HTTRPIAO Ch 70-74

What are you trying b33440ec14 to say?Reyan unconsciously swallowed dry e0d10ae7ac saliva. Strangely, Etienne felt a63cef49e3 somewhat strange today.6b0ff784f561fdae

While Reyan was wondering, a9a4931c76 Etienne also collected his 9a4c227ba8 feelings. From now 9539382b70 on, gaining d5f1c7487b the upper 2b70bfdad4 hand was 86a8624662 important.88458cdaf2047847

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“Count, what is your dream?”6c4d82b711c2b0cd

“My dream?”75e2586a01cdf2f8

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At the unexpected question, the tense Reyan momentarily showed a blank expression. He didn’t even notice that Etienne had started to speak informally to him.8b0503157823c010

Etienne gently f8110e703b curved his bc9da8064b eyes toward c267bb795b Reyan, who f5582f3c6d was studying 1b6824e891 his expression bd35ca7484 to understand a04cbc41d3 the intent 96b50b57ee behind the 36172876dd question.1ff5b4f42282deab

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“Her Majesty plans to put me on the throne and then reign as empress dowager while serving as regent, and Duke Herace intends to place his family above the imperial family. I wondered if you might have your own goals as well.”55ab416330ae71b9

“Well, I… I’m just thinking about leading the family after succeeding my father.”8ff30cbf85157249

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Reyan answered, wary. He couldn’t understand why Etienne was bringing this up.5edcca0df0f3f5c0

“Leading the House Herace, huh? I wonder if that will really happen?”1a5c12f4f7abe1bc

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Etienne let out a small laugh as if he’d heard something amusing. Reyan grew serious at the laugh that carried a subtle hint of mockery.2725a63b3ec87086

“Does Your Highness find my words amusing? My succession as Duke Herace is a foregone conclusion…”df86b147ac53c3be

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“Do you really think so?”5049bc69ccb1eee0

Etienne cut off Reyan’s words with a counter-question. Reyan hesitated, sensing the implication that he might not be able to become duke.a0ae5e8eb01eddb1

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“Your Highness seems to speak as if I definitely won’t inherit the ducal title.”c0041f7c14907cd0

“And you speak as if the position of head of House Herace already belongs to you.”3904f00b48d85616

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“Of course…”5d2b4eb1f6b5382f

Reyan, suddenly agitated, opened ddf2a8d8b8 his mouth but closed f7e82ca647 it again.What does 2af8891146 he know?His eyes narrowed 366ee0a4b5 like needles.6c93a4f546cfbb61

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He needed to find 82e44ddf0f out what Etienne knew. Composing his expression, 5ac1c0e18d Reyan asked with e28c362718 his usual grinning 13be51bf89 face.c6f17bb1bd081a58

“Did you hear something from Her Majesty the Empress?”2c0750e90f1c899a

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“Who knows…”fc2b7bbcfe302305

Etienne deliberately avoided 241eb68b79 answering and picked 9143bc277f up his teacup 41b730f8fe again as a a32f32162f way to hide 12d1aa5e05 his trembling lips 4f64923ced from Reyan.25a866640cfa706c

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As Etienne maintained 3353d84d2d his ambiguous attitude, 03afccbd9b Reyan, getting impatient, 449c3303d9 suddenly contorted his 28f373b4b3 face.25d97b9845128eaa

“If you wanted to talk with me, beating around the bush seems rather impolite.”41c2bb26ce0a04e2

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Did it work?Etienne bit his eceadcd390 lip at the 6d0d079dd1 sight of Reyan 9e179bfa00 failing to maintain 02c3ebe225 his poker face. His mouth was dry 289aea0bc8 and his heart was 43b4c86634 beating hard from the 8fbd3d940c excessive tension.1e6be89be3870970

Etienne gritted his 3a98e94758 teeth to suppress 08fce53992 the trembling. If he showed weakness c0029f5dcc here, Reyan would surely d66483e2aa notice immediately.bd2229bab2523cc3

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After taking 6e028ae3e9 a small 125f9117ba breath while e1fd59ea94 pretending to 737bc65525 drink tea, d78d8cef12 Etienne looked d856778cf8 at Reyan fc3d8ecdce again.005ca2fedc9f1d79

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure if you’d believe what I have to say. I’d be in trouble if this somehow reached Her Majesty’s ears after bringing it up needlessly.”4ad80d754635540c

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“That will absolutely never happen. Her Majesty the Empress would be displeased from the moment she learned we were talking about her between ourselves. So please speak freely.”d730f93b06d69700

“Hmm…”1c9a57f4dc21f61b

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“Your Highness.”f10e0674cdfa3067

As Etienne hesitated as 9b52ead1ee if about to speak, fd96a730a8 an anxious Reyan called 6ccd5b95dc out to him urgently. Etienne then ca8839a55c sighed as 65b40e4de2 if he 45cc4d100c had no bcec1ea461 choice.8a6d86be33ed27f3

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“I’ve heard Her Majesty and Duke Herace discussing you several times before. More specifically, about the successor of House Herace.”0e418539c6e2b4c3

“…What kind of discussion was it?”fe3653128b20fc6d

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“They were lamenting the absence of a dominant Alpha to inherit the family.”dca0130b02bd0a88

At Etienne’s answer, Reyan’s face hardened. He trembled as if he had been insulted.e3d878e5a7b816b4

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“They said such things even though I exist?”0ac648f1a5f30dd8

Reyan muttered while grinding his teeth with an audible sound. Etienne realized his plan was working when he saw Reyan’s expression turn fierce. Growing confident, Etienne opened his mouth.fb2761e2db9fde29

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“As you know, Her Majesty and Duke Herace believe that only dominants are true Alphas and Omegas. Especially the Duke, it seems he still hasn’t given up his desire to make a dominant Alpha his heir.”01f2cd9e3164b81b

Duke Herace cfc224bec8 was a 0a37cd8535 famous supremacist. He went further and a7d731a3e3 believed that only dominants 2653430d0e were real Alphas and 1cfd93e14b Omegas.13f30d7105fd65dd

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The reason the Duke 8bd5fd4daa cherished Leona was because c8dd26595f she was his only 822edb7e67 dominant Omega child. Naturally, Leona shared 1d8d456fac the same ideology.c407c2a7b67b3683

“While Her Majesty and the Duke probably said those things out of regret, I felt a bit concerned to just let it slide.”f278a7cedf448de5

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After finishing his words, Etienne observed Reyan’s reaction. Judging by his reddening and paling face, his words had fortunately hit their mark.1be044d39e2d2860

When Etienne decided d95f8f6a6a to turn his bbfc7b51de back on Leona, 138ed99df5 he pondered what b3b10524b3 he could do. He wanted to d9b8a7f36e be of at 7d8b3fc4d5 least some help 50a83234ba to Rishar, who eba76b2198 had taken on f644773e18 a heavy burden 5b99d67c9b because of him.81374b0fa958f9f0

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The method Etienne thought 86f6b21c35 of was to pass b0acac91f9 all the information he 57e496f6c9 had to Rishar.0ad0998c072846fe

Even a palace dog fcd3cbe114 will learn manners in 5a9fbed89b three years¹, as they say, and having lived as the Empress’s son for so long, he had quite a bit of information. He planned to use that to attack House Herace.b6f6c8cad9b86097

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But he felt that wasn’t enough. When Rishar begins to move in earnest, Leona, Duke Herace, and the noble faction would move together.0365ce6ed100223c

It would be a 0b2e79002c difficult fight even with a35628dca5 Rishar having the support e9e0306394 of Edwin and the 10c7bd835f imperial faction.44294e700f528c7c

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Etienne fell into contemplation a118d56d76 again. While the noble d3e2f629a4 faction had been c68dae466e losing younger members f295657888 recently, they were f0694e4287 originally more tightly 72abbd89f4 bound than other 96781719c1 factions. This was 921cd17ff1 especially true e00f18ee42 when faced 9ffeb2ef60 with external 816d5ca276 threats.5abd6905abd9459d

What if a57d8bc022 he could 80296cf1cc create a 2e64f6e5b2 crack in 004a783a4f the noble 1661361e64 faction?1739c66850617c96

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If it was 959c32fe36 difficult to break 7db2d8321b from the outside, 15c0d4e49d then create division 14a85a04c3 from within. A small crack 5dd0f17454 can become a 3edd48cd25 large hole in f9cd261708 an instant.8abb8ea2a7a8f365

From that day on, 58fc6321fd Etienne searched for ways 154fad0cfa to create internal rifts 4c4ade9485 and candidates who could 6df5a603be be targeted. This was something 7077dcdff7 only a traitor 2b155cfd33 from within could 23bc613b77 do.7cfc5cdefd20d696

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Someone influential enough to 94fcaa358e create a hole in 83e7c9df3d the noble faction while 9851eb8f9a harboring grudges with the d50cc35a4f Empress and Duke Herace, 9e4d6347cb someone he could sufficiently 09cc018f1c manipulate.d1f0afb65fc4a73a

When combining all conditions, Reyan naturally came to mind. While he was known to the world as the Duke’s late born son and next head of House Herace, the reality was somewhat different.05b7adc5d9ecd27d

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Reyan had not yet received recognition from the people of House Herace. This was because the Duke and Leona, the family’s core, looked down on him for not being a dominant Alpha.4f263c9432e9cdfd

Duke Herace, 0fb61af104 a supremacist, 8b083a03b1 kept several be4b73378d Omegas as 8359b69bc0 concubines to c431b03832 obtain an 8d5c2119bb excellent heir. He wanted a dominant 1cfa419946 Alpha or Omega to 8896fd4c40 inherit the family.037d86c9823f0962

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However, after Leona, b5c5eb5cbd not a single 5270b04d09 child was born 3be614ed0a dominant. Every child born was b119ad17e7 recessive without exception.8d03dec6e6e8861a

That’s when Reyan was born. While he wasn’t a dominant Alpha, he wasn’t a recessive Alpha either.17c53fec4f9a2153

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Eventually, Duke Herace made Reyan’s mother his new duchess and raised him as his heir.f4a8d1fee30706f2

Among numerous illegitimate children, only Reyan was recognized as Leona’s half-brother and a direct descendant of House Herace. But Reyan’s position was always in doubt.d6ce87aabd027f81

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Since childhood, bafa040a9e Etienne had af74c95bb6 often seen b98250436c Leona and 8e839a70db the Duke f9c9abb370 reprimanding or ff207333a5 ignoring Reyan.d2118e52dce76dc2

When he was young, he sometimes thought Reyan’s anxious behavior, fearing abandonment by the two, somewhat resembled his own.8cc00dfb0e054078

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That’s why he could tell. That Reyan felt inferior to Leona and Duke Herace.9f447f67300df6d9

Etienne decided to exploit Reyan’s dissatisfaction and anxiety toward the two. Planting doubt in Count Herace’s mind was today’s objective.aa9b7dd06197d3ab

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“I heard one of the Duke’s concubines recently became pregnant. What if that child is born a dominant Alpha or Omega? Would you be able to keep your position as heir then?”c491e4a6b684832b

“Don’t speak so carelessly.”8f16c26f913d653f

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“Just how many younger uncles and aunts do I have… Looking at it this way, isn’t the Duke quite remarkable?”d1f31a09cad46fdb

Ignoring Reyan’s warning, Etienne deliberately provoked him while sipping tea. His skin tingled from the pheromones Reyan was emitting.235088d8366b47aa

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“That won’t happen.”8e12ddd042569e89

Reyan growled. The Frederick Empire was a society where Omegas were rare. Even Duke Herace couldn’t keep a dominant Omega as a concubine.7ed56a1b08ac881d

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While there were 0b1c14f509 exceptions, naturally, the 832dd593e5 probability of dominant 2d4557c1b9 children being born 3a304214cc between dominant Alphas 06bc7caabd and dominant Omegas b064a3fc41 was higher.b37f2209ba036dd8

The reason the Duke’s illegitimate children weren’t born dominant was because his concubines were either common Omegas or recessives.d271e0a78507dc64

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“Since Father is a dominant Alpha, while the possibility isn’t completely zero, they’ve all failed so far. Probably the next time too…”357d93db6647133f

“Can you really be certain about that?”1483d0b79e4ad1f0

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“Your Highness.”3abd6c27ec7df882

“Her Majesty said that if it doesn’t work out, they could just give House Herace to the child I bear later.”edc031082837f5a0

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At Etienne’s additional words, Reyan took a deep breath. He asked in a trembling voice, as if unable to believe what he had heard.7a636db1f91f42f5

“Is… that true?”d2ee17b76582c851

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“It is. What would I gain by lying to you?”fd1130c30e0e89f5

Etienne set down his fcff7c7b5b cup with aclank and a smile. Reyan still didn’t know that he might be infertile.940efcfa1d5e70b2

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It wasn’t a lie either, since making Etienne’s child the head of House Herace was actually Leona’s plan.168c59f39f2176d9

“Ha, damn it.”ff440045c907b932

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After looking at Etienne for a bit, Reyan let out a curse. While he didn’t trust Etienne, he didn’t think he was lying.410f829fb98a2404

Reyan trusted neither Leona nor Duke Herace. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Etienne was right. If a dominant child with Herace blood was born, the two would undoubtedly abandon him immediately.5920244808dd1f31

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After living like befe4b636b a dog all d119ff15ea this time, they 854ab0af80 were saying such da5ad99494 things behind my 1d3d5f50e2 back?Unable to contain his 832582179d rising anger, Reyan ground e243987a25 his teeth. He glared at ba3e53313b Etienne with bloodshot 21fc7c458d eyes.aeab6f2bf628b28a

“So, why are you telling me this? Do you want me to get angry at Her Majesty and Father?”01dae5f19843517f

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“Because just as you have your dream of becoming the head of House Herace, I too have my dreams.”0a2a136ad1825779

Etienne answered in a 073f2982d6 solemn voice toward Reyan, 0ebab520c5 who was sending him b8d0720e88 a threatening gaze. Returning to formal 3200ab6f67 speech, he faced 86685f4534 Reyan with a 8a6d3984ef more serious expression 169c4cf0c6 than usual.c37ca9ec40abb477

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“Uncle.”05a9e976151d2e3b

At the word that came from Etienne’s lips, Reyan unconsciously stiffened his shoulders with a start. It was the first time since childhood that Etienne had called him uncle.4e1eb8a86fe59b24

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Etienne gave an alluring e60970d70d smile toward him, who ad611f6e99 was visibly flustered.bed83aba8b106988

“What do you say about creating a new Frederick Empire together with me?”06ace1bb5169dafe

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“What?”70217bf83ee7409a

Rayan’s eyes widened at the unexpected proposal. Startled, he stiffened his neck. Gulp – he swallowed hard enough for the sound to be audible before carefully opening his mouth.9f8ae5efa65c6eaa

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“Surely, you’re not suggesting to break away from Her Majesty the Empress…?”5a3b4890e63f56cf

“Break away from Mother? What a frightening thing to say. Rather than such words, how about saying ‘becoming independent from Mother’s embrace’?”a7e2050096b8b607

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Independence. Rayan’s eyes trembled at those words. This was no joke, Etienne was serious. Realizing this, goosebumps instantly spread across his skin.50ba27a201e4edf7

“I apologize, but I don’t quite understand. Is there really a need to separate from Her Majesty the Empress?”47a7d6bc6a6713d4

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Rayan asked while trying hard to maintain his composure. His head was spinning, feeling as if he’d been hit on the back of his head repeatedly.0d8c3921aa93f6ea

“Count. I’m already twenty-three years old. Yet Mother still treats me like a seven year old child. If I ascend to the throne like this, I’ll probably be Emperor in name only.”fe62ff8225e5a7de

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“That’s, hm…”96c48ef8aae3e137

Etienne spoke as if it was obvious. Rayan let out a small sigh at the irrefutable statement. He knew Leona’s personality. The Leona he knew would never share her power with Etienne.c50899c8e68306a6

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“I can’t live as Mother’s puppet forever. That’s why I’ve decided to stand on my own.”994c58c00cc906de

“I understand your feelings, Your Highness, but why me?”5fec95554ee21086

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“Because you’re similar to me.”a3dc84e928122eec

“Pardon?”d0aa4888474dae9b

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“Both Mother and Duke treat us like tools that can be used and discarded at any time, don’t they? That’s why I thought you would understand my feelings.”84ea3f4ab0eccac9

“Ahem, as Your Highness said earlier, I’m destined to be discarded once a dominant Alpha with Herace blood is born. How could I be of help to Your Highness?”62fa426e8c22321f

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Rayan expressed his refusal indirectly with an awkward smile. He didn’t understand why Etienne was suddenly acting this way, but even this conversation was already dangerous enough. If it went any deeper, there would be no escape.ca5b531e71d342f6

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear this conversation. I’ll erase today’s events from my memory…”a764fb49f43944f9

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“I’m not suggesting we raise the banner of rebellion right now. Both you and I still lack power.”15deafd34eaa3250

Etienne wouldn’t let Rayan withdraw. Rayan furrowed his brows in difficulty at Etienne’s persistent attempts to hold onto him.615bf10c68a0d2ca

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However, he couldn’t shake off Etienne. He was clearly wavering.49bbe11e950edf37

“How? Do you have a plan in mind?”6996272f56242f6d

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Rayan asked while sitting aa229bb1a9 up straight. Despite thinking he should 8a26caa496 refuse, his mouth moved 9396059752 on its own.7f5c6f2cd4ea4e6b

“To become independent, one needs proper preparation, don’t you think? Once my rest period ends, I plan to start activities that require me to go outside in earnest. With the debutante season approaching, Mother won’t be suspicious if I go around meeting people.”71a48deb100473e9

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Etienne quickly b765cc2192 continued as c7d391ff3e Rayan showed 5cd79be34d interest. He needed to db548160c7 push hard while c5a40dfd58 Rayan was wavering.7e44c0cde6ba001c

“Power grows where people gather. Starting with you, Count, I plan to gradually increase my supporters.”83053b8acb57e3c1

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“It won’t be easy.”2b3e5539f99085c0

“I know. But it must be done. Time is on our side anyway.”5847778993c06059

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“Pardon?”4f9f1176cf5a84b4

“As time passes, both Mother and 52a99c6cb5 Duke will eventually a0a0e21135 become setting suns². The same goes for the nobles who have pledged loyalty to them.”add00bc1c4ace1e8

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“Ah.”fbce7aa1ca74622f

“That’s all I have to say, what will you do?”029bb52629961c23

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Rayan looked strangely at 0e07c899ff Etienne, who was proposing aedacd1b45 to join forces. The Etienne before him 213b22e537 now was vastly different 6855a508e5 from the Etienne he fa379aba47 had known until now.36f181f4a9f968a0

The Etienne that Rayan 30f5d43b5d knew was always timid cda4636b4b and lacking confidence in a89a6573fc everything. However, the Etienne 2db120fe10 before him now f375856320 was overflowing with 224a875c4e confidence and composure. Just like Leona.aa374dd4cd38fb4b

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“…!”6f3fa36eac62c5c2

Rayan’s body tensed at the thought that suddenly crossed his mind. Even for him, comparing Etienne to Leona seemed to be going too far.bdaa4400bf8b546c

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But it was also true that he was shaken by Etienne’s current attitude and proposal.1693074dbb6519df

Rayan’s mind became busy. If things went well, he might be able to repay all the humiliation he had endured from Leona and Duke Herace for not being a dominant Alpha.61cbc2d46f994936

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“…What would you have me do?”8ab31c218f413c97

After contemplating 1303cc7636 for a bdd040118f while, Rayan 53c0b2ab6e carefully asked. He needed to 5287ba642a know what Etienne f4a873fef7 wanted from him 654e197055 first.72b24f4c6c6f5a90

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“Let’s see… First I’d like you to introduce me to anyone you think might be useful. Then I’ll meet with them.”5bc5fe624f59bca2

“That much is easy.”8139dda607640876

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“And I need funds that can be used without Mother knowing.”fc34bbe08bc38f55

Etienne casually added. Rayan was in charge 47233f6f24 of several businesses of 6841b4e0d3 the Herace family. Also, as 618d1b1cc2 vice minister 6b3965f373 of Industry, 74479b8f61 he managed d5241b4b62 trade and ba2655706c merchant groups.20f75c6e07e16998

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Etienne planned to identify both the Herace family’s financial channels and the secret funds that Rayan managed separately, and pass them to Rishar.ae941f4524622c25

“As for funds…”cd781291e5f0fc9c

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“One needs money to make acquaintances, don’t you think? Of course, I’m not asking for it for free. Since I can’t freely use money right now without Mother’s eyes on me, I’d like you to invest. As collateral, I’ll give you the mine that Father bestowed as a coming of age gift.”a911b2a35db15041

“You’ll give me the iron mine in the Merkel Mountains?”90c1f720fb15e2e9

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Rayan’s expression, which had slightly hardened when Etienne brought up money, suddenly brightened as if nothing had happened when he mentioned the iron mine.141b93f4fb798ebc

“To be precise, I’ll transfer the mining rights of the Merkel iron mine. Since it’s not a family matter, you can develop it using your own merchant group. If we split the profits from there, I don’t think you’ll lose anything. What do you think?”d596d72fb53423bb

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“Fine by me.”fe9ab7d5a563415e

Rayan answered with an 25caf9d588 excited face. The mine d966628304 in the df743b0a9a Merkel Mountains 9b1cda0902 was discovered 00532315a4 a few f37cfbdf66 years ago, 6be6bfe022 and if 1e3b178afc developed, it e4636c037b would guarantee 7cf666daae profits for d9c261ffa8 at least f553848f89 several decades. Obtaining the mining fc67fd7ce2 rights would be cbb0ac47c9 beneficial for him 67d22ed02f as well. Even more so 952dd47da0 if he could 475c3edfb4 proceed without involving e77ab70155 the family.e52a62dfb1d73fae

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“Uncle, I’ll say it again. I need your help.”fb4e98a4618f6c43

Etienne, realizing that 7df15cb43a Rayan had almost 072cd55949 given in, met a56a1acffe his eyes with 0e9c69a355 a desperate expression.06cbf657653c461a

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Rayan gulped down dry saliva at Etienne’s expression that seemed to be pleading with him. It stirred strange emotions to see someone with Leona’s face asking for his help.5490fbdd7279936e

“Let me ask one more thing. What do I gain by helping you, Your Highness?”901b370bb193f45a

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“The Grand Duchy of Herace.”692d3da6826bd7d6

“Eh?”24cf66e3639ea2c9

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Rayan momentarily blanked at the answer that came from Etienne’s lips. Etienne curled up the corners of his lips towards the surprised Rayan.ffcaa9c209758a20

“If we succeed, you’ll be the Emperor’s only maternal uncle – would being merely a ducal title suffice? You should at least be a grand duke. I would like you to become the Grand Duke of Herace and the empire’s minister.”7158c378926493bc

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“Grand Duke…”aa82f35465736125

Grand Duke of 7ad6d36942 Herace? Me, becoming a 4f1bf5cd07 Grand Duke? Rayan repeated to himself with a dazed expression. Etienne quietly watched as greed gradually spread across Rayan’s face.635889cd18c1bb2c

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“…I would like some time to think.”f91d0fbdbff9101f

“Of course.”e91e3c60284e595b

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Etienne didn’t hold onto Rayan any longer. Judging by his expression, the probability of him rejecting the proposal seemed low.1bcf6d91735aa42e

Even if he did reject it, it would be fine. Rayan would never be able to tell Leona about today’s conversation. His wariness and distrust towards Leona and the Duke would have only grown stronger.f687ece89c3eb3d4

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So there was no need to show a submissive attitude. Being too desperate here would backfire. Etienne confidently extended his hand as if he wasn’t disappointed at all.8c53e50232c84898

“Take your time to think about it. I’ll wait for a favorable answer.”6be574f0f351603b

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It’s over.8801972c853f62bc

After sending 177fc36520 Rayan away, f286c4b2ac Etienne, left 881f411892 alone in c346adf3c1 the reception 17352bb331 room, slumped 789cdfb47b onto the 810a297021 sofa with 73ba5ef7c7 a tired 5513872a23 face. As the d4b31375a8 tension released, 9a98425b61 strength drained 81fb968d49 from his 4ad6f6d15e body.0efb0b9882d81fc4

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Did I do 1b19bad566 well?a2da0e60a08d5fa6

Etienne nervously chewed his 6d61d9a534 lower lip. It was his first a66a209650 time deceiving and manipulating 2c70c4b3d3 someone like this.45afa51a33267bbb

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“Phew.”cd2e5275e43a116c

After finishing the remaining tea, Etienne let out a tired breath. He hadn’t noticed while talking with Rayan, but after sending him away, worries came flooding in.2d93d9cd9f148279

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Etienne pressed his 91c7863703 left part of 266b144bf4 the chest firmly b1fc2acdb5 with his hand. His heart 9a92fa7757 was still 94515564ae pounding. Just then, 82ff8d2d5f a small 7f5253b59d knock was 5e7b798469 heard from f2c9f3a6bb behind.8166766c2654c79b

“Prince, may I come out now?”adc43bce27819485

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“Ah, you may.”8dd1aedc2342eef5

“Yes!”71ef1935f4b5baf2

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As soon as Etienne 3a516c5d35 gave permission, Stella poked 541dde2818 her head out from cbfffc3bdb between the doors of 819c8fa89b the adjoining room with f771930517 a bright smile. Disguised as 1d41ad8fda a palace b1607e0c71 servant, she a0c871d149 had been 4d015a8990 staying in 12e10774db the detached 466c5e839e palace since 7074f90fb0 yesterday.2c9f961d67029c7a

“Good work. I’ll remove the magic now.”d6e28aa6207ddb85

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Stella, who had rushed to the sofa in one breath, removed the magic she had cast on Etienne’s face. Etienne expressed his gratitude to her as he felt the magical power surrounding him disappear.c7278f7dcac52446

“Thank you for your hard work. Without you, I would have had to take medicine both yesterday and today.”0193c0a5c880fd1c

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“Oh, it’s nothing, I just did what was natural. It’s an honor to be able to help you, Your Highness.”31a4a31a778b54bd

When Etienne expressed his fb4502d6bc gratitude, Stella wrinkled her 38c4bc3ca6 nose as if embarrassed. Then she clenched both 2a5c65e531 fists.34a20223b6baf91f

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“While you stay in the detached palace, just trust in me. I’ll help you live comfortably without the need of taking medicine!”824d0b1919f43e10

“I’ll rely on you. Aren’t you tired?”64d4b5e975aec50d

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“Ah, this is nothing.”e5691b968b3d785f

Stella waved her hand 284a7ff55f lightly and asked with 22494d10d3 a curious face.7e7d30f3f6b1fa7f

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“But doesn’t Count Herace know Your Highness’s secret? I thought we didn’t need to cover your eyes…”16434e63a09432ae

“The Emperor and Rishar are currently in the detached palace. If I hadn’t covered my eyes, the Count would certainly have felt something was strange. He’s quite sharp about such things.”dc7f250ac91dc072

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“Ah! Now that you mention it, that’s true! I hadn’t thought that far ahead, wow! As expected, you’re so smart!”8587091afaaab62f

Stella repeatedly expressed amazement at Etienne’s explanation. Then she looked at him as if regretful.2f46c51e0bd7735f

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“By the way, I wish I could continue helping you even after you return to the imperial palace… Wouldn’t magic be better than the medicine that harms your health?”2be14585f6292d83

“That’s true, but magic carries more risk than medicine. What you’re doing now is more than enough.”695454bfe5b1276a

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“Ah. Right, other magicians would detect the flow of magic if they were nearby.”44220090785518a4

It wasn’t that Leona hadn’t considered using magic to change Etienne’s eye color and suppress his pheromones. In fact, both magic and medicine had been used when he was young.0ec68cedc7450ab7

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However, changing a62e8c6dc0 eye color c3be5b0f77 with magic 3b4e6e7e1b was less 4e7c6be0bb stable than b4aee12b81 medicine. Unless a magician 0e3ef423eb continuously supplied magical 043cf9875b power from a 495fe09b19 close range, his 6b04d0c50c eye color would a5ba7229a8 revert to its 0043b9d275 original state. As Stella said, 35e4d3948c there was also fbb7f62833 a chance that 2bdb82d6ab other magicians would 5b1f05c0a5 notice.287c222a5883345e

“Anyway, I’m glad I could help like this. I apologize for my rudeness the other day, though… I’m sorry about what happened then.”de2a20f1c7038d5e

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“No need. I was a bit sensitive that day. I was in a bad mood because of the servants who were speaking carelessly.”a3028daab56de182

Etienne explained with an awkward expression. He couldn’t bring himself to say he had been jealous of Rishar and Stella’s relationship.42ff8f120f132f51

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“I understand. Those guys paid the price for their loose tongues, so forget about it now. The Grand Duke was also terribly angry that day.”470da23c9917f24a

“Oh?”59a93373573819f4

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“After Your Highness left that day, really… whew.”f100a5e2b030f84e

Stella shuddered 2bdeb64a1a as if 25215436a2 feeling cold 5e4719532b as she c2ff24b0df recalled that 1d108cf6d7 day.3cc892169c43b7d4

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“To somewhat excuse my rudeness that day… I had heard so many stories about Your Highness from the Grand Duke. So I think I had a sense of familiarity with Your Highness. Please forgive me.”e42fc41d4bee84df

“I told you there’s nothing to forgive, there’s no need to apologize… By the way, does Rishar often talk about me?”452f940640ed1f90

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After hesitating briefly, Etienne asked with a curious face. He had thought about it before, but besides Stella, Rishar’s close aides like Elvin and Jade were very friendly and favorable towards him. Stella answered as if she had been waiting for this question.d0648f37500fd9bf

“Oh my, don’t even get me started. The Grand Duke’s love for his hyung-nim has been famous since his military academy days. Even on the battlefield, whenever he had a chance, he would agonize over writing letters to his hyung-nim… Though it might be inappropriate to say this, he was just like a puppy separated from its owner.”346a55020f973e0a

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“Puppy? Well, Rishar does have that side to him a bit.”72f5f049bda8f29d

Etienne agreed with Stella’s words. When he was young, the way Rishar would follow him everywhere, calling him ‘hyung-nim’ while tagging along, was no different from a puppy wagging its tail.68449f4d092d1a02

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No wonder he called him a little puppy. Even now, though he’d only grown bigger, his behavior was unmistakably that of a puppy. Etienne’s lips curved slightly as he thought of Rishar.a71b724085ce609e

He hadn’t known that Stella knew about Rishar writing letters to him, though. Etienne felt a little embarrassed.5afaaa2754223682

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“How did you know about him writing letters to me?”30c3605de37f8054

“How could I not know? The only person who wrote letters consistently even in the middle of bloody battlefields was the Grand Duke.”f78d1d1cf4733f8c

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Stella answered as if 04ef005e1a it was obvious. Now that she had 509157464a opened up, she chatted f69ef965fe away about Rishar.973961767f9858f1

“Do you know how long it took him to complete one letter to Your Highness? Once he started, it took at least three days. He would worry about what to write to Your Highness, write something and then erase it thinking it wasn’t right, and after finishing, he would rewrite it all if he wasn’t satisfied. He spent days doing this.”742832b88ab1a6db

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“I had no idea he put in that much effort…”32c47a642271eb04

Etienne mumbled in a small voice. Rishar’s letters were always short, and the content was similar. Sometimes they were so short that he would needlessly check the back of the page. To think that these were the result of days of consideration and rewriting.cdbd4bd77df86a3b

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“I guarantee there are more undelivered letters than the ones sent to Your Highness. He might still have them even now. He kept them all, unable to throw them away.”4088a684cd0d1c54

Stella added with 6a0d18c164 certainty. Hearing this made his 5189a6ae0b chest sting slightly.7def3e26e3e41984

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“Excuse me, Lady Stella.”fd0e0ec2c327f968

After hesitating for 6c3ba30537 a moment, wondering 848893892d if he should 24199d82ea ask such a f4894e0f33 thing, Etienne carefully 7f22583ecb opened his mouth.293ef11b7f3dbeda

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“Did… did Rishar wait a lot for my replies?”1ffdfc1ac1dad139

“Oh, that’s… uhmm.”1e25fdeaf2b1a02e

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Stella looked away at the difficult question. Though she had enthusiastically talked about Rishar, she wasn’t sure if she should reveal such things.bb4324622f5dad76

“…He did wait.”fa2e0f6d8cf75ea0

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“I see.”e161e8a0332a997c

After hemming and hawing, 1695d2f57a Stella finally answered honestly 45096f6502 as if she had 5e964fcf4d no choice. Hearing her 328b306fcf answer, Etienne 906e2853d3 smiled bitterly. Though it 09de6d8034 was the e0ad313e2c answer he 9d7e8d6787 expected, his 9a920be406 heart grew ce1c207d60 heavy.4ff776031c0f305d

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I should 35cb1a0d9b have replied 6b973c813f at least 91600809c8 once.a2b8b1b41668795d

Etienne regretted it belatedly. He had been careful not to raise Leona’s suspicions by sending replies to Rishar, but in the end, he had ended up disappointing him.33b3fc1d14343aed

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Would it be wrong 75008359ed to apologize now?786bfc49f8b47c72

Etienne fidgeted with his fingers as he pondered. Though he never showed it to others, not even to Ben whom he trusted most, for the past three years, Etienne had secretly waited for Rishar’s letters.f4c31a2afb1d2f5a

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When letters didn’t come for a long time, he would worry, and only when a new letter arrived could he feel at ease. After all, receiving letters meant that Rishar was safe and sound.1f4151821c102e33

In truth, he had 8cefaf6a08 tried to reply several bde2218105 times. But he never managed 4a90706659 to send them. No matter what words 2f6cbcb84f he wrote, every sentence, 2d4c46b949 every word was imbued bb932b85e6 with worry and longing dbb35be1c0 for Rishar.eb87b019b7a2d5f9

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If Leona were to read the letters, she would surely notice that he was deliberately keeping his distance from Rishar, to such an extent that he couldn’t send them.2f723273219249f0

So that’s why he didn’t send any. Just as Rishar had kept the letters he couldn’t send, Etienne’s desk drawer also contained several unfinished replies.0f6505669369752c

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In the end, all Etienne could do was read and reread Rishar’s letters until the corners of the paper wore thin, hoping that he was safe.3397405f6e22e6bc

“I think I’ve said something I shouldn’t have. I apologize.”3c5eaef31c23acc5

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Seeing Etienne’s troubled expression, Stella apologized while slapping her own mouth. Despite always being told by Elvin that she had a loose tongue, she had made another mistake.938001ef58e31e73

“Not at all. I’d been curious about it, and thanks to you, my curiosity has been satisfied. Thank you.”34fbb5bda1746992

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“Still, well, what I want to say is that including myself, Sir Jade and Sir Elvin are on Your Highness’s side.”3bfb9ad5fa669bb6

Stella, who had been fidgeting while watching Etienne’s expression, looked at him with a serious face.cbd8e13c4af80bae

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“Before returning to the capital, the Grand Duke called us separately and told us. He said he had no intention of being hostile to Your Highness, so we shouldn’t harbor any strange thoughts.”0fad9af6d1651fd5

“Rishar did?”5965048bef4c99ed

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“Yes. Even then, as now, there were many voices within the family saying that the Grand Duke should become Emperor. But the Grand Duke told us to think of Your Highness as our other lord.”c7853521358c9a21

“Didn’t that cause any feelings of resistance?”d792495e6dcdf0a9

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“Well, I didn’t have any. Sir Jade and Sir Elvin probably felt the same. We all knew and had watched how preciously the Grand Duke regarded Your Highness. How could we dislike someone precious to our lord?”48142e7ea690bc96

Someone precious – at those words, his chest tickled as if it had been filled with flower petals. Etienne unconsciously bit his lip.09d14a999ceda7aa

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He felt 988e6c2c2a embarrassed that 0813e13c97 Rishar had d2241ddb83 shown his 64972df509 affection for ca1d97d466 him enough fcd6890e07 for his 1f1ae5ebed vassals to d3d90a5e30 know, but 71686b6606 at the cac0a60ccf same time, 591b7fd8e9 he felt ab82f59a39 grateful and 4e55a56a9f sorry towards 16143dc5c1 him, making 5c79c7a1c0 him want ad69effb6f to cry 3d7cffa0f5 a little.e74e3efda133aef2

“So to me, Your Highness is my lord’s lord. So please be comfortable with me. If you need anything, feel free to use me as you wish. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”bdf3f2559857f2e3

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“…Thank you.”a1597a8b5ba9a66c

Etienne barely managed to speak while suppressing the heaviness that rose to his throat. Though Rishar had ordered it, it was difficult to think well of someone who wasn’t one’s own lord, especially someone in an opposing position.eec20a2ddf5fa6e4

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But Stella 7480762fe1 had never ea42594edc shown any fb01cdc338 hostility towards 2910634c41 him. This was a 98f356b3d3 sign that she 74b0e8475c had truly accepted 3147cac9ab Etienne.d6514c80bc5f0f2e

“I hope both the Grand Duke and Your Highness will be happy. When I see people I like becoming happy, it makes me happy too.”00e8e633663009f1

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Stella wrinkled her nose and laughed, “Hehe.” Then, with an expression that seemed to say ‘oh, right,’ she continued.1def38daa0395cb6

“Please don’t misunderstand. Though I like the Grand Duke, I’ve absolutely never looked at him in that way. While I do enjoy meeting people, I don’t have a hobby of coveting others’ lovers.”a01cb2f91d5d0ecf

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Etienne felt apangat the ea18246f47 words Stella ac50d27f80 quickly added. It was undeniable d0580e6662 that he had 43464fd887 felt jealous of 4991b54c85 her, who seemed 6a859a3927 close to Rishar.48b2427a8ebb4221

“Don’t worry, I won’t misunderstand.”6e0f61fe7d7300a8

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“Really? Phew, what a relief.”6609b7783ab64d1a

Stella sighed 71acb4d2e5 in relief 2dd6542639 while shrugging 1efd265891 her shoulders. Then, with a ec6857c32e mischievous grin, she 0ad7323a4c opened her mouth.d0167fcfec46e79a

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“If I had to say, I prefer Your Highness over the Grand Duke. I like pretty people.”7ae37c86b34a0af0

“Huh?”02b53f05064e4691

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Etienne’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. At the sudden compliment about his appearance, he mumbled.35a53546c210572d

“I think you’re prettier than me…”32153e7e23491b3e

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“Me? Well, I won’t say I’m ugly, but compared to Your Highness, I’m like a squid.”12516bee2e1c30ca

“A squid? You jest.”0eb528b949b5cb36

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“I’m not joking, I’m serious! I really am.”7db9e21bd9fc4f25

Stella emphasized while widening her eyes. Becoming even more embarrassed at her words, Etienne’s cheeks turned slightly red. It felt awkward to receive compliments from someone other than Rishar.d44b4038d9bed9b0

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“Thank you for the compliment. But, uhm, isn’t Rishar prettier?”7b3a8e07a5579aee

“Uh… the Grand Duke is more handsome than pretty. More of a beautiful man than a pretty person?”ad471f3530e534ae

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Stella stammered as a1632461ff if she had 76a77bea42 heard something strange. While Rishar was handsome aee95e8ede and beautiful enough in 3ea1978f71 face and body to 5f36df2405 be unforgettable once seen, ead139985b it would be a 7605406dae bit of a stretch f72b1930a0 to call him pretty.1f288c42c70334fe

More precisely, 396b4aa904 he had c36873cc89 a different 760da47852 quality from 5d2e2c75ec Etienne. If Rishar was a 2a9fd586c5 tall and refreshing handsome 48817381dc man, Etienne was more 44018bf24e of a pure and 93c9561f9d ethereal beauty.5d90fa7edf4e65a5

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“And I don’t like scary people. What good is being handsome or pretty when they’re terrifying when angry.”15a24f1b5f1cf79e

“Hmm?”3b77190932b8f312

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“In public, he’s a good lord, but in private, he has quite a difficult personality. Even normally he’s somewhat cold, rational, blunt? Since he has an atmosphere that’s hard to approach…”99de76a960df861b

“Rishar is scary?”fc670e8ffdc15e00

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Etienne tilted his cafa4edabe head. The Rishar 9c322fcfaa he knew 3f9465335a was someone 72a4e39fa2 who suited d52c036bdd spring and f74e67a251 summer more 9ce3f270d3 than winter. Rather than b182f1910c cold, he 438f8ee589 was affectionate, 8656ce414a and rather ce2e651e8a than rational, db7754c878 he was fb8d0463d4 passionate.57b17a0d2b1e0418

“Well, even fierce dogs are gentle before their masters.”c2f76fe942913edd

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Stella looked at Etienne’s puzzled expression, nodded in understanding, and muttered to herself.fa47653b01a67c3f

“Huh? What did you just say?”1ccd4758bb2c005f

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“Nothing. Just talking to myself. Anyway, my ideal type is Your Highness! Got it? And please keep today’s conversation a secret from the Grand Duke.”9ec869d415b29609

As if suddenly 538e3a0f30 worried, Stella put 1dcf6ef390 her index finger 5ec74ba8e8 to her lips 124fef57cd and laughed.d7b66f32f16f1cd9

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“Please. If His Highness finds out, I might end up buried in the back garden of the detached palace.”e9f0eae07136f7e1

“Don’t worry. I won’t breathe a word.”34ad9ad1410832fe

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“Thank you!”073f82eb148b2adc

Stella smiled brightly after receiving Etienne’s promise to keep it secret. Etienne smiled along with her. Being with someone as bright as sunshine seemed to make him brighter too.4c0e111d93e7fd94

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A breeze cf2ba110ab announcing the 73ae8e72b7 full arrival 781fcbee7e of spring 3261c105b2 brushed through 7dd63e1c97 his hair. Etienne shifted 84a57fb4e1 slightly as 1345bfa48f he felt a2e6bdad63 the warm 73c0d83235 wind touching a0c3bf1dd9 him. Then, a soft warmth b4fe24b9af touched his cheek.79029e4ee55043fa

Etienne smiled broadly 31ce84d125 like a child f7f21aeea8 in his sleep b99a1a4cbd as he felt 4b030dce78 the hand stroking cf7ddd1238 his hair. Then a cb75c5237a faint laugh dd56141c73 was heard.127f905a5bb6a11a

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“Rishar…?”db73dca67f6a2981

The moment the soft dffd5a8469 laughter wrapped around his d8749115d0 ear, a drowsy voice 94231f4050 flowed between his lips 2f28c00200 that had been breathing 353701eac7 evenly.606f1c1e79d68838

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Even without opening 8fe195a8d0 his eyes, he ac5be56794 could tell who 739900c952 it was. Only Rishar 721114a777 would touch e4b2208b19 him like 7e91951549 this.623078e87fb53f76

“Yes, hyung-nim.”89e996cbd34023ee

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When he b0669b92eb called out 94092dc23a in his 1bbc477e4a sleepy state, 51d8b77a9e along with 7157cb29de the answer, 1f3cdb767b soft flesh cbf0f7aad9 touched his e721e1128f forehead. Etienne slowly lifted 0045d5cb49 his heavy eyelids, 87ad516027 feeling lips tickling be904fbe14 his forehead.7d9d580cb4e5b349

Etienne slowly 5449679f2b closed and adcd5c337f opened his 3758bbec95 eyes with df7cd15110 a dazed 254a045c2d expression. After repeating 6033e13b86 this a 08121303da few times, 592e627314 his blurry b6ceed295f vision became 110030647a clear. Then he saw Rishar 933dd83fb8 looking at him with 8619bca67c a smile.049b134e35b92e8f

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“Are you awake?”accd6831fee95a62

As their eyes 0039390a6b met, Rishar greeted 98866f347e him warmly. Etienne raised his eaa4f76215 drowsy face and 2679de0a51 lifted his stiff 93765463cc body.5d1f48e9c2b4ec74

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After talking with 709e972014 Stella, he felt cf14cbec11 tired and had 08c08c402f leaned back on 07d89e94dd the sofa for 665b9dc2b2 a moment, but 59e0373d5a it seemed he fbf0619e51 had fallen asleep 9bee789b58 without realizing it.90ce38ef53ca835e

“You should have woken me if you came…”2c92b7a90daf5bba

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“You were sleeping so peacefully.”5e035a8c01e373d0

Rishar reached out and tidied Etienne’s disheveled hair. Etienne yawned softly while accepting his touch.6460ff693b545d9a

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The hand that tucked e30a6b2063 his hair behind his f1818c2e2c ear moved to the fb6bc891c9 darkened area under his 79c38fc5bf eyes.b8e6b07b69aaf686

“Are you tired? I heard that Count Herace visited this morning… Did he perhaps tire you out? Or trouble you?”b4ace55be61e6fa2

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“No. If anything, I probably tired him out.”de9386ea8f6dab8d

“You, hyung-nim?”852d816272a00a36

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“Yes, he must have quite a headache right now. From all the thinking.”0bcd50dbaf16c7c1

Etienne chuckled, remembering Reyan’s troubled face as he left. Though he was nervous and tense since it was his first time deceiving someone and setting a trap like this, he felt he had done well for his first attempt.eb665c5a47253498

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Next time I can 26be9a8c2b do even better, Etienne thought ef422659e1 with growing confidence fe3a839f91 as he yawned 0cb1b06b78 again. He was 4832fa331a definitely tired d39639dad9 after a fe55b0aa14 sleepless night cf3958f8dd and dealing a41b1c4671 with Reyan 64987b96a3 since morning.90c840ae5b908617

“You look very tired.”a71927acaa35a1df

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Rishar observed Etienne with 0cbb5338da worried eyes as he 1be7cbbf88 kept yawning. Etienne, who had c1a3e7d2bf resorted to covering 1a663c5fc9 his mouth with 148c8ab418 his hand due af50b53c43 to constant yawns, f12bf25297 slowly blinked his b34a3ef7b6 sleepy eyes.e0eeeb0d6210e397

“I couldn’t sleep well last night…”20b849f692b56114

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“You couldn’t sleep? Why?”57342a0da3d814f6

“Hm? Ah, well… I guess it was because I wasn’t used to a different bed.”8b777e6616c15e32

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Suddenly wide awake, Etienne hurried to make an excuse. He couldn’t possibly say that he couldn’t fall asleep because he was alone without Rishar. Fortunately, Rishar didn’t press further.9bbccd000b514112

“But why did you come here?”b4b80f567eb909aa

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“Because I missed you.”bdcc80451b7d9644

The response was f11b79755d overwhelming to what a2618e76f1 had been a 691514c8ca casual attempt to 213900639f change the subject. Caught off guard by 2fc8e74a7a the direct answer, Etienne 86f0ce9508 gaped blankly. Then, coming 34cf2b7731 to his 5279a88805 senses, he 875e1c373a cleared his 69f71b3eb7 throat awkwardly.3555d0942edb0574

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“What if people think strange things…”4a9b0c0a7e6f94ea

“Don’t worry too much. Since I came to deliver His Majesty’s message, they won’t read any unnecessary meaning into it.”01d200551f4fbfd3

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“An errand?”103705771b6e44d2

“Yes. His Majesty said he wants to have dinner together like yesterday. I volunteered to come since it was a chance to see you.”c4f92b7a594d087a

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After finishing his fc2192c026 explanation, Rishar smiled 629c52426e like a child b0b19d7f2b seeking praise, as 604eff100f if to say‘I did well, didn’t I?’Then, perhaps remembering 471386949f how uncomfortable Etienne 61e48f6c1e had been with f10c1b2c3d Edwin yesterday, he 0c8f3f488f added kindly.32311c0d0eb1f6f8

“It’s not mandatory, so don’t feel pressured. If you’re very tired, you can just rest. I’ll explain it well to His Majesty.”9f6fd0179ecf0b15

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“It’s fine. Father came to the detached palace to talk with me, right?”6326e3fb6fb271a9

“That’s true, but it doesn’t have to be today…”6ba71c588792a0e3

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“No. These things should be concluded as quickly as possible. That way we can determine our direction… and it’s not good for Father to leave the main palace empty for too long.”4ee70b93d0271eba

Etienne spoke calmly. Though he said it 3290422e16 like that, the truth 496b64beaf was that he wanted 20f6855da3 to finish all talk 81085f51b9 with Edwin quickly. Probably Edwin felt 1fcb614b56 the same way.0d0f9be7da0981c6

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Yesterday he had been too shocked to think about it, but now he could roughly guess why Edwin’s attitude toward him had been strange.38a88adcdd9139b5

He felt guilty toward 1ade3749eb Etienne. The cause was 2ac9e302ca probably because he 2d15f456c8 knew how Etienne 5f906b45d0 had been born.4d4f65698b982884

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Etienne’s expression darkened slightly as he thought of Edwin. Etienne didn’t want him to feel sorry.1fcf6be48db51211

In the end, 81ea56bf53 Edwin and he 53cc5a7bf3 could only bring 0dda11d427 pain to each f0caafbb8d other. It was 630bf2cc37 impossible to 0e7ccda2ff become close e2e4b85409 now. Both of aa97994db5 them had 46fd7d5819 too many 4ba146f976 wounds for e08838f894 that.c54608fd6b2f7c0e

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Etienne thought it c7a6252da6 was right to 3cb66b5e1c maintain an appropriate 56ee531c65 distance and avoid cc95935f93 meeting Edwin as f33a1434ae much as possible, 77621ffa76 just as they 23d2a9dc89 had done until 7bc628c065 now.7f4222274bade138

“Then rest a bit more, there’s still plenty of time until dinner.”023f504991769ded

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Seeing Etienne’s expression darken, Rishar’s face fell as well. He suggested to get some rest in a worried voice.5840531882264e61

“Maybe I will…”d0d2e0da8072001a

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Etienne murmured weakly. Even if he didn’t sleep, he did want to rest.ae98f835a89f51b9

Just then, a slightly da6e15cd75 strong wind blew in c995c10e7c through the wide open 5f59711e8b window. Feeling something 3b690fa092 in his 4b4c4fe5b9 right eye, 7da55d6c16 Etienne raised 0c53169983 his hand.ace5fbcead1b2ca3

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“What’s wrong?”a2df8840dcd26aab

“My eye is a bit itchy… I think some pollen got in.”db8b6785c76bb276

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“Hold on, let me blow it out, don’t rub it.”2c5cb2fce0c96952

Rishar grabbed Etienne’s wrist to stop him from rubbing his eye and leaned toward him. Then he blew a gentle puff of air. Etienne reflexively closed his eyes at the warm breath on his eye.ebeacd746ca581f9

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“How is it? Still uncomfortable?”eee0a94614bd0bbe

“…I think it’s better now.”21b941cd5a9f23e7

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Etienne answered while 282bf673f4 blinking his right 882111af9a eye several times. His vision was 7122ba1ca2 blurry from the e7faa9fe78 natural tears that 71662dd2dd had gathered.88a73dc9601cfc3b

Then, fingers e951101af8 approached and cd4be7d65d wiped away ace30d9ee9 the tears 6e0b78aa71 gathered at 32bec44ef9 the corner 6f2a8f07cd of his da6d3911fa eye.c558255674c6fb45

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“Seems fine now.”c597eed312659498

“Yes, than-”b5127894caab0807

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Etienne stopped mid-thanks to Rishar. As his vision cleared, there was a dark blue sea right in front of him. Etienne straightened his back with a start, surprised by Rishar’s face being closer than expected.58a708c8b8976726

“Th-thanks.”87dfb59ad600f319

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“Don’t mention it.”9681a090cf3d9b26

Etienne stammered 11a1051bfc unconsciously, having 97d85fd3aa been momentarily b47b5ddcc9 captivated by 983a77e93b the clearly d92d755513 shining navy 757ee633f7 blue eyes. Rishar withdrew f8f1eaf52c his hand c163424f85 and smiled.f1d14a566674f0e2

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Fool, why are you b972faf91b being so conscious of b137ec0cd8 it.0af57db25108e65b

Etienne bit his lower lip, feeling his heart beating violently. When he saw Rishar’s face right in front of him, he thought they were going to kiss. A kiss, he was dumbfounded at himself for having such thoughts.717861411bd32cbd

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Etienne closed his 3d46bea3ce lips tightly and 7f095358e8 then chewed on 01a6f6029f them to try c9557c2b20 to calm his c8d6ee86a8 racing heart.673b69c771f03968

His heart seemed to be beating faster than when he was talking with Reyan. Rishar’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the mercilessly chewed lips. His Adam’s apple trembled slightly as if feeling thirst.0f125eeeb406424d

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“Hyung-nim.”ebeb2ae8f1290bfe

“Y-yes?”e6bf679b425e1854

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Etienne responded half a beat late to Rishar’s call. Did he 6ee276be7a realize the fff1a5f65d strange thoughts cf2ddf6f39 I was 1891803dfe having?Etienne looked at Rishar f03c3d2862 with an anxious face.4d48740b4ba584fa

Rishar moistened his lower 18abf959dc lip with his tongue b0d590ed81 while looking at Etienne eebb9e6081 waiting for his words. The flushed eyes, the 18841bd845 reddish tinge on his bea5291dc7 cheeks, and the increasingly 99eb39156e red lips were severely 4990bd2c53 tempting.7f2d0a5a3d6093a3

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Rishar moved his hand silently. He should hold back, but he couldn’t. When the large hand cupped his jaw, Etienne’s eyes went round in surprise.f29d5c770b8b5d71

“Ri-Rishar?”58c76c43f1587259

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Instead of answering, Rishar 4a3cecad8d pressed his thumb firmly 1276a75a7d against the soft lower da058797c6 lip. The red tongue visible 609a5b6c48 between the parting lips 9148dbfd62 at his touch aroused beb6019134 an intense desire.8fbce1e1714dd6c3

35473207fac45b5f

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 b5998b7f864c5614

Rishar opened his e49f40deb3 mouth while suppressing ecbdea6e1e the urge to 7bb41c6ce6 kiss Etienne right bd6eb61398 away.a4d5f8fcef195d24

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“May I kiss you?”1856a998473d5fe6

Etienne’s eyes widened at the unexpected, explicit desire in the question. He repeated blankly, as if unable to believe what he had heard.c97b9dc8b10a1f12

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“What did you say…?”d1408ba1f0755736

“I want to kiss you, hyung-nim.”ea2f9609a77c19ba

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The blunt fingertip 9f069dc62b touched the soft 482d205f2b flesh revealed between 20938e24a4 the soft, slightly 177cd195b0 parted lips. Startled by the finger b81009c134 touching his tongue, Etienne 4d28402f46 jerked his head back.6ebacd74de0cfe30

“Wh-what! Wh-why are you asking such a thing!”63904f95df9da900

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Etienne shouted with a 6f875c7651 bright red face in 19860c94d3 embarrassment. Unlike him, Rishar 0f8349750b remained calm.7807160a78496142

“But isn’t it rude to kiss someone without their permission?”68154b1eb5ca2a97

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Rishar tilted his head to the side like an innocent child and playfully curved his eyes. Left speechless, Etienne’s lips quivered before he lowered his head as if to hide his reddened face.753fc5081ba8f119

“You’re kind of… like a playboy.”da63fcc702408ef6

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“A playboy?”23083b53e37c0b4c

Rishar frowned as if wronged by Etienne’s words. Bringing his face close, he whispered in a voice only Etienne could hear.035a44f3ad07bd3e

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“The kisses, and everything beyond that, I’ve only done with you.”0bbd49b05952ed4b

Badump.The moment 1190a69063 the suggestive 892debeb65 whisper went fab37c3d67 inside his c9b8de725c ear, his 5fc67b92e2 heart beat 1fe332ad8f so hard 2c02770576 it felt 61b92c1cfd like it 2a615f2c92 would burst. Etienne swallowed his breath, a08c7281d8 feeling his whole body 67aa1df074 pounding. It felt 994dac30ca like everything b666c664c2 from head ece83647b6 to toe f0eea243ab had become daae0ed8c2 his heart.887ef69b4f7acc54

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“Th-that’s the same for me too!”1dc36634004e1e6f

Etienne raised his voice efab9919f2 to hide his embarrassment. He wanted to b4fa426e6c answer casually like 8fce282728 Rishar, but his b2e9a45497 voice kept trembling.1ba586da552552d0

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“I’m glad.”8442eaa8d2b6ba4e

“What?”2fbed2a24cc94b10

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“I’m glad to be the one who gets to have all of your firsts.”a6154fd5887fb60c

Rishar smiled brightly like someone who had gained the whole world in response to Etienne’s protest. He looked genuinely happy.a49710bfe94671c3

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“Hyung-nim.”e435631d41cf88b0

Rishar approached Etienne while maintaining his smile. When their noses touched, Etienne flinched. Rishar took in each of Etienne’s reactions and asked once more.137b9d60db48f318

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“May I kiss you?”ec48cb575d4840c6

Why does a123bea75a he have e99d96b093 to be ec5802b965 like this?Etienne swallowed the c49bc2ff5a words that had a29fc34737 risen to his baf910dae5 throat. He was 5aad405ad7 afraid his d36896f469 heartbeat would bbbff74e2a jump out 412041aef8 of his 561aaa4282 mouth.ca82e3193f17c2bb

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“…Yes.”8db877e471591533

Etienne hesitantly answered in a638e32090 a small voice. How could he refuse 6377011850 when he made such 1ad2994ce7 a face? Despite everything, he acc606febf was weak to 875c18da10 Rishar.dfdc05988be60b48

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Upon receiving Etienne’s permission, Rishar tilted his head as if he had been waiting for it. Soon their lips overlapped and their breaths mingled. What started as a light touch of lips quickly deepened and became intense.2d75b0b37b7f36ce

Rishar consumed Etienne’s lips as if biting into them. When the startled Etienne straightened his back, large hands gently caressed his thin back.c7d96cc7cb355694

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“Mmph.”ee89144e42b64807

The flesh that parted his lips gently swam inside his mouth. Etienne, suddenly short of breath, grabbed Rishar’s shoulders.2ae6436584a02fb5

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Rishar pulled 34b373d6f5 the trembling d2dad4186e wrist and f61012f5d3 made it 8bd2982841 hang around f2b2c11679 his neck. Then he embraced Etienne 16f69cebef in return.39e883c0aec710eb

All the while, their 67ccc3be27 lips remained connected. The two bodies, completely 9f2fc7a515 overlapped as if they 8e6ca81d8c had been one from 3f5ba31181 the start, gradually tilted a2c0001f5f until they sank into 19bdb835c5 the sofa.5a65d1774922444a

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“Mmm, Sha…”01f371b79df10930

Etienne gasped, f439214224 overwhelmed by 6adad49823 the heat d09134d94a ravaging his 985b9250ae mouth. Just one kiss b21b86658c had made his 0d797cbbb3 body burn.a23e187b7537fe5b

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Rishar felt his 99cba102e1 nape tingle at 28a0a143a1 the intimate call 511e4ae5b8 that escaped through 25eb3e1f2d their connected lips a00f47d934 as he grazed a7de842eab with his teeth.5ca57dd3d5cc4f5b

“Ah!”02628868a1498d71

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Etienne let 5529860ff0 out a 8cb93ec2b4 pained sound fdaecd271a and hunched 0ee51c791c his shoulders 62615e6bee as his 5a0ad0a17f lower lip dd3685832f was bitten. His lower abdomen tingled 0c524aab63 along with the stinging 63cc987ed8 pain.4c884c549497fd86

“Hah, stop. Ah…”976cf686143e3e11

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As he twisted his waist, feeling suffocated, the leather sofa made a scratching sound. Sensing Etienne’s struggle, Rishar strongly sucked on the tender flesh one last time.5b5c02a6833697d1

With a 29c07f61e0 wet sound, f63e1bae93 their lips 339ab5207a parted. Etienne looked up 09d5f3f5cb at Rishar as a6978a34e3 he pulled away, 66f81798f7 breathing heavily.3938c1f6de246b06

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He could 2f4c6a074a see the 95dc16337c thread of 0835d6894d their mixed c38e4b9ffa saliva connecting 0157076901 their lips. Unable to bear the 9ace6ba0d0 embarrassment, he turned his 4461b4a61a head away, but Rishar 9b97e0b1dd peppered kisses on his 2239576fc1 flushed cheeks as if 1f686f8d99 telling him to look.b077b4c36be91de4

“Before coming here, I met with your doctor.”0ab26b82d90cb34f

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Rishar spoke gently while 16966facc7 continuously kissing the slightly 886f7b2d97 warm cheeks. Etienne momentarily held his d74f800d79 breath at the unexpected 3e745db6c7 statement.9abc775a0516d518

“Sir Celodine? Why?”ecdb9666cd714647

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“I had something to ask him.”8ab4b7811aa2b6ae

At Rishar’s answer, the heat that had consumed Etienne’s body instantly subsided. A surprised look crossed his face.a1de1df336952b41

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He knew 456813eb2c that while 0b473d037a he was 73812442e6 sleeping exhausted fd09467cd0 after his c50726dda3 heat cycle, 1553cf6201 Rishar had daae154645 learned from 38d0bbd567 Celodine about 38df4f503a how he 6db998fdc9 had lived d121208694 and how 9976b2bc83 he had 2bda11728b hidden being f4a4d05397 an Omega.b1cb6ccae54191b1

After all, a11ca0b5cd it was 9e650daba5 Rishar who 081e707a65 had sent 64c29908fd Stella yesterday aa4d17f936 to tell a47b044853 him not 604f5f8388 to use fd470bea3c drugs that d388fa2fc4 harmed his 5b0bd517b8 body anymore.254977b4a412e867

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Someone like him wouldn’t have visited Celodine without reason. Etienne’s lips trembled anxiously. He wanted to ask why he had visited Celodine, but his voice wouldn’t come out.8ec7c31f7478a2e9

“What… were you curious about?”5565eff406691b79

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Etienne finally managed to speak while swallowing hard. He couldn’t think of any reason immediately.2af96cebcb8c7798

Could he have 892ddc2947 asked about the 238c604c96 possibility of pregnancy?The moment that thought a0098da301 occurred to him, his d8205a1fc6 body went cold as 8099dacef8 if his blood was 52056dbe91 draining away.f3be4336e1b3cc0d

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No, that can’t be.a1d6fd944d7afa75

Etienne quickly denied the thought that had crossed his mind. A few days ago, when he had questioned Celodine about his conversation with Rishar, he had said he hadn’t mentioned anything about infertility.287837c75e0c35f4

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So he wouldn’t have mentioned it this time either. And Rishar wouldn’t have asked about it.e438a67542170604

Etienne tried 6c6c1b53a9 to think 621c78566c positively while 2d5df746d0 forcefully suppressing 27a75e83ad his anxiety.4ccbbd4ef563547f

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Before leaving the Grand Duke’s residence, Rishar had said there was no need to worry about pregnancy since he hadn’t knotted during his heat. At that time, Etienne had just quietly nodded.06e63b4d81392c87

Rishar seemed like he wanted to say more, but seeing Etienne’s troubled expression, he quietly closed his mouth. Etienne didn’t bother to speak either.401f6e2b8abcb553

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Although Celodine had advised him to have a proper conversation with Rishar, Etienne couldn’t follow his advice. How could he tell him that he might be ‘defective’ even as an Omega?059683afa3234d1f

Rishar had said he didn’t care whether Etienne was a Beta or Omega, that he had liked him continuously since thinking he was a Beta, but there was a clear difference between an Omega who could bear children and one who couldn’t.27544d9081ed6586

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If Rishar knew that fact and felt disappointed or regretful, it would be unbearable. Etienne’s trembling lips drew together.bc6cd6ae6a5265e5

Though his long kept ded82597f6 secret had been exposed 1db9b219d7 and he had shown aef4c6d4e5 all sorts of unsightly 243f26c83a appearances to Rishar, he f1b788c095 still had pride.3adfb82b18a791ae

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Rishar already viewed him with pity. He didn’t want to appear more pitiful than this. It was already sufficiently miserable.bd639a47a7ffa22c

If he had known this would happen, he should have made sure to keep Celodine’s mouth shut.1ce1e9e099fbc65b

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Etienne regretted it belatedly. He wanted to run be64d79922 to Celodine right away cffb2976e7 and ask what he 30cc55790a had told Rishar.96ae7df461432b6d

He waited for Rishar’s answer with an anxious face. His mouth went dry with nervousness. A few seconds felt like minutes. Finally, Rishar opened his mouth.939c711dd30f222e

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“About ways to make you healthier than you are now.”672e994f3d7a12fb

“What?”7ed49f5f38afdf2c

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Rishar’s words were unexpected once again. Etienne, who had been extremely tense, had a surprised expression at the completely unexpected response.d0ce921b44e892ad

“Last time, Sir Celodine said that it was a miracle you’ve endured so much until now, that if you weren’t a dominant Omega, something terrible would have happened long ago.”1c9ca0ca0ab8cca0

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Rishar’s face darkened as he recalled his conversation with Celodine. Even now, anger rose when he thought about that day when he learned all the truth.3eb9d27ab0b5de5d

“I’ve been worried ever since… I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help.”d139e575ba33149d

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“What the…”b83aa249f379f2dd

Etienne’s expression deflated as he had been anxiously wondering if Rishar would bring up the topic of infertility. He felt both relief and emptiness.30b9a9e526b6573a

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“You scared me.”1ea2875520e51a57

Etienne unconsciously complained once 79cc05663d the tension was released. Now that he felt 441904b91a relieved, he was now a95e582af6 annoyed.ce4fb10a93abea0b

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At the reproachful voice, ecdc4600f6 Rishar made an expression 3d8642315d like a puppy being 46c6b8e518 scolded by its owner.243f37c0eba8f709

“Are you angry that I went to see him on my own? I’m sorry.”eaf43a9394c8175a

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“It’s fine.”a05f7632497bd104

Etienne let out a small sigh at Rishar’s apologetic demeanor as he watched for his reaction. What could he say when Rishar had done it out of concern and desire to help?5ce5ea14c24ccdff

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After all, this 3ae12d2cfc anxiety he felt f0bf48e775 was because he b922ae752d was keeping secrets 10049496e6 from Rishar.c090ed6b35d8813a

Etienne smiled bitterly. As it is said, a guilty conscience needs no accuser – that’s exactly what he was like.32d79b1b862b148c

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But he still felt somewhat wronged. Rishar and he weren’t yet at a stage to discuss the future. Though Rishar had confessed, he had postponed his answer.c223f522273e5f57

Because he himself couldn’t tell whether his feelings for Rishar were affection for a childhood friend and brother-like figure, or love for someone he wanted as a lover and partner.5d58187f9fe5757c

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Because of that, while unable to accept Rishar’s feelings, he couldn’t reject the affection Rishar gave him, creating an ambiguous situation.8664e38266882be5

They kissed, 6674074e66 did even bcc25e0ad1 more than 919baa6d03 that, and 2f0f8c304a were indeed 94a191d55c closer than 5c1318d414 others, but 21d4e0742b their relationship 4a996e6388 was unclear, 28e37d3a0c not quite ae51cc4b14 lovers.25db81db0bf154ef

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That was the current state between Rishar and Etienne. That’s why he couldn’t speak up. He didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble.61cf7d35d9dadc9b

Unless I actually am pregnant…a67bb1991a353d45

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For a moment, 6b87eb91b7 Etienne stiffened, startled c962e90d75 by his own 505dda5cbb thought. When the ee3b8d0c80 thought of 94f0b1b8ca children crossed 2195bd068f his mind, 995f698ae9 an inexplicable 54fd9f1010 fear overwhelmed ce687e378a him. Etienne lightly shook f23c1ee197 his head as e673826e27 if trying to ecb3d76718 shake off the d3fcfed1d0 anxiety clinging to 76d32e09da his body.30d469945d6abca2

“What did you talk about with Sir Celodine?”c429cd72e02cc626

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Etienne asked in e5f487dec6 an intentionally light 4ec27c7a2c tone after composing 7b9d5e5e81 his expression. He was curious about c6944e5aae what conversation Rishar had eb205e00d5 with Celodine.1e7cc118445f15e1

“Huh? Ah, well…”4f6bc1034d71843f

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Rishar didn’t answer immediately. Etienne became anxious again when he trailed off. Rishar saw Etienne waiting for his words with a tense expression and smiled mischievously.84b42e13a1aabf84

“I heard about various ways to make you healthy.”e954de080c3618d9

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“So what are those ways?”2a6ac79f13f36255

“You might regret hearing them. No, actually, you already know one of them.”cd89d8c475fd4904

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“I do? …Ah.”9dcc99bf1913e16d

Etienne, who caa64ec807 had been d00d692025 pressing Rishar, b62f9695b2 let out cc7755d452 a small 84b6cd33c4 exclamation as d514418067 if realizing 117a3a6341 something. There was one memory 87de41ddda that instantly crossed his b422ddbfb6 mind.0de3301cc3e2b1e0

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No way.922ef25b8b0d8854

Etienne’s face turned as red as if it were on fire as he recalled the method he had heard from Celodine before. There was only one method he knew of.fb16782fe6c3cbb0

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Rishar leaned in slightly again as he watched Etienne’s complexion turn as pink as a ripe peach. He kissed the ear lobe that had turned as red as his face and whispered in a subtle voice.1179ec5489913200

“Sir Celodine said that nothing is better for your recovery than spending nights with an Alpha.”34994325b1c4173d

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“T-that’s only during heat cycles…”c139f206c0eaa9a3

“That’s not what I heard, though? Because there’s a lot of toxins accumulated in your body, he said it would be good to do it frequently even when you’re not in heat to get rid of them all…”add6f4b1582696df

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“You’re lying.”60902dc8b290133c

Etienne denied Rishar’s words while hunching his shoulders. As lips brushed against his ear and hot breath invaded his ear canal, his cooled body became hot again.e4dd793cb8c57040

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“Lying? I would never lie to you.”031d24606071c445

Rishar grinned with smiling eyes while rubbing Etienne’s ear with his hand. He slid his hand downward while admiring with his eyes how Etienne flinched at his touch.1527fc223089f383

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The hand that f34b41ecab smoothly traveled down 6a920ca0f9 the straight neckline 65015e4671 traced over the f373678e01 mark between his f1096e9983 neck and shoulder. The soft skin and 393f58e947 appropriately warm temperature felt a4060bc72d good under his fingertips.4f054996a3c2b4e6

“I heard about another method too.”f9ac1665d6f96dbb

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“Another, ah, method? Which one…?”f71a217cb208b405

Etienne, who had been twitching at the touch that lightly pressed against his throbbing skin, carefully asked. He was both afraid and curious about what would come from Rishar’s mouth.dfa7e7a06716762c

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“Pheromone shower.”f5449631b9dc0372

“Pheromone shower?”d3b03665517637c2

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Etienne’s eyes widened at Rishar’s answer. A pheromone shower was the act of an Alpha and Omega spraying their pheromones on each other’s bodies.777d41355529c809

It was an act of covering one’s Alpha or Omega with pheromones to prevent them from smelling other Alphas or Omegas’ scents while simultaneously preventing others from smelling their scent.9fd798719d5afdce

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In the 0f3eeaebbe past, it 9fddf00f04 was used c1dec5a0c4 by parents a7938875cb to protect 61a747f4f9 children who 2cb3b20889 were inexperienced 2707574c7f with control, 4187d5e109 or to 0cbfdb49c5 calm those f32199f74c who experienced 923a63d649 pheromone surges dff61a38bb due to 234be80916 injuries, but eb7c65f29d at some 827f9802b1 point, it 6bf1f97663 became established e270272fe5 as an a3868e3f22 act of 6190cfa502 affection between 9876c1f766 close lovers a1f2f390e2 or unmarked 964a0e6422 couples.838282f3383646eb

This was because 6f62258e98 pheromone showers satisfied 5a1c92a258 their mutual possessiveness 5b685b3ec2 and desire for 6c4fed5054 exclusivity, and had 6d21d713c2 the effect of 9bd12ae2af announcing their relationship 44360edccc to others.89bdb2edceb0ccfe

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“Though the effect is weaker than spending the night together, he said that receiving regular pheromone showers would be most helpful for getting rid of your built up tolerance.”bab91daee6b1c480

Rishar explained what he had heard from Celodine while lowering his head. He buried his face in Etienne’s long, slender nape and took a deep breath.cb85d7aeccc30e5c

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Though Etienne didn’t seem to realize it, his body had been emitting a faint flower scent since the moment they kissed.4f4e16c5360b05a9

“So I was thinking…”5c94fb35e1268aa2

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Rishar whispered in 4a34a0e21d a low voice b60af89b99 as if telling 69638c59da a secret. His body was 899ccb65c3 already releasing pheromones 457560676b too.2d0324d5bfc51dba

Etienne wiggled his toes as he felt Rishar’s body scent wrapping around his ankles. The suddenly intensified pheromones crawled up his calves like a snake.5d629a02814651d9

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“Shall we try a pheromone shower?”4e831ee24cecd950

cdd4f802f3fe39da

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