When they finally reunited in the square, Rishar had to hold back his desire to call Etienne ‘hyung-nim’ right away. Unlike before, he was now somewhat aware of his own position.

In front of the Empress who was looking at him with terrifying eyes and the Emperor openly displaying his affection for him, it was dangerous to be overly familiar with Etienne. So he held back.

Rishar suppressed the longing that had accumulated over the past three years as he faced Etienne. He didn’t want his actions to cause him trouble.

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However, finding it difficult to completely restrain himself, he ended up giving Etienne a short greeting before boarding the carriage.

‘I’m back, hyung-nim.’

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Rishar remembered Etienne’s eyes open in surprise and unconsciously smiled. Just thinking about that scene made him smile.

But Rishar’s smile didn’t last long. His face cooled down as he recalled the events that followed.

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“Elvin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

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Elvin, who had successfully fended off the clingy nobles like leeches, answered with a tired expression.

“Look into Marquis Miles’ son.”

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“Maquis… Miles’ son?”

Who’s that? Elvin tilted his head at Rishar’s sudden command. Soon, he easily recalled Theodore.

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Theodore Miles.

He was one of the young, few Alpha successors, son of Marquis Miles, a prominent figure among the nobility.

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“Why are you suddenly asking about Marquis Miles’ son…”

“I saw earlier how he seems to harbor disrespectful feelings towards my hyung-nim.”

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“Huh?”

Elvin made a strange sound at Rishar’s words. Just as he was about to ask how he knew this, he saw Rishar’s fierce expression and politely asked,

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“What exactly should I find out?”

“Everything.”

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Rishar answered as if he was asking something obvious. After a moment of thought, he spoke again.

“Find out if he’s close to my hyung-nim, and if anything happened between them while I was away.”

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“Understood.”

Elvin answered without objection to Rishar’s additional command. He knew well that Rishar was particularly sensitive about Etienne’s matters.

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“Welcome back, Your Highness.”

As they went outside, Jade greeted him with a bow. The knights and mages of the Eckhart family behind him also saluted in unison.

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“Where’s Stella?”

After quickly scanning the people greeting him, Rishar slowly spoke. He noticed one person who should have been next to Jade was missing.

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“Well… she was too drunk… and insisted on staying in the banquet hall, so I put her in the back carriage.”

“Well done.”

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Rishar lightly nodded at Jade’s response and boarded the prepared carriage.

“Depart.”

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Elvin, who boarded the carriage after him, signaled the coachman. At the same time, Jade also gave instructions to the knights.

Rishar felt the carriage moving and turned his gaze out the window. His gaze was fixed on the inner palace, which was now blurrily visible.

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After being called by the Empress, he thought Etienne would be in the banquet hall, but since he wasn’t there when he returned, there was a high probability he had gone to the inner palace.¹

“Hmm.”

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Rishar let out a low sigh, remembering Etienne disappearing with Ben. What could be so urgent that he didn’t even turn his head at Rishar’s suggestion to meet again next time?

“…What a pity.”

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Truly a pity. Rishar muttered to himself and stroked his chin. Though they had a brief conversation on the balcony, it felt like it was hardly worth it. It only made him thirstier.

“Tsk.”

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As the inner palace completely disappeared from view, Rishar clicked his tongue softly. It was a habit he had whenever he didn’t like something.

Throughout the day, Rishar’s attention was continuously drawn to Etienne.

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While being led around the banquet hall by the Emperor, he would glance at Etienne whenever he had a chance.

His heart wanted to approach Etienne, regardless of the Emperor’s displeasure or what people might think, but he couldn’t.

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Etienne sat alone in a corner throughout the banquet. It was behavior unbefitting a prince being discussed as the next throne’s owner, though he himself seemed not to care at all.

Etienne drank his wine with a bored expression, like a child forcibly dragged out. Some nobles hovered around him, but he didn’t even look their way.

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Rishar felt an inexplicable sense of relief at seeing Etienne like this. Feeling relieved that no one was beside him made him feel disgusted with himself.

But what could he do? This was just how he was.

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Rishar halfheartedly responded to the people greeting and talking to him while constantly stealing glances at Etienne. When he saw Etienne heading to the balcony alone, he made an excuse about taking a brief rest and followed him.

He felt that if he didn’t follow now, he wouldn’t get a chance to talk to Etienne until the end of the triumph ceremony banquet.

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‘Why do you keep pushing me away!’

‘Let go!’

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‘Please give me a reason I can accept!’

On the balcony Rishar thought would have only Etienne, there was an uninvited guest. Rishar saw Theodore grabbing Etienne’s arm and shouting, making him furious.

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‘What is this behavior?’

Before he could process the situation and think, his body moved first. Rishar seized Theodore’s wrist, which was holding Etienne’s arm.

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How dare he.

Rishar felt his vision turn blood red with anger. As his fury became uncontrollable, his pheromones violently surged. If Etienne hadn’t stopped him, he would have thrown Theodore to the ground.

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‘Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine.’

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Etienne seemed slightly startled by Rishar’s sudden appearance but quickly regained his composure. When they were left alone on the balcony, Etienne looked at Rishar with his characteristic indifferent face.

‘How did you know to come here?’

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Etienne didn’t seem pleased to see Rishar. His voice, lower than usual, was filled with discomfort.

‘We’re finally alone, hyung-nim.’

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Rishar pretended not to notice that Etienne was uncomfortable with him. He couldn’t waste this one in a million opportunity. Etienne’s brow furrowed slightly after he spoke so brazenly.

After several exchanges, Etienne gave up on driving Rishar away. Only then could Rishar relax and keep talking.

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‘Did you receive the letters I sent?’

He had so many things he wanted to say when he met Etienne again. But now that he saw him, he didn’t know what to say first.

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After pondering for a moment, Rishar brought up the letters. It was the last thing they discussed when they last met.

‘…I received them, until last year.’

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At the mention of the letter, Etienne’s eyes flickered slightly. Rishar didn’t miss the movement of his long eyelashes.

‘I wanted to send them this year too but… things got a little hectic and I lost the sense of time.’

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He gave a plausible excuse, but it was actually a blatant lie. Since the beginning of the year, Rishar had deliberately not sent letters. The more letters he sent to Etienne, the deeper his longing became.

Etienne had kept his word from three years ago. He had never once sent a reply to Rishar.

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If he said he wasn’t disappointed by the lack of response, it would be a lie, but in a corner of his heart, he was somewhat relieved.

Just writing letters to Etienne made him desperate to go to him, and if he had received a reply, he might not have been able to endure it.

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He might have gone to the capital recklessly, regardless of the expedition. Rishar was confident in this thought.

‘I told you I wouldn’t reply.’

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Etienne fell for Rishar’s lie. Hearing Rishar’s false excuse, he mumbled with a blank face.

‘They all always said the same anyway…’

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‘So you did read my letters.’

When Rishar realized Etienne had read his letters, he was truly happy.

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In fact, he had thought Etienne might not read them at all. Especially since no reply had ever come.

Nevertheless, he had sent letters diligently last year. At first, it soothed his longing. Then, as his longing grew and became unbearable, he stopped.

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There was a reason why the letter content was always similar. He had so much he wanted to say to Etienne that if he wrote, the letter would never end.

Not knowing which words to cut and which to write, he just wrote formal greetings where he would put his entire heart into those sentences.

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He didn’t know if the worry and longing embedded in each letter reached Etienne, but at the time, it was the best he could do.

While he had great regret about not being able to write more then, looking back now, he thought it was good he had done so.

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The Empress would surely not have left his letters to Etienne untouched. She had most likely checked the letters first.

The fortunate thing was that the letters had somehow reached Etienne. Given the Empress’s personality, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had simply discarded his letters.

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‘I missed you, hyung-nim.’

Despite promising to restrain himself, he was so happy that Etienne had read the letters in which his suppressed feelings burst out.

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As expected, Etienne felt uncomfortable with Rishar. When Rishar begged to be called ‘Sha’ like before, Etienne’s expression hardened and he spoke in a colder tone than usual.

‘…I’m not going to indulge your childishness. We’re not children anymore.’

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He had clearly rejected him. In his words, there was the meaning that they could never return to how things were before.

“…How did we end up like this?”

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Rishar spoke as he scorned himself, remembering Etienne’s obvious discomfort.

“Eh? What did you just say?”

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“Don’t mind me, I was just talking to myself.”

Rishar answered Elvin’s question offhandedly and continued his thoughts.

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When did Etienne stop smiling at him? When did his cold face become more familiar than his face smiling?

Rishar searched his memories with a bitter smile. The dramatic change in their relationship began three years ago, on the day Etienne came of age.

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Following the imperial tradition, on the second day of the New Year, Etienne, who underwent his coming-of-age ceremony, began to gradually distance himself from Rishar. There had been signs before, but this was the first time he had drawn a clear line.

Etienne’s unilateral distancing increased when Rishar formally inherited the Grand Duchy.

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Attending the inheritance ceremony, Etienne made it clear with formal congratulations that he would keep his distance from Rishar from then on.

At that moment, Rishar clung to Etienne, who was building a wall. He knew why Rishar was doing this, but couldn’t understand it.

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‘From now on, don’t refer to me as hyung-nim. We don’t have that kind of relationship anymore.’

Etienne was adamant. He truly wanted to become strangers with Rishar. But Rishar could not accept this. For him, it was like a death sentence.

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‘If it’s because of the rumors around me… you don’t need to worry about it.’

Rishar thought Etienne was distancing himself because of the Emperor and Empress.

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His benevolent guardian, the Emperor, had shown his desire to make Rishar his heir when Rishar began to stand out at the military academy. The Empress had also become hostile to Rishar from that time.

‘I will be the Grand Duke of Eckhart until I die. I don’t intend to be swayed by the circumstances of adults, no matter what you think, hyung-nim.’

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Rishar knew exactly why the Emperor favored him and why he wanted to make Rishar the crown prince instead of Etienne. That’s why he disliked it even more.

The Emperor’s obsession and vengeance, and the Empress’s ambition, were of no concern to Rishar. But it seemed Etienne was different.

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‘What rumors? I don’t know anything about that. I just believe this is the right thing to do.’

Etienne denied Rishar’s words. But Rishar knew the reason why Etienne was trying to distance himself.

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He couldn’t help but know. Because Rishar had grown up with Etienne.

Rishar’s consciousness flowed into a slightly faded past.

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‘From today, this is your home.’

From the day he entered the Imperial Palace, led by the Emperor after his parents’ funeral, until he entered the Imperial Military Academy, Rishar had lived in the palace.

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‘Home?’

‘Yes. I will be your guardian until you come of age. I will be like your family.’

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‘Family…’

Rishar muttered the word family that the Emperor had mentioned as if it were strange. The Emperor could never be family to him.

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‘The palace where you will stay is the one I lived in during my time as a prince.’

The Emperor had bestowed upon Rishar the palace he had used during his time as a prince. It was right next to the palace Etienne was using.

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‘Later, I’ll introduce you to the Empress and the Prince… Uhm, how old is the Prince this year again… Since he’s about your age, you’ll become friends quickly.’

‘Prince? I know who he is. It’s Etienne, right?’

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‘Hmm? Do you know the Prince?’

‘Yes. I’ve seen him once when I entered the palace with my mother.’

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‘I see. Well… that will make things easier. Chamberlain, bring the Prince.’

Upon Rishar’s words that he knew the Prince, the Emperor ordered the chamberlain to bring Etienne. And he introduced them.

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‘Prince. This is Rishar von Eckhart. You’ll be living together in the palace from now on, so get along well.’

‘Yes, Father.’

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‘…Very well. I have a state council meeting, so I’ll take my leave now. Show Rishar around the palace.’

Called by the Emperor, Etienne was somewhat timid. The Emperor was also stiff when dealing with Etienne. He left Rishar with Etienne and walked away.

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‘Hello, Your Highness.’

Rishar bowed slightly, watching Etienne’s reaction. He had seen Etienne with the Empress a few times when visiting the palace with his mother, but this was the first time they were talking.

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‘Hi!’

Etienne, who had been cowering as if frightened, brightened up like a clear sky after the Emperor left.

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‘What’s your name?’

Etienne, who had settled into his seat, looked at Rishar with sparkling eyes. His pale sky blue eyes were full of curiosity, completely different from his quiet demeanor just moments ago.

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‘Rishar, Rishar von Eckhart.’

‘Rishar? Shar… The pronunciation is a bit difficult. Can I just call you Sha?’

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Etienne, who had been muttering Rishar’s name while furrowing his brow, suddenly clapped his hands.

‘Sha…?’

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‘Yes, Sha. How about using it as a nickname?’

Etienne asked, seemingly pleased with the nickname he had created, his eyes sparkling. His sky blue eyes were quite beautiful as they came to life.

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‘What’s a nickname?’

‘It’s like a special name people who are close to you use. It’s like an intimate way of saying your name. Do you not like it? If you don’t like it, I won’t call you Sha.’

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‘No, I like it. I like Sha.’

Rishar quickly shook his head. He was anxious that Etienne might change his mind and just call him Rishar again. Once Etienne got his permission, he smiled brightly.

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‘So you’ll let me call you Sha from now on? Don’t change your mind later!’

‘Mmhm.’

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‘Alright, Sha.’

Sha. Rishar repeated the nickname to himself following Etienne. For some reason, his heart felt ticklish.

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‘Are you going to live here from now on?’

‘No, only until I become an adult.’

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‘Adult? How old are you now?’

‘Seven.’

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‘Then I’m your hyung-nim since I’m older! I’m nine.’

‘Hyung-nim?’

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‘Yes. Call me hyung-nim from now on.’

Etienne cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders. However, Rishar wanted to call him differently.

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‘What’s your nickname, Your Highness? I want to call you by a nickname too.’

‘Me? I…’

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Etienne was flustered by Rishar’s question. Rishar tilted his head, looking at Etienne, who couldn’t answer right away.

‘I don’t have a nickname… No, you’re younger than me! And calling each other by nicknames is something only friends do.’

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Etienne, who was about to answer honestly, changed his words midway. Rishar pretended not to hear the first part and asked again.

‘Is that so?’

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‘Yep, so call me hyung-nim. Got it?’

‘Yes.’

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Etienne grabbed Rishar’s shoulders with both hands and glared at him. Overwhelmed by Etienne’s intensity, Rishar nodded.

‘Good.’

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Satisfied with getting an answer from Rishar, Etienne lifted his hands from his shoulders.

‘Let’s see. Seven years old… You’re still far from becoming an adult. We’ll live together for at least 10 years, right?’

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Etienne quickly calculated and reached out his hand to Rishar. It was a gesture to shake hands.

‘I will be in your care. Let’s be friends.’

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‘Yes, hyung-nim.’

Rishar took Etienne’s hand with a gentle face. For a moment, he thought about making a nickname for Etienne if he didn’t have one, but quickly abandoned the idea.

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He was afraid Etienne would get angry if he suggested a nickname.

Though it was their first proper conversation that day, Rishar had wanted to get close to Etienne for a long time, so he held back. He didn’t want Etienne to dislike him.

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But unable to completely suppress his desires, Rishar secretly harbored one wish.

Someday, he would call Etienne ‘Etty’.

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“We’ve arrived.”

Lost in deep reminiscence, Rishar was brought back from his thoughts by the coachman’s voice. They had already arrived at the Grand Duchy.

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“We’re here faster than I expected.”

“It’s not that far.”

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Elvin, who had risen first, opened the carriage door. Then, placing one hand on his stomach and the other behind his back, he greeted playfully.

“Welcome back, Grand Duke.”

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Rishar let out a little laugh and got off the carriage. The servants of the Grand Duchy, who had been waiting after receiving word of his arrival, bowed to him in unison.

“Welcome, Grand Duke!”

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Has it been three years?

Rishar looked at the bright as midday Grand Duchy with nostalgic eyes. The Grand Duchy was exactly as he remembered.

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“The night air is cold, come inside.”

Rishar lightly tapped the shoulder of the bowing butler and moved forward. Jade, Stella, and Elvin followed behind him.

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When will I see him again?

As Rishar walked towards the Grand Duchy, he glanced at the distant Imperial Palace.

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He had told Etienne that they would take more time in their next meeting, but Rishar didn’t know when that would be. Even if he asked for an audience, Etienne would probably refuse.

“Hmm.”

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Should I try to use the Emperor?

As Rishar wondered how to meet Etienne again, he entered the Grand Duchy. Etienne might not want it, but Rishar had no intention of giving up on him.

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III. Signs of Rupture

 

“It might sting a bit.”

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Etienne winced and narrowed his eyes as the needle pierced his skin, accompanied by the warning. Even though he should be used to it by now, it somehow still hurt every time.

“I’m sorry, I’ll do it just one more time.”

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Celodine apologized and moved his hand again. At that moment, his fingertips stung once more.

“That’s enough.”

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Celodine took out a small, elongated glass bottle after confirming the red blood droplets rising from Etienne’s white fingers. With skilled movements, he placed the glass bottle to his fingertips.

As soon as he brought the bottle close, the red blood began to drop inside – one drop, two drops.

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“Hmm.”

The blood was too thin. Celodine let out a sigh as he checked the blood filling the transparent glass bottle. His forehead was deeply furrowed.

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“What, is something wrong?”

Etienne asked casually, seeing Celodine’s darkening expression.

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“N-no.”

Celodine, who had been staring seriously at the glass bottle, got startled and answered. It was a lie that anyone could see through.

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“The color seems lighter than usual?”

Etienne raised the hand with flowing blood and spoke. Even to his own eyes, the blood color seemed strange.

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“That, uhm, we’ll need to run some tests to know for sure.”

“Just tell me honestly.”

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Etienne chuckled at Celodine’s restless demeanor. He knew better than anyone that his body wasn’t in a good condition.

“My body’s been a bit off lately. I even had a heat cycle all of the sudden the other day.”

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Etienne readjusted his posture and looked at Celodine. Although he worked for the Empress, he was also a doctor with conscience.

“I’ve been drinking less as you told me. Is that not enough? Should I take more medicine?”

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“No. Now is the time to reduce all medicines.”

Celodine shook his head at Etienne’s question. He seemed to choose his words carefully, hesitating for a long time. It looked like his loyalty to the Empress and his conscience as a doctor were conflicting.

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“Whew.”

Celodine let out a long, frustrated sigh and looked up with a resolute face.

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“I’ll be frank with you, Your Highness. Right now your body is… like it’s poisoned.”

Celodine spoke with a stern expression. He had been Etienne’s personal doctor for ten years now.

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This year, Etienne’s health had rapidly worsened. His body, which had reached its limit, was deteriorating at a fast pace.

The truth was that it was already remarkable that he had endured this long.

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Without the Empress and the resources of the Herace family, without the empire’s most renowned doctors and apothecaries dedicating themselves to his care, Etienne would have already fallen apart.

“I’ve already told the Empress, but for now, you need a break from the medication, Your Highness.”

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“And if I don’t take a break?”

“… In the worst case, you could lose your life. Your nervous system could be damaged due to side effects, potentially leaving you disabled.”

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At Celodine’s words, Ben, standing behind Etienne, turned pale. In contrast, Etienne himself remained calm, as if he had been expecting to hear such words.

“I see.”

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Etienne nodded lightly and leaned back on the sofa with a tired face. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“What did Mother say when she heard your report?”

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“Her Majesty the Empress…”

Celodine hesitated and trailed off. In fact, he had warned the Empress multiple times that Etienne’s medication needed to be reduced. Otherwise, Etienne’s health would be irreparably damaged.

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However, the Empress had not listened to Celodine at all. Instead, she had even threatened him.

‘Hasn’t it been about ten years since you became the prince’s doctor?’

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‘That’s correct.’

‘Ten years, the longest so far. Did you know? Before you became the palace doctor, three others took care of the prince. They were all dismissed for speaking out of turn. What do you think happened to them?’

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‘Your Majesty.’

‘All I want from you is one thing. Is it so difficult to ensure our prince’s status as an Omega isn’t discovered?’

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‘But at this rate… the Crown Prince’s health will be completely ruined.’

‘He just needs to endure until he becomes the Crown Prince. Not much time is left.’

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‘… Really?’

‘Yes. We just need to get rid of Grand Duck Eckhart. So manage him well until then. Even if his health does worsen… well, that can’t be helped. Just make sure he doesn’t die.’

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Recalling the conversation with the Empress, Celodine swallowed hard. He was at a loss about how to convey this to Etienne.

Once you lose your health, it’s hard to recover.

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Despite knowing this, the Empress continued to have Etienne take medication. Her attitude was that as long as he didn’t die, his body’s deterioration was irrelevant.

“It seems Mother didn’t give permission.”

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Seeing how the doctor’s face had darkened, Etienne gave a bitter smile. Celodine bowed his head with a desperate expression.

“I apologize. My abilities are still lacking…”

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“Enough.”

Etienne waved his hand dismissively. After a moment of thought, he spoke again.

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“Are there no other solutions besides reducing the medication?”

“… There is one.”

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Celodine carefully responded to Etienne’s question.

“What is it?”

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“… Fully experiencing the heat cycle.”

“Fully?”

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Etienne gestured for Celodine to elaborate. Ben, who was pouring tea, also listened attentively.

“Until now, Your Highness has never properly gone through a heat cycle. Whenever your heat cycle came, you received sedatives and sleeping pills and went to sleep.”

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“That’s right.”

Etienne nodded. The best way to go through a heat cycle was to sleep with an Alpha. By taking contraceptive pills and having relations, no child would be conceived even during rut or heat cycle.

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If pregnancy was a concern, one could also spend the night with a Beta or Omega. It wasn’t as good as being with an Alpha, but it could still calm the sexual desires triggered during the heat cycle.

If both methods were undesirable, the only remaining option was to take sedatives. The downside was the discomfort before the medication took effect, but taking sedatives was the only way to avoid being physical with someone else.

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And this was the method Etienne had chosen when going through his heat cycles. In fact, there was no real choice. The Empress would never allow Etienne to sleep with anyone.

So Etienne had endured his heat cycles by taking sedatives. When sedatives didn’t work well, he would also take sleeping pills.

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“I’m sure you’ve already noticed, but the sedatives don’t work as effectively as before.”

“Right, that’s why I’ve been having some difficulties this time. Is this because my body is breaking down?”

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“Correct. You’ve developed a tolerance to the medication, which is why the drug’s effects take more time to appear.”

Celodine answered in a resolute voice. He seemed determined as he spoke.

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“Because you’ve been taking medication since childhood, the period between your heat cycles got longer compared to others, Your Highness. Most people experience heat cycles five or six times a year, but you only experience two or three, and even those are suppressed with medication.”

“Hmm.”

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“Until now, you’ve been able to control the cycle by forcibly regulating it with medication, but due to the tolerance, problems have arisen. The suppression isn’t complete, so the cycle has become irregular.”

Etienne’s heat cycle problems began the year before last. If measures had been taken then, such as discontinuing medication, today’s situation might have been avoided.

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However, for Etienne to take a medication break was impossible even if Celodine could go back in time. Back then, and even now, Celodine had no confidence in persuading the empress.

“…”

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Celodine bit his lower lip, feeling a sense of guilt rising. Though he couldn’t help it due to the empress’s orders, he also bore some responsibility for the prince’s body being this damaged.

“At this rate, does even taking the medication matter?”

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“It’s not that the medication will have no effect at all. However, you can no longer completely block your heat cycle. If you continue suppressing it with medication, you’ll experience a heat cycle all of the sudden like last time.”

“In other words, it’s like a bomb that could explode at any moment.”

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“Exactly.”

“…Could we change the formula and use a new medicine?”

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“Changing the medication might have an effect for a short while… but eventually, it’ll become the same as now. There are limits to artificially blocking a natural phenomenon.”

After finishing his words, Celodine took a deep breath. It felt like an indigestion he’s had for a long time had subsided after finally saying what he’d wanted to say.

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“More importantly… in Your Highness’s current physical condition, it would be difficult to administer a new medication.”

“…”

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Etienne, whose mind was troubled by Celodine’s explanation, kept his mouth firmly shut and fell deep in thought for a long time. After a while, his tightly closed lips slightly opened.

“In other words, to get out of this state, I need to spend the night with an Alpha, am I right?”

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“…You are.”

Celodine, who had hesitated at the blatant question, responded in a low tone.

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He was worried Etienne might be displeased, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like that. Gaining a bit of courage, Celodine explained the effects of spending the night with an Alpha and experiencing a heat cycle.

“If Your Highness spends the night with an Alpha… it, uhm, it’s embarrassing to explain directly, but… by receiving the Alpha’s essence and letting out your essence… the accumulated waste and toxins in the body will also be expelled. It’s similar to purifying contaminated land…”

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As the moment required of a direct explanation, Celodine’s face reddened. Despite it being a natural explanation for a doctor, he felt inexplicably embarrassed.

Perhaps, the reason was that he had never discussed such matters with the Prince before.

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Feeling the heat in his cheeks, Celodine continued his explanation awkwardly.

“After spending the night with an Alpha, your body will stabilize, and you won’t need to take medication for a while. At least for a month or two.”

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“And I will return to normal?”

“Of course. Afterward, you’ll need to take suppressants again, but taking them after a medication break will make them more effective. That concludes my explanation.”

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Celodine finished explaining and grabbed the water glass on the table. Having spoken non-stop, his throat was dry.

After drinking the water in one gulp, Celodine watched Etienne’s reaction. While he had felt relieved moments ago, now he felt anxious after speaking.

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“I understand that’s the best method. But it’s impossible at the current point.”

“I know.”

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Celodine agreed with a dejected expression. It was a method the Empress, who wanted to hide Etienne being an Omega at all cost, would never allow.

If this conversation were to reach the Empress’s ears, he would be in serious trouble. That thought made cold sweat run down his spine.

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Since the Prince and his loyal attendant would never share today’s conversation with the Empress, the information wouldn’t leak out, but he still felt uneasy.

“Your… Your Highness.”

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Celodine, anxious, carefully called out to Etienne while watching his reaction.

“What?”

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“The conversation we just had…”

“Ah. Don’t worry. It won’t reach Mother’s ears.”

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“Thank you!”

Celodine’s expression brightened at Etienne’s definitive answer. With a more relaxed expression, he took out an alcohol swab.

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“I’ll clean the wound now.”

After disinfecting the wound in his finger, Celodine applied a bandage. As Etienne packed his bag and stood up, he looked at Celodine and spoke.

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“I’m sorry that even though you explained it to me so kindly, I can’t follow your advice.”

“It’s nothing. I was just doing my job.”

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Celodine waved his hand at Etienne’s apology. Even knowing it was impossible, he wanted to maintain his last bit of conscience as a doctor.

“For now, I’ll reduce the medication. I’ll explain this to Mother myself, don’t worry.”

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Etienne smiled slightly at Celodine. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked,

“By the way… if I reduce the medication, I’ll naturally need to limit my external activities, right?”

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“Indeed. Although Your Highness’s pheromone control is top class, in your current weakened state, it’s best to minimize exposure to Alpha pheromones as much as possible.”

“Understood. You’ll tell Mother about this part.”

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“Eh?”

“About reducing external activities. If I say it, she’ll think I’m just trying to avoid something.”

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“Ah, understood.”

It wasn’t a big deal. Celodine nodded casually.

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Etienne’s smile deepened, having obtained what he wanted from Celodine. He was planning to use this as an excuse to stay confined in the palace for a while.

“I’ll be going now. See you next week.”

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“Yes. If you feel unwell, please call me anytime.”

Celodine bowed politely and went out. The moment he left, Ben approached with a serious face.

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“What are you planning?”

“What?”

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“The palace doctor speaking like that means your condition is seriously critical, Your Highness.”

“So?”

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“Your Highness!”

Ben raised his voice, looking frustrated. Raising his voice in front of the Prince would normally be considered disrespectful, but he was beyond caring.

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“I heard you. Speak quietly.”

“Please tell the Empress and properly go through your heat cycle…”

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“Ben.”

Etienne called Ben in a low voice. Ben, about to say something more, stopped mid-sentence.

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“You know better than anyone that Mother would never allow it.”

“We’re talking about your life, Your Highness. He said you could be disabled for life if something goes wrong. Even the Empress…”

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“No, Mother won’t move until I’m literally on the verge of death.”

The Empress was cautious by nature. She would never take a risk in a situation that could make his status as Omega be revealed and therefore have to abandon the position of crown prince.

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“She would rather see me become disabled.”

Etienne spoke with certitude. Most of all, the Empress had a strong sense of pride. She would never tolerate Etienne sleeping with just anyone.

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“Even if she allows it, who would I sleep with? We can’t just randomly choose someone to sleep with the Prince of the empire.”

“That…”

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Ben was speechless, just moving his lips. Etienne twisted one corner of his mouth mischievously while looking at Ben.

“Or will you do it?”

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“What?”

“Serving me at night. Will you do it?”

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“Wh-what… that’s too much of a joke.”

“It’s not a joke. Who else can I trust? Isn’t it just you?”

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“Huh?”

“So what do you think? Mother might even allow it if you do it.”

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“That’s impossible. I don’t even have a noble title!”

“You don’t have a title, but you’re not a commoner either, are you? Second son of House Luton?”

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“But I’m a Beta…”

“Hmm? Isn’t being a Beta actually safer? No risk of pregnancy. The way you keep making excuses, it seems like you don’t want to sleep with me.”

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“I-it’s not that I don’t want to, but, uh, I’m not qualified…”

“Haha.”

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Ben stammered, turning red. Etienne burst into a small laugh seeing Ben turn bright red in an instant.

“See? It’s not an easy matter.”

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Etienne stopped laughing and buried himself in the sofa with a tired face. While acting nonchalant on the surface, he was quite shocked by his body’s condition.

Perhaps because of that, suddenly everything felt exhausting. Etienne felt a headache coming on and covered his eyes with his wrist.

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“Let’s end this conversation here. Got it? I’m tired and need to sleep a bit.”

“If you’re tired, go to the be-“

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Just as Ben was speaking, someone knocked on the door. Immediately after, a voice announcing the chamberlain’s visit was heard.

“Your Highness, the chamberlain requests an audience.”

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“The chamberlain?”

Etienne frowned at the mention of the chamberlain. He raised himself and signaled to Ben.

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“Tell him to come in.”

As soon as Ben’s words ended, the door opened. The chamberlain entered without a sound and bowed.

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“I greet the Star of the Empire.”

“What brings you here?”

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“His Imperial Majesty wishes to hold a banquet this evening. He has sent word that you must attend.”

“Father?”

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Surprised by the unexpected invitation, Etienne furrowed his brow. Something about this felt ominous.

“Who will attend the banquet?”

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“Grand Duke Eckhart and all those connected by imperial blood. I’ve also sent invitations to the 10 major families, including Marquis Herace and Margrave Mathias.”

“Haah.”

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Etienne felt irritation rise at the chamberlain’s words. When he didn’t respond immediately, the chamberlain urged him.

“Your Highness?”

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“I understand. I’ll attend, so you can go now.”

“I shall inform His Majesty that you will attend with pleasure.”

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“Sure.”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

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After finishing his business, the chamberlain turned away without hesitation. Etienne lay back on the sofa the moment the chamberlain disappeared. Whether from stress or something else, he felt nauseous, and his mouth tasted bitter.

 

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* * *

 

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I don’t want to go.

Etienne walked towards the banquet hall with the feeling of a prisoner being dragged to jail. Ben followed behind him, looking sympathetic but knowing he couldn’t help.

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Maybe I can say I’m too sick to attend and escape.

Etienne seriously considered making an excuse. Just thinking about the power struggle between the Emperor and Empress made his stomach churn. Most of all, he didn’t want to meet Rishar.

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Just as Etienne was walking with a gloomy expression, a loud voice called from behind.

“Your Highness!”

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Etienne stopped and turned at the familiar voice. At that moment, a black shadow swooped down on him.

“Long time no see! Haha!”

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“Sachsen, Grand Duchess?”

Etienne widened his eyes, confirming who had hugged him. The one who had given him an intense hug was Grand Duchess Sachsen, the Emperor’s cousin.

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“Have you been well? You seem to have lost more weight.”

Grand Duchess Sachsen looked over Etienne with a cheerful face. Her crescent-shaped eyes gleamed.

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“I’m doing well. When did you arrive in the capital? I remember you were on a territorial inspection.”

Etienne stepped back while speaking. He felt uncomfortable being held by the Grand Duchess. Fortunately, she let him go willingly.

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“I returned a few days ago.”

“A few days ago…”

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“Oh, I couldn’t attend the triumph ceremony. I was too exhausted.”

Liar.

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Etienne muttered inwardly while listening to her words. She probably deliberately didn’t attend. Grand Duchess Sachsen absolutely hated Rishar.

Eris von Sachsen.

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She was the Emperor’s cousin and the next in line for the imperial succession after Etienne.

She was also quite a capable knight. While not as accomplished as Rishar, she had participated in missions to subjugate monsters several times to fulfill her duties as a royal and knight.

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However, Grand Duchess Sachsen was not considered a potential future emperor. This was because she was a Beta.

Even among Betas, there was a difference between the ones who had a direct royal lineage and those who didn’t.

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Etienne, despite being considered an incompetent prince, was still discussed as a potential future emperor simply because he was the Emperor’s only child. But Eris was not.

Unless she was an outstanding Alpha like Rishar, there was no chance for some Beta who didn’t have a direct royal lineage like Eris.

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Perhaps because of this, Eris strongly disliked Rishar. On the other hand, she was friendly towards Etienne. Probably because she felt a sense of kinship as a fellow Beta.

But Etienne knew.

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If Rishar didn’t exist, Eris would have shown her true intentions towards him. Without Rishar, Etienne would be the only one blocking her path.

“The territorial inspection must have been a tough journey. Are you feeling well?”

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“Yes. I’ve rested and feel fantastic now.”

“That’s fortunate.”

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Etienne smiled softly at Eris.

Eris was neither in cooperation with the Empress nor in direct opposition. She was not someone worth turning into an enemy, so there was no need to upset her.

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“Were you heading to the banquet hall? I was going there too, let’s go together.”

“Of course.”

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Etienne gestured for her to accompany him.

“Oh, right, did you hear?”

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Eris, walking alongside Etienne, lowered her voice as if sharing a secret.

“What are you talking about…”

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“Today’s banquet. Didn’t they invite all 10 major families?”

Eris brought her face close to Etienne and whispered in a discreet voice.

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“I heard some families are bringing their Omegas.”

“Eh?”

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Surprised by the unexpected statement, Etienne’s eyes widened. Eris lifted one corner of her mouth as if she had expected such a reaction.

“Grand Duke Eckhart is attending the banquet, isn’t he? They’re trying to somehow connect him with their family’s Omega.”

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“That’s…”

“They’re counting their chickens before the eggs hatch. They’re not even thinking about who will give them the bread. Tsk.”

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Eris clicked her tongue with a disapproving expression. Etienne sensed something strange in her attitude and slightly narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean? It sounds like you’re saying the nobles introducing their Omegas to Grand Duke Eckhart are doing futile efforts.”

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“Oh? You don’t know?”

Eris looked at Etienne with an exaggerated expression, seemingly feeling superior about knowing more.

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“From what I know, His Majesty already has someone in mind as Eckhart’s partner.”

Etienne felt his heart drop to the ground at Eris’s following words. He tried to hide his agitation and spoke.

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“Who… might that be?”

“Margrave Mathias’s youngest son.”

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“Margrave Mathias’s?”

“Apparently, the Margrave’s youngest son is a dominant Omega. He’s been staying in their manor since childhood because of his weak body, which is why he hasn’t been seen until now. He’s apparently making his debut and came with the Margrave.”

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Eris excitedly spilled out the information she had discovered. The more she spoke, the more Etienne’s complexion darkened.

“An acquaintance who works in the palace said that Margrave Mathias submitted a marriage proposal to His Majesty the Emperor yesterday. They say he’ll be sending a formal proposal soon.”

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“To Father?”

“Yes. The Eckhart family doesn’t have any adults to handle marriage matters right now. Though the Duke is of age, he’s barely twenty-one… still just a kid, really.”

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Eris sneered as she referred to Rishar as a kid. She rattled off everything she knew, speaking quickly.

“I heard that before coming to the capital, Margrave Mathias had already brought up marriage to Duke Eckhart. But apparently, the Duke flatly refused him then? That’s why he’s now approaching His Majesty, the Duke’s guardian, asking for help.”

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“Ah.”
“Margrave Mathias has no pride. Anyway, they say she’s an incredible beauty, so aren’t you curious? She’ll be at tonight’s banquet, so let’s look for her together, okay?”

“Haha, okay.”

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Eris grinned and put her arm around Etienne’s shoulders. Etienne followed along with a forced smile. The corners of his forcibly raised lips trembled slightly.

“Well then, let’s stop gossiping and go inside…”
“Hyung-nim.”

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Just as Eris pulled on Etienne’s shoulder, a low voice came from behind. When Etienne reflexively turned his head, he found Rishar standing there with an expressionless face.

“Oh? Duke Eckhart?”

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Eris recognized Rishar and acknowledged him. Rishar gave her a slight nod.

“It’s been a while, Grand Duchess Sachsen.”

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“Indeed. It really has been a long time.”

“What were you discussing so pleasantly with hyung-nim?”

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Rishar asked, looking at Etienne. Eris tilted her head to the side.

“Hyung-nim? Ah. You mean His Highness? I didn’t know you still called him hyung-nim.”

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Eris looked between Rishar and Etienne with an interested expression.

Rishar ignored Eris’s comment and moved forward. His heavy footsteps echoed in the marble corridor.

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Etienne bit his lip as he watched Rishar getting closer. He wanted to escape from this place immediately. He desperately tried to keep his feet planted.

Otherwise, he felt like he might run away from these two people.

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Whether or not he knew how Etienne felt, Rishar approached closely and reached out his hand while furrowing one eye.

“…!”

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Etienne, whose wrist was grabbed before he could react, stiffened his shoulders. Deep sea blue eyes stared at Etienne’s bandaged finger.

“Are you hurt?”

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“Huh?”

Etienne blinked in confusion at Rishar’s question. Rishar’s brow furrowed as he looked at the bandaged finger.

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“I-it’s nothing.”

Etienne stuttered as he pulled his hand away. He was so flustered that his tongue got tied.

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“It looks like it was bleeding.”

“The doctor came by today. He took blood for tests.”

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“Are you ill?”

“I’m always sick.”

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Etienne answered casually, as if Rishar was asking about something obvious. At first, it had been a cover to hide being an Omega, but lately, he had been falling ill frequently.

As the doctor had warned, his deteriorating body would develop a fever, headaches, or even the flu with just a little overexertion.

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“Are you very unwell?”

Rishar asked in a low voice, his eyes hardening. He examined Etienne’s face with a serious expression. Perhaps because he had seen the doctor, his complexion seemed worse than usual.

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“It’s always like this.”

Etienne avoided Rishar’s eyes while brushing off the question vaguely. His skin tingled uncomfortably under that piercing gaze.

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“It’s not something you need to worry about.”

Etienne muttered in a weak voice while fidgeting with the wrist Rishar had grabbed. His wrist had been strangely hot since earlier.

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“Hey, are you going to keep talking here? I think we should head inside soon.”

Just as Rishar opened his mouth to say something in response to Etienne’s dismissive attitude, Eris, who had been quietly observing their conversation, cut in.

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“We haven’t finished our conversation.”

Rishar half-glared at Eris who had interrupted him. Obvious irritation clouded his dark blue eyes. Despite his sharp gaze, Eris remained composed.

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“It looks finished to me? Our Prince said it was nothing. Just an injury from the doctor’s examination.”

Eris smiled brightly as she put her hand on Etienne’s shoulder. Rishar’s eyebrow twitched at that action.

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“I’m worried because he doesn’t say when he’s in pain, even when he is.”

“Hmm?”

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“Grand Duchess Sachsen, you should know when to step in and when not to.”

“What?”

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The smile disappeared from Eris’s face at Rishar’s words. Her eyes gleamed dangerously.

“What did you just say? How dare you, you brat…”

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Eris growled as she straightened up from her lean toward Etienne. Sensing that Eris’s mood had turned dangerous, Etienne raised his hand to stop her.

“That’s enough.”

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After stopping Eris, Etienne turned to look at Rishar. Rishar unconsciously flinched at his stern expression, like that of someone scolding a child who had done wrong.

“Rishar, you were wrong just now. Apologize to Grand Duchess Sachsen.”

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“…I apologize.”

Rishar, his momentum deflated by Etienne’s words, nodded slightly toward Eris. It was clearly a forced apology.

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“You call that an apology…”

“Grand Duchess Sachsen, please stop as well. Grand Duke Eckhart tends to be overprotective of me.”

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“Ha, damn it. Fine. I said fine.”

At Etienne’s intervention, Eris took a step back with her hands raised. There were many eyes and ears in the corridor connected to the banquet hall. Getting into an argument with Rishar here would only harm herself.

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“I’ll go in first. You two finish your conversation.”

Eris waved her hand dismissively as she turned toward the banquet hall.

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Ben, who could see her face as she turned since he was behind Etienne, unconsciously flinched. That’s how frightening Eris’s expression was.

Arrogant brat.

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Eris cursed internally. Just thinking about Rishar’s attitude from earlier made her blood boil to her fingertips.

As always, he was someone who had swallowed his manners with soup.²

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“Without the Emperor, he’d be nothing…”

Eris muttered in a fierce voice. Her insides were boiling so much that her whole body felt hot. She was furious that she had been pushed back by such a youngster.

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“Fucking dominant Alpha.”

Bam!

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Unable to contain her anger, Eris struck the wall hard with her fist. The servants in the corridor flinched at her sudden action. Regardless, Eris continued to grunt.

To Eris, Rishar was nothing more than an Alpha who got lucky by catching the Emperor’s eye.

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Originally, he wasn’t even qualified to aspire to the throne, barely worthy of being called imperial royalty.

This was because the House Eckhart wasn’t legally recognized as part of the imperial family.

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Typically, only up to sixth cousins of the Emperor were recognized as part of the imperial bloodline. At most, eighth cousins might be recognized, but only in special cases.

Such as when the empire’s situation required flexibility in recognizing family members for the imperial family’s wellbeing.

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And now was precisely one of those special situations.

Since the current Emperor’s grandfather, the previous emperor before the previous Emperor, the Fredericks had run dry of Alpha heirs.

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Moreover, all unrecognized family members except Eris had passed away at young ages. Whether Alpha or Beta, the number of imperial family members was extremely low.

Strictly speaking, it was because of this that the Grand Duke Eckhart, who originally wouldn’t have even ranked tenth in line, had jumped to fourth in succession rights.

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Furthermore, among the current imperial family members with Frederick blood, there were only three Alphas: the current Emperor, the Grand Duke Eckhart, and the old Grand Duke Bismarck, who was approaching his sixties.

Excluding Duke Bismarck who was near the end of his life, there was only one Alpha who could continue to the next generation, Grand Duke Eckhart.

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And he wasn’t just any Alpha, but a ‘dominant Alpha.’ There were even rumors circulating that he might be an extremely dominant Alpha.

“Damn Eckhart.”

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Eris bit her lip with a completely distorted face. She had always hated that family. An unlucky, unlucky ducal house.

In the empire, the title of ‘Grand Duke’ was originally only inheritable by the Emperor’s siblings and their children up to first cousins.

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After that, they couldn’t inherit the grand ducal title as the noble Frederick blood was considered too diluted.

In other words, from the siblings’ grandchildren and first cousins’ children onward, they were demoted to marquis or count.

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While they retained succession rights to the throne, they essentially became nobles with imperial blood rather than true imperial family members, with almost no chance of becoming Emperor.

However, the House Eckhart was an exception.

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With hundreds of years of history, Eckhart was the only family in the empire where the grand ducal title was inherited.

‘A family that will be with the empire from beginning to end.’

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Founded by the first Emperor’s brother who established the Frederick Empire, the House Eckhart, as the founding contributor and first grand ducal family, would form marriage ties with the imperial family whenever their bloodline became too diluted.

Sometimes for political reasons, sometimes for personal ones.

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The House Eckhart had alternated between existing as an independent family and belonging to the imperial line throughout the empire’s history.

“Why on earth…”

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Even she, the Emperor’s cousin, couldn’t pass her title to her only son, so why did that family enjoy the benefit of passing down the grand ducal title generation after generation?

It seemed completely unreasonable no matter how she thought about it.

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“Darn it.”

Eris ground her teeth, feeling her anger rise the more she thought about it. What irritated her most was that nothing would change no matter how much she complained.

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“Shit.”

Roughly running her fingers through her hair, Eris took a deep breath and exhaled. Earlier, she had made a mistake in her sudden surge of emotion. She couldn’t afford any more mistakes.

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After taking several deep breaths, she headed toward the banquet hall with a composed face.