship!”

“What is this now…”

Yurik frowned. Lady Ashel… she was a lady he had encountered while taking a short walk in the imperial palace garden. The only things that happened when they met were an exchange of greetings and him picking up a handkerchief she had dropped. And a rumor like that started? Lawson, with a deflated expression, leaned against Yurik’s desk and propped his arm up.

“It’s not true?”

“Absolutely not. What are you talking about, really. Why are such rumors being created, and why are you, Lawson, getting swept up in such scandals? Are you that free?”

“Scandals, you say? There’s a line of nobles wanting to be associated with the esteemed House of Windsor, even if only through rumors. You’re the only one who doesn’t know. Especially, do you know how many young ladies and gentlemen want to be in the arms of Sir Yurik, the handsome man who looks like he was carved from the ice of the north?”

Yurik’s eyebrow twitched once more. Since he was a person who was usually not fun and showed little change in expression, he had to be teased like this once in a while. Lawson grinned, his eyebrows drooping.

“Ah, the ice prince of the north. Cold and chilly, but he must be warm to his lover…”

“Shut up before I personally kick you out.”

Yurik, who responded ferociously even to the playful words, gestured at Lawson with his chin as if annoyed. It meant to get lost. Lawson smiled brightly and pushed himself up from where he was leaning on the desk.

“After all that talk about dignity, have you decided to just speak your mind now?”

“Only to you. Just to you. The undignified Sir Lawson Tanner. Get a grip and get lost to do your work.”

Yurik adjusted the monocle he had set down and began to scan the documents. Lawson, grumbling as if it was no fun, turned around, then came back in front of Yurik and leaned his elbows on the desk. Yurik was getting annoyed. As he only lifted his eyes to glare at Lawson, Lawson grinned again.

“I heard some incredible news. I was going to tell you this for sure but I forgot.”

“I’m not curious.”

Yurik retorted, but Lawson ignored him, looked around, and then leaned closer to Yurik.

“They say the 1st Prince and the knight order that were dispatched to the southern front are returning. The news is that they will arrive in the capital within three days.”

“……The knight order?”

“Yes, the prince’s knight order. The knights of iron and blood, composed only of officers! Because of that, the nobles I know are in an uproar. They say there’s a line of nobles on Femen Street trying to get formal wear made, as a series of banquets, starting with the victory banquet, will follow.”

The 1st Prince’s knight order is returning… Yurik’s eyebrow twitched.

Karon Chevinelle of the House of Chevinelle, from whom the marriage proposal had come, had also accompanied the prince to the southern front as his vice-commander. No wonder, a marriage proposal arrived when their only son was dispatched to the front lines. So this is why the proposal came in such a hurry. Yurik had a gut feeling.

“‘That man’ is in that knight order, you know. High society is going to be turned upside down again. I was going to tell you to keep a tight rein on things if you really are dating Lady Ashel.”

“I’m not dating her.”

“I know, I know. Anyway, with the living romance of all Omegas returning, the days of quiet in the capital are numbered.”

Lawson chattered on like that and then nudged Yurik’s arm.

“While we’re at it, how about we choose a partner together for the victory banquet before our empire’s prodigal son returns?”

Lawson smiled slyly. So that was his main purpose. Yurik brushed off Lawson’s hand as if dusting off dirt.

“I hope you enjoy yourself very much, Sir Lawson.”

“Ah~ the young nobleman of the north is so cold.”

Lawson, acting nonchalant as if he expected it, turned away. Yurik moved his pen to focus on the documents again, then paused.

Karon Chevinelle.

Just thinking of the name made him frown. He, who had gone to the front lines following the 1st Prince, had graduated at the top of his class from the Imperial Military Academy. He was the hottest and most talked-about man in the empire. The empire’s prodigal son, Oshellon’s playboy, the capital’s living romance.

He had the skill and looks to back up these nicknames, and above all, he was famous for not turning away anyone who came to him and not stopping anyone who left.

He was also a man who didn’t bat an eye even when his incredibly messy and flamboyant private life swept through high society and the empire. In fact, he was a person who even enjoyed it.

And from him, no, to be precise, from his family, but anyway, a marriage proposal had come from him.

Of course, the Chevinelle family was probably trying to fill their family’s lack of pride by marrying their eldest Alpha son to an Omega from the prestigious noble House of Windsor, but…….

Yurik clutched his head.

Karon Chevinelle. Above all, he was Yurik’s schoolmate.

That is to say, he was one of many schoolmates.

And Yurik had secretly admired him.

To be precise, it was more like he had liked him. But Karon Chevinelle had a rotten personality, was violent, sly, and even annoying. He had liked him, but he knew very well that he was not a man with a particularly good personality.

So he gave up. To be more precise, it was more accurate to say that he had never even dreamed of it, rather than giving up.

Yurik was a person with a mind too old and weary to handle a man with a rotten and annoying personality, and he needed someone who would gently embrace him. Of course, this is not to say that he had ever been in a proper relationship. It’s just that.

Above all, Yurik was also an Alpha. Not a fragrant, sweet, lovely, and soft Omega, but a stiff, heartless, cool, and cold Alpha!

Yurik grabbed his hair as if to tear it out. The Prime Minister was away, and he was alone in the room where his officials worked, so this action was possible.

“……I’m going to go crazy.”

Yurik closed his eyes, feeling a faint, lingering headache. A deep sigh escaped him. To marry… a man like that.

A marriage that, thanks to his parents who went bankrupt and ran away and his younger brother who fled with all his assets, he couldn’t refuse and, being an Alpha himself, had to step up and cling to, anxiously worrying that the other party might cancel…….

That I have to push this forward with my own hands somehow…….

He was dumbfounded and at a loss for words. Ah, is it cold because I left the window open? Yurik sniffled and swallowed his gloomy feelings. Life really… doesn’t go as planned. Yurik slammed his head on the desk.

• ~ *

The old Club Devery was a place where young nobles mainly gathered. It was a peculiar establishment that also operated as a pub on one side, but it became famous thanks to the club’s fixture, the renowned Karon Chevinelle. Any Alpha noble in the capital of the Halcon Empire couldn’t resist their curiosity to see how the empire’s prodigal son, Karon Chevinelle, seduced Omegas and young ladies, and so they came.

Around the time the news that Karon Chevinelle was finally returning after suffering with the 1st Prince on the southern front began to spread by word of mouth, the commoners of the empire were emptying barrels of beer in the pub on one side of Club Devery, and inside the club, separated by a firmly closed door, a secret meeting was taking place.

“I bet five hundred gold.”

“Five hundred? You’re a cheapskate, Baron Jivian. If you’re an Alpha, you should bet at least five thousand gold!”

The man called Baron Jivian shot up from his chair where the meeting was being held. With a haggard face and greasy, short hair, Baron Jivian, with veins popping on his neck, shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Karon Chevinelle getting married?! You want me to bet money on such a ridiculous rumor! No matter how crazy I am about gambling, the story has to be plausible for me to bet on it!”

“No, it’s really solid information! If you don’t believe me, then you can back out!”

Viscount Lowe, who was sitting on the opposite side, shouted while pointing his finger. Funnily enough, contrary to his outburst, he was keeping his voice as low as possible, looking around as if to see if anyone was listening.

“Seriously, Karon Chevinelle getting married? That playboy bastard that makes all the Omegas in the empire cry, getting married?”

“Can’t you be quiet? That’s an imperial exclusive that hasn’t even appeared in the Atrei Daily yet!”

“Don’t give me that exclusive nonsense. Is a single Alpha getting caught up in marriage gossip an exclusive?”

Jivian picked up a liquor bottle on the table and chugged it down.

Behind him, the club door clicked open. The person who entered was a man with a black uniform slung over his shoulder. His red hair, which covered the back of his neck, was wet and clearly visible even in the dim light of the club.

The people in the club, who had been watching Baron Jivian during the sudden commotion, stopped their whispers when they saw the man who entered.

Viscount Lowe spotted the red-haired man crossing the club and his face turned deathly pale.

“Baron, sit down. Quickly!”

“Do you think I don’t know you’re trying to take my money with your nonsense? This is why you shouldn’t associate with bastards crazy about gambling!”

“Baron Jivian!”

“Karon Chevinelle is getting married? I’ll bet my wrist on it, he’ll never do it! Doesn’t he go around hitting on every Omega in the empire!”

“Jivian!”

Viscount Lowe hastily tried to grab Jivian and cover his mouth, but he was a step too late. The face of the red-haired man, who had approached Jivian from behind, was revealed in the light shining on the table.

Water dripped from his hair, which was scattered like a mane, and his golden irises shone like those of a beast. Water droplets formed on his sharp nose and skin that was like polished marble. He exuded a mysterious and sensual atmosphere. The corner of his mouth rose dangerously. Jivian, not noticing the man a head taller standing behind him, opened his mouth again.

“That bastard is! The shame of Alphas! The shame of the House of Chevinelle!”

“Who did you say is a shame?”

At the sound of the quiet, unfamiliar voice, Jivian turned his head with an agitated face and shouted.

“Karon Chevinelle, that bastard… Hah!”

Baron Jivian, suddenly noticing the presence of the man blocking his view, gasped for breath. His eyes, wide with surprise, turned to the man. The man smiled crookedly and placed a hand on Baron Jivian’s shoulder. Under the grip of his hand, the captured shoulder felt like it would be crushed like bread dough. Baron Jivian, surprised, began to hiccup.

“Karon Chevinelle, that bastard, is the shame of Alphas and the shame of the empire?”

“No, ah, no……!”

The red-haired man stared at Baron Jivian with eyes narrowed like those of a beast. Baron Jivian, his face ashen, could not open his mouth further. The pressure from the large hand on his shoulder was frighteningly immense.

In truth, the man had only placed his hand there.

“Say it again, Sir. The shame of the empire, who was that?”

“Ah, ah. This is, hiccup. That is, hiccup.”

The red-haired man, Karon Chevinelle, smiled brightly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. It was a smile so beautiful that it could momentarily mesmerize someone, but it was also a mischievous-looking smile, as it contained a twisted nature.

Jivian, unable to move a muscle, shrank his neck like a turtle. Viscount Lowe hastily cleared the table of the chips, cards, and money.

“Ahaha, you, you’re here! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in the capital!”

“To be stuck on the sweltering southern front and return to the sunny capital, only to hear a bastard yapping worse than a chihuahua as soon as I get back… my life is truly tragic.”

Karon Chevinelle, looking at Baron Jivian’s tangled and greasy hair, naturally covered his nose, then grinned.

“Why don’t you run your mouth in front of me instead of talking behind my back. I’ll take ‘the shame of Alphas’ as an honor and heed it.”

Baron Jivian couldn’t say anything. He fumbled with his mouth, his face pale.

“Sir, Sir Chevinelle. That’s not, what I meant.”

“I told you to keep talking, hmm?”

“It’s hot for it to be so late. I, I’ll be going now!”

Viscount Lowe, who had quickly packed his things under Karon’s threatening gaze, left the place as if fleeing.

“Ah, it was nothing!”

Baron Jivian pushed past Karon who was blocking his way and followed Viscount Lowe out of the club. He couldn’t be pushed away by a mere push, but Karon, who had no intention of holding onto him any longer out of boredom, let Baron Jivian go easily. Karon dusted off his hands as if something dirty had gotten on them.

“Hey, Karon. Did you stir up some trouble as soon as you got back from the southern front?”

Rayfolt, who was by the window far from Karon’s table and wore a monocle like an accessory, grinned and welcomed Karon. Karon took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands and approached the table where Rayfolt was. Around the table, several well-dressed young nobles were seated. They welcomed Karon with utmost delight.

“That Jivian bastard, after seeing the scandal about you and the Omega he liked, he was drunk for three days straight and finally caused a scene.”

Karon sat in the chair the young men offered him and put a cigar in his mouth. The Omega he liked? Karon frowned.

He had just arrived from the southern front yesterday. It was far from enough time to be fooling around with an Omega in that kind of relationship. He had gone to the Imperial Palace at dawn, left late in the afternoon, and had just come to the club to wash up and wet his throat. As Karon wore a face of complete ignorance, Carden, one of the men gathered, snickered and laughed.

“You know. The young lady of the Baron Zibella family. The lady with wheat-colored hair. That lady has been spreading some wild rumors. That she spent a delightful night with you, Karon, in a secret love affair.”

“Why are they dragging me, who was rotting on the front lines, into this?”

Karon lit his cigar with a look of incomprehension. Carden said.

“Well, they’re trying to make a big score by using your name, Karon. Whenever Omegas even make eye contact with you, they lose their minds to your pheromones. They must have been curious about what it’s like, and after the Omegas who passed through your hands married wealthy men, your name became even more famous. The young Lady Zibella is hoping to meet you somehow by spreading rumors.”

Karon gave a dumbfounded laugh. He had been with more than one or two Omegas, so he didn’t even know who had married a wealthy man. Still, since they had the Omega lineage, they would marry well. Why would they want to see him specifically?

“I’m in a state where even breathing is a hassle right now. If anyone knows that young lady, please tell her not to have any vain dreams.”

Rayfolt, cutting the tip of his cigar and lighting it, said.

“It’s not a problem that will be solved just by telling her. Like that young lady, Omegas are grinding their teeth right now to meet you, Karon.”

Karon blew out a puff of smoke. He knew he was a popular Alpha. He had a handsome face, a good body, and was like a stud… let’s skip that part. Anyway, he knew very well that he was a well-built Alpha and a partner that anyone would want to sleep with at least once. But why specifically now?

“Because a rumor about you has spread all over the empire right now.”

Karon’s eyebrow raised slowly.

“What rumor?”

Carden stared at Karon with wide eyes.

“You didn’t know?”

“So, what is it.”

“They say you’re getting married.”

What kind of bull-eating-grass nonsense is this. Karon’s face crumpled fiercely.

• ~ *

Karon strode across the drawing room. Ash, the butler of the Chevinelle family who followed him, frantically chased after the hastily walking Karon.

“Young Master, first, you should see the Duchess…”

“Be quiet. Ash. How would I know when Mother, who went out to a party, will return. More importantly, where is Father?”

He skipped the drawing room and went into the study, but he couldn’t find his father. Karon turned back out. The four-story mansion was ridiculously large. Karon went back down to the first floor.

“Oh, my son.”

Just then, the Duke of Chevinelle was entering through the main entrance. Karon strode down from the landing. Carnes, his elegantly wrinkled eyes curving, lightly embraced Karon.

“So, you saw His Majesty at the Imperial Palace first? If you were done with your work, you should have come to see your parents first.”

“I haven’t been in the capital for long either.”

Pushing away the hand that was patting his shoulder as if to say ‘well done,’ Karon asked bluntly.

“What is this about a marriage?”

“You’ve already heard? I was going to tell you while we had a cozy meal with Myune. The rumors spread fast.”

Carnes waved his hand as if it were no big deal and started walking. Karon followed Carnes, who handed his cane and hat to the butler as he went up, with a frown.

“Why a sudden marriage? Weren’t you the one who let me live freely, saying I should do as I please?”

“Letting you live freely? Myune and I have always thought of you first. It’s about time you found a partner.”

“I just graduated from the military academy. Father, please explain properly. What do you mean, marriage?”

Carnes, climbing the stairs, glanced at the noisy Karon.

“You, who usually don’t care when I tell you to do this or that, come running in surprise at the news of a marriage?”

“It’s because it’s absurd. Because it’s absurd. I’m not just young, I’m still green.”

As Karon followed him into the room where Carnes stayed, Carnes gestured with his eyes for the butler to close the door. When the butler quietly closed the door, Carnes opened his mouth.

“His Highness Prince Razhwell recommended a partner.”

“Pardon?”

Prince Razhwell. The 1st Prince of the empire, Karon’s superior, and the center of the empire’s biggest topic of conversation after returning from the southern front leading his knights to victory after victory. And he was Karon’s one and only friend. Although they were entangled in various inconvenient political ways. Carnes clicked his tongue.

“He said that your promiscuity has reached its peak, and before the Omegas of the empire get caught up in delusions about romance and what not and start chasing only you, I should quickly get your marriage over with.”

“……How concerned he must be for the future of the empire’s nobles.”

A hollow laugh escaped him, finding it absurd. There’s a limit to how you can screw over a friend who has returned after suffering, but to give him such a big screw-up.

Karon was the type of person who broke out in hives at the sound of marriage or matrimony. He had not a speck of desire to be tied down to one thing. He was thinking of enjoying life and taking it easy now that he had graduated from the hellish military academy, but wasn’t he dragged to a battlefield. And now, out of the blue, he was being told to get married. And his closest friend and comrade-in-arms, His Highness the Prince, had personally stepped forward to recommend someone.

“I’m going to see His Highness Razhwell.”

“Karon, aren’t you curious about the partner? Karon!”

Carnes called out, but Karon left the room without looking back.

Karon thought he had to find his friend, who seemed to have lost his mind in the burning heat of the southern front, and set him straight.

Ma-rri-age? If you want to, Your Highness, you do it!

• ~ *

He cut the tip of the cigar and lit it. He took a deep drag of the scent of dried almonds and the bittersweet aroma that rose, then exhaled.

Yurik sat in a chair in front of the open window, frowning. The interior, reflected in the window, sparkled with magnificent chandeliers and nobles adorned with jewels and dresses.

The party he attended late in the evening after finishing his work at the Imperial Palace was a party hosted by Countess Rusterien. An unusually large number of nobles had gathered. It was probably because it was the last party before the victory banquet in a week.

The victory banquet, held to celebrate the 1st Prince and his knight order who returned victorious from the southern front, was being hastily prepared and was a national event held at the peak of the social season.

The prominent nobles of high society flocked to the Rusterien County estate to enjoy the last party before the victory banquet, while also urgently searching for partners for the victory banquet.

Yurik tapped the cigar held between his fingers on the ashtray.

“Hah……”

A sigh escaped him. He had to come to this place because his family had been close with Countess Rusterien through his parents.

He also had to attend the empire’s victory banquet, which was a must for nobles, so he had come out to look for a partner.

But his mind was filled only with thoughts of the debt problem. So it was difficult for him to readily join a group of nobles and smile.

On the other hand, if he didn’t engage in social activities, the situation could worsen. It would be a big problem if a strange rumor started circulating in his absence.

In particular, Countess Rusterien was a woman with quick wits and good intuition. It was a good thing he had only bowed slightly from the side when others were greeting her and she hadn’t seen him, because just by looking at Yurik’s expression, she would know that something was wrong.

Yurik sighed deeply again and put the cigar to his lips.

“Sir Yurik. Why are you enjoying your thoughts alone?”

There was a man approaching Yurik. Yurik narrowed his brow slightly. A sweet scent that pierced through the cigar smoke. It was an Omega.

When he turned his head, a considerable beauty was looking at Yurik with narrowed eyes.

Yurik slowly tapped the ash from his cigar.

“It’s been a while, Sir Leslie.”

Leslie smiled, his lips gently curving upwards. He was well-dressed in an ivory suit with a red ornament pinned to his chest.

Leslie Ardmond. The second son of a baronial family, an Omega who was quite famous in high society. He had heard rumors that he had a fiery temper and played around a lot……. Yurik felt a slight annoyance at him for emitting his pheromones without controlling them.

Isn’t this just a blatant attempt to… seduce him?

The intention is so clear that it’s perplexing.

“The night air feels nice. The smell of grass is nice too. Sir Yurik, you have a taste for such elegant pleasures.”

Leslie said this and naturally sat down across from Yurik. Yurik showed a slight smile without answering.

As a gaze with a clear intention was fixed on him, the thoughts that had been drifting in his mind shattered. Yurik turned his gaze from the view outside the balcony.

Leslie was leaning his elbows on the table and looking at Yurik with a suggestive gaze.