The fact that Rob could enter and exit the Prince’s Palace so easily was something that should raise concerns about the security within the Prince’s Palace. Wasn’t it? Even though he was someone who had been Knight Commander twice, could he really enter here so easily despite good security?
Thinking about it that way, it seemed like I had reacted too sensitively.
Rob added to his words.
“I came to say my final farewell.”
“Final?”
Hearing his words, it seemed like he was referring to before Kalroy went to another country. It seemed Rob was going with him too.
I looked directly at Kalroy and asked.
“Are you perhaps following His Highness Kalroy?”
“Yeah. That’s how it turned out. So, about that…”
Before I could even be surprised, in an instant there was a *thud* sound and I collapsed into Rob’s arms. Along with the feeling of my body floating in the air, I heard his voice.
“Let me be rude one last time.”
***
As expected, when I opened my eyes, I was in Kalroy’s room. It wasn’t even surprising anymore. I shouldn’t get used to being kidnapped, but since it had been repeated several times, it didn’t bother me at all.
As I tried to regain my senses while leaning against the bed, Kalroy’s face came into my view. Fortunately, he looked better than when I had seen him last time.
“Why aren’t you angry today?”
I smiled and countered Kalroy’s words.
“A lowly Omega who woke up in His Highness the Crown Prince’s bed should prostrate and bow, and even that wouldn’t be enough, so I shouldn’t be angry.”
Kalroy smiled bitterly.
“Your fortune must be good since your jokes have increased.”
Kalroy’s expression looked gloomy, making me feel down for no reason as well.
“Are you going to the Ohariko Empire?”
Kalroy nodded his head.
“That’s why I asked Rob to let me see you one last time. Rob opposed it, saying it was dangerous, but…”
Perhaps due to his arrogant personality, he couldn’t bring himself to continue his words, but it was more than obvious what he wanted to say. He probably wanted to say that since he might never see me again, he wanted to see me one last time.
Instead of getting angry at Kalroy, who said he kidnapped me because he wanted to see me, I asked him something I was curious about.
“I heard the Ohariko Empire is a boring place. How about taking some of the regular Omegas who were by your side with you?”
Kalroy was famous as a Crown Prince who didn’t show interest in sex. Aside from Crown Princess Iropu, who was Duke Kelton’s daughter, he didn’t keep other Omegas by his side. There were regular Omegas that Iropu had personally selected, but they were formal concubines, and it was said that they were too afraid of Iropu to do anything and just maintained their positions. I suddenly became curious about what happened to them.
Kalroy shook his head.
“They weren’t ones I wanted to keep by my side anyway. After Iropu was stripped of her position and exiled to an island, they all left the palace long ago. Not that I’m saying I miss them…”
Even while answering my question, he kept trailing off his words, as if he had something to say but couldn’t.
“If you have something you want to say, say it. Why do you keep beating around the bush in such an uncharacteristic way?”
Kalroy looked directly at me with determination and said.
“You’ll obviously refuse, but if I leave without asking, I think I’ll regret it even after I go there.”
“What?”
“Daniel… won’t you come with me?”
Kalroy made the suggestion while trembling his shoulders. However, it was also a question I had somewhat expected.
For a very brief moment, I seriously considered Kalroy’s proposal. If I followed Kalroy, wouldn’t I be able to escape from the tiresome fate of dying at the tyrant’s hands?
However, I soon shook my head firmly. The very first content of the book I saw when I came to this world was the resolute content that I and William would meet somehow, and I thought that needlessly provoking William would only hasten the path to him becoming a tyrant.
Rather than following Kalroy, I’ll raise William well and then live happily ever after for a long, long time!
Having finished my thoughts, I looked at Kalroy. Kalroy was staring intently at my lips with his hand on his chest. Thinking he might be hurt if I rejected him too curtly, I paused for a moment.
“You know it can’t be done. Since you’re going as an envoy, let’s meet after you safely complete your business in the Ohariko Empire and return. I believe that then you’ll become a reliable backing as our His Highness William’s older brother.”
Kalroy nodded with a disappointed face.
“So the rumors floating around the Imperial Palace are true after all.”
He seemed to be referring to rumors about me and William sleeping together. I wanted to correct Kalroy’s misunderstanding, but since I had decided not to follow him, it seemed better not to do so.
“Yes, so please return safely and in good health.”
“What power would a royal who’s lost his connections have?”
Kalroy turned his body around, speaking self-deprecatingly. Rob, who had been standing nearby, approached me and said.
“Get up. Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”
I followed behind Rob while looking back at Kalroy. It was because I had something I wanted to say to him one last time.
“It seems like there’s no one by your side, right? That’s why you’re making such a disappointed expression, isn’t it?”
Kalroy turned around and looked at me. His eyes were full of questions. I smiled brightly at him.
“There’s someone reliable by Your Highness’s side who would give up their own life to protect you. Think carefully about who that is.”
I said this with Rob in mind, but I wonder if Kalroy will realize it properly.
Having said that, I left the Crown Prince’s Palace. It wasn’t a place I could easily leave just because I wanted to, but Rob didn’t particularly chase after me.
Rob seemed to think it was better to stay by Kalroy’s side and take care of him.
If it’s Rob, I can entrust Kalroy to him with peace of mind.
It’s not like I’m Kalroy’s parent, so I don’t really need to worry about him, but…
So what if it’s meddling? It feels better to extend a helping hand than to pretend not to see a pitiful child!
I ran to the Prince’s Palace where William was waiting with a much lighter heart.
My head was filled with the content of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” that I would tell him tonight. It was as if William was already in front of me, his eyes sparkling as he begged me to tell him a story.
***
Before I knew it, it was the day of William’s coronation ceremony. Behern, who had the highest position among the attendants, and I, who was William’s only regular Omega, could observe him from close by.
William standing on the platform in his ceremonial robes was beautiful. No, the word beautiful wasn’t enough, and though it’s a bit cringeworthy, he was like an angel who had lost his wings.
I was staring at him in a daze when I heard sniffling sounds from somewhere.
“*Sniff sniff*… Our Prince… no, now he’s Crown Prince. Finally… oh my, am I dreaming?”
Looking to the side, I saw Behern dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief.
I understand being moved, but there’s no need to cry about it.
I felt embarrassed to be with him and tried to quietly step back when I heard someone whispering behind me.
“That kid? The Crown Prince’s only concubine.”
“Right. Daniel, I heard he’s from a lower-class Omega background.”
“How cunning must that young thing have been to seduce the young Crown Prince?”
“Exactly. He hasn’t even taken in a Companion Omega yet, but they say he’s already slept with him.”
“Good grief… how shameless.”
Looking at them, they didn’t seem to be noble lords but attendants who appeared to have lower ranks than me, yet they were gossiping behind my back just because I was young, which seemed pathetic.
If I could, I wanted to go to them and tell them to stop their nonsense and focus on His Highness William’s coronation ceremony. However, as long as Behern was by my side, telling me that whatever I did, I needed to conduct myself properly as His Highness William’s one and only concubine, that was impossible.
I was seething and swallowing my anger when something surprising happened. Behern, who had been wiping tears while looking at William just moments ago, was walking toward them.
I hastily grabbed Behern’s arm and asked.
“What are you trying to do? The coronation ceremony is in progress…”
Then Behern simply shook off my arm and said.
“His Highness hasn’t given his speech yet, so please wait.”
“Why are you suddenly speaking formally?”
“After the coronation ceremony ends, Lord Daniel will become His Highness the Crown Prince’s only concubine. It’s natural for me to speak respectfully.”
“I haven’t officially become a concubine yet…”
“Didn’t you know?”
“…What?”
Behern clicked his tongue as if I were pathetic.
If you’ve decided to speak respectfully, could you not look at me with those eyes?
I awkwardly scratched the back of my head. Since I’d been busy preparing for the coronation ceremony lately, I hadn’t had enough time to talk privately with William, and it seemed like something I didn’t know about had happened to William during that time.
That didn’t mean William’s obsession had lessened at all. We just didn’t have time to talk, but since I was being reported on in real-time about where I was and what I was doing, while I didn’t hear news about William, William was hearing all about me.
I’m the one who should know all of William’s information to reform him! It felt like the roles had been reversed.
“His Highness had a private audience with His Majesty before the coronation ceremony, saying he wanted to officially make Lord Daniel his concubine.”
This was the first time I’d heard this, so I was flustered, but I was also afraid that William might have earned the Emperor’s hatred. I couldn’t lose the trust that had been so hard to gain right at the last moment.
“His Highness is safe, right? He wasn’t scolded by His Majesty or faced any disadvantages…”
Behern smiled and said.
“His Highness is a wise person, isn’t he? From what I heard through rumors, the Emperor’s laughter could be heard all the way outside the door.”
“What?”
I almost fainted from surprise. A prince who hadn’t even taken in a Companion Omega yet wanted to take in a concubine first, and the Emperor was happy about it? Even though that concubine was from a lower-class Omega background, he gave permission?
When I tilted my head in confusion, Behern continued.
“Since it was a private audience, no one heard exactly what was said, but His Majesty’s voice was so loud that people caught bits and pieces.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he had been worried because Crown Prince Kalroy wouldn’t even sleep with his Crown Princess.”
I knew how important succession was in the royal family, but I was surprised that he would say such things even to William, who was only ten years old now.
Anyway, I was relieved to hear that he wasn’t scolded.
Patting my bewildered shoulder, Behern said.
“You were worrying needlessly. Although His Highness William is young, he knows His Majesty the Emperor better than anyone, so you don’t need to worry.”
“He is remarkably wise, but…”
Thinking of William, who would have negotiated with the Emperor whom even adults trembled before, wanting to make me his official concubine as soon as possible, I felt more chills than pride.
“Please stay here for a moment. I’ll go discipline those attendants and come back.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
