Chapter 3
With his light pink hair and blue eyes, Asher had a cute appearance that anyone could recognize. His dimples that formed softly when he smiled and his small face were undeniably adorable.
However, his distinctively eye-catching hair color was rarely seen in the ducal family. Simply because his eye color resembled the Duke’s, and because the dimples that appeared when he smiled resembled the late Duchess, for these reasons alone, no one questioned Asher’s birth. This allowed him to enjoy a comfortable life that someone had switched for him, living carelessly like a delinquent.
Not knowing how his future fate would unfold…
Asher sighed in despair. For now, he needed to survive. Fate wouldn’t change easily, but the least he could do was stay quiet until the original returned and then leave obediently. But life is unpredictable, and Asher lost himself completely at Luke’s visit.
Like falling in love at first sight, Asher couldn’t take his eyes off Luke. If there were a god, Asher thought blankly as he stared at him, this is what they would look like.
“It’s been a while. I heard you were ill, but I’m glad to see you appear to be fine.”
He possessed such a perfect appearance that he seemed like an angel descended from heaven. His elongated eyes with light red irises embedded within them, and his silver hair symbolizing the imperial family—the word “beautiful” seemed to have been created for him, so enchanting was his appearance. Asher hid his reddened cheeks and stumbled over his words.
“Ah, y-yes… yes.”
“I heard you suffered memory loss as an aftereffect of the accident, and it seems that wasn’t a lie.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed slightly at Asher’s significantly changed demeanor. Even that gesture somehow felt seductive. Asher felt his heart racing.
Broad shoulders and a sturdy physique. Even his seated posture looked like something from a fashion magazine. Unable to tear his gaze away, Asher sat down across from him, failing to compose his expression.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No, that’s not it…”
Asher waved his hands in denial and his neck flushed red at his breach of etiquette. Knowing how foolish he must look, he quickly added an apology.
“If I’ve offended you, I’m sorry…”
But the response was silence. As a result, the air in the reception room grew heavy.
In the silently passing time, Asher only observed his reactions. But Luke kept his gaze fixed on the window, not once looking at Asher. Even until the servant brought refreshments, Luke’s lips remained sealed. It seemed he intended to simply spend time like this and then leave. Feeling awkward, Asher clutched his teacup and glanced at him.
The wind coming through the window gently swept Luke’s hair. His eyes, reflecting the sunlight, sparkled as clearly and beautifully as rubies. Just looking at him made Asher happy, and his lips curved into a faint smile.
“With your memory loss, you don’t remember me either?”
“…Probably not?”
Startled by the sudden question, Asher couldn’t hide his confusion. After giving a hurried, vague answer, Luke turned his head to stare at him.
“Then you wouldn’t remember our rules either.”
“We had rules?”
That was something not even mentioned in the original story. Anxious, Asher blinked slowly as his eyelids trembled.
“It’s simple. We just sit like this and then part ways. That was the condition you wanted.”
“…”
“So I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t look at me so overtly while pretending to know nothing.”
At Luke’s words, Asher’s face fell with dejection. He could only silently bite his lip without saying anything.
In the long silence that settled, Asher glanced up at him. Even knowing the future, he wanted to remain a good person to Luke and wished to converse with him more. Driven by this desire, he carefully spoke as he set down his teacup.
“I apologize for bringing this up now, but could I change the condition I proposed?”
“How so?”
“If we’re going to meet occasionally, I’d like to spend time with Your Highness outdoors… It seems a waste of good weather to just sit here passing time.”
He spoke sincerely, but Luke once again fell silent, withholding his words. Whatever he was thinking, his face revealed no expression. He only blinked slowly in silence.
“I’m surprised by your unexpected words.”
“…”
“I thought you greatly disliked me.”
Asher realized he was more disliked by Luke than he had thought. Though Luke spoke gently, his eyes were as sharp as they were cold. Feeling wronged, Asher looked at him and said:
“…I don’t dislike you.”
“But you don’t like me either.”
“…”
“It’s unfortunate. The fact that only I remember at times like this.”
With a face that suggested it was regrettable to see this alone, he gave a deflated smile. It was as if Asher would regret it once he recovered his memories.
“Let me consider that part. I don’t particularly enjoy unnecessary meetings.”
“…”
With that, the conversation was once again cut short as Luke rose from his seat. Like someone who wanted to leave as quickly as possible, he spoke without meeting Asher’s eyes.
“You’re probably not feeling well, and I’ve taken too much of your time. Please rest now.”
Seeing Luke about to say goodbye quickly, Asher hurriedly stopped him. Their meeting was too short, too regrettable. Acting unlike himself, he halted Luke and carefully parted his lips.
“Your Highness.”
“…”
“…If we part like this, will I see you again in a month?”
“Who knows. It could be even longer than that.”
Hearing it might be even longer than expected, Asher couldn’t hide his disappointment. As he bit his lip in regret, Luke let out a hollow laugh.
“I don’t know what your intention is in asking, but this is a meeting forced by our families—there’s nothing good about seeing each other frequently, is there?”
“…”
“Even if you’ve lost your memories, I haven’t lost mine.”
Recalling Asher’s past transgressions, Luke smiled bitterly. As though he had closed off his heart, he stared with emotionless eyes before leaving the reception room.
“Sigh…”
It seemed the grudge he held was deeper than expected. Feeling frustrated, Asher sighed repeatedly, then blushed at the lingering image in his mind.
“So this is what it’s like to fall for someone at first sight…”
His heart still wouldn’t stop racing. He just wanted to make Luke smile until the moment he left his side. He wanted to watch over him silently without hurting him as in the original story, wishing him happiness. Knowing better than anyone how lonely and isolated Luke had grown up, and how wounded he was, Asher clenched his fist with a determined look in his eyes.
*
After parting with Luke, Asher waited only for the day they would meet again. He wanted to contact Luke first but didn’t want to bother him when he was busy receiving his position. But even after a month passed, Luke didn’t send a letter. Since they hadn’t set a date to meet, Asher had to wait endlessly for Luke’s contact.
“Tsk, stupid fool. I went to the trouble of arranging a meeting place for you, and you couldn’t even make use of it?”
It was a rare occasion with the whole family gathered. The Duke clicked his tongue with a displeased expression at Asher’s behavior, which wasn’t as cunning as before his possession.
“Father. I think your words are too harsh. We’re having a family meal, after all.”
Shaki, unable to stand by, intervened in the conversation, but even he was ignored as the Duke frowned and raised his voice.
“If you were born with a heat, shouldn’t you at least make an effort? What on earth did you do that makes a man who should be crawling to you not even contact you once?!”
At the Duke’s tone brimming with disapproval, Asher set down the fork he was holding. As if completely unaffected, he wiped his mouth with the linen napkin and calmly moistened his lips with water.
The Duke resented that Asher was born as an omega with heat. He despised it almost to the point of considering it the family’s disgrace, but Asher had won the Duke’s heart through his empathic abilities. Perhaps this was a method Asher had learned to survive in this cutthroat environment.
Having secured what the Duke wanted by being preemptive, Asher received his favor, and the Duke granted some shop shares to the imperial family for his purposes.
“This won’t do. I must seek an audience with His Majesty.”
“I asked to postpone our meeting for a while. His Highness graciously agreed.”
“What?”
“I’ll send a letter soon to arrange a meeting, so I’d appreciate it if you’d leave this matter to me, Father.”
Knowing that if the Duke intervened, the damage would directly affect Luke, Asher emphasized the word “Father.”
“Useless fool. Before you lost your memory, you seemed smart like me. Why are you acting so incompetent these days? What is that physician doing that he can’t even treat you properly?!”
As if even consideration for others displeased him, the Duke expressed his irritation and put down his cutlery. Having lost his appetite, he stood up and left. As a result, only an uncomfortable atmosphere lingered over the dining table.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
