“I came to ask for your help with what happens after the invitation.”
After hearing the answer, I became even more confused.
Could it be that he came to ask me to mediate well since a fight might break out when the two meet?
If that was it, I could understand. If Kalroy had already decided on the invitation, Rob wouldn’t have been able to stop him. But I had no way to stop the two of them from fighting either.
“What power do I have to stop a fight between two Crown Prince Highnesses?”
Kalroy shook his head.
“That’s not what I want to ask of you.”
“It’s not? Then what…”
“I would like you to take Lord Kalroy’s side just once during the dinner.”
I questioned my own ears and asked back.
“What did you say?”
Rob muttered as if to himself.
“That would be enough. It’s because he’s never been a priority even once.”
Only after hearing those words did I finally understand.
Kalroy, who had become twenty years old in a twisted state after not receiving proper love, would be in a childlike state rather than being an adult. So his feelings toward me, whom he met during his most sensitive period, would still be special.
Added to that was the competitive spirit toward his half-brother with whom he had to fight over their father and the imperial throne, which seemed to have brought him to the brink of rampage. Otherwise, Rob, who was accurate in his judgment, wouldn’t have made such a request of me.
Thinking of William, it was absolutely something that shouldn’t happen, and even considering my personal feelings, it was something I didn’t want to do.
But Rob’s attitude in making the request looked so pitiful and desperate that it was hard to refuse outright.
What should I do about this?
I sighed and asked Rob back.
“Would it be okay even if it’s something very simple and trivial?”
Rob’s face lit up.
“Yes. It’s fine even if it’s really insignificant. I’ll be the one to attach meaning to it.”
We made some sort of contract and parted ways for the peace of both countries.
But I couldn’t shake the doubt about whether this was the right thing to do.
***
“What’s got you looking so serious?”
That was what William said as soon as he returned and saw my face. His perceptiveness just kept getting sharper, which was troublesome. I answered trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
“Haha, what could there be to be serious about?”
William asked back with suspicious eyes.
“Really? If you’re lying…”
Thinking that creating another weakness before tomorrow’s big event would only be bad for me, I decided to make up an appropriate excuse.
“Ah, actually I was worrying about Your Highness. You went to have an audience with the Emperor of the Ohariko Empire, and I was wondering if you might get upset again like yesterday if Lord Kalroy was there…”
Even I thought it was a perfectly fitting excuse for the situation. Sure enough, William said with his suspicion completely gone.
“I already have no energy in my body because of that.”
Huh? Not that he was in a bad mood, but that he had no energy in his body?
Come to think of it, his face did seem paler than before meeting the Emperor, and his lips looked bluish.
Don’t tell me… just because he’s an allied crown prince, those two Dominant Alphas didn’t do the cowardly thing of suppressing him with pheromones, did they? If they did that, you’re not even royalty. Bad people!
As I was cursing inwardly and checking William’s condition, William suddenly pulled me into his arms.
“Let me stay like this for a moment.”
“You must have had a really hard time.”
“Yeah. The Emperor and Crown Prince were really determined to release their pheromones, and I felt like I was going to throw up. I need to stabilize.”
I burrowed deeper into William’s embrace. If I could, I wanted to be the one holding him, but his build had grown too large for that to be possible.
Soon William rested his chin on my shoulder and took a deep breath.
“Ah… now I feel like I can breathe a little.”
His body had grown big, but his behavior was still that of a child.
I patted his back and muttered inwardly.
William, when will you grow up? You need to grow up quickly to become Emperor, and only then will my turbulent life become a bit more comfortable…
I should have felt relieved thinking that, but strangely my chest felt heavy in one corner. I don’t know why I keep feeling like this.
***
The next day, Kalroy formally invited William and Daniel to dinner.
Kalroy had told the attendant who went to deliver the news to report back on William’s reaction without missing anything. The returning attendant simply said calmly, as if nothing had happened, that they had accepted tonight’s dinner invitation.
‘Why is this so natural?’
Kalroy had been inwardly anxious that William might stubbornly refuse to send Daniel, though it was unlikely. But even though William had accepted the invitation without much fuss, he felt bad. It was because he didn’t like the very fact that he had to invite both people to dinner simultaneously.
‘I should have just called Daniel alone from the beginning!’
It had been good that he had planned and planned for years to bring Daniel to Ohariko, but seeing William and Daniel stuck together on the bed with his own eyes made him feel like his eyes would rot. Kalroy, who returned to his room that day, had to suffer all night long.
A day had passed and he had gotten some petty revenge by applying pressure with pheromones, but compared to the crimes of stealing Daniel away, not letting him hold him, and monopolizing him alone, that level of revenge was nothing.
Kalroy trembled as he tried to cool his fever.
“You succeeded in tonight’s invitation, so why are you shaking like that? Are you feeling unwell?”
When Rob asked kindly, Kalroy, whose anger hadn’t subsided, banged on an innocent table and said.
“What’s the point of having dinner? I have to see that bastard too!”
Rob looked at Kalroy in a frozen state for a moment, then came to his senses and began to soothe him.
“Even when you were hiding and watching, you were seeing the two of them together just the same.”
At Rob’s words, Kalroy pouted.
“Wasn’t the reason you invited them to dinner in the first place because you wanted to see Lord Daniel’s face closely and for a long time?”
“You’re stating the obvious!”
“Yes. Then that’s enough.”
Kalroy’s heart, which had been full of anger, calmed down like a lie. It didn’t seem like this happened in the Stamili Empire, but since coming to the Ohariko Empire, strangely his heart was calmed every time Rob spoke. It was probably because he was the only person he could trust here.
Kalroy said in a crawling voice.
“It’s just frustrating that I have to wait for years and then only see him briefly before sending him back.”
Rob stroked Kalroy’s back and whispered softly.
“Your Highness… if you truly like someone, it’s not about forcing what you like on them, but recognizing and respecting what that person likes.”
Kalroy flinched and trembled his shoulders, then immediately glared.
“What does that have to do with me…”
However, Rob lightly ignored Kalroy’s reaction and continued.
“Lord Daniel is a good person. Don’t hurt and torment the person you like. That way, Lord Daniel will remember Your Highness as a mature and wonderful person even after returning to Stamili.”
Rob’s words struck his heart and passed through.
“Why should only I do that? The mother who said she loved me never once respected the things I liked. She always hurt and tormented me and left only bad memories until the end.”
Rob’s arm, which had been stroking his back, gently embraced Kalroy.
“I know. But Your Highness… you don’t want Lord Daniel to experience that pain too, do you? You speak bluntly, but in truth you want to give him only the best things, don’t you?”
Kalroy kept his mouth shut and turned his head toward the window. Though the type of love would be different, having experienced too well what results twisted obsession and possessiveness brought, Kalroy had no choice but to acknowledge Rob’s words.
‘Damn it! Nothing goes my way.’
Rob’s expression was full of pity as he looked at Kalroy’s fuming profile.
***
It was dinnertime. With the banquet before us, William and I sat side by side while Kalroy sat across from us. And Rob stood near the entrance, watching over us.
After the formal greetings ended, an uncomfortable and awkward silence settled over us. If we continued the meal like this, it seemed like we’d get indigestion, so I spoke first.
“Hahaha! What is this meat made from to be so delicious?”
Kalroy answered as if he had been waiting.
“For a lowly Omega, you have expensive taste. It’s a dish made from cattle raised grazing in the vast grasslands of the Ohariko Empire. With special sauce added to boot, there’s no way it wouldn’t be delicious.”
Kalroy’s mouth was stretched from ear to ear as he said this. He seemed pleased by the food compliment.
Since things had come to this, should I praise him a bit more? I did make a promise with Rob…
I looked around to see if there was anything else to compliment, then pointed to the cup in front of me and said.
“The cup is so pretty too. What’s the name of this gemstone embedded here?”
“It’s called Pashan. It’s a very precious gemstone that comes out in small quantities even from the northern mines of Ohariko.”
It was something I said without much thought, but hearing it was precious made me look twice. Not out of greed, but because we were making profits from lopeia in Stamili, so naturally I was interested.
It seems a bit prettier than lopeia… Ohariko is lucky. Having abundant resources and a wealthy country…
As I was lost in such thoughts, Kalroy made “ahem, ahem” sounds. It seemed like he wanted me to react quickly, so I hurriedly came to my senses and faithfully performed my original duty.
“It’s a gemstone with such a mysterious color. It’s so beautiful.”
Kalroy looked at me with his mouth open and muttered to himself.
“Yes, if you want it… this much I can give you as much as you want!”
Then William, who had been silently focused on his meal until now, suddenly interjected.
“You’re saying you can give as much as you want of something like this?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
