By Zephyria 
The warm southern sunlight, which seemed to melt away all the gloom accumulated in people’s hearts, probably couldn’t melt the frozen atmosphere between these two people right now.
No, it’s been a long time since the thick dark green blackout curtains were drawn to block out the outside scenery, so it’s foolish to expect the sunlight, which can’t even enter the room, to alleviate this precarious atmosphere.
The two figures, as still as objects, were none other than the glorious Lord and Countess Hamilton, who ruled over vast and fertile territory.
Like other nobles, they shared appropriate intimacy for appropriate interests at an appropriate age, and readily added the name of love to shallow affection, vowing to become lifelong companions. From the day they first met until recently, the two had lived together harmoniously for twenty years, which could be considered long or short.
Even when they lost their youngest son, whom they wouldn’t have minded putting in their eyes, the two never raised their voices at each other. Rather, they were busy trying to understand how much the other person’s heart was hurting.
However.
“…….”
“…….”
What filled the space between the two now was suffocating silence, resentment towards each other, frustration with the situation, and a hint of anger. That was all.
It would have looked more amicable if they had been raising their voices and arguing, each taking the side of the adopted son they had cherished in place of the child they had lost, and the biological son they had miraculously found.
“What are you going to do?”
“…….”
“William.”
The voice that used to call him “Will” affectionately when they were alone was nowhere to be found. The Countess’s voice was just cold and dry. In the dark room where not a single ray of light entered, the Count, who had been deeply bowing his head, mechanically raised his head at his wife’s call. He didn’t particularly show any sign of paying attention to that dry, loveless voice.
“What are you going to do, I asked.”
“…….”
“Marion, are you now… asking me such a thing…! Ha, never mind.”
No matter how much he racked his brains, there was no way to overcome the situation. The two were merely avoiding responsibility and barely avoiding the gazes of the precious people at the villa with the crude excuse that their physical condition was not good.
“Whose fault is it in the first place? Who on earth…! If it weren’t for you, would that child have even thought of committing such a wrong?”
“Marion!”
The Count shouted, grinding his teeth. He was fed up with his wife’s appearance, still protecting and defending her son, who was causing all sorts of accidents even in this situation.
Their biological son, Allen Hamilton, who had miraculously, or perhaps fatefully, returned to their arms, had dared to deceive Little Duke Graham. It was a great sin that could not be repaid even with one’s life. Even if Graham brought an army into Hamilton’s territory under the pretext of repaying the insult, there would be nothing to say.
‘That’s right, Count. It’s also my fault. No matter how much they intentionally deceived me, I was the one who was deceived in the end.’
‘Ju, Little Duke…!’
Even now, thinking about it made his whole body shudder. That young man, who was a couple of years younger than his youngest son… at that time, his dark eyes, which usually just looked calm, were filled with murderous intent, and he was looking down at him calmly.
Even though he hadn’t passed his Day of Blessing yet and hadn’t properly manifested as an Alpha, Little Duke Graham didn’t put much effort into making Count Hamilton kneel. He couldn’t move. If he moved even a little, that ferocious beast looking down at him… seemed like it would cut off his breath right away.
Frankly speaking, Carlisle Graham, who had been acting as Allen’s suitor and living as a guest at Count Hamilton’s mansion, had seemed rather foolish, as if he was missing a screw or two. So, the Count had been secretly looking down on Little Duke Graham. Since it was virtually impossible to assert authority as a father-in-law because the Crown Prince, who had reserved Noah’s spouse position, had an inhumanly cruel and calculating nature, he thought it would be good to assert his authority as he pleased if such a weakling came in as Allen’s spouse. There were definitely nights when he indulged in such a naive dream and chuckled alone.
‘Oh dear. Are you trembling pitifully? Please get up. If you are the father of Noah, then you are like a parent to me, so you must not be treated so insignificantly.’
‘Kehk, kegegek…! Keuk!’
It was strange. The young Little Duke didn’t grab his collar or choke him. He just reached out his hands and personally helped Count Hamilton up. However, when the hand of a man as big as his second son, Frederick Hamilton, touched his back and shoulder. For some reason, the Count couldn’t even breathe properly. He could only move his lips and beg for breath.
‘I can cover up all the reckless mistakes your son has made as is. As long as everything goes back to normal.’
The Count nodded somehow, still moving his lips and begging for breath. It was the will to provide whatever the predator in front of him wanted right away. The Little Duke’s mouth curved into a very elegant angle, but to the Count’s eyes, it looked like the gaping mouth of a beast. Was it an illusion? It couldn’t just be an illusion. Just a few days ago. Everyone in this villa had heard and seen the true form of the Graham clan, who had transformed into huge beasts to find the missing Noah Hamilton.
The gap in the ground where Noah had fallen didn’t seem that deep, but strangely, it didn’t allow anyone to enter. Countless people headed under the gaping ground to rescue Noah Hamilton, but none of them achieved their goal. It was as if some kind of magic had been cast just a few inches in, and an invisible barrier was firmly blocking external intrusion.
Frederick Hamilton’s angry fist, blinded by anxiety, and Andrew Hamilton’s sharpened blade could not penetrate that intangible barrier. However, there was someone who managed to break through the unknown barrier. It was a black wolf the size of a house with particularly sharp fangs.
The black wolf crashed into the barrier several times without caring about its own body being damaged. It didn’t seem to feel at all that its fangs were breaking and its claws were being pulled out, and it did it again and again. Until the barrier that had made everyone despair shattered like glass shards.
‘The only person I have been longing for is Noah Hamilton.’
‘Geuheueuk, eueuk…….’
‘So, give him to me.’
‘Geuheuk, keuk.’
‘That means I will forgive all the sins of deceiving me. Isn’t it easy?’
There was no need to think. He had to nod unconditionally. The survival instinct of a mere human in front of a predator was shouting that all along. However…….
‘Yo, yo, Your Highness…, but, Noah, tha, that child is already…….’
Unfortunately, it was too obvious that as soon as he handed over his son to the beast’s mouth, another predator would jump in and aim for the Count’s breath.
‘Ah.’
The Little Duke exclaimed briefly as if he had just remembered. And then, very kindly, he smiled, crinkling his eyes as much as when he had looked down at Allen before.
‘That’s none of my business. Noah will be much happier living carefree by my side than living catering to that madman.’
It was a sound that plunged the Count into the abyss of despair. If the message that Noah, who had been in a deep sleep, had woken up hadn’t come at that moment, the Little Duke would have somehow gotten a definite answer from the Count. What to do, what to do, while anxiously biting his nails, things got even more serious. The Crown Prince had finally moved his heavy steps to Bartolo. And then he heard the news that another suitor had formally proposed to his betrothed, whom he had marked.
The Count dedicated the best room in the villa he was using to the Crown Prince and moved his room to the Countess’s residence. And then, he didn’t make a sound, saying that his body was not well, and didn’t take a step outside the room. As long as Noah had the Hamilton name, all authority over his marriage rested with the head of the Hamilton family. So, whether it was Little Duke Graham or Crown Prince Adrian, they would somehow try to crush the Count with their authority.
The price of sinning against Graham was too great to choose the Crown Prince, and he couldn’t dare to incur the Crown Prince’s wrath to choose Graham.
“Haa……. If that’s the case, if Allen even manifests as a Dominant Omega……. I would even suggest to His Highness the Crown Prince to take Allen as his consort.”
He muttered sadly. He had known from the beginning that the Crown Prince was interested in his son only because he knew that the one who suited his taste among the Dominant Omegas was on this side.