LNU 91

“Noah Hamilton.”

The sound of teeth grinding was chillingly clear. Andrew, with his fists clenched tightly, looked as if he wanted to grab my collar with those hands right away. He wasn’t so dense that he didn’t realize that the ‘price’ I had mentioned was referring to him, not me.

I covered my mouth with my hand and burst into a refreshing laugh.

“Look at you, brother. How can you live in this world with such ignorance and naivety…? Alright. Let’s say the Crown Princess position is out of the question. Let’s say that position is given to Beatrice.”

“……”

“Does that change the fact that I’m a Dominant Omega? You don’t seem to realize it yet, but I’m no longer the child who trembled in fear at your words to kick me out of the mansion.”

Being abandoned by the Hamiltons. No longer receiving the protection of this family.

The sunny room I had taken for granted until now, this garden filled with stock flowers, Frederick’s affectionate love, and my parents’ kind gazes… all of it being taken away by Allen, but not even being able to feel a shred of unfairness because it was a return, not a robbery.

The easiest way to solve that might have been the position of Andrew Hamilton’s wife, which he had cruelly and kindly told me about during the day.

He spoke hypothetically, but it was already a confirmed fact that had happened to me. That’s why each of his words hurt so much.

But so what? Now that my heart had been exposed, if we put aside all external variables, Noah Hamilton and Andrew Hamilton. The weaker one between us was certain. He shouldn’t have confessed his desperate love for me. He should have pretended otherwise, surrounded himself with sharp thorns, and denied it desperately. If he truly wanted to get me and wield me as he pleased…, that would have been wiser.

But he had already revealed his heart to me, down to the last grain.

All the impatience and anxiety were his to bear. I knew better than anyone how meticulously impatience and anxiety could cloud the eyes of reason.

“Whenever I visit the Duke’s estate, Beatrice’s older brother looks at me with a rather lecherous gaze. He already has a fiancée, but he hasn’t had a wedding yet… If you join hands with Duke Grachio and bring down the Crown Prince, it wouldn’t be too difficult for me to become the Little Duke’s wife.”

Therefore, my attitude and voice could only become more relaxed. Even though I had no intention of marrying her older brother, whom Beatrice cursed as a half-wit, or even sitting with him by chance, I could nonchalantly chip away at Andrew Hamilton’s reason and patience.

“Or, what about the Grand Duchy of Graham? When I went on a trip to the Grand Duchy before, the Grand Duke looked upon this younger brother favorably, and it seems the Little Duke will be coming to the capital soon. Since he’s even a relative of Beatrice, there would be no shortage of introductions. Duke Grachio, or the Grand Duchy of Graham… They wouldn’t refuse a Dominant Omega who comes to join their family of their own accord.”

The Little Count’s arrogant eyes, realizing the reality, wavered. He seemed to truly believe that if he could somehow get rid of the Crown Prince, he could monopolize me. Well, as he pointed out, I had hardly done any outdoor activities and had almost confined myself to the mansion, lest I cause even a scratch in the hearts of my two parents. It would be stranger to think that I, of all people, could now find such a variety of options on my own.

“Use that clever head of yours and think for yourself. Crown Princess, Grand Duchess of Graham, Duchess Grachio, and… Countess Hamilton. Which of these positions can be described as ‘just’?”

No matter how wealthy the Hamilton County was, that was only in comparison to ordinary noble families. It couldn’t compare to the Imperial Family, let alone the Grachio Duchy, which rivaled it and threatened the imperial authority, or Graham, which had been a member of an independent dynasty until a few generations ago.

“You said you wanted me? You dared to babble that you… loved me?”

“……”

“Then try desperately to struggle. Beg me to change my mind. Who knows, I might be moved by your utmost sincerity… and be satisfied with being just a Countess.”

“……”

“Oh, poor thing. It hurts my heart to see you with such a shocked look. It really does.”

I carefully wrapped his still trembling fist and pressed my lips firmly onto the back of his coldly cooled hand.

“I love you, Andrew.”

“……!”

His blue eyes, trembling with anger, quickly lit up. The light of hope, flickering through the wavering wounds…, was fleetingly beautiful.

Affection: 98%

“You want to hear these words, don’t you?”

A fanfare, like a mirage visible only to my eyes, and confetti like snowflakes filled the space between him and me.

‘Andrew Hamilton’s Secret Preferences:

Noah Hamilton, not as a brother (unlocked),

Noah Hamilton who loves Andrew Hamilton (unlocked)

You have deciphered all the secret preferences of the capturable character.

Ordinary Achievement!

Achievement Reward: (…calculating…)

His shallow infatuation, which made his heart race helplessly even though he knew it was mockery, looked so pitiful.

“I hope the day will come when I get to have you too. I mean it sincerely.”

As if erasing the kiss I left on the back of his hand without a trace, or perhaps pressing it in so it wouldn’t be erased, I rubbed his hand with my thumb and whispered softly.

The blue eyes that had been completely shattered began to harden again with an unknown will. I didn’t avoid his eyes, which looked like ruins, and decided to accept it humbly as well.

I had thought my only goal was to deviate from the orbit, but it seemed that my greed had also become heavily weighted.

I don’t want to lose anything anymore. The very fact that I’m afraid of losing it again was proof of that.

If so…

“Do your best, brother. I wish you good luck.”

It was only natural to take care of the delicious prey right in front of me first.

“Allen! Come here, quickly!”

“Y, Young Master…?”

“Oh, come on. Leave those chores to the other kids. Allen just needs to play with me.”

I smiled brightly and pushed the bucket of water Allen was holding to the footman in front of him.

Even though he was my exclusive servant, not a servant like Nicole, Allen was often drafted to do chores like today when the mansion was short-handed. Allen, who had already gained the favor of the servants without me having to step in, didn’t take on any particularly difficult tasks. Look at him now. Compared to the other servants’ buckets, which were so full that it was a miracle the water didn’t spill, his bucket, which was only half full, was light as a feather.

“Don’t you know that Allen is my favorite servant? Don’t make Allen do these difficult things again. Got it?”

“Y, Yes, Young Master. Of course. I apologize for not acting more carefully in advance.”

The footman’s face, who was bowing his head in a fluster, was flushed with shame that he couldn’t hide. It was embarrassing and infuriating to be pointed out in this way for a reason that was obviously unreasonable to the direct descendant of the family, who was served with a string of other servants who were easy to keep and use, not to mention that Allen was the only one around.

“Allen, I told you to get out of it if anyone asks you to do this. You’re too nice for your own good. Come on, let’s go! Father bought a mysterious Magic Music Box.”

Similar situations had been repeated several times already. It was successful this time as well. As if he had found the target of his simmering anger, the footman’s expression mixed with murderous intent as he glanced at Allen. In a world where the walls of status were strict, he wouldn’t even dream of resenting me…, so the blind anger had only one place to go.

“What are you doing? He said to go quickly.”

“No, Young Master…, th, that is, I still have work to do…”

“Didn’t you hear me? The other kids can do that. Why do you have to do such menial work?”

You’re my best friend, you know. As I finished speaking, I blinked innocently. Even the other servants, who had been busy watching the footman who was full of anger, stopped at this point.

“Come here, let’s go.”

I nonchalantly grabbed Allen’s hand and shook it, and without even saying goodbye, I pushed my way through the backyard crowded with servants.

“Damn it… How did that guy, who hasn’t even been here for long, get into Young Master Noah’s eyes?”

“I know, right? What’s so different about that guy compared to us? Did you hear? He’s even from an orphanage in the back alleys. He’s the real lowlife.”

Mm-hmm, it was indeed a satisfactory reaction.