By Zephyria 
In Allen’s ‘True Ending’, which I wanted to steal, Carlisle originally didn’t care whether you were the Crown Princess or anything else, he just said that he would be your resting place, so lean on him anytime, and he volunteered to be Allen’s lover for the rest of his life, even though he was the Grand Duke of Graham. The Crown Prince was also supposed to be someone who didn’t know what a power struggle was, or even jealousy. The Crown Prince was supposed to see Allen, his spouse, having countless affairs with other Alphas and show a cool side that rivaled Hollywood, saying that he didn’t care as long as he was the first.
“I expressed my intentions to the Count earlier, and the Count agreed as well. Is there anything else that should precede the permission of parents and family in marriage?”
“Haha. If the Count’s permission is so important, how about bringing the Count in as the Crown Princess?”
“Little Duke!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Where did this look like a docile and prudent lover…? Where did this look cool…?
I was so drained that I shook my head and tried to turn my gaze back to the window where the carefree clouds were floating by.
“I have no choice.”
Another Alpha, who had been sitting right across from me, between the Little Duke Graham and the Crown Prince, quietly watching the situation, put down the glass with a clatter and opened his mouth.
“It is a pity to see the two of you, the proud pillars of the glorious Empire, raising your voices over just one person.”
He must have put oil on his tongue. Anyway, the Little Count of Hamilton was the best at flapping his tongue in any situation.
“It would be rash to assume that this is a small matter and move on, as the rift between the two of you is deep and wide… If the country is divided because of this, who will pay for the sin? I have no choice. As things stand, for the sake of the Empire’s peace, my foolish younger brother should not be sent into marriage anywhere and should be taken care of quietly within the family.”
“Hey, Little Count!”
“Andrew!”
Why are you like this too… really…
“What do you think, Noah? Is this older brother’s words not reasonable?”
I don’t know anything. I just want everyone to disappear.
Ugh, sour. I frowned momentarily as I took a bite of the appetizer on the table without thinking. It seemed that something sour was mixed in between the neatly stacked ingredients.
“What’s wrong, Noah? Is something bothering you….”
Carlisle, who was paying attention to my eating, focusing all his attention on it while barely paying attention to the food that was going into his own mouth, immediately leaned forward and asked. He looked so worried that I felt embarrassed to honestly say that I just ate something sour. I shook my head, saying that I was okay and that nothing was wrong, and tried to rinse my mouth with water, but of course.
“It seems that the lime flavor in the sauce is a bit strong, so it doesn’t suit your taste. Well, should I tell them to bring out the next dish quickly?”
It was before I could even give Carlisle any answer. The Crown Prince, who was sitting at the head of the formal dining table, sneered in a nonchalant manner, as if picking a fight. It was an undisguised ridicule that he didn’t even try to hide. As if he was scolding me for not knowing that.
“Ah, well. It would be strange if you knew that my fiancé doesn’t really enjoy sour things. Weren’t you a strong suitor for Allen Hamilton? Even if the appearance is similar, tastes that are not visible to the eye are not the same, so how could you have been able to examine even the trivial tastes of my fiancé? I was too harsh. I apologize.”
Wow… He’s really mean. Looking around, Andrew and Frederick, as well as the other servants, didn’t show even the slightest agitation, as if they had already developed calluses over the past few days. At first, they were so frozen and tense that they couldn’t even breathe when the two of them were so hostile, but as expected, time was the cure. The servants’ faces even looked bored. It was a tired expression of, ‘Not again, again.’
I pulled on the sleeve of Andrew, who was sitting next to me, as a sign to stop them. Andrew was the only one who could represent Hamilton at the formal dinner, as the Count and Countess had not shown up, citing their physical condition.
“……”
But Andrew, who was not to be trusted, only happily stabbed me in the foot. He seemed very pleased with the way I was clinging to him, and he just smiled contentedly, gently covering the back of my hand that was pulling on his sleeve, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping them.
…In fact, although he had never said it outright, Andrew seemed to be on the Crown Prince’s side rather than Carlisle’s if he had to choose a side. After all, as someone who wanted me, he wasn’t happy with the competitor who had belatedly joined in. I understood his feelings, but.
“Stop it, Your Highness.”
I put down my utensils and stopped the Crown Prince. Carlisle’s expression brightened up. And how about his shoulders, which were proudly straightened? I opened my mouth as soon as I saw him about to say something to the Crown Prince.
“Carlisle, stop it too.”
“…Carlisle?”
The voice that muttered softly was Andrew’s again. I’m going crazy, really. In the end, he corrected his words, saying each word clearly, ‘Duke Graham, Your Grace.’
To be honest, I was simply happy that Carlisle had come to his senses and returned to my Harem. So much so that I would have jumped up and down on the spot if there were no eyes watching. But that was just for me. To other people, Carlisle Graham was a crazy guy who had been chasing after his younger brother, saying that he liked him and wanted to marry him, but suddenly changed his mind in the blink of an eye and said that he liked his older brother and wanted to get married, so it was honestly a bit difficult to like him.
I hadn’t seen it myself, but I had heard that Carlisle had lost his mind and raged like never before as soon as he heard the news that I was in danger. He showed a very dramatic reaction, even shaking off Allen, who was clinging to him, asking why he was suddenly acting like this.
When I thought about his reaction when Allen disappeared, which had been calm, I felt somewhat proud.
At the same time that Allen was shaken off by Carlisle, he lost consciousness… and he still hadn’t fully recovered his consciousness. I had called all the famous doctors in the area, but all they said was the same thing. His physical condition was all fine, and they only said that he seemed to be suffering from fatigue. The Count and Countess couldn’t dare to argue with Carlisle, who was of a much higher status than them, and from that day on, they were stuck to Allen, who had lost consciousness, taking care of him day and night.
I tentatively guessed that it was a reaction to Carlisle forcibly breaking the unknown brainwashing that Allen had used. Otherwise, the timing couldn’t have been so perfect. Anyway, I had been worried that Carlisle would extend his reach to other characters if his brainwashing was released, but I was relieved for the time being. I was reassured just by confirming again that Allen’s ability was not a cheat key without limits or anything.
Everyone was curious about the reason why Carlisle had suddenly changed his mind, but Carlisle was someone who didn’t care much about whether he was being criticized or not.
“I’m so uncomfortable. The rest of you can have a pleasant meal together. I’d rather go up to my room and eat some bread.”
I immediately jumped up, ignoring the dining etiquette and everything else. The Alphas who were occupying the seats seemed to be itching to follow me, but no one dared to move rashly, seeing me narrowing my eyes at them with displeasure.
“I will escort you to your room, Young Master.”
Except for the carefree escort knight, whose voice sounded very excited for some reason.
Knock knock.
“Young Master, Duke Graham is here.”
It was late at night, well past midnight. Ever since I had cut off dinner in the middle and stayed in my room as if I had been glued to it, the footsteps of people pacing around my door had been quite loud. The Crown Prince, Andrew, and Carlisle had taken turns requesting to visit, as if they had made an appointment, and I had refused them all, making excuses such as that I was feeling lazy or that I was busy preparing to sleep.
I was pondering what to do when Nicole slyly came beside me and whispered in a small voice, “His Highness the Crown Prince and Master Andrew have already gone to bed.” Well… it was late.
“Bringing an Alpha into the room at this late hour is a bit much, isn’t it?”
Because of the Crown Prince and Andrew constantly interfering, we haven’t even had a proper reunion yet, so now is the perfect time to talk alone, but… it’s too late. Just thinking about how much the Crown Prince will badger me when he hears this news tomorrow morning makes me shudder.
As if he had been listening to my troubled voice, Carlisle stepped over the threshold without permission.
“I haven’t had my Day of Blessing yet.”
“Archduke.”
“I mean… I’m not an Alpha yet. Is it still not allowed?”
His dejected voice is unbelievably adorable. I stared blankly at Carlisle, who looked like he could be a villain, fully grown but with the ends of his eyebrows drooping, saying he hadn’t had his Day of Blessing yet, and eventually burst out laughing.
“I can’t help it then. Come in, then.”
“Yes!”
Beneath that brightly smiling, innocent expression, the image of my young and youthful Master flashed by. This is a problem. I’m more glad than I thought.