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Chapter 10

My Ex-Fiancé Turned Out to Be My Cousin’s Lover

 

In the blink of an eye, the day came to welcome the Third Prince. At noon, the dock was hot under the sun, and shadows curled tightly beneath people’s feet.

Two ships had arrived for the prince. Cassius waited at the edge of the dock with his team. Meanwhile, the citizens of Lanchi gathered in the plaza and stood on rooftops, all hoping to catch a glimpse of what the Third Prince looked like.

The whole reception felt more like a royal coronation than a simple welcome.

Cassius looked around but did not see Keith anywhere.

Keith had mentioned that he wanted to come today. Cassius started to worry something might have happened. Then again, maybe he was just running late.

About a dozen mages dressed in black robes stepped off the ship first. They moved to the sides, making way for a man dressed in an ornate red prince’s outfit.

It was Erland.

Erland had long, curly black hair. His handsome face carried an air of melancholy, with narrow, brooding eyes. A small red gemstone necklace rested against his chest.

Behind him followed a man in full armor. He had strong features and short, military-style hair. He stood tall, well over six feet.

The former inspector was also present. He was preparing to board the ship to leave. He stepped forward and greeted Erland.

“Your Highness, from this point on, the position of Inspector is yours.”

Cassius added, “Welcome to Lanchi. It is an honor to meet you.”

“I hope the former inspector has a safe journey. As for me, I have long heard of your reputation, Governor Cassius,” Erland replied with a calm smile. His red cloak swayed in the sea breeze as he walked forward.

The three exchanged a few polite formalities. Once the former inspector had boarded, Cassius signaled for the carriages that had been prepared. They were ready to take Erland to the Inspector’s estate.

Still, there was no sign of Keith.

Erland stopped in front of the carriages and glanced around. “I heard my cousin Keith has been living in Lanchi for a while. Why haven’t I seen him today?”

Cassius replied casually, “He hasn’t been feeling well these past few days and couldn’t come to greet you.”

In truth, Cassius was also confused and a bit uneasy. He couldn’t help but wonder if the kiss he gave Keith the other day had scared him off.

“I see. Then let him rest. I’ll visit him another day,” Erland said as he stepped into the first carriage.

Cassius sat beside him. The armored man rode on horseback beside them. Several other carriages followed behind. The grand procession made its way through the streets of Lanchi as townspeople lined the roads to watch.

Inside the carriage, Cassius wrinkled his nose. The space was small and enclosed, and Erland smelled strongly of roses. If it were an Alpha’s pheromone, Cassius would have felt a biological reaction. Since he felt nothing, it had to be heavy rose-scented perfume.

Was Erland seriously wearing that much perfume?

Erland looked over. “How long has Keith been unwell?”

“This is the third day,” Cassius answered.

“Then he should be getting better soon. I’ll go visit him tomorrow. Keith used to travel with my mother when we were expanding colonies. He’s been through battles and injuries. It’s a shame really. But how do you know all of this so clearly, Governor?”

Cassius replied calmly, “I happened to visit his home recently.”

The strong scent in the carriage was giving him a headache. He hoped they would arrive soon.

Cassius glanced at the armored man riding next to the carriage. With Erland’s group of thirty to forty mages, the single close-combat warrior stood out.

“Does Your Highness also travel with a knight as your personal guard?”

“Oh, I forgot to introduce him. This is Xiu, captain of my personal guard and also commander of the mage unit. He holds both a knight’s title and noble rank,” Erland replied while glancing out the window.

Xiu met his eyes briefly and nodded.

A knight leading a team of mages? That was definitely unusual. Cassius couldn’t quite understand what was going on between the two of them.

“That’s very unique,” Cassius said. He had never seen such an arrangement before, and it left him with an odd feeling he couldn’t explain.

When they arrived at the Inspector’s estate, it was clear the former inspector had been nearly sixty. The furniture and decor gave off the vibe of an old-fashioned government office.

Erland clearly disliked the style. He ordered that all the furniture and decorations be replaced. He also wanted the garden filled with roses. Inside the house, every table and cabinet needed to have vases of red roses as well.

Because of this, every rose in Lanchi was sold out by the end of the day.

Xiu followed Erland closely, acting like a personal bodyguard.

Servants hurried to clean and set up the dining room. They placed vases of roses along the long table. Even the tablecloth had to have red and white floral patterns. Cassius stood nearby, watching all of it unfold. He couldn’t help but wonder if Erland was obsessed with roses.

At that moment, Keith suddenly seemed like the most normal person he knew.

Cassius waited in the dining room while Erland and Xiu went to the garden to supervise. The garden still had tall plants arranged like a maze, which had been kept from the old design. Cassius walked toward the area when he heard the two of them talking on the other side.

Erland said, “Why do you look so down? Are you upset that Keith didn’t come today?”

Xiu replied, “Me? No, I’m not.”

“I think you are. When I go visit him tomorrow, do you want to come with me?”

“I’m not going.”

Cassius had overheard the conversation by accident. It seemed that Xiu also knew Keith, though he clearly did not want to talk about it. His tone was low, and he seemed unwilling to bring it up.

As the two men stepped out from behind the plants, they ran into Cassius. Xiu looked a little uncomfortable. Without saying anything, he quickly walked past them and entered the house.

Cassius said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear what you were saying.”

Erland smiled casually. “It’s nothing serious. Xiu just doesn’t want to visit Keith with me.”

“I thought he was supposed to be your personal guard. The dining room is ready now. Would you prefer to eat here at the estate or go out?” Cassius asked. He had assumed they were simply a prince and his bodyguard.

They had originally planned to eat at the Inspector’s estate, but the house was still in chaos due to all the redecorating. It had taken some effort just to get the dining room in order.

“Who knows what he’s thinking. Governor, let’s go see how the dining room looks,” said Erland, stepping ahead into the room.

The servants stood in a neat row with their hands folded in front of them, as if waiting for inspection. Erland glanced around and looked at the wall.

“Change the paintings on the wall. I want them all replaced with roses.”

The paintings were perfectly fine. They were still life and food themed, fitting for a dining area. Replacing them all with flower paintings felt excessive.

Since Erland said the estate was not ready, he insisted on dining out. Cassius had no choice but to take him to the largest restaurant in the city and book it entirely for him.

Xiu had disappeared without saying where he was going. In the spacious restaurant, only Cassius and Erland were seated for dinner, while more than a dozen attendants stood quietly nearby.

After the meal, Cassius led Erland on a short tour around the city. He felt more like a tour guide than a governor.

By late afternoon, the estate was about halfway organized. The main office and the living quarters had been cleaned up. The rest would be finished the following day. It was enough for daily use.

Cassius escorted Erland back to the estate, then finally left. He felt a great sense of relief. The strong rose perfume still lingered in his nose. He needed to breathe some fresh air.

His thoughts turned again to Keith. Instead of going home, he headed straight for Keith’s house.

The sun was beginning to set. Cassius knocked on the door of Keith’s home, but no one responded. He knocked again.

A high-pitched voice came from inside.

“Who is it?”

It was Little Green, the parrot.

“It’s Cassius. Is your owner home, Little Green?”

“I’m the owner. Coo coo. Kiss went out. Said he was picking up his cousin. No one has fed me.”

Cassius didn’t have any bird food and couldn’t go inside. He said, “You can go look for bugs in the garden.”

“I am the real owner. Coo coo. Master!” Little Green cried out angrily and started pecking at the door.

Keith had said he was going to pick someone up but never showed up. Where could he have gone?

Cassius didn’t want to wait for his men to track him down. He wandered near the Inspector’s estate, hoping to find him.

He finally spotted Keith at a café located on a higher part of the street, where he stood by the railing looking out over the estate.

Keith looked down and saw Cassius walking up the stairs.

“Cassius, what are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you that. Didn’t you say you were going to pick up the Third Prince?” Cassius replied. “You’re not avoiding me because of what happened that day, are you?”

“It’s not because of that,” Keith said, his face turning slightly red at the memory. The people passing in and out of the café made it hard for him to say anything personal. “Do you want some coffee? Let’s talk inside.”

Cassius could see that something was bothering him. As long as Keith wasn’t avoiding him, he didn’t mind. He followed him into the café.

They found a quiet corner and sat down. They ordered two coffees.

Cassius asked, “Does your body still hurt today?”

“I’m fine now,” Keith said as he stirred some sugar into his cup. He looked up and smiled. “Thank you for caring about me.”

Neither of them mentioned the kiss. Both kept it to themselves, each afraid that bringing it up might make things awkward.

Keith finally spoke. “I actually went to the docks today. I saw my cousin. I was in the crowd, watching you all. I noticed someone standing behind him. His name is Xiu.”

Cassius took a sip of his coffee. “Is there something between you and Xiu?”

“Do you remember when I told you I had a close-combat Alpha fiancé?” Keith asked softly. He lowered his gaze and continued to stir his coffee. The small spoon scraped gently against the inside of the cup, echoing his unease. “That was Xiu.”

Cassius nearly choked on his coffee. He coughed hard, caught off guard.

“Drink slower,” Keith said and quickly handed him a handkerchief. His own expression showed how flustered he felt. There had never been real feelings between him and Xiu, but seeing him again like this was uncomfortable. “When I saw Xiu, I suddenly didn’t want to show up. Seeing the two of them together just felt… I don’t even know how to say it.”

How could something this coincidental happen?

Keith had a feeling his cousin and his ex-fiancé were now together.

Cassius felt like he had stepped into a dramatic novel. He had met Keith’s former fiancé a few times, and now that man was showing up with Keith’s cousin. Trying to calm him down, Cassius said, “Maybe you’re just overthinking it.”

 

athena
Author: athena

A Married Alpha Who Doesn’t Want to Be a Heartthrob

A Married Alpha Who Doesn’t Want to Be a Heartthrob

Status: Ongoing Author:
A brooding one-eyed Alpha sniper, Keith, meets a cheerful, love-struck, and airheaded Omega, Ghis. This story features sweetness, mutual love, a happy ending, and a committed one-on-one relationship. Both leads are virgins. One side character has an unrequited crush. The Alpha deeply favors the Omega. The setting is western fantasy. After being transmigrated into another world, Keith finds himself in the body of a man whose nation has already fallen and become a colony. Now, he is the colony’s governor and a max-level sniper. The system assigns him two tasks: First, pursue the person the original host loved, Long Shi. Second, take revenge on the Queen of the suzerain empire. Keith says, "I am fine with revenge, but I am not interested in a love interest forced on me. I want Ghis." The system responds, "Although Ghis is the Queen’s nephew and politically closer to her, he is an Omega who cannot bear children." Keith replies, "That works even better. It will not get in the way of my revenge." At first, Keith thought Ghis would just be a tool to help him complete his mission. But he unexpectedly found himself truly falling for him. Ghis had heard that Keith was the dream man of every unmarried Omega, so he went to see what made him so attractive. He ended up getting proposed to. He won the jackpot. Let the other Omegas envy him. Just as the two begin their sweet married life, another twist unfolds. Ghis’s father overthrows the Queen and seizes the throne. He takes Keith away and names him royal consort. Even Ghis’s cousin, Erland, begins to covet his husband. The public cannot stop gossiping. "Keith? You mean the royal consort who keeps getting passed around? He is burning through marriage certificates. He just got married and already needs a new one." Despite all the attention from others, this charming and popular Alpha only loves his silly and affectionate spouse. While dreaming, Ghis giggles and mumbles, "Keith is so handsome. Take off that uniform... those abs..." Keith gently wakes him, "Wake up. You are drooling." Ghis quickly wipes his mouth and says, "I wasn’t drooling."  

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