By Zephyria 
Ugh. The Duke let out a low groan from the back of his throat. Ashley Miller was famous for being devoted to his partner. Unlike other Dominant Alphas, who often led dissolute lives under the pretext of releasing their pheromones, he never cast a glance at anyone other than his partner. That was one of the reasons for his popularity.
The Duke had felt a sense of inner kinship with the couple, especially since they had been together since high school, but the fact that the partner his son brought home happened to be the youngest, Bliss, left him feeling conflicted.
It would have been better if it were any of the other siblings.
The other children of the Miller family, who shared the same trait as their father, were—true to that trait—famous for being promiscuous. It would have been nice if they had taken after their parents, but with such a constitution, it couldn’t be helped. The problem was that the one his son had picked was Bliss. Not only was there a twelve-year age gap, but if Ashley Miller found out that the lovely youngest son’s chosen partner had such a sordid past, he would undoubtedly be shocked. No, he might even rush over to kill Cassian on the spot.
That absolutely could not happen. Of course.
Though he was a troublesome child, he was still his only son. He couldn’t just let him suffer a grim fate. Moreover, since it was the first time he’d seen him so proactive in love, shouldn’t he support him as a parent?
Of course… that didn’t mean there weren’t things he found regrettable.
“His resolve is far too lacking.”
The Duke clicked his tongue and took a sip of tea, to which the Duchess replied with a smile.
“That’s why we have to help. Since they both seem inexperienced, shouldn’t we, as adults, step in?”
“Bliss might be one thing, but Cassian is more than grown.”
“He was perhaps too grown.”
The Duchess stepped back and cast her eyes downward. Feeling awkward because he had been too critical of their only child, the Duke cleared his throat and replied in a much softer tone.
“I suppose it can’t be helped if it’s necessary.”
“Yes, exactly.”
The Duchess responded as if she had been waiting for those words.
“Let’s keep a close eye on them, but if it’s absolutely necessary, we’ll give them a tiny bit of help. Just a nudge, so slight that they won’t even notice.”
“…If it’s only to that extent, I suppose it’s fine.”
The Duke still believed that a man should win his prize on his own, but he couldn’t entirely dismiss the Duchess’s words. As he nodded reluctantly, she gave a satisfied beam and changed the subject.
“I’m choosing the cake design for the upcoming party. The pâtissier seems to be putting an incredible amount of effort into it…”
And so, their conversation seemed to reach a conclusion. However, unexpectedly, things took a turn completely different from what was anticipated.
Inside the quiet castle, only the rhythmic sound of two men’s footsteps echoed. The butler, leading the way and guiding the guest, stopped before a door, knocked lightly, paused, and then opened it.
“Marquis, His Grace the Duke has arrived.”
As the butler stepped aside, the Duke finally entered the room. The Marquis, who had been seated, rose gladly to greet him.
“Oh, welcome. Thank you for visiting me like this.”
“Don’t mention it; of course I had to come.”
Duke Strickland’s face was unusually pale and stiff. After a brief handshake, the Duke sat down as the Marquis suggested. Only after the butler poured the tea and left did he carefully observe the Marquis sitting across from him.
Noticing the unusual gaze, the Marquis stared back at the Duke with an intrigued expression, as if expecting a particular reaction. Feeling cold sweat run down his spine, the Duke spoke with difficulty.
“Um, well, I apologize for coming so late. I’ve only just returned from a trip with my wife. I was so shocked when I heard the report from the PR team leader…”
It was only the day before that he had heard about Marquis Manon’s unfortunate accident. Until the PR team leader visited him to report what had happened during his absence, the Duke hadn’t given it much thought. He had assumed it was just a courtesy visit, but that thought was overturned the moment the first words left the team leader’s mouth.
‘Cassian’s companion caused a scene with Marquis Manon at the party.’
It was a matter that could have become a massive scandal. Fortunately, it seemed Cassian had acted quickly to prevent it from becoming public knowledge, but that didn’t mean the Duke could ignore it. After all, he was the parent of the party involved. Thanks to that, he had hurriedly contacted the Marquis and arranged this meeting, but…
Unexpectedly, the Marquis looked to be in excellent spirits. His sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks made him look even younger than the last time they had met. While the Duke stood there bewildered and anxious about what was happening, the Marquis spoke with a bright smile.
“Oh, that was nothing. Surely you didn’t come all this way just for something like that?”
“What? What do you mean…?”
Seeing the Marquis smile with narrowed eyes as if he knew everything, the Duke became even more flustered. He had come here to apologize, but it seemed the Marquis was expecting something else. Just as he was frowning, unable to guess the man’s intentions, the Marquis suddenly asked.
“How is your precious son doing?”
The Duke paused for a moment. What was the intent behind this question? Was he being sarcastic, asking if Cassian was eating and living well after putting the Marquis in such a state?
He must not have been satisfied with my son’s apology.
Convinced of this, the Duke deliberately put on a gloomy expression and replied.
“He is quite depressed. He is blaming himself severely for failing to manage his partner properly.”
Will this be enough to satisfy him?
As he stole a glance, the Marquis unexpectedly changed the subject as if he weren’t particularly interested.
“I see. And how are things going with that partner? Have you met him as well?”
“What? Yes…”
Still bewildered, the Duke hurriedly continued.
“Of course I’ve met him. As you can see, he’s still young, so he probably didn’t know any better. Cassian should have looked after him more carefully…”
“Hahaha, a man isn’t a man if he stays silent while hearing badmouth about the person he loves. Forget that—how are the two of them doing these days? I’ve been wanting to hear news, but I was disappointed that I had nowhere to get it. I’m so glad the Duke himself has come to visit.”
…What?
The Duke was bewildered once again. What on earth was this? Was he asking if the two were still together and doing well? Of course, from the Marquis’s perspective, Bliss might not be entirely desirable, but… Just as he was struggling to grasp what the man was talking about, the Marquis continued to chatter excitedly.
“You can be honest with me. Duke, are you perhaps planning to announce their engagement at the birthday party? If so, please tell me in advance; I’ll gladly prepare a gift. You’re not planning to exclude me from the engagement ceremony, are you? I’ve been anxiously waiting for news, and it would be truly disappointing if Count Herringer didn’t inform me. If such a thing happens, you must contact me, Duke. It’s been so long since I’ve had something this exciting…”
“Wait, wait a moment, Marquis.”
The Duke hurriedly reached out to stop him and asked with a furrowed brow.
“I have no idea what you are talking about. An engagement between Cassian and Bli—Blair? What do you mean? Did Cassian say something to you?”
He had received a report that his son had visited the Marquis to apologize personally. Despite that, he felt he couldn’t just stay put and had visited, but the Marquis was spouting things he could never have imagined.
“Ha, you didn’t know?”
At the Duke’s reaction, the Marquis looked surprised and briefly recounted what had happened last time. He added a short apology for his grandson’s mistake, along with the reason why Bliss had been so angry, and even how passionately the two young men loved each other.
“If the Duke had seen Count Herringer come to apologize to me in person, you would have known immediately. A face in love can never be hidden.”
The Duke could only watch in bewilderment as the Marquis let out a hearty laugh. After forcing the corners of his mouth up, the Duke paused before speaking.
“So, in your eyes, it looked that way.”
“Yes, of course. So, when is the engagement ceremony? It looked as though they would hold it soon, and I’ve been so curious since I’ve heard nothing. Actually, when I heard the Duke was visiting today, I expected you to tell me about it. Was that really not the case?”
With an expression mixed with anticipation and apprehension, the Duke couldn’t answer readily; he only opened and closed his mouth before finally letting out a deep sigh.