A person like a huge rocky mountain whose end was obscured by clouds in a foggy wilderness. That was Valentin’s first impression of him. And when he turned his face towards Valentin, he thought differently. That he was a rare handsome man with upright and strong features like a Greek war god, so in a way, he seemed like someone who didn’t suit a military uniform at all. 

If you took just his face separately, he seemed like someone who would suit being delicately raised indoors like the 3rd Prince who was famous as a handsome man in the empire. It was a prejudice about a good-looking face.

Of course, these impressions completely disappeared later as they were just visual feelings from seeing with eyes. Moreover, anyone who exchanged even a single word with him would think so even more. He was a person whose handsome face was immediately overshadowed by the intimidating aura emanating from his height and build.

Valentin later completely revised his first impression of him. The him he got to know in detail was a commander who ruled over the military and suited battle more than anyone else.

He happened to turn his head this way.

‘Ah…’

Their eyes met.

It was neither a far nor close distance, but Valentin was certain their eyes met straight on.

For a moment, it felt like a tingling electricity flowed down his spine.

It was a sensation as if the surroundings became hazy and wobbled like a silent film. Perhaps time had stopped for a moment when their eyes met.

Although the pheromone scent couldn’t be clearly felt due to the distance, Valentin’s sensitive senses were telling him that he was definitely a dominant alpha. Moreover, as Valentin grandiosely felt and alone dreamed in detail, his appearance was excessively Valentin’s type.

‘It’s that person.’

That person is my bait today.

Valentin thought that with conviction.

He was engrossed in that thought while facing the grey eyes like a beast wandering in a rough snowstorm.

If Valentin had been at the ball from the beginning and knew exactly who he was and what achievements he had made, it would have been a choice he absolutely wouldn’t have made.

What Valentin wanted was just the subjectivity to escape the ruinous ending and freely live his life, the right to freely fly around and breathe like a bird in the fields wherever he wanted if he himself wished, just such trivial things. And it was also a trivial yet difficult thing.

So a life where he had to bear too much weight was really not what Valentin wanted.

So there was also the fact that he felt even more reassured stupidly while simply seeing he was a soldier.

He simply thought the epaulettes, medals, and gold threads attached to the dark blue dress uniform wrapping that mountain-like body were very simply telling he was just an ‘excellent soldier’. He just lightly thought, ‘He must have made many achievements on the battlefield.’

It made sense because military officers were mostly second or third sons from frontier or ordinary noble families, or gentry, rather than top-tier nobles at the top of the pyramid, so Valentin was also wrapped up in prejudice and easily assumed so.

He’s probably from that level of background… ‘He won’t be such a huge figure that I can’t handle.’ He thought that simply. It was the delusion of an ignoramus who knew nothing about his status.

With such a naive mind, Valentin smiled and slowly walked towards him little by little.

He was able to confidently move his steps and approach because of his reaction.

Even when Valentin pretended to be distracted and looked elsewhere, then looked at him again after first making eye contact once.

Even when he held a glass in his hand, took a sip, kept his gaze on the tip of his shoes or the crystal glass he was holding for a long time, then raised his head again.

Because he made eye contact with him who kept looking at him.

It was a good sign. He also seemed to feel attraction to him and kept sending glances.

This is a green light.

‘That person isn’t bad either.’

Confidence arose in Valentin’s steps.

Also, he couldn’t stride too much like someone going to collect a debt, so he naturally moved his steps without making his strides too big.

Did he also notice where Valentin’s gaze and steps were headed? He casually dismissed the other officers and people surrounding him – who were eagerly talking while gesturing – with a few words, then naturally started moving his steps towards Valentin while drinking the brandy he was holding.

Among the numerous people in the huge and splendid ballroom where the chandelier was shining brilliantly.

That’s how they first met each other.

The two who moved towards each other as if pulled by a magnet and met in the middle just stared at each other intently without saying anything when they actually faced each other up close.

He quietly looked down at the omega young man in front of him, then too naturally snatched the champagne glass Valentin was originally holding. And he snapped his fingers to call a passing attendant and had him bring a new champagne glass.

It seemed to have become empty before he knew it. His touch was so excessively natural that Valentin thought he was an acquaintance who came to offer champagne.

The hot hand handing the champagne glass slowly brushed Valentin’s skin. No, what was slow might not be the sensation but the brain receiving it. Somehow, ever since facing him, it felt like all time was slowly flowing in slow motion.

He raised his gaze that was looking at Valentin and turned his eyes for a moment to look at the center of the hall. Then, making eye contact again, with one arm behind his back, he bowed, showing off perfect manners, and opened his heavy mouth.

“Dance…”

“…Pardon?”

“Would you like to dance together?”

It was a heavy voice that seemed to resonate from low and deep, matching his physique.

Along with the voice asking for a dance, a pheromone scent spread very shallowly. He must have intentionally shown his pheromones. It was a cool and captivating scent like pomelo, mint, or sea salt, yet intense, pungent, and heavy like smoke or black pepper.

Ah… Valentin unknowingly puffed up his chest and absorbed that attractive pheromone through his nasal cavity and skin.

Oops, he was so focused on the pheromone and voice that he didn’t understand what he said for a moment. As soon as Valentin understood the meaning of the words, albeit slowly, he was startled and raised his right hand, placing it on the hand he held out, and answered in a small voice.

“Gladly.”

As Valentin’s hand was placed on top of his, he intertwined that hand deeper with his thumb and grabbed it again firmly.

“Hmm.”

A subtle expression that couldn’t be understood fleetingly passed over his face as he tilted his head while holding Valentin’s hand.

However, as if Valentin’s feeling that he hesitated for a moment was a misunderstanding, he again put the glasses in their other hands on the tray of another passing attendant with a motion like flowing water. And he led Valentin to the center of the hall where new music was about to start again.

The center of the hall where the largest chandelier was hanging. A place to dance with a partner…

Valentin looked at himself standing with both feet, holding the alpha’s hand, in a place he thought he wouldn’t be today, with an unfamiliar feeling.

“May I ask for the name of the beautiful you?”

He politely bowed and asked before starting the dance.

“It’s Valentin.”

He answered briefly, smiling and looking at him who didn’t take his eyes off Valentin’s. 

There was no need to add the surname and tell the full real name.

He knew it wasn’t very polite. It wasn’t a privately held ball, but an official event of the nation, so the official social circles of the Heston Empire were a place where people could somehow know each other after a few connections.

The young man who only said his name and smiled brightly in response to a polite question seemed curious, so he slightly raised one eyebrow. Even that expression approached Valentin attractively. He’s like a classic movie actor from a black and white film. Seeing that attractive expression, he thought so while slightly averting his eyes, feeling somewhat shy.

With a slightly laughing sound that wasn’t rude, a self-introduction followed from the other side as well.

“Reynard.”

Reynard… It was a soft name unlike his sturdy appearance.

As if to match Valentin, he also only said his first name. Like that, the two finished their greetings.

As a slow waltz began, the two naturally embraced each other’s waists and backs and moved to the beat. Fortunately, it was a slow song.

“I didn’t see you earlier.”

He moved smoothly, not matching his huge body, and spoke first, and Valentin answered happily. He was just wanting to talk with him too. They needed to know a little about each other as he might become Valentin’s partner and sacrifice today.

“I arrived a bit late.”

At those words, he slightly smiled, raising only the corners of his mouth, then glanced around, not at Valentin, and spoke close to his ear. His breath pleasantly touched and tickled Valentin’s cheeks and ears.

“It would have been nice if we could have met from the beginning.”

Huh? What does that mean?

He laughed, even closing his eyes, looking at Valentin who was tilting his head with a puzzled expression, his eyes wide open.

Ah… His impression looks different when he smiles. Valentin asked, breaking down the wall in his heart a bit more at his much more gentle face.

“Do you not have a partner or fiancée who came with you?”

It was a thought that suddenly came to mind.

Just because he was alone earlier doesn’t mean this person is really alone. I absolutely refuse to get a bad name for hitting on someone with a lover or fiancée this time too. I never wanted to take on such a dirty role again.

Especially if it’s such an attractive alpha, it would be even harder for him to be alone. It might just be that he politely asked an omega he made long eye contact with to dance.

“No. I don’t.”

At Valentin’s innocent-faced question, this time he widened his eyes, then smiled, raising the corners of his mouth, and answered.

Somehow, the conversation seems to be floating with short, vague words and answers going back and forth in an ambiguous state.

So it means he was even more puzzled by that answer. How could this alpha…?

Moreover, it was certain he wasn’t someone who had just become an adult like Valentin. If he was an officer who went through military academy and participated in the war, he wouldn’t be 20 years old.

“Why is that?”

He asked purely as if he was really curious, smoothly turning to the music. Grabbing Valentin’s hand that came back after a turn, he looked at him this time as if he couldn’t understand, then smiled mischievously and answered.

“Because of this.”

With those words, his thick alpha pheromones spread into the air.

This time, an even harsher and more pungent scent than before spread in the air centered around him.

What? Is he boasting that his pheromones are excellent?

Ah… I felt it earlier too, but it’s a really unique and strong scent.

Valentin slowly breathed in the unfamiliar yet excessively raw, masculine, and alpha-like scent through his nasal mucosa. Unlike the ordinary emotion pheromones he smelled earlier, this time there was a slight sexual pheromone mixed in. It felt like his body was melting and heating up. He had no idea what the situation around him was like as he was pleasantly inhaling that pheromone through his nasal cavity and skin.

“Eup!”

“Oh my…!”