By Zephyria 
The Crown Prince’s palace smelled of roses. I didn’t know when the change had started, but by the time everyone noticed, the palace garden was already overgrown with lush rose bushes exuding an overwhelmingly strong fragrance. The owner’s taste was so unique that the branches were tangled messily without proper pruning, making it look more like a wild forest than a garden of the Imperial Palace.
The variety of roses planted was also a problem. There wasn’t a single high-end variety like elegant Baroque, lush Eden Rose, or bright red Florentina. These sprawling rose bushes, planted directly under the Crown Prince’s orders and magically maintained to bloom year-round, were all kinds of wild roses without proper names. The fiercely sharp thorns were sharp enough to draw blood from the hands of those who approached carelessly, drawn in by the intense color and potent fragrance of the roses.
“Ugh, Your Highness…”
“Already getting impatient with just this? That won’t do. Didn’t you come here because you had a favor to ask today?”
While looking at the sprawling rose bushes, Kyle Gray, Noah Hamilton’s only guard knight, barely managed to clench and unclench his fist, which was involuntarily tightening.
The Crown Prince, who had long since taken control of the Imperial Palace, now displayed a reckless attitude, not even bothering to properly secure the windows while toying with the Omega he had marked as his own, but no one could point it out. Not even Noah Hamilton himself, who was in the Crown Prince’s arms, moaning sweetly.
Noah Hamilton, in the Crown Prince’s broad embrace, freely released his pheromones. Until now, everyone had mistakenly attributed the pungent rose scent that occasionally emanated from the Crown Prince to the palace garden, but from now on… there would be no need to deliberately induce such misunderstandings.
However, the fact that the Crown Prince had not yet crossed the final line with his seemingly cruel patience was probably to establish the authority of Noah Hamilton, who would become his Royal Consort in the future, from the outset.
Once he was officially designated as the Crown Prince’s fiancé at his nineteenth birthday banquet, which was only about two months away, Noah would undergo a sufficient engagement period, formally complete the Imperial Palace’s educational procedures, and enter the palace as the Crown Princess. The Crown Prince subtly indicated his intention not to skip even the simplest procedures in bringing Noah Hamilton in as his consort. Was it because his own mother’s origins had held him back his entire life? It was a determination to leave no blemish, not even the slightest, on the legitimacy of Noah and his future heir.
“No, hngh, Adrian, I don’t like it like this. Put it in, huh? Quickly.”
His breath, which had only been panting, became damp and heavy. When he became overly excited, Noah Hamilton would sweetly cry and urge the Crown Prince in this way. Kyle Gray had to grit his teeth to avoid screaming. The glimpse of white skin he had once stolen over Andrew Hamilton’s shoulder flickered in his mind.
Unaware of the ferocious thoughts the Alpha before him was harboring, Noah Hamilton, who was simply begging to be devoured, spreading his legs and crying out loudly, must be maddeningly beautiful.
Kyle Gray looked self-deprecatingly at his own humble position, unable to rush in and pull Noah Hamilton out, and at his own vulgarity, as he watched his master writhe under another’s hand, his lower body stirring ominously, and laughed hollowly. The past self who had dared to think he could be with that person felt unbelievably brave.
Even though his master had abandoned him in an instant without even telling him the reason, he had wanted to serve him with unwavering loyalty. If he couldn’t possess him, he wanted to protect him. But when had it started? When had the heart that he believed was solely focused on Noah become corrupted?
‘Why are you here, Sir?’
A warning bell rang.
‘No… Why did you not go to Allen…? No. Never mind. I will show you to a place to rest.’
Until Noah Hamilton pointed it out with a questioning look. Kyle Gray hadn’t even realized that he was not protecting Noah Hamilton, whom he had so desperately wanted to protect, but was instead trailing after someone else.
‘Do you love young master, Sir Kyle?’
‘I don’t think I have an obligation to answer that to you.’
‘Ah. Is that so? But for someone who doesn’t… it seems like you can’t take your eyes off me.’
‘…….’
‘What do you think? He and I… we look quite alike, don’t we? For a mere servant, daringly. Exceedingly so.’
Allen Hamilton, who had a strangely gentle impression compared to Noah Hamilton and was only a new servant at the time, brushed back the bangs that covered his eyes and smiled brightly at him.
‘Too bad. No matter what you do now, there won’t be even a crack in his tightly locked heart.’
‘What does that…….’
‘Anyway, it’s fine. You can come to me whenever you’re dying to have him. I’ll smile at you with a face that looks just like his.’
He didn’t even have the mind to blame the servant’s audacity. It was definitely because he resembled Noah, because he wanted to taste even the faint shadow of Noah Hamilton, who was no longer allowed to him, that he had started seeking out Allen…
Somewhere along the way, Noah had been completely erased. He couldn’t trust himself. How… really, how could such a thing…
The knight’s blue eyes, which had been like a clear lake, deepened with worry for a long time. The surrounding circumstances hardly allowed him the leisure to reflect on his own mistakes.
“Shh, good boy… Just bear with it a little longer. We can’t possibly leave the stigma of illegitimacy on our precious baby. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Hic, I don’t know, I don’t know anything, it’s too much, hng, hng!”
The whiny, damp voice disappeared without a trace under the Crown Prince’s kiss. The Alpha’s pheromones were layered over the nose-numbing scent of roses.
“Young master, we have arrived.”
“Ughh…”
“Young master.”
His eyes fluttered open at the touch of a hand gently shaking his shoulder. Had he fallen asleep again?
“Young master? Young master?”
“Ah. I’m awake, Sir Kyle. Thank you for your hard work today.”
“…It’s nothing.”
His mind was somewhat clear, but he still yawned frequently, as if the fatigue in his body hadn’t gone away. This was always the problem when he visited the Crown Prince. He had to visit the Imperial Palace late at night to avoid public attention, so once he went, the time was always awkward, and he would always doze off like a sick chicken until the next day. It would be one thing if he just went to talk. He really meant to just talk, but as soon as their eyes met, their hands would be holding, and if he blinked while holding hands, their lips would be locked, and then his clothes would be stripped off…
Since it wasn’t an official visit, he couldn’t use a carriage, so he always quietly went back and forth with Kyle on horseback like this. At first, even if it was an unavoidable situation, he was just uncomfortable with the position of being held by Kyle. But people were adaptable animals. Now he just slept soundly. It wasn’t as comfortable as a carriage, but it was much more comfortable than riding a horse alone, so it wasn’t too bad.
“I probably won’t be going to the Imperial Palace for a while. His Highness won’t be visiting separately either. The period will probably be… until I go to Bartolo and come back?”
“I understand.”
The Crown Prince had already obtained information that the Hamilton Count family, including me, would soon be leaving for a trip to the south. As soon as I visited today, he said he thought he could take a day or two off and visit, so I had a hard time stopping him. If Carlisle and the Crown Prince were in the same place even for a moment… Ugh, I didn’t even want to imagine it. It might not be Carlisle, but the Crown Prince wouldn’t miss the opportunity to be close to Grand Duke Graham with his twisted, wicked intentions. He would definitely plot something or just freeze the surroundings with a pointless battle of nerves.
And to be very honest, as my engagement to the Crown Prince was becoming very visibly close, I also wanted to take a break from him for a while and catch my breath.
The Crown Prince was definitely a very useful card for me, but he was someone I couldn’t relax around when I was with him. After seeing him once, I would be exhausted. Anyway, it was fortunate that I managed to get him to leave this time under the guise of a final family trip before the engagement. As a price, I had to do everything he asked, so my lips, crotch, and… various parts of my body were still stinging.
“Ugh, Sir, you must have suffered a lot during that time, so think of it as a vacation. I’ll probably sleep in tomorrow, so don’t come until I call you.”
“Yes.”
Kyle, who had dropped me off in front of the main building’s gate, gave a final, respectful bow and walked away towards the stables.
Then I’ll just go up and collapse on the bed… I watched Kyle’s back as he walked away, then turned around with a light heart.
“Young master, you’re back…”
“Nicole…?”
Nicole was waiting for me in front of the door as always, but something about her expression seemed strange today. Her voice, which was hesitant and shrinking, seemed troubled. It was at that moment.
“You’re finally here? You’re late.”
Pushing Nicole’s shoulder aside, someone walked out gracefully.
118
“Mother.”
The Countess was wearing a light nightgown and a thick shawl, as if she was about to go to bed. It was well past midnight. Just saying that she was waiting because she was worried about her son returning late wasn’t enough, as her relationship with me hadn’t been that great recently.
“It’s still quite chilly at night, why were you waiting? Did you have something urgent to say? You could have told me tomorrow morning.”
I hastily wrapped my hands around the Countess’s pale hands, as if I couldn’t bear to be worried, and smiled innocently. Just like the innocent youngest son who had been the sole recipient of her love before Allen returned.
“……”
The Countess didn’t push my hands away for some reason, but stared at me silently for a moment, then forcefully shook my hands off.
“Yes. I do have something quite urgent to say.”
“Mother?”
“Especially, away from your father’s eyes.”
The corners of my lips, which had been raised in a bright smile even when my hands were shaken off, drooped ever so slightly. How could it be so predictable? It was so obvious and cliché that it didn’t even hurt.
What could she possibly want to say to me now, especially away from Father’s eyes, if not about the Bartolo Vineyard, which Father had strongly stated he would not reverse?
“How on earth did you win that person over?”
“What are you talking about? Win over…”
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand. I’m the one who raised you all this time. I know better than anyone that you’re not a child so dull that you wouldn’t even notice this.”
A cold chill flashed in her elegantly lowered emerald eyes. The strange cynicism in her voice was not just my imagination.
“He said he had already promised you and was vehemently opposed. Isn’t it ridiculous that I can’t even easily achieve wanting to give back to my child what I had prepared for my child?”
“……”
“So, Noah, will you give it to me? Will you return that bountiful farm to me, to my beloved child…?”
The white hand that had just shaken off my hands gracefully stroked my soft hair and cheeks, and the neck connected below. It was a strange caress, with a warm body temperature but a cool feeling.
“It was a place that that person and I had carefully chosen after racking our brains for days. I personally took the first shovel with Andrew’s small hand in mine. With the hope that my beloved, precious child would live a healthy and happy life without ever having to worry.”
I should be pathetically shedding tears around this point, but I couldn’t cry at all. I just felt foolish for once again placing vain expectations on her in this Iteration, without getting tired of it.
But I wasn’t worried. I could shed as many fake tears as I wanted with the help of my skill.
“Hic…”
I didn’t express strong displeasure to her, nor did I raise my voice, saying that it was already my land. I just pitifully heaved my shoulders and lowered my head.
“Mother, then, then… what about me…?”
It was a weak voice that sounded pitiful even to my own ears. Large teardrops fell like a torrential rain onto the cold, cold marble floor. The Countess must have been surprised as well, as I heard her gasp briefly.
“Am I not your, your two’s child?”
“Noah.”
“I’ve been holding back until now, thinking that I didn’t even have the right to feel resentful. Because I know so well that everything I’ve enjoyed was Allen’s… How could I not know how much you want to give Allen anything good…”
A warm hand touched my shoulder as I continued to sob and speak without even daring to raise my head. It was Nicole, who was at a loss behind the Countess. I skillfully hid my face by burying it in Nicole’s arms, who was even smaller than me, and opened my mouth again.
“How much do I have to give up for you to be satisfied? Even if you take everything you’ve given me and kick me out naked, I wouldn’t dare say anything. But, Mother, even the name I’ve lived with all my life isn’t mine, so then, what about me…”
“Young master.”
Nicole whispered softly, as if she couldn’t bear the pain in her heart, and hugged my shoulders tightly. It had been a long time since I had been hurt by the Countess’s coldness, so if I said I was okay, what kind of reaction would Nicole have? At the very least, she wouldn’t say it was a relief.
That was enough. If I had Nicole and Mrs. Seymour, I felt like I could somehow endure without collapsing.
“Do you remember when you gave me the Bartolo Vineyard? You gave it to me, no, to Allen, as a birthday present when he came of age. You promised that it was a picturesque place, so if we ever had time, we should all go on a family trip together.”
“……”
“Yes, since you have to take back what you gave me, I should give it to you. But, not before this trip is over. While… while that farm is still mine. While I can still be called your… child, I have to go there somehow.”
Around that point, I cautiously raised my head and looked at the Countess’s expression. Of course, I didn’t forget to pay attention to my facial expressions.
The Countess was standing there blankly, as if someone had hit her on the head, staring at me, or rather, at the marble floor where my tear stains were dripping.
“……”
“……”
The corridor is filled with a desolate silence. Now that I’ve gone so far as to say such things, the Countess won’t be able to harp on Bartolo any longer. Allen’s social standing was still a sight to behold, but now he has the Little Duke Graham as a decent marriage prospect, doesn’t he? So, from her point of view, it was obvious that I wouldn’t seem as hateful as before. I didn’t really need to put on this tragic tear show to protect the farm, or rather, the unexpected helper sleeping there…
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
“Really, I’m sorry, Noah. Oh… right, you were also my child…”
“Sniff…”
“Your mother was being foolish and spouting nonsense. Please forget it all.”
“Hngh, Mother…”
The Countess was startled and snatched me from Nicole’s arms, embracing me tightly with her slender arms and fragrant bosom. Her elegant fingers stroked my dry back repeatedly. As expected, it didn’t feel warm.
I didn’t hug her back until the end. Instead, I reached behind me and squeezed Nicole’s little finger once. Nicole nodded silently, as if understanding.
“What on earth are you doing!”
“Ugh…”
In stark contrast to my father’s face, which was flushed red with thunderous rage, the Countess’s face, barely standing as she bore the brunt of that rage, was as pale as if she were sick.
It was quite unusual for a noble couple, who had maintained a fairly affectionate relationship despite being bound by political motives, to clash so fiercely even in a place where there were many eyes watching.
Andrew and Frederick, and even Allen, seemed preoccupied with gauging my father’s mood, whose eyes were almost rolling back in anger, but I was busy barely suppressing a laugh.
What made our Count Hamilton, who was second to none when it came to valuing appearances, so furious was the headline of the morning newspaper, freshly published and delivered to the mansion this morning.
Oh, H! Most unsightly and vulgar guardian of the land!
Although it didn’t explicitly mention the name, it was a phrase aimed at Hamilton, who held the title of ‘most abundant guardian of the land,’ no matter who saw it.
The word Hamilton wasn’t mentioned even once, but the more you read the article, the more certain it became that it was about something inside our mansion.
The article bitterly criticized that Lady H, who recently found her biological son, often tormented the adopted son she had brought in instead, ignoring him openly at the dinner table, and blaming the adopted son for all the accidents that her biological son, who still lacked the qualities of a nobleman, got into with other nobles. It was quite specific, saying that the adopted son had not only given up the room he had been using to his biological son but was also about to have the inherited land taken away, and wondering what kind of family without roots could do such a thing with such confidence.
It’s the same as damaging my reputation, but no one in their right mind would believe that I spread this story. After all, in a noble family’s mansion, even if it seems like there are no people around, there are usually ears listening day and night.
“Oh, it’s unfair. I ended up saying that I wouldn’t take back the farm and would leave it as Noah had it…! Who on earth dared to blabber about the masters’ stories outside?”
As expected, the Countess didn’t seem to have anticipated that I myself was the protagonist of this detailed storytelling.
“Ha, so there was a time when you pressured Noah to give it back? Judging by the fact that you’re not denying it outright.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Marion!”
My father seemed to be so angry that he almost wanted to faint.