By Zephyria 
Part 8.
“Yes, thank you for your hard work on the long journey.”
It was Crown Prince Adrian Pearson who was welcoming the Little Duke of Graham from the highest seat in the Banquet Hall where the Emperor should be sitting. It had already been quite a while since the senile Emperor, who may or may not have been conscious, had appeared at official events. The Empress, who had somehow been holding the position, had also tucked her tail and ran away a few months ago. The Coronet for the winner was, of course, Adrian Pearson’s.
“It wasn’t that long of a journey.”
“It wasn’t that long of a journey, huh… This person didn’t know him well enough. I’m sorry, if I had known earlier, I would have sent invitations to the north from time to time.”
“Ah. I’ve already met several guests from the center, but it seems they weren’t sent by Your Highness?”
“Hahaha. Does the Little Duke enjoy jokes? Sending guests from the center. I never did that.”
“Yes. I must have misunderstood.”
The Crown Prince had a relaxed smile on his face, and there was no hint of anger in the voice of the Little Duke Graham facing him, but between the two of them, a tense blade that no one dared to intervene in stood sharply. I thought it was a fight that the Crown Prince had already won a long time ago, but such an outstanding figure appeared as a relative of Duke Grachio, so perhaps the direction of power might change again. The nobles who judged so were each frantically racking their brains, wondering who to side with, the Crown Prince or the Little Duke Graham.
But that was only the concern of the heads of the families who directly managed the family. No matter how much of a Dominant Omega I was, I was just watching the scene of the Little Duke Graham paying his respects to the future Monarch among the nobles who filled the front of the Banquet Hall, as I didn’t even have a fiancé yet. Because he was turned away, I couldn’t see his face well.
I’ve seen the grown-up version of Little Duke Graham, Allen’s Love interest, to the point of being sick of it in the past Iterations… Why is that? The Little Duke Graham I’ve seen so far and ‘my Carlisle’ felt like different people from the start.
I wanted to see his face as soon as possible, as close as possible. I wanted to check if the stubborn impression of the young and innocent boy was still on his grown-up face.
But it was strange. The person I wanted to see didn’t turn around at all, so I could only see his shiny hair, but the Crown Prince, who usually pretended not to know me when there were eyes of the world, kept making eye contact with me. I wondered if it was a mistake a few times, but when I stood on tiptoe, our eyes met without fail, so it didn’t seem to be the case.
Ah. Our eyes met again. I tilted my head and asked with my lips only, why are you doing this?
“……”
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes as if he was displeased, and then turned his head away as if he had never paid attention to me.
Affection: 59.7%
Ah! Why is he like that again, really! Even the affection dropped. I had barely reached 60 percent a while ago!
But whether I went to argue with the Crown Prince or faced the Little Duke Graham, it was only after breaking through the front, but there was no way to break through the dense forest of people. It was the first time that a direct descendant of the Grand Duchy had visited the capital since Grand Duke Graham ascended to the position of Grand Duke decades ago, so there were more than one or two people trying to get in line.
“Do you want to see that person that much?”
Allen, who outwardly still maintained the appearance of being the best of brothers, was stuck by my side even in this vast New Year’s Banquet Hall. He asks in a sneering tone as he watches me craning my neck and trying to look ahead, sticking my head out.
It wasn’t a day or two that he acted completely different when he thought only I could hear him, so I decided not to answer and just ignore him. It might be a misunderstanding… But somehow, it seemed to make him happier when I reacted with surprise when Allen acted so strangely.
Allen, who would quickly back down as if he was bored if I acted calmly without any reaction… Today was different. Allen came closer to my side and whispered in my ear as if he was sneering.
“I’m asking, did you want to see that person that much?”
“It’s none of your business. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Why is it none of my business? Someone who shouldn’t have grown up yet has already grown up and come to the capital.”
“You…!”
I couldn’t help but be surprised by this. Allen had been subtly hinting in front of me that he was suspicious, but… He had never openly declared that he also knew about the past events like this.
When I, who had been craning my neck to look at Carlisle’s back, turned my head and stared at him, Allen smiled brightly as if he was finally satisfied.
“Ehehe, Noah. You shouldn’t misunderstand. You should be focusing on me. Isn’t that right?”
The face that looked exactly like me, as if looking in a mirror, smiled so brightly that it was eerily repulsive. I wanted to take a step back to create some distance, but my forearm was already tightly gripped. The unusually strong grip felt like it would crush my shoulder bones. All I could do right now was to endure without screaming.
“Ah, that’s the expression.”
“You, you’re…!”
“How can you be so lovely? I’ve tried imitating you while looking in the mirror, but I can’t do it like you.”
Whether the official greeting ceremony was over, the nobles in the hall poured out applause like thunder towards Carlisle. Amidst the loud applause that struck my eardrums, Allen whispered in my ear.
“While watching me willingly put up with it until now, have you been enjoying yourself enough?”
“……”
“I hope so. Now it’s my turn.”
The suffocating pressure made my limbs feel endlessly heavy. Even in the dry winter air, I strangely felt like I was drowning, my breathing was suffocating, my arms and legs were heavy, and my heart was pounding as if I was about to fall and die. A torrent of anxiety poured over my entire body. So rapidly that it completely blocked my breath.
Step, step, step.
Before I even realized it, the sound of people’s applause had stopped as if it were a lie. And in the midst of the silence, a slow sound of footsteps confidently crossed the room. From right in front of the platform where the Crown Prince was sitting to right here where Allen and I were standing, in a straight line.
“You have to turn around, Noah. It’s the person you’ve been waiting for so much.”
Allen kindly turned my gaze, which was fixed on him, towards the front.
“…Ah.”
“You are……”
His gray eyes were filled with a vortex-like confusion. It was an unfamiliar face. A face I had never seen even after repeating countless Iterations… It was Carlisle Graham with an unfamiliar face. The Little Duke Graham I knew was a gentle handsome man with the soft lines of a scholar type, but the person in front of me now exuded a savage aura and impression as if he would bite my neck off at any moment. Only the upright, deep eyes proved that he was a rational human being, not a barbarian.
The gray eyes in confusion kept looking back and forth between me and Allen.
Then at some point. The Little Duke’s search came to an end. It wasn’t really that long, but it felt strangely long. He didn’t hesitate any longer and walked towards me, about three or four steps away from me and Allen. Our eyes met. Still serious, still kind… Those eyes.
Carlisle reached out his hand towards me with a calm attitude.
“I wanted to see you.”
I don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for the day to hold this hand again. I was about to lift my arm to hold that hand back…
“……!”
My arm wouldn’t move. My whole body felt like a heavy stone, as if it was tied up with invisible threads. I couldn’t move at all. Red alarms seemed to be ringing wildly all around. My heart was beating too fast. I had to say something, quickly… I couldn’t get my voice out as if I was under a spell. Still drowning in anxiety, I moved my lips, but no words came out.
In the meantime.
“Young Master…! I don’t know how much I wanted to see you…!”
Allen, who was still painfully gripping my shoulder, jumped into Carlisle’s arms, babbling with emotion. Carlisle’s eyes, who was about to shake Allen off, clouded over for a moment, and then… Carlisle’s large palm… Tightly wrapped around Allen’s back without any gaps.
“After we parted like that, how much… How worried I was… I’m so glad you’re safe……”
“Was it you, really… Is it really you.”
“Sniff. Young Master… I’m sorry, I had to get the news to you somehow, but there was no way to send news to the north…!”
“Thank you for being alive. Just being alive… Is enough……”
Unbelievable… Only after Allen’s hand fell from his body did my voice barely come out. But my voice, filled with shock, didn’t reach Carlisle, who was already lost in the joy of reunion.