By Zephyria 
Allen often acted as if he had a suspicious side, but that was only when he was alone with me. In places where there was a third party’s gaze, Allen, as he always did, only showed a gentle heart as if he couldn’t kill even a passing ant, and a brighter appearance than the cheerful protagonist in a cartoon movie. This time as well, he couldn’t move a muscle from the gazes of the other servants passing by, and was just being held by me.
“Young Master…, h, how about the hand…”
The voice that came out thinly was almost pleading. I let go of the hand I was holding and leaned on his arm affectionately, hooking my arm around his. Allen and I were the same height, as if we had deliberately matched it, so when I hooked my arm around his and brought my face close, our eye levels matched perfectly without even an inch of error.
“What’s wrong, Allen? Have I… perhaps been too much of a burden to you?”
It was a dejected voice, unlike my active actions. It was quite loud for a dejected voice, so that it would enter the ears lurking around, though.
“I’m sorry if I made a mistake to you. But… it’s the first time I’ve had a friend my age this close besides Nicole… Ah, would it be rude to even call you a friend?”
The eyes of the servants, who had been expressing their dissatisfaction with how a newcomer of unknown origin had gotten into Young Master Noah’s eyes, began to fill with a completely different kind of resentment. I didn’t know for sure, but it was probably mostly, ‘How dare you make Young Master Noah feel bad?’
No matter what tricks Allen had used, I was still the Young Master they had to protect, not him. Allen had poured enough oil, so I was just lighting a small spark there.
Until now, no one had felt a great sense of incongruity about Allen’s presence, which had permeated the mansion surprisingly quickly. It was just that the speed was too fast, but Frederick had originally been the type to get along with his subordinates in a subtle and comfortable way, and above all, according to what I had gathered from the news in the mansion, most people felt that it wasn’t too strange that Frederick had opened his heart faster because he was my exclusive servant, not someone else. Even Andrew’s subtly pressing attitude was so subtle that even those who weren’t very perceptive couldn’t even notice it.
This is why group psychology is scary. Even people who didn’t know Allen would rattle off answers like a vending machine when asked about Allen, ‘Ah, Allen? That new exclusive servant of Young Master Noah’s? Yeah, I’ve heard of him. Everyone says he’s a good kid.’
In this mansion, Allen had already been defined as a good guy. He had gained a lot of excessive favor from a large number of people in a short period of time.
When Allen had the strong background of being the youngest son of the Hamilton County, it acted as a pure charm point, but… even when there was no background to protect his personal safety, would the heavy favors of an unspecified number of people for no particular reason be a good thing?
Yes, or no. In a simple multiple-choice question, I was going to raise my hand for the latter. Was I just raising my hand? I was even planning to prove that the latter was correct.
“That can’t be! How could I dare…!”
“I knew it, right? Thank you. I’m so happy that you’re going to be my friend.”
Achievement Reward Applied:
The people around you perceive your somewhat forced remarks and actions as very natural.
Remaining Uses 2/5
In order to collapse the surface of the water glass, which had already been shaking with surface tension, it didn’t require a great determination or resolution.
“Isn’t it strange? I like you so much, Allen. I’ve felt strangely drawn to you since the first time I met you.”
The lips that were spouting lies turned into clear water droplets, tok, tok, tok, and fell onto the surface of the glass filled with people’s dissatisfaction.
“I wish you felt the same way. The way I did.”
Only superficially. I didn’t hate Allen at all, and I didn’t even bother him a little. Noah Hamilton was just an ignorant young master who was too excited about his new exclusive servant of the same age.
Praising Allen in front of everyone and piling dry firewood on the altar for him… was the most perfect way to burn him. Even if his status was restored later, there would be no room for criticism.
Knock knock.
“Young Master, Young Master Frederick has come to see you.”
With a heavy knock, the door opened and Kyle, who had become accustomed to being my royal guard, appeared.
“…Freddy?”
I was lying on the bed, half-heartedly flipping through the novel I’d been reading, when I asked back, dazed, in a voice that held no interest. Freddy coming to my room first? It was so out of the ordinary that the word ‘unusual’ felt like an understatement. Especially recently.
Before I could even answer to let him in, the slightly ajar door burst open, and a familiar massive shadow loomed behind Kyle. It was Frederick.
“If you were in your room, you should’ve told your brother to come in right away. Huh? You cheeky little brat.”
Frederick strode in and casually ruffled my hair as he pleased. He didn’t seem to be using much force, but his grip was so rough that even when I tried to resist, my head was tossed around uncontrollably.
“Ugh, stop it. I’m getting dizzy.”
“Dizzy? From just this? You’ve gotten so weak while I wasn’t looking, my brother. Here, take this. It’s training, training!”
He was as much of an idiot with muscles for brains as ever. Frederick was recklessly cheerful, as if he didn’t even remember the distance that had subtly grown between us recently. Like a fully grown dog still thinking it’s a puppy, pestering its owner to play.
“I said stop it, Frederick! Sir Kyle!”
Kyle, who had been waiting a step away for my command, moved immediately. I had to say, he lived up to his reputation as someone who had built his fame purely on skill, without any background, and proudly occupied a spot as one of the Love interest. Even though Frederick was also a formidable figure when it came to brute strength.
Without exaggeration, my vision was spinning. I was already feeling sluggish because my cycle was approaching, and having my head shaken around like that made me feel dizzy.
Only after Kyle forcibly pulled him a few steps away from me did Frederick seem to notice my pale face, and he quickly started whimpering, at a loss for what to do.
“Ah, Noah. What’s wrong? My brother, are you really made of cotton candy? Just a little head patting and… Are you sick or something? Huh?”
“…It’s just a period when my condition isn’t great.”
Even if we were family, I felt awkward talking about cycles and all that between a grown Alpha and an Omega. Frederick, who was about to ask more, cluelessly, about what exactly was wrong with my condition, had his shoulder pressed down hard by Kyle and barely managed to shut his mouth.
“Anyway, what’s going on?”
I asked, pressing my throbbing temples with my fingers. Irritation crept into the end of my voice. Frederick, aware of his wrongdoing, didn’t complain and just sent me puppy-dog eyes.
“If you’re here for Allen, he’s away for a bit, so come back later.”
“Noah…?”
“I gave him some work, so he went to the shopping district with Nicole.”
“Wait, wait a minute. Why is Allen’s name coming up here?”
“Huh? Weren’t you here to see Allen?”
“What nonsense are you spouting…”
I forgot about my dizziness and my eyes widened. Frederick was also staring down at me with a dumbfounded expression, as if wondering what kind of crazy talk this was.
“Now that I think about it, you’ve been acting strange since earlier. You didn’t tell me to come in right away, you didn’t greet me when I came in, and you’re asking me what I’m here for as if I only come to see you when I have a reason…!”
He seemed so upset and wronged that he roughly shook off Kyle’s hand and even stomped his feet. Ha, who should be saying that right now. I was the one who was dumbfounded.
“Why don’t you reflect on your own actions first, Sir Frederick? Do you even know how many times you’ve visited me recently? Every time you come, you whisper so amusingly with Allen, and if I try to ask, you disappear.”
“Ah, that’s…!”
“And you have the nerve to yell at me like that? Huh?”
“Aah, ah, really, really!”
Frederick pounded his chest with his fists as if he couldn’t stand the injustice and frustration, then left me with the words to wait a few months and ran out, slamming the door behind him.
What on earth just happened? I was completely stunned.
“Huh? Young Master, did something happen? Frederick just ran through the hallway like some kind of bison…”
And before I could even process my stunned state, Nicole and Allen, who had visited the Delphion Atelier at my instruction, returned with perfect timing.
“Ah. You’re back at a good time. How was it, Nicole? I was right, wasn’t I?”
“Yes… Well, the size was so accurate it was almost creepy… Chilling, even…”
“Tsk. Don’t say things like that to someone’s face. Come on, Allen. Come out here. I want to see you all dressed up.”
His long, slender limbs and straight shoulders looked stunning in the neat jacket and flowing shirt. I had instructed him to dress properly before visiting the atelier, so his usually messy hair, which he was always hiding, was now glossy.
“Young Master, these clothes are too much for a servant like me…”
“So what? I wanted to give them to you.”
I quietly got up and approached Allen, who was dressed in a way that didn’t suit his status. Then, I gently swept his long bangs aside and turned to Kyle.
“Sir Kyle. What do you think? I have a good eye for talent, don’t I?”
“…”
“Sir?”
“…Yes, indeed. You do.”
A vacant, dreamy voice. I barely managed to suppress a snicker.