By Zephyria 
The magician, who had disappeared from Noah Hamilton’s sight in an instant, was actually still nesting in the Count’s residence. Hiding his appearance using the scattering of light was easier for him than breathing.
“You’re awake early today, Master.”
“…Yeah. I slept well for once, so I woke up early.”
The one who opened the door and came in was a servant whom Noah Hamilton had seen a few times near him while eavesdropping on his daily life. Until then, the magician hadn’t paid any attention to a mere servant with bright yellow hair like a newborn chick.
“…”
Of course, it was just a misunderstanding, but it felt like their eyes had met. A servant who didn’t feel any traces of magic couldn’t possibly do that. Unless he had learned some ominous sorcery from somewhere.
What made the magician’s neural circuits light up wasn’t a mere moment of eye contact.
“Just a moment, Master. It would be good to ventilate the room. I’ll open the window.”
“Okay.”
The servant’s face, which was slightly revealed by the wind that blew in at the right time, resembled his one and only patron to a surprising degree.
‘Oh, this is… This could be a useful substitute…’
In the red eyes that no one could see, a radiance full of vitality flickered for the first time in a while.
“How long it has been since your return. Congratulations, Vice-Commander.”
“You mustn’t call me that anymore.”
“Well, once a habit is formed, it’s hard to break.”
Looking down at his subordinate who was scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, Sir Kyle Gray, who until recently had been the Vice-Commander of the Hamilton Main Estate’s Royal Guard, cautiously released the tension from his heavy shoulders.
It was worth hurrying and diligently rushing through an already tight schedule with no room to spare. The glorious capital of the empire was now right in front of him.
“How long has it been since you returned to the capital residence this time?”
“Well… Has it been a year and a few months?”
The eyes that looked back on the past were still endlessly wide and deep. It was no exaggeration to say that anyone who stood before the noble knight with ascetic features and deep eyes would want to fall into his eyes and flounder.
No matter what the world thought, the problem was that the one person he wanted to capture was walking across the lake without any care.
The facts were clear. Kyle Gray had been abandoned. By the person he had believed in so firmly, the person he loved in his heart.
From the day Noah Hamilton trampled on his pure heart, he thought and thought again. Where did it go wrong? What did he do wrong? He was sure they felt the same way.
The smiles that melted him every time they met, the cute actions of secretly bringing him snacks to the training grounds under the guise of coming to watch the knights’ training, and the shyly blushing tips of his white ears every time he called his name.
It was by no means a misunderstanding. It wasn’t just a meaningless fantasy of his own. But Noah Hamilton treated the memories they had built up over the past few years as trash in an instant and threw them away without a care, and with the red lips that had whispered shy affection in his ear, he said so well.
‘As you may know, I have manifested as a Dominant Omega, Sir Kyle. Therefore, I have decided not to engage in romantic games for the sake of the family.’
The countless nights he had waited by Noah Hamilton’s bedside, who couldn’t sleep because he was afraid of stormy nights, until he fell asleep, with only a dim candle as a friend. The countless days he had held the young Noah Hamilton, who childishly insisted on wielding a sword because he wanted to be a man, and wielded the sword for him so that he could feel better, were dismissed as childish ‘romantic games.’ He should be grateful that they at least acknowledged those countless days and nights as romance.
‘I am no longer just a son of a noble family. So I can’t be your person. I’m… practically the Crown Princess.’
Noah Hamilton, who was as beautiful as a dream, would never know the violent impulses that had consumed his entire brain at that very moment.
Imagining Noah Hamilton occupying someone else’s seat was terrible and disgustingly ecstatic at the same time. Vile lust surged explosively.
He wanted to hug his shoulders and say that he couldn’t accept it. It would have been too easy to suppress his weak limbs that struggled not to do this with force.
But the result was so pathetic.
Regardless of how bitter Kyle Gray’s feelings were, Noah Hamilton was the precious youngest son of the Count’s family and a Dominant Omega, and he was just a knight with nothing but his appearance and skills.
By order of the Count, he had to easily transfer his position to the territory where Hamilton Main Estate was located. He couldn’t dare to disobey. As long as the person he loved was within the walls of Hamilton, he couldn’t think of leaving Hamilton at all.
Compared to the prestigious Hamilton Count family, which was a central noble family in the capital, the Gray Viscount family was much lower in rank, but it was a hereditary noble family with a proper territory. Kyle, who was born as the third son of the Viscount family, realized his position from a very young age. In any case, one of his two older brothers would inherit the family, and to be honest, inheriting the Gray Viscount family would not be a great honor in itself.
Fortunately, he had a knack for swordsmanship, and he was a talented person who could grow up to be better than his not-so-outstanding teacher. The reason why he chose the Hamilton Count family among the many families who wanted to bring him into their family was simpler than he thought. At first, it was for financial reasons. The Count, who was considered the best wealthy man in the empire, offered a price that was incomparable to other families.
In this way, he came to the Hamilton Count family for a year, and then the next year… As time passed, Kyle Gray easily proved his ability and potential. The only regret was that the Hamilton Count was a pretty good employer, but he was not a lord to whom he could dedicate his life.
After building up a decent reputation, he should transfer his position to another place, and it might not be bad to go to a conflict-ridden border area and devote his loyalty to the country as a warrior. It was definitely only those thoughts that had tied Kyle Gray to the Hamilton Count family.
‘Ah, hello, Sir Kyle…’
With cheeks dyed rose-colored, he shyly greeted him.
‘The weather is very nice today, isn’t it? If you don’t mind, would you like to stroll through the garden with me?’
At first, he had only seen him as cute, like the young nephews he had left in his hometown.
‘You know, Sir Kyle. It’s a little embarrassing to say, but I… I feel a little happy when I’m with you. Do you feel the same way? I hope so.’
Noah Hamilton, who had grown up dazzlingly at some point and smiled lovingly in front of him.
Although Noah Hamilton, who even put on an absurd act of releasing his Pheromone and tearing at his collar to get out of his arms, was hateful and hateful beyond comprehension…
Favorability: 68%
“Still, you must be happy to be back, Vice-Commander? Everyone noticed that you were suffering in your territory.”
“…Yeah. I’m glad.”
The abandoned dog had not yet dared to forget even the shadow of its owner. Just as the fresh dawn was breaking, Kyle Gray led his exhausted subordinates and finally crossed the gates of the capital. It was at least two days earlier than planned.
I woke up as usual, but somehow the mansion was all busy. There were so few hands that even Allen, who was always by my side with Nicole, had been seconded to other work.
“You like it better when I serve you like this, right? Right?”
Nicole, who had rarely had a personal servant, seemed to be flying with joy because Allen, an unexpected variable, had suddenly appeared and had to give up all the small services to Allen. She even hummed as she washed and wiped my face.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s right. Of course, our Nicole is the best….”
I wondered why he hated Allen so much from the beginning of this playthrough, but was this the reason…? I blankly thought as I readily put on the clothes Nicole gave me.
Originally, Allen only took on menial tasks within the mansion, such as taking care of the horses or throwing out the trash. But after Kyle took a liking to him, his situation gradually improved. In that process, rumors naturally spread that he resembled me, and he eventually regained his original status. He had never been assigned high-level tasks serving a direct member of the family.
It seemed he was burning with unnecessary competitive spirit because of the first exclusive servant he had. Regardless of my personal feelings towards Allen, from Nicole’s perspective, he had to take on even the trivial tasks that a servant wouldn’t normally do because I didn’t have an exclusive servant. Shouldn’t he be happy about that…?
“Anyway, what on earth is going on? The atmosphere seems strangely chaotic.”
“Ah. You know that Frederick became the chief of security for the mansion, right?”
“Yeah. Freddy bragged about it so much, geez….”
“So, he turned the royal guard upside down, saying he needed to check how much the knights’ skills had improved while he was away? But it seems the results weren’t satisfactory. He said, ‘With skills like this, who are you even protecting?’”
“Freddy, really. He doesn’t think about how his own skills have improved.”
“Anyway, because of that, most of the knights stationed at the mansion and those at the main estate have been switched. Frederick stopped by the main estate’s royal guard on his way back to the mansion, and he said their skills were much better. Originally, the knights were supposed to arrive in two days, but we suddenly received word this morning that they had arrived in the capital. So, we’re scrambling to prepare a welcoming ceremony and clean up the quarters that aren’t ready yet, so we’re short on hands.”
Until then, I just nodded along, thinking, “I see.” But there was a strange unease, as if I had forgotten something, and one side of my brain was itching.
“Is the welcoming ceremony tonight, then? Do I have to go? How annoying.”
“Well. Shouldn’t you just do as you please? Frederick will take care of it, so….”
In the end, that day. I turned a blind eye to the slight unease and spent time chatting with Beatrice for the first time in a while, then lazily returned and fell soundly asleep again. I absolutely. Absolutely shouldn’t have done that.
But it couldn’t be helped.
“I greet you, Master. I am Kyle Gray, and I will be your escort knight from today.”
Regret is regret because it’s about something that has already passed.