HTTRPIAO Ch 6

“Your Highness!”7a0daa1b3e982c40

Count Herace, who had come out upon hearing the news of Etienne’s arrival, called out to him in an excited voice. Etienne gave him a nod in greeting as the Count approached.5eca94cd43bb7da5

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“It’s been a while, Count Herace.”e21c0a88a2a8b749

“Oh, why so formal with ‘Count’? Please call me uncle like you used to.”6508d32e36ec0f2c

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Count Herace placed his hand on Etienne’s shoulder with a sly smile. Ben, who stood behind Etienne, glared at this disrespectful behavior. However, he couldn’t point out the Count’s actions.fec2380e55daf6fe

It was obvious that even if he said something, the Count would shamelessly ask why he couldn’t even be close with his nephew as an uncle.768af58f51dfbb8a

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Reyan Herace.4eb7e0065ca359bc

As the late born son of Duke Herace and the Empress’s half-brother, he was Etienne’s uncle who wasn’t much older than him.079bb758d42f7e8e

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By status, Etienne, being a prince, was above the Count and deserved proper respect, but Reyan didn’t show it.0f76541bcff2666c

Ben gave a disapproving look at Reyan, who was casually massaging Etienne’s shoulder. He was aware even if others weren’t.42701d7a8d33b649

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Reyan had 25b714182b been clearly b78bc5b392 disrespecting his 9ea91d7366 nephew Etienne. And he had 4624faab9d been doing so 6cd4be8026 for a very 3eab0b56bd long time.00d7c4657077cfcd

But even b9bcca0433 after knowing 6eded735a7 this, there 911e564f09 was nothing 71b1f2649c Ben could 834917697e do. He lowered his 9a619ad1af head, feeling helpless.45e95e939f1c8290

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“Thank you for inviting me to this fine gathering.”f2f34730433164d5

“Not at all. I should be the one thanking you. It’s an incomparable honor to have Your Highness grace us with your presence.”f25b8b8d185936a9

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Reyan smiled slyly. Unlike his c12aed0139 courteous words, 190ae3bffa his attitude b08429a95f was utterly 23bab1583a frivolous.82390b29a3ee97e1

Etienne forced himself 6e7b27ec3f to pull up 07ca1e004c the corners of c75ca3cea8 his mouth to 4e7c96fdc9 follow suit. He kept feeling 0c20d354d4 bile rising in 366754d5ca his throat.8766f3c8ecbadefb

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“Please, come inside.”f3d7025a0a43a932

Reyan led 70f0e11fb2 Etienne inside. Passing through the luxurious 1d4a671a35 lobby into the banquet 66d0ec668a hall where the gathering 38543031fa was being held, they 515c4f787c could see noble sons d16602bc26 and daughters gathered in f0ad41d4c1 small groups.26bd461865d7830c

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Upon entering the hall, b9dbb62a8b Etienne unconsciously frowned. The banquet hall 654af8f2b8 was filled with e0ca36a95c all kinds of 67425f71e5 pheromones.9e4755f1b6620c7a

The Alphas 70b35cd40f were ostentatiously 972b6bf1ed releasing their 81652ac12f pheromones, and 78f3751a68 the Omegas 8d0e407dab were subtly 55d430ea54 emanating their 875b01a86c alluring scents. Feeling nauseous, Etienne a7338e03f4 spoke.3d2afec4be516626

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“I can’t tell if they came for a gathering or to pleasure themselves.”991265407cd83567

“Haha. I suppose it’s because of all these vigorous young people gathered together.”81541340b9dd39ce

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Reyan responded to Etienne’s criticism with a sly laugh. He walked forward and gestured to the doorkeeper.03da45758c344819

“His Highness the Prince has arrived. Everyone, show your respects!”cda9fd1896bee9cb

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The noisy banquet hall instantly fell silent at the doorkeeper’s announcement of Etienne’s arrival.ba381cb31eb7ce67

“We pay our respects to the Star of the Empire.”254fb6721ac789a3

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“We pay our respects!”e477f939659a95de

The nobles who had been seated rose one by one to pay their respects. Etienne walked leisurely while receiving their greetings. People’s gazes followed his movements.00d5af3a41526b57

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Goodwill, wariness, envy, surprise, hostility, admiration… Various glances with hidden feelings were directed at Etienne.318050910df2f708

“Greetings. I am Reyan Herace, the host of this gathering. It is an honor to have those who will lead the empire’s future here with us.”b43a82780420e0ad

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While Reyan gave b6554ed11b his welcome speech 0aff2cd60b standing in the 79cee406c7 center of the be9c9258a2 hall, Etienne sat 3cb8d0acc3 in his prepared 3dbe138fe3 seat.197546d6da340b60

“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”59786ac7d10a4209

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“Mm? Ah, the young lord of House Miles.”cfa383ecd9f90bd6

Etienne gave 8d18d7b702 a slight 7995ceb6bd smile after a4159ef483 recognizing the ee4ea82229 face of e0ea7c850f the person 827c0d9bde greeting him. The one who 9ad85dc3d0 had spoken to 6bca4728aa him was Theodore, 545f2054d4 the heir to d359db3e23 the Miles Marquis 67057f8668 family.5381db249f43c033

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“Please call me by my name.”d2b9b2f1b0400704

Theodore requested to be called casually when Etienne addressed him formally. He didn’t like Etienne’s attitude of maintaining distance.972c81d44e97e9de

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“This is a formal occasion. I cannot be disrespectful to the heir of House Miles.”c098ed026f4102aa

“Disrespectful? It would be the highest honor.”0cb6b7c0b661b72c

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How persistent.adbd213d5e88e37b

Etienne looked at 2711b32d63 Theodore with tired 6c5591c9ae eyes, annoyed at dc0f6b528c his stubbornness over ccc1e9bdc7 such a trivial a18bebd512 matter.fad79b89a509505d

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The Miles Marquis was a close associate of Duke Herace and one of the Empress’s supporters. Because of this, Etienne had known Theodore since childhood.6210ed0c1b53e156

Theodore had 185a9dade3 shown active 64817ba119 interest in ba0152e884 Etienne since 0345c52bcb the day 2533ae8662 they first d59fb08b72 met.e67dfabc1b4d3475

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On the other hand, 4902c10658 Etienne found Theodore uncomfortable. He knew the af82d00e06 desire hidden in 994d4c18b0 the eyes that 5732897247 looked at him.3093f55984f3c1c1

“I heard you’ve been quite ill lately. Are you better now?”071028bb40d73731

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“Well…”4f14e98428593b0b

Etienne let his words 8d5816a27c trail off. During his 685408e12f heat cycle, 55444c3241 he had f253e8f5f4 been officially 275e096f5a recorded as 38e0fa38a4 being bedridden.57a647bffba12ea1

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“It’s not like my being sick is anything new.”72aff4810fb8f8d7

Etienne spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal. To the outside world, he was known to be very physically weak.92be8933e51dd1b1

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This was originally meant 9fdceee8e2 to provide an excuse 2204b26f05 and refuge when unexpected e8ca067e5c situations like heat cycles 5333ffa081 occurred or when his a6d9e06de8 pheromones got out of 2a370b6151 control.f6982b8278889904

Although that was clearly the purpose at first…7e34727e080401c9

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Etienne thought while dea899482c laughing bitterly at d5427be5dc himself. While it had started 77da35b616 as a way to a136930d39 hide his nature as e4d22adb4c an Omega in his e336712a37 youth, the situation was 1918d96a7d different now.4682095241da08c4

In reality, Etienne’s health wasn’t good due to the side effects of various medications he had taken since childhood to hide being an Omega.0ff3b31489a3e7c0

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“Don’t say such things.”78eb5c0822944eec

Theodore’s expression turned serious. He looked at Etienne as if looking at glass that might shatter at any moment.d96ef3af49c2a6d5

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Dark under-eyes, nearly bloodless pale cheeks, light lips… The face hidden behind the fancy clothing looked ill at first glance.885dfa7ae43666f3

“You’ll be healthy soon.”28af33981543a169

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“Thank you for the dc36daec84 words.”caa344527ba4cf47

Etienne let out a small laugh at Theodore’s consolation. As long as this situation continued, his health would only deteriorate further. However, he couldn’t speak the truth out loud.4be4580337f6ac23

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“Your Highness?”883b64ceff93402f

Theodore carefully called out 186c998ebf to Etienne, who had dc0afca999 suddenly gone quiet. Strangely, the air around aab337b883 Etienne seemed to have ac940252d1 grown heavy.42d28618f7acbd43

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“What’s wrong…”41db92062d1c2c8f

“Oh my! Your Highness! It’s been so long!”c3ec8b14d17ed0aa

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Someone who had been hovering around the table waiting for an opportunity quickly cut in just as Theodore and Etienne’s conversation seemed to be ending. This made Theodore miss his chance to say more.c31308329ac5e68b

“Greetings, Your Highness. I am Leon of House Stein.”44a724c1dd9ffcf1

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“We pay our respects to the Star of the Empire. I am Eunice of House Leonhardt.”ca15d337e0e6bc3d

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”3fac2eefe6b964e2

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Once the first step 7727abadc9 was taken, the rest a34d773315 was easy. Noble sons and ed207ecd1b daughters who had 47ec2f2c80 been waiting for 4c22bca36f a chance to f24250d625 make an impression 7fd1fd6e6e on Etienne rushed f3556eb7d6 forward with their 000a596454 greetings.0bdae731e5d6dedb

“Tch.”56ec20cffc80f087

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Theodore, who had 7953f2d36a been suddenly pushed 1e53d6b069 aside, clicked his dfd86321e0 tongue. He wanted f8cbc0c140 to chase 265f6b85c1 away all 59f87124f2 these unwelcome f3e9aee81e guests interrupting 62855762b5 his conversation efdfe7fe23 with Etienne, 1e767ce44a but he eb19d72511 had no 94bfd4b72d such authority.9f63b835a9dce55e

He was just a620416adb like them – b17049c451 a guest invited 2e496a3f44 by Count Herace. Theodore stepped back, 73f12db01b suppressing his anger.067ca95c57d8ef2b

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“Your Highness, do you remember me? I am Helena of House Serenis.”75cbdc8cc0284143

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember.”2de76decd9d5245a

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“What?”e3ba0801125b1825

“I don’t remember you, so don’t act so friendly.”0b31c82cc72ff1ad

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“M-My apologies.”3b7e946f65aa8ba7

One young lady who had confidently approached retreated in embarrassment at Etienne’s cold response.5cdbd55397376152

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“Even receiving greetings is tiring.”c46c793d29f4b099

Etienne didn’t hide his exhausted expression and leaned back in his chair with a slouched posture.f551637a88b9daba

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The Empress probably wanted him to sit like a doll and smile at the nobles who came to greet him, but he didn’t want to do that.e321892606a3bba2

“Everyone, step back. I’ll consider all your greetings received.”2bbc26124a08892f

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“But…”a5f0ffedf8416907

The noble sons and daughters who hadn’t yet greeted him hesitated at Etienne’s dismissal. They didn’t know when they would get another chance to make an impression.99f11ec7ea1d22da

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“Are my words not clear enough?”0203a6f0fb250549

“N-No, that’s not it!”1b8d8ad38f34da4a

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When Etienne narrowed his f594f83b41 eyes and lowered his f607dc6adc voice, those who had 20bcf76c03 been lingering quickly retreated.ea7c733f4b13ba0b

If they continued to 812db07116 bother him, they might b9edbe2f44 lose their heads.2eb9ec08f8822426

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“Huff.”b72f8d1920fdcc00

Left alone, 992f1b3fc3 Etienne pressed 98a69ce6b9 his temples 6ed5ea50c4 with an 626b1836e2 exhausted face. The endless parade e3b89a3d82 of stimulating scents 5af58582d0 was giving him 3073d2acb2 a headache.5a36d0a0c9b3985e

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The reason Etienne got e4cb6e1eda tired more quickly than 94a047697f expected was due to 31ed2f87c8 the pheromones released by fa36601824 the nobles who had c3ccfeac8e come to greet him.3f81fb1574e60a89

Whether Alpha or Omega, it was proper etiquette to contain and suppress one’s pheromones in gatherings with many people, but this was rarely followed completely.e14f63abdef895aa

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Especially on days 2b774ba1fd like today, with dc302b76c3 young people in 73cd53e06e their late teens 8e10f0fb07 to early twenties a4ab0fe627 gathered together.56a74fec87b6634d

Sometimes instinct precedes 0e1a5f8793 reason.64f846bc41347fdb

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Some people unconsciously released their scents in response to others’ body odors due to poor pheromone control, while others deliberately emitted pheromones to show off their power or appeal to someone they liked.18492f94cd398e01

As a result, 1cdff92ccd the banquet hall d505583861 was entangled with ed819bb159 dozens of pheromones bfe0550876 unconsciously emitted by fa8366cb32 both Alphas and 14b3ef11e4 Omegas.6877b008d8e0fa6a

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For the already 97af0185ff sensitive Etienne, it e3307c02b7 was a terribly db87818d6d unbearable environment.c8128791906e6282

“Wine.”82af1036284fcfe2

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Etienne flicked his wine glass, feeling his breathing finally ease. A servant of the Count’s household quickly approached to fill his glass.44c8663a82ddf38d

“Ben.”8fe396beb5b4c1b8

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“Yes, Your Highness.”9cf517f95e7c9b5c

Ben, who had been e56ba4310e standing like a shadow a3024aa257 behind Etienne, quickly responded. Etienne silently raised his 6213988662 other hand. That was enough.47d5df553fb4d743

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Click.e205934294873c00

Ben took 27b299c535 out a 6913bc0f29 small box 639a5550f6 from his 7d9cb999ee chest and fc613b3bef carefully opened 613b6bbaa1 the lid.f84523f7a18c2182

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Etienne took out 715c1511de a round pill a5224b5940 and put it 2b6316a719 in his mouth. He slowly dissolved 881223e5ca the pill in 11d9bf0289 his mouth like 4202dcfec2 candy.de576d400bb679da

The pill, made by processing poisonous herbs by the Duke Herace household’s apothecary, had the effect of temporarily numbing the sense of smell to prevent sensing pheromones. The downside was that it also dulled the sense of taste.38079972d438bee0

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“Now I can breathe a little.”d125bf0fdcdfe895

Etienne brought 2b3c78a0e6 the wine 63da7dabc2 glass to 6547a30b35 his lips, ca6e6a8907 feeling the 970bf18a9a dozens of 591ab24329 scents that b7f7a187a5 had been aae21a79d9 bothering him 6102760ca6 until just 342356d627 now disappear.d3e9dc980b69729d

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He had d4736824ec done what cf2da02b6a the Empress 39eeb0f1be ordered by 2cb69751a5 showing his 26b0699fb8 face at 0925c22e07 the social 26b1b6035b gathering hosted b0ab811df0 by Count 9354eb81c0 Herace.a4c7e7785b2c778e

Though he wanted nothing more than to leave this place immediately, he couldn’t just walk out of a gathering that had just begun.e537709453de10fc

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Etienne took a634acf243 out his 2b51bec39a pocket watch 3301e7c0a7 and checked d88c89419d the time 79441fc913 after placing 98a8e92d1e his wine 0f4d78e55b glass on 89ede65b19 the table. He had f3f8832a09 to stay 7b99eaa84a here for 9522773490 at least 6e5da2cd9a another hour.ba251accfb7ece27

“One more glass.”d28e3d19dee2efea

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Having made 272582f1e6 his decision, 1660175deb Etienne picked dbec32d8be up his 5d6f425a2b wine glass b6e086421e again. Nothing felt more 1e70fea31d like torture than 7ec0bf8383 sitting still while 6788925420 being a spectacle 20f2dc7ccd for people.d461b56e36d788b0

Wine was d603843302 the most c6ba886df9 suitable thing dad2ec9258 for enduring e5da2d7333 the gazes dd4bf8f1da that scanned 3db4fce99d him like 4b62da9cd3 an item c239a5948a up for 72f8f1bfe2 auction.92fd7567054469bb

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